24 research outputs found
Anisotropic thermally activated diffusion in percolation systems
We present a study of static and frequency-dependent diffusion with
anisotropic thermally activated transition rates in a two-dimensional bond
percolation system. The approach accounts for temperature effects on diffusion
coefficients in disordered anisotropic systems. Static diffusion shows an
Arrhenius behavior for low temperatures with an activation energy given by the
highest energy barrier of the system. From the frequency-dependent diffusion
coefficients we calculate a characteristic frequency ,
related to the time needed to overcome a characteristic barrier. We find
that follows an Arrhenius behavior with different activation
energies in each direction.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Survival and residence times in disordered chains with bias
We present a unified framework for first-passage time and residence time of
random walks in finite one-dimensional disordered biased systems. The
derivation is based on exact expansion of the backward master equation in
cumulants. The dependence on initial condition, system size, and bias strength
is explicitly studied for models with weak and strong disorder. Application to
thermally activated processes is also developed.Comment: 13 pages with 2 figures, RevTeX4; v2:minor grammatical changes, typos
correcte
Ordering and finite-size effects in the dynamics of one-dimensional transient patterns
We introduce and analyze a general one-dimensional model for the description
of transient patterns which occur in the evolution between two spatially
homogeneous states. This phenomenon occurs, for example, during the
Freedericksz transition in nematic liquid crystals.The dynamics leads to the
emergence of finite domains which are locally periodic and independent of each
other. This picture is substantiated by a finite-size scaling law for the
structure factor. The mechanism of evolution towards the final homogeneous
state is by local roll destruction and associated reduction of local
wavenumber. The scaling law breaks down for systems of size comparable to the
size of the locally periodic domains. For systems of this size or smaller, an
apparent nonlinear selection of a global wavelength holds, giving rise to long
lived periodic configurations which do not occur for large systems. We also
make explicit the unsuitability of a description of transient pattern dynamics
in terms of a few Fourier mode amplitudes, even for small systems with a few
linearly unstable modes.Comment: 18 pages (REVTEX) + 10 postscript figures appende
Transitory Microbial Habitat in the Hyperarid Atacama Desert
Traces of life are nearly ubiquitous on Earth. However, a central unresolved question is whether these traces always indicate an active microbial community or whether, in extreme environments, such as hyperarid deserts, they instead reflect just dormant or dead cells. Although microbial biomass and diversity decrease with increasing aridity in the Atacama Desert, we provide multiple lines of evidence for the presence of an at times metabolically active, microbial community in one of the driest places on Earth. We base this observation on four major lines of evidence: a physico-chemical characterization of the soil habitability after an exceptional rain event, identified biomolecules indicative of potentially active cells [e.g., presence of ATP, phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), metabolites, and enzymatic activity], measurements of in situ replication rates of genomes of uncultivated bacteria reconstructed from selected samples, and microbial community patterns specific to soil parameters and depths. We infer that the microbial populations have undergone selection and adaptation in response to their specific soil microenvironment and in particular to the degree of aridity. Collectively, our results highlight that even the hyperarid Atacama Desert can provide a habitable environment for microorganisms that allows them to become metabolically active following an episodic increase in moisture and that once it decreases, so does the activity of the microbiota. These results have implications for the prospect of life on other planets such as Mars, which has transitioned from an earlier wetter environment to today's extreme hyperaridity. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.
Active Brownian Particles. From Individual to Collective Stochastic Dynamics
We review theoretical models of individual motility as well as collective
dynamics and pattern formation of active particles. We focus on simple models
of active dynamics with a particular emphasis on nonlinear and stochastic
dynamics of such self-propelled entities in the framework of statistical
mechanics. Examples of such active units in complex physico-chemical and
biological systems are chemically powered nano-rods, localized patterns in
reaction-diffusion system, motile cells or macroscopic animals. Based on the
description of individual motion of point-like active particles by stochastic
differential equations, we discuss different velocity-dependent friction
functions, the impact of various types of fluctuations and calculate
characteristic observables such as stationary velocity distributions or
diffusion coefficients. Finally, we consider not only the free and confined
individual active dynamics but also different types of interaction between
active particles. The resulting collective dynamical behavior of large
assemblies and aggregates of active units is discussed and an overview over
some recent results on spatiotemporal pattern formation in such systems is
given.Comment: 161 pages, Review, Eur Phys J Special-Topics, accepte
Leptin signaling in astrocytes regulates hypothalamic neuronal circuits and feeding.
We found that leptin receptors were expressed in hypothalamic astrocytes and that their conditional deletion led to altered glial morphology and synaptic inputs onto hypothalamic neurons involved in feeding control. Leptin-regulated feeding was diminished, whereas feeding after fasting or ghrelin administration was elevated in mice with astrocyte-specific leptin receptor deficiency. These data reveal an active role of glial cells in hypothalamic synaptic remodeling and control of feeding by leptin