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From discrete to continuum models of three-dimensional deformations in epithelial sheets
International audienceEpithelial tissue, in which cells adhere tightly to each other and to theunderlying substrate, is one of the four major tissue types in adultorganisms. In embryos, epithelial sheets serve as versatile substratesduring the formation of developing organs. Some aspects of epithelialmorphogenesis can be adequately described using vertex models, in which thetwo-dimensional arrangement of epithelial cells is approximated by apolygonal lattice with an energy that has contributions reflecting theproperties of individual cells and their interactions. Previous studieswith such models have largely focused on dynamics confined to two spatialdimensions and analyzed them numerically. We show how these models can beextended to account for three-dimensional deformations and studiedanalytically. Starting from the extended model, we derive a continuumplate description of cell sheets, in which the effective tissue properties,such as bending rigidity, are related explicitly to the parameters of thevertex model. To derive the continuum plate model, we duly take intoaccount a microscopic shift between the two sublattices of the hexagonalnetwork, which has been ignored in previous work. As an application of thecontinuum model, we analyze tissue buckling by a line tension applied alonga circular contour, a simplified set-up relevant to several situations inthe developmental context. The buckling thresholds predicted by thecontinuum description are in good agreement with the results of directstability calculations based on the vertex model. Our results establish adirect connection between discrete and continuum descriptions of cellsheets and can be used to probe a wide range of morphogenetic processes inepithelial tissues
Radiative acceleration and transient, radiation-induced electric fields
The radiative acceleration of particles and the electrostatic potential
fields that arise in low density plasmas hit by radiation produced by a
transient, compact source are investigated. We calculate the dynamical
evolution and asymptotic energy of the charged particles accelerated by the
photons and the radiation-induced electric double layer in the full
relativistic, Klein-Nishina regime. For fluxes in excess of , the radiative force on a diluted plasma
(n\la 10^{11} cm) is so strong that electrons are accelerated rapidly
to relativistic speeds while ions lag behind owing to their larger inertia. The
ions are later effectively accelerated by the strong radiation-induced double
layer electric field up to Lorentz factors , attainable in the
case of negligible Compton drag. The asymptotic energies achieved by both ions
and electrons are larger by a factor 2--4 with respect to what one could
naively expect assuming that the electron-ion assembly is a rigidly coupled
system. The regime we investigate may be relevant within the framework of giant
flares from soft gamma-repeaters.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, ApJ, in press (tentatively scheduled for the v.
592, 2003 issue
Where Are All The Fallback Disks? Constraints on Propeller Systems
Fallback disks are expected to form around new-born neutron stars following a
supernova explosion. In almost all cases, the disk will pass through a
propeller stage. If the neutron star is spinning rapidly (initial period ms) and has an ordinary magnetic moment ( G cm), the
rotational power transferred to the disk by the magnetic field of the neutron
star will exceed the Eddington limit by many orders of magnitude, and the disk
will be rapidly disrupted. Fallback disks can thus survive only around
slow-born neutron stars and around black holes, assuming the latter do not
torque their surrounding disks as strongly as do neutron stars. This might
explain the apparent rarity of fallback disks around young compact objects.Comment: Submitted to Astrophysical Journal Letter
A variational approach to the stochastic aspects of cellular signal transduction
Cellular signaling networks have evolved to cope with intrinsic fluctuations,
coming from the small numbers of constituents, and the environmental noise.
Stochastic chemical kinetics equations govern the way biochemical networks
process noisy signals. The essential difficulty associated with the master
equation approach to solving the stochastic chemical kinetics problem is the
enormous number of ordinary differential equations involved. In this work, we
show how to achieve tremendous reduction in the dimensionality of specific
reaction cascade dynamics by solving variationally an equivalent quantum field
theoretic formulation of stochastic chemical kinetics. The present formulation
avoids cumbersome commutator computations in the derivation of evolution
equations, making more transparent the physical significance of the variational
method. We propose novel time-dependent basis functions which work well over a
wide range of rate parameters. We apply the new basis functions to describe
stochastic signaling in several enzymatic cascades and compare the results so
obtained with those from alternative solution techniques. The variational
ansatz gives probability distributions that agree well with the exact ones,
even when fluctuations are large and discreteness and nonlinearity are
important. A numerical implementation of our technique is many orders of
magnitude more efficient computationally compared with the traditional Monte
Carlo simulation algorithms or the Langevin simulations.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figure
Relativistic Structure, Stability and Gravitational Collapse of Charged Neutron Stars
Charged stars have the potential of becoming charged black holes or even
naked singularities. It is presented a set of numerical solutions of the
Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkov equations that represents spherical charged compact
stars in hydrostatic equilibrium. The stellar models obtained are evolved
forward in time integrating the Einstein-Maxwell field equations. It is assumed
an equation of state of a neutron gas at zero temperature. The charge
distribution is taken as been proportional to the rest mass density
distribution. The set of solutions present an unstable branch, even with charge
to mass ratios arbitrarily close to the extremum case. It is performed a direct
check of the stability of the solutions under strong perturbations, and for
different values of the charge to mass ratio. The stars that are in the stable
branch oscillates and do not collapse, while models in the unstable branch
collapse directly to form black holes. Stars with a charge greater or equal
than the extreme value explode. When a charged star is suddenly discharged, it
don't necessarily collapse to form a black hole. A non-linear effect that gives
rise to the formation of an external shell of matter (see Ghezzi and Letelier
2005), is negligible in the present simulations. The results are in agreement
with the third law of black hole thermodynamics and with the cosmic censorship
conjecture.Comment: 27 pages, 14 figures, 4 tables, paper accepte
Simultaneous direct measurement of the electrocaloric and dielectric dynamics of ferroelectrics with microsecond temporal resolution
A contactless technique for direct time-resolved measurements of the full
dynamics of the adiabatic temperature change in electrocaloric materials is
introduced. The infrared radiation emitted by the electrocaloric sample is
sensitively detected with s time resolution and mK temperature resolution.
We present time-resolved measurements of the electrocaloric effect up to kHz
frequencies of the driving electric field and down to small field strengths.
The simultaneous recording of transients for applied electric field and induced
polarization gives a comprehensive view on the correlation of electrocaloric
and ferroelectric properties. The technique can further be applied to the
continuous measurement of fatigue for electric field cycles.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figure
Pattern formation by a moving morphogen source
Abstract During Drosophila melanogaster oogenesis, the follicular epithelium that envelops the germline cyst gives rise to an elaborate eggshell, which houses the future embryo and mediates its interaction with the environment. A prominent feature of the eggshell is a pair of dorsal appendages, which are needed for embryo respiration. Morphogenesis of this structure depends on broad, a zinc-finger transcription factor, regulated by the EGFR pathway. While much has been learned about the mechanisms of broad regulation by EGFR, current understanding of processes that shape the spatial pattern of broad expression is incomplete. We propose that this pattern is defined by two different phases of EGFR activation: an early, posterior-to-anterior gradient of EGFR signaling sets the posterior boundary of broad expression, while the anterior boundary is set by a later phase of EGFR signaling, distributed in a dorsoventral gradient. This model can explain the wild-type pattern of broad in D. melanogaster, predicts how this pattern responds to genetic perturbations, and provides insight into the mechanisms driving diversification of eggshell patterning. The proposed model of the broad expression pattern can be used as a starting point for the quantitative analysis of a large number of gene expression patterns in Drosophila oogenesis
Nonadiabatic charged spherical gravitational collapse
We present a complete set of the equations and matching conditions required
for the description of physically meaningful charged, dissipative, spherically
symmetric gravitational collapse with shear. Dissipation is described with both
free-streaming and diffusion approximations. The effects of viscosity are also
taken into account. The roles of different terms in the dynamical equation are
analyzed in detail. The dynamical equation is coupled to a causal transport
equation in the context of Israel-Stewart theory. The decrease of the inertial
mass density of the fluid, by a factor which depends on its internal
thermodynamic state, is reobtained, with the viscosity terms included. In
accordance with the equivalence principle, the same decrease factor is obtained
for the gravitational force term. The effect of the electric charge on the
relation between the Weyl tensor and the inhomogeneity of energy density is
discussed.Comment: 23 pages, Latex. To appear in Phys. Rev. D. Some references correcte
Gravitational clustering of relic neutrinos and implications for their detection
We study the gravitational clustering of big bang relic neutrinos onto
existing cold dark matter (CDM) and baryonic structures within the flat
CDM model, using both numerical simulations and a semi-analytical
linear technique, with the aim of understanding the neutrinos' clustering
properties for direct detection purposes. In a comparative analysis, we find
that the linear technique systematically underestimates the amount of
clustering for a wide range of CDM halo and neutrino masses. This invalidates
earlier claims of the technique's applicability. We then compute the exact
phase space distribution of relic neutrinos in our neighbourhood at Earth, and
estimate the large scale neutrino density contrasts within the local
Greisen--Zatsepin--Kuzmin zone. With these findings, we discuss the
implications of gravitational neutrino clustering for scattering-based
detection methods, ranging from flux detection via Cavendish-type torsion
balances, to target detection using accelerator beams and cosmic rays. For
emission spectroscopy via resonant annihilation of extremely energetic cosmic
neutrinos on the relic neutrino background, we give new estimates for the
expected enhancement in the event rates in the direction of the Virgo cluster.Comment: 38 pages, 8 embedded figures, iopart.cls; v2: references added, minor
changes in text, to appear in JCA
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