A MATHEMATICAL FRAMEWORK EXHIBITING THE EMERGENCE OF DYNAMIC EXPANSION OF TASK REPERTOIRE IN PHEIDOLE DENTATA

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (02n03) ◽  
pp. 217-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
JASON M. GRAHAM ◽  
IVAN L. SIMPSON-KENT ◽  
MARC A. SEID

The division of labor (DOL) and task allocation (TA) among groups of ants living in a colony is thought to be highly efficient, and key to the robust survival of a colony. A great deal of experimental and theoretical work has been done toward gaining a clear understanding of the evolution of, and underlying mechanisms of these phenomena. Much of this research has utilized mathematical modeling. Here we continue this tradition by developing a mathematical model for a particular aspect of TA, known as age-related repertoire expansion, that has been observed in the minor workers of the ant species Pheidole dentata. In fact, we present a relatively broad mathematical modeling framework based on the dynamics of the frequency with which members of specific age groups carry out distinct tasks. We apply our modeling approach to a specific TA scenario, and compare our theoretical results with experimental data. It is observed that the model predicts perceived behavior, and provides a possible explanation for the aforementioned experimental results.

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S257-S257
Author(s):  
Rehab A Sherlala ◽  
Candace M Kammerer ◽  
Allison L Kuipers ◽  
Mary K Wojczynski ◽  
Svetlana Ukraintseva ◽  
...  

Abstract Serum levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and measures of adiposity, such as body mass index (BMI), are associated with susceptibility to age-related diseases. Previous reports of the relationship between IGF-1 and BMI ranged from positive to negative to no relationship, perhaps because previous reports studied different age cohorts. Using data on 4270 participants (aged 24-110 years) from the Long Life Family Study, we investigated the relationship between IGF-1 and BMI overall and by age groups. IGF-1 and BMI were positively correlated in the total sample (β=0.161, r2= 0.0038, p=1.8-05). However, further analyses revealed that the relationship between IGF-1 and BMI varied by age quartile: in the 1st quartile (24-58yo) the relationship was negative (β=−0.204, r2= 0.011, p=0.0008); in the 2nd quartile (59-66yo) the relationship was negative but non-significant (β=−0.069, r2= 0.0012, p=0.28); in the 3rd quartile (67-86yo) the relationship was positive but non-significant (β=0.106, r2= 0.002, p=0.13); and in the 4th quartile (87-110yo) the relationship was positive (β=0.388, r2= 0.019, p=1.2−05). This pattern did not differ by sex. We also detected a similar age-related pattern between IGF-1 and BMI using an independent dataset (NHANES III), comprising 2550 men and women aged 20-90 years. Our results may clarify some of the inconsistency in previous literature about the relationship between IGF-1 and BMI. Additional studies of IGF-1 and adiposity measures are needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms involved.


Author(s):  
Takuya Morishita ◽  
Jan E. Timmermann ◽  
Robert Schulz ◽  
Friedhelm C. Hummel

AbstractInterhemispheric interactions demonstrate a crucial role for directing bimanual movement control. In humans, a well-established paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation paradigm enables to assess these interactions by means of interhemispheric inhibition (IHI). Previous studies have examined changes in IHI from the active to the resting primary motor cortex during unilateral muscle contractions; however, behavioral relevance of such changes is still inconclusive. In the present study, we evaluated two bimanual tasks, i.e., mirror activity and bimanual anti-phase tapping, to examine behavioral relevance of IHI for bimanual movement control within this behavioral framework. Two age groups (young and older) were evaluated as bimanual movement control demonstrates evident behavioral decline in older adults. Two types of IHI with differential underlying mechanisms were measured; IHI was tested at rest and during a motor task from the active to the resting primary motor cortex. Results demonstrate an association between behavior and short-latency IHI in the young group: larger short-latency IHI correlated with better bimanual movement control (i.e., less mirror activity and better bimanual anti-phase tapping). These results support the view that short-latency IHI represents a neurophysiological marker for the ability to suppress activity of the contralateral side, likely contributing to efficient bimanual movement control. This association was not observed in the older group, suggesting age-related functional changes of IHI. To determine underlying mechanisms of impaired bimanual movement control due to neurological disorders, it is crucial to have an in-depth understanding of age-related mechanisms to disentangle disorder-related mechanisms of impaired bimanual movement control from age-related ones.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lemarre Paul ◽  
Sindi S. Suzanne ◽  
Pujo-Menjouet Laurent

AbstractThe use of yeast systems to study the propagation of prions and amyloids has emerged as a crucial aspect of the global endeavor to understand those mechanisms. Yeast prion systems are intrinsically multi-scale: the molecular chemical processes are indeed coupled to the cellular processes of cell growth and division to influence phenotypical traits, observable at the scale of colonies. We introduce a novel modeling framework to tackle this difficulty using impulsive differential equations. We apply this approach to the [PSI+] yeast prion, which associated with the misconformation and aggregation of Sup35. We build a model that reproduces and unifies previously conflicting experimental observations on [PSI+] and thus sheds light onto characteristics of the intracellular molecular processes driving aggregate replication. In particular our model uncovers a kinetic barrier for aggregate replication at low densities, meaning the change between prion or prion-free phenotype is a bi-stable transition. This result is based on the study of prion curing experiments, as well as the phenomenon of colony sectoring, a phenotype which is often ignored in experimental assays and has never been modeled. Furthermore, our results provide further insight into the effect of guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl) on Sup35 aggregates. To qualitatively reproduce the GdnHCl curing experiment, aggregate replication must not be completely inhibited, which suggests the existence of a mechanism different than Hsp104-mediated fragmentation. Those results are promising for further development of the [PSI+] model, but also for extending the use of this novel framework to other yeast prion or amyloid systems.Author summaryIn the study of yeast prions, mathematical modeling is a powerful tool, in particular when it comes to facing the difficulties of multi-scale systems. In this study, we introduce a mathematical framework for investigating this problem in a unifying way. We focus on the yeast prion [PSI+] and present a simple molecular scheme for prion replication and a model of yeast budding. In order to qualitatively reproduce experiments, we need to introduce a non-linear mechanism in the molecular rates. This transforms the intracellular system into a bi-stable switch and allows for curing to occur, which is a crucial phenomenon for the study of yeast prions. To the best of our knowledge, no model in the literature includes such a mechanism, at least not explicitly. We also describe the GdnHCl curing experiment, and the propagon counting procedure. Reproducing this result requires challenging hypotheses that are commonly accepted, and our interpretation gives a new perspective on the concept of propagon. This study may be considered as a good example of how mathematical modeling can bring valuable insight into biological concepts and observations.


1989 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 353-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeannette D. Hoit ◽  
Thomas J. Hixon ◽  
Mary Ellen Altman ◽  
Wayne J. Morgan

Thirty healthy women representing three age groups (25, 50, and 75 years) were studied with respect to general respiratory function and speech breathing. Certain subdivisions of the lung volume differed with age: vital capacity, expiratory reserve volume, and residual volume. Speech breathing also differed with age and was characterized by differences in lung volume excursion, rib cage volume excursion, lung volume initiation, rib cage volume initiation, and lung volume expended per syllable. Age-related differences in general respiratory function and speech breathing are discussed in relation to possible underlying mechanisms. In addition, patterns of function observed in women are compared to those observed in men in an earlier investigation (Hoit & Hixon, 1987). Clinical implications are drawn regarding the evaluation and management of speech breathing disorders.


1987 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeannette D. Hoit ◽  
Thomas J. Hixon

Thirty healthy men representing three widely different age groups (25, 50, and 75 years) were studied with respect to general respiratory function and speech breathing. Subdivisions of the lung volume were found to differ with age and most markedly so for measures of vital capacity and residual volume. Speech breathing also was found to differ with age and was characterized by differences in lung volume excursion, rib cage volume initiation, number of syllables per breath group; and lung volume expended per syllable: Age-related differences in general respiratory function and speech breathing are discussed in relation to possible underlying mechanisms. In addition, implications are drawn regarding the evaluation and management of individuals with speech breathing disorders.


2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 158-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Frankenberg ◽  
Katharina Kupper ◽  
Ruth Wagner ◽  
Stephan Bongard

This paper reviews research on young migrants in Germany. Particular attention is given to the question of how Germany’s history of migration, immigration policies, and public attitude toward migrants influence the transcultural adaptation of children and adolescents from different ethnic backgrounds. We combine past research with the results of new empirical studies in order to shed light on migrants’ psychological and sociocultural adaptation. Studies comparing young migrants and their German peers in terms of psychological well-being, life satisfaction, and mental health outcome suggest higher rates of emotional and behavioral problems among migrants of most age groups. With regard to adolescent populations between the ages of 14 and 17 years, however, the existence of differences between migrants and natives appears to be less clear. Research has also yielded inconsistent findings regarding the time trajectory of transcultural adaptation among adolescents. The coincidence of acculturation and age-related change is discussed as a possible source of these inconsistencies. Further, we provide an overview of risk and protective factors such as conflicting role expectations and ethnic discrimination, which may cause heightened vulnerability to adverse adaptation outcomes in some groups. Large-scale studies have repeatedly shown migrants of all age groups to be less successful within the German school system, indicating poor sociocultural adaptation. Possible explanations, such as the idiosyncrasies of the German school system, are presented. Our own studies contribute to the understanding of young migrants’ adaptation process by showing that it is their orientation to German culture, rather than the acculturation strategy of integration, that leads to the most positive psychological and sociocultural outcomes. The paper concludes by discussing implications for future cross-cultural research on young migrants and by suggesting recommendations for multicultural policies.


Author(s):  
A. E. Chernikova ◽  
Yu. P. Potekhina

Introduction. An osteopathic examination determines the rate, the amplitude and the strength of the main rhythms (cardiac, respiratory and cranial). However, there are relatively few studies in the available literature dedicated to the influence of osteopathic correction (OC) on the characteristics of these rhythms.Goal of research — to study the influence of OC on the rate characteristics of various rhythms of the human body.Materials and methods. 88 adult osteopathic patients aged from 18 to 81 years were examined, among them 30 men and 58 women. All patients received general osteopathic examination. The rate of the cranial rhythm (RCR), respiratory rate (RR) heart rate (HR), the mobility of the nervous processes (MNP) and the connective tissue mobility (CTM) were assessed before and after the OC session.Results. Since age varied greatly in the examined group, a correlation analysis of age-related changes of the assessed rhythms was carried out. Only the CTM correlated with age (r=–0,28; p<0,05) in a statistically significant way. The rank dispersion analysis of Kruskal–Wallis also showed statistically significant difference in this indicator in different age groups (p=0,043). With the increase of years, the CTM decreases gradually. After the OC, the CTM, increased in a statistically significant way (p<0,0001). The RCR varied from 5 to 12 cycles/min in the examined group, which corresponded to the norm. After the OC, the RCR has increased in a statistically significant way (p<0,0001), the MNP has also increased (p<0,0001). The initial heart rate in the subjects varied from 56 to 94 beats/min, and in 15 % it exceeded the norm. After the OC the heart rate corresponded to the norm in all patients. The heart rate and the respiratory rate significantly decreased after the OC (р<0,0001).Conclusion. The described biorhythm changes after the OC session may be indicative of the improvement of the nervous regulation, of the normalization of the autonomic balance, of the improvement of the biomechanical properties of body tissues and of the increase of their mobility. The assessed parameters can be measured quickly without any additional equipment and can be used in order to study the results of the OC.


1970 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 74-77
Author(s):  
Rukshana Ahmed ◽  
Shamim Ara

Pathological changes in the prostate gland occur commonly with advancing age including inflammation, atrophy, hyperplasia and carcinoma and a change in volume is also evident. Estimation of volume of prostate may be useful in a variety of clinical settings. A cross-sectional descriptive study was designed to see the changes in volume of the prostate with advancing age and done in the Department of Anatomy, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka from August 2006 to June 2007. The study was performed on 70 post-mortem human prostates collected from the unclaimed dead bodies that were under examination in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka. The samples were divided into three age groups; group A (10-20 years), group B (21-40 years) and group C (41-70 years). Volume of the sample was measured by using the ellipsoid formula. The mean ± SD volume of prostate was 7.68 ± 3.64 cm3 in group A, 10.61 ± 3.99 cm3 in group B and 15.40 ± 6.31 cm3 in group C. Mean difference in volume between group A and group C, group B and group C were statistically significant (p<0.001). Statistically significant positive correlation was found between age and volume of prostate (r = + 0.579, p < 0.001). Key Words: Prostate; volume; Bangladeshi. DOI: 10.3329/imcj.v4i2.6501Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2010; 4(2): 74-77


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (8) ◽  
pp. 42-50
Author(s):  
A. V. Budkevich ◽  
L. B. Ivanov ◽  
G. R. Novikova ◽  
G. M. Dzhanumova

According to the authors, rationing the age-related EEG parameters in children should be based on personal psychical characteristics. A comparative analysis of personal psychical characteristics and electroencephalographic data was carried out in 300 apparently healthy children aged 3-15 years. According to this principle, two subgroups of conditionally healthy children in each age group were singled out: 1) with an immature attention function and 2) with an increased anxious background that do not reach the pathological level. Registration and analysis of EEG was performed by the Neurokariograf computer complex (MBN, Moscow) using mathematical processing methods.The EEG interpretation was based on the principle of assessing the functional state of a child's brain using a three-component model according to: 1) wakefulness level and its dissociation, 2) severity of signs of the EEG neurotic pattern, 3) directionality of formation of traits of the system-functional brain organization (severity of signs functional hypofrontality).lt was found the presence of EEG signs was indicative of a lower level of wakefulness in children with an immature function of attention in all age groups, compared with the indicators of the average population of group and children with an increased background of anxiety. Children with an increased background of anxiety have a tendency to prevalence and excessive spatial synchronization of the alpha rhythm. ln healthy children, the fact of a decrease in wakefulness and the presence of signs of anxiety in the clinic and in EEG patterns indicates individual personalities and should not be considered as pathology.


Author(s):  
Khuan Seow ◽  
Nadia Caidi

Canada has an aging population with the fastest growing age groups (80 and 45-64 years old) vulnerable to age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Caregiving responsibilities often fall to the family members of the afflicted without much attention and consideration being placed on the information needs of these caregivers. We call for a better understanding of these caregivers' information needs and uses by social policy makers as well as information providers.La population du Canada a tendance à vieillir considérablement, avec la hausse la plus rapide dans les groupes d’âge (80 et 45 à 64 ans). Les personnes âges sont très vulnérables à toute sorte de maladies, telles que la maladie d’Alzheimer. La responsabilité revient souvent aux membres de la famille qui doivent prendre soin des personnes atteintes de cette maladie. Or, nous ne connaissons que peu de chose sur les besoins en information des personnes qui prennent soin de ces malades de l’Alzheimer : qui sont-ils ? Quelles sont leurs sources... 


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document