Macroscopic limit of a kinetic model describing the switch in T cell migration modes via binary interactions

Experimental results on the immune response to cancer indicate that activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) through interactions with dendritic cells (DCs) can trigger a change in CTL migration patterns. In particular, while CTLs in the pre-activation state move in a non-local search pattern, the search pattern of activated CTLs is more localised. In this paper, we develop a kinetic model for such a switch in CTL migration modes. The model is formulated as a coupled system of balance equations for the one-particle distribution functions of CTLs in the pre-activation state, activated CTLs and DCs. CTL activation is modelled via binary interactions between CTLs in the pre-activation state and DCs. Moreover, cell motion is represented as a velocity-jump process, with the running time of CTLs in the pre-activation state following a long-tailed distribution, which is consistent with a Lévy walk, and the running time of activated CTLs following a Poisson distribution, which corresponds to Brownian motion. We formally show that the macroscopic limit of the model comprises a coupled system of balance equations for the cell densities, whereby activated CTL movement is described via a classical diffusion term, whilst a fractional diffusion term describes the movement of CTLs in the pre-activation state. The modelling approach presented here and its possible generalisations are expected to find applications in the study of the immune response to cancer and in other biological contexts in which switch from non-local to localised migration patterns occurs.

The fragmentation equation with size diffusion: Well posedness and long-term behaviour

The dynamics of the fragmentation equation with size diffusion is investigated when the size ranges in $(0,\infty)$ . The associated linear operator involves three terms and can be seen as a nonlocal perturbation of a Schrödinger operator. A Miyadera perturbation argument is used to prove that it is the generator of a positive, analytic semigroup on a weighted $L_1$ -space. Moreover, if the overall fragmentation rate does not vanish at infinity, then there is a unique stationary solution with given mass. Assuming further that the overall fragmentation rate diverges to infinity for large sizes implies the immediate compactness of the semigroup and that it eventually stabilizes at an exponential rate to a one-dimensional projection carrying the information of the mass of the initial value.

Inverse scattering transforms for non-local reverse-space matrix non-linear Schrödinger equations

The aim of the paper is to explore non-local reverse-space matrix non-linear Schrödinger equations and their inverse scattering transforms. Riemann–Hilbert problems are formulated to analyse the inverse scattering problems, and the Sokhotski–Plemelj formula is used to determine Gelfand–Levitan–Marchenko-type integral equations for generalised matrix Jost solutions. Soliton solutions are constructed through the reflectionless transforms associated with poles of the Riemann–Hilbert problems.

On the global existence and qualitative behaviour of one-dimensional solutions to a model for urban crime

We consider the no-flux initial-boundary value problem for the cross-diffusive evolution system: \begin{eqnarray*} \left\{ \begin{array}{ll} u_t = u_{xx} - \chi \big(\frac{u}{v} \partial_x v \big)_x - uv +B_1(x,t), \qquad & x\in \Omega, \ t>0, \\[1mm] v_t = v_{xx} +uv - v + B_2(x,t), \qquad & x\in \Omega, \ t>0, \end{array} \right. \end{eqnarray*} which was introduced by Short et al. in [40] with $\chi=2$ to describe the dynamics of urban crime. In bounded intervals $\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}$ and with prescribed suitably regular non-negative functions $B_1$ and $B_2$ , we first prove the existence of global classical solutions for any choice of $\chi>0$ and all reasonably regular non-negative initial data. We next address the issue of determining the qualitative behaviour of solutions under appropriate assumptions on the asymptotic properties of $B_1$ and $B_2$ . Indeed, for arbitrary $\chi>0$ , we obtain boundedness of the solutions given strict positivity of the average of $B_2$ over the domain; moreover, it is seen that imposing a mild decay assumption on $B_1$ implies that u must decay to zero in the long-term limit. Our final result, valid for all $\chi\in\left(0,\frac{\sqrt{6\sqrt{3}+9}}{2}\right),$ which contains the relevant value $\chi=2$ , states that under the above decay assumption on $B_1$ , if furthermore $B_2$ appropriately stabilises to a non-trivial function $B_{2,\infty}$ , then (u,v) approaches the limit $(0,v_\infty)$ , where $v_\infty$ denotes the solution of \begin{eqnarray*} \left\{ \begin{array}{l} -\partial_{xx}v_\infty + v_\infty = B_{2,\infty}, \qquad x\in \Omega, \\[1mm] \partial_x v_{\infty}=0, \qquad x\in\partial\Omega. \end{array} \right. \end{eqnarray*} We conclude with some numerical simulations exploring possible effects that may arise when considering large values of $\chi$ not covered by our qualitative analysis. We observe that when $\chi$ increases, solutions may grow substantially on short time intervals, whereas only on large timescales diffusion will dominate and enforce equilibration.

A spectral modelling approach for fluid flow into a line sink in a confined aquifer

A spectral method is developed to study the steady and unsteady flow of fluid into a line sink from a horizontally confined aquifer, and the results are compared to solutions obtained implementing the finite element package COMSOLTM. The aquifer or drain is considered to be confined below so that the solutions are fundamentally unsteady. Comparison is made between the two methods in determining the drawdown of the surface.

Charge transport modelling of Lithium-ion batteries

This paper presents the current state of mathematical modelling of the electrochemical behaviour of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) as they are charged and discharged. It reviews the models developed by Newman and co-workers, both in the cases of dilute and moderately concentrated electrolytes and indicates the modelling assumptions required for their development. Particular attention is paid to the interface conditions imposed between the electrolyte and the active electrode material; necessary conditions are derived for one of these, the Butler–Volmer relation, in order to ensure physically realistic solutions. Insight into the origin of the differences between various models found in the literature is revealed by considering formulations obtained by using different measures of the electric potential. Materials commonly used for electrodes in LIBs are considered and the various mathematical models used to describe lithium transport in them discussed. The problem of upscaling from models of behaviour at the single electrode particle scale to the cell scale is addressed using homogenisation techniques resulting in the pseudo-2D model commonly used to describe charge transport and discharge behaviour in lithium-ion cells. Numerical solution to this model is discussed and illustrative results for a common device are computed.

Expansions for the linear-elastic contribution to the self-interaction force of dislocation curves

The self-interaction force of dislocation curves in metals depends on the local arrangement of the atoms and on the non-local interaction between dislocation curve segments. While these non-local segment–segment interactions can be accurately described by linear elasticity when the segments are further apart than the atomic scale of size $\varepsilon$ , this model breaks down and blows up when the segments are $O(\varepsilon)$ apart. To separate the non-local interactions from the local contribution, various models depending on $\varepsilon$ have been constructed to account for the non-local term. However, there are no quantitative comparisons available between these models. This paper makes such comparisons possible by expanding the self-interaction force in these models in $\varepsilon$ beyond the O(1)-term. Our derivation of these expansions relies on asymptotic analysis. The practical use of these expansions is demonstrated by developing numerical schemes for them, and by – for the first time – bounding the corresponding discretisation error.

Patterns formed in a thin film with spatially homogeneous and non-homogeneous Derjaguin disjoining pressure

We consider patterns formed in a two-dimensional thin film on a planar substrate with a Derjaguin disjoining pressure and periodic wettability stripes. We rigorously clarify some of the results obtained numerically by Honisch et al. [Langmuir 31: 10618–10631, 2015] and embed them in the general theory of thin-film equations. For the case of constant wettability, we elucidate the change in the global structure of branches of steady-state solutions as the average film thickness and the surface tension are varied. Specifically we find, by using methods of local bifurcation theory and the continuation software package AUTO, both nucleation and metastable regimes. We discuss admissible forms of spatially non-homogeneous disjoining pressure, arguing for a form that differs from the one used by Honisch et al., and study the dependence of the steady-state solutions on the wettability contrast in that case.