# American Institute of Mathematical Sciences

ISSN:
1551-0018

eISSN:
1547-1063

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## Mathematical Biosciences & Engineering

2012 , Volume 9 , Issue 2

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2012, 9(2): 215-239 doi: 10.3934/mbe.2012.9.215 +[Abstract](2502) +[PDF](399.0KB)
Abstract:
We investigate the role of non shear stress and shear stressed based detachment rate functions for the longterm behavior of one-dimensional biofilm models. We find that the particular choice of a detachment rate function can affect the model prediction of persistence or washout of the biofilm. Moreover, by comparing biofilms in three settings: (i) Couette flow reactors, (ii) Poiseuille flow with fixed flow rate and (iii) Poiseuille flow with fixed pressure drop, we find that not only the bulk flow Reynolds number but also the particular mechanism driving the flow can play a crucial role for longterm behavior. We treat primarily the single species-case that can be analyzed with elementary ODE techniques. But we show also how the results, to some extent, can be carried over to multi-species biofilm models, and to biofilm models that are embedded in reactor mass balances.
2012, 9(2): 241-257 doi: 10.3934/mbe.2012.9.241 +[Abstract](3385) +[PDF](783.2KB)
Abstract:
In this work we present a mathematical model for tumor growth based on the biology of the cell cycle. For an appropriate description of the effects of phase-specific drugs, it is necessary to look at the cell cycle and its phases. Our model reproduces the dynamics of three different tumor cell populations: quiescent cells, cells during the interphase and mitotic cells. Starting from a partial differential equations (PDEs) setting, a delay differential equations (DDE) model is derived for an easier and more realistic approach. Our equations also include interactions of tumor cells with immune system effectors. We investigate the model both from the analytical and the numerical point of view, give conditions for positivity of solutions and focus on the stability of the cancer-free equilibrium. Different immunotherapeutic strategies and their effects on the tumor growth are considered, as well.
2012, 9(2): 259-279 doi: 10.3934/mbe.2012.9.259 +[Abstract](2876) +[PDF](828.3KB)
Abstract:
In this article we analyze a mathematical model presented in [11]. The model consists of two scalar ordinary differential equations, which describe the interaction between bacteria and amoebae. We first give the sufficient conditions for the uniform persistence of the model, then we prove that the model can undergo Hopf bifurcation and Bogdanov-Takens bifurcation for some parameter values, respectively.
2012, 9(2): 281-295 doi: 10.3934/mbe.2012.9.281 +[Abstract](2213) +[PDF](664.9KB)
Abstract:
Irregular bone remodeling is associated with a number of bone diseases such as osteoporosis and multiple myeloma. Computational and mathematical modeling can aid in therapy and treatment as well as understanding fundamental biology. Different approaches to modeling give insight into different aspects of a phenomena so it is useful to have an arsenal of various computational and mathematical models. Here we develop a mathematical representation of bone remodeling that can effectively describe many aspects of the complicated geometries and spatial behavior observed.
There is a sharp interface between bone and marrow regions. Also the surface of bone moves in and out, i.e. in the normal direction, due to remodeling. Based on these observations we employ the use of a level-set function to represent the spatial behavior of remodeling. We elaborate on a temporal model for osteoclast and osteoblast population dynamics to determine the change in bone mass which influences how the interface between bone and marrow changes.
We exhibit simulations based on our computational model that show the motion of the interface between bone and marrow as a consequence of bone remodeling. The simulations show that it is possible to capture spatial behavior of bone remodeling in complicated geometries as they occur in vitro and in vivo.
By employing the level set approach it is possible to develop computational and mathematical representations of the spatial behavior of bone remodeling. By including in this formalism further details, such as more complex cytokine interactions and accurate parameter values, it is possible to obtain simulations of phenomena related to bone remodeling with spatial behavior much as in vitro and in vivo. This makes it possible to perform in silica experiments more closely resembling experimental observations.
2012, 9(2): 297-312 doi: 10.3934/mbe.2012.9.297 +[Abstract](2644) +[PDF](365.3KB)
Abstract:
In recent years many delay epidemiological models have been proposed to study at which stage of the epidemics the delays can destabilize the disease free equilibrium, or the endemic equilibrium, giving rise to stability switches. One of these models is the SEIR model with constant latency time and infectious periods [2], for which the authors have proved that the two delays are harmless in inducing stability switches. However, it is left open the problem of the global asymptotic stability of the endemic equilibrium whenever it exists. Even the Lyapunov functions approach, recently proposed by Huang and Takeuchi to study many delay epidemiological models, fails to work on this model. In this paper, an age-infection model is presented for the delay SEIR epidemic model, such that the properties of global asymptotic stability of the equilibria of the age-infection model imply the same properties for the original delay-differential epidemic model. By introducing suitable Lyapunov functions to study the global stability of the disease free equilibrium (when $\mathcal{R}_0\leq 1$) and of the endemic equilibria (whenever $\mathcal{R}_0>1$) of the age-infection model, we can infer the corresponding global properties for the equilibria of the delay SEIR model in [2], thus proving that the endemic equilibrium in [2] is globally asymptotically stable whenever it exists.
Furthermore, we also present a review of the SIR, SEIR epidemic models, with and without delays, appeared in literature, that can be seen as particular cases of the approach presented in the paper.
2012, 9(2): 313-346 doi: 10.3934/mbe.2012.9.313 +[Abstract](3523) +[PDF](568.6KB)
Abstract:
Since the classical stable population theory in demography by Sharpe and Lotka, the sign relation ${\rm sign}(\lambda_0)={\rm sign}(R_0-1)$ between the basic reproduction number $R_0$ and the Malthusian parameter (the intrinsic rate of natural increase) $\lambda_0$ has played a central role in population theory and its applications, because it connects individual's average reproductivity described by life cycle parameters to growth character of the whole population. Since $R_0$ is originally defined for linear population evolution process in a constant environment, it is an important extension if we could formulate the same kind of threshold principle for population growth in time-heterogeneous environments.
Since the mid-1990s, several authors proposed some ideas to extend the definition of $R_0$ so that it can be applied to population dynamics in periodic environments. In particular, the definition of $R_0$ in a periodic environment by Bacaër and Guernaoui (J. Math. Biol. 53, 2006) is most important, because their definition of $R_0$ in a periodic environment can be interpreted as the asymptotic per generation growth rate, so from the generational point of view, it can be seen as a direct extension of the most successful definition of $R_0$ in a constant environment by Diekmann, Heesterbeek and Metz ( J. Math. Biol. 28, 1990).
In this paper, we propose a new approach to establish the sign relation between $R_0$ and the Malthusian parameter $\lambda_0$ for linear structured population dynamics in a periodic environment. Our arguments depend on the uniform primitivity of positive evolutionary system, which leads the weak ergodicity and the existence of exponential solution in periodic environments. For typical finite and infinite dimensional linear population models, we prove that a positive exponential solution exists and the sign relation holds between the Malthusian parameter, which is defined as the exponent of the exponential solution, and $R_0$ given by the spectral radius of the next generation operator by Bacaër and Guernaoui's definition.
2012, 9(2): 347-368 doi: 10.3934/mbe.2012.9.347 +[Abstract](2579) +[PDF](3374.0KB)
Abstract:
This paper presents qualitative and bifurcation analysis near the degenerate equilibrium in a two-stage cancer model of interactions between lymphocyte cells and solid tumor and contributes to a better understanding of the dynamics of tumor and immune system interactions. We first establish the existence of Hopf bifurcation in the 3-dimensional cancer model and rule out the occurrence of the degenerate Hopf bifurcation. Then a general Hopf bifurcation formula is applied to determine the stability of the limit cycle bifurcated from the interior equilibrium. Sufficient conditions on the existence of stable periodic oscillations of tumor levels are obtained for the two-stage cancer model. Numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the existence of stable periodic oscillations with reasonable parameters and demonstrate the phenomenon of long-term tumor relapse in the model.
2012, 9(2): 369-392 doi: 10.3934/mbe.2012.9.369 +[Abstract](4982) +[PDF](499.3KB)
Abstract:
Since the 1980s, there has been a worldwide re-emergence of vector-borne diseases including Malaria, Dengue, Yellow fever or, more recently, chikungunya. These viruses are arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) transmitted by arthropods like mosquitoes of Aedes genus. The nature of these arboviruses is complex since it conjugates human, environmental, biological and geographical factors. Recent researchs have suggested, in particular during the Réunion Island epidemic in 2006, that the transmission by Aedes albopictus (an Aedes genus specie) has been facilitated by genetic mutations of the virus and the vector capacity to adapt to non tropical regions. In this paper we formulate an optimal control problem, based on biological observations. Three main efforts are considered in order to limit the virus transmission. Indeed, there is no vaccine nor specific treatment against chikungunya, that is why the main measures to limit the impact of such epidemic have to be considered. Therefore, we look at time dependent breeding sites destruction, prevention and treatment efforts, for which optimal control theory is applied. Using analytical and numerical techniques, it is shown that there exist cost effective control efforts.
2012, 9(2): 393-411 doi: 10.3934/mbe.2012.9.393 +[Abstract](2809) +[PDF](451.6KB)
Abstract:
An SEIR epidemic model with an arbitrarily distributed exposed stage is revisited to study the impact of heterogeneity on the spread of infectious diseases. The heterogeneity may come from age or behavior and disease stages, resulting in multi-group and multi-stage models, respectively. For each model, Lyapunov functionals are used to show that the basic reproduction number $\mathcal{R}_0$ gives a sharp threshold. If $\mathcal{R}_0\leq 1$, then the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable and the disease dies out from all groups or stages. If $\mathcal{R}_0>1$, then the disease persists in all groups or stages, and the endemic equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable.
2012, 9(2): 413-430 doi: 10.3934/mbe.2012.9.413 +[Abstract](2641) +[PDF](1667.2KB)
Abstract:
When a new pandemic influenza strain has been identified, mass-production of vaccines can take several months, and antiviral drugs are expensive and usually in short supply. Social distancing measures, such as school closures, thus seem an attractive means to mitigate disease spread. However, the transmission of influenza is seasonal in nature, and as has been noted in previous studies, a decrease in the average transmission rate in a seasonal disease model may result in a larger final size. In the studies presented here, we analyze a hypothetical pandemic using a SIR epidemic model with time- and age-dependent transmission rates; using this model we assess and quantify, for the first time, the the effect of the timing and length of widespread school closures on influenza pandemic final size and average peak time.
We find that the effect on pandemic progression strongly depends on the timing of the start of the school closure. For instance, we determine that school closures during a late spring wave of an epidemic can cause a pandemic to become up to 20% larger, but have the advantage that the average time of the peak is shifted by up to two months, possibly allowing enough time for development of vaccines to mitigate the larger size of the epidemic. Our studies thus suggest that when heterogeneity in transmission is a significant factor, decisions of public health policy will be particularly important as to how control measures such as school closures should be implemented.
2012, 9(2): 431-444 doi: 10.3934/mbe.2012.9.431 +[Abstract](2392) +[PDF](409.8KB)
Abstract:
A mutualism-parasitism system of two species is considered, where mutualism is the dominant interaction when the predators (parasites) are at low density while parasitism is dominant when the predators are at high density. Our aim is to show that mutualism at low density promotes coexistence of the species and leads to high production of the prey (host). The mutualism-parasitism system presented here is a combination of the Lotka-Volterra cooperative model and Lotka-Volterra predator-prey model. By comparing dynamics of this system with those of the Lotka-Volterra predator-prey model, we present the mechanisms by which the mutualism improves the coexistence of the species and production of the prey. Then the parameter space is divided into six regions, which correspond to the four outcomes of mutualism, commensalism, predation/parasitism and neutralism, respectively. When the parameters are varied continuously among the six regions, it is shown that the interaction outcomes of the system transition smoothly among the four outcomes. By comparing the dynamics of the specific system with those of the Lotka-Volterra cooperative model, we show that the parasitism at high density promotes stability of the system. A novel aspect of this paper is the simplicity of the model, which allows rigorous and thorough analysis and transparency of the results.
2012, 9(2): 445-459 doi: 10.3934/mbe.2012.9.445 +[Abstract](2426) +[PDF](521.6KB)
Abstract:
Anaerobic digestion has been modeled as a two-stage process using coupled chemostat models with non-monotone growth functions, [9]. This study incorporates the effects of an external toxin. After reducing the model to a 3-dimensional system, global stability of boundary and interior equilibria is proved using differential inequalities and comparisons to the corresponding toxin-free model. Conditions are given under which the behavior of the toxin-free model is preserved. Introduction of the toxin results in additional patterns such as bistabilities of coexistence steady states or of a periodic orbit and an interior steady state.

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