Traveling waves in a coarse-grained model of volume-filling cell invasion: Simulations and comparisons

Many reaction–diffusion models produce traveling wave solutions that can be interpreted as waves of invasion in biological scenarios such as wound healing or tumor growth. These partial differential equation models have since been adapted to describe the interactions between cells and extracellular matrix (ECM), using a variety of different underlying assumptions. In this work, we derive a system of reaction–diffusion equations, with cross-species density-dependent diffusion, by coarse-graining an agent-based, volume-filling model of cell invasion into ECM. We study the resulting traveling wave solutions both numerically and analytically across various parameter regimes. Subsequently, we perform a systematic comparison between the behaviors observed in this model and those predicted by simpler models in the literature that do not take into account volume-filling effects in the same way. Our study justifies the use of some of these simpler, more analytically tractable models in reproducing the qualitative properties of the solutions in some parameter regimes, but it also reveals some interesting properties arising from the introduction of cell and ECM volume-filling effects, where standard model simplifications might not be appropriate.     

Symmetric patterns in the Dirichlet problem for a two-cell cubic autocatalytor reaction model

By using an approach developed by one of the authors, approximate solutions of the soft periodic boundary conditions for a two-cell reaction diffusion model have been obtained. The system is considered with reactant A and autocatalyst B. The reaction is taken cubic in the autocatalyst in the two-cell with linear exchange through A. The formal exact solution is obtained which is symmetric with respect to the mid-point of the container. Approximate solutions are found through the Picard iterative sequence of solutions constructed after the exact one. It is found that the solution obtained is not unique. When the initial conditions are periodic, the most dominant modes initiate to traveling waves in systems with moderate size. Symmetric configurations forming a parabolic one for large time are observed. In systems of large size, spatially symmetric chaos are produced which are stationary in time. Furthermore, it is found the symmetric pattern formation hold irrespective of the condition of linear instability against small spatial disturbance.     

The tanh method: a tool for solving certain classes of non‐linear PDEs

The tanh (or hyperbolic tangent) method is a powerful technique to look for travelling waves when dealing with one‐dimensional non‐linear wave and evolution equations. In particular, this method is well suited for those problems where dispersion, convection and reaction–diffusion play an important role. To show the strength of this method we study a coupled set (the so‐called Boussinesq equations) which arises in the theory of non‐linear dispersive water waves. As a result, a solitary wave profile is found which generalizes an earlier result, the famous Korteweg‐de Vries solitary wave solution. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wave features of a hyperbolic model for the within-season dynamics of insect pathogens

Hyperbolic models are suitable for describing invasive phenomena with a well-defined boundary. In fact, for a class of hyperbolic reaction–diffusion models derived in the context of extended thermodynamics (ET), the non-existence of smooth travelling waves has been proved under suitable assumptions on the wave speed. In this paper a hyperbolic model for the within-season dynamics of insect pathogens is derived and smooth and discontinuous travelling wave solutions are investigated. Validation of the model in point is also accomplished by searching for numerical solutions of the system of PDEs.     

Persistence and propagation of a discrete-time map and PDE hybrid model with strong Allee effect

Persistence and propagation of species are fundamental questions in spatial ecology. This paper focuses on the impact of Allee effect on the persistence and propagation of a population with birth pulse. We investigate the threshold dynamics of an impulsive reaction–diffusion model and provide the existence of bistable traveling waves connecting two stable equilibria. To prove the existence of bistable waves, we extend the method of monotone semiflows to impulsive reaction–diffusion systems. We use the methods of upper and lower solutions and the convergence theorem for monotone semiflows to prove the global stability of traveling waves and their uniqueness up to translation. Then we enhance the stability of bistable traveling waves to global exponential stability. Numerical simulations illustrate our theoretical results.     

Bistable traveling waves for a competitive–cooperative system with nonlocal delays

This paper is devoted to the study of bistable traveling waves for a competitive–cooperative reaction and diffusion system with nonlocal time delays. The existence of bistable waves is established by appealing to the theory of monotone semiflows and the finite-delay approximations. Then the global stability of such traveling waves is obtained via a squeezing technique and a dynamical systems approach.     

Spatiotemporal patterns in a two-dimensional reaction-diffusion-convection system: Effect of transport parameters

We report on spatiotemporal patterns emerging in a system consisting of an autocatalytic reaction in a continuous flow tubular reactor. The autocatalyst undergoes a mutation and the resulting mutant is assumed to compete with the original autocatalyst. The system is modeled by a set of three partial differential equations with eight design parameters. We examine and discuss the effect of transport parameters, reactor inlet boundary condition, and reactor aspect ratio on the dynamics of the system. The results show a variety of regimes going from steady propagation of a reaction front to the development of chemical waves in the form of pulsating, more or less regularly, reaction front.     

Traveling waves for a reaction–diffusion–advection system with interior or boundary losses

This Note deals with the existence and qualitative properties of traveling wave solutions of a nonlinear reaction–diffusion system with losses inside the domain. In particular, we show the existence of a continuum of admissible speeds of traveling waves. Lastly, by considering losses concentrated near the boundary of the domain, these results are compared with those already known in the case of losses on the boundary.     

Existence of periodic travelling waves solutions in predator prey model with diffusion

This paper deals with the qualitative analysis of the travelling waves solutions of a reaction diffusion model that refers to the competition between the predator and prey with modified Leslie–Gower and Holling type II schemes. The well posedeness of the problem is proved. We establish sufficient conditions for the asymptotic stability of the unique nontrivial positive steady state of the model by analyzing roots of the forth degree exponential polynomial characteristic equation. We also prove the existence of a Hopf bifurcation which leads to periodic oscillating travelling waves by considering the diffusion coefficient as a parameter of bifurcation. Numerical simulations are given to illustrate the analytical study.     

Solving the reaction–diffusion equations with nonlocal boundary conditions based on reproducing kernel space

The reaction–diffusion equations with initial condition and nonlocal boundary conditions are discussed in this article. A reproducing kernel space is constructed, in which an arbitrary function satisfies the initial condition and nonlocal boundary conditions of the reaction‐diffusion equations. Based on the reproducing kernel space, a new algorithm for solving the reaction–diffusion equations with initial condition and nonlocal boundary conditions is presented. Some examples are displayed to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the proposed method. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2009     

Invasion waves in the presence of a mutualist

This paper studies invasion waves in the diffusive competitor–competitor–mutualist model generalizing the two‐species Lotka–Volterra model studied by Weinberger et al. The mutualist may benefit the invading or the resident species producing two different types of invasions. Sufficient conditions for linear determinacy are derived in both cases, and when they hold, explicit formulas for linear spreading speeds of the invasions are obtained by linearizing the model. While in the first case the linear speed is increased by the mutualist, it is unaffected in the second case. Mathematical methods are based on converting the model into a cooperative reaction–diffusion system. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Traveling waves for a reaction–diffusion–advection predator–prey model

In this paper we study a reaction–diffusion–advection predator–prey model in a river. The existence of predator-invasion traveling wave solutions and prey-spread traveling wave solutions in the upstream and downstream directions is established and the corresponding minimal wave speeds are obtained. While some crucial improvements in theoretical methods have been established, the proofs of the existence and nonexistence of such traveling waves are based on Schauder’s fixed-point theorem, LaSalle’s invariance principle and Laplace transform. Based on theoretical results, we investigate the effect of the hydrological and biological factors on minimal wave speeds and hence on the spread of the prey and the invasion of the predator in the river. The linear determinacy of the predator–prey Lotka–Volterra system is compared with nonlinear determinacy of the competitive Lotka–Volterra system to investigate the mechanics of linear and nonlinear determinacy.     

Well-posedness and exponential equilibration of a volume-surface reaction–diffusion system with nonlinear boundary coupling

We consider a model system consisting of two reaction–diffusion equations, where one species diffuses in a volume while the other species diffuses on the surface which surrounds the volume. The two equations are coupled via a nonlinear reversible Robin-type boundary condition for the volume species and a matching reversible source term for the boundary species. As a consequence of the coupling, the total mass of the two species is conserved. The considered system is motivated for instance by models for asymmetric stem cell division.Firstly we prove the existence of a unique weak solution via an iterative method of converging upper and lower solutions to overcome the difficulties of the nonlinear boundary terms. Secondly, our main result shows explicit exponential convergence to equilibrium via an entropy method after deriving a suitable entropy entropy-dissipation estimate for the considered nonlinear volume-surface reaction–diffusion system.     

How do dispersal rates affect the transition from periodic to irregular spatio-temporal oscillations in invasive predator–prey systems?

When one considers the spatial aspects of a cyclic predator–prey interaction, ecological events such as invasions can generate periodic travelling waves (PTWs)—sometimes known as wavetrains. In certain instances PTWs may destabilise into spatio-temporal irregularity due to convective type instabilities, which permit a fixed width band of PTWs to develop behind the propagating invasion front. In this paper, we detail how one can locate this transition when one has unequal predator and prey dispersal rates. We do this by using absolute stability theory combined with a recent derivation of the amplitude of PTWs behind invasion. This work is applicable to a wide range of reaction–diffusion type predator–prey models, but in this paper we apply it to a specific set of equations (the Leslie–May model). We show that the width of PTW band increases/decreases when the ratio of prey and predator dispersal rates is large/small.     

A Long Wave Approximation for Capillary-Gravity Waves and an Effect of the Bottom

The Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equation is known as a model of long waves in an infinitely long canal over a flat bottom and approximates the 2-dimensional water wave problem, which is a free boundary problem for the incompressible Euler equation with the irrotational condition. In this article, we consider the validity of this approximation in the case of the presence of the surface tension. Moreover, we consider the case where the bottom is not flat and study an effect of the bottom to the long wave approximation. We derive a system of coupled KdV like equations and prove that the dynamics of the full problem can be described approximately by the solution of the coupled equations for a long time interval. We also prove that if the initial data and the bottom decay at infinity in a suitable sense, then the KdV equation takes the place of the coupled equations.     

TRAVELING WAVES IN A BIOLOGICAL REACTION-DIFFUSION MODEL WITH STRONG GENERIC DELAY KERNEL AND NON-LOCAL EFFECT

In this paper,we consider the reaction diffusion equations with strong generic delay kernel and non-local effect,which models the microbial growth in a flow reactor.The existence of traveling waves is established for this model.More precisely,using the geometric singular perturbation theory,we show that traveling wave solutions exist provided that the delay is sufficiently small with the strong generic delay kernel.     

Travelling Waves for Reaction Diffusion Equations

In this paper the travelling waves for the reaction diffusion equation in most general case is considered. The existence of travelling wave solutions is proved under very weak conditions, which are also necessary for the nonlinear term. A difference method is suggested and Leray-Scbauder fixed point theorem is used to prove the existence of discrete travelling waves. Then the convergence is shown and so the solution for the differential equation is obtained.     

Two‐dimensional fractal Burgers equation with step‐like initial conditions

We consider the two‐dimensional convection–diffusion equation with a fractional Laplacian, supplemented with step‐like initial conditions. We show that the large time behavior of solutions to this IVP is described either by rarefaction waves, or diffusion waves, or suitable self‐similar solutions, depending on the order of the fractional dissipation and on a direction of a convective nonlinearity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Carleman estimate for the linear magnetoelastic waves system and an inverse source problem in a bounded conductive medium

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we consider an inverse problem for the simultaneous diffusion process of elastic and electromagnetic waves in an isotropic heterogeneous elastic body which is identified with an open bounded domain. From the mathematical point of view, the system under consideration can be viewed as the coupling between the hyperbolic system of elastic waves and a parabolic system for the magnetic field. We study an inverse problem of determining the external source terms by observations data in a neighborhood of the boundary and we prove the Hölder stability. For the proof, we show a Carleman estimate for the displacement and the magnetic field of the magnetoelastic system.     

Traveling waves for a boundary reaction–diffusion equation

We prove the existence of a traveling wave solution for a boundary reaction–diffusion equation when the reaction term is the combustion nonlinearity with ignition temperature. A key role in the proof is plaid by an explicit formula for traveling wave solutions of a free boundary problem obtained as singular limit for the reaction–diffusion equation (the so-called high energy activation energy limit). This explicit formula, which is interesting in itself, also allows us to get an estimate on the decay at infinity of the traveling wave (which turns out to be faster than the usual exponential decay).