arXiv subjects

Y. Mao

Publications and source records attributed to Y. Mao.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2004

Analytical solution of a generalized Penna model

In 1995 T.J.Penna introduced a simple model of biological aging. A modified Penna model has been demonstrated to exhibit behaviour of real-life systems including catastrophic senescence in salmon and a mortality plateau at advanced ages. We present a general steady-state, analytic solution to the Penna model, able to deal with arbitrary birth and survivability functions. This solution is employed to solve standard variant Penna models studied by simulation. Different Verhulst factors regulating both the birth rate and external death rate are considered.

q-bio.PE↗

arXiv2004

Population Dynamics in the Penna Model

We build upon the recent steady-state Penna model solution, Phys.Rev.Lett. 89, 288103 (2002), to study the population dynamics within the Penna model. We show, that any perturbation to the population can be broken into a collection of modes each of which decay exponentially with its respective time constant. The long time behaviour of population is therefore likely to be dominated by the modes with the largest time constants. We confirm our analytical approach with simulation data.

q-bio.PE↗

arXiv2004

Solvable senescence model with positive mutations

We build upon our previous analytical results for the Penna model of senescence to include positive mutations. We investigate whether a small but non-zero positive mutation rate gives qualitatively different results to the traditional Penna model in which no positive mutations are considered. We find that the high-lifespan tail of the distribution is radically changed in structure, but that there is not much effect on the bulk of the population. Th e mortality plateau that we found previously for a stochastic generalization of the Penna model is stable to a small positive mutation rate.

q-bio.PE↗

arXiv2002

A solvable senescence model showing a mortality plateau

We present some analytic results for the steady states of the Penna model of sen escence, generalised to allow genetically identical individuals to die at differ ent ages via an arbitrary survival function. Modelling this with a Fermi functio n (of modest width) we obtain a clear mortality plateau late in life: something that has so far eluded explanation within such mutation accumulation models. This suggests that factors causing variable mortality withi n genetically identical subpopulations, which include environmental effects, may be essential to understanding the mortality plateau seen in many real species.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2001

Imprinted Networks as Chiral Pumps

We investigate the interaction between a chirally imprinted network and a solvent of chiral molecules. We find, a liquid crystalline polymer network is preferentially swollen by one component of a racemic solvent. This ability to separate is linked to the chiral order parameter of the network, and can be reversibly controlled via temperature or a mechanical deformation. It is maximal near the point at which the network loses its imprinted structure. One possible practical application of this effect would be a mechanical device for sorting mixed chiral molecules.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2000

Untwisting of a cholesteric elastomer by a mechanical field

A mechanical strain field applied to a monodomain cholesteric elastomer will unwind the helical director distribution. There is an analogy with the classical problem of an electric field applied to a cholesteric liquid crystal, but with important differences. Frank elasticity is of minor importance unless the gel is very weak. The interplay is between director anchoring to the rubber elastic matrix and the external mechanical field. Stretching perpendicular to the helix axis induces the uniform unwound state via the elimination of sharp, pinned twist walls above a critical strain. Unwinding through conical director states occurs when the elastomer is stretched along the helical axis.

cond-mat.soft↗