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Wang X, Jenner AL, Salomone R, Warne DJ, Drovandi C. Calibration of agent based models for monophasic and biphasic tumour growth using approximate Bayesian computation. J Math Biol 2024; 88:28. [PMID: 38358410 PMCID: PMC10869399 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-024-02045-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Agent-based models (ABMs) are readily used to capture the stochasticity in tumour evolution; however, these models are often challenging to validate with experimental measurements due to model complexity. The Voronoi cell-based model (VCBM) is an off-lattice agent-based model that captures individual cell shapes using a Voronoi tessellation and mimics the evolution of cancer cell proliferation and movement. Evidence suggests tumours can exhibit biphasic growth in vivo. To account for this phenomena, we extend the VCBM to capture the existence of two distinct growth phases. Prior work primarily focused on point estimation for the parameters without consideration of estimating uncertainty. In this paper, approximate Bayesian computation is employed to calibrate the model to in vivo measurements of breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancer. Our approach involves estimating the distribution of parameters that govern cancer cell proliferation and recovering outputs that match the experimental data. Our results show that the VCBM, and its biphasic extension, provides insight into tumour growth and quantifies uncertainty in the switching time between the two phases of the biphasic growth model. We find this approach enables precise estimates for the time taken for a daughter cell to become a mature cell. This allows us to propose future refinements to the model to improve accuracy, whilst also making conclusions about the differences in cancer cell characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Wang
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Adrianne L Jenner
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Robert Salomone
- Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Computer Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - David J Warne
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Christopher Drovandi
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Data Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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2
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Berezin CT, Aguilera LU, Billerbeck S, Bourne PE, Densmore D, Freemont P, Gorochowski TE, Hernandez SI, Hillson NJ, King CR, Köpke M, Ma S, Miller KM, Moon TS, Moore JH, Munsky B, Myers CJ, Nicholas DA, Peccoud SJ, Zhou W, Peccoud J. Ten simple rules for managing laboratory information. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011652. [PMID: 38060459 PMCID: PMC10703290 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Information is the cornerstone of research, from experimental (meta)data and computational processes to complex inventories of reagents and equipment. These 10 simple rules discuss best practices for leveraging laboratory information management systems to transform this large information load into useful scientific findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey-Tyler Berezin
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Luis U. Aguilera
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Sonja Billerbeck
- Molecular Microbiology Unit, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Philip E. Bourne
- School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Douglas Densmore
- College of Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Paul Freemont
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas E. Gorochowski
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- BrisEngBio, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah I. Hernandez
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Nathan J. Hillson
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- US Department of Energy Agile BioFoundry, Emeryville, California, United States of America
- US Department of Energy Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, California, United States of America
| | - Connor R. King
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Michael Köpke
- LanzaTech, Skokie, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Shuyi Ma
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Hospital, University of Washington Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Katie M. Miller
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Tae Seok Moon
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Jason H. Moore
- Department of Computational Biomedicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Brian Munsky
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Chris J. Myers
- Department of Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Dequina A. Nicholas
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America
| | - Samuel J. Peccoud
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Wen Zhou
- Department of Statistics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Jean Peccoud
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
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3
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Giacomello A. What keeps nanopores boiling. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:110902. [PMID: 37724724 DOI: 10.1063/5.0167530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The liquid-to-vapor transition can occur under unexpected conditions in nanopores, opening the door to fundamental questions and new technologies. The physics of boiling in confinement is progressively introduced, starting from classical nucleation theory, passing through nanoscale effects, and terminating with the material and external parameters that affect the boiling conditions. The relevance of boiling in specific nanoconfined systems is discussed, focusing on heterogeneous lyophobic systems, chromatographic columns, and ion channels. The current level of control of boiling in nanopores enabled by microporous materials such as metal organic frameworks and biological nanopores paves the way to thrilling theoretical challenges and to new technological opportunities in the fields of energy, neuromorphic computing, and sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Giacomello
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica e Aerospaziale, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00184 Rome, Italy
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4
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Gershenson C. Emergence in Artificial Life. ARTIFICIAL LIFE 2023; 29:153-167. [PMID: 36787448 DOI: 10.1162/artl_a_00397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Even when concepts similar to emergence have been used since antiquity, we lack an agreed definition. However, emergence has been identified as one of the main features of complex systems. Most would agree on the statement "life is complex." Thus understanding emergence and complexity should benefit the study of living systems. It can be said that life emerges from the interactions of complex molecules. But how useful is this to understanding living systems? Artificial Life (ALife) has been developed in recent decades to study life using a synthetic approach: Build it to understand it. ALife systems are not so complex, be they soft (simulations), hard (robots), or wet(protocells). Thus, we can aim at first understanding emergence in ALife, to then use this knowledge in biology. I argue that to understand emergence and life, it becomes useful to use information as a framework. In a general sense, I define emergence as information that is not present at one scale but present at another. This perspective avoids problems of studying emergence from a materialist framework and can also be useful in the study of self-organization and complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Gershenson
- Universidad Nacional, Autánoma de México.
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas
- Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad
- Lakeside Labs GmbH
- Santa Fe Institute
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Johnson MW, Suvorova EA, Karelina AA. Digitalization and Uncertainty in the University: Coherence and Collegiality Through a Metacurriculum. POSTDIGITAL SCIENCE AND EDUCATION 2022. [PMCID: PMC9301617 DOI: 10.1007/s42438-022-00324-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
AbstractRecent initiatives to promote ‘digitalization’ in education exhorting increased digital literacy and ‘computational thinking’ have invited implementation research methods to transform curricula, teaching, and learning. While conceived as a movement from the present of education to an imagined future where envisaged curricula embrace data-oriented and computational practices across subjects, we ask: whose present? Whose future? We revisit the concept of a metacurriculum (first conceived in the 1990s) as a way of addressing this question, while not avoiding the challenges inherent in the adaptation of education to an increasingly complex postdigital environment. We argue that the principal challenge facing institutional and individual adaptation is increasing environmental uncertainty produced by technology, not deficiency in individual skills. Using the uncertainty concept, we present a practical co-designed and dialogical approach supporting the student and teacher journeys towards the transdisciplinary opportunities opened out by technology, based on a cybernetic model of intersubjectivity. We discuss the explanatory power of uncertainty in this context, focusing on the ways it can encourage dialogue, collegiality, and experimentation. Evidence for this is presented in a case study from a Russian University Business School where a large group of teachers co-designed and delivered a dialogical module on digitalization and interdisciplinarity over a period of 4 years—a collaboration ended by recent geopolitical events. In analyzing data from one of the central activities of this course, we focus on the teacher collegiality and the students’ mechanisms of selection in navigating the transdisciplinary space, and how these mechanisms may provide deeper insight into the dialogical underpinnings of education.
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Cohen AA, Ferrucci L, Fülöp T, Gravel D, Hao N, Kriete A, Levine ME, Lipsitz LA, Olde Rikkert MGM, Rutenberg A, Stroustrup N, Varadhan R. A complex systems approach to aging biology. NATURE AGING 2022; 2:580-591. [PMID: 37117782 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-022-00252-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Having made substantial progress understanding molecules, cells, genes and pathways, aging biology research is now moving toward integration of these parts, attempting to understand how their joint dynamics may contribute to aging. Such a shift of perspective requires the adoption of a formal complex systems framework, a transition being facilitated by large-scale data collection and new analytical tools. Here, we provide a theoretical framework to orient researchers around key concepts for this transition, notably emergence, interaction networks and resilience. Drawing on evolutionary theory, network theory and principles of homeostasis, we propose that organismal function is accomplished by the integration of regulatory mechanisms at multiple hierarchical scales, and that the disruption of this ensemble causes the phenotypic and functional manifestations of aging. We present key examples at scales ranging from sub-organismal biology to clinical geriatrics, outlining how this approach can potentially enrich our understanding of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan A Cohen
- PRIMUS Research Group, Department of Family Medicine, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
- Research Center on Aging and Research Center of Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
- Butler Columbia Aging Center and Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Luigi Ferrucci
- Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tamàs Fülöp
- Research Center on Aging and Research Center of Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Geriatric Division, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Dominique Gravel
- Department of Biology, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nan Hao
- Section of Molecular Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Andres Kriete
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Morgan E Levine
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lewis A Lipsitz
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Hebrew SeniorLife, Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Andrew Rutenberg
- Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Nicholas Stroustrup
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ravi Varadhan
- Department of Oncology, Quantitative Sciences Division, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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7
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Singh AK, Bilal M, Iqbal HMN, Raj A. Trends in predictive biodegradation for sustainable mitigation of environmental pollutants: Recent progress and future outlook. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 770:144561. [PMID: 33736422 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The feasibility of in-silico techniques, together with the computational framework, has been applied to predictive bioremediation aiming to clean-up contaminants, toxicity evaluation, and possibilities for the degradation of complex recalcitrant compounds. Emerging contaminants from different industries have posed a significant hazard to the environment and public health. Given current bioremediation strategies, it is often a failure or inadequate for sustainable mitigation of hazardous pollutants. However, clear-cut vital information about biodegradation is quite incomplete from a conventional remediation techniques perspective. Lacking complete information on bio-transformed compounds leads to seeking alternative methods. Only scarce information about the transformed products and toxicity profile is available in the published literature. To fulfill this literature gap, various computational or in-silico technologies have emerged as alternating techniques, which are being recognized as in-silico approaches for bioremediation. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and biodegradation pathways predictions are the vital part of predictive biodegradation, including the Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR), Quantitative structure-biodegradation relationship (QSBR) model system. Furthermore, machine learning (ML), artificial neural network (ANN), genetic algorithm (GA) based programs offer simultaneous biodegradation prediction along with toxicity and environmental fate prediction. Herein, we spotlight the feasibility of in-silico remediation approaches for various persistent, recalcitrant contaminants while traditional bioremediation fails to mitigate such pollutants. Such could be addressed by exploiting described model systems and algorithm-based programs. Furthermore, recent advances in QSAR modeling, algorithm, and dedicated biodegradation prediction system have been summarized with unique attributes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Kumar Singh
- Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, Environmental Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Vishvigyan Bhawan, 31, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow 226001, Uttar Pradesh, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Muhammad Bilal
- School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian 223003, China
| | - Hafiz M N Iqbal
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Monterrey 64849, Mexico.
| | - Abhay Raj
- Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, Environmental Toxicology Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), Vishvigyan Bhawan, 31, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow 226001, Uttar Pradesh, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
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8
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Holzheu P, Großeholz R, Kummer U. Impact of explicit area scaling on kinetic models involving multiple compartments. BMC Bioinformatics 2021; 22:21. [PMID: 33430767 PMCID: PMC7798250 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-020-03913-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Computational modelling of cell biological processes is a frequently used technique to analyse the underlying mechanisms and to generally understand the behaviour of these processes in the context of a pathway, network or even the whole cell. The most common technique in this context is the usage of ordinary differential equations that describe the kinetics of the relevant processes in mechanistic detail. Here, it is usually assumed that the content of the cell is well-stirred and thus homogeneous - which is of course an over-simplification, but often worked in the past. However, many processes happen at membranes and thus not in 3D, but in 2D. The scaling of the rates of these processes poses a special problem, if volumes of compartments are changed. They will typically scale with an area, but not with the volume of the involved compartment. However, commonly, this is neglected when setting up models and/or volume scaling also sometimes automatically happens when using modelling software in the field. RESULTS Here, we investigate generic as well as specific, realistic cases to find out, how strong the impact of the wrong scaling is for the outcome of simulations. We show that the importance of correct area scaling depends on the architecture of the reaction site and its changes upon volume alterations and it is hard to foresee, if it has a significant impact or not just by looking at the original model set-up. Moreover, scaled rates might exhibit more or less control over the behaviour of the system and therefore, accordingly, incorrect scaling will have more or less influence. CONCLUSIONS Working with multi-compartment reactions requires a careful consideration of the correct scaling of the rates when changing the volumes of the involved compartments. The error following incorrect scaling - often done by scaling with the volume of the respective compartments can lead to significant aberrations of model behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Holzheu
- Department of Modeling of Biological Processes, COS Heidelberg/Bioquant, Im Neuenheimer Feld 267, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ruth Großeholz
- Department of Modeling of Biological Processes, COS Heidelberg/Bioquant, Im Neuenheimer Feld 267, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ursula Kummer
- Department of Modeling of Biological Processes, COS Heidelberg/Bioquant, Im Neuenheimer Feld 267, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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9
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Engelbrecht J, Tamm K, Peets T. Modelling of processes in nerve fibres at the interface of physiology and mathematics. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2020; 19:2491-2498. [PMID: 32500424 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-020-01350-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The in silico simulations are widely used in contemporary systems biology including the analysis of nerve pulse propagation. As known from numerous experiments, the propagation of an action potential is accompanied by mechanical and thermal effects. This calls for an analysis at the interface of physics, physiology and mathematics. In this paper, the background of the model equations governing the effects in nerve fibres is analysed from a physical viewpoint and then discussed how to unite them into a system by using the coupling forces. The leading hypothesis associates the coupling to the changes of variables, not to their values or amplitudes. This hypothesis models actually the physiological mechanisms of energy transductions in a fibre. The general assumptions in modelling the processes and the properties of the coupled system of equations are described. The dimensionless mathematical model which couples the action potential with mechanical waves together with temperature effects is presented in "Appendix". This model generates an ensemble of waves including the electrical signal and mechanical and thermal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jüri Engelbrecht
- Department of Cybernetics, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 21, 12618, Tallinn, Estonia.
| | - Kert Tamm
- Department of Cybernetics, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 21, 12618, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Tanel Peets
- Department of Cybernetics, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 21, 12618, Tallinn, Estonia
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10
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Benson AP, Stevenson-Cocks HJ, Whittaker DG, White E, Colman MA. Multi-scale approaches for the simulation of cardiac electrophysiology: II - Tissue-level structure and function. Methods 2020; 185:60-81. [PMID: 31988002 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2020.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Computational models of the heart, from cell-level models, through one-, two- and three-dimensional tissue-level simplifications, to biophysically-detailed three-dimensional models of the ventricles, atria or whole heart, allow the simulation of excitation and propagation of this excitation, and have provided remarkable insight into the normal and pathological functioning of the heart. In this article we present equations for modelling cellular excitation (i.e. the cell action potential) from both a phenomenological and a biophysical perspective. Hodgkin-Huxley formalism is discussed, along with the current generation of biophysically-detailed cardiac cell models. Alternative Markovian formulations for modelling ionic currents are also presented. Equations describing propagation of this cellular excitation, through one-, two- and three-dimensional idealised or realistic tissues, are then presented. For all types of model, from cell to tissue, methods for discretisation and integration of the underlying equations are discussed. The article finishes with a discussion of two tissue-level experimental imaging techniques - diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging and optical imaging - that can be used to provide data for parameterisation and validation of cell- and tissue-level cardiac models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan P Benson
- School of Biomedical Sciences University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
| | | | - Dominic G Whittaker
- School of Biomedical Sciences University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Ed White
- School of Biomedical Sciences University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Michael A Colman
- School of Biomedical Sciences University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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11
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Zhang YH. Digital heart for life. THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY AND THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF PHARMACOLOGY 2019; 23:291-293. [PMID: 31496865 PMCID: PMC6717791 DOI: 10.4196/kjpp.2019.23.5.291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yin Hua Zhang
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Sciences, Ischemic/Hypoxic Disease Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea.,University Hospital Research Center, Yanbian University Hospital, Yanji, Jilin Province 133000, China.,Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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12
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Mäki-Marttunen T, Kaufmann T, Elvsåshagen T, Devor A, Djurovic S, Westlye LT, Linne ML, Rietschel M, Schubert D, Borgwardt S, Efrim-Budisteanu M, Bettella F, Halnes G, Hagen E, Næss S, Ness TV, Moberget T, Metzner C, Edwards AG, Fyhn M, Dale AM, Einevoll GT, Andreassen OA. Biophysical Psychiatry-How Computational Neuroscience Can Help to Understand the Complex Mechanisms of Mental Disorders. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:534. [PMID: 31440172 PMCID: PMC6691488 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain is the most complex of human organs, and the pathophysiology underlying abnormal brain function in psychiatric disorders is largely unknown. Despite the rapid development of diagnostic tools and treatments in most areas of medicine, our understanding of mental disorders and their treatment has made limited progress during the last decades. While recent advances in genetics and neuroscience have a large potential, the complexity and multidimensionality of the brain processes hinder the discovery of disease mechanisms that would link genetic findings to clinical symptoms and behavior. This applies also to schizophrenia, for which genome-wide association studies have identified a large number of genetic risk loci, spanning hundreds of genes with diverse functionalities. Importantly, the multitude of the associated variants and their prevalence in the healthy population limit the potential of a reductionist functional genetics approach as a stand-alone solution to discover the disease pathology. In this review, we outline the key concepts of a "biophysical psychiatry," an approach that employs large-scale mechanistic, biophysics-founded computational modelling to increase transdisciplinary understanding of the pathophysiology and strive toward robust predictions. We discuss recent scientific advances that allow a synthesis of previously disparate fields of psychiatry, neurophysiology, functional genomics, and computational modelling to tackle open questions regarding the pathophysiology of heritable mental disorders. We argue that the complexity of the increasing amount of genetic data exceeds the capabilities of classical experimental assays and requires computational approaches. Biophysical psychiatry, based on modelling diseased brain networks using existing and future knowledge of basic genetic, biochemical, and functional properties on a single neuron to a microcircuit level, may allow a leap forward in deriving interpretable biomarkers and move the field toward novel treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuomo Mäki-Marttunen
- Department of Computational Physiology, Simula Research Laboratory, Oslo, Norway
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tobias Kaufmann
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Torbjørn Elvsåshagen
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anna Devor
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Srdjan Djurovic
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- NORMENT, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Lars T. Westlye
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marja-Leena Linne
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Dirk Schubert
- Cognitive Neuroscience Department, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Stefan Borgwardt
- Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Magdalena Efrim-Budisteanu
- Prof. Dr. Alex. Obregia Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, Bucharest, Romania
- Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, Bucharest, Romania
- Faculty of Medicine, Titu Maiorescu University, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Francesco Bettella
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Geir Halnes
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Espen Hagen
- Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Solveig Næss
- Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Torbjørn V. Ness
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Torgeir Moberget
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Christoph Metzner
- Centre for Computer Science and Informatics Research, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
- Institute of Software Engineering and Theoretical Computer Science, Technische Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrew G. Edwards
- Department of Computational Physiology, Simula Research Laboratory, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marianne Fyhn
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anders M. Dale
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Gaute T. Einevoll
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
- Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A. Andreassen
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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13
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Li Q. The Clock-Free Asynchronous Receiver Design for Molecular Timing Channels in Diffusion-Based Molecular Communications. IEEE Trans Nanobioscience 2019; 18:585-596. [PMID: 31199266 DOI: 10.1109/tnb.2019.2922735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In diffusion-based molecular communications, time synchronization is a major reason for the increase of system structure complexity. In this paper, we consider the asynchronous receiver design for molecular communications with information symbols conveyed in the time of released molecules. The main contribution of this paper is that we develop a detector called clock-free asynchronous receiver design (CFARD), in which the receiver recovers the information symbols without measuring the arrival time of molecules. The theoretical analysis indicates that compared with the synchronous receiver designs, the proposed scheme considerably lowers the structure complexity for information demodulation, which is of great significance to the feasibility of nano-scale molecular communications systems with the limitation of energy and size. The numerical results show that in the comparison of bit error ratio (BER) performance, the proposed asynchronous receiver design outperforms the synchronous linear average filter (LAF) detector and approaches to the synchronous maximum likelihood (ML) detector and first arrival (FA) detector.
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14
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Li Q. The Asymmetric-Distance Metrics for Decoding of Convolutional Codes in Diffusion-Based Molecular Communications. IEEE Trans Nanobioscience 2019; 18:469-481. [PMID: 31071051 DOI: 10.1109/tnb.2019.2915682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we focus on the channel coding for diffusion-based molecular communications (MC) with information conveyed in the time of molecules released. The symbol error probability (SEP) is theoretically derived for multiple channel use. The conception called asymmetric-distance is introduced as the metric from the transmitted codeword to the received codeword. A new decoding scheme based on asymmetric-distance is proposed for convolutional codes, which significantly enhances the communication reliability. Biological circuits for the implementation of the proposed channel coding scheme in MC systems are designed by bio-nanomachines. The theoretical analysis indicates that the proposed decoding scheme provides an approximately maximum likelihood estimation. Compared with uncoded systems, Hamming codes, convolutional codes based on Hamming distance (CCHD) and some new coding schemes for molecular communications, numerical results show that the proposed convolutional codes based on asymmetric-distance (CCAD) offer better bit error ratio (BER) performance with the same throughput. The simulation results illustrate that the proposed channel coding scheme is efficient for a larger range of channel environment than other conventional channel coding schemes.
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15
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Gavagnin E, Yates CA. Modeling persistence of motion in a crowded environment: The diffusive limit of excluding velocity-jump processes. Phys Rev E 2018; 97:032416. [PMID: 29776091 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.97.032416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Persistence of motion is the tendency of an object to maintain motion in a direction for short time scales without necessarily being biased in any direction in the long term. One of the most appropriate mathematical tools to study this behavior is an agent-based velocity-jump process. In the absence of agent-agent interaction, the mean-field continuum limit of the agent-based model (ABM) gives rise to the well known hyperbolic telegraph equation. When agent-agent interaction is included in the ABM, a strictly advective system of partial differential equations (PDEs) can be derived at the population level. However, no diffusive limit of the ABM has been obtained from such a model. Connecting the microscopic behavior of the ABM to a diffusive macroscopic description is desirable, since it allows the exploration of a wider range of scenarios and establishes a direct connection with commonly used statistical tools of movement analysis. In order to connect the ABM at the population level to a diffusive PDE at the population level, we consider a generalization of the agent-based velocity-jump process on a two-dimensional lattice with three forms of agent interaction. This generalization allows us to take a diffusive limit and obtain a faithful population-level description. We investigate the properties of the model at both the individual and population levels and we elucidate some of the models' key characteristic features. In particular, we show an intrinsic anisotropy inherent to the models and we find evidence of a spontaneous form of aggregation at both the micro- and macroscales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Gavagnin
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Christian A Yates
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
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16
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Gavagnin E, Yates CA. Stochastic and Deterministic Modeling of Cell Migration. HANDBOOK OF STATISTICS 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.host.2018.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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17
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Lee J. A review of asthma and immunololgic mathematical models. ALLERGY ASTHMA & RESPIRATORY DISEASE 2017. [DOI: 10.4168/aard.2017.5.3.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Junehyuk Lee
- Division of Respiratory and Allergy Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Korea
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18
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Investigating Mutations to Reduce Huntingtin Aggregation by Increasing Htt-N-Terminal Stability and Weakening Interactions with PolyQ Domain. COMPUTATIONAL AND MATHEMATICAL METHODS IN MEDICINE 2016; 2016:6247867. [PMID: 28096892 PMCID: PMC5206856 DOI: 10.1155/2016/6247867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a fatal autosomal genetic disorder characterized by an expanded glutamine-coding CAG repeat sequence in the huntingtin (Htt) exon 1 gene. The Htt protein associated with the disease misfolds into toxic oligomers and aggregate fibril structures. Competing models for the misfolding and aggregation phenomena have suggested the role of the Htt-N-terminal region and the CAG trinucleotide repeats (polyQ domain) in affecting aggregation propensities and misfolding. In particular, one model suggests a correlation between structural stability and the emergence of toxic oligomers, whereas a second model proposes that molecular interactions with the extended polyQ domain increase aggregation propensity. In this paper, we computationally explore the potential to reduce Htt aggregation by addressing the aggregation causes outlined in both models. We investigate the mutation landscape of the Htt-N-terminal region and explore amino acid residue mutations that affect its structural stability and hydrophobic interactions with the polyQ domain. Out of the millions of 3-point mutation combinations that we explored, the (L4K E12K K15E) was the most promising mutation combination that addressed aggregation causes in both models. The mutant structure exhibited extreme alpha-helical stability, low amyloidogenicity potential, a hydrophobic residue replacement, and removal of a solvent-inaccessible intermolecular side chain that assists oligomerization.
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19
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Floricel S, Michela JL, Piperca S. Complexity, uncertainty-reduction strategies, and project performance. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijproman.2015.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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20
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Abstract
Mathematical and statistical methods enable multidisciplinary approaches that catalyse discovery. Together with experimental methods, they identify key hypotheses, define measurable observables and reconcile disparate results. We collect a representative sample of studies in T-cell biology that illustrate the benefits of modelling–experimental collaborations and that have proven valuable or even groundbreaking. We conclude that it is possible to find excellent examples of synergy between mathematical modelling and experiment in immunology, which have brought significant insight that would not be available without these collaborations, but that much remains to be discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Castro
- Universidad Pontificia Comillas , E28015 Madrid , Spain
| | - Grant Lythe
- Department of Applied Mathematics, School of Mathematics , University of Leeds , Leeds LS2 9JT , UK
| | - Carmen Molina-París
- Department of Applied Mathematics, School of Mathematics , University of Leeds , Leeds LS2 9JT , UK
| | - Ruy M Ribeiro
- Los Alamos National Laboratory , Theoretical Biology and Biophysics , Los Alamos, NM 87545 , USA
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21
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Moore MN, Shaw JP, Ferrar Adams DR, Viarengo A. Anti-oxidative cellular protection effect of fasting-induced autophagy as a mechanism for hormesis. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2015; 107:35-44. [PMID: 25881010 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2015.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2015] [Revised: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that fasting-induced augmented lysosomal autophagic turnover of cellular proteins and organelles will reduce potentially harmful lipofuscin (age-pigment) formation in cells by more effectively removing oxidatively damaged proteins. An animal model (marine snail--common periwinkle, Littorina littorea) was used to experimentally test this hypothesis. Snails were deprived of algal food for 7 days to induce an augmented autophagic response in their hepatopancreatic digestive cells (hepatocyte analogues). This treatment resulted in a 25% reduction in the cellular content of lipofuscin in the digestive cells of the fasting animals in comparison with snails fed ad libitum on green alga (Ulva lactuca). Similar findings have previously been observed in the digestive cells of marine mussels subjected to copper-induced oxidative stress. Additional measurements showed that fasting significantly increased cellular health based on lysosomal membrane stability, and reduced lipid peroxidation and lysosomal/cellular triglyceride. These findings support the hypothesis that fasting-induced augmented autophagic turnover of cellular proteins has an anti-oxidative cytoprotective effect by more effectively removing damaged proteins, resulting in a reduction in the formation of potentially harmful proteinaceous aggregates such as lipofuscin. The inference from this study is that autophagy is important in mediating hormesis. An increase was demonstrated in physiological complexity with fasting, using graph theory in a directed cell physiology network (digraph) model to integrate the various biomarkers. This was commensurate with increased health status, and supportive of the hormesis hypothesis. The potential role of enhanced autophagic lysosomal removal of damaged proteins in the evolutionary acquisition of stress tolerance in intertidal molluscs is discussed and parallels are drawn with the growing evidence for the involvement of autophagy in hormesis and anti-ageing processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael N Moore
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK; Department of Science and Innovative Technology (DSIT), University of Eastern Piedmont, Alessandria, Italy; European Centre for Environment & Human Health (ECEHH), University of Exeter Medical School, Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro, Cornwall TR1 3HD, UK; School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake's Circus, Plymouth PL4 8DD, UK.
| | - Jennifer P Shaw
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK
| | - Dawn R Ferrar Adams
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK
| | - Aldo Viarengo
- Department of Science and Innovative Technology (DSIT), University of Eastern Piedmont, Alessandria, Italy
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22
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McKeever S, Johnson D. The role of markup for enabling interoperability in health informatics. Front Physiol 2015; 6:152. [PMID: 26042043 PMCID: PMC4434901 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2015.00152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Interoperability is the faculty of making information systems work together. In this paper we will distinguish a number of different forms that interoperability can take and show how they are realized on a variety of physiological and health care use cases. The last 15 years has seen the rise of very cheap digital storage both on and off site. With the advent of the Internet of Things people's expectations are for greater interconnectivity and seamless interoperability. The potential impact these technologies have on healthcare are dramatic: from improved diagnoses through immediate access to a patient's electronic health record, to in silico modeling of organs and early stage drug trials, to predictive medicine based on top-down modeling of disease progression and treatment. We will begin by looking at the underlying technology, classify the various kinds of interoperability that exist in the field, and discuss how they are realized. We conclude with a discussion on future possibilities that big data and further standardizations will enable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve McKeever
- Department of Informatics and Media, Uppsala UniversityUppsala, Sweden
- Saint Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO)Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - David Johnson
- Data Science Institute, Imperial College LondonLondon, UK
- Department of Computing, Imperial College LondonLondon, UK
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23
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Abstract
The concept of the minimal cell has fascinated scientists for a long time, from both fundamental and applied points of view. This broad concept encompasses extreme reductions of genomes, the last universal common ancestor (LUCA), the creation of semiartificial cells, and the design of protocells and chassis cells. Here we review these different areas of research and identify common and complementary aspects of each one. We focus on systems biology, a discipline that is greatly facilitating the classical top-down and bottom-up approaches toward minimal cells. In addition, we also review the so-called middle-out approach and its contributions to the field with mathematical and computational models. Owing to the advances in genomics technologies, much of the work in this area has been centered on minimal genomes, or rather minimal gene sets, required to sustain life. Nevertheless, a fundamental expansion has been taking place in the last few years wherein the minimal gene set is viewed as a backbone of a more complex system. Complementing genomics, progress is being made in understanding the system-wide properties at the levels of the transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome. Network modeling approaches are enabling the integration of these different omics data sets toward an understanding of the complex molecular pathways connecting genotype to phenotype. We review key concepts central to the mapping and modeling of this complexity, which is at the heart of research on minimal cells. Finally, we discuss the distinction between minimizing the number of cellular components and minimizing cellular complexity, toward an improved understanding and utilization of minimal and simpler cells.
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24
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Masoudi-Nejad A, Bidkhori G, Hosseini Ashtiani S, Najafi A, Bozorgmehr JH, Wang E. Cancer systems biology and modeling: microscopic scale and multiscale approaches. Semin Cancer Biol 2014; 30:60-9. [PMID: 24657638 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2014.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Cancer has become known as a complex and systematic disease on macroscopic, mesoscopic and microscopic scales. Systems biology employs state-of-the-art computational theories and high-throughput experimental data to model and simulate complex biological procedures such as cancer, which involves genetic and epigenetic, in addition to intracellular and extracellular complex interaction networks. In this paper, different systems biology modeling techniques such as systems of differential equations, stochastic methods, Boolean networks, Petri nets, cellular automata methods and agent-based systems are concisely discussed. We have compared the mentioned formalisms and tried to address the span of applicability they can bear on emerging cancer modeling and simulation approaches. Different scales of cancer modeling, namely, microscopic, mesoscopic and macroscopic scales are explained followed by an illustration of angiogenesis in microscopic scale of the cancer modeling. Then, the modeling of cancer cell proliferation and survival are examined on a microscopic scale and the modeling of multiscale tumor growth is explained along with its advantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Masoudi-Nejad
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics (LBB), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Gholamreza Bidkhori
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics (LBB), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saman Hosseini Ashtiani
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics (LBB), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Najafi
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics (LBB), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Joseph H Bozorgmehr
- Laboratory of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics (LBB), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Edwin Wang
- National Research Council Canada, Montreal, QC H4P 2R2, Canada; Center for Bioinformatics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 0B1, Canada
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25
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Sengupta J, Ghosh D. Multi-level and multi-scale integrative approach to the understanding of human blastocyst implantation. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2014; 114:49-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2013.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Accepted: 12/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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26
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Johnson D, McKeever S, Stamatakos G, Dionysiou D, Graf N, Sakkalis V, Marias K, Wang Z, Deisboeck TS. Dealing with diversity in computational cancer modeling. Cancer Inform 2013; 12:115-24. [PMID: 23700360 PMCID: PMC3653811 DOI: 10.4137/cin.s11583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper discusses the need for interconnecting computational cancer models from different sources and scales within clinically relevant scenarios to increase the accuracy of the models and speed up their clinical adaptation, validation, and eventual translation. We briefly review current interoperability efforts drawing upon our experiences with the development of in silico models for predictive oncology within a number of European Commission Virtual Physiological Human initiative projects on cancer. A clinically relevant scenario, addressing brain tumor modeling that illustrates the need for coupling models from different sources and levels of complexity, is described. General approaches to enabling interoperability using XML-based markup languages for biological modeling are reviewed, concluding with a discussion on efforts towards developing cancer-specific XML markup to couple multiple component models for predictive in silico oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Johnson
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Steve McKeever
- Department of Informatics and Media, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Georgios Stamatakos
- Institute of Communication and Computer Systems, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitra Dionysiou
- Institute of Communication and Computer Systems, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Norbert Graf
- Department of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg, Germany
| | - Vangelis Sakkalis
- Institute of Computer Science at the Foundation for Research and Technology—Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Marias
- Institute of Computer Science at the Foundation for Research and Technology—Hellas, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Zhihui Wang
- Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Thomas S. Deisboeck
- Harvard-MIT (HST), Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
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27
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Putz MV, Putz AM. DFT Chemical Reactivity Driven by Biological Activity: Applications for the Toxicological Fate of Chlorinated PAHs. STRUCTURE AND BONDING 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-32750-6_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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28
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Mirams GR, Davies MR, Cui Y, Kohl P, Noble D. Application of cardiac electrophysiology simulations to pro-arrhythmic safety testing. Br J Pharmacol 2012; 167:932-45. [PMID: 22568589 PMCID: PMC3492977 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.02020.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2011] [Revised: 03/23/2012] [Accepted: 04/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Concerns over cardiac side effects are the largest single cause of compound attrition during pharmaceutical drug development. For a number of years, biophysically detailed mathematical models of cardiac electrical activity have been used to explore how a compound, interfering with specific ion-channel function, may explain effects at the cell-, tissue- and organ-scales. With the advent of high-throughput screening of multiple ion channels in the wet-lab, and improvements in computational modelling of their effects on cardiac cell activity, more reliable prediction of pro-arrhythmic risk is becoming possible at the earliest stages of drug development. In this paper, we review the current use of biophysically detailed mathematical models of cardiac myocyte electrical activity in drug safety testing, and suggest future directions to employ the full potential of this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary R Mirams
- Computational Biology, Department of Computer Science, University of OxfordOxford, UK
| | - Mark R Davies
- Computational Biology, Discovery SciencesAstraZeneca, Alderley Park, UK
| | - Yi Cui
- Safety Pharmacology, Safety Assessment, GlaxoSmithKline, R&D WareUK
| | - Peter Kohl
- Computational Biology, Department of Computer Science, University of OxfordOxford, UK
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College LondonLondon, UK
| | - Denis Noble
- Computational Biology, Department of Computer Science, University of OxfordOxford, UK
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, University of OxfordOxford, UK
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29
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Abstract
Understanding regulation of gene transcription is central to molecular biology as well as being of great interest in medicine. The molecular syntax of the concerted transcriptional activation/repression of gene networks in mammal cells, which shape the physiological response to the molecular signals, is often unknown or not completely understood. Combining genome-wide experiments with in silico approaches opens the way to a more systematic comprehension of the molecular mechanisms of transcription regulation. Diverse bioinformatics tools have been developed to help unravel these mechanisms, by handling and processing data at different stages: from data collection and storage to the identification of molecular targets and from the detection of DNA motif signatures in the regulatory sequences of functionally related genes to the identification of relevant regulatory networks. Moreover, the large amount of genome-wide scale data recently produced has attracted professionals from diverse backgrounds to this cutting-edge realm of molecular biology. This mini-review is intended as an orientation for multidisciplinary professionals, introducing a streamlined workflow in gene transcription regulation with emphasis on sequence analysis. It provides an outlook on tools and methods, selected from a host of bioinformatics resources available today. It has been designed for the benefit of students, investigators, and professionals who seek a coherent yet quick introduction to in silico approaches to analyzing regulation of gene transcription in the post-genomic era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gioia Altobelli
- Department of Endocrinology, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK.
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30
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Alberghina L, Gaglio D, Gelfi C, Moresco RM, Mauri G, Bertolazzi P, Messa C, Gilardi MC, Chiaradonna F, Vanoni M. Cancer cell growth and survival as a system-level property sustained by enhanced glycolysis and mitochondrial metabolic remodeling. Front Physiol 2012; 3:362. [PMID: 22988443 PMCID: PMC3440026 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2012.00362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2012] [Accepted: 08/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Systems Biology holds that complex cellular functions are generated as system-level properties endowed with robustness, each involving large networks of molecular determinants, generally identified by “omics” analyses. In this paper we describe four basic cancer cell properties that can easily be investigated in vitro: enhanced proliferation, evasion from apoptosis, genomic instability, and inability to undergo oncogene-induced senescence. Focusing our analysis on a K-ras dependent transformation system, we show that enhanced proliferation and evasion from apoptosis are closely linked, and present findings that indicate how a large metabolic remodeling sustains the enhanced growth ability. Network analysis of transcriptional profiling gives the first indication on this remodeling, further supported by biochemical investigations and metabolic flux analysis (MFA). Enhanced glycolysis, down-regulation of TCA cycle, decoupling of glucose and glutamine utilization, with increased reductive carboxylation of glutamine, so to yield a sustained production of growth building blocks and glutathione, are the hallmarks of enhanced proliferation. Low glucose availability specifically induces cell death in K-ras transformed cells, while PKA activation reverts this effect, possibly through at least two mitochondrial targets. The central role of mitochondria in determining the two investigated cancer cell properties is finally discussed. Taken together the findings reported herein indicate that a system-level property is sustained by a cascade of interconnected biochemical pathways that behave differently in normal and in transformed cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilia Alberghina
- SysBio Centre for Systems Biology Milano and Rome, Italy ; Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza Milano, Italy
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31
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Erson EZ, Cavuşoğlu MC. Design of a framework for modeling, integration and simulation of physiological models. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2012; 107:524-537. [PMID: 22309809 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2011.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2010] [Revised: 10/11/2011] [Accepted: 11/30/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Multiscale modeling and integration of physiological models carry challenges due to the complex nature of physiological processes. High coupling within and among scales present a significant challenge in constructing and integrating multiscale physiological models. In order to deal with such challenges in a systematic way, there is a significant need for an information technology framework together with related analytical and computational tools that will facilitate integration of models and simulations of complex biological systems. Physiological Model Simulation, Integration and Modeling Framework (Phy-SIM) is an information technology framework providing the tools to facilitate development, integration and simulation of integrated models of human physiology. Phy-SIM brings software level solutions to the challenges raised by the complex nature of physiological systems. The aim of Phy-SIM, and this paper is to lay some foundation with the new approaches such as information flow and modular representation of the physiological models. The ultimate goal is to enhance the development of both the models and the integration approaches of multiscale physiological processes and thus this paper focuses on the design approaches that would achieve such a goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Zeynep Erson
- Case Western Reserve University, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department, 10900 Euclid Ave.,Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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32
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Burkitt M, Walker D, Romano DM, Fazeli A. Computational modelling of maternal interactions with spermatozoa: potentials and prospects. Reprod Fertil Dev 2012; 23:976-89. [PMID: 22127003 DOI: 10.1071/rd11032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2011] [Accepted: 07/12/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the complex interactions between gametes, embryos and the maternal tract is required knowledge for combating infertility and developing new methods of contraception. Here we present some main aspects of spermatozoa interactions with the mammalian oviduct before fertilisation and discuss how computational modelling can be used as an invaluable aid to experimental investigation in this field. A complete predictive computational model of gamete and embryo interactions with the female reproductive tract is a long way off. However, the enormity of this task should not discourage us from working towards it. Computational modelling allows us to investigate aspects of maternal communication with gametes and embryos, which are financially, ethically or practically difficult to look at experimentally. In silico models of maternal communication with gametes and embryos can be used as tools to complement in vivo experiments, in the same way as in vitro and in situ models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Burkitt
- The Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, Regent Court, 211 Portobello, Sheffield S1 4DP, UK
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Moreno JD, Zhu ZI, Yang PC, Bankston JR, Jeng MT, Kang C, Wang L, Bayer JD, Christini DJ, Trayanova NA, Ripplinger CM, Kass RS, Clancy CE. A computational model to predict the effects of class I anti-arrhythmic drugs on ventricular rhythms. Sci Transl Med 2012; 3:98ra83. [PMID: 21885405 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3002588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
A long-sought, and thus far elusive, goal has been to develop drugs to manage diseases of excitability. One such disease that affects millions each year is cardiac arrhythmia, which occurs when electrical impulses in the heart become disordered, sometimes causing sudden death. Pharmacological management of cardiac arrhythmia has failed because it is not possible to predict how drugs that target cardiac ion channels, and have intrinsically complex dynamic interactions with ion channels, will alter the emergent electrical behavior generated in the heart. Here, we applied a computational model, which was informed and validated by experimental data, that defined key measurable parameters necessary to simulate the interaction kinetics of the anti-arrhythmic drugs flecainide and lidocaine with cardiac sodium channels. We then used the model to predict the effects of these drugs on normal human ventricular cellular and tissue electrical activity in the setting of a common arrhythmia trigger, spontaneous ventricular ectopy. The model forecasts the clinically relevant concentrations at which flecainide and lidocaine exacerbate, rather than ameliorate, arrhythmia. Experiments in rabbit hearts and simulations in human ventricles based on magnetic resonance images validated the model predictions. This computational framework initiates the first steps toward development of a virtual drug-screening system that models drug-channel interactions and predicts the effects of drugs on emergent electrical activity in the heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Moreno
- Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, Weill Cornell Medical College/The Rockefeller University/Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute, New York, NY 10021, USA
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Vik JO, Gjuvsland AB, Li L, Tøndel K, Niederer S, Smith NP, Hunter PJ, Omholt SW. Genotype-Phenotype Map Characteristics of an In silico Heart Cell. Front Physiol 2011; 2:106. [PMID: 22232604 PMCID: PMC3246639 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2011.00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2011] [Accepted: 12/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the causal chain from genotypic to phenotypic variation is a tremendous challenge with huge implications for personalized medicine. Here we argue that linking computational physiology to genetic concepts, methodology, and data provides a new framework for this endeavor. We exemplify this causally cohesive genotype–phenotype (cGP) modeling approach using a detailed mathematical model of a heart cell. In silico genetic variation is mapped to parametric variation, which propagates through the physiological model to generate multivariate phenotypes for the action potential and calcium transient under regular pacing, and ion currents under voltage clamping. The resulting genotype-to-phenotype map is characterized using standard quantitative genetic methods and novel applications of high-dimensional data analysis. These analyses reveal many well-known genetic phenomena like intralocus dominance, interlocus epistasis, and varying degrees of phenotypic correlation. In particular, we observe penetrance features such as the masking/release of genetic variation, so that without any change in the regulatory anatomy of the model, traits may appear monogenic, oligogenic, or polygenic depending on which genotypic variation is actually present in the data. The results suggest that a cGP modeling approach may pave the way for a computational physiological genomics capable of generating biological insight about the genotype–phenotype relation in ways that statistical-genetic approaches cannot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Olav Vik
- Department of Mathematical Sciences and Technology, Centre for Integrative Genetics, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Ås, Norway
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Machado D, Costa RS, Rocha M, Ferreira EC, Tidor B, Rocha I. Modeling formalisms in Systems Biology. AMB Express 2011; 1:45. [PMID: 22141422 PMCID: PMC3285092 DOI: 10.1186/2191-0855-1-45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2011] [Accepted: 12/05/2011] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Systems Biology has taken advantage of computational tools and high-throughput experimental data to model several biological processes. These include signaling, gene regulatory, and metabolic networks. However, most of these models are specific to each kind of network. Their interconnection demands a whole-cell modeling framework for a complete understanding of cellular systems. We describe the features required by an integrated framework for modeling, analyzing and simulating biological processes, and review several modeling formalisms that have been used in Systems Biology including Boolean networks, Bayesian networks, Petri nets, process algebras, constraint-based models, differential equations, rule-based models, interacting state machines, cellular automata, and agent-based models. We compare the features provided by different formalisms, and discuss recent approaches in the integration of these formalisms, as well as possible directions for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Machado
- IBB-Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering/Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Rafael S Costa
- IBB-Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering/Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Miguel Rocha
- Department of Informatics/CCTC, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Eugénio C Ferreira
- IBB-Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering/Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Bruce Tidor
- Department of Biological Engineering/Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Isabel Rocha
- IBB-Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering/Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
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Linaro D, Storace M, Mattia M. Inferring network dynamics and neuron properties from population recordings. Front Comput Neurosci 2011; 5:43. [PMID: 22016731 PMCID: PMC3191764 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2011.00043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2011] [Accepted: 09/14/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the computational capabilities of the nervous system means to “identify” its emergent multiscale dynamics. For this purpose, we propose a novel model-driven identification procedure and apply it to sparsely connected populations of excitatory integrate-and-fire neurons with spike frequency adaptation (SFA). Our method does not characterize the system from its microscopic elements in a bottom-up fashion, and does not resort to any linearization. We investigate networks as a whole, inferring their properties from the response dynamics of the instantaneous discharge rate to brief and aspecific supra-threshold stimulations. While several available methods assume generic expressions for the system as a black box, we adopt a mean-field theory for the evolution of the network transparently parameterized by identified elements (such as dynamic timescales), which are in turn non-trivially related to single-neuron properties. In particular, from the elicited transient responses, the input–output gain function of the neurons in the network is extracted and direct links to the microscopic level are made available: indeed, we show how to extract the decay time constant of the SFA, the absolute refractory period and the average synaptic efficacy. In addition and contrary to previous attempts, our method captures the system dynamics across bifurcations separating qualitatively different dynamical regimes. The robustness and the generality of the methodology is tested on controlled simulations, reporting a good agreement between theoretically expected and identified values. The assumptions behind the underlying theoretical framework make the method readily applicable to biological preparations like cultured neuron networks and in vitro brain slices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Linaro
- Department of Biophysical and Electronic Engineering, University of Genoa Genoa, Italy
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Alberghina L, Mavelli G, Drovandi G, Palumbo P, Pessina S, Tripodi F, Coccetti P, Vanoni M. Cell growth and cell cycle in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: basic regulatory design and protein-protein interaction network. Biotechnol Adv 2011; 30:52-72. [PMID: 21821114 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2011.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2011] [Revised: 06/23/2011] [Accepted: 07/06/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In this review we summarize the major connections between cell growth and cell cycle in the model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In S. cerevisiae regulation of cell cycle progression is achieved predominantly during a narrow interval in the late G1 phase known as START (Pringle and Hartwell, 1981). At START a yeast cell integrates environmental and internal signals (such as nutrient availability, presence of pheromone, attainment of a critical size, status of the metabolic machinery) and decides whether to enter a new cell cycle or to undertake an alternative developmental program. Several signaling pathways, that act to connect the nutritional status to cellular actions, are briefly outlined. A Growth & Cycle interaction network has been manually curated. More than one fifth of the edges within the Growth & Cycle network connect Growth and Cycle proteins, indicating a strong interconnection between the processes of cell growth and cell cycle. The backbone of the Growth & Cycle network is composed of middle-degree nodes suggesting that it shares some properties with HOT networks. The development of multi-scale modeling and simulation analysis will help to elucidate relevant central features of growth and cycle as well as to identify their system-level properties. Confident collaborative efforts involving different expertises will allow to construct consensus, integrated models effectively linking the processes of cell growth and cell cycle, ultimately contributing to shed more light also on diseases in which an altered proliferation ability is observed, such as cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilia Alberghina
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Bioscienze, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy.
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Noble D. Could there be a Synthesis between Western and Oriental Medicine, and with Sasang Constitutional Medicine in Particular? EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2011; 6 Suppl 1:5-10. [PMID: 19745006 PMCID: PMC2741627 DOI: 10.1093/ecam/nep101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Attitudes towards oriental medicine are changing for two major reasons. The first is that many patients, even in the West, are choosing to use its practitioners and methods. The second is that the rise of Systems Biology may offer a better basis for dialogue, and even for synthesis, between the oriental and Western traditions. However, a lot of work is needed to clear the way for such dialogue and synthesis. Much of this work should be devoted to clarifying the meanings of the terms used, and the framework of theory and practice within which oriental methods operate. But it is also necessary for Systems Biology itself to mature as a discipline, particularly at the higher levels of biological organization since it is at these levels that oriental medicine derives its ideas and practice. Higher level Systems Biology could be a basis for interpretation of the Korean version of oriental medicine: Sasang constitutional medicine since it seeks patient specific analysis and treatment, and the mathematical methods of systems biology could be used to analyze the central concept of balance in Sasang.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Noble
- CBE, FRS, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK.
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Clayton RH, Nash MP, Bradley CP, Panfilov AV, Paterson DJ, Taggart P. Experiment-model interaction for analysis of epicardial activation during human ventricular fibrillation with global myocardial ischaemia. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2011; 107:101-11. [PMID: 21741985 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2011.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2011] [Accepted: 06/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We describe a combined experiment-modelling framework to investigate the effects of ischaemia on the organisation of ventricular fibrillation in the human heart. In a series of experimental studies epicardial activity was recorded from 10 patients undergoing routine cardiac surgery. Ventricular fibrillation was induced by burst pacing, and recording continued during 2.5 min of global cardiac ischaemia followed by 30 s of coronary reflow. Modelling used a 2D description of human ventricular tissue. Global cardiac ischaemia was simulated by (i) decreased intracellular ATP concentration and subsequent activation of an ATP sensitive K⁺ current, (ii) elevated extracellular K⁺ concentration, and (iii) acidosis resulting in reduced magnitude of the L-type Ca²⁺ current I(Ca,L). Simulated ischaemia acted to shorten action potential duration, reduce conduction velocity, increase effective refractory period, and flatten restitution. In the model, these effects resulted in slower re-entrant activity that was qualitatively consistent with our observations in the human heart. However, the flattening of restitution also resulted in the collapse of many re-entrant waves to several stable re-entrant waves, which was different to the overall trend we observed in the experimental data. These findings highlight a potential role for other factors, such as structural or functional heterogeneity in sustaining wavebreak during human ventricular fibrillation with global myocardial ischaemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- R H Clayton
- Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Regent Court, 211 Portobello S14DP, UK.
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Noble D. Successes and failures in modeling heart cell electrophysiology. Heart Rhythm 2011; 8:1798-803. [PMID: 21699872 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2011.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2011] [Accepted: 06/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Mathematical models of the electrical activity of the heart using equations for protein ion channels and other transporters began with the Noble 1962 model. These models then developed over a period of about 50 years. Cell types in all regions have been modeled and now are available for download from the CellML website (www.cellml.org). Simulation is a necessary tool of analysis in attempting to understand biological complexity. We often learn as much from the failures as from the successes of mathematical models. It is the iterative interaction between experiment and simulation that is important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Noble
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, Oxford University, Oxford, UK.
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Abstract
Heart failure is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals of all ages. The many-faceted nature of the clinical heart failure syndrome has historically frustrated attempts to develop an overarching explanative theory. However, much useful information has been gained by basic and clinical investigation, even though a comprehensive understanding of heart failure has been elusive. Heart failure is a growing problem, in both adult and pediatric populations, for which standard medical therapy, as of 2010, can have positive effects, but these are usually limited and progressively diminish with time in most patients. If we want curative or near-curative therapy that will return patients to a normal state of health at a feasible cost, much better diagnostic and therapeutic technologies need to be developed. This review addresses the vexing group of heart failure etiologies that include cardiomyopathies and other ventricular dysfunctions of various types, for which current therapy is only modestly effective. Although there are many unique aspects to heart failure in patients with pediatric and congenital heart disease, many of the innovative approaches that are being developed for the care of adults with heart failure will be applicable to heart failure in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Penny
- Section of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, 6621 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Abstract
We provide a commented overview of the available databases for the systematic collection of pathway information and biological models essential for the interpretation of Omics data. Then, we present both the state of the art and the future challenges of network inference, a research area dealing with the deduction of reaction mechanisms from experimental Omics data. This approach represents one of the most challenging instances for making use of the huge amount of information gathered in the Omics era.
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Ho JWK, Charleston MA. Network modelling of gene regulation. Biophys Rev 2010; 3:1-13. [PMID: 28510232 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-010-0041-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2010] [Accepted: 11/04/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene regulatory network (GRN) modelling has gained increasing attention in the past decade. Many computational modelling techniques have been proposed to facilitate the inference and analysis of GRN. However, there is often confusion about the aim of GRN modelling, and how a gene network model can be fully utilised as a tool for systems biology. The aim of the present article is to provide an overview of this rapidly expanding subject. In particular, we review some fundamental concepts of systems biology and discuss the role of network modelling in understanding complex biological systems. Several commonly used network modelling paradigms are surveyed with emphasis on their practical use in systems biology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua W K Ho
- School of Information Technologies, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
| | - Michael A Charleston
- School of Information Technologies, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.,Centre for Mathematical Biology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
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Ropella GEP, Hunt CA. Cloud computing and validation of expandable in silico livers. BMC SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2010; 4:168. [PMID: 21129207 PMCID: PMC3016276 DOI: 10.1186/1752-0509-4-168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2010] [Accepted: 12/03/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Silico Livers (ISLs) are works in progress. They are used to challenge multilevel, multi-attribute, mechanistic hypotheses about the hepatic disposition of xenobiotics coupled with hepatic responses. To enhance ISL-to-liver mappings, we added discrete time metabolism, biliary elimination, and bolus dosing features to a previously validated ISL and initiated re-validated experiments that required scaling experiments to use more simulated lobules than previously, more than could be achieved using the local cluster technology. Rather than dramatically increasing the size of our local cluster we undertook the re-validation experiments using the Amazon EC2 cloud platform. So doing required demonstrating the efficacy of scaling a simulation to use more cluster nodes and assessing the scientific equivalence of local cluster validation experiments with those executed using the cloud platform. RESULTS The local cluster technology was duplicated in the Amazon EC2 cloud platform. Synthetic modeling protocols were followed to identify a successful parameterization. Experiment sample sizes (number of simulated lobules) on both platforms were 49, 70, 84, and 152 (cloud only). Experimental indistinguishability was demonstrated for ISL outflow profiles of diltiazem using both platforms for experiments consisting of 84 or more samples. The process was analogous to demonstration of results equivalency from two different wet-labs. CONCLUSIONS The results provide additional evidence that disposition simulations using ISLs can cover the behavior space of liver experiments in distinct experimental contexts (there is in silico-to-wet-lab phenotype similarity). The scientific value of experimenting with multiscale biomedical models has been limited to research groups with access to computer clusters. The availability of cloud technology coupled with the evidence of scientific equivalency has lowered the barrier and will greatly facilitate model sharing as well as provide straightforward tools for scaling simulations to encompass greater detail with no extra investment in hardware.
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Kell DB. Towards a unifying, systems biology understanding of large-scale cellular death and destruction caused by poorly liganded iron: Parkinson's, Huntington's, Alzheimer's, prions, bactericides, chemical toxicology and others as examples. Arch Toxicol 2010; 84:825-89. [PMID: 20967426 PMCID: PMC2988997 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-010-0577-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 286] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2010] [Accepted: 07/14/2010] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to a variety of toxins and/or infectious agents leads to disease, degeneration and death, often characterised by circumstances in which cells or tissues do not merely die and cease to function but may be more or less entirely obliterated. It is then legitimate to ask the question as to whether, despite the many kinds of agent involved, there may be at least some unifying mechanisms of such cell death and destruction. I summarise the evidence that in a great many cases, one underlying mechanism, providing major stresses of this type, entails continuing and autocatalytic production (based on positive feedback mechanisms) of hydroxyl radicals via Fenton chemistry involving poorly liganded iron, leading to cell death via apoptosis (probably including via pathways induced by changes in the NF-κB system). While every pathway is in some sense connected to every other one, I highlight the literature evidence suggesting that the degenerative effects of many diseases and toxicological insults converge on iron dysregulation. This highlights specifically the role of iron metabolism, and the detailed speciation of iron, in chemical and other toxicology, and has significant implications for the use of iron chelating substances (probably in partnership with appropriate anti-oxidants) as nutritional or therapeutic agents in inhibiting both the progression of these mainly degenerative diseases and the sequelae of both chronic and acute toxin exposure. The complexity of biochemical networks, especially those involving autocatalytic behaviour and positive feedbacks, means that multiple interventions (e.g. of iron chelators plus antioxidants) are likely to prove most effective. A variety of systems biology approaches, that I summarise, can predict both the mechanisms involved in these cell death pathways and the optimal sites of action for nutritional or pharmacological interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas B Kell
- School of Chemistry and the Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre, The University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK.
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Abstract
Complex interactions between carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism underlie the body's remarkable ability to adapt to a variety of diets. But any imbalances between the intake and utilization rates of these macronutrients will result in changes in body weight and composition. Here, I present the first computational model that simulates how diet perturbations result in adaptations of fuel selection and energy expenditure that predict body weight and composition changes in both obese and nonobese men and women. No model parameters were adjusted to fit these data other than the initial conditions for each subject group (e.g., initial body weight and body fat mass). The model provides the first realistic simulations of how diet perturbations result in adaptations of whole body energy expenditure, fuel selection, and various metabolic fluxes that ultimately give rise to body weight change. The validated model was used to estimate free-living energy intake during a long-term weight loss intervention, a variable that has never previously been measured accurately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin D Hall
- Laboratory of Biological Modeling, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-5621, USA.
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Zhang D, Brinas IM, Binder BJ, Landman KA, Newgreen DF. Neural crest regionalisation for enteric nervous system formation: Implications for Hirschsprung's disease and stem cell therapy. Dev Biol 2010; 339:280-94. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2009] [Revised: 12/02/2009] [Accepted: 12/10/2009] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Winkels R, Jedlicka P, Weise FK, Schultz C, Deller T, Schwarzacher SW. Reduced excitability in the dentate gyrus network of betaIV-spectrin mutant mice in vivo. Hippocampus 2009; 19:677-86. [PMID: 19156852 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.20549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The submembrane cytoskeletal meshwork of the axon contains the scaffolding protein betaIV-spectrin. It provides mechanical support for the axon and anchors membrane proteins. Quivering (qv(3j)) mice lack functional betaIV-spectrin and have reduced voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) immunoreactivity at the axon initial segment and nodes of Ranvier. Because VGSCs are critically involved in action potential generation and conduction, we hypothesized that qv(3j) mice should also show functional deficits at the network level. To test this hypothesis, we investigated granule cell function in the dentate gyrus of anesthetized qv(3j) mice after electrical stimulation of the perforant path in vivo. This revealed an impaired input-output relationship between stimulus intensity and granule cell population spikes and an enhanced paired-pulse inhibition of population spikes, indicating a reduced ability of granule cells to generate action potentials and decreased network excitability. In contrast, the input-output curve for evoked field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) and paired-pulse facilitation of fEPSPs were unchanged, suggesting normal excitatory synaptic transmission at perforant path-granule cell synapses in qv(3j) mutants. To corroborate our findings, we analyzed the influence of VGSC density reduction on dentate network activity using an established computational model of the dentate gyrus network. This in silico approach confirmed that the loss of VGSCs is sufficient to explain the electrophysiological changes observed in qv(3j) mice. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that betaIV-spectrin is required for normal granule cell firing and for physiological levels of network excitability in the mouse dentate gyrus in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Winkels
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Goethe-University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Harris PJ, Buyya R, Chu X, Kobialka T, Kazmierczak E, Moss R, Appelbe W, Hunter PJ, Thomas SR. The Virtual Kidney: an eScience interface and Grid portal. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2009; 367:2141-59. [PMID: 19414450 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2008.0291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The Virtual Kidney uses a web interface and distributed computing to provide experimental scientists and analysts with access to computational simulations and knowledge databases hosted in geographically separated laboratories. Users can explore a variety of complex models without requiring the specific programming environment in which applications have been developed. This initiative exploits high-bandwidth communication networks for collaborative research and for shared access to knowledge resources. The Virtual Kidney has been developed within a specialist community of renal scientists but is transferable to other areas of research requiring interaction between published literature and databases, theoretical models and simulations and the formulation of effective experimental designs. A web-based three-dimensional interface provides access to experimental data, a parameter database and mathematical models. A multi-scale kidney reconstruction includes blood vessels and serially sectioned nephrons. Selection of structures provides links to the database, returning parameter values and extracts from the literature. Models are run locally or remotely with a Grid resource broker managing scheduling, monitoring and visualization of simulation results and application, credential and resource allocation. Simulation results are viewed graphically or as scaled colour gradients on the Virtual Kidney structures, allowing visual and quantitative appreciation of the effects of simulated parameter changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Harris
- Faculty Information Technology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
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