All issues

The repressor is the first genetic regulatory network in synthetic biology, which was artificially constructed in 2000. It is a closed network of three genetic elements — $lacI$, $\lambda cI$ and $tetR$, — which have a natural origin, but are not found in nature in such a combination. The promoter of each of the three genes controls the next cistron via the negative feedback, suppressing the expression of the neighboring gene. In this paper, the nonlinear dynamics of a modified repressilator, which has time delays in all parts of the regulatory network, has been studied for the first time. Delay can be both natural, i.e. arises during the transcription/translation of genes due to the multistage nature of these processes, and artificial, i.e. specially to be introduced into the work of the regulatory network using synthetic biology technologies. It is assumed that the regulation is carried out by proteins being in a dimeric form. The considered repressilator has two more important modifications: the location on the same plasmid of the gene $gfp$, which codes for the fluorescent protein, and also the presence in the system of a DNA sponge. In the paper, the nonlinear dynamics has been considered within the framework of the deterministic description. By applying the method of decomposition into fast and slow motions, the set of nonlinear differential equations with delay on a slow manifold has been obtained. It is shown that there exists a single equilibrium state which loses its stability in an oscillatory manner at certain values of the control parameters. For a symmetric repressilator, in which all three genes are identical, an analytical solution for the neutral Andronov–Hopf bifurcation curve has been obtained. For the general case of an asymmetric repressilator, neutral curves are found numerically. It is shown that the asymmetric repressor generally is more stable, since the system is oriented to the behavior of the most stable element in the network. Nonlinear dynamic regimes arising in a repressilator with increase of the parameters are studied in detail. It was found that there exists a limit cycle corresponding to relaxation oscillations of protein concentrations. In addition to the limit cycle, we found the slow manifold not associated with above cycle. This is the long-lived transitional regime, which reflects the process of long-term synchronization of pulsations in the work of individual genes. The obtained results are compared with the experimental data known from the literature. The place of the model proposed in the present work among other theoretical models of the repressilator is discussed.

Experimental, theoretical and numerical investigations of equatorial spread F, equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs), plasma depletion shells, and plasma clouds are continued at new variety articles. Nonlinear growth, bifurcation, pinching, atomic and molecular ion dynamics are considered at there articles. But the authors of this article believe that not all parameters of EPB development are correct. For example, EPB bifurcation is highly questionable.

A maximum speed inside EPBs and a development time of EPB are defined and studied. EPBs starting from one, two or three zones of the increased density (initial plasma clouds). The development mechanism of EPB is the Rayleigh-Taylor instability (RTI). Time of the initial stage of EPB development went into EPB favorable time interval (in this case the increase linear increment is more than zero) and is 3000–7000 c for the Earth equatorial ionosphere.

Numerous computing experiments were conducted with use of the original two-dimensional mathematical and numerical model MI2, similar USA standard model SAMI2. This model MI2 is described in detail. The received results can be used both in other theoretical works and for planning and carrying out natural experiments for generation of F-spread in Earth ionosphere.

Numerical simulating was carried out for the geophysical conditions favorable for EPBs development. Numerical researches confirmed that development time of EPBs from initial irregularities with the increased density is significantly more than development time from zones of the lowered density. It is shown that developed irregularities interact among themselves strongly and not linearly even then when initial plasma clouds are strongly removed from each other. In addition, this interaction is stronger than interaction of EPBs starting from initial irregularities with the decreased density. The numerical experiments results showed the good consent of developed EPB parameters with experimental data and with theoretical researches of other authors.

We have investigated dynamics of synthetic genetic oscillators — repressilators — coupled through autoinducer diffusion. The model of the system with phase-repulsive coupling structure is under consideration. We have examined emergence of periodic regimes, stable inhomogeneous steady states depending on the main systems’ parameters: coupling strength and maximal transcription rate. It has been shown that autoinducer production module added to the isolated repressilator cause the limit cycle to disappear through infinite period bifurcation for sufficiently large transcription rate. We have found hysteresis of limit cycle and stable steady state the size of which is determined by ratio between mRNA and protein lifetimes. Two coupled oscillators system demonstrates stable anti-phase oscillations which can become a chaotic regime through invariant torus emergence or via Feigenbaum scenario.

The paper reviews possibilities to predict buckling of thin cylindrical shells with non-destructive techniques during operation. It studies shallow shells made of high strength materials. Such structures are known for surface displacements exceeding the thickness of the elements. In the explored shells relaxation oscillations of significant amplitude can be generated even under relatively low internal stresses. The problem of the cylindrical shell oscillation is mechanically and mathematically modeled in a simplified form by conversion into an ordinary differential equation. To create the model, the researches of many authors were used who studied the geometry of the surface formed after buckling (postbuckling behavior). The nonlinear ordinary differential equation for the oscillating shell matches the well-known Duffing equation. It is important that there is a small parameter before the second time derivative in the Duffing equation. The latter circumstance enables making a detailed analysis of the obtained equation and describing the physical phenomena — relaxation oscillations — that are unique to thin high-strength shells.

It is shown that harmonic oscillations of the shell around the equilibrium position and stable relaxation oscillations are defined by the bifurcation point of the solutions to the Duffing equation. This is the first point in the Feigenbaum sequence to convert the stable periodic motions into dynamic chaos. The amplitude and the period of relaxation oscillations are calculated based on the physical properties and the level of internal stresses within the shell. Two cases of loading are reviewed: compression along generating elements and external pressure.

It is highlighted that if external forces vary in time according to the harmonic law, the periodic oscillation of the shell (nonlinear resonance) is a combination of slow and stick-slip movements. Since the amplitude and the frequency of the oscillations are known, this fact enables proposing an experimental facility for prediction of the shell buckling with non-destructive techniques. The following requirement is set as a safety factor: maximum load combinations must not cause displacements exceeding specified limits. Based on the results of the experimental measurements a formula is obtained to estimate safety against buckling (safety factor) of the structure.

This work is devoted to the study of the problem of modeling and analyzing complex oscillatory modes, both regular and chaotic, in systems of interacting populations in the presence of random perturbations. As an initial conceptual deterministic model, a Volterra system of three differential equations is considered, which describes the dynamics of prey populations of two competing species and a predator. This model takes into account the following key biological factors: the natural increase in prey, their intraspecific and interspecific competition, the extinction of predators in the absence of prey, the rate of predation by predators, the growth of the predator population due to predation, and the intensity of intraspecific competition in the predator population. The growth rate of the second prey population is used as a bifurcation parameter. At a certain interval of variation of this parameter, the system demonstrates a wide variety of dynamic modes: equilibrium, oscillatory, and chaotic. An important feature of this model is multistability. In this paper, we focus on the study of the parametric zone of tristability, when a stable equilibrium and two limit cycles coexist in the system. Such birhythmicity in the presence of random perturbations generates new dynamic modes that have no analogues in the deterministic case. The aim of the paper is a detailed study of stochastic phenomena caused by random fluctuations in the growth rate of the second population of prey. As a mathematical model of such fluctuations, we consider white Gaussian noise. Using methods of direct numerical modeling of solutions of the corresponding system of stochastic differential equations, the following phenomena have been identified and described: unidirectional stochastic transitions from one cycle to another, trigger mode caused by transitions between cycles, noise-induced transitions from cycles to the equilibrium, corresponding to the extinction of the predator and the second prey population. The paper presents the results of the analysis of these phenomena using the Lyapunov exponents, and identifies the parametric conditions for transitions from order to chaos and from chaos to order. For the analytical study of such noise-induced multi-stage transitions, the technique of stochastic sensitivity functions and the method of confidence regions were applied. The paper shows how this mathematical apparatus allows predicting the intensity of noise, leading to qualitative transformations of the modes of stochastic population dynamics.

This paper focuses on the problem of modeling and analyzing dynamic regimes, both regular and chaotic, in systems of coupled populations in the presence of random disturbances. The discrete Ricker model is used as the initial deterministic population model. The paper examines the dynamics of two populations coupled by migration. Migration is proportional to the difference between the densities of two populations with a coupling coefficient responsible for the strength of the migration flow. Isolated population subsystems, modeled by the Ricker map, exhibit various dynamic modes, including equilibrium, periodic, and chaotic ones. In this study, the coupling coefficient is treated as a bifurcation parameter and the parameters of natural population growth rate remain fixed. Under these conditions, one subsystem is in the equilibrium mode, while the other exhibits chaotic behavior. The coupling of two populations through migration creates new dynamic regimes, which were not observed in the isolated model. This article aims to analyze the dynamics of corporate systems with variations in the flow intensity between population subsystems. The article presents a bifurcation analysis of the attractors in a deterministic model of two coupled populations, identifies zones of monostability and bistability, and gives examples of regular and chaotic attractors. The main focus of the work is in comparing the stability of dynamic regimes against random disturbances in the migration intensity. Noise-induced transitions from a periodic attractor to a chaotic attractor are identified and described using direct numerical simulation methods. The Lyapunov exponents are used to analyze stochastic phenomena. It has been shown that in this model, there is a region of change in the bifurcation parameter in which, even with an increase in the intensity of random perturbations, there is no transition from order to chaos. For the analytical study of noise-induced transitions, the stochastic sensitivity function technique and the confidence domain method are used. The paper demonstrates how this mathematical tool can be employed to predict the critical noise intensity that causes a periodic regime to transform into a chaotic one.

Our purpose is to study the spatio-temporal population wave behavior observed in the predator-prey system. It is assumed that predators move both directionally and randomly, and prey spread only diffusely. The model does not take into account demographic processes in the predator population; it’s total number is constant and is a parameter. The variables of the model are the prey and predator densities and the predator speed, which are connected by a system of three reaction – diffusion – advection equations. The system is considered on an annular range, that is the periodic conditions are set at the boundaries of the interval. We have studied the bifurcations of wave modes arising in the system when two parameters are changed — the total number of predators and their taxis acceleration coefficient.

The main research method is a numerical analysis. The spatial approximation of the problem in partial derivatives is performed by the finite difference method. Integration of the obtained system of ordinary differential equations in time is carried out by the Runge –Kutta method. The construction of the Poincare map, calculation of Lyapunov exponents, and Fourier analysis are used for a qualitative analysis of dynamic regimes.

It is shown that, population waves can arise as a result of existence of directional movement of predators. The population dynamics in the system changes qualitatively as the total predator number increases. А stationary homogeneous regime is stable at low value of parameter, then it is replaced by self-oscillations in the form of traveling waves. The waveform becomes more complicated as the bifurcation parameter increases; its complexity occurs due to an increase in the number of temporal vibrational modes. A large taxis acceleration coefficient leads to the possibility of a transition from multi-frequency to chaotic and hyperchaotic population waves. A stationary regime without preys becomes stable with a large number of predators.

Deposit benchmark interest rates are a policy implemented by banking regulators to calculate the interest rates offered to depositors, maintaining equitable and competitive rates within the financial industry. It functions as a benchmark for determining the pricing of different banking products, expenses, and financial choices. The benchmark rate will have a direct impact on the amount of money deposited, which in turn will determine the amount of money available for lending.We are motivated to analyze the influence of deposit benchmark interest rates on the dynamics of banking loans. This study examines the issue using a difference equation of banking loans. In this process, the decision on the loan amount in the next period is influenced by both the present loan volume and the information on its marginal profit. An analysis is made of the loan equilibrium point and its stability. We also analyze the bifurcations that arise in the model. To ensure a stable banking loan, it is necessary to set the benchmark rate higher than the flip value and lower than the transcritical bifurcation values. The confirmation of this result is supported by the bifurcation diagram and its associated Lyapunov exponent. Insufficient deposit benchmark interest rates might lead to chaotic dynamics in banking lending. Additionally, a bifurcation diagram with two parameters is also shown. We do numerical sensitivity analysis by examining contour plots of the stability requirements, which vary with the deposit benchmark interest rate and other parameters. In addition, we examine a nonstandard difference approach for the previous model, assess its stability, and make a comparison with the standard model. The outcome of our study can provide valuable insights to the banking regulator in making informed decisions regarding deposit benchmark interest rates, taking into account several other banking factors.

We propose a four-component model of a plankton community with discrete time. The model considers the competitive relationships of phytoplankton groups exhibited between each other and the trophic characteristics zooplankton displays: it considers the division of zooplankton into predatory and non-predatory components. The model explicitly represents the consumption of non-predatory zooplankton by predatory. Non-predatory zooplankton feeds on phytoplankton, which includes two competing components: toxic and non-toxic types, with the latter being suitable for zooplankton food. A model of two coupled Ricker equations, focused on describing the dynamics of a competitive community, describes the interaction of two phytoplanktons and allows implicitly taking into account the limitation of each of the competing components of biomass growth by the availability of external resources. The model describes the prey consumption by their predators using a Holling type II trophic function, considering predator saturation.

The analysis of scenarios for the transition from stationary dynamics to fluctuations in the population size of community members showed that the community loses the stability of the non-trivial equilibrium corresponding to the coexistence of the complete community both through a cascade of period-doubling bifurcations and through a Neimark – Sacker bifurcation leading to the emergence of quasi-periodic oscillations. Although quite simple, the model proposed in this work demonstrates dynamics of comunity similar to that natural systems and experiments observe: with a lag of predator oscillations relative to the prey by about a quarter of the period, long-period antiphase cycles of predator and prey, as well as hidden cycles in which the prey density remains almost constant, and the predator density fluctuates, demonstrating the influence fast evolution exhibits that masks the trophic interaction. At the same time, the variation of intra-population parameters of phytoplankton or zooplankton can lead to pronounced changes the community experiences in the dynamic mode: sharp transitions from regular to quasi-periodic dynamics and further to exact cycles with a small period or even stationary dynamics. Quasi-periodic dynamics can arise at sufficiently small phytoplankton growth rates corresponding to stable or regular community dynamics. The change of the dynamic mode in this area (the transition from stable dynamics to quasi-periodic and vice versa) can occur due to the variation of initial conditions or external influence that changes the current abundances of components and shifts the system to the basin of attraction of another dynamic mode.