The developmental process implies precise but significant changes in the geometry and structure of the embryonic tissues. Recent results show that apparently minor changes in the mechanical properties at the cellular level trigger deep, non-linear transitions in the topological organization of the whole embryonic tissue. In consequence, the tissue changes its material properties abruptly,...
During mouse development, presomitic mesoderm cells synchronize Wnt and Notch oscillations, forming sequential waves that pattern somites. Classical somitogenesis models attribute these synchronizations to global morphogen gradients. However, increasing evidence suggests that they could arise in a self-organizing manner. Here, we introduce the Sevilletor, a novel reaction-diffusion system that...
The phenomenon of cellular heterogeneity - the presence of diverse subpopulations in the cell lines cultures - is the subject of many recent studies. This effect is especially pronounced in the cancer cells populations which, in turn, can influence the outcome of anticancer therapies. It is postulated that heterogeneity is the result of long term evolution of cell types. However, heterogeneity...
The transition from the epithelial to mesenchymal phenotype and its reverse (from mesenchymal to epithelial) are crucial processes necessary for the progression and spread of cancer. We investigate how phenotypic switching at the cancer cell level impacts the behaviour at the tissue level, specifically on the emergence of isolated foci of the invading solid tumour mass leading to a multifocal...
For almost 60 years, human beings have been flying to the outer space, successfully completing missions in order to expand our knowledge about the universe. Over those years, we also have gained a lot of experience about the risks of human space flight. In the forthcoming perspective of the end of the International Space Station (ISS) service, international space agencies urge to plan the next...
Living organisms possess natural ability to adapt in response to changing environmental conditions. Limitations in adaptation are critical in strategies of survival. Simulator of space base located in Rzepiennik in Poland is an isolated laboratory established in 2018 to run studies in bioastronautics and space medicine. During each year international crews of maximum six people enter the...
Evolution of biological complexity seems to be a great puzzle. Although the extended evolutionary synthesis and modern technology provide a wide range of theoretical models and practical tools to study evolutionary dynamics [1][2], evolution of complexity is usually omitted. Moreover, some researchers propose that complexity can be treated as the byproduct of evolutionary adaptation [3]. For...
Across vertebrate species, sleep states are known to cycle consistently from non-rapid eye movement (NREM) to REM sleep. However, the functional significance of these transitions is unknown. We use a simplified biophysical network model to show that state-specific changes in cholinergic signaling during NREM and REM sleep can mediate dramatic changes in network dynamics and subsequently can...
To study learning processes on behavioral level various experiments are performed on animals. In the last two decades several intelligent cases have been designed to increase throughput of such experiments. In my talk I will focus on Intellicage system where up to 14 mice can be housed and various learning protocols can be studied. I will propose a conceptual and computational framework...
Biological and neural networks are adaptive - their connections slowly change in response to the state of the coupled elements making up the systems. The dynamics of such adaptive networks are intriguingly complex, rendering it extremely difficult to answer the fundamental question of what the energy requirements for maintaining functionally robust collective states under environmental...
The hormonal communication networks between the brain (notably the hypothalamus-pituitary complex) and the peripheral glands (such as the gonads) build up the dynamic endocrine signalling pathways of the aquatic lower vertebrates, especially fish. The neuroendocrine controller involved in this circuitry can be effectively reduced to the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. In the...
The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly shown how unprepared we are globally to adapt and manage effective public health responses in urban context. This pandemic has not only transformed how people navigate urban spaces but also how they physically interact with each other. This study aims to understand these changes in Berlin by utilizing GPS mobile phone data from 2020 and 2022 and performing a...
In this contribution, we present A) a detrended fluctuation analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from a working memory experiment and B) a multifractal analysis of the electroencephalography (EEG) data obtained from patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). fMRI and EEG signals are notoriously challenging to analyse due to their very low temporal and spatial resolution,...
In the traditional view, we often see a single neuron as less computationally efficient
than a multilayer artificial neural network. But is this truly the case? Our investigation delves
deep into the computational efficiency of morphologically complex neurons, especially their
ability to distinguish between different synaptic patterns. We posed a question: What's the
simplest dendritic...
Understanding connections in the brain at one major neurotransmitter level provides us with detailed information from the molecular scale to behaviour and functionality.
The Relaxin 3/RXFP3 system plays an important role in the modulation of emotional and behavioural actions, such as arousal, regulation of appetite, sociability, stress, anxiety, memory, sleep, and circadian rhythms. The...
While machine learning is usually focused on prediction of values, on various applications I will introduce to simple family of methods to work with learned probability distributions - e.g. model joint, predict conditional, their time evolution. One proposed application direction will be multi-feature Granger causality, enhancing the standard method with evaluation of propagation speed, and...
Life is a multifarious bundle of distinct physical phenomena that are distinctive, but not unique to, living things. Self-replication, energy harvesting, and predictive sensing are three such phenomena, and each can be given a clear physical definition. In this talk, we will report recent progress in understanding what physical conditions are required for the spontaneous emergence of these...
A mathematical model for the interacting dynamics of phytoplankton-zooplankton is proposed. The phytoplankton have ability to take refuge and release toxins to avoid over predation by zooplankton. The zooplankton are provided some additional food to persist in the system. The phytoplankton are assumed to be affected directly by an external toxic substance whereas zooplankton are affected...
Social contagions unfolding over time and affecting large populations show intricate spatiotemporal dynamics which are driven by complex human behaviours and population mobility. These contagions may vary in their type, ranging from pandemics to infodemics, and from opinion polarisation to civil unrest. We will examine the impact of behavior-dependent mobility on the contagion spread within a...
