Threshold Phenomena and Avalanches in Physiological Tree Structures

9503008 Suki本申请中提出的研究是关于探索生理树结构中的基本现象，这些结构已知在生理系统中以许多不同的形式存在。生理树形结构中有大量的闭合和打开现象，例如呼吸树或循环系统的不同部分。本项目拟：1)发展实验技术来测量开放过程中肺表面的空间相关性，2)监测各种刺激下的开放过程，3)开发雪崩如何在树状结构中传播的新模型，4)引入新的统计方法来揭示幂律分布和远程相关性，并将其应用于测量和模拟数据，5)通过密集模拟提供，对呼吸和循环树中遇到的各种生理现象有了实质性的新见解。长期目标是了解幂律分布和长期相关性所隐含的高水平组织如何支配树形结构中关闭和打开过程的统计和生理行为，这是其自然功能的基础。所描述的工作有望在生理建模领域产生基础知识，并导致新的发现。＊＊＊

9503008 Suki The research proposed in this application is concerned with exploring fundamental phenomena in physiological tree structures that are known to exist in many different guises in physiological systems. Closing and opening phenomena are abundant in physiological tree structures, with examples including the respiratory tree or different parts of the circulatory system. This project proposes to: 1) develop experimental techniques to measure spatial correlations on the lung surface during opening, 2) monitor the opening process in response to various stimuli, 3) develop new models of how avalanches propagate in tree structures, 4) introduce novel statistical approaches to reveal power law distributions and long-range correlations and apply them to measured and simulated data, 5) provide, through intensive simulations, substantial new insight into a variety of physiological phenomena encountered in the respiratory and circulatory trees. A long term goal is to understand how the high level of organization implied by the power law distributions and long-range correlations govern the statistical and physiological behavior of closing and opening process in tree structures that are fundamental to their natural function. The work carried out as described is expected to produce fundamental knowledge in the field of physiological modeling, and lead to new discoveries. ***