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In this paper the stability of the zero equilibrium of a system with time delay is studied. The critical case of a multiple zero root of the characteristic equation of the linearized system is treated by applying a Malkin type theorem and using a complete Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional. An application to a model for malaria under treatment considering the action of the immune system is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study stability and Hopf bifurcation analysis of a model that refers to the competition between the immune system and an aggressive host such as a tumor. The model which describes this competition is governed by a reaction-diffusion system including time delay under the Neumann boundary conditions, and is based on Kuznetsov-Taylor's model. Choosing the delay parameter as a bifurcation parameter, we first show that Hopf bifurcation occurs. Second, we determine two properties of the periodic solution, namely its direction and stability, by applying the normal form theory and the center manifold reduction for partial functional differential equations. Furthermore, we discuss the effects of diffusion on the dynamics by analyzing a model with constant coefficients and perform some numerical simulations to support the analytical results. The results show that diffusion has an important effects on the dynamics of a mathematical model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mathematical model, coupling the dynamics of short-term stem-like cells and mature leukocytes in leukemia with that of the immune system, is investigated. The model is described by a system of seven delay differential equations with seven delays. Three equilibrium points E0, E1, E2 are highlighted. The stability and the existence of the Hopf bifurcation for the equilibrium points are investigated. In the analysis of the model, the rate of asymmetric division and the rate of symmetric division are very important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent discovery of cancer stem cells in tumorigenic tissues has raised many questions about their nature, origin, function and their behavior in cell culture. Most of current experiments reporting a dynamics of cancer stem cell populations in culture show the eventual stability of the percentages of these cell populations in the whole population of cancer cells, independently of the starting conditions. In this paper we propose a mathematical model of cancer stem cell population behavior, based on specific features of cancer stem cell divisions and including, as a mathematical formalization of cell-cell communications, an underlying field concept. We compare the qualitative behavior of mathematical models of stem cells evolution, without and with an underlying signal. In absence of an underlying field, we propose a mathematical model described by a system of ordinary differential equations, while in presence of an underlying field it is described by a system of delay differential equations, by admitting a delayed signal originated by existing cells. Under realistic assumptions on the parameters, in both cases (ODE without underlying field, and DDE with underlying field) we show in particular the stability of percentages, provided that the delay is sufficiently small. Further, for the DDE case (in presence of an underlying field) we show the possible existence of, either damped or standing, oscillations in the cell populations, in agreement with some existing mathematical literature. The outcomes of the analysis may offer to experimentalists a tool for addressing the issue regarding the possible non-stem to stem cells transition, by determining conditions under which the stability of cancer stem cells population can be obtained only in the case in which such transition can occur. Further, the provided description of the variable corresponding to an underlying field may stimulate further experiments for elucidating the nature of “instructive" signals for cell divisions, underlying a proper pattern of the biological system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this survey, we briefly review some of our recent studies on predator-prey models with discrete delay. We first study the distribution of zeros of a second degree transcendental polynomial. Then we apply the general results on the distribution of zeros of the second degree transcendental polynomial to various predator-prey models with discrete delay, including Kolmogorov-type predator-prey models, generalized Gause-type predator-prey models with harvesting, etc. Bogdanov-Takens bifurcations in delayed predator-prey models with nonmonotone functional response and in delayed predator-prey model with predator harvesting are also introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider a system of nonlinear delay-differential equations (DDEs) which models the dynamics of the interaction between chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), imatinib, and the anti-leukemia immune response. Because of the chaotic nature of the dynamics and the sparse nature of experimental data, we look for ways to use computation to analyze the model without employing direct numerical simulation. In particular, we develop several tools using Lyapunov-Krasovskii analysis that allow us to test the robustness of the model with respect to uncertainty in patient parameters. The methods developed in this paper are applied to understanding which model parameters primarily affect the dynamics of the anti-leukemia immune response during imatinib treatment. The goal of this research is to aid the development of more efficient modeling approaches and more effective treatment strategies in cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]