Conductance heterogeneities induced by multistability in the dynamics of coupled cardiac gap junctions.

In this paper, we study the propagation of the cardiac action potential in a one-dimensional fiber, where cells are electrically coupled through gap junctions (GJs). We consider gap junctional gate dynamics that depend on the intercellular potential. We find that different GJs in the tissue can end up in two different states: a low conducting state and a high conducting state. We first present evidence of the dynamical multistability that occurs by setting specific parameters of the GJ dynamics. Subsequently, we explain how the multistability is a direct consequence of the GJ stability problem by reducing the dynamical system's dimensions. The conductance dispersion usually occurs on a large time scale, i.e., thousands of heartbeats. The full cardiac model simulations are computationally demanding, and we derive a simplified model that allows for a reduction in the computational cost of four orders of magnitude. This simplified model reproduces nearly quantitatively the results provided by the original full model. We explain the discrepancies between the two models due to the simplified model's lack of spatial correlations. This simplified model provides a valuable tool to explore cardiac dynamics over very long time scales. That is highly relevant in studying diseases that develop on a large time scale compared to the basic heartbeat. As in the brain, plasticity and tissue remodeling are crucial parameters in determining the action potential wave propagation's stability.

Cardiac contraction induces discordant alternans and localized block.

In this paper we use a simplified model of cardiac excitation-contraction coupling to study the effect of tissue deformation on the dynamics of alternans, i.e., alternations in the duration of the cardiac action potential, that occur at fast pacing rates and are known to be proarrhythmic. We show that small stretch-activated currents can produce large effects and cause a transition from in-phase to off-phase alternations (i.e., from concordant to discordant alternans) and to conduction blocks. We demonstrate numerically and analytically that this effect is the result of a generic change in the slope of the conduction velocity restitution curve due to electromechanical coupling. Thus, excitation-contraction coupling can potentially play a relevant role in the transition to reentry and fibrillation.

Global coupling in excitable media provides a simplified description of mechanoelectrical feedback in cardiac tissue.

Cardiac mechanoelectric feedback can play an important role in different heart pathologies. In this paper, we show that mechanoelectric models which describe both the electric propagation and the mechanic contraction of cardiac tissue naturally lead to close systems of equations with global coupling among the variables. This point is exemplified using the Nash-Panfilov model, which reduces to a FitzHugh-Nagumo-type equation with global coupling in the linear elastic regime. We explain the appearance of self-oscillatory regimes in terms of the system nullclines and describe the different dynamical attractors. Finally, we study their basin of attraction in terms of the system size and the strength of the stretch-induced currents.

Stability of hexagonal patterns in Bénard-Marangoni convection.

Hexagonal patterns in Bénard-Marangoni (BM) convection are studied within the framework of amplitude equations. Near threshold they can be described with Ginzburg-Landau equations that include spatial quadratic terms. The planform selection problem between hexagons and rolls is investigated by explicitly calculating the coefficients of the Ginzburg-Landau equations in terms of the parameters of the fluid. The results are compared with previous studies and with recent experiments. In particular, steady hexagons that arise near onset can become unstable as a result of long-wave instabilities. Within weakly nonlinear theory, a two-dimensional phase equation for long-wave perturbations is derived. This equation allows us to find stability regions for hexagon patterns in BM convection.

Defect chaos of oscillating hexagons in rotating convection

Using coupled Ginzburg-Landau equations, the dynamics of hexagonal patterns with broken chiral symmetry are investigated, as they appear in rotating non-Boussinesq or surface-tension-driven convection. We find that close to the secondary Hopf bifurcation to oscillating hexagons the dynamics are well described by a single complex Ginzburg-Landau equation (CGLE) coupled to the phases of the hexagonal pattern. At the band center these equations reduce to the usual CGLE and the system exhibits defect chaos. Away from the band center a transition to a frozen vortex state is found.