Biomedical subjects

Pier Paolo Delsanto

Publications and source records attributed to Pier Paolo Delsanto.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Does cancer growth depend on surface extension?

We argue that volumetric growth dynamics of a solid cancer depend on the tumor system's overall surface extension. While this at first may seem evident, to our knowledge, so far no theoretical argument has been presented explaining this relationship explicitly. In here, we therefore develop a conceptual framework based on the so-called 'universal scaling law' and then support our conjecture through evaluation with experimental data. Our concept suggests not only that cancer tissue invasion operates with relatively few and thin branches of mobile cells but also that this overall tumor surface expansion, and the diffusion of nutrients that it enables, can nourish the tumor prior to the impact of neovascularization.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

The dynamic evolution of the power exponent in a universal growth model of tumors.

We have previously reported that a universal growth law, as proposed by West and collaborators for all living organisms, appears to be able to describe also the growth of tumors in vivo after an initial exponential growth phase. In contrast to the assumption of a fixed power exponent p (assumed by West et al. to be equal to 3/4), we propose in this paper a dynamic evolution of p, using experimental data from the cancer literature. In analogy with results obtained by applying scaling laws to the study of fragmentation of solids, the dynamic behaviour of p is related to the evolution of the fractal topology of neoplastic vascular systems. Our model might be applied for diagnostic purposes to mark the emergence of an efficient neo-angiogenetic structure if the results of our in silico experiments are confirmed by clinical observations.

Humans↗

PubMed2005

Insights from a novel tumor model: Indications for a quantitative link between tumor growth and invasion.

Both the lack of nutrient supply and rising mechanical stress exerted by the microenvironment appear to be able to cause discrepancies between the actual, observed tumor mass and that predicted by West et al.'s [A general model for ontogenetic growth. Nature 2001;413:628-31] universal growth model. Using our previously developed model we hypothesize here, that (1) solid tumor growth and cell invasion are linked, not only qualitatively but also quantitatively, that (2) the onset of invasion marks the time point when the tumor's cell density reaches a compaction maximum, and that (3) tumor cell invasion, reduction of mechanical confinement and angiogenesis can all contribute to an increase in the actual tumor mass m towards the level m(W) predicted by West et al.'s universal growth curve. These novel insights contribute to our understanding of tumorigenesis and thus may have important implications not only for experimental cancer research but also be of value for clinical purposes such as for predictions of tumor growth dynamics and treatment impact.

Cell Count↗

PubMed2004

A unified treatment of nonclassical nonlinear effects in the propagation of ultrasound in heterogeneous media.

Recent experiments on rocks and other materials, such as soil, cement, concrete and damaged elastic materials, have led to the discovery of nonlinear (NL) hysteretic effects in their elastic behaviour. These observations suggest the existence of a NL mesoscopic elasticity universality class, to which all the aforementioned materials belong. The purpose of the present contribution is to search for the basic mathematical roots for nonclassical nonlinearity, in order to explain its universality, classify it and correlate it with the underlying meso- or microscopic interaction mechanisms. In our discussions we explicitly consider two quite different kinds of specimens: a two-bonded-elements structure and a thin multigrained bar. It is remarkable that, although the former includes only one interface and the latter very many interstices, the same "interaction box" formalism can be applied to both. Another important result of the proposed formalism is that the spectral contents of an arbitrary system for any input amplitude may be predicted, under certain assumptions, from the result of a single experiment at a higher amplitude.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2003

Does tumor growth follow a "universal law"?

A general model for the ontogenetic growth of living organisms has been recently proposed. Here we investigate the extension of this model to the growth of solid malignant tumors. A variety of in vitro and in vivo data are analysed and compared with the prediction of a "universal" law, relating properly rescaled tumor masses and tumor growth times. The results support the notion that tumor growth follows such a universal law. Several important implications of this finding are discussed, including its relevance for tumor metastasis and recurrence, cell turnover rates, angiogenesis and invasion.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Simulation of Lamb wave propagation for the characterization of complex structures.

Reliable numerical simulation techniques represent a very valuable tool for analysis. For this purpose we investigated the applicability of the local interaction simulation approach (LISA) to the study of the propagation of Lamb waves in complex structures. The LISA allows very fast and flexible simulations, especially in conjunction with parallel processing, and it is particularly useful for complex (heterogeneous, anisotropic, attenuative, and/or nonlinear) media. We present simulations performed on a glass fiber reinforced plate, initially undamaged and then with a hole passing through its thickness (passing-by hole). In order to give a validation of the method, the results are compared with experimental data. Then we analyze the interaction of Lamb waves with notches, delaminations, and complex structures. In the first case the discontinuity due to a notch generates mode conversion, which may be used to predict the defect shape and size. In the case of a single delamination, the most striking "signature" is a time-shift delay, which may be observed in the temporal evolution of the signal recorded by a receiver. We also present some results obtained on a geometrically complex structure. Due to the inherent discontinuities, a wealth of propagation mechanisms are observed, which can be exploited for the purpose of quantitative nondestructive evaluation (NDE).

Algorithms↗

PubMed2003

Local interaction simulation approach to modelling nonclassical, nonlinear elastic behavior in solids.

Recent studies show that a broad category of materials share "nonclassical" nonlinear elastic behavior much different from "classical" (Landau-type) nonlinearity. Manifestations of "nonclassical" nonlinearity include stress-strain hysteresis and discrete memory in quasistatic experiments, and specific dependencies of the harmonic amplitudes with respect to the drive amplitude in dynamic wave experiments, which are remarkably different from those predicted by the classical theory. These materials have in common soft "bond" elements, where the elastic nonlinearity originates, contained in hard matter (e.g., a rock sample). The bond system normally comprises a small fraction of the total material volume, and can be localized (e.g., a crack in a solid) or distributed, as in a rock. In this paper a model is presented in which the soft elements are treated as hysteretic or reversible elastic units connected in a one-dimensional lattice to elastic elements (grains), which make up the hard matrix. Calculations are performed in the framework of the local interaction simulation approach (LISA). Experimental observations are well predicted by the model, which is now ready both for basic investigations about the physical origins of nonlinear elasticity and for applications to material damage diagnostics.

Journal Article↗