Optimality, cost minimization and the design of arterial networks

DOI

10.1016/j.artres.2015.01.001How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Circulation; Design; Optimality; Shear stress

Abstract

The arterial circulation acts as a network to deliver nutrients and oxygen to cells. The design of the cardiovascular system is subject to a variety of constraints and costs. It has been postulated that the design of the arterial network might be understood in terms of the need to minimize competing ‘costs’ within the context of physical or material limits to the system. These designs can also be envisaged as being subservient to space filling or fractal considerations. The signalling mechanisms underlying these designs remain to be fully characterized although shear stress, wall tensile stress and metabolic stimuli are likely candidates. I will also review evidence that deviations from a minimal cost condition or optimal design may provide both a measure of disease severity and insights into the underlying disease mechanism.

Copyright

© 2015 Association for Research into Arterial Structure and Physiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Open Access

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license.

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TY  - JOUR
AU  - Alun D. Hughes
PY  - 2015
DA  - 2015/02/24
TI  - Optimality, cost minimization and the design of arterial networks
JO  - Artery Research
SP  - 1
EP  - 10
VL  - 10
IS  - C
SN  - 1876-4401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artres.2015.01.001
DO  - 10.1016/j.artres.2015.01.001
ID  - Hughes2015
ER  -