TABLE 2.
Comparison of experimental and theoretical trends
| Type of data | Conditionc | Trend |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerged IJs | Nonemerged nematodes | Total nematodes | ||
| Experimentala | High lrp vs low lrp levels | + | = | + |
| Theoreticalb | Increase of parameter a | + | + | + |
| Theoretical | Increase of parameter b | + then − | − | − |
| Theoretical | Increase of parameter c | + | − | = |
| Theoretical | Increase of parameter d | + | + | + |
Experimental data were extracted from data in Fig. 4 showing whether high-lrp strains support the production of higher (+) or equal (=) numbers of nematodes in each category in comparison to a low-lrp strain.
Theoretical trends were simulated based on the mathematical model (see Materials and Methods). An initial condition was set as theoretical low-lrp outcomes (using parameter values a = 3.3, b = 0.5, c = 0.2, and d = 5). Parameters a, b, c, and d were individually and continuously increased in Mathematica. By increasing each of the parameters, the trend of simulated outcomes in comparison to outcomes under initial conditions (emerged IJs, nonemerged nematodes, or total nematodes) was recorded as an increase (+), a decrease (−), or equal (=).
Parameter a, population expansion per reproductive cycle; parameter b, percentage of the population that forms IJs in the current reproductive cycle; parameter c, percentage of IJs that emerged in the current reproductive cycle; parameter d, number of reproductive cycles before insect dissection.