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The biomass growth yield is the ratio of the newly synthesized substance of growing cells to the amount of the consumed substrate, the source of matter and energy for cell growth. The yield is a characteristic of the efficiency of substrate conversion to cell biomass. The conversion is carried out by the cell metabolism, which is a complete aggregate of biochemical reactions occurring in the cells.

This work newly considers the problem of maximal cell growth yield prediction basing on balances of the whole living cell metabolism and its fragments called as partial metabolisms (PM). The following PM’s are used for the present consideration. During growth on any substrate we consider i) the standard constructive metabolism (SCM) which consists of identical pathways during growth of various organisms on any substrate. SCM starts from several standard compounds (nodal metabolites): glucose, acetyl-CoA 2-oxoglutarate, erythrose-4-phosphate, oxaloacetate, ribose-5- phosphate, 3-phosphoglycerate, phosphoenolpyruvate, and pyruvate, and ii) the full forward metabolism (FM) — the remaining part of the whole metabolism. The first one consumes high-energy bonds (HEB) formed by the second one. In this work we examine a generalized variant of the FM, when the possible presence of extracellular products, as well as the possibilities of both aerobic and anaerobic growth are taken into account. Instead of separate balances of each nodal metabolite formation as it was made in our previous work, this work deals at once with the whole aggregate of these metabolites. This makes the problem solution more compact and requiring a smaller number of biochemical quantities and substantially less computational time. An equation expressing the maximal biomass yield via specific amounts of HEB formed and consumed by the partial metabolisms has been derived. It includes the specific HEB consumption by SCM which is a universal biochemical parameter applicable to the wide range of organisms and growth substrates. To correctly determine this parameter, the full constructive metabolism and its forward part are considered for the growth of cells on glucose as the mostly studied substrate. We used here the found earlier properties of the elemental composition of lipid and lipid-free fractions of cell biomass. Numerical study of the effect of various interrelations between flows via different nodal metabolites has been made. It showed that the requirements of the SCM in high-energy bonds and NAD(P)H are practically constants. The found HEB-to-formed-biomass coefficient is an efficient tool for finding estimates of maximal biomass yield from substrates for which the primary metabolism is known. Calculation of ATP-to-substrate ratio necessary for the yield estimation has been made using the special computer program package, GenMetPath.

The traditional approach to computing optimal game strategies of firms on oligopolistic markets and of indicators of such markets consists in studying linear dynamical games with quadratic criteria and solving generalized matrix Riccati equations.

The other approach proposed by the author is based on methods of operational calculus (in particular, Z-transform). This approach makes it possible to achieve economic meaningful decisions under wider field of parameter values. It characterizes by simplicity of computations and by necessary for economic analysis visibility. One of its advantages is that in many cases important for economic practice, it, in contrast to the traditional approach, provides the ability to make calculations using widespread spreadsheets, which allows to study the prospects for the development of oligopolistic markets to a wide range of professionals and consumers.

The article deals with the practical aspects of determining the optimal Nash–Cournot strategies of participants in oligopolistic markets on the basis of operational calculus, in particular the technique of computing the optimal Nash–Cournot strategies in Excel. As an illustration of the opportinities of the proposed methods of calculation, examples close to the practical problems of forecasting indicators of the markets of high-tech products are studied.

The results of calculations obtained by the author for numerous examples and real economic systems, both using the obtained relations on the basis of spreadsheets and using extended Riccati equations, are very close. In most of the considered practical problems, the deviation of the indicators calculated in accordance with the two approaches, as a rule, does not exceed 1.5–2%. The highest value of relative deviations (up to 3–5%) is observed at the beginning of the forecasting period. In typical cases, the period of relatively noticeable deviations is 3–5 moments of time. After the transition period, there is almost complete agreement of the values of the required indicators using both approaches.

Metal hydrides are an interesting class of chemical compounds that can reversibly bind a large amount of hydrogen and are, therefore, of interest for energy applications. Understanding the factors affecting the kinetics of hydride formation and decomposition is especially important. Features of the material, experimental setup and conditions affect the mathematical description of the processes, which can undergo significant changes during the processing of experimental data. The article proposes a general approach to numerical modeling of the formation and decomposition of metal hydrides and solving inverse problems of estimating material parameters from measurement data. The models are divided into two classes: diffusive ones, that take into account the gradient of hydrogen concentration in the metal lattice, and models with fast diffusion. The former are more complex and take the form of non-classical boundary value problems of parabolic type. A rather general approach to the grid solution of such problems is described. The second ones are solved relatively simply, but can change greatly when model assumptions change. Our experience in processing experimental data shows that a flexible software tool is needed; a tool that allows, on the one hand, building models from standard blocks, freely changing them if necessary, and, on the other hand, avoiding the implementation of routine algorithms. It also should be adapted for high-performance systems of different paradigms. These conditions are satisfied by the HIMICOS library presented in the paper, which has been tested on a large number of experimental data. It allows simulating the kinetics of formation and decomposition of metal hydrides, as well as related tasks, at three levels of abstraction. At the low level, the user defines the interface procedures, such as calculating the time layer based on the previous layer or the entire history, calculating the observed value and the independent variable from the task variables, comparing the curve with the reference. Special algorithms can be used for solving quite general parabolic-type boundary value problems with free boundaries and with various quasilinear (i.e., linear with respect to the derivative only) boundary conditions, as well as calculating the distance between the curves in different metric spaces and with different normalization. This is the middle level of abstraction. At the high level, it is enough to choose a ready tested model for a particular material and modify it in relation to the experimental conditions.

Our purpose is to study the spatio-temporal population wave behavior observed in the predator-prey system. It is assumed that predators move both directionally and randomly, and prey spread only diffusely. The model does not take into account demographic processes in the predator population; it’s total number is constant and is a parameter. The variables of the model are the prey and predator densities and the predator speed, which are connected by a system of three reaction – diffusion – advection equations. The system is considered on an annular range, that is the periodic conditions are set at the boundaries of the interval. We have studied the bifurcations of wave modes arising in the system when two parameters are changed — the total number of predators and their taxis acceleration coefficient.

The main research method is a numerical analysis. The spatial approximation of the problem in partial derivatives is performed by the finite difference method. Integration of the obtained system of ordinary differential equations in time is carried out by the Runge –Kutta method. The construction of the Poincare map, calculation of Lyapunov exponents, and Fourier analysis are used for a qualitative analysis of dynamic regimes.

It is shown that, population waves can arise as a result of existence of directional movement of predators. The population dynamics in the system changes qualitatively as the total predator number increases. А stationary homogeneous regime is stable at low value of parameter, then it is replaced by self-oscillations in the form of traveling waves. The waveform becomes more complicated as the bifurcation parameter increases; its complexity occurs due to an increase in the number of temporal vibrational modes. A large taxis acceleration coefficient leads to the possibility of a transition from multi-frequency to chaotic and hyperchaotic population waves. A stationary regime without preys becomes stable with a large number of predators.

The mathematical model based on the linear integro-differential Boltzmann equation is considered in this article. The model describes the radiation transfer in the scattering medium irradiated by a point source. The inverse problem for the transfer equation is defined. This problem consists of determining the scattering coefficient from the time-angular distribution of the radiation flux density at a given point in space. The Neumann series representation for solving the radiation transfer equation is analyzed in the study of the inverse problem. The zero member of the series describes the unscattered radiation, the first member of the series describes a single-scattered field, the remaining members of the series describe a multiple-scattered field. When calculating the approximate solution of the radiation transfer equation, the single scattering approximation is widespread to calculated an approximate solution of the equation for regions with a small optical thickness and a low level of scattering. An analytical formula is obtained for finding the scattering coefficient by using this approximation for problem with additional restrictions on the initial data. To verify the adequacy of the obtained formula the Monte Carlo weighted method for solving the transfer equation is constructed and software implemented taking into account multiple scattering in the medium and the space-time singularity of the radiation source. As applied to the problems of high-frequency acoustic sensing in the ocean, computational experiments were carried out. The application of the single scattering approximation is justified, at least, at a sensing range of about one hundred meters and the double and triple scattered fields make the main impact on the formula error. For larger regions, the single scattering approximation gives at the best only a qualitative evaluation of the medium structure, sometimes it even does not allow to determine the order of the parameters quantitative characteristics of the interaction of radiation with matter.

Laser damage to transparent solids is a major limiting factor output power of laser systems. For laser rangefinders, the most likely destruction cause of elements of the optical system (lenses, mirrors) actually, as a rule, somewhat dusty, is not an optical breakdown as a result of avalanche, but such a thermal effect on the dust speck deposited on an element of the optical system (EOS), which leads to its ignition. It is the ignition of a speck of dust that initiates the process of EOS damage.

The corresponding model of this process leading to the ignition of a speck of dust takes into account the nonlinear Stefan –Boltzmann law of thermal radiation and the infinite thermal effect of periodic radiation on the EOS and the speck of dust. This model is described by a nonlinear system of differential equations for two functions: the EOS temperature and the dust particle temperature. It is proved that due to the accumulating effect of periodic thermal action, the process of reaching the dust speck ignition temperature occurs almost at any a priori possible changes in this process of the thermophysical parameters of the EOS and the dust speck, as well as the heat exchange coefficients between them and the surrounding air. Averaging these parameters over the variables related to both the volume and the surfaces of the dust speck and the EOS is correct under the natural constraints specified in the paper. The entire really significant spectrum of thermophysical parameters is covered thanks to the use of dimensionless units in the problem (including numerical results).

A thorough mathematical study of the corresponding nonlinear system of differential equations made it possible for the first time for the general case of thermophysical parameters and characteristics of the thermal effect of periodic laser radiation to find a formula for the value of the permissible radiation intensity that does not lead to the destruction of the EOS as a result of the ignition of a speck of dust deposited on the EOS. The theoretical value of the permissible intensity found in the general case in the special case of the data from the Grasse laser ranging station (south of France) almost matches that experimentally observed in the observatory.

In parallel with the solution of the main problem, we derive a formula for the power absorption coefficient of laser radiation by an EOS expressed in terms of four dimensionless parameters: the relative intensity of laser radiation, the relative illumination of the EOS, the relative heat transfer coefficient from the EOS to the surrounding air, and the relative steady-state temperature of the EOS.

The paper presents a physical and numerical analysis of the dynamics and radiation of explosion products formed during the Russian-American experiment in the ionosphere using an explosive generator based on hexogen (RDX) and trinitrotoluene (TNT). The main attention is paid to the radiation of the perturbed region and the dynamics of the products of explosion (PE). The detailed chemical composition of the explosion products is analyzed and the initial concentrations of the most important molecules capable of emitting in the infrared range of the spectrum are determined, and their radiative constants are given. The initial temperature of the explosion products and the adiabatic exponent are determined. The nature of the interpenetration of atoms and molecules of a highly rarefied ionosphere into a spherically expanding cloud of products is analyzed. An approximate mathematical model of the dynamics of explosion products under conditions of mixing rarefied ionospheric air with them has been developed and the main thermodynamic characteristics of the system have been calculated. It is shown that for a time of 0,3–3 sec there is a significant increase in the temperature of the scattering mixture as a result of its deceleration. In the problem under consideration the explosion products and the background gas are separated by a contact boundary. To solve this two-region gas dynamic problem a numerical algorithm based on the Lagrangian approach was developed. It was necessary to fulfill special conditions at the contact boundary during its movement in a stationary gas. In this case there are certain difficulties in describing the parameters of the explosion products near the contact boundary which is associated with a large difference in the size of the mass cells of the explosion products and the background due to a density difference of 13 orders of magnitude. To reduce the calculation time of this problem an irregular calculation grid was used in the area of explosion products. Calculations were performed with different adiabatic exponents. The most important result is temperature. It is in good agreement with the results obtained by the method that approximately takes into account interpenetration. The time behavior of the IR emission coefficients of active molecules in a wide range of the spectrum is obtained. This behavior is qualitatively consistent with experiments for the IR glow of flying explosion products.

The creation of a virtual laboratory stand that allows one to obtain reliable characteristics that can be proven as actual, taking into account errors and noises (which is the main distinguishing feature of a computational experiment from model studies) is one of the main problems of this work. It considers the following task: there is a rectangular waveguide in the single operating mode, on the wide wall of which a technological hole is cut, through which a sample for research is placed into the cavity of the transmission line. The recovery algorithm is as follows: the laboratory measures the network parameters (S₁₁ and/or S₂₁) in the transmission line with the sample. In the computer model of the laboratory stand, the sample geometry is reconstructed and an iterative process of optimization (or sweeping) of the electrophysical parameters is started, the mask of this process is the experimental data, and the stop criterion is the interpretive estimate of proximity (or residual). It is important to note that the developed computer model, along with its apparent simplicity, is initially ill-conditioned. To set up a computational experiment, the Comsol modeling environment is used. The results of the computational experiment with a good degree of accuracy coincided with the results of laboratory studies. Thus, experimental verification was carried out for several significant components, both the computer model in particular and the algorithm for restoring the target parameters in general. It is important to note that the computer model developed and described in this work may be effectively used for a computational experiment to restore the full dielectric parameters of a complex geometry target. Weak bianisotropy effects can also be detected, including chirality, gyrotropy, and material nonreciprocity. The resulting model is, by definition, incomplete, but its completeness is the highest of the considered options, while at the same time, the resulting model is well conditioned. Particular attention in this work is paid to the modeling of a coaxial-waveguide transition, it is shown that the use of a discrete-element approach is preferable to the direct modeling of the geometry of a microwave device.

The problem of active control of the mechanical equilibrium of an inhomogeneously heated fluid in a thermosyphon is studied theoretically and experimentally. The control is performed by using a feedback subsystem which inhibits convection by changing the orientation of thermosyphon in space. It is shown that excess feedback leads to the excitation of oscillations which are related to a delay in the controller work. In the presense of noise, the oscillations arise even when deterministic description predicts stationary behaviour. The experimental data and theory are in good agreement.

This paper is devoted to investigation of the swirl flows. Such flows are widely used in various industrial processes. Swirl flows can be accompanied by time-dependent effects, for example, precession of the vortex core. In turn, the large-scale fluctuations due to the precession of the vortex can cause damage of structures and reduce of equipment reliability. Thus, for engineering calculations approaches that sufficiently well described such flows are required. This paper presents the technique of swirl flows calculation, tested for CFD packages Fluent and SigmaFlow. A numerical simulation of several swirl flow test problems was carried out. Obtained results are compared with each other and with the experimental data.