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A simplified implicit Euler method was analyzed as an alternative to the explicit Euler method, which is a commonly used method in numerical modeling in electrophysiology. The majority of electrophysiological models are quite stiff, since the dynamics they describe includes a wide spectrum of time scales: a fast depolarization, that lasts milliseconds, precedes a considerably slow repolarization, with both being the fractions of the action potential observed in excitable cells. In this work we estimate stiffness by a formula that does not require calculation of eigenvalues of the Jacobian matrix of the studied ODEs. The efficiency of the numerical methods was compared on the case of typical representatives of detailed and conceptual type models of excitable cells: Hodgkin–Huxley model of a neuron and Aliev–Panfilov model of a cardiomyocyte. The comparison of the efficiency of the numerical methods was carried out via norms that were widely used in biomedical applications. The stiffness ratio’s impact on the speedup of simplified implicit method was studied: a real gain in speed was obtained for the Hodgkin–Huxley model. The benefits of the usage of simple and high-order methods for electrophysiological models are discussed along with the discussion of one method’s stability issues. The reasons for using simplified instead of high-order methods during practical simulations were discussed in the corresponding section. We calculated higher order derivatives of the solutions of Hodgkin-Huxley model with various stiffness ratios; their maximum absolute values appeared to be quite large. A numerical method’s approximation constant’s formula contains the latter and hence ruins the effect of the other term (a small factor which depends on the order of approximation). This leads to the large value of global error. We committed a qualitative stability analysis of the explicit Euler method and were able to estimate the model’s parameters influence on the border of the region of absolute stability. The latter is used when setting the value of the timestep for simulations a priori.

The article presents the numerical modeling and study of the kinetic model of propane pyrolysis. The study of the reaction kinetics is a necessary stage in modeling the dynamics of the gas flow in the reactor.

The kinetic model of propane pyrolysis is a nonlinear system of ordinary differential equations of the first order with parameters, the role of which is played by the reaction rate constants. Math modeling of processes is based on the use of the mass conservation law. To solve an initial (forward) problem, implicit methods for solving stiff ordinary differential equation systems are used. The model contains 60 input kinetic parameters and 17 output parameters corresponding to the reaction substances, of which only 9 are observable. In the process of solving the problem of estimating parameters (inverse problem), there is a question of non-uniqueness of the set of parameters that satisfy the experimental data. Therefore, before solving the inverse problem, the possibility of determining the parameters of the model is analyzed (analysis of identifiability).

To analyze identifiability, we use the orthogonal method, which has proven itself well for analyzing models with a large number of parameters. The algorithm is based on the analysis of the sensitivity matrix by the methods of differential and linear algebra, which shows the degree of dependence of the unknown parameters of the models on the given measurements. The analysis of sensitivity and identifiability showed that the parameters of the model are stably determined from a given set of experimental data. The article presents a list of model parameters from most to least identifiable. Taking into account the analysis of the identifiability of the mathematical model, restrictions were introduced on the search for less identifiable parameters when solving the inverse problem.

The inverse problem of estimating the parameters was solved using a genetic algorithm. The article presents the found optimal values of the kinetic parameters. A comparison of the experimental and calculated dependences of the concentrations of propane, main and by-products of the reaction on temperature for different flow rates of the mixture is presented. The conclusion about the adequacy of the constructed mathematical model is made on the basis of the correspondence of the results obtained to physicochemical laws and experimental data.

Industrial robots have made it possible for robotics to become a worldwide discipline both in economy and in science. However, their capabilities are limited, especially regarding contact tasks where it is required to regulate or at least limit contact forces. At one point, it was noticed that elasticity in the joint transmission, which was treated as a drawback previously, is actually helpful in this regard. This observation led to the introduction of elastic joint robots that are well-suited to contact tasks and cooperative behavior in particular, so they become more and more widespread nowadays. Many researchers try to implement such devices not with trivial series elastic actuators (SEA) but with more sophisticated variable stiffness actuators (VSA) that can regulate their own mechanical stiffness. All elastic actuators demonstrate shock robustness and safe interaction with external objects to some extent, but when stiffness may be varied, it provides additional benefits, e. g., in terms of energy efficiency and task adaptability. Here, we present a novel variable stiffness actuator with a magnetic coupler as an elastic element. Magnetic transmission is contactless and thus advantageous in terms of robustness to misalignment. In addition, the friction model of the transmission becomes less complex. It also has milder stiffness characteristic than typical mechanical nonlinear springs, moreover, the stiffness curve has a maximum after which it descends. Therefore, when this maximum torque is achieved, the coupler slips, and a new pair of poles defines the equilibrium position. As a result, the risk of damage is smaller for this design solution. The design of the joint is thoroughly described, along with its mathematical model. Finally, the control system is also proposed, and simulation tests confirm the design ideas.

Muscle contraction is controlled by Ca2+ ions via regulatory proteins, troponin and tropomyosin, associated with thin actin filaments in sarcomeres. Depending on the Ca2+ concentration, the thin filament rearranges so that tropomyosin moves along its surface, opening or closing access to actin for the motor domains of myosin molecules, and causing contraction or relaxation, respectively. Numerous point amino acid substitutions in tropomyosin are known, leading to genetic pathologies — myo- and cardiomyopathies caused by changes in the structural and functional properties of the thin filament. The results of molecular dynamics modeling of a fragment of a thin filament of cardiac muscle sarcomeres formed by fibrillar actin and wildtype tropomyosin or with amino acid substitutions: the double stabilizing substitution D137L/G126R and the cardiomyopathic substitution S215L are presented. For numerical calculations, we used a new model of a thin filament fragment containing 26 actin monomers and 4 tropomyosin dimers, with a refined structure of the region of overlap of neighboring tropomyosin molecules in each of the two tropomyosin strands. The simulation results showed that tropomyosin significantly increases the bending stiffness of the thin filament, as previously found experimentally. The double stabilizing replacement D137L/G126R leads to a further increase in this rigidity, and the replacement S215L, on the contrary, leads to its decrease, which also corresponds to experimental data. At the same time, these substitutions have different effects on the angular mobility of the actin helix and only slightly modulate the angular mobility of tropomyosin cables relative to the actin helix and the population of hydrogen bonds between negatively charged tropomyosin residues and positively charged actin residues. The results of the verification of the new model demonstrate that its quality is sufficient for the numerical study of the effect of single amino acid substitutions on the structure and dynamics of thin filaments and study the effects leading to dysregulation of muscle contraction. This model can be used as a useful tool for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of some genetic diseases and assessing the pathogenicity of newly discovered genetic variants.

Many properties of ordinary differential equations systems solutions are determined by the properties of the equations in variations. An ODE system, which includes both the original nonlinear system and the equations in variations, will be called an extended system further. When studying the properties of the Cauchy problem for the systems of ordinary differential equations, the transition to extended systems allows one to study many subtle properties of solutions. For example, the transition to the extended system allows one to increase the order of approximation for numerical methods, gives the approaches to constructing a sensitivity function without using numerical differentiation procedures, allows to use methods of increased convergence order for the inverse problem solution. Authors used the Broyden method belonging to the class of quasi-Newtonian methods. The Rosenbroke method with complex coefficients was used to solve the stiff systems of the ordinary differential equations. In our case, it is equivalent to the second order approximation method for the extended system.

As an example of the proposed approach, several related mathematical models of the blood coagulation process were considered. Based on the analysis of the numerical calculations results, the conclusion was drawn that it is necessary to include a description of the factor XI positive feedback loop in the model equations system. Estimates of some reaction constants based on the numerical inverse problem solution were given.

Effect of factor V release on platelet activation was considered. The modification of the mathematical model allowed to achieve quantitative correspondence in the dynamics of the thrombin production with experimental data for an artificial system. Based on the sensitivity analysis, the hypothesis tested that there is no influence of the lipid membrane composition (the number of sites for various factors of the clotting system, except for thrombin sites) on the dynamics of the process.