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Aortic stenosis and other forms of aortic valve dysfunction are associated with impaired intracardiac hemodynamics, left ventricular overload, and an increased risk of cardiovascular complications. Assessment of valve function requires not only integral clinical indicators but also local mechanical and hemodynamic characteristics, which, as a rule, cannot be measured directly in vivo. Therefore, mathematical modeling is regarded as one of the main tools for the quantitative analysis of the aortic valve. Despite the widespread use of various deformable-solid models and coupled fluid-structure interaction formulations, FSI, for describing leaflet dynamics, the limits of applicability of simplified formulations relative to the fully coupled problem remain insufficiently defined. In this study, an idealized model of the aortic root with the sinuses of Valsalva and a tricuspid valve was considered. The leaflets were described using an anisotropic hyperelastic material model. Five computational scenarios were compared, including a fully coupled FSI formulation that accounts for both solid and fluid dynamics, as well as a deformable-solid model with four loading variants replacing the effect of blood flow, differing in the way pressure was represented and in the direction of load application to the leaflets. The comparison criteria included deformation, displacement, von Mises stress, leaflet oscillatory dynamics, and the geometric opening area of the valve. It was shown that the FSI model provides the most consistent description of valve function, including asymmetric leaflet opening, smoother opening dynamics, and the absence of pronounced nonphysiological flutter. Structural formulations with loads applied along the local normal to the leaflet surface lead to overestimation of deformation and stress, as well as to more pronounced oscillatory regimes. Scenarios with restricted load direction produce a more moderate response, but they also fail to reproduce the spatial load structure and the temporal organization of leaflet opening. It was concluded that, in aortic valve modeling, not only the magnitude of the pressure difference but also the way it is applied to the leaflets in space and time is of decisive importance. Structural deformable-solid models may be used for the qualitative assessment of selected mechanical trends, but they cannot serve as a full substitute for the FSI formulation in the analysis of leaflet kinematics, oscillatory regimes, stress-strain state, and valve opening dynamics.

The biological structure is considered as an open nonequilibrium system which properties can be described on the basis of kinetic equations. New problems with nonequilibrium boundary conditions are introduced. The nonequilibrium distribution tends gradually to an equilibrium state. The region of spatial inhomogeneity has a scale depending on the rate of mass transfer in the open system and the characteristic time of metabolism. In the proposed approximation, the internal energy of the motion of molecules is much less than the energy of translational motion. Or in other terms we can state that the kinetic energy of the average blood velocity is substantially higher than the energy of chaotic motion of the same particles. We state that the relaxation problem models a living system. The flow of entropy to the system decreases in downstream, this corresponds to Shrödinger’s general ideas that the living system “feeds on” negentropy. We introduce a quantity that determines the complexity of the biosystem, more precisely, this is the difference between the nonequilibrium kinetic entropy and the equilibrium entropy at each spatial point integrated over the entire spatial region. Solutions to the problems of spatial relaxation allow us to estimate the size of biosystems as regions of nonequilibrium. The results are compared with empirical data, in particular, for mammals we conclude that the larger the size of animals, the smaller the specific energy of metabolism. This feature is reproduced in our model since the span of the nonequilibrium region is larger in the system where the reaction rate is shorter, or in terms of the kinetic approach, the longer the relaxation time of the interaction between the molecules. The approach is also used for estimation of a part of a living system, namely a green leaf. The problems of aging as degradation of an open nonequilibrium system are considered. The analogy is related to the structure, namely, for a closed system, the equilibrium of the structure is attained for the same molecules while in the open system, a transition occurs to the equilibrium of different particles, which change due to metabolism. Two essentially different time scales are distinguished, the ratio of which is approximately constant for various animal species. Under the assumption of the existence of these two time scales the kinetic equation splits in two equations, describing the metabolic (stationary) and “degradative” (nonstationary) parts of the process.

Atherosclerotic diseases such as carotid artery diseases (CAD) and chronic kidney diseases (CKD) are the major causes of death worldwide. The onset of these atherosclerotic diseases in the arteries are governed by complex blood flow dynamics and hemodynamic parameters. Atherosclerosis in renal arteries leads to reduction in arterial efficiency, which ultimately leads to Reno-vascular hypertension. This work attempts to identify the localization of atherosclerotic plaque in human abdominal aorta — renal artery junction using Computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

The atherosclerosis prone regions in an idealized human abdominal aorta-renal artery junction are identified by calculating relevant hemodynamic indicators from computational simulations using the rheologically accurate shear-thinning Yeleswarapu model for human blood. Blood flow is numerically simulated in a 3-D model of the artery junction using ANSYS FLUENT v18.2.

Hemodynamic indicators calculated are average wall shear stress (AWSS), oscillatory shear index (OSI), and relative residence time (RRT). Simulations of pulsatile flow (f=1.25 Hz, Re = 1000) show that low AWSS, and high OSI manifest in the regions of renal artery downstream of the junction and on the infrarenal section of the abdominal aorta lateral to the junction. High RRT, which is a relative index and dependent on AWSS and OSI, is found to overlap with the low AWSS and high OSI at the cranial surface of renal artery proximal to the junction and on the surface of the abdominal aorta lateral to the bifurcation: this indicates that these regions of the junction are prone to atherosclerosis. The results match qualitatively with the findings reported in literature and serve as initial step to illustrate utility of CFD for the location of atherosclerotic plaque.

In the present paper the application of the kinetic methods to the blood flow problems in elastic vessels is studied. The Lattice Boltzmann (LB) kinetic equation is applied. This model describes the discretized in space and time dynamics of particles traveling in a one-dimensional Cartesian lattice. At the limit of the small times between collisions LB models describe hydrodynamic equations which are equivalent to the Navier – Stokes for compressible if the considered flow is slow (small Mach number). If one formally changes in the resulting hydrodynamic equations the variables corresponding to density and sound wave velocity by luminal area and pulse wave velocity then a well-known 1D equations for the blood flow motion in elastic vessels are obtained for a particular case of constant pulse wave speed.

In reality the pulse wave velocity is a function of luminal area. Here an interesting analogy is observed: the equation of state (which defines sound wave velocity) becomes pressure-area relation. Thus, a generalization of the equation of state is needed. This procedure popular in the modeling of non-ideal gas and is performed using an introduction of a virtual force. This allows to model arbitrary pressure-area dependence in the resulting hemodynamic equations.

Two test case problems are considered. In the first problem a propagation of a sole nonlinear pulse wave is studied in the case of the Laplace pressure-area response. In the second problem the pulse wave dynamics is considered for a vessel bifurcation. The results show good precision in comparison with the data from literature.

In modern cardiology, accurate assessment of the functional significance of coronary artery stenoses is a critical factor for selecting treatment strategies and making informed clinical decisions. This paper presents an automated algorithm for processing dynamic X-ray angiographic image sequences aimed at estimating blood flow velocity. This parameter serves as the basis for determining the Quantitative Flow Ratio (QFR), which acts as an effective noninvasive alternative to traditional invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR) measurements. The proposed methodology successfully overcomes classic challenges of angiographic analysis, such as vessel motion artifacts during the cardio-respiratory cycle, variable contrast opacification, and the geometric complexity of the vascular tree in two-dimensional projections.

The presented processing workflow includes several key stages. Initially, frame preprocessing is performed to suppress noise and filter out the anatomical background. Subsequently, segmentation is implemented using a Sato filter and Otsu thresholding, followed by skeletonization to extract vessel centerlines. Particular attention is paid to the algorithm for automated identification of bifurcation points and the filtration of artifactual intersections caused by vessel overlapping. To ensure data continuity, a temporal tracking method for the target segment based on template correlation is applied, which is especially important during phases with low contrast agent concentration. The mathematical core of the algorithm is based on solving a 1D inverse problem for the advection-diffusion equation, allowing for the recovery of blood flow velocity from temporal intensity curves.

As part of the study, a detailed validation of the method was conducted by comparing automated calculation results with manual expert measurements across ten clinical datasets. The results confirm the robustness of the computational scheme within physiologically relevant ranges and its ability to significantly reduce inter-observer variability. The developed approach minimizes the need for physician intervention in the data processing stage, opening up prospects for creating real-time clinical decision support systems in the catheterization laboratory setting.

We consider a one-dimensional three velocity kinetic lattice Boltzmann model, which represents a secondorder difference scheme for hydrodynamic equations. In the framework of kinetic theory this system describes the propagation and interaction of three types of particles. It has been shown previously that the lattice Boltzmann model with external virtual force is equivalent at the hydrodynamic limit to the one-dimensional hemodynamic equations for elastic vessels, this equivalence can be achieved with use of the Chapman – Enskog expansion. The external force in the model is responsible for the ability to adjust the functional dependence between the lumen area of the vessel and the pressure applied to the wall of the vessel under consideration. Thus, the form of the external force allows to model various elastic properties of the vessels. In the present paper the physiological boundary conditions are considered at the inlets and outlets of the arterial network in terms of the lattice Boltzmann variables. We consider the following boundary conditions: for pressure and blood flow at the inlet of the vascular network, boundary conditions for pressure and blood flow for the vessel bifurcations, wave reflection conditions (correspond to complete occlusion of the vessel) and wave absorption at the ends of the vessels (these conditions correspond to the passage of the wave without distortion), as well as RCR-type conditions, which are similar to electrical circuits and consist of two resistors (corresponding to the impedance of the vessel, at the end of which the boundary conditions are set and the friction forces in microcirculatory bed) and one capacitor (describing the elastic properties of arterioles). The numerical simulations were performed: the propagation of blood in a network of three vessels was considered, the boundary conditions for the blood flow were set at the entrance of the network, RCR boundary conditions were stated at the ends of the network. The solutions to lattice Boltzmann model are compared with the benchmark solutions (based on numerical calculations for second-order McCormack difference scheme without viscous terms), it is shown that the both approaches give very similar results.

The work is devoted to the construction and analysis of difference schemes for a system of hemodynamic equations obtained by averaging the hydrodynamic equations of a viscous incompressible fluid over the vessel cross-section. Models of blood as an ideal and as a viscous Newtonian fluid are considered. Difference schemes that approximate equations with second order on the spatial variable are proposed. The computational algorithms of the constructed schemes are based on the method of splitting on physical processes. According to this approach, at one time step, the model equations are considered separately and sequentially. The practical implementation of the proposed schemes at each time step leads to a sequential solution of two linear systems with tridiagonal matrices. It is demonstrated that the schemes are $\rho$-stable under minor restrictions on the time step in the case of sufficiently smooth solutions.

For the problem with a known analytical solution, it is demonstrated that the numerical solution has a second order convergence in a wide range of spatial grid step. The proposed schemes are compared with well-known explicit schemes, such as the Lax – Wendroff, Lax – Friedrichs and McCormack schemes in computational experiments on modeling blood flow in model vascular systems. It is demonstrated that the results obtained using the proposed schemes are close to the results obtained using other computational schemes, including schemes constructed by other approaches to spatial discretization. It is demonstrated that in the case of different spatial grids, the time of computation for the proposed schemes is significantly less than in the case of explicit schemes, despite the need to solve systems of linear equations at each step. The disadvantages of the schemes are the limitation on the time step in the case of discontinuous or strongly changing solutions and the need to use extrapolation of values at the boundary points of the vessels. In this regard, problems on the adaptation of splitting schemes for problems with discontinuous solutions and in cases of special types of conditions at the vessels ends are perspective for further research.

Numerous contemporary studies confirm that neurons, astrocytes and blood vessels function as a unified dynamic system. Consequently, the concept of the integrated neurogliovascular unit (NGVU), encompassing these components, has emerged and gained significant traction in recent years. According to this framework, normal brain function relies on a broad complex of interactions between NGVU elements, while the disruption of these links may underlie various neuropathologies. Understanding the processes within a single NGVU, as well as the organization of connections between multiple units, is a prerequisite for successful diagnosis and therapy of neurological disorders.

In this work, we developed an NGVU model that, for the first time, integrates a detailed description of synaptically coupled excitatory and inhibitory neuronal networks (accounting for the E/I balance), extracellular environment dynamics (potassium, glutamate, GABA), and norepinephrine-modulated astrocytic activity, with subsequent regulation of local blood flow.

A key conceptual feature of the model is the integration of multiscale processes — ranging from ion dynamics at the level of individual Hodgkin – Huxley neurons to substance diffusion across a network of 100 NGVUs — into a single system of coupled nonlinear differential equations. This approach enabled the investigation of the ensemble’s collective dynamics and the identification of novel functional regimes.

Numerical experiments established that extracellular potassium dynamics and positive feedback play a decisive role in the formation of stable spatial excitation structures. It is shown that under local stimulation, activity remains confined due to potassium diffusion outflow; however, supercritical excitation initiates self-sustaining autowave regimes. The stabilization of these regimes leads to the formation of spatial patterns morphologically similar to Turing structures. These patterns, characterized by alternating zones of high and low activity, are independent of specific initial conditions but sensitive to parameter variations. This suggests that the system operates in a dynamic instability (chaos) regime, which is consistent with the concept of self-organized criticality of the brain under physiological conditions. The model successfully reproduces experimentally observed phenomena, including bursting and sensitivity to extracellular potassium. The results provide new perspectives for analyzing the pathophysiological mechanisms of brain function.

The mechanisms of hydrodynamical activation of blood coagulation system are investigated in stenosed vessels for a wide range of Reynolds number values (from 10 up to 500). It is assumed that the vessel wall permeability for procoagulant factors rapidly increases when wall shear stress exceeds specific threshold value. A number of patterns of blood coagulation processes development are described. The influence of blood flow topology changes on activation of blood coagulation is explored. It is established that not only blood flow decrease, but also its increase may promote activation of blood coagulation. It was found that dependence of thrombogenic danger of stenosis on vessel lumen blockage ratio is non-monotonic. The relevance of obtained theoretical results for clinical practice is discussed.

Numerical modeling of shear-induced platelet activation in haemodialysis arteriovenous fistulas was carried out in this work. The goal was to investigate the mechanisms of threshold shear-induced platelet activation in fistulas. For shear-induced platelet activation to take place, shear stress accumulated by platelets along corresponding trajectories in blood flow had to exceed a definite threshold value. The threshold value of cumulative shear stress was supposed to depend on the multimer size of von Willebrand factor macromolecules acting as hydrodynamic sensors for platelets. The effect of arteriovenous fistulas parameters, such as the anastomotic angle, blood flow rate, and the multimer size of von Willebrand factor macromolecules, on platelet activation risk was studied. Parametric diagrams have been constructed that make it possible to distinguish the areas of parameters corresponding to the presence or absence of shear-induced platelet activation. Scaling relations that approximate critical curves on parametric diagrams were obtained. Analysis showed that threshold fistula flow rate is higher for obtuse anastomotic angle than for sharp ones. This means that a fistula with obtuse angle can be used in wider flow rate range without risk of platelet activation. In addition, a study of different anastomosis configurations of arteriovenous fistulas showed that the configuration “end of vein to end of artery” is among the safest. For all the investigated anastomosis configurations, the critical curves on the parametric diagrams were monotonically decreasing functions of von Willebrand factor multimer size. It was shown that fistula flow rate should have a significant impact on the probability of thrombus formation initiation, while the direction of flow through the distal artery did not affect platelet activation. The obtained results allowed to determine the safest fistula configurations with respect to thrombus formation triggering. The authors believe that the results of the work may be of interest to doctors performing surgical operations for creation of arteriovenous fistulas for haemodialysis. In the final section of the work, possible clinical applications of the obtained results by means of mathematical modeling are discussed.