All issues

Superplastic forming of Ni and Ti based alloys is widely used in aerospace industry. The main advantage of using the effect of superplasticity in sheet metal forming processes is a feasibility of forming materials with a high amount of plastic strain in conditions of prevailing tensile stresses. This article is dedicated to study commercial FEM software SFTC DEFORM application for prediction thickness deviation during low temperature superplastic forming of UFG Ti-6-4 alloy. Experimentally, thickness deviation during superplastic forming can be observed in the local area of plastic deformation and this process is aggravated by local softening of the metal and this is stipulated by microstructure coarsening. The theoretical model was prepared to analyze experimentally observed metal flow. Two approaches have been used for that. The first one is the using of integrated creep rheology model in DEFORM. As superplastic effect is observed only in materials with fine and ultrafine grain sizes the second approach is carried out using own user procedures for rheology model which is based on microstructure evolution equations. These equations have been implemented into DEFORM via Fortran user’s solver subroutines. Using of FEM simulation for this type of forming allows tracking a strain rate in different parts of a workpiece during a process, which is crucial for maintaining the superplastic conditions. Comparison of these approaches allows us to make conclusions about effect of microstructure evolution on metal flow during superplastic deformation. The results of the FEM analysis and theoretical conclusions have been approved by results of the conducted Erichsen test. The main issues of this study are as follows: a) the DEFORM software allows an engineer to predict formation of metal shape under the condition of low-temperature superplasticity; b) in order to augment the accuracy of the prediction of local deformations, the effect of the microstructure state of an alloy having sub-microcristalline structure should be taken into account in the course of calculations in the DEFORM software.

Investigation of the influence of external fields on living systems is one of the most interesting and rapidly developing areas of modern biophysics. However, the mechanisms of such an impact are still not entirely clear. One approach to the study of this issue is associated with modeling the interaction of external fields with internal mobility of biological objects. In this paper, this approach is used to study the effect of external fields on the motion of local conformational distortions — kinks, in the DNA molecule. Realizing and taking into account that on the whole this task is closely connected with the problem of the mechanisms of regulation of vital processes of cells and cellular systems, we set the problem — to investigate the physical mechanisms regulating the motion of kinks and also to answer the question whether permanent and periodic fields can play the role of regulators of this movement. The paper considers the most general case, when constant and periodic fields are switching on and off asynchronously. Three variants of asynchronous switching on/off are studied in detail. In the first variant, the time intervals (or diapasons) of the actions of the constant and periodic fields do not overlap, in the second — overlap, and in the third — the intervals are putting in each other. The calculations were performed for the sequence of plasmid pTTQ18. The kink motion was modeled by the McLaughlin–Scott equation, and the coefficients of the equation were calculated in a quasi-homogeneous approximation. Numerical experiments showed that constant and periodic fields exert a significant influence on the character of the kink motion and regulate it. So the switching on of a constant field leads to a rapid increase of the kink velocity and to the establishment of a stationary velocity of motion, and the switching on of a periodic field leads to the steady oscillations of the kink with the frequency of the external periodic field. It is shown that the behavior of the kink depends on the mutual arrangement of the diapasons of the action of the external fields. As it turned out, events occurring in one of the two diapasons can affect the events in the other diapason, even when the diapasons are sufficiently far apart. It is shown that the overlapping of the diapasons of action of the constant and periodic fields leads to a significant increase in the path traversed by the kink to a complete stop. Maximal growth of the path is observed when one diapason is putting in each other. In conclusion, the question of how the obtained model results could be related to the most important task of biology — the problem of the mechanisms of regulation of the processes of vital activity of cells and cellular systems is discussed.

This work is devoted to the analysis of conformational changes in tubulin dimers and tetramers, in particular, the assessment of the bending of microtubule protofilaments. Three recently exploited approaches for estimating the bend of tubulin protofilaments are reviewed: (1) measurement of the angle between the vector passing through the H7 helices in $\alpha$ and $\beta$ tubulin monomers in the straight structure and the same vector in the curved structure of tubulin; (2) measurement of the angle between the vector, connecting the centers of mass of the subunit and the associated GTP nucleotide, and the vector, connecting the centers of mass of the same nucleotide and the adjacent tubulin subunit; (3) measurement of the three rotation angles of the bent tubulin subunit relative to the straight subunit. Quantitative estimates of the angles calculated at the intra- and inter-dimer interfaces of tubulin in published crystal structures, calculated in accordance with the three metrics, are presented. Intra-dimer angles of tubulin in one structure, measured by the method (3), as well as measurements by this method of the intra-dimer angles in different structures, were more similar, which indicates a lower sensitivity of the method to local changes in tubulin conformation and characterizes the method as more robust. Measuring the angle of curvature between H7-helices (method 1) produces somewhat underestimated values of the curvature per dimer. Method (2), while at first glance generating the bending angle values, consistent the with estimates of curved protofilaments from cryoelectron microscopy, significantly overestimates the angles in the straight structures. For the structures of tubulin tetramers in complex with the stathmin protein, the bending angles calculated with all three metrics varied quite significantly for the first and second dimers (up to 20% or more), which indicates the sensitivity of all metrics to slight variations in the conformation of tubulin dimers within these complexes. A detailed description of the procedures for measuring the bending of tubulin protofilaments, as well as identifying the advantages and disadvantages of various metrics, will increase the reproducibility and clarity of the analysis of tubulin structures in the future, as well as it will hopefully make it easier to compare the results obtained by various scientific groups.

The paper gives a detailed description of the developed methods for simulating the turbulent flow around a helicopter rotor and calculating its aerodynamic characteristics. The system of Reynolds-averaged Navier – Stokes equations for a viscous compressible gas closed by the Spalart –Allmaras turbulence model is used as the basic mathematical model. The model is formulated in a non-inertial rotating coordinate system associated with a rotor. To set the boundary conditions on the surface of the rotor, wall functions are used.

The numerical solution of the resulting system of differential equations is carried out on mixed-element unstructured grids including prismatic layers near the surface of a streamlined body.The numerical method is based on the original vertex-centered finite-volume EBR schemes. A feature of these schemes is their higher accuracy which is achieved through the use of edge-based reconstruction of variables on extended quasi-onedimensional stencils, and a moderate computational cost which allows for serial computations. The methods of Roe and Lax – Friedrichs are used as approximate Riemann solvers. The Roe method is corrected in the case of low Mach flows. When dealing with discontinuities or solutions with large gradients, a quasi-one-dimensional WENO scheme or local switching to a quasi-one-dimensional TVD-type reconstruction is used. The time integration is carried out according to the implicit three-layer second-order scheme with Newton linearization of the system of difference equations. To solve the system of linear equations, the stabilized conjugate gradient method is used.

The numerical methods are implemented as a part of the in-house code NOISEtte according to the two-level MPI–OpenMP parallel model, which allows high-performance computations on meshes consisting of hundreds of millions of nodes, while involving hundreds of thousands of CPU cores of modern supercomputers.

Based on the results of numerical simulation, the aerodynamic characteristics of the helicopter rotor are calculated, namely, trust, torque and their dimensionless coefficients.

Validation of the developed technique is carried out by simulating the turbulent flow around the Caradonna – Tung two-blade rotor and the KNRTU-KAI four-blade model rotor in hover mode mode, tail rotor in duct, and rigid main rotor in oblique flow. The numerical results are compared with the available experimental data.

We found a predominance of α-rhythm patterns in the left hemisphere in healthy people compared to people with COVID-19 history. Moreover, we observe a significant decrease in the left hemisphere contribution to the speech center area in people who have undergone COVID-19 when performing speech tasks.

Our findings show that the signal in healthy subjects is more spatially localized and synchronized between hemispheres when performing tasks compared to people who recovered from COVID-19. We also observed a decrease in low frequencies in both hemispheres after COVID-19.

EEG-patterns of COVID-19 are detectable in an unusual frequency domain. What is usually considered noise in electroencephalographic (EEG) data carries information that can be used to determine whether or not a person has had COVID-19. These patterns can be interpreted as signs of hemispheric desynchronization, premature brain ageing, and more significant brain strain when performing simple tasks compared to people who did not have COVID-19.

In our work, we have shown the applicability of neural networks in helping to detect the long-term effects of COVID-19 on EEG-data. Furthermore, our data following other studies supported the hypothesis of the severity of the long-term effects of COVID-19 detected on the EEG-data of EEG-based BCI. The presented findings of functional activity of the brain– computer interface make it possible to use machine learning methods on simple, non-invasive brain–computer interfaces to detect post-COVID syndrome and develop progress in neurorehabilitation.

Numerical simulation of hull flow, marine propellers and other basic problems of ship hydrodynamics using Cartesian adaptive locally-refined grids is advantageous with respect to numerical setup and makes an express analysis very convenient. However, when more accurate viscous phenomena are needed, they condition some problems including a sharp increase of cell number due to high levels of main grid adaptation needed to resolve boundary layers and time step decrease in simulations with a free surface due to decrease of transit time in adapted cells. To avoid those disadvantages, additional boundary layer grids are suggested for resolution of boundary layers. The boundary layer grids are one-dimensional adaptations of main grid layers nearest to a wall, which are built along a normal direction. The boundary layer grids are additional (or chimerical), their volumes are not subtracted from main grid volumes. Governing equations of flow are integrated in both grids simultaneously, and the solutions are merged according to a special algorithm. In simulations of ship hull flow boundary layer grids are able to provide sufficient conditions for low-Reynolds turbulence models and significantly improve flow structure in continues boundary layers along smooth surfaces. When there are flow separations or other complex phenomena on a hull surface, it can be subdivided into regions, and the boundary layer grids should be applied to the regions with simple flow only. This still provides a drastic decrease of computational efforts. In simulations of marine propellers, the boundary layer grids are able to provide refuse of wall functions on blade surfaces, what leads to significantly more accurate hydrodynamic forces. Altering number and configuration of boundary grid layers, it is possible to vary a boundary layer resolution without change of a main grid. This makes the boundary layer grids a suitable tool to investigate scale effects in both problems considered.

In this paper, a mathematical model is developed and analyzed to assess the indirect impact of controlling rhinoceros beetles on red palm weevil populations in coconut plantations. The model consists of a system of six non-linear ordinary differential equations (ODEs), capturing the interactions among healthy and infected coconut trees, rhinoceros beetles, red palm weevils, and the oryctes virus. The model ensures biological feasibility through positivity and boundedness analysis. The basic reproduction number $R_0$ is derived using the next-generation matrix method. Both local and global stability of the equilibrium points are analyzed to determine conditions for pest persistence or eradication. Sensitivity analysis identifies the most influential parameters for pest management. Numerical simulations reveal that by effectively controlling the rhinoceros beetle population particularly through infection with the oryctes virus, the spread of the red palm weevil can also be suppressed. This indirect control mechanism helps to protect the coconut tree population more efficiently and supports sustainable pest management in coconut plantations.

One of the principles of forming a competitive market environment is to create conditions for economic agents to implement Nash – Cournot optimal strategies. With the standard approach to determining Nash – Cournot optimal market strategies, economic agents must have complete information about the indicators and dynamic characteristics of all market participants. Which is not true.

In this regard, to find Nash – Cournot optimal solutions in dynamic models, it is necessary to have a coordinator who has complete information about the participants. However, in the case of a large number of game participants, even if the coordinator has the necessary information, computational difficulties arise associated with the need to solve a large number of coupled equations (in the case of linear dynamic games — Riccati matrix equations).

In this regard, there is a need to decompose the general problem of determining optimal strategies for market participants into private (local) problems. Approaches based on the iterative decomposition of coupled matrix Riccati equations and the solution of local Riccati equations were studied for linear dynamic games with a quadratic criterion. This article considers a simpler approach to the iterative determination of the Nash – Cournot equilibrium in an oligopoly, by decomposition using operational calculus (operator method).

The proposed approach is based on the following procedure. A virtual coordinator, which has information about the parameters of the inverse demand function, forms prices for the prospective period. Oligopolists, given fixed price dynamics, determine their strategies in accordance with a slightly modified optimality criterion. The optimal volumes of production of the oligopolists are sent to the coordinator, who, based on the iterative algorithm, adjusts the price dynamics at the previous step.

The proposed procedure is illustrated by the example of a static and dynamic model of rational behavior of oligopoly participants who maximize the net present value (NPV). Using the methods of operational calculus (and in particular, the inverse Z-transformation), conditions are found under which the iterative procedure leads to equilibrium levels of price and production volumes in the case of linear dynamic games with both quadratic and nonlinear (concave) optimization criteria.

The approach considered is used in relation to examples of duopoly, triopoly, duopoly on the market with a differentiated product, duopoly with interacting oligopolists with a linear inverse demand function. Comparison of the results of calculating the dynamics of price and production volumes of oligopolists for the considered examples based on coupled equations of the matrix Riccati equations in Matlab (in the table — Riccati), as well as in accordance with the proposed iterative method in the widely available Excel system shows their practical identity.

In addition, the application of the proposed iterative procedure is illustrated by the example of a duopoly with a nonlinear demand function.

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.

Original representation of statistical digital model of measurement of a macroroughness on a local site (to 15) consisting of determined (bias), correlated (standard periodic making and periodic deviations from flatness) and actually casual making (values of a macroroughness) Is offered.