Thermal Analysis of a Reactive Variable Viscosity TiO2-PAO Nanolubricant in a Microchannel Poiseuille Flow.

This paper examines the flow structure and heat transfer characteristics of a reactive variable viscosity polyalphaolefin (PAO)-based nanolubricant containing titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles in a microchannel. The nonlinear model equations are obtained and numerically solved via the shooting method with Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg integration scheme. Pertinent results depicting the effects of emerging thermophysical parameters on the reactive lubricant velocity, temperature, skin friction, Nusselt number and thermal stability criteria are presented graphically and discussed. It is found that the Nusselt number and thermal stability of the flow process improve with exothermic chemical kinetics, Biot number, and nanoparticles volume fraction but lessen with a rise in viscous dissipation and activation energy.

Mathematical modelling and analysis of coffee berry disease dynamics on a coffee farm.

This paper focuses on a mathematical model for coffee berry disease infestation dynamics. This model considers coffee berry and vector populations with the interaction of fungal pathogens. In order to gain an insight into the global dynamics of coffee berry disease transmission and eradication on any given coffee farm, the assumption of logistic growth with a carrying capacity reflects the fact that the amount of coffee plants depends on the limited size of the coffee farm. First, we show that all solutions of the chosen model are bounded and non-negative with positive initial data in a feasible region. Subsequently, endemic and disease-free equilibrium points are calculated. The basic reproduction number with respect to the coffee berry disease-free equilibrium point is derived using a next generation matrix approach. Furthermore, the local stability of the equilibria is established based on the Jacobian matrix and Routh Hurwitz criteria. The global stability of the equilibria is also proved by using the Lyapunov function. Moreover, bifurcation analysis is proved by the center manifold theory. The sensitivity indices for the basic reproduction number with respect to the main parameters are determined. Finally, the numerical simulations show the agreement with the analytical results of the model analysis.

Rheological Modeling of Metallic Oxide Nanoparticles Containing Non-Newtonian Nanofluids and Potential Investigation of Heat and Mass Flow Characteristics.

Nanofluids have great potential due to their improved properties that make them useful for addressing various industrial and engineering problems. In order to use nanofluids on an industrial scale, it is first important to discuss their rheological behavior in relation to heat transfer aspects. In the current study, the flow characteristics of nanofluids are discussed using a mathematical model that is developed by fundamental laws and experimental data. The data are collected in the form of viscosity versus shear rate for different homogeneous ethylene glycol- (EG) based nanofluids, which are synthesized by dispersing 5-20% nanoparticle concentrations of SiO2, MgO, and TiO2 with diameters of (20-30 nm, 60-70 nm), (20 nm, 40 nm), and (30 nm, 50 nm), respectively. The data are fitted into a rheological power-law model and further used to govern equations of a physical problem. The problem is simplified into ordinary differential equations by using a boundary layer and similarity transformations and then solved through the numerical Runge-Kutta (RK) method. The obtained results in the form of velocity and temperature profiles at different nanoparticle concentrations and diameters are displayed graphically for discussion. Furthermore, displacement and momentum thicknesses are computed numerically to explain boundary-layer growth. The results show that the velocity profile is reduced and the temperature profile is raised by increasing the nanoparticle concentration. Conversely, the velocity profile is increased and the temperature profile is decreased by increasing the nanoparticle diameter. The results of the present investigation regarding heat and mass flow behavior will help engineers design equipment and improve the efficacy and economy of the overall process in the industry.

Computational modelling and optimal control of measles epidemic in human population.

Measles is an awfully contagious acute viral infection. It can be fatal, causing cough, red eyes, followed by a fever and skin rash with signs of respiratory infection. In this paper, we propose and analyze a model describing the transmission dynamics of a measles epidemic in the human population using the stability theory of differential equations. The model proposed undergoes a backward bifurcation for some parameter values. Sensitivity analysis is carried out on the model parameters in order to determine their impact on the disease dynamics. We extend the model to an optimal control problem by including time-dependent control variables: prevention, treatment of infected people and vaccination of the susceptible humans. In an attempt to minimize the infected people and the cost applied we design the cost functional. Next, we show that optimal control exists for the system, and the Pontryagin maximum principle is employed to characterize the continuous controls. Numerical simulation is performed to justify the analytical results and discussed quantitatively.

Modelling the dynamics of direct and pathogens-induced dysentery diarrhoea epidemic with controls.

In this paper, the dysentery dynamics model with controls is theoretically investigated using the stability theory of differential equations. The system is considered as SIRSB deterministic compartmental model with treatment and sanitation. A threshold number R0 is obtained such that R0≤ 1 indicates the possibility of dysentery eradication in the community while R0>1 represents uniform persistence of the disease. The Lyapunov-LaSalle method is used to prove the global stability of the disease-free equilibrium. Moreover, the geometric approach method is used to obtain the sufficient condition for the global stability of the unique endemic equilibrium for R0>1 . Numerical simulation is performed to justify the analytical results. Graphical results are presented and discussed quantitatively. It is found out that the aggravation of the disease can be decreased by using the constant controls treatment and sanitation.

Modelling and Optimal Control of Typhoid Fever Disease with Cost-Effective Strategies.

We propose and analyze a compartmental nonlinear deterministic mathematical model for the typhoid fever outbreak and optimal control strategies in a community with varying population. The model is studied qualitatively using stability theory of differential equations and the basic reproductive number that represents the epidemic indicator is obtained from the largest eigenvalue of the next-generation matrix. Both local and global asymptotic stability conditions for disease-free and endemic equilibria are determined. The model exhibits a forward transcritical bifurcation and the sensitivity analysis is performed. The optimal control problem is designed by applying Pontryagin maximum principle with three control strategies, namely, the prevention strategy through sanitation, proper hygiene, and vaccination; the treatment strategy through application of appropriate medicine; and the screening of the carriers. The cost functional accounts for the cost involved in prevention, screening, and treatment together with the total number of the infected persons averted. Numerical results for the typhoid outbreak dynamics and its optimal control revealed that a combination of prevention and treatment is the best cost-effective strategy to eradicate the disease.

Modelling and optimal control of pneumonia disease with cost-effective strategies.

We propose and analyse a nonlinear mathematical model for the transmission dynamics of pneumonia disease in a population of varying size. The deterministic compartmental model is studied using stability theory of differential equations. The effective reproduction number is obtained and also the asymptotic stability conditions for the disease free and as well as for the endemic equilibria are established. The possibility of bifurcation of the model and the sensitivity indices of the basic reproduction number to the key parameters are determined. Using Pontryagin's maximum principle, the optimal control problem is formulated with three control strategies: namely disease prevention through education, treatment and screening. The cost-effectiveness analysis of the adopted control strategies revealed that the combination of prevention and treatment is the most cost-effective intervention strategies to combat the pneumonia pandemic. Numerical simulation is performed and pertinent results are displayed graphically.

Optimal control and cost effectiveness analysis for Newcastle disease eco-epidemiological model in Tanzania.

In this paper, a deterministic compartmental eco- epidemiological model with optimal control of Newcastle disease (ND) in Tanzania is proposed and analysed. Necessary conditions of optimal control problem were rigorously analysed using Pontryagin's maximum principle and the numerical values of model parameters were estimated using maximum likelihood estimator. Three control strategies were incorporated such as chicken vaccination (preventive), human education campaign and treatment of infected human (curative) and its' impact were graphically observed. The incremental cost effectiveness analysis technique used to determine the most cost effectiveness strategy and we observe that combination of chicken vaccination and human education campaign strategy is the best strategy to implement in limited resources. Therefore, ND can be controlled if the farmers will apply chicken vaccination properly and well in time.

Combined effect of buoyancy force and Navier slip on MHD flow of a nanofluid over a convectively heated vertical porous plate.

We examine the effect of magnetic field on boundary layer flow of an incompressible electrically conducting water-based nanofluids past a convectively heated vertical porous plate with Navier slip boundary condition. A suitable similarity transformation is employed to reduce the governing partial differential equations into nonlinear ordinary differential equations, which are solved numerically by employing fourth-order Runge-Kutta with a shooting technique. Three different water-based nanofluids containing copper (Cu), aluminium oxide (Al2O3), and titanium dioxide (TiO2) are taken into consideration. Graphical results are presented and discussed quantitatively with respect to the influence of pertinent parameters, such as solid volume fraction of nanoparticles (φ), magnetic field parameter (Ha), buoyancy effect (Gr), Eckert number (Ec), suction/injection parameter (f w ), Biot number (Bi), and slip parameter ( ß ), on the dimensionless velocity, temperature, skin friction coefficient, and heat transfer rate.

On a drug-resistant malaria model with susceptible individuals without access to basic amenities.

In this paper, a deterministic malaria transmission model in the presence of a drug-resistant strain is investigated. The model is studied using stability theory of differential equations, optimal control, and computer simulation. The threshold condition for disease-free equilibrium is found to be locally asymptotically stable and can only be achieved in the absence of a drug-resistant strain in the population. The existence of multiple endemic equilibria is also established. Both the Sensitivity Index (SI) of the model parameters and the Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) for all possible combinations of the disease-control measures are determined. Our results revealed among others that the most cost-effective strategy for drug-resistant malaria control is the combination of the provision of basic amenities (such as access to clean water, electricity, good roads, health care, and education) and treatment of infective individuals. Therefore, more efforts from policy-makers on the provisions of basic amenities and treatment of infectives would go a long way to combat the malaria epidemic.