Search Results (4)

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a human coronavirus subtype that poses a significant public health concern due to its ability to spread between individuals. This research aims to develop a fractional-order mathematical model to investigate the MERS pandemic and to subsequently develop two numerical methods to solve this model numerically to evaluate and comprehend the analysis results. The fixed-point theorem has been used to demonstrate the existence and uniqueness of the solution to the suggested model. We approximate the solutions of the proposed model using two numerical methods: the mean value theorem and the implicit trapezoidal method. The stability of these numerical methods is studied using various results and primary lemmas. Finally, we compare the results of our methods to demonstrate their efficiency and conduct a numerical simulation of the obtained results. A comparative study based on real data from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is provided. The study’s conclusions demonstrate the computational efficiency of our approaches in studying nonlinear fractional differential equations that arise in daily life problems. Full article

Recent research supports previous contentions that encapsulating vitamins and minerals with liposomes help improve overall bioavailability. This study examined whether ingesting a liposomal multivitamin and mineral supplement (MVM) differentially affects the appearance and/or clearance of vitamins and minerals in the blood compared to a non-liposomal MVM supplement. In a double-blind, randomized, and counterbalanced manner, 34 healthy men and women fasted for 12 h. Then, they ingested a non-liposomal (NL) or liposomal (L) MVM supplement and a standardized snack. Venous blood samples were obtained at 0, 2, 4, and 6 h after MVM ingestion and analyzed for a panel of vitamins and minerals. Plasma levels of vitamins and minerals and mean changes from baseline with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were analyzed using general linear model statistics with repeated measures. The observed values were also entered into pharmacokinetic analysis software and analyzed through univariate analysis of variance with repeated measure contrasts. The results revealed an overall treatment x time interaction effect among the vitamins and minerals evaluated (p = 0.051, ${\eta }_p^2$ = 0.054, moderate effect). Differences between treatments were also observed in volume distribution area (vitamin E, iron), median residence time (vitamin E, iron), volume distribution area (iron), volume of distribution steady state (vitamin A, E, iron), clearance rates (vitamin A, E), elimination phase half-life (vitamin E, iron), distribution/absorption phase intercept (vitamin A), and distribution/absorption phase slope and rate (vitamin C, calcium). Vitamin volume distribution was lower with liposomal MVM ingestion than non-liposomal MVM sources, suggesting greater clearance and absorption since similar amounts of vitamins and minerals were ingested. These findings indicate that coating a MVM with liposomes affects individual nutrient pharmacokinetic profiles. Additional research should evaluate how long-term supplementation of liposomal MVM supplements may affect vitamin and mineral status, nutrient function, and/or health outcomes. Full article

Multivitamin/mineral (MVM) supplements are one of the most popular dietary supplement categories. The purpose of this analysis was to determine if a novel liposomal delivery mechanism improves mineral absorption from an MVM product. In a randomized crossover trial, 25 healthy participants (12 females, 13 males) completed two testing sessions in which blood samples were collected at baseline and 2, 4, and 6 h following the ingestion of either a liposomal MVM or a nutrient-matched standard MVM. Analysis of MVM products indicated an elemental iron content of 9.4 and 10.1 mg (~50% U.S. FDA Daily Value) and an elemental magnesium content of 22.0 and 23.3 mg (~5% U.S. FDA Daily Value) in the liposomal and standard MVM products, respectively. Blood samples were analyzed for concentrations of iron and magnesium using colorimetric assays. Changes in mineral concentrations were analyzed using linear mixed models, and pharmacokinetic parameters were compared between conditions. For iron, statistically significant condition × time interactions were observed for percent change from baseline (p = 0.002), rank of percent change from baseline (p = 0.01), and raw concentrations (p = 0.02). Follow-up testing indicated that the liposomal condition exhibited larger changes from baseline than the standard MVM condition at 4 (p = 0.0001; +14.3 ± 18.5% vs. −6.0 ± 13.1%) and 6 h (p = 0.0002; +1.0 ± 20.9% vs. −21.0 ± 15.3%) following MVM ingestion. These changes were further supported by a 50% greater mean incremental area under the curve in the liposomal condition (33.2 ± 30.9 vs. 19.8 ± 19.8 mcg/dL × 6 h; p = 0.02, Cohen’s d effect size = 0.52). In contrast, no differential effects for magnesium absorption were observed. In conclusion, iron absorption from an MVM product is enhanced by a liposomal delivery mechanism. Full article

This paper presents a simulator model of a diesel engine with a turbocharger for hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) applications, which is used to obtain engine performance data to study the engine performance under faulty conditions, to assist engineers in diagnosis and estimation, and to assist engineers in model-based calibration (MBC). The whole diesel engine system is divided into several functional blocks: air block, injection block, cylinder block, crankshaft block, cooling block, lubrication block, and accessory block. The diesel engine model is based on physical level, semi-physical level and mathematical level concepts, and developed by Matlab/Simulink. All the model parameters are estimated using weighted least-squares optimization and the tuning process details are presented. Since the sub-model coupling may cause errors, the validation process is then given to make the model more accurate. The results show that the tuning process is important for the functional blocks and the validation process is useful for the accuracy of the whole engine model. Subsequently, this program could be used as a plant model for MBC, to develop and test engine control units (ECUs) on HIL equipment for the purpose of improving ECU performance. Full article