The Representation of Nociception and Pain in the Developing Brain.

When planning projects, events, work packages, it is always necessary to take into account the influence of internal conditions and the external environment. In most cases, the influence of external factors on the project is stochastic and is a random process. Scientific developments allowing to take into account the influence of the external environment on the development and implementation of projects are always relevant, since they will allow to predict the temporal characteristics of projects in real conditions. Aim. In scientific research, the task is to develop a mathematical model that allows dynamics to predict the temporal performance of projects, taking into account the influence of random external factors on them. Materials and methods. It is possible to solve the problem by describing the process of the influence of external factors on the project by mathematical methods of the theory of Markov random processes. At the same time, factors affecting the project are conditionally divided into those that lead to the need for additional activities in the development of projects, and to factors that require a fundamental change in the project. In a scientific study, mathematical methods of probability theory, the theory of differential equations, and numerical methods are used. Results. Based on the theory of Markov random processes, a dynamic model for the development and implementation of the project was developed taking into account the influence of external random factors on these processes. A methodology for the formation and solution of a mathematical model is described, which allows one to find the time dependences of the probabilities of completion of individual stages of project development and the probability of successful implementation of the project as a whole. The analysis of the solutions obtained is carried out, general trends in the development and implementation of projects are described taking into account the influence of external factors on them. Conclusion. The presented model makes it possible to evaluate the probabilities of the project in general and of its individual stages for different time intervals, which will allow you to plan timelines for project management. The model can complement the network planning and management procedures and provide additional probabilistic estimates of the project time.

This study examines the problem of the influence of internal factors (knowledge, attitude, and work experience) on radiographer compliance and implementation of radiation safety SOPs, the influence of external factors (condition of equipment and facilities, and work safety culture) on radiographer compliance and implementation of radiation safety SOPs, the influence of radiographer compliance on the implementation of radiation safety SOPs, and the influence of internal and external factors on the implementation of radiation safety SOPs through radiographer compliance. The data collection method used a questionnaire with a Likert scale. Data analysis methods include descriptive statistical analysis, SEM-PLS analysis with outer model testing, inner model testing and hypothesis testing. The results of this study indicate that internal factors (knowledge, attitude, and work experience) have a positive and significant effect on radiographer compliance and implementation of radiation safety SOPs at the Radiology Unit of Clinic X, Mecca, KSA. External factors (condition of equipment and facilities, and work safety culture) have a positive and significant effect on radiographer compliance and implementation of radiation safety SOPs at the Radiology Unit of Clinic X, Mecca, KSA. Radiographer compliance has a negative and significant effect on the implementation of radiation safety SOPs at the Radiology Unit of Clinic X, Mecca, KSA. Internal and external factors have a significant influence on the implementation of radiation safety SOPs through radiographer compliance at the Radiology Unit of Clinic X, Mecca, KSA.

In fish as in other vertebrates, the brain is actively involved in the control of reproduction, first by participating, under the influence of external factors, in the establishment of an appropriate endocrine status, but also by allowing synchronization of the partners by the time of spawning. It is now well established that the pituitary gonadotropic function is controlled by multiple stimulatory and inhibitory factors, originating mainly from the preoptic region and the mediobasal hypothalamus, both target regions for sexual steroids. Little is known about the mechanisms involved in the mediation of external and internal factors, however there is indication that internal factors, such as androgens and melatonin, known to trigger particular behavioural and endocrine responses, act both at the level of neuroendocrine territories, but also on sensorial systems, which are the actual sites of action for external factors. This paper represents an attempt to summarize and integrate the recent literature devoted to the different aspects of the brain as a major participant in the complex endocrine and behavioural mechanisms of reproduction in fish.

The article examines approaches to the interpretation of enterprise competitiveness and the formation of competitive potential. The formation of the competitive potential of production systems consists in the implementation of a number of processes related to the development of opportunities, consideration of alternatives for their implementation with the goal of improving competitive positions and expanding internal and external product sales markets. The change in the market conditions of conducting financial and economic activities requires the determination of the level of competitive potential, competitive advantages, the study of internal and external factors of influence, the review of existing principles for enterprise management, which will ensure the adoption and successful implementation of management decisions. It has been proven that in the formation of the competitive potential of production systems, it is important to distinguish and classify internal and external factors influencing the conduct of financial and economic activities. The characteristic features of the competitive potential of the production system, which must be taken into account to ensure effective management of the enterprise's competitiveness, are determined. The basics of assessing the level of the company's competitive potential in the context of ensuring strategic development are characterized. The ways of increasing the efficiency of competitive potential management under the influence of transformational processes of the market business environment of functioning are substantiated. In the system of managing the competitiveness of the enterprise, a methodologically justified subsystem of assessment of both the economic parameters of financial and economic activity and the analysis of external and internal factors of influence should be implemented. The formation of the competitive potential of each enterprise depends on the management subjects involved in this process and the effectiveness of their influence on the management objects. In order to ensure the effectiveness of the management system of the competitiveness of the production system, it is important to substantiate the compliance of the processes of forming competitive potential with the selected strategic guidelines.

The global changes which are affecting countries at the moment act as a ‘censor’ of modern energy relations and energy market development strategies in general. The development of the energy market is no longer considered in terms of its efficiency but more in terms of its survivability under the influence of external environmental factors and its ability to maintain an acceptable level of energy safety. In order to fully balance a country’s internal interests and increase its competitiveness in the global energy market, the importance of the problem of choosing a development strategy—following the path of energy independence or cooperative development—is becoming evident. The purpose of this paper is to identify an effective energy strategy for a country under the influence of contemporary challenges. The object of the study is the Russian energy market and the energy companies as its key players. In this context, it examines the situations where Russia and other energy market players are unequally affected by external environmental factors. Particular emphasis is placed on the possibility of overcoming the negative impact of environmental factors during the implementation of measures aimed at ensuring energy safety, achieving a better environmental situation in the country by reducing CO2 emissions, and strengthening the country’s position in the global energy market by changing its own energy development strategy. The dependence of the financial outcome of the energy complex companies of the Russian Federation on the factors of the external and internal environment was determined as the main direction of the study. The financial outcome of the Russian energy complex companies in this article serves as a landmark indicator of energy market development. The working hypothesis of the research is the authors’ claim that it is necessary for modern energy companies in Russia, as important participants in the energy market of the country, to transform their strategy in the direction of deepening cooperation under the influence of external and internal environmental factors. The methodological and theoretical framework of this study consists of classical and modern economic science, covering the analysis of energy market dynamics and structure, as well as the theories aimed at selecting the most effective strategies under the influence of external and internal environmental factors. The study is based on the works of domestic and foreign scientists devoted to the issues of competitiveness, strategic planning, and sustainable development in the context of total digitalization. Within the framework of the conducted research, we used methods of system and factor analysis; statistical research methods, in particular the analysis of dynamic changes, as well as correlation and regression analysis; and methods of comparison, analogy, and generalization. An important source of data on the financial result of companies in the Russian energy sector was the materials of the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation. As a result of this paper, a notable influence of external and internal environmental factors is determined. Among the most significant factors, digitalization is identified as a development trend. It also represents a driver of improvement in Russia’s energy market, both in terms of improving its competitiveness and environmental safety and in terms of strengthening the country’s leadership position in the global energy market. In addition to the findings, this article provides a theoretical contribution and recommendations for the development of theoretical ideas concerning the choice of an effective strategy for the development of Russia’s energy market. Future research directions are also considered, and the implications of the presented analysis for further research are discussed.

Background. The lack of targeted patient recruitment for clinical trials reaches 90%, which leads to failures of a trial as a whole and insufficient access to the necessary treatment or diagnostic method for patients. To find out the reasons for recruitment failures, many factors are considered, the action of which is difficult to assess due to high variability. In general, various factors are named that reduce patient recruitment, while factors that improve it are much less known.Objective: to investigate changes in the parameters and indicators of patient recruitment for clinical trials depending on the influence of external factors.Material and methods. A retrospective analysis of four international multicenter clinical trials of phases II–III was performed by 16 patient recruitment parameters and their 6 derivatives (indicators) – both widely used in the literature and newly proposed. A total of 622 patients from 70 clinical centers located in 59 cities of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus were included in the study. The methods of descriptive statistics and typing were used. To study the influence of factors, internal and external factors were selected, external factors including population size, area and density of residence were analysed, and changes in parameters and indicators depending on the influence of each factor were examined. The area and population density were studied in inseparable connection with each other.Results. A simple classification of factors was proposed – external and internal to the clinical center where patients were recruited. The factors classified as external were analyzed depending on the change in the proposed parameters of patient recruitment for clinical trials and their relationships – indicators (derivatives). The final rate of patient recruitment and the final number of patients recruited in the population group of 1–2 million people had statistically significant (p<0.05) higher values (0.57±0.20 and 15.08±5.06, respectively) than in group with up to 1 million people – 0.14±0.05 and 3.75±1.24.Conclusion. For the first time, an extended panel of parameters and indicators that allow evaluating the influence of various factors on patient recruitment for clinical trials was proposed. The value of the proportion of parameters and indicators that had statistical differences among themselves in the group influenced by the population size factor was more than twice as large as the proportion of similar parameters and indicators in the group influenced by area and population density: 47% and 23%, respectively, which may indicate more strong influence of the first factor.

The research method is the substantiation of the category «international tourism» based on the theoretical analysis of domestic scientists, the analysis of the main factors and factors that influence the formation of international tourist flows and the development of the tourism industry. The article proves that the influence of external and internal factors can have positive and negative results. It has been proven that static factors are unchanged over time, while dynamic factors can change. The influence of external factors is manifested through social, economic and political changes, and internal factors are influenced through market relations. External factors affect tourism through: demographic and social changes; economic and financial development; changes in political and legal regulation; technological changes; trade development; transport infrastructure; travel safety. Internal factors are primarily market factors: supply and demand processes; segmentation of the market in which the tourist product is developed; actual marketing; tourism private sector; human factor. All factors affecting the development of the international market tourist services, conditionally divided into two main groups: factors acting independently of the activities of industry organizations tourism (motivational, economic, political, geographical, social, ecological); factors contributing to the development of tourism, which are actively used tourist organizations in their activities (scientific and technical potential). Assessing the country's international competitiveness tourist market, it is necessary to take into account and investigate the following criteria: resource potential of the country; trends that are relevant in the business environment and development tourist infrastructure; the state of the political and legal framework for the regulation of international tourism in country.

The ability of bacteriophages to survive under unfavorable conditions is highly diversified. We summarize the influence of different external physical and chemical factors, such as temperature, acidity, and ions, on phage persistence. The relationships between a phage’s morphology and its survival abilities suggested by some authors are also discussed. A better understanding of the complex problem of phage sensitivity to external factors may be useful not only for those interested in pharmaceutical and agricultural applications of bacteriophages, but also for others working with phages.

In a number of species, consistent behavioral differences between individuals have been described in standardized tests, e.g., novel object, open field test. Different behavioral expressions are reflective of different coping strategies of individuals in stressful situations. A causal link between behavioral responses and the activation of the physiological stress response is assumed but not thoroughly studied. Also, most standard paradigms investigating individual behavioral differences are framed in a fearful context, therefore the present study aimed to add a test in a more positive context, the feeding context. We assessed individual differences in physiological [heart rate (HR)] and behavioral responses (presence or absence of pawing, startle response, defecation, snorting) of 20 domestic horses (Equus caballus) in two behavioral experiments, a novel object presentation and a pre-feeding excitement test. Experiments were conducted twice, once between July and August, and once between September and October. Both experiments caused higher mean HR in the first 10 s after stimulus presentation compared to a control condition, but mean HR did not differ between the experimental conditions. In the novel object experiment, horses displaying stress-related behaviors during the experiments also showed a significantly higher HR increase compared to horses which did not display any stress-related behaviors, reflecting a correlation between behavioral and physiological responses to the novel object. On the contrary, in the pre-feeding experiments, horses that showed fewer behavioral responses had a greater HR increase, indicating the physiological response being due to emotional arousal and not behavioral activity. Moreover, HR response to experimental situations varied significantly between individuals. Individual average HR was significantly repeatable across both experiments, whereas HR increase was only significantly repeatable during the novel object and not the pre-feeding experiment. Conversely, behavioral response was not repeatable. In conclusion, our findings show that horses’ behavioral and physiological responses differed between test situations and that emotional reactivity, shown via mean HR and HR increase, is not always displayed behaviorally, suggesting that behavioral and physiological responses may be regulated independently according to context.

Simple SummaryAuditory perception is a key driver in behavioural and physiological responses and as prey species, horses have evolved to identify these stimuli and respond appropriately to maximise chances of survival. Sport horses are required to perform without distraction by external, irrelevant auditory stimuli and to help achieve this, ‘noise-damping’ ear covers have been developed. This study investigated behavioural and physiological (heart rate) responses of horses to different sounds commonly present in a competition environment and compared these responses in the presence and absence of ear covers. A difference in both physiological and behavioural responses to different auditory stimuli was found, suggesting an ability to discriminate the sounds and alter responses based on the individual stimulus. An overall difference in both physiological and behavioural responses with and without ear covers was also found with a reduction in responsiveness when wearing ear covers, although responses varied between sounds presented. The attenuation of these responses when wearing ear covers implies a reduced perception of sounds with varying levels of effectiveness. We suggest this information can be used to predict responses of sport horses, enhancing management and optimisation of performance while improving horse welfare.Despite numerous studies investigating responses to visual perception, there is limited research into how horses respond to different auditory stimuli. Although ‘noise-damping’ ear covers are frequently used on sport horses to minimise distraction from external auditory stimuli, the effectiveness of ear covers has not been established. This study aimed to (i) investigate the responses of horses to different sounds commonly present in a competition environment, and (ii) compare these responses in the presence and absence of ear covers. A total of 18 horses were presented with 5 sounds commonly heard in competition or stable environments both with and without ear covers, in a randomised order crossover design. Behavioural and heart rate responses were recorded. Responses were compared between sounds and with/without ear covers. Differences in physiological and behavioural responses to different complex auditory stimuli were shown. An overall difference in physiological and behavioural responses with and without ear covers was detected, although the only difference in heart rate between ear covers and no ear covers that individually achieved significance was the feed sound. These findings suggest that horses can discriminate sounds and alter their responses based on the individual stimulus, and these responses are reduced when wearing ear covers with varying effectiveness for different sounds.

Individuals vary in their behavioral and physiological responses to environmental changes. These behavioral responses are often described as “coping styles” along a proactive-reactive continuum. Studies in laboratory populations often, but not always, find that behavioral responses and physiological responses to stressors covary, where more proactive (more aggressive and active) individuals have a lower physiological stress response, specifically as measured by hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. These studies support the possibility of hormonal pleiotropy underlying the presentation of behaviors that make up the proactive-reactive phenotype. However, recent research in wild populations is equivocal, with some studies reporting the same pattern as found in many controlled laboratory studies, whereas others do not. We tested the hypothesis that physiological and behavioral stress responses are correlated in wild adult North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). We used fecal cortisol metabolites (FCMs) as a non-invasive, integrated estimate of circulating glucocorticoids for our measurement of HPA axis activity. We found that FCM concentrations were not correlated with three measures of behavioral coping styles (activity, aggression, and docility) among individuals. This does not support the hypothesis that hormonal pleiotropy underlies a proactive-reactive continuum of coping styles. Instead, our results support the “two-tier” hypothesis that behavioral and physiological stress responses are independent and uncorrelated traits among individuals in wild populations that experience naturally varying environments rather than controlled environments. If also found in other studies, this may alter our predictions about the evolutionary consequences of behavioral and endocrine coping styles in free-living animals. Individuals vary in how they respond to stressors through behavior and physiology, but we find the two responses are independent in wild animals. Many laboratory studies find links between the behavioral and physiological stress responses; however, studies conducted with wild populations are less conclusive. In wild North American red squirrels, independence between the physiological response and behavioral response may allow adaptive responses to a changing environment without pleiotropic constraint.

The impact of demographic and self-management factors on physical activity in women

The article explores methods for assessing a company's performance and describes the impact of external and internal factors and methods for measuring them. The concept of self-management, self-management factors, and a model of the impact of self-management on company performance are described. Given the realities of today's highly competitive and constantly changing market, companies are forced to seek competitive advantages such as better quality, marketing strategy, customer service level, etc. Considering the pace of market development, an important competitive advantage can be the improvement of internal efficiency in the middle of the company and the optimization of business processes. By improving the quality of internal business processes, companies gain an advantage in terms of quality, speed of customer service, etc. The article describes the internal and external factors that affect the efficiency of the company. Internal factors include factors that arise within the company, and external factors include factors that the company has no direct influence on, but must take them into account when conducting business. During the construction of the model, both external and internal factors were taken into account. The model describes the influence of all external and internal factors. The concept of self-management, its main components and the influence of self-management on the company's performance are also described. Given the high level of digitization in modern conditions, self-management and management in general should be completed using modern means. The proposal model describes the effectiveness of the company's activities by selected divisions, the influence of external and internal factors, as well as the influence of self-management, which is implemented with the help of modern software tools. We can note that the implementation of a mobile application for self-management, which will be integrated into the general management system of the company, will help to level internal factors and reduce the influence of external factors, as well as increase the efficiency of the company's activities to improve the efficiency of internal business processes.

With the development of intelligent transportation system (ITS), the vital technology of ITS, short-term traffic forecasting, gains increasing attention. However, the existing prediction models ignore the impact of urban functional zones (FZs) on traffic data, resulting in inaccurate extractions of dynamic spatial relationships from network. Furthermore, how to calculate the influence of external factors, such as weather and holidays on traffic is an unsolved problem. This article proposes a spatio-temporal hierarchical mapping and interactive attention network (HMIAN), which extracts the spatial features from traffic network by constructing FZs, and designs an effective external factors fusion method. HMIAN uses the hierarchical mapping structure to aggregate the roads into FZs, calculate the interaction between FZs and feed this information back to the spatial features. And the interactive attention mechanism is utilized to fuse the traffic data with external factors effectively, and extracts temporal features. In addition, some experiments were carried out on three real traffic data sets. First, experiment results show the better prediction performance of the proposed model compared with other existing methods in a complex traffic network. Second, the longitudinal comparison experiment verifies that the hierarchical mapping structure is effective in extracting spatial features in a complex road network. Finally, the influence of different external factors and fusion methods on traffic prediction are compared, which provides a consult for subsequent research on the influence of external factors.

Enterprises operate in a dynamic environment, which is accompanied by the influence of various factors on the enterprise. Many of them pose a threat to the financial and economic condition of the enterprise and its ability to carry out production and economic activities. Also, the influence of external factors is often sudden and unpredictable, which requires immediate actions in the enterprise management system. Enterprises operate in a dynamic environment, which is accompanied by the influence of various factors on the enterprise. Many of them pose a threat to the financial and economic condition of the enterprise and its ability to carry out production and economic activities. Also, the influence of external factors is often sudden and unpredictable, which requires immediate actions in the enterprise management system. The article discusses the features of using simulation modeling for the analysis of financial assets. A simulation model is a dynamic model in which all processes are considered over time. Indicators of the efficiency of the use of financial assets have been calculated and principle schemes of models for enterprises in the service sector and agriculture have been built. The food industry is one of the most important and promising for the further development of industries in Ukraine, the effective activity of which can not only significantly increase the country's budget, but also create internal food security and ensure social aspects. Analysis of the service sector in Ukraine is gaining more and more relevance and occupies a key place in the economy of Ukraine. In recent years, the share of retail trade has almost doubled, and the volume of non-cash payments has exceeded 36% of all retail trade volumes in Ukraine. The degree of influence of internal and external factors on the company's financial assets is analyzed. The procedure of simulation modeling is considered using a mathematical model of two performance indicators – the turnover ratio of financial assets and the ratio of quick liquidity. The practical application of simulation modeling made it possible to visually display the main elements of the cycle of production and sale of products, taking into account the main factors of influence on the studied performance indicators.