Changes In Functional State Research Articles

Change of drivers’ functional condition during dangerous goods transportation

The study of the human factors in traffic safety is a relatively young scientific field that began to develop several decades before the mass car advent. The origins of transport psychology and psychophysiology were mostly aimed at creating more comfortable and safe driving conditions due to the design of highways. Over time, there was a need to take into account drivers working conditions, namely the ergonomics of vehicles. The latest works have already taken into account previous experience and considered the issues of freight and passenger transportation technological processes, including the human factor. Among the objects and subjects of research in previous works were considered the processes of driving vehicles with different ergonomic characteristics and buses of different capacities, which created a kind of case matrix for planning experiments. When it comes to trucks, the matrix of cases became much larger, as the set of ergonomic and dynamic features of vehicles adds a much wider set of specialization of cargo and truck types. In this case, the most important issue is to determine the road conditions impact the driver's functional condition, engaged in the transport of dangerous goods, which is the purpose of this article. The research used: methods of field survey to establish the values of traffic flow on highways; methods of in-house research to determine the value of road capacity; electrophysiological methods to determine changes in the driver's functional condition. The article describes the typing of road conditions according to their complexity, as well as the differentiation of drivers according to their psychological and professional qualities. Experimental studies of changes in driver's functional state of different age and socionic groups with different road conditions complexity, during dangerous goods transportation (second class of risk). The main results indicate that the analysis of traffic conditions' impact on the driver's functional state shows different dynamics of psycho-emotional stress change for people characterized by certain types of the nervous system and the ratio of their age to work experience.

Abnormal Dynamic Functional Networks in Subjective Cognitive Decline and Alzheimer's Disease.

Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is considered to be the preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and has the potential for the early diagnosis and intervention of AD. It was implicated that CSF-tau, which increases very early in the disease process in AD, has a high sensitivity and specificity to differentiate AD from normal aging, and the highly connected brain regions behaved more tau burden in patients with AD. Thus, a highly connected state measured by dynamic functional connectivity may serve as the early changes of AD. In this study, forty-five normal controls (NC), thirty-six individuals with SCD, and thirty-five patients with AD were enrolled to obtain the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. Sliding windows, Pearson correlation, and clustering analysis were combined to investigate the different levels of information transformation states. Three states, namely, the low state, the middle state, and the high state, were characterized based on the strength of functional connectivity between each pair of brain regions. For the global dynamic functional connectivity analysis, statistically significant differences were found among groups in the three states, and the functional connectivity in the middle state was positively correlated with cognitive scales. Furthermore, the whole brain was parcellated into four networks, namely, default mode network (DMN), cognitive control network (CCN), sensorimotor network (SMN), and occipital-cerebellum network (OCN). For the local network analysis, statistically significant differences in CCN for low state and SMN for middle state and high state were found in normal controls and patients with AD. Meanwhile, the differences were also found in normal controls and individuals with SCD. In addition, the functional connectivity in SMN for high state was positively correlated with cognitive scales. Converging results showed the changes in dynamic functional states in individuals with SCD and patients with AD. In addition, the changes were mainly in the high strength of the functional connectivity state.

Зміни структурно-функціонального стану кісткової тканини, рівня остеопротегерину в жінок з ішемічною хворобою серця в постменопаузі

Епідеміологічні докази взаємозв’язку розвитку остеопорозу та серцево-судинних захворювань в менопаузі активно дискутуються. Метою дослідження було визначення змін структурно-функціонального стану кісткової системи, рівня остеопротегерину в жінок з ішемічною хворобою серця в постменопаузі.Проведено обстеження 148 пацієнток у постменопаузі, їх розподілено на групи залежно від наявності ішемічної хвороби та остеопорозу (середній вік 63,5 ± 5,9 року, тривалість постменопаузи в середньому — 6,10 ± 0,65 року). Усім було проведено денситометричне обстеження, визначення маркерів резорбції та формування кісток, остеопротегерину. Результати показали, що в пацієнток у постменопаузі з ішемічною хворобою серця при поєднанні з остеопорозом було визначено більш значне зниження показників Т-індексу, рівнів остеокальцину та остеопротегерину.

ANALYSIS OF CLINICAL AND FUNCTIONAL INDICES OF CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM IN POST-COVID-19 EMERGENCY WORKERS OF THE CHORNOBYL ACCIDENT.

to determine which changes of cardiovascular system clinical, and structural, and functional state in emergency workers (EW) of the accident at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant (CNNP) can be associated with COVID-19 they suffered from and not with the natural progression of coronary heart disease (CHD). The study included 16 male EW who fell ill with mild and medium-severe COVID-19 (EWC group) in 2020-2021, which was confirmed by a PCR test (polymerase chain reaction). All these patients were observed in the NRCRM cardiology department before infection with the coronavirus. The comparison group consisted of 32 EW who did not suffer from COVID-19 and their age and examination dates corresponded to EWC. General clinical, laboratory, statistical methods and Doppler echocardiography were used for patients examination. In the post-covid period, EW-C observed a worsening of CHD clinical course, which consisted in an increase in the number of patients with severe functional class angina pectoris, with ventricular and supraventricular extrasystoles, as well as with more severe heart failure (HF). Since similar changes in the state of the cardiovascular system were found among EW who did not suffer from COVID-19, they can be attributed to the natural progression of CHD. In the EW-C group, there was an increase in the number of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) by 4 times (up 37.5 %), while in the comparison group EW only by 1.1 times (up 3.1 %). The progression of CHD and HF in the examined patients was accompanied by an increase in the end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes of the left ventricle and the mass of the myocardium, the severity of which was not significantly different in patients with and without COVID-19. The number of post-covid patients with reduced ejection fraction (EF) during examination after COVID-19 increased by 31.3 %, and in the group of EW, which were examined at the same time, by 6.32 %. A significant increase in the number of patients with AF and a reduced EF in the EW-C compared with the EW can be attributed to the results of the SARS-CoV-2 virus influence on cardiovascular system.

Lipid peroxidation functional state changes in patients with obstructive jaundice depending on the level of bilirubin in the blood.

Obstructive jaundice (OJ) is the most common syndrome among diseases of the hepatopancreatoduodenal region and is found in 12-45% of cases. OJ may be benign and malignant etiology. Despite the evidence of the participation of bilirubin in reducing the bactericidal properties of neutrophils, there are no data currently on changes in the functioning of the antioxidant defense system depending on the level of bilirubin in the blood of patients with OJ of various origins. Research in this direction reveals the possibility for the development of pathogenetic recommendations for influencing these links of the pathogenesis of the disease. The study included men with OJ of non-malignant (OJNMG) (n = 47; mean age - 52.02 ± 5.18 years) and OJ of malignant genesis (OJMG) (I-II stages of the malignant process) (n = 45; mean age - 53.02 ± 4.8 years), divided into three subgroups, depending on the level of bilirubin in the blood. The indicators of practically healthy men as a control (n = 50, average age - 48.7 ± 3.9 years) were used. Spectrophotometric and statistical research methods were used. A statistically significant decrease of superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione-peroxidase, ceruloplasmin, an increase in the values of diene conjugates, malondialdehyde in the group of patients with OJNMG relative to the control was revealed, regardless of the level of bilirubin in the blood. The presence of malignant genesis of the disease with more intense changes in the studied parameters relative to control is accompanied. Comparison of indicators between groups of patients with OJ of different genesis showed a decrease in the values of glutathione-S-transferase and an increase in the level of diene conjugates in patients with OJMG and the level of bilirubin less than 60 μmol / L, as well as an increase in the content of diene conjugates in patients with OJNMG and a level of bilirubin 60- 200 μmol / L in comparison with the corresponding groups of patients with OJNMG. Thus, both in the groups with OJNMG and in the groups with OJMG, there is a significant decrease in the activity of the main antioxidant enzymes and an increase in lipid peroxidation products, regardless of the level of bilirubin in the blood. The presence of malignant genesis is characterized by more intense differences. The revealed changes can serve as additional criteria for optimizing the diagnosis and treatment of this cohort of patients.

Инструментальные и биохимические показатели состояния костной ткани при остеомаляции и остеопорозе

Актуальность. Снижение минеральной плотности костной ткани (МПКТ), возникающее при остеомаляции (ОМ) и остеопорозе (ОП), сопровождается уменьшением прочностных свойств костных структур и ростом риска переломов. Несмотря на одинаковый клинический исход (переломы), морфоструктурные, этиологические и патогенетические характеристики ОП и ОМ качественно различаются. Цель исследования: изучить диагностические критерии остеомаляции и остеопороза в постменопаузе. Материалы и методы. Обследовано 157 постменопаузальных (ПМ) женщин в возрасте 57,5 ± 1,2 года, у 103 из которых был диагностирован ОП (группа І) и у 24 морфометрически был установлен диагноз остеомаляции (ОМ) (группа ІІ), контрольную группу (III) составляли 30 практически здоровых женщин. Проведена рентгеновская денситометрия (остеоденситометр Hologic Discovery (USA)). Уровень 25(ОН)D в сыворотке крови определяли иммуноферментным методом на анализаторе EUROIMMUN (Германия). Маркер резорбции КТ С-терминальный телопептид коллагена 1-го типа (СТх), остеокальцин (ОК) и паратгормон (ПТГ) — иммунохемилюминесцентным методом, уровень фосфора — спектрофотометрическим методом на анализаторе Cobas 6000 (Roche Diagnostics, Швейцария). Уровень остеопротегерина (ОПГ) определяли методом иммуноферментного анализа на аппарате AxsymSystem (Abbot, Германия), статистическую обработку проводили с помощью прикладных программ Microsoft Office Excel и Statistica 10.0. Для математической обработки использовали t-критерий Стьюдента. При оценке силы связи коэффициентов корреляции использовали шкалу Чеддока. Результаты. Анализ полученных данных показал снижение МПКТ (р < 0,05) в І и ІІ группах. Однако BMD neck, Т-критерий neck, Z-критерий neck в группе женщин с ОМ были значимо снижены (р < 0,05) в сравнении с группой с ОП. Уровни 25(ОН)D, ОК, ОПГ были также снижены (р < 0,05) во ІІ группе женщин по сравнению с І группой. Были получены более высокие (р < 0,05) показатели ПТГ и СТх в группе пациенток с ОМ в сравнении с группой лиц с ОП. Корреляционный анализ полученных результатов показал связь уровня 25(ОН)D с показателями структурно-функциональных изменений КТ: 25(ОН)D и СТх (r = –0,669; р = 0,001), 25 (ОН)D и BMD neck (r = 0,736; р = 0,002). Также выявлена прямая связь между BMD neck и СТх (r = –0,463; р = 0,002). Выводы. У ПМ женщин с ОМ в сравнении с ПМ женщинами с ОП выявлены значимо большие (р < 0,05) изменения структурно-функционального состояния КТ, биохимических маркеров резорбции и ремоделирования КТ, а также более низкий (р < 0,05) уровень 25(ОН)D. Содержание 25(ОН)D обладает высокой информативностью в плане прогнозирования и диагностики снижения МПКТ и риска переломов. Биохимический маркер резорбции СТх обладает высокой информативностью в плане прогнозирования, своевременной диагностики и эффективности лечения снижения МПКТ.

Effects of aerobic physical rehabilitation on muscle fiber metabolism in patients with severe heart failure

Abstract Purpose To evaluate changes of functional state and metabolism of skeletal muscle fiber (MF) after aerobic physical rehabilitation (PR), based on original method; to study relationship between clinical data dynamics and indicators of skeletal muscle metabolism after PR. Methods 100 patients; heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), NYHA III, mean age 52±5,2 years, ejection fraction (EF) 27,3±4,2%, BMI 23,5±2,8 kg/m2. Before inclusion in PR program cardiopulmonary exercising test (CPET), echocardiography (EchoCG), quality of life (QOL), exercise tolerance (ET) were estimated. Physical training intensity was based on lactate threshold achievement during CPET. PR efficiency was estimated on the basis of peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), EF, QOL and ET dynamics after 6 months PR. Shin muscle biopsy was performed at baseline and after 3–6 months PR. In muscle samples activity of alkaline phosphatase (AP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and succinate dehydrogenase (SDG) was evaluated with plag-method. Data were statistically processed using software package “Statistika, 9.0”. Results After 6 months of training EF increased by 10,5±2,3%, ET increased by 9,7±0,5 points (p1,2 <0,05), QOL changed by 24,8±3,5 points (significant regression of symptoms), VO2peak increased by 5,2±0,5 ml/min/kg (p3,4 <0,05). MF diameter (dMF) after PR slightly decreased in 6 patients, in 2 patients it did not change. After 3–6 months of training AP activity increased by 24,2% (p<0,05); LDH activity in glycolytic MF decreased by 24,4%, in oxidative MF it decreased by 6,0% only (p1 <0,05, p2>0,05). SDG activity in glycolytic MF increased by 20%, in oxidative MF it increased by 30% (p1 <0,05, p2<0,05). There was a positive relationship between heart failure functional class dynamics and dMF (r=0,4, p=0,05), increase in CPET parameters was associated with AP activity (r=0,5, p=0,05). Conclusion Aerobic physical rehabilitation in stable HF pts, selected on the basis of LT achievement, was effective in improving values of EF, QOL, VO2peak and ET. After 3–6 months PR dMF slightly decreased; Participating in the PR program decreased LDH activity in both oxidative and glycolytic muscle fibers; it also increased AP and SDG activity significantly. This may indicate an increase in oxidative metabolism activity and decrease in MF edema, improvement in skeletal muscles microcirculation. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Characterizing the Heterogeneity of Aging: A Vision for a Staging System for Aging.

Introduction: Older adulthood encompasses several decades of change and heterogeneity. Primary care providers need a geriatric comprehensive vision for defining older adult subpopulations.Methods: Using PubMed and Google searches, we reviewed the literature on epidemiology of age-related physiological changes, age-related diseases and geriatric syndromes, functional state, and emotional and social changes. We divided old age into strata based on chronological age and strata based on functional state, disease burden, and geriatric syndromes.Results: We describe 4 chronological-age strata beginning at age 60, and 4 functional-age strata based on frailty according to a modified clinical frailty scale. We provide clinical considerations and anticipatory guidance topics for each of the age strata and functional strata.Conclusion: Chronological age, functional status, chronic disease burden and geriatric syndromes, and life expectancy are all important domains that impact clinical care and appropriate anticipatory guidance for individual older adults. Better knowledge for differentiating subpopulations of older adults may improve clinical care, reduce medical overuse, improve personalized anticipatory guidance, and focus on the impact of functional state on the quality of life.

Value of psychological adaptation of labor-intensive underground workers in formation of arterial hypertension regarding age aspect

Objective. To study the prerequisites for the development of hypertension based on the manifestation of psychovegetative dysfunction and some changes in the biochemical and functional parameters of CVS in the age aspect. Psychological adaptation of a group of underground miners in conditions of intensive labor was analyzed on the basis of indicators of psycho-vegetative status taking into account the influence of professional and psychosocial factors. In connection with the established diagnosis i.e. arterial hypertension (AH) syndrome, especially in middle-aged persons, it is of interest to study the indicators of psycho-vegetative status in the age aspect and to compare them with some changes in biochemical and functional state of cardiovascular system (CVS) in this contingent of patients.
 Materials and methods. The results of the study of psycho-vegetative status of 60 underground miners with AH syndrome (age 46.8 2.0 years, experience 22.0 2.4 years) using the method of psychophysiological testing as well as analysis of some clinical, functional and laboratory parameters are presented.
 Results. The adaptive psycho-vegetative phenotypes in a group of underground workers with AH syndrome in the age aspect were identified.
 Conclusions. With an increase in the length of service among labor-intensive workers, the characteristics of psycho-vegetative status change qualitatively in the form of elevated anxiety and neuro-psychical stress with a decrease in the function of attention combined with a negative relationship of these parameters with increasing age, that is accompanied by dysfunction of CVS; studying of this aspect allows identifying the prerequisites for the development of hypertension so as to form a risk group in time.

Influence of Subcellular Localization and Functional State on Protein Turnover.

Protein homeostasis is an equilibrium of paramount importance that maintains cellular performance by preserving an efficient proteome. This equilibrium avoids the accumulation of potentially toxic proteins, which could lead to cellular stress and death. While the regulators of proteostasis are the machineries controlling protein production, folding and degradation, several other factors can influence this process. Here, we have considered two factors influencing protein turnover: the subcellular localization of a protein and its functional state. For this purpose, we used an imaging approach based on the pulse-labeling of 17 representative SNAP-tag constructs for measuring protein lifetimes. With this approach, we obtained precise measurements of protein turnover rates in several subcellular compartments. We also tested a selection of mutants modulating the function of three extensively studied proteins, the Ca2+ sensor calmodulin, the small GTPase Rab5a and the brain creatine kinase (CKB). Finally, we followed up on the increased lifetime observed for the constitutively active Rab5a (Q79L), and we found that its stabilization correlates with enlarged endosomes and increased interaction with membranes. Overall, our data reveal that both changes in protein localization and functional state are key modulators of protein turnover, and protein lifetime fluctuations can be considered to infer changes in cellular behavior.

ИЗМЕНЕНИЕ ЧАСТОТЫ СЕРДЕЧНЫХ СОКРАЩЕНИЙ И САТУРАЦИИ КРОВИ У ЮНЫХ СПОРТСМЕНОВ-ОРИЕНТИРОВЩИКОВ ПРИ ПРОХОЖДЕНИИ СПОРТИВНЫХ ДИСТАНЦИЙ РАЗНОЙ СЛОЖНОСТИ

Nowadays, youth sport, on a par with professional sport, imposes stringent requirements for physical and emotional preparation of athletes [1]. Orienteering is no exception, where in the system of preparation of young athletes an important task is to control the formation of adequate adaptive reactions to intensive muscular activity [2]. Running orienteering is characterized by performing maximum and even excessive physical loads during different time intervals, which is associated with significant mobilization of energy systems of young athletes’ organism – cardiovascular, respiratory, humoral and metabolic, etc. [2, 3]. Due to the fact that for ethical reasons invasive methods (blood lactate control) of functional diagnostics, as well as some stress tests (load testing «to failure») are often not applicable to school-age children, including orienteering athletes, the search for simple noninvasive, applicable in the field methods of functional state control during and after passing sports distances of different complexity in order to monitor adequacy of training process and prognosis is actual. We think that assessment of blood oxygen saturation degree (SpO2 %), which, according to literature data, reflects real efficiency of cardiorespiratory system operation, is one of such methods along with heart rate (HR) recording [4–9]. SpO2 % determination by direct oximetry has been introduced into clinical practice for quite a long time. However, recently it has become possible to monitor blood oxygen saturation out of clinical control due to the development of portable pulse oximeters for indirect transdermal determination of SpO2 %. However, to date in the scientific literature there are virtually no studies of functional changes in the degree of blood saturation, as well as HR, in young orienteering athletes. Therefore, the aim of our study was to assess the changes in heart rate and peripheral saturation in young orienteering athletes when passing sport distances of different difficulty. After athletic distance the HR values in young athletes increased on average by 130–170 % (boys) and 140–150 % (girls) relative to the values recorded at rest in these subjects. The maximum increase in heart rate was recorded in both groups of test athletes after cross sprint distances – by 177.4 % (p<0.05) and 147.05 % (p<0.05)) cross-long – by 251.6 % (p<0.05) and 141.2 % (p<0.05) for boys and girls respectively, indicating the greatest changes in functional state, particularly tension of energy supply mechanisms during these distances. After cross-sprint and cross-long distances the reliable decrease of peripheral blood saturation ≈ on 1,8 % (p<0,05) at boys and ≈ on 2,6 % (p<0,05) at girls has been registered in young orienteering athletes. The data obtained by us testify to the fact that the passage of distances cross-sprint and cross-long caused the greatest change in blood saturation and tension of mechanisms of their energy supply in young orienteering athletes associated with the development of hypoxic states, caused by lactate acidosis. Significant differences in the dynamics of changes in the studied parameters between the groups of boys and girls 13–14 were recorded only for the saturation index: on the distances cross-sprint and cross-long SpO2 values for both distances for girls were ≈1.03 % (p<0,05) lower than for boys. This indicates that young men have an advantage in adapting to physical loads associated with cross-country sport distances compared to girls of the same age.

Investigation of the functional state changes of cardio-vascular system in patients, suffering peritonitis

Objective. To study a functional state of cardio-vascular system in patients, suffering peritonitis.
 Materials and methods. Analysis of dynamics in the electrocardiogram changes in 166 patients, including 84 women and 82 men, was conducted for studying of functional state of cardio-vascular system in extended peritonitis.
 Results. Changes on electrocardiograms were non monotonous and depended on the peritonitis stage. In 28.3% patients diffuse changes in myocardium were observed, while in 43.9% - moderate. In 42.6% patients the disorders in metabolic processes in myocardium were revealed. Changes in conductivity and excitability were noted merely in half of the patients. Hypoxia was observed in 17.7% patients in reactive stage of peritonitis, in 32.0% - in a toxic, in 75.8% - in terminal. Tachycardia in a reactive stage of peritonitis was noted in 77.4% patients, in toxic one - in 89.3%, and in terminal - in 86.2% patients. In terminal stage of peritonitis in 13.8% patients bradycardia was noted. The blood supply disorders of various compartments of myocardium was revealed in 34.4% patients.
 Conclusion. Functional changes of cardio-vascular system in patients depends on stage of peritonitis. In all the patients, suffering peritonitis, medicinal correction of the cardio-vascular system work must be conducted, while its intensity depends on stage of peritonitis.

The condition of the respiratory muscles in obstructive sleep disordered breathing according to electromyographic data

Aim . To study functional state of respiratory muscles in patients with obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (oSDB) of varying severity based on changes in electrical activity when using a stepwise-increasing respiratory load. Materials and methods . According to results of cardiorespiratory monitoring, the examined patients were divided into 4 groups. Group 1 included 16 patients without oSDB, group 2 – 16 patients with mild oSDB, group 3 – 8 patients with moderate oSDB, group 4 – 8 patients with severe oSDB. The assessment of electrical activity of inspiratory muscles and expiratory muscles was carried out using electromyography (EMG) when performing tests with a stepwise-increasing inspiratory and expiratory load. Results . During inspiratory test, a decrease in EMG frequency was observed, indicating respiratory muscles fatigue development, with a simultaneous increase in EMG amplitude due to the involvement of additional motoneurons in muscle contraction. In all cases, degree of increase in EMG amplitude prevailed over degree of decrease in EMG frequency. In patients of groups 3 and 4, there were no signs of diaphragm fatigue. Results of expiratory test in group 1, degree of increase in EMG amplitude prevailed over degree of decrease in EMG frequency. In the groups of patients with oSDB, prevalence of decrease in the EMG frequency over increase in EMG amplitude was observed, which indicates development of neuromuscular fatigue of expiratory muscles. Conclusion . Changes in functional state of respiratory muscles are associated with severity of oSDB and are characterized by different dynamics of the electrical activity of inspiratory and expiratory muscles in response to a functional test.

Влияние подкормок на изменение функционального состояния листа яблони при действии абиотических стресс-факторов летнего периода

Влияние подкормок на изменение функционального состояния листа яблони при действии абиотических стресс-факторов летнего периода

Content adaptation neural network method cause-specific the state of users

The aim of the study is to develop recommendations for adapting educational content based on the use of a neural network method for recognizing the human autonomic nervous system degree of activity. The initial data for decision making are the vectors of cardiointervals obtained with the help of the pulse sensor. The state of the autonomic nervous system is monitored by a two-layer artificial neural network of direct propagation. The artificial neural network was trained by combining gradient and stochastic training methods. A trial sample was used as a training set, consisting of 168 records of people’s cardiointervals belonging to different social and age groups. The presented method for recognizing the autonomic nervous system activity degree was tested via the shared programming support environment Lazarus. As a result of network training, a set of weighting coefficient values was found, for which 100% correct recognition is performed over the entire trial sample. A personalized training system that monitors the functional state of the student varies the presentation of educational content. When the functional state changes during the training load, the virtual agent organizes the training process so as to avoid stress load.

PATTERNS OF ATTENTION AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION CHANGES IN TWILIGHT DURING DRIVING URBAN STREETS

The dynamic process of movement of vehicles in cities is associated with interaction with objects of the road environment. Road conditions, traffic and pedestrians require certain actions from the driver to ensure road safe-ty. Under such circumstances, the reliability and safety of road traffic in human-machine systems mainly depends on the functional state of the driver (provided that the technical component, the subsystem is “car”) and his ability to respond to changes in the traffic situation when obstacles arise (conflict situations). The development of states of tension and fatigue of the driver is associated with an increase in energy costs, which leads to a natural in-crease in the heart rate, respiration and other parameters indicating changes in the energy balance of the driver's body. Eye Tracking technology has been applied to detect attention. Energy costs were determined using a method that takes into account the frequency of the driver's external respiration when driving on the road and in the background. As a result, a model of change in the attention of drivers with driving experience and a model of en-ergy consumption when driving in the evening twilight at a certain level of illumination were obtained. To determine the influence of conflict situations during movement in the evening twilight on the indicator of attention and energy consumption of the driver, a study was carried out in real conditions on city streets. A group of drivers with experience of 3-5 years and 10-16 years performed arrivals in the evening twilight on passenger cars "C" class. Experimental studies of the indicator of drivers' attention and functional state in conditions of evening twilight were carried out on different categories of city streets. The study involved drivers between the ages of 20 and 40. The obtained dependences of the change in the driver's functional state on illumination showed that at low illumination levels in the evening twilight, a rapid increase in the driver's functional state shifts. Thus, the energy consumption of the driver while driving depends on the types of conflict situations and the level of illumination. It was found that for drivers with less than 5 years of driving experience, shifts in functional state were more im-portant than other drivers. Also, such drivers had lower attention indicators compared to experienced drivers with more than 10 years of driving experience. It was found that when the illumination changes at dusk, the energy consumption increases on average to 3.3 kcal / min for drivers with less than 5 years of experience, and for drivers with more than 10 years of experience, it increases by 2.4 kcal / min on average. Keywords: driver, conflict situations, attention, energy costs.

Model and Method for Evaluation and Forecast of the Changes of Visual System Functional State in Consequence of Visual Work

Model and Method for Evaluation and Forecast of the Changes of Visual System Functional State in Consequence of Visual Work

Mexametric Assessment of Melanin Level in Children's Skin

Background . High predisposition to sunburn in childhood and associated increased risk of malignant skin tumors development, decrease with age. There is a likelihood of a relationship between the described trends and dynamic age related changes in functional state of melanocytes and melanin. Aim : to evaluate the level of melanin in the skin in children of different age. Materials and methods. The study involved 78 children aged from 7 to 17 years, without any disorders of skin pigmentation. Three groups of observations were formed: Group 1 - 28 children from 7 to 9 years, Group 2 - 25 children from 10 to 12 years, Group 3 - 25 children from 16 to 17years. The melanin level was evaluated in the skin of face, body and extremities using mexametry. Results . The highest level of skin melanin was observed in forearms and lower legs in all age groups (up to 28.3 ± 10.8, 23.3 ± 8.6 and 26.7 ± 10.6 c.u. in Group 1, 2 and 3 respectively), the lowest - in cheeks and chest (up to 8.0 ± 4.7, 4.4 ± 3.4 and 9.5 ± 4.1 c.u. in Group 1, 2 and 3 respectively). There were relationships between skin site and level of melanin, but no relationships between level of melanin and gender or age. Findings . The level of melanin in the skin in children aged from 7 to 17 years is individual and depends on the location of the skin area, but does not depend on gender or age. The distribution of melanin in the skin is stable and does not change over time.

FUNCTIONAL STATE CHANGES OF THE VEGETATIVE NERVOUS SYSTEM IN PATIENTS WITH ACALCULOUS CHOLECYSTITIS DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF SOMATOFORM VEGETATIVE DYSFUNCTION AND ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION

Objective: to establish the features of the functional state changes of the autonomicnervous system in patients with chronic noncalculous cholecystitis, depending on the typeof concomitant somatoform autonomic dysfunction and hypertension stage II.Material and methods. 138 patients were examined: 98 of them with chronic acalculouscholecystitis in the exacerbation phase and concomitant somatoform autonomicdysfunction, 40 patients with chronic noncalculous cholecystitis in the phase ofexacerbation with accompanying essential hypertension stage II and 30 practicallyhealthy persons who made up the control group. To characterize the state of theautonomic nervous system we used A.M. Vein vegetative symptoms scale, Ashner-Danyini,Danielopulu (orthoclinostatic) tests.Results. Indices’ analysis of the carried out investigation of the general vegetativesymptoms have shown that the skin color changes during excitement, physical activity inpatients with somatoform autonomic dysfunction according to hypertensive type, cardiacneurosis and hypertension had a negative tendency, that is, the skin was pale, whatreflects an increase of the sympathetic nervous system tone and forms a decrease fromthe state of eutonia in scores by 1.7 times, 1.6 times and 2.0 times respectively (p<0.05).Pulse rate veritably increased (51.6%, 41.9% and 54.8% (p<0.05)) in patients of the 1st,3rd and 4th groups, in patients of the 2nd group it veritably decreased (29.0% (p <0.05))when conducting orthostatic test. During clino-orthostatic test, the pulse rate changed inthe diametrically opposite direction: in patients of the 1st, 3rd and 4th groups it sloweddown (21.9%, 28.1% and 31.3%, respectively (p< 0.05)), in patients of the 2nd groupit probably accelerated (21.9% (p <0.05)). During Ashner’s test in patients of the 1stand 3rd groups the pulse rate paradoxically tended to accelerate (20.0% and 26.7% (p<0.05)); in patients of the 4th group it veritably increased 30.0% (p <0.05), in patients ofthe 2nd group it veritably decreased (52.8%, p <0.05).Conclusions. Thus, an increase in the tone of the sympathetic part of the autonomicnervous system with frequent sympathoadrenal crises is observed in patients withchronic acalculous cholecystitis and concomitant somatoform vegetative dysfunction byhypertension type and cardiac neurosis as well as hypertension type II, and vagotonia witha predominance of the vago-insular crises is peculiar for the patients with concomitantsomatoform vegetative dysfunction according to hypotonic type.

Climate-induced abrupt shifts in structural states trigger delayed transitions in functional states

Abstract Theoretical models suggest that ecosystems can be found in one of several possible alternative stable states, and a shift in structural stable state (SSS) can trigger a change in functional stable state (FSS). But we still lack the empirical evidence to confirm these states and transitions, and to inform the rates of change. Here, a 30-yr dataset from long-term ungrazed and grazed temperate grasslands was analyzed to determine whether abrupt transitions of SSS and FSS can occur. We found that the long-term ungrazed grassland experienced abrupt transitions in the dominant plant functional type (shift in SSS) that was followed by a transition between carbon sink and source 1–2 year later (shift in FSS). A directional shift in precipitation and temperature accounted for 40% of the variation in the SSS transition, while the SSS transition explained 20% of the variation in the FSS transition. In contrast, no abrupt transitions for SSS and FSS were observed in the long-term moderately grazed grassland. These findings provide important insight into the interacting effects of climate change and livestock grazing on ecosystem transitions in temperate grasslands. Moderate utilization of production in ecosystems that have co-evolved with herbivores can offset structural and functional transitions induced by climate change.