Long-term Threat Research Articles

Maternal exposure to fine particle matters cause autophagy via UPR-mediated PI3K-mTOR pathway in testicular tissue of adult male mice in offspring.

Epidemiological studies have shown that particulate matters are closely related to human infertility. However, the long-term risk of particulate matters exposure in early life is rarely considered. For the first time this study is designed to explore and elucidate the mechanism of maternal exposure to fine particle matters (PM2.5) on autophagy in spermatogenic cells of adult offspring. Pregnant C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups. The 4.8 mg/kg.b.w group and the 43.2 mg/kg.b.w group were administered with different doses of PM2.5. The membrane control group was administered with PM2.5 sampling membrane and the control group received no treatment. The exposure was performed every three days from the day after vaginal plug was checked until delivery for a total of 6 times. The results showed that sperms motility and sperms concentration decreased, and sperm deformity increased in adult male offspring. The expression of SOD decreased and MDA increased. Moreover, the level of GRP78/ATF6 and P62 was upregulated, and the expression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p-mTOR was down-regulated. This suggests that early-life exposure to PM2.5 can induce autophagy through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway mediated by unfolded protein response in adult testicular tissue. PM2.5 may pose a significant role and long-term threat to adult after early-life exposure.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and associated factors in middle-aged women: a cross-sectional study in Northeast Brazil

ABSTRACT We determined the prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and associated factors in 419 women (aged 40 to 65 years) in Northeast Brazil in a cross-sectional study conducted from April to November 2013. We defined MetS using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) criteria. Socio-demographic variables, reproductive factors, lifestyle factors, anthropometrics, body composition, quality of life, and physical performance were assessed for their associations. We constructed multivariate Poisson regression models to estimate prevalence rate ratios (PRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). We identified 275 (65.6%) cases of MetS. The three most prevalent indicators were obesity (73.5%), reduced high-density lipoprotein level (63.0%), and elevated blood pressure (60.9%). In the final adjusted model, black race (PR 1.30, 95% CI: 1.07–1.57), lower grip strength/body mass index (PR 1.31, 95% CI: 1.15–1.50), and low estradiol levels (PR 1.17, 95% CI: 1.00–1.35) were associated with MetS. MetS is a long-term threat to the health of middle-aged women and a potential public health burden. These results may help in developing health promotion strategies to prevent morbidity and mortality associated with MetS in this vulnerable population.

Extinction-resistant attention to long-term conditioned threat is indexed by selective visuocortical alpha suppression in humans

Previous electrophysiological studies in humans have shown rapid modulations of visual attention after conditioned threat vs. safety cues (<500 ms post-stimulus), but it is unknown whether this attentional prioritization is sustained throughout later time windows and whether it is robust to extinction. To investigate sustained visual attention, we assessed visuocortical alpha suppression in response to conditioned and extinguished threat. We reanalysed data from N = 87 male participants that had shown successful long-term threat conditioning and extinction in self reports and physiological measures in a two-day conditioning paradigm. The current EEG time-frequency analyses on recall test data on Day 2 revealed that previously threat-conditioned vs. safety cues evoked stronger occipital alpha power suppression from 600 to 1200 ms. Notably, this suppression was resistant to previous extinction. The present study showed for the first time that threat conditioning enhances sustained modulation of visuocortical attention to threat in the long term. Long-term stability and extinction resistance of alpha suppression suggest a crucial role of visuocortical attention mechanisms in the maintenance of learned fears.

Report of the Joint Workshop on Induced Special Regions

The Joint Workshop on Induced Special Regions convened scientists and planetary protection experts to assess the potential of inducing special regions through lander or rover activity. An Induced Special Region is defined as a place where the presence of the spacecraft could induce water activity and temperature to be sufficiently high and persist for long enough to plausibly harbor life.The questions the workshop participants addressed were:(1) What is a safe stand-off distance, or formula to derive a safe distance, to a purported special region?(2) Questions about RTGs (Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator), other heat sources, and their ability to induce special regions.(3) Is it possible to have an infected area on Mars that does not contaminate the rest of Mars?The workshop participants reached a general consensus addressing the posed questions, in summary:(1) While a spacecraft on the surface of Mars may not be able to explore a special region during the prime mission, the safe stand-off distance would decrease with time because the sterilizing environment, that is the martian surface would progressively clean the exposed surfaces. However, the analysis supporting such an exploration should ensure that the risk to exposing interior portions of the spacecraft (i.e., essentially unsterilized) to the martian surface is minimized.(2) An RTG at the surface of Mars would not create a Special Region but the short-term result depends on kinetics of melting, freezing, deliquescence, and desiccation. While a buried RTG could induce a Special Region, it would not pose a long-term contamination threat to Mars, with the possible exception of a migrating RTG in an icy deposit.(3) Induced Special Regions can allow microbial replication to occur (by definition), but such replication at the surface is unlikely to globally contaminate Mars. An induced subsurface Special Region would be isolated and microbial transport away from subsurface site is highly improbable.

Utilisation of Geothermal Energy that Impact Rights to Clean Water Needs

Geothermal utilisation policy based on the consideration highlights that geothermal resources are natural resources which are low cost and environmentally friendly. In some countries, including in Indonesia, waste from geothermal utilisation causes pollution of water sources in geothermal working areas. A normative juridical method was employed in this study, which data was processed based on the research of secondary data. The study results indicated that (1) geothermal management in the protected forest area of Mount Slamet, Central Java in Indonesia, resulted in contamination of clean water sources that were commonly used by the community for their daily needs. The liquid that came out of the process of geothermal exploitation had an impact on water governance in protected forest areas. In some countries pollution of water sources caused a long-term threat to human health and environmental sustainability, (2) the danger of sustainability of water resources in protected forest areas, it was caused by the policies undertaken did not pay attention to the principle of prudence. Therefore, it is necessary to reformulate policies in the utilisation of geothermal resources.

New Insights into Bioactive Compounds of Traditional Chinese Medicines for Insulin Resistance Based on Signaling Pathways.

Type 2 diabetes is a serious metabolic disease as a long-term threat to human health. Insulin resistance is not only the basis and major feature of type 2 diabetes, but also the main etiology of diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and coronary heart disease. It has been shown that Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) play an important role in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, through attenuating insulin resistance, whereas the mechanism involved is not yet well understood. Therefore, it is important to elucidate the pharmacological mechanism of these bioactive compounds so that one can pave the way for the modernization of TCMs. In this review, we focus on the recent progresses of some bioactive ingredients from TCMs with different functional groups, which exhibit therapeutic potential for the treatment of diabetic insulin resistance. It is expected that this review can provide new references for developing TCM-derived drugs against diabetes and insulin resistance in the future.

Endobenthic Organisms Exposed to Chronically High Chloride from Groundwater Discharging along Freshwater Urban Streams and Lakeshores.

Chloride, especially from road salt, is one of the most ubiquitous contaminants of urban groundwater in temperate climates. The discharge of chloride-laden groundwater to freshwater ecosystems may pose a heightened risk to endobenthic organisms (buried in sediments), which may experience high concentrations prior to dilution from the overlying water. However, available exposure data is limited. Presented here are 22 chloride data sets from 15 urban sites across Canada, encompassing >1300 samples of shallow discharging groundwater collected principally during summer through autumn. Over half of the sites had an average chloride concentration above the long-term aquatic life guideline (120 mg/L), while 14% of each site's samples, on average, surpassed the short-term guideline (640 mg/L). Chloride concentrations frequently varied substantially (even >1000 mg/L) between adjacent locations (mostly <20 m separation), indicating patchy exposure. Chloride/bromide ratios, artificial sweeteners, and other tracers suggest a predominant contribution from road salt, with wastewater and landfill leachate important at some sites. Overall, these concentrations exceed those typically reported for urban wells and streams (even during the snowmelt period) in similar climates. These findings suggest that high chloride concentrations in shallow groundwater, largely from road salt, present a long-term threat to endobenthic organisms of urban surface waters in cold-region countries.

Long-term risk assessments comparing environmental performance of different types of sanitary landfills

Landfilling of non-pretreated, mixed municipal solid and similar waste remains a major method of waste management in many parts of the world today, particularly in developing countries. Modern dry-type and bioreactor landfills are considered to be relatively safe facilities in contrast to less engineered sanitary landfills. However, highly-engineered landfills are often not applicable in low-income countries because of their high cost. Performance of low-cost types of sanitary landfills deserve further exploration, because uncontrollable dumpsites pose real long-term threats to aquifers and the most reliable means of improving the situation is by upgrading these sites into technically similar, but environmentally safe facilities. Risk assessments can provide some insight into differences in environmental performance between major types of low-cost and high-cost landfills simulating the essential landfill processes. The risk of contamination at a presumed aquifer that resides directly below a presumed landfill was quantitatively assessed in this study comparing long-term environmental performances of four different types of facilities. A risk assessment software tool which explicitly enables inclusion of uncertainty present in the estimates to generate results with a wide range of possible outcomes was used to fulfill this purpose. It was demonstrated that contaminants derived from a modern, dry-type landfill would likely leech into an aquifer with the greatest impact occurring several decades after landfill closure. However, a specifically designed and properly operated, passive semiaerobic above-ground landfill was shown to be a comparatively safe facility.

MTTF Enhancement Power-C4 Bump Placement Optimization

Constructing a reliable power delivery network (PDN) is increasingly challenging by further technology scaling. PDN suffers from long-term reliability threats such as electromigration (EM). EM results in permanent failures and directly affects chip lifetime and voltage stability. Loss of limited controlled collapse chip connection (C4) pads to EM makes delivering a stable supply voltage more critical. The C4 bumps failure mechanism depends on current density, on-chip voltage noise, and temperature. In this paper, we develop a statistical simulation framework to analyze the effect of accurate chip temperature on multiple power-bump wearout. Our result shows that using uniform temperature leads, in the pessimistic system, to mean-time-to-failure (MTTF). Meanwhile, the current C4 pad placement optimization algorithms consider the current source or voltage drop as the forces to move the pads that do not lead to maximum MTTF. We propose a new technique to improve the efficiency of optimization algorithms by exploring the temperature as a new virtual force to move the pads. Experimental results show that our algorithm improves the MTTF by 25.43% that will support more off-chip I/O channels in current and near-future technology nodes.

Nickel and iron partitioning between clay minerals, Fe-oxides and Fe-sulfides in lagoon sediments from New Caledonia

In the tropics, continental weathering and erosion are major sources of trace metals towards estuaries and lagoons, where early diagenesis of sediments may influence their mobility and bioavailability. Determining trace metals speciation in tropical sedimentary settings is thus needed to assess their long-term fate and potential threat to fragile coastal ecosystems. In this study, we determined Fe, Ni and S speciation across a shore-to-reef gradient in sediments from the New Caledonia lagoon that receive mixed contribution from lateritic (iron-oxyhydroxides and clay minerals), volcano-sedimentary (silicates) and marine (carbonate) sources. Sulfur K-edge XANES data indicated a major contribution of pyrite (FeS2) to S speciation close to the shore. However, this contribution was found to dramatically decrease across the shore-to-reef gradient, S mainly occurring as sulfate close to the coral reef. In contrast, Fe and Ni K-edge XANES and EXAFS data indicated a minor contribution of pyrite to Fe and Ni speciation, and this contribution could be evidenced only close to the shore. The major fractions of Fe and Ni across the shore-to-reef gradient were found to occur as Ni- and Fe-bearing clay minerals consisting of smectite (~nontronite), glauconite and two types of serpentines (chrysotile and greenalite/berthierine). Among these clay minerals, greenalite/berthierine, glauconite and possibly smectite, were considered as authigenic. The low contribution of pyrite to trace metals speciation compared to clay minerals is interpreted as a result of (1) a reduced formation rate due to the low amounts of organic carbon compared to the Fe pool and (2) repeated re-oxidation events upon re-suspension of the sediments top layers due to the specific context of shallow lagoon waters. This study thus suggests that green clay authigenesis could represent a key process in the biogeochemical cycling of trace metals that are delivered to lagoon ecosystems upon continental erosion and weathering.

A game theoretic approach to optimize multi-stakeholder utilities for land acquisition negotiations with informality

To combat the critical stresses of rising urbanization, the government acquires land from private owners using the power of eminent domain. This land assembly causes negative externalities such as increasing social tension and injustice that may impose a long-term threat to stability and sustainable development. Therefore, there is a need to make the land acquisition process more transparent and just. Considering the unique Indian context where informality has a strong presence, we propose an approach based on game theory that models the bargain through a three-stage Nash equilibrium game. Four agents – the government, the private developer, the landowner, and the free rider – are considered. We provide conditional solutions for the generalizable Case and proceed to model different stakeholder behavior patterns through two utility functional forms – linear and exponential. In the linear case, we find that the free rider obtains half of the revenue of the project, whereas the landowner gains between one-fourth and one-half of the revenue. Thus, we highlight the undeniably crucial role free riders play in land acquisition negotiations. However, closed form solutions cannot be obtained for the exponential form, due to which we use simulations to demonstrate a solution procedure. We conclude by stating that the proposed model can be useful in formulating future land policies in a sustainable and inclusive manner, with optimal utility derivations for all concerned stakeholders. Our model can also be extended to other spatial contexts where informality features heavily in the land market, especially in the Global South.

Using the Haddon matrix to explore medical response strategies for terrorist subway bombings

BackgroundSince the 1970s, terrorist bombings in subways have been frequently occurring worldwide. To cope with this threat and to provide medical response countermeasures, we analyzed the characteristics of subway bombing terrorist attacks and used the Haddon matrix to explore medical response strategies.MethodsFirst, we analyzed 111 subway bombings from 1970 to 2017 recorded in the Global Terrorism Database to provide a reference for the strategy exploration. Then, we convened an expert panel to use the Haddon matrix to explore the medical response strategies to subway bombings.ResultsIn recent decades, at least one bombing attack occurs every 3 years. Summarized by the Haddon matrix, the influencing factors of medical responses to conventional subway bombings include the adequacy of first-aid kits and the medical evacuation equipment, the traffic conditions affecting the evacuation, the continuity and stability of communication, as well as the factors exclusively attributed to dirty bomb attacks in subways, such as ionizing radiation protection capabilities, the structure of the radiation sickness treatment network based on the subway lines, and the disposal of radioactive sewage. These factors form the basis of the strategy discussion.ConclusionSince subway bombings are long-term threats, it is necessary to have proper medical response preparation. Based on the Haddon matrix, we explored the medical response strategies for terrorist subway bombings, especially dirty bomb attacks. Haddon matrix can help policymakers systematically find the most important factors, which makes the preparations of the response more efficient.

Social Work and the Moral Economy of Water

This paper presents highlights from research on community-based water activism in Guelph, Ontario, Canada – one of the most water-rich regions of the world. Social network analysis in conjunction with qualitative methods was used to explore the influence of water activists' normative motivations on the mobilization of collective action on water issues. The findings revealed that even where scarcity is only a remote, long-term threat, decision-making and economic activity involving water have the potential to trigger local citizen action based on a fundamental conflict between the drive of commodification and a countervailing, popularly-held normative consensus concerning water. The findings suggest that a popular consensus that holds water as a commons – and as such, places universal access to water, environmental sustainability, and local community self-reliance ahead of profit making – is an important trigger for collective action when violated by decisions or actions taken in the local community. Understood as such, I draw on scholarship on the moral economy to argue that collective action on water issues in Guelph exposes a unifying theme that connects Guelph's water activists to each other and to a growing worldwide movement to defend the water commons. Moreover, with Canadian social work striving to incorporate matters of environmental justice into its scholarship and practice, in this paper I outline a rationale and identify priorities for social work involvement in this area.

WHO Global Priority Pathogens List: A Bibliometric Analysis of Medline-PubMed for Knowledge Mobilization to Infection Prevention and Control Practices in Bahrain.

ObjectivesIn 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a list of global priority pathogens (GPP) – 12 species of bacteria with critical, high, and medium antibiotic resistance (AR). In this review, our goal was to quantify published reports of AR in this group of pathogens using the Medline-PubMed databases. We also sought to quantify, compare and rank the top five reported AR pathogens globally, regionally and for Bahrain, and describe the evidence from Bahrain for the purpose of infection prevention and control, and to help research and development.MethodsWe conducted a bibliometric, retrospective, descriptive review to search the Medline-PubMed database for reports specific to the WHO GPP list published up to 19 April 2017.ResultsOur search revealed 42 136 documents with an increase in the last five years. Globally, there were more high tier pathogen documents (33 640) than critical (6405) and medium (2091). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was the highest reported, followed by extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) resistant Enterobacteriaceae and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. Nine out of the 12 pathogens were gram-negative. MRSA was the topmost documented pathogen globally and in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region zone of classification, whereas ESBL resistant Enterobacteriaceae ranked the top in Bahrain. There were two critical tier pathogens in the global, GCC region, and Bahrain. We found 14 articles from Bahrain, four articles on ESBL resistant Enterobacteriaceae, three on MRSA, two on carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, and five on different pathogens.ConclusionsOur findings suggest the need for a comprehensive, multipronged policy response particularly at the time when the antibiotic pipeline is nearly empty. We recommend thoughtful, integrated infection prevention and control strategies to address the immediate and long-term threats of AR in Bahrain and the GCC.

Revisiting Two Robust Techniques for Contaminant Removal from Road Runoff

Treatment of road runoff is a requisite for any environmentally sound infrastructure design. However, investment and maintenance budget is often a limiting factor during the planning and the operation phase of such projects. In order to cost-efficiently decrease the loads of a wide range of contaminants that are usually present in road runoff (posing a long-term threat to the aquatic and soil environments), simple and robust techniques are sought for. The paper deals with the re-evaluation of two such processes, sedimentation and filtration, putting emphasis on using authentic runoff samples during the tests in order to properly characterize the performance of these easy-to-manage solutions in this specific field of application. The results presented in this paper are aimed to aid the proper design of low-cost, low-maintenance road runoff treatment facilities, serving with background information that can be used to ensure that the expectations for the degree of pollutant removal are surely met.

Impacts of food-based enrichment on behaviour and physiology of male greater rheas (Rhea Americana, Rheidae, Aves)

Distress can be defined as a biological response of an individual to long-term threats to its homeostasis and it should be avoided from an animal welfare perspective. High levels of stress hormones and the expression of abnormal behaviours are responses normally observed in distressed animals. Captive environments can provoke distress, especially when inappropriate stimuli are provided to the animals. The concomitant use of behavioural and non-invasive hormonal measures is a means to evaluate captive animal welfare. Environmental enrichment is a tool that can reduce distress and minimize the expression of abnormal behaviour in captive animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate greater rheas’ responses (behavioral and hormonal) to food-based enrichment. Three birds from the Belo Horizonte Zoo, Brazil were studied. The study was divided into three phases (baseline, enrichment and post-enrichment): fruits scattered around the birds’ enclosure were used as enrichment. Behaviour and faecal sampling were undertaken in all phases of the study. Abnormal behaviours and faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (GCM) levels showed significant reduction during the environmental enrichment phase, and a significative positive correlation between GCM production and abnormal pacing was observed. From the results of this study, we conclude that the use of food as environmental enrichment should be encouraged because of its positive effects on animal welfare. Besides, studies with larger groups of greater rheas, with individuals of both sexes, should also be encouraged to evaluate if the results found in this pilot study are consistent and can be generalized to the species.

Smallholder Farmer Adoption of Climate-Related Adaptation Strategies: The Importance of Vulnerability Context, Livelihood Assets, and Climate Perceptions.

Despite increased research characterizing the adaptive capacity of households and communities, there are few empirical studies that test why farmers adopt costly climate-related adaptive strategies, which strategies are implemented, and farmers' perceptions of climate changes. In this study, we analyzed determinants for smallholder farmer adoption of adaptation strategies in Chiapas, Mexico. We conducted 291 surveys with landowners in eight coffee farming communities. Farmers were asked which of 21 adaptation strategies they had engaged in, within five categories: migration, storage, land use diversification, community investment, and market exchange. We found the most frequent strategies included planting shade coffee, diversifying crop varieties, shifting sow date, building living walls, reforesting, or engaging in soil conservation. Although many farmers have experienced natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes, they were most concerned by long-term threats to crops like coffee rust and higher temperatures, that require costly adaptive investments. We find farmers adapt to climate events because of their vulnerability context (i.e., experience with disasters and distance to markets). Land holdings (i.e., natural capital), farm equipment (i.e., physical capital), and group membership (i.e., social capital), were also key factors influencing adaptation. Finally, farmers with strong perceptions of drought and temperature change were most likely to adapt. These results suggest policy makers should have a multi-pronged approach to: improve farmers' resource base through explicitly promoting adaptation strategies like crop and income diversification; inform climate perceptions through workshops on climate and weather; and strengthen participation in community and producer organizations to increase smallholder adaptation.

Abstract P1-12-09: Proposal for integrating the pathologic assessment of lymphovascular invasion and extranodal tumor extension in breast cancer-related lymphedema clinical management

Abstract Breast cancer related lymphoedema (BCRL) occurs in a substantial proportion of breast cancer survivors and is a major contributor to disability, representing a long-term threat to these patients. Given the extremely high incidence of breast cancer worldwide, and the increasing number of long-term survivors, the reduction of BCRL burden represents an urgent clinical need in women's healthcare. However, there are no validated predictive biomarkers, diagnostic tools, and strong evidence-supported therapeutic strategies for BCRL management. Here, we provide a comprehensive clinicopathological characterization of a large series of women with node-positive breast cancers and identify new bona fide predictors of BCRL occurrence. 332 cases of surgically-treated node-positive breast cancers were retrospectively collected (2-10.2 years of follow-up). Among them, 62 patients developed BCRL. To identify demographic and clinicopathologic features related to BCRL, Fisher's exact test or Chi-squared test were carried out for categorical variables; the Wilcoxon rank-sum was employed for continuous variables. Factors associated with BCRL occurrence were assessed using a Cox proportional hazards regression model. En-bloc dissection of the axillary lymph nodes but not the type of breast surgery impacted on BCRL development. Most of BCRL patients had a Luminal A-like neoplasm. The median number of lymph nodes involved by metastatic deposits was significantly higher in BCRL compared to the control group (p=0.04). Both peritumoral lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and extranodal extension (ENE) of the metastasis had a negative impact on BCRL-free survival (p=0.01). Specifically, patients with LVI and left side localization harbored 4-fold higher risk of developing BCRL, while right axillary nodes metastases with ENE increased the probability of BCRL compared to ENE-negative patients. Here, we document that LVI and ENE have a strong predictive value for BCRL occurrence. Furthermore, we confirm that the full excision of the axillary nodes is one of the major determinants of BCRL, regardless of the extent of the surgical procedure involving the breast. In conclusion, our results suggest that the pathologic data on LVI and ENE should be integrated with information on the laterality of the tumor and the type of surgical procedure. This new integrative approach could be extremely beneficial to improve BCRL risk stratification. Citation Format: Fusco N, Corti C, Lopez G, Michelotti A, Despini L, Gambini D, Lorenzini D, Guerini-Rocco E, Maggi S, Noale M, Invernizzi M. Proposal for integrating the pathologic assessment of lymphovascular invasion and extranodal tumor extension in breast cancer-related lymphedema clinical management [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-12-09.

Justification of the effectiveness of organized summer recreation under different climatic and geographical conditions for normalizing the organism functional state in veterans of extreme activities

Relevance. Participation in military conflicts, long-term vital threat, irregular working hours, frequent moving to new places of residence impose negative imprints in the form of various functional disorders and even the formation of psychogenic diseases on employees of various law enforcement agencies.Intention. To assess the impact of organized summer holidays under different climatic conditions on the functional state of the veterans of law enforcement agencies previously engaged in activities under extreme conditions.Methodology. 65 retired men soldiers of different law enforcement agencies aged 45 to 54 years were examined before and after organized summer holidays under different climatic conditions. Hemodynamic parameters, mobility of nervous processes and current mental state were assessed.Results and Discussion. After a river cruise in the North-West and mid-latitudes of Russia, decreased tension of the functional circulatory system as well as improved mobility of nervous processes and current mental state were reported. On the contrary, increased tension of the functional circulatory system, decreased mobility of nervous processes, well-being, activity, mood and increased anxiety were reported after holidays at low-latitude resorts.Conclusion. Thus, the functional state of veterans of law enforcement agencies who survived repeated mental trauma and vital threat, was effectively restored after a river cruise in the North-West and mid-latitudes of Russia.

Concept of producing of the Russian national system of functional food

Statistics show negative forecasts of the demographic indicators of the Russian population including their size and health. The human habitat which has been deteriorating in recent decades causes cardinal changes in the assortment and variety of food and significantly contributes to the reduction of their biological value. The depletion of food products (FP) of vegetable and animal origin in vital mineral elements, vitamins and other physiologically active components represents a serious long-term threat to human health and the national security. Industrial methods of enriching FP have certain limitations: a narrow set of micronutrients, their interaction among themselves and accessibility for not all groups of the population. One way to reduce the negative consequences is through the introduction and breeding of new for Russia species and varieties of agricultural plants and organize a mass production of functional foods (FF) that contribute to the prevention and/or suspension of the development of dangerous diseases and slowing down the aging process. The solution of this multifaceted problem lies in changing the consumption structure of foods and their chemical composition conditioned by both the assortment of grown plant species and cultivars of food plants, as well as the composition and quality of soils, fertilizers and the conditions for crop cultivation. Taking into account the prevailing demographic situation in the Russian Federation, it is necessary to create a comprehensive national program for the allocation of new high-content sources of FF ingredients based on traditional and underutilized crops, cultivars and forms of cereal, vegetable and fruit crops and their inclusion in agricultural production as well as existing and newly created technological processes in food industry. The advantages of creating and developing a national system of the functional food in Russia will be: the improvement of public health and life expectancy, the reduction of the Federal Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund expenditures and the development of business structures involved in the production of the FF.