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New tetrazolyl derivatives of pyrimidine were synthesized containing various linker groups. The structure of these compounds was established by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this experimental work, the effect of vitamin and mineral concentrate P52-1 of domestic production as part of barley and wheat compound feeds on the growth dynamics of young pigs and their health indicators for the experiment duration was studied. At the same time, the physiological parameters of the health of the studied animals were considered. Morphobiochemical studies of blood allowed to conclude that this feed additive had a positive effect on the metabolism of young pigs in the post-weaning period and during rearing. The result of the use of P52-1 was an accelerated increase in the mass of the test animals of the experimental group compared with the control group in terms of average daily and gross increments. At the same time, in the experimental group of animals, morphobiochemical indicators exceeded those of the control group, while they were within the normal range. The cultivation of young pigs using a multienzymatic premix, of domestic production, provides an average daily increase in animals of the experimental group of over 16%.

Five chemicals were evaluated for their antiphytoviral activity in TMV-tissue culture test system. For deriving healthy plants using the way their regeneration from callus or tip meristem the explants were treated with the compounds. The growing of plants on medium with the experimental complexes was the next step. Among other substances the most successive were the compound 1 and 2 . No effect of substances 3, 4 on the TMV infection in this model system was found. The substance 5 had a severe toxic effect and reduced callus appearance from treated explants. Our investigation proves that heterometallic complexes which contain copper, chlorine and amino alcohols can be perspective antiphytoviral agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating the reduction factor for calculating massive reinforced concrete bridge piers was made. For this purpose a quasi-static “force-displacement” diagram was built up using the ANSYS software. This diagram has the form of a bilinear one, and the character of the bilinearity depends on the diameter of the reinforcing bars insignificantly. The percentage of reinforcement affects only the moment when all reinforcement bars begin to flow. The reinforcement flow takes place in the displacement interval from 3 to 5 cm. The collapse will occur when the reaction of the bearing part goes beyond the pier cross-section at pier displacements from 5 to 20 cm. Using “force-displacement” diagram, the behavior of the single-mass model with a bilinear deformation diagram and the limit displacement of 20 cm was analyzed. Then, it became possible to obtain for each accelerogram the limit elastic displacement and the limit position of the point corresponding to the maximum structure displacement during structure oscillations. It was done using real accelerograms of earthquakes with intensity 9 on the MSK scale without normalizing their amplitudes. In this case, long-period accelerograms had smaller peak accelerations, but resulted in greater plastic deformations. As a result, no evident dependence of plastic deformation on the input spectral composition was found and the value of reduction factor K1 turned out to be 0.25-0.27. However, it is shown that this reduction factor cannot be used to make transition from seismic loads obtained on the basis of time-history analysis by accelerograms to design loads.

In the process of water purification to increase the reflective capacity of ultrafiltration membranes, their surface modification is applied with aluminium oxychloride and polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride are used. This enables to extract organic contaminations at 90% level, not less their salt balance. To estimate the reaction capacity, the method of calculation of energetic parameters and structural characteristics with the help of chemical analysis quanta is applied. For the analysis, the semiempirical method of modified neglect of diatomic overlapping is used. The prospective estimation of gel layer formation on the membrane surface is made. The method of molecular mechanics is applied in quantumchemical calculations for each substance and the material of the membrane. While analyzing the interaction between the material of the membrane and membrane-forming supplement, the charges on molecules` atoms, the determination of energetic levels of the lower vacant and upper filled molecular orbitals and energetic gap are estimated. It was proved that aluminium oxychloride precipitates on the membrane surface due to Van der Waltz forces, and the inoculation of polyhexamethylene guanidine occurs at fiber functionalization through the formation of hydrogen type of bond between the groups С≡N polymer and =N-H group. Scientific substantiation of membrane modification was obtained.

The purpose is to substantiate theoretically the design of elastomeric half mask and canister of respirator of long-term protection. To develop the models for theoretical calculations of protective properties of dust masks the theory of non-stationary filtration and hydro aerodynamics was applied. To develop the digital model of a head the downhill simplex method was applied reflecting separate face features considering sex or age; to determine the halfmask surface the free energy equation for bowed plate being described by two-dimension spline surface was used with its unknown coefficients determined by method of proportional parts based on three-dimension coordinates of anthropometric face features. The main anthropometric face features influencing halfmasks design were determined to develop polygonous 3D model of head. According to its determined basic coordinates the surface of halfmask was determined using method of interpolation. Considering the mathematical model describing the movement of dust flows near a halfmask and in canister the dependences of distribution of air flow speed in a canister of variable geometry were set and kinematic parameters of dust-laden airflow according to a canister volume were determined. Reasonable geometric parameters of canister were determined; transient modulation from filter to inlet valve hole is performed as a contractor.

Measurements have been made on the hydrogenation of acetylene on a fused iron catalyst, where the product distribution has been compared with those for synthesis gas alone or mixed with acetylene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mutual effect of heterogeneous kinetic reactions with a common reagent is examined on the assumption that the mechanisms of the reactions do not change when they occur simultaneously. It was shown that with certain mechanisms typical of heterogeneous catalysis the simultaneous occurrence of the reactions can lead not only to retardation but also to acceleration of one reaction by the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the problem of reception of Origen’s principle of threefold interpretation of Scripture by St. Ambrose of Milan (ca. 339–397). Though straightly associating and obviously confounding the Origenian trichotomy of senses with popular models of triple division of philosophical disciplines, St. Ambrose systematically applies to the biblical texts the method of consequent exposition of moral and mystical senses in a mode, corresponding in general to the novel exegetical practice initiated by Origen.

Origen of Alexandria, the great Christian theologian and interpreter of Holy Scripture, is justly considered a fervent partisan of the allegorical method of exegesis. This method was strongly criticized by Origen’s opponents as arbitrary and based on a false pretension to possess an exclusive knowledge of a secret meaning of sacred text, intended by its Divine Author. Whether, in fact, Origen claims that he has received the supreme wisdom to instruct presbyters and elders of the church on the only right method of understanding Scripture and revealing its deepest truths?

The efficiency of applying tuned mass damper is substantiated for reducing the damageability of structures under strong earthquakes. Two models of structure damage accumulation are considered. The first model is elastoplastic one, the damage degree of the model being determined by the work of plastic deformation forces. The second model is a model with degrading rigidity the damage degree of the model is connected with the development of cracks and is determined by the maximum displacement of the structure in its loading history. For the first type of nonlinearity, i.e. the first model there is an amplitude-frequency characteristic and the optimum tuning of the mass damper corresponds to the maximum of this characteristic. For the second model of accumulation of damages there is no frequency response, therefore the mass damper tuning obtained with harmonic action on the elastic system was used. Calculations of the system with mass damper and without it using earthquake accelerograms have been carried out. Accelerograms, the most unfavorable in terms of the spectral composition for the structures under consideration, were chosen taking into account peak accelerations and energy characteristics of the seismic action. It has been established for elastoplastic systems that tuned mass damper reduces the time of the structure being in plastic stage and the work of plastic deformation forces. For systems with degrading stiffness tuned mass damper reduces the maximum movement of the system in its loading history.

The degree of soil contamination in the impact zone of the Solnechnyi Tin Ore Processing Plant in the Solnechnyi district of the Khabarovsk region was evaluated. It was shown that the air contamination by the waste products of the ore-processing plant is extremely high with respect to the concentrations of toxic dust and heavy metals. The maximum concentrations of these contaminants exceed the background values by 16-80 times. The bulk contents of Pb, Zn, Cu, As, and Hg in the upper soil horizons within the impact zone exceeded the maximum permissible concentrations and the background values by 2-90 times. Abnormally high concentrations of Zn, As, and Pb were observed not only in the surface 10-cm-thick soil layer but also in the underlying (10-20 cm) horizon. The soil contamination transformed the geochemical sequence of heavy metals typical of the background soils (Zn > Pb > As > Cu > Hg) into a new sequence (As > Pb > Cu > Zn > Hg). The statistical data proved that the intensity of the migration of the heavy metals in the soils decreases with a rise in the soil humus content and a drop in the soil acidity. This should be taken into account in the elaboration of soil-protective measures in the investigated region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Green' laboratory procedures have been developed for the synthesis and purification of 5-nitrotetrazole sodium salt, a key precursor of promising energetic compounds. The procedures can be safely scaled up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine the possibilities of nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) monitoring in the detection of coronary heart disease (CHD)., Materials and Methods: A total of 100 patients were included in the study, of them 50 men had a confirmed diagnosis of CHD and 50 patients consisted the control group. In all patients, flow-dependent vasodilation of the brachial artery and pulse wave velocity were evaluated. The assessment of the quality of erection was carried out using IIEF-15 questionnaire (erectile domain) and Androscan NPT monitoring device. The relative increase in the diameter of the penis (rIn), the duration of NPT with rIn greater than or equal to 30% and 20%, respectively (dNPT with rIn more or equal 30% and dNPT with rIn more or equal 20%) were estimated., Results: The age of the patients in both groups was comparable with a median of 58.0 years. Patients with CHD had a higher body mass index (BMI) than patients without CHD (29.2 kg/m2 vs. 26.9 kg/m2, respectively; p=0.011). In those without CHD, erectile function was better, both according to the IIEF-15 questionnaire and according to the monitoring of NPT. The model with the maximum coefficient of determination (R2 =32.1%) predicting the probability of having CHD included age, BMI, rIn and dNPT with rIn more or equal 20%. The chance of having CHD increased by 10.5% and 1.6% with a decrease in rIn by 1% and a decrease in dNPT with rIn more or equal 20% for 1 minute. The sensitivity and specificity of the model was 74% and 65.3%, respectively., Conclusion: Monitoring of the NPT is an important tool for the diagnosis of vascular ED. Based on the results, it is possible to assess the probability of CHD. In contrast to the IIEF-15 questionnaire, NPT, dNPT with rIn more or equal 20% and rIn are more likely to suggest the presence of CHD. The lower the OP and dNPT with rIn more or equal 20%, the higher the probability of having CHD.

Background: Enabling, supporting and promoting positive health-related behaviours is critical in addressing the major public health challenges of our time, and the multifaceted nature of behaviours requires an evidence-based approach. This statement seeks to suggest how a much-needed enhanced use of behavioural and cultural science and insights for health could be advanced., Study Design and Methods: and methods: Public health authorities of Europe and Central Asia and international partner organizations in September 2023 met in Copenhagen, Denmark, to discuss the way forward. Drawing on 1) country reporting to WHO, 2) interview study with public health authorities and 3) the meeting deliberations, this meeting statement was developed., Results: The meeting statement presents a joint call for step-change accelerated use of evidence-based approaches for health behaviours. Actionable next steps for public health authorities and international and regional development partners in health are presented., Conclusions: The way forward involves increased resource allocation, integration of behavioural insights into health strategies, advocacy through case and cost-effectiveness examples and capacity building., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The Royal Society for Public Health.)

The purpose of this paper is to improve the risk management process in the quality management system of higher education, taking into account the hazardous factors that increase the probability of occurrence and severity of consequences of undesirable events, as well as favorable factors that reduce the probability of occurrence and severity of consequences of hazardous events. The basis of risk management in the quality management systems of higher education institutions is the "Bowtie" method, which involves six main steps of identifying inconsistency, determining the impact of hazardous and favorable factors according to the impact group, ranking hazardous and favorable factors, calculating risk, substantiating precautionary measures and checking calculations. To rank hazardous and favorable factors, the authors used the "Decision Making Trial and Evaluation" method (hereinafter-DE-MATEL), which is based on paired comparison and decision-making tools based on graph theory. An improved process is proposed for risk assessment, which differs from the known ones by the presence of the identification of the cause-and-effect relationship "hazard (inconsistency)-hazardous event-consequences", identification of hazardous and favorable factors of the internal and external environment that affect the probability and/or the degree of severity of a hazardous event-the appearance of an inconsistency, which is carried out after the inconsistency has been determined; determination of causal hazardous and favorable factors by an acceptable method. Registers of inconsistencies (hazards), hazardous and favorable factors have been developed and proposed based on the requirements for accreditation of educational programs and the international standard ISO 9001:2015, which will allow, based on a risk-oriented approach, to provide a basis for setting the goals of a higher education institution under martial law in order to guarantee effective implementation of the mission and strategy. They are proposed for decision-making in the quality management systems of educational organizations on the substantiation of precautionary or corrective measures based on ranking the risks from identified inconsistencies, which are determined taking into account the impact of the entire set of identified significant hazardous and favorable factors. The value of this paper is to improve the quality risk management process in educational organizations, taking into account the impact of hazardous and favorable factors, and to develop an appropriate step-by-step algorithm of actions and a risk assessment form., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa) are among the most common urological diseases in men. It has been repeatedly suggested that viral infection plays an important role in prostate carcinogenesis., Aim: To assess the relationship between viral infection and PCa, as well as the clinical and morphological features of BPH and PCa., Materials and Methods: A total of 98 patients undergoing treatment for BPH (n=48) or PCa (n=50) between 2019 and 2021 were included in the study. Real-time PCR on the surgical specimens for human papillomaviruses (HPV), herpes simplex viruses types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), herpes virus type 6 (HSV-6) was performed., Results: In patients with PCa, viruses in prostate tissue were found more often compared to those with BPH (50.0 vs. 31.3%, respectively, p=0.046.) The most common virus in both PCa and BPH was EBV (22.0 vs. 16.7%, respectively). The second most common virus in patients with PCa was HSV-6 (20.0%), which was not detected in any men with BPH (p=0.003). There was a trend toward higher prevalence of CMV among patients with PCa (16.0% vs. 4.2%), but the difference was not significant (p=0.09). There was no association of viral infection with clinical and morphological features., Conclusions: The resulting trend toward a higher prevalence of HSV-6 and CMV in patients with PCa compared to those with BPH creates the prerequisites for further study of viruses in prostate diseases involving a larger cohort, which will provide an idea of the multi-stage process of malignant transformation and, possibly, open new therapeutic options for prevention and treatment.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 caused major disruptions of societal functions, including health care. Patients receiving medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) depend on receiving daily treatment and face a risk of withdrawal in case of medication supply disruption. MOUD are banned in Russia, making treatment continuation impossible in temporarily occupied areas. In this paper, we review the situation with MOUD delivery in Ukraine during the first year of the Russia-Ukraine war. Legislative changes and mobilization of efforts in the time of crisis ensured treatment continuation for thousands of patients. In areas controlled by Ukraine, most patients were receiving take-home doses for up to 30 days, some experienced temporary dosing reductions. Programs in temporarily occupied regions were shut down likely leading to abrupt withdrawal among many patients. At least 10% of patients have been internally displaced. One year into the war, the number of MOUD patients in governmental clinics of Ukraine increased by 17%, and the data suggest that the coverage of private clinics has also increased. But the risks for program stability remain high as the current medication supply relies on one manufacturing facility. Using lessons learned from the crisis, we provide recommendations for future response to minimize the risks of major adverse outcomes among patients treated for opioid use disorder., Competing Interests: Declarations of Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the mens androgen status influence on the severity and outcomes (transfer of patients to the ICU or death) of COVID-19 required hospital hospitalization., Materials and Methods: The study included 151 hospitalized men with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. To measure the severity of disease have been used Symptomatic Hospital and Outpatient Clinical Scale for COVID-19 (SHOCS-COVID). It includes the severity of the clinical condition (hyperthermia, shortness of breath, oxygen saturation, need for ventilation), the degree of inflammation (CRP), markers of thrombosis (D-dimer), the degree of lung damage according to CT. The patients underwent a study of full blood count, some biochemical parameters, lung CT, and a study of testosterone (T) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels., Results: T deficiency was observed in 46.4% of patients (70/151 men). At the same time, DHT deficiency was observed only in 14.4% of patients (18/125 men). In patients with a T level below the median, there was a significant increase in inflammatory factors (CRP, lymphocytes/CRP index), markers of thrombosis (D-dimer and fibrinogen), extensive lung damage at admission according to CT 25.75% vs. 11.95% (p<0.001), the elevated number of points for SHOCKS-COVID 7 (IQR 5-10) versus 5 (IQR 3-7) (p<0.001) and the longer duration of hospital treatment (3 days difference, p<0.001) in comparison with a group of patients with a T level above the median. At the same time, the T level had no correlation with age. The level of DHT had a weak inverse correlation with the age of patients, but not with the main markers of the severity of COVID-19, including the number of SHOCK-COVID scores. During multivariate regression analysis, it was shown that SHOCKS-COVID is the most significant predictor of admission to the ICU while no association of T and DHT levels with outcomes in COVID-19 was found. However, it was found that the concentration of T, even adjusted for age, has a significant inverse association with the severity of the course of the disease and the number of SHOCK-COVID scores (p=0.041). An analysis of the evaluation of directed acyclic graphs suggests the main role of COVID-19 severity in reducing androgenic function and T concentration, at which its anti-inflammatory effects are lost. There were no correlations between the concentration of DHT and the number of SHOCK-COVID scores and the COVID-19 prognosis., Conclusion: SHOCK-COVID is the most sensitive predictor of the COVID-19 outcome in hospitalized men, including adjusting to age. T and DHT do not directly affect the outcomes of the disease. The greater severity of the infection and an increase in SHOCK-COVID scores are associated with a decrease in the concentration of T, and a weakening of its anti-inflammatory and anti-cytokine effects, which indirectly worsens the prognosis of male patients with a new coronavirus infection undergoing hospital treatment. There are no such relationships for DHT.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, has displaced more than a quarter of the population. Assessing disease burdens among displaced people is instrumental in informing global public health and humanitarian aid efforts. We estimated the disease burden in Ukrainians displaced both within Ukraine and to other countries by combining a spatiotemporal model of forcible displacement with age- and gender-specific estimates of cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, cancer, HIV, and tuberculosis (TB) in each of Ukraine's 629 raions (i.e., districts). Among displaced Ukrainians as of May 13, we estimated that more than 2.63 million have CVDs, at least 615,000 have diabetes, and over 98,500 have cancer. In addition, more than 86,000 forcibly displaced individuals are living with HIV, and approximately 13,500 have TB. We estimated that the disease prevalence among refugees was lower than the national disease prevalence before the invasion. Accounting for internal displacement and healthcare facilities impacted by the conflict, we estimated that the number of people per hospital has increased by more than two-fold in some areas. As regional healthcare systems come under increasing strain, these estimates can inform the allocation of critical resources under shifting disease burdens.

Safety of passenger road transportation (PRT) is a global problem considered by scientists. The present study is aimed at PRT safety improvement by developing its advanced model with accident risk minimization. Functional Resonance Analysis Method is used to identify factors influencing PRT safety. Accident risk assessment of the combined action of several factors in PRT is based on a phenomenological model. Possible good and bad PRT scenarios were considered differing in the staff professional experience, work shift duration, speed, vehicle service lifetime, and driver's stress load. Method for quantitative assessment of five main functions in PRT with their variability caused by parameters changes was designed. The proposed criteria were used to assess the parameter's deviations from their normative values and determine the major characteristics of each function. The recommendations for monitoring the driver's psychophysiological state at all transportation stages were developed and the relationship of transportation functions characteristics and criteria affecting passenger safety was established. This methodology enables assessing the PRT reliability level at a certain time. The approach allows evaluating the criteria affecting traffic safety, identifying their potential functionally resonant effect for abnormal PRT due to conditional changes; developing mechanisms to reduce accident risks by improving technical and organizational management., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Objective: Clinical approbation of previously obtained normative criteria for evaluating erectograms using the Androscan MIT hardware complex, as well as comparing the monitoring indicators of nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) with the results of the standard questionnaire International Index of Erectile Function-15 (IIEF-15)., Materials and Methods: The study included 120 patients aged 19 to 72 years. Erectile function was assessed using the IIEF-15 questionnaire and the Androscan MIT hardware complex. To assess erectile function, previously developed normative criteria for the relative increase in the diameter of the penis (OP) and the duration of NTP were used. Statistical data processing was carried out using the STATISTICA 12 software. A systematic literature search on the normative criteria for monitoring NTP was carried out in the Medline database., Results: After performing androscanning, patients were divided according to the degree of ED: there were 12 patients without ED, 58 patients with grade 1 ED, 27 patients with grade 2 ED, and 23 patients with grade 3 ED. According to the results obtained, a positive correlation was found between the OD value and the results of the IIEF-15 questionnaire., Conclusion: The obtained data on the correlation between the results of the IIEF -15 questionnaire and the NTP monitoring parameters are consistent with most of the currently available foreign data.

Purpose: Assessment of COVID-19 incidence and hospitalization rate of male patients with prostatic hyperplasia depending on the intake of 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (5-ARI)., Materials and Methods: In our study, electronic medical records of 1678 patients with prostatic hyperplasia were analyzed. 1490 men aged 71 (64-76) years were selected for final analysis. Vaccination against COVID-19 was carried out in 730 patients (49%). Treatment with 5-ARI inhibitors was carried out in 269 (18.1%) patients., Results: Among 1490 included patients 790 (53%) had COVID- 19 while 360 (45.7%) of them required hospitalization. During the multivariate analysis, only two factors were associated with the risk of COVID-19 in the cohort studied: vaccination (odds ratio (OR) =0.095; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.074-0.122), i.e. a 90.5% chance reduction, p<0.001) and the fact of taking 5-ARI (OR=0.235; 95%CI=0.165-0.335; p<0.001), i.e. a 76.5% chance reduction. The duration of 5-ARI therapy was not associated with the incidence of new coronavirus infection. The severe course of COVID-19 which required hospitalization was positively associated with age (p=0.025) and the presence of coronary artery disease (p=0.004); and negatively associated with the frequency of vaccination (p<0.001) and treatment of 5-ARI (3.1% vs. 11.6%, p<0.001). In a multivariate analysis of outpatient patients with prostatic hyperplasia who had COVID-19, 5-ARI intake (OR=0.240; 95% CI 0.122-0.473; p<0.001) and vaccination (OR = 0.570; 95% CI 0.401-0.808; p=0.002). The factors associated with increased chances of hospitalization due to the severe course of COVID-19 were coronary heart disease (+43.8%, p=0.019) and older age (+1.7% by one year, p=0.046)., Conclusion: Taking 5-ARI, along with vaccination in patients with prostatic hyperplasia is a protective factor for morbidity and the severity of COVID-19.

Objective: To study the contribution of somatic and addiction diseases to the formation and course of acute cerebrovascular accidents in people with HIV infection., Material and Methods: The study included 123 patients with HIV infection, aged 27 to 86 years, who were treated in the primary vascular departments of hospitals in the Tyumen region in the period from 2013 to 2019. The patients were divided into two groups corresponding to the typology of stroke. All patients underwent a comprehensive neurological examination, laboratory and instrumental studies, including neuroimaging methods., Results: In the group of patients with ischemic stroke, arterial hypertension was observed in 91.1% of cases, and with intracranial hemorrhages - in 66.7%. This risk factor was associated with a fatal outcome in 59.0% of patients with hemorrhages. Among those who died from cerebral infarction, 8.0% of patients suffered from hypertension, and 67.0% of them were men. Concomitant bronchopulmonary pathology in the vast majority of cases increased the risk of ischemic stroke in patients (93.0% of cases), and the presence of pneumonia in the acute period of a stroke significantly increases the risk of death. In addition, 45.5% of patients had comorbid viral hepatitis C (HCV). In this group of patients, 64.0% had an ischemic type of stroke, and 36% had hemorrhage. There were no deaths in patients with ischemic stroke, HIV and HCV, and among patients with hemorrhages and the same viral diseases, the mortality rate was 50.0%., Conclusion: The study showed a greater effect of hypertension on the risk of ischemic stroke than on the risk of intracranial hemorrhage in the study group of patients, which is an inverse relationship than the effect of this factor on the risk of stroke in HIV-negative patients. The presence of hepatitis C in an HIV-infected patient with a stroke increases the likelihood of death from intracranial hemorrhage.

Objective: a systematic review of the available literature sources about criteria for nocturnal penile tumescences (NPT) registration, as well as the development our own criteria for evaluating erectograms obtained from Androscan "MIT" software complex., Materials and Methods: a systematic search about NPT criteria was conducted in the Medline database. A PRISMA flowchart was used to visually represent the design of the study. The necessary calculations were carried out using the STATISTICA 12 software., Results: Normal erectile function is characterized by a relative increase in penis diameter (RIn) of 30% or more with the duration of such NPTs of more than 60 minutes. For a mild ED in the case of a good RIn (30% or more) with a duration of NPT with such RIn less than 10 minutes (the time of 1 effective erection), it is advisable to determine the duration of the NPT with a RIn of 20% or more. If RIn is less than 30% it is advisable to use the duration of sufficient erections (with a relative increase in diameter of 20% or more) and the border value in this case is 60 minutes or more. Severe ED is characterized by RIn less than 20% or duration of NPT of less than 10 minutes with any RIn., Conclusion: at the moment there are no uniform criteria for the diagnosis of ED using the Androscan "MIT" software complex. As part of the unification of ED diagnostics we first introduced the terms of "effective erection", "sufficient erection", "relative increase" and also developed regulatory criteria and an algorithm for evaluating erectograms which will ensure continuity as well as the possibility of comparison of the results from different research groups.

Objective: Analysis of androgen status in men hospitalized with a moderate COVID-19 and its relationship with the severity of the disease., Materials and Methods: The study included 152 males with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 based on the results of a positive PCR for the SARS-CoV-2 virus and/or computed tomography of the lungs hospitalized at the MSU University Clinic due to the moderate and severe COVID-19. Examination of the level of biochemical blood parameters (CRP, creatinine, urea, glucose, total testosterone (T)); CT of the lungs. To objectify the severity of the clinical symptoms, the NEWS2 distress syndrome severity scales and the original scale for assessing the clinical condition of patients with COVID 19 (SHOCS-COVID) were used., Results: The median T level in 152 examined patients was 2.14 [1.21; 3.40] ng/ml. In patients with a T level below the median, the CRP level was more than two times higher, and the D-dimer value was almost two times higher than in patients with T level above median. The duration of treatment in the hospital was longer in men with COVID 19 and an initial T level below the median than in patients with T about the median (13 days vs 10.5 days, p=0.003). Low T level was correlated with lung damage by lung CT. After improving the clinical condition, there was a linear increase in the level of T independent of its initial level., Conclusion: Among men with moderate and severe COVID-19, a decreased testosterone level is detected in 46.7% of cases. Patients with low testosterone levels on admission have more severe COVID-19. A significant increase in testosterone level was observed after successful COVID-19 treatment without any special action regarding testosterone level.