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Introduction. The role of art in the life of society is to translate humanitarian values. The creator of a truly imaginative work is able to perceive when interacting with the world and embody in his works what may not be in statistics and will probably be relevant for humanity in the future. Theoretical analysis. According to the available data, the pictures aggregated by the neural network and painted by the artist do not differ in subjects. In this paper, an activity-based approach is implemented to assess the differences of such paintings. It is based on the decision of the test subject of the problem associated with the identification of this difference. The difference lies in the method of “translating” the idea of the painting from a symbolic code into a figurative one, objectifying the artist’s attitude to the world, translating humanitarian values in this way. Empirical analysis. In the course of an empirical study, a pairwise comparison of paintings was carried out, as a criterion, the comparison was proposed based on the possible success of the transfer of the artist’s attitude to the world. Conclusion. It was previously stated that the distinction between paintings written by the artist and those generated by the neural network in the conditions of solving a new task for the subject to identify the success of the transfer is problematic.

Based on the results of physical modeling of the processes of fault zone formation, general regularities of their structural and dynamic development were revealed. These regularities were used as the basis of the author’s tectonophysical model of the tectonic earthquake focus, with a precursor resulting from it. Such a precursor is the self-organization of the deformation process of active segments in the focus of an impending earthquake. It was shown that this process can be diagnosed preventively using the deformation and seismic monitoring data and manifests itself in the form of low-frequency self-oscillations immediately before the seismic event in the time interval from the first days to the first hours. The stable manifestation of this precursor allows us to classify it as short-term.

The work focuses on wireless power transfer for electric vehicle charging stations. The aim of the study is to analyse the processes in the system of wireless magnetic resonance transmission of electrical energy using magnetic fields and to develop approaches to improve the efficiency of such systems. The set objectives were achieved by solving the following problems: the opera-tion of the wireless power transmission system with a resonance-tuned transmission coil, the de-termination of the optimal energy parameters of wireless power transmission on the example of a magnetically coupled system with a series-sequential resonant circuit. The main results of the study are as follows: it is shown that the necessary condition for obtaining the maximum power in the receiver is not only the tuning to the resistance of the receiving coil, but also the inclusion of the receiving circuit to a certain active load resistance, depending on the coupling coefficient between the transmitting and receiving coils, and analytical expressions are obtained, by means of which it is possible to calculate the load resistance at which the considered power transmis-sion system has the maximum efficiency; it is proved that the transmission efficiency of the se-ries-sequential resonant circuit is maximum in the single resonance mode and depends on the coupling coefficient. Significance of the obtained results: It is proved that magnetic resonance transmission of electric energy in the case of series-sequential scheme of wireless power trans-mission is more effective in comparison with series-parallel, at frequencies not exceeding 100 kHz, which has a positive effect on the operation of charging stations for electric vehicles in an urban industrial environment and, as a result, on solving the problem of compliance of such sys-tems with electromagnetic compatibility requirements.

Aim. To investigate the state of the platelet and plasma components of hemostasis in patients with myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA).Material and methods. The study included 42 patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI): MINOCA (n=24) and MI-CAD (n=18). Platelet aggregation ability in response to activation was evaluated using Solar AP2110 and LASCA aggregometers. Platelet functional activity and calcium signaling were assessed using flow cytometry methods. The plasma component of hemostasis, in addition to routine coagulation tests was evaluated using the global coagulation test "Thrombodynamics". The control groups for tests consisted of healthy volunteers.Results. When analyzing the ability of platelets to form aggregates by the aggregometry tests, it was found that platelets in the MINOCA group formed aggregates significantly worse upon ADP stimulation at various concentrations compared to the MI-CAD group. However, when platelets were stimulated with collagen, the opposite effect was observed: in the MI-CAD group, there was a noticeable decrease in aggregate formation in terms of light scattering amplitude compared to the MINOCA group. Flow cytometry using the functional platelet activity test protocol revealed that both groups showed a significantly increased platelet size after activation, reduced platelet granularity) both at rest and upon activation, significantly decreased number of procoagulant phosphatidylserine-positive platelets, and reduced dense granule release upon activation compared to healthy volunteers. The calcium signaling test showed a weakened calcium release in response to ADP in the MINOCA group compared to the MI-CAD group. In the study of the plasma component, no significant differences between the groups or deviations were found according to both routine tests and the "Thrombodynamics" test.Conclusion. Platelet activity did not differ significantly between the MINOCA and MI-CAD groups; however, in the MINOCA group, platelet activity was lower in some tests compared to the MI-CAD group. In the study of the plasma hemostasis component, normocoagulation was recorded in both groups.

The problem of finding the fatigue characteristics of a composite material based on test results is considered. The results of endurance tests of unidirectional polymer composite materials with different initial stiffness, breaking stress and working cycle stress were used as the initial data. As a mathematical model of stiffness degradation, a nonlinear ordinary differential equation with five unknown parameters is used, reflecting characteristic changes in the properties of the material. It is required to find such parameter values that the solution of the differential equation should describe the available test results with sufficient accuracy. The solution procedure is reduced to the problem of optimizing the objective function, the value of which characterizes the achieved accuracy. As optimization methods, a method simulating the behavior of a flock of moths and a method of sequential reduction of the search set were used. A step-by-step algorithm for finding unknown model parameters is proposed, and numerical results of processing input data containing information on changing the elasticity modulus of the composite material in the course of applying load cycles are presented.

Introduction. The review considered the basic concepts of drug release and kinetic modeling of this process from dosage forms (DF) according to the dissolution profile using a vertical Franz diffusion cell.Text. Drug release from dosage forms (ointments, gels, transdermal patches and polymer films) is usually described as the processes of drug dissolution in the biological system. Formally, this process, in accordance with pharmacopoeial methods, is assessed using various solubility tests. The theoretical aspects of drug release are based on the theory of mass transfer of substances from a polymer matrix into a system that simulates a biological environment. Drug release can be carried out via the passive diffusion mechanism according to Fick and "non-Fick" diffusion, drug desorption from the inner side of the membrane, as well as other mechanisms. Drug release is determined both lipophilicity and the membrane nature, both various physicochemical parameters of the drug. One of the correlation characteristics of mass transfer is the assessment of the permeability coefficient for a specific membrane that simulates skin. Permeability coefficient describes the rate of penetration of a drug per unit concentration in distance/time units. An example of relationship of "structure-permeability" correlation are the equations relating the permeability constant and lipophilicity to the molecular weight of the drug. The paper showed statistical methods of data analysis (MANOVA, ANOVA) and model-dependent methods (zero order, first order, Higuchi model, Korsmeyer – Peppas model, Hixson – Crowell model, etc.). The ideal drug delivery of non-degradable and non-disaggregating drugs describes as drug release model by zero-order reaction. For drug release of water-soluble drugs from a porous matrix, first-order reaction model is more typical. Kinetic models of fractional power functions are used usually as the cube root law (Hixson – Crowell model) or the square root law (Higuchi model) to describe the process of drug release from gels and dermal films and patches. The Korsmeyer – Peppas model allows us to evaluate the mechanism of mass transfer with Fickian diffusion or another process.Conclusion. Mathematical modeling of the drug release kinetics from soft dosage forms is an important element for the development and optimization of their compositions. The study of the drugs release from soft dosage forms, including TTS and polymer films, as well as the release from solid dosage forms, is based on establishing correlations between the kinetics of the release and dissolution profile. The main release models, regardless of the DF, remain the following models: zero order, first order, Korsmeyer – Peppas, Higuchi, Hickson – Crowell, the empirical or semi-empirical constants of which vary significantly depending on the DF and the release mechanism (Fickian diffusion or another drug mass transfer mechanism). Correlation relationships QSPeR or QSPR, using the coefficients of permeability, diffusion and lipophilicity, provide information on the mass transfer of drugs through the skin.

Multifunctions are discrete functions defined on a finite set and returning as their values all subsets of the considered set. The paper considers the classification of multifunctions defined on a two-element set with respect to the E-closure operator. E-closed sets of multifunctions are sets that are closed under superposition, the closure operator with branching by the equality predicate, the identification of variables, and the addition of dummy variables. The concept of separating sets was introduced using a greedy algorithm for the set covering problem, and 22 classes of separating sets were obtained. It is shown that the classification under consideration leads to a finite set of closed classes. The work describes all 359 E-closed classes of multifunctions, among which there are 138 pairs of dual classes and 83 self-dual classes. For each class consisting only of multifunctions, its generating system is indicated.

Protein- and peptide-based proton-conducting biomaterials have been touted as particularly promising for bioelectronics applications because of their advantageous chemical and physical characteristics, typically excellent biocompatibilities, and readily understood electrical properties. Within this context, our laboratory has previously discovered and systematically investigated bulk proton conduction for a unique family of cephalopod structural proteins called reflectins. Herein, we leverage a combination of experimental and computational methodologies to investigate the bulk electrical properties of hierarchically nanostructured films self-assembled from a previously reported truncated reflectin variant. Our findings indicate that the truncated reflectin variant exhibits protonic conductivities and associated figures of merit on par with those reported for both full-length reflectins and other proteinaceous proton-conducting materials. The combined studies enhance current understanding of reflectins’ functional properties within the framework of bioengineering and bioelectronics applications and may ultimately facilitate the development of other protein- and peptide-based conductive biomaterials.

Myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock (MI CS) is the terminal stage of the cardiovascular disease continuum, leading to the death of every second patient in its severe course. Over the past decades, there are no improvement in inhospital mortality rates for MI CS, despite the widespread introduction of early and effective revascularization methods and intensive care techniques. Recently, more and more data have emerged on the significant contribution of the systemic inflammatory response (SIR) to the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndrome and its complications. The characteristics and impact of SIR in MI CS on its course and outcome have not been sufficiently studied. One of the strategies to influence the SIR course, along with the use of anti-inflammatory therapy, is efferent treatment. However, despite all the above-mentioned fundamental prerequisites for the use of an extracorporeal therapy in CS patients, the introduction of these techniques into clinical guidelines and practice requires exploratory and multicenter randomized studies. This review article summarizes modern ideas and characterizes the existing possibilities of using efferent therapy in MI CS.

Aim. To compare main central hemodynamic parameters obtained by pulmonary artery catheterization and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE).Material and methods. This prospective study included 20 patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by true cardiogenic shock. In all patients, number of central hemodynamic parameters was measured using a Swan-Ganz catheter and TTE. Comparison of both methods was carried out by Spearman correlation analysis and Bland-Altman plots using the STATISTICA 8.0 program.Results. We found quite a lot of agreement between the parameters measured by the two methods in the same patient at approximately the same time. Thus, the cardiac index (CI) is well measured by both methods. At the same time, the correlation coefficient was significantly higher when measuring CI using VTI (r=0,81 vs r=0,81) compared to LV volumes. Therefore, we consider the first method to be preferable. The values of total peripheral vascular resistance (TPVR), estimated by right atrial pressure, did not reveal agreement between methods. At the same time, there was agreement in case of central venous pressure. Measurement of pulmonary wedge pressure did not show agreement in me thods. We believe that this is due to the fact that diastolic function assessment in intensive care patients in the focal TTE mode may be difficult and not sufficiently correct.Conclusion. TTE can be used to monitor central hemodynamics in cases of satisfactory and moderately reduced cardiac imaging. Both the results of CI measurement using the Bernoulli formula and left ventricular volumes, as well as measuring TPVR using central venous pressure, are statistically consistent. Measurement of TPVR using right atrial pressure and measurement of pulmonary wedge pressure did not demonstrate agreement between the different techniques. We believe that TTE can be used to monitor CI and TPVR in patients with myocardial infarction complicated by true cardiogenic shock.

BACKGROUND: One of the primary pathophysiological mechanisms of functional dyspepsia is a disruption in the postprandial reflex relaxation of the proximal part of the stomach, which results in an impairment of its motor-evacuation function. This impairment can be verified by magnetic resonance imaging with a stress drinking test. Correction of gastric relaxation accommodation disorders in functional dyspepsia is possible with the help of drinking mineral waters. However, further studies are required to assess the effect of these waters on the motor-evacuation function of the stomach. AIM: The study was aimed at comparative evaluation of the effect of intake of therapeutic medium mineralized sulfate-sodium-calcium mineral water and ordinary drinking water on gastric evacuation function using magnetic resonance tomography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A two-fold magnetic resonance imaging procedure was conducted on an empty stomach using a closed-type Philips Intera 1.5T device (Philips, Netherlands) in 10 patients aged 22.8±1.2 years with a diagnosis of functional dyspepsia. On day 1, 200 ml of drinking water was used, and on day 2, 200 ml of mineral water was used. The examination was conducted in abdominal mode, with the subjects lying on their back. A slice thickness of 3 mm was used in coronal, axial, and sagittal projections, with images acquired every 5 minutes for 20 minutes. The following imaging modes were employed: T1, T2-weighted images, T2 Spair, and b-FFE. The volume of gastric contents and the rate of fluid evacuation were calculated using the RadiAnt DICOM Viewer program (Medixant, Poland). RESULTS: In patients with functional dyspepsia, the volume of liquid in the stomach after ingestion of 200 ml of drinking water was 163.71 ± 28.9 mL, while after ingestion of mineral water, the volume was 101.57 ± 26.88 mL. Furthermore, the volume of evacuated liquid after ingestion of mineral water was 1.040–2.5 times greater. By minute 15, the volume of liquid in the stomach was 8.0 ± 6.16 mL after mineral water intake and 58.85 ± 40.06 mL after drinking water. The mean gastric evacuation rate following ingestion of ordinary drinking water was 12.9 ± 5.29 mL/min, while that following ingestion of mineral water was 24.1 ± 4.53 mL/min (1.07–3.76 times greater). The increase in gastric evacuation rate observed in the examined subjects when using mineral water ranged from 7.58% to 276.21%. CONCLUSIONS: Magnetic resonance imaging of the stomach allows for the verification of the effect of mineral water on its motor-evacuation function, thus enabling the estimation of the rate of gastric emptying. A single intake of the studied mineral water has a prokinetic effect, which can be used to correct motor disorders in patients with functional dyspepsia.

Background: Antimicrobial peptides are generally considered promising drug candidates for combating resistant bacterial infections. However, the selectivity of their action may vary significantly. Natural gomesin, isolated from haemocytes of the tarantula Acanthoscurria gomesiana, demonstrates a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities, being the most effective against pathogenic fungi. Methods: Here, we searched for variants of natural gomesin-like peptides and produced their recombinant analogs in the bacterial expression system. The antimicrobial activities of the obtained peptides were tested against a panel of bacterial and yeast strains, and their toxicity towards human cells was examined. Results: Most of the new analogs of gomesin have primary structures homologous to that of the natural gomesin; however, they have fewer amino acid residues and post-translational modifications. One of the discovered analogs, the His-rich shorter peptide from the spider Dysdera sylvatica, designated as DsGom, displays antifungal activity comparable with that of natural gomesin. In the process of the structural–functional study of DsGom, it was shown that this analog retains a basic mechanism of action similar to that of natural gomesin. The DsGom analog has a significantly better toxicity profile as compared to gomesin. At the same time, the loss of the first Arg residue reduces, but does not annul, the antifungal activity of DsGom. Moreover, the acidification of the growth medium reduces the loss of the antifungal activity of this analog. Conclusions: The discovered natural gomesin-like peptides display more selective antifungal activities as compared to gomesin. The low cytotoxicity of DsGom, combined with its high antifungal activity and stability, allows us to consider it a promising drug candidate for the treatment of fungal infections, especially those caused by fungi of the Candida genus.

New observations of ocean surface topography obtained by wide-swath satellite interferometry require new capabilities to process spatially correlated errors in order to assimilate these data into numerical models. The sea surface height (SSH) variations have to be weighted against other types of assimilated data using information on their precision, as represented by the inverse of the SSH error covariance matrix R. The latter can be well approximated by a block-circulant (BC) structure and, therefore, allows numerically efficient implementation in operational data assimilation (DA) systems. In this note, we extend the technique of approximating R for wide-swath altimeters by including the uncertainties associated with the state of the atmosphere. It is shown that such an extension keeps the BC approximation error within acceptable (±10%) bounds in a wide range of environmental conditions and could be beneficial for improving the accuracy of SSH retrievals from wide-swath altimeter observations.

Background: Endogenous antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are evolutionarily ancient molecular factors of innate immunity that play a key role in host defense. The study of the diversity of animal defense peptides has important applications in the context of the growing global antimicrobial resistance. Methods: In this study using a transcriptome mining approach, we found three novel thanatin-like β-hairpin AMPs in the bean bug Riptortus pedestris, named Rip-2, Rip-3, and Rip-4. The peptides were expressed in the bacterial system, and their antimicrobial activities were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. Results: Homologs of the discovered AMPs are widely distributed among different members of the infraorder Pentatomomorpha. Rip-2 was shown to have the most similar structure and LptA-targeting mechanism of action to those of thanatin, but the former peptides demonstrated a higher activity against key Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens and also displayed a significant efficacy in a lethal model of septicemia caused by E. coli in mice at daily doses greater than 5 mg/kg. In contrast, Rip-3 and Rip-4 peptides caused bacterial membrane damage, did not induce bacterial resistance, and exhibited a strong selectivity against Bacillus and Mycobacterium spp. Conclusions: This study extends the knowledge of the structure and functions of insect host defense AMPs. Each of the novel β-hairpin peptides has a potential to be a template for the development of selective antibiotic drugs.