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Abstract Kalb–Ramond gravity is expected to show the signatures of the low energy limit of the Lorentz violating extension of the standard model of particle physics. To understand the theory further, we study the circular geodesics belonging to a class of exact solutions [found recently by Lessa, Silva, Maluf, Almeida (LSMA)] by posing them as a Hamiltonian dynamical autonomous system. The analysis on the phase space for relevant values of the Lorentz violating parameters reveals for the first time a wealth of novel information that include prediction of homoclinic orbits, saddle points, separatrices that are not available from the conventional analysis. Their image on the actual physical space is discussed.

A new derivatization reagent, phthalylglycyl chloride (PG-Cl), for the analysis of urinary amino acids was demonstrated using reversed-phase ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The study compares the limits of detection and quantification for different sample preparation techniques with the commonly used and effective method of derivatization using dansyl chloride. The stability of the derivatives was investigated, and the study includes an example of urinary amino acid analysis using PG-Cl derivatization. The optimal values for pH, temperature, and concentration of the derivatization reagent were established. Limits of quantification in the range of 0.5–500 µg/mL were obtained for different amino acids. The possibility of phthalylglycyl chloride usage for non-target screening applications and targeted analysis of amino acids in urine was discussed. An advantages and issues of PG-Cl in comparison with commonly used acyl-chlorides (FMOC-Cl and DNS-Cl) provided and discussed.

Aim – to investigate the associations of rs3134069, rs4355801 and rs3102735 polymorphisms in the TNFRSF11B gene with knee osteoarthritis in postmenopausal women. Material and methods. 483 postmenopausal women were examined, including 157 patients with knee osteoarthritis. The remaining 326 women had no signs of joint disease and formed the control group. All examined women were tested using real-time polymerase chain reaction for single nucleotide polymorphisms rs3134069, rs4355801 and rs3102735 in the TNFRSF11B gene. Results. It was found that genotypes distribution of polymorphisms rs3134069, rs4355801 and rs3102735 in the TNFRSF11B gene in the total group of examined women (n = 483) corresponded to the Hardy – Weinberg law (p 0.05). The analysis of the polymorphic variants’ frequency in the TNFRSF11B gene revealed an increased frequency of AC or CC genotypes of rs3134069 polymorphism in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OR = 1.91; 95% CI: 1.10–3.32; p = 0.030). Also, the allele C frequency of the above-mentioned polymorphism was increased among patients with osteoarthritis (OR = 1.78; 95% CI: 1.06–2.99; p = 0.040). No association with knee osteoarthritis was found for two other studied polymorphisms in the TNFRSF11B gene – rs4355801 and rs3102735 (p 0.05). Conclusion. The increased frequency of genotypes AC or CC registration, as well as allele C of rs3134069 polymorphism in the TNFRSF11B gene in postmenopausal women with knee osteoarthritis indicates the important role of TNFRSF11B gene mutations in the osteoarthritis development and progression. Further research in this area is of great interest both for a deeper understanding of the disease pathogenesis and for the development of personalized approach in the prevention and treatment of knee osteoarthritis in postmenopausal women.

A brief analysis of studies on logging equipment has allowed us to conclude that it is necessary to further study the degree of influence of silvicultural and taxation indicators of the stand, containing quantitative data on the trees harvested and remaining for rearing, on the productivity of the harverster. The degree of influence of quantitative indicators of the stand on the work of the harvester is random, which is due to the infinitely wide variety of options for the spatial arrangement of trees in forest swathes. The article presents the results of a production experiment to assess the impact of the quantitative characteristics of the forest stand on the duration of individual elements of the cycle time of the harvester. The analyzed factors included the total number of trees per 1 hectare and the proportion of the felled component of the stand. These factors play a significant role in assessing the shift and hourly productivity of machines, however, when analyzing the duration of a number of elements of cycle time of manipulator machines, the importance of these indicators is underestimated by many researchers and, in order to increase the convenience and simplicity of calculations, these indicators are not used in justifying labour costs. Both factors have been considered at three levels of variation. As a result, the significant influence of the analyzed factors on the duration of 3 independent elements of cycle time of the machine (pointing the manipulator at the tree, hauling the trunk to the processing zone and moving the harvester between operating positions) has been proven. The experiment has been carried out using the Silvatec 8266TH harvester under conditions of its operation in the swathes characterized by various silvicultural and taxation indicators. The sequence of conducting the production experiment and statistical processing of the obtained data has been shown. The analysis of variance has allowed us to conclude that it is necessary to comprehensively take into account the analyzed factors when assessing each technological operation. The results can be used to improve mathematical relationships in calculating productivity and labour costs when designing logging operations.

The objective of our study was to investigate the genetic predictors of self-regulation and related characteristics indicative of a higher level of rational behavior control. The study 107 female participants aged between 22 and 52 years, with an average age of 33.5 years (Russian Federation). In order to measure level of self-regulation and other characteristics corresponding to a higher level of rational behavioral control the following psychological tests were employed: the “Differential Type of Reflection” questionnaire (Leontyev D.A.), the “Style of Self-Regulation of Behavior” questionnaire (Morosanova, Kholopova, 1995), and the Test of Life-Meaning Orientations (D.A. Leontyeva, 1988). Genotyping was use to examine polymorphisms of the COMT, DRD2 genes. Our findings demonstrate significant differences in the level of systemic reflection among carriers of different genotypes of the DRD2 and COMT genes. The highest level of systemic reflection in carriers of the CC genotype for the DRD2 gene and a heterozygous variant of the COMT gene suggests a balance between the elevated dopaminergic activity characteristic of the CC DRD2 genotype and moderate COMT activity, fostering optimal dopamine metabolism.

The article presents the results of a comparative analysis of algorithms for automatic interpretation of tectonic faults based on seismic data recorded in various seismogeological conditions. For each type of geological section (platform, salt tectonics, marine data), a cube of the probability of violations by an analytical algorithm and using trained neural networks was calculated.

Background. Currently, psychological knowledge integrates theories on codependent behavior, advancing our understanding of this phenomenon. However, empirical research is lacking to understand its specific manifestations in relation to different types of addiction. Objective. To identify the features of self-attitude and reflection in codependent women. Design. The study included 233 women (ages 18–70), including 102 in relationships with a person addicted to alcohol, drugs, or suffering from a non-chemical addiction). The study was conducted using the following methods: Self-Attitude Questionnaire (Stolin & Panteleev, 1988); Differential Type of Reflection Questionnaire (Leontiev, 2009); and Codependency Self-Inventory Scale (CSIS; Weinhold & Weinhold, 1989; translated by A. G. Cheslavskaya, 2002). Results. Significant differences were observed in self-attitude and reflection. Women with high codependency have lower self-esteem and tend to underestimate their abilities, compared to the control group. They also exhibit a lower sense of control over their lives, lower self-consistency; they tend to focus on their weaknesses and shortcomings and are more inclined to self-blame. Quasi-reflexivity is more common in codependent women who have relationships with non-chemical addicts or do not identify an addict in their lives. Conclusion. There are significant differences in self-attitude and reflection between the control group and subgroups of women in relationships with different types of addicts; the same differences were observed in comparison of women with low and high codependency levels. The study contributes to a better understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying codependent behavior in women and has implications for future research and clinical practice.

Background. Remote work has been gaining popularity for a long time. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work has become a necessity for many people. However, the personality traits of people for whom remote work is suitable are poorly understood. Objectives. The study focuses on the personality traits of successful freelancers working remotely. Study Participants. 184 Freelancers (115 females, 69 males, aged from 14 to 60) were recruited from Advego.com. Freelancers were divided into two groups of beginners and experts, based on the number of tasks completed. Groups were compared with each other. The group of experts was also compared with a group of 98 females (aged from 16 to 72) who were not freelancers. Methods. An empirical study was carried out using a five-factor personality questionnaire by H. Tsuji in the version of A.B. Khromov. Results. Significant differences were found between expert freelancers and women of different professions for the following personality traits: extraversion (p = 0.0001), agreeableness (p = 0.0001), openness to experience (p = 0.0001). The hypothesis that freelancers have a higher level of conscientiousness than non-freelance women was not confirmed. Conclusions. The personality traits of freelancers who are successfully adapted to remote work are revealed including lower levels of extraversion, agreeableness, and openness to experience. The results obtained can be used to select staff for remote work.

A mathematical model of the in-line control of the insulation resistance state for cathodically polarized main pipelines according to electrometry data is considered. The relevance of the work is caused by the opportunity to create in-line internal isolation defects indicators of the main pipelines for transported liquids that are good conductors and expand the functionality of monitoring and controlling cathodic protection systems of the main pipelines. Features of the mathematical model are: consideration of the electric conductivity of transported liquid influence on electric field distribution; consideration of the influence of external and internal insulating coating resistance; use of the electric field of an in-line diagnostic probe for quality control of internal insulation. Practical significance consists in the development of modeling methods for control subsystems of main pipeline protection against corrosion and the development of special mathematical and algorithmic support systems for monitoring and controlling the operating modes of the cathodic protection station of main pipelines.

The development and improvement of effective tools for predicting human behavior in real life through the features of its virtual activity opens up broad prospects for psychological support of the individual. The presence of such tools can be used by psychologists in educational, professional and other areas in the formation of trajectories of harmonious person's development. Currently, active research is underway to determine psychological characteristics based on publicly available data. Such studies develop the direction of "Psychology of social networks". As markers for determining the psychological characteristics of people, various parameters obtained from their personal pages in social networks are used (texts of posts and reposts, the number of different elements on the page, statistical information about audio and video recordings, information about groups, and others). There is a difficulty in obtaining and analyzing a data set this big, as there are non-linear and hidden relationships between individual data elements. As a result, the classic methods of information processing become inefficient. Therefore, in our work to develop a comprehensive model of success based on the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, we use an approach based on artificial neural networks. The labels of the input records are used to divide the subjects of the study into five clusters using clustering methods (kmeans). In the course of our work, we gradually expand the set of input parameters to include metrics of users' personal pages, and compare the results to determine the impact of qualitative parameters on the accuracy of the artificial neural network. The results reflect the solution of one of the tasks of the research carried out within the framework of the project of the Russian Science Foundation and serve as material for an information and analytical system for automatic forecasting of human life activity based on the metrics of his personal profile in the social network VKontakte.

On the example of the Alardinskaya mine, the problem of underground mining of seams prone to spontaneous combustion and rock bumps in the conditions of the Kondomsky geological and economic region of the Kuznetsk coal basin is considered. The contradictions in the requirements of regulatory documents for the width of the inter-panel coal pillars in the mining of seams with longwalls in conditions of endogenous fire hazard and in the mining of seams that are dangerous due to geodynamical phenomena are discussed. These contradictions impede the safe mining of seams using traditionally used layouts with the danger of spontaneous combustion of coal and rock bumps. A mining-geomechanical model is presented, which is used for numerical three-dimensional simulation of the stress-strain state of a rock mass with various layouts for longwall panels using the finite element method. The results of the numerical analysis of the stress state of the rock mass immediately before the rock bump are presented, and the main factors that contributed to its occurrence during the mining of the seam are established. A dangerous degree of stress concentration in the coal seam near the leading diagonal entries is shown, especially in conditions of application of abutment pressure from the edge of panels’ gob. The analysis of the features of stress distribution in the inter-panel pillar at different widths is carried out. Recommendations for improving the layout for the development and mining of coal seams that are prone to spontaneous combustion and dangerous in terms of rock bumps in the conditions of Alardiskaya mine have been developed. The need for further studies of the influence of pillars for various purposes, formed during the mining of adjacent seams, on the stress-strain state of previously overmined and undermined seams is shown.

Background. The question of the dynamics of the subjective well-being of students with alexithymia, who represent a risk group for the emergence of maladaptive states in stressful conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, is considered in connection with their emotional competencies, reflecting the development of personal mechanisms for regulation (self-regulation) of emotions. Objective. The goal is to study and access the impact of the pandemic situation on the subjective well-being of students with symptoms of alexithymia through their emotional competencies. Methods. Toronto Alexithymia Scale by J. Taylor, Subjective Well-Being Scale by A.A. Rukavishnikov, emotional intelligence questionnaire by D.V. Lyusin, a technique for diagnosing emotional barriers in interpersonal communication by V.V. Boyko; Pearson r-test, Kruskal — Wallis H-test were applied. Sample. The study was conducted at the North Caucasus Federal University during the pre-COVID period (2018) and during the pandemic (2021). The sample consisted of 120 students. Results. As a result of a comparative analysis of signs of alexithymia, students found increased difficulties in describing feelings and externality of thinking during the pandemic. There were no significant differences in emotional barriers to communication before the pandemic and during the pandemic among alexithymics. A pronounced reluctance to get emotionally close to other people and a lower level of emotional effectiveness of communication, compared to students without alexithymia, were diagnosed in alexithymics both before and during the pandemic. During the pandemic period, alexithymics have identified: negative dynamics in the ability to understand and manage their own emotions, a noticeable decrease in subjective well-being to a feeling of pronounced emotional discomfort, especially on the scale of the significance of the social environment; negative correlations between the general indicator of alexithymia and difficulties in describing feelings, on the one hand, and satisfaction with everyday life, self-esteem of health, mood stability, ability to manage one's own emotions, on the other hand. Positive correlations with the control of emotional expression, depressive manifestations, absent-mindedness, drowsiness were also identified. Conclusion. The situation of the pandemic had a pronounced negative impact on the subjective well-being of students with alexithymia, mediated by barriers of emotional rapprochement with other people characteristic of alexithymics and a low level of intrapersonal emotional competencies.

The enzymatic synthesis of nucleoside derivatives is an important alternative to multi-step chemical methods traditionally used for this purpose. Despite several undeniable advantages of the enzymatic approach, there are a number of factors limiting its application, such as the limited substrate specificity of enzymes, the need to work at fairly low concentrations, and the physicochemical properties of substrates—for example, low solubility. This research conducted by our group is dedicated to the advantages and limitations of using purine nucleoside phosphorylases (PNPs), the main enzymes for the metabolic reutilization of purines, in the synthesis of modified nucleoside analogues. In our work, the substrate specificity of PNP from various bacterial sources (mesophilic and thermophilic) was studied, and the effect of substrate, increased temperature, and the presence of organic solvents on the conversion rate was investigated.

Introduction: the need for effective psychocorrective work with persons convicted of terrorism-related crimes, focused on the correction of these persons, does not raise any doubt. Even greater relevance to the problematic issues considered in the publication is given by the fact that we are talking about females. A not so significant number of convicts in this category, as well as gender psychological characteristics, determine the relevance and significance of aspects of psychological work with women convicted of terrorism-related crimes. Purpose: to determine roles and psychological motives of women in the commission of terrorism-related crimes and disclose methods of their recruitment. The study (83 women convicted of terrorism-related crimes) was conducted in the period from 2014 to 2022 with the help of the following methods: survey and analytical, providing a theoretical analysis of literary sources; empirical, involving the use of psychodiagnostic techniques, author’s questionnaires and questionnaires designed to determine general and socio-psychological characteristics of persons convicted of terrorism. The study covered 83 women convicted of terrorism-related crimes. The analysis of empirical material and scientific sources helps identify key trends of female terrorism, the role, psychological motives of behavior and methods of recruiting potential terrorists. Recommendations for conducting psychocorrective work with the appropriate category of persons are developed. Conclusion: the experience of psychocorrective work of correctional psychologists with women convicted of terrorism-related crimes has not been sufficiently studied due to the small number of this category in correctional institutions; the analysis of scientific data makes it possible to determine key reasons for women’s involvement in terrorism-related crimes, as well as the roles and motives for which they were involved. Understanding mechanisms and motives of women’s involvement in terrorism-related crimes, psychologists of correctional institutions can conduct psychocorrection with this category of convicts.

Magnesium alloys are promising materials for aviation, automotive engineering, and medicine, however, due to the low resistance to stress corrosion cracking (SCC), their wide application is limited. To create alloys with high resistance to SCC, a comprehensive study of this phenomenon nature is required. Previously, it was suggested that diffusible hydrogen and corrosion products formed on the magnesium surface can play an important role in the SCC mechanism. However, the contribution of each of these factors to the SCC-induced embrittlement of magnesium and its alloys is understudied. Since the influence of diffusible hydrogen on the mechanical properties of metals increases with the strain rate decrease, the study of the strain rate sensitivity of the SCC-susceptibility of magnesium alloys is a critical task. In this work, the authors studied the effect of the strain rate in the range from 5•10−6 to 5•10−4 s−1 on the mechanical properties, the state of the side and fracture surfaces of the as-cast commercially pure magnesium and the AZ31 alloy before and after exposure to a corrosive environment and after removal of corrosion products. The study identified that the preliminary exposure to a corrosive medium leads to the AZ31 alloy embrittlement, but does not affect the mechanical properties and the fracture mode of pure magnesium. The authors found that the AZ31 alloy embrittlement caused by the preliminary exposure to a corrosive medium appears extensively only at the low strain rate and only if the layer of corrosion products is present on the specimens’ surface. The study shows that a change in the strain rate has little effect on the mechanical properties of pure magnesium. The authors concluded that the main cause of the AZ31 alloy embrittlement after soaking in a corrosive medium is the corrosion products layer, which presumably contains the embrittling agents such as hydrogen and residual corrosive medium.

The issue of the influence of the concentration of the solid phase on the reduction of energy costs and specific energy consumption during pulp transportation is considered. The procedure for preparing slurry from the current enrichment tailings is shown. A scheme is given and the operation of a hydroficated unit for thickening and hydraulic transport of backfill mixtures is described. A diagram of the movement of solid particles in one of the units of the complex – a lamellar thickener is shown. The summary table shows the main design parameters and characteristics of the lamellar thickener. A general view of the laboratory setup used for experimental studies with slurry at various concentrations is given. An example of calculating productivity, density and specific load is presented. The dependence of the shear stress on the velocity gradient was determined for various pulp concentrations. Experimental studies of the process of thickening the production of slurry from the current enrichment tailings have been carried out. It was found that the geometric dimensions of the thickener depend on the concentration of the solid phase in the transported mixture. It is concluded that the flow rate of the slurry and the head loss are functions of the rheological characteristics of the viscoplastic slurry and can be calculated from the derived calculated dependencies.

Abstract Background Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have become the most common tobacco product used among adolescents in the United States (US). Prior research has shown that peer e-cigarette use was associated with increased risk of own e-cigarette use. Nonetheless, there is little empirical evidence on the directionality of these associations—if peer use predicts own use (peer influence) or if own use predicts peer use (peer selection). Methods We estimated the association between peer and own e-cigarette use among US adolescents 12–17 years of age. We used the cross-lagged model to investigate the mutual relationship between peer and own e-cigarette use over time using data from a population-based longitudinal study, Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health. Stratified analyses were conducted by sex and age subgroups. Results Results from a cross-lagged model showed a statistically significant predicting path leading from peer use at the prior time point to own use at the following time point, but not vice versa. Conclusions We found strong relationships between peer e-cigarette use and own e-cigarette use at within-individual levels. Peer influence paths were more robust than peer selection paths for e-cigarette use. Incorporating peers into prevention and intervention programs may help enhance these strategies.

Introduction. The territorial organization of Inner Asian polities underwent significant transformations in the first quarter of the 20th century, which resulted in a need for its visualization. Goals. The article attempts to reconstruct the system of key public governance institutions in Mongol-inhabited lands of China in the mentioned period, and to describe tools of their visualization supposed to spot the former across present-day geographical points of the region. So, the study aims to examine some basic institutions of princely power and khoshun administration, religious and aimag/league-level authorities, impacts of the Chinese colonization on Mongol-inhabited territories, investigate sources, tools and methods instrumental in spatial localization and visualization of territorial /governance structures across the lands. Materials and methods. The work focuses on two groups of sources, namely: unpublished materials from P. Dudin’s doctoral thesis (manuscript) (Statehood of Inner Mongolia: Late 19th to Mid-20th Centuries) discussing public governance structures of Mongolian banners (counties); and unique maps of 1914/1925 mentioning khoshuns, aimags and leagues of almost all Mongol-inhabited domains. The research methodology rests on an interdisciplinary approach, methods of historical science to comprise the ideographic (descriptive-narrative) and retrospective ones, a narrative approach, and principles of historicism; knowledge of political science yields an opportunity to employ functional and behavioral approaches. The geographical methods involved rest on the scheme of analysis proposed in works of O. Medushevskaya (1957) and L. Goldenberg (1958), as well as on some analysis of the data generalization degree. Results. The work has reconstructed the early 20th-century system of key Mongolian public governance institutions, outlines how the system of princely power functioned, how khoshun-level administrative bodies took shape and worked, identifies the governance role of religious institutions, while insights into different levels of the administrative/territorial organization facilitates further understanding as to actual scopes of power attributed thereto, and makes it possible to visualize the investigated space with the aid of contemporary tools and techniques. Conclusions. The paper points to the efficiency of the then management system where it was the khoshun that had served — and remained — a key structural element. The latter’s detailed illustrations on V. Surin’s maps make it possible to restore the ancient territorial organization of Mongolia using the GIS system, free access be provided for researchers of the region.

The paper adopts a sociopragmatic approach to the study of emotion processes and investigates discursive traits of the reader’s interest. The field of written popularization was examined to establish how it conceptualizes the reader’s interest through discourse structures. The text materials were obtained experimentally. They consist of 104 pairs of expository text; each of the pairs includes a text published in an academic source and a popular science text created by the participant for provoking the reader’s interest. The comparative methods of empirical discourse analysis are used to identify and describe popularisation strategies. The results show that participants employed four strategies to transform academic texts: reduction N = 94), simplification (N = 81), contextualization (N = 58), and concrete elaboration (N = 17). The strategies tend to present the most significant text ideas, reduce reader’s efforts for processing, and introduce the reader into the discourse-world. The findings suggest that the strategies aim to enhance the optimal relevance and conceptualize reader’s interest through the communicative dimension of relevance.

There is a strong belief that hydrogen absorbed by magnesium alloys during corrosion can cause their stress corrosion cracking. One of the characteristic markers indicating the involvement of diffusible hydrogen into the fracture mechanism of metals is the negative strain rate dependence of the embrittlement degree. Recent studies show that the loss of ductility of the ZK60 alloy specimens subjected to a short-term (1.5 h) pre-exposure in a corrosive medium actually decreases with the increasing strain rate. However, after the removal of corrosion products from the surface of the specimens, the strain rate dependence of the ductility loss becomes positive, which indicates the absence of hydrogen in the bulk of the metal. At short-term exposure in a corrosive environment, the deep penetration of hydrogen into a metal could be limited due to the insufficient time for hydrogen diffusion. The paper studies the mechanical behavior of the ZK60 alloy subjected to a longer (12 h) pre-exposure in a corrosive medium followed by tensile testing in air at various strain rates. The authors consider the effect of strain rate, long-term pre-exposure in a corrosive medium, and subsequent removal of corrosion products on the strength, ductility, stages of work hardening, and localized deformation, as well as on the state of the side and fracture surfaces of specimens. It is established that the ductility loss of the specimens pre-exposed in a corrosive medium for 12 h decreases with the increasing strain rate, regardless of whether the corrosion products have been removed from their surface or not. It is shown that in this case, the negative strain rate dependence of the ductility loss is associated not with hydrogen dissolved in the bulk of a metal but with the presence of severe corrosion damage of the specimens’ surface. An explanation for the effect of corrosion damage on the mechanical properties and their strain rate sensitivity is proposed.

Relevance. The West Siberian region is currently one of the largest oil and gas provinces in Russia, but the problem of declining production is becoming more frequent there. This phenomenon is caused by various reasons, however the most frequent ones are such as lowering of formation permeability and productivity factor due to various complications of oil production in the bottomhole zone (bottomhole formation zone). As a result, it becomes necessary to carry out work to increase or restore the filtration-capacitance properties of the reservoir. The method of acid treatment of productive reservoirs, which contributes to the intensification of oil inflow into the well, has been actively used in the fields of Western Siberia. However, a significant part of the treatments does not give positive results. Improving the efficiency of acid treatments of wells is one of the main tasks of oil production today, which largely determines the relevance of this study. The purpose of this work is to analyze the degree of expediency of hydrochloric acid treatment in the field and determine the most appropriate method of treatment for carbonate reservoirs of the West Siberian field. Results. The principle of effect and peculiarities of the hydrochloric acid treatment for reservoirs of carbonate structure was studied. The choice and expediency of application of the technology in these conditions was substantiated.

Background: Previously obtained results indicate that faces are / preattentively/ detected in the visual scene very fast, and information on facial expression is rapidly extracted at the lower levels of the visual system. At the same time different facial attributes make different contributions in facial expression recognition. However, it is known, among the preattentive mechanisms there are none that would be selective for certain facial features, such as eyes or mouth. The aim of our study was to identify a candidate for the role of such a mechanism. Our assumption was that the most informative areas of the image are those characterized by spatial heterogeneity, particularly with nonlocal contrast changes. These areas may be identified / in the human visual system/ by the second-order visual / mechanisms/ filters selective to contrast modulations of brightness gradients. Methods: We developed a software program imitating the operation of these / mechanisms/ filters and finding areas of contrast heterogeneity in the image. Using this program, we extracted areas with maximum, minimum and medium contrast modulation amplitudes from the initial face images, then we used these to make three variants of one and the same face. The faces were demonstrated to the observers along with other objects synthesized the same way. The participants had to identify faces and define facial emotional expressions. Results: It was found that the greater is the contrast modulation amplitude of the areas shaping the face, the more precisely the emotion is identified. Conclusions: The results suggest that areas with a greater increase in nonlocal contrast are more informative in facial images, and the second-order visual / mechanisms/ filters can claim the role of /filters/ elements that detect areas of interest, attract visual attention and are windows through which subsequent levels of visual processing receive valuable information.

The ergm package supports the statistical analysis and simulation of network data. It anchors the statnet suite of packages for network analysis in R introduced in a special issue in Journal of Statistical Software in 2008. This article provides an overview of the new functionality in the 2021 release of ergm version 4. These include more flexible handling of nodal covariates, term operators that extend and simplify model specification, new models for networks with valued edges, improved handling of constraints on the sample space of networks, and estimation with missing edge data. We also identify the new packages in the statnet suite that extend ergm's functionality to other network data types and structural features and the robust set of online resources that support the statnet development process and applications.

The relevance of the research lies in the need to replenish the resource base of hydrocarbons in Russia through the development of deposits in the southern part of the East Siberian. Productive horizons in the area are characterized by increased non-uniformity, which is largely due to post-sedimentation processes. The aim of the work is to study the results of the development of halitization processes (epigenetic filling of the void space of rocks with halite). The material for the study was the data of lithological and petrophysical studies of the core, on the basis of which a statistical analysis of saline rocks was performed and the relations between reservoir properties and halite content in the paleovoids for productive horizons were constructed. Filling the void space with secondary halite has not only a negative impact on the reservoir properties of rocks, but also negatively affects the process of developing deposits. Injection of fresh water into the reservoir will cause the beginning of dissolution of salt crystals, the development of which is accompanied by the release of a large amount of heat, which in turn will entail intensive deposition of calcite crystals in the void space, since carbonate waters are widespread in the formation. As a result, the reservoir properties of productive rocks will deteriorate up to the isolation of a number of oil and gas-saturated bodies from the main drainage system of productive horizons, which will negatively affect the oil recovery coefficient and, consequently, the efficiency of the development of hydrocarbon deposits.

Background. It is known that some genes regulate neurochemical metabolism, and their polymorphisms affect cognitive performance, including the ability to categorize emotionally significant information. Objective. The aim of our study was to analyze the recognition of emotional and neutral visual scenes in carriers of different polymorphic variants of the MAOA, COMT, DRD4, and 5HT2A genes. Design. The study sample consisted of 87 university students (Caucasians, women 63%, average age 20.4±2.6 years). The genotypes of the COMT, 5HT2A, and DRD4 genes were determined by polymerase chain reaction. Agarose gel electrophoresis was used to determine the number of tandem repeats of the MAOA gene. Three hundred sixty (360) photographic images of scenes of different emotional valence (positive, negative, and neutral – 120 images for each category) were used as stimuli. These images were classified by expert assessments. The images were presented in a random sequence. The exposure time was 700 ms. The research participants were asked to determine the emotional valence of each scene. Results. We found that only the COMT gene genotype affected the recognition of emotional and neutral visual scenes. Carriers of the COMT Val/Val genotype, which causes dopamine to stay in the synaptic space for a shorter time, are better in recognizing and demonstrate higher sensitivity to the emotional content of scenes. Carriers of the Val/Met genotype demonstrated the worst ability to differentiate the emotional valence of visual scenes. Conclusion. This study has shown that the length of stay of monoamines in the synaptic space regulated by the COMT gene affects the recognition of emotional visual information.

The work is devoted to the problem of increasing the reliability of the calculation of the permeability cube in the construction of a threedimensional geological model. The common method of mechanically transferring the relationship between porosity and permeability, obtained on the basis of the approximation of the results of the study of the core, gives too vague result since neither the differences in the sizes of cells and samples, nor the large scatter of the values of the analyzed dependencies are taken into account. Instead, it is proposed to use stochastic methods to calculate permeability histograms for each elementary cell. First, the analysis of the results of determining the petrophysical properties performed in the laboratory is carried out. For rocks with similar porosity values, the probability of occurrence of rocks whose permeability exceeds a number of threshold values is calculated. Then, for each threshold value of permeability, empirical dependences of the probability of exceeding a given value on porosity are determined. At the next stage, the obtained results are adapted to the cell scale. The Monte Carlo method is used. Each cell is represented as a set of a large number of rocks, the sizes of which are close to those of the samples. Each virtual rock is assigned a porosity using a random number generator in such a way that the average value of the cell porosity is stored. For each conditional rock, the probabilities of exceeding the corresponding permeability thresholds are calculated. Based on the porosity cube for each cell, the probability of existence of all permeability ranges is automatically calculated for each cell. The authors provide examples of the implementation of the proposed methodology in the study of terrigenous deposits of the Tyumen suite of the Shaim oil and gas region.

This article will focus on the mechanistic origins of the computer metaphor, which forms the conceptual framework for the methodology of the cognitive sciences, some areas of artificial intelligence and the philosophy of mind. The connection between the history of computing technology, epistemology and the philosophy of mind is expressed through the metaphorical dictionaries of the philosophical discourse of a particular era. The conceptual clarification of this connection and the substantiation of the mechanistic components of the computer metaphor is the main goal of this article. The statement is substantiated that the invention of mechanical computing devices, having a long history in the European engineering tradition, formed the prerequisites for the emergence of machine functionalism in the modern philosophy of mind. The idea of multiple implementation stems from the principle that a formal symbol system prescribes rules for the use of rational abstractions through the physical architecture of a computational engine. The article considers the reasons for the conceptual shift and reveals the semantic foundations for the metaphorical transfer of the properties of abstract objects from the theory of automata to the field of modern philosophy of mind. The criticism and ways of protecting the philosophical program of machine functionalism are analyzed by changing the content of the metaphor “Mind as machine”. The reasons for the stability of the information-computer approach in cognitive sciences are also disclosed and explained.

The problem of simulation of efficient ducted fan type propulsors is considered. From experience of operation of twin blades in fantails of helicopters, it is known that this configuration creates less noise compared to a uniform arrangement of the blades around the circumference. However, the flow behind such fan is less uniform than that of a conventional ducted fan. For multicopter-type unmanned aircraft and air taxis, the key problem is flight in take-off and landing modes as well as acoustic and vortex fields created by propulsors in these modes. The decrease in the noise level in propellers with twin blades can potentially be accompanied by an increase in non-stationary vortex effects on the aircraft as well as a decrease in specific thrust. The objectives were to develop a method for simulation of ducted fan propellers in the takeoff and landing mode, to determine the optimal angle between the blades, and to compare a ducted fan with twin X-shaped blades to conventional blade position. Turbulent flows were calculated using transient Reynold-averaged Navier-Stokes equations, complemented by SST turbulence model, and large eddy simulation with WALE subgrid viscosity model. The calculations used the modification γ–Reθ Transition SST of the Langtry-Menter turbulence model, where there are relations for the intermittency criterion, which made it possible to consider the laminar-turbulent transition and the appearance of thin laminar separation bubbles that affect both the thrust of the propeller and the nonuniformity of the flow behind it. Testing was carried out on four-bladed propellers according to the known results of the TsAGI reference experiments. Testing of the γ–Reθ Transition SST Langtry-Menter turbulence model showed that it reproduces the dependence of the thrust coefficient and power factor on the blade angle better than the standard SST model. Calculations have shown that there is a clearly defined optimum angle between the paired blades. A comparison of three-bladed, six-bladed single and six-bladed propellers with twin blades showed that the latter option has slightly better thrust characteristics and creates a significantly lower noise level on the ground. The studied characteristics of ducted fans demonstrate the prospects for the use of propellers with twin blades in aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing. The developed numerical method can be directly used for industrial calculations of propellers and fans.

The relevance of the research consists in search for methods for methods for increasing oil recovery aimed at growing the coverage of oil reservoirs developed by flooding, which will allow continuing the operation of fields with high depletion of reserves at the last stages of development. Involvement in the development of complexly localized non-drainable reserves due to the injection of polymer compositions will extend the life cycle of depleted fields and increase the final oil recovery factor. Purpose: to study the impact of injection of polymer compositions on the change in the filtration flows of an oil reservoir in order to increase the final oil recovery factor. Objects: sand layers of the Yu1 horizon of the Vasyugan suite, distinguished by their heterogeneity, inconsistency in thickness, and different permeability along the section. Methods: analysis of the recovery of oil reserves in terms of displacement characteristics, as well as analytical dependencies; analysis of the current state of development; assessment of the effectiveness of the formed waterflooding system; analytical calculations using the filtration equation; laboratory studies on a filtration model; analytical evaluation of the results of testing the selected compositions at the oil field «Х». Results. The article summarizes the results of experimental studies of the effect of adding polymeric reagents to the composition of the fluid injected into the formation on changing the reservoir properties of the productive formation. The paper introduces the results of laboratory studies to determine the technologies and compositions for the implementation of the program for the injection of polymers into the Yu12+3 formation of the oil field «Х». The filtration model of a real reservoir was created from core samples of the field under consideration especially for the research in laboratory conditions; the conditions for fluid filtration through the core column are as close as possible to reservoir ones. The paper introduces the results of pilot work on application of the technology of injection of polymer compositions into the Yu12+3 reservoir of the oil field «Х». The authors carried out the analysis of the effectiveness of the work, made the recommendations for further use of the technology of injection of polymer compositions into the reservoir.