Introduction: Pneumonia remains a respiratory disease of concern that keeps influencing morbidity and mortality throughout the world in the 21st century. Increased incidence rates of pneumonia have been registered in Russia for a long time. In this regard, regional surveillance seems relevant across the country for a better understanding of recent spatial differences in the disease spread and their fluctuations.

Objective: To carry out a spatiotemporal analysis of regional differences in pneumonia prevalence in the adult population of Russia in 2017–2021 with a focus on pre- and COVID-19 pandemic periods, given the Russian long-term dynamics for 2010–2022.

Materials and methods: The study covers the years 2017–2021 with sufficient data on pneumonia prevalence collected. Static and dynamic parameters were calculated for the compared pre- and pandemic periods. A series of cartograms developed using GIS tools made it possible to visualize the information obtained and assess the spatiotemporal situation of the process under study.

Results: The long-term dynamics of pneumonia prevalence rates in the adult population in Russia was examined with the regional trends in 2017–2021 assessed. In 2017–2019, they rose in most regions of Russia but the growth rate did not exceed 30 %. In 2019–2021, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pneumonia situation changed dramatically and the disease rates increased in most regions. A significant deterioration of the situation was observed in most of the European part of Russia with the growth rates ranging from 70 % to 90 %. The number of regions with a null increase in the pneumonia prevalence dropped from 25 to five.

Conclusions: Changes in the regional differences in the disease prevalence in the adult population of Russia for 2017–2021 were assessed. The uneven interregional spread of pneumonia complicated during the pandemic compared with the prepandemic period. Increased growth rates of the disease prevalence of varying intensity were observed in 80 Russian regions.

Introduction: To achieve the highest diagnostic accuracy of AI services in radiology, it is necessary to test and validate them on data sets that consider the balance of classes of various abnormalities. Information about the frequency of abnormal findings in practical healthcare is essential for creation of such datasets.

Objective: To establish the frequency of chest X-ray abnormalities using big data from the healthcare system of a Russian metropolis.

Materials and methods: We conducted an observational multicenter retrospective sample study by retrieving 562,077 chest X-ray reports dated February 18, 2021 to June 11, 2021 from the Unified Radiological Information Service of the Unified Medical Information Analysis System of the city of Moscow, which were then analyzed and automatically labeled using the Medlabel tool. The results were processed in Microsoft Excel and using the Python 3.9 programming language. Group differences were determined using the chi-square test.

Results: Among all analyzed reports, cardiomegaly was the most frequent abnormal finding (12.23 %), while the proportion of other abnormalities did not exceed 3.0 %. Among all abnormal chest X-rays, 79.60 % showed only one abnormality with cardiomegaly found in 80.78 % of cases. Among the reports with two or more abnormal findings, cardiomegaly was detected in only 43.36 % of cases, whereas opacities (64.98 %) and infiltration/consolidation (64.50 %) prevailed.

Conclusions: The proportion of abnormal chest X-rays was 16.7 %. In terms of the frequency of occurrence, cardiomegaly ranked first followed by focal pulmonary opacity and infiltration/consolidation. It is worth noting that the frequency of certain types of abnormalities varied significantly between the tests with one and several (two or more) abnormal findings, which should be taken into account when training and testing AI services.

Introduction: Broadcasting socially important information, including that on infectious disease outbreaks, news agencies are one of the key open sources of epidemic intelligence.

Objective: To compare news items on World Health Organization priority pathogens published by Russian and foreign news agencies.

Materials and methods: Using the variants of the names of World Health Organization priority pathogens as search queries, among all Google search results on the websites of four agencies (Associated Press, Reuters, Novosti Russian Information Agency, and TASS Russian News Agency) we found 714 news items published in 2018–2022 that have one of the following diseases as the main topic: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever; Ebola virus disease, Marburg virus disease, Lassa fever, Middle East respiratory syndrome, Nipah and henipavirus infections, Rift Valley fever, and Zika fever. We carried out a quantitative (number of news items) and qualitative (topics) content analysis of the sample comparing the findings by agency and pathogen.

Results: Each news agency accounted for 20 to 30 % of the sample (approximately 57 % in case of foreign ones), with greater genre diversity among foreign agencies. The vast majority of news items across all agencies were on Ebola (506 stories in total), while in 27 instances the number of the agency news stories on the pathogen was less than 20, and the largest gap between the news agencies regarding the number of the news stories on a single pathogen was seventeen fold (for Lassa). Disease incidence was the predominant topic of the news items.

Discussion: Russian and foreign news agencies provided similarly intensive and topically diverse news flows on World Health Organization priority pathogens, with frequent non-reporting on different outbreaks (except for Ebola and Marburg virus diseases), and complemented each other with information relevant to Russian and Western audiences, respectively.

Introduction: The complex of environmental factors on a single territory is spatially diverse and dynamic, but there is almost no experience in using statistical indicators of variability.

Objective: To identify the most informative criteria of variability of the indicators characterizing the environment and population health using the example of an industrial city.

Materials and methods: We have considered five criteria (median, interquartile range, standard deviation, average annual growth rate, and coefficient of variation) used to describe short variation series. The analysis of variability in the “environment – population health” system of the city of Bratsk was carried out using 25 indicators, including characteristics of ambient air pollution, climate, socio-economic status, commitment to a healthy lifestyle, and population health for the years 2011 to 2021. Correlation and regression analysis were used.

Results: We have substantiated the use of coefficients of variation and growth rates for the analysis of the “environment – population health” systems. Among the elements of the system, 56 % of the characteristics in the city of Bratsk showed minor variability; the prevalence of healthy eating, smoking, and sufficient physical activity; the cost of fixed assets and wages fell into the range of low variability; air pollution and drug use – moderate one, while the prevalence of alcohol abuse and the volume of investment in fixed assets demonstrated noticeable variability. Population health characteristics during the study period were less variable than environmental indicators, which is likely a reflection of the adaptive capabilities of the population.

Conclusion: For the practical use by specialists analyzing the relationship between risk factors and population health, it is proposed to use the average annual growth rate and the coefficient of variation. The advantages of the combined use of these indicators include the ability to identify not only the spread of the characteristics being studied, but also their trends, and no dependence on numerical representation of the characteristics considered.

Introduction: Secondary vocational education is associated with physical exertion, practical experience in the industry, equipment and machinery operation. Adaptation effectiveness and overall cognitive performance of students strongly depend on their functional state and level of functional capabilities.

Objective: To study characteristic features of the central nervous system functioning among technical college students, as well as their typical indicators of performance.

Materials and methods: The study was conducted in November and December 2022 involving 215 participants: 188 (54.90 %) male and 97 (45.10 %) female first to third-year technical college students (mean age = 17.50 ± 1.4 years). Functional capabilities of the central nervous system were assessed using express diagnostics of human functional state and performance by M.P. Moroz. The data were processed using Statistica 10.0. Normality of distribution was checked by the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test; median (Me) and quartiles (Q1–Q3) were calculated for each parameter. The significance (p) of intergroup differences was determined using the Mann–Whitney U-test.

Results: We found that in most students, the functional state of the central nervous system corresponded to a reduced level of performance. Among the respondents, 98.41 % had the functional level of the central nervous system within the range of reduced mental performance while in 1.62 % it was significantly lower. The indicator of functional capabilities was moderately reduced in 60.30 % of the participants, and 25.40 % showed a markedly reduced level of performance. Response stability was moderately reduced in 73.00 % of the students, while the remaining 13.00 % exhibited a significant decrease. We found no statistical differences in simple visual-motor response indicators between the groups of male and female respondents.

Conclusions: The functional state of the central nervous system of technical college students is characterized by pronounced neuropsychic tension, decreased performance, increased fatigue, as well as reduced attention and decreased concentration.

Introduction: Electronic cigarettes, or electronic nicotine delivery devices, have recently appeared on the global market and become very popular with adolescents and young adults. Manufacturers and distributors of e-cigarettes position them as harmless innovative products that reduce or eliminate exposures to harmful tobacco combustion products and help quit smoking, but this is not true.

Objective: To establish health effects of electronic cigarettes and the associated risks for young people by reviewing recent research findings.

Material and methods: We have searched eLibrary,PubMed, CyberLeninka databases for publications on the topic using the following keywords: electronic cigarettes, vapes, health effects, adolescents, and youth. Of 328 sources initially selected, we included 38 papers published in 2017 to 2023 and reporting results of prevalence of smoking electronic cigarettes, assessing health risks posed by the use of e-cigarettes in the review.

Results: Our study revealed the extensive use of electronic cigarettes, specifics of their health effects in young people, the potential for developing nicotine dependence and a whole number of diseases of the respiratory, cardiovascular and digestive systems and other disorders in e-cigarette smokers. According to our findings, e-cigarettes are widely available and easily accessible to schoolchildren and are used not only at home, but also at school. These devices and chemicals contained in the generated aerosols, many of which are carcinogenic to humans, can induce multiple diseases in users. It also demonstrated that young people are poorly aware of adverse outcomes of using the devices.

Conclusions: Electronic cigarettes and the substances contained in vaping liquids, many of which are carcinogenic, can have negative effects on health. In order to ensure the health savings of the child population and youth, strict compliance with the already existing introduced legislative restrictions, the implementation of measures restricting the sale of electronic cigarettes and their advertising, as well as the development and implementation of preventive programs for children, adolescents and youth in educational organizations is necessary. Vaping prevention programs implemented at schools should include information about adverse human health effects of electronic cigarettes and possible consequences in case of non-compliance with restrictive legislative measures.

Introduction: Smoking is a risk factor that contributes the most to premature mortality and disability from a whole range of malignant neoplasms, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Industrial workers are more likely to smoke compared to the general population, which may lead to a greater risk of their health impairment.

Objective: To analyze the relationship between the prevalence of smoking and the risk of developing diseases of the cardiovascular system in power grid workers.

Materials and methods: 2,651 men were examined at the clinic of Izmerov Research Institute of Occupational Health and divided into two groups of 1,107 non-smokers and 1,544 smokers. The examination included collection of a medical history, height and weight measurements, calculation of the body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements, and blood testing for glucose, cholesterol, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels. The data were analyzed using Statistica 10.0 with the calculation of the means, their standard errors, minimum and maximum values for all indicators in the study groups; the analysis of the contingency tables was carried out using the chi-square test.

Results: The prevalence of hypertension in the smokers was significantly higher than in the non-smokers of all age groups, but for those aged 30 to 39 years. The number of workers with high total cholesterol (≥ 6.2 mmol/L) and, therefore, increased cardiovascular risks was statistically higher among the smokers aged 50–59 years (χ² = 5.323, p = 0.022) and 60 years and older (χ² = 4.475, p = 0.035). The level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein posing a high cardiovascular risk (> 3 mg/L) was statistically higher in the smoking than in non-smoking workers.

Conclusion: Our findings show the necessity of considering smoking habits within pre-employment and periodic medical examinations in order to prevent risks of developing new or exacerbating already existing cardiovascular diseases.

Introduction: Vitamin and mineral deficiencies, inter alia, cause changes in hematological parameters.

Objective: To compare characteristics of red blood cells and blood levels of iron and vitamins B₁₂ and B₉ in men working in different climate zones.

Material and methods: In June–July of the years 2022 and 2023, we assessed nutritional patterns and blood parameters characterizing red blood cells and the levels of iron, vitamins B₁₂ and B₉ in healthy male military personnel residing in the Arctic (Group 1, n = 51), Subarctic (Group 2, n = 54), and temperate (Group 3, n = 58) climate zones.

Results: In the summertime, we established a decreased red blood cell count in 39.4 %, 14.8 %, and 10.3 % of the subjects (20, 8, and 6 men), hematocrit – in 19.6 %, 9.3 %, and 10.3 % (10, 5 and 6 men), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration – in 21.6 %, 16.7 %, and 27.6 % (12, 9, and 16 men), but an increased mean corpuscular volume in 17.8 %, 13.0 %, and 10.3 % (9, 7, and 6 men) and corpuscular hemoglobin – in 11.8 %, 22.2 %, and 24.1 % (6, 12, and 14 men) in the Arctic, Subarctic and temperate zones, respectively. Besides, in the Subarctic and temperate zones, lower hemoglobin was measured in 7.4 % and 10.3 % of the examined (4 and 6 men). We observed vitamin B₁₂ deficiency in 100.0 %, 73.6 %, and 67.2 % (51, 40, and 39 men) and vitamin B₉ deficiency – in 89.8 %, 81.2 %, and 44.8 % (46, 44, and 26 men) of the subjects serving in the Arctic, Subarctic and temperate zones, respectively. Signs of anemia in the Arctic and Subarctic residents developed against the background of vitamin B₁₂ and folic acid deficiency; in the temperate zone, both single and combined cyanocobalamin and folic acid deficiencies were likely. The mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and mean corpuscular volume up to 100 fL did not exclude the regenerative phase of iron deficiency anemia.

Conclusion: In the Arctic, it is important to improve the diet by adding foods with a high content of bioactive substances of plant origin; in the Subarctic and temperate zones, it is necessary to raise awareness of personal prevention of deficiencies using multivitamin and multimineral supplements. Blood levels of vitamins B12 and B9 should be measured during preventive medical examinations in residents of the Arctic and Subarctic zones, as well as in those residing in the temperate zone and having abnormal red blood cell characteristics.

Introduction: Arctic ecosystems are the most important object of microbiological surveillance that helps monitor a rapidly changing natural environment affected by climate change and industrial development of the northern territories.

Objective: To assess the epidemic potential of opportunistic bacteria associated with animals from the Arctic islands of the Barents and Kara Seas.

Materials and methods: We have studied four strains of gram-negative opportunistic bacteria (Serratia fonticola, Aeromonas salmonicida, Yersinia kristensenii, and Yersinia rochesterensis) isolated in 2021–2022 during microbiological testing of 46 samples of zoogenic biologic materials from the natural ecosystems of Vaigach Island, Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land archipelagos. Genomes of the isolated microbial strains were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq sequencing system and, after de novo assembly using the SPAdes 13.0 genomic assembler, annotated with RAST (Rapid Annotation using Subsystem Technology).

Results: The strains were shown to possess a number of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance genes, which allows them to be considered as potential pathogens. Classes A, B, and C beta-lactamases were found in the genomes of all the bacteria under study, and operons for siderophores and type IV secretion systems were typical of virulence factors. In addition, the pertussis-like YtxA enterotoxin was identified in Yersinia genomes.

Conclusion: Our findings indicate the possibility of emergence of natural foci of notifiable infections on the islands in the high-latitude Arctic promising in terms of tourism development and economic growth.