Creation of the Simulator to Train Cosmonauts for Visual Instrumental Observations from the International Space Station Using Up-to-Date Information Technologies.

Visual Instrumental Observations (VIOs) of the Earth’s surface is a very special activity for cosmonauts that include searching, finding, and monitoring the objects with the unaided eye and their registration using optical facilities expanding capabilities of an operator’s visual analyzer. In order to impart the correct practical skills in performing VIOs from the ISS to cosmonauts in the course their ground training it is necessary to visualize the image observed by the naked eye and/or in the camera view finder taking into account an optical zoom, mutual location of a cosmonaut, a camera, a window, and the station at a certain point in orbit. For these purposes, the special simulator which simulates an external visual environment as close as possible to the flight conditions has been developed, that is the VIOs simulator designated to train cosmonauts for performing tasks in the field of geophysical studies and monitoring of the Earth.

Scientific and methodological foundations of hygienic assessment and examination of digital educational content

Introduction. In a modern school, digital educational materials are widely used, implemented through electronic teaching aids. However, teachers in the learning process are not guided by the appropriate recommendations of hygienists. The purpose of the study is to substantiate hygienically significant parameters of digital educational content presented on devices equipped with a screen. Materials and methods. Hygienic observational, expert-analytical and physiological-hygienic studies were carried out to assess 460 electronic educational materials. Results. A number of indicators have been established that characterize the readability of educational materials of a digital school, four of which are regulated by the current sanitary legislation, and the rest are of a recommendatory nature. The assessment of the textual material made it possible to establish that the educational materials did not comply with the regulated and recommended hygienic requirements in all respects. The expert assessment showed that the hygienically not rationally designed educational material presented on the screens causes discomfort of the visual analyzer after working with it. Working with such material contributes to visual fatigue, at the same time, the use of hygienically rationally designed materials is characterized by positive trends in the state of the visual analyzer. Conclusion. A hygienically not rationally designed educational material presented on screens causes discomfort in the visual analyzer and promotes visual fatigue. Hygienic assessment and examination of used and developed digital educational content should be carried out in terms of text, color, illustrative design and design of electronic educational material.

Trans-PRK: Compromise?

Purpose. A statement of the fact of the presence of abnormally high visual acuity after the first stage of Trans-PRK and a proposal to use this information when planning laser correction of high and ultra-high myopia. Material and methods. Eyes were selected after the first stage of Trans-PRK (581 eyes), in which the postoperative myopic sphere equivalent was at least 2 diopters. Visual acuity was compared with non-operated eyes with a similar myopic sphere equivalent. Results. The revealed effect is that patients with high residual myopic refraction after the first stage of Trans-PRK have significantly higher visual acuity than non-operated people with similar refraction. Postoperative keratotopograms do not give grounds for understanding this effect. Conclusion. The explanation can be the forced work of the visual analyzer of the brain. With this in mind, it is possible to achieve and widely use a compromise between the desired and possible result in the practice of laser correction of myopia. Key words: myopia correction, first-stage, Trans-PRK, residual myopia, sphere equivalent, sight acuity, keratotopogram, visual analyzer of the brain, Ambliocor.

Assessment of cerebral blood flow in children with myopia in combination with undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia

Background. In practice, patients with numerous undifferentiated forms of connective tissue dysplasia are more common. With regard to the combination of myopia and undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia, one of the links in the mechanism of origin of this refractive anomaly is decreased thickness of the sclera and a change in its elastic parameters. Myopia in children often occurs against the background of impaired blood supply to the visual analyzer associated with circulatory pathology in the vertebral vessels. The purpose was to evaluate cerebral blood flow in patients with myopia in combination with undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia. Materials and methods. The study involved 86 children (170 eyes) diagnosed with progressive myopia. All patients were consulted by related specialists to detect undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia and underwent a complete ophthalmological exa-mination. The diagnostic coefficient of expression of phenotypic and clinical signs of undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia was also determined using the expert table of T. Kadurina. Results. Phenotypic and clinical signs of undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia were noted in 41 (100 %) cases when evaluating according to the criteria of T. Mil-kovskaya-Dimitrova and T. Kadurina, and in 34 (83.0 %) children du-ring screening for joint hypermobility on Beighton score. As for increased axial length of the eye in the examined patients with myopia and undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia, it was noted that an increase had a direct correlation with the severity of undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia, with the greatest correlation obtained in children with pronounced phenotypic manifestations in the musculoskeletal system (correlation coefficient was 0.83). Chemical regulation of carotid artery tone (respiratory failure test) is altered in the vast majority of patients with myopia. Conclusions. All children with progressive myopia are re-commended to be examined by related specialists to identify undif-ferentiated connective tissue dysplasia and hemodynamic disorders. Only a comprehensive approach to this refractive anomaly can be effective in combating its progression.

Experience in the use of Brirosa and Rozacom in secondary glaucoma

Background. Glaucoma is one of the most acute medical and social problems that cause enormous economic damage to society. Secondary glaucoma is the result of complications of such eye diseases as inflammation of the choroid of the eye, retinal vascular thrombosis. The purpose was to determine the effect of Briroza and Rozacom on the condition of the visual analyzer in patients with secondary glaucoma. Material and methods. The study involved 58 patients (58 eyes) with a unilateral process. All patients were divided into three groups. Groups 1 and 2 consisted of the patients with se-condary glaucoma after anterior recurrent iridocyclitis — 32 patients (32 eyes) in remission and relapse, respectively. Group 3 included patients with secondary (neovascular) glaucoma, which resulted from the central vein stenosis (CVS) and its branches — 26 patients (26 eyes). Results. In the first and second groups, Briroza administration resulted in the intraocular pressure decrease by 21.6 % (p = 0.001) — 21.0 ± 3.5 mm Hg. After a course of treatment in groups 1 and 2, electrical phosphene excitation decreased significantly by 22.4 % (p < 0.05). The critical frequency of flicker-induced phosphene in the mode 3 and 1.5 increased by 20.6 % (p < 0.05) and 47 % (p < 0.05), which indicates an increase in the functional activity of visual analyzer. Conclusions. The inclusion of the drugs Briroza and Rozacom twice a day for 2 months in the treatment of patients with secondary glaucoma is effective due to the increased functional activity of the visual analyzer and normalization of intraocular pressure in patients with secondary glaucoma.

FATIGUE ASSESSMENT OF THE VISUAL ANALYZER OF MULTIMONITOR SYSTEMS OPERATORS

Introduction. Working at a computer is associated with an intense cognitive load and an increased load on the visual analyzer due to the peculiarities of the screen image transmission. From 60 to 90% of users suffer from computer visual syndrome, more than 40% experience visual discomfort. If it is necessary to use several software windows in the workplace, multimonitor systems are increasingly used, however, there is still no data on their effect on the visual analyzer. Research objective. Assessment of the state of the visual analyzer of multimonitor systems operators in the dynamics of the work shift. Materials and methods. The study involved 26 operators of multimonitor systems (age 36.7 ± 8.3 years, experience 5.8 ± 3.0 years). The assessment of labor intensity in accordance with the Guidelines R 2.2.2006-05 and ergonomic analysis of workplaces were carried out. The functional state of the visual analyzer was assessed using eye tracking, accommodometry, sequential contrast perception time, subjective assessment of asthenopia symptoms. Research results. The labor intensity of operators of multimonitor systems corresponds to class 3.2. Ergonomic assessment of workplaces indicates irregularities in the arrangement of equipment and office furniture. There were no statistically significant differences in the indicators of oculomotor activity in the dynamics of the shift, while low values of the frequency of blinking were noted only in workers with an irrationally organized workplace, as well as when observing one monitor. By the end of the shift, the volume of accommodation decreased by 19.0%, the time of perception of sequential contrast by 15.3%, the most pronounced symptoms of asthenopia were general and visual fatigue. Conclusions. The use of multimonitor systems leads to the development of asthenopia by the end of the shift, however, the decrease in the volume of accommodation and the time of perception of consistent contrast are more pronounced in workers with one monitor. Due to the impossibility of changing the work process and reducing the class of NT, workers should pay special attention to the ergonomic characteristics of the workplace, compliance with work and rest regimes, prevention of the development of asthenopia and general fatigue.

Clinical and Functional State of the Visual Analyzer after Surgery for the Epiretinal Membrane from the Standpoint of the Relevance of Postoperative Rehabilitation

Purpose: to study the clinical and functional state of the visual analyzer of patients after surgery for the epiretinal membrane (ERM) from the standpoint of the relevance of postoperative rehabilitation.Patients and methods. There were 158 patients under observation (158 eyes, main group, MG), among whom 66 % were men, 34 % were women aged 45–74 years (the average age of patients was 62.4 ± 1.5 years) with a diagnosis of ERM. At the same time, the leading form of ERM was idiopathic (122 patients, 77.2 %). As a control group (CG), were examined 32 patients of equal age and gender, who did not have visual organ pathology. In order to remove ERM, all patients underwent subtotal posterior vitrectomy with intraoperative administration of antioxidants, in particular glutathione contained in a balanced salt solution “BSS-PLUS” (Bausch + Lomb, USA). A comprehensive examination of the clinical and functional state of the visual analyzer was performed one month after surgery.Results. The data obtained indicate that almost all the studied parameters revealed a significant deterioration in the MG compared to the CG with a fairly good anatomical effect (the thickness of the central retinal zone after the operation was 287.1 ± 11.6 μm). In particular, a decrease in the subjective indicator “Quality of life” (by 53.1 %), as well as a deterioration in the objective indicators of the critical frequency of flicker fusion, the magnitude of the electrical lability of the retina and the threshold of electrical sensitivity of the retina (by 36.2; 38.2 and 45, 5 % respectively).Conclusions. A fairly good anatomical effect of vitreoretinal surgical intervention for ERM is accompanied (one month after the operation) by a significant decrease in the functional state of the visual analyzer. In order to restore vision more quickly, it seems advisable to conduct early postoperative rehabilitation (based on the complex use of physiotherapeutic effects and combined drug therapy) aimed at correcting functional disorders of the retina, which will lead to a decrease in the severity of characteristic complaints and an increase in the “Quality of life” of the patient.

An Approach to Scene Recognition Based on the Local Interaction of a Group of Robots

The paper considers a group of animates (bio-inspired abstract models or technical devices) that use the visual analyzer described by the authors earlier. The visual analyzer recognizes the scene observed by the animat, determines the class of the situation and selects the corresponding behavior. The analyzer is based on the" language of poses" , borrowed from some species of ants, which allows them to visually inform other individuals of their condition. The first proposed algorithm describes a visual memory mechanism that allows an animat to remember seen objects for some time and select its behavior in a more stable way compared to a basic visual analyzer. The second algorithm describes a group recognition approach. Robots are able to exchange information about the scene they are observing presented in the form of a graph using local communication. The robot, receiving such information from its neighbors, is able to expand its picture of the world and more correctly choose its behavior based on the recognized situation than if it only had its own data. A demonstration task was set to test the efficiency, approximately simulating a colony of ants that gather food in a certain area. Colony, nest, food, and enemy individuals are modeled in the developed simulation environment. Group efficiency was defined as the amount of food collected over the allotted time period. Animates using the visual memory algorithm showed an increase in efficiency for all the studied memory parameters. Moreover, the dependence is not monotonic, and there is a certain value at which maximum efficiency is achieved. The use of the group recognition algorithm also showed an increase in efficiency compared to the basic visual analyzer. The experiments were carried out for different distances of local interaction. As with memory, there is a value of interaction distance at which the maximum efficiency is achieved. The combination of both algorithms also has interesting results. The experiments showed that the smaller the memory of the robot, the greater the increase in efficiency from using the collective recognition algorithm.

BRAIN AND EYE AS POTENTIAL TARGETS FOR IONIZING RADIATION IMPACT. PART III - FEATURES MORPHOMETRIC RETINAL PARAMETERS, AMPLITUDE AND LATENCY COMPONENTS OF VISUAL EVOKED POTENTIAL IN RADIATION EXPOSED IN UTERO

One of the current problems of modern radiobiology is determine the characteristics of the manifestation of radiation-induced effects not only at different dose loads, but also at different stages of development of the organism. In previous reports, we have summarized available evidence that at certain ages there is a comparative acceleration of radiation-induced pathological changes in the eye and brain, and the study and assessment of the risk of possible ophthalmic and neurological pathology in remote periods after contamination of radioactive areas. Data of irradiated in utero individuals are possible on the basis of observation of the state of the visual analyzer in persons who underwent intrauterine irradiation in 1986. Therefore, a parallel study of retinal morphometric parameters, amplitude and latency of components of evoked visual potentials in irradiated in utero individuals was performed. Objective: to evaluate the retinal morphometric parameters, amplitude and latency components of the evoked visual potentials in intrauterine irradiated persons. Materials and methods. The results of surveys of 16 people irradiated in utero in the aftermath of the Chornobyl disaster were used; the comparison group were residents of Kyiv of the corresponding age (25 people). Optical coherence tomography was performed on a Cirrus HD-OCT, Macular Cube 512x128 study technique was used. At the same time, the study of visual evoked potentials on the inverted pattern was performed, and occipital leads were analyzed. Visual evoked potentials were recorded on a reversible chess pattern (VEP) – an electrophysiological test, which is a visual response to a sharp change in image contrast when presenting a reversible image of a chessboard. Results. In those irradiated in utero at the age of 22–25 years, there was a probable increase in retinal thickness in the fovea, there was a tendency to increase the thickness of the retina in the areas around the fovea. When recording visual evoked potentials on a reversible chess pattern in this group, there was a tendency to decrease the amplitudes of components (N75, P100, N145, P200) in the right and left parieto-occipital areas and asymmetric changes in latency of these components. Conclusions. Early changes of fovea recorded in OCT and decreasing amplitudes of components of visual evoked potentials on the reversible chess pattern at the age of 22–25 years may indicate a risk of development in patients irradiated in utero, early age-related macular degeneration, as well as increased risk and increased risk structures of the visual analyzer. Key words: induced visual potentials, optical coherence tomography, retina, agerelated macular degeneration, ion izing radiation, dose.