Introduction. Arterial hypertension (AH, ICD-10 codes I10–I13) is one of the global health issues worldwide. In recent decades, increasing evidence has emerged linking radiation exposure with mortality from cardiovascular diseases overall, as well as from specific disease groups. However, data on the AH incidence and mortality remain limited, including among military clean-up workers deployed to manage the consequences of large-scale radiation accidents.

The study aim is to assess the AH incidence risk among the clean-up workers managing the 1957 Mayak Production Association (PA) radiation accident.

Methods. The study cohort includes 8,659 workers of the Mayak PA who took part in the cleanup of the radiation accident between September 29, 1957, and December 31, 1960. Mean total absorbed doses to the liver from external gamma-exposure made up 0.73 Gy in men and 0.57 Gy in women; internal alpha-exposure doses were 0.14 Gy and 0.15 Gy, respectively. Relative risks (RR) and excess relative risks per unit total dose of external gamma and internal alpha-exposure (ERR/Gy) were calculated using Poisson regression and the AMFIT module of the EPICURE software. 95 % confidence intervals (CI) and p-values for statistical significance were calculated using maximum likelihood methods. Two tailed significance criteria were used, with differences considered statistically significant at p < 0.05. To evaluate the effect of accident-related exposure on AH incidence risk, a time-window approach was applied, distinguishing the period of accident cleanup.

Results and discussion. The results of the current study indicated that AH incidence risk among the clean-up workers of the 1957 Mayak PA radiation accident was significantly associated with established non-radiation factors, including attained age, body mass index, and alcohol consumption status (in men). A statistically significant linear association was observed between AH incidence and cumulative absorbed liver dose from external gamma radiation (ERR/Gy = 0.08; 95 % CI: 0.02–0.14). The application of the time-window approach did not reveal statistically significant differences in AH incidence risk compared with the conventional model. Exclusion of the accident cleanup period did not have a statistically significant effect on the estimated risk of AH incidence in the studied clean-up worker cohort.

Conclusion. Ionizing radiation increases the risk of developing arterial hypertension, highlighting the importance of targeted screening for hypertension during routine preventive medical check-ups.

Introduction. Occupational injuries are defined as the aggregate of injuries sustained by workers in the workplace over a certain period of time, e.g. one year. Occupational injuries are a manageable process and an operational safety indicator.

The aim is to study the level of occupational injuries among the personnel of the Russian Emergencies Ministry and identify the leading circumstances of injury, the prevention of which will minimize injury rates.

Methods. We studied reports on occupational injuries among the EMERCOM of Russia personnel, compiled by the Occupational Safety Department of the Directorate for Political and Educational Work of the EMERCOM of Russia from 2015 to 2024. Occupational injuries were classified by personnel categories, type of activity, causes of injury, and 18 categories of injury circumstances. The average annual occupational injury rate was calculated per 10,000 personnel, or as injuries/ (person per year) × 10^–4. Data similarities and differences were assessed using the nonparametric Kruskal–Wallis criterion. Five qualitative injury severity levels were identified.

Results and discussion. Between 2015 and 2024, a total of 2,123 occupational injuries among the EMERCOM of Russia personnel were recorded. The average annual occupational injury rate among the EMERCOM personnel was 10.10 × 10^–4 injuries/ (person per year), including 13.66 × 10^–4 for technical, 10.96 × 10^–4 for managerial, 9.82 × 10^–4 for operational, and 5.62 × 10^–4 for preventive personnel. A decreasing trend in injury rates was observed over the study period. Qualitative levels of occupational injury rates among the EMERCOM personnel were calculated for each federal district of Russia. Firefighting and clean-up of consequences of other emergencies was associated with the average annual injury rate of 4.38 × 10^–4, compared with 3.87 × 10^–4 injuries/(person per year) for routine activities and 1.85 × 10^–4 injuries/(person per year) for training and sports. The average annual injury rate associated with psychophysiological causes was 5.87 × 10^–4, with hazardous fire and other emergency factors contributing 2.58 × 10^–4, organizational and technical causes standing at 1.45 × 10^–4 and 0.19 × 10^–4 injuries/(person per year) respectively. The leading causes of occupational injuries were individual negligence, e.g. falls (41.5 %), traffic violations (11.1 %), exposure to defective items, parts, machines, etc. associated with organizational causes (9.9 %), collapse or falling of building structures, objects, or materials during firefighting and emergency clean-up (7.3 %), poisoning by combustion products (5.0 %). The cumulative contribution of these circumstances accounted for 74.8 % of all injuries. Unfortunately, a trend to underreport and conceal occupational injuries persists across the EMERCOM units, with one fatality and no more than 12 occupational injuries reported between 2015 and 2024.

Conclusion. In order to minimize occupational injury rates, all injury types should be comprehensively taken in account, including cause and effect analysis; involvement of department heads, engineers, occupational health and safety specialists, doctors, and other professionals is a prerequisite.

Introduction. In contemporary armed conflicts, combat injuries of ENT organs are characterized by high incidence of polytrauma and multiple injuries due to anatomical proximity to vital structures, and a substantial risk of life-threatening complications. Identification of factors influencing the outcomes of such injuries is essential to optimize treatment and medical evacuation and ensure efficient planning of military medical resources.

The study aim is to analyze factors that impact the outcomes of combat ENT injuries in contemporary armed conflicts. 

Methods. A retrospective cohort study was conducted by analyzing the data on combat ENT injuries. Combat injury severity, patterns, localization, and demographic outcomes (return to duty, unfit for service, death rate) were assessed. Pearson’s χ2 test was used for nonparametric statistics analysis.

Results and discussion. Our findings showed that the forecast significantly correlated with injury severity (p < 0.001), injury pattern, and localization. The outcome was most unfavorable in gunshot wounds of the neck (mortality 29%; 8.6% unfit for service) and severe polytrauma (mortality 33.3%). In 45.4% of cases neck injuries were accompanied by life-threatening complications (hemorrhage, asphyxia).

Conclusion. The obtained findings obviate the need to optimize treatment and medical evacuation measures, as well as to improve planning of military medical resources to ensure prompt management of emergency conditions. Our results can be also used to predict outcomes in patients with combat ENT injuries.

Relevance. In the scientific community radiation exposure effects in next generations have been an issue of concern for decades. However, there is still no consensus regarding hereditary effects in the offspring of exposed parents. Meanwhile, the development of nuclear power industry and the expanded usage of ionizing radiation sources in medicine require specific assessment of genetic damage for the safety of personnel at radiation-hazardous production facilities. In this context, epidemiological follow up of the cohort of the offspring born to the workers of Mayak Production Association (PA) – the first nuclear production facility in Russia that has been operating since 1948 – is a topical area of research.

Objective – analysis of published sources describing the results of the studies among the offspring of Mayak PA workers.

Methodology. Information from the studies published in open access was collected and analyzed. A historical overview of the study of occupational exposure effects at Mayak PA was performed along two main directions: the effects of preconception (before conception of a child) exposure and the effects of in utero exposure during mothers’ employment at Mayak PA. The results of the studies performed in the early years of nuclear industry development are presented along with the description of the stages of development of epidemiological follow up of the exposed parents’ offspring and a summary of present day understanding of late effects of radiation exposure.

Results and Discussion. Early studies among the offspring of Mayak PA workers performed prospectively and based as a rule on small sample sizes, demonstrated disharmony in physical development and functional disorders in certain organs and systems of the offspring (among in utero exposed individuals). Later epidemiological studies were based on questionnaires and medical examinations of child population; these works were also prospective and were limited to the age of 15, involving offspring born in 1974–1988. It was found that the structure and incidence of disorders in the first two generations of Mayak PA workers’ offspring did not differ significantly from the control group and from the national statistics data. Later on, the development of medical archives contributed to accumulation of medical knowledge about health indicators in the offspring and to the extension of the follow up period. Many years of work with archival data, development and implementation of epidemiological registries, and digitalization of medical records from various sources allowed for retrospective studies based on representative samples of offspring with no age restrictions. Present day studies within the cohort of Mayak PA workers’ offspring are based on individually measured dosimetry and detailed records of parental occupational history, on verified medical diagnosis according to ICD-10 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems), long follow-up period of the cohort, and relevant statistical methods.

Conclusion. Present day results of health monitoring of Mayak PA workers’ offspring demonstrate that despite significant deviations in cancer and non-cancer incidence and mortality in the perinatal period, and in physical development of the offspring born in 1949–1973, no direct interrelation between unfavorable outcomes and occupational radiation exposure of the parents has been proved. The results of the studies in the cohort of Mayak PA workers’ offspring indicate a need for further health monitoring among the offspring of exposed parents for the purposes of radiation safety of personnel and for defining the scope of preventive measures.

Introduction. One of the key challenges in radiobiology remains the search for accessible and nontoxic radioprotective agents. Synthetic radioprotectors are effective; however, they are associated with several significant drawbacks, including high toxicity at therapeutic doses as a major concern. In this regard, natural compounds with radioprotective potential are of particular interest, especially promising are dietary adaptogens such as beta D-glucans derived from edible mushrooms. These compounds are available, safe, and exhibit high bioactivity. Since ionizing radiation primarily damages deoxyribonucleic acid, causing chromosomal aberrations in bone marrow cells, the drug anticlastogenic activity is a critical parameter to assess the overall radioprotective effect.

The study aim is to evaluate the protective effect of beta D-glucan by reducing the frequency of aberrant metaphases in bone marrow cells of mice irradiated at the 6 Gy dose.

Methods. The experiment was performed on male white laboratory mice that were irradiated using RUM-17 unit at the 6 Gy dose. Prior to irradiation, soluble beta D-glucan derived from the oyster mushroom had been administered intragastrically at the 100 mg/kg dose every business day for two weeks; cytogenetic analysis was performed 24 hours after irradiation. The percentage of aberrant metaphases was assessed; single and paired fragments, as well as chromatid and chromosomal exchanges were identified in the spectrum of chromosomal aberrations. Data were processed using Statistica 10.0 software package; the Mann–Whitney U test was used to determine if differences between groups were statistically significant; group aberration frequencies were calculated by averaging individual values.

Results and discussion. The findings have shown that beta D-glucan obtained from the oyster mushroom and administration intragastrically at the 100 mg/kg dose as a preventive measure prior to irradiation reduces cytogenetic damage in the bone marrow at the 6 Gy dose. The treatment halved the proportion of aberrant metaphases, significantly reducing the number of cells with multiple chromosomal damages. Although irradiation induced severe damage (up to 93.8 aberrations per 100 cells), beta D-glucan administered at the 100 mg/kg dose shifted the spectrum of damage towards less severe forms. The antimutagenic efficacy in terms of the frequency of aberrant metaphases was 52%.

Conclusion. Our trial confirms the radioprotective properties of beta D-glucan derived from edible oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus).

Relevance. Increasing frequency and complexity of natural and technogenic emergencies impose more stringent requirements to the psychophysiological stability of personnel involved in emergency response activities. The efficiency of actions performed under time pressure, high responsibility and significant emotional stress largely depend on individual adaptive potential. Therefore, early identification of psychophysiological factors that determine stress resistance and readiness to act in high-risk environments is of particular importance.

The study aim is to identify psychophysiological indicators of adaptive potential in conscripts facing the risk of emergency.

Methods. The study involved 400 conscripts aged 18–22 years undergoing military conscription procedures and professional psychological examination. Psychological characteristics of adaptive potential were assessed using the Prognosis neuropsychic stability test and the SAN scale (well-being, activity, mood). Vegetative regulation was evaluated using the Luscher Color Test and vegetative coefficient calculation according to K. Sipos. Statistical analysis was performed using correlation and multifactor regression analysis in IBM SPSS Statistics software.

Results and discussion. The results showed that 38.5 % of examined conscripts demonstrated predominant sympathetic vegetative regulation; 34.0 % exhibited a normotonic type; and 27.5 % showed signs of vagotonia. A statistically significant relationship between neuropsychic stability and the vegetative coefficient was revealed (r = 0.41; p < 0.01), indicating a moderate association between psychological and vegetative mechanisms of adaptation. The obtained results are consistent with previous studies on psychophysiological adaptation in military personnel, which also indicate increased sympathetic activity during adaptation to new conditions.

Conclusion. Our findings suggest that indicators of neuropsychic stability and vegetative regulation can be considered informative predictors of adaptive potential in conscripts. The use of the Luscher Color Test, as well as calculations of the K. Sipos vegetative coefficient and neuropsychic stability assessment may be recommended for professional psychological examination and monitoring of the functional status of conscripts preparing to operate under high-risk and emergency conditions.

Introduction. The wives of the special military operation (SMO) combatants are currently facing extraordinary stressful circumstances demanding resilience in providing psychological support for their loved ones. This requires better understanding of coping mechanisms, resilience resources, and psychological support targets.

The study aim is to identify coping patterns among the wives of the SMO combatants amid stressful living environment and to determine differences in hardiness, resilience, and psychological health within groups of women characterized by different coping strategy combinations.

Methods. A nomothetic approach was used. The methodological toolkit included: the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), the Brief COPE-30, the short version of the Hardiness Survey, the Mental Health Continuum (MHC), and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). All instruments were used in Russian language versions. IBM SPSS Statistics 22 was used for statistical data processing.

Results and discussion. Our survey demonstrated that 105 wives of SMO combatants aged (37.7 ± 7.5) years were experiencing pronounced prolonged distress accompanied by reduced hardiness and high tension across all coping strategies. Cluster analysis identified four coping profiles: ambivalent high-tension copers displayed a combination of restraint, acceptance, consumption of sedatives, with high distress and low hardiness levels; active adaptive copers showed highly proactive coping and planning and sought social support; flexible copers demonstrated the best polystrategic profiling skills among all other types of coping; passive restrained copers manifested low involvement in coping processes, low social well being, and poor psychological health.

Conclusion. Among the wives of the SMO combatants, ambivalent hightension copers focused on restraint and acceptance and passive restrained copers characterized by detachment and depleted internal resources seem to represent the two most vulnerable cohorts. Active adaptive copers and flexible copers, although more resilient, are prone to the risks of potential exhaustion due to intense coping activity. Women with different coping profiles require differentiated psychological assistance. Common targets for all groups include cultivation of hardiness, eudaimonic selfregulation mechanisms, and improved availability of institutionalized social support.

Relevance. Understanding risk factors and timely diagnosis of signs of mental adaptation disorders in combatants exposed to a vital threat in the early stages of development is essential for maintaining occupational health.

Objective is to assess the risk of developing mental adaptation disorders for their prevention when performing professional duties in conditions of vital threat.

Methodology. We examined 98 people whose professional activity is associated with business trips to the high-risk zone, and 24 people in the control group without the risk of vital threat. Based on the duration to the vital threat and the presence of injuries, the subjects were divided into 3 subgroups: with a low probability of mental adaptation disorders, with medium and high probability. Indicators of the personal sphere were studied using the personal questionnaire “Module”, the Individual-typological questionnaire, the questionnaire” Professional burnout”, the Hospital Scale of Anxiety and Depression (HADS), the A. Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHI), the methodology for diagnosing the level of social frustration of L.I. Wasserman and the Mississippi Scale of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (MS PTSD). The similarity of differences in two independent groups was assessed using the Mann–Whitney U-test. Relationships between the indicators were determined using Spearman’s nonparametric correlation coefficient. Discriminant linear functions of the probability of developing mental adaptation disorders were formed.

Results and analysis. The absence of significant personality disorders was revealed in the majority of subjects in the main and control groups. The cumulative coefficient of intensity of vital threat was calculated, which allowed forming subgroups with the probability of occurrence of mental adaptation disorders. It turned out that the change in personal characteristics of individuals performing professional activities in conditions of vital threat occurs mainly according to the sthenic type of response. Strengthening the features of the sthenic register: aggression, sthenicity and rigidity, combined with a decrease in sociability and the ability to compromise, increases the likelihood of retraumatization of the psyche due to deterioration of social functioning and can further lead to professional deformities of the individual and the formation of mental adaptation disorders.

Conclusion. The developed discriminate model makes it possible to identify people after professional business trips with situations of vital threat who need an in-depth medical examination and psychocorrective measures.

Introduction. The conscription for military service provides nationals with hands on training in military specialty fields, enhancing combat readiness and defensive capabilities of the Russian Armed Forces. Currently, a downward trend in the number of conscription aged young men eligible for military service is observed.

The aim is to use the VOSviewer software to conduct a scientometric analysis of research papers by Russian investigators on medical services provided to eligible military conscripts in Russia (2016–2025), thus expanding available research data and the scope of promising future research directions.

Methods. The study object represents a dataset of publications selected from the Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI), maintained by the Scientific Electronic Library of Russia [https://elibrary.ru/]. The search parameters were set as follows: conscription as the keyword; including morphology for the search mode; research papers for the publication type; the search fields included title, abstract, and keywords; the publication years spanned from 2016 to 2025. Once the search noise was filtered, 302 research papers by Russian authors were selected for further study. The Scientific Electronic Library staff assisted to convert the dataset in the .csv format for the VOSviewer to analyze the frequency rates of data contained in the bibliography, abstracts, and keywords.

Results and analysis. The overall selection of 302 research papers included 55.9  % on medicine, 12.3  % on physical education and sports, 11.3  % on psychology, 10.3  % on pedagogy, and 10.2  % on other specialty fields. Only 13.6  % were indexed in the top international scientific databases, i.e. Web of Science or Scopus. The scientometric indicators were relatively low: 57.3  % of papers were cited at least once, the weighted average impact factor of the journals was 0.398, and the hindex was 13. The VOSviewer identified 938 words in the dataset. By setting a minimum threshold of two occurrences, this number was reduced to 214 words, split into 25 semantic terms grouped into four clusters: Cluster 1 ‘Medical Support of the Conscript Population’ (with a total link strength of 51.2 % in the analyzed dataset); Cluster 2 ‘Preparation of Citizens for Military Conscription’ (25.6  %); Cluster 3 ‘Social and Psychological Adaptation of Citizens to Military Service’ (13.7  %); and Cluster 4 ‘Professional Psychological Selection of Conscripts for Military Service’ (9.5  %).

Conclusion. The yielded dataset of publications on medical support for conscription age citizens eligible for military service, full text is available for 98 % of research papers, including 89 % with free access for authorized users of the Scientific Electronic Library. Our study expands the scope of research data, helping scientists to outline pathways for their research.

Introduction. The mining of Arctic mineral resources, extensive Northern Sea Route infrastructure operating under harsh climatic conditions, and geographically scattered medical facilities require medical evacuation routes for patients and casualties.

The study aim is to pursue a scientometric analysis of publications issued from 2005 to 2025 on medical evacuation in the Arctic.

Methods. Publications by Russian investigators were identified using the Russian Science Citation Index [https://www. elibrary.ru/]; publications by international investigators were selected from the PubMed international biomedical research database [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/]. Once all irrelevant results were excluded, a corpus of 46 Russian publications was produced, including 30 research papers and 16 conference proceedings, and 25 international research papers. Frequency analysis of keywords and coauthorship networks was performed using VOSviewer software.

Results and discussion. VOSviewer software was used to identify keywords repeating twice and over in the corpus of publications by Russian investigators that were split across 6 clusters. Comprehensive evacuation and life support in the Arctic represented 31.7 % of papers; emergency medical response for road traffic accidents accounted for 13.1 %; followed by 19.1% for integrated rescue operations and fire safety; 15.2% for infrastructure and medical evacuation technologies; 12.4% for military personnel medical evacuation and treatment; and ultimately 8.3% for medical triage in emergencies. Authors with 2 publications and over were grouped into 5 clusters by scientific schools. Keywords repeating twice and over throughout the corpus of publications by international researchers were grouped into 3 clusters. These clusters included clinical aspects and logistics in emergency medicine and evacuation (47.8% of papers), emergency medical care accessibility and management (30.8%), and emergency medical services and remote healthcare in industrial zones (21.4%). Russian and international publications showed high consistency regarding most pivotal issues of medical evacuation in the Arctic. International publications were particularly focused on the evidence based medical research findings, as well as thorough economic assessment of medical evacuation of patients and casualties, including tourists aboard cruise ships navigating in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

Conclusion. The research showed that medical evacuation efficiency in the Arctic is depends on clinical data and logistical solutions, involving aeromedical transportation first and foremost, thereby ensuring prompt specialized emergency medical care for critically ill patients and casualties.