If systems did not have transition processes, transition process period would have been always equal to zero and the systems would have been completely inertia-free. But such systems are non-existent and inertness is inherent in a varying degree in any system. For example, in electronics the presence of transition processes generates additional harmonics of electric current fluctuations in various amplifiers or current generators. Sophisticated circuit solutions are applied to suppress thereof, but they are present in any electronic devices, considerably suppressed though. Time constant of systems with simple control blocks includes time constants of every SFU plus changeable durations of NF transition periods. Therefore, constant of time of such systems is not quite constant since duration of NF transition periods can vary depending on the force of external impact. Transition processes in systems with simple control blocks increase the inertness of such systems. Inertness of systems leads to various phase disturbances of synchronization and balance of interaction between systems. There are numerous ways to deal with transition processes. External impacts may be filtered in such a way thatto prevent from sharp shock impacts (filtration, a principle of graduality of loading). Knowing the character of external impacts/influences in advance and foreseeing thereof which requires seeing them first (and it can only be done, at the minimum, by complex control blocks) would enable designing of such an appropriate algorithm of control block operation which would ensure finding correct decision by the 3rd micro cycle (prediction based control/management). However, it is only feasiblefor intellectual control blocks. Apparently it’s impossible for us to completely get rid of the systems’ inertness so far. Therefore, if the external impact/influence does not vary and the transition processes are practically equal to zero the system would operate cyclically and accurately on one of its stationary levels, or smoothly shift from one stationary level to another if external influence varies, but does it quite slowly. If transition processes become notable, the system operation cycles become unequal due to the emergence of transition multi-micro-cycles, i.e. period of transition processes. At that, nonlinear effects reduce the system’s overall performance. In our everyday life we often face transition processes when, being absolutely unprepared, we leave a warm room and get into the cold air outside and catch cold. In the warm room all systems of our organism were in a certain balance of interactions and everything was all right. But here we got into the cold air outside and all systems should immediately re-arrange on a new balance. If they have no time to do it and highly intensive transition processes emerge that cause unexpected fluctuations of results of actions of body systems, imbalance of interactions of systems occurs which is called “cold” (we hereby do not specify the particulars associated with the change of condition of the immune system). After a while the imbalance would disappear and the cold would be over as well. If we make ourselves fit, we can train our “control blocks” to foresee sharp strikes of external impacts to reduce transition processes; we then will be able even to bathe in an ice hole. Transition processes of special importance for us are those arising from sharp change of situation around us. Stress-syndrome is directly associated with this phenomenon. The sharper the change of the situation around us, the more it gets threatening (external influence is stronger), the sharper transition processes are, right up to paradoxical reactions of a type of stupor. At that, the imbalance of performance of various sites of nervous system (control blocks) arises, which leads to imbalance of various systems of organism and the onset of various pathological reactions and processes of a type of vegetative neurosis and depressions, ischaemia up to infarction and ulcers, starting from mouth cavity (aphtae) to large intestine ulcers (ulcerative colitis, gastric and duodenum ulcers, etc.), arterial hypertension, etc.
Cyclic recurrence is a property of systems not of a living organism only. Any system operates in cycles. If external influence is retained at a stable level, the system would operate based on this minimal steady-state cycle. But external influence may change cyclically as well, for example, from a sleep to sleep, from dinner to dinner, etc. These are in fact secondary, tertiary, etc., cycles. Provided constructing the graphs of functions of a system, we get wavy curves characterizing recurrence. Examples include pneumotachogram, electrocardiogram curves, curves of variability of gastric juice acidity, sphygmogram curves, curves of electric activity of neurons, periodicity of the EEG alpha rhythm, etc. Sea waves, changes of seasons, movements of planets, movements of trains, etc., - these are all the examples of cyclic recurrence of various systems. The forms of cyclic recurrence curves may be of all sorts. The electrocardiogram curve differs from the arterial pressure curve, and the arterial pressure curve differs from the pressure curve in the aortic ventricle. Variety of cyclic recurrence curves is infinite. Two key parameters characterize recurrence: the period (or its reciprocal variable - frequency) and nonuniformity of the period, which concept includes the notion of frequency harmonics. Nonuniformity of the cycle period should not be resident in SFU (the elementary system) as its performance cycles are always identical. However, the systems have transition periods which may have various cycle periods. Besides, various systems have their own cyclic periods and in process of interaction of systems interference (overlap) of periods may occur. Therefore, additional shifting of own systems’ periods takes place and harmonics of cycles emerge. The number of such wave overlaps can be arbitrary large. That is why in reality we observe a very wide variety of curves: regular sinusoids, irregular curves, etc. However, any curves can be disintegrated into constituent waves thereof, i.e. disintegration of interference into its components using special analytical methods, e.g. Fourier transformations. Resulting may be a spectrum of simpler waves of a sinusoid type. The more detailed (and more labour-consuming, though) the analysis, the nearer is the form of each component to a sinusoid and the larger is the number of sinusoidal waves with different periods.
The period of system cycle is a very important parameter for understanding the processes occurring in any system, including in living organisms. Its duration depends on time constant of the system’s reaction to external impact/influence. Once the system starts recurrent performance cycle, it would not stop until it has not finished it. One may try to affect the system when it has not yet finished the cycle of actions, but the system’s reaction to such interference would be inadequate. The speed of the system’s functions progression depends completely on the duration of the system performance cycle. The longer the cycle period, the slower the system would transit from one level to another. The concepts of absolute and relative adiaphoria are directly associated with the concept of periodand phase of system cycle. If, for example, the myocardium has not finished its “systole-diastole” cycle, extraordinary (pre-term) impulse of rhythm pacemaker or extrasystolic impulse cannot force the ventricle to produce adequate stroke release/discharge. The value of stroke discharge may vary from zero to maximum possible, depending on at which phase of adiphoria period extrasystolic impulse occurs. If the actuating pulse falls on the 2nd and 3rd micro cycles, the myocardium would not react to them at all (absolute adiphoria), since information from the “X” receptor is not measured at the right time. Myocardium, following the contraction, would need, as any other cell would do following its excitation, some time to restore its energy potential (ATP accumulation) and ensure setting of all SFU in “startup” condition. If extraordinary impulse emerges at this time, the system’s response might be dependent on the amount of ATP already accumulated or the degree in which actomyosin fibers of myocardium sarcomeres diverged/separated in order to join in the function again (relative adiphoria). Excitability of an unexcited cell is the highest. At the moment of its excitation excitabilitysharply falls to zero (all SFU in operation, 2nd micro cycle) – absolute adiphoria. Thereafter, if there is no subsequent excitation, the system would gradually restore its excitability, while passing through the phases of relative adiphoria up to initial or even higher level (super-excitability, which is not examined in this work) and then againto initial level. Therefore, pulse irregularity may be observed in patients with impaired cardial function, when sphygmic beats are force-wise uneven. Extreme manifestation of such irregularity is the so-called “Jackson’s symptom” /pulse deficiency/, i.e. cardiac electric activity is shown on the electrocardiogram, but there is no its mechanical (haemodynamic) analogue on the sphygmogram and sphygmic beats are not felt when palpating the pulse. The main conclusions from all the above are as follows: any systems operate in cycles passing through micro cycles; any system goes through transition process; cycle period may differ in various systems depending on time constant of the system’s reaction to the external impact/influence (in living systems – on the speed of biochemical reactions and the speed of command/actuating signals); irregularity of the system’s cycle period depends on the presence of transition processes, consequently, to a certain degree on the force of external exposure/influence; irregularity of the system cycle period depends on overlapping of cycle periods of interacting systems; upon termination of cycle of actions after single influence the system reverts to the original state, in which it was prior to the beginning of external influence (one single result of action with one single external influence). The latter does not apply to the so-called generating systems. It is associated with the fact that after the result of action has been achieved by the system, it becomes independent of the system which produced it and may become external influence in respect to it. If it is conducted to the external influence entry point of the same system, the latter would again get excited and again produce new result of action (positive feedback, PF). This is how all generators work. Thus, if the first external influence affects the system or external influence is ever changing, the number of functioning SFU systems varies. If no external influence is exerted on the system or is being exerted but is invariable, the number of functioning system SFU would not vary. Based on the above we can draw the definitions of stationary conditions and dynamism of process.
Functional condition of system. Functional condition of the system is defined by the number of active SFU. If all SFU function simultaneously, it shows high functional condition which arises in case of maximum external influence. If none SFU is active it shows minimum functional condition. It may occur in the absence of external influence. External environment always exerts some kind of influence on some systems, including the systems of organism. Even in quiescent state the Earth gravitational force makes part of our muscles work and consequently absolute rest is non-existent. So, when we are kind of in quiescent state we actually are in one of the low level states of physical activity with the corresponding certain low level of functional state of the organism. Any external influence requiring additional vigorous activity would transfer to a new level of a functional condition unless the SFU reserve is exhausted. When new influence is set at a new invariable (stationary) level, functional condition of a system is set on a new invariable (stationary) functional level.
Stationary states/modes. Stationary state is such a mode of systems when one and the same number of SFU function and no change occurs in their functional state. For example, in quiescence state all systems of organism do not change their functional mode as far as about the same number of SFU is operational. A female runner who runs a long distance for quite a long time without changing the speed is also in a stationary state/mode. Her load does not vary and consequently the number of working (functioning) SFUdoes not change either, i.e. the functional state of her organism does not change. Her organism has already “got used” to this unchangeable loading and as there is no increase of load there is no increase in the number of working SFU, too. The number of working SFU remains constant and therefore the functional state/mode of the organism does not change. What may change in this female runner’s body is, e.g. the status of tissue energy generation system and the status of tissue energy consumption system, which is in fact the processof exhaustion of organism. However, if the female runner has duly planned her run tactics so that not to find herself in condition of anaerobic metabolism, the condition of external gas metabolism and blood circulation systems would not change. So, regardless of whether or not physical activity is present, but if it does not vary (stationary physical loadings /steady state/, provided it is adequate to the possibilities of the organism), the organism of the subject would be in a stationary state/mode. But if the female runner runs in conditions of anaerobic metabolismthe “vicious circle” will be activated and functional condition of her organismwill start change steadily to the worse. (The vicious circle is the system’s reaction to its own result of action. Its basis is hyper reaction of system to routine influence, since the force of routine external influence is supplemented by the eigen result of action of the system which is independent of the latter and presents external influence in respect to it. Thus, routine external influence plus the influence of the system’s own result of action all in all brings about hyper influence resulting in hyper reaction of the system(system overload). The outcome of this reaction is the destruction own SFU coupled with accumulation of defects and progressing decline in the quality of life. At the initial stages while functional reserves are still large, the vicious circle becomes activated under the influence of quite a strong external action (heavy load condition). But in process of SFU destruction and accumulation of defects the overload of adjacent systems and their destruction would accrue (the domino principle), whereas the level of load tolerance would recede and with the lapse of time even weak external influences will cause vicious circle actuation and may prove to be excessive. Eventually even the quiescent state will be the excessive loading for an organism with destroyed SFU which condition is incompatible with life. Usually termination of loading would discontinue this vicious circle.
Dynamic processes. Dynamic process is the process of changing functional state/mode/condition of the system. The system is in dynamic process when the change in the number of its actuated SFU occurs. The number of continually actuated SFU would determine stationary state/mode/condition of the system. Hence, dynamic process is the process of the system’s transition from one stationary level to another. If the speed of change in external influences exceeds the speed of fixing the preset result of action of the system, transition processes (multi-micro-cycles) occur during which variation of number of functioning SFU also takes place. Therefore, these transition processes are also dynamic. Consequently, there are two types of dynamic processes: when the system is shifting from one stationary condition (level) to another and when it is in transient multi-micro-cycle. The former is target-oriented, whereas the latter is caused by imperfection of systems and is parasitic, as its actions take away additional energy which was intended for target actions. When the system is in stationary condition some definite number of SFU (from zero to all) is actuated. The minimum step of change of level of functional condition is the value determined by the level of operation of one SFU (one quantum of action). Hence, basically transition from one level of functional condition to another is always discrete (quantized) rather than smooth, and this discrecity is determined by the SFU “caliber”. Then umber of stationary conditions is equal to the number of SFU of the system. Systems with considerable quantity of “small” SFU would pass through dynamic processes more smoothly and without strenuous jerks, than systems with small amount of “large” SFU. Hence, dynamic process is characterized by an amplitude of increment of the system’s functions from minimum to maximum (the system’s minimax; depends on its absolute number of SFU), discrecity or pace of increment of functions (depends on the “caliber” or quantum of individual SFU) and parameters of the function’s cyclic recurrence (speed of increase of actions of system, the period of phases of a cycle, etc.). It can be targeted or parasitic. It should be noted that stationary condition is also a process, but it’s the steady-state (stationary) process. In such cases the condition of systems does not vary from cycle to cycle. But during each cycle a number of various dynamic processes take place in the system as the system itself consists of subsystems, each of which in turn consists of cycles and processes. The steady-state process keeps system in one and the same functional condition and at one and the same stationary level. In accordance with the above definition, if a system does not change its functional condition, it is in stationary condition. Consequently, the steady-state process and stationary condition mean one the same thing, because irrespective of whether the systems are in stationary condition or in dynamic process, some kind of stationary or dynamic processes may take place in their subsystems. For example, even just a mere reception by the “Х” receptor is a dynamic process. Hence, there are no absolutely inert (inactive) objects and any object of our World somewise operates in one way or another. It is assumed that the object may be completely “inactive” at zero degrees of Kelvin scale (absolute zero). Attempts to obtain absolutely inactive systems were undertaken by freezing of bodies up to percentage of Kelvin degrees. It’s unlikely though, that any attempts to freeze a body to absolute zero would be a success, because the body would still move in space, cross some kind of magnetic, gravitational or electric fields and interact with them. For this reason at present it is probably impossible in principle to get absolutely inert and inactive body. The integral organism represents mosaic of systems which are either in different stationary conditions, or in dynamic processes. One could possibly make an objection that there are no systems in stationary condition in the organism at all, as far as some kind of dynamic processes continually occur in some of its systems. During systole the pressure in the aorta increases and during diastole it goes down, the heart functions continuously and blood continuously flows through the vessels, etc. That is all very true, but evaluation of the system’s functions is not made based on its current condition, but the cycles of its activity. Since all processes in any systems are cyclic, including in the organism, the criterion of stationarity is the invariance of integral condition of the system from one cycle to another. Aorta reacts to external influence (stroke/systolic discharge of the left ventricle) in such a way that in process of increase of pressure its walls’ tension increases, while it falls in process of pressure reduction. However, take, for example, the longer time period than the one of the cardiocycle, the integrated condition of the aorta would not vary from one cardiocycle to another and remain stationary.