Scorzonera sensu lato (Asteraceae, Cichorieae) – taxonomic reassessment in the light of new molecular phylogenetic and carpological analyses

Scorzonera comprises 180–190 species and belongs to the subtribe Scorzonerinae. Its circumscription has long been the subject of debate and available molecular phylogenetic analyses affirmed the polyphyly of Scorzonera in its wide sense. We provide a re-evaluation of Scorzonera and other related genera, based on carpological (including anatomical) and extended molecular phylogenetic analyses. We present, for the first time, a comprehensive sampling, including Scorzonera in its widest sense and all other genera recognised in the Scorzonerinae. We conducted phylogenetic analyses using Maximum Parsimony, Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses, based on sequences of the nuclear ribosomal ITS and of two plastid markers (partial rbcL and matK) and Maximum Parsimony for reconstructing the carpological character states at ancestral nodes. Achene characters, especially related to pericarp anatomy, such as general topography of the tissue types, disposition of the mechanical tissue and direction of its fibres, presence or absence of air cavities, provide, in certain cases, support for the phylogenetic lineages revealed. Confirming the polyphyly of Scorzonera, we propose a revised classification of the subtribe, accepting the genera Scorzonera (including four major clades: Scorzonera s. str., S. purpurea, S. albicaulis and Podospermum), Gelasia, Lipschitzia gen. nov. (for the Scorzonera divaricata clade), Pseudopodospermum, Pterachaenia (also including Scorzonera codringtonii), Ramaliella gen. nov. (for the S. polyclada clade) and Takhtajaniantha. A key to the revised genera and a characterisation of the genera and major clades are provided

Climatically driven loss of calcium in steppe soil as a sink for atmospheric carbon

During the last several thousand years the semi‐arid, cold climate of the Russian steppe formed highly fertile soils rich in organic carbon and calcium (classified as Chernozems in the Russian system). Analysis of archived soil samples collected in Kemannaya Steppe Preserve in 1920, 1947, 1970, and fresh samples collected in 1998 indicated that the native steppe Chernozems, however, lost 17–28 kg m−2 of calcium in the form of carbonates in 1970–1998. Here we demonstrate that the loss of calcium was caused by fundamental shift in the steppe hydrologic balance. Previously unleached soils where precipitation was less than potential evapotranspiration are now being leached due to increased precipitation and, possibly, due to decreased actual evapotranspiration. Because this region receives low levels of acidic deposition, the dissolution of carbonates involves the consumption of atmospheric CO2. Our estimates indicate that this climatically driven terrestrial sink of atmospheric CO2 is ∼2.1–7.4 g C m−2 a−1. In addition to the net sink of atmospheric carbon, leaching of pedogenic carbonates significantly amplified seasonal amplitude of CO2 exchange between atmosphere and steppe soil

Room temperature coexistence of large electric polarization and magnetic order in BiFeO3 single crystals

From an experimental point of view, room temperature ferroelectricity in BiFeO3 is raising many questions. Electric measurements made a long time ago on solid-solutions of BiFeO3 with Pb(Ti,Zr)O3 indicate that a spontaneous electric polarization exists in BiFeO3 below the Curie temperature TC=1143K. Yet in most reported works, the synthesised samples are too conductive at room temperature to get a clear polarization loop in the bulk without any effects of extrinsic physical or chemical parameters. Surprisingly, up to now there has been no report of a P(E) (polarization versus electric field) loop at room temperature on single crystals of BiFeO3. We describe here our procedure to synthesize ceramics and to grow good quality sizeable single crystals by a flux method. We demonstrate that BiFeO3 is indeed ferroelectric at room-temperature through evidence by Piezoresponse Force Microscopy and P(E) loops. The polarization is found to be large, around 60 microC/cm2, a value that has only been reached in thin films. Magnetic measurements using a SQUID magnetometer and Mossbauer spectroscopy are also presented. The latter confirms the results of NMR measurements concerning the anisotropy of the hyperfine field attributed to the magnetic cycloidal structure.Comment: 27 pages, 12 figure

Delivery and reveal of localization of upconversion luminescent microparticles and quantum dots in the skin in vivo by fractional laser microablation, multimodal imaging, and optical clearing

Delivery and spatial localization of upconversion luminescent microparticles [Y 2 O 3 ;Yb, Er] (mean size ~1.6 μm) and quantum dots (QDs) (CuInS 2 ZnS nanoparticles coated with polyethylene glycol-based amphiphilic polymer, mean size ~20 nm) inside rat skin was studied in vivo using a multimodal optical imaging approach. The particles were embedded into the skin dermis to the depth from 300 to 500 μm through microchannels performed by fractional laser microablation. Low-frequency ultrasound was applied to enhance penetration of the particles into the skin. Visualization of the particles was revealed using a combination of luminescent spectroscopy, optical coherence tomography, confocal microscopy, and histochemical analysis. Optical clearing was used to enhance the image contrast of the luminescent signal from the particles. It was demonstrated that the penetration depth of particles depends on their size, resulting in a different detection time interval (days) of the luminescent signal from microparticles and QDs inside the rat skin in vivo. We show that luminescent signal from the upconversion microparticles and QDs was detected after the particle delivery into the rat skin in vivo during eighth and fourth days, respectively. We hypothesize that the upconversion microparticles have created a long-time depot localized in the laser-created channels, as the QDs spread over the surrounding tissues

Northern Eurasia Future Initiative (NEFI): facing the challenges and pathways of global change in the twenty-first century

© 2017, The Author(s). During the past several decades, the Earth system has changed significantly, especially across Northern Eurasia. Changes in the socio-economic conditions of the larger countries in the region have also resulted in a variety of regional environmental changes that can have global consequences. The Northern Eurasia Future Initiative (NEFI) has been designed as an essential continuation of the Northern Eurasia Earth Science Partnership Initiative (NEESPI), which was launched in 2004. NEESPI sought to elucidate all aspects of ongoing environmental change, to inform societies and, thus, to better prepare societies for future developments. A key principle of NEFI is that these developments must now be secured through science-based strategies co-designed with regional decision-makers to lead their societies to prosperity in the face of environmental and institutional challenges. NEESPI scientific research, data, and models have created a solid knowledge base to support the NEFI program. This paper presents the NEFI research vision consensus based on that knowledge. It provides the reader with samples of recent accomplishments in regional studies and formulates new NEFI science questions. To address these questions, nine research foci are identified and their selections are briefly justified. These foci include warming of the Arctic; changing frequency, pattern, and intensity of extreme and inclement environmental conditions; retreat of the cryosphere; changes in terrestrial water cycles; changes in the biosphere; pressures on land use; changes in infrastructure; societal actions in response to environmental change; and quantification of Northern Eurasia’s role in the global Earth system. Powerful feedbacks between the Earth and human systems in Northern Eurasia (e.g., mega-fires, droughts, depletion of the cryosphere essential for water supply, retreat of sea ice) result from past and current human activities (e.g., large-scale water withdrawals, land use, and governance change) and potentially restrict or provide new opportunities for future human activities. Therefore, we propose that integrated assessment models are needed as the final stage of global change assessment. The overarching goal of this NEFI modeling effort will enable evaluation of economic decisions in response to changing environmental conditions and justification of mitigation and adaptation efforts

Диагностика и лечение идиопатического легочного фиброза Федеральные клинические рекомендации

This article contains clinical guidelines and current approaches to diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The aims of development this guidelines were to improve early detection and efficacy of pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapy of IPF. Achieving these goals indicates improvement in medical care quality for these patients. These guidelines are intended to pulmonologists, therapeutists and other medical specialists, healthcare managers and other healthcare providersПредставлены современные подходы к диагностике и терапии идиопатического легочного фиброза (ИЛФ). Клинические рекомендации направлены на улучшение ранней диагностики, повышение эффективности немедикаментозной и лекарственной терапии ИЛФ, а также качества медицинской помощи при данном заболевании. Данные Рекомендации адресованы пульмонологам, терапевтам и другим специалистам, организаторам и экспертным организациям практического здравоохранения

Northern Eurasia Future Initiative (NEFI): facing the challenges and pathways of global change in the 21st century

During the past several decades, the Earth system has changed significantly, especially across Northern Eurasia. Changes in the socio-economic conditions of the larger countries in the region have also resulted in a variety of regional environmental changes that can have global consequences. The Northern Eurasia Future Initiative (NEFI) has been designed as an essential continuation of the Northern Eurasia Earth Science Partnership Initiative (NEESPI), which was launched in 2004. NEESPI sought to elucidate all aspects of ongoing environmental change, to inform societies and, thus, to better prepare societies for future developments. A key principle of NEFI is that these developments must now be secured through science-based strategies co-designed with regional decision makers to lead their societies to prosperity in the face of environmental and institutional challenges. NEESPI scientific research, data, and models have created a solid knowledge base to support the NEFI program. This paper presents the NEFI research vision consensus based on that knowledge. It provides the reader with samples of recent accomplishments in regional studies and formulates new NEFI science questions. To address these questions, nine research foci are identified and their selections are briefly justified. These foci include: warming of the Arctic; changing frequency, pattern, and intensity of extreme and inclement environmental conditions; retreat of the cryosphere; changes in terrestrial water cycles; changes in the biosphere; pressures on land-use; changes in infrastructure; societal actions in response to environmental change; and quantification of Northern Eurasia's role in the global Earth system. Powerful feedbacks between the Earth and human systems in Northern Eurasia (e.g., mega-fires, droughts, depletion of the cryosphere essential for water supply, retreat of sea ice) result from past and current human activities (e.g., large scale water withdrawals, land use and governance change) and potentially restrict or provide new opportunities for future human activities. Therefore, we propose that Integrated Assessment Models are needed as the final stage of global change assessment. The overarching goal of this NEFI modeling effort will enable evaluation of economic decisions in response to changing environmental conditions and justification of mitigation and adaptation efforts