Modification of vertebral regions explains heart position in arboreal colubrids (Serpentes: Colubridae)

Advance access publication 27 February 2024. OnlinePublRecent research into the snake vertebral column has highlighted the importance of considering regionalization and its implications for the life history of snakes. Our research delves into the distinctions in vertebral column morphology and regionalization within the snake family Colubridae, comparing arboreal and terrestrial species. Our results provide significant support for dissociation between two pre-cloacal regions: the ‘pre-atrial’ (anterior to heart) and the ‘post-atrial’ (posterior to heart). Furthermore, the two ecological groups display distinct proportional compositions between the two pre-cloacal regions and the one post-cloacal region (caudal); arboreal species tend to possess a higher proportion of caudal vertebrae, whereas terrestrial species exhibit a higher proportion of post-atrial vertebrae. Our study reveals that the axial morphology of arboreal species is distinct from that of terrestrial species; however, this was not attributable to a convergent evolution process. By estimating the evolutionary history of vertebral number in each region between the ecological groups, we find each region has a unique pattern, further highlighting evolutionary disassociation between the regions. This study adds to the growing evidence on regionalization of the pre-cloacal snake vertebral column and underscores the importance in continuing to develop our understanding of snake evolution.Tamika Nash-Hahn, Natasha Stepanova, Alison R. Davis Rabosky, Emma Sherrat

Statistical investigation on effect of resource-saving technologies on diabetes mellitus incidence (A case study of the republic of Tatarstan)

© 2020, Advanced Scientific Research. All rights reserved. A retrospective cross-sectional study included data from official sources of the Republic of Tatarstan for 2002-2016. An analysis of the dynamics of trends, multiple correlation-regression and variance analysis was carried out using AtteStat and PSPP software. For 15 years the share of the population with diabetes in the republic has increased from 1.3% to 3.23% with the highest growth rate in the adult population of the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (257.5%), whose share by 2016 has reached 3.8%. Significant dependencies of the treatment area, the consumption of pesticides and herbicides with the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the adult population were absent, whereas with incidence of diabetes mellitus in the second or third year. The degree and significance of the connection between the volume of glyphosates, area of field with the reduced-till and no till technology, and the prevalence of diabetes mellitus was more than that of incidence. In conditions of using resource-saving technologies, the model of prevalence of CD2 in the adult population of the republic was determined informative, adequate and stable at the most statistically significant role of glyphosates (R2=0.98, p<0.003) among other pesticide indices. Further expansion of the use of new technologies and glyphosate-containing preparations requires monitoring and analysis not only of agricultural specialists, but also of environmental medicine.10.31838/ijpr/2020.12.01.160

Zoning of the urban environment by the level of soil pollution and its impact on the formation of risks to public health

© 2020, Editorial board of Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences. All rights reserved. The priority pollutants of urban soils are oil products, nitrates, cadmium, and zinc. The total non-carcinogenic risk was higher in the Kirovsky and Vakhitovsky districts of the city, and the dermal path was the most significant among the chemical penetration pathways. The distribution of risk factors for adolescent health along the path of inhalation was determined for the various critical target organs such as kidneys, hormones, blood, and respiratory systems. Analysis of the content of total metals in the soils of different districts showed that copper, zinc, lead made the major contribution to pollution in the calculation according to MAC (Zc) in all districts. Nitrates remain an important contaminant in every city under study. The values of total pollution factor, both for total and mobile forms of metals, did not exceed 16 units allowing placing the samples under study into a category with allowable contamination. The content of mobile forms of metals (apart from cadmium) did not exceed regulations in all selected zones. However, according to the results of our research, the concentrations of mobile forms of metals exceeded the concentrations of total forms of the same metals by approximately two times (but stayed within the limits of MAC)

Distance Learning in Higher Education During Covid-19

COVID-19’s pandemic has hastened the expansion of online learning across all levels of education. Countries have pushed to expand their use of distant education and make it mandatory in view of the danger of being unable to resume face-to-face education. The most frequently reported disadvantages are technological challenges and the resulting inability to open the system. Prior to the pandemic, interest in distance learning was burgeoning, as it was a unique style of instruction. The mini-review aims to ascertain students’ attitudes about distant learning during COVID-19. To accomplish the objective, articles were retrieved from the ERIC database. We utilize the search phrases “Distance learning” AND “University” AND “COVID.” We compiled a list of 139 articles. We chose papers with “full text” and “peer reviewed only” sections. Following the exclusion, 58 articles persisted. Then, using content analysis, publications relating to students’ perspectives on distance learning were identified. There were 27 articles in the final list. Students’ perspectives on distant education are classified into four categories: perception and attitudes, advantages of distance learning, disadvantages of distance learning, and challenges for distance learning. In all studies, due of pandemic constraints, online data gathering methods were selected. Surveys and questionnaires were utilized as data collection tools. When students are asked to compare face-to-face and online learning techniques, they assert that online learning has the potential to compensate for any limitations caused by pandemic conditions. Students’ perspectives and degrees of satisfaction range widely, from good to negative. Distance learning is advantageous since it allows for learning at any time and from any location. Distance education benefits both accomplishment and learning. Staying at home is safer and less stressful for students during pandemics. Distance education contributes to a variety of physical and psychological health concerns, including fear, anxiety, stress, and attention problems. Many schools lack enough infrastructure as a result of the pandemic’s rapid transition to online schooling. Future researchers can study what kind of online education methods could be used to eliminate student concerns. Copyright © 2022 Masalimova, Khvatova, Chikileva, Zvyagintseva, Stepanova and Melnik

New approach to assessing the state of fish stocks on the example of bream

© 2020 Publishing House "O- Kratkoe". All rights reserved. This paper substantiates a new approach to the protection of fish resources, based on the transition from the concept of a calculated forecast of catches and quotas to a multilevel system for assessing the status of fish populations under conditions of slow flow. The main levels of the fish population monitoring system are considered. A new approach based an analysis of monitoring results of the main structural and functional population characteristics of fish, on data on the dynamics of the population size and its generations, changes in the age structure, growth rate, abundance of individuals with morphological anomalies. A new approach was tested on the example of a model species of bream (Abramis brama L.) in the Kuibyshev reservoir as a common inhabitant of different morpho-hydrological properties of reservoirs in Europe, belonging to the LC group according to the IUCN classification. An array of new scientific data has been obtained. Based on the calculation of natural mortality by approximating the population curve, taking into account the age composition of catches, it is shown that with a stable replenishment of the fishing herd, when high- and small-numbered generations enter the fishery, depending on the spawning conditions, bream stocks are not expected to be undermined. The results of the study can be used as a basis for assessing the state of fish populations, developing measures for the rational development of their reserves in conditions of unstable hydrological regime of reservoirs and weakening of control over fishing in the protection of fish resources