Genetic structure analysis of the alien mollusk Stenomphalia ravergiensis (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Pulmonata) population in Belgorod (Russia)

Gel electrophoretic analysis of allozymes was used to study the genetic structure of the population of the alien mollusk Stenomphalia ravergiensis that inhabits urbanized landscapes in the town of Belgorod (Russia). A high genetic variability level and low values of inbreeding coefficient were characteristic of most colonie

On the issue of the genetic structure of species found in the relic communities of central russian upland southern territories

This paper performs a comparative analysis of population genetic structure concerning specially protected species of terrestrial mollusk Helicopsis striata Müller and the herbaceous plant Androsace kozo-poljanskii Ovs

Modeling current and future distribution of Cochlodina laminata in Eastern Europe under climate change

n this study, we focused on the eastern part of the Cochlodina laminata range. Although this door snail is widespread in Europe, even a widespread species may lose habitats if future climate change projections are realized. The range shift is one of the consequences of climate chang

Land snails Brephulopsis cylindrica and Xeropicta derbentina (Gastropoda: Stylommatophora): case study of invasive species distribution modelling

The terrestrial snails Brephulopsis cylindrica and Xeropicta derbentina are native to steppes of the Northern Black Sea region; X. derbentina has also initially inhabited Eastern Mediterranean, the Caucasus, and Anatolia. However, in last decades the species are increasingly reported outside of their natural range which renders them as likely invasiv

Demographic and spatial structure at the stage of expansion in the populations of some alien land snails in Belgorod city (Central Russian Upland)

Field studies of alien terrestrial gastropods Xeropicta derbentina (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Hygromiidae), Brephulopsis cylindrica (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Enidae) and Harmozica ravergiensis (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, Hygromiidae) were carried out in the south of the Central Russian Upland in Belgorod (Russia). An analysis of the dynamics of population density, their demographic structure and spatial organization was performed on the basis of data for three years of observations (2017, 2019, 2020)

Leukocytes phagocytic activity under moderate hypotension conditions in some representatives of bony fish, amphibians and reptiles

The leukocytes phagocytic activity against Bacillus subtilis and agromerulated latex particles in representatives of bony fish, amphibians and reptiles under reduced medium osmolarity conditions was studied. It was found that in moderate hypotension compared with isotonia, the white blood cells absorption capacity of the fish was not changed, but it was reduced for amphibians and reptile

The role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of malignant neoplasms

The paper analyzes the literature data on the role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of malignant neoplasms (MN). Cytokines are biologically active, hormone-like proteins that regulate a wide range of processes occurring in the body. Cytokines determine the type and duration of the immune response, stimulation or suppression of cell growth, their differentiation, and functional activity. The complex of cytokines produced in the tumor microenvironment plays an important role in the pathogenesis of MN. The spectra of biological activities of cytokines overlap in most cases. The same process in a cell can be stimulated by more than one cytokine, creating a favorable environment for the initiation and progression of MN. The immune system can recognize transformed cells. Various cytokines correspond to specifc pathways activated by receptors on the cell surface, which in turn cause intracellular signaling cascades that affect target cellular functions. Cytokine genes are mutually related to oncogenes. Cytokines, which are released in response to infection, inflammation, or during an immune response to an antigen, can inhibit tumor development. In turn, cytokines, which weaken apoptosis and promote invasion and metastasis, promote tumor growth. Cytokines are involved in the initiation, development and metastasis of malignant neoplasms through various mechanisms

The Virtual Monte Carlo

The concept of Virtual Monte Carlo (VMC) has been developed by the ALICE Software Project to allow different Monte Carlo simulation programs to run without changing the user code, such as the geometry definition, the detector response simulation or input and output formats. Recently, the VMC classes have been integrated into the ROOT framework, and the other relevant packages have been separated from the AliRoot framework and can be used individually by any other HEP project. The general concept of the VMC and its set of base classes provided in ROOT will be presented. Existing implementations for Geant3, Geant4 and FLUKA and simple examples of usage will be described.Comment: Talk from the 2003 Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics (CHEP03), La Jolla, Ca, USA, March 2003, 8 pages, LaTeX, 6 eps figures. PSN THJT006. See http://root.cern.ch/root/vmc/VirtualMC.htm

Research Project “Communities of Print in Early Modern Europe”.

The paper discusses the international multidisciplinary research project “Communities of Print:Using Books in Early Modern Europe”, launched by Manchester Metropolitan University (UK) in 2016. The project united the leading scholars specialising in art history, early modern history and literary studies, as well as librarians and archivists. The project “Communities of Print” explores early modern books not just as a medium for distributing information, but as material objects of Renaissance visual culture and art. It focuses on the visual and social impact of the books on various communities and examines their usage in communal settings. The paper also briefly outlines the presentations made at the first conference organised within the project in June 2016 in Manchester. They concerned such topics as the public availability of monastic and private libraries in early modern culture, book trading networks in Europe, the attribution of ownership marks and annotations,usage of medieval manuscripts and their role in early modern book collections, reading practices and access to printed material, and the evolution of anti-Catholic imagery in the early modern Protestant print. Finally, the paper observes some implications of the project, which stem from the close cooperation of researchers of art, history, literature and practitioners — librarians and archivists, — such as refining the knowledge and understanding of early modern books as the objects of visual culture