Indicators of Pasture Digression in Steppe Ecosystems of Mongolia

The research shows that widely used key measures of vegetation structure (species diversity, projected cover and above-ground phytomass) are not always suitable as indicators of pasture degradation. Based on an analysis above-ground phytomass composition, new quantitative indices are offered that give a more realistic picture of rangeland condition in Mongolia

Multi-dimensional trio coherent states

We introduce a novel class of higher-order, three-mode states called K-dimensional trio coherent states. We study their mathematical properties and prove that they form a complete set in a truncated Fock space. We also study their physical content by explicitly showing that they exhibit nonclassical features such as oscillatory number distribution, sub-poissonian statistics, Cauchy-Schwarz inequality violation and phase-space quantum interferences. Finally, we propose an experimental scheme to realize the state with K=2 in the quantized vibronic motion of a trapped ion.Comment: 17 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in J. Phys. A: Math. Ge

Indicators of Pasture Digression in Steppe Ecosystems of Mongolia

The research shows that widely used key measures of vegetation structure (species diversity, projected cover and above-ground phytomass) are not always suitable as indicators of pasture degradation. Based on an analysis above-ground phytomass composition, new quantitative indices are offered that give a more realistic picture of rangeland condition in Mongolia

The result of propagation of sheep and goat pox viral vaccine strains into vero cells

Background: Sheep and goat pox viral disease, which affects negatively to our country’s economy by prevalence and infection, has high mortality and morbidity rate. Although our country manufactures sheep and goat pox viral vaccine using lamb’s testicle tissue in the Biocombinat (Bio-factory), in winter, there is high number of diseased animals, lamb testicle is scarce, therefore there is a need to produce cell-culture based sheep and goat pox vaccine. Materials and methods: Russian VNIIZJ strain type 2 sheep pox vaccine and Chinese goat pox live vaccine (serial number 010030) antigens were used after 20 times of dilution and propogated into Vero and BHK-21 cell culture. By PCR the result was examined and sequenced by ABI3130xl sequencer machine and sequences were compared by MEGA7 program Results: 3 days after infection sheep pox and 4 days after infection goat pox were shown CPE (cytopathic effect or cytopathogenic effect) respectively, 6 days after the infection both of them has been shown full CPE. From these infected materials we isolated viral DNA and run PCR assay using Biocombinat’s strain as a positive control. PCR products were all equal, 289 bp long. When we compare these DNA sequences of sheep and goat pox viruses, they were 92% identical to complete genome of Indian sheep and goat pox virus. Conclusion: We can produce cell-culture based live vaccine and diagnostic tests for sheep and goat pox viral disease by re-propagating these strains into Vero. Хонь, ямааны цэцгийн вирусын вакцины омгийг vero эсэд дасгасан дүн Хураангуй: Хонь, ямааны цэцгийн вируст өвчин халдвар, тархалт өндөртэй бөгөөд өвчлөл, хорогдлынтүвшин өндөр байгаа нь манай улсын эдийн засагт сөргөөр нөлөөлж байна. Манай улс Биокомбинат (Био-үйлдвэр) үйлдвэрт хонины цэцэг өвчний эсрэг вакциныг хурганы төмсөгний анхдагч эдэд өсгөвөрлөх замаар амьд вакцин, ямааны цэцэг өвчний эсрэг вакциныг ямаанд халдвар хийж ам, хамрын орчинд үүссэн шархны эдийг химийн бодисоор идэвхгүйжүүлэх замаар тус тус үйлдвэрлэж байна. Ялангуяа хонины цэцэг өвчний вакциныг зөвхөн мал төллөх хаврын цагт үйлдвэрлэх боломжтой байдаг нь өвлийн цагт гарсан өвчнийг хянах аргагүйд хүрч байна. Иймээс цаг хугацаанаас хамааралгүй вакцин үйлдвэрлэхэд дамжмал эсийн технологи хэрэглэх зайлшгүй шаардлагатай байна. Оросын VNIIZJ омогашигласан 2 төрлийн хонины цэцгийн амьд вакцин, Хятадын ямааны цэцгийн амьд вакцин (серийн дугаар 010030) шингэлж, Vero эсийн өсгөвөрт халдаасан. Стандарт ПГУ-аар үр дүнг шалгаж, ABI3130xl sequencer машинаар үүсгэгчийн нуклеотидын дарааллыг тодорхойлсон ба MEGA7 програмаар дарааллуудыг харьцуулж удам зүйн мод байгуулсан. Эсэд халдвар хийснээс 3 хоногийн дараа хонины цэцэг, 4 хоногийн дараа ямааны цэцэг CPE (cytopathic effect) буюу эс эмгэгшүүлэх нөлөө тус тус үзүүлсэн бөгөөд 6 хоногийн дараа хоёулаа бүрэн CPE үзүүлсэн байна. Эдгээр вирус агуулсан эсийн тэжээлт орчноос бид вирусын ДНХ ялгаж Биокомбинат-ын хонины цэцгийн Перего омгийг эерэг хяналт болгон ашиглаж ПГУ-ын шинжилгээг явуулсан. ПГУ-ын бүтээгдэхүүн бүгд адилхан, 289 хос суурийн урттай байсан. Хонь, ямааны цэцгийн вирусын ДНХ-ийн нуклеотидын дарааллыг харьцуулж үзэхэд хониныцэцгийн вирусын бүтэн геномтой 92%, ямааны цэцгийн вирусын бүтэн геномтой 90% адилханбайв. Бид эдгээр өвчний үүсгэгчийг Vero эсэд халдвар хийх нөхцлийг тогтворжуулсан ньдамжмал эсийн өсгөвөрт суурилсан амьд вакцины түүхий эдийг ихээр бэлтгэх боломжтойболлоо. Түлхүүр үг: эсийн өсгөвөр, эсийн эмгэгшил, днх дараалал, амьд вакци

The Influence Of Vegetation On Reflected Solar Radiation In Arid And Extra-Arid Zone Of Mongolian Gobi

Vegetation cover has a noticeable effect on surface reflectivity and local microclimate in arid areas of Mongolian Gobi. Over the past decades, various shrub species (Haloxylon ammodendron and Calligonum mongolicum) have appeared on the previously unvegetated hamada. The climatic consequences of bush encroachment are still poorly understood. Using the experimental data, this article estimates the reflectance of plants dominating in Mongolia’s dry steppe, desert-steppe, and desert ecosystems. The average values of the total reflection coefficient at visible and infrared wavelengths range from 19.7% ± 1.4% to 20.1% ± 1.7% in plants growing in desert-steppe ecosystems, and from 25.0% ± 0.9% to 24.8% ± 1.5% on the bare surface. The difference between the reflectance of vegetated and unvegetated surfaces reaches 5%. Therefore, in daylight hours, the vegetated day surface loses less solar energy than the non-vegetated surface does. This phenomenon may be defined as a quasi- or secondary greenhouse effect – in daylight hours, solar energy is retained on the surface by vegetation and this contributes to the temperature increase. Such an impulse, which seems to be insignificantly small at first glance, triggers a series of climatic variations leading to a change in the structure of the radiation and heat balance as well as the climate not only in the desert-steppe and desert ecosystems but also in Central Asia as a whole. All this may explain the 1.2-2.3°C increase in air temperatures in the Gobi observed over the last 25 years

Rabies Exposure from Infected Horse Bite in an Urban Setting: A Case Study from Mongolia

Rabies is a highly fatal zoonotic disease that causes an estimated 60,000 human deaths each year, many of which occur in Africa and Asia where the disease is likely underreported. Uncontrolled transmission of rabies presents a major threat to public health in countries such as Mongolia, where 26% of the population lives a pastoralist lifestyle characterized by increased interaction with livestock animals. Here, we report a case of rabies exposure in a six-year-old male after being bitten by a horse in both the head region and the leg. At the suspicion of rabies, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) was initiated, with the patient receiving four doses of PEP vaccine as well as a single treatment of rabies immunoglobulin. The horse was later confirmed to be rabies-positive through rapid antigen testing and RT-PCR. Human rabies exposure from horses is unusual within Mongolia, given that historically over 70% of human rabies cases within the country are attributed to dogs, wolves, or foxes. This case further emphasizes the need for more routine vaccination of domestic animals within Mongolia. Additionally, animal bites, even from animals not frequently associated with rabies, should be treated as possible rabies exposure events

Microplastics and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Analysis in Sea Turtles and Bottlenose Dolphins along Mississippi’s Coast

Global plastic production and usage has increased annually for decades and microplastic pollutants (≤5 mm) are a growing concern. Microplastics in surface waters can adsorb and desorb harmful chemicals such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Microplastics can accumulate across all tropic levels in the marine food web. The purpose of this research was to analyze the stomach and intestinal contents of stranded (Mississippi coast) bottlenose dolphins and sea turtles for the presence of microplastics and commonly found PFAS, PFOS, PFOA, and GenX. Gut contents were digested (10% KOH in 50% MeOH) and then analyzed for microplastics using pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Pyro-GC-MS), Nile red microscopy, X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy. Digested sample filtrate was pre-concentrated using solid-phase extraction (SPE) before PFAS liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. The PFOS extraction and analysis had 98.6% recovery when validated with certified pike‒perch fish reference material. The Nile red testing on most samples revealed the presence of microplastics (Table S1). The Pyro-GC-MS results from two samples confirmed the presence of the plasticizer acetamide. The Raman spectroscopy analysis indicated characteristic plastic peaks corresponding to polystyrene in one sample. PFOS (95.5 to 1,934.5 µg/kg) was detected in three dolphin stomach samples. This project is part of a long-term study with the goal of a better understanding of microplastics and PFAS environmental contamination and their impact on bottlenose dolphins and sea turtles