Cool spots on the surface of the active giant PZ Mon

Based on the multiband (BVRIJHKL) photometric observations of the active red giant PZ Mon performed for the first time in the winter season of 2017-2018, we have determined the main characteristics of the spotted stellar surface in a parametric three-spot model. The unspotted surface temperature is Teff=4730 K, the temperature of the cool spots is Tspot=3500 K, their relative area is about 41%, and the temperature of the warm spots is Twarm=4500 K with a maximum relative area up to 20%. The distribution of spots over the stellar surface has been modeled. The warm spots have been found to be distributed at various longitudes in the hemisphere on the side of the secondary component and are most likely a result of its influence.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figure

Wildfire smoke in the Siberian Arctic in summer: source characterization and plume evolution from airborne measurements

We present airborne measurements of carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O<sub>3</sub>), equivalent black carbon (EBC) and ultra fine particles over North-Eastern Siberia in July 2008 performed during the YAK-AEROSIB/POLARCAT experiment. During a "golden day" (11 July 2008) a number of biomass burning plumes were encountered with CO mixing ratio enhancements of up to 500 ppb relative to a background of 90 ppb. Number concentrations of aerosols in the size range 3.5–200 nm peaked at 4000 cm<sup>−3</sup> and the EBC content reached 1.4 μg m<sup>−3</sup>. These high concentrations were caused by forest fires in the vicinity of the landing airport in Yakutsk where measurements in fresh smoke could be made during the descent. We estimate a combustion efficiency of 90 ± 3% based on CO and CO<sub>2</sub> measurements and a CO emission factor of 65.5 ± 10.8 g CO per kilogram of dry matter burned. This suggests a potential increase in the average northern hemispheric CO mixing ratio of 3.0–7.2 ppb per million hectares of Siberian forest burned. For BC, we estimate an emission factor of 0.52 ± 0.07 g BC kg<sup>−1</sup>, comparable to values reported in the literature. The emission ratio of ultra-fine particles (3.5–200 nm) was 26 cm<sup>−3</sup> (ppb CO)<sup>−1</sup>, consistent with other airborne studies. <br><br> The transport of identified biomass burning plumes was investigated using the FLEXPART Lagrangian model. Based on sampling of wildfire plumes from the same source but with different atmospheric ages derived from FLEXPART, we estimate that the e-folding lifetimes of EBC and ultra fine particles (between 3.5 and 200 nm in size) against removal and growth processes are 5.1 and 5.5 days respectively, supporting lifetime estimates used in various modelling studies

Measurement of intracellular concentration of fluorescently-labeled targets in living cells

Estimations of intracellular concentrations of fluorescently-labeled molecules within living cells are very important for guidance of biological experiments and interpretation of their results. Here we propose a simple and universal approach for such estimations. The approach is based upon common knowledge that the dye fluorescence is directly proportional to its quantum yield and the number of its molecules and that a coefficient of proportionality is determined by spectral properties of the dye and optical equipment used to record fluorescent signals. If two fluorescent dyes are present in the same volume, then a ratio of their concentrations is equal to a ratio of their fluorescence multiplied by some dye- and equipment-dependent coefficient. Thus, if the coefficient and concentration of one dye is known then the concentration of another dye can be determined. Here we have demonstrated how to calculate this coefficient (called a ratio factor) and how to use it for concentration measurements of fluorescently tagged molecules. As an example of how this approach can be used, we estimated a concentration of exogenously expressed neuronal Ca2+ sensor protein, hippocalcin, tagged by a fluorescent protein in a dendritic tree of rat hippocampal neurons loaded via a patch pipette with Alexa Fluor dye of known concentration. The new approach should allow performing a fast, inexpensive and reliable quantitative analysis of fluorescently-labeled targets in different parts of living cells

Complex experiment on studying the microphysical, chemical, and optical properties of aerosol particles and estimating the contribution of atmospheric aerosol-to-earth radiation budget

The primary objective of this complex aerosol experiment was the measurement of microphysical, chemical, and optical properties of aerosol particles in the surface air layer and free atmosphere. The measurement data were used to retrieve the whole set of aerosol optical parameters, necessary for radiation calculations. Three measurement cycles were performed within the experiment during 2013: in spring, when the aerosol generation is maximal; in summer (July), when atmospheric boundary layer altitude and, hence, mixing layer altitude are maximal; and in late summer/early autumn, during the period of nucleation of secondary particles. Thus, independently obtained data on the optical, meteorological, and microphysical parameters of the atmosphere allow intercalibration and inter-complement of the data and thereby provide for qualitatively new information which explains the physical nature of the processes that form the vertical structure of the aerosol field

Study of fertility and cytogenetic variability in androgenic plants (R0 and R1) of alloplasmic introgression lines of common wheat

Anther culture is one of the methods to obtain DH lines of wheat. A limitation of this method can be cytogenetic instability in plants R0, leading to a decrease in fertility or sterility. In this study, we have investigated the fertility of R0, the fertility and cytogenetic variability of R1 in alloplasmatic introgression lines of common wheat in order to develop a cytogenetically stable DH lines with introgressions from different species. Lines 311/134, 311/FL, 311/IR with the cytoplasm from H. vulgare were studied. 311/134 carries the wheat-rye 1RS.1BL and wheatwheatgrass 7DL-7Ai translocations; 311/FL has the 1RS.1BL translocation and probably introgressions from A. glaucum; and 311/IR has the wheat-rye 1RS.1BL and wheat-Ae. speltoides T2B/2S#2 translocations. Green seedlings developed in anther culture for all lines. Differences between the lines in the ability for androgenesis and in the level of fertility in R0 and R1 have been revealed. Depressed androgenesis, low fertility and high aneuploidy were observed in 311/IR. It has been proposed that the reason for this is cytogenetic instability in gametes, which is caused by Gc genes located on T2B/2S#2. 63.3 % of 311/134 and 311/FL R1 plants that were grown from low seed-set R0 plants were aneuploids. Fertile R0 regenerant plants were identified that segregated in R1 for fertility and chromosome numbers. It has been demonstrated that DH lines are best developed from highfertility R1 plants with 2n = 42 irrespective of fertility in R0

Damage quantification and reaction of bean genotypes (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to Meloidogyne incognita race 3 and M. javanica.

The damage and the resistance levels of cultivars and accessions of common beans rescued in the South and mountain regions of Espírito Santo State, Brazil, to M. incognita race 3 and M. javanica parasitism were evaluated under a greenhouse. Four rescued bean genotypes ("FORT-10", "FORT-13", "FORT-16" and "FORT-19") and 2 commercial cultivars: "Pérola", and "Aporé", were tested. The cultivar "Rico-23" was included as standard of susceptibility to nematodes and non-inoculated plants constituted the control. Thus, the experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design in 3 (treatments considering nematodes) x 7 (genotypes and bean cultivars) factorial arrangement, with 7 replicates. Data were measured at 50 days after plant inoculation. For damage quantification, the following variables were evaluated: plant height (PHE), number of nodes (NNO), number of trifoliate leaves (NRT), fresh matter weight (FWE) and dry matter weight (DWE) of shoots, root weight (RWE), number of root nodules (NRO) and final population (FPO) of nematodes per root system. There were no significant differences between the effects caused by M. incognita and M. javanica, but both species showed inferior values of PHE, NNO, NRT, RWE, FWE and DWE compared to controls. Concerning the levels of resistance of bean plants to M. incognita, the genotypes "FORT-10", "FORT-13", "Aporé" and "FORT-16" behaved as moderately resistant, the cultivars "Rico 23" and "Pérola" low resistant, and the genotype "FORT-19" as highly susceptible. When parasitized by M. javanica, the beans "FORT-19", "Rico-23", "FORT-16" and "FORT-13" were low resistant, "Pérola" and "Aporé" susceptible and "FORT-10" highly susceptible

Alloplasmic recombinant lines (H. vulgare)-T. aestivum with 1RS.1BL translocation: initial genotypes for production of common wheat varieties

Alloplasmic lines are formed when the cytoplasm of one species is replaced by the cytoplasm of another as a result of repeated recurrent crosses of wide hybrids with the paternal genotype. Since the cytoplasm replacement results in new intergenomic interactions between a nucleus and cytoplasm leading to variability of plant characteristics, alloplasmic lines with restored fertility can be an additional source of biodiversity of cultivated plants. Earlier, recombinant alloplasmic lines (H. vulgare)-T. aestivum designated as L-17(1)–L-17(37) were formed from a plant with partially restored fertility of the BC3 generation of barley-wheat hybrid H. vulgare (cv. Nepolegayushchii) × T. aestivum (cv. Saratovskaya 29). This male-sterile hybrid was consistently backcrossed with wheat varieties Mironovskaya 808 (twice) and Saratovskaya 29, and Mironovskaya 808 had a positive impact on the restoration of fertility. This paper presents the results of investigation into a group of recombinant alloplasmic lines (L-17F4), as well as into doubled haploids (DH) lines – alloplasmic DH-17-lines obtained from anther culture of alloplasmic lines (L-17F2). The most productive of these lines were used as initial breeding genotypes. Hybrid form Lutescens 311/00-22 developed from the crossing of the alloplasmic DH(1)-17 line (as maternal genotype) with euplasmic line Com37 (CIMMYT), the source of the 1RS.1BL wheat-rye translocation, proved to be successful for breeding. The presence of the 1RS.1BL translocation in the genome of the Lutescens 311/00-22 form and the L-311(1)–L-311(6) alloplasmic lines isolated from it did not lead to a decrease of fertility or sterility in the plants. This indicates that the chromosome of the 1BS wheat does not carry the gene(s) that determine the restoration of fertility in the studied (H. vulgare)-T. aestivum alloplasmic lines. Alloplasmic lines L-311(1)–L-311(6) showed their advantage in comparison with the standard varieties for resistance to leaf and stem rust, yield, and grain quality. The breeding tests performed at Omsk Agricultural Scientific Center, Agrocomplex “Kurgansemena”, Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Ishimskoe” (Tyumen Region), using alloplasmic lines L-311(5), L-311(4) and L-311(6) resulted in varieties of spring common wheat Sigma, Uralosibirskaya 2 and Ishimskaya 11, respectively