Anomalies of the Smooth Newt Lissotriton Vulgaris (L., 1758) in the Gradient of Urbanization

The paper addresses the influence of environmental transformation and water pollution on the number and frequency of abnormalities. Comparative analysis shows that the range and frequency of morphological anomalies of juveniles was significantly poorer than adult. Also, difference in the anomalies spectra mentionedin populations of the smooth newt in European and Asian parts of the area were found. Overall cases of morphological abnormalities of mature and adult animals are discussed. &nbsp

Skeletal Anomalies of Juvenile Smooth Newts - Lissotriton vulgaris

An article contains first data on internal skeletal anomalies of smooth newt juveniles. The material was collected on the territory of urban agglomeration of Yekaterinburg. We found 16 variants of anomalies. An increase of general frequency of deviations along urbanization gradient were mentioned. The differences and specificity ofthe populations spectra are related with the profiling of the juveniles definitive morphology by environmental specifics

ANOMALIES IN JUVENILES OF SMOOTH NEWT (LISSOTRITON VULGARIS L., 1758) IN URBAN AREA

This work is a methodological analysis of the possibility of using morphological abnormalities in common newt's populations for environmenthal health assessment.Настоящая работа представляет собой методологический анализ возможности использования морфологических аномалий в популяциях обыкновенного тритона для оценки здоровья окружающей среды

Detecting the inseparability and distillability of continuous variable states in Fock space

The partial transposition(PT) operation is an effecient tool in detecting the inseparability of a mixed state. We give an explicit formula for the PT operation for the continuous variable states in Fock space. We then give the necessary and sufficient condition for the positivity of Gaussian operators. Based on this, a number of creterions on the inseparability and distillability for the multimode Gaussian states are naturally drawn. We finally give an explicit formula for the state in a subspace of a global Gaussian state. This formula, together with the known results for Gaussian states, gives the criterions for the inseparability and distillability in a subspace of the global Gaussian state.Comment: 8 pages, no figure, some typing errors correcte

Long-term observation of amphibian populations inhabiting urban and forested areas in Yekaterinburg, Russia

This article presents data derived from a 36 year-long uninterrupted observational study of amphibian populations living in the city and vicinity of Yekaterinburg, Russia. This area is inhabited by six amphibian species. Based on a degree of anthropogenic transformation, the urban territory is divided into five highly mosaic zones characterized by vegetation, temperature, and a distinctive water pollution profile. Population data is presented year-by-year for the number of animals, sex ratio, and species-specific fecundity including the number and quality of spawns for the following amphibian species: Salamandrella keyserligii, Rana arvalis, R. temporaria, Lissotriton vulgaris, and Pelophylax ridibundus. These data provide an excellent opportunity to assess an urban environment from an animal population-wide perspective, as well as revealing the forces driving animal adaptation to the anthropogenic transformation of habitats

Tectonic history of the Kolyvan–Tomsk folded zone (KTFZ), Russia : insight from zircon U / Pb geochronology and Nd isotopes

The Kolyvan-Tomsk folded zone (KTFZ) represents part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The KTFZ is mainly composed of detrital Late Palaeozoic sedimentary deposits, with minor intrusions. Detrital zircon geochronology on the Upper Devonian to Lower Permian sedimentary sequences of the KTFZ and the associated Gorlovo foreland basin yields four age peaks, reflecting the magmatic events in the source terranes. These events consist of (a) a minor Neoproterozoic peak (0.9-0.7 Ga), (b) a significant Early Palaeozoic peak (550-460 Ma), with a maximum at 500 Ma, and two well-defined Late Palaeozoic peaks during (c) the Middle-Late Devonian (385-360 Ma) and (d) the Carboniferous-Early Permian (360-280 Ma), with a maximum at 320 Ma. Older zircons (>1 Ga) are quite rare in the sampled sedimentary sequences. Slightly negative epsilon Nd values and associated relatively young Nd model ages were obtained (epsilon Nd(T) = -0.78, T (DM) ~1.1 Ga for Upper Devonian sandstones, epsilon Nd(T) = -1.1, T (DM) ~1.1 Ga for Lower Permian sandstones), suggesting only minor contribution of ancient continental crust to the main sedimentary units of the KTFZ. All intrusive and volcaniclastic rocks on the contrary are characterized by high positive epsilon Nd(T) values in the range of 3.78-6.86 and a Late Precambrian model age (T (DM) = 581-916 Ma), which corroborates its juvenile nature and an important depleted mantle component in their source. The oldest unit of the KTFZ, the Bugotak volcanic complex formed at the Givetian-Early Frasnian transition, at about 380 Ma. Upper Devonian detrital deposits of the KTFZ were formed in the Early Palaeozoic accretion belt of the Siberian continent and specifically in a passive continental margin environment. Deposits of the Gorlovo foreland basin, adjoining the KTFZ, were accumulated as a result of erosion of the Carboniferous-Early Permian volcanic rocks, which are now buried under the Meso-Cenozoic sedimentary cover of the West Siberian Basin. The magmatic events, recorded in the KTFZ zircon data, correspond to the most significant magmatic stages that affected the western part of the CAOB as a whole

Distant but similar: Simultaneous drop in the abundance of three independent amphibian communities

Amphibian species are declining worldwide, with a negative trend affecting both rare and widespread species. There is increasing evidence that resources must be allocated not only toward the monitoring of rare and charismatic species; however, the attention toward abundant species has often been minimal. Here, we describe the strong reduction in the numbers of several widespread amphibian species over the last 3 years observed in three independent amphibian monitoring studies conducted in an alpine, floodplain, and urban landscape in Italy, Germany, and Russia, respectively. The decline was particularly strong in juveniles, but adults and egg clutches were also affected. Such declining rates, if prolonged in the future years, will likely pose a serious threat to the populations' ability to recover and might increase extinction risk also in abundant and widespread species. © 2022 The Authors. Conservation Science and Practice published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.European Herpetological SocietyInstitute of Plant and Animal EcologyItalian Ministry of Environment, (PNM‐EU‐2018‐0009926)Paneveggio-Pale di San Martino Nature ParkPaneveggio‐Pale di San Martino Nature ParkSEH, (DP‐615, RA‐485/19)Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, UB RASFunding text 1: The study in Italy was authorized by the Italian Ministry of Environment (authorization PNM-EU-2018-0009926) and supported by Paneveggio-Pale di San Martino Nature Park. Part of funding was provided by the European Herpetological Society (SEH). The study in Germany has been authorized through a nature conservation exemption from the prohibitions of § 44 para. 1 no. 1, 2 BNatSchG (Federal Nature Conservation Act) and § 4 para. 1 no. 1 BArtSchV (Federal Species Protection Ordinance) by the respective responsible lower nature conservation authorities that allowed catching and handling native amphibian species. Parts of the research in Germany have been paid through the Helmholtz International Fellow Award, grant number DP-615, RA-485/19. The study in Russia was performed within the framework of the state contract number 122021000082-0 with the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.Funding text 2: The study in Italy was authorized by the Italian Ministry of Environment (authorization PNM‐EU‐2018‐0009926) and supported by Paneveggio‐Pale di San Martino Nature Park. Part of funding was provided by the European Herpetological Society (SEH). The study in Germany has been authorized through a nature conservation exemption from the prohibitions of § 44 para. 1 no. 1, 2 BNatSchG (Federal Nature Conservation Act) and § 4 para. 1 no. 1 BArtSchV (Federal Species Protection Ordinance) by the respective responsible lower nature conservation authorities that allowed catching and handling native amphibian species. Parts of the research in Germany have been paid through the Helmholtz International Fellow Award, grant number DP‐615, RA‐485/19. The study in Russia was performed within the framework of the state contract number 122021000082‐0 with the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Distribution and abundance of western gray whales off northeastern Sakhalin Island, Russia, 2001’003

In 2001’003, >60,000 km of aerial surveys and 7,700 km of vessel surveys were conducted during June to November when critically endangered Korean–Okhotsk or western gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) were present off the northeast coast of Sakhalin Island, Russia. Results of surveys in all years indicated gray whales occurred in predominantly two areas, (1) adjacent to Piltun Bay, and (2) offshore from Chayvo Bay, hereafter referred to as the Piltun and offshore feeding areas. In the Piltun feeding area, the majority of whales were observed in waters shallower than 20 m and were distributed from several hundred meters to ∼ 5 km from the shoreline. In the offshore feeding area during all years, the distribution of gray whales extended from southwest to northeast in waters 30’5 m in depth. During all years, the distribution and abundance of whales changed in both the Piltun and offshore feeding areas, and both north–south and inshore–offshore movements were documented within and between feeding seasons. The discovery of a significant number of whales feeding in the offshore area each year was a substantial finding of this study and raises questions regarding western gray whale abundance and population levels, feeding behavior and ecology, and individual site-fidelity. Fluctuations in the number of whales observed within the Piltun and offshore feeding areas and few sightings outside of these two areas indicate that gray whales move between the Piltun and offshore feeding areas during their summer–fall feeding season. Seasonal shifts in the distribution and abundance of gray whales between and within both the Piltun and offshore feeding areas are thought, in part, to be a response to seasonal changes in the distribution and abundance of prey. However, the mechanism driving the movements of whales along the northeast coast of Sakhalin Island is likely very complex and influenced by a multitude of factors

Muon spin rotation and relaxation in magnetic materials

A review of the muon spin rotation and relaxation ($\mu$SR) studies on magnetic materials published from July 1993 is presented. It covers the investigation of magnetic phase diagrams, of spin dynamics and the analysis of the magnetic properties of superconductors. We have chosen to focus on selected experimental works in these different topics. In addition, a list of published works is provided.Comment: Review article, 59 pages, LaTeX with IoP macro