New data on the number of northern fur seal ( <i>Callorhinus ursinus</i>), Steller sea lion ( <i>Eumetopias jubatus</i>), and spotted seal ( <i>Phoca largha</i>) at Tyuleny Island (Okhotsk Sea)

The latest data on abundance and distribution of northern fur seal ( Callorhinus ursinus ), Steller sea lion ( Eumetopias jubatus ), and spotted seal ( Phoca largha ) at Tyuleny Island (Okhotsk Sea) are presented. The total counted number of fur seals was 115 thousand in June-July of 2013, including 5.0 thousand of bulls, 30.3 thousand of females, and 34.7 thousand of pups (31.5 thousand alive and 3.2 thousand dead). Decreasing of the females and pups number is observed during the last 4 years - they became lesser in 18.0 % or 4.5 % per year. The counted number of Steller sea lions was 1879 adults (including 119 bulls, and 1390 females, 68.5 % of them gave birth) and 890 pups. The reproductive group of Steller sea lion increases its abundance on the island due to numerous immigrants. Abundance of spotted seal was very various seasonally and even daily, its highest counted number was 162 individuals

Analysis of commercial hunting on northern fur seal ( <i>Callorhinus ursinus</i>) at Tyuleny Island

Structure of commercial hunting on northern fur seal at Tyuleny Island is considered including effectiveness of podding, age-sex composition of the podded and captured animals, age structure of culled males, and reasons of culling. In total, the number from 2650 to 5099 of fur seals were podded during the harvest seasons of 1990-2008, 45.80 ± 2.17 % of them were killed and 54.20 ± 2.16 % were released. The bachelors prevailed among the podded animals, as well as in the bachelor rookeries (51.70 ± 2.56 %). The bulls were more numerous in the pod (35.80 ± 2.12 %) in compare with the half-bulls (10.20 ± 0.99 %) and the females (2.00 ± 0.85 %). Among the harvested animals, the bachelors prevailed, as well (93.50 ± 1.06 %), whereas the bulls, females, and half-bulls weren’t numerous (3.83 ± 0.87 %, 2.51 ± 0.67 %, 1.49 ± 0.29 %, respectively); frequency of the bulls and females captures changed from year to year. The most numerous age group of captured seals was the 3-year old animals (52.80 ± 1.60 %). All groups were presented among the culling animals, but the bachelors prevailed. The most common reason for culling was injuring of seals by commercial fishery wastes (scraps of fishing nets, ropes, packaging tapes, etc.): 64.20 ± 6.86 % of the culled animals were injured by the wastes

To morphological description of cardiovascular system in pinnipeds (Pinnipedia)

Morphometric parameters of the heart, the absolute and relative caliber of the aortic arch and the major arterial trunks are determined for northern fur seal Callorhinus ursinus , Steller sea lion Eumetopias jubatus , spotted seal Phoca largha , harbor seal Phoca vitulina stejnegeri , and ribbon seal Histriophoca fasciata . The value of cardiac index, the thickness of ventricular wall, and the relative diameter of arterial trunks correlate well with energy expenditures of the entire body of mammals or their certain organs during the life cycle. The hypothesis is confirmed on seals’ adaptation to asphyxia by pronounced dilatation of the aorta ascending that ensures constant blood pressure and supports perfusion of brain and cardiac tissue

X-ray studies of enzymes that interact with penicillins.

The technique of X-ray diffraction has been successfully applied to enzymes associated with peptidoglycan biosynthesis. The technique has taught us a great deal about the structures and catalytic mechanisms of penicillin-binding proteins and beta-lactamases. An insight into the structural basis for antibiotic resistance is given

On occurrence of northern fur seals in the Tatar Strait (Japan Sea)

Results of observations on northern fur seals in the Tatar Strait are presented. The mammals were observed from the Nevelskoy Strait in the north to Cape Krilyon in the south

Wavelength-dependent nonlinear optical loop mirror for simultaneous amplitude noise reduction at two wavelengths

We propose and study analytically and numerically a polarisation-imbalanced Nonlinear Optical Loop Mirror (NOLM) scheme exhibitinga wavelength-dependent nonlinear characteristic. The device includes a symmetric coupler, an isotropic (or, in practice, twisted nonpolarisation-maintaining) fibre loop and a section of high birefringence (HiBi) fibre to break the polarisation symmetry. Thanks to thewavelength-dependent phase shift of the HiBi fibre, wavelength-dependent switching is obtained. For proper orientation of the HiBi fibrein the loop plane and using linear input polarisation at 45° with respect to its birefringence axes, the NOLM switching power varies withwavelength, whereas its zero low-power transmission and 100% maximal transmission are constant. Through slight adjustments of the HiBifibre birefringence, which can be realised mechanically or thermally, the ratio between switching powers at two particular wavelengthscan be readily adjusted. We show numerically that this scheme can be applied to simultaneous amplitude regeneration of two wavelengthchannels exhibiting uneven power levels

Xenobiotic-induced activation of human aryl hydrocarbon receptor target genes in Drosophila is mediated by the epigenetic chromatin modifiers

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is the key transcription factor that controls animal development and various adaptive processes. The AHR\u27s target genes are involved in biodegradation of endogenous and exogenous toxins, regulation of immune response, organogenesis, and neurogenesis. Ligand binding is important for the activation of the AHR signaling pathway. Invertebrate AHR homologs are activated by endogenous ligands whereas vertebrate AHR can be activated by both endogenous and exogenous ligands (xenobiotics). Several studies using mammalian cultured cells have demonstrated that transcription of the AHR target genes can be activated by exogenous AHR ligands, but little is known about the effects of AHR in a living organism. Here, we examined the effects of human AHR and its ligands using transgenic Drosophila lines with an inducible human AhR gene. We found that exogenous AHR ligands can increase as well as decrease the transcription levels of the AHR target genes, including genes that control proliferation, motility, polarization, and programmed cell death. This suggests that AHR activation may affect the expression of gene networks that could be critical for cancer progression and metastasis. Importantly, we found that AHR target genes are also controlled by the enzymes that modify chromatin structure, in particular components of the epigenetic Polycomb Repressive complexes 1 and 2. Since exogenous AHR ligands (alternatively - xenobiotics) and small molecule inhibitors of epigenetic modifiers are often used as pharmaceutical anticancer drugs, our findings may have significant implications in designing new combinations of therapeutic treatments for oncological diseases. © Akishina et al

Sparkling extreme-ultraviolet bright dots observed with Hi-C

Observing the Sun at high time and spatial scales is a step toward understanding the finest and fundamental scales of heating events in the solar corona. The high-resolution coronal (Hi-C) instrument has provided the highest spatial and temporal resolution images of the solar corona in the EUV wavelength range to date. Hi-C observed an active region on 2012 July 11 that exhibits several interesting features in the EUV line at 193 Å. One of them is the existence of short, small brightenings "sparkling" at the edge of the active region; we call these EUV bright dots (EBDs). Individual EBDs have a characteristic duration of 25 s with a characteristic length of 680 km. These brightenings are not fully resolved by the SDO/AIA instrument at the same wavelength; however, they can be identified with respect to the Hi-C location of the EBDs. In addition, EBDs are seen in other chromospheric/coronal channels of SDO/AIA, which suggests a temperature between 0.5 and 1.5 MK. Based on their frequency in the Hi-C time series, we define four different categories of EBDs: single peak, double peak, long duration, and bursty. Based on a potential field extrapolation from an SDO/HMI magnetogram, the EBDs appear at the footpoints of large-scale, trans-equatorial coronal loops. The Hi-C observations provide the first evidence of small-scale EUV heating events at the base of these coronal loops, which have a free magnetic energy of the order of 1026 erg. © 2014. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved

DETERMINANTS AND MODERN PECULIARITIES OF LABOR MIGRATION OF RURAL YOUTH

The problems of rural youth and the state of the information base in the field of state youth policy have been considered. A significant problem of the state youth policy is the lack of a system of analysis and social monitoring of the state of the youth environment. A sample survey has shown high labor mobility of the young rural population of the agrarian republic. It has been installed, that the large-scale outflow of rural youth to the city affects negatively on the development of the agricultural cluster of the republic’s economy, especially those in need of young specialists of different profiles. The negative impact on the socio-economic development of the region can have a permanent decline in the number of rural youth, which will subsequently lead to a reduction in the number of rural population

The main problems of building the system of statistical indicators in the field of cryonics

Cryonics as rather inconsistent, but constantly developing sphere of activity of modern society cannot be adequately estimated by means of separate private indicators or even their enlarged groups. This requires the development of a system of indicators that includes not only the traditional parameters of material and technical base and human capacity, but also the scale, intensity, results and consequences of cryonic activities. The key problems of the system of indicators of critical activity statistics, its features and possible approaches to its construction have been considered in the article