Efficiency of Cultivating Corn for Grain under Irrigation in the Prialeyskaya Steppe

To assess the effectiveness of irrigation when cultivating corn for grain in the conditions of the arid Prialeyskaya steppe of the Altai Territory, an irrigation regime was developed to maintain pre-irrigation moisture at 60 and 70 % minimum moisture-holding capacity in the soil layer – 0.5 m. Water with irrigation was used mineralization of 0.3 g/l, it lacked toxic salts. In 2015, the irrigation norm with an irrigation regime of 60 % minimum moisture-holding capacity was 2650 m3/ha, with a regime of 70 % minimum moisture-holding capacity – 2850 m3/ha. In 2016, irrigation norms for irrigation regimes were 60 and 70 % minimum moisture-holding capacity of 2250 and 2450 m3/ha, respectively. In 2017, at the 60 % minimum moisture-holding capacity option, 7 irrigations were carried out, the irrigation rate was 2700 m3/ha. On the irrigation variant of 70 % of the minimum moisture-holding capacity, 8 irrigations were carried out, the irrigation rate was 2900 m3/ha. The highest yield of corn grain was obtained while maintaining a humidity level of at least 70 % minimum moisture-holding capacity. The maximum yield in 2015 was 6.7 t/ha, in the control – 3.8 t/ha. The yield increases on this option were significant in comparison not only with the control without irrigation, but also in comparison with the 60 % minimum moisture-holding capacity. To identify the economic efficiency of cultivating corn with irrigation, the costs of irrigation and the cost of the resulting crop were considered. The highest net income and profitability were obtained in 2016 with an irrigation regime of 70 % minimum moisture-holding capacity. Net income was 63.31 thousand rubles/ha, profitability level 370.45 %. In all years of research, the economic indicators for irrigation options were significantly superior to those for the non-irrigation option

Constitutional features of the central branches of sphenoidal segment of middle cerebral artery

Pathology of the central perforating arteries of the brain has an important place among the cerebrovascular diseases. Since the structure of a hemorrhagic stroke hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage occupy the first place. From all off the central perforating arteries, the greatest interest presents the lentikulostriales artery middle cerebral artery (MCA), a gap which leads to the formation of hemorrhages in putamen area. Due to the functional significance of these arteries goal: to identify options for building lentikulostriales arteries depending on the length of the sphenoid segment of the MCA in patients with different forms of the skull. The study was conducted at the Department of Topographical Anatomy and Operative Surgery KrasGMU. Studied 68 drugs with drawn from the brain dead who died of causes unrelated to the CNS. Prior to removal of the brain were measured longitudinal and transverse size of the skull with cranial index calculation and allocation: dolicho, meso-and brachycephalic. In the brain after the brandy seized arterial and microdissection, studied and extending from the SMA it lentikulostriales artery. Sphenoid segment of the area (SMA) arteries: from the bifurcation of the internal carotid artery to the bifurcation. The average length of the sphenoid segment amounted to 15,9 ± 2,3 mm. According to the literature there are three groups lentikulostriales arteries: medial group - direct the course of the artery (4 branches), the intermediate group - in the form of candelabrer-shape artery (up to 8 branches), and lateral group of S-shaped arteries (up to 9vetvey). 'This type of structure lentikulostriales arteries is called a «classic.» According to our data, this type of structure occurs in 62% of cases, most often in dolichocephals (80%). Besides the classical type of structure we have selected an intermediate type of structure, in which the background to the medial and lateral group of arteries in the middle parts of the MCA was located only one type of container beam, radiating to the substance of the brain up to eight branches. This type of structure met lentikulostriales arteries in 20% of cases, most often in brachycephalic (25%). Of greatest interest is allocated to us, the beam type structure lentikulostriales arteries. In this type of structure throughout the MCA in the middle parts of the beam had the only large vessel, smack in the matter of the brain up to 14 branches. This type of structure occurs in 18% of cases. Most often in brachycephalic (30%) and did not meet with dolichocephals. The analysis of options for building lentikulostriales arteries, depending on the length of the sphenoid segment of the MCA. The classic type of structure met with the length of the sphenoid segment of 3.1 mm to 20mm. The intermediate type of structure - with a length of 11.8 mm to 18.1 mm. Beam-type structure with a length sphenoid segment from 11.7 to 15.2 mm. The correlation analysis between the length and type of sphenoid segment lentikulostriales arteries revealed that the shorter barrel of the AGR, the more likely the beam and an intermediate type of structure. Thus, the length of the sphenoid segment can serve as a guide for determining the type of structure lentikulostriales arteries

Chronicles of nature calendar, a long-term and large-scale multitaxon database on phenology

We present an extensive, large-scale, long-term and multitaxon database on phenological and climatic variation, involving 506,186 observation dates acquired in 471 localities in Russian Federation, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan. The data cover the period 1890-2018, with 96% of the data being from 1960 onwards. The database is rich in plants, birds and climatic events, but also includes insects, amphibians, reptiles and fungi. The database includes multiple events per species, such as the onset days of leaf unfolding and leaf fall for plants, and the days for first spring and last autumn occurrences for birds. The data were acquired using standardized methods by permanent staff of national parks and nature reserves (87% of the data) and members of a phenological observation network (13% of the data). The database is valuable for exploring how species respond in their phenology to climate change. Large-scale analyses of spatial variation in phenological response can help to better predict the consequences of species and community responses to climate change.Peer reviewe

Phenological shifts of abiotic events, producers and consumers across a continent

Ongoing climate change can shift organism phenology in ways that vary depending on species, habitats and climate factors studied. To probe for large-scale patterns in associated phenological change, we use 70,709 observations from six decades of systematic monitoring across the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Among 110 phenological events related to plants, birds, insects, amphibians and fungi, we find a mosaic of change, defying simple predictions of earlier springs, later autumns and stronger changes at higher latitudes and elevations. Site mean temperature emerged as a strong predictor of local phenology, but the magnitude and direction of change varied with trophic level and the relative timing of an event. Beyond temperature-associated variation, we uncover high variation among both sites and years, with some sites being characterized by disproportionately long seasons and others by short ones. Our findings emphasize concerns regarding ecosystem integrity and highlight the difficulty of predicting climate change outcomes. The authors use systematic monitoring across the former USSR to investigate phenological changes across taxa. The long-term mean temperature of a site emerged as a strong predictor of phenological change, with further imprints of trophic level, event timing, site, year and biotic interactions.Peer reviewe

Sensitivity of the 4–10-Day Planetary Wave Structures in the Middle Atmosphere to the Solar Activity Effects in the Thermosphere

Numerical simulation of the general atmospheric circulation was performed to estimate changes in amplitudes of the westward-travelling planetary waves (PWs) at altitudes from the Earth’s surface up to 300 km under different solar activity (SA) levels. The three-dimensional nonlinear mechanistic model of circulation of the middle and upper atmosphere “MUAM” was used. The atmospheric general circulation and PW amplitudes were calculated based on ensembles containing 16 model runs for conditions corresponding to low and high SA. PWs having periods of 4–10 days were considered. Comparison with the data of digital ionosondes showed that the MUAM model is capable of reproducing the considered PW modes at thermospheric heights. It is shown that under high SA conditions, PW amplitudes are significantly larger in the thermosphere and smaller in the middle atmosphere. The observed PW structures are influenced not only by changes in atmospheric refractive index and Eliassen–Palm flux but also by varying PW reflection in the lower thermosphere, which can change proportions of the wave energy transferred from the lower atmosphere to the upper layers and reflected downwards

Manifestations of Different El Niño Types in the Dynamics of the Extratropical Stratosphere

The behavior of planetary waves and their influence on the global circulation of the Northern Hemisphere during different El Niño types is studied. Three sets of five boreal winters were chosen for each El Niño type: Modoki I and II and canonical El Niño. Based on data of the Japanese 55-year Reanalysis and the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, the spatio-temporal structure of planetary waves and the residual mean circulation were analyzed. The results show that the canonical El Niño type is characterized by the weakest wave activity in March. It is also demonstrated that warming of the polar stratosphere, accompanied by maximizing wave activity and weakening of the zonal wind, may lead to earlier stratospheric polar vortex collapse and the early spring transition under Modoki I conditions. This study is the next step in understanding of the so-called long-range teleconnections, consisting of the propagation of a signal from the tropical El Niño Southern Oscillation source into the polar stratosphere

Manifestations of Different El Niño Types in the Dynamics of the Extratropical Stratosphere

The behavior of planetary waves and their influence on the global circulation of the Northern Hemisphere during different El Niño types is studied. Three sets of five boreal winters were chosen for each El Niño type: Modoki I and II and canonical El Niño. Based on data of the Japanese 55-year Reanalysis and the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, the spatio-temporal structure of planetary waves and the residual mean circulation were analyzed. The results show that the canonical El Niño type is characterized by the weakest wave activity in March. It is also demonstrated that warming of the polar stratosphere, accompanied by maximizing wave activity and weakening of the zonal wind, may lead to earlier stratospheric polar vortex collapse and the early spring transition under Modoki I conditions. This study is the next step in understanding of the so-called long-range teleconnections, consisting of the propagation of a signal from the tropical El Niño Southern Oscillation source into the polar stratosphere

Properties of Fluorescent Far-Red Anti-TNF Nanobodies

Upregulation of the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α, TNF) has a significant role in the development of autoimmune diseases. The fluorescent antibodies binding TNF may be used for personalized therapy of TNF-dependent diseases as a tool to predict the response to anti-TNF treatment. We generated recombinant fluorescent proteins consisting of the anti-TNF module based on the variable heavy chain (VHH) of camelid antibodies fused with the far-red fluorescent protein Katushka (Kat). Two types of anti-TNF VHH were developed: one (BTN-Kat) that was bound both human or mouse TNF, but did not neutralize their activity, and a second (ITN-Kat) that was binding and neutralizing human TNF. BTN-Kat does not interfere with TNF biological functions and can be used for whole-body imaging. ITN-Kat can be evaluated in humanized mice or in cells isolated from humanized mice. It is able to block human TNF (hTNF) activities both in vitro and in vivo and may be considered as a prototype of a theranostic agent for autoimmune diseases

Differences in spatial versus temporal reaction norms for spring and autumn phenological events

For species to stay temporally tuned to their environment, they use cues such as the accumulation of degree-days. The relationships between the timing of a phenological event in a population and its environmental cue can be described by a population-level reaction norm. Variation in reaction norms along environmental gradients may either intensify the environmental effects on timing (cogradient variation) or attenuate the effects (countergradient variation). To resolve spatial and seasonal variation in species' response, we use a unique dataset of 91 taxa and 178 phenological events observed across a network of 472 monitoring sites, spread across the nations of the former Soviet Union. We show that compared to local rates of advancement of phenological events with the advancement of temperature-related cues (i.e., variation within site over years), spatial variation in reaction norms tend to accentuate responses in spring (cogradient variation) and attenuate them in autumn (countergradient variation). As a result, among-population variation in the timing of events is greater in spring and less in autumn than if all populations followed the same reaction norm regardless of location. Despite such signs of local adaptation, overall phenotypic plasticity was not sufficient for phenological events to keep exact pace with their cues-the earlier the year, the more did the timing of the phenological event lag behind the timing of the cue. Overall, these patterns suggest that differences in the spatial versus temporal reaction norms will affect species' response to climate change in opposite ways in spring and autumn