Online Climate-Irrigation System

Information technologies are more and more introduced into our life. They are also applied in agriculture under the growing conditions of this industry. It is especially important to manage agricultural processes influenced by rapid changes of climate, limitation of various resources. To overcome diverse uncertainty, it is efficient to use information technologies providing forecast information for high-quality management. The developed online system allows optimizing the economic activity on irrigated lands under the changing climate. Its distinctive feature is the scope of coverage of a considerable territory of the European part of Russia and duration of meteorological observations

Impedimetric determination of kanamycin in milk with aptasensor based on carbon black‐oligolactide composite

The determination of antibiotics in food is important due to their negative effect on human health related to antimicrobial resistance problem, renal toxicity, and allergic effects. We propose an impedimetric aptasensor for the determination of kanamycin A (KANA), which was assembled on the glassy carbon electrode by the deposition of carbon black in a chitosan matrix followed by carbodiimide binding of aminated aptamer mixed with oligolactide derivative of thiacalix[4]arene in a cone configuration. The assembling was monitored by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. In the presence of the KANA, the charge transfer resistance of the inner interface surprisingly decreased with the analyte concentration within 0.7 and 50 nM (limit of detection 0.3 nM). This was attributed to the partial shielding of the negative charge of the aptamer and of its support, a highly porous 3D structure of the surface layer caused by a macrocyclic core of the carrier. The use of electrostatic assembling in the presence of cationic polyelectrolyte decreased tenfold the detectable concentration of KANA. The aptasensor was successfully tested in the determination of KANA in spiked milk and yogurt with recoveries within 95% and 115%. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Russian Science Foundation, RSF: 16‐13‐000051/0419/20Funding: I.S. acknowledges financial support from the Russian Science Foundation (grant no. 16‐13‐00005) in the synthesis and application in the biosensor platform of the oligolactides bearing thiacalix[4]arene fragments. T.H. acknowledges funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program underthe Marie Sklodowska‐Curie grant agreement no. 690898 and from the Science Grant Agency VEGA, project No.1/0419/20

Experimental study of intrinsic multiple Andreev reflections effect in GdO(F)FeAs superconductor array junctions

We report the first observation of the intrinsic multiple Andreev reflections effect (IMARE) in S-n-S-...-S-arrays (S = superconductor, n = normal metal) formed by "break-junction" technique in GdO(F)FeAs superconductor (Tc = 48 - 53 K). We show that superconducting gap peculiarities at dI/dV-spectra sharpen dramatically in the arrays as compared with that in the single-contact spectra; this enables to improve significantly accuracy of the bulk superconducting parameters determination. Using IMARE, we determined the large and the small gap values \Delta_L = 11 +- 1.1 meV and \Delta_S = 2.6 +- 0.4 meV. The BCS-ratio 2\Delta_L/kTc^{local} = 5.0 - 5.9 > 3.52 (Tc^{local} is the contact area critical temperature) evidences for a strong electron-boson coupling. The results obtained agree well with our previous data by Andreev spectroscopy for single SnS-contacts.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

«The electronic catalogue of russian affixes»: the concept, technologies of creation, educational possibilities

The article is devoted to the description of the project «The Electronic catalogue of Russian affixes», giving the information on all kinds of service morphemes – prefixes, suffixes, inflexions, postfixesСтатья посвящена описанию проекта «Электронный каталог русских аффиксов», предоставляющего информацию обо всех видах служебных морфем – префиксах, суффиксах, флексиях, постфикса

Screening of cytokines in blood serum and lacrimal liquid in wet and atrophic forms of age-related macular degeneration

Cytokines play an integral role in pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Of particular interest are the late stages of this disease, which causes progressive visual impairment. Therapy-induced effects of post-treatment cytokine concentrations also need to be studied, both at long and short observation terms. These studies are of vital importance if the atrophy occurs during antiangiogenic therapy. Our purpose was to study an array of 45 cytokines, in blood serum (BS) and lacrimal liquid (LL) of the patients with wet and atrophic AMD.The study included 70 people (85 eyes) with stage 3-4 AMD according to AREDS. Depending on the form of AMD, 3 groups were discerned: I group (n = 24) included the patients with “geographic atrophy”; II group (n = 22), consisted of the patients with macular atrophy treated with antiangiogenic therapy of wet AMD; III group (n = 24), comprised the patients with a wet AMD who did not previously receive the treatment. Control group consisted of healthy volunteers (n = 25). All the groups were comparable for age and gender. The patients underwent a comprehensive ophthalmological examination to make a diagnosis. A multiplex study of the local (in the BS) and systemic (in the LL) cytokine status was carried out on a MAGPIX device (platform хMAP, Luminex Corporation, USA) in the Luminexx PONENT 3.1 software, using Procarta Plex kits (eBioscience, Austria). We determined 45 cytokines causing various biological effects, i.e., IL-1á, IL-1â, IL-1ra, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17A, IL-18, IL-21, IL-22, IL-23, IL-27, IL-31, IFNá, IFNã, IL-8/CXCL8, IP-10/CXCL10, SDF-1á/CXCL12, MCP-1/CCL2, MIP-1á/CCL3, MIP-1â/ CCL4, RANTES/CCL5, Eotaxin/CCL11, TNFá, TNFâ, GM-CSF, VEGF-A, VEGF-D, FGF-2, EGF, PDGF-BB, HGF, SCF, GRO-á, NGF-â, BDNF, LIF, PIGF-1.Screening of a wide range of cytokines showing various biological effects was carried out in BS and LL of patients with atrophic and wet forms of AMD. It has been shown that the late stages of the disease are associated with local and systemic changes of pro / anti-inflammatory mediators (IL-1â, IL-1ra, IL-18, LIF), chemoattractant cytokines (IL-8/CXCL8, IP-10/CXCL10, MCP-1/CCL2, MIP-1á/CCL3, MIP-1â/ CCL4, RANTES/CCL5, Eotaxin/CCL11), hematopoietic regulators (IL-7), and growth factors with known angiogenic activity (EGF, HGF, PDGF-BB, VEGF-A). Altered concentrations of numerous chemokines, e.g., IP-10/CXCL10, SDF-1á/CXCL12, MIP-1á/CCL3, MIP-1â/CCL4, RANTES/CCL5 and Eotaxin/CCL11 (p < 0.05) in BS of the patients with atrophic and wet AMD may be of interest for the search of biomarkers associated with various clinical phenotypes of the disease and may be also helpful for development of new therapeutic strategies

Features of effector lymphocyte subsets in patients with uveal melanoma in recurrent and chronic herpesvirus infection

The aim of the study is to conduct a comparative analysis of percentages for peripheral blood effector lymphocyte subsets in patients with uveal melanoma manifested by recurrent and chronic herpesvirus infection. There were 141 subjects enrolled: 70 patients with uveal melanoma, 38 patients with corneal ulcers and involvement of the uveal tract as well as 33 healthy donors. Immunophenotyping was performed by using laser flow cytometry with panel of monoclonal antibodies to differentiate lymphocyte subpopulations. IgM and IgG antibodies to herpesvirus infections were determined by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay on an automatic ELISA analyzer Lazurit (USA) with diagnostic kits of CJSC “Vector-Best” (Koltsovo). The data obtained showed that the absolute number of blood lymphocytes (CD45+) in patients with uveal melanoma did not differ from those in healthy donors. In contrast, patients with corneal ulcers and involvement of the uveal tract had this parameter increased. A decreased relative and absolute count of T cells (CD3+) in uveal melanoma, but increased absolute CD3+ number in inflammation was observed. No difference in relative and absolute content of the CD3+CD4+ helper/inducer subpopulation in patients with recurrent herpesvirus infections was found. Corneal ulcers in cancer patients revealed significantly increased absolute level of CD3+CD4+ helpers/inductor cells. Chronic herpesvirus infection in uveal melanoma patients showed increased relative and absolute number of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD3+CD8+). Recurrent herpesvirus infection was featured with decreased relative number of T lymphocytes (CD3+CD8+), upon inflammation, there was noted increased absolute and decreased relative number compared with healthy subjects. Double positive T cells increased in tumor and inflammation. B lymphocytes (CD19+) increased in melanoma and inflammation. The relative number of blood natural killer cells (CD16+CD56+) in uveal melanoma increased upon recurrent infection. Inflammation was coupled to decreased relative level of natural killer cells (CD16+CD56+). Melanoma showed no changes in CD4+/ CD8+ ratio; upon inflammation, its increase was noted in acute and chronic herpesvirus infections (p < 0.05). The suppression of the immune system in uveal melanoma, restricting antiviral defense, was revealed. The data obtained seem to be important for development of personalized approaches to prognosis and treatment of patients with uveal melanoma

Predictive model of small choroidal melanoma progression after eye-saving treatment based on clinical, morphometric and immunological parameters

Choroidal melanoma is a malignant tumor characterized by early metastasis and poor vital prognosis. Prognostic indexes for the tumor development are of importance, depending on various factors and making it possible to optimize therapeutic measures. Usage of present models for prediction of the uveal melanoma course enables optimal management of the patients with a malignant tumor upon primary admission, and to perform maximally efficient counseling. So far, however, a complex of clinical, morphometric and immunological indexes predictive for unfavorable course of initial choroidal melanoma following the eye-saving treatment remains not fully determined. Our purpose was to create a prognostic model for initial choroidal melanoma after eye-saving treatment, basing on clinical, morphometric and immunological parameters.We have performed examination and treatment of 31 patients with small choroidal melanoma (53.7 to 12.2 years old). To perform the analysis, we used clinical data (age, decreased vision, tumor localization, degree of pigmentation, presence of hemorrhages, orange pigmentation), morphometric indexes (intra- and subretinal exudate and disorganization of pigment of the retinal epithelium) and immunological parameters (serum levels of pro-inflammatory, pro-angiogenic, proliferative, metastasis-causing cytokines). Selection of variables for this model was based on assessment of significant differences between the groups with chorio-retinal scar (n = 14) and residual tumor and/or continued tumor growth (n = 17).Multivariate analysis with conditional exclusion of variables revealed prognostic significance with four markers: morphometric, i.e., disorganization of the pigment in retinal pigment epithelium – Z1 (rs = 0.455); immunological, increased blood serum concentration of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) – Z2 (rs = 0.377); level of pro-inflammatory chemokine RANTES – Z3 (rs = 0.362), content of transforming growth factor (TGF-2â) – Z4 (rs = 0.431). A formula was calculated where P (z) is the value of the logistic function; Z, linear combination of symptoms; bo , intercept (free term), bi – regression coefficients for parameters Zi.P (z) = 1 : 1 + e – b0– b1z1– b2z2– b3z3– b4z4The logistic function increases monotonically and takes the values from 0 to 1 for any b and Z values [P∈ (0;1)]. If P (Z) is under the cutoff value, chorioretinal scar prognosis is predicted, at the higher values, a residual tumor or continued growth is expected. In ROC analysis, the area under the curve with this model was 0.891±0.11, thus providing good predictive quality.Usage of the predictive model is a possible solution for planning and correcting treatment strategy in the patients with small choroidal melanoma, in order to minimize complications and errors, and to ensure control of treatment

Holarctic phylogeographic structure of Eurasian wigeon (Mareca penelope)

The Eurasian wigeon (Mareca penelope) is one of the most numerous migrant species of waterfowl in the Palearctic. Annually, significant part of the world’s wigeon population makes seasonal flights over distances from tens to thousands or more kilometers. According to different estimates based on banding data, five geographic populations of the species were described in the Palearctic. However, distinct borders between the populations have not been identified. At the same time, no phylogeographic studies have been carried out for the complete native range of wigeon so far. In addition to the fundamental importance of such a study, knowledge of the genetic structure of populations is necessary for the development of measures to increase the number of and preserve this valuable game species. The aim of our work was a phylogeographic analysis of the wigeon across its vast native range in the Palearctic including ducks wintering in North America. We examined genetic diversity and differentiation of wigeon populations identified with banding data, phylogenetic relationships of mtDNA haplotypes and demographic history of populations and species as a whole by sequencing a 661 base-pair 5’-fragment of the mitochondrial control region from 195 individual ducks collected throughout the Palearctic and Nearctic. Genetic diversity was high in all studied populations. A reconstruction of haplotypes phylogeny revealed the absence of geographic structure in the data. Nonetheless, analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) identified two groups of populations: EuropeanSiberian and East Asian. The former included wigeons from Europe, Siberia and the Atlantic coast of North America, and the latter comprised ducks from Russian Far East, Kamchatka Peninsula, Chukotka Autonomous District, the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, and the Pacific coast of North America