Preliminary results of a gamma-ray burst study in the Konus experiment on the Venera-11 and Venera-12 space probes

Twenty-one gamma-ray bursts and 68 solar flares in the hard X-ray range were detected on Venera-11 and Venera-12 space probes during the initial 50-day observation period. Major characteristics of the equipment used and preliminary data on the temporal structure and energy spectra of the gamma-ray bursts are considered. The pattern of gamma-ray burst frequency distribution vs. intensity, N(S), is established

Ocean-bottom seismographs based on broadband MET sensors: architecture and deployment case study in the Arctic

The Arctic seas are now of particular interest due to their prospects in terms of hydrocarbon extraction, development of marine transport routes, etc. Thus, various geohazards, including those related to seismicity, require detailed studies, especially by instrumental methods. This paper is devoted to the ocean-bottom seismographs (OBS) based on broadband molecular–electronic transfer (MET) sensors and a deployment case study in the Laptev Sea. The purpose of the study is to introduce the architecture of several modifications of OBS and to demonstrate their applicability in solving different tasks in the framework of seismic hazard assessment for the Arctic seas. To do this, we used the first results of several pilot deployments of the OBS developed by Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IO RAS) and IP Ilyinskiy A.D. in the Laptev Sea that took place in 2018–2020. We highlighted various seismological applications of OBS based on broadband MET sensors CME-4311 (60 s) and CME-4111 (120 s), including the analysis of ambient seismic noise, registering the signals of large remote earthquakes and weak local microearthquakes, and the instrumental approach of the site response assessment. The main characteristics of the broadband MET sensors and OBS architectures turned out to be suitable for obtaining high-quality OBS records under the Arctic conditions to solve seismological problems. In addition, the obtained case study results showed the prospects in a broader context, such as the possible influence of the seismotectonic factor on the bottom-up thawing of subsea permafrost and massive methane release, probably from decaying hydrates and deep geological sources. The described OBS will be actively used in further Arctic expeditions

Биомаркеры острого респираторного дистресс-синдрома: проблемы и перспективы их применения

The review analyzes the results of modern clinical and experimental studies on the search and informative value of biomarkers for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). It describes ARDS biomarkers of the main morphological changes in the lungs and severity of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Biomarkers of injury of bronchial epithelium, alveolar epithelium, vascular endothelium and pulmonary extracellular matrix were analyzed to determine the most informative indicators of ARDS of different etiology. It was found that for diagnosis and prognosis of the course of ARDS, the following biomarkers were the most informative: interleukin-6, a soluble form of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE), surfactant protein D, protein KL-6, vascular endothelial growth factor, and angiopoietin-2. Using a multimarker panel for simultaneous determination of these indicators can promote rapid diagnostics of ARDS.В обзоре проведен анализ результатов современных клинических и экспериментальных исследований, посвященных поиску и оценке информативности биомаркеров острого респираторного дистресс-синдрома (ОРДС). Приведены сведения о биомаркерах ОРДС, характеризующих основные морфологические изменения легких и степень выраженности синдрома системного воспалительного ответа. С целью определения наиболее информативных показателей ОРДС различной этиологии проанализированы данные о биомаркерах, свидетельствующих о повреждении бронхиального эпителия, альвеолярного эпителия, эндотелия сосудов и экстрацеллюлярного матрикса легких. Установлено, что для диагностики и прогноза течения ОРДС наибольшим потенциалом обладают: интерлейкин-6, растворимая форма рецептора конечных продуктов гликозилирования (sRAGE), сурфактантный белок D, белок KL-6, фактор роста эндотелия сосудов, ангиопоэтин-2. Для экспресс-диагностики ОРДС следует считать перспективным одновременное определение перечисленных показателей, которое может быть реализовано в виде мультимаркерной панели

Investigation of Bacteria in coastal waters of King George Island

We determined the numbers of free-living and associated (aggregated or bonded with particles) bacteria in the coastal water of King George Island at an offshore (St. 1) and a nearshore station (St. 2) as a function of physico-chemical parameters. Water sampIes were collected between March and October at St. 1 and between April and October at St. 2. Direct counts of total bacteria varied from 0.53*10**8 to 5.02*10**8 cells/l. Associated microorganisms accounted for 5 to 20 % of the total number of bacteria. Strong Spearman and Pearson correlations were observed (R = 0.82; P = 0.001) between the numbers of free-living and associated bacteria at St. 1. These two groups of bacteria were nearly evenly distributed in the horizontal transects from inshore to offshore waters at depths of 1-10 m in Ardley Cove. There were no substantial differences in the numbers of either free-living or associated bacteria in vertical transects too. Their number at St. 1, but not at St. 2, correlated significantly with all tested environmental parameters (salinity, temperature, solar radiation, nitrate, phosphate and chlorophyll a concentrations), except nitrite concentrations in water. The most probable reason for these correlations is that a common seasonal trend is characteristic of most tested parameters during the March to October period