Russian Arctic Vegetation Archive—A new database of plant community composition and environmental conditions

Motivation: The goal of the Russian Arctic Vegetation Archive (AVA-RU) is to unite and harmonize data of plot-based plant species and their abundance, vegetation structure and environmental variables from the Russian Arctic. This database can be used to assess the status of the Russian Arctic vegetation and as a baseline to document biodiversity changes in the future. The archive can be used for scientific studies as well as to inform nature protection and restoration efforts. Main types of variables contained: The archive contains 2873 open-access geobotanical plots. The data include the full species. Most plots include information on the horizontal (cover per species and morphological group) and vertical (average height per morphological group) structure of vegetation, site and soil descriptions and data quality estimations. In addition to the open-access data, the AVA-RU website contains 1912 restricted-access plots. Spatial location and grain: The plots of 1–100 m2 size were sampled in Arctic Russia and Scandinavia. Plots in Russia covered areas from the West to the East, including the European Russian Arctic (Kola Peninsula, Nenets Autonomous district), Western Siberia (Northern Urals, Yamal, Taza and Gydan peninsulas), Central Siberia (Taymyr peninsula, Bolshevik island), Eastern Siberia (Indigirka basin) and the Far East (Wrangel island). About 72% of the samples are georeferenced. Time period and grain: The data were collected once at each location between 1927 and 2022. Major taxa and level of measurement: Plots include observations of >1770 vascular plant and cryptogam species and subspecies. Software format: CSV files (1 file with species list and abundance, 1 file with environmental variables and vegetation structure) are stored at the AVA-RU website (https://avarus.space/), and are continuously updated with new datasets. The open-access data are available on Dryad and all the datasets have a backup on the server of the University of Zurich. The data processing R script is available on Dryad

A New Method for Treating Burn Wounds Using Targeted Delivery of Medicinal Substances by Magnetic Nanocarrier (Experimental Part)

Проведено экспериментальное исследование на лабораторных животных по изучению эффективности адресной доставки мази левомеколь с помощью магнитных наночастиц и внешнего магнитного поля при термических ожогах. В исследовании принимало участие 20 крыс с двумя очагами ожога. Крысы были разделены на 4 группы: без лечения, терапия с использованием мази левомеколь, лечение с использованием наночастиц, мази левомеколь и внешнего магнитного поля и только магнитотерапии. При гистологическом исследовании на 14-е сутки во всех группах в зоне термического повреждения кожи были отмечены признаки глубокого ожога III и IV степени с распространением некроза на всю глубину дермы и на мышцы. В группе с наночастицами, мазью левомеколь и магнитным полем на фоне уменьшения воспаления отмечалось очаговое появление грануляционной ткани. Таким образом, гистологические исследования ожогового раневого процесса лабораторных животных показали, что использование инновационного биологически активного ранозаживляющего средства на основе наночастиц в сочетании с мазью левомеколь улучшает регенерацию тканей и приводит к ускорению эпителизации, что в целом повышает результаты лечения ожоговой раны. Использование внешнего магнитного поля способствует адресной доставке лечебного нанокомплекса и поддержанию оптимальной концентрации препарата в ранеExperimental studies have been carried out on laboratory animals to investigate the effectiveness of targeted delivery of levomekol ointment using magnetic nanoparticles and an external magnetic field for treatment of thermal burns. The study involved 20 rats, with two burns on each. The rats were divided into 4 groups: untreated; treated with levomekol ointment; treated with levomekol ointment associated with nanoparticles and an external magnetic field; and treated with magnetic field alone. Histological examination was conducted on Day 14, and in all groups, in the thermal burn zone of the skin there were signs of deep three- and four-degree burns with necrosis spread through the dermis, reaching the muscle. In the group with levomekol ointment associated with nanoparticles and magnetic field, inflammation was decreased, and focal granulation tissue formation was observed. Thus, histological studies of the burn wound process in laboratory animals showed that the use of an innovative biologically active wound healing agent based on nanoparticles in combination with the levomecol ointment improved tissue regeneration and accelerated epithelialization, which enhanced the effectiveness of burn wound treatment. The use of an external magnetic field facilitated targeted delivery of the therapeutic nanosystem and maintenance of the optimal concentration of the drug in the woun

Increasing Cultural Competence through the Method of Appreciative Inquiry

The purpose of this study is to examine the ways to utilise the theory and method of Appreciative Inquiry, applied in the non-formal international training programme Intercultural Navigators. The training was organised in 2008-2009 by the international cultural organisation British Council Finland - the working partner of this study. The study aimed at exploring how the use of the Appreciative Inquiry method contributed to the development of cultural competence among multi-professional group of participants. The results of the study aimed to contribute to the overall evaluation of the British Council’s activities and explore the method to promote cultural diversity. Appreciative Inquiry is both a philosophy and a methodology for positive change, which is based in the process of looking for the best in people and situations. It can be seen as a positive mindset or an intervention method, for facilitating positive change in any human system, such as a community, organisation or a family. Cultural competence is a mindset and a process to make communication and interaction with people from different backgrounds easier and more efficient through specific skills. This qualitative study was conducted through a focus group interview with 10 participants of the Intercultural Navigator programme. The findings were analysed using the inductive content analysis. Findings revealed three main categories in which AI is useful in developing cultural competence: (1) positivity, (2) tools of communication and (3) the process of “inviting difference”. All of the categories were considered equally important in both, professional and personal lives, however transforming the ideology into action was difficult in everyday life. This study showed that Appreciative Inquiry could be a good base to develop cultural competence.Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoitus oli tutkia tapoja käyttää Arvostavaa Kyselyä teoriana ja metodina. Arvostavaa Kyselyä käytettiin kansainvälisessä Intercultural Navigators – koulutuksessa. Koulutus järjestettiin vuosina 2008 - 2009 ja sen järjesti tämän tutkimuksen työyhteiskumppani, kansainvälinen kulttuurijärjestö, British Council Finland. Tutkimus perehtyi Arvostavan Kyselyn käyttöön osana moniammatillisen osallistujaryhmän kulttuurienvälisen osaamisen kehitystä. Tutkimus tuottaa lisäarvoa British Councilin toiminnan yleiseen arviointiin ja kartoittaa metodin käytettävyyttä monimuotoisuuden eteenpäin viejänä. Arvostava kysely on positiivisen muutoksen filosofia ja metodi, jonka perustana on hyvän etsiminen ihmisistä ja tilanteista kysymällä positiivisia kysymyksiä. Se on positiivinen mielentila ja toimenpiteen metodi, jolla luoda positiivista muutosta missä tahansa systeemissä, kuten yhteisössä, organisaatiossa tai perheessä. Kulttuurienvälinen osaaminen on mielentila ja prosessi tehdä kommunikaation ja erilaisten ihmisten välisen vuorovaikutuksen helpommaksi ja tehokkaammaksi tiettyjen taitojen keinoin. Tutkimusmenetelmä oli laadullinen ja järjestettiin ryhmäteemahaastattelun muodossa. Osal-listujat olivat 10 Intercultural Navigators – koulutusohjelman osallistujaa. Löydökset analysoitiin käyttämällä induktiivista sisältöanalyysiä. Löydökset osoittivat kolme pääkategoriaa Arvostavan Kyselyn hyödyllisistä käyttötavoista kulttuurienvälisen osaamisen kehityksessä: (1) positiivisuus, (2) kommunikaation välineet ja (3)”erilaisuuden kutsumisen” prosessi. Kaikki kategoriat käsitettiin yhtälailla tärkeiksi niin henkilökohtaisessa kuin työelämässä. Ajatuksen tuominen ideologiatasolta jokapäiväiseen elämään koettiin kuitenkin vaikeaksi. Tämän tutkimuksen mukaan Arvostavan Kysely näyttäytyi hyvänä pohjana kulttuurienvälisen osaamisen kehitykselle

Thermodynamic Modelling of Hightemperature Synthesis of the Titan and Chrome Carbides on an Alloyed Steel for Electron-Beam Melting of Modifying Coatings

Adiabatic temperatures of interaction and equilibrium phase compositions in the 300–2673 K temperature range are determined by thermodynamic calculations made for a interaction of titan and chrome oxides with carbon on a surface of the alloyed steel 321 at non vacuum electron-beam melting. Synthesized phases are found to be thermodynamically stable refractory compounds – oxides, carbides, nitrides Cr, Ti, Fe and, stable in contact with the solid-state metallic base

Thermodynamic Modelling of Hightemperature Synthesis of the Titan and Chrome Carbides on an Alloyed Steel for Electron-Beam Melting of Modifying Coatings

Adiabatic temperatures of interaction and equilibrium phase compositions in the 300–2673 K temperature range are determined by thermodynamic calculations made for a interaction of titan and chrome oxides with carbon on a surface of the alloyed steel 321 at non vacuum electron-beam melting. Synthesized phases are found to be thermodynamically stable refractory compounds – oxides, carbides, nitrides Cr, Ti, Fe and, stable in contact with the solid-state metallic base

Development of Cellular and Enzymatic Bioluminescent Assay Systems to Study Low-Dose Effects of Thorium

Thorium is one of the most widespread radioactive elements in natural ecosystems, along with uranium, it is the most important source of nuclear energy. However, the effects of thorium on living organisms have not been thoroughly studied. Marine luminescent bacteria and their enzymes are optimal bioassays for studying low-dose thorium exposures. Luminescent bioassays provide a quantitative measure of toxicity and are characterized by high rates, sensitivity, and simplicity. It is known that the metabolic activity of bacteria is associated with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We studied the effects of thorium-232 (10−11–10−3 M) on Photobacterium phosphoreum and bacterial enzymatic reactions; kinetics of bacterial bioluminescence and ROS content were investigated in both systems. Bioluminescence activation was revealed under low-dose exposures (<0.1 Gy) and discussed in terms of “radiation hormesis”. The activation was accompanied by an intensification of the oxidation of a low-molecular reducer, NADH, during the enzymatic processes. Negative correlations were found between the intensity of bioluminescence and the content of ROS in bacteria and enzyme systems; an active role of ROS in the low-dose activation by thorium was discussed. The results contribute to radioecological potential of bioluminescence techniques adapted to study low-intensity radioactive exposures

Slow and Fast Responses: Two Mechanisms of Trial Outcome Processing Revealed by EEG Oscillations

Cognitive control includes maintenance of task-specific processes related to attention, and non-specific regulation of motor threshold. Depending upon the nature of the behavioral tasks, these mechanisms may predispose to different kinds of errors, with either increased or decreased response time (RT) of erroneous responses relative to correct responses. Specifically, slow responses are related to attentional lapses and decision uncertainty, these conditions tending to delay RTs of both erroneous and correct responses. Here we studied if RT may be a valid approximation distinguishing trials with high and low levels of sustained attention and decision uncertainty. We analyzed response-related and feedback-related modulations in theta, alpha and beta band activity in the auditory version of the two-choice condensation task, which is highly demanding for sustained attention while involves no inhibition of prepotent responses. Depending upon response speed and accuracy, trials were divided into slow correct, slow erroneous, fast correct and fast erroneous. We found that error-related frontal midline theta (FMT) was present only on fast erroneous trials. The feedback-related FMT was equally strong on slow erroneous and fast erroneous trials. Late post-response posterior alpha suppression was stronger on erroneous slow trials. Feedback-related frontal beta was present only on slow correct trials. The data obtained cumulatively suggests that RT allows distinguishing the two types of trials, with fast trials related to higher levels of attention and low uncertainty, and slow trials related to lower levels of attention and higher uncertainty