PRODUCTIVE AND BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF RUSSIAN MEAT MERINOS SHEEP WITH DIFFERENT LINEAR SELECTION

Line breeding is a difficult but effective zootechnical process in purebred sheep husbandry. Linear sheep consistently transmit their characteristics to offspring in order to increase and identify the most promising genotypes, characterized by high productivity and breeding efficiency, by detecting interline selection. The main purpose of the work was to identify the most suitable options for intra- and interline selection of the Russian meat merino breed. The article studies the early development of animals’ growth and physique, the high rates of animals, live weight in different age periods, slaughter and meat qualities. We established that young animals obtained by mating between the animal lines VK-40 and ME-50 were characterized by more proportional body shapes, better slaughter and meat qualities. The increase in live weight of lambs obtained by mating queens of the VK-40 line and rams of the ME-50 line (group III) was more intense than their peers from the intraline selection of the VK-40 line (I group) and of queens of the line AC- 30 with ME-50 rams (group II). The heaviest carcasses were in lambs obtained from the mating of queens of the VK-40 line and rams of the ME-50 line (13.26 kg), the weight of the carcass was greater, compared with the same indicator of the peers of groups I and II, respectively, by 7.7% and 4.0%, by internal fat mass – by 21.8% and 9.8%, by slaughter weight – by 8.3% and 4.3%

Serum prevalence to non-viral pathogens in wild felids of Southern Primorye, Russia

Serum prevalence to six different non-viral pathogens was estimated for big Russian cats (Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) and the Far Eastern leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis)) in Southern Primorye, Russia (n = 26) in 2008–2016. Serum samples from smaller cats (Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) and Far Eastern wildcat (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus)) were also tested for these pathogens (n = 28) during the same period. Felids of Russian Southern Primorye showed serum prevalence to five out of six tested pathogens. Antibodies to Candida sp. and Trichinella sp. were found to be much more widespread in cats (47% and 42%) than antibodies to other tested pathogens (20% and less). Large cats demonstrated a higher serum prevalence to these pathogens than smaller ones. We did not detect animals seropositive to Coxiella burnetii

Physical simulation of heat exchange between 6(10) kV voltage instrument transformer and its environment with natural convection and insolation

This study examines the results of thermal tests on a 6(10) kV digital combined current and voltage transformer conducted in an environmental chamber. This measuring instrument consists of current and voltage transformers, featuring a resistive divider, and is used for commercial and technical electric power accounting. Ambient temperatures and levels of insolation on the transformer surface were set for the environmental chamber, with simulation of voltage transformer functioning in normal and emergency modes. We determined the time needed for the thermodynamic system to move to steady heat exchange mode, and also the final temperatures in the lower resistors and on the surface of the voltage transformer insulation cover. The results of our study have been used in developing algorithms for self-diagnostics of the thermal state of a digital combined transformer

Physical simulation of heat exchange between 6(10) kV voltage instrument transformer and its environment with natural convection and insolation

This study examines the results of thermal tests on a 6(10) kV digital combined current and voltage transformer conducted in an environmental chamber. This measuring instrument consists of current and voltage transformers, featuring a resistive divider, and is used for commercial and technical electric power accounting. Ambient temperatures and levels of insolation on the transformer surface were set for the environmental chamber, with simulation of voltage transformer functioning in normal and emergency modes. We determined the time needed for the thermodynamic system to move to steady heat exchange mode, and also the final temperatures in the lower resistors and on the surface of the voltage transformer insulation cover. The results of our study have been used in developing algorithms for self-diagnostics of the thermal state of a digital combined transformer

Fluorescence Mapping of Agricultural Fields Utilizing Drone-Based LIDAR

A compact and low-weight LIDAR instrument has been developed for laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy sensing of maize fields. Fluorescence LIDAR had to be installed on a small industrial drone so that its mass was <2 kg and power consumption was <5 W. The LIDAR instrument utilized a continuous wave diode laser (405 nm, 150 mW) for inducing fluorescence and a small spectrometer for backscattered photons acquisition. For field testing, the LIDAR instrument was installed on a quadcopter for remote sensing of plants in a maize field in three periods of the plant’s life. The obtained fluorescence signal maps have demonstrated that the average chlorophyll content is rather non-uniform over the field and tends to increase through the plant vegetation cycle. Field tests proved the feasibility and perspectives of autonomous LIDAR sensing of agricultural fields from drones for the detection and location of plants under stress

Structural and Optical Properties of Silicon Carbide Powders Synthesized from Organosilane Using High-Temperature High-Pressure Method

The development of new strategies for the mass synthesis of SiC nanocrystals with high structure perfection and narrow particle size distribution remains in demand for high-tech applications. In this work, the size-controllable synthesis of the SiC 3C polytype, free of sp2 carbon, with high structure quality nanocrystals, was realized for the first time by the pyrolysis of organosilane C12H36Si6 at 8 GPa and temperatures up to 2000 °C. It is shown that the average particle size can be monotonically changed from ~2 nm to ~500 nm by increasing the synthesis temperature from 800 °C to 1400 °C. At higher temperatures, further enlargement of the crystals is impeded, which is consistent with the recrystallization mechanism driven by a decrease in the surface energy of the particles. The optical properties investigated by IR transmission spectroscopy, Raman scattering, and low-temperature photoluminescence provided information about the concentration and distribution of carriers in nanoparticles, as well as the dominant type of internal point defects. It is shown that changing the growth modes in combination with heat treatment enables control over not only the average crystal size, but also the LO phonon—plasmon coupled modes in the crystals, which is of interest for applications related to IR photonics

Intraoperative Use of Mixed Reality Technology in Median Neck and Branchial Cyst Excision

The paper considers the possibilities, prospects, and drawbacks of the mixed reality (MR) technology application using mixed reality smartglasses Microsoft HoloLens 2. The main challenge was to find and develop an approach that would allow surgeons to conduct operations using mixed reality on a large scale, reducing the preparation time required for the procedure and without having to create custom solutions for each patient. Research was conducted in three clinical cases: two median neck and one branchial cyst excisions. In each case, we applied a unique approach of hologram positioning in space based on mixed reality markers. As a result, we listed a series of positive and negative aspects related to MR surgery, along with proposed solutions for using MR in surgery on a daily basis