Analysis of Infrasound Propagation at Regional Distance by Mining Explosion

Seismic and acoustic recordings are particularly important to help identifying and locating industrial blasting sources. We have analyzed seismo-acoustic signals from mine blast for 2000 and 2005 in order to determine detection seismo-acoustic signals of explosion by seismic and infrasound stations. Several large mines in the region routinely generate explosions that are detected seismically and with infrasound. The mine range in distance from 40-500 km from the seismic, infrasound array. In last few years mining activity in Mongolia significantly increased. All events identified as quarry blasts have occurred during daytimes between 03:00 p.m. and 08:00 a.m. GMT and on weekdays from Monday to Friday. The corresponding number of infrasound detection is found to be dependent upon the regional weather condition, which is included air temperature, epicentral distance, wind force and velocity. We present the seismic and infrasound IMS stations and some results of analysis.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5564/pmas.v0i4.45 Proceedings of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences 2009 No 4 pp.42-5

STEAM GASIFICATION OF SOME MONGOLIAN COALS

The gasification tests for the Alagtolgoi and Ailbayan coal deposits were conducted in the temperature up to 850°C using bench scale reactor in order to evaluate product gas composition. Prior to the gasification experiments, the raw coal was pyrolysed in a stainless steel reactor under N2 atmosphere at a temperature of 500°C for 1 h. General behavior of the coal conversion was quite similar for both coals. The gasification tests show that an increase in temperature enhances the formation of hydrogen, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. The highest yield of hydrogen and carbon dioxide concentrations of the Ailbayan coal are achieved at temperature of 850°C, which were 2.859 mmol⋅g-1⋅min-1 and 1.054 mmol⋅g-1⋅min-1 respectively. However maximum rate of hydrogen for Alagtolgoi subbituminous coal reached around 800°C. Overall results show that the maximum gasification rate is reached earlier for subbituminous coal than for bituminous coal, but product gas evolution was higher for the investigated bituminous coal

TECHNIQUE AND EXPERIENCE OF SEISMIC ZONING OF THE CITIES OF ULAANBAATAR AND ERDENET

Optimum approach to an engineering-seismological assessment of mastered territories in regions of the Mongol-Baikal seismic zone is developed. On this basis seismic zoning of the cities of Ulaanbaatar and Erdenet is carried out. As a result schematic maps of the studied cities are made and the short characteristic of the allocated zones is given on the basis of calculated and experimental values of seismic effects parameters for the predicted large earthquakes

A field study evaluating the humoral immune response in Mongolian sheep vaccinated against sheeppox virus

Sheeppox is a transboundary disease of sheep caused by infection with the capripoxvirus sheeppox virus (SPPV). Sheeppox is found in Africa, the Middle East and Asia and is characterised by fever, multifocal cutaneous raised lesions, and death, with substantial negative impact on affected flocks. Vaccination with live attenuated capripoxvirus (CPPV) strains is an effective and widely used means of controlling sheeppox outbreaks, however there are few reports of post-vaccination field surveillance studies of sheeppox. This study used a commercially available ELISA and a fluorescence-based neutralisation assay (FVNT) to examine quantitative and temporal features of the humoral response of sheep vaccinated with a live attenuated CPPV strain in Mongolia. 400 samples were tested using the ELISA, and a subset of 45 also tested with the FVNT. There was substantial agreement between the FVNT and ELISA tests. Antibodies to CPPV were detected between 40 and 262 days post vaccination. There was no significant difference between serological status (positive / negative) and sex or age, however an inverse correlation was found between the length of time since vaccination and serological status. Animals between 90 and 180 days post-vaccination were more likely to be positive than animals greater than 180 days post vaccination. This data provides temporal parameters to consider when planning sheeppox post-vaccination monitoring programmes. In summary, our results show a commercial CPPV ELISA kit is a robust and reliable assay for use in resource-restricted low and low-middle income countries for post CPPV vaccination surveillance on a regional or national level.The attached .xls file contains all raw data used in the associated publication, " A comparative serological field study evaluating the humoral immune response in Mongolian sheep vaccinated against sheeppox virus." The dataset identifies all individual sheep by a unique identification number (ID_num). Each unique ID_num is associated with relevant metadata: Province name, Sum name, herder name coded (Herded_Id), animal species, age of the animal, in years, when sampled (Age), sex of the animal "F" or "M" (Sex), date when the animal was sampled (Date_sample_collected), date when the animal was vaccinated for sheeppox according to the vaccination records (Date_vaccinated_raw data), and for samples in which the exact date of vaccination was not available and a range of potential time was given, the midpoint date within this range (Date_vaccinated_midpoint), animals for which vaccination date was not available receive an "NA" value; time from vaccination to sampled in days (Time_from_vaccinated_midpoint); %S/P values for the ELISA test conducted in the Mongolia lab (Ag_ELISA_SCVL_OD_SP) and %S/P values for the ELISA test conducted in the UK lab (Ag_ELISA_TPI_OD_SP), results from the ELISA test classified as binary variable "Positive" or "Negative" (Ag_ELISA_SCVL_bin and Ag_ELISA_TPI_bin); titres from the fluorescence-based neutralisation assay (FVNT Titre) and results from the FVNT test classified as binary variable ("Positive" or "Negative"), all animals that were not tested by FVNT receive an "NA" value in these columns. Funding provided by: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000268Award Number: BBS/E/I/00007031Funding provided by: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000268Award Number: BB/E/I/00007036Funding provided by: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000268Award Number: BB/E/I/00007037Funding provided by: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000268Award Number: BBS/E/I/00007039Funding provided by: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000268Award Number: BB/J004324/1Funding provided by: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000268Award Number: BBS/E/D/20002173Funding provided by: Horizon 2020Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100007601Award Number: 773701Funding provided by: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: TCP/MON/3603Funding provided by: IdVet*Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: Funding provided by: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsCrossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: TCP/MON/3603Funding provided by: IdVetCrossref Funder Registry ID:Blood samples from sheep and associated data were collected as part of the post-vaccination surveillance programme for sheeppox implemented by the Mongolian General Authority for Veterinary Services (GAVS) in 2016

Socio-economic impact of Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreaks and control measures:An analysis of Mongolian outbreaks in 2017

Mongolia is a large landlocked country in central Asia and has one of the highest per capita livestock ratios in the world. During 2017 reported Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in Mongolia increased considerably, prompting widespread disease control measures. This study estimates the socio‐economic impact of FMD and subsequent control measures on Mongolian herders. The analysis encompassed quantification of the impact on subsistence farmers’ livelihoods and food security and estimation of the national level gross losses due to reaction and expenditure during 2017. Data were collected from 112 herders across eight Provinces that reported disease. Seventy of these herders had cases of FMD, while 42 did not have FMD in their animals but were within quarantine zones. Overall, 86/112 herders reported not drinking milk for a period of time and 38/112 reduced their meat consumption. Furthermore, 55 herders (49.1%) had to borrow money to buy food, medicines and/or pay bills or bank loans. Among herders with FMD cases, the median attack rate was 31.7%, 3.8% and 0.59% in cattle, sheep and goats respectively, with important differences across Provinces. Herders with clinical cases before the winter had higher odds of reporting a reduction in their meat consumption. National level gross losses due to FMD in 2017 were estimated using government data. The estimate of gross economic loss was 18.4 billion Mongolian‐tugriks (US$7.35 million) which equates to approximately 0.65% of the Mongolian GDP. The FMD outbreaks combined with current control measures has negatively impacted herders’ livelihoods (including herders with and without cases of FMD) which is likely to reduce stakeholder advocacy. Possible strategies that could be employed to ameliorate the negative effects of the current control policy were identified. The findings and approach are relevant to other FMD endemic regions aiming to control the disease

МЕХАНИЗМЫ ОЧАГОВ ЗЕМЛЕТРЯСЕНИЙ И ПОЛЕ НАПРЯЖЕНИЙ МОНГОЛИИ И ПРИЛЕГАЮЩИХ ТЕРРИТОРИЙ

We have compiled and analyzed earthquake focal solutions for the territory of Mongolia and its surroundings in order to reveal a spatial variability of stress orientation and stress regimes of the crust. According to the stress inversion results, the SHmax is turning from W-E in the eastern Mongolia to SW-NE in the Gobi Altay and the central Mongolia, and then to S-N in the western part of the region. Comparison with data derived from GPS measurements shows that directions of the strain axes revealed by the geodetic and seismological observations are generally consistent. A contradiction is found for the Bolnai zone where results of GPS estimation indicate the predominance of extension (in the SE-NW direction), whereas earthquake data for the longer period of seismic observations reveal compression. Compression in this zone is mainly due to the Tsetserleg-Bolnai earthquakes contribution; however, a part of the recent data on focal mechanisms fits an extensional stress field with the NNW orientated extension axis. These data are in accordance with some published works which suggest a transtensive field from some structural geology studies in the eastern part of the Bolnai zone.The paper is supplemented with a list of M≥4.5 earthquake fault plane solutions and unpublished focal mechanisms for some M≤4.5 earthquakes of the northern Mongolia and the southern Baikal region.Введение. Механизмы очагов землетрясений наряду с геодезическими и другими данными служат источником информации о напряженно-деформированном состоянии земной коры. Задачи оценки тектонического режима и скорости деформирования особенно актуальны для внутриплитных областей, характеризующихся высоким уровнем сейсмичности. Одной из таких областей является Монголия, на территории которой известны землетрясения с М=8.0 (рис. 1). В представляемой работе собраны и проанализированы механизмы очагов землетрясений с M≥4.5 с целью проследить пространственную изменчивость поля напряжений земной коры. Данные. Опубликованные данные о фокальных решениях можно разделить на две группы в зависимости от применяемых для их определения методов. К первой группе относятся механизмы, полученные моделированием волновых форм на удаленных и региональных станциях. Вторая группа решений получена при использовании метода полярности первых вступлений волн. Данный метод широко применялся для умеренной силы землетрясений северной части Монголии и Южной Сибири, что обусловлено более плотным покрытием этого региона сейсмостанциями. Используемые для анализа в данной работе решения представлены в таблице (в разделе «Дополнительные материалы») и на карте (рис. 2). Методы. Для инверсии поля напряжений использовались два подхода. Для землетрясений основных сейсмических зон (Болнай, Гобийский Алтай, Могод и т.д.) применялась программа Win-Tensor [Delvaux, Sperner, 2003], в которой реализован метод right dihedra [Angelier, 1984]. Для получения более сглаженной по всей территории картины ориентации осей напряжений использовалась программа SATSI [Hardebeck, Michael, 2006], минимизирующая разницу между соседними «индивидуальными» стресс-тензорами для сейсмоактивных областей. Для более корректного сравнения сейсмологических данных с результатами GPS-измерений и визуализации сейсмотектонических деформаций представлены стереограммы средних фокальных механизмов [Nikitin, Yunga, 1977; Yunga, 1990]. Результаты. Полученные результаты показывают, что фокальные решения землетрясений южной, западной и восточной части Монголии однородны и представлены главным образом сдвиговыми и взбросовыми подвижками в очагах. Большим разнообразием кинематических типов разрывов характеризуется территория к северу от Болнайского разлома. Для непосредственно Болнайской зоны не удалось получить единого стресс-тензора. Выборка разделилась на главные толчки (Болнайское и Цэцэрлэгское землетрясения 1905 г.), состоящие из субисточников, и события, зарегистрированные в период инструментальных наблюдений. Последние показывают наличие в выборке решений, удовлетворяющих режиму растяжения. В целом, наблюдается изменение ориентации оси SHmax от направления Ю-С в западной части Монголии до ЮЗ-СВ в Гобийском Алтае и в центральной части страны и до широтного направления в Восточной Монголии. Обсуждение результатов. Очевидно, что основные характеристики поля напряжений на представленной территории уже выявлены и описаны в предшествующих работах [Zhalkovskii et al., 1995; Petit et al., 1996; Delvaux et al., 1998; Melnikova et al., 2004; Melnikova, Radziminovich, 2005; San’kov et al., 2005; Gol’din, Kuchai, 2007; Radziminovich et al., 2007; Parfeevets, San’kov, 2010; San’kov et al., 2011; Parfeevets, San’kov, 2012; Rebetsky et al., 2013; Tataurova et al., 2014; Kuchai, Kozina, 2015; Karagianni et al., 2015; и др.]. Все увеличивающийся объем новых данных, с одной стороны, подтверждает сделанные ранее выводы, а с другой – позволяет выявить некоторые детали. Результаты, полученные по сейсмологическим данным, согласуются с данными, полученными в ходе геолого-структурных работ [Parfeevets, Sankov, 2012] и GPS-измерений [Calais et al., 2003; Loukhnev et al., 2010]. Выделяется Болнайская зона, которая по геодезическим расчетам характеризуется деформацией удлинения земной коры или растяжением. Выше отмечалось, что часть фокальных механизмов соответствует такому полю напряжений. Более того, замеры трещиноватости также приводят авторов [Parfeevets, Sankov, 2012] к выводу о режиме транстенсии в восточной части Болнайской зоны, связанном, вероятно, с дивергенцией Евразийской и Амурской плит [Petit, Fournier, 2005]. Характер изменений сейсмотектонических деформаций в этом районе позволил авторам работы [Kuchai, Kozina, 2015] выделить, хоть и в широких пределах, границу Амурской плиты. По данным о землетрясениях с M≥7.0 была рассчитана скорость деформации по формуле Кострова (табл. 2). Для временного интервала в 100 лет она составила 1.12×1020 N m yr–1, что является высоким значением для внутриконтинентальных областей по сравнению с модельными значениями [Holt et al., 1995, 2000]. Очевидно, это связано с сильнейшими землетрясениями региона, произошедшими на протяжении небольшого интервала времени. Заключение. Карта фокальных механизмов и результаты инверсии поля тектонических напряжений могут быть полезны при сейсмотектоническом и геодинамическом анализе Центральной Азии. В разделе «Дополнительные материалы» приведена компиляционная таблица механизмов очагов землетрясений с M≥4.5 и ранее неопубликованные механизмы очагов землетрясений Северной Монголии и Южного Прибайкалья с M≤4.5

Sequencing and Analysis of Lumpy Skin Disease Virus Whole Genomes Reveals a New Viral Subgroup in West and Central Africa

Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) is a member of the capripoxvirus (CPPV) genus of the Poxviridae family. LSDV is a rapidly emerging, high-consequence pathogen of cattle, recently spreading from Africa and the Middle East into Europe and Asia. We have sequenced the whole genome of historical LSDV isolates from the Pirbright Institute virus archive, and field isolates from recent disease outbreaks in Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Nigeria and Ethiopia. These genome sequences were compared to published genomes and classified into different subgroups. Two subgroups contained vaccine or vaccine-like samples ("Neethling-like" clade 1.1 and "Kenya-like" subgroup, clade 1.2.2). One subgroup was associated with outbreaks of LSD in the Middle East/Europe (clade 1.2.1) and a previously unreported subgroup originated from cases of LSD in west and central Africa (clade 1.2.3). Isolates were also identified that contained a mix of genes from both wildtype and vaccine samples (vaccine-like recombinants, grouped in clade 2). Whole genome sequencing and analysis of LSDV strains isolated from different regions of Africa, Europe and Asia have provided new knowledge of the drivers of LSDV emergence, and will inform future disease control strategies.</p

Estrogen-dependent regulation of sodium/hydrogen exchanger-3 (NHE3) expression via estrogen receptor β in proximal colon of pregnant mice

Although constipation is very common during pregnancy, the exact mechanism is unknown. We hypothesized that the involvement of estrogen receptor (ER) in the regulation of electrolyte transporter in the colon leads to constipation. In this study, the intestines of normal female ICR mouse and pregnant mice were examined for the expression of ERβ and ERβ by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. ERα, but not ERα, was expressed in surface epithelial cells of the proximal, but not distal, colon on pregnancy days 10, 15, and 18, but not day 5, and the number of ERα-positive cells increased signiWcantly during pregnancy. Expression of NHE3, the gene that harbors estrogen response element, examined by immunohistochemistry and western blotting, was localized in the surface epithelial cells of the proximal colon and increased in parallel with ERβ expression. In ovariectomized mice, NHE3 expression was only marginal and was up-regulated after treatment with 17- estradiol (E2), but not E 2 + ICI 182,780 (estrogen receptor antagonist). Moreover, knock-down of ERβ expression by electroporetically transfected siRNA resulted in a signiWcant reduction of NHE3 expression. These results indicate that ERβ regulates the expression of NHE3 in the proximal colon of pregnant mice through estrogen action, suggesting the involvement of increased sodium absorption by up-regulated NHE3 in constipation during pregnancy

Phylogenetic analysis of a region of mitochondrial cox-1 as a DNA barcode marker sequence of Gazella subgutturosa (Goitered gazelle) in Mongolia

Gazella subgutturosa, a vulnerable species, is threatened by illegal hunting for meat and sport. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox-1) is used as a DNA marker to distinguish mammalian species for the investigation of illegal hunting. In this study, we sequenced a part of the cox-1 gene (709 bp) of six Mongolian G. subgutturosa individuals. Our DNA sequences were clustered in a clade of Gazella which is distinct from other clades of mammalian species in the phylogenetic tree. Our findings suggest that DNA sequences can be useful in the investigation of illegal hunting