Recent warming on Spitsbergen - influence of atmospheric circulation and sea ice cover

Spitsbergen has experienced some of the most severe temperature changes in the Arctic during the last three decades. This study relates the recent warming to variations in large-scale atmospheric circulation (AC), air mass characteristics, and sea ice concentration (SIC), both regionally around Spitsbergen and locally in three fjords. We find substantial warming for all AC patterns for all seasons, with greatest temperature increase in winter. A major part of the warming can be attributed to changes in air mass characteristics associated with situations of both cyclonic and anticyclonic air advection from north and east and situations with a nonadvectional anticyclonic ridge. In total, six specific AC types (out of 21), which occur on average 41% of days in a year, contribute approximately 80% of the recent warming. The relationship between the land-based surface air temperature (SAT) and local and regional SIC was highly significant, particularly for the most contributing AC types. The high correlation between SAT and SIC for air masses from east and north of Spitsbergen suggests that a major part of the atmospheric warming observed in Spitsbergen is driven by heat exchange from the larger open water area in the Barents Sea and region north of Spitsbergen. Finally, our results show that changes in frequencies of AC play a minor role to the total recent surface warming. Thus, the strong warming in Spitsbergen in the latest decades is not driven by increased frequencies of “warm” AC types but rather from sea ice decline, higher sea surface temperatures, and a general background warming

ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ ДОДАТКОВИХ МЕТОДІВ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ ДЛЯ ДІАГНОСТИКИ РЕСПІРАТОРНИХ ЗАХВОРЮВАНЬ КОНЕЙ

Respiratory diseases in horses are common, and with the increase in the population of this species, they pose a serious challenge to practicing veterinarians. In the case of respiratory diseases, a primary factor in determining the correct diagnosis is the skillful combination of data collected from the patient history, a detailed clinical examination and the results of additional tests. Auscultation of the lungs in horses is performed routinely, if respiratory diseases are suspected, but still an underestimated source of information is the percussion of the chest. With the development of diagnostic techniques applicable in human medicine, new opportunities have also emerged to examine the respiratory tract in horses. Increasingly, standard diagnostics performed in these animals include endoscopy, radiology, ultrasound, blood gas testing and collecting material to microbial culture. Some diseases can be diagnosed only during endoscopy while the animal is moving. For this purpose, a treadmill with a variable speed is used. Currently, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), tracheal wash (TW) and centesis of the thorax are applied more often. An examination of high diagnostic value is lung scintigraphy, but due to the price of the equipment and isotope storage problems it is not available in most developing countries. These tests are aimed at both a correct diagnosis and monitoring the course of treatment.Захворювання органів дихання у коней широко розповсюджені, що пов’язано зі збільшенням популяції цього виду тварин. Хвороби органів дихання являють собою серйозну проблему для практикуючих лікарів ветеринарної медицини. У випадку появи захворювань дихальних шляхів, головним фактором при постановці правильного діагнозу є вміле поєднання даних, зібраних з історії хвороби тварини, повне клінічне дослідження і результати застосування додаткових методів.При підозрінні на захворювання органів дихання проводиться аускультація легень, проте на сьогодні недооцінюється інформативна цінність перкусії грудної клітки в коней.З розвитком методів візуальної діагностики, що застосовуються в гуманній медицині, вони стали також широко впроваджуватися у ветеринарну медицину, зокрема і для дослідження дихальних шляхів у коней. Все частіше базові дослідження у цього виду тварин включають ендоскопічне, рентгенологічне та ультразвукове дослідження, визначення кислотно-основного балансу крові, мікробіологічне дослідження. Окремі захворювання можуть діагностуватися тільки за допомогою ендоскопії під час руху тварини. З цією метою використовується бігова доріжка зі змінною швидкістю.В даний час з діагносчтичною метою все частіше застосовується бронхоальвеолярний лаваж (БАЛ), аспірація трахеї (tracheal wash, TW) і центез грудної клітки. Високоінформативним методом дослідження є сцинтиграфія легень, однак через високу вартість обладнання і зберігання ізотопів цей метод недоступний в більшості ветеринарних клінік.Застосування візуальних методів дослідження коней спрямовані на постановку правильного діагнозу та контролю за ефективністю лікування

The human impact on the transformation of juniper forest landscape in the western part of the Pamir-Alay range (Tajikistan)

Detailed analyses were conducted of human impact on juniper forest landscapes occurring within the Zarafshan Range (Pamir-Alay). Juniperus seravschanica and J. semiglobosa belong to forest-forming species in Central Asia. At present, juniper forests all over Tajikistan are seriously threatened as a result of excessive logging and cattle grazing. The aim of this paper is to present juniper forest transformation as a result of human activities as well as the diversity of soil properties in the organic and humus horizons in the altitudinal system of soil zonation. Three groups of phytocoenoses were distinguished: those with a dominant share of Juniperus seravschanica; those with a dominant share of J. semiglobosa; and mixed. Associations with Juniperus seravschanica and J. semiglobosa feature several variants of phytocoenoses with dominant species: Artemisia lehmanniana, A. dracunculus, Eremurus olgae, Festuca sulcata, Ligularia thomsonii, Stipa turkestanica, Thymus seravschanicus, and Ziziphora pamiroalaica. The collected soil samples differ in their granulometric composition. Gravelly cobble fractions >2 mm are dominant; the share of sandy particles <2 mm is much lower (about 10–20%). Fraction 0.5–0.05 attains 35% on average. The Corg content of the soil varied from 0.26 to 11.40% in the humus horizon (A) and from 4.3 to 25% in the organic (O). Similar relationships were reported in the case of Ntot concentration. A clear relationship can be observed between concentrations of Corg and Ntot. Soil pH varied, ranging from very low acidic (pH 5.5) to neutral (pH 8.5). The content of available P varied; high concentrations were noted in organic (O) (40.46–211 mg kg−1) and mixed horizons (OA) (2.61–119 mg kg−1). Maximum accumulations of Pavail (1739.6 mg kg−1) and Ptot (9696 mg kg−1) were observed at a site heavily affected by intense grazing. Concentrations of Mgavail varied from 116 to 964 mg kg−1. Most of the analysed soil profiles lacked an organic horizon; only thin humus occurred

Equine asthma: current understanding and future directions

The 2019 Havemeyer Workshop brought together researchers and clinicians to discuss the latest information on Equine Asthma and provide future research directions. Current clinical and molecular asthma phenotypes and endotypes in humans were discussed and compared to asthma phenotypes in horses. The role of infectious and non-infectious causes of equine asthma, genetic factors and proposed disease pathophysiology were reviewed. Diagnostic limitations were evident by the limited number of tests and biomarkers available to field practitioners. The participants emphasized the need for more accessible, standardized diagnostics that would help identify specific phenotypes and endotypes in order to create more targeted treatments or management strategies. One important outcome of the workshop was the creation of the Equine Asthma Group that will facilitate communication between veterinary practice and research communities through published and easily accessible guidelines and foster research collaboration

Air temperature changes in Toruń (central Poland) from 1871 to 2010

The article presents a detailed analysis of changes in air temperature in Toruń in the period 1871–2010 on the basis of homogenised monthly, seasonal and annual air temperature series which have been newly constructed (i.e. extended by the 50 years of 1871–1920). Over the 140-year study period, a sizeable and statistically significant increase of 0.1 °C per decade was found in the air temperature in Toruń. The greatest increases occurred for spring and winter, at 0.12 and 0.11 °C, respectively. A lesser warming, meanwhile, was recorded for autumn (0.10 °C/10 years), and particularly for summer (0.07 °C/10 years). The air temperature trends are statistically significant for all seasons. Air temperature differences between the monthly averages of three analysed subperiods (1871–1900, 1901–1950 and 1951–2010) and averages for the entire period under review rarely exceeded ± 0.5 °C. In all of these periods, the highest average air temperatures occurred in July and the lowest in January. The period of 1981–2010 had the highest frequency of occurrence of very and extremely warm seasons and years. Meanwhile, the highest frequency of very and extremely cool seasons and years was recorded in the 1940s and in the nineteenth century. In the period of 1871–2010, winters shortened markedly (by 7%) and summers lengthened by 3.8%. All of the presented aspects of air temperature in Toruń, which is representative of the climate of central Poland, are in close agreement with the findings of analogous studies of the same for other areas of Poland and Central Europe

Effect of notch shape on the stress distribution alongside edges

W pracy porównano wpływ różnych geometrii konturu zaokrąglonego karbu typu V o identycznym kącie rozwarcia i krzywiźnie wierzchołka na rozkłady naprężeń wzdłuż krawędzi karbów. Rozważono przypadki symetrycznego i antysymetrycznego stanu naprężeń w wierzchołku karbu.The stress field distribution alongside edges of two different infinite V-notch contours was presented. The comparison included hyperbolic notch and wedge with straight edges rounded at the top with the circular arc. The notch opening angles and curvature at notch apices were the same. Two basic stress states – symmetrical (mode I) and antisymmetrical (mode II) were analyzed