Interglacial History of a Palaeo-lake and Regional Environment: A Multi-proxy Study of a Permafrost Deposit from Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island, Arctic Siberia

Chironomid, pollen, and rhizopod records from a permafrost sequence at the Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island (New Siberian Archipelago) document the evolution of a thermokarst palaeo-lake and environmental conditions in the region during the Last Interglacial (MIS 5e, ca. 130120 ka). Open Poaceae and Artemisia associations dominated vegetation at the beginning of the interglacial period, ca. 130 ka. Rare shrub thickets (Salix, Betula nana, Alnus fruticosa) grew in more protected and wetter places as well. Saalian ice wedges started to melt during this time, resulting in the formation of an initial thermokarst water body. The high percentage of semi-aquatic chironomids suggests that a peatland-pool palaeo-biotope existed at the site, when initial water body started to form. A distinct decrease in semi-aquatic chironomid taxa and an increase in lacustrine ones point to a gradual pooling of water in basin, which could in turn create thaw a permanent pond during the subsequent period. The highest relative abundance of Chironomus and Procladius reflects an existence of unfrozen water remaining under the ice throughout the ice-covered period during the later stage of palaeo-lake development. Chironomid record points to three successive stages during the water body evolution: (1) a peatland pool; (2) a pond (i.e., less deep than the maximum ice-cover thickness); and (3) a shallow lake (i.e., more deep than the maximum ice-cover thickness). The evolutionary trend of palaeo-lake points to intensive thermokarst processes occurring in the region during the Last Interglacial. Shrub tundra communities with Alnus fruticosa, Betula nana dominated the vegetation during the interglacial optimum that is evidenced by pollen record. The climate was relatively moist and warm. The results of this study suggest that quantitative chironomid-based temperature reconstructions from the Arctic thermokarst ponds/lakes may be problematic owing to other key environmental factors, such as prolonged periods of winter anoxia and local hydrological/geomorphological processes, controlling the chironomid assemblage

HLA DRB1* ASSOCIATION WITH REPRODUCTIVE DISORDERS IN WOMEN

Abstract. HLA DRB1* gene associations with idiopathic fetal losses and infertility were studied in women. It was shown that idiopathic fetal losses are associated with HLA DRB1*04 specificity, whereas infertility correlated with HLA DRB1*04/07 genotype. The associations revealed may indicate to a special role of autoimmune events in women during pregnancy. The authors suggest a hypothesis on existence of several immune modes of reproductive losses. HLA genotyping may be applied as a basic technique for their determination

MOLECULAR GENETIC ANALYSIS OF INTERLEUKIN 4 GENE POLYMORPHISM AMONG TELEUTIANS, SHORIANS, AND CAUCASIANS IN KEMEROVO REGION

Abstract. An interleukin 4 polymorphism has been studied in Teleutians, Shorians, and Caucasoids living in the Kemerovo Region. The groups of Teleutians and Caucasoids are characterised with even or close-to-even distribution of the IL-4 alleles. The most widespread genotype in populations of Teleutians and Caucasoids was the 2R/3R heterozygosity, and 3R/3R proved to be the mostly rare. These data are indicative for mixing processes among Teleutians in the Kemerovo Region and Siberian Caucasoids. The major IL-4 genotype in Shorian population was 3R/3R, and the heterozygotic genotype 2R/3R took the second position

A Study of Physico-chemical Characteristics of Electrochromic Ni(OH)2-PVA Films on Fto Glass with Different Deposition Duration

The use of electrochromic elements in “smart” windows leads to significant savings in electricity required for cooling premises. However, the high cost of these devices does not allow the technology to be widely used. Since the cost is determined by costly vacuum deposition methods, the development of other cheaper methods of deposition of electrochromic element layers is urgent. Aspects of alternative to vacuum formation methods – cathode template electrochemical deposition of composite electrochromic Ni(OH)2-PVA films were investigated. The study is devoted to determining the effect of the duration of deposition of the electrochromic layer on their physicochemical characteristics, in particular, on the optical and electrochemical properties. The deposition was carried out on fluorine-doped tin oxide glasses (FTO glasses). The time of deposition was chosen equal to 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80 minutes. As a result of the experiments, it was shown that the optimal duration of deposition under the selected conditions of the electrochromic layer formation was the interval from 5 to 20 minutes, inclusive. The deposition time of 40 minutes did not improve the optical characteristics of the film. At the same time, with the deposition duration of 60 and 80 minutes, the electrochemical and optical parameters sharply decreased, the coloration depth and irreversibility during bleaching, as well as the specific capacitances of the processes decreased. In the course of data processing, the film thickness was calculated depending on the duration of deposition in several ways. Comparison of the graphs obtained made it possible to determine the approximate amount of polyvinyl alcohol in the electrochromic composite coating, as well as to estimate the current efficiency of the electrodeposition and oxidation-reduction process of the electrochromic material. In this case, the volume of polyvinyl alcohol in the composite was approximately equal to the volume of nickel hydroxide, and the efficiency of Ni(OH)2 deposition and coloration-bleaching processes was approximately 100