INTRODUCTION OF THE CHERRY GENE POOL IN THE NORTHERN ENVIRONMENTS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND THE RESULTS OF ITS STUDYING FOR 50 YEARS

The cherry collection maintained at Pavlovsk Experimental station of VIR has been studied since 1967 in the context of the dynamics of newly acquired accessions. The main goal was to identify sources of the highest winter hardiness, frost tolerance and resistance to harmful diseases, such as cherry leaf spot and brown rot of the fruit, as well as other biological and economic traits valuable for breeders, such as self-fertility or large fruit size. Many years of research have resulted in identifying genotypes with different levels of field resistance in the years with average and epiphytotic type of disease development, and with the best indices of biological and economic traits

WILD SOUR CHERRY SPECIES OF THE CAUCASUS, CENTRAL ASIA AND THE FAR EAST AND THEIR USE IN BREEDING

Expedition activities of VIR and its experiment stations greatly broadened the collected diversity of stone fruits with valuable plant material that can be used in breeding. Wild sour cherries from the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Far East introduced in the 1970–80s had a range of such important traits as immunity to fungal diseases, winter hardiness, drought resistance, restrained growth, vegetative reproduction ability, and were later used by Russian breeders for the development of new varieties and clonal rootstocks for growing cherries in various ecological and geographical areas of the country. The study of sour cherry samples collected in vivo helped in some cases to clarify some questions related to the range of polymorphism, taxonomic discrepancies, and the number of sour cherry varieties (Cerasus spp.) of Microcerasus prostrata (Labill.) Roem., Microcerasus incana (Pall.) Roem. and others. In general, this work contributed to the revision of the genus Cerasus Mill. by reducing the number of species in it, eliminating the extensive synonymy and the misidentified taxa. The breeding work aimed at creating new varieties and rootstocks for stone fruit crops is carried out in Russia at 4–5 institutions and employs wild species with important traits as source material. The future of effective breeding of resistant sour cherry varieties is impossible without the involvement of wild species with important breeding characteristics

Age and growth of blue Antimora Antimora rostrata (Moridae) in Southwestern Greenland waters

The results of determination of age and study on growth of blue antimora Antimora rostrata from the waters of Southwestern Greenland are presented. The results are based on the analysis of 200 fish otoliths. In the catches, we found specimens of antimora with total lengths of 18−70 cm, body weights of 23−2731 g, at the age of 7−38 years. Minimal age of males (not considering juvenile individuals) was 10 years at body length of 27−33 cm; maximal age was 18 years at 42 cm. Minimal age of females was 9 years at length of 21–27 cm; maximal age was 38 years at 70 cm. The rate of linear growth in blue antimora from Southwestern Greenland waters is comparable to that in the fish from New Zealand and Ross Sea waters but considerably lower than indicated earlier for fish from the waters of Iceland, Greenland, and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The age of reaching sexual maturity in males and females is preliminary determined as 15 and 19−20 years, respectively

Growth and age of the roughhead grenadier Macrourus berglax in waters off Southwest Greenland

Data on the age and growth of the roughhead grenadier Macrourus berglax from waters off Southwest Greenland have been obtained based on the analysis of otoliths. Specimens with a preanal length of 5−39 cm, a weight of 7−5275 g, and age from 2 to 22 years are recorded in trawl catches. Roughhead grenadier exhibits a similar rate of linear growth in waters off Southwest Greenland and other parts of the range in the Northwest Atlantic. No considerable differences from the rate of the linear growth calculated earlier from scales for the species in waters off West Greenland have been found. In the recent period, the rate of weight gain in roughhead grenadier in waters off Southwest Greenland has been lower than in the Northwest Atlantic in the first half of the 1980s. The age of mass maturation in males (7–9 years) and females (16–17 years) in waters off West and East Greenland is somewhat higher than in coastal waters of Norway and the Northwest Atlantic

Sport organizations as entrepreneurial structures: risks and development assessment

Development of the sport industry in Russia is quite difficult, although there are a large number of opportunities and prerequisites for the implementation of entrepreneurial initiatives in this area. This study examines the specifics of the development of sport organizations as entrepreneurial structures through the example of Russia. This is due to the fact that for a long time, sport in Russia was developing as a social phenomenon, and only a couple of decades ago entrepreneurial initiatives began to penetrate this area. The research is based on the works of researchers in the field of sport and sport management, risks, as well as analytical reports of leading consulting agencies. The methodological basis of the study is the theory of effectuation and risk theory. The aim of the study is to develop management mechanisms for sport organisations to increase their entrepreneurial activities and competitiveness. The object of the study is Russian sport organisations that can actually or potentially carry out entrepreneurial activities. The sports organizations entrepreneurial potential and the mechanisms for its formation and use are the subject of the study. The novelty of the study consists in the concept of entrepreneurial-oriented activity of sports organizations, including peculiarities of development of sports organizations as entrepreneurial structures, model of their life cycle and determination of entrepreneurial risks, main blocks of system of management. The authors’ study “Entrepreneurial activity in sports” made it possible to identify the main barriers and risks to the development of sports organizations, to determine entrepreneurship as an additional financial source for the activities of sports organizations. The main results of the study are the development of a risk-based approach to the development of entrepreneurial initiatives of sport organisations. The scope of application of the results obtained is determined by the opportunities for the development of entrepreneurship in the field of sport

Viability of pollen in sweet cherry (<i>Cerasus avium</i>) varieties of different ecogeographic origin in the Northwestern region of Russia

Background. Sweet cherry is an unconventional fruit crop for the Northwestern region of Russia. Identification of cultivars adapted to the conditions of the northwest requires a comprehensive study of cultivars of different ecogeographic origin and, specifically, morpho-physiological characteristics of pollen, which ensure the productivity of sweet cherries.Materials and methods. The field sweet cherry collection maintained at Pushkin and Pavlovsk Laboratories of VIR served as the material for the study carried out in 2017 at the Plant Diversity Long-Term Storage Laboratory. Twenty-four sweet cherry accessions belonging to five different groups were studied: I – Northwestern (bred at VIR); II – Central; III – Central Black Soil (all three are regions in Russia); IV – Belarus; and V – Estonia. Viability of pollen was assessed by germinating on an artificial medium with 10% sucrose and 0.6% agar. Pollen viability results were statistically processed using StatSoft Statistica 13.0 and Microsoft Excel.Results. The initial viability of pollen for almost all varieties in 2017 was low. High percentage of pollen germination was characteristic of cvs. ‘Krasnaya sladkaya’ (gr. I, 50.0%), ‘Leningradskaya rozovaya’ (gr. I, 61.8%), ‘Adelina’ (gr. III, 53.5%) and ‘Zarya Vostoka’ (gr. III, 60.3%). After storage in liquid nitrogen, the level of pollen germination increased in all cultivars of groups I and V as well as in a number of cultivars from group II (‘Raditza’, ‘Iput’, ‘Rechitsa’ and ‘Fatezh’), group III (‘Zarya Vostoka’, ‘Rondo’ and ‘Orlovskaya rozovaya’) and group IV (‘Severnaya’ and ‘Vityaz’). Pollen viability after cryopreservation significantly decreased by 8.7‑17.3% in cvs. ‘Bryanochka’ (gr. II), ‘Alebastrovaya’ (IV),’ Bryanskaya rozovaya’ (II) and ‘Adelina’ (III). Pollen viability parameters (length of pollen tubes and percentage of germinated pollen grains) positively correlated prior to immersion into liquid nitrogen from r = 0,54 (gr. III) to r = 0,76 (gr. II), while after cryopreservation, they showed weak correlation (r = 0,28) in gr. I, and strong one (r = 0,79) in group IV. In the length of pollen tubes and the level of viability, the parent cv. ‘Leningradskaya chernaya’ had practically no connection with cv. ‘Raditsa’ (r = 0.09), while with cv. ‘Meelika’ the correlation was medium negative (r = –0.49); correlations between the parent cv. ‘Krasnaya plotnaya’ and cvs. ‘Sopernitsa’, ‘Bryanochka’ and ‘Vityaz’ were medium (r = 0.57) and high (r = 0.78 and r = 0.83), respectively.Conclusion. In their level of pollen viability, the introduced sweet cherry cultivars are similar to or even exceed the cultivars native to the northwest (bred at VIR)

Chemical composition of bird cherry fruits in the Northwestern region of Russia

Background. Among stone fruit plants, a special place belongs to bird cherry (Padus Mill.). As a food plant, it has found use in areas with harsh climate conditions. Since the breeding of bird cherry cultivars for food purposes continues to develop, there is a need to know the chemical composition of its fruits. The aim of this research was to study bird cherry in the environments of the Russian Northwest and isolate genotypes with an optimal biochemical composition for subsequent use.Materials and methods. Fruit composition in 21 accessions from the bird cherry collection was analyzed in 2009 and 2011–2013 at the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory of the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR). Biochemical studies were performed using the methods adopted at VIR. Statistical processing of the data obtained was made using the Microsoft Excel software package.Results. The best genotypes were selected for each chemical component: for increased soluble solid content (SSC), accessions of Group I ‘Nevesta’ (29.63%), 1-1-8 (30.35), ‘Carpaty 5’ (30.87), ‘Chaika’ (33.9); for accumulation of sugars, ‘Granatovaya grozd’ (Group III; 12.13%), 1-1-8 (Gr. I; 12.5), ‘Pamyati Salamatova’ (Gr. IV; 12.8); for low acid content, ‘Sibirskaya krasavitsa’ (Gr. II; 1.03%), 1-1-8 (Gr. I; 1.14) ‘Granatovaya grozd’ (Gr. III; 1.17), ‘Zelenoplodnaya’ (Gr. I; 1.21), ‘Pozdnyaya radost’ (Gr. III; 1.25); for high content of ascorbic acid, 1-1-8 (Gr. I; 19.1 mg/100 g), ‘Sakhalinskaya chernaya’ (Gr. I; 19.35) ‘Rannyaya kruglaya’ (Gr. IV; 20.65), ‘Krasny shater’ (Gr. II; 21.23); for triterpene (ursolic, oleanolic) acids, ‘Cherny blesk’ (Gr. IV; 0.045%) and ‘Atica’ (Gr. I; 0.056).Conclusion. Significant differences were found in SSC between accessions of Groups I (P. avium) and II (P. avium × P. virginiana); and in the sugar/acid ratio (SAR), between I (P. avium) and IV (seedlings of cv. ‘Pamyati Salamatova’); II (P. avium × P. virginiana) and III (P. virginiana × P. avium); III (P. virginiana × P. avium) and IV (seedlings of cv. ‘Pamyati Sala matova’)

Genomic signatures of freshwater adaptation in Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii)

Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) is an essential target of commercial fishing in the North Pacific Ocean. Previous studies have suggested the existence of marine and lake ecological forms of this species within its range. The lake ecological form of herring has a shortened life cycle, spending the winter and spawning in brackish waters near the shoreline without long migrations for feed-ing; it also has a relatively smaller body size than the marine form. Genetic-based studies have shown that brackish water Pacific herring not only can be distinguished as a separate lake eco-logical form but possibly has its genetic legacy. Here, as part of an ongoing study, using ddRAD-sequencing data for marine and lake ecological forms from a total of 54 individuals and methods of comparative bioinformatics, we describe genomic signatures of freshwater adaptivity in Pacific herring. In total, 253 genes containing discriminating SNPs were found, and part of those genes was organized into genome clusters, also known as “genomic islands of divergence”. Moreover, the Tajima’s D test showed that these loci are under directional selection in the lake populations of the Pacific herring. Yet, most discriminating loci between the lake and marine eco-logical forms of Pacific herring do not intersect (by gene name) with those in other known marine fish species with known freshwater/brackish populations. However, some are associated with the same physiological trait—osmoregulation.publishedVersio

Characteristics of carbohydrate metabolism in the surgical treatment of morbid obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus using various modifications of biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch

BACKGROUND: Biliopancreatic diversion (BPD), and its modifications, is the most effective surgical bariatric treatment of morbid obesity and associated metabolic disturbances. However, at present comparative studies of the dynamics of carbohydrate metabolism after various modifications of the BPD are lacking.AIM: comparative assessment for the effectiveness of biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD-DS) in the HessMarceau and single-anastomosis duodeno-ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy (SADI-S) modifications for correcting carbohydrate metabolism disorders and achieving remission of Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) within a period of up to five years after both operations.MATERIALS AND METHODS: within the framework of a prospective study, 200 patients with morbid obesity were operated on using the BPD-DS (group 1, n = 100) and SADI (group 2, n = 100) methods, the dynamics of clinical and laboratory parameters was analyzed in groups depending on the presence, or absence, of DM2, with an emphasis on the analysis of indicators of carbohydrate metabolism. DM2 was diagnosed in 35 (35.0%) patients in group 1 (BPD - DS) and 45 (45.0%) in group 2 (SADI). All patients underwent a standard set of clinical, laboratory and instrumental examination methods before, immediately after and at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months after the operation.RESULTS: 5 years after the operation, complete remission of DM2 was achieved in 38 (84.4%) and 32 (91.4%) patients from the SADI and BPD-DS groups, respectively, and 7 (15.6%) and 3 (8.6 %) of patients achieved partial remission. The level of C-peptide, which also decreased after both modifications of BPS, was higher in patients after BPS in the SADI modification, both in patients with DM2 36 months (p&lt;0.05), and in patients without DM2 at 3, 12 and 24 months after surgery (p&lt;0.05).CONCLUSION: The frequency of achieving stable remission of DM2 is comparable in both groups. The carbohydrate profile of patients after SADI is characterized by higher levels of glucose and C-peptide compared to BPD-DS at different periods of follow-up over five years