Study of thermal effects of silicate-containing hydroxyapatites

The possibility of modifications of hydroxyapatite silicate ions, from the extracellular fluid prototype solution under near-physiological conditions has been studied. Formation of silicon-structured hydroxyapatite with different extent of substitution of phosphate groups in the silicate group has been established through chemical and X-ray diffraction analyses, FTIR spectroscopy and optical microscopy. The results obtained are in agreement and suggest the possibility of substitution of phosphate groups for silicate groups in the hydroxyapatite structure when introducing different sources of silica, tetraethoxysilane and sodium silicate, in the reaction mixture. Growth in the amount of silicon in Si-HA results in the increase in the thermal stability of the samples. The greatest mass loss occurs at temperatures in the range of 25-400 °С that is caused by the removal of the crystallization and adsorption water and volatile impurities. It is shown that the modified apatites are of imperfect structure and crystallize in a nanocrystalline state

Floristic Composition and Taxonomic Structure of Algae in the Hyperhaline Reservoirs of the Northwestern Azov Sea Coast (Ukraine)

The article represents the results of long-term algological studies of hyperhaline reservoirs of the northwestern coast of the Azov Sea. The features of the floristic composition and taxonomic structure of algae in aquatic (water column and bottom), aquatic-terrestrial (water’s edge, dried up water bodies, drying area) and terrestrial (elevated non-flooding areas) habitats of these objects are displayed. A specificity of the studied algoflora lies in the absence of representatives of certain characteristic phyla for the salt-water and non-saline land and water habitats of the territory of Ukraine. It was established that species composition of the studied reservoirs is depleted in comparison with other non-saline and marine ecosystems. Totally, 123 algae species were identified. They represented 7 divisions, 10 classes, 27 orders, 47 families, 68 genera. The largest number of species included three phyla: Cyanoprokaryota – 65 species (52.9% of the total number of identified species), Bacillariophyta – 26 (21.1%), Chlorophyta – 22 (17.9%). The first places among the six leading orders were taken by cyanoprocaryotes from Oscillatoriales, Nostocales, Chroococcales and diatoms from Naviculales. The most numerous species at the family level are trichomous cyanoprocaryotes from Nostocaceae, Pseudanabaenaceae, and Phormidiaceae. There were found 23 leading genera – their species richness exceeds the average indicator (1.81 species). According to the results of original studies, it was noted that all taxonomic levels of algoflora of the hyperhaline reservoirs shows features of not only saline habitats, but also of the freshwater, marine and terrestrial extreme ecosystems. Such diversity of the algal population indicates an unstable hydrological regime and complex relations of water exchange between the hyperhaline reservoirs and nearby terrestrial and aquatic habitats

The role of ecological groups in the formation of cyanobacterial communities in the ecosystems of the North Azov region (Ukraine)

The role of Cyanoprokaryota ecological groups in the ecosystems of the North Azov region was revealed in this work. On the territory of Pryazovskyi National Nature Park, 9 experimental polygons were studied, which covered steppe areas or slopes, salt marshes, coastal sandy soils and water bodies (rivers, lakes, estuaries, sea bays, lagoons). As a result of research on the territory of Pryazovskyi National Nature Park, 124 species of cyanoprokaryotes were identified, which include 127 intraspecific taxa. It was proved that the procedure of canonical correspondence analysis is the most suitable for the analysis of the species matrix. The axes identified as a result of the ordination procedure, which indicate the coordinated dynamics of the species, correlated with both synecological characteristics, such as diversity indicators, and with autoecological characteristics, such as ecotypes of cyanoprokaryotes in relation to habitat types or types of adaptation to salinity conditions. The first four canonical axes together explain 47.5% of species matrix variability. Canonical axis 1 explains 18.0% of the variability of the species matrix and is mostly marked by aqual subaerophytes and eurybionts. This axis indicates the presence of a gradient of salinity conditions where the most saline conditions correspond to the positive values of the axis, and the negative values correspond to less saline. Canonical axis 2 describes 12.1% of species matrix variability. This axis differentiates aquatic ecosystems from others. Canonical axis 3 explains 10.0% of the communities’ variability. This axis distinguishes freshwater ecosystems from saline ecosystems. Markers of freshwater communities are stenotopic halotolerants, which are narrow-range, common mainly in the temperate zone of Europe. The canonical axis 4 explains 7.3% of variability of the matrix of species and is able to differentiate sand ecosystems. The ecotopic structure and geographic range width of community species have the greatest independent value among the considered sources of variation. The independent role of adaptation to the salinity conditions of the ecotope and the role of the type of ecosystems is somewhat smaller. The interaction between the sources of variation is important in the variation of the structure of communities. The interaction between the ecotopic structure and the geographic range width of species and the triple interaction between the ecotopic structure of a community, the width of the geographic range of species and the ecosystem type plays the greatest role in the variation of community structure. Ecotopic groups, which indicate the preference of a particular habitat, correlate with the species composition of the communities. It is shown that the ratio of ecototopic groups in a community is a characteristic that reveals the features of the community as a whole

Fatty Acid Composition of Benthic Macroscopic Algal Growths and Peloids in the Ephemeral Reservoirs

The fatty acid composition of benthic macroscopic growths of algae and peloids in the ephemeral reservoirs on the Berdyansk Spit (near the Krasne Lake) and Arabat Spit (near the Zyablovs’ke Lake) was studied and analyzed. It is shown that fatty acid spectrum of benthic macroscopic algal growths and peloids largely coincides

Species Structure of Algae of the Saline Coastal Reservoirs of the Pryazov National Natural Park, Ukraine

The paper is devoted to the research of the species composition and taxonomic structure of algae in the saline coastal reservoirs of the Pryazov National Natural Park (PNNP). It is established that the species composition of algae in the studied reservoirs under modern conditions includes 153 species. These species represented 7 phyla, 11 classes, 32 orders, 61 families, 92 genera. The highest species richness at the phyla level showed Cyanoprokaryota (43.8% of the total number of species), Bacillariophyta (32.0%) and Chlorophyta (20.9%). These phyla include 148 species and form the basis of the species composition in the studied water bodies. The leading orders of algae in the researched reservoirs were Oscillatoriales and Synechococcales (23 and 20 species, respectively). The most diversely represented families were: Oscillatoriaceae (13 species), Nostocaceae, Leptolyngbyaceae, Naviculaceae (8 each), Microcoleaceae, and Bacillariaceae (7 each). The top list of the genera by this parameter: Leptolyngbya (6 species), Lyngbya, Nostoc, Phormidium, Nitzschia (5 each), Calothrix, Kamptonema, Cocconeis, Navicula (4 each). The highest frequency of occurrence among the identified species had also diatoms, cyanoprokaryotes and green algae: Halamphora coffeiformis (5.26%), Lyngbya aestuarii (4.21%), Cladophora siwaschensis (3.51%), Hantzschia amphioxys (3.33%), Nodularia harveyana (2.98%). Our research demonstrates that the species composition of algae of the studied saline coastal reservoirs of PNNP is quite impoverished in comparison with the partial soil algae flora, as well as the species list of algae in the freshwater reservoirs of Ukraine and seas. Specific features of the taxonomic composition of the saline coastal reservoirs are manifested in the association of organisms of fresh, marine and terrestrial habitats

Cyanoprocaryota of Tubalskyi Estuary (Azov sea basin)

Information about species composition of Cyanoprocaryota representatives in the natural boundary of Tubalskyi Estuary within Pryazov National Natural Park is supplemented. Taxonomic structure of identified algae species is given, the data about occurrence of species in different habitats within national park is provided. We present a systematic structure and geographical affinity of discovered algae species. We registered 38 species of cyanoprocaryotic algae of orders: Chroococcales, Oscillatoriales and Nostocales with predominance of Oscillatoriales representatives in different habitats of Tubalskyi Estuary within the areas of Pryazov National Natural Park. The greatest number of algae species had genera Lyngbya, Phormidium, Microcoleus Leptolyngbya – 4 species per each genera. The majority of algae species were the cosmopolitans. Microcoleus tenerrimus was registered in all the studied plots of soil sampling and in the water reservoir of Tubalskyi Estuary. The most abundant and distributed species was Lyngbya aestuarii, which formed the macroscopic growths (cyanobacterial mats)

Effect of stand density and diversity on the tree ratio of height to diameter relationship in the park stands of southern Ukraine

Urban parks provide important ecological functions and are a factor in the well-being of urban residents. The article investigated the influence of factors on the dependence of tree height on tree diameter in a park stand. The role of community diversity as a factor that reduces the risk of tree damage was assessed. The role of tree damage, density, and stand diversity as predictors in the dependence of tree height on its diameter was revealed. The hypothesis of the scale dependence of the influence of stand density on plant growth was tested. The park inventory recorded morphometric data on 814 trees. The information collected was presented in a geographic information database. The number of plants that are within a radius of 3, 5, 7, 10 meters was determined for each of the recorded plant specimens. The diversity according Shannon of the plant community was estimated based on the information on the species composition of plants within a radius of 10 meters from the focal plant. The plant community in the park was represented by 27 species of trees and shrubs. The most frequent species was U. caprinifolia. The age of plants in the community was positively correlated with the diversity of vegetation in the surroundings of a particular plant. About 74.1% of the trees were found to have the signs of pathological damage. The best model to explain tree damage was a model that included as predictors plant species, its age, the diversity of the surrounding stand, and its density estimated from a 7-m radius sampling site. The GLM approach allowed to reveal that 83% of tree height variation can be explained by the information on tree and shrub species, plant condition (healthy plant or damaged one), its diameter and stand density. The stand density and the square of this index were found to be statistically significant predictors if the density was calculated for a sample area with a radius of 7 meters. A quadratic form of the dependence indicates the presence of the maximum of the function. The calculations showed that the first derivative of the quadratic function is equal to zero at a density of 9.3 individuals in a sample area with a radius of 7 meters, or 3.0 plants per 100 meters2

Anthropogenic transformation of the flora of urbanoecosystems of the Northern Pryazov territories

This paper provides a thorough analysis of the current state of biodiversity of a model city in the Northern Pre-Azov region ofUkraine– Henichesk (Khersonregion). The species composition of the urban flora of this city is presented here for the first time. There are 507 species, which belong to two divisions, 61 families and 233 genera. The urban flora was analyzed in its systematic, biomorphological and environmental aspects. The species richness of families of the studied urban flora is characterized by a predominance of families which include 1–2 species. The majority of the urban flora species are herbaceous plants – 80.1% (406 species), including herbaceous monocarpics – 236 species and herbaceous polycarpics – 170. It was found that the ecological category with the largest number of species was therophytes l – 36.1% of species in the urban flora of Henichesk, the second place taken by hemicryptophytes – 31.9%. Other biological types are represented in a small quantity – 32.0%. An important characteristic of flora is distribution of species according to the main vegetation types (rythmologic groups). Summer green plants – 430 species (84.8%) are the dominant group in the researched urban flora. The plant community includes differentiated rosette, semirosette and rosetteless plants. Species with rosetteless shoot dominate. Rhizomeless species dominate in the flora of Henichesk (51.1%) and species with caudex (23.6%), indicating the dominance of xerophytic habitats and increased soil density in cities. In terms of moisture requirements, the largest environmental group is that which requires moderate moisture, accounting for 349 species (68.8% of the total species number). Heliophyllous, shade-tolerant species, and mezotrophs dominate. The adventive component of the Henichesk flora includes 217 species (159 genera and 52 families). Most of them are kenophytes, xenophytes, epecophytes. It was found that Henichesk has a specific urban flora that combines elements of natural flora and typical urban components.The paper provides a thorough analysis of the current situation about biodiversity of model city in the Nothern Pryazov territories – Henichesk (Kherson region). The urban flora species composition of this city is represented at first time. There are 507 species, which belongs to two divisions, 61 families and 233 genera. Urban flora was analyzed in systematical, biomorphological and environmental aspects. The species richness of families of the studied urban flora is characterized by a predominance of families which include 1–2 species. The most part of urban flora species are herbaceous plants – 80.1% (406 species), including herbaceous monocarpics – 236 species and herbaceous policarpics – 170. It was found that terophytes have prevalence – 36.1% by the types of biological species in the urban flora of Henichesk, the second place takes hemicryptophytes – 31.9%. Other biological types are represented in a small quantity – 32%. An important characteristic of flora is species distribution for the main types of vegetation (rythmologic groups). The dominated status in the researched urban flora set the summer green plants – 430 species (84.8%). Analyzing the position of the aerial shoot for the leaves position we have differed rosette, semirosette and rosetteless plants. Species with rosetteless shoot are dominating. Rhizomeless species in the flora of Henichesk are dominating (51.1%) and species with caudex (23.6%), indicating the dominance of xerophytic habitats and increased soil density in cities. The largest environmental group is a group of moderate moisture, which consists of 349 species (68.8% of the total species number). There is predominance of heliophilous and shade-tolerant species, and mezotrophs. Adventive component of Henichesk flora has 217 species (159 genera and 52 families). The most part among them kenophytes, xenophytes, epecophytes. It was found that Henichesk have specific urban flora that combines elements of natural flora and typical urban components.&nbsp

Host-Associated Bacteriophage Isolation and Preparation for Viral Metagenomics.

Prokaryotic viruses, or bacteriophages, are viruses that infect bacteria and archaea. These viruses have been known to associate with host systems for decades, yet only recently have their influence on the regulation of host-associated bacteria been appreciated. These studies have been conducted in many host systems, from the base of animal life in the Cnidarian phylum to mammals. These prokaryotic viruses are useful for regulating the number of bacteria in a host ecosystem and for regulating the strains of bacteria useful for the microbiome. These viruses are likely selected by the host to maintain bacterial populations. Viral metagenomics allows researchers to profile the communities of viruses associating with animal hosts, and importantly helps to determine the functional role these viruses play. Further, viral metagenomics show the sphere of viral involvement in gene flow and gene shuffling in an ever-changing host environment. The influence of prokaryotic viruses could, therefore, have a clear impact on host health