Acrocephalus orinus: A Case of Mistaken Identity

Recent discovery of the Large-billed Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus orinus) in museums and in the wild significantly expanded our knowledge of its morphological traits and genetic variability, and revealed new data on geographical distribution of the breeding grounds, migration routes and wintering locations of this species. It is now certain that A. orinus is breeding in Central Asia; however, the precise area of distribution remains unclear. The difficulty in the further study of this species lies in the small number of known specimens, with only 13 currently available in museums, and in the relative uncertainty of the breeding area and habitat of this species. Following morphological and genetic analyses from Svensson, et al, we describe 14 new A. orinus specimens from collections of Zoological Museums of the former USSR from the territory of Central Asian states. All of these specimens were erroneously labeled as Blyth's Reed Warbler (A. dumetorum), which is thought to be a breeding species in these areas. The 14 new A. orinus specimens were collected during breeding season while most of the 85 A. dumetorum specimens from the same area were collected during the migration period. Our data indicate that the Central Asian territory previously attributed as breeding grounds of A. dumetorum is likely to constitute the breeding territory of A. orinus. This rare case of a re-description of the breeding territory of a lost species emphasizes the importance of maintenance of museum collections around the world. If the present data on the breeding grounds of A. orinus are confirmed with field observations and collections, the literature on the biology of A. dumetorum from the southern part of its range may have to be reconsidered

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049

Birds of Mys Shmidta, north Chukotka, Russia

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Heat and mass transfer in a high-porous low-temperature thermal insulation in real operating conditions

The results of numerical simulation of heat and mass transfer in a high-porous low-temperature insulation in conditions of insulation freezing, a moisture migration to the front of phase transition and a condensation forming on an outer contour of interaction were obtained. Values of heat leakage were established

Heat and Mass Transfer in a High-Porous Low-Temperature Thermal Insulation in Real Operating Conditions

The results of numerical simulation of heat and mass transfer in a high-porous low-temperature insulation in conditions of insulation freezing, a moisture migration to the front of phase transition and a condensation forming on an outer contour of interaction were obtained. Values of heat leakage were established

Heat and Mass Transfer in a High-Porous Low-Temperature Thermal Insulation in Real Operating Conditions

The results of numerical simulation of heat and mass transfer in a high-porous low-temperature insulation in conditions of insulation freezing, a moisture migration to the front of phase transition and a condensation forming on an outer contour of interaction were obtained. Values of heat leakage were established

Numerical simulation of combustion of a composite solid propellant containing boron powder

The combustion of a metallized composite solid propellant containing boron particles is numerically studied. The mathematical model is based on the approaches of two-phase reacting medium mechanics for describing processes in a two-phase flow above the propellant surface and the Hermance model for describing the decomposition of a composite solid propellant. The model of combustion of a metallized composite solid propellant takes into account the oxidation and combustion of boron particles. The dependence of the burning rate of a metallized composite solid propellant on the gas pressure above the combustion surface and the size of boron particles is determined from a parametric study