New records of Holocene polar bear and walrus (Carnivora) in the Russian Arctic

This article discusses recent finds of Holocene polar bear and walrus from the northern regions of Russia. The ulna of a polar bear was found on Vaygach Island and radiocarbon dated to 1,971 +/- 25 BP (OxA-23631). This calibrates to 430-540 AD, taking into account the marine reservoir effect. The size of the bone is similar to that of a recent Ursus maritimus. The locality of the fossil bone is within the modern species range, which developed about two millennia ago. In 2014 a walrus tusk was found on the coast of New Siberia Island and is radiocarbon dated to 5,065 +/- 35 BP (GrA-62452). This calibrates to 3,510-3,370 BC, taking into account the marine reservoir effect. Its size and morphology are identical to that of an adult male of the subspecies Odobenus rosmarus laptevi. This subspecies populates the eastern parts of the Kara Sea, the entire Laptev Sea and the western parts of the East Siberian Sea. This new discovery could mean that populations of O. rosmarus laptevi inhabited the waters near the New Siberian Islands during the Middle Holocene, and that the present-day coastline of the Siberian Arctic Islands was already formed at that time

Multifactorial approach to preparing Russian young people for a future profession

This article examines the theory and practice of a multi-level system of continuous innovative education. The pedagogical system of multilevel continuous creative education is considered in detail, and sufficient creative pedagogical methods are put forward for the formation of creative thinking and the development of students' creative abilities. Creative approach provides teachers and students with intellectual tools for the formation of creative systems thinking, teaches them to look at the world systematically and manage thought processes. Innovative teaching methods in the continuous formation of a multilevel system of creative thinking provide the basic principles of teaching by changing the structure of the lessons and implementing their original content. Using them, it is possible to significantly accelerate the solution of a pressing problem in Russia: formation of a creative personality of students

ϒ production in p–Pb collisions at √sNN=8.16 TeV

ϒ production in p–Pb interactions is studied at the centre-of-mass energy per nucleon–nucleon collision √sNN = 8.16 TeV with the ALICE detector at the CERN LHC. The measurement is performed reconstructing bottomonium resonances via their dimuon decay channel, in the centre-of-mass rapidity intervals 2.03 < ycms < 3.53 and −4.46 < ycms < −2.96, down to zero transverse momentum. In this work, results on the ϒ(1S) production cross section as a function of rapidity and transverse momentum are presented. The corresponding nuclear modification factor shows a suppression of the ϒ(1S) yields with respect to pp collisions, both at forward and backward rapidity. This suppression is stronger in the low transverse momentum region and shows no significant dependence on the centrality of the interactions. Furthermore, the ϒ(2S) nuclear modification factor is evaluated, suggesting a suppression similar to that of the ϒ(1S). A first measurement of the ϒ(3S) has also been performed. Finally, results are compared with previous ALICE measurements in p–Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV and with theoretical calculations.publishedVersio

Development of small innovative business in the Russian economy

The article is devoted to small entrepreneurship in the scientific and technical sphere, despite the recognition of its right to state support, it has a significant difference from scientific and technical and the so-called earlier implementation activities characteristic of the period preceding economic reforms. A significant place in the article is given to the development of mathematical modeling in the system of innovative entrepreneurship in modern crisis conditions. Adaptability and flexibility are considered as the most important indicators of the efficiency of structures, their ability to ensure sustainable operation and effective innovative development of small businesses. The issues of scientific, technical and innovative activities in small business and in the public sector of the economy on the conjugation of adaptability and flexibility are considered. A number of modern techniques related to the development of mathematical modeling of the development of small enterprises in innovative activities in a crisis are analyzed. The necessity of mathematical modeling as the main factor in the implementation of financial support for small business in innovation, for which conventional methods are unacceptable, has been substantiated. The proposed approach should be considered as a guideline when assessing the mechanism for allocating funds from the budget for the development of small business in innovation

Development of an Adaptive Management Strategy of High-Technology Enterprises in Modern Crisis

The article is devoted to the development of a multicomponent adaptive strategy for managing Russian high-tech enterprises in modern crisis conditions. Adaptability and flexibility are considered as the most important indicators of the efficiency of structures, their ability to ensure sustainable operation and effective innovative development of high-tech enterprises. A significant place in the article is devoted to possible approaches and methods of adaptive management of the enterprise in crisis, with the help of which changes in the internal and external environment are monitored, which can be expected and random, make current operational decisions that contribute to the achievement of pre-set goals based on correction of certain tasks. The questions about the quality of adaptation, adaptive characteristics of the structure and their consistency with the level and quality of adaptation of other elements of the enterprise, conjugation of adaptability and flexibility and pace of changes are considered. A number of modern techniques related to the development of strategies for the development of high-tech enterprises in crisis conditions are analyzed. The necessity of conducting a comprehensive accounting of the crisis as the main factor associated with the uncertainty of the external environment at the stage of strategic analysis is substantiated. There is an option, in which it is possible to include the crisis and its main characteristics into the strategic three competence model of the enterprise, as an additional controlled parameter. There is a general specificity of the formation of the strategy of a high-tech enterprise in conditions of risk and uncertainty

New records of Holocene polar bear and walrus (Carnivora) in the Russian Arctic

This article discusses recent finds of Holocene polar bear and walrus from the northern regions of Russia. The ulna of a polar bear was found on Vaygach Island and radiocarbon dated to 1,971 +/- 25 BP (OxA-23631). This calibrates to 430-540 AD, taking into account the marine reservoir effect. The size of the bone is similar to that of a recent Ursus maritimus. The locality of the fossil bone is within the modern species range, which developed about two millennia ago. In 2014 a walrus tusk was found on the coast of New Siberia Island and is radiocarbon dated to 5,065 +/- 35 BP (GrA-62452). This calibrates to 3,510-3,370 BC, taking into account the marine reservoir effect. Its size and morphology are identical to that of an adult male of the subspecies Odobenus rosmarus laptevi. This subspecies populates the eastern parts of the Kara Sea, the entire Laptev Sea and the western parts of the East Siberian Sea. This new discovery could mean that populations of O. rosmarus laptevi inhabited the waters near the New Siberian Islands during the Middle Holocene, and that the present-day coastline of the Siberian Arctic Islands was already formed at that time

A study of a frozen mummy of a wild horse from the Holocene of Yakutia, East Siberia, Russia

The paper presents a description of a rare finding of the partial frozen corpse of the Yukagir horse. Discovered from thawing deposits in northern East Siberia (Yakutia, Russia), its age is confirmed to be Mid-Holocene (about 4600 BP). The mummy had a preserved head with the neck and the back of the torso with the legs and tail. The Yukagir horse was relatively short, with short ears and tail. Compared to the modern breeds, including the Yakutian domestic horse, wild Przewalski's horse, and extinct Lena horse, Equus lenensis, the Yukagir horse was closest to the latter, which was also confirmed by studies of the hair microstructure. The pollen and plant remains from the horse's intestines indicated a preference to grasses. The late geological age of the Yukagir horse is an indication that this species survived the Pleistocene-Holocene crisis and lived through the Mid-Holocene in northern Eastern Siberia

The Yukagir Bison:The exterior morphology of a complete frozen mummy of the extinct steppe bison, Bison priscus from the early Holocene of northern Yakutia, Russia

The paper presents analyses of the exterior morphology of one of the extinct and dominating species of the Late Pleistocene megafauna of Eurasia, the steppe bison, Bison priscus. The frozen mummy of the Yukagir Bison found in northern Yakutia, Russia represents the most complete specimen of this species in the world. It belongs to a young, 4.1-4.5 year old male, which dates back about 10,500 cal BP. The analyses revealed that the overall size of this specimen was comparable to a 6-year old European and American bison. Its horn spread falls within the upper limits of B. bison athabascae and B. bison bison males, as well as within the average sizes of B. priscus occidentalis from East Siberia and North America. While most of the not fully-grown Yukagir Bison body size fell within the average parameters of both grown modern species, the body and hind foot lengths were closer to the lower limits of the European bison. The color and hair pattern appeared to be close to the Blue Babe mummy (B. priscus) and modern Wood bison (modern morphotype of B. bison athabascae) and European (B. bonasus) bison. The geological age of the Yukagir Bison, along with the data from other specimens indicate that this species, which survived the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary, became rare but was still widely distributed in the northern part of centraleastern Siberia until about 8000 years ago. The juxtaposed data from arctic latitude sediments and the Bison priscus stomach content pollen indicate that it was selective grazer in the environment dominated by unfavorable shrub and forest-tundra vegetation. The scarce Holocene steppe bison remains in Eastern Siberia reflects the dramatic decrease of suitable habitats and pastures during the early Holocene climatic optimum in the high Arctic, which was a major factor of irreversible population fragmentation and decline leading to the species' extinction. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved