IR Thermographic System Supplied with an Ordered Fiber Bundle for Investigation of Power Engineering Equipment and Units

In this article, the authors propose an IR imaging system, supplied with an IR bundle of ordered silver halide fibers, for the acquisition of 2D temperature field distribution in hard-to-reach places. We assessed crosstalk between neighboring individual fibers of the bundle, carried out calibration of the IR imaging system, and determined modelled defects using this system. The results showed the applicability of the system for the inspection and investigation of power engineering units. Keywords: IR fiber bundles, IR thermography, internal defects detectio

Spin excitations of the correlated semiconductor FeSi probed by THz radiation

By direct measurements of the complex optical conductivity $\sigma(\nu)$ of FeSi we have discovered a broad absorption peak centered at frequency $\nu_{0}(4.2 K) \approx 32 cm^{-1}$ that develops at temperatures below 20 K. This feature is caused by spin-polaronic states formed in the middle of the gap in the electronic density of states. We observe the spin excitations between the electronic levels split by the exchange field of $H_{e}=34\pm 6 T$. Spin fluctuations are identified as the main factor determining the formation of the spin polarons and the rich magnetic phase diagram of FeSi.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Professional and Teaching Training of Masters in Engineering: Challenges and Solutions

The paper focuses on some aspects of organizing the training of Master of Engineering for future professional and teaching activity. We carry out a brief overview of the genesis of master’s education in Russia to provide higher education with educators. We discuss the challenges of the higher education system to (1) prepare teaching staff and (2) increase their qualification mobility. The paper analyzes (1) the expediency of including the teaching component in the education programs for masters of engineering, (2) the demand for masters of education in technical universities, and (3) the motivation of masters of education for professional and teaching activity. We obtained the presented empirical material during the research conducted in the 2017–2018 academic year and the 2018-2019 academic year at the Institute of Mechanics and Energy of the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy. The study involved 109 students getting a master’s degree and passing the teaching practice at the university

Investigation of the Respiration Rate During Storage of Fruit Vegetables Under the Influence of Abiotic Factors

The aim of the work was to establish the influence of most important abiotic planting factors (temperature, precipitation quantity) on the respiratory rate of fruit vegetables at storage and also a possibility of correction of respiratory metabolism by post-harvest thermal processing by antioxidant compositions. Fruits of cucumbers of the hybrids Masha and Afina, bush pumpkins Kavili and Tamino, sweet pepper of the hybrids Nikita and Hercules, tomato of the varieties Novachok and Rio Grande Original were used for the studies. It was established, that the respiratory rate of pumpkin fruit vegetables is importantly influenced by the variety specificity. The respiratory level of pumpkin vegetables directly correlates with the sum of active temperatures of the period of fruits formation and reversibly – with precipitation and hydrothermal coefficient.The influence of the variety specificity for nightshade vegetables is leveled, and among meteorological planting conditions the important intense influence on the respiratory rate is realized by the sum of active temperatures of the period of fruits formation and ripening. Precipitation and hydrothermal coefficient have the important influence only on pepper fruits.It was established, that the use of post-harvest thermal processing by antioxidant compositions results in inhibition of respiratory processes in fruit vegetables at storage

The small-scale variation of herb-layer community structure in a riparian mixed forest

The ground vegetation layer is the most diverse plant community in forest ecosystems. We have shown the role of spatial variables, soil properties and overstorey structure in spatial variation of the herb-layer community in a riparian mixed forest . The research was conducted in the "Dnipro-Orils’kiy" Nature Reserve (Ukraine). The research polygon was located in the forest in the floodplain of the River Protich, which is a left tributary of the River Dnipro. Plant abundance was quantified by measuring cover within an experimental polygon. The experimental polygon consisted of 7 transects, each comprising 15 test points. The distance between the rows in the site was 3 m. At the site we established a plot of 45 × 21 m, with 105 subplots of 3 × 3 m organized in a regular grid. A list of vascular plant species was composed for each 3 × 3 m subplot along with visual estimates of species cover projection. The plant community was represented by 43 species, of which 18.6% were phanerophytes, 39.5% were hemicryptophytes, 9.3% were therophytes, 7.0% were geophytes. An overall test of random labelling revealed the total nonrandom distribution of the tree stems within the site. The species-specific test of random labelling showed the nonrandom segregated distribution of Acer tataricum, Pyrus communis, Quercus robur, and Ulmus laevis. Crataegus monogyna and Euonymus europaeus were distributed randomly. The nearest neighbour of Acer tataricum was less likely to be Ulmus laevis. There was no direct spatial connection between Acer tataricum and other trees. Crataegus monogyna, Pyrus communis, Quercus robur and Euonymus europaeus were not segregated from all other species. The nearest neighbour of Ulmus laevis was less likely to be Acer tataricum. Constrained correspondence analysis (CCA) was applied as ordination approach. The forward selection procedure allowed us to select 6 soil variables which explain 28.3% of the herb-layer community variability. The list of the important soil variables includes soil mechanical impedance (at the depth 0–5, 30–35, 75–80, and 95–10 cm), soil moisture, and soil bulk density. The variation explained by pure spatial variables accounted for 11.0 %. The majority of the tree-distance structured variation in plant community composition was broad-scaled. The spatial scalograms were left-skewed asymmetric. Significant relationship was found between the pure spatial component of the community variation and a number of phytoindicator estimations, most important of which were the variability of damping and humidity. Tree stand was obseerved to be a considerable factor structuring both the herb-layer community and spatial variation of the physical properties of soil