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Addressing socio-economic development issues are strategic and most important for any country. Multidimensional statistical analysis methods, including comprehensive index assessment, have been successfully used to address this challenge, but they don't cover all aspects of development, leaving some gap in the development of multidimensional metrics. The purpose of the study is to construct a latent metric space based on the use of multidimensional scaling. Based on statistics showing the economic development of Ukrainian regions, two-dimensional space of latent scales was constructed and Ukrainian's regions were positioned in this space. The results were interpreted meaningfully. This use of multidimensional statistical analysis confirms its usefulness for measuring the economic development of regions and allows their comprehensive assessment and comparison.

One of the most commonly used methods of environmental flows assessment is the approach based on Habitat Suitability Modeling (HSM) and habitat preferences curves (HPCs). Relationships between organisms and physical parameters describing the habitat remain strongly nonlinear and vary depending on several factors. The most common comparisons concern analyses between natural and regulated rivers, where the degree of river channel alterations is undefined and usually refers to all forms of hydromorphological degradation. Additionally, spatial scale and computational range of such a research mostly focus on longer river reaches and statistical analysis of HPC transferability, without detailed estimation of environmental flows values. The main aim of our research was assessment and comparison of environmental flows’ values for macroinvertebrates at two reaches of one river with different degrees of hydromorphological alteration. Two research hypotheses were verified: 1) morphological conditions impact on values of environmental flows and weighted usable area; 2) the mean value of environmental flows at the regulated river reach is higher compared to the natural reach. In order to put the obtained values of environmental flows into a broader context, the analyses of hydrological data and calculation of hydrology-based environmental flows were performed. Additionally, before determination of environmental flows, the transferability of habitat suitability criteria between reaches was verified. The obtained results confirmed research hypotheses, revealing strong dependence of environmental flows values to morphological conditions. Additionally, for both studied sections the lower limits of environmental flows were greater than hydrology-based values.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of simultaneous surgical interventions for revascularization of the carotid and coronary basins.Materials and methods: The effectiveness of the surgical intervention was assessed in 34 patients (31 male patients, 3 female patients, average age 61.8 ± 1.52 years) who underwent simultaneous carotid endarterectomy and coronary artery bypass grafting. The indications for surgical treatment for carotid arteries disease were determined by a neurosurgeon, and for coronary artery bypass grafting — by a cardiac surgeon.Results: Postoperative complications were observed in 55.9 % of patients. In 3 (8.8 %) patients, an acute ischemic stroke with a neurological deficit developed on the first day after the operation. One patient (2.9 %) presented with both an acute myocardial infarction in the postoperative period and an acute heart failure. Perioperative rhythm disturbances in the form of atrial fibrillation were observed in 6 (17.6 %) cases. Postoperative mortality was 2.9 %. During the first year after surgery, an improvement in the quality of life was observed in 31 (93.9 %) patients in the form of an improvement in the functional state of angina pectoris, a reduction of the heart failure symptoms, or a complete regression of cardiac symptoms. Two (6.06 %) patients needed for repeated myocardial revascularization. Within 3 years of follow-up, no patient developed an ischemic stroke. The patients who developed cerebral event immediately after surgery had a stable neurological status. The commutative survival rate (percentage of patients who survived within the indicated period) of patients for 1 year of observation was 100 %, for 3 years — 96 %. A significant drop in survival function was observed in the fourth year of observation up to 75 % due to the development of repeated acute myocardial infarction.Conclusions: The simultaneous revascularization of the carotid and coronary territory in the form of a carotid endarterectomy and aortocoronary bypass surgery is an effective modern method for preventing the development of stroke and acute myocardial infarction, improving the neurological and general somatic status, quality of life of patients with combined atherosclerotic lesions of the carotid and coronary arteries.

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a serious complication after allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), negatively affecting the morbidity and mortality of recipients. Skin involvement is the most common cGVHD manifestation with a wide range of pleomorphic features, from scleroderma to ulcerations and microangiopathic changes. Despite the access to many immunosuppressive drugs, therapy for cGVHD is challenging. Systemic steroids are recommended as the first-line treatment; but, in steroid-resistant patients, extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) remains one of the subsequent therapeutic options. Here, we present a case report of a 31-year patient suffering from advanced steroid-refractory skin and oral mucosa cGVHD who was spectacularly treated with ECP. It was the first time we observed such “overnight” resolution of the graft-versus-host disease syndrome. The present report proves the important role of ECP in the treatment of steroid-resistant cGVHD, especially when other immunosuppressive therapies have failed.

It is well established that perception is largely multisensory; often served by modalities such as touch, vision, and hearing that detect stimuli emanating from a common point in space; and processed by brain tissue maps that are spatially aligned. However, the neural interactions among modalities that share no spatial stimulus domain yet are essential for robust perception within noisy environments remain uncharacterized. Drosophila melanogaster makes its living navigating food odor plumes. Odor acts to increase the strength of gaze-stabilizing optomotor reflexes to keep the animal aligned within an invisible plume, facilitating odor localization in free flight. Here, we investigate the cellular mechanism for cross-modal behavioral interactions. We characterize a wide-field motion-selective interneuron of the lobula plate that shares anatomical and physiological similarities with the "Hx" neuron identified in larger flies. Drosophila Hx exhibits cross-modal enhancement of visual responses by paired odor, and presynaptic inputs to the lobula plate are required for behavioral odor tracking but are not themselves the target of odor modulation, nor is the neighboring wide-field "HSE" neuron. Octopaminergic neurons mediating increased visual responses upon flight initiation also show odor-evoked calcium modulations and form connections with Hx dendrites. Finally, restoring synaptic vesicle trafficking within the octopaminergic neurons of animals carrying a null mutation for all aminergic signaling is sufficient to restore odor-tracking behavior. These results are the first to demonstrate cellular mechanisms underlying visual-olfactory integration required for odor localization in fruit flies, which may be representative of adaptive multisensory interactions across taxa.

Study region: Northeast Poland, Biebrza Basin. Study focus: Studying reference ecosystems and their specific features provides information to be used as background principles for ecosystem management. In the case of riparian wetlands, these are hydrological indicators (such as average water levels, flooding extents and flood duration) that are either used as criteria for ecosystem conservation or remain easy-to-measure targets for habitat restoration. We focused on revealing whether any trends in flood extents and durations of inundation exist within near-natural temperate floodplains persisting under the natural lowland river flow regime. We analysed whether the fraction of inundation time in a year (FIT) changed over time. River discharge data from 1951 to 2011 applied as boundary conditions in a 1D hydrodynamic model were used to generate flood extents and durations in the Lower Basin of the Biebrza Valley. New hydrological insights for the region: We found no substantial trends in flood extents and flood durations in both time-dependent mean and standard deviation. We revealed that the average, long-term values of the FIT, influencing the persistence of Caricetum approprinquatae, Caricetum gracilis, Glycerietum maximae and Phragmitetum communis, reached, respectively, 0.33, 0.43, 0.49 and 0.53 and did not present trends. Variability of the FIT within particular plant communities was high. The main challenges in conservation of temperate riparian wetlands are likely related to appropriate management addressing nonlinear climatic pressures.

Monoamine neurotransmitters are stored in both synaptic vesicles (SVs), which are required for release at the synapse, and large dense-core vesicles (LDCVs), which mediate extrasynaptic release. The contributions of each type of vesicular release to specific behaviors are not known. To address this issue, we generated mutations in the C-terminal trafficking domain of the Drosophila vesicular monoamine transporter (DVMAT), which is required for the vesicular storage of monoamines in both SVs and LDCVs. Deletion of the terminal 23 aa (DVMAT-Δ3) reduced the rate of endocytosis and localization of DVMAT to SVs, but supported localization to LDCVs. An alanine substitution mutation in a tyrosine-based motif (DVMAT-Y600A) also reduced sorting to SVs and showed an endocytic deficit specific to aminergic nerve terminals. Redistribution of DVMAT-Y600A from SV to LDCV fractions was also enhanced in aminergic neurons. To determine how these changes might affect behavior, we expressed DVMAT-Δ3 and DVMAT-Y600A in a dVMAT null genetic background that lacks endogenous dVMAT activity. When expressed ubiquitously, DVMAT-Δ3 showed a specific deficit in female fertility, whereas DVMAT-Y600A rescued behavior similarly to DVMAT-wt. In contrast, when expressed more specifically in octopaminergic neurons, both DVMAT-Δ3 and DVMAT-Y600A failed to rescue female fertility, and DVMAT-Y600A showed deficits in larval locomotion. DVMAT-Y600A also showed more severe dominant effects than either DVMAT-wt or DVMAT-Δ3. We propose that these behavioral deficits result from the redistribution of DVMAT from SVs to LDCVs. By extension, our data suggest that the balance of amine release from SVs versus that from LDCVs is critical for the function of some aminergic circuits.

Abstract The retention of the embryo in the transfer catheter after embryo transfer (ET) during in vitro fertilization is a very common phenomenon, encountered by even the most experienced operators, and embryos retained in the transfer catheter or its sleeve require a repeat transfer. The exact mechanism of embryo retention has not been explained. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the mechanism of embryo retention in the catheter during embryo transfer by using a transparent uterus model equipped with pressure sensors and a video recorder. The results indicate that pressure changes in the uterine cavity during ET can influence the distribution of the transferred fluid containing the embryo. Under certain conditions, the transferred fluid can flow backward in the catheter, which may lead to retention of the embryo in the catheter.

Abstract Peatlands are poorly represented in global Earth system modeling frameworks. Here we add a peatland‐specific land surface hydrology module (PEAT‐CLSM) to the Catchment Land Surface Model (CLSM) of the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) framework. The amended TOPMODEL approach of the original CLSM that uses topography characteristics to model catchment processes is discarded, and a peatland‐specific model concept is realized in its place. To facilitate its utilization in operational GEOS efforts, PEAT‐CLSM uses the basic structure of CLSM and the same global input data. Parameters used in PEAT‐CLSM are based on literature data. A suite of CLSM and PEAT‐CLSM simulations for peatland areas between 40°N and 75°N is presented and evaluated against a newly compiled data set of groundwater table depth and eddy covariance observations of latent and sensible heat fluxes in natural and seminatural peatlands. CLSM's simulated groundwater tables are too deep and variable, whereas PEAT‐CLSM simulates a mean groundwater table depth of −0.20 m (snow‐free unfrozen period) with moderate temporal fluctuations (standard deviation of 0.10 m), in significantly better agreement with in situ observations. Relative to an operational CLSM version that simply includes peat as a soil class, the temporal correlation coefficient is increased on average by 0.16 and reaches 0.64 for bogs and 0.66 for fens when driven with global atmospheric forcing data. In PEAT‐CLSM, runoff is increased on average by 38% and evapotranspiration is reduced by 19%. The evapotranspiration reduction constitutes a significant improvement relative to eddy covariance measurements.

Introduction. The problem of pathology of internal organs comorbidity with obesity has become particularly relevant in recent years. The association of obesity with gastrointestinal pathology, in particular, irritable bowel syndrome has not been studied enough. The role of melatonin in the development of these diseases and the possibility of using its synthetic forms in their treatment has drawn the attention of researchers in recent years. Objective – to study the effect of synthetic melatonin on blood pressure, autonomic status, sleep quality, the level of ghrelin and serotonin in patients suffering from obesity combined with arterial hypertension and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. Material and methods. The study involved 78 patients, of which 34 were diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation combined with obesity, and 54 of those who suffered obesity, irritable bowel syndrome combined with arterial hypertension. Patients of each group were divided into two subgroups depending on the treatment complex, one of which received standard therapy, and in the case of combination with arterial hypertension, they also received three component antihypertensive therapy, while the other two received synthetic melatonin before the standard therapy. Results. There was a more significant decrease in average daily systolic and diastolic blood pressure values under the influence of therapy with the inclusion of vitae-melatonin and a significant decrease in the number of patients with a non-dipper and night-picker blood pressure profile. The more positive influence of comprehensive therapy with the inclusion of melatonin on parameters of heart rate variability and its quality was noted. The administration of melatonin combined with a standard therapy led to an increase in the frequency of the bowel movement, approaching serotonin in the serum to normal rates and a decrease in the postprandial level of ghrelin without changes in its fasting concentration. Conclusions. The obtained results are indicative of the positive effect of melatonin on obesity combined with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation and arterial hypertension.

A massive shift in agricultural practices over the past decades, to support exceptionally high yields and productivities involving intensive agriculture, have led to unsustainable agriculture practices across the globe. Sustenance of such high yields and productivities demand high use of organic and industrial fertilizers. This acts as a negative pressure on the environment. Excessive use of fertilizers leads to nutrient surplus in the fields, which, as a part of catchment runoff, flows into the water bodies as diffuse pollution. These nutrients through rivers are eventually passed into seas. High nutrients ending up into water bodies cause eutrophication. The situation is worsened when such unsustainable agricultural activities are carried out on drained peatlands. As a result, the nutrients that were not part of the nutrient cycle in the landscape for years begin to leach out due to mineralization of peatlands, thereby putting an additional load of nutrients on the environment, that was already under the negative impact of nutrient surplus. In view of the above, a small lowland catchment of the Ryck river in northeast Germany was assessed for its nitrogen losses from agricultural lands through empirical modelling. Initial empirical modelling resulted in an average annual total nitrogen loss of 14.7 kg ha−1 year−1. After a comparative analysis of these results with procured data, the empirical equation was modified to suit the catchment, yielding more accurate results. The study showed that 75.6% of peatlands in the catchment are under agricultural use. Subsequently, a proposal was made for potential wetland buffer zones in the Ryck catchment. Altogether, 13 peatland sites across 8 sub-catchments were recommended for mitigation of high nutrient runoff. In the end, nutrient efficiency of proposed WBZs in one of the sub-catchments of Ryck has been discussed. The results show that (i) the modified empirical equation can act as a key tool in application-based future strategies for nitrogen reduction in the Ryck catchment, (ii) restoration of peatlands and introduction of WBZs can help in mitigating the nutrient runoff for improved water quality of Ryck, and subsequently (ii) contribute to efficient reduction of riverine loads of nutrients into the Baltic Sea.

A case of treatment of a patient with type 4 of Ehlers–Danlos syndrome and bilateral dissection stenoses and aneurysms in V3and V4-segments of vertebral arteries is described. Also another vascular anomaly was verified: the aberrant right subclavian artery (arteria lusoria). Сerebral angiography with dynamic rotation of the neck revealed a bow hunter's syndrom, which consists in the restriction of blood flow in the right vertebral artery when the head is turned to the left. Stage-by-stage endovascular reconstruction of both vertebral arteries was performed. Firstly, LVIS stent was implanted in the left vertebral artery on the level of the dissection lesion. Then, the aneurysm of the left vertebral artery was embolized by detachable coils. Balloon angioplasty was performed in the stented segment with the compliance balloon-catheter Scepter. On the series of angiograms: the aneurysm is totally excluded, the stenosis of the artery is eliminated. After 1 month, the second stage of endovascular treatment in the same volume in the right vertebral artery was performed. At attempts of a hemostasis with the vascular closure device Аngioseal were unsuccessful in both operations. Hemostasis was successfully performed by manual compression of the puncture site. A mutation in the gene COL3A1, responsible for the synthesis of procollagen III type, was confirmed by Ehlers–Danlos syndrome of type 4 (vascular type) at the subsequent genotyping of the patient. The patient's neurological symptoms regressed to a great extent. Endovascular methods can be effective in the treatment of vertebral arteries dissection lesions in patients with vascular type of Ehlers–Danlos syndrome.

The observation of endovascular treatment of a 34-year-old woman with bilateral dissection lesions of vertebral arteries in V4-segments with occlusion of the right vertebral artery and right posterior inferior cerebellar artery, severe stenosis of the left vertebral artery caused by chiropractic manipulation in the neck region is described. There are intensive staticolocomotor and dynamic coordinating insufficiency, severe neck pain, headache, severe dizziness, Wallenberg syndrome, moderate central tetraparesis. MRI of the brain on the DWI Isotropic identified the hyperintensive round-shaped foci in the right hemisphere of the cerebellum, in the right side of cerebellum worm, in the right side of the medulla oblongata and in the right side of the pons (DWI BSS 3). Selective cerebral angiography was performed an hour after the clinic manifestation. Simultaneously, balloon angioplasty of severe dissection stenosis was performed in the V4-segment of the left vertebral artery by the compliant balloon-catheter Scepter C. In 18 hours from the development of vertebral artery dissection, self-expending stent LVIS was implanted into the left vertebral artery in the zone of dissection lesion. On the control angiograms: the left vertebral artery patency is restored without stenosis all along. The stent is fully opened. A second contrast contour is determined outside the stent in the dissection zone. All the arteries of the vertebrobasilar basin above the vertebrobasilar junction are passable. The V4-segment of the right vertebral artery is contrasted through the vertebrobilar junction. There was a rapid regression of neurological symptoms in the postoperative period. Only mild hypoesthesia on the right side in the outer Sölder’s zone, light coordination disorders on the right were remained. Control selective cerebral angiography revealed recanalization of the right vertebral artery and the right posterior cerebellar artery. But distal basin of the right posterior cerebellar artery is very poorly. The left vertebral artery is passable all over, but in the place of the former dissection, two equivalent arterial «sleeves» were formed according to the fenestration type. One «sleeve» is formed by a stent, the other — outside. All arteries of the vertebrobasilar basin are contrasted. The mild hemihepesthesia on the right side of the face in the outer Sölder’s zone, light coordination disorders on the right are remained. Implantation of the self-expanding stent LVIS allowed to restore the dominant vertebral artery and restrict ischemic brain damage in the brain stem and cerebellum in a patient with a both vertebral arteries dissection lesion caused by chiropractic neck manipulations.

Introduction. Autoimmune thyroiditis is one of the most important problems of modern endocrinology, with inadequately studied etiological and pathogenic mechanisms of development. It is characterized by the lack of objective and reliable diagnostic methods, effective treatment methods, uncertain therapy or indications for the choice of treatment methods. The aim of the study. Determination of markers for prediction of clinical course and choice of surgery’ volume in patients with nodular goiter and autoimmune thyroiditis, taking into account the oxidative, autoimmune and apoptotic processes. Material and methods. A total of 95 patients who were operated for a nodular endemic goiter on the background of autoimmune thyroiditis were examined. The status of pro- and antioxidant systems, the activity of proinflammatory cytokines, hormonal function of thyroid gland, the level of antibodies to thyroperoxidase, thyroglobulin antibodies and ultrasound structural changes in the thyroid gland have been evaluated in all patients, before and after surgery. Results. In patients with nodular endemic goiter and autoimmune thyroiditis, in the remote period after surgical treatment, there is a significant increase in the peroxide oxidation index and a decrease in the activity of antioxidant defense systems, against the suppression of apoptotic processes and the activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These processes lead to functional failure, hyperplasia and the progression of structural thyroid abnormalities, with progression of the functional incapacity of the thyroid gland and inadequate long-term outcome of treatment. Conclusions. The study allowed to clarify the indications and contraindications of different methods of treatment in patients with NGAIT, taking into account the parameters of severity of peroxide oxidation processes, the activity of apoptosis and functional capacity of the gland.

Conditions for regular domain structure formation in a monocrystalline barium hexaferrite plate have been studied experimentally. The purpose of the work was to develop a simple and, at the same time, an effective method of regularizing the cylindrical domain structure in these plates. The cylindrical domain structure was created by the field method, and its visualization was carried out using the Faraday effect. Radiophysical method of microwave spectroscopy was used to study characteristics of the spectra of magnetostatic oscillations, which are uniquely related to the type and quality of the formed domain structure. The method of cylindrical domain structure regularization in monocrystalline barium hexaferrite has been proposed, which is based on applying a constant fixed magnetic field along the easy magnetization axis. It has ascertained that the optimal value of regularization field lies within the range of 3.3...3.6 kOe. However, with the fields exceeding 3.6 kOe, the cylindrical domain structure is significantly distorted. It was found out that the proposed method allows increasing the intensity of the most high-frequency domain magnetostatic resonance by more than 4.5 dB.

The relationship between the spatial-frequency parameters of a rough surface with a random profile, which has a Gaussian form of the correlation function, and the amplitude-frequency characteristics of the electric field created by this surface is determined. The numerical determination of the evanescent field optimal configuration formed near the quartz rough surface in the gaseous medium saturated with chlorine molecules when illuminated from the quartz side has been considered. The finite-element approach is used to solve the Helmholtz two-dimensional vector equation. It was found that at the initial stage of photochemical polishing different electrodynamic conditions are created for the etching process depending on the profile height standard deviation value. In particular, when the standard deviation is less than 1 nm, all surface protrusions, for which the spatial spectrum harmonics of the profile are located in the region of the maximum slope of the spectral function, are most actively etched. This leads to a decrease in the effective width of the spatial spectrum of a rough quartz surface and an increase in its correlation length. Therefore, simultaneously with decreasing the height of the protrusions, the surface becomes flatter. The paper shows the different character of quartz surface nano-polishing process conditions depending on the initial standard deviation of the profile height.

Introduction. Regulation of gastrointestinal motility and eating behavior is one of the well‑known ghrelin’s effects. However, its cardioprotective effect, as well as vasodilatory action and participation in arterial pressure regulation, are not sufficiently studied. Objectives. To study fasting and postprandial ghrelin levels and eating behavior in patients with comorbidities such as irritable bowel syndrome, arterial hypertension, and obesity. Materials and methods. The study included 24 patients with irritable bowel syndrome, constipation and normal body mass index, 18 patients with arterial hypertension and obesity, and 54 patients with irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, arterial hypertension, and obesity. Blood pressure monitoring was performed in all patients and fasting and postprandial ghrelin levels in blood serum were measured, as well as eating behavior type, using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Results. Results of 24‑hour blood pressure monitoring showed a more significant rise in blood pressure, as well as a predominance of the non‑dipper profile, encountered in 40.0% of patients with the association of irritable bowel syndrome‑constipation, arterial hypertension and 2nd degree obesity, and in 70% of patients with 3rd degree obesity. The increased level of postprandial serum ghrelin in patients with this comorbid pathology contributes to the predominance ofexternal and emotional types of eating behavior, which were found in 37.5% and 34.2% of patients with the combination of these pathologies with obesity the 1st degree, 45.0% and 40.0% – with 2nd degree obesity and 60.0% and 40.0% – with 3rd degree obesity. Conclusions. The studied combined pathology (irritable bowel syndrome with constipation, arterial hypertension, and obesity) is accompanied by higher blood pressure, non‑dipper blood pressure profile predominance, increased postprandial ghrelin level and eating disorders.

In this paper, we propose a model of a dipole with an atomic structure instead of the standard dipole model with point unlike charges and the Hertzian dipole model, which have significant drawbacks. The equations of the Hertzian dipole and the standard model operate from a distance much larger than size of the dipole, and the quasistatic Coulomb and Biot-Savart fields are the essence of the reactive near field, its own fields with a phase shift ΔφE,H = π/2, which have no restrictions on the distances to a dipole, since they are directly related to charges and their motion – currents. In the framework of the proposed dipole model, we described the physical mechanisms for the formation of near and far fields of an oscillating dipole, which are based on the use of the Coulomb and Biot-Savart fields, the quasistatic lines of force of their electric charge fields Е, and the magnetic fields of the currents Н for the analysis of energy fluxes: reactive Sr at ΔφE,H = π/2 and active Sа at ΔφE,H = 0 alike.

Peatlands store substantial amounts of carbon and are vulnerable to climate change. We present a modified version of the Organising Carbon and Hydrology In Dynamic Ecosystems (ORCHIDEE) land surface model for simulating the hydrology, surface energy, and CO2 fluxes of peatlands on daily to annual timescales. The model includes a separate soil tile in each 0.5° grid cell, defined from a global peatland map and identified with peat-specific soil hydraulic properties. Runoff from non-peat vegetation within a grid cell containing a fraction of peat is routed to this peat soil tile, which maintains shallow water tables. The water table position separates oxic from anoxic decomposition. The model was evaluated against eddy-covariance (EC) observations from 30 northern peatland sites, with the maximum rate of carboxylation (Vcmax) being optimized at each site. Regarding short-term day-to-day variations, the model performance was good for gross primary production (GPP) (r2 = 0.76; Nash–Sutcliffe modeling efficiency, MEF = 0.76) and ecosystem respiration (ER, r2 = 0.78, MEF = 0.75), with lesser accuracy for latent heat fluxes (LE, r2 = 0.42, MEF = 0.14) and and net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE, r2 = 0.38, MEF = 0.26). Seasonal variations in GPP, ER, NEE, and energy fluxes on monthly scales showed moderate to high r2 values (0.57–0.86). For spatial across-site gradients of annual mean GPP, ER, NEE, and LE, r2 values of 0.93, 0.89, 0.27, and 0.71 were achieved, respectively. Water table (WT) variation was not well predicted (r2 Vcmax and latitude (temperature), which better reflects the spatial gradients of annual NEE than using an average Vcmax value.

This article presents an analysis of the effectiveness of available numerical techniques in mapping the characteristic behavior of ballistic ceramics under projectile impact conditions. As part of the work, the ballistic tests were performed on the layered ceramic/steel composite armor and tested with the 7.62 × 39 mm, armor-piercing incendiary (API) BZ projectile. The experimental tests were then mapped using computer simulations. In numerical analyses, four different techniques were used to describe cubic ceramic tiles Al2O3 placed on the ARMOX 500T steel backing plate, i.e.,: the Finite Element Method without Erosion (FEM), Finite Element with erosion (FEM + Erosion), Smoothed Particles Hydrodynamics (SPH) and a hybrid method that converts finite elements to SPH particles after exceeding the defined failure criteria (FEM to SPH conversion). The effectiveness of the individual methods was compared in terms of quality (mapping of characteristic phenomena occurring during the penetration process), quantity (bulge height of the backing plate) and time needed to complete the calculations. On the basis of the results of the experiments and numerical simulations, it was noticed that the most accurate reproduction of the phenomenon of ballistic impact of AP projectiles on ceramic/steel composite armor can be obtained by using a hybrid method, incorporating the conversion of finite elements into SPH particles. This method should be used in cases where accuracy of the results is more important than the time required to complete the calculations. In other situations where the purpose of the calculation is not to determine, for example, the exact value of penetration depth but only to observe a certain trend, the FEM method with defined erosion criteria (variant 2), which is more than 10 times faster, can be successfully used.

Unlike other monoamine neurotransmitters, the mechanism by which the brain's histamine content is regulated remains unclear. In mammals, vesicular monoamine transporters (VMATs) are expressed exclusively in neurons and mediate the storage of histamine and other monoamines. We have studied the visual system of Drosophila melanogaster in which histamine is the primary neurotransmitter released from photoreceptor cells. We report here that a novel mRNA splice variant of Drosophila VMAT (DVMAT-B) is expressed not in neurons but rather in a small subset of glia in the lamina of the fly's optic lobe. Histamine contents are reduced by mutation of dVMAT, but can be partially restored by specifically expressing DVMAT-B in glia. Our results suggest a novel role for a monoamine transporter in glia that may be relevant to histamine homeostasis in other systems.

In this work we study the properties of hysteresis of ferro-magnetic resonance frequency-field dependence in the samples of barium hexaferrite. The purpose of the study is the experimental investigation into the properties of high-frequency magnetic hysteresis within the wide range of the samples thickness. The experimental investigation was carried out using EHF-spectroscopy technique. The field method is used to obtain a cylindrical domain structure. It was found that in thick samples (t > 100 μm) the transition to a saturated (single-domain) state occurs at lower values of the external magnetic field Hs, moreover, the dependence of this field on the thickness is close to the linear one. Furthermore, a similar dependence is observed for the field Hbr of the sample transition to a multi-domain state. At the same time, there is no strict dependence of the hysteresis value on the change in the thickness of the samples. The shift of the frequency-field dependence of the ferromagnetic resonance in the high-frequency region under the saturated state of thick samples of barium hexaferrite was detected. It was found that each investigated sample can be characterized by some average value of hysteresis different from the others.