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Aim. To develop a method for detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains belonging to highly lethal, hypervirulent, multidrug-resistant Beijing 14717-15-cluster to be applied to screen for M. tuberculosis retrospective collections obtained from various regions of Russia. The collection included M. tuberculosis DNA samples obtained during population studies. Spoligotyping and genotyping of 24 variable number tandem repeats loci were performed according to standard protocols. Phylogenetic analysis was based on the whole genome sequencing data. Polymorphism at the genomic position 2423040 A G, specific for the Beijing 14717-15 cluster, was detected using PCR-RFLP and HhaI restriction enzyme. The bioinformatic and phylogenetic analysis of whole genome sequencing data for 205 strains of the early ancient sublineage of the M. tuberculosis Beijing genotype showed that strains with the VNTR 14717-15 profile (according to MIRU-VNTRplus.org) and those close to it were grouped into one monophyletic cluster of related strains, which we defined as Beijing 14717-15-cluster. Among the SNPs specific for the 14717-15 cluster, we chose a functionally neutral SNP at the genomic position 2423040 A G (Rv2161c Val33Ala) and developed a method for its detection in the PCR-RFLP format. Next, we applied this method to screening DNA collections from the regions of the European and Asian parts of Russia and Asian countries. The data demonstrate the presence of strains of the Beijing 14717-15 cluster only in the Asian region of Russia peaking in Buryatia (18%). We have developed a method for detection of the hypervirulent and highly lethal genetic cluster M. tuberculosis Beijing 14717-15 based on detection of the specific mutation in the Rv2161c gene using PCR followed by HhaI restriction of the PCR product and agarose gel electrophoresis to discriminate between wild-type and mutant alleles. The advantages of the proposed method are the speed, simple and unambiguous data interpretation, opportunity to detect contamination and mixed infection, suitability for efficient analysis of large collections of M. tuberculosis strains.

BACKGROUND: The potential relationship between pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer has been the subject of intense interest over the past few decades. Nevertheless, the features of the pathogenesis of concomitant pathology remain poorly studied. AIM: The ain of the study to develop an experimental model of the concomitant pathology of tuberculosis and lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed on mice of the C57BL/6 line at the age of two months in four groups: 1st intact mice (n = 12), 2nd mice without a tumor infected with tuberculosis (n = 24), 3rd tumor-bearing mice not infected with tuberculosis (n = 23), 4th tumor-bearing mice infected with tuberculosis (n = 24). Individual and group parameters were evaluated using the SPSS Statistica v23 software package. RESULTS: Tumor was developed at the site of primary transplantation in all mice from groups 3 and 4, which was confirmed by visual assessment and the results of histological examination. Tumor growth in the main group was significantly less than in the control group of the tumor, which may be due to intoxication against the background of tuberculosis infection. All infected mice from groups 2 and 4 developed pulmonary tuberculosis, confirmed by computed tomography of the lungs, bacteriological and histological examination of lung samples. Mycobacterial load in the lungs was the highest in animals with concomitant pathology of tuberculosis and tumor. The survival rate of mice was determined to a large extent by tumor growth rather than by the progression of tuberculosis infection. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study indicate the possibility of creating an experimental biological model of the concomitant pathology of tuberculosis and lung cancer in mice. The features of the course of the concomitant pathology were revealed: Lewis lung epidermoid carcinoma develops more slowly in tuberculosis infected animals than in the tumor control group; the development of the tuberculosis process in mice with a tumor occurs more intensively than in the tuberculosis infection control group. The survival rate of mice with concomitant pathology is determined more by the intensity of tumor growth than by the progression of tuberculosis.

Currently, a significant number of patients with COVID-19 require inpatient treatment. At the same time, predictors of hospitalization are still stable, including in persons with concomitant pathology.Assessment of factors affecting the probability of hospitalization of COVID-19 patients with concomitant pathology and the development of a prognostic model based on them.An observational retrospective cohort study of 74 314 patients with COVID-19 with various comorbidities was carried out in the period from March to November 2020 in the Russian Federation.Based on 16 factors, including age, gender, place of diagnosis, fever, rhinitis, loss of taste, shortness of breath, concomitant diseases of the cardiovascular, bronchopulmonary system, oncological, endocrine diseases in patients included in the study, a prognostic model was developed. The need for inpatient treatment of patients with COVID-19 and comorbidities was determined.The constructed predictive model has demonstrated sufficient efficiency to assess the likelihood of hospitalization of patients with COVID-19 by medical specialists.Введение. В настоящее время значительное число пациентов с COVID-19 требуют лечения в условиях стационара. При этом предикторы госпитализации все еще четко не определены, в том числе у лиц с сопутствующей патологией. Цель. Оценка факторов, влияющих на вероятность госпитализации больных COVID-19 с сопутствующей патологией, и разработка на их основе прогностической модели. Материалы и методы. Проведено обсервационное ретроспективное когортное исследование 74 314 больных COVID-19 с сопутствующей патологией с марта по ноябрь 2020 г. Результаты. На основании 16 факторов, среди которых возраст, пол, место установления диагноза, повышение температуры тела, ринит, потеря вкуса, одышка, сопутствующие заболевания сердечно-сосудистой, бронхолегочной системы, онкологические, эндокринные заболевания, разработана прогностическая модель вероятности стационарного лечения пациентов с COVID-19 и сопутствующей патологией. Заключение. Построенная прогностическая модель продемонстрировала достаточную эффективность для оценки вероятности госпитализации пациентов с COVID-19 медицинскими специалистами.

Although rare, sedimentary deposits containing exceptionally preserved fossils (i.e., Lagerstätten) have shaped our view on the history of life at particular intervals, such as those recording the Cambrian radiation of animals. Therefore, understanding the processes that lead to the fossilization of unmineralized tissues is crucial to better interpret these fossil assemblages. A key issue on the fossilization of exceptionally preserved fossils is linked to the role of clay minerals in the high-fidelity preservation of recalcitrant and soft tissues. Here, we show for the first time, an association of unusual fibrous clays with carbonaceous fossils (Vendotaenia) in the late Ediacaran Tamengo Formation (Mato Grosso do Sul State, western Brazil). The vendotaeniaceans occur in laminated mudstones/siltstones interpreted as being deposited in outer to distal mid-ramp depositionary settings. The fossils are characterized by ribbon-shaped compressions 0.56 mm in mean width. The fibrous clays are obliquely oriented with respect to the bedding plane, and follow the orientation of tectonically deformed structures. Our mineralogical, geochemical, and petrographic data demonstrate that these clays are mainly composed of chlorite-smectite mixed layered minerals, with >50% chlorite. Altogether, our results suggest that these fibrous minerals formed in the late-diagenetic zone to lower anchizone, reinforcing the previous idea that clay minerals associated with fossils are not necessarily related to the preservation of soft tissues. Instead, the initial preservative pathway in our fossils was probably restricted to organic matter conservation in reducing fine-grained sediments, similar to other deposits with carbonaceous fossils. This newly established mechanism, which involves the formation of clays on organic templates in the late-diagenetic zone, is likely a more widespread phenomenon than previously thought.

We study transport in the free fermionic one-dimensional systems subjected to arbitrary local potentials. The bias needed for the transport is modeled by the initial highly non-equilibrium distribution where only half of the system is populated. Additionally to that, the local potential is also suddenly changed when the transport starts. For such a quench protocol we compute the full counting statistics (FCS) of the number of particles in the initially empty part. In the thermodynamic limit, the FCS can be expressed via the Fredholm determinant with the kernel depending on the scattering data and Jost solutions of the pre-quench and the post-quench potentials. We discuss the large-time asymptotic behavior of the obtained determinant and observe that if two or more bound states are present in the spectrum of the post-quench potential the information about the initial state manifests itself in the persistent oscillations of the FCS. On the contrary, when there are no bound states the asymptotic behavior of the FCS is determined solely by the scattering data of the post-quench potential, which for the current (the first moment) is given by the Landauer–Büttiker formalism. The information about the initial state can be observed only in the transient dynamics.

The Vologda Region is characterized by a relatively calm epidemic situation for tuberculosis in Russia: the incidence rate in 2010—2018 is decreased from 45.2 to 15.8 per 100 thousand of the population (44.4 in Russia). However, the proportion of patients with multiple drug resistance (MDR) of the pathogen increased from 12.1% in 2016 to 23.7% in 2018. The aim of the study was to characterize the genetic structure of the M. tuberculosis population and identify the main genotypes associated with the primary multidrug resistance of the pathogen in the Vologda Region. A total of 82 strains of M. tuberculosis isolated in 2018 from newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients were studied. Drug susceptibility testing was performed using the standard method of absolute concentration and BACTEC MGIT 960 kit. M. tuberculosis strains were assigned to the Beijing genotype and its main subtypes based on the analysis of specific markers. The Beijing strains were subtyped by the MIRU-VNTR method (24 standard loci), calculating the Hunter-Gaston Discriminatory Index (HGDI). Other strains of the non-Beijing group were spoligotyped. The majority of the strains were of the Beijing genotype (62.2%; 51 of 82). The most numerous cluster was Central Asian/Russian (41.5%; 34 of 82 strains). The shares of the Central Asia Outbreak (CAO) subtype and cluster B0/W148 amounted to 8.5% and 7.3%, respectively. The non-Beijing strains belonged to the genetic families T (11%; 9 of 82), LAM (11%), Haarlem (6.1%), and Ural (4.9%). Among 82 M. tuberculosis isolates, 33 (40.2%) MDR strains were identified, counting 27 of the Beijing genotype, including those of the Central Asian/Russian — 18 (66.7%), B0/W148 and CAO — 4 each (14.8%) clusters. MIRU-VNTR typing of 51 Beijing strains revealed 22 profiles (HGDI = 0.852); the largest clusters were 94-32 (35.3%) and 95-32 (15.7%), which included strains Central Asian/Russian and CAO. Four strains of genotype B0/W148 belonged to cluster 100-32. The loci QUB26 (HGDI = 0.493) and MIRU26 (HGDI = 0.388) had the highest polymorphism. For the first time, a molecular genetic study carried out in the Vologda region revealed the heterogeneity of the M. tuberculosis population with strains of the Beijing genotype dominated. At the same time, the share of the associated with MDR, epidemiologically and clinically significant cluster Beijing B0/W148, well defined in Russia and abroad, was only 7.3%, which is significantly less than in other regions of the Northwestern Federal District of the Russian Federation (~19%). Concurrent, representatives of the Central Asian/Russian cluster of the Beijing genotype prevailed in the structure of genotypes and among MDR M. tuberculosis strains.

The objective of the study: a comparative analysis of genome-wide sequences of seed lot (SL) 361 "sh" M. bovis BCG-1 (Russia) and its daughter isolates obtained from children with manifestations of BCG osteitis.Subjects and methods: genotyping; bioinformational analysis of genome-wide sequences of PS 361 "sh” vaccine BCG-1 (Russia) and its daughter isolates.Results. PS 361 "sh" BCG-1 (Russia) was heterogeneous in 7 coding sequences with different ratios of single nucleotide substitutions inherited by 2 of 6 daughter BCG isolates. At the same time, polymorphisms did not violate the genomic stability and viability of the BCG vaccine during long-term existence in vivo. In isolates of BCG 2925 and 5448, accumulation (hypothetically, under the pressure of selection in the vaccinated organism) of nonsynonymous substitutions in 4 out of 7 polymorphic genes was noted, including the genes ppsC, eccD5, and eccA5 associated with mycobacterial virulence. Evaluation of the significance of genomic variations in BCG isolates relating to the association with the development of post-vaccination osteitis requires more detailed information about the immune status of patients. Genome-wide analysis of production strains, seed lots, finished vaccine lots and daughter clinical isolates makes the contemporary approach to understanding the molecular basis of the efficacy and complications of BCG vaccination.

We describe aggregative microconchid (Lophophorata) tubes from the uppermost Permian (upper Changhsingian) and Lower Triassic (Olenekian) lacustrine and fluvial strata of the Tunguska and Kuznetsk basins and the southern Cis-Urals, Russia. These attach to clam shrimp carapaces, bivalve shells, terrestrial plant fragments and a horseshoe crab head shield, and also form their own monospecific agglomerations. Planispiral tubes of a wide size range (0.1–2.5 mm) create dense settlements on these firm substrates, which likely comprise multiple generations of the same species. These finds confirm that this extinct lophophorate group was inhabiting non-marine continental basins during latest Permian and earliest Triassic time, when they were major suspension feeders in such limnic ecosystems. Microconchids dispersed extensively and rapidly in the aftermath of the Permian–Triassic mass extinction into both marine and continental basins at low and moderately high latitudes, which were notably different in salinity, temperature, depth and redox conditions. This confirms that small lightly calcified microconchids were a genuine disaster eurytopic group, whose expansion may have been promoted by low predator pressure and low competition for substrate.

All skeletal marine invertebrate phyla appeared during the Cambrian explosion, except for Bryozoa with mineralized skeletons, which first appear in the Early Ordovician. However, the skeletal diversity of Early Ordovician bryozoans suggests a preceding interval of diversification. We report a possible earliest occurrence of palaeostomate bryozoans in limestones of the Cambrian Age 4 Harkless Formation, western United States. Following recent interpretations of the early Cambrian Protomelission as a soft-bodied bryozoan, our findings add to the evidence of early Cambrian roots for the Bryozoa. The Harkless fossils resemble some esthonioporate and cystoporate bryozoans, showing a radiating pattern of densely packed tubes of the same diameter and cross-sectional shape. Further, they show partitioning of new individuals from parent tubes through the formation of a separate wall, a characteristic of interzooecial budding in bryozoans. If confirmed as bryozoans, these fossils would push back the appearance of mineralized skeletons in this phylum by ~30 million years and impact interpretations of their evolution.

This article presents the results of experimental studies of properties that are resistant to abnormal high and abnormally low temperatures of samples of the radio-absorbing material VTMV-1C. Based on the studies, it was concluded that the radar-absorbing material can be used to attenuate reflected waves of electromagnetic fields from various parts of the spacecraft structure and to reduce the levels of resonance phenomena of the electromagnetic field in the modules and cases of onboard instruments and devices of spacecraft.

Oligochaetes, despite their important role in terrestrial ecosystems and a tremendous biomass, are extremely rare fossils. The palaeontological record of these worms is restricted to some cocoons, presumable trace fossils and a few body fossils the most convincing of which are discovered in Mesozoic and Cenozoic strata. The Olenekian (Lower Triassic) siliciclastic lacustrine Petropavlovka Lagerstätte of the southern Cis-Urals yields a number of extraordinary freshwater fossils including an annelid. The segmented body with a secondary annulation of this fossil, a subtriangular prostomium, a relatively thick layered body wall and, possibly, the presence of a genital region point to its oligochaete affinities. Other fossil worms which have been ascribed to clitellates are reviewed and, with a tentative exception of two Pennsylvanian finds, affinities of any pre-Mesozoic forms to clitellate annelids are rejected. The new fossil worm allows tracing of a persuasive oligochaete record to the lowermost Mesozoic and confirms a plausibility of the origin of this annelid group in freshwater conditions.

This article discusses adjustment of processing modes of selective laser melting of powdered 03Kh16N15M3 steel allowing fabrication of lattice structures with steady parameters. On the basis of statistical analysis of sizes of cells, ribs, and nodes in cross section parallel to the growth direction of lattice structures of two sizes of ribs and voids (400 × 1000 and 300 × 600 μm), the process variables providing fabrication of items with the most stable sizes along the height of the structure have been determined. The sizes of the main elements of the lattice structure have been determined using a scanning electron microscope; the crystallographic texture and material structure have been determined using X-ray structural analysis. It has been determined that increase in laser power leads to increase in distortions in crystalline structure and decrease in the lattice constant of the material of lattice structures. The highest distortions of the structure have been detected in ribs of lattice structures as well as in items with smaller sizes of ribs and voids. The material of the considered lattice structures is characterized by axial texture, for which crystallographic axes are oriented parallel to the growth direction. The degree of manifestation of the axial texture component depends on the laser power used for growing of lattice structures. The samples obtained by minimum radiation power are characterized by a scattered axial texture, which is dictated by an increase in the number of chaotically oriented grains with a simultaneous decrease in the bulk of strictly oriented columnar crystals, located mainly in the vicinity of the axis of the ribs of the lattice structure. The texture sharpness in lattice samples with voids of small size is higher than that in samples with voids of large size.

The paper discusses the results of feasibility studies for using a carbon web as the radiating surface of a spacecraft radiative cooler. It proposes a design and manufacturing process solution that provides for a link between heat-transfer devices and the carbon web that has the necessary strength and minimizes heat loss. It presents results of experimental studies of temperature distribution across the radiative surface of the carbon web with mockups of the heat transfer devices. An analysis of the obtained results showed that the use of a carbon web in the design of a spacecraft radiative cooler is both feasible and promising. Key words: spacecraft, heat-conductive carbon web, radiative cooler, heat pipe, braze joint, heater.

To this day, scientists argue about the extent and rate of accumulation of heavy metals and potentially toxic substances in the soil. Questions regarding the forms of heavy metals, their spatial distribution, solubility, plant availability, etc., are still relevant. It is known that the content of heavy metals is considerably influenced by the content and composition of soil organic matter, particle size distribution, soil pH and parent rocks, as well as redox conditions. Since 2007, the steppe soils of the Volga region have been monitored for the content of heavy metals in virgin and arable landscapes. In this work, the content of poorly soluble and mobile forms of Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Ni, Hg and As in 0–20 cm topsoil was determined in two types and eight subtypes of Chernozem and chestnut soils. Some differences were found in the accumulation of heavy metals between the soil types and subtypes which were studied. No changes were found in the content of poorly soluble heavy metals between the virgin and corresponding arable soil in the Volga steppes. The content of heavy metals in all the soils which were studied was below the maximum allowed concentrations. The relative content of the mobile forms of heavy metals as a percentage of the total varied from 7–25% for Cd and 0.5–2.2% for Zn and Cu. The accumulation of Pb, Cd, Ni and As in soils located near the large industrial zone showed an increasing trend. The maximum allowed concentrations of heavy metals were not exceeded in the soils studied. Also, agricultural soil management did not significantly increase the heavy metal concentrations.

Two-dimensional electron systems in a quantizing magnetic field are regarded as of exceptional interest, considering the possible role of anyons—quasiparticles with non-boson and non-fermion statistics—in applied physics. To this day, essentially none but the fractional states of the quantum Hall effect (FQHE) have been experimentally realized as a system with anyonic statistics. In determining the thermodynamic properties of anyon matter, it is crucial to gain insight into the physics of its neutral excitations. We form a macroscopic quasi-equilibrium ensemble of neutral excitations - spin one anyon complexes in the Laughlin state ν = 1/3, experimentally, where ν is the electron filling factor. The ensemble is found to have such a long lifetime that it can be considered the new state of anyon matter. The properties of this state are investigated by optical techniques to reveal its Bose properties., The microscopic nature of neutral collective excitation of the fractional quantum Hall state is still debated. Here the authors show that a macroscopic ensemble of neutral excitations in the 1/3 state exhibits properties of a Bose system with an exceptionally long coherence time.

The objective of the study: to analyze the structure and trends in non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTBM) population causing diseases in the North-Western Federal District of the Russian Federation.Subjects and methods. 745 clinical NTBM strains were identified. All clinical strains of NTBM were isolated by culture from clinical samples (sputum, bronchial washings, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, pus, stool, urine, surgical and biopsy specimens, and venous blood in case of sepsis). In 23 cases, NTBM were detected post mortem. Mycobacteria were cultured on solid media or by the automated system of Bactec MGIT 960 BD USA. Species of re-cultured mycobacteria were identified using the test system of GenoType® Mycobacterium CM/AS (Hain Lifescience, Germany).Results. Analysis of the structure of the NTBM population isolated from patients with mycobacteriosis in the North-West of Russia, for the period of 2012-2018 showed overall dominance of M. avium (56.4%). However, certain NTBM species were found to be prevailing in some regions: M. lentiflavum and M. gordonae dominated in the Komi Republic and Arkhangelsk respectively. Unlike other regions of Russia, in the North-Western region, there was a consistently low level of detection of M. кansasii and M. xenopi. For the last 12 years in Saint Petersburg and Leningrad region, the variety NTBM in patients with different immune status has been growing but the portion of M. avium remains to be stably high exceeding 50%.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing genotype strains comprise 5080% in Russian Federation, which are divided into the main B0/W148, CladeA, and CAO clusters based on VNTR and SNP analysis. It should be noted that such phylogenetically highly close MTB strains belong to the modern Beijing family, generally demonstrating high transmissibility, association with drug resistance, and prevalence among patients with severe forms of the disease. However, studies on MTB genetic cluster strain-related virulence are scarce and contradictory. Here, we investigated virulence of diverse Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains belonging to the B0/W148, CladeA and CAO clusters and nonclustered strain NK of the Beijing family as well as laboratory strain H37Rv in C57BL/6 mice. It was found that mice infected with NK and B0/W148 vs. CladeA strains revealed the peak and the lowest mortality, respectively, while assessing survival rate in various groups (20 mice per MTB strain examined). Analyzing experimental data in mice demonstrated that all MTB strains were able to cause typical tuberculosis-related pathogenic signs. In particular, time-dependent evaluation of pathological changes (on 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 60 and 120 day post infection) in the lungs and spleen revealed significant differences among various strains. Tuberculosis progression was observed in the mice infected with B0/W148 and NK strains, whereas CladeA, CAO and H37Rv strains resulted in stabilized course and less marked organs damage. Moreover, we found that bacterial load after infection with Beijing family clustering strains was lower compared to that of the reference H37Rv strain, except NK strain demonstrating the peak bacterial load among the Beijing family comparable to H37Rv strain at 120 dpi. Thus, it was found that the level of virulence between most virulent B0/W148 cluster strain vs. NK strain was similar. Overall, the data obtained indicate that Beijing genotype strains are characterized by a diverse range of phenotypic virulence in vivo.

The objective: to study the efficacy of etiological verification of tuberculosis in case of systemic inflammation syndrome in HIV patients. Subjects and methods. 116 HIV patients were examined; all of them were admitted to hospital due to systemic inflammatory syndrome (SIS). In order to diagnose tuberculosis, clinical, bacteriological, and instrumental examinations were performed. Specimens of venous blood were used for the detection of tuberculous mycobacteria by RT-PCR and culture. Results. More than half (64.6%) of cases of systemic inflammatory syndrome in the examined HIV patients was due to tuberculosis onset. The degree of immunity suppression (considering CD4 count) in SIS patients with tuberculosis onset and various HIV-associated pathologies was not statistically significantly different. The frequency of MTB DNA detection by RT-PCR in venous blood in case of verified tuberculous sepsis (non-academic term) in TB/HIV patients made 29.3%, and taking into account positive results of blood culture in 5 patients with no MTB DNA found in the blood, the efficiency of diagnosis of tuberculosis in blood specimens reached 33.3%, while efficiency of blood cultures for MTB made 36.0%, with 100% specificity. Repeated PCR tests and blood cultures performed in some patients allowed increasing the total efficiency of blood tests.

We introduce effective form factors for one-dimensional lattice fermions with arbitrary phase shifts. We study tau functions defined as series of these form factors. On the one hand we perform the exact summation and present tau functions as Fredholm determinants in the thermodynamic limit. On the other hand simple expressions of form factors allow us to present the corresponding series as integrals of elementary functions. Using this approach we re-derive the asymptotics of static correlation functions of the XY quantum chain at finite temperature.

The lower member of the Poleta Formation is well known for its abundant archaeocyaths, including an exceptionally preserved reef at Stewart’s Mill in Nevada. Large archaeocyath-bearing reefs are relatively uncommon, with most occurring as small nearshore patch reefs. Here, we describe a new 70 m-thick archaeocyath reef from the lower Poleta Formation, herein referred to as the Gold Point Reef, located near the townsite of Gold Point, Nevada. In spite of broad similarities with the Stewart’s Mill exposure, the Gold Point Reef shows an interplay between shoal and reef development over the ~ 70 m exposure that differs from what is observed at Stewart’s Mill. This reef also preserves a small shelly fauna in its uppermost 10 m, dominated by Hyolithellus. Three successive ecological stages of reef development are observed here: the pioneer stage characterized by a single rare frame-building species; the diversification stage involving about nine species of both frame-building and mud-sticking archaeocyaths; and the final foundering stage represented by one to two species of archaeocyaths and facies indicating reef demise, including abundant grainstone/packstone shoals and a silicified upper bed with a settlement of hyolitheminthes. During the apex of reef development here, there are large modular archaeocyaths, which were able to produce thick secondary skeletal tissue for a firm attachment; these archaeocyaths were capable of building large reefs in a variety of settings. Additionally, the carbon isotope profile recorded in the Gold Point Reef shows similarities to nearby exposures of the equivalent lower Poleta Formation, with the exception of a small negative downturn at the top of the reef that is not found in other locations. Combined with the documentation of facies changes over short lateral distances, the isotope data suggest that archaeocyathan reefs may have been time-transgressive across the shelf during deposition of the lower Poleta. Additionally, our work suggests that both here and globally, the specific biotic assemblage reflected the local influences of the environment on reef development, creating highly variable coeval paleocommunities even within a restricted area.

The Volga region occupies more than 1.04 Million km2 of the Russian Federation. On its steppes (44% of the total area) there is concentrated crop production. Fertilizers play an important role in increasing the yield of agricultural plants. This chapter presents the findings which emerge from studying the effect of mineral fertilizers in a long-term field experiment on agricultural landscapes of the Volga steppes. Information is provided about the productivity of crop rotation and individual crops cultivated in this area: winter wheat, spring wheat, millet, barley, oats. The size of the yield increase caused by fertilizers and their variation due to the moisture conditions during the vegetative period is shown as the nutrient balance and payback indicators for 1 kg of fertilizer grain yield. It is proved that in modern farming conditions with insufficient moisture, nitrogen plays the leading role among fertilizers. Long-term observations revealed the influence of climatic conditions on crop yields and their responsiveness to mineral fertilizers in the agricultural landscapes of the Volga steppes. The chapter also considers the long-term effect of using various doses of mineral fertilizers on the agrochemical properties of southern chernozem: the content of organic matter, gross reserves of nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as their individual fractions. It was revealed that mineral fertilizers significantly affect the mineralization of organic matter and the accumulation of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds which are inaccessible to plants.

First evidence of soft tissue in Namacalathus establishes phylogenetic connection between Ediacaran and Cambrian metazoans., Through exceptional preservation, we establish a phylogenetic connection between Ediacaran and Cambrian metazoans. We describe the first three-dimensional, pyritized soft tissue in Namacalathus from the Ediacaran Nama Group, Namibia, which follows the underlying form of a stalked, cup-shaped, calcitic skeleton, with six radially arranged lobes projecting into an apical opening and lateral lumens. A thick body wall and probable J-shaped gut are present within the cup, and the middle layer of the often-spinose skeleton and skeletal pores are selectively pyritized, supporting an organic-rich composition and tripartite construction with possible sensory punctae. These features suggest a total group lophotrochozoan affinity. These morphological data support molecular phylogenies and demonstrates that the origin of modern lophotrochozoan phyla, and their ability to biomineralize, had deep roots in the Ediacaran.

The work carried out finite element modeling for the thin-walled shell of revolution loaded uniform pressure with using MSC NASTRAN software. The simulations results allow us to study the stress-strain state of the torus rolling zone for refine the boundaries of plastic deformation. It is determined that the region of plastic deformation does not arise in the entire torus zone. This region is limited by the outer part of the torus along the generatrix edges.

Many aspects of the drivers for, and evolutionary dynamics of, the Cambrian Explosion are poorly understood. Here we quantify high-resolution changes in species body size in major metazoan groups on the Siberian Platform during the early Cambrian (ca. 540–510 Million years ago (Ma)). Archaeocyath sponges, hyolith lophophorates, and helcionelloid mollusc species show dynamic and synchronous trends over million-year timescales, with peaks in body size during the latest Tommotian/early Atbadanian and late Atdabanian/early Botoman, and notably small body sizes in the middle Atdabanian and after the Sinsk anoxic extinction event, starting ca. 513 Ma. These intervals of body size changes are also mirrored in individual species and correlate positively with increased rates of origination and broadly with total species diversity. Calcitic brachiopods (rhynchonelliformeans), however, show a general increase in body size following the increase in species diversity through this interval: phosphatic brachiopods (linguliformeans) show a body size decrease that negatively correlates with diversity. Both brachiopod groups show a rapid recovery at the Sinsk Event. The synchronous changes in these metrics in archaeocyath, hyoliths and helcionelloids suggest the operation of external drivers through the early Cambrian, such as episodic changes in oxygenation or productivity. But the trends shown by brachiopods suggests a differing physiological response. Together, these dynamics created both the distinct evolutionary record of metazoan groups during the Cambrian Explosion and determined the nature of its termination.

We propose a new approach to the creation of modified materials for friction couples of the band-shoe brakes of drawworks.

Taking into account the historical context the characteristic features of the Novgorod architectural school of Orthodox temple architecture of the 12th-15th centuries are explored. A comparative analysis of the most signifi cant objects of this period is carried out. The process of formation of the Novgorod style is traced. The volume-spatial and architectural-artistic features of a number of buildings are listed and described. A conclusion is drawn about authentic elements and expressive methods characteristic of this direction.

In the Kaliningrad region, the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) has declined significantly over the past decade (from 134/100 000 in 2006 to 50.6/100 000 in 2015), but still exceeds the average for the North-West Russia (40.7/100 000). In view of the increase in the proportion of primary multidrug resistance (MDR) of the causative agent from 23.9% in 2010 to 30.5% in 2015, the aim of this study was to analyze the current Mycobacterium tuberculosis population structure in the Kaliningrad region and to evaluate its spatial-temporal trends. The 73 M. tuberculosis isolates from patients with pulmonary TB newly diagnosed in 2015 were studied. Drug resistance (DR) was detected in 46 (63.0%) M. tuberculosis strains; of these, 32 (43.8%) were multidrug-resistant (MDR). The 46 (63.0%) of 73 M. tuberculosis strains were of the Beijing genotype with 19.2% (14 out of 73) share of the B0/W148 cluster. Spoligotyping of 27 non-Beijing M. tuberculosis strains made it possible to identify 15 spoligotypes of 5 genetic families — T, LAM, Ural, S, X. About half (16; 51.6%) of non-Beijing strains were represented by spoligotypes — SIT42, SIT53, SIT262, and SIT444. In a heterogeneous group T, mostly drugsusceptible strains of spoligotype SIT53 were prevailing. More than half (55.6%) of the LAM genotype strains exhibited DR. The Ural family was small (5.5%) and included strains of well-known in Russia M. tuberculosis spoligotypes SIT35 and SIT262, and one new, not found previously. MDR was statistically significantly associated with the Beijing genotype: 56.5% versus 25.9% in strains of other genotypes (in total) (P = 0.0134). Moreover, all 14 strains of epidemiologically and clinically significant B0/W148 cluster were MDR. The proportion of MDR strains of the Beijing genotype did not change significantly: in 2006 it was 61.3%, in 2015 — 56.5% (P = 0.6773). However, the spectrum of drug resistance to first-line anti-TB drugs expanded. If previously the majority (78.9%) of MDR strains additionally exhibited resistance to streptomycin only, in present study 72.0% of MDR strains were resistant to streptomycin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. The proportion of MDR strains of non-Beijing genotypes was 25.9%, a significantly higher than the similar indicators in 2006 — 2.2% (P = 0.0124). A relatively smaller proportion of strains of the Beijing genotype (50%) was found in TB patients from the shores of the Baltic Sea, a territory with a relatively more favorable socio-economic situation and a higher standard of living. Thus, the current epidemiological situation of TB in the Kaliningrad region is crucially determined by the growing circulation of MDR Beijing family strains, as well as a significant increase in the proportion of MDR strains of other genotypes.

Comparative proteomic profiling of M. tuberculosis H37Rv strains cultured on two different nutrient media, Lowenstein-Jensen and Middlebrook 7H11, was performed using a label-free LC-MS/MS approach. It was shown that results obtained from two media possessed high convergence. The only difference was observed in the representation of fumarate reductase FrdB, its abundance was higher in the mycobacterial cells cultured on the Lowenstein-Jensen medium. The correlation analysis of biological repeats revealed the high convergence of the results obtained using the Middlebrook 7H11 medium. Thus, we can conclude that the use of the Middlebrook 7H11 medium is most appropriate in the scientific laboratory.