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At the time of writing, humanity’s struggle with coronavirus infection has been going on for almost 1.5 years, but the outcome is still unknown. The SARS-CoV-2 virus significantly affects the life of every person, which underlines the urgency of the problem. To combat COVID-19, the authorities of the region take many decisions to delay and slow down the growth of morbidity. This article is aimed at studying the impact of restrictive measures imposed by the authorities on the development of the situation with a new coronavirus infection. A computer prognostic model will be used to compare the effectiveness of each solution for new virus strains and outbreaks of morbidity. Based on the model, the results of the impact of decisions and methods taken by the authorities during the pandemic on the development of the morbidity situation will be analyzed. In order to obtain statistically important data on territorial parameters, the Kaluga region was chosen, taking into account the location near Moscow, where the disease manifests itself most vividly, due to the large number of residents.

The fourth industrial revolution is changing the technological face of the economy. Digital technologies are especially widespread in it. They affect all areas of the economy. These changes require in-depth research. The purpose of the article is to analyze financial technologies considered as a factor in the development of the financial sector in the digital economy. To achieve this goal, methods of institutional, retrospective and comparative analysis, modeling and forecasting were used. As a result of the research, theoretical approaches to the study of digital financial technologies have been systematized; perspective areas of their application are considered; the prerequisites, factors and risks of their application in the financial sector are determined. The main trend in the considered area is the intensification of competition between banks and IT companies, which makes it necessary for banks to change the traditional banking business model. Banks will transform into IT companies. And IT companies will penetrate deeper into the financial sector using fintech start-ups. It is expected that the convergence of these sectors of the economy will increase, which will lead to the formation of new integral industries based on digital and platform fintech technologies. Comprehensive support for the development of new digital financial technologies is needed. The tools of such support are support for the creation and implementation of digital financial innovations, stimulation of digital start-ups, support for companies in the implementation of digital financial technologies, the formation of a digital market, etc.

The development of the situation around Covid-19 is an urgent problem for the whole world, and it is still not known exactly how the pandemic will develop. However, based on the data of the virus spread to date, it is possible to model the approximate outcome of the activities of humanity in the fight against Covid-19. To develop this model, we used a simulation tool-AnyLogic (Personal Learning Edition) with support for the Java programming language. This software has a large analytical functionality. When creating the Covid-19 infection model, the free version of the program was used. This model is only relevant if the pandemic continues at the same pace. There are many factors that can deviate from the presented model in any direction: early release from restrictive measures, virus mutations, forced vaccination of the population, and other measures that directly affect the main indicators of infection development. In the process of modelling the spread of Covid-19 coronavirus infection in the Kaluga region, results were obtained that reflect the rate of development of the pandemic. Thus, it is possible to identify the weaknesses of the fight against viruses and further minimize the rate of development of the disease.

The development of smart cities is based on the use of new technologies. One of these promising technologies is Blockchain. The use of Blockchain gives great opportunities for solving a complex of problems related to: ensuring energy efficiency in buildings, the introduction of sustainable energy technologies for megacities, the formation of eco-friendly settlements, etc. The article analyzes the possibilities of using Blockchain technology in the social sphere of the city. The analysis is carried out on the example of health and pharmaceuticals. The study was carried out in the framework of the institutional approach and the concept of economic opportunities. The objectives of the study were: to identify specific areas of use of Blockchain technology in the pharmaceutical and health care industries; to evaluate the role of this technology in ensuring compliance with medical standards, transparency and safety of drugs at all stages of their development, promotion and use; to determine the possibilities of technology in identifying more effective and high-quality treatment methods, their implementation in practical health care. The article presents the structure of the areas of pharmaceuticals and health care, where the Blockchain is used. The strategies are offered to reduce labour and energy costs for processing medical information, accelerating the creation of new treatment technologies and the creation of medicines, their implementation in practical health care..

The development of information technology in the modern economy is one of the drivers of economic growth. Digital technologies are developing at an accelerating pace. Digitalization stimulates not only economic, but also social and technological progress. The impact of digital technology in different industries is not the same. The authors of the article consider such promising modern technology as Blockchain. Its advantage is that the information is protected from unauthorized modification. This transforms the system of economic relations. The level of trust increases. Opportunistic behaviour of participants in contractual relations is blocked. As a result, economic efficiency improves. These positive effects are analyzed in the case of the pharmaceutical industry. The introduction of Blockchain technologies into pharmaceuticals allows you to track all stages of production of drugs and guarantee their quality. Blockchain technology allows you to confirm the authenticity of recipes and the drugs with the help of special digital devices. The consequence of this is a reduction in the number of counterfeit drugs on the market, as well as improving the quality of medical care for the population.

Simple Summary: The class Insecta constitutes the largest group of terrestrial animals, with more than a million described species. As in all other animals, insect genomes contain clusters of specific genes, which are essential for producing and assembling ribosomes. These clusters harbor two types of repetitive DNA, i.e., 45S and 5S ribosomal DNA (rDNA). Currently, 45S and 5S rDNA clusters have been studied in about 1000 and 100 insect species, respectively. Although the number of species with known 45S rDNA clusters constitutes less than 0.1 percent of the described members of this enormous group, certain conclusions can already be drawn. Since haploid karyotypes with single 45S and 5S rDNA clusters predominate in both basal and derived insect groups, this character state is apparently ancestral for the class Insecta in general. Nevertheless, the number, chromosomal location, and other characteristics of both 45S and 5S rDNA sites substantially vary across different species, and sometimes even within the same species. There are several main factors and mechanisms that either maintain these parameters or alter them on the short-term and/or long-term scale. Currently, clusters of 45S and 5S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) have been studied in about 1000 and 100 species of the class Insecta, respectively. Although the number of insect species with known 45S rDNA clusters (also referred to as nucleolus-organizing regions, or NORs) constitutes less than 0.1 percent of the described members of this enormous group, certain conclusions can already be drawn. Since haploid karyotypes with single 45S and 5S rDNA clusters predominate in both basal and derived insect groups, this character state is apparently ancestral for the class Insecta in general. Nevertheless, the number, chromosomal location, and other characteristics of both 45S and 5S rDNA sites substantially vary across different species, and sometimes even within the same species. There are several main factors and molecular mechanisms that either maintain these parameters or alter them on the short-term and/or long-term scale. Chromosome structure (i.e., monocentric vs. holokinetic chromosomes), excessive numbers of rRNA gene copies per cluster, interactions with transposable elements, pseudogenization, and meiotic recombination are perhaps the most important among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with two different probes, the canonical insect telomeric sequence (TTAGG)n and the sequence (TTAGGGATGG)n, was performed on meiotic chromosomes of two members of the true bug family Cimicidae (Cimicomorpha), the common bed bug Cimex lectularius Linnaeus, 1758 and the tropical bed bug C. hemipterus (Fabricius, 1803), whose telomeric motifs were not known. In both species, there were no hybridization signals with the first probe, but strong signals at chromosomal ends were observed with the second probe, indicating the presence of a telomeric motif (TTAGGGATGG)n. This study represents the first FISH confirmation of the presence of a non-canonical telomeric motif not only for the infraorder Cimicomorpha but also for the suborder Heteroptera (Hemiptera) as a whole. The present finding is of key significance for unraveling the evolutionary shifts in the telomeric sequences in this suborder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Sc. Ninel A. Petrova, who passed away on 18 April 2024, and to her scientific heritage. Ninel was born on 28 March 1940 in Leningrad, the former Soviet Union. From 1959 to 1964, she studied at the Faculty of Biology and Soil Science of the Leningrad State University. After graduating from the university, Ninel joined the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, where she worked for almost 60 years, rising from a research assistant to a leading researcher. Her scientific research focused on the structure and evolution of polytene chromosomes of two families of Diptera, black flies (Simuliidae) and non-biting midges (Chironomidae). Ninel has published nearly 200 scientific articles, three monographs and one monograph chapter and has become one of the leading experts in her field. Along with scientific activities, Ninel worked for 25 years as the Scientific Secretary of the Specialized Scientific Council for the Defense of Dissertations at the Zoological Institute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify nucleolus organizing regions (NORs), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with 18S rDNA probe was performed on chromosomes of Tenthredo campestris Linnaeus, 1758 (Tenthredinidae), Arge ciliaris (Linnaeus, 1767) (Argidae) (n = 10 in both) and Aulacidea hieracii (Bouché, 1834) (Cynipidae) (2n = 20). In all these species, a single pericentromeric rDNA cluster per haploid karyotype was detected. This number of NORs is confirmed as ancestral for the order Hymenoptera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of testes and ovaries can be described in its simplest form by the number of follicles and ovarioles they contain. Sixty-five years after the last review of the internal reproductive systems in true bugs (Heteroptera), the data accumulated today on the number of testicular follicles and ovarioles in their gonads are summarized. In addition, data on the number and type (mesadenia/ectadenia) of accessory glands are given. The hemipteran suborder Heteroptera constitutes one of the most diverse groups of nonhomometabolous ('Hemimetabola') insects, comprising more than 40,000 described species worldwide and approximately 100 families, classified into seven infraorders. Data are available for all infraorders; however, more than 90% of studied species belong to the largest and most evolutionarily derived infraorders Cimicomorpha and Pentatomomorpha. In true bugs, in general, the number of follicles varies from one to nine (in a testis), and the number of ovarioles varies from two to 24 (in an ovary). Seven follicles per testis and seven ovarioles per ovary prevail being found in approximately 43.5% (307 species) and 24.4% (367 species) of studied species, respectively. Such a structure of testes and ovaries is considered an ancestral character state in the Heteroptera. In the evolution of this group, the number of follicles and ovarioles both increased and decreased, but the trend towards a decrease clearly prevailed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study reports the presence of three unisexual forms and three bisexual species of the genus Empoasca (Cicadelloidea, Hemiptera, Insecta) from Madeira Island. The results obtained show that for this genus unisexual forms are more common on Madeira Island than in the nearby continental areas.