Molecular genetic study of clinical and cognitive features of schizophrenia: No associations with genes SOD2, GSTO1, NQO1

The main features of schizophrenia are characterized by three domains of symptoms, including positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive defi cits, the overlap of which forms a polymorphism of clinical manifestations. Previous molecular genetic studies have found signifi cant genetic overlaps between the cognitive abilities and the risk of schizophrenia developing. Recent evidence suggests that oxidative stress may play an important role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.Aim. The aim of the study was to investigate the associations of polymorphisms of genes encoding the antioxidant enzymes SOD2, GSTO1, and NQO1 with clinical polymorphism of schizophrenia and the severity of cognitive deficit.Material and Methods. A comprehensive examination of 457 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia was carried out. Out of the total group of examined patients, cognitive functions were assessed using the BACS scale in 150 schizophrenic patients. The control group comprised 135 healthy individuals with age and gender corresponding to patient group. Their cognitive function was assessed. Genotyping of SOD2 (rs4880), GSTO1 (rs4925), and NQO1 (rs1800566) was done by realtime PCR.Results. When analyzing the distribution of genotypes and alleles of polymorphic variants of genes encoding the antioxidant enzymes SOD2, GSTO1, and NQO1, no associations between the studied loci and schizophrenia in the Russian population of the Siberian region were revealed. Also, no associations were found with clinical polymorphism of disease (disease course type, leading symptoms (positive or negative), and age of disease onset). The cognitive abilities of schizophrenic patients and healthy individuals were diff erent as expected, but no associations with genetic characteristics were found.Conclusion. In this work, we obtained negative results in regard to associations of polymorphic variants of genes encoding the antioxidant enzymes SOD2 (rs4880), GSTO1 (rs4925), and NQO1 (rs1800566) with the development of schizophrenia in the Russian population in the Siberian region, as well as with the severity of cognitive defi cit. The genetic profi le for the studied loci did not aff ect the clinical manifestations of disease in the examined sample.

Comprehensive Archaeological and Palaeoecological Studies of the Holocene Chronosequence in the Southern Taiga of the Middle Yenisei

The article presents the results of a comprehensive interdisciplinary analysis of archaeological and palaeoecological data. The aim of the study was to identify climatic changes in the habitat and their impact on the formation of the palaeoeconomics of the ancient population, on the expansion or reduction of the area of archaeological cultures with foraging and producing economy. Based on the analysis of palaeosignals obtained by a complex of methods (pollen, botanical analysis of peat, charcoal analysis, determination of the ash content of sediments), the following intervals of changing conditions were identified: 7400—6800 calibrated years before present (cal. BP) — humidity reduction, 4850—4400 cal. BP — an increase in humidity, 3850—3150 cal. BP — decrease in humidity, 3150—2000 cal. BP — stable humid, with 1600 cal. BP — moisture reduction, 1250—700 cal. BP — minimal moisture. Changes in conditions are consistent with changes in the boundaries of the subzone of the southern taiga and forest-steppe, as well as with the range of cultures of Siberian hunters, fishers, gatherers and pastoralists. The results can be projected over the entire Siberian region.

Tree shaping catalogs: formation and nature of garden chair applications

Purpose: Tree shaping catalog development of practical use: garden chair category; study of the ergonomic aspects of their design, calculation of the time for the formation of tree shaping objects with regard to the plant types. A deeper study of the formation of natural and artistic objects of architectural space, i.e., tree shaping.Design/methodology/approach: Ergonomic analysis, analysis of woody plants compositions in tree shaping, visual-anthropometric analysis, modeling, comparative analysis.Originality/value: 1. Proposed tree shaping catalogs in the category of garden chairs. These catalogs have no analogues in are Russia. 2. The selected woody plants of the West Siberian region, most adapted to humane correction of growth, with the ecological specification in accordance with the following parameters: gas resistance, growth rate, life cycle of a woody plant. 3. Diagrams are suggested for the garden chair dimensions (chair back height, seat width, chair leg height) depending on the woody plant (willow, Tatar maple, bird cherry).Findings: Many identified aspects are can be used in tree shaping: compositional complexity of tree shaping, woody plant type, growth characteristics, and the growing conditions.Practical implications: The obtained results can be used as in a deeper study of new approaches to the formation of open architectural spaces with plant materials.

Paradigm of interaction between the Siberian Scientific Agricultural Library and agrarian research and educational institutions of the Siberian region

The article covers the main directions of joint work of scientific-research institutions (SRI) of agricultural profile in the Siberian region and Siberian Scientific Agricultural Library (SibSAL) functioning within the structure of the Siberian Branch of VASKHNIL (Russian Agricultural Academy) since its establishment in 1969 up to the reorganization period of science reform (2013-2021). The specificity of library and information activity of departmental library and multilevel model of interaction with institutes to satisfy information needs of scientists and specialists of agrarian research institutes in pre-reform period is presented. The results of monitoring the state of library and information activities in the institutes that have influenced the development of the new concept of interaction with SRI are presented. Based on the analysis of reorganization processes, a new structure of scientific organizations of the agricultural profile of Siberia is presented, which is the basis for the development of a new paradigm of interaction between research teams and the Siberian Scientific Agricultural Library, which received the status of a branch of the State Public Scientific and Technical Library of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences as a result of the reorganization. The analysis carried out in the conditions of reform and reorganization changes on the basis of a questionnaire shows new trends in expanding the range of interests of scientists to the possibilities of the information potential of the SibSAL as the largest branch library in the region. In the context of the change of management and the destruction of organizational and functional ties of agricultural research institutes that have become part of the regional centers of the SB RAS, the orientation to the development and strengthening of communications with the central academic libraries of the regions and the restoration of interaction with libraries of agricultural education on a new basis is noted. The definition of the system structure of agricultural research institutes and educational institutions of the region within the new boundaries of departmental relations of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education will allow establishing the vector of interaction of the SibSAL as a system-forming link. This will enable the development of the main functional areas of library and information activities in the Siberian region.

PROBLEMS OF THE QUATERNARY STRATIGRAPHY OF THE SIBERIAN REGION

This special issue of the journal is devoted to modern controversial subjects arising during the research of the Siberian Quaternary system. The initiative to discuss these problems and new factual material that requires rethinking outdated stratigraphic constructions belonged to the section of the Quaternary system of SIBRMSK and was supported by leading experts actively working in the region. It should be noted that this issue does not cover all the unresolved issues on the geology, stratigraphy and paleogeography of the Quaternary period of Siberia.

Clay figurine of an owl of the Lower Pritobolye

The object of this research is the clay figurine of an owl discovered in the course of archaeological excavations in the Yurtobor 9 hillfort on the right bank of the Tobol River. The goal lies in introduction of in the scientific discourse of the new unique sample of small clay plastic, as well as in preliminary determination of the functional purpose of the item. The following tasks were set: morphological and stylistic description of the item; description of the context of discovery of the figurine; establishment of the chronological framework of existence of the item, its cultural affiliation; familiarization with the history of studying the regional clay figurines in the Russian archaeological science; search for analogies in the archaeological sites of Siberia and other territories; assessment of the semantic connotation of the image of an owl in the traditional culture of Ob Ugrians (Khanty and Mansi). To article employs the traditional methods, such as comparative-historical, typological, comparative-typological, formal-stylistic, semantic methods, as well as method of analogies. As a result of the conducted research, the clay figurine of an owl is attributed to the Yudinskaya archaeological culture and dated within the framework of the XI – XII centuries. It is established that it is the only item in Western Siberian region depicting a bird in the technique of small clay plastic. Based on the analysis of ethnographic literature and medieval archaeological finds, it is established that for a long period of time, the image of an owl had positive semantic connotation due to its high sacred status. The author assumes on the use of figurine of an owl in religious rites associated with hearth and home.

Verification of the chemical subsystem of the regional climate model RegCM-CHEM4

New simulation results, obtained from the chemical version of the regional climate model RegCMCHEM4, are presented for Siberian region. The verification of the chemical subsystem of the model with non-hydrostatic dynamical core is carried out using the atmospheric chemical transfer scheme CBMZ (Carbon Bond Mechanism-Z). To define chemical emissions the global RCP (Representative Concentration Pathways) emission dataset prepared by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), is used. For gas phase species, we have prepared the 6 hourly chemical boundary conditions from our modified version of the Model for Ozone and Related chemical Tracers, version 4 (MOZART-4). Quantitative estimates of methane emission in the atmosphere of the Siberian region have been obtained.