Seasonal patterns of growth, alginate content and block structure of the alien invader Sargassum muticum (Fucales, Ochrophyta) from the Atlantic coast of Morocco

In the present study, alginate yield and composition were investigated during the seasonal life cycle of the alien brown alga Sargassum muticum harvested from the Atlantic coast of Morocco. Alginate yield ranged from 11.14% in winter to 25.62% in spring/early summer, coinciding with maximum vegetative growth. Monthly monitoring of the alginate block structure showed that the highest mannuronate (M)/guluronate (G) ratio was recorded during the maximum development of S. muticum, before sexual maturity and during resumption of vegetative growth, giving maximum flexibility to the alga. The unusually high molar monad fractions (FG) and dyad fractions (FGG) of guluronic acid in late summer/early autumn appeared to be related to stiffness of senescent thalli. Rheological characterisation showed that the alginate of S. muticum exhibited pseudoplastic behaviour, with the highest apparent viscosities measured in late summer/early autumn when the G blocks dominated the alginate structure. This study suggests that S. muticum could be exploited as an alginophyte for commercial applications. The best harvest time is May-June, which corresponds to the highest alginate yield, maximum thallus growth, and largely completed sexual reproduction, ensuring sustainable exploitation of the species.

The Kentucky Campaign of 1862 and Drought

In the late summer and early autumn of 1862, Gen. Braxton Bragg’s Kentucky Campaign failed to regain Tennessee or add Kentucky to the Confederacy. Starting in Mississippi, Bragg’s Confederate army had first entered Tennessee. After Maj. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith’s smaller Confederate army invaded Kentucky, Bragg followed. Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell’s Federal army trailed Bragg north before diverting to Louisville. Summer heat and a massive drought made campaigning onerous, while supporting Confederate actions in northeastern Mississippi failed to divert troops from Bragg’s path. Bragg won a confused tactical victory at Perryville, but his outnumbered army retreated to Tennessee along with Kirby Smith. Throughout the campaign, enslaved Kentuckians seeking emancipation sought protection from Union forces. On the fringes, a brutal guerrilla war flared up. Bragg’s ultimate failure secured Union control of Kentucky for the remainder of the war.

Algae of the Veresovaja Bay of the Kola Bay (Barents Sea)

The species composition of macroalgae in the benthos and periphyton of the Veresovaya Bay is presented. 17 species were noted. The largest number of species is recorded in early autumn, the smallest-in winter. Macroalgae form a cover only on the left bank,accumulations of Chara algae are noted on both banks. The highest frequency of occurrence is characteristic of Rhizoclonium riparium and Cladophora rivularis. Algae of the genera Nitella, Ulothrix, Zignema and Spirogira predominate in mass.

A Choice of Epistles

This chapter begins by elaborating on the circumstances under which Jerome composed his four Pauline commentaries in Bethlehem during the summer and early autumn of 386, ostensibly in response to a formal commission by his literary patrons Paula and her daughter Eustochium. The chapter focuses on the impetuses behind Jerome’s work on Paul and addresses several vital questions related to his authorial intent. Why did Jerome, who by inclination and research output was overwhelmingly a Hebrew Bible scholar, comment on Paul at all? Why did he do so at this particular juncture in his literary career, given that there are no real traces of a prior interest in Paul’s writings? Why, moreover, did he compose commentaries on the seemingly miscellaneous quartet of Galatians, Ephesians, Titus, and Philemon?

Influence ofmother onion planting time on the yield and sowing its qualities onion seeds

Relevance. In Uzbekistan, especially in the south of the republic, in recent years, early ripe varieties of onion Sumbula, Ravnak, Bakhora have become widespread. However, the technology of seed production of early maturing varieties has not been developed. In this regard, several studies were carried out to identify the optimal time for planting the mother plants of the early maturing onion variety Sumbula by using the favorable climatic conditions of southern Uzbekistan.Material and methodology. The material for the research was the early ripe onion variety Sumbula, bred by the Research Institute of Vegetable and Melon Crops and Potatoes. The studies were carried out according to the Methodological guidelines for the ecological testing of vegetable crops in the open field etc. The dates of seed planting were studied.Results. Studies have shown that the highest seed yield (0.97 t/ha) was obtained in the early autumn planting of mother plants on September 1. It was 20% more than in the control variant – September 15. At later planting dates, the seed yield decreases sharply.When mother plants were planted on October 30, the seed yield was only 0,46 t/ha, or 59.7% of the control.The yield of onion seeds increases, mainly due to the more powerful development of plants during early autumn planting – the formation of large leaves, inflorescences, and additional arrows. The more large and powerful leaves, the more plants have the ability to synthesize plastic substances in the process of photosynthesis and accumulate a high yield.

Genomic reconstruction of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic across England from September 2020 to May 2021

Despite regional successes in controlling the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, global cases have reached an all time high in April 2021 in part due to the evolution of more transmissible variants. Here we use the dense genomic surveillance generated by the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium to reconstruct the dynamics of 62 different lineages in each of 315 English local authorities between September 2020 and April 2021. This analysis reveals a series of sub-epidemics that peaked in the early autumn of 2020, followed by a singular jump in transmissibility of the B.1.1.7 lineage. B.1.1.7 grew when other lineages declined during the second national lockdown and regionally tiered restrictions between November and December 2020. A third more stringent national lockdown eventually suppressed B.1.1.7 and eliminated nearly all other lineages in early 2021. However, a series of variants (mostly containing the spike E484K mutation) defied these trends and persisted at moderately increasing proportions. Accounting for sustained introductions, however, indicates that their transmissibility is unlikely to exceed that of B.1.1.7. Finally, B.1.617.2 was repeatedly introduced to England and grew rapidly in April 2021, constituting approximately 40% of sampled COVID-19 genomes on May 15.

Does the lag time between radicle and epicotyl emergences in acorns of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) depend on the duration of cold stratification and post-stratification temperatures? Modelling with the sigmoidal growth curves approach

The objective of this study was to determine how the current (10–16 weeks) and predicted future (2–8 weeks) length of cold stratification and current and predicted future post-stratification temperatures influence radicle and epicotyl emergence in acorns of Quercus robur. We tested radicle and epicotyl emergence at two temperatures corresponding to the current (15/6°C) and predicted future early autumn and spring temperatures (25/15°C) in Poland. We fitted models to describe and derive parameters for radicle and epicotyl emergences over time. The parameters included maximum percentage, rate of emergences, time to achieve the maximum emergence rate, emergence delay and time to 50% emergence. In most cases, the Gompertz model was the best fit, but in a few cases, the logistic model was the best. Richard's model for most of the cases did not converge. This model, according to both information criteria values, was the best fit for epicotyl emergence at 15/6°C following 8 weeks of cold stratification. Richard's model was also the best fit for epicotyl emergence at 25/15°C following 14 weeks of stratification.. Our results indicate that at temperatures typical for early autumn (15/6°C), the time necessary for radicle emergence from 50% of acorns was longer than that from acorns placed at 25/15°C. Four weeks of cold stratification extended 50% radicle emergence at 15/6°C to 70 d, whereas 12 weeks of stratification shortened the time to 11 d. When the acorns were incubated at 25/15°C, radicle emergence occurred faster than at 15/6°C and the time lag between radicle and epicotyl was shorter.

THE PECULIARITY OF THE BUILDING PROCESS OF ANCIENT KYYIVAN MONUMENTS

The author investigates the building process of ancient Kyyivan monuments. After the wall foundations were laid, the erection of ground volumes of the edifice began. Wooden scaffoldings were arranged at both sides of a wall. The remains of caffolding preserved in the brick fabric can be seen on the front walls of the Transfiguration Church at Berestove and St. Michael’s Church of Vydubytsky monastery. The height between scaffolding tiers as well as the height of masonry between them varies from 1.3 to 2.2 m in Kyyivan monuments. The situation of red schist cornices in ancient churches is dependent on the abovementioned height of masonry tiers. The cornices are placed at springs of arches and vaults, at the level of the choir gallery floor, at the spring of supporting arches and basement of central dome. The location of cornices hence marked the completion of a certain building period. Being put over brickwork at the end of building period in autumn those cornices protected construction from precipitation during winter season. That is why cornices within the Kyyivan St.Sophia Cathedral have “throats” – grooves which are cut along the underside of cornices as a stringcourses to prevent water from running back across them towards the wall. One can easily determine building periods of the St. Sophia Cathedral according to the cornice levels in it. As far as building period at the times of Old Rus` took approximately six to seven months (from late spring to early autumn), the erection of the St. Sophia Cathedral with its five naves and double galleries was continued through five or six years. Cross-domed churches with three naves were built during approximately three or four years. For example St.Michael’s Church at Vydubytsky Monastery was built to the height of choir gallery during the first year, then to the height of vaults’ and domes’ springing during the second year, after that vaults and domes were completed during the third year. The types of vaults used in ancient Kyyivan architecture were barrel vaults, domes on pendantives and domes on high drums. Widely spread in Byzantine architecture groined vaults were not in use in the Old Rus` building until the middle of the XII century. Also there was a certain consecutive order in erection of parts of a church: at first its central cross-domed volume, then apses, narthex, galleries etc. were built. In a year or two after the edifice was built its walls were covered with plaster and decorated with murals. Building methods applied in the ancient Kyyivan monuments of the XI-th century formed the basis of Old Rus` architecture developed during the following centuries.

Characteristics and Development Mechanisms of Northeast Cold Vortices

The northeast cold vortices (NECVs) in May-September during 1989–2018 are classified, based on the 6 h NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data (2.5° × 2.5°) and observational data from the Meteorological Information Comprehensive Analysis and Process System (MICAPS) provided by China Meteorological Administration. Meanwhile, characteristics and development mechanisms for NECVs of different types are also analyzed. In the recent 30 years, the occurrences of NECV processes have been increasing year by year, with an average of 7.4 times per year in Northeast China and a duration of 3–5 days on average for each process. NECVs mostly occur in late spring and early summer, and the longest time influenced by NECVs exceeds 19 days, with annual means of 9.9 days, 8.8 days, and 7.0 days in May, June, and July, respectively. The frequency of weak NECVs is about 1.2 times that of strong NECVs. Strong NCVs in late spring and early autumn as well as weak MCVs in summer are with high-frequency occurrences. It is found that when NCVs occur in late spring and early autumn, the upper-level westerly jets are relatively stronger, thus strengthening the divergence in the upper troposphere and the vortex circulation. The circulation fields in upper and lower levels cooperate with the strong jets, promoting the continuous development and maintenance of the cold vortices. Apart from the jets and circulation, the lower central potential height combined with the obvious cold-core and stronger ascending motions favor the NCV’s development. In addition, the dry intrusion has a strong promotion due to the stronger lower-level cold advection and downward intrusion of high potential vorticity. However, when MCVs occur in summer, things are just the opposite.