HEAVY PRECIPITATION OCCURRENCE OVER KHERSON WEATHER STATION ACCORDING TO METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS AND ERA5 REANALYSIS

The paper presents the results of a study of heavy precipitation in the form of rain (> 30 mm/12 h) using data from the meteorological observations and atmospheric reanalysis ERA5 at the Kherson weather station in 2005-2021.Detected that at the Kherson there were only 19 cases of heavy rainfall, which occurred only in the warm half of the year with a maximum recurrence in July. Compared to 1961-1990, the number of heavy rains of 2005-2021 increased in July and June, and decreased in August.Determined that most of the real cases of increased precipitation in Kherson are in good agreement with the results of the ERA5 reanalysis, but in almost a third of the simulation episodes did not show heavy precipitation at the Kherson coordinates or their center was shifted.Heavy rains in Kherson were formed in a field of low atmospheric pressure, with a weak northwest wind and accompanied by thunderstorms.Clarified that most episodes of heavy rainfall in Kherson in 2005-2021 are associated with the movement of southern cyclones, others formed on the southern periphery of the anticyclone in the southwestern direction of the jet stream in the troposphere.

On-farm culling methods used for pigs

The culling of injured and non-viable pigs (Sus scrofa) (neonate to breeding stock) is a routine and necessary procedure on most farms. Usually, pigs are culled using one of the following methods: blunt-force trauma (manual and mechanical), captive-bolt stunners, electrical stunning and electrocution or carbon dioxide. Manual blunt-force trauma is one of the most widely used methods due to its low or absent operational and investment costs. However, as a method, it has serious limitations, which include the risk of incomplete concussion, pain, and distress. Manual blunt-force trauma is also aesthetically unpleasant to operators and wider society. To address these issues there has been significant recent research into the development of alternatives to manual blunt-force trauma, these include: captive-bolt stunners, on-farm, gas-based controlled atmosphere systems, low atmospheric pressure systems and electrical stunning. Some of these are currently in commercial use while others are still in the developmental phase. This review brings together the relevant research in this field, evaluating the methods in terms of mechanism of action (mechanical and physiological), effectiveness and animal welfare.

Effect of Low Atmospheric Pressure on Bubble Stability of Air-Entrained Concrete

The effect of low atmospheric pressure of the environment on the air content and bubble stability of air-entrained concrete was investigated in Beijing and Lhasa. The results indicate that the reduction of atmospheric pressure can weaken the air-entraining capability of air-entraining agents (AEAs). The air content of fresh concrete decreased by 9%–39% when the atmospheric pressure dropped to 64 kPa. The bubble stability of concrete mixed at a low atmospheric pressure becomes worse. Within 50–55 min after mixing, the air content of concrete mixed at a low atmospheric pressure decreases greatly, and the void spacing factor increases obviously. The concrete mixed at a low atmospheric pressure will lose more air content when vibration time increases, leading to the decrease of air content and the increase of the spacing factor, which are more significant than the concrete mixed at normal atmospheric pressure. On the basis of the experiment results in this study, the type of AEAs must be carefully selected, and the vibration time must be strictly controlled to ensure that the air content of concrete will meet the design requirements in low atmospheric pressure areas.

Simulated Space Environmental Factors of Weightlessness, Noise and Low Air Pressure Differentially Affect the Circadian Rhythm and Gut Microbiome

Backgroundhe circadian clock extensively regulates physiology and behavior. In space, the astronauts encounter many environmental factors that are dramatically different from those on earth, however, the effects of these factors on circadian rhythms and the mechanisms remain largely unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the changes in the mouse circadian rhythm and gut microbiome under simulated space capsule conditions, including microgravity, noise and low atmospheric pressure.ResultsNoise and low atmospheric pressure were loaded in the capsule while the conditions in the animal room remained constant. The mice in the capsule showed disturbed locomotor rhythms and faster adaptation to a 6-h phase advance. RNA sequencing of hypothalamus samples revealed that microgravity simulated by hind limb unloading (HU) and exposure to noise and low atmospheric pressure led to decreases in the quantities of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including circadian clock genes. Changes in the rhythmicity of genes implicated in pathways of cardiovascular deconditioning and more concentrated circadian phases were found under HU or noise and low atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, 16S rRNA sequencing revealed dysbiosis in the gut microbiome, and noise and low atmospheric pressure may repress the temporal discrepancy in the microbiome community structure induced by microgravity. Changes in diel oscillation were observed in a number of gut bacteria with critical physiological consequences in metabolism and immunodefense.ConclusionsOur data demonstrate that in addition to microgravity, exposure to noise and low atmospheric pressure affect the robustness of circadian rhythms and the community structure of the gut microbiome, and these factors may interfere with each other in their adaptation to respective conditions. These findings are important to further our understanding of the alteration of circadian rhythms in the space complex environment.

EXPRESS: Dependence of seasonal dynamics of cardiovascular events on a climate of a region: a meta-analysis

Background Cardiovascular events (CVEs) occur more often in winter than in summer; however, the dependence of strokes on various meteorological factors remains unclear . Aims The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine the dependence of the circannual dynamics of hospitalizations for hemorrhagic stroke (HS) and ischemic stroke (IS) on seasonal fluctuations in meteorological factors. Summary of review and conclusions For our meta-analysis, we selected 20 and 26 publications examining the seasonal dynamics of HS and IS, respectively . The meta-analysis showed that HS occurs more often in winter than in other seasons and does not depend on a region’s climate. The seasonal dynamics of IS are not clearly expressed and are determined by the characteristics of a region’s climate. In a climate without pronounced seasonal dynamics of atmospheric pressure and in wet winters, the vector of IS incidents will not be expressed or slightly shifted toward winter. Low atmospheric pressure in summer is associated with an increased likelihood of IS during this season compared to winter. There was also a relation between IS risk with high relative humidity and a significant decrease in ρO2 in summer, but there is not enough evidence regarding this association. We did not reveal dependence of the seasonal dynamics of strokes on the amplitude of annual fluctuations in air temperature. Keywords: ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, season, meteorological factors, climate

An Evolving Understanding of Enigmatic Large Ripples on Mars

<p>Unlike terrestrial sandy deserts, Mars hosts two scales of ripples in fine sand. Larger, meter-scale ripples are morphologically distinct from small, decimeter-scale ripples, and their size, in particular, decreases with increasing atmospheric density. As a result, it was recently proposed that the equilibrium size of the larger ripples is set by an aerodynamic process, which makes them larger under thinner atmospheres. Under this hypothesis, large martian ripples would be distinct from smaller, decimeter-scale impact ripples in a mechanistic sense. Several workers have followed up on these initial observations to either corroborate, counter, or expand upon that hypothesis. Notably, a mechanistic model that not only corroborates the hypothesis that the size of large martian ripples is set by an aerodynamic process but also suggests that they arise from an aerodynamic instability, distinct from the grain-impact instability thought to be responsible for the formation of impact ripples, was developed. Conversely, other workers proposed that large ripples can develop from small impact ripples in a numerical model due to Mars’ low atmospheric pressure. In the latter model, the ripples’ growth-limiting mechanism is consistent with an aerodynamic process, but the large ripples would not be a separate class of ripples – they would simply be a larger version of the small impact ripples. Here, we explore this debate by synthesizing recent advances in large-ripple formation and offer potential avenues to address outstanding questions. Although significant knowledge gaps remain, it is clear that large martian ripples are larger where the atmosphere is less dense. The size of large martian ripples thus remain a powerful paleoclimate indicator.</p>

Adaptations and responses of the common dandelion to low atmospheric pressure in high altitude environments

Atmospheric pressure is an important, yet understudied factor that may shape plant ecology and evolution. By growing plants under controlled conditions at different experimental stations in the Swiss alps, we evaluated the impact of ecologically realistic atmospheric pressures between 660 and 950 hPa on the growth and defence of different dandelion populations. Low atmospheric pressure was associated with reduced root growth and defensive sesquiterpene lactone production. Defense suppression only occurred in populations originating from lower altitudes. Populations from higher altitudes constitutively produced less sesquiterpene lactones and did not suffer from suppression under low atmospheric pressure. We conclude that atmospheric pressure modulates root growth and defence traits, and that evolutionary history shapes plant phenotypic responses to atmospheric pressure. Our findings have important implications for our understanding of altitudinal gradients and the future use of plants as a source of food and bioactive metabolites in extraterrestrial habitats.