Reproduction of tropical water lilies

The study of coastal and aquatic tropical flora as part of the conservation of world biodiversity is the main purpose of research in botanical gardens. Conservation of plant collections involves a continuous process of plant reproduction. This means searching for ways of reproduction that are most effective for a particular group of plants and optimal timing of obtaining adult specimens. Generally accepted methods for seed (T. A. Rabotnov) and vegetative reproduction were used; for Nymphaea x daubeniana (viviparous water lily) was used the Sean Stevenson method. During 2017-2020 in the Stavropol Botanical Garden was conducted an experiment to study the reproduction of tropical water lilies in protected ground conditions. An artificial pond with a water mirror area of 85 m2 is located in a greenhouse, heated from October to April. Cross-pollination occurs during the mass flowering period (June-July, with illumination up to 93.5•103 kilolux), seed maturation occurs within 58±4 days, and seedlings bloom in 7-8 months. The moderate correlation was established between the soil composition and the intensity of flowering (p < 0.4) and the formation of nodules (p < 0.4). The absence or short flowering of water lily varieties and the mass of nodules (150-300 g) contributes to the formation of more planting material (up to 12 or more pieces). The vegetation period for 99% of the studied plants is 1478±26 days, for the species Nymphaea gigantea it is 887±15 days. Regardless of the species and variety of tropical water lilies, reproduction by daughter nodules formed at the base of the main tuber occurs throughout the growing season.

Comparison of Diagnostic Effects of T2-Weighted Imaging, DWI, SWI, and DTI in Acute Cerebral Infarction

Objective: To achieve precision medicine, the use of imaging methods to help the clinical detection of cerebral infarctionis conducive to the clinical development of a treatment plan and increase of the cure rate and improvement of the prognosis of patients.Methods: In this work, T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) examinations were performed on 34 patients with clinically diagnosed cerebral infarction to measure the difference in signal intensity between the lesion and its mirror area and make a comparative analysis by means of the Student-Newman-Keuls method.Results: The detection rate of T2WI was 79% (27/34), the detection rate of DWI was 97% (33/34), the detection rateof SWI was 88% (30/34), and the detection rate of DTI was 94% (32/34).Conclusion: The imaging performance was in the order DWI > DTI > SWI > T2WI for the diagnosis of cerebral infarction, and combined imaging is better than single imaging.

About disappearance of a large Lake Ebi-Nur, Xinjiang, China

This research considers the process of degradation of the large, bitter-salty Lake Ebi-Nur, located in the Xinjiang (Northwest China), on the border with Kazakhstan. Satellite monitoring using LANDSAT-8 and SENTINEL-2 in recent years has shown the continuation of the process of rapid shallowing of this water body. The area of the lake water mirror decreased from 900 km2 in 2018 to 210 km2 in 2021. The reasons for the degradation of Lake Ebi-Nur are the withdrawal of a significant amount of river’s runoff for arable land irrigation, against the background of three (2019-2021) strongly low-water years. The stability of the water mirror area of Lake Ebi-Nur and the cultivation of over 600 thousand hectares of irrigated arable land in its basin is possible only with the alternation of low-water and high-water years. Three sharply low-water years in a row have brought the lake to a critical state. The continuation of low water in 2022, most likely, will transfer this lake to the state of a salt marsh. The degradation of Lake Ebi-Nur carries significant environmental risks. This lake is located in a natural area of very strong winds (Dzungarian Gate). The drained parts of lake’s bottom become sources of salt storms in direction to agricultural lands and large settlements, including the capital of Xinjiang, city Urumqi. A definite solution to the problem may be the transfer of additional water resources to the Lake Eb-Nur basin from the neighboring water-surplus valleys of the Ili River or the Kara-Ertis River. However, these rivers are transboundary (China-Kazakhstan) and additional returnable seizures of their water resources to the Lake Ebi-Nur will be hard perceived in Kazakhstan.

Isophya sonora, a new bush-cricket species from Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae; Phaneropterinae)

Herein I describe Isophya sonora sp. nov. a new bush-cricket species from Trabzon, Northeastern part of Turkey (Black Sea Region). The species is characterized by the shape of the markedly convergent fastigium, distinctly broadened pronotum at metazona, elongate tegmina and large mirror area of left tegmen in the male. The bioacoustic characteristics, and the shape and number of the teeth of stridulatory organs are also different compared to closely related species. The new species is clearly a member of I. zernovi species-group allied with I. bivittata. Both the bioacoustics, and the morphological data, demonstrate the relationships between species of the I. zernovi species-group are as follows: (I. bicarinata + (I. zernovi + I. horon)) + (I. sonora sp. n. + I. bivittata?))) + (I. karadenizensis + I. autumnalis)))).

Allometric scaling in two bushcricket species (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) suggests sexual selection on song-generating structures

In acoustically communicating bushcrickets (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae), most signal properties are influenced by the dimensions of the stridulatory apparatus, which in turn reflects body size and condition of the signaller. Females can assess male quality based on acoustic signals, suggesting that male stridulatory structures may be under sexual selection. We investigated scaling relationships between stridulatory structures, body size and body mass in males of the bushcricket Poecilimon veluchianus veluchianus, in comparison to the congeneric Poecilimon ampliatus. Stridulatory structures in P. v. veluchianus exhibited strong left–right correlation and coupling with body size and mass, indicating stabilizing selection for functional integration. In addition, sound-generating (the width of stridulatory teeth) and sound-radiating (mirror area on the right tegmen) structures scaled hyperallometrically to tegmen area, suggesting that both are under sexual selection. Finally, interspecies comparison revealed a steeper slope in tegmen area and stridulatory file length in relation to body size in P. ampliatus than in P. v. veluchianus, implying stronger sexual selection in the former, smaller species. Our study emphasizes the significance of a comparative allometric approach in elucidating evolutionary patterns of sound-generating and -radiating structures.

Highly reliable electromagnetic MOEMS scanning grating mirror based on folded torsion beam with fillet corners

To overcome the problems of poor structural reliability, high driving voltage and small scanning angle, a novel electromagnetic MOEMS scanning grating mirror (SGM) with folded torsion beam is reported in this work. Compared with the conventional straight torsion beam, the folded torsion beam has better elastic torsion property and can effectively improve the structural reliability of the MOEMS SGM. Furthermore, the fillet structure is added to the folded torsion beam to prevent stress concentration. The stress analysis and impact resistance of the proposed MOEMS SGM are simulated by FEM (ANSYS 18.2), and the simulation results are compared with that of the MOEMS SGM without fillet structure. The stress simulation is carried out under different fillet radius of 40–70 [Formula: see text]m, the maximum stress can be reduced to 85[Formula: see text] and the stress is redistributed uniformly. Meanwhile, in the impact resistance simulation, the impact displacement can be reduced by 10.1[Formula: see text]. A prototype is fabricated and tested, it has a large mirror area of 6 mm ×7 mm. The MOEMS SGM can reach the maximum scanning half angle of [Formula: see text] at 7.63 V under resonance (@602.1 Hz), which means that the full mechanical scanning angle of the MOEMS SGM can reach [Formula: see text].

Experimental research of sub-layer feed of self-foaming gas-aerosol filled foam for extinguishing fires in tanks with oil products

Статья посвящена исследованиям в области тушения пожаров в резервуарах классическим подслойным способом. Представлены результаты натурных огневых (и без горючей нагрузки) испытаний по подслойной подаче самовспенивающейся газоаэрозоленаполненной пены (СГП) в резервуар РВС-5000 от импульсных установок пожаротушения. Испытания показали высокую эффективность тушения нефтепродуктов импульсным способом с подачей СГП, в том числе по протяженному сухотрубу. Определен комплекс факторов, обеспечивающих высокую эффективность тушения исследуемого способа пожаротушения. In Russia a significant number of tanks are equipped with sub-layer fire extinguishing systems. Foam lines are used to feed the foam into the tank, and various foam generators are used to produce it. The article presents information on the problems of extinguishing fires in tanks using the classical technology of sub-layer fire extinguishing. The relevance of research on the use of a pulsed fire extinguishing method with a sub-layer feed of self-foaming gas-aerosol-filled foam is shown. For practical confirmation of the effectiveness of SGP “subsurface” way at the site of the Orenburg branch of FGBU VNIIPO EMERCOM of Russia there was carried out in-situ prior (without fuel load) and fire tests on the tank RVS-5000. In the preliminary test, the SGP feed was carried out from the «Uragan-7,5-200-300» and it was experimentally confirmed that it is possible to obtain a SGP when it is fed through a layer of water. The results of preliminary tests to study the ascent of the SGP through the liquid layer are presented: the time of ascent, the time of covering the mirror area, the multiplicity, and the loss of the SGP in the dry tube. Fire tests were carried out to determine the possibility of extinguishing AI-95 gasoline on the RVS-5000 mirror by sub-layer feeding of the SGP and the possibility of feeding the SGP through an extended dry pipe. When conducting fire tests, two UPAT-7500-M units were used to feed the SGP. Tests have shown high efficiency of extinguishing oil products with pulsed fire extinguishing method with the SGP supply, including long dry pipes. A set of factors that ensure high efficiency of the investigated method of fire extinguishing is presented. At present, an important issue is the adaptation of the SGP feed technology to the existing infrastructure of sub-layer fire extinguishing. This will make it possible to use this highly effective technology on existing tanks equipped with sub-layer fire extinguishing systems and increase the level of fire protection of tank farms.

Exploratory Study on Wetlands Area Decrease in Bogotá due to Construction Activity: 1950-2016

The aim of the study was to quantify in an explorative way the damage of the wetland area because of drying and construction activities from 1950 to 2016 in Bogotá city. To such end, an estimate of the wetland area of Bogotá was made for the years 1950, 1989 and 2016 by reviewing the geographic information of the Agustín Codazzi Geographical Institute (IGAC) and the Aqueduct and Sewer Bogotá Company (EAAB). The information was analyzed of the area variation for each water body. The data shows that the city's water mirror area has decreased by an average of 84.52% between the years of 1950, 1989 and 2016, except for El Tunjo wetland, which grew 79.45%. This situation shows that the protection that has been implemented happened too late, since a considerable portion of these ecosystems rich in fauna and flora is lost. This has generated phenomena such as: flooding of settlements in these areas, disappearance, or displacement of endemic species of flora and fauna and displacement of wetlands.

Application of Computed Tomography Angiography Data Monitoring in Cerebral Glioma (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Background: Glioma are tumors derived from neuroectodermal stromal cells and one of the most common malignant tumors of the brain. OBJECTIVE Objective：The objective is to understand the application of CT angiography in the proliferation of glioma cells more clearly and get more effective diagnosis and treatment of glioma. METHODS Methods： The adult male healthy Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were selected as the research objects to construct the animal models. In addition, respective on the 7th day, 14th day, and the 21st day, the rats were submitted to CT scans. According to parameters and indicators such as cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV), mean transit time (MTT), and time to peak (TTP), the stained cerebral tissues of rats at different time nodes were further analyzed. RESULTS Results: The results of rat CT manifestation analysis and clinical analysis showed that with the time increased, the volume of the tumors in rats increased apparently, with symptoms such as listlessness appeared at the initial stage and hemiplegia appeared at the later stage. The comparative analysis results of CT parameters at different times nodes showed that in the same tumor area, before the 14th day, CBF, CBV, and TTP showed the increasing trends, which gradually decreased after the 14th day, with significant statistical difference (P<0.01). However, MTT showed a decreasing trend in general, which is not apparent. The results of Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) staining of the tumor area, the peritumoral area, and the contralateral mirror area at different time nodes showed that the vascular endothelial cells, the smooth muscle cells of vessel walls, and the tumor cells were strongly positive. In addition, with the time increased, in the tumor area, the peripheral area, and the contralateral mirror area, the cells increased in both volume and quantity, showing significant differences. CONCLUSIONS Conclusion: Therefore, through the research in this study, it is found that the computed tomography angiography data monitoring can reflect the angiogenesis of rat cerebral glioma. CLINICALTRIAL

PROBLEMS OF VOLYN REGION POND FARMS CONDITIONS AND FUNCTIONING GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS

The ponds distribution regularities within the basin, landscape and landscape-hydrological systems in the Volyn region have been established. The geospatial pond farms conditions and functioning analysis of region made it possible to evaluate advantages and disadvantages to use appropriate types of systems for these needs. To estimate basin systems saturation level by ponds was processed topographic maps of 1 : 50,000 scale. 586 ponds with an area of water mirror over 0.5 ha were identified on them. The average area of reservoirs is 6.4‒67.5 ha. Construction and exploitation of ponds in river basins of Volyn region significantly changes their landscape structure, influences on functioning of water bodies. The peculiarity of region is considerable river regulation on its upper parts. Maximum transformations (including hydrotechnical ones) have undergone floodplain complexes of small rivers, first of all on rivers Lypa, Luga, Serny and Chornoguzka. In the Pripyat basin, counting about 456 pond’s with a total water mirror area of 3 400,61 ha. Most ponds are concentrated in Goryn, Styr, Stokhid and Turiya basin systems. In Western Bug basin there are 131 ponds with a total area of 841.78 ha. The basin is characterized by higher rates of pond density (over 40 units/1000 km2). Most of ponds are locating in Luga river basin (110 units). For individual landscape places, quantitative parameters of pond differ, and the pond density varies from 7,69 to 86,48 units/1000 km2. The highest pond density is characteristic for Volyn highland. It is declining substantially in northeast direction, especially within Polissya alluvial-lakes, floodplains and terraces places of region. It is proposed to use landscape-hydrological systems as an alternative to inventory of water bodies. The highest counts of ponds in region are in Styr-III sub-basins (175 units; 29.9 % of their total) and Luga-III (109 units). Density of ponds in these sub-basins exceeds 50‒80 units/1000 km2. The high density of ponds is characteristic of Goryn-III sub-basin, especially of territory stocking index (13.52 km2/1000 km2). In recent years, there has been a tendency to increase of pond farms number in region.