Topology, Vegetation and Stratigraphy of Far Eastern Aapa Mires (Khabarovsk Region, Russia)

Aapa mires (string-flark fens) are one of the main types of mires in northern Eurasia. It has an almost continuous distribution from Scandinavia to Kamchatka, disappearing in continental climate areas and becoming one of the dominant types in more oceanic zones. This article first presents the topological features of string-flark aapa, their vegetation and peat stratigraphy related to different elements of microrelief at the southernmost borders of boreal mires of cryolithozone (51–52 N), in the Lower Amur region (Russia). String-flark fens are very similar to the aapa mires originally reported for the European North. The waterlogged minerotrophic central fen, with a ribbed surface pattern, is surrounded by oligotrophic bogs. The mosaic structure of the vegetation cover in the fens is determined by microtopography: mesooligotrophic dwarf shrub–herb–sphagnum strings, mesoeutrophic herb–sphagnum lawns, and sparse herb cover in water flarks. The flora, for the most part, corresponds with the European aapa, and has some characteristics of eastern features. We relate the localized evolution of string-flark complexes with water basin hydrology changes. The formation of string-flark complexes in pre-existing fens was preceded by the cessation of river flood waters over the surface of the mires. The further decline of erosion has led to the development of dwarf shrub–sphagnum communities containing microrelief. The immature strings of the aapa mires attest to the ongoing active change processes of the mires.

Comparison of temperature and humidity during MIS 11 and MIS 5e interglacials with the Holocene using stable isotopes in tufa deposits from northern France

Many recent palaeoclimatic studies have focused on Pleistocene interglacials, especially Marine Isotopic Stages (MIS) 5e and 11, as analogs to our modern interglacial (MIS 1). In continental area, archives allowing comparison between interglacials remain scarce. Calcareous tufa deposits, as they are characteristic of these periods and can provide long, almost continuous, palaeoclimatic records through their isotopic content, appear highly suitable for such investigation. In this paper, δ18O and δ13C values from the three well-dated tufas of Saint-Germain-le-Vasson, Caours, and La Celle are combined to compare temperature and moisture conditions prevailing during MIS 1, 5e, and 11, in the Paris Basin. Both Pleistocene interglacials, and especially their optima, appear stronger than the Holocene: MIS 11 was wetter and warmer than both the Holocene and MIS 5e, which itself experienced wetter conditions than the Holocene. These observations are consistent with palaeontological data from the studied sites, especially malacological assemblages, which record, as at other European tufa sites, a relative depletion of molluscan diversity during the Holocene compared with the Pleistocene (MIS 5 and 11) interglacials.

In foro solitudo: Roman Elections and the Time of Cinna

<p>The aim of this thesis is to provide a constitutional history of the mysterious years in the 80s B.C. when L. Cornelius Cinna was re-elected to the consulship on four consecutive occasions. Further irregularities abounded in this period, raising the question of how Rome’s annual elections were conducted in this period. A large amount of the surviving literature is either biased or uninformed on such matters. As a direct result, few have attempted to interpret the role of Rome’s comitia, its voting assemblies, in this period in any sufficient detail. This survey aims to fill this lacuna. From close inspection of the scattered evidence, it may be argued that Rome’s comitia did indeed play a role in the so-called Cinnae dominatio, despite the hoarding of high magistracy by just a handful of individuals. There were laws designed to prevent this domination: men were theoretically allowed to hold the consulship once (at least within a ten-year period); continuatio was forbidden. This study sets out to investigate how Cinna’s continuatio came to be tolerated. Some scholars have attempted to explain away this irregularity as a simple product of the turbulent times. After all, electoral irregularities did indeed increase in frequency during times of existential crisis. But Cinna’s elections do not adequately harmonize with any precedent in Rome’s history. This study begins with a survey of the Roman constitution in the years leading up to the Cinnae dominatio. The years 91 to 87 were marred by almost continuous warfare in Italy and abroad. However, despite attempts at attaining the consulship by a couple of theoretically ineligible candidates, Rome’s electoral restrictions remained robustly in place. All of this changed in late 87 when Cinna marched on Rome with a large army: many political opponents were murdered or exiled; Cinna assumed the consulship soon after. The process by which he became consul has been the subject of great controversy. Although it would seem that comitia were called, the process was irregular. These irregularities would continue even after Cinna died in 84, coming to an end in the years following Sulla’s restoration of the traditional republic after 81.</p>

In foro solitudo: Roman Elections and the Time of Cinna

<p>The aim of this thesis is to provide a constitutional history of the mysterious years in the 80s B.C. when L. Cornelius Cinna was re-elected to the consulship on four consecutive occasions. Further irregularities abounded in this period, raising the question of how Rome’s annual elections were conducted in this period. A large amount of the surviving literature is either biased or uninformed on such matters. As a direct result, few have attempted to interpret the role of Rome’s comitia, its voting assemblies, in this period in any sufficient detail. This survey aims to fill this lacuna. From close inspection of the scattered evidence, it may be argued that Rome’s comitia did indeed play a role in the so-called Cinnae dominatio, despite the hoarding of high magistracy by just a handful of individuals. There were laws designed to prevent this domination: men were theoretically allowed to hold the consulship once (at least within a ten-year period); continuatio was forbidden. This study sets out to investigate how Cinna’s continuatio came to be tolerated. Some scholars have attempted to explain away this irregularity as a simple product of the turbulent times. After all, electoral irregularities did indeed increase in frequency during times of existential crisis. But Cinna’s elections do not adequately harmonize with any precedent in Rome’s history. This study begins with a survey of the Roman constitution in the years leading up to the Cinnae dominatio. The years 91 to 87 were marred by almost continuous warfare in Italy and abroad. However, despite attempts at attaining the consulship by a couple of theoretically ineligible candidates, Rome’s electoral restrictions remained robustly in place. All of this changed in late 87 when Cinna marched on Rome with a large army: many political opponents were murdered or exiled; Cinna assumed the consulship soon after. The process by which he became consul has been the subject of great controversy. Although it would seem that comitia were called, the process was irregular. These irregularities would continue even after Cinna died in 84, coming to an end in the years following Sulla’s restoration of the traditional republic after 81.</p>

Photoperiod and its relationship to sheep reproduction

Objective: To describe the seasonal variations throughout the year (day length), as one of the main environmental cues used by ewes to determine the most favorable time for breeding. Design/methodology/approach: A description of the main factors affecting ewe reproduction (photoperiod, suckling, postpartum period, nutrition, sociosexual effects) was assessed by a review of documentary information. Results: The inhibition of reproductive activity during one time of the year is a common process in most animal species to prevent births from occurring at an unfavorable time for the survival of the offspring. The seasonality of reproduction (northern latitude) allows births to occur in late winter or early spring when climatic conditions are the most favorable for the offspring development. Limitations/implications: The duration of the anestrus season (seasonal or postpartum) is influenced by the photoperiod and other factors. In Mexico, a small percentage of Criollo and Pelibuey ewes show a short duration of seasonal anestrus; that is, they show almost continuous annual reproductive activity. Therefore, to improve the reproductive efficiency of ewes, it is important to precisely determine the factors that affect their reproduction to improve management and increase the profits in the production units. Findings/Conclusions: Photoperiod is the main environmental factor regulating the annual reproductive cycle of the ewes, it occurs through very complex and varied mechanisms that communicate the visual system with the gonads through nervous and endocrine pathways.

Sustainability Metrics of the EAEU Economic Development: Problem of the “Core” of the Indicators and Thresholds System

In the subject area of macroeconomic indicators there is currently not only an active search for new solutions, but also their almost continuous implementation in the practice of macroeconomic regulation. Multiple crisis processes in the world economy and politics, unfolding technological transformation, sharp manifestation of medical and biological threats have created additional impulses for forming and applying new models for assessing macroeconomic realities and a set of sustainable development problems. In the practice of world integration associations and the EAEU in particular, considerable experience has been accumulated in applying the systems of macroeconomic indicators with threshold values and procedures for responding to their violations. Critical analysis of the current system of macroeconomic indicators in the EAEU made it possible to substantiate a new vision of both the composition of indicators of sustainable economic development of the EAEU member states and assessment criteria as well as threshold values.

Spanish Carnival, Dictatorship, and Political Correctness

В статье в контексте истории Испании XIX-XXI вв. рассматривается эволюция народного карнавала как воплощения «протестного начала», «праздника непослушания», в ходе которого привычный социальный порядок «переворачивается вверх дном», происходит отказ от повседневных правил поведения, отменяются устоявшиеся этические и идеологические нормы. Давление властных структур на карнавальную традицию, порой весьма жесткое, вынуждало вести почти непрерывную борьбу за ее поддержание. Особое место в этом процессе занимает период диктатуры Франко, когда карнавал был запрещен и предпринимались попытки сконструировать ему замену, полностью лишенную исконной протестной и «ниспровергательской» сути. Автор описывает восстановление карнавальной традиции после падения диктатуры, а также реакцию общества и администрации на возобновившиеся «нарушения табу» в условиях либеральных свобод. Автор обращает внимание на принципиально новую тенденцию в культурно-идеологической атмосфере Испании последних лет, связанную с резким усилением влияния постулатов так называемой политкорректности и попытками влиятельной части общества перестроить в соответствии с ними действующую систему ценностей и отношений. В этой ситуации карнавал, веками игравший роль возмутителя общественного спокойствия, впервые в истории подвергается все более резкой критике как бастион консерватизма, сексизма, мачизма и т. д., требующий радикальной перестройки. Между тем ее реализация неминуемо уничтожит неповторимую специфику карнавала, буквально чудом сохранившуюся после столетий ограничений, запретов, «коммерческой коррозии» и других губительных для поддержания традиции факторов. This article examines the evolution of Spanish national carnival in the context of Spanish history of the past two centuries as the embodiment of the “protest principle,” as a “holiday of disobedience,” when the usual social order is turned upside down, everyday rules of behavior are rejected, and established moral and ideological norms are abolished. Pressure on the carnival tradition on the part of the authorities, sometimes very severe, generated an almost continuous struggle to maintain it. During the Franco dictatorship, carnival was banned and attempts were made to construct a replacement, devoid of the original critical and “subversive” spirit. This article describes the restoration of the carnival tradition after the dictatorship fell. It analyzes the reaction of Spanish society and administration to the renewed “taboo violations” in the context of liberal freedoms. The author draws attention to a fundamentally new trend in the Spanish cultural and ideological atmosphere of recent years associated with a sharp increase in so-called political correctness and with attempts by an influential part of society to rebuild a new system of values. In this situation, the carnival, which for centuries played the role of disturber of public peace, for the first time in history is being criticized as a bastion of conservatism, sexism, machismo, etc., that requires radical restructuring. However, the implementation of such change will inevitably destroy the unique nature of the carnival which miraculously survived centuries of restrictions, prohibitions, “commercial corrosion” and other factors detrimental to the maintenance of the tradition.

Polyphasic Characterization of Microbiota of “Mastredda”, a Traditional Wooden Tool Used during the Production of PDO Provola dei Nebrodi Cheese

The biofilms of the wooden tables used for the acidification of the curd were investigated for PDO Provola dei Nebrodi cheese, a traditional stretched cheese made in eastern Sicily (southern Italy) from raw cows’ milk. To this purpose the wooden tables of four dairy facilities were analysed for their microbiota by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis and a combined culture-independent and -dependent microbiological approach. SEM inspection showed an almost continuous biofilm formation. MiSeq Illumina analysis identified 8 phyla, 16 classes, 25 orders, 47 families and 50 genera. Corynebacterium, Bifidobacterium and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were detected in all samples. In particular, the LAB genera detected on all wooden tables were Lactobacillus, Streptococcus and Lactococcus. LAB dominated the surfaces of all wooden tables with levels higher than 7.0 Log CFU/cm2. In particular, the LAB found at the highest levels were mesophilic cocci. Coagulase positive staphylococci, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli were never detected. Twenty-seven dominating LAB strains were identified within the genera Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Lacticaseibacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, Levilactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus and Streptococcus. This work showed that the wooden table used during the production of PDO Provola dei Nebrodi cheese is a safe system and a microbiologically active tool.

A Study on Some Properties of Neutrosophic Multi Topological Group

In this paper, we studied some properties of the neutrosophic multi topological group. For this, we introduced the definition of semi-open neutrosophic multiset, semi-closed neutrosophic multiset, neutrosophic multi regularly open set, neutrosophic multi regularly closed set, neutrosophic multi continuous mapping, and then studied the definition of a neutrosophic multi topological group and some of their properties. Moreover, since the concept of the almost topological group is very new, we introduced the definition of neutrosophic multi almost topological group. Finally, for the purpose of symmetry, we used the definition of neutrosophic multi almost continuous mapping to define neutrosophic multi almost topological group and study some of its properties.