Atypical Conditions Research Articles

The Phenology of Coffea arabica var. Esperanza L4A5 Under Different Agroforestry Associations and Fertilization Conditions in the Caribbean Region of Costa Rica

This study focused on the phenology of Coffea arabica var. Esperanza L4A5, an F1 interspecific hybrid obtained by crossing commercial varieties with wild genotypes from Ethiopia and Sudan. Most phenological studies on C. arabica have been conducted in traditional high-altitude regions, leaving a gap in the understanding of its behavior in non-traditional areas such as the Caribbean region of Costa Rica. To establish a baseline on the phenological behavior of the Esperanza L4A5 hybrid in this region, we conducted a four-year study examining the effects of different agroforestry associations: (1) Albizia saman; (2) Hymenaea courbaril and Erythrina poeppigiana; (3) Anacardium excelsum and Erythrina poeppigiana; and coffee plots under full sun. Additionally, the phenology of the coffee plants was evaluated under differentiated fertilizations (physical, chemical, and without fertilization), considering meteorological factors such as temperature, humidity, and rainfall. The observed variables included the development of floral nodes, pre-anthesis, anthesis, and fruiting stages. To analyze the relationships between environmental factors, tree cover, fertilization, and the phenological stages, we employed multiple linear regression (MLR), which revealed that both tree cover and physical and chemical fertilizations had significant effects on the presence of developed floral nodes and, consequently, on fruit production. Furthermore, the random forest (RF) model was applied to capture complex interactions between variables and to rank the importance of meteorological factors, tree cover, and fertilization practices. These analyses demonstrated that the Esperanza L4A5 hybrid exhibited viable phenological development under the atypical conditions of the Caribbean region of Costa Rica, suggesting its potential to adapt and thrive in non-traditional coffee-growing areas.

Enhancing soil water stability and retention through plastic mulching under atypical climatic conditions on the Chinese loess plateau

Mulching is an agricultural practice that is extensively implemented worldwide to conserve water in soil to enhance agricultural production，and especially in the temperate continental monsoon climate regions. However, the mechanism controlling soil moisture evaporation, infiltration, and retention by mulching is unclear. We assess the impact of various mulching regimes on the soil–water equilibrium in the root zone of corn fields under atypical climate conditions(Excessive Precipitation) from 2020–2021 in five treatments: (1) ridges mulched with plastic film and furrows without mulching (RF), (2) conventional flat planting with full plastic mulching (FPM), (3) conventional flat planting with straw mulching (SM), (4) conventional flat planting with partial plastic mulching (PPM), and (5) conventional (control) flat planting with no mulching (CK). The HYDRUS-2D model was calibrated and validated using experimental data, to assess soil water content, water flux, and soil water balance within a two-dimensional soil profile. This model accurately replicated the root zone within the soil profile under all mulching scenarios, with numerical simulation outcomes closely aligning with observed measurements. Average R² values for FPM, PPM, RF, SM, and CK scenarios were 0.76, 0.75, 0.86, 0.85, and 0.77, respectively. During the 2020 and 2021 growing seasons, characterized by increased rainfall, plastic-covered treatments (FPM, PPM, RF) more efficiently reduced soil evaporation and enhanced soil-water retention. The combined soil drainage and storage changes for FPM, PPM, RF, and SM treatments exceeded those of CK by an average of 114.57, 64.93, 77.38, and 6.74 mm, respectively. FPM, PPM, and RF treatments had substantial water-retention capabilities during years of atypical climate. Notably, FPM ensured adequate water supply, facilitated deep soil water replenishment, and more effectively maintained soil water stability and retention. This underscores the pivotal regulatory function of mulching in mitigating the impacts of consecutive years of unusual climatic conditions.

Influence of Ensiling Timing and Inoculation on Whole Plant Maize Silage Fermentation and Aerobic Stability (Preliminary Research)

Despite efforts to prevent atypical ensiling conditions, such as delayed ensiling or sealing, these issues frequently occur in practice. This study aimed to investigate the effects of delayed ensiling (forage held for 24 h) and sealing, along with inoculation using a blend of Lentilactobacillus buchneri and Lactococcus lactis, on the characteristics of the resulting silages. Whole-plant maize (Zea mays L.) was treated with or without a commercial inoculant and ensiled (36% dry matter) for 60 days in 3.0 L glass containers. The forage was either ensiled immediately or subjected to a 24 h delay before ensiling. During the delay, the forage was either covered or left uncovered. Each treatment was replicated five times. All data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS statistical software (version 9.4; SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Delaying the ensiling process by 24 h worsens fermentation parameters, significantly increases dry matter (DM) losses (p < 0.01), and significantly reduces aerobic stability and the hygienic quality of the silage (p < 0.01), as evidenced by higher concentrations of undesirable fermentation products and elevated yeast and mold counts. The inoculation has a significant impact on both forage before ensiling and the characteristics of the resulting silage. Maize forage treated with inoculant showed a lower temperature increase by 8.2–8.1 °C (p < 0.01) when delayed for 24 h before ensiling. In silages, it also resulted in a reduced pH (p < 0.01); increased concentrations of lactic acid; acetic acid; and 1,2-propanediol (p < 0.01); and decreased levels of negative fermentation indicators such as ammonia-N, alcohols, and butyric acid (p < 0.01) During both the fermentation and aerobic exposure periods, inoculated silages exhibited up to 36% and 2.6 times lower (p < 0.01) dry matter loss, while suppressing the growth of yeasts and molds by up to 2.6 and 3.1 times (p < 0.01), respectively, compared to non-inoculated silages. The results of this study support the recommendation to minimize the duration of aerobic exposure of fresh forage during silo filling and to use LAB-based inoculants.

Discovery of fossil micrometeorites from the Deccan trap intertrappeans

AbstractThe Cretaceous–Paleogene (K‐Pg) boundary represents the extinction of ~70% of species, a prominent Chicxulub impact event and Deccan volcanism. This work reports the first attempt to extract the micrometeorites (MMs) from the Deccan intertrappean horizons. Eighty‐one spherical particles were studied for their morphological, textural, and chemical characteristics. Intact cosmic spherules with ferromagnesian silicates (6) and Fe‐Ni oxide (7) compositions correspond to MMs from the deep sea and Antarctica. Silicate and Fe‐Ni spherules in this study showcase remarkable preservation, a testament to the highly favorable conditions present. Fe spherules (38) with iron oxide compositions exhibit diagenetic alteration during preservation. Textural analysis of 30 Fe spherules reveals a dendritic, interlocking pattern and slightly elevated Mn content, suggesting these may be fossilized I‐type MMs. However, eight Fe spherules with blocky and cubical granular textures resemble oxidized pyrite spherules. Al‐Fe‐Si spherules (30) possess a significant enrichment of Al and Si within their Fe‐oxide‐dominated composition. Group‐I Al‐Fe‐Si spherules (15) display zoned Al‐Fe‐Si oxide composition, dendritic Mg‐Cr spinel grains, and aerodynamic features, all indicative of impact spherules. The finding of these impact spherules from sampled Deccan intertrappean layer raises the possibility that these paleosols were deposited during the Chicxulub impact event, the only identified impact event with global distribution during the Deccan volcanism time frame. This unique location provides an opportunity for the simultaneous collection of well‐preserved MMs, impact, and volcanic spherules. The exceptional preservation of the studied MMs is likely due to a combination of non‐marine environments, atypical climatic conditions, and rapid deposition. This study further investigates the potential role of cosmic dust flux in the K‐Pg extinction event. We propose that the enhanced cosmic dust flux, a likely scenario during the K‐Pg boundary period, synergistically mixing with impact dust in the upper atmosphere, may have intensified and extended the harsh climatic conditions at the K‐Pg boundary. Subsequently, the deposition of this dust, enriched in bioavailable iron, on Earth's surface might have contributed to the swift recovery of life and environmental conditions.

Potential processes leading to winter reddening of young Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb. Franco. in Europe

Key messageWinter reddening of young Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb. Franco), triggered by large thermal fluctuations in late winter, is a critical problem for European forestry. A literature review identified certain climatic conditions that are characteristic of ‘reddening’ years, including warm daily temperatures, high daily temperature amplitude, low relative humidity, moderate wind speeds, as well as the occurrence of freeze-thaw cycles with cold night temperatures.By describing the triggering environmental and stand factors, we propose three hypotheses for the physiological processes leading to winter reddening, namely (i) hydraulic failure due to winter drought stress, (ii) photo-oxidative stress in shade-acclimated trees, and (iii) early cold deacclimation during warm periods.i) Low soil temperature, by reducing root water uptake, combined with anticyclonic conditions, by increasing water losses, can induce hydraulic failure in the xylem. Hydraulic failure may be further accelerated by night frosts.ii) Winter reddening can occur when low temperature and high irradiance coincide, disrupting photostasis. Overwhelming of winter photo-protection may lead to photodamage and subsequent reddening.iii) Warm periods, by inducing cold deacclimation, make trees susceptible to frost damage.Finally, the three processes may interact under atypical anticyclonic conditions in late winter (e.g. cold or dry soils, warm days, high irradiance and/or freezing nights). Indeed, trees under water stress would develop a higher sensitivity to freezing night and photooxidative stress. We therefore proposed mitigation actions to avoid exposing trees to stressful conditions based on e.g. stand characteristics, understorey vegetation and planting.

Predicting best planting location and coffee cup quality from chemical parameters: An evaluation of raw Arabica coffee beans from São Paulo over two harvests

Arabica coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. The chemical components present in raw Arabica coffee beans (RACB) are directly related to the cup quality of the beverage. Environmental and genetic factors influence the content and profile of these components. Then, this work aimed to evaluate different chemical parameters of RACB from 3 varieties planted in 3 different experimental farms located within the “Alta Mogiana” terroir harvested in 2021 and 2022 to identify a better variety for each farm to produce a high cup quality Arabica coffee. The harvest period had a strong influence on most of the studied parameters because atypical weather conditions occurred in the 2021 harvest. The RACB harvested in 2022 yielded better results and supposedly will produce a beverage of high cup quality. Samples harvested in this period presented mainly average moisture levels closer to optimum (11.02 against 8.56 % in 2021); low total titratable acidity (98.00 against 169.75 mL 0.1 M NaOH/100 g in 2021); high amounts of free amino acids (0.96 against 0.93 g GAE/100 g in 2021), low amounts of CGA (4.27 against 4.85 g/100 g in 2021) and caffeine (1.08 against 1.76 g/100 g in 2021) and high amounts of trigonelline (1.12 against 0.96 g/100 g in 2021). The Rome Sudan variety had the best combination of chemical results, mainly when cultivated in Farm 2 in 2022, presenting high amounts of protein content (15.24 %) and free amino acids (0.96 g GAE/100 g), low total titratable acidity (98.3 mL 0.1 M NaOH/100 g), low amounts of CGA (4.55 g/100 g) and caffeine (1.29 g/100 g) and high amounts of trigonelline (1.11 g/100 g). The analysis of chemical compounds could predict the best farm to cultivate each variety studied and was a guide to foresee a higher cup quality of RACB beverages.

Reliability and minimal detectable change of the Yoni task for the theory of mind assessment.

The Theory of Mind (ToM) assessment is becoming essential to evaluate the response to a social cognition intervention and to monitor the progression of social abilities impairment in atypical conditions. In the Italian setting, the Yoni task has been recently validated in its short version (the Yoni-48 task) to evaluate ToM in the clinical setting. The present study aimed to verify the test-retest reliability and the Minimal Detectable Change (MDC) of the Yoni-48 task. The Yoni-48 task was administered to 229 healthy adults at two evaluation sessions 3 weeks apart (mean days between sessions = 20.35 ± 1.75) by a psychologist. The test-retest reliability of the Yoni-48 task accuracy and response time was tested by the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC2,1, two-way random model, absolute agreement type). Then, the MDC95 and MDC90 were computed based on the standard error of measurement. Finally, the 95% limits of agreement were plotted (LOA plot) to visualize the difference and mean score of each pair of measurements. The total Yoni-48 task accuracy, but not the response time score, showed a high ICC (>0.80), with an MDC of 0.10. By plotting the LOA plot for the accuracy score no systematic trends were observed. This evidence will support the adoption of the Yoni task in longitudinal designs.

A Systematic Approach to Map and Evaluate the Wildfire Behavior at a Territorial Scale in the Northwestern Iberian Peninsula

In the current context of extreme wildfires, understanding fire behavior at a territorial level has proven crucial for territory planning. This type of analysis is usually conducted by analyzing past wildfire statistics. In this study, we forego the past information related to wildfires and analyze, instead, the behavior of the entire territory in the face of wildfires. This allows for the distribution of ignition points to be systematized and for typical and atypical weather scenarios to be considered. This analysis relies on the use of wildfire simulation software. Ignition points used for the simulations were distributed using a systematic 1 × 1 km grid throughout the whole study area. Wildfires were simulated for each ignition point using eight different weather scenarios representing both typical and atypical weather conditions. The fire behavior on the territory was analyzed using rate of spread and intensity parameters for each simulated wildfire. It was observed that this territory is extremely prone to large wildfires both in typical and atypical weather conditions and that there is a tendency for extreme behaviors to develop. Some features were identified as prevention issues that ought to be addressed. This study develops a strategy to evaluate, in a systematic manner, the response of the territory to the threat of wildfires.

Genetic and Pathogenic Analysis of a Novel Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Strain Isolated in the Republic of Korea.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), caused by the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), emerges annually in several Asian countries. Its major symptoms include watery diarrhea, vomiting, anorexia, and dehydration. PED outbreaks incur significant economic losses. The efficacy of vaccines is limited by viral mutations and insufficient intestinal mucosal immunity. Therefore, new vaccines against these recent variants are urgently needed. Herein, we isolated and genetically characterized a novel Korean PEDV strain using NGS. Comparative genomic analysis demonstrated that the CKK1-1 strain belonged to genogroup 2. The isolated strain was cultured in sodium-glycochenodeoxycholic acid for 180 passages. Typically, PEDV isolation and passage require proteases, such as trypsin. However, the CKK1-1 strain adapted to this atypical culture condition, achieving a high titer of 8.83 ± 0.14 log TCID50/mL. In vitro biological analysis revealed no cell syncytium formation without trypsin; however, a cell-lysis-type cytopathic effect was noted. Notably, pathogenicity evaluation showed that CKK1-1 p0 exhibited naturally weakened virulence in five-day-old piglets, while piglets administered with CKK1-1 p180 exhibited 100% survival and reduced clinical symptoms. Collectively, our data demonstrate that this Korean PEDV strain, attenuated through atypical culture conditions with Na-glycochenodeoxycholic acid, has potential as a vaccine candidate, providing valuable insights into the genetic variation in and pathogenicity of PEDV.

Extreme learning machine approach on heart abnormalities identification in ECG images

Heart abnormalities are atypical heart conditions that can lead to chronic heart disease. Heart abnormalities can be severe if not treated directly due to the crucial function of the heart as the blood circulation center. Heart abnormalities cannot be seen with the naked eye so it requires the recording of a heartbeat wave or electrocardiogram (EKG) for the disease to be detected. Therefore, a strategy that uses image processing and artificial neural networks to detect anomalies in the heart is strongly advocated. The proposed methods for feature extraction and identification are Invariant Moments and Extreme Learning Machine respectively. The testing procedure for this research employed a total of 386 ECG images as training data. and 44 ECG images for test data, and the heart condition was classified into 4 classes, namely Atrial Fibrillation, T-Wave, ST-Segment, and normal heart conditions. The test was carried out using 3 choices of extreme learning machine activation functions, namely sigmoidal, sine and hard-lim. The test also applied the parameter of hidden neurons in which amounting to 10, 30, 50, 100 and 500. The system accuracy in identifying heart abnormalities achieved 95.45% by the application of the sigmoid function with the total number of hidden neurons equal to 500.

Do the expected heatwaves pose a threat to lichens?: Linkage between a passive decline in water content in thalli and response to heat stress.

Being poikilohydric, lichens are inherently exposed to alternating desiccation and hydration cycles. They can exhibit extraordinary resistance to extreme temperatures in a dehydrated state but thermal thresholds for hydrated lichens are lower. The ability of the lichen Cetraria aculeata to recovery after high temperature treatment (40°C, 60°C) at different air humidity levels (relative humidity [RH]: <15%, 25%, 50%, 75%, ≅100%) was examined to find a linkage between passive dehydration of the lichen and its physiological resistance to heat stress. The response to heating was determined by measuring parameters related to photosynthesis and respiration after 2- and 24-h recovery. A higher RH level resulted in a slower decline in relative water content (RWC) in hydrated thalli. In turn, the stress resistance of active thalli depended on the ambient humidity and associated RWC reduction. Elevated temperature had a negative impact on bioenergetic processes, but only an unnatural state of permanent full hydration during heat stress resulted in a lethal effect. Hydrated lichen thalli heated at 40°C and 50% relative humidity (RH) tended to be least susceptible to stress-induced damage. Although atypical climatic conditions may lead lichens to lethal thresholds, the actual likelihood of deadly threat to lichens due to heat events per se is debatable.

#1792 Phenotypic variability in PAX2-related nephropathies: a monocentric study

Abstract Background and Aims Pax2 mutations are known to cause kidney disease; both syndromic conditions, as kidney coloboma syndrome, and kidney specific disorders, as FSGS, have been described. Due to the rarity of Pax2-related nephropathies, data on genotype-phenotype correlation are limited. Method This observational and mono-centric study describes three families (A, G, P) referring to our Nephrology center, carrying Pax2 mutations. A total of 12 subjects were investigated: 2 individuals in family A, 4 in family G and 6 in the family P. Genetic analysis was carried out by NGS; detected mutations were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Results Family A It includes 2 affected subjects, a 40 year-old woman and her mother (Fig. 1A). The mother had chorioretinic coloboma and was under hemodialytic therapy since the age of 50. The daughter had chorioretinic coloboma and bilateral renal hypodysplasia, proteinuria and a progressive decline of the eGFR since 34 years; renal biopsy excluded the presence of GN (Table 1). Both have the heterozygote c.890delC variant (p.Thr297fs) in Pax2. Family G It includes 4 affected individuals belonging to 3 different generations (Fig. 1B). The disorder was discovered after the evidence of advanced renal failure in a pregnant 27 y-old lady. The study of her family revealed the presence of kidney disease in her sister (transplanted on young age) and her father; one of her children has the mutation (Table 1). The PAX2 c.194T&amp;gt;C(p.Val65Ala HET) mutation segregates with the phenotype in the family. Family P It includes 6 affected individuals of 3 different generations (Fig. 1C); the index-case presented with heavy proteinuria: kidney biopsy revealed a C3 nephropathy. His son was transplanted when 18 years old for bilateral renal hypoplasia. His mother died after some years of dialysis (Table 1). PAX2 mutation on exon3: c.361G&amp;gt;A(p.Glu121Lys HET). Conclusion This case series demonstrates the phenotypic variability of patients with Pax2 mutations and suggests the utility of new generation genetics (NGS) to get the diagnosis in atypical conditions. The implementation of international registers and basic studies will be indispensable to define the mechanisms involved in the development of the disease and to address the reasons of clinical variability.

Atypical skin conditions of the neck and back as a dermal manifestation of anti-HMGCR antibody-positive myopathy

BackgroundImmune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) is an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM). Though patients with IMNM were not considered to show skin rash, several reports have showed atypical skin conditions in patients with anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) antibody-positive IMNM (HMGCR-IMNM). The incidence and phenotype of skin conditions in patients with HMGCR-IMNM are not fully known.ResultsAmong the 100 IIM patients diagnosed from April 2015 through August 2022, 34 (34%) presented some form of skin condition, with 27 having typical skin rashes; this included 13 patients with dermatomyositis (DM), 8 with anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS), and 6 with IMNM. Meanwhile, 8 of 19 patients with HMGCR-IMNM (42%) presented atypical skin lesions, but no patients with other IIMs did (p < 0.001). Skin eruption with ash-like scales was observed in four HMGCR-IMNM patients, and non-scaly red patches and lumps in the other four patients; accordingly, their skin manifestations were considered as other dermal diseases except for IIM. However, skin and muscle biopsies revealed the atypical skin conditions of patients with HMGCR-IMNM to have the same pathological background, formed by Bcl-2-positive lymphocyte infiltrations.ConclusionsHMGCR-IMNM patients frequently have atypical skin conditions of the neck and back. Skin biopsy specimens from these lesions showed the same Bcl-2-positive lymphocytic infiltrations as muscle biopsy specimens regardless of the different gross dermal findings. Thus, such atypical skin conditions may be suggestive for HMGCR-IMNM.

How secure memorization promotes expression: A longitudinal case study of performing Chopin’s Barcarolle, Op. 60

Experienced musicians can perform reliably from memory because they prepare performance cues (PCs) that allow them to recover when performance is disrupted. We describe a longitudinal case study in which a pianist (the second author) learned and performed Chopin’s Barcarolle, Op. 60, over a 12-year period. The pianist provided PC reports for 28 performances, starting a month before her first public performance. Shortly after each performance, she marked the features of the music that guided her playing (PCs) on a clean copy of the score, distinguishing five types of PC: structural, Schenkerian (tonal elaborations), expressive, interpretive, and basic. Structural PCs predominated at first and were later replaced by expressive and Schenkerian PCs. PCs were more frequent at structural boundaries than at other locations. This boundary effect was larger under typical, compared to atypical performance conditions, and increased over time, suggesting that the main function of PCs was promoting expression rather than guarding against mistakes. Although the pianist’s initial purpose in learning to use PCs was to have a safety net in case of memory failure, she was surprised to find that she enjoyed playing with PCs and believed they helped her to play more expressively.

Productive grass stands of pasture use for conditions of the Vologda region

Scientific research was carried out on the experimental field of the North-Western Research Institute of Dairy and Grassland Farming, a separate division of the Voluntary Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, located in the village of Dityatevo, Vologda Region. The soil of the experimental plot is soddy-podzolic and moderately cultivated. Pasture is a cheap and accessible food source for herbivores; it solves the problems of survival in crisis ecological, economic, and atypical climatic conditions. Pasture farming has significant animal health benefits, allowing them to consume desirable grass species. In the Russian Federation, pastures occupy about 30% of the area of agricultural land, and in the Vologda region, they occupy 13.3% (145.3 thousand hectares). The article describes ten years of research on the creation of pastures based on traditional and rare perennial grasses. In the composition of pasture grass stands, we studied cereal grasses (meadow timothy grass Vologda local and Leningradskaya 204, meadow fescue Sverdlovskaya 37, festulolium Allegro, perennial ryegrass VIK-66, awnless brome SibNIISKhoz-189, meadow bluegrass Limagi and Dar) and legumes (eastern goat’s rue Krivich, Lyad crown horned Solnyshko, meadow clover Carmine and Dymkovsky, creeping clover Belogorsky and Lugovik). Cereal and legume-cereal grass stands on average for 2011–2015. provided yields from 1.3 to 5.3 t/ha, metabolic energy output – 12.6–52.5 GJ/ha, and crude protein content ranging from 10.3 to 15.6% per 1 kg of dry matter; in 2017–2021, these figures were 2.3–8.4 t/ha, 23.4–87.6 GJ/ha, 13.4–18.9%, respectively.

Vitreoretinal interface disorders

This article is designed to bridge the knowledge gap for Doctors, shedding light on retinal pathologies that have long dwelled in the shadows of ultra-specialization. It delves into the identification and management of atypical conditions affecting the vitreomacular interface, encompassing disorders like vitreomacular traction, epiretinal membrane, full thickness macular holes and lamellar holes. Optical coherence tomography emerges as a crucial diagnostic tool, significantly enhancing our capacity to recognize abnormalities at the vitreoretinal junction, offering clinical insights unattainable through conventional ophthalmic methods. While vitrectomy remains the predominant choice for treating these conditions, alternative approaches are being explored.

WASTE SORTING IN A FRONT-LINE CITY: OPINIONS OF KHARKIV RESIDENTS

The article is devoted to the analysis of the problem of social attitude towards waste sorting in exceptional conditions. The author considers this problem within the framework of the general problematic of positions and practices of environmental consumption. The focus of the study is the peculiarities of attitudes towards environmental waste management practices in atypical conditions. The article examines Kharkiv as a front-line city in which military security threats come to the fore, create additional threats to food security, and at the same time disguise them as less important. The goal is to find out how mass consciousness in war conditions distributes empirical material for analysis – an online survey of 309 Kharkiv residents. The results of the study show that a positive attitude towards environmental waste sorting practices has been formed in the minds of Kharkiv residents. However, there is a gap between the declarative level of attitude and the implementation of practices. This gap can be explained both by the lack of a materially designed environment for the formation of sustainable waste sorting practices, and by the shortcomings of the information environment. At the same time, military living conditions in a front-line city do not affect the opinions of citizens about the importance of waste sorting.

Pre-test analysis of low power operations of STEAM, the EU-DEMO steam generator mock-up facility

While nuclear fusion reactors hold promise, their realization faces significant complexities, not only in the construction but also in managing the auxiliary systems required for safely operating plasmas. Pulsed plasma regime, integral to reactor normal operations, determines atypical operative conditions that can cause high thermal stresses on the components and generate instabilities. R&D activities are therefore required to characterize the components behavior in the extremely severe conditions of pressure and temperatures associated with fusion, especially during sudden power transitions. ENEA, as part of the EUROfusion consortium, is planning the construction of STEAM, an experimental facility aimed at qualifying the DEMO Steam Generator during pulse-dwell-pulse transitions within the W-HYDRA platform. Dedicated experimental campaigns will reproduce the low-power phase associated with the only material activation (dwell), the full-power phase (pulse) and the corresponding power transitions. This paper focuses on the low-power phase, presenting the performed RELAP5/Mod3.3 simulations, investigating the thermal-hydraulic performances of the system at 1 %, 5 % and 10 % of the nominal power, hence in conditions considerably different from fission standard practices. The simulation results are essential for defining regulation strategies for the SG test section and ensuring the correct operation of the entire system.

Pain suffering and the self. An active allostatic inference explanation.

Distributed processing that gives rise to pain experience is anchored by a multidimensional self-model. I show how the phenomenon of pain asymbolia and other atypical pain-related conditions (Insensitivity to Pain, Chronic Pain, 'Social' Pain, Insensitivity to Pain, Chronic Pain, 'Social' Pain, empathy for pain and suffering) can be explained by this idea. It also explains the patterns of association and dissociation among neural correlates without importing strong modular assumptions. It treats pain processing as a species of allostatic active inference in which the mind co-ordinates its processing resources to optimize basic bodily functioning at different time scales. The self is inferred to be source and target of regulation in this process. The self-modelling account reconciles conflicting deaffectualization and depersonalization accounts of pain asymbolia by showing how depersonalization and pain asymbolia arise at different levels of hierarchical self modelling.

Серебряный карась Carassius gibelio (Bloch, 1782) в Чарвакском водохранилище Узбекистана: морфологическая и молекулярно-генетическая характеристика

Morphological variability in response to environmental features is an important feature of alien species, increasing their adaptive capabilities and facilitating naturalization in new habitats. The prussian carp Carassius gibelio is currently very widespread in the world. Much of its current range is believed to be acquired as a result of human activity, with the prussian carp recognized as an invasive species capable of having a significant impact on recipient ecosystems. On the territory of Uzbekistan, prussian carp has been known in the lower reaches of the Syr-Darya and Amu-Darya since the 4th millennium BC, and was also recorded in the first half of the 20th century. However, its numbers were not large. In the 1960s, the Amur form of the prussian carp was introduced into the water bodies of Uzbekistan, as a result of a targeted introduction from the "Savvino" fish farm near Moscow and the accidental import of herbivorous fish with juveniles from the Russian Far East, after which its unauthorized resettlement began with planting material of cultivated cyprinids. In the 1970s, prussian carp found their way into the Charvak Reservoir. This is a mountain cold-water reservoir, formed on the Chirchik River (the right tributary of the Syrdarya River) and is located between the spurs of the Western Tien-Shan. With an area of only 37 km, it has a volume of about 2 km and a depth of more than 50 m. The reservoir is characterized by summer drawdown of the water level used for irrigation in the river valley Chirchik. This causes an almost complete absence of vegetation in the water area of the reservoir. Despite the atypical conditions, the prussian carp formed a self-sustaining population. There is none below the reservoir dam to the middle reaches of the Chirchik River. Indicators of counting characteristics of prussian carp in reservoir are D III-IV 17-19; A II 5-6; 26-30 (average 29) scales in the lateral line; on the first gill arch, 40-53 (on average 48) gill rakers and generally correspond to the characteristics in this climatic zone. Indices of plastic characteristics, both in traditional morphological analysis (see Table 1) and in the analysis of morphometric distances according to the “truss protocol” assessment method (see Table 2), do not have pronounced differences from the indicators of prussian carp living in a lowland reservoir Tudakul and in the fish ponds of the fish hatchery of the Research Institute of Fisheries of Uzbekistan. Analysis of the nucleotide sequences of the cyt b gene of prussian carp from the Charvak reservoir showed their similarity with samples from the upper reaches of the Yangtze river, China (see Table 3), which proves Far Eastern origin of prussian carp ih the Charvak reservoir. It is likely that it was the prussian carp, brought from the Far East, that ensured the growth in the number of the species in Uzbekistan. The question of the breadth of distribution of the Amur form of prussian carp in the region and the preservation of its native form currently remains open and requires further research using molecular genetic methods. The article contains 2 Figures, 3 Tables and 30 References. The authors are grateful to the directorate of the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan for creating conditions for the implementation of the planned scope of work. The Authors declare no conflict of interest.