Bathyal Research Articles

Dark-zone alterations expand throughout Paleolithic Lascaux Cave despite spatial heterogeneity of the cave microbiome

BackgroundCave anthropization related to rock art tourism can lead to cave microbiota imbalance and microbial alterations threatening Paleolithic artwork, but the underpinning microbial changes are poorly understood. Caves can be microbiologically heterogeneous and certain rock wall alterations may develop in different rooms despite probable spatial heterogeneity of the cave microbiome, suggesting that a same surface alteration might involve a subset of cosmopolitan taxa widespread in each cave room. We tested this hypothesis in Lascaux, by comparing recent alterations (dark zones) and nearby unmarked surfaces in nine locations within the cave.ResultsIllumina MiSeq metabarcoding of unmarked surfaces confirmed microbiome heterogeneity of the cave. Against this background, the microbial communities of unmarked and altered surfaces differed at each location. The use of a decision matrix showed that microbiota changes in relation to dark zone formation could differ according to location, but dark zones from different locations displayed microbial similarities. Thus, dark zones harbor bacterial and fungal taxa that are cosmopolitan at the scale of Lascaux, as well as dark zone-specific taxa present (i) at all locations in the cave (i.e. the six bacterial genera Microbacterium, Actinophytocola, Lactobacillus, Bosea, Neochlamydia and Tsukamurella) or (ii) only at particular locations within Lascaux. Scanning electron microscopy observations and most qPCR data evidenced microbial proliferation in dark zones.ConclusionFindings point to the proliferation of different types of taxa in dark zones, i.e. Lascaux-cosmopolitan bacteria and fungi, dark zone-specific bacteria present at all locations, and dark zone-specific bacteria and fungi present at certain locations only. This probably explains why dark zones could form in various areas of the cave and suggests that the spread of these alterations might continue according to the area of distribution of key widespread taxa.

High fidelity mini-LED backlit liquid crystal displays

ABSTRACT Mini-LED backlit liquid crystal display (LCD) exhibits premium display performance, benefiting from the new design space enabled by the mini-LED backlight unit: the flexibility in subframe sequential illumination enables motion blur reduction; the selective illumination of bright zones and dark zones offers high dynamic range, good sunlight readability and power saving; the high zone density suppresses the visual artefact of ‘halo effect’ that is commonly observed in conventional local dimming LCDs. In this paper, we discuss limiting factors and solutions to achieve high display fidelity regarding the abovementioned performance metrics.

Structured Beamforming Based on Orbital Angular Momentum Mode-Group

The structured beams, which can manipulate arbitrary intensity and phase of electromagnetic rays, are significant in communication and sensing. The vortex electromagnetic wave carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) exhibits the phase distribution of the helical wavefront, which can be viewed as a complete set of eigenmodes for electromagnetic waves. It provides a flexible beamforming method to achieve the azimuthal pattern diversity by the spatial superposition of multiple specific OAM modes. We have proposed a novel form of OAM wave with a two-dimensional structure called plane spiral OAM (PS-OAM), which is conducive to overlapping different modes. Based on this, the PS-OAM mode-group can be employed to modify the spatial beam structure and form structured electromagnetic beams. This kind of beam not only retains the inherent vorticity and orthogonality of the OAM waves but also tackles the difficulties in applications stemming from the singularity-caused dark zone and beam divergence of conventional OAM waves. In this paper, the construction and manipulation of the structured beams are investigated, and the properties are analyzed. The potential applications in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication, orthogonal multiplexing communication, and spatial field digital modulation (SFDM) communication are envisioned.

Assessing the deteriorating water quality in wards of Jaipur city through GIS interpolation

Abstract Poor management of water sources is one of the major challenge for developing nations to provide safe water to increasing population. The Central Ground Water Board, India 2019 reports that all 13 zones of Jaipur city are in the dark zone. Dark zones are those area where the ground water exploitation is extremely high and are notified for protection by the State Government. With a population of 4.1 million, Jaipur city has a water demand deficit of around 125 MLD with dependence on ground water is increasing tremendously. The city's water table has gone down 25 metres in the last decade. Higher concentrations of fluoride, nitrate, and total dissolved solids, is a common problem in the city's ground water. Presently the city gets its water from Bisalpur dam which is 120 km away, proved to be a very costly arrangement. This paper analyses the various contaminants present in ground water. A detailed survey and data collection was done, which was further analysed through GIS spatial distribution, predicting the concentration in all 91 wards of the city. Results show that some wards are at a critical point in terms of deteriorating water quality to be addressed by city planners and urban local bodies.

The impact of ocean acidification on the eye, cuttlebone and behaviors of juvenile cuttlefish (Sepiella inermis)

The cuttlefish (Sepiella inermis) is an economically important species in the coastal seas of China. The impacts of ocean acidification on the ability of juvenile cuttlefish to select a suitable habitat, its hunting and swimming behavior, remains unknown. We examined behavior-related responses and the eye and cuttlebone structure of juvenile cuttlefish following short-term exposure to CO2-enriched seawater. The predation success rate decreased with the elevation in CO2 concentration. In the CO2 treatment groups, cuttlefish spent more time in the dark zone and the average swimming speed and total swimming distance significantly decreased. The structure of the retina and cuttlebone was affected by seawater acidification. Moreover, apoptotic cells were significantly increased in the eyes. In the wild, the impairment of the eye and cuttlebone may decrease the predation ability of juvenile cuttlefish and negatively affect their ability to select a suitable habitat, which would be detrimental to its population.

The Ubiquitin Ligase Itch Skews Light Zone Selection in Germinal Centers.

Ig diversification occurs in peripheral lymphoid organs after establishment of central tolerance during B cell development. In germinal centers (GCs), somatic hypermutation of Ig genes occurs in dark zones, followed by selection of mutated clones in light zones (LZs). This generates high-affinity Ig receptors to pathogens but can also produce autoreactive Ig receptors, which are removed by selection mechanisms that are incompletely understood. The ubiquitin ligase Itch prevents the emergence of autoimmune disease and autoantibodies in humans and mice, and patients lacking Itch develop potentially fatal autoimmune diseases; yet, how Itch regulates GC B cells is not well understood. By studying Itch-deficient mice, we have recently shown that Itch directly limits the magnitude of GC responses. Proteomic profiling of GC B cells uncovered that Itch-deficient cells exhibit high mTORC1 and Myc activity, hallmarks of positive selection. Bone marrow chimera and adoptive transfer experiments revealed that B cell Itch restricts noncycling LZ cells. These results support, to our knowledge, a novel role for Itch in skewing selection of GC B cells to restrict LZ accumulation and shape GC-derived humoral immunity. Determining how B cells integrate cues within GCs to navigate through LZs and dark zones will aid in understanding how autoreactive clones emerge from GCs in people with autoimmune disease.

Long time series (1984–2020) of albedo variations on the Greenland ice sheet from harmonized Landsat and Sentinel 2 imagery

AbstractAlbedo is a key factor in modulating the absorption of solar radiation on ice surfaces. Satellite measurements have shown a general reduction in albedo across the Greenland ice sheet over the past few decades, particularly along the western margin of the ice sheet, a region known as the Dark Zone (albedo < 0.45). Here we chose a combination of Landsat 4–8 and Sentinel 2 imagery to enable us to derive the longest record of albedo variations in the Dark Zone, running from 1984 to 2020. We developed a simple, pragmatic and efficient sensor transformation to provide a long time series of consistent, harmonized satellite imagery. Narrow to broadband conversion algorithms were developed from regression models of harmonized satellite data and in situ albedo from the Program for Monitoring of the Greenland Ice Sheet (PROMICE) automatic weather stations. The albedo derived from the harmonized Landsat and Sentinel 2 data shows that the maximum extent of the Dark Zone expanded rapidly between 2005 and 2007, increasing to ~280% of the average annual maximum extent of 2900 km2 to ~8000 km2 since. The Dark Zone is continuing to darken slowly, with the average annual minimum albedo decreasing at a rate of $\sim \!-0.0006 \pm 0.0004 \, {\rm a}^{-1}$ (p = 0.16, 2001–2020).

Efficacy of tumor necrosis factor inhibitor combined with intra-articular injection of triamcinolone acetonide in the treatment of refractory rheumatoid arthritis synovitis: a retrospective study.

To investigate whether there is a difference in the efficacy of intra-articular injection of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor and triamcinolone acetonide (HA) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with recurrent synovitis after the first intra-articular injection of HA. RA patients who relapsed 12weeks after the first HA treatment were enrolled in this study. After joint cavity extraction, recombinant human TNF receptor-antibody fusion protein (TNFR:FC) (25mg or 12.5mg) or HA (1ml or 0.5ml) was injected then. The changes in the visual analog scale (VAS), joint swelling index, and joint tenderness index before and 12weeks after reinjection were compared and analyzed. The changes in synovial thickness, synovial blood flow, and fluid dark zone depth before and after reinjection were observed by ultrasound. Forty-two RA patients were enrolled, including 11 males and 31 females, with an average age of 46.79 ± 12.61years and an average disease duration of 7.76 ± 5.44years. After 12weeks of intra-articular injection of HA or TNFR:FC, the VAS scores were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.01). After 12weeks of injection, the scores of the joint swelling index and tenderness index in both groups were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment. There was no significant difference in synovial thickness under ultrasound in the HA group before and after injection, while the synovial thickness in the TNFR:FC group was significantly improved after 12weeks (P < 0.01). After 12weeks of injection, the grade of synovial blood flow signal in both groups decreased significantly compared with that before treatment, especially in the TNFR:FC group. After 12weeks of injection, the depth of the liquid dark area under ultrasound decreased significantly in the HA group and TNFR:FC group compared with that before treatment (P < 0.01). Intra-articular injection of a TNF inhibitor is an effective method for the treatment of recurrent synovitis after conventional hormone therapy. Compared with HA treatment, it can reduce synovial thickness. Key Points • Intra-articular injection of a TNF inhibitor is an effective method for the treatment of recurrent synovitis after conventional hormone therapy. • Compared with HA treatment, intra-articular injection of biological agents combined with glucocorticoids can not only relieve joint pain but also significantly inhibit joint swelling. • Compared with HA treatment, intra-articular injection of biological agents combined with glucocorticoids cannot only improve synovial inflammation but also inhibit synovial proliferation. • For the treatment of refractory RA synovitis, biological agents combined with glucocorticoid injection are an effective and safe option.

Subsurface Bacterioplankton Structure and Diversity in the Strongly-Stratified Water Columns within the Equatorial Eastern Indian Ocean.

The consequences of climate change may directly or indirectly impact the marine biosphere. Although ocean stratification has been recognized as one of the crucial consequences of ocean warming, its impacts on several critical aspects of marine microbes remain largely unknown in the Indian Ocean. Here, we investigate the effects of water stratification, in both surface and subsurface layers, on hydrogeographic parameters and bacterioplankton diversity within the equatorial eastern Indian Ocean (EIO). Strong stratification in the upper 200 m of equatorial EIO was detected with evidential low primary productivity. The vertical bacterioplankton diversity of the whole water columns displayed noticeable variation, with lower diversity occurring in the surface layer than in the subsurface layers. Horizontal heterogeneity of bacterioplankton communities was also in the well-mixed layer among different stations. SAR11 and Prochlorococcus displayed uncharacteristic low abundance in the surface water. Some amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were identified as potential biomarkers for their specific depths in strongly-stratified water columns. Thus, barriers resulting from stratification are proposed to function as an 'ASV filter' to regulate the vertical bacterioplankton community diversity along the water columns. Overall, our results suggest that the effects of stratification on the structure and diversity of bacterioplankton can extend up to the bathypelagic zone in the strongly-stratified waters of the equatorial EIO. This study provides the first insight into the effect of stratification on the subsurface microbial communities in the equatorial eastern Indian Ocean.

LC-MS/MS analysis of elastin crosslinker desmosines and microscopic evaluation in clinical samples of patients with hypertrophy of ligamentum flavum

Ligamentum flavum (LF) pathologies often lead to severe myelopathy or radiculopathy characterized by reduced elasticity, obvious thickening, or worsened ossification. Elastin endows critical mechanical properties to tissues and organs such as vertebrae and ligaments. Desmosine (DES) and isodesmosine (IDES) are crosslinkers of elastin monomers called tropoelastin. These crosslinkers are potential biomarkers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. As a biological diagnostic tool that supplements existing symptomatic, magnetic resonance imaging scanning or radiological imaging diagnostic measures for LF hypertrophy and associated pathologies, an isotope-dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method with selected reaction monitoring mode for the quantitation of DESs in human plasma, urine, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and yellow ligamentum was investigated. Isotopically labeled IDES-13C3,15N1 was used as an internal standard (ISTD) for DES quantitation for the first time. The samples plus ISTD were hydrolyzed with 6 N hydrochloric acid. Analytes and ISTD were extracted using a solid phase extraction cellulose cartridge column. The assays were repeatable, reproducible, and accurate with % CV ≤ 7.7, ISTD area % RSD of 7.6, and % AC ≤ (101.2 ± 3.90) of the calibrations. The ligamentum samples gave the highest average DES/IDES content (2.38 μg/mg) on a dry-weight basis. A high percentage of the CSF samples showed almost no DESs. Urine and plasma samples of patients showed no significant difference from the control (p-value = 0.0519 and 0.5707, respectively). Microscopy of the yellow ligamentum samples revealed dark or blue-colored zones of elastin fibers that retained the hematoxylin dye and highly red-colored zones of collagen after counterstaining with van Gieson solution. Thus, we successfully developed a method for DES/IDES quantitation in clinical samples.

Morphological and molecular analyses reveal two new species of Termitomyces (Agaricales, Lyophyllaceae) and morphological variability of T.intermedius.

Two new species, Termitomycestigrinus and T.yunnanensis are described based on specimens collected from southwestern China. Termitomycesyunnanensis is morphologically characterized by a conspicuously venose pileus surface that is grey, olive grey, light grey to greenish grey at center, light grey towards margin, and a cylindrical white stipe. Termitomycestigrinus is morphologically characterized by a densely tomentose to tomentose-squamulose pileus showing alternating greyish white and dark grey zones, and a stipe that is bulbous at the base. The two new species are supported by phylogenetic analyses of combined nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA (ITS), the mitochondrial rDNA small subunit (mrSSU) and the nuclear rDNA large subunit (nrLSU). The morphological variability of T.intermedius, including five specimens newly collected from Yunnan Province, China, is also discussed. The collections showed variability in colour of the stipe surface and in the shape of cheilocystidia when compared to the original description. Full descriptions of the two new species and of T.intermedius, as well as a taxonomic key to the 14 Termitomyces species reported from China are provided.

Three new species in Tetrastemma Ehrenberg, 1828 (Nemertea, Monostilifera) from sublittoral to upper bathyal zones of the northwestern Pacific.

Monostiliferous nemerteans in the genus Tetrastemma Ehrenberg, 1828 are generally characterized as having four eyes, and they occur worldwide, from the intertidal zone to the deep-sea bottom. Recent extensive sampling of Tetrastemma has explored the high species diversity, including many undescribed forms, but phylogenic analysis has revealed non-monophyly of the genus. We herein describe three new species of the genus (T.albumsp. nov., T.personasp. nov., and T.shohoensesp. nov.) from northwestern Pacific waters based on specimens collected by dredging or by use of a remotely operated vehicle at depths of 116-455 m. Since anatomical and histological characters traditionally used in systematics of the genus are sometimes interspecifically uniform, a histology-free approach is applied for the species descriptions in this study. To confirm the generic affiliation of the new species, a molecular phylogenetic analysis based on partial sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, 16S rRNA, 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and histone H3 genes was performed. Our result shows that all three new species are nested in a subclade formed by species from the North Pacific and American Atlantic, inferring that geographic distribution does not reflect the cladogenesis of Tetrastemma. Furthermore, two Tetrastemma species with a cylindrical stylet basis, T.freyaeChernyshev et al., 2020 from off the coast of India and Hawaii and T.shohoensesp. nov. from Shoho Seamount, Japan, constitute a clade in the resulting tree.

Wear and corrosion behaviour of multiple pass friction stir processing on aluminium alloy 6061 embedding with B4C particles

ABSTRACT In this research, surface modification was carried out on aluminium alloy 6061 through friction stir processing by embedding surface with B4C particles. Three different samples namely, AA6061 with only stir processing (sample 1), friction stir processed by B4C with single pass (sample 2) and by B4C multi-pass (sample 3) were developed to study the wear, corrosion and microstructural properties. The modified surfaces were characterised by carrying out using optical and scanning electron microscopes. Pin-on disc method was employed to study the wear rate on these stir processed samples. Corrosion behaviour of three stir processed samples was characterised in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution at 10 mV/s scan rate. From microstructural analysis, the dark zones with onion rings were seen at the nugget zone in sample 2, whereas uniform distribution with clear grain boundaries were observed in sample 3. From wear test, the wear rate for sample 1 was higher when compared with other two samples. From corrosion test, corrosion rate of sample 2 was observed to be 1.469 mm/year which is lower than sample 1 (2.868 mm/year) and sample 3 (6.127 mm/year). Corrosion resistance of sample 2 was greatly improved due to proper mechanical mixing of B4C particles.

Refugees in Tribal Global Village in Habiburahman and Mohsin Hamid

In Habiburahman’s historical novel First, They Erased Our Name: A Rohingya Speaks and Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West, a semi-historical novel with elements of magical realism, I argue that refugees’ dream of global village or cosmopolis is constantly frustrated or deferred in a tribally oriented roadblocks of borders due to the nation-state’s sovereignty and its routine use of the state of exception; yet, these refugees do not give up their hope of founding a global village of sorts through the political space. To rephrase my claim, in these novels, the nation-state’s sovereignty, which exclusively reserves the prerogative of the state of exception, biopolitically forces a certain section of its people into bare life, in Agamben’s sense, forcing the refugees to flee their homelands and suffer during and after their numerous border crossings, denuding the presence of tribalism within the global village. Yet, largely owing to the occasional reception of individual hospitality, these refugees are able to keep alive their hope of belonging to a community through seeking the political, a space where they can negotiate and renegotiate their rights. I argue that their persecution is due to Myanmar’s military government’s biopolitics in that it has reinscribed the nation on the basis of religion and Sino-Tibetan race (tribalism) and rendered stateless the Rohingya Muslim of Indo-Aryan race. Nearly the same could be said about Hamid’s protagonists, Nadia and Saeed, as they face a similarly tribalistic predicament in London, where the city is divided between the dark and light zones, occupied by migrants and nativists, again the state siding with the nativist. Despite facing state brutality or state’s abdication of its responsibility and the absence of right to have rights, these refugees keep alive the hope of global village, and they are able to persevere because they do occasionally receive hospitality from a few good Samaritans; therefore, there remains some glimmering hope of cosmopolis or global village in an excessively tribalistic world they are forced to live, and it is this hope provides them energy to fight for their rights.

A new freshwater amphipod (Amphipoda, Gammaridae), Gammarus tumaf sp. nov. from the Gökgöl Cave, Türkiye

A new amphipod species belonging to the genus Gammarus is described from the Gökgöl Cave, Zonguldak Province, Türkiye. The newly-identified species is relatively small (13 mm) and is a member of the Gammarus pulex-group by the presence of numerous long setae along the posterior margins of pereopods 3 and 4. The specimens were sampled from a shallow pond located in the dark zone (about 1 km inside the entrance) of the cave. Minute eyes, setose (both peduncle and flagellar segments) second antenna, slightly swollen flagellar segments of the second antenna, setose pereopods 3 and 4 and relatively short endopod/exopod ratio of the third uropod are the character combination of the newly-identified species in addition to lacking body pigmentation. The molecular phylogeny, based on the concatenated dataset (28S+COI, 1495 bp) indicated that the new species was resolved from the other Gammarus species by high bootstrap (NJ: 100, ML: 100). In addition to Gammarus tumafsp. nov., mtDNA COI and nuclear DNA 28S gene data of Gammarus baysaliÖzbek et al., 2013 were recorded for the first time. The newly-identified species was well-differentiated from the genetically closest species, G. baysali, with genetic distance of 12.22% and 0.55% for the COI and 28S genes, respectively. Detailed descriptions and drawings of the extremities of the holotype male were given and the morphology of the newly-identified species is compared with its relatives.

Novel and Efficient Plate Assay Method for the Screening of L-Asparaginase Producing Microorganisms

Microbes producing L-asparaginase are usually screened on plates containing L-asparagine and phenol red. The contrast of the colored zone formed by microorganisms varies from yellow and pink in this method and we cannot differentiate between L-asparaginase producers and non-producers. Later an improved method was developed for screening of extracellular L-asparaginase producing microbes with bromothymol blue as pH indicator instead of phenol red. The reported results were not very sharp for the isolates producing extracellular L-asparaginase as they produce dark blue colored zones at alkaline pH. The present method is novel, more sensitive, simple and rapid than the existing methods for screening of both bacteria and fungi producing L-asparaginase extracellularly. Nutrient asparagine agar and potato dextrose asparagine agar media stained with Gram s iodine solution were used for detection of extracellular L-asparaginase producing bacteria and fungi respectively. Plate detection assay with Gram s iodine exhibited clear zones around the colonies producing L-asparaginase. The present method is more accurate for screening of potent isolates based on the diameter of hydrolyzed zones formed. The reported method can be utilized to identify the prominent isolates producing L-asparaginase.

The acceptor-donor pair recombination of beryllium-treated sapphires

Recently, the concept of Fe3+-Ti4+ mixed acceptor states in the energy band gap of sapphire has been proposed as the cause of blue coloration. The blue color in sapphire is faded and turns yellow by beryllium heat treatment. It has been revealed as the color center in Be-treated yellow sapphires. In this work, the mechanism of such phenomena was explained and discussed. The experiment was set by preparing sapphire samples from Songea, Tanzania, into four color groups (purplish blue, light blue, light yellow with dark zone, and light green). One sample from each group, altogether four, has been heat-treated with beryllium. The colors of Be-treated samples show fading of blue coloration and adding the yellow component to the samples. The analyses and spectroscopic testing were conducted on both the untreated and treated samples, in each group which consisted of one natural and one Be-treated sample. The content of color-related trace elements such as Be, Mg, Ti, Fe, and Cr was measured by the LA-ICP-MS. The oxidation state of Fe [III] was confirmed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Each color group showed quite similar UV–Vis–NIR absorption spectra for the natural and the Be-treated ones, regardless of differences in their color and treatment. However, their UV–Vis–NIR polychromatic excitation spectra were different, leading to the possible detection of blue color suppression due to the recombination of Fe3+-Ti4+ mixed-acceptor states by the Fe3+-Be2+ mixed donor states for Be-treated samples. Hence, the acceptor-donor pair recombination has been proposed for the blue color fading in beryllium-treated sapphire samples.

Deep-Sea Predator-Prey Dynamics Revealed by Biologging and eDNA Analysis

At depths below 200 m, the pelagic deep sea comprises the largest, but least explored, part of the ocean. In this vast environment, animals are hard to find, and interactions among them are even harder to investigate (Robison, 2009). Climate change and industrial exploitation simultaneously impose increasing pressure on deep-sea ecosystems, leading to reduced ecosystem health and services at a global scale. Many of these changes occur outside of the range of human observation and are unrecognized so that effective conservation is limited. Such changes can include interactions between elusive and sometimes giant deep-sea predators such as cetaceans and their prey. The use of on-animal recorders has revealed that multiple species of cetaceans make extensive use of the deep sea, specifically the meso- (200–1,000 m depth) and bathypelagic (1,000–4,000 m depth) zones, to hunt for diverse, often cephalopod-dominated prey populations (Tyack et al., 2006). Because their dives to remote depths are energy consuming, the prey reward needs to be substantial to make the dives profitable. Thus, we expect that deep-diving cetaceans selectively target distinct foraging zones that hold specific prey communities to optimize their foraging performance.

Картографирование растительности южной части острова Сахалин по данным дешифрирования снимков спутниковой системы Landsat

The purpose of the research is to determine the factors that have a significant impact on the distribution structure of plant communities over the territory and to draw up a vegetation map. The article pre-sents the analytical results of the vegetation cover diversity and geobotanical mapping of the territory based on the data of decoded satellite images. Materials and methods. The main sources of information for the study are materials of field geobotanical studies and satellite images of medium spatial resolution obtained from the Landsat-8 satellite, which provided an assessment of the current state of forest communities. Modern compilation and design of maps is characterized by the widespread use of GIS technologies and computer analysis methods. To decrypt and process the images, the ENVI, ArcGIS, and QGIS software complexes were used. The final processing and design of the cartographic material was carried out using the Adobe Illustrator program. Results. The southern part of the Sakhalin Island territory was chosen as the object of research, on which a large number of east-asian species, including tree and shrub forms, grow. In the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk floristic region, the flora of the North-Japanese type prevails, and the presence of northern species characteristic of the dark coniferous taiga zone is noticeably reduced in its composition. Krillionsky district is distinguished by the presence of species common with the Southern Kuril Islands and the Hokkaido Island. The re-sults of studying the spatial distribution of forest landscapes served as a basis for identifying the most resistant to climate change plant communities, as well as those capable of rapid recovery after forest fires. Climatic conditions have been analyzed, which made it possible to identify trends in the long-term dynamics of plant communities in the territory. The analysis of long-term dynamics made it possible to identify the current state of forest communities, predict certain negative natural phenomena (fires, waterlogging, etc.). Conclusions. The dynamics of the state of forest plant communities is clearly determined by the data of satellite surveys. The map, compiled on the basis of the results of space images interpretation, reflects the spatial distribution and state of the vegetation cover of the territory, enables to make an inventory of plant associations, to establish the boundaries of geobotanical regions in their current state.

Organic matter variations in the deep marginal basin of the Western Tethys and links to various environments in isotopic Albian–Cenomanian Boundary Interval

In the latest Albian–lowermost Cenomanian, the palaeoenvironments along the northern margin in the Carpathian domain of the Western Tethys were characterized by deep basins with floors below the calcium compensation depth, which were filled with flysch and hemipelagic sediments. On the other hand, the terrestrial areas surrounding the Western Tethys to the north were covered by a diverse flora of gymnosperms and experienced an increase in the diversity of angiosperms; the latter was characterized by a rapid spread in most terrestrial environments. The flysch/hemipelagic succession of the Silesian Basin (the Polish part of the Outer Carpathians) contains a sedimentological record of organic-rich accumulation that is related to the carbon isotope excursion, known as the Albian–Cenomanian Boundary Interval (ACBI); its older part corresponds to Oceanic Anoxic Event 1d (OAE1d). Organic matter (OM) records from these noncalcareous sediments are characterized by the occurrence of both terrigenous and marine organic compounds, and an increase in their accumulation intensity occurred during OAE1d, similar to other Western Tethyan areas and their northern surroundings. Quantitative analyses of the OM compounds using petrographic and chemical methods indicate that the majority were redeposited from land and estuarine environments; however, the OAE1d strata (Alternans Level) and the lower part of the post-OAE1d black shale succession are also enriched in OM of marine origin. This enrichment is interpreted as the result of enhanced surface water productivity, most likely related to redistribution of nutrients from coastal areas during the sea level rise of the KAl8 eustatic cycle. OAE1d was also the period in which the degradation of OM took place under reducing conditions in the bottom waters (although they were not anoxic), which was possibly caused by poor ventilation. A high proportion of terrigenous/estuarine OM compounds redeposited in the Silesian Basin is characteristic, especially for the post-ACBI black and dark grey shales. A large amount of this OM type has undergone relatively rapid degradation as it has settled from the shallows through a well‑oxygenated water column in the epi-, meso- and bathypelagic zones. Some terrigenous OM came from forest fires that occurred in the catchment area and supplied material to the Silesian Basin.