Complete Extinction Research Articles

What does not kill Gaia makes her stronger: impacts of external perturbations on biosphere evolution

ABSTRACT Life on Earth has experienced numerous upheavals over its approximately 4 billion year history. In previous work, we have discussed how interruptions to stability lead, on average, to increases in habitability over time, a tendency we called entropic Gaia. Here, we continue this exploration, working with the Tangled Nature Model of co-evolution, to understand how the evolutionary history of life is shaped by periods of acute environmental stress. We find that while these periods of stress pose a risk of complete extinction, they also create opportunities for evolutionary exploration which would otherwise be impossible, leading to more populous and stable states among the survivors than in alternative histories without a stress period. We also study how the duration, repetition and number of refugia into which life escapes during the perturbation affects the final outcome. The model results are discussed in relation to both Earth history and the search for alien life.

Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous dinosaur track assemblages from northwestern Hebei Province, China: Implications for paleoenvironment and paleoecology

The relationship between the Middle–Late Jurassic Yanliao Biota and the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota has long been unresolved due to an approximately 20 Ma “vertebrate fossil gap”. However, a large number of dinosaur tracks have been reported from the Tuchengzi/Houcheng Formation in northern Hebei–western Liaoning, which occupies the stratigraphic position between the Yanliao Biota and the Jehol Biota. This paper presents new discoveries of diverse dinosaur track assemblages from the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous Houcheng Formation in the Shangyi Basin, northwestern Hebei Province, China. Based on the ichnological analyses, tracks are assigned to the sauropod Parabrontopodus, theropod Grallator, Anchisauripus, Eubrontes, and Therangospodus. The theropod tracks were likely produced by small-sized feathered theropod dinosaurs (Coelurosauria) that thrived in both the Yanliao Biota and the Jehol Biota. These findings imply that these two biotas evolved successively, without evidence of a complete turnover or extinction of biotas. Sedimentological studies of the tracksites reveal their occurrence in diverse sedimentary environments, including braided sandbar, floodplain, and deltaic plain. The coexistence of highly diverse dinosaur tracks with various preservation environments indicates that the living environment during that time was relatively comfortable. The increased diversity of dinosaur tracks in the upper part of the Houcheng Formation closely aligns with the intense volcanic activity of the Zhangjiakou Formation in northwestern Hebei Province. This suggests that volcanic activity likely served a crucial function in the proliferation of the dinosaur fauna in the Shangyi Basin and northern North China during the earliest Cretaceous.

An efficient deep learning based scheme for adaptive auto-reclosing in power transmission lines

As a large percentage of faults in transmission lines are single-line-to-ground (SLG) and transient in nature, the use of adaptive single-phase auto-reclosing (ASPAR) schemes is essential. In this paper, a new scheme for ASPAR is proposed to improve the stability and reliability of power transmission lines. The proposed approach distinguishes between the transient and permanent faults by using the feature of Stationary Wavelet Transform (SWT) and Gate Recurrent Unit (GRU) deep artificial neural network. Also, by utilizing another GRU network, the proposed scheme predicts the extinction time of the secondary arc (SA) one power cycle before the complete extinction. This can increase the speed of the faulty phase reclosing in the case of a transient fault. Simulation results carried out on a 400 kV power transmission line in the EMTP-RV and MATLAB software environments illustrate that the F1 score of the proposed ASPAR in classifying the faults is 99.55 %, and its average error in predicting the extinction time of the SA based on the root mean square error (RMSE) criterion is 0.0557. Also, the superiority and high-quality performance of the proposed protection scheme are demonstrated by comparing the results with several state-of-the-art methods.

Dichotic listening and interhemispheric integration after callosotomy: A systematic review

The right-ear advantage (REA) for recalling dichotically presented auditory-verbal stimuli has been traditionally linked to the dominance of the left cerebral hemisphere for speech processing. Early studies on patients with callosotomy additionally found that the removal of the corpus callosum leads to a complete extinction of the left ear, and consequently the today widely used models to explain the REA assume a central role of callosal axons for recalling the left-ear stimulus in dichotic listening. However, later dichotic-listening studies on callosotomy patients challenge this interpretation, as many patients appear to be able to recall left-ear stimuli well above chance level, albeit with reduced accuracy. The aim of the present systematic review was to identify possible experimental and patient variables that explain the inconsistences found regarding the effect of split-brain surgery on dichotic listening. For this purpose, a systematic literature search was conducted (databases: Pubmed, Web of Knowledge, EBSChost, and Ovid) to identify all empirical studies on patients with surgical section of the corpus callosum (complete or partial) that used a verbal dichotic-listening paradigm. This search yielded ks = 32 publications reporting patient data either on case or group level, and the data was analysed by comparing the case-level incidence of left-ear suppression, left-ear extinction, and right-ear enhancement narratively or statistically considering possible moderator variables (i.a., extent of the callosal surgery, stimulus material, response format, selective attention). The main finding was an increased incidence of left-ear suppression (odds ratio = 7.47, CI95%: [1.21; 83.49], exact p = .02) and right-ear enhancement (odds ratio = 21.61, CI95%: [4.40; 154.11], p < .01) when rhyming as compared with non-rhyming stimuli were used. Also, an increase in left-ear reports was apparent when a response by the right hemisphere was allowed (i.e., response with the left hand). While the present review is limited by the overall small number of cases and a lack of an appropriate control sample in most of the original studies, the findings nevertheless suggest an adjustment of the classical dichotic-listening models incorporating right-hemispheric processing abilities as well as the perceptual competition of the left- and right-ear stimuli for attention.

Differential Mitochondrial Genome Expression of Three Sympatric Lizards in Response to Low-Temperature Stress.

Ecological factors related to climate extremes have a significant influence on the adaptability of organisms, especially for ectotherms such as reptiles that are sensitive to temperature change. Climate extremes can seriously affect the survival and internal physiology of lizards, sometimes even resulting in the loss of local populations or even complete extinction. Indeed, studies have shown that the expression levels of the nuclear genes and mitochondrial genomes of reptiles change under low-temperature stress. At present, the temperature adaptability of reptiles has rarely been studied at the mitochondrial genome level. In the present study, the mitochondrial genomes of three species of lizards, Calotes versicolor, Ateuchosaurus chinensis, and Hemidactylus bowringii, which live in regions of sympatry, were sequenced. We used RT-qPCR to explore the level of mitochondrial gene expression under low-temperature stress, as compared to a control temperature. Among the 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), the steady-state transcript levels of ND4L, ND1, ATP6, and COII were reduced to levels of 0.61 ± 0.06, 0.50 ± 0.08, 0.44 ± 0.16, and 0.41 ± 0.09 in C. versicolor, respectively, compared with controls. The transcript levels of the ND3 and ND6 genes fell to levels of just 0.72 ± 0.05 and 0.67 ± 0.05 in H. bowringii, compared with controls. However, the transcript levels of ND3, ND5, ND6, ATP6, ATP8, Cytb, and COIII genes increased to 1.97 ± 0.15, 2.94 ± 0.43, 1.66 ± 0.07, 1.59 ± 0.17, 1.46 ± 0.04, 1.70 ± 0.16, and 1.83 ± 0.07 in A. chinensis. Therefore, the differences in mitochondrial gene expression may be internally related to the adaptative strategy of the three species under low-temperature stress, indicating that low-temperature environments have a greater impact on A. chinensis, with a small distribution area. In extreme environments, the regulatory trend of mitochondrial gene expression in reptiles is associated with their ability to adapt to extreme climates, which means differential mitochondrial genome expression can be used to explore the response of different lizards in the same region to low temperatures. Our experiment aims to provide one new research method to evaluate the potential extinction of reptile species in warm winter climates.

The possibilities of using of captive and domestic broodstocks for saving of natural populations: 1. Acipenseriformes (part 1)

In last years the stocks of Russian species of sturgeons decreased to critical level which can be followed by their complete extinction in nature. As a result, the number of sturgeons beginning spawning migration into rivers are extremely small, but Astrakhan sturgeon hatcheries continue release annually about 35 mln fry using own broodstocks of two types — captive and domestic ones. However the releases of offspring of domestic broodstock are extremely discussible. On one hand, creation of such broodstocks could avoid the complete extinction of natural populations of Adriatic sturgeon Acipenser naccari in Po River and European sturgeon A. sturio in Gironde estuary. On other hand, long-term practice of commercial fish farming had shown that even the accidental refugees from sea cages or fresh-water ponds caused great harm to natural populations of same species. Hatchery individuals were undergoing different selection than fish in wild nature and had poorly formed reflexes (searching for food and avoiding predators). Besides a progressive decrease in genetic diversity with each generation could be seen in such fry due to limited number of parents (the Ryman-Laikre effect). However the creation of captive and domestic broodstocks of endangerous species and subspecies (Azov beluga Huso huso maeotica, fringebarbel sturgeon Acipenser nudiventris, Sakhalin sturgeon Acipenser mikadoi) and extinct populations (Baltic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus) remains the only way to release hatchery juveniles. The first part of presented review is devoted to creation and using of captive and domestic broodstocks for conservation-type sturgeon fry releases in Russia and other countries.

The possibilities of using of captive and domestic broodstocks for saving of natural populations: 1. Acipenseriformes (part 2)

In last years the stocks of Russian species of sturgeons decreased to critical level which can be followed by their complete extinction in nature. As a result, the number of sturgeons beginning spawning migration into rivers are extremely small, but Astrakhan sturgeon hatcheries continue release annually about 35 mln fry using own broodstocks of two types — captive and domestic ones. However the releases of offspring of domestic broodstock are extremely discussible. On one hand, creation of such broodstocks could avoid the complete extinction of natural populations of Adriatic sturgeon Acipenser naccari in Po River and European sturgeon A.sturio in Gironde estuary. On other hand, long-term practice of commercial fish farming had shown that even the accidental refugees from sea cages or fresh-water ponds caused great harm to natural populations of same species. Hatchery individuals were undergoing different selection than fish in wild nature and had poorly formed reflexes (searching for food and avoiding predators). Besides a progressive decrease in genetic diversity with each generation could be seen in such fry due to limited number of parents (the Ryman-Laikre effect). However the creation of captive and domestic broodstocks of endangerous species and subspecies (Azov beluga Huso huso maeotica, fringebarbel sturgeon Acipenser nudiventris, Sakhalin sturgeon Acipenser mikadoi) and extinct populations (Baltic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus) remains the only way to release hatchery juveniles. The first part of presented review is devoted to creation and using of captive and domestic broodstocks for conservation-type sturgeon fry releases in Russia and other countries.

Lesser of Men Than Our Fathers, No Men in A Few Decades, Human’s Become Extinct After

This paper proves that the ever decreasing testosterone levels in men will eventually be compounded by the ever increasing causals which along with genetic changes from the past generations will eventually make the men incapable of procreating, creating new life and lead to the end of human life on earth, the complete extinction in the next decades. We are lesser of a men than our father due to such reasons and will never become father’s again for the next father’s to come. The only way to save mankind is by reversing the causals back to the normal again and ever surpassing them to create real heaven on earth.

Wind turbines as a metamaterial-like urban layer: an experimental investigation using a dense seismic array and complementary sensing technologies

The deflection and the control of the effects of the complex urban seismic wavefield on the built environment is a major challenge in earthquake engineering. The interactions between the soil and the structures and between the structures strongly modify the lateral variability of ground motion seen in connection to earthquake damage. Here we investigate the idea that flexural and compressional resonances of tall turbines in a wind farm strongly influence the propagation of the seismic wavefield. A large-scale geophysical experiment demonstrates that surface waves are strongly damped in several distinct frequency bands when interacting at the resonances of a set of wind turbines. The ground-anchored arrangement of these turbines produces unusual amplitude and phase patterns in the observed seismic wavefield, in the intensity ratio between stations inside and outside the wind farm and in surface wave polarization while there is no metamaterial-like complete extinction of the wavefield. This demonstration is done by setting up a dense grid of 400 geophones and another set of radial broadband stations outside the wind farm to study the properties of the seismic wavefield propagating through the wind farm. Additional geophysical equipment (e.g., an optical fiber, rotational and barometric sensors) was used to provide essential explanatory and complementary measurements. A numerical model of the turbine also confirms the mechanical resonances that are responsible for the strong coupling between the wind turbines and the seismic wavefield observed in certain frequency ranges of engineering interest.

Consciousness and General Anesthesia: Challenges for Measuring the Depth of Anesthesia.

The optimal consciousness level required for general anesthesia with surgery is unclear, but in existing practice, anesthetic oblivion, may be incomplete. This article discusses the concept of consciousness, how it is altered by anesthetics, the challenges for assessing consciousness, currently used technologies for assessing anesthesia levels, and future research directions. Wakefulness is marked by a subjective experience of existence (consciousness), perception of input from the body or the environment (connectedness), the ability for volitional responsiveness, and a sense of continuity in time. Anesthetic drugs may selectively impair some of these components without complete extinction of the subjective experience of existence. In agreement with Sanders et al. (2012), the authors propose that a state of disconnected consciousness is the optimal level of anesthesia, as it likely avoids both awareness and the possible dangers of oversedation. However, at present, there are no reliably tested indices that can discriminate between connected consciousness, disconnected consciousness, and complete unconsciousness.

The Exact Stochastic Process of the Haploid Multi-Allelic Wright-Fisher Mutation Model.

Diffusion models are widely applied in population genetics, but their approximate solutions may not accurately capture the exact stochastic process. Nevertheless, this practice was necessary due to computing limitations, particularly for large populations. In this article, we develop the exact Markov chain algebra (MCA) for a discrete haploid multi-allelic Wright-Fisher model (MA-WFM) with a full mutation matrix to address this challenge. A special case of nonzero mutations between multiple alleles have not been captured by previous bi-allelic models. We formulated the mean allele frequencies for asymptotic equilibrium analytically for the tri- and quad-allelic case. We also evaluated the exact time-dependent Markov model numerically, presenting it concisely in terms of diffusion variables. The convergence with increasing population size to a diffusion limit is demonstrated for the population composition distribution. Our model shows that there will never be exact irreversible extinction when there are nonzero mutation rates into each allele and never be an exact irreversible fixation when there are nonzero mutation rates out of each allele. We only present results where there is no complete extinction and no complete fixation. Finally, we present detailed computations for the full Markov process, exposing the behavior near the boundaries for the compositional domains, which are non-singular boundaries according to diffusion theory.

МОДЕЛИРОВАНИЕ ДИНАМИКИ ВЗАИМОДЕЙСТВУЮЩИХ ПОПУЛЯЦИЙ ТИПА «ХИЩНИК–ЖЕРТВА» ПРИ ПОСТОЯННОЙ МИГРАЦИИ ОСОБЕЙ С СОПРЕДЕЛЬНЫХ ТЕРРИТОРИЙ

The article deals with the research of the dynamics of a local predator-prey community with constant migration of individuals from neighboring territories. We studied several models with a constant inflow of individuals into both predator and prey populations. It is shown that changes in the overall dynamics are significantly influenced by the number of predator migrants: their large influx leads to the rapid and almost complete extinction of preys. The model considering only a constant prey inflow is successfully applied to modeling of various processes based on the principles of predator-prey population interactions, for example, when studying the consumption of difficult-to-renewable or nonrenewable natural resources. The study of the model provides allows getting estimations of the resources use efficiency and and the degree of modernization of the consumer sector. It is shown that two-dimensional models - modifications of the basic Volterra and Bazykin models, lead to structurally stable fluctuation regimes corresponding to the focus and limit cycle. We found that these models also contain fast-slow periodic dynamics, corresponding to a maximum limit cycle with strong spikes and smoother declines in the population size. The emergence of such regimes corresponds to the alternation of periods of active extinctions of prey, accompanied by an increase in the number of predators, and periods of long-term restoration of the prey, during which there is no harvesting of prey. We used methods of dynamic systems analysis to study the models. The construction of two-dimensional parametric portraits shows that, to get stable dynamics of the basic models of two interacting biological species, no complication is required, for example, by adding nonlinear terms. Stable regimes are also observed in simpler models, such as the original Lotka-Volterra or Bazikin models, where the recovery rate of prey population is a constant value.

Comparisons of global quench limitations between downwardly-propagating and centrally-ignited premixed ammonia/air flames by intense near-isotropic turbulence

Global quench (GQ), a complete extinction, of downwardly-propagating and centrally-ignited premixed ammonia/air flames by intensive near-isotropic turbulence generated in a central region of fan-stirred cruciform burner is explored at wide ranges of the equivalence ratio (ϕ = 0.7–1.25), the r.m.s. turbulence fluctuation velocity (u′ = 0–8.4 m/s), and the ignition energy (Eig = 50–500 mJ) using pin-to-pin stainless-steel electrodes at 2-mm spark gap. Both central ignition flame kernels and downward propagation flames from the top vessel of the cruciform burner interacting with the central uniform intense turbulence are recorded to determine the required critical u′c and/or Kac for GQ, where Ka is a turbulent Karlovitz number. We find that the low-reactivity ammonia/air laminar flames cannot propagate downwardly from the top vessel at too lean (ϕ = 0.7) and too rich (ϕ = 1.25) conditions. Results show that the large downward propagation flames are much harder to be globally quenched by turbulence than the small central ignition kernels for spherical flames. The downward flame GQ criterion is independent of Eig, while the central ignition GQ criterion is influenced by Eig (the higher Eig, the larger u′c). Contrary to the common notion that the maximum critical u′c for flame GQ occurs near ϕ ≈ 1, we discover that the richer the downward propagation ammonia/air flame is, the larger u′c is. Such a surprising survival capability of rich downward propagation ammonia/air flames to GQ by intense turbulence is due to the nearly linear increase of H2 mole fraction percentage in the upstream products of the top tube of the cruciform burner from less than 1 % at ϕ = 0.9 to about 6 % at ϕ = 1.2. These turbulent downward propagation flame fronts with filiform structures prior to GQ reveal the morphology of distributed-like turbulent flames.

Stability analysis of Filippov prey–predator model with fear effect and prey refuge

Mathematical ecosystems play a crucial role in our comprehension and conservation of ecology. Within these ecosystems, prey exhibits protective instincts that compel refuging behaviors to avoid predation risk. When the ratio of prey to predators falls below a threshold, prey seeks refuge. However, when prey is abundant relative to predators, these protective instincts are overridden as prey ventures out to forage. Therefore, this study develops a Filippov prey–predator model with fear effect on prey and switching of prey refuge behavior based on the ratio of prey to predators. Analytical and numerical approaches are used to address the dynamic behaviors, bifurcation sets, existence, and stability of various equilibria in this model. Additionally, the regions of sliding and crossing segments are analyzed. The bifurcation sets of pseudo-equilibrium and local and global sliding bifurcations are investigated. The numerical simulations are conducted to investigate the interplay between fear factor and other relevant parameters within the Filippov model, such as the threshold ratio and prey refuge. These investigations shed light on the influence of them in the model. The results indicate that increasing the fear factor results in a decrease in both prey and predator densities, thereby changing the behavior of the dynamics from a limit cycle oscillation to a stable state and vice versa. Notably, despite these population changes, neither species faces complete extinction.

Morphological trends across the Norian/Rhaetian boundary within Late Triassic conodonts in western Canada: implications for protracted paleoenvironmental disturbance preceding the end-Triassic mass extinction

AbstractThe Late Triassic conodont species Mockina ex gr. carinata and Mockina ex gr. englandi were exceptionally prevalent among the marine fauna of the Panthalassan realm from the middle Norian through to the Rhaetian. Leading into the complete extinction of conodonts near the Triassic/Jurassic boundary, a significant turnover event occurred in conodont fauna across the Norian/Rhaetian boundary (NRB), with the pectiniform elements of common Rhaetian genera from Tethys exhibiting minimal or absent platforms. This intergeneric trend of platform reduction is not as evident in Panthalassa, where these genera are very rare, but morphometric analyses of M. ex gr. carinata and M. ex gr. englandi specimens from across the Canadian Cordillera demonstrate that comparable shifts in morphology occurred intraspecifically in Panthalassa across the NRB, confirming the global extent of these trends. Pectiniform elements of M. ex gr. carinata display a sequential reduction of platform width from the middle Norian to late Norian to Rhaetian, whereas pectiniform elements of M. ex gr. englandi display a reduction of platform width only from the late Norian to Rhaetian. Specimens of both species that have a mid-platform length to breadth ratio greater than 3:1 are restricted to the Rhaetian. Specimens from the Kennecott Point section on Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, demonstrate that this morphological shift occurred somewhat later than other biostratigraphic proxies for the NRB. The global trend of platform width reduction in many conodont pectiniform elements may reflect a change in primary diet away from hard food sources, perhaps suggesting some degree of carbonate biomineralization suppression beginning around the NRB. This interpretation would support CO2 outgassing as the causal mechanism of the environmental disturbance at the NRB and identify the NRB as a significant turning point for Late Triassic ecosystems, marking the beginning of a protracted, multiphase end-Triassic mass extinction.

Experience in transplanting of the rare and protected species during ecological restoration work

The article presents the results of the transplanting work, which took place in 2019-2022 in the high-mountainous northern territories ofZabaikalsky Krai. They included: preparatory work, the actual 2 stages of transplantation and, subsequently, monitoring. In the course of the study, the possibility and effectiveness of measures on transplanting and rehabilitation of golden rhododendron (Rhododendron aureum Georgi), as compensatory measures for the territory affected by the construction of the mining and smelting plant «Udokan» mining and smelting facilities, were established. Conducted comprehensive study allowed to develop methods and techniques of extraction, transportation, planting of Rhododendron aureum on the disturbed in the process of construction sites. Monitoring works taking into account the vital state, habitus of the plant, its phenological phases, the presence of other vascular plant species in the curtain wall confirmed that the prepared plan of measures for compensatory replanting fully takes into account the features of habitat, the growth of the species and after replanting the possibility of its renewal is preserved. As of June 2022, the estimated rooting rate was 93.9 %. There is an increase in the number of plant species in the rows and their projective coverage. In general, there is currently no threat of complete extinction of this species in the MMC “Udokan” construction area.

Upper Triassic (middle Norian) conodont biostratigraphy succession from Qamdo, eastern Tibet

The Late Triassic is a critical period that witnessed major biological and environmental events. The geographic range and taxonomic diversity of conodonts were significantly changed during the Late Triassic, with the geographic range contracting prior to complete extinction of the group near the end of the Triassic. In the present study, we recognize for the first time a continuous middle Norian (Upper Triassic) conodont succession from the Qamdo (Changdu) area, eastern Tibet (Xizang), which was part of the North Qiangtang and Qamdo-Simao Block (NQ-QSB) located in the northeastern Tethys Ocean during the Late Triassic. Four conodont zones are established from the middle Norian (Alaunian) of the Chaiwei section in Qamdo, and in ascending order these are: the Epigondolella spiculata Zone, the Orchardella elongata Zone, the Mockina postera Zone, and the E. serrulata Zone; the neighboring Tuoba section also records these four zones, in addition to the upper lower Norian (upper Lacian) Ancyrogondolella uniformis Zone. All of these zones (except for the M. postera Zone) have been recognized for the first time in eastern Tibet. The Lacian-Alaunian boundary is tentatively placed at the level of sample CW-3 at the Chaiwei section and at the level of sample TBL-36 at the Tuoba section by the first occurrence (FO) of E. spiculata in each section. The position of the Alaunian-Sevatian boundary (ASB) is uncertain since the conodont assemblage from the top of the Bolila Formation at the study sections lacks age-diagnostic elements. The conodonts recovered from the Qamdo area have not only dated the Bolila Formation but also refined the conodont biostratigraphic zonation of the Alaunian in the study area. This allows improved correlation between the faunas of Qamdo and their counterparts elsewhere in Tibet and Europe, although the conodont zonations from these regions display lower precision than those established from North America. The Alaunian conodont faunas at Chaiwei and Tuoba appear to be dominated by juvenile specimens; this often appears to be the case in the Alaunian of the Tethyan Realm, but seems not occur in North America. This may suggest that the conodonts living in these two realms may have inhabited different ecological environments. The faunal turnover around the Lacian-Alaunian transition, with the evolution of Epigondolella, Orchardella, and Mockina from Ancyrogondolella, can be recognized in both study sections, although it is more remarkable in the Tuoba section. Although the lack of previous detailed studies of Norian conodont biostratigraphy from Tibet hampers correlation in this region and beyond, this study demonstrates the possibility of establishing high-resolution conodont biostratigraphic successions from Tibet in the future, since the conodont faunas recognized from Tibet and adjacent areas (e.g., Baoshan) suggest that relatively complete Norian strata exist in these regions. Overall, this study also provides new data to improve our understanding of conodont evolution during the Alaunian, and is significant in providing palaeontological data for studying the palaeogeographic evolution of eastern Tethyan ocean basins in the Late Triassic.

The effects of a dual orexin receptor antagonist on fear extinction memory and sleep in mice: Implications for exposure therapy

Extinction of conditioned fear is considered a fundamental process in the recovery from posttraumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorders. Sleep, especially rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, has been implicated in promoting extinction memory. The orexin system contributes to the regulation of sleep and wakefulness and emotional behaviors. In rodents, administrations of an orexin receptor antagonist following fear extinction training enhanced consolidation of extinction memory. Although orexin antagonists increase sleep, including REM sleep, the possible contribution of sleep to the effects of orexin antagonists on extinction memory has not been examined. Therefore, this study examined the effects of suvorexant, a dual orexin receptor antagonist, on extinction memory and sleep and their associations in mice. C57BL/6 mice underwent sleep recording for 24 h before and after contextual fear conditioning with footshocks and extinction learning during the early light phase or early dark phase. Mice were systemically injected with either 25 mg/kg of suvorexant or vehicle immediately after the extinction session. We found that suvorexant neither altered sleep nor improved extinction memory recall compared with vehicle. The higher percentages of REM sleep during the post-extinction dark phase were associated with lower extinction memory recall and greater freezing responses to the fear context. Results also indicate that animals did not reach complete extinction of fear with the fear extinction training protocol used in this study. These findings suggest that promoting REM sleep may not enhance fear extinction memory when extinction of fear is incomplete.

Modern linguistic resources and IT applications for the Tatar language: Regional practices

The issue of preserving the language of an ethnic group as a language of communication, as well as a carrier of cultural codes, has now acquired particular urgency and relevance. How to preserve and develop a language in the conditions of globalization and widespread digitalization, in the conditions of coming, and in many ways already real, information chaos and in conditions when in the near future most of the known languages are threatened with complete extinction. Obviously, one of the reliable and promising solutions is embedding a language in the digital space as a language of accumulation, processing and transmission of information; a language of communication in the global Internet network. Currently, in the Republic of Tatarstan, a set of organizational and policy measures has been almost completely implemented and the necessary information and technological base has been created to ensure full functioning of the Tatar language in computer technologies, including business and management spheres, publishing, educational activities, linguistic research and development. Another effective and very promising activity is the research and use of the language as a cognitive-conceptual tool that can enrich the mental and spiritual space of civilization as a linguistic-semiotic resource that has the necessary potential for creating new knowledge processing technologies and an intelligent interface. This paper presents the experience of research and practical activities of the Institute of Applied Semiotics of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan in one of the important areas of artificial intelligence called “Natural Language Processing”. Research and development are carried out in three theoretical and applied areas: 1) Tatar national localization of infocommunication technologies, 2) Development of software tools, systems and technologies for natural language processing and creation of linguistic resources, 3) Creation of new intelligent information processing technologies based on the research the cognitive potential of the Tatar language.

Landscape Planning and Design Approaches for Ecologically Sustainable Cities

Rapidly increasing urbanization trends at the global level increase the interest in sustainable urban life, while also revealing their effects on ecological balance more clearly. In particular, increasing urban areas create negative effects on ecosystems and quality of life through factors such as increasing air temperatures and changing precipitation patterns. This rapid urbanization process negatively affects the natural ecosystems in urban areas, ecosystems are fragmented, deteriorated and even face the danger of complete extinction. For this reason, the development of planning methods to preserve ecological balance has become a great necessity. These planning approaches are seen as the cornerstones of building sustainable cities. Factors such as spatial diversity and temperature variations play a vital role in understanding ecological processes. In this context, although studies on the design and maintenance of sustainable urban landscapes continue, more effective strategies are needed to ensure the sustainability of these landscapes in the long term. Many innovative ideas regarding urban landscape planning and design have been developed in recent years. However, there has been limited success in applicability of these ideas from a sustainability perspective. Sustainable landscape planning and design helps improve environmental quality and multiply social benefits through the integration of various materials and methods in the creation, construction and management of urban areas. Sustainability-focused approaches to landscape planning and design include restoration and enhancement of natural systems, sustainable management of resources, efficient use of water and energy, and protection of external environmental quality. The aim of this study is to discuss new strategies at the urban level. In this way, it is aimed to take ecosystem protection measures in urban areas, create livable environments and achieve sustainability goals more effectively.