Economic Damage Research Articles

Introgression of Thrips Resistance from Pima Cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) into Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Thrips are major early season insect pests that cause significant economic damage in Upland cotton in the U.S. Development and deployment of resistant cultivars is the most effective and ecologically sustainable means of reducing thrips damage in cotton. Interspecific hybridization and backcrossing were performed to introgress thrips resistance from Pima cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) accession Coastland 320 into Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars Acala Maxxa (AM) and Fiber Max 966 (FM966). Backcross populations were screened for thrips resistance in thrips screening summer field nurseries in North Carolina. Thirty-two BC2F2 plants with thrips resistance were identified and backcrossed further to develop BC3F2 plants. Eleven AM derived BC2F2 resistant plants and 21 FM966 derived BC2F2 resistant plants were genotyped using CottonSNP63K array to identify the Pima chromatin in the introgression lines (ILs). In the ILs, introgressed Pima chromatin was detected on chromosomes A01, A08, A09, A10, A11, D10, D11, D12, and D13. Of these, four ILs, two each in AM and FM966 background, showed overlapped introgressed Pima chromatin on chromosomes A10 and D11. Further, four introgression lines, two each in AM and FM966 background, shared a common Pima introgression on chromosome D13. Characterization of thrips species in the screening nursery showed that predominant thrips species were tobacco thrips (Frankliniella fusca (Hinds)) followed by western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande)). The identified ILs with thrips resistance should be a useful source of genetic variability for developing Upland cotton cultivars with pest resistance.

Mathematical modeling of pollution of underground aquifers due to mining of minerals

Purpose. The research aims to create a mathematical model of salt contamination spreading through underground aquifers in the event of depressurization of the hydrocarbon production well crater for further assessment of environmental and economic damage from these processes. Methods. To predict the environmental and economic damage from salt contamination, the distribution of concentrations of harmful substances was investigated, taking into account the number of supply sources and their intensity over time, based on situ studies at the Rybalske Oil Field, Okhtyrskyi District of Sumska Oblast in Ukraine, where there were technological failures wells, accompanied by open fountains with the release of large amounts of highly mineralized water and the formation of craters. Mathematical modelling methods were used to process the data from the study of accidental technogenic pollution of underground aquifers. Findings. Based on real data from the study of the processes of potential salt contamination spread in fresh aquifers as a result of accidents at hydrocarbon production facilities, a mathematical model of salt contamination spreading in drinking groundwater in the event of depressurization of an oil field well crater has been developed. Potential economic losses in case of possible groundwater contamination with highly mineralized solution, which can into drinking groundwater aquifers, are substantiated. It has been established that in connection with the occurrence of an emergency situation due to the release of formation water to the surface in the territory of oil and gas fields, the formation of technogenic meromictic reservoirs is possible, which is confirmed by the example of the Rybalske Oil Field. It is proved that the total mineralization of crater water increases linearly with depth of the reservoir occurrence, and a similar dependence is characteristic of the chloride ion content. Originality. For the first time, a multicomponent mathematical model of mineral salt migration processes in underground freshwater aquifers in the case of depressurization of a meromictic reservoir has been developed. Practical implications. The research results obtained using numerical methods make it possible to predict the processes of spreading harmful substances in drinking underground aquifers as a result of emergencies at oil and gas fields, taking into account the number of sources of pollutants penetrating the study area, the heterogeneity of properties of the environment into which the harmful substance enters, and to assess the dynamics of changes in the concentration of these substances and time with further assessment of environmental and economic damage from these processes.

Natural and anthropogenic factors that determine the activity of geological processes of the Abakan agglomeration

Relevance. As a result of the construction and operation of buildings and structures within the Abakan agglomeration, there is an activation of existing and the formation of new engineering and geological processes accompanied by accidental destruction of constructions. In order to minimize economic and socio-environmental damage, timely development of scientifically sound urban planning and architectural planning solutions is necessary. It would take into account the results of design studies of engineering protection of the territory from dangerous manifestations of engineering and geological processes. Generalization of the available survey results in order to typify the engineering and geological conditions of the urban area will optimize the construction development of urban areas, develop reliable schemes of engineering protection against the manifestations of dangerous engineering and geological processes. Aim. To establish natural and anthropogenic factors that determine the activity of dangerous geological processes in the territory of the Abakan agglomeration. Methods. Collection, systematization and analysis of available territorial geological, hydrological, hydrogeological, environmental information, results of engineering surveys. Results and conclusions. At a qualitatively new level, a set of maps has been compiled on the factors that determine the development of dangerous geological processes. The authors have carried out a GIS analysis of morphometric indicators of the relief of the agglomeration territory: maps of the steepness and exposure of the slopes were constructed. The analysis of the collected data made it possible to establish the regional characteristics of the components of the geological environment and propose a zoning scheme for the territory for its construction development and engineering protection. The authors identified four taxa during zoning: territories favorable for construction that do not require significant engineering training; territories conditionally favorable for construction, requiring preliminary engineering training; territories conditionally unfavorable for construction, requiring significant costs for engineering training; territories unfavorable for construction. The boundaries of the taxa are based on the analysis of the geomorphological features of the territory. The conducted research was performed for the agglomeration territory for the first time.

Granular Bait Applications for Management of Rangeland Grasshoppers Using a Remotely Piloted Aerial Application System

Rangeland grasshoppers are an endemic species that play an essential role in the rangeland ecosystem but can cause severe economic damage when populations reach outbreak levels. Remotely piloted aerial application systems (RPAASs) offer an alternative method to carry out aerial insecticide applications in relatively small areas. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a granular bait, 2% Sevin (with the active ingredient carbaryl), applied by an RPAAS. The bait was applied on four replicated 4.05-hectare (10-acre) plots at a rate of 2.27 kg/ha (5 lbs/acre) with an RPAAS on a private ranch in New Mexico. Applications resulted in a normalized population reduction of 70.32% ± 16.54% standard error of the mean (SEM) of bait-susceptible species. Although some of the observed reduction in population may be attributed to aging, the net effect was most likely due to the ingestion of bait based on field observations of rapid mortality after ingestion and other factors, like past experience with carbaryl bait treatments on grasshoppers. Plots required at least two flights due to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) maximum takeoff weight requirement for small RPAASs. Combined, these results indicate that RPAASs can provide treatment capabilities in relatively small areas, i.e., population hotspots, preferably before outbreak levels are reached.

FLOOD RISK MAPPING IN THE IRTYSH RIVER BASIN USING SATELLITE DATA

Floods are among the most frequent and devastating natural disasters, causing significant economic damage and loss of life worldwide. Effective flood risk management relies on accurate modeling techniques that can predict vulnerable areas and assess potential impacts. In this study, flood dynamics are simulated in the Irtysh River Basin near Ust-Kamenogorsk, a city in East Kazakhstan prone to seasonal flooding using high-resolution satellite imagery and digital elevation data. The primary objective is to visually model flood risks based on terrain characteristics. The study utilizes imagery sourced from the Mapbox platform, which combines data from MODIS, Landsat 7, Maxar, and the Google Earth Engine, providing access to Sentinel-2 surface reflectance imagery at 10-meter resolution. Elevation data from the Copernicus global digital elevation model, with a 30-meter resolution, is used to simulate flood progression. The flood simulation involves calculating flood depth relative to the terrain’s elevation, allowing for a pixel-by-pixel determination of submerged areas. Each simulation incrementally increases water levels to generate a sequence of images, showcasing the progression of flooding over time. The study describes hydraulic soil characteristics usage, and focuses on visualizing flood risk based on terrain data and water level changes. The simulation results indicate that flooding initially impacts riverbanks as water flow starts from the northwest of the city with critical infrastructure becoming vulnerable once water levels exceed 2 meters from the lowest elevation point. These findings highlight the potential of high-resolution satellite imagery and terrain data for flood risk assessment and improving urban flood preparedness. The results provide valuable insights into flood progression enabling more informed decision-making for disaster mitigation.

Ips typographus vision system: a comprehensive study.

Aggressive bark beetle species such as the Eurasian spruce bark beetle Ips typographus play a fundamental role in forest ecosystems but can also lead to extensive forest mortality and massive economic damage during outbreaks. Currently I. typographus' eyes, visual perception of the world and recognition of specific targets like host plants are understudied topics. Studying its visual sense can open the way to novel efficient monitoring and management methods, particularly important in avoiding the switch from an endemic to an epidemic condition. In addition, the integration of visual cues in trapping systems may offer new opportunities for surveillance. Vision in I. typographus was investigated by means of morphological analysis, electroretinography (ERG), molecular analysis of opsin genes and behavioural tests. ERG has revealed that the compound eyes contain two classes of photoreceptors, maximally sensitive to UV and green at 370 and 530nm, respectively. The result was further supported by the identification of two relevant opsin genes. Finally, the innate wavelength sensitivity was tested in a Y-maze. Ips typographus consistently preferred UV over non-UV (VIS) light, irrespective of their intensity ratios, but preferred high over low intensity VIS light, consistent with a UV-VIS dichromatic visual system. Overall, the results may open the way to better understand the navigation pattern in tree canopies and the host selection processes of this ecologically and economically important beetle species.

Detecting emerald ash borer boring vibrations using an encoder-decoder and improved DenseNet model.

Forest ecosystems are under constant threat from wood-boring pests such as the Emerald ash borer (EAB), which remain elusive owing to their hidden life cycles within tree trunks. Early detection is vital to mitigate economic and ecological damage. The main current monitoring method is manual detection which is ineffective at early stages of infestation. This study introduces VibroEABNet, a deep learning-based joint recognition network designed to enhance the detection of EAB boring vibration signals, with a novel approach integrating denoising and recognition modules. The proposed VibroEABNet model demonstrated exceptional performance, achieving an average accuracy of 98.98% across multiple signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) in test datasets and a remarkable 97.5% accuracy in real forest datasets, surpassing traditional models and other deep learning networks evaluated in this study. These findings were supported by rigorous noise resistance analysis and real dataset evaluation, indicating the model's robustness and reliability in practical applications. Furthermore, the model's efficiency was highlighted by its inference time of 26 ms and a compact model size of 8.43 MB, underscoring its suitability for deployment in resource-limited environments. The development of VibroEABNet marks a significant advancement in pest detection methodologies, offering a scalable, accurate and efficient solution for early monitoring of wood-boring pests. The integration of a denoising module within the network structure addresses the challenge of environmental noise, one of the primary limitations in acoustic monitoring of pests. Currently, this research is limited to a specific pest. Future work will focus on the applicability of this network to other wood-boring pests. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Evaluation of Volatile Organic Compounds from Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) Eggs Using Headspace Odor Sampling Methods.

The spotted lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive species native to China. It was first discovered in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014. It is known to cause great economic damage by destroying various crops, specifically grape vines, and therefore, several efforts have been made to control and mitigate its spread from the Northeast. Canine detection is a useful detection tool; however, it is crucial to understand the volatile organic compounds emitting by this pest to better direct canine training paradigms to prevent false alerts and to understand potential volatile markers of importance indicative of this species. The purpose of this study is to address the gap in research regarding the volatile organic compound (VOC) profile of SLF to better inform pest control mitigation strategies. Instrumental analysis was performed utilizing SPME-GC/MS on cold-killed SLF eggs, dried crickets, and tree bark. Differences in detected VOCs within each sample set depicted distinctive odor profiles for each matrix tested. Storage of these samples also depicted VOC accumulation variation as a function of time, thereby providing implications for long-term storage and sample handling for these types of training aids in canine applications.

DNA BARCODING OF Docotettix cornutus RİBAUT, 1948 (HEMİPTERA: CICADELLIDAE

Docotettix cornutus (Hem.: Cicadellidae) is a species that can cause economic damage to crops such as tomato, olive, pomegranate, and maize and is distributed all over the world. Since morphological identification is very difficult due to the small size of the pest there is a lack of experts and no record of molecular identification, DNA barcoding was aimed. In this study, D. cornutus was collected from pomegranate orchards in Aydın, İzmir and Manisa provinces (Türkiye) using Japanese umbrellas and suction tubes. After morphological identification of the species, HCO/ LCO universal primers were used to amplify the COI gene region of the samples and healthy reads were made between 499 bp (SE05) and 675 bp (SE07). Sequence analysis of the samples was performed by Triogen Biotechnology (Istanbul-Türkiye). D. cornutus was registered in Genebank for the first time and a GeneBank accession number was obtained. When the specimens were compared with other registered specimens in the BLAST module at NCBI, it was seen that the closest species to D. cornutus was Synophropsis lauri.

Better preparedness for invasive crop pests in changing climate: Assessing the risk of western corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) colonization in global maize growing regions and future spread dynamics

AbstractThe establishment and spread of alien species in new areas pose a potential threat to global food security. Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte is an invasive maize pest originally from Mexico, causing substantial economic damage to maize production across extensive areas of the United States and Europe. However, it has not yet invaded Asia or other regions. We used the Ensemble Model and Cellular Automaton to analyze the establishment and spread risk of this pest. The pest has not explored novel climates during past invasions, and the climatic ecological niche it occupied in Europe constitutes only a fraction of that in North America, indicating that the species still possesses the potential to spread further in Europe in the future. Currently, approximately 34% of global maize‐growing areas are at risk, with 25.5% facing a high establishment risk. By 2060, a significant northward spread is projected to occur in North America and Europe, while only a sporadic spread is expected in South America, Asia, Africa, or Oceania. Therefore, the adaptation of transnational management strategies may be necessary to prevent and control the risk of introduction and spread of this important maize pest into new areas of global maize production.

A risk assessment of a gas pressure reduction station system with confidence for dealing with imprecisions and unknowns

Process systems are sensitive and vital industrial facilities. Disturbances in their performance may cause harm to the environment,humans,or significant economic damage. In risk assessment of chemical process industries, the available data, information, and knowledge are typically rare, limited, and often unrealistic. This issue poses a challenge to conducting a credible quantitative risk assessment and effects the robustness of the results. To address these challenges, this work proposes a methodology based on the Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence as the reasoning framework. It incorporates risk identification, analysis, and mitigation phases to ensure a thorough analysis of risks and the integration of proactive risk reduction strategies. The approach aims to model the worst-case hazard scenario and assess associated risks using various methods such as FMECA, Bow-Tie, Credal Network, and Dempster-Shafer theory. The proposed approach models imprecision and data ambiguity using intervals and associated belief mass. This extension provides a basis for addressing the fundamental problem of prior ignorance about the distribution of the observed data, which is prevalent in data mining applications. A new approach is proposed that utilizes Belief and Plausibility curves, similar to a Cumulative Distribution Function, to propagate uncertainty, enhance criticality discrimination, and determine cumulated belief measures. This approach is applied in analyzing the failure modes identified in FMECA and is further extended through the credal network for comprehensive risk assessment. Results show how to express irrelevant and independent judgments, and how to work out with inferences in credal networks. This issue is often overlooked, but if properly addressed it represents the key to ultimately drawing reliable conclusions and fully utilizing the system's available data. A case study of the City Gate Station system was used to verify the application potential of the proposed approach.

TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL MODELING OF THE SPREAD OF DENGUE FEVER IN BRAZIL

Dengue is a viral infection caused by an arbovirus and spread through the bites of mosquitoes of the genus Aedes which causes significant human and economic damage every year. Preventive measures have been taken to reduce the proliferation of the transmitting mosquito and efforts are being made to obtain an efficient vaccine for the disease. Parallel to these measures, several studies present a model for the spread of the disease in order to determine relevant factors in the process and thus guide preventive measures and future vaccination initiatives. Within this context, this work brings a modeling for the spread of the disease through a system of differential equations where the geographic region studied (a Brazilian city) is divided into sub-regions with human circulation between them, thus making humans the spreader of the disease. Using the model, it was possible to characterize the time series of people infected with dengue in the city of Goiânia, Brazil, between 2000 and 2003 using two and three subdivisions of the geographic region studied. Seasonal cycles of the disease have been described without exhausting the number of susceptible humans.

Crop Production and Pesticide Use: Has Ghana Overlooked the Obvious on Health?

Vegetables and cereals, besides health benefits, are of significant socio-economic importance in Ghana, because, the whole production process provides employment for both rural and urban dwellers. Unfortunately, the high prevalence of pests (weeds inclusive) and disease complexes, associated with them, inflict significant economic damage on field and storage, if not properly managed. This review purposed to document challenges from pesticide use and suggest perspective recommendations for mitigation. Information was sourced from published journal articles, technical and annual reports (Research Extension Farmer Linkage Committee (RELC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, Ghana), and Institutions), the authors’ observations and personal communication with farmers, agricultural extension agents and other experts. The review analysis indicated over 80% of farmers use pesticides, particularly on high-value cash vegetable and cereal crops; and also to alleviate human labour constraints. Challenges such as pesticide resistance, increasing incidence of existing pests and diseases, or the manifestation of new pests and diseases due to climate change or continuous cropping among others were evident, prompting shifts to increased pesticide use for management and also for desired profit. Highlights on concerns for the insatiable quest for pests and disease control by chemical means, consequently increased reports on dangers of continuous pesticide use on human and public health, the environment and the economy. This research revealed that a minimal understanding of the use and application of pesticides contributed to the non-intended effects on health and the environment. Hopefully, the identified gaps and recommendations if properly addressed by policy would significantly enhance quality production systems for global trade and protect local consumers. State the contribution of this study to scholarship. Keywords: Vegetable Crop Production, Pesticide Use, Contamination, Pesticide Residue, Public Health

Food Insecurity Cost Estimates for El Paso, Texas

Food insecurity is a fairly pervasive problem throughout the United States that is especially burdensome for low-income regions. While the latter is generally recognized, there have been very few efforts to quantify the dollar costs of food insecurity, especially at the regional level. This study attempts to do so for El Paso County, Texas. This is achieved by first adjusting for inflation cost estimates in a prior national level study. Regional differences with respect to the nation are then utilized to calculate comparable costs for El Paso. Results indicate that the economic damage wrought by food insecurity in El Paso during 2023 exceeded $745 million. That represents nearly 2 percent of total personal income in the county for that year.

Agroterrorism: Assessing the Growing Threat to Global Food Security and Economic Stability

Agroterrorism, the deliberate introduction of harmful agents into agriculture to cause disease and economic damage, poses a growing threat to global food security and economic stability. Motivated by deep-seated conflicts and often perpetrated by both state and non-state actors, agroterrorism targets livestock, crops and water supplies, aiming to destabilize economies and social systems. Historical incidents, such as the mercury contamination of Jaffa oranges and cyanide-tainted grapes, underscore its severe impact. Recent concerns, intensified by advancements in biotechnology and increasing global trade, highlight the vulnerability of agriculture to such attacks. The potential economic damage from a single agroterrorism incident could reach billions of dollars, exacerbating food shortages and undermining public trust. Effective prevention and preparedness require multi-sectoral cooperation involving law enforcement, agricultural and scientific communities. Strategies include enhancing detection methods, developing biosecurity measures and improving international trade regulations. The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) and related organizations advocate for a comprehensive approach to bolster global resilience against agro-crime and agro-terrorism, emphasizing the need for robust preparedness and inter-agency collaboration to mitigate this evolving threat.

PRODUCTION OF RECOMBINANT SALMONELLA ABORTUS EQUI PROTEINS

The cause of mare abortions of salmonellosis etiology is pathogen Salmonella abortusequi. The economic damage caused by this infection is due to the loss of reproductive capacity of the sires, litter failure, reduced productivity and veterinary costs. High level of infection of horses is registered in many countries, including Kazakhstan. The main method of diagnosis is bacteriological, but its disadvantages are low sensitivity and duration of results. The OIE recommends the use of PCR and ELISA for diagnosis of infection, however, due to the high cost of test systems, the use of PCR in veterinary laboratories is not always justified, and the effectiveness of the ELISA method depends largely on the structure and purity of the antigen. Currently, genetic engineering methods make it possible to obtain recombinant antigens of animal pathogens containing separate proteins, which excludes the occurrence of nonspecific reactions. These antigens can be used in tests for serological diagnostics, immunization of laboratory animals, and in the development of vaccines. According to literature data, it is known that diagnostically significant antigens in bacteria of the genus Salmonella are outer membrane proteins. Therefore, the outer membrane protein OmpX of S. abortusequi, which has high immunogenicity and conservativeness was selected as a target. The aim of this work is to obtain recombinant OmpX antigens of S. abortusequi and study their properties. As a result, E. coli strains producing recombinant OmpX protein of S. abortusequi were created. The synthesized genes were cloned into expression vectors and transformed into competent E. coli BL21 cells. The rOmpX of Salmonella abortusequi was produced and purified; electrophoretic analysis showed the purity of the preparation with a molecular mass of 23 kDa. The recombinant protein was analyzed by LC/MC-MC spectrometry, and peptides containing QTTDYPTYKHDTSDYGFSYGAGLQFN amino acid sequences were identified. A search of the peptide spectrum in the SwissProt database showed that they corresponded to the OmpX protein of Salmonella abortusequi. To determine the quality of protein refolding and the conservation of antigenic epitopes of the protein, Western blot was used with control positive sera that specifically reacted with a protein of molecular mass 23kDa. The resulting recombinant OmpX protein was then used as an antigen in an indirect ELISA to detect antibodies in serum samples from aborted mares. The results of n-ELISA showed the presence of antibodies in serum at a titer of 1:1600 (+26.6; - 21.1). Thus, rOmpX of S. abortusequiwith a molecular mass of 23 kDa was obtained and its main properties were studied. The correctness of protein refolding was confirmed by Western blot and ELISA with positive control sera. The specificity of recombinant proteins was proved by interaction with positive serum samples of horses from unfavorable farms. The obtained recombinant antigens can be used in the creation of tests for the diagnosis of salmonellosis abortion of horses in the Republic of Kazakhstan. WPM с добавлением БАП 1,0 мг/л, ИМК 0,1 мг/л, ГК 0,2 мг/л, где было в среднем образовано 7,36 микропобегов на один эксплант.

Legal and Practical Aspects of Cartel Detection and Prevent

The work deals with the practical aspects of cartels, both the legal regulation of actions restricting competition and their detection and prevention. Emphasis is placed on the role and importance of competition law in assessing the total economic damage caused by the disregard of competition law by economic agents in the relevant markets and the concerted actions of cartels. The discussion for horizontal (agreement/concerted action between competing economic agents operating in the same product market) and vertical (agreement/concerted action between non-competing economic agents operating in different product markets) cartels is carried out. It is also mentioned that the agreement between the competing economic agents, on the one hand, can reduce, eliminate, or strengthen the competition. However, on the other hand, individual agreements can increase the effectiveness of competition. As for vertical agreements, such an anti-competitive act may occur when a dominant producer/service economic agent offers products/services under preferential conditions to a participating seller/service-receiving economic agent, while discriminating against other economic agents. However, it is also a fact that such an action creates a risk of restriction of competition only if the parties to the agreement (separately or taken together) occupy a dominant position and have market power.In the research, an important place is given to international and local legal mechanisms for detecting cartels, and advanced foreign and Georgian practices are presented in this regard. Finally, the conclusion is made that, in order to detect and prevent concerted actions, the provisions included in the competition law in force in Georgia today (detection and prevention of cartels as actions restricting competition) are in full compliance with advanced international practice and, first of all, with similar norms of the EU countries. However, it is also clear that in the background of the development of contemporary digital technologies, when the specifics of the work of many companies are rapidly changing, which diversifies the ways of making concerted commercial strategic decisions - making the issues of detection and detection of concerted actions by competition agencies even more noteworthy. In this direction, the enforcement institutions of the competition of Georgia, as The Agency of Competition and Consumer Protection of Georgia as well as the supervisory bodies of the regulated sector (enforcing the competition legislation in the regulated sector) will have to make more efforts. Keywords: Cartel, Agreement, Terms of Trade, Restriction of Competition, Sanction, Pricing Algorithm, Agency, Regulated Sector, Business Environment

SEROLOGICAL INCIDENCE OF CONTAGIOUS PLEUROPNEUMONIA OF GOATS IN TAJIKISTAN

The article presents data on serological monitoring of contagious pleuropneumonia of goats in goat farms in Tajikistan. As a result of selective serological studies using enzyme immunoassay (ELISA test), it was found that contagious pleuropneumonia of goats has a high incidence in farms of the Republic of Tajikistan and causes significant economic damage to goat farms.Enzyme immunoassay of 159 samples of blood serum of goats of local breed from 9 goat farms in 7 districts of the country seropositivity was found in 54 animal heads, which was 34%. The most widespread PDAs were noted in the goat farms of the Rudaki, A. Jami and Rasht districts, respectively 80.45 and 40%.

The effect of some vegetable origin oils used in different clove varieties against Meloidogyne incognita

Alternative control methods are needed against plant parasitic nematodes in Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii L.) and Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) plants and one of these methods is the use of plant-based extracts against nematodes. Plant parasitic nematodes cause economic damage in cut flower production areas, so in order to reduce this damage, it is aimed to use different non-synthetic plant-based extracts as an alternative to chemical control methods within the scope of cultural control of nematodes. For this purpose, garlic, thyme, and terminator (70% thyme + 30% different plant mixture formation) were used to determine the resistance against M. incognita in two different clove cultivars, Turbo with standard flower type and Harnet with spray flower type. While the egg pack index was 1.40 ± 0.70 in the Harnet cultivar with garlic application, this rate was 16.00 ± 9.66 in the positive control. While the egg pack index was 1.20 ± 0.42 in the Turbo variety, in which garlic was applied, this value was 3.70 ± 0.48 in the control. When evaluated based on varieties, the egg package index was lower in the Turbo variety with garlic application compared to the Harnet variety.

Assessing the impact of rising ambient temperatures on urban mortality rates using satellite mapping

Introduction. In the context of the change in global climate, the gain in the mortality rate due to an elevation of the temperature in the urban environment with the appearance of “heat waves” becomes an urgent problem. Materials and methods. To analyze the spatial distribution of risks and damages from premature mortality, there were selected cities located in several climatic zones of Russia including Omsk, Astrakhan, Rostov-on-Don, Lipetsk, Arkhangelsk. For satellite mapping of risks and damages from premature deaths caused by an elevation of the temperature in urban spaces, materials from summer surveys by Landsat series satellites were used. Results. The analysis of all satellite maps allows concluding the risks of an increase in urban temperature, potential deaths, and economic damage within the territories of the studied cities to be unevenly distributed. Advanced values of potential mortality are localized in places where high population density coincides with an enhanced risk of the temperature rise. The highest damage values were noted in Rostov-on-Don and Astrakhan, the lowest – in Arkhangelsk. Limitations. Mortality analysis was carried out without taking into account the age and sex structure of the population. Conclusion. The results of applying the methodology for satellite mapping of risks and economic losses from premature mortality due to rising urban temperatures showed accuracy acceptable for making management decisions to protect the health of the urban population. The results of satellite mapping of these events can be used in the development of preventive measures aimed at reducing premature mortality.