Northern European Regions Research Articles

A Site-Specific Analysis of the Implications of a Changing Ozone Profile and Climate for Stomatal Ozone Fluxes in Europe

In this study, we used eight sites from across Europe to investigate the implications of a future climate (2 °C warmer and 20% drier) and a changing ozone profile (increased background concentrations and reduced peaks) on stomatal ozone fluxes of three widely occurring plant species. A changing ozone profile with small increases in background ozone concentrations over the course of a growing season could have significant impacts on the annual accumulated stomatal ozone uptake, even if peak concentrations of ozone are reduced. Predicted increases in stomatal ozone uptake showed a strong relationship with latitude and were larger at sites from northern and mid-Europe than those from southern Europe. At the sites from central and northern regions of Europe, including the UK and Sweden, climatic conditions were highly conducive to stomatal ozone uptake by vegetation during the summer months and therefore an increase in daily mean ozone concentration of 3–16% during this time of year (from increased background concentrations, reduced peaks) would have a large impact on stomatal ozone uptake. In contrast, during spring and autumn, the climatic conditions can limit ozone uptake for many species. Although small increases in ozone concentration during these seasons could cause a modest increase in ozone uptake, for those species that are active at low temperatures, a 2 °C increase in temperature would increase stomatal ozone uptake even in the absence of further increases in ozone concentration. Predicted changes in climate could alter ozone uptake even with no change in ozone profile. For some southern regions of Europe, where temperatures are close to or above optimum for stomatal opening, an increase in temperature of 2 °C could limit stomatal ozone uptake by enhancing stomatal closure during the summer months, whereas during the spring, when many plants are actively growing, a small increase in temperature would increase stomatal ozone uptake.

Legal regulation of the Baltic States national security policy within the NATO’S Strategic concepts evolution framework

The formation and development of the policy of national security of the Baltic States from the moment of independence has been considered. The impossibility of using the Soviet model of security in the Baltic States was discovered primarily because of the radically different size of states, the nature of threats and resource potential, as well as its non-compliance with the security models in force in the EU and NATO. Accession of the Baltic States to the EU and NATO changed the situation with ensuring national security in the Baltic States. Membership in NATO provided the countries of the region with access to collective defense, which they became part of. At the same time, the Baltic countries were forced to consider the problem of security in the context of providing international security, which at the beginning of the XXI century. is characterized by the expansion of asymmetric threats. This led to a radical change in the defensive concepts and concepts of national security in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in accordance with the principles of the UN, NATO and the EU. It is established that in the EU there is a difference in the vision of the nature and origin of security threats between Western European, Eastern European and Mediterranean countries. And even in the Baltic countries, the same threats can be in one country in the list of external threats, while in others - internal ones. The orientation of the Baltic States in the field of security in NATO, and not in the EU, is due in particular to the fact that the security problem in the Eastern Partnership region has not been adequately reflected in EU policy as a tool for its solution. It has been established that a key political document reflecting the common vision of NATO's objectives is strategic concepts that directly affect the content and direction of national security policies of NATO member states. Each of the following Strategies aims to ensure a qualitative modernization of the Alliance, turning it into a multifunctional mechanism for responding to crises. The paper analyzes the evolution of the strategic concepts of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization from the end of the 1990s to the present time, as well as their influence on the development of the policy of national security and defense of the Baltic States. The emphasis is placed on the absence of the problem of maintaining state sovereignty in the conditions of the state's membership in NATO. In order to maintain stability in the Baltic Sea region, the Baltic States seek to strengthen military-political cooperation in all critical sectors with the countries of the Northern region of Europe and Poland. Relations with Russia are mainly based on international treaties signed with Russia by the EU and NATO. Bilateral cooperation with the United States, as well as the activities of the Baltic States in NATO and the EU, remain of strategic importance to ensure their safety.

Systematic errors in northern Eurasian short-term weather forecasts induced by atmospheric boundary layer thickness

Systematic errors in forecast near-surface air temperature (SAT) still constitute a considerable problem for numerical weather prediction (NWP) at high latitudes. Numerous studies in the past have attempted to reduce this problem through recalibration of physical parameterization schemes and better approximation of the surface energy budget. The errors, however, remain despite notable improvements in the overall weather forecast performance. This study looks at the problem from a different perspective. It analyzes asymmetries in the SAT forecast errors. The study reveals a statistical pattern of warm SAT biases under cold weather conditions and cold SAT biases under warm weather conditions. The largest errors were found in shallow atmospheric boundary layers (ABLs). The study attributes the problem to the modeled excessive ABL thickness in northern Eurasia (the NEFI region). The ABL thickness is considered as a scaling factor controlling the efficacy of the applied surface heating. Too thick an ABL damps the magnitude and agility of the SAT response. The study utilized the operational model SL-AV of the Russian Hydrometeorological Centre. Two turbulence schemes were evaluated in the northern European and western Siberian regions of Russia against observations from 73 meteorological stations. The pTKE (old) scheme is based on the local balance of the turbulence characteristics. The TOUCANS (new) scheme incorporated the total turbulence energy equations in an energy-flux balance approach. Neither scheme uses the ABL thickness as a prognostic parameter. The study reveals that the SAT errors are consistent with the damped response of temperature and reduced agility of temperature fluctuations in too thick ABLs. The TOUCANS scheme did not improve those features, probably because it links the turbulent fluxes and the ABL thickness. The SAT errors in shallow ABLs persist in the new scheme. This study emphasizes the need for a closer look at the ABL thickness in the NWP models.

Forty-year investigations on apricot blooming: Evidences of climate change effects

Current climate change negatively impacts on key seasonal biological processes of perennial plants causing erratic productions and, consequently, significant yield reductions. Being flowering time of fruit crops one of the most widely used indicators for climate change studies, the present research aimed to assess, over a long-term period (1973–2016), the climatic trend and its influence on blooming date and intensity of 40 apricot cultivars (Prunus armeniaca L.) grown in central Italy. Over the autumn-spring seasons, the main climatic parameters (temperature, rainfall) were acquired, and calculation of chill accumulation according to the Chilling Units model (CU) was performed. Results showed significant trends in warming of autumn-winter monthly minimum and average temperatures, particularly since the 1990s. During the critical period for overcoming of flower bud endodormancy, a dramatic loss of CUs was recorded. Most of the examined cultivars, belonging to Italian and foreign germplasm and opportunely selected for different flowering time, showed important blooming delays and blooming intensity decreases. In particular, the early-blooming cultivars showed the highest average shift of around 12 days and a loss in blooming intensity score which fell to levels of around 50% with respect to previous periods. The CUs, negatively correlated with blooming time and positively correlated with blooming intensity, seem to be crucial for apricot floral biology. The irregular autumn-winter cold rate of recent years may mean that substantial impacts can be expected in the future with possible geographic shifts of the apricot cultivation areas towards more potentially suitable areas located in the northern Italian and European regions, with considerable socioeconomic inference.

First report of the isolation of Balamuthia mandrillaris in the northern region of Japan

Balamuthia mandrillaris is a free-living amoeba that lives in soil and water near human settlements. B. mandrillaris was first isolated from a mandrill baboon that died at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Park in California in 1986, and the first human infection was reported in 1990. Although reported B. mandrillaris infections are often not properly characterized, it appears that B. mandrillaris invades the living body from the soil and water, either via a wound or the nasal cavity. Most confirmed infections have originated in South and North America. B. mandrillaris inhabits warm climates and is recognized as a pathogen in warm areas such as desert climates and tropical climates. B. mandrillaris has been isolated from environmental samples since 2000, most of which originated from warm areas such as step climates, tropical climates, and desert climates. However, B. mandrillaris may survive in diverse environments, although fewer granulomatous amebic encephalitis patients have been reported in colder Japanese and Northern European regions. In the present study, we conducted a survey of 13 soil samples in Aomori Prefecture located at the northernmost tip of Japan Honshu and successfully isolated one strain of B. mandrillaris from soil for the first time in Japan. In addition, B. mandrillaris gene was detected from several soils. This confirms that B. mandrillaris is capable of spreading to a wider climatic region.

Exploring the labour productivity of agricultural systems across European regions: A multilevel approach

Agricultural productivity varies greatly among agricultural systems and among regions in Europe. A multilevel logistic regression model was applied to investigate the labour productivity of the six main agricultural systems across European NUTS2 regions. K-means and two-step clustering methods were used to classify European regions based on the agricultural systems’ standard output per annual work unit. We analysed the effect of environmental (soil erosion, rainfed yield potential), structural (farm education, age, pluriactivity, diversification, rented agricultural land), technical (yield ratio) and contextual (gross domestic product per capita, population density) factors on labor productivity. Significant differences were revealed between northern-central regions and the continental peripheries (Mediterranean, Eastern). Soil erosion negatively affects agricultural labour productivity; for each one ton/ha increase in the modelled annual soil erosion rate the odds of regions to attain high labour productivity decreased by 28%. The importance of technical efficiency in crop production was also identified. Observed low wheat yields, relative to modelled potential yields, in the southern, eastern and northern European regions indicate a large unexploited gap. The positive effect of the regional gross domestic product per capita and the low population density confirmed the importance of contextual factors on labour productivity. A second analysis of a composite indicator of the labour productivity of the European agricultural systems, which accounted for the productivity of each system without considering its size, revealed the positive effect of farm education and the negative effect of pluriactivity on agricultural labour productivity. The analyses indicate the importance of compensatory allowances for areas facing natural constraints, while investing in farm training schemes and advisory services could increase the adoption of new technologies and improve the performance of farmers in both economic and environmental terms. Finally, the significance of contextual factors indicates the importance of a better harmonisation of rural development policy with regional policy.

Evaluation of the Seismic Response of Precast Wall Connections: Experimental Observations and Numerical Modeling

ABSTRACT This research work is aimed at studying the seismic behavior of a lightly reinforced precast concrete wall system that is typical in northern European regions characterized by little or no natural seismicity. To this end, the authors tested pseudostatically, under in-plane cyclic loads, six full-scale panels representative of those commonly used for low- to mid-rise precast residential multi-unit terraced buildings in the Groningen region. Damage mechanisms and hysteretic capacity curves of wall assemblies with and without openings in their layout are presented so as to examine the seismic performance of these panels and their connections at progressively increased drift amplitudes. All specimens collapsed by a premature shear failure of their panel-to-panel joints, demonstrating that this type of connection is the weakest link of the wall system tested. The paper also discusses the main trends observed in terms of stiffness degradation and energy dissipation with the number of applied cycles and the imposed drift level. Furthermore, the authors carried out an additional set of push-pull tests of four panel subassemblies with variable wall thickness, with a view to specifically investigate the seismic response of this type of joint under asymmetric out-of-plane loading. Test results show that this type of connection system is characterized by visible pinching and low energy dissipation capacity. Based on this large campaign of experimental tests, a simple and computationally efficient numerical model is proposed for large scale seismic fragility analysis of precast terraced structures built with this particular technology.

Thromboembolism prophylaxis in patients with Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms-Clinical practice among Nordic specialists.

Patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) have higher risks of developing thromboembolisms compared to the general population. International guidelines on the management of MPNs therefore include recommendations concerning thromboembolism prophylaxis. In clinical practice, strict adherence to guidelines may be challenging and dependent on factors such as physician experience, outpatient clinic setting, and access to therapy; however, no data exist on physician adherence or patient compliance to thromboembolism prophylaxis in MPNs. The Nordic Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Study Group (NMPN) performed a survey among Nordic hematology specialists with the aim of documenting the implementation of international recommendations in a region of Northern Europe with similar healthcare systems. The study showed that Nordic specialists managed their patients in accordance with international guidelines concerning medical intervention, but to a lesser degree regarding the management of additional cardiovascular risk factors. The survey also drew attention to the common clinical dilemma of combining antiaggregatory agents with vitamin K antagonists (VKA), or novel oral anticoagulants (NOAC), as well as phlebotomy limits in female polycythemia vera patients. The results of this study highlight the importance of considering all risk factors for thrombosis and an optimal collaboration with the primary healthcare sector.

Development of specific PCR primers for diagnosis and quantitative detection of the fungal maize pathogen Kabatiella zeae

The fungus Kabatiella zeae which causes the eyespot disease in maize has become an important leaf disease in the northern regions of Europe. An early and accurate diagnosis is necessary for determining the first occurrence in the field. The visual assessment of this pathogen is often difficult because different spots, which may be parasitic, physiological or genetic complicate the exact diagnosis. The specific identification of the fungus is possible by PCR. Unfortunately, no specific DNA sequences are available in the databases. Hence, shot-gun cloning was done resulting in K. zeae-specific sequences for primer design. Cross testing with maize DNA and other pathogens, including Setosphaeria turcica, Mycosphaerella zeae-maydis and various Fusarium species, revealed that the primers were absolutely specific for K. zeae and can be used for qualitative and quantitative PCR assays.

Is salinity an obstacle for biological invasions?

Invasions of freshwater habitats by marine and brackish species have become more frequent in recent years with many of those species originating from the Ponto-Caspian region. Populations of Ponto-Caspian species have successfully established in the North and Baltic Seas and their adjoining rivers, as well as in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River region. To determine if Ponto-Caspian taxa more readily acclimatize to and colonize diverse salinity habitats than taxa from other regions, we conducted laboratory experiments on 22 populations of eight gammarid species native to the Ponto-Caspian, Northern European and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River regions. In addition, we conducted a literature search to survey salinity ranges of these species worldwide. Finally, to explore evolutionary relationships among examined species and their populations, we sequenced the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI) from individuals used for our experiments. Our study revealed that all tested populations tolerate wide ranges of salinity, however, different patterns arose among species from different regions. Ponto-Caspian taxa showed lower mortality in fresh water, while Northern European taxa showed lower mortality in fully marine conditions. Genetic analyses showed evolutionary divergence among species from different regions. Due to the geological history of the two regions, as well as high tolerance of Ponto-Caspian species to fresh water, whereas Northern European species are more tolerant of fully marine conditions, we suggest that species originating from the Ponto-Caspian and Northern European regions may be adapted to freshwater and marine environments, respectively. Consequently, the perception that Ponto-Caspian species are more successful colonizers might be biased by the fact that areas with highest introduction frequency of NIS (i.e., shipping ports) are environmentally variable habitats which often include freshwater conditions that cannot be tolerated by euryhaline taxa of marine origin.

Hot and cold – The long lasting impact of enlightenment health care and politics on Balneology

During the second half of the 18th C. the philosophy of enlightenment had found its way into science, medicine and health care. Population politics was one of the main results of these concepts and therefor the prosperity of a state was defined as a numerous healthy working and consuming population. Based on economic theories health care was seen as an important means to increase the population and therefor raise the prosperity of a state. In the Habsburg countries it was an important issue to develop a centralised and clearly structured health care system, that would include all levels of population. But also other European countries followed this idea usually with different measures. It is well known, that treatment with water esp. thermal water has a long tradition and that the positive results of treatments at spas was well known. The quest for improvements in health care lead to chemical analyses of thermal water and the search for evidence of these therapies, but also to the concept, that also cold water without any additional ingredients, could be used for therapies. The idea of hardening the human body with cold water and improving the resistance to diseases was the basic concept of various forms of treatment with cold water – and of course a very cheap one. Step by step cold water therapies were mainly suggested for prophylactic purposes and the treatment of the poor population as therapies at spas were expensive and more or less restricted to higher classes. However, during the 19th C. seawater treatments especially at the Baltic Sea and certain parts of the Northern Sea became popular health care resorts also for higher classes, which might be connected to the political situation between the German countries, esp. Prussia, and Habsburg countries. Perhaps this has to be seen as a consequence, that warm spas are located mainly in Central and Southern Europe and access was not that easy anymore. The development of Prussia as a leading state in differentiation to the Habsburg countries could be one aspect for the preference of cold water in the Northern regions of Europe – based on the natural fact, that there are not that many hot springs in Northern Europe.

Investigation of thermal degradation of hydrolysis lignin

Wood hydrolysis facilities were built in both northern and southern European regions of Russia, as well as in Siberia and the Russian Far East. Other hydrolysis plant in the former USSR were located in Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Lithuania. All or most of these facilities produced substantial amounts of excess lignin, so called “hydrolysis lignin” (HL). Technology of energy utilization of HL, having a great potential is a production of granulated fuel. Perspective way is pelletization of HL. In this paper complex kinetic analysis of hydrolysis lignin and its organic components under conditions of dynamic and isothermal heating was carried out. Kinetic parameters are determined using the extended independent parallel model.

¿Quiénes eran los mozos en las regiones mediterráneas? Salarios y movilidad de los mozos en el mercado de trabajo de Mallorca, 1654-1680

Este estudio quiere contribuir al análisis regional del papel de los criados rurales en el surgimiento de los mercados de trabajo agrarios en la isla de Mallorca en el siglo XVII. El objetivo del artículo es caracterizar los criados rurales del sector olivarero en la isla de Mallorca para mediados del siglo XVII. Las principales fuentes serán los libros de cuentas de los predios del segundo Conde de Formiguera, Ramon Burgués-Saforteza, pues no se disponen de otras fuentes generales o locales de carácter socio-ocupacional. A partir de la sistematización de esa información el estudio sugiere que los mozos en los predios analizados eran trabajadores adultos y mayoritariamente eran contratados por breves períodos de tiempo, lo cual demostraría que tenían unos perfiles sociales y demográficos distintos al de los criados de las regiones europeas del norte donde dominaban los criados rurales jóvenes y solteros con contratos de larga duración.

Visions of Volcanoes

The long nineteenth century marked an important transition in the understanding of the nature of combustion and fire, and of volcanoes and the interior of the earth. It was also a period when dramatic eruptions of Vesuvius lit up the night skies of Naples, providing ample opportunities for travellers, natural philosophers, and early geologists to get up close to the glowing lavas of an active volcano. This article explores written and visual representations of volcanoes and volcanic activity during the period, with the particular perspective of writers from the non-volcanic regions of northern Europe. I explore how the language of ‘fire’ was used in both first-hand and fictionalized accounts of peoples’ interactions with volcanoes and experiences of volcanic phenomena, and see how the routine or implicit linkage of ‘fire’ with ‘combustion’ as an explanation for the deep forces at play within and beneath volcanoes slowly changed as the formal scientific study of volcanoes developed. I show how Vesuvius was used as a ‘model’ volcano in science and literature and how, later, following devastating eruptions in Indonesia and the Caribbean, volcanoes took on a new dimension as contemporary agents of death and destruction.

How climate change may affect the early life stages of one of the most common freshwater fish species worldwide: the common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

The aim of the present study is to test the effects of temperature on the early life stages of one of the most common freshwater fish species worldwide, the common carp. About 16,000 eggs coming from 3-year-old broodstock were randomly distributed into five incubators, one incubator by tested temperature (16, 18, 20, 22, and 24°C). Several parameters (survival and malformation rates, development time, morphometric parameters, and energy values) were studied at three key biological stages (hatching, emergence and first food intake). We found no significant impact of temperature on both survival and malformation rates. However, as expected, development time was three times longer at 16°C than at 24°C. At both 16 and 24°C, the consumption of the yolk sac was highest; yet larvae were smaller at 16°C and largest at 24°C. Our results suggest that the early life stages of common carp developing at 22–24°C could survive better in the wild, which is in accordance with current models that predict a small change of the distribution area of the common carp in France, but probably an extension in Northern European regions, in the next decades consequently to climate change.

The delay of flowering time in almond: a review of the combined effect of adaptation, mutation and breeding

Regulation of flowering time in almond, as in other Prunus species, is a complex process involving both chill and heat requirements. Following exposure to appropriate consecutive periods of cold and warm temperatures, the buds break dormancy and sprout or flower depending on bud type. To maximize flowering and subsequent vegetative growth and fruit set, chilling and ensuing warm temperature requirements have to be fully satisfied. Because of its potential for very early flowering, flowering time in almond is a major determinant of its adaptation to new environments. In colder regions, Late-flowering is often necessary to avoid frost damage during and just after flowering. Consequently, the selection of delayed flowering times remains an important objective in almond improvement programs. Flowering time is considered a quantitative though highly heritable trait. In addition, a dominant gene (Late flowering, Lb), originally identified in a spontaneous mutation of the Californian almond cultivar ‘Nonpareil’, was also described. The objective of this review is a comparative analysis of the effects of regional adaptation, breeding and mutation on the delay of flowering time in new almond cultivars. Findings indicate that the adaptation of almonds from the Mediterranean basin to colder regions in Northern Europe and America has been mainly achieved through delayed flowering. These adapted late-flowering cultivars have usually been developed by selecting desired quantitative genes within each regional germplasm. Additional progress thus appears achievable with a more comprehensive understanding of the quantitative and qualitative genetics controlling this trait. The use of molecular markers for the early selection of genes conferring late flowering, including both spontaneous mutations as well as unique regional germplasm, should allow development of even later cultivars including ultra-late cultivars flowering as into April.

Evidence of Cat (Felis catus) Fur Exploitation in Medieval Iberia

AbstractWhilst the bones of domestic cats (Felis catus) are recovered from archaeological sites in Iberia routinely, they are rarely subjected to detailed analysis. Consequently, there is limited understanding of the nature of cat–human relations, especially in contrast to northern European regions. In this paper, we present a unique assemblage of 899 cat bones recovered from the medieval site of El Bordellet (Vilafranca del Penedès, Spain) and dated between the end of the 10th century ad and the beginning of the 11th century ad. Zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis provides the first clear evidence of skinning related to cat fur exploitation in Christian medieval Iberia. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Arctic Innovation Hubs: Opportunities for Regional Co-operation and Collaboration in Oulu, Luleå, and Tromsø

The Northern Review 45 (2017): 77–92https://doi.org/10.22584/nr45.2017.005Interest in Arctic issues has been growing in recent years. From an economic perspective, the Barents Region is of significant interest due to substantial investment projects. The European Union has strengthened its presence and influence in the region, playing a role in combatting climate change and optimizing opportunities for northern economic activity. Simultaneously, there have been intentions to narrow the gap between public policy and the private sector to more efficiently exploit business opportunities in the North. Promoting the Arctic’s potential for business development and building stronger co-operation between the region’s actors are among the recent activities in Arctic development. Innovation hubs generate new businesses from ideas and innovations. They operate in global networks by creating added value and attracting more investment capital and talent. This article explores innovation hubs in three regions in Northern Europe—Oulu (Finland), Luleå (Sweden), and Tromsø (Norway). The article examines, through an innovation hub framework, what kind of business development activities are generating growth in these innovation hubs, and what the differences are between these regions. This article discusses whether it is beneficial to have similar innovation service structures in every region, or if connected Arctic innovation hubs that strengthen Arctic co-operation is a better approach. More intensive co-operation between Arctic actors is most likely to require specific actions.

The Arctic, Baltic, and North-Atlantic ‘cooperative regions’ in ‘Wider Northern Europe’: similarities and differences

ABSTRACTThis article provides a broader perspective on the ‘wider’ Northern European regions – i.e. the Baltic Sea, North Atlantic, and (European) Arctic – and attempts to disclose both similarities and differences of regional cooperation. The article argues that the changing environmental state of the Arctic might influence the other two international cooperative regions of the Northern Hemisphere in regard to climate – and thus the ecology – as well as transport and security issues. First, the transition from the confrontation of the Cold War period to international cooperation in ‘wider’ northern Europe is assessed. Second, the twofold development of the Arctic due to national policies within, and growing global pressure over, the region is explored. Third, similarities and differences in terms of cooperation patterns involving the three cooperative regions are compared. The article argues that inter-linkages between the Baltic Sea, North Atlantic, and Arctic regions need to be explored in order to improve cooperation in the entire ‘mega-region’ of the European Arctic.

Detection of Rickettsia helvetica and Candidatus R. tarasevichiae DNA in Ixodes persulcatus ticks collected in Northeastern European Russia (Komi Republic)

The number of tick-borne infections in the northern European regions of Russia has increased considerably in the last years. In the present study, 676 unfed adult Ixodes persulcatus ticks were collected in the Komi Republic from 2011 to 2013 to study tick-borne rickettsioses. Rickettsia spp. DNA was detected by PCR in 51 (7.6%) ticks. The nucleotide sequence analysis of gltA fragments (765bp) from 51 ticks indicated that 60.8% and 39.2% of the ticks were infected with Rickettsia helvetica and Candidatus R. tarasevichiae, respectively. The gltA fragments showed 100% identity with those of Candidatus R. tarasevichiae previously discovered in Siberia and China, whereas R. helvetica showed 99.9% sequence identity with European isolates. The ompB had 8 nucleotide substitutions, 6 of which resulted in amino acid substitutions. In the sca9 gene, 3 nucleotide substitutions were detected, and only one resulted in amino acid substitution. The smpA, ompW, and β-lactamase genes of R. helvetica also showed a high level of sequence identity.