Russian Science Foundation Grant Research Articles

Plakun Burial Ground: a new discovery of the well-known site based on the results of the aerial lidar and ground penetrating radar research

The article presents findings of complex interdisciplinary researches of a group of sopkas in the Plakun terrain feature. The monument is part of the Staroladozhky archaeological complex located in Volk- hovsky district, Leningrad region, 120 km east of St. Petersburg. The sopkas are one of the main landmarks of the region. They are high steep embankments 11 – 30 m in diameter and 3 – 8 m high. They date back to the 8th – 10th centuries. The ethnicity of their makers is uncertain. Historiographical data suggest that the monu- ment consisted of 6 sopkas divided into clusters 3 embankments each. In 1955, the southernmost sopka was excavated for demolition. In 2022 – 2023, scheduled scientific researches and Russian Science Foundation Grant No. 23-18-00515 implied an aerial laser scanning of the monument territory. The area was scanned at the attitude of 70 – 90 m with a DJI Matrice 300 RTK drone and an L1 LiDAR from a DJI D-RTK ground station. The coordinates are referenced in LCS-47 Zone 2 with Spectra Epoch 50 GNSS receiver and amended by Geospider survey station network. The findings allow to distinguish a range of small hills in two groups of remaining sopkas. The standard presentation of Digital Elevation Model (DEM) clearly distinguishes 5 remaining large rounded embankments and piles of the excavated southernmost one. However, the research matches several relief color gradations. The study combines several DEM copies in QGIS geographic information system. Consequently, it is revealed that the chain of remaining embankments includes 4 rounded elevations. 3 of them resemble ploughed embankments. In 2023, two identified elevations were studied with OKO-2 ground penetrating radar equipped with a probe antenna which radiates 100 and 700 MHz pulses. The research involves gridding the area of the alleged lost ploughed sopkas and one apparent embankment. The profiles of the site were double-scanned. The radargrams reveal common structure features in the hills and sopka such as contrast mound foundations, heterogeneous centers, multi-layered structures and local depressions in the top layer around 0.5 meters thick. The findings suggest that 3 out of 4 hills can be viewed as demolished embank- ments of a sopka burial. The fourth one requires additional research.

Zinc for GNAO1 encephalopathy: Preclinical profiling and a clinical case

De novo pathogenic variants in GNAO1-the gene encoding the major neuronal G protein Gαo-cause pediatric encephalopathies and other neurological deficiencies largely refractory to available therapies. Zn2+ emerged to restore guanosine triphosphate hydrolysis and cellular interactions of pathogenic Gαo; dietary zinc salt supplementation improves lifespan and motoric function in a Drosophila disease model. Using biochemical, animal, and first-in-human studies, we provide support for the patient stratification and application of zinc acetate in GNAO1-associated disorders. We show that 16 different pathogenic missense variants cluster in three distinct groups in their responsiveness to Zn2+, and we provide the safety study in a mouse disease model. We further describe treatment of a 3-year-old patient with the common pathogenic GNAO1 variant c607G>A, p.Gly203Arg with oral 50mg zinc (in the form of zinc acetate) daily, as applied in Wilson's disease. During 11months of treatment, the patient shows cessation of daily dyskinetic crises, improved Burke-Fahn Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale movement score, reduction in epileptic seizures, and an excellent safety profile. Our findings warrant a large-scale clinical trial and might set the new standard of care for GNAO1-related disorders. This work was funded by the Russian Science Foundation (grant #21-15-00138) and GNAO1 España.

ТЕСТОВЫЙ КОНТРОЛЬ ТОПЛИВНЫХ НАСОСОВ СОВРЕМЕННОЙ АВТОТРАКТОРНОЙ ТЕХНИКИ

The article presents the results of a study of the energy balance when the technical condition of the fuel pump of agricultural machines changes. Over 30% of internal combustion engine failures occur in the fuel system. Timely diagnostics, repairs and maintenance work (the latter is often not provided for or not performed) of electric fuel pumps can increase the service life and service life. Calculation of the energy balance is a prerequisite for developing a new or upgrading an existing method for diagnosing a fuel pump. The importance of using current strength as a diagnostic parameter (when determining the technical condition) of the pump in the mode of creating maximum pressure in the fuel system is emphasized. Based on the research results, an additional diagnostic parameter can be the rate of increase in the pump supply current. Research has shown that with an increase in the hydraulic resistance of the fuel system by 90%, the average rate of current increase was 7.6 A/s. When the hydraulic resistance of the fuel supply system decreased by less than 10%, the average rate of current increase was 19.2 A/s. Current is a sensitive parameter that increases or decreases depending on the level of increase in hydraulic resistance or leaks in the fuel system. The pump power expended on hydraulic losses did not change significantly due to the constant value of the pump operating voltage. The ideas (methods, techniques) developed in the article are in good agreement with the issues of modeling processes in hydrodynamic tribocouplings of high-pressure fuel pumps, in particular for Common Rail systems. The research was carried out at the expense of the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 23-29-10042, Topic: Numerical modeling of processes in hydrodynamic tribocouplings of high-pressure fuel pumps for advanced high-pressure diesel engines https://rscf.ru/project/23-29-10042/.”

Актуальные проблемы исследования философии Н.Н. Страхова (материалы «круглого стола»)

In 2023, we celebrated 195 years since the birth of the Russian philosopher, lite­rary critic, publicist, and translator Nikolay Nikolayevich Strakhov (1828–1896). As part of the international scientific conference “XII Readings in Memory of N.N. Strakhov. The Legacy of N.N. Strakhov in Interdisciplinary Contexts: Philosophy, Anthropology, Science” (Herzen State Pedagogical University of Rus­sia, National Research University “BelSU”, October 26 – November 1, 2023), initiated by the participants of the project supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 23-28-01844 “Archive of the N.N. Strakhov Era: Exi­stential Contexts and Interdisciplinary Intersections”, a round table discussion on “Current Problems of Contemporary Strakhov Studies” was held. This event was dedicated to the memory of the writer, translator, and researcher of N.N. Strakhov’s works and his milieu, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sci­ences N.P. Ilyin (1947–2023), and the renowned philologist, specialist in the study and publication of the works of V.V. Rozanov and his era, Doctor of Philological Sciences A.N. Nikolyukin (1928–2023). The participants in the discussion, lead­ing specialists in the history of Russian philosophy, reflected on the signifi­cance of the philosophical and scientific-humanitarian research and publications of N.P. Ilyin and A.N. Nikolyukin, and outlined future directions for studying N.N. Strakhov’s works in the context of contemporary problems of epistemology and the methodology of science, the history of philosophy and cultural philoso­phy, philosophical anthropology, and pedagogy

CHANGES IN THE METABOLISM OF NATIVE AND DECONSERVED BULL SPERMATOZOA UNDER THE ACTION OF MOLECULAR HYDROGEN

Background. The process of storing sperm in a deeply frozen state causes structural and functional disorders of spermatozoa, which reduces their fertilizing ability. The main mechanism of the negative effect of cryopreservation on spermatozoa is the development of oxidative stress. Molecular hydrogen has some advantages as a potential antioxidant molecule - it is a selective effect on certain reactive oxygen species, the ability to overcome cell membranes, the absence of toxic effects. Purpose. To study the effect of molecular hydrogen on the functional status of native and deconserved sperm cells of breeding bulls. Materials and methods. The object of the study was the ejaculates of bulls before cryopreservation and after defrosting. The native sperm diluted with the "BioXcell" diluent, the native sperm diluted with the "BioXcell" diluent enriched with molecular hydrogen, the sperm after deep freezing and the sperm after deep freezing pretreated with molecular hydrogen were studied. The intensity of free radical processes and the activity of antioxidant enzymes were determined in spermatozoa. Results. After cryopreservation of sperm, the processes of lipid peroxidation in spermatozoa are significantly activated. The content of malondialdehyde, diene and triene conjugates increases. The use of molecular hydrogen to correct the quality of sperm production after cryopreservation gave positive results. A decrease in the concentration of primary and intermediate products of lipid peroxidation was noted. The activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase in spermatozoa significantly increases. Conclusion. Molecular hydrogen has the potential as a new and effective antioxidant, the widespread use of which is possible for veterinary purposes. Sponsorship information. The study was funded by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 23-26-00205.

Proteomic analysis of blood serum in bipolar disorder

IntroductionBipolar disorder (BD) often has symptoms similar to other mental disorders (BD), and there are no paraclinical criteria for differential diagnosis. (Geoffroy et al. Bip Dis 2017; 5 7). Published work on MD proteomics is scarce and focused on schizophrenia. (Dmitrieva et al. PeerJ. 2022; 10 e13907). Therefore, it is important to study potential biomarkers of BD using easily accessible material—blood serum (Rhee et al. Transl Psy 2023; 13 44). Identification of proteins involved in the pathogenesis of BD will help in the study of the pathogenetic mechanisms of BD, the development of differential diagnostic methods and pathogenetically based drugs.ObjectivesCarrying out a comparative proteomic analysis of blood serum from patients with BD and healthy individuals to identify potential biomarkersMethodsWe analyzed the protein spectrum of the blood serum of 14 patients with BD who were admitted during a depressive episode at the age of 32 [21;52] years with a disease duration of 8[5;11] years. The control group consisted of 10 mentally and somatically healthy individuals corresponding to the gender and age of the BD group. Blood serum was purified from 14 major proteins using affinity chromatography and separated by electrophoresis using the Laemmli method. After trypsinolysis, proteins were identified using HPLC/mass spectrometry on an Orbitrap instrument. Mass spectrometric analysis was performed on the Advanced Mass Spectrometry Core Facility of Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology. Protein identification was carried out using the UniProtKB database using the Mascot search engine. The results were tested for significance using the nonparametric Fisher exact test with Yates correction.ResultsIn patients with BD, qualitative mass spectrometry revealed differential expression of 21 neurospecific proteins. Among them: Protein dispatched homolog 3, Ceroid-lipofuscinosis neuronal protein 6, SWI/SNF complex subunit SMARCC1, Neurogenic differentiation factor 4, Protein furry homolog-like, REST corepressor 1 – are involved in the proliferation, development and differentiation of neurons; Hemicentin-2, Dystrophin, Voltage-dependent L-type calcium channel subunit alpha-1D, Syntaxin-binding protein 5, Small conductance calcium-activated potassium channel protein 1– participate in synaptic transmission of ion transport and form receptors.ConclusionsStudying the role of these proteins in BD and their quantitative content in a larger number of patients is promising. This will help in the development of new diagnostic criteria and targets for drug therapy for BD.Support by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 23-75-00023.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Therapeutic Vaccines for Follicular Lymphoma: A Systematic Review.

(1) Background: We aimed to estimate the pooled effectiveness and safety of vaccination in follicular lymphoma (FL) and discuss implications for immunotherapy development. (2) Methods: We included randomized trials (RCTs) of therapeutic vaccines in patients with FL. Progression-free survival (PFS) was the primary outcome. We searched databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science Core, medRxiv) and registries (PROSPERO, CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov, EuCTR, WHO ICTRP) and conducted online, citation, and manual searches. We assessed risks of bias across outcomes using RoB 2.0 and across studies using ROB-ME and a contour-enhanced funnel plot. (3) Results: Three RCTs were included (813 patients, both previously treated and untreated). Patients with a complete or partial response after chemotherapy were randomized to either a patient-specific recombinant idiotype keyhole limpet hemocyanin (Id-KLH) vaccine plus granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or placebo immunotherapy (KLH + GM-CSF). Meta-analyses showed that PFS was worse with the vaccine, but not significantly: hazard ratio, 1.09 (95% CI 0.91-1.30). The GRADE certainty of evidence was moderate. Adverse event data were mixed. (4) Conclusions: We are moderately certain that Id-KLH results in little to no difference in PFS in FL. (5) Funding: Russian Science Foundation grant #22-25-00516. (6) Registration: PROSPERO CRD42023457528.

Clinical manifestation of comorbid endometritis and purulent-necrotic diseases in the claw area of highly productive cows

Recently, due to the intensification of dairy cattle breeding, there has been an increase in the concentration of cattle, while unfavorable conditions are being created for the mother herd, helping to reduce their resistance to various unfavorable factors. Therefore, the study of clinical manifestations in the comorbid course of endometritis with purulentnecrotic diseases in the area of the hooves of highly productive cows, as well as a detailed comparison of the obtained indicators with clinically healthy animals and animals with a separate manifestation of endometritis and orthopedic pathology, in our opinion, is a very relevant area for scientific research. The research was supported by the Russian Science Foundation Grant No. 24-26-00172, https://rscf.ru/project/24-26-00172/. The experiment was approved by the bioethical commission of the Department of Veterinary Medicine of the Russian Biotechnological University, regarding the humane treatment of experimental animals. The research was carried out on the basis of Voskresenskoye JSC, Voskresensky district, Moscow region, with a total population of 1,450 heads of cattle, including 830 cows. The material for the study was cows with endometritis (n=28), animals with orthopedic pathology (n=25) and with a comorbid course of postpartum endometritis and purulent-inflammatory processes in the toes (n=27). Indicators obtained from clinically healthy animals (n=23) were used as control. Using the method of one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), we established significant changes in the indicators of rumen contractions (F = 12.44; p<0.001), respiratory movements (F = 19.28; p<0.001), pulse (F = 8.21; p<0.001) and body temperature (F = 41.13; p<0.001).

Transplastomic plants — new approaches to solving “old” problems

Transplastomic plants are capable to accumulate the significant amounts (up to 70% of TSP) of target recombinant proteins in tissues. However, the production of such forms is severely limited by the low yield of initial transformants. This problem requires the development and optimization of new approaches to the delivery of transgenes into chloroplasts and an increase in the frequency of their integration into the plastome. Transplastomic tobacco plants expressing thegfpreporter gene and theaadAselectable marker under the control of thePrrnG10Lpromoter and theTpsbAterminator were obtained in the laboratory of plant bioengineering. It is known that the selected promoter and insertion region (between the tRNA genes of isoleucine and alanine) are capable to provide a high yield of recombinant proteins in the leaves of transplastomic plants [1]. However, the content of recombinant GFP in the leaves of the obtained transplastomic plants was determined at the level of 0.12%, and the variability for this trait was minimal and ranged from 0.09 to 0.16% of TSP. Insufficient accumulation of the target protein in transformants is not associated with transcription disorders or the presence of non-transgenic copies of the plastome. Probably, the low frequency of transformation and the lack of variability between the transformants are the reasons that make it difficult to select highly productive forms. It is proposed to increase the efficiency of targeted delivery of genetic constructs to plastids using single-walled carbon nanotubes loaded with recombinant DNA. This process can also be facilitated by our proposed approach to increase the frequency of DNA double-strand breaks in target regions of the plastome through the use of the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system.
 This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 23-24-00545.

A set of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains possessing [PSI+] prion formed by Sup35 protein with various deletions in prionogenic domain

Amyloid aggregation is a key factor for the development of a series of lethal and incurable diseases, commonly named amyloidoses. The development of various pathologies might be caused by the aggregation of the same protein. This can be due to the ability of any particular protein to adopt several amyloid conformations, specific for the exact disease (Pick’s and Alzheimer’s disease-specific forms of tau protein). How the specific amyloid conformation is formed in each case is not fully understood.
 In yeast, translation termination factor Sup35 is one of the most extensively studied amyloidogenic proteins. Sup35 aggregation (induction of [PSI+] prion) inactivates the protein and leads to the suppression of nonsense-mutation as the result of read-through.
 Prionogenic domain of Sup35 protein (Sup35N) has several specific regions: N-terminal QN-rich region (QN), oligopeptide repeats (NR) and C-terminal region (CTN). Sup35 can form various strains of [PSI+] with predominant involvement of different regions of Sup35N into amyloid core thus mimicking disease-specific strains of amyloids described for human amyloidogenic proteins.
 We implemented the deletions of fragments encoding 1-39 a.a. (QN region) or 75-123/98-123 a.a. (CTN region) intoSUP35gene of yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae. Then, we induced aggregation of Sup35 protein in the strains carrying mutatedSUP35gene and got the strains possessing [PSIΔ39+], [PSIΔ75–123+], or [PSIΔ98–123+] prion. A set of strains possessing [PSI+] formed by Sup35 protein with various deletions in Sup35N may be convenient model to study disease-specific strains of amyloids formed by human proteins.
 This research was funded by Russian Science Foundation (grant 20-14-00148-П) and by the St. Petersburg State University (project 94031363).

Controlled germination of grain crops is an effective way to processing low-quality raw materials

Relevance. The development of technologies of cereal crops germination and obtaining of raw ingredients with increased antioxidant properties, containing in their composition biologically active substances of natural origin, will allow to form a modern domestic market of useful food products to maintain the health of the country in the long term. One such approach could be controlled germination of grain crops by ultrasonic treatment during the soaking stage. This technology will maximise the yield of finished products per unit of processed raw material, process low-quality raw materials and create products with increased nutritional value.Methods. The objects of the study were three samples of grain crops: wheat, barley, oats. At the initial stage, incoming quality control of raw materials and their disinfection by physical method of exposure were carried out. For experimental samples of cereal crops at the stage of soaking the impact of ultrasound (22 ± 1.25 kHz) 245 W/l for 5 min, then the grain was soaked for 8 hours (wheat grain) and 12 hours (barley and oats grain), the process of germination was carried out until reaching the sprout size 1.5–2 mm in more than 90% of grains. All operations with control samples were performed in the same sequence, excluding the process of ultrasound exposure. The total content of flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds was determined in all tested samples using spectrophotometric method, total antioxidant activity using DPPH-method, and γ-aminobutyric acid content using automated liquid chromatography system.Results. The studies showed that all germinated samples of cereal crops are characterized by sufficiently high values of flavonoid and polyphenolic compounds. At the same time, the samples obtained by ultrasound exposure showed an increase in the content of flavonoids by an average of 7.3–8.9 times, polyphenols by 2–5.6 times. In the process of intensified controlled germination, the total antioxidant activity increased by 31.6–40.0%, relative to the control samples of grain crops. The increase in GABA content in samples after ultrasound exposure averaged 360–490%. The results confirmed the possibility and feasibility of using the proposed technology of controlled germination in obtaining raw ingredients from germinated cereal crops. The study was carried out with the financial support of the Russian Science Foundation Grant 23-26-00290.

Medical Antennas for Microwave Radiothermometry of Biological Objects.

The results of an analytical review of various antennas used in medicine are presented. Issues of modern microwave radiothermometry related to the development of new antennas are discussed, as well as possible ways to solve them. The tasks of further research aimed at creating new designs for conformal antennas and antenna arrays providing a significant expansion of the functionality and improvements in the characteristics of medical radiothermographs are formulated. The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (Grant No. 22-19-00113), https://rscf.ru/project/22-19-00113/.

Wooden buildings of Chita in the work of the first architects of the city

The article presents the results of a study conducted by the authors with the support of the Russian Science Foundation grant "Architects and engineers of the eastern outskirts of Russia (second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries)". The features of a significant layer of regional wooden architecture, preserved in the capital of the Trans-Baikal Territory - the city of Chita, are considered. Based on the materials of field surveys and the State Archives of the Trans-Baikal Territory, the preserved objects and original designs of a number of buildings and structures for various purposes were studied. The wooden architecture of the city is viewed through the prism of the activities of the first city architects and engineers, as well as other masters of the building art who received professional education in the leading architectural and engineering schools of central Russia, as well as specialists who did not have a specialized education, but received the right to carry out architectural and construction work after passing exams at the Ministry of Construction Affairs in St. Petersburg. As a result, a complete systematized picture of the historical evolution of the wooden architecture of Chita was compiled, which was formed under the influence of all-Russian architectural traditions, but at the same time had its own distinctive features associated with the specifics of the development of the region and the personal ideas of the masters of architectural and construction art, as well as customers of architecture of this type.

Promoters of genes encoding β-amylase, albumin and globulin in food plants have weaker affinity for TATA-binding protein as compared to non-food plants: in silico analysis.

It is generally accepted that during the domestication of food plants, selection was focused on their productivity, the ease of their technological processing into food, and resistance to pathogens and environmental stressors. Besides, the palatability of plant foods and their health benefits could also be subjected to selection by humans in the past. Nonetheless, it is unclear whether in antiquity, aside from positive selection for beneficial properties of plants, humans simultaneously selected against such detrimental properties as allergenicity. This topic is becoming increasingly relevant as the allergization of the population grows, being a major challenge for modern medicine. That is why intensive research by breeders is already underway for creating hypoallergenic forms of food plants. Accordingly, in this paper, albumin, globulin, and β-amylase of common wheat Triticum aestivum L. (1753) are analyzed, which have been identified earlier as targets for attacks by human class E immunoglobulins. At the genomic level, we wanted to find signs of past negative selection against the allergenicity of these three proteins (albumin, globulin, and β-amylase) during the domestication of ancestral forms of modern food plants. We focused the search on the TATA-binding protein (TBP)-binding site because it is located within a narrow region (between positions -70 and -20 relative to the corresponding transcription start sites), is the most conserved, necessary for primary transcription initiation, and is the best-studied regulatory genomic signal in eukaryotes. Our previous studies presented our publicly available Web service Plant_SNP_TATA_Z-tester, which makes it possible to estimate the equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) of TBP complexes with plant proximal promoters (as output data) using 90 bp of their DNA sequences (as input data). In this work, by means of this bioinformatics tool, 363 gene promoter DNA sequences representing 43 plant species were analyzed. It was found that compared with non-food plants, food plants are characterized by significantly weaker affinity of TBP for proximal promoters of their genes homologous to the genes of common-wheat globulin, albumin, and β-amylase (food allergens) (p < 0.01, Fisher's Z-test). This evidence suggests that in the past humans carried out selective breeding to reduce the expression of food plant genes encoding these allergenic proteins.

Analysis of the use of vector autoregressions in economic forecasting

Using vector autoregressions is a promising direction in short-term economic forecasting. They do not simply model the relationship between different factors, but also model the time-distributed relationship of these factors. Vector autoregressions are suitable for modeling complex dynamic economic multifactor processes. The complexity of the problem of estimating coefficients, which increases with the dimensionality of vectors, prevents the widespread use of autoregressions in practice. Vector autoregressions in complex-valued form with the same dimensionality as the modeled vector contain a much smaller number of coefficients. This facilitates the estimation of the coefficients of vector autoregressions. Some problems requiring further investigation arise when using vector autoregressions in complex form. Among them is the problem of selecting the best model. The information criteria used for this purpose limit the variety of vector autoregressions, reducing them to elementary models. The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 23-28-01213, https://rscf.ru/project/23-28-01213.

Diepoxy-treated bovine jugular vein conduit for pulmonary artery replacement

Objective: To evaluate the performance and short-term capacity of the diepoxy-treated bovine jugular vein conduit in large animals during 6-month follow-up.Methods: Thirteen diepoxy-treated bovine jugular vein conduits were implanted into the pulmonary artery of young mini-pigs. During the follow-up, graft function was tested using transesophageal echocardiography. The animals were withdrawn at 6 months, and the explanted conduits were assessed histologically.Results: All the conduits were successfully implanted without any surgical complications. All the animals survived throughout the follow-up. By the end of the follow-up period, the pressure gradient increased on five animals’ conduits including one case of mismatch between the conduit and the native pulmonary artery, two cases of distal stenosis, and two case of endocarditis. No significant increase in valve regurgitation or conduit thrombosis was observed during the follow-up. In conduits without dysfunction, the structure of the walls and leaflets was intact. A thin fibrous tissue covered the conduit inner wall with complete surface endothelialization. Neither signs of degeneration or calcification nor inflammatory cells were found in the conduit wall or leaflets. Neointima proliferation without calcium deposits was observed in two distally stenosed conduits. Inflammatory cells consisting of multinucleated macrophages, lymphocytes, and histiocytes were found in the adventitia. There were no inflammatory cells in the media or intima, and the leaflets showed no changes.Conclusion: Diepoxy-treated bovine jugular vein demonstrated acceptable performance, good endothelialization, and low tendency to thrombosis and calcium accumulation in the wall and leaflets. Received 31 October 2022. Revised 25 November 2022. Accepted 28 November 2022. Funding: The study was supported by Russian Science Foundation (grant No. 22-25-20102). Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest. Contribution of the authorsConception and study design: N.R. Nichay, I.Yu. Zhuravleva, A.V. Bogachev-ProkophievData collection and analysis: N.R. Nichay, Yu.Yu. Kulyabin, I.S. Zykov, E.V. Boyarkin, O.Yu. Malakhova, E.V. Kuznetsova, T.P. Timchenko, Ya.L. Rusakova, I.S. Murashov, A.A. DokuchaevaStatistical analysis: N.R. Nichay, I.Yu. ZhuravlevaDrafting the article: N.R. Nichay, I.Yu. Zhuravleva, Yu.Yu. Kulyabin, I.S. Zykov, E.V. Boyarkin, O.Yu. Malakhova, T.P. Timchenko, Ya.L. Rusakova, I.S. Murashov, A.A. DokuchaevaCritical revision of the article: N.R. Nichay, I.Yu. Zhuravleva, Yu.Yu. Kulyabin, A.A. Dokuchaeva, A.V. Bogachev-ProkophievFinal approval of the version to be published: N.R. Nichay, I.Yu. Zhuravleva, Yu.Yu. Kulyabin, I.S. Zykov, E.V. Boyarkin, O.Yu. Malakhova, E.V. Kuznetsova, T.P. Timchenko, Ya.L. Rusakova, I.S. Murashov, A.A. Dokuchaeva, A.V. Bogachev-Prokophiev

Prospects for the use of natural transgenic cultivated peanut (&lt;i&gt;Arachis hypogaea&lt;/i&gt; L.) in breeding

Common peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), or peanut, is an annual herbaceous plant from the legume family (Fabaceae). Russia is one of the largest buyers of peanuts, and at the same time, in the south of the country, a number of zones meet the requirements for the cultivation of this crop. However, at present there are no commercial peanut crops in Russia, and selection work is almost not carried out. It is necessary to identify a new source material for breeding and breeding new high-yielding varieties. In the genomes of species of the genus Arachis, homologues of agrobacterial opine synthase genes, cucumopine synthase (cus) and deoxyfructosylglutamine synthase (mas2`), have been identified. The expression of these genes can affect the economically valuable traits of the plant, since the synthesis of various opines affects the composition of the microbiome in the rhizosphere. We have analyzed the expression of the cus gene in various organs of 9 peanut lines from the VIR collection, which have different geographical origin, belong to different cultivar types, and differ in morphological characters. As a result of the analysis, the organ-specific expression was shown; samples were identified that were contrasting in terms of the level of cus gene expression, including those with a high level of expression in the roots (kk-168, 416, 751). For the first time, data were obtained on the work of the cus gene at different stages of plant development on accessions k-168 and k-1157. An increase in the level of expression in the roots during flowering was revealed; during seed germination, the expression is lower. Further analysis and search for a correlation between the expression level of the cus gene and the manifestation of economically valuable traits in peanuts can provide new material for creating promising varieties.&#x0D; The studies were carried out using the equipment of the resource center of the Science Park of Saint Petersburg State University Development of molecular and cellular technologies.&#x0D; This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 21-14-00050.

Holographic signal processing for estimation of sound source direction by a vector receiver in shallow water

A holographic signal processing method for estimation of sound source direction of broadband moving sound source is proposed in the paper. The holographic estimation of sound source direction is based on signal processing of single vector receiver (VR) channels: x-th and y-th components of the oscillatory velocity. The sound field of a moving sound source creates a stable interference pattern of the intensity distribution (interferogram) in the frequency-time domain on VR channels. The two-dimensional Fourier transformation (2D-FT) is applied to analyze the channels interferograms. The result of the 2D-FT are holograms of the x-th and y-th oscillatory velocity components. The angle distributions of channels holograms are calculated. The offered holographic method is based on the ratio of the absolute values of the holograms angle distributions maxima. The expressions for VR channels holograms are derived. The results of the numerical experiment for source direction reconstruction are presented. A significant advantage of the proposed holographic method that there is no need for information about noise signal source, the additive noise obstacle and waveguide transfer function. [This study was supported by Russian Science Foundation grant no. 22-79-10233. Tkachenko’s numerical experiment was supported by grant no. МК-4846.2022.4.]

Modes selection based on holographic interferometry in presence of intense internal waves in shallow water

A holographic method is proposed for sound field modes selection and estimating their parameters (amplitude, horizontal wavenumber, group velocity, absorption coefficient) in shallow water by single scalar receiver in presence of intense internal waves (IIW). It is taken into account that IIW leads to horizontal refraction and modes coupling. The offered holographic method is based on the two-dimensional Fourier transform (2D-FT) of the real part of the moving-source sound field in time–frequency domain. It is shown in the paper that different sound field modes create different focal spots in the hologram domain in presence of IIW. The relationship of the mode phases and group velocities with the coordinates of focal-spot peaks is derived. The hologram domain allows to reconstruct the selected mode field and mode parameters in presence of IIW. The results of modes selection within framework of the numerical experiments are presented in the paper. The modal parameters are estimated. Analysis of influence of IIW on mode selection and mode parameters estimations is performed. It is shown that the effects of horizontal refraction and modes coupling do not lead to loss of the identity of mode parameters of the received signal. [This study was supported by Russian Science Foundation grant no. 22-79-10233. E.S. Kaznacheeva’s numerical experiment was supported grant no. МК-6144.2021.4]

Structure and properties of aluminized alloys of the Fe–Cr–Al system

The formation features of the aluminide coating structure on Cr15Al5 and Cr23Al5 alloys after aluminizing by immersing in aluminum and silumin melt are studied. The influence of Si on the transformation of the structure and phase composition of the aluminide coating under high-temperature heating conditions are studied. It is shown that aluminizing of the Fe&ndash;Cr&ndash;Al system alloys by immersion in an aluminum melt ensures the formation of a defect-free continuous coating on their surface, which is a crystallized eutectic mixture of Al + FeAl3 and a layered diffusion zone at the boundary with the substrate. Replacing the aluminum melt with silumin with 12 % Si leads to the appearance of the Al7Fe2Si ternary intermetallic compound in the coating composition, which almost completely replaces FeAl3. In the process of hightemperature transformation of the coating structure, the presence of Cr and Si at the initial stage leads to the appearance in the coating composition intermetallic compounds (Cr,Fe)5Al8, Cr3Si, Al7Fe2Si, Fe3(Si,Al)5 and Cr5Si3 along with Fe&ndash;Al binary, and at the final stage &ndash; does not affect the phase composition, forming solid solutions based on iron aluminides. It is shown that the oxidation of aluminide coating on the Fe&ndash;Cr&ndash;Al system alloys at its early stages is accompanied by the formation of a stable modification of &alpha;-Al2O3 aluminum oxide and (Fe,Cr)2O3 ternary oxide, and with long-term oxidation leads to the appearance of &delta;-Al2O3 metastable modification and FeAl2O4. It has been established that the Si-alloyed aluminide coating on the Cr15Al5 alloy has a lower corrosion penetration depth at 1100 &deg;C. At the same time, the retention time of heatresistant properties for the aluminide coating on the Cr23Al5 alloy is ~20000 h, and on the Cr15Al5 alloy it is ~5000 h for the aluminide and 6000 h for aluminosilicide coatings.The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 21-79-10246, https://rscf.ru/project/21-79-10246/.