Tver Region Research Articles

Dispersal history and current breeding range of the Mute Swan (<i>Cygnus olor</i>, Anatidae, Aves) in northwestern Russia

Throughout the 20th century and the first decades of the current century, the Mute Swan, Cygnus olor, has been growing in numbers and expanding its range both northward and northeastward. The history of the species’ settlement to the Northwest of Russia and the main stages of its expansion, as well as the peculiarities of its spatial distribution in the region are discussed. The Mute Swan started breeding in northwestern Russia in the mid-1980s. The species settled in two landscapes: on shallow eutrophic lakes and on sea moraine and selga islands. To date, the species’ range covers the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, the west and southwest of the Leningrad Region, the whole Pskov Region, and the westernmost parts of the Novgorod and Tver regions. It is noteworthy noting that at the initial stages of expansion the first breeding pairs appeared throughout most of the above-mentioned territories at once. Subsequently, new nests were recorded mainly within the “occupied zone” delineated by the first newcomers. During more than 30 years of expansion, the range of the species moved eastwards by no more than 88–94 km at different localities, while during the previous 20 years (1960–1980) the Mute Swan’s range in Scandinavia moved up to 998 km. Decreasing rates of range expansion amid a continued development of a warm phase of the climate suggest the presence of some kind of climatic barriers for the species in the region.

Calibration and characterization of the RED-100 detector at the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant

RED-100 is a two-phase Xe detector designed and built for the study of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEνNS) of reactor antineutrinos. A comprehensive calibration was performed in order to obtain important parameters of the detector during its operation at the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant (Tver region, Russia). This paper outlines the analysis of calibration data, position and energy reconstruction procedures, and calculation of the efficiency of electron extraction from the liquid xenon to the gas phase.

On the issue of forecasting crop yields for the purposes of adaptive landscape agriculture

Long-term monitoring (1998–2023) of the yield of clover-timothy grass stands of the first year of use was carried out in order to find patterns of influence of landscape environmental conditions on it in various agroclimatic conditions. The research was conducted within the moraine hill located at the Gubino VNIIMZ agro-testing site in the Tver region. Soil-forming rocks are two-membered deposits consisting of an upper layer composed of relatively light rocks, underlain by moraine bouldery loam. The grass stands were exploited without fertilizers in a single-cut mode on a field divided into 120 plots. Using regression analysis, the influence of landscape and soil environment factors was determined: relief, physical and agrochemical properties of soils on grass yield, as well as the dependence of the degree of this impact on climatic conditions. It was found that the yield of perennial grasses is most strongly influenced by various fractions of the granulometric composition of soils – from stones to dust (up to 16 % of its variability) and the altitude of the location (up to 38 %), since the thermal and water-air characteristics of soils and vegetation largely depend on them. Terrain characteristics such as steepness and curvature of the surface have a minor impact on grass yield (up to 12 %). The degree of influence of agro-landscape environmental factors on the growth of grasses is largely regulated by fluctuations in weather conditions. “Climate scenarios” of a specific factor – sets of weather parameters under which its effect on the production process of a crop is manifested – in the years of sowing and mowing, as a rule, do not differ fundamentally. Knowing the nature of the influence of climatic factors allows us to more accurately predict crop yields within an agricultural landscape and, thus, optimize the location of crops on the territory of a particular farm.

Resources of mountain hare (Lepustimidus) in the Tver region

Mountain hare (Lepustimidus) is one of the most common game animals in the Tver region and a popular object of unprofessional hunting. The purpose of the research was the ecological and economic evaluation of the allocation of mountain hare resources in the Tver region for the period 2013–2022. Interval variation series were constructed to grade the indicators of the state of the species’ resources. For the fi rst time, maps were created that demonstrate the average long-term indicators of the abundance, production, population density, bioproductivity of hunting grounds and the output of mountain hare, as well as the cost assessment of the resources of this animal, taking into account the administrative-territorial division of the Tver region. During the analyzed period, fl uctuations in the number of mountain hares in the region were observed with an increase (decrease) in the indicator in relation to the previous year from –37.5 to 40.5 %. The situation with the volumes of production of this fur animal was unstable because of the resources were developed at the level of 6–17 % of the commercial population. The following average long-term indicators of the resource potential of mountain hare were obtained for the Tver region such as population 38 995 individuals, production volumes 3639 individuals, population density 5 individuals/1000 ha, resource cost 156 million rubles, bioproductivity of hunting grounds 5 rubles/ha, product output 0.5 rubles/ha. It was revealed that the Andreapolsky, Toropetsky and Udomelsky districts of the Tver region are the most promising for organizing unprofessional hunting for mountain hare.

Stroganov, M. (2023). Tver and environs after Pushkin: Essays on regional history through Pushkin studies. Tver: SFK-Ofis. (In Russ.)

The review discusses M. Stroganov’s new book of essays devoted to the problems of Pushkin studies by Tver-based scholars. The book includes written records about Pushkin’s contemporaries penned by the regional historians V. Mirolyubov and S. Fessalonitsky and treated as original sources, as well as N. Zhuravlyov’s account of the preparations for the centennial anniversary of Pushkin’s death in 1936. It is worth mentioning that the book also features documents invaluable from historical and literary perspectives: namely, family legends in the reminiscences of the Vulf clan: A. Ponafidina, O. Vulf, A. Bolt, and V. Bubnova. In his preamble to their publication, the author specifies the characteristics of family legend as a type of memoir and their genesis. Polemizing with the 20th-c. Pushkin scholars from Tver (G. Khodakov, N. Tsvetkov and others), Stroganov deconstructs the popular mythological notion of Pushkin’s itinerary in the Tver region and corrects the attribution of a whole host of poems allegedly written during Pushkin’s stay in the area.

Comparing the Efficacy of the Medicinal Products Expresstabs® and Inspector Quadro in Treating Otodectosis in Foxes in Fur Farming Conditions

Introduction. Fur farming is a cost-effective sector of Russian agriculture, therefore the livestock health issues are relevant. The growth, development and productivity of fur caged breeding animals are affected by various biotic and abiotic factors. Among the biotic factors are diseases, in particular invasive ones, caused, among other things, by ectoparasites. Pathogens associated with ectoparasites often infect fur animals and are widespread. The aim of our work is to study the efficacy of using the medicinal products ExpressTabs® and Inspector Quadro Tabs in treating the otodectosis in foxes in fur farming conditions.Materials and Methods. The study was carried out with 30 caged breeding foxes aged 2 years at Fur Farm “Savvatevo” LLC (Tver Region, Savvatevo village). Foxes were divided into 2 experimental and 1 control groups. Foxes were preliminarily examined clinically, samples of material from the auricles and external auditory canals were taken to find the ear mites Otodectes cynotis. The ExpressTabs® was used in foxes for the first time. The ExpressTabs® and Inspector Quadro Tabs were used according to the instructions, individually, perorally, with a small amount of feed and subsequent observation. To assess the efficacy of the medicinal products, control sampling and microscopy of material from the auricles and external auditory canals were carried out 48 hours, 7 days and 28 days after the start of the experiment. Blood samples were also taken to monitor the parameters before and after administration of the ExpressTabs®.Results. Based on the results of the experiment, we have established the high efficacy of the antiparasitic drugs ExpressTabs® and Inspector Quadro Tabs in treating fox otodectosis in caged breeding conditions. When using the ExpressTabs®, the efficacy was 90% against the ear mite O. cynotis: on the 28th day after the start of using the medicinal product, during the examination of foxes using microscopy, we found only one animal having 4 specimens of O. cynotis in the material from the auricles and external auditory canals, however, all the mites were motionless and without signs of life. The efficacy of the Inspector Quadro Tabs against the ear mite O. cynotis was 80%: on the 28th day, during the examination, only two animals were found to have mites in the scrapings, however, also without signs of life. According to the blood test results, the drug ExpressTabs® proved to have no any pronounced toxic effect on the body of foxes and is safe for use in caged keeping conditions.Discussion and Conclusion. The drugs ExpressTabs® and Inspector Quadro Tabs have shown high efficacy in foxes with otodectosis. These medicinal products can be introduced into the veterinary practices of the fur farms for treating foxes with otodectosis.

The role of routing in the diagnosis of acute leukemia in children: an observational retrospective non-randomized study

BACKGROUND: Acute leukemia is the commonest malignancy of childhood with an incidence rate of about 55–62 per 1 million under 18 years of age. Early diagnosis of acute leukemia is difficult due to the non-specificity of primary symptoms, which are often hidden under the “masks” of other diseases. This problem is especially relevant for regions with a population of up to 100 thousand people, where a case of acute leukemia in children occurs every 2–5 years causing too low oncological alertness among pediatricians. AIM: Assess the delay in diagnosis depending on the areas of residence in the Tver region and area remoteness from the Tver Regional Clinical Children’s Hospital (Tver, Russia). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The analysis included 35 patients hospitalized in the Department of Oncology and hematology of the Tver Regional Clinical Children’s Hospital for the period from 2018 to 2023. The diagnoses were: acute lymphocytic leukemia (C91.0) — 30 (86%) patients, acute myeloid leukemia (C92) — 3 (9%) patients, and acute leukemia of unspecified cell type (C95.0) — 2 (5%) patients. The mean age was 61 months (5.1 years). Thrombocytopenia and anemia at the time of diagnosis were found in 76% and 78%, respectively. Leukocytosis ( 20×109/L) was observed in 58%, leukopenia (3.5×109/L) in 15% of patients. In 97% of cases blasts (2% to 95%) were detected in peripheral blood. In the city of Tver (Group 1) and the Tver region (Group 2), 16 (46%) and 19 (54%) patients were identified, respectively. The mean age of patients in Group 1 is 28.6 months, and in Group 2 — 72.3 months (p=0.1). RESULTS: In Groups 1 and 2, acute lymphocytic leukemia was diagnosed in 14 (88%) and 16 (84%), respectively (p=0.6); acute myeloid leukemia — in 1 (6%) and 2 (11%), respectively (p=0.7); acute leukemia of unspecified cell type — in 1 (6%) and 1 (5%) cases, respectively (p=0.95). Delay of diagnosis in the general group (n=35) was observed as follows: 2 weeks — in 21 (60%) cases; 2–4 weeks — in 7 (20%) cases; 4–8 weeks — in 4 (11%) cases: 8 weeks — in 3 (9%) cases. Comparison of the time of delayed diagnosis among patients living in the city of Tver versus the Tver region yielded following results: 2 weeks in 7 (44%) vs 13 (68%) cases; 2–4 weeks — in 6 (38%) vs 3 (17%), 4–8 weeks — in 1 (6%) vs 1 (5%); 8 weeks — in 2 (12%) vs 2 (10%) cases, respectively (p=0.37). There was no significant impact of the distance of the residence place from the level 3 children’s hospital providing specialized care on the time of diagnosis. With the patients’ distance of 50 km from the clinic, the diagnosis delay of 2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 4–8 weeks and 8 weeks was observed in 36%, 36%, 21% and 7% of cases, respectively. With the distance of 50–100 km, the diagnosis was made in the period of 2–4 weeks in 100% of cases. With the removal of 100 km the diagnosis delay of 2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 4–8 weeks, 8 weeks was observed in 30%, 30%, 20% and 20%, respectively (p=0.78). CONCLUSION: The distance from the third-level hospital did not affect the period of diagnosis of acute leukemia in children. We believe this is achieved by holding daily on-line conferences with country hospitals and out-patient departments followed by the rapid hospitalization of children with suspected oncohematological disorders in the specialized department.

Moss Biomonitoring in the Evaluation of Air Pollution in the Tver Region, Russia

Moss Biomonitoring in the Evaluation of Air Pollution in the Tver Region, Russia

Correlation between perennial grass productivity and landscape and climatic conditions

The yield monitoring (1998–2023) of cloverothymothy grass stands of 1 year of use within the moraine hill was carried out in order to find patterns in the influence of weather conditions on it. The grass stands were operated in the conditions of the Tver region without fertilizers in a single-cut mode on a field divided into 120 plots. Using regression analysis, we determined the influence of temporal variability of average monthly values: average daily temperatures, their amplitude, amount of precipitation and hydrothermal coefficient on the hay yield of perennial grasses. It was revealed that in total these parameters determine about 43% of the variability in grass productivity, but fluctuations in temperature amplitudes are responsible for 32% of the temporal variability of the yield. The yield of herbs is affected by the variability of growing conditions not only in time, but also in space. The negative impact on the yield of air temperature changes is observed in all parts of the landscape, except for the flat top, where productivity responds positively to the growth of the hydrothermal coefficient and negatively to the increase in air temperatures in the pre-harvest period. The following have a negative impact on product yield: temperature changes in late summer and early autumn, especially on southern slopes, which can make it difficult for plants to overwinter; thaws in March, causing the formation of an ice crust on the soil surface and damaging the tillering nodes of plants; hot days in the pre-harvest period, accelerating the ripening of grasses and reducing the intensity of biomass accumulation. February thaws, promoting the accumulation of moisture in the soil, lead to an increase in grass yield. Measures that reduce the negative impact of temperature changes on the grass harvest include: autumn mowing of young grass, snow retention in meadows, and sprinkling of grass on the hottest days of the pre-harvest period.

Characterization of an African Swine Fever Virus Isolate from the Tver Region

Characterization of an African Swine Fever Virus Isolate from the Tver Region

ВАРЕНО-КОПЧЕНАЯ КОЛБАСА ИЗ МЯСА ДИКИХ ЖИВОТНЫХ

The purpose of research is to develop a recipe, technology and evaluate the quality of boiled-smoked sausages made from the meat of wild animals (elk, wild boar). Objectives: to develop a recipe for boiled-smoked sausage from wild animal meat; to evaluate the quality characteristics of the developed sausage products; to calculate the economic efficiency of the production of boiled-smoked sausage. The object of research is three samples of boiled smoked sausage: control – compliance with the standard recipe; sample № 1 – with the addition of 60 % of the main raw material of boar meat; sample № 2 – with the addition of 60 % of the main raw material of elk meat. Research was carried out on the basis of Zavolzhsky Meat Processing Plant LLC, Tver Region and the Department of Agrobiotechnologies, Processing and Seed Production of the Tver State Agricultural Academy. As a result of comprehensive research, the feasibility of producing boiled-smoked sausages from elk and wild boar meat was determined, which is necessary to expand the range of gourmet sausage products. All developed and manufactured samples of sausage products fully complied with the requirements of GOST R 55455-2013 “Cooked-smoked sausages. Technical conditions". The best combination of organoleptic and physicochemical characteristics was found in a sausage sample made from elk meat. The protein content in it was 17.2 %. This same sample of sausage provided the highest indicators of economic efficiency, increasing profits relative to the control version, made according to the classic recipe, by 9.1 % with an increase in profitability by 1.3 %. At the next stages of research, it is planned to expand the number of types of meat and additional raw materials used in the design of sausage product recipes.

Diagnosis of acute leukemia in children: the impact of remote residence on the time to make a diagnosis

Background. Acute leukemia (AL) is the most common childhood cancer with an incidence rate of about 55–62 cases per 1 million children under 18 years of age. Acute leukemia is difficult to diagnose due to nonspecific symptoms, which are often hidden under the “masks” of other diseases. This problem is especially relevant for regions with a population of up to 100,000 people, where AL in children is diagnosed once every 2–5 years causing too low cancer alertness among pediatricians. Aim: to assess the delay in diagnosis depending on the areas of residence in the Tver region and area remoteness from the Tver Regional Clinical Children’s Hospital (RCC H). Material and Methods. The analysis included 35 patients hospitalized in the Department of Oncology and Hematology of the RCC H for the period from 2018 to 2023. The diagnoses were: ALL, C91.0 – 30 (86 %), AML , C92 – 3 (9 %), and AL of unspecified cell type (ALUCL ), C95.0 – 2 (5 %) patients. The mean age was 61 months. Thrombocytopenia and anemia at the time of diagnosis were found in 76 % and 78 %, respectively. Leukocytosis >20×109/L was observed in 58 %, leukopenia <3.5×109/L in 15 % of patients. In 97 % of cases, blasts (2 % to 95 %) were detected in peripheral blood. In the city of Tver (group 1) and the Tver region (group 2), 16 (46 %) and 19 (54 %) patients were identified, respectively. The mean age of patients in group 1 was 28.6 months and the mean age in group 2 was 72.3 months (p=0.1). Results. In group 1 and 2, ALL was diagnosed in 14 (88 %) and 16 (84 %), AML in 1 (6 %) and 2 (11 %) and ALUCL in 1 (6 %) and 1 (5 %) cases, p=0.6, 0.7 and 0.95, respectively. Delay in diagnosis in the general group (n=35) was observed <2 weeks in 21 (60 %) cases, 2–4 weeks – in 7 (20 %), ≥4–≤8 weeks – in 4 (11 %) and >8 weeks – in 3 (9 %) cases. Delayed diagnosis among patients living in the city of Tver and Tver region was observed <2 weeks in 7 (44 %) vs 13 (68 %) cases, 2–4 weeks – in 6 (38 %) vs 3 (17 %), ≥4–≤8 weeks – in 1 (6 %) vs 1 (5 %) and >8 weeks – in 2 (12 %) vs 2 (10 %) cases, respectively (p=0.37). There was no significant impact of the distance of the residence place from the level 3 children’s hospital providing specialized care (RCC H) on the time of diagnosis. With the removal of <50 km the diagnosis delay <2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, ≥4–≤8 weeks, >8 weeks was observed in 36, 36, 21 and 7 %, respectively. With the removal of ≥50–≤100 km, the diagnosis was made in the period of 2–4 weeks in 100 % of cases. With the removal of >100 km the diagnosis delay <2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, ≥4–≤8 weeks, >8 weeks was observed in 30, 30, 20 and 20 %, respectively (p=0.78). Conclusion. The distance from the third-level hospital did not affect the period of diagnosis of AL in children, which is achieved by holding daily on-line conferences with country hospitals and out-patient departments followed by the rapid hospitalization of children with suspected oncohematological disorders in the specialized department.

Первичная иммунная тромбоцитопения у детей: анализ эффективности лечения в соответствии с Национальными клиническими рекомендациями

AIM. To assess the treatment efficacy in children with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). MATERIALS & METHODS. The analysis included 13 ITP patients (6 girls and 7 boys) with the mean age of 9.5 years (range 4–17 years) admitted to the Pediatric Hospital of the Tver region in 2023. Primary ITP was preceded by infection in 9 (69 %) children and by measles vaccination in 1 (8 %) child. The mean time after infection onset was 11 days (range 5–15 days). As assessed by the pediatric bleeding score, hemorrhage severity was of grade 1 in 4 (31 %), grade 2 in 3 (23 %), and grade 3 in 6 (46 %) patients. Hematuria was identified in 3 (23 %) patients, and menorrhagia was detected in 1 (8 %) patient. The mean platelet count by the time of admission to the hospital was 9 × 109/L (range 1–86 × 109/L). RESULTS. The incidence of newly diagnosed primary ITP appeared to be 5.7 cases per 100,000 children in the Tver region. Treatment started with 20 mg/m2 IV dexamethasone on Day 1–3 in 7 (54 %) children, 1000 mg/kg IVIG on Day 1 in 2 (15 %) children, and 2 mg/kg prednisolone per os during 21 days in 1 (8 %) child. Dynamic follow-up was conducted on 3 (23 %) patients. In 2 (17 %) patients, steroid therapy had to be discontinued and IVIG was started due to increased hemorrhage and/or developing corticosteroid complications. Partial and complete responses were achieved in 8 (62 %) and 4 (31 %) patients, respectively. In 1 (8 %) case, the response was not assessed. The overall response rate to the first-line therapy was 92 %. The mean platelet count at hospital discharge was 107 × 109/L (range 20–307 × 109/L), and the mean number of hospital days was 10.2 (range 2–23). The platelet count decrease to grade 1/2 was observed in 3 (23 %) children during the first 6 weeks followed by spontaneous complete recovery during the subsequent 1–2 weeks. CONCLUSION. The treatment of pediatric primary ITP in full compliance with the National Clinical Guidelines showed very high efficacy in terms of achieving primary response and preventing relapses. The relatively high overall IVIG use rate was accounted for by a slow response to corticosteroids, increased hemorrhage, risk factors, and parental concern.

Бежецкий живописец Михаил Васильевич Тыранов и его ученики: к атрибуции церковных стенописей северо-востока Тверского края

The article introduces for the first time archival documents into scientific circulation, revealing the names of masters and customers, the exact time and circumstances of the creation of the most significant monuments of monumental church art in the North-East of the Tver region. Analysis of sources shows that church wall-painting flourished in the region in the second quarter of the 19th century is largely associated with the name of Mikhail Tyranov, an art teacher and guild master painter from the district town of Bezhetsk, Tver province. The name of this master was known far beyond the borders of his hometown, and his works were highly valued by his contemporaries. During the period from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s. The artel of M. Tyranov painted dozens of churches, not only in the Tver province, but also in the territories bordering it in the Yaroslavl province. The paintings made in the style of classicism by the artel of M. Tyranov have been preserved in the churches of the Bezhetsky district of the Tver region: church of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Sukromny, church of the Epiphany in the village of Yes’ky, church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Alabuzino; church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Shablykino, Krasnokholmsky district, Tver region; church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Knyazhevo, Uglich district, Yaroslavl region. The traditions of church wall-painting during the period of transition from classicism to eclecticism (1850–1860s) were continued by the students of M. Tyranov. The most successful among them were masters from the city of Vesyegonsk, Ivan and Andrey Smirnov. Among the outstanding monuments of monumental art, the work of the Smirnov artel: church of the Transfiguration in the village of Nikola-Vysoka (Vesyegonsky district of the Tver region) and church of the Ascension in the village of Novokotovo (Molokovsky district, Tver region). The article attempts to reconstruct the creative biographies of previously unknown masters. Analysis of the continuity of art schools within the Tver province, as well as the establishment of connections between masters and Moscow and St. Petersburg, helps to deepen the understanding of the development of provincial art in the 19th century.

Fauna of ectoparasites of fur-bearing animals in fur farms of the Tver region

Fur farming is a branch of agriculture that specializes in breeding fur-bearing animals in order to obtain valuable fur skins from them. An important task of fur farming is to increase the quantity and quality of products obtained through intensification of production. This may lead to an increase in the number of outbreaks of infectious and invasive diseases. Ectoparasites negatively affect the quality of fur and can lead to the death of young animals. We conducted a study of the ectoparasite fauna in fur farms of the Tver region: «Savvatyevo» and «Mekha». We examined three types of furbearing animals: fox, American mink, and ferret. We performed a clinical examination of the animals; we examined the fur to detect fleas; we examined parasitological material from the auricle and external auditory canal under a microscope, we caught and determined the type of zoophilic flies. Ear mites O. cynotis have been reported in foxes and polecats. In foxes, infection rates: age 5 months – prevalence of infection 80,95%, intensity of infection 20,00 copies, at the age of 1 year – 86,67% and 6,67 copies, at the age of 2 years – 100,00% and 8,10 copies. For ferrets: age 3 months - no ear mites detected, age 1-year prevalence of infection 86,67%, intensity of infection 2,50 copies, age 2 years – 100,00% and 14,20 copies. Taking these data into account, all age groups of foxes support the invasive potential of O. cynotis equally, being a source of infection of new animals and a reservoir of the pathogen. Fleas C. (M.) s. sciurorum have been recorded in minks. The average prevalence of infection in adult males and females is 63,3%, the average intensity of infection is 11.6 specimens. The prevalence of infection of zoophilic flies was: M. domestica – 45,1%, L. caesar – 28,6%, P. regina – 11,9%, C. uralensis – 9,6%, F. canicularis – 4,8%. The number of flies in the shad was up to 30 individuals/m2. The data obtained indicate the wide distribution of arachnoenthomosis among fur-bearing animals in fur farms of the Tver region, which makes it urgent to introduce new schemes for the control and prevention of ectoparasites.

ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ ТЕПЛОВЫХ КОСМИЧЕСКИХ СНИМКОВ ПРИ ВЫЯВЛЕНИИ УЧАСТКОВ ПОВЫШЕННОГО ПОДЗЕМНОГО ПРИТОКА В РЕКИ, ОЗЕРА И ВОДОХРАНИЛИЩА (НА ПРИМЕРЕ ТВЕРСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ)

The article provides examples of the use of thermal space images in hydrological studies to identify areas of increased underground runoff on water regions of the Tver region. In this work, foreign satellite images Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 in the thermal far infrared range were used. The description of the hydrogeological and hydrological conditions of the studied area is also given here. Special attention was paid to the minimum flow of the Upper Volga rivers during the inter-war period, which characterizes the underground flow of the studied river basin. The results of these scientific surveys can be useful for hydrogeologists and hydrologists engaged in similar problems. Thermal space not in all cases may be effective in solving such hydrological problems.

Harmozica ravergiensis (Gastropoda: Hygromiidae) in Western Ukraine as part of anthropogenic expansion of its range

In September 2023, a large population of the Caucasian snail Harmozica ravergiensis was discovered in a newly built residential complex in Lviv. This is its second record in Western Ukraine, with an interval of almost 20 years, as well as the westernmost known locality of the species. Adults of H. ravergiensis from Lviv had larger shells compared to samples from other introduced Eastern European populations of this species, measured by us personally or described in the literature. Another 16 species of land molluscs, mostly alien to Ukraine or its western part, were found in Lviv together with H. ravergiensis. The latter includes a snail of Crimean origin, Monacha fruticola, which is still rarely recorded north of the steppe zone of Ukraine. In the studied area of Lviv, H. ravergiensis and M. fruticola often formed joint aggregations, which had never been observed before in Ukraine. Possible ways of penetration of H. ravergiensis and some other introduced molluscs into the studied area are discussed. Now H. ravergiensis is most often found in Eastern Ukraine, especially in the Donetsk region (the earliest known record dates back to 1990). There are also a few reliable finds in Western (since 2006) and Central (since 2015) Ukraine. In general, in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the range of H. ravergiensis expanded significantly, reaching the Tver region of Russia in the north, the southern Ural in the northeast, Central Asia in the southeast, and Western Ukraine in the west. Here, we analyse for the first time the extent of this expansion based on personally studied material, published data, and images in two citizen science databases.

Chronology and main stages of vegetation development in the central region of the East European Plain during the Mikulino interglacial

The chronology of the Mikulino Interglacial and its individual phases have been the subject of discussion. The goal of this study was to evaluate the time limits of the main stages of the Mikulino Interglacial on the Russian Plain according to ²³⁰Th/U dating and paleobotanical studies of lake and peat sediments from the known sections located within the Tver region on the Bolshaya Dubenka River, Malaya Kosha River, Granichnaya River, and Sizhina River (“Kileshino-2” section). An improved geochronological approach has been applied to identify layers suitable for the ²³⁰Th/U isochronous approximation. In combination with pollen and carpological studies of the deposits, this made it possible to date units corresponding to relatively narrow time intervals in the development of plant formations at different stages of the Last Interglacial. New paleobotanical studies of buried lake and peat sediments from the sections located on the Bolshaya Dubenka River, Malaya Kosha River, and Granichnaya River allowed us to restore the vegetation development during the Mikulino Interglacial in the interval of pollen zones M1–M7, i.e., more pollen zones have been analyzed and in greater detail than in 1960–1970. A chronological scheme of the main stages of vegetation development in the Mikulino Interglacial is proposed based on the results of ²³⁰Th/U dating and paleobotanical studies of organic-rich deposits from the Tver region sections in combination with previously published data obtained for the “Nizhnyaya Boyarshchina” section from the Smolensk region. The Mikulino Interglacial had begun about 130–126 kyr ago. Its first phase, corresponding to the M2 zone, ended ca. 118 kyr ago. The pre-optimal stages of vegetation development (M3 and M4 zones) fit into the time range of ca. 118–112 kyr ago. The climatic optimum of the interglacial (M5 and M6 zones) began ca. 112 kyr ago and ended ca. 100 kyr ago. The duration of the Mikulino Interglacial was probably at least 25 thousand years.

PHRASE PROSODY OF A MIDDLE-RUSSIAN DIALECT: TVER

t: This paper deals with the phrase prosody of Middle-Russian dialect with оkan’je spoken in Kal’azin district of Tver region. The study, based on the material of dialectal speech recordings made in the 2019 (eight speakers born in 1933–1955, total duration — 10 hours), reveals that the intonational system of Tver idiom is quite similar to the Standard one in regard to its prosodic constituents as well as to their association to basic communicative categories — yes-no and whquestions, statements, imperatives and vocatives. We posit in it three pitch accents — one rising L+H* and two falling H*(+L) and H+L* as well as two final boundary tones (L% and H%). There is no phonological contrast between the initial boundary tones in Kal’azin dialect, this differentiates the idiom in question from more southern Russian dialects. The most specific point in the phonetic realization of the melodic contours of the narrow focus statements and the yes-no questions in Tver idiom as compared to other Middle-Russian dialects and Standard Russian is the significant variability in timing of the rising and falling pitch accents — from the very early to the very late. Based on the data studied we claim thus that the Tver dialect demonstrates the transition from the characteristic dialectal prosodic system based on level pitch accents to the standard one with contour tunes being significantly ahead of the neighbouring Pskov and Seliger-Torzhok dialects on this way to Modern Standard Russian.

Crop rotation as a biological factor of weed control in spring barley crop in the Sonkovsky district of the Tver region

Spring barley is widely used for fodder and food purposes. Modern farming systems involve the use of short crop rotations, which leads to a deterioration in the phytosanitary condition of the fields, so improving the structure of the fields is a priority. The potential of the crop will not be fully exploited if local resources are used irrationally. Weed components, in turn, inhibit crop growth and reduce the amount of product obtained. Successful weed control is based on a systematic approach involving agrotechnical, biological and chemical measures. The pursuit of yield without the optimization of technological processes leads to low profitability of agricultural production, so a properly selected predecessor is the key to profit for agricultural producers. The aim of the study is to regulate barley weeds in the Tver region using biological methods. Crop rotation is the cheapest method without material costs. Predecessors have a different effect on the species and quantitative composition of weeds. The maximum clogging in the sum of weed vegetation, including biological groups, was found for the oat predecessor (62 pcs/m2 of juvenile weeds and 53 pcs/m2 of perennial weeds). The best predecessor for spring barley in the experiment is corn for silage, after which the number of Erysimum cheiranthoides decreased to 3 pcs/m2, which caused an increase in the yield of the studied crop from 4.5 to 7.4 t/ha.