Twofold Decline Research Articles

AVIATION AT THE SERVICE OF AGRICULTURE IN THE USSR: BACKGROUND

The Soviet Union was the first country where chemical pollination and aerial sowing of agricultural crops were carried out at the state level. (Research purpose) The research purpose is a full review of the history of the aviation in the national economy of the USSR for almost 70 years; description of the aircraft for pollination of plants and control of harmful insects – "Humpback Horse", AP, An-2SH, M-15, light helicopters "Mi" and "Ka". (Materials and methods) Wrote a paper based on the collection and analysis of archival documents and memoir literature on this topic. (Results and discussion) They showed the fallacy of the decision on the use of jet aircraft for agricultural tasks. This idea arose in connection with the desire to switch everywhere to the use of kerosene instead of more expensive aviation gasoline, but the features of the turbojet engine turned out to be incompatible with the tasks of agricultural aircraft. They noted that the An–2 biplane was the most successful at the cost of use - from 1.2 rubles per hectare, which is noticeably cheaper compared to the M-15 and helicopters. It took about 10 years to create the aircraft, and it was used in agricultural aviation for more than 40 years. (Conclusions). We made a diagram of the aviation processing of fields and forests in 1932-1990 based on the results of the reports of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Three stages in the history of aviation agricultural work were identified: 1932-1952 – the stage of limited use due to insufficient funding, 1953-1985 - the stage of rapid growth in the volume of aircraft work; 1986-1990 – a sharp twofold decline in indicators due to the general economic crisis in the country, rising prices for chemicals and fuel, as well as the obsolescence of the fleet.

Brain and Cognition Signature Fingerprinting Vascular Health in Diabetic Individuals: An International Multi-Cohort Study

To evaluate the correlation between cognitive signatures and the risk of diabetic vascular complications and mortality, based on a multicountry prospective study. The participants comprised 27,773 diabetics from the UK Biobank (UKB) and 1307 diabetics from the Guangzhou Diabetic Eye Study (GDES) cohort. The exposures were brain volume and cognitive screening tests for UKB participants, whilst the global cognitive score (GCS) measuring orientation to time and attention, episodic memory, and visuospatial abilities were determined for GDES participants. The outcomes for the UKB group were mortality, as well as macrovascular (myocardial infarction [MI] and stroke), microvascular (end-stage renal disease [ESRD], and diabetic retinopathy [DR]) events. The outcomes for the GDES group were retinal and renal microvascular damage. In the UKB group, a 1-SD reduction in brain gray matter volume was associated with 34%-77% higher risks of incident MI, ESRD, and DR. The presence of impaired memory was associated with 18%-73% higher risk of mortality and ESRD; impaired reaction was associated with 1.2-1.7-fold higher risks of mortality, stroke, ESRD, and DR. In the GDES group, the lowest GCS tertile exhibited 1.4-2.2-fold higher risk of developing referable DR and a twofold faster decline in renal function and retinal capillary density compared with the highest tertile. Restricting data analysis to individuals aged less than 65 years produced consistent results. Cognitive decline significantly elevates the risk of diabetic vascular complications and is correlated with retinal and renal microcirculation damage. Cognitive screening tests are strongly recommended as routine tools for management of diabetes.

Genomic trajectories of a near-extinction event in the Chatham Island black robin

BackgroundUnderstanding the micro-­evolutionary response of populations to demographic declines is a major goal in evolutionary and conservation biology. In small populations, genetic drift can lead to an accumulation of deleterious mutations, which will increase the risk of extinction. However, demographic recovery can still occur after extreme declines, suggesting that natural selection may purge deleterious mutations, even in extremely small populations. The Chatham Island black robin (Petroica traversi) is arguably the most inbred bird species in the world. It avoided imminent extinction in the early 1980s and after a remarkable recovery from a single pair, a second population was established and the two extant populations have evolved in complete isolation since then. Here, we analysed 52 modern and historical genomes to examine the genomic consequences of this extreme bottleneck and the subsequent translocation.ResultsWe found evidence for two-fold decline in heterozygosity and three- to four-fold increase in inbreeding in modern genomes. Moreover, there was partial support for temporal reduction in total load for detrimental variation. In contrast, compared to historical genomes, modern genomes showed a significantly higher realised load, reflecting the temporal increase in inbreeding. Furthermore, the translocation induced only small changes in the frequency of deleterious alleles, with the majority of detrimental variation being shared between the two populations.ConclusionOur results highlight the dynamics of mutational load in a species that recovered from the brink of extinction, and show rather limited temporal changes in mutational load. We hypothesise that ancestral purging may have been facilitated by population fragmentation and isolation on several islands for thousands of generations and may have already reduced much of the highly deleterious load well before human arrival and introduction of pests to the archipelago. The majority of fixed deleterious variation was shared between the modern populations, but translocation of individuals with low mutational load could possibly mitigate further fixation of high-frequency deleterious variation.

Topical issues of clinical symptoms and diagnostics of septic shock

Viral hepatitis remains the most common cause of liver cirrhosis (LC). Monocytes, capable of migrating to the liver and participating in inflammation and fibrogenesis, play an important role in the LC pathogenesis as confirmed by the association of certain monocyte subsets with the disease severity and mortality in alcoholic and biliary LC. However, the clinical and prognostic relevance of monocytes in viral LC remains poorly investigated. This study was aimed to investigate the disturbances in circulating monocytes including classical (CD14++CD16, cMo), intermediate (CD14++CD16+, iMo) and non-classical monocytes (CD14+CD16++, nMo) in patients with viral LC, as well as their correlation with viral characteristics, LC severity and progression of the disease 12 months after combination therapy. A significant increase in iMo and nMo, cMo level tended to decrease, and a two-fold decline in cMo/iMo ratio was revealed in patients with viral LC vs. healthy donors. These changes in monocyte pattern did not depend on the type of virus (HCV vs HBV/HDV) or its replication (replication vs the integrative phase), but were associated with the LC severity. The iMo level was positively correlated with laboratory indicators of liver damage, ChildPugh (rS = 0.57; P = 0.001) and MELD score (rS = 0.41; P = 0.033). ROC analysis showed that the cMo/iMo ratio at 9.5 allowed to predict the risk of LC progression with a sensitivity of 83.3% and a specificity of 76.2%. Of note, in comparison groups patients with alcoholic or biliary/autoimmune LC also demonstrated increased frequencies in iMo and nMo and decreased cMo/iMo ratio. However, in this case, the LC severity was negatively correlated with CD16+monocytes, particularly with the iMo and nMo subset, respectively, in alcoholic and biliary LC, evidencing the protective role of such cell subsets. Thus in viral LC the changes in circulating monocyte profile to increased iMO and nMo as well as decreased cMo are not associated with the virus type and replication; in contrast to the alcoholic and biliary/autoimmune LC, the level of iMo directly correlates with the indicators of liver damage and LC severity; cMo/iMo ratio is a biomarker of therapy response/disease progression.

Pattern and implications of neurological examination findings in autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease.

As knowledge about neurological examination findings in autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease (ADAD) is incomplete, we aimed to determine the frequency and significance of neurological examination findings in ADAD. Frequencies of neurological examination findings were compared between symptomatic mutation carriers and non mutation carriers from the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) to define AD neurological examination findings. AD neurological examination findings were analyzed regarding frequency, association with and predictive value regarding cognitive decline, and association with brain atrophy in symptomatic mutation carriers. AD neurological examination findings included abnormal deep tendon reflexes, gait disturbance, pathological cranial nerve examination findings, tremor, abnormal finger to nose and heel to shin testing, and compromised motor strength. The frequency of AD neurological examination findings was 65.1%. Cross-sectionally, mutation carriers with AD neurological examination findings showed a more than two-fold faster cognitive decline and had greater parieto-temporal atrophy, including hippocampal atrophy. Longitudinally, AD neurological examination findings predicted a significantly greater decline over time. ADAD features a distinct pattern of neurological examination findings that is useful to estimate prognosis and may inform clinical care and therapeutic trial designs.

Trends in premature cerebrovascular disease mortality in the Polish population aged 25-64 years, 2000-2016.

Many scientific reports have shown a decrease in total cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) mortality over the past few decades, but too little attention has been paid to premature mortality. CeVD accounted for 22.5% and 17.8% of premature cardiovascular disease deaths in Poland, in 2000 and 2016, respectively. The aim of the study was to analyse premature CeVD mortality in the Polish population in the recent years, the dynamics of its changes and the potential factors that may have contributed to the decline in mortality. The main goal of the study was to overview the levels and trends in premature CeVD mortality with an emphasis on haemorrhagic, ischaemic and unspecified (not specified as haemorrhagic or ischaemic) stroke. The analysis was based on a database of the Central Statistical Office of Poland and included data from 2000-2016 on premature cerebrovascular deaths occurring between 25 and 64 years of age (N=104,786). CeVD and haemorrhagic, ischaemic or unspecified stroke were coded with ICD-10 codes I60-I69, I61-I62, I63 and I64, respectively. The analysis included assessment of CeVD deaths distribution and evaluation of age-specific mortality rates in 10-year age groups and age-standardised mortality rates (SMR) in the age group 25-64 years, separately for men and women. Trends in SMRs have been studied in the period 2000-2016. The number of CeVD deaths decreased by 32.8% in men and 48.8% in women. There was a two-fold decline in CeVD mortality: from 59 to 29 male and from 30 to 12 female per 100,000. In addition, a 2-year increase in the median age of CeVD death was observed (Men: 56.4 to 58.4 years, Women: 56.4 to 58.7 years, p<0.001). A statistically significant decline in mortality (per 100,000) was also noticed for haemorrhagic stroke (Men: 18.7 to 10.4; Women: 9.6 to 3.8), ischaemic stroke (Men: 11.8 to 8.4; Women: 4.7 to 3.0) and unspecified stroke (Men: 19.7 to 3.5; Women: 9.1 to 1.3). A substantial decline in premature CeVD mortality was observed in the period 2000-2016. Additionally, the number of deaths that could not be classified as haemorrhagic or ischaemic stroke death decreased significantly. The increasingly widespread use of new post-stroke therapies and their availability make it possible to expect a further decrease in CeVD mortality. However, the necessary actions should be taken to compensate for the disparities in CeVD mortality between men and women.

Biotic and palaeoecological variations in the Permian-Triassic boundary microbialite (Xiejiacao, South China): Implication for a two-phase ecological crisis in microbialite ecosystems

The end-Permian mass extinction (EPME) severely impacted global biodiversity. Extinction selectivity of biotas behaved differently in various environmental settings, and biotic variations before, during, and after the EPME on the shallow platform remain unclear. This paper describes a new microbialite near the Permian-Triassic (P-Tr) boundary (PTB) from the Xiejiacao section, South China. The PTB microbialite comprises thrombolite and dendrolite fabrics and yields abundant columnar cyanobacteria and various microspheroids. Abundant metazoan fossils, including conodonts, foraminifers, ostracods, gastropods, ammonoids, brachiopods, and ophiuroids, are reported from the uppermost Permian bioclastic limestone, PTB microbialite (PTBM), and lowest Triassic strata in Xiejiacao. Stratigraphic occurrences of these taxa display a two-fold decline pattern of the end-Permian mass extinction, calibrating to the base and top of the PTB microbialite and corresponding to the first extinction phase (EP1) and second extinction phase (EP2) of the EPME, respectively. This two-fold extinction pattern is also reinforced by fossil fragment components of various clades through the P-Tr transition in Xiejiacao. Updated dataset of metazoan fossil records from 25 PTBM sections in South China is also compiled, and it shows the two-fold declines in biodiversity. The dominance role of foraminifers in the latest Permian faunas switched to ostracods in the PTB microbialite after EP1, and then to bivalves after EP2. Proportions of infaunal, stationary, and omnivore forms declined continuously across the EP1 and EP2, while pelagic, fast-moving, suspension-feeding, and predatory taxa underwent stepwise increases across these two extinctions. Proportions of epifaunal, slow-moving, and deposit-feeding taxa increased after EP1 but decreased after EP2. This might be associated with the extinction of brachiopods and, the immigration, and the proliferation of mollusks (bivalves, gastropods, and ammonoids). The metazoan fossil dataset of all PTBM sections across South China refutes the taphonomic window hypothesis and the refuge scenario, instead, supports that the post-extinction unique palaeoceanographic conditions in microbial ecosystems may have been beneficial to diversification of the PTBM faunas. The dataset of the stratigraphic distributions of all PTBM taxa in all palaeoenvironmental settings across South China shows that the drastic decline in biodiversity of the PTBM faunas during the cessation of microbialite was not due to facies control on fossil preservation, but closely related to the biotic extinction in EP2 of the EPME.

Alcohol consumption during the coronavirus epidemic in Russia

The aim of the study is to assess alcohol consumption during the coronavirus epidemic in Russia.Materials and methods – retail sales of alcoholic beverages, which account for about 70% of the alcohol market in the country, as well as online inquiries for the delivery of illegal vodka were assessed. The assessment of changes was made on the basis of a comparison of the period March 2020-March 2021 with the average 2018–2019, and in the case of sales growth in 2018–2019 – based on average and linear regression. Internet requests for the delivery of vodka were obtained from the portals Google Trends and Yandex. The purchasing power of the population was assessed by the dynamics of the real money incomes of the population of the Russian Federation.Results – sales changes were ambiguous, both for different drinks, and in the two waves of the epidemic. Alcohol spirits increased both in the frst (by 2.2%) and in the second half of the year (by 1.2%), despite a decrease in cognac sales due to an increase in MRP by 11.6% from January 2020. Wine sales decreased during the epidemic, but this is due to a number of administrative and legislative measures, as well as a twofold decline in production. During the epidemic, retail beer sales grew by 4.5% in the frst half of the year, and decreased by 3.4% in the second. Internet searches for the illegal delivery of vodka rose sharply at the very beginning of the epidemic (after March 22, 2020) and two weeks later reached a maximum (202.9 thousand per week; Yandex), exceeding the February level by 2.7 times. Further, the dynamics of online searches corresponded to the waves of the epidemic.Conclusions. The coronavirus epidemic was accompanied by an increase in the consumption of hard alcohol from various sources. It has been suggested that distress was the dominant factor in the growth of strong alcohol consumption during the coronavirus epidemic, despite the decline in the purchasing power of the population, especially during the second wave of the epidemic.

Effects of climate-change-driven gradual and acute temperature changes on shark and ray species.

Climate change is altering distributions and abundances of marine species through both gradual and acute changes in temperature and productivity. Due to their high mobility and metabolic rates, elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) are likely to redistribute across latitudes and depths as they thermoregulate, but little is known about their responses to these climatic changes, which could vary widely across this diverse group of species. Here, we assessed how species with differing mobility and ecology responded to gradual changes in daily sea surface temperature (SST) and acute temperature anomalies, caused by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), at Cocos Island, Costa Rica, the site of multiple marine heatwaves. We used generalized linear mixed models to analyse 34,342 records of relative abundance or frequency of occurrence for seven shark and ray species collected in 27years (1993-2019) by a dive company. We compared effect sizes for SST and the Oceanic Niño Index across the different species, which vary widely in body size and mobility. Large, mobile species responded strongly but inconsistently to temperature. For scalloped hammerhead sharks Sphyrna lewini, a 1℃ rise in SST reduced counts by over 14%, and dropped the occurrence of their large schools by almost one-fifth (19.4%). Mobula ray occurrence also declined substantially with a few degrees rise in SST, whereas tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier occurrence sharply increased. These species also had divergent responses to the ENSO: S. lewini and G. cuvier were sighted with greater frequency during La Niña events, and their abundance dropped considerably during El Niño events-over a twofold decline between a strong La Niña and strong El Niño for S. lewini. In contrast, Mobula rays showed little response to ENSO. The smaller and sedentary Triaenodon obesus exhibited the weakest response of all species to both SST and the ENSO, reflecting its lower metabolic rates and mobility. Climate change will continue to impact elasmobranchs, even for smaller and more localized species, with the potential to impact the effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs). Our results compel further work on the diversity of elasmobranch responses to environmental change.

Early Deaths after Arterial Ischemic Stroke in Pediatric Patients: Incidence and Risk Factors.

In developed countries, cerebrovascular diseases are among the 10 most common causes of death in both the pediatric and adult population. The prevalence of fatal outcomes following arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) in various groups of pediatric patients ranges from 1% to almost 32%. However, a constant improvement in stroke mortality among children has been observed. The extent of the decline differs among studies (from nearly tenfold to twofold decline), as it depends on the study population. While a portion of this variability might be explained by factors such as health care access, population age, diseases related to ethnicity, and different etiologies of stroke in studied populations, the understanding of such differences is still insufficient. Risk factors for death in the early stages of the disease are poorly understood and are usually based on the clinical presentations of relatively small groups of pediatric patients. Familiarity with these factors may be of significant importance for prognosis, but also for the early selection of patients requiring careful supervision. The present study aimed to analyze and discuss the current literature data on the incidence of early death and risk factors for early death in children suffering from stroke.

Proteomic analysis of wheat contrasting genotypes reveals the interplay between primary metabolic and regulatory pathways in anthers under drought stress

Reproductive stage is very sensitive to various forms of environmental stresses such as drought stress. The proteomic analysis of anther during pollen development in response to drought stress was performed using a label-free quantitative shotgun proteomic technique to define the underlying molecular principles in two contrasting wheat genotypes Shiraz (susceptible) and D-10 (tolerant). Drought stress resulted in around two-fold decline in seed setting capacity and pollen viability in the Shiraz genotype compared to D-10. A Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) of proteomic data revealed the abundance of 131 differentially abundant proteins significantly contributing in separation of drought tolerant and susceptible genotypes under normal and stress conditions. Proteins involved in cellular respiration, carbohydrate metabolism, RNA metabolism, and vesicle trafficking showed completely different responses in two genotypes. These proteins may maintain hexose pool and energy level and control regulation of transcription and transport. Furthermore, different members of functional groups such as protein biosynthesis and degradation, chromatin organization, and cytoskeleton dynamics were differentially abundant in response to stress in both genotypes which suggest their function in both genotypes to maintain minimum pollen viability/ fertility under drought stress. In conclusion, our findings revealed various metabolic and regulatory pathways underlying survival strategies required for pollen fertility and viability. SignificanceDrought caused by global climate change decreases cereal grain productivity worldwide. Yield losses due to water stress have been reported for major small grain cereal including wheat. Our findings highlighted the importance of key proteins in wheat adaptation to drought stress at reproductive stage. The obtained data showed that differentially abundant proteins in drought tolerant wheat genotype was remarkably associated with cellular respiration, carbohydrate metabolism, RNA metabolism, and vesicle trafficking. These results revealed fundamental data to elucidate the complexity of pollen fertility and viability under drought stress condition in wheat.

The incidence, risk factors, and long-term outcomes of acute kidney injury in hospitalized diabetic ketoacidosis patients

BackgroundEmerging evidence has demonstrated that acute kidney injury (AKI) is an important risk factor associated with increased morbidity and mortality in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) patients. The current study aimed to investigate the incidence rate, risk factors, long-term renal outcomes, and mortality in DKA patients with AKI.MethodsA total of 179 patients diagnosed with DKA at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital from January 2012 to January 2018 were included in the analysis. AKI was diagnosed according to the 2012 KDIGO criteria. Risk factors, long-term renal outcomes, and mortality were analyzed by logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models.ResultsAmong 179 DKA patients, 98 patients (54.75%) were diagnosed as AKI. Aging; increased blood glucose, serum uric acid and white blood cells; decreased serum pH and albumin; coma; and preexisting chronic kidney disease (CKD) were risk factors of AKI in patients with DKA. During follow-up, DKA patients with AKI showed more than a two-fold decline in eGFR within 1 year after discharge from the hospital when compared with non-AKI DKA patients. Furthermore, AKI was also an independent risk factor for poor long-term renal outcomes and mortality in DKA patients.ConclusionsMultiple risk factors contribute to the development of AKI in DKA patients. AKI and advanced AKI stage are associated with rapid progressive CKD and long-term mortality in patients with DKA.

The consequences of fiscal load increase for entrepreneurship: Difference-in-differences approach

This study investigates the effect of a twofold rise in fixed payments on sole-proprietors and entrepreneurial activity in 2013 and a twofold decline in these payments in 2014. The paper considers consequences of this decision for various facets of entrepreneurship: the presence of small and medium enterprises in an economy, the new business entries, and employment in small and medium enterprises. To find a solution to this problem, we use a difference-indifferences method of policy evaluation. Results of this analysis show that because of a sharp rise in fixed payments, the number of sole-proprietors increased and there was a dramatic fall in the number of new businesses. In addition, employment in small and medium firms also decreased by this decision to raise payments. The decrease in fixed payment in 2014 could not compensate for the negative effects of the previous year among small businesses. Despite various measures to support entrepreneurship, new business entries continued to decline, although the speed of this decline decreased after 2013. Thus, the decrease in fixed payments became an incentive to compensate only some decrease over 2013. The results show that entrepreneurs have a very rapid response to fiscal load increase and have a slow response to decreases in taxation.

No evidence for a loss of genetic diversity despite a strong decline in size of a European population of the CorncrakeCrex crex

SummaryThe preservation of genetic diversity is an important aspect of conservation biology. Low genetic diversity within a population can lead to inbreeding depression and a reduction in adaptive potential, which may increase extinction risk. Here we report changes in genetic diversity over 12 years in a declining population of the CorncrakeCrex crex, a grassland bird species of high conservation concern throughout Europe. Despite a twofold demographic decline during the same period, we found no evidence for a reduction of genetic diversity. The gradual genetic differentiation observed among populations of Corncrake across Europe suggests that genetic diversity is maintained in western populations by constant gene flow from the larger and more productive populations in eastern Europe and Asia. The maintenance of genetic diversity in this species is an opportunity that may help the implementation of effective conservation actions across the Corncrake’s European range.

Climate warming leads to decline in frequencies of melanic individuals in subarctic leaf beetle populations

Intraspecific diversity buffers populations from deleterious impacts of environmental change. Nevertheless, the consequences of climate warming for phenotypic and genetic diversity within populations and species remain poorly understood. The goal of our study was to explore among-year variations in the phenotypic structure of populations and their relationships with climate variability and population dynamics. We analysed multiyear (1992–2018) data on colour morph frequencies within populations of the leaf beetle, Chrysomela lapponica, from multiple sites in the Kola Peninsula (northwestern Russia). We observed a strong decline in the proportion of dark (melanic) morphs among overwintered beetles during the study period; this decline was consistent across all study sites. Using model selection procedures, we explained declines in the dark morph of overwintered beetles by increases in minimum spring (May–June) daily temperatures. Other climatic characteristics, pollution load, and beetle population density were unrelated to variation in colour morph frequencies. Among newly emerged beetles (August), dark morph frequencies also decreased with an increase in average spring temperatures, but were unrelated to mean temperatures during the larval development period (July). These results suggest that the two-fold decline in dark morph frequencies during the past 26 years has been driven by the 2.5 °C increase in spring temperatures, most likely because dark males lose the mating advantages over light males that they obtain during cold springs. The continued loss of dark morphs and related decrease in within-population diversity may render leaf beetle populations more vulnerable to future environmental changes, in particular to those expressed in extreme weather fluctuations. Our study demonstrates that declines in within-population diversity are already underway in subarctic areas, and that these declines are likely driven by climate warming.

Sociodemographic characteristic of changes in smoking patterns in rural and urban population of PURE Poland study: findings from 6-year follow up

BackgroundTobacco smoking is one of the most serious modern civilization threats. According to WHO identifying patterns of tobacco use is essential for implementing effective preventive policies. The aim of the paper was to assess changes in smoking patterns among the PURE study population over 6 years.MethodsThe study sample comprised of 1784 adult participants from PURE Poland study, who were assessed at baseline (2007–2010) and then at 6-year follow-up. Participants were classified into current smokers, ex-smokers and never smokers. Smoking patterns were analyzed according to sex, age/birth cohort, place of residence (urban vs rural setting), and education level.ResultsOverall, a significant decrease of 3.1% in current smokers was observed (from 20.0% in baseline to 16.9 at follow-up). However, 0.8% of never smokers and 6.2% of ex-smokers at baseline were classified as current smokers at 6-year follow-up. Despite overall decrease in percentage of current smokers in both rural and urban area, in fact significantly more ex-smokers from rural area became current smokers after 6 years. Living in the rural area was associated with nearly two-fold increase in current smoking, and almost two-fold decline in chances to quit smoking. The highest percentage of current smokers was observed in birth year cohort 1961–1979.ConclusionDespite a small but significant decline in overall smoking rates, important differences in smoking and quitting patterns emerged between rural and urban areas, as well as sexes. A less favorable smoking patterns were observed among women, and rural populations, suggesting that these are important targets of future tobacco control interventions in Poland.

Involvement of transcription-coupled repair factor Mfd and DNA helicase UvrD in mutational processes in Pseudomonas putida

Stalled RNA polymerases (RNAPs) pose an obstacle for the replicating complexes, which could lead to transcription-replication conflicts and result in genetic instability. Stalled RNAPs and DNA lesions blocking RNAP elongation are removed by transcription-coupled repair (TCR), the process which in bacteria is mediated by TCR factor Mfd and helicase UvrD. Although the mechanism of TCR has been extensively studied, its role in mutagenesis is still obscure. In the current study we have investigated the role of Mfd and UvrD in mutational processes in soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida. Our results revealed that UvrD helicase is essential to prevent the emergence of mutations, as the loss of uvrD resulted in elevated mutant frequency both in exponential- and stationary-phase bacterial cultures. UvrD was also found to be necessary to survive DNA damage, but NER or MMR pathways are not completely abolished in UvrD-deficient P. putida. Mfd-deficiency had a moderate impact on surviving DNA damage and did not influence the frequency of mutations occurred in exponentially growing bacteria. However, the absence of Mfd caused approximately a two-fold decline in stationary-phase mutant frequency compared to the P. putida wild-type strain and suppressed the elevated mutant frequency observed in the ΔuvrD strain. Remarkably, the Mfd-deficient strain also formed less UV-induced mutants. These results suggest that in P. putida the Mfd-mediated TCR could be associated with UV- and stationary-phase mutagenesis.

A comparison of milk yields and methane production from three contrasting high‐yielding dairy cattle feeding regimes: Cut‐and‐carry, partial grazing and total mixed ration

AbstractThere have been reductions in grazing cattle and corresponding increases in mixed diets across many regions. Mixed diets consist of silage, grains, legumes and other herbaceous plants (termed total mixed ration, TMR). TMR has been associated with increased milk yields but has also been linked to increased enteric methane production. We measured milk yields and methane production from high‐yielding Holstein‐Friesian cattle after substituting 29%–36% of a TMR diet with grass. Two feeding treatments were compared with a diet of TMR: grass grazed at pasture and grass cut in the field and delivered to housed cattle (termed cut‐and‐carry). Each feeding treatment was fed to 15 cattle, and the experiment was conducted in South‐west Scotland. Using a laser methane detector, we measured a twofold and fourfold decline in enteric methane production for the cut‐and‐carry and grazing groups, respectively, when the animals consumed grass. TMR was consumed by both grass‐fed groups overnight, so daily values were adjusted to include elevated methane production during this period. This revealed that methane production for the cut‐and‐carry and grazing groups was 17% and 39% lower than for the TMR‐fed group respectively. Milk yields were maintained for all three groups, and the efficiency of milk production per unit of methane was substantially greater for the two grass‐fed groups. A shift away from exclusively feeding TMR by adding fresh grass to the diets of cattle could contribute to meeting emissions targets and could also represent an economically sustainable climate change mitigation strategy.

STATE OF THE ISSUE OF THE POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM'S RELIABILITY

The electric power system of the Russian Federation was most developed in the 80-90s of the last century, after which there was an almost twofold decline in the generation and transmission of electrical energy in the system with subsequent growth. The main problem of fuel and energy complexes is the progressive aging of fixed production assets in conditions of increasing energy consumption requirements, which is a source of increased risk of major accidents. In this case, negative disturbances can arise both in the system itself and be external to it and can lead not only to a low quality of electrical energy but also to interruptions in power supply. The studies carried out to date are devoted to a quantitative assessment of the reliability of power supply systems and their equipment and do not take into account the effects of electrical equipment failures on the characteristics of production processes and the operation of technological machines. To consider the reliability of power supply systems in isolation from the operation of other systems (technological, relay protection, automation, ventilation, dewatering, etc.) means not to use the whole range of measures aimed at improving the reliability of electricity supply, as a result it is impossible to ensure the optimum level of reliability of electricity supply. Reliability of the power supply system must be evaluated taking into account the interaction of electrical equipment with the equipment of all production systems. The problem of increasing the efficiency of the functioning of industrial enterprises by optimizing the parameters of the reliability of power supply systems is topical and of great economic importance.

Composition and functional property of photosynthetic pigments under circadian rhythm in the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis.

Circadian rhythm is an important endogenous biological signal for sustainable growth and development of cyanobacteria in natural ecosystems. Circadian effects of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), ultraviolet-A (UV-A) and ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiations on pigment composition have been studied in the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis under light (L)/dark (D) oscillation with a combination of 4/20, 8/16, 12/12, 16/8, 20/4 and 24/24h time duration. Circadian exposure of PAR + UV-A (PA) and PAR + UV-A + UV-B (PAB) showed more than twofold decline in Chl a, total protein and phycocyanin (PC) in light phase and significant recovery was achieved in dark phase. The fluorescence emission wavelength of PC was shifted towards lower wavelengths in the light phase of PAB in comparison to P and PA whereas the same wavelength was retrieved in the dark phase. The production of free radicals was accelerated twofold in the light phase (24h L) whereas the same was retrieved to the level of control during the dark phase. Oxidatively induced damage was alleviated by antioxidative enzymes such as catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in the light phase (0-24-h L) whereas the dark phase showed significant inhibition of the same enzymes. Similar characteristic inhibition of free radicals and recovery of PC was observed inside cellular filament after circadian rhythm of 24/24h (L/D). Circadian exposure of P, PA and PAB significantly altered the synthesis and recovery of pigments that could be crucial for optimization and sustainable production of photosynthetic products for human welfare.