Ural Region Research Articles

Problems of cattle health improvement and protection of population against viral diarrhoea under current conditions of animal husbandry

The article presents the dynamics of the prevalence of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) in livestock enterprises of the Ural region in the period 2018-2023. Retrospective and operational analysis of monitoring data showed that the epizootic situation was consistently tense. The share of unfavourable livestock enterprises ranged from 18.2% to 33.3%. The cumulative infection rate in different age groups of cattle ranged from 2.3% to 23.3%. Clinical symptoms of acute course of BVDV-infection in examined cattle were registered in 10.9% of cases; persistent form of BVDV-infection - in 16.5% of cases; subclinical course of BVDV-infection and latent form - in 73.6% of cases. Phylogenetic analysis of BVDV isolates obtained from animal biosamples showed that 81.8% of isolates belong to the Cp-biotype of BVDV, 18.2% of isolates - to the Ncpbiotype of BVDV. It has been established that the intensity of pathogen eradication decreases in livestock enterprises when the regulations of specific prophylaxis are violated, as evidenced by the increase in the number of animals carrying BVDV by 4%; calves with diseases caused by BVDV infection - by 2.5%; cows and heifers with reproductive losses - by 5.7%.

Insurgent Terror during the 1921 West Siberian Uprising

The article considers such a controversial aspect of the West Siberian uprising of 1921 as the repressive and terrorist activities of the rebels towards representatives and supporters of the communist authorities on the ground, members of their families and rural intelligentsia. The author makes an attempt to characterize its forms, orientation, socio-psychological and moral motives. The motives for peasants’ protest sentiments, which grew into various forms of aggression, violence and terrorist activities by the most active anti-communist insurgents, are viewed from the standpoint of the theory of relative deprivation. The paper describes the symptomatic cruel, bloody torture and reprisals suffered by party and Soviet workers on the ground, food suppliers, policemen and representatives of the rural intelligentsia. The most terrible blow was dealt to the rural communes, which was caused by the outright rejection of collectivist morality and psychology by the prosperous Siberian peasantry. The article shows the tragic consequences of brutal, uncontrolled, spontaneous and emotional insurgent terror. The feelings of hatred and revenge towards the communist government and its representatives on the ground were long-term. On the basis of the documents from the regional archives, the author presents the facts characterizing the degradation and moral decline of the rebel movement, pointing out the long-term nature of anti-communist sentiments in the peasant community. This circumstance in particular led to a rebellion against the Soviet authorities, which broke out in the Sorokinsky area of the Ishim district of the Ural region in March 1930. The article gives a general assessment of the scale and consequences of the insurgent terror in Western Siberia, which became a backlash against the social deprivation of war communism period and a product of the moral degradation of its participants’ conscience.

Сборник духовных стихов начала XX века: штрихи к портрету составителя

The article examines the content and decoration of the Old Believer eschatological Miscellany from the early 20th century, preserved in a private collection (Yurgamysh, Kurgan region). The compiler and designer of the Miscellany, as well as the author of small textual inserts, is one person, a member of the Pomor Old Believer community Amply Zakharovich Polynskikh, who lived in the village of Kamagan (Chelyabinsk region) in the first half of the 20th century. The compiler of the Miscellany tried to set out the Christian doctrine’s main positions on the Last Judgment and to show the way to the salvation of believers. For this purpose, he selected spiritual verses thematically and outlined his own understanding of the truth of faith, accompanying the texts by expressive graphic additions in the form of headpieces, endings, initials, two-color author's miniatures, as well as a set of colorful miniatures, probably taken from another Miscellany. This talentedly designed and well-compiled Miscellany is a variant of combining explanations of the “true faith’s” provisions, moralizing texts with a demonstration of a person’s moral choice and responsibility for everything that happens in life. In addition, the Miscellany is a historical source, which, thanks to the author’s notes, reflects the biography of a particular person, an Old Believer with his own interesting outlook on life, faith, the topic of salvation, etc. Numerous economic and memorial records provide an opportunity to see the private fate of a person of a certain occupation, with creative potential and artistic aspirations. The value of the Miscellany lies in the fact that it is both a talentedly constructed text with pictorial elements of decorative design, and an expressive historical source. It provides a window into a picture of life, occupations, and spiritual aspirations of the Old Believer community of the Ural region of the first half of the 20th century.

The Historian of Everyday Life and Household Activities, Organizer of Science and University Education: on the 85th Anniversary of V. A. Balashov

Introduction. In 2022, the 85th anniversary of the birth and the 25th anniversary of the passing away of the Soviet and Russian historian Viktor Andreevich Balashov, who made a significant contribution to the study of everyday life of the peasantry in the pre-collective farm and collective farm periods: the conditions of their personal and social life, work and leisure, the transformation of material culture, economic factors influencing the formation of consciousness and norms of behavior. Materials and Methods. The research is based on the biographical method. The use of general scientific methods made it possible to present the studied problem as a process within the framework of a concrete historical situation, the tasks being solved, to analyze the essence and content of V. A. Balashov’s scientific, pedagogical and organizational activities. The article introduces the materials of the archives of the Ogarev Moscow State University and the Central State Archive of the Republic of Mordovia into scientific circulation. Results. The article is dedicated to the memory of Professor Mordovia State University Viktor Andreevich Balashov. The study provides biographical information about the scientist, considers the scientific, educational, methodological, administrative activities of the scientist-historian, focuses on the analysis of the main scientific works. Discussion and Conclusions. V. A. Balashov’s contribution to the history of the region is significant and has not been forgotten. V. A. Balashov devoted his whole life to science. From 1967 until the last days of his life, he worked at the Mordovian State University, went through a difficult path from a graduate of a small pedagogical college to the first vice-rector of Ogarev Mordovia State University, became an Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation. V. A. Balashov is the author of major works on the study of everyday life of the peasantry, ethno-cultural processes in the Volga and Ural regions, including the Mordovian people. His role as an organizer of science and university education is important.

Modernization of the Urban Infrastructure of Ekaterinburg – Sverdlovsk in 1923–1930

Introduction. The article examines the process of formation and modernization of the urban infrastructure of Ekaterinburg – Sverdlovsk during the period of the New Economic Policy (NEP). The main mechanisms for the development of the urban economy are shown in conditions of regenerative growth of economics and a rapid increase of city’s population. The transformation of Ekaterinburg into Sverdlovsk, the administrative and political center of the Ural region, opened up opportunities to concentrate in it the local community resources and attract government funding. Using of limited market mechanisms of the NEP allowed the Sverdlovsk City Council to develop large infrastructure projects in conditions of moderate co-financing from the state. Results. Despite the large number of publications on local history, a comprehensive study of the processes of modernization of the urban infrastructure of Sverdlovsk during the NEP period was not carried out. The work analyzes the modernization of the most important sectors of urban infrastructure: electricity, transport, construction, water supply and sewerage. The abolition of command management mechanisms and the permission of private initiative in trade and small industry caused rapid growth in the city’s economy and its population. Sverdlovsk’s status as an administrative and political center of the Ural region strengthened the financial well-being of the city. The Sverdlovsk City Council received large loans from the state-controlled banking system for the development of capital construction and the development of urban infrastructure. By the end of the 1920s in Sverdlovsk, the main elements of modern urban infrastructure were created, water supply, sewerage, bus transit was built, and the construction of a tram system began. In order of regulation of economic activity and city’s property management on market conditions, a communal enterprise was created under the Sverdlovsk City Council – called Komkhoz. Conclusion. Modernization of the urban infrastructure of Sverdlovsk in 1923–1930 occurred mainly through the efforts of the local community. With the active attraction of local equity capital and loans from state-sanctioned banks, during the NEP period the city began the successful formation of a modern urban infrastructure. The course towards the development of forced industrialization of the USSR through accelerated growth of the public sector of the economy led to the gradual curtailment of private initiative on the ground in 1929–1930.

Цитогенетическая характеристика видов рода Chironomus группы ‘‘plumosus’’ (Diptera, Chironomidae) природно-территориальных комплексов Уральского региона

The polytene chromosomes of the cells of the salivary glands of the larvae of Ch. plumosus L. 1758, Ch. entis Shobanov 1989, Ch. borokensis Kerkis et al. 1988 and Ch. curabilis Beljanina et al. 1990 from 20 reservoirs of six natural-territorial complexes of the Ural region were studied. On the basis of a cytotaxonomic study, it was established that natural complexes differ from each other in the species composition of the “plumosus” group, the ratio (in %) between species and, certain parameters of cytogenetic variability of Ch. plumosus, Ch. entis and Ch. borokensis. Comparative analysis revealed differences between groups of natural complexes. A significantly lower frequency of occurrence of sequence of chromosome disks pluA1.2 was found within the Ural plain-mountainous country (Western foothill and Middle Ural low-mountain regions) compared with natural complexes on the eastern slopes of the Southern Urals and the West Siberian Plain at the junction with the Ural mountain range. Populations of Ch. plumosus of the Ural plain-mountain country have lower cytogenetic distances between themselves compared to populations of Ch. plumosus on the eastern slopes of the Southern Urals and the West Siberian Plain at the junction with the Ural Mountain Range. With respect to Ch. entis, these territories differ from each other in the absence of sequence of chromosome disks entА1.2 within the Ural plain-mountain country. According to cytogenetic distances, the populations of Ch. entis on the eastern slopes of the Southern Urals and the West Siberian Plain country at the junction with the Ural Mountain Range differ more from the population of Ch. entis of the Ural plain-mountain country than among themselves. In the north-south direction, it is necessary to indicate a significantly lower frequency of occurrence of sequence of chromosome disks borB1.2 within the Ural plain-mountain country (Eastern Podgorny region) relative to a natural complex with a more southern location within the West Siberian Plain country (Tura Plain region). For Ch. borokensis the interpopulation cytogenetic distances were calculated for the first time (0.0128±0.0017). Differences in this indicator between the natural complexes of the Ural region have not been established.

Model of winter soft wheat variety for steppe condition zone

Due to the increased aridization of the environment in the main agricultural zones of the Don, the parameters of the model of winter soft wheat varieties of intensive and semi-intensive types have been clarified. At the present stage, the potential productivity of intensive wheat at a high agrofone is 9,0-10,5 t/ha of grain, which is due to the productive stem of 660-800 ears/m2. In semi-intensive varieties on the average agrophone, the values of these indicators are respectively 7,0-7,5 t/ha and 580-620 ears/m2. The productivity of the ear, respectively, should be 1,2-1,5 g and 1,1-1,2 g and with a grain share in the cenosis of 40-45% and 36-38%, respectively. With different stress factors, the peculiarities of the formation of agroecotypes of new varieties were revealed. The selection criterion for drought-resistant productive forms was the selection of genotypes with a high yield index. However, the main trend related to productivity and adaptability in drought conditions is the creation of new genotypes with increased grain weight from the plant and from the ear. This is the most objective integrated assessment of their drought resistance. The progress in the yield growth of semi-dwarf and medium-sized wheat varieties is also due to an increase in the capacity of cenosis. as a result of the use of new parameters of the model of intensive and high-intensity genotypes, varieties of winter soft wheat Donmira, Akapella, Bogema, Bylina Dona i Pal'mira 18, Kuryanochka 19, Pafos, developed for the Central Chernozem, North Caucasus, Lower Volga, Middle Volga and Ural regions, were created and included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements in 2019-2022. These varieties are well adapted for arid regions according to the complex of breeding and valuable traits.

Pentlandite and its alteration products in serpentinites of the Itkulsky ultrabasic massif (Southern Urals)

The relevance of the work is due to the need to study the mineralogy of the only indigenous manifestation of jewelry olivine within the Ural region. The purpose of the work is to study pentlandite and the products of its supergene alteration in serpentinites of the Itkulsky ultrabasic massif in the Southern Urals. Research methodology. The composition of some minerals was analyzed using a scanning electron microscope JSM6390LV from Jeol with an energy dispersive attachment INCA Energy 450 X-Max 80 from Oxford Instruments (analyst L. V. Leonova). The same instrument was used to obtain images of minerals in BSE (back-scattered electron) mode. X-ray structural study of minerals was carried out on an XRD-7000 X-ray diffractometer from Shimadzu with polycapillary optics and a high-temperature attachment NTK-1200N from Anton Paar for operation in the temperature range 25–1500 °C (analyst O. L. Galakhova). Conditions: copper radiation, V = 40 kV, I = 30 mA, step size – 0.02°. Results. Pentlandite is the main sulfide mineral of antigorite serpentinites; it is characterized by a fairly pure chemical composition; the only impurities in the mineral are cobalt (from 0 to 1.18 wt. %). According to the Ni/Fe ratio, the sulfide belongs to nickel and pentlandite proper. Smythite replaces pentlandite grains along the cracks and at the edges. Chemical composition, wt. %: S – 40.81; Fe – 37.65; Co – 1.66; Ni – 19.87, well calculated for the crystal chemical formula of smythite – (Fe5.83Ni2.93Co0.24)9.00S11.00. Cronstedtite replaces the pentlandite matrix in the form of veined segregations. It is distinguished by its chemical composition: SiO2 – 17,82; Fe2 O3 – 40,00; NiO – 11,02; FeO – 18,06; MnO – 0,57; MgO – 2,23; CaO – 1,30; H2 O – 9,00 (by difference in accordance with the standard), which is calculated based on the crystal chemical formula of Ni-Mg-bearing cronstedtite – (Fe2+ 0.95Ni0.71Mg0.21Ca0.09Mn0.03)1.99Fe3+ 1.01[(Si1.12Fe3+ 0.88)2.00O5 ](OH)3.80. Conclusions. Pentlandite from antigorite serpentinites of the Itkulsky ultrabasic massif (Southern Urals) was studied. Under the influence of weathering processes, most of the pentlandite grains were partially replaced by secondary sulfide – smythite and ferruginous serpentine – cronstedtite.

SEISMICITY of NORTHERN EURASIA in 2018–2019

An overview of seismicity in 16 regions of Russia and neighboring countries in 2018–2019 is presented. Seismic monitoring of this territory was carried out by networks of seismic stations of Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine. In most regions, the seismic process occurred in the background. In Northern Eurasia as a whole, the total seismic energy in 2018 (Еan=17∙1016 J) remained unchanged compared to that for the previous year, and in 2019 fell to Еan=0.65∙1016 J, with annual values of released energy for 2018 and 2019 were significantly lower than its average annual level for the period 2006–2017. (Еan=5.3∙1016 J). The “Angular Uplift earthquake” on December 20, 2018 at 17h01m with MS=7.4 (MwGCMT=7.2), localized in the surface layer of the seismofocal zone of the Commander segment of the Aleutian arc with the epicenter in the Pacific Ocean was the strongest for the period 2018– 2019. Maximum shaking intensity on the tyerritory of Northern Eurasia (I=6–7) was caused by earthquake on July 6, 2018 at 01h40m with MwGCMT=6.2, h=75 km in the seismofocal zone of the Kuril Islands–Southern Kamchatka and Katav-Ivanovsk earthquake on September 4, 2018 at 22h58m in the Chelyabinsk oblast (Ural and Western Siberia region). The Katav-Ivanovsk earthquake is also unique in that it was accompanied by a significant number of aftershocks, which is the first known case for tectonic events within the Urals. In addition, it demonstrated that the natural seismic potential of the Urals exceeds the man-made component by orders of energy

New apple variety – Hrustal’nyj Bashmachok

The domestic apple tree (Malus domestica Borkh.) occupies a leading place among fruit crops, both in terms of area planted and in terms of gross fruit harvest. Currently, apple tree varieties are subject to strict requirements for highly adaptability, winter hardiness, early fruiting, high yield and quality of fruits. The new apple tree variety Hrustal’nyj Bashmachok (breeding number 1-18), meets many of the listed requirements, is the result of breeding work of the Orenburg branch of the Federal State Budgetary Institution Federal Scientific Center for Horticulture, aimed at improving the assortment and meeting the demand of producers and consumers of agricultural products in the Ural region. A variety of autumn ripening, universal use, obtained from open pollination of Antonovki Obyknovennoj and combines in its genotype such valuable qualities as high winter hardiness, productivity, and resistance to scab. The tree is medium in size, with a rounded crown of medium density. Fruits with an average weight of 152 g, conical, regular in shape. The surface of the fruit is smooth, slightly ribbed, the main color at the time of harvest and consumer ripeness is greenish-yellow. The outer color is present on a smaller part of the fruit and is orange. Subcutaneous dots are small, white, barely noticeable. The fruit pulp is creamy, dense, juicy, fine-grained, with a medium aroma. The taste is sweet and sour, pleasant, tasting score 4.4 points, average aroma. The shelf life of fruits is 20-30 days. Chemical composition of the fruit: sugar content 10.8 %, ascorbic acid 19.1 mg/100 g, dry matter 13.4 %; acidity 0.8 %. The Hrustal’nyj Bashmachok variety has average drought and heat resistance, is slightly affected by scab, and begins to bear fruit in the third year after planting. Over a long period of study, the variety showed a high level of economically valuable traits, including yield from 14.8 to 18.8 t/year and stable annual fruiting. The Crystal Shoe variety has been included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements approved for use in the Ural region since 2022 and is recommended for updating the industrial assortment of the region and cultivation in farms of various categories.

How do different pathways connect the stratospheric polar vortex to its tropospheric precursors?

Abstract. Processes involving troposphere–stratosphere coupling have been identified as important contributors to an improved subseasonal to seasonal prediction in the mid-latitudes. However, atmosphere models still struggle to accurately predict stratospheric extreme events. Based on a novel approach in this study, we use ERA5 reanalysis data and ensemble simulations with the ICOsahedral Non-hydrostatic atmospheric model (ICON) to investigate tropospheric precursor patterns, localised troposphere–stratosphere coupling mechanisms, and the involved timescales of these processes in the Northern Hemisphere extended winter. We identify two precursor regions: mean sea level pressure in the Ural region is negatively correlated with the strength of the stratospheric polar vortex for the following 5–55 d with a maximum at 25–45 d, and the pressure in the extended Aleutian region is positively correlated with the strength of the stratospheric polar vortex the following 10–50 d with a maximum at 20–30 d. A simple precursor index based on the mean pressure difference of these two regions is very strongly linked to the strength of the stratospheric polar vortex in the following month. The pathways connecting these two regions to the strength of the stratospheric polar vortex, however, differ from one another. Whereas a vortex weakening can be connected to prior increased vertical planetary wave forcing due to high-pressure anomalies in the Ural region, the pathway for the extended Aleutian region is less straightforward. A low-pressure anomaly in this region can trigger a Pacific–North American-related (PNA-related) pattern, leading to geopotential anomalies of the opposite sign in the mid-troposphere over central North America. This positive geopotential anomaly travels upward and westward in time, directly penetrating into the stratosphere and thereby strengthening the stratospheric Aleutian High, a pattern linked to the displacement towards Eurasia and subsequent weakening of the stratospheric polar vortex. Overall, this study emphasises the importance of the time-resolved and zonally resolved picture for an in-depth understanding of troposphere–stratosphere coupling mechanisms. Additionally, it demonstrates that these coupling mechanisms are realistically reproduced by the global atmosphere model ICON.

Rural settlements of the Siberian Tatars of the Tobolsk district of the Ural region in the first third of the twentieth century (based on the materials of the All-Union Census of 1926)

The subject of the study is a network of rural settlements of Siberian Tatars on the example of the central group – the Tobolo-Irtysh Tatars, which at the time under study was included in the Tobolsk district of the Ural region. The purpose of the study is to characterize the network of rural settlements of the Siberian Tatars based on statistical data from the first third of the twentieth century, the main of which are the All-Union Census of 1926 and lists of settlements of the Tobolsk district. The relevance of the study is determined by the weak knowledge of the problem and the need to create a holistic view of the processes of formation and development of the settlement system in the studied territory. Despite the fact that many researchers have addressed the topic of the settlement network in Western Siberia, the issue of the situation with the settlement system of the Siberian Tatars remains poorly understood. In the course of the study, comparative historical, historical and typological methods, as well as the method of mathematical and statistical analysis were applied. The administrative and territorial changes, the composition and number of Tatar settlements of the district by districts and village councils of the Tobolsk district of the Ural region are considered. It is revealed that the socio-economic and administrative transformations of the Soviet government dramatically affected the situation with the indigenous Tatar population of the district and Western Siberia as a whole. Earlier, based on the materials of the First General Census of 1897, we identified weak rates of entry of the Tatar population of Siberia into the all-Russian socio-economic system. When reviewing statistical materials from the first third of the twentieth century, as well as the reforms carried out by the new government, including the reform of zoning, it was revealed that due to the liquidation of the former estate and volost divisions, there is a significant intensification of the integration of the Tatar population into the new Soviet community.

Форпост КЛ – первый отечественный сорт ярового рапса, устойчивый к имидазолиноновым гербицидам

A spring rapeseed cultivar Forpost KL has been developed during the period of 2009–2019 by an individual selection method in F2 from ESI-No. 65/2009 × Luch hybrid combination. That was the first Russian spring rapeseed cultivar resistant to imidazolinone herbicides. In 2015–2019, in the competitive crop variety testing conducted in the All-Russian Research Rapeseed Institute, the cultivar Forpost KL exceeded the standard Rif on seed yield by 0.15 t/ha (by 7.6 %), on oil yield – by 0.07 t/ha, and its glucos-inolate content in seeds was lower by 2.6 µmol/g. Forpost KL has been included into the State Register of breeding achievements (Patent No. 12408) and approved for production in the North-West (2), Central (3), Volga-Vyatka (4), Central Black Earth (5), Middle Volga (7), Ural ( 9), West Siberian (10), and East Siberian (11) regions from 2022.

Impact of stratospheric variability on subseasonal temperature reversals during late winter over the mid-high latitudes of East Asia

Significant phase shifts in winter surface air temperature (SAT) anomalies have successively occurred in East Asia (EA) during recent years, leading to detrimental effects on socio-economic activities. In this study, we identify the fourth principal mode of month-to-month SAT variations over EA in winter (November–February) using the Season-reliant Empirical Orthogonal Function (S-EOF) analysis. The fourth S-EOF mode (S-EOF4) represents subseasonal SAT reversals over the mid-high latitudes of EA during late winter (January–February), with cold (warm) anomalies over Northeastern Asia in January and widespread warm (cold) anomalies over midlatitude EA in February. Results indicate that the cold-to-warm S-EOF4 is associated with a northward shift of the Siberian High in January and a quasi-barotropic low-pressure system over the Ural region in February. The formation of the S-EOF4 is accompanied by stratospheric temperature anomalies over eastern Siberia–Alaska in January. Stratospheric warming corresponds to cold-to-warm transitions over the mid-high latitudes of EA, and vice versa. Further investigation suggests that stratospheric warming would simultaneously lead to a weakened Arctic stratospheric polar vortex (SPV), which mainly stretches into Northern Eurasia and directly influences cold anomalies over Northeastern Asia in January. The delayed impact of stratospheric variability on the reversal of EA SAT anomalies is accomplished by an “ocean bridge” of the midlatitude North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly. The weakened SPV promotes anomalous westerly winds in the midlatitude North Atlantic and generates a significant SST cooling, which then regulates a cyclonic anomaly over the Ural region and results in warm anomalies over the midlatitude EA in February. The bridge role of the North Atlantic SST anomaly is well supported by a linear baroclinic model. In addition, the deepening of the Aleutian Low in December could significantly enhance the climatological wavenumber 1, serving as the tropospheric precursor of stratospheric warming. These findings contribute to an in-depth comprehension of EA subseasonal temperature variability, offering valuable insights for enhancing seasonal prediction strategies.

Targeted Observations on Arctic Sea Ice Concentration for Improving Extended‐Range Prediction of Ural Blocking

AbstractThe predictability of certain extreme weather events can exceed the traditional 2 weeks by considering the boundary conditions. Targeted observations in sensitive areas (SA) on Arctic sea ice concentration (SIC) can improve the extended‐range (4 pentads) forecast skills of long‐lasting and strong Ural blocking (UB). The SA are determined based on the SIC optimally growing boundary errors, obtained by the conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation method. The SA are mainly located in the Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Okhotsk Sea. The results of observing system simulation experiments for 8 UB cases indicate that the targeted observations can remarkably improve the prediction skills of UB in the fourth pentad. Targeted observations have a positive effect on 75% of 160 experiment members, reduce 35% forecast errors of the fourth pentad mean blocking index, and perform even better when the original forecast errors are greater. Further diagnosis shows that targeted observations contribute to more accurate SIC boundary conditions in the Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Okhotsk Sea and reduce temperature errors in the lower and middle troposphere. It further results in well‐described westerly winds in the Ural region and its adjacent regions, corresponding to the more skillful predictions of blocking circulations. The above results supply a theoretical base for the design of Arctic SIC observations and more skillful extended‐range predictions for mid‐latitude extreme weather.

Factors for the impact investing implementation: Assessing the macroregion's social environment development indicators

Subject. This article analyzes the differentiation of the Ural regions in terms of investment potential. Objectives. The article aims to rank the Ural regions to optimize the investment policy. Methods. For the study, I used a comparative analysis. Results. Based on the analysis of various factors of economic development, the article finds that in the Ural macroregion, the best conditions for the implementation of impact investing technologies have developed in the Sverdlovsk Oblast, and the worst ones appear to be in the Kurgan Oblast. The article offers the author-developed algorithm for assessing the investment potential of the region. Relevance. The proposed algorithm for assessing the investment potential of the region can be used to design economic development programmes for the medium term.

Priorities of social development of the Ural regions: Strategic and investment aspects

Subject. This article discusses the issues of strengthening the common economic space of Russia. Objectives. The article aims to compare strategic planning documents on priority areas of development of the Ural regions and analyze changes in socio-economic and demographic indicators. Methods. For the study, we used the general scientific research methods. Results. The article finds that the current conditions, characterized as turbulent, have not affected the forecasts for the dynamics of the target indicators enshrined in the strategies of socio-economic development of the Ural regions. The article substantiates the expediency of calculating the Capital-to-Labor Ratio indicator when analyzing the investment potential of the region. Relevance. The results of the study can be used to adjust the target indicators enshrined in strategic planning documents.

Genetic and Physiological Predictors of Bioenergetic Adaptation Skeletal Muscles in Athletes of Cyclic Sports

When performing maximum loads, an important criterion for assessing prospects is the achievement of the best result with the least metabolic changes in the body of athletes, which indicates the possibility of further increasing physical performance. The study of the mechanisms of energy supply and the reaction of body systems when testing performance under special conditions is one of the important conditions for the development of additional biochemical criteria for assessing the prospects of athletes. Purpose: To study genetic and physiological predictors of bioenergetic adaptation of skeletal muscles in athletes of cyclic sports. Methods: 76 athletes of cyclic sports (speed skating, running disciplines in track-and-field) of European origin who lived in the Southern Urals region took part in the study. The average age of the study participants was 22.1 ± 2.5 y.o. Experience in sports was at least 5 years. We used the Step One Real-Time PCR System (Applied Biosystems, USA) device for real-time polymerase chain reaction. The study of bio-energetic indicators of athletes' physical performance was carried out using the bicycle ergometry method (test with maximum load). Biochemical studies were carried out using a Lactate Scout Plus lactometer. Results: Significant differences were found in the ΔLa (%) indicator: in athletes with a dominant homozygous genotype R/R, lactate clearance during a 10-minute rest after performing a bicycle ergometer load is statistically significantly higher than in athletes with a recessive homozygous genotype X/X (20.14±12.74%, versus 11.11±3.12%; p<0.05). The major allele C (R) was associated with moderate and high lactate clearance (OR = 2.25 [95% CI: 0.99 – 5.11] and OR = 2.24 [95% CI: 0.91 – 5.51], respectively). At the same time, a statistically significant association was identified between the minor allele T(X) and the homozygous genotype TT (XX) with low lactate clearance (OR = 12.14 [95% CI: 1.30 – 13.55]). High values of lactate clearance indicate the utilization of lactate from peripheral blood and more efficient recovery processes in carriers of the major allele C (R). Conclusions: lactate clearance during a 10-minute rest period after a bicycle ergometer test with maximum load and DNA profiling of the ACTN3 gene rs1815739 can be recommended as significant physiological and genetic predictors of bioenergetic adaptation of skeletal muscles in cyclical sports athletes of Caucasian origin in the Southern Urals.

On locating Proto-Uralic

In recent years the debate regarding the Proto-Uralic homeland has again intensified. However, not all the relevant arguments have been considered thoroughly. Therefore, in the present article their validity and weight are evaluated. The article also develops further concepts and methodology for reconstruction of stages of Uralic, making it possible to compare Uralic stages to the Indo-Iranian loanword layers with higher resolution than before. As a result, the paper locates Late Proto-Uralic and successive stages in the Central Ural Region, matching the Koptyaki Culture (dated to the early 2nd millennium BCE) and its local predecessor.

ОТКЛИК ТЕМПЕРАТУРЫ ВОЗДУХА НА ПОВТОРЯЕМОСТЬ БЛОКИРОВАНИЯ В АТЛАНТИКО-ЕВРОАЗИАТСКОМ СЕКТОРЕ В ОСЕННЕ-ЗИМНИЙ ПЕРИОД

The changes in the response of air temperature to the variations in the instantaneous blocking frequency (IBF) (GHGS > 0) between the periods 1979-1999 and 2000-2020 are studied. Blocking patterns, which are the spatial distributions of the coefficients of correlation between the IBF and the 1000 hPa temperature field, are used as the main characteristic. The blocking frequency is calculated in ten longitudinal sectors in the eastern direction from the west of the North Atlantic region to the eastern borders of Siberia and the Pacific Ocean. It is found that blocking patterns moved northward over the Atlantic region (November, December, and February), the Ural region and Siberia (November, January, and February) in 2000-2020. In addition, they were characterized by more pronounced areas of negative correlations over Eurasia and North America as compared to 1979-1999. Along with the pronounced correlation pattern of the Atlantic region, the patterns of the Ural region and Western Siberia (U-WS) proved to be the most significant. It is assumed that the IBF variability over the U-WS sector is an important indicator of the development of the most significant blocking processes over Eurasia in terms of the temperature regime anomalies. The influence of U-WS blockings was the least noticeable in 2000-2020 for December and in 1979-1999 for January, when the response of the temperature field to the blocking changes was similar to the response of the negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation.