Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center

This paper introduces a new soil dielectric model in the microwave band offering variation over a wide range of soil moisture, texture, mineral content, and wave frequency. The soil dielectric models commonly used in microwave remote sensing algorithms rarely apply intrinsic bound soil water (BSW) dielectric properties. However, models incorporating these properties could offer additional applicability and accuracy. This paper describes a technique developed for estimating the complex dielectric constant (CDC) for both the BSW and the free soil water (FSW) as separate water constituents present in moist soil. For this purpose, it has been shown that there exist two specific soil moisture regions where alteration in soil dielectric property is generated, exclusively, by either BSW or FSW increments, with their CDCs being constant values. The CDCs of the BSW and FSW are derived through straight line fitting with the help of a measured soil complex refractive index (CRI) as a function of moisture. The term CRI is understood here as a square root of the CDC. In order to distinguish between the two moisture regions, the maximum bound water fraction (MBWF) parameter was introduced, which also can be obtained through straight line fitting, using measured CRIs as a function of moisture over both specific moisture regions. Thus, obtained fittings are known in the literature as the refractive mixing dielectric model (RMDM). Finally, a method for deducing the Debye relaxation parameters for both types of soil water was proposed, with their CDCs being input parameters. It was shown that the soil water CDCs measured only at two frequencies are sufficient for deriving the Debye relaxation parameters. A set of equations representing the RMDM, the Debye formula, and the formulas proposed for deriving the Debye relaxation parameters is designated as the generalized refractive mixing dielectric model (GRMDM). In contrast to all previously known soil dielectric models, the GRMDM allows for CDC prediction beyond the frequency range where the initial soil CDC data are acquired.

Scheelite related alkali-metal rare-earth double molybdate compounds with a general formula of ALn(MoO4)2 can find wide application as red phosphors. The crystal chemistry and luminescence properties of red-emitting CsGd1-xEux(MoO4)2 solid-solution phosphors have been evaluated in the present paper. A detailed analysis of the structural properties indicates the formation of isostructural scheelite-type CsGd1-xEux(MoO4)2 solid-solutions over the composition range of 0 ≤ x ≤ 1. The photoluminescence emission (PL) and excitation (PLE) spectra, and the decay curves were measured for this series of compounds. The critical doping concentration of Eu(3+) is determined to be x = 0.6 in order to realize the maximum emission intensity. The emission spectra of the as-obtained CsGd(1-x)Eux(MoO4)2 phosphors show narrow high intensity red lines at 592 and 615 nm upon excitation at 394 or 465 nm, revealing great potential for applications in white light-emitting diode devices.

The widespread salinisation of freshwater ecosystems poses a major threat to the biodiversity, functioning, and services that they provide. Human activities promote freshwater salinisation through multiple drivers (e.g., agriculture, resource extraction, urbanisation) that are amplified by climate change. Due to its complexity, we are still far from fully understanding the ecological and evolutionary consequences of freshwater salinisation. Here, we assess current research gaps and present a research agenda to guide future studies. We identified different gaps in taxonomic groups, levels of biological organisation, and geographic regions. We suggest focusing on global- and landscape-scale processes, functional approaches, genetic and molecular levels, and eco-evolutionary dynamics as key future avenues to predict the consequences of freshwater salinisation for ecosystems and human societies.

Bioluminescence is found across the entire tree of life, conferring a spectacular set of visually oriented functions from attracting mates to scaring off predators. Half a dozen different luciferins, molecules that emit light when enzymatically oxidized, are known. However, just one biochemical pathway for luciferin biosynthesis has been described in full, which is found only in bacteria. Here, we report identification of the fungal luciferase and three other key enzymes that together form the biosynthetic cycle of the fungal luciferin from caffeic acid, a simple and widespread metabolite. Introduction of the identified genes into the genome of the yeast Pichia pastoris along with caffeic acid biosynthesis genes resulted in a strain that is autoluminescent in standard media. We analyzed evolution of the enzymes of the luciferin biosynthesis cycle and found that fungal bioluminescence emerged through a series of events that included two independent gene duplications. The retention of the duplicated enzymes of the luciferin pathway in nonluminescent fungi shows that the gene duplication was followed by functional sequence divergence of enzymes of at least one gene in the biosynthetic pathway and suggests that the evolution of fungal bioluminescence proceeded through several closely related stepping stone nonluminescent biochemical reactions with adaptive roles. The availability of a complete eukaryotic luciferin biosynthesis pathway provides several applications in biomedicine and bioengineering.

BACKGROUND: Plant mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) can be structurally complex while their size can vary from ~ 222 Kbp in Brassica napus to 11.3 Mbp in Silene conica. To date, in comparison with the number of plant species, only a few plant mitogenomes have been sequenced and released, particularly for conifers (the Pinaceae family). Conifers cover an ancient group of land plants that includes about 600 species, and which are of great ecological and economical value. Among them, Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) represents one of the keystone species in Siberian boreal forests. Yet, despite its importance for evolutionary and population studies, the mitogenome of Siberian larch has not yet been assembled and studied. RESULTS: Two sources of DNA sequences were used to search for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences: mtDNA enriched samples and nucleotide reads generated in the de novo whole genome sequencing project, respectively. The assembly of the Siberian larch mitogenome contained nine contigs, with the shortest and the largest contigs being 24,767 bp and 4,008,762 bp, respectively. The total size of the genome was estimated at 11.7 Mbp. In total, 40 protein-coding, 34 tRNA, and 3 rRNA genes and numerous repetitive elements (REs) were annotated in this mitogenome. In total, 864 C-to-U RNA editing sites were found for 38 out of 40 protein-coding genes. The immense size of this genome, currently the largest reported, can be partly explained by variable numbers of mobile genetic elements, and introns, but unlikely by plasmid-related sequences. We found few plasmid-like insertions representing only 0.11% of the entire Siberian larch mitogenome. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the size of the Siberian larch mitogenome is much larger than in other so far studied Gymnosperms, and in the same range as for the annual flowering plant Silene conica (11.3 Mbp). Similar to other species, the Siberian larch mitogenome contains relatively few genes, and despite its huge size, the repeated and low complexity regions cover only 14.46% of the mitogenome sequence.

We contend that the exclusive focus on the English language in scientific research might hinder effective communication between scientists and practitioners or policy makers whose mother tongue is non-English. This barrier in scientific knowledge and data transfer likely leads to significant knowledge gaps and may create biases when providing global patterns in many fields of science. To demonstrate this, we compiled data on the global economic costs of invasive alien species reported in 15 non-English languages. We compared it with equivalent data from English documents (i.e., the InvaCost database, the most up-to-date repository of invasion costs globally). The comparison of both databases (~7500 entries in total) revealed that non-English sources: (i) capture a greater amount of data than English sources alone (2500 vs. 2396 cost entries respectively); (ii) add 249 invasive species and 15 countries to those reported by English literature, and (iii) increase the global cost estimate of invasions by 16.6% (i.e., US$ 214 billion added to 1.288 trillion estimated from the English database). Additionally, 2712 cost entries - not directly comparable to the English database - were directly obtained from practitioners, revealing the value of communication between scientists and practitioners. Moreover, we demonstrated how gaps caused by overlooking non-English data resulted in significant biases in the distribution of costs across space, taxonomic groups, types of cost, and impacted sectors. Specifically, costs from Europe, at the local scale, and particularly pertaining to management, were largely under-represented in the English database. Thus, combining scientific data from English and non-English sources proves fundamental and enhances data completeness. Considering non-English sources helps alleviate biases in understanding invasion costs at a global scale. Finally, it also holds strong potential for improving management performance, coordination among experts (scientists and practitioners), and collaborative actions across countries. Note: non-English versions of the abstract and figures are provided in Appendix S5 in 12 languages.

Lung cancer is a malignant lung tumor with various histological variants that arise from different cell types, such as bronchial epithelium, bronchioles, alveoli, or bronchial mucous glands. The clinical course and treatment efficacy of lung cancer depends on the histological variant of the tumor. Therefore, accurate identification of the histological type of cancer and respective protein biomarkers is crucial for adequate therapy. Due to the great diversity in the molecular-biological features of lung cancer histological types, detection is impossible without knowledge of the nature and origin of malignant cells, which release certain protein biomarkers into the bloodstream. To date, different panels of biomarkers are used for screening. Unfortunately, a uniform serum biomarker composition capable of distinguishing lung cancer types is yet to be discovered. As such, histological analyses of tumor biopsies and immunohistochemistry are the most frequently used methods for establishing correct diagnoses. Here, we discuss the recent advances in conventional and prospective aptamer based strategies for biomarker discovery. Aptamers like artificial antibodies can serve as molecular recognition elements for isolation detection and search of novel tumor-associated markers. Here we will describe how these small synthetic single stranded oligonucleotides can be used for lung cancer biomarker discovery and utilized for accurate diagnosis and targeted therapy. Furthermore, we describe the most frequently used in-clinic and novel lung cancer biomarkers, which suggest to have the ability of differentiating between histological types of lung cancer and defining metastasis rate.

The two widely accepted mechanisms of the insulator-metal Mott--Hubbard transitions which have been considered up until now are driven by the band-filling or bandwidth effects. We found a different mechanism of the Mott--Hubbard insulator-metal transition, which is controlled instead by the changes in the Mott--Hubbard energy $U$. In contrast to the changes in the bandwidth $W$ in the ``bandwidth control'' scenario or to the variations of the band-filling $n$ parameter in the ``band-filling'' scenario, a dramatic decrease in the Mott--Hubbard energy $U$ plays the key role in this mechanism. We have experimentally observed this type of the insulator metal transition in the transition metal oxide $\mathrm{Bi}\mathrm{Fe}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$. The decrease in the Mott--Hubbard energy is caused by the high-spin--low-spin crossover in the electronic $d$ shell of $3d$ transition metal ion ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{3+}$ with ${d}^{5}$ configuration under high pressure. The pressure-induced spin crossover in $\mathrm{Bi}\mathrm{Fe}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ was investigated and confirmed by synchrotron x-ray diffraction, nuclear forward scattering, and x-ray emission methods. The insulator-metal transition at the same pressures was found by the optical absorption and dc resistivity measurements.

The layer perovskite-like structures of the so-called Ruddlesden-Popper phases have been analyzed in terms of crystal chemistry. The geometrical boundaries of the existence ranges of these compounds with multilayer stacks are determined and new phases of this type are predicted. The possible variants of related structures are also considered.

Magnetoelectric interactions have been investigated in a single crystal of gadolinium iron borate GdFe3(BO3)4, whose macroscopic symmetry is characterized by the crystal class 32. Using the results of this study, the interplay of magnetic and electric orderings occurring in the system has been experimentally revealed and theoretically substantiated. The electric polarization and magnetostriction of this material that arise in spin-reorientation transitions induced by a magnetic field have been investigated experimentally. For H ‖ c and H ⊥ c, H-T phase diagrams have been constructed, and a strict correlation between the changes in the magnetoelectric and magnetoelastic properties in the observed phase transitions has been ascertained. A mechanism of specific noncollinear antiferroelectric ordering at the structural phase transition point was proposed to interpret the magnetoelectric behavior of the system within the framework of the symmetry approach in the entire temperature range. This ordering provides the conservation of the crystal class of the system when the temperature decreases to the antiferroelectric ordering point. The expressions that have been obtained for the magnetoelectric and magnetoelastic energy describe reasonably well the behavior of gadolinium iron borate observed experimentally.

Complex experimental and theoretical investigations of the magnetic, magnetoelectric, and magnetoelastic properties of neodymium iron borate NdFe3(BO3)4 along various crystallographic directions have been carried out in strong pulsed magnetic fields up to 230 kOe in a temperature range of 4.2–50 K. It has been found that neodymium iron borate, as well as gadolinium iron borate, is a multiferroic. It has a much larger (above 300 μC/m2) electric polarization controlled by the magnetic field and giant quadratic magnetoelectric effect. The exchange field between the rare-earth and iron subsystems (∼50 kOe) has been determined for the first time from experimental data. The theoretical analysis based on the magnetic symmetry and quantum properties of the Nd ion in the crystal provides an explanation of the unusual behavior of the magnetoelectric and magnetoelastic properties of neodymium iron borate in strong magnetic fields and correlation observed between them.

Abstract Globally, lake surface water temperatures have warmed rapidly relative to air temperatures, but changes in deepwater temperatures and vertical thermal structure are still largely unknown. We have compiled the most comprehensive data set to date of long-term (1970–2009) summertime vertical temperature profiles in lakes across the world to examine trends and drivers of whole-lake vertical thermal structure. We found significant increases in surface water temperatures across lakes at an average rate of + 0.37 °C decade −1 , comparable to changes reported previously for other lakes, and similarly consistent trends of increasing water column stability (+ 0.08 kg m −3 decade −1 ). In contrast, however, deepwater temperature trends showed little change on average (+ 0.06 °C decade −1 ), but had high variability across lakes, with trends in individual lakes ranging from − 0.68 °C decade −1 to + 0.65 °C decade −1 . The variability in deepwater temperature trends was not explained by trends in either surface water temperatures or thermal stability within lakes, and only 8.4% was explained by lake thermal region or local lake characteristics in a random forest analysis. These findings suggest that external drivers beyond our tested lake characteristics are important in explaining long-term trends in thermal structure, such as local to regional climate patterns or additional external anthropogenic influences.

Complex cobalt oxides known as cobaltites are reviewed, including LnCoO3-based perovskite-structured rare-earth cobaltites (where Ln is lanthanum or a lanthanide), quasi-two-dimensional and quasi-one-dimensional cobaltites of the types LnCo2O5+?, La2CoO4, and Ca3Co2O8, and NaxCoO2 ? yH2O superconducting compounds. Key experimental and theoretical results are presented, with emphasis on the interplay between charge, spin, and orbital degrees of freedom. Two problems of specific relevance to cobaltites ? the spin state instability of Co3+ ions in LnCoO3, and the nature of superconductivity in NaxCoO2 ? yH2O ? are also given significant attention.

Abstract Riboflavin (Rf) is a vitamin and endogenous photosensitizer capable to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) under UV-blue irradiation and kill cancer cells, which are characterized by the enhanced uptake of Rf. We confirmed its phototoxicity on human breast adenocarcinoma cells SK-BR-3 preincubated with 30-μM Rf and irradiated with ultraviolet light, and proved that such Rf concentrations (60 μM) are attainable in vivo in tumour site by systemic intravascular injection. In order to extend the Rf photosensitization depth in cancer tissue to 6 mm in depth, we purpose-designed core/shell upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs, NaYF 4 :Yb 3+ :Tm 3+ /NaYF 4 ) capable to convert 2% of the deeply-penetrating excitation at 975 nm to ultraviolet-blue power. This power was expended to photosensitise Rf and kill SK-BR-3 cells preincubated with UCNPs and Rf, where the UCNP-Rf energy transfer was photon-mediated with ~14% Förster process contribution. SK-BR-3 xenograft regression in mice was observed for 50 days, following the Rf-UCNPs peritumoural injection and near-infrared light photodynamic treatment of the lesions.

This review is part of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) report on Europe and Central Asia (ECA) and provides a critical assessment of issues facing decision-makers, including freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem trends as well as drivers of change. Freshwater systems are well established as the most threatened ecosystem type in the ECA region, with the quantity and quality of habitats and abundance of many species rapidly declining. Only about half (53%) of the EU's rivers and lakes achieved good ecological status in 2015 (as defined by the Water Framework Directive in terms of the quality of the biological community), and many lakes, ponds, and streams are disappearing as a consequence of agricultural intensification and inefficient irrigation and urbanisation, combined with climate change. The situation regarding freshwater biodiversity remains highly critical in ECA as many species remain threatened with extinction, including >50% of known species for some groups (e.g., molluscs, amphibians). Drivers of ECA freshwater taxa include the destruction or modification of their habitat, including water abstraction, which affects ∼89% of all amphibian threatened species and ∼26% of threatened freshwater invertebrate species. Of particular concern is the lack of data for freshwater invertebrates. Current status is available for only a minority of species, and the impact of alien invasive species is often unknown, especially in Central Asia. Based on current freshwater biodiversity trends, it is highly unlikely that ECA will achieve either the respective Aichi biodiversity targets by 2020 (i.e., targets 2 to 4, 6 to 12, and 14) or Target 1 of the Biodiversity Strategy.

Essential oils are volatile oil-like liquids with a characteristic strong smell and taste. They are formed in plants and are then extracted. Essential oils have extremely strong physiological and pharmacological properties, which are used in the medicine, cosmetics, and food industries. In this study, the molecules caryophyllene oxide, β-pinene, 1,8-cineol, α-cubebene, and β-caryophyllene, which are the molecules with the highest contents in the essential oil of the plant mentioned in the title, were selected and theoretical calculations describing their interactions with water were performed. Because oil–water mixtures are very important in biology and industry and are ubiquitous in nature, quantum chemical calculations for binary mixtures of water with caryophyllene oxide, β-pinene, 1,8-cineol, α-cubebene, and β-caryophyllene were performed using the density functional theory (DFT)/B3LYP method with a basis of 6–31 G (d, p). Molecular structures, HOMO–LUMO energies, electronic properties, reactivity (ELF, LOL, and Fukui), and NCI-RDG and molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) on surfaces of the main components of Phlomis bruguieri Desf. essential oil were calculated and described.

Bioluminescent fungi are spread throughout the globe, but details on their mechanism of light emission are still scarce. Usually, the process involves three key components: an oxidizable luciferin substrate, a luciferase enzyme, and a light emitter, typically oxidized luciferin, and called oxyluciferin. We report the structure of fungal oxyluciferin, investigate the mechanism of fungal bioluminescence, and describe the use of simple synthetic α-pyrones as luciferins to produce multicolor enzymatic chemiluminescence. A high-energy endoperoxide is proposed as an intermediate of the oxidation of the native luciferin to the oxyluciferin, which is a pyruvic acid adduct of caffeic acid. Luciferase promiscuity allows the use of simple α-pyrones as chemiluminescent substrates.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are rare cells and valuable clinical markers of prognosis of metastasis formation and prediction of patient survival. Most CTC analyses are based on the antibody-based detection of a few epithelial markers; therefore miss an important portion of mesenchymal cancer cells circulating in blood. In this work, we selected and identified DNA aptamers as specific affinity probes that bind to lung adenocarcinoma cells derived from postoperative tissues. The unique feature of our selection strategy is that aptamers are produced for lung cancer cell biomarkers in their native state and conformation without previous knowledge of the biomarkers. The aptamers did not bind to normal lung cells and lymphocytes, and had very low affinity to A549 lung adenocarcinoma culture. We applied these aptamers to detect CTCs, apoptotic bodies, and microemboli in clinical samples of peripheral blood of lung cancer and metastatic lung cancer patients. We identified aptamer-associated protein biomarkers for lung cancer such as vimentin, annexin A2, annexin A5, histone 2B, neutrophil defensin, and clusterin. Tumor-specific aptamers can be produced for individual patients and synthesized many times during anticancer therapy, thereby opening up the possibility of personalized diagnostics.

Humans who eat fish are exposed to mixtures of healthful nutrients and harmful contaminants that are influenced by environmental and ecological factors. Marine fisheries are composed of a multitude of species with varying life histories, and harvested in oceans, coastal waters and estuaries where environmental and ecological conditions determine fish exposure to both nutrients and contaminants. Many of these nutrients and contaminants are thought to influence similar health outcomes (i.e., neurological, cardiovascular, immunological systems). Therefore, our understanding of the risks and benefits of consuming seafood require balanced assessments of contaminants and nutrients found in fish and shellfish. In this paper, we review some of the reported benefits of fish consumption with a focus on the potential hazards of mercury exposure, and compare the environmental variability of fish oils, selenium and mercury in fish. A major scientific gap identified is that fish tissue concentrations are rarely measured for both contaminants and nutrients across a range of species and geographic regions. Interpreting the implications of seafood for human health will require a better understanding of these multiple exposures, particularly as environmental conditions in the oceans change.

A giant magnetoelectric polarization is found in HoAl${}_{3}$(BO${}_{3}$)${}_{4}$. The polarization in transverse field geometry at 70 kOe reaches 3600 $\ensuremath{\mu} \mathrm{C}/{\mathrm{m}}^{2}$, which is significantly higher than reported values of linear magnetoelectric or even multiferroic compounds. The magnetostrictive effect is also measured and compared with the magnetoelectricity. The results show that spin-lattice coupling in HoAl${}_{3}$(BO${}_{3}$)${}_{4}$ is extremely strong and that the magnetic field causes a large polar distortion of the ionic positions in the unit cell.