The Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus

A strategy for European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EARLINET) correlative measurements for Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) has been developed. These EARLINET correlative measurements started in June 2006 and are still in progress. Up to now, more than 4500 correlative files are available in the EARLINET database. Independent extinction and backscatter measurements carried out at high‐performance EARLINET stations have been used for a quantitative comparison with CALIPSO level 1 data. Results demonstrate the good performance of CALIPSO and the absence of evident biases in the CALIPSO raw signals. The agreement is also good for the distribution of the differences for the attenuated backscatter at 532 nm ((CALIPSO‐EARLINET)/EARLINET (%)), calculated in the 1–10 km altitude range, with a mean relative difference of 4.6%, a standard deviation of 50%, and a median value of 0.6%. A major Saharan dust outbreak lasting from 26 to 31 May 2008 has been used as a case study for showing first results in terms of comparison with CALIPSO level 2 data. A statistical analysis of dust properties, in terms of intensive optical properties (lidar ratios, Ångström exponents, and color ratios), has been performed for this observational period. We obtained typical lidar ratios of the dust event of 49 ± 10 sr and 56 ± 7 sr at 355 and 532 nm, respectively. The extinction‐related and backscatter‐related Ångström exponents were on the order of 0.15–0.17, which corresponds to respective color ratios of 0.91–0.95. This dust event has been used to show the methodology used for the investigation of spatial and temporal representativeness of measurements with polar‐orbiting satellites.

The Slavic branch of the Balto-Slavic sub-family of Indo-European languages underwent rapid divergence as a result of the spatial expansion of its speakers from Central-East Europe, in early medieval times. This expansion-mainly to East Europe and the northern Balkans-resulted in the incorporation of genetic components from numerous autochthonous populations into the Slavic gene pools. Here, we characterize genetic variation in all extant ethnic groups speaking Balto-Slavic languages by analyzing mitochondrial DNA (n = 6,876), Y-chromosomes (n = 6,079) and genome-wide SNP profiles (n = 296), within the context of other European populations. We also reassess the phylogeny of Slavic languages within the Balto-Slavic branch of Indo-European. We find that genetic distances among Balto-Slavic populations, based on autosomal and Y-chromosomal loci, show a high correlation (0.9) both with each other and with geography, but a slightly lower correlation (0.7) with mitochondrial DNA and linguistic affiliation. The data suggest that genetic diversity of the present-day Slavs was predominantly shaped in situ, and we detect two different substrata: 'central-east European' for West and East Slavs, and 'south-east European' for South Slavs. A pattern of distribution of segments identical by descent between groups of East-West and South Slavs suggests shared ancestry or a modest gene flow between those two groups, which might derive from the historic spread of Slavic people.

We present a new scheme for an optical resonator for production of Bessel and Bessel-Gauss light beams. The resonator with Bessel modes is composed of two plane mirrors with an axicon placed close to one of them. If this mirror is concave, the modes are Bessel-Gauss light beams. Analytical expressions relating parameters of the resonator and characteristics of its modes are obtained and analyzed. The results are verified with the Fox-Li algorithm. The resonator scheme was implemented in an experiment to confirm the possibility of the generation of zero-order Bessel beams. It was found that multipass modes can also oscillate in the resonator if its apertures are large enough.

The introduction of pottery vessels to Europe has long been seen as closely linked with the spread of agriculture and pastoralism from the Near East. The adoption of pottery technology by hunter-gatherers in Northern and Eastern Europe does not fit this paradigm, and its role within these communities is so far unresolved. To investigate the motivations for hunter-gatherer pottery use, here, we present the systematic analysis of the contents of 528 early vessels from the Baltic Sea region, mostly dating to the late 6th-5th millennium cal BC, using molecular and isotopic characterization techniques. The results demonstrate clear sub-regional trends in the use of ceramics by hunter-gatherers; aquatic resources in the Eastern Baltic, non-ruminant animal fats in the Southeastern Baltic, and a more variable use, including ruminant animal products, in the Western Baltic, potentially including dairy. We found surprisingly little evidence for the use of ceramics for non-culinary activities, such as the production of resins. We attribute the emergence of these sub-regional cuisines to the diffusion of new culinary ideas afforded by the adoption of pottery, e.g. cooking and combining foods, but culturally contextualized and influenced by traditional practices.

ISSUES: The last Soviet anti-alcohol campaign of 1985 resulted in considerably reduced alcohol consumption and saved thousands of lives. But once the campaign's policies were abandoned and the Soviet alcohol monopoly broken up, a steep rise in mortality was observed in many of the newly formed successor countries, although some kept their monopolies. Almost 30 years after the campaign's end, the region faces diverse challenges in relation to alcohol. APPROACH: The present narrative review sheds light on recent drinking trends and alcohol policy developments in the 15 Former Soviet Union (FSU) countries, highlighting the most important setbacks, achievements and best practices. Vignettes of alcohol control policies in Belarus, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania and Uzbekistan are presented to illustrate the recent developments. KEY FINDINGS: Over the past decade, drinking levels have declined in almost all FSU countries, paralleled by the introduction of various alcohol-control measures. The so-called three 'best buys' put forward by the World Health Organization to reduce alcohol-attributable burden (taxation and other measures to increase price, restrictions on alcohol availability and marketing) are relatively well implemented across the countries. IMPLICATIONS: In recent years, evidence-based alcohol policies have been actively implemented as a response to the enormous alcohol-attributable burden in many of the countries, although there is big variance across and within different jurisdictions. CONCLUSION: Strong declines in alcohol consumption were observed in the 15 FSU countries, which have introduced various alcohol control measures in recent years, resulting in a reduction of alcohol consumption in the World Health Organization European region overall.

Human history has been shaped by global dispersals of technologies, although understanding of what enabled these processes is limited. Here, we explore the behavioural mechanisms that led to the emergence of pottery among hunter-gatherer communities in Europe during the mid-Holocene. Through radiocarbon dating, we propose this dispersal occurred at a far faster rate than previously thought. Chemical characterization of organic residues shows that European hunter-gatherer pottery had a function structured around regional culinary practices rather than environmental factors. Analysis of the forms, decoration and technological choices suggests that knowledge of pottery spread through a process of cultural transmission. We demonstrate a correlation between the physical properties of pots and how they were used, reflecting social traditions inherited by successive generations of hunter-gatherers. Taken together the evidence supports kinship-driven, super-regional communication networks that existed long before other major innovations such as agriculture, writing, urbanism or metallurgy.

Abstract The present phylogeographic pattern of red deer in Eurasia is not only a result of the contraction of their distribution range into glacial refugia and postglacial expansion, but probably also an effect of replacement of some red deer s.l. mtDNA lineages by others during the last 50 000 years. To better recognize this process, we analysed 501 sequences of mtDNA cytochrome b, including 194 ancient and 75 contemporary samples newly obtained for this study. The inclusion of 161 radiocarbon-dated samples enabled us to study the phylogeny in a temporal context and conduct divergence-time estimation and molecular dating. Depending on methodology, our estimate of divergence between Cervus elaphus and Cervus canadensis varied considerably (370 000 or 1.37 million years BP, respectively). The divergence times of genetic lineages and haplogroups corresponded to large environmental changes associated with stadials and interstadials of the Late Pleistocene. Due to the climatic oscillations, the distribution of C. elaphus and C. canadensis fluctuated in north–south and east–west directions. Some haplotypes dated to pre-Last Glacial Maximum periods were not detected afterwards, representing possibly extinct populations. We indicated with a high probability the presence of red deer sensu lato in south-eastern Europe and western Asia during the Last Glacial Maximum.

Abstract Aim The Expansion‐Contraction model has been used to explain the responses of species to climatic changes. During periods of unfavourable climatic conditions, species retreat to refugia from where they may later expand. This paper focuses on the palaeoecology of red deer over the past 54 ka across Europe and the Urals, to reveal patterns of change in their range and explore the role of environmental conditions in determining their distribution. Location Europe and western Asia to 63°E. Taxon Red deer ( Cervus elaphus ). Methods We collected 984 records of radiocarbon‐dated red deer subfossils from the Late Pleistocene and the Holocene, including 93 original dates. For each deer sample we compiled climatic and biome type data for the corresponding time intervals. Results During the last 54 ka changes in red deer range in Europe and the Urals were asynchronous and differed between western and eastern Europe and western Asia due to different environmental conditions in those regions. The range of suitable areas for deer during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) was larger than previously thought and covered vast regions not only in southern but also in western and eastern Europe. Throughout the period investigated the majority of specimens inhabited forests in the temperate climatic zone. The contribution of forests in deer localities significantly decreased during the last 4 ka, due to deforestation of Europe caused by humans. Mean January temperature was the main limiting factor for species distribution. Over 90% of the samples were found in areas where mean January temperature was above −10°C. Main conclusions Red deer response to climatic oscillations are in agreement with the Expansion‐Contraction model but in contradiction to the statement of only the southernmost LGM refugia of the species. During the last 54 ka red deer occurred mostly in forests of the temperate climatic zone.

Using the Weiss method of truncated singular expansions, we construct an explicit Backlund transformation of the Drinfeld-Sokolov-Satsuma-Hirota system into itself. Then we find all the special solutions generated by this transformation from the trivial zero solution of this system.

The general arguments that any interacting nonconformal classical field theory in de Sitter space leads to the possibility of constructing a perpetuum mobile is given. The arguments are based on the observation that massive free falling particles can radiate other massive particles on the classical level as seen by the free falling observer. The intensity of the radiation process is not zero even for particles with any finite mass, i.e., with a wavelength which is within causal domain. Hence, we conclude that either de Sitter space cannot exist eternally or that one can build a perpetuum mobile.

Abstract Attenuated total reflection‐Fourier transform‐infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FT‐IR) analysis of 100 adhesive samples from different prehistoric composite artefacts, pottery, and amorphous lumps across Eastern Europe and Urals were conducted with the aim to establish a fast analytical screening method for adhesive assignment. The ATR‐FT‐IR analysis allowed the identification of major chemical components of the adhesive samples that were assigned to three main groups: birch bark tar without major additives, birch bark tar with additives, and minor/non‐birch bark tar samples. ATR‐FT‐IR spectra were further analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA)‐based discriminant analysis (DA) that allowed additional refinement of adhesive classifications. The ATR‐FT‐IR results and the DA classification were confirmed by analyzing a selection of samples with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Results demonstrate that ATR‐FT‐IR coupled with DA classification allows fast and reliable preliminary identification of the major components in archaeological adhesives and their further classification. As such it is a considerable and faster alternative to more laborious GC–MS analysis, especially in the case of very small samples.

The classical solution of the first mixed problem for a second-order hyperbolic equation with variable coefficients in the case of two independent variables in a curvilinear half-strip is considered. The existence and uniqueness of the classical solution under specific smoothness and matching conditions for given functions are proved. A method is proposed for constructing the solution using the method of sequential approximations for a system of integral equations of the second kind.

The paper presents selected problems of the coexistence of chronic pain and depression. It has been assumed that chronic pain and depression make two separate ailments that often coexist. The phenomenon of the coexistence of physical symptoms (including pain) and depression have been widely popularised. Over 65% of patients with pain ailments suffer from depression that is often undiagnosed. The therapists specify this phenomenon as a “closed circle”, as it is not known what the beginning of its appearance was. On one hand, pain often hides the symptoms of depression so effectively that its recognition by a physician seems impossible; on the other, it is known that chronic pain causes continual lowering of mood and depression that increases pain ailments. Moreover, the existence of common neurobiological mechanisms makes depression and pain escalate mutually.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Belarus is among the countries that have very high alcohol consumption levels, and that suffer from a huge burden of excessive drinking. This paper aims to explore the peculiarities of the alcohol control policies implemented in Belarus, and to link these policies to the trends in alcohol consumption and mortality. DATA AND METHODS: Our narrative review of alcohol policies and anti-alcohol measures is based on the laws, directives and other official documents issued by Belarusian authorities since the early 1990s. The data on alcohol consumption and other relevant variables originate from official statistical books. Our analysis of mortality trends is based upon official statistical tables by causes of death. RESULTS: Despite the large number of government policy initiatives that authorities claimed were controlling the problem, alcohol consumption in Belarus grew rapidly up to 2010, when it reached the highest level in the world. This negative trend can be largely attributed to inconsistent alcohol control policies. In particular, the implementation of excise taxes encouraged the manufacturing of inexpensive fortified fruit wines. Additionally, measures designed to raise the price of alcohol were inadequate, resulting in strong alcoholic drinks (e.g. vodka) becoming more affordable. However, the third anti-alcohol campaign, which was launched in 2011, led to declines in both alcohol consumption and alcohol-related mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Belarus has acquired the experience and the legislative foundation needed to implement effective alcohol control polices. To further reduce alcohol-related harm in Belarus, a steady and consistent long-term policy perspective is required.

Geographic variation in suicide rates is thought to be the result of interactions between two major components: the social organization combined with cultural tradition and biological or genetic factors. The present study examined regional patterns of suicide rates in European Russia. Our study looked at ethnic and national formations with respect to suicide patterns. The results indicated that the suicide rates vary greatly among the regions of the Russian Federation, with suicides more common in the northern regions of European Russia than in the south of the country. The south and north gradient of suicide distributions in Russia resemble that of other European countries. Throughout the Middle ages the north and northwest territory of present-day Russia has been an area of intensive interethnic contacts between the Old Slavs, which have colonized this territory, and native people of Finno-Ugrian and Baltic origin. The results indicated that the historical prevalence of the Finno-Ugrian component in the north of the country has possibly led to its higher suicide rate.

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction The Lake Baikal Paleoclimate Record Climaticaly-Driven Sedimentation in Lake Baikal Materials and Methods Results Discussion Conclusions

9-(3-Deoxy-beta-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)-2,6-diaminopurine (2) was synthesized by an enzymatic transglycosylation of 2,6-diaminopurine using 3'-deoxycytidine (1) as a donor of the sugar moiety. Nucleoside 2 was transformed to 3'-deoxy guanosine (3), 9-(3-deoxy-beta-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)-2-amino-6-oxopurine (3'-deoxyisoguanosine; 4), and 9-(3-deoxy-beta-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)-2-fluoroadenine (5). Compounds 2-5 were evaluated for their anti-HIV activity.

New second-order accurate monotone difference schemes on nonuniform spatial grids for two-dimensional stationary and nonstationary convection–diffusion equations are proposed. The monotonicity and stability of the solutions of the computational methods with respect to the boundary conditions, the initial condition, and the right-hand side are proved. Two-sided and corresponding a priori estimates are obtained in the grid norm of C. The convergence of the proposed algorithms to the solution of the original differential problem with the second order is proved.

Abstract Temperature significantly impacts bacterial physiology, metabolism and cell chemistry. In this study, we analysed lipids and the total cellular biochemical profile of 74 fast‐growing Antarctic bacteria grown at different temperatures. Fatty acid diversity and temperature‐induced alterations aligned with bacterial classification—Gram‐groups, phylum, genus and species. Total lipid content, varied from 4% to 19% of cell dry weight, was genus‐ and species‐specific. Most bacteria increased lipid content at lower temperatures. The effect of temperature on the profile was complex and more species‐specific, while some common for all bacteria responses were recorded. Gram‐negative bacteria adjusted unsaturation and acyl chain length. Gram‐positive bacteria adjusted methyl branching (anteiso‐/iso‐), chain length and unsaturation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed Gram‐, genus‐ and species‐specific changes in the total cellular biochemical profile triggered by temperature fluctuations. The most significant temperature‐related alterations detected on all taxonomy levels were recorded for mixed region 1500–900 cm −1 , specifically the band at 1083 cm −1 related to phosphodiester groups mainly from phospholipids (for Gram‐negative bacteria) and teichoic/lipoteichoic acids (for Gram‐positive bacteria). Some changes in protein region were detected for a few genera, while the lipid region remained relatively stable despite the temperature fluctuations.

Measuring the characteristics of seawater constituent is in great demand for studies of marine ecosystems and biogeochemistry. However, existing techniques based on remote sensing or in situ samplings present various tradeoffs with regard to the diversity, synchronism, temporal-spatial resolution, and depth-resolved capacity of their data products. Here, we demonstrate a novel oceanic triple-field-of-view (FOV) high-spectral-resolution lidar (HSRL) with an iterative retrieval approach. This technique provides, for the first time, comprehensive, continuous, and vertical measurements of seawater absorption coefficient, scattering coefficient, and slope of particle size distribution, which are validated by simulations and field experiments. Furthermore, it depicts valuable application potentials in the accuracy improvement of seawater classification and the continuous estimation of depth-resolved particulate organic carbon export. The triple-FOV HSRL with high performance could greatly increase the knowledge of seawater constituents and promote the understanding of marine ecosystems and biogeochemistry.