Ussuriysk Astrophysical Observatory

The article presents a case of duplication of the inferior vena cava detected as an incidental finding in a 62-year-old patient who underwent computed tomography of the chest and abdomen for rectal cancer. Imaging revealed duplication of the inferior vena cava, with the left trunk exceeding both the right trunk and the aorta-crossing trunk in diameter. Both trunks were formed by anastomosing common iliac veins. Duplication of the left renal artery and vein was also noted; the lower left renal vein drained directly into the left trunk of the inferior vena cava, which then joined the upper renal vein and crossed the aorta as a single trunk before merging with the right inferior vena cava. The further course of the inferior vena cava to the right atrium was anatomically normal. The currently existing classification of inferior vena cava duplication does not provide a definitive description for the variant identified in this patient, creating difficulty in formulation of the medical conclusion. The observed anatomy most closely corresponded to Type III duplication, in which the right trunk normally exceeds the left and the aorta-crossing trunk in diameter. Based on the radiologic features and morphometric measurements of the duplicated inferior vena cava trunks, we assume that this represents a rare mirror-image anatomic variant of Type III duplication, in which the left trunk has the greatest diameter. Scientific data review revealed two additional reports describing similar duplication cases (three previously reported patients in total). In one publication this variant was suggested as a Type IV duplication, whereas in another, classification was not provided. Whether this anatomical pattern should be considered an independent Type IV duplication or a mirror-image modification of Type III remains debatable and merits discussion from an anatomical nomenclature standpoint. However, larger patient samples would be required, which is challenging owing to the rarity of the present anatomic variant.

The main objectives of state policy in the Russian Federation in the field of patriotic education are optimal conditions creation for increasing civil responsibility for the fate of the country. This process is based on developing a sense of citizenship in the history and culture of Russia, as well as increasing cohesion based on educating an active citizen who loves his homeland. Therefore, one of the tasks of the Federal state educational standards at all levels (primary general, basic general, and secondary general) education is to ensure the formation of civic identity in children and adolescents through the system of patriotic education. The system of patriotic education has many disadvantages that are affected by two groups of factors: organizational-theoretical and psychological factors. A formal approach to the process of patriotic education reduces its effectiveness. Therefore, to determine the effectiveness of its impact on the formation of civil self-identification, we offer an assessment of the degree of development of such qualities as awareness of the relationship of all members of Russian society through a collective historical past and their decisive role in the future of the motherland, tolerance of consciousness to the values and social norms of civil society in the Russian Federation, conformity of personal interests with national interests, civic engagement of public importance, readiness for creative mu work with a focus on the priority areas identified by the Government.

Original data on the ecological relations of Sifonoptera fleas with small and medium-sized predators in southwestern Primorskii krai are presented. The parasitic community of fleas in populations of predatory mammals of the studied territory consists of eight species belonging to three families and five genera. Five flea species—Chaetopsulla appropinquans, Ch. micado, Ch. zibellina, Ch. dogieli, and Paraceras flabellum—are specific for predatory mammals, and another two species (Ctenophthalmus congeneroides and Megabotris calkarifer) have been found on predators, but are rodent parasites.

The Russian Far East (RFE) is an important hotspot of biodiversity whose insect fauna remains understudied, particularly its Microlepidoptera. Here we explore the diversity of leaf-mining micromoths of the family Gracillariidae, their distribution and host plant associations in RFE using a combination of field observations and sampling, DNA barcoding, morphological analysis and literature review. We collected 91 gracillariid specimens (45 larvae, 9 pupae and 37 adults) in 12 localities across RFE and identified 34 species using a combination of DNA barcoding and morphology. We provide a genetic library of 57 DNA barcodes belonging to 37 Barcode Index Numbers (BINs), including four BINs that could potentially represent species new to science. Leaf mines and leaf shelters are described and illustrated for 32 studied species, male or female genitalia as well as forewing patterns of adults are shown, especially for those species identified based on morphology. Three species, Micrurapteryx caraganella (Hering), Callisto insperatella (Nickerl), and Phyllonorycter junoniella (Zeller) are newly recorded from RFE. Five species previously known from some regions of RFE, were found for the first time in Amurskaya Oblast: Phyllonorycter populifoliella (Treitschke), Primorskii Krai: Ph. sorbicola Kumata and Sahkalin Island: Caloptilia heringi Kumata, Ph. ermani (Kumata) and Ph. ulmifoliella (Hübner). Eight gracillariid-plant associations are novel to science: Caloptilia gloriosa Kumata on Acer pseudosieboldianum, Cameraria niphonica Kumata on A. caudatum subsp. ukurundense, Parornix ermolaevi Kuznetzov on Corylus sieboldiana, Phyllonorycter ermani (Kumata) on Betula platyphylla, Ph. nipponicella (Issiki) on Quercus mongolica, Ph. orientalis (Kumata) and Ph. pseudojezoniella Noreika on Acer saccharum, Ph. sorbicola on Prunus maakii. For the first time we documented the "green island" phenotype on Phyllonorycter cavella (Zeller) mines on Betula platyphylla. Two pestiferous species have been recorded during our surveys: Micrurapteryx caraganella on ornamental Caragana arborescens in urban plantations in Amurskaya Oblast, and the lime leafminer Phyllonorycter issikii (Kumata), a species known to be native to RFE and invasive elsewhere in Russia and in European countries. A revised checklist of RFE gracillariids has been compiled. It accounts for 135 species among which 17 species (13%) are only known to occur in RFE. The gracillariid fauna of RFE is more similar to the Japanese fauna (49%), than to the fauna of the rest of Russia (i.e European part and Siberia) (32%).

We monitor the inner coma of comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kres\'{a}k searching for variations of its colour. Fast changes in colour of the comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kres\'{a}k provide important clues for better understanding of the microphysical properties of its dust. Using the 61-cm and 70-cm telescopes we measured the apparent magnitude of the comet with the V and R Johnson-Cousins filters from January 29 until April 25 of 2017. The inner coma ({\sim} 2000 km) reveals fast and significant variations of colour. The most significant change was found between March 3 and 4 of 2017, when it changed from blue with a colour slope S {\approx}(-10.15 {\pm} 3.43){\%} per 0.1 {\mu}m to red with S {\approx} (16.48 {\pm} 4.27){\%} per 0.1 {\mu}m. This finding appears in good accordance with what was previously reported by Ivanova et al. (2017) for long-period comet C/2013 UQ4 (Catalina), suggesting that fast and significant variations of colour of dust could be a common feature of short- and long-period comets. We model observations of comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kres\'{a}k using the agglomerated debris particles and conclude that its inner coma consists of a mixture of at least two types of particles made of Mg-rich silicates and organics or Mg-Fe silicates.

A solar eruptive event SOL2010-06-13 observed with SDO/AIA has been discussed in the contexts of the CME gebesis and an associated EUV transient in terms of a shock driven by the apparent CME rim. We have revealed in this event an erupting flux rope, studied its properties, and detected wave signatures inside the developing CME. These findings have allowed us to establish new features in the genesis of the CME and associated EUV wave and to reconcile all of the episodes into a causally-related sequence. (1) A hot 11 MK flux rope developed from a compact filament, accelerated up to 3 km/s$^2$ 1 min before a hard X-ray burst and earlier than other structures, reached 420 km/s, and decelerated to 50 km/s. (2) The CME development was driven by the flux rope. Closed structures above the rope got sequentially involved in the expansion from below upwards, came closer together, and disappeared to reveal their envelope, the rim, which became the outer boundary of the cavity. The rim was associated with the separatrix surface of a magnetic domain, which contained the pre-eruptive filament. (3) The rim formation was associated with a successive compression of the upper active-region structures into the CME frontal structure (FS). When the rim was formed, it resembled a piston. (4) The disturbance responsible for the CME formation was excited by the flux rope inside the rim, and then propagated outward. EUV structures at different heights started to accelerate, when their trajectories in the distance-time diagram were crossed by the front of this disturbance. (5) Outside the rim and FS, the disturbance propagated like a blast wave, manifesting in a type II radio burst and a leading part of the EUV transient. Its main, trailing part was the FS, which consisted of swept-up 2 MK loops enveloping the rim. The wave decelerated and decayed soon, being not driven by the trailing piston, which slowed down.

Aims. The effect of the transition layer (shell) in nonuniform coronal loops with a continuous radial density profile on the properties of fast-sausage modes are studied analytically and numerically. Methods. We modeled the coronal waveguide as a structured tube consisting of a cord and a transition region (shell) embedded within a magnetic uniform environment. The derived general dispersion relation was investigated analytically and numerically in the context of frequency, cut-off wave number, and the damping rate of fast-sausage oscillations for various values of loop parameters. Results. The frequency of the global fast-sausage mode in the loops with a diffuse (or smooth) boundary is determined mainly by the external Alfven speed and longitudinal wave number. The damping rate of such a mode can be relatively low. The model of coronal loop with diffuse boundary can support a comparatively low-frequency, global fast-sausage mode of detectable quality without involving extremely low values of the density contrast. The effect of thin transition layer (corresponds to the loops with steep boundary) is negligible and produces small reductions of oscillation frequency and relative damping rate in comparison with the case of step-function density profile. Seismological application of obtained results gives the estimated Alfven speed outside the flaring loop about 3.25 Mm/s.

Multi-instrument observations of two filament eruptions on 24 February and 11 May 2011 suggest the following updated scenario for eruptive flare, CME and shock wave evolution. An initial destabilization of a filament results in stretching out of magnetic threads belonging to its body and rooted in the photosphere along the inversion line. Their reconnection leads to i) heating of parts of the filament or its environment, ii) initial development of the flare arcade cusp and ribbons, and iii) increasing similarity of the filament to a curved flux rope and its acceleration. Then the pre-eruption arcade enveloping the filament gets involved in reconnection according to the standard model and continues to form the flare arcade and ribbons. The poloidal magnetic flux in the curved rope developing from the filament progressively increases and forces its toroidal expansion. This flux rope impulsively expands and produces an MHD disturbance, which rapidly steepens into a shock. The shock passes through the arcade expanding above the filament and then freely propagates ahead of the CME like a decelerating blast wave for some time. If the CME is slow, then the shock eventually decays. Otherwise, the frontal part of the shock changes into the bow-shock regime. This was observed for the first time in the 24 February 2011 event. When reconnection ceases, the flux rope relaxes and constitutes the CME core-cavity system. The expanding arcade develops into the CME frontal structure. We also found that reconnection in the current sheet of a remote streamer forced by the shock's passage results in a running flare-like process within the streamer responsible for a type II burst. The development of dimming and various associated phenomena are discussed.

Regillus, a new genus of spiders with R. asper as its type species, was described by O.P.-Cambridge (1884) from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) on the basis of a subadult female. The genus was placed in Cryptothelidae (now considered a subfamily of Zodariidae) due to its similarity with Cryptothele ceylonica O.P.-Cambridge, 1877. However, the new genus had a different eye arrangement, differently shaped maxillae and six spinnerets instead of two (O.P.-Cambridge 1884). Soon after, Simon (1895) recognized that this genus belonged to Thomisidae and synonymised his Borboropactus Simon, 1884 with Regillus. When it was found that Regillus was a junior homonym of the name used by Macgillivray in 1839 (for kinglets) Borboropactus was revalidated. Since the original description R. asper was redescribed only once, by Simon (1895), who illustrated its leg, chelicera and labium-maxilla complex (Simon 1895: figs 1094–1096). Wunderlich (2004) transferred Borboropactus to a new family Borboropactidae, which was rejected by Benjamin et al. (2008) and Benjamin (2011). However, the type species was never studied in any detail.

We present an approach to extracting the regular component of diurnal behavior of the aerosol optical depth and columnar water vapor of the atmosphere. The daily average dynamics of these characteristics in Tomsk is compared with that in the suburban background region, as well as in a few other regions: Tomsk, Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Yakutsk, and Ussuriisk. We identified common features in the dynamics for the regions of Tomsk, Yekaterinburg, and Irkutsk. Some specific features, caused by the effect of local factors, are revealed for Yakutsk and Ussuriisk. We present parameters of approximation of the daily average behavior of the atmospheric AOD for Yekaterinburg, Tomsk, and Irkutsk.