Yugra State University

The accurate upscaling of peatland carbon stocks is fundamentally limited by fine-scale microrelief (hummocks/depressions), which has not yet been resolved by conventional satellite or field methods. We demonstrate the critical advantage of using Uncrewed Aerial System LiDAR (UAS-LiDAR) for mapping the hierarchical microrelief of a Western Siberian ombrotrophic bog to enhance ground-layer phytomass estimation. The rule-based classification of a normalized digital terrain model generated a high-resolution microform map (overall accuracy = 79%, Kappa = 0.72). This map was used to upscale field-measured phytomass and compared against estimates generated through satellite imagery (SuperView-2) and traditional field-visual extrapolation. While total landscape-level phytomass stocks were similar across methods (~93–97 t ha−1), their spatial allocation differed fundamentally. The satellite-based method exhibited a predictable, landscape-dependent systematic bias (overestimation by 7–25% in some units) and a substantially lower microtopography accuracy (OA = 77%, Kappa = 0.53) compared to the aggregated LiDAR map (OA = 95%, Kappa = 0.89). Crucially, only the LiDAR-based approach accurately resolved the biomasses of key microforms (e.g., hummocks within hollows contributing up to 6.2 ± 1.4 tonnes per unit), which were missed or misaggregated when using traditional techniques. We conclude that objective, high-resolution microrelief mapping via UAS-LiDAR is essential for spatially explicit and ecologically coherent phytomass upscaling, providing an indispensable structural template for credible carbon accounting in heterogeneous peatlands.

Peatlands are a major source of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) for inland waters in Western Siberia. Continuous hydrological and hydrochemical monitoring of these peatlands is essential for understanding the global carbon cycle. We investigated a pristine ombrotrophic bog in Western Siberia to determine the links between seasonal hydrological changes and DOC quantity and quality. Specifically, we analysed water table fluctuations, DOC concentrations and spectral characteristics (SUVA 254 , E2:E3 and E4:E6 ratios). Our findings indicate that each peatland ecosystem exhibits distinct seasonal hydrochemical changes. The driest ecosystems (ryams) feature water with the highest DOC concentrations, characterised by high aromaticity and large molecular size, whereas the wettest ecosystems (pools) display the opposite trend. Surprisingly, the stream, which collects water from the entire peatland catchment, exhibits unique properties in that its DOC concentration is similar to that of wet ecosystems, while its spectral features more closely resemble those of dry ecosystems. Therefore, peatland ecosystems act as complex biogeochemical systems, modulating both the concentration and quality of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) based on prevailing environmental conditions.

Introduction: A close relationship between the chemical composition of consumed water and the elemental structure of the human body has been proven. Objective: A comparative physiological and hygienic assessment of the chemical composition of drinking water in the cities of Tyumen, Khanty-Mansiysk, and Salekhard. Materials and Methods: From June to September 2024, 60 samples of tap water taken from three cities of the Tyumen Region were tested using atomic absorption spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis to determine Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Se, and Fe levels. The results were then compared with the maximum allowable concentrations of the chemicals and WHO drinking water health-based values. Results: Calcium concentrations in all water samples were 2.4–7.3 times lower than the recommended range, with the lowest levels found in Salekhard and the highest in Tyumen (p < 0.001). Magnesium concentrations were also 4.6 to 5.5 times below the health-based value in all samples. Copper, zinc, and selenium levels were many times lower than the recommended ranges, with a significant excess of those for Zn and Se in Tyumen over those in Khanty-Mansiysk (p = 0.020 and p < 0.001) and Salekhard (p = 0.005 and p < 0.001), respectively. Iron concentrations in drinking water in Tyumen were 4 times lower than the maximum allowable level, in Khanty-Mansiysk they were at the upper limit, and in Salekhard they exceeded it. Conclusions: Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, and Se concentrations in the water samples from the cities of Tyumen, Khanty-Mansiysk, and Salekhard do not exceed permissible values but they fail to comply with the recommended levels. IIn Salekhard, iron concentrations in tap water exceeded both the permissible and recommended levels.

In the process of coproduction of propylene oxide and styrene (PO/SM), a stream containing isomeric phenylethanols is fed to the dehydration stage. In this work, the contribution of acid sites of different nature and strength to the activity of aluminum oxide-based catalysts in the dehydration reaction of 1- and 2-phenylethanols occurring in the presence of excess water in the temperature range of 230-300°C is compared. It was found that over the entire studied temperature range: the rate of intramolecular dehydration of the primary alcohol is significantly lower than the rate of dehydration of the secondary alcohol; the dehydrating activity of the catalysts with respect to both alcohols is determined primarily by acid sites of the LAS I and LAS II types; the temperature of manifestation of the dehydrating activity of LAS III type sites with respect to the primary alcohol is ~50°C higher compared to the secondary alcohol. The type of kinetic equation for the target reaction is substantiated, the values ​​of the observed rate constants are calculated. It was found that for both alcohols the change in the pre-exponential factor is directly proportional to the change in the Arrhenius activation energy, while the observed activation energy of the dehydration reaction of the primary alcohol significantly exceeds the activation energy of the dehydration of the secondary alcohol.

ABSTRACTWe live in a time of global crises: a deteriorating environment that is struggling to provide all the resources and services we demand of it, changing climate and its consequences for the biosphere, its habitats, inhabitants and biodiversity, conflicts‐divisive ideologies‐competition for resources, increasing societal inequalities and human deprivations, and a youth mental health pandemic, to name but just a few. Most of these crises are self‐made, the result of human decisions, and their acceptance/toleration by society. Policies and practices at all levels of society that created, exacerbate and launch new crises are, at worst, self‐serving and, at best, faulted through a lack of understanding. In democracies, citizens can hold decision‐makers to account but, to do this, they must understand the issues and be able to imagine better policies. We also live in a digital world in which a flood of mostly inconsequential information and misinformation pollutes our brains, enhancing pre‐existing biases and creating new ones, and numbing our mental ability to think clearly and reach sensible decisions. But sensible decisions are urgently needed at all levels to fix problems and reduce future self‐harm. Sensible decisions require sourcing the best available relevant information, and a process to convert information into understanding, understanding into clear decision options, and the choice of a decision option that leads to an action that represents best practice. Critical thinking is the enabling cognitive process of this decision pathway, because it selects the best available information through demanding evidence‐basing, seeks critical discourse between experts and stakeholders that agnostically explores solution space to find plausible options, and whittles down options inter alia through plausibility, due diligence, bottleneck analysis, cost‐benefit analysis, and benchmarking filtering. Crucially, it rejects biases, influencing factors, and other constraints on options, and is an effective barrier to the information flood. The problem is that critical thinking capacity is not widely available among either decision makers or stakeholders. There is an urgent need to rapidly roll out effective education programmes in which critical thinking teaching is solidly embedded. Since biases accumulate with age, the teaching of critical thinking must begin with the very young. However, the very young are not able to comprehend the complex abstract issues underpinning critical thinking. Embedding the teaching of critical thinking in a suitable educational context, and integrating it into curricula, is another challenge. To address these two challenges, the International Microbiology Literacy Initiative is developing a storytelling programme for children, called the Critical Thinking MicroChats Gallery, within the curriculum of societally relevant microbiology it is creating. MicroChats illustrate the principal practical elements of critical thinking, like bottlenecks, cost: benefit, benchmarking, the need for discussions and other points of view, employing readily relatable, relevant microbially centric scenarios. MicroChats suggest class discussion topics to encourage children to imagine the application of each element in other contexts to reinforce principles and hone critical thinking skills. Critical thinking, and especially the cultivation of the habit of asking ‘why’ and requiring plausible justification for policies/actions, is a shield against bias, prejudice, propaganda, misinformation and the incessant pressures of social media. It promotes a healthy mind and the attainment of the developmental potential of individuals. Increasing critical thinking in society will raise the quality of decision making at all levels and thereby improve sustainability/reduce the human footprint on our planet, and promote the individual sense of responsibility and global citizenship necessary for the improvement of the condition of humanity and its relationship with Planet Earth.

The rational use of available economic space has become a critical challenge for the socio-economic development of the Russian North and Arctic. One of the key drivers of spatial imbalances has been the regional policies pursued since the early 1990s, which have led to the ongoing transformation of economic space, its “compression,” and subsequent fragmentation. In this study, fragmentation is understood as a pronounced differentiation in the levels of economic and social activity across the population. Today, negative economic and demographic trends in several old industrial regions of the Russian North and Arctic—such as declining production in key industries, shrinking working-age populations, and sustained migration outflows—have further intensified spatial disparities. These dynamics have created divergent paths of socio-economic development between major industrial centers and peripheral regions. The objective of this study is to identify the main trends in the transformation of the Komi Republic’s economic space over recent decades. The research employs a combination of methods, including territorial comparison, statistical analysis, ranking, and the classification and grouping of territories based on population size and density. The study yielded several key findings. First, the main stages of spatial development in the Komi Republic were identified, reflecting the scale and pace of natural resource exploitation: the onset of active development, fueling the growth of cities and urban-type settlements (1921–1950); the formation of a network of industrial centers (1950–1990); a reduction in economic activity accompanied by socio-demographic decline (1990–present). Second, since the 1990s, there has been a steady population decline, particularly in small towns, driving further fragmentation of the economic space. Third, the growing concentration of the population in larger cities has resulted in an “island” pattern of territorial development, exacerbating disparities between developed industrial areas and peripheral zones. This process risks further degradation of the economic space and a weakening of territorial connectivity. Future research should focus on strategies to stabilize the population of the Komi Republic, including diversifying economic activity and fostering development in sparsely populated areas. The novelty of this study lies in identifying the stages of spatial development in the Komi Republic, demonstrating how deepening fragmentation inevitably leads to spatial compression, and revealing the significant influence of socio-demographic factors on these processes in the old industrial regions of the Russian North and Arctic. The practical significance of this research lies in its applicability for developing forecasts, regional strategies, and national programs aimed at preserving populations in small towns, diversifying local economies, and attracting infrastructure investment in the Russian North and Arctic.

Recent advances in chronobiology have provided new insights into the nature of complex changes in the temporal reorganization of biological processes in the body that occur with aging. The risk of developing and progressing primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) increases dramatically with age. In recent years, glaucoma has been regarded to as a dysregulatory condition characterized by impaired integrity and hierarchy in the self-regulation and homeostatic systems of the body. The review article presents data from Russian and foreign researchers on the study of chronobiological aspects in the pathogenesis of glaucoma.

The study of greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems is becoming increasingly important as the observed rise in global temperature and increased frequency of extreme weather events are attributed by the majority of climate experts to increased atmospheric GHG concentrations. Adequate and comprehensive knowledge of surface GHG fluxes is important for obtaining reliable information on CO2 and other GHG fluxes at regional and global scales, as well as for preparing reports on national GHG emissions and removals. The need to obtain accurate estimates of GHG fluxes at regional and global scales has led to the development of innovative mathematical models of varying complexity. These models can be divided into forward and inverse models. Forward algorithms provide the ability to estimate GHG fluxes when sufficient information on the structure of GHG sources and sinks is available. Inverse algorithms allow the retrieval of surface fluxes using remote sensing data. The most promising way to study high resolution fluxes over areas with complex topography and mosaic vegetation patterns is the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).In our study, we proposed and tested a forward and inverse model for estimating GHG fluxes over an inhomogeneous underlying surface. The forward model is based on the RANS hydrodynamic model to calculate the wind velocity and turbulence coefficient, and the solution of the advection-diffusion equation to find a three-dimensional distribution of GHG concentrations. The GHG fluxes at the specified height above the ground surface are then calculated using the obtained concentration distribution and turbulence coefficient. The inverse algorithm is based on minimizing a cost functional, defined as the root mean square deviation of the modeled concentration field from the measured data. Concentration measurements at multiple (at least two) levels can be performed using UAV-based gas analyzers.Three experimental sites selected for our modeling study differ in geographic location, topography, and vegetation heterogeneity. These sites are: i) swampy and forested areas of the "Mukhrino" carbon supersite (Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, Russia, 60°53'20" N, 68°42'10" E), ii) the Roshni-Chu mountain forest site, which is part of the "Way Carbon" supersite (Chechen Republic, Russia, 43°2'59" N, 45°25'32" E), iii) the mixed forest experimental site "Lyali" (Komi Republic, Russia, 62°16'28" N, 50°39'54" E). For our numerical experiments we used measured data on surface topography, LAI, soil respiration, air temperature, prevailing wind direction, vertical canopy CO2 concentration profile and CO2 fluxes measured by eddy covariance technique.The model results show a rather good agreement with the measured data and could help to interpret the experimentally observed dependence of CO2 fluxes on wind direction in areas with an inhomogeneous underlying surface.