Altai State University

Potentilla sensu lato, a taxonomically complex genus within the Rosaceae, comprises approximately 300 taxa worldwide. Thirteen taxa, each restricted to limited localities, are currently recognized as endemic to the Mongolian flora. Therefore, the conservation of Potentilla faces significant challenges due to habitat loss caused by climate change and overharvesting. In this study, we explore the phylogenetic relationships and local evolutionary patterns of five endemic Potentilla species in Mongolia based on their complete chloroplast genomes. We utilized high-throughput sequencing of complete chloroplast genomes and conducted comparative analyses. The complete chloroplast genomes ranged from 156,273 to 156,395 bp long and exhibited a typical quadripartite structure. Genome annotation revealed 113 unique genes, including 79 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. Two intergenic regions (ndhF–rpl32 and rpl32–trnL) in the SSC region showed markedly high diversity among chloroplast genomes. Analysis of selection signatures identified two genes (rpoC1 and ycf1) under positive selection. These genes may play important roles in the adaptation of these species to specific geographical environments. Phylogenetic analysis placed all five newly sequenced species within the Argentea clade, and divergence time estimation indicated that diversification within this clade occurred from the late Miocene to the Pleistocene. This study provides valuable genomic resources for endemic Potentilla species in Mongolia, offers insights into their evolutionary history, and lays a foundation for future phylogenetic research and molecular marker development. Furthermore, this study fills a geographic gap in chloroplast genomes sampling of Potentilla in Central Asia.

Based on the available scientific literature and the results of our own research, with the involvement of information from social and mass media, we have summarized the data on new records, the state of populations, the origin, distribution, and the stages of the invasion of Chinese pond mussels (Sinanodonta spp.) in Russia. Most of the discovered populations apparently reproduce independently and are capable of existing without the arrival of newly introduced juveniles. More than half of the populations were found in water bodies with a natural thermal regime, and less than half were found near fish farms. This finding indicates a successful invasion of mussels into water bodies and watercourses of Russia, as well as their active distribution in zonal (non-heated) water bodies. An assessment of the possibility of expanding the Sinanodonta spp. invasion in Russia and its consequences is provided. Additionally, we assessed the possibility of using the variability of Chinese pond mussel shells to distinguish between species and populations in heated and unheated conditions, as well as the possibility of using the diversity of COI haplotypes to track the phylogeographic relationships and invasion routes.

This article provides the first comprehensive description and assessment of environmental changes in a unique natural transboundary region-South-Eastern Altai, which is located in the arid territories of Russia and Mongolia. This region of Asia is rightfully included in the high-mountain Third Pole (Roof of the World). In three key areas, Tsambagarav Massif (Mongolia), Mongun-Taiga Massif, and North-Chuya Ridge (Russia), the following are considered: (1) the latest dynamics of glaciers from the early 1960s (beginning of regular instrumental observations) to the present day; (2) climate change and land use systems; and (3) the characteristics of the biota and the causes of its dynamics. The article concludes with a consideration of (4) population adaptation models.

Europium-containing composites based on yttrium and aluminum oxides were obtained by thermal destruction of a mixture of poorly soluble metal hydroxoforms at temperatures of 700, 800, and 900°C for periods of 3, 6, and 9 h. These compounds, in turn, were synthesized by the reaction of metal nitrate salts with ammonia in an aqueous solution. The synthesis products were identified using X-ray powder diffraction, vibrational and electron spectroscopy, and electron microscopy with microprobe analysis and their luminescent properties were studied. It was shown that, at a synthesis temperature of 900°C for 9 h, the main components of the composite matrix were yttrium aluminates Y3Al5O12 (YAG) and Y4Al2O9 (YAM). The luminescence of the activated composites is associated with 5D0.1→7Fj electron transitions of Eu3+ ions. Its intensity increases linearly with increasing Eu3+ concentration to 10 at

Hypersaline water bodies represent one of the most extreme habitats, in which only a limited number of species can survive. Artemia has well adapted to living in such conditions, in part due to its ability to produce dormant eggs that exhibit the highest resistance to salt among animals. To assess the biological traits of Artemia and the environmental factors influencing the switch between ovoviviparity and oviparity, we conducted long-term studies of a parthenogenetic Artemia lineage in Lake Bolshoye Yarovoye (Western Siberia). Morphometric analyses revealed that the proportion of oviviparous females within Artemia lineage increased with female length, both in the first and in subsequent generations. Changes in the proportion of oviviparous females also exhibited seasonal trends, increasing during the growing season and reaching a maximum in autumn. While variation in trophic conditions did not alter the reproductive shift between oviviparity and oviparity, it significantly influenced brood size. Our findings indicate that the dominant reproductive mode in Artemia is influenced not only by environmental conditions but also by the size-age structure of the community.