Voronezh State University is one of the main universities in Central Russia, located in the city of Voronezh. The university was established in 1918 by professors evacuated from the University of Tartu in Estonia. The university has 18 faculties and an enrollment of 22,000 students from Russia, Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia. Besides, the university has 6 research institutes and 16 research laboratories administered by the Russian Academy of Science. The university is composed of 10 buildings and 7 resident halls situated throughout the city. For over 90 years the University has trained more than 100,000 professionals.
The study was based on material from the Medvezhiy Klyk Cave,located in the Southern Sikhote-Alin range in the Russian Far East.The aim of this research was to assess the taxonomic composition and changes in the species diversity of the Southern Primorye herpetofauna over geological time in response to environmental changes.In the fifth layer of sedimentary deposits in Medvezhiy Klyk Cave(horizons 15-11),corresponding to the Middle Holocene,remains of sixteen extant species of amphibians and squamate reptiles were identified:Bombina orientalis,Bufo sachalinensis,Dryophytes japonicus,Rana amurensis,R.dybowskii,Pelophylax nigromaculatus,Takydromus amurensis,T.wolteri,Zootoca vivipara,Elaphe dione,E.schrenckii,Lycodon rufozonatus,Hebius vibakari,Rhabdophis lateralis,Gloydius intermedius,and G.ussuriensis.Salamandrella sp.was identified only to the genus level due to difficulties in distinguishing species within this genus based on the preserved skeletal elements.Additionally,among the snake remains,some bones could not be assigned to any species in the comparative osteological collection.These remains are classified as Lycodon sp.and Serpentes gen.et sp.indet.They most likely also belong to extant species that currently inhabit regions south of the Russian border. The faunal assemblages of amphibians and reptiles indicate that forest vegetation predominated around the cave during the Middle Holocene,with the most extensive forest cover occurring during the accumulation of horizon 14.This period was also the most favorable for thermophilic and moisture-dependent species,including those whose current ranges lie further south.The climate throughout the deposition of the fifth layer is reconstructed as warmer and more humid than present-day conditions,consistent with other Middle Holocene climate reconstructions.Only horizon 11 corresponds to a relative climatic cooling.
The enhancement of the adsorption, passivation, and protective properties of the pyrimidine derivative 2-methyl-5-phenyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-alpha]pyrimidin-7-ol (MPTTP) by polyethylene glycol (PEG-115), 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole, and its 5-fluoromethyl derivative on copper in neutral borate buffer and chloride solutions were studied. It was shown that PEG-115 can act as a copper surface modifier for subsequent adsorption of MPTTP on it. Adsorption isotherms of PEG-115 on the oxidized copper surface and MPTTP on the electrode surface preliminarily modified with PEG-115 were obtained using the ellipsometric method. The adsorption kinetics of PEG-115 on copper was studied, and the thicknesses of conventional MPTTP monolayers on copper and on a PEG-115-modified copper surface were calculated. Corrosion tests of copper in a chloride solution containing PEG-115, MPTTP, and their mixture were conducted. The results of these experiments demonstrated the possibility of complete copper protection at lower concentrations of the PEG-115 + MPTTP mixture than with its individual components.
The equilibrium and kinetic characteristics of vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde) uptake by a highly basic type II macroporous anion exchanger have been studied. It is shown that the isotherm of vanillin sorption by the Trilite AMP-26 anion exchanger is well described by the Langmuir equation over the entire range of concentrations under study, which made it possible to evaluate the thermodynamic characteristics of the process taking into account the calculated sorption constants. The obtained kinetic curves of uptake of 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde by the sorbent under static conditions at different stirring rates allowed us to determine the time required to reach equilibrium in the system and showed that this time does not depend on the stirring rate of solutions. The limiting stage of sorption was assessed using a formal kinetic approach based on the Boyd–Adamson equations and taking into account the influence of experimental factors on the rate of vanillin uptake by the anion exchanger. The structural changes in the sorbent phase after contact with a 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde solution were determined by IR spectroscopy.
Organic compounds have the widest practical application, and the methodology of their synthesis is often developed specifically to solve applied problems in medicinal chemistry, catalysis, materials chemistry, agriculture, food industry, and the creation of electronic and sensor devices. This is due to the huge variety of properties and functional capabilities of organic substances, as well as the ability to fine-tune their structure to impart certain practically useful characteristics. Currently, the number of organic compounds used in various fields of industry, medicine, and agriculture is in the hundreds of thousands, and their number continues to grow steadily due to the rapid development of synthetic organic chemistry and predictive methods for determining properties, including using artificial intelligence. This collective review is devoted to the achievements of Russian chemists in the field of practically oriented organic chemistry over the past 5–10 years. The review presents the achievements of leading research teams representing both RAS institutes and Russian universities, from Kaliningrad to Siberia.
Since the first description of an Azospirillum-like bacterium in 1925 by Martinus Beijerinck in The Netherlands, this genus has become a cornerstone of plant–microbe interactions and sustainable agriculture worldwide. Over the past century, Azospirillum has been extensively studied for its ability to promote plant growth, enhance stress tolerance, and contribute to nutrient acquisition, particularly in cereals and legumes. These functions are mediated by multiple mechanisms, including nitrogen fixation, phytohormone production, and the modulation of the root architecture by effector molecules. This review presents a comprehensive synthesis of the historical and current research on Azospirillum and its impact in agriculture and beyond. It explores its taxonomic expansion, physiological versatility, genetic manipulation, and interactions with plant hosts and other microorganisms. It also examines its agronomical impact on extensive and intensive cropping systems, both individually and mixed in microbial consortia. Advances in formulation technologies and regulatory frameworks for commercial inoculants are discussed, as well as cutting-edge tools such as artificial intelligence and multi-omics integration that are reshaping how we understand and deploy this bacterium. Beyond agriculture, Azospirillum has proven valuable in environmental contexts such as revegetation of degraded lands, bioremediation of contaminated soils, and ecological restoration in arid zones. Its capacity to colonize diverse hosts, survive extreme conditions, and contribute to ecosystem processes underscores its potential far beyond agriculture. One hundred years after its first scientific mention, Azospirillum remains not only relevant but also vital. As the world moves toward more sustainable agricultural and ecological systems, this review reaffirms the legacy and promise of this genus.
