We present the study of the structure of the seed coat of 52 species from 31 genera (Acmella, Ambrosia, Aspilia, Balsamorhiza, Blainvillea, Borrichia, Chrysogonum, Clibadium, Delilia, Echinacea, Eclipta, Engelmannia, Helianthella, Helianthus, Heliomeris, Heliopsis, Iva, Lindheimera, Parthenium, Ratibida, Rudbeckia, Sanvitalia, Silphium, Sphagneticola, Synedrella, Synedrellopsis, Tithonia, Verbesina, Xanthium, Zaluzania, Zinnia) of ten subtribes of the tribe Heliantheae of the Asteraceae family. The study of the seed coat structure was carried out by scanning electron microscopy. It has been established that the species of the tribe have a distinctly sculptured or smooth, well-developed testa, which remains until the full maturity of the achenes. The sculpture of the seed surface in most species is determined by the exotesta cells. The several types and subtypes of the structure of exotesta cells due to the degree and type thickening of cell walls were revealed. The sculpture of the surface of the seeds of the species that make up the tribe is diverse. The shape and specifications of the thickening of the walls of the exotesta cells within the genus and subtribe are diverse, as a result, it is not possible to identify the characters inherent in the entire Heliantheae tribe, as well as its subtribes and genera. The division of the Heliantheae tribe into subtribes is not supported by the results of our study. The conservative nature of the characters of the testa cells structure allows to use them in solving problems of taxonomy of genera, phylogenetics, to establish the degree of homogeneity of taxa united in genera and subtribes of the Heliantheae tribe.

We describe the history of studying the current crustal movements by various methods and discuss technogenic effects recorded at large water-reservoir zones and mineral deposits in Siberia. Initially, classical surveying techniques aimed to obtain high-accuracy ground-based measurements of height, tilt and direction. Modern geodesy techniques and methods for measuring absolute gravity are now available to investigate displacement, deformation, tilt and other phenomena taking place on the Earth’s surface. These methods are used to estimate kinematic parameters of the crust areas (e.g. rates of subsidence and horizontal movements) and to monitor fluid motions in mineral deposits. Such data are critical for ensuring a proper management of the mineral deposits. In this article, we analyse technogenic processes observed in the Ust Balyk oil-gas field, the Zapolyarny gas deposit, the water-reservoir zone at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station (SSHPS) on the Yenisei river, and large open-pit mines in the Kuzbass basin. Our analysis is based on surface displacement rates estimated from the data collected in different periods of observations at large man-made facilities. In the study of the hydro technical objects, we estimated the displacement rates at 5.0 mm per year. In the northern areas of the West Siberian petroleum basin, subsidence rates amounted to 20–25 mm per year in the early 2000s. These estimates were supported by the high-accuracy gravity measurements showing an increase up to 6–7 microGal per year in the oil-gas field development areas. We assess a possibility of triggering effects related to weak seismicity due to a high stress accumulation rate (1 KPa per hour) in the SSHPS area. A connection between earth tides and catastrophic events, such as gas emissions in high amounts on mining sites, is discussed. Having analysed the surface monitoring records taken in South Primorye in September 2017, we conclude that underground nuclear explosions in North Korea in this period did not cause any significant displacement of the surface in this most southerly region of the Russian Far East territories.

Objective: comparison of psychological, physiological and biochemical markers in female basketball players and ski runners. Materials and methods: we investigated 8 female basketball players and 12 ski runners. For this we used questionnaire «Recovery-Stress Questionnaire for Athletes», maximal bicycle ergometer endurance exercise test and biochemical analysis of venous blood. Results: we showed that female basketball players had, in comparison with ski runners, higher levels of sports stress, injury susceptibility - but also had higher self-efficacy values. Basketball players had higher average height, body mass and percentage of body fat, and higher oxygen pulse at rest. At the same time, they had lower efficacy and maximal oxygen consumption in maximal bicycle ergometer endurance exercise test. Female basketball players had lower plasma aspartate aminotransferase and total protein levels. Conclusions: we conclude that observed differences between female basketball players and ski runners were caused by differences in the initial selection criteria for basketball and ski running. Those initial dissimilarities were further reinforced by differences in typical physical tasks and demands, specific for their respective sports. Training regimens and other factors of the preparatory process also added to the differences observed between groups.

To study the dynamics of cardiorespiratory parameters in the anaerobic threshold zone of ski racers throughout the annual training cycle. Materials and methods: 300 examinations of 49 professional ski racers of I category and candidate masters of sports (aged from 15 to 32 years, mean age - 19,7±1,3 (M±m)) were carried out in the breath-by-breath mode on an Oxycon Pro ergospirometric system (Erich Jaeger). Maximal oxygen consumption (MOC: absolute and per kilogram of body weight) was detected during pass-fail test. Heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption (VO2), oxygen pulse and maximal load were registered in the anaerobic threshold zone. Difference between the actual and theoretically calculated HR, VO2 percentage (relate to maximal oxygen consumption) was calculated. Results: pulse increase in the anaerobic threshold zone by 20% prolonged aerobic activity of ski racers and increased maximal aerobic load by 20%. Conclusions: the most favorable values of cardiorespiratory parameters were registered during the preparation period, and the least - during the competition period. This fact requires correction of the training process and rehabilitation.

The paper presents the results of a study by light and scanning microscopy of the morphological and anatomical structure of the seeds of Gaillardia aristata and G. pulchella (Asteraceae: Helenieae). Carpological research revealed diagnostic morphological and anatomical features of the species. Pappus consists of 5 scales, in the cells of the inner surface of which there are large crystals of calcium oxalate. Cypsela in the lower part are pubescent with long simple double hairs, typical for Asteraceae. Cmpopodium is absent. The surface of the cypsela is "scaly" due to a single crystal located in each cell of the exocarp, which protrudes above the surface, raising the thin outer wall of the cell. Exocarp cells have the shape of an inclined parallelepiped, their radial walls are inclined at an angle with respect to the axis of the cypsela, as a result of which the exocarp looks like a two-row cross section. In the mesocarp, thick-walled cells arc located between the layers of thin-walled cells; a series of large cells adjoining the endocarp are thickened walls, elongated along the axis of the cypsela. During separating pericarp from testa, the pericarp is torn in the area of the thin-walled mesocarp cells, the endocarp and the parts of the mesocarp cells remain on the surface of the seed, while endocarp cells can be erroneously qualified as exotesta cells. Phytomelanin in mesocarp is absent. Endocarp is represented by one row of isodiametric cells with layered thickened wails: in all its cells there is a large single crystal, which does not appear on the inner surface of the pericarp. The testa is represented by exotesta cells with slightly thickened walls forming a cellular pattern on the surface of the seed. Mesotesta cells contain large crystals of calcium oxalate. The studied species of the genus Gaillardia have features specific to other taxa of the tribe Helenieae: the absence of phytomelanin in the pericarp and the presence of crystals in exocarp cells.

The sculpture of the seeds surface and the anatomic structure of the seed coat of 35 species from 28 genera from 4 tribes of the Asteraceae: Arctotideae (Arctotis, Berkheya, Gazania), Cardueae (Acroptilon, Alfredia, Ancathia, Berardia, Carthamus, Cirsium, Echinops, Klasea, Lamyropappus, Olgaea, Onopordum, Rhaponticum, Serratula, Silybum, Synurus, Syreitschikovia, Takeikadzuchia), Mutisieae (Adenocaulon, Dicoma, Gochnatia, Jungia, Leibnitzia, Trichocline, Trixis) and Vernonieae (Vernonia) are investigated by methods of the light and scanning microscopy. The seed coat of the studied species is well developed and remains until the complete maturity of cypselas. The structure of the cells of an exotesta has a basic meaning for the characteristic of a seed coat. Cells of the exotesta have mainly one type of structure on all surfaces of the seed, however there are types at which cells of the exotesta are presented by several types. For example, Acroptilon repens has thin-walled cells alternating with thick-walled cells on all surface of the seed. The exotesta cells of Dicoma schimperi have different structure in apical and basal parts of the seed. As a result of this research it is established that the morphological differences of exotesta cells are caused by form, size, dimensional orientation of cells in relation to the seed axis and also degree of thickenings of tangential and radial walls of cells. The complex of the revealed features of a seed coat characterizes specifics of taxon at the species level. The features of seed coat structure, the characteristic for each separate tribe, are not established.

Представлены результаты морфологических и анатомических исследований семянок видов семейства Asteraceae. Установлено, что складчатость поверхности клеток экзокарпия семянок является проявлением не складок кутикулы, а выростов наружных стенок клеток экзокарпия. Приведено 6 типов эпикутикулярного воска, встречающихся на поверхности семянок. Установлено наличие кутикулы на поверхности экзотесты и эндосперма у исследованных видов.