The article examines the dynamics of the territorial structure of contact zones between Slavic and Turkic peoples in the Volga-Ural region during the second decade of the 21st century. The empirical basis of the study consists of ethnic statistics at the municipal level, derived from the 2010 and 2021 population censuses. The article employs original methodologies for identifying the external boundaries of two-component ethno-contact zones, assessing their degree of distinctiveness and ethnic contrast, and determining the stages of their development over a given time period. The key trends in the dynamics of Slavic-Turkic contact zones in the second decade of the 21st century include an increase in contact intensity, manifested in the growing proportion of both Slavs and Turks, as well as the partial dissolution of ethno-contact zones in favor of titular ethnic groups within the borders of Turkic republics. Outside the Turkic republics of the Volga-Ural region, the dissolution of ethno-contact zones tends to favor Slavic populations.

Due to the ethnogeographic diversity of American society, the issue of employment differences between ethnogeographic groups in the United States continues to attract considerable attention from social science researchers. However, despite a substantial body of work on this topic, the question of changes in the employment structure of ethnogeographic groups across space has been relatively overlooked. In this regard, the present study aims to identify spatial differences in the employment of ethnogeographic groups in the U. S. The analysis covers 25 major urban areas and 12 ethnogeographic groups. To compare the employment structure of an ethnogeographic group with the overall employment structure of the population in a given urban area, as well as with the employment structure of urban members of the same group across the U.S., the dissimilarity index was used. Additionally, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients were calculated between the urban and national within-profession deviations for each group. The results reveal that, with the exception of Americans, the ethnogeographic groups studied tend to exhibit similarities in their choice of professions in the largest urban areas in the U. S. The analysis also highlighted urban communities that are notably different in their employment structure from other members of these groups in other cities across the U. S. — Russians in Sacramento and Portland, and Mexicans in Boston.

The concept of a digital twin (hereafter referred to as DT) is discussed as a complex cyber-physical system that represents a virtual representation of physical objects, processes, or systems. A retrospective analysis of the evolution of this technology is conducted, starting from its origins in NASA’s practice and culminating in contemporary conceptual approaches, such as the product life cycle model proposed by Michael Grieves and the multi-physics models developed by Glassgen. Unlike simple modeling, a DT ensures dynamic correspondence between the virtual and physical entities through continuous data exchange and feedback. Key methodological aspects of creating and operating a DT are identified, including issues related to the integration of heterogeneous data, the selection of appropriate models, and ensuring interoperability. A critical analysis of the advantages and limitations of this technology is provided, taking into account considerations regarding the need for validation and the limitations associated with the availability and quality of data. The prospects for further development of DT are discussed, particularly the integration with artificial intelligence technologies and big data analytics to address complex tasks related to sustainable development and the minimization of anthropogenic impact on the environment, including aspects of pollution monitoring and natural resource management. It is specifically emphasized that, unlike a simple database, a DT possesses an operational model that enables the interpretation and use of data to solve specific tasks.

The results of studying the accumulation capabilities of mosses in two peatland ecosystems with different levels of disturbance in the Kaliningrad region—on the Bolshoye bog and the Wittgiren peatland—are presented. The study focused on widely distributed species of mosses: Aulacomnium palustre, Polytrichum strictum, Sphagnum centrale, S. cuspidatum, S. fuscum, S. magellanicum, and S. squarrosum, as well as the reference species Pleurozium schreberi. Using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, the content of eight macro- and microelements (Mn, Zn, Ni, Fe, Br, Rb, Sr, and Ca) was determined. Statistically significant differences were found in the concentrations of Mn, Zn, Ni, Br, and Rb in the mosses. A high correlation was observed between iron and calcium, which may indicate a common source of these elements entering the plants. The moss species Aulacomnium palustre and Sphagnum centrale were identified as having accumulation capabilities similar to the reference species Pleurozium schreberi.

A novel peptide, CG-16, with the sequence CHAECGAACKEFCLEG, was designed and synthesized. Studies were conducted to assess its physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, and effects on lipid deposition in cells in an in vitro experiment. It was established that the CG-16 peptide does not contain antigenic determinants. A search across the PeptideAtlas, UniProt, and the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) databases confirmed the uniqueness of the synthesized peptide. The prediction of key physicochemical properties of CG-16, including molecular weight, the number of hydrogen bond acceptors and donors, the number of rings, the number of atoms in the largest ring, overall charge, rigidity, flexibility, topological polar surface area, predicted solubility, and the number of acidic sites, suggests that this peptide could be effectively used as a biologically active compound. Furthermore, CG-16 demonstrated antioxidant activity and the ability to reduce lipid accumulation in cells.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a biomaterial produced by certain bacteria that possesses unique properties, distinguishing it from plant-derived cellulose by its purity, high crystallinity, excellent biocompatibility, and superior water-holding capacity. Due to these advantages, BC is increasingly used in various industrial applications. However, large-scale production of BC is limited, particularly by the high cost of the culture medium. This review presents an analysis of scientific data and official reports on the properties of BC and methods to enhance its productivity for applications in the food industry, specifically as a food additive and packaging material. A literature search was conducted in both English and Russian using the Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and eLIBRARY.RU databases. The analysis of scientific and official data demonstrated that physical factors of the culture medium, such as temperature, pH, carbon source, and cultivation conditions, influence the yield and properties of BC. The utilization of agricultural and food waste as a culture medium has been shown to enhance the productivity of Komagataeibacter xylinus strains. The combination of BC with other components, including biologically active substances, metals, probiotics, polymers, and antibiotics, can improve its functional properties and expand its applications in the food industry—for instance, as a fat replacer, in the production of artificial meat, enzyme immobilization, and the development of biodegradable packaging materials.

Various approaches to sewage sludge treatment are actively being implemented at municipal biological wastewater treatment facilities, including thermal utilization technologies such as pyrolysis. The biochar produced through this process is currently underutilized; however, it possesses the unique ability to absorb and effectively sequester CO2 for centuries when incorporated into soil, simultaneously enhancing soil quality and promoting sustainable land use and development. The link between biomass and biochar represents one of the most effective strategies for addressing climate challenges. This triple positive effect makes biochar and its production technologies highly promising in the context of climate policy. As a result, a distinct field known as pyrogenic carbon capture and storage is now emerging.

Cyanobacteria are a promising source of biologically active compounds of various types and are of great interest for their use in biotechnological processes to obtain complexes or individual bioactive substances with different orientations. Selecting optimal cultivation conditions for cyanobacteria will contribute to the rapid accumulation of bacterial biomass and maximize the yield of biologically active substances. This study analyzes the influence of temperature and light spectral composition on the growth of the cyanobacterium Cyanobacterium sp. IPPAS B-1200 under stationary conditions. The strain was cultivated under different temperatures and light conditions, with regular optical density measurements to monitor biomass growth.

A detailed analysis of the growth dynamics allowed the characterization of various phases of cyanobacteria development, including lag phase, exponential phase, slowing phase, and stationary phase. The results indicate that the duration of these phases varied depending on the cultivation conditions.

The data presented in this study can be used to optimize the cultivation process and enhance the biomass productivity of Cyanobacterium sp. IPPAS B-1200 in further research and industrial production. The findings related to the influence of light spectral composition are particularly valuable, as this parameter is often insufficiently studied when cultivating microalgae.

The development of methods for obtaining new types of materials creates the groundwork for the development and improvement of advanced techniques in biomedicine, bionanotechnology, and nanomedicine. In this context, there is a need to assess the toxicological characteristics of materials as well as develop methods for their therapeutic use. A study was conducted to evaluate the cytotoxicity of composite nanoparticles (nanostars) and micromaterials (microdisks) against Jurkat, Huh7 cell cultures, and human mononuclear cells in in vitro conditions. A concentration-dependent cytotoxic effect of nanoparticles was observed. At the same time, microdisks did not exhibit any toxic effects on the studied cells. The potential of using nano- and micromaterials as prospective tools for cancer therapy, specifically for photothermal therapy, was also discussed.

The technology for microalgae production in incubators involves optimizing cultivation conditions for a specific identified strain. However, when working with samples isolated from environmental objects, it is often necessary to deal with unidentified strains, making it challenging to maintain optimal cultivation conditions. In this study, 10 isolates of Chlorella species were used, which were subsequently divided into 3 growth groups based on the volume of the basic culture medium and temperature. According to the literature, these unidentified isolates may belong to a new Chlorella species or a new lectotype of C. vulgaris.