Igor Yu. Zabiyaka’s research while affiliated with Don State Technical University and other places

The biodiversity of botanical gardens and arboreta is typically assessed by vegetation, birds, and insects such as beetles and butterflies. At the same time, most of the invertebrate animals live in litter and soil, while remaining hidden and poorly studied. Here we present the results of studies of two classes of myriapods in Southern Cultures Park, Adler, Krasnodar Province, Russia. During 2021, the diversity and abundance of myriapods were assessed by quantitative data obtained using pitfall traps. From these traps, 20 species of diplopods and 14 species of chilopods were recorded. Alpha diversity of myriapods was significantly higher (p=0.043) in the spring-summer season in comparison to summer-fall. Beta diversity also significantly differed (p≤0.031) between these seasons. The abundance of Brachyiulus lusitanus (p=0.018), Polydesmus mediterraneus (p=0.047), Julus colchicus (p=0.020), and Cylindroiulus placidus (p=0.047) was significantly higher in the spring season, while in the summer season, the abundance of Anthroleucosomatidae Gen. sp.1 (p=0.047) was significantly dominant. Also, from 2018 to 2024, using hand collection from litter, 2 additional species of diplopods and 7 species of chilopods were recorded. Species of myriapods that were not previously recorded in Russia and introduced species were identified and illustrated.

In this work, nanomaterials based on FeIIICoII and FeIIINiII mixed oxides were obtained for the first time by thermal decomposition of polymer complexes of Fe and Co or Ni nitrates with acrylamide. During thermolysis, core‐shell nanomaterials are formed containing nanoparticles of FeCo and FeNi oxides uniformly distributed inside the carbon layer. These nanomaterials are characterized by high chemical and thermal stability. During thermolysis, nanoparticles of mixed oxides FeCo and FeNi were formed with an average crystallite size of 13–22 and 22–33 nm, respectively. Nanomaterials were tested as antifriction and antiwear additives to liquid industrial oil I‐20 A. The values of the friction coefficient decrease by more than 60 % when CoO⋅Fe2O3 with a concentration of 0.05 % is added to the industrial oil I‐20 A.

The European millipede genus Micropachyiulus Verhoeff, 1899 is revised based on type and non-type material, and on the available literature. The genus Hylopachyiulus Attems, 1904 is established as a junior subjective synonym of Micropachyiulus, syn. nov. Micropachyiulus ocellatus (Antić & Akkari, 2018) is thus listed as a new combination, comb. nov. Two new species—Micropachyiulus caucasicus sp. nov. and M. filiformis sp. nov.—are described from Russia and Romania, respectively. In addition, a presumably closely related monospecific genus, Armeniopachyiulus gen. nov., and its sole species A. pokr gen. et sp. nov. are described from Armenia. A brief discussion on the systematics and distribution of the studied taxa is presented.

A study of the mechanical properties of a thin titanium nitride (TiN) film deposited using the magnetron sputtering on a silicon surface has been carried out. The values of indentation hardness and reduced Young’s modulus were evaluated using nanoindentation in a course of a series of experiments with increasing indentation load. The microgeometrical characteristics of the film surface (average roughness, maximum roughness height) were determined from the results of atomic force microscopy. The chemical composition and thickness of the film were estimated using scanning electron microscopy.KeywordsThin filmNanoindentationMagnetron sputteringMechanical propertiesAtomic force microscopyScanning electron microscopy

FeCo and FeNi nanoalloy particles encapsulated in a nitrogen-doped carbonized shell (FeCo/C-N and FeNi/C-N) were synthesized by thermolysis at 400 °C of polyacrylamide complexes after frontal polymerization of co-crystallizate of Fe and Co or Ni nitrates and acrylamide. During the thermolysis of polyacrylamide complexes in a self-generated atmosphere, Co(II) or Ni(II) and Fe(III) cations are reduced to form FeCo and FeNi nanoalloy particles, while polyacrylamide simultaneously forms a nitrogen-doped carbon shell layer. This unique architecture provides high chemical and thermal stability of the resulting nanocomposites. The average crystallite size of FeCo and FeNi nanoparticles is 10 and 12 nm, respectively. The nanocomposites were studied by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The nanocomposites have been tested as antifriction and antiwear additives in lubricating oils. The optimal concentrations of nanoparticles were determined, at which the antifriction and antiwear properties of the lubricant manifest themselves in the best possible way.

A new genus and species of the millipede tribe Pachyiulini, Bellatoiulus golovatchi gen. et sp. nov. , is described from the Lesser Caucasus, Azerbaijan. Cybertypes of the new species are created from the physical holotype male and from a paratype female. The distribution and ecological features of the new species, and the position of the new genus within Pachyiulini are discussed.

Simple Summary This paper proposes a new methodology for evaluating fish coloration, which allows us to identify differences in the intensity of coloration of specific areas of the body. Changes in fish coloration occur during growth and under the influence of environmental factors. Male fish belonging to the family Nothobranchius are characterized by extremely diverse coloration, depending on the age of the fish, environmental factors, and social hierarchical status. As the lifespan of this genus of fish is very short (12–14 months), studies on age-dependent changes are possible. In this study, we demonstrate correlations between the coloration of particular body zones of male Nothobranchius guentheri and age using new photofixation methods and image processing software. This methodology can be applied to other fish with unique coloration patterns, for example, family Cichlidae and order Cyprinodontiformes. Abstract Fish as model objects have found wide applications in biology and fundamental medicine and allow studies of behavioral and physiological responses to various environmental factors. Representatives of the genus Nothobranchius are one of the most convenient objects for such studies. Male fish belonging to the family Nothobranchiidae are characterized by extremely diverse coloration, which constantly changes, depending on the age of the fish, environmental factors, and social hierarchical status. These fish species are characterized by a short life cycle, which allows changes in coloration, an indicator of the ontogenesis stage, to be estimated. Existing methods of fish color assessments do not allow the intensity of coloration of particular body zones to be clearly differentiated. In the present study, we suggest a method of two-factor assessment of specific fish body zones using modified methods of photofixation and image processing software. We describe the protocol of the method and the results of its application to different-aged groups of male Nothobranchius guentheri. The coloration of selected areas (i.e., red spot on the gill cover (RSGC), black border on the caudal fin (BBCF), and white border on the dorsal fin (WBDF)) differed significantly according to the size and age of the fish (p < 0.05). The data obtained suggest that N. guentheri can be a model for studying aging by the intensity of body coloration in males.

In this work, the fracture surface of a 1.0481 steel sample having a layered ferrite-martensitic structure after special heat treatment was studied by optical and scanning electron microscopy. The samples were subjected to a shock-bending test at negative temperature. A sample made of the same steel with a homogeneous martensitic structure was used for comparative analysis. The features of the destruction mechanisms of the studied samples are described. Keywords: construction steel, layered structure, fracture surface, visco-brittle mechanism, impact strength.