A publication project by PSU geologists “Sulphate Karst of Perm Krai” received the 1st degree diploma in “University Book-2023” Competition as the best publication in natural sciences.
The project data is based on years of research on sulfate karst of Perm krai, regarding its territory-based characteristics, its spread and development in the region.
Caves, lakes, rivers and other karst formations are unique natural attractions of Perm krai, some of them declared as protected natural areas. The Kungur Ice Cave is the oldest tourist cave in Russia. The Ordinskaya Cave is the longest underwater gypsum cave in the world, globally known as a center for underwater speleology.
“Compared to more common, world-known carbonate karst, the sulfate one has specific features associated primarily with the high solubility of gypsum and anhydrite. Ground and surface waters contain a large amount of calcium sulfate, which in some cases makes them unsuitable for water supply and creates inconveniences for the local population, explains Olga Meshcheryakova. – A serious problem in sulfate karst areas is the development of sinkholes that provide damage to buildings and structures, industrial enterprises, communications, as well as cause mortal cases. At the same time, gypsum and anhydrite are a valuable mineral and construction resource. Here we have about 270 objects of sulfate rocks in 20 administrative districts of Perm Territory.”
The international industry competition of educational and scientific publications “University Book” has been held since 2012. In 2023, 135 books by 415 authors have been presented in 20 nominations of the competition. The monograph by PSU scholars had previously received a grant by the Ministry of Education and Science of Perm Territory, with a further publication by Springer. The book addresses geologists, geographers, ecologists, karst explorers, speleologists, local historians, teachers and students in earth sciences, as well as a wide range of amateur researchers of karst and caves.
On 8 February, Perm State University celebrated the Day of Russian Science, recognizing the contribution of its scholars on the national and international scale in 2022:
1. PSU chemists have discovered a new substance that will help in the fight against tuberculosis.
PSU scientists have been developing a new type of antibiotic based on erogorgiaen, isolated from the sea coral Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae. Not only it will allow the cells enter a persistent state of the drug, acquiring to its tolerance, but also reduce the recurrence of the disease.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) bacteria, which generally affects the lungs. In 2020, an estimated 10 million people developed active TB, resulting in 1.5 million deaths, making it the second leading cause of death from an infectious disease after COVID-19.
2. The “Photonics” NTI Competence Center at PSU has developed a new method for preventing emergency shutdowns of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
Commonly known as a drone, UAV is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew or passengers on board, involving a ground-based controller and a communication systems. Originally developed for military missions, UAVs are widely used in scientific research, agriculture, logistics, policing and hi-tech sports.
PSU scholars urged to eliminate the possibility of a UAV system failure due to a sudden change in temperature. The results of the research, detecting the problem failure and improving the fiber-optic elements in UAV gyroscopes have been published in the Applied Sciences Journal.
PSU scholars from the “Photonics” NTI Competence Center are developing new types of optical fibers resistant to radiation and other aggressive environments applicable in mines, nuclear power plants, as well as spacecraft and Earth orbit satellites. New fibers will speed up data transfer and reduce system response time in case of emergency situations.
4. PSU Professor in law becomes co-developer of CIS agreement on Internet copyright
Professor Anton Matveev, Department of Civil Law, PSU, joined the international lawyers group working on the Agreement allowing CIS member states to protect copyright and related rights on the Internet, establish common approaches to solving problems alike, including updates of national legislation.
The Agreement on Cooperation between the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), regarding copyright and processing information, including telecommunication networks was signed at a meeting of the Council of CIS State Leaders in November, 2021.
5. PSU expert in Adventure Travels crossed Chukotka, ascended the highest peak of the peninsula.
Andrey Korolev, Associate Professor of the Department of Tourism, PSU joined the “Pole of Inaccessibility” team comprising University alumni, in their ski expedition to Chukotka. The adventure travelers crossed the peninsula from the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean, for the first time ever.
The route was dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the expedition of Baron Ferdinand von Wrangel (1796-1870), an explorer of the northeastern coast of the Arctic. For 25 walking days, the team traveled about 600km (373mi), covering the distance of 30km (16,5mi) daily, with an equipment of 50kg (110lb).
6. PSU Scholar discovered a rare species of mosquito in the Vishera Nature Reserve.
Andrey Krasheninnikov, Associate Professor of the Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Aquatic Ecology, PSU, discovered a unique species of mosquito in the territory of the Vishhersky Nature Reserve. The official name of the insect is Chaetocladius (Chaetocladius) crassisaetosus.
The Chironomidae family of mosquitoes (known as chironomids, nonbiting midges, or lake flies) comprise a family of nematoceran flies with a global distribution. The name Chironomidae stems from the Ancient Greek word kheironómos, “a pantomimist”, due to characteristic behavior of the mosquito.
7. The technology for groundwater purification is developed by PSU scholars.
The Laboratory of Geology of Technogenic Processes, Natural Science Institute, PSU, in partnership with the Laboratory for Non-Destructive Testing developed a technology and a new bio product for cleaning groundwaters polluted with oil-affected elements.
The new technology is meant for those cases when concentration of pollution does not allow the use of traditional mechanical means of collection, as an alternative to pumping, bioreactors use or chemical reactions. It significantly reduces costs and efforts, and does not harm the environment. The technology has been patented and is ready for practical use.
8. Perm State Art Gallery to receive digital copies of its collection, provided by PSU scholars.
The team of the Center for Digital Humanities at PSU have been creating digital copies of wooden sculpture, typical of local Christian Orthodox believers, preserved at Perm State Art Gallery. The project contributes to 300 Perm City Anniversary.
Digital humanities (DH) is an area of scholarly activity at the junction of digital technologies serving as a an advanced system storage and analysis of humanities’ data, as well as their application. The Center for Digital Humanities had been established at PSU in 2016.
9. PSU geneticists explained the failures and successes of combatants in sports.
Research team led by Svetlana Boronnikova, Head of the Department of Botany and Plant Genetics, Faculty of Biology, PSU, identified genotypes and their influence upon people involved in a-cyclic sports, like martial arts, explaining estimating their failures and successes, publishing the survey results in the Genes Journal.
The results by PSU geneticists might be useful at estimating young athletes’ physical capacity – right at the stage of planning their career in sports. The scientists will help predict the body’s ‘durability’ to specific loads, allowing parents and their children to choose among types of most suited sports.
10. PSU geologists keep studying vertebrates of the Permian period in the south of the Perm Territory.
Geologist Galina Ponomareva and geochemist Ivan Khopta, accompanied by scholars from the Paleontological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences and Lomonosov Moscow State University have been researching the age of the Kueda-Klyuchiki section, in the south of Perm Territory. The team did not come to a unified conclusion, yet managed to identify its unique features.
The Permian is a geologic period and stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years from the end of the Carboniferous Period 298.9 million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.9 Mya. Permian marine deposits are rich in fossil mollusks, echinoderms, and brachiopods; terrestrial life included diverse plants, fungi, arthropods, and various types of tetrapods. Overall, Permian period served a vast variety of pre-historic species, including temnospondyli, lepospondyli and batrachosaurs.
Perm State University expresses words of sincere gratitude to its scholars, partners and research fellows for hard work, bold strive for experiment and exciting original projects – with wishes to continue further and achieve bigger impacts!
PSU students will be able to publish an article in the proceedings journal indexed in Scopus.
From 28 February to 11 April, a competition of research papers among students in bachelor’s, specialist’s, master’s and postgraduate programs will take place at Perm State University (PSU).
The winners of the competition will take part in the “Science and Global Challenges in the 21st Century” Perm International Forum – followed by a publication in Springer, indexed in Scopus. For those passing the double-blind peer review, the registration fee under RUB 10,000 will be paid by PSU.
For participation, paper drafts and filled questionnaires must be sent by 10 April, 2022, to osnid.psu@gmail.com with the subject title “Research Papers’ Competition”. All drafts should be written in English.
The “Science and Global Challenges in the 21st Century” Perm International Forum is an international event aiming to comprehend the tasks and problems faced by science and education, as well as the society in general, within the context of globalization – proposing solutions, targets and opportunities, regarding possible challenges and risk management. The Forum scholars aim to form end-to-end innovation chains, enabling fundamental and applied research, technology development, practical applications and widespread use of IT.
In 2021, an impressive set of 99 reports have been published under the Springer series “Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies”: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-89477-1. The Forum proceedings, with a full translation into English, covered all the disciplines studied at twelve PSU faculties, and beyond.
Dr. Sergey Pyankov, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation, has overviewed the results of 2021 at the Academic Council of Perm State University (PSU). Along with PSU Press Office, we have paid close attention to the international component of his report:
In 2021, and for the first time, a group of PSU researchers from a wide spectrum of disciplines performed as authors for the “Science and Global Challenges of the 21st Century – Science and Technology” by Springer. In total, out of 99 publications 59 belonged to PSU scholars.
The Scientific Publishing Office at PSU helped organize the publication of papers, initiated at the Science and Global Challenges of the 21st Century Forum (autumn 2021); the Office continues providing assistance in writing scientific articles for the University scholars.
For the past year, 237 PSU scholars published their papers in internationally recognized journals; among them, 111 people had their publications quoted by the Web of Science. On the average, the number of articles published at Scopus is 2.6, and 2.8 at the Web of Science.
In 2021, a new Department of Scientific and Innovative Activity had been launched at PSU. For the first months of its activity, the Department concluded 12 contracts worth about RUB 70 million. Among the Department’s divisions, the International Academic Cooperation Office assists grant applications, promotes science diplomacy and contributes to the “Rational Subsoil Use” Perm Scientific and Educational Center.
“This year, we will keep on building a unified and transparent network – providing informational, instructional and executive support of the scientific activity at PSU. We are doing our best to encourage our faculties and research units to write grant applications, as well as run commercial and contractual activities. The related search algorithms, regulatory support and tangible results should be clear and convenient for those researchers. We see our task at providing most full and complete support on that,”
said Dr. Sergey Pyankov, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovations, PSU.
Summing up the annual financial records, Dr. Pyankov noted that in 2021, PSU received the maximum amount of RUB 720 mln for research activities, which was 60% higher than in 2020. The Photonics NTI Competence Center, the Natural Sciences Institute, and the Faculty of Physics, PSU made the greatest contribution in this progress.
The Elsevier has published the second edition of the Rivers of Europe, ed. by K. Tockner, C. Zarfl, C.T. Robinson. As in the case of the first edition, researchers of the Faculty of Geography and the Faculty of Biology, Perm State University (PSU), contributed to the publication.
The book describes the biological and geographical features of the Volga and its tributaries, notably the Kama river and Perm-related part – serving the overall vision of the aquatic organisms and ichthyo-fauna, typical of the vast Volga-basin valley. It took 3 years to prepare the publication.
The contributors included researchers from the Department of Hydrology and Protection of Water Resources, the Department of Zoology of Invertebrates and Aquatic Ecology and the Department of Vertebrate Zoology and Ecology, PSU – making 1/3 of the section.
“The result is the most important reference book on all major European rivers, reflecting their current state. The urgent demand and feedback by its readers soon after the first publication in 2009 caused the editing team to start working on an updated version, nearly immediately,”
says Mikhail Baklanov, Head of the Department of Vertebrate Zoology and Ecology, PSU.
Interested on what is the Rivers of Europe about? Want to know more about Perm and the Kama basin?
The Volga River, at 3690 km (2293 mi), is known to be the longest river in Europe, 5th in Russia and 16th globally. The Volga flows into the Caspian Sea, the largest inland sea on Earth, covering various biomes from taiga to semidesert, holding about 151,000 rivers of which 2600 flow into the Volga directly – the Kama being its largest tributary, 5th longest river of Europe, crossing the vast Perm territory, and more.
Deriving its name from the Udmurt “kam”, meaning “river” or “current”. The river became a major link of communication between Asia and Europe. Originally colonized by Fins at the end of the 11th century, it saw the first Russian traders 3-4 centuries later, giving birth to Perm settlement and providing Imperial Russia with minerals, timber, fur and metals for production of armour and cannons.
Related section of the Book concerning the Kama river covers paleography; physiography, climate, and land use; geomorphology, hydrology, and biogeochemistry and questions of pollution; aquatic and riparian biodiversity – including plants, algae, zooplankton, zoobenthos and fish; questions of management and conservation; paleography of the catchment; physiography, climate, and land use.
Today, the Kama catchment consists of 12 administrative regions with a total population of 29 million people. Among them, >10 million (~40%) inhabit the adjacent riverine floodplain. Ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy, coal industry, oil processing, and engineering and chemical industries cause heavy mining activity. Industrial discharge from the river-side cities are the main sources of pollution.
Providing a comprehensive outlook of the Volga and Kama basin, regarding their challenges and prospects, the PSU researchers see the increased content of manganese and iron compounds in water as a result of both anthropogenic and natural factors, including the bed weathering. In general, waters of the Kama are suitable for technical and domestic water supply, after treatment and disinfection.
The book experts, contributing to the research and publication, included Dr. Svetlana Dvinskikh, ScD. Victor Noskov, ScD. Alexander Kitaev, ScD Margarita Aleksevnina, ScD Anna Istomina, ScD Elena Presnova, ScD Mikhail Baklanov, Dr. Evgeny Zinoviev from the faculties of Geography and Biology, PSU.
Please, see the PDF of the Rivers of Europe enclosed.
The research allows to detect the conditions under which Alzheimer’s disease and other related illnesses appear. Russian News Agency TASS, one of the largest news agencies worldwide, reports on the research which involves Perm State University scholars:
Russian scientists have described a mechanism that controls the ability of the human brain to change. This will help to better understand the conditions in which brain function is impaired – for example, in Alzheimer’s disease. The research results have been published in the Science Advances scientific journal, as Perm State University press service reports.
The researchers have identified the functional nano-architecture of synapses, which enable contacts between nerve cells. The article describes the structure of molecular mechanisms controlling the ability of brain to change along one’s life. The scientists determine the important role of calcium ions accumulated in ‘nano-tanks’, typical of every synapse, contributing to nerve cells’ operation.
When the synapse is triggered, the ‘nano-tanks’ is emptied, and then filled up again. The details of such mechanism have remained previously unknown. The studies show that the ‘tank’ is strictly oriented in space and retains a kind of a memory vector.
“Alzheimer’s disease is known for the loss of synaptic contacts. For the first time ever, our article describes the molecular mechanism by which the ‘nano-tank’ can be filled without the synapses being involved. We assume that learning to control this mechanism can alleviate the symptoms of the disease and preserve memory,”
says Dr. Eduard Korkotyan, co-author, professor at Perm State University and Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel).
Learning to control this process, we reduce the consequences of many diseases associated with brain damage.
“It has been found that nanostructures within thousands of spines, located on the surface of each neuron, are capable of precisely directing calcium gradients that create rapid transients. This happens in milliseconds and less than ten thousandths of a millimeter in space. To explain such processes, we had to apply newly the theory known as statistics of extreme events “,
The picture shows calcium (yellow), which is transported from the synapse to the nano-tank (green) thanks to ion pumps (red). Then it moves along the arrows and stands out from the opposite side of the tank through the pore systems (blue). The whole process takes less than 1 millisecond. The tank is about 200 nanometers in size.
The Unbound Publishing has published a documentary thriller on divers exploring underwater caves, with a reference to scientists of Perm State University. The book by Mark Cowan and Martin Robson is titled “Between the Devil and the Deep: One Man’s Battle to Beat the Bends” and holds 448 pages of a drama which happened in the South of Russia, a challenge which took years to understand and explore. The book, released on 22 July, 2021, mentions the names of scholars from Perm State University (PSU, Russia).
“Deep underwater lurks a mysterious man-made illness. It has gone by many names over the years – Satan’s disease, diver’s palsy, the chokes,” the book promo states. – the phenomenon known today as a decompression sickness, or the “bends”. Robert Kurson, a columnist for the New York Times and bestselling author of the “Shadow Divers” claims the new book to be “one of the best accounts ever written of deep-water diving and its staggering, haunting dangers”.
In the winter 2012, Robson, along with Perm scientists, took part in an expedition to the Blue Lake in Kabardino-Balkaria, to the South of Russia. The goal of the mission was to discover an underwater cave system, hitherto hidden from human eyes. The Blue Lake, called by the locals as the Jin’s Jug, is a combination of two unique objects – a karst spring and a karst mine. The origin of the reservoir is not completely clear: a river constantly flows out of the Blue Lake, yet nothing visibly flows into it. The challenge served a start for a closer investigation.
Researchers from Perm State University have been exploring lakes for a hundred years, already, since the start of the University in 1916. Perm Territory has water reservoirs of a similar type, albeit less deep. Their close study and proven practices allow PSU experts to enter international research projects and conduct an expert assessment of similar objects in Russia and worldwide, hence their appearance in a book by Mark Cowan and Martin Robson.
“Why explore the lake?” comments Professor Nikolay Maksimovich, Deputy Director for Science, Natural Science Institute, PSU, Associate Professor of the Department of Hydrology and Protection of Water Resources, Head of Laboratory of Geology of Technogenic Processes. “From a common point of view, the research is important in order to understand the origin of the lake, its evolution, and protect it. Any data on such phenomena expand the horizons of our knowledge about the structure of the Earth. The research of this kind is often initiated or accompanied by divers.”
A layer of cold water at depths of about 100 m (328 ft) allowed Professor Maksimovich to suggest the source of the flow was hidden somewhere there. During the expedition, the famous Russian diver Andrei Rodionov died in search of flow tunnels. It was to him that Martin Robson dedicated his final dive in the lake. Tragically, as Robson returned from the deepest dive of 209 m (685 ft) the disaster struck: just seventy-five feet down, he was ambushed by the bends.
Robson knew that if he continued up to the surface he would probably die before help arrived. Instead, he sank back into the cold water, with electric heating batteries discharged, gambling on an underwater practice most doctors believe is a suicidal act. Soon the only hope he had of saving his life would rest in the hands of a dramatic mercy mission organized at the highest levels of the Russian government.
Between the Devil and the Deep is believed to be the first book to tell the terrifying true story of what it feels like to get the bends, taking you inside the body and mind of a man who suffered the unthinkable. Writer Mark Cowan also explores the grimly fascinating history of decompression sickness, the science behind what causes the disease, and the stories of the forgotten divers who pushed the limits of physical endurance to help find a solution. Albeit the human progress, science is still accompanied by risk, yet it is within our effort to bring it to the minimum, PSU scholars suggest.
Info about the Book: Between the Devil and the Deep: One Man’s Battle to Beat the Bends by Mark Cowan (Author), Martin Robson (Author) Publisher: Unbound ISBN: 9781800180291 Number of pages: 448 Dimensions: 240 x 159 mm Hardcover – 22 July 2021
