In vitro renal calculi destruction by a high-frequency glow discharge plasma.

Despite the progress made in the treatment of nephrolithiasis, the existing methods of renal calculi destruction are not ideal and have both advantages and disadvantages. Considering the process of high-frequency glow discharge formation on the surface of an electrode and in an electrolyte solution, we obtained the results on the destruction of renal calculi in vitro. It was shown that the destruction of kidney stones by glow discharge plasma was caused by several processes-the plasma induced effect of hydrated electrons and shock wave effect of the electrolyte stimulated by electrical breakdowns in the plasma. The plasma generation modes were configured by estimating the thickness of the vapor-gas layer in which the plasma burns. Thus, the average rate of contact destruction of renal calculi was measured depending on the plasma generator input power and time of plasma exposure. We conclude that the method of stone fragmentation by high-frequency electrolyte plasma is rather perspective and can be used in endoscopic urology for percutaneous and transurethral lithotripsy.

Treated livestock wastewater influence on soil quality and possibilities of crop irrigation.

This work aims to investigate how livestock wastewater irrigation affects the quality and agricultural potential of soil. The experiments took place in 2019 on a research station with an area of 10 ha (Moscow region, Russian Federation), divided into two even sites of 5 ha (control, experimental). Eleven germination experiments were carried out to determine the influence of livestock wastewater irrigation on radish seeds (1 - control; 10 - irrigation with liquid and solid phases of wastewater samples mixed with pure water). The experimental and control plots appeared to differ in terms of the bulk density of soil. Changes occurred in all horizons (p ≤ 0.05) but a soil layer with a depth of 0.2-0.4 m. Soil horizons in the experiment plots all exhibited lower porosity (p ≤ 0.05) except for the topsoil, and the water capacity was higher in the topsoil (p ≤ 0.05) and near-surface layer (p ≤ 0.05). The experiment showed higher concentrations of hummus (p ≤ 0.01) and phosphorus (p ≤ 0.01). As for nitrogen, significant changes only occurred in the topsoil (p ≤ 0.01). In the germination experiments, more than 90% of radish seeds germinated. Besides, their root length was higher compared to the control (p ≤ 0.05). The results of the study suggest that livestock wastewater can benefit crop cultivation after preliminary treatment. Finally, the experiments revealed a reduced soil salt accumulation.

Restoration of vegetation around mining enterprises.

This paper is devoted to the restoration of vegetation around mining areas on the example of two land-reclamation zones in the Borodinsky coal mine during spring-summer of 2011-2021. Analysis of vegetation in this area has shown that indicators of spontaneous plant diversity in plots No. 1 and No. 2 were considered moderate in both layers (H < 2.5). Underwood and seeding diversity indices at pre-mining sites were ranked high, reaching 4.01-4.25 and 3.78-3.82, respectively. The analysis of the biological diversity of the flora in the undergrowth of the 12-year-old plot revealed approximately 29 spontaneous plant species belonging to 25 genera and 18 families. The most significant number of species found was found from the family Euphorbia, Cereals, and Legumes. At the 18-year-old site, the number and diversity of plant species (38 species) belonging to 38 genera and 27 families are slightly larger, with the most significant number of species within Euphorbiaceae and Poaceae, Asteraceae, Rubiaceae and Leguminosae. Saplings of various tree species from the Euphorbia and Leguminous family, such as Euphorbia cyparissias L., E. fischeriana Steud., Desmodium triflorum L., Indigofera gerardiana (Wall.) Baker, Robinia viscosa Vent. grew well in both plots. Many other spontaneous species of trees were also found in small populations at the 18-year-old site, namely, Pinus sylvestris L., Salix alba L., Populus alba L., and P. tremula L. In contrast to the younger site, some seedlings of small trees like S. alba and P. tremula and terrestrial ferns such as common bracken (Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn) and adiantum capillus-veneris L. prevailed in the older site.

Plant-parasitic nematodes affecting vegetable crops in greenhouses.

This work focuses on investigating plant-parasitic nematodes that affect greenhouse vegetables. The study took place in the Rostov region (Russian Federation) between May 2019 and May 2020 and involved 180 samples of soil and roots of 30 different vegetables in the families Cucurbitaceae (6), Solanaceae (8), Umbelliferae (8), Lamiaceae (4) and Allioideae (4) from 20 intensive farming locations. In this study, 11 nematode genera were detected. The most common genus was Meloidogyne, followed by Helicotylenchus, Pratylenchus, and Scutellonema. The highest Meloidogyne densities were detected in cucumbers, green peppers, carrots, eggplants, basil, and celery. Onions were not infected with Meloidogyne at all. Plant diseases caused by Pratylenchus, Scutellonema and Helicotylenchus were present in 29.7%, 51.5% and 81.6% of all crops examined, respectively. Xiphinema were found exclusively in carrots and celery, while Ditylenchus were only present in tomatoes and carrots (for each, the prevalence was 2.1%). The relative abundance of Meloidogyne, Helicotylenchus, and Pratylenchus was 58.3%, 10.4%, and 2.1%, respectively. As regards other genera, the relative abundance was less than 1%. The results show that soil properties are as important for the abundance, distribution and structure of the plant-parasitic nematode communities as the host plant. Findings may be helpful in improving the vegetable pest controls.

Evaluation of magnetic field error in ExtendedEBIS.

The upgrade of the EBIS, called ExtendedEBIS, is now in progress in Brookhaven National Laboratory. Two 5T-superconducting solenoids have been placed in series with 200 mm distance from each other for higher trap capacity and production of polarized 3He ions. Since the two superconducting solenoids are used, the field error is expected to be larger. In this research, the field error is estimated based on simulation. It was found that the magnetic field line can be 17 mm off from the center axis at the entrance of the collector, and this offset can be adjusted by three types of correction coils. Additionally, mismatch of the spin direction of polarized 3He due to the misalignment was estimated to be small.