Microfocal Radiography Research Articles

Identification and classification of buckwheat grain by microfocus radiography and hyperspectral imaging methods

Classification of buckwheat grains is important because the absence of defective grains is a guarantee of yield and quality. Buckwheat grains were randomly selected from a batch whose grains varied in quality. The identification and classification of buckwheat grains according to the degree of fulfillment was carried out by a combination of microfocus X-ray and hyperspectral image analysis and multivariate analysis techniques. Using microfocus radiography, buckwheat grains were categorized into groups according to the degree of fulfillment. Hyperspectral image of buckwheat grains in the range of 935-1720 nm was acquired using a Specim FX17 camera. Using the polygon selection function, the averaged spectra were obtained and a data matrix of grain samples was generated. The bands of the spectrum contributing most to the grading of the grain samples by degree of fulfillment were identified using the principal component analysis. The classification model of grading buckwheat grain into groups by degree of fulfillment was constructed by partial least squares discriminant analysis method. The results showed that hyperspectral image is a potential tool for rapid and accurate identification of buckwheat grains, which can be used in large-scale grain classification and grain quality determination.

Establishing the Quality of Buckwheat Grain Using Non-destructive Testing Method

The assessment of the quality of buckwheat grain according to regulatory indicators does not allow to determine the state of its core. The paper examines the possibility of using microfocus radiography as a non-destructive testing method. The latent (internal) defects of buckwheat grain (underdeveloped (unfulfilled) grain, hollow grain, damaged core (fracturing), damaged core (destruction), grain with a damaged shell) were identified and classified, obvious distinguishing features on the radiographic image of the grain are described. It is shown that when conducting a comprehensive assessment, the results of the X-ray examination make it possible to increase the objectivity of the conclusion on the quality of buckwheat grain.

Fruit and seed plumpness, germination and viability of rare plants in Yakutia

Background. With the increasing anthropogenic impact on nature, conservation and renewal of rare and endangered plants in natural cenoses is an urgent problem. Quality assessment, identification of full-fledged plump seeds, and determination of their viability is the way to develop reproduction technologies and provide a possibility of repatriating these species to their natural habitats. Collecting and studying natural flora species in botanical gardens helps to save biological resources of useful species and recommend them for urban landscaping.Materials and methods. X-ray techniques were used to analyze seed quality and viability of rare species in the flora of Yakutia: Adonis sibirica Patrin, Phlojodicarpus sibiricus (Steph. ex Spreng.) Koso-Pol., Iris laevigata Fisch. et C.A. Mey., Iris sanguinea Donn, and Paeonia anomala L. Methods developed for the application of microfocus radiography to fruits and seeds were used in the X-ray analysis.Results. Seed quality was assessed according to guidelines. It was shown that fruits and seeds of the studied species developed under the conditions of Yakutia were full-fledged (plump), but due to the presence of a morphophysiological type of dormancy in them, they could germinate only after a cold or multistage stratification.Conclusion. Assessment of reproductive diaspore quality and viability in rare and endangered plant species of Yakutia will make it possible to develop technologies for increasing their seed germination rates and restoring the natural populations of these species.

Microfocus radiography method for detecting hidden defects and assessing the quality of nuts cultivars

Microfocus radiography method for detecting hidden defects and assessing the quality of nuts cultivars

High-Resolution Time-Lapse Monitoring of Mud Invasion in Spatially Complex Rocks Using In-Situ X-Ray Radiography

Borehole measurements, such as electrical resistivity, neutron porosity, or nuclear magnetic resonance, are critical for the in-situ petrophysical assessment of subsurface rocks. However, the interpretation of borehole measurements is often subject to uncertainty arising from their sensitivity to the interplay between mud filtrate, connate fluids, and the rock’s pore structure. This uncertainty remains present even in homogeneous geological formations. Mudcake deposition on the borehole wall causes additional complexity, impacting both well construction and formation evaluation. It is, therefore, essential to account for the latter effects and perform appropriate corrections when interpreting borehole measurements. Recently, new experimental procedures were introduced to quantitatively describe the process of mud invasion under realistic rock and fluid conditions, focusing on gas-bearing rocks and without considering how original saturating fluids affected the process of invasion. Both mud-filtrate invasion and filter-cake deposition must be understood and incorporated into numerical and analytical models to reliably interpret borehole measurements and maximize value. This objective can only be fulfilled via experiments. We use X-ray microfocus radiography to examine in real time the processes of mud-filtrate invasion and internal and external mudcake deposition in thin rectangular rock samples. The high-resolution experimental procedure (10 to 30 μm) mimics the borehole and near-wellbore regions and facilitates the time-lapse visualization of in-situ fluid-transport processes in spatially complex rocks. Water- and oil-based muds were injected into rock samples initially saturated with a range of different connate fluids, including viscous liquids, while being continuously scanned with X-rays. Because the injected drilling muds were the same across all experiments, the observed discrepancies between experiments originate from differences in rock properties, heterogeneity and anisotropy, or initial fluid saturation conditions. Experimental results emphasize the effect of rock heterogeneity and initial connate fluid on the spatial distribution of fluids and mudcake formation ensuing from mud-filtrate invasion. Mud-filtrate invasion rates and final average mudcake thicknesses were similar across all cases for a given drilling mud, suggesting that mudcake properties, as opposed to rock properties, were the controlling factors. By contrast, the spatial distribution of fluids in each rock sample varied significantly between cases, highlighting the impact of rock heterogeneity/anisotropy on the process of invasion. Laboratory experiments also emphasize the impact of viscous and/or capillary forces on mud-filtrate flow behavior. The experimental method is efficient and reliable, allowing for a better understanding of the uncertainty of the effects of mud-filtrate invasion on borehole geophysical measurements acquired while or after drilling.

Применение метода газоразрядной визуализации для оценки скрытых дефектов семян

The gas-discharge visualization (GDV, electrophotography) method allows recording and quantifying the glow that occurs near the surface of the object (seed), when placing it in an electromagnetic field of high intensity. The hidden defects – emptiness of Pinus sibirica Du Tour seeds and biogenic damage (by phytopathogenic bacteria Pantoea ananatis) of Zea mays L. seeds were revealed and analyzed by the method of gas discharge visualization in combination with automatic analysis of digital gas-discharge images. It is shown that empty seeds have reduced values of the averaged intensity of digital gas discharge images. According to the data obtained, the methods of gas-discharge imaging (electrophotography) and microfocus radiography showed high efficiency (> 90%) of accuracy in the detection of empty seeds of Pinus sibirica. It was found that the sample of Zea mays seeds (hybrid Krasnodarskiy 194 MV) was characterized by reduced values of the average intensity of gas-discharge images, as well as the average brightness of digital X-ray images, compared with the other three seed samples. The seed sample of hybrid Krasnodarskiy 194 MB was characterized by the worst sowing qualities: emergence rate, germination, root length and shoot length. It was shown that the Krasnodarskiy 194 MB seeds were affected by phytopathogenic bacteria Pantoea ananatis. The average inverse correlations of a number of characteristics of gas-discharge glow (area, total intensity) with the standard deviation of brightness of digital X-ray images, as well as weak reliable correlation of most gas-discharge characteristics with seeding qualities were found. Comparative assessment of gas discharge indices and seedlings germination as integral indices for evaluation of biological completeness of Zea mays seeds was carried out. Research has confirmed that the method of gas discharge visualization in combination with automatic analysis of digital gas-discharge images can be used as an effective additional tool for rapid detection of defective seeds.

Experimental Investigation of Two-Phase Flow Properties of Heterogeneous Rocks Based on X-Ray Microfocus Radiography

Summary An uncommon facet of formation evaluation is the assessment of flow-related in-situ properties of rocks. Most of the models used to describe two-phase flow properties of porous rocks assume homogeneous and/or isotropic media, which is hardly the case with actual reservoir rocks, regardless of scale; carbonates and grain-laminated sandstones are but two common examples of this situation. The degree of spatial complexity of rocks and its effect on the mobility of hydrocarbons are of paramount importance for the description of multiphase fluid flow in most contemporary reservoirs. There is thus a need for experimental and numerical methods that integrate all salient details about fluid-fluid and rock-fluid interactions. Such hybrid, laboratory-simulation projects are necessary to develop realistic models of fractional flow in complex rocks, i.e., saturation-dependent capillary pressure and relative permeability. Furthermore, these two crucial properties are usually measured independently. Capillary pressure is typically assessed using static measurements and unrealistic pressure conditions, whereas relative permeability is evaluated dynamically. Consequently, the disparity between the nature of the two experimental procedures often results in a potentially significant loss of information. We document a new high-resolution visualization technique that provides experimental insight to quantify fluid saturation patterns in heterogeneous rocks which allow for the simultaneous and dynamic evaluation of two-phase flow properties. The experimental apparatus consists of an X-ray microfocus scanner and an automated syringe pump. Rather than using traditional cylindrical cores, thin rectangular rock samples are examined, their thickness being one order of magnitude smaller than the remaining two dimensions. During the experiment, the core is scanned quasicontinuously while the fluids are being injected, allowing for time-lapse visualization of the flood front. Numerical simulations are then conducted to match the experimental data and quantify effective saturation-dependent relative permeability and capillary pressure. The experimental results indicate that flow patterns and in-situ saturations are highly dependent on the nature of the heterogeneity and bedding-plane orientation during both imbibition and drainage cycles. In homogeneous rocks, fluid displacement approaches piston-like behavior. The assessment of capillary pressure and relative permeability is performed by examining the time-lapse water saturation profiles resulting from fluid displacement. In spatially complex rocks, high-resolution time-lapse images reveal preferential flow paths along high-permeability sections and a lowered sweep efficiency. Our experimental procedure emphasizes that capillary pressure and transmissibility differences play an important role in fluid-saturation distribution and sweep efficiency at late times. The method is fast and reliable to assess mixing laws for fluid-transport properties of rocks in spatially complex formations.

Control of industrial products by microfocus radiography

X-ray methods in comparison with other control methods are characterized by high information content, clarity and efficiency. The paper presents the results of the use of microfbcus radiography in the control and diagnostics of industrial products. A distinctive feature of the microfbcus radiography method is the use of an X-ray source with a focal spot of micron sizes and a survey geometry with a direct geometric increase in the object of study. The minimum dimensions of the rendered structures in this case are not limited by the pixel size of the image receiver and can be significantly smaller. It is shown that the use of the microfbcus radiography method makes it possible to increase the information content of the resulting radiographs by at least an order of magnitude, due to an increase in spatial resolution. At the same time, the technical means for implementing the described method can be small-sized, designed for use in non-stationary and non-specialized conditions. The results obtained can be used in scientific research and industrial control in the following areas: electronics, additive technologies, instrumentation and others.

THE HEIGHT OF CHILDREN IN RUSSIAN TOWNS IN THE 15<sup>th</sup>–17th CENTURIES

Fieldwork of the Institute of Archaeology RAS in recent years has made it possible to unearth several hundred children’s burials, which belong to a narrow chronological range. Comparative research into these materials enabled to refine our understanding of the life quality of Russian towns’ population during the late Middle Ages. The study sample includes the remains of children aged from new-born to 10 year-old from the 16th–17th centuries cemetery at the Church of St. John Chrysostom, Yaroslavl, and a synchronous sample from the excavations of the Tula Kremlin. For comparison, previously published materials from excavations of other contemporary necropolises were employed. In constructing growth graphs, only those cases were taken into account, where the preservation made it possible to determine the age by the teeth confirmed by microfocus radiography. The lengths of tubular bones in children from all archaeological samples were smaller (with the exception of the sample from the Novokharkovskoye cemetery) than modern standards. Children from Yaroslavl, Tula and Mozhaysk were smaller than children of the 14th–17th centuries from the Lithuanian city of Alytus. Between the ages of one to seven, they were considerably smaller than the English children from Yorkshire (Wharram Percy Cemetery), but then overtook them in size. Comparison with Polish urban samples shows an early growth acceleration in Yaroslavl and Tula children at the age of seven rather than at eight. However, the clavicle length in children under the age of 10 from archaeological samples was practically the same as in the modern group, which probably imply that this feature can be used to determine the biological age of young children in groups of similar chronology.

The primary assessment of the red oak seeds quality and prospects for its bioinvasive potential realization in the Samara region urban environment

The world population growth postulates a necessity for food increase to provide mankind with edible products. A growing number of archaeobotanical finds of acorns indicates that they were important as a staple food for some regions. According to its characteristics, red oak is one of the promising species that can increase the resource potential of oak forests in the Middle Volga region. Compared to local oak one, red oak wood is more resistant to vascular and necrotic-cancerous pathologies. The red oak is also more resistant to oak powdery mildew. On the territory of the Middle Volga region, red oak is still rare, because of its limited use in plantations. The subject of the study is the quality of red oak seeds formed by trees from the arboretum of the Institute of Ecology of the Volga Basin (Togliatti city), where they were collected in an amount enough to assess the quality of seeds formed by an introduced species on a territory new to it. The study of the internal structure of oak seeds with dense shells was carried out by digital microfocus radiography using a PRDU installation. This method is included in international standards, primarily for assessing the formation of the seeds internal structure and grain damage by phytophages. X-ray screening allowed to categorize the red oak seeds: 1) seeds, fully formed, filled and not damaged by insects; 2) seeds that, when falling from a tree, retain their cupula (do not have a developed content); 3) seeds damaged by insects during the formation of cotyledons; 4) seeds without a cupula, but with varying severity of underdevelopment; 5) seeds with partial underdevelopment of the cotyledons, which do not fill the entire volume of the seed coats. The weight and size parameters of seeds formed in the Samara region correspond to the indicators from other regions of red oak growth and are: diameter 1,76 0,01 cm; length 2,48 0,02 cm; weight of 1000 seeds 4224 62,65 g (harvest 2021). At the same time, only from 55 to 39% of red oak seeds (harvests in 2021 and 2022, respectively) were of a sufficiently high quality to be used for sowing. Considering the prospects of red oak as an agent of biological invasion, the authors point to the variability of its seed harvest by years, the formation of a high proportion of low-quality seeds, as well as a small amount of self-seedings with increased demands to soil moisture.

Возможный случай онкологического заболевания у индивидуума золотоордынского времени (по материалам раскопок могильника Натухаевское 5)

Introduction. When examining the osteological collection, which came from the excavations of the Natukhaevskoye 5 mediaeval burial ground in the Krasnodar Region, the skeleton of a young man was found from a ground burial of the 14th century. The purpose of the study was to consider, within the framework of differential diagnosis, the possible cause of pathological changes found on this skeleton. Materials and methods. Identification and description of the state of preservation of the skeletal remains were carried out in accordance with the standards for adult and juvenile osteology. Pathologically altered bone fragments were studied using microfocus radiography. Results. The preservation of the bones is fragmentary; there are large and small fragments of the cranial vault and different parts of the skeleton of male, 16-20 years old. Indicators of physiological stress (multiple enamel hypoplasia, Cribra orbitalia) and consequences of systemic pathology were identified. Visual and radiographic examination of the cranial vault revealed through and non-through defects up to 5 mm in diameter with both rounded and uneven edges. Most lytic damages were observed on the frontal bone and on a fragment of the parietal. The radiograph shows that the formation of foci of destruction is associated with the development of a network of small and large blood vessels. In the diaphysis of large tubular bones, hypertrophied development of the spongy substance is observed. Discussion. The most common paleo-oncological diagnoses are metastatic carcinoma and multiple myeloma, in this case unlikely due to the young age of the individual and the morphological pattern of the defect margins. In paleopathology, there are known cases of lymphocytic leukemia with a peak in children aged 2–5 years. Conclusion. Multiple lesions of the skull bones testify in favor of the diagnosis of metastatic cancer in a young man buried in the Natukhaevskoye-5 burial ground. Although the poor preservation of the remains prevents a more accurate diagnosis, there is evidence to suggest a hematogenous cause of oncology.

Прижизненные травмы скелета у носителей фатьяновской культуры в свете данных археологии и генетики

Materials and methods. All the specific consequences of antemortem traumas that we encountered come from materials obtained during excavations of the Volosovo-Danilovo burial ground in the Yaroslavl region, the largest Fatyanovo burial site. The anthropological study combined visual inspection and microfocus radiography. As part of the paleogenetic analysis, the study of nuclear DNA microsatellites was used. The work was carried out on the basis of the Laboratory of Historical Genetics of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. Results and discussion. The consequences of injuries in men from the Volosovo-Danilovo burial ground were well-healed wounds to the bones of the left arm, in the area of the elbow joint and hand. The closest analogies to the discovered injuries were previously described traumas of representatives of the Corded Ware cultures in Germany (Eulau site) and in Poland (Kruszyn), where mostly they were interpreted as military (defensive) wounds. Quantitative assessment of the quality of the genetic material showed very high parameters for ancient DNA. The 27-marker panel was almost completely covered. Samples from the three studied male burials (№№22, 24, 57) showed belonging to a sub-branch of the haplogroup R1a (M448>M417> S224). In 10 out of 14 loci, the allele values for individuals from Eulau and the Volosovo-Danilovo burial ground coincide (the allele values differ only by one grade), which indicates the relative proximity of individuals in terms of paternal descent. Conclusion. Intravital injuries of the left arm in the elbow joint and hand of men in the Volosovo-Danilovo burial ground testify to similar tactics of battle among the Fatyanovo warriors of the Upper Volga and the Corded men of Germany and Poland. The features serve as an independent indicator of their belonging to a single cultural community. The paleopathological study finds confirmation in the results of paleogenetic analysis showing a connection with the Central European population of the Corded Ware culture (Eulau site).

Https://panor.ru/magazines/tovaroved-prodovolstvennykh-tovarov/numbers/5375.html

The article gives a brief scientific basis for the possibility of using microfocus radiography in the confectionery industry and presents a diagram of the optical sorting machine.

КОНТРОЛЬ ЖИЗНЕСПОСОБНОСТИ СЕМЯН ABROMA AUGUSTA (L.) L.f.

The article presents data on the functional and morphological parameters of Abroma augusta (L.) L.f. seeds, which were collected from 2014 to 2021. in the greenhouse of the Botanical Garden of Samara University. The collected seeds were stored in paper bags at room temperature. The length of the seeds was measured by the flatbed scanning method, which varied from 2.33 to 3.85 mm, the average length was 3.18 mm. The weight of 1000 seeds is characterized by the following range of values: from 4.2905 to 6.0385 g, the average weight of 1000 seeds over 8 years of research is 5.4404 g. habitat of this plant. Humidity was in the range of 4.94–10.16% for seeds stored for more than a year and 8.04% for freshly harvested. By the method of digital microfocus radiography, an express assessment of the quality of seeds was carried out. Seed fulfillment varied from 57.74 to 97.60%. No signs of pest infestation or seed damage were found. The seeds remained viable after 5–6 years of storage, laboratory germination varied from 8 to 46% depending on the storage period of the seeds. The first signs of seed germination appeared 2–4 days after sowing. The highest seed germination rate index was in the samples of 2015 and 2017. Seeds of Abroma augusta (L.) L.f., obtained in the greenhouse conditions of the Botanical Garden of Samara University, are viable and can be used for seed exchange with other botanical institutions.

History and Prospects for the Application of X-Ray Diffraction Analysis in Seed Breeding and Seed Study

Introduction. X-ray analysis has been applied for visualizing the internal structure of various objects for over 100 years. However, this method began to be used for assessing the quality of plant seeds only in the early 1980s. The main impediment was a lack of specialized instruments, particularly X-ray sources, that could provide informative images. Advancements in the field of microfocus radiography allowed significant results to be achieved, including the preparation of the National Standard GOST R 596032021 "Agricultural Seeds. Methods of digital radiography".Aim. An analytical review of Russian research studies in the field of X-ray diffraction analysis of plant seeds.Materials and methods. Key stages in the development of microfocus X-ray diffraction analysis of seeds and individual parts of plants for agricultural and other purposes are considered. The design of instruments, including digital ones, created for the implementation of the method are described.Results. In order to obtain informative X-ray diffraction images of plant seeds, which objects are generally characterized by small sizes and small density, the focal spot of the X-ray tube should not exceed several tens of microns under the voltage of not higher than several tens of kilovolts. As a system for visualizing a latent X-ray image, it is preferable to use image receivers based on a screen with a photostimulated phosphor or flat-panel solid-state X-ray detectors. These instruments have been successfully used to identify and describe the radiographic signs of a normal seed and nine main types of defects for 600 plant species.Conclusion. In comparison with the conventional contact radiography, microfocus radiography produces X-ray images of seeds with a projection magnification of the image up to several tens of times. Such images permit highly detailed visualization of the structure of seeds that differ slightly in density.

ПОВЫШЕНИЕ ЭФФЕКТИВНОСТИ ОПЕРАТИВНОГО КОНТРОЛЯ ПРИ ЭКСПЕРТНОЙ ОЦЕНКЕ КАЧЕСТВА ЗЕРНА

Traditional methods for evaluating sowing and technological characteristics of grain do not sufficiently reveal the caryopsis internal structure damages. They can only be recorded using the microfocus soft X-ray radiography method. The aim of this work was, with the help of X-ray, to evaluate the hidden integrity of the caryopsis structure (including the period of the post-harvest maturation) to increase the efficiency of expert assessment of the degree of economic suitability of grain batches. Seeds of Hordеum vulgare L. variety ‘Suzdalets’ harvested in 2015 in the Gatchina and Vsevolozhsk districts of the Leningrad region, malting barley from the Morskoy Port St. Petersburg (2015–2016), as well as corn grain (Zea mais L.) harvested in 2010 and 2011 were the objects of the research. Grain, which is for feed use only, was provided by the poultry farm “Severnaya”. The poultry farm “Roskar” provided samples harvested in 2017. We used the microfocus radiography method combined with a visual analysis of digital X-ray images to detect hidden grain defects. Experimental data on the evaluation of quality and biosafety of barley and maize grain for various purposes determined by radiographic signs of hidden damage are presented. The survey highlighted several key points: the seed lots obtained in the Vsevolozhsk district had a low total level of hidden defects (39 %); in the seed lots obtained in the Gatchina district, this figure was significantly higher (> 140 %). The germination rate for these options, determined six months after harvesting, turned out to be 89 and 74 %, respectively; it was higher for batches of seeds with a small value of the total indicator of hidden defects. Samples, the total level of hidden defects of which was lower (29 %), had a higher germination index (97 %) compared to the same in seed samples with a total level of hidden defects 70 % or more (85–90 %). X-ray analysis of corn grain samples obtained at the poultry farm “Roskar” revealed that the amount of grain with defects in the embryo (hidden germination) compared with the same in grain lots from the poultry farm “Severnaya” was low and varied from 17 to 29 %. The index of the hidden fissuring rate in these samples was not reliably recorded. However, we detected such internal grain damage as enzyme mycosis depletion (64 to 98 %). Research results are the basis for the development of new engineering and technical solutions for the “gentle” agricultural technologies to obtain batches of high-quality non-injured grain that ensure high competitiveness in the global grain market.

A mobile microfocal x-ray diagnostic complex in the imaging of premature newborns

Background: In the modern clinical practice, providing fast, mobile and high-quality bedside X-ray imaging is important for managing newborn children . Thus, the development of new devices with all these features and their clinical application are of considerable significance. Aims: Estimation of the diagnostic capabilities of a microfocal X-ray diagnostic complex for the imaging of premature newborns. Methods: The study was performed at the facilities of Almazov National Medical Research Centre. The study included X-ray examinations of 156 premature newborns using the method of microfocus radiography: 139 X-ray images of the chest, 17 X-ray images of the abdomen. The imaging was performed using the projection magnification technique with a patient positioned close to the X-ray source. Results: The microfocal X-ray images showed the necessary quality for the diagnosis of pathological changes in the chest and abdomen in infants. The patient dose estimation was based on the radiation output of the X-ray unit and the tube current-time product. For the maximum values of the tube voltage, tube current and exposure time, the effective doses did not exceed 0.02 mSv, corresponding to the negligible radiation risk category. Conclusions: Microfocal radiography allows performing informative X-ray examinations of premature newborns, especially using the projection magnification technique. The use of a microfocal X-ray diagnostic complex allows reducing patient doses, increasing the mobility and usability of the X-ray equipment. The first experience of clinical application of microfocal radiography in neonatology and pediatrics with the projection magnification of an X-ray image was found successful. The implementation of this device in pediatric clinical practice will optimize the tactics of managing premature newborns.

КОНТРОЛЬ ЖИЗНЕСПОСОБНОСТИ СЕМЯН RIVINA HUMILIS L

The article presents data on germination, completion, moisture content, morphology and weight of 1000 seeds collected from adult plants of Rivina humilis L. growing in the greenhouse of the Botanical Garden of Samara University. The fruits of this ornamental houseplant were collected in different years of reproduction (from 2013 to 2021). The seeds cleaned from the pericarp were stored in paper bags at room temperature. Express-assessment of seed quality was carried out using the method of digital microfocus radiography. Seed fulfillment ranged from 97 to 100%. No signs of pest infestation or seed damage were found. Seed sizes were measured using the JMicroVision program. The seed diameter changed from 2.76 to 2.93 mm over 9 years, which is consistent with the data of other researchers. The weight of 1000 seeds is characterized by the following range of values: from 3.71 to 4.26 g. The weight of 1000 seeds obtained in the greenhouse of the Samara Botanical Garden is comparable to the weight of 1000 seeds obtained from natural habitats. The seed moisture content was 5.77–8.19% for seeds stored for more than a year and 11.98% for freshly harvested seeds. Seeds remained viable after 9 years of storage, laboratory germination was the higher, the fresher the seeds were. The first seedlings in the seeds of Rivina humilis L. appeared on the 3rd day from the start of the experiment. The highest seed germination rate index was in the 2020 and 2021 samples. Seeds obtained in the greenhouse conditions of the Botanical Garden of Samara University are viable and can be used for seed exchange with other botanical institutions.

Rare congenital anomaly among population of the Migration Period (based on excavations in the Eastern Aral region)

This paper aims to introduce into scientific discourse the information on unique pathological features ob-served in the individuals of the Jetyasar archaeological Culture buried in the necropolis of Altyn-Asar 4. In the course of examining the extensive paleoanthropological collection of the human remains (more than 600 individu-als) of the Jetyasar Culture from the excavations of the Kwarism Expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences in the Eastern Aral region, three cases of a rare skeletal anomaly have been discovered, which is manifested by forearm synostosis. In the modern medical literature, slightly more than 350 of such cases have been reported. Radioulnar synostosis severely restricts the movements of pronation and supination (ulnar adduction and devia-tion) by fixing the radial and ulnar bones in a single possible position. Methods of differential diagnostics have been used in description of the skeletal features, alongside the digital micro-focal radiography and microtomogra-phy. There is evidence to suggest congenital form of the above maldevelopment in the Early Medieval Eastern Aral region. Although this pathology may lead to partial disability, its bearers, attributed in the context of the Je-tyasar Culture, were fully socially adapted and each of them had sufficiently long life by the expectancy of the time. Radioulnar stenosis has been identified in a 30–34-year-old male from the grave no. 326.1 of the burial ground of Altyn-Asar 4l and in two 25–29-year-old females from the burial ground of Altyn-Asar 4r (graves nos. 345 and 454.2). The former case is the earlier one, no later than the 4th c. AD according to the archaeological data. By the context of this multiple-body burial, this individual was married and might have carried the congenital pathology onto his descendants. The burial of the married woman with the same pathology in the burial ground of Altyn-Asar 4r (no. 454.2) was made later in the last third of the AD 6th c., according to the planigraphy and AMS radiocarbon date for a neighbouring kurgan. The latest grave no. 345 of the same burial ground, according to the results of the direct dating (UGAMS#43733 1450  20 years BP), is distant in time from the previous case by one generation and corresponds to the beginning of the 7th c.

Seed quality of Aristolochia macrophylla Lam. and A. manshuriensis Kom. in St. Petersburg

Background. The study and mobilization of natural flora species in botanical gardens allow the curators to save biological resources of useful plant species, and recommend them for urban landscaping. In the flora of Russia, one species of a woody vine from the genus Aristolochia L. is A. manshuriensis Kom.; it is included in the Red Data Book of Russia.Methods The material for the study was A. macrophylla Lam. and A. manshuriensis from the collection of the Peter the Great Botanical Garden maintained by the Komarov Botanical Institute of the RAS. Winter hardiness was assessed; plant height, stem diameter, and crown diameter were measured. The sizes and age are given according to the state of the plants in the fall of 2017. Seed quality was assessed with due regard to the approved guidelines. X-ray analysis of fruits and seeds was carried out using the methods developed for the use of microfocus radiography for seeds and fruits.Results. A. manshuriensis has been grown in the Peter the Great Botanical Garden since 1909. The first flowering was observed in 1918 and 1919, the first fruiting in 1924. Currently, plants of the third or fourth generation are present in the collection. A. macrophylla has been known in St. Petersburg since 1816. Over a 200-year period of introduction, only flowering was observed. For the first time, fruiting in this species was registered in 2007; since 2014, second-generation plants have been grown. Analysis of the seeds collected in 2016 and 2017 showed that they are viable and of high quality in both species of Aristolochia. These species are winter-hardy, demonstrate rapid growth, and may somewhat vary in the timeframe of the passage of main phenological phases in their seasonal rhythm of development.Conclusion. For laying out plantations, it is better to use seeds. A. macrophylla and A. manshuriensis are promising for wider cultivation and use in vertical landscaping.