Control Options Research Articles

Femoral nerve blocks versus standard pain control for hip fractures: a retrospective comparative analysis.

Pain control for hip fractures is often achieved via intravenous opioids. However, opioids can have dangerous adverse effects, including respiratory depression and delirium. Peripheral nerve blockade is an alternative option for pain control that reduces the need for opioid analgesia. The purpose of this study was to compare the use of femoral nerve blocks versus standard pain control for patients with hip fractures. This retrospective study included adult patients presenting to the emergency department with isolated hip fractures between April 2021 and September 2022. The intervention group included all patients who received a femoral nerve block during this time. An equivalent number of patients who received standard pain control during that period was randomly selected to represent the control group. The primary outcome was preoperative opioid requirement, assessed by morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs). During the study period, 90 patients were included in each group. Mean preoperative MME was 10.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.4-13.2 MME) for the intervention group and 14.0 (95% CI, 10.2-17.8 MME) for the control group (P=0.13). Patients who received a femoral nerve block also had shorter time from emergency department triage to hospital discharge (7.2 days; 95% CI, 6.2-8.0 days) than patients who received standard care (8.6 days; 95% CI, 7.210.0 days). However, this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.09). Femoral nerve blockade is a safe and effective alternative to opioids for pain control in patients with hip fractures.

Varietal Tolerance of Cucurbitaceous Crops with S-metolachlor Applied Postemergence

Cucurbit crops comprise ∼25% of the vegetable acreage in the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States. However, options for postemergence weed control in these crops are limited. Overlapping herbicides is a technique that involves sequential applications of soil-applied residual herbicides to lengthen herbicidal activity before the first herbicide dissipates. Residual herbicides such as S-metolachlor will not control emerged weeds, but weed control efficacy may be extended if these herbicides are applied after crop emergence, but before weed emergence occurs. Currently S-metolachlor is not labeled for broadcast applications over cucurbit crops. Greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate pumpkin, cucumber, and summer squash variety response to varying S-metolachlor rates. S-metolachlor was applied at 1.42 and 2.85 lb/acre at the two-leaf stage of pumpkin and 0.71, 1.42, 2.85, and 5.7 lb/acre at the two-leaf stage of cucumber and summer squash. Cucumber showed a greater response to S-metolachlor with up to 67% injury observed at 5.70 lb/acre. S-metolachlor applications to pumpkin and summer squash resulted in less than 6% injury, regardless of application rate or crop variety. S-metolachlor applied at 2.85 lb/acre reduced pumpkin and cucumber dry weight 6% and 19%, respectively, but did not reduce squash dry weight. S-metolachlor reduced cucumber dry weight 78% for all varieties. Pumpkin varieties ‘Munchkin’ and ‘Baby Bear’ exhibited a 23% difference in dry weight, but no other differences were observed among other varieties because of S-metolachlor applications. Summer squash varieties ‘Respect’ and ‘Golden Glory’ exhibited a 31% difference in dry weight, but no other differences were observed among other varieties. Results show that pumpkin and summer squash demonstrated good crop safety when S-metolachlor was applied as a broadcast treatment after crop emergence. However, caution should be urged when applying this herbicide to cucumber.

Intelligent field monitoring system for cruciferous vegetable pests using yellow sticky trap images and an improved Cascade R-CNN

Cruciferous vegetables are important edible vegetable crops. However, they are susceptible to various pests during their growth process, which requires real-time and accurate monitoring of these pests for pest forecasting and scientific control. Hanging yellow sticky boards are a common way to monitor and trap those pests which are attracted to the yellow color. To achieve real-time, low-cost, intelligent monitoring of these vegetable pests on the boards, we established an intelligent monitoring system consisting of a smart camera, a web platform and a pest detection algorithm deployed on a server. After the operator sets the monitoring preset points and shooting time of the camera on the system platform, the camera in the field can automatically collect images of multiple yellow sticky boards at fixed places and times every day. The pests trapped on the yellow sticky boards in vegetable fields, Plutella xylostella, Phyllotreta striolata and flies, are very small and susceptible to deterioration and breakage, which increases the difficulty of model detection. To solve the problem of poor recognition due to the small size and breaking of the pest bodies, we propose an intelligent pest detection algorithm based on an improved Cascade R-CNN model for three important cruciferous crop pests. The algorithm uses an overlapping sliding window method, an improved Res2Net network as the backbone network, and a recursive feature pyramid network as the neck network. The results of field tests show that the algorithm achieves good detection results for the three target pests on the yellow sticky board images, with precision levels of 96.5, 92.2 and 75.0%, and recall levels of 96.6, 93.1 and 74.7%, respectively, and an F1 value of 0.880. Compared with other algorithms, our algorithm has a significant advantage in its ability to detect small target pests. To accurately obtain the data for the newly added pests each day, a two-stage pest matching algorithm was proposed. The algorithm performed well and achieved results that were highly consistent with manual counting, with a mean error of only 2.2%. This intelligent monitoring system realizes precision, good visualization, and intelligent vegetable pest monitoring, which is of great significance as it provides an effective pest prevention and control option for farmers.

Management to Reduce Impact of Cerebral Coenurosis in Bonga Sheep in Kafa Zone, South Western Ethiopia

Coenurosis, a parasitic and fatal disease, is widespread in the highlands of Ethiopia where 75% of the country’s sheep population are found. There is significant prevalence of the disease in the current study area. Therefore, the current study was conducted with the objectives to reduce impact of cerebral coenurosis in sheep production in the study area through integrating different prevention and control options and to raise the community awareness about disease. Questionnaire surveys, coproscopic examination of dog faeces and household level surveillance was used to collect data on reported coenurosis cases and taeniid infections. Awareness creation trainings and regular deworming of dogs were used as an intervention to reduce the prevalence of the disease. A total of 107, 134, 153, and 124 dogs were dewormed during the first, second, third, and fourth rounds during the study period respectively. Eggs were detected in 58.53% (95% CI: 47.4- 68.86) of pre-deworming fecal samples of dogs. Eggs were detected in 24.18% (95% CI: 40.0–49.7) of post-intervention fecal samples, 34.35% less than pre-intervention. At the beginning of the intervention the level of awareness of the farmers in the intervention sites about the cause of the disease was 12.2% which was increased to 51.03% at the end of the intervention. The community-based integrated animal health management approach for the control of coenurosis has the potential to be scaled-up across the country, thereby reducing economic losses of communities where the disease is endemic.

Response of Tahitian Bridal Veil (Gibasis pellucida) and Small-Leaf Spiderwort (Tradescantia fluminensis) to Postemergence Herbicides under Greenhouse Conditions.

Tahitian bridal veil (Gibasis pellucida) and small-leaf spiderwort (Tradescantia fluminensis) are both invasive species in natural areas throughout Florida. However, very little is known regarding herbicide control. To provide land managers with herbicidal control options for both species, postemergence herbicides were evaluated for efficacy in a greenhouse to identify herbicide options that control both species under similar settings. Four herbicides, including triclopyr acid, triclopyr amine + 2,4-D amine, triclopyr amine, and glufosinate were applied at standard label rates and compared to a non-treated control group for efficacy. Visual control ratings were taken at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after treatment (WAT), and shoot dry weights (WAT 8) and regrowth dry weights (WAT 12) were determined. Triclopyr (acid and amine) generally provided the most consistent control of both species as evidenced by the visual control ratings and shoot dry weight data which showed reductions of 76% to 89% in shoot biomass at trial conclusion. Triclopyr + 2,4-D reduced shoot dry weights by 52% to 54% and was the least effective when considering the control of both species.

AN EFFICIENT DATA SECURITY IN MEDICAL REPORT USING BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY

The 'SwiftApply Assistant' addresses the common challenge of time consuming data entry across a multitude of applications. This innovative tool simplifies interactions with forms such as job applications, admissions, claims, scholarships, and healthcare enrollment by automating the process of filling HTML forms. Noteworthy features include its adaptability to various life stages and a user centric design aimed at streamlining the application process while offering control and customization options. With cross platform accessibility ensuring convenience and scalability to adapt to emerging application types, users can expect a significant reduction in time and effort by eliminating the need for repetitive data entry. Key Words: Block chain, Medical Report, Data Accessibility, Security, Encryption, Data Retrieval.

The importance of first-principles tools for safety enhancement in the design of passenger ships in the case of flooding events

The design of a passenger ship is a complex process covering multiple aspects of naval architecture and marine engineering to address performance, functionality safety, and cost as primary objectives. Between them, safety is a key element focusing on the people on board. In this sense, ship safety in the case of flooding events needs proper estimation from the first stages of the design process employing an appropriate metric. To this end, safety can be evaluated as a risk by calculating the Potential Loss of Life. Thanks to a multi-level framework developed during project FLARE, it is possible to calculate the risk associated with an accident, increasing the level of reliability as the design process advances. The framework aims at employing first-principles tools from the early stages of the design process, abandoning static calculations and empirical formulae as soon as data is available to set up advanced calculation techniques. Then, the framework adopts rigid-body time-domain calculations for the flooding simulations, advanced evacuation analysis tools, and direct crash simulation to evaluate collision damages. The process allows for testing alternative design solutions for the ship to enhance safety. Investigating risk control options is also possible, considering active or passive systems such as fixed foam installations, deployable barriers, or crashworthiness. Such an approach allows for evaluating safer solutions, respecting other design constraints and cost-related aspects. The present work describes the risk assessment framework for the case of flooding events, together with the different levels of accuracy that can be achieved, showing the improvements that could be reached by employing alternative risk control options.

Water consumption of corn under different methods of primary tillage after row-crop predecessors on an energy-storage soil maintenance system

The object of research was the light chestnut soil of the Chokh Agrofirm of the Gunibsky district in the Kizilyurt transhumance zone of the Republic of Dagestan. The humus content in the arable layer is 2.77%, P2O5–2.21, K2O – 32.8 mg/100 g, the density of the arable soil layer is 1.24 g/cm3, the lowest moisture capacity (MC) is 29.2% (layer 0–0.6 m). The effectiveness of two row-crop predecessors was studied: sunflower for seeds and corn for grain, and the use of skimmers in the main tillage for corn. Soil moisture, watering and irrigation standards, incoming and outgoing items of the water balance and the coefficient of water consumption for corn were determined. In the second ten days of May, the plant remains of predecessors were crushed using double disking with heavy disc harrows BDT-3, plowing was carried out to a depth of 0.28–0.30 m with a PLN-4-35 plow with and without skimmers, the field was leveled with a small leveler MV – 6 and watered at the rate of moistening the soil layer of 0–0.6 m in strips with lateral release of water manually, vegetation irrigation was carried out in furrows. Sunflower sowing was carried out with seeds of the VNIIMK-8883 variety, corn – hybrid ROSS-299, the seeding rate for both crops was 72 thousand seeds/ha. Fertilizers for sunflower were applied at the rate of N90Р40К90, including N40Р24К74for plowing, N16Р16К16– when sowing with seeds, N34for fertilizing in the phase of 5–6 leaves when cutting furrows, for corn – N90Р40, of which N40Р24for plowing, N16Р16К16when sowing with seeds, N30in fertilizing in the phase of 3–5 leaves. It has been established that in the areas of irrigated agriculture of the Western Caspian region, when selecting row-crop predecessors for corn for grain, preference should be given to early-ripening varieties of sunflower for seeds, which are harvested in the third decade of July, and after harvesting it remains in the soil more than 15 t/ha of plant mass. At the same time, the maximum corn yield is achieved – 9.16 t/ha of grain, exceeding the control by 33.1%, due to which, with the same total water consumption as the control option, the water consumption coefficient is reduced by 23.7%.

#1981 Experience with the use of semaglutide in cardiorenal syndrome patients followed in a cardiorenal unit (CRU)

Abstract Background and Aims GLP-1 receptor agonists are antihyperglycemic drugs that have shown an interesting cardio and nephroprotective effect beyond glycemic control and also induce weight loss, which is likely a facilitating element in the renal and cardioprotection of patients with elevated BMI. Patients with cardiorenal syndrome are often approached as particularly complex cases, which can lead to the underutilization of certain therapeutic groups. We have analyzed the use of semaglutide in patients followed in the CRU of Puerta de Hierro University Hospital to evaluate the drug's efficacy in glycemic and weight control and its safety profile. Method Retrospective real-life analysis performed in patients who received semaglutide while being under follow-up in the CRU, from January 21-December 22. Follow-up time was 6 months. Patients who had previously been on GLP1-AR treatment, on renal replacement therapy, or while waiting for any percutaneous or surgical cardiovascular procedure were excluded from the study. Results 41 patients, 14 on oral semaglutide and 24 on subcutaneous semaglutide were analyzed. Demographic data and main comorbidities are shown in the table and were similar in both formulations. 53% of the patients were on maximum semaglutide dose at the end of follow-up (59.3% sbc and 42.9% oral, p 0.3). Weight loss and decrease in HbA1C% were significant without differences between formulations. We observed a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure of 11.1 (18) p 0.007 also similar in both drug formulations. No significant modifications in renal parameters were observed during follow-up. Adverse events were observed in 9 patients (22%), mainly gastrointestinal intolerance, and were more frequent with oral formulation (50% vs. 7.4%, p 0.004). 6 patients (14%) stopped semaglutide treatment without differences between formulation groups. 3 patients experienced at least one episode of HF decompensation, but no other events, hospitalizations, or deaths were observed. 3 (7.9%) patients experienced an eGFR decrease of> 30% without differences among the formulation groups. Conclusion We conclude that semaglutide in both formulations is an excellent option for glycemic and weight control in CRS patients’ blood pressure, with an additional significant improvement in blood pressure control and a good safety profile in this special population.

Modernisation of Domestic Ro-Ro Passenger Ships Operating in the Philippines

This paper forms part of a wider study in the form of a Formal Safety Assessment of the domestic passenger ships operating in the Philippines, undertaken on behalf of the Philippines Government, and financed by the World Bank and the International Maritime Organisation. The paper focuses on design deficiencies of the domestic RoPax ships, primarily in damage stability. The process of ship selection for representation of the wider fleet risk assessment is explained, leading to one medium RoPax and one large RoPax, typical of some 500 of these ships, serving the open sea domestic trade in the Philippines. To this end, the selected designs have been subjected to a systematic process of damage stability and flooding risk analysis in order to identify design vulnerabilities, leading to risk estimation in the form of Potential Loss of Life. A number of risk control options have then been identified, enabling a thorough risk assessment and identification of cost effective RCOs, as well as impact assessment, using IMO risk acceptance criteria as basis. Despite the poor state of the domestic Ro-Ro passenger vessels operating in the Philippines, many of these aged, badly retrofitted, poorly maintained, and operated, it has been possible to identify cost-effective design solutions to raise the damage stability (and safety) standard of these ships to international standards of newly designed ships; it seems an unprecedented achievement, but evidently true. This presents the Philippine Government and the owners of these vessels with a unique opportunity to upgrade their domestic fleet of RoPax vessels and showcase these against the best in the world. Because of the similarity in the approach, the selection of risk control options and the overall analysis adopted, only one of the typical RoPax vessels selected is presented in this paper.

Evaluation of row width and nozzle selection on spray coverage and weed control in flooded rice

Abstract Barnyardgrass and other troublesome weeds have become a major problem for producers in a flooded rice system. Cultural control options and more efficient herbicide applications have become a priority to increase efficiency and weed control in rice. This study aimed to determine the effects of row width and nozzle selection on spray coverage and weed control in a flooded rice system. A field experiment was conducted at 7 site-years (Lonoke, AR, in 2021 and 2022; Pine Tree, AR, in 2021 and 2022; Rohwer, AR, in 2022; and Stoneville, MS, in 2021 and 2022) as a randomized complete block split-plot design. Five nozzles (XR, AIXR, TTI, TTI60, and AITTJ60) (subplot factor) were used for herbicide applications, and plots were drill-seeded in four row widths (whole plot factor) (13, 19, 25, and 38 cm). A droplet size experiment was conducted to evaluate the droplet size and velocity of each nozzle type used in the field experiment. Overall, as row width increased, barnyardgrass density increased. The rice grown in a wider width took longer to generate canopy closure, allowing weed escapes in the crop. For example, the 13-cm width had a 12 percentage point canopy coverage increase compared to the 38-cm row width at the preflood timing resulting in a reduction of six barnyardgrass plants per square meter. The smallest droplet size-producing nozzle (XR) provided greater weed control throughout the study but is more prone to drift. The dual-fan nozzles (AITTJ60 and TTI60) had variable weed control impacts, and it was difficult to predict when this might occur; however, they did have increased deposits on water-sensitive cards compared to single-fan counterparts (AIXR and TTI). In conclusion, a narrower row width (e.g., 19-cm or less) and a smaller droplet size producing nozzle (XR) are optimal for barnyardgrass control in a flooded rice system.

Augmenting the Stability of Automatic Voltage Regulators through Sophisticated Fractional-Order Controllers

The transition from traditional to renewable energy sources is a critical issue in current energy-generation systems, which aims to address climate change and the increased demand for energy. This shift, however, imposes additional burdens on control systems to maintain power system stability and quality within predefined limits. Addressing these challenges, this paper proposes an innovative Modified Hybrid Fractional-Order (MHFO) automatic voltage regulator (AVR) equipped with a fractional-order tilt integral and proportional derivative with a filter plus a second-order derivative with a filter FOTI-PDND2N2 controller. This advanced controller combines the benefits of a (FOTI) controller, known for enhancing dynamic performance and steady-state response, with a (PDND2N2) controller to improve system robustness and adaptability. The proposed MHFO controller stands out with its nine tunable parameters, providing more extensive control options than the conventional three-parameter PID controller and the five-parameter FOPID controller. Furthermore, a recent optimization approach using a growth optimizer (GO) has been formulated and applied to optimally adjust the MHFO controller’s parameters simultaneously. The performance of the proposed AVR based on the MHFO-GO controller is scrutinized by contrasting it with various established and developed optimization algorithms. The comparative study shows that the AVR based on the MHFO-GO controller surpasses other AVR controllers from the stability, robustness, and dynamic response speed points of view.

Long-term use of intrathecal baclofen reduces neuropathic pain and its interference with general activity in spinal cord injury individuals.

Long-term analgesic effect of intrathecal baclofen was reported in individuals with spinal cord injury. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the effect of intrathecal baclofen on subtypes of neuropathic pain and its interference with general activity. Nine spinal cord injury individuals who presented with severe spasticity and moderate to severe neuropathic pain received intrathecal baclofen via an implanted pump. We applied the ASIA Impairment Scale to assess spinal cord injury severity. Neuropathic pain was evaluated by numerical rating scale, Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory, and Brief Pain Inventory. Evaluations were performed at baseline and after at least 6months of continuous intrathecal baclofen treatment. Intrathecal baclofen led to significant pain reduction as measured by numerical rating scale, Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory, and Brief Pain Inventory (p < 0.05). Improvements were significant for paroxysmal pain and dysesthesia and for pain interference with general activity, as assessed by the Brief Pain Inventory (p < 0.05). There was a significant relationship between the time since spinal cord injury and changes in paroxysmal pain as well as in the total Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory score (p < 0.05). The baclofen dose correlated also to the percentage changes in neuropathic pain improvement and sleep (p < 0.003). The present results provide evidence that intrathecal baclofen effectively reduces neuropathic pain, particularly paroxysmal pain and dysesthesia, and improves pain interference and overall well-being in individuals with spinal cord injury. Clinicians should be aware of this less well-known beneficial effect of intrathecal baclofen and should consider such a treatment option for better control of neuropathic pain in individuals with spinal cord injury.

Choice heuristics and livestock farmers' preference heterogeneity for Rift Valley fever vaccines in Uganda

Rapid spread and erratic outbreaks of Rift Valley fever (RVF) disease across the African continent continues to pose serious threat to animal, public health, and regional livestock trade. Failure to institute timely control measures will have serious implications on food security and livelihoods. Among existing control options for the disease, vaccines are reported to be the most cost-effective. However, no RVF vaccines are currently registered for use in Uganda. Prior to approval, reservations exist concerning the uptake of vaccines by farmers as they have to weigh in several features and associated risks before acceptance. This study utilizes data from 444 livestock farming households in Uganda to elicit farmers’ preference heterogeneity and the influence of choice heuristics on their preferences for RVF vaccines. The empirical results reveal that two livestock farmer segments exist with respect to RVF vaccine preference. The single dose vaccine attribute is the most highly valued by farmers. Further, livestock farmers’ conditional perceptions and risk attitudes play a major role in vaccine choice decisions. The paper highlights the need for careful consideration of livestock farmers’ preference heterogeneities and intrinsic motivations such as risk attitudes and conditional perceptions when designing policy instruments for the promotion of RVF vaccination programmes.

An Overview of Tools and Challenges for Safety Evaluation and Exposure Assessment in Industry 4.0

Airborne pollutants pose a significant threat in the occupational workplace resulting in adverse health effects. Within the Industry 4.0 environment, new systems and technologies have been investigated for risk management and as health and safety smart tools. The use of predictive algorithms via artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools, real-time data exchange via the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and digital twin (DT) simulation provide innovative solutions for accident prevention and risk mitigation. Additionally, the use of smart sensors, wearable devices and virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR) platforms can support the training of employees in safety practices and signal the alarming concentrations of airborne hazards, providing support in designing safety strategies and hazard control options. Current reviews outline the drawbacks and challenges of these technologies, including the elevated stress levels of employees, cyber-security, data handling, and privacy concerns, while highlighting limitations. Future research should focus on the ethics, policies, and regulatory aspects of these technologies. This perspective puts together the advances and challenges of Industry 4.0 innovations in terms of occupational safety and exposure assessment, aiding in understanding the full potential of these technologies and supporting their application in industrial manufacturing environments.

Screening of Endophytic Antagonistic Bacteria in Wheat and Evaluation of Biocontrol Potential against Wheat Stripe Rust.

Wheat stripe rust is globally one of the most important diseases affecting wheat. There is an urgent need to develop environmentally safe and durable biological control options to supplement the control that is achieved with breeding and fungicides. In this study, endophytic bacteria were isolated from healthy wheat through the tissue separation method. Antagonistic endophytic bacteria were screened based on the control effect of urediniospore germination and wheat stripe rust (WSR). The taxonomic status of antagonistic strains was determined based on morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics and molecular biological identification (16S rDNA and gyrB gene sequence analysis). Finally, the potential growth-promoting effect of different concentrations of antagonists on wheat seedlings and the biological control effect of WSR were studied. A total of 136 strains of endophytic bacteria belonging to 38 genera were isolated. Pseudomonas was the most common bacterial genus, with 29 isolates (21%). The biological control effect of different isolates was assessed using an urediniospore germination assay. The isolate XD29-G1 of Paenibacillus polymyxa had the best performance, with 85% inhibition of spore germination during primary screening. In the deep screening, the control effect of XD29-G1 on wheat stripe rust was 60%. The antagonist XD29-G1 promoted the germination of wheat seeds and the growth of wheat seedlings at a solution dilution of 10-7 cfu/mL. The pot experiment results showed that different dilution concentrations of the strain had different levels of antibacterial activity against WSR, with the concentration of 10-1 cfu/mL having the best control effect and a control efficiency of 61.19%. XD29-G1 has better biological control potential against wheat stripe rust.

Evaluation of the green lacewing, Mallada signatus as a biological control agent for the invasive tomato potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli

Evaluation of the green lacewing, <i>Mallada signatus</i> as a biological control agent for the invasive tomato potato psyllid, <i>Bactericera cockerelli</i>

Восстановление плодородия малопродуктивных дерново-подзолистых почв, вновь вводимых в сельскохозяйственный оборот

The purpose of research is to develop agro-reclamation measures to restore the fertility of low-productive sod-podzolic sandy loam soils for the conditions of the southern part of the Non-Chernozem Zone of Russia. Objectives: to conduct a comparative assessment of the impact of granular fertilizer based on turkey droppings and a liquid-phase biological product (LPBP) on increasing soil fertility, phenological characteristics of plants, crop yields and their quality. Six variants of the field experiment were developed: control variant (without fertilizers); granular fertilizer based on turkey droppings at a dose of 15 t/ha; granular fertilizer based on turkey manure at a dose of 15 t/ha together with pre-sowing seed treatment with 1 % LPBP; pre-sowing seed treatment with 1 % LPBP; granular fertilizer based on turkey droppings at a dose of 30 t/ha. The application of organic ameliorant and pre-sowing treatment of seeds with a biological pre¬paration help to improve the agrochemical parameters of the soil, and, as a result, a higher yield of perennial grasses. The best option is option G30, where the yield was 48.3 t/ha of green mass of grass in total for 2 cuttings, which is 33.8 % more than the control option. In the G15 and G15 LPBP options, the harvest was practically not inferior and exceeded the control option by 30.5 and 24.4 %, respectively, soil fertility indicators improved: soil acidity decreased to 4.8–5.0 (pHsol) and 5.4–5.6 (pHwod), an increase in organic matter by 33.9 %, the content of mobile phosphorus and mobile potassium, and the concentration of total nitrogen increased significantly.

Synthesis, antifungal activity and action mechanism of novel citral amide derivatives against Rhizoctonia solani.

Rice sheath blight caused by Rhizoctonia solani is a severe threat to the yield and quality of rice. Due to the unscientific abuse of common fungicides causing resistance and environmental issues, the development of new fungicides is necessary. In this study, we used citral as the lead compound, designed and synthesized a series of novel citral amide derivatives, and evaluated their antifungal activity and mode of action against R. solani. Bioassay results indicated that the antifungal activities of most citral amide derivatives against R. solani were significantly improved compared to citral, with EC50 values ranging from 9.50-27.12 mg L-1. Among them, compound d21 containing the N-(pyridin-4-yl)carboxamide group exhibited in vitro and in vivo fungicidal activities, with curative effects at 500 mg L-1 as effectively as the commercial fungicide validamycin·bacillus. Furthermore, d21 prolonged the lag phase of the growth curve of R. solani, reduced the amount of growth, and inhibited sclerotium germination and formation. Mechanistically, d21 deformed the mycelia, increased cell membrane permeability, and inhibited the activities of antioxidant and tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA)-related enzymes. Metabolome analysis showed the abundance of some energy-related metabolites within R. solani increased, and simultaneously the antifungal substances secreted by itself reduced. Transcriptome analysis showed that most genes encoding ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and peroxisomes upregulated after the treatment of d21 and cell membrane destruction. This study indicates that novel citral amide derivatives possess antifungal activity against R. solani and are expected to develop an alternative option for chemical control of rice sheath blight. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Endothall and 2,4-D Activity in Milfoil Hybrid (Myriophyllum spicatum × M. sibiricum) when Applied Alone and in Combination

Abstract Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum L.) is an invasive aquatic plant that can hybridize with the native Northern watermilfoil (Myriophyllum sibiricum Kom.). These milfoil hybrids (M. spicatum × M. sibiricum) are becoming more prevalent in many lakes where the invasive and the native milfoil co-occur. Hybrid plants are more vigorous than either parent with a faster growth rate and lower sensitivity to some herbicides. The aquatic herbicides, endothall and 2,4-D, provide two effective modes of action (MOA) for management of the hybrids. For more than a decade, these two herbicides have been used in combination as an effective control option and a resistance management strategy. How this combination impacts herbicide movement and efficacy is unknown. Therefore, the objective of this research was to determine the activity of endothall and 2,4-D combined compared to activity applied alone. Absorption and translocation of endothall, 2,4-D and the combination was determined in hybrid plants over a 96-h time course. Endothall bioaccumulation was not impacted when these herbicides were applied in combination; however, 2,4-D accumulation increased by 80%, relative to when 2,4-D was applied alone. Endothall translocation from shoots to roots decreased by almost 50% when applied in combination with 2,4-D (alone = 16.7% ± 2.6; combination = 9.2% ± 1.2). Shoot-to-root translocation of 2,4-D also decreased when the two herbicides were applied in combination (24.8% ± 2.6 when applied alone to only 3.93% ± 0.4 when in the presence of endothall). This research demonstrates that combining herbicides can significantly impact herbicide activity in plants. Future research is needed to determine if this reduced translocation negatively impacts operational effectiveness when these herbicides applied in combination.