Damage Rate Research Articles

Experimental Study on The Influence of Effective Stress on Stress Sensitivity of Coal Permeability

In order to study the influence of effective stress on the sensitivity of coal permeability stress, three groups of low permeability dense coal samples were selected in the range of confining pressure of 2 MPa ~ 4 MPa. Under the influence of single factor of effective stress, the cross-contrast seepage experiment of coal samples under different effective stress conditions was carried out by using steady seepage method, and the variation characteristics of effective stress sensitivity of coal samples were systematically analyzed by using permeability damage rate and permeability curvature. The results show that: (1) under various confining pressures, with the increase of effective stress, the damage rate of coal permeability decreases according to the law of negative exponential function, and the greater the effective stress, the greater the damage rate of coal permeability; (2) The effective stress is constant, the smaller the confining pressure is, the greater the curvature of permeability is, the greater the influence of effective stress on coal seam permeability is, and the stronger the sensitivity is.

Evaluation of the anticarcinogenic effects of Rutin on brain tissue in mice with Ehrlich ascites carcinoma by micro-computed tomography and histological methods.

Studies for new treatment strategies on cancer continue, and new searches continue in the diagnosis and evaluation of cancer. This study examined the possible anticarcinogenic effect of Rutin on the brain tissues of male mice with Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC). We used micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histologically Hematoxylin&Eosin (H&E) staining methods for evaluation. In the evaluation results, we saw a significant decrease in the brain volume of the tumor group to the control group. The difference in volume between the Rutin treatment group and the control group was not significant. In the brain tissues of the tumor group, numerous degenerated neurons characterized by pericellular/perivascular space expansion, cell swelling, or expansion were detected in the cortex and hippocampus regions. We showed a reduction in the damage rate in the Rutin treated group. As a result, Rutin was found to have an anticarcinogenic effect. In addition to the classical histological evaluation, we used a newer method, micro-CT, in our study. We believe that this study has important results both in terms of its originality and adding new information to the literature.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains the foremost cause of death by an infectious disease globally. Multidrug-resistant or rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB; resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid, or rifampicin alone) is a burgeoning public health challenge in several parts of the world, and especially Eastern Europe, Russia, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Pre-extensively drug-resistant TB (pre-XDR-TB) refers to MDR/RR-TB that is also resistant to a fluoroquinolone, and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) isolates are additionally resistant to other key drugs such as bedaquiline and/or linezolid. Collectively, these subgroups are referred to as drug-resistant TB (DR-TB). All forms of DR-TB can be as transmissible as rifampicin-susceptible TB; however, it is more difficult to diagnose, is associated with higher mortality and morbidity, and higher rates of post-TB lung damage. The various forms of DR-TB often consume >50% of national TB budgets despite comprising <5-10% of the total TB case-load. The past decade has seen a dramatic change in the DR-TB treatment landscape with the introduction of new diagnostics and therapeutic agents. However, there is limited guidance on understanding and managing various aspects of this complex entity, including the pathogenesis, transmission, diagnosis, management and prevention of MDR-TB and XDR-TB, especially at the primary care physician level.

Retail management policy through firefly algorithm under uncertainty using Dempster-Shafer theory for production firm

With the emergence of challenges in production and inventory fields, there is a need for innovative management concepts. Due to the sensitivity and popularity of smart electronic gadgets, inventory management is highly likely to be damaged in production and holding processes. This study presents a model in uncertain conditions to investigate real-life situations and apply the results. In this model, due to the product’s vulnerability, the damage rate is considered one of the most important parameters. In this research, Dempster-Shafer’s theory is applied to deal with the uncertainty condition of a stochastic damaging rate. As traditional methods cannot search for parametric continuous space, genetic algorithms, and firefly algorithms are used to solve them. Finally, by performing sensitivity analysis and evaluation of algorithms, it is shown that the genetic algorithm uses less amount of time than the firefly algorithm. On the other hand, the total cost of a system with a genetic algorithm is greater than the firefly algorithm. Although the answers obtained from the two algorithms used are almost equal, the firefly algorithm provides a better answer for the optimal objective function. In the genetic algorithm, the optimal values are found to be $0.68756 for the damaging rate and $1896.22 for the total cost. Conversely, the firefly algorithm yields optimal values of $0.68395 for the damaging rate and $1895.1576 for the total cost. These results highlight the efficacy of both algorithms in optimizing the specified parameters, providing valuable insights for inventory management systems.

Experimental study on the impact of effective stress and cyclic loading on permeability of methane hydrate clayey sediments

Permeability evolution directly determine gas production and its efficiency of gas hydrates in the South China Sea. Due to existence of submarine overlying rocks and change of soil internal mechanics during the hydrate exploitation, permeability evolution is significantly affected. Therefore, in this paper, influence of effective stress on the porosity and permeability of sediment with different hydrate saturation was studied, and functional relationship between them was revealed. Effect of cyclic loading and unloading stress on the permeability recovery and damage degree was also discussed. The results show that when hydrate saturation increases, the relation of permeability and effective stress are power function rules, while porosity and effective stress are exponential function rules in clayey sediments. An empirical prediction equation for gas permeability of clay sediments with effective stress was presented, which takes into account hydrate saturation and porosity. In addition, during cyclic loading experiments, the results showed a linear increase in permeability during unloading. The permeability recovery rate and permeability damage rate are completely opposite with change of hydrate saturation. Permeability damage rate of kaolin is different from that of other two kinds of sediment. With the increase of cycle times, the proportion of plastic deformation of sediment decreases gradually.

Study on the Hole-Forming Performance and Opening of Mulching Film for a Dibble-Type Transplanting Device

In order to improve the quality of transplanting devices and solve the problems of the poor effect on soil moisture conservation and more weeds easily growing due to the high mulching-film damage rate with an excessive number of hole openings, we developed a dibble-type transplanting device consisting of a dibble-type transplanting unit, a transplanting disc, and a dibble axis. The ADAMS software Adams2020 (64bit) was used to simulate and analyze the kinematic track of the transplanting device. The results of the analysis show that, when the hole opening of the envelope in the longitudinal dimension was the smallest, the transplanting characteristic coefficient was 1.034, the transplanting angle was 95°, and the transplanting frequency had no influence. With the help of the ANSYS WORKBENCH software Ansys19.2 (64bit), an analysis of the process of the formation of an opening in the mulching film and a mechanical simulation of this process were completed. The results indicate that, when the maximum shear stress of the mulching film was the smallest, the transplanting characteristic coefficient was 1.000, the transplanting frequency was 36 plants·min−1, and the transplanting angle was 95°. In addition, the device was tested in a film-breaking experiment on a soil-tank test bench to verify the hole opening in the mulching film. The bench test showed that, when the longitudinal dimension was the smallest, the transplanting characteristic coefficient was 1.034, the transplanting frequency was 36 plants·min−1, and the transplanting angle was 95°. When the lateral dimension was the smallest, the transplanting characteristic coefficient was 1.034, the transplanting frequency was 36 plants·min−1, and the transplanting angle was 90°. The theoretical analysis, kinematic simulation, and soil-tank test results were consistent, verifying the validity and ensuring the feasibility of the transplanting device. This study provides a reference for the development of transplanting devices.

Multi-scale feature adaptive fusion model for real-time detection in complex citrus orchard environments

A Multi-scale Feature Adaptive Fusion model (MFAF-YOLO) for real-time detection of citrus harvesting robots in complex field environments is proposed in this study. This proposed model improves detection accuracy while meeting the lightweight requirements of consumer-level cameras. In this study, different citrus fruit varieties, sourced from two distinct devices, are classified into ‘First priority’, ‘Second priority’, and unannotated citrus. This classification strategy guides robots in sequential picking in real-field scenarios, reducing detection redundancy and diminishing the damage rate at the robot end-effector. Additionally, multiple clustering algorithms were employed to adjust the anchor box sizes of the model. The impact of dual and triple detection heads on model accuracy across diverse clustering algorithms was also explored. An innovative multi-scale feature adaptive fusion module was embedded in the model's neck section, aiming to optimize model accuracy and reduce model size. In the dataset processed with multiple augmentation techniques, the novel MFAF-YOLO model achieved the mean Average Precision (mAP) of 90.2 %, reflecting an improvement of 3.8 % compared to the original YOLOv5s model, demonstrating superior generalization capabilities. Compared with seven other mainstream models, including YOLOv4 and MobileNet-YOLOv5s, the Average Precision (AP) value of ‘First priority’ and ‘Second priority’ is 93.2 % and 87.3 %, respectively, achieved the highest AP while maintaining a better detection speed. The model size of MFAF-YOLO is reduced to 10.4 MB, marking a 26.2 % decrease relative to the lightweight YOLOv5s model. Experimental results highlight the model's strong robustness and successful attainment of an effective balance between model accuracy and lightweight. This proposed model provides theoretical support for real-time picking and harvesting decision-making of citrus.

Mechanical Damage Caused by Compression and Its Effects on Storage Quality of Mandarin.

Mandarin is vulnerable to a range of external loads during processing and shipping, which can cause interior mechanical damage that can happen right away or over time and cause serious rotting when kept in storage. In this study, mandarin was treated to a certain quantity of compression load that did not result in a noticeable rupture of the peel. The interior pulp structure of mandarin was examined for damage prior to peel damage using CT scanning and image reconstruction. An image segmentation method based on mask processing was then used to calculate the pulp damage rate. We examined the variations in physiological activities and internal components between the test group that underwent compression load and the control group that did not undergo this type of stress during storage. The aim was to investigate the factors that contributed to the faster decay of mandarin following mechanical damage. Regression analysis was also used to establish a quantifiable relationship between the amount of compression deformation and the rates of damage and decay of mandarin during storage. The findings demonstrated that mandarin pulp exhibited visible mechanical damage when compression deformation exceeded 8 mm. This led to the disruption of physiological processes like respiration and polysaccharide breakdown, which in turn decreased the hardness of the fruit and sped up its rotting. This study identifies the critical range of compression deformation that leads to the beginning of pulp damage in mandarins. Additionally, it clarifies the quality deterioration mechanism of mandarins that have been subjected to compression damage during the storage period. Therefore, in practical production, various methods of picking, sorting, and collecting mandarins can be optimized to control the amount of compression deformation within a suitable range. This will reduce the probability of pulp damage. According to the study's conclusions, storage conditions can be optimized to regulate the physiological activities of mandarins in a targeted manner. This can minimize the probability of fruit decay and reduce economic losses.

Limited Differences in Insect Herbivory on Young White Spruce Growing in Small Open Plantations and under Natural Canopies in Boreal Mixed Forests.

In managed boreal forests, both plantations and natural regeneration are used to re-establish a cohort of conifer trees following harvest or disturbance. Young trees in open plantations generally grow more rapidly than under forest canopies, but more rapid growth could be compromised by greater insect damage. We compared insect damage on white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss, Pinaceae) growing in plantations with naturally regenerated trees under mature forest canopies in boreal forests (Québec, Canada). We selected ten sites in the naturally regenerated forest and in small, multispecies plantations and sampled ten young trees of 2.5-3 m (per site) in late summer 2020 and again in early and late summer 2021. We compared overall rates of herbivory, galls (adelgids), damage by the spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana, Clemens), and defoliation from sawflies. Overall, insect herbivory damage remained at similarly low levels in both habitats; an average of 9.3% of expanding shoots were damaged on forest trees and 7.7% in plantation trees. Spruce budworm damage increased from 2020 to 2021 and remained higher in under-canopy trees, but damage rates were negligible at this early stage of the outbreak (1.5% in forest vs. 0.78% of buds damaged on plantation trees). While damage due to galls was higher in plantations, the overall low level of damage likely does not pose a significant impact on the growth or mortality of young trees.

Screening tropical and sub-tropical maize germplasm for resistance to Striga hermonthica and S. asiatica and yield-related traits

AbstractIdentification of maize germplasm with dual resistance to Striga hermonthica (Sh) and S. asiatica (Sa), could lead to the development of cultivars with stable resistance. 130 tropical and sub-tropical maize germplasms, including checks, were evaluated in a controlled environment for their reaction to Sh and Sa infestations using a 13 × 10 alpha lattice design with two replications over two seasons. Significant differences (P &lt; 0.05) were detected among the assessed genotypes for all the recorded traits in Sh and Sa-infested treatments. Under Sa-infested conditions, mean Striga emergence counts 8 weeks after planting (SEC8) and 10 weeks after planting (SEC10) were 5.00 and 45.50, respectively, while the mean Striga damage rate 8 weeks after planting (SDR8) and 10 weeks after planting (SDR10) were 3.35 and 3.07, respectively. Under Sh-infested conditions, SEC8 and SEC10 mean values were 3.66 and 3.77, respectively, while the SDR8 and SDR10 values were 5.25 and 2.75 respectively. Positive and significant (P &lt; 0.05) correlations were found between anthesis-silking interval (ASI) and SDR8 (r = 0.18) and SDR10 (0.32) under Sa-infested conditions. Negative and significant correlations were recorded between ear per plant (EPP) and SEC8, SDR8, and SDR10, with r = − 0.18, r = − 0.27, and r = − 0.24, respectively. Under Sh-infested conditions, significant and negative correlations were recorded between SDR8 and EPP (r = − 0. 20), EHT and SEC8 (r = − 0.22), EHT and SDR8 (r = − 0.36), PLHT and SDR8 (− 0.48), and PLHT and SDR10 (− 0.22). The results suggest that dual resistance to the two Striga species exists in some tropical and sub-tropical maize lines. The following genotypes have dual resistance to Sa and Sh: CML440, CML566, CML540, CML539, CLHP0343, CLHP0326, TZISTR1248, TZSTRI115, TZISTR25, TZISTR1205, TZSTRI113, TZISTR1119, TZISTR1174 and the OPVs B.King/1421, Shesha/1421, ZM1421, DTSTR-W SYN13, DTSTR-Y SYN14, and 2*TZECOMP3DT/WhiteDTSTRSYN) C2. The identified genotypes are suitable for use as parents in developing high-performing maize varieties with Striga resistance and improved grain yield.

Study on the strength deterioration characteristic and damage model of coal pillar dams with repeated water immersion in underground reservoirs

The continuous operation of coal mine underground reservoirs exposes the coal pillar dams to mining disturbances and prolonged water immersion, resulting in the deterioration of coal pillars' mechanical properties and posing a serious threat to the dam stability. To this end, coal samples from the proposed pillar dam in the 5–2 coal seam of Daliuta Mine in Shendong Mining Area were selected for conducting water absorption tests and triaxial compression tests under conditions of repeated water immersion, in order to study the deterioration of the mechanical properties and acoustic emission damage characteristic of coal samples as well as the mechanism behind the deterioration of coal samples under the water–rock interaction. The results indicated that: (1) the saturated water content of coal samples exhibited a progressive increase as the water immersion times increased, but with a diminishing rate of growth. (2) As the water immersion times increased, the compressive strength, cohesive force, and internal friction angle of coal samples gradually decreased. Notably, the deterioration effect was more pronounced in compressive strength and cohesive force, while the decline in internal friction angle was relatively minor, and the total deterioration degree and the stage deterioration degree of the above three had evident cumulativity and non-uniformity. The progressive rise in water immersion times led to a gradual attenuation of the deterioration effect. Meanwhile, the confining pressure exhibited a certain inhibitory impact on the strength deterioration of coal samples. (3) Compared to the dry coal samples, the average AE count rate of coal samples subjected to a single water immersion exhibited a significant decrease, and subsequent water immersion for two, three, and four times resulted in a very minor decrease in the average AE count rate. (4) The AE cumulative ringing counts in coal samples exhibited varying degrees of reduction as water immersion times increased. Specifically, the most significant decrease in AE cumulative ringing counts occurred after the initial water immersion, followed by a gradual decrease thereafter. The energy-releasing capacity of coal samples decreased, while their plasticity exhibited a gradual increase. (5) A damage model was developed for coal samples based on the water immersion times. The model indicated that the damage to coal samples increased as the water immersion times increased, and the damage rate gradually decreased and eventually stabilized. (6) The deterioration mechanism of coals under the water–rock interaction was explained. Through repeated water immersion, the physical, chemical, and mechanical interactions between water and coal induced alterations in the internal microstructure of coal samples, resulting in the deterioration of mechanical properties such as compressive strength, cohesive force, and internal friction angle, which was a cumulative damage process from the microscopic to the macroscopic level.

Static-dynamic damage mechanism and self-heating effect of a clean elastic polyurethane grouting material for trenchless rehabilitation under high stresses

Compared with traditional excavation rehabilitation, trenchless grouting rehabilitation technology has the advantages of fast, precise, and low-carbon, which has a broad application prospect in wind turbine foundation rehabilitation. In this work, a non-toxic, environment-friendly, fast-setting, high-strength, and high-toughness elastic polyurethane (PU) grouting material was proposed, and the static-dynamic damage mechanism and self-heating effect under high stress were studied by DMA, SEM, static-dynamic compression, and self-heating monitoring tests. The results show that the static compressive properties increased in a power function relationship with increasing strain rate. The dynamic compression fatigue process can be divided into adjustment stage (Stage I), viscoelastic development stage (Stage II) and failure stage (Stage III) or cyclic hardening stage (Stage III*). At 41.57 MPa and 36.95 MPa, fatigue damage parameters increased slowly in Stage I and Stage II, and sharply in Stage III. The stiffness damage, loss factor, cumulative strain, and strain rate increased by more than 100% in Stage III. Fatigue failure dominated by vertical/slanting through-cracks, shed debris, drum deformation, etc. was closely related to temperature and loading. The failure temperature about 59.1 °C, which was higher than the glass transition temperature. At 32.33 MPa, fatigue damage parameters changed slightly and then stabilized, showing exponential relationships with cycles. The max temperatures were less than 15 °C. The slight temperature rise facilitated the adjustment of structure and cyclic hardening under cyclic loading. This work can guide the further engineering application and fatigue durability evaluation of PU grouting materials.

Damage analysis and safety control of surrounding rock around peripheral hole of diversion tunnel

The control of overbreak in blasting excavation is a significant technical challenge and a subject of extensive research in the field of engineering. This study examines the damage characteristics of the surrounding rock in a tunnel section through blasting test and numerical simulation conducted as part of the San Gavan diversion tunnel project in Peru. The orthogonal test of peripheral holes under the influence of explosive spacing, blasthole spacing and smooth blasting layer thickness was designed to analyze the characteristics of rock damage under different parameter combinations and the influence of various factors on rock damage. Based on the USBM formula, this paper deduces a mathematical model considering blasthole spacing and explosive spacing to predict the rock damage range. The main conclusions are as follows: on the tunnel section, the average damage range of vault and arch springer is slightly larger than that of spandrel and haunch. For a single blasthole, the rock damage range in different sections is: explosive > air > stem, and the degree of rock damage at the bottom of blasthole is the highest. Smooth blasting layer thickness has a significant effect on rock damage rate on the side of non-reflect boundary. When smooth blasting layer thickness is 45 cm and 55 cm, the boundary conditions of numerical model have a significant effect on the rock damage. The reflection of blasting stress wave on the free surface leads to the further increase of rock damage range. The blasthole spacing and explosive spacing have a significant effect on rock damage range on the side of non-reflect boundary, and both show a negative correlation. Based on the prediction model of rock damage, the combination of peripheral hole parameters satisfying the standard is obtained, which provides guidance for blasting design.

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SATELLITE IMAGE RESOLUTIONS FOR DETECTING PEST DAMAGE IN SUNFLOWER FIELDS

Abstract. The diversity of sensors in remote sensing allows for faster and easier detection of changes and issues across different scales, in contrast to conventional ground-based systems. One of the most important distinguishing features among these sensors is their varying resolutions, contributing to the versatility of remote sensing technologies across diverse environmental applications. In this study, the effectiveness of PlanetScope and Sentinel-2 satellite images with different image resolutions in detecting damage caused by a harmful insect (beet webworm moth - Loxostege sticticalis) in sunflower fields in Lüleburgaz district of Kırklareli in the Trace region was evaluated. Damage rates in sunflower fields were analyzed using various spectral indices (Enhanced Vegetation Index and Chlorophyll Index Green) and spectral transformation (Tasseled Cap Greenness) in conjunction with in situ data. Based on the spectral analysis, the satellite image dated 26 July, which showed the most severe damage, was used in the damage assessment analysis. The damaged areas were compared by classifying both satellite images with the Random Forest algorithm. According to the results of the classification accuracy assessment, PlanetScope satellite imagery showed the highest accuracy, with 90% overall accuracy and 84% Kappa statistics, making it a more suitable sensor choice for agricultural applications.

A Combined Paddy Field Inter-Row Weeding Wheel Based on Display Dynamics Simulation Increasing Weed Mortality

Weeds compete with rice for sunlight and nutrients and are prone to harboring pathogens, leading to reduced rice yields. Addressing the issues of low weeding efficiency and weed mortality rates in existing inter-row weeding devices, the study proposes the design of a combination paddy field inter-row weeding wheel. The device’s operation process is theoretically analyzed based on the weed control requirements in the northeastern region of China, leading to the determination of specific structural parameters. This research conducted experiments on the mechanical properties of weed cutting to obtain geometric parameters for paddy field weeds. It was found that the range for the cutting gap of the dynamic–fixed blade is between 0.6 mm to 1.4 mm and the cutting angle is between 5° to 15°, resulting in the lowest peak cutting force for weeds. Using LS-DYNA R12.0.0 dynamic simulation software, a fluid–structure interaction (FSI) model of the weeding wheel–water–soil system was established. By employing the central composite experimental design principle and considering the soil stir rate and coupling stress as indicators, the optimal structural parameter combination for the device is obtained: a dynamic–fixed blade cutting gap of 1.4 mm, a cutting angle of 10.95°, and a dynamic blade install angle of −3.44°. Field experiments demonstrated that the device achieved an average weeding rate of 89.7% and an average seedling damage rate of 1.9%, indicating excellent performance. This study contributes to improving weed mortality rates and provides valuable guidance for inter-row mechanical weeding technology.

Wellbore instability in naturally fractured formations: Experimental study and 3D numerical investigation

Wellbore instability due to natural fractures is a significant issue impeding drilling operations in shale formations. However, most of the existing literature on wellbore stability analysis focuses on the coupled effects of fluid flow and deformation, and the impact of three-dimensional natural fracture characteristics on wellbore instability is not yet closely examined. This paper carried out a series of experiments to analyze the shale sample's fracture characteristics and shear strength. A fully coupled 3D hydro-mechanical model was then developed using the distinct element method (DEM) to investigate the wellbore instability. Finally, a comprehensive parametric study was performed to analyze the effects of characteristics of fractures (e.g., distribution density, fracture roughness and associated shear strength, dip angle, and seepage time) on wellbore stability under different in-situ stress states. The results show that the shear strength of shale increases with the increase in normal pressure (4 MPa, 6 MPa, and 8 MPa); the shear strength increases by 64.9% when the roughness is 0.325 mm (the largest increase among the three roughness cases). The maximum displacement around the wellbore is 1.3–1.5 times greater under the presence of weak planes than under no weak planes. Fracture roughness poses an important impact on wellbore stability because larger fracture roughness is associated with higher fracture shear strength. As the dip angle of the weak plane increases, the number of yield zones (shear failure) and maximum wellbore displacement increases and then decreases, and the peak occurs at the dip angle of 45°. The seepage time of drilling fluid is positively correlated with the number of yield zones around the wellbore, and the damage rate of drilling fluid to wellbore stability gradually decreases with the seepage time.

Enhanced Surgical Outcomes of Popliteal Cyst Excision: A Retrospective Study Comparing Arthroscopic Debridement with and without Methylene Blue Injection.

BACKGROUND This retrospective study of 42 patients with popliteal cysts (or Baker cysts) aimed to compare the effects on duration and outcomes of arthroscopic surgical debridement with and without the use of cyst injection with methylene blue (MB). MATERIAL AND METHODS Medical records of patients who underwent conventional arthroscopic surgery (n=20) or arthroscopic surgery after MB injection (n=22) for popliteal cysts between 2018 and 2021 were reviewed. The MB group underwent arthroscopic popliteal cystectomy with MB as the marker, and the control group underwent conventional arthroscopic popliteal cystectomy. Surgical time of cyst resection, postoperative bruising extent, complication rate, and cyst recurrence rate of the 2 groups were compared. RESULTS The MB group had a faster surgical cyst removal time (16.5±1.5 min) than the control group (24.5±1.6 min; P<0.05). The MB group had less postoperative bruising (1 case, 4.5%) than the control group (5 cases, 25%; P<0.05). The surgical results were similar in both groups, with a Lysholm score of 87.23±1.80 in the MB group and 87.23±1.62 (P>0.05) in the control group. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that preoperative injection of MB for popliteal cysts before arthroscopic debridement improved cyst localization and ease and accuracy of surgery and reduced operative time, adjacent tissue damage, postoperative complications, and recurrence rate.

Insecticidal Effects of Transgenic Maize Bt-Cry1Ab, Bt-Vip3Aa, and Bt-Cry1Ab+Vip3Aa against the Oriental Armyworm, Mythimna separata (Walker) in Southwest China.

The oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata (Walker), an important migratory pest of maize and wheat, is posing a severe threat to maize production in Asian countries. As source areas of spring-summer emigratory populations, the control of M. separata in southwestern China is of great significance for East Asian maize production. To assess the toxicity of Bt maize against the pest, bioassays of Bt-(Cry1Ab+Vip3Aa) maize (event DBN3601T), Bt-Cry1Ab maize (event DBN9936), and Bt-Vip3Aa maize (event DBN9501) were conducted in Yunnan province of southwest China. There were significant differences in insecticidal activity between the three Bt maize events, and DBN3601T presented the highest insecticidal role. The results also indicated that the insecticidal effect of various Bt maize tissues took an order in leaf > kernel > silk, which is highly consistent with the expression amounts of Bt insecticidal protein in leaf (69.69 ± 1.18 μg/g), kernel (11.69 ± 0.75 μg/g), and silk (7.32 ± 0.31 μg/g). In field trials, all larval population densities, plant damage rates, and leaf damage levels of DBN3601T maize were significantly lower than the conventional maize. This research indicated that the DBN3601T event had a high control efficiency against M. separata and could be deployed in southwest China for the management of M. separata.

A PLC-based pomegranate sprout removal device design

Aiming at the current low degree of mechanization of pomegranate sprouting tiller pruning in China, all relying on manual pruning, this paper designs a PLC-based pomegranate sprouting tiller removal machine. This machine adopts the identification method of wireless map transmission, the sprouting tiller removal method of multi-cylinder cooperative operation, and the MCGS configuration to realize the interaction between the user and the system, which realizes the displacement and angle compensation of the end-effector under complex conditions to realize the all-around accurate removal of the pomegranate sprouting tiller. The performance test and finite element analysis showed that the device could remove up to 74.62% of sprouting tillers, and the damage rate was as low as 18%. This meets the requirements of pomegranate plantations for the removal of emergent tillers.

Effect of total flavonoids of hawthorn leaves on H2O2-induced oxidative stress injury of rats

This study was to investigate the role of total flavonoids of hawthorn leaves (TFHL) in oxidative stress injury in rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN). CCK-8 method was used to study the effect of TFHL on the oxidative damage of kidney HK-2 cells induced by H2O2. 40 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with DN induced by streptozotocin were divided into normal saline group and treatment groups treated with TFHL (10, 20, 40 mg/kg). During the 6 weeks of treatment, metabolic parameters such as body weight and fasting blood glucose levels were recorded along with analysis of renal function, levels of renal tissue apoptosis, and fibrosis-related factors. The relative levels of Nrf-2/ARE pathway-related factors in kidney tissue were detected by qPCR and Western blot. 320 μg/mL TFHL significantly improved the survival rate of HK-2 cells with oxidative damage (92.9%). In treatment group, GPX1, SOD2 and GSH were significantly up-regulated, leading to down-regulation of ROS. In addition, after administration for 6 weeks, TFHL improved the renal function of DN rats and worsened the morphology of nephropathy. They also improved Bcl-2, Nrf-2, NQO-1 and HO-1 levels, and regulated Nrf-2/ARE signaling, thus having a protective effect on the kidney tissue of DN rats. After TFHL acted on kidney cells, the nuclear expression of Nrf-2 protein was significantly increased. TFHL pretreatment up-regulated NQO-1, Nrf-2 and HO-1. Our data showed that in DN rats, TFHL protected renal cells and alleviated renal tissue damage.