Damage Rate Research Articles

A comprehensive review of evolution of advanced follicular unit excision systems

Initially, the application of the follicular unit excision (FUE) technique for hair transplantation faced a challenge due to a significant occurrence of hair follicle damage. However, advancements in techniques, punch designs, and tools have successfully addressed this issue. The integration of motorized equipment featuring rotation, roto-oscillation, oscillation, vibration, suction, and hydration has significantly improved the successful harvesting of grafts. More recently, the adoption of robotic technology for both graft extraction and incision is becoming increasingly common in FUE procedure. Given the wide range of available devices and technologies, hair transplant surgeons may find it challenging to select the most suitable option for their specific practices. The advancements in techniques, punch shapes, and motorized devices have played a key role in reducing the rate of follicle damage and increasing the speed of FUE procedures. It is crucial for hair restoration surgeons to stay informed about the various accessible devices and understand how these tools can be customized to suit the unique hair and skin characteristics of each patient.

Mitochondria-targeted oligomeric α-synuclein induces TOM40 degradation and mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease and parkinsonism-dementia of Guam

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a central aspect of Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathology, yet the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. This study investigates the link between α-Synuclein (α-Syn) pathology and the loss of translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane 40 (TOM40), unraveling its implications for mitochondrial dysfunctions in neurons. We discovered that TOM40 protein depletion occurs in the brains of patients with Guam Parkinsonism-Dementia (Guam PD) and cultured neurons expressing α-Syn proteinopathy, notably, without corresponding changes in TOM40 mRNA levels. Cultured neurons expressing α-Syn mutants, with or without a mitochondria-targeting signal (MTS) underscores the role of α-Syn’s mitochondrial localization in inducing TOM40 degradation. PDe-related etiological factors, such as 6-hydroxydopamine or ROS/metal ions stress, which promotes α-Syn oligomerization, exacerbate TOM40 depletion in PD patient-derived cells with SNCA gene triplication. Although α-Syn interacts with both TOM40 and TOM20 in the outer mitochondrial membrane, degradation is selective for TOM40, which occurs via the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) pathway. Our comprehensive analyses using Seahorse technology, mitochondrial DNA sequencing, and damage assessments, demonstrate that mutant α-Syn-induced TOM40 loss results in mitochondrial dysfunction, characterized by reduced membrane potential, accumulation of mtDNA damage, deletion/insertion mutations, and altered oxygen consumption rates. Notably, ectopic supplementation of TOM40 or reducing pathological forms of α-Syn using ADP-ribosylation inhibitors ameliorate these mitochondrial defects, suggesting potential therapeutic avenues. In conclusion, our findings provide crucial mechanistic insights into how α-Syn accumulation leads to TOM40 degradation and mitochondrial dysfunction, offering insights for targeted interventions to alleviate mitochondrial defects in PD.

甘薯切蔓机关键部件设计及试验研究

In response to technical challenges such as the difficulty in cutting long sweet potato vines in ridge furrows, low stem crushing rate, long stubble residues, and sweet high potato damage rate with the direct shredding and returning machine for sweet potato vines, this study conducted research on ridge furrow long vine removal and crushing technology, as well as optimization experiments on operating parameters. A ridge furrow boot-type vine picking knife structure, a "dynamic embedding static" shaft end anti-entanglement mechanism, and a ridge-like crushing chamber structure were designed. A high-efficiency sweet potato vine shredding and returning machine was developed, with ridge surface vine length qualification rate and ridge top stubble height as the main control indicators. The study conducted a 3-factor, 3-level orthogonal experiment in typical regions to analyze the factors of machine forward speed, knife roller speed, and ground clearance height, which significantly influence the performance. The results indicate that the optimal working parameters for the sweet potato vine cutting machine are a knife roller speed of 2000 r/min, a forward speed of 0.6 m s-1, and a ground clearance height of 10 mm. The vine crushing length qualification rate reached 94%, and the stubble height of 5.3 cm exceeded the various indicators, meeting the agricultural requirements for sweet potato harvesting.

基于 Adams 的间隙可调弹性低损玉米摘穗割台的设计与试验

To address the high damage rate and impurity content in corn ear picking, this study proposes the design of a gap-adjustable elastic low damage corn picking header. Theoretical analysis of the adaptive gap adjustment mechanism for the picking plate and the flexible picking mechanism will be conducted. Simulation experiments will be performed considering three factors: the stiffness coefficient of the compression spring, the rotational speed of the stalk-pulling roller, and the thickness of the flexible body. The test results indicate that the minimum collision force on the fruit cluster occurs when the stiffness coefficient of the compression spring is 36 N/mm, the rotational speed of the stalk-pulling roller is 700 r/min, and the thickness of the flexible body is 6 mm. When the header tilt angle was 25 degrees and the working speed was 3 km/h, using the stalk roller speed as the experimental variable, the collision force of the gap-adjustable elastic low-damage corn picking header was compared to that of the ordinary plate-type corn picking header. The results indicated that the collision force of the gap-adjustable elastic low-damage corn picking header was reduced by more than 25 % compared to the ordinary plate-type corn picking header.

Twenty-eight days later: The recovery of DNA from human remains submerged in aggressive household chemicals.

Aggressive chemicals intended for cleaning pools or unclogging drains contain high concentrations of dangerous compounds, leading to their nefarious use in dissolving human remains in some criminal cases. The use of these readily accessible household cleaners to destroy human remains and hide evidence of a crime presents a considerable challenge for human identification. However, research on the success of recovering DNA from such remains is limited. Therefore, we investigated the effects of submerging partial human remains (including whole heads, forearms, and hands) in five different household products: bleach, Rid-X® septic treatment, lye drain opener, sulfuric acid drain opener, and muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid) pool cleaner. We evaluated the impact of each chemical, focusing on visual changes, DNA recovery, and the potential for successful human identification through traditional STR or mitochondrial DNA analyses. Exposure to all chemicals altered the appearance of the remains, but DNA recovery was still possible across various time periods, up to 28 days. Human remains exposed to bleach, Rid-X®, and lye produced full STR profiles after 4 weeks. Sulfuric acid shortened this time to 3 weeks, while hydrochloric acid, the most damaging chemical, limitedfull STR profile recovery to just the first 3 days of exposure. This study demonstrates that although differences in the rate of damage occur depending on the amount of tissue introduced, volume of chemical used, and the specific chemical of choice, DNA-based human identification of remains treated with everyday household cleaners is likely, particularly if bone fragments are recovered.

Repurposing raltegravir for reducing inflammation and treating cancer: a bioinformatics analysis

Inflammation is a defensive mechanism that safeguards the human body against detrimental stimuli. Within this intricate process, ADAM17, a zinc-dependent metalloprotease, emerges as an indispensable element, fostering the activation of diverse inflammatory and growth factors within the organism. Nonetheless, ADAM17 malfunctions can augment the rate of growth, inflammatory factors, and subsequent damage. Thus, in this study, we examined and repurposed drugs to suppress the activity of ADAM17. To this end, we employed bioinformatics techniques such as molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and pharmacokinetic studies. Five FDA-approved drugs including Raltegravir, Conivaptan, Paclitaxel, Saquinavir, and Venetoclax with the ability to impede the activity of the ADAM17 metalloenzyme were identified. Moreover, these drugs did not include strong zinc-binding functional groups when verified by the ACE functional group finder. However, further in silico analysis has indicated that Raltegravir demonstrates a commendable interaction with the active site amino acids and exhibits the most favorable pharmacokinetic properties compared to others. Considering the results of bioinformatics tools, it can be concluded that Raltegravir as an antiviral drug could be repurposed to prevent severe inflammatory response and tumorigenesis resulting from ADAM17 malfunction.

Deterioration characterization of sandstone physical and mechanical properties under mining and water action

Mining geological disasters occur frequently in Guizhou, with mine mining and rainfall-induced avalanche geological disasters mainly, the investigation concluded that the hard rock of the overlying slide body is mostly sandstone, and it is crucial to study the physical and mechanical properties of sandstone under the action of mine mining (hereinafter referred to as the action of mining) and water action. The paper analyzes the deterioration characteristics of sandstone hydrophysical and mechanical properties under the action of mining and water. The main research results are as follows: (1) The water absorption rate of sandstone increased by 0.056% under the action of mining, the water absorption rate of sandstone increased with a good exponential relationship under the action of dry and wet cycles, the swelling rate of sandstone increased by 0.3% under the action of mining, and the index of disintegration resistance decreased by 0.3% in 5 cycles; (2) The damage rate of uniaxial compressive strength of sandstone after being subjected to mining was 6.367%. The total deterioration rate increases with the number of wet and dry cycles, the stage deterioration rate and the average stage deterioration rate first decrease and then increase, and the degree of fragmentation gradually increases; (3) According to the microscopic test results, the microstructural evolution of “mining cracking → water adsorption → water–rock interaction” model was established.

Association between cardiovascular risk and diastolic blood pressure in older adults with systolic blood pressure less than 130mmHg: a prospective cohort study from 2014 to 2022

BackgroundThe 2017 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) guideline lowered the diagnostic threshold for hypertension to a systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) of 130/80 mmHg. However, the predictive value of DBP for cardiovascular (CV) risk assessment diminishes with aging. The study aimed to explore whether the new diagnostic threshold for diastolic hypertension is associated with increased risk of CV organ damage and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in older adults.Methods1181 individuals aged 65 years or older with SBP < 130 mmHg were enrolled a prospective cohort study. They were classified into Low (< 70 mmHg), Optimal (70 to < 80 mmHg), and High (80 to < 90 mmHg) DBP groups. Cardiac, vascular, and renal organ damage were measured at baseline. The endpoint of the study was MACEs.ResultsAmong 1181 participants (average age 71.9 years, 44.8% men), 172 MACEs were observed during an average follow-up of 6.4 years. We found no significant differences in CV organ damage or MACEs rates (Log-rank P = 0.73) among three groups. In multivariable Cox regression, compared to the Optimal DBP group, no significant increase in CV risk was observed in the Low DBP group (hazard ratio [HR] 1.02, [95% CI 0.68–1.52], P = 0.93) or the High DBP group (HR 1.04, [95% CI 0.72–1.49], P = 0.85). Propensity score matching showed consistent results.ConclusionIn older adults with SBP < 130 mmHg, DBP values 80–89 mmHg were not associated with higher risk of CV organ damage, events or mortality.

Macro-micro damage and energy release rates of fractured sandstone subjected to dry-wet cycles

Macro-micro damage and energy release rates of fractured sandstone subjected to dry-wet cycles

Design of and Experiment with a Dual-Arm Apple Harvesting Robot System

Robotic harvesting has become an urgent need for the development of the apple industry, due to the sharp decline in agricultural labor. At present, harvesting apples using robots in unstructured orchard environments remains a significant challenge. This paper focuses on addressing the challenges of perception, localization, and dual-arm coordination in harvesting robots and presents a dual-arm apple harvesting robot system. First, the paper introduces the integration of the robot’s hardware and software systems, as well as the control system architecture, and describes the robot’s workflow. Secondly, combining a dual-vision perception system, the paper adopts a fruit recognition method based on a multi-task network model and a frustum-based fruit localization approach to identify and localize fruits. Finally, to improve collaboration efficiency, a multi-arm task planning method based on a genetic algorithm is used to optimize the target harvesting sequence for each arm. Field experiments were conducted in an orchard to evaluate the overall performance of the robot system. The field trials demonstrated that the robot system achieved an overall harvest success rate of 76.97%, with an average fruit picking time of 7.29 s per fruit and a fruit damage rate of only 5.56%.

Wavelength-specific inactivation mechanisms and efficacies of germicidal UVC for airborne human coronavirus

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) technology can inhibit the environmental transmission of airborne pathogens, but the dose-response behavior of airborne human coronavirus and wavelength-specific inactivation mechanisms are not well understood. This study investigated three competitive UVC sources for their inactivation efficacy and mechanisms against human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43). Results showed the following order of inactivation efficacy: 222-nm KrCl excimer lamp > 263-nm UV-LEDs > 254-nm low-pressure mercury lamp. The 222-nm KrCl excimer lamp achieved a 5-log inactivation of aerosolized HCoV-OC43 with a dose of less than 1 mJ/cm², while the 263-nm UV-LEDs had the highest genome damage rate constant at 7.08 ± 0.85 mJ/cm². Although 222-nm Far-UVC caused less genome damage, it affected viral proteins more significantly, specifically the nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S) proteins, which lead to compromising capsid integrity and binding ability to host cells. Capsid integrity RT-qPCR and binding assay RT-qPCR used in this study could better monitor infectivity of airborne coronavirus than standard RT-qPCR. Additionally, significant lipid oxidation of HCoV-OC43 was observed under 222-nm irradiation, potentially impacting overall inactivation efficacy. This study provides detailed evidence on the effects of different UVC wavelengths on airborne HCoV-OC43, contributing to the optimization of UVC irradiation for indoor bioaerosol disinfection.

Monitoring the Degree of Gansu Zokor Damage in Chinese Pine by Hyperspectral Remote Sensing

Chinese pine has been extensively planted in the Loess Plateau, but it faces significant threats from Gansu zokor. Traditional methods for monitoring rodent damage rely on manual surveys to assess damage rates but are time-consuming and often underestimate the actual degree of damage, particularly in mildly affected pines. This study proposes a remote sensing monitoring method that integrates hyperspectral analysis with physiological and biochemical parameter models to enhance the accuracy of rodent damage detection. Using ASD Field Spec 4, we analyzed spectral data from 125 Chinese pine needles, measuring chlorophyll (CHC), carotenoid (CAC), and water content (WAC). Through correlation analysis, we identified sensitive vegetation indices (VIs) and red-edge parameters (REPs) linked to different levels of damage. We report several key results. The 680 nm spectral band is instrumental in monitoring damage, with significant decreases in CHC, CAC, and WAC corresponding to increased damage severity. We identified six VIs and five REPs, which were later predicted using stepwise regression (SR), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF) models. Among all models, the vegetation index-based RF model exhibited the best predictive performance, achieving coefficient of determination (R2) values of 0.988, 0.949, and 0.999 for CHC, CAC, and WAC, with root mean square errors (RMSEs) of 0.115 mg/g, 0.042 mg/g, and 0.007 mg/g, and mean relative errors (MREs) of 8.413%, 9.169%, and 1.678%. This study demonstrates the potential of hyperspectral remote sensing technology for monitoring rodent infestations in Chinese pines, providing a reliable basis for large-scale assessments and effective management strategies for pest control.

Lead Nitrate (Pb(NO3)2) Toxicity Effects on DNA Structure and Histopathological Damage in Gills of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio).

The toxic impact of environmentally relevant nominal sub-lethal concentration of lead nitrate (23 mg/L) on the gills of Cyprinus carpio after 30 days of exposure was assessed. Structural alterations were analyzed through histopathology, and the DNA damage rate in peripheral erythrocytes was evaluated by alkaline comet assay. A significant deviation in the gill histoarchitecture was observed compared to the control group. Significant changes, including the curling of secondary lamellae, loss of filaments, necrosis, hyperplasia, hypertrophy of cells of primary filament, and vacuolization, were found in the fish exposed to nominal sub-lethal concentration of lead nitrate. Moreover, the comet assay showed lead nitrate-induced DNA damage, evidenced by the length of the DNA "tail" in the exposed fish. The findings of this study strongly indicated that lead nitrate, even at sub-lethal levels, could significantly alter the overall physiology of the fish. This situation could lead to severe ecological consequences.

Analysis of Mean Time Between Failures and Reliability of a 150 kV Circuit Breaker at Bantul Substation Using the Maximum Likelihood Estimation Method

As technology advances in the modern era, the need and consumption of electrical energy in society has increased rapidly. With the need for electrical energy continuing to increase, various disturbances in the electrical system, including in substations, cannot be predicted when they will occur. The Power Breaker (PMT) is a vital equipment in the Bantul 150 kV substation power system that functions to break the electrical circuit under load to prevent interference and damage to equipment and ensure the smooth distribution of electrical energy to consumers. Based on the role of PMT, the estimation of PMT failure time has not been studied in depth. This study aims to analyze the Mean Time Between Failure and Reliability of the Bantul 150 kV Substation PMT. The method used in assessing PMT life is Maximum Likelihood Estimation. The data used are the results of observations of ten different PMTs in Bantul Substation. The results of the analysis show that the average value of the time period between failures (MTBF) varies between different PMTs. The highest MTBF value is PMT Wirobrajan 2 with a damage period of about 14.55 months, while the lowest MTBF is PMT Semanu 2 with a damage period of 5.48 months. The results of the analysis of failure probability, cumulative failure probability, reliability probability, and damage rate of 150 kV PMTs show significant variations between different PMTs. Reliability value produces the lowest value on PMT Transformer 3. While the highest Reliability value produces the highest value, namely on PMT Kopel. With the known MTBF and Reliability of 150 kV PMT at Bantul Substation, it can be used as a basis for maintenance and maintenance of PMT in its operation at Bantul Substation.

Patterns of primates crop foraging and the impacts on incomes of smallholders across the mosaic agricultural landscape of Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia.

Crop foraging by primates is a prevalent form of human-wildlife conflict, especially near protected areas. This behavior poses significant economic challenges for subsistence farmers, jeopardizing both livelihoods and conservation efforts. This study aimed to assess patterns of primate crop-foraging events and estimate maize damage in protected and unprotected fields in southern Ethiopia. Data were collected over 12 months between 2020 and 2021 in the Sodo Zuriya and Damot Gale districts of Southern Ethiopia. A team of six field experts and 25 farmers participated in the study, during which maize damage inflicted by primates was assessed using 25 deployed camera traps. Linear mixed models were used to explore the relationship between maize damage by primates and spatio-temporal variables. Olive baboons and grivet monkeys were found to target maize more frequently during June, July, and August. Olive baboons forage in the morning, while grivet monkeys do so in the afternoon. The average maize yield losses due to primate damage were 43.1% in protected fields and 31.4% in unprotected fields. Of the total damage, 43.1% occurred in protected fields situated 50 meters from the forest edge. Conversely, unprotected fields experienced lower rates of damage: 14.4%, 13.2%, 3.7%, and 0.1% at distances of 50 m, 100 m, 200 m, and 300 m from the forest edge, respectively. Camera traps captured 47 photos of baboons, 21 photos of grivet monkeys, and documented eight primate crop-foraging events. This study revealed that maize fields within 50 meters of the forest edge faced significant damage. Despite the use of wire mesh fencing, it was largely ineffective in deterring olive baboons and grivet monkeys. Additionally, while human guarding is often considered an effective protective strategy, these findings suggest its ineffectiveness due to inconsistent implementation. Overall, this study provides valuable insights for promoting primate conservation and mitigating human-primate conflicts.

The Impact of Condensate Oil Content on Reservoir Performance in Retrograde Condensation: A Numerical Simulation Study

This study investigates the complex dynamics of retrograde condensation in condensate gas reservoirs, with a particular focus on the challenges posed by retrograde condensate pollution, which varies in condensate oil content and impacts on reservoir productivity. Numerical simulations quantify the distribution of condensate oil and the reduction in gas-phase relative permeability in reservoirs with 100.95 g/m3, 227.27 g/m3, and 893.33 g/m3 of condensate oil. Unlike previous studies, this research introduces an orthogonal experiment to establish a methodology for studying the dynamic sensitivity factors across different types of gas reservoirs and various development stages, systematically evaluating their contributions to condensate oil. The analysis reveals that reservoirs with low to moderate condensate oil content gradually experience expanding polluted regions, affecting long-term production. The maximum condensate saturation near the wellbore can reach 0.19, reducing gas-phase relative permeability by about 25.44%. In contrast, high-condensate oil reservoirs show severe early-stage retrograde condensation, with saturations up to 0.35 and a permeability damage rate reaching 73%. The orthogonal experiments identify reservoir permeability and condensate oil content as critical factors influencing production indicators. The findings provide key insights and practical recommendations for optimizing production strategies, emphasizing tailored approaches to mitigate retrograde condensation and enhance recovery, especially in high-condensate oil reservoirs, offering theoretical and practical guidance for improving reservoir management and economic returns.

An application oriented all-round intelligent weeding machine with enhanced YOLOv5

Nobody would contest that physical weed removal methods offer numerous advantages over biochemical alternatives. Within the domain of intelligent mechanical weed control, comprehensive research targeting the entire intelligent weeding machine system remains relatively scarce. To expedite the practical application of intelligent weeding machines, this study explored an enhanced YOLOv5 model with one colour constancy module, which aimed at achieving higher accuracy in crop seedling detection. An innovative "separating and closing" strategy, which allows the machine to precisely avoid crop seedlings while effectively weeding the areas between crop seedlings was employed to facilitate intra-row weeding. By integrating this strategy with a comprehensive design of the mobile platform, inter-row weeding actuators, and harmonious control of these key components, this research successfully developed an intelligent weeding machine capable of simultaneously performing intra-row and inter-row (all-round) weeding. Compared with previous studies, this study put the emphases on complex farm lighting conditions, both inter-row and intra-row weeding functions, and weed regrowth. Field experiments conducted in lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. ramosa Hort.) fields at four different locations on three separate dates demonstrated that this intelligent weeding machine achieved average weeding rates, crop seedling damage rates, and regrowth rates of 96.87%, 1.19%, and 0.34%, respectively. The ability to perform all-round weeding simultaneously is a significant advance in mechanical weeding control. The design and methodology employed in this study have broad implications for advancing the field of precision agriculture and addressing the growing demand for sustainable farming practices.

Streptococcus suis infective endocarditis in patients with Streptococcus suis bacteremia: a retrospective study of prevalence and outcomes

BackgroundStreptococcus suis (S. suis) is a zoonotic disease that is transmitted to humans via contact or oral route. Although the major clinical presentation of this pathogen is known to be meningitis, S. suis infective endocarditis (IE) has recently emerged as a clinical manifestation of increasing interest. Echocardiography may be an underutilized modality for evaluating patients with S. suis bacteremia.ObjectiveThe primary objective was to estimate the prevalence of S. suis IE in patients with S. suis bacteremia. The secondary objective was to investigate the predictors, echocardiographic features, and clinical outcomes of S. suis IE in patients with S. suis bacteremia.Materials and methodsThis single-center retrospective study was conducted at Siriraj Hospital – Thailand’s largest university-based tertiary referral center. Adult patients (aged > 18 years) who were admitted to our center with confirmed diagnosis of S. suis bacteremia during January 2007 to September 2023 were included. Prevalence is reported as percentage and confidence interval. Baseline characteristics and clinical manifestation were compared between the IE and non-IE groups. Factors found to be statistically significant were further analyzed using binary logistic regression analysis to identify univariate predictors of S. suis IE.ResultA total of 71 patients with S. suis bacteremia were included in this study. The prevalence of S. suis IE was 26.8% (95% confidence interval: 17.85–38.05). Perivalvular complications and significant valvular regurgitation were found in 52.6% and 80.0% of patients, respectively. Thirteen of 19 patients (68.4%) required valvular surgery according to standard guidelines. By univariate analysis, dyspnea, new murmur, immunologic phenomenon, and heart failure were predictors of S. suis IE in patients with S. suis bacteremia.ConclusionThe results of this study revealed a sizable prevalence of S. suis IE in patients with S. suis bacteremia, and there were high rates of both valvular damage and perivalvular complications. Our results strongly suggest that echocardiography may be indicated to evaluate for S. suis IE in patients diagnosed with S. suis bacteremia. Reclassification of S. suis from an atypical organism to a typical organism should be considered.

Sealing performances of polymer heat-shrinkable tubing for deep rocks under high-temperature and ultrahigh-pressure condition

The deep underground engineering will face high-temperature and ultrahigh-pressure (HTUP) condition. Indoor triaxial testing is an important means to investigate this challenge in rock mechanics and rock engineering. Heat-shrinkable tubing, as a seal on the rock surface, is crucial for reconstructing deep rock in situ conditions (ensuring the accuracy and effectiveness of confining pressure and pore pressure). However, there are few reports on testing such material under HTUP condition. Thus, the mechanical and sealing performances of existing heat-shrinkable tubing under HTUP condition is still immature. The motivation of this study is to advance deep rock mechanics and engineering by developing a polymer heat-shrinkable tubing (pressure larger than 140 MPa and temperature greater than 150 °C). Experiments using the deep rock in situ thermal insulation coring test system were conducted and compared with conventional heat-shrinkable tubing. The sealing performance of the polymer heat-shrinkable tubing was investigated. The results indicated that deep rock ultrahigh-pressure condition and natural damage to the rock surface are the main causes of conventional heat-shrinkable tubing failure. In contrast, the damage rate of the proposed polymer heat-shrinkable tubing is extremely low, indicating that incorporating base material with high-performances can significantly enhance the pressure resistance of polymer heat-shrinkable tubing. Additionally, through the analysis of experimental results and the three-dimensional (3D) morphology of rock surfaces, the failure behavior of heat-shrinkable tubing under HTUP condition was revealed at the meso-structural level, and the proposed failure criteria, taking into account 3D morphology of rock surfaces and applicable to HTUP condition, have been advanced. The findings offer possibilities for triaxial rock mechanics testing in HTUP condition, providing theoretical and technical support for experiments and engineering applications in deep rock mechanics.

Laparoscopic access is the modern standard for extended liver resection

Objective. To evaluate the safety and early results of laparoscopic extended liver resection in case of focal liver pathology by retrospective comparison with the relevant parameters of a similar open intervention. Materials and methods. The study involved 162 patients who were divided into two groups: Group 1 – 50 patients who underwent laparoscopic extended liver resection, and Group 2 – 112 patients who underwent open extended liver resection. The groups were compared by age structure, sex, body mass index, type of pathology (benign/malignant), as well as by characteristics of surgical intervention and postoperative period. Statistical analysis included a t–test for independent samples, Pearson's chi–square test, and other appropriate methods with the calculation of the confidence level p (parametric criterion). The difference in indicators was considered statistically significant at p &lt; 0.05. Results. Laparoscopic osshire for liver resection was longer (p = 0.0012), but was associated with a lower level of pain according to the visual analog scale (p = 0.02) and fewer bed days to discharge (p = 0.0007) than a similar open intervention. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of age structure, body mass index, number of liver tumors, blood loss, complication rate, and degree of ischemic liver damage. Conclusions. Laparoscopic extended liver resection is a less invasive method than open liver resection, and patients recover faster after it, although its duration is longer. At the same time, laparoscopic and open intervention had a similar incidence of complications, which indicates acceptable safety and high clinical efficacy of the laparoscopic approach in the treatment of patients with liver disease.