The collapse pressure is a key parameter when RTPs are applied in harsh deep-water environments.To investigate the collapse of RTPs,numerical simulations and hydrostatic pressure tests are conducted.For the numerical ...The collapse pressure is a key parameter when RTPs are applied in harsh deep-water environments.To investigate the collapse of RTPs,numerical simulations and hydrostatic pressure tests are conducted.For the numerical simulations,the eigenvalue analysis and Riks analysis are combined,in which the Hashin failure criterion and fracture energy stiffness degradation model are used to simulate the progressive failure of composites,and the“infinite”boundary conditions are applied to eliminate the boundary effects.As for the hydrostatic pressure tests,RTP specimens were placed in a hydrostatic chamber after filled with water.It has been observed that the cross-section of the middle part collapses when it reaches the maximum pressure.The collapse pressure obtained from the numerical simulations agrees well with that in the experiment.Meanwhile,the applicability of NASA SP-8007 formula on the collapse pressure prediction was also discussed.It has a relatively greater difference because of the ignorance of the progressive failure of composites.For the parametric study,it is found that RTPs have much higher first-ply-failure pressure when the winding angles are between 50°and 70°.Besides,the effect of debonding and initial ovality,and the contribution of the liner and coating are also discussed.展开更多
Landslides occurring in sensitive clay often result in widespread destruction,posing a significant risk to human lives and property due to the substantial decrease in undrained shear strength during deformation.Assess...Landslides occurring in sensitive clay often result in widespread destruction,posing a significant risk to human lives and property due to the substantial decrease in undrained shear strength during deformation.Assessing the consequences of these landslides is challenging and necessitates robust numerical methods to comprehensively investigate their failure mechanisms.While studies have extensively explored upward progressive landslides in sensitive clays,understanding downward progressive cases remains limited.In this study,we utilised the nodal integration-based particle finite element method(NPFEM)with a nonlinear strain-softening model to analyse downward progressive landslides in sensitive clay on elongated slopes,induced by surcharge loads near the crest.We focused on elucidating the underlying failure mechanisms and evaluating the effects of different soil parameters and strainsoftening characteristics.The simulation results revealed the typical pattern for downward landslides,which typically start with a localised failure in proximity to the surcharge loads,followed by a combination of different types of failure mechanisms,including single flow slides,translational progressive landslides,progressive flow slides,and spread failures.Additionally,inclined shear bands occur within spread failures,often adopting distinctive ploughing patterns characterised by triangular shapes.The sensitive clay thickness at the base,the clay strength gradient,the sensitivity,and the softening rate significantly influence the failure mechanisms and the extent of diffused displacement.Remarkably,some of these effects mirror those observed in upward progressive landslides,underscoring the interconnectedness of these phenomena.This study contributes valuable insights into the complex dynamics of sensitive clay landslides,shedding light on the intricate interplay of factors governing their behaviour and progression.展开更多
Effective monitoring of the structural health of combined coal-rock under complex geological conditions by pressure stimulated currents(PSCs)has great potential for the understanding of dynamic disasters in undergroun...Effective monitoring of the structural health of combined coal-rock under complex geological conditions by pressure stimulated currents(PSCs)has great potential for the understanding of dynamic disasters in underground engineering.To reveal the effect of this way,the uniaxial compression experiments with PSC monitoring were conducted on three types of coal-rock combination samples with different strength combinations.The mechanism explanation of PSCs are investigated by resistivity test,atomic force microscopy(AFM)and computed tomography(CT)methods,and a PSC flow model based on progressive failure process is proposed.The influence of strength combinations on PSCs in the progressive failure process are emphasized.The results show the PSC responses between rock part,coal part and the two components are different,which are affected by multi-scale fracture characteristics and electrical properties.As the rock strength decreases,the progressive failure process changes obviously with the influence range of interface constraint effect decreasing,resulting in the different responses of PSC strength and direction in different parts to fracture behaviors.The PSC flow model is initially validated by the relationship between the accumulated charges of different parts.The results are expected to provide a new reference and method for mining design and roadway quality assessment.展开更多
The Submerged Floating Tunnel(SFT)relies on a tensioned mooring system for precise positioning.The sudden breakage of a single cable can trigger an immediate alteration in the constraint conditions of the tube,inducin...The Submerged Floating Tunnel(SFT)relies on a tensioned mooring system for precise positioning.The sudden breakage of a single cable can trigger an immediate alteration in the constraint conditions of the tube,inducing a transient heave response within the structure along with a transient increase in cable tension experienced by adjacent cables.In more severe cases,this may even lead to a progressive failure culminating in the global destruction of the SFT.This study used ANSYS/AQWA to establish a numerical model of the entire length SFT for the hydrodynamic response analysis,and conducted a coupled calculation of the dynamic responses of the SFT-mooring line model based on Orca Flex to study the global dynamic responses of the SFT at the moment of cable breakage and the redistribution of cable internal forces.The most unfavorable position for SFT cable breakage was identified,the influence mechanism of cable breakage at different positions on the global dynamic response was revealed,and the progressive chain failure pattern caused by localized cable breakage are also clarified.展开更多
Pan-sharpening aims to seek high-resolution multispectral(HRMS) images from paired multispectral images of low resolution(LRMS) and panchromatic(PAN) images, the key to which is how to maximally integrate spatial and ...Pan-sharpening aims to seek high-resolution multispectral(HRMS) images from paired multispectral images of low resolution(LRMS) and panchromatic(PAN) images, the key to which is how to maximally integrate spatial and spectral information from PAN and LRMS images. Following the principle of gradual advance, this paper designs a novel network that contains two main logical functions, i.e., detail enhancement and progressive fusion, to solve the problem. More specifically, the detail enhancement module attempts to produce enhanced MS results with the same spatial sizes as corresponding PAN images, which are of higher quality than directly up-sampling LRMS images.Having a better MS base(enhanced MS) and its PAN, we progressively extract information from the PAN and enhanced MS images, expecting to capture pivotal and complementary information of the two modalities for the purpose of constructing the desired HRMS. Extensive experiments together with ablation studies on widely-used datasets are provided to verify the efficacy of our design, and demonstrate its superiority over other state-of-the-art methods both quantitatively and qualitatively. Our code has been released at https://github.com/JiaYN1/PAPS.展开更多
The rotary motion deblurring is an inevitable procedure when the imaging seeker is mounted in the rotating missiles.Traditional rotary motion deblurring methods suffer from ringing artifacts and noise,especially for l...The rotary motion deblurring is an inevitable procedure when the imaging seeker is mounted in the rotating missiles.Traditional rotary motion deblurring methods suffer from ringing artifacts and noise,especially for large blur extents.To solve the above problems,we propose a progressive rotary motion deblurring framework consisting of a coarse deblurring stage and a refinement stage.In the first stage,we design an adaptive blur extents factor(BE factor)to balance noise suppression and details reconstruction.And a novel deconvolution model is proposed based on BE factor.In the second stage,a triplescale deformable module CNN(TDM-CNN)is designed to reduce the ringing artifacts,which can exploit the 2D information of an image and adaptively adjust spatial sampling locations.To establish a standard evaluation benchmark,a real-world rotary motion blur dataset is proposed and released,which includes rotary blurred images and corresponding ground truth images with different blur angles.Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art models on synthetic and real-world rotary motion blur datasets.The code and dataset are available at https://github.com/JinhuiQin/RotaryDeblurring.展开更多
A novel extended Lindley lifetime model that exhibits unimodal or decreasing density shapes as well as increasing,bathtub or unimodal-then-bathtub failure rates, named the Marshall-Olkin-Lindley (MOL) model is studied...A novel extended Lindley lifetime model that exhibits unimodal or decreasing density shapes as well as increasing,bathtub or unimodal-then-bathtub failure rates, named the Marshall-Olkin-Lindley (MOL) model is studied.In this research, using a progressive Type-II censored, various inferences of the MOL model parameters oflife are introduced. Utilizing the maximum likelihood method as a classical approach, the estimators of themodel parameters and various reliability measures are investigated. Against both symmetric and asymmetric lossfunctions, the Bayesian estimates are obtained using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) technique with theassumption of independent gamma priors. From the Fisher information data and the simulatedMarkovian chains,the approximate asymptotic interval and the highest posterior density interval, respectively, of each unknownparameter are calculated. Via an extensive simulated study, the usefulness of the various suggested strategies isassessedwith respect to some evaluationmetrics such as mean squared errors, mean relative absolute biases, averageconfidence lengths, and coverage percentages. Comparing the Bayesian estimations based on the asymmetric lossfunction to the traditional technique or the symmetric loss function-based Bayesian estimations, the analysisdemonstrates that asymmetric loss function-based Bayesian estimations are preferred. Finally, two data sets,representing vinyl chloride and repairable mechanical equipment items, have been investigated to support theapproaches proposed and show the superiority of the proposed model compared to the other fourteen lifetimemodels.展开更多
BACKGROUND At present,the clinical mechanisms underlying precocious puberty remain unclear,making effective intervention for children experiencing this condition and rapidly progressive puberty essential.AIM To explor...BACKGROUND At present,the clinical mechanisms underlying precocious puberty remain unclear,making effective intervention for children experiencing this condition and rapidly progressive puberty essential.AIM To explore the effects of Zhibai dihuang pills and gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue(GnRHa)on growth and ovarian function in girls with precocious puberty.METHODS The clinical data of 84 adolescent girls with precocious puberty and rapidly progressive puberty from February 2017 to August 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Girls were divided into a control group and an observation group,with 42 cases in each group.The control group received diet intervention combined with GnRHa treatment,while the observation group received diet intervention combined with Zhibai dihuang pills+GnRHa treatment.Outcomes such as clinical efficacy,growth indicators,ovarian function,and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.RESULTS The observation group showed superior clinical efficacy compared to the control group(P<0.05).Prior to the intervention,no significant differences were found in growth or ovarian function between the groups(P>0.05).Post-intervention,the observation group exhibited significantly lower rates in growth,height,and bone age,along with reduced levels of progesterone,testosterone,estradiol,prolactin,luteinizing hormone,and follicle-stimulating hormone compared to the control group(P<0.05).The incidence of adverse reactions was similar across both groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION Combining Zhibai dihuang pills with GnRHa and dietary intervention effectively improves growth,enhances ovarian function,and minimizes adverse reactions in adolescent girls with precocious and rapidly progressive puberty.展开更多
This article introduces a novel variant of the generalized linear exponential(GLE)distribution,known as the sine generalized linear exponential(SGLE)distribution.The SGLE distribution utilizes the sine transformation ...This article introduces a novel variant of the generalized linear exponential(GLE)distribution,known as the sine generalized linear exponential(SGLE)distribution.The SGLE distribution utilizes the sine transformation to enhance its capabilities.The updated distribution is very adaptable and may be efficiently used in the modeling of survival data and dependability issues.The suggested model incorporates a hazard rate function(HRF)that may display a rising,J-shaped,or bathtub form,depending on its unique characteristics.This model includes many well-known lifespan distributions as separate sub-models.The suggested model is accompanied with a range of statistical features.The model parameters are examined using the techniques of maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimation using progressively censored data.In order to evaluate the effectiveness of these techniques,we provide a set of simulated data for testing purposes.The relevance of the newly presented model is shown via two real-world dataset applications,highlighting its superiority over other respected similar models.展开更多
Objective:This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of aromatherapy with lavender essential oil compared to progressive muscle relaxation(PMR)on anxiety and vital signs of patients under spinal anesthesia.Materi...Objective:This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of aromatherapy with lavender essential oil compared to progressive muscle relaxation(PMR)on anxiety and vital signs of patients under spinal anesthesia.Materials and Methods:This clinical trial was conducted on 120 spinal anesthesia candidates who were randomly assigned into three groups of 40 including control,PMR(Jacobsen group),and aromatherapy.The state-trait anxiety inventory was completed on surgery day and 15 min after the end of the intervention by the samples of all three groups,and at the same time as completing the questionnaire,vital signs were also measured and recorded.Results:The mean score of anxiety after intervention was lower than that before the intervention in the aromatherapy group(P<0.001).The mean score of anxiety in the aromatherapy group was significantly lower than that in the Jacobsen group(P<0.001).Moreover,data analysis showed a significant decrease in the mean arterial blood pressure scores of the PMR(P=008)and aromatherapy(P<0.001)groups and a statistically significant increase in the mean heart rate scores in the control group(P=0.002).Conclusion:The use of aromatherapy with lavender is more effective than PMR therapy in reducing the anxiety level of patients undergoing spinal anesthesia.Due to the high level of anxiety and its serious effects on the patient’s hemodynamics,aromatherapy with lavender can be used as an easy and cheap method to reduce anxiety in operation rooms.展开更多
Mining globally contributes to the growth of many economies of the world. Since its inception, the Zambian mining industry has contributed largely to the country’s economy. The various developments both in technology...Mining globally contributes to the growth of many economies of the world. Since its inception, the Zambian mining industry has contributed largely to the country’s economy. The various developments both in technology and knowledge have contributed to the scale at which mining is being done. Challenges in such a setting arise due to the socio-economic and environmental impacts of mining, which create multidimensional problems. The study investigated the importance of engaging stakeholders in progressive rehabilitation programs for large-scale open pit mines, using a case study of the Lumwana Mine and its host community, Manyama. A qualitative approach was used, and data was collected through one-on-one interviews. A combination of convenient and quota sampling was used to engage with host community leaders, professionals and academicians from various fields and institutions. Results showed that most participants had agreed that stakeholder engagement is important for progressive rehabilitation, but the challenge was that the host community and municipal council representatives were not aware of any progressive rehabilitation efforts at Lumwana Mine. This was attributed to a lack of stakeholder engagement and communication of mitigation progress activities by the Lumwana Mine. Results also revealed that the lack of environmental impact assessment regulations to compel companies to involve stakeholders throughout the entire life of the mine other than just at the pre-mining stage led to a lack of compliance and accountability in rehabilitation.展开更多
Manhole cover defect recognition is of significant practical importance as it can accurately identify damaged or missing covers, enabling timely replacement and maintenance. Traditional manhole cover detection techniq...Manhole cover defect recognition is of significant practical importance as it can accurately identify damaged or missing covers, enabling timely replacement and maintenance. Traditional manhole cover detection techniques primarily focus on detecting the presence of covers rather than classifying the types of defects. However, manhole cover defects exhibit small inter-class feature differences and large intra-class feature variations, which makes their recognition challenging. To improve the classification of manhole cover defect types, we propose a Progressive Dual-Branch Feature Fusion Network (PDBFFN). The baseline backbone network adopts a multi-stage hierarchical architecture design using Res-Net50 as the visual feature extractor, from which both local and global information is obtained. Additionally, a Feature Enhancement Module (FEM) and a Fusion Module (FM) are introduced to enhance the network’s ability to learn critical features. Experimental results demonstrate that our model achieves a classification accuracy of 82.6% on a manhole cover defect dataset, outperforming several state-of-the-art fine-grained image classification models.展开更多
Objective:To explore the effects of progressive muscle relaxation training on anxiety,depression,and quality of life in patients with cerebral small vessel disease(CSVD).Methods:Sixty-one patients with CSVD in the Dep...Objective:To explore the effects of progressive muscle relaxation training on anxiety,depression,and quality of life in patients with cerebral small vessel disease(CSVD).Methods:Sixty-one patients with CSVD in the Department of Neurology of a tertiary hospital were divided into an observation group(28 patients)and a control group(33 patients)by lottery method.The control group received conventional nursing care,while the observation group received progressive muscle relaxation training interventions in addition to the conventional care.The Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA),the Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD),and the Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale(SS-QOL)were used to compare the effects before the intervention,7 days after the intervention,and 30 days after the intervention.Results:Over time,at different time points after the intervention,the anxiety and depression scores of patients with CSVD in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).The quality of life scores were significantly higher in the observation group compared to the control group(P<0.05),and these differences were statistically significant.Conclusion:Progressive muscle relaxation training can improve anxiety and depression in patients with cerebral small vessel disease and can effectively enhance their quality of life.展开更多
A case of progressive supranuclear palsy in a 66-year-old woman is presented.The patient complained of“progressive stiffness of both lower limbs for five years,accompanied by choking and coughing for more than 1 year...A case of progressive supranuclear palsy in a 66-year-old woman is presented.The patient complained of“progressive stiffness of both lower limbs for five years,accompanied by choking and coughing for more than 1 year,”and was diagnosed with paralysis in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),which was characterized by a deficiency of liver and kidney,and phlegm and blood stasis blocking the collaterals.Western medicine diagnosed it as progressive supranuclear palsy.The patient was diagnosed with“Parkinson’s disease”several times in the past and was given“polybasic hydrazide”and“amantadine hydrochloride tablets,”etc.The patient did not have significant symptomatic relief,so she sought further treatment with a combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.Based on the concept of deficiency and excess,this disease is categorized as a paralytic disease in Chinese medicine,and the onset of the disease is closely related to the deficiency of the body after a long period of illness,with wind,phlegm,blood stasis,and deficiency as the main pathogenetic mechanism.The treatment is based on the combination of disease and evidence,with traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture as the main treatments,supplemented by intermediate-frequency pulsed electrical stimulation,transcranial repetitive magnetic stimulation,medicated canisters,wax therapy,traditional Chinese medicine guasha,and acupoint injections.Western medicine is based on symptomatic treatment,and the patient’s symptoms were relieved significantly after the combination of Chinese and Western medicine.展开更多
Objective:To systematically analyze the research status and application of progressive muscle relaxation training(PMRT)in the nursing field in China,and provide a reference basis for scientific research in this field....Objective:To systematically analyze the research status and application of progressive muscle relaxation training(PMRT)in the nursing field in China,and provide a reference basis for scientific research in this field.Methods:The bibliometric method was adopted in“progressive muscle relaxation training”or“PMRT,”and“nursing.”The established database was included in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI)and the Wanfang Medical Network.The relevant articles in the Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database(VIP)were analyzed.Results:A total of 169 literatures were included.The journals,years,and regions of literature publication were uneven,mainly originating from the eastern region(43.19%),and listed the application of progressive muscle relaxation training in the field of nursing in China.Intervention literature information was mainly dominated by experimental studies(97%).Conclusion:The related research and application of progressive muscle relaxation training in nursing in China is increasing,but there is a lack of objective evaluation of outcome indicators and a short intervention period.Further research should be conducted in the future to effectively guide the development of PMRT in the field of nursing in China.展开更多
Gradiently denitrated gun propellant(GDGP)prepared by a“gradient denitration”strategy is obviously superior in progressive burning performance to the traditional deterred gun propellant.Currently,the preparation of ...Gradiently denitrated gun propellant(GDGP)prepared by a“gradient denitration”strategy is obviously superior in progressive burning performance to the traditional deterred gun propellant.Currently,the preparation of GDGP employed a tedious two-step method involving organic solvents,which hinders the large-scale preparation of GDGP.In this paper,GDGP was successfully prepared via a novelty and environmentally friendly one-step method.The obtained samples were characterized by FT-IR,Raman,SEM and XPS.The results showed that the content of nitrate groups gradiently increased from the surface to the core in the surface layer of GDGP and the surface layer of GDGP exhibited a higher compaction than that of raw gun propellant,with a well-preserved nitrocellulose structure.The denitration process enabled the propellant surface with regressive energy density and good progressive burning performance,as confirmed by oxygen bomb and closed bomb test.At the same time,the effects of different solvents on the component loss of propellant were compared.The result showed that water caused the least component loss.Finally,the stability of GDGP was confirmed by methyl-violet test.This work not only provided environmentally friendly,simple and economic preparation of GDGP,but also confirmed the stability of GDGP prepared by this method.展开更多
The analysis of remote sensing image areas is needed for climate detec-tion and management,especially for monitoringflood disasters in critical environ-ments and applications.Satellites are mostly used to detect disast...The analysis of remote sensing image areas is needed for climate detec-tion and management,especially for monitoringflood disasters in critical environ-ments and applications.Satellites are mostly used to detect disasters on Earth,and they have advantages in capturing Earth images.Using the control technique,Earth images can be used to obtain detailed terrain information.Since the acquisi-tion of satellite and aerial imagery,this system has been able to detectfloods,and with increasing convenience,flood detection has become more desirable in the last few years.In this paper,a Big Data Set-based Progressive Image Classification Algorithm(PICA)system is introduced to implement an image processing tech-nique,detect disasters,and determine results with the help of the PICA,which allows disaster analysis to be extracted more effectively.The PICA is essential to overcoming strong shadows,for proper access to disaster characteristics to false positives by operators,and to false predictions that affect the impact of the disas-ter.The PICA creates tailoring and adjustments obtained from satellite images before training and post-disaster aerial image data patches.Two types of proposed PICA systems detect disasters faster and more accurately(95.6%).展开更多
Out-of-plane mechanical properties of the riveted joints restrict the performance of the wing box assembly of airplane.It is necessary to investigate the pull-through performance of the composite/metal riveted joints ...Out-of-plane mechanical properties of the riveted joints restrict the performance of the wing box assembly of airplane.It is necessary to investigate the pull-through performance of the composite/metal riveted joints in order to guide the riveting design and ensure the safety of the wing box assembly.The progressive failure mechanism of composite/aluminum riveted joint subjected to pull-through loading was investigated by experiments and finite element method.A progressive damage model based on the Hashin-type criteria and zero-thickness cohesive zone method was developed by VUMAT subroutine,which was validated by both open-hole tensile test and three-point bending test.Predicted load-displacement response,failure modes and damage propagation were analysed and compared with the results of the pull-through tests.There are 4 obvious characteristic stages on the load-displacement curve of the pull-through test and that of the finite element model:first load take-up stage,damage stage,second load take-up stage and failure stage.Relative error of stiffness,first load peak and second load peak between finite element method and experiments were 8.1%,-3.3%and 10.6%,respectively.It was found that the specimen was mainly broken by rivet-penetration fracture and delamination of plies of the composite laminate.And the material within the scope of the rivet head is more dangerous with more serious tensile damages than other regions,especially for 90°plies.This study proposes a numerical method for damage prediction and reveals the progressive failure mechanism of the hybrid material riveted joints subjected to the pull-through loading.展开更多
A new extended exponential lifetime model called Harris extended-exponential(HEE)distribution for data modelling with increasing and decreasing hazard rate shapes has been considered.In the reliability context,researc...A new extended exponential lifetime model called Harris extended-exponential(HEE)distribution for data modelling with increasing and decreasing hazard rate shapes has been considered.In the reliability context,researchers prefer to use censoring plans to collect data in order to achieve a compromise between total test time and/or test sample size.So,this study considers both maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimates of the Harris extended-exponential distribution parameters and some of its reliability indices using a progressive Type-II censoring strategy.Under the premise of independent gamma priors,the Bayesian estimation is created using the squared-error and general entropy loss functions.Due to the challenging form of the joint posterior distribution,to evaluate the Bayes estimates,samples from the full conditional distributions are generated using Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques.For each unknown parameter,the highest posterior density credible intervals and asymptotic confidence intervals are also determined.Through a simulated study,the usefulness of the various suggested strategies is assessed.The optimal progressive censoring plans are also shown,and various optimality criteria are investigated.Two actual data sets,taken from engineering and veterinary medicine areas,are analyzed to show how the offered point and interval estimators can be used in practice and to verify that the proposed model furnishes a good fit than other lifetimemodels:alpha power exponential,generalized-exponential,Nadarajah-Haghighi,Weibull,Lomax,gamma and exponential distributions.Numerical evaluations revealed that in the presence of progressively Type-II censored data,the Bayes estimation method against the squared-error(symmetric)loss is advised for getting the point and interval estimates of the HEE distribution.展开更多
The oil palm leaf miner, Coelaenomenodera lameensis, is currently the most destructive pest of oil palm in Ghana and other African oil palm growing countries, causing significant losses in fresh fruit bunch yield. Pro...The oil palm leaf miner, Coelaenomenodera lameensis, is currently the most destructive pest of oil palm in Ghana and other African oil palm growing countries, causing significant losses in fresh fruit bunch yield. Progressive pruning is an oil palm pruning method in which pruning is done at the same time as fresh fruit bunch harvesting. This study evaluated the impact of progressive pruning on leaf miner population in oil palm and how these two factors (leaf miner and progressive pruning) affect the yield of oil palm at the Benso Oil Palm Plantation Public listed company (BOPP. Plc). Five distinct blocks in the plantation were selected for observations on fronds at various ranks (33, 25, or 17) based on the degree of defoliation by counting the number of pests on leaflets at different phases of insect development. Fronds from selected plots were sampled in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The size of plots used for the study ranged between 19 to 45 hectares. A minimum of 78 fronds were evenly cut from each block for pest count depending on the block size. Secondary data on annual yields of fresh fruit bunches before and after the introduction of progressive pruning were also obtained from BOPP. Plc records from 2011-2020. The results from the analyzed data on leaf miner index before and after the introduction of progressive pruning showed that progressive pruning has, to a high extent (64% to 36%), reduced leaf miner populations in the plantation. Paired t-test on fresh fruit bunch yield has also revealed a significant (p < 0.001) increase in annual fresh fruit bunch yield due to progressive pruning. A regression analysis, however, revealed a lower rate of yield loss (3.05 to 2.70 tonnes) to leaf miner infestation after the introduction of progressive pruning. The study recommends progressive pruning as a key cultural practice for improving crop yields in leaf miner prone plantations.展开更多
基金financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.52088102,51879249)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant No.202261055)。
文摘The collapse pressure is a key parameter when RTPs are applied in harsh deep-water environments.To investigate the collapse of RTPs,numerical simulations and hydrostatic pressure tests are conducted.For the numerical simulations,the eigenvalue analysis and Riks analysis are combined,in which the Hashin failure criterion and fracture energy stiffness degradation model are used to simulate the progressive failure of composites,and the“infinite”boundary conditions are applied to eliminate the boundary effects.As for the hydrostatic pressure tests,RTP specimens were placed in a hydrostatic chamber after filled with water.It has been observed that the cross-section of the middle part collapses when it reaches the maximum pressure.The collapse pressure obtained from the numerical simulations agrees well with that in the experiment.Meanwhile,the applicability of NASA SP-8007 formula on the collapse pressure prediction was also discussed.It has a relatively greater difference because of the ignorance of the progressive failure of composites.For the parametric study,it is found that RTPs have much higher first-ply-failure pressure when the winding angles are between 50°and 70°.Besides,the effect of debonding and initial ovality,and the contribution of the liner and coating are also discussed.
基金support provided by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council(EP/V012169/1).
文摘Landslides occurring in sensitive clay often result in widespread destruction,posing a significant risk to human lives and property due to the substantial decrease in undrained shear strength during deformation.Assessing the consequences of these landslides is challenging and necessitates robust numerical methods to comprehensively investigate their failure mechanisms.While studies have extensively explored upward progressive landslides in sensitive clays,understanding downward progressive cases remains limited.In this study,we utilised the nodal integration-based particle finite element method(NPFEM)with a nonlinear strain-softening model to analyse downward progressive landslides in sensitive clay on elongated slopes,induced by surcharge loads near the crest.We focused on elucidating the underlying failure mechanisms and evaluating the effects of different soil parameters and strainsoftening characteristics.The simulation results revealed the typical pattern for downward landslides,which typically start with a localised failure in proximity to the surcharge loads,followed by a combination of different types of failure mechanisms,including single flow slides,translational progressive landslides,progressive flow slides,and spread failures.Additionally,inclined shear bands occur within spread failures,often adopting distinctive ploughing patterns characterised by triangular shapes.The sensitive clay thickness at the base,the clay strength gradient,the sensitivity,and the softening rate significantly influence the failure mechanisms and the extent of diffused displacement.Remarkably,some of these effects mirror those observed in upward progressive landslides,underscoring the interconnectedness of these phenomena.This study contributes valuable insights into the complex dynamics of sensitive clay landslides,shedding light on the intricate interplay of factors governing their behaviour and progression.
基金supported by National Key R&D Program of China(No.2022YFC3004705)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52074280,52227901 and 52204249)National Natural Science Foundation of China Youth Fund(No.52104230).
文摘Effective monitoring of the structural health of combined coal-rock under complex geological conditions by pressure stimulated currents(PSCs)has great potential for the understanding of dynamic disasters in underground engineering.To reveal the effect of this way,the uniaxial compression experiments with PSC monitoring were conducted on three types of coal-rock combination samples with different strength combinations.The mechanism explanation of PSCs are investigated by resistivity test,atomic force microscopy(AFM)and computed tomography(CT)methods,and a PSC flow model based on progressive failure process is proposed.The influence of strength combinations on PSCs in the progressive failure process are emphasized.The results show the PSC responses between rock part,coal part and the two components are different,which are affected by multi-scale fracture characteristics and electrical properties.As the rock strength decreases,the progressive failure process changes obviously with the influence range of interface constraint effect decreasing,resulting in the different responses of PSC strength and direction in different parts to fracture behaviors.The PSC flow model is initially validated by the relationship between the accumulated charges of different parts.The results are expected to provide a new reference and method for mining design and roadway quality assessment.
基金financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2022YFB2602800)Science and Technology Projects of Liaoning Province(Grant No.2023011352-JH1/110)。
文摘The Submerged Floating Tunnel(SFT)relies on a tensioned mooring system for precise positioning.The sudden breakage of a single cable can trigger an immediate alteration in the constraint conditions of the tube,inducing a transient heave response within the structure along with a transient increase in cable tension experienced by adjacent cables.In more severe cases,this may even lead to a progressive failure culminating in the global destruction of the SFT.This study used ANSYS/AQWA to establish a numerical model of the entire length SFT for the hydrodynamic response analysis,and conducted a coupled calculation of the dynamic responses of the SFT-mooring line model based on Orca Flex to study the global dynamic responses of the SFT at the moment of cable breakage and the redistribution of cable internal forces.The most unfavorable position for SFT cable breakage was identified,the influence mechanism of cable breakage at different positions on the global dynamic response was revealed,and the progressive chain failure pattern caused by localized cable breakage are also clarified.
基金partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (62372251)。
文摘Pan-sharpening aims to seek high-resolution multispectral(HRMS) images from paired multispectral images of low resolution(LRMS) and panchromatic(PAN) images, the key to which is how to maximally integrate spatial and spectral information from PAN and LRMS images. Following the principle of gradual advance, this paper designs a novel network that contains two main logical functions, i.e., detail enhancement and progressive fusion, to solve the problem. More specifically, the detail enhancement module attempts to produce enhanced MS results with the same spatial sizes as corresponding PAN images, which are of higher quality than directly up-sampling LRMS images.Having a better MS base(enhanced MS) and its PAN, we progressively extract information from the PAN and enhanced MS images, expecting to capture pivotal and complementary information of the two modalities for the purpose of constructing the desired HRMS. Extensive experiments together with ablation studies on widely-used datasets are provided to verify the efficacy of our design, and demonstrate its superiority over other state-of-the-art methods both quantitatively and qualitatively. Our code has been released at https://github.com/JiaYN1/PAPS.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 62075169,Grant 62003247,and Grant 62061160370the Hubei Province Key Research and Development Program under Grant 2021BBA235the Zhuhai Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation under Grant ZH22017003200010PWC.
文摘The rotary motion deblurring is an inevitable procedure when the imaging seeker is mounted in the rotating missiles.Traditional rotary motion deblurring methods suffer from ringing artifacts and noise,especially for large blur extents.To solve the above problems,we propose a progressive rotary motion deblurring framework consisting of a coarse deblurring stage and a refinement stage.In the first stage,we design an adaptive blur extents factor(BE factor)to balance noise suppression and details reconstruction.And a novel deconvolution model is proposed based on BE factor.In the second stage,a triplescale deformable module CNN(TDM-CNN)is designed to reduce the ringing artifacts,which can exploit the 2D information of an image and adaptively adjust spatial sampling locations.To establish a standard evaluation benchmark,a real-world rotary motion blur dataset is proposed and released,which includes rotary blurred images and corresponding ground truth images with different blur angles.Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art models on synthetic and real-world rotary motion blur datasets.The code and dataset are available at https://github.com/JinhuiQin/RotaryDeblurring.
文摘A novel extended Lindley lifetime model that exhibits unimodal or decreasing density shapes as well as increasing,bathtub or unimodal-then-bathtub failure rates, named the Marshall-Olkin-Lindley (MOL) model is studied.In this research, using a progressive Type-II censored, various inferences of the MOL model parameters oflife are introduced. Utilizing the maximum likelihood method as a classical approach, the estimators of themodel parameters and various reliability measures are investigated. Against both symmetric and asymmetric lossfunctions, the Bayesian estimates are obtained using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) technique with theassumption of independent gamma priors. From the Fisher information data and the simulatedMarkovian chains,the approximate asymptotic interval and the highest posterior density interval, respectively, of each unknownparameter are calculated. Via an extensive simulated study, the usefulness of the various suggested strategies isassessedwith respect to some evaluationmetrics such as mean squared errors, mean relative absolute biases, averageconfidence lengths, and coverage percentages. Comparing the Bayesian estimations based on the asymmetric lossfunction to the traditional technique or the symmetric loss function-based Bayesian estimations, the analysisdemonstrates that asymmetric loss function-based Bayesian estimations are preferred. Finally, two data sets,representing vinyl chloride and repairable mechanical equipment items, have been investigated to support theapproaches proposed and show the superiority of the proposed model compared to the other fourteen lifetimemodels.
文摘BACKGROUND At present,the clinical mechanisms underlying precocious puberty remain unclear,making effective intervention for children experiencing this condition and rapidly progressive puberty essential.AIM To explore the effects of Zhibai dihuang pills and gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue(GnRHa)on growth and ovarian function in girls with precocious puberty.METHODS The clinical data of 84 adolescent girls with precocious puberty and rapidly progressive puberty from February 2017 to August 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Girls were divided into a control group and an observation group,with 42 cases in each group.The control group received diet intervention combined with GnRHa treatment,while the observation group received diet intervention combined with Zhibai dihuang pills+GnRHa treatment.Outcomes such as clinical efficacy,growth indicators,ovarian function,and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.RESULTS The observation group showed superior clinical efficacy compared to the control group(P<0.05).Prior to the intervention,no significant differences were found in growth or ovarian function between the groups(P>0.05).Post-intervention,the observation group exhibited significantly lower rates in growth,height,and bone age,along with reduced levels of progesterone,testosterone,estradiol,prolactin,luteinizing hormone,and follicle-stimulating hormone compared to the control group(P<0.05).The incidence of adverse reactions was similar across both groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION Combining Zhibai dihuang pills with GnRHa and dietary intervention effectively improves growth,enhances ovarian function,and minimizes adverse reactions in adolescent girls with precocious and rapidly progressive puberty.
基金This work was supported and funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University(IMSIU)(Grant Number IMSIU-RG23142).
文摘This article introduces a novel variant of the generalized linear exponential(GLE)distribution,known as the sine generalized linear exponential(SGLE)distribution.The SGLE distribution utilizes the sine transformation to enhance its capabilities.The updated distribution is very adaptable and may be efficiently used in the modeling of survival data and dependability issues.The suggested model incorporates a hazard rate function(HRF)that may display a rising,J-shaped,or bathtub form,depending on its unique characteristics.This model includes many well-known lifespan distributions as separate sub-models.The suggested model is accompanied with a range of statistical features.The model parameters are examined using the techniques of maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimation using progressively censored data.In order to evaluate the effectiveness of these techniques,we provide a set of simulated data for testing purposes.The relevance of the newly presented model is shown via two real-world dataset applications,highlighting its superiority over other respected similar models.
基金financially supported by Arak University of Medical Sciences.
文摘Objective:This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of aromatherapy with lavender essential oil compared to progressive muscle relaxation(PMR)on anxiety and vital signs of patients under spinal anesthesia.Materials and Methods:This clinical trial was conducted on 120 spinal anesthesia candidates who were randomly assigned into three groups of 40 including control,PMR(Jacobsen group),and aromatherapy.The state-trait anxiety inventory was completed on surgery day and 15 min after the end of the intervention by the samples of all three groups,and at the same time as completing the questionnaire,vital signs were also measured and recorded.Results:The mean score of anxiety after intervention was lower than that before the intervention in the aromatherapy group(P<0.001).The mean score of anxiety in the aromatherapy group was significantly lower than that in the Jacobsen group(P<0.001).Moreover,data analysis showed a significant decrease in the mean arterial blood pressure scores of the PMR(P=008)and aromatherapy(P<0.001)groups and a statistically significant increase in the mean heart rate scores in the control group(P=0.002).Conclusion:The use of aromatherapy with lavender is more effective than PMR therapy in reducing the anxiety level of patients undergoing spinal anesthesia.Due to the high level of anxiety and its serious effects on the patient’s hemodynamics,aromatherapy with lavender can be used as an easy and cheap method to reduce anxiety in operation rooms.
文摘Mining globally contributes to the growth of many economies of the world. Since its inception, the Zambian mining industry has contributed largely to the country’s economy. The various developments both in technology and knowledge have contributed to the scale at which mining is being done. Challenges in such a setting arise due to the socio-economic and environmental impacts of mining, which create multidimensional problems. The study investigated the importance of engaging stakeholders in progressive rehabilitation programs for large-scale open pit mines, using a case study of the Lumwana Mine and its host community, Manyama. A qualitative approach was used, and data was collected through one-on-one interviews. A combination of convenient and quota sampling was used to engage with host community leaders, professionals and academicians from various fields and institutions. Results showed that most participants had agreed that stakeholder engagement is important for progressive rehabilitation, but the challenge was that the host community and municipal council representatives were not aware of any progressive rehabilitation efforts at Lumwana Mine. This was attributed to a lack of stakeholder engagement and communication of mitigation progress activities by the Lumwana Mine. Results also revealed that the lack of environmental impact assessment regulations to compel companies to involve stakeholders throughout the entire life of the mine other than just at the pre-mining stage led to a lack of compliance and accountability in rehabilitation.
文摘Manhole cover defect recognition is of significant practical importance as it can accurately identify damaged or missing covers, enabling timely replacement and maintenance. Traditional manhole cover detection techniques primarily focus on detecting the presence of covers rather than classifying the types of defects. However, manhole cover defects exhibit small inter-class feature differences and large intra-class feature variations, which makes their recognition challenging. To improve the classification of manhole cover defect types, we propose a Progressive Dual-Branch Feature Fusion Network (PDBFFN). The baseline backbone network adopts a multi-stage hierarchical architecture design using Res-Net50 as the visual feature extractor, from which both local and global information is obtained. Additionally, a Feature Enhancement Module (FEM) and a Fusion Module (FM) are introduced to enhance the network’s ability to learn critical features. Experimental results demonstrate that our model achieves a classification accuracy of 82.6% on a manhole cover defect dataset, outperforming several state-of-the-art fine-grained image classification models.
文摘Objective:To explore the effects of progressive muscle relaxation training on anxiety,depression,and quality of life in patients with cerebral small vessel disease(CSVD).Methods:Sixty-one patients with CSVD in the Department of Neurology of a tertiary hospital were divided into an observation group(28 patients)and a control group(33 patients)by lottery method.The control group received conventional nursing care,while the observation group received progressive muscle relaxation training interventions in addition to the conventional care.The Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA),the Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD),and the Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Scale(SS-QOL)were used to compare the effects before the intervention,7 days after the intervention,and 30 days after the intervention.Results:Over time,at different time points after the intervention,the anxiety and depression scores of patients with CSVD in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).The quality of life scores were significantly higher in the observation group compared to the control group(P<0.05),and these differences were statistically significant.Conclusion:Progressive muscle relaxation training can improve anxiety and depression in patients with cerebral small vessel disease and can effectively enhance their quality of life.
基金Shaanxi Province Traditional Chinese Medicine Young and Middle-Aged Science and Technology Backbone Project(2023-ZQNY-009)。
文摘A case of progressive supranuclear palsy in a 66-year-old woman is presented.The patient complained of“progressive stiffness of both lower limbs for five years,accompanied by choking and coughing for more than 1 year,”and was diagnosed with paralysis in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),which was characterized by a deficiency of liver and kidney,and phlegm and blood stasis blocking the collaterals.Western medicine diagnosed it as progressive supranuclear palsy.The patient was diagnosed with“Parkinson’s disease”several times in the past and was given“polybasic hydrazide”and“amantadine hydrochloride tablets,”etc.The patient did not have significant symptomatic relief,so she sought further treatment with a combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.Based on the concept of deficiency and excess,this disease is categorized as a paralytic disease in Chinese medicine,and the onset of the disease is closely related to the deficiency of the body after a long period of illness,with wind,phlegm,blood stasis,and deficiency as the main pathogenetic mechanism.The treatment is based on the combination of disease and evidence,with traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture as the main treatments,supplemented by intermediate-frequency pulsed electrical stimulation,transcranial repetitive magnetic stimulation,medicated canisters,wax therapy,traditional Chinese medicine guasha,and acupoint injections.Western medicine is based on symptomatic treatment,and the patient’s symptoms were relieved significantly after the combination of Chinese and Western medicine.
文摘Objective:To systematically analyze the research status and application of progressive muscle relaxation training(PMRT)in the nursing field in China,and provide a reference basis for scientific research in this field.Methods:The bibliometric method was adopted in“progressive muscle relaxation training”or“PMRT,”and“nursing.”The established database was included in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI)and the Wanfang Medical Network.The relevant articles in the Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database(VIP)were analyzed.Results:A total of 169 literatures were included.The journals,years,and regions of literature publication were uneven,mainly originating from the eastern region(43.19%),and listed the application of progressive muscle relaxation training in the field of nursing in China.Intervention literature information was mainly dominated by experimental studies(97%).Conclusion:The related research and application of progressive muscle relaxation training in nursing in China is increasing,but there is a lack of objective evaluation of outcome indicators and a short intervention period.Further research should be conducted in the future to effectively guide the development of PMRT in the field of nursing in China.
文摘Gradiently denitrated gun propellant(GDGP)prepared by a“gradient denitration”strategy is obviously superior in progressive burning performance to the traditional deterred gun propellant.Currently,the preparation of GDGP employed a tedious two-step method involving organic solvents,which hinders the large-scale preparation of GDGP.In this paper,GDGP was successfully prepared via a novelty and environmentally friendly one-step method.The obtained samples were characterized by FT-IR,Raman,SEM and XPS.The results showed that the content of nitrate groups gradiently increased from the surface to the core in the surface layer of GDGP and the surface layer of GDGP exhibited a higher compaction than that of raw gun propellant,with a well-preserved nitrocellulose structure.The denitration process enabled the propellant surface with regressive energy density and good progressive burning performance,as confirmed by oxygen bomb and closed bomb test.At the same time,the effects of different solvents on the component loss of propellant were compared.The result showed that water caused the least component loss.Finally,the stability of GDGP was confirmed by methyl-violet test.This work not only provided environmentally friendly,simple and economic preparation of GDGP,but also confirmed the stability of GDGP prepared by this method.
基金funded by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University,Riyadh,Saudi Arabia,under grant No.(PNURSP2022R161).
文摘The analysis of remote sensing image areas is needed for climate detec-tion and management,especially for monitoringflood disasters in critical environ-ments and applications.Satellites are mostly used to detect disasters on Earth,and they have advantages in capturing Earth images.Using the control technique,Earth images can be used to obtain detailed terrain information.Since the acquisi-tion of satellite and aerial imagery,this system has been able to detectfloods,and with increasing convenience,flood detection has become more desirable in the last few years.In this paper,a Big Data Set-based Progressive Image Classification Algorithm(PICA)system is introduced to implement an image processing tech-nique,detect disasters,and determine results with the help of the PICA,which allows disaster analysis to be extracted more effectively.The PICA is essential to overcoming strong shadows,for proper access to disaster characteristics to false positives by operators,and to false predictions that affect the impact of the disas-ter.The PICA creates tailoring and adjustments obtained from satellite images before training and post-disaster aerial image data patches.Two types of proposed PICA systems detect disasters faster and more accurately(95.6%).
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.U21A20165,52205515,52105431)Applied Basic Research Program of Liaoning Province of China(Grant No.2022JH2/101300221)+2 种基金Dalian Science and Technology Innovation Fund of China(Grant No.2022JJ12GX033)National Key Research and Development Project of China(Grant No.2020YFB2009805)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Grant Nos.2020M680937,2020M670734)。
文摘Out-of-plane mechanical properties of the riveted joints restrict the performance of the wing box assembly of airplane.It is necessary to investigate the pull-through performance of the composite/metal riveted joints in order to guide the riveting design and ensure the safety of the wing box assembly.The progressive failure mechanism of composite/aluminum riveted joint subjected to pull-through loading was investigated by experiments and finite element method.A progressive damage model based on the Hashin-type criteria and zero-thickness cohesive zone method was developed by VUMAT subroutine,which was validated by both open-hole tensile test and three-point bending test.Predicted load-displacement response,failure modes and damage propagation were analysed and compared with the results of the pull-through tests.There are 4 obvious characteristic stages on the load-displacement curve of the pull-through test and that of the finite element model:first load take-up stage,damage stage,second load take-up stage and failure stage.Relative error of stiffness,first load peak and second load peak between finite element method and experiments were 8.1%,-3.3%and 10.6%,respectively.It was found that the specimen was mainly broken by rivet-penetration fracture and delamination of plies of the composite laminate.And the material within the scope of the rivet head is more dangerous with more serious tensile damages than other regions,especially for 90°plies.This study proposes a numerical method for damage prediction and reveals the progressive failure mechanism of the hybrid material riveted joints subjected to the pull-through loading.
基金This research was funded by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project Number(PNURSP2023R175),Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University,Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.
文摘A new extended exponential lifetime model called Harris extended-exponential(HEE)distribution for data modelling with increasing and decreasing hazard rate shapes has been considered.In the reliability context,researchers prefer to use censoring plans to collect data in order to achieve a compromise between total test time and/or test sample size.So,this study considers both maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimates of the Harris extended-exponential distribution parameters and some of its reliability indices using a progressive Type-II censoring strategy.Under the premise of independent gamma priors,the Bayesian estimation is created using the squared-error and general entropy loss functions.Due to the challenging form of the joint posterior distribution,to evaluate the Bayes estimates,samples from the full conditional distributions are generated using Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques.For each unknown parameter,the highest posterior density credible intervals and asymptotic confidence intervals are also determined.Through a simulated study,the usefulness of the various suggested strategies is assessed.The optimal progressive censoring plans are also shown,and various optimality criteria are investigated.Two actual data sets,taken from engineering and veterinary medicine areas,are analyzed to show how the offered point and interval estimators can be used in practice and to verify that the proposed model furnishes a good fit than other lifetimemodels:alpha power exponential,generalized-exponential,Nadarajah-Haghighi,Weibull,Lomax,gamma and exponential distributions.Numerical evaluations revealed that in the presence of progressively Type-II censored data,the Bayes estimation method against the squared-error(symmetric)loss is advised for getting the point and interval estimates of the HEE distribution.
文摘The oil palm leaf miner, Coelaenomenodera lameensis, is currently the most destructive pest of oil palm in Ghana and other African oil palm growing countries, causing significant losses in fresh fruit bunch yield. Progressive pruning is an oil palm pruning method in which pruning is done at the same time as fresh fruit bunch harvesting. This study evaluated the impact of progressive pruning on leaf miner population in oil palm and how these two factors (leaf miner and progressive pruning) affect the yield of oil palm at the Benso Oil Palm Plantation Public listed company (BOPP. Plc). Five distinct blocks in the plantation were selected for observations on fronds at various ranks (33, 25, or 17) based on the degree of defoliation by counting the number of pests on leaflets at different phases of insect development. Fronds from selected plots were sampled in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The size of plots used for the study ranged between 19 to 45 hectares. A minimum of 78 fronds were evenly cut from each block for pest count depending on the block size. Secondary data on annual yields of fresh fruit bunches before and after the introduction of progressive pruning were also obtained from BOPP. Plc records from 2011-2020. The results from the analyzed data on leaf miner index before and after the introduction of progressive pruning showed that progressive pruning has, to a high extent (64% to 36%), reduced leaf miner populations in the plantation. Paired t-test on fresh fruit bunch yield has also revealed a significant (p < 0.001) increase in annual fresh fruit bunch yield due to progressive pruning. A regression analysis, however, revealed a lower rate of yield loss (3.05 to 2.70 tonnes) to leaf miner infestation after the introduction of progressive pruning. The study recommends progressive pruning as a key cultural practice for improving crop yields in leaf miner prone plantations.
