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Four parental genotypes of okra were crossed in complete diallel design to study the direction and extent of relative heterosis and heterobeltiosis for yield and its associated traits for utilization of existing genetic diversity to develop heterotic F 1 hybrids in okra. The additive genetic component (D) was significant in all studied traits except average pod weight. Nonadditive ( H 1 and H 2 ) components were found to be significant in all studied traits. However, the values of the dominant effect ( H 1 ) were smaller than the D components for no. of nodes/plant, no. of pods/plant, weight of medium pods, weight of large pods, and total fresh pod yield. The maximum significant MP heterosis in the desirable direction (149.9%) was recorded for the weight of large pods/plot. The maximum significant heterobeltiosis in the desirable direction (120.1%) was recorded for the weight of small pods/plot followed by total fresh pod yield (107.4%), the weight of large pods/plot (104.9%), weight of medium pods/plot (92.1%), average pod weight (51.8%), number of pods/plant (38.4%), and plant height (34.3%). It could be concluded that plant height, average pod weight, and the number of branches could be considered for the development of elite hybrids (heterosis breeding) or inbred lines (pure line selection) in succeeding generations. Therefore, these parameters can be considered for selecting genotypes to improve the pod yield of okra. The superior crosses identified through heterosis analysis were Egyptian Balady × Line 4.1.18 (30.8 ton/ha), Line 4.1.18 × Egyptian Balady (29.8 ton/ha), Dwarf Green Long Pod × Line 4.1.18 (28.3 ton/ha), and Egyptian Balady × Dwarf Green Long Pod (27.6 ton/ha) as these crosses had high performance as well as significant and higher estimates of heterobeltiosis for fruit yield per plant and yield attributing other characters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, an experiment was carried out on the postharvest of cucumber fruit during a 14-day shelf life. The aim was to assess the impact of calcium nanoparticles (CaNPs) blended with different concentrations of salicylic acid (SA) on the shelf life of cucumbers during the seasons of 2018 and 2019. The investigation further monitored the influences of CaNPs-SA on some physical properties of cucumber, including the percentage weight loss, color, and fruit firmness. In addition, chemical properties, such as total soluble solids (SSC%), total acidity (TA%), total soluble sugars, and chlorophyll pigmentation of the fruit skin, were assessed during a 14-day shelf lifeCell wall degradation enzymes (CWEAs) such as polygalacturonase (PG), cel-lulase (CEL), xylanase (XYL), and pectinase (PT) were also researched. In addition, the generation rates of H2O2 and O2•− were calculated, as well as the reduction of DPPH. The lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde, MDA) and cell membrane permeability (IL%) of cell wall composites were also determined. CaNPs-SA at 2 mM suppressed CWEAs, preserved fruit quality, reduced weight loss throughout the shelf-life period, and reduced the percent leakage value. At this concentration, we also found the lowest levels of MDA and the highest levels of DPPH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the efficacy, cosmetic results, and safety of transconjunctival tucking of the levator aponeurosis for correction of simple congenital ptosis. Patients and methods This was a prospective interventional noncomparative case-series study. This study was carried out at the Ophthalmology Department of Minia University Hospital. Thirty eyelids of 24 patients with simple congenital ptosis with fair to good levator muscle function (_5mm lid elevation) were subjected to transconjunctival tucking of levator aponeurosis. All patients were subjected to an assessment of history and a full ophthalmological examination. The degree of ptosis was evaluated using marginal reflex distance 1. Levator muscle function was evaluated while fixing the eyebrow. Preoperative and postoperative digital photographs were used for documentation. Results Anatomical success was achieved in 26 (86.7%) eyelids. Undercorrection was present in four (13.3%) eyelids. No case of overcorrection was encountered. Undercorrection was associated with more severe ptosis and less levator muscle function. Good cosmetic outcomes were obtained in the majority of cases. Apart from undercorrection, no significant postoperative complications occurred during the study. Conclusion Levator aponeurosis tucking using the posterior transconjunctival approach is safe and effective for correcting simple congenital blepharoptosis, with good cosmetic outcomes. This technique is especially useful for mild and moderate cases of congenital ptosis associated with fair to good levator muscle function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Fifteen pure molecular chemicals were used to transfer near-IR partial least squares (PLS) models of jet fuel properties between two dispersive near-IR instruments by a novel calibration transfer, standardization, method. PLS was applied to establish models for quantitative analysis of jet fuels properties. The modeled jet fuel properties include: API gravity; %aromatics; cetane index; density; distillation temperatures for 10%, 20%, 50% and 90% recovered volume; flashpoint; freeze point, %hydrogen content; %saturates; and viscosity. The transfer of the PLS models requires that spectra of only 15 pure chemicals be acquired on the primary and secondary instruments. The spectra of the chemicals are then segmented into distinct spectral regions which are subsequently used to digitally construct spectra of virtual standards which mimic jet fuel spectra in the training set. The resulting virtual standards for the primary and secondary instruments are then predicted using the PLS models, and the prediction values are regressed to provide a simple but effective slope and bias correction for transfer. SVSSB calibration transfer of 7 jet fuels properties shows better performance than PDS, for example, in the case of cetane index Root Mean Square Error of Prediction (RMSEPc) of SVSSB and PDS corrected secondary instrument relative to primary instrument prediction are 0.19 and 0.27 respectively. SVSSB and PDS show comparable performance of the other 6 jet fuel properties. For example, RMSEPc of SVSSB and PDS corrected secondary of % hydrogen content of secondary instrument relative to the primary instrument prediction are 0.015 and 0.014 respectively. The Segmented Virtual Standards Slope and Bias Method (SVSSB) performs as well as using real jet fuel standards to generate a slope and bias correction, and also as well as conventional Piecewise Direct Standardization (PDS), while eliminating the need to maintain either the complex fuel standards or the primary instrument. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We present a method for characterizing human activities using 3D deformable shape models. The motion trajectories of points extracted fromobjects involved in the activity are used to buildmodels for each activity, and thesemodels are used for classification and detection of unusual activities. The deformable models are learnt using the factorization theorem for nonrigid 3D models. We present a theory for characterizing the degree of deformation in the 3D models from a sequence of tracked observations. This degree, termed as deformation index (DI), is used as an input to the 3D model estimation process. We study the special case of ground plane activities in detail because of its importance in video surveillance applications. We present results of our activity modeling approach using videos of both high-resolution single individual activities and ground plane surveillance activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic variability and relationships between ten bottle gourd cultivars were evaluated based on morphological, biochemical, and molecular parameters. The results displayed high variability among selected cultivars in terms of photosynthetic pigments, total free amino acids, total phenol content, isozymes pattern, and protein electrophoresis. Furthermore, di4erences in molecular markers were revealed by the SCoT technique. The peroxidase (POD) and polyphenyl oxidase (PPO) isozymes patterns did not detect signi

A heterogeneous network (HetNet), combining different technologies, is considered a promising solution adopted by several upcoming generations of mobile networks to keep up with the rapid development of mobile users' requirements while improving network performance. In this scenario, a vertical handover (VHO) algorithm is responsible for ensuring the continuity of the ongoing user connection while moving within the coverage of the HetNet. Although various VHO algorithms were proposed, achieving efficient performance from both network and user perspectives remains challenging. This paper proposes an adaptive optimized vertical handover algorithm based on a multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) algorithm integrated with particle swarm optimization and gravitational search algorithm (PSOGSA) as a framework to implement the handover process. The algorithm includes three main ideas. Firstly, a network selection framework is proposed considering the most important criteria, including signal strength and other networks' attributes, along with users' characteristics regarding their mobility and service preferences. Secondly, two new parameters are introduced as control handover parameters named load factor (LF) and score priority (SP) to reduce unnecessary handovers and the overall HetNet power consumption while achieving balanced load distribution. Lastly, the desired aims are formulated as an objective function, then the PSOGSA algorithm is used to reach the optimal values of both LF and SP, which will be considered when executing the handover algorithm. The presented algorithm is simulated in a heterogeneous wireless network where the fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology coexists with other radio access networks to improve the evaluation field of the proposed algorithm. Also, the proposed algorithm's performance is evaluated in the case of using various MADM algorithms. The simulation results show that the proposed adaptive optimized approach attains efficient performance by decreasing unnecessary handovers by more than 40% and achieving much better load distribution by around 20% to 40%, outperforming traditional handover approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental monitoring of delicate ecosystems or pristine sites is critical to their preservation. The communication infrastructure for such monitoring should have as little impact on the natural ecosystem as possible. Because of their wide range capabilities and independence from heavy infrastructure, low-power wide area network protocols have recently been used in remote monitoring. In this regard, we propose a mobile vehicle-mounted gateway architecture for IoT data collection in communication-network-free areas. The limits of reliable communication are investigated in terms of gateway speed, throughput, and energy consumption. We investigate the performance of various gateway arrival scenarios, focusing on the trade-off between freshness of data, data collection rate, and end-node power consumption. Then we validate our findings using both real-world experiments and simulations. In addition, we present a case study exploiting the proposed architecture to provide coverage for Wadi El-Gemal national park in Egypt. The results show that reliable communication is achieved over all spreading factors (SFs) for gateway speeds up to 150 km/h with negligible performance degradation at SFs = 11 , 12 at speeds more than 100 km/h. The synchronized transmission model ensures the best performance in terms of throughput and power consumption at the expense of the freshness of data. Nonsynchronized transmission allows time-flexible data collection at the expense of increased power consumption. The same throughput as semisynchronized transmission is achieved using four gateways at only five times the energy consumption, while a single gateway requires seventeen times the amount of energy. Furthermore, increasing the number of gateways to ten increases the throughput to the level achieved by the synchronized scenario while consuming eight times the energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keratoconus is a progressive noninflammatory ectatic disease of the cornea with onset at puberty in most cases. Both genetic and nongenetic or environmental factors have been implicated. Keratoconus has been associated with numerous genetic systemic disorders. many keratoconus-associated syndromes have a high incidence of eczema and atopy, such as Down syndrome, hyper-IgE syndrome, ichthyosis, and oculodentodigital syndrome, Turner syndrome (conjunctival lymphangiectasia), autographism and Mulvihill-Smith syndrome. In each of these syndromes associated with atopy and eczema, associations are known to include both keratoconus and eye rubbing. Keratocyte density, possibly from IL-1-induced apoptosis, is reduced in keratoconus and can be demonstrated as well with eye rubbing and with contact lens wear. A recently developed treatment for keratoconus is corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL). In CXL, stromal fibers are photopolymerized by the combined action of a photosensitizing substance (riboflavin or vitamin B2) and ultraviolet rays A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peaches are grown in many Egyptian orchards for local and global fresh market sales. The interior fruit tissue breakdown (IFTB), often resulting in decayed peaches, is a severe problem during marketing. Therefore, to minimize FTB of peaches, in this study, gum arabic (GA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were mixed with different concentrations of salicylic acid (SA) (0, 1, and 2 mM) and were applied as edible coating to extend the shelf life of peach fruits. Mature peaches were selected and harvested when peaches reached total soluble solid content (SSC: 8.5%) and fruit firmness of about 47 N. Fruits were coated and stored at room temperature (26 ± 1 °C and air humidity 51 ± 1%) for 10 days during two seasons: 2020 and 2021. Fruit coated with GA/PVP-SA 2 mM showed a significant (p < 0.05) inhibition in degrading enzyme activities (CWDEs), such as lipoxygenase (LOX), cellulase (CEL), and pectinase (PT), compared to uncoated and coated fruits during the shelf-life period. Hence, cell wall compartments were maintained. Consequently, there was a reduction in browning symptoms in fruits by inhibiting polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activities. Thus, the fruit skin browning index showed almost no symptoms. The lipid peroxidation process and ionic permeability declined as well. The result suggests that, by applying GA/PVP-SA 2 mM as an edible coating, fruit tissue breakdown can be minimized, and the shelf life of peach can be extended up to 10 days without symptoms of tissue breakdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice is one of the most important crops in Egypt. Due to the gap between the demand and the availability of the local edible oils, there is need to raise the nutritional value of rice and, therefore, to improve the nutritional value of the consumer. This research was carried out at the Experimental Farm of Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Sakha, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt, during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Five newly developed genotypes of rice, namely NRL 63, NRL 64, NRL 65, NRL 66, and Giza 178 as check variety (control), were used to evaluate the analytical characterization of raw rice bran and rice bran oil from rice bran, study the genetic variability and genetic advance for various quantitative and qualitative traits in rice as well as, rice bran oil. The genotypes were evaluated in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant variations among the genotypes for all the studied characters. Data revealed that high estimates of the phenotypic coefficient of variance (PCV%) and genotypic coefficient of variance (GCV%) were observed for amylose content percentage, peroxide value (meq/kg oil), myristic C14:0, and arachidic C20:0, indicating that they all interacted with the environment to some extent. The line NRL66 and NRL64 showed the highest and high values of mean performance for grain yield (t/h), grain type (shape), amylose content percentage, crude protein, ether extract and ash of milled rice, crude protein, ether extract, ash, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and iron of stabilized rice bran oil. Genetic advance as a percentage of mean was high for most of the studied traits. It indicates that most likely, the heritability is due to additive gene effects, and selection may be effective. The percentage of advantage over the Giza 178 as the commercial variety was significant and highly significant among the genotypes for all the characters studied in the two years, indicating that the selection is effective in the genetic improvements for these traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out using 22 promising restorer lines of rice and their parental lines to study genetic variability and genetic advance for yield and yield-associated grain quality traits and floral traits. These genotypes are evaluated in a replicated trial using Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications at the Experimental Farm of Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Sakha, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt, during the seasons from 2012 to 2020. Analysis of variance revealed that highly significant variations were observed among the genotypes for all the studied characters. Both GCV% and PCV% were high for the number of spikelets per panicle, the number of filled grains per panicle, and panicle weight. The genetic advance in the percentage of mean was high for days to plant height, panicle length, number of spikelets per panicle, number of filled grains per panicle, panicle weight, grain yield per plant, anther length, anther breadth, duration of floret opening, and head rice percentage. Mean performance of the rice genotypes indicated that the genotypes NRL 59, NRL 55, NRL 62, NRL 63, NRL 66, and NRL 54-2 were promising for grain yield and associated desirable traits. Thus, some of these promising lines can be promoted as a new rice variety and could be used as a source for developing new hybrid combinations in hybrid rice breeding programs. The percentage of advantage over better parent and Giza 178 as the commercial variety was significant and there were highly significant desirable values among the genotypes for all the studied traits in the two years, indicating that the selection is effective in the genetic improvements for these traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. One of the most difficult refractory glaucomas is the neovascular type (NVG), and its association with dense cataract adds to this difficulty. This study aimed to provide results of the triple surgical procedure for such conditions. Methods. 12 eyes of 12 patients with NVG and dense cataract were included in this case series study. The mean age of patients was 57.25 ± 5.9 years. The mean preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) was 47.25 ± 4.04 mmHg with maximum antiglaucoma therapy. The mean best corrected distant visual acuity (BCDVA) in LogMAR was 2.13 ± 0.38. All patients received intravitreal injection of 1.25 mg (0.05 ml) bevacizumab followed by phacoemulsification, pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) including panretinal photocoagulation (PRP), and trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC). Mean IOP and BCDVA changes were the main outcome results of this study. Results. The follow-up period was 2 years. The mean BCDVA was improved to 1.22 ± 0.35, 1.13 ± 0.34, 1.12 ± 0.37, 1.06 ± 0.38, and 1.01 ± 0.37 at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively, after this procedure. This improvement was statistically significant when compared with preoperative BCDVA (P < 0.0001). The mean postoperative IOP was dropped to 20.08 ± 4.1, 17.08 ± 2.1, 17.17 ± 5, 15.75 ± 4.7, and 16.17 ± 6.1 mmHg, respectively. At the last follow-up, the mean IOP was statistically significantly lower than preoperative IOP (P < 0.0001) at the previously mentioned time points. The success rate was complete in 90.9% of eyes and qualified in 100% of eyes. Iris and angle neovascularization had regressed significantly in all patients, and no serious complications occurred during the follow-up period. Conclusions. This triple surgery can safely improve patients with NVG and dense cataract regarding BCDVA and IOP control. This trial is registered with NCT04143620. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]