Pheromones and Chemical Communication in Insects

Chemical communication is an essential item for insects’ survivals that qualify them to adapt their behavior depending on the surrounding environment. Semiochemicals defined as informative molecules (M) mainly play an important role that conveys specific chemical messages between insect and insect and plant and insect. Olfaction mechanism in insects is a key point of chemical communication between the same and different insect species. Discrimination of various odors through the olfaction system depends only on the evolutionary pressures of the molecules which stimulate the development of specific binding proteins (BPs) and specific receptor sites present on individual chemosensory neurons. Pheromones are defined as species-specific chemical signals which enable communication between life-forms of the same species. Recently, semiochemicals become as alternative or complementary components to insecticide approaches in integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Pheromones are secreted by insects causing a specific reaction, for example, either a definite behavior or a developmental process. Pheromones have been classified into eight various types: aggregation pheromones, alarm pheromones, oviposition-deterrent pheromones, home recognition pheromones, sex pheromones, trail pheromones, recruitment pheromones, and royal pheromones. Pheromones are promising and can be used singly or in integration with other control strategies for monitoring and controlling insect pests in agricultural systems

Parallel distribution compensation PID based on Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model applied on egyptian load frequency control

This paper presents a new technique for a Takagi-Sugeno (TS) fuzzy parallels distribution compensation-PID'S (TSF-PDC-PID'S) to improve the performance of Egyptian load frequency control (ELFC). In this technique, the inputs to a TS Fuzzy model are the parameters of the change of operating points. The TS Fuzzy model can definite the suitable PID control for a certain operating point. The parameters of PID'S controllers are obtained by ant colony optimization (ACO) technique in each operating point based on an effective cost function. The system controlled by the proposed TSF-PDC-PID’S is investigated under different types of disturbances, uncertainty and parameters variations. The simulation results ensure that the TSF-PDC-PID'S can update the suitable PID controller at several operating points so, it has a good dynamic response under many types of disturbances compared to fixed Optimal PID controller

COVID-19 Prediction Using LSTM Algorithm: GCC case study

Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) is the black swan of 2020. Still, the human response to restrain the virus is also creating massive ripples through different systems, such as health, economy, education, and tourism. This paper focuses on research and applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms to predict COVID-19 propagation using the available time-series data and study the effect of the quality of life, the number of tests performed, and the awareness of citizens on the virus in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries at the Gulf area. So we focused on cases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), United Arab of Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar. For this aim, we accessed the time-series real-datasets collected from Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering (JHU CSSE). The timeline of our data is from January 22, 2020 to January 25, 2021. We have implemented the proposed model based on Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) with ten hidden units (neurons) to predict COVID-19 confirmed and death cases. From the experimental results, we confirmed that KSA and Qatar would take the most extended period to recover from the COVID-19 virus, and the situation will be controllable in the second half of March 2021 in UAE, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain. Also, we calculated the root mean square error (RMSE) between the actual and predicted values of each country for confirmed and death cases, and we found that the best values for both confirmed and death cases are 320.79 and 1.84, respectively, and both are related to Bahrain. While the worst values are 1768.35 and 21.78, respectively, and both are related to KSA. On the other hand, we also calculated the mean absolute relative errors (MARE) between the actual and predicted values of each country for confirmed and death cases, and we found that the best values for both confirmed and deaths cases are 37.76 and 0.30, and these are related to Kuwait and Qatar respectively. While the worst values are 71.45 and 1.33, respectively, and both are related to KSA

Irrigation and drainage in the new millennium

Presented at the 2000 USCID international conference, Challenges facing irrigation and drainage in the new millennium on June 20-24 in Fort Collins, Colorado.Includes bibliographical references.A field study was conducted at Mashtul Pilot Area MPA (260 feddans' 1 feddan = 4200 m2) situated at north Zagazig to evaluate the performance of the long term constructed subsurface drainage system. The evaluation of grades, alignment and clogging of drain lines can give an indication of the system performance and efficiency. Three drainage units served by the same collector were selected. Four 30 m interval PVC lateral pipes were installed at different depths. The results revealed that, the collector drain slopes were either steep or flat while the overall slope of the collector drain was considered steep for about 45.50% of the sections and flat for the rest. On the other hand, some sections showed an inverse slope which can cause a decrease in the discharge rate. The regularity was classified as good for about 82% of the sections and moderate for the rest. The slope of the lateral drains was correct for 41.7% of those under study (12 lateral drains), steep for 16.60%, and flat for the rest, and the regularity was classified as poor except lateral number 71 which had moderate regularity in the first approach while, in the second approach 41.67% had moderate regularity and poor for the rest. Also the deviation of the drain pipes from the straight line was generally larger than pipe diameter. Consequently, air entrapment and sedimentation resulted. The results also indicated that, the average height of sedimentation inside lateral drains was 12.70 mm (618.30 gm/m drain length) while for collector drains, sediment was in 22.88% of pipe diameter. The average reduction in discharge capacity due to sedimentation for laterals and collectors upstream and downstream parts were 17.17%, 32.80% and 17.60% respectively. Also using Manning, Visser and Wesseling equations leads to different safety factors

Studies on Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection in Hatcheries and Chicken

ΔΕΝ ΔΙΑΤΙΘΕΤΑΙ ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗThe aim of this work was to spot light on the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) strains in hatcheries and dead in shell embryos. A total of 406 samples representing 200 and 206 swabs from hatcheries environment and yolk sacs of dead in shell embryos were collected from Damietta governorate, Egypt. P. aeruginosa was isolated and identified. Some virulent genes (toxA, psIA and fliC) of P. aeruginosa were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The antimicrobial susceptibility of P. aeruginosa was tested in vitro. Day and 11 days old broiler chicks were challenged with P. aeruginosa to determine the pathogenicity of the isolated strains. The results showed that P. aeruginosa was recovered from 16 (8%) out of 200 hatcheries and from 17 (8.25%) out of 206 chicken embryos samples. Isolated strains of P. aeruginosa showed presence of toxA, psIA and fliC virulent genes. P. aeruginosa strains were sensitive (100%) to ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and gentamycin but resistant (100%) to amoxycillin/clavulanic acid, doxycycline and erythromycin. The pathogenicity test of day and 11 days old chicks revealed that P. aeruginosa was highly pathogenic induced mortality rates of 72 and 40%, respectively. Septicaemia of internal organs, unabsorbed yolk sacs, pneumonia, greenish exudates in the abdominal cavity, liver necrosis and enteritis were the predominant lesions. Histopathological changes supported the previous lesions. In conclusion, P. aeruginosa is of great importance pathogen of embryos and newly hatched chicks based on presence of virulent genes as well as in vivo pathogenicity study; respectively

FARMERS’ BEHAVIORAL INTENTIONS TO USE MOBILE EXTENSION IN ASSIUT GOVERNORATE

Sixteen flax genotypes {13 promising lines This study aimed at: (1) knowing about farmers’ views about advantages, disadvantages of mobile extension service and their suggestions to make this prospective initiative succeed; (2) discovering farmers’ behavioral intentions to use mobile extension service in Assiut governorate; (3) determining the kind of information that farmers will need by using mobile extension service; (4) examining the effect of the six antecedents proposed by Nysveen et al(2005a) on farmers’ behavioral intentions to use mobile extension service. Data were collected by questionnaire from 233 farmers randomly selected from two villages in Assiut governorate. The results showed the advantages, disadvantages of mobile extension service from the viewpoint of the respondents and their suggestions to make this prospective initiative succeed. It came out that the respondents have positive intentions to use mobile extension, and their prospective behavior proceeds to use mobile extension service if it comes into existence. It cleared up that the information needs of farmers by using mobile extension were related to market information (prices, and demand indicators) and know-how information (what to plant and which seed varieties to use). It became clear that the model of Nysveen et al (2005a) was overall significant and the six antecedents of behavioral intentions significantly explains 71% of variance in farmers’ behavioral intentions to use mobile extension service. Finally, based on the results of this study, major recommendations are derived for the potential producers when developing the prospective mobile extension servic

Relative Rate Observer Self-Tuning of Fuzzy PID Virtual Inertia Control for An Islanded microgrid

Expanding the usage of renewable energy in islanded microgrids leads to a reduction in its total inertia. Low inertia microgrids have difficulties in voltage and frequency control. That affected saving its stability and preventing a blackout. To improve low inertia islanded microgrids\u27 dynamic response and save their stability, this paper presented relative rate observer self-tuning fuzzy PID (RROSTF-PID) based on virtual inertia control (VIC) for an islanded microgrid with a high renewable energy sources (RESs) contribution. RROSTF-PID based on VIC\u27s success in showing remarkable improvement in the microgrid\u27s dynamic response and enhancement of its stability. Moreover, it handles different contingency conditions successfully by giving the desired frequency support. Ant colony optimization (ACO) technique is used to find the optimal values of the RROSTF-PID based on VIC parameters. Furthermore, using MATLAB TM/Simulink, RROSTF-PID based on VIC response is compared to Optimal Fuzzy PID (OF-PID) based VIC, Fuzzy PID (F-PID) based VIC, PID-based VIC, conventional VIC responses, and the microgrid without VIC response under different operation conditions

Exp-function Method for Wick-type Stochastic Combined KdV-mKdV Equations

Exp-function method is proposed to present soliton and periodic wave solutions for variable coefficients combined KdV- mKdV equation. By means of Hermite transform and white noise analysis, we consider the variable coefficients and Wick-type stochastic combined KdV-mKdV equations. As a result, we can construct new and more general formal solutions. These solutions include exact stochastic soliton and periodic wave solutions.Keywords: combined KdV-mKdV equation, Exp-function method, Wick product, Hermite transform, White noise