The present work was initiated to study genetic differences by fingerprint technics and determine biological traits for the three Trichogramma populations inhabiting different Egyptian agroecosystems, including Abo Qurqas, Minia Governorate (Trichogramma M), Kharga, New Valley Government (Trichogramma NV), and Armant, Luxor Governorate (Trichogramma Lux). Molecular techniques, RAPD, and ISSR markers were used to distinguish the three Trichogramma populations. Results indicated that the three Trichogramma populations were separated into two clusters with individual RAPD and ISSR markers. Cluster I included TM and TLux groups, while Cluster II included only the TNV group. Biological studies included the effect of five host Sitotroga cerealella (SC) densities on three egg parasitoids, TM, TNV, and TLux populations. Biological criteria include percentages of parasitism, successive parasitized eggs, adult emerged from parasitized eggs, and female emerged parasitoids. Results indicated that the maximum female emerged parasitoids% was 56.12 ±15.27 in the TM group (F value= 4.49**). However, the minimum female emerged parasitoids% was 28.02 ±3.98 in the TLux group.
So, the present study highlights the need to integrate morphogenetic and biological descriptions for rapid and accurate identification of Trichogramma species within diverse Egyptian agroecosystems, thereby promoting effective and sustainable pest control.
Spiders are a significant predatory group across many agricultural crop systems. In Egypt, pomegranate is one of the most considerable fruit crops. Unfortunately, pomegranate fruits are attacked by a range of insect pests. These pests reduce the quality and marketing of pomegranate fruits. So, the present study focuses on identifying true spiders inhabiting economically important pomegranate orchards at Assiut.The pitfall trap method was conducted for a survey of two years (during the 2020 and 2021 growing seasons) to determine the composition and abundance of spiders' species in pomegranate plants in the experimental farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, 31° 11' 21.4188'' E; “27° 10' 48.4824'' N”. The canonical corresponded analysis (CCA) is unimodal method to analyze the spiders' species community composition response to ecological factors. In total, 12 spider genera were identified from 11 families. Hogna ferox was the most dominant species which represented the highest number during the whole study period. The results of CCA in both growing seasons revealed that spiders' species community composition was mainly related to relative humidity, while wind velocity (W.V.MIN) had the slightest effect on the collected species.So, the main objective of this study is to discuss the functional response of environmental factors to the abundance of spiders' species as well as their effective role in integrated pest management (IPM) programs and achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) particularly biodiversity goal for pomegranate orchards.
The Mediterranean widow spider, or "Dolmak," Latrodectus tredecimguttatus (Rossi, 1790), family Theridiidae, is one of the medically significant spiders. Also, it is listed as a dangerous animal due to its extensive geographic range and its deadly or seriously problematic toxic bites. A holistic understanding of L. tredecimguttatus requires combining knowledge derived from both morphological and molecular investigations. Thus, this study aimed to offer researchers a framework for investigating these essential species and to educate farms and visitors about the importance of avoiding any behaviour that could antagonize the spiders. For this study, specimens of L. tredecimguttatus were manually collected randomly from some olive orchards between September 2023 and August 2024 at Sadat City, Menoufia Governorate, Egypt. The morphological parameters utilized for identification were the total body length, carapace width, abdomen length, and (1st,3rd, and 4th legs) length. Results indicated that the total length of females ranged from 8.92 to 10.15mm. The female dorsal pattern if present; consists of several orange spots (usually in young females). Adult females lack the dorsal pattern and ventral hourglass reduced to two transverse oranges to red Markings. The results of the mitochondrial CO1 gene confirm that our tested species identified as Latrodectus tredecimguttatus under the accession number (PQ358290.1) in GenBank for the first time in Menoufia Governorate, Egypt. So, the identification of a female Black Widow according to morphological and molecular genetic methods is of great importance.
Gehad N. Aboulnasr *1; Sara E. Mousa2, and Mervat A. B. Mahmoud3
Improving the pseudocapacitance performance of layered double hydroxides (LDH) based catalysts is critical for enhancing energy density in electrochemical storage applications, such as supercapacitance and batteries. This study examines the effect of decoration with Ni, Co, and NiCo nanocomposites (NCs) on the pseudocapacitance performance of NiCo LDH nanoflowers. The NiCo LDH nanoflowers are electrodeposited using the cyclic voltammetry technique, while metal decoration is performed using the cathodic chronoamperometry technique. A clear dependence on the decorated transition metal type is observed in the surface morphology, chemical bonding states, and corresponding pseudocapacitance performance. The decoration of NiCo LDH nanoflowers with excess transition metals of the same kind, Ni and Co, strongly enhances electron coupling and charge transfer kinetics. The hybrid NiCo@NiCo LDH nanoflowers exhibit better pseudocapacitance performance than those decorated with only Ni or Co. The hybrid NiCo@NiCo LDH nanoflowers demonstrate the highest specific capacitance (Csp) of 2110 mF∙cm–2 (211 mA∙cm–2) at 1 mA∙cm–2 and retain 86 % of their Csp at 10 mA∙cm–2. The assembled asymmetric supercapacitor of NiCo@NiCo LDH || activated carbon reveals high energy density (E) of 145.1 μWh∙cm–2 at a powder density (P) of 5.12 mW∙cm–2, keeping a high E of 75 μWh∙cm–2 at a higher P of 51.92 mW∙cm–2.
Understanding irradiation-induced strain in silicon carbide (SiC) is essential for designing radiation-tolerant ceramic materials. However, conventional methods often fail to resolve nanoscale strain gradients, especially in polycrystalline forms. In this study, we employ nano-beam precession electron diffraction (N-PED) to perform high-resolution, multi-directional strain mapping in both single-crystal 4H-SiC and polycrystalline α-SiC subjected to helium and hydrogen ion irradiation. The high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HR-XRD) simulations of He + H irradiated single-crystal 4H-SiC closely match the strain profiles obtained from N-PED, demonstrating the reliability and accuracy of the N-PED method. In He-irradiated polycrystalline α-SiC at high temperatures, a bubble-depleted zone (BDZ) near the grain boundary (GB) reveals that GBs act as active sinks for irradiation-induced defects. N-PED further shows strain amplification localized at the GBs, reaching up to ∼2.5 %, along with strain relief within the BDZ. To explain this behavior, density functional theory (DFT) calculations of binding and migration energies indicate a strong tendency for Si, C, and He atoms to segregate toward the GB core. This segregation reduces the availability of vacancies to accommodate He atoms and leads to local strain relaxation near the GB. Furthermore, first-principles tensile simulations reveal that Si and C interstitials mitigate He-induced GB embrittlement. Charge density and DOS analyses link this effect to the bonding characteristics between point defects and neighboring atoms at GB. These insights underscore the importance of grain boundary engineering in enhancing radiation tolerance of SiC for nuclear and space applications.
In close proximity to quantum emitters (QEs), plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) facilitate energy exchange with the QEs, which is known as plasmon–exciton coupling. The strong coupling regime, associated with Rabi splitting, is crucial for advanced nanophotonic devices, including solar cells, single-photon nonlinear optics, and nanolasers. Recently, high refractive index semiconductor NPs (typically Si NPs) have emerged for designing strongly coupled systems. However, their large mode volumes of magnetic Mie resonances have limited their success in achieving strong coupling. This study investigates the plasmon–exciton coupling between an Ag–Si core–shell and a monolayer QE of WS2 (Ag–Si–WS2 system) in air and water environments. Here, we compare the coupling dynamics of the hybrid Ag–Si–WS2 system to that of the Si–WS2 system as a benchmarking system. Employing Mie’s theory of core–shell scattering, in conjunction with Maxwell–Garnett effective medium theory, we analyze the optical responses of both configurations. Then, we calculate the Rabi splitting frequency for each system to identify the coupling regime. Our results suggest that the Ag–Si–WS2 system can achieve a deep-strong coupling regime when the Ag core radius is less than 30 nm, with enhanced coupling strength in water compared to air. Conversely, the Si–WS2 system does not achieve strong coupling in either medium. The hybrid modes in Ag–Si–WS2 demonstrate remarkable symmetrical spectral characteristics compared to the asymmetric spectral line shape observed in the Si–WS2 system. The findings suggest avenues for utilizing the plasmon–exciton strong coupling in the Ag–Si–WS2 system to enhance optoelectronic and quantum electronic devices.
