Mohamed Samir

EKATERINBURG – Russia expects to operate an independent orbital station in the early 2030s that will open major flight opportunities for cosmonauts from former Soviet republics, the commander of the Roscosmos Cosmonaut Corps stated. Speaking at the International Festival of Youth 2026 in Ekaterinburg, Oleg Kononenko, a pilot-cosmonaut and Hero of Russia, addressed questions from

Defensive operations are currently being conducted by Tigrayan forces against a renewed offensive, but will soon transition into full-scale counter-attacks,

Egypt hosts the Alamein-Africa Forum, bringing leaders together to transform continental potential into real economic growth.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi officially inaugurated the first edition of the Alamein-Africa Forum on Saturday, calling on continental leaders to

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met with Burundian President and current African Union Chairperson Évariste Ndayishimiye on Saturday, securing strong backing for Cairo's stance on Nile…

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi stated that the country's agreed-upon constitution will not be touched, issuing a warning against ongoing attempts to manipulate public awareness and de…

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said Egypt will not accept any threat to Saudi Arabia’s security or borders, or to Red Sea security, warning that deep geopolitical shifts in the region will…

Background Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is a globally important oilseed crop, while high-erucic-acid rapeseed (HEAR) provides a valuable source of erucic acid for diverse industrial applications. Despite the availability of several B. napus reference genomes, the structural genomic variation associated with erucic acid biosynthesis in HEAR germplasm remains insufficiently characterized. Characterizing structural variants (SVs) within fatty-acid-related genes may therefore improve understanding of the genomic variation underlying the HEAR phenotype. Results In this study, we present a high-quality reference-guided genome assembly of the HEAR genotype 13R4502 (UM_B. napus Ver1) using PacBio HiFi long-read sequencing. The assembly spans ~ 1.03 Gb, with ~ 97% of the sequence anchored to 19 pseudomolecules, comprising 107,468 projected protein-coding gene models and repeatmasker annotated 60.34% of the assembly as repetitive sequence. Assembly completeness was confirmed with 99.6% complete BUSCO genes. Furthermore, assembly-independent comparison of PacBio and Oxford Nanopore read alignments identified 47,182 SVs supported by both sequencing datasets. Sixteen fatty-acid-related candidate SVs, including FAD2, FAE1/KCS18, KCS, KAR2 and ACX family genes, were supported by both platforms. Multi-reference genome comparisons provided additional support for four candidates, while PCR genotyping validated a 66-bp deletion in FAD2 and a 51-bp insertion in FAE1/KCS18 in 13R4502 relative to ZS11. Conclusions UM_B. napus Ver1 provides a contiguous genomic resource for the HEAR genotype 13R4502 and expands the genomic resources available for investigating fatty-acid related SVs in B. napus. Cross-platform read support, multi-reference comparisons and PCR validation strengthen the evidence for candidate SVs affecting fatty-acid-related genes. Nevertheless, their functional contributions to erucic acid accumulation require further transcriptomic, biochemical and genetic validation. This resource will facilitate comparative genomics and the investigation of genomic variation relevant to industrial rapeseed improvement.

Thermal cracking, rutting, and moisture damage are common pavement distresses caused by heavy traffic growth, construction deficiencies, and environmental effects, reducing service life and performance. Asphalt additives can improve pavement behavior; however, a single modifier rarely enhances all properties simultaneously. This study investigates a composite modification approach using dual additives in reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). In the current study, nine mixtures were prepared and evaluated to determine the optimum dosages of Nano Fe2O3 and waste cooking oil (WCO). Subsequently, five mixtures were evaluated: the control mixture, RAP mixture, RAP modified with WCO, RAP modified with nano-Fe2O3, and RAP modified with a composite of WCO and nano-Fe2O3. Marshall immersion, low-temperature splitting, and wheel tracking tests were conducted to assess moisture resistance, low temperature stability, and rutting performance. Environmental performance was evaluated using life cycle assessment (LCA) with SimaPro software. The results showed that the optimum contents were 4% nano-Fe2O3 and 9% WCO based on the Marshall properties. Compared with the control mixture, the composite-modified mixture (M8) achieved a 38.60% reduction in rutting depth and a 30.21% increase in indirect tensile strength, while its Marshall residual stability ratio increased by 8.24%. From the LCA perspective, the 20% RAP mixture (M1) exhibited the best overall environmental performance among the modified mixtures, whereas the nano-Fe2O3-modified mixture (M4) achieved the lowest weighted environmental impact.

“Our positions on regional crises are more aligned than Egypt may realise,” Canadian Ambassador to Egypt Ulric Shannon said in an interview with Daily News Egypt, as Ottawa looks to work more close…