Double Kernels Research Articles

Video object segmentation based on dynamic perception update and feature fusion

The current popular video object segmentation algorithms based on memory network indiscriminately update the frame information to the memory pool, fails to make reasonable use of the historical frame information, causing frame information redundancy in the memory pool, resulting in the increase of the computation amount. At the same time, the mask refinement method is relatively rough, resulting in blurred edges of the generated mask. To solve these problems, This paper proposes a video object segmentation algorithm based on dynamic perception update and feature fusion. In order to reasonably utilize the historical frame information, a dynamic perception update module is proposed to selectively update the segmentation frame mask. Meanwhile, a mask refinement module is established to enhance the detail information of the shallow features of the backbone network. This module uses a double kernels fusion block to fuse the different scale information of the features, and finally uses the Laplacian operator to sharpen the edges of the mask. The experimental results show that on the public datasets DAVIS2016, DAVIS2017 and YouTube-VOS18, the comprehensive performance of the algorithm in this paper reaches 86.9%, 79.3% and 71.6%, respectively, and the segmentation speed reaches 15FPS on the DAVIS2016 dataset. Compared with many mainstream algorithms in recent years, it has obvious advantages in performance.

Antioxidant Performance in the Shell Is Substantially Modified by Season and Locality in Hazelnut Cultivars

Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) is of great agroeconomic importance, prized for its nutritional value and antioxidant properties. Its yield and quality may differ due to factors such as season (S), locality (L) and cultivar (C). Our objective was to determine the adaptive behavior of morphological features and antioxidant properties in nuts of the Barcelona and Tonda di Giffoni (TDG) cultivars planted at two localities (Cunco and Perquenco) during three productive seasons (S1, S2 and S3). Barcelona grown in Perquenco in S1 and S3 (less precipitation, more solar radiation) performed better than in Cunco with respect to most morphological nut, kernel and shell features, and the same parameters generally had the same trends for TDG in S2 and S3. Among the seasons at the same localities, the differences between the predominant condition defects for both cultivars were in the decreasing order wrinkled/deformed kernels, double kernels, blank and mold kernels, with about 75% of hazelnuts without defects. In both cultivars, the shell had higher antioxidant properties that increased in S1 and S3 at both localities and were consistently higher than in the kernels. Lipid peroxidation was higher in the kernel than shell in both cultivars and localities for S1 and S3. The results of this study suggest that the different hazelnut cultivar features including physical and chemical components depend on season and locality, which offers important clues for all those interested in the hazelnut industry.

Almond population genomics and non-additive GWAS reveal new insights into almond dissemination history and candidate genes for nut traits and blooming time.

Domestication drastically changed crop genomes, fixing alleles of interest and creating different genetic populations. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) are a powerful tool to detect these alleles of interest (and so QTLs). In this study, we explored the genetic structure as well as additive and non-additive genotype-phenotype associations in a collection of 243 almond accessions. Our genetic structure analysis strongly supported the subdivision of the accessions into five ancestral groups, all formed by accessions with a common origin. One of these groups was formed exclusively by Spanish accessions, while the rest were mainly formed by accessions from China, Italy, France, and the USA. These results agree with archaeological and historical evidence that separate modern almond dissemination into four phases: Asiatic, Mediterranean, Californian, and southern hemisphere. In total, we found 13 independent QTLs for nut weight, crack-out percentage, double kernels percentage, and blooming time. Of the 13 QTLs found, only one had an additive effect. Through candidate gene analysis, we proposed Prudul26A013473 as a candidate gene responsible for the main QTL found in crack-out percentage, Prudul26A012082 and Prudul26A017782 as candidate genes for the QTLs found in double kernels percentage, and Prudul26A000954 as a candidate gene for the QTL found in blooming time. Our study enhances our knowledge of almond dissemination history and will have a great impact on almond breeding.

Effects of regulated deficit irrigation and foliar kaolin application on quality parameters of almond [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb

Water stress during the growing season of the almond tree is the factor that most limits its yield. Different strategies have been studied in recent years to reduce its negative effects, such as deficit irrigation and the application of reflective spray compounds. A 3-year experiment (2019-2021) was set in a factorial design in which the effect of regulated deficit irrigation and foliarkaolin spray was evaluated on morphological characteristics (weight, length, width, and thickness of the nut and kernel, shell thickness, kernel yield, double kernels, and damaged kernels), color properties, nutritional value (carbohydrates, fat, proteins and ash) and chemical parameters (free sugars and fatty acids profiles). In general, the significant differences between the treatments did not have a similar trend in the 3 years of the study. Regulated deficit irrigation and kaolin had no detrimental impact on almond morphological and color characteristics. The almond free sugars concentration was relatively stable under deficit irrigation and kaolin application. On the other hand, kaolin application positively affected the synthesis of linoleic acid. Reducing the amount of irrigation water applied to almonds contributes to the sustainability of production without negatively affecting quality and even improving some quality parameters. In general, the foliar application of kaolin did not show significant differences in the evaluated morphological parameters. However, in terms of chemical composition, kaolin led to an increase in the concentration of linoleic acid and sucrose. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Nonparametric Estimation of the Expected Shortfall Regression for Quasi-Associated Functional Data

In this paper, we study the nonparametric estimation of the expected shortfall regression when the exogenous observation is functional. The constructed estimator is obtained by combining the double kernels estimator of both conditional value at risk and conditional density function. The asymptotic proprieties of this estimator are established under weak dependency condition. Precisely, we assume that the observations are generated from quasi-associated functional time series and we prove the almost complete convergence of the constructed estimator. This asymptotic result is obtained under a standard condition of functional time series analysis. The finite sample performance of this estimator is evaluated using artificial data.

Agromorphological Characterization and Nutritional Value of Traditional Almond Cultivars Grown in the Central-Western Iberian Peninsula

In this study, 24 traditional almond cultivars grown in the central-western Iberian Peninsula, all of them clearly in decline or close to extinction, were characterized from the agromorphological and chemical points of view. A total of 40 agromorphological and chemical descriptors, mainly defined by the IPGRI and the UPOV, were used to describe the flowers, leaves, fruits and the trees themselves over three consecutive years (2015–2017). Some of the cultivars showed distinctive and interesting agronomical characteristics from a commercial point of view, such as high yields and high quality fruit. This was the case of the almond cultivars called “Gorda José” and “Marcelina”. Their fruits were quite heavy (nuts: >9.1 g; kernels: >1.9 g), with very low percentages of double kernels (<3%) and high nutritional value (>50% lipids; >21% proteins). The results of the PCA and cluster analysis showed that agromorphological and chemical analysis can provide reliable information on the variability in almond genotypes. This work constitutes an important step in the conservation of genetic almond resources in the central-western Iberian Peninsula.

Observation of Embryo Abortion Characteristics of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. ‘Zhongqiusucui’

The embryo abortion rate of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. ‘Zhongqiusucui’ is high, which hinders cross-breeding. Research to identify the causes of embryo abortion is urgently required. To determine the embryo abortion pattern and create a foundation for further research, the embryo abortion characteristics of Z. jujuba Mill. ‘Zhongqiusucui’ were observed during this study. The results indicated that Z. jujuba Mill. ‘Zhongqiusucui’ was a cultivar with a high embryo abortion rate. Furthermore, there were some differences in the embryo abortion rates of jujube fruits in different batches. There was no significant difference between the first and second batches of jujube fruits. Large jujube fruits had a relatively low embryo abortion rate. Small jujube fruits had a relatively low kernel content rate and high embryo abortion rate. Most of the jujube fruits contained a single kernel, and some contained double kernels. The third batch of jujube fruits differed greatly from the first and second batches. The third batch had the highest degree of embryo abortion and all contained kernels were single. The embryo abortion degree of jujube fruits on the lignified bearing shoot was higher than that on the nonlignified bearing shoot, and the probability of jujube fruit with double kernels on the nonlignified bearing shoot was higher than that of the fruit on the lignified bearing shoot. The embryo abortion rates of jujube fruits with a smaller fruit shape index and larger fruit shape index were lower, and that of the medium (fruit shape index range, 1.30–1.60) was higher. The embryo abortion rates of globose, oblong globose, and long cylinder jujube fruits were lower, whereas that of cylindrical fruits was higher. Cracked jujube fruits did not contain normal seed kernels and their embryo abortion rate was 100%.

Selection of the promising almond (Prunus amygdalus L.) genotypes among seedling origin trees

Almonds, Prunus amygdalus L., are among the most popular tree nuts on a worldwide basis and rank first in tree nut production. The present study was carried out on 187 almond seedling origin trees to select the superior genotypes based on morphological and pomological characters. Significant differences were found among the studied genotypes. Nut weight ranged between 1.20 and 6.68 g with an average of 3.50, while kernel weight ranged from 0.39 to 2.06 g with an average of 0.93. The average of double kernels and blank nuts was 15.11% and 4.04%, respectively. Kernel weight showed positive correlations with leaf and nut dimensions. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated 16 components that explained 72.51% of the total variance and nut and kernel dimensions and weight made the biggest contribution in distinguishing the genotypes. Regarding ideal values of the important and commercial characters of almond such as fruit yield, nut weight, shell hardness, kernel shape, kernel weight, and kernel taste, 24 genotypes were superior and could be used as a parent in breeding programs and also might be singled out directly for cultivation in the orchards.

Analysis of European hazelnut (Corylus avellana) reveals loci for cultivar improvement and the effects of domestication and selection on nut and kernel traits.

Turkey is a rich source of European hazelnut (Corylus avellana) germplasm with nearly 400 accessions in the national collection. This genetic material encompasses cultivars, landraces and wild genotypes which were characterized for 12 nut and 13 kernel traits over 2years in the 1990s. Analysis of these attributes revealed both the positive and negative impacts that human selection and breeding have had on hazelnut. Thus, while selection has resulted in larger nuts and kernels, cultivars have fewer nuts per cluster and kernels with larger internal cavities. Breeding has also resulted in a propensity for cultivars to have higher proportions of double kernels and empty nuts, two traits which reduce quality and yield. In addition, it is clear that while selection has successfully increased hazelnut fat content it has not impacted overall flavor, a much more complex trait. The nut and kernel phenotypic data were combined with genotypic data from 406 simple sequence repeat marker alleles for association mapping of the quantitative trait loci (QTL) for the traits. A total of 78 loci were detected in the population with the highest proportions for nut (24%) and kernel (26%) appearance parameters followed by quality (19%), shell thickness (16%) and yield-related (15%) traits. It is hoped that some of the identified QTL will be useful for future breeding of hazelnut for improved nut and kernel yield and quality.

Morphological, mechanical and antioxidant properties of Portuguese almond cultivars.

The aim of this study was to evaluate morphological (of fruit and kernel), mechanical (namely shell rupture force) and antioxidant properties (including phenolics and flavonoid content) of five Portuguese almond cultivars, comparing them with two commercial cultivars (Glorieta and Ferragnès). Of the analyzed traits, nut and kernel dimensions varied substantially and were used to describe cultivars. However, some traditional cultivars recorded similar (Pegarinhos), or even higher (Amendoão, Casanova and Refêgo) nut and kernel weight than commercial cultivars. Furthermore, shelling percentage of traditional cultivar (Bonita) was higher than commercial cultivars. Rupture force necessary to break fruits of all traditional cultivars was higher than commercial ones, and was correlated to nut weight cultivars. The phenolics, flavonoids content and antioxidants were higher for Casanova. Parameters like high kernel weight, low percentages of double kernels or losses during shelling and considerable higher phenolics and flavonoids content may be considered by industry during selection of almond.

Sharp Hardy Inequalities in Star-shaped Domains with Double Singular Kernels

Improved Hardy inequality with double singular kernel in bounded, star-shaped domains \(\Omega \subset R^n\) is proved. The case of singularity at an interior point and on the boundary of the domain is considered. The Hardy constant is optimal and the inequality is sharp due to the additional term.

The kernel energy method (KEM) delivers fast and accurate QTAIM electrostatic charge for atoms in large molecules

The kernel energy method (KEM) is a soft scaling fragment quantum chemical calculation method that proved very useful for the estimation of ab initio energies of very large biological molecules. In this approach, a large molecule is broken into computationally tractable pieces (kernels), which reduces the otherwise rapidly rising computational difficulty with the number of atoms. The formula which delivers the KEM approximation to the total molecular energy includes sums over the energies of double kernels corrected for over-counting by subtracting a sum over single kernels. KEM has been shown to deliver numerically accurate energies of unperturbed large molecules and the energies and dipole moments of large molecules under strong external perturbing electric fields. A recent study has also shown that the full molecular localization–delocalization matrix and the electron density at bond and ring critical point can also be reconstructed from formulae of the same form of the KEM master equation. It is shown that the KEM formula can also be used to reconstruct accurate approximations to the two-particle and one-particle reduced density matrices. This paper shows three numerical examples, of increasing complexity and size, that the atomic charge of an atom in a molecule, calculated from Bader’s quantum theory of atoms in molecules, is accurately predicted from the KEM formula. The error introduced by the KEM approximation is found to be smaller than 0.01 % of the total number of electrons as our calculations demonstrate on three interesting compounds that represent a variety of bonding situations: a highly explosive compound N,N′-dinitrourea (C3H6N4O5, 92 electrons), a strong chelating agent (pyridine-2-azo-p-phenyl)tetramethylguanidine (PAPT) (C16H20N6, 158 electrons), and the conformationally restricted synthetic peptide acetyl-Cα,α-dipropylglycine heptapeptide (Ac-Dpg-7) (C39H71N7O9, 426 electrons).

Evaluation of an almond collection using morphological variables to choose superior trees

Introduction. Iranian almond germplasm is regarded as one of the most diverse and valuable genetics resources for almond improvement. Materials and methods. In the present study, 155 almond genotypes were evaluated to determine the overall degree of variation and to detect superior trees. The variation was observed for traits related to phenology, morphology, yield and fruit quality. Results and discussion. Nut and kernel traits contributed most of the total variation but there were also significant differences in flowering and ripening times. The majority of important correlations were determined between the characteristics representing nut size and kernel size. Cluster and principal component analyses confirmed considerable diversity in the studied germplasm. Conclusion. Genotypes MSh11, MSh100, MSh97, MSh24 and MSh126 were the best trees in terms of flowering season, consistently high fruit set, large nut and kernel size, and low percentage of double kernels. Furthermore, genotypes MSh9 and MSh110 were very late flowering and could be useful in breeding to improve flowering season of almond.

Phenotypic diversity and relationships between morphological traits in selected almond (Prunus amygdalus) germplasm

Almond production in Iran occupies an important place in worldwide production and is of considerable importance in terms of providing genetic resources. In this study, 90 almond genotypes were evaluated using 60 morphological and agronomic characters. Results reflected a significant diversity in the assayed almond germplasm. All traits showed large differences between the studied almonds especially the nut and kernel dimensions, weight, flowering and ripening dates, kernel yield and percentage of double kernels. Furthermore, most of the agronomic traits were correlated, although the correlation coefficients were higher than 0.50 only in some cases. Morphological traits were categorized by principal components analysis (PCA) into 17 components which explained 77 % of the total variation. An unweighted pair-group method of arithmetic average dendrogram and a scatter plot of PCA scores showed high variation between almond genotypes, indicating that the studied germplasm can be considered a good gene pool for breeding programs. Some genotypes could be good genitors for increasing kernel size or can be considered unique, promising types for breeding or commercial growing. Also, some were late-flowering, and so can be used in breeding for later flowering.

Physical Fruit Traits in Moroccan Almond Seedlings: Quality Aspects and Post-Harvest Uses

The physical traits of local almond populations from Morocco were studied to characterize their genetic resources and to evaluate the possibility of their commercial valorization. Nut weight ranged between 1.15 and 7.39 g, and kernel weight between 0.54 and 1.85 g, but most accessions were characterized by small kernels, pronounced wrinkles, and double kernels. Although the physical quality of the kernels of these populations was low, they show the possibility of some specialized uses, which could improve their marketable value. The genotypes with favorable values could be incorporated into an almond breeding program as parents to increase the kernel quality.

TH-C-BRD-04: Beam Modeling and Validation with Triple and Double Gaussian Dose Kernel for Spot Scanning Proton Beams

Purpose: To present the validity of our beam modeling with double and triple Gaussian dose kernels for spot scanning proton beams in Nagoya Proton Therapy Center. This study investigates the conformance between the measurements and calculation results in absolute dose with two types of beam kernel. Methods: A dose kernel is one of the important input data required for the treatment planning software. The dose kernel is the 3D dose distribution of an infinitesimal pencil beam of protons in water and consists of integral depth doses and lateral distributions. We have adopted double and triple Gaussian model as lateral distribution in order to take account of the large angle scattering due to nuclear reaction by fitting simulated inwater lateral dose profile for needle proton beam at various depths. The fitted parameters were interpolated as a function of depth in water and were stored as a separate look-up table for the each beam energy. The process of beam modeling is based on the method of MDACC [X.R.Zhu 2013]. Results: From the comparison results between the absolute doses calculated by double Gaussian model and those measured at the center of SOBP, the difference is increased up to 3.5% in the high-energy region because the large angle scattering due to nuclear reaction is not sufficiently considered at intermediate depths in the double Gaussian model. In case of employing triple Gaussian dose kernels, the measured absolute dose at the center of SOBP agrees with calculation within ±1% regardless of the SOBP width and maximum range. Conclusion: We have demonstrated the beam modeling results of dose distribution employing double and triple Gaussian dose kernel. Treatment planning system with the triple Gaussian dose kernel has been successfully verified and applied to the patient treatment with a spot scanning technique in Nagoya Proton Therapy Center.

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL TRAITS OF ALMOND KERNELS OF THE LOCAL ALMOND POPULATIONS IN MOROCCO: COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL END-USES

The physical and chemical traits of five local populations of almond seedlings from Morocco were studied in order to evaluate the possibilities of their commercial and industrial valorization. Nut weight ranged between 2.8 and 4.3 g, and kernel weight between 0.93 and 1.3 g, but with most accessions being characterized by broad kernel, pronounced wrinkles and double kernels. For the chemical traits, the ranges of variation for oil content (52.6-58.7%), oleic acid (66.7-73.8%), linoleic acid (16.8-22.7%), palmitic acid (6.2-7.1%) and stearic acid (1.92-2.12%), agreed with previous results in almond, but the protein content (21.4-27.7%) showed that some populations had higher values than previously recorded in almond. For tocopherol concentration, the range of variation for α-tocopherol (318.3-530.8 mg kg-1oil) and γ-tocopherol (14.5-31.7 mg kg-1oil) are slightly higher than those reported in the literature. The genotypes from mountain regions showed kernels with very high oil content and slightly low α-tocopherol concentration, establishing a possible differentiation according to their geographical origin. These differences may allow establishing a geographical denomination for almond products. Although the physical quality of the kernels of these populations was generally low, the chemical composition offers the possibility of some specialized uses which could improve their marketable value.

Investigation on clonal variants within the hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) cultivar ‘Tonda Gentile delle Langhe’

The hazelnut cultivar ‘Tonda Gentile delle Langhe’ (TGdL) from Piedmont (Northwest Italy) is known worldwide for the excellent quality of its nuts and is thought to have a monoclonal origin. During 3 years of on-farm exploration carried out in Piedmont within the AGRI-GEN-RES project SAFENUT, 6 accessions of a minor cultivar called ‘Tonda di Biglini’ (TdB), known for its nut quality similar to TGdL, and two plants with low or null suckering habit, found in an orchard of TGdL, were characterized with TGdL reference plants using molecular markers and plant descriptors. In addition, agronomical behaviour and nut quality of TdB were evaluated in a field trial aimed at comparing TdB and TGdL in the same environmental conditions. Although analyses at 27 SSR hazelnut loci revealed the same genetic profile of TGdL for all the considered accessions, observations showed relevant differences in phenological and nut traits: earlier female flowering and nut maturity times (10 days) in TdB than in TGdL; lower percent kernel and higher presence of double kernels in TdB than in TGdL. These results were confirmed in the field trial comparison and were observed also in the non-suckering plants. A sensory analysis conducted on TGdL and TdB kernels using triangle test gave a significant identification indicating organoleptic differences between the two cultivars. In conclusion, given that the distinctive characters found are stable and maintained through propagation as shown in the field trial, TdB can indeed be considered a different cultivar while for the non-suckering individuals the stability of the traits after propagation still need to be confirmed. This report demonstrates the presence of mutations of agronomical relevance within a monoclonal cultivar of hazelnut.

Hardy-type inequality with double singular kernels

Abstract A Hardy-type inequality with singular kernels at zero and on the boundary ∂Ω is proved. Sharpness of the inequality is obtained for Ω= B 1(0).

Self‐pollination does not affect fruit set or fruit characteristics in almond (Prunus dulcis)

With 1 figure and 4 tables AbstractSelf‐compatibility has become one of the most important traits in almond breeding programmes. This characteristic allows for the establishment of monovarietal almond orchards with many advantages for the grower. However, there are some uncertainties about the consequences of self‐fertilization regarding productivity and fruit quality. In this work, a new methodology was used to clarify the possible effects of self‐pollination on these parameters. Four different pollination treatments were applied to six self‐compatible almond genotypes by hand‐pollinating flowers on five different branches, so that along each branch the four treatments were distributed homogeneously. The pollinated flowers were later identified with wires of a particular colour for each treatment. Fruit set and fruit characteristics (weight in‐shell, kernel weight, percentage of kernel, percentage of defective kernels, double kernels and split kernels) were studied. With this methodology, results should only be influenced by the pollinator effect. In general, no significant differences were observed between self‐pollination and cross‐pollination for the characteristics studied. These findings demonstrate the absence of negative effects of self‐pollination on these agronomic traits.