The main purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the concentrations of six essential metals (Na+, Mg2+, K+, Ca2+, Fe2+ and Zn2+) in saffron and a farm soil using the neutron activation analysis (NAA) as a nuclear spectrometry method. The stratified random sampling method was used here. The NAA results showed the well uptake of Mg2+, K+, Ca2+, Fe2+, and Zn2+ in saffron, which is lower than the toxicity range. Based on the contamination factor and geoaccumulation index, soil contamination levels were determined uncontaminated by Zn, moderately contaminated by Na+ and Fe2+, and strongly contaminated by Ca2+, K+, and Mg2+. Results of the contamination degree and pollution load index indicated moderately/strongly soil contamination and a moderate geometric mean of the contamination index. The Na+ enrichment factor (EF) showed a minimal man-made impact on sodium enrichment. Saffron cultivation has likely caused more accumulations of Mg2+, K+, Ca2+, and Fe2+, as well as a considerable deficiency of Zn2+ in the soil, based on EFs. The biological concentration factor showed a significant zinc accumulation by the corm of saffron. There was well translocation from corm to all the aerial tissues for K+. Also, sodium adsorption ratio, exchangeable sodium percentage, pH, and electrical conductivity evaluated the non-salinity level of soil in all saffron farms.
This study was conducted to assess the hydrocarbon degradation abilities of Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Pentoae species, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterobacter cloacae, which isolated from diesel contaminated soil samples. Single strains and mixed bacterial consortia have been investigated their ability to degrade 1.0 % (v/v) of diesel oil in Bushnell- Haas medium as sole.carbon.and.energy.source. At temperature 30∘C, the individual.bacterial.isolates exhibited low growth and low degradation.than did the.mixed. bacterial.culture. After 28 days.of incubation the.combination.of four isolates degraded.an upper limit.of diesel 88.4%. This was. continued.by 85.1% by S. paucimobilis, 84 % by Pentoae sp., 79% by S.aureus, and
... Show MoreIn the current study, two sites were selected from the city of Adhamiya, central Baghdad. The first site is the Adhamiya Corniche, which includes a sample of river water and the second includes domestic sewage in the same area. The total density of benthic invertebrates was 775 ind/m2, which is divided into 15 taxa. Biological indices were found, such as the stability index, the abundance index, the biodiversity index (Shannon’s index), the homogeneity index, and the invader’s guide. The result showed an increase in the density of benthic invertebrates, as well as an increase in the diversity of these organisms.
The importance of specifying proper aggregate grading for achieving satisfactory performance in pavement applications has long been recognized. To improve the specifications for superior performance, there is a need to understand how differences in aggregate gradations within the acceptable limits may affect unbound aggregate base behavior. The effects of gradation on strength, modulus, and deformation characteristics of high-quality crushed rock base materials are described here. Two crushed rock types commonly used in constructing heavy-duty granular base layers in the State of Victoria, Australia, with three different gradations each were used in this study. The gradations used represent the lower, medium, and upper gradation li
... Show MoreSynthesis and study liquid crystalline properties of new compounds with terminal groups of amides ([III]a-c,[IV]a-c and [VI]n), alkoxy series[V]n or ester with azo linkage ([IX]a-c and[X]a-c) containing thaizole ring. These series were synthesized by many steps starting from 4- hydroxyacetophenone or 4-aminoacetophenone. The synthesized compounds were characterized using melting points, FTIR, C.H.N.S analysis and for some of them 1H NMR spectroscopy. The liquid crystalline properties were studied by hot stage polarizing microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry DSC. All compounds of series [III]a-c,[IV]a-c and compounds [V]n showed enantiotropic liquid crystal. While the series [VI]n showed nematic mesomorphism except [VI]8 did not s
... Show MoreThe inhibitory action of four lactobacilli isolates Lactobacillus bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, L. plantarum and L. fermentum, isolated from four different samples; yoghurt, vinegar, saliva and vagina respectively, on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus adhesion to uroepithelial cells were investigated. Results showed that all Lactobacillus isolates or their supernatant were able to reduce the number of the uropathogens attached to uroepithelial cells. However, inhibition level of lactobacilli cells was higher than their supernatant. Nevertheless, the human indigenous lactobacilli (L. fermentum and L. plantarum) were more competitive than food lactobacilli (L. acidophilus and L. bulgaricus).
Mass transfer has been studied at rotating cylinder electrodes fabricated with spiral-wound woven-wire meshes using reduction of copper as a test reaction. The experimental data were correlated by an empirical expression between the Sherwood number and the Reynolds number, both regarding the hydraulic diameter as a characteristic length. It was found that the Sherwood number was dependent upon the Reynolds number to the power of 0.521. An enhancement factor was adopted to compare the efficiency of the new rotating cylinder electrode with previous three-dimensional rotating cylinder electrodes. The results showed that the new type has a mass-transfer enhancement factor 2.3 times higher than those obtained with smooth rotating cylinder electr
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