Restoration of degraded lands by adoption of recommended conservation management practices can rehabilitate watersheds and lead to improving soil and water quality. The objective was to evaluate the effects of grass buffers (GBs), biomass crops (BCs), grass waterways (GWWs), agroforestry buffers (ABs), landscape positions, and distance from tree base for AB treatment on soil quality compared with row crop (RC) (corn [Zea mays L.]–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation) on claypan soils. Soil samples were taken from 10‐cm‐depth increments from the soil surface to 30 cm for GB, BC, GWW, and RC with three replicates. Soil samples were collected from summit, backslope, and footslope landscape positions. Samples were taken at 50‐ and 150‐cm distances from the tree base. β‐Glucosidase, β‐glucosaminidase, dehydrogenase, fluorescein diacetate hydrolase (FDA), soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), active carbon (AC), and water‐stable aggregates (WSA) were measured. Results showed that β‐glucosidase, β‐glucosaminidase, dehydrogenase, FDA, AC, WSA, and TN values were significantly greater (P < 0.01) for the GB, BC, GWW, and AB treatments than for the RC treatment. The first depth (0–10 cm) revealed the highest values for all soil quality parameters relative to second and third depths. The footslope landscape had the highest parameter values compared with summit and backslope positions. The 50‐cm distance of AB treatment had higher values than the 150‐cm distance for all measured parameters. Results showed that perennial vegetation practices enhanced soil quality by improving soil microbial activity and SOC.
Core Ideas
Permanent vegetative management (trees and grasses) enhanced soil quality.
Perennial practices improved microbial activity and increased soil organic carbon.
Perennial vegetative practices have agricultural and environmental significance.
Establishing perennial practices is an effective approach to enhance soil quality.
In this study, the effect of intersecting ribs with inclined ribs on the heat transfer and flow characteristics of a high aspect ratio duct has been numerically investigated. The Relative roughness pitch (P/e) is 10 and the Reynolds number range from 35,700 to 72,800. ANSYS (Fluent-Workbench 18.0) software has been utilized to solve the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations with the Standard k-ε turbulence model. Three ribbed models have been used in this study. Model 1 which is a just inclined ribs, Model 2 which has a single longitudinal rib at the center with inclined ribs and Model 3 which has two longitudinal ribs at the sides. The results showed that the heat transfer rate has been enhanced when the int
Contemporary life is racing against time in its temptations and variables, and it has become shaped and changed in an amazing way in its various aspects and fields. This was facilitated by intellectual and scientific communication between civilizations, and the rapid progression in successive inventions and discoveries in the fields of science and arts of knowledge. This contributed to a great economic and commercial renaissance. Then, these economic developments entered the world into a very strong competition, which forced producers to calculate all production costs, to reach the highest profits by reducing the price of the produced commodity on the one hand, and achieving quality in appearance (especially) on the other hand. Since the ma
Background: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is the most common rheumatic cause of diffuse pain and multiple regional musculoskeletal pain and disability. Objective: is to assess the contribution of serum lipoprotein (A) in the pathogenesis of FMS patients. Methods: One hundred twenty two FMS patients were compared with 60 healthy control individuals who were age and sex matched. All FMS features and criteria are applied for patients and controls; patients with secondary FMS were excluded. Serum Lipoprotein (A): [Lp(A)], body mass index (BMI), & s.lipid profile were determined for both groups. Results: There was a statistical significant difference between patients &controls in serum lipoprotein
This study investigates the impact of nonsurgical periodontal treatment (NSPT) on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in patients with periodontitis stages (S)2 and S3, and the factors associated with the prediction of patient-reported outcomes. Periodontitis patients (n = 68) with moderately deep periodontal pockets were recruited. Responses to the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP)-14 questionnaire and clinical parameters including plaque index, bleeding on probing (BOP), probing pocket depth (PPD), and clinical attachment loss (CAL) were recorded. All patients received supra- and subgingival professional mechanical plaque removal. All clinical parameters and questionnaire responses were recorded again 3 months after NSPT.
The aim of this study is to investigate the kinetics of copper removal from aqueous solutions using an electromembrane extraction (EME) system. To achieve this, a unique electrochemical cell design was adopted comprising two glass chambers, a supported liquid membrane (SLM), a graphite anode, and a stainless-steel cathode. The SLM consisted of a polypropylene flat membrane infused with 1-octanol as a solvent and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (DEHP) as a carrier. The impact of various factors on the kinetics constant rate was outlined, including the applied voltage, initial pH of the donor phase solution, and initial copper concentration. The results demonstrated a significant influence of the applied voltage on enhancing the rate of c
Two‐dimensional buoyancy‐induced flow and heat transfer inside a square enclosure partially occupied by copper metallic foam subjected to a symmetric side cooling and constant heat flux bottom heating was tested numerically. Finite Element Method was employed to solve the governing partial differential equations of the flow field and the Local Thermal Equilibrium model was used for the energy equation. The system boundaries were defined as lower heated wall by constant heat flux, cooled lateral walls, and insulated top wall. The three parameters elected to conduct the study are heater length (7 ≤ ζ ≤ 20 cm), constant heat flux (150 ≤ q<
Social protection meets different aspects of the needs of vulnerable groups, such as the economic, health, education, and family relations and ties in the Iraqi society. This is because vulnerable groups have suffered from social and economic influences that have negative implications on the social reality as a whole. Poverty is a case in point, which paved the way to frequent setbacks that have led to social structure instability. Accordingly, the present study aims to examine the role and effect of the Net of Social Protection Program in equally distributing social protection to curb or mitigate any negative consequnces that might happen to the poor segments and vulnerable people, who are succeptible to shocks, such as: the orphans, un
Sawa Lake is considered one of the distinct closed water systems located in the southwestern part of Iraq. In last years, the lake has suffered from a significant decrease in the water depth reached 1.5 m, thus the current study aims to monitor and analyse the change in water level, and identify causes and effect of this change on the lake hydrochemical properties by using analyzing cations and anions with the assistance of sub bottom profilers technique as well as obtained information from scientific diving.
The results revealed that the lake had an equilibrium state between feed up and withdrawal water as well as evaporation during history. In spite of the high evaporation rates in the region, thi
The current research aims to identify the risk management and its impact on the quality of service in the Salahalddin Sewerage Directorate, This is due to the great impact that the service provided by this institution plays in preserving health and the environment in the community, which has faced many administrative challenges, problems and issues as a result of the rapid and continuous environmental changes, and therefore, the adoption of administrative concepts such as risk management and knowledge of their impact on the quality of the municipal service is necessary to reach this service To the required levels. To achieve the research objectives, two main hypotheses have been formulated, the first of which is to find the extent of the li