Studies were conducted to screen eight sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) genotypes for their allelopathic potential against weeds and wheat crop, which customarily follows sunflower in Iraq. All sunflower genotypes significantly inhibited the total number and biomass of companion weeds and the magnitude of inhibition was genotype dependent. Among the eight genotypes tested, Sin-Altheeb and Coupon were the most weed-suppressing cultivars, and Euroflor and Shumoos were the least. A subsequent field experiment indicated that sunflower residues incorporated into the field soil significantly inhibited the total number and biomass of weeds growing in the wheat field. Sunflower genotypes Sin-Altheeb and Coupon appeared to inhibit total weed number

In the present study, activated carbon supported metal oxides was prepared for thiophene removal from model fuel (Thiophene in n-hexane) using adsorptive desulfurization technique. Commercial activated carbon was loaded individually with copper oxide in the form of Cu₂O/AC. A comparison of the kinetic and isotherm models of the sorption of thiophene from model fuel was made at different operating conditions including adsorbent dose, initial thiophene concentration and contact time. Various adsorption rate constants and isotherm parameters were calculated. Results indicated that the desulfurization was enhanced when copper was loaded onto activated carbon surface. The highest desulfurization percent for Cu₂O/AC and o

Rehabilitation robotics has developed into an interdisciplinary field which uses mechanical design and control theory and optimization techniques together with information technologies to create better recovery results for people who suffer from motor disabilities. The present review assesses rehabilitation robotics research through engineering application studies which use more than 120 peer-reviewed articles published between 2014 and 2024. The discussion covers four main areas which include control strategies that start from basic PID methods and extend to sophisticated adaptive and intelligent control systems. The study utilizes bio-inspired and metaheuristic optimization methods to enhance system functionality and develop control paths

The antagonism of the rhizospheric bacteria toward pathogenic fungi Macrophomina phaseolina was investigated. Ten soil samples were collected from the rhizospheric zone around Cowpea root (Vignaunguiculata L.). These samples were used as the source of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and rhizobacterial isolates. Twenty-five bacteria were isolated and evaluated as an antagonistic agent against pathogenic fungi. M. phaseolina was isolated from infected roots of Cowpea and used as a pathogen. Twenty-five bacteria were isolated and evaluated as an antagonistic agent against pathogenic fungi. M. phaseolina was isolated from infected roots of Cowpea and used as a pathogen. The synergistic effect between A. siccitolerans and (AMF) Glomusmosseae,

Now-a-days the Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) technology is very effective in improving the power flow along the transmission lines and makes the power system more flexible and controllable. This paper deals with the most robust type of FACTS devices; it’s a Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC). Many cases have been taken to study how the system behaves in the presence and absence of the UPFC under normal and contingency conditions. The UPFC is a device that can be used to improve the bus voltage, increasing the loadability of the line and reduce the active and reactive power losses in the transmission lines, through controlling the flow of real and reactive power. Both the magnitude and the phase angle of th

Background: Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease that affects the supporting tissues of the teeth; Smoking is an important risk factor for periodontitis induces alveolar bone loss and cause an imbalance between bone resorption and bone deposition. The purpose of this study is to detect and compare the presence of incipient periodontitis among young smokers and non-smokers by measuring the distance between cement-enamel junction and alveolar crest (CEJ-Ac) using Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT). Material and methods: The total sample composed of fifty two participants, thirty one smokers and twenty one non-smokers (age range 14-22 years). Periodontal parameters: plaque index (PLI), gingival index (GI) were recorded for all teeth exc

The effective insulation design of the stress grading (SG) system in form-wound stator coils is essential for preventing partial discharges and excessive heat generation under pulse-width modulation excitation. This paper proposes a method to find the optimal insulation design of the SG system aimed at reducing the dielectric and thermal stresses in the machine coil. The non-uniform transmission line model is used to predict the voltage propagation along the overhang, SG, and slot regions considering the variation in the physical properties of the insulation layers. The machine coil parameters for different insulation materials are calculated by using the finite element method. Two optimization algorithms, fmincon and particle swarm optimiz

The synthesis and properties of two new series of compounds having 1,3-Oxazepineand 1,3-thiazole rings connected through azo linkage are reported. These compounds weresynthesized by the reaction of phthalic anhydride with Schiff bases. The molecular structuresof these compounds were verified by elemental analysis, FTIR and 1HNMR spectroscopy.The mesomorphic behaviors of these compounds were studied by optical polarizedmicroscopy (OPM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). All compounds of the twoseries show liquid crystalline properties. The influence of the central oxazepine and thiazolerings and the terminal substituents on the type and temperature range of the mesomorphousproperties of these compounds has been elucidated