The Iraqi marshes are considered the most extensive wetland ecosystem in the Middle East and are located in the middle and lower basin of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers which create a wetlands network and comprise some shallow freshwater lakes that seasonally swamped floodplains. Al-Hawizeh marsh is a major marsh located east of Tigris River south of Iraq. This study aims to assess water quality through water quality index (WQI) and predict Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) concentrations in Al-Hawizeh marsh based on artificial neural network (ANN). Results showed that the WQI was more than 300 for years 2013 and 2014 (Water is unsuitable for drinking) and decreased within the range 200-300 in years 2015 and 2016 (Very poor water). The developed ANN mode gave a high correlation coefficient reaching 0.927 for the prediction of TDS from the model and showed high levels of TDS in Al-Hawizeh marsh that pose threats to people using the marsh for drinking and other uses. The dissolved Oxygen concentration has the highest importance of 100% in the model because the water of the marsh is fresh water, while Turbidity had the lowest importance.
The antimicrobial potency of the crude ethanolic extracts from different Iraqi plants were evaluated . Further more, total sesquiterpene lactones and phenolic compounds were isolated and their antimicrobial activity attempted. The results indicated that crude extracts have no activity except that of Callistemon lanceolatus. Also, the sesquiterpene lactones and phenolic compounds isolated from Callistemon lanceolatus were the most significant antimicrobial active constituents of the studied plants.
Free radicals are reactive compounds, their excessive production is considered to be an important cause of oxidative damage in biomolecules causing degenerative diseases. Polyphenols are one of the most important groups of secondary metabolites of plants, which have an antioxidant activity depending on their properties as hydrogen donors. Echinops polyceras Boiss. (Asteraceae) is one of Echinops genus species that spread in Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. Phytochemicals found in this species leaves have been extracted with gradient polarity solvents, and primary screening of the secondary metabolites was established. The phenolic compounds and flavonoids contents were determined. The free radicals scavenging act
... Show MoreSoil suction is one of the most important parameters describing the moisture condition of unsaturated soils. The measurement of soil suction is crucial for applying the theories of the engineering behavior of unsaturated soils.
The filter paper method is one of the soil suction measurement techniques In this paper, five soil samples were collected from five sites within Baghdad city – al-Rasafa region. These soils have different properties and they were prepared at different degrees of saturation. For each sample, the total and matric suction were measured by the filter paper method at different degrees of saturation. Then correlations were made between the soil properties and the total and matric suction. It was concluded that the
As population growth increases the demand for crops increases and their quality improves, and it becomes necessary to find innovative and modern solutions to enhance production. In this context, artificial intelligence plays a pivotal role in developing new technologies to improve crop sorting and increase agricultural yields. The present review discusses the main differences between manual and mechanical potato harvesting, explaining the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Manual harvesting is highlighted as a traditional method that allows for greater precision in handling the crop, but it requires more time and effort. In contrast, mechanical harvesting provides greater efficiency and speed in the process, but it may damage some
... Show MoreWater supply projects (WSP) requires high plan information, specialized capabilities, capable human resources, and high administrative capacity. However, in the developing countries, particularly in Iraq, these projects experience a lack of a large number of these necessities, which shows the need to identify the critical success factors (CSFs). Accordingly, the objectives of this research are to investigate the CSFs for WSP and their significance among the construction (public and private) and education sectors. To achieve this, first we have carried out a comprehensive literature review of the CSFs for WSP. Second, we administrated a questionnaire survey to 260 construction experts
In this study, a total of 209 individuals of leeches were collected from Al-Hindyia River / Babil Province. 116 individuals were identified as Erpobdella octaculata (Linnaeus, 1758), 50 individuals as Erpobdella punctata (Leidy,1870) and 43 individuals as Hemiclepsis marginata (Müller, 1774). Four samples were collected monthly during a period from February to June 2018. Some physical and chemical water properties were also examined, including air and water temperature, potential of hydrogen pH, Electrical Conductivity EC, Total Dissolved Solid TDS, Dissolved Oxygen DO, and the Biological Oxygen Demand BOD₅. Air and water temperature were r
... Show MoreFood fortification has an important and necessary role in compensating for the shortage of nutritional micronutrients, especially in developing and least developed countries. So, 12 samples of flour available in the local market, whether imported or locally produced flour, were obtained during 2019. The amount of base metal of the necessary iron element in the flour models studied which are available in local markets, measured by spot testing and was compared with the values that should be added according to the specification Iraqi standard. Results revealed the qualitative evaluation of iron in locally produced flour does not conform to the Iraqi standard and is almost free of any reinforcement. While the percentage of imp
... Show MoreThe increasing drinking water demand in many countries leads to an increase in the use of desalination plants, which are considered a great solution for water treatment processes. Reverse osmosis (RO) and electro-dialysis (ED) systems are the most popular membrane processes used to desalinate water at high salinity. Both systems work by separating the ionic contaminates and disposing of them as a brine solution, but ED uses electrical current as a driving force while RO uses osmotic pressure. A direct comparison of reverse osmosis and electro-dialysis systems is needed to highlight process development similarities and variances. This work aims to provide an overview of previous studies on reverse osmosis and electro-dial
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