High tunnels, or unheated plastic greenhouses, are becoming increasingly popular among organic vegetable growers across the United States. However, the intensive production typical of these systems presents soil health challenges, including salinization due to high fertilizer or compost inputs coupled with lack of rainfall to leach salts. Legume cover crops may improve soil health in high tunnels by reducing the need for external inputs, while adding organic matter. We tested the soil health effects of a winter hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) cover crop used to replace fertilizer N in an organic tomato cropping system in high tunnels. Studies were replicated across three sites differing in climate and soil type (Kansas, Kentucky, and Minnesota) over three years. We measured vetch cover crop effects on a suite of soil health indicators, including potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN), permanganate oxidizable carbon, and microbial biomass. Preliminary results suggest that vetch effects on PMN were highly variable. Soil mineral N, meanwhile, was often lower in the vetch treatment than in a fertilized control, both in spring and in fall. While further work on vetch effects on crop yields is needed, our results suggest that even legume cover crops such as vetch have the potential to reduce nitrate leaching.
Background: Smoking is considering a major risk factor for development and progression of periodontal disease. Investigations regarding the association between smoking and periodontal disease have consistently demonstrated negative periodontal effects and greater probabilities of established periodontal disease among smokers in comparison with non smokers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of smoking on periodontal health status and on the salivary levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK), and to correlate the clinical parameters of periodontal health with the biochemical findings in smokers and non-smokers. Materials and methods: Unstimulated saliva sample was collected
... Show MoreVarious heavy metals, cations and anions of the Tigris River water in Baghdad regionwere studied during the winter, spring, summer and autumn of 2009, for 4 samplingsites. In the present investigation the levels of studied heavy metals, cations and anionswere found in the range of (0.011-0.333 mg/L) for As, in the water samples(undetectable-0.0043 mg/L) for Sb,( 0.011-0.080 mg/L) for Ti, (0.150-0.730 mg/L) forV, (0.01-1.06 mg/L) for Fe, (0.1-0.4 mg/L) for Zn, (0.011-0.15 mg/L) for Pb, (0.01-0.05mg/L) for Cd, (0.01-0.04 mg/L) for Ni, (50-290 mg/L) for Ca, (97-270 mg/L) for Mg,(0.65-1.74 mg/L) for K, (11-38.33) for Na, (35-113 mg/L) for Cl, (150-256 mg/L) forHCO3, (96-479 mg/L) for SO4, (0.93-3.9 mg/L) for NO3 and (undetectable - 0.360 mg/L)f
... Show MoreObjectives: This study aimed to identify and study most properties of the specific and general health-related
quality-of-life (HRQoL) in prostate cancer patients, as well as creating a new measurement scale for assessing QoL
among prostate cancer patients.
Methodology: A cross sectional (descriptive) study was conducted to evaluate General Quality of life in patients
with prostate cancer. A sample of 100 prostate cancer patients from Al-Amal National hospital for cancer
management and Oncology Center in Baghdad Medical City. This study applied format of General World Health
Organization Quality of Life-BERF questionnaire. The methods used descriptive statistics to evaluate the General
QoL-Improvements, as well as inf
Abstract
Objective(s): To evaluate housekeeping services staff work environment and their health status, as well as to determine the impact of the work environment upon their health status.
Methodology: A descriptive design is employed throughout the present study to evaluate housekeeping services staff work environment and their health status, as well as to determine the impact of the work environment upon their health status from November 3rd 2017 to June 30th 2018. A purposive “nonprobability” sample of (101) housekeeping staff is selected for the present study. An instrument is constructed for the purpose of the study and it is consists of (2) parts: (I) Evaluation of work environment, and (II) Evaluation of housekeeping st
Objective: evaluation of Acute Flaccid Paralysis Surveillance (AFP) System's Structure at Al-Russafa Health directorate in Baghdad City. Methodology: descriptive study using evaluation approach conducted to measure the efficiency of AFP Surveillance System structure for period from November 27th 2014 to June 30th 2015. The study adopted the non-probability multi-stage sampling approach. As nineteen health facilities under surveillance are chosen and interview is conducted with a total of 50 health worker how are involved in the AFP Surveillance System. The data are gathered from sample by using question
Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the occupational health hazards that face health care providers in Sulaimani City.
Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted utilizing quantitative data collection methods. It involved 159 respondents including Physicians, Pharmacists, Medical assistants, Laboratory Instructors and Nurses who worked in 8 major health facilities in Sulaimani city, Kurdistan region, Iraq.
Results: Nurses were the most susceptible group to sharp related injuries 13.84%, cuts and wounds 10.69% than the others and they were more experiencing verbal abuse in the workplace 15%. Laboratory instructors represent the most exposed group
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Breast cancer is the most diagnosed form of malignant tumour in Iraqi women. Tamoxifen and trastuzumab are highly effective adjuvant therapy for breast cancer.
This study's objectives were to define the patient's belief in tamoxifen or trastuzumab when used as adjuvant therapy and to determine the variation in belief between the two medications in a sample of Iraqi breast cancer patients.
The cross-section survey was conducted using the BMQ-Specific questionnaire. Ninety-seven participants (sixty-seven tamoxifen, thirty trastuzumab) participated in this study.
The mean of specific-necessity scale for tamoxifen was (3.7) and for trastuzumab (4). The findings showed a high necessity for both medicines, and there wer
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(5)
In this study, concentrations of radon were measured for seventeen samples of soil distributed in three Sulphuric Spring, in addition to other regions as a background in Hit City in AL-Anbar Governorate. The radon concentrations in soil samples measured by using alpha-emitters registration that emits from radon (222Rn) in (CR-39) track detector. The concentrations values were calculated by a comparison with standard samples. The results show that the radon concentrations in first spring varies from (258.253- 347.762 Bq/m3), second spring (230.374-305.209 Bq/m3), third spring (292.002-336.023 Bq/m3) and the average radon concentration in other regions (187.821 Bq/m3). As a conclusion of the study radon concentration in Sulphuric Spring is r
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