Recent phosphorus (P) pollution in the United States, mainly in Maine, has raised some severe concerns over the use of P fertilizer application rates in agriculture. Phosphorus is the second most limiting nutrient after nitrogen and has damaging impacts on crop yield if found to be deficient. Therefore, farmers tend to apply more P than is required to satisfy any P loss after its application at planting. Several important questions were raised in this study to improve P efficiency and reduce its pollution. The objective of this study was to find potential reasons for P pollution in water bodies despite a decrease in potato acreage. Historically, the potato was found to be responsible for P water contamination due to its high P sensitivity and low P removal (25–30 kg ha−1) from the soil. Despite University of Maine recommended rate of 56 kg ha−1 P, if soil tests reveal that P is below 50 kg ha−1, growers tend to apply P fertilizer at the rate of 182 kg ha−1 to compensate for any loss. The second key reason for excessive P application is its tendency to get fixed by aluminum (Al) in the soil. Soil sampling data from UMaine Soil Testing Laboratory confirmed that in Maine reactive Al levels have remained high over the last ten years and are increasing further. Likewise, P application to non-responsive sites, soil variability, pH change, and soil testing methods were found to be other possible reasons that might have led to increases in soil P levels resulting in P erosion to water streams.
Abstract Background: Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is an angioproliferative neoplastic disorder that occurs in different epidemiological forms. Human Herpesvirus type 8 (HHV-8) is established as a causative agent of KS that has been mentioned in textbooks and literature. In the last two decades, KS cases were up searched through many Iraqi medical researches which have been published, but unfortunately, none of which had confirmed this association. Objectives: To assess the association of latent nuclear antigen-1(LANA-1) of HHV-8 among KS patients with clinicopathological parameters and to evaluate if this procedure is valuable for diagnosing this disease through the first immunohistochemical study in Iraq. Methods: This is a clinico-immunohis
... Show More
(1)
Social determinants of health (SDH) profoundly influence diabetes outcomes; nevertheless, their impact on the Iraqi diabetic population remains under researched. The objectives of this study were To investigate the relationship between particular social determinants of health (SDH) variables namely food and housing insecurity, social support, income, and education and clinical outcomes, including HbA1c levels, medication adherence, and patient satisfaction among Iraqi diabetic patients. A cross-sectional study involving 212 diabetic patients in Iraq was conducted. Participants attending a healthcare facility in Iraq filled out validated questionnaires regarding social determinants of health, medication adherence, and satisfaction. HbA1c rea
... Show More
Traditional nursing interventions for children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) often lack active engagement and show limited improvement in motor function. Play interventions involving manipulative activities may better support motor skill development. Objectives: To evaluate the effect of structured play-based nursing interventions on hand motor skills in children with cerebral palsy. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design with a control group was used. The study was conducted at the Paediatric Welfare Hospital in Baghdad from November 25, 2024, to February 13, 2025. A non-probability sample of 79 children was identified based on the study criteria; of these, 64 children met the eligibility criteria and agreed to particip
... Show More
Background: The anterior knee pain is an important chief complaint of the patients with knee osteoarthritis due to patellofemoral pathology. The pain receptors denervation can be achieved by circumferential denervation of the patellar area by a process of electrocautery.
Objectives: The aim of current study is to assess the pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) by patelloplastywith and without circumferential denervation via electrocautery at a minimum follow up with 1 year separately for each patient.
Type of the study:Cross- sectional study.
Methods: Thirty five patients,with mean age of about (62.8) years, were enrolled in this pros
... Show More
(1)
Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the apical microleakage around retrograde cavities prepared with ultrasonic technique and filled with (Biodentineâ„¢) Materials and methods: 40 extracted single rooted human permanent maxillary teeth with mature apices were selected. The roots were prepared chemo-mechanically using k-files with crown-down technique and then obturated with lateral condensation gutta-percha technique. Teeth were divided into four main groups according to the cavity preparation method either manual or ultrasonic technique: Group A (n=10): A class I retrograde cavity at root end was prepared with traditional handpeice equipped and placement of Biodentine with manual condensation. Group B (n=10):
... Show More
(2)
Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the apical microleakage around retrograde cavities prepared with ultrasonic technique and filled with (Biodentineâ„¢) Materials and methods: 40 extracted single rooted human permanent maxillary teeth with mature apices were selected. The roots were prepared chemo-mechanically using k-files with crown-down technique and then obturated with lateral condensation gutta-percha technique. Teeth were divided into four main groups according to the cavity preparation method either manual or ultrasonic technique: Group A (n=10): A class I retrograde cavity at root end was prepared with traditional handpeice equipped and placement of Biodentine with manual condensation. Group B (n=10):
... Show More
(2)
Contamination of surface and groundwater with excessive concentrations of fluoride is of significant health hazard. Adsorption of fluoride onto waste materials of no economic value could be a potential approach for the treatment of fluoride-bearing water. This experimental and modeling study was devoted to investigate for the first the fluoride removal using unmodified waste granular brick (WGB) in a fixed bed running in continuous mode. Characterization of WGB was carried out by FT-IR, SEM, and EDX analysis. The batch mode experiments showed that they were affected by several parameters including contact time, initial pH, and sorbent dosage. The best values of these parameters that provided maximum removal percent (82%) with the in
... Show More
(19)
(11)
Mixed convection heat transfer to air inside an enclosure is investigated experimentally. The bottom wall of the enclosure is maintained at higher temperature than that of the top wall which keeps in oscillation motion, whereas the left and right walls are well insulated. The differential temperature of the bottom and top walls changed several times in order to accurately characterize the temperature distribution over a considerable range of Richardson number. Adjustable aspect ratio box was built as a test rig to determine the effects of Richardson number and aspect ratio on the flow behavior of the air inside the enclosure. The flow fields and the average Nusselt number profiles were presented in this wo
... Show MoreMicrobial Desalination Cell (MDC) is capable of desalinating seawater, producing electrical power and treating wastewater. Previously, chemical cathodes were used, which were application restrictions due to operational expenses are quite high, low levels of long-term viability and high toxicity. A pure oxygen cathode was using, external resistance 50 and 150 k Ω were studied with two concentrations of NaCl in the desalination chamber 15-25 g/L which represents the concentration of brackish water and sea water. The highest energy productivity was obtained, which amounted to 44 and 46 mW/m3, and the maximum limit for desalination of saline water was (31% and 26%) for each of 25 g / L and 15 g / L, respectively, when using an ex
... Show More
(14)
(7)
(2)
(1)