Effects of Selected Soil and Water Conservation Structures on Soil Physiochemical Properties, Lemo Woreda, Southern Ethiopia

Soil erosion is now almost universally recognized as a serious threat to man's well-being, if not his very existence. As a result, we assessed the soil physicochemical properties of two possible levels of soil bund and fanya juu. RCBD with three replications was used to collect soil samples from each soil conservation structure. Five composite soil samples were collected from each soil structure based on slop (0-30cm). Soil physicochemical properties such as erosion index, dispersion ratio, and erodibility proportionality ratio were investigated. The effect of different soil structure levels revealed that soil properties differed significantly (P≤0.05) for all parameters studied. The control plots had significantly higher (P≤0.05) dispersion ratio, erosion indexes, and erodibility proportionality than the soils treated by the level bund and level Fanya juu structures. On the control plot, this result showed lower clay content and higher sand content. The level of soil bund and fanya juu had a significant (P≤0.05) effect on soil OC, CEC, OM, and TN, as well as available phosphorous and potassium. As a result, all related soil properties show a positive relative change when the level of soil bund and fanya juu is compared to the control plot. Aside from this result, the dynamic natures of the sciences compel us to conduct additional research based on the agro-ecological zones of the study area.

Effect of Co-Solvent Percentages on the Exfoliation Rate of NiTe2 Thin Film for Transparent Electrodes

We attempted to maximize the transmittance of 2D NiTe2 thin film using the liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) process to confirm the applicability of NiTe2 as a transparent electrode. The LPE process, using a co-solvent of organic solvent and water, is a stable and efficient method of increasing transmittance at low cost. In this report, the effect of 12 different co-solvents, mixtures of acetone, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, and water, on exfoliation rate was studied. NiTe2 thin film with a thickness of 6.3 nm prepared by sputtering, and exhibited a highest transmittance of 68% and a lowest resistivity of 291 μΩ·cm after 12 hrs sonication in ethanol/water co-solvent (ethanol : water = 60 : 40 vol. %). Three physical properties, polarization and dispersion ratio (p/d ratio), boiling point, and water contents, were compared to determine which property was the main control factor for the LPE process. Unlike previous LPE processes for powders of 2D materials, it was revealed that the improvement in the transmittance of the NiTe2 thin film was more strongly dependent on both of vol.% of water and boiling point of the solvents. This was because the transmittance improved after removing the NiTe2 thin film from the substrate, rather than layer by layer exfoliation. We believe that NiTe2 thin film prepared by sputtering followed by exfoliation process can be one of the potential candidates for transparent electrode.

Extreme kinematic misalignment in IllustrisTNG galaxies: the origin, structure, and internal dynamics of galaxies with a large-scale counterrotation

ABSTRACT We provide an in-deep analysis of 25 galaxies with substantial counterrotation from IllustrisTNG100 simulations in the stellar mass range 2×109−3×1010 M⊙. The counterrotation is a result of an external gas infall ≈2–8 Gyr ago. The infall leads to the removal of pre-existing gas, which is captured and mixed together with the infalling component. This mixture ends up in the counterrotating gaseous disc where ${\approx}90{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of counterrotating stars formed in-situ. During the early phases of the infall, gas can be found in extended structures which, in some galaxies, are similar to (nearly-) polar ring-like components. We suggest that the AGN activity does not cause the counterrotation, although it is efficiently triggered by the retrograde gas infall, and it correlates well with the misaligned component appearance. We also find the vertical-to-radial velocity dispersion ratio above unity implying the importance of misalignment in shaping the velocity ellipsoids.

A proposal of methodology to analyze platoon dispersion at signalized crosswalk considering pedestrian demand and crosswalk length

Understanding pedestrian platoon dispersion at signalized crosswalk is essential not only for improving pedestrian safety but also for estimating pedestrian crossing time requirement. This paper proposed platoon dispersion ratio (PDR) as an index to analyse the effects pedestrian demand and crosswalk length upon pedestrian platoon dispersion at signalized crosswalk. The result shows that the heavier pedestrian demand usually corresponds to greater platoon dispersion. Regarding the influence of crosswalk length, it is revealed that the dispersion tends to increase as the crosswalk length increases

Evaluation of erodibility indices and soil properties affected by land-use types in Mbano, south-east Nigeria

Soil erosion has been at the forefront of the degradation of soils under different land-use types in southeast Nigeria. Hence, this research aimed to determine the erodibility of the soils under different land-use types in Mbano. The four land-use types selected were oil palm plantation (OP), cassava farm (CF), pineapple orchard (PO) and plantain plantation (PP). However, clay dispersion ratio (CDR), clay dispersion index (CDI) and clay flocculation index (CFI) were the erodibility indices used. A total of 5 composite samples were collected randomly from each type of the land-uses at a depth of 0-20 cm using the free survey. The samples were subjected to laboratory analysis. Data generated were analyzed statistically using a completely randomized design of analyses of variance (ANOVA) and correlation. CDR had an increasing order of 47.9% <48.16% <51.49% <56.24% for soils under CF, PP, PO and OP, while CDI had 36.44%, 29.06%, 40.96% and 49.04% for soils under OP, CF, PO and PP land uses. CFI had 63.62%, 71.24%, 59.14% and 50.96% for soils under OP, CF, PO and PP, respectively. The ANOVA indicated that studied erodibility indices had no significant difference (p=0.05) among the soils under the different land-uses. The research will unite farmers and other land-users in adopting only good conservation practices that will aid the sustainability of the area.

Assessment of the Role of Different Soil Properties on Crust Strength by Linear Regression Models

Soil crust strength influences seedling emergence, penetration and morphology of plant roots, and, consequently, crop yields. A study was carried out to assess the role of different soil properties on crust strength atHisar, Haryana, India. The soil samples from 0-5 and 5-15 cm depths were collected from 21 locations from farmer’s fields, having a wide range of texture.Soil propertieswere evaluated in the laboratory and theirinfluence on the modulus of rupture (MOR), which is the measure of crust strength, was evaluated.The MOR of texturally different soils was significantly correlated with saturated hydraulic conductivity at both the depths. Dispersion ratio was found to decrease with an increase in fineness of the texture of soil and the lowest value was recorded in silty clay loam soil,which decreased with depth. The modulus of rupture was significantly negatively correlative with the dispersion ratio.There was no role of calcium carbonate in influencing the values of MOR of soils. Similarly,the influence of pH, EC and SAR of soil solution on MOR was non-significant.A perusal of thevalues of the correlations between MOR and different soil properties showed that the MOR of soils of Haryana are positively correlated with silt + clay (r = 0.805) followed by water-stable aggregates (r = 0.774), organic carbon (r = 0.738), silt (r = 0.711), mean weight diameter (r = 0.608) and clay (r = 0.593) while negatively correlated with dispersion ratio (r = - 0.872), sand (r = -0.801) and hydraulic conductivity (r = -0.752) of soils.

Predictive assessment of the association of dermatoglyphic indicators with indicators of personality traits, established by factor analysis

According to modern scientific literature, specific dermatoglyphic signs can be diagnostic markers of a person’s mental state. The purpose of the work is to identify the association of dermatoglyphic indicators with personality characteristics of practically healthy men of Ukraine. From the data bank of the materials of the research center of National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsya were taken the primary dermatoglyphic and questionnaires indicators of personality characteristics of 92 practically healthy men in the third generation residents of Vinnitsya, Khmelnytsky, part of Ternopil and Zhytomyr regions. Processing of dermatoglyphs was performed according to the method of Cummins H. and Midlo Ch. (1961) in the statement by Gladkova T.D. (1966). For objective evaluation of personality traits of practically healthy men, a number of leading indicators were determined, which included a number of properties of temperament (according to Eysenck), anxiety (according to Spielberger), accentuated personality traits (according to Shmishek), motivational orientation of personality (by Rotter), as well as the peculiarities of psycho-emotional organization of personality, aggressiveness, the level of distribution of asthenic and depressive personality manifestations (by the color test of Luscher), which were determined on the basis of personal use personality questionnaires and test methods. Factor analysis was performed in the “Statistica 6.1” license package. The main factors that indicate the association of personality traits of practically healthy men with some dermatoglyphic indicators are identified: “ridge count of fingers” (dispersion ratio – 13.22%) and “the magnitude of the angle atd” (dispersion ratio – 10.66%). Analysis of the obtained relationships of the interdependence of indicators of personality characteristics with dermatoglyphic indicators showed that with increasing indicators of ridge counts of the fingers and the delta index the degree of probability of growth of indicators of neuroticism according to Eysenck, situational and personal anxiety according to Spielberger, the accentuation of the character of the emotional and arousing types by Shmishek, subjective control in the field of health and illness according to Rotter, black and gray color by Luscher decreases, and the indicators of the accentuation of the character of the anxious and demonstrative types by Shmishek, the overall internality of the level of subjective control in the field of educational (professional) relations according to Rotter, blue and blue-green color by Luscher – is increasing. As the magnitude of the angle atd increases on both hands, the degree of likelihood of growth of neuroticism according to Eysenck, situational and personal anxiety according to Spielberger, accentuation of the character of the emotional, anxious and arousing types by Shmishek, blue color by Luscher increase, and indicators of accentuation of the character of the demonstrative type according to Shmishek, the general internality of the level of subjective control, in the field of educational (professional) relations and in the field of health and illness according to Rotter, blue-green, black and gray color according to Luscher – decrease. The use of factor analysis has allowed to determine the most significant correlation of indicators of personality characteristics with dermatoglyphic indicators.