https://www.curresweb.com/index.php/MEJAS1 <p class="w3-justify"><strong>EISSN:</strong> 2706-7947<br /><strong>ISSN:</strong> 2077-4613<br /><strong>Freqency:</strong> 4</p> <p><strong>Abbreviated key title:</strong> Middle East J. Appl. Sci.</p> <p><strong>Aims and Scope:</strong><br />Middle East Journal of Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed journal that publishes original and high-quality research papers and review articles in all areas of Applied Science.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.curresweb.com/index.php/MEJAS1/submission-guidelines">Submit your manuscript</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.curresweb.com/mejas/index.html">Previous published Issues upto December 2021</a><br />Issues Published in 2022 and afterwards are available in <strong>Archies </strong>and<strong> Current Issue</strong> links.<br /><a href="https://www.curresweb.com/index.php/MEJAS1/issue/archive">Archives</a></p> CURRENT RESEARCH WEB en-US Middle East Journal of Applied Sciences 2077-4613 https://www.curresweb.com/index.php/MEJAS1/article/view/666 <p>Metagenomics is among the main fields of contemporary molecular biology enabling the analysis of genetic material, or genomes, recovered directly from environmental samples such as soil or seawater, with no need to culture involved microorganisms. It has demonstrated greater resolution with microbial diversity and functional potential and a more comprehensive picture of microbial interactions in a range of environments such as soil, freshwater, seawater, and the human microbiome. The recent advancements in high-throughput sequencing technologies (NGS) have significantly increased the speed and variety of metagenomic applications. These applications range from investigating functional genes and nutrient cycling to exploring new compounds that may have pharmaceutical or industrial relevance. Concurrently, environmental DNA (eDNA) is a rapidly developing technique for environmental monitoring. It is both sensitive and efficient at detecting residual genetic material left by organisms in the environment. This method enables the indirect monitoring of species, including rare or low populations.</p> . . . Copyright (c) 2026 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 2026-01-30 2026-01-30 16 01 1 9 https://www.curresweb.com/index.php/MEJAS1/article/view/667 <p>This study aimed at redesigning Al-Mu’alimeen Neighborhood Park (2,500 m²) in Kirkuk City with the help of 60 park users from two different age groups: youth (15–30 years old) and children (6–12 years old). Satisfaction with available features was suboptimal in general, especially fountain (1.5/5) and playground apparatus (1.7/5). Based on the evaluation, a new design concept was developed in Garden Planner software by erasure of the fountain, introduction of native vegetation (between Ziziphus and Thymus), improvement of shaded places and optimization of walking paths. The plan also includes removing turf grass and replacing it with native groundcover plants, along with using drip irrigation, which could reduce water usage by approximately 73%. A comparison between the two designs revealed a 133% increase in shade trees and 100% rise in seating. This finding emphasizes the necessity that successful design starts with users instead of abstract technical theories. To provide greater positive support of the proposal, these were reviewed by seven agriculture and landscape designers who through their correspondence confirmed its feasibility and sustainability in semi-arid lands.&nbsp;</p> . . . Copyright (c) 2026 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 2026-02-05 2026-02-05 16 01 10 21