Globalisation and rapid environmental change have created many challenges for public and private organisations across Iraq as a developing country, particularly in the higher education sector. This includes, for example, decreases in government funding; increased demand for higher education; a need for economic transformation, and related competitiveness of organizations. Such challenges require exceptional leaders and strategic planning in order to take action to improve. In Iraq, the higher education sector is still one of the main foundations in progressing the knowledge economy. Studies into leadership style, strategic planning processes, and the importance of leadership and organisational culture to an organisation’s success have been used to assist both public and private Iraqi colleges in responding to the challenges they face. Although, some studies have examined the interaction between leadership and strategic planning, and leadership and organisational success, there has been no empirical study that has investigated how these three variables interact together. Thus, this study aimed, firstly, to identify the current leadership styles and strategic planning processes in the colleges and the challenges they faced, and to gain an understanding from the perspective of the senior leaders themselves as to how they might best respond to the current situation. Secondly, based on the participants’ experiences, knowledge and perceptions, the study aimed to identify implications for both practice and policy to help improve the colleges’ outcomes. The study involved a mixed-methods approach and was conducted in two stages. During the first stage, the researcher gathered quantitative data by administering a survey package to 129 leaders (deans, associate deans, and heads of departments) across both public and private colleges in the capital city of Baghdad. During the second stage, the researcher gathered qualitative data to more deeply explore the survey results by conducting individual interviews with a sub-sample of 21 leaders from both college types (ten public and 11 private). In the data analyses stages, both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were applied to compiling tables and charts, and to test hypotheses, by employing the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Microsoft Excel, and NVivo. The results of study showed that both transformational and transactional leadership styles played a varied and vital role in the colleges’ strategic planning processes, and in turn their success. The fact that private colleges were ‘for profit’ and public colleges were ‘not for profit’, as well as their contrasting funding models, highlighted key differences between the two college types’ leadership and general modus operandi. While it was found that both transformative leadership and transactional leadership styles were necessary to address the challenges colleges faced in the Iraqi educational context, the impetus for change extended far beyond the need for professional development of leaders. The embracing of information communication technologies, and reliable Internet was seen as necessary in all aspects of the colleges’ work and provision for teaching and learning, and students’ success. This applied to both college types along with the need for closer adherence to government regulations and more focused government coordination of colleges’ administrative functions. Furthermore, implications for making successful improvements to practice also identified the need to manage the challenge of sociocultural influences on the appointments and promotions of leaders. It was concluded that a greater emphasis on teamwork and provision of incentives for staff, along with a ‘boost’ to pedagogy and practice, which could be provided through the adoption of information communication technologies and appropriate professional development strategies, would enhance the colleges’ ranks and the status of their qualifications. Also, theoretically, the study offers a value-add to leadership, strategic planning process, and organisational success literature in the form of a conceptual model that links these variables in the context of Iraqi higher education sector.
Diabetic nephropathy is characterized by persistent microalbuminuria and metabolic changes that decline renal functions. Researchers have been prompted to explore new biomarkers such as KIM-1 and nephrin that may enhance the identification of disease. Objective: To Evaluate biomarker levels of kidney injury molculre-1 (KIM-1) concentration and nephrin as early and sensitive markers of nephropathy in type 2 diabetic patients. Method: One hundred T2DM patients were included in a cross-sectional study at the specialized center for endocrinology and diabetes, Baghdad. The first group includes 50 diabetic nephropathy (DN) patients, and the second group includes 50 T2DM patients without DN. Biochemical and clinical parameters were reported for pa
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Eye loss may be caused as a result of eye trauma, accidents, or malignant tumors, which leads the patient to undergo surgery to remove the damaged parts. This research examines the potential of computer vision represented by Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry in fabricating the orbital prosthesis as a noninvasive and low-cost technique. A low-cost camera was used to collect the data towards extracting the dense 3D data of the patient facial features following Structure from Motion-Multi View Stereo (SfM-MVS) algorithms. To restore the defective orbital, a Reverse Engineering (RE) based approach has been applied using the similarity RE algorithms based on the opposite healthy eye to rehabilitate the defected orbital precisely
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Objective: The study aimed to identify the adolescents' fast foods and snacks, and find out the relationship between fast
food, snacks and adolescents' demographic data (gender and Body Mass Index). Methodology: A descriptive study
was conducted on impact of fast foods and snacks upon adolescents' Body Mass Index in secondary schools at Baghdad
city, starting from 20
th of April 2013 to the end of October 2014. Non- probability (purposive) sample of 1254
adolescents were chosen from secondary schools of both sides of Al-Karkh and Al-Russafa sectors. Data was collected
through a specially constructed questionnaire format include (12) items multiple choice questions. The validity of the
questionnaire was determined thr
In addition to its basic communicative function, language can be used to imply information that is not actually stated, i.e. addressers do not always state exactly (or directly) what they mean. Such instances fall within the domain of pragmatics in that they have to do with how addressers use language to communicate in a particular situation by implication rather than by direct statement. The researcher attempts to demonstrate that the beauty and the multiple layers of meaning in poetry can be better explored if the addressee looks at the lines from a pragmatic perspective in search for implied meaning. There are many devices that can convey implied meaning in poetry, among which are 'rhetorical', 'figurative' or 'literary' devices. But
... Show MoreFumonisin B1 (FB1) is a mycotoxin produced in some grains (mainly corn) by Fusarium species. Due to a structural similarity between FB1 and sphinganine, sphingolipids metabolism is inhibited. Such inhibition plays a critical role in cell to cell singling and structure of lipoprotein; therefore FB1 has been suggested to have a relationship with human and animal cancer. This research is planned to study the effect of FB1 on male mice at two doses (20 and 30 µg/ ml) on the expression of TGF-β1 and p16 in liver cells. Three groups of Swiss albino male mice; each group was orally administrated with FB1 toxin as the following: normal saline (control group); 20 and 30 µg/ ml. All groups were sacrificed after two weeks of oral manage
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Soil 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
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Objective: To assess mothers' knowledge and practices concerning cholera and their relationship with some
sociodemographic characteristics of those mothers.
Methodology: A sample of (100) mother was selected through a convenience sample for the period of July First
through August 31 2007 '؛
. Data were collected through interview of mothers were visiting PHC centers by using
of constructed questionnaire developed by the researcher that contains (31) item. Reliability and Validity of the
tool were determined through pilot study. A descriptive and inferential statistical approaches were used for data
analysis.
Results: The study indicated that mothers’ knowledge and practices concerning cholera were unacceptable
Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae were considered as normal flora of skin, and intestine. It can cause damage to human lungs; the danger of this bacterium is related to exposure to the hospital surroundings. materials and methods: the detection of Klebsiella pneumoniae on morphological and biochemical tests and then assured with VITEK 2 system. Resistance to antibiotics was determined by Kirby-Baeur method. And genotyping of IMP-1 in isolates was done by PCR technique, then biofilm formation was identified by Micro titer plate method. Results: The present study included a collecting of 50 specimens from different clinical specimens, (blood 40%, urine 30%, sputum 20%, wound infection 10%); 10 isolates were identified as K
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Female infection with HPV (human papilla virus) has been established as an essential cause of CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia). The danger of transformation from CIN to frank malignancy should be considered. Objective: The goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of CO2 laser vaporization of ectocervical lesion high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HGSIL). Patients and Methods: Four Female out of 150 affected with HGSIL lesions were submitted to CO2 laser vaporization and followed up in 4 months later, and 10 women with HGSIL lesion submitted to electrocautery diathermy for the comparison. Results: Among women treated by CO2 laser vaporization, 3 women had negative results (clear cervix), at 4 months follow up; o
... Show MoreThis work dealt with separation of naphthenic hydrocarbons from non-naphthenic hydrocarbons and in particular concerns an improved process for increasing the naphthenes concentration in naphtha, The separation was examined using adsorption by Y and B zeolite in a fixed bed process. The concentration of naphthenes in the influent and effluent streams was determined using PONA classification. The effect of different operating variables such as feed flow rate (2- 4 L/hr); bed length (50 - 80 cm) on the adsorption capacity of Y and zeolite was studied. Increasing the bed length lead to increase the naphthenes concentration, and increasing the flow rate lead to decrease in the concentration of naphthenes, It was found that the decrease
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