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.
Antioxidant status imbalance and inflammatory process are cooperative events involved in type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to investigate superoxide dismutase as a potential biomarkers of antioxidant imbalance, matrix-metaloprotinase-9, and interleukin -18 as biomarkers of inflammation in serum and to estimate the effects of other confounding factors gender, age and finally measuring the relation among the interested biomarkers.
This case - control study included 50 patients, and 45 of healthy subjects matched age –gender were also enrolled in this study as a control group. The focused  
... Show MoreObjective:This study involved synthesis of a new series of different five-membered heterocyclic derivatives, testing their antioxidant activity, and examining their potential in vitro antimicrobial agents. Methods: The synthesis of the derivatives involved a three-step process. Initially, succinyl chloride was reacted with methanol, followed by a reaction with 80% hydrazine hydrate through a nucleophilic addition-elimination mechanism, resulting in the formation of succinohydrazide (I). This compound was then employed as a precursor for the synthesis of Schiff bases (II), and (III) by reacting it with m-nitro benzaldehyde and p-nitro benzaldehyde. Following this, a ring closure reaction was applied using thioglycolic acid, glycolic acid,
... Show More8-hydroxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is considered as an indicator of the oxidative stress. Pro inflammatory cytokines are critical parts of the pathophysiological processes to which treatment can be applied. The aim of this study was to evaluate 8-OHdG and pro inflammatory cytokines concentration in colon carcinoma patients. Blood samples were taken before treatment from 50 incident cases with colon cancer (stage III) admitted for health examination at the Nanakali Hospital in Erbil city with 45 healthy samples of controls with age range between 38-69 years for both groups. All studied parameters were estimated by ELISA. Participants at this study were 95 Participants ranged in age from 38 to 69 years, 50 Participants had been newly diagnosed wi
... Show MoreThe current study was carried out to investigate the correlation of gene expressions of ADA1 and ADA2 genes with the development of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) in a sample of Iraqi females. One hundred patients with AITD and 80 controls were included. Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT–PCR) was utilized for investigation of ADA1 and ADA2 gene expression among patients and controls. The correlation of age and body mass index (BMI) with AITD occurrence comparing with controls was studied. Based on the results of this study, there is high expression level of ADA1 and ADA2 genes in patients compared with healthy controls; also, the gene expression fold (2-ΔΔCT) of ADA1 and ADA2 among AITD patients was recorded and a
... Show MoreThis study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of 6 isolates of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Trichoderma harzianum and there combination against Fusarium tomato wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum F.sp. Lycopersisi under green house condition .The isolates of bacteria (B3) and Trichoderma (T1) were found to be highly effective in reducing the disease incidence to 13.3% , 21% respectively , compared to control treatment (40%).Furthermore, disease severity was reduced to 28 and 30% respectively in comparison to control (90%) .Colonization of the roots (cfu /g fresh root weight )by the two isolates whether alon or together was extremely high . The combination treatment had a high ability in reducing disease incidenece and sev
... Show MoreNew membrane electrodes for determination of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride were prepared depending on ciprofloxacin hydrochloride - phosphotungstic acid (CFH-PT) as an active material and these electrodes were made with three plasticizers: Di-octylphenylphosphonate(DOPH), Di-butyl phosphate (DBP)Tri-n-butyl phosphate(TBP), in PVC matrix. One of the ciprofloxacin electrodes was gave Nernstian slope equal to 57.21 mV/ decade for DOPH membrane with concentration range from 1.5×10-5 to1.0×10-1 M, and detection limit equal to 1.5×10-6 M .Lifetime was 93 days. Non- Nernstian responses equal to 39.40 and 30.70 mV/ decade for membranes DBP, TBP, respectively. These electrodes were gave concentration range from 1.0× 10-5 to 1.0×10-2 and from 4.0
... Show MoreBackground: The relation between insulin resistance ,leptin levels and other hormones in women with polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS) is still controversial.Metformin therapy is proved effective in reducing insulin resistance and also in some studies it was seen to be effective in reducing leptin levels.
Al- Kindy Col Med J 2012 ; Vol .8 No. (2) p: 65
Objective: to study the effect of metformin on reducing leptin levels and enhancing ovulation in PCOS women.
Methods:metformin 500mg 3 times daily for 3 months was was given to 36 women
with proved PCOS, in addition to that, other parameters were included.
Results:28 women out of 36(77.78%) showed an evidence of ovulation ovulation after 3 months of metformin therapy(p<0.01)
Background Radiotherapy is one of the main modalities in the management of cancer along with chemotherapy and surgery. Despite its great benefit it has many side effects on many systems and organs including the skin. Objective To record the frequency, grades and types of acute cutaneous side effect in patients with pelvic tumors treated with radiotherapy, in order to report the risk factors and to find appropriate strategies for prevention and management. Patient and methods. Methods A prospective observational study was carried out in Baghdad Radiation and Nuclear Medicine Centre between August 2020 and August 2021.A total 70 patients were enrolled in this study.All patients had full history and full baseline skin exam and were ass
... Show MoreThis work presents the modeling of the electrical response of monocrystalline photovoltaic module by using five parameters model based on manufacture data-sheet of a solar module that measured in stander test conditions (STC) at radiation 1000W/m² and cell temperature 25 . The model takes into account the series and parallel (shunt) resistance of the module. This paper considers the details of Matlab modeling of the solar module by a developed Simulink model using the basic equations, the first approach was to estimate the parameters: photocurrent Iph, saturation current Is, shunt resistance Rsh, series resistance Rs, ideality factor A at stander test condition (STC) by an ite
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