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Numbness of the Mind Paradigm in Haruki Murakami’s After the Quake and Iraq’s After the Quake
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Haruki Murakami (1949-present) is a contemporary Japanese writer whose works have been translated into fifty languages and won him plenty of Japanese and international awards. His short stories are well constructed in a weird realistic manner and are mixed with elements of surrealism. His novels and short stories fall under the genre of magical realism. One of the major revolving themes that Murakami wrote about was the haunting feeling of emptiness and disconnectedness in a world which seems to care much for materialism and self-interests.

    The paper explores two of Murakami’s short stories in his book After the Quake (2000) and the relevance of their themes and characters to Iraq after the quake. Literally, Iraq may never have witnessed a real earthquake, but one can say its metaphorical meaning has a great implication upon the lives of its people. The reference to Iraq after the quake in this paper would focus on the aftermath of the 2003 War such as: the feeling of disconnection among people, disinclination in life, feelings of deprivation and depreciation, and the corruption of leaders and politicians. Likewise, though Murakami’s short stories chosen in this paper do not deal with the actual earthquake, its implications can be felt as we read the stories. His characters witness a sense of disconnectedness and the feeling of being unappreciated even when they do the hardest and most dangerous jobs.

    Two of Murakami’s short stories “UFO in Kushiro” and “Super Frog Saves Tokyo” are tackled to show the paradigm and comparison between the lives of these characters (that are actually a reflection of Japanese lives in mid 1990s) and the restricted depressing life of the Iraqis in the postwar era of the 2003 War. Both have experienced fragmentation, despair and lack of self-worth due to the reasons that are explained in this paper. The Iraqis however, may have experienced a deeper suffering where one can say they have reached a state of the numbness or enslavement of the mind and feelings. The paper also highlights that animosity should be dissipated from the hearts of people specifically in politicians and top leaders. Though it is a complicated world, man should conceive that the prosperity of mankind rests in his own hands. Cherishing the diversity of cultures and understanding each other’s moral principles are the means to diminish evil in order to reach the desired bliss.

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Publication Date
Thu Mar 30 2017
Journal Name
Iraqi Journal Of Pharmaceutical Sciences ( P-issn 1683 - 3597 E-issn 2521 - 3512)
Hepatoprotective Effect of the Aqueous Extract of Camellia sinensis Against Methotrexate-induced Liver Damage in Rats
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Methotrexate (MTX) is a folate antagonist widely used in the treatment of neoplastic diseases; its biotransformation in the liver produced active metabolites that promote hepatotoxicity. The present study was designed to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of aqueous extract of Camellia sinensis (Green tea) against MTX-induced liver damage in rats. A model of liver injury in rats was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 20mg/kg MTX as a single dose followed by saline and 1.25% and 2.5% aqueous extract of green tea (GTE) were orally administered 7 days prior and 5 days after MTX-intoxication as a sole source of drinking water. After killing the animals, blood samples were obtained for evaluation of serum levels of alanine and

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Publication Date
Mon Mar 23 2020
Journal Name
Journal Of Engineering
The Effect of Nano Materials on Lost Circulation Control of Azkand Formation in Khabaz Oil Field
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Experimental tests were carried to control lost circulation in the Khabaz oil field using different types of LCMs including Nano-materials. A closed-loop circulation system was built to simulate the process of lost circulation into formations. Two dolomite plugs were used from different depths of the formation of Azkand in Khabaz oil field. The experimentations were carried out to study the effect of different types of LCMs, cross-linked copolymer (FLOSORB CE 300 S), SiO2 NP, and Fe2O3 NP, on mud volume losses as a function of time.

The rheological measurements of the nanoparticles-reference mud system showed that both of the SiO2 NP and Fe2O3 NP w

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Publication Date
Mon Dec 23 2019
Journal Name
Iraqi Journal Of Pharmaceutical Sciences ( P-issn 1683 - 3597 E-issn 2521 - 3512)
Inhibition of NF-kB Pathway by Gggulsterone in the Protective Effects of Cyclophosphamide-Induced Renal Toxicity
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Cyclophosphamide which acts as cytotoxic alkylating agent can induce a renal damage through the toxic metabolites which result from metabolic activation of Cyclophosphamide by cytochrome P-450 inside hepatocyte and develop renal toxicity by direct binding with cellular organelles in the urinary tract cells. Guggulsterone is a sterol derived from plant has ability to bind to farsenoid X receptor, mineral corticosteroid receptor, androgen receptor, glucocorticoid receptor and estrogen receptor.

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Publication Date
Fri Jan 01 2021
Journal Name
Clinical Epidemiology And Global Health
Association of overweight/obesity with the severity of periodontitis using BPE code in an iraqi population
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Publication Date
Sat Dec 02 2023
Journal Name
Journal Of Engineering
Numerical Simulation of Pile Group Response in Slope Layered Soil under the Effect of Seismic Loading
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This work investigates the effect of earthquakes on the stability of a collective pile subjected to seismic loads in the soil layer. Plaxis 3D 2020 finite element software modeled pile behavior in dry soils with sloping layers. The results showed a remarkable fluctuation between the earthquakes, where the three earthquakes (Halabja, El Centro, and Kobe) and the acceleration peak in the Kobe earthquake had a time of about 11 seconds. Different settlement results were shown, as different values were recorded for the three types of earthquakes. Settlement ratios were increased by increasing the seismic intensity; hence the maximum settlement was observed with the model under the effect of the Kobe earthquake (0.58 g), where

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Publication Date
Sun Jan 07 2024
Journal Name
Egyptian Journal Of Veterinary Sciences
Study the Effect of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Regeneration of Damaged Sciatic Nerve in Rabbits Model
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Publication Date
Thu Jan 01 2026
Journal Name
Journal Of Engineering
The 2D Seismic Evaluation of Petrophysical Characters of Yamama Reservoir in Nasiriyah Oil Field, Southern Iraq
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Since seismic reflection data produce comprehensive subsurface images that reveal geological structures likely to contain minerals, oil, and gas, they are essential for resource exploitation. When paired with well logs, these data enable seismic and petrophysical assessments that lower drilling risks and boost efficiency. Wireline logs from five wells and seismic coverage of the Nasiriyah oil field (Dhi-Qar Governorate), processed with Schlumberger software, were used to characterize the Yamama reservoir. Synthetic seismograms connected reservoir tops to seismic data; however, resistivity and gamma logs helped with correlation and sequence delineation. Wells' correlation described the migration routes of hydrocarbons and reservoir c

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Publication Date
Wed Jun 24 2020
Journal Name
Bulletin Of The Iraq Natural History Museum (p-issn: 1017-8678 , E-issn: 2311-9799)
A STUDY OF PHYSICAL AND ANATOMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HEAVY METAL ACCUMULATION OF JUNCUS RIGIDUS DESFONTAINES, 1798 (FAMILY, JUNCACEAE) IN BASRAH PROVINCE, SOUTHEREN OF IRAQ
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This study was carried out to determine the heavy metal accumulation of Juncus rigidus Desfontaines, 1798 from three different regions of the Basrah Province in Southern of Iraq. Specifically, the concentrations of lead, nickel, and cadmium were determined in the roots, culms and leaves of the plant. The results indicated that the highest accumulation of the heavy metal was recorded in lead (Pb) 12.50± 3.58 mg kg-1and then in nickel (< 0.30). The lowest value was recorded for cadmium (< 0.05). As well, lead concentrations in J. rigidus varied in different locations and parts of the plant from undetectable in control to 12.66, 19.33, and 9.80 mg kg-1 in leaves, culm, and roots respective

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Publication Date
Sun Jun 02 2019
Journal Name
Journal Of The College Of Languages (jcl)
The search for Sanctity and Divine Love « The Narrow Door » Andre Gide: À la recherche de la sainteté et de l’amour céleste dans « La porte étroite » d’André Gide.
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The theme of love has been and still is the interest of authors and writers for it is closely related to people’s lives. That great passion has helped them express genuine thoughts pertinent to that theme that has given rise to many debates, some are vague and others controversial. In his (strait is the gate), (La Porte étroite), André Gide has sought to shed light on his characters perspective of love and its relationship with sacredness and divine happiness. Indeed these characters have found often themselves restrained, chained and exhausted, by tough religious commands that have imposed on them spiritual commitments and duties too hard to break.

André Gide has revealed a protestant deviation from the perfection theme tha

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Publication Date
Sun Jun 30 2019
Journal Name
Journal Of The College Of Education For Women
Qualities of Life Partner from the Perspective of a Sample of University Students
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The study aims at identifying the morphological and psycho-socio-economic qualities wished to be in a life partner among a sample of Palestinian youth. The total sample was (231) and consisted of  (83) male and (148) female students. Each student presented a detailed report on the qualities he/she wished to be in life partner. The study used the descriptive approach and content analysis method. The validity and stability of the analysis were calculated. The results showed eight qualities in both groups: physical, psychological, emotional, social, intellectual, familial, economic and academic. Female students were found to have more variations than male students in terms of the qualities preferable in the life partner. Male students

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