Preferred Language
Articles
/
jcolang-12
Numbness of the Mind Paradigm in Haruki Murakami’s After the Quake and Iraq’s After the Quake
...Show More Authors

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.

View Publication Preview PDF
Quick Preview PDF
Publication Date
Sun Sep 06 2009
Journal Name
Baghdad Science Journal
Study of R -molar ratio effect on the transformation of tetraethylorthosilicat precursor to gels in sol-gel technique
...Show More Authors

The effect of using different R -molar ratio under variable reaction conditions (acidic as well as basic environment and reaction temperature) have been studied. The overall experiments are driven with open and closed systems. The study shows that there is an optimum value for a minimum gelling time at R equal 2. The gelling time for all studied open system found to be shorter than in closed system. In acidic environment and when R value increased from 2 to 10, the gelling time of closed systems has increased four times than open systems at T=30 ?C and fourteen times when temperature reaction increased to 60 ?C. While in basic environment the influence of increasing R value was limited.

View Publication Preview PDF
Crossref (1)
Crossref
Publication Date
Wed Aug 30 2023
Journal Name
Al-kindy College Medical Journal
Investigating the Effect of Genetic Polymorphisms of Deiodinase Type 2 on Levothyroxine Dose Requirements in Patients with Hypothyroidism
...Show More Authors

Background: Hypothyroidism is the most abundant thyroid disorder worldwide. For decades, levothyroxine was the main effective pharmacological treatment for hypothyroidism. A variety of factors can influence levothyroxine dose, such as genetic variations. Studying the impact of genetic polymorphisms on the administration of medications was risen remarkably. Different genetic variations were investigated that might affect levothyroxine dose requirements, especially the deiodinase enzymes.  Deiodinase type 2 genetic polymorphisms’ impact on levothyroxine dose was studied in different populations. Objective: To examine the association of the two single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)s of deiodinase type 2 (rs225013 and rs225014) and le

... Show More
Scopus Crossref
Publication Date
Fri Dec 31 2021
Journal Name
Review Of International Geographical Education
Investing Organizational Identity in Improving Work Teams: An Exploratory Study of a Sample of The Capital's Traffic Directorates
...Show More Authors

The research aims to identify the role of organizational identity in improving work teams, and to suggest ways to deal with the outputs of work teams in a way that achieves the goals of the Baghdad Traffic Directorate as it is the subject of the application of the research, while the research community was represented by its officers, while the research sample was embodied in (General Director, Associate The Director General, the directors of Rusafa and Karkh traffic and their assistants, as well as the heads of the divisions and the officials of the departments) in it. The sample was (200) observations. The descriptive exploratory approach was devoted to conducting the research, relying on the questionnaire in data collection, as well as e

... Show More
View Publication Preview PDF
Publication Date
Thu Jan 01 2015
Journal Name
Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal
Immunohistochemical Study of Leydig Cells in the Testicular Interstitial Tissue of Rats Treated with Tribulus Terrestris Using P450scc.
...Show More Authors

BACKGROUND: Tribulus terrestris has been commonly used in folk medicine to energize, vitalize and improve sexual function and physical performance in men and laboratory rats. OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Tribulus terrestris on the number of Leydig cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tribulus terrestris was given to mature male rats as an oral single herbal suspension in a dose of 2.0mg /1000gbody weight for 14 days to stimulate spermatogenesis. Formalin fixed paraffinembedded tissue sections were performed for histological, immunohistochemical and morphometrical studies. RESULTS: Histological study revealed wider seminiferous tubules and increased spermatocytes population with an increased sperm density inside the lumen of the tubul

... Show More
Publication Date
Sat Aug 22 2020
Journal Name
Multicultural Education
Effect Of Using Webinar Technique On The Digital Culture Of Chemistry Students In Ibin Haitham Pure Science College
...Show More Authors

The aim of this research is to identify the effect of Webinar technique on digital culture in the College of Education for pure sciences at Ibin Haitham, University of Baghdad. The research samples consisted of (68) male and female students from the Chemistry Department who are following classes during the (2019- 2020) academic year. The samples represent (42%) of the total number of (162) students split into control and experimental groups. For this purpose, the scientific contents for testing were determined. The experimental part is based on analysis of the results from experiments in (preliminary standard solutions, refractive index, Beer-Lambert law). To achieve the aim of the research in testing the measure of student's digital cultur

... Show More
Publication Date
Tue Mar 30 2010
Journal Name
Iraqi Journal Of Chemical And Petroleum Engineering
The Inhibition Effect of Peach Juice on Corrosion of Low Carbon Steel in Hydrochloric Acid at Different Temperatures
...Show More Authors

The corrosion inhibition of low carbon steel in1N HCl solution in the presence of peach juice at temperature (30,40,50,and 60)°C at concentration ( 5, 10, 20, 30, 40and 50 cm3/L)were studied using weight loss and polarization techniques. Results show that the inhibition efficiency was increased with the increase of inhibitor concentration and increased with the increase of temperature up to 50ºC ,above 50ºC (i.e. at 60 ºC) the values of efficiency decreases. Activation parameters of the corrosion process such as activation energies, Ea, activation enthalpies, ΔH, and activation entropies, ΔS, were calculated. The adsorption of inhibitor follows Langmuir isotherm. Maximum inhibition efficiency obtained was a bout 91% at 50ºC in the

... Show More
View Publication Preview PDF
Publication Date
Fri Aug 26 2022
Journal Name
Journal Of Contemporary Medical Sciences
Measurement of the serum level of Leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein-1 in hospitalized Iraqi COVID-19 Patients
...Show More Authors

Objective: The study aimed to assess Leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein-1 biomarker serum level in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Methods: The case control study from multi-centers in Baghdad included 45 adult patients (19 females and 26 males) with COVID-19, diagnosed with a positive real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and excluded negative RT-PCR for COVID-19 and comorbidity conditions. Second group, was 43 control (20 females and 23 males). Results: This study found a decrease Leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein-1 biomarker serum level in these patients and a significant difference in D. dimer, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio between the patients and controls at a P valu

... Show More
Preview PDF
Scopus (1)
Scopus Clarivate Crossref
Publication Date
Wed Aug 30 2023
Journal Name
Al-kindy College Medical Journal
Investigating the Effect of Genetic Polymorphisms of Deiodinase Type 2 on Levothyroxine Dose Requirements in Patients with Hypothyroidism
...Show More Authors

Background: Hypothyroidism is the most abundant thyroid disorder worldwide. For decades, levothyroxine was the main effective pharmacological treatment for hypothyroidism. A variety of factors can influence levothyroxine dose, such as genetic variations. Studying the impact of genetic polymorphisms on the administration of medications was risen remarkably. Different genetic variations were investigated that might affect levothyroxine dose requirements, especially the deiodinase enzymes.  Deiodinase type 2 genetic polymorphisms’ impact on levothyroxine dose was studied in different populations.

Objective: To examine the association of the two single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)s of deiodinase t

... Show More
View Publication Preview PDF
Scopus Crossref
Publication Date
Tue Mar 20 2018
Journal Name
Mustansiria Dental Journal
A comparative Study in the Antibacterial effect of Eugenol as Hand Wash Material with two Types of Soap
...Show More Authors

Hands have consistently been an important vehicle in the transmission of disease (1). Thus, thorough hand-washing remains the single most important factor in preventing infection specially in hospitals and labs.Twenty-nine non-clinical volunteers (do not work or come in contact with a clinical or hospital setting) that lacked visible skin injuries, eczema or apparent skin disease were used, those subjects were all tested by a material of each of the three used in the study weekly and laboratory tests were done pre- and post washing.All three material were effective , Eugenol extract as effective as the bar and lotion soap. And this was confirmed statistically.Eugenol has a great antibacterial action even in small concentration and t

... Show More
View Publication
Crossref
Publication Date
Fri Jul 01 2022
Journal Name
Structures
Reliability analysis of deteriorated post-tensioned concrete bridges: The case study of Ynys-y-Gwas bridge in UK
...Show More Authors

Concrete structures are exposed to aggressive environmental conditions that lead to corrosion of the embedded reinforcement and pre-stressing steel. Consequently, the safety of concrete structures may be compromised, and this requires a significant budgets to repair and maintain critical infrastructure. Prediction of structural safety can lead to significant reductions in maintenance costs by maximizing the impact of investments. The aim of this paper is to establish a framework to assess the reliability of existing post-tensioned concrete bridges. A time-dependent reliability analysis of an existing post-tensioned involving the assessment of Ynys-y-Gwas bridge has been presented in this study. The main cause of failure of this bridge was c

... Show More
View Publication
Scopus (33)
Crossref (30)
Scopus Clarivate Crossref