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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
Wed Dec 01 2021
Journal Name
Iraqi Journal Of Physics
Variation of pH and Composite Dosage on the Photocatalytic Activity for ZnO/epoxy Nanocomposites
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In this research, Zinc oxide (ZnO)/epoxy nanocomposite was synthesized by simple casting method with 2wt. % ZnO concentration. The aim of this work was to study the effect of pH and composite dosage on the photocatalytic activity of ZnO/ epoxy nanocomposite. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique images proof the homogeneous distribution of ZnO nanoparticles in epoxy. A synthesized nanocomposite samples were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer (FTIR) measurements. Two spectra for epoxy and 2wt.% ZnO/epoxy nanocomposites were similar and there are no new bonds formed from the incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles. Using HCl and NaOH were added to Methylene blue (MB) dye (5ppm) to gat pH values 3 and 8. The degradat

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Publication Date
Sat Apr 09 2022
Journal Name
Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research
The Mechanical Properties of Fly Ash and Slag Geopolymer Mortar with Micro Steel Fibers
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In this study, experimental mortar combinations with 1% micro steel fibers, were examined to create geopolymer mortars. To test the effect of the fibers on the mortar's resistance, the geopolymer mortar was designed with various proportions of more environmentally friendly materials fly ash and slag. The percentage of fly ash by weight was 50, 60, and 70% of the slag. The best results were obtained when a 50:50 ratio of fly ash and slag were mixed with 1% micro steel fibers. The results showed that the mixtures containing fibers performed better in the considered tests (toughness index, ductility index, and resilience index). In the impact resistance test, the mixture contained 50% fly ash by weight of the slag with a temperature of

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Publication Date
Wed Nov 24 2021
Journal Name
International Journal Of Drug Delivery Technology
Comparison among the Synthesis of Some Azomethine Derivatives by Classical and Non-classical Methods
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الوصف In this time, most researchers toward about preparation of compounds according to green chemistry. This research describes the preparation of 2-fluoro-5-(substituted benzylideneamino) benzonitrile under reflux and microwave methods. Six azomethine compounds (B1-6) were synthesized by two methods under reflux and assisted microwave with the comparison between the two methods. Reflux method was prepared of azomethine (B1-6) by reaction of 5-amino-2-fluorobenzonitrile with some aldehyde derivatives with (50–100) mL of absolute ethanol and some quantity of GAA and time is limited between (2–5) hours with a yield between (60–70) percent with recrystallization for appropriate solvents. But the microwave-assisted method was synthe

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Publication Date
Tue Mar 30 2021
Journal Name
Baghdad Science Journal
Determining the Quality and Quantity of Bioethanol Production using Golden Shower (Cassica fistula) Fruit
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Depletion of fossil fuel is one of the main reasons why the bioethanol has become popular. It is a renewable energy source. In order to meet the great demand of bioethanol, it is best that the bioethanol production is from cheap raw materials. Since the golden shower fruit is not being utilized and is considered as waste material, hence, this study was conducted to make use of the large volume of the residue as feedstock to test its potential for bioethanol extraction.The main goal of this study is to obtain the most volume of bioethanol from the golden shower fruit liquid residue by the factors, days of fermentation (3, 5, and 7 days) and sugar concentration (15, 20 and 25 brix) of the liquid residue. Also, part of the study is to compu

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Publication Date
Thu May 22 2025
Journal Name
Cureus
The Treatment of Acute Cutaneous Leishmaniasis With Oral Zinc Bisglycinate and Oral Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate
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Publication Date
Tue Jun 30 2015
Journal Name
Al-kindy College Medical Journal
Compound fractures of the hand metacarpals and phalanges treated by using mini-external fixator
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Background: A review of articles of method in treating compound phalangeal fractures by using mini-external fixator, elaborating the anatomy, mechanics, modalities of treatment, and complications of these types of fractures. Also, it compares between different studies regarding the functional results and final outcome. External fixation of phalangeal fractures is a good method for osteo synthesis in certain situations. The simplicity of the surgical procedure and the minimal disruption of the normal bone architecture also make it appealing.Objectives: Evaluating the functional results of the use of mini-external fixator for the treatment of compound fractures of phalangeal bones of the hand.Method: Our study consists of 15 patients, 12 w

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Publication Date
Sat Jan 01 2022
Journal Name
Materials Today: Proceedings
Evaluating the individual, dual usage of (TGP) and (SF) additives on improving gypsum characteristics
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Publication Date
Thu Aug 01 2013
Journal Name
Biochemistry
Mechanistic Insights from the Binding of Substrate and Carbocation Intermediate Analogues to Aristolochene Synthase
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Publication Date
Wed Jul 01 2020
Journal Name
Iop Conference Series: Materials Science And Engineering
Predicting the future growth depending on GIS and IDRISI program, city of Najaf-Iraq
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Abstract<p>This study aims to employ modern spatial simulation models to predict the future growth of Al-Najaf city for the year 2036 by studying the change in land use for the time period (1986-2016) because of its importance in shaping future policy for the planning process and decision-making process and ensuring a sustainable urban future, using Geographical information software programs and remote sensing (GIS, IDRISI Selva) as they are appropriate tools for exploring spatial temporal changes from the local level to the global scale. The application of the Markov chain model, which is a popular model that calculates the probability of future change based on the past, and the Cellular Automa</p> ... Show More
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Publication Date
Sat Jan 01 2022
Journal Name
International Journal Of Economics And Finance Studies
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COST REDUCTION AND REEVALUATING CUSTOMERS' DESIRES: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
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