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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
Tue Jul 02 2019
Journal Name
Fibers
Experimental Investigation of the Behavior of Self-Form Segmental Concrete Masonry Arches
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This research aims to introduce a new technique-off-site and self-form segmental concrete masonry arches fabrication, without the need of construction formwork or centering. The innovative construction method in the current study encompasses two construction materials forms the self-form masonry arches, wedge-shape plain concrete voussoirs, and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. The employment of CFRP fabrics was for two main reasons: bonding the voussoirs and forming the masonry arches. In addition, CFRP proved to be efficient for strengthening the extrados of the arch rings under service loadings. An experimental test was conducted on four sophisticated masonry arch specimens. The research parameters were the Keystone thic

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Publication Date
Sat Jan 02 2021
Journal Name
Journal Of The College Of Languages (jcl)
The comparative method in Maupassant’s (A woman’s Life): Le système comparatif dans Une vie de Maupassant
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The comparative method plays a major role in Maupassant’s novel (A woman’s Life).This is due to a good theme choice and smooth writing style characterized by simplicity, spontaneity and brevity.

The author uses the comparative method in the introduction of his novel where he compares the monastery’s closed world to the open world of the countryside of La Normandie, which represents the dream life of the heroine Jeanne.

The present paper is an attempt to answer the question regarding the importance of applying the comparative method in the novel (A Woman’s Life) by Maupassant. The paper stresses the fact that the novelist employs the comparative method in his book for certain features .One of these features is the

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Publication Date
Thu Mar 13 2025
Journal Name
Journal Of Baghdad College Of Dentistry
The Effect of LED Light on Depth of Cure and Microhardness of Three Types of Bulkfill Composite
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Background: To evaluate the ISO depth of cure of bulkfill composites and depth of cure which determined by Vickers microhardness test. Materials and Methods: Bulkfill resin composite specimens (n=150) were prepared of three bulkfill composite materials (TetricEvo Ceram, Quixfil and SDR) and light cured by Flash max p3 for 3, 10, 20 seconds and by wood pecker for 10, 20 seconds respectively, a mold was filled with one of the three bulkfill composites and light cured. The specimens removed from the mold and scraped by plastic spatula and the remaining length (absolute length) was measured which represent the ISO depth of cure. After that the specimens were returned into the mold and a microhardness indentation device applied on the specimen

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Publication Date
Sun Aug 30 2020
Journal Name
Journal Of Economics And Administrative Sciences
Financial Innovation as an Entrance to Sustainable Financing A Case Study of Islamic Banks in the State of Qatar (2014-2018)
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While the impact of the fourth Industrial Revolution on the economy keeps accelerating, the signs of the fifth industrial revolution, whose key is innovation and creativity started to evolve. However, the challenge of achieving sustainable development and its goals remains faced by the global organizations; In this situation, Islamic banks are exposed to many challenges among which is the challenge of keeping themselves abreast of the latest developments in the modern technology which in turn is a tool for continuity and competition. On the flip side, to avoid the negative impact that these changes can have such as an increased gap between financial innovations and the requirements of sustainable development. Islamic banks in the

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Publication Date
Sun Sep 01 2013
Journal Name
Baghdad Science Journal
Isolation of some active materials and aqueous, alcoholic and oil seed extracts of the plant (Curcuma longa (and study Antibacterial and anticancer activity
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This study included isolation of some active materials from Curcuma longa such as tannins, saponins and volatile oils with percentage of 59%, 31%, and 9% respectively. Also the study included the determination of minerals in Curcuma longa such as " Na, Ca and K" using Flame photometer. The concentrations of these minerals were (14 ppm),(10 ppm) and )76 ppm) respectively. The anti-bacterial activity study was performed for the active materials isolated from Curcuma longa against two genus of pathogenic bacteria, Escherichia Coli and Staphylococcus aurous by using agar-well diffusion method. It appeared from this study that all of the extraction have inhibitory effect on bacteria was used. The inhibition zone diameter varies with

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Publication Date
Tue Mar 14 2017
Journal Name
Ibn Al-haitham Journal For Pure And Applied Sciences
The Role of Broccoli ( Brassica oleracea ) in Treatment For Induced Polycystic ovary syndrome in Albino rats ( Rattus norvegicus )
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The goal of present study was to investigate the benefits of broccoli (as antiandrogenic plant) in protection and treatment for reproductive hormonal and metabolic disturbance, which combined with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). The PCOS model was introduced by injecting subcutaneously prepubertal female rats at 21 days old with Letrozole for 39 days, and divided into 6 groups (8 rats each ) as follows:

Group 1: Female rats were injected with 0.1 ml of normal saline. Group 2: Female rats were injected with 0.1 ml of 400 µg Letrozole Group 3: Female rats were injected with 0.1 ml of 400 µg L with orally gavaged of broccoli juice. Group 4: Female rats were injected with 0.1 ml of normal saline and at the end of the last

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Publication Date
Thu Mar 13 2025
Journal Name
Journal Of Baghdad College Of Dentistry
Estimation of the Bennett mandibular immediate side shift in Iraqi full mouth rehabilitation patients (An in vivo study)
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Background: Controversy exists concerning the presence and amount of the Bennett mandibular immediate side shift among patients and whether it is necessary to accommodate for it in adjustable articulators. The aim of this study was to register and calculate the amount of any immediate side shift (ISS) present in patients requiring full mouth rehabilitation. Materials and methods: 3- dimensional condylar movements of 50 Iraqi TMD-free patients were recorded using a stereographic fully adjustable articulator system during protrusion, left and right eccentric mandibular movements. Protrusive angles of each patient were verified to figure out the suitable fossa analog for each case. The thickness of each right and left premade fossa analog sele

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Publication Date
Thu Jan 20 2022
Journal Name
Ibn Al-haitham Journal For Pure And Applied Sciences
Evaluation of the Ti6Al4V Alloy Plasma Nitride for Orthopedic Implants: in Vitro Biocompatibility Study in Simulated Body Fluid
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In view of this work, plasma nitriding was executed on Ti-6Al-4V and the effect of nitriding by using glow discharge with 2 mbar of Ar+N2 gas on corrosion resistance with different nitriding time and studied. The structure properties and the external appearance for alloys were performed with x-ray diffraction and optical microscopic. The investigation of XRD indicates the Ti alloys are polycrystalline with a cubic type (bcc). When the external appearance of the surface indicates was of β+α structure which have been better technical properties on biomedical application. The biocompatibility investigation of nitride alloys in vitro medium containing human body fluid: we showed a layer of hydroxyapatite HAP which might

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Publication Date
Wed Dec 18 2019
Journal Name
Baghdad Science Journal
The Continuous Classical Boundary Optimal Control of Couple Nonlinear Hyperbolic Boundary Value Problem with Equality and Inequality Constraints
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The paper is concerned with the state and proof of the existence theorem of a unique solution (state vector) of couple nonlinear hyperbolic equations (CNLHEQS) via the Galerkin method (GM) with the Aubin theorem. When the continuous classical boundary control vector (CCBCV) is known, the theorem of existence a CCBOCV with equality and inequality state vector constraints (EIESVC) is stated and proved, the existence theorem of a unique solution of the adjoint couple equations (ADCEQS) associated with the state equations is studied. The Frcéhet derivative derivation of the "Hamiltonian" is obtained. Finally the necessary theorem (necessary conditions "NCs") and the sufficient theorem (sufficient conditions" SCs") for optimality of the stat

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Scopus (9)
Crossref (2)
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Publication Date
Sun Apr 14 2024
Journal Name
Plant Archives (09725210)
Effect of addition of organic and chemical fertilization and spraying of alpha tocopherol on the growth and yield of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum mill.).
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