scholarly journals Topography of Fear and Violence in Ahmad Al Sadawi's Frankenstein in Baghdad

Author(s):  
Azhar Hameed Mankhi ◽  
Ikhlas Muhammed Nati

This paper examines the postcolonial Iraqi novel which gives a voice to the Iraqi writers to describe for the first time the political repression and violence in Iraq before and after the US invasion.  They   address the bad conditions in Iraq after the 2003 and discuss the reshaping of the Iraqi identity due to the sectarian conflicts that have endangers the minority population in this pluralistic society. We intend to stress the contemporary fears of Iraqi people through the use of the monster.  In this paper, the researchers attempt to present a new voice in the Iraqi novel that was silenced for a long time. The Iraqi writers tend to describe aesthetically the terrible national condition in Iraq post 2003.

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (10) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Emad Wakaa Ajil

Iraq is one of the most Arab countries where the system of government has undergone major political transformations and violent events since the emergence of the modern Iraqi state in 1921 and up to the present. It began with the monarchy and the transformation of the regime into the republican system in 1958. In the republican system, Continued until 2003, and after the US occupation of Iraq in 2003, the regime changed from presidential to parliamentary system, and the parliamentary experience is a modern experience for Iraq, as he lived for a long time without parliamentary experience, what existed before 2003, can not be a parliamentary experience , The experience righteousness The study of the parliamentary system in particular and the political process in general has not been easy, because it is a complex and complex process that concerns the political system and its internal and external environment, both of which are influential in the political system and thus on the political process as a whole, After the US occupation of Iraq, the United States intervened to establish a permanent constitution for the country. Despite all the circumstances accompanying the drafting of the constitution, it is the first constitution to be drafted by an elected Constituent Assembly. The Iraqi Constitution adopted the parliamentary system of government and approved the principle of flexible separation of powers in order to achieve cooperation and balance between the authorities.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carsten Burhop ◽  
Michael Kißener ◽  
Hermann Schäfer ◽  
Joachim Scholtyseck

Merck is the oldest pharmaceutical-chemical company in the world. It developed into a global corporation from a Darmstadt pharmacy that Jacob Friedrich Merck received the pharmacist’s license for in 1668. This book tells the 350-year history of the company for the first time in its entirety and on the basis of all the available sources, as well as the newest research in business history. For a long time, family-owned companies were regarded as a dying breed. The future seemed to belong to jointstock companies with an anonymous stockholder structure. Yet there are numerous successful counterexamples in Germany, such as Bosch, C&A and Bertelsmann. Merck, too, counts among them. How did the Merck family manage to keep the company in its possession for 13 generations through all the political ruptures and historical crises and turn it into a global leader among science and technology firms? With this as their central question, four acclaimed historians recount the fascinating history of the Merck company between 1668 and 2018, embedding it in the eventful course of world history.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey Wang ◽  
Nathan A Berger ◽  
Pamela B davis ◽  
David C Kaelber ◽  
Nora D Volkow ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant is rapidly spreading in the US since December 2021 and is more contagious than earlier variants. Currently, data on the severity of the disease caused by the Omicron variant compared with the Delta variant is limited. Here we compared 3-day risks of emergency department (ED) visit, hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and mechanical ventilation in patients who were first infected during a time period when the Omicron variant was emerging to those in patients who were first infected when the Delta variant was predominant. Method This is a retrospective cohort study of electronic health record (EHR) data of 577,938 first-time SARS-CoV-2 infected patients from a multicenter, nationwide database in the US during 9/1/2021-12/24/2021, including 14,054 who had their first infection during the 12/15/2021-12/24/2021 period when the Omicron variant emerged (Emergent Omicron cohort) and 563,884 who had their first infection during the 9/1/2021-12/15/2021 period when the Delta variant was predominant (Delta cohort). After propensity-score matching the cohorts, the 3-day risks of four outcomes (ED visit, hospitalization, ICU admission, and mechanical ventilation) were compared. Risk ratios, and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results Of 14,054 patients in the Emergent Omicron cohort (average age, 36.4), 27.7% were pediatric patients (<18 years old), 55.4% female, 1.8% Asian, 17.1% Black, 4.8% Hispanic, and 57.3% White. The Emergent Omicron cohort differed significantly from the Delta cohort in demographics, comorbidities, and socio-economic determinants of health. After propensity-score matching for demographics, socio-economic determinants of health, comorbidities, medications and vaccination status, the 3-day risks in the Emergent Omicron cohort outcomes were consistently less than half those in the Delta cohort: ED visit: 4.55% vs. 15.22% (risk ratio or RR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.28-0.33); hospitalization: 1.75% vs. 3.95% (RR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.38-0.52]); ICU admission: 0.26% vs. 0.78% (RR: 0.33, 95% CI:0.23-0.48); mechanical ventilation: 0.07% vs. 0.43% (RR: 0.16, 95% CI: 0.08-0.32). In children under 5 years old, the overall risks of ED visits and hospitalization in the Emergent Omicron cohort were 3.89% and 0.96% respectively, significantly lower than 21.01% and 2.65% in the matched Delta cohort (RR for ED visit: 0.19, 95% CI: 0.14-0.25; RR for hospitalization: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.19-0.68). Similar trends were observed for other pediatric age groups (5-11, 12-17 years), adults (18-64 years) and older adults (>= 65 years). Conclusions First time SARS-CoV-2 infections occurring at a time when the Omicron variant was rapidly spreading were associated with significantly less severe outcomes than first-time infections when the Delta variant predominated.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-255
Author(s):  
Tara Marie Mortensen ◽  
Leigh Moscowitz ◽  
Anan Wan ◽  
Aimei Yang

In the wake of growing legalization efforts, both medicinal and recreational marijuana use in the US is becoming more prevalent and societally acceptable. However, racial, criminal and cultural stereotypes linger in mediated visual portrayals. This study examines the extent to which mediated visual portrayals in mainstream news have been impacted by these recent legalization efforts. Employing a quantitative as well as a qualitative analysis of visual images used to represent marijuana use in mainstream news, this study draws upon the power of visual framing and the construction of social reality to examine how visual symbols and iconic signifiers are used to construct both stereotypical and ‘mainstreamed’ or ‘normative’ depictions of marijuana use. Analyzing 458 visuals across 10 different media outlets across the political spectrum, both before and after legalization of marijuana in Colorado, this study shows how news portrayals perpetuated stereotypes about marijuana users, particularly around criminality and pot-culture iconography. Relatively few depictions of marijuana users in the US are visuals of ordinary, ‘normal’ people or families. This study thus interrogates the relationship between representations of race, criminality and ‘pothead’ stereotypes associated with marijuana use, and how these visual representations differ amongst liberal and conservative news sites, finding that the political ideology of the news outlet largely influences the visual stereotyping of marijuana users. The study concludes by considering both the legal and cultural implications of how mainstream news visually represents marijuana use, considering how persistent decades-old representations were largely perpetuated rather than challenged in light of legalization efforts.


Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 4091 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppina Roviello ◽  
Elena Chianese ◽  
Claudio Ferone ◽  
Laura Ricciotti ◽  
Valentina Roviello ◽  
...  

For the first time, hybrid organic–inorganic geopolymeric foams were successfully used as monolithic adsorbents for the removal of metallic ions pollutants from wastewaters. The foams were realized by the in situ foaming of a hybrid geopolymer obtained by a reaction of metakaolin and polysiloxane oligomers under strong alkaline conditions and then cured at room temperature. In this way, porous materials with densities ranging from 0.4 to 0.7 g/cm3 and showing good mechanical properties were produced. With the aim of producing self-standing monolithic adsorbents for the removal of metallic ions pollutants from wastewaters, these porous hybrid geopolymers were subjected to a washing pretreatment with ultrapure water, dried, and then used for absorption tests by dipping them into an aqueous solution with an initial concentration of 20 ppm of Pb2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ ions. Preliminary results indicated that all the tested materials are effective in the adsorption of the tested metal ions and do not release the removed metal ions upon sinking in ultrapure water, even for a very long time. Interestingly, compressive strength tests performed before and after the washing treatments show that the foamed samples remain intact and maintain their physical–mechanical characteristics, suggesting that these kinds of materials are promising candidates for the production of self-standing, monolithic adsorbent substrates that can be easily collected when exhausted, which is a major advantage in comparison with the use of powdered adsorbents. Moreover, since these materials can be obtained by a simple and versatile experimental procedure, they could be easily shaped or directly foamed into precast molds to be used in packed beds as membranes.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doğa Eskier ◽  
Aslı Suner ◽  
Gökhan Karakülah ◽  
Yavuz Oktay

AbstractSince its emergence in Wuhan, China in late 2019, the origin and evolution of SARS-CoV-2 have been among the most debated issues related to COVID-19. Throughout its spread around the world, the viral genome continued acquiring new mutations and some of them became widespread. Among them, 14408 C>T and 23403 A>G mutations in RdRp and S, respectively, became dominant in Europe and the US, which led to debates regarding their effects on the mutability and transmissibility of the virus. In this study, we aimed to investigate possible differences between time-dependent variation of mutation densities (MDe) of viral strains that carry these two mutations and those that do not. Our analyses at the genome and gene level led to two important findings: First, time-dependent changes in the average MDe of circulating SARS-CoV-2 genomes showed different characteristics before and after the beginning of April, when daily new case numbers started levelling off. Second, this pattern was much delayed or even non-existent for the “mutant” (MT) strain that harbored both 14408 C>T and 23403 A>G mutations. Although these differences were not limited to a few hotspots, it is intriguing that the MDe increase is most evident in two critical genes, S and Orf1ab, which are also the genes that harbor the defining mutations of the MT genotype. The nature of these unexpected relationships warrant further research.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey Wang ◽  
Nathan A Berger ◽  
David C Kaelber ◽  
Pamela B Davis ◽  
Nora D Volkow ◽  
...  

Abstract Importance Pediatric SARS-CoV-2 infections and hospitalizations are rising in the US and other countries after the emergence of Omicron variant. However data on disease severity from Omicron compared with Delta in children under 5 in the US is lacking. Objectives To compare severity of clinic outcomes in children under 5 who contracted COVID infection for the first time before and after the emergence of Omicron in the US. Design, Setting, and Participants This is a retrospective cohort study of electronic health record (EHR) data of 79,592 children under 5 who contracted SARS-CoV-2 infection for the first time, including 7,201 infected when the Omicron predominated (Omicron cohort), 63,203 infected when the Omicron predominated (Delta cohort), and another 9,188 infected when the Omicron predominated but immediately before the Omicron variant was detected in the US (Delta-2 cohort). Exposures First time infection of SARS-CoV-2. Main Outcomes and Measures After propensity-score matching, severity of COVID infections including emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and mechanical ventilation use in the 3-day time-window following SARS-CoV-2 infection were compared between Omicron and Delta cohorts, and between Delta-2 and Delta cohorts. Risk ratios, and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results Among 7,201 infected children in the Omicron cohort (average age of 1.49 years), 47.4% were female, 2.4% Asian, 26.1% Black, 13.7% Hispanic, and 44.0% White. Before propensity score matching, the Omicron cohort were younger than the Delta cohort (average age 1.49 vs 1.73 years), comprised of more Black children, and had fewer comorbidities. After propensity-score matching for demographics, socio-economic determinants of health, comorbidities and medications, risks for severe clinical outcomes in the Omicron cohort were significantly lower than those in the Delta cohort: ED visits: 18.83% vs. 26.67% (risk ratio or RR: 0.71 [0.66-0.75]); hospitalizations: 1.04% vs. 3.14% (RR: 0.33 [0.26-0.43]); ICU admissions: 0.14% vs. 0.43% (RR: 0.32 [0.16-0.66]); mechanical ventilation: 0.33% vs. 1.15% (RR: 0.29 [0.18-0.46]). Control studies comparing Delta-2 to Delta cohorts show no difference. Conclusions and Relevance For children under age 5, first time SARS-CoV-2 infections occurring when the Omicron predominated (prevalence >92%) was associated with significantly less severe outcomes than first-time infections in similar children when the Delta variant predominated.


Author(s):  
Gorm Harste

Clausewitz analysed wars in their material, social and temporal interchanges (Wechselwirkung). During a war the form of the conflict is transformed from a controllable and planned activity into a form where its gravitation centre is displaced. Over the last 500 years, logistics and financial supplies have become the repeated focus for protracted wars. The forms of taxation, inflation, war debts and credits have been decisive. In fact war strategies can have the financial attrition of the enemy as its culmination point and its gravitation centre. A vast army stationed far away and for a long time imposes enormous financial and human costs. The US in particular has been affected by the protracted wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. The recent wars and a number of complex financial mechanisms accelerated the US fall from unipolarity. This shows that wars contain risks that cannot be controlled by a political system. After the initial decision to go to war, control is only reasserted when the political system accepts to stop the ever increasing supplies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 86-91
Author(s):  
Igor' A. Vinogradov

There is an unknown note by Nikolai Gogol in his pocket notebook. The reasons why it has remained unpublished for a long time are thoroughly highlighted. What is listed are similar – numerous – Nikolai Gogol’s texts of religious content, which also used to be inaccessible to the Soviet reader for a long time for ideological reasons. In the ninth volume of the academic Nikolai Gogol's Complete Works of 1937–1952, where a notebook was printed for the first time from an autograph, only one line in the notes was devoted to a note which had been entitled “To pray” by Nikolai Gogol himself. In addition to the title, the laconic information provided by the volume commentator Georgiy Fridlender, the content of Nikolai Gogol's recording was not disclosed in any way. In turn, the error made by the same commentator in the dating of the note is corrected. The data are given in favour of the fact that the record was made not in 1846, as the researcher believed, but three years earlier, in the summer of 1843. The connection of the 1843 note with the final religious-patriotic book of Nikolai Gogol "Selected Passages from Correspondence with Friends" 1846, as well as the invariability of the political views of the writer.


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