Comparing COVID-19 Control Model Between Iraq and Iran

The coronavirus pandemic has reached almost every country in the world. The pandemic and its response have had several short-term as well as long term impacts on human health, society, economy, and environment. For instance, the severe lockdowns imposed in certain countries have caused a widespread economic and humanitarian crisis. Therefore, it is crucial to draw important lessons from this pandemic to amplify our future preparedness and response capacities to similar situations. In this paper, the response strategies utilized by Iraq and Iran is analyzed with comparison of the impacts and outcomes of each strategy used for controlling the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The results show that travel ban, restrictive containment, and supports from the international community in controlling the spread of the virus had a more positive impact in Iraq compared to Iran

The Role of Quality Assurance in Geological Investigations: A Case Study

Implementation of a Quality Assurance (QA) program in geological investigation is very significant and essential, especially when the investigation is carried out for selection and evaluation of strategic and vital project sites. The current work is a case study for selection and evaluation of a strategic site in Iraq where a QA program was implemented for the first time in the Iraq Geological Survey (as a Contractor) as a mandatory condition implied by the Client for all work carried out and included in the geological investigation. The geological investigation included six main activities: 1) geology, 2) hydrogeology, 3) geophysics, 4) engineering geology, 5) drilling and 6) laboratory work. The main roles of QA staff were to: 1) check the qualifications of all staff members involved in the six activities, 2) verify work procedures by means of which the staff members of each activity were performing their tasks, 3) follow-up all carried out works in the field, laboratory and office, 4) verify all types of work outputs by the staff members of the six activities, and 5) recognize any nonconformance in any type of carried out work before been recognized by the QA and/ or Quality Control (QC) staff of the Client. During the performance of the contract that lasted for 30 months, three nonconformance cases by the Contractor were recognized by the QA staff members  and relevant corrective actions were performed. The three cases were not detected or recognized by the QA and QC staff members of the Client

Source Rock Evaluation of the Upper Triassic Baluti Formation in Bekhme-1 and Gulak-1 Wells from Akri-Bijeel Block, Kurdistan-Iraq

This study reports on the petroleum potential of the Upper Triassic Baluti Formation in Bekhme-1 and Gulak-1 Wells from Akri¬-Bijeel Block within the Bekhme Anticline area, North of Erbil City.  The area is a part of the Zagros Fold and Thrust Belt, and is locally situated within the High Folded Zone. Typically, the Baluti Formation is composed of gray and green shale calcareous dolomite with intercalations of thinly bedded dolomites, dolomitic limestones, and silicified limestones which in places are brecciated. The geochemical indicators obtained from Rock-Eval pyrolysis of  Baluti samples gave Total Organic Carbon content (TOC wt. %) average values of 0.15 and 0.18 wt. % and potential hydrocarbon content (S2) average values of 0.78 mg HC/g rock  and 0.58 mg HC/g rock for Bekhme-1 and Gulak-1 respectively, suggesting  a source rock of poor potential. The type of organic matter is of mixed type II-III and III kerogens with  an average Tmax value of  440 °C for both boreholes, exhibiting early to peak  stage of thermal maturity.  Considering the results of this study, it is concluded that Baluti Formation in the studied area can not be regarded as a potential source rock for hydrocarbon generation

The Adoption of Blue Ocean Strategy to Sustain Competitive Advantage in the Syrian Food Industry

This study aims to detect the extent of adoption of the Blue Ocean Strategy in the Syrian ‎food industry companies and its role in improving its competitive advantage. Syrian ‎Companies need to shape their blue ocean strategy in accordance with consumer value, ‎price, cost, and adoption. This permits them to construct a feasible business model and ‎ensure that profits from the blue ocean is created. The study used descriptive-analytical ‎approach. The data were composed of a questionnaire distributed to 293 personnel ‎working in 85 Syrian food companies. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS 22) were ‎applied to analyze the data. The result showed there are a substantial interest by Syrian ‎food companies to adopt Blue Ocean strategy indicators in its operations. Also, there was ‎a significant relationship between the adoption of Blue Ocean Strategy and the ‎improvement of sustainable competitive advantage for the investigated companies. The ‎researchers suggested that Syrian companies should emphasize on the importance of the ‎innovation indicator and its role in producing new brands and creating markets free of ‎competition which sequentially contributes to increase in the company's market share. The ‎study achieves a qualitative benefit for both researchers and academics about the concept ‎of BOS because it is the first study that introduces the BOS and its impact on sustainable ‎competitive advantage in Syrian‎

Effects of the Facebook Boycott Campaign on Turkish Products and its Influence on Demand of Kurdish Consumers 2020

Boycotting is one of the most effective anti-consumption tactics used against practices deemed unethical or unjustifiable, and calling to boycott products through social media platforms has become a trend recently among young people. This paper studies the motives and causes of boycotting Turkish products among Iraqi Kurds and highlights the effects of the Facebook Boycott Campaign on Turkish products and Kurdish consumer demand. The research data has been collected through an online survey posted and published on several Facebook pages and groups in Iraqi Kurdistan. The findings from 1378 Facebook users who participated in the Facebook Boycott Campaign of Turkish products in Iraqi Kurdistan show that indirect support for Turkish policies to exterminate and invade Kurdish communities constitutes the leading cause of the Boycott Campaign. In addition, participation in the Facebook Boycott Campaign against Turkish products is considered a national duty more than an ethnic, ethical, religious, or other duty to humanity. The majority of participants believe that continuing to participate in the Facebook Boycott Campaign against Turkish products will have a huge impact on the Turkish economy and it is a warning to the Turkish government regarding its foreign policy towards Kurds

The Status of Mosul Dam, NW of Iraq

Mosul Dam is located in the northwestern part of Iraq impounding the Tigris River; about 60 km north of Mosul city. This project is multipurpose project; to provide water for irrigation, flood control and hydropower generation. The dam is 113 m high and 3650 m long including the spillway. The dam is earth fill type with a mud core. The dam was designed to impound 11.11 km3 because it is based and underlain by gypsum beds alternated with limestone and marl. Therefore, it is planned to use continuous grouting to fill the karst caverns. The used quantity exceeded 95000 tons of solid grouting materials since 1986 up to 2014. After all, is the dam safe? The details are given in the current article

Performance Analysis of Photovoltaic Panels Under the Effect of Electrical and Environmental Parameters in Erbil City

This paper presents the performance analysis of a photovoltaic cell derived from a single diode equivalent circuit under the influence of several kinds of electrical and environmental parameters. The characteristics of a solar cell have been investigated using MATLAB simulation and have been validated experimentally. In this paper the photovoltaic cell is represented by an exact equivalent circuit including all parameters such as a diode saturation current, light generated current, temperature effects, series and shunt resistance values.  Also, this paper includes the impacts of clouds, dust, chalk powder, fly ash and bird droppings on the efficiency of the photovoltaic panel. A comparison between the experimental and model simulation results confirmed the reality of results, and indicate the validity of the exact model for photovoltaic performance analysis

The Impact of People in Cooperation on Cooperative Management of the Private Sector

Cooperation among employees is one of the main determinants of a successful business because people are the main protagonists of cooperative management. Therefore, organizations have to give more attention to establish a cooperative management. This study examines the impact of people in cooperation on cooperative management. The research also included recommendations for organization managers, as well as a theoretical basis of cooperative management and people in cooperation, based on a management model developed by Mondragon Cooperation. The SMART PLS3 was used to analyze data collected through the distribution of questioners to employees and academic staff at two private universities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Researchers believe that the presence of integral development and cooperative leadership helps in the implementation of cooperative management by the staff. However, organizations are recommended to strengthening the power of staff and allowing them to practice the role of managing, as well as, being authorized at a certain level in order to increase cooperative conduct between employees and management in terms of organizational management concerns

The Impact of Learning Kurdish ‘Mother-Tongue’ in London on Mainstream Education

This study investigates the impact of a group of Kurdish children learning their mother-tongue, in two Kurdish Saturday schools in North London, and particularly the impact on the children’s integration into mainstream schooling. There are some historical issues surrounding ethnic minority children’s education that have been labelled as problematic towards their educational achievements in the United Kingdom. The responsibility of teaching the mother-tongue to those children takes place formally in supplementary or Saturday schools in their community rather than in mainstream schools. Many researches have revealed that learning their mother tongue is beneficial for children in general. In particular, this research focuses on the impacts on Kurdish children in mainstream education, since the number of children from diverse backgrounds is increasing, including the number of children from the Kurdish community. Mixed method research has been undertaken to examine this issue, including a semi- structured questionnaire and group interview used to collect data, as this research depended on students’ as well as parents’ views in integrating their child in some state schools. The findings revealed that learning the mother-tongue is beneficial for children from diverse backgrounds and that supplementary schools play a vital role in learning the mother-tongue on children’s attitude in mainstream education

Conflict Dynamics in Post-2003 Iraq: A Security Dilemma Perspective

A decade and a half since the U.S. invasion, Iraq remains affected by complicated and increasingly changing uncertainties. Intrastate division and lack of social stability are expressed in ethnic and sectarian hostilities. In view of different reasons, 16 years after establishing the new Iraq, this paper asks: why has Iraq been marked by instability, transformation, and inability to maintain stability and peace? This paper explains the ethno-sectarian interactions in Iraq with the help of the theory of security dilemma and explores the derailment of Iraq's transformation process and the beginning of a new period of confrontation from a security dilemma viewpoint. The findings suggest that the security dilemma and ethno-sectarian conflict are further intensified by Kurdish, Shiite, and Sunni groups attempting to assess the threats posed not only by enemy militias but also by the presence of all groups in close proximity