The Iraqi protest movement: from identity politics to issue politics

Beginning in mid-July 2015, one of the largest social protest movements in modern Iraqi history erupted spontaneously in the city of Basra and spread to cities of central and southern Iraq, including the capital Baghdad. This paper examines the principal aspects of this social movement, particularly its political, social and economic underpinnings, its social composition and its growth, and its message and slogans that are mainly directed against political Islam, critiqued as a conduit for corruption. It analyses the impact of the shift from identity to issue-based politics in Iraq – most evident in the 2018 May elections

Does smoking really protect from recurrent aphthous stomatitis?

Faleh A SawairFaculty of Dentistry, University of Jordan, Amman, JordanPurpose: To study the effect of smoking on the prevalence of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) and to examine whether intensity and duration of smoking influence RAS lesions.Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on a random sample of 1000 students of The University of Jordan, Amman, between May and September 2008. Sociodemographic factors and details about smoking habits and RAS in last 12 months were collected.Results: Annual prevalence (AP) of RAS was 37.1%. Tobacco use was common among students: 30.2% were current smokers and 2.8% were exsmokers. AP was not significantly influenced by students’ age, gender, marital status, college, and household income but was significantly affected by place of living (P = 0.02) and presence of chronic diseases (P = 0.03). No significant difference in AP of RAS was found between smokers and nonsmokers. Cigarette smokers who smoked heavily and for a longer period of time had significantly less AP of RAS when compared to moderate smokers and those who smoked for a shorter period of time. The protective effect of smoking was only noticed when there was heavy cigarette smoking (>20 cigarettes/day) (P = 0.021) or smoking for long periods of time (>5 years) (P = 0.009). Nevertheless, no significant associations were found between intensity or duration of smoking and clinical severity of RAS lesions.Conclusion: The “protective effect” of smoking on RAS was dose- and time-dependent. When lesions are present, smoking had no effect on RAS severity.Keywords: recurrent aphthous stomatitis, smoking, prevalenc

Urbanisation and avian fitness: an investigation of avian malaria prevalence and feather corticosterone level of blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus nestlings across two breeding seasons

Urbanised landscapes vary significantly from natural habitats because of their different and unique ecological features. These features can affect the ability of both animals and plants to occupy urban habitats. Ecological studies on avian species have often reported a reduction in several breeding parameters of urban populations compared to their rural counterparts. However, how the urban environment can influence the breeding success of these species remains largely unknown. One hypothesis is that urban-specific factors alter key physiological traits modulated by stress hormone levels in birds. Indeed, long-term exposure to high levels of stress can lead to sustained elevation of basal glucocorticoid levels and consequent detrimental effects, such as impaired immunity, inhibited growth and reduced survival. For instance, alterations to the microclimate, pollution, and limitations of food resources may act as strong stressors, resulting in an increased likelihood of parasite infection and related fitness costs, affecting the capacity of hosts to occupy urban areas. Environmental conditions can fluctuate from year to year, affecting birds directly or indirectly by limiting food availability, especially for carnivorous birds of which the main food (insects, e.g. caterpillars) is highly dependent on weather conditions. As the urban conditions are already harsh, fluctuations in the other environmental factors, like weather conditions, have the potential to severely affect urban birds. Conversely, the more favourable conditions in rural habitats may allow the birds to buffer against other potentially negative environmental factors. Therefore, in order to understand the impact of urbanization on bird stress and fitness across fluctuating environmental conditions, the first aim of my thesis was to explore and compare the fitness of an urban and a rural population of blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus across two breeding seasons (2016 and 2017) in relation to the stress levels they experience. Previous studies have suggested the use of corticosterone (CORT, the main avian glucocorticoid) levels as a biomarker of stress experienced by animals. In birds, long term or chronic exposure to stressors can be measured from feather corticosterone (fCORT). This non-invasive method can measure the level of CORT that has been metabolised and deposited in feathers during feather growth. Thus, I compared two populations of blue tits in relation to the level of stress experienced by nestlings, throughout their first thirteen days of life, that may influence their fitness in urban and rural habitats. CORT levels in nestlings can also be directly influenced by parents before oviposition (e.g. by maternal deposition of CORT in yolk). Therefore, I also tested the role of origin of the bird on their fCORT levels, experimentally, to assess whether the pre-oviposition environment has a role in nestling’s fitness (Chapter 2). Then, as parasite infections can play a major role in fitness differences between urban and rural birds, I decided to measure the prevalence of avian malaria (haemosporidian parasites of the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon), which are widespread parasites in birds, infecting blood cells. Specifically, I compared avian malaria prevalence in nestlings from the two populations across the two breeding seasons, as well as tested the role of parental origin (based on a cross-fostering experiment) on their susceptibility to infection (Chapter 4). However, to detect haemosporidian parasite acute infection and identify the parasite genera in the studied blue tit populations, I developed a new molecular method, as current tools did not allow these investigations (Chapter 3). Using this new approach, I explored my next aim, where I tested the effect of Leucocytozoon infection prevalence on fitness-related traits (body weight and survival) of nestling blue tits from the two populations during the two breeding seasons. I also tested the potential synergistic impact of infection and urban-related stress on blue tit fitness by examining the relationship between the two factors – fCORT level and Leucocytozoon infection prevalence (Chapter 5). I accomplished these aims using both experimental and correlational approaches, the former involving a cross-fostering experiment and a vector-manipulation experiment. In 2016, I cross-fostered some clutches between and within sites to test for any effects that may be derived from inherited or maternal traits from parents to their offspring. Additionally, as both populations showed high malaria prevalence in 2016, in the 2017 breeding season, I conducted a vector-repellent experiment to experimentally reduce infections in nestlings; this was done with the goal of better understanding the impact of parasites on bird’s fitness. The key findings of my thesis are as follows: First, monitoring the two populations of blue tit over two breeding seasons revealed that most breeding parameters are significantly different between the urban and rural blue tits. In both seasons, urban birds showed a significantly lower clutch size, hatching and fledging success compared to the rural ones. Additionally, fledging success at both sites was considerably lower in one breeding season (2017), during which nestling body weight was significantly lower in urban than rural birds; however, in 2016, when fledging success was higher, the two populations barely differed in their weight. Second, mirroring nestling body weight, during the 2017 breeding season, fCORT levels in nestlings were significantly higher in the urban nestlings compared to their rural counterparts, but not in 2016, further suggesting that 2017 was a more challenging year. However, I found no association between the reduction in fitness-related traits (body weight and fledging success) and fCORT. This lack of association between fCORT levels and nestlings’ fitness-related traits could have been missed as I pooled the feather samples per nest and did not measure individual nestlings for fCORT level, thus losing the inter-individual variation in fCORT levels that could be associated with fitness-related traits. Third, mirroring the fCORT variations, Leucocytozoon parasite infections varied in the two populations across seasons, showing that urban populations had lower or higher prevalence compared to rural birds depending on the year (2016 and 2017, respectively). I found a strong association between infection with Leucocytozoon prevalence and lower weight of urban nestlings just before fledging (day 13 of age) as well as a reduction in urban nestling survival, which instead was not observed in rural birds. I found no association between infection prevalence and fCORT level, measured per nest, not individuals. Finally, experimentally tested in the field, the origin of the bird did not influence the infection susceptibility to Leucocytozoon, nor did it influence fCORT levels. In summary, my thesis highlighted the importance of year to year variation between the two populations (i.e. the urban and the rural populations of blue tits), that could be influenced by fluctuating environmental factors such as weather and food availability. Urban and rural populations that show similarities in certain traits during one year of study may be different during another year (e.g. fCORT level and body weight). Prevalence of vector-borne pathogens like Leucocytozoon parasites in a given population may also differ between populations, which can vary from year to year. The extent of the fitness effect of parasite infection also depends on various factors fluctuating from one year to another. This emphasises the need for longitudinal studies monitoring individuals and populations over multiple years and across a wide range of habitats that differ in quality and features

IRAQ AND THE ARAB SPRING

I begin with two controversial assumptions:One: Unlike what most Iraqi scholars believe, post 2003 change of regime in Iraq did not inspire the democratic upheaval known as “the Arab Spring”; in fact it delayed it. Iraq’s turmoil was used by despots across the Arab world as a showcase of how Western-imposed democracy is dripped in sectarian blood.Two: Contrary to the widely accepted notion, the Arab Spring did not begin in Tunisia (December 2010) rather in Iran right after the June 2009, widely believed to have been doctored to ensure a second term of the Iranian president Ahmadinajad. Iran is rich with grass-root civil dissidence, one that toppled the Shah regime by civil action rather than military coup. Arab countries, by contrast, have been bereft of such civil potency, until the series of mass, urban action that erupted in Tunisia,Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Libya and Syria

Face mask detection using deep learning on NVIDIA Jetson Nano

In December 2019, the coronavirus pandemic started. Coronavirus desease-19 (COVID-19) is transmitted directly from contaminated surfaces via direct touch. To combat the virus, a multitude of equipment is needed. Masks are a vital element of personal protection in crowded places. As a result, determining if a person is wearing a face mask is critical to assimilating to contemporary society. To accomplish the objective, the model presented in this paper used deep learning libraries and OpenCV. This approach was chosen for safety concerns due to its high resource efficiency during deployment. The classifier was built using the MobileNetV2 structure, which was designed to be lightweight and capable of being utilized in embedded devices such as the NVIDIA Jetson Nano to do real-time mask recognition. The stages of model construction were collecting, pre-processing, splitting data, creating the model, training the model, and applying the model. This system utilized image processing techniques and deep learning to process a live video feed. When someone is not wearing a mask, the output eventually produces an alarm sound through a built-in buzzer. Experimental results and testing were used to verify the suggested system's performance. Including both training and testing, the achieved recognition rate was 99%

Dynamic modeling and analysis of the three-phase voltage source inverter under stand-alone and grid-tied modes

Master of ScienceDepartment of Electrical and Computer EngineeringBehrooz MirafzalIncreasing energy demand, rising oil prices, and environmental concerns have forced attention to alternative energy sources that are environmentally friendly and independent of fossil fuels. Renewable energy sources (RES) have become an attractive alternative to the traditional energy sources for electric power generation. However, one of the main challenges of RES adaption arises when connecting RES to the electric grid. Voltage source inverters (VSIs), typically, connect RES to the electric grid. Similar to any engineering system, detailed dynamic models of the VSIs are needed for design and analysis purposes. However, due to the non-linearity of VSIs, development of dynamic models that can accurately describe their behavior is a complex task. In this thesis, a detailed averaged-state-space model of the two-level three-phase space vector pulse width modulation VSI and its companion LCL filter is derived. Because VSIs can operate under stand-alone and grid-tied modes, two models were derived for each case. In the derived models, the VSI modulation index m and phase angle ϕ are initially considered constant. In practice, however, these parameters are considered the main control parameters. To model these parameters as control inputs, small-signal models of the VSI under stand-alone and grid-tied modes were derived. To verify the accuracy of the developed large-signal and small-signal models, Matlab/Simulink simulations were carried out. The simulation results were compared against the models results. Moreover, the models were verified through lab experiments. The developed models can be used as design and analysis tools. In addition, the developed models can be used as fast and efficient simulation tools for system studies, when the modeling of switching transients is not needed. Nowadays, the number of VSIs connected to the electric grid is growing exponentially. The amount of time and computation needed to simulate VSIs using simulation software packages can be significantly decreased by the use of the developed models

North African dust intrusions and increased risk of respiratory diseases in Southern Portugal

The study of dust intrusions in Portugal is still a subject on which little investigation has been made, especially in terms of their effects. Thus, this work aims to achieve two goals: firstly, to characterize the dust intrusions in the study area; and secondly, to evaluate the possible statistical association between the dust intrusion days and hospital admissions due to respiratory diseases. Dust intrusions in Portugal are prevalent during the summer season. During this season, the dust plumes tend to cover broader areas than in the other seasons and they have origin in the North African countries. In the study area for the period between 2005 and 2015, the relative risk of urgent hospitalizations due to respiratory diseases was 12.6% higher during dust intrusion days. In order to obtain this statistical association, a Distributed Lag Nonlinear Model was developed. With this work, we expect to help the development of further studies regarding North African dust intrusions in Portugal, more precisely their effects on human health.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Effect of mixed and artificial feeding on the growth performance of Gattan Luciobarbus xanthopterus Heckel, 1843 larvae

This work aimed to study the rearing feasibility of Luciobarbus xanthopterus larvae using artificial and mixed (live (Chlorella sp.) + artificial) food and their effects on their growth performance during early development. Larvae (1.65 cm in length and 0.02 g weight) were obtained from a Marine Science Hatchery and cultured in indoor tanks for 35 days. the larvae fed mixed feed T1 and artificial feed T2 (fish meal + soybean meal). The results showed that the larvae of T1 treatment outperformed significantly in final length, final weight, final weight gain, daily and specific growth rate, which amounted to 3.44 cm, 0.3568 g, 0.3368 g, 0.0096 g/day, and 8.2185 % weight/day, respectively. Also, the results showed that larvae fed on T1 grew faster. The present study showed that applying a mixture of artificial and live food after four weeks' age i.e. after absorption of the yolk sac for feeding larvae can reduce the costs of producing and providing better growth and survival rates

Study of lipid profiles high and normal body mass index in polycystic ovary syndrome women in Aljouf, Saudi Arabia

Background: For women of reproductive age, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most prevalent endocrinological condition. Hyperandrogenism, persistent ovulatory dysfunction, obesity, and insulin resistance have all been associated with PCOS. However, recently PCOS is detected in high-body weight and normal-body-weight women. No information was available to evaluate specific lipid profiles. The goal of this study is to analyze the lipid profiles of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome who have high or normal body weight. Methods: This polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) retrospective study was carried out between January 2021 and January 2022 at Sakaka’s Maternity and Children Hospital (MCH), Aljouf, Saudi Arabia. A total of 68 PCOS women were included in the study; we divided them into high (n=34) and normal body weight (n=34) according to the calculation of BMI. We obtain the test results of lipid profiles and demographic data from hospital record files. Results: We noticed changes but no significance in our research of lipid profiles in high and normal PCOS participants. The CHOL, TG, HDL, and LDL, 159.30±4.193, 97.89±7.140, 60.91±9.564, and 99.47±9.22 shown in the high BMI PCOS women respectively. While, 129.28±3.702, 83.69±4.49, 46.84±1.68 and86.53±4.36 were detected in normal BMI PCOS women respectively. There were none that were statistically significant, with the exception of cholesterol p=0.001. Conclusions: Our results show that POCS women with normal body weight and PCOS women with high BMI have different changes in their lipid profiles, but no significance has been found other than higher cholesterol levels. Therefore, losing weight can stop lipid profiles from altering, which may reduce difficulties in the future