Education as Counter Terrorism in Iraq

There is not much research written about the relationship between education and the rise of terrorism. Some scholars have urged for educative response to end terrorism (Krueger and Maleckova, 2003; Brockhoff et al., 2015; Malazada, 2016; Illiteracy rates drop in Iraq: Government, 2014) In his study, Brockhoff et al., (2015) found that when country specific factors like the economic situation and political representation were unfavorable, education is the reason some individuals become terrorists. Abrifor (2008) concluded that abuse of students in Nigeria lead them to get involved in criminal activities, suicide bombing and terrorism. In light of these studies, it is legitimate to think that the problems facing the Iraqi educational system and the low quality of education are the main causes that fuel terrorism. Every Iraqi citizen knows that education in Iraq is deteriorating. However, the governments of Iraq have not tried to improve the educational system to make it resistant to terrorism. This study tries to find out if the Iraqi citizens who studied their whole life in the Iraqi educational system and who have suffered or know someone who have suffered from terrorism think that education in Iraq is responsible for the spread of terrorism in the country. The study also aims to find out if the respondents think that improving the educational system in Iraq can potentially exterminate terrorism from the country. Additionally, the study tries to find out the main issues that Iraqi education policymakers need to address so that education can be used as counterterrorism. For the study, a survey was used as the main method of data collection. The survey was posted on Facebook groups and 666 respondents answered it. The study found that most of respondents think that there is a relationship between education and terrorism in Iraq. The study also found that most of respondents think that improving the Iraqi educational system can exterminate terrorism in Iraq. In addition to that, the study found that the majority of respondents think that Iraqi educational system must be improved and unified to introduce students to different point of views, religions, and cultures, be inclusive and secular to promote pluralism in the country, and stop using or teaching about violence in schools. Furthermore, respondents favored that the goals of education must be given importance not the curriculum itself and that critical thinking is taught to help students be able to think objectively before adopting certain ideology. An important issue that the study found is that the majority of respondents think that history and Islamic education must be modified and their books must be rewritten to include other religions and ethnic groups in the country. This study suggests that the educational system in Iraq must be improved as soon as possible to tackle the issue of terrorism. The Iraqi educational system must be modified to be secular and inclusive. Islamic Education must be changed into either “Citizenship Education or Teaching about Religions” that many countries around the world have adopted. Therefore, it is important that teaching religion becomes non-denominational so that all students can feel welcomed and equal in the classroom

IN VITRO INTERACTION OF CIPROFLOXACIN AND SOME NATURAL COMPOUNDS AGAINST METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

Objective: This study was designed to determine the effect of combination of some natural compounds with ciprofloxacin (CIP) against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains.Methods: About fifteen (MRSA) strains were selected of patients suffer from different infections. Natural compounds included flavonoids rutin, qurecetin, polyphynolic acids gallic acid, tannic acid, and phenylpropanoids such as 4-hydroxy coumarine, thymol, caffeine and ethyl cinnimate were applied alone and in combination with CIP.  Results: Most natural products showed activity against MRSA strains when tested alone. The combination were decreased the activity of CIP. Quercetin and tannic acid were the most effective compounds but rutin, gallic acid, 4-hydroxy comarine, thymol and caffeine had no activity against (MRSA) strains.Conclusion: The relationship between the natural compounds and CIP was antagonism wherein the compounds had reduced the antibacterial effects of CIP in combination

Design and control of a synchronous reluctance machine drive

This thesis investigates the design, performance and control of a synchronous reluctance machine (Synchrel) drive. The Synchrel machine is proposed for variable speed drives because of its advantages over other machines. The rotor has no cage winding, brushes or slip rings. The torque ripple levels are lower in the Synchrel machine than the switched reluctance machine as it operates from a standard sine wave supply. An axially laminated rotor was designed based on finite element analysis, with the aim of producing the same output power as obtained from an induction motor (M) with a similar stator. Using vector control, the developed torque is controlled by regulating the stator current vector. Two vector control schemes are used, maximum torque per ampere and constant current in the direct axis. The output torque characteristics of the machine have been confirmed by finite element analysis. Slotine's approach of sliding mode control is used for position control of the vector controlled synchronous reluctance machine. A comparison is undertaken between the performance of a fixed gain controller with two sliding mode controllers, for both the regulator and servo cases. Invariant performance is obtained using Slotine's sliding mode control approach, unlike with a fixed gain controller. Robustness to parameter variation is an important feature of this technique. This robustness can be achieved through the control law design, assuming parameter variation bounds are known. These improvements are demonstrated for variations in load inertia. Inductance ripple affects machine performance, for example decreasing output torque and increasing core losses. A state space model for the machine that incorporates this inductance effect, yields drive simulation results that agree with experimental results

AN IN SILICO STUDY OF NOVEL FLUOROQUINOLONES AS INHIBITORS OF DNA GYRASE OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

Objective: This study is an attempt to identifying an effective fluoroquinolones (FQ) s against STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS (S. aureus) by in silico analysis of 150 (FQ) compounds using iGemDock v2.1 tool.Methods: Structure of DNA gyrase (2XCT) was retrieved from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and the structures of (FQ) compounds were selected from literature survey of 400 novel compounds and the physical, chemical and molecular characteristics of each compound were obeyed for drug-relevant properties based on Lipinski's rule of five, then a total of 150 (FQ)s were docked against the protein of the 2XCT enzyme.Results: From this study, it was found that the compound (1) [(3R,7E)-9-fluoro-7-(isonicotinoylhydrazono)-3-methyl-10-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-2,3-dihydro-7H-[1,4]oxazino[2,3,4-ij]quinoline-6-carboxylic acid] and the compound (2) [1-cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-7-{4-[(8-hydroxyquinolin-2-yl)methyl]piperazin-1-yl}-4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxylic acid] showed the best interaction value against 2XCT enzyme, the binding energy was (-104. 58 kcal/mol), (-26. 5kcal/mol) respectively whereas the reference ciprofloxacin (CIP) was (-74. 33 kcal/mol).Conclusion: Further in vitro studies of these compounds against the enzyme will lead a new pathway to drug discovery.Â

Isolation a Novel One Derivatives Taraxastene Ethyl benzoate from Erica verticillata

The present paper discusses the elucidation of the structure of the novel taraxastene Ethyl benzoate, as well as, the identification of  Taraxastenes.The compound  have been isolated for the first time from Erica verticillata a plant collected from Hama area in Syria. The structure elucidation of  the Taraxastene Ethyl benzoate was based on spectroscopy data IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, DEPT (90,135) , HETCOR , and 1H-1HCOSY. Keywords: Erica verticillata , Ethyl benzoate , Taraxastene

Preparation of New Derivatives of Enaminolactones

The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of Substituted benzyl azides and quomarinee  was  studied . Where interacted Substituted benzyl azides with quomarine produced seven vehicles of the type Inaminolactone (a, b, c, d, e, f, g).The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of 3- methoxy benzyl azide and quomarinee carried out in p-xylene at reflux. and product was formed in high yield .The isolated and purified products were characterized by spectral methods , IR , 1HNMR , Cosy , 13CNMR , Dept-135 and GC/MS.  Moreover, the compounds belong to Enaminolactones class and compounds of great importance,are used as inhibitor to  corrosion and rust and these compounds have therapeutic value, and they are  intermediate compounds in organic synthesis for the preparation of some medical products. The reactions 1,3- dipolar cycloaddition of substituted benzyl azides with quomarine using to one time for  preparing  the enaminolactones, and this way is new. Keywords: Enaminolactones; benzyl azides ; quomarinee .

Antineuronal antibodies in autistic children: relation to blood mercury

Background: It was recently suggested that autism, a severe neurodevelopmental disorder, may involve an autoimmune pathogenesis. Mercury (Hg) is a potential risk factor for autoimmunity in autistic children. Objective: We sought to investigate the expression of antineuronal antibodies, as an index of autoimmunity to brain, in autistic children. The potential relationship between blood mercury and these antibodies was also investigated. Methods: Forty autistic children (20 with mild to moderate and 20 with severe disease) were studied in comparison to 40 healthy children. After complete clinical and neuropsychiatric evaluation, serum antineuronal antibodies and blood Hg levels were estimated. Results: Autistic children had significantly higher seropositivity for antineuronal antibodies (67.5%) than healthy controls (5%). Similarly, the former group had significantly higher blood Hg levels than the latter (p < 0.0001). In addition, the two markers were positively associated with some parameters such as the family history of autoimmunity, autistic severity and some important clinical manifestations of autism (mental retardation, behavioral abnormalities and autistic regression) as well as EEG abnormalities. Conclusion: Autism may be, in part, one of the pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders. Such autoimmunity may be triggered by environmental Hg exposure. Further studies are warranted to enforce these concepts. If these assumptions could be proved, routine assessment of serum antineuronal antibodies and blood mercury in autistic children would be mandatory. Studies assessing the role of immunotherapy and Hg chelators as new therapeutic modalities for autism are also recommended.Keywords: Antineuronal antibodies; autism; autoimmunity; children; heavy metals; EEG; mercuryEgypt J Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2007; 5(1): 21-3

Traffic Accidents at Hazardous Locations of Urban Roads

This study aims at highlighting the most contributing and influential factors to accident occurrence at hazardous locations of local urban roads, and correlating accident characteristics to different factors including geometric elements, traffic speed, pavement type, lighting conditions, type of collisions, pedestrian facilities existence and traffic conditions. The study was conducted using twenty-eight hazardous locations at Amman-Jordan roads. Each of the hazardous locations had at least twenty accidents and two fatality records per year. Data were collected through different sources that included Great Amman Municipality, Traffic Institute, Police Traffic Department and field studies. Different stepwise statistical regression models were developed to correlate accident characteristics with the studied variables. It was found that the logarithmic and linear models were the most significant and realistic models that can be used to predict the relationship between the accident characteristics as a dependent variable and the other studied variables as independent variables. The developed models were strong and predictable because the coefficient of multiple determinations was very close to the adjusted coefficient of multiple determinations. The following variables were found to be the most significant contributors to traffic accidents at hazardous locations: average running speed, posted speed, maximum and average degree of horizontal curves, number of vertical curves, median width, type of road surface, lighting (day or night), number of vehicles per hour, number of pedestrian crossing facilities and percentage of trucks. The study could open the door for planners and traffic engineers to overcome the problems associated with traffic accident occurrence at hazardous locations and enhance their safety. The developed models showed that accident characteristics such as number of accidents, number of fatalities, number of injuries, type of accident and number of vehicles involved in accidents, and statistics of hazardous locations could be predicted if the traffic conditions, geometric elements and environmental variables are known. The study could also be enhanced if incorporated with drivers’ characteristics including socio-economic data

THERAPEUTIC POTENCY OF SWEET ORANGE JUICE OVER LIVER GENOTOXICITY INDUCED BY PESTICIDE LANNATE IN RATS

Objective: The aim of the present investigation was to study the potential effect of sweet orange juice against liver genotoxicity induced by lannate. Methods: adult 36 female rats were divided into 6 groups: group C (control group), group L (lannate group) injected intraperitoneal (i. p.) with 1 mg/kg b. wt. lannate for one day, group J (orange juice group) orally administered a dose of 0.1 ml/10 g b. wt. of orange juice for 48 h, group J+L received the orange juice prior to lannate, group J with L received lannate in continuous with the orange juice and group L+J received lannate prior to the orange juice. Tested parameters were DNA fragmentation, micronucleus, histopathology examination and biochemical analysis. Results: it was found that, the intake of lannate caused high DNA fragmentation and significant increase (P<0.001) in the number of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes in the bone marrow. Furthermore, lannate exhibited some pathological changes in the liver tissues as well as a significant (P<0.001) decrease in the total antioxidative capacity (TAC) and a significant increase in the total oxidative capacity (TOC). On the other hand, orange juice administration of all treatments (pre-treatment, continuous and post-treatment) gave some amelioration against liver damage induced by lannate. While the best results were evidenced in the continuous treatment group where the juice could attenuate liver DNA fragmentation and significantly decreased (P<0.001) the number of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes. In addition, it improved the induced degenerative histopathological changes as well as ameliorated the changes occurred in TAC and TOC significantly (P<0.001). Conclusion: the antigenotoxic impact of orange juice against lannate was therapeutic and hence can counteract the poisonous effect of the pesticide in people who exposed to it