bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Medical Applications of a Nuclear Reactor
Authors:   Department Radiation Science and Technology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands, Van de Wiel Albert , Blaauw Menno
Published: May 2022

Nuclear reactors are usually associated with the production of energy, but some reactors, including the reactor facility of the University of Technology Delft, The Netherlands, are being used for scientific research. This review describes the current possible applications of such a research facility in medicine. This concerns in the first place the production of various nuclides and chemical carriers, which are now widely used in clinical medicine. Both α and β emitters can be effective in the treatment of tumors and metastases, while γ-emission allows imaging of organs and activity of biological processes. A less well-known application of a research reactor is instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), a technique for qualitative and quantitative multi-element analysis of major, rare and trace elements in all kinds of materials, including those from human origin such as blood, nails, hair and tissue samples. In contrast to mass spectrometry, INAA is not restricted to measurement in small samples, since even large samples up to kilograms can be analyzed. This is especially of importance when an element is not distributed homogeneously in materials. INAA is also used in biomonitoring to measure the burden of toxic chemical compounds and elements in biological substances. A promising development is the use of enriched stable isotopes, an attractive alternative for the application of radioactive tracers in the study of the bioavailability and distribution of essential trace elements and metals in the human body.
The Pharmacological Action of Common Herbal Remedies
Authors:   Department of Research, The Ibn Sina Institute of Tibb, Johannesburg, South Africa, Bhikha Rashid , Glynn John
Published: May 2022

Acceptance of the clinical efficacy and tolerance of herbal remedies by practitioners of conventional, Western medicine is strongly dependent on unambiguous and reproducible evidence, particularly their pharmacological action. A single conventional drug generally has one dominant pharmacological mode of action which accounts for its therapeutic efficacy, whereas a herbal remedy because of the various active agents it contains, generally influences several biochemical and/or physiological systems present in the body. Identifying this therefore poses several challenges. They are much more complex, and the active components of a herbal remedy may act synergistically or interact in other ways. Although the need to determine modes of action has not been a primary concern of complementary healthcare practitioners, there is increasing pressure to elaborate objectively on their pharmacological action. In response, there has been an encouraging, and escalating, release of scientific data documenting the mode of action of many herbal remedies. Some we know about in considerable detail; of others we have an inkling; but for the vast majority the’ modes of action remain to be elucidated. This brief review, based on a survey of the available scientific and clinical literature, examines the modes of action of several therapeutic herbs which are being increasingly used, whether informally or as part of complementary or integrative medical practice. It examines a major category of sub stances, the adaptogens, and the various chemical forms it embraces, such as the saponins and triterpenes. The herbs with modulate the immune system, for instance garlic, turmeric and St John’s Wort, are likewise surveyed, as are the alkaloids and botanical anti-inflammatory agents. Herbs which exert pharmacological action via their nitric oxide regulatory properties are listed, as are those which provide essential micro-nutrients, such as vitamins and certain minerals. The review concludes with comment on the importance of understanding herbal remedy modes of action as a positive step to their wider adoption in the modern-day therapeutic armamentarium.
Radiocontrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury Following Coronary Angiography and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors:   Department of Nephrology-Urology-Transplantation, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Bui Pham Van , Dung Nguyen Quang , Huynh Thi Nguyen Nghia , Phuong Pham Nguyen Thanh , Liem Vo Thanh , Cuong Duong Minh
Published: May 2022

Despite the remarkable technological advances in coronary angiography (CA)/percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease, the contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is always an important cause of hospital-acquired AKI. Most local CI-AKI studies in Vietnam had small sample sizes and short-term follow-up of only 24-48 hours following CA or PCI intervention, resulting in controversial conclusions. We conducted a study of the incidence of CI-AKI during a longer follow-up time period and associated risk factors among adult patients undergoing CA/ PCI at Nguyen Tri Phuong University Public Hospital and Tam Duc Private Cardiology Center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam between January 2014 and March 2015. All 320 patients with CA/PCI at the two hospitals were enrolled in a retrospective cohort study. Information on demographic data, treatment, and laboratory test results was collected from the patients’ records. The total cumulative incidence of CI-AKI at 24, 48, 72 and ≥72 hours following CA/PCI was 6.7%, 12%, 14% and 16.9% respectively. Prognostic factors for CI-AKI included an increase by 1 ml/min/1,73m² in clearance creatinine before the intervention (P = 0.006, Hazard Ratio (HR) = 0.970, 95%CI 0.949 – 0.991) and an increase by 1% in ejection fraction (P = 0.023, HR = 0.984, 95%CI 0.970 – 0.998). Delayed CI-AKI was not rare after CA/PCI intervention. Therefore, it is pivotal to monitor serum creatinine in a longer time after the intervention to timely detect CI-AKI. Also, information on risk factors such as emergency interventions, chronic kidney disease, and ejection fraction < 45% could assist in predicting CI-AKI development.
Pattern of Antimicrobial Resistance to Escherichia Coli Among the Urinary Tract Infection Patients in Bangladesh
Authors:   Ranjan Sutradhar, Kumar Acherjya Goutam , Acherjya Kumar , Ghose Rina , Ul Islam Din , Ali Mohammad , Akhtar Nazma , Chakrabortty Rajashish , Ranjan Sutradhar Satya
Published: May 2022

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is very common in our day-to-day clinical practice. Among all the organisms Escherichia coli (E coli) is the most common but antimicrobial resistance becomes an alarming issue for UTI management now a days. Aim of this study is to assess the pattern of antimicrobial resistance to E coli among the UTI patients in Jashore, Bangladesh. This observational study was conducted from February, 2017 to January, 2018 in the district of Jashore, Bangladesh. We recruited 696 patients of both sex with UTI only infected by E coli. We had excluded the patients with UTI caused by other than E coli, female during menstruation, pregnancy, history of taking antibiotics within last 21 days, catheterization within 1 month and pelvic organ & genito urinary tract surgery within 6 months. Evaluation of antimicrobial resistance was done according to the standard bacteriological methods. Mean age of our study cases was 41.46±17.21 years with the range from 15 to 91 years. More than 85% participants were female with a sex ratio was 8:1.5. Reproductive age group ranged from 21 to 50 years was affected most commonly which constituted approximately two-third of our study. Our study revealed that the maximum antimicrobial resistance to E coli was Cotrimoxazole (95.0%), followed by Ceftazidime (75.7%), Gentamicin (70.3%), Amikacin (69.0%), Imipenam (58.9 %,), Cefixime (58.0%), Ciprofloxacin (57.3%), Azithromycin (56.0%), Cefuroxime (46.6%), Cefotaxime (37.4%), Ceftriaxone (35.2%), Meropenem (32.2%), Nitrofurantion (4.7%). With the high magnitude of antimicrobial resistance to E coli among the UTI patients even with extended generation of Cephalosporins, Carbapenams, Ciprofloxacin, Cotrimoxazole, Azithromycin and Aminoglycosides, our recommendation as first line empirical treatment option in UTI should be Nitrofurantoin due to low resistance pattern.
Applying CRISPR/Cas13 to Construct Exosomal PD-L1 Ultrasensitive Biosensors for Dynamic Monitoring of Tumor Progression in Immunotherapy
Authors:   Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine  State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China  Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine  Sun Yat-sen University cancer center  651 Dongfeng Road East, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 510080, P. R. China, Liu Wanli , Zeng Musheng , Dai Shuqin , Yu Xiaohui , Zhang Ge , Guo Songhe , Li Huilan , Xing Shan , Wang Xueping , Wu Yetao , Wang Yu , He Yi
Published: May 2022

Programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD-L1) protein on exosomes (exosomal PD-L1) is one of the most promising biomarkers for cancer immunotherapy monitoring. However, current approaches for exosomal PD-L1 detection are poorly sensitive, laborious, and time-consuming. Here, a new method, named Aptamer-RPA-TMA-Cas13a Assay (ARTCA) is established, which enables exosomal PD-L1 to be detected directly in serum with a lower limit of 10 particles mL−1. Mechanistically, using DNA aptamer specifically binding to exosomal PD-L1, the aptamer is amplified twice by recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) coupled with transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) and simultaneously the TMA products are detected in real-time with CRISPR/Cas13a system. Utilizing ARTCA, PD-L1 levels in circulating exosomes seem to be a reliable marker of PD-L1 expression in tumor tissue. The level of circulating exosomal PD-L1 increases significantly in patients with tumor progression. Ultra-trace detection of serum exosomal PD-L1 by ARTCA provides a potentially convenient way for dynamic monitoring of tumor progression for patients undergoing immunotherapy. These results demonstrate the use of CRISPR-Cas13a for protein detection, and circulating exosomal PD-L1 levels seem to be a reliable marker as well as PD-L1 expression in tumor tissue, opening up new avenues for monitoring tumor progression.
COVID-19 Reinfection in 60-Year-Old Man with Diabetes Mellitus, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
Authors:   Department of Internal Medicine, St. Carolus Borromeus Hospital, Kupang, Indonesia, Prijopranoto Heri Sutrisno , William Hotomo Albert
Published: May 2022

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease which is caused by a new strain of coronavirus. Older individuals and people with comorbidities have a higher risk to develop more severe illness. COVID-19 survivors will have active immunity in conjunction with increase of SARS-CoV-2 antibody (Ab) titer 2-weeks after the symptoms onset and will be lasted until 12-weeks. Therefore, it will give protection against reinfection of COVID-19. This study reports a case of COVID-19 rapid reinfection in sixty-year-old man with diabetes mellitus. Case illustration: a sixty-year-old man presented to the emergency department with fever accompanied by cough, runny nose, malaise, and metallic taste since one day before admission to hospital. There was a history of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (DM) and COVID-19 infection 35-days before hospital admission without any symptoms. The current physical examinations demonstrated a mild dyspnea with oxygen saturation 97%, and diffuse rhonchi at the right area of chest auscultation. Chest X-ray discovered a multiple consolidation of the right lung, with suspicion of viral pneumonia. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) was 205 mg/dl, and 2-hour postprandial glucose was 508 mg/dl. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of SARS-CoV-2 via nasopharyngeal swab was taken and the result was positive. COVID-19 Ab titers IgM and IgG were 0.18 U/ml and 0.43 U/ml (<0.8 U/ml → non-reactive), respectively. The patient was diagnosed with COVID-19 reinfection and DM. The patient was treated with convalescent plasma, antivirus, antibiotics, insulin, steroid, anticoagulant, and other symptomatic medications. As the results, a well improvement of his clinical condition and the increase of Ab COVID-19 IgM and IgG evaluation test after convalescent plasma administration, 0.28 AU/ml and 17.67 AU/ml, respectively, were recorded. Summary: Researches revealed that DM might cause the specific immunity system dysfunction and the low production of antibody. This study found that poor blood-glucose control with a low Ab of SARS-CoV-2 production might induce this patient to have a COVID-19 reinfection. Advance immunological study about the correlation between DM and COVID-19 is very essential in the management of COVID-19 patients with DM.
Genome-Wide Analysis of the UGT Gene Family and Identification of Flavonoids in Broussonetia papyrifera
Authors:   Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China, Shen Shihua , Chen Naizhi , Su Yalei , Wang Fenfen
Published: May 2022

Broussonetia papyrifera is a multifunctional deciduous tree that is both a food and a source of traditional Chinese medicine for both humans and animals. Further analysis of the UGT gene family is of great significance to the utilization of B. papyrifera. The substrates of plant UGT genes include highly diverse and complex chemicals, such as flavonoids and terpenes. In order to deepen our understanding of this family, a comprehensive analysis was performed. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 155 BpUGTs were divided into 15 subgroups. A conserved motif analysis showed that BpUGT proteins in the same subgroups possessed similar motif structures. Tandem duplication was the primary driving force for the expansion of the BpUGT gene family. The global promoter analysis indicated that they were associated with complex hormone regulatory networks and the stress response, as well as the synthesis of secondary metabolites. The expression pattern analysis showed that the expression level of BpUGTs in leaves and roots was higher than that in fruits and stems. Next, we determined the composition and content of flavonoids, the main products of the BpUGT reaction. A total of 19 compounds were isolated and analyzed by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS in 3 species of Broussonetia including B. kazinoki, B. papyrifera, and B. kazinoki × B. papyrifera, and the number of compounds was different in these 3 species. The total flavonoid content and antioxidant capacities of the three species were analyzed respectively. All assays exhibited the same trend: the hybrid paper mulberry showed a higher total flavonoid content, a higher total phenol content and higher antioxidant activity than the other two species. Overall, our study provides valuable information for understanding the function of BpUGTs in the biosynthesis of flavonoids
Just Beauty or Magic Too? Flint figurines and Their Place in Prehistoric Culture of the North
Authors:   Institute of Language, Literature and History of the Komi Scientific Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Karmanov Victor
Published: May 2022

Based on the generalization and systematization of information about flint figurines from sites in the Far Northeast of Europe (Komi Republic, Nenets Autonomous Area, and Perm Territory) the author tries to determine their place in the prehistoric culture of the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Bronze Age. The main question is what were those flint implements for the people of that time: “a beauty in itself” or an expression of ideas of the supernatural? To find the answer, data on the shapes and traces of flint items, their contexts, cultural attribution, and chronology were analyzed. Two main periods of distribution among bifacial cultures have been identified: the Lyalovo culture, the 1st half of the 5th m. BC and the Garino culture, 3rd — 1st half of the 2nd m. BC The evidence of special properties of figurines and/or pendants in comparison with other artifacts have not been found yet. They accompanied the everyday life of people, went out of use on settlements together with households and workshop assemblages. Some of them show traces of long-term wear in containers or on the body/clothes, while others have been made at an abandoned site. Some are former tools, and evidence of the irrational in them may be associated with personal stories. This information and other research data suggest that flint figurines are mainly an expression of prehistoric aesthetics. Their possible magic may have been purely personal and we will probably never find evidence of it.
“What Have our Figurines Ever Done for us?” Magic and Agency in Balkan-Carpathian Prehistory
Authors: Chapman John , Gaydarska Bisserka ,   Durham University, Watson Emma ,   Durham University
Published: May 2022

The work of Mary Helms and Alfred Gell on cultural transformations, object colour and brilliance and their links to ritual power emphasises the most important aspect of magic for objects — its agency. The aesthetic of exotic, bright and colourful objects in the Neolithic and Copper Age of ‘Old Europe’ was central to the objects’ agency. However, the vast majority of figurines from this region was neither polished nor highly coloured, nor even decorated — sometimes showing signs of rapid production for short-term usage. Yet there is a widespread notion that figurines had the potential to produce special effects in ritual practice. Just as the agency of figurines is ‘culture-specific’ as well as context-specific, their potency depended upon a widespread underlying acceptance of what this particular class of objects could do for people. Here we pose two questions: how did figurines perform their agency? and was figurine’s agency fundamentally different from the agency of bright, colourful, exotic objects? We present four examples of the magical effects — i. e. the agency — of figurines from the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Copper Age of Old Europe: the efficacy of Lepenski Vir fish-persons; how figurines contributed to the practice of black magic in the Vinča group; the ability of the fragmentation of shiny, black Hamangia figurines to achieve significant social effects; and the arrangement of Cucuteni figurine sets to educate women about (in)fertility.
…Thou Settest a Crown of Pure Gold on His Head
Authors:   Institute of Archaeology Russian Academy of Sciences, Avilova Lyudmila
Published: May 2022

The study focuses on metal details of headdresses of the Early Metals period (V—III mill. BC) from the Middle Eastern sites of the Late Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. The paper aims at clarifying the place and role of this group of material in development of social relations in the epochs of late prehistory and formation of early urban and early state societies. The author applies the comparative typological method and presents an overview of metal headdresses. Special attention is paid to the context of finds, which originate mostly from burial sites. The classification of diadems is based on the morphological principle. The earliest T-shaped diadems are known from the Balkan Chalcolithic, where they represent strictly local phenomenon. Long headbands appear in the Near East at the turn of V and IV mill. BC. In III mill. BC other types of head ornaments are worked out, such as oval and rhomboid frontlets and complex constructions. Some stable traditions in their construction and symbolism are traced. The finds are considered as markers of prestige and elevated social position, which is related to formation of elite groups. The ceremonial headdresses of local leaders demonstrated the hierarchical structure of the society. The religious symbolism of headdresses, in particular floral motifs, is considered in association with the idea of importance of the elite and its ritual activities aimed at preserving stability of the universe, community well-being and stimulating production.
Calendars of the Trundholm Sun Chariot
Authors:   Saint Petersburg State University, Panchenko Dmitri ,   St. Petersburg Branch of the National Research University Higher School of Economics
Published: May 2022

The article develops K. Randsborg’s idea, according to which the decorative elements of the Trundholm disc have the character of calendar symbols. When considering these elements in their structural and numerical groupings, astronomical and calendar significance is found for all belts of both sides of the disk, and the proposed interpretations are consistently contextual. One discloses on the right side of the disk an 8-year cycle connecting the counting of days according to the sun and to the moon, 16 transitions of the sun from winter solstice to summer solstice, and 27 weeks of the summer half of the year. The patterns represented on the left side of the disk are relevant to the night sky: the same 8-year cycle, since it refers to the counting of days not only according to the sun, but also according to the moon; either division of a year into 10 months or the 19-year cycle of the return of both the moon and sun to their common position with respect to the stars; 25 weeks of the darker, winter half of the year. One concludes that in Denmark of the Bronze Age two types of calendars were used: lunisolar, which regulated the timing of religious festivals, and a solar, so to speak, civil, with a year made up of two not quite equal half-years, 52 weeks and 364 days (probably coexisting with knowledge of a year of 365 ¼ days). The data concerning the medieval Scandinavian calendars, on the one hand, and ancient calendars of Greece and the Near East, on the other, are in perfect agreement with the above conclusions.
The Phenomenon of Tall Stature of the People of Afanasyevo Culture in Altai and Khangai: Environmental Influence or Eastern European Heritage?
Authors:   Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tyumen Scientific Center, Solodovnikov Konstantin , Erdene Myagmar ,   National University of Mongolia
Published: May 2022

From the end of the 4th millennium BC, a new proto-Caucasian population that characterized the Afanasyevo culture spread in the interior regions of Asia. This contrasted with the intermediate Mongoloid-Caucasoid anthropological appearance of the local Asian populations. The Afanasyevo bearers from Altai and Khangai are distinguished by the largest body stature among the ancient human groups of Eurasia. The craniological and osteometrical differences of the Afanasyevo populations are likely related with the adaptation of the migrant people to the harsh bio-climatic conditions of the mountainous regions of the Southern Siberia and Central Asia, which resulted in greater increase of the head and body size. A statistical comparison of the Afanasyevo craniological series and the Eneolithic ancestral groups (more than 150 crania), Early and Early Middle Bronze Age (about 520 crania) from the south of Eastern Europe allowed to discover a complex of traits that distinguish the Yamnaya population from the previous Eneolithic groups. The Afanasyevo bearers from the low-mountain regions of Altai, the Minusinsk Basin and Khangai mountain are most similar to the Yamnaya people of the forest-steppe and steppe regions of the Volga and Urals, which thus determines the origins of the Afanasyevo population. The craniological series of the Afanasyevo population from the Altai highlands are morphologically combined with the Eneolithic Eastern European groups (Sredny Stog and Repin cultures, Berezhnovka type), which suggests that their descendants could contribute towards the formation of the Afanasyevo population.
INVESTIGATION OF ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF FUMARIA PARVIFLORA LAM.
Authors: Bhargava Anjali , Shrivastava Pragya , Tilwari Anita
Published: May 2022

The plant species Fumaria parviflora Lam. is a well-known and widely used herb in Indian traditional medicinal system.The study was aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the hydroalcoholic extract of Fumaria
parviflora Lam. (whole plant). Antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH (1,1 diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) free radical
scavenging method and IC50 (Half-maximal inhibitory concentration) value of the extract was determined which was
compared with the IC50 value of the standard Ascorbic acid. The extract was also evaluated for its antimicrobial potential
and the tests were carried out using the disc diffusion method. The extract considerably inhibited the growth of most of
the tested bacterial and fungal strains. Thus, the results of the study justified the traditional use of F. parviflora parts as a
remedy to various health disorders.
PROFILING OF PHYTOCHEMICALS IN ANNONA RETICULATA L. LEAF USING GC-MS ANALYSIS
Authors: Kumari Amulya , Sharan Latika , Patnaik Amit , Oraon Vinay
Published: May 2022

PAnnona reticulata L. belongs to the family Annonaceae and is native to West Indies, South and Central America. It is a medicinally important plant and mainly grown for its delicious and nutritious fruit. Fresh leaves were used to prepare ethanolic extract and further used in GC-MS analysis for isolation and identification of compounds present in them. GCMS chromatogram showed 47 peaks showing the presence of 47 compounds. Vitamin E (28.73%) was present in highest percent and 2-Dodecylcyclobutanone in lowest percent (0.09%) with retention time 24.111minutes and 17.293 minutes respectively.
On Becoming an Effective Mentor in Adult Education—Investigating the Perceptions of Greek Adult Educators
Authors: Koutsoukos Marios
Published: May 2022

Interest in mentoring, which is an innovative method in adult education (CEDEFOP, 2013), has been growing rapidly in Europe, especially since the Lisbon European Council in 2000. In Greece, this interest has found expression either through the development of educational material in the context of adult educator training programmes, or the investigation of the mentoring needs of adult learners (Koutsoukos, 2021). In spite of the obvious fact that the mentor plays a key role in ensuring that the mentoring process is constructive and successful, there has been little research to date on the attributes of an effective mentor in adult education. The present study, using multimethod research, examined the perceptions of 337 Greek adult educators as to what characteristics constitute an effective mentor, as well as the role and the selection criteria of a successful mentor. The findings indicated that the key qualities of an effective mentor were: having sufficient training in adult education and mentoring, teaching, communication and relational skills, as well as having a positive attitude to lifelong learning and a willingness to innovate. In addition, the role of an effective mentor was perceived by the study participants as being a trainer, a model teacher, as well as an equal partner.
A Conceptual Approach to Teaching L2 Pronunciation: Perception of Word Stress
Authors:   Auckland University of Technology, Couper Graeme
Published: May 2022

Research has demonstrated that pronunciation teaching can be effective, but there have been very few classroom-based studies that have focused on the perception aspect of pronunciation. This article explains the theory and practical application of a conceptual approach and reports on its impact on perception of English word stress. The quasi-experimental study (N=18) involved four fifty-minute lessons on stress in two-syllable words in a high-intermediate ESL class. The experimental (n=10) group was tested pre, post (mid-semester) and delayed (end-semester) and the comparison (n=8) group was tested twice before receiving the instruction in the second half of the semester and being tested again. In line with a conceptual approach, the innovative testing method used moves beyond traditional identification tasks in an attempt to measure changes in participants' conceptual understandings. The tests showed large and significant gains in perception, which were retained eight weeks later. The comparison group made no gains, but after instruction improved on a par with the experimental group. This study presents an effective way of teaching pronunciation concepts, supported by theory, that also leads to improvements in perception. It informs and provides a template for both teachers and researchers who may want to replicate the study.
MENCERMATI PENGGUNAAN METODE KUALITATIF DI LINGKUNGAN SEKOLAH TINGGI TEOLOGI
Authors: Manurung Kosma
Published: May 2022

Research methods are an integral part of science. The research method has an important meaning in terms of helping to understand, work on, assess, and the basis of the validity of a scientific work. The purpose of this study is to describe the use of qualitative research methods among theological colleges. This article uses descriptive methods and literature review. Based on the results of the discussion of this article, it can be concluded that the use of qualitative methods in theological high school environment is generally used in two types of research, namely based on field research and based on literature research. Qualitative methods based on field research can use phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, and case studies. While the qualitative methods used in theological high school environment based on literature research can be in the form of narrative, description, literature review, and exegesis. Metode penelitian adalah bagian yang tak terpisahkan dari ilmu pengetahuan. Metode penelitian memiliki arti penting dalam hal untuk membantu memahami, mengerjakan, menilai, dan landasan keabsahan sebuah karya ilmiah. Maksud dari penelitian ini ingin mengambarkan penggunaan metode penelitian kualitatif di kalangan sekolah tinggi teologi. Artikel ini menggunakan metode deskriptif dan kajian literatur.  Berdasarkan hasil pembahasan artikel ini dapat disimpulkan bahwa penggunaan metode kualitatif di lingkungan sekolah tinggi teologi secara umum digunakan dalam dua macam penelitian yaitu berdasarkan penelitian lapangan dan berdasarkan penelitian literatur. Metode kualitatif berdasarkan penelitian lapangan bisa menggunakan fenomenologi,  grounded theory, etnografi, dan studi kasus. Sedangkan metode kualitatif yang digunakan di lingkungan sekolah tinggi teologi berdasarkan penelitian literatur bisa berupa narasi, deskripsi, kajian literatur, dan eksigesa.
Islamic Iktisad (Frugality)
Authors: Fagan Heather
Published: May 2022

Although consumerism has long been recognised as one of the major contributors of environmental destruction, little change in consumer habits have resulted. Knowledge alone of the widespread environmental destruction caused by consumeristic lifestyles simply has not provided the required motivation for behavioural change. Religions have a key role to play, as they have the potential to provide this motivation needed for change. One concept largely absent from religious environmental ethics literature is iktisad, the Islamic concept of frugality, which has the potential to produce this required change in consumeristic behaviour. Iktisad is using only resources that are necessary – no more, no less. Importantly, though, Islamic environmental iktisad is also an important means of spiritual and personal development, which provides added motivation for change without the necessity of a separate environmental consciousness. It is a means of detachment from material goods, allowing for increased contentment, gratitude and enhanced personal relationships. While the motivation for Muslims to implement iktisad may be religious, the personal benefits of iktisad mean it can appeal to all human beings, regardless of religious belief. These motivating factors of iktisad, mean it offers a real, lasting and urgently needed solution to environmental destruction caused by consumerism.
Life of Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi and the Socio-Political and Theological Context of Central Asia in the Tenth Century
Authors: Chaker Aref
Published: May 2022

Abū Manṣūr al-Māturīdi is one of the most influential theologians in the Muslim World. He emerged in the tenth century in Central Asia and established his own theological school, alMāturīdiyyah; a school that played and continues to play a pivotal role in the formation of the Sunni synthetic theological movement in the Muslim world. A review of the studies undertaken concerning alMāturīdi demonstrates the influence of the socio-political and theological context of Central Asia on al-Māturīdi has not been studied, examined or analysed. This paper focuses on studying this overlooked aspect in Sunni theology. It evaluates the existence of any influence of the social, political, cultural and religious factors on al-Māturīdī’s works and his academic identity. It examines the nature of these influences, positive or negative, by undertaking a qualitative content analysis of all biographical, historical and geographical literature relevant to al-Māturīdi and Central Asia. The study uncovered the strong influence these factors had on al-Māturīdi. These influences were all positive in many of his writings. More importantly, these factors helped shape the synthetic theological paradigm al-Māturīdi adopted in much of his literature.
Said Nursi and Prophethood
Authors: Law David R
Published: May 2022

Islam, or more accurately Islamism, is often in the news. Militant Islamist groups such as Boko Haram and the so-called Islamic State are constantly in the headlines. There is a great danger such groups and the atrocities they commit will determine our conception of Islam as a whole. There are two ways to address this problem. One approach is to show how unIslamic these groups are by exposing the gulf that exists between their ideology and the teaching of the Qur’ān and the hạ dīth or traditions of Muḥammad. This is above all a task for the Muslim community. The second approach is to engage with Muslim thinkers and movements who advocate interreligious dialogue, cooperation between the world’s faiths, and collaboration between East and West. Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (1877-1960) is one such thinker.
Adultery Laws in Islam and Stoning in the Modern World
Authors: Korbatieh Souha
Published: May 2022

This article looks at the legal basis within Islamic scholarship for imposing stoning for the crime of adultery. Traditionally it has been accepted that, based on Qur'an, hadith and examples from the Rightly Guided Caliphs, stoning is the Islamic punishment for married adulterers. However, upon closer inspection it appears these sources may not be as solid as once believed. While the jumhoor (majority) opinion for stoning remains, there are notable scholars, traditional and modern, who discount, question and even reject these arguments. Despite the jumhoor, the severity of the punishment is greatly tempered by the high evidentiary standards that act as its safeguard. These safeguards are briefly discussed.

The second part of this article looks at stoning in the modern world, which has occurred as a by-product of the rising phenomenon of sharia application in modern Muslim countries. The challenge for these countries is how to apply sharia punishments such as stoning, while maintaining sharia’s aims of equality, social justice and morality.

Solutions for existing and emerging Muslim states regarding the application of punishments are made and practical suggestions for a way forward. This article essentially argues Muslim scholars and jurists must reassess the legitimacy of imposing sharia punishments such as stoning and reach meaningful conclusions about the future of capital punishment in the Muslim world.
On the Edge of Bultmann’s Demythologisation
Authors: Abu Shareea Mohammad
Published: May 2022

This study explores Muḥammad ‘Abduh’s (d. 1905) attitude towards interpreting the Qur’an as a source of scientific knowledge through analysing the fruitful phase of his intellectual project in which he wrote a commentary on some chapters of the Qur’an. Relying on three arguments, the study concludes that ‘Abduh rejects the notion that the Qur’an is a source of scientific knowledge since he claims such scientific phenomena are mentioned in the Qur’an for the sake of reasoning only and knowing God’s blessings. The three arguments are: first, ‘Abduh’s hermeneutics in which he stands with the philosophers’ ones against the scholars’ polemics. Second, applying the rule “al-dāl ‘ala al-wuqū’ dāl ‘ala al-imkān” (Its existence is a proof for its possibility to exist) on his commentary and thus a clear statement shall prove his attitude. Third, reading ‘Abduh’s project as an attempt to revive Avicenna’s hermeneutics through modern science. In addition, the study compares ‘Abduh with Bultmann’s demythologisation and concludes that ‘Abduh’s medieval philosophical expertise – Kalām – in addition to the nature of the language of the Qur’an prevented him from fully rejecting the worldview of scripture as what Bultmann did. Lastly, I have argued that the Qur’anic concept of God in addition to the cosmographical one could be demythologised in accordance with ‘Abduh’s hermeneutics.
Citizenship in the Minds of Radical Islamists
Authors: Orofino Elisa
Published: May 2022

‘Islamists’ represent a very complex category of actors mostly associated with research on terrorism and radicalisation. While many studies have investigated the dangers posed by Islamist groups in various national contexts, only a few analyses have explored Islamist views on core concepts, including citizenship. This article examines the concept of citizenship through the lenses of two long-living transnational Islamist groups, i.e. Ikhwan al-Muslimun and Hizb ut-Tahrir. Starting by framing the concept of citizenship within Islamism as an ideology, this article eviscerates the main causes that have led Ikhwan and the Hizb to hold diverse views on citizenship. This analysis concludes that different visions on citizenship are caused by two main factors (terminal and instrumental values), which are defined by the different evolutionary paths undertaken by the groups over the decades. Together, these values define a new social identity each individual develops as a result of his/her membership to the group. This new identity eventually aligns the members’ interpretation of reality and their behaviours with the group’s core values
Australian Muslim Citizens
Authors: Kabir Nahid Afrose
Published: May 2022

Muslims have a long history in Australia. In 2016, Muslims formed 2.6 per cent of the total Australian population. In this article, I will discuss Australian Muslims’ citizenship in two time periods, 2006–2018 and 2020. In the first period, I will examine Australian Muslims’ identity and sense of belonging, and whether their race or culture have any impact on their Australian citizenship. I will also discuss the political rhetoric concerning Australian Muslims. In the second period, 2020, I will examine Australian Muslims’ placement as returned travellers during the COVID-19 period. I conclude that, from 2006 to 2018, Islamophobia was rampant in “othering” many Australian Muslims. And in 2020 the Australian government has adopted a policy of inclusion by repatriating its citizens (both Muslims and non-Muslims), but with the COVID-19 crisis, a new dimension of discrimination has been added onto ethnic minorities – in this case Bangladeshi Australians who are mostly Muslims. They are now looked upon as the “other quarantined” or “detained Australian citizens”.
Use of Historical Information in Conducting Content Criticism in Hadith
Authors: Ansari Mir Sadeq
Published: May 2022

Rejecting ḥadīth based on it contradicting with known historical events has been deemed an accepted principle of matncriticism amongst classical ḥadīth scholars. How exactly is this rule meant to be applied is the question that this paper attempts to address by looking at how Abu Jaʿfar al-Ṭaḥāwī applied it throughout his magnum corpus - Sharḥ mushkil al-āthār. Of the fourteen examples selected from the fifteen-volume work, it can be seen that Ṭaḥāwī often uses this principle to reject what would normally be deemed very authentic ḥadīth. However, when the ḥadīth at hand is ‘raised’, that is it is a prophetic ḥadīth (marfūʿ), we find Ṭaḥāwī exercising flexible hermeneutical skills and defending the ḥadīth.
Islamic Studies in the Modern World
Authors: Ali Jan A
Published: May 2022

Violent Islamism is a modern sociological phenomenon with origins in the crisis of society and the negative consequences of modernity. It sees the society and the modern world steeped in a quagmire with an obscene level of wealth and power in the hands of a few and a large section of society in perpetual strife and suffering. Apart from the West in various other parts of the world there is economic stagnation, many in the society are excluding from resources revenue, and the trade and social networks being disrupted and societies torn apart with the creation of new nation states. The society has huge urban agglomerations and people in millions, especially young men and women, are either unemployed or underemployed and many feel alienated from prosperous way of life enjoyed by the urban elite and uprooted from the social fabric of the society where sense of solidarity has been pilfered away.  The crisis needs to be addressed and the imbalance corrected immediately. This paper posits that violent Islamism purports to have a solution which is to totally rearrange the social, economic, and political structures of the society, Islamise the knowledge and civil and economic institutions, and establishment the Caliphate with shari'ah as its constitution. Violent Islamists are only too willing and ready to remake the world and will use any means to achieve this goal even defensive and offensive jihad as a weapon of choice.
Islamic Studies in Australia’s Higher Education Sector
Authors: Rane Halim , Duderija Adis , Mamone Jessica
Published: May 2022

This report presents an overview of the discipline of Islamic studies in the Australia’s higher education sector collected in 2017. After a brief exploration of the history of teaching Islam and Islamic studies in modern Western institutions, the report briefly discusses the types of theoretical and methodological issues that concern the contemporary discipline of Islamic studies in the Western context. This leads to the main subject matter of the report, which focuses on identifying the major Australian universities that currently offer substantial Islamic studies courses and discusses the types of majors and programs offered; the institutional background in which these majors and programs emerged and currently operate; the breakdown and content of the courses offered; and what graduate outcomes the institutions envisage for their graduates. Finally, the report makes a few brief, general and preliminary observations regarding the future of Islamic studies in the Australian context.
English Translations of the Qur’an
Authors: Brashi Abbas
Published: May 2022

A review of the following Arabic book:

Aldahesh, Ali Yunis (2020). English Translations of the Qur’an: A Descriptive Comparative Study in their Aspects of Disagreement (al-Tarjamātu al-Ingilīziyyaui li-Maʿānī al-Qur’āni al-Karīm: Dirāsatun fī Maḍāhiri al-ʾIkhtilāf). Cairo: Hala Publishing Company. 264pp.
Religious Others in the Qur’ān and Conversion
Authors: Okawa Reiko
Published: May 2022

This study examines how two contemporary Muslim thinkers, Farid Esack (1955–) and Reza Shah-Kazemi (1960–), developed their thoughts on non-Muslims through the interpretation of the Qur’ān. Traditionally non-Muslims have been called Ahl al-Kitāb, i.e., People of the Book, or kuffār (sg. kāfir), i.e., infidels, and believed to be inferior to Muslims. In this globalizing world, however, it can be thought that it is an urgent issue to pursue peaceful co-existence among different religions. Esack, a South African scholar and activist, emphasized religious pluralism, while Shah-Kazemi, a London-based scholar with an esoteric tendency, emphasized universalism and inter-faith dialogue. Both of them, however, have tried to understand Non-Muslims by regarding them as “religious Others”, not to think that da‘wah, calling for conversion, is an imperative, and to aim to establish the ultimate religion of one God for all humankind. It could be said that their thoughts on peaceful co-existence between Muslims and non-Muslims is an effort to surpass the traditional exclusiveness to provide a space for monotheistic believers who put a premium on tolerance of religious Others. But both elaborate their ideas without discussing polytheists, which will be required as the next step in establishing the ultimate religion.
Tafsīr al-Jalālayn at the Crossroads
Authors: Nurtawab Ervan
Published: May 2022

Scholarly studies of Southeast Asian commentaries of the Qur’ān produced prior to the 20th century uncover the dominant position of Tafsīr al-Jalālayn as the main reference among other popular classical and medieval Qur’ānic commentaries authored by al-Baghawī, al-Khāzin and al-Bayḍāwī. In this article, I question the Jalālayn’s position in modernist exegetical activities, given the translated text is usually presented so briefly that it prevents authors of tafsir from giving extra-explanations as glosses. Meanwhile, there is an increasing trend in modern tafsir literature to expand commentaries from various disciplines. For this study, I examine selected verses from Tafsir Qurän Karim by an Azhari-trained scholar, Mahmud Yunus (d. 1982), as among the first complete Malay/Indonesian commentaries in the modern period (1938). I argue the Jalālayn was at a crossroads for being marginalised from mainstream modernist Indonesian tafsir literature. While the absence of Jalālayn’s role in modern Indonesian commentaries is obvious, modernist commentators do not entirely neglect some legendary elements usually found in classical and medieval Qur’ānic commentaries and add them to their commentary works.
Fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces by laser surface texturing and autoxidation
Authors: Kumar Vijay , Verma Rajeev , Bairwa Harish Kumar
Published: May 2022

The creation of superhydrophobic surfaces (SHS) has received exceptional thought from the entire research community due to its notable application in varied fields such as anti-icing, self-cleaning, drag reduction, anti-bacterial, and oil-water separation. The super­hy­drophobic (SH) conditions for a surface can be attained through the consolidation of a low surface energy surface with appropriate micro/nano-surface roughness through texturing. Motivated by the SH nature of lotus leaf and petal effect, microstructures have been prepared in this work on a metal surface by a fiber laser marking machine at 35 W. The textured surfaces with a different pitch to diameter (p/d) ratio (2.0-0.70) have been turned into hydrophobic and finally SH, after storing in an ambient environment for a few days due to oxide layer deposition on the textured surface. In this study, the maximum contact angle achieved by textured geometry after 30 days of auto-oxidation was 158.6 o. Further, test results showed that the fabricated surfaces have a high potential to maintain their SH nature even after the harsh condition of applications.
Les études moléculaires sur le palmier dattier (Phoenix dactylifera L.) : Article de synthèse.
Authors: Hamza Hammadi , Ferchichi Ali
Published: May 2022

Le palmier dattier possède certaines caractéristiques qui en font des organismes difficiles à étudier pour la localisation et l’identification des gènes. L’amélioration de la productivité, la qualité du fruit et la résistance aux stress biotiques et abiotiques est le principal objectif des analyses moléculaires chez le palmier dattier. Dans ce papier, nous examinons les progrès considérables dans ce domaine et leur état. On a passé en revue les progrès des études de la génomique chez le palmier dattier afin de fournir une référence utile aux chercheurs travaillant dans ce domaine. Le progrès des techniques moléculaires facilitera les programmes d'amélioration au moyen de la sélection moléculaire