bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Properties of Nanocrystalline BiTe-Base Thermoelectric Materials for Energy Applications
Authors: Alsalama Manal
Published: July 2019

Thermoelectric (TE) is the science associated with converting the thermal energy into electricity based on the Seebeck effect. The attractive features of thermoelectric devices are their long life, low maintenance, highly reliable and they do not produce emissions harmful to the environment. Thermoelectric generators are used to provide electrical power in medical, military, and space applications where their desirable properties outweigh their relatively high cost and low operating efficiency. However, the widespread use of thermoelectric components is presently limited by the low figure-of-merit of presently known materials. Bismuth telluride Bi2Te3 (which has a peak ZT value of 1.1) is currently regarded as the state-of-the art TE material with high efficiency and is therefore attractive for energy harvesting processes. The objective of the work is to demonstrate a new route to the realization of highly efficient bulk Bi2Te3 structures at the nanoscale. Nanostructures provide a chance to disconnect the linkage between thermal and electrical transport by introducing some new scattering mechanisms. This will help in increasing figure of merit and then the efficiency. We present in this work novel versions of both p-type and n-type Bi2Te3 alloy materials with significantly enhanced figures of merit (ZT) between 25 °C and 125 °C.
Using ICTs and Internet-Based Technologies to Total Health Coverage in Remote Areas in Algeria: Towards the Development of a Telemedicine Project
Authors: Guemide Boutkhil , Salima Maouche , Benachaiba Chellali , Bedri Ibtissam
Published: July 2019

In Algeria, there is about seventy percent of the population that lives in remote areas and the desert. These areas are cut from health services, and the people do not have access to modern health services existing in Northern Algeria. The limited health care budget-delivered to these desert areas, and the shortage of doctors (health care specialists) jeopardize the improvement of health care system in the desert areas in Southern Algeria. Recently, although the Centre du Development des Technologies Avancées (CDTA) was granted the right to develop the feasibility of telemedicine in the country, the project centered in the city of Ouarlga, 600 km South of Algiers, giving only medical consultation and diagnostic to pediatrics. However, this initial project does not cover all the Southern remote and desert areas in the country. Also, it does not provide universal health care coverage to all the people living there. The paper discusses the challenges faced by the local authorities to develop health care system coverage in the South of Algeria. Also, it introduces how ICTs and internet-based technologies can integrated into health care system to help people with delivering most of the modern health services while living the desert areas. It proposes a telemedicine project which is based on WINDOWS NET, Adruino, and other ICT applications to develop an eHealth strategy in the country.

Keywords

ICT applications, internet-based technologies, Health care system, Arduino, desert areas.
X-linked Genes with Novel Rare Variants Identified by WGS in ASD Patients are Involved in Neurodevelopment
Authors: Chini Vasiliki , Shalaby Karim , Al-Sarraj Yasser , Taha Rowaida , Alshaban Fouad , Kambouris Marios , El-Shanti Hatem
Published: July 2019

Two boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from two unrelated consanguineous families of Arabic origin were studied by Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) together with their parents. Thugs data of the X chromosome were analyzed to identify possible predisposing, recessive and/or de novo, X-linked variants. Comparative analysis of the WGS data for X-linked de novo inheritance identified no variants, while the recessive inheritance analysis identified the following three strong candidate gene variations, in order of priority; Family 1: IL1RAPL2c.206G>C/p.S69T; Family 2: SHROOM4 c.3370C>G/p.Q1124E, and SYTL5c.1370G>A/p.R457Q. All variations found to be damaging and conserved, validated by Sanger Sequencing, co-segregate with the disease phenotype within each family and are absent in known polymorphism databases, as well as in 1800 ethnically matched control chromosomes, genotyped by TaqMan assays and Real-Time PCR. For the Comparative Analysis, the CLC Genomic Workbench Software package was used, as well as the in-house pipeline, setting the MAF cutoff at 1% and including data for pathogen city, conservation, protein effect, variants databases and so on. In Family 1: IL1RAPL2 is associated with non-syndromic X-linked ID and/or ASD and the proteinis detected at low levels in fetal and adult brain (particularly in the frontal lobe, temporal lobe and cerebellum). In Family 2: SHROOM4 plays a role in cytoskeletal architecture and it is considered an XLMR gene, as mutations have been linked to Stocco dos Santos Syndrome. Deleterious mutations might affect the morphology of the neural cells and eventually the neural development. The SYTL5 encoded protein belongs to the synaptogamin-like protein family and seems to play a role in protein transportation in specific tissues, as it is expression is restricted to placenta and liver. Maybe during embryonic development its expression is required for downstream gene control that plays a role in neural development. Genes function and suggested mechanisms, as well as the absence of the mutations from the ethnically matched control population and publically available databases, indicate that these novel rare variants identified are strong candidates for predisposition to the development of ASD. Future studies on transcriptome analysis and gene expression will enable to confirm the indications and the mechanisms might justify their involvement to ASD.
Dimensional Shapes, Similar in the Shape and Architecture to the cup-like Structure of a Normal Human Valve, Produced using PET Spatial Knitted Fabric
Authors: Liberski Albert Ryszard
Published: July 2019

Recently multiple examples of applications of knitted fabrics in HVTE were reported. One of the most frequently citrated strategy was developed in Mela's group. In that case, the fibrin constituting the leaflets of valves is enforced using a warp-knitted tubular mesh, made out of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In all reports, the authors evaluated biocompatibility of the construct by encapsulating the cells in the fibrin gel constituting the leaflets and quantifying the secreted ECM proteins. Other authors reported that in vivo implantation with fibrin-based tissue-engineered heart valves revealed an absence of calcification, thrombus formation, aneurysm development or stenosis. After 90 days of implantation, it was also observed that a monolayer of endothelial cells was formed, which exhibits the promise of fibrin scaffolds for HVTE. This approach is potentially adaptable for the intelligent scaffold development, which will require replacing non-degradable yarns with bioresorbable yarns. This would be necessary since in the smart solutions; the synthetic yarns need to be finally absorbed and replaced by extra cellular matrix proteins, deposited by in situ recruited cells. PET is not a bioresorbable material, thus alternative strategies need to be proposed to enable growth of valve tissue within the patient. The solutions proposed by Mela and colleagues are promising and encourageable. Inspired by these reports, we fabricated valve leaflets using spatial PET knitted fabric. The construct obtained very closely matched the histological structure of leaflets with 3 layer architecture. This is already important accomplishment towards scaffold closely matching architecture of native valves. The future steps will involve replacing PET with polycaprolactone yarns to enhance construct biocompatibility.
A Knitted/Non-Woven Composite Polycaprolactone Scaffold for Tissue Engineering of the Aortic Valve
Authors: Liberski Albert Ryszard , Sathappan Abbirami , Somasundaram S Jagan Jagan , Jarocinski Włodek
Published: July 2019

The use of mechanical or animal derived valves were replaced by tissue engineered (TE) heart valves (HV) due to their disadvantages such as thrombogenicity and poor durability. A tissue engineered valve, ideally mimics the function of a native valve by responding to growth and physiological forces. It is also believed to have a longer life span, close to that of a native valve. Knitting is a versatile technology, which offers a large spectrum of products and solutions that are of interest in heart valve (HV) tissue engineering (TE). One of the main advantages of knitting is its ability to construct complex geometries and structures by precisely assembling the yarn by forming interlocked loops to desired positions. Furthermore, the yarns can be knitted precisely to reproduce the anisotropic structure of native heart valve. The advantages of this industry has convinced scientists to employ knitting to construct a HV scaffold. Inherently the knitting yields strong but open structures that individually, cannot be used due to their permeability to the fluids. Several studies to seal the pores with hydrogels have shown poor results. Therefore, a new composite material, which is a combination of knitted structure with non-woven structure of the same polymer, namely bioresorbable polycaprolactone (PCL) has been developed and described in this study. The knitted layer provides the desired mechanical stability while nano-fibers of non–woven PCL seals the construct, and makes it functional. Moreover, both types of employed fibers (micro and nano) facilitate the oriented growth of cells in a longitudinal direction, and, consequently, enable the deposition of extra-cellular matrixes (ECM) proteins in an oriented manner. This technique, therefore, has a potential to provide a functional composite PCL-based scaffold. An additional task of this report is to describe example of interaction between tissue and textile engineers. To enable that interaction the textile engineers had to gain a basic understanding of structural and mechanical aspects of the heart valve and, tissue engineers needed to acquire the knowledge of tools and capacities that are essential in knitting technology.
Eeg Profile & Yield in Evaluation of First Non-Febrile Seizures in Children-First Observational Study in Qatar
Authors: Khair Abdulhafeez Mohamed
Published: July 2019

Introduction

Seizures are among the most common neurological disorders in the pediatric age group. Up to 10% of children might experience at least one episode suggestive of seizure activity in their life. It is thought that 5% of all medical attendances to emergency department are related to seizures. Whether the first non-febrile seizure is the kick start of long term epilepsy is always a question that physicians & families encounter. Ordering Electroencephalogram (EEG) for children with first non-febrile seizure is a subject of continuous debate.

Objectives

To collect demographic background data for children (1 month to 14 years) who presented with the first non-febrile seizure, To determine the prevalence & pattern of EEG abnormalities in Children (1 month to 14 years) with first non-febrile seizure, To estimate the possible yield of EEG in first non-febrile seizure as possible predictor of seizure recurrence or future epilepsy, and To collect possible evidence sufficient to make a recommendation for the use versus abandoning use of routine EEG in children with first episode of non-febrile seizure.

Methods

In a retrospective observational study around (400) children who were admitted with first non-febrile seizure to the Pediatric Emergency Centers (PECs) and their seizure were defined using the international league against epilepsy (ILAE) between January 2012 to December 2013 were studied. EEG was requested for 76 patients. Their EEG were reviewed and interpreted by pediatric neurology consultants. Patients’ demographic data and EEG records are then analyzed.

Results & Conclusion

Epileptic seizure should be diagnosed clinically and EEG is just a helpful tool. Utility of EEG is debatable in childhood first non-febrile seizure. EEG is helpful but interpretation should be individualized. EEG alone is not very good predictors of seizure recurrence or overall prognosis. Larger scale studies with longer follow up are needed.

Learning points

This is the first epidemiological study in Qatar in regard to children with epilepsy. It has given almost matching results in regard to background factors & yield of diagnosis in this small country with unique population constituents. This study however has formed the first step towards establishing pediatric epilepsy database project in Qatar. Recruiting of more patients & follow up studies are the future visions of this study.
Trends in New 75% Oral Anticoagulant Use in Qatar: A 5-Year Experience
Authors: Elewa Hazem Fathy , Alhaddad Amani Faisal , Al-Rawi Safa Farooq
Published: July 2019

Introduction

Warfarin has been the cornerstone oral anticoagulant for more than 60 years. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been introduced to the market since 2008. In Qatar, dabigatran was introduced in 2011 followed by rivaroxaban in 2014 and both DOACs are currently used along with warfarin for the treatment and prophylaxis of different thromboembolic diseases. Despite the perceived advantages of the DOACs and their proven efficacy and safety in randomized controlled studies, their use is not as well-established as it has been expected likely due to the lack of antidote and their high cost. Little is known about the prescription pattern of oral anticoagulants and the extent to which DOACs replaced warfarin in Qatar.

Aim

In this study, we aim to explore the trends in oral anticoagulant use in Qatar over the past 5 years and to what extent did DOACs replace warfarin. We also aimed to determine the appropriateness of DOACs use based on the dose and the indication.

Methods

From electronic medical records, we collected all anticoagulant prescriptions dispensed as in- or out-patient from 2011 to 2015 in all Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) hospitals. Prescriptions were stratified by the year, the medication prescribed and the dose. For every calendar year, we calculated the number and percentage of patients using each one of the anticoagulants prescribed. We also compared the clinical and demographics characteristics of patients prescribed warfarin versus those prescribed DOACs. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed using SPSS.

Results

The attached table shows the change over the years in the number of patients prescribed warfarin versus those receiving DOACs. Overall, the percentage of patients receiving DOACs increased gradually from approximately 0.5% in 2011 to 20% in 2015. About 40% of patients receiving DOACs were previous warfarin users. DOACs were appropriately used in more 80% of the patients. Year/ Drug Warfarin Number (%) Dabigatran Number (%) Rivaroxaban Number (%) 2011 2078 (99.47%) 11 (0.53%) 2012 2364 (97.52%) 60 (2.48%) 2013 2567 (90.04%) 285 (9.06%) 2014 2823 (83.3%) 320 (9.44%) 246 (7.26%) 2015 2065 (80.54%) 196 (7.64%) 303 (11.82%).

Conclusion

DOACs have been gradually replacing warfarin in Qatar in a trend that is similar to other countries as well. However, warfarin use remains essential in more than 75% of patients requiring oral anticoagulant. It is important to continue educating healthcare providers to ensure appropriate use of these novel agents.
Putative Relation Between Autism Spectrum Disease & Hereditary Multiple Exostosis Investigated by Whole Genome Sequencing & Comparative Genome Analyses in a Family with ASD and HME with EXT-1 Mutations
Authors: Kambouris Marios , Fadda Abeer , Al-Sarraj Yasser , Ahram Dina , Tomei Sara , Wang Ena , El-Shanti Hatem
Published: July 2019

A family with two male children affected with ASD and HME as well as an unaffected female child, was studied to identify the Genetic basis of ASD in the family and the possible relation between ASD & HME.

Irie et al., [PNAS, 109: 5052–5056, 2012] reported that Heparan Sulfate deficient mice due to inactivating EXT-1 mutations exhibit Autism-like socio-communicative deficits and stereotypies suggesting a relation between MHE and ASD. The father and both male children are clinically affected by HME and carry the known pathogenic EXT-1 c.C1018T/p.R340C dominant mutation. Both male children are also affected by ASD; the father is not. The mother and the female child are not affected either by HME or ASD and do not carry the EXT-1 mutation.

Whole-Genome SNP genotyping and CNV analyses did not detect aneuploidy or deletion/duplication defects as possible ASD causes. WGNGS for all members, comparative genome analyses and data mining were as follows: [Only exonic variants considered, prioritized according to increasing population frequency (0–1%), damaging effects according to mutation prediction models and will be presented in table format].

1. The two ASD events are unrelated and are due to de-novo variants. Trio analyses identified 72 de-novo variants in the first affected child and 56 in the second. Twelve were in common

2. The two ASD events are due to heterozygous variants inherited from both parents which in synergy exceed a disease onset threshold in the affected offspring. Eighty father-to-son and 69 mother-to-son heterozygous variants shared between the affected males were identified.

4. The HME unaffected parent [mother] contributed heterozygous variants in the Heparan Sulfate biosynthesis pathway that in synergy with the EXT-1 mutation could be the genetic causes of ASD in the family.

WGNGS and comparative genome analyses were utilized to decipher the possible relationship between HME and ASD in this unique family with members affected by both disorders.
A Novel Spatial-Domain Denoising Scheme for DoFP Polarimetric Image Sensors
Authors: Zhao Xiaojin , Wang Xiao , Lu Xin , Pan Xiaofang , Bermak Amine
Published: July 2019

Summary

In this paper, we present a novel spatial-domain denoising algorithm and directly apply it to the mosaicked Stokes sub-images generated by the division-of-focal-plane (DoFP) polarimetric image sensors. Compared to the previous implementations with the generated raw polarization images directly interpolated and demosaicked, the proposed method not only leads to significant noise reduction, but also effectively decreases the interpolated pixels' mean square error (MSE) after the interpolation process. In addition, regarding the sequence of the proposed denoising and interpolation, the polarization image quality and the interpolation MSE can be further improved by conducting the denoising before the interpolation, which has been validated by our intensive simulation results.

Motivation

Polarimetric image sensors enable a wide range of applications that are infeasible with traditional intensity/color image sensors, such as microscopy for tumor margin detection, 3-D shape reconstruction from a single image, material classification, and cancer diagnosis. By mimicking the mature Bayer-pattern-based color imaging, polarizers with different orientations are first scaled-down to micron level then mosaicked to have the full Stokes sub-images generated simultaneously in one single frame, namely division of focal plane (DoFP) (Fig. 1). However, this single-frame solution is at the expense of temporal noise and spatial resolution loss. As shown in Fig. 2, the temporal noise issue can be well-addressed by averaging multiple image frames of same micro-polarizer, which is not feasible in the aforesaid single-frame-based DoFP. In addition, interpolation algorithms are necessary to compensate the spatial resolution loss. In this paper, we propose a non-local-mean-based spatial-domain noise reduction scheme to denoise the DoFP polarization images and minimize the mean-square-error (MSE) caused by the interpolation process. Moreover, the exploration is extended to the sequence of the denoising and the interpolation as well.

Results

We compared the overall MSE of the two different sequences for different test polarization images, and it is indicated by the intensive simulation results that denoising before the interpolation can bring lower MSE [Fig. 3 (A)]. In addition, as shown in Fig. 3 (B), we compared the MSE of traditional single-frame solution, 4-frame-averaging and the proposed implementation with spatial-domain denoising, and it is indicated the proposed scheme can achieve an MSE reduction effect similar to 4-frame-averaging by spatial-domain denoising.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61504087), the Kongque Technology Innovation Foundation of Shenzhen (Grant No. KQCX20120807153227588), the Fundamental Research Foundation of Shenzhen (Grant No. JCYJ20140418095735624, and JCYJ20150324141711677).
Utility of Depression Screening Among Pregnant Women in Qatar
Authors: Nasir Madeeha , Altemus Margaret
Published: July 2019

Major depression during pregnancy is associated with significant morbidity for the mother and her offspring, so screening for depression is recommended during pregnancy. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is widely use for screening during pregnancy, but has not been evaluated for this use in any Gulf Arab countries.

We administered the EPDS to a multiethnic group of 768 women who were 8-16 weeks pregnant, and attending prenatal clinics in Doha, Qatar. The EPDS was administered in Arabic, English or Urdu, and the MINI diagnostic interview was administered in the same language to all subjects at the same time to determine DSM-V diagnoses. Women who had major depression at conception were excluded from the study. The EPDS was also administered to subjects again in the second and third trimester, but the MINI diagnostic interview was administered selectively, to all women scoring over 9 on the EPDS.

The mean EPDS scores decreased from first to second trimester and were similar to studies of pregnant women from other countries. Rates of major depression were 9.4% in the first trimester, 3.6% in the second trimester and 2.5% in the third trimester, with a combined prevalence during pregnancy of 14.3% for major and 13.3% for minor depression. In our sample, among women with an EPDS score of 12 or greater only 8% had major depression in the first trimester, but 34% had major depression in the second and third trimesters. Urdu speaking women had lower EPDS scores in the first and second trimesters but similar rates of major depression compared to Arabic and English speaking women, suggesting that Urdu speakers may be less likely to endorse depression symptoms on the EPDS.

In summary, screening for depression using the EPDS with follow up clinical interviews is likely to be very low yield in the first trimester.

However, despite low rates of major depression in the second and third trimesters, high scores on the EPDS do identify a group a women with high risk of major depression, who would benefit from a clinical evaluation and treatment if major depression is confirmed.
A Genome Wide Association Search for Type 2 Diabetes Genes in Arabic Populations
Authors: Chikri Mohamed , Elachhab Younes , Yengo Loic , Leloire Audry , Vaxilaire Martine , Froguel Philippe
Published: July 2019

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic condition that emerged as serious medical, social and economic problem worldwide. Qatar was ranked by the IDF among the top 10 countries in the world with the highest prevalence of T2D that exceeds 20%. The causes of T2D are multiple but the contribution of genetic is well recognized. So far, large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified more than 80 susceptibility loci. However, these investigations were carried out mainly on European populations. The main goal of the present study was to conduct a T2D-GWAS analysis in Arab population. A case-control study using 870 T2D cases versus 666 controls was performed to compare allele frequencies across the genome of Moroccan samples. The Illumina Human Core Beadchip was used to genotype 298,930 SNP in these samples. Genotype calls were assigned using the GenCall algorithm as implemented in Illumina GenomeStudio (version 2010.3; Illumina Inc.). Stringent Quality Control (QC) criteria for filtering SNPs and samples for analyses were applied. All statistical analyses were performed using PLINK version 1.07 (http://pngu.mgh.harvard.edu/ ∼ purcell/plink/). Associations of SNPs with T2D were tested using logistic regression (-logistic command in PLINK), assuming an additive genetic model, and with either no adjustment or adjusting on the five first principal components. Correcting for potential confounders was a necessity since the large inflation factor (Genomic Control; GC = 1.176) was detectable in the unadjusted analysis. Increasing the number of PC to adjust for 10 corrected and decreased the genomic control under 1.07 (GC = 1.06). Imputation of non-observed genotypes is possible using linkage disequilibrium at genetic loci and a database of haplotypes from diverse populations (reference panel). This approach was implemented in all Moroccan samples and led to impute up to 30,071,165 variants (SNP + short INDELS). We selected the best SNP candidates for replication using the following criteria: P-value of association below 10–5, Quality of imputation I2 ≥ 0.7 and Minor Allele frequency ≥ 5%. These three criteria led to a shortlist of 154 variants. Some of these variants were redundant because of linkage disequilibrium (r2>0.6). When two variants were in LD we selected the one showing the strongest association. By focusing on independent signals, we selected a list of 26 SNPs for further replication genotyping study. Replication study was performed in additional 1500 Moroccans T2D cases and controls using the Fluidigm genotyping platform and following the vendor instructions protocol. In this replication analysis, only 2 of the 26 SNPs (7.7%) showed nominal evidence of replication with a P-value adjusted
Public-Key Cryptosystem Based on Invariants of Groups
Authors: Marko Frantisek , Juras Martin , Zubkov Alexandr N.
Published: July 2019

The presented work falls within one of Qatar's Research Grand Challenges, namely the area of Cyber Security. We have designed a new public-key cryptosystem that can improve the security of communication networks. This new cryptosystem combines two important ideas. The first idea is the difficulty of finding an invariant of infinite diagonalizable group. More specifically, for the coding purposes, we build an infinite diagonalizable group that has a given polynomial invariant of high degree. One possible attack on this cryptosystem is to find an invariant of this group. However, during the design of the system we guarantee that the minimal degree of invariants of this group is very high which makes the direct attempt to find any invariant using linear algebra techniques computationally expensive. The second idea is based on our discovery that when working over the ring Z of integers, another attack to break the cryptosystem is possible. This attack is based on replacing the prime factorization of integers by finding a factorization of “atoms” and can be implemented using the Euclidean algorithm. Similar algorithm works for rings that are unique factorization domains. To prevent this type of attack, we work over number fields that are not unique factorization domains (there are many such suitable number fields of small degrees). By doing so we invoke the well-known problem of prime factorization (used in commercial cryptosystems like RSA) which becomes principally more complicated over number fields that are not unique factorization domains. We have also showed that similar system based on finite diagonalizable groups are not secure against attack because such a system can be broken in polynomial time using an algorithm that finds a root of every polynomial p(x) with complex coefficients such that all of its roots are roots of unity. All invariants considered for diagonalizable groups are linear combinations of monomial invariants. The situation is more complicated for diagonalizable supergroups. Since it could improve the safety of the cryptosystem, we also investigated the case of supergroups and derived theoretical results about the minimal degrees of invariants. Since the diagonalizable supergroups enjoy more complicated structural properties, a cryptosystem based on them would be even more secured. In order to move to the supergroups, a better understanding of general linear supergroups was desired. We have established theoretical results describing and proving the linkage principle for these supergroups and we gained an understanding how are the composition factors of highest weight modules related. For the future work, we plan to implement the algorithm for the public-key cryptosystem that we have designed and test the speed of coding and test the security of the system by determining the time and space complexities of known attacks of the system.
Legal Issues in E-Commerce: A Case Study of Malaysia
Authors: Mikail Abdussalam
Published: July 2019

Electronic Commerce is the process of buying, selling, tranferring or exchanging products, services and/or information via computer network, including the Internet. In e-commerce environment, just like traditional paper-based commercial transaction, seller present their products, prices and terms to potential buyers. The buyers will consider their options, negotiate prices and terms if (necessary), place order and make payment. E-commerce is growing at a significant rate all over the world due to its efficient business transaction. Despite the fact of the development of e-commerce, there is uncertainty whether the traditional principles of contract law applicable to electronic contract. In formation of e-contract, the parties might disagree to what point and in which country an e-contract is formed. Malaysia as well as other country has enacted legislation on e-commerce in compliance with international organization i.e United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). The aim and objective of this paper is to identify the adequacy of existing legislation in Malaysia on e-commerce. This paper will also examines the creation of legally enforceable agreement with regard to e-commerce in Malaysia, digital signature and the uncertainty of where and when the e-contract is formed.
Measuring Qatari Women's Social Progress through Marriage Contracts
Authors: Rajakumar Mohanalakshmi , Kane Tanya
Published: July 2019

Contemporary Qatari women's social progress can in part be measured through an analysis of current marriage practices. The Islamic marriage contract is a legal and religious document wherein Muslim brides indicate their expectations for post-marital life and an essential step in the marriage negotiation process. The conditions they stipulate in their marriage contracts are symbolic of the degree to which they exercise agency in their personal and professional lives as wives. As part of a larger study on marriage practices in Qatar, we collected and analyzed marriage contracts from a broad range of Qatari families. We treated these documents as archival evidence, reflecting changing bridal expectations from 1975–2013. A content analysis of contracts in our sample demonstrated an increase in the age at marriage for both Qatari men and women. The contracts also show the major areas in which brides negotiated the terms of their married lives including educational, professional, and household expectations. We read these stipulating conditions as moves to guarantee autonomy as wives.
“Option Contracts” in the Light of Islamic Jurisprudence: Comparative Study
Authors: Mohamed Hossameldn
Published: July 2019

This research aims to provide an Islamic Fiqhi perspective on the Options Contract, one of the most prominent contracts in international capital markets. The research begins with a historical introduction that illustrates the emergence of this contract and its evolution. It then moves on to explain its terminology and linguistic meanings. The research also addresses the most suitable Fiqhi adaptation (Takyeef) to this contract. The research concludes with many significant findings. Firstly, the subject of contracting is an abstract right, namely, just the right to purchase or to sell, and not something else. It is not an obligation, because an obligation is only a consequence of this contract. Finally, all kinds of this contract are haram because it contains gharar and maysir (gambling).
معيارية العربية معيار الهوية
Authors: Khalil Loui Ali
Published: July 2019

تتفق الدراسات الحديثة المتعلقة باللغة على اختلاف أنساقها المعرفية؛ اللسانية والإثنية والأنثروبولوجية والثقافية، على أن اللغة الإنسانية ليست كائناً فارغاً، وليست أداةً محايدة أو قوالبَ مصمتةً خاليةً من أي مواقف خاصة، بل هي مظهر من مظاهرِ الوعي تَجَسَّدَ لغةً؛ فإذا كانت الوظيفتان الأساسيتان لِلّغة هما التمثيل والتواصل فإن التحيّزات تسري فيهما معاً، فلا يستقيم تمثيل العالم من دون موقفٍ منه، أو وجهة نظر، أو زاوية رؤية، وهذه كلها بوابات مُشرعة للهويّات _ على أساس أن جوهر الهوية وجودُ موقفٍ متميّز من العالم. يُضاف إلى ذلك أن التواصل مع الآخرين سيستعمل أداة التمثيل نفسها: اللغة، وبكلام آخر: “إذا اختُزِل استعمال الناس للغة _بطريقة تحليلية_ في كيفية تشكيل المعنى وتمثيله في صوت، أو في كيفية إيصاله من شخص إلى آخر، أو حتى فيهما معاً، فإن ثمّة شيئاً حيوياً قد استُخلِص: إنهم الناس أنفسهم، إنهم حاضرون دوماً في ما يقولون، وفي الفهم الذي يبنونه على ما يقوله غيرهم. إن هويّتهم تتأصّل في صوتهم، ويكون ذلك ملفوظاً، أو مكتوباً، أو موقّعاً

والأصل الذي بُني عليه هذا التصور الخاص بوعي الجماعة الكامن في اللغة، يقوم على الأساس الفلسفي الذي يقعّد لطبيعة العلاقة بين الدال والمدلول ومحاولة الربط بينهما؛ وهي محاولة « ليست سهلة ولا آلية ولا حتمية، فهي تمر عبر الزمان والمكان الإنسانيين، وهي علاقة تبدأ في عقل الإنسان وقلبه…وتنتهي في عقل الإنسان وقلبه…فثمة مسافة طويلة من الأحلام والأوهام والرغبات والأهواء والأفكار والمصالح تفصل بين الدال والمدلول... ولابد من الاختيار بين عدد لا حصر له من الدال للإخبار عن مدلول مركّب متشابك مع عدد لا حصر له من المدلولات. وعملية الاختيار تعني إبقاء وتأكيد واستبعاد وتهميش، اختيار أو تأكيد لمعنى، واستبعاد أو تهميش لآخر، واختيار أو تأكيد لدال، واستبعاد أو تهميش لآخر، أي أنه لا يوجد تلاقٍ آلي أو تلاحُمٍ ضروري وعضوي بين الدال والمدلول، وإنما هناك حتمية الاختيار أو الاجتهاد الإنساني، في محاولة مزاوجة الدوال بالمدلولات، وهي عملية تتضمّن قدراً من التحيّز لدال على حساب آخر، ولجانب من المدلول على حساب جانب آخر». فإذا كان الدال هو الرمز اللغوي، والمدلول هو المعنى الذي يدل عليه فلابد من الإشارة _ كما هو معروف_ إلى أن هذا المعنى لا يتطابق تمام المطابقة مع الموضوع الواقعي المتعيّن الذي يُفتَرَض أن يمثله، بل هو ينقل وجهة نظر الجماعة التي صكته تجاه هذا الموضوع المتعيّن وموقفها منه، ولذلك فإن ثمة مسافة بين الدال والمدلول هي المسافة التي يقع فيها تحيز الجماعة الثقافية، وليست هذه المسافة من الاتساع بحيث يتم الافتراق بينهما على نحو نهائي، كما أنها ليست من القرب بحيث يتحدان

إن مثل هذه المقدمات التي تؤسس لطبيعة العلاقة بين الدال والمدلول داخل اللغة والفكر تؤدي إلى نتيجة حتمية، وقاعدة أساسية مفادُها أن كل لغة تحمل في طياتها _بوعي متكلميها أو بغير وعيهم_ موقف الجماعة التي صكتها أو الأمة التي تمثلها، أي إنها تحمل هويتهم المميزة التي تعكس موقفهم من العالم. وكل اللغات في هذا الأمر سواء، بائدها وقائمها. وليست العربية بمنأى عن هذه اللغات، مما يعني أنها هي أيضاً تحمل في بنيتها هوية الجماعة التي تعبر عنها؛ أي الهوية العربية-الإسلامية

وتفترض هذه الدراسة أن بنية الهوية العربية الإسلامية وبنية اللغة العربية كلاهما قائم على نظام معياري، مما سينبني عليه أن العربية وحدها قادرة على تمثيل الهوية الإسلامية دون باقي اللغات الإنسانية. فإذا كان الأمر كذلك بدا من الضروري الأخذ بعين الاعتبار هذه النتائج أثناء وضع السياسات اللغوية للمجتمعات والدول العربية لما لذلك من أثر في تهديد هويتها وانتمائها
Butanding Network's whale shark awareness conservation efforts and challenges in the Philippines
Authors: Aca Elson Q.
Published: July 2019

Background The Philippines is an archipelagic country consisting of 7,107 islands with 36,289 kilometers of discontinous coastline. 14 out of 15 administrative regions (or 93%) are coastal regions, 62 out of 80 provinces (or 78%) are coastal provinces, while 832 out of 1,496 municipalities (or 56%) are coastal municipalities. It was estimated that the total coastal population will reach 73.3 million by 2011. Approach Initial awareness efforts through dialogue and lectures targeted staff of the regional offices of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), who has the mandate for the protection of whale sharks in the country through the Fisheries Administrative Order 193 (series of 1998). However, in 2010, through Administrative Order 282, several agencies were included in intensifying the protection of whale sharks, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), local government units (LGUs) and the academe, which become additional agents of the awareness campaign. Posters were distributed in areas visited to make the information more visible in the government offices and coastal areas. A website called Butanding Network (www.butandingnetwork.net) was created, and later converted to a page in the social media, to target people that are active in cyberspace. For the kids, awareness were done through storytelling sessions in schools and some public establishments. Collaborations were established with other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and television shows to act as a resource speaker for whale shark information. Results 13 of the 14 coastal administrative regions were visited, of which either or both the BFAR and DENR regional offices were informed and encouraged to disseminate whale shark knowledge to their coastal jurisdictions. 15 State Universities and colleges (SUCs) around the country with biology, marine biology, environmental science and/or fisheries courses were encouraged to delve into whale shark research in their coastal waters. Children, ages ranging 6–12, were able to attend story telling sessions on 10 different occasions in 6 different locations. Whale shark related issues were relayed to the public through social media, television shows and documentaries. Conclusions The archipelagic nature of the Philippines makes it difficult to spread awareness in the country. The government agencies mandated to protect and conserve the whale sharks don't have a structured program for spreading awareness, and do not see conservation as a priority. Whale sharks and other large marine animals were not included or only discussed briefly in biology/marine biology/fisheries courses topics. Social media, television shows and documentaries are great ways to reach a larger audience, however, there is a need to standardize the contents and how it is presented to prevent misinformation of the public.
On their way to pupping grounds?: Unprecedented parade of large female whale sharks at Darwin Island, Galapagos Marine Reserve
Authors: Acuña-Marrero David , Jiménez Jesús , Smith Franz , Doherty Paul F. , Hearn Alex , Green Jonathan R. , Paredes-Jarrín Jules , Salinas-de-León Pelayo
Published: July 2019

Background The Galapagos Whale Shark Project is a multi-institutional effort initiated in 2011 with the aim to characterize the presence, population structure and movement patterns of whale sharks within and around the Galapagos Marine Reserve. This specific study aimed to understand their occurrence, residency and habitat use around Darwin Island, located at the northern tip of the Galapagos Archipelago, where large individuals had been reported to be seasonally abundant. Approach This study followed a diversified methodology approach that included: analysis of a local underwater visual census database of pelagic species (2007–2013) to establish seasonality in their occurrence; specific whale shark surveys (2011–2013) to collect information about shark's size (laser photogrammetry), sex, behavior and signs of potential pregnancy; photo-ID records (2011–2013) obtained during these surveys to determine residency and abundance; and the deployment of acoustic tags for continuous tracking around Darwin Island to assess habitat use at the study site. Results Whale shark presence at Darwin Island follows a seasonal pattern. During the cool season (July–December), a strongly female-biased whale shark population, composed mostly (91.8%) by large individuals (11.35 m ± 0.12 m (TL ± SE)), pass through the study site. The great majority of these individuals show clear distended bellies, which could be a sign of a potential pregnancy. Population dynamics models for these apparently pregnant sharks estimated the presence of 3.76 ± 0.90 (mean±SE) sharks in the study area per day with an individual residence time of 2.09 ± 0.51 (mean±SE) days. Assuming constancy in these rates for the entire cool season, we can estimate a net abundance of 695 ± 166 (SE; 95%CI 442–1110) apparently pregnant whale sharks per season. Movement patterns analysis of four apparently pregnant individuals revealed an intense use of Darwin's Arch, where no feeding or specific behavior has been recorded or could be inferred from their dive profiles, together with periodic excursions around the island's vicinity. Sharks showed a preference for intermediate depths (20–30 m) with occasional dives mostly to mid-water, remaining the majority of their time at water temperatures between 24–25°C. Conclusions The lack of evidence of specific behavior observed at Darwin Island, together with the short residence time and strong intra-seasonal abundance and high turnover rate, indicate that this location is not an aggregation site but an important stopover in a migration. In the case of adult R. typus individuals observed, this migration might involve reproductive purposes, as all but one were apparently gravid.
Update on the use of an open source tri-axial accelerometer tag for monitoring whale shark (Rhincodon typus) behavioral disturbance
Authors: Levenson J. Jacob , Dove Alistair D. M. , Ware Colin , Cooper Robert , Webb Harry , Ramey Charles D. , de la Parra Venegas Rafa
Published: July 2019

Background The rapidly decreasing cost of electronic components has enabled access to better tools for monitoring the behavior of whale sharks on a fine scale never before achieved. We use the new Kinematic tag (Oceans Forward) and the OpenTag (Loggerhead Instruments) as a novel approach to visualizing behavior of whale sharks. Fine scale habitat use and baseline behaviors are fundamental for understanding potential anthropogenic impacts of disturbance. Approach Each tag is an Arduino compatible open-source inertial measurement unit for recording motion sensor data to a solid state memory card. A three dimensional gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer allow for calculating pitch, yaw, and heading, while depth and temperature sample continuously. The rechargeable lithium battery allows for deployments up to 14 days sampling at 100 Hz. The Open Tag is placed in a hydrodynamic syntactic foam float, and banded around the dorsal fin. A galvanic release incorporated into the tag allows for a release time to be programmed and a VHF tag (Animal Telemetry Systems) aids in recovery. Trackplot (University of New Hampshire) was used to visualize behavior. Further analysis was conducted using Humu signal processing suite (Humu.io). Results Five tags were successfully deployed in the waters offshore of Cancun, Mexico between 2013 and 2015. Behaviors noted included frequent surface intervals, even during the night when previously believed whale sharks were normally in deeper waters. A maximum depth of 62.2 m was observed, with mean depth of 17.2 m. We were able to identify possible harassment at the surface and visualize possible defecation events. Conclusion Both the k-tag and Open Tags fill a unique niche in whale shark studies as a useful tool to better understanding of fine scale habitat use and behavior. By incorporating these data into Trackplot with data from potentially harassing activities such as vessel traffic, we can visualize behavior and investigate potential erratic changes in depth, heading and lateral movement amplitude indicative of harassment.
Temperature-depth-recorder tags reveal modified diving behaviour by whale sharks at a provisioning site in Cebu, Philippines
Authors: Araujo Gonzalo , Thomson Jordan , Labaja Jessica , Snow Sally , Montgomery James , Ponzo Alessandro
Published: July 2019

Background Whale shark tourism is increasingly popular at coastal predictable aggregations around the world. However, only one description accounts for provisioning of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), which is at Oslob, Philippines, where sharks are provisioned between 6 am and 1 pm daily within a demarked tourist interaction area. Understanding the potential effects of provisioning on the behaviour of this species is important for their conservation. Approach To investigate whether whale shark diving behaviour was affected by the provisioning, four whale sharks with known extended residency at the study site were tagged with CEFAS G5 temperature-depth-recorder (TDR) tags. Three individuals were juvenile males with estimated total lengths of 4.5, 5.0 and 6.5 m (P-432, P-480 and P-403 respectively), and a fourth individual was a juvenile female measuring 5.5 m (P-385). A Hawaiian-sling spear pole was used to deliver stainless steel anchors with a tether carrying a swivel 10 cm into the subdermal layer of the whale sharks on the ventral side between the first dorsal fin and the first lateral ridge. Three TDR tags were randomly deployed amongst the individuals over a period of 18 months. Linear mixed effect models were used to test how attendance at the provisioning site affected shark depth use and variability. Results Tags were deployed for an average duration of 49.5 provisioned days (sharks present daily at the site) and 33.8 non-provisioned days (sharks were absent from the site). The deepest dive was recorded by P-403 to 1,251 m, at a minimum temperature of 12.1 °C. The tags revealed a pronounced shift in habitat use by individuals when away from the provisioning site. Specifically, during provisioned days, time spent at the surface (0 – 2 m) between 6 am and 1 pm was ca. six times longer than during non-provisioned days. During provisioned days, deep dives occurred mostly near or at the end of the provisioning activities (i.e. 10 am to 2 pm), whereas on non-provisioned days, deep dives occurred mostly between 4 am and 10 am. This shift could suggest that whale sharks have a need to thermoregulate following a prolonged period of time at the surface where temperatures regularly exceed 31 °C. Conclusions The use of TDR tags on whale sharks revealed modified diving behaviour at Oslob, a unique provisioning site. This behavioural modification should be considered when developing guidelines for sustainable tourism and conservation measures for the species.