BREAKING THE BOUNDARIES OF PATRIARCHY: ELABORATION OF THE PILLARS OF MODERN ISLAMIC THOUGHT ON WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP

Women's leadership in the context of modern Islamic thought is a topic that is gaining increasing attention. In many societies, the traditional paradigm of women's role in leadership is still dominant. Therefore, there is an urgent need to reconstruct and elaborate the pillars of Islamic thought in order to better support women's participation in leadership. This study aims to investigate women's leadership roles and detail steps to reconstruct and elaborate the pillars of modern Islamic thought to facilitate women's participation in leadership. A special goal is to identify barriers faced by women in achieving leadership positions and explore strategies that can be used to overcome these barriers. A qualitative approach was used in this study. An in-depth literature analysis was conducted to evaluate traditional Islamic thought and find a basis for the reconstruction of that thought. In addition, in-depth interviews with Islamic thought figures and women leaders were conducted to gain practical perspectives and experience in facing leadership challenges. The results suggest that through the reconstruction of modern Islamic thought, it is possible to create an environment that supports and encourages women to take leadership roles. Strategies involving women's education, advocacy, and capacity building have proven effective in overcoming these barriers. Therefore, this research contributes to our understanding of how the reconstruction of Islamic thought can support women's active participation in leadership

The effect of ultrasound pretreatment on some selected physicochemical properties of black cumin (Nigella Sativa)

Background In the present study, the effects of ultrasound pretreatment parameters including irradiation time and power on the quantity of the extracted phenolic compounds quantity as well as on some selected physicochemical properties of the extracted oils including oil extraction efficiency, acidity and peroxide values, color, and refractive index of the extracted oil of black cumin seeds with the use of cold press have been studied. Methods For each parameter, three different levels (30, 60, and 90 W) for the ultrasound power and (30, 45, and 60 min) and for the ultrasound irradiation time were studied. Each experiment was performed in three replications. Results The achieved results revealed that, with enhancements in the applied ultrasound power, the oil extraction efficiency, acidity value, total phenolic content, peroxide value, and color parameters increased significantly (P 0.05). Conclusions In summary, it could be mentioned that the application of ultrasound pretreatment in the oil extraction might improve the oil extraction efficiency, the extracted oil’s quality, and the extracted phenolic compounds content.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The psychological impact of vitiligo in adult Sudanese patients

Objective: Vitiligo is a chronic skin disease that causes loss of pigment, resulting in irregular pale patches of skin. The disease has profound psychological consequences. These effects range from mild embarrassment to a severe loss of self-confidence and social anxiety, especially for those who have lesions on exposed skin. The study sought to determine the psychological impact of vitiligo in Sudanese patients. Method: This study is a cross-sectional, clinical-epidemiological and hospital-based study, underatken in Khartoum Dermatologic Hospital (KDH). The data was collected between June 2007 and November 2007. 111 adult patients were enrolled sequentially during the study period and they were tested using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Results: Psychological disturbances as a consequence of vitiligo were found in 36 (31 %) adult patients. Patients with mild psychological disturbances were found in 20 of these patients and severe disturbances in 16. Conclusion: Psychological consequences are common in patients with vitiligo.Key words: Vitiligo; Stress; Psychological; Suda

The Socio-demography and Clinical Profile of Vitiligo in Sudan.

Introduction: Vitiligo is a chronic skin disease that causes loss of pigment, resulting in irregular pale patches of skin. The precise cause of vitiligo is complex and not fully understood. There is some evidence suggesting it is caused by a combination of auto-immune, genetic, and environmental factors. The population incidence worldwide is considered to be between 0.1% and 2%. The disease has different clinical types but generally, it consists of areas of macular depigmentation, commonly on extensor aspects of extremities, on the face or neck, and in skin folds. Age of onset is often in young adulthood and the condition tends to progress gradually with lesions enlarging and extending until a quiescent state is reached. Objective: To define the socio-demography and clinical profile of vitiligo in Sudan. Study design: This study is a cross-sectional, clinico-epidemiological and hospital-based study, done in Khartoum Dermatologic Hospital (KDH). The data were collected between June 2007 and November 2007. Results: The total number of patients with vitiligo in the study was 113. Male patients were 47 (42%). Children were 13 (11%), adults were 90 (80%) and elderlies were 10 (9%). The mean age of onset of the disease was found to be 11.5 yrs in 22.5% of the patients. Patients with acute (< 1 yr) disease were 6 (5.4 %), while those with chronic (b 1 yr) disease were 107 (94.6 %). The most commonly affected tribe was Algaa\'liyeen tribe (27 %). The commonest precipitating factor for vitiligo has been found to be emotional disturbances (in 27 % of patients). Commonest symptom of the disease was depigmented patch/es (64.8 %). Severe (b10 %) involvement of skin surface area was found in 59 % of patients, while mild

A smart adaptive lighting system for a multifunctional room

Young professionals and millennials who live alone or are living in small groups and seek practicality, trigger the trend of smaller, modular and micro houses and apartments which are faster and cheaper to build. Multifunctional or flexible room is one of the important parts of the home. This particular room needs well-designed lighting for comfort. It should give an adequate illuminance for every activity and even pattern of light. This paper presents the factors for developing the smart adaptive lighting system which can provide lighting comfort for the occupants. The simulation is being done in 5 scenarios in the LJMU BRE 2010 house model using DIALux Software with the dimmable type of LED independent luminaire. The proposed system structure uses a wireless sensor network (WSN) and big data processing as the main components. The design employs an Artificial Intelligence (AI) sub-system which has the capability to predict and adaptively regulate the illumination level based on the occupant needs or routine. The simulation shows that this system is able to give even lighting pattern for luminance values 200, 250, 300, 500, and 750 lux which are needed by the occupants. With the possibility of user-defined lighting values, this system can be developed to accommodate the needs of special groups of occupants such as the elder or disabled groups. © 2019 IEEE

Febrile Illness Management in Children under Five Years of Age: A Qualitative Pilot Study on Primary Health Care Workers' Practices in Zanzibar.

In Zanzibar, malaria prevalence dropped substantially in the last decade and presently most febrile patients seen in primary health care facilities (PHCF) test negative for malaria. The availability of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) allows rural health workers to reliably rule out malaria in fever patients. However, additional diagnostic tools to identify alternative fever causes are scarce, often leaving RDT-negative patients without a clear diagnosis and management plan. This pilot study aimed to explore health workers' practices with febrile children and identify factors influencing their diagnostic and management decisions in non-malarial fever patients. Semi-structured key informant interviews were conducted with 12 health workers in six PHCFs in North A district, Zanzibar, April to June 2011. Interviews were coded using Atlas.ti to identify emerging themes that play a role in the diagnosis and management of febrile children. The following themes were identified: 1) health workers use caregivers' history of illness and RDT results for initial diagnostic and management decisions, but suggest caregivers need more education to prevent late presentation and poor health outcomes; 2) there is uncertainty regarding viral versus bacterial illness and health workers feel additional point-of-care diagnostic tests would help with differential diagnoses; 3) stock-outs of medications and limited caregivers' resources are barriers to delivering good care; 4) training, short courses and participation in research as well as; 5) weather also influences diagnostic decision-making. This pilot study found that health workers in Zanzibar use caregiver history of fever and results of malaria RDTs to guide management of febrile children. However, since most febrile children test negative for malaria, health workers believe additional training and point-of-care tests would improve their ability to diagnose and manage non-malarial fevers. Educating caregivers on signs and symptoms of febrile illness, as well as the introduction of additional tests to differentiate between viral and bacterial illness, would be important steps to get children to PHCFs earlier and decrease unnecessary antibiotic prescribing without compromising patient safety. More research is needed to expand an understanding of what would improve fever management in other resource-limited settings with decreasing malaria

Optimisation of car crash box finite element model for crashworthiness analysis using model updating and factorial design method

Finite element modeling and analysis are widely used method for simulating the structural behaviour of a system in order to provide information of the structure under various loading conditions. However, the constructed model not always accurate due to several factors such as simplifications in modeling, material properties, or uncertainties in boundary conditions. The model updating method is an optimisation technique that aims to improve the accuracy of finite element models by incorporating dynamic response data obtained from experimental testing. In the field of crashworthiness, the complexity of modelling can lead to inaccuracies, particularly when incorporating structural enhancements. This study investigates the reliability of model updating methods in reducing inaccuracies in finite element models used for crashworthiness analysis. The primary objective of this research project is to assess the performance of updated finite element models in providing accurate crash data for a car crash box structure. The updated model was evaluated for crash analysis, and its accuracy was compared with experimental crash test data. For comparison, response optimisation using factorial design was also conducted to obtain an optimised model with minimal error in crashworthiness analysis. The results of this study show that the best initial correlation with the welded crash box structure was achieved using a one-dimensional bar element (CBAR) with an average error of 5.3%. For the bolted crash box, the best correlation was achieved using a joint model that combined the usage of CBAR and a rigid element (RBE), labeled as BOLTED2, with an average error of 4.9%. After applying model updating, the SOLID model showed the best correlation for the welded specimen with an average error of 4.5%, while the BOLTED2 model remained the best for bolted specimens with a reduced average error of 4.7%. However, the investigation of the updated model's performance did not show a significant improvement for crashworthiness analysis. The optimisation study yielded satisfactory results, with the crash output parameters showing closer values to the experimentally obtained data. The outcomes of this project will contribute to the field of automotive engineering and, in particular, to vehicle manufacturers' efforts to produce safer vehicles that meet consumers' demands. This study emphasizes the need to improve computational simulation and analysis methods to generate more accurate predictions and minimise the problem of model discrepancies that arise during computational analysis. In addition, the study on model updating methods for crashworthiness analysis of car crash box structures has several potential applications in the field of automotive engineering and safety

Elongation, rooting and acclimatization of micropropagated shoots from mature material of hybrid larch

Factors were defined for elongation, rooting and acclimatization of micropropagated shoots of Larix x eurolepis Henry initiated from short shoot buds of plagiotropic stecklings serially propagated for 9 years from an 8-year-old tree. Initiation and multiplication were on Schenk and Hildebrandt (SH) medium supplemented with 5 μM 6-benzyladenine (BA) and 1 μM indole-butyric acid (IBA). Stem elongation was obtained in 36% of the shoots on SH medium containing 0.5 μM BA and 63% of the remaining non-elongated shoots initiated stem elongation after transfer on SH medium devoid of growth regulators. Rooting involved 2 steps: root induction on Campbell and Durzan mineral salts and Murashige and Skoog organic elements, both half-strength (CD-MS/2), supplemented with 1 μM of both naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and IBA, and root elongation following transfer to CD-MS/2 medium devoid of growth regulators. Repeating this 2-step sequence yielded up to 67% rooted shoots. Acclimatization of plantlets ranged from 83% to 100%. Over 300 plants were transferred to the greenhouse; some showed plagiotropic growth