366 research outputs found
Public/Private Distinction in Islamic Jurisprudence: Reflection on Islamic Constitutionalism
The study seeks to attract scholars\u27 attention to the importance of normative theory in the process of constitutionalism in the Islamic world. The study argues that Islamic jurisprudence requires a state or a public authority to ensure the conformity of outward with Islamic norms. Accordingly, the preservation of Islamic norms is a central value controlling the dynamics of public/private distinction. Thus, the central value determines the meaning of limited government, and the study argues this central value in constitutional level defines people\u27s liberties. Then, the study discusses the effect of the Islamic normative theory on the liberal-Islamic model of constitutionalism. The study focuses on what it calls the internalizing effect of an Islamic clause. The study addresses the feasibility of the liberal-Islamic model of constitutionalism regarding the normative theory of Islamic jurisprudence. The study mainly questions the capability of judicial review to fulfill its role within the model because its interpretation is subject to the internal rationale and central value of the Islamic normative theory. The study conducts a textual analysis of Islamic clauses, and it employs Carl Schmitt\u27s concept of central Domain to examine the internalizing effect of an Islamic clause
Expanding the clinical phenotype of IARS2-related mitochondrial disease.
BACKGROUND: IARS2 encodes a mitochondrial isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase, a highly conserved nuclear-encoded enzyme required for the charging of tRNAs with their cognate amino acid for translation. Recently, pathogenic IARS2 variants have been identified in a number of patients presenting broad clinical phenotypes with autosomal recessive inheritance. These phenotypes range from Leigh and West syndrome to a new syndrome abbreviated CAGSSS that is characterised by cataracts, growth hormone deficiency, sensory neuropathy, sensorineural hearing loss, and skeletal dysplasia, as well as cataract with no additional anomalies. METHODS: Genomic DNA from Iranian probands from two families with consanguineous parental background and overlapping CAGSSS features were subjected to exome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. RESULTS: Exome sequencing and data analysis revealed a novel homozygous missense variant (c.2625C > T, p.Pro909Ser, NM_018060.3) within a 14.3 Mb run of homozygosity in proband 1 and a novel homozygous missense variant (c.2282A > G, p.His761Arg) residing in an ~ 8 Mb region of homozygosity in a proband of the second family. Patient-derived fibroblasts from proband 1 showed normal respiratory chain enzyme activity, as well as unchanged oxidative phosphorylation protein subunits and IARS2 levels. Homology modelling of the known and novel amino acid residue substitutions in IARS2 provided insight into the possible consequence of these variants on function and structure of the protein. CONCLUSIONS: This study further expands the phenotypic spectrum of IARS2 pathogenic variants to include two patients (patients 2 and 3) with cataract and skeletal dysplasia and no other features of CAGSSS to the possible presentation of the defects in IARS2. Additionally, this study suggests that adult patients with CAGSSS may manifest central adrenal insufficiency and type II esophageal achalasia and proposes that a variable sensorineural hearing loss onset, proportionate short stature, polyneuropathy, and mild dysmorphic features are possible, as seen in patient 1. Our findings support that even though biallelic IARS2 pathogenic variants can result in a distinctive, clinically recognisable phenotype in humans, it can also show a wide range of clinical presentation from severe pediatric neurological disorders of Leigh and West syndrome to both non-syndromic cataract and cataract accompanied by skeletal dysplasia
Extensive variation in the intelectin gene family in laboratory and wild mouse strains
Intelectins are a family of multimeric secreted proteins that bind microbe-specific glycans. Both genetic and functional studies have suggested that intelectins have an important role in innate immunity and are involved in the etiology of various human diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease. Experiments investigating the role of intelectins in human disease using mouse models are limited by the fact that there is not a clear one-to-one relationship between intelectin genes in humans and mice, and that the number of intelectin genes varies between different mouse strains. In this study we show by gene sequence and gene expression analysis that human intelectin-1 (ITLN1) has multiple orthologues in mice, including a functional homologue Itln1; however, human intelectin-2 has no such orthologue or homologue. We confirm that all sub-strains of the C57 mouse strain have a large deletion resulting in retention of only one intelectin gene, Itln1. The majority of laboratory strains have a full complement of six intelectin genes, except CAST, SPRET, SKIVE, MOLF and PANCEVO strains, which are derived from different mouse species/subspecies and encode different complements of intelectin genes. In wild mice, intelectin deletions are polymorphic in Mus musculus castaneus and Mus musculus domesticus. Further sequence analysis shows that Itln3 and Itln5 are polymorphic pseudogenes due to premature truncating mutations, and that mouse Itln1 has undergone recent adaptive evolution. Taken together, our study shows extensive diversity in intelectin genes in both laboratory and wild-mice, suggesting a pattern of birth-and-death evolution. In addition, our data provide a foundation for further experimental investigation of the role of intelectins in disease
Chipless RF liquid sensor
A method for the wireless evaluation of the dielectric permittivity of liquids is presented. The use of a thin-film, slotted waveguide sleeve around a standard unplasticised polyvinyl chloride pipe is proposed. Wireless interrogation of the slot with a plane wave excites a resonant mode whose frequency is dependent on the dielectric permittivity within the pipe. The proposed method allows for measurements to be taken in situ with no need for samples. The device has good potential for very low-cost monitoring applications, which may require real-time, continuous assessmen
Blockchain for real estate provenance: an infrastructural step toward secure transactions in real estate E-Business
In the rapidly evolving digital era, the growing trend of conducting real estate e-business transactions through online platforms has led to escalated challenges in ensuring transactional security and trust. These challenges underscore the importance of balancing transparency with data privacy and enhancing accountability in this field. As an extension of our previously published work (Abualhamayl AJ, Almalki MA, Al-Doghman F, Alyoubi AA, Hussain FK (2023) Towards fractional NFTs for joint ownership and provenance in real estate. In: 2023 IEEE international conference on e-business engineering (ICEBE), p. 143–8. 10.1109/ICEBE59045.2023.00022.), this paper introduces the Global Real Estate Platform (GREP), a novel hybrid blockchain system that utilizes real estate provenance to establish a secure and trustworthy environment for real estate e-business, specifically focusing on two key challenges: ensuring data authenticity and effectively managing access rights. Integral to GREP's design is the involvement of government entities, which is essential for maintaining the required balance between transparency, privacy, and high levels of accountability. This proposed framework is explained conceptually and demonstrated practically, offering an innovative perspective on the integration of hybrid blockchain technology in the real estate system. Furthermore, our research encompasses a detailed implementation, using various tools, and an in-depth examination of three use cases. This combined analysis effectively demonstrates GREP's efficacy in addressing the targeted challenges in the field. While acknowledging the system's limitations, including challenges in user adoption and performance variability under different network conditions, our findings open new avenues for further exploration, such as landlords' payment histories and utility bills, and using blockchain as a secondary user identifier. These features collectively highlight the transformative potential of blockchain technology in real estate e-business
SYNERGISTIC ANTIOSTEOPOROTIC EFFECT OF LEPIDIUM SATIVUM AND ALENDRONATE IN GLUCOCORTICOID-INDUCED OSTEOPOROSIS IN WISTAR RATS
Bisphosphonates (BP) therapy is a vital option to reduce the risk of bone fracture in people who have osteoporosis. However, Bisphosphonate have displayed several side effects. Lepidium sativum (LS) plant and seeds has been used in traditional folk medicine as a mediator for bone fractures. Therefore, we aimed to compare the biochemical effects of LS alone (2% LS in diet, n=8), BP (Alendronate, 70 mg/kg s.c.; n=8) alone, or LS and BP combined in a rat model of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO) by injecting methylprednisolone 3.5 mg/kg per day for 4 weeks. Serum calcium (Ca), albumin, phosphorus (PO4), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (b-ALP), and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) were measured 4 weeks after induction of GIO. GIO-group showed significantly increased serum TRAP and decreased b-ALP. GIO-group also showed significantly decreased serum PO4 and unaltered Ca concentrations. Histological examination of GIO-group tibia bones indicates an osteoporotic changes and a concomitant decrease in percentage of trabecular area/bone marrow area (PTB) in the proximal femoral epiphysis. Treatment with either LS and/or BP ameliorated the above mentioned changes with variable degrees; with a net results of enhanced serum calcium, bone architecture, PTB, b-ALP and decreased TRAP in LS and LS+BP groups compared to that of animals treated with Alendronate alone. In conclusion, our findings present evidence supporting the potential benefits of LS in reducing the burden of GCs on bone health
Serum 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D and Uric Acid Levels as Predictors of Disease Severity and Functional Impairment in Women with Knee Osteoarthritis
Background: The most frequent type of arthritis is osteoarthritis; it typically develops slowly and is more frequently observed in older adults. Osteoarthritis mainly affects weight-bearing joints but other can also affected joints. The purpose of the study was to explore the associations between serum of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) and serum uric acid (SUA) with serum lipid profiles and inflammatory cytokines in women with KOA and to scrutinize the prognostic potential of serum 25(OH)D and SUA.Methods: The study involved 50 elderly obese females with KOA and the control group of 50 healthy women. Assessment of KOA severity by Kellgren-Lawrence score was performed and functional disability was scored. Blood samples were analysed to assess 25(OH)D and inflammatory cytokines, SUA, lipid profile, and calcium.Results: We found significant differences in most of the laboratory findings between KOA patients and controls. Decreased serum 25(OH)D and increased SUA were linked with more severe KOA. Serum 25(OH)D and SUA can differentiate between mild and moderate-to-severe KOA. Both were correlated with functional impairment.Conclusions: We concluded robust associations between vitamin D deficiencies, high SUA levels with increased serum lipids and inflammatory cytokines along with increased functional impairment and disease severity in women with KOA. Serum 25(OH)D and SUA can serve as simple reliable prognostic tools in the prediction of KOA severity.Keywords: Vitamin D; Inflammation; Osteoarthritis; Serum lipids; Uric acid TRANSLATE with x EnglishArabicHebrewPolishBulgarianHindiPortugueseCatalanHmong DawRomanianChinese SimplifiedHungarianRussianChinese TraditionalIndonesianSlovakCzechItalianSlovenianDanishJapaneseSpanishDutchKlingonSwedishEnglishKoreanThaiEstonianLatvianTurkishFinnishLithuanianUkrainianFrenchMalayUrduGermanMalteseVietnameseGreekNorwegianWelshHaitian CreolePersian // TRANSLATE with COPY THE URL BELOW Back EMBED THE SNIPPET BELOW IN YOUR SITE Enable collaborative features and customize widget: Bing Webmaster PortalBack/
Spinal Surgery Patients’ Preoperative Education Effects
Preoperative patient education (PE) has been used by many institutions to deal with patient anxiety, pain control, and overall satisfaction. Although the literature suggests PE’s effectiveness in joint reconstruction, data are missing in spinal surgery. This research retrospectively analyzed patients having elective spinal surgery who underwent PE (spine pre-care class) from January 2016 to June 2016. Of the 160 patients surveyed, (36.5%) attended the class whereas (63.5%) did not. Results of the participants in the pre-care class, 86% were satisfied with their pain management versus 73% in the control group. There was also a trend for better overall satisfaction in the pre-care class group (88.1% vs 85, multiple regression analysis). Elderly women tend to be less satisfied with pain management and overall treatment. The study concluded that the implementation of PE has had a positive impact on patient satisfaction, especially in terms of pain management.
Integrating ChatGPT as a Tool in Pharmacy Practice: A Cross-Sectional Exploration Among Pharmacists in Saudi Arabia
Abdulrahman Alghitran,1 Hind M AlOsaimi,2 Ahmad Albuluwi,1 Emad Omar Almalki,3 Abdullah Zohair Aldowayan,3 Rakan Alharthi,3 Jawad Mohammed Qattan,3 Fahd Alghamdi,3 Mohammed AlHalabi,3 Nawaf Ayed Almalki,3 Abdulaziz Alharthi,3 Asma Alshammari,4 Muhammad Kanan5 1A General Administration of Pharmaceutical Care, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Pharmacy Services Administration, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh Second Health Cluster, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3College of Pharmacy, Taif University, Taif, 26513, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Pharmaceutical Care, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Pharmacy Services Administration, Rafha General Hospital, Northern Border Cluster, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Muhammad Kanan, Department of Pharmacy Services Administration, Rafha General Hospital, Northern Border Cluster, 76312, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966535534117, Email [email protected] Hind M AlOsaimi, Department of Pharmacy Services Administration, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh Second Health Cluster, Riyadh, 12211, Saudi Arabia, Email [email protected]: Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially ChatGPT, is rapidly assimilating into healthcare, providing significant advantages in pharmacy practice, such as improved clinical decision-making, patient counselling, and drug information management. The adoption of AI tools is heavily contingent upon pharmacy practitioners’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP). This study sought to evaluate the knowledge and practices of pharmacists in Saudi Arabia concerning the utilization of ChatGPT in their daily activities.Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed from May 2023 to July 2024 including pharmacists in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An online pre-validated KAP questionnaire was disseminated, collecting data on demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices about ChatGPT. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were conducted using SPSS.Results: Of 1022 respondents, 78.7% were familiar with AI in pharmacy, while 90.1% correctly identified ChatGPT as an advanced AI chatbot. Positive attitudes towards ChatGPT were reported by 64.1% of pharmacists, although only 24.3% used AI tools regularly. Significant predictors of positive attitudes and practices included academic/research roles (β=0.7, p=0.005) and 6– 10 years of experience (β=0.9, p=0.05). Ethical concerns were raised by 64% of respondents, and 92% reported a lack of formal training.Conclusion: While the majority of pharmacists held positive attitudes toward ChatGPT, practical implementation remains limited due to ethical concerns and inadequate training. Addressing these barriers is essential for successful AI integration in pharmacy, supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative.Keywords: artificial intelligence, healthcare, technology adoption, pharmaceutical care, survey stud
Mapping 123 million neonatal, infant and child deaths between 2000 and 2017
Since 2000, many countries have achieved considerable success in improving child survival, but localized progress remains unclear. To inform efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.2—to end preventable child deaths by 2030—we need consistently estimated data at the subnational level regarding child mortality rates and trends. Here we quantified, for the period 2000–2017, the subnational variation in mortality rates and number of deaths of neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age within 99 low- and middle-income countries using a geostatistical survival model. We estimated that 32% of children under 5 in these countries lived in districts that had attained rates of 25 or fewer child deaths per 1,000 live births by 2017, and that 58% of child deaths between 2000 and 2017 in these countries could have been averted in the absence of geographical inequality. This study enables the identification of high-mortality clusters, patterns of progress and geographical inequalities to inform appropriate investments and implementations that will help to improve the health of all populations
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