Murtad menurut perundangan Islam

Buku ini mengupas secara ilmiah persoalan mengenai murtad. Antara yang dibicarakan ialah berkaitan dengan maksud murtad, syarat-syarat sah murtad, bagaimana seseorang boleh dikatakan murtad dan apakah hukuman yang sepatutnya dikenakan kepada orang yang murtad. Penulis mengemukakan permasalahan fiqh yang berkaitan dengan orang murtad. Buku ini diharapkan dapat membantu dalam memberi kefahaman kepada umat Islam mengenai murtad dan dapat dijadikan rujukan dalam mencari jawapan kepada persoalan yang berkaitan dengan murtad

Detection of butter adulteration with lard using differential scanning calorimetry

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is developed and used for detection of butter adulteration with lard. Butter has the similar characteristics to lard makes lard a desirable adulterant in butter. DSC provides unique thermal profiling for lard and butter. In the heating thermogram of the mixture, there was one major endothermic peak (peak A) with a smaller shoulder peak embedded in the major peak that gradually smoothed out to the major peak as the lard percent increased. In the cooling thermogram, there were one minor peak (peak B) and two major exothermic peaks, peak C which increased as lard percent increased and peak D which decreased in size as the lard percent increased. From Stepwise Multiple Linear Regression (SMLR) analysis, two independent variables were found to be able to predict lard percent adulteration in butter with R2 (adjusted) of 95.82. The SMLR equation of lard percent adulteration in butter is 293.1 - 11.36 (Te A) - 2.17 (Tr D); where Te A is the endset of peak A and Tr D is the range of thermal transition for peak D. These parameters can serve as a good measurement parameter in detecting lard adulteration in butter. DSC is a very useful means for halal screening technique to enhance the authenticity of Halal process

East Asia and the global/transatlantic/Western crisis

This paper introduces the special collection on East Asia and the Global Crisis. After justifying why a focus on East Asia is appropriate, it draws out the main themes that run through the individual contributions. These are the extent to which the region is decoupling from the global economy (or the West), the increasing legitimacy of statist alternatives to neoliberal development strategies, and the impact of crises on the definition of ―region‖ and the functioning of regional institutions and governance mechanisms

Detection of butter adulteration with lard by employing 1H-NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis

The use of proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy allows the analysis of butter adulteration with lard by simultaneously quantification of all proton bearing compounds and consequently all relevant sample classes. Since the spectra obtained were too complex to be analyzed visually by the naked eyes, the classification of spectra was carried out using multivariate data analysis. The spectroscopic data of butter adulterated with lard samples were chemometrically evaluated and calibrated using the partial least square (PLS) algorithm. The multivariate calibration of PLS model for the prediction of adulterant was developed for quantitative measurement. The model yielded a highest regression coefficient (R2) = 0.998 and the lowest root mean square error calibration (RMSEC) = 0.0091 and root mean square error prediction (RMSEP) = 0.0090, respectively. Cross validation testing evaluates the predictive power of the model. PLS model was shown as good models as the intercept of R2Y and Q2Y were 0.0853 and -0.309, respectively

Association analysis of two single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the RELN gene with autism in the South African population

BACKGROUND: Autism (MIM209850) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a triad of impairments, namely impairment in social interaction, impaired communication skills, and restrictive and repetitive behavior. A number of family and twin studies have demonstrated that genetic factors play a pivotal role in the etiology of autistic disorder. Various reports of reduced levels of reelin protein in the brain and plasma in autistic patients highlighted the role of the reelin gene (RELN) in autism. There is no such published study on the South African (SA) population. AIMS: The aim of the present study was to find the genetic association of intronic rs736707 and exonic rs362691 (single-nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs] of the RELN gene) with autism in a SA population. METHODS: Genomic DNA was isolated from cheek cell swabs from autistic (136) as well as control (208) subjects. The TaqMan® Real-Time polymerase chain reaction and genotyping assay was utilized to determine the genotypes. RESULTS: A significant association of SNP rs736707, but not for SNP rs362691, with autism in the SA population is observed. CONCLUSION: There might be a possible role of RELN in autism, especially for SA populations. The present study represents the first report on genetic association studies on the RELN gene in the SA population.Web of Scienc

Undergraduate medical textbooks do not provide adequate information on intravenous fluid therapy: a systematic survey and suggestions for improvement

<b>Background</b><p></p> Inappropriate prescribing of intravenous (IV) fluid, particularly 0.9% sodium chloride, causes post-operative complications. Fluid prescription is often left to junior medical staff and is frequently poorly managed. One reason for poor intravenous fluid prescribing practices could be inadequate coverage of this topic in the textbooks that are used.<p></p> <b>Methods</b><p></p> We formulated a comprehensive set of topics, related to important common clinical situations involving IV fluid therapy, (routine fluid replacement, fluid loss, fluids overload) to assess the adequacy of textbooks in common use. We assessed 29 medical textbooks widely available to students in the UK, scoring the presence of information provided by each book on each of the topics. The scores indicated how fully the topics were considered: not at all, partly, and adequately. No attempt was made to judge the quality of the information, because there is no consensus on these topics.<p></p> <b>Results</b><p></p> The maximum score that a book could achieve was 52. Three of the topics we chose were not considered by any of the books. Discounting these topics as “too esoteric”, the maximum possible score became 46. One textbook gained a score of 45, but the general score was poor (median 11, quartiles 4, 21). In particular, coverage of routine postoperative management was inadequate.<p></p> <b>Conclusions</b><p></p> Textbooks for undergraduates cover the topic of intravenous therapy badly, which may partly explain the poor knowledge and performance of junior doctors in this important field. Systematic revision of current textbooks might improve knowledge and practice by junior doctors. Careful definition of the remit and content of textbooks should be applied more widely to ensure quality and “fitness for purpose”, and avoid omission of vital knowledge

Development of Solvent-Based Recycling Technique for Polyethylene Terephthalate from Waste Plastic

This paper will cover the development of solvent-based recycling technique of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) taken from post-consumer drinks containers which have the labeling number of 1. These bottle containers are further processed to be made as small pellet with sizing of less than 2 mm (length) x 2 mm (width). This sample will then be treated with selected solvent in order to dissolve it from solid PET to liquid PET. Later on, this liquefied PET will be recovered through a dissolution/re-precipitation technique to make it as a pure PET polymer. This polymer is then will be tested with various chemical analysis methods in order to identify its purity so that the success of this project can be justified