Islam and we?

Panel: Islam and W

Writing Sample

Includes The Days of Shaytaan and Present Day

An Investigation of Matrix Metalloproteinases in Gingival Crevicular Fluid in the Guided Tissue Regeneration Procedure

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been implicated in the aetiopathogenesis of periodontitis. MMPs are degradative host proteinases that are not only involved in the destruction process but also in embryologic development, tissue remodeling and wound healing processes. Accumulating evidence has gathered over the years for their involvement in periodontal destruction. Higher level of MMPs has been found in periodontitis sites compared to healthy sites or individuals. The 'active state' of the MMP enzyme has been associated with active periodontal lesions and reductions of MMP levels have been reported following periodontal treatment. Repair and wound healing are most likely to be influenced by the matrix-modifying enzymes, the MMPs. MMP levels have been investigated during wound healing and stromelysin (SL) were found to be overexpressed and overactivated during the wound repair process. SL-1 and -2 have also been found in a variety of chronic wound lesions and also in acute skin wounds, suggesting their roles in tissue repair. MMP-9 levels measured 48 hours after injury can predict the amount of collagen deposited later as higher levels have been linked to retarded healing. Resident connective tissue cells produce MMP-3 and MMP-8 are produced by polymorphnuclear leukocytes (PMN) in addition to fibroblasts of gingivae, mucosae and periodontal ligament. Both PMN and fibroblasts are increased during the wound healing process. PMN predominates immediately after the injury and up to three days after. while an increased number of fibroblasts are found in the granulation tissue after the third day onwards. GTR is now an acceptable technique for the treatment of infrabony defects. Compromised clinical results have been associated with microbial contamination during the membrane insertion. Microbial contamination has also been demonstrated in association with a non-resorbable barrier membrane owing to the lack of tissue integration leading to pocket formation. With resorbable membranes, this factor has been eliminated and the only concern is membrane contamination during insertion. Preliminary microbiological results have demonstrated that GuidorRTM barrier membranes do not seem to develop facultative anaerobic bacteria and black pigmented gram-negative anaerobic rods in high numbers during the first 6 weeks post-operatively. High dose amoxycillin, a broad-spectrum penicillin active against aerobe and facultative anaerobic microflora given 1 hour prior to the guided tissue regeneration (GTR) procedure may reduce the possible contamination of the material and the wound during membrane insertion. The purpose of the study was to investigate the clinical outcome, the microbiological colonization and the levels of matrix metalloproteinases during the wound healing following insertion of a resorbable membrane (GUIDOR) either alone or combined with one presurgical systemic application of amoxycillin. It was also investigated whether the fluctuation of GCF levels of MMP-3 and -8 during the wound healing could be linked to the clinical outcome and microbiological colonization. Gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples were collected by means of sterile paper strips and the volume was assessed using the Periotron 6000. Fibroblast derived MMP-3 levels in GCF were assayed using modification of the sandwich ELIS As described by Cooksley et al. (1990). Antibodies detected both the active and the latent MMP-3. MMP-8 levels were determined by a time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay (FIA) as described by Hanemaaijer et al., (1997) for the detection of active MMP-8. The results were expressed as absolute amounts, that is, ng/30s of sample collection. GCF samples were collected from test, surgical control and healthy control sites from each patient. The test sites are the sites treated with membranes and the surgical control sites were the adjacent teeth involved in the surgical flap without the membrane insertion. The MMP-3 levels were only altered at week one for the test sites, while for the surgical control and healthy control sites the levels remained undetectable at all visit. Inspection of individual data revealed that 45% of the surgical sites had detectable increase in MMP-3 at week one. The active MMP-8 levels for the test sites were significantly higher compared to the healthy control sites. For the test there was a significant increase in the MMP-8 levels at week one. There were also increased levels for the surgical sites, but the differences were not significant from the baseline values. Based on evidence presented in the literature about cellular aspects during healing, it can be presumed that most of the MMP-8 levels present after week 1 were derived mostly from fibroblasts

دلالة الاستفهام في شعر أبي مسلم البهلاني = Iinterrogative meaning in the poems of Abu Muslim al-Bahlānī

يعد الاستفهام من الأساليب النحوية والبلاغية المستخدمة بكثرة لدى الشعراء، فمن خلاله يكشف المستفهم عما يدور في نفسه ويطلب به قضاء حاجاته. من هذا المنطلق، يأتي هذا البحث ليتناول بالدراسة دلالة الاستفهام في ديوان الآثار الشعرية لأبي مسلم البهلاني من خلال تتبع أدوات الاستفهام في الأبواب الخمسة الأولى من الديوان، وهي: الإلهيات والقصائد الدينيّة، والمدائح النبوية، والقصائد الوطنية، وقصائد الحكم والمواعظ، والمراثي، ويهدف البحث إلى توضيح المقاصد التي يرمي إليها الشاعر من وراء استخدام أدوات الاستفهام، وبيان دلالاتها الحقيقيّة والمجازية وما ترمي إليه من معانٍ بيانية من تقرير وتعجب وتقريع وغيرها من المعاني مستهدياً بما قرره علماء اللغة في ذلك. وقد توصل البحث إلى أن الاستفهام يكثر في أغراض شعرية معينة ويقل في أغراض أخرى، وقد ظهر الاستفهام في الديوان بكثرة في القصائد الوطنية، والمراثي، وقل في المدائح النبوية، والحكم والمواعظ، وجاء بصورة معتدلة في الإلهيات والقصائد الدينية. ****************************************************************************** Interrogative words are part of the grammatical and rhetorical expressions that are widely used by poets to bring out their feelings and to achieve their purposes. This paper attempts to study the interrogative meaning in the Arabic anthology entitled “Al-āthār al-shiʽriyyah li Abī Muslim al-Bahlānī” (The poetic effects of Abu Muslim al-Bahlānī) by tracing the interrogative tools in the initial five chapters of the anthology namely: religious and godly poems, prophetic praises, and patriotic poems, poems containing wisdom and advice and odes. This is to explain the purposes intended by the poet by using such tools and explaining their true pragmatic as well as figurative meaning that consist of, among others, admission, exclamation, rebuking etc. that were pointed out by the language scholars. Among the conclusions of the study are that some interrogative method are widely used while others are seldom; many of which came up in patriotic poems, odes but seldomly found in prophetic praises, wisdom and advise while in the poems concerning God and religious matters, they are moderately used. ******************************************************************************** Kata-kata tanya adalah sebahagian daripada ayat-ayat tatabahasa dan retorika yang diguna secara meluas untuk menyatakan perasaan-perasaan mereka untuk mencapai tujuan-tujuan hidup mereka. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji makna kata tanya dalam antologi syair berjudul “Al-āthār al-shiʽriyyah li Abī Muslim al-Bahlānī” (Kesan-kesan puitis syair Abu Muslim al-Bahlānī) dengan mengesan kata-kata tanya dalam lima fasal pertama antologi beliau iaitu: syair-syair keagamaan dan ketuhanan, pujian kepada Rasul, syair patriotik, syair hikmah dan nasihat dan syair ratapan. In iadalah untuk menjelaskan tujuan-tujuan yang dimaksudkan oleh penyair apabila menggunakan kata-kata tanya tersebut dan untuk menjelaskan maksud pragmatik juga perlambangan yang mengandungi, di antaranya, pengakuan, takjub, penghujahan dan lain-lain spertimana yang dijelaskan oleh cendiakawan bahasa. Di antara kesimpulan yang didapati kajian ialah: penggunaan sesetengah kata tanya adalah lebih kerap daripada yang lain. Kebanyakannya digunakan dalam syair patriotik, ratapan namun kurang digunakan dalam syair pujian kepada Rasul, syair hikmah dan nasihat dan di dalam syiar-syair ketuhanan ia digunakan secara sederhana

دلالة الاستفهام في شعر أبي مسلم البهلاني = Iinterrogative meaning in the Poems of Abu Muslim al-Bahlānī = Gambaran kritik dan pengkritik dalam syair Arab moden: Syair al-Bayyati sebagai kajian kes

عد الاستفهام من الأساليب النحوية والبلاغية المستخدمة بكثرة لدى الشعراء، فمن خلاله يكشف المستفهم عما يدور في نفسه ويطلب به قضاء حاجاته. من هذا المنطلق، يأتي هذا البحث ليتناول بالدراسة دلالة الاستفهام في ديوان الآثار الشعرية لأبي مسلم البهلاني من خلال تتبع أدوات الاستفهام في الأبواب الخمسة الأولى من الديوان، وهي: الإلهيات والقصائد الدينيّة، والمدائح النبوية، والقصائد الوطنية، وقصائد الحكم والمواعظ، والمراثي، ويهدف البحث إلى توضيح المقاصد التي يرمي إليها الشاعر من وراء استخدام أدوات الاستفهام، وبيان دلالاتها الحقيقيّة والمجازية وما ترمي إليه من معانٍ بيانية من تقرير وتعجب وتقريع وغيرها من المعاني مستهدياً بما قرره علماء اللغة في ذلك. وقد توصل البحث إلى أن الاستفهام يكثر في أغراض شعرية معينة ويقل في أغراض أخرى، وقد ظهر الاستفهام في الديوان بكثرة في القصائد الوطنية، والمراثي، وقل في المدائح النبوية، والحكم والمواعظ، وجاء بصورة معتدلة في الإلهيات والقصائد الدينية. ****************************************************************************** Interrogative words are part of the grammatical and rhetorical expressions that are widely used by poets to bring out their feelings and to achieve their purposes. This paper attempts to study the interrogative meaning in the Arabic anthology entitled “Al-āthār al-shiʽriyyah li Abī Muslim al-Bahlānī” (The poetic effects of Abu Muslim al-Bahlānī) by tracing the interrogative tools in the initial five chapters of the anthology namely: religious and godly poems, prophetic praises, and patriotic poems, poems containing wisdom and advice and odes. This is to explain the purposes intended by the poet by using such tools and explaining their true pragmatic as well as figurative meaning that consist of, among others, admission, exclamation, rebuking etc. that were pointed out by the language scholars. Among the conclusions of the study are that some interrogative method are widely used while others are seldom; many of which came up in patriotic poems, odes but seldomly found in prophetic praises, wisdom and advise while in the poems concerning God and religious matters, they are moderately used. ***************************************************************************** Kata-kata tanya adalah sebahagian daripada ayat-ayat tatabahasa dan retorika yang diguna secara meluas untuk menyatakan perasaan-perasaan mereka untuk mencapai tujuan-tujuan hidup mereka. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji makna kata tanya dalam antologi syair berjudul “Al-āthār al-shiʽriyyah li Abī Muslim al-Bahlānī” (Kesan-kesan puitis syair Abu Muslim al-Bahlānī) dengan mengesan kata-kata tanya dalam lima fasal pertama antologi beliau iaitu: syair-syair keagamaan dan ketuhanan, pujian kepada Rasul, syair patriotik, syair hikmah dan nasihat dan syair ratapan. In iadalah untuk menjelaskan tujuan-tujuan yang dimaksudkan oleh penyair apabila menggunakan kata-kata tanya tersebut dan untuk menjelaskan maksud pragmatik juga perlambangan yang mengandungi, di antaranya, pengakuan, takjub, penghujahan dan lain-lain spertimana yang dijelaskan oleh cendiakawan bahasa. Di antara kesimpulan yang didapati kajian ialah: penggunaan sesetengah kata tanya adalah lebih kerap daripada yang lain. Kebanyakannya digunakan dalam syair patriotik, ratapan namun kurang digunakan dalam syair pujian kepada Rasul, syair hikmah dan nasihat dan di dalam syiar-syair ketuhanan ia digunakan secara sederhana

Improvement of Tuberculosis Laboratory Capacity on Pemba Island, Zanzibar: A Health Cooperation Project.

Low-income countries with high Tuberculosis burden have few reference laboratories able to perform TB culture. In 2006, the Zanzibar National TB Control Programme planned to decentralize TB diagnostics. The Italian Cooperation Agency with the scientific support of the "L. Spallanzani" National Institute for Infectious Diseases sustained the project through the implementation of a TB reference laboratory in a low-income country with a high prevalence of TB. The implementation steps were: 1) TB laboratory design according to the WHO standards; 2) laboratory equipment and reagent supplies for microscopy, cultures, and identification; 3) on-the-job training of the local staff; 4) web- and telemedicine-based supervision. From April 2007 to December 2010, 921 sputum samples were received from 40 peripheral laboratories: 120 TB cases were diagnosed. Of all the smear-positive cases, 74.2% were culture-positive. During the year 2010, the smear positive to culture positive rate increased up to 100%. In March 20, 2010 the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Zanzibar officially recognized the Public Health Laboratory- Ivo de Carneri as the National TB Reference Laboratory for the Zanzibar Archipelago. An advanced TB laboratory can represent a low cost solution to strengthen the TB diagnosis, to provide capacity building and mid-term sustainability

Public-Key Based Authentication Architecture for IoT Devices Using PUF

Nowadays, Internet of Things (IoT) is a trending topic in the computing world. Notably, IoT devices have strict design requirements and are often referred to as constrained devices. Therefore, security techniques and primitives that are lightweight are more suitable for such devices, e.g., Static Random-Access Memory (SRAM) Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC). SRAM PUF is an intrinsic security primitive that is seeing widespread adoption in the IoT segment. ECC is a public-key algorithm technique that has been gaining popularity among constrained IoT devices. The popularity is due to using significantly smaller operands when compared to other public-key techniques such as RSA (Rivest Shamir Adleman). This paper shows the design, development, and evaluation of an application-specific secure communication architecture based on SRAM PUF technology and ECC for constrained IoT devices. More specifically, it introduces an Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH) public-key based cryptographic protocol that utilizes PUF-derived keys as the root-of-trust for silicon authentication. Also, it proposes a design of a modular hardware architecture that supports the protocol. Finally, to analyze the practicality as well as the feasibility of the proposed protocol, we demonstrate the solution by prototyping and verifying a protocol variant on the commercial Xilinx Zynq-7000 APSoC device

Teaching challenges on the use of storytelling in elementary science lessons

This study investigated the use of storytelling in teaching elementary science on the topic of ‘Sense Organs’ at the Grade 1 level. A total of 21 students from one of the elementary schools in Brunei Darussalam participated in the study. The qualitative analyses of the observations and video recordings resulted in the classifications of the challenges faced when storytelling was used in the lessons. The four identified categories were the language aspect, development aspect, external challenges and existing knowledge. These categories were then used to investigate further any aspect that would develop the challenges into the teaching and learning of science using storytelling. Despite identifying the challenges in using storytelling in teaching science, storytelling may enhance the students’ understanding of science concepts

Developing and implementing mental health policy in Zanzibar, a low income country off the coast of East Africa

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Zanzibar Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, concerned about mental health in the country, requested technical assistance from WHO in 1997.</p> <p>Aims</p> <p>This article describes the facilitation over many years by a WHO Collaborating Centre, of sustainable mental health developments in Zanzibar, one of the poorest countries in the world, using systematic approaches to policy design and implementation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Based on intensive prior situation appraisal and consultation, a multi-faceted set of interventions combining situation appraisal to inform planning; sustained policy dialogue at Union and state levels; development of policy and legislation, development of strategic action plans, establishment of intersectoral national mental health implementation committee, establishment of national mental health coordination system, integration of mental health into primary care, strengthening of primary-secondary care liaison, rationalisation and strengthening of secondary care system, ensuring adequate supply of medicines, use of good practice guidelines and health information systems, development of services for people with intellectual disability, establishment of formal mechanism for close liaison between the mental health services and other governmental, non-governmental and traditional sectors, mental health promotion, suicide prevention, and research and development.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The policy and legislation introduced in 1999 have resulted in enhanced mental health activities over the ensuing decade, within a setting of extreme low resource. However, advances ebb and flow and continued efforts are required to maintain progress and continue mental health developments. Lessons learnt have informed the development of mental health policies in neighbouring countries.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A multi-faceted and comprehensive programme can be effective in achieving considerable strengthening of mental health programmes and services even in extremely low resource settings, but requires sustained input and advocacy if gains are to be maintained and enhanced.</p