The emergence and development of the Shi’ite Ḥadīth canon

The past twenty years have witnessed an upsurge in research centred on critical analysis of the Shi’ite Ḥadīth canon, known as the Kutub al-Arba’ah. Little research however, has explored the emergence of the term Kutub al-Arba’ah. To this end, this thesis aims to detail the emergence of the term Kutub al-Arba’ah, and its subsequent usage and development in history. This will enable not only a greater understanding of the canonical texts, but also illuminate the pivotal role played by the Kutub alArba’ah in debates on authority in post-ghayba Twelver Shiʿism

Long-Term Outcomes after Robotic-Assisted Ivor-Lewis Esophagectomy

Purpose: Robotic assistance has gained a measure of acceptance in thoracic procedures, including esophagectomy. However, there is a paucity of data regarding long-term outcomes for robotic esophagectomy. We have previously reported our initial series of robot assisted Ivor-Lewis (RAIL) esophagectomy. We report long-term outcomes to assess the efficacy of the procedure.Methods : We performed a retrospective review of 112 consecutive patients who underwent a RAIL at our institution. Patient demographics, diagnosis, pathology, operative characteristics, post-operative complications, and long-term outcomes were documented. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed for all the variables. Primary endpoints were mortality and disease-free survival. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Of the 112 patients, 106 had a diagnosis of cancer, with adenocarcinoma the dominant histology (87.5%). Of the 106 cancer patients, 81(76.4%) received neo-adjuvant chemoradiation (stage 3A most common). The 30, 60, and 90-day mortality was 1 (0.9%), 3 (2.7%), and 4 (3.6%) respectively. There were 9 anastomotic leaks (8%) and 18 (16.1%) patients had a stricture requiring dilation. All patient OS at 1, 3, and 5 years was 81.4%, 60.5%, and 51.0%, respectively. For cancer patients, the 1, 3, and 5 years OS was 81.3%, 59.2%, and 49.4% respectively and the DFS was 75.3%, 42.3%, and 44.0%. Conclusion: We have shown that long term outcomes after RAIL esophagectomy are similar to other non-robotic esophagectomies. Given the potential advantages of robotic assistance, our results are crucial to demonstrate that RAIL does not result in inferior outcomes.https://scholarlycommons.henryford.com/merf2019clinres/1060/thumbnail.jp

Prvi nalaz vrste Pomacanthus maculosus (Pomacanthidae) u sirijskim obalnim vodama (istočno Sredozemno more)

On 16 June 2022, two specimens of Pomacanthus maculosus (Forsskål, 1775) were observed in the Syrian marine waters. One specimen was captured and classified, measured, preserved in formaldehyde and deposited at Tishreen University. It is a second substantiated record in the Levant Basin, and the first for the Syrian coast. The successful establishment of a viable population of P. maculosus in the Mediterranean Sea remains a suitable hypothesis which cannot be totally ruled out.Dana 16. lipnja 2022. godine, dva primjerka vrste Pomacanthus maculosus (Forsskål, 1775) zabilježena su u sirijskim morskim vodama. Jedan primjerak je uhvaćen, identificiran, izmjeren, sačuvan u formaldehidu te pohranjen na Sveučilištu Tishreen u Siriji. To je drugi potvrđeni nalaz ove vrste za područje Levanta te prvi za sirijske vode. Uspješna uspostava i održive populacije vrste P. maculosus u Sredozemnom moru ostaje prikladna hipoteza koja se ne može potpuno odbaciti

In-hand manipulation planning using human motion dictionary

Dexterous in-hand manipulation is a peculiar and useful human skill. This ability requires the coordination of many senses and hand motion to adhere to many constraints. These constraints vary and can be influenced by the object characteristics or the specific application. One of the key elements for a robotic platform to implement reliable inhand manipulation skills is to be able to integrate those constraints in their motion generations. These constraints can be implicitly modelled, learned through experience or human demonstrations. We propose a method based on motion primitives dictionaries to learn and reproduce in-hand manipulation skills. In particular, we focused on fingertip motions during the manipulation, and we defined an optimization process to combine motion primitives to reach specific fingertip configurations. The results of this work show that the proposed approach can generate manipulation motion coherent with the human one and that manipulation constraints are inherited even without an explicit formalization

ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CELLULOSE DEGRADING MICROORGANISMS GENERATING ELECTRICITY USING MICROBIAL FUEL CELL

Global warming and the accumulation of organic waste constitute a serious environmental problem. Therefore, microbial fuel cells (MFC) are an eco-friendly device that have significant capability for the production of electricity using biodegradable waste as fuel. Microorganisms used as catalysts in the anode compartment, execute a principal function in operating MFCs. The present study was conducted to isolate and to screen potential bioelectricity generating microorganisms from dumpsite soil samples and also to construct a domestic dual-chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC). Streptomyces fimicarius was found to be the best isolate for the degradation of cellulose and the production of bioelectricity. The bacterial isolate was identified based on morphological characteristics, biochemical characteristics and molecular identification using 16S rRNA. Double-chambered MFC was constructed by using two polypropylene plastic containers of 1.4 L volume each. The two chambers were joined by using an agar salt bridge and carbon rods were utilized as electrodes. The generation of electricity by the isolate was compared using glucose and cellulose as sole carbon source in a minimal medium. The maximum voltage was found to be 322 mV in the presence of cellulose used as substrate after 5 days of incubation at room temperature and last for 10 days

HLADQ2 and HLADQ8 Alleles Are Associated with Celiac Disease in Children

Background: Celiac disease is the permanent intolerance to dietary gluten, the major protein component of wheat. The role of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQ2 heterodimer (DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201) in presenting gluten peptides to effectors T cells in celiac disease (CD) has been well documented. Epidemiological studies of the disease in Iran are not available. This study was aimed to investigate the frequency of HLADQ2 and HLADQ8 in children with celiac disease in Mashhad city. Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 25 celiac patients and 25 matched healthy controls for HLA typing of DQ2/DQ8. CD diagnosis was reached in 25 subjects, according to the revised criteria of the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) and North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition criteria (NASPGHAN). Sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values were calculated. Results: Mean age was 134.06±30.48 months in case and control groups, with no statistical difference between the two groups. 48% of cases and controls were male, and 52 % were female. HLA-DQ2/8 was positive with 80% (CI 95%:64-95), sensitivity was 80% (CI 95%:58-92), specificity 48% (CI 95%:28-68), NPV 70.58% (CI 95%:44-88), PPV 61(CI 95%:42.2-76.5) and accuracy was 64%. Conclusion: A positive association was found between HLA DQ2/8 and Iranian celiac disease. As negative and predictive values were high, HLA typing may be considered a beneficial test for diagnosis confirmation

Perirenal Adipose Tissue Inflammation: Novel Insights Linking Metabolic Dysfunction to Renal Diseases

A healthy adipose tissue (AT) is indispensable to human wellbeing. Among other roles, it contributes to energy homeostasis and provides insulation for internal organs. Adipocytes were previously thought to be a passive store of excess calories, however this view evolved to include an endocrine role. Adipose tissue was shown to synthesize and secrete adipokines that are pertinent to glucose and lipid homeostasis, as well as inflammation. Importantly, the obesity-induced adipose tissue expansion stimulates a plethora of signals capable of triggering an inflammatory response. These inflammatory manifestations of obese AT have been linked to insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes, and proposed to evoke obesity-induced comorbidities including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). A growing body of evidence suggests that metabolic disorders, characterized by AT inflammation and accumulation around organs may eventually induce organ dysfunction through a direct local mechanism. Interestingly, perirenal adipose tissue (PRAT), surrounding the kidney, influences renal function and metabolism. In this regard, PRAT emerged as an independent risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is even correlated with CVD. Here, we review the available evidence on the impact of PRAT alteration in different metabolic states on the renal and cardiovascular function. We present a broad overview of novel insights linking cardiovascular derangements and CKD with a focus on metabolic disorders affecting PRAT. We also argue that the confluence among these pathways may open several perspectives for future pharmacological therapies against CKD and CVD possibly by modulating PRAT immunometabolism.This work was supported by AUB-Faculty of Medicine Medical Practice Plan Grant #320148 and an AUB President Collaborative Research Stimulus Grant to AE-Y

Hand-Object Interaction: From Human Demonstrations to Robot Manipulation

Human-object interaction is of great relevance for robots to operate in human environments. However, state-of-the-art robotic hands are far from replicating humans skills. It is, therefore, essential to study how humans use their hands to develop similar robotic capabilities. This article presents a deep dive into hand-object interaction and human demonstrations, highlighting the main challenges in this research area and suggesting desirable future developments. To this extent, the article presents a general definition of the hand-object interaction problem together with a concise review for each of the main subproblems involved, namely: sensing, perception, and learning. Furthermore, the article discusses the interplay between these subproblems and describes how their interaction in learning from demonstration contributes to the success of robot manipulation. In this way, the article provides a broad overview of the interdisciplinary approaches necessary for a robotic system to learn new manipulation skills by observing human behavior in the real world

EMT Markers in Locally-Advanced Prostate Cancer: Predicting Recurrence?

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequent cause of cancer-related death in men worldwide. It is a heterogeneous disease at molecular and clinical levels which makes its prognosis and treatment outcome hard to predict. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marks a key step in the invasion and malignant progression of PCa. We sought to assess the co-expression of epithelial cytokeratin 8 (CK8) and mesenchymal vimentin (Vim) in locally-advanced PCa as indicators of EMT and consequently predictors of the progression status of the disease.Methods: Co-expression of CK8 and Vim was evaluated by immunofluorescence (IF) on paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 122 patients with PCa who underwent radical prostatectomies between 1998 and 2016 at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC). EMT score was calculated accordingly and then correlated with the patients' clinicopathological parameters and PSA failure.Results: The co-expression of CK8/Vim (EMT score), was associated with increasing Gleason group. A highly significant linear association was detected wherein higher Gleason group was associated with higher mean EMT score. In addition, the median estimated biochemical recurrence-free survival for patients with < 25% EMT score was almost double that of patients with more than 25%. The validity of this score for prediction of prognosis was further demonstrated using cox regression model. Our data also confirmed that the EMT score can predict PSA failure irrespective of Gleason group, pathological stage, or surgical margins.Conclusion: This study suggests that assessment of molecular markers of EMT, particularly CK8 and Vim, in radical prostatectomy specimens, in addition to conventional clinicopathological prognostic parameters, can aid in the development of a novel system for predicting the prognosis of locally-advanced PCa