The Fiqh and Shari’ah Dimensions of Seerah in the Contemporary Era

In the perspective of the modern period, this study aims to investigate the Fiqh and Shari’ah aspects of the Seerah (the life and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad). This study's main goal is to shed light on the Seerah's relevance and applicability in modern Muslim life, particularly in the context of Islamic law and jurisprudence. The goal of the study is to clarify the Seerah's crucial importance as a source of instruction and law for the contemporary issues that the Muslim community worldwide is dealing with. The goals of this study includes a thorough examination of the Seerah in light of current moral and legal concerns. It aims to evaluate how the Seerah's guiding principles and practices can influence contemporary Fiqh decisions and Shari’ah compliance. This study uses a multifaceted methodology that includes an analysis of traditional Islamic scriptures, Fiqh judgments, and modern Islamic jurisprudence literature. Along with secondary materials like scholarly publications and legal opinions, primary sources like the Quran and Hadith are considered. The study's conclusions highlight how the Seerah continues to be relevant in addressing current ethical, legal, and societal issues. It emphasizes how Shari’ah law, which is based on the Seerah, is flexible and adaptable enough to offer direction and solutions to modern problems. Muslims can navigate the complexity of the modern world while maintaining their religion and principles by consulting the Seerah, which has emerged as an important and dynamic source. The Seerah's influence on Islamic jurisprudence and adherence to Shari’ah in the modern day is a topic that this study encourages more discussion and investigation. Keywords: Shari’ah, Fiqh Seerah, Quran, Hadith, Contemporary Er

Anatomical transition of trilaminar cerebellar cortex between reptiles and Aves

Background: Motor coordination in vertebrates is primarily regulated by cerebellum. Divergence of aves from reptilian ancestors results in noticeable improvement in the motor coordination. This study aims to explore anatomical innovations in the cerebellar cortex during the course of evolution of reptiles and aves.Methods: Three representative species each from reptilian and avian lineages were selected to represent both vertebrate classes. Complete brain was dissected out from the cranial cavity of each specimen after radiological assessment of its extent. After gross examination, the brains were subjected to detailed histological investigation using conventional and special strains. Micrometry of layer and cellular architecture of cerebellar cortex were undertaken digitally using ImageJ and statistically compared using GraphPad Prism.Results: Grossly, significant increase (p<0.0001) in brain mass, brain volume and cerebellar volume was observed in aves compared to reptiles. Histo-morphometric analyses of granular and molecular layers of cerebellum showed statistically significant decrease (p<0.0001) in the thickness of avian representatives compared to reptilian counterparts. Similarly significant decrease (p<0.0001) in the interpurkinje neuronal distance was observed in aves compared to reptiles. Conversely, increase cellular and neuronal count (p=0.0332 to <0.0001) count was observed in all three layers of avian cerebellum in comparison to reptiles. This suggests increased cellular packaging and/or density in the avian cerebellum compared to reptiles. Conclusion: In summary, significant increase in the cellular density and differentiation in the cerebellum of avian representatives may provide anatomical basis of increased motor coordination in aves compared to reptiles.  Keywords: Cerebellum; Evolution; Granular Layer; Molecular Layer; Purkinje Laye

Comparative analysis of optimal power flow in renewable energy sources based microgrids

Adaptation of renewable energy is inevitable. The idea of microgrid offers integration of renewable energy sources with conventional power generation sources. In this research, an operative approach was proposed for microgrids comprising of four different power generation sources. The microgrid is a way that mixes energy locally and empowers the end-users to add useful power to the network. IEEE-14 bus system-based microgrid was developed in MATLAB/Simulink to demonstrate the optimal power flow. Two cases of battery charging and discharging were also simulated to evaluate its realization. The solution of power flow analysis was obtained from the Newton–Raphson method and particle swarm optimization method. A comparison was drawn between these methods for the proposed model of the microgrid on the basis of transmission line losses and voltage profile. Transmission line losses are reduced to about 17% in the case of battery charging and 19 to 20% in the case of battery discharging when system was analyzed with the particle swarm optimization. Particle swarm optimization was found more promising for the deliverance of optimal power flow in the renewable energy sources-based microgrid

Bedtime Smart Phone Usage and Its Effects on Work-Related Behaviour at Workplace

The over usage and over dependency on digital devices, like smartphones, has been considered as a growing international epidemic. The increased dependency on gadgets, especially smartphones for personal and official uses, has also brought many detrimental effects on individual users. Hence it is vital to understand the negative effects of smartphone usage on human. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of bedtime smartphone usage on work performances, interpersonal conflicts, and work engagement, via the mediating role of sleep quality among employees. Using a cross-sectional study design, a questionnaire-based field survey was conducted on 315 employees who participated as respondents. The results confirmed the negative effects of bedtime smartphone usage on sleep quality. Along with it, the effects of sleep quality on work performances, work engagements and interpersonal conflicts were also proven to be statistically significant. Regarding the mediating role of sleep quality, it was empirically evident that sleep quality mediates the relationship between bedtime smartphone usage with work performances and interpersonal conflicts. The findings revealed that bedtime smartphone usage reduces sleep quality among the employees, resulting in lower work performances and engagements while contributing to higher interpersonal conflicts. The findings concluded that smartphone usage before sleep increases the prospects of employees to be less productive, less engaged, and have more workplace conflicts. The findings warrant the continued managerial as well as academic research attention, as the smartphones are now used by many organisations to run businesses as well

Pollen fertility estimation of selected taxa of Kaghan valley, Pakistan

Pollen fertility estimation of selected taxa of Kaghan Valley was surveyed. A total 51species belonging to 22 different families i.e., Acanthaceae, Apiaceae, Asteraceae,Berberidaceae, Brassicaceae, Caprifoliacaeae, Caesalpinaceae, Hippocastanaceae, Lythraceae,Malvaceae, Oleaceae, Paplionaceae, Podophylaceae, Polygonaceae, Rosaceae, Ranunculaceae,Salicaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Solanaceae, Urticaceae Valerianaceae and Poaceae wereinvestigated for their pollen fertility. The dominant families regarding number of specieswere Asteraceae having 8 species and then Poaceae and Rosaceae having 6 species. Highestpollen fertility 100% value was observed in Phragmites communis Trin. and Solanum surattense Burm.f., while the lowest 58.49% value was observed in Sorbaria tomentosa (Lindl.) Rech. Most of the species showed a range of pollen fertility as 70-80 %, indicated thatthe flora of Kaghan Valley is well-established and stable

Genome-wide analysis, identification, evolution and genomic organization of dehydration responsive element-binding (DREB) gene family in Solanum tuberosum

Background The dehydration responsive element-binding (DREB) gene family plays a crucial role as transcription regulators and enhances plant tolerance to abiotic stresses. Although the DREB gene family has been identified and characterized in many plants, knowledge about it in Solanum tuberosum (Potato) is limited. Results In the present study, StDREB gene family was comprehensively analyzed using bioinformatics approaches. We identified 66 StDREB genes through genome wide screening of the Potato genome based on the AP2 domain architecture and amino acid conservation analysis (Valine at position 14th). Phylogenetic analysis divided them into six distinct subgroups (A1–A6). The categorization of StDREB genes into six subgroups was further supported by gene structure and conserved motif analysis. Potato DREB genes were found to be distributed unevenly across 12 chromosomes. Gene duplication proved that StDREB genes experienced tandem and segmental duplication events which led to the expansion of the gene family. The Ka/Ks ratios of the orthologous pairs also demonstrated the StDREB genes were under strong purification selection in the course of evolution. Interspecies synteny analysis revealed 45 and 36 StDREB genes were orthologous to Arabidopsis and Solanum lycopersicum, respectively. Moreover, subcellular localization indicated that StDREB genes were predominantly located within the nucleus and the StDREB family’s major function was DNA binding according to gene ontology (GO) annotation. Conclusions This study provides a comprehensive and systematic understanding of precise molecular mechanism and functional characterization of StDREB genes in abiotic stress responses and will lead to improvement in Solanum tuberosum

Synthesis of 3-[4-(2-furoyl)-1-piperazinyl]-N- (substituted)propanamides as promising antibacterial agents with mild cytotoxicity

Purpose: To evaluate the antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity of a series of molecules with amalgamation of furoyl, piperazine and amide moieties.Methods: New derivatives, namely 3-[4-(2-furoyl)-1-piperazinyl]-N-(substituted) propanamides, were synthesized and evaluated for their antibacterial activity and toxicity to mammalian cells. The synthesis was initiated by treating different aryl/aralkyl amines (1a-u) with 3-bromopropionyl chloride (2) to obtain the solid electrophiles 3a-u, which were collected by filtration. Thereafter, the different N-aryl/aralkyl-3- bromopropionamides (3a-u) and 2-furoyl-1-piperazine (4) at equimolar ratios were allowed to react in acetonitrile and in the presence of a base, K2CO3, to form the target compounds, 5a-u. Structural elucidation was carried out using EI-MS (electron impact mass spectrometry), IR (infrared) and 1H-NMR (proton nuclear magnetic resonance). The antibacterial activity of the synthesized compounds was evaluated against various bacterial strains. Furthermore, hemolysis was determined to assess cytotoxicity using bovine red blood cells.Results: Molecules 5g, 5a, 5p, 5g and 5i were found to be potent agents against S. aureus, S. typhi, P. aeruginosa, E. coli and B. subtilis with respective minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 8.34 ± 0.55, 8.37 ± 0.12, 8.65 ± 0.57, 8.97 ± 0.12 and 9.24 ± 0.50 μM, compared to 7.80 ± 0.19, 7.45 ± 0.58, 7.14 ± 0.58, 7.16 ± 0.58 and 7.29 ± 0.90 μM for the reference standard, ciprofloxacin. The most active compounds, 5a, 5g, 5i and 5p, showed a hemolysis of 15.48, 8.03, 5.52 and 4.35 %, respectively.Conclusion: The synthesized compounds exhibit good antibacterial activity. The hemolysis data indicate that these compounds have a low toxicity level. However, in vivo studies are required to ascertain their potentials as new drug candidates.Keywords: 4-(2-Furoyl)-1-piperazine, 1H-NMR, EI-MS, Antimicrobial activity, Hemolytic activit

The impact of diabetes mellitus on the emergence of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis and treatment failure in TB-diabetes comorbid patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundThe existence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in tuberculosis (TB) patients is very dangerous for the health of patients. One of the major concerns is the emergence of MDR-TB in such patients. It is suspected that the development of MDR-TB further worsens the treatment outcomes of TB such as treatment failure and thus, causes disease progression.AimTo investigate the impact of DM on the Emergence of MDR-TB and Treatment Failure in TB-DM comorbid patients.MethodologyThe PubMed database was systematically searched until April 03, 2022 (date last searched). Thirty studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this study after a proper selection process.ResultsTuberculosis-Diabetes Mellitus patients were at higher risk to develop MDR-TB as compared to TB-non-DM patients (HR 0.81, 95% CI: 0.60–0.96, p &lt; 0.001). Heterogeneity observed among included studies was moderate (I2 = 38%). No significant change was observed in the results after sub-group analysis by study design (HR 0.81, 95% CI: 0.61–0.96, p &lt; 0.000). In the case of treatment failure, TB-DM patients were at higher risk to experience treatment failure rates as compared to TB-non-DM patients (HR 0.46, 95% CI: 0.27–0.67, p &lt; 0.001).ConclusionThe results showed that DM had a significant impact on the emergence of MDR-TB in TB-diabetes comorbid patients as compared to TB-non-DM patients. DM enhanced the risk of TB treatment failure rates in TB-diabetes patients as compared to TB-non-DM patients. Our study highlights the need for earlier screening of MDR-TB, thorough MDR-TB monitoring, and designing proper and effective treatment strategies to prevent disease progression

Mosaic Activating Mutations in GNA11 and GNAQ Are Associated with Phakomatosis Pigmentovascularis and Extensive Dermal Melanocytosis.

Common birthmarks can be an indicator of underlying genetic disease but are often overlooked. Mongolian blue spots (dermal melanocytosis) are usually localized and transient, but they can be extensive, permanent, and associated with extracutaneous abnormalities. Co-occurrence with vascular birthmarks defines a subtype of phakomatosis pigmentovascularis, a group of syndromes associated with neurovascular, ophthalmological, overgrowth, and malignant complications. Here, we discover that extensive dermal melanocytosis and phakomatosis pigmentovascularis are associated with activating mutations in GNA11 and GNAQ, genes that encode Gα subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins. The mutations were detected at very low levels in affected tissues but were undetectable in the blood, indicating that these conditions are postzygotic mosaic disorders. In vitro expression of mutant GNA11(R183C) and GNA11(Q209L) in human cell lines demonstrated activation of the downstream p38 MAPK signaling pathway and the p38, JNK, and ERK pathways, respectively. Transgenic mosaic zebrafish models expressing mutant GNA11(R183C) under promoter mitfa developed extensive dermal melanocytosis recapitulating the human phenotype. Phakomatosis pigmentovascularis and extensive dermal melanocytosis are therefore diagnoses in the group of mosaic heterotrimeric G-protein disorders, joining McCune-Albright and Sturge-Weber syndromes. These findings will allow accurate clinical and molecular diagnosis of this subset of common birthmarks, thereby identifying infants at risk for serious complications, and provide novel therapeutic opportunities