The Intellectual and Spiritual Contribution of Nuruddin Ar-Raniri to Islamic Education in Indonesia

This paper attempts to analyze the intellectual and spiritual contributions of Nuruddin ar-Raniri to Islamic education in Indonesia. It gives the genealogy of ar-Raniri and his arrival to Indonesia as well as the vital role he played in the documentation of important literatures in Malay and Islamic education. This paper further argues that Nuruddin ar-Raniri, serving as a Sufi scholar, great writer, theologian, historian has immense contribution. His impact and influence in Indonesia was profound and noteworthy. His contribution to Malay literature and Islamic education is unavoidable. His masterpieces on intellectual writings has exerted considerable effort in the field of Malay letters and historical writings. His writings cover various fields of knowledge which helped in developing the learning culture in the society. This study used a qualitative approach in collecting and analyzing the data. This study concludes that due to this great contribution in the field of Islamic knowledge, ar-Raniri emerged as an exceptional scholar of his time and a pioneer in the standardization of Islamic religious text within Indonesia. Thus, it remains a legacy and a significant contribution in transforming Indonesia spiritually and intellectually. His contribution in Islamic education includes learning material and Islamic traditional book delivered in Pegon language which used in pesantren and other Islamic education institutions in Indonesia

Venture capital as a mean of innovation financing in conditions of investment climate volatility in Ukraine

The energy conversion efficiency of a conventional pn junction solar cell decreases as the temperature increases, and this may eventually lead to failures in the photovoltaic system, especially if it uses concentrated solar radiation. In this work, we show that spectrally selective reflector (SSR) surfaces can be important for reducing the heat buildup on passively cooled solar cells. We outline a computational scheme for optimizing DC magnetron-sputtered TiO(2):Nb-based SSRs tailored for silicon solar cells and find good agreement of the reflectance with an experimental realization of the optimal SSR. A figure of merit for SSRs has also been derived and applied to the experimental data

Оплата праці як елемент виробничої діяльності

Transparent and conducting thin films of TiO2:Nb were prepared on glass and aluminum substrates by dual-target reactive DC magnetron sputtering in an Ar+O-2 plasma. The Nb content lay between 0 and 4.9 at% as determined by ion beam analyses. X-ray diffraction showed that vacuum annealing at 450 degrees C led to crystallinity and prevalence of the anatase phase. The influence of Nb doping was studied with regard to structural, optical, and electrical data. Optical constants were determined from spectrophotometric recordings for films on glass, and the onset of free-electron behavior was documented for annealed films. The latter films, deposited onto Al2O3-coated Al, were found to display optically selective reflectance and to be useful for solar energy applications

Occurrence of Aspergillus species and aflatoxin contamination in raw and roasted peanuts from formal and informal markets in Eldoret and Kericho towns, Kenya

Published Online: August 2013.The population and diversity of fungal species and levels of aflatoxin contamination were investigated in 228 marketed peanut samples; 140 from formal and 88 from informal markets, in Kericho and Eldoret towns of Kenya. Ground pea- nut samples were cultured on Modified Dichloran Rose Bengal (MDRB) agar while aflatoxin level was quantified based on indirect competitive ELISA. Correlation between the incidence of major aflatoxin-producing fungal species and aflatoxin levels was also established. Fungal species commonly isolated from the peanut samples included Asper-gillus flavus L strain, A. flavus S strain, A. parasiticus, A. tamarii, A. caelatus, A. alliaceus (all of Aspergillus section Flavi) and A. niger. Fungi isolated in low frequency included Fusarium spp., Penicillium spp., Mucor spp. and Rhi- zopus spp. Aflatoxin levels in peanut products ranged from 0 to 2345 μg/kg in raw peanuts, 0 to 382 μg/kg in roasted coated peanuts, and 0 to 201 μg/kg in roasted de-coated peanuts. Overall, levels of total aflatoxin were higher in sam- ples from informal (mean = 97.1 μg/kg) than formal (mean = 55.5 μg/kg) market outlets. There was a positive and sig- nificant correlation (R2 = 0.63; p ≤ 0.05) between aflatoxin levels and the major aflatoxin producing fungi in raw pea- nuts from formal markets in Eldoret town. Additionally, total aflatoxin in raw peanut samples from informal markets in Kericho was positively and significantly correlated (R2 = 0.81; p ≤ 0.05) to the population of A. flavus (L and S strains). In roasted coated peanuts sampled from formal market outlets in Eldoret, aflatoxin levels correlated positively and sig- nificantly (R2 = 0.37; p ≤ 0.05) with A. flavus S strain. There is need to create awareness among peanut traders and con- sumers on proper handling of peanuts and health risks associated with consumption of unsafe peanut products

Association of Body Mass Index, Waist-Hip Ratio, Zinc, Copper, CD4+ T Cells Count and Viral Load in Early HIV Infection in ART Naïve HIV Infected Adults in Taita Taveta County, Kenya

During HIV/AIDS micronutrients play a key role in the host defense systems-Micronutrients such as zinc and copper have been implicated to play important roles in immuno-physiologic functions. The aim of the study was to assess the level of zinc and copper among ART naïve HIV positive adults and assess the association with their waist-hip ratio (WHR), body mass index (BMI), viral load and immunity. Descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the voluntary counselling and testing centre (VCT) at Comprehensive Care Clinics  in Taita-Taveta County health care services, Coast, Kenya, blood samples obtained from 192 HIV sero-positive individuals, 18 years of age and gender matched healthy controls were analyzed for zinc and copper using atomic absorption spectrophotometer machine. Data were analysed by statistical (SPSS version 21) computer software. The (mean+ SD) of serum copper and zinc were (158.7+51.0µ/dl, 84.3+51.1µ/dl) in patients and (130.5+17.9 µ/dl, 100.3+5.5 µ/dl) in control group, respectively. Serum zinc level was significantly decreased in HIV patients (P value, 0.05) while serum copper level was significantly increased compared to control group. There was significant association between viral load and waist-hip ratio but not body mass index (P < 0.05). Both body mass index and waist-hip ratio were not significantly associated with CD4+T cells in participants at early HIV infection.Serum zinc was significantly associated to waist-hip ratio in participants in early HIV infection. (P < 0.05). This study indicates that zinc and copper levels are altered in patients in early HIV infection with more decreased Zinc level suspected with increased duration of the HIV infection. It also demonstrates that the associated characteristics in early HIV infection are different from studies in late stages. In conclusion, waist-hip ratio has been identified as a more sensitive predictor and nutrition status maker than body mass index in early HIV hence can be a decisive benchmark for monitoring HIV progression.

Occurrence of Aspergillus Species and Aflatoxin Contamination in Raw and Roasted Peanuts from Formal and Informal Markets in Eldoret and Kericho Towns, Kenya

The population and diversity of fungal species and levels of aflatoxin contamination were investigated in 228 marketed peanut samples; 140 from formal and 88 from informal markets, in Kericho and Eldoret towns of Kenya. Ground peanut samples were cultured on Modified Dichloran Rose Bengal (MDRB) agar while aflatoxin level was quantified based on indirect competitive ELISA. Correlation between the incidence of major aflatoxin-producing fungal species and aflatoxin levels was also established. Fungal species commonly isolated from the peanut samples included Aspergillus flavus L strain, A. flavus S strain, A. parasiticus, A. tamarii, A. caelatus, A. alliaceus (all of Aspergillus section Flavi) and A. niger. Fungi isolated in low frequency included Fusarium spp., Penicillium spp., Mucor spp. and Rhizopus spp. Aflatoxin levels in peanut products ranged from 0 to 2345 μg/kg in raw peanuts, 0 to 382 μg/kg in roasted coated peanuts, and 0 to 201 μg/kg in roasted de-coated peanuts. Overall, levels of total aflatoxin were higher in samples from informal (mean = 97.1 μg/kg) than formal (mean = 55.5 μg/kg) market outlets. There was a positive and significant correlation (R2 = 0.63; p ≤ 0.05) between aflatoxin levels and the major aflatoxin producing fungi in raw peanuts from formal markets in Eldoret town. Additionally, total aflatoxin in raw peanut samples from informal markets in Kericho was positively and significantly correlated (R2 = 0.81; p ≤ 0.05) to the population of A. flavus (L and S strains). In roasted coated peanuts sampled from formal market outlets in Eldoret, aflatoxin levels correlated positively and significantly (R2 = 0.37; p ≤ 0.05) with A. flavus S strain. There is need to create awareness among peanut traders and consumers on proper handling of peanuts and health risks associated with consumption of unsafe peanut products

Rates of Progression in Diabetic Retinopathy During Different Time Periods: A systematic review and meta-analysis

10.2337/dc09-0615Diabetes Care32122307-2313DICA