Zakah on stocks: some unsettled issues

Issues relating to zakah on equity shares are far from being settled if one considers the available fatawa and observed practices in many Muslim countries. The most basic questions pertain to the correct method of valuation of equity shares for the purpose of estimation of zakah liability. This paper reviews alternative methods of valuation and argues in favour of marketbased valuation. It also raises serious questions on the permissibility of exemption of fixed assets from zakah liability in the accounting based framework, notwithstanding its actual use in some Muslim countries. A market-based valuation framework is rooted in the notion of market efficiency, which dominates modern finance theories for over a century. The paper seeks to push forward the concept of "average price" as the basis of valuation as also of estimating zakah liability. It argues that the concept not only follows logically from the efficient market theory, but also is backed by sound Shari'ah evidence

Investigating English Language as a Tool of Cultural Manipulation in English Medium Schools and Universities in Khulna City, Bangladesh

This study follows a quantitative research design to investigate the perception of students from English medium schools and universities towards English language learning and cultural manipulation in Bangladesh. A total of 300 students from three English medium schools, two private universities and two public universities participate in the survey. A simple random sampling technique is followed to define the sample size. Further, the study uses a questionnaire as a tool for collecting data. Then, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 21.0 software is used for analyzing the data. The findings reveal that majority of the respondents are practicing western culture, and therefore, our Bangladeshi culture is gradually being replaced. Though English language has been playing a great role for the communication, it has become a threat to our own culture. The students are much more attracted to western culture and lifestyle neglecting Bangladeshi ones. They start adopting western culture to the detriment of Bangladeshi tradition and culture. Finally, the paper concludes confirming that such kind of excessive indulgence in western culture undermines Bangladeshi traditional values and ways of life. The government along with the language policy makers should emphasize how the native culture and the target culture can be represented in a more sensible and balanced way

Post-production of holoscopic 3D image

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University LondonHoloscopic 3D imaging also known as “Integral imaging” was first proposed by Lippmann in 1908. It facilitates a promising technique for creating full colour spatial image that exists in space. It promotes a single lens aperture for recording spatial images of a real scene, thus it offers omnidirectional motion parallax and true 3D depth, which is the fundamental feature for digital refocusing. While stereoscopic and multiview 3D imaging systems simulate human eye technique, holoscopic 3D imaging system mimics fly’s eye technique, in which viewpoints are orthographic projection. This system enables true 3D representation of a real scene in space, thus it offers richer spatial cues compared to stereoscopic 3D and multiview 3D systems. Focus has been the greatest challenge since the beginning of photography. It is becoming even more critical in film production where focus pullers are finding it difficult to get the right focus with camera resolution becoming increasingly higher. Holoscopic 3D imaging enables the user to carry out re/focusing in post-production. There have been three main types of digital refocusing methods namely Shift and Integration, full resolution, and full resolution with blind. However, these methods suffer from artifacts and unsatisfactory resolution in the final resulting image. For instance the artifacts are in the form of blocky and blurry pictures, due to unmatched boundaries. An upsampling method is proposed that improves the resolution of the resulting image of shift and integration approach. Sub-pixel adjustment of elemental images including “upsampling technique” with smart filters are proposed to reduce the artifacts, introduced by full resolution with blind method as well as to improve both image quality and resolution of the final rendered image. A novel 3D object extraction method is proposed that takes advantage of disparity, which is also applied to generate stereoscopic 3D images from holoscopic 3D image. Cross correlation matching algorithm is used to obtain the disparity map from the disparity information and the desirable object is then extracted. In addition, 3D image conversion algorithm is proposed for the generation of stereoscopic and multiview 3D images from both unidirectional and omnidirectional holoscopic 3D images, which facilitates 3D content reformation

The Epigenetic Regulation of Cubilin and the Physiological Role of this Receptor in Maintaining the Homeostasis of Serum Albumin and HDL

Cubilin is an endocytic receptor capable of mediating the endocytosis of multiple ligands including High Density Lipoprotein apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-1) and albumin. It is highly expressed on the epithelium of intestinal villi and renal proximal tubules. In the kidney, endocytosis mediated by cubilin and its co-receptor megalin is the principal mechanism for proximal tubule reabsorption of filtered proteins, such as albumin and apoA-1. Yet, the consequences of cubilin deficiency on the blood levels of albumin and apoA-1 have not been studied. Furthermore, cubilin is downregulated in chronic diseases such as diabetes. However, little is known about the regulation of cubilin expression. In this study, we show that cubilin expression is under epigenetic regulation by at least two processes. The first process involves inactivation of expression of one of the cubilin alleles. This monoallelic expression state could not be transformed to biallelic by inhibiting DNA methylation or histone deacetylation. The second process involves transcriptional regulation of cubilin by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) transcription factors that are themselves regulated by DNA methylation and histone deacetylation. This is supported by findings that inhibitors of DNA methylation and histone deacetylation, 5Aza and TSA, increase cubilin mRNA and protein in renal and intestinal cell lines. Not only was the expression of PPARα and γ inducible by 5Aza and TSA, but also the positive effects of TSA and 5Aza on cubilin expression were dependent on both increased PPAR transcription and activation. Additionally, 5Aza and TSA had similar effects on the expression of the cubilin co-receptor, megalin. Together, these findings reveal that cubilin and megalin expression is under epigenetic control and thus point to new avenues for overcoming pathological suppression of these genes through targeting of epigenetic regulatory processes. We also demonstrate that cubilin is necessary for maintaining the blood levels of albumin and HDL. In a heterozygous mouse model of targeted cubilin gene deletion (cubilin HT), cubilin haploinsufficiency led to a significant decrease in blood levels of albumin and apoA-I as well as HDL and HDL-cholesterol. Cubilin HT mice displayed reduced renal proximal tubule uptake of albumin and apoA-I, and significantly increased urinary loss of albumin and apoA-1. Urinary levels of apoA-I inversely correlated with plasma apoA-1 levels. Furthermore, the fractional clearance of smaller HDL particles (d\u3el.13 g/mL) from the blood was significantly increased in cubilin HT mice, indicating a decreased half-life for HDL particles that are filtered through the glomerulus. In contrast, there was no significant change in the fractional lclearan9e of larger HDL2 particles, which are not filtered through the glomerulus. Furthermore, no significant change was observed in the levels of albumin and apoA-I protein or mRNA extracted from liver, kidney or intestine of cubilin HT mice as compared to wildtype. Therefore, cubilin deficiency leads to reduced albumin and apoA-I renal proximal tubule salvage back to blood, which results in reduced albumin and apoA-I/HDL blood levels. These findings are consistent with previous studies demonstrating renal proximal tubule transcytosis of albumin and the necessity of this process in maintaining blood albumin levels. In addition, clinical data indicate that proteinuria in patients with intact glomerular function leads to reduced blood levels of HDL. Therefore, our study is relevant to pathological proteinuria where patients might benefit from increased cubilin expression to reduce proteinuria and raise albumin and HDL levels

Reforms in Hinduism A Critique in the Shariah Perspective

Hinduism has been a vital subject for studies and research of Muslims throughout the Islamic History. From Ibn Hazm (994-1063AD), and Al-Biruni (973- 1048AD) till modern period Muslim scholars have been defining the commonalities between the two great religions and cultures of the world, and have been trying to find out some scope to mutual understanding and participation in the development. Maulana Sayyid Hamid Ali (1923-1993AD), the ex-general secretary of Jamaat-e Islami of India, a prolific writer, a distinguished orator and a moderate intellectual tried his best to understand Hinduism, its basic sources- Vedas, Upanishads, Manusmirtis, Puranas, Gita and Ramayana- its evolutionary stages and the reformative ideas in his writings. He has compared the monotheistic ideas of Vedas, as interpreted by Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902AD), Swami Dayananda Sarasvati (1824-1883) and other Hindu reformist Intellectuals, with the theory of Wahadat al-Wajud as advocated by Muhiuddin Ibn al-Arabi (d.1240AD) of Muslim Spain. The great scholar has also differentiated the said Sufi theory from the Quranic belief of tauhid. This chapter will examine the academic stand taken by the great Muslim intellectual in respect of Hinduism and try to understand his views objectively

Information Technology (IT) and Teaching Method: An Assessment on the Students of Social Science Faculty and Business Faculty of University of Dhaka

Bangladesh is a developing country where Information Technology (IT) is ever not highly developed but Government has a dream to develop this sector so that IT can entrance in every sector in Country. Information technology (IT) is an umbrella term, the use of computers and telecommunications equipment to store, retrieve, transmit and manipulate data. It is now a part of nearly every aspect of daily life in developing country- Bangladesh and is the backbone of many successful initiatives such as improving teaching quality of education. Information technologies are assumed to play a constructive role in education to make the teaching and learning process more productive through collaboration in an information rich society. Information rich society promotes new practices and paradigms for education where the teacher has to play new role of mentoring, coaching and helping students in their studies rather to play the conventional role of spoon-feeding in the classrooms. Students can learn independently having a wide choice of program selection and access to information. Information technology complements and enhances traditional teaching system through emphasis on the information basis in University of Dhaka. This study attempts to explore the impacts of information technology on teaching as well as learning system of educational institutions. In this research report, mixed method (both qualitative and quantitative method) is used to get an insight view about the related issues. It is observed that IT based learning system is a modern method of teaching and learning process which is helpful both for teachers and students. Keywords: Education, Information Technology, Teaching, Teaching method, Learning process

PANDANGAN ABDUL QAHIR AL-JURJANI TERHADAP AL-FASHAHAH DALAM KITAB DALA’IL AL I’JAZ

Dala’il al-I’jaz merupakan salah satu kitab karya dari Abdul Qahir al-Jurjani. Beliau adalah tokoh dari ilmu balaghah juga dikenal sebagai salah satu peletak dasar-dasar dari ilmu balaghah itu sendiri. Banyak karangan beliau tentang balaghah dan salah satunya adalah kitab tersebut. Adapun salah satu pembahasan di dalam ilmu balaghah adanya pembahasan al-Fashahah yang dalam artikel ini menjadi objek formal dari penelitain ini, dengan permasalahan yang diangkat dalam artikel ini adalah melihat pandang dari al-Jurjani sendiri sebagai penulis atau pengarang dari kitab Dala’il al-I’jaz tersebut terhadap al-Fashahah itu sendiri. Adapun metode penelitian yang diterapkan dalam artikel ini adalah deskriptif kualitatif dengan melihat rujukan kepada artikel dan buku-buku yang terkait dengan pembahasan yang diteliti serta yang menjadi objek material dari kajian ini adalah kitab Dala’il al-I’jaz. Sehingga didapati hasil dari hasil penelitian yang memperlihatkan padangan al-Jurjani terhadap al-fashahah, adapaun salah satu diantara pandangan al-Jurjani adalah beliau berpandangan bahwa al-fashahah itu merupakan makna bukanlah lafadz