The Qur’an in Europe, A European Qur’an: A History of Reading, Translation, Polemical Confrontation and Scholarly Appreciation

The broad interest in the emergence and presence of Islam and Muslims by Europe goes back to the centuries immediately following Muslim conquests and spread through the Mediterranean (from the 1st ce. AH / 7th cen. AD). A number of studies in the previous decades have discussed the perceptions and evaluations of Islam by Europeans from the Middle Ages till modern times, at times focusing on the Qur’an. How the Islamic holy text was known, collected in manuscripts, translated, read, used and polemically discussed in its contents from the 12th century until contemporary times is a chapter of European intellectual activity. Recent research and above all the projects financed by the European commission, which are currently being carried out, are a contribution to the study of the Qur’an and in particular to the history of the presence of the Qur’an in European consciousness. In this field the project “EuQu – The European Qur’an” is particularly significant; it has the ambition to demonstrate how the reading and uses of the Qur’an were important in the intellectual, cultural and religious developments of Europe through the ages

L’Ésotérisme shi‘ite, ses racines et ses prolongements / Shi‘i Esotericism : Its Roots and Developments, sous la direction de Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi, édité avec Maria De Cillis, Daniel de Smet, Orkhan Mir-Kasimov

À l’heure où la publication dans des journaux scientifiques prend de plus en plus d’importance dans l’évaluation de la carrière des chercheurs, les études générales sont généralement publiées sous la forme d’ouvrages collectifs, alors que les monographies sont souvent des versions améliorées de thèses de doctorat. Dans le cas des ouvrages collectifs, il est crucial que le responsable de la publication et son équipe de recherche présentent leur approche scientifique de façon claire et cohérent..

Profissionais da saúde que atuam em ambiente hospitalar têm alta prevalência de fadiga e dorsalgia: estudo transversal

O objetivo foi caracterizar o ambiente de trabalho por meio da Norma Regulamentadora 17 do Ministério do Trabalho (NR-17); avaliar a fadiga residual e estimar o risco da sua exposição e a presença de desconforto musculoesquelético de profissionais da saúde que atuam em um hospital público. Trata-se de estudo transversal composto por duas etapas: (1) observação do ambiente de trabalho por meio da NR-17, adaptada em checklist; e (2) avaliação do desconforto e fadiga por meio de questionários. Os dados foram analisados descritivamente. A associação entre fadiga e desconforto foi verificada pelo qui-quadrado e o teste de Mann-Whitney comparou a idade, tempo de instituição e carga horária (horas/semana) entre os grupos estratificados (com fadiga/sem fadiga e com desconforto/sem desconforto). Foram avaliados 20 setores, dos quais a Farmácia teve a maior frequência de inadequação (83%) e a UTI Adulto mostrouse o mais adequado (24% de itens inadequados). Verificouse uma alta prevalência de desconforto, principalmente na coluna. A fadiga estava presente em mais de 70% dos profissionais. Indivíduos com maior idade apresentaram mais queixas de desconforto. O presente estudo demonstrou uma alta frequência de inadequações ergonômicas em ambiente de trabalho hospitalar, principalmente no setor da Farmácia e Ambulatório. A alta prevalência de desconforto na coluna e a fadiga demonstram a relevância de ações preventivas no ambiente hospitalar.El objetivo fue caracterizar el ambiente laboral por medio de la Norma Reguladora n.º 17 del Ministerio de Trabajo (NR-17); evaluar la fatiga residual y también estimar el riesgo de exposición y la presencia de incomodidad musculoesquelética de profesionales de la salud que actúan en un hospital público. Este estudio transversal consta de dos fases: (1) la observación del entorno de trabajo por la NR-17, lista de control adaptada; y (2) la evaluación de la incomodidad y la fatiga por medio de cuestionarios. Los datos se analizaron de forma descriptiva. La asociación entre fatiga y molestia se verificó mediante el test chicuadrado, y la prueba de Mann-Whitney se utilizó para comparar la edad, el tiempo de institución y la carga horaria (horas/ semana) entre los grupos estratificados (con fatiga/sin fatiga y con incomodidad/sin molestias). Se evaluaron 20 sectores, de los cuales la Farmacia tuvo la mayor frecuencia de inadecuación (83%) y la UCI Adulto se mostró la más adecuada (un 24% de ítems inadecuados). Se observó una alta prevalencia de incomodidad, principalmente en la columna. La fatiga estaba presente en más del 70% de los profesionales. Los individuos de mayor edad presentaron más quejas de malestar. El presente estudio demostró una alta frecuencia de inadecuaciones ergonómicas en el ambiente laboral hospitalario, principalmente en el sector de la Farmacia y del Ambulatorio. La alta prevalencia de incomodidad en la columna y la fatiga demuestran la relevancia de acciones preventivas en el ambiente hospitalario.This study’s objective was to employ Regulation-17 (NR-17) of Brazil’s Ministry of Labor to describe the work environment of health professionals of a public hospital, while also evaluating fatigue and estimating their risk of exposure to it, as well as the presence of musculoskeletal discomfort. This was a cross-sectional study consisting of two phases: 1) Observation of the work environment by means of the NR-17, adapted as a checklist; 2) Evaluation of discomfort and fatigue by means of questionnaires. Data were analyzed descriptively. The association between fatigue and discomfort was assessed using the chi-square test, while the Mann–Whitney test was used to compare age, service time at the institution and weekly working hours across the stratified groups (with fatigue/without fatigue, with discomfort/without discomfort). Twenty sectors were evaluated. The sector with the highest frequency of inadequacy was Pharmacy (83% inadequate items), while the Adult ICU was the most adequate (only 24% inadequate items). There was a high prevalence of discomfort, especially in the spine. Fatigue was present in more than 70% of professionals. Older individuals presented more complaints of discomfort. This study demonstrates a high frequency of ergonomic inadequacies in the hospital’s work environment, mainly in the Pharmacy and Ambulatory sectors. The high prevalence of spine discomfort and fatigue emphasizes the relevance of preventive actions in the hospital environment

Development of scalable downstream processing platform for HEK293SF cell-based influenza vaccine production

Background: Research efforts during recent decades have demonstrated the suitability of mammalian cell culture platform for influenza vaccine production. Certainly, the potential of this system for a large-scale continuous vaccine manufacturing will enable a faster response to pandemic comparing with traditional egg-based production. Even though great advances have been achieved on the upstream processing of mammalian cell culture produced influenza vaccines, the downstream processing and quality of final product have still room for improvement or is still in development. Please click Download on the upper right corner to see the full abstract

Qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʾ as Genre and Discourse: From the Qurʾān to Elijah Muhammad

The study of qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʾ, the Islamic tales of the prophets, has a distinguished pedigree in the Western academy, but much work remains to be done in the field. Although there have been numerous studies of individual prophetic figures over the last few decades, focused studies of specific works in the literary genre of qiṣaṣ have generally been lacking. Moreover, many studies of prophetic narratives tend to privilege exegetical works over other literary sources, including works in the genre of qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʾ itself. Despite the apparent contradiction, however, I would argue that the broad dissemination of qiṣaṣ-type material throughout different genres suggests that qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʾ is better approached as a form of discourse reflecting specific ideological purposes, in particular the appropriation of the biblical tradition and positioning of Muḥammad, the Qurʾān, and Islam as the natural culmination of the Israelite prophetic legacy. As the field develops, clear desiderata remain to be addressed, such as the incorporation of Shi’i, postclassical, and modern reflections on the prophets into the discussion, as well as the full integration of different genres and types of material, for example visual culture, into the field. All of these expressions are tied together by the common aim of shaping the portrayal of these figures in ways that reflect the diverse understandings of Islam among particular authors and communities

A cinesiofobia está associada a distúrbios de equilíbrio dinâmico em indivíduos com dor lombar crônica não-específica?

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A dor lombar crônica não-específica é uma condição incapacitante que possui alta prevalência mundial. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a associação entre déficits do equilíbrio dinâmico, idade e índice de massa corporal (IMC) e a cinesiofobia, além de realizar uma comparação entre homens e mulheres. MÉTODOS: Este estudo transversal incluiu 145 indivíduos com idade entre 18 e 50 anos com dor lombar crônica não-específica. Foram coletados dados sociodemográficos. O equilíbrio dinâmico foi avaliado por meio do Y-Balance Test. A escala Tampa foi usada para avaliar a cinesiofobia. Aplicou-se uma regressão linear para investigar a associação entre cinesiofobia e um conjunto de variáveis preditoras (equilíbrio, sexo, IMC). Homens e mulheres foram comparados por meio do teste T de Student (cinesiofobia e equilíbrio dinâmico). RESULTADOS: O escore médio geral de cinesiofobia foi de 41,3. A média do Y-Balance Test para o membro inferior direito e esquerdo, respectivamente, foi de 59,4 e 59,5. Verificou-se uma associação entre cinesiofobia e dois preditores, a saber, equilíbrio e IMC (R2:6,8%). Não foram encontradas diferenças significantes entre sexo para cinesiofobia (42,1 para mulheres e 40,3 para homens). Entretanto, as mulheres apresentaram pior equilíbrio em comparação aos homens (média de 56,1 de alcance versus 63,5, respectivamente; p<0,05). CONCLUSÃO: Verificou-se que a cinesiofobia apresentou associação com distúrbios no equilíbrio dinâmico e IMC de indivíduos com dor lombar crônica não-específica. Entretanto, o modelo explicou uma pequena variação na cinesiofobia. As mulheres apresentaram um pior equilíbrio dinâmico em comparação aos homens.BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Chronic non-specific low back pain is a disabling condition that has a high worldwide prevalence. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between deficits in dynamic balance, age and body mass index (BMI), and kinesiophobia, as well as to establish a comparison between men and women. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with 145 individuals between 18 and 50 years of age with non-specific chronic low back pain. Sociodemographic data were collected, and dynamic balance was assessed using the Y-Balance Test. The Tampa Scale was used to assess kinesiophobia. A linear regression was applied to investigate the association between kinesiophobia and a set of predictor variables (balance, gender, BMI). Men and women were compared using the Student’s t-test (kinesiophobia and dynamic balance). RESULTS: The overall mean kinesiophobia score was 41.3. The Y-Balance Test mean for the right and left lower limb, respectively, was 59.4 and 59.5. An association was found between kinesiophobia and two predictors: balance and BMI (R2:6.8%). No significant differences were found between gender for kinesiophobia (42.1 for women and 40.3 for men). However, women had worse dynamic balance compared to men (mean reach of 56.1 versus 63.5, respectively; p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Kinesiophobia was found to be associated with disturbances in dynamic balance and BMI of individuals with non-specific chronic low back pain. However, the model explained a small variation in kinesiophobia. Women showed worse dynamic balance compared to with men