Search Results (41)

Contrary to popular notions of a perpetual antagonism between ‘Hinduism’ and ‘Islam’, played out on Indian soil over the centuries, this article examines the relatively recent origins of a Hindu–Muslim conflict in South Asia, situating it in the reconfigurations of ‘religion’ and religious identity that occurred under British colonial rule in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The multivalent and somewhat fluid categories of religious identification found in pre-modern India gave way to much more rigid and oppositional modern and colonial epistemic categories. While much has been written on how colonial policies and incipient Hindu and Muslim nationalisms shaped the contours of modern Hindu–Muslim conflict, little work has been done on the important role religious actors like Muslim and Hindu scholars and reformers played in shaping the discourse around what constituted Hinduism and Islam, and the relationship between the two, in the modern period. This study examines the first-known public theological debates between a Hindu scholar and a Muslim scholar, respectively, Swami Dayānanda Sarasvatī (1824–1883), founder of the reformist Arya Samaj and first exponent of a Hindu polemic against other religions, and Mawlānā Muḥammad Qāsim Nānautvī (1832–1880), co-founder of the seminary at Deoband and an important exponent of Islamic theological apologetics in modern South Asia, and how they helped shape oppositional modern Hindu and Muslim religious theologies. A key argument that Nānautvī contended with was Dayānanda’s claim that Islam is idolatrous, based on the contention that Muslims worship the Ka’ba, and thus, it is not a monotheistic religion, Hinduism alone being so. The terms of this debate show how polemics around subjects like monotheism and idolatry introduced by Christian missionaries under colonial rule were internalized, as were broader colonial epistemic categories, and developed a life of their own amongst Indians themselves, thus resulting in new oppositional religious identities, replacing more complex and nuanced interactions between Muslims and followers of Indian religions in the pre-modern period. Full article

Laccases, multi-copper oxidases, play pivotal roles in the oxidation of a variety of substrates, impacting numerous biological functions and industrial processes. However, their industrial adoption has been limited by challenges in thermostability. This study employed advanced computational models, including random forest (RF) regressors and convolutional neural networks (CNNs), to predict and enhance the thermostability of laccases. Initially, the RF model estimated melting temperatures with a training mean squared error (MSE) of 13.98, and while it demonstrated high training accuracy (93.01%), the test and validation MSEs of 48.81 and 58.42, respectively, indicated areas for model optimization. The CNN model further refined these predictions, achieving lower training and validation MSEs, thus demonstrating enhanced capability in discerning complex patterns within genomic sequences indicative of thermostability. The integration of these models not only improved prediction accuracy but also provided insights into the critical determinants of enzyme stability, thereby supporting their broader industrial application. Our findings underscore the potential of machine learning in advancing enzyme engineering, with implications for enhancing industrial enzyme stability. Full article

The high prevalence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) is causing significant concern in healthcare systems. Antibacterial urinary catheters have been developed to prevent CAUTIs in clinical application. In this work, a copper sulfide nanorod (CuS NR)-embedded urinary catheter (CuS/UC) was designed as an antibacterial urinary catheter with photothermal sterilization. The CuS NRs with low cytotoxicity were synthesized via the hydrothermal method. The CuS NRs were embedded into urinary catheters at different weight percentages. The CuS/UC exhibited homogenous surface roughness, low wettability, hydrophobicity, and low adhesiveness, promoting minimal interaction with bacteria and healthy cells. Under near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation, the 0.8 weight percentage of CuS NRs in the urinary catheter (0.8CuS/UC) reached a temperature of 67.4 °C, demonstrating its photothermal antibacterial activity and suitability for catheter sterilization. Agar plate test verified that CuS/UCs exhibited a superior photothermal antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram-positive Streptococcus aureus (S. aureus). Moreover, the 0.8CuS/UC exhibited excellent biocompatibility and anti-cell adhesion properties. The 0.8CuS/UC with photothermal performance, excellent biocompatibility, and anti-cell adhesion properties demonstrated its potential as a photothermal antibacterial catheter for clinical applications. Full article

Nanomaterials are widely used in various fields, and ongoing research is focused on developing safe and sustainable nanomaterials. Using zebrafish as a model organism for studying the potentially toxic effects of nanomaterials highlights the importance of developing safe and sustainable nanomaterials. Studies conducted on nanomaterials and their toxicity and potential risks to human and environmental health are vital in biomedical sciences. In the present review, we discuss the potential toxicity of nanomaterials (inorganic and organic) and exposure risks based on size, shape, and concentration. The review further explores various types of nanomaterials and their impacts on zebrafish at different levels, indicating that exposure to nanomaterials can lead to developmental defects, changes in gene expressions, and various toxicities. The review also covers the importance of considering natural organic matter and chorion membranes in standardized nanotoxicity testing. While some nanomaterials are biologically compatible, metal and semiconductor nanomaterials that enter the water environment can increase toxicity to aquatic creatures and can potentially accumulate in the human body. Further investigations are necessary to assess the safety of nanomaterials and their impacts on the environment and human health. Full article

The demand for ethical foods is rising, with halal foods playing a significant role in this trend. However, halal standards vary globally, which can have substantial implications. Multiple Halal Certification Bodies (HCBs) can approve food products but they often prioritize national regulations over international alignment. To explore the similarities and differences in halal standards, we conducted a critical analysis of various standards, including Pakistan’s halal standards, the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries, Majlis Ugama Islam Singapore, Majelis Ulama Indonesia, GCC Standardization Organization, Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia, ASEAN General Guideline, and the halal standards of Thailand, Iran, and Brunei, through a literature survey. While some commonalities exist, differences stemming from various Islamic schools of thought pose challenges for regulators, consumers, and food producers. Controversial issues include stunning, slaughtering, aquatic animals, insects, and labeling requirements. For example, all standards except the GSO allow non-Muslim slaughterers, and stunning is permitted in all standards except those of Pakistan. These disparities underscore the need for standardization and harmonization in the halal food industry to meet the growing demand for ethical foods. Full article

Bacterial infections have become a fatal threat because of the abuse of antibiotics in the world. Various gold (Au)-based nanostructures have been extensively explored as antibacterial agents to combat bacterial infections based on their remarkable chemical and physical characteristics. Many Au-based nanostructures have been designed and their antibacterial activities and mechanisms have been further examined and demonstrated. In this review, we collected and summarized current developments of antibacterial agents of Au-based nanostructures, including Au nanoparticles (AuNPs), Au nanoclusters (AuNCs), Au nanorods (AuNRs), Au nanobipyramids (AuNBPs), and Au nanostars (AuNSs) according to their shapes, sizes, and surface modifications. The rational designs and antibacterial mechanisms of these Au-based nanostructures are further discussed. With the developments of Au-based nanostructures as novel antibacterial agents, we also provide perspectives, challenges, and opportunities for future practical clinical applications. Full article

Renewal and Reform have been the most discussed and dominant themes of Muslim intelligentsia, as they lived through the subjection of the greater part of the Muslim world by the Western colonial powers during the 18th and 19th centuries. The intellectual discourse on reform by the early Muslim reformers pivoted to the adoption of Western science and values and to the struggle of developing a new ilm al kalām (theology) complementary to modern science and western ideologies. The subsequent reformers, however, were more critical of Western ideas of civilization. Fazlur Rahman and Mohammed Arkoun belonged to the later wave of Muslim reformist movement of the 20th century and are the most well-known trail blazers of this reformist discourse, which centered on the Qur’ān. This article provides insight into the reform strategies of Dr. Fazlur Rahman and Mohammed Arkoun by mapping out key concepts in their discourses and their influence on later generations of reformers. Fazlur Rahman identified the stagnant intellectual legacy as the sole cause of the downfall of Muslim Civilization, caused by the absence of Ijtihād (independent legal reasoning). In his opinion, blind imitation based on precedence and consensus has only created a new hierarchy of traditional ulama (religious scholar) whose retrogressive mindset monopolized the interpretation of the Qur’ān. Making the Qur’ān as the center point for reform, he advocated its rereading based on the comprehension of the élan (spirit) of the Qur’ān. Similarly, Mohammed Arkoun, being trained in postmodern literary theory, adopted post structural methods for re-reading the Qur’ānic text. Arkoun’s critique and approach is interwoven with complex terminologies. He advocated desacralizing the text and the radical rethinking of Islam as a cultural and religious system. This appraisal promotes a philosophical perspective in combination with an anthropological and historical approach. Both these reformers have their own set of advocates and detractors. Undeniably, however, as this paper argues, Arkoun’s approach of understanding the Qur’ān can disturb the conventional prevalent belief system. Full article

Background: Occupational accidents are rising, but there is little evidence on the outcomes of patients who received case management during Return to work (RTW) programs. This study examined the case management-based on RTW program features that improve the work ability index (WAI) and quality of life (QoL). Methods: This cross-sectional research involved 230 disabled workers due to an occupational injury in Indonesia, 154 participated in RTW, and 75 did not participate in RTW (non-RTW) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sociodemographic and occupational factors were used to examine the RTW results. We used the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health’s WAI questionnaires to measure the work ability index and World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) for quality of life. Results: The study found a statistically significant difference in working duration and preferred treatment for RTW between the groups (p-value = 0.039). Furthermore, the quality of life in the domain of environmental health and work ability index score also demonstrated a significant difference between the groups (p-value = 0.023 and 0.000, respectively). Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, this study found that the RTW program improved the quality of life and work abilities of disabled workers. Full article

The low quality of teachers in Indonesia indicates that its current professional development programs are yet to reach an ideal form. Therefore, this research aims to determine how the kampus mengajar (teaching campus) program can be used to improve the professionalism of pre-service teachers to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Open interview questions were used to collect data from eleven pre-service teachers, two supervisors, and two principals involved in the kampus mengajar program with 3 months of professional experience placements in elementary schools spread across Indonesia. The data collected were analyzed using the thematic data analysis technique. The results showed that although the kampus mengajar program experiences various challenges, it can be used by pre-service teachers to enhance their professionalism by sharing and receiving experiences. The kampus mengajar program offers real and authentic experiences for pre-service teachers in guiding students, performing various administrative tasks, and learning in the workplace; thus, they have a better understanding of school life realities. Full article

The fabrication of a ZnO/Au nanosquare-array electrode was successfully carried out for the detection of glucose concentration in biomedical applications. The fabrication of the ZnO/Au nanosquare array using an ultra-thin alumina mask (UTAM) based on the imprinted anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template and the direct current (DC) sputtering method was able to produce a very well-ordered nanosquare arrangement with a side size of 300 nm and a thickness of 100 nm. Tests were done to evaluate the performance of the electrode by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV) which showed that the addition of glucose oxidase (GOx) increased the sensitivity of the electrode up to 1180 ± 116 μA mM⁻¹cm⁻², compared with its sensitivity prior to the addition of GOx of 188.34 ± 18.70 mA mM⁻¹ cm⁻². A i_ox/i_red ratio equal to ~1 between the peaks of redox reactions was obtained for high (hyperglycemia), normal, and low (hypoglycemia) levels of glucose. The ZnO/Au nanosquare-array electrode was 7.54% more sensitive than the ZnO/Au thin-film electrode. Furthermore, finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations and theoretical calculations of the energy density of the electric and magnetic fields produced by the ZnO/Au electrode were carried out and compared to the results of CV. From the results of CV, FDTD simulation, and theoretical calculations, it was confirmed that the ZnO/Au nanosquare array possessed a significant optical absorption and that the quantum effect from the nanosquare array resulted in a higher sensitivity than the thin film. Full article

This article provides the first academic analysis of the popular Pakistani Islamic scholar and Urdu-speaking preacher Maulana Tariq Jamil. Drawing on years of ethnographic study of the Tablighi Jama’at, the revivalist movement to which Jamil belongs, as well as content analysis of dozens of his recorded lectures, the article presents a detailed biography of the Maulana in five stages. These comprise: (a) his upbringing and early life (1953–1972); (b) his conversion to the Tablighi Jama’at and studies at the Raiwind international headquarters (1972–1980); (c) his meteoric rise to fame and ascendancy up the movement’s leadership ranks (1980–1997); (d) his development into a national celebrity (1997–2016); and (e) major causes of controversy and criticism (2014–present). Tracing his narrative register within the historical archetypes of the quṣṣāṣ (storytellers) and wuʿʿāẓ (popular preachers), the paper identifies core tenets of the Maulana’s revivalist discourse, key milestones in his life—such as the high-profile conversion to the Tablighi Jama’at of Pakistani popstar Junaid Jamshed—and subtle changes in his approach over the years. The article deploys the classical sociological framework of structure-agency to explore how Maulana Tariq Jamil’s increasing exercise of agency in preaching Islam has unsettled structural expectations within traditionalist ʿulamāʾ (religious scholar) circles as well as the Tablighi leadership. It situates his emergence within a broader trend of Islamic media-based personalities who embrace contemporary technological tools to reach new audiences and respond to the challenges of postcolonial modernity. Full article

Photocatalysis has been recognized as a feasible method in water and wastewater treatment. Compared to other methods such as adsorption and chemical oxidation, the use of photocatalyst in the advanced oxidation processes gives benefits such as a longer lifetime of the catalyst and less consumable chemicals. Currently, explorations into low-cost, effective photocatalysts for organic contaminated water are being developed. Within this scheme, an easily separated photocatalyst with other functionality, such as high adsorption, is important. In this research, preparation of a magnetic nanocomposite photocatalyst based on agricultural waste, palm leaves biochar impregnated nickel nanoparticles (Ni/BC), was investigated. The nanocomposite was prepared by direct pyrolysis of palm leaves impregnated with nickel (II) chloride precursor. Furthermore, the physicochemical characterization of the material was performed by using an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (SEM-EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), gas sorption analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The photocatalytic activity of Ni/BC was evaluated for methyl violet (MV) photocatalytic oxidation. The results from XRD, XPS and TEM analyses identified single nickel nanoparticles dispersed on the biochar structure ranging from 30–50 nm in size. The dispersed nickel nanoparticles increased the BET specific surface area of biochar from 3.92 m²/g to 74.12 m²/g oxidation. High photocatalytic activity of the Ni/BC was exhibited by complete MV removal in 30 min for the concentration ranging from 10–80 mg/L. In addition, the Ni/BC showed stability in the pH range of 4–10 and reusability without any activity change until fifth usage. The separable photocatalyst is related to magnetism of about 13.7 emu/g. The results highlighted the role of biochar as effective support for Ni as photoactive material. Full article

The performance of extracted coagulant from the sugarcane bagasse was tested using synthetic wastewater for turbidity removal. Sugarcane bagasse was selected because it is available in abundance as a waste. This study was carried out to analyze the effect of the extraction process in optimizing the active coagulant agent of bagasse as a natural coagulant for optimum turbidity removal. Bagasse was characterized in terms of physical, chemical and morphological properties. The results showed bagasse has very high polysaccharide content which can act as an active coagulant agent together with hemicellulose and lignin. The extraction process for degradation of lignin and hemicellulose was run based on two different solvents (NaOH and H₂SO₄) with varying concentrations from 2% to 10% at different extraction temperatures varied from 60 °C to 180 °C for various extraction times (0.5 h to 3 h). The optimum polysaccharide content extracted from bagasse was 697.5 mg/mL by using 2% NaOH at 120 °C for 2 h extraction. The coagulation process using extracted bagasse showed the removal of suspended solids up to 95.9% under optimum conditions. The concentration of polysaccharides as the active coagulant agent plays a vital role where high polysaccharides content removes most turbidity at a lower dosage. Bagasse has the potential to be an alternative coagulating agent due to its efficiency, and eco-friendly properties for the treatment of wastewater. Full article

The world of health has changed significantly since the advent of smartphones. Smartphones have been widely known to facilitate the search for health information in the mobile Health (mHealth) system, which is used to improve the quality of life for patients, such as communication between doctors and patients. This systematic literature review aims to identify the use of mHealth as a digital communication tool for pregnant women by comparing technology-based and standard-based pregnancy care. The method used is a systematic review of articles related to pregnancy care that utilize mHealth for pregnant women. The articles were obtained from the database based on the PICO framework; we searched articles using seven databases. The selection was adjusted to the inclusion criteria, data extraction, study quality evaluation, and results from synthesis. From the disbursement, 543 articles were obtained and 10 results were obtained after the screening. After a critical appraisal was carried out, four articles were obtained. Advantages can be in the form of increasing knowledge of pregnant women who use mHealth due to the availability of information needed by pregnant women in the mHealth application. mHealth also provides information about their babies, so the impact of mHealth is not only for mothers. mHealth is a promising solution in pregnancy care compared to the standard of maternal care. Full article

The COVID-19 crisis has had repercussions on global mental wellbeing. This study aimed: (1) to identify the mediating role of psychological process variables, namely psychological mindedness, psychological mindfulness, and psychological inflexibility on the relationship between dysfunctional coping and psychopathologies in Indonesian undergraduate students subjected to national quarantine orders throughout July, 2020 and (2) to compare the level of anxiety, depression, and anxiety between Indonesian and Malaysian undergraduate students. A cross-sectional study was performed with 869 Indonesian undergraduate students from Nahdlatul Ulama University of Surabaya (UNUSA) and 515 undergraduate students from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). The BIPM, MAAS, AAQ-I, DASS-21, and Brief COPE were used to assess the research variables. The proportion who scored “moderate” and above for depression, anxiety, and stress were 20.2%, 25.0%, and 14.2%, respectively, in Malaysian samples and 22.2%, 35.0%, and 23.48% in Indonesian samples. In Study 1, psychological mindedness, psychological mindfulness, and psychological inflexibility significantly mediated the relationship between dysfunctional coping and psychopathologies. In Study 2, Indonesians demonstrated significantly higher anxiety and stress compared to Malaysian samples. Despite the contrasting COVID-19 situations in Malaysia and Indonesia, psychopathologies were more affected in Indonesia. Hence, our study suggests how crucial it is for mental health providers to consider promoting psychological mindedness, psychological mindfulness, and psychological flexibility to alleviate the corresponding psychopathologies among undergraduate students. Full article