A NEW VISION FOR ISRAELI HEBREW

A language is an abstract ensemble of idiolects – as well as sociolects, dialects and so on – rather than an entity per se. It is more like a species than an organism. Still, the genetic classification of Israeli Hebrew as a consistent entity has preoccupied linguists since the language emerged about 120 years ago. As a consequence, Israeli Hebrew affords insights into the politics and evolution not only of language, but also of linguistics. The author of this article maintains that the language spoken in Israel today is a semi‐engineered Semito‐European hybrid language. Whatever one chooses to call it, one should acknowledge, and celebrate, its complexity.     

Structural analysis of 30RO–30Al2O3–40B2O3 ( R = Mg,Ca or Sr) glasses

Bond-compression and ring-deformation models are used to quantitatively analyze the acoustical properties (elastic moduli, Poisson's ratio, Debye temperature and longitudinal attenuation) of 30RO–30Al₂O₃–40B₂O₃ glasses (in wt%), where R?=?Mg, Ca or Sr. The network structure of the glass is quantified in terms of the four-fold coordinated formers, atomic ring size, cross-link density, first-order stretching force constant and bulk modulus. It is found that network strength increases in the order Mg?>?Ca?> Sr. Structural changes of the glasses are deduced by relating the elastic moduli, the ratio of bond compression to experimental bulk modulus and ultrasonic attenuation to structural parameters and oxygen density.     

Knowledge and attitude of Malaysia’s Muslim faith healers in dealing with the mentally ill

Muslim faith healers are often sought by the Malaysian public as an avenue to address psychological distress. “Ruqyah” refers to the recitation of verses from the Qur'an and/or sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and is used by Muslim faith healers as a method of treatment. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge and attitude of Muslim faith healers in dealing with psychiatric patients in Malaysia. Seven Muslim faith healers were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, and analysed qualitatively using thematic content analysis. The authors identified four themes: understanding of psychiatric illnesses, diagnostic competence, patients' referral, and integrating “ruqyah” into mainstream psychiatry. It was found that the respondents had limited knowledge of psychiatric illness, focusing on “ruqyah” as the main intervention in treating psychiatric illness. Recognizing the important role played by Muslim faith healers in the treatment of psychiatric illness in Malaysia, collaboration between them and fellow psychiatrists is deemed highly necessary.     

MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OF INFANT INTERSEX: THE JURIDICO‐ETHICAL DILEMMA OF CONTEMPORARY ISLAMIC LEGAL RESPONSE

Technological advances in the field of medicine and health sciences not only manipulate the normal human body and sex but also provide for surgical and hormonal management of hermaphroditism (intersexuality). Consequently, sex assignment surgery has not only become a standard care for babies born with genital abnormalities in the West but even in some Muslim states. On the positive side, it goes a long way in saving children born with abnormal genitalia from numerous legal interdictions of the pre‐sex corrective surgery. Nevertheless, the larger ethical and legal questions that medical management of genital abnormality raises to some extent have not been adequately appreciated by contemporary Muslim responses. This article, therefore, in principle argues against surgical management of intersexuality during early infancy from the Islamic legal perspective.     

Psychosocial profile of people with AIDS and their caregivers in Egypt

Caring for individuals with AIDS in developing countries represents a major crisis to families and natural caregivers. This study presents the psychosocial profiles of people with AIDS and their caregivers in Egypt to assess the effects of HIV/AIDS on patients, their caregivers, and the factors that influence caregiving and support. Various stressors and challenges for patients as well as hardships the caregiver faces were explored. The literature documents difficulties such as inadequate health care services, lack of resources, and stigma that patients experience in developing countries. Findings indicate an association between the psychosocial effects of AIDS on patients and their caregivers.     

A new method for detecting causality in fMRI data of cognitive processing

One of the most important achievements in understanding the brain is that the emergence of complex behavior is guided by the activity of brain networks. To fully apply this theoretical approach fully, a method is needed to extract both the location and time course of the activities from the currently employed techniques. The spatial resolution of fMRI received great attention, and various non-conventional methods of analysis have previously been proposed for the above-named purpose. Here, we briefly outline a new approach to data analysis, in order to extract both spatial and temporal activities from fMRI recordings, as well as the pattern of causality between areas. This paper presents a completely data-driven analysis method that applies both independent components analysis (ICA) and the Granger causality test (GCT), performed in two separate steps. First, ICA is used to extract the independent functional activities. Subsequently the GCT is applied to the independent component (IC) most correlated with the stimuli, to indicate its causal relation with other ICs. We therefore propose this method as a promising data-driven tool for the detection of cognitive causal relationships in neuroimaging data.     

Non-violence as a Shifting Signifier on the Tibetan Plateau

In nomadic areas, Tibetans are wearing a new amulet, called an ‘amulet for peace’, depicting a globe with a dove flying above it. The dove carries a bodhi leaf in its mouth and a gold peace sign in its claws, combining Buddhist and global symbols for peace. However, the amulet is not being marshalled for Gandhian-style non-violent resistance nor world peace for that matter, but rather for something more local. This local cause is a campaign to end fighting over the grasslands, a sustained social problem in nomadic areas of eastern Tibet. The amulet for peace is a recent innovation, launched in 2012 as part of an ethical reform movement spearheaded by Larung Buddhist Academy, the largest monastic institution on the Tibetan plateau. This article discusses the latest developments in this emerging movement and, specifically, the significance of the amulet for peace and the discourses in which it is embedded.     

Twilight of the idols? pluralism and mystical <Emphasis Type="Italic">praxis</Emphasis> in Islam

In this article, we discuss the current trend of authoritarianism in the Islamic world, especially as embodied in the institution of taqlîd, whereby a lay person blindly follows a religious scholar. We will compare this to the mystical tradition of Ibn ‘Arabî as well as the early esoteric Shî’ite tradition, where a much more “rebellious” type of Islam was offered and provided purviews of pluralism and universalism that challenge authoritarian closures of interpretation in relationship with God. By way of further comparison, we will also attend to the writings of some liberal and pluralistic thinkers in the Muslim world.

Maintaining cheerfulness in the midst of a gloomy task, fraught with immeasurable responsibility, is no small feat; and yet what is needed more than cheerfulness? -Nietzsche Twilight of the Idols