Zakat and Its Socio-Economic Merits

2019 ◽  
pp. 500-514
Author(s):  
Mohammed Abdul Karim Al-Banna ◽  
Ian Michael

The chapter investigates the role Zakat (alms giving) in eradicating poverty around the world. It (Zakat) is one of the five main pillars of Islam; it is the practice of charitable giving by Muslims based on accumulated wealth and is expected to be paid by all practicing Muslims having the financial means. As part of the study, a questionnaire that consisted of five questions to enquire about how Zakat can eradicate poverty was administered to 200 Muslim people living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Further, the questions were designed targeting the core goals of a Zakat institution that also reflected the Muslims psychometric behavioural aspects. Islam has 1.57 billion followers, making up over 23 percent of the world population (Pew Research, 2011). With such a vast population, the role of Zakat in alleviating poverty is an achievable objective.

Author(s):  
Mohammed Abdul Karim Al-Banna ◽  
Ian Michael

The chapter investigates the role Zakat (alms giving) in eradicating poverty around the world. It (Zakat) is one of the five main pillars of Islam; it is the practice of charitable giving by Muslims based on accumulated wealth and is expected to be paid by all practicing Muslims having the financial means. As part of the study, a questionnaire that consisted of five questions to enquire about how Zakat can eradicate poverty was administered to 200 Muslim people living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Further, the questions were designed targeting the core goals of a Zakat institution that also reflected the Muslims psychometric behavioural aspects. Islam has 1.57 billion followers, making up over 23 percent of the world population (Pew Research, 2011). With such a vast population, the role of Zakat in alleviating poverty is an achievable objective.


Author(s):  
Ali Forouzanfar ◽  
Hamideh Sadat Mohammadipour ◽  
Fatemeh Forouzanfar

: Periodontal diseases are highly prevalent and can affect high percentage of the world population. Oxidative stress and inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. Nowadays, more attention has been focused on the herbal remedies in the field of drug discovery. Green tea is an important source of polyphenol antioxidants, it has long been used as a beverage worldwide. The most interesting polyphenol components of green tea leaves that are related with health benefits are the catechins. Taken together this review suggested that green tea with its wide spectrum of activities could be a healthy alternative for controlling the damaging reactions seen in periodontal diseases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-36
Author(s):  
Raquel P. F. Guiné ◽  
Paula Correia ◽  
Catarina Coelho ◽  
Cristina A. Costa

Abstract This review is focused on the utilization of insects as a new opportunity in food and feed products, including their commercialization both in traditional and new markets. It has been suggested that insects are considerably more sustainable when compared with other sources of animal protein, thus alleviating the pressure over the environment and the planet facing the necessity to feed the world population, constantly increasing. Many chefs have adhered to the trend of using insects in their culinary preparations, bringing insects to the plan of top gastronomy, highlighting their organoleptic qualities allied to a recognized high nutritional value. However, in some markets, insects or insect-based products are not readily accepted because of neophobia and disgust. Moreover, the insect markets, farming, and commercialization are experiencing a huge growth, in which the domain of animal feed is undoubtedly a very strong component. The future of insects as human food and animal feed seems promising in view of the recent trends and challenges.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lihui Chen ◽  
Jie Li ◽  
Wu Zhu ◽  
Yehong Kuang ◽  
Tao Liu ◽  
...  

Psoriasis affects the health of myriad populations around the world. The pathogenesis is multifactorial, and the exact driving factor remains unclear. This condition arises from the interaction between hyperproliferative keratinocytes and infiltrating immune cells, with poor prognosis and high recurrence. Better clinical treatments remain to be explored. There is much evidence that alterations in the skin and intestinal microbiome play an important role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, and restoration of the microbiome is a promising preventive and therapeutic strategy for psoriasis. Herein, we have reviewed recent studies on the psoriasis-related microbiome in an attempt to confidently identify the “core” microbiome of psoriasis patients, understand the role of microbiome in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, and explore new therapeutic strategies for psoriasis through microbial intervention.


Author(s):  
Vadzim S. Mikhailouski

Neo-Marxism world-system analysis was an effective means of the understanding of the postcolonial global order. The concepts of «core», «periphery» and «semi-periphery» reflected the dependent development of states in the global capitalist system. Capitalism structured the global order in the classical Marxist dichotomy of exploiters and exploited which can be represented with various subjects (states, groups of states, territories) and which according to neo-Marxism can’t disappear, because it reflects the essence of global antagonism. However, the realities of global development at the end of the 20th century demanded that neo-Marxism should reconsider the rigid link between the core-peripheral approach and the horizontal vision of the world: globalisation caused massive flows of migrants to highly developed countries and the gradual blurring of the boundaries between the core and periphery. There was the question in neo-Marxism which was about the ability of capitalism to preserve the core-peripheral organisation of the global division of labour. There was the idea that capitalism was able to reproduce core-periphery relations within the core states by including immigrants in the super-exploitation of labour through a covert policy of neo-racism. Such a vertical organisation of the core-peripheral model around the world, which was called dual society in neo-Marxism, would mean the formation of the global semi-periphery. The purpose of the article is to verify the neo-Marxist concept of the global semi-periphery using the example of the role of the migration factor in its formation. The study is based on UN data, as well as studies with a pronounced statistical component. According to the results of the study, it was concluded that the neo-Marxist concept of the global semi-periphery had not been verified by actual empirical material (on the example of the role of the migration factor). The available statistical and analytical data do not allow to totally confirm the neo-Marxist position that the global order under the influence of migration has been transformed and that it works in the conceptual model of a dual society. Globally, migration is not a determining factor in the widespread formation and unification of the dual method of labour exploitation within states. The quantitative data on the flow of migrants, comparative data on salaries in the countries of the core and the degree of concentration of income among certain groups of the population in the countries of the capitalist system state that the world is still largely reproduced in the horizontal core-peripheral model. Thus, there are no empirical grounds for stating the presence of a global dual society under the influence of the migration factor and consequently the presence of a global semi-periphery within the neo-Marxist approach of E. Balibar, I. Wallerstein, M. Hardt and A. Negri.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Abdullah A. Abdullah

Abstract This article examines challenges and proposes legal solutions for the enforcement of contracts especially after the transformation of the economy following Covid-19 and related governmental measures that have swept throughout the world since December 2019. Maximising the role of the judge and increasing the contractual parties’ involvement in phases of contractual disputes constitute the core of this research. This article argues for strengthening the contractual guarantees by advocating for the use of the two contract doctrines of force majeure that normally lead to termination of contractual obligations, and changed circumstances that may trigger intervention of the judge to lift the economic burden of the debtor and reach a fair solution. This article also argues for adopting a more flexible approach to the application of the doctrine of change of circumstances during the performance of the contract that not necessarily relies on this traditional distinction between force majeure and hardship.


Author(s):  
Joana Costa

Entrepreneurship is a worldwide reality. Since the beginning of times and all around the world people have created businesses. Entrepreneurial orientation, from a macroeconomic perspective, allows income and employment generation, thus boosting growth. At the microeconomic level, it is a competition booster playing a central role in a globalized market. In this entrepreneurial ecosystem in which knowledge-based activity is the core booster of employment, economic growth, and competitiveness, universities and, in particular, entrepreneurial universities play either the role of knowledge production and dissemination. The present work aims to understand the role of education (formal and entrepreneurship) on entrepreneurial activity combined with heterogeneous individual characteristics and different cultures and geographies. Specifically, the study identifies substitution and complementary effects among both types of education according to individual taxonomies.


2021 ◽  
pp. 17-42
Author(s):  
Paolo Boffetta ◽  
Zuo-Feng Zhang ◽  
Carlo La Vecchia

Neoplasms continue to dominate globally as one of the major sources of human disease and death. There are multiple modifiable causes of cancer and understanding their attributable risk factors for each cancer is of importance. This chapter covers the role of cellular and molecular mechanisms as well as the experimental and epidemiological approaches as determinants of the main cancers. Even if major discoveries in the clinical management of cancer patients will be accomplished in the near future, the changes will mainly affect the affluent part of the world population. Promising approaches focused on prevention of the known causes, reducing its consequences, notably in resource-constrained settings are highlighted.


Author(s):  
Carson H. Varner ◽  
Katrin C. Varner

This paper examines developing issues and attitudes that unite and divide the United States and the European Union as the discussion and regulation of agriculture evolves. While some terms, such as “organic,” are defined in law in both the United States and European Union, the increasingly used “sustainability” is an evolving concept. The main sustainability issue is how to provide food and fiber for a rapidly growing world population. In this context, the role of biotechnology is questioned. Americans tend to favor what are sometimes called genetically modified crops, while Europeans remain cautious. Europeans lean more toward organic farming, while Americans assert that much of the world will starve if organic methods are required. This paper reviews the directions that the discussion of these issues is taking and will show areas of agreement and where the two sides diverge.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nícia Rosário-Ferreira ◽  
António J. Preto ◽  
Rita Melo ◽  
Irina S. Moreira ◽  
Rui M. M. Brito

Influenza (flu) is a contagious viral disease, which targets the human respiratory tract and spreads throughout the world each year. Every year, influenza infects around 10% of the world population and between 290,000 and 650,000 people die from it according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Influenza viruses belong to the Orthomyxoviridae family and have a negative sense eight-segment single-stranded RNA genome that encodes 11 different proteins. The only control over influenza seasonal epidemic outbreaks around the world are vaccines, annually updated according to viral strains in circulation, but, because of high rates of mutation and recurrent genetic assortment, new viral strains of influenza are constantly emerging, increasing the likelihood of pandemics. Vaccination effectiveness is limited, calling for new preventive and therapeutic approaches and a better understanding of the virus–host interactions. In particular, grasping the role of influenza non-structural protein 1 (NS1) and related known interactions in the host cell is pivotal to better understand the mechanisms of virus infection and replication, and thus propose more effective antiviral approaches. In this review, we assess the structure of NS1, its dynamics, and multiple functions and interactions, to highlight the central role of this protein in viral biology and its potential use as an effective therapeutic target to tackle seasonal and pandemic influenza.


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