The Almohads and the “Qur’anization” of War Narrative and Ritual

The Almohad movement (12th–13th centuries, Islamic West) had in the return to the direct study of the primary sources of Islam—the Qur’an and the Sunna—and in jihād, two of its most important pillars of legitimation and action. In this sense, it is an ideal period to study how both realities—Qur’an and jihād—were linked in a given historical context. During the Almohad period, the use of Qur’anic verses in accounts related to war episodes became widespread. We thus witness a “Qur’anization” of the war narrative, a resource adding greater religiosity and spirituality to the context of jihād, to its elaboration and discursive representation, and to its memory and remembrance through written testimonies. In this paper I study, through the main narrative and documentary sources of the period, how the Qur’an was inserted into and adapted to the Almohad war discourse. Likewise, this approach allows me to explore how the Qur’an came to life within the framework of the Almohad jihād, how it served for its justification and legitimation, and how it formed part of the ceremony and the war protocol of the Maghrebi caliphate, thus linking itself with other discursive and propaganda mechanisms such as architecture or military parades.

Human rights: regulatory balance at the international and national legal levels

In the 21st century, the processes of globalization and informatization are actively developing, which naturally leads to a number of changes in a wide variety of areas of human life. Changes in the legal sphere are largely related to the peculiarities of regulatory regulation at both the national legal and international legal levels. This article is devoted to a direct study of the relationship of these types of normative regulation in the field of human rights at the present stage.

ARTIKEL ILMIAH SEBAGAI SUMBER PEMBELAJARAN BIOKIMIA

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pemanfaatan artikel ilmiah dalam pembelajaran biokimia di perguruan tinggi pada konsep metabolisme energi. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain penelitian One Group Pretest-Posttest. Subjek penelitian adalah 22 mahasiswa Program Studi Pendidikan Kimia FKIP Universitas Lambung Mangkurat. Dua proses pembelajaran yang dilakukan pada penelitian ini mengacu kepada pembelajaran aktif, yaitu mahasiswa belajar secara terarah dan dilakukan secara mandiri (Direct Study/DS), kemudian secara kelompok untuk mendiskusikan hasil pekerjaan mandiri (Discussion Group/DG). Data yang diperoleh dalam penelitian adalah hasil belajar mahasiswa berupa pretest dan posttest dan kuesioner. Data tersebut kemudian dianalisis secara kualitatif dan kuantitatif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan perbedaan yang siginifikan antara pretest dan posttest setelah pembelajaran menggunakan artikel ilmiah sebagai sumber pembelajaran biokimia. Peningkatan pretest dan posttest menghasilkan nilai n-gain yang berada pada kategori “sedang”. Rata-rata nilai persepsi dan komitmen mahasiswa dalam pembelajaran dengan menggunakan artikel ilmiah berada pada kategori “sedang”. Hal ini mengindikasikan bahwa pembelajaran biokimia pada topik metabolisme energi dengan menggunakan artikel ilmiah memberikan dampak positif terhadap hasil belajar dan minat mahasiswa.SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES AS BIOCHEMISTRY LEARNING RESOURCESThis study aims to determine the use of scientific articles in biochemical learning in higher education, especially on the energy metabolism concept. This study used a One Group Pretest-Posttest research design. The research subjects were 22 students of the Chemistry Education Study Program FKIP Universitas Lambung Mangkurat. Two learning processes carried out in this study refer to active learning, namely students learn in a focused and independent manner (Direct Study/DS), then in groups to discuss the results of independent work (Discussion Group/DG). The data obtained in the study were student learning outcomes in the form of pre-test and post-test and questionnaires. The data were then analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. The results show a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test after learning using scientific articles as a source of biochemistry learning. The increase in pre-test and post-test resulted in an n-gain value that was in the "medium" category. The average value of students' perceptions and commitments in learning using scientific articles is in the "medium" category. This indicates that learning biochemistry on the topic of energy metabolism using scientific articles has a positive impact on student learning outcomes and interest.

Triple Therapy with Tamsulosin, Dutasteride, and Imidafenacin for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Patients with Overactive Bladder Symptoms Refractory to Tamsulosin: Subgroup Analyses of the DIrecT Study

Aim: To verify if the efficacy of the triple therapy with tamsulosin, dutasteride, and imidafenacin (TDI) is influenced by any background characteristics in patients with overactive bladder (OAB). Methods: A subanalysis of data from the DIrecT study was conducted. Superiority of TDI over tamsulosin and dutasteride in terms of efficacy based on the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS), total International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), IPSS quality of life index, and postvoid residual (PVR) was evaluated in binary subgroups. Results: In the treatment groups, there was a significant interaction of total OABSS with testosterone level (≥4.8 vs. <4.8 ng/mL, p = 0.043) and PVR (≥20 vs. <20 mL, p = 0.018). For the total IPSS, no significant interaction was found except for the IPSS QOL index. For the IPSS QOL index, a significant interaction was found with testosterone level (≥4.8 vs. <4.8 ng/mL, p < 0.0001) as well as with total IPSS and total OABSS. For the PVR, no significant interaction was found except with total OABSS. Conclusions: Triple therapy with TDI is suggested to be a therapeutic option for benign prostatic hyperplasia in patients with residual OAB symptoms refractory to tamsulosin and in patients with various background characteristics regardless of severity of OAB symptoms. Trial Registry No. UMIN 000011980.

«Fort males paraules, desonestes e injurioses». L’insult en la vida política d’una ciutat medieval

<p>Abstract Apart from the considerations set out by jurists, moralists or sarcastic poets about cursing in the late Middle Ages, the main purpose of this article is to analyse the use of the insults («bad words, dishonest and offensive»), through the direct study of municipal sources and court proceedings, in the social and political life of a Catalan city within this period, focusing on the analysis of the insult’s variants, the situations where it was used, those targeted by it and some of its resulting consequences at every turn. Despite the frequent attempts to restrict or forbid its usage so as not to «stray away from good morals», blasphemy and derision became a rather common means of attack, predominantly in lawsuits and in convulsive contexts. Nevertheless, the sanctions imposed on offenders varied extensively, ranging from a simple request for pardon to fines, loss of rights, and even punishment by death.</p><p><br />Keywords: Insults, Morality, Municipal Power, Tarragona, Late Middle Ages.</p>

Evolution of Homosexuality in the Human Male: Improved Mixed-Team Performance Hypothesis

Male homosexual preference (MHP) is present in many human societies. Because homosexual mate preferences are associated with lower fecundity, many evolutionary explanations have been advanced to account for the persistence of this trait, with varying degrees of success. After reviewing a number of these hypotheses and finding them lacking, we propose a new hypothesis that depends on the observed greater empathy and reduced hostility of men who express MHP. This gives them a central role in the performance of groups or teams of males and/or females where cooperation and intra-team coherence are at a premium. Teams that contain men with MHP will, we propose, outcompete teams without such men. The links we propose between personality traits and team performance do not require homosexual activity within the group. Our hypothesis is supported by observations of the personality traits associated with MHP, such as agreeableness, which we link to the literature on sports and other kinds of teams and groups. Our hypothesis could be examined through direct study of team performance, enabling the topic to move beyond evolutionary theorizing. We note too that although we set out to develop an additional account for the evolutionary maintenance of MHP, our hypothesis may also have relevance to better performance among the diverse teams whose efficient performance is so important in modern society.

Elite Decision-making and International Law: Promises and Perils of the Behavioral Revolution

A growing body of research applies behavioral approaches to the study of international law, mainly by studying convenience samples of students or other segments of the general public. Alongside the promises of this agenda are concerns about applying findings from non-elite populations to the people, and groups of people, charged with most real-world decision-making in the domain of law and governance. This concern is compounded by the fact that it is extremely difficult to recruit these actual decision-makers in a way that allows for direct study.

Petrological features of picrobasaltic melts on Lanzarote, Canary Islands

The paper discusses issues related to the petrology of picrobasaltic melts forming lava flows on Lanzarote, Canary Islands. During ascientific and educational expedition on the aforementioned island, lava flows of picro basalt of the third phase of the 1731–1732 eruption were studied and tested. Preference was given to the well-preserved streams in the west and south of the island thatare accessible for direct study. Volcanogenic-sedimentary associations were identified in the studied outcropsand described, the structural and textural features of the flows were characterized, and samples with mantle rock xenoliths were taken for petrological reconstructions. New geochemical data onrocks and minerals are presented. It was established that the temperature of the initial melt was 1100–1180°C. Large harzburgitephenocrysts in picro basalt are xenocrysts formed as a result of melting and disintegration of mantle xenoliths.