Al-Azhar University – Gaza

This study explores the trajectories of Ibadi thought in Oman and Algeria by examining the factors that contributed to its institutional continuity in the Omani case and its societal transformation in the Algerian experience. The importance of the topic lies in its attempt to explain the relationship between religious thought and political and social structures, and to show how institutional contexts can shape either the continuity of ideas or the transformation of their historical functions. The study aims to explain why Ibadi thought followed two different historical paths despite sharing the same doctrinal foundations, while highlighting the role of political authority and social institutions in shaping these divergent outcomes. The study is guided by a central question: to what extent did political and institutional structures contribute to the institutional continuity of Ibadi thought in Oman, while leading to a model of societal continuity in Algeria after the collapse of the Rustamid state? In addressing this issue, the research also examines a number of related questions concerning the role of political authority, social organization, and religious and educational institutions in reproducing or transforming Ibadi thought. Methodologically, the study adopts an integrative approach that combines comparative analysis, structuralism, and political anthropology, while also drawing on perspectives from the sociology of religion and institutional theory. The research relies on a wide range of historical and doctrinal sources, including classical Ibadi chronicles, modern historical studies, and sociological literature dealing with the Imamate system in Oman and the ʿAzzāba institution in the M’zab Valley of Algeria. The findings demonstrate that the Omani experience represents a model of institutional continuity in which Ibadi thought became integrated into the structures of governance, education, and the judiciary through the Imamate system, ensuring its long-term presence within the public sphere. By contrast, the Algerian experience reflects a model of functional transformation and societal continuity, as the collapse of the Rustamid state shifted Ibadi thought from centralized political authority to localized social frameworks, particularly through the ʿAzzāba system, which assumed major religious, educational, and social functions, thereby preserving Ibadi identity. The study concludes that the continuity and transformation of religious thought are shaped not only by doctrinal content but also by the political and institutional environments in which it operates, highlighting the close relationship among state, society, and the continuity of intellectual systems in Islamic history.

BACKGROUND:Breast cancer (BC) continues to be one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide, predominantly affecting women. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is vital for cellular growth and metabolism. Dysregulation of IGF-1 has been linked to an increased risk of cancer. We hypothesized that unhealthy lifestyle factors (e.g., poor diet, low physical activity) are associated with higher serum IGF-1 levels and an increased risk of BC. This research examines the relationship between lifestyle factors, IGF-1, and BC risk in Palestinian women in the Gaza Strip. METHODS:A case-control study was conducted with 112 newly diagnosed BC women and 222 healthy controls. Data were collected using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and the Food Frequency Questionnaire. IGF-1 levels were measured. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 28. RESULTS:BC patients had significantly lower physical activity than controls (58.9% vs. 44.6%, p = 0.014). Eight of the 14 food groups studied were linked to reduced BC risk, with reductions of 3.4% for fruit, 3.7% for meat, 5.6% for grains, 3.0% for low-fat dairy, 16.5% for nuts, 3.3% for snacks and sweets, and 5.5% for soups and sauces, while eggs increased risk by 12.5%. Drinks and beverages were positively correlated with IGF-1 levels (rp = 0.121, p = 0.027), suggesting that these factors may influence BC risk. CONCLUSION:Lifestyle factors, including diet and physical activity, influence IGF-1 levels and BC risk. Public health interventions promoting healthier lifestyles may help reduce BC risk.

There is an increasing need for research on the use of cost-effective materials to decontaminate wastewater polluted with Linuron. In this context, we investigated the application of a chitosan-bentonite composite for the removal of Linuron from aqueous solutions. The experiments were conducted in batch mode under varying experimental conditions. Adsorption was examined as a function of mass ratio, adsorbent amount, initial herbicide concentration, contact time, and pH. The Langmuir and Freundlich models were applied to analyze the results, while the kinetics were described using the pseudo-first and pseudo-second-order models. The results indicated that the Langmuir model provided a better fit for Linuron adsorption, whereas the pseudo-first-order model more accurately described the kinetics at the optimum pH. On the other hand, the molecular geometry of Linuron in aqueous solutions was determined using the Density Functional Theory (DFT) method at the B3LYP/6311+g(d,p) level of theory, along with the Conductor-like Polarizable Continuum Model (CPCM) solvation model. The global chemical reactivity indicators were calculated based on the frontier molecular orbitals. Local reactivity indices were determined using Mulliken charges, natural population charges, and Fukui functions. Furthermore, the optimal adsorption configuration of Linuron molecules was identified to accurately estimate the energy involved and ensure the success of the adsorption process. To analyze and calculate adsorption energies, a model was developed to represent the interaction between the adsorbed molecule and the clay surface. The Monte Carlo (MC) method was used to thoroughly examine the configuration. The presence of strong interactions and negative adsorption energies indicates that Linuron molecules are attracted to and stable at the interface. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations further validated the robustness of the results.

BackgroundThe present study aimed to determine the prevalence of anemia and its associated risk factors among under-five children aged 24–59 months in Gaza Strip, Palestine.MethodThis cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 before Gaza war, among a representative sample of under-five children. A total of 750 children, aged 24–59 months, were selected from all Gaza Strip governorates, using a cluster random sampling method. Children and their parents were assessed using an interview-based questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, biochemical measurements, and clinical examination. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25.ResultsThe prevalence of anemia (Hb <11 g/dL) among under-five children was 35.6%. Of them, 77.5% had mild anemia and 22.5% had moderate anemia. The prevalence of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) (Hb <11 g/dL and SF <12 μg/L) among under-five children was 4.0%. Various risk factors were found to be statistically significant in relation to nutritional anemia. These included child-related factors such as age, weight, height, sibling arrangement, governorate, and place of residence. Family characteristics like the father’s age, smoking habits, the mother’s education, employment, marital history, income, housing ownership, and a history of anemia during pregnancy also played a role. Additionally, dietary factors such as tea, meat, crisps, cola, fruits, breastfeeding practices, malnutrition, appetite, and hereditary diseases were significantly associated with anemia in these children (p-values <0.05 for all).ConclusionOur study clearly demonstrates that anemia is highly prevalent (35.6% anemia, and 4.0% IDA) among under-five children in Gaza Strip governorates. Different risk factors including the child’s and family characteristics, and the consumption of some of food items were associated with a high prevalence of anemia. The high prevalence of anemia should be seriously considered and policy makers should take steps to reduce it.

In this article, we examine the concept of scholasticide, its historical evolution, and its contemporary relevance with specific reference to Palestine. Focusing on Israel's attempt to annihilate higher education during the ongoing Gaza Genocide, we situate scholasticide in the broader context of the Israeli settler-colonial continuum and argue that scholasticide is a pillar of genocide. We examine five central themes: the theoretical underpinnings of scholasticide; the empirical conditions that have shaped the concept's development; the emergence of Palestinian universities under colonialism; universities' historical and contemporary survival strategies throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories, both in Gaza and the West Bank; and the global higher education sector's recent solidarity efforts with Palestinian academia in Gaza, as well as the limitations of such efforts. We discuss the crucial work of the Emergency Committee of Universities in Gaza and the ISNAD program, established in 2024 mid-genocide. Launched by Gaza's largest universities and their affiliated colleges, these initiatives aim to preserve non-profit academic institutions in the territory despite the physical destruction of their campuses, to refuse colonial and neoliberal reconstruction models, and to articulate principles of international solidarity with Gaza's higher education sector. Throughout, the article emphasizes the importance of centering Palestinian universities, and especially those in Gaza, in all discussions of and responses to scholasticide in Palestine. Finally, the article highlights Palestinian educational practices as forms of resistance, self-determination, and collective survival, and attends to the unimaginable ways in which Gaza's educators and students are keeping higher education alive in the territory amidst genocide.