This article examines the thoughts of Ali Abd al-Raziq, an important Egyptian scholar and author of a book called Islam and the Bases of Rule (al-Islam wa Usul al-Hukm), published in 1925. In this work, Abd al-Raziq presented fundamental arguments in support of the separation of religion and politics, which were fully supported by a very original analysis of Islam's holy text, the Quran, as well as by the historical situation of the Muslim community at the time of the Prophet Muhammad. Although the publication of this book caused a great scandal in Egypt, with its author being forced to withdraw from Egyptian public life for quite a long period of time, the arguments contained in the book represent an important contribution to the debates about the desirable degree of linkage between Islam and politics in the Muslim world., Jan Kondrys., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Alkali stress is an important agricultural problem that affects plant metabolism, specifically root physiology. In this study, using two rice cultivars differing in alkali resistance, we investigated the physiological and molecular responses of rice plants to alkali stress. Compared to the alkali-sensitive cultivar (SC), the alkali-tolerant cultivar (TC) maintained higher photosynthesis and root system activity under alkali stress. Correspondingly, the Na+ content in its shoots was much lower, and the contents of mineral ions (e.g., K+, NO3-, and H2PO4-) in its roots was higher than those of the SC. These data showed that the metabolic regulation of roots might play a central role in rice alkali tolerance. Gene expression differences between the cultivars were much greater in roots than in shoots. In roots, 46.5% (20 of 43) of selected genes indicated over fivefold expression differences between cultivars under alkali stress. The TC had higher root system activity that might protect shoots from Na+ injury and maintain normal metabolic processes. During adaptation of TC to alkali stress, OsSOS1 (salt overly sensitive protein 1) may mediate Na+ exclusion from shoots or roots. Under alkali stress, SC could accumulate Na+ up to toxic concentrations due to relatively low expression of OsSOS1 in shoots. It possibly harmed chloroplasts and influenced photorespiration processes, thus reducing NH4+ production from photorespiration. Under alkali stress, TC was able to maintain normal nitrogen metabolism, which might be important for resisting alkali stress., H. Wang, X. Lin, S. Cao, Z. Wu., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In the present work neonatal male and female Wistar rats were treated intraperitoneally with monosodium glutamate (MSG 2 mg/kg b.w.) or saline (controls) daily for 4 day after birth. At the age of 30 and 80 days, the alkaline phosphatase activity (AP) in the brush border of individual enterocytes, the body fat content and Lee´s index of obesity were analyzed. Microdensitometrical quantification of AP was significantly increased on day 30 in males (P<0.01) and on day 80 in MSG-treated male and female rats (P<0.001) as compared to the controls. MSG administration also increased the body fat weight and the obesity index significantly (P<0.001) in 80-day-old animals, but was without any significant effect on their food intake. Our results showed that a) neonatal MSG-treatment may significantly change the intestinal function and b) the investigation of the intestinal enzyme activities may be important in further studies on MSG-induced and other forms of obesity., Š. Mozeš, Ľ. Lenhardt, A. Martinková., and Obsahuje bibliografii
A reliable assessment of the viability of schistosome eggs trapped in host tissues is difficult. The use of a coupling azo dye method for the detection of alkaline phosphatase (A1P) in Schistosoma mansoni ova was found to be a specific and sensitive method for differentiating between viable and dead eggs, and can be used in both immature and mature eggs. In fully developed miracidia within an egg, A1P activity was demonstrated in germ cells and in the sensory endings of the neural cells. The embryonating miracidia displayed A1P activity on the body surface and in von Lichienberg’s envelope. The alkaline phosphatase test for egg viability shows increased sensitivity when compared with the more conventional Oogram and Hatching tests.