Specific Denomination Research Articles

Mosque and Society: Cambridge Central Mosque “A British Mosque for the 21st Century”

Mosques are at the heart of Muslim lives, especially in non-Muslim communities—the variety of cultures and nationalities of the immigrants determines the concept of mosques in Britain. The landscape of the mosques in Britain differs in regard to the cultural, national and denominational concepts. Most of the mosques are focused on either specific nationalities or denominations. The current article explores the ways in which mosques are situated in contemporary societies in relation to expressing Islamic and cultural identities, using Cambridge Central Mosque, which debuted in Britain in 2019 with the motto "eco-friendly", as a case study. The current research focuses primarily on examining the architectural, sustainable, and social aspects of the Cambridge Central Mosque. After engaging with the design feature of the Mosque, the article questions the meaning of 'British Mosque' in its functioning and multicultural structure. Eco-friendly mosques have been on the agenda since the beginning of Islam. There are many mosques in history. For example, Esrefoglu Mosque in Konya was built using ecological materials and has survived for 900 years. In the 21st century, the increased interest in eco-friendly buildings due to the growing rate of industrialisation and the ensuing pollution of the environment has reminded us to focus on sustainability, as it has always been a core concept in Islam and Muslim lives. Offering a good perspective on this issue, The Cambridge Central Mosque represents an overarching space for all Muslims, women, and families. It is an example of environmentally friendly, sustainable, and integrated with the social structure in the modern world.

Confucianism: Ancient ideology or driving force of the future? A scoping review on the effect of Confucian culture on innovation

AbstractThis paper explores the ambiguous relationship between Confucian culture and innovation based on the scholarly literature. Applying a scoping review approach, the purpose of the literature review is to uncover the reasons behind the ambiguities of empirical research results and conceptualizations of how Confucianism affects innovation on the individual and on the organizational level. The paper builds on the assumption that the different operationalizations of Confucian culture are behind these contradictions. Since Confucianism is an ideology that has developed for over 2000 years, and even its most often cited virtues and principles are quite heterogenous, approaches to its operationalization in the field of management are also diverse. The results of the literature review indicate that different approaches to Confucian culture indeed show homogeneity in the conceptualization of the Confucianism-innovation relationship. Virtues and principles related to rigid hierarchies and great power distance have a detrimental effect, while others a rather positive one. Therefore, the paper argues that a more specific denomination of cultural factors should be necessary to avoid biased and unspecified results in both theoretical and empirical approaches.

Association of multidrug resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i> with specific naira denominations

Currency serves as a global tool for commerce but is notorious for its association with potentially pathogenic bacteria. This has been further complicated by the growing evolution and emergence of drug resistance among bacteria, with various currencies associated with multidrug resistant (MDR) strains. This could be a silent factor in the current scourge of multidrug resistance. This study therefore set out to explore the presence of multidrug resistance Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in specific denominations of Naira, the Nigerian currency in Rivers State, Nigeria. A total of 50 naira notes comprised of two commonly used denominations (₦50 and ₦100) made up of two different materials (polymer and paper) were analyzed for microbial load, presence of key bacteria and drug resistance using standard tests. Results of the study revealed high bacterial loads with Log10 values ranging from 4.52 to 5.39 for the ₦100 notes and 4.52 to 5.31 for ₦50 notes. Samples had a higher occurrence of S. aureus (26) than E. coli (8). These isolates were associated with very high rates of resistance though the Gram-positive organisms were more resistant. Both S. aureus and E. coli had high rates of MDR (96.2% and 100% respectively). This study reveals an association of the Nigerian currency, Naira, with a variety of drug resistant bacteria and high levels of multidrug resistance in key pathogens and primarily underscores the need for continuous hand washing as the first key step in disease prevention.

Between Lynn White and Big Gods – religious sources of pro-environmental attitudes – cross-cultural test of Lynn White's Hypothesis

This study examines the connection between religious beliefs and pro-environmental attitudes using data from three waves of the World Values Survey (WVS) conducted in 1989, 1999, and 2009. The findings reveal a paradoxical relationship between religion and environmental attitudes. While respondents who identified with a specific religious denomination tended to have lower pro-environmental attitudes than those without a religious affiliation, individuals who placed high personal importance on their religiosity and participated in religious practices were more likely to have pro-environmental attitudes. This relationship was moderated by the religious denomination. However, the effects were minimal, explaining only 0.4% of the variance, and were only detected due to the analysis's high statistical power.

Molecular detection of virulence and resistance markers in Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus isolated from Nigerian currency

Potentially pathogenic bacteria are routinely linked with different currencies worldwide. Not much focus has been on the actual pathogenic potential of these bacteria. This is essential as the risk would depend on whether the bacteria associated with the currency is a commensal or pathogen. This study was therefore aimed at exploring the virulence potential of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus isolated from specific Nigerian currency denominations. Presumptive E. coli and S. aureus isolates were obtained from the samples and their identities confirmed genotypically. A total of seven virulence and resistance genes were tested for (aggR, eae, ast, van, cat, pvl, icaA). Three of these were E. coli virulence genes (aggR, eae, ast), two S. aureus virulence (pvl, icaA) and two S. aureus resistance (van, cat). Sixty presumptive E. coli and S. aureus (30 each) were isolated and purified. Of these, 9 (30%) were confirmed as E. coli following genotypic identification and 7 (23%) as S. aureus. An assessment of the virulence potential of E. coli showed 100% detection of the ast gene, 55.6% detection of aggR and 44.4% detection of eae. For S. aureus, a much lower frequency of test genes was found with rates of 41.7%, 16.7%, 16.7% and 8.3% for pvl, icaA, van and cat respectively. This study therefore reports a low frequency of S. aureus virulence genes. The E. coli strains however, rather than being innocuous carry virulence factors. Furthermore, some of these have a known association with mobile genetic elements and hence a capacity to transform harmless commensal strains to pathogens.

Michel Onfray’s concept of new ethics

Abstract A new form of ethics suggested by the Francophone philosopher M. Onfray concerns, first of all, the resignation from faith in a transcendent God, which is substituted with an undefined sacrum (which is holy, highest) in immanence. This new form of ethics is, today, becoming a popular alternative to religious ethics. However, traditional, and new ethics should not be treated as separate sets, as they do not necessarily compete with each other. Systems of spiritual development related to specific denominations will always provide inspiration even for atheists’ ethics. The latter can indicate that, apart from religion, there is also a spirituality that can develop in a person. Nihilism is not the only alternative to religion, as sometimes the defenders of the old religious order try to show.

Domestic and Family Violence: Responses and Approaches across the Australian Churches

Domestic and family violence (DFV) is a serious and widespread problem in Australia and across the world, including in faith communities. There are calls for research to assist churches to better recognize, respond to and prevent violence. This study draws on data from the 2016 Australian National Church Life Survey (n = 883 senior local church leaders, n = 1270 churchgoers) to provide the first Australia-wide cross-denominational statistics on Christian clergy responses to DFV. Two-thirds of leaders had previously dealt with DFV situations in their ministry, primarily responding to victims of abuse by referring them to specialist support services and by counselling them. The findings suggest a particular depth of experience with DFV situations and strength of awareness of the needs of victims for safety and specialist support among Salvationist leaders. While, overall, a substantial majority of churchgoers felt that they could approach their church for help if they were experiencing DFV, just half of Catholics felt that they could do so. Future research should explore responses to DFV in specific denominations and culturally and linguistic diverse contexts in more detail and seek to understand the practices used by the large minority of clergy who are dealing with perpetrators.

Jewish thinkers of the 20th century. In search of identity – Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka’s life and work have been the subject of many research papers. While the interpreters of his works knew that he was a Jew, they did not always fully realize the significance of this fact. Some would treat this issue as a marginal one, failing to see that it was the pivot of his existence and work. Kafka kept wandering about in search of his own identity. As a lost agnostic who “lapsed” from the hand of God, lived without Him in the darkness of atheism and tried to discern His light, Franz Kafka was not really dependent on any specific religious denomination. However, Judaism is so strongly related to the Mosaic revelation – like Christianity is related to Christ’s Revelation – that it cannot be here omitted or forgotten, as this would result in some misunderstandings. In a sense it is impossible to separate the fact of being Jewish from the religion. Kafka’s life, as well as his writing, resulted from his continual reference to the Absolute. There are two worlds far removed from each other: the world of spirit and the world of man. Kafka believed that there is a world of that which is spiritual, absolute, pure, true, unchanging and indestructible – the world devoid of sin, but full of perfection; therefore, there exists that which man tends to encapsulate in the concept of God.

Vulvar Fordyce adenitis: A cohort of 45 women

BackgroundRecurrent episodes of painful papules and nodules, mostly located on the labia minora, have been reported under the denominations of vulvar sebaceous adenitis (14 published cases) and vulvar acne (16 published cases). ObjectivesThe primary aim of this study was to delve further into the clinical and pathological features of this condition. The secondary aim was to collect therapeutic data. MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, files and photographs of patients with papules or nodules on the labia minora or the inner labia majora were extracted from a vulvar clinic database. Clinical, pathological and therapeutic data were analysed. ResultsForty-five women were included from 2002 to 2018. The median age at the time of diagnosis was 36 years (range: 16–60). The median time to diagnosis was 6.5 years. Clinical features included recurrent painful papules, pustules or nodules, suppuration (n=22), and pitted scars (n=10) on the labia minora (n=41), the inner labia majora (n=19), the outer labia majora (n=1), and the clitoral hood (n=1). Associated acne vulgaris was seen in 17 out of 26 patients for whom data were available. Hidradenitis suppurativa, androgenic alopecia and hirsutism were observed in 3, 1 and 1 cases respectively. Neutrophilic infiltrates were observed in the 4 available biopsies within or around the Fordyce sebaceous glands in 2 patients. Treatment with tetracyclines and oral zinc was not consistently effective. Isotretinoin led to complete remission in 4 patients unresponsive to tetracyclines. DiscussionVulvar sebaceous adenitis/vulvar acne is a clinically identifiable cause of painful recurrent inflammatory lesions affecting the labia minora and the inner labia majora, which are coincidentally sites of Fordyce granules. We therefore suggest a more specific denomination: “vulvar Fordyce adenitis”. The relationship with acne vulgaris and hidradenitis suppurativa requires further investigation. We suggest use of an oral anti-acne therapeutic strategy to reduce inflammation and to decrease the secretion of the sebaceous glands.

Adherence to childhood religious affiliation and suicide intentions in women exposed to the violence of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

To examine the association between adherence to childhood religious affiliations and serious suicide intentions in 371 women exposed to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Participants were randomly sampled in 2011 from households in the Southern Province of Rwanda. Trained interviewers gathered information on socio-economic background, genocide-related trauma exposure, Major Depressive Episode (MDE) and suicide intentions (assessed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview), and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (assessed with the PTSD Checklist-Civilian version). In this predominantly Christian sample, 62.8% (233/371) had adhered to their childhood religious affiliation. Adherence was associated with lower odds of serious suicide intentions (OR 0.321, 95% CI 0.13-0.78, P < 0.01) independent of socio-economic factors, court-designated victim status, trauma exposure, MDE, and PTSD; that association held following consideration of specific denomination. Women who adhere to their childhood religious affiliation may be less likely to have serious suicide intentions following major catastrophes. Whether that association is attributable to stronger connections with lost and remaining family and friends, or greater faith in the church as a facilitator of reconciliation and coping, requires further study.

French atheist spirituality

The phrase “atheist spirituality” may seem rather paradoxical at first. In practice, both atheists and theists object to it. Atheists would prefer to be called naturalists – in order to emphasize their connection with a specific tradition and interpretation of the world, and avoid being equated only with the denial of theism. They will be willing to deny the existence of any spiritual element, and thus deny the meaningfulness of religious language. It is worth stressing that this does not apply to all atheists. A new form of spirituality suggested by Francophone philosophers concerns first of all the resignation from a faith about a transcendent God, which is substituted with an undefined sacrum (what is holy, is highest) in immanence. New forms of spirituality are becoming a popular alternative to religious spirituality today. However, traditional and new spiritualities should not be treated as separate sets, as they do not necessarily compete with each other. Systems of spiritual development related to specific denominations will always provide inspiration even for atheist spirituality. The latter can indicate that apart from religion, there is also a spirituality that can develop in a person. Nihilism is not the only alternative to religion, as sometimes the defenders of the old religious order try to show. Atheist spirituality can sometimes refer to realities that are rich and enhancing.

Proxy indicators to estimate appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions by general practitioners: a proof-of-concept cross-sectional study based on reimbursement data, north-eastern France 2017.

BackgroundIn most countries, including France, data on clinical indications for outpatient antibiotic prescriptions are not available, making it impossible to assess appropriateness of antibiotic use at prescription level.AimOur objectives were to: (i) propose proxy indicators (PIs) to estimate appropriateness of antibiotic use at general practitioner (GP) level based on routine reimbursement data; and (ii) assess PIs’ performance scores and their clinimetric properties using a large regional reimbursement database.MethodsA recent systematic literature review on quality indicators was the starting point for defining a set of PIs, taking French national guidelines into account. We performed a cross-sectional study analysing National Health Insurance data (available at prescriber and patient levels) on antibiotics prescribed by GPs in 2017 for individuals living in north-eastern France. We measured performance scores of the PIs and their case-mix stability, and tested their measurability, applicability, and room for improvement (clinimetric properties).ResultsThe 3,087 GPs included in this study prescribed a total of 2,077,249 antibiotic treatments. We defined 10 PIs with specific numerators, denominators and targets. Performance was low for almost all indicators ranging from 9% to 75%, with values < 30% for eight of 10 indicators. For all PIs, we found large variation between GPs and patient populations (case-mix stability). Regarding clinimetric properties, all PIs were measurable, applicable, and showed high improvement potential.ConclusionsThe set of 10 PIs showed satisfactory clinimetric properties and might be used to estimate appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing in primary care, in an automated way within antibiotic stewardship programmes.

Me, myself and the other. Interreligious and intrareligious relations in neo-conservative online forums

ABSTRACT The Internet can be a place for exchange, but also foster echo chambers of closed world views. This poses interesting questions for the possibility of interreligious dialogue online. The article examines the cases of German Evangelical and Salafist Internet forums which mainly target a specific religious denomination, but nevertheless provide spaces for contact between different religions and denominations. For the study, a combination of quantitative and qualitative text analysis is applied. Quantitative analysis makes it possible to gain an overview of the discussed themes from a large body of text and serves as a basis for sampling smaller textual units for close examination using qualitative content analysis. The analysis yields two primary results: First, intrareligious dialogue plays a particular role for the negotiation of religious identity. Second, interreligious relations reflect the societal positions of both religious groups.

Specific Epithet-A Denomination of Geographical Region, Particular Place of Growth, Spread or Origin of the Plants

The specific epithets indicating a geographical object could be represented in the following groups...

Epidemiology of pneumonia in the pre-pneumococcal conjugate vaccine era in children 2-59 months of age, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 2015-2016.

BackgroundRespiratory diseases, including pneumonia, are the second largest cause of under-five mortality in Mongolia and the most common cause of childhood hospitalization. However information regarding the contribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae to pneumonia causation in Mongolia is limited. We aimed to describe the epidemiology of hospitalized children aged 2–59 months with pneumonia, enrolled into a surveillance program in the period prior to pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) introduction, in Mongolia.MethodsAn expanded pneumonia surveillance program enrolled children, who met the surveillance case definition, at participating hospitals, between April 2015 and May 2016. Cumulative incidence rates were calculated by district for all pneumonia endpoints using district specific denominators from the Mongolian Health Department census for 2016. Socio-economic and disease-associated factors were compared between districts using chi-squared tests.ResultsA total of 4318 eligible children with pneumonia were enrolled over the 14 month period. Overall the incidence for all-cause pneumonia in children aged 12–59 months was 31.8 per 1000 population; children aged 2–11 months had an almost four-fold higher incidence than children aged 12–59 months.Differences were found between districts with regards to housing type, fuel used for cooking, hospital admission practices and the proportions of severe and primary endpoint pneumonia.DiscussionThis study shows a high burden of pneumonia in children aged 2–59 months in Mongolia prior to PCV introduction. Rates differed somewhat by district and age group and were influenced by a number of socio-economic factors. It will be important to consider these differences and risk factors when assessing the impact of PCV introduction.

Gender Role Attitudes and Religious Denomination: Context Matters*

Abstract Traditional gender role attitudes are often associated with specific religious denominations. However, members of religious denominations are also impacted by other institutions in society. This research uses the European Social Survey to determine how the impact of religious denominations on traditional gender role attitudes varies across welfare regimes. Macro-level analysis examines this relationship with national-level indicators. Religious denomination impacts gender role attitudes, though not uniformly. Public expenditures on social services and working-age cash benefits are negatively related to traditional gender role attitudes, with the strongest impact on attitudes toward men’s right to paid work among Muslims and Eastern Orthodox.

From Chapel to Meditation Room: A Case Study of Religion and Spirituality on Campus

Built in 1957, The Helen Mauck Galbreath Memorial Chapel opened on the campus of Ohio University. The charter of Galbreath Chapel states that people of all faiths are welcome and that “no permanent furnishings would be identifiable to a specific religion or denomination”. Sixty years later, The United Meditation Room opened in the University's Vernon R. Alden Library with a similar welcome but a very different interior design strategy, one that reflects the gradual shift from religious identities to notions of spirituality. This case study explored the role of interiors and architecture in defining spirituality and supporting campus desires for religious diversity and inclusion. Informed by an understanding of environmental symbology, the following two questions shaped the investigation: (1) How do architectural vocabulary and interior treatments of the 1957 design now carry meaning which has rendered the previously faith–neutral Galbreath Chapel Western in ideology and religiosity? and (2) How does the interior of The United Meditation Room represent a new model for spirituality, religious diversity, and inclusion? This study found that artifacts of the interior defined each space as inclusive and welcoming in their own time yet identified The United Meditation Room as uniquely situated to represent a contemporary model of spirituality on campus.

Laws, doctrines and practice: a study of intermarriages and the ways they challenged the Jewish Community of Helsinki from 1930 to 1970

The identities, customs and habits of religious congregations are tightly connected to the history of these congregations and to the specific religious tradition or denomination they consider themselves to be a part of. They are also shaped by the legislative and bureaucratic regulations and processes of the secular society that is surrounding them. The aim of this study is to further our knowledge of some of these aspects of Jewish life as they relate to the Jewish Community of Helsinki in the period 1930–70 by showcasing two examples that emerged as a result of the rising number of intermarriages in the congregation.

Changing Seminaries, Changing Libraries, Changing Selves

Religious identities and practices are changing. Religious studies and theological educators are adapting curricula and services to support increasingly diverse student populations. On an institutional level, some religious studies departments and seminaries' priorities are changing, too. &#x0D; For example, Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) remains one of ten seminaries of the Presbyterian Church (USA), but currently, only 28% of students identify as PCUSA personally and over fifty Christian traditions are represented, reflecting a trend toward ecumenism. ATS-accredited institutions have faculty and students whose faiths are outside of Judeo-Christian traditions, principal traditions that comprise the ATLA membership. Additionally, there is increased representation from secular institutions (e.g., University of Colorado Boulder) and organizations not affiliated with specific denominations within ATLA membership.&#x0D; It's time for librarians to share with each other their perceptions of their institutions’ relationships with students, administrations, and denominations, and where they fit within ATLA personally.

Global age-specific denominator estimation for monitoring of health and nutrition SDGs and indicators based on population projections of the UN World population prospects, 2017 revision, for the year 2018

Background: The success of any program is measured by continuous monitoring through service statistics for a periodic oversight and through evaluation surveys to measure the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and impact of activities in the light of specified objectives. Service statistics need a lot of indicators to be tracked on a regular basis. The service statistics provide us with numerators. To understand the numerators more meaningfully, we need to standardize them by using specific denominators. So, denominators have to be estimated, which can enable computation of indicators for monitoring purposes. Census and Large scale sample surveys provide proportions to calculate denominators for program monitoring purposes.Methods: This paper uses demographic techniques to estimate denominators for all the countries for which data from the world population prospects is available.Results: The denominators have been estimated for number of infants, children and women of reproductive age and elderly in the age group of 60+ years.Conclusions: The estimations of denominators at the sub-national levels becomes quite challenging due to the scarce availability of data to be used as proportions for different population groups. But, once, the methodology is improved with appropriate data, it could serve as a boon for annual program monitoring process at multiple data time points between two national surveys.