WHAT DO ISLAMIC INSTITUTIONAL FATWAS SAY ABOUT MEDICAL AND RESEARCH CONFIDENTIALITY AND BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY?

Protecting confidentiality is an essential value in all human relationships, no less in medical practice and research.(1) Doctor-patient and researcher-participant relationships are built on trust and on the understanding those patients' secrets will not be disclosed.(2) However, this confidentiality can be breached in some situations where it is necessary to meet a strong conflicting duty.(3) Confidentiality, in a general sense, has received much interest in Islamic resources including the Qur'an, Sunnah and juristic writings. However, medical and research confidentiality have not been explored deeply. There are few fatwas about the issue, despite an increased effort by both individuals and Islamic medical organizations to use these institutional fatwas in their research. Infringements on confidentiality make up a significant portion of institutional fatwas, yet they have never been thoroughly investigated. Moreover, the efforts of organizations and authors in this regard still require further exploration, especially on the issue of research confidentiality. In this article, we explore medical and research confidentiality and potential conflicts with this practice as a result of fatwas released by international, regional, and national Islamic Sunni juristic councils. We discuss how these fatwas affect research and publication by Muslim doctors, researchers, and Islamic medical organizations. We argue that more specialized fatwas are needed to clarify Islamic juristic views about medical and research confidentiality, especially the circumstances in which infringements on this confidentiality are justified.     

The Saudi Law of Ethics of Research on Living Creatures and its Implementing Regulations

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia passed a Law and Implementing Regulations of Ethics of Research on Living Creatures in 14/09/1431 Hijri (24/08/2010). We have performed an ethical analysis of this law and, accordingly, this paper discusses the major components, key strengths, and weaknesses of this law. The Saudi system considers Islamic Shariah in addition to international research ethics guidelines. The Law and its Implementing Regulations contain all ethical requirements for research. We conclude that this law can serve as an example, not only for other Arab countries in the region that have similar values and social structure to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but also for other Islamic countries.     

Nodulation of annual medicago by strains ofR. Meliloti in a commercial inoculant as influenced by soil phosphorus and pH

Summary Four species of annual medics showed poor growth and little or no nodulation in an inoculated, acid soil low in available phosphorus. Nodulation was significantly increased by adding phosphorus to the soil. The number of nodules found on the roots of each species was approximately the same for soil at pH 5.5 or 6.8. A commercial inoculant ofRhizobium meliloti was adequate for nodulation of all four species and two strains of rhizobia predominated in the nodules which were assayed by immunodiffusion.     

Leaf endophyte Neotyphodium coenophialum modifies mineral uptake in tall fescue

Neotyphodium coenophialum (Morgan-Jones and Gams) Glenn, Bacon and Hanlin, a fungal endophyte found primarily in shoots of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Shreb.), can modify rhizosphere activity in response to phosphorus (P) deficiency. In a controlled environment experiment, two cloned tall fescue genotypes (DN2 and DN4) free (E-) and infected (E+) with their naturally occurring endophyte strains were grown in nutrient solutions at low P (3.1 ppm) or high P (31 ppm) concentrations for 21 d. Endophyte infection increased root dry matter (DM) of DN4 by 21% but did not affect root DM of DN2. Under P deficiency, shoot and total DM were not affected by endophyte but relative growth rate was greater in E+ than E- plants. In high P nutrient solution, E+ plants produced 13% less (DN2) or 29% more (DN4) shoot DM than E- plants. Endophyte affected mineral concentrations in roots more than in shoots. Regardless of P concentration in nutrient solution, E+ DN2 accumulated more P, Ca, Zn and Cu but less K in roots than E- plants. When grown in high P nutrient solution, concentrations of Fe and B in roots of E+ DN2 plants were reduced compared with those of E- plants. Concentrations of P, Ca and Cu in roots of DN4 were less, but K was greater in E+ than E- plants. In shoots, E+ DN2 had greater concentrations of Fe and Cu than E- DN2, regardless of P concentration in nutrient solution. Genotype DN4 responded to endophyte infection by reducing B concentration in shoots. Nutrient uptake rates were affected by endophyte infection in plants grown in low P nutrient solution. A greater uptake rate of most nutrients and their transport to shoots was observed in DN2, but responses of DN4 were not consistent. Results suggest that endophyte may elicit different modes of tall fescue adaptation to P deficiency. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Dissolution and effectiveness of phosphate rock in acidic soil amended with cattle manure

Plant and Soil - Phosphate rock (PR) and organic manure (OM) are promising amendments to acidic soils to correct P deficiency and Al/Mn toxicities. The interaction between PR and OM and consequent...     

Evidence for chemical changes on the root surface of tall fescue in response to infection with the fungal endophyte Neotyphodium coenophialum

Endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) plants grown in phosphorus (P) deficient soils accumulate more P in roots and shoots than noninfected isolines. In a growth chamber experiment, four tall fescue genotypes DN2, DN4, DN7, and DN11, infected with their naturally occurring strains of Neotyphodium coenophialum (Morgan-Jones & Gams) Glenn, Bacon & Hanlin, and their noninfected isolines (E-), were cultivated in nutrient solution at two P levels: 31 ppm (P+) and 0 ppm (P-) for 4 wk. The Fe³⁺ reducing activity of extracellular reductants and intact root tissues, and total phenolic concentration in roots and shoots were measured. Endophyte infection significantly increased Fe³⁺ reducing activity rate of extracellular reductants (9.6 × 10^-3 mol Fe³⁺ h-1 g-1 root FW) when compared to E- plants (3.9 × 10^-3) and Fe³⁺ reduction rate of intact root tissues (6.16 and 4.48 mol Fe³⁺ h-1 g-1 root FW, respectively for E+ and E- plants). In response to P deficiency, Fe³⁺ reduction rate of intact root tissues increased in E+ plants by 375% when compared to E- plants, whereas no significant differences were observed when P was provided. Total phenolic concentration was 20% greater in shoots of E+ plants than in E- plants. In response to P deficiency, total phenolic concentration significantly increased in roots of E+ plants by 7%, and decreased in roots of E- plants by 10%. The most active Fe³⁺ reducing zones were located along branching of secondary and tertiary roots. The Fe³⁺ reducing activity on the root surface and total phenolic concentration in roots and shoots increased dramatically in response to endophyte infection, especially under P limiting conditions.Visiting Scientist sponsored by the Fulbright Program No. 21133     

Study the influence of culture conditions on rennin production by Rhizomucor miehei using solid-state fermentations

Investigations were conducted on the production of Rennin enzyme from the fungi Rhizomucor miehei 3420 NRRL using Solid-State fermentation. Wheat bran was used as a substrate. The influence of moisture content, incubation temperature, and the initial pH of fermentation medium were studied. The protein content, milk clotting activity (MCA), specific activity, proteolytic activity (PA), and (MCA/PA) ratio of the extracted enzyme were calculated after 4 days of incubation to evaluate the quality of the enzyme. The results showed that the optimal conditions for production were as follows: incubation temperature of 40 °C, moisture content of 60%, and pH of (3). Under these conditions, a production process of Rennin enzyme was established, and the values of protein content, milk clotting activity, specific activity, proteolytic activity, and (MCA/PA) ratio reached to 4 mg/mL, 600 SU/mL, 150 SU/mg, 45 PU/mL, 13.3 respectively.