Latest from Annahar
Annahar
23-07-2025
- Health
- Annahar
World next advancement: Unveiling the power of genetic modification in Diabetes
'Genes are a powerful tool for unlocking the mysteries of human health and disease.' To begin with, what is gene engineering? Gene engineering or what we call gene modification is an advanced, pivotal aspect in modern biotechnology. It refers to the direct manipulation of an organism's genes to achieve a desired trait or function. In other words, it's a process that uses laboratory-based technologies to alter the DNA makeup of an organism involving the change in a single base pair (A-T, G-C), deleting or adding a DNA segment. -The issue presented in this area is: Bacteria.-Is it possible for a bacteria to be given a human gene? -Well, relationship between gene engineering and bacteria primarily involves using the bacteria as a tool for research and therapy, and it is done by several steps: cloning as a primary step. The human gene of interest is first isolated and cloned into a plasmid (a small circular piece of DNA that can replicate independently within a bacterial cell). this, the plasmid containing the human gene is introduced into the bacterial cells through a process known as Transformation. It is done by a heat shock or electrophoresis for making the bacterial cell membrane more permeable to DNA. it's introduced, the plasmid can be transcribed and translated leading to the production of a human protein. the human protein can be harvested and purified for research and treatments. 'An illustration of this is Insulin'. Gene engineering has significant implications for diabetes by the help of E. coli bacterium to produce E. coli? because it grows rapidly and generates a significant amount of applying CRISPR technology which is one of the most powerful tools in genomic research that allow researchers to make precise edits for the DNA using its proprietary CRISPR/CAS9 is composed of a CAS9 enzyme that cuts DNA and a guide RNA that recognizes the desired sequences to be edited. Thus, CRISPR technology targets specific genes associated with diabetes, where it knocks out genes that contribute to diabetes or insert genes that improve insulin play a crucial role in the biotechnological approaches for diabetes. Therefore, the future of gene engineering holds an immense potential that can unlock new possibilities for a positive future.
Annahar
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Annahar
The Phenomenon of Monetized Engagement
In the throes of a progressive zeitgeist, numerous young individuals have hopped on the trend of becoming a 'Digital Creator'. In fact, as of 2025, over 50 million people claim to be content creators. But what exactly does the job entail? Constituting a $191 million market in the coinciding annum, this profession includes producing diverse forms of content using digital platforms, notably Instagram, Tiktok, Youtube and many more. Ranging from food bloggers to podcasters and even influencers, this industry is highly diverse and tailored to each person's interests. Yet nowadays, in modern societies, creative digital publishers play a key role in shaping economic trends and consumer behavior. In order to understand the full scope of their impact, it is of the utmost importance to explore their entire areas of work in today's digital landscape. Content creators come in many forms, each bringing a unique perspective to the cyber-world. From Youtubers to Instagram influencers, vloggers and streamers, each online creator creates a wide range of material designed to influence and inspire viewers. Entertainers captivate the audience's attention with engaging videos, often following trends. Educators, on the other hand, offer valuable skills and knowledge across different fields. While reviewers and critics focus on evaluating and rating products or services, activists and advocates utilize their platforms to spread consciousness about detrimental issues, inspiring others to take action. A prominent aspect regarding this whole spectrum is the monetization of some creators' content. Merely based on views, likes and shares, a content producer's output can be remunerated, with earnings reaching over $100,000 in some rare cases, representing about 7% of the grand total. Therefore, thousands if not millions of the younger generation were motivated to start their own content platform. However, beyond their creative outcomes, digital creators hold a significant influence on today's society. From fashion trends to political movements, their evergrowing influence has become undeniable. As young adolescents see them more relatable than celebrities, creative cyber-producers have risen in popularity in the past few years, and their impact during the past decade has become blatant. Behind the seemingly innocent videos, some creators disseminate propagandistic messages, undermining their initial aim : amusement. Sporadically, during periods of economic turmoil or financial and political unrest, dominant powers may connect with said influencers in order to spread their ideologies, facilitating the implementation of critiqued fiscal and geopolitical agendas. Content creators are not just entertainers anymore, they have become cultural leaders and economic drivers. The present-day economy has been heavily modeled by trends promulgated by all sorts of creators, reshaping consumer behavior and deeply affecting the domains of value creation and mass consumption. Pioneering in a new form of entrepreneurial digital labor, engagement and visibility are monetized rather than physical goods. This new approach produces a 'winner-takes-most' dynamic, a hallmark of cyber capitalism. Producing a gig economy, this structure demands constant output and branding, a classic case of precarious virtual labor. Nonetheless, creators are exploited as advertising capital is increasingly redirected from traditional media to digital artists, brands prioritise this type of collaboration due to higher ROI and authenticity. Similarly, new micro-industries emerged to cater the needs of web innovators as demand for digital tools augmented. Another point to consider is that while content creation offers countless opportunities, especially for younger generations, true economic inclusion remains conditional and impacted by structural inequalities. As algorithms and biases curtail visibility from certain creators based on their geographical location, internet hubs deepen pre-existing disparities, particularly widening the gap between the global north and the global south. Looking ahead, the development of decentralized platforms and blockchain technology could potentially lead to a more equitable redistribution of power and earnings amongst digital creators. And without targeted hegemonic regulatory action and enhanced accountability across all platforms, progressive marginalization and unfair compensation could persist or even escalate. In fine, digital creators have emerged as pivotal actors in forging contemporary economies, yet, they still face unrelenting challenges, reflecting global behavioral patterns. This market shift amplifies competition, unrivaled platforms monopolies and perpetuates pervasive uncertain labor conditions. Major cyber-hubs consolidate power, steering economic flows and content visibility. This phenomenon reflects broader economic structures, where ruling actors leverage creators' labour, exacerbating worldwide inequalities and sustaining concentrated wealth within digital capitalism.
Annahar
16-07-2025
- General
- Annahar
Palestine Across Millennia: A Book That Tells a Different Story
When discussing Palestine, individuals frequently bring up politics, conflict, or loss. However, Palestinian historian Nur Masalha's book 'Palestine Across Millennia: A History of Literacy, Learning and Educational Revolutions' presents a different narrative, one that is rich in literature, education, and culture. Over 4,000 years of history are covered in this book, which demonstrates how Palestine has always been a center of education, thought, and literature. It takes the reader on a lengthy historical trip, demonstrating that Palestinians have always had knowledge and a vibrant culture. Masalha's work aims to disprove the widespread but untrue notion that Palestinians lacked a true culture and educational system before the modern age. Rather, he depicts a vibrant history in which individuals from all religions and eras learned, taught, translated, and produced knowledge. Early writing systems, such as Sumerian and Canaanite, were in use when the book began. People in Palestine were reading, writing, and teaching even thousands of years ago. During the Byzantine era, monasteries and cathedrals developed into important information centers. The Mar Saba monastery in Bethlehem is one example; it gained recognition for translating books into Arabic, Syriac, Greek, and Latin. This demonstrates how receptive and interconnected Palestine was to many languages and civilizations. Masalha also discusses schooling during the Islamic and Crusader eras. Schools continued to exist even during wartime. Madrasas at Jerusalem and Hebron taught Arabic religion and law during the Ayyubid and Mamluk eras. They demonstrated the plurality of the era by permitting students from many Islamic schools of thought to study together. Palestine later joined the Nahda, an Arab cultural resurgence, during the Ottoman Empire. More people learnt to read, newspapers were published, and printing presses were brought in. While preserving Palestinian identity, reformers like Khalil Sakakini contributed to the reform of education. However, education was not limited to large cities at the time. Masalha describes courses offered in mosques, churches, and houses, as well as home libraries and little village schools called Kuttab. Particularly under the British Mandate, when there were few recognized schools, these neighborhood initiatives assisted in preserving Palestinian culture. The book's most powerful lesson is that education is a form of resistance in and of itself. Palestinians continued to read, educate, and write despite measures by governments or outside forces to eliminate their culture. Masalha concludes the book by demonstrating the significance of libraries, archives, court papers, and family records in narrating Palestine's true history. Their resources demonstrate Palestine's rich and distinguished cultural heritage. This book is unique because it challenges the perception of Palestine held by a lot of people. It is a land where ideas have existed for thousands of years, not only a place of sorrow. It demonstrates that Palestinians have always been active information and learning producers in addition to their current struggles. This book is enlightening, especially for younger readers. This aspect of Palestinian history was not taught to many of us. It serves as a reminder that culture and memory are instruments of survival and dignity, not merely ruins of the past. Masalha's writing is heartfelt as well as full of proof. He writes for anyone who wants to have a deeper understanding of Palestine, not only historians. He serves as a reminder that every teacher, library, and journal in Palestine contributes to a much larger narrative. This book was a unique experience for me to read. I was intrigued, motivated, and proud of it. I first learned about it thanks to a friend from university who gave it to me as a gift. Thus, I would want to express my gratitude to Charbel Charbachi, whose thoughtful gift enabled me to embark on this beautiful and impactful journey through Palestinian history.
Annahar
30-06-2025
- General
- Annahar
The Stories of She
I still recall the face of this middle-aged man. It was the morning after the first attack on the southern suburb of Beirut in September 2024. I was walking towards the entrance of the building where my office is. There was a group of men delivering drinking water to the different companies in that same building. When I arrived, they were already leaving. One of them approached me and told me in Arabic 'Sabah el Kheir, Hamdella al Saleme' (Good morning, Thank God you are safe).I greeted him back and said, 'Good morning, thank you and same to you'. At first, I thought we know each other but then realized that I have never seen this man before. Suddenly he handed me a thread and told me: 'I was at Lady of Bechouat yesterday and I got these holy threads; this one is for you. Wear it all the time and it will keep you and your family safe' and he moved on. I did not have time to thank him. I freezed looking at the thread and wondering what has just happened. I even did not turn back to see where he went, I don't know why. Our Lady of Bechouat is a highly revered Marian shrine located in the village of Bechouat in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, famous for attributed miracles and as a significant pilgrimage site for both Christians and day went by, as well as the months. Four months of daily airstrikes, and drones flying above our head day and night. It was not the first war that I live and survive, but this one was different. A war that separated my country into safe and unsafe zones, breaking with it social structures, acceptance and tolerance. A war in which your religious confession and geographic location defines if you are safe and if you will survive or not. A war that made you as a Lebanese trust your enemy and attacker, simply by following their official social media channel on which they posted exactly where they will drop their missiles, and you trust them for the info they give you. But some strikes did come unannounced when it was targeting a specific a few weeks, I left Beirut and stayed with my mother in the village. My husband moved to Amman to continue his work, and my son was in South America. As for me, I used to wake up every day, shower, put on my clothes, carry my laptop and drive to the office. Even though our company offered us full flexibility to work from home, I found the strength to keep my daily routine during these four horrible back, I now wonder where I got this strength from. I was never brave during all the previous wars. I was the first one to run and hide in the shelter, and the last one to leave the shelter next day. I cannot deny that I was scared, especially when I heard the missiles flying before hitting their target, a target announced in advance. Our offices were near Beirut, so we heard and saw all the attacks. This war was different. The sounds, the damages, and the destruction was nothing I have seen before. Hundreds of buildings collapsing to the ground in seconds, and people warned in advance and granted some time to leave their life behind them, their memories, their clothes, their belongings. They had enough time to take a few items, leave the building and stand 500 meters away and watch a missile bringing the building to the ground and taking with it everything they I woke up every day, showered, put my clothes on, carried my laptop and drove to the office. On the way to Beirut, I used to see the smoke from the previous night attacks. My hand on the steering wheel and my eyes on Beirut and on the thread around my I wonder who defines justice. Humans? I do not think so, because we proved since we existed as a specie that we are not good at defines humanity? Humans? I think we proved to be the least humane species on then I look around me and I realize that we still have a lot of good people around us. I see people around the world protesting against wars. I hear more and more voices rising loud against how this world is being run and ruled. Voices of good men and women who are fighting for justice and humanity in any way they can. I see people I know and others I do not know, carrying the flag of my country, and going to the streets in their city thousands of miles away, to protest against war and there is also this middle-aged man, who handed me a holy thread one morning. A man I have never seen before. A man whose name I do not know. A stranger who offered me a gift one morning; a gift that would keep me and my family safe. I regret not turning back and asking for his name. Maybe he was an angel. Maybe it was a simple coincidence, but for sure, it made me believe again in humanity.
Annahar
27-06-2025
- Health
- Annahar
Mindfulness and Autism
A fairly recent study shows a 'mindfulness' program for autistic children and their parents provides a direct and long-term improvements. Mindfulness is defined as a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique. For Muslims and Christians who pray, an element of mindfulness is naturally infused in one's prayer. Another way I can describe it is when we take time to reflect on our conscious existence and our existence in relation to the natural environment and with other human beings around us. I always think about myself, the environment and the people around me, what is the big deal about a mindfulness program? The difference is that when you practice mindfulness on a routine basis, taking time from your day to actually meditate or pray, you become more mindful throughout your day. To put this in perspective, have you ever had an interaction with a person that was not as friendly as you would have liked it to be? After having an opportunity to reflect you may re-approach that person to apologize or to make the relationship more peaceful. What if your always busy with your work, school, or other tasks or social responsibilities, you may miss that opportunity to reflect, whereas when you designate time on a routine basis you are always having that opportunity to think about your emotions, your existence, and your relations with others. Thus, setting a time on a regular basis to reflect with oneself, one become more mindful throughout their day and through-out their life. What is Autism? Autism is a mental condition, present from early childhood and remains throughout adult life. It is characterized by great difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts. Fundamental to human development at many levels is the human ability to read minds and predict other peoples' intentions, this requires a specialized network of neurons in the frontal cortex of the brain called the 'mirror system'. These neurons are active when one performs a certain task but also when one observes the same task performed by others. From this, the brain forms a theory of the another person's mind using one's own experience, which enables imitation learning, empathy towards other human beings, and plays a critical role in the formation of language. Imitation is an early milestone in child development, and impaired socialization and lack of imitative play in children with autism are among the diagnostic criteria for the disability. In autism, this network of neurons is underdeveloped, resulting in deficient copying skills and the inability to recognize and interpret of minds of other persons. A child's autism diagnosis affects every member of the family in different ways. Parents/caregivers must now place their primary focus on helping their child with autism, which may put stress on their marriage, other children, employment, finances, and personal relationships and responsibilities. As much as we need to cope and treat the child's autism, equally important is treating the parents added stress and their overall mental health. In a recently published study at the Research Institute of Child Development and Education at the University of Amsterdam, which followed forty-five children with autistic spectrum disorders from the age of 8 through the age of 19 to see the effectiveness of a mindfulness program on both the parents and the autistic child who preformed mindfulness programs along with their parents. The study showed parents had an improvement in emotional and behavioral functions, improvement in the effectiveness of their parenting, specifically, over-activity and stress about their competence in parenting were decreased. Also, the parents' mindful awareness, as described in the mindfulness definition above also increased. Surprisingly, the autistic child did not report significant changes in mindful awareness, however, what is significant is that the child's social communication problems decreased, and their emotional and behavioral functioning improved, which included their internalizing, externalizing, attention problems, rumination, stress, and emotional well-being. Preforming a mindfulness exercise with an autistic child can be a challenge because of the inherent limitations in the child's ability to mirror the parents. Forcing anyone, albeit a child with autism, to pray or meditate in all likelihood will fail. However, if the parents approach the mindfulness exercise in a manner that is part of the parent's natural household order and part of the parents daily life and activity, they will set an environment that is naturally conducive to encourage mindfulness by the autistic child on his own. For example, when it's time to meditate or pray, all the distractions such as electronic devises and televisions are turned off, the lighting is reduced, and all toys are put away; creating a certain time during the day where both the parent and the child are availing themselves the opportunity to be in a peaceful and quiet environment to self reflect and be mindful.
