The Issue of Human Cloning: A Review in Semitic Religions’ Context

Human cloning has emerged as a new and innovative technology in the reproductive and therapeutic science in the recent past. So far it has not been practiced over human beings but owing to its huge potential and possible scope, it has attracted the attention of not only the masses (particularly the infertile couples and LGBTQs etc) but the other stakeholders including the religious scholars from worlds’ prominent religions have given their views on this technology in order to guide their followers. This paper examines and reviews the religious points of view on human cloning. For this purpose, three Semitic religions in the world i-e Judaism, Christianity, and Islām have been examined. As far as Islam is concerned, this portion has been divided into two broad sections elaborating the Shī‘ah and Sunnī schools’ opinions. Being an innovative topic, the religious teachings do not address it directly hence the injunctions related to the reproduction are most relevant to it. Three Semitic religions have been examined from the perspective of admissibility or non-admissibility of human cloning, the rationale behind the verdict on human cloning and the possible solutions to the issues and problems faced by the followers in the case of acceptance or rejection of this biomedical technology. Most of the religions emphasize over adaptability of the natural mode of reproduction only, where male and female genders contribute to the reproductive cycle. The Semitic religions reject the reproductive cloning generally. The religious experts need to conduct more focused and updated research before coming to any conclusion about the permissibility or non-permissibility of this technique.

Synthesis, Characterization and Applications of Lanthanide Nano Particles Doped on Zno, Tio2, Sio2.

Three sets of nanoparticles (ZnO, Gd/ZnO, Sm/ZnO, La/ZnO), (TiO2, Gd/TiO2, Sm/ TiO2, La/TiO2) and (SiO2, Gd/SiO2, Sm/SiO2, La/SiO2) were fabricated by sol-gel method using appropriate precursors with and without using surfactant (Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate)below its CMC value. The synthesized samples were characterized by Thermo gravimetric Analysis/Differential scanning calorimetry (TGA/DSC) for their thermal properties, by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphology of nanoparticles, by Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for particle size, by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) for crystal structure and crystallite size, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to analyze metal-oxygen bonding and functional groups. All characterization techniques confirmed the synthesis of nanoparticles. The average size of all nanoparticles was observed below 30nm and results obtained from TEM and XRD for particle size are in agreement with each other. Solid phase UV-visible absorption spectrophotometer (SPS) analysis was performed to study optical band gap of metal oxide nanoparticles and effect of doping on the band gap of nanoparticles. It was observed that band gap of undoped nanoparticles were higher than the band gap of same material in bulk form and band gap of lanthanide doped nanomaterials was less than undoped material. The observed optical band gap value for ZnO was 3.62eV, for TiO2 was 3.69eV and for SiO2 was 3.58eV. Catalytic activity was done by photodegradation of a highly neurotoxic, industrial pollutant Methylene Blue at different reaction conditions for time intervals 30 minutes, 60 minutes and 120 minutes using UV-light, Sunlight and dark. The photocatalytic degradation of MB was studied by using UV-Vis spectrophotometer in kinetic mode and first order rate constant (k) was calculated. Maximum degradation (26.146%) with k-value 0.1031 Sec-1was made Gd/ZnO nanoparticles after 120 minute reaction in UV-light. It was also observed that photodegradation activity of Gd/ZnO, Sm/ZnO and Sm/TiO2 was approximately equal with a slight difference. Also SiO2 and Ln (Ln= Gd,Sm,La) doped SiO2 have lower catalytic degradation activity as compared to (ZnO, Gd/ZnO, Sm/ZnO, La/ZnO) and (TiO2, Gd/TiO2, Sm/ TiO2, La/TiO2). Results suggested that these nanoparticles may be envisaged for the treatment of waste water.