The Rise of Distinct "Common Law" Financial Zones in Islamic Countries [Article]

ArticleThis article investigates four instances of the transplantation of English commercial law (broadly defined) into a different legal environment. The financial centers in Dubai (UAE), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Doha (Qatar), and Astana (Kazakhstan) have adopted a legal regime based on English Common Law, despite their national civil law and Islamic traditions. This choice on the face of it seeks to create an attractive business environment through optimal protection of market participants’ rights. This research appraises comprehensively, through a comparative perspective, the unique institutional and regulatory model adopted and practiced by the four zones: the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Qatar Financial Center (QFC), and Astana International Financial Center (AIFC). There are three dimensions of comparison: (1) comparing the centers’ rules and regulations with their U.K. counterparts to reveal the degree of legal transplantation; (2) comparing the centers’ rules and regulations with their domestic counterparts to explore a potential regulatory gap between the two systems; and (3) comparing the four different regimes to reveal their potentially different experiences. Through a rigorous comparative examination of the experiences of the four zones, this research provides fresh perspectives to the need for robust law in economic and financial development, through legal transplantation to achieve such purpose. The four zones have provided an excellent natural experiment for these enduring theoretical debates.This material published in Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law is made available by the James E. Rogers College of Law, the Daniel F. Cracchiolo Law Library, and the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact the AJICL Editorial Board at http://arizonajournal.org/contact-us/

Cotton Insecticide Use Guide: Knowing and Balancing Risks

Audience - agricultural stakeholders (growers, pest control advisors, industry).This two‐page guide offers a concise, practical overview for cotton growers and pest management professionals on how to select insecticides that balance effective pest control with environmental, human, and ecological safety. It presents a rating system that scores products for their efficacy against target pests (such as whiteflies and lygus bugs) and for their risks to beneficial organisms like predatory insects, pollinators, and other wildlife, as well as potential hazards to human bystanders and aquatic life. The guide emphasizes that no product is completely without risk and that informed decisions require weighing factors such as pest control performance, resistance management, cost, and broader environmental impact. Developed by experts from the University of Arizona and USDA-ARS, this IPM (Integrated Pest Management) short serves as a user-friendly reference to help growers choose insecticides that support sustainable cotton production while minimizing unintended consequences.This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2024-70006-35385 and grants from the Arizona Cotton Growers Association and Cotton Incorporated.Documents in the Arizona Pest Management Center collection are made available by the Arizona Pest Management Center (APMC) and the University Libraries at the University of Arizona. For more information about items in this collection, please contact https://acis.cals.arizona.edu/about-us/arizona-pest-management-center

SPATIO-TEMPORAL CLASSIFICATION OF WEST COAST WINE REGIONS USING VITICULTURAL CLIMATE INDICES

Climate is a primary determinant of viticultural potential, directly influencing grape phenology, yield, and wine style. In recent decades, climate change has introduced increasingly complex challenges for vineyard managers and the wine industry. The critical objective of modern wine growing is to maximize yield and minimize water consumption without compromising quality. This research aims to assess how viticultural climate classifications have changed over time and what these shifts imply for sustainable vineyard adaptation. Using time series analysis of historical climate records and remote sensing data, vineyard regions are classified annually based on the Winkler Index. The study identifies trends in heat accumulation, temporal shifts in viticultural zones, and evolving regional suitability for grape production. These findings offer insights into the long-term effects of climate change on viticulture and aim to support evidence-based adaptation strategies and business decisions for growers and winemakers.This item is part of the MS-GIST Master's Reports collection. For more information about items in this collection, please contact the UA Campus Repository at [email protected]

SMART STUDYING: TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO STUDY THROUGH NEUROSCIENCE

Students consistently report using primarily ineffective and inefficient study strategies when regulating their own learning. While some interventions have been shown to influence student study behaviors, we do not know what factors make these interventions successful or not. To investigate this question, we recruited seventy-five undergraduates in an introductory chemistry course that were randomly assigned to one of two video-based interventions. Both groups learned about four evidence-based study/test-taking strategies-retrieval practice, distributed practice, creating connections, and managing test anxiety-but only the experimental group received neuroscientific explanations for why these strategies work. To assess the intervention's effects, we examined its impact on exam scores, belief in strategy, and self-reported study behavior. Both interventions significantly changed self-reported study behaviors, but the neuroscience-based intervention did not significantly outperform the other intervention. These results support prior research suggesting that it is possible to design study strategy interventions to help college students regulate their learning more effectively, and serves as a pilot study for this new type of neuroscience-based intervention. These findings suggest that while neuroscience-informed framing has theoretical appeal, it may not offer additional benefit over evidence-based interventions without further refinement

THE VOICES OF WATER: DEVELOPMENT OF A PARTICIPATORY GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR SPATIOTEMPORAL WATER QUALITY MONITORING IN THE DOÑA JUANA VOLCANIC GEO-ECOSYSTEM AT NARIÑO, COLOMBIA

This research presents the development and implementation of a cloud-based Participatory Geographic Information System (PGIS) for spatiotemporal water quality monitoring in the Doña Juana Volcanic Geo-ecosystem, Nariño, Colombia. Building upon prior transdisciplinary research conducted by the author—integrated local and generational knowledge with geochemical analysis of waters around the volcano— this work puts into use the four culturally recognized water types (mudas, orgánicas, tibias, and gordas) identified by inhabitants of Las Mesas and nearby villages within a web-accessible monitoring platform that enables continuous, community-driven data collection. The methodology employs a three-tiered architecture: (1) an ArcGIS Pro geodatabase with customized domains incorporating local water classifications; (2) ArcGIS Field Maps for offline-capable mobile data collection by trained community monitors; and (3) an ArcGIS Experience Builder web application providing real-time 3D visualization and spatiotemporal analysis. Community monitors were trained to use portable multiparameter probes to measure temperature (°C), pH, and total dissolved solids (ppm)—parameters that reflect hydrothermal activity through temperature variations, acidity changes, and mineral content fluctuations. This enables scientific documentation of physico-chemical characteristics in water that they have traditionally observed while maintaining correlations between quantitative data and established classifications for detecting possible volcanic or anthropic related changes. By integrating PGIS principles with community-based water monitoring, this research strengthens volcanic risk management through participatory approaches. Furthermore, this system empowers active environmental monitors capable of identifying anomalous patterns potentially signaling volcanic activity, fosters stronger socio-ecological relationships between inhabitants and their territory, and enhances response capacity. Ultimately, this work contributes to early warning systems research and establishes a replicable framework for community-based volcanic surveillance throughout Colombia and other Latin American regions where water, volcanoes, and communities are deeply interconnected.This item is part of the MS-GIST Master's Reports collection. For more information about items in this collection, please contact the UA Campus Repository at [email protected]

Mixed Methods Investigation of the Validity of the Items on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale

This study explores the validity of the items on the Rosenberg Self Esteem scale. Self-esteem is the degree that someone feels favorably about themselves and how much value they personally feel they have. While other measures have been developed to measure global self-esteem, the RSES is overwhelmingly used most often. The definition of self-esteem and its role in education has been debated by educators, psychologists and educational psychologists for over 100 years. The self-esteem movement of the late 1980’s and 90’s in the United States was a campaign that began in the state of California and was widely adopted by the educational system. Understanding if the construct of self-esteem has changed since initial measurement tools were developed in 1965 is important. For example, items on the RSES may now be measuring other constructs of self. A mixed method design was utilized to examine the validity of the items on the RSES using the structure of Strong Program of Construct Validation combining qualitive and quantitative data. Qualitive data from thirty-three participants was collected via interviews using an informal interview style and research translation process called Think Aloud Protocol. Quantitative data was collected through one hundred and seventy-four surveys containing the RSES and the Self-Liking/Self-Competence Scale – Revisited. Findings showed that the items on the RSES were found to have statistical validity, but this measure may not be measuring current perceptions of self-esteem

USING FAMILY SCIENCE TO PREDICT RESILIENCE OR CRISIS OUTCOMES IN THE MENTAL HEALTH OF MOTHERS RAISING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Raising a child with symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be stressful in any family. Due to the high caregiving demands and the persistence of symptoms across the lifespan, mothers in particular are at risk for mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and negative emotions. Treatments and interventions for ASD are typically geared toward the child as an individual. However, family systems theory tells us that the effects of a child's diagnosis of ASD can ripple through the entire family unit. The ABC-X Stress Model is a tool used to evaluate how families cope with stress by analyzing (A) the stressor, (B) resources available, and (C) family perceptions, which lead to (X) our outcomes of crisis or resilience. My aim in this paper was to adapt the ABC-X Stress Model to examine factors of maternal stress when raising children with ASD. This allows us to analyze risks of crisis and resilience within mothers' mental health. A literature review of 30 peer-reviewed articles was used to analyze what research has already been done in this area. The results imply that addressing one factor alone is not sufficient for significantly improving mental health in mothers. The findings show how mental health promotion and prevention for mothers of children with ASD can be analyzed through identifying the personal, societal, and social structures that act as preventative factors or put mothers at risk. This allows researchers, policy makers, as well as therapists, to identify ways to reduce stress, social disparities, and encourage resilience by creating programs that support mental health promotion

Validation of Cardiomems Pulmonary Artery Pressure Monitor Using the Donovan Mock Tank

Maintenance of HF symptoms requires patients to monitor changes in limb edema, sudden weight gain and edema as markers for progressing or worsening HF. However, these symptoms can occur suddenly and can lead to decompensation and hospitalization if not addressed in a timely manner. The CardioMEMS HF System was developed to monitor patient pulmonary artery pressures and catch worsening heart failure before symptoms of fluid overload manifest. Indeed, the CardioMEMS has been shown to reduce HF hospitalizations by up to 30% with great reliability and reproducibility. Recently, a case report at Banner University Medical Center Tucson highlighted potential pitfalls in treating patients with CardioMEMS based on faulty readings from the Smart Pillow home system, highlighting a need for further understanding of potential biases in CardioMEMS readings against a known pressure. This study aimed to characterize CardioMEMS Hospital System and Smart Pillow (home system) readings against the Donovan Mock Circulation Tank (Mock Tank) – a chamber used to test and validate mechanical circulatory support devices. A series of groups was devised to represent a spectrum of pulmonary artery pressures and readings were taken from the PAP chamber of the Mock tank and compared to readings from the CardioMEMS device using the Hospital System. Linear regressions confirmed great agreement between the two measurement methods (R squared >0.95, p<0.0001) and Bland-Altman plots revealed a negative proportional bias (-1.272mmHg, p<0.0001) that suggested the CardioMEMS underestimation was greater at higher PAP chamber pressures. Biases in CardioMEMS measurements should be considered and additional confirmations of fluid overload should be considered when changing the treatment plan of patients with HF

Cis Lunar Surveillance System

In an era defined by accelerated human and robotic ventures beyond low–Earth orbit and an increasing imperative to detect, track, and characterize transient near–Earth objects, this thesis presents a transformative concept: a distributed cis–lunar surveillance constellation that leverages the intrinsic dynamical pathways of the Earth–Moon three–body environment to achieve persistent, low–energy monitoring and rapid intercept capabilities. Drawing upon the rich structure of halo orbits and their associated invariant manifolds, our design embeds a network of microsatellites in carefully chosen manifold–guided trajectories, minimizing station–keeping ∆V while maximizing spatial coverage of the cis–lunar arena. The constellation’s hardware architecture integrates high–resolution optical imagers, wide–band radio–frequency transceivers, and autonomous inter–satellite ranging instruments, all orchestrated through a decentralized liaison framework that distributes processing and decision authority across the network. To navigate the complex gravitational interplay in the Circular Restricted Three–Body Problem without continuous ground intervention, we develop a passive measurement strategy that fuses star–line and inter–satellite range observations within an Unscented Kalman Filter tailored to the nonlinearities of the CR3BP, thereby achieving real–time, fault–tolerant orbit determination and guidance. We demonstrate the system’s rapid–response potential through a detailed case study: an opportunistic flyby and subsequent rendezvous with the temporary moon 2020 CD3. Beginning from a nominal halo–orbit constellation configuration, our transfer optimization—formulated as a constrained two–point boundary-value problem—yields a total ∆V of approximately 1.75km s−1, on par with dedicated singular missions yet accomplished without extensive pre–mission planning or large payload capacity. Monte Carlo simulations confirm a > 95% probability of intercept within a 1km corridor, and covariance analysis indicates sub–10m positional uncertainty at rendezvous, sufficient to support high–resolution imaging, in–situ sampling, and autonomous proximity operations. Beyond validating the concept, these results underscore manifold–enabled cis–lunar constellations as cost–effective, scalable platforms for planetary defense, resource reconnaissance, and sustained lunar exploration objectives. By uniting advanced astrodynamics, distributed sensing, and autonomous navigation, this work lays the foundation for a resilient space situational awareness infrastructure that can adapt to evolving threats and opportunities across Earth–Moon space

Future of the Colorado River – Southwest Ag Summit

This article, published in the VegIPM Newsletter (Vol. 16, No. 4), previews discussions at the 2025 Southwest Ag Summit focused on the Colorado River, highlighting key sessions with policymakers and water leaders addressing negotiation challenges.Documents in the Arizona Pest Management Center collection are made available by the Arizona Pest Management Center (APMC) and the University Libraries at the University of Arizona. For more information about items in this collection, please contact https://acis.cals.arizona.edu/about-us/arizona-pest-management-center