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/

Hands-Free Control Of An Assistive Robotic Arm For High-Level Paralysis

Recent advancements in assistive robotic arms have enabled tetraplegics to perform activities of daily living more independently. Because these systems typically require hand use, they are not a ready option for many high-level tetraplegics. Alternative means that might be used by such individuals could involve signals that arise from the head and neck. Therefore, the goal of the study was to evaluate the utility of several non-invasive methods to control a robotic arm during reaching to multiple targets in 3D space. We tested ten able-bodied human subjects using five hands-free modalities (head position, head velocity, facial electromyography, tongue and voice) to control the robot arm. For comparison, subjects also used joystick position and joystick velocity to control reaching movements of the robotic arm. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was carried out on key performance indicators such as movement time, path efficiency, throughput, and perceived workload. The hands-free control modalities of head position, facial EMG, and tongue had movement times that were not significantly different than that of the benchmark method of hand control of a joystick. Furthermore, no significant differences were revealed in perceived workload across control modalities. These results indicate, therefore, that various non-invasive, hands free methods could used effectively by high-level tetraplegics to operate assistive robotic arms

Tailoring Electronic and Spin Properties in Organic Semiconductor-Metal Interfaces

Organic semiconductors are promising candidates for integration in state-of-the-art electronic device circuits as well as in next-generation spin-based devices. This has created a need to understand the physics that drive the interfacial structural and electronic properties, particularly in strongly-interacting organic adsorbate systems. In this dissertation, I have studied the interplay between interfacial structure and electronic properties for two organic electron acceptors: HATCN and NO2-PyT on metallic surfaces. Nanoscale imaging (LT-STM, HR-AFM) and local spectroscopy (STS) techniques, coupled with ensemble-averaged techniques such as ARPES, UPS and LEED provide us with a complete picture of the important physics that drive the interfacial properties. Three separate but highly related research projects presented here detail our key findings on tailoring interfacial physics including charge-transfer, Kondo scattering and Rashba SOC on different metallic surfaces. Our results pave the way for better design of hybrid organic-metal interfaces for electronic and spintronics applications

Examining the Role of Biased Beliefs and Affective Empathy on Bullying

Bullying is a long-standing, pervasive problem that affects about one-third of youth internationally. Using a cognitive behavioral theory (CBT) framework, the current study conceptualized the thoughts (biased beliefs) and feelings (affective empathy) of perpetrators as key variables to identify ways in which bullying can be best addressed. The study also considers how demographic characteristics impact these relationships. The sample included 153 adolescents aged 12 to 18 in the United Kingdom who were surveyed by the anti-bullying organization Ditch the Label. Results show that biased beliefs did vary significantly by sex, consistent with previous research. The current study also found that biased beliefs and affective empathy together explained 20% of the variance in bullying behaviors. Biased beliefs also emerged as a significant positive predictor, while affective empathy did not (though it demonstrated a non-significant negative relationship). Finally, the study found that sex significantly moderated the relationships between biased beliefs and bullying, and affective empathy and bullying. This study provides a new perspective on the cognitive and affective influences that can impact bullying perpetration, as well as the important moderating role of sex

Belonging Through Collective Forbearance: A Case Study of Resilience, Campus Climate and the Experiences of Arabic-Speaking International Students at The University of Arizona

This qualitative study examines how Arabic-speaking international students from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region experience belonging within the context of U.S. higher education. Despite the growing body of literature on international student belonging, students from Arabic-speaking countries remain underrepresented in research, even as they face uniquely complex challenges shaped by political, cultural, and religious dynamics. Drawing on theories of belonging, Islamophobia, and anti-Arab racism, this study investigates how geopolitical tensions, U.S. media portrayals, and campus climate influence the lived experiences of these students. This research is a case study conducted at the University of Arizona. The data was collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 19 Arabic-speaking undergraduate and graduate international students studying at the University of Arizona. Participants shared experiences about navigating microaggressions, religious and cultural stereotyping, and the emotional toll of being perceived through politicized lenses. The study was conducted during a time of heightened political tension, including the ongoing impact of the Muslim ban, the COVID-19 pandemic, and campus protests across college campuses in the United States related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These events deeply influenced students’ perceptions of safety, acceptance, and visibility on campus. The findings highlight how global politics intersect with local campus dynamics, revealing the ways Middle Eastern students internalize and navigate negative stereotypes and experiences while pursuing academic success and personal growth. This research highlights the urgent need for higher education leaders to move beyond assumptions and cultivate policies, programs, and campus environments that genuinely reflect the cultural, religious, and political diversity of Arabic-speaking students. Additionally, the study calls for a more nuanced understanding of resilience and forbearance, recognizing that while these qualities can help students endure challenges, they may also lead to the minimization or dismissal of serious issues that warrant institutional attention

Occupational Exposures and Experiences Among Women in Tobacco Production in India

BACKGROUND: The tobacco industry is a major contributor to both human and environmental damage. Tobacco farming and manufacturing leads to economic problems, labour exploitation, environmental degradation, and health problems for farmers and workers. Article 17 and 18 of WHO Framework convention on tobacco control addresses concerns regarding the serious risks posed by tobacco growing to human health and abuse by the tobacco industry. Indian tobacco farm laborers are primarily women and children working for very low wages. Beedi is the most common smoking form of tobacco used in India. The rolling of beedis is performed primarily by women in settings that lack occupational safeguards. We explored the use of occupational health of women involved in tobacco farming and beedi industry. SPECIFIC AIMS: The specific aims of this study were to 1. To conduct a systematic review of tobacco control studies conducted using photovoice methodology. 2. To explore occupational and reproductive health challenges faced by women tobacco farm labors in Mysore District, India. 3. To explore the experiences and challenges faced by women beedi workers in Mysore, India using photovoice, a community based participatory method. 4. To determine the occupational exposures among women beedi workers in Mysore, India. METHODS: To address aim 1, we searched six databases using search terms relating to photovoice and tobacco. The selection process followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Quality appraisal was conducted using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool as a screening tool. For aim 2, we conducted interview and focus group discussions among women tobacco farm laborers. For aim 3, we explored the experiences and challenges faced by women beedi workers using photovoice methodology. Photovoice is an arts-based participatory action research methodology that aims to empower community members to document and share their stories and communicate their lived experiences. For aim 4, occupational exposures to pesticides were assessed through the use of silicone wristbands worn for seven days by workers, and exposure to toxic metals was assessed in dust samples collected in the homes of beedi workers. RESULTS: Findings from aim 1 reports photovoice methodology being used in understanding perceptions of tobacco use and risk, environmental effects of tobacco, and advertisement and marketing of tobacco and e-cigarettes. Aim 2 findings reports green tobacco sickness symptoms including headaches, back pain, gastric problems, weakness, and allergies during menstruation, pre-natal, and post-natal periods among women tobacco farmers. They had poor awareness about the health effects of tobacco farming and there were gender inequalities in wages and use of personal protective equipment. Participants received support from family and community health workers during their pregnancy and post-natal period. Aim 3 finding reported the themes from the photovoice discussion that included occupational health problems and constraints, access to healthcare services, health behaviours, work environment, family responsibility, gender roles lead to interpersonal violence, societal expectations, financial challenges, gender and social inequality, and alternate employment. Findings from Aim 4 report out of the 17 pesticides and pesticide breakdown products tested, 15 were detected in the silicone wristband samples. Pentachlorobenzene, hexachlorobenzene, and 4,4′ dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) were detected above the limit of detection (LOD) in all wristband samples from both beedi and non-beedi workers. High detection rates were also observed for 4,4′ dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT; 92.5%), trans-chlordane (87.5%), and trans-nonachlor (87.5%) among the beedi workers. The levels of trans-chlordane (p = 0.02), trans-nonachlor (p = 0.02), 2,4′ DDE (p = 0.02), and 4,4′ DDT (p = 0.05) were significantly higher in wristbands worn by beedi workers compared to wristbands worn by non-beedi workers. All six tested metals were detected in the household dust samples. Lead, nickel, and chromium were present above the LOD in all samples across both groups. Beedi and non-beedi workers did not differ significantly in household dust concentrations of any of the tested metals. CONCLUSION: Tobacco farmers and beedi workers reported various health problems including the symptoms of green tobacco sickness. Beedi workers appear to be exposed to higher concentrations of several banned legacy pesticides and have a higher detection frequency of some toxic metals in their household dust. These results suggest that beedi workers are exposed to a greater burden of toxic chemicals than are non-beedi workers. We recommend implementing targeted workplace health interventions to address the occupational health problems among women tobacco farm laborers and beedi workers. The future interventions should include regular health screenings, education on occupational hazards, provision and interventions to adopt personal protective equipment like mask to reduce the exposures and improve the access to healthcare services. Additionally, integrating health policies and ensuring occupational health protection measures such as health insurance and paid sick leave can significantly improve the well-being and safety of these workers.Release after 12/30/202

Comparative Analysis Across Advanced Diffusion MRI Techniques for Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), an irreversible neurodegenerative brain disease, is characterized by hallmark pathologies such as beta-amyloid plaques, neurofibril tangle, and cellular degeneration, making diagnosis challenging due to comorbidities and other dementias. Traditional MRI can detect late-stage degeneration and morphology changes but fails to sense subtle microstructural changes that happen in the early stages of the disease. This thesis aimed to identify clinically applicable diffusion MRI metrics capable of early detection of AD pathology. Results in this thesis, from a post-mortem microstructural MRI study in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex using traditional diffusion encodings, highlighted MR metrics that are sensitive to the progression of neurofibril tangle infestation and beta-amyloid plaque presence. While promising diagnostic tools were identified during this study, the clinical implementation of these metrics remains challenging due to the time-intensive acquisitions, MRI hardware needs, and computational demands. In this thesis, these challenges were addressed, with an alternative diffusion acquisition, q-space trajectory imaging (QTI), capable of sensitizing the MRI signal to specific geometries and sizes resulting in reduced acquisition time needs. A validation of the QTI framework was conducted in a series of differing microstructural phantoms and showed key similarities to the traditional diffusion MRI framework metrics along with differing strengths. In an evaluation of both frameworks in AD post-mortem hippocampus, QTI showed improved early detection of AD when compared to the already promising traditional diffusion markers

Modeling Exoplanet Demographics Across Detection Methods

Exoplanet demographics leverages large-scale survey data to give us population-level in- sight to questions of planet formation, evolution, and habitability. Few exoplanet surveys to date have enabled more demographic studies than the Kepler mission, which leveraged the transit method of exoplanet detection to deliver thousands of confirmed and candidate planets. But despite this revolutionary insight, a paucity of reliable detections of Earth-like planets makes measuring their frequency – a key parameter in the search for life – extremely difficult. In this work, we present several studies leveraging the Kepler sample and recent innovations therein to provide some of the most up-to-date, comprehensive estimates for the frequency of Earth-like planets and its dependence on stellar mass. Additionally, we move beyond single-survey studies and supplement the limitations of Kepler by developing a new technique to constrain occurrence rates using data from multiple surveys. We then use this technique to constrain the occurrence distribution of giant planets as the first work to combine transit, radial velocity, and direct imaging surveys. Across all these studies, we comment on the potential for demographics to support current and future surveys as the community continues searching for life beyond our solar system

High-Performing Upland Cotton Shifts Root-Associated Microbiomes Under Water Limitation

Water scarcity significantly threatens cotton productivity, a challenge amplified by climate change and increasing competition for limited water resources. As a major source of natural fiber, cotton's resilience to drought stress is essential for maintaining productivity and supporting global textile production. However, the mechanisms underlying this resilience, particularly the responses of root-associated microbial communities that may influence plant drought stress responses, remain unclear. Here, we quantified the plasticity of microbial communities associated with roots of six cotton cultivars grown under water-limiting and well-watered conditions in a hot, arid environment. The highest-yielding cotton cultivars markedly shifted their root microbial communities between irrigation treatments, whereas low-yielding cultivars were less responsive. Microbiome shifts in high-performing varieties suggest that these plants may leverage symbiotic relationships to cope with water limitation. This study links microbial communities and the performance of cotton and highlights the potential for leveraging these relationships to improve crop resilience in water-limited environments

Scoping Literature Review: Untreated Hearing Loss Associations With Anxiety, Depression, Stress, Social Isolation, Poorer Quality of Life, and the Impact of Hearing Aids for Working-Age Adults

The purpose of this paper was to examine the negative effects of untreated hearing loss on mental health, specifically focusing on anxiety, depression, social isolation, and quality of life for working-age adults. A review of ten research studies revealed that untreated hearing loss, especially more severe, has a significant detrimental impact on mental health. In this paper, working-age adults were of primary focus, and it was found across the reviewed research studies that hearing loss not only caused mental health issues but also decreased ability to work and increased sick leave time, therefore reducing productivity and quality of life. On a positive note, many of the studies reviewed found that appropriate amplification, audiologic rehabilitation, and professional and familial support significantly reduced the impact of hearing loss on mental health and increased people’s productivity and quality of life. It is clear that treating hearing loss has a meaningful impact on working-age adult’s lives and ultimately, society as a whole