Does the French law restricting the religious practice of the Islamic full-face veil amount to persecution within the remit of International Refugee Law, or is it a legitimate distinction under International Human Rights Law?

This article intends to prove that the general blanket ban restricting the public wearing of a full-face veil in France is a law that illegitimately discriminates against Muslim women who choose to cover their face with a Niqab and Burqa. The Niqab and Burqa are both full Islamic veils, which cover the whole body including the face, leaving just a narrow slit for the eyes (Niqab) or covering the eyes too (Burqa).[1] Muslim women who wear an Islamic veil, do so as a badge of honour—one that is liberating, empowering, and brings solace because it is worn solely as a religious act of compliance to God. Such face coverings are a valid form of manifestation of freedom of religion; a freedom enshrined as a non-derogable right under International Human Rights Law.[2] Yet, Muslim women have been severely deprived of such a right since the enforcement of Loi 2010-1192 du 11 Octobre 2010 interdisant la dissimulation du visage dans l'espace public - Law 2010-1192 of 11 October 2010 on the Prohibition of Concealing the Face in Public Space.[3] This law has allowed for the nationwide marginalisation of a group of women simply trying to live in the comfort of their faith. I will contend that such a profane law is not only a clear form of indirect discrimination under International Human Rights Law through the State’s illegitimate justifications; but also, that the law amounts to persecution on cumulative grounds under the Refugee Convention 1951

Hybrid Hierarchical Swarm Robotics for Planetary Exploration

This project proposes a novel approach to planetary exploration utilizing a hybrid hierarchical swarm robotic system inspired by social insect colonies. The project will develop a centralized \u27queen\u27 robot that provides high-level direction to a team of semi-autonomous \u27worker\u27 robots, each capable of making local decisions while following the queen\u27s strategic guidance. This structure aims to enhance adaptability and efficiency by balancing centralized coordination with distributed execution. The approach aligns with NASA\u27s CADRE mission, which uses coordinated rovers to map the lunar surface. By combining simulation in ROS2/Gazebo with physical testing on lunar regolith simulant, this research will evaluate how hierarchical swarms can improve exploration coverage, communication reliability, and energy efficiency compared to traditional approaches. The anticipated outcomes aim to advance robotic exploration methodologies for planetary environments while offering insights applicable to search-and-rescue, environmental monitoring, and other domain

Response to recharge variation of thin rainwater lenses and their mixing zone with underlying saline groundwater

In coastal zones with saline groundwater, fresh groundwater lenses may form due to infiltration of rain water. The thickness of both the lens and the mixing zone, determines fresh water availability for plant growth. Due to recharge variation, the thickness of the lens and the mixing zone are not constant, which may adversely affect agricultural and natural vegetation if saline water reaches the root zone during the growing season. In this paper, we study the response of thin lenses and their mixing zone to variation of recharge. The recharge is varied using sinusoids with a range of amplitudes and frequencies. We vary lens characteristics by varying the Rayleigh number and Mass flux ratio of saline and fresh water, as these dominantly influence the thickness of thin lenses and their mixing zone. Numerical results show a linear relation between the normalised lens volume and the main lens and recharge characteristics, enabling an empirical approximation of the variation of lens thickness. Increase of the recharge amplitude causes increase and the increase of recharge frequency causes a decrease in the variation of lens thickness. The average lens thickness is not significantly influenced by these variations in recharge, contrary to the mixing zone thickness. The mixing zone thickness is compared to that of a Fickian mixing regime. A simple relation between the travelled distance of the centre of the mixing zone position due to variations in recharge and the mixing zone thickness is shown to be valid for both a sinusoidal recharge variation and actual records of daily recharge data. Starting from a step response function, convolution can be used to determine the effect of variable recharge in time. For a sinusoidal curve, we can determine delay of lens movement compared to the recharge curve as well as the lens amplitude, derived from the convolution integral. Together the proposed equations provide us with a first order approximation of lens characteristics using basic lens and recharge parameters without the use of numerical models. This enables the assessment of the vulnerability of any thin fresh water lens on saline, upward seeping groundwater to salinity stress in the root zone

Shallow rainwater lenses in deltaic areas with saline seepage

In deltaic areas with saline seepage, freshwater availability is often limited to shallow rainwater lenses lying on top of saline groundwater. Here we describe the characteristics and spatial variability of such lenses in areas with saline seepage and the mechanisms that control their occurrence and size. Our findings are based on different types of field measurements and detailed numerical groundwater models applied in the south-western delta of the Netherlands. By combining the applied techniques we could extrapolate measurements at point scale (groundwater sampling, temperature and electrical soil conductivity (TEC)-probe measurements, electrical cone penetration tests (ECPT)) to field scale (continuous vertical electrical soundings (CVES), electromagnetic survey with EM31), and even to regional scale using helicopter-borne electromagnetic measurements (HEM). The measurements show a gradual mixing zone between infiltrating fresh rainwater and upward flowing saline groundwater. The mixing zone is best characterized by the depth of the centre of the mixing zone <i>D</i><sub>mix</sub>, where the salinity is half that of seepage water, and the bottom of the mixing zone <i>B</i><sub>mix</sub>, with a salinity equal to that of the seepage water (Cl-conc. 10 to 16 g l<sup>−1</sup>). <i>D</i><sub>mix</sub> is found at very shallow depth in the confining top layer, on average at 1.7 m below ground level (b.g.l.), while <i>B</i><sub>mix</sub> lies about 2.5 m b.g.l. The model results show that the constantly alternating upward and downward flow at low velocities in the confining layer is the main mechanism of mixing between rainwater and saline seepage and determines the position and extent of the mixing zone (<i>D</i><sub>mix</sub> and <i>B</i><sub>mix</sub>). Recharge, seepage flux, and drainage depth are the controlling factors

The Supply and Demand of Ozempic in America: An Economic Analysis

Under the direction of Dr. Pablo Hernandez This research project examines the supply and demand dynamics of Ozempic, a diabetes medication that has seen a dramatic increase in demand due to its off-label use for weight loss. This study provides a real-world application of key economic principles, particularly the law of supply and demand, price elasticity, and market equilibrium. Ozempic’s demand has surged due to increased consumer interest, largely driven by social media and weight loss trends. However, supply has not kept pace with changes in demand resulting in shortages and rising prices. This imbalance illustrates how changes in demand influence market conditions. These conditions demonstrate concepts such as inelastic supply, price adjustments, and government intervention in markets. In the U.S., demand plays a particularly strong role in determining price because the pharmaceutical market operates with less price regulation than in other countries. Unlike nations with government-imposed price caps or negotiation systems, the U.S. allows companies to set prices based on market conditions. In contrast, countries like Canada or those in the European Union have introduced price controls that limit how much demand can drive up costs. By analyzing Ozempic through the lens of supply and demand, this research connects classroom economic theories to real-world market behavior, showing how fundamental economic principles shape industries and consumer access to goods, particularly in the uniquely structured U.S. pharmaceutical market

Induced sputum versus gastric aspirate for microbiological confirmation of pulmonary tuberculosis in infants and young children: A prospective cohort study

Introduction: The diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) is challenging in children due to the paucibacillary nature of disease and difficulty in sample collection. Gastric lavage (GL) is recommended in children because children tend to swallow sputum and do not expectorate; however, it is invasive, stressful and requires admission. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the yield of GL samples with that of induced sputum, which is a non-invasive method and can be done on an outpatient basis. Methods: A prospective cohort study was done on 55 children, who were <6 years of age, admitted for suspected pulmonary TB (PTB) in Medical College, Aligarh, from December 2011 to December 2013. Sputum induction and GL were done on 3 consecutive days according to the standard procedure. All samples were stained for acid-fast bacilli and each sample was cultured for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Results: The median age of the children in the study group was 28 months. A positive smear and culture were positive for M. tuberculosis in 7.2% and 20% of children, respectively. There was no significant difference in smear positivity from induced sputum samples compared to gastric aspirate samples. However, the culture positivity for M. tuberculosis was better with induced sputum than gastric aspirate and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Sputum induction procedures were well tolerated; minor side effects were vomiting, mild epistaxis, coughing, or transient wheezing. Conclusion: Sputum induction is safe and useful for microbiological confirmation of TB in young children. This technique is preferable to GL for diagnosis of PTB

Conservation Initiatives/Practices at Universities

Growing actions on putting into practice the policy for improving sustainable development gives universities great variety of opportunities on implementation of different ‘green’ technologies in their campuses. Campus greening is the first step towards sustainability. The purpose of this article is to present existing approaches on the categories of sustainable campus initiatives, their significance for complete region development and the state of the environment. On the example of the inner garden of Volgograd State University, the authors describe the importance of greening the external campus sites for minimization of the negative environmental and health affects for students and faculty staff. The green initiative reflects the institution’s function as center of technological and social regional development. The green garden can reduce stress and also provide an esthetic sense by involving attractive surroundings. The impact of climatic zone on emerging of appropriate management and maintenance systems, meaningful comparison with the past landscape solutions are also reviewed in the present article. By implementing green technologies, the university shows its prudence and readiness to behave responsibly, sensibly and maturely in response to sustainability issues of the present and the future