Justice for All: American Muslims, Sharia Law, and Maintaining Comity with American Jurisprudence

The U.S. Muslim population, although currently only comprising one percent of all Americans, is on the rise. Muslim Americans are largely assimilated, happy with their lives, moderate with respect to divisive issues, and opposed to violence. Nonetheless, in recent years, a growing misunderstanding and fear of Muslims has led some activists to seek to ban the application of Islamic law, or Sharia, in American courts, de-spite the lack of evidence of an increase in the use of Sharia in U.S. courts. These attempted bans have seen varying degrees of success. This Note argues that these bans violate the voluntary, but longstanding, principle of comity and are unnecessary. When properly applied, comity prevents Sharia from pre-empting the Constitution while encouraging mutual acceptance and understanding between Muslim and non-Muslim Americans

Isotopic and Compositional Variations in Single Nuclear Fuel Pellet Particles Analyzed by Nanoscale Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

Article published under an ACS AuthorChoice LicenseThe Collaborative Materials Exercise (CMX) is organized by the Nuclear Forensics International Technical Working Group, with the aim of advancing the analytical capabilities of the participating organizations and providing feedback on the best approaches to a nuclear forensic investigation. Here, model nuclear fuel materials from the 5th CMX iteration were analyzed using a NanoSIMS 50L (CAMECA) in order to examine inhomogeneities in the U-235/U-238 ratio and trace element abundance within individual, micrometer scale particles. Two fuel pellets were manufactured for the exercise and labelled CMX-5A and CMX-5B. These pellets were created using different processing techniques, but both had a target enrichment value of U-235/U-238 = 0.01. Particles from these pellets were isolated for isotopic and trace element analysis. Fifteen CMX-5A particles and 20 CMX-5B particles were analyzed, with both sample types displaying inhomogeneities in the U isotopic composition at a sub-micrometer scale within individual particles. Typical particle diameters were similar to 1.5 to 41 mu m for CMX-5A and similar to 1 to 61 mu m for CMX-5B. The CMX-5A particles were shown to be more isotopically homogeneous, with a mean U-235/U-238 atom ratio of 0.0130 +/- 0.0066. The CMX-5B particles showed a predominantly depleted mean U-235/U-238 atom ratio of 0.0063 +/- 0.0094, which is significantly different to the target enrichment value of the pellet and highlights the potential variation of U-235/U-238 in U fuel pellets at the micrometer scale. This study details the successful application of the NanoSIMS 50L in a mock nuclear forensic investigation by optimizing high-resolution imaging for uranium isotopics.Peer reviewe

The Grizzly, February 7, 2002

The Bluelight Hits a Stoplight: Kmart Files for Chapter 11 • Reinstatement of Zeta Chi Charter On Hold • Alan Morrison and Friends to Perform at Heefner Organ Recital • Opinions: Not Everyone Loves Valentine\u27s Day; Tri Sig Strikes Back; Nowhere to Park • Wynton Marsalis is Coming to Campus! • Berman Museum: A Fun and Relaxing Alternative • When the Weather Outside is Frightful • Comparative Pricing Report: Cell Phone Plans • Spring Fashion Preview for Women • Record Breaking Results at Widener Invitational for UC Track & Field • Hussey Twins are Double Trouble • Bears Turn the Bullet in the Opposite Direction • Gymnastics Gods Shine on Johnson; Girls Set Three School Records in Second Straight Win • Men\u27s Basketball Splits Two League Games • UC Women\u27s Basketball Hits Three Game Winning Streak • UC Women\u27s Lacrosse Aiming for Final Four in 2002 • Bears Swimming Claws Their way Through the Water, Falling Short to a Powerful Franklin and Marshall Teamhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1506/thumbnail.jp

Silver Oxide Coatings with High Silver-Ion Elution Rates and Characterization of Bactericidal Activity.

This paper reports the synthesis and characterization of silver oxide films for use as bactericidal coatings. Synthesis parameters, dissolution/elution rate, and bactericidal efficacy are reported. Synthesis conditions were developed to create AgO, Ag₂O, or mixtures of AgO and Ag₂O on surfaces by reactive magnetron sputtering. The coatings demonstrate strong adhesion to many substrate materials and impede the growth of all bacterial strains tested. The coatings are effective in killing Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, demonstrating a clear zone-of-inhibition against bacteria growing on solid media and the ability to rapidly inhibit bacterial growth in planktonic culture. Additionally, the coatings exhibit very high elution of silver ions under conditions that mimic dynamic fluid flow ranging between 0.003 and 0.07 ppm/min depending on the media conditions. The elution of silver ions from the AgO/Ag₂O surfaces was directly impacted by the complexity of the elution media, with a reduction in elution rate when examined in complex cell culture media. Both E. coli and S. aureus were shown to bind ~1 ppm Ag⁺/mL culture. The elution of Ag⁺ resulted in no increases in mammalian cell apoptosis after 24 h exposure compared to control, but apoptotic cells increased to ~35% by 48 and 72 h of exposure. Taken together, the AgO/Ag₂O coatings described are effective in eliciting antibacterial activity and have potential for application on a wide variety of surfaces and devices

Silver Oxide Coatings with High Silver-Ion Elution Rates and Characterization of Bactericidal Activity.

This paper reports the synthesis and characterization of silver oxide films for use as bactericidal coatings. Synthesis parameters, dissolution/elution rate, and bactericidal efficacy are reported. Synthesis conditions were developed to create AgO, Ag₂O, or mixtures of AgO and Ag₂O on surfaces by reactive magnetron sputtering. The coatings demonstrate strong adhesion to many substrate materials and impede the growth of all bacterial strains tested. The coatings are effective in killing Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, demonstrating a clear zone-of-inhibition against bacteria growing on solid media and the ability to rapidly inhibit bacterial growth in planktonic culture. Additionally, the coatings exhibit very high elution of silver ions under conditions that mimic dynamic fluid flow ranging between 0.003 and 0.07 ppm/min depending on the media conditions. The elution of silver ions from the AgO/Ag₂O surfaces was directly impacted by the complexity of the elution media, with a reduction in elution rate when examined in complex cell culture media. Both E. coli and S. aureus were shown to bind ~1 ppm Ag⁺/mL culture. The elution of Ag⁺ resulted in no increases in mammalian cell apoptosis after 24 h exposure compared to control, but apoptotic cells increased to ~35% by 48 and 72 h of exposure. Taken together, the AgO/Ag₂O coatings described are effective in eliciting antibacterial activity and have potential for application on a wide variety of surfaces and devices

Regional Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolic Rate in Persistent Lyme Encephalopathy

Context: There is controversy regarding whether objective neurobiological abnormalities exist after intensive antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease. Objectives: To determine whether patients with a history of well-characterized Lyme disease and persistent cognitive deficit show abnormalities in global or topographic distributions of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) or cerebral metabolic rate (rCMR). Design: Case-controlled study. Setting: A university medical center. Participants: A total of 35 patients and 17 healthy volunteers (controls). Patients had well-documented prior Lyme disease, a currently reactive IgG Western blot, prior treatment with at least 3 weeks of intravenous cephalosporin, and objective memory impairment. Main Outcome Measures: Patients with persistent Lyme encephalopathy were compared with age-, sex-, and education-matched controls. Fully quantified assessments of rCBF and rCMR for glucose were obtained while subjects were medication-free using positron emission tomography. The CBF was assessed in 2 resting room air conditions (without snorkel and with snorkel) and 1 challenge condition (room air enhanced with carbon dioxide, ie, hypercapnia). Results: Statistical parametric mapping analyses revealed regional abnormalities in all rCBF and rCMR measurements that were consistent in location across imaging methods and primarily reflected hypoactivity. Deficits were noted in bilateral gray and white matter regions, primarily in the temporal, parietal, and limbic areas. Although diminished global hypercapnic CBF reactivity (P < .02) was suggestive of a component of vascular compromise, the close coupling between CBF and CMR suggests that the regional abnormalities are primarily metabolically driven. Patients did not differ from controls on global resting CBF and CMR measurements. Conclusions: Patients with persistent Lyme encephalopathy have objectively quantifiable topographic abnormalities in functional brain activity. These CBF and CMR reductions were observed in all measurement conditions. Future research should address whether this pattern is also seen in acute neurologic Lyme disease

Shoreline Dynamics Along a Developed River Mouth Barrier Island: Multi-Decadal Cycles of Erosion and Event-Driven Mitigation

Human modifications in response to erosion have altered the natural transport of sediment to and across the coastal zone, thereby potentially exacerbating the impacts of future erosive events. Using a combination of historical shoreline-change mapping, sediment sampling, three-dimensional beach surveys, and hydrodynamic modeling of nearshore and inlet processes, this study explored the feedbacks between periodic coastal erosion patterns and associated mitigation responses, focusing on the open-ocean and inner-inlet beaches of Plum Island and the Merrimack River Inlet, Massachusetts, United States. Installation of river-mouth jetties in the early 20th century stabilized the inlet, allowing residential development in northern Plum Island, but triggering successive, multi-decadal cycles of alternating beach erosion and accretion along the inner-inlet and oceanfront beaches. At a finer spatial scale, the formation and southerly migration of an erosion “hotspot” (a setback of the high-water line by ∼100 m) occurs regularly (every 25–40 years) in response to the refraction of northeast storm waves around the ebb-tidal delta. Growth of the delta progressively shifts the focus of storm wave energy further down-shore, replenishing updrift segments with sand through the detachment, landward migration, and shoreline-welding of swash bars. Monitoring recent hotspot migration (2008–2014) demonstrates erosion (&gt;30,000 m3 of sand) along a 350-m section of beach in 6 months, followed by recovery, as the hotspot migrated further south. In response to these erosion cycles, local residents and governmental agencies attempted to protect shorefront properties with a variety of soft and hard structures. The latter have provided protection to some homes, but enhanced erosion elsewhere. Although the local community is in broad agreement about the need to plan for long-term coastal changes associated with sea-level rise and increased storminess, real-time responses have involved reactions mainly to short-term (&lt;5 years) erosion threats. A collective consensus for sustainable management of this area is lacking and the development of a longer-term adaptive perspective needed for proper planning has been elusive. With a deepening understanding of multi-decadal coastal dynamics, including a characterization of the relative contributions of both nature and humans, we can be more optimistic that adaptations beyond mere reactions to shoreline change are achievable

The Grizzly, February 14, 2002

Salt Lake City Says Hello to the 2002 Winter Olympics • Black History Month at Ursinus: How Diverse is the Campus? • Lorelei: Blast or Bust? • All About Enron: Latest in the Scandal • Parking on Campus: Will There be Enough? • Opinions: Is the Bookstore Slighting Us?; New Dance Studio Missing One Thing: Dancers; Women Drinking While Pregnant: Is That Acceptable? • Exclusive Interview with Jamie Kennedy, Host of The Jamie Kennedy Experiment • The Silver-Brown Dance Company Stomps the Night Away • Is Digital TV Coming to Your House? • Introducing the Wellness Center • Black History Month at Ursinus: The Truth • What the Class of 2002 can Expect in the Real World • UC Women\u27s B-Ball Chops Down Washington on Friday, but Kneels to Swarthmore on Sunday • Ursinus Seeks Women\u27s Golf Coach and Prospective Players • UC Invitational Huge Success for Bears • Men\u27s Basketball Clinches Play-off Berth With Two Dominating Wins! • UC Bears Make a Splash in the Pool, Being Out-Touched by a Strong Bryn Mawr Teamhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1507/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, September 26, 2002

Students Take on Wismer: Committee to Address Dining Issues • Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board: Coming to a Party Near You? • Slow Internet Fast Becoming a Problem • I Just Called to Say : UC Phone-a-thon • UCNet Available through Career Services • From Italy with Love: The Life of Students Abroad • Opinions: Taking the Plunge to Clean up the Environment; Sorority Life or Sorority Joke?; Are Rules Really Rules? • Berman Collects: Museum\u27s Permanent Collection Holds Wide Variety of Objects • Bears Football Falls to F&M • Field Hockey Dominates the Field • Women\u27s Soccer Drop Decisions to Widener, Gettysburg • UC Men\u27s Soccer Win Over DeSales, 2-1 • Dougherty Notches Third Victory of Season • Preview of Family Day 2002https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1520/thumbnail.jp

Interview with FRB Officials re 13(3)

Linked is the audiotape to this intervie