Perspectives from the Field: Interviews with the \u3ci\u3eAlima\u3c/i\u3e of Ladakh

This article is based on a series of interviews with a group of female Islamic scholars—alima—in Leh, Ladakh, who were the first four women from the region to receive a religious education in a formal madrassa (religious school). The women interviewed attended Jamiatus Salehat, a Deobandi religious boarding school located in Malageon Maharashtra (India), in the late 1980s. They graduated in 1991, returning to Ladakh to teach religion in the area. Today, these four women conduct public religious teachings for women in both Leh and Nubra valleys, and educate their family members about Islam as well. Segments of interviews conducted in 2012 with three of these alima of Ladakh are provided here to create portraits of the women that reflect their thoughts and experiences in their own voices. While these interviews illustrate the ways that local and global practices of \u27being Muslim\u27 are mutually constitutive, they suggest many other narratives as well. Unedited interview transcripts are therefore the focal point of this perspective piece to provide readers with a sense of other possibilities of interpretation and resist the formation of a dominating unified narrative

Perspectives from the Field

This article is based on a series of interviews with a group of female Islamic scholars—alima—in Leh, Ladakh, who were the first four women from the region to receive a religious education in a formal madrassa (religious school). The women interviewed attended Jamiatus Salehat, a Deobandi religious boarding school located in Malageon Maharashtra (India), in the late 1980s. They graduated in 1991, returning to Ladakh to teach religion in the area. Today, these four women conduct public religious teachings for women in both Leh and Nubra valleys, and educate their family members about Islam as well. Segments of interviews conducted in 2012 with three of these alima of Ladakh are provided here to create portraits of the women that reflect their thoughts and experiences in their own voices. While these interviews illustrate the ways that local and global practices of 'being Muslim' are mutually constitutive, they suggest many other narratives as well. Unedited interview transcripts are therefore the focal point of this perspective piece to provide readers with a sense of other possibilities of interpretation and resist the formation of a dominating unified narrative

A Contribution to Passamaquoddy Folk-lore

A photocopy of an article on Passamaquoddy folklore that originally appeared in The Journal of American Folk-lore, Vol. III., October-December 1890, No. XI, p. [259]-280

Twilight Reverie

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-ps/1934/thumbnail.jp

Research on the design and application of capillary heat exchangers for heat pumps in coastal areas

This study investigated the optimal design of a capillary heat exchanger device for the heat pump system and its innovative engineering application in a building. The overall aim was to use a capillary heat exchanger to obtain energy in coastal areas for promoting renewable energy in low-carbon building design. Initially, the main factors affecting the efficiency of the capillary heat exchanger were identified, a mathematical model was then established to analyse the heat transfer process. The analysis showed the flow rate and the capillary length are the key factors affecting the efficiency of the capillary heat exchanger. Secondly, to optimize the structural design of the capillary heat exchanger, the heat energy transfer is calculated with different lengths of the capillary under various flow rates in summer and winter conditions, respectively. Thirdly, a typical building is selected to analyse the application of the capillary heat exchanger for extracting energy in the coastal area. The results show the performance of the selected capillary heat exchanger heat pump system, in winter, the heat energy transfer rate is 60 W/m2 when the seawater temperature is 3.7 °C; in summer, the heat energy transfer rate is 150 W/m2 when the seawater temperature is 24.6 °C. Finally, the above field test results were examined using a numerical simulation model, the test and simulation results agree with each other quite well. This paper is conducive in promoting the development of the capillary heat exchanger heat pump as an innovative sustainable technology for net-zero energy and low carbon buildings using renewable energy in coastal areas. Practical application: A recently proposed capillary heat exchanger is used as an energy extraction and utilisation device to obtain energy in coastal areas for promoting renewable energy in low-carbon building design. This paper explores the application of a capillary heat exchanger as both cold and heat sources for application in typical low-rise buildings. The analysis of the heat energy transfer rate of a typical low-rise building located in a coastal area in summer and winter provides guidance for the application of capillary heat exchangers

The perceived barriers to the inclusion of rainwater harvesting systems by UK house building companies

This work investigates the barriers that exist to deter the implementation of rainwater harvesting into new UK housing. A postal questionnaire was sent to a selection of large, medium and small house-builders distributed across the UK. Questions were asked concerning potential barriers to the inclusion of rainwater harvesting in homes separated into five sections; (1) institutional and regulatory gaps, (2) economic and financial constraints, (3) absence of incentives, (4) lack of information and technical knowledge, and (5) house-builder attitudes. The study concludes that although the knowledge of rainwater systems has increased these barriers are deterring house-builders from installing rainwater harvesting systems in new homes. It is further acknowledged that the implementation of rainwater harvesting will continue to be limited whilst these barriers remain and unless resolved, rainwater harvesting's potential to reduce the consumption of potable water in houses will continue to be limited