Preliminary Notes on Islamic Political Space: Madina in Qur'anic Discourse

Is there a particularly Islamic political space? This paper initiates this long-term research project of spatializing early Islamic history, drawing on the Qur'ān's own spatial discourse. The project seeks to articulate the roles space plays in early Islam's political project. Within this framework, this paper defends the assertion that early Islam presents socio-political relationships which suggest al-madina –a particular conception of the ‘city' - as a pivotal locus in this formative political space. Arguments focus on the origins of such a conception in its Meccan Qur'ānic occurrences. Four preliminary features emerge: the madina's association with Qur'ānic journey- narratives and debates of legitimate authority; its environmental connection to a productive hinter-land; its association with a trans-tribal social structure; and its evocation of a public-sphere. Set against the historical background of late-antiquity in which the first Muslim umma appeared and where concurrently the city, as a social artifact, faced threats of dispersion and irrelevance, these features potentially constitute a program for the emergent umma to salvage urbanity itself. In a later paper, evidence from the Prophet's acts in al-Madina (Yathrib) and his Companions' developments of other urban settlements, especially al-Kufa, will be engaged to substantiate the relation between Qur'ānic text and human action

Mathematical modeling of the gas and powder flow in the (HVOF) systems to optimize their coatings quality

Thermally sprayed coatings have been extensively used to enhance materials properties and provide surface protection against their working environments in a number of industrial applications. Thermal barrier coatings (TBC) are used to reduce the thermal conductivity of aerospace turbine blades and improve the turbine overall thermal efficiency. TBC allows higher gas operating temperatures and lower blade material temperatures due to the thermal insulation provided by these ceramic coatings. In the automotive industry, coatings are currently applied to a number of moving parts that are subjected to friction and wear inside the engine such as pistons, cylinder liners, valves and crankshafts to enhance their wear resistance and prolong their useful operation and lifetime

Recent advances in numerical simulation and control of asymmetric flows around slender bodies

The problems of asymmetric flow around slender bodies and its control are formulated using the unsteady, compressible, thin-layer or full Navier-Stokes equations which are solved using an implicit, flux-difference splitting, finite-volume scheme. The problem is numerically simulated for both locally-conical and three-dimensional flows. The numerical applications include studies of the effects of relative incidence, Mach number and Reynolds number on the flow asymmetry. For the control of flow asymmetry, the numerical simulation cover passive and active control methods. For the passive control, the effectiveness of vertical fins placed in the leeward plane of geometric symmetry and side strakes with different orientations is studied. For the active control, the effectiveness of normal and tangential flow injection and surface heating and a combination of these methods is studied

Low admission LDL-cholesterol is associated with increased 3-year all-cause mortality in patients with non ST segment elevation myocardial infarction

Background: The relationship between admission low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels and long-term outcomes has not been established in patients with acute coronary syndrome. We tested the hypothesis that patients who develop non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) despite low LDL have a worse cardiovascular outcome in the long term. Methods: Patients admitted with NSTEMI between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2000 and with fasting lipid profiles measured within 24 hours of admission were selected for analysis. Baseline characteristics and 3-year all-cause mortality were compared between the patients with LDL above and below the median. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the predictors of all-cause mortality, and adjusted survival was analyzed using the Cox proportional hazard model. Results: Of the total of 517 patients, 264 had LDL £ 105 mg/dL and 253 had LDL > 105 mg/dL. There was no difference in age, gender, severity of coronary artery disease, and left ventricular ejection fraction between the 2 groups. Thirty-six percent of patients with LDL £ 105 mg/dL and 24% of patients with LDL > 105 mg/dL were on lipid-lowering therapy on admission. After 3 years, patients with admission LDL £ 105 mg/dL had higher all-cause mortality rate compared to patients with LDL > 105 mg/dL (14.8% vs. 7.1%, p = 0.005). The higher all-cause mortality persisted (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.0–3.5, p = 0.05) even after adjustment for confounding variables. Conclusions: In our cohort, lower LDL-cholesterol at admission was associated with decreased 3-year survival in patients with NSTEMI. Whether this was a result of current therapy or a marker for worse baseline characteristics needs to be studied further

Orbital Aspergillosis: Voriconazole – The New Standard Treatment?

Background/Aim: To describe a case of invasive orbital aspergillosis and evaluate treatments and outcomes. Methods: A case report and review of orbital aspergillosis treatment with voriconazole in the English language literature. Conclusion: Amphotericin B with debridement is the current standard of care for orbital aspergillosis; however, its prognosis is unfavorable. When compared to amphotericin B, voriconazole demonstrates a survival benefit, has less systemic toxicity, and is better tolerated by patients. While a prospective trial comparing amphotericin B to voriconazole in orbital aspergillosis is not feasible, there is evidence to support the use of voriconazole as primary therapy