Oaths of Allegiance in Islamic Political Law: Its Concepts and Methods of Application

تناولت هذه الدراسة نظام البيعة وآلية تطبيقه في الفقه السياسي، وحاولت إجراءمقاربة بين تطبيق هذا النظام في عصر الخلافة الراشدة، وما آل إليه بعد ذلك، وبينتالأسباب التي حالت دون تطور هذا النظام، وخلصت إلى أن السلطة السياسية الحاكمةبعد عصر الخلافة الراشدة حالت دون تطور هذا النظام، إضافة إلى دور بعض الفقهاءبتأويلاتهم البعيدة لفعل الصحابة.This study sheds light on Oaths of Allegiance (Al-Baya) andits applications in political jurisprudence. It attempts tocompare between its applications in the Islamic Caliphate eraand its later variations. It then moves on to outline the majorimpediments to the development of this system. It concludesthat the main reasons behind its delay in development were thepolitical powers that ruled after the Caliphate era, as well asthe Jurist's unconvincing interpretations of the actions of theCompanions

X Marks the Spot: Nexus of Filaments, Cores, and Outflows in a Young Star-Forming Region

We present a multiwavelength investigation of a region of a nearby giant molecular cloud that is distinguished by a minimal level of star formation activity. With our new 12CO(J=2-1) and 13CO(J=2-1) observations of a remote region within the middle of the California molecular cloud, we aim to investigate the relationship between filaments, cores, and a molecular outflow in a relatively pristine environment. An extinction map of the region from Herschel Space Observatory observations reveals the presence of two 2-pc-long filaments radiating from a high-extinction clump. Using the 13CO observations, we show that the filaments have coherent velocity gradients and that their mass-per-unit-lengths may exceed the critical value above which filaments are gravitationally unstable. The region exhibits structure with eight cores, at least one of which is a starless, prestellar core. We identify a low-velocity, low-mass molecular outflow that may be driven by a flat spectrum protostar. The outflow does not appear to be responsible for driving the turbulence in the core with which it is associated, nor does it provide significant support against gravitational collapse.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Effect of different concentrations of molasses and forage with Bacillus lechniformis on the growth of Macrobrachium nipponense in vitro

The rearing of juvenile shrimp, Macrobrachium nipponense is of importance in the development of aquaculture, especially by using molasses and Bacillus lechniformis to promote growth. The present study aimed to evaluate the rearing of juvenile shrimp, M. nipponense in laboratory breeding ponds without replacing the water in the presence of B. lechniformis using two strategies: i)  Use of molasses (10=A, 50=B, and 100=C mg) with 1 × 10 ⁸ CFUml-1 B. lechniformis to the ponds, with shrimp in initial weight rates (650.00 ± 68.09, 639.67 ± 74.81, 639.67 ± 67.02) mg and final weight rates (695.67 ± 57.33, 825.00 ± 90.14, 761.33 ± 111.02) mg, ii) Use of feed (100=A, 250-B, and 500=C) mg, with shrimp initial weight rates (107.67 ± 21.94, 106.67 ± 20.82, 103.33 ± 18.93) mg and final weight rates (208.33 ± 16.07, 381.67 ± 36.17, 283.33 ± 15.28) mg. Results of statistical analysis for molasses showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in each daily growth (DG), Specific growth rate (SGR), and no significant differences (p > 0.05) in survival rates. As food conversion ratio (FCR), significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between A and B, contrary to C, which showed no significant differences. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) in DG among A, B, and C in using feed. While SGR showed significant differences (p < 0.05) between A and B but did not have significant differences with C and no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the survival rates.  FCR showed significant differences (p < 0.05) between C and both A and B, which showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) between them. The study will help to reduce the cost and waste of water.     

Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programs in sub-Saharan Africa from 2004 to 2010: need, the process, and prospects

As of 2010 sub-Saharan Africa had approximately 865 million inhabitants living with numerous public health challenges. Several public health initiatives [e.g., the United States (US) President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the US President’s Malaria Initiative] have been very successful at reducing mortality from priority diseases. A competently trained public health workforce that can operate multi-disease surveillance and response systems is necessary to build upon and sustain these successes and to address other public health problems. Sub-Saharan Africa appears to have weathered the recent global economic downturn remarkably well and its increasing middle class may soon demand stronger public health systems to protect communities. The Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) program of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been the backbone of public health surveillance and response in the US during its 60 years of existence. EIS has been adapted internationally to create the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) in several countries. In the 1990s CDC and the Rockefeller Foundation collaborated with the Uganda and Zimbabwe ministries of health and local universities to create 2-year Public Health Schools Without Walls (PHSWOWs) which were based on the FETP model. In 2004 the FETP model was further adapted to create the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP) in Kenya to conduct joint competencybased training for field epidemiologists and public health laboratory scientists providing a master’s degree to participants upon completion. The FELTP model has been implemented in several additional countries in sub-Saharan Africa. By the end of 2010 these 10 FELTPs and two PHSWOWs covered 613 million of the 865 million people in sub-Saharan Africa and had enrolled 743 public health professionals. We describe the process that we used to develop 10 FELTPs covering 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa from 2004 to 2010 as a strategy to develop a locally trained public health workforce that can operate multi-disease surveillance and response systems.Key words: Field epidemiology, laboratory management, multi-disease surveillance and response systems, public health workforce capacity buildin

Giant Molecular Clouds in the Early-type Galaxy NGC 4526

D. Utomo, et al., “Giant Molecular Clouds in the Early-Type Galaxy NGC 4526”, The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 803(1), April 2015. © 2015. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.We present a high spatial resolution (≈20 pc) of 12CO(2 −1) observations of the lenticular galaxy NGC 4526. We identify 103 resolved giant molecular clouds (GMCs) and measure their properties: size R, velocity dispersion σv, and luminosity L. This is the first GMC catalog of an early-type galaxy. We find that the GMC population in NGC 4526 is gravitationally bound, with a virial parameter α ∼ 1. The mass distribution, dN/dM ∝ M−2.39 ± 0.03, is steeper than that for GMCs in the inner Milky Way, but comparable to that found in some late-type galaxies. We find no size–line width correlation for the NGC 4526 clouds, in contradiction to the expectation from Larson’s relation. In general, the GMCs in NGC 4526 are more luminous, denser, and have a higher velocity dispersion than equal-size GMCs in the Milky Way and other galaxies in the Local Group. These may be due to higher interstellar radiation field than in the Milky Way disk and weaker external pressure than in the Galactic center. In addition, a kinematic measurement of cloud rotation shows that the rotation is driven by the galactic shear. For the vast majority of the clouds, the rotational energy is less than the turbulent and gravitational energy, while the four innermost clouds are unbound and will likely be torn apart by the strong shear at the galactic center. We combine our data with the archival data of other galaxies to show that the surface density Σ of GMCs is not approximately constant, as previously believed, but varies by ∼3 orders of magnitude. We also show that the size and velocity dispersion of the GMC population across galaxies are related to the surface density, as expected from the gravitational and pressure equilibrium, i.e., σv R−1/2 ∝ Σ1/2.Peer reviewe

Star clusters near and far; tracing star formation across cosmic time

© 2020 Springer-Verlag. The final publication is available at Springer via https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-020-00690-x.Star clusters are fundamental units of stellar feedback and unique tracers of their host galactic properties. In this review, we will first focus on their constituents, i.e.\ detailed insight into their stellar populations and their surrounding ionised, warm, neutral, and molecular gas. We, then, move beyond the Local Group to review star cluster populations at various evolutionary stages, and in diverse galactic environmental conditions accessible in the local Universe. At high redshift, where conditions for cluster formation and evolution are more extreme, we are only able to observe the integrated light of a handful of objects that we believe will become globular clusters. We therefore discuss how numerical and analytical methods, informed by the observed properties of cluster populations in the local Universe, are used to develop sophisticated simulations potentially capable of disentangling the genetic map of galaxy formation and assembly that is carried by globular cluster populations.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

When my friend’s friend is a police officer: Extended contact, crossed-categorization, and public-police relations of Black and White people.

Crossed-categorisation and extended contact are two different bases for improving intergroup relations. Crossed-categorisation refers to the crossing of two dichotomous social dimensions, resulting in four groups (double ingroup, double outgroup, and two mixed groups). The extended contact hypothesis proposes that knowledge about ingroup-outgroup friendships can lead to more positive intergroup attitudes. The present research combined extended contact and crossed-categorisation to test whether black and white university students' view of the police, perceived racism of police, desired closeness to police, and willingness to join police were improved through extended contact with a black (or white) police officer via a black (or white) acquaintance (four possibilities). Double-outgroup extended contact for both white and black participants, and mixed-group extended contact for whites (showing a social exclusion pattern), were associated with worse public-police relations. In contrast, double-ingroup extended contact for whites, and mixed-group extended contact for blacks (showing a social inclusion pattern) were associated with improved relations.</p

When my friend’s friend is a police officer: Extended contact, crossed-categorization, and public-police relations of Black and White people.

Crossed-categorisation and extended contact are two different bases for improving intergroup relations. Crossed-categorisation refers to the crossing of two dichotomous social dimensions, resulting in four groups (double ingroup, double outgroup, and two mixed groups). The extended contact hypothesis proposes that knowledge about ingroup-outgroup friendships can lead to more positive intergroup attitudes. The present research combined extended contact and crossed-categorisation to test whether black and white university students' view of the police, perceived racism of police, desired closeness to police, and willingness to join police were improved through extended contact with a black (or white) police officer via a black (or white) acquaintance (four possibilities). Double-outgroup extended contact for both white and black participants, and mixed-group extended contact for whites (showing a social exclusion pattern), were associated with worse public-police relations. In contrast, double-ingroup extended contact for whites, and mixed-group extended contact for blacks (showing a social inclusion pattern) were associated with improved relations.</p

The Role of E-Cadherin in Maintaining the Barrier Function of Corneal Epithelium after Treatment with Cultured Autologous Oral Mucosa Epithelial Cell Sheet Grafts for Limbal Stem Deficiency

The role of E-cadherin in epithelial barrier function of cultured autologous oral mucosa epithelial cell sheet (CAOMECS) grafts was examined. CAOMECS were cultured on a temperature-responsive surface and grafted onto rabbit corneas with Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency (LSCD). E-cadherin levels were significantly higher in CAOMECS compared to normal and LSCD epithelium. Beta-catenin colocalized with E-cadherin in CAOMECS cell membranes while phosphorylated beta-catenin was significantly increased. ZO-1, occludin, and Cnx43 were also strongly expressed in CAOMECS. E-cadherin and beta-catenin localization at the cell membrane was reduced in LSCD corneas, while CAOMECS-grafted corneas showed a restoration of E-cadherin and beta-catenin expression. LSCD corneas did not show continuous staining for ZO-1 or for Cnx43, while CAOMECS-grafted corneas showed a positive expression of ZO-1 and Cnx43. Cascade Blue® hydrazide did not pass through CAOMECS. Because E-cadherin interactions are calcium-dependent, EGTA was used to chelate calcium and disrupt cell adhesion. EGTA-treated CAOMECS completely detached from cell culture surface, and E-cadherin levels were significantly decreased. In conclusion, E cadherin high expression contributed to CAOMECS tight and gap junction protein recruitment at the cell membrane, thus promoting cellular adhesion and a functional barrier to protect the ocular surface