Lived Islam in Bangladesh: contemporary religious discourse between Ahl-i-Hadith, "Hanafis‟ and authoritative texts, with special reference to al-barzakh

Contemporary north-west Bangladesh is the scene of a religious contest between the self-described 'Hanafis‘, who include various expressions of Islamic faith and practice, and Salafi reformist groups known as Ahl-i-Hadith. Occasionally labelled 'Wahhabis‘ due to their affinity with the doctrine from Arabia, the Ahl-i-Hadith actively seek to purify local Islam of all practices which they consider to be bidaʿ. Local Hanafi Muslims, who form a majority, are resistant to these efforts at total religious reform. This thesis investigates the contemporary discourse taking place between these two communities in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and between these groups and their authoritative Islamic texts. The case study used to focus on inter-group debates is the contested issue of whether or not to perform rituals meant to assist the dead during al-barzakh – the conscious waiting period in the grave believed to last from death until the day of resurrection. Especially during a soul‘s first forty days in al-barzakh, the Hanafi community observes rituals intended to reduce the torment of the grave and send soʾab, or merit, to the account of the deceased. Participant observation at numerous milad, chollisha and khotom ceremonies for the dead, as well as interviews with local ʿulamaʾ and other informants highlight the progress of Ahl-i-Hadith reform efforts, but also the way in which Hanafi leaders defend and interpret their 'unorthodox‘ practices using authoritative Sunni hadith and Qurʾanic passages. Additional Islamic texts which are locally influential are examined. Special voice is given to "what Muslims say" in an attempt to let the words and actions of those involved in the debates direct the research agenda as they interpret and defend their respective positions. This thesis provides other researchers with a field-based account of contemporary Islamic belief and practice in Bangladesh – an understudied Islamic context containing over 150 million people. Dozens of quotations from ʿulamaʾ are reproduced in the original Bengali and in English. Additionally, this study complicates Islamic fundamentalist and Western scholarly conceptions of 'popular Islam‘ and 'syncretism‘ by showing that Hanafi ʿulamaʾ in Rajshahi explain their (contested) beliefs and activities in Islamic terms, using universally recognised Sunni sources of authority, especially the hadith literature

The type IV pilus chemoreceptor PilJ controls chemotaxis of one bacterial species towards another

Bacteria live in social communities, where the ability to sense and respond to interspecies and environmental signals is critical for survival. We previously showed the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa detects secreted peptides from bacterial competitors and navigates through interspecies signal gradients using pilus-based motility. Yet, it was unknown whether P. aeruginosa utilizes a designated chemosensory system for this behavior. Here, we performed a systematic genetic analysis of a putative pilus chemosensory system, followed by high- speed live imaging and single cell tracking, to reveal behaviors of mutants that retain motility, but are blind to interspecies signals. The enzymes predicted to methylate (PilK) and demethylate (ChpB) the putative pilus chemoreceptor, PilJ, are necessary for cells to control the direction of migration. While these findings implicate PilJ as a bona fide chemoreceptor, such function had yet to be experimentally defined, as full-length PilJ is essential for motility. Thus, we constructed systematic genetic modifications of PilJ and found that without the predicted ligand binding domains or predicted methylation sites, cells lose the ability to detect competitor gradients, despite retaining pilus-mediated motility. Chemotaxis trajectory analysis revealed that increased probability and size of P. aeruginosa pilus-mediated steps towards S. aureus peptides, versus steps away, determines motility bias in wildtype cells. However, PilJ mutants blind to interspecies signals take less frequent steps towards S. aureus or steps of equal size towards and away. Collectively, this work uncovers the chemosensory nature of PilJ, provides insight into how cell movements are biased during pilus-based chemotaxis and identifies chemotactic interactions necessary for bacterial survival in polymicrobial communities, revealing putative pathways where therapeutic intervention might disrupt bacterial communication

Using Kinetic Energy with Potential Energy When Determining Power During the Stair Climbing Test

ABSTRACT Stair climbing is an important functional task that indicates independence, and generating power to climb stairs is a vital component of this task. Power during stair climbing is traditionally calculated using potential energy (PE), but it may be important to determine power expended using kinetic energy (KE). Purpose: The current study assessed power output for stair climbing with and without the inclusion of KE. Methods: Sixty participants (21-35 years) climbed a 12-step stairway with a 2-meter acceleration phase before the first step and a 2-meter deceleration phase after the last step. Participants completed 3 trials, and average time was used for calculating energy expended and power. Results: The mean difference between power from PE and total power was 6.16 W (SD = 2.50, t29 = 13.49, p \u3c 0.001) for males and 64.76 W (SD = 2.90, t29 = 8.99, p \u3c 0.001) for females. Agreement between power calculated from PE and total power was 0.99 (95% confidence interval = 0.98-1.0). Conclusion: Power calculated using PE and KE was significantly different from using PE alone, which may be clinically important. When conducting stair-climbing tests, both PE and KE may be necessary for the most accurate assessment of power

International Veterinary Epilepsy Task Force consensus proposal: Medical treatment of canine epilepsy in Europe

In Europe, the number of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) licensed for dogs has grown considerably over the last years. Nevertheless, the same questions remain, which include, 1) when to start treatment, 2) which drug is best used initially, 3) which adjunctive AED can be advised if treatment with the initial drug is unsatisfactory, and 4) when treatment changes should be considered. In this consensus proposal, an overview is given on the aim of AED treatment, when to start long-term treatment in canine epilepsy and which veterinary AEDs are currently in use for dogs. The consensus proposal for drug treatment protocols, 1) is based on current published evidence-based literature, 2) considers the current legal framework of the cascade regulation for the prescription of veterinary drugs in Europe, and 3) reflects the authors’ experience. With this paper it is aimed to provide a consensus for the management of canine idiopathic epilepsy. Furthermore, for the management of structural epilepsy AEDs are inevitable in addition to treating the underlying cause, if possible

Polyamines and cancer: old molecules, new understanding

The amino-acid-derived polyamines have long been associated with cell growth and cancer, and specific oncogenes and tumour-suppressor genes regulate polyamine metabolism. Inhibition of polyamine synthesis has proven to be generally ineffective as an anticancer strategy in clinical trials, but it is a potent cancer chemoprevention strategy in preclinical studies. Clinical trials, with well-defined goals, are now underway to evaluate the chemopreventive efficacy of inhibitors of polyamine synthesis in a range of tissues

Numerical and Experimental Analyses of Room and High Temperature Dense, Granular Flows Coupled to Flow Property Measurements for Solar Thermal Energy Storage

Solar thermal energy storage using sintered bauxite particles as a storage media is a useful tool for extending the operation and increasing operating temperatures of concentrated solar power systems (CSP). The flow behavior of sintered bauxite particles was characterized in this work to better inform the design of next generation CSP technologies. Room temperature granular flows of sintered bauxite particles were examined along an inclined plane. Flow properties needed to drive numerical granular models were measured to improve model predictions for Carbobead CP particles. Particle shape and size distributions were determined by coupling optical microscopy to an in-house image processing algorithm. The impulse excitation technique was used to measure elastic and shear moduli, and compute Poisson’s ratio. The coefficient of restitution was measured by dropping particles on a surface and determining the kinetic energy before and after impact using high resolution particle tracking velocimetry. An inclined flow experiment was performed to characterize granular flows of Carbobead CP particles using particle image velocimetry. Numerical models of the experiment using the discrete element method were built with the measured flow properties and compared with experimental results. High temperature flow properties were measured to predict the high temperature flow behavior for Carbobead CP particles up to 800 °C. A numerical flow model at room temperature was extended to high temperature using the measured flow properties to determine the influence of temperature on the flow behavior.M.S

Combustion characterization and modeling of novel energetic materials: Si/PTFE/Viton and Al/PTFE/Viton

The energetic materials Si/Polytetrafluoroethylene/Viton (SiTV) and Al/Poly\-tetra\-fluoro\-ethylene/Viton (AlTV) have drawn interest recently due to the increased availability and decreased cost of nano materials. The reactivity of aluminum based energetic materials is greatly enhanced with the use of nanometric reactants. Silicon sees order of magnitude increases in burning rate when nano silicon is used in place of micron sized silicon. A broad characterization of the combustion of these composites has been undertaken. Theoretical equilibrium calculations have been performed, as well as characterization of combustion in the instrumented burn tube at various mixture ratios, and pressed pellet burns at different mixture ratios and applied pressures. A comparison of two morphologically different Al materials was also carried out using the instrumented burn tube. Spectroscopic measurements were made of deflagrating SiTV and AlTV pellets. High-speed images were also recorded, and the synchronization of these with the emission spectra provided details the macro scale combustion behavior. Time dependent emission intensity was caused by growing product layers on the surface of the pellets. Temperatures for each mixture ratio were measured by emission spectroscopy and used as input to three simple combustion models. The Ward, Son, and Brewster model (WSB), the Koch model, and the Williams model were applied to AlTV combustion. The modeling results provided further support of the non constant pressure exponent theory, i.e., that AlTV burns in a transition region between a coupled flame and a condensed phase controlled reaction, resulting in pressure exponents that increase with pressure. Micron sized doped silicon powders were manufactured by ball milling commercially obtained doped silicon wafers. Four powders using different dopants and dopant concentrations were manufactured. These powders were characterized to determine their average particle size, specific surface area, crystalline content, and electrical and thermal properties. The effect of the doping on combustion was investigated by way of pressed pellet burning rate measurements. The burning rate was found to correlate with dopant concentration, regardless of the dopant type. It is proposed that the doping effect can be explained by increased electron mobility or increased lattice defects, both of which are proportional to dopant concentration

Lived Islam in Bangladesh : contemporary religious discourse between Ahl-i-Hadith, 'Hanafis' and authoritative texts, with special reference to al-barzakh

Contemporary north-west Bangladesh is the scene of a religious contest between the self-described 'Hanafis‘, who include various expressions of Islamic faith and practice, and Salafi reformist groups known as Ahl-i-Hadith. Occasionally labelled 'Wahhabis‘ due to their affinity with the doctrine from Arabia, the Ahl-i-Hadith actively seek to purify local Islam of all practices which they consider to be bidaʿ. Local Hanafi Muslims, who form a majority, are resistant to these efforts at total religious reform. This thesis investigates the contemporary discourse taking place between these two communities in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and between these groups and their authoritative Islamic texts. The case study used to focus on inter-group debates is the contested issue of whether or not to perform rituals meant to assist the dead during al-barzakh – the conscious waiting period in the grave believed to last from death until the day of resurrection. Especially during a soul‘s first forty days in al-barzakh, the Hanafi community observes rituals intended to reduce the torment of the grave and send soʾab, or merit, to the account of the deceased. Participant observation at numerous milad, chollisha and khotom ceremonies for the dead, as well as interviews with local ʿulamaʾ and other informants highlight the progress of Ahl-i-Hadith reform efforts, but also the way in which Hanafi leaders defend and interpret their 'unorthodox‘ practices using authoritative Sunni hadith and Qurʾanic passages. Additional Islamic texts which are locally influential are examined. Special voice is given to "what Muslims say" in an attempt to let the words and actions of those involved in the debates direct the research agenda as they interpret and defend their respective positions. This thesis provides other researchers with a field-based account of contemporary Islamic belief and practice in Bangladesh – an understudied Islamic context containing over 150 million people. Dozens of quotations from ʿulamaʾ are reproduced in the original Bengali and in English. Additionally, this study complicates Islamic fundamentalist and Western scholarly conceptions of 'popular Islam‘ and 'syncretism‘ by showing that Hanafi ʿulamaʾ in Rajshahi explain their (contested) beliefs and activities in Islamic terms, using universally recognised Sunni sources of authority, especially the hadith literature.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Comparison of experimental and computational results for reverse ballistic tests into foundry core

A series of nine laboratory-scale penetration tests was conducted in which impact velocity and geometry of the projectile were varied. In all tests, displacement histories were obtained for the penetrator via displacement interferometric techniques. From the data, accelerations were deduced and compared with numerically-calculated accelerations. For the numerical work, the codes PENAP and WONDY were used to model the penetration events. For penetrators with a conical nose, agreement between calculated and measured accelerations could be brought within 15% for all tests, except for one PENAP/test comparison, by introducing a constant coefficient of Coulomb friction of 0.1 at the penetration target interface. For penetrators with an ogival nose, on the other hand, a greater discrepancy was found between calculated and measured results