2,287 research outputs found
2026: Ruth Awad
No full textRuth Awad is a Lebanese-American disabled poet, a 2021 NEA Poetry fellow, and the author of Outside the Joy (Third Man Books, 2024) and Set to Music a Wildfire (Southern Indiana Review Press, 2017), winner of the 2016 Michael Waters Poetry Prize and the 2018 Ohioana Book Award for Poetry. Her work can be found in The Atlantic, AGNI, Poetry, Poem-a-Day, The Believer, The New Republic, and elsewhere. She has an MGA in poetry from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and she lives and writes in Columbus, Ohio.https://thekeep.eiu.edu/lionsinwinter_writers/1055/thumbnail.jp
Perspectives On electronic data processing. A book of readings. /
No full textX14/222 v, Holmes (James D)& Awad (Elias M
Switching to the Inflation Targeting Regime: Does it necessary for the case of Egypt?
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to answer the question of whether the switching to the Inflation Targeting (IT) regime is necessary for the Egyptian case or not? Our judgment of applying IT regime in the Egyptian economy is established on doubled criterion. That is, the practical experience of the inflation targeters, and the efficiency of Monetary Targeting Regime (MTR) in the case of Egypt. Defining the efficiency of a monetary policy regime by the efficiency of the embedded nominal anchor to send the right message to all practitioners about the potential behavior of the price level, I assessed the efficiency of MTR in Egypt by measuring; whether there is a relationship between money and prices, the stability of the velocity of circulation, and the stability of the demand for money function. The study concluded that MTR is not efficient to tie down individuals expectations about the future path of inflation in Egypt. Taking into account that IT regime is a way to reform monetary policy and it does not worsen economic performance it becomes necessary for Egypt to switch to the IT regime once the prerequisites for IT regime have been met.inflation targeting; demand for money function; monetary policy in Egypt.
Experimental Analyses and Numerical Models of CLT Shear Walls under Cyclic Loading
No full textThis paper reports the results of an experimental campaign performed at the University of Tokyo on cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels subjected to lateral loads. Analytical and numerical interpretations are provided as well, comparing the experimental analysis results with two methods: fi rstly, an analytical method to preliminarily evaluate the ultimate strength of the four panels, based on the geometrical dimensions of the openings and of the panel; secondly, a fi nite element model has been developed in order to provide some guidelines for calculating the stiff ness and elastic behaviour of CLT panels subjected to lateral loads. The experimental tests showed that the CLT panels are as more britt le and stiff er as more the diff erence between the total panel area and the fenestrated area is high. The presence of large openings determined stress concentration at the corners where failure occurred for the att ainment of the maximum tension strength in the inner layer. The proposed analytical formulation was shown to fairly closely predict the ultimate strength of panels with same geometry, characteristics and boundary condition, allowing preliminary information of this relevant parameter
How Do You Solve A Problem Like Sharia? Awad v. Ziriax and the Question of Sharia Law in America
No full textIn the 2010 midterm elections, the citizens of Oklahoma passed a ballot initiative barring Oklahoma courts from considering the tenets of Islamic Sharia law in their judicial decisions. This initiative was passed in the midst of a nation-wide debate on the nature of Sharia law, in which numerous states began to take legislative steps to ban or limit the application of Sharia. Oklahoma’s law was the first to explicitly ban Sharia, and it was immediately challenged by a Muslim plaintiff for violating the Constitution’s Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses. This Article examines the resulting case, Awad v. Ziriax, and the overarching issue of Sharia law in America, and it argues that state bans on Sharia law are constitutionally impermissible; that such bans are redundant, as existing laws already prohibit the most negative aspects of Sharia; and that such bans encourage radicalism by reinforcing the “Clash of Civilizations” perception jointly held by many Islamists and many opponents of Islam
Geomorphology, stratigraphy and hydrogeology of the Doha-Damour area and hinterland - by Hasan M. Awad
No full textThesis (M.S.)--Dept. of Geology, American University of Beirut, 1983.Bibliography: leaves i-v
Multicomponent image segmentation using a genetic algorithm and artificial neural network
No full textImage segmentation is an essential process for image analysis. Several methods were developed to segment multicomponent images, and the success of these methods depends on several factors including 1) the characteristics of the acquired image and 2) the percentage of imperfections in the process of image acquisition. The majority of these methods require a priori knowledge, which is difficult to obtain. Furthermore, they assume the existence of models that can estimate its parameters and fit to the given data. However, such a parametric approach is not robust, and its performance is severely affected by the correctness of the utilized parametric model. In this letter, a new multicomponent image segmentation method is developed using a nonparametric unsupervised artificial neural network called Kohonen's self-organizing map (SOM) and hybrid genetic algorithm (HGA). SOM is used to detect the main features that are present in the image; then, HGA is used to cluster the image into homogeneous regions without any a priori knowledge. Experiments that are performed on different satellite images confirm the efficiency and robustness of the SOM-HGA method compared to the Iterative Self-Organizing DATA analysis technique (ISODATA). © 2007 IEEE.ARIA EH, 2004, P 20 ISPRS C IST TUR, P117; AWAD M, IN PRESS INT J REMOT; BACAO F, 2005, P ICCS 2005 C, P476; Baker J. E., 1987, P 2 INT C GEN ALG, P14; CHEN Q, 2004, LECT NOTES COMPUT SC, V33, P621; Chun DN, 1996, PATTERN RECOGN, V29, P1195, DOI 10.1016-0031-3203(95)00148-4; Fauzi M., 2003, P BRIT MACH VIS C, P519; HOLLLAND J, 1975, ADAPT NATURAL ARTIFI; HUAPT R, 2004, PRACTICAL GENETIC AL; Jensen J. R., 1996, INTRO DIGITAL IMAGE; Kohavi R., 1998, APPL MACHINE LEARNIN, V30, P271; Levine M. D., 1985, VISION MAN MACHINE; NEVATIA R, 1980, COMPUT VISION GRAPH, V13, P257, DOI 10.1016-0146-664X(80)90049-0; Ng SC, 1996, IEEE SIGNAL PROC MAG, V13, P38, DOI 10.1109-79.543974; PARZEN E, 1962, ANN MATH STAT, V33, P1065, DOI 10.1214-aoms-1177704472; PERKINS S, 2000, FUZZY SYST EVOL COMP, V3, P52; Pina P, 2003, INT GEOSCI REMOTE SE, P3516; PRATT W, 1991, DIGITA IMAGE PROCESS; Tou J.T., 1974, PATTERN RECOGNITION; Wang X., 2004, P IEEE C ROB AUT MEC, P991; Xiaoying Jin, 2003, Proceedings of the 12th IEEE International Conference on Fuzzy Systems (Cat. No.03CH37442); Xu BG, 2002, AATCC REV, V2, P42; Yao KC, 2000, PATTERN RECOGN, V33, P1575, DOI 10.1016-S0031-3203(99)00135-1; YIN HJ, 1995, NEURAL COMPUT, V7, P1178, DOI 10.1162-neco.1995.7.6.117834232
Studies on the pro-oxidant chemistry of flavonoids
No full textThere is currently much interest in the development of functional foods aiming at the prevention of the development of some diseases, for example cancer, by the introduction of selected natural substances at elevated levels into the diet. The rationale for this approach is based especially on epidemiological data that indicate that food items containing such chemicals may reduce the risk of these diseases in humans. Epidemiological studies indicate, for example, that diets rich in fruit and vegetables protect against a variety of diseases, including heart diseases and certain forms of cancer. However, identification of the actual ingredient in a specific diet responsible for the beneficial health effects remains an important bottleneck for translating observational epidemiology to development of a functional food ingredient. The protection against cancer afforded by fruit and vegetables has been attributed to antioxidant micronutrients such as vitamin C, beta-carotene and vitamin E, which may act at many sites, including the stomach, intestine, lung and bladder. However, present scientific attention is focusing as well on the significance of other minor dietary components, notably the flavonoids as protectants against disease. Flavonoids are widespread in nature and are found in considerable quantities in fruits, vegetables, seeds, peel and tubers. The average Western diet may provide up to 1 g of flavonoids per day. Numerous in vitro studies show that flavonoids are potent antioxidants and metal chelators. Their potential as anti-inflammatory, antiallergic and antiviral compounds has also attracted attention. These studies provide the basis for the present rapidly increasing interest for the use of flavonoids as functional food ingredients. As a result increased human exposure to flavonoids can be expected in the near future. In shops and at the internet, food and food supplements based on (iso)flavonoids as functional ingredients are marketed. This, although hard scientific data supporting the health claims as well as data allowing a balanced risk-benefit evaluation are lacking. For flavonoids increased future human exposure regimens induce the question on their pro-oxidant chemistry. There is considerable evidence that some flavonoids are mutagenic in both bacterial and mammalian experimental systems. A high incidence of gastric cancer in some human populations has been linked to consumption of wine containing potentially mutagenic flavonoids (Tamura et al. , Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 77, 4961-4965, 1980, Hoey et al. , Am. J. Epidemiol., 113, 669-974, 1981). Relatively little is understood about either the toxicity or protection afforded by flavonoids in humans.Since flavonoid quinone/quinone methides have been suggested as the major metabolites responsible for the possible pro-oxidant toxicity and mutagenicity of flavonoids, characterisation of flavonoid quinone chemistry is of importance. However, little information is available on the structure and reactivity of these flavonoid oxidation products. Therefore, the objective of this thesis was to investigate the pro-oxidant chemistry of flavonoids and to perform structure activity studies on the chemical behaviour of 3',4'-dihydroxyflavonoids with special emphasis on the nature and reactivity of the quinone/quinone methide type metabolites formed. Using the GSH trapping method, HPLC, LC/MS, MALDI-TOF, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and quantum mechanical computer calculations the quinone/quinone methide chemistry of a series of 3',4'-dihydroxyflavonoids could be characterised.The results provide insight in structure-activity-relationships for the pro-oxidant chemistry of these electrophilic quinone/quinone methide flavonoid metabolites. The results obtained also reveal an unexpected pH-dependent electrophilic behaviour of B ring catechol flavonoids. Furthermore the results of this thesis also reveal, for the first time, evidence for the pro-oxidative chemistry of quercetin in a cellular in vitro model. The formation of these glutathionyl-flavonoid adducts provides evidence for the actual pro-oxidative formation of reactive quinone type metabolites from B ring catechol flavonoids in the selected cellular in vitro model using melanoma cells. Oxidation of the catechols to quinones and their isomeric quinone methides generates potent electrophiles that could alkylate DNA. Interestingly, the structural requirements essential for good antioxidant activity match the requirements essential for pro-oxidant action and quinone methide formation. Altogether, the pro-oxidant behaviour of flavonoids and their quinone/quinone methides are far from straight forward and need to be re-evaluated especially in the framework of the risk-benefit evaluation of the use of these flavonoids as functional food ingredients and/or food supplements.SamenvattingEr is momenteel veel interesse voor de ontwikkeling van functionele voedingsmiddelen (functional foods), met als doel het voorkomen van het ontstaan van ziekten zoals bijvoorbeeld kanker, via het in verhoogde mate introduceren van geselecteerde natuurlijke bestanddelen in het dieet. De basis voor deze aanpak wordt momenteel met name gevonden in epidemiologische studies die laten zien dat diëten rijk aan specifieke voedselcomponenten of ingrediënten de kans op bepaalde ziekten bij de mens verlagen. Zo geven epidemiologische studies bijvoorbeeld aan dat diëten die rijk zijn aan fruit en groenten beschermen tegen een aantal ziekten zoals hartziekten en bepaalde vormen van kanker. Echter, het identificeren van de belangrijke ingrediënten in het betreffende dieet die het gezondheidsbevorderende effect tot stand brengen is een knelpunt voor het vertalen van de resultaten uit de epidemiologie naar de ontwikkeling van een functioneel voedingsingrediënt.De bescherming tegen kanker door groenten en fruit is toegeschreven aan antioxidanten zoals vitamine C, beta-caroteen en vitamine E, die op vele plaatsen in het lichaam, zoals de maag, darmen, long en de blaas actief zijn. Wetenschappelijk wordt momenteel veel aandacht besteed aan het mogelijke belang van andere belangrijke dieet componenten, zoals flavonoïden, als beschermende ingrediënten tegen ziekte. Flavonoïden komen in de natuur veel voor, en worden met name in hoge concentraties gevonden in fruit, groenten, knollen en zaden. Het gemiddelde Westerse dieet bevat ongeveer 1 gram aan flavonoïden per dag.Vele in vitro studies tonen aan dat flavonoïden goede antioxidanten en metaal chelatoren zijn. Daarnaast hebben ze anti-inflammatoire, anti-allergische en anti-virale eigenschappen die van belang worden geacht. Deze bevindingen verschaffen de basis voor de momenteel snel groeiende interesse om flavonoïden te gebruiken als functionele voedingsingrediënten. Als gevolg hiervan zou er in de nabije toekomst een toename in de opname van flavonoïden via het dieet verwacht kunnen worden. In winkels en via het internet worden voedingsmiddelen en voedingssupplementen gebaseerd op (iso)flavonoïden als functionele voedingsingrediënten verkocht. Dit, terwijl zowel de wetenschappelijke onderbouwing voor de gezondheidsclaims als gegevens die een gebalanceerde "risk-benefit" analyse mogelijk maken, nog ontbreken. In het geval van verhoogde toekomstige blootstelling van mensen aan flavonoïden worden voor de risk-benefit evaluatie vragen van belang rond hun mogelijk pro-oxidatieve chemisch gedrag. Er zijn aanwijzingen dat sommige flavonoïden mutageen zijn in zowel bacteriële als zoogdier in vitro test systemen. Een verhoogde mate aan maagkanker in bepaalde humane populaties is in verband gebracht met de consumptie van wijn met daarin mogelijk mutagene flavonoïden (Tamura et al. , Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 77, 4961-4965, 1980, Hoey et al. , Am. J. Epidem., 113, 669-974, 1981). Alles samenvattend is er eigenlijk weinig bekend van de schadelijke maar ook van de gezondheidsbevorderende effecten van flavonoïden.Omdat flavonoid chinon/chinon methides genoemd zijn als de belangrijkste metabolieten die verantwoordelijk zouden zijn voor de mogelijke pro-oxidatieve toxiciteit en mutageniteit van flavonoïden, is karakterisering van deze pro-oxidant chemie van flavonoïden van belang. Echter er is weinig bekend over de structuur en de reactiviteit van deze flavonoid oxidatie producten. Daarom was het doel van deze studie de pro-oxidant chemie van flavonoïden te onderzoeken en een structuur-activiteits studie uit te voeren naar het chemische gedrag van 3',4'-dihydroxyflavonoïden. Daarbij werd speciale aandacht besteed aan de aard en reactiviteit van de gevormde chinon/chinon methide metabolieten. Met behulp van de GSH-trapping methode, HPLC, LC/MS, MALDI-TOF, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR en kwantum-chemische computerberekeningen kon de chinon/chinon methide chemie van een serie 3',4'-dihydroxyflavonoiden gekarakteriseerd worden.De verkregen resultaten geven inzicht in de structuur-activteits relaties voor de pro-oxidatieve chemie van de electrofiele chinon /chinon methides metabolieten van de flavonoïden. De resultaten laten ook een onverwacht effect zien van de pH op het electrofiele gedrag van de B-ring catechol flavonoïden. Bovendien laten de resultaten van het proefschrift zien dat zelfs onder reducerende omstandigheden in een cellulair in vitro model (melanoma cellen) de pro-oxidatieve chemie van quercetine van belang kan zijn. Met name de vorming van glutathion-flavonoid conjugaten is een bewijs dat in het gekozen cellulaire model de pro-oxidatieve vorming van reactieve flavonoid chinon/ chinon methide metabolieten is opgetreden. Oxidatie van de catecholen naar chinonen en hun isomere chinon methides genereert electrofielen die DNA kunnen alkyleren. Van belang is dat de structurele randvoorwaarden die een flavonoid een goede antioxidant maken gelijk blijken te zijn aan de structurele kenmerken die essentieel zijn voor pro-oxidant gedrag en chinon methide vorming.Al met al is de pro-oxidant chemie van flavonoïden en van hun chinon /chinon methides verre van recht toe recht aan gebleken en zou de pro-oxidatieve chemie en de toxiciteit van de flavonoïden in het kader van hun gebruik als functional food ingredienten beter onderzocht en afgewogen moeten worden, rekening houdend met hun mogelijk gezondheidsbevorderende effecten
The sorption of ammonia on brown coal
No full text© 1978 Dr. Awad Rizk OussaThis thesis is a report of an investigation carried out by the author between 1st April 1969 to 31st October 1973 on a full time basis and from 1st December 1975 to 31st July 1978 on a part time basis. The research project was conducted by the author in the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Melbourne, and on the premises of Australian Char Pty. Ltd., Morwell.
The project was based on the premise that useful information on the brown coal-ammonia system can be obtained from sorption isotherms. The author designed and assembled the apparatus with this in mind, and developed a method of obtaining a self-consistent and meaningful interpretation of the sorption isotherms. Thermodynamic data for the ammonia sorption process was derived and used to develop a preliminary model for the ammonia-brown coal system.
No separate literature review has been presented in the thesis, though frequent reference to the literature has been made in the discussions in each chapter.
Finally, the experimental details have been included in the appendices at the end of the thesis
- …
