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The Yao Muslims : religion and social change in southern Malawi
No full textThe African Muslim minority in Malawi has been identified with
one particular linguistic group, the Yao. The dissertation
begins with the problem of their conversion and adherence to
Islam in the face of seemingly adverse circumstances. In
exploring-solutions to this problem the emergence of a Yao
identity is outlined and the politics of conversion are
described. The narrative then moves on to the transformations of
the Yao Muslims in the hundred years since their conversion. A
model of religious change is developed that attempts to account
for both the dynamics of change and the contemporary situation
of Islam in southern Malawi. The Yao Muslims are shown to be
divided into three competing and sometimes hostile factions that
are termed the Sufis, the sukuti or 'quietist' movement and the
new reformists. The appearance of these movements and their
interaction with one another is described in relation to the
questions of identity and religious practice. The model proposes
a three phase scheme of Islamic change (appropriation and
accommodation followed by internal reform and then the new
reformist movement) that is defined in part by the relationship
of the Yao Muslims to writing and the Book. It is suggested that
a certain logic of transformation is endogenous to Islam as a
religion of the Book and that the scripturalist tendencies of
the reformist movement give it an advantage over the followers
of Sufi practices, especially in the context of modern systems
of communication and education. The general approach is that of
an historical anthropology, linking notions of structured change
to anthropological concerns with ritual and practice. The
analysis concludes by raising questions about the nature of
religious change in the context of an increasingly volatile
world system and the place of the anthropology of religion in
the understanding of modernity
Miao-Yao
No full textExamination of the Maio-Yao language familyEthnic groups of mainland Southeast Asia, Frank M. LeBar, Gerald C. Hickey and John K. Musgrave.
New Haven, Human Relations Area Files Press, 1964, 63-81
Metal-metal multiply bonded complexes with metal-metal vector having orientational disorder
No full textVita.This dissertation presents detailed studies o f both trans and cis isom ers of W 2Cl4 (N H B ui)2 (PR 3 ) 2 (PR3 = PM e3, PM e2Ph, PEt3, PPr3). For trans PM e3 and P E t3 com pounds, low tem perature (less disordered) and room tem perature (more disordered) crystals were obtained. For trans PPr" and PM e2Ph com pounds, crystals obtained at low temperature and room temperature are the same. All trans com pounds undergo isomerization to cis isom ers in solution. Crystals of the cis isom er for PM e3 and PM e2Ph were obtained. The average W -P bond distances in the trans and the cis isom ers are 2.644(8) A and 2.52(1) A, respectively, and they are consistent with the ^ w -P coupling constants which are about 110 H z and 300 H z in the trans and cis isom ers, respectively. The short W -N distances in the m ore disordered crystals are not due to the presence o f a W -N triple bond, but are only apparent because the m etal-m etal orientational disorder is severe. The W -N bond distances in other trans and cis crystals are normal W -N double bond distances. The rate o f the trans to the cis isom erization is free phosphine dependent and a mechanism involving phosphine dissociation as the rate determining step is proposed. C ry stallizatio n at d ifferen t tem peratures affords d ifferen t cry stals for M 2Cl4 (PEt3)4 (M = Re, Mo, W ). Cubic crystals (space group I43m) were obtained at room tem perature for Re2Cl4 (PEt3)4 and M o2 Cl4 (PEt3)4 . W hen crystallization was carried out at -15 ��C, tetragonal crystals (space group I42m ) were form ed. The d iso rd er ratios change accordingly from equal distribution along three m utually perpendicular directions to one principal orientation along the c axis (4 axis), and two equally distributed m inor orientations along the a and b axes. For W 2 C l4 (PEt3>4 , crystals obtained at room temperature and -15 ��C are in the same space group I42m, but w ith different cell param eters and different disorder ratios. Once the crystals are formed, the disorder ratio will not change at room temperature
A nine month progress report on investigation of social network and bibliometric network
No full text
A diluent for prolonged motility of ocean pout (Macrozoarces americanus L.) sperm
No full textThe present study describes a new semen diluent (diluent C) which prolongs the sustained motility of ocean pout sperm, a distinguishing feature of the sperm of internally fertilizing teleosts. Sperm motilities were compared in the new diluent (C), based on the ionic composition of ocean pout seminal plasma, vs. four other semen diluents (A, B, D and E) ordinarily used for extending the semen of external fertilizers. While sperm retained motility after extension of ocean pout semen in all of these diluents, motility was significantly reduced following sperm resuspension in diluents B and D. Since sperm motility remained high in diluent C, formulated to closely mimic the composition of ocean pout seminal plasma, it was selected for additional experimentation. Negative effects were observed on sperm motility after dilution (> 1:10) of ocean pout semen with diluent C, but sperm motility could be restored by replacement of the seminal plasma. Of practical importance for storage of ocean pout sperm at 4 degrees C, it was shown that semen dilution 1:3 in diluent C preserved sperm motility beyond 5 days. Although ocean pout sperm tolerate a fairly wide range of K+ levels (0-30 mmol/l), the best motility was observed from 10-20 mmol/l [K+], similar to the ionic levels found in seminal plasma. Finally, since no change in fertility of ocean pout sperm occurred following 1:3 dilution of semen in diluent C, we conclude that diluent C is an effective medium for in vitro artificial egg insemination and prolonged motility of ocean pout sperm. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.PT: J; CR: BAYNES SM, 1981, J FISH BIOL, V19, P259 BILLARD R, 1992, J EXP ZOOL, V261, P122 BILLARD R, 1993, AQUAT LIVING RESOUR, V6, P67 CHAMBEYRON F, 1990, AQUACULTURE, V90, P345 CHAUVAUD L, 1995, ENVIRON BIOL FISH, V43, P341 COBB JLS, 1973, J FISH BIOL, V5, P587 ERDAHL AW, 1987, AQUACULTURE, V60, P311 ERDAHL AW, 1987, AQUACULTURE, V60, P323 GALLANT RK, 1993, THERIOGENOLOGY, V40, P479 GATTI JL, 1990, J CELL PHYSIOL, V143, P546 GOODALL JA, 1989, AQUACULTURE, V77, P243 OHTA H, 1996, AQUACULTURE, V142, P107 PAVLOV DA, 1994, AQUACULTURE, V122, P295 STOSS J, 1983, AQUACULTURE, V30, P229 SUQUET M, 1993, J FISH BIOL, V42, P509 WANG Z, 1997, FISH PHYSIOL BIOCHEM, V16, P77 YAO Z, 1995, MOL REPROD DEV, V42, P58 YAO Z, 1995, P 5 INT S REPR PHYS YAO ZX, 1995, AQUACULTURE, V130, P361 YAO ZX, 1995, J FISH BIOL, V47, P171; NR: 20; TC: 6; J9: AQUACULTURE; PG: 11; GA: 182MLSource type: Electronic(1
Current concepts on oxidative/carbonyl stress, inflammation and epigenetics in pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
No full textChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a global health problem. The current therapies for COPD are poorly effective and the mainstays of pharmacotherapy are bronchodilators. A better understanding of the pathobiology of COPD is critical for the development of novel therapies. In the present review, we have discussed the roles of oxidative/aldehyde stress, inflammation/immunity, and chromatin remodeling in the pathogenesis of COPD. An imbalance of oxidants/antioxidants caused by cigarette smoke and other pollutants/biomass fuels plays an important role in the pathogenesis of COPD by regulating redox-sensitive transcription factors (e.g., NF-κB), autophagy and unfolded protein response leading to chronic lung inflammatory response. Cigarette smoke also activates canonical/alternative NF-κB pathways and their upstream kinases leading to sustained inflammatory response in lungs. Recently, epigenetic regulation has been shown to be critical for the development of COPD because the expression/activity of enzymes that regulate these epigenetic modifications have been reported to be abnormal in airways of COPD patients. Hence, the significant advances made in understanding the pathophysiology of COPD as described herein will identify novel therapeutic targets for intervention in COPD
VALIDATION OF SPARC-90 POOL SCRUBBING MODEL IN SEVERE ACCIDENT CODE
No full textDuring the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), the radioactive aerosols generated by the crushing works such as laser cutting and drilling fuel debris. Severe accidents in NPP also release the fission products (FP) in the form of aerosols into the containment. In boiling water reactor (BWR), the gas containing small aerosol particles is transported into the suppression chamber (S/C) and with the removal effect called pool scrubbing, the aerosols are trapped from the gas to the liquid. Due to the complex phenomena during the pool scrubbing, many assumptions and empirical formula of the thermal-hydraulics and aerosol physics are applied in the severe accident codes. The validation of prediction performance of these codes is crucial to the establishing the benchmark of the source term calculation. A number of experimental studies have been conducted before to evaluate the affecting factors such as the submergence, gas flow rate, particle diameter. In this paper, the code modelling of SPARC-90 in MECLOR is reviewed and a comparison on the decontamination factor between the calculation results of code and the experimental data without steam is discussed. The limitations of the MELCOR estimation are pointed out and the suggestions on modification and improvement of the pool scrubbing model in severe accident code are given
Development and Modification of Pool Scrubbing Decontamination Factor Evaluation in Severe Accident Code
No full textWhen severe accidents in boiling water reactor and laser cutting in fuel retrieval during nuclear power plant decommissioning release the fission products in the form of aerosols into the containment, which may cause severe accidental damages, the gas mixed with radioactive aerosol particles can be injected into the suppression chamber. Aerosols are retained in the liquid while the gas passing through the pool and this process is called pool scrubbing. The removal effect of the aerosols is represented by decontamination factor (DF) and it is evaluated by severe accident codes such as MELCOR. In MELCOR, SPARC-90 model is used. The hydrodynamics variables such as bubble rise velocity, bubble aspect ratio and bubble diameter are calculated with many assumptions and by empirical formula. The previous comparisons between the calculation results of MELCOR and experimental data show that the physical models used in the MELCOR code have many limitations and need to be modified. In this paper, a code for evaluating the decontamination factor of pool scrubbing was developed. Based on former experimental studies and CFD simulation analysis on the decontamination process of one single bubble, modified bubble hydrodynamic and surface velocity were applied to improve the prediction of DF. The modified simulation results were compared with calculation results with original model and the experimental data. The comparison showed larger discrepancy with new surface velocity model, which indicates that surface velocity model might not be crucial for the underprediction of DF in MELCOR
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