Okilactomycin and chrolactomycin are antitumor antibiotics isolated in 1987 and 2001, respectively. These tetracyclic natural products possess a unique 6-5 fused tetrahydropyrone-butyrolactone. The spirocenter is part of a highly functionalized cyclohexene ring, which together with the aforementioned 6-5 system compose the core of these molecules. A six carbon, 1,3-dialkyl-substituted carbon...
Cluster Analysis deals with classifying a sample of multivariate measurements into different categories. In this dissertation we study the effect of the correlation structure of the data on the performance of a clustering method. We begin with the analysis of two-component normal mixture models and then proceed to cluster analysis...
In this work, the processing of the superconductor MgB<sub>2</sub> was studied to create a fundamental scientific background for the production of superconducting composite wires. The synthesis of MgB<sub>2</sub> from Mg and B powders was investigated in situ to determine reaction rates and kinetic parameters for the application of powder-in-tube technology...
The optimization problems associated with adaptive and autonomic computing systems are often difficult to pose well and solve efficiently. A key challenge is that for many applications, particularly interactive applications, the user or developer is unlikely or unable to provide either the objective function f, or constraints. It is a...
This essay discusses the role of the ulama (Islamic scholars) in the 2007 Nigerian elections. Based on interviews and the political activities and statements of the twelve members of the ulama, most of whom are from Kano, the author observes four areas of consensus among these scholars: 1) The compatiblity...
This essay provides an introduction to eight papers on the theme of Islam and the Public Sphere in Africa that resulted from two conferences organized by the Institute for the Study of Islamic Thought in Africa (ISITA) in 2007. The author argues that these papers challenge the dichotomous thinking that...
This paper discusses the recent (2007) declaration of the Caucasus Emirate by Islamist guerilla fighters waging jihad against Russia in several republics of the Northern Caucasus (Russian Federation). It analyzes the practical reasons and ideological agendas behind the creation of this new polity that remains largely virtual with the website...
This essay asks whether the existence of a viable public sphere hinges upon the banishment of religion to the private realm. While some scholars have suggested that the encounter between "public" Islam and the democratization inevitably produces political collapse (as in the case of Algeria), the author contends that the...
Among the linkages identified between human rights law and environmental protection, the problem of anthropogenic climate change has emerged as a central concern. Some of the early focus on climate change as itself a human rights violation has given way to a more complete and forward-looking approach that considers how...
The growing religious identity throughout the world is challenging conventional social science wisdom, according to which modernization leads to the marginalization of religion in the public sphere. This discussion suggests different and alternative models for being both Muslim and modern. The focus is the family law reform within the context...