French or Muslim? "Rooted" French Perceptions of the Muslim Community in France

The purpose of this thesis is to identify and understand the “rooted” (French citizens with no immediate foreign decent) French perception of the Muslim community in France. In France, there is a mounting tension between the rooted French population and the Muslim community, as demonstrated by the growing number of French citizens leaving to fight for ISIS, the success of the National Front, and the terrorist attacks in Paris. I will first examine what constitutes French identity by examining the principle of laïcité, the French citizenship model, public opinion of French identity, and the National Front as a response to the perceived threat of Muslims to French identity. Then, I analyze four studies that provide insight of French attitudes to numerous questions that focus on Islam, Muslims, and integration. Finally, I reveal the results of my questionnaire conducted among forty-eight rooted French. I conclude that while the perception of Muslims is negative due to the rooted French belief that Muslims are refusing to adapt a French identity, the greater issue at hand is that Muslims, as a growing and seemingly dangerous out-group, present a perceived threat because of their perceived lack of adherence to laïcité- a central tenet of French identity

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Comprehensive phenotype of the p.Arg420his allelic form of spinocerebellar ataxia type 13

The p.Arg420His allelic form of spinocerebellar ataxia type 13 has been reported in a large Filipino kindred, as well as three European index cases, one with an affected offspring. Haplotype analysis has confirmed independent mutational events. All individuals share adult-onset, predominantly cerebellar signs and a slowly progressive course. However, a comprehensive phenotypic description has yet to be published on SCA13(p.Arg420His). In this study, we present the results of a detailed neurological clinical and diagnostic testing on 21 mutation-positive members of a four-generation Filipino family to further define this disease, aiding diagnosis and prognosis

Comprehensive phenotype of the p.Arg420his allelic form of spinocerebellar ataxia type 13

The p.Arg420His allelic form of spinocerebellar ataxia type 13 has been reported in a large Filipino kindred, as well as three European index cases, one with an affected offspring. Haplotype analysis has confirmed independent mutational events. All individuals share adult-onset, predominantly cerebellar signs and a slowly progressive course. However, a comprehensive phenotypic description has yet to be published on SCA13(p.Arg420His). In this study, we present the results of a detailed neurological clinical and diagnostic testing on 21 mutation-positive members of a four-generation Filipino family to further define this disease, aiding diagnosis and prognosis

Utilisation of Digital Applications for Personal Recovery Amongst Youth with Mental Health Concerns

There is an increasing population of youths that report mental health issues. Research has shown that youths are reluctant to seek help for various reasons. A majority of those who do seek help are using digital mental health supports. Subsequently, efforts to promote youth mental health have focused on the use of digital applications as a means of overcoming barriers related to factors including stigma and lack of available services. The worldwide move toward recovery-oriented care led to emerging research on personal recovery amongst youths with mental health concerns. This study sought to address the need for recovery-oriented digital resources for youths. It utilised a qualitative design methodology to develop a rich interpretation of how youths are using digital interventions to support their mental health recovery journey. It sought to understand how existing digital applications are useful for youth recovery and identified characteristics associated with recovery and engagement. The content analysis generated five categories that represent facilitators of youth recovery and the thematic analysis identified key elements of digital applications that support youth recovery. The results offer complimentary support and guidance for recovery-oriented care and the use of digital mental health interventions in the promotion of personal recovery amongst youths

Mutation in the kv3.3 voltage-gated potassium channel causing spinocerebellar ataxia 13 disrupts sound-localization mechanisms

Normal sound localization requires precise comparisons of sound timing and pressure levels between the two ears. The primary localization cues are interaural time differences, ITD, and interaural level differences, ILD. Voltage-gated potassium channels, including Kv3.3, are highly expressed in the auditory brainstem and are thought to underlie the exquisite temporal precision and rapid spike rates that characterize brainstem binaural pathways. An autosomal dominant mutation in the gene encoding Kv3.3 has been demonstrated in a large Filipino kindred manifesting as spinocerebellar ataxia type 13 (SCA13). This kindred provides a rare opportunity to test in vivo the importance of a specific channel subunit for human hearing. Here, we demonstrate psychophysically that individuals with the mutant allele exhibit profound deficits in both ITD and ILD sensitivity, despite showing no obvious impairment in pure-tone sensitivity with either ear. Surprisingly, several individuals exhibited the auditory deficits even though they were pre-symptomatic for SCA13. We would expect that impairments of binaural processing as great as those observed in this family would result in prominent deficits in localization of sound sources and in loss of the spatial release from masking that aids in understanding speech in the presence of competing sounds