Muslim Women in French Cinema: Voices of Maghrebi Migrants in France

This is a book review of Leslie Kealhofer-Kemp\u27s Muslim Women in French Cinema: Voices of Maghrebi Migrants in France (Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2015)

Sensuous Cinema: The Body in Contemporary Maghrebi Film

This is a book review of Kaya Davies Hayon, Sensuous Cinema: The Body in Contemporary Maghrebi Film (New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2018)

Conceptualizing Narratives of Religious Generational Gap between Muslim Immigrants and their French-Born Descendants.

One of the odd paradoxes of the study of religious gap between Muslims of first-generation of immigration and those belonging to second- or later generation of immigration in the European context is that quantitative studies show little evidence for difference while qualitative studies point out significant differences. Why is it so? By focusing on the French case and taking a mixed methods approach, I reflect on this paradox. First, I analyze data from three quantitative surveys: Pew Global Attitudes Survey (Pew 2006), Trajectories and Origins survey (TeO 2008), and French Institute of Public Opinion study of the Muslim population (IFOP 2019). Then, I use primary qualitative data (25 interviews and field observations) collected in the Greater Paris region over six months (May-July 2018 and February-April 2019) to outline five themes that I noted when my interviewees talked about religious generational gap. These themes include: choice versus inheritance of Islam; Islamic epistemologies; religious attitudes towards gender and ethnic differences; dividing the sacred from the profane; and claiming Islamic identity. I show that many of the religious differences that French Muslims of different immigrant generations talk about are not measured by the quantitative surveys currently available. In conclusion, I use the five themes to propose survey questions that can be used in future quantitative surveys to measure the existence of as well as the nature of religious generational gap among Muslims at a generalizable scale.Master of Art

Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Decreases β2-Agonist–induced Relaxation in Human Airway Smooth Muscle

Helper T effector cytokines implicated in asthma modulate the contractility of human airway smooth muscle (HASM) cells. We have reported recently that a profibrotic cytokine, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, induces HASM cell shortening and airway hyperresponsiveness. Here, we assessed whether TGF-β1 affects the ability of HASM cells to relax in response to β2-agonists, a mainstay treatment for airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma. Overnight TGF-β1 treatment significantly impaired isoproterenol (ISO)-induced relaxation of carbachol-stimulated, isolated HASM cells. This single-cell mechanical hyporesponsiveness to ISO was corroborated by sustained increases in myosin light chain phosphorylation. In TGF-β1–treated HASM cells, ISO evoked markedly lower levels of intracellular cAMP. These attenuated cAMP levels were, in turn, restored with pharmacological and siRNA inhibition of phosphodiesterase 4 and Smad3, respectively. Most strikingly, TGF-β1 selectively induced phosphodiesterase 4D gene expression in HASM cells in a Smad2/3-dependent manner. Together, these data suggest that TGF-β1 decreases HASM cell β2-agonist relaxation responses by modulating intracellular cAMP levels via a Smad2/3-dependent mechanism. Our findings further define the mechanisms underlying β2-agonist hyporesponsiveness in asthma, and suggest TGF-β1 as a potential therapeutic target to decrease asthma exacerbations in severe and treatment-resistant asthma

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

The Limits of Confronting Racial Discrimination in Tunisia with Law 50

In 2018, Tunisia became the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to pass a law that criminalizes racial discrimination. In a society that has long denied the existence of racism, the law—popularly known as Loi 50 or Law 50—has been applauded by local activists and international human rights organizations as a historic step

Visual recovery and predictors of visual prognosis after managing traumatic cataracts in 555 patients

The aim was to evaluate the visual recovery after managing traumatic cataracts and determine the predictors of a better visual prognosis. This was a prospective study. We enrolled patients with specific inclusion criteria, examined their eyes to review the comorbidities due to trauma, performed surgery for traumatic cataracts, and implanted lenses. The patients were reexamined 6 weeks postoperatively. We divided the cases of traumatic cataract into two groups, the "open globe" (Group 1) and "closed globe" (Group 2) groups, according to the ocular trauma based on the Birmingham Eye Trauma Terminology System (BETTS) and compared the determinants of visual acuity. Our cohort of 555 eyes with traumatic cataracts included 394 eyes in Group 1 and 161 in Group 2. Six weeks postoperatively, the visual acuity in the operated eye was >20/60 in 193 (48%) and 49 (29%) eyes in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (P = 0.002, ANOVA). At follow-up, >20/60 vision was significantly higher in Group 1 than in Group 2 (OR = 1.61; 95% CI, 0.85-3.02). Overall 242 (43.5%) eyes gained a final visual acuity of >20/60. Open globe injury has a favorable prognosis for satisfactory (>20/60) visual recovery after the management of traumatic cataracts

Comparative evaluation of periodontal ligament cell viability of permanent teeth in five different storage media followed by simulated avulsion injury: An in vitro study

Aim: To evaluate and compare the viability of periodontal ligament cells of avulsed teeth in five different storage media followed by simulated avulsion injury. Settings and Design: Seventy-five premolars extracted for orthodontic therapeutic purposes were randomly and equally ivided into five groups based on storage media used [A: HBSS (control), B: Milk (experimental), C: Aloe Vera (experimental), D: Egg white (experimental), E: Coconut water (experimental)].Methods and Material: Following extractions, the teeth were placed in one of the five different storage media for 60 minutes, following which the scrapings of the PDL were collected in Falcon tubes which already contained collagenase enzyme in 2.5 mL of Phosphate buffered saline. The tubes were subsequently incubated and centrifuged. Then acquired PDL cells were stained with Trypan Blue dye and were counted under an optical microscope. Statistical Analysis Used: Results were subjected to statistical analysis using ANOVA test and Post Hoc Tukey test. p-value < 0.05 is considered to be significant. Results: HBSS showed the highest percentage of viable cells (80.14%), followed by Egg white (74.01%) and Aloe Vera (73.68%). Milk and Coconut water showed the least percent of viable cells 63.20%, 63.58% respectively

The Busboy Problem: Efficient Tableware Decluttering Using Consolidation and Multi-Object Grasps

We present the "Busboy Problem": automating an efficient decluttering of cups, bowls, and silverware from a planar surface. As grasping and transporting individual items is highly inefficient, we propose policies to generate grasps for multiple items. We introduce the metric of Objects per Trip (OpT) carried by the robot to the collection bin to analyze the improvement seen as a result of our policies. In physical experiments with singulated items, we find that consolidation and multi-object grasps resulted in an 1.8x improvement in OpT, compared to methods without multi-object grasps. See https://sites.google.com/berkeley.edu/busboyproblem for code and supplemental materials

Comparative Evaluation of Periodontal Ligament Cell Viability of Permanent Teeth in Five Different Storage Media Followed by Simulated Avulsion Injury: an in Vitro Study

Aim: To evaluate and compare the viability of periodontal ligament cells of avulsed teeth in five different storage media followed by simulated avulsion injury. Settings and Design: Seventy-five premolars extracted for orthodontic therapeutic purposes were randomly and equally ivided into five groups based on storage media used [A: HBSS (control), B: Milk (experimental), C: Aloe Vera (experimental), D: Egg white (experimental), E: Coconut water (experimental)].Methods and Material: Following extractions, the teeth were placed in one of the five different storage media for 60 minutes, following which the scrapings of the PDL were collected in Falcon tubes which already contained collagenase enzyme in 2.5 mL of Phosphate buffered saline. The tubes were subsequently incubated and centrifuged. Then acquired PDL cells were stained with Trypan Blue dye and were counted under an optical microscope. Statistical Analysis Used: Results were subjected to statistical analysis using ANOVA test and Post Hoc Tukey test. p-value < 0.05 is considered to be significant. Results: HBSS showed the highest percentage of viable cells (80.14%), followed by Egg white (74.01%) and Aloe Vera (73.68%). Milk and Coconut water showed the least percent of viable cells 63.20%, 63.58% respectively