Between East and West: controversies over the modernization of Hebrew culture in the works of Shaul Abdallah Yosef and Ariel Bension

A tendency exists in Jewish historiography to associate Jewish modernization and Hebrew renaissance with Europe and Western culture. Europeanization and Westernization are emphasized as the focal points for Jewish cultural transformation. We take a different approach by shedding light on a number of centres where modern Jewish and Hebrew culture was created. This approach allows us to expand the perspective beyond the Eurocentric prism and instead emphasize movement – of people, knowledge, goods and capital – in real or symbolic spaces as key drivers for processes of transformation. We accordingly examine different pathways to the renewal of Hebrew and Jewish cultures at the turn of the twentieth century. We re-asses the research and literary work of Shaul Abdallah Yosef (1849–1906) and Ariel Bension (1880–1933) and their contesting interpretations of the modernization of Hebrew culture. Driven by both real and symbolic return to the “East,” the two formulated different political and cultural models for the modernization of Jewish and Hebrew culture. By doing so they challenged mainstream trends concerning modern European Jewish discourse that prevailed during the nineteenth century in the work of the Wissenschaft des Judentums (science of Judaism) movement, in Europe’s Hebrew Haskalah circles and later on in Palestine/Land of Israel

A Case Report of Invasive Mucormycosis in a COVID-19 Positive and Newly-Diagnosed Diabetic Patient

ABSTRACT:This is a case report of a 46-year-old female with undiagnosed diabetes, COVID-19, and mucormycosis. Mucormycosis is a rare, rapidly progressive disease process characterized by an insidious onset of vague symptoms and is associated with a high mortality rate. The patient initially presented at two outside ophthalmology clinics due to right eye pain and was prescribed steroids. Upon presentation to our institution’s Emergency Department, the patient’s pain had significantly increased along with new symptoms of ptosis and failure to adduct the right eye. Laboratory results demonstrated leukocytosis, hyperglycemia, and a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a diagnosis of mucormycosis and the patient underwent surgery and began intravenous antifungal therapy. This discussion addresses the presenting features of mucormycosis in the emergency department while highlighting the need for immediate investigation due to the fungi’s rapidly progressive nature.Topics: Mucormycosis, mucor, diabetes, COVID-19, ROCM

Forward step down test - clinical rating is correlated with joint angles of the pelvis and hip: an observational study

Abstract Background Clinical methods for assessing quality of movement and functional tests are important to clinicians. Typical deviations from normal kinematics during the clinical test of Forward Step Down Test (FSDT) are pelvic tilt and hip adduction which are associated with the risk of knee pain. Objectives (1) to examine the correlation between clinical assessment of the FSDT and joint angle measurements of pelvis, hip, knee and ankle joints in males and females; (2) to examine the differences in joint angles between individuals rated as good, fair or poor in a FSDT performance test. Methods Ninety-two healthy individuals performing FSDT were video-taped with two-dimensional digital video cameras. The clinical assessment of the FSDT was rated by two experienced physical therapists as good, fair, or poor based on a Crossley et al. (2011) validated scale. Measurements of pelvic drop, hip adduction and knee valgus were taken using Image J software. Results Out of 177 lower limbs, 74 (37 in each limb) were clinically rated as “good/fair” (41.80%) while 103 (52 in the dominant leg and 51 in the non-dominant leg) were rated as “poor” (58.19%). No significant differences were observed between dominant and non-dominant legs or between males and females in clinical rating of the FSDT. Pelvic drop angle was significantly higher and hip adduction angle was significantly lower for “poor” clinical rating compared to “good/fair” in both dominant and non-dominant legs (p < 0.001) in males and females. Females demonstrated higher pelvic drop, lower hip adduction and higher knee valgus angles compared with males (p < 0.05). Conclusions This study showed that the clinical rating of FSDT is correlated with joint angle measurements suggesting that this assessment can be utilized in clinical practice. Individuals with poor quality performance of FSDT showed higher pelvic drop and hip adduction movement. Further studies examining different populations with diverse disorders or pathologies are essential

The Potential Role of Immune Alteration in the Cancer–COVID19 Equation—A Prospective Longitudinal Study

Background: The risk of cancer patients to develop COVID19 infection is unclear. We aimed to prospectively study cancer patients and oncology healthcare workers for COVID19 serology. In IgG+ cases, immune profile was determined to portray the pattern of immune response to SARS-CoV2. Methods: Cancer patients on active treatment and healthcare workers were enrolled. During the study period (3/2020&ndash;6/2020), demographic data and blood were collected at three time points. Expression of IgG, IgM, and IgA were assessed. In SARS-CoV-2 IgG+ cases and matched negative cases, we performed mass cytometry time of flight (CyTOF) analysis on the basis of the expression of surface markers. Results: The study included 164 cancer patients on active intravenous treatment and 107 healthcare workers at the cancer center. No symptomatic cases were reported during the study period. Serology analysis revealed four IgG+ patients (2.4%) and two IgG+ healthcare workers (1.9%)&mdash;all were asymptomatic. CyTOF analysis demonstrated substantial reduction in myeloid cells in healthcare workers who were SARS-CoV-2 IgG+ compared to those who were SARS-CoV-2 IgG-, whereas in cancer patients, the reduction was relatively milder (&asymp;50% reduction in SARS-CoV-2 IgG+ cancer patients compared with &asymp;90% reduction in SARS-CoV-2 IgG+ workers). Conclusion: Our results indicate a similar rate of asymptomatic COVID19 infection in cancer patients and healthcare workers in a longitudinal study throughout the pandemic time. Due to differential immune cell profiles of cancer patients who are treated with immunomodulatory agents, the host response to the SARS-COV2 may play a role in COVID19 course and representation. The immunological perspective of cancer treatments on the risk for COVID19 infection should be further explored

Additional file 1 of Forward step down test - clinical rating is correlated with joint angles of the pelvis and hip: an observational study

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