Where’s My Favorite Dictator? An Analysis of the American Empire In Post-Revolution Egypt

In 2011, Egypt became the epicenter of a regional wave of uprisings demanding an end to corruption, inequality, and undemocratic governance. The Egyptian revolution marked the hopeful beginning of a democratization process. However, in 2013 a military coup by General Abdel Fatah El-Sisi deposed the elected president and ended Egypt’s democratic experiment (DeSmet 2021). Despite the deterioration in U.S.-Egypt relations during the Obama administration and the erosion of political freedoms and economic stability over the last decade, the Trump administration enthusiastically embraced El-Sisi’s regime. Did Trump\u27s claim that El-Sisi was his “favorite dictator” signal a profound shift in American policy? In this case study of American foreign policy in Egypt during the Trump administration, I argue that the United States has pursued a strategy of democracy prevention to secure American interests and incorporate Egypt into a regional neoliberal order. Trump maintained the imperial approach of his predecessors by deepening security ties with the Egyptian military, accelerating the securitization of foreign aid, and outsourcing imperialism to the IMF and the Gulf. Nevertheless, Trump’s America First foreign policy departed from past presidents by promoting Sisi’s authoritarianism, rejecting democracy promotion and soft power, and aggressively deterring Egypt from aligning with American rivals. I assert that the Trump administration’s foreign policy strategy responded to declining American influence in the Middle East and North Africa. America First foreign policy was an aggressive but contradictory and limited strategy to sustain American dominance in a region characterized by increasing multipolarity

CPA\u27s handbook of fraud and commercial crime prevention

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_guides/1820/thumbnail.jp

CPA\u27s handbook of fraud and commercial crime prevention

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_guides/1823/thumbnail.jp

CPA\u27s handbook of fraud and commercial crime prevention

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_guides/1819/thumbnail.jp

Time-Symmetric Initial Data for Multi-Body Solutions in Three Dimensions

Time-symmetric initial data for two-body solutions in three dimensional anti-deSitter gravity are found. The spatial geometry has constant negative curvature and is constructed as a quotient of two-dimensional hyperbolic space. Apparent horizons correspond to closed geodesics. In an open universe, it is shown that two black holes cannot exist separately, but are necessarily enclosed by a third horizon. In a closed universe, two separate black holes can exist provided there is an additional image mass.Comment: 12 pages, harvmac macro, minor changes in wordin

2018-2019 Master Class - Alan Weinstein (Chamber Music)

https://spiral.lynn.edu/conservatory_masterclasses/1184/thumbnail.jp

Prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing after stroke and TIA: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) after stroke. METHODS We searched PubMed, Embase (Ovid), the Cochrane Library, and CINAHL (from their commencements to April 7, 2017) for clinical studies reporting prevalence and/or severity of SDB after stroke or TIA. Only sleep apnea tests performed with full polysomnography and diagnostic devices of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine categories I-IV were included. We conducted random-effects meta-analysis. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42017072339. RESULTS The initial search identified 5,211 publications. Eighty-nine studies (including 7,096 patients) met inclusion criteria. Fifty-four studies were performed in the acute phase after stroke (after less than 1 month), 23 studies in the subacute phase (after 1-3 months), and 12 studies in the chronic phase (after more than 3 months). Mean apnea-hypopnea index was 26.0/h (SD 21.7-31.2). Prevalence of SDB with apnea-hypopnea index greater than 5/h and greater than 30/h was found in 71% (95% confidence interval 66.6%-74.8%) and 30% (95% confidence interval 24.4%-35.5%) of patients, respectively. Severity and prevalence of SDB were similar in all examined phases after stroke, irrespective of the type of sleep apnea test performed. Heterogeneity between studies () was mostly high. CONCLUSION The high prevalence of SDB after stroke and TIA, which persists over time, is important in light of recent studies reporting the (1) feasibility and (2) efficacy of SDB treatment in this clinical setting

CPAP as treatment of sleep apnea after stroke: A meta-analysis of randomized trials.

OBJECTIVE To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effectiveness of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in stroke patients with sleep disordered breathing (SDB). METHODS In a systematic literature search of electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library) from 1980 to November 2016, we identified RCTs that assessed CPAP compared to standard care or sham CPAP in adult patients with stroke or TIA with SDB. Mean CPAP use, odds ratios (ORs), and standardized mean differences (SMDs) were calculated. The prespecified outcomes were adherence to CPAP, neurologic improvement, adverse events, new vascular events, and death. RESULTS Ten RCTs (564 participants) with CPAP as intervention were included. Two studies compared CPAP with sham CPAP; 8 compared CPAP with usual care. Mean CPAP use across the trials was 4.53 hours per night (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.97-5.08). The OR of dropping out with CPAP was 1.83 (95% CI 1.05-3.21,= 0.033). The combined analysis of the neurofunctional scales (NIH Stroke Scale and Canadian Neurological Scale) showed an overall neurofunctional improvement with CPAP (SMD 0.5406, 95% CI 0.0263-1.0548) but with a considerable heterogeneity (= 78.9%,= 0.0394) across the studies. Long-term survival was improved with CPAP in 1 trial. CONCLUSION CPAP use after stroke is acceptable once the treatment is tolerated. The data indicate that CPAP might be beneficial for neurologic recovery, which justifies larger RCTs

Cross-sectional study evaluating the impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants on Long COVID outcomes in UK hospital survivors

OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 studies report on hospital admission outcomes across SARS-CoV-2 waves of infection but knowledge of the impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants on the development of Long COVID in hospital survivors is limited. We sought to investigate Long COVID outcomes, aiming to compare outcomes in adult hospitalised survivors with known variants of concern during our first and second UK COVID-19 waves, prior to widespread vaccination. DESIGN: Prospective observational cross-sectional study. SETTING: Secondary care tertiary hospital in the UK. PARTICIPANTS: This study investigated Long COVID in 673 adults with laboratory-positive SARS-CoV-2 infection or clinically suspected COVID-19, 6 weeks after hospital discharge. We compared adults with wave 1 (wildtype variant, admitted from February to April 2020) and wave 2 patients (confirmed Alpha variant on viral sequencing (B.1.1.7), admitted from December 2020 to February 2021). OUTCOME MEASURES: Associations of Long COVID presence (one or more of 14 symptoms) and total number of Long COVID symptoms with SARS-CoV-2 variant were analysed using multiple logistic and Poisson regression, respectively. RESULTS: 322/400 (wave 1) and 248/273 (wave 2) patients completed follow-up. Predictors of increased total number of Long COVID symptoms included: pre-existing lung disease (adjusted count ratio (aCR)=1.26, 95% CI 1.07, 1.48) and more COVID-19 admission symptoms (aCR=1.07, 95% CI 1.02, 1.12). Weaker associations included increased length of inpatient stay (aCR=1.02, 95% CI 1.00, 1.03) and later review after discharge (aCR=1.00, 95% CI 1.00, 1.01). SARS-CoV-2 variant was not associated with Long COVID presence (OR=0.99, 95% CI 0.24, 4.20) or total number of symptoms (aCR=1.09, 95% CI 0.82, 1.44). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with chronic lung disease or greater COVID-19 admission symptoms have higher Long COVID risk. SARS-CoV-2 variant was not predictive of Long COVID though in wave 2 we identified fewer admission symptoms, improved clinical trajectory and outcomes. Addressing modifiable factors such as length of stay and timepoint of clinical review following discharge may enable clinicians to move from Long COVID risk stratification towards improving its outcome

The developmental regulator Pax6 is essential for maintenance of islet cell function in the adult mouse pancreas

The transcription factor Pax6 is a developmental regulator with a crucial role in development of the eye, brain, and olfactory system. Pax6 is also required for correct development of the endocrine pancreas and specification of hormone producing endocrine cell types. Glucagon-producing cells are almost completely lost in Pax6-null embryos, and insulin-expressing beta and somatostatin-expressing delta cells are reduced. While the developmental role of Pax6 is well-established, investigation of a further role for Pax6 in the maintenance of adult pancreatic function is normally precluded due to neonatal lethality of Pax6-null mice. Here a tamoxifen-inducible ubiquitous Cre transgene was used to inactivate Pax6 at 6 months of age in a conditional mouse model to assess the effect of losing Pax6 function in adulthood. The effect on glucose homeostasis and the expression of key islet cell markers was measured. Homozygous Pax6 deletion mice, but not controls, presented with all the symptoms of classical diabetes leading to severe weight loss requiring termination of the experiment five weeks after first tamoxifen administration. Immunohistochemical analysis of the pancreata revealed almost complete loss of Pax6 and much reduced expression of insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin. Several other markers of islet cell function were also affected. Notably, strong upregulation in the number of ghrelin-expressing endocrine cells was observed. These findings demonstrate that Pax6 is essential for adult maintenance of glucose homeostasis and function of the endocrine pancreas