bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Do all patients with cancer experience fatigue? A longitudinal study of fatigue trajectories in women with breast cancer
Authors: Bower Julienne E. , Ganz Patricia A. , Irwin Michael R. , Cole Steve W. , Garet Deborah , Petersen Laura , Asher Arash , Hurvitz Sara A. , Crespi Catherine M.
Published: February 2021

Background

Fatigue is a common and expected side effect of cancer treatment. However, the majority of studies to date have focused on average levels of fatigue, which may obscure important individual differences in the severity and course of fatigue over time. The current study was designed to identify distinct trajectories of fatigue from diagnosis into survivorship in a longitudinal study of women with early‐stage breast cancer.

Methods

Women with stage 0 to stage IIIA breast cancer (270 women) were recruited before (neo)adjuvant therapy with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and/or endocrine therapy and completed assessments at baseline; posttreatment; and at 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months of follow‐up. Growth mixture modeling was used to identify trajectories of fatigue, and differences among the trajectory groups with regard to demographic, medical, and psychosocial variables were examined.

Results

Five distinct trajectories of fatigue were identified: Stable Low (66%), with low levels of fatigue across assessments; Stable High (13%), with high fatigue across assessments; Decreasing (4%), with high fatigue at baseline that resolved over time; Increasing (9%), with low fatigue at baseline that increased over time; and Reactive (8%), with increased fatigue after treatment that resolved over time. Both psychological and treatment‐related factors were found to be associated with fatigue trajectories, with psychological factors most strongly linked to high fatigue at the beginning of and over the course of treatment.

Conclusions

There is considerable variability in the experience of fatigue among women with early‐stage breast cancer. Although the majority of women report relatively low fatigue, those with a history of depression and elevated psychological distress may be at risk of more severe and persistent fatigue.
Bankruptcy among insured surgical patients with breast cancer: Who is at risk?
Authors: Obeng‐Gyasi Samilia , Timsina Lava R. , Bhattacharyya Oindrila , Fisher Carla S. , Haggstrom David A.
Published: February 2021

Background

The rising cost of cancer treatment has been linked to higher bankruptcy rates and worse mortality among patients with cancer. The objective of this study was to identify the characteristics of insured patients with breast cancer who underwent surgery and filed for bankruptcy.

Methods

Insured patients with breast cancer who underwent surgery were identified in the Indiana State Cancer Registry (ISCR) from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2014. Patients who filed for Chapter 7 or 13 bankruptcy in the Public Access to Courts Electronic Records (PACER) database were linked to patients in the ISCR. The cohort was divided into 2 groups: no bankruptcy (NB) and bankruptcy after diagnosis (BAD). Bivariate analysis and a logistic regression model were used to identify patients who were at increased risk of filing for bankruptcy after their diagnosis.

Results

Of 23,012 patients, 207 (0.9%) filed for bankruptcy after diagnosis and 22,805 (99.1%) did not file for bankruptcy. The patients who filed for bankruptcy after diagnosis were younger (BAD vs NB: median age, 53 years [interquartile range (IQR), 46‐61 years] vs 62 years [IQR, 52‐71 years], non‐White (BAD vs NB, 20.5% vs 8.5%), and lived in lower income neighborhoods (BAD vs NB: median annual income, $50,869 [IQR, $41,051‐$61,150] vs $52,522 [IQR, $41,356‐$64,915]). On multivariable analysis, younger age (aged ≤40 years: odds ratio [OR], 5.41; 95% CI, 2.8‐12.31; aged 41‐64 years: OR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.33‐5.12; aged ≥65 years, reference category) and non‐White race (non‐White: OR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.54‐3.83; White, reference category) were associated with filing for bankruptcy after diagnosis

Conclusions

Younger age and non‐White race are associated with an increased risk of filing for bankruptcy after diagnosis among insured patients who undergo surgery for breast cancer. Additional steps should be taken to screen and address the financial vulnerability of these patients at treatment initiation.
Coagulation‐Fragmentation Equations with Multiplicative Coagulation Kernel and Constant Fragmentation Kernel
Authors: Tran Hung V. , Van Truong‐Son
Published: February 2021

We study a critical case of coagulation‐fragmentation equations with multiplicative coagulation kernel and constant fragmentation kernel. Our method is based on the study of viscosity solutions to a new singular Hamilton‐Jacobi equation, which results from applying the Bernstein transform to the original coagulation‐fragmentation equation. Our results include well‐posedness, regularity, and long‐time behaviors of viscosity solutions to the Hamilton‐Jacobi equation in certain regimes, which have implications to well‐posedness and long‐time behaviors of mass‐conserving solutions to the coagulation‐fragmentation equation. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Generating Mice with Diverse Microbial Experience
Authors: Pierson Mark , Merley Anne , Hamilton Sara E.
Published: February 2021

Laboratory strains of mice are typically housed in specific pathogen–free facilities to minimize exposure to microbes. This method encourages uniformity in responses to experimentally induced parameters and reduces loss of animals, allowing for the survival and study of immunodeficient mice. However, the restrictions also limit physiologic relevance to humans, who are exposed to numerous microbes from birth. Recent evidence from several groups has demonstrated that exposure of laboratory mice to commensal and pathogenic microbes normally found in wild or pet store mice can dramatically impact the cellular makeup and function of the immune system. This article outlines procedures for exposing laboratory strains of mice to the diverse array of microbes typically found in pet store mice. Suggested methods for characterization of the immune system following this exposure are also described. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

This article was corrected on 19 July 2022. See the end of the full text for details.

Basic Protocol 1: Cohousing laboratory strains of mice with pet store mice

Support Protocol: Antibody staining of circulating immune cells and analysis by flow cytometry

Basic Protocol 2: Exposure of laboratory strains of mice to fomite bedding
Disclosure of preclinical Alzheimer's disease biomarker results in research and clinical settings: Why, how, and what we still need to know
Authors: Erickson Claire M. , Chin Nathaniel A. , Johnson Sterling C. , Gleason Carey E. , Clark Lindsay R.
Published: February 2021

Disclosure of personal disease‐related information to asymptomatic adults has been debated over the last century in medicine and research. Recently, Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been conceptualized as a continuum that begins with a “preclinical” stage in which biomarkers are present in the absence of cognitive impairment. Studies have begun assessing the safety, psychological, and behavioral effects of disclosing both AD‐related genetic and biomarker information to cognitively unimpaired older adults. Yet, debate continues over the appropriate circumstances and methods for returning such information. This article outlines concerns with and rationale for AD biomarker disclosure and summarizes findings from prior studies. Overall, this article aims to describe and respond to key questions concerning disclosure of amyloid positron emission tomography scan results to asymptomatic adults in a research setting. Moving forward, such conditions are important to consider as interventions target the preclinical phase of AD and normalize disclosing biomarker information to cognitively unimpaired persons.
Body weight changes and longitudinal associations with cognitive decline among community‐dwelling older adults
Authors: Eymundsdottir Hrafnhildur , Ramel Alfons , Geirsdottir Olof G. , Skuladottir Sigrun S. , Gudmundsson Larus S. , Jonsson Palmi V. , Gudnason Vilmundur , Launer Lenore , Jonsdottir Maria K. , Chang Milan
Published: February 2021

Introduction

We aim to investigate the longitudinal associations between changes in body weight (BW) and declines in cognitive function and risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI)/dementia among cognitively normal individuals 65 years or older.

Methods

Data from the Age Gene/Environment Susceptibility‐Reykjavik Study (AGES‐Reykjavik Study) including 2620 participants, were examined using multiple logistic regression models. Cognitive function included speed of processing (SP), executive function (EF), and memory function (MF). Changes in BW were classified as; weight loss (WL), weight gain (WG), and stable weight (SW).

Results

Mean follow‐up time was 5.2 years and 61.3% were stable weight. Participants who experienced WL (13.4%) were significantly more likely to have declines in MF and SP compared to the SW group. Weight changes were not associated with EF. WL was associated with a higher risk of MCI, while WG (25.3%) was associated with a higher dementia risk, when compared to SW.

Discussion

Significant BW changes in older adulthood may indicate impending changes in cognitive function.
Changes in cardiac sympathetic nerve activity on 123I‐metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy after MitraClip therapy
Authors: Fukuda Keisuke , Hasegawa Seiji , Kawamura Tomonori , Waratani Naoto , Hirata Kumiko , Higashimori Akihiro , Yokoi Yoshiaki
Published: February 2021

Aims

In patients with heart failure, over‐activation of the cardiac sympathetic nerve (CSN) function is associated with severity of heart failure and worse outcome. The effects of MitraClip therapy on the CSN activity in patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) remained unknown. In this study, we evaluated the impact of the MitraClip therapy on CSN activity assessed by 123I‐metaiodobezylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy.

Methods and results

We enrolled consecutive patients with moderate‐to‐severe (3+) or severe (4+) MR who were scheduled to undergo MitraClip procedure in this prospective observational study. MIBG scintigraphy was performed at baseline and 6 months after the MitraClip procedure to evaluate the heart–mediastinum ratio and washout rate (WR). Changes in these MIBG parameters were analysed. Of the 13 consecutive patients, 10 were successfully treated with MitraClip procedure and completed follow‐up assessment. With regard to the MIBG parameters, changes in the early and delayed heart–mediastinum ratio from baseline to 6 months were not significant (2.16 ± 0.42 to 2.06 ± 0.34, P = 0.38 and 1.87 ± 0.39 to 1.83 ± 0.39, P = 0.43, respectively), whereas WR was significantly decreased (38.6 ± 3.9% to 32.6 ± 3.94%, P = 0.002).

Conclusions

The CSN activity of the WR on MIBG imaging was improved 6 months after MitraClip therapy in patients with 3+ or 4+ MR.
Serum potassium and outcomes in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a post‐hoc analysis of the PARAGON‐HF trial
Authors: Ferreira João Pedro , Claggett Brian L. , Liu Jiankang , Desai Akshay S. , Pfeffer Marc A. , Anand Inder S. , van Veldhuisen Dirk J. , Kober Lars , Cleland John G.F. , Rouleau Jean L. , Packer Milton , Zile Michael R. , Shi Victor C. , Lefkowitz Martin P. , Shah Sanjiv J. , Vardeny Orly , Zannad Faiez , Solomon Scott D. , McMurray John J.V.
Published: February 2021

Aims

The relationship between serum potassium concentration and outcomes in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is not well‐established. The aim of this study was to explore the association between serum potassium and clinical outcomes in the PARAGON‐HF trial in which 4822 patients with HFpEF were randomised to treatment with sacubitril/valsartan or valsartan.

Methods and results

The relationship between serum potassium concentrations and the primary study composite outcome of total (first and recurrent) heart failure hospitalisations and cardiovascular death was analysed. Hypo‐, normo‐, and hyperkalaemia were defined as serum potassium <4 mmol/L, 4–5 mmol/L and >5 mmol/L, respectively. Both screening and time‐updated potassium (categorical and continuous spline‐transformed) were studied. Patient mean age was 73 years and 52% were women. Patients with higher baseline potassium more often had an ischaemic aetiology and diabetes and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist treatment. Compared with normokalaemia, both time‐updated (but not screening) hypo‐ and hyperkalaemia were associated with a higher risk of the primary outcome [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for hypokalaemia 1.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30–1.85; P < 0.001, and for hyperkalaemia HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.02–1.44; P = 0.025]. Hypokalaemia had a stronger association with a higher risk of all‐cause, cardiovascular and non‐cardiovascular death than hyperkalaemia. The association of hypokalaemia with increased risk of all‐cause and cardiovascular death was most marked in participants with impaired kidney function (interaction P < 0.05). Serum potassium did not significantly differ between sacubitril/valsartan and valsartan throughout the follow‐up.

Conclusions

Both hypo‐ and hyperkalaemia were associated with heart failure hospitalisation but only hypokalaemia was associated with mortality, especially in the context of renal impairment. Hypokalaemia was as strongly associated with death from non‐cardiovascular causes as with cardiovascular death. Collectively, these findings suggest that potassium disturbances are a more of a marker of HFpEF severity rather than a direct cause of death.
Experimental study on the effects of bi‐directional loading pattern on rectangular reinforced concrete walls
Authors: Niroomandi Arsalan , Pampanin Stefano , Dhakal Rajesh P. , Ashtiani Mohammad Soleymani , Nokes Roger
Published: February 2021

In this experimental study, three identical reinforced concrete (RC) walls were tested under three different lateral loading patterns. These loading patterns were cyclic in‐plane, skewed with 45° angle and clover leaf. The main objective was to investigate the effects of these bi‐directional loading patterns on the seismic behavior of slender rectangular RC walls. The results showed significant increase in tensile and compressive strains in concrete and longitudinal bars that led to earlier cover concrete spalling and bar buckling in the specimens subjected to bi‐directional loading. The neutral axis depth and compression zone were found to be substantially larger when subjected to bi‐directional loading and this led to the occurrence of concrete crushing and bar buckling in the web. Moreover, lateral instability failure triggered earlier in the specimens under bi‐directional loading, as a result of reduction of out‐of‐plane stiffness of the wall. However, bi‐directional loading did not significantly increase out‐of‐plane buckling of the wall in terms of out‐of‐plane displacement. In‐plane and out‐of‐plane shear cracks formed in one of the specimens subjected to bi‐directional loading, whereas the same wall under in‐plane loading developed only flexural cracks. It was also found that in‐plane shear deformation was larger when the wall was subjected to bi‐directional loading. The results of this experimental study emphasize the need for further investigation of the effects of bi‐directional loading on RC structural walls.
Highly accurate special quadrature methods for Stokesian particle suspensions in confined geometries
Authors: Bagge Joar , Tornberg Anna‐Karin
Published: February 2021

Boundary integral methods are highly suited for problems with complicated geometries, but require special quadrature methods to accurately compute the singular and nearly singular layer potentials that appear in them. This article presents a boundary integral method that can be used to study the motion of rigid particles in three‐dimensional periodic Stokes flow with confining walls. A centerpiece of our method is the highly accurate special quadrature method, which is based on a combination of upsampled quadrature and quadrature by expansion, accelerated using a precomputation scheme. The method is demonstrated for rodlike and spheroidal particles, with the confining geometry given by a pipe or a pair of flat walls. A parameter selection strategy for the special quadrature method is presented and tested. Periodic interactions are computed using the spectral Ewald fast summation method, which allows our method to run in time for n grid points in the primary cell, assuming the number of geometrical objects grows while the grid point concentration is kept fixed.
Production and characterization of soft Sardaigne‐type cheese by using almond gum as a functional additive
Authors: Ghamgui Hanen , Bouaziz Fatma , Frikha Fakher , Châari Fatma , Ellouze‐Chaâbouni Semia
Published: February 2021

The effect of almond gum (AG), as natural polysaccharide with high nutritional value and important functional properties, on physicochemical and textural characteristics of Sardaigne‐type cheese was investigated. Response surface methodology (RSM) using Box–Behnken design was applied to determine optimal levels of three selected processing variables such as coagulation temperature (25–45°C), stirring period (20–30 min), and AG concentration (0.25%–0.75%). A 3‐level factorial design was employed to evaluate physicochemical and rheological responses of Sardaigne‐type cheese with AG added. The P‐values of ANOVA indicated that the processing variables selected have significantly affected dry matter content (p = .002), cheese yield (p = .0172), syneresis level (p = .0135), hardness (p = .0103), and adhesiveness (p = .0410). However, pH, cohesiveness, and elasticity are not affected by the selected processing variables. Predictive regression equations with a high coefficient of (R2 ≥ .686) determination are constructed. The addition of AG owing to its water retention property has improved yield cheese as well moisture level. Therefore, this additional moisture in Sardaigne‐type cheese will be responsible for softer and smoother textural. Indeed, fivefold drop of adhesiveness and fourfold reduction of hardness are observed in cheese formulated with AG at 0.75% and in same temperature and stirring period conditions that commercial cheese. RSM analysis showed that optimum levels of processing variables are reached at AG concentration of 0.57% (w/v), coagulation temperature of 42.57°C, and stirring period of 20 min. Results of sensory properties showed that AG incorporation in Sardaigne‐type cheese does not have an adverse impact on organoleptically characteristics and overall acceptability of product was better than commercial cheese.
Single‐cell sequencing in translational cancer research and challenges to meet clinical diagnostic needs
Authors: Pfisterer Ulrich , Bräunig Julia , Brattås Per , Heidenblad Markus , Karlsson Göran , Fioretos Thoas
Published: February 2021

The ability to capture alterations in the genome or transcriptome by next‐generation sequencing has provided critical insight into molecular changes and programs underlying cancer biology. With the rapid technological development in single‐cell sequencing, it has become possible to study individual cells at the transcriptional, genetic, epigenetic, and protein level. Using single‐cell analysis, an increased resolution of fundamental processes underlying cancer development is obtained, providing comprehensive insights otherwise lost by sequencing of entire (bulk) samples, in which molecular signatures of individual cells are averaged across the entire cell population. Here, we provide a concise overview on the application of single‐cell analysis of different modalities within cancer research by highlighting key articles of their respective fields. We furthermore examine the potential of existing technologies to meet clinical diagnostic needs and discuss current challenges associated with this translation.
Late Pleistocene–Early Holocene human settlement and environmental dynamics in the southern Atacama Desert highlands (24.0°S–24.5°S, Northern Chile)
Authors: de Souza Patricio , Cartajena Isabel , Riquelme Rodrigo , Maldonado Antonio , de Porras María E. , Santander Boris , Núñez Lautaro , Díaz Laura
Published: February 2021

The earliest known population of the Atacama Desert coincided with the Central Andean Pluvial Event II (CAPE II), an extensive pluvial event recorded during the Late Pleistocene–Early Holocene (13,800–8,500 cal years BP). A large number of archaeological sites from this period have been found along the borders of the Imilac and Punta Negra (24.5°S) high‐altitude basins (ca. 3,000 masl). By combining the results of proxy data obtained from geomorphological, sedimentological, and paleoecological (rodent middens) archives and the spatial location of archaeological sites and radiocarbon series analyses, this paper examines the links between human activities and paleoenvironmental dynamics at different times during CAPE II in the southern Atacama Desert. This is done at a finer spatial and temporal scale than previous studies. The first archaeological sites (ca. 12,000–11,200 cal years BP) are concomitant with increased paleowetland occurrence frequency. An occupational hiatus is recorded between 11,200 and 10,800 cal years BP, synchronous with a drop in precipitation and wetland development. This is followed by a displacement of the archaeological sites toward the south‐east of the Punta Negra Basin and concomitant again with a second peak of wetland development in the area (10,800–10,400 cal years BP) before the final abandonment of the salt flat margins.
Pedotransfer functions for estimating soil water retention properties of northern China agricultural soils: Development and needs*
Authors: Xu Xu , Li Huawei , Sun Chen , Ramos Tiago B. , Darouich Hanaa , Xiong Yunwu , Qu Zhongyi , Huang Guanhua
Published: February 2021

Many agro‐environmental studies focusing on the efficient management of soils and water resources make use of soil water simulation models. Reliable soil hydraulic properties are critical for ensuring the accuracy of model simulations. However, soil hydraulic parameters in northern China are generally derived using external pedotransfer functions (PTFs) that do not take into account the specificities of local edaphoclimatic conditions due to the lack of a better alternative. Therefore, the main objective of this paper was to develop PTFs for estimating the soil water retention curve (SWRC) in northern China agricultural soils (named PTF‐ANC). A total of 440 soil horizons were collected from the existing literature. A flexible soil‐textural conversion program was first developed to harmonize soil particle‐size data into the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) classification system. The SWRC parameters of the van Genuchten model were also generated by curve fitting. Then, the PTF‐ANC were developed using artificial neural networks, with soil texture and bulk density being used as input data and with a basic three‐layer back‐propagation neural network. The PTF‐ANC showed an acceptable accuracy when predicting the SWRC, indicating a strong application potential for northern China soils. Comparison of estimates with two widely used external PTFs also showed that these were not suitable for characterizing the SWRC of northern China agricultural soils. This is due to the fact that the main soil textures (silt and silty loam textures) found in northern China soils were misrepresented in those external soil databases. Overall, this paper presented the absolute necessity of developing specific PTFs for northern China agricultural soils.
Disseminating On‐line Reproductive Health Information in Arabic: Results from a Survey of Users of an Emergency Contraception Website
Authors: Foster Angel M. , Wynn Lisa , Rouhana Aida , Polis Chelsea , Trussell James
Published: February 2021

In May 2003, Ibis Reproductive Health and the Office of Population Research at Princeton University launched the first Arabic-language website dedicated to emergency contraception. During the first 19 months of the website's operation, 212 individuals completed an on-line Arabic-language survey dedicated to visitor demographics, website quality, and priorities for additional health information and venues for dissemination. This paper presents the results of this survey. The responses suggest that readers are not only eager to obtain accurate information about emergency contraception but that there is also considerable enthusiasm for the development of on-line Arabic-language resources dedicated to additional aspects of sexuality and reproductive health.
Transnational Civil Society, Institution‐Building, and IT: Reflections from the Middle East
Authors: Anderson Jon W.
Published: February 2021

The important connectives of information technology will come with institutions that successfully merge IT, transnationalism, and ‘civil’ society such that each conveys its properties to the other. How to conceptualize and understand these properties is a compelling need for social theory. Comparative study of the Internet in the Middle East, including its supporting and related technologies, points to the crucial role of alliance-building and coalitions that create new institutions. Some of the less-evident ones are the more transnational and ‘civil,’ providing points of comparison - even suggesting potential future directions - to others not so apparently transnational or civil. Some elements so far not brought into analysis include engineering cultures and the more general practices of thought they privilege, alumni networks that link these cultures with more material resources but also importantly with social capital, and how those pull or are pulled together in projects that are expanding the envelope for IT generally and for its most prominent proxy and gathering point in the region, the Internet.
The Islam‐Online Crisis: A Battle of Wasatiyya vs. Salafi Ideologies?
Authors: Abdel-Fadil Mona
Published: February 2021

Islam Online has been one of the most prominent and stable Islamic websites since it was founded in 1997. However, in March 2010 Islam Online suffered a major crisis, which has come to be known as ‘the IOL-Crisis’. This is a suitable case for exploring whether multiple layers of authority are at play in online religious communities(Campbell 2007). At the time of the crisis, I was conducting fieldwork with the social team of IOL-Arabic. This article provides rich ethnographic detail about the time before, during, and after the crisis — as experienced by the social team. I outline how the social team made sense of the crisis through producing crisis-narratives that draw on Islam Online's institutional narrative. Moreover, I illustrate how narratives about the crisis gradually shift to alternate explanations, in tact with new developments of the crisis. I conclude with reflections on what types of authority were drawn on during the IOL-Crisis.
Beyond the Traditional‐Modern Binary: Faith and Identity in Muslim Women's Online Matchmaking Profiles
Authors: Piela Anna
Published: February 2021

Finding a suitable partner in both diasporic and non-diasporic settings proves increasingly challenging for young Muslims, especially those unable or not wanting to search within their kinship networks. At the same time, religious matchmaking websites are becoming increasingly common especially among Muslim women. As studies of Muslim matchmaking sites tend to focus on the ever-popular topic of the headscarf and its associations in the matchmaking context, a much more comprehensive study of the specificity of the online religious identities and self-representation is required. This paper examines a number of profiles of young Muslim women using online matchmaking sites and discusses broad themes of faith, ethnicity and identity that emerge in the analysis.
e‐Islam: the Spanish Public Virtual Sphere
Authors: Guerrero Enterría Arturo
Published: February 2021

The increasing presence of Islamic content in cyberspace has made it possible for an ever-expanding Muslim public space to be established. This process is connected to the phenomenon of globalisation, which in turn has generated a process of growing glocalisation, wherein content in cyberspace has not only been globalised — making it accessible from any Internet platform around the world — but opening a channel for the expression of local issues. In Spain, institutionalised Islam has found new routes for communication, information and visibilisation with these new technologies. However, as this paper will show, its strategy is based on traditional mass media models of communication, namely the one-way and one-to-many communication models. This leaves room for other types of actors to use strategies based on different communication models: two-way and many-to-many, taking better advantage of the potential in new information and communication technologies to more easily find a niche in Spanish Muslim cyberspace.
Islamic Shura, Democracy, and Online Fatwas
Authors: Kutscher Jens
Published: February 2021

Publications on the Islamic shura concept – Arabic and English – usually include a comparison with present-day liberal democracy. This paper addresses the issue of shura and democracy from the perspective of Muslim communities residing in non-Islamic countries. How do muftis in their online fatwas respond to questions whether Islam and democracy can be reconciled? How do they address the issue of shura? This paper argues that one might well expect the shura concept to serve as a justification for the reconciliation of Islam and democracy or at least find the shura concept to be a distinctly Islamic understanding of democracy. The online fatwas considered for this survey (from AskImam.org, IslamiCity. com, IslamOnline.net, and IslamQA.com) reveal a number of distinct understandings of shura, which are nevertheless linked with each other – be they elections as an expression of shura, shura as a constitutional principle and perfect form of government, or shura in cases of hardship or the political participation of women. While muftis from all websites are unanimous in their defense of shura, their conclusions regarding the centrality and implications of this concept reflect the different streams of thought and currents they represent.
Al Jazeera's Framing of Social Media During the Arab Spring
Authors: Campbell Heidi A. , Hawk Diana
Published: February 2021

This study investigates how Al Jazeera framed social media in relation to the revolutions and protests of the “Arab Spring” within its broadcast media coverage. A content analysis of Arabic language broadcasts appearing from January 25th through February 18th 2011, covering the protests in Tahrir Square, was conducted using the Broadcast Monitoring System (BMS) and Arab Spring Archive. Through this analysis we see a number of common narratives being used by Al Jazeera to frame social media and make claims about the influence they had on the protests and related social movements. By noting the frequency of social communications technologies referenced, ways in which these technologies were characterized and interpreting supporting themes with which they were identified helps illuminate the assumptions promoted by Al Jazeera regarding the role and impact of social communications technology on these events.
Beyond the Soapbox: Facebook and the Public Sphere in Egypt
Authors: Root Anton
Published: February 2021

The question of the internet as a forum for political debate is continuously contested. My research grows out of such scholarship but focuses specifically on Facebook as a virtual public sphere in Egypt. Based on an analysis of a note posted by Wael Ghonim during the January 25 uprising on the Facebook group ‘We are all Khaled Said,’ I discuss the structural and technological benefits of the platform, as well as user behavior and interaction with one another. Using Jürgen Habermas’ The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere and Yochai Benkler's The Wealth of Networks as the theoretical groundwork for my study, I make observations about the internet's ability to allow considered opinion, not just to record popular sentiment. I argue that while Facebook's structure has both drawbacks and advantages for promoting discussion, the new medium's biggest limitation in helping to produce a virtual public sphere is user inexperience with the platform.
Online and Offline Continuities, Community and Agency on the Internet
Authors: Anderson Jon W.
Published: February 2021

How the Internet spawns community and gets its features into offline life is a recurring problem met in searches for “impacts” of its successive iterations in the Middle East and arises particularly in assessing equivocal findings most recently about social media in the Arab Spring uprisings. But the problem is more methodological than ontological: it lies in viewing the Internet through a media lens on communication as message-passing and “influence” as the outcome to be identified. The Internet and its current embodiment for new users as social media have a richer – and, I argue, normal – sociology in a more extended habitus explored here through comparison of longer-term, intermediate-term, and immediate processes highlighted by recent research that give better pictures of the Internet as networking and as cultural performance, and of appropriate methodologies that will retrieve their features.
“I Wanna Be a Dark‐Skinned Pork Roast” – and other stories about how ‘dark’ Danish rappers negotiate otherness in their marketing and music productions
Authors: Ringsager Kristine
Published: February 2021

This article explores processes of experienced otherness as it is represented in stories told by Danish rappers with Middle Eastern background. Referring to stories about ‘being stopped’ the article illustrates how these rap artists, because of their visible otherness, are forced to navigate in a discursive landscape that affects their becoming of subjects as well as rap artists. The article discusses how otherness experienced in everyday encounters seems to generate habits of thought and expression, which also influence the rappers’ choices regarding their music production and marketing. I propose and discuss three different ways of how this is done: (1) A strategy where rappers play along with stigmatising stories about the criminal and dangerous ‘other’ or ‘stranger,’ hereby constituting a brand as a dangerous ‘perker;’ (2) a strategy where rap artists remove the danger from the stranger, hereby enabling themselves to pass as inoffensive exotic foreigners; and (3) a strategy where rappers confront the stigmatising stereotypes, creating alternative and possibly instructive stories about ‘dark’ Danes.
Women and Media: Libyan Female Journalists from Gaddafi Media to Post‐ revolution: Case Study
Authors: El Issawi Fatima
Published: February 2021

his article examines the representation of women in Libyan national traditional media before, during and after the February 2011 revolution that led to the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime. What roles did female journalists assume within national traditional newsrooms and how did these roles evolve from activism in the defense of women's causes and the official revolutionary ideals of the former regime to spreading the message of the revolutionaries during the uprising? This article further reflects on changes in the nature of female journalists’ roles in the new post-revolution media landscape. The opening of the media market to private ownership for the first time in Libya's history is accompanied by an expansion of women's presence in Libyan newsrooms, where this increased visibility is to be viewed primarily as a mean of attracting audiences. In the shaky media landscape that characterizes the post-revolutionary period, this expansion reflects the clash between the conservative values of Libyan society and the liberal values of the open market. I argue that the growing number of women in national Libyan media post-revolution is not reflective of a general trend towards women's empowerment in a country struggling with the spread of violence and the legacy of the past. Rather, the thorny process of restructuring national media post-revolution and the need for new media outlets capable of catering for large audiences are empowering the presence of women in newsrooms as a strong marketing asset.
The Introduction of Telephone into Turkish Houses: Private Space, Borders of the Neighborhoods and Solidarity
Authors: Altıntaş Gülengül
Published: February 2021

This essay is based on the data collected in a two-year research project (between 2010–2012), under the title Telephony And Turkish Modernization: Social History of Telephone Since The Ottoman Era (1881–2010), which was primarily concerned with the social history of telephone in Turkey during its peculiarly long history of implementation and dispersal. The project was conducted as oral history and archive research, and a comparative approach was adopted to identify and analyze the divergent nature of their findings. According to the findings of the researched archive materials (newspapers, comic and popular magazines), the implementation of telephone into the Turkish houses created complex feelings, which found its expression as both “emulation” and “intimidation” attached to the experience of telephone in a double system of representation. Whereas the oral history research findings are discordant in the sense that telephone is remembered as a symbol of “solidarity” and “sharing” in the narratives of telephone memories, and was accommodated into the traditional everyday life of the neighborhood.

Through the case of telephone technology, this essay aims at pointing out the gap between the discursive construction of the elements of the experience of modernity and the actual experience of the historical subjects; and argues that this gap should be disclosed with more ethnographic studies for it also points a feeling of ‘lack’ that pervasively infuses itself into our present and finds its expression in the self-narratives of the oral history as a nostalgia for the past.
The Telephone and the Social Struggles in Turkey: An Overview of a Social History of a Communication Technology
Authors: Çelik Burçe
Published: February 2021

This essay presents an overview of social history of telephone technology in Turkey, by taking the user-perspective to its center. As part of the set of essays in this special issue dealing with the history of telephony in the non-west, this essay seeks to explore how the telephone has become part of social practices of people, how it has integrated into the social struggles of people and how it has been appropriated to convey the users’ struggle to alter their positions in the social structure, assert their agencies and participate in the making of the modern throughout the history of modern Turkey. Rather than offering a detailed categorization, periodization and related narration of the life of the telephone technology in Turkey/Ottoman Empire, this article specifically focuses on some moments where the meanings and the uses of telephone in daily life practices and imaginations of people reflected and contributed to the mobilization of the social struggle in the form of class and/or ethnic and gender struggle.
Mobile Revolution: Toward a History of Technology, Telephony and Political Activism in Egypt
Authors: Allmann Kira C.
Published: February 2021

This article examines the use of everyday mobile technologies, and mobile telephony in particular, in political activism and protest during the 2011 Egyptian uprisings and throughout its continuing aftermath. The Arab revolutions have their own, now familiar, nomenclature, derived from the semantics of revolution and the digital age. Much of the language used to describe and analyze events in the Middle East has emphasized the “newness” of the technologies of protest and coordination and the uniquely 2.0 characteristics of these political movements. This article confronts this narrative, exploring the role of mobile telephony in Egypt during an ongoing period of political upheaval by moving away from the question of what is “new” or “revolutionary” toward what is ordinary put toward revolutionary ends. The article argues that the Arab Spring presents a crucial opportunity to interrogate and deconstruct the hybrid ecology of people and technological tools. By exploring several specific ways in which mobile telephony has played a role in the Egyptian revolution, this article demonstrates how a fixation on newness not only tells an incomplete story of this technologically mediated revolution but also undermines the ongoing practices of historicizing it.
Islamophobia in Online Arab Media
Authors: Tsuria Ruth
Published: February 2021

What is Islamophobia? A popular term among many newspapers articles, politicians’ speeches and scholarly texts, it is rarely clearly defined. Although the concept of ‘Islamophobia’ is difficult to define it has been a source of heated discussion in academic work, public diplomacy, government policy and news media. Governments, social think tanks and various scholars have attempted to define Islamophobia in order to counter incidents of physical, legal or verbal abuse of Muslims, Islamic artifacts and symbols, etc. Those attempts tend to present Islamophobia as a global phenomenon, similar in all its occurrences and definable as a concrete observable fact. This article supports a move from Islamophobia singular to Islamophobia(s) plural by exploring notions of Islamophobia in Arab and Muslim online media. It is suggested that multiple, localized “Islamophobias” exist and that varying uses and understanding of the term may occur in that media. Furthermore, the article problematizes the emergence of the term and its sometimes over-simplified uses, stepping away from an ‘Us’ against ‘Them’ dichotomies. Through careful and thematic analysis of the sources, the political and religious apparatuses of “Islamophobias” are crystalized.
Arab Iranians and Their Social Media Use
Authors: Al-Rawi Ahmed , Groshek Jacob
Published: February 2021

Arab Iranians have a special status in Iran and the Middle East. Due to their Arab origins, they are sometimes viewed as the “other” for being different from ethnic Persians, while many Arab countries regard them as the “other” as well perceiving them as being Iranians more than Arabs. This study investigates the media landscape and conflict that is linked to the Ahwazi Arabs with special attention given to social media use. The study argues that Iranian Arabs are used as pawns by two of the regional players in the Middle East - Iran and Saudi Arabia. Within such an analogy, Ahwaz is regarded as a chessboard where geopolitics is continuously played with the systematic and well-planned use of media channels. The examination of social media outlets that are related to Arab Iranians shows that they are either pro-Sunni or pro-Shiite. The resultsindicate that there are very few followers and fans from Iran especially for the Arab Iranians’ anti-government channels, while Shiite SNS outlets—particularly those originating from Iran—garner more followers from inside Iran.
Middle Eastern Women's ‘Glocal’: Journeying between the Online and Public Spheres
Authors: Hosni Dina
Published: February 2021

Despite the fact that the Arab Spring did not necessarily materialize with the political effects anticipated by some of its activists, it has brought into the spotlight the significance of the role of women in direct connection to the online space. In this respect, the article addresses the online world as Middle Eastern women subcultural capital in their traversal to the public sphere, which is otherwise rigorously enforced particularly on women. The hybridity of the private and the public exemplified in the online world in effect plays a pivotal role in rendering the visibility of Middle Eastern women in the political public sphere possible, where new media provides an effective vehicle for those women to establish social and political networks and organizations. Though the goals for those women activists might vary based on the nature of their countries, they have shown to have aptly journeyed between the online and public spheres in order to voice their glocal experiences.
Science and Islam Videos: Creating a Methodology to Find “All” Unique Internet Videos
Authors: Gardner Vika , Hameed Salman
Published: February 2021

This methodology article explores the process through which we sought to catalogue videos addressing natural science and Islam on the Internet comprehensively. This data was then used to select videos for inclusion in the Center for the Study of Science in Muslim Societies? Science and Islam Video Portal (www.scienceandislamvideos. com), which evaluates the videos based on their representations of science, Islam and history. As a growing body of research is demonstrating, Internet videos provide a window into the lives of both celebrity and ordinary Muslims and their critics worldwide. The article describes the methodological decisions of what to include and exclude from the study, framing them in a discussion of some of the key terms. We then step through the process of searching for videos and cleaning the data, providing flow charts with details. In the last section of the article, we discuss the results and their ramifications on our continuing research.
Techies on the Ground: Revisiting Egypt 2011
Authors: Shereen Sakr Laila
Published: February 2021

This article studies social media and popular social movements in the early 21st century in the Middle East and North Africa, with a focus on Egypt. Rather than ethnography or political theory exclusively, I employ a data analytics of analyzing tweets, posts, and blogs to describe the political culture of social media. And then I perform the results under the guise of the Arabic-speaking cyborg VJ Um Amel. The article argues that the Egyptian experience of revolution and counterrevolution reveals the indispensability, the promises, and the limits of digital communication across borders and languages.
Knowledge Disembodied: From Paper to Digital Media
Authors: Omran Abdullah Ibrahim
Published: February 2021

Print and digital media are believed to have shaken religious authority in the Muslim world, essentially because they popularize and pluralize Islamic knowledge. But how exactly did these novel technologies affect the nature of knowledge production and the behavior of scholars and the public? The pages that follow explore the historical relationship between technological developments and the production and transmission of knowledge over the course of Islamic history, commencing with the adoption of paper and concluding with the spread of digital media. A role-based approach is employed to reflect the gradual diminishment of the early methods of knowledge acquisition as “knowledge” came to be commodified according to the market logic of capitalism and subject to mass production and consumption via the technologies of print and electronic media. This approach reflects the interplay between knowledge producers, consumers, and communication mediums. The writer concludes that new media introduces new means of communication and contributes, along with other social, economic, and political factors, to the gradual disintegration of earlier forms of knowledge acquisitions.
Memory, Mediascapes, and Temporal Circulation in Urban Space; or How Landscapes Were Never as Linear as We Thought They Weren't
Authors: Peake Bryce
Published: February 2021

This commentary critically reframes the concept of circulation in terms of time, defining the dislocation of space that occurs with media—defined as technology taken to be a social phenomenon—as an occurrence that creates, and is a result of, simultaneous streams of temporal flow. Counter to narratives that claim for technology and media's radical altering of subjectivity, I suggest that this notion of temporality was already present in cultural understandings of memory and monuments in the landscape.