The Glimmering Glow of Comic Art amidst the Blinding Glitter of the United Arab Emirates

2020 ◽  
pp. 192-201
Author(s):  
John A. Lent
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Young People ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Sense Of Community ◽  
Art Museum ◽  
Art Gallery ◽  
Comics Studies ◽  
Essential Form ◽  
Comic Art

This chapter includes a 2016 essay by comics studies pioneer John A. Lent about the Cartoon Art Gallery in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Dubai is home to the Middle East Film and Comic Con (the largest regional convention), Comicave (the largest comics related store in the region), and Majid, the most popular comics character (published since 1979). A group of dedicated young people with faith in comics as an essential form of art and communication have nurtured a small cartoon art museum and an active comics community amongst the glittering skyscrapers. Lent visited the museum, talking with the founder, Melvin Matthew, about their exhibition style and sense of community. This chapter discusses popular comics titles and cartoonists in the UAE. Images: 3 gallery photos.

scholarly journals 1293. Sulbactam-durlobactam is active against recent, multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates from the Middle East

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S662-S662
Author(s):  
Alita Miller ◽  
Sarah McLeod ◽  
Samir Moussa ◽  
Meredith Hackel
Keyword(s):  
Antibacterial Activity ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Blood Stream ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Spectrum Activity

Abstract Background The incidence of infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii (Ab) is increasing at an alarming rate in certain regions of the world, including the Middle East. Sulbactam (SUL) has intrinsic antibacterial activity against Ab; however, the prevalence of β-lactamases in Ab has limited its therapeutic utility. Durlobactam (DUR, formerly ETX2514) is a diazabicyclooctenone β-lactamase inhibitor with broad-spectrum activity against Ambler class A, C and D β-lactamases that restores SUL activity in vitro against MDR Ab. SUL-DUR is an antibiotic designed to treat serious infections caused by Acinetobacter, including multidrug-resistant strains, that is currently in Phase 3 clinical development. In global surveillance studies of >3600 isolates from 2012-2017, the MIC90 of SUL-DUR was 2 mg/L. Although surveillance systems to monitor MDR infections in the Middle East are currently being established, quantitative, prevalence-based data are not yet available. Therefore, the potency of SUL-DUR was determined against 190 recent, diverse Ab clinical isolates from this region. Methods 190 Ab isolates were collected between 2016 - 2018 from medical centers located in Israel (N = 47), Jordan (N = 36), Qatar (N = 13), Kuwait (N = 42), Lebanon (N = 8), Saudi Arabia (N = 24) and United Arab Emirates (N = 20). Seventy-five percent and 20.5% of these isolates were from respiratory and blood stream infections, respectively. Susceptibility to SUL-DUR and comparator agents was performed according to CLSI guidelines, and data analysis was performed using CLSI and EUCAST breakpoint criteria where available. Results This collection of isolates was 86% carbapenem-resistant and 90% sulbactam-resistant (based on a breakpoint of 4 mg/L). The addition of SUL-DUR (fixed at 4 mg/L) decreased the sulbactam MIC90 from 64 mg/L to 4 mg/L. Only 3 isolates (1.6%) had SUL-DUR MIC values of > 4 mg/L. This potency was consistent across countries, sources of infection and subsets of resistance phenotypes. Conclusion SUL-DUR demonstrated potent antibacterial activity against recent clinical isolates of Ab from the Middle East, including MDR isolates. These data support the global development of SUL-DUR for the treatment of MDR Ab infections. Disclosures Alita Miller, PhD, Entasis Therapeutics (Employee) Sarah McLeod, PhD, Entasis Therapeutics (Employee) Samir Moussa, PhD, Entasis Therapeutics (Employee)

scholarly journals May Measurement Month 2017: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from the United Arab Emirates—Northern Africa and Middle East

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (Supplement_D) ◽  
pp. D118-D120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Afzalhussein Yusufali ◽  
Nooshin Bazargani ◽  
Amrish Agrawal ◽  
Khalifa Muhammed ◽  
Hanan Obaid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Middle East ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Northern Africa ◽  
Blood Pressure Screening

scholarly journals Limited Genetic Diversity Detected in Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Related Coronavirus Variants Circulating in Dromedary Camels in Jordan

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 592
Author(s):  
Stephanie N. Seifert ◽  
Jonathan E. Schulz ◽  
Stacy Ricklefs ◽  
Michael Letko ◽  
Elangeni Yabba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Middle East ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Case Fatality ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Full Genome Sequence ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
Dromedary Camels

Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a persistent zoonotic pathogen with frequent spillover from dromedary camels to humans in the Arabian Peninsula, resulting in limited outbreaks of MERS with a high case-fatality rate. Full genome sequence data from camel-derived MERS-CoV variants show diverse lineages circulating in domestic camels with frequent recombination. More than 90% of the available full MERS-CoV genome sequences derived from camels are from just two countries, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and United Arab Emirates (UAE). In this study, we employ a novel method to amplify and sequence the partial MERS-CoV genome with high sensitivity from nasal swabs of infected camels. We recovered more than 99% of the MERS-CoV genome from field-collected samples with greater than 500 TCID50 equivalent per nasal swab from camel herds sampled in Jordan in May 2016. Our subsequent analyses of 14 camel-derived MERS-CoV genomes show a striking lack of genetic diversity circulating in Jordan camels relative to MERS-CoV genome sequences derived from large camel markets in KSA and UAE. The low genetic diversity detected in Jordan camels during our study is consistent with a lack of endemic circulation in these camel herds and reflective of data from MERS outbreaks in humans dominated by nosocomial transmission following a single introduction as reported during the 2015 MERS outbreak in South Korea. Our data suggest transmission of MERS-CoV among two camel herds in Jordan in 2016 following a single introduction event.

scholarly journals Kaum Muda, Intoleransi, dan Radikalisme Agama

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 429
Author(s):  
Zuly Qodir
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Young People ◽  
Religious Life ◽  
Religious Movements ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
Terrorist Acts

Youth, Intolerance, and Radicalism are serious problems facing Indonesia and other countries including in the Middle East. This phenomenon has sprung up over the last five years with various events that have surfaced. There are many reasons for the emergence of radicalism among young people and intolerance. However, there are several alternatives also to reduce the movement of intolerance and radicalism of youth. Religious movements that come from mass organizations such as Muhammadiyah and NU can be expected to reduce it. The most phenomenal phenomenon is the emergence of ISIS Islamic state of Iraq and Syria with various violent activities in Iraq and Syria affecting religious life in Indonesia. The movement of intolerance and radicalism arises because of the lazy tolerance. The essay below wants to reflect on the continuous occurrence of terrorist acts of terrorism radicalism in our country. The following essays are based largely on literature reviews written on the basis of reports or by others, as well as observations from the authors

scholarly journals Temporal and Spatial Autocorrelation as Determinants of Regional AOD-PM2.5 Model Performance in the Middle East

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 3790
Author(s):  
Khang Chau ◽  
Meredith Franklin ◽  
Huikyo Lee ◽  
Michael Garay ◽  
Olga Kalashnikova
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Middle East ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Atmospheric Correction ◽  
Predictive Performance ◽  
Variable Importance ◽  
Learning Models ◽  
Median Test ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
Machine Learning Models

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution has been shown in numerous studies to be associated with detrimental health effects. However, the ability to conduct epidemiological assessments can be limited due to challenges in generating reliable PM2.5 estimates, particularly in parts of the world such as the Middle East where measurements are scarce and extreme meteorological events such as sandstorms are frequent. In order to supplement exposure modeling efforts under such conditions, satellite-retrieved aerosol optical depth (AOD) has proven to be useful due to its global coverage. By using AODs from the Multiangle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) of the MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) combined with meteorological and assimilated aerosol information from the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2), we constructed machine learning models to predict PM2.5 in the area surrounding the Persian Gulf, including Kuwait, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E). Our models showed regional differences in predictive performance, with better results in the U.A.E. (median test R2 = 0.66) than Kuwait (median test R2 = 0.51). Variable importance also differed by region, where satellite-retrieved AOD variables were more important for predicting PM2.5 in Kuwait than in the U.A.E. Divergent trends in the temporal and spatial autocorrelations of PM2.5 and AOD in the two regions offered possible explanations for differences in predictive performance and variable importance. In a test of model transferability, we found that models trained in one region and applied to another did not predict PM2.5 well, even if the transferred model had better performance. Overall the results of our study suggest that models developed over large geographic areas could generate PM2.5 estimates with greater uncertainty than could be obtained by taking a regional modeling approach. Furthermore, development of methods to better incorporate spatial and temporal autocorrelations in machine learning models warrants further examination.

scholarly journals Implementing a ‘pedagogy of interruption’: worth the risk

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-141
Author(s):  
Aleya James
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Tertiary Institution ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Government Documents ◽  
Educational Theorist ◽  
General Studies

This paper explores the work of the educational theorist Gert Biesta in a setting outside of the context where it was originally developed. It aims to address how Biesta’s approach can help educators and policy makers question the philosophical underpinnings of education in the UAE and thereby start a conversation that is currently absent in this context. The paper comprises three elements: first, an overview of Biesta’s educational theory is given with a focus on ‘subjectification’ and his self-titled “pedagogy of interruption”. Secondly and in brief, I use Biesta’s framework of educational dimensions to analyse the philosophy underlying education in the United Arab Emirates using published government documents and media sources. Thirdly, I report a small-scale qualitative analysis of a specific educational space, three General Studies Courses in a UAE tertiary institution, to investigate the ‘risky’ possibilities involved in implementing a pedagogy of interruption. I find that despite a dominant policy discourse that discounts subjectification, there are significant opportunities for students to develop a strong sense of self. These opportunities are created by a small but strongly motivated group of teachers and taken up, on the whole enthusiastically, by students. However, my assertions are limited by a number of challenges which warrant further research. This paper hopes to provide a meaningful contribution to the limited discussion regarding the aims and expectations of education in the Middle East, and finds a pertinent philosophical grounding for liberal studies teaching in a tertiary context. As such the paper will be of value both to policy and decision makers in the Middle East and to teachers and trainers who teach in multi-cultural and international contexts.

Splashing Ink on Museum Walls: How Comic Art Is Conquering Galleries, Museums, and Public Spaces

2020 ◽  
pp. 297-307
Author(s):  
Rob Salkowitz
Keyword(s):  
Public Spaces ◽  
Art Museum ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Cultural Legitimacy ◽  
Comic Art ◽  
Book Of Genesis ◽  
Museum Exhibition

In this 2018 essay, Forbes cultural journalist Rob Salkowitz explains how exhibitions contribute to the valuation of an artist’s work while recognizing exhibitions of comic art as landmarks on comics’ long march to cultural legitimacy. Salkowitz begins his essay by sharing his memories of the 2016 Seattle Art Museum exhibition Graphic Masters, which was centered around The Bible Illuminated: R. Crumb’s Book of Genesis. This chapter discusses the evolution of exhibitions since 1990, how exhibitions have enhanced the valuation of original comics drawings, challenges for commercial galleries and dealers, and curatorial strategies.

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