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The Writing of Female Identity in Autobiographical and Biographical Narratives: Formations of Individual and Historical Consciousness in the Writings of Iman Mersal
No full textThis study examines two works by Iman Mersal—How to Mend: Motherhood and its Ghosts and In the Footsteps of Enayat al-Zayyat—from a comparative perspective, highlighting how Mersal deconstructs dominant narratives around motherhood and friendship through autobiographical and biographical writing. The research explores how Mersal portrays motherhood as a marginalized experience often concealed beneath an idealized discourse that promotes absolute harmony between mother and child. In contrast, her depiction of friendship in In the Footsteps of Enayat al-Zayyat becomes a space for forging a new literary lineage that transcends life and death, questioning the archive and mechanisms of erasure. The study aims to show how women’s life writing provides a space for resisting dominant narratives and reshaping awareness of social relationships traditionally assumed to be available to women. This thesis contributes to feminist literary studies by shedding light on the significance of life writing—both autobiographical and biographical—as a literary genre with the potential to reshape literary memory beyond institutional dominance
Understanding Productivity Gaps: A Sectoral Perspective on Structural Change in East Asia, Latin America and Africa
No full textThis thesis examines the process of structural transformation based on the role of productivity gaps in East Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Depending on sectoral data on employment and value-added, the study documents the evolution of economic structures in a sample of fourteen countries, highlighting the divergent trajectories of sectoral shifts
over time. Aiming to understand the role of sectoral productivity in explaining structural change,
I use a multisector model.Such model study structural transformation by depending on
sectoral productivities, non-homothetic preferences, and labor market dynamics. Calibra
tion exercises benchmarked against the United States reveal that structural transforma
tion trends vary significantly between countries depending on sector-specific productivity
growth rates and historical context.
The analysis demonstrates that while some economies, such as Hong Kong and Sin
gapore, successfully transitioned labor into higher-productivity sectors, others, notably
South Africa, experienced premature deindustrialization with limited productivity gains.
These findings underscore that structural transformation alone is not sufficient; what
matters critically is whether labor is reallocated into sectors capable of sustaining pro
ductivity growth.
Although the model captures broad sectoral trends, limitations arise from limiting the
role of capital accumulation, policy, and historical institutional constraints, which might
shape transformation outcomes in practice. That being said, the findings offer signifi
cant insights into how structural transformation interacts with productivity dynamics,
contributing to the understanding of economic development process
En-Masse Distalization of the Maxillary Dentition Studied with Finite Element Analysis
No full textIntroduction: En-masse distalization of the maxillary dentition is a widely used technique in orthodontics for correcting Class II malocclusions. While various force magnitudes and directions are employed in clinical practice, their precise effects on stress distribution and displacement remain inadequately understood. Also, variations in force magnitude and distalization modality may significantly affect biomechanical outcomes. Finite element analysis (FEA) offers a powerful tool for simulating orthodontic forces and assessing biomechanical responses in a controlled setting.
Aims: To compare stress distribution in the PDL and displacement patterns of the studied maxillary dentition under 200 g and 300 g of force.
To evaluate the effects of buccal, palatal, and bucco-palatal distalization modalities on tooth movement.
To determine which of the studied dentition experiences the highest stress levels and greatest displacement in response to distalization forces.
To analyze the influence of cortical bone thickness and stiffness on resistance to tooth movement.
Materials and methods: A three-dimensional finite element model of the maxillary dentition was generated using data from cone-beam computed tomography. Variations in cortical bone thickness and stiffness were incorporated across 13 and 11 models, respectively. Three distalization modalities were analyzed: buccal force (from a buccal miniscrew), palatal force (from a palatal miniscrew), and combined bucco-palatal force. Two force magnitudes (200 g and 300 g) were applied to the maxillary canines, with stress evaluated at the periodontal ligament (PDL) and displacement assessed at the occlusal surfaces of crowns and apices of roots. The models were meshed and analyzed using ABAQUS software, and statistical comparisons were made between different force magnitudes, distalization modalities, and cortical bone variations.
Results: Force magnitude and application method significantly influenced stress distribution and tooth displacement. The 300 g force led to greater displacement than the 200 g force but also generated higher stress levels on the PDL. Buccal force application resulted in the greatest displacement among the studied dentition, while palatal force produced tipping of the canine crown in the opposite direction. The combined bucco-palatal force modality facilitated a more balanced distalization. Moreover, the central incisor underwent the greatest displacement compared to all other teeth. In contrast, the molar exhibited the least displacement across all distalization modalities. The canine experienced the highest stress levels, followed by the lateral incisor. Additionally, cortical bone stiffness affected tooth movement; models with stiffer cortical bone exhibited lower displacement and higher stress concentrations, indicating greater resistance to distalization.
Conclusion:
• The canine experienced the highest stress, followed by the lateral and central incisors. The central incisor showed lower stress, and higher displacement compared to the others. The lateral incisor and canine had higher stress but less displacement, suggesting greater resistance to movement, influenced by anatomical factors like tooth position, root length, and bone structure.
• Anchorage modality significantly affects stress distribution and displacement. Buccal anchorage caused the highest displacement, followed by bucco-palatal and palatal modalities. The palatal modality led to canine tipping, requiring clinical control or compensation.
• Applying 300g of force resulted in greater displacement of maxillary teeth and higher stress recorded in the periodontal ligament.
• The model's strength lies in incorporating individual variations in mechanical properties, showing that stiffness has a greater impact on resistance to displacement than thickness.
• Future studies should investigate the long-term effects of stress distribution on bone remodeling using CT scans of multiple individuals and time-dependent simulations for continuous tooth movement. Clinical validation via patient-specific finite element modeling would enhance the findings' applicability
Measuring Writing Across the Curriculum in Nursing Education: The Role and Support of Learning to Write by Writing
No full textIncludes bibliographical references (pages 44-47)MENA Writing Studies Journal, vol. 1.1, Spring 2025, pp. 31-47Multiple push and pull factors exert themselves on the planning, organization, and
assessment of writing assignments across undergraduate nursing curricula. Such
factors may lead to a lack of faculty awareness around the role, type, length, and
evaluation of writing tasks. This report discusses one institution’s efforts to
understand Writing Across the Curriculum. Researchers analysed syllabi’s written
work requirements for all courses, classifying tasks by type, required length,
relative difficulty, grade weight, and characterization by Bloom’s Taxonomy level.
Findings revealed unanticipated volumes and variance of writing genres and a
largely scaffolded curriculum, despite lack of direct, top-down pre-planning.
Reflection on the process uncovered what the authors term “Learning to Write by
Writing” (LWW), an overarching descriptor not encompassed by Writing Across the
Curriculum (WAC), Writing to Learn (WTL), or Writing in the Discipline (WID), and
the critical role of Writing Centres in supporting LWW among faculty
Unravelling the Dilemma: Examining the Adverse Effects of AI Writing Tools on STEM Student Motivation–Insights from an Academic Writing Center
No full textMENA Writing Studies Journal, vol. 1.1, Spring 2025, pp. 74-83Includes bibliographical references (pages 81-82)The increasing utilization of AI-powered writing tools, such as ChatGPT and
Grammarly, has transformed how students engage with academic writing and
research, particularly in STEM disciplines. While these tools provide valuable
assistance in refining language, improving structure, and enhancing clarity,
excessive reliance on them has raised concerns about diminishing students'
intrinsic motivation, critical thinking, and overall engagement with the writing
process. Drawing on firsthand observations from an Academic Writing Center
(AWC) in the GCC region, this think piece examines the broader implications of AIassisted writing on student motivation. The paper explores how overdependence
on GenAI has contributed to declining student engagement, a reduction in deep
analytical thinking, and the emergence of a shortcut mentality that undermines the
intellectual rigor essential to higher education. Given these challenges, academic
writing centers play a crucial role in ensuring that GenAI serves as a tool for
enhancement rather than a replacement of cognitive effort. By fostering a balanced
approach that integrates technological support with human mentorship, writing
centers in higher education institutions can encourage responsible GenAI usage
while preserving the foundational principles of independent thought, critical
inquiry, and academic integrity
Nucleophosmin-1: A Potential Therapeutic Target in Metastatic Breast Cancer
No full textBackground: Despite the advent of novel cancer therapeutics, metastasis remains the
primary cause of cancer patient mortality. Metastasis is the colonization of secondary
organs from a tumor's primary site. According to international databases, breast cancer
(BC) is classified among the most prevalent cancers, with an alarming rise in the
mortality-to-incidence ratio in the Middle East. We and others highlighted the
significant role of Nucleophosmin-1 (NPM1) in various cancers. NPM1, a
multifunctional chaperone protein, is overexpressed in triple-negative breast cancer
(TNBC), a highly aggressive metastatic subtype of BC. The overexpression of NPM1 in
this cancer is linked to poor patient survival.
Methods: The TNBC MDA-MB-231 cell line was used in our study. Short hairpin RNA
was used to downregulate NPM1 expression. The effect of NPM1 downregulation on
cell proliferation and transcriptomic changes was assessed by the trypan blue exclusion
dye assay and RNA sequencing, respectively. The impact of NPM1 silencing in MDA
MB-231 on tumor size and metastasis to the liver, lung, and brain was also evaluated in
vivo. Targeting the NPM1 downstream AKT/mTOR pathway was also performed using
Arsenic trioxide (ATO), all-trans-retinoic acid (RA), and Everolimus (EV). The effect
on proliferation and molecular components of this pathway were investigated in vitro by
trypan blue exclusion assay and in vivo by monitoring mice survival.
Results: Our findings revealed that stable knockdown of NPM1 in MDA-MB-231 cells
reduced cell proliferation and reversed the mesenchymal phenotype of these cells
towards a more epithelial phenotype. Knocking down NPM1 impaired tumor growth in
vivo and abrogated the metastasis of TNBC cells into the lungs, livers, and brains.
Pharmaceutical targeting of the NPM1 downstream AKT/mTOR pathways with
ATO/RA/EV drug drastically decreased cell proliferation and inactivated this pathway
in vitro, with a higher sensitivity to drugs in MDA-shNPM1 cells. Finally, this triple
combination significantly prolonged the survival of MDA-MB-231 xenografted mice
and resulted in a total cure of 20% of the treated mice.
Conclusion: Our findings reveal that NPM1 plays a role in TNBC metastasis and
supports the potential of using the combination of ATO, RA, and EV as a combination
treatment to combat TNBC metastasis
Decoding The Human Gut Resistome: Screening For Antimicrobial Resistance In Gut Microbiota
No full textBackground: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a critical global health threat, exacerbated by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, leading to treatment failures and complications. The human gut microbiota, a complex and diverse microbial ecosystem essential for health, serves as a major reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs), collectively referred to as the gut resistome. These genes, which are often embedded within microbial communities, can spread via horizontal gene transfer (HGT), exacerbating AMR and complicating efforts to control resistant infections. This study characterizes the gut resistome in healthy Lebanese individuals using advanced shotgun metagenomics, culturomics, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
Material and Methods: Fecal samples were collected from healthy Lebanese individuals with ethical approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Samples were preserved in transport media at -80°C before microbial DNA extraction using the QIAmp PowerFecal Pro DNA kit. Shotgun metagenomics was performed on the Illumina MiSeq platform to profile the microbial communities and their associated resistomes. Culturomics was employed to isolate bacteria on various agars, followed by antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) against seven antibiotics: meropenem, ertapenem, cefoxitin, vancomycin, tigecycline, piperacillin-tazobactam, and clindamycin. Additionally, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was conducted to confirm bacterial diversity and identify specific genera involved in AMR.
Results: The shotgun metagenomics data revealed a highly diverse gut microbiome, with the phyla Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes being the most abundant. The taxonomic composition included known SCFA-producing genera, such as Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, and Bifidobacterium. Analysis of the gut resistome identified a wide range of antimicrobial resistance genes, with efflux pumps (1089.43 CPM), unclassified resistance mechanisms (469.82 CPM), and beta-lactam (338.67 CPM) and macrolide resistance (303.65 CPM) being the most. Notably, multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains were detected, resistant to all seven tested antibiotics. Additionally, a proportion of unclassified species was detected, reflecting potentially novel, underexplored taxa within the gut microbiome that may contribute to AMR.
Conclusion & Impact: This study enhances our understanding of the gut resistome, highlighting its role as a critical source of antimicrobial resistance in the human microbiome. By integrating shotgun metagenomics, culturomics, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing, the findings underscore the importance of monitoring AMR profiles in the gut microbiota, especially in relation to multidrug-resistant organisms. These insights provide a foundation for future research on Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) testing and the development of targeted strategies to mitigate AMR in both clinical and community settings. The results stress the necessity for ongoing surveillance of the gut resistome, offering potential pathways for improving public health interventions and antimicrobial stewardship in Lebanon and beyond. Additionally, this study contributes to the development of new guidelines for monitoring and managing AMR in the human microbiome
Knowledge, Attitude and Practices concerning mpox among high-risk groups in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR)
No full textIncludes bibliographical references (pages 56-60)Human monkeypox (mpox), a viral zoonotic infectious disease, was declared a public health emergency in July 2022. Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at higher risk of Mpox infection. Limited studies have been conducted in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices towards mpox; importantly, where none of these studies were among MSM. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions/practices concerning mpox among the MSM population in the EMR region. This is a cross-sectional study of MSM residing in the region. Participants were recruited through non-governmental organizations (NGOs), dating applications, and LGBTQ+ websites between July and October 2023. The outcome mpox knowledge (> score of 12 vs ≤12) was investigated. A total of 643 MSM participants of median age 31 (IQR: 26-37) participated in the study. Around 47.7% attended university/college, and 55.8% were employed. Among study participants, 131 (20.4%) had adequate mpox knowledge. The knowledge scores of study participants ranged from 0 to 16 indicating that none of the participants answered all 17 mpox knowledge questions correctly with a median knowledge score of 9 (IQR: 5-12). Most of the participants were knowledgeable about mpox symptoms (66.7%), mode of transmission (64.5%), and the importance of isolation to stop viral spread (61.6%). The key predictors of higher mpox knowledge score detected in our study were older age, being in a relationship, and knowing someone who had/has mpox. Living in a country with higher number of reported mpox cases and having a history of STI or viral hepatitis encouraged safer sex practices and willingness to get the mpox vaccine. Almost 49.2% of participants residing in countries with reported mpox cases did not know where to get tested for mpox compared to 62% of those residing in countries with no reported mpox cases. Vaccination programs and campaigns for MSM should increase in number, and prioritized for high-risk vulnerable groups. Integration of mpox into existing HIV and STI prevention programs is important specifically for vulnerable groups to ensure equitable access to care.This work was supported by the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (Grant number: 104404)
The Role of Arab States in the United Nations Security Council: A Comparative Analysis of Gaza Wars (2008, 2014, 2023/4)
No full textThe catastrophic escalation of violence and aggression by Israel in the Gaza Strip starting in October 2023 has once again positioned the Palestine question on the global agenda, just as it did following Israel’s previous major wars on Gaza in 2009 and 2014, respectively. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the main body entrusted to maintain international peace and security, has served as the main site for the construction and legitimization of particular discourses around these Israeli wars on Gaza. In this thesis, I examine how the Arab non-permanent members of the UNSC emerged as critical players in shaping this discourse, articulating Palestinian rights, and influencing outcomes through multilateral diplomacy.
In particular, this thesis explores the diplomatic strategies and discursive interventions employed by the four relevant Arab states that served on the UNSC across the respective Gaza wars: Libya (2008-09), Jordan (2014-15), United Arab Emirates (2022-23), and Algeria (2024-25). In doing so, this thesis shows the consistency of the Arab diplomatic position towards Palestine given the historical and ideational centrality of the Palestinian question in the Arab world and the overwhelming public support for Palestinian rights. The thesis, however, also reveals how geopolitical considerations and regional political realignments have shaped respective Arab states’ engagement in very different ways at the UNSC during the Gaza wars.
It argues that Arab states' UNSC participation was leveraged as a discursive tool to: (1) project solidarity with Palestine while accommodating national interests amid post-Arab Spring fragmentation; (2) navigate competing alliances between U.S.-aligned blocs and resistance-oriented actors; and (3) wage legitimacy wars that expose the crisis of international law enforcement despite Western obstruction. This thesis challenges narratives that portray Arab diplomacy at the UNSC as either unified solidarity or powerless performativity. Employing Falk’s "legitimacy wars" lens, the research exposes how over the successive Gaza wars, pure power politics ultimately surpasses the legitimating power of law. Gaza’s transformation into a "graveyard for international law" underscores the limits of discursive victories without material leverage
Through Teta’s Eyes
No full textA children's book, created by AUB students from the Education Department, for the course EDUC218 as a final project.Through Teta’s Eyes is a touching story about two siblings, Nour and Jad, who feel overwhelmed by life and war in Lebanon. During a power outage, their «Teta», shares memories from her own childhood during the war, helping them see their country with new eyes. Blending warmth, heritage, and resilience, this story reminds children that even in hard times, love and hope always remain