North African Region Research Articles

Strategies for curriculum design and effective utilization of its systems for blended learning at Saudi Electronic University

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought tremendous changes in the way mankind goes along with its day-to-day responsibilities. The world is undergoing a transformation like not been seen for decades before. Academic and educational institutions are also striving to adapt to changing circumstances. IT systems have proved to be a vital tool at hands of academic institutions to continue imparting quality education while ensuring compliance with health and safety guidelines during these times. Blended learning is a new and evolving academic model which emphasizes combining traditional face-to-face learning with the use of IT systems to provide ease of learning while maintaining student-teacher physical interaction intact. The times of the COVID-19 pandemic have compelled Blended Learning institutions to transform their academic strategies as well as increase their reliance on IT systems. Saudi Electronic University (SEU) is one of the largest Blended Learning academic institutions in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. In this paper, we have presented an overview of processes, IT systems, and Infrastructure upgrades carried out at SEU to face the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic and maintain the quality of its Blended Learning academic environment.

Social identity, confidence in institutions, and youth: Evidence from the Arab Spring

AbstractObjectiveDuring the political transition, people lose their confidence in their leaders, faith in the so‐called “democratic” elections, and no longer trust their political institutions. The issue of trust in institutions is highly regarded in social sciences research, as it reflects people's perceptions and valuation of how well their institutions are functioning. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to investigate the case of the Middle East and North African Region following the Arab Spring uprisings that began in 2011. Specifically, the relationship between youth self‐perception identity and confidence in various institutions is examined in the post‐Arab Spring era.MethodWe use a microlevel data set extracted from the SAHWA Youth Survey conducted in 2016. The sample consists of around 10,000 randomly and nationally representative youth aged 15 to 29 years. The survey includes 2000 observations from Lebanon, 1970 observations from Egypt, 2000 from Tunisia, and 2036 and 1854 from Algeria and Morocco, respectively. The empirical analysis is carried out through the ordered probit model.ResultsControlling for a comprehensive set of socioeconomic characteristics, we find that religious associations are not confined to people who belong to an Arab, global, national, or even religious identity. Young people who identify with citizens of the world only seem to confide in the police. Additionally, Arab identity is correlated with absolute positive confidence in the elections. Coherent with previous literature, we note that a nationalistic identity increases politicians’ and administrations’ confidence despite the domestic turmoil. We also find that religious identity is negatively correlated with all institutions except elections, including religious associations.ConclusionThis research highlights that policies that are up‐to‐date and secure gender equality may create a modernist atmosphere that allows people to retrieve trust and confidence in the institutions and administrations in the countries.

Climate pledges versus commitment: Are policy actions of Middle-East and North African countries consistent with their emissions targets?

Carbon emission is inevitable, and changes with energy consumption and economic development, presents policy options toward sustainable development path. Currently, there is little assurance from policymakers in committing to climate change pledges: taking the Middle-East and North African (MENA) region as a specific case with using 2019 as a cut-off period. We conducted an interim assessment of the Paris Agreement to ascertain whether climate actions are in tandem with emissions reduction targets. Making use of difference-in-difference technique as a quasi-experiment supported by fixed-effects and placebo treatment models, the results point to evidence of less than 1% effective CO2 emissions reduction as of 2019 compared to the 2015 level. The current carbon emissions reduction commitment level is far-reaching contrary to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) pledged (16.43% on average by 2030 compared to the 2015 level). The analysis suggests that achieving NDCs commitments are currently major burden on policymakers since the economic development is highly linked with nonrenewable energy consumption. Furthermore, a more comprehensive framework when accounting for all available renewable and clean energy projects shows reduction levels in the range of 30%–40% from 2020 to 2030. These results suggest that the Paris Agreement in MENA countries may be more effective from 2020, thus underscore the importance of capturing ongoing projects (involving renewable and clean energy technologies) into interim policy assessment. The shared implication is that greater efforts are demanded from the region and at country levels to further decrease emissions through the use of negative emissions technologies particularly in the electricity generation sector.

Meningococcal Disease and Immunization Activities in Hajj and Umrah Pilgrimage: a review

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) outbreaks associated with Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage events in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) are well recognized. Past outbreaks have been associated with substantial intercontinental spread of specific Neisseria meningitidis serogroups. The emergence of meningococcal serogroup W (MenW) was a global concern following the 2000/2001 Hajj outbreaks. Broader compulsory meningococcal serogroups A, C, W and Y (MenACWY) immunization strategies for pilgrims were introduced in response to these events and led to substantial declines in IMD cases associated with these mass gatherings. However, there remains potential for future outbreaks either within KSA during the Hajj or in local populations via pilgrim meningococcal transmission on their return. While the annual Hajj involves pilgrims from over 185 countries, two-thirds of these arrive from 13 countries, chiefly from across South-East Asia, the Middle East and North African (MENA) regions; for which we review the relevant epidemiology of IMD and meningococcal carriage. While disease surveillance is limited and data are often lacking, MenB is an important serogroup associated with IMD and carriage in a number of countries. Available literature suggests that most pilgrims receive polysaccharide MenACWY vaccines (which do not impact carriage and onward transmission) and incomplete compliance with visa/entry immunization regulations is reported. Existing preventative approaches for visiting pilgrims require continued oversight. More complete compliance and switching to the conjugated MenACWY vaccine can provide more robust and broader protection for pilgrims. Additional immunization options could also be considered.Graphical Plain Language Summary

Climatology of Medium-Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (MSTIDs) Observed with GPS Networks in the North African Region

We present for the first time the climatology of medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) by using Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver networks on geomagnetically quiet days (Kp ≤ 3) over the North African region during 2008–2016. The ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC) were estimated from the dual-frequency GPS measurements, and the TEC perturbations (dTEC) data were derived from the estimated TEC data. We focused on the TEC perturbations (dTEC) associated MSTIDs and statistically analyzed its characteristics, occurrence rate, diurnal and seasonal behavior as well as the interannual dependence. The results show that MSTID is a local and seasonal dependence. The result reveals that occurrence of MSTIDs increases with solar activity. It also shows that MSTIDs predominantly propagates towards the South (equatorward). The MSTIDs event period is (12 ≤ period ≤ 53 min), while the dominant peak-to-peak amplitude is (0.08 ≤ amp ≤ ~ 1.5 dTECU). The study also shows that the amplitude of MSTIDs is higher at the northwest (Lat: ~ 32° N to ~ 38° N, Long: ~ 2° W to ~ 15° W) when compared with northeast (Lat: ~ 28° N to ~ 38° N, Long: ~ 23° E to ~ 40° E), and the disturbance occurrence time is more frequent within the hours of (1200–1600 LT), and (1000—1400 LT) in December solstice at daytime for stations located in the northwest and northeast part of the African region, respectively. While at the nighttime, the MSTIDs also exhibits variability in disturbance occurrence time around (northwest: 2100–0200 LT) and (northeast: 1900-0200 LT) in June solstice, but get extended to March equinox during solar maximum (2014). The mean phase velocity in daytime MSTIDs is higher than the nighttime in every season, except during June solstice.

An Insight into the Epidemiology and Genetic Diversity of Hepatitis B Virus in Africa

Hepatitis viruses (hepatotropic viruses) are classified into five ‎kinds, denoted by the letters A, B, C, D, and E, each with its ‎own unique genotypes, clinical implications, and geographic ‎distribution. Viral hepatitis is a type of liver inflammation that ‎can resolve on its own or proceed to cirrhosis or hepatocellular ‎cancer. Hepatitis A, B, and C infections are the most common ‎types of infectious viral hepatitis. Over the previous five ‎decades, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has exhibited an ‎intermediate or high endemicity level in low-income nations. ‎HBV genotype variation is thought to be crucial in regulating ‎disease development, infection outcome, antiviral therapy ‎response, and illness prognosis. HBV is divided into ten ‎genotypes (A-J) and roughly 40 sub-genotypes, correlated with ‎different geographic distributions, transmission routes, and ‎disease progression. The goal of this study was to figure out ‎the current status of HBV prevalence and genotype distribution ‎in West African countries. HBV genotypes A, D, and E have ‎been reported the most widely prevalent genotypes in Africa so ‎far, while there are limited reports of genotypes B and C. HBV ‎genotype A is shown to be more prevalent in Africa than on ‎other continents, implying that it has an African origin. ‎Genotype D has been found across Africa, particularly in the ‎Mediterranean and North African regions. Except in Africa, HBV ‎genotype E infection is extremely rare, even when infection ‎with this genotype has been recorded outside of Africa, it has ‎virtually always been in African origin people. Within Africa, ‎HBV genotype E is abundant and broad across the continent, ‎reaching from Senegal's west coast to Namibia's southwestern ‎tip and eastward to the Central African Republic. These ‎epidemiological findings and differences have important ‎implications for the immunization, antiviral therapy, and clinical ‎outcomes of HBV on a national and regional level.‎

Clinical and genetic characterization of a cohort of 97 CLN6 patients tested at a single center

BackgroundCeroid lipofuscinoses neuronal 6 (CLN6) disease belongs to the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs), complex and genetically heterogeneous disorders with wide geographical and phenotypic variation. The first clinical signs usually appear between 18 months and 8 years, but examples of later-onset have also been reported. Common manifestations include ataxia, seizures, vision impairment, and developmental regression. Because these are shared by other neurological diseases, identification of CLN6 genetic variants is imperative for early diagnosis.ResultsWe present one of the largest cohorts to date of genetically diagnosed CLN6 patients screened at a single center. In total 97 subjects, originating from 20 countries were screened between 2010 and 2020. They comprised 86 late-infantile, eight juvenile, and three adult-onset cases (two patients with Kufs disease type A, and one with teenage progressive myoclonic epilepsy). The male to female ratio was 1.06: 1.00. The age at referral was between six months and 33 years. The time from disease onset to referral ranged from less than 1 month to 8.3 years. The clinical phenotype consisted of a combination of symptoms, as reported before. We characterized a total of 45 distinct variants defining 45 distinct genotypes. Twenty-four were novel variants, some with distinct geographic associations. Remarkably, c.257A > G (p.H86R) was present in five out of 23 unrelated Egyptian individuals but in no patients from other countries. The most common genotype was homozygosity for the c.794_796del in-frame deletion. It was present in about one-third of CLN6 patients (28 unrelated cases, and 2 familial cases), all with late-infantile onset. Variants with a high likelihood of causing loss of CLN6 function were found in 21% of cases and made up 33% of all distinct variants. Forty-four percent of variants were classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic.ConclusionsOur study significantly expands the number of published clinical cases and the mutational spectrum of disease-associated CLN6 variants, especially for the Middle Eastern and North African regions. We confirm previous observations regarding the most prevalent symptoms and recommend including CLN6 in the genetic diagnosis of patients presenting with early-onset abnormalities of the nervous system, musculoskeletal system, and eye.

Mortality and disease related comorbidities in systemic lupus erythematosus: Data from an Egyptian cohort.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disorder with significant disease-related comorbidity and considerably high mortality. Explore the survival rates and the spectrum of disease related comorbidities in an Egyptian cohort afflicted by SLE. This is a single center observational cohort study performed in one of the leading medical Schools governmental hospitals for teaching and training in the North African region and Middle East sectors Kasr Alainy School of Medicine-Cairo University. Inclusion criteria: the investigators of the research question went for planned review of the medical records of adult SLE patients ≥16 years classified according to American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1997 SLE classification criteria set forth by Hochberg, 1997 who received longitudinal clinical care during the time period from 1999 to 2019. Exclusion criteria: patients seen only once, other collagen vascular diseases, endocrinal, cardiovascular, or other multisystem disease diagnosed prior to the onset of SLE. Survival was determined from the time of SLE diagnosis to the last contact or date of death. The cumulative probability of survival was estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. Differences in survival between patient groups were determined using the long-rank test. The study included records of two hundred and two SLE patients, 184 (91.1%) were females and 18 (8.9%) patients were males. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 26.71 ± 7.93 years with a mean follow-up between mean: 6.6 ± 4.58 years, 34.15% had damage in at least one of the organ systems by Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics American college of rheumatology damage index SLICC/ACR-DI in the first 6 months. Considering an outcome label of dead or alive at the end of follow-up period, results showed a total of 52 mortalities, 88.5% were females and 11.5% were males, mean age at death onset was 30.9 ± 8.8years. Results of the Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed an overall cumulative probability of survival at 5, 10, 15, and 20years after SLE diagnosis was 82.9, 68.8, 51.4, and 20.4%, respectively. The cumulative probability of survival at 5, 10, 15, and 20years after SLE diagnosis was 82.9, 68.8, 51.4, and 20.4%, respectively.

Molecular Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Tunisia (North Africa) through Several Successive Waves of COVID-19.

Documenting the circulation dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants in different regions of the world is crucial for monitoring virus transmission worldwide and contributing to global efforts towards combating the pandemic. Tunisia has experienced several waves of COVID-19 with a significant number of infections and deaths. The present study provides genetic information on the different lineages of SARS-CoV-2 that circulated in Tunisia over 17 months. Lineages were assigned for 1359 samples using whole-genome sequencing, partial S gene sequencing and variant-specific real-time RT-PCR tests. Forty-eight different lineages of SARS-CoV-2 were identified, including variants of concern (VOCs), variants of interest (VOIs) and variants under monitoring (VUMs), particularly Alpha, Beta, Delta, A.27, Zeta and Eta. The first wave, limited to imported and import-related cases, was characterized by a small number of positive samples and lineages. During the second wave, a large number of lineages were detected; the third wave was marked by the predominance of the Alpha VOC, and the fourth wave was characterized by the predominance of the Delta VOC. This study adds new genomic data to the global context of COVID-19, particularly from the North African region, and highlights the importance of the timely molecular characterization of circulating strains.

Current Opinion and Practice on Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Management: The North African Perspective.

BackgroundThe status of peritoneal surface malignancy (PSM) management in North Africa is undetermined. The aim of this study was to assess and compare current practice and knowledge regarding PSM and examine satisfaction with available treatment options and need for alternative therapies in North Africa.MethodsThis is a qualitative study involving specialists participating in PSM management in North Africa. The survey analyzed demographic characteristics and current knowledge and opinions regarding PSM management in different institutions. We also looked at goals and priorities, satisfaction with treatment modalities and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) usefulness according to specialty, country, years of experience, and activity sector.ResultsOne-hundred and three participants responded to the survey (response rate of 57%), including oncologists and surgeons. 59.2% of respondents had more than 10 years experience and 45.6% treated 20–50 PSM cases annually. Participants satisfaction with PSM treatment modalities was mild for gastric cancer (3/10 [IQR 2–3]) and moderate for colorectal (5/10 [IQR 3–5]), ovarian (5/10 [IQR 3–5]), and pseudomyxoma peritonei (5/10 [IQR 3–5]) type of malignancies. Good quality of life and symptom relief were rated as main priorities for treatment and the need for new treatment modalities was rated 9/10 [IQR 8–9]. The perceived usefulness of systemic chemotherapy in first intention was described as high by 42.7 and 39.8% of respondents for PSM of colorectal and gastric origins, while HIPEC was described as highly useful for ovarian (49.5%) and PMP (73.8) malignancies.ConclusionsThe management of PSM in the North African region has distinct differences in knowledge, treatments availability and priorities. Disparities are also noted according to specialty, country, years of expertise, and activity sector. The creation of referral structures and PSM networks could be a step forward to standardized PSM management in the region.

Intercultural communication, creative practice and embodied activisms: arts-based interculturality in the Maghreb

ABSTRACT Grounded by a theoretical framework of art and interculturality, critical intercultural communication, and performance studies, this study analyses women's intercultural arts-based practice and performance in the North African Maghreb region. We examine how creative practice is employed in constructing cultural identity, peaceful political resistance, and decolonisation of Maghrebi citizens and nations. We analyse how Maghrebi creative practice transcends linguistic, social, and political boundaries, offering possibilities for profound intercultural exchange. We also examine how creative practice allows re/envisioning cultural identities through music, dance and theatrical work, and developing diverse embodied, performative communities of feminist practice both within and outside the Maghreb.

An Investigation of the Oil and Gas Geopolitical Situation in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

: One of the main global energy struggles in recent years has been in the Eastern Mediterranean. In cooperation with Egypt and Israel, Greece and the Greek Cypriot government (GCA) are implementing a containment strategy against Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Turkey’s response to this plan was an exclusive agreement with Libya. Turkey and Libya have signed a memorandum of national reconciliation on limiting the new continental shelf’s maritime jurisdiction in the Eastern Mediterranean - the only borders of the shared economic zone. Greece could act with other countries, and it is said that Turkey’s competence will be ratified in the face of agreements that may restrict movement. The United States and the European Union (EU) also sought to share gas with European countries against Turkey, Israel, and the GCA. This article focuses on Libya’s ongoing competition, given Libya’s oil geopolitics and challenges in the eastern Mediterranean region. This paper briefly investigates the energy geopolitics in the eastern Mediterranean and North African regions; this paper aims to conclude the diverse opinions led by various interests and points of view and suggests a solution for the ever-growing tensions in this region.

Critical Success Factors Identified within Moroccan Public Higher Education Institutions

Total Quality Management is a concept which any educational institution can attain through a variety of critical success factors. This concept is one of the steps necessary to maximize success in improving quality in higher education institutions. Hence, this qualitative study used a semi-structured interview, endeavors to identify and analyze some of the critical success factors which have significant impact in Moroccan public higher education institutions under the framework of Total Quality Management. As a result of in-depth semi-structured interviews with three experienced university professors in selected public universities in the economical capital city of Morocco, this study is contributing to the literature by empirically determining the critical success factors of the TQM mostly needed in the public higher education institutions. The findings of this study bring an understanding of how certain critical factors are perceived in the Moroccan public higher education context. In addition to expand the body of the current literature, the study findings also provide knowledge that can be used as a basis to address the management needs of quality in higher education institutions. In addition, this study is the first of its kind to be addressed in the Moroccan setting / North African region.

Critical Success Factors Identified within Moroccan Public Higher Education Institutions

Total Quality Management is a concept which any educational institution can attain through a variety of critical success factors. This concept is one of the steps necessary to maximize success in improving quality in higher education institutions. Hence, this qualitative study used a semi-structured interview, endeavors to identify and analyze some of the critical success factors which have significant impact in Moroccan public higher education institutions under the framework of Total Quality Management. As a result of in-depth semi-structured interviews with three experienced university professors in selected public universities in the economical capital city of Morocco, this study is contributing to the literature by empirically determining the critical success factors of the TQM mostly needed in the public higher education institutions. The findings of this study bring an understanding of how certain critical factors are perceived in the Moroccan public higher education context. In addition to expand the body of the current literature, the study findings also provide knowledge that can be used as a basis to address the management needs of quality in higher education institutions. In addition, this study is the first of its kind to be addressed in the Moroccan setting / North African region.

Current Situation of Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) in Northern Africa: The Sustainable Control Methods and Priorities for Future Research

In North Africa, Tetranychus urticae Koch, 1836 represents one of the most destructive generalists among mite herbivores. Unfortunately, it is a source of important annual casualties in crop production. It is a phytophagous mite that can feed on hundreds of host plants and produces significant damage. The control of T. urticae in North Africa has been principally based on acaricide sprays. However, new alternative methods have shown effective results, such as artificial ultraviolet-B, natural enemies, and the introduction of new genetic methods. This review aims to present a synthesis of information surrounding control methods of T. urticae in North Africa. We highlight the principal findings of previous studies. Then, we discuss current control methods and propose new innovative research and sustainable approaches to controlling this pest. The control method can potentially extrapolate in North African regions due to its positive ecological results. Further, studies proved the use of natural enemies, myco-metabolites, bacteria metabolites, and the introduction of a genetic method in an integrated long-term sustainable program that can successfully defeat the populations of T. urticae. We also discuss high-priority research guidelines to investigate new sustainable management strategies. Setting up an integrated long-term ecological monitoring program in different Northwest African countries and incorporating new technologies into monitoring programs is an urgent need to fight this devastating pest.

The Impact of Corporate Governance on the Financial Performance of the Banking Sector in the MENA (Middle Eastern and North African) Region: An Immunity Test of Banks for COVID-19

The purpose of this paper is to measure the impact of internal and external corporate governance mechanisms on the financial performance of banks in the under-researched Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) region during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Bank annual reports, the Orbis Bank Focus database, and World Bank reports were used to collect both financial and non-financial information on the banking sector, followed by fixed effects regressions and two-stage least squares. Results showed that the corporate governance measures of presence of independent members on the board of directors, high ownership concentration, lack of political pressure on board members, and strong legal protection, had positive effects on bank financial performance. Corporate governance mechanisms, such as performance-based compensation, the presence of women on boards, moderate size of the board, and anti-takeover mechanisms had no significant impact on bank performance during the crisis period. An effective internal and external corporate governance mechanism could improve the financial performance of banks in MENA countries in times of pandemics and crises.

Organic food consumption and eating habit in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown

Abstract The purpose of the current study is to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected eating behavior and directed toward organic food and bioproducts consumption in the North African region especially Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia as well as identify the variables that may affect the eating behavior of these population. Data were collected using an anonymous online survey on 1,244 respondents from Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The results showed that the confinement did influence the consumption of healthy food to enhance people’s immune system so as to prevent infection by the COVID-19, and other diseases. Moreover, academic level, gender, and country of residence were diversely correlated with the eating behavior during COVID-19 confinement. The understanding of people’s eating behavior will help the public health to reshape future policies toward organic and bio-based food production; moreover, some further nutritional recommendations could be concluded to maintain a global better health status and improve body defence mechanism.

Developing a gender sensitive women's mental health service in Qatar: A rewarding challenge.

Investigations into gender differences in the epidemiology of common mental disorders have highlighted the fundamental role of socio-economic factors as the key determinants in experiencing mental ill health and access to treatment. Women are almost always at a socio-economic disadvantage across cultures throughout the world and as a result experience mental health inequality. This disparity in control over their socio-economic determinants is even more stark in the Middle Eastern and North African region. This region has additionally also cultural and legal conditions that make women empowerment and access to health difficult. Qatar launched an ambitious National Health Strategic program and identified women's mental health as a priority. This paper describes the development of a gender aware mental health service in Qatar, first of its kind in the region. It describes the challenges that exist in the region when attempting to develop such a service and some challenges that are unique to Qatar. This paper sets out a template of important principles that will be valuable for countries in the MENA region and beyond to develop evidence-based gender aware service that focuses on female empowerment and better mental health outcomes.

The influence of palaeogeography and tectonic events on trilobite distributions in Morocco and northwestern Algeria

AbstractThe effects of sea-level changes and anoxia on Devonian trilobites have been studied for a long time, but the importance of palaeogeographic and tectonic events in this key-period is still not well understood. In the Devonian Period, trilobites invaded many different marine environments and areas in North Africa where important palaeogeographic changes occurred. Distribution patterns of trilobites through time and space have been analysed using a hierarchical cluster analysis and diversity indices. Our examination of the literature suggests that trilobites were scarce during Lochkovian time before an important diversification in Pragian time. Trilobites flourished in many North African regions without there being important taxonomic differences between basins, because of free migration in relatively flat palaeo-topography and homogeneous environments. During Middle Devonian time, early Variscan tectonic movements transformed the eastern Anti-Atlas area into a basin with a platform topography. Geographical barriers such as deep basins prevented trilobite migrations. At the beginning of Eifelian time, the reduction in migration between the different regions of this area coincided with a decrease in diversity. Consequently, tectonic events played an important role in the decline of trilobites during Middle Devonian time, especially when these were combined with sea-level changes and anoxic/hypoxic events. A recovery occurred in Famennian time involving only new genera. As at the global scale, cyrtosymbolines developed in shallow seas, whereas phacopids evolved in deeper environments. The basin and platform system still hampered migrations, although sea-level variations led to episodic exchanges. The late Famennian regression reduced trilobite diversity dramatically in the study area.

“We share the same ancestry”: US Kurdish diasporas and the aspirational and ascriptive practices of race

AbstractThe conflating of the Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) region with Arabs is a common trope that also governs how we study West Asia and West Asian diasporas in the United States. I ethnographically highlight the lives of Kurds in mainly Nashville, Tennessee, and the northeastern United States while foregrounding their racial aspirations that disrupt essentialized depictions of the SWANA region and challenge the nation‐state's racial ascriptions. The use of the “Indo‐European” language family as racial classification in opposition to Arabs, the quotidian practices of racializing Kurds through the “Muslim‐looking” racial formation, and the everyday forms of solidarity with Arab Americans during this period of the global war on terror provide traction on the ways the ascriptions of race and aspirations to race influence Kurdish identity formation. Through evocations of “Indo‐European‐ness,” Kurdish Americans conceptualize transnational and transhistorical forms of whiteness/Europeanness/Aryan‐ness and racialized difference from Arabs, offer critiques of nation‐states, and accentuate dynamic forms of racial consciousness. Kurds simultaneously engage with ethnological understandings that are naturalized as racial difference at the very moment they must also manage the racial hysteria post‐9/11. With increased xenophobia and Islamophobia, Kurds challenge their racializations by embracing nonwhiteness that opens possibilities for coalition‐building with Arab Americans and various racial “Others.”