People Of African Origin Research Articles

Temporal and Spatial Variations in the Twinning Rate in Norway.

Strong geographical variations have been noted in the twinning rate (TWR). In general, the rate is high among people of African origin, intermediate among Europeans, and low among most Asiatic populations. In Europe, there tends to be a south-north cline, with a progressive increase in the TWR from south to north and a minimum around the Basque provinces. The highest TWRs in Europe have been found among the Nordic populations. Furthermore, within larger populations, small isolated subpopulations have been identified to have extreme, mainly high, TWRs. In the study of the temporal variation of the TWR in Norway, we consider the period from 1900 to 2014. The regional variation of the TWR in Norway is analyzed for the different counties for two periods, 1916-1926 and 1960-1988. Heterogeneity between the regional TWRs in Norway during 1916-1926 was found, but the goodness of fit for the alternative spatial models was only slight. The optimal regression model for the TWR in Norway has the longitude and its square as regressors. According to this model, the spatial variation is distributed in a west-east direction. For 1960-1988, no significant regional variation was observed. One may expect that the environmental and genetic differences between the counties in Norway have disappeared and that the regional TWRs have converged towards a common low level.

Envisioning Freedom: Cinema and the Building of Modern Black Life by Cara Caddoo

Envisioning Freedom: Cinema and the Building of Modern Black Life, by Cara Caddoo. Cambridge & London, Harvard University Press, 2014. 294 pp. $35.00 US (cloth). Both Film Studies and African American Studies are relatively new interdisciplinary fields, and scholarly advances are especially valuable as these areas of inquiry consolidate their stature within the academy and elsewhere. Cara Caddoo's new book on cinema and the building of modern Black life, Envisioning Freedom, is a major contribution to both fields. It adds powerfully to our understanding of both US and African American film history, and it expands our vision of the civil rights movement and the long struggle of people of African descent to control their own imagery in the media and popular culture. A key feature of the book reveals the crucial role of the Black church in generating audiences for the emerging Black film productions. This was part of the long process of how people of African origin, only recently liberated from enslavement, determining their identities as free people. African American clergymen, fully understanding the attraction of early motion pictures, began incorporating film viewing into their efforts to help their congregations move toward the goal of racial progress and uplift. Not coincidentally, this attractive feature of Black church life also increased church attendance and fundraising. Ministers realized that young people especially would often rather spend their Sundays in movie theaters rather than in churches. Understanding the tension between spiritual and secular pursuits gave them additional reason to promote Black films within churches themselves. The films promoted positive Black images and became an integral feature of the self-help and self-respect movement that pervaded much of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century African American life. It likewise served as an early foundation for the pivotal role of the Black church in encouraging Black filmmaking and exhibition as part of a greater development of Black enterprise generally. The most compelling parts of Envisioning Freedom involve conflicts over Black representation in film. A key struggle occurred when Black prizefighter Jack Johnson defeated the Great White Hope Jim Jeffries in 1910. Johnson, a bold, defiant Black man, evoked powerful fears in white America--the same apprehension that has existed against strong Black males from slave days that resulted in the persecution of leaders like Paul Robeson. Rob Williams, Stokely Carmichael, Malcolm X, and many others in later decades. Jack Johnson became the first Black heavyweight champion and the first inadvertent Black film star when films of that fight were made and distributed throughout the United States. …

Effects of Thiazide Diuretic in Combination with Amiloride versus Hydrochlorothiazide Alone, on Plasma Glucose and Electrolytes in Hypertensive Nigerians: A Community Based Study

Background: Diuretics are known to be the most effective antihypertensive medicines in Black Africans and people of African origin. Hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) and Amiloride-HCT(Amiloride combined with-Hydrochlorothiazide (Amiloride-HCT) used either as a single medicine or in combination with other antihypertensive medicines, are the two diuretics commonly used in the management of high blood pressure in Nigeria. Original Research Article

African immigrant parents' understanding of their teenagers' newly diagnosed diabetes status in Perth, Western Australia

The aim of this investigation was to develop insight into what a sample of migrant African parents now residing in Western Australia knew about, and were able to provide in relation to the dietary needs of their recently-diagnosed diabetic teenager through an exploration of family food habits.In recent years, Western Australia has seen a sharp increase in the size of its African population due to both economic and refugee migration. A rise in the numbers of teenagers of African origin diagnosed with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes and associated complications has been noticeable. A different ethnic background is a known risk factor for poor metabolic control, and this trend is reflected in recent studies wherein people of African origin have been found to have a high risk of developing diabetes. What is also clear from the health promotion literature is that parents of teenagers with a chronic health condition, when they are well informed about that condition, play a key part its management. Little is known, though, about what African migrant parents’ understand about diabetes and its dietary controlTwelve parents from five different countries of origin participated in this survey. Despite all participants having received education on the topic from a dedicated paediatric diabetes nurse, it was evident from their families’ food habits that either an understanding of or the capacity to accommodate the dietary requirements of their diabetic teenager was minimal.The results of this small survey indicate a need to revise the information provided to African migrant parents of diabetic teenagers to more closely accommodate cultural preferences. Further work is necessary to determine the most effective approach to health education with this group of health care consumers.

Unawareness of hypertension and its determinants among 'quilombolas' (inhabitants of 'quilombos' - hinterland settlements founded by people of African origin) living in Southwest Bahia, Brazil

This study sought to evaluate the prevalence of unawareness of arterial hypertension (AH) and associated factors among the quilombola population and to describe aspects of the non-pharmacological management of AH. It involved a cross-sectional study with a sample of 358 people with AH aged 18 years or more. AH was considered systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg and/or reported use of antihypertensive drugs. Unawareness of AH was classified as persons answering negatively when asked if they suffered from AH. Poisson regression was then used. The prevalence of unawareness of AH was 44.1% (95% CI: 38.9-49.3). Among those who already knew the diagnosis and had drug treatment only 24.8% had controlled BP. The unawareness of AH was positively associated with the male sex and Stage 1 of AH and negatively with increasing age, overweight, negative self-perception of health and medical visits. For non-pharmacological management, low percentages of quilombola reported appropriate standard recommendations of care. Arterial hypertension is a serious public health issue among the quilombola population, revealing great vulnerability in health due to poor levels of awareness, treatment and control.

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Objectives In the non-pregnant population hypertension is more prevalent among people of African origin (PAO) and Asians compared to white women. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is used in the general population providing clinically useful information including the blood pressure (BP) load and nocturnal BP. Despite ABPM being validated in pregnancy it currently has no defined clinical role and clinicians use a one off BP assessment to diagnose and manage hypertension. Aim To compare the 24-h BP profiles in pregnancy across ethnic groups. Methods Women attending the Manchester Antenatal Vascular Services (MAViS) research clinic taking antihypertensive medication or with a BP close to the treatment threshold were offered 24-h ABPM. Results were analysed according to gestation ( 24 weeks). Ethnicity was classified as white and non-white (PAO and Asian). Results The predominant diagnosis was essential hypertension 22/28 ( 24 weeks). 24 weeks: Non-white women had a non-significantly higher median day BP: 139 mmHg (IQR:122.5–144.5) & 92 mmHg (80.5–95.5), night BP: 122 mmHg (114.5–135.5) & 78 mmHg (70.5–84.5) and a smaller nocturnal dip in mean arterial pressure (MAP): 9.4% (1.9–15) compared to white women: 130 mmHg (127–136) & 85 mmHg (79–88), 116 mmHg (109–120) & 71 mmHg (66–74) and 13.9% (10.9–17.1) respectively. > 24 weeks: Non-whites compared to whites had a higher median daytime BP: 129 mmHg (126–142.5) & 87 mmHg (79–95) vs 124.5 mmHg (122–137) & 83.5 mmHg (79–90.5), a significantly higher night time BP: 121 mmHg (115–134.5) & 77 mmHg (71–82.5) vs 110 mmHg (108–115.5) & 70.5 mmHg (65.5–72), p = 0.02 and p = 0.03 for systolic and diastolic respectively, and a significantly smaller nocturnal dip in MAP: 10.1% (4–15.4) vs 15.6% (12.6–19), p = 0.03. Conclusions This small study found ethnic differences in the 24-h BP profile. Non-white women had significantly higher nocturnal BP levels and a blunting of the nocturnal dip compared to white women. ABPM was acceptable in the pregnant population and enabled antihypertensive treatment to be adjusted. Disclosures E. Shawkat: None. E. Johnstone: None. C. Chmiel: None. G. Bernatavicius: None. J. Myers: None.

Ainhum: A Spot Diagnosis.

Ainhum is an acquired progressive condition presenting with a constriction ring around the fifth toe. Classically, it was reported in people of African origin and has been very rarely reported in India. Ainhum when diagnosed and treated early can be prevented from progressing to mutilating deformities. It needs to be differentiated from pseudo ainhum, which may have a precipitating factor, and careful history may reveal a preventable cause. We report a case of ainhum with involvement of the left fifth toe and early involvement of other toes.

Environmental, Lifestyle, and Anthropometric Risk Factors for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer in Cuba: A Case-Control Study

Background: The incidence of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) is low in people of African origin and higher in populations living on islands, but there is no well-established explanation for these differences. Cuba is a multiethnic nation with people of African and Spanish descent. Until now, no study on the risk factors of DTC has focused on the Cuban population. Our aim is to establish the role of environmental and lifestyle factors and to relate anthropometric measurements to the risk of developing DTC in Cuba. Methods: We performed a case-control study of 203 DTC patients treated in two hospitals in Havana and 212 controls living in the area covered by these hospitals (i.e. parts of Havana and the municipality of Jaruco). Risk factors were analyzed using conditional logistic regression. Results: As has been shown by other studies, we found that non-African ethnicity, never smoking, parity, and high body mass index are risk factors significantly associated with DTC, whereas a history of exposure to ionizing radiation and level of education were not significantly related with disease development. Being rhesus factor-positive, having a personal history of benign thyroid disorder, agricultural occupation, and consumption of artesian well water were also associated with a significantly increased risk of developing DTC. Conclusions: The original findings reported here concern the risk of DTC that was associated with non-African ethnicity, positive rhesus factor, farming, and drinking water from an artesian well.

Challenges to the control of breast cancer in a small developing country.

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study is to determine the clinicopathological features of breast cancer in two dedicated cancer treatment centers in north Trinidad. The histological types and stage at presentation were also investigated.DESIGN AND METHODSA retrospective cohort design was used; data were collected from a review of medical records of patients meeting the entry criteria. Clinical and demographic data were extracted.RESULTSA total of 640 patients were selected for the study and were available for the analysis. The annual cumulative incidence rate of breast cancer for the calendar years 2010 and 2011 in north Trinidad was 32.4 per 100,000 and 24.6 per 100,000 of the population. The age group between 51–60 years had the highest proportion of cases of breast cancer. There was a significant ethnic disparity in the occurrence of breast cancer, as it was more common in people of African origin than among South East Asians. Surgery and chemotherapy were the major interventions employed.CONCLUSIONBreast cancer prevalence continues to be high in Trinidad; we provide evidence of the extent of and the degree of sophistication required to care for patients with breast cancer in a health care system in a small developing country.

Stroke Characteristics and Outcomes of Adult Patients Admitted to the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia

Objectives: Despite the high burden of strokes globally and among people of African origin in particular, there are few available data on stroke in most countries of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), including Zambia. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics and outcomes of stroke in adult Zambian patients admitted to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka. Methods: The study was conducted at the UTH, which is the only tertiary hospital in the country, from July to December 2010. Stroke was confirmed by neurological examination and CT scan of the brain. Participants were assessed for risk factors and severity of stroke. Outcome measures included in-hospital stroke mortality and disability (modified Rankin score and Glasgow outcome scale on discharge). Results: A total of 250 consecutive stroke patients were included in the study. Of these 162 (65%) patients had ischemic and 88 (35%) hemorrhagic strokes. The mean age was 55 ±18years. Hypertension was most common risk factor for both strokes. Other risk factors included: alcohol intake (32.6%), previous stroke (23.6%), family history of stroke (23.2%), HIV infection (25.4%), hypercholesterolemia (14%) andtobacco smoking/sniffing (13.4%). In-hospital stroke mortality was 40%. Factors independently associated with mortality were female sex, pneumonia, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) � 8 and stroke severity at admission. Conclusions: Stroke in Zambian patients occurs at a relatively young age and frequency of intracerebral hemorrhage is higher than that reported in developed countries. Hypertension is common risk factor for both types of strokes. Family history of stroke is one of important risk factor. In-hospital stroke mortality is high at UTH. HIV infection is independently associated with ischemic stroke.

No evidence for a large difference in ALS frequency in populations of African and European origin: A population based study in inner city London

Abstract Previous studies have suggested a lower incidence of ALS in people of African origin. We used a population based register in an urban setting from inner city London postcodes where there is a large population of people of African ancestry to compare the frequency of ALS in people of European and African origin. Population statistics stratified by age, gender and ethnicity were obtained from the 2001 census. Incidence and prevalence were calculated in each ethnic group. Results showed that in a population of 683,194, of which 22% were of African ancestry, 88 individuals with ALS were identified over a seven-year period, including 14 people with African ancestry. The adjusted incidence in people of African ancestry was 1.35 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI 0.72-2.3) and in those of European ancestry 1.97 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI 1.55-2.48). In conclusion, in this small population based study we could not detect a difference in rates of ALS between people of African ancestry and those of European ancestry.

Spatial Variation in the Twinning Rate in Sweden, 1751–1850

Strong geographical variations in the twinning rate have been presented in the literature. In general, the rate is high among people of African origin, intermediate among Europeans and low among most Asiatic populations. In Europe, a progressive increase has occurred in the twinning rate from south to north, with a minimum around the Basque provinces. The highest twinning rates in Europe have been found among Nordic populations with the exception of the Saamis (Lapps). Within larger populations, some small isolated subpopulations have been identified to have extreme, mainly high, twinning rates. In this study, we investigated the regional variation of the twinning rate in Sweden. We analysed twinning rates for different counties for the period 1751-1850. From the middle of the 19th century, the environmental and genetic differences have decreased and the regional twinning rates have converged towards a common decreased level. The models applied have the geographical coordinates as regressors. The optimal model for the twinning rate has the longitude, the latitude and their product as regressors, indicating both horizontal and vertical trends. According to this model, the maximum twinning rate in Sweden is located in the eastern part of central Sweden, mainly on the island of Gotland and in the counties around Stockholm. Relatively low twinning rates are seen in the western and northern parts of Sweden.

Warfarin Sensitivity Genotyping: A Review of the Literature and Summary of Patient Experience

The antithrombotic benefits of warfarin are countered by a narrow therapeutic index that contributes to excessive bleeding or cerebrovascular clotting and stroke in some patients. This article reviews the current literature describing warfarin sensitivity genotyping and compares the results of that review to the findings of our study in 189 patients at Mayo Clinic conducted between June 2001 and April 2003. For the review of the literature, we identified relevant peer-reviewed articles by searching the Web of Knowledge using key word warfarin-related adverse event. For the 189 Mayo Clinic patients initiating warfarin therapy to achieve a target international normalized ratio (INR) in the range of 2.0 to 3.5, we analyzed the CYP2C9 (cytochrome P450 2C9) and VKORC1 (vitamin K epoxide reductase complex, subunit 1) genetic loci to study the relationship among the initial warfarin dose, steady-state dose, time to achieve steady-state dose, variations in INR, and allelic variance. Results were compared with those previously reported in the literature for 637 patients. The relationships between allelic variants and warfarin sensitivity found in our study of Mayo Clinic patients are fundamentally the same as in those reported by others. The Mayo Clinic population is predominantly white and shows considerable allelic variability in CYP2C9 and VKORC1. Certain of these alleles are associated with increased sensitivity to warfarin. Polymorphisms in CYP2C9 and VKORC1 have a considerable effect on warfarin dose in white people. A correlation between steady-state warfarin dose and allelic variants of CYP2C9 and VKORC1 has been demonstrated by many previous reports and is reconfirmed in this report. The allelic variants found to most affect warfarin sensitivity are CYP2C9*1*1-VKORC1BB (less warfarin sensitivity than typical); CYP2C9*1*1-VKORC1AA (considerable variance in INR throughout initiation); CYP2C9*1*2-VKORC1AB (more sensitivity to warfarin than typical); CYP2C9*1*3-VKORC1AB (much more sensitivity to warfarin than typical); CYP2C9*1*2-VKORC1AB (much more sensitivity to warfarin than typical); CYP2C9*1*3-VKORC1AA (much more sensitivity to warfarin than typical); and CYP2C9*2*2-VKORC1AB (much more sensitivity to warfarin than typical). Although we were unable to show an association between allelic variants and initial warfarin dose or dose escalation, an association was seen between allelic variant and steady-state warfarin dose. White people show considerable variance in CYP2C9 allele types, whereas people of Asian or African descent infrequently carry CYP2C9 allelic variants. The VKORC1AA allele associated with high warfarin sensitivity predominates in those of Asian descent, whereas white people and those of African descent show diversity, carrying either the VKORC1BB, an allele associated with low warfarin sensitivity, or VKORC1AB or VKORC1AA, alleles associated with moderate and high warfarin sensitivity, respectively.

The effect of melanism and vitamin D synthesis on the incidence of autoimmune disease

Melanin has several physiological roles in maintaining health, but, notably, it affects the synthesis of vitamin D. Melanin is the primary determinant of the degree of skin pigmentation and protects the body from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Synthesis of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25[OH](2)D(3)) in the skin, however, is dependent on ultraviolet B light. Highly pigmented skin, to the level found in people of African origin, abrogates almost all ultraviolet-induced 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) synthesis. Numerous animal models and clinical studies have underlined the essential role of vitamin D as a modulator of the different processes of the immune system. Evidence indicates that serum concentrations of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) and the prevalence of autoimmune diseases in a certain population are associated with the latitude at which that population resides. This article explores the relationship between skin pigmentation, vitamin D and the prevalence of autoimmune disease.

Ethnic differences in retinal microvascular structure

People of African origin have increased risk of stroke and retinal microvascular disease compared with populations of European origin. We compared quantitative measures of retinal microvasculature in British white Europeans and African Caribbeans. Population-based study of 215 (45% male) British African-Caribbean migrants and 323 (48% male) white Europeans aged 40-69 years. Digitised retinal images were analysed using a validated semi-automated system. Arteriolar optimality deviation, an indicator of endothelial dysfunction, was greater in African Caribbeans (age- and sex-adjusted means [95% CIs]: 0.06 [0.05-0.06] vs 0.04 [0.04-0.05], p = 0.004); this was unexplained by conventional risk factors. Arteriolar diameters were narrower in African Caribbeans (age- and sex-adjusted means [95% CIs]: 18.4 [18.1-18.6] vs 17.9 [17.6-18.2], p = 0.011). These ethnic differences in diameters were attenuated on adjustment for systolic BP (SBP) (adjusted means: 18.2 vs 18.1, p = 0.31). However, there was a significant interaction (p = 0.011) between diabetes and SBP, such that SBP was strongly associated with arteriolar diameter in people without diabetes, but not in those with diabetes (adjusted beta-coefficients for SBP: Europeans: -0.42, p = 0.002 vs 0.17, p = 0.69, African Caribbeans: -0.35, p = 0.023 vs 0.01, p = 0.96). Other measures of retinal vasculature did not differ by ethnicity. British African Caribbeans appear to have poorer retinal arteriolar endothelial function than white Europeans. Higher BPs explained the narrower arterioles in African Caribbeans; however, patterns of association between arteriolar narrowing and BP suggest the possibility that cerebral autoregulation and/or remodelling might be adversely affected by diabetes in both ethnic groups.

Ethnic variation in levels of circulating IgG autoantibodies to oxidised low-density lipoprotein

BackgroundOxidised low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) plays a key role in atherosclerosis. Our aim was to determine whether serum autoantibodies against Ox-LDL (Ab Ox-LDL) differ by ethnic group. Design and methodsSoluble serum Ab Ox-LDL levels were measured in 250 white (113 females), 169 African origin (91 females) and 196 South Asian (92 females) individuals from the Wandsworth Heart and Stroke Study (WHSS) population. All were free from coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, other cardiovascular disease, diabetes, drug therapy for hypertension or high lipids, hormone replacement therapy or oral contraceptive pill. ResultsThere were no sex differences in levels of Ab Ox-LDL, but levels were higher in non-smokers (430U/L [95% CI 471–596]) than in smokers (384U/L [316–468]) (p<0.009). Age- and sex-adjusted levels of Ab Ox-LDL were higher in people of African origin and South Asians compared to whites. This difference was maintained in South Asian women following adjustment for multiple risk factors (82% [21–175]; p=0.004). Ab Ox-LDL levels were negatively associated with serum triglycerides and positively associated with sVCAM-1. ConclusionsHigher IgG Ab to Ox-LDL are associated with higher levels of sVCAM-1 and, are elevated in female South Asian individuals who have an increased risk of atherosclerosis compared to whites.

Aldosterone and Metabolic Syndrome

The classic role of aldosterone is to regulate water and electrolyte balance and, therefore, blood pressure homeostasis.1 Apart from that, experimental studies have demonstrated that aldosterone induces structural and functional alterations in the heart, kidneys, and vessels with effects such as myocardial fibrosis, nephrosclerosis, vascular inflammation and remodeling, and disturbed fibrinolysis.2,3 This damage seems to be aldosterone mediated, and aldosterone blockade with mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonists, such as spironolactone, may prevent the onset of these effects.4,5 On the other hand, it cannot completely be ruled out that potassium and high blood pressure also play additional key roles in this damage.6,7 This evidence has impressively been supported by clinical studies, such as the Randomized Aldactone Evaluation Study and the Eplerenone Post-Acute Myocardial Infarction Survival and Efficacy Study.8,9 For example, increased mortality in patients with chronic heart failure has been associated with elevated aldosterone plasma levels,10 and high circulating plasma aldosterone levels predict the clinical outcome in patients after myocardial infarction.11 Furthermore, primary aldosteronism (PA) has been demonstrated to enhance the risk of cardiovascular events12 and kidney disease.13 In summary, aldosterone is considered a cardiovascular risk factor, promoting disease processes such as cardiac fibrosis, nephrosclerosis, and arteriosclerosis,2,3,14 all of which are increased in patients with obesity and the metabolic syndrome.15,16 The term “metabolic syndrome” (MSyn) has evolved various definitions in recent times; most of the studies introduced here use slight modifications. Nevertheless, all of the definitions used have a common denominator, which is reflected in a definition by the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.17 According to this definition, the MSyn is considered as a constellation of interrelated risk factors of metabolic origin, including arterial hypertension, dyslipidemias, alterations in glucose homeostasis with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and abdominal …

Kidney and Circadian Blood Pressure Rhythm

Association between nondipper pattern of circadian rhythm of blood pressure (BP) and impaired renal capacity to excrete sodium into urine was confirmed by Bankir et al1 in this issue of Hypertension based on a large number of subjects. Although this association has been observed in small studies,2,3 their study1 is the first to show it in a large-scale setting, and, therefore, is highly welcomed. Because there is a tight link between kidney and hypertension, renal dysfunction causes hypertension, whereas hypertension accelerates renal damage. It is well appreciated that the kidneys play an important role in the long-term regulation of BP. Usually it takes almost 1 week for kidneys to achieve a new steady-state balance of sodium, when sodium intake is altered. Therefore, renal participation in the short-term BP regulation, such as circadian rhythm, has been overlooked. However, the findings of Bankir et al1 strongly suggest that nocturnal hypertension and nondipper pattern of circadian BP rhythm are because of impaired renal capacity to excrete sodium, and circadian BP rhythm is at least in part regulated by kidneys. Sodium sensitivity of BP is also determined by renal capacity to excrete sodium and is regulated by glomerulotubular balance between glomerular ultrafiltration capability and rate of tubular sodium reabsorption.4 Thus, sodium sensitivity is increased in chronic kidney disease (CKD) where glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is reduced and also in disorders with enhanced tubular sodium reabsorption, including primary aldosteronism, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome, where GFR is augmented. When sodium sensitivity is increased, glomerular capillary pressure is usually elevated, resulting in albuminuria and renal damage. It becomes evident that, in patients with high-sodium sensitivity, the nocturnal dip in …

Music and the Formation of Sidi Identity in Western India

Long before the current age of postcolonial globalization, the Western Indian Ocean served as a maritime highway linking littoral settings in Western India with Arabia, Persia and East Africa. Among the many travellers who crossed the Indian Ocean in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, people from Africa faced a particularly gruelling fate. In contrast to those who willingly journeyed by sea among them Arab and Indian merchants, Sufi masters, Islamic scholars from Yemen and Europeans Africans often endured a sea passage which was enforced by enslavement. Today, descendants of former African crossers of the Indian Ocean are dispersed over many islands and littoral societies such as Zanzibar, Oman and Western India. Along the Western coasts of South Asia, small but distinct communities of African descendants are settled in the Pakistani provinces of Sindh and Baluchistan, the Indian coastal states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka and the former princely capital of Hyderabad, and further south in Sri Lanka. In Gujarat and elsewhere in South Asia, people of African origins are called 'Sidi'. From the times when sailing ships were the only means of transport, the appellation 'Sidi' was given indiscriminately to African slaves and sailors working on ships and in Indian Ocean ports.1 The sea journey from Africa to distant lands in South Asia thus transformed displaced people from the hinterland of the Swahili coast into 'Sidi'. This essay addresses the ways in which Sidi have created a place for themselves in Gujarat. It considers the sea journey that brought uprooted Africans Sidi slaves and seamen from Zanzibar to Gujarat and then examines the processes shaping the emergence of a collective Sidi identity in interaction with the host society. In both contexts at sea and on land African-derived forms of music referred to as goma played an important role. Through their music, Sidi in Gujarat reflect a significant strand in Indian history its maritime connections across the Indian Ocean. The century-old transoceanic migration of people, ideas, things and practices in dhows (the Arabic for sailing ship) resulted in the constitution of plural societies along the Indian coast characterized by 'dhow cultures'.2 This concept highlights the mobility of social and cultural practices in the Indian Ocean region. More specifically, the concept draws attention to social

Remembering and Forgetting in Contemporary France: Napoleon, Slavery, and the French History Wars

On the front cover of Claude Ribbe’s Le Crime de Napoléon is a photograph of Hitler surrounded by a bevy of generals looking down at the tomb of Napoleon at the Invalides during his visit there after the fall of France in 1940. The message is clear: the author is thus directly associating Napoleon with Hitler and, as we shall see as Ribbe develops his argument, with the Holocaust. Napoleon, Ribbe claims, is guilty of a “triple crime” against humanity: the reintroduction of slavery in 1802; the deportation and killing of large numbers of Africans (or people of African origin); and the massacre of blacks that took on a “genocidal nature” and that prefigured the policy of racial extermination carried out by the Nazis during the Second World War (12 13). “Le crime est si impardonnable”, writes Ribbe, “qu’il a provoqué plus de deux siècles de mensonges. Car les faits sont bien connus des historiens, mais volontairement passés sous silence” (13).