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Scholarly Works (3 results)

  • Thesis
  • Peer Reviewed
UC Irvine Electronic Theses and Dissertations (2001)

"Dabke is manhood, existence in life," is how dabke, the line dance of Baalbekdance of Baalbek, a village in Lebanon, was described to me. Traditional dabke dances of Baalbek are for men only: and only '"real men'' do these dances. The women's place in this society is only to bear children. Yet these traditional male dances are becoming a stage vestige. In addition to belly dance, another traditional Middle Eastern form, only the dabke danced by both men and women is performed, and only at celebrations. My thesis investigates the role of dance, especially dabke. in the modern Baalbek culture. My observations of male and female behavior in this society, as well as the relationship between the genders, and the effect of television on the culture, were instrumental in helping me draw conclusions about the evolution of the dabke. The stories, along with an understanding of the political and economical situation in the area, provide necessary background to fully appreciate the role of dance, the dabke in particular, in this culture.

    Cover page: Dance in the Culture of Baalbek, LebanonCreative Commons 'BY' version 4.0 license
    • Article
    • Peer Reviewed
    UC Davis Previously Published Works (2021)

    Background

    Steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS), while uncommon in children, is associated with significant morbidity. Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) remain the first line recommended therapy for children with non-genetic forms of SRNS, but some children fail to respond to them. Intravenous (IV) cyclophosphamide (CTX) has been shown to be effective in Asian-Indian children with difficult to treat SRNS (SRNS-DTT). Our study evaluated the outcome of IV CTX treatment in North American children with SRNS-DTT.

    Methods

    Retrospective review of the medical records of children with SRNS-DTT treated with IV CTX from January 2000 to July 2019 at our center. Data abstracted included demographics, histopathology on renal biopsy, prior and concomitant use of other immunosuppressive agents and serial clinical/laboratory data. Primary outcome measure was attainment of complete remission (CR).

    Results

    Eight children with SRNS-DTT received monthly doses (median 6; range 4-6) of IV CTX. Four (50%) went into CR, 1 achieved partial remission and 3 did not respond. Three of the 4 responders had minimal change disease (MCD). Excluding the 1 child who responded after the 4th infusion, the median time to CR was 6.5 (range 0.5-8) months after completion of IV CTX infusions. Three remain in CR at a median of 8.5 years (range: 3.7-10.5 years) after completion of CTX; one child relapsed and became steroid-dependent. No infections or life-threatening complications related to IV CTX were observed.

    Conclusions

    IV CXT can induce long term remission in North-American children with MCD who have SRNS-DTT.
      Cover page: Intravenous cyclophosphamide induces remission in children with difficult to treat steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome from minimal change disease.
      • Article
      • Peer Reviewed
      UC Davis Previously Published Works (2023)
      About 10% of all home peritoneal dialysis regimens in children with chronic kidney disease stage 5 are reported to involve some form of a tidal peritoneal dialysis (TPD) prescription. Despite this, there remain several gaps in how pediatric nephrologists approach the use of TPD. This stems from a combination of factors such as the confusing technical terminology pertaining to TPD, seemingly conflicting data on the risks, benefits, and indications for TPD, and lastly, limited published guidelines on the practical aspects of how to write a TPD prescription, based on the indication, in children. Our educational review, using evidence-based data, attempts to bridge this gap and provide an easy-to-use guide on the key practical aspects of TPD in children.
        Cover page: Tidal continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis in children.
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