Narrating Nadia: An Interview Lost between Translation and a Kidnapping

This paper is a narrative inquiry into a series of interviews conducted by the author, uncovering an aspect of her family's oral history. The interviews revolved around her grandmother's experience with her son's kidnapping and permanent disappearance in 1976, during the Lebanese civil war. From a post- modern perspective, the author assesses her place as an active participant in the conversations. Within this framework, she reflects on how language and culture came in the way of her conversations; on the power she held in translating and presenting her grandmother's words; and on translating silences and non-verbal messages

Prevention of Neural Tube Defects: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Uptake of Folic Acid Supplementation in Nearly Half a Million Women

BACKGROUND: Taking folic acid supplements before pregnancy to reduce the risk of a neural tube defect (NTD) is especially important in countries without universal folic acid fortification. The extent of folic acid supplementation among women who had antenatal screening for Down's syndrome and NTDs at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, London between 1999 and 2012 was assessed. METHODS AND FINDINGS: 466,860 women screened provided details on folic acid supplementation. The proportion of women who took folic acid supplements before pregnancy was determined according to year and characteristics of the women. The proportion of women taking folic acid supplements before pregnancy declined from 35% (95% CI 34%-35%) in 1999-2001 to 31% (30%-31%) in 2011-2012. 6% (5%-6%) of women aged under 20 took folic acid supplements before pregnancy compared with 40% of women aged between 35 and 39. Non-Caucasian women were less likely to take folic acid supplements before pregnancy than Caucasian women; Afro-Caribbean 17% (16%-17%), Oriental 25% (24%-25%) and South Asian 20% (20%-21%) compared with 35% (35%-35%) for Caucasian women. 51% (48%-55%) of women who previously had an NTD pregnancy took folic acid supplements before the current pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: The policy of folic acid supplementation is failing and has led to health inequalities. This study demonstrates the need to fortify flour and other cereal grain with folic acid in all countries of the world

Syndactyly in Pigs: A Review of Previous Research and the Presentation of Eight Archaeological Specimens

This paper reviews evidence for the rare condition of porcine syndactyly. It describes eight archaeological examples from Britain, Northern Ireland and France. Syndactyly refers to the partial or complete fusion of two or more adjacent phalanges on the medio-lateral border. The degree and character of fusion are variable, but phalanges frequently unite to create a single skeletal element. This condition has been identified by veterinarians, zoologists and naturalists in individuals and populations in a range of species, but in spite of substantial research on the condition in humans and to a lesser extent cattle, it remains relatively poorly understood in other mammals. Syndactyly is generally agreed to be primarily congenital in origin, although factors affecting its incidence remain far from fully understood. In light of the general paucity of discussion of specific conditions of animal palaeopathology, this paper presents an analysis of these newly discovered syndactyle pig specimens, offers a review of research with particular reference to pigs and discusses the etiology of the condition

Injury during pregnancy and nervous system birth defects: Texas, 1999 to 2003

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/100279/1/bdra23143.pd

People Who Use Drugs in Rehabilitation, from Chaos to Discipline: Advantages and Pitfalls

Evidence -based models emphasizing on lifestyle bahaviors for the treatment of drug use is still in its infancy .The development of multifactorial effective drug use intervention programs as part of health promotion is crucial to decrease risk of relapse. This study aims at exploring the lifestyle practices including dietary intake, physical activity and sleep of people who use drugs undergoing residential rehabilitation treatment in Lebanon with its perceived benefits and pitfalls. A purposive sample of 18 males and 9 females at different stages of recovery from drug use in rehabilitation centers participated in the qualitative discussions. The six phases thematic analysis revealed four themes: chaotic lifestyle, disciplined lifestyle, benefits and pitfalls of disciplined lifestyle, and suggestions for making rehabilitation a better experience. Participants discussed their chaotic lifestyle during addiction with poor food intake, disrupted sleep and low physical activity moving to a more disciplined routine enforcing normality in lifestyle practices with social and professional support .The early phases of treatment were marked with increased food intake and weight gain perceived as a health indicator and the sole divergent from drugs ,moving towards more structured meals and efforts to lose weight in later stages. Lack of variety of Physical activity programs taking into consideration the motivational differences among the participants was also highlighted. Measures for improving rehabilitation services in terms of promoting healthy eating habits and environmental control were thoroughly addressed. These findings shed the light on the challenges faced in maintaining a healthy lifestyle in rehabilitation centers and the necessities of addressing them to improve the overall rehabilitation experience , prevent relapse and inform the development of future targeted intervention programs tackling all aspects of behavioral changes

On the Dynamics of Constrained Rigid Bodies

In this dissertation, the dynamics of three classic mechanical systems are examined using a combination of numerical and analytical methods. The three systems are a rolling sphere, a pair of rolling cylinders, and a stack of blocks. The kinematics and dynamics of each of these systems are governed by a set of constraints. For the sphere and cylinders the complexities of their dynamics are governed by a set of non-integrable (non-holonomic) constraints, while the complexity of the stack of blocks can be attributed to stick-slip phenomena, impacts, and a time-varying set of integrable constraints. For each of these classic systems, we establish new results.Consider a rigid body rolling with one point in contact with a fixed surface. Now suppose that the instantaneous point of contact traces out a closed path. As a demonstration of a phenomenon known as holonomy, the body will typically not return to its original orientation. The simplest demonstration of this phenomenon in rigid body dynamics occurs in the motion of a rolling sphere and finds application to path planning and reorientation of spherical robots. Motivated by recent works of Bryant and Johnson, we establish expressions for the change in orientation (i.e., holonomy) of a rolling sphere after its center of mass completes a rectangular path. The holonomy in this case can be quantified using an angle of rotation and an axis of rotation. We use numerical methods to show that all possible changes in orientation are possible using a single rectangular path. Based on the Euler angle parameterization of a rotation, we develop a more intuitive method to achieve a desired orientation using three rectangular paths. With regards to applications, the paths we discuss can be employed to achieve any desired reorientation of a spherical robot.The next mechanical system we examine was inspired by a common, yet hazardous, method of transporting cylindrical tanks used to carry compressed gas. The method involves rolling both tanks at opposite angles of inclination to the vertical. By propelling one of the tanks while maintaining point contact between the tanks, both tanks can be moved such that their centers of mass move in a straight line. The purpose of our work is to explore this locomotion mechanism. First, the problem of supporting an inclined cylinder in point contact with a rough surface is examined. The analysis shows that dependent on the geometry of the cylinder and the coefficient of static friction, a wide range of angles of inclination are feasible. The presence of non-integrable constraints on the motion of the rolling cylinder is explored using the concept of a holonomy. The problem of transporting two cylinders using the aforementioned mechanism is then analyzed with the help of Frobenius' integrability criterion for constraints and numerical simulations. Our result demonstrate the surprising mechanical advantage of transporting a pair of cylinders, the range of possible angles of inclination, and the forces needed to sustain the motion. The third mechanical system of interest is a collection of two-dimensional blocks stacked vertically. The surfaces of the blocks are rough. Of particular interest is the case where the bottom block in the stack is driven by simple harmonic motion. In the ensuing motion, a typical block in the stack can be at rest, sliding, rotating, or sliding and rotating with respect to the block underneath it. A single block in motion on a rough plane is well-known from studies in the 1980s to exhibit complex dynamics. The complexity of the dynamics of a stack of blocks dramatically increases as the number of blocks increases. In addition, the challenges to numerically investigate the dynamics are considerable. In this dissertation, we adapt a nonsmooth generalized-alpha method for systems with frictional contact to compute the dynamics of the stack. From the simulations we observe that high-frequency excitations of the bottom block tend to stabilize the stack. Our simulations also reveal the existence of an abundance of distinct solutions stemming from a unique initial configuration and excitation of the bottom block. Many, but not all, of these motions result in the toppling of the stack of blocks: a result that illustrates the surprisingly complex dynamics of a simple mechanical system and has application to robotic manipulation of stacks of objects

Factors associated with completion of bowel cancer screening and the potential effects of simplifying the screening test algorithm

BACKGROUND: The primary colorectal cancer screening test in England is a guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBt). The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) interprets tests on six samples on up to three test kits to determine a definitive positive or negative result. However, the test algorithm fails to achieve a definitive result for a significant number of participants because they do not comply with the programme requirements. This study identifies factors associated with failed compliance and modifications to the screening algorithm that will improve the clinical effectiveness of the screening programme. METHODS: The BCSP Southern Hub data for screening episodes started in 2006–2012 were analysed for participants aged 60–69 years. The variables included age, sex, level of deprivation, gFOBt results and clinical outcome. RESULTS: The data set included 1 409 335 screening episodes; 95.08% of participants had a definitively normal result on kit 1 (no positive spots). Among participants asked to complete a second or third gFOBt, 5.10% and 4.65%, respectively, failed to return a valid kit. Among participants referred for follow up, 13.80% did not comply. Older age was associated with compliance at repeat testing, but non-compliance at follow up. Increasing levels of deprivation were associated with non-compliance at repeat testing and follow up. Modelling a reduction in the threshold for immediate referral led to a small increase in completion of the screening pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Reducing the number of positive spots required on the first gFOBt kit for referral for follow-up and targeted measures to improve compliance with follow-up may improve completion of the screening pathway

Impact of sample collection participation on the validity of estimated measures of association in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study when assessing gene-environment interactions

To better understand the impact that nonresponse for specimen collection has on the validity of estimates of association, we examined associations between self-reported maternal periconceptional smoking, folic acid use, or pregestational diabetes mellitus and six birth defects among families who did and did not submit buccal cell samples for DNA following a telephone interview as part of the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS). Analyses included control families with live born infants who had no birth defects (N = 9,465), families of infants with anorectal atresia or stenosis (N = 873), limb reduction defects (N = 1,037), gastroschisis (N = 1,090), neural tube defects (N = 1,764), orofacial clefts (N = 3,836), or septal heart defects (N = 4,157). Estimated dates of delivery were between 1997 and 2009. For each exposure and birth defect, odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using logistic regression stratified by race-ethnicity and sample collection status. Tests for interaction were applied to identify potential differences between estimated measures of association based on sample collection status. Significant differences in estimated measures of association were observed in only four of 48 analyses with sufficient sample sizes. Despite lower than desired participation rates in buccal cell sample collection, this validation provides some reassurance that the estimates obtained for sample collectors and noncollectors are comparable. These findings support the validity of observed associations in gene-environment interaction studies for the selected exposures and birth defects among NBDPS participants who submitted DNA samples