Be(com)ing Arab in London: performativity between structures of subjection

This thesis is based upon eighteen months of ethnographic fieldwork in London undertaken between January 2006 and July 2007. It explores the discourses and practices which (re)produce notions of gender, race, ethnicity and class among young people born or raised in London to migrants from Arab states. Instead of taking the existence of an Arab community’ in London as self-evident, this thesis looks critically at the idea of Arab-ness in London and the ways in which it is signified, reiterated and recited. Taking the theorising of performative gender as a starting point I explore the possibilities of a sequential reading of ‘gender’ and ‘race’ and the practices and discourses which produce that which they name ‘Arab woman,’ Arab man,’ ‘British- Arab’. By looking at discourses, practices and political context, ‘ethnicity’ and ‘race’ appear to be less about an inner fixity or even multiple identities, instead they can be significantly attributed to a discursive and corporeal project of survival and social intelligibility between structures of subjection which create imperatives to enact and reproduce notions of ‘race’ and ‘gender’. In this sense it is no longer satisfactory to see ethnicity as something that one possesses – but something that one does and embodies imperfectly, constantly adding, reinforcing and disrupting its presumed structure. Looking at what it means “to do” Arab-ness in London provides opportunities to look at the underlying normative and psychical structures that inform the doing of ethnicity in a particular setting. The shift from foundationalist and “epistemological account[s] of identity to [those] which locate[s] the problematic within practices of signification permits an analysis that takes the epistemological mode itself as one possible and contingent signifying practice” (Butler 1990: 184). Through the Shisha cafe, ‘Arabic nights’, images and narratives I explore the discursive and corporeal acts that signify Arab-ness in London at a particular historical moment

Ventriculo-Peritoneal Shunt Infections in Infants and Children

Objective: To determine the rate and the type of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt infections in infants and children admitted to King Fahad Hofuf hospital of Al-Ahsaa area at the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.Methods: From mid 2003 to end of 2006; VP shunt infection episodes were reviewed. Once infection was suspected, a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample was taken and empirical antibiotics were recommended. Once infection was confirmed, VP shunt was removed and external ventricular drainage (EVD) was inserted until CSF became sterile after which a new shunt was inserted.Results: 25.9% of patients with VP shunts had infections which represents 29.3% of the procedures. 40% of infected patients had recurrent episodes. 59.1% of infections occurred throughout the first two months following insertion. Single pathogen was isolated in each episode. Pseudomonas auerginosa represented 50% of isolated pathogens compared with 18.2% with Staphylococcus epidermidis.Conclusions: There is a high incidence of VP shunt infections in King Fahad Hofuf hospital when compared with other international centres. Gram negative organisms are the most common cause of the infection

Network Coding-based Protection Strategies Against a Single Link Failure in Optical Networks

In this paper we develop network protection strategies against a single link failure in optical networks. The motivation behind this work is the fact that $$ of all available links in an optical network suffers from a single link failure. In the proposed protection strategies, denoted NPS-I and NPS-II, we deploy network coding and reduced capacity on the working paths to provide a backup protection path that will carry encoded data from all sources. In addition, we provide implementation aspects and how to deploy the proposed strategies in case of an optical network with $n$ disjoint working paths.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, ICCES '0

Traumatic brain injury in pediatric age group; predictors of outcome in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Objective: To determine predictors for outcomes of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in infants and children younger than twelve years admitted to our pediatric intensive care units (PICU).Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study from 2004-5, done at the PICU of King Fahad Hofuf Hospital, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. One hundred and six patients with TBI; 65 boys and 41 girls ages 12 or under, with a mean age of 5.7 years, were included. Of them, 11.3% died (Deaths group), 11% survived with neurological deficits (ND-group), and 77% survived with no neurological deficits (NND-group). The potential predictors for death or neurological deficits were examined.Results: 83% of deaths had initial Glascow coma scale (GCS) of ≤ 4/15, 50% of ND had initial GCS ≤ 8 and 27% of NND had GCS < 12. The initial brain CT was abnormal in 92% of deaths and ND groups, but in only 37% of NND. Combined brain pathologies were found in 92% of deaths, 63% of ND and only in 5% of NND. Hypotension was seen in 67% of deaths, 17% ND and only in 1% of NND. Mechanical ventilation was required in all deaths and more than half of ND. Liver enzymes were high in 50% of deaths and 66% of ND but in only 20% of NND. Serum albumin was low in 33% of deaths, 42% of ND and only 1% NND.Conclusion: Glasgow coma score, brain CT findings, combined brain pathologies, hypotension, high liver enzymes and low serum albumin predict outcome after TBI in pediatric age group

The value of intra-abdominal pressure monitoring through transvesical route in the choice and outcome of management of congenital abdominal wall defects

Introduction Gastroschisis and omphalocele are most common congenital abdominal wall defects (AWDs). Surgical management aims to reduce the evisceration safely, close the defect with a cosmetically acceptable outcome under guidance of intraoperative monitoring of intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). Intravesical pressure monitoring technique recommended by (WSACS) is the most reliable technique for IAP measurement in neonates.Aim The aim of this study is to assess the value of IAP monitoring via vesical pressure measurement in the choice and outcome of management of congenital AWDs.Patients and methods This is a prospective study of 25 cases that suffered congenital anterior AWDs (gastroschisis and omphalocele) admitted to Mansoura University Children Hospital during the period from October 2013 to October 2015. They were all operated upon guided by IVP monitoring during and after repair. Results In our study, 14 (56%) cases presented with gastroschisis and 11 (44%) presented with exomphalos with a median age of 24 h. Males (56%) were slightly more than females (44%). Congenital anomalies were reported in 16 cases (64%). Primary fascial closure was successful in 15 (60%) cases, whereas Silo repair was done in six (24%) cases and skin closure in only four (16%) cases. During the attempts of closure the mean abdominal perfusion pressure was 40.24 ± 5.59, the mean peak inspiratory pressure was 24 ±6.11 and the mean IAP was 22.60± 6.89. Two cases developed intra-abdominal hypertension after abdominal closure (8%) and only one of them needed decompressive laparotomy (4%). Postoperative complications were reported in 15 (60%) cases and mortality occurred in eight (32%) cases.Conclusion Increased IAP secondary to forceful closure of the abdominal defect is associated with the occurrence of complications. IVP monitoring is feasible during closure of AWDs and a threshold of 20cm H2O is  appropriate to decide between primary and staged approach. Keywords: congenital abdominal wall defect, intravesical pressure, intra-abdominal hypertensio

Bounds for Energy-Efficient Survivable IP over WDM Networks with Network Coding

In this work, we establish analytic bounds for the energy efficiency of 1+1 survivable IP over WDM networks using network coding. The analytic bounds are shown to be in close agreement with our previously reported results. They provide verification of the MILP and heuristics proposed previously, in addition to an efficient, compact means to evaluate network results and allow the performance of large networks to be determined easily