Correlates of intake of folic acid–containing supplements among pregnant women

This study describes the timing and correlates of folic acid supplement intake among pregnant women

Maternal age and risk for trisomy 21 assessed by the origin of chromosome nondisjunction: a report from the Atlanta and National Down Syndrome Projects

Abstract We examined the association between maternal age and chromosome 21 nondisjunction by origin of the meiotic error. We analyzed data from two populationbased, case-control studies: Atlanta Down Syndrome Project (1989Project ( -1999 and National Down Syndrome Project (2001)(2002)(2003)(2004). Cases were live born infants with trisomy 21 and controls were infants without trisomy 21 delivered in the same geographical regions. We enrolled 1,215 of 1,881 eligible case families and 1,375 of 2,293 controls. We report four primary Wndings. First, the signiWcant association between advanced maternal age and chromosome 21 nondisjunction was restricted to meiotic errors in the egg; the association was not observed in sperm or in post-zygotic mitotic errors. Second, advanced maternal age was signiWcantly associated with both meiosis I (MI) and meiosis II (MII). For example, compared to mothers of controls, mothers of infants with trisomy 21 due to MI nondisjunction were 8.5 times more likely to bȩ 40 years old than 20-24 years old at the birth of the index case (95% CI = 5.6-12.9). Where nondisjunction occurred in MII, mothers were 15.1 times more likely to be ¸40 years (95% CI = 8.4-27.3). Third, the ratio of MI to MII errors diVered by maternal age. The ratio was lower among women <19 years of age and those ¸40 years (2.1, 2.3, respectively) and higher in the middle age group (3.6). Lastly, we found no eVect of grand-maternal age on the risk for maternal nondisjunction. This study emphasizes the complex association between advanced maternal age and nondisjunction of chromosome 21 during oogenesis

Wordplay in Shakespeare's Hamlet and the Accusation of Derrida's “Logical Phallusies”

That “Derrida's writing borders on being unreadable” has been maintained by several academics, journalists and students. This essay considers this reaction to Jacques Derrida's writing in relation to a broader history of wordplay and puns. Using Shakespeare's Hamlet as a starting point followed by the infamous letter to The Times that accused Derrida of “logical phallusies”, it argues that if Derrida's writing does border on being unreadable, then, this is the condition of all writing. The essay suggests that rather than suppressing the spectres of Derrida in Shakespeare studies, we should welcome back the aspects of his work that help us to “read and write in the space or heritage of Shakespeare”