Food choices and practices during pregnancy of immigrant women with high-risk pregnancies in Canada: a pilot study

Background: Immigrant women may be regarded as a vulnerable population with respect to access and navigation of maternity care services. They may encounter difficulties when accessing culturally safe and appropriate maternity care, which may be further exacerbated by language difficulties and discriminatory practices or attitudes. The project aimed to understand ethnocultural food and health practices and how these intersect in a particular social context of cultural adaptation and adjustment in order to improve the care-giving capacities of health practitioners working in multicultural perinatal clinics. Methods: This four-phase study employed a case study design allowing for multiple means of data collection and different units of analysis. Phase one consists of a scoping review of the literature. Phases two and three incorporate pictorial representations of food choices with semi-structured photo-elicited interviews. This study was undertaken at a Prenatal and Obstetric Clinic, in an urban Canadian city. In phase four, the research team will inform the development of culturally appropriate visual tools for health promotion. Results: Five themes were identified: (a) Perceptions of Health, (b) Social Support (c) Antenatal Foods (d) Postnatal Foods and (e) Role of Health Education. These themes provide practitioners with an understanding of the cultural differences that affect women’s dietary choices during pregnancy. The project identified building collaborations between practitioners and families of pregnant immigrant women to be of utmost importance in supporting healthy pregnancies, along with facilitating social support for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. Conclusion: In a multicultural society that contemporary Canada is, it is challenging for health practitioners to understand various ethnocultural dietary norms and practices. Practitioners need to be aware of customary practices of the ethnocultural groups that they work with, while simultaneously recognizing the variation within—not everyone follows customary practices, individuals may pick and choose which customary guidelines they follow. What women choose to eat is also influenced by their own experiences, access to particular foods, socioeconomic status, family context, and so on. The pilot study demonstrated the efficacy of the employed research strategies and we subsequently acquired funding for a national study

Gold and silver diffusion in germanium: a thermodynamic approach

Diffusion properties are technologically important in the understanding of semiconductors for the efficent formation of defined nanoelectronic devices. In the present study we employ experimental data to show that bulk materials properties (elastic and expansivity data) can be used to describe gold and silver diffusion in germanium for a wide temperature range (702–1177 K). Here we show that the so-called cBΩ model thermodynamic model, which assumes that the defect Gibbs energy is proportional to the isothermal bulk modulus and the mean volume per atom, adequately metallic diffusion in germanium

Seismic site characterization of the Kastelli (Kissamos) Basin in northwest Crete (Greece): Assessments using ambient noise recordings

Crete is actively seismic and site response studies are needed for estimating local site conditions subjected to seismic activity. In order to collect basic data, we performed ambient noise recordings to estimate the site response of the surface and near subsurface structure of the small-scale Kastelli Basin in northwest Crete. The spatial horizontal to vertical spectral ratios (HVSR) resonance pattern of the investigated sites in the centre of the Basin consists of either one or two peaks divided into low to high frequency range in different sites as follows: (a) in some sites only one amplified peak at low frequencies (0.6–1.2 Hz), (b) in other sites only one amplified peak at medium frequencies (2.9–8.5 Hz) and (c) in yet other sites two amplified peaks in the low to high frequency range (0.6–15.5 Hz). The investigated sites are amplified in the frequency range 0.6–15.5 Hz, while the amplitude reaches to a factor of 4 in the spectral ratios. The one HVSR amplified peak at low frequencies is related to locally soft or thick Quaternary deposits. Microtremors were measured in the coastal northwest part of the Basin in a well—lithified Cretaceous limestone site characterized by fractures and faults striking predominantly in a sector NNE to NNW. Sites of one amplified peak at medium frequencies are extended from coastal northwest to southwest delineating a structure striking to NNW. The two amplified peaks are attributed to shallow subsurface heterogeneities/irregularities, locally induced by fault zones and to the overlying Quaternary deposits. Spatial HVSR variations in the frequency and HVSR shape delineate four structures striking NNE, NNW and in a sector NW to WNW, crosscutting the dense populated Basin suggesting that microtremors could be a valuable tool for providing a first approximation of fault zone delineation at least for the Kastelli-Kissamos Basin. The Basin is classified into the X soil category of the Greek Seismic Code 2000.This work was implemented through the project entitled “Interdisciplinary Multi-Scale Research of Earth-quake Physics and Seismotectonics at the Front of the Hellenic Arc (IMPACT-ARC)” in the framework of action “ARCHIMEDES III—Support of Research Teams at TEI of Crete” (MIS380353) of the Operational Program “Education and Lifelong Learning” and is co-financed by the European Union (European Social Fund) and Greek national fund

Digital Food and foodways. How online food practices and narratives shape the Italian diaspora

The article discusses the role of online food practices and narratives in the formation of transnational identities and communities. Data has been collected in the framework of a doctoral research project undertaken by the author between 2009 and 2012 with a follow-up in 2014. The working hypothesis of this article is that the way Italians talk about food online and offline, the importance they give to ‘authentic’ food, and the way they share their love for Italian food with other members of the same diaspora reveal original insights into migrants’ personal and collective identities, their sense of belonging to the transnational community and processes of adjustment to a new place. Findings suggest that online culinary narratives and practices shape the Italian diaspora in unique ways, through the development of forms of virtual commensality and online mealtime socialization on Skype and by affecting intra and out-group relationships, thus working as elements of cultural identification and differentiation

Migration, Health, and Gender and Its Effects on Housing Security of Ghanaian Women

We explored how migration influences our understanding of health and housing security of women who have or have not migrated to find work in Ghana. This article focuses on housing security. We used a multisite ethnographic research design. The setting was two distinct contexts in Ghana: a rural village and an urban context. We interviewed 44 women. Thematic content analysis was conducted. The main themes that emerged were decisions influencing migration, housing security, and the relationship between housing and health. Women voiced concerns about health related to housing conditions – for example, its effect on upper respiratory infections. We conclude that improving housing and services to the urban poor can have a positive impact on their health. Available, affordable, suitable, and adequate housing has the potential to contribute to economic growth, create more jobs, and improve the well-being of migrant women and, subsequently, their families in Northern Ghana

An overview of the experimental studies on the electrical conductivity of major minerals in the upper mantle and transition zone

In this paper, we present the recent progress in the experimental studies of the electrical conductivity of dominant nominally anhydrous minerals in the upper mantle and mantle transition zone of Earth, namely, olivine, pyroxene, garnet, wadsleyite and ringwoodite. The main influence factors, such as temperature, pressure, water content, oxygen fugacity, and anisotropy are discussed in detail. The dominant conduction mechanisms of Fe-bearing silicate minerals involve the iron-related small polaron with a relatively large activation enthalpy and the hydrogen-related defect with lower activation enthalpy. Specifically, we mainly focus on the variation of oxygen fugacity on the electrical conductivity of anhydrous and hydrous mantle minerals, which exhibit clearly different charge transport processes. In representative temperature and pressure environments, the hydrogen of nominally anhydrous minerals can tremendously enhance the electrical conductivity of the upper mantle and transition zone, and the influence of trace structural water (or hydrogen) is substantial. In combination with the geophysical data of magnetotelluric surveys, the laboratory-based electrical conductivity measurements can provide significant constraints to the water distribution in Earth's interior. © 2020 by the authors

African immigrant child health:A scoping review

The health of migrant children is a pressing issue. While most African migration takes place within Africa, a significant number of African migrants travel to outside of the continent. This article reports findings from a scoping review on the health of African immigrant children from sub-Saharan Africa now living outside of Africa. A systematic search for studies published between 2000 and 2019 resulted in only 20 studies reporting on the health of children up to 18 years of age migrating from sub-Saharan Africa. Data from these articles were thematically analyzed, highlighting concerns related to the children's nutrition status (n = 8), mental health (n = 7), and physical health (n = 5). Study participants were primarily from Somali and Ethiopia, and most studies were conducted in Australia or Israel. The review highlights several gaps related to the scope, range, and nature of evidence on the health of African immigrant children living outside of Africa. In particular, most focus on children's nutritional and mental health, but pay little attention to other health concerns this specific population may encounter or to the benefits associated with effective responses

African migrant children's mental health: a scoping review

This scoping review examines and reports the literature on African migrant children's mental health. Children living outside their birth countries were included to capture the range of migration experiences of African children. Our search focused on studies published between 2000 and 2021, reporting on the mental health of children up to 18 years of age, migrating from and within Africa, and included first-generation immigrants, refugees and displaced children. Guided by Arksey and O'Malley's framework, the initial article search resulted in 7862 records. The inclusion criteria were applied by reading the titles and abstracts, and 1741 records remained. Following a review of all articles, 26 met the inclusion criteria and were included in data charting and data extraction. A thematic analysis of the data generated five broad themes, including (1) mental health experiences and sources of distress; (2) characteristics of specific mental health disorders; (3) accessibility and utilization of health services; (4) solutions to address mental health challenges and promote wellbeing; and (5) internal resilience and coping. A key observation is that most studies focus on refugee child populations with limited research on other African child migrant groups, including children of economic migrants, international students, temporary workers and other migration categories. Recommendations for future studies and practice are provided

Perceptions à l’égard de l’environnement et comportements en matière de santé : étude fondée sur le cadre ANGELO (grille d’analyse des environnements liés à l’obésité)

Introduction : Le surpoids et l’obésité dépendent de l’interaction complexe entre facteurs liés à l’indivu et facteurs liés à l’environnement ayant une influence sur l’activité physique et une alimentation saine. Il existe pourtant peu d’information sur les perceptions des individus à l’égard de ces facteurs. Afin de combler cette lacune importante et de répondre aux besoins de nos partenaires des collectivités, nous examinons comment les individus perçoivent l’influence des facteurs micro- et macroenvironnementaux sur leur activité physique et leur alimentation. Méthodologie : Nos partenaires des collectivités souhaitaient que les résultats de l’étude soient diffusés dans un format facile à utiliser par les décideurs locaux. Avec la méthode photovoix, nous avons motivé 35 membres issus de quatre collectivités de l’Alberta (Canada) à fournir leurs témoignages à propos de leur activité physique et d’une alimentation saine. Nous avons employé une combinaison d’analyses inductives et déductives pour classer les données par niveau (micro et macro) d’environnement et par type (environnement physique, politique, économique et socioculturel), à l’aide de la Grille d’analyse des environnements liés à l’obésité (ANGELO). Résultats : Pour les participants, les facteurs liés à la santé étaient plus larges que l’activité physique et une alimentation saine, incluant la « santé sociocommunautaire ». Les participants ont parlé plus souvent de l’influence du microenvironnement (score de 792 après codage au moyen du cadre ANGELO) sur l’activité physique, une alimentation saine ou la santé sociocommunautaire que sur l’influence du macroenvironnement (score de 93). Les résultats obtenus avec la méthode photovoix ont fourni aux partenaires des collectivités et aux décideurs un témoignage visuel de la manière dont la capacité des individus à faire des choix sains peut être restreinte par des forces macroenvironnementales qui échappent à leur contrôle. Conclusion : Axer les recherches ultérieures sur les influences macroenvironnementales et microenvironnementales ainsi que sur la santé sociocommunautaire locale sera utile, car cela alimentera les stratégies de changement en vue d’améliorer la santé des collectivités tout en garantissant que la recherche et les interventions font écho aux perceptions diverses de la population