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Persistent vaginal granulation tissue of a large size on the episiotomy scar
Full text linkAlthough persistent granulation tissue continues to be a well-recognized complication of wound healing, the incidence of episiotomy scar granulation tissue is unknown, and reports are rare. Herein, we present a case of multiple hypertrophied and polypoidal granulation tissue of a large size at the site of episiotomy scar treated with surgical excision and the recovery was uneventful with excellent results
Anatomy of Initiation: A Unified Theory on Interstate War Initiation
Full text linkScholarly work on interstate war has focused on a plethora of variables that increase the risk of war between states, but there is less of an understanding on how all these variables contribute as a whole to the likelihood of interstate war. This continued gap of knowledge in conflict studies leaves the puzzle of war still very much alive. In this paper, I draw from the work of Dave Grossman and his psychological theory on killing as the structure for a more complete model of state conflict that merges with our understanding on concepts, such as alliances, rivalry, capability, contiguity, state leaders, and more. I then apply this theory to a qualitative case study of Japan-U.S. relations between 1853-1941 to explore Japan’s conflict decisions in three separate time periods. Results indicate that this unified theory on interstate war initiation holds promise for helping solve the puzzle of war. Quantitative testing, as well as application to other areas of conflict, such as civil war, are avenues for future research
The Structure of Semantic Memory in School-Age Children: An ERP Study
Full text linkThe current study uses event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine how school-age children (5-8- years-old) organize lexical-semantic information in long-term memory. N400 amplitudes were examined as participants saw a picture and heard a word that either matched the picture (match), shared a majority of features with the picture (near violation), shared fewer features with the picture (far violation), or shared no features with the picture (between-category violation). Featural similarity modulated the amplitude of the N400 response, such that words sharing more features with the picture elicited smaller N400 amplitudes and words sharing fewer features with the picture elicited larger N400 amplitudes. N400 amplitudes showed a graded effect based on featural similarity in posterior regions early in semantic processing (200-400 ms), and this graded response became more broadly distributed in the mid-latency time window (400-600 ms). Previous research shows that late in processing, concepts that are not the target are suppressed and this was reflected in the current study. Indeed, from 600-800 ms all violation conditions displayed significant N400 effects, however, there was no difference between near, far, and between-category violations. These results demonstrate that like adults, school-age children organize semantic information based on subtle differences in featural similarity. These results are in line with theories of semantic memory that suggest activation spreads across featurally similar concepts
Humane Anxieties : Expressionism and Thomas Mann\u27s Doktor Faustus
Full text linkThis paper examines the relationship between a later work of the German novelist Thomas Mann, Doktor Faustus, and the Expressionist movement of the early twentieth century. This relationship is analyzed primarily from two angles. First, the novel’s themes and techniques are compared and contrasted with those of German literary Expressionism, a movement in literature which predates Doktor Faustus by a couple decades. The novel and movement are found to be lacking enough in common to warrant Doktor Faustus’ inclusion in the movement’s canon, although certain ideas of the novel appear to echo this movement. Then the novel’s relationship with Expressionist music, as exemplified by the work of Arnold Schoenberg, is examined. A comparison is made between the fictional works of the novel’s main character, Adrian Leverkühn, and those of Schoenberg’s expressionistic phase, thus demonstrating the influence of Schoenberg and, by extension, Expressionist music on the novel. The paper concludes with a brief analysis of the theme of anxiety, which is characteristic of not only the Expressionist movement as a whole but also of Doktor Faustus. While Doktor Faustus is not an example of an “Expressionist novel” it bears the influence of Expressionism in certain of its themes and references to Expressionist works
Effects of Inorganic Nitrate Supplementation on Heart Rate and Ventilatory Responsiveness to Acute Hypoxia and Blood Pressure in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Full text linkWhen individuals encounter periods of low oxygen, hypoxia, the peripheral chemoreflex works to restore saturation to normal levels. The peripheral chemoreceptors are responsible for sensing such decreases in oxygen and signaling consequent increases in ventilation and sympathetic-mediated cardiovascular (CV) responses. Aside from oxygen, other molecules like glucose, insulin, leptin, carbon dioxide, and nitric oxide (NO) have been shown to affect this reflex. NO, specifically, exhibits a reflex blunting effect demonstrated by various animal studies. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a disease characterized by repeated mechanical occlusions of the upper airway during sleep, demonstrates both a pathophysiological sensitization of the peripheral chemoreflex and a noted decrease in bioavailable NO. This study’s purpose was to analyze the effects of acute inorganic nitrate supplementation (beetroot juice), a dietary path for increasing bioavailable NO, on the heart rate and ventilatory response to acute hypoxia and brachial blood-pressure (BP) in subjects with OSA. We hypothesized that, inorganic nitrate would blunt chemoreflex responsiveness as observed through the ventilatory and cardiovascular (HR) biomarkers. The study followed a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled format in which 14 subjects with mild-to-moderate OSA, over the course of two study days, consumed both the placebo beetroot juice (BRP) and the nitrate beetroot juice (BRN;500mg inorganic-nitrate and 40mg nitrite). Peripheral chemoreflex responsiveness was analyzed as the absolute-change and the linear-regression against SpO2 for HR and VE. The ventilatory response was analyzed under two criteria: baseline to target 80% hypoxia (Bl-T) and baseline to peak response (Bl-P). The effects of BRP and BRN were analyzed as the comparison between the two bouts of acute hypoxia (pre-vs-post supplementation) conducted on each study day. The intervention successfully increased NO bioavailability (plasma-nitrate: pre:26±11μmol/L , post:292±90μmol/L, pE responsiveness increased in the absolute-change Bl-P-BRP (pre:3.1±1.2L/min, post:4.3±2.3L/min, p=0.03) but not BRN (pre:4.3±2.6L/min, post:4.8±2.7L/min, p=0.43). The VE Bl-T absolute-change (p=0.11), Bl-P linear-regression (p=0.33), and Bl-T linear-regression (p=0.08) also did not change. The HR response to hypoxia (linear-regression and absolute-change) was unaltered in either intervention (p=0.12, p=0.54 respectively). Systolic BP (SBP) increased under BRP (pre:120±9, post:127±10, pN (pre: 123±13 mmHg, post: 123±9 mmHg, p=0.96), DBP did not change in BRP or BRN (p=0.08). Holistically, these findings suggest no impact of nitrate supplementation on peripheral chemoreflex effectors (HR and ventilatory response) in OSA. Alternatively, the SBP response to nitrate supplementation may suggest inorganic nitrate can blunt diurnal increases in BP
Macroalgae Aquaculture in Southwestern Florida as a Potential Tool for Nutrient Sequestration
Full text linkIn many coastal areas, excess nutrients from terrestrial sources have led to rapid growth in dead zones and degradation. Macroalgae is well-known for ecosystem services including nutrient sequestration and can be used to restore eutrophic waterways, while simultaneously creating economic opportunities through aquaculture practices. To determine the viability of macroalgae aquaculture in Sanibel, Florida, three testing sites along with two different treatments (enclosed vs. exposed) were established. All testing sites were equipped with two macroalgae aquaculture lines that featured clusters of macroalgae attached by fishing line, as well as macroalgae samples enclosed in mesh bags. The goal of this project was to see which method would lead to the greatest amount of algal growth, as well as what treatments were the most influential for aquaculture success in Tarpon Bay.
Coastal discharge sites are the optimal location for pollution accumulation. Efforts, such as macroalgae aquaculture, are being studied to determine aquaculture’s viability in sequestering harmful nutrients in these areas. However, the use of freshwater macroalgae has the potential to also clean water upstream before its final disposal in the ocean. The next step for this project is to begin testing the viability of freshwater macroalgae, and its impacts, on degraded freshwater ponds in Eastern Iow