Postpartum Depression in Women of Color

Postpartum Depression (PPD) is a mental health complication experienced during pregnancy and/or in the months following childbirth. Women may struggle to seek treatment due to lack of education, unstable relationships, lack of support, and being low-income. Some of these factors may be particularly salient for women of color. Cultural nuances may also deter these women from seeking treatment and finding support to help manage their PPD symptoms. Treatment options and therapy have demonstrated a reduction in symptoms for women experiencing PPD. Future directions are also discussed

Internet Memes and Desensitization

Internet memes (IMs) have been used as a visual form of online rhetoric since the early 2000s. With hundreds of thousands now in circulation, IMs have become a prominent method of communication across the Internet. In this essay, I analyze the characteristics that have made IMs a mainstay in online communication. Understanding the definitions and structures of IMs aid in explaining their online success, especially on social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. I use these understandings as a basis from which to theorize how both the creative process in making IMs and the prominence of IMs that utilize images of originally violent or sensitive contexts may relate to existing research correlating violent media and desensitization. The use of these images often involves a disconnection from their original contexts in order to create a new and distinct— in many cases irrelevant— message and meaning. These IMs, in turn, exemplify the belittlement of distress depicted in such images—often for the sake of humor. This essay’s main goal is to propose a new theoretical lens from which to analyze the social and cultural influences on IMs

United States v. American Library Association: The Choice Between Cash and Constitutional Rights

This Note discusses the possibility that the Court, in its eagerness to protect children, twisted established First Amendment doctrines to uphold CIPA and declined to address other legal issues that weaken CIPA’s constitutionality. Part II provides a historical background of previous legislation attempting to protect children accessing the Internet, explains what CIPA is and compares it to previous legislation, and also discusses current filtering technology and its limitations. Part III provides a statement of the facts, including the procedural history of the case. Part IV analyzes the Court’s confusing and inconsistent application of firmly established rules dealing with Congress’ spending power, First Amendment forum analysis, and the unconstitutional conditions doctrine. In addition, this section presents flaws not addressed by the Court, including Congress’s attempted usurpation of States’ rights through CIPA and libraries’ inability to comply with CIPA’s requirements. Part IV concludes with the potential aftermath of the Court’s ruling as it affects both the average library patron and the legal community attempting to rely on Supreme Court precedent

Online Mentoring: A Success Story

Since February 1993, the Internet-based Electronic Emissary Project has been helping teachers locate other Internet account holders who are subject matter experts ( SMEs ) in different disciplines, for the purpose of setting up curriculum-based, electronic exchanges among experts,students and teachers. The Electronic Emissary matches K-12 teachers and students with professional partners elsewhere in the world, helping them to explore new ways of experiencing collaborative learning in computer-mediated contexts. We would like to share with you some of what we have learned about how to conduct successful, curriculum-based electronic mail exchanges, using one long-term exchange as an example

In Arizona’s nasty, hard-fought 2018 Senate race, it’s all going to come down to turnout

Out of 35 US Senate elections this year, Arizona’s is one of only three without an incumbent. Barbara Norrander and Lisa Sanchez write that the contest between US House Representatives Republican Martha McSally and Democrat Krysten Sinema is a close and hard fought one, with both going negative in their campaigns. While this negativity may energize both party’s respective bases, they argue that it may turn off independent voters – a group both candidates need if they want to head to Washington DC in January 2019

A Winogradsky-based culture system shows an association between microbial fermentation and cystic fibrosis exacerbation.

There is a poor understanding of how the physiology of polymicrobial communities in cystic fibrosis (CF) lungs contributes to pulmonary exacerbations and lung function decline. In this study, a microbial culture system based on the principles of the Winogradsky column (WinCF system) was developed to study the physiology of CF microbes. The system used glass capillary tubes filled with artificial sputum medium to mimic a clogged airway bronchiole. Chemical indicators were added to observe microbial physiology within the tubes. Characterization of sputum samples from seven patients showed variation in pH, respiration, biofilm formation and gas production, indicating that the physiology of CF microbial communities varied among patients. Incubation of homogenized tissues from an explant CF lung mirrored responses of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa pure culture, supporting evidence that end-stage lungs are dominated by this pathogen. Longitudinal sputum samples taken through two exacerbation events in a single patient showed that a two-unit drop in pH and a 30% increase in gas production occurred in the tubes prior to exacerbation, which was reversed with antibiotic treatment. Microbial community profiles obtained through amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene showed that fermentative anaerobes became more abundant during exacerbation and were then reduced during treatment where P. aeruginosa became the dominant bacterium. Results from the WinCF experiments support the model where two functionally different CF microbial communities exist, the persistent Climax Community and the acute Attack Community. Fermentative anaerobes are hypothesized to be the core members of the Attack Community and production of acidic and gaseous products from fermentation may drive developing exacerbations. Treatment targeting the Attack Community may better resolve exacerbations and resulting lung damage

Effects of organic pollutants on the growth, condition, and reproduction of Paralabrax nebulifer (barred sand bass) in Southern California

Includes bibliographical references (pages 37-48)Pollutants have the ability to be persistent, circulate worldwide, bioaccumulate, and biomagnify in the tissues of organisms. Pollutants can impact the local economy and human health by altering marine resources such as fisheries. These fisheries can be impacted by both lethal and sublethal effects on fish. Sublethal effects can result from physiological stress to individuals, especially in highly urbanized, polluted areas. Paralabrax nebulifer (barred sand bass) supports an important recreational fishery in southern California and the population has declined, possibly due to anthropogenic effects. This study had two main goals: (1) to characterize the levels of organic pollutants in the tissues of barred sand bass from sites across southern California; and (2) to determine if there are detectable sublethal effects of pollution on this species. To evaluate potential sublethal effects on barred sand bass, an array of commonly used physiological indices were used, including hepatosomatic index (HSI), gonadosomatic index (GSI), fecundity, reproductive potential, and growth. Fish were collected from four sites in southern California: Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor, Huntington Flats, San Clemente Reefs, and San Diego Harbor. One hundred and seven organic pollutants were tested for and 77 of these were detected in the tissue of barred sand bass. There was a significant difference in tissue pollutant concentration among sites, with fish from LA/LB Harbor having the highest concentrations of pollutants, followed by Huntington Flats and San Diego Bay, while fish from the San Clemente Reefs had the lowest tissue concentrations. The pollutant with the highest tissue concentrations across all sites was 4,4???-DDE, but tissue burdens of it declined with distance from the Palos Verdes Shelf. Some metrics of individual performance showed evidence of sublethal effects of pollution, while others did not. Differences in condition (weight-at-length) and growth rate were unrelated to average pollutant concentrations in tissues of fish among sites. The site with the highest tissue concentrations of pollutants, LA/LB Harbor, had a higher proportion of inactive females than the other sites and had the lowest GSI. Fecundity did not differ among the four study sites, suggesting that this metric of reproductive success was not affected by differences in tissue concentrations of pollutants among sites, perhaps because the levels of pollutants were low enough not to impact fecundity in a multi-batch spawning species. Proportional liver size (HSI) was highest in fish from the LA/LB Harbor and Huntington Flats, which had the highest tissue concentrations of organic pollutants. Physiological parameters of individual barred sand bass were compared with the tissue concentrations of toxicants in those individuals. Condition and growth were both negatively related to a multivariate summary of tissue concentrations of pollutants. These results suggest that pollutants can negatively affect growth and body condition in the barred sand bass. This study provides some evidence that barred sand bass in polluted areas may be in poorer condition and grow at slower rates, which could be detrimental for this population that may already be on the verge of collapsing. This study measured concentration of organic pollutants in liver tissue, which is not typically consumed, but information about relative differences in pollutant tissue concentrations can be used to estimate and prevent exposure. For example, we now know that LA/LB Harbor and Huntington Flats are sites where barred sand bass have high tissue concentrations of organic pollutants. Huntington Flats is heavily targeted by anglers during the spawning season due to the presence of large aggregations of barred sand bass, making them easy to catch and increasing possible human exposure. It is important to continue to monitor populations in highly urbanized areas in order to understand accumulation rate, sublethal effects, and the persistence of legacy pollutants such as DDTs in southern California. ??