“To Wipe Out The Past”: Generational Trauma In Song Of Solomon And Housekeeping

In this project, I explore how generational trauma affects families as a whole, as well as the individual members. In order to accomplish this goal, I compare Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon (1977) and Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping (1980), two novels about traumas that pass through three generations by means of parenting and naming. These generational traumas culminate in third-generation protagonists who, in turn, have complicated relationships with their families and discordance between what is expected of them and what they want for themselves. Both novels explore the ways that storytelling works as a form of bearing witness, and the repercussions that the failure to bear witness to one’s trauma may have. Ultimately, I explore the process that the protagonists -- Milkman in Song of Solomon and Ruthie in Housekeeping -- go through to finally bear witness and begin the process of releasing themselves from their traumas. I focus on three main issues throughout the course of this thesis: how the families perpetuate these traumas, how various characters use transience and homelessness as a form of coping, and the effects of both the literal and metaphorical hauntings in order to show the similarities between the families across novels

X-Ray Computed Tomographic Reconstruction And Bone Histology Of The Aetosaur Coahomasuchus Chathamensis (Archosauria: Stagonolepididae) From The Upper Triassic Pekin Formation, Deep River Basin, North Carolina And A Re-Analysis Of Its Phylogenetic Relationships

Aetosauria is a clade of armored, quadrupedal archosaurian omnivores to herbivores known from Upper Triassic units globally. However, there remains debate about their: intra-clade relationships, internal skeletal structure, and patterns of growth. So I reanalyzed the recently described species Coahomasuchus chathamensis from the Sanford sub-basin of North Carolina. My phylogeny, with updated character scorings several aetosaurs, recovers Coahomasuchus in a polytomy with Aetosaurus and the Typothoracinae, in contrast with a recent analysis that recovered Coahomasuchus as labile. To better understand the interior skeleton of aetosaurs, I undertook the first CT reconstruction of an articulated aetosaur specimen. These scans revealed several previously unseen elements, including several articulated vertebrae and ribs and the left ulna. To better characterize growth in the clade, I undertook a histological examination of C. chathamensis, sampling a paramedian osteoderm from the holotype and five osteoderms and two incomplete limb bones from referred specimens. From these sections I estimated ages by using lines of arrested growth to determine that the sampled individuals ranged from two to eight years old. When compared to similarly sized aetosaurs, it can be inferred C. chathamensis was growing rapidly. The discovery reveals that the holotype of C. chathamensis is apparently a juvenile individual

Diagnostic et caractérisation microbiologique des procédés artisanaux de fabrication de boissons et de concentrés d’Hibiscus sabdariffa L au Sénégal

L’Hibiscus sabdariffa L. est une plante très utilisée au Sénégal et presque dans toute l’Afrique de l’ouest. Les calices sont transformés en boisson, en concentré, en poudre, etc. par des petites et moyennes entreprises (PME) et des Groupements d’intérêt économiques (GIE). Les procédés de fabrications sont presque similaires avec quelques petites différences dans les entreprises. Cependant toutes les exigences des bonnes pratiques de fabrication et de suivi des lots ne sont pas systématiquement respectées comme la mise en place du plan HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) et un suivi sur le plan microbiologique des produits. Ainsi, l’objectif de ce travail est d’évaluer les diagrammes de fabrication de boissons et concentrés de bissap et de réaliser le contrôle microbiologique sur toutes les étapes du process dans 2 PME. Les visites effectuées sur les lieux de production ont permis de retracer tous les diagrammes de fabrication des différents produits. Et l’analyse microbiologique a été faite sur des échantillons prélevés au niveau de chaque étape du procédé. Les techniques classiques de la microbiologie alimentaire ont été utilisées pour la recherche de chaque germe selon les référentiels en vigueurs.Les résultats microbiologiques ont révélé une absence totale de bactéries pathogènes sur tout le procédé de transformation. Seule la présence de FMAT (Flore Mésophile Aérobie Totale), de levures et moisissures a été observée sur les échantillons. Cependant la présence d’un type de levure absente sur les matières premières a été notée sur toutes les étapes de la transformation. De plus le suivi microbiologique effectué sur un lot de production stocké à différentes températures (4, 10, 20, 30 et 37°C) pendant six mois a montré que le produit fini qui était salubre au départ présentait une certaine flore dont la quantité dépassait les valeurs seuils en vigueur. Le développement était plus remarqué sur les échantillons conservés à 4°C. Les résultats ont montré la présence d’une contamination croisée dont l’origine peut être diverse (personnel ; environnement, matériel). Pour étayer ce problème des études moléculaires de caractérisation permettant d’identifier les sources de contamination devront être menées de même que l’instauration d’un plan de suivi des bonnes pratiques d’hygiène et de fabrication.Mots-clés: procédé, microbiologie, boissons, concentrés d’Hibiscus sabdariffa. Diagnostic and microbiological characterization of artisanal processes of drinks and concentrates Hibiscus sabdariffa L SenegalHibiscus sabdariffa L. is a plant widely used in Senegal and almost throughout West Africa. Chalices are transformed into drink, concentrate, powder, etc. by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and Groupings of economic interest grouping (EIG). The manufacturing processes are almost similar with few differences However, all the requirements needed in good manufacturing practices and lots monitoring are not always respected as the implementation of the HACCP plan (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) and the microbiologically follow of products. The objective of this study was to evaluate diagrams manufacture of beverages and concentrates bissap and perform microbiological control over all stages of the process in 2 SMEs. The visits to the places of production have allowed us to trace all the diagrams of manufacturing different products and microbiological analysis was performed on samples taken at each step of the process. Conventional techniques of food microbiology were used to research each seed according standard repository. Microbiological results revealed a complete absence of any pathogenic bacteria on the method of transformation. Only the presence of two floras FMAT, yeast and mold was observed on the samples analyzed. However, we noticed the presence of a type of yeast on all stages of processing but not commodities. Microbiological monitoring on a batch production is stored at various temperatures (4, 10, 20, 30 and 37°C) for six months shows that the finished product was wholesome initially showed some flora whose amount exceeds the threshold values in force. The development was noted on more samples stored at 4°C. These results showed the presence of cross-contamination whose origin is diverse (personnel environment and material). In support of this problem of molecular characterization studies to identify sources of contamination will be conducted as well as the establishment of a monitoring plan good hygiene and manufacturing practices.Keywords: process, microbiology, drinks, concentrates of Hibiscus sabdariffa

Hypertension artérielle pulmonaire au cours de la sclérodermie: à propos de 12 cas

Introduction: La survenue de l’hypertension artérielle pulmonaire (HTAP) est un tournant dans l’évolution de la sclérodermie. L’objectif de cette étude est de décrire les aspects épidémiologiques et évolutifs de l’HTAP au cours de la sclérodermie systémique.Méthodes: Nous avons réalisé une étude descriptive concernant des patients suivis pour sclérodermie systémique, au service de Dermatologie de l’hôpital Aristide Le Dantec entre Janvier 2000 et Août 2009. Ces patients étaient inclus dans l’étude après exploration cardio-vasculaire (ECG, échocardiographie-Doppler). Nous avons étudié les paramètres épidémiologiques, cliniques, paracliniques et évolutifs des patients. Résultats: Nous avons enregistré 12 cas d’hypertension artérielle pulmonaire parmi les 83 patients atteints de sclérodermie systémique soit une prévalence de 14,45%. L’âge moyen des patients était de 43,58 ans ± 12,5 ans et le sex-ratio (H/F) de 0,33. Sur le plan clinique, la dyspnée était quasi constante (75%) et la douleur thoracique présente dans 25% des cas. Le syndrome de Raynaud était observé chez 8 patients soit 66,67% de nos patients. L’électrocardiogramme montrait des signes de surcharge droite chez 4 malades (33,33%) et la radiographie thoracique en faveur d’une fibrose pulmonaire chez 4 patients. L’échocardiographie-Doppler notait une insuffisance tricuspide importante dans 58, 33% des cas (7 patients), une pression artérielle pulmonaire systolique (PAPs) en moyenne de 66,25 ± 29,3 mmHg, une dilatation des cavités cardiaques droites dans 5 cas et un mouvement paradoxal du septum interventriculaire chez 3 malades (33,33%). Il était également noté 3 cas (25%) d’épanchement péricardique. Nous avons déploré 4 décès (33,33%).Conclusion: L’hypertension artérielle pulmonaire est une complication fréquente et grave de la sclérodermie. Son dépistage, grâce à l’échocardiographie- Doppler systématique, constitue une étape fondamentale de la prise en charge

Working Memory, Attention Control, and the N-Back Task: A Question of Construct Validity

The n-back task requires participants to decide whether each stimulus in a sequence matches the one that appeared n items ago. Although n-back has become a standard ?executive? working memory (WM) measure in cognitive neuroscience, it has been subjected to few behavioral tests of construct validity. A combined experimental–correlational study tested the attention-control demands of verbal 2- and 3-back tasks by presenting n — 1 ?lure? foils. Lures elicited more false alarms than control foils in both 2- and 3-back tasks, and lures caused more misses to targets that immediately followed them compared with control targets, but only in 3-back tasks. N-back thus challenges control over familiarity-based responding. Participants also completed a verbal WM span task (operation span task) and a marker test of general fluid intelligence (Gf; Ravens Advanced Progressive Matrices Test; J. C. Raven, J. E. Raven, & J. H. Court, 1998). N-back and WM span correlated weakly, suggesting they do not reflect primarily a single construct; moreover, both accounted for independent variance in Gf. N-back has face validity as a WM task, but it does not demonstrate convergent validity with at least 1 established WM measure

Individual differences in working memory capacity and visual search: The roles of top-down and bottom-up processing

Individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) have been implicated in a variety of top-down, attention-control tasks: Higher WMC subjects better ignore irrelevant distractions and withhold habitual responses than do lower WMC subjects. Kane, Poole, Tuholski, and Engle (2006) recently attempted to extend these findings to visual search, but found no relation between WMC and search efficiency, even in difficult tasks yielding steep search slopes. Here we used a visual search task that isolated the contributions of top-down versus bottom-up mechanisms, and induced a habitual response via expectation. Searches that relied primarily on bottom-up mechanisms did not vary with WMC, but searches that relied primarily on top-down mechanisms showed an advantage for higher over lower WMC subjects

Working memory span tasks: A methodological review and user’s guide

Working memory (WM) span tasks—and in particular, counting span, operation span, and reading span tasks—are widely used measures of WM capacity. Despite their popularity, however, there has never been a comprehensive analysis of the merits of WM span tasks as measurement tools. Here, we review the genesis of these tasks and discuss how and why they came to be so influential. In so doing, we address the reliability and validity of the tasks, and we consider more technical aspects of the tasks, such as optimal administration and scoring procedures. Finally, we discuss statistical and methodological techniques that have commonly been used in conjunction with WM span tasks, such as latent variable analysis and extreme-groups designs

The 1927 Longwood Sketches of Firmin Swinnen: Replica of a Scenic Film Score

In his Longwood Sketches: Suite for Organ in Four Parts (Theodore Presser, 1927), Belgian-American organist Firmin Swinnen provides the vicarious traveler with an aural travelogue of gunpowder magnate Pierre S. du Pont's Longwood Gardens outside Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Swinnen relays his impressions of landscapes, waterscapes, and the Lenni Lenape Indian provenance of the estate in a composition that stylistically resembles music that accompanied silent travel films of the early 1900's known as Scenics. As organist at Broadway's Rialto and Rivoli Theatres between 1916 and 1921 and Philadelphia's Aldine Theatre in 1922, Swinnen accompanied Scenics with titles like Tropical Nights (Robert C. Bruce, 1920), Lake Tahoe, Land of the Sky (Essanay, 1916), Geysers of the Yellowstone (Paramount, 1917), and Trails that Lure (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1920). These films have been archived and preserved to allow for viewing by modern-day audiences. Absent from the films, however, is the sound of musical accompaniment which, during the silent era, was provided either by an orchestra or organist who through-played one or two composed orchestral compositions or by an organist who improvised an accompaniment that was informed by changing scenery on the screen. By referring to period film music columns like Montville Morris Hansford's "Preparing Music for Photoplay Accompaniments" (New York Dramatic Mirror) and George W. Beynon's "Music for the Picture" (Moving Picture World), where documentation can be found that indicates which orchestral selections were paired with given Scenics, it is possible for contemporary musicians to replicate authentic orchestral accompaniments. However, the organ improvisations that accompanied Scenics have been lost to time, making it impossible to recreate the exact aural experience for the 20th-century movie-goer. Longwood Sketches is an important connection to the unwritten practices of the silent film period and can provide contemporary organists with authentic material with which to design Scenic scores. The purpose of this paper is to show that, with its illustrative nature titles, program notes that show Swinnen's intent to portray specific Scenic subjects, and musical language that depicts these subjects using tropes common to cinema, Longwood Sketches replicates a Scenic film score. In the first chapter, sacred, pastoral, avian, and atmospheric subjects are identified in Longwood Sketches and a comparison is made between Swinnen's representations of these topics in the composition to his representations of comparable topics in his 1926 recording of a "Storm" improvisation. The second chapter contains a comparison between Swinnen's representations of Native American, water, faunal and floral topics in the composition and music recommended for use by organists when accompanying scenes with comparable topics in cinema as found in period anthologies like Ernö Rapée's Motion Picture Moods for Pianists and Organists (1924) and Sam Fox Moving Picture Music (1913-1914). The third chapter shows that Swinnen uses compositional devices such as motif, rhetorical pause and characteristic key associations in a like manner to the recommendations made in authoritative manuals such as Edith Lang and George West's Musical Accompaniment of Moving Pictures (1920) and George Beynon's Musical Presentation of Motion Pictures (1921). The paper ends with an examination of audience and critical reception of Longwood Sketches to determine if those in attendance at the initial performances of the work, who were movie-goers accustomed to receiving visual codes in moving pictures to guide narrative, were able to identify Swinnen's intended themes by aural cues alone

No evidence of intelligence improvement after working memory training: A randomized, placebo-controlled study

Numerous recent studies seem to provide evidence for the general intellectual benefits of working memory training. In reviews of the training literature, Shipstead, Redick, and Engle (2010, 2012) argued that the field should treat recent results with a critical eye. Many published working memory training studies suffer from design limitations (no-contact control groups, single measures of cognitive constructs), mixed results (transfer of training gains to some tasks but not others, inconsistent transfer to the same tasks across studies), and lack of theoretical grounding (identifying the mechanisms responsible for observed transfer). The current study compared young adults who received 20 sessions of practice on an adaptive dual n-back program (working memory training group) or an adaptive visual search program (active placebo-control group) with a no-contact control group that received no practice. In addition, all subjects completed pretest, midtest, and posttest sessions comprising multiple measures of fluid intelligence, multitasking, working memory capacity, crystallized intelligence, and perceptual speed. Despite improvements on both the dual n-back and visual search tasks with practice, and despite a high level of statistical power, there was no positive transfer to any of the cognitive ability tests. We discuss these results in the context of previous working memory training research and address issues for future working memory training studies

The Generality of Working Memory Capacity: A Latent-Variable Approach to Verbal and Visuospatial Memory Span and Reasoning

A latent-variable study examined whether verbal and visuospatial working memory (WM) capacity measures reflect a primarily domain-general construct by testing 236 participants in 3 span tests each of verbal WM, visuospatial WM, verbal short-term memory (STM), and visuospatial STM, as well as in tests of verbal and spatial reasoning and general fluid intelligence (Gf). Confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation models indicated that the WM tasks largely reflected a domain-general factor, whereas STM tasks, based on the same stimuli as the WM tasks, were much more domain specific. The WM construct was a strong predictor of Gf and a weaker predictor of domain-specific reasoning, and the reverse was true for the STM construct. The findings support a domain-general view of WM capacity, in which executive-attention processes drive the broad predictive utility of WM span measures, and domain-specific storage and rehearsal processes relate more strongly to domain-specific aspects of complex cognition