Maternal Wellness: Self, Matrescence, Obstetric Violence, and Self-Care

In this dissertation, I engage in a self-study through an examination of my experience of matrescence (i.e., the transition to motherhood). I discuss my praxis in the development of a self-study on maternal wellness as it applies to my well-being as both a researcher and the researched. In Chapter 1, I preface this study by highlighting critical scholars and the bricoleurs who have been foundational in my undertaking of this work on a narrative study on maternal wellness. Using bricolage as part of a research methodological framework that involved key scholarly methodologies of authentic inquiry, emergence and contingence, and narratology, I was not sure of where this research would culminate. Nor could I predict the outcomes of this research using the traditional scientific method approach. I had no hypothesis to prove or disprove as conventional scientists have done for hundreds of years within the field of research and science. I was venturing far from what was familiar to me with no way of understanding where or when I would end or what I would find. This type of research was both intimidating and inviting to me, as I had no idea what would emerge from this experience. The idea of acquiring knowledge from this practice and accepting this involved taking on a new paradigm of research––not knowing yet whether the study would be rewarding or worth writing about, I persisted. In subsequent chapters of this study I document key experiences that were transformational in my wellness journey. I will proclaim this—while developing this self-study, I was not aware that I was on a wellness journey. It unfurled through my lived experiences, which led me to situate myself within this type of work further. When I began this journey in 2015, I was not yet a mother, nor was I aware that I would be writing about maternal wellness. I was pregnant with my first child and was navigating the world as a pregnant woman who just happened to be a graduate student or a female graduate student who just happened to be pregnant. Though these situations may look and sound the same, they hold dissimilar encumbrances when contextualized within societal constructs. Through time and experience, I learned just how much these societal constructs played a role in my ontologies as a mother | researcher. I use Alexakos (2015) defined role of dialectics and depictions of them with a Sheffer stroke ( | ) to show the interconnectedness of opposites and the codependence of their opposite relationships throughout this work. It was the moments and occurrences that have brought me to an impasse that made me challenge my ontologies. Throughout this journey, I interrogated and even reconstructed my own beliefs, values, and knowledge systems of what it meant to exist as a transitioning mother. Writing this dissertation allowed me to phenomenologically learn, interrogate, and grow from my experiences as the researcher | researched and reflect on the phenomenological experiences of my transition to motherhood. Based on the theoretical framework of matrescence, I do not quite consider this project complete. It has only just begun. This dissertation on maternal wellness is more than a fulfillment of the requirements for my doctoral program, but the epithet that assents to my experiences as a mother, student, and researcher. It is through these lived experiences of my doctoral career that I write and lean into my changing ideologies within my transition to motherhood and their emergent and contingent nature. The product of these experiences captures meaningful narratives in which I share within this dissertation. The reflective nature of this narrative study has allowed me to develop a supportive framework to expand the reach of current birth education curricula. I coined this supportive framework Holistic Birth Education in Matrescence (HBEM), which I believe can complement the existing birth education frameworks and better serve mothers in the transition to motherhood. It is through this study that I have also learned to practice self-care and self-love as a new mother, thus ending this dissertation (but not this journey) with a better outlook on having meaningful, personal, and sustainable wellness while hoping to create ripple effects

Trends in hypertension prevalence (1990-2005) and mean blood pressure (1975-2005) in Portugal: A systematic review

Aims. We aimed to describe the temporal trends of the mean blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension in studies that evaluated Portuguese adults. Methods. Pubmed was searched and 42 eligible studies were identified. Reference screening and data extraction were conducted independently by two researchers. We fitted linear regression models to compute ecological estimates of hypertension prevalence and mean blood pressure, adjusting for sex, age and significant interaction terms. Results. Between 1990 and 2005, the prevalence of hypertension defined as blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg and/or drug treatment remained approximately constant in young adults and decreased in middle-aged and older adults, whereas the prevalence of self-reported hypertension increased 0.4% per year (95% confidence interval 0.10.7) overall. Between 1975 and 2005, mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures decreased in middle-aged and older adults, reaching a 32-mmHg decrease in systolic blood pressure among women at average age 70. Conclusion. The trends in the last decades show a decrease in blood pressure levels, probably attributable to increasing awareness and a higher treatment proportion. Although this absolute trend in blood pressure parallels the observed in other high income European countries, Portugal maintains its position above the mean levels in other Western settings. © 2012 Scandinavian Foundation for Cardiovascular Research.This study was funded by a grant from Funda ç ã o para a Ci ê ncia e a Tecnologia (PIC/IC/83006/2007) Conflicts of interest :There are no conflicts of interest to disclose

Ensuring the Success of Pigeonpea Hybrids by Focusing on Purity of Parental Lines and Appropriate Management Practices

Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] is an important legume crop, grown mainly in the semi-arid tropics of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The total world area planted with pigeonpea is 4.6 million ha. India is the number one producer (3.5 million ha) of pigeonpea; despite this, there is not sufficient amount available to meet the nutritional needs of the large and mainly vegetarian resource-poor population and importation of pigeonpea from other countries like Myanmar and parts of Africa is needed to fulfill the country needs. Although dozens of pigeonpea varieties have been released, the productivity of pigeonpea has remained stagnant at around 700 kg ha- 1. This is mainly due to various genetic, management, abiotic, and abiotic constraints. Since the area of pigeonpea cultivation is not likely to be increased, the emphasis moves to break the yield gap and to increase productivity by genetic enhancement of germplasm by incorporating tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and by replacing the traditional varieties with the newly developed options

CSF1R blockade slows the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis by reducing microgliosis and invasion of macrophages into peripheral nerves

Inflammation is a common neuropathological feature in several neurological disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We have studied the contribution of CSF1R signalling to inflammation in ALS, as a pathway previously reported to control the expansion and activation of microglial cells. We found that microglial cell proliferation in the spinal cord of SOD1(G93A) transgenic mice correlates with the expression of CSF1R and its ligand CSF1. Administration of GW2580, a selective CSF1R inhibitor, reduced microglial cell proliferation in SOD1(G93A) mice, indicating the importance of CSF1-CSF1R signalling in microgliosis in ALS. Moreover, GW2580 treatment slowed disease progression, attenuated motoneuron cell death and extended survival of SOD1(G93A) mice. Electrophysiological assessment revealed that GW2580 treatment protected skeletal muscle from denervation prior to its effects on microglial cells. We found that macrophages invaded the peripheral nerve of ALS mice before CSF1R-induced microgliosis occurred. Interestingly, treatment with GW2580 attenuated the influx of macrophages into the nerve, which was partly caused by the monocytopenia induced by CSF1R inhibition. Overall, our findings provide evidence that CSF1R signalling regulates inflammation in the central and peripheral nervous system in ALS, supporting therapeutic targeting of CSF1R in this disease

Ensuring Genetic Purity of Pigeonpea Hybrids by Incorporating a Naked-Eye Polymorphic Marker in A and B Lines

To enhance the productivity of pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh] a hybrid breeding technology, based on the cytoplasmic nuclear male-sterility (CMS) system and partial natural outcrossing, is currently been used. However, there are diffi culties to maintain genetic purity of the hybrids and their parents. The incorporation of an easily identifi able morphological marker (naked eye polymorphism [NEP]) could be used to determine seed purity. The morphological marker selected for this study, obcordate leaf, is not present in cultivated pigeonpea; it is inherited as a single recessive gene and can be observed soon after planting (approx. 6 wk). To incorporate the obcordate leaf shape into hybrid parents, the trait was transferred from the germplasm accession ICP 5529 into male-sterile (A lines) and the corresponding maintainers (B lines). The hybrids derived from crosses involving obcordate leaf A lines and normal leaf fertility restorers (R lines) were fully fertile and had normal lanceolate leaves; thus the difference between A line and hybrids was clear. The use of obcordate leaf as a NEP marker in pigeonpea would contribute to preserve parental line purity and confi rm hybrid status

Analysis of Tag Loss Ratio in dynamic RFID systems

Abstract. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems promise a revolution in logistics and inventory applications. By means of wireless communication, a master device can detect and identify nearby electronic tags. Traditionally, the performance of RFID systems and their identification protocols has been analyzed for static configurations, that is, without considering incoming or outgoing tags, but just a fixed number of initially unidentified tags. However, many real scenarios cannot be consistently modeled that way. In this work we introduce a Markov model which allows us to study a dynamic RFID tag scenario, where a flow of tags is considered. This model can be used to compute the Tag Loss Ratio, which measures the ratio of outgoing unidentified tags to the incoming tags in the system, which is a critical metric in dynamic configurations. The analysis is carried out for two families of protocols used as medium access control in RFID, Framed Slotted Aloha and non-persistent CSMA. With the aim of validating the analysis predictions, we get simulation results, by means of a simulator. We evaluate a scenario similar to a real application, i.e. a mail control system based on RFID

Honey bee mediated (Apis mellifera L.) hybrid pigeonpea seed production under net house condition

The development of cytoplasmic nuclear male sterility (CMS) hybrid technology in pigeonpea was a significant breakthrough. Hybrids produced yield 25% superior than standard varieties on farmers’ field. However, the expansion and acceptance of the CMS technology depends predominantly on the efficiency of hybrid seed production. Hybrid seed is typically generated in isolated fields from other pigeonpea production areas. Finding suitable isolated fields is often difficult. Therefore, obtaining cross-pollinated seed under enclosed conditions could be a logical alternative. This was tested by using male sterile (A) and maintainer (B) lines in a 3:1 ratio under captivity (net houses) containing honeybees hives. The yield of the A line, obtained in net houses containing honeybees, was significantly lower than in open fields with natural pollinators. Intercropping pigeonpea with sunflower or spraying a sugar solution did not contribute to increase the yield of A line in the net houses. Sequential planting (weekly intervals) of A:B lines in open natural field condition was beneficial to increase the production of the A line (1078.3 kg/ha) making yields equivalent to the B line (1047.2 kg/ha). Thus, natural field isolated plots combined with sequential planting of blocks of males and females is recommended for hybrid pigeonpea seed production

Effective and economic storage of pigeonpea seed in triple layer plastic bags

Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] seed stored in triple layer Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage (PICS) bags for eight months retained germination and seed integrity significantly better than seed stored in traditional gunny bags. PICS bags prevented major damage caused by bruchids (Callosobruchus maculatus F.), while grain stored in gunny bags suffered severe losses. The aflatoxin levels in stored seed were low and not significantly different between the two storage systems. The levels of O2 in PICS bags artificially infested with C. maculatus dropped rapidly during the first month of storage while the levels of CO2 increased. Even in absence of bruchids (noninfested seed) PICS bags preserved seed germination for extended periods of time better than gunny bags; possibly due to the higher and more stable relative humidity inside the PICS bags. Higher seed germination would result in improved plant stands in the field and subsequent higher yields and increased productivity. Thus, PICS bags have shown potential to positively impact the economy of pigeonpea farmers in the semi-arid tropics

GGE biplot based assessment of yield stability, adaptability and mega-environment characterization for hybrid pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan)

GGE biplot methodology is a powerful tool to study relationship among test environments (E), genotypes (G) and genotype-by-environment interaction (GE). Present study was conducted on 10 short-duration genotypes in five test environments for two years, and 16 medium-duration genotypes in six test locations for three years in randomized complete block design with two replications. In short-maturity group three mega-environments (ME) were found—ME1 comprised of Phaltan, Patancheru and Hyderabad1; ME2 and 3 constituted Jalna and Aurangabad, respectively. In scenario of limited resources, Patancheru may be a good testing location for general adaptability of short-duration hybrids, while Aurangabad and Hyderabad1 may be right environments for testing specific adaptation of short-duration cultivars in pigeonpea. ICPH 2433 was a winning genotype in ME1 in terms of high yield and stability. In medium-maturity group, two MEs were observed. Jalna, Jalna 1, Parbhani and Hyderabad grouped together as ME1, while Patancheru and Phaltan formed the second mega-environment (ME2). Parbhani was found to be most representative of all the six test locations. Jalna (ME1) and Phaltan (ME2) produced longest environment vectors, and hence may be regarded as highly discriminating. In mediummaturity group ICPH 2673 was found to be stable and high-yielding genotype for ME

Enhancing the livelihoods of Uttarakhand farmers by introducing pigeonpea cultivation in hilly areas

Pilot production demonstrations conducted in Uttarakhand state of India indicated that pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] variety ‘VL Arhar-1’ (ICPL 88039) can be grown successfully up to the elevations of 2,000 metres. This extrashort duration pigeonpea variety is well-adapted to the agroecological conditions of Uttarakhand, and suitable for grain production (up to 1,800 kg/ha) and for soil conservation. The cultivation of pigeonpea, therefore, can be extended into areas predominantly characterized by low soil fertility and inhabited by resource poor farmers. The introduction of pigeonpea in the hills of the Himalayas will help in promoting sustainable and eco-friendly agricultural practices that are cost effective and easy to adopt by the poor farming community. Pigeonpea, being a good source of home-grown high protein food, would directly benefit the nutrition, health and livelihoods of small holder farmers of Uttarakhand. Hence, it is recommended that sincere efforts should be made to promote the cultivation of pigeonpea on a large scale in the slopes and waste lands of this state, and possibly on the hilly areas in India