The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record began publication in 1873. Debates for sessions prior to 1873 are recorded in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (1789-1824), the Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873)
With an estimated 8,000 deaths per year in the United States from complications of UCA, an initial goal of 50% reduction of loss is possible. To achieve this goal requires the recognition by the obstetrical community of the issue. Recent research into circadian rhythms may help explain why UCA stillbirth is an event between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. Melatonin has been described as stimulating uterine contractions through the M2 receptor. Melatonin secretion from the pineal gland begins around 10:00 p.m. and peaks to 60 pg at 3:00 a.m. Serum levels decline to below 10 pg by 6:00 a.m. Uterine stimulation intensifies during maternal sleep, which can be overwhelming to a compromised fetus, especially one experiencing intermittent umbilical cord compression due to UCA. It is now time for the focus to be on screening for UCA, managing UCA prenatally, and delivery of the baby in distress defined by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as a heart rate of 90 beats per minute for 1 minute on a recorded nonstress test. The ability of ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize UCA is well documented. The 18 20 week ultrasound review should include the umbilical cord, its characteristics, and description of its placental and fetal attachment. The American Association of Ultrasound Technologists has defined these parameters for umbilical cord abnormalities: B.1.4 Abnormal insertion B.1.5 Vasa previa B.1.6 Abnormal composition B.1.7 Cysts, hematomas, and masses B.1.8 Umbilical cord thrombosis B.1.9 Coiling, collapse, knotting, and prolapse B.1.10 Umbilical cord evaluation with sonography includes the appearance, composition, location, and size of the cord Cord Events: Although many stillbirths are attributed to a cord accident, this diagnosis should be made with caution. Cord abnormalities, including a Nuchal Cord, are found in approximately 30% of normal births and may be an incidental finding. (American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology Practice Bulletin 2009) According to NICHD's recent stillbirth study, UCA is a significant cause of mortality (10%). This finding is in agreement with other international UCA studies. (Bukowski et al. 2011) These histologic criteria identify cases of cord accident as a cause of stillbirth with very high specificity. (Dilated fetal vessels, thrombosis in fetal vessels, avascular placental villi.) (Pediatr Dev Pathol 2012) Finally, defining the morbidity (injury) of cord compression, such as fetal neurologic injury or heart injury identified with umbilical cord blood troponin T levels or pulmonary injury, is the next major area of investigation.
The Oxford Handbook of Australian Politics is a comprehensive collection that considers Australia's distinctive politics— both ancient and modern— at all levels and across many themes. It examines the factors that make Australian politics unique and interesting, while firmly placing these in the context of the nation's Indigenous and imported heritage and global engagement. The book presents an account of Australian politics that recognizes and celebrates its inherent diversity by taking a thematic approach in six parts. The first theme addresses Australia's unique inheritances, examining the development of its political culture in relation to the arrival of British colonists and their conflicts with First Nations peoples, as well as the resulting geopolitics. The second theme, improvization, focuses on Australia's political institutions and how they have evolved. Place-making is then considered to assess how geography, distance, Indigenous presence, and migration shape Australian politics. Recurrent dilemmas centres on a range of complex, political problems and their influence on contemporary political practice. Politics, policy, and public administration covers how Australia has been a world leader in some respects, and a laggard in others, when dealing with important policy challenges. The final theme, studying Australian politics, introduces some key areas in the study of Australian politics and identifies the strengths and shortcomings of the discipline. The Oxford Handbook of Australian Politics is an opportunity for others to consider the nation's unique politics from the perspective of leading and emerging scholars, and to gain a strong sense of its imperfections, its enduring challenges, and its strengths.
