Seeking Sanctuary brings together poignant life stories
from fourteen lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
migrants, refugees and asylum seekers living in Johannesburg. The
stories, diverse ...in scope, chronicle each narrator's arduous
journey to South Africa, and their corresponding movement towards
self-love and self-acceptance. The narrators reveal their personal
battles to reconcile their faith with their sexuality and gender
identity, often in the face of violent persecution, and how they
have carved out spaces of hope and belonging in their new home
country. In these intimate testimonies, the narrators' resilience
in the midst of uncertain futures reveal the myriad ways in which
LGBT Africans push back against unjust and unequal systems.
Seeking Sanctuary makes a critical intervention by showing
the complex interplay between homophobia and xenophobia in South
Africa, and of the state of sexual orientation and gender identity
(SOGI) rights in Africa. By shedding light on the fraught
connections between sexuality, faith and migration, this
ground-breaking project also provides a model for religious
communities who are working towards justice, diversity and
inclusion.
Seeking Sanctuary brings together poignant life stories
from fourteen lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
migrants, refugees and asylum seekers living in Johannesburg. The
stories, diverse in scope, chronicle each narrator's arduous
journey to South Africa, and their corresponding movement towards
self-love and self-acceptance. The narrators reveal their personal
battles to reconcile their faith with their sexuality and gender
identity, often in the face of violent persecution, and how they
have carved out spaces of hope and belonging in their new home
country. In these intimate testimonies, the narrators' resilience
in the midst of uncertain futures reveal the myriad ways in which
LGBT Africans push back against unjust and unequal systems.
Seeking Sanctuary makes a critical intervention by showing
the complex interplay between homophobia and xenophobia in South
Africa, and of the state of sexual orientation and gender identity
(SOGI) rights in Africa. By shedding light on the fraught
connections between sexuality, faith and migration, this
ground-breaking project also provides a model for religious
communities who are working towards justice, diversity and
inclusion.
Various wild mushrooms have been appreciated as a source of food and medicines from centuries. Although wild mushrooms were formerly utilised on a modest scale, people now favour mushrooms as a ...source of nutritious or healthy food. Pharmaceutical scientists have discovered many therapeutic ingredients from these mushrooms. Since few decades researchers have confirmed the therapeutic implications of such mushrooms and similar under-utilized food. Phallus indusiatus Vent. is one of such mushrooms which well accepted by researchers as a source of bioactive compounds. It is synonymously known as Dictyophora indusiata (Vent.) Desv. It is also possible to evaluate the therapeutic roles of different bioactive compounds extracted from P. indusiatus. Most of them have great healthy benefits such as antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, immunomodulatory, organoprotective and anticancer effects. Due to the outstanding healthy benefits and therapeutic value various molecules from P. indusiatus have been studied in recent years.
Diphallia (penile duplication) is a rare congenital malformation with an incidence of about 1 per 5-6 million newborns. The severity of diphallia varies from a small accessory penile-like tissue to ...complete true penile duplication with other deformities, usually involving the urogenital, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal systems. Pseudodiphallia, as a rare kind of diphallia, is characterized by a small accessory penile-like tissue without a normal penile anatomy structure. A 5.5-year-old male child was brought to the pediatric surgery outpatient department by the parents with complaint of difficulty in retracting the prepucial foreskin and the presence of some growth near the glans. There were no other complaints in specific. Clinical examination revealed foreskin retractable with difficulty and small conical lump smaller than the original glans approximately size ~1 cm diameter at the base attached horizontally at the left side of the original glans at the coronal sulcus and visible incomplete clefting in between the 2 glans visible from the aerial view. After approval from anesthetist, the patient was operated under general anesthesia by excision of pseudodiphallia. Urethral catheterization and circumcision of the penis after taking informed parental consent. Postoperatively, the period was uneventful. The patient responded well to the symptomatic treatment and was orally allowed on the same day evening. Urinary catheter was removed on 5
postoperative day. The patient was discharged on oral symptomatic medication and was advice for follow-up.
Phallus atrovolvatus is a wild edible mushroom which is recently being cultivated in Thailand. It contains a remarkable amount of β-(1,3–1,6)-glucan, a compound known for its immune modulating ...properties. Crude mushroom polysaccharide (CMP) was obtained from the fruiting body of P. atrovolvatus using boiling water extraction, followed by overnight ethanol cold precipitation. CMP is composed of approximately 50% β-glucan, α-glucan, proteins, ash and other non-digestible polysaccharide. In this study, we evaluated the immune modulating activities of CMP using in vitro and in vivo models. In vitro, CMP was treated with the transfected NF-κB reporter-HEK 293 recombinant cell line, the results showed no cytotoxicity up to 500 μg/mL, and CMP treatments exhibited a higher % NF-κB luciferase expression. DiNitroBenzene Sulfonic acid (DNBS)-induced colitis mice model was used to elucidate the effects of CMP in vivo. Colitis severity was assessed using body weight trend, macroscopic scores and histological scores. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and cytokine production were determined from the colon tissue and spleen, respectively. The results showed that oral consumption of 50 μg CMP/mouse/day could significantly decrease MPO activity and reduce the secretion of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-17A cytokines. To our knowledge, this study shows the first time the report of immune modulating activities of Phallus atrovolvatus Thai strain. The results lead to the conclusion that CMP provides two modes of actions: i) stimulating the NF-κB pathway and ii) acting as an anti-inflammatory that can protect mice against induced colitis.
•Crude mushroom polysaccharide from Phallus atrovovatus exhibited immune stimulating activity through the NF-κB pathway.•Anti-inflammatory activity of Phallus atrovovatus is derived from reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokine production in spleen.•Crude mushroom polysaccharide from Phallus atrovovatus was not toxic to HEK 293 cells.
Aims
The history of phallus construction parallels the advances made in plastic and reconstructive surgery whereby the era of microsurgery revolutionized numerous techniques. In 1993, we reported our ...early experience in phalloplasty. While the originally presented technique was a modification of the original design reported by Chang and Hwang, we now present further modifications of the past 30 years.
Methods
Through critical review of our technical modifications, as well as others', we present a comprehensive review of elements of the radial forearm free flap phallus construction.
Results
A radial forearm free flap is harvested and tubed to form the following components: urethra, shaft, and glans of the neophallus. When excess adipose tissue exists, the excess thickness is accommodated by increasing the proximal width of the flap. To optimize the venous drainage, the radial and ulnar superficial veins as well as the radial deep veins are included within the flap; however, venous flow is optimized through creation of an arteriovenous fistula within neo‐glans. To lengthen the native urethra, labia minora and vaginal mucosal flaps are employed at a preliminary stage during vaginectomy. New coronoplasty modifications offer esthetic refinements. Updates in scrotal reconstruction and implantation of erectile devices complete the total genitourinary reconstruction.
Conclusions
Phallus construction has evolved significantly over time. While numerous techniques exist, no standard of care has been identified. Continue surgical evolution will provide modern solutions for problems most often encountered to improve overall outcomes for transgender and gender‐diverse patients pursuing masculinizing genitourinary reconstruction.
Objectives
To investigate alterations in depicted penis size by evaluating nude male paintings from the 15th to 21st centuries.
Materials and Methods
Nude‐male paintings were identified from various ...art history websites and analysed to determine changes in penis size over time. Two observers organised the paintings according to the century in which they were created and made the calculations. Penile length to ear length (PtEL) or penile length to nose length (PtNL) were calculated to standardise the measurements using professional image analysis software. PtEL was first attempted for all paintings; if PtEL could not be ascertained, then nose length was used instead of the ear, as the nose length is defined as equal to ear length according to the golden ratio. Thus, PtNL was ensured and both ratios were then referred to using a common term: penis depiction ratio (PDR). Further analysis was performed by dividing the paintings into three groups according to the historical development of art: Renaissance Period (1400–1599; 15th–16th centuries), Baroque–Rococo and Impressionism Period (1600–1899; 17th–19th centuries) and Contemporary Art Period (1900–2020; 20th and 21st centuries).
Results
Of 232 identified paintings, 72 (31.1%) were excluded because they depicted images of adolescents or an erect penis. The PDR was found to differ significantly between paintings created in different centuries (P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed that paintings from the 21st century demonstrated significantly higher PDRs than paintings from previous centuries (P = 0.001).
Conclusions
In paintings depicting nude males, the size of the penis has gradually increased throughout the past seven centuries, and especially after the 20th century. This observation illustrates the changing sociocultural inputs into male body image and emphasises the need for improved understanding of the sociocultural factors associated with the perception of penis size in men.
•The size and the growth dynamics of the caiman phallus are sexually dimorphic.•The shape and general histo-morphological compartments are similar in both sexes.•Penis and clitoris differ in ...innervation, muscle distribution, collagen organization.•Penis of pre-pubertal caimans exhibits higher ERα and AR expression than clitoris.•Male phallus histofunctional features remain in E2SD-female clitoris.
The broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris) is a crocodilian species that inhabits South American wetlands. As in all other crocodilians, the egg incubation temperature during a critical thermo-sensitive window (TSW) determines the sex of the hatchlings, a phenomenon known as temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). In C. latirostris, we have shown that administration of 17-β-estradiol (E2) during the TSW overrides the effect of the male-producing temperature, producing phenotypic females (E2SD-females). Moreover, the administration of E2 during TSW has been proposed as an alternative way to improve the recovery of endangered reptile species, by skewing the population sex ratio to one that favors females. However, the ovaries of E2SD-female caimans differ from those of TSD-females. In crocodilians, the external genitalia (i.e. clitero-penis structure or phallus) are sexually dimorphic and hormone-sensitive. Despite some morphological descriptions aimed to facilitate sexing, we found no available data on the C. latirostris phallus histoarchitecture or hormone dependence. Thus, the aims of this study were: (1) to establish the temporal growth pattern of the phallus in male and female caimans; (2) to evaluate histo-morphological features and the expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and androgen receptor (AR) in the phallus of male and female pre-pubertal juvenile caimans; and (3) to determine whether the phallus of TSD-females differs from the phallus of E2SD-females. Our results demonstrated sexually dimorphic differences in the size and growth dynamics of the caiman external genitalia, similarities in the shape and spatial distribution of general histo-morphological compartments, and sexually dimorphic differences in innervation, smooth muscle fiber distribution, collagen organization, and ERα and AR expressions. The external genitalia of E2SD-females differed from that of TSD-females in many histological features and in the expression of ERα and AR, resembling patterns described in males. Our results alert on the effects of estrogen agonist exposure during TSW and suggest that caution must be taken regarding the use of E2SD as a procedure for wildlife population management.
Introduction: The Radial Forearm Free Flap (RFFF) is a commonly used flap for soft tissue reconstruction, offering several advantages despite sacrificing the radial artery in the forearm. ...Understanding the anatomy of radial artery perforators, including their distribution, territory, and flow is crucial for reliable and safe flap harvest and design. Aim: To describe the versatility and applications of RFFF in reconstructing defects in various body parts. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, between January 2019 and January 2021, on 39 cases (age group: 20-70 years) who underwent RFFF. RFFF was utilised for reconstruction of the lip, palate, buccal mucosa, tongue, foot, nose, and phallus. Preoperative evaluation included assessing the vascular status of the non dominant hand using the Allen’s test. Results: RFFF was used for postcancer resection reconstruction in 11 cases of buccal mucosa (28.2%), 7 cases of the lip (17.9%), 6 cases of the tongue (15.3%), 2 cases of the palate (5.1%), 2 cases of phallus reconstruction (5.1%), 1 case of post-traumatic nose defect, and 1 case of 1st web space of the hand (2.5%). In 26 cases of postcarcinoma resection reconstruction, RFFF was used for buccal mucosa, lip, tongue, and palate. The patients were followed up for 2-8 months. Conclusion: RFFF fulfills most of the anatomical prerequisites for an ideal flap, providing a microvascular reconstructive option for patients with large defects in the head and neck, foot and ankle, and phallus. It exhibits a high success rate, good aesthetic and functional outcomes, allowing for the reconstruction of various defects. This study confirms the reliability of the radial free flap as a method for reconstructive surgery.
To understand Lacan's thinking process on vision, the entirety of his teaching must be taken into consideration. Until the 60s, the visual field is the imaginary, the constitutive principle of ...reality in its phenomenal giving to the experience of a subject. This register is the opposite of the field of the word with the L schema and, subsequently, as subordinated to the symbolic system according to the model of the optical schema of the inverted flower vase of Bouasse. It is only with the 1964 seminar that Lacan makes a daring turnaround through which the visual becomes a sign of the emergence of a real that is irreducible to both reality and the mediation of the subject of knowledge. The split that separates reality and the real is reproduced in Lacan within the visual field, which is, on the one hand, the cardinal principle of the consistency of the experience of reality (as imaginary), and on the other, it is an element of irreducibility to reality (as object gaze). This produces a cascade of consequences: first of all, the modification of the presentation of the mirror stage. Unlike the voice, which through prosody, tone, and volume, finds some strips with which anchor itself imaginatively to reality, the gaze, invisible and elusive, escapes the imaginary grasp. Captured in myths, it reveals its power and ability to annihilate-as in the myth of Medusa's gaze-or to make people fall in love but only with a narcissistic love that leads inexorably to death as in the myth of Narcissus. The gaze is elusive because the subject is dependent on it in the field of desire. Like the voice, it is about the desire on which the subject is supported; it is one of the objects on which the phantom depends. In our opinion, thanks to this characteristic, the gaze object can make remote psychoanalytic treatment possible through easily accessible videoconferencing tools and, at the same time, create new conditions within it that should be carefully evaluated to understand its implications in the session itself.
Phallus indusiatus
and
Phallus echinovolvatus
are edible bamboo mushrooms with pharmacological properties. We sequenced, assembled, annotated, and compared the mitogenomes of these species. Both ...mitogenomes were composed of circular DNA molecules, with sizes of 89,139 and 50,098 bp, respectively. Introns were the most important factor in mitogenome size variation within the genus
Phallus
.
Phallus indusiatus
,
P. echinovolvatus
, and
Turbinellus floccosus
in the subclass Phallomycetidae have conservative gene arrangements. Large-scale gene rearrangements were observed in species representing 42 different genera of Basidiomycetes. A variety of intron position classes were found in the 44 Basidiomycete species analyzed. A novel group II intron from the
P. indusiatus
mitogenome was compared with other fungus species containing the same intron, and we demonstrated that the insertion sites of the intron had a base preference. Phylogenetic analyses based on combined gene datasets yielded well-supported Bayesian posterior probability (BPP = 1) topologies. This indicated that mitochondrial genes are reliable molecular markers for analyzing the phylogenetic relationships of the Basidiomycetes. This is the first study of the mitogenome of the genus
Phallus
, and it increases our understanding of the population genetics and evolution of bamboo mushrooms and related species.
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