Alzheimers disease Essay -- Alzheimers Disease Essays

Alzheimer’s Disease   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia, â€Å"a brain disorder that seriously affects a person’s ability to carry out daily activities (Shenk 14)†. Alzheimer’s is a progressive and irreversible brain disorder that slowly destroys a person’s memory and ability to learn, make judgments, communicate, and accomplish daily activities. As Alzheimer’s progresses, individuals may also experience changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, suspiciousness or aggravation, as well as illusions or hallucinations. Alzheimer’s disease is named after a German doctor, Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer became aware of changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. Dr. Alzheimer found irregular clusters and tangled bundles of fibers. Today, these plaques and tangles in the brain are considered signs of Alzheimer’s (Shenk 12-14). Scientists have also found other brain changes in people with Alzheimer’s. Nerve cells die in areas of the brain that are vital to memory and other mental abilities. There also are lower levels of some of the chemicals in the brain that carry messages back and forth between nerve cells. Although many things are known about Alzheimer’s, there are still many things that remain a mystery, such as causes, and how to cure Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain cells which are called neurons. Neurons send messages from one to another, which allows us to think, remember and speak. In each of the neurons there is a branch like structure. Some carry impulses away from neurons (afferent), and some bring impulses to the neurons (efferent). The relaying of impulses from neuron to neuron in the brain makes it possible for one to carry out physical and mental tasks. When plaques and tangles form in the brain, they disrupt the flow of messages to the neurons. This happens when people age, but with an Alzheimer’s patient there are many more that disrupt, which allows them to forget simple tasks. Plaques are abnormally sticky clusters of protein. They disrupt pathways that carry signals from neuron to neuron. Plaque is a deposit of protein mixed with fragments of dead or dying neurons found in the brains of patient who have Alzheimer’s. A tangle is a set of twisted nerve cell fibers found in t he cell bodies of neurons in the brains of the patients who ha... ...urrently incurable, and only two drugs--tacrine (Cognex) and donepezil hydrochloride (Aricept)-- have been approved by the FDA for its treatment. Several other drugs are being prescribed more often as their benefits are demonstrated in wider testing. Nonetheless, the mainstay of treatment for a person with Alazheimer’s continues to be good nursing care, providing both physical and emotional support for a person who is gradually able to do less and less for himself, and whose behavior is becoming more and more erratic. Modifications of the home to increase safety and security are often necessary. The caregiver also needs support to prevent anger, despair, and burnout from becoming overwhelming. Becoming familiar with the issues likely to lie ahead, and considering the appropriate financial and legal issues early on, can help both the patient and family cope with the difficult process of the disease. Regular medical care by a practitioner with a non-defeatist attitude toward Alzheimer;s is important so that illnesses such as urinary or respiratory infections can be diagnosed and treated properly, rather than being incorrectly attributed to the inevitable decline seen in Alzheimer’s.

cyborg performance :: essays research papers

Explore the relationship between the body and technology in the work of Orlan and Stelarc A performer is essentially composed of two entities: the self and the representation of the self. The human body is the physical manifestation of this represented self and is interpreted by the observer depending on its gender, age, colour, attractiveness, adornment and perceived disabilities (these perceptions often being culture-bound as well). In addition to this, the performer uses make-up and costume, and interactions with the performance space to affect the interpretation. For the focus of a performance space, what better place to start with than this powerful physical signifier? In performance, there is a tendency to perceive the actor and the body as a very separate entity to the concrete, technological elements of the stage. Orlan and Stelarc, contemporary performance artists, challenge this perception - Mcclellan (1994, para.14) describes them as â€Å"the post-human Adam and Eve†, suggesting that they are heralding in a new ‘breed’ of performer, inextricably related to, and even created by, technology. This certainly reflects the role of the body and technology in current Western society - medical technology can create life in vitro and, defying nature, can alter its intrinsic genetic makeup, and internet technologies can allow a person to project a fabricated disembodied persona onto the ‘net’ to interact with others over vast distances. Orlan and Stelarc embrace technological integration as a prerequisite to their work – the questions lie in what it means to the self if the way in which it is represented (the bod y) is altered. In combining aspects of endurance and durational performance art, Orlan presented the alteration of her own body in the surgical theatre. ‘The Reincarnation of Saint Orlan’ is her most well-known piece of work, begun in 1990. However, she did begin performing in the 1960s when, even then, she demonstrated a subversive attitude towards the body. In 1964 she used her own body as †a unit of measurement (‘Orlan-corps’)† to measure public buildings (Flande [ed.], ‘Biography’, www.orlan.net). This project continued into the late 1970s. The reduction of her body to a tool of measurement was the less extreme forerunner to the reduction of it as a canvas in ‘The Reincarnation of Saint Orlan’. In both pieces, she objectifies her body, however in ‘The Reincarnation of Saint Orlan’, the implications on herself and her audiences are far more controversial. A surgical textbook defines ideal beauty as â€Å"[that] of a white woman whose face is perfectly symmetrical in line and profile† (Balsamo cited in Auslander, 1997, p.

Describe How Health and Safety Legislation, Policies and Procedures Promote of Individuals in a Health or Social Care Setting

Describe how health and safety legislation, policies and procedures promote of individuals in a health or social care setting Health, Safety and security issues are extremely important in care settings in order to protect staff and children, and their families. Legislations and regulations ensure that guidelines are followed to enforce safety and security within an organisation. Legislation is law which has been created by a governing body.Before a piece of legislation becomes law it may be known as a bill, and may be broadly referred to as legislation while it remains under consideration to distinguish it from other business. Policies ensure that everyone must work within the law and meet the minimum care standards set out by the legislation. Finally, procedures are the steps that are needed to be followed to ensure everyone’s safety within the workplace.Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH, 2002), for example, requires employers to control substances that are haz ardous to health such as toxic, corrosive or irritant chemicals like cleaning products or even bodily fluids. In a setting such as a Nursery, hazardous substances that are not stored properly and are easily accessible to children may cause consummation further poisoning or spilling on themselves. This hazard could be minimised by storing these substances in a high, possibly locked, area so that children are not likely to get a hold of them and harm themselves.Also, the incorrect disposal of soiled nappies etc. can cause germs to spread and could cause infection or cross contaminations within the Nursery. This can be avoided by having a specific bin solely for the disposal of soiled nappies to ensure that harm cannot result from this. Ensure that all staff are trained on how to deal with an incident and giving them full information of the regulation because it helps them act quickly enough if there was to be an incident. The Food Safety Regulation Act (1995) makes sure there is a foo d hygiene standard in place in all businesses.Illnesses and infections can be easily cause by someone, be it a child or member of staff, not washing their hands before eating or preparing food. This could be after changing a nappy, going to the toilet or playing outside. This risk can be minimised by making sure everyone washes their hands before eating and before, during and after preparing meals. Also, ensure that all equipment is clean and in good condition as this can also cause contamination if dealing with raw and cooked foods.The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulation (1995) requires employers to report injuries and dangerous occurrences as soon as they happen. In a nursery, broken furniture, broken toys and small objects can lead to injury or possibly death. Broken furniture can cause children to cut or graze themselves on the sharp break offs. Whereas with broken or unsuitable toys, children can swallow the object causing choking or death. This risk can be avoided by carrying out regular checks of the furniture and toys, making sure they are suitable for use with children. If not, then they should be disposed of efficiently.With the Data Protection Act (1998), the nursery has to control and protect the handling of the personal information of children and parents. Recklessness and naivety can cause personal information being let out into the public eye. Staff writing down children’s or their parent’s personal details or opinions can end up open to public view. This can be minimised by making sure all data is kept secure on an internal wall, in a locked cupboard. Also, ensuring that all staff are trained to correctly deal with information and are aware of the consequences of recklessness can help lower the risk. www. hse. gov. uk www. foodstandards. gov

Maya Angelou Essay

In researching poet, Maya Angelou, I was able to explore her personal life, as well as her writing styles and techniques. While she is an extraordinary individual, she portrays a strong independent woman capable of holding her own. A great experience in learning about Angelou, the project itself I found to be rather droll. Having to find criticism about one of the worlds greatest poets, was extremely difficult. The assignment was also time consuming, and I found myself often wondering why everything needed doubles. While the information gathered for this project focused on Maya Angelou was engaging, the task in analyzing the poet rather than the poetry, was prolonged and monotonous. Maya Angelou is one of the universe’s most controversial poet. Her fascinating life experiences and thoughts translate beautifully onto paper, and her literary elegance captivates many. In the assignment given, it was asked that two pieces of literary criticism were found. When researching such a profound writer, it was impossible to find complete critical analyses of Angelou’s work. The only thing that was found were rotten comments on a forum, or a general summary of a poems meaning. Undertaking this assignment was very tedious, for even after finding some sort of â€Å"analysis†, it was asked that one write their own poems. This was very difficult for it was difficult to decipher what was really being asked. The expectations were not clear in the way where one should have been writing like their chosen poet, or to write as themselves. Either way, the poems produced in my own assignment, were just thoughts on paper. While Angelou has no set schemes in her work, the self-fabricated poems made, were also set up the same. While it is believed the more that is researched, the more that is known, how this was conveyed in this project was not straightforward. Everything that was assigned, needed to have two or more examples. Whether one chose to look up two biographies and two literary analyses, or two literary analyses and original poems, the duplication in finding two examples was unnecessary. The message could have been depicted through one example each. Finding the information grew to be mundane, and how all of the details found would be gathered into one essay was perplexing. While I believe finding two biographies would be vital if one were to be writing a biography on the poet, It’s almost pointless when you must narrow down the information into a paragraph. Same for the literary analysis. The original poems written almost had nothing to do with the project, which didn’t make much sense. Learning about Maya Angelou was enlightening, and this project allowed me to view her work in a different light. She is able to shine a strong light on herself that sets her apart from the rest. Unfortunately, this assignment didn’t allow more of an assessment on one poem, for one paragraph is not enough to correctly articulate her notions. The project could have been absolutely successful if it had not repeated so many steps in finding the same information in separate places, or writing irrelevant and original poems. In the future, an essay based solely on one poem by an author, with only a paragraph of biographical information would benefit the student. This would allow oneself to look more into the poets techniques, schemes, and deeper meanings.

Planarian Behavior Essay

Planaria belong to the class Turbella of the phylum Platyhelminthes. This paper depicts the behavioral reaction of Planarians to a variety of settings and compounds to better understand this particular Platyhelminthes. With a plastic syringe, it is possible to extract a sample of planaria, place into a Petri dish with enough freshwater and observe under a laboratory provided microscope. While on the microscope platform, expose your sample to light and darkness to notice the patterns of locomotion and movement throughout the conditioning tray. Probe the individuals with an object to spot any type of distinct change in response, negative or positive. Tap the side and surroundings of the dish to notice if there is any different adjustment in movement. Add sound to surrounding, noting any alter. Obtain a second sample, labeled separately, and use one dish to apply Hydrochloric Acid and the other to salt (NaCl) water. Note: Only using minimal amount or as needed. Using the tools provided, cut an individual in half to discover if the subject dies or survives. In conclusion, the Planarian makes it choice by moving towards the darkened areas, favorably. When applied to light, the individuals fled towards the edge. Any sudden object, sound, or altering didn’t affect the objects intentions. After five drops of 6 mol HCl (aq), the sample died of very quickly; however, five drops of 6 mol NaCl (aq) did not kill off near as quick. It was applied directly to the conditioning trays. Introduction Members of the phylum Platyhelminthes have a worm-like shape. The Platyhelminth has a bilateral symmetry and meets any provided situation in an â€Å"aggressive, head-on approach. Cephalization, a specialism of the anterior end of the animal, can be depicted in the gathering of sensory arrangement and cluster of nerves, also known as the ganglia or its brain, in the head region. Many of the behaviors you will see are associated to increases in mobility, higher activity, and general increase in responsiveness† (Collins, Harker 1999). Most planarians are free-living and common in freshwater environments, also found in marine and terrestrial places. Two ventral nerve cords run the length of the body. Located in the anterior end are two eyespots which possess photoreceptors to detect any form of light. Normally, a planarian contains a gastrovascular cavity that provides space for digestion tracts and the circulation of nutrient throughout the body. The mouth is located on the ventral end, which is the site for both food digestion and/or the release of bodily wastes. â€Å"Planarians are able to regenerate from essentially any type of injury and present a novel system for the study of wound responses in regeneration initiation. Planarian regeneration requires adult stem cells called neoblasts and amputation triggers two peaks in neoblast mitoses early in regeneration† (Wenemoser, Reddien 2010). Planarians are highly recognizable due to their ability to regenerate from the smallest body part. Typically vary in color from grey, brown or black. They seemingly move about on the bottom of rocks or submerged vegetation. Many are negatively phototactic, which simply means they shy away from any form of light fixture. Each worm has both male and female reproducing organs; however, they are monoecious in that they are not self-fertilizing. The most common form is asexual. They appear for function mainly as osmoregulation, the control of the levels of water and mineral salts in the blood. Planarians must constantly eliminate excess water and are carnivores that feed primarily on protozoans and other small animals. What is a Planarians reaction to a light fixture or exposed directly? Does it affect them in any way? What is the difference in responses from light and darkness? By inserting objects to the planarians path, does it alter their behavior? What about exposing them to sound or movement? Does making the water more acidic or basic affect the health and/or behavioral responses? Which is more likely to kill or harm the sample individuals? What are some distinct or unique characteristics definite in the planarian body structure that can be easily observed from a laboratory microscope? Do the individual samples favor any tests performed over the opposite stimulus? What could cause the planarians to move the way they are observed? I feel that given the ecological surroundings the planarian can be discovered, I imagine that the exposure of light will overwhelm the samples tolerance since they become adapt to living underneath rocks, plants, and other submerged vegetation in marine and freshwater environments. Inserting objects would just be like adding an obstacle course, so I’m predicting they would maneuver and meander around the objects. Acid always seems to be, in most cases, more harmful than any bases or salt compounds, for this test I will be assuming the 6 mol HCl will dramatically harm, if not kill, any planarian currently living about the conditioning tray. After the 6 mol NaCl is added to the Petri dish, I’m sure it will have an effect on them to an extent, seeing that some Planaria are capable of living in marine waters. Due to the fact that every piece of evidence available via text or online source, many testimonies have been provided that planarian individuals favor shaded as opposed to exposed areas of sun light or artificial light sources. Right away it will be easily distinguishable as to which technique will provide the most responsiveness to behavior. I don’t feel that creating any type of sound or movement that could be applied directly to the sample will alter or change the reaction of the planarians provided, since they are encompassed inside containers near such activities no matter what or where they are designated to be. I feel the most advantageous examinations will be the light versus dark and adding chemical compound to the already steady pH water provided. Materials and Methods Materials that were included in this lab include at least nine individual planarians, one metric ruler, two probing tools, one laboratory scanning microscope, three Petri dishes and lids or watch glasses, a vile of 6 mol HCl, a vile of 6 mol NaCl, a plastic pipette, one pen and/or permanent marker, and one lab notebook. Other things that could be used include a thermometer and a magnifying glass. With a dropper, we transferred planarian from the culture dish to a Petri dish and were sure to add enough water so that animal could glide freely over a small area of the dish. Next, we drew and labeled the ventral nerve cords, pharynx, eyespots, ganglia and gastrovascular cavity (see Figure 1 to identify these particular structures). To perform this experiment, we placed a petry glass on the stage of the microscope to view through the scanning lens. First, measurements were taken to note the length of the various planaria. By turning the light fixture on and off, we recorded any and all movement. Then with the three planaria, we used the probing tools to cut the planaria in half and used three of the halves that were left to observe any form of regeneration in the water provided. The other three were placed to regenerate in a separate petry dish to ensure they did not mix together. Of the remaining six planaria, we placed three in separate petry glasses. One of the glasses was used to add five drops of 6 mol HCl and the remaining petry glass was used to add five drops of 6 mol NaCl. After applying the chemicals to the water, one at a time in order for accurate and precise recording, we noted any changes in mobility, reactions, color, and/or functions. Added obstacles to the paths of some of the planarian and slowly tilted the glass back and forth to create water flow and movement. This was to ensure we created or reenacted any type of ecosystem the planaria may exist in to allow for maximum behavioral responses to different scenarios. This allowed for the most of the laboratory experiment and the more tests performed provide more precise results. Results After placing three planarians into a single petry dish, I placed the watch glass onto the stage of the microscope to first indentify body structures, organs, and gain knowledge into the ‘normal’ behavior of a single planaria. Using the metric ruler, I was able to establish the average length of the planaria to be 10 mm in length. As the light fixture remained off, I took notice that all of the planarians in the glass performed and acted in similar ways. They were free-moving, covering all surface provided within the water. After turning the lighting fixture on, each planarian scurried towards the water’s edge only to be trapped within the area provided. It appeared to me as if they were trying to evade the light in search of a more suitable and sustainable environment. Next, I used the probing tool to create an obstacle to see if they reacted any different to a new placement. Unfortunately, that was not the case; they simply went around or avoided it all together. As I came towards the adding chemicals section of the experiment, I used the tool to cut the planarian in half, to prove the theory of regeneration. The anterior end went about as if it was barely affected; however, the posterior end was quite the opposite, yet it still possessed signs of life and locomotion to an extent. Then I went ahead and used the remaining six planarian to test for any type of ability to survival when introduced to hydrochloric acid and salt water. After separating the samples into even numbered dishes, I first applied five drops of six molar HCl to the first sample. This almost simultaneously killed all of the living organisms within the dish. Next, I placed the same amount of six molar NaCl to the last dish; however this reaction was much different. After directly applying the salt water, the planaria seemed to behave abnormal, increasing they movement and livelihood. I was surprised that it didn’t kill them off as the hydrochloric acid did. It was almost as if they began to adapt or tolerate the new conditions. My only thought was that since a small percentage live in marine ecosystems, they are able to live in such conditions to an extent or within a certain limit. To my surprise they managed to live throughout the entire procedure. See Table 1 and 2 Discussions Exposing the planaria to light went as anticipated. Before the lab even began, it was very evident that these organisms were more prone to darkness; hence the reason for finding them on the underside of submerged items. â€Å"Most planarians are also light-sensitive and in some, pigmented light-sensitive cells are clumped in two cups that serve as primitive eyes† ( Kobayashi 2008). The one thing that caught my eye was how quick they were to avoid and almost escape the direct light, was as if they were in grave danger. I was rather intrigued to discover that although these animals are able to regenerate, I still was having a hard time believing they would still live for reasons of doubt; but after separating the body parts into halves, it reminded me much of an earth worm. When you go to capture an earthworm from the ground, and you accidentally break them or rip them into halves, each halve squirms away as almost if unharmed or phased. The placing of obstacles came to no surprise. Just as for any living organism, if it comes across an object in its path, the organism finds other means of getting around or avoiding all together. If it didn’t suit the planarian, it moved on. When adding the hydrochloric acid, I could only think one thing. If acid was applied to our skin or in great quantities in our ecosystem, we are exposed to a very harmful substance and more often times than not cannot tolerate a highly exposure rate. As I began to reach the final drop of acid into the dish, the organisms inside already began to show signs of death or nearing the end of life all together. The sodium chloride, however, was a different story. I didn’t really know what to expect. It could have went one of two ways, either erratically change the behavior and response to such chemicals or merely phase them at all. Much like the HCl, they weren’t used to such components and surely didn’t accept it; but even after adding all of the substance, it seemed as if the planaria were able to still find ways to adapt or tolerate expose to it. Unlike the HCl, they were able to survive. Consluion The results did prove my hypothesis correct. The planarians behavior response to light was vastly affected to the amount of exposure to direct light. There was an increase in mobility, higher activity, and general increase in responsiveness when any form of light was applied to the sample. Adding obstacles didn’t take much affect on the individuals, it simply just made an inconvenience and planned around it. By introducing hydrochloric acid and sodium chloride, it created a whole new means of survival of the fittest. The hydrochloric acid instantly killed off all the planarian exposed to the chemical, much like I predicted. The sodium chloride almost seemed as if it left the sample unharmed. In conclusion, there are several things I would also have included to this experiment for more discoveries. Things such as increase or decrease in water temperature, measuring the temperature at given times to note any changes in response to the change. Also, maybe adding other types of aqueous solutions to the mix, or perhaps compound that would change the performance of the viewed planarian, such as caffeine.

Slavery Developed in All of the English Colonies of North America. Was This Institution the Same in All the Colonies Did This Form of Labour Have the Same Level of Importance in Each of the Areas? Why or Why Not?

Large-scale African slavery was introduced into the English colonies of North America around the middle of the seventeenth century. Although slavery developed in all of the British colonies, it did not have the same level of importance in each of the areas of settlement. Slavery mainly spread over those areas where there were large plantations of high-value cash crops, such as tobacco, indigo, sugar, rice and coffee. Consequently, in the Chesapeake and the Southern colonies, this form of labour rapidly became the basis of their economies. In New England and the Northern colonies, however, slavery was going to remain peripheral. The settlers? need for cheap labour to work on their plantations was one of the main reasons why the British colonies began to import enslaved Africans. In the Chesapeake area, successful tobacco cultivation required abundant land (since the crop quickly drained soil of nutrients). Consequently, plantations gradually spread out along the region’s rivers and planters quickly found themselves being land rich but labour poor. At first, indentured servants were used as the needed labour. These servants were mainly young English men who, in exchange for their transportation costs, had to provide four to seven years of free labour in the plantations. Once the period of indenture was over, those servants who managed to survive service were given freedom dues. However, in the 1660s, when the supply of indentured servants began to dry up (partly because the English economy improved and people started having better opportunities there) tobacco cultivators turned to a new source of labour: African slaves. Planters first imported already enslaved Africans from Caribbean sugar islands (the â€Å"Atlantic creolesâ€Å") but then, they began to purchase slaves directly from Africa. Although this new labour force was usually more expensive than indentured servants, it proved to be highly profitable because slaves, as well as their offspring, meant a lifetime of service. As a result of the introduction of slavery, society became more stratified: the Chesapeake colonies developed a three-tiered society with planters at the top, few poor farmers in the middle and slaves at the bottom. Because Africans were included among the first colonists to come to South Carolina, they composed one third of its early population. As African slaves had a variety of skills well suited to the semitropical environment of this colony, they contributed significantly to South Carolina’s prosperity: for instance, the cultivation of Carolina’s cash crops, rice and indigo, was only developed on a large scale with the help of skills and techniques of the African slaves. The similarity of South Carolina’s environment to West Africa’s and the large proportion of Africans in the population ensured that many aspects of West African culture survived in this colony: for example, enslaved parents continue to give their children African names, a dialect combining English words with African terms developed, etc. In contrast to the other areas, New England and the northern colonies were not committed to slavery as their chief source of labour. Lacking large-scale agricultural enterprises, these colonies did not demand many slaves. Although slavery was not as profitable to the north as it was to the south, northern colonists did own slaves. In these colonies, since European household servants were hard to find, the slaves owned by the northern settlers were mainly used as domestic servants for the urban elite. Because fewer slaves were introduced into the north, social differences were not as sharp as in the south. The gap between the rich and the poor in New England colonies was narrower than in the Chesapeake colonies. The different level of importance slavery had on the British colonies in North America accentuated the already existing differences between these settlements. To the distinction between cash crops plantations in the Chesapeake area and diversity of economy in the New England colonies was now added this quite dissimilar role of slavery. This distinction between large-scale slavery in the south and near absence of slavery in the north was going to last until to the middle of the nineteenth century. It was not until the American civil war that this situation finally came to an end.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 85

Assignment - Essay Example This is bad experience since the victims may end up living in constant fear and they may end up failing to fit in the societies in which they would be living. This negatively impacts the psychological as well as social aspects of human development. The problem can destabilize peace in the society if it is left unchecked. C- This threat could be identified by an organization through designing network software that can filter all mails that are unidentified. All unsolicited e-mail messages or any other form of message posted on the website of the organization should be blocked and treated as spam. This will help the people to be in control of what they read. The organization may also respond by giving tips to the members of the network about how they should respond in the event that they have responded suspicious messages. Organizations should also enlighten the victims about the measures they can take to deal with messages from unknown