Lou Gehrig Disease Essay Example for Free

Lou Gehrig Disease Essay Lou Gehrig Disease is a term used in the United States that also refers to ALS or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. It was named after the famous Lou Gehrig, a baseball player for the New York Yankees between the 1920’s to the 1930’s. His career in baseball was cut short when he became afflicted with the disease ALS is a fatal and progressive disease which is characterized by the degeneration or deterioration of nerve cells within the brain, specifically those involved in motor functions that control the movements of voluntary muscles. As it is a disease that involves the motor neurons, ALS can cause body and muscle weakness as well as deterioration or wasting away of the whole body due to the degeneration of motor neurons which cease to send impulses from the brain to various muscles of the body. As is the tendency of things that cease to serve their function, the body muscles gradually become weak due to inactivity and later on, begin to develop muscle twitching. An end result is muscle wastage and atrophy due to denervation so that an individual afflicted with the disease cease to have control of his own voluntary movements with the exception of the eyes. In ALS, the individual usually retains their mental or cognitive functioning except in such cases when ALS is associated with fronto-temporal dementia. However, several studies have indicated that many individuals with ALS have slight changes cognitively in instances when neuropsychological testing is utilized. The nerves that transmit sensations as well as the autonomic nervous system is usually not affected. ALS affects all people with no preference for race or ethnicity and is regarded as one of the most common diseases that affect the brain and muscles worldwide. Annually, 2 out of 100,000 individuals become afflicted with ALS (Ropper and Brown 2005). It commonly occurs in middle to older adulthood, with ages ranging from 40 to 60 years of age although it is not unlikely for other age groups to contract the disease and men have an increased risk for the disease as compared to women. The affected parts of the body which is usually affected by ALS depend on the motor nerve cells that damage the body. Two-thirds of ALS cases consist of individuals experiencing ALS that initially occurs in the limbs. Individuals may notice a significant change in walking or running and may initially pass this off as clumsiness or awkwardness. Other people report onset of the disease through their arms and hands and report difficulty in going about simple tasks such as writing or buttoning a shirt. One-third of ALS cases, meanwhile, are bulbar at the beginning. Individuals may report difficulty in talking and speech may become slurred and incoherent. The first signs are commonly a decrease in the speech volume and an increased nasal tone. Eventually, individuals experience dysphagia (Difficulty in swallowing) as well as decreased mobility of the tongue. This would eventually lead to the inability to talk and loss of protection of the airway during swallowing. The initial onset of the symptoms and the body parts which it initially affects does not really matter as this will eventually spread throughout the body during the progression of the disease. Aside from the above symptoms, this could also include spasticity of muscles, an exaggeration of reflexes and the occurrence of Babinski’s sign which normal for babies but abnormal for adults. Furthermore, individuals may also experience labile emotions such that they may display uncontrolled bouts of laughter followed by instances of sadness or an increased frequency of mood swings due to the degeneration of bulbar motor nerve cells. There is no definitive test to diagnose ALS although many believe that the presence of motor nerve cells in a single limb may strongly indicate ALS. The diagnosis and confirmation that it is indeed ALS is commonly based on ruling out other diseases that may bring about similar symptoms produced by ALS that include Lyme disease, Syphilis, HIV as well as tick-borne Encephalitis (el Alaoui-Faris 1990). In a research conducted by Passinetti et al (2006), it was found out that individuals with ALS have lower levels of three proteins that are found in the cerebro-spinal fluid as compared to individuals who do not have the disease. These proteins include the carboxyl-terminal fragment of neuroendocrine protein, Cystatin C, and TTR. As such, this method has provided a means to diagnose patients with ALS at a sooner time, thus allowing them to receive the necessary medical attention and provide an earlier relief of symptoms. As of now, there is no drug or therapy that could completely cure ALS although Riluzole, the first drug for ALS has gained the approval from the Food and Drug Administration. This drug is said to decrease the release of glutamate within the body and such, is said to decrease nerve cell injury and damage. It also provides several effects that protects neurotransmitters through blocking and preventing calcium and sodium (Hubert et al 1994), the prevention of protein kinase C formation and antagonism of the N-methyl d-aspartate receptors (Beal et al 2005). The patient’s survival is thereby lengthened and increases the time before ventilation support is needed References: Beal, MF et al. (2005). Neurodegenerative Diseases: Neurobiology, Pathogenesis and Therapeutics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. el Alaoui-Faris, M et al (1990). Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis syndrome of syphilitic origin. 5 cases. Rev Neurol (Paris) 146 (1): 41–4. Hubert, JP et al (1994). Antagonism by riluzole of entry of calcium evoked by NMDA and veratridine in rate cultured granule cells: evidence for a dual mechanism of action. Br. J. Pharmacol. 113 (1): 261–267 Phukan, et al (2007). Cognitive impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Lancet Neurol 6 (11): 994–1003. Ropper, AH and Brown, RH (2005). Syndrome of muscular weakness and wasting without sensory changes section of Degenerative diseases of the nervous system. In Adams and Victors Principles of Neurology, 8th ed. , pp. 938–949. New York: McGraw-Hill. Pasinetti, G et al (2006). Identification of potential CSF biomarkers in ALS. Neurology 66 (8): 1218–22.

Childhood Obesity is Preventable Essay -- Obesity in Children

Childhood obesity in America is a growing disease that has become an epidemic that has lasting psychological effects, because of advertisement of fast food, lack of physical activities, and parental control has made food become a major health issue in many young teenagers’ lives today. Overall, who is to blame? Obesity plagues America and threatens to seriously degrade our society in many ways. There are some that would argue to say that obesity is okay and that it is not that big of a deal, they are wrong. There are some variations pertaining to build but everyone’s body is designed to carry a certain weight, when you increase that weight you threaten the balance of your body and can expect your body to break down much sooner than expected. For example, think of a machine, a machine that was designed to lift 100 pounds could easily do the job and continue doing the job for a very long time before breaking down. Now, think of that same machine lifting 300 pounds instead, since it was designed for only 100 pounds, how much quicker will that machine break down? It is also in our nature to not desire obesity, we are genetically designed just like the rest of nature to desire the fit and healthy of society. This is the root cause of social dislike for obesity as well as personal dislike for obesity. Which brings us to the focus of how childhood obesity has become an enormous issue today. In order to truly understand the impact of obesity and why we should prevent it, we first need to look at the causes of obesity and what keeps people obese. The logical first step for us to look at is childhood obesity, even if children are merely o... ... of the blame. In conclusion, while childhood obesity is alarming, it is preventable and treatable. Works Cited 1."Parents, Kids Don’t Perceive Obesity as a Health Problem." Journal of the American Dietetic Association n. pag. Web. 20 Feb 2015. . 2.N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb 2015. . 3.N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb 2015. . 4. Rabin, Robin. "Child Obesity Risks Death at Early Age, Study Finds ." (2012): n. pag. Web. 20 Feb 2015. . 5. Levine, Susan, and Rob Stein. "Obesity Threatens a Generation." 'Catastrophe' of Shorter Spans, Higher Health Costs (2013): n. pag. Web. 20 Feb 2015. 6. Maine, M. (2012). Body Wars. Carlsbad: Gurze Books

The Inseparable Link of Nursing and Caring

Caring is a human instinct. Especially with people that are close to our hearts, people would not hesitate to care for their general well-being. More so, people whose duty is in the service sector, they are more enjoined to care for their customers. This is why â€Å"caring† is both a duty and a responsibility to people involved in the health care profession. As defined by Mosby's Medical, Nursing and Allied Health Dictionary (2002), caring means the actions characteristic of concern for the well-being, such as sensitivity, comforting, attentive listening, and honesty for the patient.One of the frequent reminders offered to health care professionals is that â€Å"patients are people†. This is not because health care professionals do not know this or, worse, do not care about the status of their patients. It is simply that in the cut and thrust of decision making in relation to the clinical management of a patient’s condition, the human side of health care can be overshadowed by its technical aspects.No doubt, to become a successful nurse, one must not only learn to deal with their patients as clients, caring for them is important to assure their recovery from any maladies. Since the days of Florence Nightingale, there has been a direct link between nursing and service to others (Kearney, 2001). When a child is asked why they want to become a doctor or a nurse, they often respond, â€Å"To help other people†.   This response partially defines caring because caring cannot occur if others are not involved. Caring requires a recipient.Several theorists have developed conceptual models based on caring. One of them is Dorthea Orem, who developed the Self-Care Deficit Model (1995). Orem believed that all individuals desire to care for and meet their personal care needs and that each person has varied abilities to participate in meeting his personal self-care needs.The nurse attempts to meet the client's self-care needs in an effort to red uce the client's self-care deficits. On the other hand, Watson (1999) believed that caring is a moral ideal and that nursing is a caring art and science. The client is the center of human caring. Finally, Leininger (2001) purported that nursing is a learned art focused on caring in accord with an individual’s culture. To these theorists, caring definitely is a vital component of nursing.Moreover, Bertero (1999) deemed that caring includes â€Å"all aspects of delivering nursing care to patients† (p. 414). Thus, caring is the essence and the unifying core of nursing. In her book, Leininger proposed that caring is the trademark of nursing practice: â€Å"Care is the essence and the central unifying and dominant domain to characterize nursing. Care has also been postulated to be an essential human need for the full development, health maintenance, and survival of human beings in all world cultures† (1988, p. 3). These statements imply that caring is both the duty a nd responsibility of all nurses as members of the health care profession..Indeed, the central aim of both nursing and medicine is to act in the best interests of the patient. This is such an obvious statement that it is hardly worth setting down on the page. However, the old adage ‘easier said than done’ springs readily to mind once we begin to think out the practicalities of acting in the patient’s best interests. Most difficult, perhaps, is the question of how we know what the patient would say these are.The place of advance directives is relevant here as they present a very clear example of situations where the patient’s interests are known, yet they still lead to complex discussions about the validity of the patient’s view on their situation. The problem is that nurses have to be sure that the circumstances they face are the ones anticipated by the patient when the advance directive was made.With all the stress and challenges of being a nurse, c oupled with the management of extended workloads and staff shortages within already restricted finances, it is not surprising that the focus of nursing and caring gets lost within the biomedical emphasis. The advent of clinical supervision focused on reflective practice has promoted a refocusing of the emphasis towards patient-centered care and caring as central to nursing. It provides a structure within which any nurse can develop both personally and professionally, maximizing their therapeutic potential to improve patient care while balancing all challenges with caring for their patients.Although some nurses see their profession as a stepping stone for financial reward, others see nursing profession as a vocation   that provides self-satisfaction or self-fulfillment. Whatever intentions they might have in mind, nursing defines who they are. Nursing, to a professional, is a career plan, a central part of his core being; and caring is the behavioral outcome.The concepts of essenti al relationships and self-reward may comprise care of others and care of self. â€Å"Components of this service ideal include a profound sense of purpose, a true sense of capability, and a deep concern for others demonstrated as caring† (Hood & Leddy, 2003, p. 32). Service to others provides a meaningful life purpose. Service gives the individual feelings of competence in the ability to perform a task. Service is the link between concern for others and action in response to concern.Definitely, nurses would be able to meet a client's needs when provide services with care and concern. Caring is a commitment by the nurse to become involved, and its character is relational. Fact is that nurses entered into this relationship with their whole being as they chose to venture in this kind of profession (Bertero, 1999, p. 415). To realize that caring is more than a physical presence, nurses should promote a relational concern for the patient’s well-being. It is essential that th ere is an active commitment for both the process of healing for the patient and to the furtherance of our nursing knowledge. Thus, there should be a union of caring and competence and the link should be seen as the ultimate goal of the nursing practice.ReferencesBertero, C. (1999). Caring For and About Cancer Patients: Identifying the Meaning of the Phenomenon â€Å"Caring† through Narratives. Cancer Nursing, 22(6): 414–420.Hood, L. and Leddy, S. (2003). Leddy and Pepper's Conceptual Bases of Professional Nursing (5th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott .Kearney, R. (2001). Advancing Your Career: Concepts of Professional Nursing. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company Leininger, M. (1988). Care: The Essence of Nursing and Health. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press.Leininger, M. (2001). Culture Care Diversity and Universality: A Theory of Nursing. Boston: Jones and Bartlett.Mosby's Medical, Nursing and Allied Health Dictionary. (2002). Caring. Retrieved 27 October 2006, fro m xreferplus.Orem, D. (1995). Nursing: Concepts of Practice (5th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.Watson, J. (1999). Nursing: Human Science and Human Care (3rd ed.). Norwalk, CT: Appleton-Century-Crofts. The Inseparable Link of Nursing and Caring Caring is a human instinct. Especially with people that are close to our hearts, people would not hesitate to care for their general well-being. More so, people whose duty is in the service sector, they are more enjoined to care for their customers. This is why â€Å"caring† is both a duty and a responsibility to people involved in the health care profession. As defined by Mosby's Medical, Nursing and Allied Health Dictionary (2002), caring means the actions characteristic of concern for the well-being, such as sensitivity, comforting, attentive listening, and honesty for the patient.One of the frequent reminders offered to health care professionals is that â€Å"patients are people†. This is not because health care professionals do not know this or, worse, do not care about the status of their patients. It is simply that in the cut and thrust of decision making in relation to the clinical management of a patient’s condition, the human side of health care can be overshadowed by its technical aspects.No doubt, to become a successful nurse, one must not only learn to deal with their patients as clients, caring for them is important to assure their recovery from any maladies. Since the days of Florence Nightingale, there has been a direct link between nursing and service to others (Kearney, 2001). When a child is asked why they want to become a doctor or a nurse, they often respond, â€Å"To help other people†.   This response partially defines caring because caring cannot occur if others are not involved. Caring requires a recipient.Several theorists have developed conceptual models based on caring. One of them is Dorthea Orem, who developed the Self-Care Deficit Model (1995). Orem believed that all individuals desire to care for and meet their personal care needs and that each person has varied abilities to participate in meeting his personal self-care needs. The nurse attempts to meet the client's self-care needs in an effort to re duce the client's self-care deficits. On the other hand, Watson (1999) believed that caring is a moral ideal and that nursing is a caring art and science. The client is the center of human caring. Finally, Leininger (2001) purported that nursing is a learned art focused on caring in accord with an individual’s culture. To these theorists, caring definitely is a vital component of nursing.Moreover, Bertero (1999) deemed that caring includes â€Å"all aspects of delivering nursing care to patients† (p. 414). Thus, caring is the essence and the unifying core of nursing. In her book, Leininger proposed that caring is the trademark of nursing practice: â€Å"Care is the essence and the central unifying and dominant domain to characterize nursing. Care has also been postulated to be an essential human need for the full development, health maintenance, and survival of human beings in all world cultures† (1988, p. 3). These statements imply that caring is both the duty and responsibility of all nurses as members of the health care profession..Indeed, the central aim of both nursing and medicine is to act in the best interests of the patient. This is such an obvious statement that it is hardly worth setting down on the page. However, the old adage ‘easier said than done’ springs readily to mind once we begin to think out the practicalities of acting in the patient’s best interests. Most difficult, perhaps, is the question of how we know what the patient would say these are. The place of advance directives is relevant here as they present a very clear example of situations where the patient’s interests are known, yet they still lead to complex discussions about the validity of the patient’s view on their situation. The problem is that nurses have to be sure that the circumstances they face are the ones anticipated by the patient when the advance directive was made.With all the stress and challenges of being a nurse, coupled with the management of extended workloads and staff shortages within already restricted finances, it is not surprising that the focus of nursing and caring gets lost within the biomedical emphasis. The advent of clinical supervision focused on reflective practice has promoted a refocusing of the emphasis towards patient-centered care and caring as central to nursing. It provides a structure within which any nurse can develop both personally and professionally, maximizing their therapeutic potential to improve patient care while balancing all challenges with caring for their patients.Although some nurses see their profession as a stepping stone for financial reward, others see nursing profession as a vocation   that provides self-satisfaction or self-fulfillment. Whatever intentions they might have in mind, nursing defines who they are. Nursing, to a professional, is a career plan, a central part of his core being; and caring is the behavioral outcome.   The concepts of essential relationships and self-reward may comprise care of others and care of self. â€Å"Components of this service ideal include a profound sense of purpose, a true sense of capability, and a deep concern for others demonstrated as caring† (Hood & Leddy, 2003, p. 32). Service to others provides a meaningful life purpose. Service gives the individual feelings of competence in the ability to perform a task. Service is the link between concern for others and action in response to concern.Definitely, nurses would be able to meet a client's needs when provide services with care and concern. Caring is a commitment by the nurse to become involved, and its character is relational. Fact is that nurses entered into this relationship with their whole being as they chose to venture in this kind of profession (Bertero, 1999, p. 415). To realize that caring is more than a physical presence, nurses should promote a relational concern for the patient’s well-being. It is essential that there is an active commitment for both the process of healing for the patient and to the furtherance of our nursing knowledge. Thus, there should be a union of caring and competence and the link should be seen as the ultimate goal of the nursing practice.ReferencesBertero, C. (1999). Caring For and About Cancer Patients: Identifying the Meaning of the Phenomenon â€Å"Caring† through Narratives. Cancer Nursing, 22(6): 414–420.Hood, L. and Leddy, S. (2003). Leddy and Pepper's Conceptual Bases of Professional Nursing (5th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott .Kearney, R. (2001). Advancing Your Career: Concepts of Professional Nursing. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company .Leininger, M. (1988). Care: The Essence of Nursing and Health. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press.Leininger, M. (2001). Culture Care Diversity and Universality: A Theory of Nursing. Boston: Jones and Bartlett.Mosby's Medical, Nursing and Allied Health Dictionary. (2002). Caring. Retrieved 27 October 2 006, from xreferplus. http://www.xreferplus.com/entry/3031342Orem, D. (1995). Nursing: Concepts of Practice (5th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.Watson, J. (1999). Nursing: Human Science and Human Care (3rd ed.). Norwalk, CT: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

Econmics - 973 Words

International Trade Case Study Proposal Bindhu Soman, Chad L. Million, Karen Moore and Sara Ontiveros Grand Canyon University: ECN-601 Economics March 25, 2013 Introduction to the topic As countries, we are continuously concerned in distinguishing where we are and where we are going. For this assignment our CLC will take a look and begin to better understand how Germany has developed, while simultaneously understanding how Jamaica is developing. Our CLC group will prepare a report incorporating the following information on Germany and Jamaica. We will employ the country s top five exported and imported products for the most recent year available. Furthermore, we will employ the country s top five trading†¦show more content†¦We have selected both governmental as well as private sources for this data, for well-rounded background material. Human Development Index Rankings -- for Germany and Jamaica |Index |Germany |Jamaica | |Overall ranking |5 |85 | |Health – years |80.6 |73.3 | |Education - years |12.2 |9.6 | |Income - as of 2005 International dollars |34,431 |6,701 | |inequality adjusted by HDI value |0.856 |0.591 | |Poverty |n/a |n/a – multi dimensional poverty index. | |Gender |0.075 |0.458 | |Sustainability – Carbon monoxide emission |9.6 |4.5Show MoreRelatedEconmic Concepts in a Bugs Life Movie914 Words   |  4 Pages‘A Bug’s Life’ Economic Concepts The movie â€Å"A Bug’s Life† greatly portrays the way humans have interacted within various economic systems. It resembles the old traditional economies like imperialism, modern market capitalism and historical revolutions. The ant colony, which is the movie’s source of struggle and triumph, represents a typical old traditional economy. The ants relied on the fruits of their own labor. 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