The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks free essay sample

Lacks is a mother of five and leads a regular and happy life with her husband, children, and other relatives. This perfect world suddenly disappears when she realises that she has a knot in her womb. She goes to John Hopkins Hospital for treatment. She has cervical cancer. The hospital takes advantage of the situation and of her colour. They use her cancerous cells for research. They repeatedly expose her to high amounts of radiation in order to extract more cells. Years after her inevitable death, her family c to know about HeLa. They are devastated. Through her portrayal of the impact that the revelation of HeLa had on the Lacks family and the fact that the doctors at John Hopkins repeatedly exposed Henrietta to radiation in order to take cancerous cells from her body, Rebecca Skloot brings two questions to mind- Does science murder to dissect? Is taking someone’s cells without their permission ethical? II. We will write a custom essay sample on The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Author’s Background Rebecca Skloot is a science writer. She has written articles for the New York Times Magazine, O, The Oprah Magazine, and Discover, on topics like goldfish urgery, tissue ownership rights, race and medicine, and food politics (Skloot www). Skloot attained her Bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, and her MFA in creative non-fiction writing (Skloot, www). Being a graduate in biological sciences, Skloot would have a thorough understanding of the main argument presented by the story of Henrietta Lacks. The very fact that Skloot has written on tissue ownership rights and, race and medicine, implies that she has researched both topics well and is an authority on them. She perfectly combines scientific knowledge with emotional impact in the book. She uses the Henrietta Lacks’s daughter, Deborah’s feelings and emotions to literally tug at the heartstrings of the audience. Rebecca Skloot presents the facts as they are. Although, she does try to imply the fact that Henrietta’s cells were used because of her color; however, she leaves it to the reader to form their own opinion as to whether it was right or not. Skloot does not allow her opinion to come in the way and bias the author’s viewpoint. She presents the differing viewpoints and opinions of the family and the researchers. III. The Book’s Argument Rebecca Skloot’s main argument in the book is that researchers should take permission from people before using their cells, tissues, or any other body part for research. It does not matter if the tissue is waste material after a surgery; it was a part of the other person’s body at some point. The person has privacy rights and nobody, regardless of level of authority has a right to violate that privacy. The author develops her argument by quoting what researchers the world over have to say about the case, by talking about the family, and also by mentioning an interesting case called Moore vs. Regents of University of California (Moore vs Regents www). Rebecca Skloot met a lot of doctors and scientists when writing the book. She went to John Hopkins Hospital numerous times during the ten year time period. Researchers in the hospital claimed that Dr. George Gey, the first person to work with the HeLa cells did not earn a lot of money from Henrietta’s cells. (John Hopkins www). However, other researchers in countries like Sweden, Russia, and France earned a lot of money for just researching. A certain amount of the taxes that we pay are contributed to research in the sciences. Henrietta’s cancerous cells helped form a vaccine for polio. They were used for testing human sensitivity to cosmetics. Cancer research is being aided by cancerous HeLa cells. All these researchers acknowledge the fact that Henrietta’s cells are priceless and they have led to enormous breakthroughs in medicinal science. Very few, however, concede to the fact that Henrietta’s family should be compensated and that Henrietta should have been asked before her cells were taken. Henrietta Lacks’s children were devastated when they realised that their mother’s cells had been taken without her permission. They felt that it was unfair that they were living in penury- they could not afford college, health insurance, or any of the luxuries that the rest of the world takes for granted; while their mother’s cells were earning scientists millions of dollars. The emotional impact on the family was even greater. Henrietta’s daughter Deborah is literally the driving force of the book. Skloot helps her make peace with HeLa cells and the fact that although it is not well acknowledged, her mother’s contribution to science would help other people in need- it would be invaluable. The children research their mother by reading articles on her. They try to visualise what kind of a person she would have been. The mood point that Skloot tries to make here is that, although the children knew how their mother’s cells helped the world, they did not basic things about her like- what colour she liked best, what kind of clothes she liked to wear, what she liked to do. They wanted recognition more than compensation. They wanted the world to realise that their mother was a person too (New York Times www). Skloot’s use of the Moore vs Regents of UCLA case plays a very important role in defining the purpose of the book. John Moore was being treated for hairy cell leukaemia by Dr. Golde of UCLA. Golde saw this as a wonderful opportunity to start of a new line of cells-the Moore cells. Therefore, he repeatedly took cells from the patient’s body over a period of seven years. Golde took samples of blood, bone marrow and spleen for Moore. When Moore finally came to know what was happening through his attorney, he fought the case in court against UCLA for malpractice. The court verdict conceded to the fact that Moore had a right to know what was happening to his cells but he did not have any right over a discarded part of his body. Through this example, Rebecca Skloot emphasises the rights of the patient over even discarded parts of their body. It is not ethical to take someone’s cells without asking. They have a right over every part of their body and they have a right to knowledge (Moore www). IV. Opposing Points of View Many people, however, argue that cell research is invaluable and it helps people in wonderful ways. Researchers say that the amount of good that cell research does by saving people’s lives is much too great to be evil. It has led to vaccines being created for illnesses like polio, smallpox, chickenpox and mumps. It can also help cure Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and spinal cord injuries. The two examples below help support the opposing viewpoints. On the 8th of June this year, Timothy Brown had been cured of AIDS using stem cell research. The blood stem cell transplant that he received was particularly resistant to the HIV virus. Researchers hope to treat other such cases with umbilical cord transplants. This example contradicts with the argument in the book in the sense that it opposes Skloot’s implied claim that cell research is not as good as it seems. Although, there is no apparent controversy about ownership rights in this case, there is still a remote chance of some sort of scandal. The scale of this treatment was not too large and as a result it does not have a negative impact on either the patient or the donor. Probably the fact that there are a lot more laws concerning research nowadays prevents a case like Henrietta Lacks’s case (ABC news www). Other scientists claim that although the patient has a right to know if their cells are being used for research, they cannot lay any claim on the profits from the research other than treatment (San Diego www). This viewpoint would be unethical in the view of the book because it completely contradicts the book’s main argument. It is important to advance in technology but it should not be so overbearing that all rules are forgotten. If a scientist is working on new type of cell research, they need to comply to all the ethics associated with it. They cannot just let a patient be ignorant of the fact that their cells are being used. Doctors in John Hopkins have dedicated an entire section to Henrietta Lacks on their website. However, they do not feel even a little remorseful about the fact that they had not asked either Henrietta or her family for permission to use her cells for research (John Hopkins www). V. Conclusion In conclusion, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks emphasises that although the HeLa cells play a very important role in advancing major technology, the scientists should have informed the Lacks family that the cells were being used. Ethicality would have been in actually asking either Henrietta or her husband for written permission to use the cells. Rebecca Skloot perfectly contrasts the views of the family and the views of researchers. Skloot does not try to imply that cell research is wrong, she just calls for a more ethical procedure. Her purpose was also to tell the world about Henrietta’s story. She brings to light the fact that we have all been helped by Henrietta in some way or the other. She persuades the audience to be thankful to this great woman. It was indeed a touching and beautiful narrative. VI. Works Cited

Tips for Moving out of the Dorms

Tips for Moving out of the Dorms Moving out of the dorms? Two semesters is more than enough time to pack all sorts of debris into  a college dorm room. Here are some expert tips to make the process a little easier. 10 Tips for Moving out of a Dorm Room Spring Cleaning:  Encourage the notion of a pre-spring break cleaning. Doing a trash purge just before spring break means that much less garbage to deal with on the last day of school. You know your child will bring home bags of dirty laundry, but if weather permits, have him bring home any winter clothing, boots and/or flannel sheets that he doesnt still need at school.Divide and Conquer: If your child is coming home at any time before the end of the second semester, or you are going to visit him, take an empty duffel bag or two and start packing up winter clothing and any other non-essentials. Every bag you can get out of the room early is a bag you won’t have to deal with on the last day of school.Consider Summer Storage: If your childs dorm room has accumulated a lot of possessions - hes purchased a mini-fridge, for example, or youve traded in the Suburban for a Prius - you may want to consider a summer storage option. Store bulky possessions at a self-storage place near campus and you wont have to move it back next fall either. Most self-storage places take reservations, so youll want to reserve a unit 30 days ahead. Purge the Fridge, Dump the Trash: Have your child empty his refrigerator as soon as his last final is over, and start taking trash to the dumpsters. Wait till the day the dorms close and those dumpsters will be full.Sell the Books: Encourage your child to assess his textbooks and sell back anything he no longer needs. English lit books - Canterbury Tales, for example, and 1984 - can be used by siblings or friends forever, but genetics textbooks become obsolete very quickly. Sell them to the campus bookstore, via Amazon or Craigslist or through a textbook rental company such as Chegg.com, where, for example, an excellent condition, Organic Chemistry textbook that retails for $156 can be sold back for $81 or traded in for $89 in Chegg Dollars - which can be used, in turn, to rent next years textbooks. And Chegg pays the postage. Any of those options are preferable to lugging heavy books home to rot in your garage.Bring Supplies: It is easier to pack a car with regularly shaped objects – boxes or large Rubbermaid bins - as opposed to black plastic trash bags, grocery bags, and loose items. So bring packing boxes, rolls of packing tape, a roll of paper towels, a bottle of cleaning fluid, and a few trash bags for actual trash. Wear grubbies. Bring bottles of water and granola bars. Empty and Load: Time for the move! Empty all drawers, desks, cupboards and closets. Check the area under the bed and atop tall pieces of furniture. Pack boxes and tubs as neatly as possible, so they hold as much as possible. Dont mix dirty laundry into boxes of clean contents. Take water breaks, watch your back, and clean as you go. Use the corridor as a staging ground, stacking each packed box neatly against the wall until youre ready to make a trip down to the car.Consider Donations: You may find there are some items that you and your child will be willing to part with if space doesn’t permit them aboard – rugs, for example, or oddly shaped, relatively inexpensive items, such as electric fans or lamps. So many items of this sort get thrown away on the move-out day, some schools have started setting up separate dumpster areas so those items can be salvaged and donated. If your childs school does not have such plans, consider doing a Goodwill or thrift store run before packing for home. Pack Em Up, Move Em Out, Rawhide: If you have lined up summer storage space, either in campus housing or off-campus, move those items first. Then enlist all your Tetris skills and start loading your car with everything that’s coming home. Save soft items – blankets, bedding, and overcoats – to stuff into nooks and crannies and pad fragile items.Final Sweep: When the room is completely empty, do one last drawer and cupboard check. Check the restroom too, if your child has a toiletry cupboard there. Sweep out the dorm room and mop off any obvious grunge. Unplug the mini-fridge and arrange for pickup. Pull out the dorm checklist the university gave you last fall, the one that lists existing damage, and go over it with an R.A. so your child can check out. One last potty stop, hugs all around and you’re off! Now the only problem is, where to put all that stuff when you get back home...

Congress Members Who Voted Against the 2002 Iraq War

Congress Members Who Voted Against the 2002 Iraq War The directionless Iraq War has killed over 4,100 U.S. soldiers, wounded or maimed more than 200,000 more, and delivered a devastating blow to our countrys reputation and moral authority. Its time we honor the members of Congress who voted in 2002 to prevent the Bush administrations hasty rush into an unprovoked attack and occupation of Iraq. Voter Breakdown The dramatic, much-debated vote on Joint Resolution 114 was taken on Oct. 11, 2002. It passed the Senate by a vote of 77 to 23, and the House of Representatives by a vote of 296 to 133. In the end, 156 members of Congress from 36 states had enough information and personal insight and wisdom to make the correct decision for our nation and the world community. Six House Republicans and one Independent joined 126 Democratic members of the House of Representatives in voting NAY. In the Senate, 21 Democrats, one Republic, and one Independent courageously voted their consciences in 2002 against the War in Iraq. These discerning, courageous leaders are exactly what our country needs to lead us out of the present abyss in Iraq under the Bush Administration. We can trust their judgment! Voting Record This convenient list is organized by state, and features all 156 members of Congress who voted NAY to the War in Iraq, including their political affiliations. State Congress Name Party Notes Alabama Rep Earl Hilliard D retired from office Arizona Rep Ed Pastor D Arkansas Rep Vic Snyder D California Sen Barbara Boxer D California Rep Joe Baca D California Rep Xavier Becerra D California Rep Lois Capps D California Rep Gary Condit D California Rep Susan Davis D California Rep Anna Eshoo D California Rep Sam Farr D California Rep Bob Filner D California Rep Mike Honda D California Rep Barbara Lee D California Rep Zoe Lofgren D California Rep Robert Matsui D deceased California Rep Juanita Millender-McDonald D California Rep George Miller D California Rep Grace Napolitano D California Rep Nancy Pelosi D California Rep Lucille Roybal-Allard D California Rep Loretta Sanchez D California Rep Hilda Solis D California Rep Pete Stark D California Rep Mike Thompson D California Rep Maxine Waters D California Rep Diane Watson D California Rep Lynn Woolsey D Colorado Rep Diana DeGette D Colorado Rep Mark Udall D Connecticut Rep Rosa DeLauro D Connecticut Rep John Larson D Connecticut Rep James Maloney D Florida Sen Bob Graham D Florida Rep Corrine Brown D Florida Rep Alice Hastings D Florida Rep Carrie Meek D retired from office Georgia Rep John Lewis D Georgia Rep Cynthia McKinney D Hawaii Sen Daniel Akaka D Hawaii Sen Daniel Inouye D Hawaii Rep Neil Abercrombie D Illinois Sen Dick Durbin D Illinois Sen Bobby Rush D Illinois Rep Jerry Costello D Illinois Rep Danny Davis D Illinois Rep Lane Evans D Illinois Rep Luis Gutierrez D Illinois Rep Jesse Jackson Jr. D Illinois Rep Bill Lipinski D retired from office Illinois Rep Jan Schakowsky D Indiana Rep Julia Carson D Indiana Rep John Hostettler R Indiana Rep Pete Visclosky D Iowa Rep Jim Leach R Maine Rep Tom Allen D Main Rep Baldacci D Maryland Sen Barbara Mikulski D Maryland Sen Paul Sarbanes D Maryland Rep Benjamin Cardin D Maryland Rep Elijah Cummings D Maryland Rep Connie Morella D Massachusetts Sen Ted Kennedy D Massachusetts Rep Michael Capuano D Massachusetts Rep Bill Delahunt D Massachusetts Rep Barney Frank D Massachusetts Rep Jim McGovern D Massachusetts Rep Richard Neal D Massachusetts Rep John Olver D Massachusetts Rep John Tierney D Michigan Sen Carl Levin D Michigan Sen Debbie Stabenow D Michigan Rep David Bonior D Michigan Rep John Conyers Jr. D Michigan Rep John Dingell D Michigan Rep Dale Kildee D Michigan Rep Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick D Michigan Rep Sandy Levin D Michigan Rep Lynn Rivers D Michigan Rep Bart Stupak D Minnesota Sen Mark Dayton D Minnesota Sen Paul Wellstone D deceased Minnesota Rep Betty McCollum D Minnesota Rep Jim Oberstar D Minnesota Rep Martin Olav Sabo D Mississippi Rep Bennie Thompson D Missouri Rep William Clay Jr. D MIssouri Rep Karen McCarthy D retired from office New Jersey Sen Jon Corzine D New Jersey Rep Rush Holt D New Jersey Rep Robert Menendez D New Jersey Rep Frank Pallone Jr D New Jersey Rep Donald Payne D New Mexico Sen Jeff Bingaman D New Mexico Rep Tom Udall D New York Rep Maurice Hinchey D New York Rep Amo Houghton R New York Rep John LaFalce D New York Rep Gregory Meeks D New York Rep Jerrold Nadler D New York Rep Major Owens D New York Rep Charles Rangel D New York Rep Jose Serrano D New York Rep Louise Slaughter D New York Rep Edolphus Towns D New York Rep Nydia Velazquez D North Carolina Rep Eva Clayton D retired from office North Carolina Rep David Price D North Carolina Rep Melvin Watt D North Dakota Sen Kent Conrad D Ohio Rep Sherrod Brown D Ohio Rep Stephanie Tubbs Jones D Ohio Rep Marcy Kaptur D Ohio Rep Dennis Kucinich D Ohio Rep Thomas Sawyer D Ohio Rep Ted Strickland D Oregon Sen Ron Wyden D Oregon Rep Earl Blumenauer D Oregon Rep Peter DeFazio D Oregon Rep Darlene Hooley D Oregon Rep David Wu D Pennsylvania Rep Robert Brady D Pennsylvania Rep William Coyne D retired from office Pennsylvania Rep Mike Doyle D Pennsylvania Rep Chaka Fattah D Rhode Island Sen Lincoln Chafee D Rhode Island Sen Jack Reed D Rhode Island Rep James Langevin D South Carolina Rep Gresham Barrett R South Carolina Rep James Clyburn D Tennessee Rep John Duncan Jr R Texas Rep Lloyd Doggett D Texas Rep Charles Gonzalez D Texas Rep Ruben Hinojosa D Texas Rep Sheila Jackson-Lee D Texas Rep Eddie Bernice Johnson D Texas Rep Ron Paul R Texas Rep Silvestre Reyes D Texas Rep Ciro Rodriguez D retired from office Vermont Sen Jim Jeffords D Vermont Sen Patrick Leahy D Vermont Rep Bernie Sanders I Virginia Rep Jim Moran D Virginia Rep Bobby Scott D Washington Sen Patty Murray D Washington Rep Jay Inslee D Washington Rep Rick Larsen D Washington Rep Jim McDermott D District of Columbia Rep Brian Baird D West Virginia Sen Robert Byrd D West Virginia Rep Alan Mollohan D West Virginia Rep Nick Rahall D Wisconsin Sen Russ Feingold D Wisconsin Rep Tammy Baldwin D Wisconsin Rep Jerry Kleczka D retired from office Wisconsin Rep David Obey D

Family health Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Family health Assessment - Essay Example The family is financially sound and qualifies to be a middle-income family. The children are students in high school and college. The health patterns are based on Gordon’s list of functional health patterns (2008). The following is the summary of their responses to the assessment questions. The family is conscious about health. The family engages in several activities aimed at boosting their health. The parents and children understand the importance of healthy living and regard each other dearly. There is a very strong bond holding the family together. In addition, the family belongs to the catholic faith that advocates better family values and morals. However, they do not follow the religious tenets fully. The family considers diet as the most influential aspect of their health. The mother is a major decision maker on the type of food the household eats. She expressed her confidence that her meals are well balanced and were the basis of the good health of family members. The family members also participate in sports and other activities with the neighbors to boost their health and maintain relations in the neighborhood. On average, the family sleeps around 7 hours a night. Mostly, the father, who is a professor at a local college, wakes up around 5am to prepare for his lectures. The family admitted that the hours they dedicate to sleep are enough to rejuvenate their body and mind. However, the father is compelled by work to sleep fewer hours, thus is unsatisfied and has to take a nap sometime within the day. The children often slept around 11 pm and wake up for school at 6 am. Due to the busy nature of the parents, exercising is a rare phenomenon. The only notable exercise is when participating in the community games. The daughters are also busy with their education and thus find little or no time for exercises. However, the daughter’s activity level is a bit higher due to schools games and activities that call for their

Finding common ground Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Finding common ground - Essay Example Both its proponents and opponents are very vocal about their respective points of view. Some headway has been made as regards this issue within specific states in America. However, the jury is still out on certain contentious issues regarding this matter. These include matters such as; who has the right to define what a marriage is, should a judge decide on such matters, or should this decision be left to the public through a popular vote. In the Newsweek article by Anna Quindlen, the author starts by recognizing the significance of the ruling in Loving v. Virginia which stated that interracial marriages were not illegal as had earlier been ruled. Before this, it was considered a crime to be party to interracial marriage and Mr. Richard Loving and his wife Mildred Jeter were accused of miscegenation (Quindlen, 1). The Supreme Court ruled that marriage is one of the basic civil rights of man and cannot be denied on the basis of race. In this article the author who is a proponent of same sex marriage argues that in most cases the decision against same sex marriage are influenced by the financial factor and in most cases religion is only used as a scapegoat for the rejection of same sex rights(Quindlen, 2). The author argues that by continuing to refuse to legally recognize unions between individuals of the same sex, there are benefits that are being forgone such as the ability of these couples to adopt children and give them a better chance of advancing in life. The author also scoffs the notion that allowing homosexuals to adopt children will distort the image of marriage in the eyes of these children, arguing that heterosexuals have already done this on their own without much help from the gay community (Quindlen, 4). In the second article titled Interracial Marriage: Slippery Slope? By La Shawn Barber, the author argues that the decision in Loving v Virginia was totally justified and cannot be compared to gays demanding for the right to marriage (La

Structures And Functions Of Cells In Nervous System Biology Essay

Structures And Functions Of Cells In Nervous System Biology Essay Neurons are the nerve cells; they contain a cell body, an axon, and dendrites. The cell body is the part that contains the nucleus and cytoplasm. The axon is a piece that extends from the cell body; its job is to send impulses away from the cell body. Most are covered with myelin sheath. This sheath helps protect the axon and speeds the impulse. The dendrites branch off from the cell body also, their job is to send impulses to the cell body. Neuralgia is a connective tissue that supports the neurons. Their job is to protect the nervous system. Astrocytes look like star-shaped cells; they are the biggest of the neuroglial cells in the central nervous system. Astrocytes surround the brains blood capillaries to form blood-brain barriers which protect the brain from harmful substances. Microglia are smaller cells that eat cellular debris, waste, and pathogens in nerve tissue. Oligodendrocytes are in the interstitial nervous system, smaller than astrocytes. They wrap around axons to form myelin sheaths. As stated above, the sheaths protect the axons and speed the nerve impulses. Describe the structures and functions of the  peripheral nervous system (PNS). Be sure to include the nerves associated with the PNS, and contrast the functions of the somatic and autonomic nervous systems. The peripheral nervous system consists of nerves, which transmit impulses from the brain to other parts of the body; and ganglion, which are masses of nerve cell bodies that connect structures. There are two main groups of nerves: the afferent nerves and the efferent nerves. The afferent nerves send information from the body to the brain. The efferent nerves send information from the brain to the muscles. The system is then broken into the somatic and autonomic nervous systems. The somatic nervous system regulates the voluntary controlled parts of the skeletal muscles, while the autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary controlled parts like smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, the glands, and secretions. The autonomic nervous system is also broken into two parts: the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. The sympathetic division responds when the body is in danger, increases heart rate, blood pressure, etc. The parasympathetic division is when the body is relaxed and resting. It is responsible for things like constriction of pupil, slowing of heart, and digestive systems. Name the two primary components of the  central nervous system (CNS).   Describe the protective membranes associated with the CNS. Differentiate between afferent and efferent nerve structure and function. The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord. The brain is protected by the skull and the spinal cord is, obviously, protected by the vertebrae. They are also surrounded by meninges and by cerebrospinal fluid. The meninges are three protective layers of tissue. The outermost layer is the dura mater, the middle is the arachnoid membrane, and then the pia mater is the innermost layer. The cerebrospinal fluid flows all around the brain and spinal cord. It provides nutrients to the central nervous system. The spinal cord consists of afferent and efferent nerves. The afferent nerves send information from the body to the brain. The efferent nerves send information from the brain to the muscles. Name and give a brief description of the structures of the brain. Include the functions of these structures. The four major divisions of the brain are the cerebrum, the cerebellum, the diencephalon, and the brain stem. The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain. It is the whole top portion of the brain; it controls the memory, sensations, and voluntary movements. The cerebellum is attached to the brain stem and its main function is to coordinate body movements and balance. The diencephalon is in between the cerebrum and the midbrain. It consists of the thalamus, which is in charge of the sensory stimuli; the hypothalamus, which is in charge of sensory functions (i.e.: sleep, appetite, etc.); and the pineal body, which is in charge of regulating the bodys biological clock. The brain stem is between the spinal cord and the diencephalon and consists of the medulla oblongata, the pons, and the upper part of the midbrain. The brain stem is the path for impulses between the brain and the body. Choose 10 pathological conditions affecting the nervous system; describe each including diagnosis and treatment, if applicable. Alzheimers disease is a progressively fatal disease. It destroys brain cells and causes memory loss. Gradually over time the person will no longer be able to write or perform tasks, and then it gets to the point that the person cannot even control bodily functions such as bowel and bladder movements. There is not really a diagnostic test yet that has identified Alzheimers. There is no cure for AD, but the use of tacrine hydrochloride is used in mild cases to improve memory. Bells palsy is generally a temporary paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face following trauma. Diagnosis is simply the inability to close eye or drooling because of no control of facial muscle on one side of the face after a trauma has occurred. There is really no treatment needed, however, facial massage, heat, prednisone for swelling, or analgesia for pain all help. Anencephaly is when there is no brain or spinal cord at birth. The only diagnosis is through an amniocentesis during pregnancy, and there is nothing they can do. Carpal tunnel syndrome is pressure on the median nerve caused by swelling of the tendons. Doctors diagnose carpal tunnel based on the symptoms of tingling in the fingers or palms of hands, pain in the wrists, or weakness in hands. Treatment uses splints, anti-inflammatory drugs, and sometimes surgery. Cerebral contusion occurs when the brain hits the inner skull and causes a bruise of the brain, happens most often in car accidents. If doctors suspect a cerebral contusion they can have an MRI or CT scan run. Treatment consists of close observation, if there is a lot of intracranial pressure then surgery may be needed. Huntingtons chorea is an inherited, degenerative disorder. The characteristics are spontaneous involuntary motor movements, speech problems, and restlessness. Since the disease is inherited, genetic testing could be done to diagnose the disease even before it begins. There is unfortunately no cure for this disease. There are many support groups for families affected by the disease. Narcolepsy is a sleeping disorder where the person can fall asleep randomly for minutes or even hours at a time. A polysomnogram can be performed to evaluate the persons sleep patterns. There is no cure, but medications are used to control the symptoms. Shingles (herpes zoster) is a viral infection that causes a rash on the body; occurs mostly in adults over 50. Flu-like symptoms, GI disturbances, tiredness, and rash are all symptoms that help to diagnose the disease. Treatments are used to help ease pain and get you better faster (analgesics or antiviral medications). Paraplegia is caused when there is severe injury to the spinal cord, results in paralysis of the lower half of the body. There is no treatment for paraplegia. However I did see online that there are many support groups for anyone who knows or falls victim to paraplegia. Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. MS destructs the myelin surrounding nerves of the CNS. There are many symptoms that indicate someone could have MS: Unsteady balance, numbness of multiple extremities, facial numbness, and even impotence in males. When a doctor suspects MS an MRI may be performed, complete blood count, and spinal fluid evaluation. As with many of the diseases of the nervous system, there is no cure for MS. There are some medications that have helped prolong remissions, and as always there are support systems to help the family and persons affected by the disease.

Changing Learning Styles in the Light of New Educational Technology Essay

Over the last twenty years technology is guiding our lifestyle, i. e. how we should live, how should we communicate and also how one shall learn. Discoll (2000) defines learning as â€Å"a persisting change in human performance or performance potential which must come about as a result of the learner’s experience and interaction with the world. † In other words learning is defined as lasting changed state (emotional, mental physiological- skills) brought about as a result of experiences and interactions with the content or people. This definition holds the notion that gaining knowledge is an objective of learning (or a style) that is attainable if not already innate through either reasoning or experiences. It is known that learners create knowledge as they make attempts to understand their experience, as they are not empty vessels to be filled in with knowledge Instead learners are actively attempting to create meaning, they often select and pursue their own learning styles. Although it is believed that real life learning is messy and complex, but methods which emulate the fuzziness of this kind of learning is more effective for lifelong learning. Earlier the life of knowledge is measured in decades but today as knowledge is growing exponentially, and there we may have such fields where the life of knowledge is measured in months and weeks. Today what is known may become obsolete after few weeks. According to (ASTD) American Society of Training & Documentation the amount of knowledge in the world has doubled in the past 10 years and is doubling every 10 months as a result this is responsible for the shrinking half life of knowledge. It is believed that because of these trends in the development of knowledge formal education remains no more the ultimate source of learning, rather learners are switching on to a variety of sources like personal networks, communities of practice and personal experiences. As we can no longer personally experience and acquire learning that we need to act in this digital age making connections has become necessary to keep moving the learning theories. We may derive our learning, competence and expertise by forming connections with the experiences of others, as experience has long been considered the best teacher of knowledge, so here the quote â€Å"I store my knowledge in my friends mind† becomes an axiom for collecting knowledge by collecting people of varied experiences. Chaos is the new reality for the learners to attain knowledge, as with Chaos learners foster their understanding by deriving out the meaning of their task which has hidden patterns and their chaos unveil that meaning. Chaos as a science connects specialized communities and further it connects everything to anything. It recognises the adjacent patterns for new knowledge which is a key to learning. Since technology is getting advanced day by day thereby altering one brain, it further defines and shapes our thinking. In today knowledge economy it is necessary to form connection between the sources of information in order to develop useful informational patterns or a network, it can be computer or social networking which works on the simple principle that people groups systems nodes, entities all can be connected to create an integrated whole. This way sharing and exchanging of ideas may greatly lead to the notion of serendipity, innovation and creativity. In their new learning styles if students are connected to their teachers, their peers, and with other social groups through various networks. It may be possible that they come up with new ideologies and experiences which will result in the enhancement of their learning, researches in the past have indicated that cognitive (interactive and experimental) learning is the result of â€Å"Mental Construction† in a collaborative learning environment. It is believed that 1. Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions. 2. Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes (experts) or information sources. 3. Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known. 4. Nurturing and maintaining connective bonds is needed to facilitate continual learning. 5. An ability to seek connections between fields, ideas and concepts is a skilful learning. 6. Updated knowledge is the index of all learning activities. Learners change as the knowledge keeps on changing from time to time, learning styles acknowledges the tectonic shifts in society where learning is no longer an internal individualistic activity and learners no more permissive sponges. It requires us to rethink and redesign our learning styles for the digital age. This paper is an attempt to provide an insight into new form of learning style and tasks needed for learners to compete and flourish in this age. Connections based on small efforts of many with the large efforts of few, where flow of knowledge starts when the individual enters into his social network, add something from the global nodes comes back to him. Radio and television, print media are just a one way preposition, they push their contents to us, but the web is a two way push and pull. It connects the learners directly to the sources it can be live as on line and offline too. Web has the ability of two ways reciprocity, another important aspect of learning through web is that it is the medium that honours the notion of multiple intelligences as experts from all over the world are at an ease to contribute their knowledge at a single platform. Web has become a great tool for writers as they provide the learners learning with entertainment, it has multiple forms of intelligence abstract, textual, visual, musical social and kinaesthetic. Learning through web has a chance to construct a medium that enables all young people to become engaged in their ideal way of learning. The Web affords the match we need between a medium and how a particular person learns. One of the goal of Learner is to have course curricular to be offered in multiple formats – teach Led, CD- Rom, DVD, Video and internet , Mobile Phones, Spoken and written Information, Conferencing, Virtual Classrooms etc. The right technology used appropriately can greatly enhance the learning experience. The key to choosing the right technology to support learning is to match the technology to the learner and the learning context. E-learning has a two way benefit for learners, one to have professional lessons from the experts and to have the lessons available at anytime as online subject matter of different courses is being delivered over the internet, and is available for all learners. The most common function used in online learning style is electronic mail that allows students and teachers to send and receive messages along with attached files. In addition web conferencing capabilities let participants conduct multi-person discussions, either in real time (chats) online or off time, combination of technology with personal contact and support is optimal for pedagogy. If the faculty members of distant learning integrate technology into their teaching it will be of great help in mentoring and giving time to time support to the learners.