Tuberculosis :: essays research papers

Tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by a germ (bacterium) called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This germ primarily affects the lungs and may infect anyone at any age. In the United States, the number of TB cases steadily decreased until 1986 when an increase was noted; TB has continued to rise since. Today, ten million individuals are infected in the U.S., as evidenced by positive skin tests, with approximately 26,000 new cases of active disease each year. The increase in TB cases is related to HIV/AIDS, homelessness, drug abuse and immigration of persons with active infections. How is TB Contracted? TB is a contagious or infectious disease that is spread from person-to- person. A person is usually infected by inhaling the germs which have been sprayed into the air by someone with the active disease who coughs. However, inhaling the germ does not usually mean you will develop active disease. A person's natural body defenses are usually able to control the infection so that it does not cause disease. In this case, the person would be infected, but not have active disease. Only about 10% of those infected will actually develop TB in their lifetimes. Active disease can occur in an infected person when the body's resistance is low or if there is a large or prolonged exposure to the germs that overcome the body's natural defenses. The body's response to active TB infection produces inflammation which can eventually damage the lungs. The amount of damage may be quite extensive, yet the symptoms may be minimal. The usual symptoms of disease due to TB are: -Fever -Night sweats -Cough -Loss of appetite -Weight Loss -Blood in the sputum (phlegm) -Loss of energy Diagnosing TB To diagnose TB, your clinician will gather five important pieces of information: -Symptoms -History of possible exposure and onset of symptoms -Tuberculin skin test or PPD -Chest X-ray †¢Sputum test Tuberculin Skin Test The tuberculin skin test (or PPD) is performed with an extract of killed tuberculosis germs that is injected into the skin. If a person has been infected with tuberculosis, a lump will form at the site of the injection--this is a positive test. This generally means that TB germs have infected the body. It does not usually mean the person has active disease. People with positive skin tests but without active disease cannot transmit the infection to others. Chest X-Ray If a person has been infected with TB, but active disease has not developed, the chest X-ray usually will be normal. Most people with a positive PPD have normal chest X-rays and continue to be healthy. For such persons, preventive drug therapy may be recommended. Tuberculosis :: essays research papers Tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by a germ (bacterium) called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This germ primarily affects the lungs and may infect anyone at any age. In the United States, the number of TB cases steadily decreased until 1986 when an increase was noted; TB has continued to rise since. Today, ten million individuals are infected in the U.S., as evidenced by positive skin tests, with approximately 26,000 new cases of active disease each year. The increase in TB cases is related to HIV/AIDS, homelessness, drug abuse and immigration of persons with active infections. How is TB Contracted? TB is a contagious or infectious disease that is spread from person-to- person. A person is usually infected by inhaling the germs which have been sprayed into the air by someone with the active disease who coughs. However, inhaling the germ does not usually mean you will develop active disease. A person's natural body defenses are usually able to control the infection so that it does not cause disease. In this case, the person would be infected, but not have active disease. Only about 10% of those infected will actually develop TB in their lifetimes. Active disease can occur in an infected person when the body's resistance is low or if there is a large or prolonged exposure to the germs that overcome the body's natural defenses. The body's response to active TB infection produces inflammation which can eventually damage the lungs. The amount of damage may be quite extensive, yet the symptoms may be minimal. The usual symptoms of disease due to TB are: -Fever -Night sweats -Cough -Loss of appetite -Weight Loss -Blood in the sputum (phlegm) -Loss of energy Diagnosing TB To diagnose TB, your clinician will gather five important pieces of information: -Symptoms -History of possible exposure and onset of symptoms -Tuberculin skin test or PPD -Chest X-ray †¢Sputum test Tuberculin Skin Test The tuberculin skin test (or PPD) is performed with an extract of killed tuberculosis germs that is injected into the skin. If a person has been infected with tuberculosis, a lump will form at the site of the injection--this is a positive test. This generally means that TB germs have infected the body. It does not usually mean the person has active disease. People with positive skin tests but without active disease cannot transmit the infection to others. Chest X-Ray If a person has been infected with TB, but active disease has not developed, the chest X-ray usually will be normal. Most people with a positive PPD have normal chest X-rays and continue to be healthy. For such persons, preventive drug therapy may be recommended.

Hannibal :: essays research papers

- North American moviegoers were hungry for Hannibal the Cannibal at the weekend. "Hannibal," a thriller starring Sir Anthony Hopkins in a long-awaited follow-up to the 1991 hit "The Silence of the Lambs," grossed a record-breaking $58 million in its first three days of release in the United States and Canada, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday. If the numbers hold when final data are issued on Monday, "Hannibal" will replace 2000's "Mission: Impossible II" ($57.9 million) as the third-highest bow in movie history, after 1997's "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" ($72 million) and 1999's "Star Wars: Episode One -- The Phantom Menace" ($64.8 million). It also set new records for a non-summer opening, an R-rated release and for a release by domestic distributor Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. "I must confess I expected it to be big, but not this big," "Hannibal" producer Dino De Laurentiis told Reuters from Berlin. Indeed most industry expectations were in the $35 million- $40 million range. MGM distribution president Larry Gleason said he had hoped to surpass the $42 million bow of the 2000 horror spoof "Scary Movie," which held the record for an R-rated release. AUDIENCE LOVES THE VILLAIN The film stars Hopkins as elegant cannibal Hannibal Lecter. When he's not disemboweling or dining on his hapless victims, he engages in a transatlantic cat-and-mouse game with FBI agent Clarice Starling, played by Julianne Moore. Jodie Foster played Starling in "Lambs," but opted not to return, reportedly because of the new film's violence. Ridley Scott ("Gladiator") directed. The original was directed by Jonathan Demme. De Laurentiis, in Berlin for the film's screening on Sunday night at the German capital's annual film festival, said audiences have conferred hero status on Hannibal Lecter. "When he's forced to kill, he kills somebody the audience wants to kill too," he said. "'Hannibal' is a picture in its own. It's a picture that will be remembered forever." He said Hopkins, who received a $10 million-plus salary for "Hannibal," had asked to be in a sequel. This was confirmed by MGM's Gleason. Whereas "Silence" and "Hannibal" were based on novels by Thomas Harris, the new project would probably bypass the book stage and go straight to script, Gleason said. As for the violent scenes, both De Laurentiis and Gleason noted that they were staged in an understated way with irony and humor. "It's playing much more fun than violent, in a weird way," Gleason said. "There's a lot of nervous laughter (among the audience).

No to same-sex marriage Essay

â€Å"Everything is permissible, but not everything is helpful. Everything is permissible, but not everything builds up.† I Corinthians 10:23 Against Same Sex Marriage – The Six Point Case Each of these six points against same sex marriage will be explained in detail in the following articles. Click on each link for more explanation. Natural marriage is the foundation of a civilized society. Homosexual behavior is inherently destructive. The law is a great teacher, and it encourages or discourages behavior. Government-backed same-sex marriage would encourage and normalize homosexual behavior, and it would harm natural marriage, children, adults, and homosexuals themselves. The law should promote behaviors that are beneficial and prohibit (or at least not endorse) those that are destructive. Therefore, the law should promote natural marriage, and it should provide no option for government-backed same-sex marriage or civil unions. Against Same Sex Marriage – The Executive Summary Same-sex marriage is a very emotional issue for many people. However, when one separates emotions from facts, it is clear that the state has compelling reasons to endorse natural marriage and not same-sex marriage or civil unions. Natural marriage is the immune system of civilization. When our marriages are strong, our civilization is strong; when they are weak, individuals and communities suffer. Legal endorsement of same-sex marriage would destroy the institution of marriage, resulting in negative effects on children, crime rates, health and health-care costs, tax rates, and religious freedom. Same-sex marriage activists want to redefine marriage as simply a personal relationship between two committed parties, but marriage is much larger than the two parties involved in a marriage. Marriage is a social institution of long-established rules (based on the natural design of the human body) that provides society with the very foundation of civilization—the procreating family unit. That is, marriage is fundamentally about children and the civilization of society both now and for the future. Only natural marriage can procreate and consistently provide a nurturing and stable environment for the growth and maturation of children. In this sense, the most basic and effective â€Å"form of government† is the natural two-parent family. Statistically, children and adults inside of natural marriage are much better off socially, physically, financially, mentally, and emotionally than those outside of natural marriage. Those outside of natural marriage are not only worse off personally by those measures, but they cost society billions of dollars in social welfare and law-enforcement expenses. The law is a great teacher—it encourages or discourages behavior. Since the law is a great teacher, government-backed same-sex marriage or civil unions would put society’s stamp of approval on same-sex relationships and behavior. This endorsement would fundamentally change the institution of marriage to our detriment. It would do the following: Equate same-sex marriage with natural marriage, thereby teaching citizens the socially disastrous ideas that natural marriage is no better than any other relationship and that marriage is not a prerequisite for children. Disconnect marriage from childbearing by making marriage just about coupling. This will result in soaring cohabitation and illegitimacy and painful costs to children and society. Encourage more homosexual behavior, which is medically destructive to those who engage in it and financially burdensome to the public in general. Result in higher medical, health insurance, and tax costs to the general public. Provide legal grounds to  restrict or prohibit religious freedom and free speech. Much of this is already happening in countries that have government-backed same-sex marriage. Natural marriage is weakest and illegitimacy strongest where same-sex marriage is legal. Most homosexuals are not interested in marriage—approximately 96 percent of homosexuals in countries with same-sex marriage do not get married. They want government-backed same-sex marriage because it would validate and normalize homosexuality throughout society. (Homosexuals can already marry privately and many of them do—what they want is government endorsement.) Some homosexual activists admit that they would like to destroy natural marriage by legalizing same-sex marriage. Since they refuse to live by society’s standards, they will only feel validated if they beat down those standards to the level of their own behavior. If they succeed, everyone in our country will be harmed in some way. This House Bill may seem to be very good in its outward appearance but it will simply gave way to the Promotion and Acceptance of Homosexual Lifestyle in the Philippines. If this bill will be approve in Congress who knows what’s next. Let’s Fight Against this Bill to protect the Divine and Natural Institution that God himself Pre-ordained ever since the beginning of time. Let’s make sure that the Philippines will be secure from any danger of accepting a Culture that will go against the Balance of Nature and propagate a lifestyle that will be harmful both today and the Generation to come. A Culture that will be a potential Treat to the â€Å"Divine Institution of Marriage and the Family†. Let’s be vigilant and make sure this Bill will not be approved by participating in this Signature Campaign.

Philosophy Sections 7.1 & 7.2 Essay

1. What are the requirements for knowledge? 4.What is Plato’s allegory of the cave supposed to demonstrate? Plato’s allegory of the cave is supposed to demonstrate not only the human situation in general but Socrates’ life in particular. Socrates glimpsed the true nature of reality and tried to convince the inhabitants of Athens that they didn’t know what they thought they knew. The objects that cast shadows on the wall represent what Plato considers to be the truly real objects: the forms. 5.What is Descartes’ dream argument? Descartes’ dream argument is as followed: 1) We can’t be certain that we’re not dreaming. 2) If we can’t be certain that we’re not dreaming, we can’t be certain that what we sense is real. 3) If we can’t be certain that what we sense is real, we can’t acquire knowledge through sense experience. 4) Therefore, we can’t acquire knowledge through sense experience. According to Descartes, you can’t rule out the possibility that you’re dreaming so you’re senses can’t give you knowledge of the external world. 8. Why do empiricists believe that there are no synthetic a priori truths? Empiricists believe that there are no synthetic a priori truths because they believe that sense experience is our only source of knowledge of the external world. 9.How does Kant explain the possibility of synthetic a priori truths? Kant explained the possibility of synthetic a priori truths by examining the method of inquiry used by mathematicians. Kant found that what makes it possible for mathematicians to discover such truths is that they study the principles the mind uses to construct mathematical objects. Section 7.2 (3 and 4) 3. What is representative realism? Representative realism is the doctrine that sensations are caused by external objects and that our sensations represent these objects. 4. What is the distinction between primary and secondary qualities? The distinction between primary and secondary qualities is that while secondary qualities exist in the mind not in the actual object, primary qualities are possessed by material objects.

Perspectives on Love Essay

Love and relationships are controversial topics in which people encounter on a daily basis. They are also topics that are viewed by many different people, from different perspectives. Three authors write on the topic of love; Katherine Anne Porter in â€Å"Marriage is Belonging†, June Callwood in â€Å"Forget Prince Charming† and Robertson Davies in â€Å"The Pleasures of Love†. Porter argues that both partners must surrender their freedom and social life in order to obtain a steady relationship. She argues this because one must take time out of their social life in order to put time and effort into a relationship. Whereas, Callwood argues that long term relationships are unlike fairy tales and therefore require balance and compromise. Callwood argues this because individuals need to work at their relationship in order for their love to continue to thrive. Lastly, Davies argues when communication and understanding is abundant in a relationship, love is less likely to die. Davies argues this because communication is crucial in respect to discovering the traits and reasoning that brought them together. Individual’s perspectives on love and how to find a lifelong partner differ greatly. Katherine Anne Porter, the author of â€Å"Marriage is Belonging†, writes that one must sacrifice their independence in order to â€Å"†¦share another life, the life in fact presumably dearest to them† (Porter 56). Being united with someone means that one must always be loyal, honest and generous towards their partner. Porter says that these characteristics as well as reducing the importance of a social life â€Å"are required for two people to go on growing together and in the same direction† (Porter58). She uses this quote to explain that one must give up partial freedom so that time and effort can be put into the beginning of their new, shared life. As a result of surrendering one’s social life for a significant other, in return one will be compensated with a permanent place to belong. Likewise Porter, June Callwood believes that one must give something to get something in return. Callwood writes that building a life-long union requires a lot of work and effort. Balance and compromise from both parties is required for a relationship to survive. To prove her thesis Callwood writes â€Å"†¦Dr. William Blatz was asked the secret of his serene marriage. He replied ‘I make the dressing and she makes the salad. ’† (Callwod 323). Callwood effectively uses this quote to demonstrate thatr elationships are a collaboration. Though balance is not always fifty-fifty, effort comes from both sides. In â€Å"Forget Prince Charming† Callwood shares a realistic perspective of a long-term relationship, in which does not involve ‘Prince Charming’, but two individuals who compromise and work towards learning to live with one another. Lifelong relationships do not come easy and are something that partners need to work at. In agreement with Callwood, Davies believes that relationships require effort. In â€Å"The Pleasures of Love†, Davies claims that the love of individuals that confide in each other continues to thrive. He writes, â€Å"†¦knowing only that they will be happier united than apart, they had better set to work as soon as possible to discover why they married and nourish the feeling which has drawn them together† (Davies 53). Davies uses this quote to express that individuals that are in love must discover what they like about their partner in order to enjoy each other’s company and to have a loved plentiful union. In addition, he states in his essay, communication between lovers leads to a stronger, long lasting relationship. â€Å"People who love each other should talk to each other; they should confide their honest emotions, their deepest wishes† (Davies 54). This quote demonstrates that when one shares emotions and secrets with their significant other results in understanding of feelings as well as trust. Communication between partners is an important part of keeping love alive.

The Biology of Sleep Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

The Biology of Sleep - Essay Example Human beings often underestimate the importance of sleep in their lives. Contrary to popular belief, sleep is not a passive phenomenon. It is a dynamic process during which the body recharges, recovers and recuperates. Several physiological systems of the body undergo repair while we sleep. Thus, sleep deprivation can lead to serious health implications. According to the National Sleep Foundation in the United States, human infants require as much as sixteen hours of sleep, while human adults require about eight to nine hours of sleep every night. Women in the first 3 months of pregnancy often need several more hours of sleep than usual. The amount of sleep a person needs also increases if he or she has been deprived of sleep in previous days. Sleep is particularly important for the brain. Even 24 hours of continuous wakefulness can lead to reduced memory and concentration ability, hallucination and mood swings. Precisely how sleep affects human beings is still an area of intense research. Scientists are still trying to comprehend the molecular and physiological functioning of the body in the sleeping stage. But studies conducted so far have only reiterated that sleep is essential for survival. One such study conducted on rats revealed that sleep deprived rats had a severely shortened life span and a breakdown in the immune system. The normal life span of rats is 2-3 years, however sleep deprived rats live for only 3 weeks. These rats develop abnormal low body temperatures and sores on their tails and paws. (Mostaghimi, 2005) Researches conducted over the ages have theorised about the possible functions of sleep. As mentioned earlier, healing and repair are two of the key functions of sleep. A study conducted revealed that sleep hastened the healing process of burn wounds in rats. (Gumustekin et al, 2004) Sleep also forms an important means of energy conservation especially when a person is ill. This probably happens because cytokines, chemicals our immune systems produce while fighting an infection, are powerful sleep-inducing chemicals. Sleep may help the body conserve energy and other resources that the immune system needs to mount an attack. The body is in a quiescent stage while sleeping and considerably less energy is spent in the physiological functioning of the body. Sleep might also be an anabolic state marked by physiological processes of growth and rejuvenation of the organism's immune, nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems (with some exceptions). When a person is in deep sleep, growth hormo nes are released in the body. Also, proteins, which form the building blocks of the body, are produced in large numbers during sleep. The most important function underway in a sleeping human being is memory processing. Scientists have successfully correlated sleep to memory. Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. More specifically, working memory was shown to be adversely affected by sleep deprivation. Working memory keeps information active for further processing and supports higher-level cognitive functions such as decision making, reasoning, and episodic memory. (Turner, 2007) Stages of Sleep A human being usually passes through five stages of sleep. The first four stages can be

Evolutionary Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Evolutionary Ethics - Essay Example What some evolutionists seem to say is that conduct which causes the doer of that conduct or even the race to which he belongs to survive is good conduct. It may be a plausible theory that prolongation of life in the individual or in the race is a good thing, so that all actions leading to it are good, but this is not an evolutionary theory of ethics. Like Sharmer (2004) wrote: "As we transition from kin and reciprocal altruism to species altruism and bio-altruism and as religion continues to give ground to science, we need a new ethic for an Age of Science, a new morality that not only incorporates the findings of science, but applies scientific thinking and the methods of science to tackling moral problems and resolving moral dilemmas. We have done well thus far, but we can do better" (p. 64) In contrast to the Shermer's statement, there seems to be something unstable about every evolutionary theory which tends to turn into a theory of a different type. This is especially true of the greatest revolutionary theories of ethics, that of the twentieth century philosopher, Michael Shermer. Is there a natural selection and a 'survival of the fittest' in the sphere of morality as there is in the sphere of biological evolution According to Shermer "with an ascending hierarchy of needs from self-survival of the individual (basic biological needs), to the extension of the individual through the family (the selfish gene), to a sense of bonding with the extended family (driven by kin selection [or] helping those most related to us), to the reciprocal altruism of the community (direct and obvious payback for good behaviours), to indirect altruism of society (doing good without direct payback), to species altruism and bio-altruism as awareness of our membership in the species and biosphere continue[d] to develop" (p. 20). If we were dealing with the positive science of ethics we could certainly make generalizations very like those that are made by the Shermer. Individuals and races may vary their conduct, just like the 'chance variations' of Shermer, and we may believe that certain varieties of conduct will lead the race or individuals that practise them to survive, while those practising other types of conduct will perish. There may be a struggle for existence in the world of men as in the world of animals; only in the developed stages of that struggle the qualities which lead to survival will change, as Spencer himself realized. According to Richard Dawkin, "such struggle engages not only human beings but lower beings too, all competing with each other for limited resources"1 (Bromberg). His philosophies are significant in realizing that human beings, in spite of everything, still act reluctantly on a biological level. The use of intelligence, as in the construction of aeroplanes and atomic bombs, and co-operation for