Parkinsons Disease Essays (799 words) - Parkinsons Disease

Parkinson's Disease Diseases are sometimes extremely devastating and cruel. Some diseases move very rapidly while others are slow and painful. Treatments are sometimes useful yet other times nothing can stop the silent beasts that lurk in the body. Parkinson's disease is a slow moving disease that slowly corrupts the brain. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic motor disorder that causes tremors, rigidity, slowed body movements, unstable posture and abnormal gait. This happens when neurons, nerve cells, in a part or the brain called the substantial nigra gradually die. These cells normally produce dopamine, a chemical that helps relay messages between areas of the brain that control body movement. The death of the cells leads to abnormal low levels of dopamine, and causes difficulty in controlling muscle tension and muscle movement both at rest and during periods of activity. PD as of now affects about 500,000 Americans, with about 50,000 new cases diagnosed each year. It is generally a disease that affects people of late or middle age at about age 60 however about 5 percent of patients have early-onset PD and are younger than 40 years old when symptoms begin. PD is slightly more common in men then women. So far scientists have not determined the reason why some people develop PD and others do not. Some experts blame a process called oxidation. During oxidation unstable molecules that are produced in the brain as a result of its normal chemical reactions which ultimately damage the brain. Another theory suggests that the effects of toxic affects of drugs may cause PD. Additional evidence suggests that PD may be related to environmental toxins especially because some claim that they have found rates of PD that are higher in rural areas where farming is intense and residents drink well water. So far PD has not been linked to genetic abnormality. PD usually begins as a slight tremor of a hand arm or leg. The tremors usually affect a limb at rest but it also may occur when it is in use. The tremor may improve when the patient intentionally moves the limb or it may disappear entirely during sleep. In the hand the tremor is often described as"pill-rolling" when it affects the thumb and index finger. As PD progresses the tremor may become widespread eventually affecting limbs on both sides of the body. IN addition PD also causes limb rigidity a slowing of intentional body movement unstable posture and gait problems. When bradykinesia affects the facial muscles it may cause drooling, disrupts normal eye blinking interferes with facial expressions. Bradykinesia of the other muscles may affect every day life. The ability to wash or dress him or her self, to use eating utensils becomes very difficult. Also to perform necessary household chores such as washing the dishes or doing laundry also becomes difficult. In many PD patients a problem with balance and unsteady posture occur. This may make it hard for them to lower or raise oneself into a chair. Walking may require small shuffling steps usually without the normal arm swinging motions. Handwriting also becomes shaky and often illegible. Although there is currently no cute for PD its symptoms can be treated with several different types of medication. Antioxidants slow down the progression of existing PD. Dr. Stanley Fahn of Columbia University has found that PD patients given large doses of oral vitamin C and synthetic vitamin and delayed the progression of their disease to the point where they delayed the need for 1-dopa by 2.5 years. The most common conventional treatment for PD is the use of drugs such as l-dopa medications, selegiline (deprenyl and eldepryl) which blocks the breakdown of dopamine in the brain, and anticholinergenic drugs which reduce the amount of acetylcholine produced in the brain which corrects the imbalance between dopamine and acetylcholine. Surgical procedures such as pallidotomy are proving successful in the treatment of PD. Pallidotomy is a procedure in which a small portion of the globus pallidus, a structure deep within the brain, is surgically destroyed resulting in improved motor functioning. Doctors are also finding great success in eliminating tremors by implanting electrodes in the brain. Currently, testing only allows the electrode to be implanted on one side of the brain so if patients have tremors on both sides of the body, they must choose which side they wanted treated. Complementary/alternative therapies for the treatment of Parkinson's are becoming more common because they are proving to slow the progression of the disease in its early stages. Some of these treatments include supplementation with vitamins C, B and

Bernard Surname Meaning and Origin

Bernard Surname Meaning and Origin The common Bernard surname derives from the Germanic given name Bernhard or Beornheard, meaning strong or brave as a bear, from the elements beran, meaning bear and hardu, meaning brave, hardy, or strong. The Bernard surname has appeared with several dozen different spelling variations, originating in a number of different countries. Bernard is the 2nd most common surname in France.   Alternate surname spellings:  Barnard, Bernart, Berndsen, Bernhard, Bernhardt, Bernaert, Benard, Bernat, BernthSurname origin: French, English, Dutch   Where in the World Do People With This Surname Live? According to surname distribution data from Forebears, Bernard is the 1,643rd most common surname in the world- most prevalent in France, and in countries with a French-speaking population or French histories such as Haiti, the Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Belgium, and Canada.  WorldNames PublicProfiler also has the surname as most common in France, followed by Luxembourg and Canada (especially on Prince Edward Island). Geopatronyme, which includes surname distribution maps for different periods of French history, has the Bernard surname as fairly common throughout France during the period 1891–1915, although slightly more common in Paris, and the departments of Nord and Finistà ¨re. The popularity in Nord has continued to increase, now topping the list by a large margin. Famous People With This Last Name Claude Bernard -  French physiologist; pioneer in the introduction of blind experiments and the discovery of homeostasisCatherine Bernard - French novelistÉmile Bernard  - French painterÉmile Bernard  - French composerTristan Bernard - French novelist and playwright Genealogy Resources How to Research French Ancestry - Learn how to research your French family tree with this guide to genealogical records in France. Includes information on both online and offline records including birth, marriage, death, census and church records, plus a letter writing guide and tips on sending research requests to France.Family Genealogy Forum - Search this popular genealogy forum for the Bernard surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Bernard genealogy query.FamilySearch - Explore over 2.3 million historical records which mention individuals with the Bernard surname and its variations, as well as online Bernard family trees.GeneaNet - Includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Bernard surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. References Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Microeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 19

Microeconomics - Essay Example The exchange rate at which the two currencies will be exchanging in the forward contract at the preset future date is fixed and thus the investor is saved from the risk of adverse exchange rate movements. This method eliminates the downside risk but also puts a cap on the profits that could have been received if the exchange rate moved favourably instead of unfavourably. The Purchasing Power Parity is an important concept which links prices, exchange rates and inflation. ‘Three versions of PPP have traditionally been used in the literature.’ (Clark, Bartolini, Bayoumi & Symansky, 1994) These versions include the law of one price, absolute PPP and relative PPP. ‘In relative terms, PPP says that exchange rate move in line with the interest rate differential.’ (Rochon & Vernengo, 2001) On the long-term basis, the lower the inflation the more the currency appreciates and the higher the rate of inflation the greater is the magnitude of the currency’s depreciation. In terms of the of the Ireland and US, the exchange rate went down from $1/â‚ ¬0.70 to $1/â‚ ¬0.65 for the US dollar indicating the depreciation of US dollar in terms of Euro and hence signalling inflation in the US market. On the other side of the picture an appreciation of the Euro signifies low inflation and high growth in the Irish market. In terms of the goods the US dollar could buy â‚ ¬ 0.7 worth of goods one year back and now it can afford only â‚ ¬ 0.65 for the same dollar. Thus the US dollar depreciated indicating inflation in the US market and showing an appreciation of the