Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that destroys nerve cells and causes disability. The nerve cells gradually break down and die. Muscle twitching, weakness in a limb, or slurred speech is how ALS typically starts. It eventually affects the muscles needed to move, speak, and breath.The disease is progressive, and currently there is no cure for ALS. It belongs to a larger group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases, which are caused by gradual deterioration and death of motor neurons. In ALS, both the upper motor neurons and the lower motor neurons degenerate or die, and stop sending messages to the muscles. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within 3 to 5 years from when the symptoms first appear. The majority of ALS cases are considered sporadic, which means the disease seems to occur at random with no clearly associated risk factors and no family history of the disease. Whereas around 5 to 10 percent of ALS cases are familial, which means that an individual inherits the disease from his or her parents. Signs and symptoms include: difficulty walking or doing ADLs; tripping and falling; weakness in the leg, feet, or ankles; hand weakness or clumsiness; slurred speech or trouble swallowing; muscle cramps and twitching in the arms, shoulders, and tongue; difficulty holding the head up or keeping good posture. ALS most often begins in the hands, feet, or limbs, and later spreads to other parts of the body. Muscles will progressively weaken as the disease advances. ALS doesn’t typically affect senses, thinking ability, or bowel or bladder control. In some ALS cases the disease is inherited, while the others remain with no known cause. Researchers are also looking into gene mutation, chemical imbalances, disorganized immune responses, and protein mishandling. Research is also being done into cellular defects, stem cells, family versus sporadic ALS, biomarkers, and new treatment options.Various risk factors include heredity, age, sex, and genetics. Environmental factors that may tri gger or affect risk of ALS include smoking, environmental toxin exposure, and military service. Complications that people with ALS may experience include breathing problems, speaking problems, eating problems, and dementia. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis can be hard to diagnose early on because it mimics many other neurological diseases. Tests to rule out other conditions may include electromyogram (EMG), nerve conduction study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), blood and urine tests, spinal tap, or muscle biopsy. Treatment for ALS can slow the progression of symptoms, prevent complications, and make a person more comfortable. Two medications are currently approved for the treatment of ALS, Riluzole (Rilutek) and Edaravone (Radicava). A doctor may also prescribe medications to provide relief from symptoms including muscle cramps and spasms, spasticity, constipation, fatigue, excessive salivation, excessive phlegm, pain, depression, sleep problems, and uncontrolled outbursts of laughing or crying. Some therapies that people with ALS can do include breathing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, nutritional support, psychological and social support.

Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Film - Essay Example The essay will summarize the parallels drawn in the film and the metaphoric representation of all the political processes and in conclusion, the paper will discuss how the movie succeeded in emulating and approximating the real-world sentiments. One of the greatest themes discussed in the movie was the theme of democracy. This is not only because Rome was the first empire to implement the basic principles of democracy, but at the time the film was made, the United States was already tackling a string political scandals that the then-President Clinton got involved in and George Bush was about to assume the office soon. The former concept is shown in a very intense scene after Maximus wins a battle in an epic showdown, using his military expertise which grabs Commodus’ attention. The crowd loves Maximus to the point that when he publicly threatens Commodus, he is able to go unharmed and is allowed to live because the public favors him greatly. The aforementioned was not only intense because of the great acting by both Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix, but because of the symbolic value of this entire scene. The gladiatorial games were vastly meant for public entertainment and therefore they had ultimate say in helping the winner achieve glory and position in the society, even though the individual in the arena is more or less of a slave. When Commodus is confronted by Maximus, he is forced to give him the thumbs up as the crowd fervently hailed Maximus and roared his name. The helplessness of their so-called Emperor to public demand was ostensible and such is the case in a democratic system of government, whereas the government caters to serve the public and keep them happy to ensure they do not rebel against them. This is the reason, why Commodus had to put forth a charming and amiable front despite his conniving

Importance of Risk Assessment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Importance of Risk Assessment - Research Paper Example Effective risk assessment is quite crucial to the success of every organization or business activity.Risk assessment requires consistently applying and defining an approach that is tailored to the organization. Any assessment activity begins with the outlay of a plan and scope considering objectives, timing, input, output and responsibility requirements (Wenyuan 21). These responsibilities are assigned to parties that can provide a meaningful perspective on relevant risks. In implementing these responsibilities, one requires input sources which are determined by the information available such as prior assessments, lessons learned and loss data. On the other hand, output requirements are determined based on specific requirements of sponsors and stakeholders. The execution of the assessment process is done once the planning and scoping have been determined. Â  There are several important steps required in carrying out a risk assessment.The first step involves the identification of relevant organization objectives. Identifying relevant objectives provides a basis for ascertaining the potential risks that may have an impact on the achievement of certain objectives. It further ensures relevance of consequential risk assessment and management plan to important organizational objectives. These objectives are usually defined as a number of organizational levels and it is necessary to comprehend how they are formulated. (Vose 12). Moreover, well-formulated objectives are analyzed by considering the weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and strengths.