Saturday, February 13, 2010
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
State of Research Problem: Post-polio Syndrome
After reviewing several articles on the topic of post-polio syndrome (PPS), I noticed that many of the articles were addressed to nurses, healthcare professionals and doctors. Verite Reily Collins appeared most frequently from the journals Nursing Standard and Practice Nurse in the ProQuest database. The articles I found mainly focused on physical therapies that would be beneficial to PPS patients that have problems with walking and mobility. Most of the individuals that had paralytic poliomyelitis from the 1950’s to the 1970’s now have a 20-50% chance of getting PPS, therefore this is a recent medical discovery. Post-polio syndrome is not recognized as a diagnosis when a patient complains about their legs feeling like jelly when they get out of bed or stiffness after a long walk because polio is a forgotten disease. These articles inform nurses and medical professionals about the condition to make them aware that complaints of muscle fatigue and weaknesses from patients 40+ may be a result of polio, a great epidemic of the 1950's.
Currently there are no medical treatments or preventions for post-polio syndrome therefore it was difficult for me to find any information on many tests and studies. Although, I did find one study that explained how intravenous immunoglobulin is a treatment option for patients with post-polio syndrome. It is found that patients with post-polio syndrome have increased proinflammatory cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid which suggests an inflammatory response in the CNS. There were also signs of inflammation in affected muscles. The group that was doing this study hypothesizes that since there is inflammatory in the muscles and CNS, intravenous immunoglobin could benefit patients with post-polio syndrome. This test showed improvement only in a 6 month period but more long-term data is required.
Since this is a newly recognized syndrome, there is little to know about medical and neurological treatments. Hopefully in the future, as more PPS patients are recognized, scientists will come up with a solution to eliminate this problem.
Currently there are no medical treatments or preventions for post-polio syndrome therefore it was difficult for me to find any information on many tests and studies. Although, I did find one study that explained how intravenous immunoglobulin is a treatment option for patients with post-polio syndrome. It is found that patients with post-polio syndrome have increased proinflammatory cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid which suggests an inflammatory response in the CNS. There were also signs of inflammation in affected muscles. The group that was doing this study hypothesizes that since there is inflammatory in the muscles and CNS, intravenous immunoglobin could benefit patients with post-polio syndrome. This test showed improvement only in a 6 month period but more long-term data is required.
Since this is a newly recognized syndrome, there is little to know about medical and neurological treatments. Hopefully in the future, as more PPS patients are recognized, scientists will come up with a solution to eliminate this problem.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Article Analysis
This article describes eradication efforts in Ghaziabad, India where the polio virus has been extremely difficult to wipe out due to poverty, living conditions, overcrowding and lack of sanitation. Leslie Roberts explains how the World Health Organization coordinates a team to visit Ghaziabad in the article, “Fighting Polio Block by Block, House by Shack” from the science journal Science AAAS published March 26, 2004. The purpose of the article is to provide some information to the public and organizations working with the WHO on eradicating the polio virus, which is possible yet challenging in some parts of the world especially the slums of India. Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad is an area where it is the most difficult to eliminate due to its condition. The writer describes the environment that the children in this particular state in India are living in and how easily they could be infected with the polio virus. Roberts mentions WHO’s tremendous efforts on their mission to send volunteers to every home in Ghaziabad, demanding and persuading parents to vaccinate their children. These well-trained volunteer vaccinators are monitored so that no children are left unvaccinated. This is a serious issue that WHO has been working on for the past two decades and Roberts explains it clearly in this article the endeavor WHO has put in trying to completely eradicate the virus.
The northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh offers an almost perfect environment for the virus to survive--even thrive (Roberts). It is difficult trying to eliminate the virus in this area due to the environmental conditions. The homes in this poor state do not have toilets or running water except for a single standpipe, making the growing population of children more vulnerable to the polio virus. Children sit and play bottomless in the mud where human and animal feces drain out from ditches.
The World Health Organization and its partners have been working together to eradicate the disease for more than 20 years, yet their toughest challenge is India. Parts of India are ideal niches for the virus, which its route of infection is fecal-orally, to remain in existence. Hundreds of millions of dollars, including from Indian government funding, was spent in 2004 to send out volunteers, vaccination booths, vaccinators and supervisors to vaccinate the 165 million children in India. They would receive two drops of the oral polio vaccine (OPV). There would be a two-person team of volunteers consisting of health workers, teachers, midwives, whoever the government could enlist that visit homes carrying insulted bags full of vaccines and ice packs. After the visiting the homes, they would mark the house with the chalk “P” or “X” to indicate success or fail respectively of vaccination. If all of the children where home, there would be a “P”, if parents refused or any of the children were not immunized for some reason, then there would be an “X”. The house would then be revisited by the same team or community leaders. The vaccinators are also supervised and tested to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to do.
The writer clearly explained the living conditions that these children are living in. It explains how difficult and important it is for the team of vaccinators to locate and vaccinate every single child. She described with significant details what the World Health Organization is doing on their strict mission to eradicate the problem.
This is an important update on the polio eradication efforts by the World Health Organization and its partners and the ongoing problems faced in countries living in poverty, overcrowding and lack of sanitation not only by the organization but also by the millions of children living in this country.
Reference
Roberts, Leslie. 2004. “Fighting Polio Block by Block, House by Shack” [Internet 2004 March 26. High Wire Press. [cited 2009 May 31] Available from http://www.sciencemag.org.mutex.gmu.edu/cgi/search?fulltext=polio&andorexactfulltext=or&titleabstract=&andorexacttitleabs=or&title=&andorexacttitle=or&author1=&author2=&datetype=rangedates&fmonth=Jul&fyear=1880&tmonth=May&tyear=2009&hits=10&sortspec=relevance&search_keyword-submit.x=0&search_keyword-submit.y=0&search_keyword-submit=search&resourcetype=1%2C10&tocsectionid=all
The northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh offers an almost perfect environment for the virus to survive--even thrive (Roberts). It is difficult trying to eliminate the virus in this area due to the environmental conditions. The homes in this poor state do not have toilets or running water except for a single standpipe, making the growing population of children more vulnerable to the polio virus. Children sit and play bottomless in the mud where human and animal feces drain out from ditches.
The World Health Organization and its partners have been working together to eradicate the disease for more than 20 years, yet their toughest challenge is India. Parts of India are ideal niches for the virus, which its route of infection is fecal-orally, to remain in existence. Hundreds of millions of dollars, including from Indian government funding, was spent in 2004 to send out volunteers, vaccination booths, vaccinators and supervisors to vaccinate the 165 million children in India. They would receive two drops of the oral polio vaccine (OPV). There would be a two-person team of volunteers consisting of health workers, teachers, midwives, whoever the government could enlist that visit homes carrying insulted bags full of vaccines and ice packs. After the visiting the homes, they would mark the house with the chalk “P” or “X” to indicate success or fail respectively of vaccination. If all of the children where home, there would be a “P”, if parents refused or any of the children were not immunized for some reason, then there would be an “X”. The house would then be revisited by the same team or community leaders. The vaccinators are also supervised and tested to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to do.
The writer clearly explained the living conditions that these children are living in. It explains how difficult and important it is for the team of vaccinators to locate and vaccinate every single child. She described with significant details what the World Health Organization is doing on their strict mission to eradicate the problem.
This is an important update on the polio eradication efforts by the World Health Organization and its partners and the ongoing problems faced in countries living in poverty, overcrowding and lack of sanitation not only by the organization but also by the millions of children living in this country.
Reference
Roberts, Leslie. 2004. “Fighting Polio Block by Block, House by Shack” [Internet 2004 March 26. High Wire Press. [cited 2009 May 31] Available from http://www.sciencemag.org.mutex.gmu.edu/cgi/search?fulltext=polio&andorexactfulltext=or&titleabstract=&andorexacttitleabs=or&title=&andorexacttitle=or&author1=&author2=&datetype=rangedates&fmonth=Jul&fyear=1880&tmonth=May&tyear=2009&hits=10&sortspec=relevance&search_keyword-submit.x=0&search_keyword-submit.y=0&search_keyword-submit=search&resourcetype=1%2C10&tocsectionid=all
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Single Research Topic
Polio and Post-polio Syndrome
Polio is a naked, single-strand RNA-containing virus from the Picornoviridae family, one of the smallest viruses. The virus is spread through the fecal-oral route and is incubated for 7-14 days. It replicates on the tonsils of the throat and in the small intestines. It may also go to the lymph nodes of the neck and ileum, to the blood to cause viremia or to the central nervous system. Once it gets into the central nervous system, it may replicate in the motor neurons causing death of the motor neurons. The remaining motor neurons sprout new terminal axons that can innervate orphaned muscle cells to form a large mass of motor unit so that there is muscle activity. Most individuals who experience this will suffer from paralysis, which cause muscle weakness especially in the legs. Post-polio syndrome occurs in about a quarter of the individuals that had polio when they were a child. It is due to the failure of the over-sized motor units that was formed during the time the neurons innervated the orphaned muscle cells.
Polio was a major endemic in the early 1950’s affecting more than 50,000 Americans with a mortality rate of 12%. Luckily two types of vaccines, Salk’s and Sabin’s, were introduced and immediately wiped out the disease. However, 20-30 years later, people reported having, unexpected fatigue, pains in muscles and joints and especially muscle weakness due to degeneration of the motor neurons. After years of functionally of the large mass of motor neurons, they begin to break down causing weakness. This may be an unexpected problem for survivors of polio from the 1950’s.
The number of individuals that suffered from polio is relatively low because a vaccine was developed only a decade after the endemic occurred. However, my reason for choosing this topic is because I know someone that was infected with polio when they were a child and I would like to write an informative paper that might help survivors of this epidemic understand about post-polio syndrome. It is important to know about post-polio syndrome because maybe one day, scientists may find some type of treatment or prevention to the deterioration of muscle cells.
Is there a way to prevent post-polio syndrome from occurring?
Polio is a naked, single-strand RNA-containing virus from the Picornoviridae family, one of the smallest viruses. The virus is spread through the fecal-oral route and is incubated for 7-14 days. It replicates on the tonsils of the throat and in the small intestines. It may also go to the lymph nodes of the neck and ileum, to the blood to cause viremia or to the central nervous system. Once it gets into the central nervous system, it may replicate in the motor neurons causing death of the motor neurons. The remaining motor neurons sprout new terminal axons that can innervate orphaned muscle cells to form a large mass of motor unit so that there is muscle activity. Most individuals who experience this will suffer from paralysis, which cause muscle weakness especially in the legs. Post-polio syndrome occurs in about a quarter of the individuals that had polio when they were a child. It is due to the failure of the over-sized motor units that was formed during the time the neurons innervated the orphaned muscle cells.
Polio was a major endemic in the early 1950’s affecting more than 50,000 Americans with a mortality rate of 12%. Luckily two types of vaccines, Salk’s and Sabin’s, were introduced and immediately wiped out the disease. However, 20-30 years later, people reported having, unexpected fatigue, pains in muscles and joints and especially muscle weakness due to degeneration of the motor neurons. After years of functionally of the large mass of motor neurons, they begin to break down causing weakness. This may be an unexpected problem for survivors of polio from the 1950’s.
The number of individuals that suffered from polio is relatively low because a vaccine was developed only a decade after the endemic occurred. However, my reason for choosing this topic is because I know someone that was infected with polio when they were a child and I would like to write an informative paper that might help survivors of this epidemic understand about post-polio syndrome. It is important to know about post-polio syndrome because maybe one day, scientists may find some type of treatment or prevention to the deterioration of muscle cells.
Is there a way to prevent post-polio syndrome from occurring?
Article #14: Triphenyltin Cause Deformation to Sturgeons
Beijing’s Yangtze River has been a home to Chinese sturgeons (Acipenser sinensis) for 140 million years, making them the world’s oldest fish. However, for the past 30 years, the number of sturgeons have declined 85% due to overfishing and lack of spawning areas. Now, there is a new threat, which is from a chemical called triphenyltin (TPT) that is used on ship hulls and fishing nets to prevent from algae buildup and other aquatic hitchhickers. Triphenyltin gets washed off and gets into the Yangtze River causing deformation to the sturgeons.
A group of researchers collected 1000 sturgeon larvae and tested them with triphenyltin to determine the deformities. Results showed that 6.3% exhibited morphological deformities such as gnarled spinal cords, and 1.2% had only one eye or no eyes at all (Fenn 2009). They also tested sturgeons TPT-free environment and found that there was a 0.66% morphology rate and no ocular deformities. A close relative of the Chinese sturgeons, Acipenser baerii, were exposed to TPT and results showed the same incidence as the Chinese sturgeons.
Not only does TPT affect the morphology of the sturgeons, it also causes reproduction complications. Banning of TPT will not fix the damage that has already been done because TPT takes a long time to breakdown. TPT will continue to cause damage to the sturgeons for years.
Citation Information
Fenn, Josh. 2009 “Toxin Is Accelerating Demise of Fossil Fish” ScienceNOW Daily News[Internet] Washington DC and Cambridge, UK: High Wire Press; 2009 [cited 2009 May 27]. Available from http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2009/527/4
A group of researchers collected 1000 sturgeon larvae and tested them with triphenyltin to determine the deformities. Results showed that 6.3% exhibited morphological deformities such as gnarled spinal cords, and 1.2% had only one eye or no eyes at all (Fenn 2009). They also tested sturgeons TPT-free environment and found that there was a 0.66% morphology rate and no ocular deformities. A close relative of the Chinese sturgeons, Acipenser baerii, were exposed to TPT and results showed the same incidence as the Chinese sturgeons.
Not only does TPT affect the morphology of the sturgeons, it also causes reproduction complications. Banning of TPT will not fix the damage that has already been done because TPT takes a long time to breakdown. TPT will continue to cause damage to the sturgeons for years.
Citation Information
Fenn, Josh. 2009 “Toxin Is Accelerating Demise of Fossil Fish” ScienceNOW Daily News[Internet] Washington DC and Cambridge, UK: High Wire Press; 2009 [cited 2009 May 27]. Available from http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2009/527/4
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Article #13: Giant Trees in Yosemite Disappearing
Yosemite National Park located in California is home to many plants and animals. Due to climate changes, their giant trees are declining. The result of the declining number in trees came from data that was collected by ecologists suggesting that the density of the trees have fallen 24% in the last 70 years. The giant trees play an important role in the ecosystem of the park because their canopies provide shade and protection for the animals that live around the trees. The canopy is also home to many insects, birds, squirrels and other animals. These old, large trees are able to withstand fires and storms so without the trees, the ecosystem may be in trouble. What is worrisome is that Yosemite is a protected park and the fact that the trees here are declining makes people wonder what are happening to other trees that are not protected and monitored? They say one worrying aspect of the decline is that it is happening within one of most protected forests within the US, suggesting that even more large trees may be dying off elsewhere (Walker 2009). Scientists are unsure of what is causing these trees to disappear but it seems to be caused by climate change. Warmer temperatures are causing the trees to dry. The lack of forest fire is causing smaller trees and shrubs to grow which is competition for water.
Citation Information
Walker, Michael. 2009 “Yosemite’s Giant Trees Disappear” BBC News [Internet] 2009 May 22 [cited 2009 May 26] Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8063000/8063392.stm
Citation Information
Walker, Michael. 2009 “Yosemite’s Giant Trees Disappear” BBC News [Internet] 2009 May 22 [cited 2009 May 26] Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8063000/8063392.stm
Polio - Quorum Sensing - Stem Cell
Poliomyelitis and Post-polio Syndrome
Polio is a naked, single-strand RNA-containing virus from the Picornoviridae family, one of the smallest viruses. The virus is spread through the fecal-oral route and is incubated for 7-14 days. It replicates on the tonsils of the throat and in the small intestines. It may also go to the lymph nodes of the neck and ileum, to the blood to cause viremia or to the central nervous system. Once it gets into the central nervous system, it may replicate in the motor neurons causing death of the motor neurons. The remaining motor neurons sprout new terminal axons that can innervate orphaned muscle cells to form a large mass of motor unit so that there is muscle activity. Most individuals who experience this will suffer from paralysis, which cause muscle weakness especially in the legs. Post-polio syndrome occurs in about a quarter of the individuals that had polio when they were a child. It is due to the failure of the over-sized motor units that was formed during the time the neurons innervated the orphaned muscle cells.
Is there a way to prevent post-polio syndrome from occurring?
Quorum Sensing
Quorum sensing is a two-component signaling system in which bacteria sense and respond to changes in the environment. It is a communication network between bacteria by detecting environmental cues such as oxygen levels, nutrients, osmotic concentrations, capsule formation, pH, motility, etc. Bacteria are able to secrete signaling molecules that creates gene expressions and activate certain genes. They use quorum sensing to coordinate certain physiological activities such as biofilm formation, toxin production, virulence factors and motility and many more. Bacteria communicate with each other by releasing molecules called autoinducers into the environment that binds to a receptor that was able to detect the signaling molecule, which then activates gene expression.
How can quorum sensing be useful when developing vaccines or treatments?
Stem cells
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells which convert to specialized cells that are useful mainly for medical treatments in replacing diseased or damaged tissue. They have the ability to grow and transform to specialized cells such as blood cells, muscle cells, skin, organ tissues, etc. There are different types of stem cells that can be found in different parts of the body. They can be found in 4-5 day old embryos (totipotent) which have the highest potential for use in regenerating or repair diseased organs and tissues. Adult stem cells are found in several parts of the body including the bone marrow, the placenta and umbilical cords. Amniotic stem cell from the amniotic sac of a fetus contains a large amount of stem cells that are able to differentiate to various types of tissues such as nerve, brain, bone and other cells.
How do stem cells know what to differentiate into?
Polio is a naked, single-strand RNA-containing virus from the Picornoviridae family, one of the smallest viruses. The virus is spread through the fecal-oral route and is incubated for 7-14 days. It replicates on the tonsils of the throat and in the small intestines. It may also go to the lymph nodes of the neck and ileum, to the blood to cause viremia or to the central nervous system. Once it gets into the central nervous system, it may replicate in the motor neurons causing death of the motor neurons. The remaining motor neurons sprout new terminal axons that can innervate orphaned muscle cells to form a large mass of motor unit so that there is muscle activity. Most individuals who experience this will suffer from paralysis, which cause muscle weakness especially in the legs. Post-polio syndrome occurs in about a quarter of the individuals that had polio when they were a child. It is due to the failure of the over-sized motor units that was formed during the time the neurons innervated the orphaned muscle cells.
Is there a way to prevent post-polio syndrome from occurring?
Quorum Sensing
Quorum sensing is a two-component signaling system in which bacteria sense and respond to changes in the environment. It is a communication network between bacteria by detecting environmental cues such as oxygen levels, nutrients, osmotic concentrations, capsule formation, pH, motility, etc. Bacteria are able to secrete signaling molecules that creates gene expressions and activate certain genes. They use quorum sensing to coordinate certain physiological activities such as biofilm formation, toxin production, virulence factors and motility and many more. Bacteria communicate with each other by releasing molecules called autoinducers into the environment that binds to a receptor that was able to detect the signaling molecule, which then activates gene expression.
How can quorum sensing be useful when developing vaccines or treatments?
Stem cells
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells which convert to specialized cells that are useful mainly for medical treatments in replacing diseased or damaged tissue. They have the ability to grow and transform to specialized cells such as blood cells, muscle cells, skin, organ tissues, etc. There are different types of stem cells that can be found in different parts of the body. They can be found in 4-5 day old embryos (totipotent) which have the highest potential for use in regenerating or repair diseased organs and tissues. Adult stem cells are found in several parts of the body including the bone marrow, the placenta and umbilical cords. Amniotic stem cell from the amniotic sac of a fetus contains a large amount of stem cells that are able to differentiate to various types of tissues such as nerve, brain, bone and other cells.
How do stem cells know what to differentiate into?
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