Abstract This paper depicts the emotional and psychological struggle the author goes through in "The Broken Cord" by Michael Dorris which is about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
Abstract This paper investigates the probability that without effective intervention, umbilical cord banking will no better serve certain population groups, particularly minorities, any more effectively than existing bone marrow technology. It looks at how umbilical cord banking is more and more becoming a 'hot topic' among medical communities the world over and how recent technological advances have enabled scientists to bank umbilical cord blood as a source of hematopoietic stem cells for both pediatric and adult patients with certain blood related disorders.
Outline
Introduction
Significance of the Study
Literature Review
Benefits Cord Banking
Cord Blood Vs. Bone Marrow Transplantation
The Effects of Intervention
Summary of Preliminary Literature Review
Methods
Possible/Anticipated Results
From the Paper "Ballen, et. Al (2002) performed a study comparing the racial composition of five member cord blood banks of the National Marrow Donor Program. The study examined cord blood and bone marrow donors using self reported racial designations and questionnaire, and showed that cord blood banks in California, Florida and Massachusetts recruited a lower percentage of minorities than the bone marrow centers in the same areas. However in New York and Colorado the recruitment for minorities was the same in both cord banks and marrow centers. However, the study also showed that in all of the centers examined, cord blood banks generally recruited a lower percentage of minorities than "those delivering at the respective hospitals" with the authors concluding that the problems of insufficient minority recruitment with regard to cord blood banking "Has not yet been solved" (Ballen, et. Al, 2002:1247)."
Abstract This paper examines the neuroanatomy of the spinal cord in layman's terms. It outlines the operation of the spinal cord and its composition. It also surveys consequences of injuries to the spinal cord and treatments.
Abstract This paper discusses that the impact a spinal cord injury (SCI) has on the sexual functioning depends on the type and level of injury, the treatment and the medication used. This paper reports that the physical effects following severing of the spinal cord are the lack of sexual arousal due to psychogenic stimuli; physiological arousal is possible. The author believes it is important that the patient's condition is evaluated recognizing the change in lifestyle that SCI demands.
From the Paper "As in all other human bodily systems, the central nervous system controls sexual function. Any injury to the central nervous system consequently affects sexual function. The question is to what extent function and sensation will be affected with injuries at various levels and degrees of severity. (Boller & Frank, 1982) In the normal course of life, women generally have alterations in their sexual desire, ability to lubricate and/or have comfortable intercourse, or in their ability to reach or feel orgasm. Changes to genital sensation or urinary or bowel incontinence also affect the sexual response. Fortunately, women with neurological changes not affecting their hormonal status are usually fertile. Like men, overall sexual functioning, and risk of bladder and bowel incontinence, mobility issues, general health, medication, relationships and sexual self-view also determine a woman's sexual interest."
Abstract This analyses the infections of spinal cord. It discusses the causative organisms and recent researches with main stress on the patho-physiology of the infections.
This paper reviews and analyzes Michael Dorris's non-fiction book "The Broken Cord" which focuses on the legal, medical and social ramifications of fetal alcohol abuse.
Abstract This paper examines the negative connotations and societal undertones surrounding single parenthood and the traumatic effects of fetal alcohol syndrome as detailed in "The Broken Cord," the non-fiction book written by Michael Dorris. This paper discusses complex issues such as ethnicity, adoption and the human limitations of medical understanding.
This paper also details the author's struggles in adopting his own son Adam.
From the Paper "The first major issue presented in the book is the negative connotations and societal undertones surrounding single parenthood, and particularly, single fatherhood. Despite that the book was written in 1989, society has not progressed much since Dorris encountered the ramifications and implications surrounding this issue when he decided to adopt Adam in the 1970s. He notes that his family had historically been comprised of single parents, but admitted that it was generally women, and therefore, mothers who had raised the children."
Abstract The paper discusses the new trend of banking personal umbilical cord blood intended for private use in the United Kingdom. The paper looks at the position of supporters and opponents and shows how this ethical controversy touches upon many issues raised by a national healthcare system. The paper suggests two solutions and maintains that a balance between public and private funds must always be negotiated, even in a system of socialized medicine.
From the Paper "According to Leroy C Edozien of the British Medical Journal, increasing numbers of women in maternity units across the United Kingdom are requesting doctors to collect and preserve their umbilical cord blood when delivering their babies to enable the women to privately store the umbilical cord stem cells for possible transfusions in the future. "Umbilical cord blood is rich in stem cells that can be used to treat patients with abnormal haematopoietic cell lines, childhood leukemia, or metabolic diseases. Bone marrow is used for this purpose, but cord blood is cheaper and easier to obtain and less likely to trigger a harmful immune response or rejection in the recipient" (Edozien 2006). The NHS of Britain has been banking donated cord blood since 1996 in public banks operated by the National Blood Service that are voluntarily and anonymously donated to be used for general purposes in the larger population."
Abstract Umbilical cord blood offers great hope for the future of stem cell research and use. This paper examines the potential of these types of stem cells in order to demonstrate how stem cells from umbilical cord blood can help scientists solve the ethical debate and provide sick patients with hope for life.
Paper Outline
Introduction
Stem Cell Background
About Umbilical Cord Stem Cells
Umbilical Cord Blood Process
The Great Stem Cell Debate
Conclusion
Works Cited
From the Paper "Estimations regarding the need for a given cord blood sample vary. One estimate of a child needing his or her own cord blood stem cells is 1:10,000 (Wolf, 2002). Another places the odds at 1:1000 to 1:2000. The probability of use varies depending on individual circumstances. Disturbing statistics reveal that every year there are about 8,000 new cases of cancer in children under the age of 15. These children could potentially benefit from the use of cord blood stem cells, so perhaps expectant parents should make the effort to donate their newborn's cord blood or store it for their own family's potential use."
Abstract This paper examines job placement issues, with specific emphasis on the population of people with spinal cord injuries. There are many job placement issues that individuals both with and without spinal cord injuries face. Among them are finding meaningful and long-term employment that matches one's individual skills, talents, experience, and ability. The paper contends that job placement is a critical issue for many people with spinal cord injuries, as maintaining some form of meaningful employment has been shown to improve the overall quality of life and reported life satisfaction among persons with spinal cord injuries.
Outline
Introduction
Characteristics of the Population
Review of Literature
Recommendations and Applications to the Field of Rehabilitation
Conclusion
From the Paper "Individuals with spinal cord injuries face lifelong challenges with regard to lifestyle and employment. Studies suggest that several factors may impact an individual's probability of acquiring meaningful employment after their injury. Job placement analysis and strategy is complex in a traditional setting. When addressing a population as unique and diversified as that of the disabled, the challenge becomes even more complex and complicated, presenting a unique area of study for rehabilitation specialists."
Abstract This paper examines the condition, which is a congenital defect that is present at the birth of a child. It explains that it is caused by problems with early development of the spine, the main defect being the failure of the closure of the vertebral column, that is, the bony column that surrounds the spinal cord. It also shows that, without this closure, the spinal cord is not afforded the usual protection of the vertebrae and is left open to either mechanical injury or invasion by infection.
From the Paper "However, spina bifida may be treated with utero surgery. While this is a risky yet promising procedure, it appears to improve short-term outcomes (Worcester, 2003). Dr. Joseph Bruner, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Vanderbilt, states that, ?To date, more than 250 surgeries to repair the lesions associated with spina bifida have been performed at centers such as Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of California, San Francisco, and Vanderbilt University.? In utero repair has several advantages over postnatal surgery. They include potentially fewer urinary infections, less gastrointestinal reflux, improved fetal leg function and cognitive development, and less need for shunt placement with careful patient selection."
This paper explains that stem cell research is leading scientists to investigate the possibility of treating disease with cell-based therapies, often referred to as regenerative or reparative medicine.
Abstract This paper relates that implanted stem cells used to repair or replace damaged tissues are less likely to be rejected by the body's immune system than other foreign cells. The author points out that germ line cells and adult stem cells are less versatile than embryonic stem cells, which can develop into every type of tissue found in an adult; however, the processes that control this development are at present not fully understood. The paper discusses that BioMark International, a privately funded Biotech Group, provides access to a unique method of Cord Blood Stem Cell (CBSC)processing by which CBSCs are derived from the umbilical cords from natural full term births of consenting mothers, all of whom have been tested according to standards set by the American Association of Blood Banks .
From the Paper "In May 2004, Nancy Reagan, whose husband former President Ronald Reagan was at the time suffering the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, urged the Bush administration to support embryonic stem cell research and said that too much time had been wasted discussing the issue. Although a Republican, Mrs. Reagan has been critical of the Bush administration for blocking public funding of stem cell research due to the party's ethical reservations concerning embryo research. Speaking at a fundraising dinner for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, she said she believed the research could lead to a cure for Alzheimer's disease, and "may provide our scientists with many answers that for so long have been beyond our grasp...I just don't see how we can turn our backs on this...We have lost so much time already...I just really can't bear to lose any more.""
Abstract In this article the writer notes that stem cells have received much attention because of their unique capacity to renew themselves and morph into several different types of specialized cells. The writer also points out that the practice of harvesting stem cells from aborted fetuses has received much criticism from conservative groups, prompting President Bush to halt federal funding for stem cell research. This paper argues that there is a way to accommodate ethical concerns, while reaping the benefits of stem cell research. The writer maintains that umbilical cords are a viable source of stem cells, and do not raise the same ethical issues as harvesting from fetuses. The writer argues, therefore, that parents should be strongly encouraged to donate their newborns' umbilical cords to public and private banks, to provide scientists with a source of stem cells for their life-saving research.
From the Paper "Already, umbilical cord stem cells are proving remarkably promising in the treatment of diseases. Researchers have already identified some 67 afflictions that have been successfully treated with cord blood stem cells, and more illnesses are being added to that list. Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, for example, have released a study regarding the use of cord blood stem cells in the treatment of Krabbe's Disease, a fatal disorder of the central nervous system. Babies born with this hereditary disease suffer seizures, blindness, deafness and feeding problems before death at around age two. However, the researchers found that infusing newborns at birth with the cord blood stem cells from an unrelated donor are still alive well past their second birthday. Though some of the children show problems walking, the majority score normally on cognitive development tests and all the children exhibit normal vision."
Abstract This paper examines how being a minority, specifically an African- American minority with a spinal cord injury or other disability, impacts one's lifestyle, outlook, social status, and potential for success/employment.
From the Paper "According to Killeen & O?Day (2002), a new paradigm of disability has emerged in the last two decades that views persons with a disability as the product of the interaction between individuals and their surroundings. New research has worked toward crafting a new definition of disability, one that defines disability as a product of the interaction between "the individual and environment" suggesting that the problems associated with a disability "stern from a disabling environment rather than from the personal defects of deficiencies" (Killeen & O?Day, 2002, p. 9)."
Abstract This paper examines how multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system malfunctions and targets and destroys the myelin and oligodendrocyte cells of the brain and spinal cord. It looks at how the disease also causes irreparable damage in the central nervous system (CNS) by destroying targeted axons. It also discusses how treatment of the disease includes the treatment of acute symptoms and treatments to reduce the frequency of the relapse of the disease.
From the Paper "The pathology of MS involves inflammation of the targeted area, demyelination of the axon and axon degeneration. Axon degeneration permanently destroys the demyelinated axon and causes irreversible damage to the CNS. This damage is responsible for the persistent disabling features of the disease. The CNS performs as a distributed network of activities. MS attacks individual parts of the CNS causing varied degrees of disabilities in specific domains of neurological function. Therefore, no two MS patients are affected in exactly the same way. MS is usually first diagnosed between 15 and 50 years of age (Randall, & Schapiro 2003). "
Abstract The paper states that a spinal cord injury (SCI) affects not only the approximately 350,000 individuals in the United States who are living with SCI, but also the spouses, siblings, sons, daughters and other family members that have to cope with the sudden changes in lifestyle(s) that portends such injuries as well. The paper seeks to ascertain how a SCI affects the quality of life (QOL) for both the individual suffering from the injury and the family caregivers that are associated with the victim as well. The paper defines QOL in an acceptable manner and also observes the positive and negative responses from those individuals who have to cope with the effects that those sudden changes bring about.
Outline:
Introduction
SCI Background
Methodology
Coping
Need and Significance
From the Paper "Some of the incurred expenses can include around the clock nursing care; respiratory therapy; modifying an automobile for transportation; adaptive equipment such as a special air mattress bed which will turn and position the individual; a sip and puff wheelchair; physical therapy; adaptive clothing; supplies such as supra pubic supplies; bed bags, etc. These expenses do not include costs to attain a higher level of health, but are only coincidental to maintaining an already reached level. Along with the financial burden that such an injury can induce is the emotional and mental and psychological stress that takes its toll on the victim and surrounding families members."
