From the Paper
"Legionnaires' Disease
Introduction & Definition
Legionnaires' disease is a worldwide lung infection, named after an outbreak of pneumonia that took place during a legionnaires' convention. Legionnaires' disease is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and some outbreaks of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) (Roig, Carreres, & Domingo, 1993). This research paper will present the etiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of legionnaires' disease.


Etiology
Legionella pneumophila was identified as the causative agent of the outbreak of pneumonia during the legionnaires' convention. Aside from L. pneumophila, a number of newly identified species..."

Abstract
Examines the treatment of Mad-cow disease in the media, and by the government.
Discusses the following topics
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Scrapie
What Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Do
Two Theories on the Action of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies
British Government Admits Mad Cow Disease Exists (1987)
Testing Results by the British government MAFF
Culpability of the British Medical Society
The Spread of CJD
Steps Taken by the British Government

From the Paper
"Where the industry has gone wrong is in listening to the PR people. The mad-cow epidemic is not an information management issue?it is a disease that will not go away.? These words are from an interview with Dr. Pringle, a member of the Sperling Biomedical Foundation, and the founder of www.mad-cow.org. I believe that they highlight what has been fundamentally wrong about the treatment of mad-cow disease by the British government and the British media. Several grave errors have been made about the treatment of this issue, and they continue to have repercussions today, as we explore America's mad-cow incidents, and rising problems in Europe, Asia, and South America. At the time this paper was written, mad cow disease had been confirmed in domestic cattle in Belgium, France, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain and Germany."

Tags:biomedical, bovine, britain, cjd, creutzfeldt, encephalopathies, encephalopathy, jakob, medical, scrapie, sheep, spongiform, transmissible

Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses chronic obstructive pulmonary lung disease (COPD). Specifically, the paper offers a definition and description of COPD as well as enumerating the causes, symptoms, conventional diagnosis, transmission (including heredity/genetic factors impacting transmission), prognosis and prevention of the disease. In the end, the paper highlights how a largely preventable malady nonetheless has long-term and frequently deadly consequences for those who refuse to engage in a healthy lifestyle.

Tags:chronic, obstructive, pulmonary

Abstract
This paper takes an in-depth look at Alzheimer's disease, a degenerative brain disorder that was first identified in 1906 by Alois Alzheimer. This disease represents the single most prevalent form of brain disorders and is also the leading cause of dementia, affecting approximately 4.5 million people in the Untied States. The paper provides a brief overview of the disease, the symptoms, the diagnostic procedures and the treatment methods in order for us to gain a better understanding of this degenerative brain disorder.

Outline:
Introduction
Alzheimer's Disease
Early and Late onset Alzheimer's Disease
Symptoms of the Disease
Memory Loss and Language Disorder
Depression
Dyspraxia and Agnosia
Diagnosis
Tests for Cognitive Impairment
Positron Emission Topography
Major Causes of Alzheimer's Disease
Amyloid Plaques
NeuroFibrillary Tangles
Metal ions
Treatment Methods
Restoring Cholinergic Transmission
Anti-inflammatory Drugs
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Considerable reduction in cholinergic transmission is one of the primary causes for the loss of memory and other associated symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and other kinds of dementia. Hence pharmacological treatment for AD mainly revolves around rectifying this circulatory deficit within the brain. Compounds designed to enhance cholinergic transmission constitute an important part of the treatment plan. Acetylcholine the neurotransmitter of the brain is considerably broken down in-patients suffering from AD and other dementias. The underlying mechanism of the neurotransmitter can be simplified as follows. An electrical impulse generated passes along the nerve and when it reaches the end it triggers the release of chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters, which in turn diffuse along the synaptic cleft and react with the specific receptor sites on the organ. Activation at the receptor junction initiates a series of chemical reactions resulting in a specific biological response. "

Tags:physiological, emotional, strain, pharmacological, neurotransmitter, brain, nerve, neurofibrillary, tangle, CT, scan, EEG

Abstract
This paper discusses how AIDS is the most virulent disease even known to affect humanity, and Africa has been particularly hard hit. This paper examines this pandemic in terms of its incidence and its epidemiological profile. The paper focuses on Africa and more specifically on sub-Saharan Africa. In addition this paper pays special attention to the interesting case of South Africa and the crucial subject of mother to child transmission.

Tags:aids, africa, mtct

Abstract
The paper offers a definition and description of chronic obstructive pulmonary lung disease (COPD). The paper looks at the causes, symptoms, conventional diagnosis, transmission, prognosis and prevention of the disease. The paper seeks to highlight how COPD has long-term and frequently deadly consequences for those who refuse to engage in a healthy lifestyle.

From the Paper
"The online MedlinePlus medical encyclopedia defines Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary (Lung) Disease (also known as COPD) as a group of lung diseases which cause swelling of the airways; the same source then lists Emphysema and "chronic bronchitis" as two of the most common forms of COPD (sec.3). To expand upon the last sentence a little more fully, the National (U.S.) Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute defines Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Lung Disease as being, fundamentally, a progressive state of airway constriction and obstruction that ultimately leads to dramatically reduced lung function - even fatally reduced lung function (1-2). To summarize, Chromic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease may best be described as an incurable and progressive disease that attacks the pulmonary capacity of the lungs; in particular, the disease either (in the case of chronic bronchitis) causes mucus build-up in the bronchial tubes or (in the case of emphysema) sufficiently irritates the alveoli that they become "stiff" and unable to hold air - thereby ensuring that the body is not taking enough oxygen into it at the same time as it cannot get rid of unwanted carbon dioxide (American Academy of Family Physicians, para.1-4)."

Tags:bronchial, tubes, alveoli, airways, constriction, obstruction, emphysema, lifestyle

Abstract
This paper discusses Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), also known as spongiform transmissible encephalopathis or infectious amyloidoses, is a dementing disease that results from a prion. Specifically, it describes the definition, occurrence, onset, symptoms and fatal outcome of the disease.This paper asserts that by studying the disease as it manifests in various cases, doctors can become familiar with earlier symptoms and diagnosis, and prepare families in advance. With such preparation, families can obtain closure in advance of the inevitable outcome and reach the closure stage sooner.

From the Paper
"The case study shows that the onset of more commonly psychiatric systems associated with mental illness precludes the early diagnosis of the disease. Instead, warning factors such as neurological symptoms should also be viewed as a warning sign of the disease. This can be particularly helpful in diagnosing familial cases. A known family history of the disease can be helpful in early diagnosis and also in making decisions regarding the care of the patient.
"According to the Memory and Aging Center (2008), many tools are available today that can be helpful in diagnosing the disease more accurately. The MRI for example can accurately detect the abnormalities displayed by the disease and rule out other possibilities such as mental illness. Because of the existing behavioral and movement manifestations of the disease, this tool often requires sedation or general anesthesia in severe cases, as patients are required to be still during the examination process. FLAIR and DWI images are also useful in showing abnormalities that are caused by the disease."

Tags:outcomes, closure, families, forms, symptoms, diagnoses

Abstract
This paper examines transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) which are fatal, incurable degenerative diseases of the brain transmitted by prions. The paper explains the prion hypothesis, disease transmission and features of TSE and then examines each of the five known TSE diseases in humans. Lastly, the paper looks at the research regarding a possible cure or vaccine for TSE.

Table of Contents:
The Prion Hypothesis
Disease transmission
Disease markers
Features of TSE
Kuru
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Gerstmann Straussler Scheinker syndrome
Fatal familial insomnia
Alper's syndrome
Possible cure or vaccine for TSE

From the Paper
"There is progressive cerebellar dysfunction in the middle years. There is unsteadiness, clumsiness, incoordination and progressive gait difficulty. The cerebellar signs become more severe as the disease progresses with ataxia, dysarthria, and nystagmus. Additional findings in some are, parkinsonism, pyramidal and extrapyramidal findings, blindness and gaze palsies. Compared to CJD, dementia and myoclonus are either absent or minor."

Tags:progressive, degeneration, brain, transmission, cell

Abstract
The paper examines the reasons for the spread of infection in ball pits in fast food restaurants and daycare centers. The paper cites at length several studies carried out that promote handwashing as a key element in preventing the transmission of infections. The paper advocates that nurses should be trained to stress the importance of washing hands to parents and children, and any child care workers they come in contact with.

From the Paper
"Children in the study had to be over three years of age and attend the center for at least three days a week. They had to be free of any underlying chronic illness that predisposed them to infection. The sample size was adjusted by a factor of 1.3 for clustering for an intercluster correlation coefficient of .01 with 20 clusters of 28 children each. The required sample was then 408 child-years of observation, or 544 children observed for 9 months."

Tags:cleanliness, bacteria, intervention, shingellosis, health

Abstract
This paper examines how Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is a neuro degenerative disease in a class of diseases known as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE's). It looks at how BSE is caused by prions, which are related to several other TSE's and how it has been a major concern with the economy and human and animal health worldwide together with political policies. It also explores how testing, diagnosis and prevention of BSE and other TSE's are still under investigation.

From the Paper
"vCJD also affects humans, but differs from CJD. Symptoms include depression, mood swings, anxiety, withdrawal, hallucinations, delusions, parasthesia ("pins and needles"), headaches, cold extremities, lack of coordination, loss of memory, loss of concentration, inability to talk or move, and results in death after 7-24 months, averaging 14 months.(7) It affects people ages 8-14.(7) 156 confirmed or probable cases have been reported worldwide as of April 2004. 146 of these cases were reported in Great Britain, 6 in France, and one in each Italy, Ireland, United States, and Canada. (7)Treatment for this disease includes chlorpromazine and quainacrine, but only experimentally."

Tags:creutzfeldt, encephalopathies, encephalopathy, jakob, neurodegenerative, prion