Prenatal Diagnosis for Abnormalities Detection

Prenatal Diagnosis for Abnormalities Detection PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS The incidence of major abnormalities apparent at birth is 2 to 3 percent. These anomalies cause a significant portion of neonatal deaths, more than a fourth of all pediatric hospital administration results from genetic disorders. Prenatal diagnosis is the science of identifying structural or functional abnormalities, birth defects in the fetus. With this information clinicians can hope to provide appropriate counseling and optimize outcome. Birth defects can arise in at least three ways. The malformation i.e structural fetal abnormality, then the deformation, then the third type is disruption. Sometimes multiple structural or developmental abnormalities occur together in one individual . A cluster of several abnormalities can be a syndrome. Prenatal diagnosis helps to detect these abnormalities. Thus prenatal diagnosis basically comprises of different techniques and methods used to determine any diseases or heath condition of the unborn fetus or embryo. SOME PROCEDURES FOR EARLY DETECTION OF FETAL 1)GENETIC 2) CHROMOSOMAL 3)STRUCTURAL ABNORMALITIES Amniocentesis Triple test Chorion villus sampling Cordoncentesis Ultrasonography Fetoscopy Maternal serum alpha feto protein Peri-implatation genetic diagnosis Fetal cell isolation from maternal blood 3-D or 4-D ultrasound with increased resolution a) Amniocentesis: This test is developed byRichard Dedrick .Examination of a sample of amniotic fluid makes possible the prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities and certain metabolic defects. The procedure can be used as early as 14th week of pregnancy when abortion of the fetus is still feasible. The diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities is made by culture and karyotyping of fetal cells from the amniotic fluid, and of metabolic defects by biochemical analysis of the fluid. Karyotyping is a test used to detect genetic problems. Before the procedure begins a local anesthetic is given to the mother to get relief from the pain, a needle is inserted into the abdominal wall and then the amniotic fluid is withdrawn. The fetal cells are distinguished from the extract and the cells are cultured in medium, further stained and examined under microscope for abnormalities. Amniocentesis is very accurate in detecting the abnormalities in fetus as well as to find the gender of the fetus, hence is banned in many countries. Amniocentesis is called for in the following circumstances if the parents are prepared to consider abortion. A mother aged 35 years or more (because of high risk of down’s syndrome with advanced maternal age). Patients who have had a child with Down’s syndrome or other chromosomal abnormalities. Parents who are known to have chromosomal translocation. Parents who have had a child with metabolic defect-detectable by amniocentesis. The most commom are defects of the neural tube, anencephaly and spina bifida which can be detected by an elevation of alpha feto protein in amniotic fluid b) Chorionic villus sampling(CVS): This is another prenatal diagnosis used to find chromosomal or genetic disorders in the fetus. CVS was first described in China in the mid-1970s. This technique is also called as chorionic sampling. This is usually performed at 10 to 13 weeks of pregnancy. This new technique allows prenatal diagnosis at 9 to 11 weeks of pregnancy. By this test the chromosome status can be easily determined. Prenatal diagnosis of congenital abnormalities offers the parents the option of therapeutic abortion. Samples may be obtained transcervically or transabdominally, depending on which route allows easiest access to the placenta. Relative contraindications include vaginal bleeding or spotting, active genital tract infection, extreme uterine ante or retroflexion, or body habitus precluding easy uterine access or clear sonographic visualization of its contents. The indications for CVS are essentially the same as for amniocentesis, except for a few analysis that specif ically require either amniotic fluid or placental tissue. The primary advantage of villous biopsy is that results are available earlier in pregnancy, which lessens parental anxiety when results are normal. It also allows earlier and safer methods of pregnancy termination when results are abnormal. Complications of CVS are similar to those of amniocentesis. There is an understandable desire to perform CVS as early as possible. Technically, this can be done successfully as early as six weeks’ gestation. However, a few clusters of limb reduction defects have been reported following CVS, with a trend toward an increased incidence of these defects when CVS was done before nine weeks gestation. Subsequent, large epidemiological follow-up studies failed to confirm this association, but most clinicians delay this procedure until after 10 weeks gestation. The incidence of amniotic leakage or infection is less than 0.5 percent. c) Alpha fetoprotein: Neural tube defects can be detected by measurement of a specific protein of foetal origin called alpha fetoprotein in maternal blood and amniotic fluid during pregnancy. A neural tube defect is termed as a opening in the brain or spinal cord that occurs very early in the developmental stage of human. Neutral tube defects include spina bifida. d) Ultrasound: This can be used to visualize the foetus and detect many abnormalities of the foetus . Ultrasound is the method of choice for detection of anatomical problems (e.g. absent kidneys, spina bifida), but provides no information on the genetic constitution of a fetus. Maternal serum screening, alone or in combination with ultrasound, is often used to identify fetuses at risk of Down’s syndrome, but the definitive chromosomal diagnosis can only be made from fetal cells. e) Fetal cells from maternal blood can be isolated for prenatal diagnosis during pregnancy. Fetal trophoblast, lymphocytes, granulocytes, and nucleated red blood cells are studied. Generally, 1ml of maternal blood contains one fetal cell. f)Â  Peri-implantation genetic diagnosis(PGD): This is done by polar body biopsy, blastomere biopsy, trophectoderm biospsy. Polar body biopsy is done by removing first or second polar body in the preconceptional phase. Paternal genotypeis not assessed here. Blastomere biopsy –one or two cells are aspirated through a hole made in zona pellucida by mechanical, laser or chemical means. This does not effect the normal embryonic development. g)Â  Triple test: This is basically a screening test. It mainly detects the presence of three substances in the maternal blood, i.e of alpha feto-protein, human chorionic gonadotropin(hcp)which is basically a hormone in placenta, and estriol. The triple test detects the presence of high level or low level of these substances. Both high and low level can creat abnormalities. h)Â  Cordocentesis It is also called as Percutaneous Umbilical Cord Blood Sampling (PUBS), this is a test that mainly examines the blood from the fetus to detect fetal abnormalities. The procedure carried out is quite similar to amniocentesis. This test helps in finding any malfunction and abnormalities of the fetus. i)Â  Fetoscopy-This procedure provides a direct visualisation to the fetus, amniotic cavity, umbilical cord, and fetal side of placenta. It does this by ultrasound scanning. Here an endocope is inserted into the abdomen of the mother which acts as an analyzer. Thus many prenatal diagnosis are available nowadays which allows to detect any kind of abnormalities in the fetus. Once diagnosed, some genetic abnormalities can be treated with partial or complete success by medical and surgical measures. Genetic counseling can also have impact when individuals or couples at risk are identified.

The Batek of Malaysia Way of Life

The Batek of Malaysia Way of Life Amos Shaw Ant 101 Sean McCoy April 23, 2012 The Batek of Malaysia Way of Life This paper will discuss the values and beliefs, the political organization, and the gender of relations of the Batek of Malaysia. Batek are Semang or Malayan Negritos, numbering 700-800 in 1995. The Batek of Malaysia’s primary mode of substances is Foragers. Foragers are hunting and gathering lifestyle, it is one of the oldest forms of human society. The Batek have held on to their traditional way of life for years. How do you think it was possible for them to maintain their way of life through many different generations?My paper is on The Batek of Malaysia which is a group of people of Aboriginal; they lived mainly in the watershed of the Lebir River in the peninsular Malaysian state of Kelantan and along the northern tributaries of the Tembeling River in the Pahang state. They are typically shorter than other Southeast Asians with dark brown skin and curly to wooly hair. They are a Southeast Asian rainforest foraging society who lives in camps with at least five or six nuclear families. They survive by hunting, gathering, and trading their forest products.The Malaysians stayed to themselves besides recent contact between the Batek and outsiders occurred largely on an individual basis, with individual Malay farmers living along the main rivers of the area. A majority of the Batek community are being logged to make way for rubber and palm oil plantations and for land development schemes intended to provide family plots for landless Malay farmers. The Batek values the freedom that their way of life provides, they are able to move around freely and are able to move around freely and participate in any economic activities.They have no formal leader, but women and men can be assigned the title as a headmen but this does not assign to special authority or privileges. Values and Beliefs They believe in a group of supermen surrounding the sea and the land. They believe that they were discriminated the Batek from ordinary humans, and were created by a superpower being. They believe the superpower being created all the plants and animals in the forest. They ask everything they require from the super humans, including the cure to diseases.They are motivated by the compassion extended to them and they cannot fail to give back and if they do they have terrible consequences from the supernatural that would be beyond their control. The Batek believe that one of their diseases, ke'oy, consisting of fever, depression, shortness of breath, and weakness, is caused when someone is angry with another without justification. The cure for the disease is that the person responsible for the problem treats the victim with various folk remedies, tells the victim's heart to be cool, blows on his or her chest for the cooling effect, and grasps and throws away the disease.They believe that living in the forest is cooler and healthier than living in th e heat of the clearing, forest are also preferred because it gives refuge from other people. They are opposed to interpersonal violence, they avoid violence. Political Organization They live in domestic groups forming a camp of no less than three. They reside intents with ten people per tent. Land ownership does not exist, the bateks don’t think of themselves as landowners but as land administrators. They still have their own surrounding land.They had no leadership; the leaders treated themselves as equals. Bateks had no formal conflict resolution procedure; they had private discussion if a conflict comes between family, camp, or group. If it is a serious problem then they will have the input of all members of their camp to assist in the argument. If there is no resolution then they will remove them from the camp to cool down the situation. Gender Relations There are no special influences specifying duties of either gender, they are highly egalitarian which means that they pr actice equality.Women and men have a strong bonds and the subsequent sharing of the same. They each produce their share of food men hunt while women gather vegetables, and fruits they are valued equally. The women are still able to hunt if they choose to because there are no rigid rules. They have no major rules that tell what the roles of the different sex’s men and women play a part in agricultural activities. The men also gather tubers and other plant foods. Their main cash producing activity is their collecting of rattons. Decisions making is a shared responsibility to couples.The women and men chose their own marital fate; the parents can try and persuade their children on whom they want them to marry but they cannot demand or require them to marry anyone. They are known to marry because of physical attraction and love; they also desire a partner who is industrious and will participate in household activities (Endicott & Endicott, 2008). In foraging society virginity is not important some married couples were adolescent partners who had relationships before. They do not have marked ceremonies, a couple is considered married when they begin living together.When a couple no longer resides together they are no longer considered married. They are normally close because they work together in a close proximity. Either can end the marriage and then they depend on the family. Husband and wife are considered equally important. The JOA has been trying to prepare them for hard times. The Batek will probably continue to forage in the forest as long as they can. They will have to supplement their foraging more through wage labor working for the logging companies or the new plantations. Recently young Batek men joined the Malaysian army.There are wage earning jobs on plantations, such as tapping rubber or cutting grass. Batek women will be able to get such jobs in the future and thus retain some of their economic independence. Malaysian government has tried to p romote economic a social assimilation and it is slowed by such arrangement. When the Batek finally settle they will live in homogeneous villages or neighborhoods. This paper discusses the values and beliefs, the political organization, and the gender relations of the Batek of Malaysia. It shows the different ways of life and how they chose to lead theirs.They are a very open and equal community who values both men and women equally. From the information I gathered I do not think it was hard for them to maintain their way of life because they have a fair society. Their people are treated fair and they are all given equal opportunities. References I. VI. 5 The Batek of peninsular Malaysia. (2006). In The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Hunters and Gatherers. Retrieved from http://www. credoreference. com/entry/cuphg/i_vi_5_the_batek_of_peninsular_malaysia I. VI. 1 Introduction: Southeast Asia. (2006).In The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Hunters and Gatherers. Retrieved from http://www. credoref erence. com/entry/cuphg/i_vi_1_introduction_southeast_asia II. II. 5 Traditional and modern visual art of hunting and gathering peoples. (2006). In the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Hunters and Gatherers. Retrieved from http://www. credoreference. com/entry/cuphg/ii_ii_5_traditional_and_modern_visual_art_of_hunting_and_gathering_peoples â€Å" Nowak, B. , & Laird, P. (2010). Cultural anthropology. San Diego, Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Retrieved from https://content. ashford. edu `

Biological Theory of Aging

Biological Theory of Aging Tick tock, tick tock, what's that sound? According to this theory, it's your biological clock, ticking away at a predetermined rate. This theory says that DNA, the cells' genetic material, holds the key to your planned demise from day one. While this aging theory appears fatalistic on the surface, remember that biology is not destiny. You can't change your genes, but you can slow the march of time with better eating habits and regular exercise. Your body produces hormones that help regulate myriad functions, including growth and behavior, reproduction, and immune function.In your youth, hormone production is high, but as you get older, hormone levels drop off, causing declines in the body's ability to repair itself and to keep functioning in top form. Working cells produce waste. Over time, cells make more waste than they can possibly get rid of, which may wreak havoc on their ability to function and slowly lead to their death . Lipofuscion, or age pigment, is one of the waste products found primarily in some nerve and heart-muscle cells. Lipofuscin binds fat and proteins together in the cells.It accumulates over time and may interfere with cell function. The protein collagen is at the heart of this theory. Collagen, akin to the body's glue, is one of the most common proteins making up the skin, bones, ligaments, and tendons. When we're young, collagen is pliable. But with age, collagen becomes more rigid, and it shrinks. That's why your skin is less elastic than before (Alston, 2008). Aesthetics aside, cross-linking may block the transport of nutrients into cells as well as obstruct waste-product removal.Free radicals are destructive marauders roving your body, ready to pounce on healthy cells. They are produced as part of the millions of chemical reactions your body performs to sustain life (Ward, 2012). Your body also makes them in response to environmental toxins such as excessive amounts of unprotected sunlight and smoking. Free radicals oxidize your cells (think rusting metal). As unbalanced, volatile oxygen molecules, they sacrifice healthy cells to make themselves more stable. Free radicals destroy or alter DNA, the cell's genetic blueprint, and disrupt many other cell functions.Free radicals may kill cells as a result of their marauding, or they may give rise to mutant cells that can lead to chronic conditions including cancer and heart disease. Fortunately, the body maintains a sophisticated defense system against free radicals. Unfortunately, our defenses wane with time, and cell damage ensues (Ward, 2012). This theory could also be called The Use It and Lose It Theory. The idea is that use, and overuse, of your organs pushes them to the brink of destruction.A poor diet, too much alcohol and cigarette smoking are thought to accelerate natural wear and tear. With age, the body is less able to repair itself. How does wear and tear occur? Free radicals, which inflict cellular damage, may be culpable. Sim ilar to the wear and tear idea, this theory says you are born with a certain amount of energy. If you live â€Å"fast,† you die young, because you use up your energy reserves sooner. â€Å"Laid-back people,† who suffer from less stress and take life easier, would live longer should this theory prove correct (Ward 2012).A strong immune system is your body's most important defense against germs and toxins. White cells engulf and destroy potential pests such as bacteria and viruses. And they manufacture antibodies, the â€Å"soldiers† that patrol the bloodstream, attacking and disarming any substance they don't recognize as the body's own. Problem is, the immune system becomes less efficient with time, and fewer antibodies are produced, increasing your infection risk. What's more, the body may turn on itself by producing antibodies that destroy its own tissue.When that happens, autoimmune disease, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, is the result (Alston, 2008) . Although we still do not completely understand the process of aging, we do know quite a lot about it. Sometimes it may be time for the clock to just get new batteries or perhaps the clock has stood the test time and became an antique. Bibliography Alston, Maude H. Basic Gerontology. Windows CD Version 3. 0 2008 Ward ,Liz. Discovery Fit and Health. What is Causing Aging? Discovery Communications. 2012.

The American Dream Act Law - 1676 Words

The american dream can be defined as freedom, success, and opportunity and may differ from person to person. So what does the american dream mean to you? As for me a Mexican-American raised my whole life in the USA, my vision of the american dream is the same of most first generation immigrant children. That dream is to succeed in where our parents could not, such as pursuing an education past high school and embarking in a career. Although seemingly easy to any individual born in this country or individuals granted legal residency , the task is actually quite challenging to those who come from a family of illegal immigrants looking for a better tomorrow. With The Federal Dream Act Law the voices of immigrants who are looking to†¦show more content†¦It was until The Dream Act (acronym for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) was introduced to congress in 2001 and following in 2010. It started giving hope and a voice for all young illegal immigrants. With the federal dream act law, Immigrants that came from other countries can legally stay in the country without fearing deportation and allowing immigrants or so called â€Å"Dreamers† to further their education or academic goal, apply for a job legally and be eligible for a residential driver license although The Dream Act is very helpful there are some pre-qualifications that need to be met. According to Flair Isaiah: â€Å"First, the minors must have excellent moral character. This is generally understood that they have not committed any crimes. Second, they must have either graduated from a US high school or obtained their GED certificate in the United States. Third, they must have first moved to the United States as a minor and lived there for at least five years prior to the DREAM Act becoming law.If applicants fulfill these requirements, the DREAM Act would give them official temporary residency status after they either served in the military for two years or completed two years of college. The temporary residency status would last for a period of six years, during which they would be eligible to apply for permanent resident status.†(Salem Press,2013) The Federal Dream Act is not a law that grants every single immigrantShow MoreRelatedDream Act or Nightmare Act?1073 Words   |  5 PagesThe Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, or DREAM Act of 2011, proposes to allow children of undocumented immigrants that were brought to the United States before their fifteenth birthday who have lived in America for at least five years straight to apply for permanent residency once they graduate from high school or achieve a GED. 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