Thursday, November 28, 2019

Amnesia And Its Causes Essays - Cognitive Disorders,

Amnesia And Its Causes Amnesia, the partial or complete loss of memory, most commonly is temporary and for only a short span of experience. There are both organic and psychological causes for amnesia. Some organic causes include inflammation of the brain, head injury, or stroke. This type of memory loss occurs suddenly and can last a long time. The person may be able to recall events in the distant past but not yesterday or today. If the amnesia is caused by alcohol abuse, it is a progressive disorder, and there are usually neurological problems like uncoordinated movements and loss of feeling in the fingers and toes. Once these problems occur, it may be too late to stop drinking. In contrast, psychologically based amnesia is almost always temporary. This type of memory loss may be triggered by a traumatic event with which the mind can not deal. Usually, the memory slowly or suddenly comes back a few days later, though not all of the trauma may be recalled. Only rarely does a person lose the memory of larg er portions of their life The brain stores different types of information in different places. Short-term memory involves recalling details that have been catalogued seconds or minutes before. Examples include reciting a phone number, recognizing a new face, or repeating a list of three objects seen 2 or 3 minutes earlier. For this to happen, distinct areas deep in the brain need to function properly. For short-term memory to convert to long-term memory, other permanent changes to brain cells have to take place. This is similar to creating a permanent file or recording. Other parts of the brain perform this filing function. Occasional memory lapses or forgetfulness are common. These may be associated with depression, stress, lack of sleep, and normal aging. Memory loss only becomes a problem when it is severe and interferes with daily living. Amnesia is a severe form of memory loss. It may be a partial or complete lack of recall. Depending on the cause of amnesia, the memory loss may arise suddenly or slowly. It also can be temporary or permanent. Many people with progressive memory loss may not be aware of their worsening forgetfulness. Family members or friends may be more able to judge whether memory lapses are getting worse. Depending on whether the memory loss is of short- or long-term memory, the individual or family may notice certain events, such as: ? Inability to recognize family members ? forgetting one's phone number or home address ? forgetting how to return home from a familiar location ? forgetting to eat, bathe, or maintain one's hygiene ? forgetting friends' or family members' names Common medical causes of memory loss include: ? normal aging ? Alzheimers Disease ? depression ? head trauma ? hysteria ? seizures ? chronic alcohol abuse drugs such as anesthetics, ? barbiturates, and hallucinogens ? electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) ? temporal lobe surgery for conditions such as a brain tumor lack of oxygen to the brain ? stroke ? Huntington's disease ? Atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries ? Pick's disease ? Lewy body disease ? normal pressure hydrocephalus ? chronic subdural hematoma , or bleeding on the brain tumor ? Wilson's disease ? neurosyphilis , or late-stage syphilis Mild memory loss comes normally with aging. Keeping the brain active may help to preserve brain cells. Reading, singing, doing puzzles, conversing, exercising, and eating a balanced diet stimulate blood flow and activity in the brain. Severe and worsening memory loss may develop into dementia. One form of this condition is dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease. Because there is no known cause for this disease, there is also no known prevention. Hormone replacement therapy may help postmenopausal women. Recent research indicates these drugs may delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer's. Dementia is also related to strokes. High blood pressure and vascular disease may cause strokes. Preventing or treating high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and alcohol abuse are keyways to decrease the risk of dementia. A person does not need to see a healthcare professional about simple memory loss that happens only once in a while. If memory loss is severe and progressive, Alzheimer's disease must be considered. Dementia can be diagnosed only if a doctor is made aware of the problem. A person's

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Learning the Alphabet in German

Learning the Alphabet in German German has often been viewed by non-Germans as a harsh sounding language. That may be due in part to the more guttural pronunciation of certain German alphabet sounds and diphthongs and perhaps even a still lingering effect of old WWII movie stereotypes. Once non-German speakers familiarize themselves with German’s different sounds, however, another kind of poetic beauty will unfold before them that has been revered worldwide in the works of many German greats, such as Goethe  and Schiller through prose and song. Unique Characteristics of the German Alphabet More than 26 letters in the alphabet - German has a so-called extended Latin alphabetThe extra letters are , à ¶, à ¼ and ßThe pronunciation of some of these letters do not exist in the English languageSeveral letters are pronounced more from the back of the throat: g, ch, r (though in Austria the r is trilled).The W in German sounds like the V in EnglishThe V in German sounds like the F in EnglishMost of the time the S in German sounds like Z in English when placed at the beginning of a word followed by a vowel.The letter ß will never appear at the beginning of a word. Das Deutsche Alphabet (The German Alphabet) Click on the following letters to hear them pronounced. (Audio saved as .wav files.) Buchstabe/ Letter Aussprache des Buchstabenamens/ Pronunciation of letter name Aussprache des Buchstaben - wie in/ Sound of Letter - as in Beispiele/ Examples A a ah astronaut der Adler (eagle), Januar (January) B b approximate: bay baby der Bruder (brother), aber (but) C c approximate: tsay creative, Celcius (soft c sound in German sounds like ts) der Chor, der Christkindlmarkt (south German term for der Weihnachtsmarkt/ Christmas market), Celcius D d approximate: day dollar Dienstag (Tuesday), oder (or) E e approximate: ay elegant essen (to eat), zuerst (first) F f eff effort der Freund (friend), offen (open) G g approximate: gay gorgeous gut (good), gemein (mean) H h haa hammer der Hammer, dieMà ¼hle (mill) I i eeh Igor der Igel (porcupine), der Imbiss (snack), sieben (seven) J j yot yellow das Jahr (year), jeder (each) K k kah camel das Kamel, der Kuchen (cake) L l ell love die Leute (people), das Land (land) M m em man der Mann, die Ameise N n en nice nicht (not), die Mà ¼nze (coin) O o oh oven Ostern (Easter),rot (red) P p approximate: pay party die Polizei (police), der Apfel Q q koo coral das Quadrat (square), die Quelle (source)Note: All German words start with qu (kw - sound) R r approximate: er rich der Rà ¼cken (the back), der Stern (star) S s es zoo, shine, mouse summen (to hum), schà ¶n (pretty, nice), die Maus T t approximate: tay tyrant der Tyrann, acht (eight) U u ooh ou sound in you die Universitt (university), der Mund (mouth) V v fow father der Vogel (bird), die Nerven (nerves) W w approximate: vay van die Wange (cheek), das Schwein (pig, wieviel (how much) X x ix sounds like kz das Xylofon/ Xylophon, die Hexe (witch)Note: There are hardly any German words that start with X Y y uep-si-lohn yellow die Yucca, der YetiNote: There are hardly any German words that start with Y. Z z tset sounds like ts die Zeitung (newspaper), der Zigeuner (gypsy) Umlaut ß Aussprache des Buchstaben/ Pronunciation of Letter Beispiele/ Examples sounds similar to the e in melon hnlich (similar), ghnen (to yawn) à ¶ sounds similar to the i in girl Ãâ€"sterreich (Austria), der Là ¶we (lion) à ¼ no equivalent nor approximate sound in English à ¼ber (over),mà ¼de (tired) ß (esszet) double s sound heiß (hot),die Straße (street)

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Consultancy Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Consultancy Report - Essay Example North Hook Gas is a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil (24%), Qatar Gas (67%) and Elf Petroleum (8.35%) (Nationalgrid, 2014, p. 1). The operations of North Hook Gas are faced with a number of sustainability issues. In order to address these sustainability issues, it is vital to formulate a change management approach for sustainability. This will be achieved through consultancy. The resultant report will identify all the barriers and drivers for change, and provide realistic proposals that will move the firm from a first wave firm to a third wave firm. North Hook Gas faces a number of sustainability issues. The sustainability issues that affect the operations of North Hook Gas can be divided into the external and internal categories. All the sustainability issues faced by North Hook Gas have a bearing on the firm’s external environment. The first external issue that affects the operations of North Hook Gas is the environment in which the firm is located. The terminal is located within the Pembrokshire National Park (BBC News, 2007, p. 1). The location of the park raises a number of environmental issues, particularly within the scope of environmental pollution. The second external sustainability issue is concerned with the risks posed by the firm. The local community is concerned that the pipeline will leak gas, which might cause safety and health issues. The third external issue that affects the firm is waste management. The firm must have a capacity to handle, remove or dispose all hazardous materials coming from the facil ity. Pollution is also a major sustainability issue that affects the operations of North Hook Gas. The internal operations of the firm contribute to carbon dioxide emissions. Additionally, the terminal is the largest in the world, which means that it receives a lot of sea and road traffic. This also contributes to carbon dioxide emissions (Hydrocarbon-Technology, 2014, p. 1). The internal sustainability issues faced by North Hook Gas include the lack

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Disciplinary Action by the Texas Board of Nursing Essay

Disciplinary Action by the Texas Board of Nursing - Essay Example RNs have a duty to resolve any issues that may compromise the safety of the patient such as conflicts of interest; and ensure that professional integrity is upheld. The duty to the patient requires RNs to cooperate fully with other clinicians and staff in treatment processes. In the society, Goodman and Spry (2014) have pointed out that RNs have a responsibility to create awareness about human health, and prevention and management of diseases. Additionally, RNs should extend their service to cover community outreach initiatives and civil programs regarding health care. In light of this, RNs have an obligation to be well informed about health-related issues both within their countries of operation and across the world: these include; disease outbreaks, disasters, and communicable diseases (Haag-Heitman, & George, 2010). An RN must also help the society with administering effective vaccines, interventions to famine, provide solutions to pollution, affect easier and closer health care s ervices, and safeguard human rights. 2. What is the RN's Scope of Practice? According to Law and Marks (2013) the RN’s scope of practice involves advancing the interests of the patient and his or her loved ones as envisaged in the Nurse Practice Act (NPA) and the Board of Nursing regulations. Spence, Vallant, Roud and Aspinall (2012) have pointed out that it is within the RN’s scope to use specialized judgment and knowledge in precarious nursing situations. The nursing practice requires the professionals to render effective services premised upon sound skills of practice. The practitioners must also observe biological, social science and physical doctrines in their effort to settle for the best nursing interventions on patients (Haag-Heitman, & George, 2010). Despite their wide mandate in the provision of health care service, it is beyond the RNs’ scope of practice to diagnose patients’ health complications or offer treatment options for them. 3. What are prohibited practices or grounds for disciplinary actions by the Board of Nurse Examiners? The Board of Nurse Examiners (BNE) has laid out prohibited practices that normally guide professional practice. On the issue of patient care, any behavior that compromises the safety of the patient such as grave medication errors, patient exploitation, and negligence are prohibited in the profession (Goodman, & Spry, 2014). Chemical dependency is also prohibited in the profession, especially when the abuse compromises the safety of the patient. Such prohibited behaviors normally warrant different disciplinary measures such as license revocation, suspension, and even prosecution of the RNs. 4. Describe a RN's duty to report colleagues who may expose others to risk of harm. An RN has an obligation to ensure that the safety of the workplace is not compromised by fellow RNs or other clinicians (Haag-Heitman, & George, 2010). He or she must labor to promote everyone’s legal rights, individua l privacy, and professionalism in order to ensure the provision of quality services for the patient. In view of this, it is the duty of RNs to report negligent clinicians and other staffs whose actions or inactions may compromise the safety of the workplace by hurting the patients and or fellow clinicians. 5. When does the professional nurse have an obligation to report these actions? Matsusaki and Sakai (2011) have pointed out that the professional nurse is under an obligation to report colleag

Monday, November 18, 2019

Abolition Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Abolition - Research Paper Example Various activities supported this principle aimed at achieving that goal. The concept is historical because all countries in the world have abolished slavery, as many international organizations among them the United Nations require member countries to ratify abolitionism. Abolitionism was a major reform movement in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The doctrine to end slavery was to free millions of black people detained and used as slaves across the world. Other terms refer to abolitionism among them abolition movement and antislavery movement. The movement started by Africans resisting slave trade and slavery, eighteenth century notions regarding universally acceptable human rights, changing ideas in interpreting Christian morality, and changes in the economy status of the world (Oakes, 2013). This led to abolitionists dividing into two extremes with one group advocating for immediate end to slavery and slave trade while others fought for gradual end to the same. In the mid nineteenth century, the terminology abolitionism referred to the struggle to end slavery immediately. Early stages In the entire America and Western Europe, abolitionism was a rights movement whose proponents wanted to end set slave trade and in the process set slaves free. Bartholomew de las Casas, a Dominican priest influenced Spain to become the first European nation to legislate laws that legally abolished slavery by 1542. However, three years down the line, pressure from the bourgeoisie who were the beneficiaries forced the same country to weaken the laws reversing the gains made by early abolitionists. Evangelical Christians and Quakers fought hard against slave trade and slavery in the seventeenth century terming them un-Christian acts. The movement gained momentum in eighteenth century when rational thinkers among the elite in the society accused the beneficiaries calling the entire process a violation of human rights. It is important to note that although early abolitionis ts put in a lot of effort, the gains were not immediate as centers of slavery still existed. Centers were in Countries in South America and United States as well West Indies. The movement started in England after the Somerset’s case of 1772. Eight years later the state of Pennsylvania enacted laws that aimed at the gradual end to slavery within its area of jurisdiction (Wilson, 1990). Although there was no official law abolishing slavery in Massachusetts, the promulgation of the Massachusetts constitution ended slavery. The European colonization of countries in America increased the dependence on race-based slavery where Africans and their descendants were forced to work the farms. The process reached its apex in the sixteen century. This degree reached Great Britain’s North American colonies in the mid seventeen century. These countries later become the United States. Antislavery movements started because of the rights denied to slaves and other inhumane acts. In the United States for instance, slaves lost customary rights, passed their un-free status over to their children and respective descendants, and served for life. Individual efforts of the enslaved to free from slavery included self-purchase, escape, rebellion, and seeking redress from courts. Some of the early major revolts were in America as early as the first decade of the eighteenth century in South Carolina and New York City. Major efforts towards resistance to abolish slavery and slave trade from organizations in the United States came from Quakers, the Society of Friends who believed and spread the idea that slavery was physically dangerous and sinful to both the victim and the beneficiary. Leaders of the society including Antony Benezet from Pennsylvania and John Woolman from New Jersey

Friday, November 15, 2019

Exchange rate policies suitable for developing countries

Exchange rate policies suitable for developing countries Exchange rate is one of the central factors that influence the monetary policies in developing countries. A country can choose to make use of a fixed exchange rate (Single or Multi-currency peg), intermediate regime like (Adjustable or Crawling peg) or adopt a flexible exchange rate depending upon the supply rate of money and her monetary self-sufficiency. In any developing country where institutions are weak, the exchange rates are generally determined by relaying in comparative measures with currencies from other sound economies. In this essay attempt is, to look at the options available to developing countries in deciding what exchange policy might be most suitable for them .The effects of adopting dollarization or currency unions in developing countries will also be examined. According to the IMF approximately 85% of developing countries had fixed exchange-rate arrangements  [1]  before the collapse of Bretton Woods fixed system. A sharp shift of exchange rate systems was obs erved when fixed exchange rate system collapsed in 1970. The purposes of an exchange regimes is to have a sustainable current account deficit, trade competitiveness, keeping inflation in check, to have high employment and achieve microeconomic efficiency in resources to maximize income levels. But empirical observations reveal that there are many trade-offs between these objectives. Floating exchange rate is where the government do not have an exchange rate target. It allows the economy to pursue an independent monetary policy strategy such as inflation targeting and the market determines the exchange rate level. The regime helps to facilitate real adjustment. Exchange rate movement provides a buffer against real shocks that may arise from adverse terms of trade development for developing countries. There are two types of floating rates an independent float and lightly managed float available for consideration. The difference between the two exchange rates is that independent float its operated freely with no intervention from the monetary authority and the exchange rate will determine the supply and demand but in lightly managed exchange rate system their will be occasional intervention direct and indirect from the monetary policy to moderate excessive fluctuation. In recent years many developing countries have adopted market determine floating system. They include Uganda in mid 1982, Uruguay in late 1982 that was followed by Dominican Republic in 1985. As Friedman argued in the early 1950s,if prices move slowly, it is both faster and less costly to move the nominal exchange rate in response to a shock that requires an adjustment in the real exchange rate  [2]   There is also an argument against floating exchange rate policy for developing countries know as fear of floating as labeled by Calvo and Reinhart (2002)  [3]  . It is argued that floating exchange causes rapid movement often undesirable, in real exchange rates. Inflation targeting under floating system is problematic given the fiscal dominance and weak financial system in developing countries. For example Brazil faced problems in inflation targeting under floating exchange policy due to the volatility nature in exchange rate brought as effected by external shock and expectations. Its currency in 1999 depreciated from R$ 1.20 to R$ 2.06  [4]  Other examples are of Indonesia and Thailand that displayed considerable instability in the 1970s and 1980s. The huge fluctuation caused by volatility of the nominal exchange rates, which in turn may be caused by the increased volatility of capital flows.  [5]  As the diagram shows below  [6]  : www.fondad.org/uploaded/%20Imbalances/Fondad-imbalances-Part3.pdf Fixed exchange rate policy is another policy where central banks will protect exchange rate. In this case, policy maker will allow value of currency to move within certain band limit with reference to other country or basket of currency, that is usually their leading trading partner. It is seen as an anchor against inflation that is important for a developing country that have tendency to hyper inflate. Furthermore if nominal shocks prevail in an economy, fixed exchange rate regime can accommodate money demand or supply shocks while minimising output volatility in a country. That helps to bring a more stable environment for international trade and also benefits from investment due to absence of a currency risk premium. For example China operates under a fixed exchange rate regime and has benefited from the competitiveness that its goods have, due to its currency being undervalued and not being allowed to appreciate. It resulted in an increase of foreign exchange reserves to $514.54 billion for China. The drawback from a fixed exchange rate is that central bank will lose last resort lending power. Central bank lending activities will only be effective if the backing of a credible institutional setting is available. Therefore, even if adopting a regime that allows the central bank to print money, a non-credible banking rescue operation is likely to trigger inflationary expectations and increase the probability of observing a devaluing currency. This is due to exhaustion of reserves and collapse of the fixed exchange rate system implying a big political cost for the policy makers as evident by Bretton Wood fixed exchange rate system collapse in 1970. Given the problems of both fixed and floating exchange rate systems countries have tried to adopt various intermediate regimes in an effort to combine the advantages of the two systems. It is where country can either use adjustable peg system or crawling peg regime that both defend the peg. But the only difference is that under adjustable peg monetary policy can alter the exchange rate and crawling peg reserves the right to change the peg in steps, which are small but discretionary in size and timing. The pegs allow country to maintain stability and competitiveness. On the basis to reduce inflation by moderating inflation, a problem faced by many developing countries. As Williamson (2000) has argued that such intermediate regimes could, in principle, allow countries to reap the benefits of fixed and flexible regimes without incurring some of their costs.  [7]   This intermediate regime also faces problems such as currency crisis if the country is open to international capital markets and is seen to encourage foreign debt. For example Argentina and Chile who implemented crawling peg regime in mid 1960s to deal with high inflation, managed to relax the balance of payment constraint and experienced acceleration in economic growth  [8]  . There are also adverse effects related to crawling pegs regime in the form of inflation as evident in Argentina that saw inflation around 30% per year and Colombia whos inflation around 5-10% before crawling pegs to 25% after crawling pegs was implemented by the late 1970s and early 1980s  [9]  . This would impact country growth as Khan and Senhadji estimated that inflations negative impact on growth in for developing economies that seems to happen for inflation rates exceeding 11-12%  [10]   Countries with macro economic instability can adopt alternative currency such as dollar known as Dollarization. The adopting of dollarization will help bring credibility to the countrys financial system, remove currency risk, eliminate currency mismatching and stop exchange rate attacks due to mismatching currency that causes adverse balance sheet affects of large devaluation. Countries have options where they can adopt a Full Dollarization system that would mean country would surrender its ability to issue currency like Panama and Ecuador in 2000. They can also adopt a Partial Dollarization if a country is suffering from high inflation and there is a history of economic instability like Bolivia, Peru and Uruguay in 1980  [11]  . In circumstances where there are monetary weaknesses, instability and loss of confidence, Investors would be reluctant to invest in that economy, as they would like to hold safer assets. Dollar is more dominant and creditable as U.S Federal Reserve backs it. Therefore removing speculations or hedging against currency is not possible. Dollarization attracts Foreign Currency Deposits that stops any reverse capital flights. Thus by adopting the currency of a credible economy, a country is effectively tackling the inflation bias problem studied by Barro and Gordon (1983)  [12]  . For example Ecuador contracted -7.3% in 1999, saw its economy grow by 2.3% in 2000, the year dollarization occurred and 5.6% in 2001  [13]  . The costs of dollarization are, the loss of independent monetary policy, lack of a lender of last resort (and thus the need for additional dollar assets), and the loss of seignior age. Currency union is similar to dollarization with minor difference, as some countries keep their own currency. Members of currency union surrender their monetary independence for significant trade increase and stable exchange rates. Countries benefit at a micro level due to sharing of currency. That brings a deeper integration of financial sector, as they are sharing single money like those operating under the Franc Zone in Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) and West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). Research indicates that there is no clear choice on what exchange rate regime works best for developing countries. As one exchange rate might be beneficial for one country but could be problematic for another. It is because all countries have different policy objectives and different economic environment. As important consensus on the choice of exchange rate regimes is that no single exchange rate regime is best for all countries or at all times (Frankel 1999, Mussa 2000)  [14]  . Exchange rate policy has its benefits like it absorb adverse shocks, brings credibility, ease currency attacks by adopting alternative currency and currency unions that increase trade. But there are tradeoffs when country joins an exchange rate policy, such as losing monetary independence. Furthermore the country would need to look at whether it has adequate financial system in place to deal with shocks. The choice of policy would be determined by what macroeconomic factors are given more weight. Words: 1592 Refrences: Books Micheal G. Hall, (2005), New Developments of The Exchange Rate Regimes In Developing Countries, The Political Role of The Banking Sector, P87 Subrata Ghatak, Josà © Roberto Sà ¡nchez-Fung, (2007), Monetary Economics In Developing, 3rd Edition, Palgrave Macmillan, P139, P176, P192, Internet www.worldbank.org/afr/wps/wp16.pdf www.carnegie-rochester.rochester.edu/April04-pdfs/regimes_cr.pdf www.fondad.org/uploaded/%20Imbalances/Fondad-imbalances-Part3.pdf (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })() ideas.repec.org/a/aea/aecrev/v90y2000i2p71-75.html ideas.repec.org/p/unc/g24pap/5.html http://www.mindspring.com/~tbgray/dollar.htm Journals Anoop Singh, Agnà ¨s Belaisch, Charles Collyns, Paula De Masi, Reva Krieger, Guy Meredith, and Robert Rennhack, (2005), Stabilization and Reform in Latin America A Macroeconomic Perspective on the Experience Since the Early 1990s, P80

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Lupus Essay -- essays research papers fc

Lupus Definition of the Disease Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown cause that can affect virtually any part of the body. The medical term for Lupus is Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or better known as SLE. With Lupus there is a malfunction in some of the cells of the immune system. "In Lupus, the body overreacts to an unknown stimulus and makes to many antibodies, or proteins directed against body tissue. Thus, Lupus is called an autoimmune disease. †# Myth/Reality Statements Myth: Lupus is contagious. Reality: It is not contagious, it is not spread from person to person. Myth: It is uncommon in women to contact Lupus. Reality: "Between the ages of 15 and 45, close to 90% of diagnosed patients are women ." Myth: Caucasians are most apt to be diagnosed with Lupus. Reality: In the United States, African Americans, Latinos, and Asians have a greater incidence of SLE than Caucasians ." Myth: Lupus is a curable disease. Reality: Lupus is controllable not curable. Myth: The most common initial complaint is fevers, weight loss and fatigue. Reality: The most common complaint is pain in joints or swelling followed by skin rashes. # Overview Women are the most common to suffer from Lupus. Although men and Children can get Lupus, 80% of Lupus patients are women ." There are three times as many black women as white women affected by this disease. During the first ten years of life, girls will have Lupus three to seven more times often than boys. Three are about 1,400,000 cases of Lupus diagnosed at the present time, but there can be up to 2 million unreported cases since the disease in extremely difficult to diagnose. "Only 10% of Lupus patients will have a close relative who already has or may develop Lupus. Only 5% of children born to individuals with Lupus will develop the illness ." # The cause of Lupus is still unknown. Some doctors feel that there are some environmental and genetic factors involved. Some of the environmental factors include: infections, antibodies, especially those in the Sulfa and Penicillin groups, ultra violet light, extreme stress and certain drugs. There are an incredible number of symptoms that you can have with Lupus. There are general symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, low-grade fever, generalized aching and chills. These symptoms are most evident when the patient is i... ...ts with medications are not required at all. They should avoid the sun and take aspirin or other nonsteriodal antiflammatory drugs, for muscle and joint pain. Conclusion I feel that Lupus is a very peculiar disease. It shares many similarities with HIV in the fact that there is multiple organ involvement and potentially life threatening episodes. I do not understand how Lupus is not always a fatal disease if it attacks the immune system. Without an immune system, other diseases can not be fought off by the antibodies, which can cause someone to become very ill. I feel as though there needs to be a lot more research done for Lupus. It is a disease of high occurrence and the cause is still unknown. The cause needs to be found so that a cure can be discovered so that patients and their families can find a relief from this disease. Bibliography 1. Wallace, D. The Lupus Book. Oxford University Press: New York, 1995 2. Aldejem, Henrietta. Understanding Lupus. Charles Scribers Sons: New York, 1982. 3. Moore, Mary. Learning About Lupus. Mainline Desktop: Pennsylvania, 1991 4. Ferrante, C. 1995. Caring for Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythmatosus. Nursing 25: 66-7