Saturday, May 24, 2008

Misc., бaбyшka

I want to get back again to making this more of a gratitude journal. Here we go.

1. Grateful to God and all who help me get through a day.
2. Grateful to have tickets to Indians game versus Texas Rangers
http://www.baseballscorecard.com/simplecard.htm
3. Grateful that my mammogram last week (May 16) had good results and absolutely most grateful to be a survivor
4. Grateful to thoughts of бaбyшka нaшa with June 1 birthday coming up

* Oy! To each his own. That you know.
* My best friend is Johnny Walker.
* Sugar makes you smarter.
* Finger sandwiches make life better.
* It's just water and ice with big, big orange.
* It's not weather, it's suicide.
* And I hang... You made my day.
* Is only one way. All America crazy about it.
* He looks like a Micky Mouse. Ricky will fix it.
* We all have the same God.

5. Grateful to most excellent Bella Voce concert

Saturday, May 17, 7:30 pm
Friends of Historic New Utrecht Concert Series
1831 84th Street in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn

Sunday, May 18, 3:00 pm
"I Hear Music In the Air", reprise!
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 7420 4th Avenue, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Free-will donation at door
Featuring music by Gustav Holst, Bela Bartok, David Mooney and others

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Goldenrod Meadow Walk

Wed., May 28 at 6 to 7
Meet at pool

I am making my way through the Nureyev biography by Julie Kavanaugh. Vera recommended it so highly and I can see why. It was insightful how one of the critics of the book said something like that Kavanaugh writes as if she is a mother who totally loves her child while acknowledging the child has flaws.

http://www.amazon.com/Nureyev-Life-Julie-Kavanagh/dp/0375405135/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211669456&sr=8-1

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. The first international ballet superstar, Rudolf Nureyev (1938–1993) made headlines when he defected from Russia in 1961. His onstage partnership with the Royal Ballet's ballerina assoluta Margot Fonteyn received legendary acclaim.

Formerly a Kirov star, trained by the famed ballet teacher Alexander Pushkin and inspired by Nijinsky and Stanislavsky, he shocked and seduced the West with his charismatic stage presence and his passionate, sometimes rough-edged dancing.

British ballet critic Kavanagh (Secret Muses: The Life of Frederick Ashton) captures his phenomenal work ethic, his hunger for new dance experiences (with Jerome Robbins, Martha Graham and Paul Taylor) and his flamboyant life.

Her writing style is both readable and sophisticated, showing Nureyev's wit and generosity alongside his carelessness and cruelty. She dissects ballet arcana like the Bournonville and Vaganova techniques—but doesn't stint on celebrity dish.

Nureyev's affair with the celebrated Danish dancer Erik Bruhn, his desperate need to dance for George Balanchine and his competition with the younger ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov are detailed, alongside his relationships with Jackie Kennedy, Andy Warhol and Mick Jagger. Kavanagh presents a definitive and moving portrait of one of the 20th century's most hypnotic, ruthless and hedonistic artists.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Julie Kavanagh knows the dance world, and it shows. The London-based journalist and former ballerina previously wrote a prize-winning biography of choreographer Frederick Ashton, and she fills Nureyev: The Life with piercing insights into both the life of her subject and the turbulent world of professional ballet.

Critics loved her riveting storytelling, and though the Christian Science Monitor complained that Kavanagh dwells too long on the dancer’s experiences in the "brutal anonymity of 70s gay culture" and his passing from AIDS, they generally praised her refusal to sugarcoat any aspect of Nureyev’s life and personality.

Overall, Kavanagh offers a compelling portrait of a complicated man in the tone of "a mother who knows her child’s faults all too well and yet looks upon him with affection" (San Francisco Chronicle).

Gratitude, thoughts

Again, I want to thank God and all who help me get through a day.

I am thankful that I survived the Philly conference. Here are some thoughts on the Philly conference. Content management sessions appear to be getting some good coverage. Some items of interest.

- Building your Content Management Skills, Ann Rockley
- Vendor Panel: Successful Content Management, Ann Rockley

It has been several years since I attended or presented at a conference, so I wondered what was new. I'm finding a combination of new and old so far in the program. As expected, the new of the conference involved coverage of new topics and technologies to show what is currently going on in the field. There is also some sameness of years past with the basic format of a keynote speaker, presentations, awards on display, vendor booths, and networking at meals and other events.

Rockley's sessions on content management did not disappoint.

As usual, the displays from award winners and vendors were interesting. Technology consultant Howard Rheingold delivered the keynote address. Rheingold teaches digital journalism at Stanford. At USC-Berkley he teaches something called virtual community and social media. I asked myself how someone gets to teach something like that. Maybe someday I could do this. It is likely that that would be in my dreams or maybe in my next life. Then, again, as I like to tell myself, there is always hope.

A totally new experience for me this year was the awards banquet. I cannot thank enough the people in NEO STC cheering section and people involved overall in the associate fellow nomination process. I truly look forward to cheering on in the future a large number of new associate fellows from NEO STC.

Technology consultant Howard Rheingold is keynote address speaker. Reingold teaches digital journalism at Stanford. At USC-Berkley he teaches something called virtual community and social media. I asked myself how someone gets to teach something like that. Maybe someday I could do this. It is likely that that would be in my dreams or maybe in my next life. Then, again, as I like to tell myself, there is always hope.

Technology consultant Howard Rheingold delivered the keynote address. In addition to being a consultant, Reingold teaches digital journalism at Stanford. At USC-Berkley he teaches something called virtual community and social media. I asked myself how someone gets to teach something like that. Maybe someday I could do this. that would be in my dreams, or maybe in my next life.

Was he a good choice to give us a keynote? Technology consultant Howard Rheingold delivered the keynote address at the opening session. Rheingold is credited with inventing the term virtual communities. He served as the founding executive editor of Wired magazine’s HotWired, the first commercial Webzine to introduce the Web-based discussion forum and online banner.

He teaches digital journalism at Stanford University and virtual community and social media at the University of California at Berkeley. He has previously taught participatory media and collective action at Berkeley and has also taught at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and the Institute of Creative Technologies at De Montfort University in Leicester, United Kingdom.

Electric Minds, the Web site he founded in 1996, was named one of Time magazine’s “Best Web sites of 1996.” As the author of Tools for Thought (1985), The Virtual Community (1991), and Smart Mobs (2002), Rheingold, a 1968 graduate of Oregon’s Reed College, predicted the future of computers and the Internet.

Smart Mobs, named one of the “big ideas” of 2002 by The New York Times Magazine, explored how the merger of mobile communications, pervasive computing, and the Internet would lead to new forms of collective action.

Rheingold’s weekly newspaper column, “Tomorrow,” was syndicated internationally by King Features, and he has appeared on numerous television and radio programs, including Today; Good Morning America; ABC’s Primetime Live; CNN, CBS, and NBC News; The MacNeil-Lehrer Report; and National Public Radio’s Fresh Air and Marketplace.

He has lectured in a variety of countries as well as at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Oxford University, and Stanford University.

He teaches digital journalism at Stanford University and virtual community and social media at the University of California at Berkeley. He has previously taught participatory media and collective action at Berkeley and has also taught at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and the Institute of Creative Technologies at De Montfort University in Leicester, United Kingdom.

Rheingold’s recent work examines the ways in which the mobile phone, computers, and wireless Internet are changing the way we conduct our lives—not only how we meet and entertain, but how we govern and conduct business. Rheingold uses stories, case histories, and researched forecasts to present organizations and audiences with the information they need to understand how their lifestyles and businesses will be affected by future trends and technologies.

Author and technology consultant Howard Rheingold will deliver the keynote address at the opening session of the 2008 Technical Communication Summit, to be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 1–4.

Rheingold is credited with inventing the term virtual communities. He served as the founding executive editor of Wired magazine’s HotWired, the first commercial Webzine to introduce the Web-based discussion forum and online banner. Electric Minds, the Web site he founded in 1996, was named one of Time magazine’s “Best Web sites of 1996.” As the author of Tools for Thought (1985), The Virtual Community (1991), and Smart Mobs (2002), Rheingold, a 1968 graduate of Oregon’s Reed College, predicted the future of computers and the Internet. Smart Mobs, named one of the “big ideas” of 2002 by The New York Times Magazine, explored how the merger of mobile communications, pervasive computing, and the Internet would lead to new forms of collective action.

Rheingold’s weekly newspaper column, “Tomorrow,” was syndicated internationally by King Features, and he has appeared on numerous television and radio programs, including Today; Good Morning America; ABC’s Primetime Live; CNN, CBS, and NBC News; The MacNeil-Lehrer Report; and National Public Radio’s Fresh Air and Marketplace. He has lectured in a variety of countries as well as at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Oxford University, and Stanford University.

He teaches digital journalism at Stanford University and virtual community and social media at the University of California at Berkeley. He has previously taught participatory media and collective action at Berkeley and has also taught at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and the Institute of Creative Technologies at De Montfort University in Leicester, United Kingdom.

Rheingold’s recent work examines the ways in which the mobile phone, computers, and wireless Internet are changing the way we conduct our lives—not only how we meet and entertain, but how we govern and conduct business. Rheingold uses stories, case histories, and researched forecasts to present organizations and audiences with the information they need to understand how their lifestyles and businesses will be affected by future trends and technologies.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Bella Voce for sure

http://www.bellavocesingers.com/Concerts.html

Best concert ever!

2007-08 Concert Season: Spring
BVS is pleased to announce the remainder of our 2007-08 concert season!

Saturday, May 17, 7:30 pm
Friends of Historic New Utrecht Concert Series
1831 84th Street in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn

Sunday, May 18, 3:00 pm
"I Hear Music In the Air" with guest Emily Johns, Harp
Featuring music by Gustav Holst, Bela Bartok, David Mooney and others
Church of Saint Saviour, 611 8th Avenue, Park Slope, Brooklyn
Tickets: Adults $10, Children $5

Friday, May 30, 8:00 pm
7th Bi-annual Women and Girls Choir Festival
Saint Peters Church, Lexington at 54th Street, Manhattan
Tickets: $20

Sunday, June 1, 3:30 pm
"I Hear Music In the Air", reprise!
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 7420 4th Avenue, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Free-will donation at door

© 2005-2007 Bella Voce Singers.

SW Air, gotobus

303/2329 7:30am 10:20am BWI/1 2:50 $161 $146 $108
105/2900 11:50am 2:45pm BWI/1 2:55 $161 $146 $115
3770/977 3:20pm 7:40pm BWI/1 4:20 $161 $146 Unavailable
Cleveland to Islip, June 1

gotobus.com
5 6 7 8 930 1030

Gratitude, vested, press

1. Thank you to God and everyone who helps me get through a day
2. Thank you for this vested update
3. Thank you to Dr. Lisa Rock and the Breast Center

As of today, I have 3.8 years of service and need 5 years to be vested in the company pension plan (2009). For the 401k I need 3 years of service to be vested, which I already am.

So, I see I have been at RA for almost 4 years and get vested in my 401k before I get vested in the pension plan. In August, I should be eligible for 3 weeks of vacation instead of 2 weeks. I am looking forward to the 3 weeks, even if it is for time to do something in the Cleveland area or go to NY. Last year we were really lucky to go to Cancun, Europe, and NYC. Maybe this year it will be more NYC, NJ, Sandusky, Botanical Gardens, the Rain Forest, and Florida. I hope I have this right - some milestones, in chronological order - 8/2004(start) 8/2007(401k vested) 8/2008(3 weeks vac) 8/2009(vested pension)

Nov - 2002 / 2003-2004 /


hire 8-16-2004 -- start 8-23-2004

4 years on 8/23/2008 -- 5 years on 8/23/2009

vested in 401k - already in Feb. 2008
vested in pension plan - 5 years

May 28.2008 policty

1 to 5 80 hours 10 days 2 weeks
5 to 14 120 15 days 3 weeks
14 to 19 160 hours 20 days 4 weeks
19 years or greater 200 hours 25 days 5 weeks


vacation
1-3 years 2 weeks
4-6 years 3 weeks 8/2008
7-8 years 3 weeks and 1 day 8/2011
9 years 4 weeks

lisa rock july 1 9am 216 831 8255

breast center 216 896 1783

I am grateful for this press release from STC.

Highland Heights resident Jeanette P. Evans was named Associate Fellow by the Society for Technical Communication (STC), the largest organization dedicated to advancing the arts and sciences of technical communication, at its recent annual conference.



“Individuals chosen to be Associate Fellow are the cream of the technical communication profession,” explains Mark Clifford, STC president. “These are individuals who contribute significantly to the good of the field by conducting research, mentoring young professionals, giving presentations, and playing a large part in being volunteer leaders.”



Recipients of this honor have attained distinction in technical writing, advanced the profession of technical communication, or contributed significantly to the Society.

Jeanette has worked as both an employee and independent contractor. She is currently employed by Rockwell Automation of Mayfield Heights. She has also done work for the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Philips Medical Systems and taught technical communication at Cuyahoga County Community College at the Eastern campus. She has been active in the Northeast Ohio chapter of STC for many years and is currently a chair of the NEO STC academic relations committee. For more information about NEO STC please see neostc.org.



A graduate of Mercer University in Atlanta , Jeanette holds an MS in technical communication management from Mercer's school of engineering. She has presented many papers for STC and published in various STC publications.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

BIshop and Highland

Drivers who frequently travel through the intersection of Highland and Bishop roads in Highland Heights may want to consider alternate routes.

An $825,000 reconstruction project is scheduled to begin Monday, May 19. It will include lengthened turning lanes in all four directions and new traffic signals, pavement, curbs and sidewalks.

Traffic will be maintained, but officials expect long delays. The project should be finished this fall.

Something on LOGS

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS -- The non-profit groups Love Our Green Space and Friends of Euclid Creek will hold a "Walk in the (Wild) Woods" beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday (April 20) at Highland Heights Community Park, 5905 Wilson Mills Road.

The walk will take place in the more than 30 acres of undeveloped forested land that includes wetland areas, stands of mature trees and several streams that are the headwaters of Euclid Creek.

Barb Holtz, a naturalist and member of FOFC, will guide the walk and identify plants and trees, discuss animal habitats and explain the importance of wetlands in the Euclid Creek tributary system.

Walkers are encouraged to bring their cameras to capture the experience. They should meet at the picnic shelter next to the pool, and should wear boots and be prepared to walk in water and mud.

Shostakovich Chaos

The concert at Carnegie Hall features two contrasting - VERY MUCH SO - pieces. One is the "Clock" symphony (No. 101!) from Haydn. In contrast, the other is the "NOT CLOCK" symphony No. 4 from Shostakovich. Read on!

Shostakovich composed his Symphony No. 4 in C Minor, Opus 43, in the mid 1930's.

Halfway through its composition, he was denounced in the infamous Pravda editorial 'Chaos Instead of Music,' written under direct orders from Joseph Stalin. This from wikipedia.

Despite the oppressive political climate, Shostakovich continued to plan for the symphony's premiere but changed his mind during rehearsals and withheld the work.

It was finally premiered on December 30, 1961 by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra led by Kyril Kondrashin. I did not attend but I bet it was interesno.

Race on May 11

Cleveland's 5th Annual - The Race - Kids Making a Difference One Step at a Time SUNDAY, MAY 11, 2008 - REGISTRATION at 8 AM & RACE at 9AM
Sunday, May 11, 2008 from 8:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Celebrate Mother's Day at Legacy Village and help a good cause while you're at it!

Don't miss out on this fun 1 Mile Run/Walk fir kids of all ages and their parents. Registration begins at 8 AM and the Race will start at 9 AM

Register online at www.dotherace.com Call 866-540-RACE for more information.

All donations will benefit the Cleveland Clinic's Taussig Cancer Center for Breast Cancer Research

Sugar/думаю o бaбyшke


Grateful again for Mother's Day thoughts.

И вот вновь, я думаю o бaбyшke.

Sugar Makes You Smarter

A provocative statement but supported by the facts. A number of studies have previously shown that young children did better in school when they ate sweetened breakfast cereals and that adults also scored better when consuming glucose compared with placebo. Now, a study in 20 healthy elderly people shows that consumption of carbohydrates in the morning led to better memory and task performance. The study appeared in the September 2000 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Similar benefits were seen with consumption of glucose, potatoes, or barley. People who ate carbohydrates were better able to recall lists of words, pay attention, and connect numbers assigned randomly on a page. Although the foods were not significantly different from each other, there was a trend to better performance with glucose and lower performance with barley. The blood glucose level of the subjects was not related to the results of this study.
HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The preferred fuel source for your brain is glucose, the form of sugar the body makes in the liver if you don't eat enough carbohydrate. Regulation of blood sugar is connected to mental performance in all age groups. This is yet another reason not to follow fad diets that promise to keep blood sugar at constantly low levels. In fact, the elderly with the best insulin sensitivity and lowest body-mass index had the worst initial cognitive performance.
11.29.00
ABOUT NUTRITION NEWS FOCUS

Grateful, mothers, parasites


Here I am thinking again about how grateful I am.
1. Grateful to God and all who help me get through a day
2. Grateful about thoughts of mothers and Mother's Day
3. Grateful that Barbara and Sacha have a good education (see comment on parasites)
4. Grateful about visit to Botanical Gardens and Carnegie Hall
5. Grateful about www.bellavocesingers.com
6. Grateful that Plasmodium falciparum and Naegleria fowleri have been of interest
7. Solar energy stuff at
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2008/05/sol-man-mr-matchdotcom-pimps-solar.html

Carnegie Hall

7:00 PM in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage with Ara Guzelimian, Provost and Dean, The Juilliard School. Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Bernard Haitink, Principal Conductor
HAYDN - Symphony No. 101 in D Major, "The Clock"
SHOSTAKOVICH - Symphony No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 43

Bella Voce Singers

Saturday, May 17, 7:30 pm Friends of Historic New Utrecht Concert Series
1831 84th Street in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn
BVS have a diverse repetoire including Gustav Holst and Bela Bartok. BVS is an independent, not-for-profit women's choir based in Brooklyn, NY. BVS originally began in 2000 as an all-female teen group, when the founding director was teaching at a high school in Manhattan. When the founding director left the school in 2001, the group followed her to Brooklyn, where they eventually were named one of the top high-school age choirs in NYC and performing at Carnegie Hall. As the Bella Voce members began to graduate and move on to college, many decided that they still wanted to sing together, so the group expanded to include all women ages 16 and up. Bella Voce is now a group with about 30 members.

Naegleria fowleri

Naegleria is an absolutely fascinating parasite because it is found everywhere in great abundance but infections are very rare. If infections were more common or the presence of the parasite was less common it would be nowhere near as interesting. The current rate of infection means that there must be some other unknown factor that contributes to infection. Besides being very interesting, Naegleria can also be devastating. The main reasons for this are that the symptoms are very vague and once inside the body the parasite kills the host very quickly. This, in combination with the low infection rate, makes Naegleria an unlikely diagnosis made by a medical professional. This means that a diagnosis of Naegleria is often made after the patient dies.

Significance of Naegleria

Due to the low rate of infection, Naegleria does not get much attention, but it is still a very important parasite. The rapid progression of the disease and the low rates of diagnosis makes it very important that the general public be made aware of the risk factors and symptoms so that if infected, one can aid in their diagnosis. This is one of the few ways that we can increase success in treating this infections.

Where is the parasite found

Naegleria is found worldwide, but the free-swimming infective stages must be in the soil or a body of fresh water to survive. This can include geothermal pools, lakes, rivers, and even poorly maintained swimming pools. Trophozoites have even been found in bottled drinking water!(Roberts and Janvoy, 2008). Infection rates are more common in warmer months and in warmer climates. In the U.S. infections have occurred in the following states: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Virgini (Free Living Amebic Infection, CDC.gov)

Mode of Infection

Naegleria invades a host only very rarely. When this does occur it is from a free-swimming trophozoite penetrating the nasal passage. This is thought to occur if contaminated water enters the nose. Forceful entry of the water into the nose (from jumping or diving into the water) is thought the increase the chance of infection. Once in the nasal passage the parasite travels up the olfactory nerve to the brain. It is in the brain that the parasite causes the most damage.

Who gets infected

Anyone that is exposed to the parasite can be infected. But it is more likely that children will be infected. This is because they engage in activities that are thought to aid transmission of the parasite such as jumping or diving into bodies of possibly infected water, playing in water which leads to the disruption of the sediment, getting water in their nose, and swimming in a poorly maintained pool.

How many get infected

Infections are very rare. In the U.S. only 33 infections have been reported in the past ten years!(Free Living Amebic Infection, CDC.gov) Throughout the 1990’s 179 cases were reported worldwide (Roberts and Janvoy, 2008)

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of Naegleria in a living patient is rare due to the rapid progression of the disease. Infections can be diagnosed by microscopic examinations of the cerebrospinal fluid, in which a Giemsa stain will show trophozoites (Free Living Amebic Infection, CDC.gov).

Pathogenesis

Once in the brain, Naegleria causes a condition known as Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM). It usually causes death in its victims within a week. PAM affects all of its victims the same, whether male or female; adult or child. However, infections are more common in children due to their behavior in possible infected areas. When in the brain the parasite causes a condition called encephalitis, which is swelling of the brain tissue. This can cause headaches, fever, sensitivity to light, weakness, and seizures. The parasites can also invade the olfactory bulb, resulting in an altered or absent sense of smell.

Treatment

Treatment is rarely effective. This is because cases are rarely diagnosed in time for treatment to be effective. In properly diagnosed cases, treatment with Amphotericin B has proven to be effective in elimination the parasite in two reported cases (Roberts and Janvoy, 2008). Ongoing Lab work has also shown the parasite to be sensitive to quinghaosu (Roberts and Janvoy, 2008).

Control

Because Naegleria is everywhere it is difficult to avoid contact with it. It is only after an infection occurs in a particular body of water that a warning is issued, and access to the particular body of water is often restricted to the public. It has been suggested that the use of nose plugs while swimming may reduce the chance of infection. Swimmers should also exercise caution during peak infection times, when the weather is warmer. Educating the public on symptoms and risk factors may also increase the chance of making a correct diagnosis before it is too late.

Education Efforts

The CDC, along other online medical resources, has extensive sections on the dangers of Naegleria and safe swimming practices. But these are resources that one must be looking for; so therefore do not reach the general public. There is little general information available to an individual that is unaware of the danger (TV commercials, fliers in doctors offices, newspaper articles).

Current Research

There are three main aspects of Naegleria that are of great interest in current research. The first is comparing characteristics of different species of non-infective Naegleria to the infective species Naegleria fowleri to find possible modes of infection(Gonzalez-Robles, 2007) (Serrano-Luna 2007). The second is isolating Naegleria fowleri from infected individuals and comparing them to free-living forms of the same species with the hopes of finding characteristic differences that may have lead to infections (Cervantes-Sandoval 2007). The third current area of research is to compare differences in strains found in different climates to determine if temperature changes the expression of certain genes, resulting in higher infection rates (Mar 2008).

To make a case for more research

The statistics of Naegleria infections speak for themselves. Publicizing the stats would most likely result in public demand for more research. The low infection rate suggests that we do not know the whole story behind the mode of infection. Further research regarding the mode of infection could completely eliminate infections. The success rate of diagnosis and treatment enhances the argument that there needs to be more information gathered about this parasite. Of all of the reported infections, only 8 individuals have been cured. This is only an 3% success rate (Roberts and Janvoy, 2008). This makes it even more crucial that Naegleria be better understood.

The most important aspects for the public to know

It cannot be stressed enough that in order to increase successful diagnosis and treatment, the public must be made aware of the risk factors and symptoms. This will lead medical professionals in the right direction to make a diagnosis in time so that treatment may be effective. So the simple thing that the public should know is that one should be aware when participating in certain activities. The flagellated form (which I think is absolutely adorable) can be used as a mascot to keep the public- especially children- interested.

Plasmodium falciparum

P. falciparum is the other parasite that I found a particular interest in, but for completely different reasons than for Naegleria. The reason that I am interested in Plasmodium is because it has such an impact on humans, and is so preventable. All that it takes is a little bit of knowledge about prevention to save countless lives. It is because of this that I feel that any effort to raise awareness, even as modest as a student taking interest and telling friends to donate bed nets, can have an impact.

Significance

Plasmodium falciparum is currently the leading cause of death due to parasitic infection. Every year there are more than 1 million malaria related deaths. Tragically, many of these deaths are young children (Malaria, CDC.gov). It is because of this, malaria is so significant. Many aspects of the disease, including control, genetics, prevention, vaccination, and drug resistance have been the main focus of many research labs. The fact that malaria has been eradicated in many areas (the U.S. included), but remains such a problem in others means that it is not significant enough (Roberts and Janvoy, 2008).

Where is the parasite found

The geographic location of the disease is limited to suitable environment of the vector, the female anopheles mosquito. This includes tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and South and Central America. Malaria is most prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Mode of Infection

Malaria is transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito. When the mosquito feeds, it injects the infective stage of P. falciparum, the sporozoite, into the victim.

Who gets infected

Anyone who is at risk of being bitten by the vector is at risk for contracting malaria. Children are at higher risk for infection because they have not been exposed to the parasite, so therefore, have not developed partial immunity. Individuals that are heterozygous for the sickle cell trait are immune to infection.

How many get infected

Every year there are between 350-500 million reported cases of malaria. At least one million of these cases result in death (Malaria, CDC.gov).

Diagnosis

Malaria is most often diagnosed using microscopic examination of the patient blood using a giemsa stain. An infected individual will show the parasite (in either the trophozoite stage or the ring stage) within the red blood cells. If reliable microscopy in unavailable, an antibody test can also be used to make a diagnosis.

Pathogenesis

This parasite infects the red blood cells and the liver. Once in the blood cells, the parasite undergoes an asexual reproduction stage, which produces many merozoites that cause the cell to burst. Upon bursting the merozoites are released into the blood, causing an immune response resulting in a fever spike. Intervals between fever spikes correspond with the length of time needed to complete division (about 48 hours). The patient will experience chills between fever spikes. The infection of the blood cells can also cause blackwater fever, which is the severe destruction of red blood cells. It causes renal failure and is characterized by very dark urine. The patient will also exhibit anemia due to the destruction of the red blood cells. A condition known as cerebral malaria also occurs with infection. This is when red blood cells get stuck in the capillaries as a result of the infection. A patient will also show hepatosplenomegaly

Treatment

Due to different strain showing resistance to medication, treatment is based on geographic regions. Chloroquin, quinine, sulonamides, and artemisin are commonly used to treat malaria infections.

Control

Control is a very significant aspect in the battle against malaria. The use of insecticide treated bed nets is a very effective tool in preventing infection. Also important is to eliminate conditions that are favorable to the vector, such as the presence of certain brush and standing water. Also the behavior of the vectors (when and where does it feed, what part of the body does it bite…..) are important aspects of control.

Education Efforts

Because there are so many ways to reduce the transmission of malaria, there are currently massive efforts to educate people in endemic areas of risk factors of contracting malaria. This includes teaching about modes of transmission, proper ways to take medication, prevention, and conditions that contribute to the vector.

Current Research

Due to the impact that malaria has on the people living in endemic areas, research has been ongoing. Effectiveness of combination therapy in treating resistant strains has been a major point of focus recently (Falade 2008). Also many aspects of vector control, such as insecticide resistance, have been major points of focus (Chouaibou 2008)

To make a case for more research

Again, the statistics on malaria infections speak for themselves. The more that these stats are made public; the more the public will want research efforts to continue. There is already a lot of ongoing malaria research, but with the impact that the disease is having, there can never be enough.

The most important thing for the public to know

The importance of prevention cannot be stressed enough. In non-endemic areas, the public needs to know how much of an impact this disease has in parts of the world, and how much of a difference something as simple as donating bed nets or resources for education can make. In endemic areas, the public needs to be aware of the ways that they are able to protect themselves.

Gratitude, Mothers

Here I am again, thinking about how grateful I am.
1. Grateful to God and all who help me get through a day.
2. Grateful for wonderful music, concerts, and thoughts about Mother's Day
И вот вновь, я думаю o бaбyшke.
3. Grateful that the library has these
Bee Movie
Cold Mountain
I'm Not There
Kite Runner
Sweeney Todd
Nureyev by Julie Kavanaugh

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Philly thoughts


Here are some thoughts on the Philly conference. Content management sessions appear to be getting some good coverage. Some items of interest.

- Building your Content Management Skills, Ann Rockley
- Vendor Panel: Successful Content Management, Ann Rockley

Before getting into comments on the sessions, a couple of comments, overall, on the conference are in order. It has been several years since I attended or presented at a conference, so I wondered what was new. I'm finding a combination of new and old so far in the program. As expected, the new of the conference involved coverage of new topics and technologies to show what is currently going on in the field. There is also some sameness of years past with the basic format of a keynote speaker, presentations, awards on display, vendor booths, and networking at meals and other events.

Gratitude, dentist, etc.

I have not been writing as much lately and should get back to the gratitude journal idea and ideas. Here are some more items that make me grateful.

1. Thank you to God and all the people who help me get through a day.
2. Thank you for nice plays like Hairspray which I saw this weekend. The actors were very good and the lead actress and John Travolta roles were cast incredibly well as was Christopher Walken. Last weekend I saw Charlie Wilson's War where Tom Hanks was his usual good actor but Julia Roberts and Paul Giamatti did a good job as well. There is a lot to say about both Hairspray and Charlie Wilson's War. Some other movies I saw recently were Pattoon and Syrianna. It has been a string of good movies, with Lawrence of Arabia before that.

I visited the dentist this weekend. My next appointment is Saturday, Dec. 20. I have a doctor's appointment scheduled for 11:30 on May 16.