Damages to Mammalian Neural Activity Treatment

Damages to Mammalian Neural Activity Treatment Utilizing Prokaryotic Channels, Organic Biometric Neurons and Mammalian Target of Rapamycin to Reverse and Repair Damages to Mammalian Neural activity Stephen Shay Introduction One of the most detrimental conditions that a patient can acquire is damage to the nervous system. Major damages can include vascular disorders, congenital, degenerative disorders and trauma. These damages and disorders often involve abnormal neurochemical and electrical signaling (Purves et al. 2012). There are currently many treatments available for patients suffering damage to the nervous system. These possible treatments can range from surgery, physical therapy and medications for autoimmune diseases which can help a patient adapt to or possibly provide a small fix for their individual situation but the underlying problem may still subsist. The damages caused to mammalian axons in the central nervous system (CNS) fail to regenerate or repair after injury with issues such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) or demyelinating conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS) leading to affected nerve fibers which will no longer work correctly as shown by Mierzwa et al. (2015). This can leave s ites of injury in patients unmanageable and without a clear path to recovery. To remedy this, a toolbox has been proposed utilizing a series of recent research. Nguyen et al. (2016) describe a method which would allow for direct enhancement of electrical excitability in human cells through the overexpression of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSC). Simon et al. (2015) developed an organic electronic biometric neuron, which has the capacity to integrate within a malfunctioning signaling pathway. Lim et al. (2016) present that through stimulating neural activity and the cell-growth-promoting pathway of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in mice which their visual neurons silenced would see RGC axons regenerated and re-innervated. Utilizing these tools; engineered prokaryotic channels to increase tissue excitability, organic electronic biomimetic neurons to mimic the function of physiological neurons and bridge the affected zone to the rest of the nervo us system, and utilizing visual neural stimulation along with activation of the mTOR pathway to stimulate axon regeneration, it opens up the possibility to reverse and repair conditions caused by damages and afflictions to the nervous system. Prokaryotic Channels Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are fundamental to cell-to-cell communication in the nervous system, and their loss of function can lead to a variety of different disorders (e.g. neuronal, cardiac and skeletal muscular). These VGSCs, in electrically excitable tissues, allow for the firing and spread of action potentials. Ren et al. (2001) along with Koshi et al. (2003) had provided novel insight into the structure and biophysical properties of VGSCs and a large bacterial family of VGSCs called BacNav. Utilizing this bacteria Nguyen et al. (2016) established a platform to enable stable conversion of primary human fibroblasts into action potential conducting cells which can slowly recover conduction in tissues with pathological conditions. Versatility was shown as Nguyen et al. with applying this technology to human ventricular fibroblasts (HVFs), human astrocytes (Has) and HECK293s into engineered electrically excitable cells (E-HVFs, E-HAs and E-HEK293s, respectively) (Nguyen e t al.). Though this study only focused on the alteration of specific amino acid residues in BacNav, E43 and D60, a variety of possible combinations can be explored to further expand the possibilities of this approach. Organic Biometric Neurons Currently most neurological therapies are based in and rely on medication and electrical stimulation. Larsen et al. (2013) presented how a newer class of technology called iontronics, which is based on polyelectrolytes and à Ã¢â€š ¬-conjugated semiconducting polymers, can work as organic electronic electrophoretic transport devices. Iontronics exhibit a unique combination of ionic and electronic properties, enabling transduction between electronic impulses and biochemical signals. Applying this, Simon et al. (2015) presented an organic electronic biomimetic neuron or artificial neuron with the hopes it can be used to restore use to malfunctioning signaling pathways. These artificial neurons are based on the basic chemical-electrical-chemical signal transduction like projected neurons use in communication with one another hoping to find a potential for long-range neuronal signaling. Simon et al. had concluded their results offered a novel means for auto-regulated neuromodulation bas ed on endogenous substances, enabling malfunctioning neuronal signaling pathways to be restored or augmented, thus returning the damaged area to a chemically and electrically balanced healthy state. The artificial neurons also present a conversion of glutamate-induced descending neuromuscular signals into acetylcholine-mediated muscular activation signals may be obtained, applicable for bridging injured sites and active prosthetics (Simon et al.). Neural Activity Combined with Activated Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Focusing on the eye-to-brain pathway which consists of RGC connections to subcortical targets [as] a widely used model for studying vertebrate CNS regeneration (Vidal-Sanz et al. 1987) (Park et al. 2008), Lim et al. (2016) shows how that the stimulation of RGC activity leading to their axons regeneration and by looking at axon damage in the CNS they observed avenues in which they can regenerate and restore correct connectivity patterns. Lim et al. had found that enhancing neural activity and mTOR signaling in RGCs, we observed long-distance, target-specific RGC axon regeneration in adult mice showing a mechanistic combination that can lead to axon regrowth and repair. This research may prove informative for devising treatments for the damaged visual system, spinal cord or other CNS regions in patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases or physical trauma (Lim et al.). Proposed Method of Combination Therapy and its Prospect of Neuromodulation Through its Application/Discussion There are important functional implications for the anatomical regeneration of the different parts of the nervous system. Utilizing a combination of these tools that these research teams worked on, its possible to come up with a possible combination therapy to reverse or repair serious damages when it comes to the nervous system. A treatment involving these tools would be a personalized therapy requiring costume gene editing for the prokaryotic channels, specialized artificial neurons for the site of damage and while using out-patient or in-patient therapy to stimulate neural activity and enhance mTOR. If done together the possibility is open for neuronal regeneration and chemical and electric stabilization, for affected tissue and site of injury. References Koishi, R., Xu, H., Ren, D., Navarro, B., Spiller, B. W., Shi, Q., Clapham, D. E. (2003). A Superfamily of Voltage-gated Sodium Channels in Bacteria. Journal of BiologicalChemistry, 279(10), 9532-9538. doi:10.1074/jbc.m313100200 Larsson, K. C., Kjà ¤ll, P., Richter-Dahlfors, A. (2013). Organic bioelectronics for electronic-to chemical translation in modulation of neuronal signaling and machine-to-brain interfacing. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) General Subjects, 1830(9), 4334-4344. doi:10.1016/j.bbagen.2012.11.024 Lim, J. A., Stafford, B. K., Nguyen, P. L., Lien, B. V., Wang, C., Zukor, K., . . . Huberman, A. D. (2016). Neural activity promotes long-distance, target-specific regeneration of adult retinal axons. Nature Neuroscience, 19(8), 1073-1084. doi:10.1038/nn.4340 Mierzwa, A. J., Marion, C. M., Sullivan, G. M., Mcdaniel, D. P., Armstrong, R. C. (2015). Components of Myelin Damage and Repair in the Progression of White Matter Pathology After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Journal of Neuropathology Experimental Neurology, 74(3), 218-232. doi:10.1097/nen.0000000000000165 Nguyen, H. X., Kirkton, R. D., Bursac, N. (2016). Engineering prokaryotic channels for control of mammalian tissue excitability. Nature Communications, 7, 13132. doi:10.1038/ncomms13132 Park, K. K., Liu, K., Hu, Y., Smith, P. D., Wang, C., Cai, B., . . . He, Z. (2008). Promoting Axon Regeneration in the Adult CNS by Modulation of the PTEN/mTOR Pathway. Science, 322(5903), 963-966. doi:10.1126/science.116156 Purves, D. et al. (2012). Neuroscience. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates. Ren, D. et al. (2001). A Prokaryotic Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel. Science, 294(5550), 2372-2375. doi:10.1126/science.1065635 Simon, D. T., Larsson, K. C., Nilsson, D., Burstrà ¶m, G., Galter, D., Berggren, M., Richter-Dahlfors, A. (2015). An organic electronic biomimetic neuron enables auto regulated neuromodulation. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 71, 359-364. doi:10.1016/j.bios.2015.04.058 Vidal-Sanz, M., Bray, G.M., Villegas-Pà ©rez, M.P., Thanos, S. Aguayo, A.J. (1987). Axonal regeneration and synapse formation in the superior colliculus by retinal ganglion cells in the adult rat. J.Neurosci. 7, 2894-2909.

Saving The World One Taxdollar At A Time :: essays research papers

Saving the World One Taxdollar at a Time   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Canada, a sparsely populated giant, is not a land of patriotic zealots. Compared to the economic powerhouse down south, our dollar is always low, and our dependency on the world’s last remaining superpower often leaves us with the belief that the â€Å"true north strong and free† is but a pilotfish living off a shark. Canadian citizens, however, have an extraordinary reason to be proud.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Chretien administration has allotted one hundred million dollars to the global eradication of landmines, a noble goal. Our elected officials trumpet the Ottawa Convention On The Prohibition Of The Use, Stockpiling, Production, And Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines And On Their Destruction, and can now boast of 136 signing nations, six of which are members of the G8: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. This treaty is viewed by many as establishing a new standard. A precedent for the prohibition of weapons of war has been set with the ban upon chemical gases, but a revolutionary process has begun: The multi-national negotiation and acceptance of an arms control agreement by same-minded states and organizations outside the confines of the United Nations. Canada is in the midst of ridding the world of a scourge.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Clear Landmines, a non-profit organization devoted to the removal of these weapons of destruction, anti-personnel mines kill or mutilate 26,000 people a year, 8000 of which are children under the age of fifteen. Though there are over 344 models of these devices, the Soviet PFM-1 or â€Å"butterfly mine,† as it is called because of its shape, is one of the most heinous. Widely used in Afghanistan, the surreptitious contrivance is scattered by airplane into fields, where youngsters pick them up, believing them to be toys. The innocents not only lose limbs but also develop eye impairments due to the toxicity of the explosive. The gas released is so hazardous that when the Ukraine attempted to destroy their stockpiles the fumes killed eight employees. Should children have their lives ruined by a war leftover found in their own backyards?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although almost all of the non-signatories of this noble treaty agree with the notion of a ban, some fifty countries have yet to sign-including three of the five permanent members of the United Nations: Russia, China, and the United States. Sixteen governments are still producers, eight in Asia, three in Europe, two in the Americas, and three in the Middle East.

Andragogy and Transformative Learning Essay

The realization that adults learn differently from children led educators and scholars to the difficult task of defining the distinct manner by which adults learn. This was necessary in order to establish adult education as a separate field requiring non-traditional strategies in terms of teaching-learning style and instruction, but needed the same attention and effort as early education. Although the field of adult education has since branched out into numerous categories involving both formal and informal educational settings, the concept of adult learning continues to evolve as a result of the increased interest and numerous contributions to the field by educators and scholars alike. Indeed, adult education professionals have had to define the unique characteristics of adult learning vis-a-vis dominant learning frameworks focused on the teaching and learning of children. For instance, Malcolm Knowles used the term â€Å"andragogy† in an effort to differentiate adult learning from â€Å"pedagogical† or child learning approaches (Atherton, 2005). According to Knowles, there are five key differences between andragogical and pedagogical approaches to the teaching-learning process. These differences emanate mainly from the perceived differences between the characteristics of the adult as a learner compared to the child learner. In contrast to pedagogical approaches to teaching-learning which view the learner as highly dependent upon the teacher/instructor’s guidance and experience, andragogical approaches focus on the learner’s ability for self-direction and capacity for drawing knowledge from experiences (Yale University Library, 2005). Another important source of distinction between pedagogical and andragogical approaches is that the former focuses on the role external sources of motivation in the achievement of positive learning outcomes while the latter emphasizes the importance of motivation for learning that is intrinsic in the individual adult as a learner (ibid). Hence, andragogical approaches assume that adults can take responsibility for the direction and outcomes of their learning, a task that has been traditionally assigned to the teacher or the instructor by most pedagogical approaches in education. Aside from Knowles’ notion of andragogy, another influential theory in the conceptualization and benchmarking of adult education outcomes is Mezirow’s concept of Transformative Learning, which posits that adult learning involves perspective transformation or the process by which adults â€Å"become more adaptive and able to profit from experience† as a result of the expansion of the frames they use for interpreting and understanding the meaning and construction of their experiences (Parkes, 2001, p. 82). Unsurprisingly, the results of Maher’s (2002, p. 11) study on the first three generations of adult educators reveal that adult educators considered both Knowles and Mezirow among the leading theorists of adult learning. The same study is made interesting by the fact that it reflects how the perceptions and philosophies of adult educators themselves are shaped by the impact of their experiences and how they construe and fit the meaning of these experiences into their lives as educators. As Maher (2002, p. 12) notes, the responses of the adult educators she surveyed â€Å"represents a living example of how adult development occurs as a result of ‘a mixture of everything that happens to us’† which parallels both Knowles and Mezirow’s contention that adult learning is generally driven by the need by adults to continually frame and re-frame their existence through making sense of their experiences. Consequently, one of the differences that can be expected from adult educators or professionals who are more often involved in adult education in terms of the instruction approach is their more facilitative style of teaching. This stems from the adult educators’ perception that their students are in possession of knowledge and experiences that are relevant to the learning process as suggested by both Knowles and Mezirow, and that adult learners often want more control over their learning experiences and outcomes (Timarong, Temaungil & Sukrad, n. d. ). Another difference between adult educators and child educators is that the former often expects learners to assume responsibility and direct their own learning. This behavior is influenced by the notion that adult learners are often often conscious of their own learning needs. Likewise, adult educators often have a more informal relationship with their student, which is influenced by their view of the student as an individual as opposed to the more formal and rigid structure in early mentoring (Landsberger, 1996). However, this does not mean that adult educators have lower expectations in terms of learning outcomes. On the contrary, adult educators place more responsibility on their students since adult learners are treated as partners in the learning process and therefore have the ability to actively participate in planning, monitoring, and evaluating their education. The assumption that adults learn differently from children has numerous implications for instruction, particularly in how educators address learners’ specific needs and preferences. First, the educator has to consider the adult learner tendency for autonomy and self-direction in evaluating their teaching style. Second, instruction in adult learning has to take into account adult learners’ preference for relevant, problem-based learning and the relationship between these new knowledge to their specific contexts and life tasks (Lieb, 1991). Hence, adult learning instruction must be able to incorporate multiple teaching strategies, practice respect for self-directed learning processes, and offer experiential learning opportunities in order for learners to gain a sense of control and personal relevance of their learning (Maher, 2002, p. 7). Lastly, adult instruction must enable learner participation in all aspects of the learning process, and clarify the learner’s responsibility for assessing and evaluating their own performance vis-a-vis their goals for learning. Clearly, the dichotomy between adult learning and child learning primarily stems from the distinct learning needs and styles of each group of learners. Hence, adult learners require teaching strategies and styles that are vastly different from the traditional teaching methods employed in early education. Thus, the field of adult learning itself is made unique not only by its distinct goals and outcomes for the learner, but by the greater responsibility for the learning process that it allocates to the learner as a mature, independent individual. Works Cited: Atherton, J. S. (2005) Learning and teaching: Knowles andragogy: an angle on adult learning. Retrieved October 31, 2008, from http://www. learningandteaching. info/learning/knowlesa. htm Landsberger, J. (1996). Learning as an adult Andragogy. The Study Guides and Strategies. Retrieved October 31, 2008, from http://www. studygs. net/adulted. htm Lieb, S. (2007). Principles of adult learning. Retrieved October 31, 2008, from http://honolulu. hawaii. edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/adults-2. htm Maher, P. A. (2002). Conversations with long-time adult educators: the first three generation (ED471248). Retrieved October 31, 2008, from http://www. eric. ed. gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/1a/9c/bd. pdf Parkes, D. (2001). About adult education: Transformative learning. Journal of Workplace Learning. 13 (3). 182-184. Retrieved October 31, 2008, from ProQuest Data Base. Timarong, A. , Temaungil, M. , & Sukrad, W. (n. d. ). Adult learning and learners. Retrieved October 31, 2008, from http://www. prel. org/products/pr_/adult-learners. htm

The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall Character Analysis

1. (61 words) The definition of character, as defined in â€Å"Backpack Literature† states that â€Å"A character, then, is presumably an imagined person who inhabits a story – although that simple definition may admit to a few exceptions.† However, I have a different definition that describes the word â€Å"character.† The definition of character is particularly any figure that represents a personality, purpose, or symbolic meaning. 2. (743 words) â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall† is a short story written by Katherine Ann Porter, a writer from Indian Creek, Texas. Porter comes from a journalistic background. She first started working as a reporter while singing and acting on the side. In 1965, Porter won a Pulitzer Prize for a wide†¦show more content†¦Later in the story we find that Granny Weatherall is â€Å"jilted† yet again. â€Å"For the second time there was no sign. Again no bridegroom and the priest in the house.â €  We can conclude that this time she is not ditched by a groom, but by God. This part of Porter’s story can be related to a story in the Bible where Jesus is symbolized as a bridegroom and ten virgins are symbolized as people prepared or not prepared, to enter heaven. In The Parable of Ten Virgins, Jesus tells a story about ten bridesmaids who are given the task of using their lamps to light a path for a bridegroom of a wedding. Five of the bridesmaids did not bring extra oil for the lamps, but the other five were not foolish and brought extra oil. The bridegroom was delayed so the virgins used more oil than planned. While the foolish bridesmaids were at the market getting more oil, the bridegroom arrives, locking the foolish bridesmaids out of the ceremony. The story leaves us with a moral to be prepared and stay awake because you do not know when it is your time to die. In her earlier years, Granny decided for herself when she would die. She went around making farewe ll trips to her family. Twenty years later, Granny’s death was upon her and she decides that she isn’t ready to go. Only God can decide ones NEED APOS. ONE S time to die (Matthew 25:13). I think that Granny fits into the category of one of the virgins who went to market for oil because at the end, she only sawShow MoreRelatedLiterary Analysis Of The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall By Katherine Porter1128 Words   |  5 Pageswithin a story through literary analysis. This helps make the moral of the story more meaningful to the specific reader. In â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,† â€Å"A Jury of Her Peers,† and â€Å"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,† Katherine Porter, Susan Glaspell, and Gabriel Marquez use one or more predominant symbols to enforce the integrity of the message they are trying to convey to their readers. One example of strong symbolism is in â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,† by Katherine Porter when the