Superbugs the rise and fall of hospital acquired infections

Superbugs- the Rise (and fall?) of hospital acquired infections During the course of this essay the most common infections will be looked at. These include Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Clostridium difficile (C.difficile), and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE). The development of drug resistance will also be outlined, and whether or not there has been an increase or a fall in the amount of cases. In addition the current problems will be examined, and strategies for control and prevention will be discussed. Hospital acquired infections usually occur 48 hours or more after hospital admission or within 30 days after discharge. This type of infection is also known as nosocomial infection. 2.8 million People in the U.K acquire a nosocomial infection from hospital each year, 90 000 of which die (Gould, 2005). A large number of infections that people acquire in hospitals are resistant to antibiotics, they are termed superbugs. One of the main types of infection is C. difficile, it is resistant to most antibiotics (McBryde et al, 2004). Antibiotics disrupt the normal intestinal flora causing the bacteria to become overgrown instigating severe diarrhea. C. difficile produces heat-resistant spores that remain on hospital surfaces for a long period of time. Once the spores are ingested, they pass through the stomach to the colon, where they

  • Word count: 1119
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Biological Sciences
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The Oleta River Preserve

THE OLETA RIVER PRESERVE The Oleta River Preserve is a small but important protected site along the Oleta River near Snake Creek. Historically, the Oleta River connected the northern Everglades to the Atlantic Ocean allowing freshwater to reach the sea. Today the Oleta River is the only natural river in Miami-Dade County that has not been dredged and channelized. Its seven miles of shoreline are largely undeveloped, making the Oleta River Corridor a vestige of wilderness in a matrix of urbanization. The extinct Tequesta Indians canoed the waters of the Oleta River over 400 years ago and today, the river still offers a peaceful wilderness experience for modern-day canoeists. A Tequesta village and midden site is preserved nearby as a reminder of the river's past human history. This area now represents one of the last wilderness areas available to wildlife in northern Miami-Dade county and is home to the endangered West Indian manatee and American crocodile. The site was purchased by the Environmentally Endangered Lands program and the Florida Communities Trust in 1995 to expand adjacent coastal resources bordering the Oleta River. Miami-Dade County employees removed exotic pest plants from the site, supervised removal of fill material, and replanted red mangroves and other shoreline vegetation. This will help begin the slow restoration of uninterrupted natural mangrove

  • Word count: 741
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Biological Sciences
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Environmental revolution and ecosystems.

Ecosystems Simone M Brady SCI210 Dr. Hoffman August 27, 2005 INTRODUCTION Earth is able to sustain life, but to what extent? With history being replete of the loss of civilizations, when do we learn to take care of the environment, as it takes care of us? Populations of the same species of organism living in the same place at the same time is not what we are limited to, instead communities of many species living together composed of Abiotic factors as well as organisms that make up ecosystems and different habitats all live under the biosphere. Absent care and strategic planning, life as we know it will become harsh. ENVIRONMENTAL REVOLUTION An environmental revolution would not result in environmental problems, but with problems with humans who want to have their cake and eat it too. Examples of economic ways of changing for the sake of the environment are as follows: > Solar power, which has been used quite extensively. The sun is natural energy and should be used for lighting, especially outside lighting in order to preserve electrical resources. > According to Brown (1999), urban transportation systems will change by using bicycles, walking and high-tech light rail systems as opposed to cars. > Brown also suggests that the economy will become a reuse/recycle economy as opposed to a throwaway economy. There is no perceived problem with this because resources

  • Word count: 706
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Biological Sciences
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Land Ethics and Ecology (including ecological systems)

Land Ethics and Ecology (including ecological systems) Ralph M. Dahm SCI 361 - Environmental Issues and Ethics Dr. Theodore R. Ferguson April 9, 2005 Abstract Several arguments exist regarding environmental responsibility to future generations. What is the responsibility to protect and preserve ecological systems? Significant environmental damage has already been suffered. The potential for this damage to increase or become permanent is elevated. The consequences of ignoring land ethics are building. The significance of land ethics and ecology, including the impact to ecological systems, is explored. The impact of increased population is considered. Possible outcomes and solutions are evaluated. One haunting question remains unanswered. Land Ethics and Ecology Jardins (2001) argument that a responsibility exists to future generations is valid. The "argument from ignorance" position seems to be a convenient excuse to avoid responsibility. The needs and wants of future generations are unknown. Living in a contaminated environment would not be one of them. Ethically a responsibility exists to protect the natural environment for those who will inhabit the planet in the distant future. At a minimum a duty exists not to cause further harm. Unfortunately, serious damage has already been inflicted. In the 1940's uranium mining supported the development of atomic weapons.

  • Word count: 1195
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Biological Sciences
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Biological Membranes

Biological Membranes By Nishant Pradhan Ideas ) Biological membranes are a very complex part of a cell.- 2) Many variations of membranes exist even in a simple cell- 3) Give the main reason and importance of a cell membrane- 4) Different organelles, depending on their purpose have suitable membranes- 5) Give examples of different organelles having a specific type of membrane- 6) Explain the basic features of the plasma membrane- 7) Explain what pores do- 8) Explain why the membranes looks the way it does under the electron microscope- 9) Freeze fracture technique used to investigate inside the membrane- 0) Mitochondria having two separate membranes- 1) Temperature affects the membrane e.g. active transport may cease- 2) Plasma membrane in active transport- 3) Bounding cells together- 4) Chemical components of the membrane- 5) Gas exchange- 6) Cell membranes are made by the help of the golgi apparatus (explain)- 7) Chloroplast membranes- 8) Membrane around nucleus- 9) Cell wall shouldn't be confused with the cell membrane- 20) It is the cell membrane that is pulled during plasmolysis not the cell wall.- 21) A light microscope is not strong enough to clearly distinguish between the -features of a cell membrane, therefore an electron microscope is necessary PLAN ) Introduction - Cell membranes and the misconception. The complexity. 2) How the structure

  • Word count: 1586
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Biological Sciences
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Bi technology and food security: The clue for a new green revolution?

BITECHNOLOGY AND FOOD SECURITY: THE CLUE FOR A NEW GREEN REVOLUTION? RURAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS TANIA MARTIN CRUZ APRIL 2002 INTRODUCTION Biotechnology is a new revolution; it has the power to modify DNA in living organisms in order to achieve the required results. With biotechnology genetic engineering has reached a powerful status, it means that human beings can adapt living organisms to their necessities or desires. My goal has been to analyse biotechnology and specifically Genetic Modified Crops (GM crops), to know if they can be the tool for a New Green Revolution. A revolution that will be able to provide food security to the poor in developing countries, to use the potential benefits of biotechnology to prevent hunger and poverty, to improve the nutritional status of food or make them adaptable to specific weather conditions among other properties. To achieve this I have analysed the principal points of view about biotechnology, their objectives, benefits and risks and from this I have developed my own arguments about biotechnology and food security. My assumption and the arguments given are addressed to demonstrate that biotechnology could be a potential tool to improve food security but the actual companies being managed to develop researches on biotechnology are not considering food security as one of the main goals, on the contrary, they are adapting

  • Word count: 5577
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Biological Sciences
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Heat Balance in a Hot Environment

TITLE PAGE Heat Balance in a Hot Environment Name: Mubeen Iqbal SID: 200242757 Date: 29/10/07 Programme: Human Physiology Module Code: BMSC 2305 - Experimental Techniques in Physiology Number of Words (excluding figures, figure legends and references): 1702 INTRODUCTION Heat balance is achieved when the body keeps its core body temperature constant. This happens when heat gained by the body is equal to heat lost by the body. Generally, body core temperature will decrease if more heat is lost than gained and core body temperature will increase if more heat is gained than lost. The major way in which heat is lost from the body is by evaporation of sweat. Heat is also given out by radiation, convection, and conduction. Heat is produced by metabolism and muscle activity. During exercise metabolism increases dramatically and therefore produces a lot of heat. The aims of this experiment are to discover and examine the thermoregulatory responses which occur when a subject moves from being at rest in a cool environment to exercising a hot environment, and then back to being at rest in a cool environment. METHOD The height and mass of the subject was measured initially, and the Du Bois nomogram was used to calculate the body surface area of the subject. Skin temperature probes were attached at the chest, the calf, and the distal pad of the middle finger using adhesive

  • Word count: 1815
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Biological Sciences
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Control of Respiration

Introduction The process of gas exchange within the body is know as respiration and has three fundamental stages: * Pulmonary ventilation - also known as breathing, is the inhalation and exhalation of gas between the air outside and the alveoli of the lungs * External respiration - refers to the exchange of gases in the alveoli of the lungs and the blood in pulmonary capillaries, where the capillary blood gains O² and loses CO² * Internal respiration - is the gas exchange between blood in systemic capillaries and tissue cells. This process can also be referred to as cellular respiration. Pulmonary ventilation is a result of alternating pressure differences, between the atmosphere and the alveoli of the lungs, due to contraction and relaxation of respiratory muscles. To enable air to flow into the lungs, the pressure within the alveoli must be lower than that of the atmosphere outside. This can be achieved by increasing the volume of the lungs. The process of pulmonary ventilation is organized by the CNS via the spinal nerves. These spinal nerves innervate the intercostals muscles and the diaphragm by fibers of the phrenic nerves which appear from the spinal cord at cervical levels C3, C4 & C5. The output of these fibers, also known as motor neurons, is controlled by the medullary ryhthmicity area located at the respiratory center in the medulla oblongata in the

  • Word count: 1747
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Biological Sciences
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An investigation into the abundance of freshwater invertebrates in pools and riffles at six different sites of Embercombe and Nutscale Water

Introduction An investigation into the abundance of freshwater invertebrates in pools and riffles at six different sites of Embercombe and Nutscale Water, and more specifically into the abundance of swimming mayfly in relation to the velocity of the site where they are found. The investigation involved sampling freshwater invertebrates by stone washing and counting the abundance of the different species at the different sites. The abiotic factors velocity, temperature, width and depth of the sites were also measured. Prediction I think there will be a difference in the abundance of freshwater invertebrates between pools and riffles. I think there will be a greater abundance of freshwater invertebrates in riffles and very few in pools. This is because riffles are ideal if the organism requires a large amount of oxygen as the fast flow of riffles allows more oxygen to dissolve in the water. Also their low depth means that predators such as fish can rarely survive there. This is the reason I think there will be very few freshwater invertebrates in pools, because fish can prey on them, also a lot of carnivorous freshwater invertebrates such as water beetles and water mites are also found in pools which may feed on and reduce the abundance of smaller freshwater invertebrates. I also think the higher the velocity of the stream, the higher the abundance of swimming mayfly found

  • Word count: 3840
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Biological Sciences
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proteins in mammalian PC12

The behaviour of long polyglutamine-containing proteins in mammalian PC12 cells Project report in partial fulfilment for the degree of MSc in Neuroscience August 2008 Janahi Visakan Supervised by Dr Angela Hodges Department Of Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry King's College London University Of London The behaviour of long polyglutamine-containing proteins in mammalian PC12 cells Abstract Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominant, inherited neurodegenerative disorder induced by a glutamine expansion repeat at the N-terminal end of the huintingtin protein. These N-terminal fragments of huntingtin aggregate in the nucleus and destroy cells. This genetic disorder is accompanied by motor, cognitive, personality changes and psychiatric symptoms. If the number of glutamine residues increase to more than 37, then this induces an adult, onset gradual progressive neurodegeneration known as HD.The genome of D.discoideum, a social amoeba consists of polyglutamine fragments longer than 40 residues. These long polyglutamine fragments do not confer any toxic effects .In addition the genome sequencing of D.discoideum has demonstrated that this organism is able to withstand a large number of proteins containing long polyglutamine stretches. A synthetically generated CAAX repeat construct was clone d into a mammalian expression vector using the gateway system (Invitrogen) to

  • Word count: 10537
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Biological Sciences
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