Friday, July 31, 2015

Please explain the beginning to the Declaration of Independence (included below) in simple English. When in the Course of human events it...

Let us take this in small chunks, exploring the meaning of each bit separately:


  •         “When in the Course of human events”–this means something like “when, in human history.”  Or even just “when.”  You could completely leave out the words after “when” without really changing the meaning.

  •         “it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another”—this means that one group of people, in this case, the American colonists, need to stop being part of another group of people, in this case, the British.

  •         “and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them”—this means that they are going to become equal to all other countries of the world.  It also says that all countries of the world should be equal because of the laws of nature and because of God’s law.

  •         “a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”—this means that they have to have enough respect for public opinion in other countries to tell everyone in the world why they are going to separate themselves from the other country/group of people.

  •         “We hold these Truths to be self-evident”—we believe that the following things are obviously true.

  •         “that all Men are created equal” is already in simple English.

  •         “that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”—means that God has given them certain rights that cannot be taken away from them (or given away).

  •         “that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”—this is a list of the rights that God has given them.

  •         “That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men”—the purpose of government is to protect the rights that were just mentioned.

  •         “deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed”—government only has the right to rule if the people it is ruling consent to being ruled.

  •         “that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends”-whenever any government stops protecting these rights and instead destroys them. 

  •         “it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government”—if that happens, the people have the right to change their government or even to totally overthrow it and create a new one.

  •         “laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness….”—if the people change their government, they will change it to a kind of government that will, in their opinion, keep them safe and happy.

So, a “simple English” version of this might read:


Sometimes, in human history, one group of people wants to break away from another group and become independent.  When this happens, that group of people needs to respect public opinion enough to tell everyone why they are splitting from their original country.  (Here’s why we are splitting from Britain…)


We believe that it is obvious that all men (we would say “people” nowadays) are created equal and that God has given them some rights that no one can take from them.  Some of these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  The only purpose of government is to protect these rights.  Government also has no right to rule unless the people consent to be ruled.  If a government doesn’t follow these rules, the people have the right to change it or even to overthrow it and make a new government.  If the people do this, they should change it to a kind of government that will, in their opinion, keep them safe and happy.

Before the actual fighting occurred in 1775, American colonists responded to British imperial policies using a number of active, but nonviolent...

First, many colonists were protesters without even knowing it--the Proclamation Line of 1763 set the Appalachian Mountains as the westernmost boundary for English settlement in the New World, as the area west of it was supposed to be native lands.  Many colonists had already went west of it before 1763 and had no intention of moving back--thus making them on the wrong side of English rule.  The Tea Act of 1773 was passed to give the East India Company a monopoly on the American tea trade.  Actually, even with the tax, English tea was still cheaper than all others.  The colonists made it a point not to use this tea and smuggled other imported teas from the Dutch and Spanish and in Boston they famously threw the tea in the harbor during the Boston tea party.  The Townshend Duties put taxes on lead, paint, and glass, but many colonists got around this by smuggling, even though smuggling often meant doing business with nations that Britain was at war against.  There was also a push to make the colonies more self-sufficient as the Daughters of Liberty created more American clothes by hand so that colonists would not be entirely dependent on British exports.  This boycott hurt English merchants and forced Parliament's hand to find other methods of revenue collection.  

Thursday, July 30, 2015

What is the Heimlich maneuver?


Indications and Procedures

The Heimlich maneuver is an emergency technique, introduced in 1974 by Henry J. Heimlich, that guides a rescuer through a set of manipulative procedures to prevent suffocation when a victim’s airway (windpipe) becomes blocked by food, water, or other foreign material. The maneuver lifts the diaphragm and forces enough air from the lungs to create an artificial cough. This cough intends to move the obstructive foreign body from the windpipe in order to resume normal and functional breathing (ventilation).



The Heimlich maneuver should be performed only if a choking victim cannot speak, cough, or breathe. Several indications may signal such a situation: frantic gestures to the throat, a face that turns blue in color because of lack of oxygen, and the production of loud noises in an attempt to take in breaths of air.


Before attempting the Heimlich maneuver, permission in the form of an affirmative nod or gesture should be given by a conscious victim to the intended administrator of the maneuver. When performing the technique, the rescuer is usually positioned behind the sitting or standing victim, with his or her arms around the victim’s waist. The rescuer makes a fist with one hand and places that hand, with the thumb toward the victim, just above the victim’s navel or below the rib cage and above the waist. The free hand should clasp the fisted hand tightly. Then, in a series of sharp thrusts upward and inward, the rescuer attempts to develop enough air pressure in the airway to force the lodged foreign object back up the trachea. The procedure may have to be repeated several times before the foreign object is expelled. Once the airway is cleared, the victim should start coughing and/or regain normal breathing. In cases when breathing is not resumed, then cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may have to be administered. In more serious choking cases in which the airway is
not cleared of the obstruction, a small incision to the windpipe called a tracheostomy
may have to be completed.




Uses and Complications

In addition to choking victims, the Heimlich maneuver may be administered to asthmatics and drowning victims. While it can be performed on all people, modifications should be adapted when executed upon infants (it is not recommended for infants less than one year old), children, and very obese, pregnant, or unconscious adults. The Heimlich maneuver may also be self-administered.


The Heimlich maneuver is one of the best courses to follow for the prevention of asphyxiation during a choking episode, but it does come with several precautions. In addition to modifications depending on the age and situation of the victim, incorrect administration of the Heimlich maneuver by incorporating techniques such as chest thrusts, back slaps, and abdominal thrusts can cause bruised ribs, broken bones, damage to internal organs, and even death. If all the guidelines are effectively followed by the administrator, however, then the victim should feel little or no bodily discomfort and should recover quickly.




Bibliography


Chillag, Shawn, Jake Krieg, and Ranjana Bhargava. "The Heimlich Maneuver: Breaking Down the Complications." Southern Medical Journal 103, no. 2 (February 2010): 147–150.



"Choking: First Aid." Mayo Clinic, October 13, 2011.



“Heimlich Maneuver.” In Everything You Need to Know About Medical Treatments. Springhouse, Pa.: Springhouse, 1996.



"Heimlich Maneuver." MedlinePlus, July 16, 2011.



Icon Health. Heimlich Maneuver: A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References. San Diego, Calif.: Author, 2004.



Subbarao, Italo, et al., eds. American Medical Association Handbook of First Aid and Emergency Care. Rev. ed. New York: Random House Reference, 2009.



Tintinalli, Judith E., ed. Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004.



White, R. D. “Foreign Body Airway Obstruction: Considerations in 1985.” Circulation 74, no. 6, pt. 2 (1986): IV60–62.

Why might the nature of the crimes Macbeth committed have led Macduff to believe his family would be safer at his own castle?

Macbeth's first crime was murdering Duncan under Macbeth's own roof, not in Duncan's own home.  Obviously, Macduff knows better than to send his wife and children anywhere near Macbeth at this point.  Macbeth's next crime was arranging for the murders of Banquo and Fleance (although Fleance escaped); this happened while Banquo and his son were on the road, away from home.


Macbeth has never gone to an enemy's home and committed a crime there.  He's only committed crimes while the victim has been away from the victim's own home, and this might lead Macduff to believe that his wife and family would be safest at home.  On the road, like Banquo and Fleance, they are vulnerable.  Therefore, if they just remain safely tucked away in their home in Fife, it doesn't seem like Macbeth's style to reach out so far and harm them there.

What are some examples of political parties?

There have been many examples of political parties in the United States. The two main political parties today are the Democrats and the Republicans.


The Democrats believe in many concepts. Democrats tend to represent the working class people. They support laws that will benefit workers such as the right to form unions and the raising of the minimum wage. The Democrats believe the government should help the less fortunate. They will support developing social programs to do this. Democrats believe the government shouldn’t control the social behavior of the people. The Democrats tend to oppose government involvement in religious activities. They are against giving tax-supported vouchers to private, religious schools. Democrats will also support higher taxes on the wealthy.


The Republicans see issues differently than the Democrats. The Republicans tend to distrust the federal government. They want there to be very few government regulations on the businesses and the economy. They tend to support publically-fund tax vouchers to private religious schools. They are against policies that take money from the wealthy and give it to the poor. The Republicans tend to represent the interests of the wealthy and of the businesses.


We have had other political parties throughout our history. The Populist Party was created in the 1800s to help farmers who were struggling financially. This party tried to enact policies that would help farmers such as having a bi-metallic money supply and having the government control the railroads.


Another political party was the Progressive Party. This party supported having reforms to improve our society. It was very popular in the early 1900s when Teddy Roosevelt ran for President as a third-party candidate for this party. Teddy Roosevelt felt President Taft was destroying a cooperative environment between the government and the businesses by breaking up too many trusts.


Other political parties that existed throughout our history included the Federalist Party, the Democratic-Republican Party, the Whig Party, the National Republican Party, the Whig Party, and the Libertarian Party.


There are also political parties in other countries. In Great Britain, the Conservative Party and the Labour Party are the two main parties. There also are the Democratic Unionist Party and Liberal Democrats. In Israel, the Likud Party and the Labor Party are the two main parties. Other political parties include Kulanu, Shas, and Meretz parties. In Germany, the two main political parties are the Social Democratic Party of Germany and the Christian Democratic Union. In Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party are the two main political parties.


Many countries have political parties within their political system.

How does gravity affect the way people live?

Gravity has significant implications for our bodies and the way we live. We have evolved with gravity and our body grows and decays according to it. Gravity is the reason we walk on this planet. A comparison of living on a gravity-based planet (such as Earth) and weightless environment can provide more detail for this question. 


If we spend too long in space, we will start to have bone issues. The astronauts who spend a long time in space usually exhibit weaker bones due to non-use (when we can fly around in the space shuttle, why would we walk? and that weakens the leg bones from non-use). 


On the other hand, gravity pulls us down all the time. This means that we lose part of our height every day and over a lifetime, we may lose as much as couple of inches of our height (something not observed in space). Our spine bends over time due to the gravity of the planet and we get slightly larger waists over time due to the compression caused by gravity. 


There are a number of other effects of gravity on us and our bodies. But needless to say, it strongly affects how we live (think how nice it would be to fly instead of walking on Earth).


Hope this helps.  

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Why is red light used to denote danger?

An ideal color choice for a danger signal should be a color that can be easily viewed and distinguished from a distance. Red is the optimal choice for that. 


All the colors are scattered as they pass through air, but this scattering is not the same for every color. The colors with higher wavelengths are scattered less than colors with lower wavelengths. In the light spectrum, violet scatters the most, while red scatters through the air the least due to its longer wavelength. Less scattering means that, compared to other colors, red can be distinctly observed from a long distance by the human eye. This makes the color red ideal for serving as the color of a danger signal.


Hope this helps. 

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

What do index fossils found in rock layers in different areas of the world indicate about the rock layers formed?

Index fossils can be used to determine when layers of rock were formed. They may also help us to identify the kind of environment the rock layers result from. Geologists and paleontologists use index fossils as a means of measuring geologic time.


Using index fossils relies on pre-established dates (or periods) for the existence of certain species of plants and animals. For example, we know that ammonites existed between 245 and 65 million years ago. If a paleontologist finds an ammonite fossil in an layer of rock (or a piece of rock) which has yet to be dated, they could infer that the rock formed between 245 and 65 million years ago.


Index fossils may also help us to date other species found in the same layer of rock. This is especially helpful for establishing timelines and tracking change (evolution) of species.

What reason do the children have to be afraid of Mrs. Dubose in To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 11, Harper Lee introduces the overtly racist Mrs. Dubose. Mrs. Dubose is a cantankerous old woman who yells insults towards Jem and Scout as they pass her home. She is a mean person who immediately strikes fear in the children. After Jem loses his temper and destroys her camellia bush, he is forced to read to her every afternoon, except for Sundays, for an entire month. Scout follows her brother and stays by his side while he reads to Mrs. Dubose. Scout mentions that Mrs. Dubose's home had an "oppressive odor" which reminded her of an old, dilapidated house. Scout also mentions that Mrs. Dubose's face was the "color of a dirty pillowcase" and says that she drooled down the side of her liver-spotted cheeks. Mrs. Dubose also had pale eyes with knobby hands. Her mean personality coupled with her monstrous physical features scare the children. 

Sunday, July 26, 2015

What delays Isabel's return to Bridwell in Anderson's novel Chains?

It is important to realize Bridwell is the prison where the rebel soldiers are being held in Anderson's novel, Chains. The answer to your question can be found in chapters 38 and 39. Before this point, Isabel brings food and other important items every day to keep the imprisoned soldiers alive. Isabel supports the soldiers because of their brave fight in the Battle of Fort Washington; however, Isabel also supports them because her friend, Curzon, is among the prisoners. Eventually, Curzon becomes very sick. Isabel's visits then become more important than ever. Isabel tries to visit Bridwell every day.


Unfortunately, during the Christmas season, Mrs. Lockton discovers Isabel is aiding the rebel soldiers at the prison. Mrs. Lockton forbids Isabel from helping further. This direct order from her owner is what delays Isabel's return. In order to return to Bridwell, Isabel is forced to spill the water bucket so she can fill it in town. When Sarah allows Isabel to fill it again, Isabel visits Bridwell and disobeys Mrs. Lockton's direct order.

Does the word quinceaƱera need to be capitalized?

The term quinceaƱera does not necessarily need to be capitalized. A quinceaƱera is a coming-of-age celebration in honor of a girl's fifteenth birthday. Traditionally in many Latin American cultures, a young woman was considered eligible to be married at the age of fifteen. Today, most quinceaƱera celebrations do not have the expectation that the girl will become married soon after. Instead, it is a celebration of ethnic identity and of the young woman's growing responsibilities and role as an adult.


While the quinceaƱera is a holiday or celebration, you don't need to capitalize it like you might do with the words Christmas or Independence Day. If it helps,  you can think of the term as another way to say, "fifteenth birthday." In English we don't capitalize the word birthday unless we are referring to an official title or it comes at the beginning of a sentence. A good rule of thumb is that if you feel you would capitalize the word birthday in a sentence,  you could capitalize quinceaƱera just the same.

What impressions did the great men leave on Helen Keller's mind as depicted in The Story of My Life?

In the concluding chapter, Chapter 23, Helen uses the space to acknowledge and honor some of the notable people she has met in her young life. (She was just 23 when this book was first published, and her adult life was really just beginning. She lived to the age of 87.) These include religious leaders Bishop Phillips Brooks (1835-1893) and Henry Drummond (1851-1897); scientist and inventor Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922); and American writers Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1809-1894), John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), Edward Everett Hale (1822-1909), Laurence Hutton (1843-1904), William Dean Howells (1837-1920), Mark Twain (1935-1910), Richard Watson Gilder (1844-1909), Edmund Clarence Stedman (1833-1908), Charles Dudley Warner (1829-1900), and John Burroughs (1837-1921). She was fortunate enough to live in the right time period to meet all of these distinguished gentlemen at the turn of the century. In the chapter, she has nothing but glowing praise for them all, especially the writers:



They were all gentle and sympathetic and I felt the charm of their manner as much as I had felt the brilliancy of their essays and poems.



She and the Episcopalian Bishop Phillips Brooks kept up a lengthy correspondence. Naturally, she thinks highly of Dr. Bell and his work on behalf of deaf children. She expresses her gratitude to all of them here:



In a thousand ways they have turned my limitations into beautiful privileges, and enabled me to walk serene and happy in the shadow cast by my deprivation.


Saturday, July 25, 2015

What is the difference that the poet feels after Lucy is dead?

The difference that the poet feels after Lucy dies is that he looks upon his life and surroundings differently. He has a transformed outlook on what life is all about, and when he looks out at the world around him he perceives things differently.


This is immediately apparent in the first poem of this five-poem collection, all under the title “The Lucy Poems” and subsequently sub-titled “Lucy’s Legacy." In the first poem the poet says that the world is bleak since Lucy died. He desires rain to quench "that parched garden." This garden represents his world, which has been parched since Lucy died.


In the second poem of the group, he states that he talks to the environment around him. This is probably something he never did before. This is how his life is now different. He talks to “rocks, and stones, and trees." In talking to them he "hears" Lucy’s deadened voice. It is as if he can still communicate with his beloved Lucy. This must be comforting to him and is his way of dealing with his loss.


In the third short poem of this group, the poet says that is sure Lucy rests peacefully because of the dying roses that he sees. He’s different now because he can be assured by something that in itself is dying—in this case, these roses. He also sees the sea differently, and to him the sea sighs every time he thinks of Lucy. Therefore, he perceives the sea differently than he used to.


In the fourth poem, the man is different because he has lost a child—Lucy. It is tragic when parents outlive their children. The children have not had a chance to live a full life. This man is forever changed and different because of the premature death of Lucy. His dreams for her—to be successful and fulfilled and more—died with her death.


In addition, in the fifth and final poem of the set, the man asks that those who knew Lucy remember her legacy. He does not want her to be forgotten. He is now different in that his focus is on keeping the memory of her alive. Her legacy is what he has to hold onto now. This will be his comfort and it will be what sustains him for as long as he lives.

If two plants that were both true-breeding for the same trait had offspring, how would the traits of the P and F1 generations compare?

True-breeding plants have two of the same alleles for a particular trait. Therefore, the genotypes of true-breeding plants are homozygous recessive or homozygous dominant. Thus, true-breeding plants have only one type of allele to pass onto their offspring. If two individuals that were each true-breeding for the same characteristic had offspring, then their offspring would also be true-breeding for that trait.  


For example, say both parents were homozygous dominant (DD) for a trait. Then, the cross could be represented as such:


DD x DD


                    D                                      D


D               DD                                      DD



D               DD                                      DD


All offspring would also be homozygous dominant for that trait.


Likewise, if all two parents that were homozygous recessive (dd) for a trait had offspring, then the following cross would result:



                     d                                      d


d                 dd                                      dd



d                 dd                                      dd


All offspring would also be homozygous recessive for that trait.

Discuss how precious was the Philippines in the expansionist philosophy of the United States?

By the end of the 1800s, the United States was looking to expand its influence beyond its borders. We wanted to take the concept of Manifest Destiny and expand it throughout the world. To do this, we needed to get colonies. As a result of the Spanish-American War, we were able to get colonies from the lands we received from Spain.


The United States understood the importance of having colonies throughout the world. Alfred Mahan wrote a book called The Influence of Sea Power Upon History: 1660-1783. In this book, Mahan explained how countries that are world power must be able to protect its merchant marine and its trade. In order to be a world power, we knew we needed to have colonies in both the Atlantic and Pacific regions. Gaining control of the Philippines and of Guam as a result of the Spanish-American gave us a military presence in the Pacific Ocean. We could use these places as bases where our military could dock and could be stationed. If a war occurred, we could use these islands as military bases for fighting any war in the region. Our merchant marine could also resupply and refuel at our bases in the Philippines and in Guam. By controlling these places, we could also trade with them. We would benefit economically and militarily by establishing control in this region.


If we didn’t have a military presence in the Pacific region, it would have been very difficult for us to achieve our goals of Manifest Destiny. Gaining control of the Philippines and of Guam gave us the opportunity to expand and to become a world power around 1900.

Friday, July 24, 2015

Whose nickname was Pim?

"Pim" was the nickname of Otto Heinrich Frank, father of Anne and Margot. Otto was born in Frankfurt am Main in 1889 and grew up to study ecomomics. After serving in the First World War, he worked in his family's bank, and married Edith Hollander in 1925. Together they had two daughters, Margot (born 1926) and Anne (born 1929).


In 1942, the Frank family went into hiding in Amsterdam to avoid capture and punishment by Nazi officials. During this time, Anne kept a diary, which Otto inherited after the war and had published.


In her diary, Anne referred to her father as "Pim," which is a Dutch nickname for people called Willem. Anne presumably gave her father this nickname to create some amount of anonymity or secrecy.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

What is the poem "To Penhurst" about?

"To Penshurst" is a country house poem, a genre that emerged in the seventeenth century to praise country estates. This poem describes the natural beauty and bounty, the hospitality  and the moral order of Penshurst, the home of the Sidneys, a literary and aristocratic family. 


In the poem, nature, which reflects God's order, is preferred to the artifice of a grand house. The Sidney house is not "built to envious show," nor does it boast "marble," "polished pillars," or a "roof of gold." Instead, Jonson celebrates the estate for its "better marks" or higher attributes:



Thou joy’st in better marks, of soil, of air, 


Of wood, of water; therein thou art fair. 



Nature here is rich, beautiful and bountiful, and as critic Raymond Williams describes in The Country and the City, "To Penshurst" reflects a ruling class ideology that obscures the real labor of the rural life, replacing it with a fantasy that the work is easy because fish jump out of the water in their eagerness to be caught and "every child" can reach the fruit to pick it:



Fat aged carps that run into thy net, 


And pikes, now weary their own kind to eat, 


As loath the second draught or cast to stay, 


Officiously at first themselves betray; 


Bright eels that emulate them, and leap on land 


Before the fisher, or into his hand. 


Then hath thy orchard fruit, thy garden flowers, 


Fresh as the air, and new as are the hours. 


The early cherry, with the later plum, 


Fig, grape, and quince, each in his time doth come; 


The blushing apricot and woolly peach 


Hang on thy walls, that every child may reach. 




In this paradise, hospitality overflows. Jonson praises the liberality of the Sidneys, and contrasts their generosity to his experiences at other houses:





the same beer and bread, and selfsame wine, 


This is his lordship’s shall be also mine, 


And I not fain to sit (as some this day 


At great men’s tables), and yet dine away. 




In other words, the poet is invited to eat, not just sit at the Sidney table. In other houses, a guest might be given inferior food to the lord's or sent to "dine away," meaning to find dinner at an inn. At Penhurst, everyone is welcomed and treated generously. 



The poet moves to dwell on the moral order reflected in the family. Jonson writes of Robert Sidney



Thy lady’s noble, fruitful, chaste withal. 





His children thy great lord may call his own, 


A fortune in this age but rarely known. 




The family, we learns, prays and the children are taught to be gentle. The poem ends by praising this moral order, reflected in the natural order of Penshurst, as more important than "proud, ambitious" homes that others might occupy. 


 

Monday, July 20, 2015

Who finds questions for and writes the New York Times crosswords? How do they determine what a good answer would be?

It may come as a surprise to find out that the New York Times crossword puzzles are not created by only one author. Usually each individual puzzle has one author, but there are a number of contributing writers who participate in creating the wide variety of puzzles published in the paper.


Different authors form their puzzles in different ways. Many writers try to incorporate at least one 15-letter word into the 15x15 square grid of the daily puzzle, but there are relatively few 15 letter words in common use. Due to the rules of crossword construction, which require diagonal symmetry of the black squares, if one 15 letter word is used, another will be needed to complete the construction. 


Many puzzles follow themes, and often construction is actually done in reverse. That is, the answer word or phrase is decided on prior to coming up with the question, because it is the answer that has to fit within more strict parameters in most cases (word length and letter placement, etc). This is not to say that coming up with the word clues is simple. A good clue is not too obscure or boring, vague, or overused. It sometimes takes crossword constructors months to create a puzzle they are satisfied with and also have it be accepted for publication. Often the process is quicker for skilled writers, but the creation of a crossword puzzle is a process of creativity and experimentation, and is often a puzzle in its own right.

What is the world that the children made?

The world the children create is the one they inhabit in the nursery. It's remarkable, their father, Mr. Hadley remarks, just how much the viewcreens there can pick up "telepathic emanations" from the children's minds and create scenes that are pleasing to them. What pleases the children, Peter and Wendy, most in their manufactured Never land, is the blazing hot African veldt, where the viewscreens constantly enact the children's desires by showing them lions that kill and devour the Hadley parents. The parents, as the story points out, are "Scrooge" in the children's minds, trying to set limits and say no. The nursery, on the other hand, is "Santa," giving the children everything they want. The world the children create is one of violence and death, a ruthless environment where they triumph over their parents' humanity, but the children don't create it alone: technology, allowed too much power, leads the way. 

Sunday, July 19, 2015

What is apnea?


Causes and Symptoms

People normally experience brief pauses in breathing.
When these pauses last more than twenty seconds or are accompanied by bradycardia (slow heart rate) or cyanosis
(bluish skin from poor blood oxygenation), however, they can be life threatening. This condition is referred to as apnea.



Apnea can be categorized into three types based on whether inspiratory muscle activity is present. In central apnea, which has a neurological cause, there is no activity of inspiratory muscles following expiration. Central apnea is uncommon except in cases of prematurity in infants. Obstructive apnea, the most common type, occurs when the person is making an effort to breathe, so inspiratory muscles are moving. As a result of a blockage, however, air cannot flow into or out of the person’s nose or mouth. This condition typically occurs while the patient is asleep and is characterized by snoring, gasping for air, or stridor (noisy breathing). It is seen in people who have a physical obstruction in the airway, who experience gastroesophageal reflux, or who are overweight. The third type of apnea is mixed apnea, which is a combination of central and obstructive apnea. It is usually seen in young children and can occur while asleep or awake.


Individuals with apnea will often show decreases in heart rate, oxygen saturation, peripheral blood flow, and muscle tone. Adults suffering from sleep
apnea may exhibit depression, irritability, learning difficulty, and sleepiness during the day. With sleep apnea, there can be up to sixty apneic episodes per hour, with snoring or choking in between.


All forms of apnea can be diagnosed by electrophysiological testing. Pneumograms are often done on premature babies to record their pattern of breathing over a twelve-hour period. Polysomnography is used for older children and adults to record electrical activity of the brain, muscle activity, heart rate, airflow, oxygen levels in the body, and eye movement.




Treatment and Therapy

The treatment of apnea can be based on medication, mechanical treatment, or surgery. The category of drugs used to treat apnea is xanthines. Mechanical treatment involves the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a mask worn over the nose during sleep that forces air through the nasal passages. Another potential treatment involves the use of a mandibular advancement device (MAD), a specially designed and fitted oral appliance that prevents obstruction of the throat during sleep. Surgery may be performed to remove an obstruction or to increase the size of the airway. Overweight patients are often encouraged to exercise and improve their diet.




Perspective and Prospects

Studies have indicated that people with obstructive sleep apnea have less gray matter in their brains. Research is being done to determine if the lack of gray matter leads to the apnea or the lack of oxygen caused by apnea causes deterioration in the brain.




Bibliography:


George, Ronald B. Current Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine. Vol. 17. Philadelphia: Mosby, 1996.



Klaus, Marshall H., and Avroy A. Fanaroff, eds. Care of the High-Risk Neonate. 5th ed. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders, 2001.



Pack, Allan, ed. Sleep Apnea: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Treatment. 2d ed. New York: Marcel Dekker, 2008.



“Sleep Apnea.” MedlinePlus, Apr. 19, 2013.



White, Emily, Thomas Workman, Amir Sharafkhaneh, and Michael Fordis. “Treating Sleep Apnea: A Review of the Research for Adults.” Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Aug. 8, 2011.

What is an example of foreshadowing in "The Open Window" by Saki?

Saki’s mysterious short story “The Open Window” is a masterful work on the wonders of being and seeming. The short story, which takes readers on a brief but playful journey of intrigue, contains several deceptive moments of foreshadowing which later reveal to readers that the characters are not the only ones who have been deceived. Since the story is incredibly short, readers need a careful eye to notice the following examples of foreshadowing.


The first example lies in the opening description of Framton Nuttel. Beyond the obvious integration of the slang term nut in his last name (NUTtel), Framton’s unstable mental state is a clue that his health problems will prove problematic later in the story:



“Privately he doubted more than ever whether these formal visits on a succession of total strangers would do very much towards helping the nerve cure which he was supposed to be undergoing.”



Next, Framton’s sister is said to have this important premonition:



“I know how it will be,” his sister had said when he was preparing to migrate to this rural retreat; “you will bury yourself down there and not speak to a living soul, and your nerves will be worse than ever from moping.”



The sister's statement that his “nerves will be worse than ever” in fact is shown to be true by the story’s end, as Frampton leaves the house in a frenzied state.


The Sappleton’s niece Vera provides several instances of foreshadowing, primarily in her seemingly innocent questions about Framton’s knowledge of her aunt:



“Then you know practically nothing about my aunt?” pursued the self- possessed young lady.”



Vera’s careful questioning initially sets up the readers for her explanation the “tragedy” that happened several years prior, but upon further reading of the story we can view her questions as crafty and this line as an excellent example of foreshadowing her craftiness.


Also, Saki includes Framton’s musings into the narrative that hint at the surprise end:



“He was wondering whether Mrs. Sappleton was in the married or widowed state. An undefinable something about the room seemed to suggest masculine habitation.” 



When Saki mentions the “masculine habitation,” that is a clue that there may be more members of the family still living in the house, although readers are initially led to believe Mrs. Sappleton is simply living in the past. Framton’s other notion that the “tragedy” refers to “seem[s] out of place” in “this restful country spot” also provides clues to readers that Vera’s story cannot be trusted.


The concept of truth and reality is carefully crafted in this story, with Frampton presented as the type of character who would easily fall into Vera’s trap. The genius of the story is that this concept of deception extends beyond Framton’s plot line but extends to the readers as well.

Saturday, July 18, 2015

According to Guns, Germs, and Steel, why did human development proceed at different rates on different continents?

The question that you ask here is actually the central question of Guns, Germs, and Steel.  This exact question can be found on p. 16 of the book.  The brief answer is that human development proceeded at different rates on different continents because of the different amounts of geographical luck that each continent had.


In this book, Diamond is trying to reject the idea that human development went at different rates because the people of the continents are inherently different.  He says that there is no difference in intelligence between the people whose societies developed and those who did not.  He says that it is wrong to argue that some continents’ cultures were better suited to development than others.  In other words, we cannot blame the people whose societies did not develop for the fact that they failed to develop.


Instead, Diamond says, development was a matter of geographical luck.  Diamond says that development proceeded rapidly in places where agriculture began early and where it could flourish.  Places that had agriculture were able to create densely populated societies that could then create the technology that allowed them to get ahead in the world.  (These places also created good environments for infectious diseases to develop, thus creating the “germs” mentioned in the title.)  Some places got agriculture earlier than others, Diamond says, because they were luckier.  They happened to have more plants and animals that could be domesticated easily.  They happened to have geography that allowed agriculture and technology to diffuse easily from one place to another.  These factors, which they could not control, were the factors that allowed them to thrive where other societies did not.


Thus, Diamond argues in Guns, Germs, and Steel that human development proceeded at different paces in different places because some places had better geographic luck and were, therefore, able to develop agriculture and “civilization” more quickly than others.

Friday, July 17, 2015

In John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech, whose freedom was he referring to, blacks or the poor?

Most people know John F. Kennedy's January 1961 inaugural address by its most famous line: "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country." The beginning of the address, though, has an equally stirring line: "We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom--symbolizing an end as well as a beginning--signifying renewal as well as change."


The "freedom" line demonstrates a rhetorical device known as contrast, and there are many such contrasts in his speech. These devices serve to draw the listeners in and foster an emotional response.


JFK replaced Eisenhower in office. Eisenhower had supported a few laws that supported civil rights, but his support was limited. Although the economy was doing well under Eisenhower, 1 in 5 Americans was living in poverty at the end of the 1950s.


JFK is known for his commitment to the civil rights movement, but it is unlikely he was specifically referring to any particular group of people. JFK won the election against Richard Nixon by one of the smallest popular vote margins in history and his speech was meant to bring everyone together. It is more likely that the line is intended to refer to his presidency and all he stood for as celebrating freedom. Taken this way, it could refer to African Americans, those living in poverty, and other groups who felt disadvantaged during Eisenhower's administration.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

What is human papillomavirus (HPV)?


Causes and Symptoms

Papillomaviruses are deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) viruses than infect the skin and mucous membranes. Human papillomaviruses belong to a group of papillomaviruses that consists of nearly 120 strains. Most strains are virtually harmless, causing nothing more than benign skin warts (papillomas), while others cause genital warts
(condyloma acuminate) and may cause cancer.



Sexual contact is the primary mechanism by which the virus is acquired. About thirty HPV strains are sexually transmitted and can infect the external genitalia, urethra, anus, rectum, and sometimes the mouth and throat. Some low-risk strains cause genital warts, while the ten more virulent, high-risk strains cause abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) tests and can in some instances cause cancer
of the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, scrotum, anus, and/or the mouth and pharynx. Almost all cases of cervical cancer are the result of persistent HPV infection.


HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. It has been estimated that more than 50 percent of sexually active people and up to 75 percent of sexually active women will develop an HPV infection during their lifetimes. Although the active viral infection is usually cleared by the immune system within a few months, it often remains dormant and can later cause a reinfection. Babies of infected women may contract potentially life-threatening HPV infections during delivery.


Women are more susceptible to developing genital warts. Many infected people, however, do not have genital warts. Infected women who are asymptomatic are often diagnosed by an abnormal Pap testing. In 2003, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of testing for high-risk HPV DNA as a routine screening procedure. DNA testing is also used as a confirmatory test for HPV after an abnormal Pap test.


Frequent Pap tests are the best way to diagnose HPV infections in asymptomatic women. About 10 percent of HPV-infected women will develop precancerous changes in their cervix, and about 8 percent of these women will develop the early stages of cervical cancer. Since persistent HPV infection is a hallmark of developing cervical cancer and since the cancer usually develops slowly over five to ten years, early diagnosis and treatment can be effective in preventing cervical cancer.


Genital warts are highly contagious and are transmitted through skin-to-skin contact from sexual activity. Risk reduction for HPV infection can be achieved by reducing the frequency of sexual contact. Condom use may partially reduce the risk of HPV infection in women. Since condoms do not cover all infected areas, however, their use does not eliminate the risk of infection. Research has suggested that microbicides may prevent infection if they are applied before sexual activity.




Treatment and Therapy

Since there is no cure for an HPV infection, the primary treatments are for warts.
Some treatments involve the use of topical ointments, creams, resins, and gels such as imiquimod (Aldara), podophyllin and podofilox (Condylox), and 5-fluorouracil, as well as trichloroacetic acid. Alternatively, warts may be removed by electrocautery, cryosurgery, laser, or conventional surgery.


In 2006, the FDA approved Gardasil, developed by Merck, and in 2009 approved Cervarix, developed by GlaxoSmith Kline, for use as preventive vaccines for the most prevalent HPV strains that cause cervical cancer and genital warts. Gardasil is active against two low-risk HPV strains that are the leading cause of genital warts and, as is Cervarix, active against two high-risk strains that cause up to 70 percent of cervical cancers in the United States. In 2010, the FDA approved the use of Gardasil for the treatment of precancerous lesions in an effort to prevent anal cancer. Gardasil is recommended for women between the ages of nine and twenty-six, and Cervarix is recommended for women between the ages of ten and twenty-five. The Center for Disease Control recommends that all eleven- and twelve-year-old girls receive the HPV vaccine, and that girls and women between thirteen and twenty-six receive "catch up" vaccinations. From 2008 to 2010, the percentage of girls between the ages of thirteen and seventeen who were behind on their vaccinations dropped from 84 to 75 percent. Routine Pap testing is still recommended, because the vaccines do not protect against all strains of HPV.




Perspective and Prospects

HPV was first described as a cause of skin warts in 1907. The relationship between sexual activity and cervical cancer was noted when it was discovered that women who have or who have had multiple sexual partners have a greater risk of developing cervical cancer than do women who have had few or no sexual partners. It was not until the 1980s that HPV was linked to cervical cancer.


The mechanism by which HPV causes cancer has recently been determined. Two proteins encoded by HPV DNA attach to and inactivate cellular proteins that control cell division. With these cellular proteins inactivated, the cell multiplies uncontrollably. Current research is directed toward the development of a vaccine that would inactivate the viral proteins that bind to and inhibit the proteins controlling cell division.


Since sisters of women with cervical cancer have a higher risk of developing cervical cancer, it is thought that genetics may be involved in the progression of the disease.




Bibliography


Crum, Christopher P., and Gerard J. Nuovo. Genital Papillomaviruses and Related Neoplasms. New York: Raven Press, 1991.



Dizon Don S., and Michael L Krychman. Questions and Answers About Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett, 2011.



Eifel, Patricia J., and Charles Levenback, eds. Cancer of the Female Lower Genital Tract. Hamilton, Ont.: B. C. Becker, 2001.



Gross, Gerd, and Geo von Krogh, eds. Human Papillomavirus Infections in Dermatovenereology. Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press, 1997.



McCance, Dennis J., ed. Human Papilloma Viruses. New York: Elsevier Science, 2002.



Markowitz, Lauri E., et. al. “Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus Vaccine: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) 56 (March 23, 2007): 1–24.



Mindel, Adrian, ed. Genital Warts: Human Papillomavirus Infection. Boston: Arnold, 1995.



Radosevich, James A. HPV and Cancer. New York: Springer, 2012.



Sterling, Jane C., and Stephen K. Tyring, eds. Human Papillomaviruses: Clinical and Scientific Advances. New York: Arnold, 2001.



Wailoo, Keith. Three Shots at Prevention: The HPV Vaccine and the Politics of Medicine's Simple Solutions. Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010.

What is restless legs syndrome?


Causes and Symptoms

Patients with restless legs
syndrome complain about unpleasant sensations, especially in the evening or at night, that drive them to move their limbs in order to alleviate the discomfort. Sufferers typically describe an inability to tolerate sitting, lying, or remaining still for even short periods of time, accompanied by an intense urge to walk, run, or move about.


The specific etiology of restless legs syndrome remains to be determined, although a number of theories have been proposed. Several of these include central nervous system (CNS) iron deficiency (especially in the brain’s substantia nigra) leading to dopamine defects, CNS hypersensitivity and arousal, disrupted circadian rhythm, and genetic predisposition. Given the complexities of the human brain, more than one process is probably implicated in restless legs syndrome.


As for secondary causes, medications that can produce similar symptoms include caffeine, theophylline, antidepressants (with their anticholinergic effects), dopamine antagonists that cross the blood-brain barrier (the majority of antipsychotic medications), and metoclopramide, as well as withdrawal from any of a number of drugs.


The condition appears to be relatively common, with an estimated prevalence in the general population of up to 10 percent. Further, a greater prevalence appears to exist among first-degree relatives of patients than in those without the condition, suggesting at least some heritability. In fact, evidence initially points to a genetic locus mapped for restless legs syndrome on chromosome 12q.


Although excessive leg movements can be demonstrated during a sleep study test (nocturnal polysomnography), restless legs syndrome is diagnosed by history only. Four essential criteria are used in this process. First, the patient experiences a compelling urge to move the legs (or affected body parts) as a result of unpleasant sensations. Second, the unpleasant sensations and urge to move the legs worsen during the evening or at night and can significantly interfere with relaxation and sleep. Third, the unpleasant sensations and urge to move the legs worsen during periods of inactivity or rest, including sitting in a chair or lying in bed. Fourth, the unpleasant sensations and urge to move the legs are partially or completely relieved by activity, including stretching or walking, but only as long as the activity continues. In addition, patients reporting symptoms of restless legs syndrome should undergo toxicology studies, as well as have their iron, electrolyte, and medication levels checked. Comorbid psychiatric disorders must also be identified.


The symptoms and sensations of restless legs syndrome are typically depicted in negative terms—“fidgety,” “creepy crawlies,” “insect crawlies,” “painful,” and “electric,” among other descriptors. Most report that these sensations can become so intense that they must “jiggle” or “shake,” before ultimately resorting to getting up and walking. Spouses may also complain that patients move their limbs while asleep, thus disturbing the quality of sleep for both partners.


Restless legs syndrome is not limited to the evening hours, bedtime, or sleeping, nor is it necessarily limited to the lower extremities. It can involve an inability to tolerate confinement or immobility—at any time of the day—on airplanes, buses, and cars, as well as in meetings, in movie theaters, and during medical testing, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scanning. It can also involve, in more severe cases, other areas of the body, including the hips, upper back, shoulders, and arms. Patients report that it is difficult or impossible to ignore the negative sensations, which adversely affect not only sleep but also daily activities.




Treatment and Therapy

Difficulties arise when attempting to treat restless legs syndrome, as the disorder appears to involve multiple brain processes. The mainstay of medical therapy today consists of daily low-dose dopamine agonists (dopaminergics), the most popular of which are ropinirole and pramipexole, the only medications approved for “idiopathic” restless legs syndrome. Doses of these medications are slowly titrated until therapeutic results are attained. For example, pramipexole is started at 0.125 milligrams taken two hours prior to bedtime for five days and then increased to the usual evening dose of 0.25 milligrams.


The side effects of ropinirole and pramipexole are representative of the dopamine agonists as a class: headaches, nausea, insomnia, “sleep attacks,” and problems related to impulse control (gambling, drinking, shopping, hypersexuality). Anticonvulsants, opioids, and sedative-hypnotics have also been used to treat restless legs syndrome, all with varying success depending on individual patient profiles.


Additionally, sufferers should be instructed to stay away from caffeine, tea, chocolate, alcohol, or tobacco in the evening (after 5 p.m.). They should also be taught to engage in good sleep hygiene (obtain sufficient hours of rest, have a regular time to retire and awaken), to avoid exercising too close to bedtime, to avoid aggravating medications, and to take ferrous sulfate supplements if iron studies show this to be warranted.




Perspective and Prospects

Restless legs syndrome is an underappreciated disorder that causes millions of people a great deal of distress and misery. While many may think of the condition as a new disease, it has been described for centuries. Yet, only since the 1980s has this complex neurological disorder captured the attention of medical scientists and researchers. Such interest has led to the development of medical therapies tailored to relieve the symptoms of restless legs syndrome. Much remains to be done. Primary care physicians, neurologists, psychiatrists, rheumatologists, and other health care professionals are beginning to take this problem seriously as a disorder with a significant morbidity resulting from chronic interruption of sleep and daily activities. Further, future directions in pharmacology will hopefully take into account the need for longer-acting medications and nondopaminergic options.




Bibliography


Allen, Richard P., and Merrill M. Mitler. "Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and Sleep." National Sleep Foundation, 2011.



Badash, Michelle, and Michael Woods. "Restless Legs Syndrome." Health Library, Mar. 15, 2013.



Buchfuhrer, Mark J., Wayne Hening, and Clete Kushida. Restless Legs Syndrome: Coping with Your Sleepless Nights. New York: Demos, 2007.



Maheswaran, Murali, and Clete A. Kushida. “Restless Legs Syndrome in Children.” Medscape General Medicine 8, no. 2 (June 20, 2006): 79.



"Restless Legs." MedlinePlus, Mar. 5, 2013.



"Restless Legs Syndrome Fact Sheet." National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Nov. 25, 2011.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

In "The Use of Force," why does the doctor identify with his patient rather than with her parents?

The doctor identifies with his patient rather than her parents because she's full of self-possession, but the parents are getting in the doctor's way with the annoying, phony, unhelpful way in which they're trying to get their daughter to comply with the doctor's request. He sees himself in her strength and perseverance.


Although the doctor mentally calls Mathilda a "savage brat," he simultaneously admires her for her tenacity in fighting him off and ignoring her parents' orders. He recognizes that she's set her mind against the throat exam, and he respects her display of power. The fact that she's impervious to his attempts to reason with her logically also impresses him somewhat, though it does frustrate him.


On the other hand, the parents are falling all over themselves to ensure their daughter's compliance with the doctor. They tell Mathilda that he's "a nice man" who won't "hurt" her, when honestly, what do they know? They just met the doctor. They're blindly assuming that he's a good man, and worse, they're making invalid promises to their daughter about him. They use the word "hurt" when they should really just be quiet; they're riling their daughter up without realizing it. It really annoys the doctor, who narrates his frustration: "I ground my teeth in disgust"; "the parents were contemptible to me."

What does the speaker mean in the following two lines from the poem "The Old Woman's Message" by Kumalau Tawali?"Let them keep the price of their...

Included in what is, perhaps, a type of moral coercion, the dying mother's phrase sends a message to her sons that exhorts them to come to her death bed because of their filial duty.


In "The Old Woman's Message," the aged and worn woman, who lies on her deathbed, bemoans the fact that her sons, Polin and Manual, are not like the fruit of a tree that falls to the ground, from which the trunk of this tree would then nourish itself. Instead, they are likened to the fruit which a bird pulls from a tree and carries off as food.


As she lies dying, this mother wonders what is preventing her two sons from coming to her at this hour of her need. From these sons the mother does not want anything that they have earned--"Let them keep the price of their labour"--she simply wants to see them before she dies. This wish is expressed as she claims the moral right to have them watch over her because of their being her children: "their eyes are mine." Presently, however, their eyes which are the windows to their souls, do not nourish the "trunk" as they should. 


The last wish of the woman to look into the eyes of her children before she dies will assure this dying woman of the continuity of life as the sons will, then, carry some of her life in them as they go on. This is the true meaning of her message: The sons must come to their mother out of moral obligation in order to continue the natural progression of their family's inherited lot.

What quotes reveal strong imagery in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men?

Steinbeck uses language which appeals to the reader's senses of sight and sound throughout the novella Of Mice and Men. Specifically he uses strong imagery in his description of setting, particularly at the beginning of each chapter. He also uses imagery in the various descriptions of the characters.


In the beginning of chapter one he creates a calm setting as he describes the tranquil area between the Gabilan Mountains and Salinas River where George and Lennie first camp. Steinbeck writes,






Rabbits come out of the brush to sit on the sand in the evening, and the damp flats are covered with the night tracks of ‘coons, and with the spreadpads of dogs from the ranches, and with the split-wedge tracks of deer that come to drink in the dark. 









At this point in the novel, things are relatively calm for George and Lennie. They are on their way to work and the dream of the "little piece of land" is still in tact.


In the final chapter, Steinbeck uses contrasting imagery to describe the very same setting. Instead of tranquility he portrays violence as a heron feeds on a water snake in the river:






A water snake glided smoothly up the pool, twisting its periscope head from side to side; and it swam the length of the pool and came to the legs of a motionless heron that stood in the shallows. A silent head and beak lanced down and plucked it out by the head, and the beak swallowed the little snake while its tail waved frantically. 









The area is also described as windy and turbulent as Lennie appears on the scene. Steinbeck's imagery is more in line with what will happen next in the chapter when George is forced to kill Lennie.


Imagery is significant in the description of the setting in chapter five. This chapter will end the dream of the farm and will echo the title of the story. No matter what happens, George and Lennie are tied to a specific fate. Their "best laid plans" can never come to fruition. Steinbeck uses the image of the horses tied to the "halter chains" to mirror the plight of George and Lennie:









The horses stamped and snorted, and they chewed the straw of their bedding and they clashed the chains of their halters. 












Like the horses, who can never escape, George and Lennie never break free from Lennie's compulsions which cause the inadvertent death of Curley's wife and destroy the dream.





Steinbeck makes use of onomatopoeia, when words imitate sounds, in beginning of chapter five:






There was the buzz of flies in the air, the lazy afternoon humming. From outside came the clang of horseshoes on the playing peg and the shouts of men, playing, encouraging, jeering. But in the barn it was quiet and humming and lazy and warm. 









Buzz, clang and humming are all examples of strong sense imagery.


Steinbeck again creates a strong image in this chapter when he describes the moment right after Curley's wife dies. It seems as if the world almost stops, presumably to allow Curley's wife's soul to pass. It is a particularly powerful image. Steinbeck writes,






As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment. 









Steinbeck uses potent imagery to describe each of the characters. Lennie is described in animalistic and metaphorical terms in chapter one:






Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, and wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely. 









Candy is the old swamper character who first greets George and Lennie when they come to the ranch. Steinbeck describes an old, crippled man:






The door opened and a tall, stoop-shouldered old man came in. He was dressed in blue jeans and he carried a big push-broom in his left hand. 









Curley, who is the boss's son and also a major antagonist to George and Lennie is described as edgy and belligerent:






His eyes passed over the new men and he stopped. He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie. His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists. He stiffened and went into a slight crouch. His glance was at once calculating and pugnacious. 









Curley's wife is portrayed as young and exuding sexual tension as she comes to the doorway of the bunkhouse:






A girl was standing there looking in. She had full, rouged lips and wide- spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers. 









Steinbeck even uses potent imagery to describe Candy's old dog whose fate is decided in chapter three. Steinbeck writes:






And at his heels there walked a dragfooted sheepdog, gray of muzzle, and with pale, blind old eyes. The dog struggled lamely to the side of the room and lay down, grunting softly to himself and licking his grizzled, moth-eaten coat. 
































What is the relationship between misbehavior and learning?


Introduction

Behavior is called misbehavior when it is found to be outside the range of what is acceptable to others. Unacceptable behaviors include noncompliance, defiance, destructiveness, and aggression. Those who determine what constitutes misbehavior are typically adults, and those whose actions are labeled misbehavior are usually children, although sometimes they are other adults.





Both psychoanalytic theorists and social learning theorists relate misbehavior to the individual’s interpretation of social experiences. A secondary conclusion by theorists in both camps is that misbehavior is purposeful and goal directed. According to both theoretical orientations, the link between social experiences and misbehavior is bridged by an emphasis on the cognition of the individual. What separates the two theoretical views is the role each attributes to human consciousness. The psychoanalytic explanation of why a person misbehaves emphasizes unconscious motivation, whereas social learning theorists assign a larger role to conscious cognitive processes.




Dreikurs’s Contributions

Rudolf Dreikurs (1897–1972), an early student and colleague of Alfred Adler, was a strong supporter of Adler’s school of individual psychology. From the time of his arrival in the United States until his death in 1972, Dreikurs worked to popularize Adler’s views. Adler, who believed that the goal of psychology is to educate the whole community toward more effective social living, developed an innovative counseling approach for restricted audiences. This approach focused on a community of committed parents, teachers, and other adults working together toward the fostering of social responsibility in children. This effort resulted in the opening of a number of child guidance centers in Vienna and elsewhere in Europe. Dreikurs participated in the child guidance centers in Vienna and was well known throughout Europe before the fascist governments gained power. After escaping to the United States by way of Brazil in 1939, he established a practice in Chicago and thereafter had a profound impact on parent education in the United States. Dreikurs placed considerable emphasis on the process by which a person is socialized within the family. By emphasizing this process, Dreikurs provided a basis for understanding how the family atmosphere is played out in the socialization process and how the socialization process contributes to children’s misbehavior. Dreikurs’s major contributions to Adler’s approach consist of the refinement of open-centered family counseling concepts, demonstration of the multiple-therapist concept long before it was presented in the general psychology literature, and the development of a system of democratic conflict resolution to be used in the family, or in any other setting in which people live and interact with one another.




Dreikurs’s Four Goals of Misbehavior

Based on his clinical work, Dreikurs discovered four goals that he believed guide all forms of misbehavior: attention, power, revenge, and a display of inadequacy. According to Dreikurs, these goals derive from children’s private logic—what they think of themselves, others, and life, and the goals they set for themselves. These four categories of misbehavior are seen as goals in that the misbehavior achieves something for the individual.


Children who misbehave to obtain attention have learned from previous social experiences that certain unacceptable behaviors gain attention from others, even though the attention is typically negative. Those who misbehave with the goal of power have discovered a way of gaining a type of power by misbehaving. Individuals whose misbehavior derives from the goal of revenge are those whose bids for attention and power have been met with such negative consequences that they are motivated to seek revenge. Finally, people who misbehave with a goal of displaying inadequacy are those who do not try, are often seen as lazy, are unkempt, or appear to be unmotivated. These individuals have given up trying to gain attention or power and feel powerless to seek revenge.


The concept of the four goals of misbehavior is premised on the assumption, reflecting the theorizing of Adler, that people are social creatures whose behavior is purposeful and whose primary desire is to belong. Thus, the four goals of misbehavior are actually underlying goals, each of which is believed to aid people in the quest for belonging. However, misbehavior does not secure belonging and acceptance within a family or group because it generally alienates people. In recognition of this, Dreikurs emphasized that the goals of misbehavior are mistaken goals. Even though people may be able to observe keenly, accurately, and carefully what goes on around them, they often misinterpret events, draw mistaken conclusions, and make faulty decisions based on their interpretations and conclusions. This is particularly true of children, whose cognitive understanding of the world differs from that of adults.




Recognizing Underlying Goals

Although misbehaving people, particularly children, are generally unaware of the mistaken goals underlying their misbehavior, observers can learn to recognize these underlying goals by observing the effects the misbehavior has on others. As noted by Dreikurs, what people are inclined to do in response to another person’s misbehavior is generally consistent with the goal underlying that misbehavior. Reactions that correspond to and reflect mistaken goals are giving undue attention, engaging in power struggles, seeking retaliation, or giving up in despair. According to this model, observers can discern the goals of those misbehaving, although the individuals acting out may be unaware of why they are doing so. The key to discerning the goal of misbehaving people is to take notice not only of their behavior but also of others’ reactions to their behavior.


Even though the method for recognizing Dreikurs’s mistaken goals of misbehavior is clear and simple, the application of this process in decreasing a child’s (or an adult’s) misbehavior is a bit more complicated. First, if a person is attempting to discern the underlying goal motivating a child’s misbehavior, the person must carefully note not only that child’s misbehavior but also how others (including the self) respond to that behavior. This may require several observations. In observing responses, it is necessary to watch not only for actual responses but also for what people are inclined to do in reaction to the misbehavior.


If people typically respond to the misbehavior in question by giving attention (positive or negative) to the child who is misbehaving, then it is logical to assume that attention is the underlying goal (even if people do not actually give attention each instance). If people are inclined to become angry (lose control) in response to misbehavior, there is a good chance that power is the underlying goal. It is important to remember that when people respond to misbehavior by losing control, power is ceded to the misbehaving child.


If people have a tendency to feel hurt by a misbehaving child, the misbehavior is probably motivated by a goal of revenge. The misbehaving child is responding to feelings of pain and hurt by behaving in ways designed to inflict pain on others, though not necessarily the person or persons responsible for inflicting the pain and hurt. This is a critical point, because it emphasizes the necessity not only of observing how the observer interacts with the child but also of taking into consideration interactions that child has had with others.


If people tend to give up in despair in response to the misbehaving child, a display of inadequacy is likely to be the underlying goal of the child. The misbehaving child has learned, through repeated experiences, that attempts to gain positive attention or power have been relatively fruitless. Rather than continuing to be exposed to painful evaluations and criticisms, the child displays a lack of motivation, causing others to give up in despair, and the child displaying inadequacy is spared the pain of negative evaluation and humiliation.




Focus on Aggression


Social learning theorists also emphasize the process by which a child is socialized within the family. In stressing the relevance of this process to misbehavior, they have addressed various aspects of misconduct. The type of misbehavior that has received the most attention from social learning theorists is aggression, particularly in children. According to this theory, aggressiveness is learned from observing and imitating models. These models include parents who rely on physical punishment as well as other punitive methods of discipline, aggressive siblings and peers, and aggressive models on television. When parents display aggressiveness by the use of physical punishment or verbal attacks, they provide children with a very clear model of aggressive behavior. Children learn from this model that the best way to get people to do what they want is to behave aggressively toward them. Those children who have been exposed to parental models of aggression are more likely to use aggression with siblings and peers. If the aggressive children’s victims fight back, their aggressive acts will not be reinforced; however, if victims cry or run away, the apparent success reinforces the aggressive acts. Furthermore, other children witnessing the aggression learn that aggression brings reinforcement. In addition to parental, peer, and sibling models of aggression, children are exposed to aggressive models on television that demonstrate vicarious reinforcement for aggression.




Strategies for Managing Misbehavior

Applications of misbehavior theory focus on managing the undesirable behaviors by focusing on their consequences. Dreikurs’s method for decreasing misbehavior consists of three strategies: changing responses to the misbehavior so that the unacceptable behavior does not achieve the goal that it is designed to achieve; assisting the misbehaving person in becoming aware of the underlying goal motivating the misbehavior; and making deliberate efforts to assist a person prone to misconduct in achieving a sense of belonging, so that he or she does not resort to misbehavior to satisfy this need.


The first strategy (changing responses to misbehavior) is simple and straightforward in theory but somewhat more difficult in application. The challenge is for people to respond differently from the way they are inclined to respond to misbehavior. Specifically, this strategy consists of not giving attention to misbehavior designed to attract attention, not reacting angrily or losing control in response to behavior designed to provoke such a response, not focusing on or exposing hurt feelings in response to misbehavior intended to avenge, and not giving up in despair at a person’s display of inadequacy.


The second part of the approach (assisting the misbehaving person in becoming aware of the underlying goal motivating the misbehavior) can sometimes be accomplished simply by calling the person’s attention to what appears to be the underlying goal. An example of this would be to say (to a child), “Do you think that you knock over your sister’s blocks to get my attention?” The purpose of this strategy is to assist individuals in becoming conscious of why they behave in ways that others consider unacceptable. If this strategy is to be successful, it must be done in a way that does not communicate a value judgment or sound reproachful. If individuals are not suffering the sting of disapproval, they may be assisted in understanding why they misbehave (which often troubles the person displaying this behavior as much as it does those who are exposed to it). Dreikurs referred to this awareness as the recognition reflex. In emphasizing the value of the recognition reflex for assisting people in understanding what motivates their misbehavior, Dreikurs pointed out that this tactic is more effective with children than with adolescents and adults, who have had more time to build stronger defense mechanism s.


The third strategy (assisting the misbehaving person in achieving the goal of belonging without resorting to misconduct) is based on an appreciation of everyone’s need for attention and power. This understanding suggests an effective approach for decreasing misbehavior by providing sufficient attention to the individual and recognizing the person’s need for power.


The strategy of providing attention is uncomplicated. Positive attention should be freely given at any time except when misbehavior is occurring. Therefore, one does not wait for some specified behavior to occur to show attention. Depending on the level of misconduct in which that person is engaging, this could be a long wait. Meanwhile, the misbehavior will probably continue. It is suggested, instead, that attention be generously bestowed in a variety of ways. This could be as casual as recognizing that person’s entrance into the room, noticing personal things about that person (haircut, clothes, mood, and so on), and showing interest in ideas, concerns, and questions generated by the person. Based on the relationship one has with the person exhibiting misbehavior, one may choose to design a more structured method of delivering attention, such as engaging the person in projects that provide an opportunity for a large amount of feedback and considerable dialogue.


To decrease misbehavior motivated by power needs, it is important to monitor closely experiences of the individual, which may diminish the person’s sense of power, while simultaneously making deliberate efforts to assist that person in appropriate efforts to gain power. In the case of children misbehaving with an underlying goal of power, one is likely to find that power-assertive methods of discipline are being used with the child. Excessively strict, harsh methods of control, including the use of physical punishment, weaken a child’s sense of power and contribute to the likelihood of misbehavior based on power needs. It is reasonable to conclude that anyone engaging in misbehavior with the goal of power has been exposed to some type of experience that contributed to the person’s sense of powerlessness.


While monitoring experiences that diminish a person’s sense of power is necessary, it is not sufficient for decreasing misbehavior. People with a lowered sense of power also require experiences designed to assist them in regaining a feeling of power. According to Dreikurs, the most appropriate group arrangement for meeting the power needs of all individuals within the group is one based on democratic relations. Although this arrangement is based on the concept of equality, it does not assign identical responsibilities and privileges to all group members but rather recognizes that all members have equal worth. Decisions affecting group members are made with the needs and well-being of all members in mind. Furthermore, input from all members is encouraged to the degree that it is feasible.




Social Learning Approach

The application of the social learning approach to misbehavior focuses on discovering environmental consequences that influence behavior and taking steps to change these consequences, thereby decreasing misbehavior. The misconduct of primary interest to social learning theorists has been aggressiveness. According to their model, because aggressiveness is maintained or increased through the consequence of reinforcement, the recommended approach for dealing with this type of misbehavior is fourfold: Limit exposure to aggressive models in real life and on television; provide models who behave responsibly and considerately rather than cruelly or impulsively; be certain that aggression is not reinforced; and reinforce behavior that is incompatible with aggression.


The influence of models on the behavior of individuals was first demonstrated by the work of Albert Bandura
in 1962. Since then, social learning theory has been invoked to explain a variety of behaviors. This theoretical approach gets its name from the emphasis it places on social variables as determinants of behavior and personality. Foremost in Bandura’s analysis of learning is the role of imitation, which has its conceptual foundation in operant conditioning.


According to social learning theorists, most of a person’s learning comes from actively imitating, or modeling, the actions of others. The term “modeling” is used interchangeably with terms such as “observational learning” and “vicarious learning” to mean that people add to their repertoire of actions by seeing or hearing someone else perform the behavior rather than carrying out the behavior themselves.


Bandura’s views regarding imitation are reflected in the chief contributions of social learning theory, which consist of an explanation of the way a person acquires a new behavior never attempted before, the identification of the steps involved in the process of learning from models, and explanations of the way consequences influence future actions and of the development of complex behavior.




Bibliography


Bandura, Albert. Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 1977. Print.



Brooks, Jane. The Process of Parenting. 9th ed. Boston: McGraw, 2013. Print.



Dreikurs, Rudolf, Pearl Cassel, and Eva Dreikurs Ferguson. Discipline without Tears: How to Reduce Conflict and Establish Cooperation in the Classroom. Rev. ed. Mississauga: Wiley, 2004. Print.



Epstein, Michael, et al. Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary School Classroom. Washington: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, 2008. Print.



Flicker, Eileen, and Janet Andron Hoffman. Guiding Children’s Behavior: Developmental Discipline in the Classroom. New York: Teachers College P, 2006. Print.



Kern, Roy M., and William L. Curlette. "Individual Psychology:A Rich and Viable Theory for the Present and the Future." Journal of Individual Psychology 69.4 (2014): 277–79. Print.



Olson, Matthew H., and B. R. Hergenhahn. An Introduction to Theories of Learning. 9th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2012. Print.



Thomas, R. Murray. Comparing Theories of Child Development. 6th ed. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2005. Print.

What is the common cold?


Causes and Symptoms

One of the reasons that no cure has ever been found for the common cold is that it is caused by literally hundreds of different viruses. More than two hundred distinct strains from eight genera have been identified, and no doubt more will be discovered. Infection by one of these viruses may confer immunity to it, but there will still be scores of others to which that individual is not immune. The common cold is usually restricted to the nose and surrounding areas—hence its medical name, rhinitis (rhin meaning “nose” and itis meaning “inflammation”).



Children get the most colds, averaging six to eight per year until they are six years old. From that age, the number diminishes until, for adults, the rate is three to five colds per year. Colds and related
respiratory diseases are the largest single cause of missed workdays and school days. Colds and related respiratory diseases are probably the world’s most expensive illnesses. In the United States alone, about a million person-years are lost from work each year; this figure accounts for one-half of all absences. Worldwide, the costs of lost workdays, medications, physician’s visits, and complications that may require extensive medical care are incalculable.


Among the virus types that cause the common cold are rhinovirus, coronavirus, influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, enterovirus, adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, and coxsackie virus. They are not all equally responsible for cold infections.
Rhinoviruses and
coronaviruses between them are thought to cause 25 to 60 percent of all colds. Rhinoviruses appear to be responsible for colds that occur in the peak cold seasons of late spring and early fall. Coronaviruses appear to be responsible for colds that occur when rhinovirus is less active, such as in the late fall, winter, and early spring. Enteroviruses are the most common cause of the “summer cold.” During the summer months up to 20 percent of children may be shedding one of these viruses and thus are infective.


A respiratory syncytial virus can cause the common cold in adults; in children it causes much more severe diseases, including
pneumonia and bronchiolitis (inflammation of the bronchioles, small air passages in the lungs). Similarly, influenza and parainfluenza viruses, adenoviruses, and enteroviruses can be responsible for
rhinitis and
sore throat, but they are also capable of causing more serious illnesses such as pneumonia and meningitis.


Viruses are the smallest of the invading microorganisms that cause disease, so small that they are not visible using ordinary microscopes. They can be seen, however, with an electron microscope, and their presence in the body can be detected through various laboratory tests.


Viruses vary enormously in their size and structure. Some consist of three or four proteins with a core of either deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic acid (RNA); some have more than fifty proteins and other substances. Viruses can replicate only within living cells. They invade the body and produce disease conditions in different ways. Some travel through the body to find their target host cells. A good example is the measles virus, which enters through the mucous membranes of the nose, throat, and mouth and then finds its way to target tissues throughout the body. Some, such as the viruses that cause the common cold, enter the body through the nasal passages and settle directly into nearby cells.


Rhinoviruses are members of the Picornaviridae family (pico- from “piccolo,” meaning “very small”; rna from RNA, the genetic material that it contains; and viridae denoting a virus family). Coronaviruses are members of the Coronaviridae family, and they also contain RNA. Most viruses that are pathogenic to humans can thrive only at the temperature inside the human body, 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Rhinoviruses prefer the cooler temperatures found in the nasal passages, 33 to 34 degrees Celsius (91.4 to 93.2 degrees Fahrenheit). More than one hundred different rhinovirus types have been identified.


Exactly how a patient contracts a cold is better understood than it once was. Exposure to a cold environment—for example, getting a chill in winter weather—does not cause a cold unless the individual is exposed to the infecting virus at the same time. Fatigue or lack of sleep does not increase susceptibility to the cold virus, and even the direct exposure of nasal tissue to cold viruses does not guarantee infection.


A group in England, the Medical Research Council’s Common Cold Unit, studied the disease from 1945 to 1990 and made many fundamental discoveries—even though the researchers never found a cure, or, for that matter, any effective methods to prevent the spread of the disease. As part of their research, they put drops containing cold virus into the noses of volunteers. Only about one-third of the subjects thus inoculated developed cold symptoms, showing that direct exposure to the infecting agent does not necessarily bring on a cold.


What appears to be essential in the spread of the disease is bodily contact, particularly handshaking or touching. The infected individual wipes his or her nose or coughs into his or her hand, getting nasal secretions on the fingers. These infected secretions are then transferred to the hand of another person who, if susceptible, can become infected by bringing the hand up to the mouth or nose. Sneezing and coughing also spread the disease. Many viral and bacterial diseases are transmissible through nasopharyngeal (nose and throat) secretions; these include measles, mumps, rubella, pneumonia, influenza, and any number of other infections.


One or more individuals in a group become infected and bring the disease to a central place, such as a classroom, office, military base, or day care center. In the case of the common cold, transferring infected particles by touch exposes another person to the infection. In other respiratory diseases, breathing, sneezing, or coughing virus-laden particles into the air will spread the disease. The infected individual then becomes the means by which the disease is brought into the home. By far, the largest number of colds are brought into the family by children who have contracted the infection in classrooms or day care centers.


The pathogenesis of the common cold—that is, what happens when an individual is exposed to the cold virus—is not fully understood. It is believed that the virus enters the nasal passages and attaches itself to receptors on a cell of the nasal mucous membrane and then invades the cell. Viruses traveling freely in the blood or lymphatic system are subject to attack by white blood cells called phagocytes in what is part of the body’s nonspecific defense system against invading pathogens.


Once inside the host cell, the virus replicates itself by stealing elements of the protoplasm of the cell and using them to build new viruses under the direction of the RNA component. These new viruses are released by the host cell to infect other cells. This process can injure or kill the host cell, activating the body’s specific immune response system and starting the chain of events that will destroy the invading virus and create immunity to further infection from it.


In response to cell death or injury, certain chemicals are released that induce inflammation in the nasal passages. Blood vessels in the nasal area enlarge, increasing blood flow to the tissues and causing swelling. The openings in capillary walls enlarge and deliver lymphocytes, white blood cells that produce antibodies to fight the virus, as well as other specialized white blood cells.


Nasal mucosa swell and secretions increase, a condition medically known as rhinorrhea (-rrhea meaning “flowing,” denoting the runny nose of the common cold). During the first few days of infection, these secretions are thin and watery. As the disease progresses and white blood cells are drawn to the area, the secretions become thicker and more purulent, that is, filled with pus. A sore throat is common, as is laryngitis, or inflammation of the larynx or voice box. Fever is not a usual symptom of the common cold, but a cough will often develop as excess mucus or phlegm builds up in the lungs and windpipe.


As mucus accumulates and clogs nasal passages, the body attempts to expel it by sneezing. In this process, impulses from the nose travel to the brain’s “sneeze reflex center,” where sneezing is triggered to help clear nasal passages. Similarly, as phlegm accumulates in the windpipe and bronchial tree of the lungs, a message is sent to the “cough reflex center” of the brain, where coughing is initiated to expel the phlegm.


The common cold is self-limiting and usually resolves within five to ten days, but there can be complications in some cases. Patients who have asthma or chronic bronchitis frequently develop bronchoconstriction (narrowing of the air passages in the lungs) as a result of a common cold. If severe purulent tracheitis and bronchitis develop, there may be a concomitant bacterial infection. In some patients, the infection may spread to other organs, such as the ears, where an infection called otitis media can develop. Sinusitis, infection of the cavities in the bone of the skull surrounding the nose, is common. If the invading organism spreads to the lungs, bronchitis or pneumonia may develop.


Other possible complications of the common cold depend on the individual virus. Rhinoviruses, usually limited to colds, may infrequently cause pneumonia in children. Coronaviruses, also usually limited to colds, infrequently cause pneumonia and bronchiolitis. A respiratory syncytial virus causes pneumonia and bronchiolitis in children, the common cold in adults, and pneumonia in the elderly. Parainfluenza virus, which causes croup and other respiratory diseases in children, can cause sore throat and the common cold in adults and, rarely, may cause tracheobronchitis in these patients. Influenza B virus, an occasional cause of the common cold, also causes influenza and, infrequently, pneumonia.


Another condition that can closely resemble the common cold, but which is not caused by a virus, is
allergic rhinitis. The major form of allergic rhinitis is hay fever. It has many of the same symptoms as the common cold: sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, and, sometimes, sore throat. In addition, the hay fever victim may suffer from itching in the eyes, nose, mouth, and throat. Hay fever is an allergic reaction to certain pollens. Because the pollens that cause hay fever are abundant at certain times of the year, it may be prevalent at the same times as some colds. Spring is a peak season for the common cold and also for hay fever, because of the many tree pollens that are carried in the air. In the fall, weed pollens, such as those of ragweed, affect hay-fever sufferers during another peak period for colds. Colds occur less frequently in summer, but summer is another peak season for hay fever.




Treatment and Therapy

The nose is the first barrier of defense against the bacteria and viruses that cause upper respiratory infections. The nasal cavity is lined with a thin coating of mucus, a thick liquid that is constantly replenished by the mucous glands. Inner nasal surfaces are filled with tiny hairs, or cilia. Dust, bacteria, and other foreign matter are trapped by the mucus and moved by the cilia toward the nasopharynx to be expectorated or swallowed.


The blood vessels in the nasopharyngeal bed respond automatically to stimulation from the brain. Certain stimuli cause the vessels to constrict, widening air passages and at the same time reducing the flow of mucus. Other stimuli, such as those that are sent in response to a viral infection, allergen, or other irritant, cause blood vessels to dilate and increase the flow of mucus. Nasal passages become swollen, and airways are blocked.


The mucus-covered lining of the nasal passages contains various substances that help ward off infection and irritation by allergens. Lysozyme (lyso meaning “dissolution” and zyme from “enzyme,” a catalyst that promotes an activity) attacks the cell walls of certain bacteria, killing them. It also attacks pollen granules. Mucus also contains glycoproteins that temporarily inhibit the activity of viruses. Mucus has small amounts of the antibodies immunoglobulin IgA and IgC that also may inhibit the activity of invading viruses.


Bed rest is usually the first element of treatment for a common cold. Limiting physical stress may help keep the cold from worsening and may avoid secondary infections. The medications used to treat the common cold are directed at relieving individual symptoms; there is no available medication that will kill the viruses that cause it. Most cases of the common cold are treated at home with over-the-counter cold preparations. Children’s colds and the complications that may arise from colds, such as bacterial and viral superinfection, may require the services of a physician.


Many medications for the common cold contain
antihistamines. Histamine is a naturally occurring chemical in the body that is released in response to an allergen or an infection. It is a significant cause of the inflammation, swelling, and runny nose of hay fever. When these symptoms are seen with the common cold, however, they are probably caused by the body’s inflammatory defense system rather than by histamine.


When antihistamines were first discovered, it was thought that they could inhibit the inflammatory defense against a cold. Patients were advised to take antihistamines at the first sign of a cold, in the hope of avoiding a full infection. Current thinking is that antihistamines have little value in the treatment of the common cold. They may have a minor effect on a runny nose, but there are better agents for this purpose. Antihistamines are usually highly sedative—most over-the-counter sleeping pills are antihistamines—so they may cause drowsiness. Patients taking many antihistamines are cautioned to avoid driving or operating machinery that could be dangerous.


The mainstays of therapy for the common cold are the
decongestants that are applied topically (that is, directly to the mucous membranes in the nose) or taken orally. They are also called sympathomimetic agents because they mimic the effects of certain natural body chemicals that regulate many body processes. A group of these, called adrenergic stimulants, regulate vasoconstriction and vasodilation—in other words, they can narrow or widen blood vessels, respectively. Their vasoconstrictive capability is useful in managing the common cold, because it reduces the size of the blood vessels in the nose, reduces swelling and congestion, and inhibits excess secretion.


Topical decongestants are available as nasal sprays or drops. The sprays are squirted up into each nostril. The patient is usually advised to wait three to five minutes and then blow his or her nose to remove the mucus. If there is still congestion, the patient is advised to take another dose, allowing the medication to reach farther into the nasal cavity. Nose drops are taken by tilting the head back and squeezing the medication into the nostrils through the nose-dropper supplied with the medication. Clearance of nasal congestion is prompt, and the patient can breathe more easily. Nasal irritation is reduced, so there is less sneezing. Some nasal sprays and drops last longer than others, but none works around-the-clock, so applications must be repeated throughout the day.


Patients who use nasal sprays and drops are advised to follow the manufacturer’s directions exactly. Applied too often or in too great a quantity, these preparations can cause unwanted problems, such as rhinitis medicamentosa, or nasal inflammation caused by a medication (also called rebound congestion). As the vasoconstrictive effect of the drugs wears down, the blood vessels dilate, the area becomes swollen, and secretions increase. This reaction may be attributable to the fact that the drug’s vasoconstrictive effect has deprived the area of blood, and thus excited an increased inflammatory state, or it may simply be attributable to irritation by the drug. Use of sprays or drops should be limited to three or four days.


Oral decongestants are also effective in reducing swelling and relieving a runny nose, although they do not have as great a vasoconstrictive effect concentrated in the nasal area as sprays or drops. Because they circulate throughout the body, their vasoconstrictive effects may be seen in other vascular beds. Patients with high blood pressure; diabetes; heart disease; or who are taking certain drugs such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), guanethidine, bethanidine, or debrisoquin sulfate are advised not to use oral decongestants unless they are under the care of a physician.


Three kinds of coughs may accompany colds: coughs that produce phlegm or mucus; hyperactive nagging coughs, which result from overstimulation of the cough reflex; and dry, unproductive coughs. If the phlegm or mucus collecting in the lungs is easily removed by occasional coughing, a soothing syrup, cough drop, or lozenge may be all that the patient requires. If the cough reflex center of the brain is overstimulated, there may be hyperactive or uncontrollable coughing, and a cough suppressant, such as dextromethorphan, may be needed. Dextromethorphan works in the brain to raise the level of stimulus that is required to trigger the cough reflex. Some antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine hydrochloride, are effective cough suppressants. If coughing is unproductive—that is, if the mucus has thickened and dried and is not easily removed—an expectorant should be taken. Currently, the only expectorant used in over-the-counter drugs is guaifenesin. It helps soften and liquefy mucus deposits, so that coughs become productive. When the cough of a cold is serious enough for a physician to be consulted, prescription drugs may need to be used, such as codeine to stop hyperactive coughing and potassium iodide for unproductive coughs.


For allergic rhinitis or hay fever, avoidance of allergens is recommended but is not always possible. For hay-fever outbreaks, antihistamines are the mainstays of therapy, with other agents added to relieve specific symptoms. For example, topical and oral decongestants may be required to relieve a runny nose.




Perspective and Prospects

Viruses are among the most intriguing and baffling challenges to medical science. Great progress has been made in preventing some virus diseases, such as by immunization against smallpox and hepatitis B. There has been only limited success, however, in finding agents to cure viral diseases, and so far nothing has been found to prevent or cure the common cold. Vaccines have been developed against certain rhinoviruses, and no doubt many more will be developed. Yet because the common cold is caused by so many different types of virus—more than two hundred—and vaccines against one virus are not necessarily effective against others, it is questionable whether such vaccines would ever be useful. A helpful vaccine would be one that could immunize against an entire family of viruses such as rhinoviruses or coronaviruses, the two leading causes of the common cold.


The search goes on for agents to cure the common cold. Substances, such as interferons, have been found that are effective against a wide range of viruses. One of the interferons was used by the British Medical Research Council’s Common Cold Unit. Those researchers reported that interferon applied as an intranasal spray was effective in protecting subjects from cold infection. After some years, however, experimentation with interferon in the common cold was abandoned because the agent had significant side effects, nasal congestion among them.


The science of virology only began in the 1930s, so it is not surprising that viruses continue to baffle scientists. Nevertheless, many fundamental discoveries have been made and one can predict increasing success. As scientists unravel the intricacies of viral infections, they find clues that help them devise ways of interfering with virus life processes. In some cases, effective drugs have been developed, such as the interferons, acyclovir for herpes simplex, and amantadine for the influenza virus. It is likely that the cure for the common cold will continue to be elusive, unless a broad-spectrum antiviral agent could be developed that works against multiple viral infections in the way that broad-spectrum antibiotics work against multiple bacterial infections.




Bibliography:


Biddle, Wayne. A Field Guide to Germs. 2d ed. New York: Anchor Books, 2002.



Carson-DeWitt, Rosalyn. "Common Cold." Health Library, January 9, 2013.



"Common Cold." National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, February 11, 2011.



Gallo, Robert. Virus Hunting. New York: Basic Books, 1991.



Kimball, Chad T. Colds, Flu, and Other Common Ailments Sourcebook. Detroit, Mich.: Omnigraphics, 2001.



Krinsky, Daniel L., et al. Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs. 17th ed. Washington, D.C.:American Pharmaceutical Association, 2011.



Litin, Scott C., ed. Mayo Clinic Family Health Book. 4th ed. New York: HarperResource, 2009.



Woolf, Alan D., et al., eds. The Children’s Hospital Guide to Your Child’s Health and Development. Cambridge, Mass.: Perseus, 2002.



Young, Stuart H., Bruce Dobozin, and Margaret Miner. Allergies. Rev. ed. New York: Plume, 1999.

How does the choice of details set the tone of the sermon?

Edwards is remembered for his choice of details, particularly in this classic sermon. His goal was not to tell people about his beliefs; he ...