Spastic Paraplegia Essay

Time, what is time, and why is it important? Well time is a concept that humans’ brains can perceive, in fact their brains basically construct the past, the present, and the future. Basically, time is a measurement system, and without it the human race wouldn’t have ever existed. Humans have a very simple understanding of time, and they still do not understand its full potential. Humans only understand the measurement of time, and the manipulation and capturing of time overwhelms them. To this day the only way humans have captured time is their memory, and even then they still get it wrong sometimes.

Time is a valuable resource, and in fact, some people get more out of their time than others. Time is a scarce resource meaning that there is not enough of the resource available to satisfy all of the ways I want to use it. Due to the fact that it is scarce, this means that my time must be allocated in such a way that I can get the most out of it. Being a full time student, working part-time, and playing college athletics is a tough feat. In fact, most of the time I struggle in deciding what to do and when. What I choose to do is a demonstration of my value system and some things are valued more than others.

In a world where phrases like ‘time is money’ are constantly being used in every setting, one can develop the idea that time is theirs. People can often think that their time can be used in whatever way they please whether working or wasting it. Screwtape affirms this kind of thinking, commanding that Wormwood should, “zealously guard in his mind the curious assumption that ‘my time is my own’. Let him have the feeling that he starts each day as the lawful possessor of twenty-four hours” (112). Humans can often take time for granted wasting God’s precious hours on undeserving things whether it be electronics, clothes, or grades.

Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are genetically heterogeneous disorders, which are characterized by lower extremity spasticity and weakness. HSP is often caused by mutations in SPG genes, but it may be also produced by inborn errors of metabolism [1,2]. Next generation sequencing (NGS) is helpful for investigating patients in whom genetics does not fully meets the clinical presentation. We performed NGS in adult twins and found compound pathogenic mutations in MTHFR and POLG1 genes, which were consistent with metabolic changes, including hyperhomocysteinemia decreased activity of MTHFR and mitochondrial respiratory chain.

The concept of time can be viewed in heterogeneous ways. Time can be used as a currency in reference to the film “In Time” or time can be used as a notion of change, events and inconsistency. Time is the most overlooked backdrop of our lives because as a society who lives in a culture of instant gratification, we are impatient and value trivial things in life. We take time for granted.

I aspire to be an orthopedic surgeon with a specialization in spinal surgery; our research has allowed me to familiarize myself with this region. The research I perform is centered on trying to understand the molecular mechanism by which mutations in a neuronal kinesin cause Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia. Though it is basic science research it has a transitional target. As a laboratory technician, I perform many of the complicated procedures myself and aid the undergraduate researchers in their projects whilst collaborating with our personal investigator Dr. Thomas Huckaba. Under his mentorship my capacity for critical reasoning has grown exponentially. As of now, my primary project is discovering the cargo that is being transported by Kinesin

Time is of the essence, yet time is always passing. Time can be taken or given, saved or spent, but is not always the same for “time only existed when a measurement was being made” (19). Stephen Kern’s The Nature of Time introduces ideas and concepts of how time is seen, represented, and spent. Two key ways of looking at time are through the perspective of Public Time, and Private Time. Public Time, is the universally understood time; the time that we experience collectively and are kept to by a clock or calendar. The calendar “expresses the rhythm of the collective activities, while at the same time its function is to assure their regularity” into what we know as the collective Public Time (20). In order to understand Public Time, however, it first had to become universal. “While the year, month, and day have a basis in nature, the week and the hour are entirely artificial;” therefore, for Public Time to become understood by all, the artificial constructs of time had to become universally joined (14). Although the world was slow to accept a universal time, which would be altered by one hour between twenty-four zones, it soon became accepted and understood. The simple measurement of time introduces issues within time itself, however. Time does not stop and is not divided into bits as it is represented by its measurement. The idea of any measurement which does not continuously flow, contradicts the very concept of Private Time.

    Ever since my childhood, I have always found medicine to be intriguing. My interest first sparked when I learned about my cousin’s, Austin, illness. Austin was born nearly four months early and was diagnosed with an underdeveloped trachea and COPD. Within Austin’s first moments of life, doctors had to perform a tracheotomy. As I observed my cousin’s suffering over the years, my desire to help others was ignited. Since then, my will to help people has only grown immensely. From playing doctor to caring for my family when they are sick, my caring nature and love to help people has always been evident. All I want is the ability to help others and to make a difference. Now, my cousin has miraculously lived

Imagine there is a bank that automatically deposits $86,400 into an account every morning. None of this money carries over from day to day. Any logical person would withdraw and take advantage of every last cent right? This bank represents time. Each day, I am credited with 86,400 seconds to make the most of. Once the sun rises the next day, I cannot go back and relive yesterday. It is not enough to live life only wishing for Friday to come faster, or for when it is time to settle into bed at night.

Paralysis is the loss of muscle movement in the body. Our bones need activity from the muscles to keep them strong. Paralysis affecting the lower limb is called paraplegia. The decrease in muscular activity leads to bone loss. Eventually leading to osteoporosis where you begin to lose minerals and calcium from the bones. The bones tissue begins thinning causing the bone to become thin and

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is brain damage. It cannot be cured, it is not contagious, it is not a disease, and it does not get worse. According to Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, "Cerebral Palsy is a broad term for various nonprogressive disorders of motor function in people, resulting from brain damage around the time of birth. Damage to the brain could occur before, during, or shortly after birth"(“Cerebral”). Since the damage is done during the brain’s formation, and occurs in the part of the brain that controls motor and muscle functions, people with CP might have problems with motor skills, muscle tone, muscle weakness, reflexes, balance, excessive drooling, difficulties swallowing or speaking, shaking, tremors, and

Less than 200,00 people get paraplegia a year. Paraplegia is when damage to the spinal occurs, it restricts control of the legs. When one is struck with paraplegia, it causes damage to multiple places, but thankfully there are ways to treat it as well as many people who are willing to tell their stories.

Aldous Huxley states time is modifying our way of living. We are relying on time to finish our tasks and do many other things in which time is the number one priority. Pam Houston talks about how giving time to her own life helped her to cure depression without any use of vaccination. She also said that we could conserve a lot of our valuable time and spend it on important things. Huxley’s writing helps me to understand the importance of time, give us the definition of time and Houston proved it in her own words and both of these authors have the same point of view on nature.

Approximately 11,000 spinal cord injuries involving Paraplegia are reported in the United States yearly. These injuries occur as a result of automobile and motorcycle accidents, falls, sporting accidents, and gunshot wounds; although, it is also caused by congenital conditions. When the spinal nerve signals below the level of the injury is partially cut off from the brain, this results in Paraplegia disability. This is an impairment of motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The most affected areas of the spinal canal by Paraplegia are related directly either with the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral regions. Spinal Cord injuries are medical emergencies. Immediate treatment can reduce long-term effects. There are

Cerebral palsy refers to a group of chronic disorders that involve degrees of brain damage that affect body control and movement. The term cerebral refers to the brain, while palsy describes a disorder that impairs the control of body movement. These disorders are not the result of muscles or nerves problems. Instead, they are due to impaired motor areas in the brain that disrupt its ability to control movement and posture. The condition typically appears within the first few years of life and it is not marked by regression. (Mecham, 1986)