Hormones and the Stressed Brain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hormones and the Stressed Brain - Essay Example One, the mineralocorticoid receptors ( MR's) that control the genes for stabilization of neural activity produced in response to the stress due to the release of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH)-1 receptor. The glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) which unlike the MRs have low affinity induce agitation in the genes in response to the stress level produced by cortisol. GRs along with CRH-2 receptors, and parasympathetic system of behavioral alteration, aid in storing energy and information for any future occasions. Coordination and balance between the two is important for mental and physical health. Imbalance may occur due to genetic defect, individual experience etc altering the neural signal route controlling memory, emotion etc. Understanding the mechanism of corticosteroid help to find causes behind various stress related ailment like depression. The individuals response to his/her environment is determined by the stress mediators or management hormones like corticosteroids mostly concentrated in the brain. In a healthy human being with perfectly balanced stress system the response operates is synonymous to the switch on and off responses of an electric fan. Sometimes these mediators may not operate in a balanced and coordinated way as in normal healthy humans.

Blood clotting enzyme Essay Example for Free

Blood clotting enzyme Essay Serine protease proteins are important enzymes involved in the process of blood coagulation. Blood coagulation is an importance defense mechanism that prevents the host mammal organism from losing excess blood or from forming unwanted blood clot. The process of coagulation can be initiated by both intrinsic factors and extrinsic factors. A cascade of event is followed which activate these enzymes; normally the enzymes are inactive state a condition called zymogens. Zymogens by their virtual condition of being inactive prevent unwanted blood clotting which may have a far reaching consequence such as thrombosis. Blood clotting in a series of processes, in which the zymogens’ need to be activated by reacting with its glycoprotein co-factors. Among the serine protease is the thrombin enzyme factor five (v) responsible for clearing clot in the blood. The enzyme is usually present circulating in plasma which is made up of a single monomer chain, it life span can range from 12 to 36 hours. In human the main regulator in blood coagulation is erythrocytes leukemia cells which activate adenylate cyclase, the process is reversible by the interaction of Aalpa-thrombin with glycoprotein while b alpha enhance the platelets interaction which initiate the proteolytic process. Fibrin-bound thrombin is cleaved by thrombin at a very specific site at the extracellular N-terminal, PAR-1 regulates a number of endothelial cell biology, vascular development but more so is a mediator of thrombin signaling. The human thrombin consist of two gamma chains namely the gamma A and gamma’ the final stage of coagulation of mammalian blood involves the cleavage of the four arginine and glycine bond. Binding studies shows both fibrin 1 and fibrin 2 with low affinity to the E domain and high binding affinity at the extreme end of 408 to 425 on the gamma chain The mode of action involves conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin by breaking the bonds in the fibrinogen at a precise position of arginine and glycine where the fibrin peptides are released. The serine proteases require restructuring itself in order to fit the key and lock model. The glycine at the position five is highly conserved because it is the one which occupy the active site which is determine by the acryl group during the substrate conformation. Asparagines 189 help the enzyme to easily recognize the substrate. The active site is entirely made of histidine 57, asparagines 102, serine 195 and serine 214. The reaction on many a times prefers position 1 to position 4 during remodeling, therefore the type of protein presence to a large extend determine the kind protease and also the kind of cleavage to take place. Thrombin activation is regulated by pentapeptide of the COOH terminus of the factor (v) heavy chains. Thrombin and thrombin receptors is another regulatory point where they both posses strong protective barrier and at the same time cancerous cells were eliminated by apoptosis. A study carried out using mitochondrial membranes which were depolarized using attenuated Catalase lead to controlled cell death. Statistical finding indicate that 30% of the population carried world wide indicated that activated peptide segment at position 4 of factor eight caused a substitution in V34L after binding the structure and analyzing the interaction according to (Brenda 2010). The switching of receptor is PAR-1-dependent signaling specifically to thrombin resulting inhibition of adhesion cell surface which activate thrombin the ligand occupancy position switches the protease receptor by signaling specifically to the thrombin. Human cell in culture indicated low amount of thrombin and receptor PAR-1 agonist induced strong anti-inflammatory activities which was secondary effect of the low concentration of thrombin after activation by P13 kinase and PAR-1. Thrombin like other enzymes is very specific in the binding domain and the insertion loop which is determined by the residues involved in ligand binding as result of interaction glycoprotein and protease receptor on the platelet membrane. This uniqueness makes it very efficient in it task according to (Webert 2006). The enzyme play vital role in homeostasis, cell differentiation, thrombosis and activation of blood cell types, on exposure to phosphatidylserine on the outer surface the platelets were stimulated. A study done using heparin indicated an overlap of the active site, which was attributed to the interaction of thrombin and the gamma peptide chains to the external and the interaction to the active site in close proximity to the Na+ of the substrate. The role of the enzyme can be explained in terms of NA+ binding to thrombin on the basis of prothrombotic and procoagulant. The cascade is a continuous cycle of events that are activated by two factors ,factor (ix) and factor (viii) to form tenase complex which is discontinued by down regulation that occur in the following mechanism which include; serpin (serine protease inhibitors) which function to degrade thrombin and other activation factors, it can also be regulated by protein C where thromodulin bind to it and is inactivate in the presence of protein S, limiting the action of tissue factor by the tissue factor pathway inhibitors by inhibiting excessive TF mediated activation of factor (ix) and factor (x), plasmin help to degrade fibrin hence preventing more fibrin being formed and lastly but not the least regulation through adenylate cyclase pathway by inhibiting platelet activation by decreasing cytosol level of calcium which ultimately result to decreased release of granules which are responsible for the activation of more platelets and coagulation cascade. In conclusion the work play by thrombin enzyme is of paramount importance considering the complexity of the enzyme kinetics involved in the human body. References Brenda Enzyme database retrieved on 13 August 2010 from http://www. brenda-enzymes. org/php/result_flat. php4? ecno=3. 4. 21. 5 Furie B, Furie BC (2005). Thrombus formation in vivo. J. Clin. Invest. 115 (12): retrieved on 12 August 2010 from http://www. jci. org/cgi/content/full/115/12/3355. Webert KE, Cook RJ, Sigouin CS, (2006). The risk of bleeding in thrombocytopenic patients with acute myeloid leukemia. haematologica .

Crohn’s Disease Essays -- Nursing Essays

Introduction with Statement of Purpose Crohn’s Disease is a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Crohn’s disease is an acute and chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal track. The disease can also affect the surrounding bowel tissues. Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, but it is most common in the distal ileum and the ascending colon. The disease is characterized by periods of remission and exacerbation. The disease process begins with edema and thickening of the mucosa, and then ulcers begin to form on the inflamed mucosa. The affected areas are separated by healthy tissue. As the inflammation of the disease begins to spread into the peritoneum, abscesses, fistulas, and fissures can develop. As the disease advances, the intestinal wall begins to thicken, becomes fibrotic, and the intestinal lumen narrows. Signs and symptoms of Crohn’s disease can vary from mild to severe. They can also develop slowly or come on suddenly, without any warning. When Crohn†™s disease is in remission, signs and symptoms may be very mild or there may be none. When the disease is in an active state signs and symptoms may include: diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, ulcers, reduced appetite, occult blood, and weight loss. There are many different test and procedures that confirm the diagnosis of Crohn’s disease, these include: blood tests, fecal occult blood test, magnetic resonance imaging, computerized tomography, double balloon endoscopy, capsule endoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, small bowel imaging, and barium enema (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2011). Impact on patients and patient care My father was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2010 at the age of 51 years. He currently does not smoke cigarettes, but has a hi... ...who is familiar with inflammatory bowel disease and the psychosocial difficulties that it can cause. â€Å"Although living with Crohn’s disease can be discouraging, research is ongoing and the outlook is brighter than it was a few years ago† (Mayo, p. 16, 2011). Works Cited Bare, B.G., Cheever, K.H., Hinkle, J.L., & Smeltzer, S.C. (2010). Brunner & suddarth’s textbook of medical- surgical nursing (12th ed. p. 1082-1088). Wolters Kluwer Health. Crohn's and colitis. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.ccfa.org/what-are-crohns-and-colitis/what-is-crohns-disease/ Diseases and conditions crohn's disease. (2011, August 09). Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/crohns-disease/basics/definition/con-20032061 Inflammatory bowel disease. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.gastro.org/patient-center/digestive-conditions/inflammatory-bowel-disease Crohn’s Disease Essays -- Nursing Essays Introduction with Statement of Purpose Crohn’s Disease is a type of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Crohn’s disease is an acute and chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal track. The disease can also affect the surrounding bowel tissues. Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, but it is most common in the distal ileum and the ascending colon. The disease is characterized by periods of remission and exacerbation. The disease process begins with edema and thickening of the mucosa, and then ulcers begin to form on the inflamed mucosa. The affected areas are separated by healthy tissue. As the inflammation of the disease begins to spread into the peritoneum, abscesses, fistulas, and fissures can develop. As the disease advances, the intestinal wall begins to thicken, becomes fibrotic, and the intestinal lumen narrows. Signs and symptoms of Crohn’s disease can vary from mild to severe. They can also develop slowly or come on suddenly, without any warning. When Crohn†™s disease is in remission, signs and symptoms may be very mild or there may be none. When the disease is in an active state signs and symptoms may include: diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, ulcers, reduced appetite, occult blood, and weight loss. There are many different test and procedures that confirm the diagnosis of Crohn’s disease, these include: blood tests, fecal occult blood test, magnetic resonance imaging, computerized tomography, double balloon endoscopy, capsule endoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, small bowel imaging, and barium enema (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2011). Impact on patients and patient care My father was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2010 at the age of 51 years. He currently does not smoke cigarettes, but has a hi... ...who is familiar with inflammatory bowel disease and the psychosocial difficulties that it can cause. â€Å"Although living with Crohn’s disease can be discouraging, research is ongoing and the outlook is brighter than it was a few years ago† (Mayo, p. 16, 2011). Works Cited Bare, B.G., Cheever, K.H., Hinkle, J.L., & Smeltzer, S.C. (2010). Brunner & suddarth’s textbook of medical- surgical nursing (12th ed. p. 1082-1088). Wolters Kluwer Health. Crohn's and colitis. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.ccfa.org/what-are-crohns-and-colitis/what-is-crohns-disease/ Diseases and conditions crohn's disease. (2011, August 09). Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/crohns-disease/basics/definition/con-20032061 Inflammatory bowel disease. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.gastro.org/patient-center/digestive-conditions/inflammatory-bowel-disease

Drug Addiction and Abuse Essay

Drug addiction or drug dependence is an increasing epidemic worldwide. It is most common in more developed countries but that in no way means that it is not a growing and serious problem in our country Belize. What makes this problem even more critical is the fact that it is mostly a problem for our youths. In fact studies have indicated that drug addiction, especially of alcohol and tobacco is occurring at an increasingly younger age, while the number of deaths resulting directly from drug misuse is rising. Because of the great impact drug addiction plays upon our own age cohort, we chose to investigate this obstacle further. Drug dependence may be either mental or physical. In a condition called drug addiction, there is a combination of mental and physical dependence. Mental dependence is characterized by a strong emotional drive to take a drug. In physical dependence, the body develops a need for the drug. Severe physical reactions, called withdrawal symptoms may occur if the drug is withheld from the user. We also realize that students at both primary and secondary school ages are likely to be exposed to the effects and influences of drug misuse in the wider community and which extends across social economics and cultural boundaries. Drug misuse has implications for the individual involved, for their families and the wider community. Drug misuse is a result of the fact that most of the students are totally unaware of the total consequences of drug usage or even the â€Å"proper† method in how to do so. Many times they mix lethal drugs and the results are fatal or in other cases they use drug in a way that it is also immediately fatal. It is for this reason that it is very important that all drugs – legal and illegal – be addresses as a part of a rigid drug education program in all school and addresses the health, social, economics and legal cost of drugs to individuals and to the whole of Belize. Teaching the students beforehand the effects and consequences of drug use and misuse is a great way to make them gain awareness of the effects of drugs. This then may play a great influence on their choices on whether or not to experiment drugs. All in all, it may in some way alleviate the growing problem of drug addiction and  drug misuse.

Character Identification in Drama Essay

One of the most powerful aspects of theater is the way that dramatic expression encourages the viewer to participate in the drama by identifying closely with one or more of the characters depicted on stage. In actuality, the measure of a play’s success depends on the degree to which the playwright is able to convincingly develop and exploit the audience’s identification with the dramatic characters and, in some almost ineffable way, allow them to experience the play’s themes and ideas in an intimate way. Most people probably identify more with a single character of any given play than with the other characters. Obviously, the protagonist of a play is expected to engage the audience’s identification and sympathy, but it is not always the case for every viewer that a given play’s protagonist will supply the most expedient method of sympathy and identification. For example, in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, the character of Horatio seems to me, for reasons which I hope to explain shortly, a more sympathetic character and one with which I can closely identify because Horatio is the good-hearted friend who tries to offer actionable advice to Hamlet, only to have his advice ignored and for tragedy to win the day. From the beginning of the play it is clear that Horatio is meant to serve as a psuedo-narrator of the play and his relationship with the audience is established as quickly and as innately as is possible without s direct appeal to the audience. Although Horatio’s simple lines may seem as though they play little role in the overall development of the play, they are, in fact, rich with meaning. By assuring Hamlet that he should not follow the beckoning form of his father’s ghost in the second part of Act 1 Scene 3, Horatio fully expresses his bond with Hamlet, and in doing so, begins to shift the audience-identification and audience sympathy he has established up to that point with the audience to the play’s true protagonist, Hamlet. When Horatio says â€Å"†Do not, my lord. † (Hibbard 183) he is informing the audience that Hamlet faces true danger and that he is concerned for him; so, too, should the audience be concerned. The essence of the relationship between Horatio and Hamlet is consistently portrayed as a genuine friendship. Horatio’s loyalty is important to the play’s climax at the end of Act 5 Scene 2. He cautions Hamlet, again, to avoid his tragic fate: â€Å"If your mind dislike anything, obey it. I will forestall their repair hither, and say you are not fit. † (Hibbard 344) By now, accustomed to Hamlet’s denial of his friend’s advice, the audience will recall the previous scene when Hamlet, against Horatio’s advice, sought conversation with ghost of his father. They will understand that when Hamlet chooses to disregard the advice of the single character in the play who has demonstrated friendship and loyalty to him, that Hamlet, again, embraces tragic fate. Horatio’s loyalty is â€Å"good† while Hamlet’s loyalty to the ghost of his father is destructive. Horatio represents an â€Å"existential connection to the living moment, whereas the ghost of the King represents the ambiguities of the Christian afterlife† (Holzknecht) and religious dogma as well as cultural tradition and social conservatism. My ability to identify with Horatio comes from the fact that I have also given advice to close friends who opted to ignore that advice and came to ruin. I think most people have probably faced that situation in their lives and the character of Horatio is therefore a good character to encourage audience identification. The same principle is at work in Lorraine Hansberry’s â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun,† where Hansberry challenged deep cultural ideas about African Americans. By focusing her play on realism, Hansberry created a theme which was radically different than the presentation of America typically seen on Broadway stages. The play’s impact on American audiences was very controversial. Hansberry relied on depicting extreme emotional states and conditions for her characters, as well as enticing her audience to experience the world of her characters with as much empathy as possible. In order to engage the audience, and to cause them to identify with the Youngers, Hansberry uses the device of realism, which extends to the character of Mama who is depicted as a well-meaning and hard-working person who faces insurmountable odds. One important reason why I feel an identification with Mama is because of the very beautiful language Hansberry developed for this character. Hansberry delivers the dialogue of â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† in colloquial language and this aspect of them play enhances the play’s realism. The realism of the play then causes the audience to more closely identify with the play’s characters and plot, and each of these aspects of the play helps to communicate the important sociological and racial themes that drive â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun. † Hansberry’s dialogue, in fact, becomes a key driving force of the play’s ultimate revelatory impact on the audience. As the play progresses and the characters become more clearly defined with motivations that the audience can identify with (or despise) the dialect of the play begins to attain a lyrical uniqueness — a vocal music which was unlike any other play on the Broadway stage of the time. Lines such as â€Å"Seem like God didn’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams†¦. ’† (Hansberry, 29) or â€Å"â€Å"There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing†¦. † (Hansberry, 135) attain the status of aphorism in the context of the play and divulge important social and racial realities that, for most Americans in the mid-twentieth century, existed, if at all, as merely si-debar newspaper articles or in some other abstract realization. My identification with Mama extends to her empathy for others, such as in the case of the abortion which is alluded to in the play: â€Å"Mama realizes how close the other members of the family are to despair when Ruth reveals that the â€Å"doctor† she has seen is not a conventional physician but a woman who has the capability of performing an abortion, an illegal procedure at the time that could subject Ruth to severe criminal penalties† (Domina 8). I think most people have faced situations where they were meant to do what appears to be â€Å"wrong† in order to do what is essentially right. This is the magic of Hansberry’s characterization. In plays such as Antigone which are ancient plays, identification with the characters can sometimes be more difficult for modern audiences. However, the deep identification with Creon which I experienced while reading the play emerges from the timelessness of certain â€Å"faults† of character, namely pride, which I feel is as much a part of modern life as it is â€Å"common† life, or that is, the lives of people who are not kings or royalty. The damaging impact of pride can be felt over trivial matters as well as great issues as those depicted in the play, Antigone. For my own part, I felt an extreme identification with Creon because I have personally experienced the nature of pride and arrogance in relation to my own life and my own social relationships. One of the most important aspects of my identification with Creon is the fact that — by identifying with Creon — one also, indirectly — identifies with the Chorus of the play which, in the long run, serves as a counterpoint to Creon’s increasingly egomaniacal behavior. While I can abstractly connect my own â€Å"trivial† indiscretions with personal power to Creon’s obviously near-mythic exploits, I doubt that most modern readers would necessarily be able to make that connection because the seeming influence of their â€Å"small lvies† would not seem, to them, comparable to the life and actions of a great man. However, the portrayal of â€Å"great men† in classical tragedy was used in order to exaggerate the qualities and personality traits which were viewed as being connected to tragedy. That means that the aspects of Creon which seem near-mythic in Antigone are near-mythic precisely because they are universal and can, in fact, be applied to everyday lives. This is the power of theater: to span time and culture and find universal identification through the portrayal of archetypal characters. Work Cited Domina, Lynn. Understanding a Raisin in the Sun A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998. Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. Random House, New York. 1959 Holzknecht, Karl J. The Backgrounds of Shakespeare’s Plays. New York: American Book, 1950. Hibbard, G. R. , ed. Hamlet. Oxford: Oxford University, 1998. Sophocles. Sophocles Antigone. Trans. Richard Emil Braun. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.