Enzymes Lab Report 5 Essays - Enzymes, Catalysis, Catechol, PH

BioLab3 Lab Report 5 Enzymes Student Name: I.Enzyme Structure and Function EXERCISE 1 Preparation of an enzyme activity standard At five minute intervals over the next fifteen minute period, record the color intensity of the solution of each test tube. Time (min)Tube S1 Potato Extract + CatecholTube S2 Potato Extract + WaterTube S3 Catechol + Water 0YellowishClear to milkyClear to milky 5YellowishClear to milkyClear to milky 10OrangeClear to milkyClear to milky 15Brownish RedClear to milkyClear to milky How can benzoquinone be detected? If you see a brownish amber color in the solution Which two solutions need to be present to produce the brown-colored benzoquinone? Potato extract and Catechol need to be present. What substance is not present in tube S2 for the production of the brown-colored substance? Catechol What substance is not present in tube S3 for the production of the brown-colored substance? Potato Extract II.Enzyme Specificity EXERCISE 2 Enzyme specificity At five and ten minute intervals, record the color intensity in each test tube. Time (min)Tube 1 with catecholTube 2 with hydroquinone 011 531 1054 Based upon color intensity, to what degree does catechol oxidase react with hydroquinone? 4 What difference in chemical structure of the two substrates determines the specificity of catechol oxidase? Chemical structure of catechol and hydroquinone III.Temperature and Enzyme Activity EXERCISE 3 Enzyme activity and temperature Record the relative color intensity at intervals of five and ten minutes. Time (min)Tube 1 4oCTube 2 23oCTube 3 40oCTube 4 60oCTube 5 80oCTube 6 100oC 0333300 5333400 10345400 Double click the chart below. A spreadsheet will open. Enter the 10 minute read data into the spreadsheet in the areas provided. When you are finished, click into another area of the lab report. The spreadsheet will close automatically. Do not close the spreadsheet with the X in the upper right corner. What is the temperature range for catechol oxidase activity? The temperature range is 20-60 degrees Celsius. Examine your experimental data and determine which temperature is optimum for the formation of benzoquinone? At 40 Degrees Celsius What happens to the enzyme above 60C? Is denatured and cant act as catalyst. IV.Effect of pH on Enzyme Activity EXERCISE 4 Enzyme activity and pH At five minute intervals, record the relative color intensity of each tube. Time (min)Tube 1 pH 2Tube 2 pH 4Tube 3 pH 6Tube 4 pH 7Tube 5 pH 8Tube 6 pH 10Tube 7 pH 12 00011111 50134444 100345444 Double click the chart below. A spreadsheet will open. Enter the 10 minute read data into the spreadsheet in the areas provided. When you are finished, click into another area of the lab report. The spreadsheet will close automatically. Do not close the spreadsheet with the X in the upper right corner. In what pH range will catechol oxidase catalyze catechol to benzoquinone? In the ph Range 6-8 What is the optimum pH for catechol oxidase? 7 V.Cofactors EXERCISE 5 Enzyme activity and cofactors The test tubes are removed from the water bath and their relative color intensities are compared. Record your observations as 0 to 5. Time (min)Tube 1 w/ PTUTube 2 w/out PTU 003 1005 What was the purpose of adding PTU to test tube 1? A cofactor was needed for one of the experiments. Which tube shows benzoquinone formation? Test tube 2 shows benzoquinone Examine the data and determine if copper is necessary for the function of catechol oxidase. No it is not necessary for copper to be present for the function of catechol oxidase Summary Questions 1.What happened to the structure of catechol oxidase at temperatures above 75C? It is denatured, its structure became very distorted and thus the protein couldnt work anymore. 2.How does pH range affect the function and structure of catechol oxidase? When the Ph. is not at its optimum, the differing ph.s will disrupt the bonding between the R group of the amino acids causing Its structure to change. 3.Thermal springs, such as Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, have temperatures above 100C. How does adaptation make it possible for living organisms to inhabit such an extreme environment? Adaption allows them to adjust to these high temperatures. 4.The stomach maintains a pH of approximately 3 to 5. Do all enzymes function at this pH level? Give an example from one of the exercises. No, all dont function at this level. Most function between 6-8. 5.Why do patients with high fever feel tired and listless? They lose a lot of energy and there catechol oxidase becomes distorted. 6.Some individuals who have been submerged in cold water for long periods of time have survived. How is this possible? There body make up is usually different than others. There are alsdo non-biology things that can keep the body safer. 7.What is

Is War Nescessary essays

Is War Nescessary essays War, to even think about that makes one shudder with utter fear and disgust. War is a terrible evil under any circumstance. Thinking back to some of the recent wars, such as World War 2, Vietnam, and Yugoslavie and one sits back and envsisons the horrible acts that war causes. One can see the scenes of a battlefield, a field of carnage, after the fight is over, the sights and sounds that meet our eyes in every direction, the horrible mutilations inflicted by landmines or mortar shells, the glazed eyes of the dead, the torn and bleeding, mutilated fragments of human body parts that are strewn about, the piteous wail of the wounded; and when we turn away, shuddering, to shut out this scene from the mind, we may be tempted to ask how humanity can commit such a heinous and evil action at all. War unfortunaltey is one of the humankinds way of dealing with conflicts. The use of force, agression and death to threaten other nations, or ones own nation is the only way humans have ever been able to deal with problems in our society. We have not found any other alternatives to deal with these types of situations. Sometimes war has defiantley been nescesarry. One of those reasons would be to come to the defense of the innocent such as the Jewish Population in World War 2, who were slaughtered in the millions by hitler. War does have some positives. For example a warring nation that is winning will usually bring about an economic upturn if the economy is failing (like coming out of the Great Depression when WWII started) It is when inventors and inventions make great strides in the technologial and scientific fields are made (see the atom bomb, the jet engine, radar, even the computer) So as you can see War takes a huge toll on human tradgedy, but society as a whole usually benefits from wars in the long run. My personal belief is that War is not nescessary. Who knows how many great inventions we have lost, because that person was drafted t...

How readily could terrorists can acquire nuclear weapons Essay

How readily could terrorists can acquire nuclear weapons - Essay Example different nations had the information about nuclear weapon empowerment of different terrorist organizations across the world, why adequate measures have not been taken to prevent such attempts? The reasons is that despite having knowledge about such devastating plans of the terrorists such attempts could not be stopped as terrorists are not some kind of creatures belonging to a particular species group who could be identified through their appearances. They are very much part of the society, of the mass and they are actually utilizing the brighter aspects of human innovations in wrong ways. The general course experimentation of nuclear weapons has showed them the avenues that nuclear weapons are great tools by which a great deal of mass destruction can happen and such attempts would definitely add to the purpose of the terrorists. Nuclear weapon empowerment of terrorists actually started due to the infamous Cold War between two global superpowers, United States of America and Soviet Union. As either of these nations was on the desperate attempt to prove them superior to the other that is why, for the purpose of making their respective economic as well social bonds weak they encouraged terrorism. In the process of such encouragement they actually trained those terrorists, who were actually mercenaries in the hands of both the countries, to use modern weapons properly and taught them about the use and invention of nuclear weapons. Use of such nuclear weapons by the terrorists actually belongs to the category of â€Å"non-conventional weaponry.† (Cameron, 1999, p. 1) Once of the most horrific instances of the recent day use of such â€Å"non-conventional weaponry† can be cited through the attack of Aum Shinrikyo, a terrorist organization in Tokyo. â€Å"On 20th March 1995, members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult released a lethal nerve agent, sarin, on the Tokyo underground. The attack killed 12 people and injured over 5,000 others, and was the first majo r sub-state use of a

Lord of War and New Thought of Crime Movie Review

Lord of War and New Thought of Crime - Movie Review Example No one takes into account millions of human lives killed by the arms, which is sold to different countries by such guys, as Orlov. There is no fear and emotions, there is only money. A group of people, such as Orlov, do not have moral norms and their deviant behavior is poignant and devastating for the modern society. Cruel and soulless money-gaining machines! Still, if to consider that modern governments chose military ways of doing their business, then â€Å"the Orlovs† are just dummies in their games. Therefore, the modern world is rather controversial and makes people look for different means to keep their head above the water. For the contemporaries, crime has turned into the means to survive and it is not surprising at all. Sometimes people have no other choice but to commit crime, small or big simply in order to stay alive. The globalized world is cruel and there is a need to shift the accents of survival: different means of earning money have all just resulted in a str ong desire to survive. The main prototype of Orlov is the Russian man Victor Bout, who lives unhindered in Moscow, but he is sought by different agencies all over the world. It is a controversial mentality of post-Soviet countries. An enormous quantity of military hardware is â€Å"ranging from bullets and tanks to nuclear warheads† (Viktor Bout Arms Traders and Lord of War). ... Thus, Victor Bout, a prototype of Orlov, was named as the core element of military conflicts. Actually, the main conflict was in the desire of the governments to survive in the cruel modern world, full of military conflicts and political challenges. Different wars in different times were connected with the name of this trader. The military conflict in Afghanistan's and his further help to Taliban. The main character has no soul; he sells weapon for killing innocent people as if he sells hotdogs or vacuum cleaners. It is claimed in the film that people gain profits from vast arms sales and from the taxes paid by the arms manufacturers and the millions of money they employ (Smoking Guns, 2005). The sources of arms trafficking are intimidating the world, and in spite of drugs trafficking, these sources are often neglected. There are shallow relationships between arms traders, governments and arms manufacturers. This is terra incognita. This is a fertile ground for gaining huge profits, a strong and powerful means to survive in the hostile and turbulent modern world (Smoking Guns, 2005). These guys, like Orlov, supply the governments with huge amounts of money and they are often released. These guys have no fear and there is a little bit of Orlov in every of us. This claim can be supported in the following way: it is appropriate in the modern society to survive by any means. There is no need to refer to moral norms or standardized principles of behavior (Smoking Guns, 2005). It is much easier to break up rules and remain safe, to create our own reality, to set up individuals norms and to gain money hand over fist and laugh at the victims of your game. This is the way Orlov acted. This claim can be

Cell Phones in Schools Essay Example for Free

Cell Phones in Schools Essay Who can work while listening to the incessant ringing of a cell phone? This does not creat an inviting classroom environment for students. Although cell phones would be useful in the event of an emergency, they should not be allowed in schools because of the increased amount of disruptive and social problems. Despite the interruptions, cell phones do provide on advantage. They allow quick communications during times of an emergency; they also enable students to contact their parents at any time for any reason. One example might be: if a student forgot that they have an after school affair to attend for that day, such as a sports practice or tutoring, they could easily notify their parents of the newly needed pick-up time. However, this convenience does not outwiegh the problems cell phones can cause. Disturbances during the school daycan cause students a great distraction. They could ring during class, and students attention would divert from the lesson to the phone. Students could want to chat in between classes, causing many tardies. They would also cause a riot if lost or stolen. Besides these factors, allowing cell phones in school could cause an influx of social problems. Kids are already picked on over a number of issues, such as appearances, financial status, etc. If a student is not fortunate enough to afford a cell phone, this would give cause for the other students to tease them. Overall, cell phone use in school might be slightly advantageous in an emergency sitituation, but they should not be allowed because the problems outweigh the benefits by far.

Importance Of Manpower Planning In Holiday Inn Hotel Commerce Essay

Importance Of Manpower Planning In Holiday Inn Hotel Commerce Essay Planning not only includes obtaining right person at right place but it also comprises of motivational programmes such as incentive plans for active participation of employees and certain other schemes and facilities which are integral part of a staffing function. The training and development of workforce that leads to co-operation and better human relations with which the Human Relation can be developed and stabilize through effective control, clear communication and effective supervision. Where there is a maximum utilization of resources there is increase in productivity level and the higher productivity leads result to minimum wastage of time, money and efforts and this is possible through activities such as training and development, remuneration and performance appraisal. It is an important element in the present industrialization where large scale industries requires management of large scale manpower and this could be effectively done with the help of staffing function. Staffin g is the key to all managerial functions and Human resources help in implementation of all major four functions which are known as planning, organizing, directing and controlling. It is considered to be a two phase process because it not only analyses the current human resources but it also makes a future forecast and helps to draw employment opportunity. Manpower is advantageous to this hotel in different aspects such as Helps in growth and diversification Shortages and surpluses can be identified so that quick action can be taken Avoids overstaffing and reduces labour costs as excess staff can be eliminated Based on manpower planning recruitments and selection process would take place Helps in stabilizing the organization with the help of manpower management Helps in identifying the skills of the employees and provide appropriate training to develop and utilize those skills and talent. Labour Market Strategy in Holiday Inn Holiday Inn addresses the challenges with respect to what to deliver to stakeholders over a time frame of 5-10 years and lead the thinking of providing information and direction regarding overall labour market dynamics. It has pathways to develop and create sustainable growth and prosperity. For development it requires retention, provincial economic sustainability, attraction of highly skilled and educated labour force. A strong system of communication that brings people together to ensure that public and private institutions spend time and money wisely and the goal of the labour market strategy are like High level participation in high quality and diversified employment Highly skilled workforce High quality and productive workplaces Incremental change on existing knowledge and skills Ref: http://www.managementstudyguide.com B. External factors The macro-environmental or external factors of a Holiday Inn Hotel can be identified by using PEST analysis which is Political, Economic, Social and Technology. Political factors: This factor mainly deals with the government policies and procedures which is worked out through legislation and consists of all legal factors such as How stable is the political environment? Government position on market ethics Government view on culture and religion Government policy on Economy Taxation policy on tax rates and incentives These are some of the political factors that include legal issues, government implementations and define both the formal and informal rules under which the organization must be operated. Economic factor: Each and every organization is affected with national and global economic factors such as Cost of labour Interest and Inflation rates Economic growth rates Business cycle stage (e.g. recession, recovery) Unemployment rates Socio-cultural factor: It includes the cultural and demographic aspects of the external macro environment. The potential of the employees who come from different back grounds and work together in the hotel and customer trends and aspect which the hotel has to consider as per their needs and wants such as Change in lifestyles Level of education Value in society Demographics (age, sex, race etc.,) Change in consumer needs and wants Technological factor: This factor is the major driver of globalization which reduces the minimum efficient of production levels and some of the technological factors are Recent technological developments Rate of technology changes Alternative way of providing services New discoveries Communication technology The technology has now become the most important aspect in any hotel as when the customers are mostly delighted and satisfied with service including latest technology that is available in the hotel. 1. Manpower Demand Factors There are several factors that are considered which created a requirement of manpower in Holiday Inn and are related to economic cycle such as like adaption of new Technology, a new demand either by increasing the productivity or by creating new goods especially in hotel industry. By adopting machines like coffee machines which are used to prepare quick coffee to the customers and ovens, refrigerators, coolers air conditioners which are used in kitchen for the quality production of food and wifi a free use of internet mobility for the customer and heaters which make the customers warm and comfortable. This adoption has made new kind of requirement of employees who could operate it correctly, quickly and maintain. The other factor is changing in Skill requirements where staff needs to perform different task by provided training and make them indulge with their job which is necessary to focus or they would lose the interest of doing the same activity and would probably look after the other job by changing the organization which results in labour turnover. By changing in skill requirements it has made the change in manpower planning by recruiting people from different backgrounds and training them in different departments and fields where they can have the overall control in different situations and skills to perform the service effectively and can have job satisfaction. The Productivity improvements is another factor which has created a demand for manpower in Holiday Inn which measures the productivity based on the number of task performed or the service that is provided to the customers in any given time of period. This measure includes a comparison of the service provided to established company or the customer quality standards. To measure the productivity improvements the time sheet has been maintained to indicate the time taken to complete particular task and look at the minimal customization of the quantity of work, for example the number of calls received per day, the number of queries handled, the number of customer served and many more which will be used as a measure. The hotel has also considered Expansion plans as the factor of demand for the manpower which needs skilled and efficient labour to give good start by providing effective and quality service. The diversity of hotel management is greater which involves combination of variety skills such as food and beverage, management, housekeeping services, accounting, sales and marketing, front office operation. While expansion the main aim of the organization is to maintain their position, service and quality standards in order to compete in the current market and the utmost importance is given to the employees, the skills and efficiency to achieve the organizational goals. Ref: http://www.scribd.com 2. Labour turn over As per Holiday Inn, the labour turnover determines the rate of recruitment. In the year 2008 the total number of leavers during the year is 120, the total number of employed at the beginning of year is 400 and at the end number of employed is 430. This can be measured as Number of Leavers / Average number of employers ÃÆ'- 100 i.e., 120 / 415 ÃÆ'- 100 = 29%, during the period there was a major change in employment level as the percentage does not measure the essential relationship between recruitment and labour turnover. There are several categories that cause attrition like death, retirement, migration, occupation mobility. Though there are many ways to find out the labour turnover but stability can be measured by indicating effects of policy change in the external labour market. The percentage of labour turnover can hide areas of stability within the target population. The 100% labour turnover may be produced by 400% labour turnover of a quarter of the target population. The labo ur turnover is considered based on the different market conditions. 3.Supply and Demand The supply and demand of the labour can be ensured with the help of the manpower planning that matches the overall business strategy and plan. Demand which is a process of analyzing, reviewing and attempting to achieve the organizational objectives and supply is necessary action taken to ensure that labour is available when ever required. These two factors are similar and go hand to hand when increase both increases and when decrease both decreases. The manager should have to consider both the factors demand and supply where to meet the demand like seasonal times during Christmas and summer holidays where the demand will be too high there should also be sufficient supply of staff. The main source could be the internal employees where the demand can be fulfilled by the human resource by promoting the internal employees in different departments apart some external labour should also be considered like fresh graduates from schools and colleges and when there is decrease in demand during non seasonal periods the internal labour will be too high, so the managers will be reducing the supply measures by retirement, resignations and voluntary scheme of retirements and if again demand increases then same procedure of hiring new employees and promoting internal staff. The manager keeps balance both the demand and supply. Ref: Human Resource management: Theory Practice by John Bratton, Jeffrey Gold 4.Work Arrangements: Once the employee is been recruited in an organization then it is the responsibility of the employer to look after the working conditions and provide proper basic and safety facilities to the employees. To provide such arrangements there are certain things that needs to be focused like Work Environment: The employer should consider the proper work environment to the employees where they will be able to work efficiently like Lights, Heaters, Elevators, Proper floor maintenance and emergency exits in case of emergency and proper equipment to work with. Safety arrangements: The employees should also be taken care with health and safety were they should be provided with insurance facilities and keeping danger equipments away and in restricted areas and see that no employee would get harm while working and also provide first aid facility on every floor. Rewards and Recognition: In Holiday Inn every year there will be best employee and best organizer will be rewarded apart from that the hotel should also come up with certain different ideas of nominating people which will inspire them to work harder and smarter. Leave compensation : The Hotel has also provided proper compensation to the employees not only paying overtime allowance but also by approving leaves of employees at constant period which helps in increasing efficiency and motivates employees to work for long term. Ref: Human resource management in the hospitality Tourism Industry. TASK 2 Recruitment and employment: : Legislation Implication Application Race Relation 1976 act Sex Discrimination 1986 act Disability Discrimination 1995 act Equal pay 1970 act Directly or indirectly it makes unlawful to discriminate against a person on grounds of ethnic, nationality, origin or colour. It covers all non contractual areas where it is unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of marital status or sex The act makes it unlawful if a disabled person is treated as less favorably because of his / her disability. The right states all the men and women, part time and full timers will be paid equal for doing the similar work. In organization once the employee is being recruited he / she cannot be distinguished or categorized in different departments based on their nationality, ethnic or colour In any organization men or women all are equal in the eyes of law and will be violated if the people are categorized in different segments based on their sex or marital status In organization based on skills and required department any person will not be discriminated based on his/ her disability. In Holiday Inn this rule is applicable to all the people who work probably same however it does not include basic wages and salaries to the contract employees, overtime, vouchers, sick pay schemes are not being indulged. Ref: www.city.ac.uk Statutory Provisions: The Holiday Inn has implemented health and safety act for the protection of the employees like Legislation Implication Application Health and safety act 1974 Management of health and safety at work regulation act 1999 Work Place regulation 1992 act ( Health, safety and welfare) RIDDOR act 1995 This act secures health, safety and welfare of the employees at work premises It implies for employers to assess and manage risk to employees and others arising from work activities It is applicable to the workplace environment and ensures it is safe and suitable to carry the task and doesnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t present risk to employee and others. It is reporting of injuries, disease and dangerous occurrences regulation It is applicable to all the people who work in the hotel and provides safe access and maintenance with proper storage and safe handling of dangerous substances and also providing training to staff to ensure the health and safety. There are proper arrangements being made to ensure the health and safety of the employees at work place by making proper arrangements for emergencies, training to employees and providing adequate information for health surveillance where appropriate It is to ensure the work place is safe to carry on the task like ventilation, lightning, sanitary conveniences, escalators and moving walkways, work station and seating, temperature in indoor workplaces, drinking water, room dimensions and work space, drinking water and facilities to change clothes, rest and eat meals. The employers and people in control premises need to report major injuries, dangerous occurrence or any work related deaths to incident contact centre or via online. Ref: www.healthyworkinglives.com Code of Practice: Legislation Application Implication Employment act 1996 Employment relation 1999 act Disciplinary policy and practice. Handling Record Keeping This law states that an employer cannot dismiss an employee on certain basis. This law ensures the Disciplinary and grievance, leave for family and domestic reasons, trade unions and other rights of an individual. This process is instructed on two main areas conduct due to lack in performance and capability which is failure to follow the hotel instruction and procedures. It is where all the employers have to support and train to carry out disciplinary meetings with their team. If any employee refuse to prevent the risk of health and safety at work or refuse to return to workplace which is believed to be dangerous workplace for an employee to work then the employer cannot dismiss the employee. It is a right of an employee to get accompanied and can complaint to employment tribunal which also includes interpretation. This law is also applicable to entitle of leaves during domestic incidents, maternity or parental leave and consequent amendments. The other rights would be like part time work discrimination, code of practice, unfair dismissal, and training to employees. In certain cases the employer may encounter difficulties with the performance of the employees due to illness or mental stress. At such instances the manager has to show more support and deal it properly if no alternative is left then have to approach formal capability procedure. If the employee is not following the procedures like being late to hotel all the time or fail to follow the management instruction the employer should have to follow ACAS code i.e. first sending warning letter and conducting meeting and appealing. It is unlawful if any of the employees do leak the confidential data of the customers in the hotel. The employees should have to consider the confidentiality of the data and may be dismissed if violated the rule. Ref: www.personneltoday.com Organisation: Legislation Application Implication National Minimum wage act 1999 Paid Leaves entitled to the employees This law is applicable to all the people who work in United Kingdom It is where the employees will The legal way of paying the minimum wage to an employee is what called as NMW which an employer should pay at least on hourly basis and then it is calculated on arrears.

Bringing hydrocephalus

The history of hydrocephalus dates back to the time of Hippocrates (he died c. 375) and even further to medieval times when physicians believed that it was caused by an extractable (sic) accumulation of water. Surgical evacuation of superficial fluid in hydrocephalus children was first described in detail by Balalaikas AY Zachary in 1744 (Scoff, Kramer, Hashish & Sunken, 1999).While there have been many great strides, both in research and treatment, it seems the great pool of knowledge resides not thin the medical community, but in the adult survivors of the condition. One can only wonder if this is due, at least in part, to a perception by the medical community that it is not a survivable condition. Actually the exact opposite is now true. With proper medical treatment (done in a timely manner) and LOTS of love and support from the patient's family, many hydrocephalus children can go on to live near normal lives.Introduction The modern era of hydrocephalus research began with the st udies of Dandy and Blackman in 1914 (Grittier, 2007). To this day their work is considered an unsurpassed nutrition toward the understanding of hydrocephalus. While I applaud their work, it has been ninety-nine (99) years since any work of a similar scope or caliber has been undertaken and it is beginning to show. As an example, when I was born in 1963, I showed the early stages of congenital hydrocephalus and my family was basically told â€Å"take him home to die†.Needless to say, I didn't die and have become – even according to the local medical community – one of the best sources of information in our area when it comes to hydrocephalus. Although I feel honored to eave such distinction, it's not enough – the medical community – especially pediatricians – need to possess that same knowledge and that is my purpose in writing this paper. L. 20-Year decline in the mortality rate for hydrocephalus Before getting too involved in why hydrocepha lus research needs to be brought into the 21st century, an explanation of the condition is needed.Hydrocephalus is defined as â€Å"A condition marked by an excessive accumulation of cerebration's fluid (SF) resulting in dilation of the cerebral ventricles and elevated interracial pressure; (it) ay also result in enlargement of the cranium and atrophy of the brain† (Williams, 2006). It can take one of two forms. It can be either communicating (meaning there is not visible cause for the blockage of SF) or non-communicating (meaning it results from an abnormal flow of SF in and around the brain. It is also known as pediatric hydrocephalus since it is normally present from birth. (â€Å"Nervous system diseases,† 2008). When I was born in 1963, the life expectancy for a child with this condition was approximately two (2) years and the only known treatment, placement of a shunt, was still in its infancy. Since that time, shunt surgery has been refined and could almost †“ depending on the individual patient – be considered an almost routine procedure. In an article published in the August 2005 issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery, Dry. J. H. Chi, ET. AY. Stated â€Å"Congenital hydrocephalus has an estimated population incidence of 0. To 0. 8/1,000 live births† (Chi, Fullerton & Guppy, 2005). They credit this to improvements in techniques for SF shunting; however, they state that data describing mortality from congenital hydrocephalus – or that demonstrate improvements in the mortality rate are scarce. For those not familiar with shunt implantation surgery, it involves making a small incision in both the top of the head and the abdomen (in the case of a ventricular-peritoneal (UP) shunt) to insert the shunt which drains excess fluid from the brain (Goodman, 2013).To validate their hypothesis, the doctors performed an electronic search of the National Center for Health Statistics death certificate database to identify deaths f rom 1979 to 1988 directly attributable to congenital hydrocephalus, spins biffed with hydrocephalus, and acquired hydrocephalus in all children in the United States aged one (1) day to 0 years. There were 10,406 deaths attributed to childhood hydrocephalus during the 20-year period reviewed. This translates to an overall mortality rate of 0. 71 per 100. 000 person-years.Additionally, their research showed infants had the highest mortality rate with 3,979 deaths. Overall during the period deaths from acquired hydrocephalus – meaning that it occurs after birth and is the result of a tumor, injury, or disease that blocks the uptake of SF – decreased 67. 5%, deaths from congenital hydrocephalus declined 66. 3 %, and deaths from spins biffed with hydrocephalus declined 30. 4%. What does it all mean? It means that the medical community needs to re-think their position on hydrocephalus as well as what they tell patients and their families.It means saying â€Å"Take him/her h ome to die,† is no longer an option. Does it mean re-inventing the wheel? For an older doctor it could very well mean that although, in most cases, it will not be quite so drastic. The Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network (HCI) makes the following recommendations to its members: Reduce risk of infection associated with shunt surgery Approximately 8% – 10% of shunt operations result in an infection. A study is currently underway for a quality improvement technique that will reduce surgery- related shunt infection(s). (Woolens, 2013).The result will be a reduction in the infection rate thereby reducing the length of hospitalizing as well as patient morbidity. Management of hydrocephalus in premature children The HCI is investigating two (2) surgical procedures that are commonly used to manage IV-induced hydrocephalus in premature children. A sublease reservoir is an implant consisting of a tube which goes into the ventricle attached to a silicone bubble that sits under the skin. As fluid accumulates in the ventricle, it can be removed by a needle puncture through the skin and into the silicone bubble.The second procedure is an s sublease shunt, which is similar to the reservoir except that the silicone bubble under the skin has a reservoir has an opening in the side that allows fluid to flow out under the skin. The fluid is then absorbed into the tissues. Understanding the epidemiology and outcomes of Endoscopies Third Ventriloquist's or TV Endoscopies Third Ventriloquist's (TV) is a surgical procedure where a small perforation is made is made in the thinned floor of the third entrance allowing movement of SF out of the blocked ventricular system and into the intracellular cistern which is a normal SF space.The objective of this procedure, known as a interracial SF diversion, is to normalize pressure on the brain without using a shunt. Although TV is widely used in Europe to treat hydrocephalus, its use in North America is much less common. The H CI is working to understand when the procedure is indicated as well as its associated outcomes and possible complications. The use of TV is attractive due to the fact that infection s very rare as are other complications such as slit ventricles.Conclusion Our knowledge of hydrocephalus has come a long way since medieval times when it was believed that hydrocephalus was the result of extractable (sic) accumulation of water. It has even made significant strides since the groundbreaking work of Dandy and Blackman in 1914, but the medical community must not rest on its laurels. In order to fully bring the treatment of hydrocephalus into the 21st century, they must embrace research being done by organizations like the Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network.I feel this increased awareness is long past due because, even though it has been almost [emphasis added] a half-century since I was born with the condition, the amount of information available to the medical community remain largely unchanged. I think that is due – at least in part – to the misconception that there is not a high survival rate, therefore, why waste the money? My research has shown that over the past twenty (20) years, the mortality rate for hydrocephalus has actually declined with 0. 71 per 100,000 errors/year (Chi, 2005).The vast majority of the deaths were the result of congenital hydrocephalus – meaning that it is present to some degree when the baby is born. Here is how the AC can help to make my â€Å"big idea† (the name given by our instructor to our project) a reality. Publish more articles about the condition, research into it, and current treatment such as shunting and Endoscopies Third Ventriloquist's. Do feature stories about both child and adult survivors because we have a story we would like the world to know about!