Alysha+L.

Wiki Post #5 - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

 * Fetal alcohol syndrome** (FAS) is a disorder of mental and physical defects that can develop in a fetus in the use of high levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Alcohol crosses the placenta of the fetus and can stunt growth and/or weight, create distinctive facial differentiation, damage neurons and brain structures.

This disorder and cause other physical damage. The main effect of FAS is permanent central nervous system damage, especially to the brain. Developing brain cells and structures can be deformed or have development interrupted by prenatal alcohol exposure; this can create an array of primary cognitive and functional disabilities which included a defect in their ability to memorize things, attention deficits, impulsive behavior, multitasking and poor cause-effect reasoning.



The only certain way to prevent FAS is to simply avoid drinking alcohol during pregnancy or in the act of trying to get pregnant. In some countries it is illegal to drink during pregnancy. If people are trying to get pregnant, doctors would recommend they don't drink either to avoid damage in the earliest stages of a pregnancy, as the woman may not be aware that she has conceived in that specific time frame.

There is no cure for FAS, because the CNS damage creates a permanent disability, but treatment is possible. Because CNS damage, symptoms, secondary disabilities, and needs vary widely by individual, there is no one treatment type that works for everyone. However, there are behavioral interventions that would be useful including social work, early learning centers and social groups.



Coming from a family with this disorder really hits home. My step-sister has lived with me for about 10 years now and it is evident that she has FAS. She no longer speaks to her mother. My mom works in the healthcare field so she knew the symptoms of her behavior led somewhere. My step father had no idea until she was diagnosed with it two years after they moved in. She doesn't have it that bad though, however, you can definitely connect with the symptoms and facial differences. === media type="youtube" key="YWZAqvUGYDU" width="560" height="315" align="center"

= = More on FAS: [] [] [] []

References: [] [] [] []

=Wiki Post #4 - The Cerebrum=

The cerebrum, also known as the telencephalon, is the largest and most highly developed part of the human brain. It holds about two-thirds of the brain mass and lies over and around most of the structures of the brain. The outer portion which is about 1.5 mm - 2 mm thick, is covered by a thin layer of gray tissue called the cerebral cortex. The cerebrum is divided into right and left hemispheres that are connected by the corpus callosum. The right side hemisphere controls the left side of your body and the left side of the hemisphere controls the right side of your body. Each hemisphere is in turn divided into four lobes. These lobes are also in control of specific functions of the body. There are many functions that are controlled by the cerebrum that are involved with our everyday lifestyle:
 * Determining Intelligence
 * Determining Personality
 * Thinking
 * Perceiving
 * Producing and Understanding Language
 * Interpretation of Sensory Impulses
 * Motor Function
 * Planning and Organization
 * Touch Sensation



Our cerebral hemispheres have to carry out so many functions that they need some more detailed type of intrinsic organization. This organization is by function and by body area. As an example of organization by function, all of the neurons involved in creating our personality are in the same region, and that is a different region from the one where the neurons that help us understand what we see are found. The cerebrum organizes many of these areas even more by body area. In this way, the part of your brain that controls your finger movements is right near the part that controls your wrist movements, and that is right near the part that controls your elbow movements. This type of organization can also be found in the region of the brain that helps us understand what we see-- those neurons that are trying to understand the visual world directly ahead of us are found near one another, and far from those neurons that are getting information from our peripheral vision. An organization according to such a spatial plan (body regions, visual world location, etc.) is called mapping. The specific map of our body on our brains is called a **somatotopic map**, while a map of our visual world in our brains is called a **visuotopic map**.

== media type="youtube" key="Vy8EvyQoQIE" width="560" height="315" align="center"

References:

[] [] [] []

More on the cerebrum: [] [] [] []

The Evolution Of Dance - Wiki post #3
====It is unlikely that anyone would deny the art that is dance. At some point in everyone's life, they have danced in some way; whether that is for excitement, during a religious ceremony, or for a profession. Over the years however, dance has changed majorly due to the change in views of society norms and expectations. As well as the change in music and popular culture. ====

Most people recall the first known dancing started in ancient Egypt, as they would worship the gods in temples during rituals to worship the gods and priestesses. They used harps and pipes to mimic significant events played out by the gods.



The next recorded type of dance was founded in France during the 16th century. This style of dance quickly migrated from theatrical performances with wigs and masks to famous classical stories explained through graceful movements. Using their bodies, they would elaborate on specific details of an image to portray the story to the audience. One of the most famous performances that are still portrayed today is Swan Lake, originally created by Russian choreographer, Pyotr Tchaikovsky.



At one point in history, ballet was the only entertainment everyone in Europe and Russia attended. But as centuries went by, ballet immigrated to North America. The original ballet academies that were built back in the late 1800’s in Canada and the Unites States are still very popular and are still prosperous schools that are still attended by dancers today. But as decades passed, styles of dance emerged from ballet. However, people looked down upon all of these styles due to the fact that they so very different and rebellious compared to the classical norm ballet provided.

=
In the 1910 and 1920’s, styles such as the foxtrot and jazz became very popular and were regularly performed in nightclubs. As the 50’s and 60’s rolled around, styles like the swing, lindy hop, the cha cha and rock and roll emerged. Musicians that were very popular around a specific decade changed the way people danced as well.======

Between the 70’s and 90’s, musicians like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Brittney Spears, Adele and the Backstreet Boys changed music altogether. Music around these decades were upbeat and very memorable. From this, styles like hip-hop, phunk, krump, house, modern and contemporary became known to the world. It would not be far from the truth to state that the dance styles of each decade reflected the overall feel of that time, which encompasses a collective combination of the arts, economy, societal norms and popular culture peculiar to that decade. In conclusion to this theory, as society evolved, so did the many styles of dance.

media type="youtube" key="dMH0bHeiRNg" width="560" height="315" align="center"

More on the evolution of dance: [] [] [] []

Resources: [] [] [] []

__Wiki Post #2 - Angelman Syndrome __ Did you know that there is a genetic disorder that causes the victim to have symptoms of random smiling and occurring laughter?

Angelman syndrome is a complex genetic disorder that primarily affects the nervous system. It usually affects 1 out of every 20000 people. Many of the characteristic features of Angelman syndrome result from the loss of function of a gene called UBE3A. People normally inherit one copy of the UBE3A gene from each parent. Both copies of this gene are turned on (active) in many of the body's tissues. In certain areas of the brain, however, only the copy inherited from a person's mother (the maternal copy) is active.

Characteristic features of this condition include delayed growth development, intellectual disability, severe speech impairment, and problems with movement and balance. Most affected children also have recurrent seizures (epilepsy) and a small head size (microcephaly). Delayed development becomes noticeable by the age of 6 to 12 months, and other common signs and symptoms usually appear in early childhood.

Children with Angelman syndrome typically have happy, excitable behavior with frequent smiling, laughter, and hand-flapping movements. Hyperactivity, a short attention span, and a fascination with water are common. Most affected children also have difficulty sleeping and need less sleep than usual.

With age, people with Angelman syndrome become less excitable, and the sleeping problems tend to improve. However, affected individuals continue to have intellectual disability, severe speech impairment, and seizures throughout their lives. Other common features include unusually fair skin with light-colored hair and an abnormal side-to-side curve of the spine (scoliosis).

Most cases of Angelman syndrome are not inherited, particularly those caused by a deletion in the maternal chromosome 15. These genetic changes occur as random events during the formation of reproductive cells (eggs and sperm) or in early embryo development. Affected people typically have no history of the disorder in their family.

There is currently no cure available Angelman Syndrome. The seizures can be controlled by the use of one or more types of anticonvulsant medications. However, there are difficulties in leveling out the different types of anticonvulsant medications needed to establish seizure control, because Angelman Syndrome is usually associated with having multiple varieties of seizures, rather than just the one as in normal cases of epilepsy. Because most people who are affected sleep on average 5 hours a day, they use melatonin to promote to establish sleeping patterns. Physiotherapy is important to encourage joint mobility and prevent stiffening of the joints. Those with the syndrome are generally happy and content people who like human contact and play. People with AS exhibit a profound desire for personal interaction with others. Communication can be difficult at first, but as a child with Angelman Syndrome develops, there is a definite character and ability to make themselves understood. People with AS tend to develop strong non-verbal skills to compensate for their limited use of speech. It is widely accepted that their understanding of communication directed to them is much larger than their ability to return conversation. Most afflicted people will not develop more than 5–10 words, if any at all. media type="youtube" key="ETMW0lExCgs" width="425" height="350" align="center"

More on Angelman Syndrome: [] [] [] []

Cites used: [] [] [] [|http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/000518.htm]__[|Wiki] __

__ Post #1 - Related Giant Squids? __

Do you ever think about what lurks beneath the waves of our global oceans? Giant squid are deep-ocean creatures that can weigh hundreds of kilograms and measure more than 10 meters from their posterior fin to the tips of their two long tentacles. Although they have been found in all of the world's oceans, a live giant squid wasn't photographed until 2002 which just proves to the world that scientist have little to no information on these worldwide giants.

Fifteen years ago, Denmark biologist and DNA expert, Thomas Gilbert read about giant squids in a book he found in a near-by corner store. He soon realized that he and the world had no idea what giant squids are and how they came to be roamers of the sea... Immediately, Gilbert decided to do a little research to help resolve the mysteries behind these remarkable animals.

 Today, Gilbert and colleagues from all over the world have analyzed the genetics of giant squid for the very first time. The data that they have collected and elaborated on concludes that there is only one species of giant squid that are distributed from all corners of the world. The researchers found startlingly little genetic variation, raising questions about the species' recent history.  The international team of researchers used 43 samples of giant squid tissue from around the globe -- from the coasts of Spain and South Africa to the South Pacific and the Sea of Japan. Some of the animals had been found stranded on the shore or floating on the sea; others were captured by hunters discovered in the stomach of a sperm whale.



 "Getting this material together was actually one of the hardest parts," Gilbert says. "I'm not a cephalopod biologist, so in the beginning people were reluctant to give me these precious samples."

The team analyzed DNA from the animals' mitochondria. Despite the worldwide range, the scientists found little to no genetic differences between individuals. The mitochondrial genome, a ring of more than 20,000 base pairs, differed in only 181 places over all 43 specimens, the researchers write in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. "It's completely bizarre," Gilbert says. "How can something be global but have so little variation?"

media type="youtube" key="1KN5N1QDaRQ" width="593" height="490" align="center"

First film documented video of a giant squid in its natural habitat and a better explanation of what giant squids really look like.

More on giant squids: []

More on the discovery between the related genome of giant squids:

[|http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2013/03/giant-squid-worldwide-are-one-sp.html?ref=hp#.UUkXljVLIIA.reddit] [] []

References: [|http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2013/03/giant-squid-worldwide-are-one-sp.html?ref=hp#.UUkXljVLIIA.reddit] [] [] []