Stents

I. In the 1900’s, if a patient had a blocked artery in their heart there was little a doctor could do to open it back up to restore blood flow through the artery. The patient would often die of a heart attack without even showing signs of a problem with their heart. It was not until 1977 when doctors used mesh tubing called a stent to support the artery wall and eliminate the blockage so that blood could flow freely throughout the artery to the rest of the body.

II. In 1977, a method called balloon angioplasty was introduced to the world. The process involved a small balloon being inserted into the artery through a catheter device. The balloon was inflated for roughly 30 to 60 seconds. This would in turn open the artery back up to its normal capacity. There was one flaw with this method though, the blockage would partially return due to an affect called recoil when the channel would become smaller after having the balloon expansion.

III. In 1993, about fifteen years after the first types of stents were introduced, the stent we know today as the coronary stent was introduced. This stent was introduced to combat the effects of recoil by placing a stainless steel tube with slots mounted on a balloon catheter in a crimped state. When the balloon is inflated the stent expands and pushes itself against the coronary artery blockage. This would act like a pipe to stop the blockage from recoiling or starting again, even though this state of the art technology was sussposed to stop the blockage from reoccurring the blockage would grow through the holes and the patient would have a reoccurring blockage.

IV. It was not until 2003 that the FDA approved the first drug-eluting stent to open up and restore blood flow to the clogged artery. This new type of stent slowly releases a drug that helps combat a reoccurring blockage. The study’s on this new stent show that the patients that had the new type of stent had a signifanctly lower reoccurring blockage rate of (4.2% to 16.8%). These drug-coated stents also helped with reducing restenosis rate to 8.9% compared to 36.3% in the patients who received an un-coated stint.

V. The journal article I used in the writing of my blog helped me with key information and broad topics. I had detailed information on how a stent works and the recent advancements in stent technology. It also had a lot of information on case study’s from doctors around the world on stents and new scientific breakthroughs in heart technology.

Jack McVicker
12/9/10
Cell phone driving failures
I. Introduction
Cell phones have changed tremendously in this last decade, and their impact on the way we act has changed also. Cell phones have evolved and changed our everyday actions. Driving while talking on the phone has lead to twice as many accidents than people who do not talk on the phone while driving. They started to pay attention to this in 2003 when the University of Utah and the Warwick Department of Physiology did a field study of drivers that were using hands free phones.

II. Discovery
A group of drivers were asked to drive on a test course, some with a hands free phone, others with no distraction. The ones that were engaged with the phone carried on with a basic conversation talking about hobbies and interests. They found that the participants that were taking part in hands free conversation had a reaction time 212 milliseconds slower than those who did not participate in conversation. The participants distracted by phone conversation also made 84% more errors. This shows that using hands free phones does not eliminate the visual distractions of driving with cell phones. This study suggests that hands free phone conversations that require us to consider information we are being given and make complex cognitive choices based on that information have a very negative impact on a driver’s ability to process and act on the visual information given that is critical to their driving performance.


III. Biography
Melina Kunar:
Melina has put her entire career into studying visual distractions and attention. Dr. Kunar has tried to state that advancements in technology mean that people are able to do more tasks concurrently. But just because they can multi-task does not mean they should. Take the example of driving and talking on a mobile phone. Many daily tasks involve visual search, making it an important focus of research. Melina’s research investigates how people visually attend and search different types of scenes. In particular Dr. Kunar is interested in Visual Marking, Contextual Cueing and understanding and improving search performance when the target only appears rarely. She also researches in when performing two tasks concurrently helps attentional performance and when it hinders it.

IV. Impact on the World
The impact that these statistics and studies have made on the world is large, but not large enough. Some states have banned cell phones while driving, but permit hands free calling. And some states choose to ignore these facts about being on the phone while driving. The impact that researchers like Dr. Melina Kunar have made will continue to grow with time because everybody will soon start to realize the devastating effects of cell phones while driving. These studies on visual performance have been overlooked by too many and although they have the proof to stop cell phone use while driving people are choosing to ignore it.

V. Journal Article
This research from the article examined the effects of hands-free cell phone conversations on simulated drivers. David Strayer, Frank Drews, and William Johnston found that these conversations impaired driver’s reactions to vehicles braking in front of them. The authors of the article assessed whether this impairment could be attributed to a withdrawal of attention from the visual scene around them, giving way to a form of inattention blindness. Cell phone conversations impaired the drivers recognition memory for roadside billboards. Eye-tracking data indicated that this was due to reduced attention to foveal information.

VI. Resources
1. http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409as2006/wong/visualattention.pdf

2. http://www.medindia.net/news/Talking-on-Mobile-Phones-While-Driving-can-Seriously-Impair-Drivers-Visual-Attention-44807-1.htm

3. http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/

The Invention of the Car
By: Spencer Bello



I. Introduction:
There have been many inventions throughout the history of the earth. Ones that make you able to fly such as airplanes. Ones that make life simpler such as the ipad, but I believe the most important invention was the car. There have been many inventors that have tried to create a car and failed and some that invented a car but it was never able to be proven. When these inventors finally created a usable car it changed the world as we knew it to be.


II. Discovery:
Many Italians recorded their car like inventions; the first was Vigevano in 1335 where he invented a windmill type drive. Leonardo da Vinci worked on a clockwork driven tricycle that helped jumpstart the finding of the car we know today. The first vehicle recorded to move on its own power was designed by Nicholas Joseph Cugnot and was constructed by M. Brezin in 1769.(Bottorff, William, 2010)
Early steam powered cars were so heavy that they were only able to be used on perfectly flat surfaces that was a strong as iron. The Vehicles got large enough that they were able to pull a train on the back of them.(www.ausbcomp.com)
In the 1830’s many people in England were trying to build their own personal vehicle that didn’t need to be on a track. Many commercial vehicles were built but they were more on the lines of “trains without tracks” (Bottorff,1) than cars.(Bottorff, William, 2010)
When Henry Ford came along in 1896 he built his first car. He sold it for $200 which he used that money to begin to make another one. The 1895 Lutzmann had tiller steering, the engine under the floorboard, and a very high center of gravity; it was a dangerous car that would tip a lot.(Bottorff, William, 2010)


III. Investigator:

Henry Ford was born on July 30th, 1863 in Greenfield Township, Michigan. In 1879Henry Ford left his family farm to move to Detroit to work in machine shops. With his knowledge of mechanics Henry Ford secured his position as the engineer of the Edison Illuminating Company. After working as an engineer for 8 years Henry Ford built his first car cause the Quadricycle in 1899, he used this to ride around Detroit. That same year he was made the Chief engineer and partner in the recently formed Detroit Automobile Company. During 1903 the Ford Motor Company was officially incorporated and the Model A was introduced to market in Detroit. After this success Henry began to build the Model T in 1908. He introduced the first moving automobile assembly line in the Highland Park manufacturing facility in 1913. In 1927 the production of the Model T ends, and the Model A was introduced. In 1947 Henry Ford died at the age of 83. (ideafinder.com)

IV. The Impact on the World/Humanity:
In 1903 in Winfield, Kansas Mr. H. T. Trice was known for transporting customers from the railroads took them to his new developments. This would make traveling easier throughout the town. Steam powered was widely used during the 1880’s and 1890’s on the farms of America; but the smaller less expensive automobile, with an internal combustion engine provided a new avenue of interest that was much more personal than the steam engine. Eventually the automobile changed the face of small town America. "In Winfield , Kansas, Main Street went from a gathering place for people and horses to a parking place for the automobile."(Bottorff, William, 6) Brick streets were covered in asphalt to make a smoother ride for the cars. The spread of automobiles helped support a businesses; filling stations, auto dealers, battery stations, oil depots all grew and expanded to get rid of older technologies of the day. Half way through the century cars became a central feature for young people. It was a mobility, status, challenge, and social freedom. Nearly every aspect of our lives developed around this technology. (Bottorff, William, 2010)

V. Journal Article Review
The Article talks about how the Peugot family, who still controls the independent French motor manufacturer, began life as ironmonger. Before entering car manufacturing in 1876 the family produced a steam driven, three wheeler. In 1895 Sir David Salomons imported a 4 h.p. model which is how Britain first saw a Peugeot. In 1903 Robert Peugeot began making motorcycles in the old Beaulieu-valentigney factory, which the added cars in the line-up in 1906. Peugeot entered a race and won the first ever motor race and produced the new 10 hp legendary Ettore Bugatti. Peugeot continued to advance his cars and motorcycles one vehicle at a time. (Leous, Gus, 2010)


Pictures: copy and paste link to see pictures!!!
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1896/quadbig.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1896/quad.html&usg=__haPU2s4LWjpten9R4Kgzv34I_bk=&h=345&w=504&sz=43&hl=en&start=0&sig2=6tDI8Je4bbEFfRgaX2p7lQ&zoom=1&tbnid=2BLIr1sh5Z6vAM:&tbnh=122&tbnw=163&ei=1YAFTdu5HsOC8gbvu-TtAg&prev=/images%3Fq%3DQuadricycle%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1659%26bih%3D806%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=131&oei=1YAFTdu5HsOC8gbvu-TtAg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=33&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&tx=88&ty=75

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.writedesignonline.com/history-culture/modelT.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.writedesignonline.com/history-culture/expressionism.htm&usg=__e73YB07B9aX2pd1FltkiKiSSEaI=&h=300&w=400&sz=50&hl=en&start=0&sig2=TwrtNHVlyj0wIh5YItp0OQ&zoom=1&tbnid=dg8lS26jgE-8qM:&tbnh=127&tbnw=157&ei=M4EFTcXMLcO78gbb_Z3pAg&prev=/images%3Fq%3DModel%2BT%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1659%26bih%3D806%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=556&oei=M4EFTcXMLcO78gbb_Z3pAg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=35&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0&tx=35&ty=82

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://blog.pennlive.com/thrive/2007/07/1929%2520Model%2520A%2520Ford.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blog.pennlive.com/thrive/2007/07/classic_wheels_july_29.html&usg=__beH92Ahw9hzDiRZBvqB_pbu4YOg=&h=468&w=768&sz=124&hl=en&start=0&sig2=gnIpL5C6id8_ZZ4zoe-xkw&zoom=1&tbnid=sFjL5W6A-G_sUM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=165&ei=UIEFTZqmMYT68AaFz624CA&prev=/images%3Fq%3DModel%2BA%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1659%26bih%3D806%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=109&oei=UIEFTZqmMYT68AaFz624CA&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=33&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0&tx=166&ty=49


VI. Bibliography:

Bottorff, William W.. "The First Car - A History of the Automobile." Austin Business Computers, Inc. Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. .


"Inventor Henry Ford Biography." The Great Idea Finder - Celebrating the Spirit of Innovation . N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. .


Leous, Gus. "History of Automobiles Peugeot." Newsfinder e-magazine: A literary favour to world culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2010.

Figure 1

The Yo-Yo: An Everlasting Toy

1. Introduction

The yo-yo could possibly be the second oldest toy in the world, after the doll. Historians today argue the origin of the first yo-yo. Most believe it came from Greece, but others argue that the first yo-yo was born in China or India. Pedro Flores and Donald Duncan contributed to the popularity of the yo-yo in the United States by manufacturing and promoting them. Because of them, the yo-yo was the most popular toy in the late 1900’s. It was said that not one kid during that time period lived without a yo-yo.

1. Discovery

The yo-yo is a popular toy, consisting of a spool that is reeled up and down a string (as seen in figure 1). You play it by slipping your finger through a loop in the top of the string, and moving your hand in an upward downward motion. This causes the spool to ride up and down the string. Although, it is not as easy as it sounds. There are many techniques and tricks that make the yo-yo a very addicting and fun game for just about everyone. The “United States yo-yo” all started with a ma named Pedro Flores. He created his own yo-yo in his spare time and learned all sorts of tricks with it. He attracted many people which led him to begin his own small business in California. His business wasn’t a huge hit, but it caught the eye of Duncan Donald. In fact, Duncan bought out Flores and trademarked the yo-yo in 1932. Duncan distributed men and women all around the United States to promote the yo-yo. Duncan had advertisements everywhere; on billboards, on flyers, television commercials, and street performers. Because of the immense amount of advertisements and attractions around the 1950’s, the yo-yo was the most popular toy in the United States. It’s peak took a sharp turn downhill from there. Duncan became bankrupt because of many lawsuits against his trademarking, and no longer had the money to keep manufacturing the popular toy. The yo-yo’s quickly lost their popularity. Although, many other people have continued Duncan’s work, keeping the yo-yo alive. Today, many yo-yo skills competitions take place around the world. People come up with exotic new ways to play with the yo-yo, so the toy never gets old.

1. Bio of Investigators

Pedro Flores was born in Vinta, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. He came to the United States as an immigrant in 1915. Flores worked as a bellboy in San Francisco, when he made his first yo-yo. He trademark registered the name Flores Yo-Yo, on July 22, 1930. Later on, his yo-yo factories and the trademark were taken over by Donald Duncan.

Donald Duncan was born on June 6th, 1892. He was an American entrepreneur and an inventor. He was the founder of Duncan Toys Company, and is commonly recognized as being associated with the yo-yo. He took over Pedro Flores’s work and far extended it through advertisement and manufacturing. When his business was at it’s peak, he shortly became bankrupt and died in a tragic car accident on May 15th, 1971.

1. Impact on the world

During the late 19th century, the yo-yo was the most popular toy in the world. It brought joy to everyone, not necessarily just kids. Some people claim that the yo-yo could possible be the most addictive toy ever made. Billions of dollars have been made off of yo-yo’s, and still more to come. During the early 20th century, the British Association of Toy Retailers voted the yo-yo the “Craze of the Century” because of it’s immense amount of popularity. The love of the Yo-Yo has been spread throughout the world and is still popular to this day. Currently, several worldwide Yo-Yo competitions are held as people from all over the world show off their Yo-Yoing skills.

1. Journal Article and Conclusion

The article that I found by Mary Pilon is called “The Yo-Yo Has Had Ups and Downs, But It’s Far From End of Its String”. This article explains how the yo-yo is a never ending toy that excites people all around the world. She also describes how intense the sport is, and tells about injuries caused by yo-yoists. Pilon says “Hardcore yo-yoists now upload images of their battle wounds online: chipped teeth, calloused hands, bandaged brows, and ruined veins.” She describes how many people take yo-yoing seriously, and sometimes take it a bit too far. She tells how yo-yoing is a very competitive sport that can be dangerous, but very exciting. She believes that the yo-yo is not going anywhere; it will never be something of the past.

Many people stand behind her with that statement. The yo-yo has had some fall outs, but it always manages to have more and more comebacks each year. People all over the world never get tired of playing with a yo-yo, and some argue that it could be the best toy ever made.

1. References

Inventors About (2010) The History of the Yo-Yo. Retrieved on December 12th, 2010 from http://inventors.about.com/od/xyzstartinventions/a/yoyo.htm

Deutsch, Jeff (2010) Last 100 Years in the History of The Yo-Yo- How Did it Become a Marketing Blockbuster? Retrieved on December 12th, 2010 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Last-100-Years-in-the-History-of-The-Yo-Yo---How-Did-it-Become-a-Marketing-Blockbuster?&id=4692522

How Stuff Works (2010) Yo-Yo History. Retrieved on December 12th, 2010 from http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/yo-yo-basics1.htm

Wikipedia (2010) Donald Duncan. Retrieved on December 12th, 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Duncan

Pilon, Mary (2010) The Yo-Yo Has Had Ups and Downs, But It’s Far From End of Its String. Retrieved on December 12th, 2010 from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124778820675954809.html

Hair Iron

I. Introduction
Can you imagine what it would be like to go in a salon and not see a straighter, and curling iron or a crimper? Well, these objects have largely influenced the world around us for the better. They have dramatically improved over the years and have become a huge part of everyday life. Through the outrageous strategies that women came up with, the hair irons have changed the lives of every women today.

II. History
Back in the day, women came up with some pretty creative ideas to get “the look.” Jessica Levinson Young would style her hair with heated balls in 1882. In 1890, Adam Frisby was given the credit for the curling iron.
During the 1960’s, women would use clothing irons to get rid of the creases or waves in their hair. Simon Monroe, in 1906, patented a hair straightener with 7 teeth to act like a brush. Then, in 1909, Isaac K. Schero patented a different type of straightener that had two flat irons that were pressed together. The person that gets the main credit for the invention of the straightener goes to Scottish heiress Lady Jennifer Bell Schofield in 1912. She edited and combined the two models into a hinged, two-plated heating iron (Wikipedia).

III. Types
There are three types of hair irons:
• Straightener
• Curling iron
• Crimper
The straightener works by a breaking down the hydrogen bonds in hair. They are found in the cortex of the hair and this is the cause of hair bending and curling. The hydrogen bonds and be replenished only when moisture is present but until then, hair is refrained from going back to its natural form.
The more advanced hair straighteners have ceramic heating plates with a reduced heat-up time and constant heat. The plates are crucial to any flat iron because the better the plates, the less damage and much easier than the other plates. Although the prices may be less, the other plates are the worst for damage to your hair. They often use a coasting that makes them look ceramic and it will eventually wear off to expose more damage. To help prevent heat damage, use irons with higher temperatures and don’t heat the tips of hair. To avoid mechanical damage, like I have said, only use ceramic plates(Wikipedia).

Curling irons are used to make curls and waves in the hair. There are various different types of curling irons based on material, diameter, and shape of the barrel and the type of handle. These irons are usually made from Teflon, ceramic, tourmaline, metal or titanium. They all have their good and bad things about them. The diameter can range from .5 inches (1.3 cm) to 2 inches (5.1 cm). For spiral curls, you should use a curling iron with a smaller barrel. For shape and volume, you should use a larger barrel. The shape of the barrel can be either a cylinder, cone, or reverse cone. Some irons have double or triple barrels and brush attachments. There are multiple types of handles: spring-loaded, Marchel, or clipless. The most popular ones are the spring-loaded ones and have a spring controlling the clamp. The Marcel handle applies your own pressure to the clamp. That handle was named after Marcel Grateau. The clipless wands do not have a clamp and you just wrap your hair around the rod(Wikipedia).

Crimping irons make the hair have a sawtooth style. These look similar to when you take your hair out of the braid that you have had in all day. This iron was invented in 1972 by Geri Cusenza, one of the co-founders of Sebastian Professional. During the mid-1980’s in the United States was when crimping became popular(Wikipedia).

IV. Future Developments: Hot Combs
The improvements in hair irons led to the further development of the hot combs. It is a metal comb on the top and bottom burner up to 500OF. This is used as an alternative to a straightener by breaking down the biochemical bonds. Marcel Grateau was one of the first hairdressers to use a hot comb in 1872. Hot combs are still used today as a form of straightening without the harsh chemicals. The medical concerns for hot combs are that it may cause scarring and inflammation on the scalp(Austin).

V. Article Review
This article basically goes over the proper things you should do when using hair irons to avoid damage.
• If you are going to use a hair iron on a daily, then purchase one with ceramic plates.
• Be precise with the temperatures so get a hair iron with temperature control.
• Try to avoid hair irons with high temperatures daily.
• Proper temperatures:
• Drying Hair: 80 degrees
• Completely Damaged Hair: 100 degrees
• Partly Damaged Hair: 140 degrees
• Ordinary Curly Hair: 160 degrees
• Curly Hair: 180 degrees
• Very Think Curly Hair: 200 degrees
(Hockney)

VI. List of References
• Wikipedia. “Hair iron.” Web. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_iron.
• Austin, Bridgette. “The History of the Hot Comb.” N. pag. Web. 10 Dec 2010. http://www.ehow.com/about_5526769_history-hot-comb.html.
• Hockney, Paul. “Can Hair Straighteners Damage Your Hair?.” (2006):n. pag. Web. 10 Dec 2010. http://searchwarp.com/swa59731.htm.

Development of the Eyeglasses

I.                   Introduction:

There had been many instruments of magnification used in the ancient times over 2000 years ago before the invention of spectacles. There are records from Rome 4BC telling of the use of water in an orb to enlarge view of letters. Cut emeralds were also used by the wealth when watching gladiator fights probably to block sunlight as well as enhance sight.

II.                Discovery:

During about 1000 AD the reading stone or magnifying glass was created. It was usually made of quart or glass cut into a spherical shape; object that was laid on top of the reading material then it made the letter bigger. The Chinese were the 1^st to take the glass pieces and place them in frames. It was after the late 1300’s that people started experimenting with putting these pieces of glass upon the face instead of on the paper.

III.             Biography of Investigator:

James Ayscough, born 1706 was not the 1^st to perfect the use of side pieces on spectacles (to hold glasses to face). The man who invented that was an English man in 1730 named Edward Scarlett; but no one is sure about any personal information about him. Ayscough however, worked off of Scarlett’s idea and created the double-hinged sided pieces. He was also the 1^st man to introduce the idea of sunglasses. He usually suggested his clients use tinted blue or green lenses to improve vision. He died in 1759.

http://www.spectaclemakers.com/specpics/photos/worlds-oldest-spectacles.jpg

1.        

worlds‑oldest‑spectacles.jpg

409 × 247 - In the seventeenth century the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers used ...

spectaclemakers.com

Similar ‑ More sizes ‑ 

IV.             IV. Impact on the world:

Spectacles were known as “a blessing to the aged”. This invention has made it so that the elderly can be more independent. Around the 1300’s spectacles became present on the subjects of paintings. They were seen as a sign of wisdom and respect. Around Europe they were also a very popular fashion statement or sign of wealth. They cost around $200 then.

V.                Journal Article Review:

From the PFD file I used there was everything I needed. Before I stared this project I had no idea how long magnification tools had been around. It’s amazing how the idea of a thin cut stone (from 4 BC) could lead to the magnifying glass, to eye glasses, then to instruments like the microscope (that we use today).

VI.             Bibliography:

·         PDF: http://www.eye.uthsc.edu/history/WhatManDevised.pdf

·         WWW: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Ayscough

·        

Ultrasound: Dalymar Legrand

I. Introduction

(Figure 1)

Ultrasound is an imaging technique that provides that ability to medical practitioners. Ultrasounds are use to look inside your body. It is usually done to see your baby. Ultrasounds send out sound waves inside your body causing whatever is inside to return echoes. Those echoes are then recorded to a visualize structures beneath the skin. The visualized part is measure by the echoes reflected. This instrument is mostly accurate at seeing the interface between solid and fluid spaces. You can relate to this to the sonar on boats to see the bottom of the ocean.

II. Development

Ultrasounds can be use in many ways. But the most used are for obstetrics, echocardiography and abdominals structures. In the obstetrics they simply look for the progression of pregnancy. The ultrasound can be done two ways; trans-abdominally where the probe is placed on the abdominal wall or trans-vaginally, where the probe is placed in the vagina. The diagnoses that you can obtain from this are the growths or tumors of the ovary, uterus, and Fallopian tubes.

In the echocardiography it is use to check the heart of the baby, heart’s function, and blood flow. It is so cool that it shows you the amount of blood the heart pumps with each stroke. This process can also be done in two ways; trans- thoracic, the probe is place on the chest to obtain images or trans- esophageal, where the probe is placed through the mouth into the esophagus. The last way can is more invasive.

And last abdominal structures can evaluate the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidneys, prostate, testicles, uterus, and ovaries. This ultrasound may find:

· Stones as well as signs of infection in the gallbladder.

· Are use to look for diseases like appendicitis or Kidney stones.

· To diagnose testicular torsion.

· Can also be use for non- pregnancy related like abdominal pain, uterine growths, and ovarian cysts.

III. Biography

William Nelson Beck was the man who invented ultrasounds. During his adulthood he was willing to fix things and people related to him as a gadget man. He was a navy pilot in World War II and event here was called the “Cadet Gadget.” He will be inventing things that could help his friends and he did so many things that saved their lives. A good achievement was the development of Mae West which at first had to be inflated by the pilots before it hit the water and thanks to the help of Nelson, it inflated manually as soon as it hit the water. After the war he went to assist at the University of South Dakota. Later on he became a physicist and by 1957, discovers the ultrasound. His neighbors always remembered him as a kind man and his enjoyment of life. Nelson died in June 16, 1996, at the age of 72. He was a modest man that no even his son knew about his early discoveries. It was not until his wife was pregnant and was going to get an ultrasound that he declared to his son that he discovered ultrasound.

(Figure 2)

IV. Impact on Human

The impact on the world is the risk and benefits that most women get from getting an ultrasound. Some of the benefits are:

· It isn’t painful.

· Is easy to use and easy to pay.

·Doesn’t use ionizing radiation.

· Gives clear images.

· You can obtain the health information of the baby and the woman health.

This is some of the benefits but I believe that from this benefits, risk comes. Most women kill their babies because of what they found out on the ultrasound.

V. Article

People don’t know yet if ultrasounds should be use selective or by routine. There is a difference between these two. To identify fetal abnormality you must go in a routine schedule due to the examination procedure. The selective procedure is done by a specific question about the baby or the pregnancy. It’s so much valuable information that you are getting out of the ultrasound; such as baby’s sex and its abnormality. You can also find out if the baby is alive or death. They also do placental grading in which is associated with increased use of other fetal techniques and a tendency to increased use of elective delivery for fetal compromise. Many obstetric already use practical routine ultrasounds in early pregnancy. The knowledge that you get from those ultrasounds can be an advantage to the baby’s health and a disadvantage for them is they are abnormal. During ultrasound examinations any time in pregnancy, mothers should see the monitor and see a clear image of their unborn and receive information that they desire.

References

Imaging ultrasound in pregnancy :: Guide Chapter 08 PDF :: Childbirth Connection. (n.d.). Childbirth Connection: helping women and families make decisions for pregnancy, childbirth, labor pain relief, the postpartum period, and other maternity care issues.. Retrieved November 10, 2010, from http://www.childbirthconnection.org/pdf.asp?PDFDownload=gecpc3ch08

Ultrasounds. (n.d.). Medicinenet. Retrieved November 15, 2010, from http://www.medicinenet.com/ultrasound

Ultrasound. (n.d.). Medicinenet. Retrieved November 15, 2010, from http://www.medicinenet.com/ultrasound

William Nelson Beck - Discoverer of Ultrasound. (n.d.). Joliet - Community Web Site for the City of Joliet. Retrieved November 20, 2010, from http://www.cityofjoliet.com/halloffame

Ultrasound - General . (n.d.). Mobile RadiologyInfo.org. Retrieved November 27, 2010, from http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=genus#part_one

(Figure 1)

Google Image Result for http://www.yourultrasound.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/20wkuked.jpg. (n.d.). Google. Retrieved December 12, 2010, from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.yourultrasound.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/20wkuked.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.yourultrasound.com/difference-between-2d-3d-and-4d-ultrasounds/&h=361&w=480&sz

(Figure 2)

http://www.cityofjoliet.com/images/hallpics/scientistspics/nels.jpg

Preserving Food with The Can By: Michael Murray

Intro:
Preserving food has been need for all humans even dating back to cave men. Bottle or cans an the technology changed how we eat and preserve food. Cans were made by hand in workrooms at the rate of 10 cans per day to the present day when high speed machinery produces 2,500 cans or more per minute. This valuable container that people take for granite is how humans were feed and helped them in discoveries, wars, world health improvements and technological advances. Dating back nearly two centuries. The can has evolved to changing market demands around the world when it comes to long term preserving food.

Discovery:

In 1795 when the French offered a prize of 12,000 Francs to anyone who could present to the government with a new effective way of preserving food. Nicholas Appert a Parisian who had worked as a candy maker, chef, brewer, pickle maker, and vintner had an idea. For the next 15 years he tested his idea’s. And finally after partially cooking food and then sealing it in bottles with cork stoppers and then setting bottles in boiling water he thought if food is sufficiently heated and sealed in an airtight container it will not spoil. Appert demonstrated his theory to Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte by sending samples of preserved foods to his army. Looking at military he had learned through hard experience that it does Scurvy and hunger disabled many more of Napoleon's soldiers than combat itself. Appert's samples including partridges, vegetables, and gravy were sent with soldiers to sea for more than four months. When opened different kinds of preserved foods were tasted Appert wrote, "Every one of which had retained its freshness, and not a single substance had undergone the least change at sea." Appert was awarded the 12,000 francs by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte himself. That was the first of preserving food in bottles. When England with the same idea made aluminum cans In 1845 the cans were sealed with lead which gave soldiers in 3 years really bad cases of lead poisoning. They didn’t know any better but were killing their own army with their own supplies! But that was the old days of preserving food. And the beginning of the can a new way to preserve fresh food. Cans in the 1800’s were very thick and need a chisel to open them and as time when by and the cans got thinner and got sprayed by lacquer to make them not corrode or rust which in some ways is bad for the environment. The discovery of the can opener was invented to take away the danger of cut your self on the sharp can while opening it.

How to make an aluminum can:

For almost 100 years people have made cans by hand, but now days their are machines which create 100 times more cans than canners back than. the 15 steps for these machines were 1. Aluminum or steel strip arrives at the can manufacturing plant in huge coils.
2. The strip is lubricated with a thin film of oil and then fed continuously through a cupping press which blanks and draws thousands of shallow cups every minute.
3. Each cup is rammed through a carbide rings. This is the ironing process which thins and raises the walls of the cans into their final can shape.
4. Trimmers remove the irregular edge and cut each can to a specific height. The material cut off is then recycled.
5. The trimmed can bodies are passed through washers and then dried. This removes all of the oil in preparation for coating internally and externally.
6. The clean cans are coated externally with a clear or pigment base coat which forms a good surface for the printing inks.
7. The cans pass through a hot air oven to dry the lacquer.
8. The next step is a printer which applies the printed design.
9. A coat of varnish is also applied to the base of each can by a rim.
10. The cans pass through a second oven which dries the inks.
11. The inside of each can is sprayed with lacquer. This special layer is to protect the can itself from corrosion and its contents from any possibility of interaction with the metal.
12. Once again, lacquered internal and external surfaces are dried in an oven.
13. The cans are passed through a flanger. Here the diameter of the wall is reduced. The top of the can is flanged outwards to accept the end once the can has been filled.
14. At the final stage it passes through a light tester which rejects any cans with pinholes or fractures.
The finished can bodies are then transferred to the warehouse.

Who new it was so many steps to create such a small little can!



Impact on world:

The can has helped man in discoveries traveling across oceans, the can has always been on that boat to feed the crew with fresh meals. In the civil war they had canned food which helped the north win and free the slaves. And when a hurricane hits Louisiana and people need help feeding all the homeless, Seacrest always has a can food drive which makes it easy to transport food for Louisiana, Haiti, or even China on the other side of the word. The can is such a important item that would be hard to live with out and it was inveted dating all the way back to the 1700’s. The only negative thing the can brings from preserving food is being left out in a land fill after throwing it away. So when you reed this please do recycle and the can would be a ten out of ten for impact on the world!

Journal Article:

How Henrey C. Campen in the United States back in 1800’s made the can. The sides of the can shape and how it helped play a vital role in the Civil War. The can was designed to be circular and strong to preserve food kept inside the can without bursting from a great deal of pressure inside.





List of References


1985, By. Can Manufacturers Institute. Web. 12 Dec. 2010. .

Bellis, By Mary. "History of Tin Cans and Can Openers." Inventors. Web. 12 Dec. 2010. .

"The Can Makers Represents the UK Manufacturers of Beer and Carbonated Soft Drinks Cans." The Can Makers Represents the UK Manufacturers of Beer and Carbonated Soft Drinks Cans: Home. Web. 12 Dec. 2010. .

"ROUND TIN CAN - Google Patent Search." Google. Web. 12 Dec. 2010. .

"Tin Can." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 12 Dec. 2010. .

"Who Invented the Tin Can? - Answers.Ask.com." Ask Answers - Answers.Ask.com. Web. 12 Dec. 2010. .

The Discovery of Penicillin By: Austen Werab

I. Introduction

Penicillin is a drug that was found on accident by bacteriologist named Alexander Fleming. This drug is used worldwide as a drug to help treat a variety of bacterial infections such as ear, nose, or throat infections.

II and III. The Discovery of Penicillin/Biography of Discoverer

Alexander Fleming- (1881-1955)
Alexander Fleming was born in Scotland on August 6th, 1881. Alexander Fleming grew up as a farmer due to his fathers death after owning a farm. When Alexander graduated from his school, he had such high scores on his tests that he could choose any medical school he wanted. So he decided to study bacteriology at St. Mary's University in London. At the university, he began studying antibiotic enzymes that would attack and kill various types of bapcteria.But when World War I started, he had to serve as a captain in the Army Medical Corps. But while he was treating the injured soldiers, he became frustrated when the soldiers would die from the simplest types of bacteria. He returned to London in 1915. He had many experiments going at once, it became very cluttered, so in 1928 while he was organizing everything, he examined a pole of Petrie dishes before he threw them away. When examining a certain one, he noticed that mold was growing on that dish and that the mold had interrupted and killed a staphylococcus culture. He took a sample of this mold and found it in the penicillium family. He named it penicillin and found it could be used to kill bacterias that were harmful to man.

IV. Impact on the world/ humanity

Penicillin is now used worldwide as a drug to kill ear, nose, and throat infections and other types of bacterials infections. It is still used around the world today, but it made its first impact when World War II started (1939-1945). Dr. Alexander's results of this 'wonder drug' started to become a widespread of good results, so the United States used Alexander's miracle drug and produced enough to treat all of their soldiers.penicillin also started a new era of antibiotics. Many scientists heard about this miracle drug and started doing tests, which led to many other scientific discoveries of other antibiotics. This image is an example of how people in the United States loved penicillin because it would bring their loved ones home safe from the war.


V. Journal article review

Journal article link: http://www.questiaschool.com/read/5001398458?title=Microbial%20Menace
This journals article is about how Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928 and also how he paten the idea. It also talks about how Howard Florey and Ernst Chain made it possible to mass produce penicillin in the early 1940's when World War I was starting and they had to provide thousands of soldiers with new evolutionary medicine. It also mentions in the video stated below how Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin accidentally and the mass production of it during WWII.

VIDEO:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEePs5nc-fY

VI. References

1) Alexander Fleming and the discovery of penicillin: (2002 Pinkerton, JC)http://www.essortment.com/all/alexanderflemin_rmkm.htm
2) Penicillin and it's use worldwide: http://ezinearticles.com/?Penicillin-Antibiotics-Classification---Uses-and-Side-Effects&id=401820
3) Journal article: http://www.questiaschool.com/read/5001398458?title=Microbial%20Menace
4) Images 1 and 2 retrieved from: http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&source=imghp&biw=1028&bih=775&q=penicillin&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

Barbie: A Controversial Superstar

                                                          By: Katerina Parent   

I           Introduction

            Over the past few decades, the Barbie doll has become a timeless toy and role model to children everywhere. The plastic fashion figure was an overnight sensation and the must- have toy because of her flawless features and excellent wardrobe. At first, creator Ruth Handler's dreams of fame and fortune were coming true because of Barbie, but the public began to question if it was "healthy" for their children to play with Barbie because she was so perfect. Would it make girls insecure and develop a low self-esteem because they could never be as anatomically absolute as their beautiful best friend? But because of Barbie's great success, friend Harold Matson, Ruth Handler and her husband Elliot Handler, launched their own company named Mattel, Inc. which began producing Barbie's world including houses, cars, and clothes and it continues today to make billions of dollars a year.

II          Discovery

            The Barbie doll was created by Ruth Handler, a loyal wife, mother, and businesswoman. She got the idea of creating a fashion doll when she saw her daughter Barbara playing with a two-dimensional paper figure. After a trip to Europe where she noticed a Bild Lilli Doll, a German version of what she wanted her Barbie to look like, she bought a few of them to show her business partners so they could quickly get to work. With the help of Jack Ryan (engineer), Charlotte Johnson (clothing designer), and Harold Matson, Barbie made her debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York City in March of 1959. The first Barbie dolls wore black and white striped one-piece swimsuits and could be available as a blonde or brunette. About 350,000 of these dolls were sold that year. This first Barbie sparked controversy because she was given breasts, a small waist, and long legs. These combined features were not found to be normal among young girls and could therefore cause them to experience a self-esteem issue because they did not look like Barbie. Ruth argued that she felt Barbie's "adult appearance" was necessary and that that was what made her unlike any other doll. Wikipedia (2010). Barbie

III        Biography of Investigator

            Ruth Handler was born on November 4, 1916, in Denver, Colorado to a family of Polish immigrants. Her father was a blacksmith, and her mother suffered from many health problems and unable to hold a steady job. She had nine other siblings and interestingly enough did not play with any kind of doll as a young girl. When she was 16, she met Isadore Elliot Handler in Denver and fell in love. He attended the Art Center School of Design in California and she moved there to be with him until he graduated and they could get  married. After school, Elliot worked as a designer for household items while she was a secretary for Paramount Studios. Elliot's designing skills were exposed when he collaborated with his friend Zachary to make a $2 million business. Later, Elliot worked with Harold Matson on a picture frame project and called their company Mattel, which ended up being a giant success in the toy industry with toys like Jack-in-the-boxes and ukuleles. Ruth came up with her first brilliant idea in 1955, advertising their toys on TV. It hadn't been done before because TV was still so new to the world. Toys were generally advertised in catalogues, so the Handler's took advantage of their idea that no one had had before. After Ruth had released Barbie in 1959, she realized Barbie would need a boyfriend, and created Ken (named after her son) who debuted in 1961. After Ken, Ruth created an entire family for Barbie including Skipper (1964) her little sister, Todd (1966) her brother and Tutti (1966) her other sister. Ruth was a genius businesswoman but was forced to leave Mattel Inc. after being diagnosed with breast cancer. This led to her next creation she called, "Nearly Me" which were breast implants for women who were also affected by breast cancer. Ruth had accomplished so much in her life and had great success with Barbie. She died at the age of 85 on April 27, 2002 due to complications during surgery in attempts to treat her colon cancer. Wikipedia (2010). Ruth Handler, Answers (2010) Ruth Handler

IV        Impact on the World

            Barbie has had a tremendous effect on the world and children worldwide. Barbie's have been manufactured in over 150 countries and gotten the support of famous designers such as Vera Wang, Calvin Kline, Christian Louboutin, and Bob Mackie who attended her 50th birthday party celebration and fashion show in New York City. Barbie has been a sentimental object for girls everywhere and was a great part of many people's childhood. She has upset many with her perfect body and flawless face, but has changed over the years by developing a more realistic figure and complexion and taken on many different roles such as a doctor, a pilot, a lifeguard, a mother, and much more. With all of the packages that include houses, cars, planes, clothes, wigs, pools, and runways, and the animated movies she has starred in, she has taken over the toy industry and made Mattel Inc. billions of dollars and become an international superstar and icon. Wikipedia (2010). Barbie.

V          Journal Article Review and Conclusion

            The journal article that I found by Albert M. Magro from Fairmont State College, is titled, "Why Barbie is Perceived as Beautiful." This article focuses on the more controversial aspects of Barbie which include her figure and overall appearance. Magro says that, "It is noted that the anatomical proportions of the Barbie doll are exaggerated and emphasize derived characteristics. It was proposed that in the perception of human form, derived traits are perceived as attractive while primitive traits are perceived as unattractive." He talks about how human characteristics have evolved over the years, which make our perceptions about what we like and don't like (in this case what we find beautiful and not beautiful) are constantly changing. The Barbie has exaggerated many derived traits and put them together, giving her an overall "attractive" appearance. This includes long legs and thighs, an "increase in height and more muscled and pronounced calves and buttocks," a "longer neck and less sloping shoulders," a "smaller and narrower upper and lower jaw", a "defined chin," and a "less rounded abdomen and a slimmer waistline." To compose this report, Magro also included a survey which included 495 people who evaluated over 50 figures. They were told choose which sample they preferred based on the attractive feature. Magro made it clear that this survey had nothing to do with race, age, sex, or culture, but strictly attractiveness. For example, one picture showed person A who had long legs and a long torso to person B who had short legs and a long torso. The surveyed individuals thought the longer legs were more attractive. They survey continued with long necks vs. short necks, plantar vs. dorsal foot flexion, square vs. sloping shoulders, large vs. small eyes, etc. The survey found that the Barbie included all of the desired features and therefore that is what makes the Barbie "attractive." Magro, A. (1997) Why Barbie is Perceived as Beautiful.

           

                                                References:

Magro, A. (1997) Why Barbie is Perceived as Beautiful. Retrieved on Dec. 12, 2010   http://www.hku.hk/sociodep/bbf/BBF%20Readings%20W6/W6Why_Barbie_is_perceived_as_beautiful.pdf

Answers (2010) Ruth Handler. Retrieved on Dec. 12, 2010 from          http://www.answers.com/topic/ruth-handler

Great Idea Finder (2007) Ruth Handler. Retrieved on Dec. 12, 2010 from             http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/handler.htm

Wikipedia (2010). Barbie. Retrieved on Dec. 12, 2010 from       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie

Wikipedia (2010). Ruth Handler. Retrieved on Dec. 12, 2010 from             http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Handler