konwersatorium1/pjwstk

Thursday, 19 May 2011

Animal - our therapists - part 3

Parasites, come back!

The squeamish are advised to skip this section. It just happens that the most repulsive creatures - and not just cute little dogs and fish - can bring relief to the sick. I have already mentioned dogs detecting cancer, but the rat joined the happy band of diagnosing animals. Or their gigantic cousin, the Gambian giant pouched rat, to be precise.

http://cloud.globalgiving.org/pfil/1953/Haruni_Large.jpg

Tanzanian scientists have trained them to detect tuberculosis. When a sample of human saliva was taken from patient diagnosed on tuberculosis, the animal would freeze for a while. Its efforts were rewarded with a piece of banana. Furthermore, after a brief course, the Gambian giant pouched rat was able to make more accurate diagnosis than lab technicians armed with microscopes! The accuracy of rat’s indications stood at around 90 per cent!! Deploying rats might sound medieval, but it works, especially when we are talking about developing countries where advanced diagnostic methods are not readily available, and where tuberculosis is the cause of one in four adult deaths.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueYRhIV4zGw&feature=player_embedded

Speaking of citizens from developing countries, despite the fact that their challenging living conditions are much more worst then Europeans, they try to enjoy certain health advantages. They rarely suffer from allergies or alimentary tract diseases, such as gluten intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease. One hypothesis assigns this to the presence of parasites in their environment (and bodies!). Europeans and US citizens live in a sterile world where tapeworms and roundworms are rarity. The problem is that the human immune system is unaware of the fact and continues to maintain a rich arsenal to fight parasites and is in constant state of high alert. Deprived of its natural enemy, it begins to attack harmless particles as pollen... It can even trigger reactions capable of killing entire organism.

http://urodaizdrowie.pl/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/tasiemiec1.jpg?PHPSESSID=c162cd326c65e00c1bccf7b6b027be47

What can be done to prevent this? By bringing parasites back into our bodies! This sounds shocking, but during clinical trials conducted in Australia and US, patients were infested with tapeworms and roundworms or their eggs under medical supervision. I know that it sounds hideous! Not for seriously ill or dying people... For them the result of worm therapy seems to be very promising!

As we can see, animals can heal us! They are as effective in this era of genetic engineering as they were in the age of the pharaohs. There is a Polish proverb (I’ve tried to translate it;) that says: “whoever has a land, cows and pigs will never be hungry or poor”(“kto ma morgi, krowy świnie - tego głód i bieda minie”). Or sick, provided there are animals nearby.

resources:
www.inspire.com
www.en.wikipedia.org
www.therapydogs.com
www.sciencemag.org/
www.wmich.edu/
www.globalgiving.org
www.scidev.net/
www.wiadomosci.onet.pl
www.youtube.com

Questions:
1. Are you in favor of natural therapies such as herbalism, acupuncture, acupressure, bio-therapy, cannabis therapy and therapy animals or are you for traditional medicine and pharmacology?
2. What do you think about sterile western lifestyle? Have you ever caught yourself in the decontamination of everyday objects that surround you, for example on holidays or in a hotel you were supposed to stay for a few nights?
3. Do you have any kind of allergy? Have you observed it among anyone from your family or friends? Have you realized that it has become a disease of civilization?

Different kinds of amusement and theme parks PART II

As I mentioned, from the time that amusement parks began to develop all over the place, designers began to compete for public interest. They would develop more and more outrageous ideas to attract publicity. From Bill Mehers’ documentary “Religious” I learned there is even a theme park dedicated to Jesus Christ. That such park, named “The Holy Land Experience” is located in Orlando, Florida. Pilgrims from around the world travel there to experience the world known from the Bible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM0_7PcG7hk

In 1881, a town by the name of Calico was established in California. The town's name is derived from many different colors visible on a nearby mountain side. King Mountain at the time was commonly said to be "as purty as a gal's calico skirt." The establishment of the town was in direct response to the largest silver strike of the state that had occurred. The word “strike” is used as a term in reference to the sudden discovery of land, which contains high concentration of a precious material, such as silver in this case. It resulted in result the flood of people moving to the area seeking work. The local population and economy of Calico hastily grew and was stable from 1881 to 1896. However, when the silver rush ended in 1896, the population and economy declined to the status of a ghost town. Completely abandoned and deprived of the valuable silver the nearby mountains once contained, the town would serve no purpose until years later.

Today the town has became something of an attraction, and is considered historical. Despite no longer being a source of silver, it has become a destination to visit for both entertainment and historical education. One-third of the mining town's buildings are original, while the remaining others have needed restoration over the years. They've been restored in such a way as to mimic the true appearance of buildings during their original time. In contrast to most other theme parks, there are no adrenaline thrills, elaborate, extreme rides in Calico. A different form of entertainment can be enjoyed there. Should you ever visit Calico, you're met with the ability to experience life as it was when the town flourished originally. I think it would be very interesting for parents to watch their children interact with townsfolk from a much different era.

Photo by me.

Now I’d like to present to you Universal Studios Hollywood. This park is dedicated to one of the oldest still working studios in California. It’s huge and located on the hills outside Los Angeles. It consists of couple of separated parts. Before you walk in you can visit the Universal City Walk. There are bars, restaurants, there is the biggest neon-guitar of Hard Rock Coffee, cinema, LA Dodgers Club House and much more. It’s crowded 24/7.

http://images.travelpod.com/users/sugarstar/7.1186084296.1_universal-citywalk-after-dark.jpg

In the next section (Apper Lot) just next to the entrance there are different shows and movie experience. In my opinion the best one is Terminator 3D experience, or a scene from the “Water World” placed in a water scenography. It’s also worth seeing King Kong 360 3-D, created by Peter Jackson. It’s the world’s largest, most intense 3-D experience.

http://www.seleb.tv/uploads/article-images/king-kong-360-3d-20100630165533.jpg

There is also Gibson amphitheatre where many rock stars had played. In next part of the park you can go for Universal Studios Tour where you go across movie sets or popular movies and TV series scenography. You can also see movies actually being filmed.

http://mt41-blogs.universalstudioshollywood.com/ush_photo_galleries/assets_c/2010/10/MainShot-ST-Tram-flat-thumb-540xauto-669.jpg

Next part is Lower Lot which is more like amusing park. Among others, there is a roller coaster inside a pyramid from the movie “Mummy”. Or amazing water ride across tropical Jurassic Park. You can also take part in a lesson about how special effects are made.

Let's go back to Disneyland for a while... The Magic Kingdom in the center of Walt Disney World is a home to children's favorite Disney characters. Costumed actors readily entertain and interact with the children. There are several themed rides and attractions, specifically catered to children of various ages. At its center there is the Cinderella's Castle. The entire area is supported by a functioning industry which provides visitors with provisions such as hotels and restaurants.

http://purc.psych.ucla.edu/images/locations/disney.jpg

Apart from just characters from Loony Toons and Disney - The Simsons, Hello Kitty and Sesame Street characters also have their place in the entertaining world of amusement parks (Crusty Land, Sesame Place and Hello Kitty theme park). There is even a theme park devoted to fear. Frightworld is called America’s screampark and everything there is about horrors.

http://images.travelpod.com/users/davidandross/1.1249949743.krustyland.jpg

http://www.uwishunu.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/sesame-place-bucks-composite1-680uw.jpg

In some places you don’t even have to worry about weather because
there are indoor amusement parks. Like this one in Colorado:

In Germany there is a huge dome in which there is an almost real tropical island. There is an imitation of a southern sea, Bali lagoons, a rain forest as well as a spa. You can stay in a tent and experience a very authentic tropical hiking adventure. Just as in Europe people are now allowed to lay on a sunny beach all year long, in hot Dubai there is a possibility to ski.

http://www.truedubai.com/homepage-ski-dubai/ski-hall-total-ski-dubai.jpg

Is any of those parks anything that interests you?

Which one would you like to visit?

What is it about amusement parks that people find so appealing?

Wednesday, 18 May 2011

Amusement and theme parks background PART I

In my presentation I would like to present different attractions from amusement and theme parks. While amusement parks mostly contain rollercoasters, carrousels, and other generalized forms of entertainment, theme parks are modeled after films, toys or other interesting fields. Theme park attractions are usually organized, funded, and owned by various big companies. For example, a big company such as Warner Bros is connected in various ways with Six Flags Parks. Six Flags is the largest amusement park company which owns many of the best rollercoasters around the world. In their parks you can meet characters from Loony Toons cartoons like Sylvester the Cat, Bugs Bunny, Tweety, or Duffy the Duck. Kids love to take photos of themselves hugging big mascots.

Black Pool Pleasure Beach in UK.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/126/386908241_a51bf38967.jpg

The history of amusement parks started in the Middle Ages. First there were periodic fairs with live entertainment, fireworks and games not unlike the circus. The oldest park still working is in Bakken, north of Copenhagen. It was first opened in 1583. In Denmark there is also the oldest still in use wooden roller coaster. In the late 1800s amusement parks began to appear in America. They were usually built at the end of trolley lines and were a very popular Sunday destination for families with children. In 1919 there were almost two thousand amusement parks in America. Today there are only 600. Older, small local fairs with wooden coasters were replaced by huge parks with rides manufactured with steel components. The first theme park in America was Knott’s Berry Farm, which opened in 1940.

In the 1950’s, Disneyland was created. Many speculated and assumed it wouldn’t last long but it turned out to be a great success. The public gradually lost interest in the smaller amusement parks in favor of theme parks similar to Disneyland. Over time, the larger theme parks became more commonplace.

A Disneyland commercial from 50's.

Here is a film showing the background creation of Disneyland.

Here is how one of Disneylands' parks looks like nowadays.

Do you think those abandoned old parks are still attractive to visit?

Some abandoned amusement park in Japan.

http://ruinsds.sakura.ne.jp/t_rando/t_rando05.jpg

Have you ever visited an amusement or a theme park?

Which one?

Did you have fun?

Animal - our therapists - part 2

The dog might be man’s best friend but the same definitely can’t be said of the other critter whose medicinal service is one of the longest standing. The leech returns in triumph!!

Leeches having been used over 3500 years ago by Egyptians that we can find out from the old murals. Deployed to suck out the “bad” blood responsible for pain, fever, malaise, skin and circulation problems, they were also popular in ancient Greece, China and Arabic countries. Leeching was so popular all over the world that eventually the price of this “medicament” went up very much and in the middle of 19th century leeches were faced with extinction.

Today, many leech species are endangered and the medical leech (Hirudo medicinalis) is protected in most countries. This is just as well as it making a triumphant comeback - along with other species of leech - to conventional medicine after a break of more than a hundred years. Research has confirmed the efficiency of leeches in healing wounds, especially where blood vessels are largely damaged. Hirudotherapy is deployed in skin transplants, finger microsurgery, and reattaching limbs, as leeching prevents the risk of necrosis. It also reinforces the treatment of haematoma, joint inflammation, and tongue enlargement. All this is due to the blood thinning, pain relieving and anti-inflammatory substances found in the saliva of leeches.

The hygienic requirements of modern medicine are such that the creatures are not fished from rivers but bred in sterile certified colonies.

click here to watch the movie

Another aquatic therapy animals are two small species of fish (5-10 cm) from the carp family that are inhabited the hot thermal waters in the town of Kangal in eastern Turkey. They are used to cure skin diseases such as psoriasis.

The patient is submerged in a pool filled with warm selenium-rich water and the fish nibble flaking cuticle to facilitate the access of the medicinal water to the skin and provide a relaxing massage. The result are truly amazing. Looking at the before and after patient photo in the movie attached below , it is hard to believe that this is the same guy...

click here to watch the movie

QUESTIONS:
Have you ever heard about those kind of therapies?
Can you imagine the situation that you are undergone the leeches therapy?
How do you like such a "nice" creatures like leeches?

Monday, 16 May 2011

Animals - our therapists - part 1

Hippotherapy, adder venom - some animals have been used in medicine for centuries.
Have you heard of dogs able to diagnose cancer or fish that are dermatologists? I bet you have never suspected our “brothers” to be so adroit!

Animals feed, dress and defended us. They can also become a vital element of therapy. Animals were first employed in medicine thousands of years ago and they are only getting better today.

Firs of all I would like to mention about the therapy dogs.

http://magazine.ucla.edu/depts/quicktakes/therapy-dog-530.jpg

Therapy dogs is used to find out the cancer. It started when one Corporal William Wynne, hospitalized during World War II, was allowed to see his Yorkshire terrier. The dog became a major diversion for almost all ill and injured soldiers. This was how 12-year career of the first therapy dog began. The animal brought relief and cheered patients up. As time went by, dog therapy grew to become a recognized method of reinforcing medical treatment with its own methodology, dog selection and training standards and dog therapist certification!!!

http://www.unitedwhiteshepherdclub.org/therapy_dog.jpg

What can therapy dogs do? Unlike horses, which assist in the treatment of neurological and motor disorders, dogs are at their best in rehabilitating mental conditions. They usually assist children, elderly people and patients suffering from autism, cerebral palsy, central nervous system disorders and chronic diseases. Stroking and hugging, giving commands and doing exercises together opens up patients in an amazing way. They begin to to initiate much better and active interactions with the environment, speak more, learn new words more quickly and concentrate better. Fear and anxiety disappear, memory improves and there is more motivation to participate in other element of therapy. Patients even become more physically active and their blood pressure goes down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYmFY2Mha1A&feature=grec_index

How Dog Therapy Can Help Ailing Children

http://www.5min.com/Video/How-Dog-Therapy-Can-Help-Ailing-Children-253296038

But dogs can do a lot of more than that. In one astonishing research dogs were trained to diagnose cancer in samples of air exhaled bu patients! After few weeks, the animals were almost never wrong!!! Additionally, the quality of their measurement was not affected by the patient having smoked or eaten immediately before the samples was taken. Furthermore, dogs were even able to “nose out” the type of cancer - lung, breast or other cancer types...

Questions:
Have you ever heard about dog therapy?
Do you believe in this kind of reinforcing medical treatment is rather than traditional pharmacology?
Do you have any pet at home?