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Heart Disease and Abnormal Heart Rhythm (Arrhythmia) An irregular heartbeat is called an arrhythmia, which is not the same as an irregular heart rate. In fact, the two don't necessarily occur together. A normal heart rate is 50 to 100 beats per minute. Arrhythmias can occur with a normal heart |
rate, or with heart rates that are slow or rapid. In the United States, more than 850,000 people are hospitalized for an arrhythmia each year. What Causes an Arrhythmia? Arrhythmias may be caused by many different factors, including: Irregular heart rhythms can also occur in otherwise normal, healthy hearts. What |
Are the Types of Arrhythmias? The types of arrhythmias include: Premature atrial contractions. These are early extra beats that originate in the atria (upper chambers of the heart). They are harmless and generally do not require treatment. Premature ventricular contractions(PVCs). These are among the most common arrhyt... |
people with or without heart disease. This is the skipped heartbeat we all occasionally experience. In some people, it can be related to stress, too much caffeine or nicotine, or too much exercise. But sometimes, PVCs can be caused by heart disease or electrolyte imbalance. People who have a lot |
of PVCs, and/or symptoms associated with them, should be evaluated by a heart doctor. However, in most people, PVCs are usually harmless and rarely need treatment. Atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a very common irregular heart rhythm that causes the atria, the upper chambers of the heart, to contract abnorma... |
Atrial flutter. This is an arrhythmia caused by one or more rapid circuits in the atrium. Atrial flutter is usually more organized and regular than atrial fibrillation. This arrhythmia occurs most often in people with heart disease and in the first week after heart surgery. It often converts to atrial |
fibrillation. Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT). A rapid heart rate, usually with a regular rhythm, originating from above the ventricles. PSVT begins and ends suddenly. There are two main types: accessory path tachycardias and AV nodal reentrant tachycardias (see below). Accessory pathway tachycardias. A ... |
abnormal pathway or connection between the atria and the ventricles. The impulses travel through the extra pathways as well as through the usual route. This allows the impulses to travel around the heart very quickly, causing the heart to beat unusually fast. AV nodal reentrant tachycardia. A rapid heart rate |
due to more than one pathway through the AV node. It can cause heart palpitations, fainting, or heart failure. In some cases, it can be terminated using simple maneuvers, such as breathing in and bearing down. Some drugs can also stop this heart rhythm. Ventricular tachycardia (V-tach). A rapid heart |
rhythm originating from the lower chambers (or ventricles) of the heart. The rapid rate prevents the heart from filling adequately with blood. This can be a serious arrhythmia, especially in people with heart disease, and may be associated with more symptoms. Ventricular fibrillation. An erratic, disorganized firing of... |
the ventricles. The ventricles quiver and are unable to contract or pump blood to the body. This is a medical emergency that must be treated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation as soon as possible. Long QT syndrome. The QT interval is the area on the electrocardiogram that represents the |
time it takes for the heart muscle to contract and then recover, or for the electrical impulse to fire impulses and then recharge. When the QT interval is longer than normal, it increases the risk of a life-threatening form of ventricular tachycardia. Long QT syndrome is an inherited condition that |
can cause sudden death in young people. It can be treated with antiarrhythmic drugs, pacemaker, electrical cardioversion, defibrillation, implanted cardioverter/defibrillator, or ablation therapy. Bradyarrhythmias. These are slow heart rhythms, which may arise from disease in the heart's electrical conduction system. E... |
dysfunction. A slow heart rhythm due to an abnormal sinus node. Significant sinus node dysfunction that causes symptoms is treated with a pacemaker. Heart block. A delay or complete block of the electrical impulse as it travels from the sinus node to the ventricles. The heart may beat irregularly and, |
Westat has applied our strong statistical, environmental, and data collection skills to design, conduct, and analyze environmental studies for more than 25 years. We have applied national field resources to the collection of environmental samples in homes, schools, and industrial facilities and coordinated analyses at ... |
our own quality assurance specifications. National Children's Study (NCS) Westat has been awarded the contract to serve as the coordinating center for the National Children's Study (NCS) — the largest study ever undertaken within the United States to assess the effects of the environment on child and adult health. The |
full nationwide study would follow more than 100,000 children from prior to conception through adulthood, seeking information to prevent and treat such health problems as autism, birth defects, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Westat will collect data, compile and analyze statistics, and ensure that the study proc... |
Environmental measures proposed for inclusion in the study include toxicants in air, water, and household dust and body burden data to be collected from urine, saliva, and blood. Toxicants to be studied include pesticides, metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phytoestrogens, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs... |
been selected to pilot and complete the first phases of the study. The centers, which include a variety of universities, hospitals, health departments, and other organizations, will work within their communities to recruit participants, collect and process data, and pilot new research methods for incorporation into the... |
is led by a consortium of Federal agency partners: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (including the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... |
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Exposure Assessment and Environmental Epidemiology Our work in the area of exposure assessment and environmental epidemiology has included studies of exposure to pesticides, particulate matter, PCBs, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds in a variety of populations, incl... |
conducted the National Human Exposure Assessment Regional Survey in Maryland, a multimedia, multicontaminant field study of long-term exposure that included the collection of blood and urine samples for environmental exposure. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey now includes measurements of environment... |
blood, urine, hair, and other body tissues and fluids. Other Westat environmental epidemiology studies include studies of the health effects relating to the following exposures: - Air pollution among the elderly in Maryland and California and school children in California and Texas; - Pesticides among children througho... |
- Microbial pathogens among bathers in recreational water; - Mercury in the seafood consumed by subsistence fishermen and women of childbearing age; - Indoor allergens in the homes and daycare centers of children throughout the United States; and - Asbestos in homes, schools, and commercial buildings throughout the Uni... |
Water Quality has been the focus of several projects for the EPA. Westat has performed the following: - Evaluated the best technology available for minimizing the adverse environmental impact of cooling water intake structures; - Analyzed water quality impairment from concentrated animal feeding operations; and - Desig... |
the results of industry surveys to determine whether current effluent guidelines were appropriate for current manufacturing technologies used in the iron and steel, meat products, and aquaculture industries. Westat's work in the area of lead hazards has included two national surveys of lead-based paint hazards in housi... |
exposure to lead in child-care centers and homes, and the analysis of data on lead levels in soil. Our staff has performed the following: - Produced technical guidance documents on lead contamination of various media (soil, water, and dust); - Developed risk communication materials for the general public; - Designed |
a series of examinations to certify lead inspections; - Evaluated training programs designed to train janitors and others to work safely around lead paint; and - Designed a protocol for measuring the blood lead levels of children living in remediated housing. Health and Environment Chapter of the EPA's State of |
the Environment Report Westat assisted EPA in preparing the health and environment chapter of the EPA's State of the Environment Report. Written in a style appropriate for the general public, yet in conformance with the standards of the health and environmental research communities, the report addresses the following: ... |
status of the U.S. population; - Human exposure to environmental pollutants; - Diseases related to environmental pollution; and - Data gaps and emerging issues. Hazardous Waste Survey For the EPA's Office of Solid Waste, Westat designed and implemented the Hazardous Waste Survey. This national industry survey provided ... |
by Bruce Boyers, Our system of factory agriculture is exacting a great toll on our planet: 40 percent of the land and 70 percent of the fresh water on Earth |
is devoted to the growing of food, which, in the process, creates some 30 percent of greenhouse gases. Compounding these issues is the fact that commercial produce is often transported |
thousands or even tens of thousands of miles to its point of sale, consuming tons of fossil fuel. It is evident that our current agricultural model is a failed experiment |
in search of a more sustainable solution. In an effort to bring needed fresh produce closer to home with far greater sustainability, a movement in urban agriculture is rapidly gaining |
momentum. New York City, having such a large and diverse population, is a metropolis ripe for green urban agriculture and is now home to an innovative commercial operation called Gotham |
Greens. Gotham Greens has now gone into full production and is providing much-needed locally and sustainably grown produce for the greater New York City area. "My partners and I had |
a vision for a local farm operation here in New York City that could provide New Yorkers-which would include restaurants, retailers and consumers-with premium quality, fresh, nutritious culinary herbs and |
greens, salad greens and lettuces," Puri said. "They would be grown year round so that we could reliably and consistently supply our customers with local produce. Obviously our climate in |
New York doesn't support year-round agriculture of a lot of these crops, so we thought we would try to do something in a greenhouse. A greenhouse climate allows you to |
potentially grow year round, at the same time protecting crops against extreme or detrimental weather events." Gotham Greens was founded in 2008 by Puri and Eric Haley; then in 2009 |
Jennifer Nelkin joined as a partner to head all greenhouse operations. Puri himself had previously developed and managed start-up enterprises in New York City, in Ladakh, India, and in Malawi, |
Africa, focusing on green building, renewable energy and environmental design. Haley, who is currently employed by a Manhattan-based investment bank and private equity fund, also brought business acumen to the |
operation. The farm know-how comes from Nelkin, who cultivated her expertise in greenhouse systems and management at the University of Arizona. In addition to greenhouse system design, her skillset includes |
plant nutrition and crop and pest management. She has managed greenhouses in far more extreme circumstances than New York-namely two different locations in Antarctica, providing fresh vegetables for US research |
scientists. House of Greens The choice of a rooftop was made quite deliberately. "New York City obviously doesn't have a lot of arable or available land, so it seemed to |
us that one underutilized resource was rooftops," said Puri. "You're seeing more and more innovative uses of the rooftops now in urban areas nationwide." Getting a rooftop greenhouse up and |
operational-especially one of this size and scope-was no mean feat. "It was extremely challenging," Puri recalled. "I would say the biggest challenge was just having any real path to follow. |
There's not a lot of precedent for what we're doing. "The first thing was finding a building owner who wouldn't mind us building a greenhouse on his or her roof. |
We also had to find a building that met all the construction criteria, both structurally and for the obtaining of utilities. In addition there had to be access, and the |
evaluation of how we would get stuff up and how we would get stuff down. On top of that we had to make sure the plan would meet all zoning |
and building codes." The Gotham Greens operation, as one might imagine, represents an enormous saving in resource usage. "We employ a recirculating hydroponic technique that actually goes back and captures |
all irrigation for reuse," Puri explained. "It's the most water-efficient form of agriculture in the world. We use ten times less water than conventional agriculture. Even though we are not |
in an area that is susceptible to drought, we still think that it's a great demonstration of a technology that is very water efficient." The hydroponic growing environment is sterile |
as well, which eliminates the risk of pathogens-particularly important in light of the increase in foodborne illnesses, such as E. coli and salmonella, from fresh vegetables. Puri and his partners |
have seen to the frugal use of energy too. "We have 55 kilowatts in solar panels that produce electricity to help meet the electrical needs of the facility," said Puri. |
"Along with that, we've spent a lot of effort here to design our facilities to be as energy efficient as possible. We've installed increased insulation in many areas; the glazing |
material that we selected helps insulate the greenhouse; and we've deployed heat curtains and heat blankets in the winter to reduce space in the greenhouse that needs to be conditioned." |
Additionally, a sophisticated computer control system ensures that climate-control equipment operates efficiently to reduce resource consumption. Perhaps the most significant saving in terms of resources is that of fossil fuels, |
as the distance from farm to consumer is considerably shorter. "Of course, we sharply reduce the transportation of our product and the associated carbon emissions that are caused because of |
that," Puri added. All nutrition and pest control is done naturally and sustainably, which was also one of the goals for Gotham Greens. "We utilize mineral salts that we dissolve |
in the water," Puri said. "These contain minerals such as nitrogen, magnesium and potassium, along with micronutrients like selenium. In controlling pests, we mostly rely on beneficial insects; there's a |
whole program in integrated pest management for which a fair bit of monitoring goes on. If we do find a pest in here, we will introduce its natural predator-for instance, |
we have ladybugs and lacewings to control aphids." It's in the Taste Like many others concentrating on great flavor, Puri and his team have found that truly caring for the |
plants will result in the superiority they seek. "The biggest thing in obtaining that flavor is really taking care of our crops-making sure they have ideal growing conditions in climate, |
humidity, temperature, and so forth. We're also making sure they're getting all the nutrients that they need, along with the right amount of irrigation, the right amount of dissolved oxygen. |
The foremost belief is that healthy plants are going to make for tastier plants. "And then because we are so close to our customers, we never have to harvest anything |
before it's completely ready. Many conventionally grown crops have to be refrigerated and transported long distances, so they are picked early and then artificially ripened. We don't have to do |
anything like that; we can harvest crops when they are at their optimal freshness, size, flavor, profile and color. We can harvest any item in the morning and have it |
to a supermarket or a restaurant in the afternoon." In addition to supplying locally grown produce, Gotham Greens contributes to the local economy by providing badly needed jobs. All staff |
are residents from the nearby community. As production expands, they also plan to offer their products to more local areas that have limited access to fresh produce. They're Buying It |
(1) The section of a pedestal between base and surbase. (2) The lower portion of the wall of a room, decorated diffrently from the upper section. The dance of death, |
a favorite late medieval picture subject. It generally shows skeletons forcing the living to dance with them, usually in matching pairs, e.g. a live priest dancing with a skeleton priest. |
Holbein's woodcut series the Dance of Death is one of the most famous. Refers to a style of painting that developed in Regensburg, Germany, and elsewhere along the Danube river |
during the Renaissance and Reformation. It is characterized by a renewed interest in medieval piety, an expressive use of nature, the relationship of the human figure and events to nature, |
and the introduction of landscape as a primary theme in art. The term was coined by Theodor von Frimmel (1853-1928), who believed that painting in the Danube River region around |
Regensburg, Passau, and Linz possessed common characteristics; the style seems to exist even though leading artists did not form a school in the usual sense of the term, since they |
did not work in a single workshop or in a particular centre. Major artists whose work represents the style include Lucas Cranach the Elder, Albrecht Altdorfer and Wolf Huber. a |
minister who was below the rank of priest in the Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox churches. Deacons originally cared for both the sick and the poor in early Christian communities. the |
representation of Christ enthroned in glory as judge or ruler of the world, flanked by the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist acting as intercessors. in medieval art a picture, |
often an altarpiece, consisting of two folding wings without a fixed central area. In Renaissance art theory, the design of a painting seen in terms of drawing, which was help |
to be the basis of all art. The term stresses not the literal drawing, but the concept behind an art work. With the Mannerists the term came to mean an |
ideal image that a work attempts to embody but can in fact never fully realize. As disegno appeals to the intellect, it was considered far more important that coloure (colour), |
which was seen as appealing to the senses and emotions. A technique of painting in which pigments are diluted with water and bound with a glue. It was usually used |
for painting wall decorations and frescoes, though a few artists, notably Andrea Mantegna (1430/31-1506), also used it on canvas. in architecture, hemispherical structure evolved from the arch, usually forming a |
ceiling or roof. A Roman Catholic order of mendicant friars founded by St. Dominic in 1216 to spread the faith through preaching and teaching. The Dominicans were one of the |
most influential religious orders in the later Middle Ages, their intellectual authority being established by such figures as Albertus Magnus and St.Thomas Aquinas. The Dominicans played the leading role in |
the Inquisition. a patron who commissioned a work of art for a church. Donors sometimes had their portraits included in the work they were donating as a sign of piety. |
A male garment, formerly worn under armour, that from the 15th century referred to a close-fitting jacket. A ceramic product invented in England around 1720, which belongs to the category |
of fine stoneware. The porous white bodies are made of fired raw materials containing clay and kaolin as well as quartz, feldspar, and talc. A transparent glaze is applied upon |
the first or second firing. Earthenware, which is suitable for everyday use, is distinguished by its light, creamy surface. The most famous example of this category is made by the |
English firm of Wedgwood (since 1780). Stand on which a painting is supported while the artist works on it. The oldest representation of an easel is on an Egyptian relief |
of the Old Kingdom (c. 2600-2150 BC). Renaissance illustrations of the artist at work show all kinds of contrivances, the commonest being the three-legged easel with pegs, such as we |
still use today. Light folding easels were not made until the 18th and 19th centuries, when painters took to working out of doors. The studio easel, a 19th-century invention, is |
a heavy piece of furniture, which runs on castors or wheels, and served to impress the c1ients of portrait painters. Oil painters need an easel which will support the canvas |
almost vertically or tip it slightly forward to prevent reflection from the wet paint, whereas the watercolourist must be able to lay his paper nearly flat so that the wet |
paint will not run down. The term 'easel-painting' is applied to any picture small enough to have been painted on a standard easel. The words of Pontius Pilate in the |
Gospel of St. John (19, 5) when he presents Jesus to the crowds. Hence, in art, a depiction of Jesus, bound and flogged, wearing a crown of thorns and a |
scarlet robe. In portraiture, a pose in which the sitter faces the viewer directly; full face. Coloured glass in powder form and sometimes bound with oil, which is bonded to |
a metal surface or plaque by firing. A print made from a metal plate that has had a design cut into it with a sharp point. Ink is smeared over |
the plate and then wiped off, the ink remaining in the etched lines being transferred when the plate is pressed very firmly onto a sheet of paper. A combining of |
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