Spinal muscular atrophy is inherited from parents who might or might not have the disease themselves but both of whom have a fault (mutation) in their genes that predisposes to the disease. Around one in 25 to one in 50 persons, depending on the country, carries a faulty gene of SMA.
Spinal muscular atrophy is the most common genetic disease causing deaths of babies. Only one medicine helps in SMA, it is called Spinraza.
It can already be observed before birth. It is the most rare and most severe form of the condition. Infants who have it tend to move less in the womb. As a result, they are often born with joint deformities or contractures. They have very weak muscle tone (hypotonia) at birth. Their respiratory muscles are also very weak. Most of them do not survive past infancy due to respiratory failure. Some also develop congenital heart defects.
Also known as Werdnig-Hoffmann disease is the most common form of all. Its severe form can be seen at birth or within the first few months. Children affected cannot control their head movements. Others may struggle sitting down without any assistance. Others may have difficulty swallowing, which often lead to difficulty feeding. Some may also develop breathing problems because of the weakness of their respiratory muscles. Due to respiratory failure, most patients who suffer from this type of condition do not survive past early childhood.
It is also called Dubowitz disease. It is identified by muscle weakness that develops in children between ages 6 and 12 months. They usually cannot sit without support. Apart from difficulty sitting, they usually cannot stand nor walk without help. Other signs include involuntary trembling (tremors) in their fingers, develop scoliosis, and respiratory muscle weakness that can be life-threatening. Many individuals with this type of condition often can only live up to their twenties or thirties.
Another name is Kugelberg-Welander disease. It causes muscle weakness in mid-childhood. While many can stand and walk earlier on without much help, as the condition progresses over time, walking and climbing stairs tend to become increasingly difficult for them. Most individuals suffering from this condition tend to require wheelchair assistance later in their lives. Unlike other types, they usually have normal life span.
It is rare and usually manifests in early adulthood. Patients often experience mild to moderate muscle weakness, tremors, and very mild breathing problems.
African traditional religion
Traditional African religions are the traditions of the religious groups in Africa. After Christianity and Islam, they are the third-biggest religious group in Africa. These religions still stick to their traditions. They are folk religions, and combine different beliefs. In general, people in the cities confess to either Christianity or Islam. The people outside the cities believe in the traditional religions. These religions are omnipresent in everyday life. All that happens has a supernatural cause, rooted in religion. People are born with a certain religion. Normally conversions from one belief system to another do not take place. There is a central belief in a "life force" which links everyday life with the metaphysical. Generally, such religions are full of life, and have a low esteem for an ascetic lifestyle. There is also the fear of spirits, the dead, and of magic, which influence everyday life.
Helsingborg
Helsingborg is a city in Sweden. It is the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County. In 2010, 97,122 people lived there.
Patty Hearst
Patricia Campbell "Patty" Hearst (born February 20, 1954) is an American socialite and kidnapping victim. On February 4, 1974, Hearst was kidnapped from her apartment. Her experience may have been a case of Stockholm syndrome. She went on to commit robbery with the gang who kidnapped her. Natasha Richardson played Hearst in the movie "Patty Hearst".
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Beatrice Roberts
Alice Beatrice Roberts (March 7, 1905 July 24, 1970) was an American actress whose career lasted for 40 years. She is best known for being the wife of Robert L. Ripley and the mistress of Louis B. Mayer.
She was born on March 7, 1905 in Manhattan, New York City, New York. Roberts died on July 24, 1970 in Plymouth, Massachusetts from complications of pneumonia. She was 65.
Barbara Eden
Barbara Eden (born Barbara Jean Huffman August 23, 1931) is an American actress. She is best known for her acting in the sitcom "I Dream of Jeannie". She has been featured in other television series. She was born in Tuscon, Arizona. She was raised in San Francisco.
Eden has been married three times. Her first marriage was to Michael Ansara in 1958. They divorced in 1972. They had a son, Matthew Michael Ansara. On September 3, 1977, She married Charles Donald Fegert. They got divorced in 1983. She married Jon Eicholtz in January 1991.
Mike Beebe
Mickey Dale Beebe (better known as Mike Beebe; born December 28, 1946) is an American politician. He was the Governor of Arkansas from 2007 to 2015. He was elected in 2006 as governor and re-elected in 2010. He is a member of the Democratic Party of the United States.
Common juniper
The common juniper ("Juniperus communis") is a species in the genus "Juniperus", in the family Cupressaceae. It has the largest range of any woody plant. It is all over the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere. It can be found in North America, Europe and Asia.
"Juniperus communis" is a shrub or small coniferous evergreen tree. It is a low spreading shrub. Sometimes it can reach 10 m tall.
The seed cones are berry-like. They are green when ripening. In 18 months they change to purple-black with a blue waxy coating.
It is too small to be used for lumber. In Scandinavia, however, juniper wood is used for making containers. These containers store small amounts of dairy products such as butter and cheese. In Estonia juniper wood is valued for its long lasting and pleasant aroma. Various decorative items (often eating utensils) are common in most Estonian handicraft shops and households.
Its astringent blue-black seeds, commonly known as "Juniper berries", are too bitter to eat raw. They are usually sold dried and used to flavour meats, sauces, and stuffings. They are generally crushed before use to release their flavour. The berries are used to flavour certain beers and gin. The Slovak national alcoholic beverage Borovička is also flavoured with juniper berry extract.
Juniper berries have long been used as medicine by many cultures. Juniper berries act as a strong urinary tract disinfectant if eaten. They were used by Native Americans as an herbal remedy for diabetes. Western American tribes combined the berries of "Juniperus communis" with Berberis root bark in a herbal tea. Native Americans also used juniper berries as a female contraceptive.
Snail kite
The snail kite ("Rostrhamus sociabilis") is a bird of prey. It is in the family Accipitridae, which also includes the eagles, hawks, and Old World vultures.
Snail kites are long with a wingspan. They weigh from .
They have long, broad, and rounded wings. Its tail is long with a white rump. The dark, deeply hooked beak measures .
It flies slowly with its head facing downwards to see its prey. It mostly eats large apple snails.
The snail kite lives in tropical South America, the Caribbean, and central and southern Florida in the United States. It nests in a bush or on the ground and lays 3–4 eggs.
Old World vulture
Old World vultures belong to the family Accipitridae. This family also includes eagles, buzzards, kites, and hawks.
Old World vultures are not closely related to New World vultures and condors. They do not share that group's good sense of smell.