ASUHAN KEPERAWATAN

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tulisan ini di kutib dari buku penanggulangan penderita gawat darurat / PPGD

Protein (asal kata protos dari bahasa Yunani yang berarti "yang paling utama") adalah senyawa organik kompleks berbobot molekul tinggi yang merupakan polimer dari monomer-monomer asam amino yang dihubungkan satu sama lain dengan ikatan peptida. Molekul protein mengandung karbon, hidrogen, oksigen, nitrogen dan kadang kala sulfur serta fosfor. Protein berperan penting dalam struktur dan fungsi semua sel makhluk hidup dan virus.Kebanyakan protein merupakan enzim atau subunit enzim. Jenis protein lain berperan dalam fungsi struktural atau mekanis, seperti misalnya protein yang membentuk batang dan sendi sitoskeleton. Protein terlibat dalam sistem kekebalan (imun) sebagai antibodi, sistem kendali dalam bentuk hormon, sebagai komponen penyimpanan (dalam biji) dan juga dalam transportasi hara. Sebagai salah satu sumber gizi, protein berperan sebagai sumber asam amino bagi organisme yang tidak mampu membentuk asam amino tersebut (heterotrof).Protein merupakan salah satu dari biomolekul raksasa, selain polisakarida, lipid, dan polinukleotida, yang merupakan penyusun utama makhluk hidup. Selain itu, protein merupakan salah satu molekul yang paling banyak diteliti dalam biokimia. Protein ditemukan oleh Jöns Jakob Berzelius pada tahun 1838.Biosintesis protein alami sama dengan ekspresi genetik. Kode genetik yang dibawa DNA ditranskripsi menjadi RNA, yang berperan sebagai cetakan bagi translasi yang dilakukan ribosom. Sampai tahap ini, protein masih "mentah", hanya tersusun dari asam amino proteinogenik. Melalui mekanisme pascatranslasi, terbentuklah protein yang memiliki fungsi penuh secara biologi..


akibat kekurangan protein

Protein sendiri mempunyai banyak sekali fungsi di tubuh kita. Pada dasarnya protein menunjang keberadaan setiap sel tubuh, proses kekebalan tubuh. Setiap orang dewasa harus sedikitnya mengkonsumsi 1 g protein pro kg berat tubuhnya. Kebutuhan akan protein bertambah pada perempuan yang mengandung dan atlet-atlet.

Akibat kekurangan protein:
* Kerontokan rambut (Rambut terdiri dari 97-100% dari Protein -Keratin)
* Yang paling buruk ada yang disebut dengan Kwasiorkor, penyakit kekurangan protein.Biasanya pada anak-anak kecil yang menderitanya, dapat dilihat dari yang namanya busung lapar, yang disebabkan oleh filtrasi air di dalam pembuluh darah sehingga menimbulkan odem.Simptom yang lain dapat dikenali adalah:o hipotonuso gangguan pertumbuhano hati lemak
* Kekurangan yang terus menerus menyebabkan marasmus dan berkibat kematian.

sumber protein :
* Daging
* Ikan
* Telur
* Susu, dan produk sejenis Quark
* Tumbuhan berbji
* Suku polong-polongan
* KentangStudi dari Biokimiawan USA Thomas Osborne Lafayete Mendel, Profesor untuk biokimia di Yale, 1914, mengujicobakan protein konsumsi dari daging dan tumbuhan kepada kelinci. Satu grup kelinci-kelinci tersebut diberikan makanan protein hewani, sedangkan grup yang lain diberikan protein nabati. Dari eksperimennya didapati bahwa kelinci yang memperoleh protein hewani lebih cepat bertambah beratnya dari kelinci yang memperoleh protein nabati. Kemudian studi selanjutnya, oleh McCay dari Universitas Berkeley menunjukkan bahwa kelinci yang memperoleh protein nabati, lebih sehat dan hidup dua kali lebih lama.

manfaat dari protein :
* Sumber energi
* Pembetukan dan perbaikan sel dan jaringan
* Sebagai sintesis hormon,enzim, dan antibodi
* Pengatur keseimbangan kadar asam basa dalam sel

sumber : bung wiki

Amnesia (dari Bahasa Yunani Ἀμνησία) adalah kondisi terganggunya daya ingat. Penyebab amnesia dapat berupa organik atau fungsional. Penyebab organik dapat berupa kerusakan otak, akibat trauma atau penyakit, atau penggunaan obat-obatan (biasanya yang bersifat sedatif). Penyebab fungsional adalah faktor psikologis, seperti halnya mekanisme pertahanan ego. Amnesia dapat pula terjadi secara spontan, seperti terjadi pada transient global amnesia[1]. Jenis amnesia global ini umum terjadi mulai usia pertengahan sampai usia tua, terutama pada pria, dan biasanya berlangsung kurang dari 24 jam.

Dampak lain dari amnesia adalah ketidakmampuan membayangkan masa depan. Penelitian terakhir yang dipublikasikan dalam jaringan di Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences menunjukkan bahwa amnesia dengan kerusakan pada hipokampus tidak dapat membayangkan masa depan[2]. Hal ini terjadi karena bila seorang yang normal membayangkan masa depan, mereka menggunakan pengalaman masa lalu untuk mengkonstruksi skenario yang mungkin dihadapi. Sebagai contoh, seseorang yang mencoba membayangkan apa yang akan terjadi dalam pesta yang hendak didatanginya akan menggunakan pengalaman pesta sebelumnya untuk membantu mengkonstruksi kejadian di masa depan.

Bentuk amnesia

* Anterograde amnesia: kejadian baru dalam ingatan jangka pendek tidak ditransfer ke ingatan jangka panjang yang permanen. Penderitanya tidak akan bisa mengingat apapun yang terjadi setelah munculnya amnesia ini walaupun baru berlalu sesaat.

* Retrograde amnesia: ketidakmampuan memunculkan kembali ingatan masa lalu yang lebih dari peristiwa lupa biasa.

Kedua kategori amnesia tersebut dapat muncul bersamaan pada pasien yang sama. Contohnya seperti pada pengendara sepeda motor yang tidak mengingat akan pergi kemana dia sebelum tabrakan (retrograde amnesia), juga melupakan tentang kejadian di rumah sakit dua hari setelahnya (anterograde amnesia).

di translate om google

Amnesia (from Greek Ἀμνησία) is a disturbance of memory condition. The cause of amnesia can be either organic or functional. Organic causes may include brain damage, due to trauma or disease, or drug use (usually a character of sedatives). The cause is a function of psychological factors, such as ego defense mechanisms. Amnesia can also occur spontaneously, as occurs in transient global amnesia. This global type of amnesia is common from the age of mid to old age, especially in men, and usually lasts less than 24 hours.

Another impact of amnesia is the inability to imagine the future. Recent research published in the Proceedings of the networks of the National Academy of Sciences shows that the damage to the hippocampal amnesia can not imagine the future. This happens because when a normal imagine the future, they use past experience to construct a scenario that might be faced. For example, someone who tries to imagine what will happen in the party wishing he came to use the previous party experience to help construct the event in the future.
Forms of amnesia

* Anterograde amnesia: a new occurrence in the short-term memory is not transferred to long-term memory is permanent. Infected person will not be able to remember anything that happened after the emergence of this amnesia, although new moment passed.

* Retrograde amnesia: inability to bring back memories of the past which more than forgetting ordinary events.

Both categories of amnesia can occur together in the same patient. Examples like the motorcyclists who do not remember where he will go before the collision (retrograde amnesia), as well forget about what happened at the hospital two days (anterograde amnesia).

sumber : bung wiki
posted by : gayuh

Anemia (dalam bahasa Yunani: Tanpa darah) adalah keadaan saat jumlah sel darah merah atau jumlah hemoglobin (protein pembawa oksigen) dalam sel darah merah berada di bawah normal.

Sel darah merah mengandung haemoglobin yang memungkinkan mereka mengangkut oksigen dari paru-paru, dan mengantarkannya ke seluruh bagian tubuh.

Anemia menyebabkan berkurangnya jumlah sel darah merah atau jumlah hemoglobin dalam sel darah merah, sehingga darah tidak dapat mengangkut oksigen dalam jumlah sesuai yang diperlukan tubuh .

Penyebab umum dari anemia:

*
o Perdarahan hebat
o Akut (mendadak)
o kecelakaan
o Pembedahan
o Persalinan
o Pecah pembuluh darah
o Kronik (menahun)
o Perdarahan hidung
o Wasir (hemoroid)
o Ulkus peptikum
o Kanker atau polip di saluran pencernaan
o Tumor ginjal atau kandung kemih
o Perdarahan menstruasi yang sangat banyak

* Berkurangnya pembentukan sel darah merah
o Kekurangan zat besi
o Kekurangan vitamin B12
o Kekurangan asam folat
o Kekurangan vitamin C
o Penyakit kronik

*
o Meningkatnya penghancuran sel darah merah
o Pembesaran limpa
o Kerusakan mekanik pada sel darah merah
o Reaksi autoimun terhadap sel darah merah:
+ Hemoglobinuria nokturnal paroksismal
+ Sferositosis herediter
+ Elliptositosis herediter
o Kekurangan G6PD
o Penyakit sel sabit
o Penyakit hemoglobin C
o Penyakit hemoglobin S-C
o Penyakit hemoglobin E
o Thalasemia
Gejala

Gejala-gejala yang disebabkan oleh pasokan oksigen yang tidak mencukupi kebutuhan ini, bervariasi. Anemia bisa menyebabkan kelelahan, kelemahan, kurang tenaga dan kepala terasa melayang. Jika anemia bertambah berat, bisa menyebabkan stroke atau serangan jantung.

di translate mbah gugel

Anemia (in Greek: Without the blood) is the state when the number of red blood cells or amount of hemoglobin (oxygen carrying protein) in red blood cells is below normal.

Red blood cells contain hemoglobin that allows them to transport oxygen from the lungs and deliver it to all parts of the body.

Anemia causes the reduced number of red blood cells or amount of hemoglobin in red blood cells, so that blood can not transport oxygen in the required number of appropriate body.

Common causes of anemia:

*
o severe haemorrhage
o Acute (sudden)
o Accident
o Surgery
o Labor
o Broken blood vessels
o Chronic (chronic)
o bleeding nose
o piles (hemorrhoids)
o Peptic ulcer
o cancer or polyps in the digestive tract
o kidney or bladder tumors
o menstrual bleeding very much

* Decreased red blood cell formation
o Lack of iron
o Lack of vitamin B12
o Lack of folic acid
o Lack of vitamin C
o Chronic Disease

*
o The increased destruction of red blood cells
o Enlarged spleen
o mechanical damage on red blood cells
o Autoimmune reactions against red blood cells:
Paroxysmal nocturnal Hemoglobinuria
Sferositosis hereditary
Elliptositosis hereditary
o G6PD deficiency
o Sickle cell disease
o Hemoglobin C Disease
o S-hemoglobin C disease
o Hemoglobin E Disease
o Thalassemia
Symptom

The symptoms are caused by insufficient oxygen supply these needs, vary. Anemia can cause fatigue, weakness, lack of energy and my head was floating. If more severe anemia, can cause stroke or heart attack.

Tonsilektomi adalah operasi pengangkatan tonsil/mandel/amandel. Operasi ini merupakan operasi THT-KL yang paling sering dilakukan pada anak-anak. Para ahli belum sepenuhnya sependapat tentang indikasi tentang tonsilektomi, namun sebagian besar membagi alasan (indikasi) tonsilektomi menjadi:

1. Indikasi absolut
2. Indikasi relatif

posted by : gayuh

Radang Amandel (Tonsillitis) adalah infeksi pada amandel yang kadang-kadang mengakibatkan sakit tenggorokan dan demam.

Secara klinis peradangan ini ada yang akut (baru), ditandai dengan nyeri menelan (odinofagi), dan tidak jarang disertai demam. Sedangkan yang sudah menahun biasanya tidak nyeri menelan, tapi jika ukurannya cukup besar (hipertrofi) akan menyebabkan kesulitan menelan (disfagia)

Kapan amandel harus dibedah? Para ahli masih belum satu pendapat mengenai ini, namun umumnya literatur klinik membagi indikasi pembedahan radang amandel (tonsilektomi) atas 2 yaitu:

1. Absolut (mutlak: harus dibedah)
2. Relatif (tidak mutlak: sebaiknya dibedah)

Radang Amandel Akut

Penyebab Penyebab tersering radang amandel akut adalah streptokokus beta hemolitikus grup A. Bakteri lain yang juga dapat menyebabkan radang amandel akut adalah Haemophilus influenza dan bakteri dari golongan pneumokokus dan stafilokokus. Virus juga kadang-kadang ditemukan sebagai penyebab radang amandel akut.

Patologi Amandel meradang dan membengkak, terdapat bercak abu-abu atau kekuningan pada permukaannya, dan jika berkumpul maka terbentuklah membran. Bercak-bercak tersebut sesungguhnya adalah penumpukan leukosit, sel epitel yang mati, juga kuman-kuman baik yang hidup maupun yang sudah mati.

Gejala Keluhan pasien biasanya berupa nyeri tenggorokan, sakit menelan, dan kadang-kadang pasien tidak mau minum atau makan lewat mulut. Penderita tampak loyo dan mengeluh sakit pada otot dan persendian. Biasanya disertai demam tinggi dan napas yang berbau.

Pengobatan Sebaiknya pasien tirah baring. Cairan harus diberikan dalam jumlah yang cukup, serta makan makanan yang bergizi namun tidak terlalu padat dan merangsang tenggorokan. Analgetik diberikan untuk menurunkan demam dan mengurangi sakit kepala. Di pasaran banyak beredar analgetik (parasetamol) yang sudah dikombinasikan dengan kofein, yang berfungsi untuk menyegarkan badan.

Jika penyebab radang amandel adalah bakteri maka antibiotik harus diberikan. Obat pilihan adalah penisilin. Kadang-kadang juga digunakan eritromisin. Idealnya, jenis antibiotik yang diberikan sesuai dengan hasil biakan. Antibiotik diberikan antara 5 sampai 10 hari.

Jika melalui biakan diketahui bahwa sumber infeksi adalah Streptokokus beta hemolitikus grup A, terapi antibiotik harus digenapkan 10 hari untuk mencegah kemungkinan komplikasi nefritis dan penyakit jantung rematik. Kadang-kadang dibutuhkan suntikan benzatin penisilin 1,2 juta unit intramuskuler jika diperkirakan pengobatan orang tidak adekuat oks.

sumber : bung wiki

Alergi atau hipersensitivitas tipe I adalah kegagalan kekebalan tubuh di mana tubuh seseorang menjadi hipersensitif dalam bereaksi secara imunologi terhadap bahan-bahan yang umumnya imunogenik (antigenik)atau dikatakan orang yang bersangkutan bersifat atopik. Dengan kata lain, tubuh manusia berkasi berlebihan terhadap lingkungan atau bahan-bahan yang oleh tubuh dianggap asing dan berbahaya, padahal sebenarnya tidak untuk orang-orang yang tidak bersifat atopik. Bahan-bahan yang menyebabkan hipersensitivitas tersebut disebut alergen.

Alergi disebabkan oleh produksi antibodi berjenis IgE

sumber : bung wiki
posted by : gayuh

Virus adalah parasit berukuran mikroskopik yang menginfeksi sel organisme biologis. Virus hanya dapat bereproduksi di dalam material hidup dengan menginvasi dan memanfaatkan sel makhluk hidup karena virus tidak memiliki perlengkapan selular untuk bereproduksi sendiri. Dalam sel inang, virus merupakan parasit obligat dan di luar inangnya menjadi tak berdaya. Biasanya virus mengandung sejumlah kecil asam nukleat (DNA atau RNA, tetapi tidak kombinasi keduanya) yang diselubungi semacam bahan pelindung yang terdiri atas protein, lipid, glikoprotein, atau kombinasi ketiganya. Genom virus menyandi baik protein yang digunakan untuk memuat bahan genetik maupun protein yang dibutuhkan dalam daur hidupnya.

Istilah virus biasanya merujuk pada partikel-partikel yang menginfeksi sel-sel eukariota (organisme multisel dan banyak jenis organisme sel tunggal), sementara istilah bakteriofag atau fag digunakan untuk jenis yang menyerang jenis-jenis sel prokariota (bakteri dan organisme lain yang tidak berinti sel).

Virus sering diperdebatkan statusnya sebagai makhluk hidup karena ia tidak dapat menjalankan fungsi biologisnya secara bebas. Karena karakteristik khasnya ini virus selalu terasosiasi dengan penyakit tertentu, baik pada manusia (misalnya virus influenza dan HIV), hewan (misalnya virus flu burung), atau tanaman (misalnya virus mosaik tembakau/TMV).
sumber : bung wiki

Building Tracking URLs for Google Analytics

This tactic is not really new. In fact, it’s quite old by Internet and SEO standards (being a couple years now). Nevertheless, I see the problem of bad data flowing into Google analytics with enough regularity that I think this deserves some review.
Don’t Blindly Trust your Data

Too often, webmasters and even Internet marketers put too much trust into the data that their Google Analytics accounts are reporting; especially if they see traffic increasing.

For example, I recently ran across an account that looked like it just exploded with additional visits and revenue from organic sources.
sumber : seo.com

"One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman."

Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex (1949)

In nature, male and female are distinct. She-elephants are gregarious, he-elephants solitary. Male zebra finches are loquacious - the females mute. Female green spoon worms are 200,000 times larger than their male mates. These striking differences are biological - yet they lead to differentiation in social roles and skill acquisition.

Alan Pease, author of a book titled "Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps", believes that women are spatially-challenged compared to men. The British firm, Admiral Insurance, conducted a study of half a million claims. They found that "women were almost twice as likely as men to have a collision in a car park, 23 percent more likely to hit a stationary car, and 15 percent more likely to reverse into another vehicle" (Reuters).

Yet gender "differences" are often the outcomes of bad scholarship. Consider Admiral insurance's data. As Britain's Automobile Association (AA) correctly pointed out - women drivers tend to make more short journeys around towns and shopping centers and these involve frequent parking. Hence their ubiquity in certain kinds of claims. Regarding women's alleged spatial deficiency, in Britain, girls have been outperforming boys in scholastic aptitude tests - including geometry and maths - since 1988.

In an Op-Ed published by the New York Times on January 23, 2005, Olivia Judson cited this example

"Beliefs that men are intrinsically better at this or that have repeatedly led to discrimination and prejudice, and then they've been proved to be nonsense. Women were thought not to be world-class musicians. But when American symphony orchestras introduced blind auditions in the 1970's - the musician plays behind a screen so that his or her gender is invisible to those listening - the number of women offered jobs in professional orchestras increased. Similarly, in science, studies of the ways that grant applications are evaluated have shown that women are more likely to get financing when those reading the applications do not know the sex of the applicant."

On the other wing of the divide, Anthony Clare, a British psychiatrist and author of "On Men" wrote:

"At the beginning of the 21st century it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that men are in serious trouble. Throughout the world, developed and developing, antisocial behavior is essentially male. Violence, sexual abuse of children, illicit drug use, alcohol misuse, gambling, all are overwhelmingly male activities. The courts and prisons bulge with men. When it comes to aggression, delinquent behavior, risk taking and social mayhem, men win gold."

Men also mature later, die earlier, are more susceptible to infections and most types of cancer, are more likely to be dyslexic, to suffer from a host of mental health disorders, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and to commit suicide.

In her book, "Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Man", Susan Faludi describes a crisis of masculinity following the breakdown of manhood models and work and family structures in the last five decades. In the film "Boys don't Cry", a teenage girl binds her breasts and acts the male in a caricatural relish of stereotypes of virility. Being a man is merely a state of mind, the movie implies.

But what does it really mean to be a "male" or a "female"? Are gender identity and sexual preferences genetically determined? Can they be reduced to one's sex? Or are they amalgams of biological, social, and psychological factors in constant interaction? Are they immutable lifelong features or dynamically evolving frames of self-reference?

In the aforementioned New York Times Op-Ed, Olivia Judson opines:

"Many sex differences are not, therefore, the result of his having one gene while she has another. Rather, they are attributable to the way particular genes behave when they find themselves in him instead of her. The magnificent difference between male and female green spoon worms, for example, has nothing to do with their having different genes: each green spoon worm larva could go either way. Which sex it becomes depends on whether it meets a female during its first three weeks of life. If it meets a female, it becomes male and prepares to regurgitate; if it doesn't, it becomes female and settles into a crack on the sea floor."

Yet, certain traits attributed to one's sex are surely better accounted for by the demands of one's environment, by cultural factors, the process of socialization, gender roles, and what George Devereux called "ethnopsychiatry" in "Basic Problems of Ethnopsychiatry" (University of Chicago Press, 1980). He suggested to divide the unconscious into the id (the part that was always instinctual and unconscious) and the "ethnic unconscious" (repressed material that was once conscious). The latter is mostly molded by prevailing cultural mores and includes all our defense mechanisms and most of the superego.

So, how can we tell whether our sexual role is mostly in our blood or in our brains?

The scrutiny of borderline cases of human sexuality - notably the transgendered or intersexed - can yield clues as to the distribution and relative weights of biological, social, and psychological determinants of gender identity formation.

The results of a study conducted by Uwe Hartmann, Hinnerk Becker, and Claudia Rueffer-Hesse in 1997 and titled "Self and Gender: Narcissistic Pathology and Personality Factors in Gender Dysphoric Patients", published in the "International Journal of Transgenderism", "indicate significant psychopathological aspects and narcissistic dysregulation in a substantial proportion of patients." Are these "psychopathological aspects" merely reactions to underlying physiological realities and changes? Could social ostracism and labeling have induced them in the "patients"?

The authors conclude:

"The cumulative evidence of our study ... is consistent with the view that gender dysphoria is a disorder of the sense of self as has been proposed by Beitel (1985) or Pfäfflin (1993). The central problem in our patients is about identity and the self in general and the transsexual wish seems to be an attempt at reassuring and stabilizing the self-coherence which in turn can lead to a further destabilization if the self is already too fragile. In this view the body is instrumentalized to create a sense of identity and the splitting symbolized in the hiatus between the rejected body-self and other parts of the self is more between good and bad objects than between masculine and feminine."

Freud, Kraft-Ebbing, and Fliess suggested that we are all bisexual to a certain degree. As early as 1910, Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld argued, in Berlin, that absolute genders are "abstractions, invented extremes". The consensus today is that one's sexuality is, mostly, a psychological construct which reflects gender role orientation.

Joanne Meyerowitz, a professor of history at Indiana University and the editor of The Journal of American History observes, in her recently published tome, "How Sex Changed: A History of Transsexuality in the United States", that the very meaning of masculinity and femininity is in constant flux.

Transgender activists, says Meyerowitz, insist that gender and sexuality represent "distinct analytical categories". The New York Times wrote in its review of the book: "Some male-to-female transsexuals have sex with men and call themselves homosexuals. Some female-to-male transsexuals have sex with women and call themselves lesbians. Some transsexuals call themselves asexual."

So, it is all in the mind, you see.

This would be taking it too far. A large body of scientific evidence points to the genetic and biological underpinnings of sexual behavior and preferences.

The German science magazine, "Geo", reported recently that the males of the fruit fly "drosophila melanogaster" switched from heterosexuality to homosexuality as the temperature in the lab was increased from 19 to 30 degrees Celsius. They reverted to chasing females as it was lowered.

The brain structures of homosexual sheep are different to those of straight sheep, a study conducted recently by the Oregon Health & Science University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, Idaho, revealed. Similar differences were found between gay men and straight ones in 1995 in Holland and elsewhere. The preoptic area of the hypothalamus was larger in heterosexual men than in both homosexual men and straight women.

According an article, titled "When Sexual Development Goes Awry", by Suzanne Miller, published in the September 2000 issue of the "World and I", various medical conditions give rise to sexual ambiguity. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), involving excessive androgen production by the adrenal cortex, results in mixed genitalia. A person with the complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) has a vagina, external female genitalia and functioning, androgen-producing, testes - but no uterus or fallopian tubes.

Sweaters are highly visible clothing worn over other clothes, and embroidered sweaters are ideal for conveying your message. This message can be a company brand or the simple statement that the wearer is a dedicated fan of the England Rugby team.

The Sweater is a Catchall for Different Styles

Traditionally made from wool, sweaters were cold weather wear. These days, sweaters are also made from cotton, synthetics and blends. They are pulled over other items of dress, such as shirts and tops, and are also known as pullovers.

Covering the torso and arms, sweaters were ideal for sports played in cold environments, such as ice hockey, or for games during cold seasons.

Sweaters come in different styles - turtle neck, v-neck, crew neck; waistlines at varying heights; varying sleeve lengths; and differently styled hems. Embroidered sweaters can have the embroidery on sleeves or on the breast or can just consist of some tasteful lines across the front. You can choose an item that suits the conditions and your tastes.

Sweaters are also called pullovers, jumpers, jerseys and by other names, particularly in different countries. A cardigan has a front opening that sweaters lack. Sweaters made from cotton are known as sweatshirts. And sweaters with no sleeves are called vests.

Sweaters are easier to tailor, as they don't need elaborate devices for body fit. Being elastic items made from knitted fibers, sweaters adjust to body shape. However, the elasticity also means that you have to be more careful while washing a sweater.

Sweaters are maintained through washing and lint rolling.

Embroidered Sweaters and Rugby Tops

The high visibility of sweaters means that company logos and names will be visible on those times when a sweater is pulled over shirts and tops, hiding any embroidery on these items. Embroidered sweaters are thus better for conveying your messages in cold countries where they tend to be worn more frequently.

Embroidered rugby tops are for fans of the respective rugby teams. Sports fans like to identify themselves with their teams and rugby tops embroidered with team logos is a popular dress in countries where rugby is played.

Rugby shirt manufacturers produce embroidered rugby shirts that replicate famous rugby wear such as Test rugby shirts worn by cup winning teams at world cups. There are Australia Rugby shirt, Ireland Dry shirt, the short sleeve version of England away rugby shirt, and so on.

Conclusion

Sweaters are items of clothing worn over other upper wear like shirts and tops. Embroidered sweaters are highly visible items of clothing that can display their message when those on the shirts and tops are hidden.

Embroidered rugby tops are highly popular among fans of different rugby teams. There are rugby tops replicating the patterns of jerseys worn by different country teams and those worn on famous occasions such as a cup victory.

Let me let you in on a little secret. Wool is back (actually it never really left, as you'll see below). Wool has been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. It still is a major industry in a lot of countries around the world (Australia and New Zealand come to mind), and it's used in sweaters, socks and general fabrics. People have been wearing wool for style and warmth for generations. wool has come back into style in recent years and shows no sign of waning. Let's take a look at the top 3 reasons why wool is now as cool as ever.

1)Retro. Back in the 80s, everybody was into the wool look. The stuffed up L.L. Bean preppy style was "in" and any fan of the 80s teen flicks knows that it was the decade of the wool sweater. All those college films seemed to make their characters sport wool as mandatory attire.

2)Movie Stars. You may have noticed that some of your favorite celebrities have been wearing wool in recent photos. Much like the trucker hat phenomenon of a few years ago, wool sweaters have become cool again (they are in with the "in crowd") and you can see the trend setters wearing them. Movie stars and general celebrities often start trends which the rest of the population mimics. When its hot with the stars, it quickly becomes hot with the rest of the country (and often the world). Wool clearly is no exception.

3)It never really left. For a certain element of the population, notably skiiers and outdoors people, wool is a simple necessity of life. Wool socks can keep even the coldest of skiiers warm from frigid outside temperatures. Most of us don't think about this because more than ½ of us live in cities these days and the southern and southwestern cities have become huge population centers. After all, do most of us really want to live in the cold year round? Judging by the demographics and population shift, the answer is clearly no.

Wool is hear to stay. Learn all about wool and how to get a good deal on your next wool purchase: whatever it is.

early 30 years in the business of dealing Hummel collectibles, we're often asked about the history of the Hummel figurines and how they've become so treasured by collectors worldwide.

Whether you're a seasoned Hummel collector or someone who's just considering getting started, understanding the history of Hummel figurines will help you understand why these unique pieces have touched so many people with their beauty, simplicity and value.

Although Hummel figurines made their first mark on the world in 1935, their true history dates back to the year 1909, when a girl named Berta Hummel was born in the small town of Massing, Bavaria as one of six children.

A naturally-talented artist, at the age of 12, her parents recognized that her home schooling wasn't the best setting to fully develop her creative gifts, and she was sent to the Institute of English Sisters, Marienhoehe, about 20 miles away from her home.

While there, she was educated in a variety of artistic media as well as a host of other academic subjects. But upon graduation at the age of 18, it was determined that she needed further tutelage to ensure that her artistic talents were developed to their fullest potential. Consequently, she set out for Munich, a thriving center for art at the time.

Berta enrolled in the Academy of Applied Arts, where she continued to expand her education in the arts as well as other disciplines. However, despite this additional training, she never tired of her whimsical, precious drawings of children that would serve to inspire the most iconic figurines ever created.
Upon graduation at the top of her class in 1931, she decided to devote her life to God, and entered the Convent of Siessen which had been founded nearly 700 years earlier.

While there, she taught at St. Anna Girls' School in nearby Saulgau. Upon the completion of her novitiate, she became a full-fledged nun and took the name Maria Innocentia, dedicating the remainder of her life to serving God.

Within a few years, an enterprising and dedicated porcelain manufacturer named Franz Goebel approached Maria Innocentia and proposed a partnership. Her drawings were unlike any he'd ever seen, and he instinctively knew they would translate well into figurines that would ultimately become an instant success.

Promising her the utmost in quality control, adherence to her vision, and that all royalties would be returned to the convent, Herr Goebel signed an exclusive contract with Maria Innocentia for the manufacture and distribution of her work through his W. Goebel Porzellanfabrik firm.

Their contract was signed January 9th, 1935, and, following a successful showing at the 1935 Leipzig Spring Fair, the figurines were an even greater success than Goebel had originally imagined.

Sadly, the life of Maria Innocentia was cut all too short on November 6, 1946 when, at only age 37, she died of complications from tuberculosis. Although her life was over all too quickly, her legacy lived on, as it does to this day, through her beloved figurines that hearken back to her childhood days in the Bavarian countryside.
 

Traditionally, anyone with a house to sell in the U.K. would use an Estate Agent. As they were ranked 2nd in a Radio 4 poll of "least respected workers" (M.P.'s were 1st!), for many people they are seen as a necessary evil.

A small minority of people manage to sell their house privately by doing their own advertising and putting up their own For Sale board, but as their property does not appear in the Estate Agent's press adverts or websites, this is very much a hit and miss affair.

Even when a sale is secured, the legal system in England & Wales means that until contracts are exchanged – typically many weeks later – the sale can fall through. In fact one in three agreed sales do not complete, meaning that the sale process has to start all over again.

For anyone relocating or emigrating this is frustrating and annoying as plans have to be put on hold. For people with financial difficulties or in danger of having their house repossessed, it can be very serious indeed.

A realistic alternative to Estate Agents

At last there is an alternative to using an Estate Agent. Using a specialist property-buying company offers the speed and certainty lacking if selling on the open market through an Estate Agent.

Companies like A Quick Sale (http://www.aquicksale.co.uk ) are now offering a service that more and more people see as a better alternative than waiting and hoping for an elusive buyer. They will normally make an offer to buy a property within a few days, completing at a date to suit you, so that people can move on with their lives.

So, what's the catch? Well, the main one is that they will be looking to buy the property at a reduction from the open market value. How much of a reduction often depends on the type and size of property but is likely to be at least 10%.
The other thing to watch out for is that some of these companies charge an upfront valuation fee of several hundred pounds. Whilst this is usually refundable if you go ahead and sell to them, it is quite possible that their offer on your property will be unacceptable to you, leaving you out of pocket!

Questions to ask

If the speed and certainty of selling to a property-buying company appeals to you, what do you need to look out for?
Probably the first question to ask is – will it cost me anything to get an offer on my property? A national house buying company featured on Watchdog last year after many complaints fro people who had paid a valuation fee and then offered much less than their property was worth.
(see http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/reports/home/home_20051122_2.shtml)

You wouldn't expect to pay an Estate Agent for a valuation, so why pay these companies?

The next question most people need answering is – can I rely on this company? Can they fit around me? These companies should be asking you about your timescales and deadlines and tailoring a solution around these. Look carefully at their literature and website to see if they are flexible and offer a range of solutions. It is also a good idea to ask them for examples or testimonials from previous customers.

So, if you have a property to sell, before you call an Estate Agent, it might be worth checking out a couple of these companies who can offer you a quick sale.

Disclaimer:
All information contained in this article, is for general information purposes only and should not be construed as advice under the Financial Services Act 1986.

You are strongly advised to take appropriate professional and legal advice before entering into any binding contracts. 

In "On Networking Groups - Part One", I spoke briefly about the four types of networking groups. Now, let's take a look at a category of networking groups.

One category that most people are familiar with is the Chamber Of Commerce. Chambers serve a long standing role in the business community. It is a role of development and support. A Chamber Of Commerce can offer business both small and large with networking opportunities, training programs, legislative assistance and a host of other benefits. A Chamber Of Commerce can be a local, statewide, national, or international organization with separate memberships for each. If you belong to an area Chamber of Commerce, you do not belong to a state or national Chamber. Each plays their own role in the business community.

Some Chambers of Commerce take more of a role in the community to influence policy while others might focus more on business development. Most of them however have a wealth of information for the member that goes unused by most.

For example, let's say you have a business and you have a question about a city ordinance that relates to your business. Most often a Chamber of Commerce can provide you with the answer to your question. Each of them has a database of members that can often be accessed through some point. Usually computers are made available to members with databases that can be searched for information on other members.

When looking for networking opportunities within a Chamber Of Commerce, most people think only of leads groups or the common after hours. The reality is that any function hosted by a chamber of commerce holds opportunities for networking with other business owners and business leaders.

Chambers of Commerce generally have a yearly membership of several hundred dollars for an individual or company. There are various levels of membership that can be had. Most Chambers offer an executive level membership that includes exclusive meetings between a more elite level of business people. When looking for this type of prospect, you can often gain access to them by joining at this level. The problem you might have is actually paying for this level or attending the functions as they are provided
I and many other experts on networking recommend anyone who networks to be a member of several groups. This should include a Chamber of Commerce. Keep this in mind when considering a Chamber of Commerce. If you are involved in your community in other business networking organizations like the Rotary Club, a local Merchant's association, or smaller networking group, you might want to consider joining a Chamber of Commerce in another part of town. This will make you a part of that community as well and open the doors to increased prospects and opportunities.

In any event, you should always attend a Chamber of Commerce function in any area several times and find out what types of assistance they can offer for the growth of your type of business. Do not join any group just for the sake of joining a group. Find out what types of members attend the functions that are offered to determine the amount of exposure you will have to your target prospect.

When you attend a Chamber of Commerce meeting for the first time, look for the most popular person in the room, the one who everyone seems to want to talk to and get to know them first. This way you will make faster connections to the rest of the group. Often the leaders of the group can help you to get in the mix quicker.

Look for people who do what you do and analyze their strengths and weaknesses for opportunities to build alliances with them. If they have been a member for a long time, it is likely that they have most of the business in their industry at this point in time. It is hard to compete in such circumstances, so try an alliance before you bang your head against the wall trying to compete or just giving up.

Chambers of Commerce have been around for many years and there are all types, including minority and international. Be sure to visit many before deciding which to join and your membership dollars will serve you better.
 

A quick look inside today's fashion magazines reveals top designers showing off their animal instincts more and more. From runway to real life, wildlife prints are a fashion "must" and include everything from butterflies to zebra stripes.

In fact, most fashion experts say this season's hot styles are a mixture of bohemian and wild safari. Tiger and zebra prints, jungle patterns, and tunics with detailed embellishments are a must-have fashion look that anyone can wear. Here are some tips that will help you pull it off:

• Stylists say that wearing safari animal prints, especially leopard, is a great way to add a bold, fashionable edge to your wardrobe.

• If it's a transformation you're looking for, the butterfly motif is also taking flight in the fashion industry and can be seen on everything from shoes to hair clips, bags, tops and even gowns. Celebrities are catching on to the craze, as can be seen in the pages of beauty and fashion magazines.

•Butterflies have begun to flutter from fashion into other industries as well. Because butterflies symbolize freedom and the confidence that follows, some brands have selected it as an icon. Most recently, Stayfree® has incorporated a pretty butterfly logo to its fun, aqua-colored Dry Max packaging. So if you're looking for a way to energize your wardrobe, stylists say to incorporate a butterfly element-whether it's a handbag, top, scarf or pin.

• The animal trend reaches beyond leopards and butterflies. Fashionistas can expect to see a lot more clothes and accessories featuring animal elements in the coming months.

Other hot trends to keep an eye out for include snakeskin accessories and sleek, African-inspired separates, as well as real and fake fur adorning jackets, sweaters and more. Luxe fabrics like croc and shearling and even fox fur collars were all the rage at recent fashion shows and are expected to hit the racks in the coming months.

When it comes to fashion, it's a jungle out there. Remember, with these bold safari-style prints and accessories, be careful not to overdo it. Sometimes, less is more.

Season's hot styles-Jungle patterns are a must-have fashion look that anyone can wear.

Managed care organizations like health management organizations (HMO) and independent provider associations (IPA) are required to credential their providers, meaning they have to verify the medical provider's professional history. Because of the dispersed nature of managed care organizations and the resource requirements of the credentialing process, credentialing verification organizations (CVO) step in to provide these credentialing services.

Overview of Credentialing
The two major accrediting organizations for managed care organizations are the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and Utilization Review Accreditation Council (URAC) As part of their accreditation requirements, both URAC and NCQA require managed care organizations to credential their providers according to their published standards.

While it is less common for preferred provider organizations (PPO) to credential their practitioners, credentialing lowers risk and liability, while improving patient care. As an example of how important these standards can be for PPO quality, more than 10% of the organizations certified by NCQA are PPOs.

Credentialing verification requirements for both NCQA and URAC require that the work history, disciplinary actions, and malpractice claims history of the provider be checked for the previous five years, and then rechecked every three years. The additional areas that are verified are similar for both organizations, including the following information:

• Education and post-graduate training
• Hospital affiliations
• Board certifications
• State licenses
• DEA certificate
• Medicare/Medicaid sanctions
• Adverse actions in NPDB or HIPDB records

The above listed organizations must be contacted and verifying documents, such as copies of certificates, sent to the CVO. This information is used to create the credentialing report that the CVO submits to the managed care group's review committee.

The type of information that the CVO collects can be modified to meet the needs of the managed care group. For instance, if a PPO wants to verify that a physician has the appropriate licenses and malpractice insurance, but does not need to comply with URAC or NCQA standards for accreditation, a CVO will adapt the credentialing process to find that information.
Selecting a Good CVO
Managed care organizations have long depended on CVOs to provide credentialing services because CVOs tend to be faster and less expensive than credentialing in-house. Using CVOs help reduce staff time and training for managed care groups, as well as lowering their liability and lessening the risk of penalties for errors during NCQA/URAC audits. CVOs not only credential physicians, but all types of medical personnel, such as midwives, respiratory therapists, nurses, and physical therapists.

There are certain characteristics that can help distinguish a good CVO:

• CVOs should adapt their credentialing criteria to accommodate the managed care group's needs, such as verifications with fewer criteria than NCQA/URAC standards for PPOs or adding verification criteria for other managed care groups.
• The CVO should be certified by either NCQA or URAC, preferably both, which means the CVO complies with the accrediting organization's practices and standards.
• The completed reports, with no unverified data, and supporting documentation should be complete and available on file.
• Turnaround time should be within industry averages; for NCQA/URAC standard credentialing, this is about 30 days.
• Any problems with a provider should be brought quickly to the managed care organization's review committee.
• The CVO should offer extra services, such as tracking expirables like license renewals and recredentialing deadlines, and support through routine NCQA/URAC compliance audits.
• The CVO should have solid customer service practices, including a single, named CVO representative; customer satisfaction and quality assurance practices; and a quick response time to questions.

CVOs offer better turnaround time, lower overhead and expense, reduced staff time, and lowered liability to managed care groups. Even groups, like PPOs, which are not required to meet NCQA/URAC standards for accreditation still benefit by making better provider choices, meaning improved patient care and liability, by credentialing their providers through a CVO.

If you own a fine leather jacket then you've probably drawn a few looks here and there because of the style. Unfortunately over time, even a great leather jacket can turn ugly on you if it isn't properly maintained.

Prevention is Your Best Option

When you first bring your leather jacket home, you want to condition and waterproof it. After that, proper care will keep it looking fabulous for years. In fact, did you know that with proper care, leather out wears denim 20 to 1? I've heard stories where a good quality, well maintained leather jacket can last as long as 50 years!

Find out everything you can about your leather jacket, get the right stuff and set aside time for mandatory cleaning. If you don't do it yourself, then pay a pro to clean your leather jacket for you. You can thank me later for that tip!

Leather Jacket Repair

How can you repair the sleeves on your leather jacket when the edges are cracking, without making the leather weak or super soft?

If you have any loose edges, you can actually tack them up with a small dab of rubber cement which is sold at most grocery or retail stores. If the edges are not torn but just starting to look rough, one of the best options is for you to use a combination of mink oil and beeswax.

Typically this concoction is sold as paste, making it easy to apply. While it helps to improve those rough spots, it does soften but not too much. This combination will also help preserve the leather and prevent stains.
Leather Jacket Maintainence and Restoration

One of the top products you can buy for your leather jacket is called Lexol. This brand is excellent for restoring worn leather, bringing it back to its natural state. Another professional cleaner/conditioner is called Fiebing's All Purpose Leather Cleaner and Conditioner. It too helps restore leather that is worn while also helping to prevent water spots, stains, and even cracking.

Another great product that does it all, conditions, waterproofs, preserves, softens, and restores leather is called Snow-Proof. This product has no color or odor and is excellent on leather jackets as well as boots and shoes. Best of all, it will not leave a greasy feel.

Carnauba Cream will also help to restore and smooth out your leather jacket. It helps to resist scratches and finger prints and does a great job of restoration. One other product you should investigate is called Leather Balm with Atom Wax. This particular product was formulated specifically for leather to help with preserving and restoring. It also helps produce a nice soft, natural finish.

I suggest doing some research on these products before settling on one. Type the product name into a search engine and read up on their different properties. Prices and results will vary depending on the application.

Some would-be writers think they can dash off an article without bothering to learn the basic rules of grammar. But just as any craftsperson spends time honing his skills to make the perfect piece of craft, so must a writer work hard to present an article that will be a pleasure to read and not shame him for its sloppy grammar and punctuation. True, some errors are typos, but doesn't that reflect a certain laziness on the author's part? An article should be closely examined for typos before it is sent off or uploaded.

Don't trust your spell checker. No automated spell-checker can alert you to every error. Whose and who's, lose and loose, quiet and quite, its and it's are all legitimate words, so there will be no red line under them. Spell-checkers are not clever enough yet to tell which one you meant to use. And if the error is not due to a typo, it means you need to keep a dictionary on hand to check anything you are uncertain of.

Remember that when a word ends in " 's" it means there is a letter missing. "It's" means "it is". If you are unsure which one you should be using, try saying the sentence both ways.

For instance…

" It's a good day today/ It is a good day today". The latter example makes perfect sense, so it is okay to use "it's".

But….

"Here is a rabbit. Its burrow is over there."

Does, "It is burrow is over there", make sense? No.

Of course if you said, "The rabbit's burrow is over there," then the apostrophe denotes possession (and only one rabbit), not a missing letter.

"The rabbits burrow is over there," (with no apostrophe) means there are several rabbits.

And just for the record, "loose" means not tight, while "lose" means you've lost it.
"Who's" is short for "who is", but "whose" is the possessive form of "who" (as in "Whose is that car?")
"Quiet" means "hush", while "quite" is an adverb (which should usually be left out).

"I felt quite silly," sounds better as, "I felt silly".

"I felt like an idiot," may be even better. Sometimes rules of grammar get in the way of good writing. If this is the case they can and should be broken, otherwise your writing will become pedantic and even mechanical. One such rule is that a sentence should not begin with a conjunction. Both "and" and "but" can certainly be used to begin a sentence, or even a paragraph, but not to end one. Using either of these conjunctions to start a sentence can be a natural transition to carry the reader forward.

A rule of style tells us to never use the same word twice in a sentence, but if you have to search for several other clumsy substitutes to do the job, then please repeat. Repetition of someone's name is a little different. It can easily be replaced with "he" or "she" as the sentence progresses.

A persistent myth masquerading as a rule tells us not to end a sentence with a preposition. Winston Churchill is supposed to have made fun of this by stating, "This is the sort of English up with which I will not put." Of course a sentence may end with a preposition. A good rule is to write the way you speak. But unless you have grown up speaking English, ignore this rule too.

A few more pointers…

· When writing an article, watch that you don't repeat information unnecessarily. Even if you use different wording, it still gives the reader the impression that you think he was too dumb to get it the first time.

· Use short sentences more than long ones, but do vary the length.

· Break up the text by using bullet points, or asking a question. Why? It will add interest and prevent your reader falling asleep – or simply turning the page.

· Use short paragraphs too. This will make the job of reading it all seem much easier. In this fast-paced world readers are mostly in a hurry. If they come to a huge block of text with no white space, they'll usually skip most of it.

If you keep these tips in mind, your articles will keep both editors and readers happy.

Writing articles is possibly the best way to generated free traffic to your site. A short article, submitted to a few places, creates permanent streams of traffic. Here are some of the ways articles bring traffic to your website:

1. Click-throughs from article banks. People read your articles at an article bank, and click on the link in the "author's resource box."

2. Search engine traffic. Search "cheap international plane tickets" on Google, and sites with my article will be in the results. Wherever the article is found, readers can click through to my travel site.

3. Other web sites. When my reports show a referral address I don't recognize, it's usually a web site that's using one of my articles.

Article Submission - The Basics

Submit your articles to article banks and newsletters. Article banks usually carry "free-distribution "articles, meaning anyone can use them for a site, newsletter or blog. They just can't change them, and they have to leave your link active. The link is in the "resource box," where you say something about yourself and invite the reader to visit your web site.

Post an article once, and it can spread, creating permanent streams of traffic. Why permanent? Here's an example: I get search traffic for "mexico real estate" on my site HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com because of an article I used. The author gets clicks through to her site, but I get traffic - and revenue - so I'll never remove that article.

The Easiest Article Writing

Article writing isn't just for writers. Online articles are short and less formal than magazine articles anyhow, but if you really don't like writing, try a "list-article." This is the most popular type of article online, which is fortunate, because it's also the easiest type to write.

For a site about making money on Ebay, you could write an article titled "The Top Ten Sellers On Ebay." A short introduction, a list with a sentence or two about each item, a bit about yourself and a link to your site, and you're done. Write "Six Mistakes People Make On Ebay," and we need to read that to avoid the mistakes, right?

Some article banks charge fees, but there are many that are free. There are also more ways to generate traffic with your articles. That's this article's "tease" to get you to the site.