Menkes syndrome is an inborn error of metabolism in which cells in the body cannot absorb enough copper. Copper added at oddly low levels in the liver and brain, but at elevated than normal levels in the kidney and intestinal lining. The disorder causes severe cerebral degeneration and arterial changes, resulting in death in infancy. The disease can often be diagnosed by looking at a victim’s hair, which appears to be both whitish and kinked when viewed under a microscope. There is often extensive neurodegeneration in the gray matter of the brain. Menkes’ disease is transmitted as an X-linked recessive trait.

A condition is considered X-linked if the transformed gene that causes the disorder is sited on the X chromosome, one of the two sex chromosomes. In males, one altered copy of the gene in each cell is enough to cause the condition. In females, a mutation must be present in both copies of the gene to cause the disorder. Males are affected by X-linked recessive disorders much more frequently than females. A number of other diseases, including type IX Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, may be the result of allelic mutations and it is hoped that research into these diseases may prove useful in fighting Menkes’ disease. About 1 in 300,000 individuals are affected.

About one-third of cases results from new mutations in the gene and occurs in people with no history of the disorder in their family. Menkes syndrome is characterized by thin and coarse hair, growth failure, and deterioration of the nervous system. Extra signs and symptoms comprise weak muscle tone, sagging facial features, seizures, mental retardation, and developmental delay. In rare cases, symptoms begin later in childhood and are less severe. Symptoms appear during infancy and are largely a result of abnormal intestinal copper absorption with secondary deficiency in copper-dependent mitochonrial enzymes.

Normal or faintly slowed development may proceed for 2 to 3 months, and then there will be severe developmental delay and a loss of premature developmental skills. Menkes syndrome affected children may be born prematurely, but appear healthy at birth and develop normally for 6 to 8 weeks. Treatment usually only helps when started very early in the course of the disease. Treatment with daily copper injections may improve the outcome in Menkes disease if it begins within days after birth. Other treatment is symptomatic and supportive. See a genetic counselor if you want to have children and you have a family history of Menkes syndrome.

Oftentimes we’re receiving prank calls at home, work or even on our mobile phone and sometimes we got their phone number if we have caller ID installed. It’s just natural that we want to find information on people behind those numbers calling us.

Reverse Phone Number Look Up – The Way to Go for Quick and Reliable Results

Due to latest breakthroughs and advancements in technologies and the internet, finding the owner of the number is now quite a very simple task. You can just get online, search for reverse phone number look up service providers and do a phone reverse look up search for just a small fee. They also offer free reverse phone lookup but the result is limited and just the basic information.

As long as you have the area code and the seven digit number, you should be able to locate any number’s owner, if you know where to look. There are lots of competing service providers online so always do your due diligence first to avoid getting scammed.

When you’ve chosen the right provider you want to utilize, all you have to do is enter the entire number and the area code and hit “Search” button which is common to all reverse lookup service providers websites. If the phone number you’ve got is a published land line number, you should obtain all the information you need, including the owner’s name and the entire residential address.

But how about if the number is from a cell phone number? That’s the problem you might run into since there is no central database of cell phone numbers. Free reverse phone directories cannot return information on those numbers. You also won’t be able to get information on land line numbers that are unlisted or non-published.

So if you’re indeed serious to find information on people through reverse phone number look up, don’t hesitate to pay a small amount of fee because you’ll definitely get what you need and included in your membership is an unlimited search for just a one time payment.

Building Information Modeling or BIM is the latest buzzword in construction industry worldwide. It has been flaunted on the front page of construction magazines; more seminars are being arranged throughout year and many companies are involved in developing products/tools around BIM. So, what is BIM? Why it so popular and what lies there in it for architects and builders?

What is BIM?

Well known industry analyst Jerry Laiserin briefs the BIM process as follows – “Building Information Modeling or BIM is a digital representation of the building process to facilitate exchange and interoperability of information in digital format.”

So, BIM is a process of demonstrating both graphical and non-graphical aspects of the full building life cycle and creating a single repository of design and construction documents, specifications and schedules. BIM process generates 3D Model encompassing geometric and geographic information of the building and properties of its components. Bentley, ArchiCAD and Revit are the popular CADD software used to generate standard 3D BIM models.

3D/4D Building Information Model

Team members equipped with desktop PCs are networked together and contain BIM 3D modeling tools with field-specific files and a master file. A 3D model is relatively easy for all members to understand and visualize. Drawing or fabrication job can be coordinated remotely using affordable web conferencing applications such as Webex enabling team to virtually “walk through” during the construction process. In 4D modeling you have an added fourth element of time with 3D model providing better control on project schedules and activities.

What are the benefits of BIM?

Since each and every detail related to building construction is at one place and viewed by all team members design performance increases significantly. For example, the structural engineer can consult immediately with the architect regarding energy consumption strategies pertaining to structure insulation and heating. In this way BIM Model facilitates much improved coordination and collaboration among design and construction team and reduces information loss associated with project management. This helps in saving both costs and construction time and potentially benefit all the stake-holders of construction process including designers, structural engineers and contractors.