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AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, "Acquired" means you can get infected with it, "Immune Deficiency" means a weakness in the body's system that fights diseases and "Syndrome" means a group of health problems that make up a disease. AIDS is caused by a virus called HIV, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. People who have the HIV antibodies are called "HIV-Positive." Being HIV-positive, or having HIV disease, is not the same as having AIDS. Many people are HIV-positive but don't get sick for many years. As HIV disease continues, it slowly wears down the immune system. Viruses, parasites, fungi and bacteria that usually don't cause any problems can make you very sick if your immune system is damaged. These are called "opportunistic infections."

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Most of us have faced minor back problems at one time or another. For example, we often experience an increase in lower back pain when bending, walking, sitting, or standing too long in one position. Back pain is extremely common - about eight in 10 people in the UK are affected at some time in their lives. To begin on the positive side, patients must understand that most episodes of back pain resolve, and usually within a few weeks. Unfortunately, back pain can be among the most difficult and frustrating problems for patients and their doctors. Back pain can affect anyone at any age, but it's most common in people between the ages of 35 and 55.

Causes of Back Pain: You're more likely to develop simple back pain if you:

• Stand, sit or bend down for long periods
• Muscle strains are the most common cause of low back pain.
• Spinal stenosis causes back pain in the aging population. As we age, the spinal canal can become constricted, due in part to arthritis and other conditions.
• Lift, carry, push or pull loads that are too heavy, or if you go about these tasks in the wrong way
• Have a trip or a fall
• Are stressed or anxious
• Are overweight

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Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a brain development disorder that impairs social interaction and communication and causes restricted and repetitive behavior, all starting before a child is three years old. Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests. Other ASDs include Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS).

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Down syndrome (DS), also called Trisomy 21, is a combination of physical abnormalities and mental retardation characterized by a genetic defect in chromosome pair 21. Down syndrome is the most common cause of mental retardation and malformation in a newborn. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British doctor who described the syndrome back in 1866.

The cause of Down syndrome was then discovered in 1959. Down syndrome is relatively well known, with distinctive characteristics such as mental retardation, distinguishing facial features, and other traits. In the United States, Down syndrome occurs in 1 in 800 live births, and approximately 6000 children are born with Down syndrome each year. About 85% of infants with Down syndrome survive 1 year, and 50% of people with Down syndrome live longer than 50 years.

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