Story That Makes No Sense Free Essays

I’m in big trouble. I can feel it. I don’t exactly know what I did or what I am running from, but I keep on running. We will write a custom essay sample on Story That Makes No Sense or any similar topic only for you Order Now I ran without stopping. I don’t know what is giving me this unlimited energy to run without stopping but I know if I stop, I will be in trouble. I see all these big columns and high vault ceiling as I run. Where am I? I don’t know. If this was any normal, ordinary day, I probably would like to take a slow walk and enjoy all these grand architecture elements. However, I don’t know how I know this, but if I stop I will be in big trouble. I heard a loud noise behind me and I look back. I see a giant clown running, chasing me. He is calling my name while chasing after me. The clown is holding something. While I am busying looking at the running clown, I didn’t notice there is a pole right in front of me. I bang right into it. My head is spinning and I pass out. When I wake up, I am back on my bed. It was the weirdest dream that I ever had. As I walk out of my bed toward the door, it seems like everything slows down. Moreover, as I try to crab the doorknob it seems to get further and further away from me. Everything is in slow motion, and then I decide to jump for the doorknob with the slightest of luck. Luckily, I grab on to it and quickly open the door. I run out the room but everything seems different. I could see object floating on the air. It’s weird. It is like I am in outer space. I quickly close the door behind me and jump out the window. Then I see a strange man approach me. He is wearing all black but he is too far away for me to recognize anything else. However, as he approaches closer to me, I could see there is blood trooping down his sleeves. Suddenly, my body shivers. I try my harder to pull myself together and run. That scary man is chasing after me. I run and run. While I am running, I stop on the way to pick up laundries. I always like to keep my clothes clean and in perfect condition. The man in black is still chasing after me. Then I think of an idea when I see the lady sitting outside selling fruits. I pay her with money then take the fruits throw it at the scary man. Out of nowhere, he pulls out a sword and starts to cut up all the fruits that I threw at him. Nothing seems to stop him, therefore, I continue to run. As I run, I see my life splashing back on my mind, all the good and bad times. At that moment, I didn’t want to run anymore. I turn around and scream out to the bloody man: â€Å"What do you want from me? † He answers: â€Å"I have come to take you with me, where you belong. † I didn’t like his answer and it makes no absolute sense to me. This time, I see a police station right in front of my eyes. I know in there will have the things that I need to protect myself. I spin fast toward it and I closer I get, I saw a lot of policemen pointing guns at me. I hesitate for a moment then I hear one of them scream at me: â€Å" Come quick! We wont hurt you! † As I turn my head around, I see hundreds of zombies trying to infest the station. How to cite Story That Makes No Sense, Essay examples

Social stratification and social class free essay sample

Today,stratification, a system by which society ranks its members in a hierarchy, is the norm throughout the world. All societies stratify their members. A stratifiedsociety is one in which there is an unequal distribution of society’s rewards and in which people are arranged hierarchically into layers according to how much of society’s rewards they possess. Historical Stratification Systems Slavery is a system of stratification in which one person owns another, as he or she would own property, and exploits the slave’s labor for economic gain. Slaves are one of the lowest categories in any stratification system, as they possess virtually no power or wealth of their own. Slavery’s Global History Many Americans view slavery as a phenomenon that began with the colonization of the New World and ended with the Civil War, but slavery has existed for a very long time. Slavery appears in the Old Testament of the Bible, as well as in the Qur’an. It was common practice in ancient Greece and Rome . The Causes of Slavery A common assumption about slavery is that it is generally based on racism. Though racism was the primary cause of slavery in the United States, it was not the main reason that people in other areas were enslaved. Reasons for slavery include debt, crime, war, and beliefs of inherent superiority. Debt: Individuals who could not pay their way out of debt sometimes had to literally sell themselves. If a slave’s debt was not paid off before his or her death, the debt was often passed down to his or her children, enslaving several generations of the same family. Crime: Families against whom a crime had been committed might enslave members of the perpetrator’s family as compensation. Prisoners of war: Slaves were often taken during wartime, or when a new territory was being invaded. When Rome was colonizing much of the known world approximately 2,000 years ago, it routinely took slaves from the lands it conquered. Beliefs of inherent superiority: Some people believe that they have a right to enslave those who they believe are inherently inferior to them. Slavery in the United States Slavery in the United States was unique for several reasons. First, it had a fairly equal male-to-female ratio. Slaves also lived longer than in other regions. They often reproduced, and their children were born into slavery. In other countries, slavery was not permanent or hereditary. Once slaves paid off their debts, they were set free. In the United States, slaves were rarely freed before the Civil War. The Estate System An ancient stratification system that no longer exists today was the estate system, a three-tiered system composed of the nobility, the clergy, and the commoners. During the Middle Ages, much of Europe was organized under this system. Nobility Members of the nobility had great inherited wealth and did little or no discernible work. They occupied themselves in what we would term leisure pursuits, such as hunting or riding. Others cultivated interests in cultural pursuits, such as art and music. To ensure that their inherited wealth passed smoothly from one generation to the next without being dispersed to members of the extended family, the nobility of the Middle Ages practiced the law of primogeniture. The word primogeniture comes from Latin and means â€Å"first born. † The nobility’s law of primogeniture stipulated that only a first-born son could inherit his father’s wealth. Members of this stratum developed an ideology to justify their privileged positions, the divine right of kings, which posited that the authority of the king comes directly from God. The king delegated authority to the nobles. Because the king and the nobles were God’s representatives, they had to be obeyed. Clergy The eldest son was guaranteed a healthy income upon the death of his father, but other sons had to find their own means of income. Few, if any, were trained for work, so many became members of the Roman Catholic clergy, a body of religious officials. The clergy was very powerful in European society in the Middle Ages, and membership offered long-term job security and a comfortable living. The higher up the ladder a priest went, the more power he had over the masses. Commoners The third tier of the estate system consisted of the masses of people known as thecommoners. They spent their lives engaged in hard physical labor, with virtually no chance of moving up in society. Indentured Servitude Some commoners, searching for a way out of their situation, found it by agreeing to indentured servitude, in which one individual agrees to sell his or her body or labor to another for a specified period of time. Once the time period is over, the individual may leave. Indentured servitude differs from slavery in that the individual chooses to enter into the agreement, while slaves have no say in deciding the course of their lives. In today’s world, three main systems of stratification remain: slavery, a caste system, and a class system. Slavery Slavery still exists today. As many as 400 million people live under conditions that qualify as slavery, despite laws prohibiting it. In Mauritania, the Sudan, Ghana, and Benin, slavery exists much as it did 800 years ago. In other parts of the world, including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, debt slavery is common. Sex slavery, the forcing of girls into prostitution, is prevalent in Asia. Caste System A caste system is a social system based on ascribed statuses, which are traits or characteristics that people possess as a result of their birth. Ascribed statuses can include race, gender, nationality, body type, and age. A caste system ranks people rigidly. No matter what a person does, he or she cannot change castes. People often try to compensate for ascribed statuses by changing their nationality, lying about their age, or undergoing plastic surgery to alter their body type. In some societies, this strategy works; in others, it does not. India’s Caste System The Indian government officially outlawed the caste system in 1949, but vestiges of it remain today. The system originated with the Hindu religion, which subscribes to the concept of reincarnation, the belief that while the physical body dies, the soul of a person is immortal and goes on to be reborn into another body. People who are good in their current life will come back to improved circumstances in the next life, but if they are evil, they will be punished in the next one. Therefore, those who are poor or ill are suffering punishment for having done something wrong in a past life. One should not interfere in the life of another person because that individual’s circumstances are the result of what he or she has done in a previous incarnation. Some might view reincarnation as religious tradition. Others might view it asideology, a set of values that people devise to rationalize a particular social custom. In the case of the caste system, the custom being rationalized is inequality. If an individual is poor, for example, blaming his or her circumstances on what he or she did in a past life absolves others in the society of the responsibility for providing any assistance. Ideology also attempts to explain why some are in positions of wealth and power. Hindu tradition would say that the wealthy and powerful are being rewarded for what they did in a past life, and therefore they deserve every privilege they have. The Five Castes The Indian caste system has existed for about 3,000 years. There were four original castes, and one caste so low that it was not even considered to be part of the caste system: 1. The Brahman caste usually consisted of priests or scholars and enjoyed a great deal of prestige and wealth. 2. The Kshatriya caste, or warrior caste, was composed of those who distinguished themselves in military service. 3. The Vaishva caste comprised two sets of people—business-people and skilled craftspeople. 4. The Shudra caste consisted of those who made their living doing manual labor. 5. The Harijan, Dalit, or Untouchable caste was thought to comprise only inferior people who were so repulsive that an individual who accidentally touched one would have to engage in extensive ritual ablutions to rid himself or herself of the contamination. There is no social movement in a caste system. An individual born into the Harijan caste cannot change his or her fate. Nor can someone be demoted to a lower caste; the caste into which a person is born is the caste he or she will have for life. Castes and Work Caste dictates the type of work an individual is allowed to do. Members of the Shudra caste, for example, are relegated to performing hard physical work regardless of their skill, intelligence, or ambition. Those born into the Brahman caste must attend university or become a member of the clergy, even though they may show no interest or aptitude toward that end. Castes and Marriage In a true caste system, societies practice endogamy, or marriage within one’s own group or caste, with marriage between castes strictly forbidden. Traditionally, love is not used as a basis for marriage in a caste system. Rather, parents arrange marriages, sometimes when the future bride and groom are still children. The Indian concept of marriage is that while love is wonderful, it is neither a necessary nor desirable condition of marriage. If the couple is considered compatible in terms of major demographic variables, then the marriage is considered appropriate. Caste is one of the important variables, along with religion and educational level. Modern India’s caste system has many more than the original five castes. Because the distinctions between these numerous castes have blurred over time, some people marry outside their caste. In general, however, caste is still considered an important determinant of whom one will marry. When people do marry outside of their caste, they are likely to marry someone whose caste is only a few levels away from their own. Castes and Socializing One’s caste also determines social contact. Friendships, and relationships in general, are rare among members of different castes. They neither live nor work near each other and rarely have any contact with one another. South Africa’s Apartheid System The apartheid system of South Africa is another example of a caste system. The term apartheid refers to the total separation of the races. White Europeans colonized South Africa starting in the seventeenth century, and the area remained part of the British Empire until its independence in 1961. The policy of apartheid, introduced in 1948, relegated black people to a caste far below that of whites. Black people could not vote, receive an education, or mix with whites in any way. The work of Nelson Mandela and others who fought for black equality have made apartheid illegal in South Africa, but, like the caste system in India, some prejudice and discrimination remain. Class System In a class system, an individual’s place in the social system is based on achieved statuses, which are statuses that we either earn or choose and that are not subject to where or to whom we were born. Those born within a class system can choose their educational level, careers, and spouses. Social mobility, or movement up or down the social hierarchy, is a major characteristic of the class system. Social class (attributes, categories). For centuries, sociologists have analyzed social stratification, its root causes, and its effects on society. Theorists Karl Marx and Max Weber disagreed about the nature of class, in particular. Other sociologists applied traditional frameworks to stratification. Karl Marx based his conflict theory on the idea that modern society has only two classes of people: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie are the owners of the means of production: the factories, businesses, and equipment needed to produce wealth. The proletariat are the workers. According to Marx, the bourgeoisie in capitalist societies exploit workers. The owners pay them enough to afford food and a place to live, and the workers, who do not realize they are being exploited, have a false consciousness, or a mistaken sense, that they are well off. They think they can count on their capitalist bosses to do what was best for them. Marx foresaw a workers’ revolution. As the rich grew richer, Marx hypothesized that workers would develop a true class consciousness, or a sense of shared identity based on their common experience of exploitation by the bourgeoisie. The workers would unite and rise up in a global revolution. Once the dust settled after the revolution, the workers would then own the means of production, and the world would become communist. No one stratum would control the access to wealth. Everything would be owned equally by everyone. Marx’s vision did not come true. As societies modernized and grew larger, the working classes became more educated, acquiring specific job skills and achieving the kind of financial well-being that Marx never thought possible. Instead of increased exploitation, they came under the protection of unions and labor laws. Skilled factory workers and tradespeople eventually began to earn salaries that were similar to, or in some instances greater than, their middle-class counterparts. Max Weber took issue with Marx’s seemingly simplistic view of stratification. Weber argued that owning property, such as factories or equipment, is only part of what determines a person’s social class. Social class for Weber included power and prestige, in addition to property or wealth. People who run corporations without owning them still benefit from increased production and greater profits. Prestige and Property Weber argued that property can bring prestige, since people tend to hold rich people in high regard. Prestige can also come from other sources, such as athletic or intellectual ability. In those instances, prestige can lead to property, if people are willing to pay for access to prestige. For Weber, wealth and prestige are intertwined. Power and Wealth Weber believed that social class is also a result of power, which is merely the ability of an individual to get his or her way, despite opposition. Wealthy people tend to be more powerful than poor people, and power can come from an individual’s prestige. Sociologists still consider social class to be a grouping of people with similar levels of wealth, prestige, and power. Davis and Moore: The Functionalist Perspective Sociologists Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore believed that stratification serves an important function in society. In any society, a number of tasks must be accomplished. Some tasks, such as cleaning streets or serving coffee in a restaurant, are relatively simple. Other tasks, such as performing brain surgery or designing skyscrapers, are complicated and require more intelligence and training than the simple tasks. Those who perform the difficult tasks are therefore entitled to more power, prestige, and money. Davis and Moore believed that an unequal distribution of society’s rewards is necessary to encourage people to take on the more complicated and important work that required many years of training. They believed that the rewards attached to a particular job reflect its importance to society. Melvin Tumin Sociologist Melvin Tumin took issue with Davis and Moore’s theory. He disagreed with their assumption that the relative importance of a particular job can always be measured by how much money or prestige is given to the people who performed those jobs. That assumption made identifying important jobs difficult. Were the jobs inherently important, or were they important because people received great rewards to perform them? If society worked the way Davis and Moore had envisioned, Tumin argued, all societies would be meritocracies, systems of stratification in which positions are given according to individual merit. Ability would determine who goes to college and what jobs someone holds. Instead, Tumin found that gender and the income of an individual’s family were more important predictors than ability or what type of work an individual would do. Men are typically placed in a higher social stratification than women, regardless of ability. A family with more money can afford to send its children to college. As college graduates, these children are more likely to assume high-paying, prestigious jobs. Conversely, people born into poverty are more likely to drop out of school and work low-paying jobs in order to survive, thereby shutting them off from the kinds of positions that are associated with wealth, power, and prestige. 3. Elite theory (value, altimetry approach). Elite theory developed in part as a reaction to Marxism. It rejected the Marxian idea that a classless society having an egalitarian structure could be realized after class struggle in every society. It regards Marxism as an ideology rather than an objective analysis of social systems. According to Elite theory man can never be liberated from the subjugation of an elite structure. The term Elite refers to those who excel. The classical elite theorists identify the governing elite in terms of superior personal qualities of those who exercise power. However later versions of elite theory places less emphasis on the personal qualities of the powerful and more on the institutional framework of the society. They argued that the hierarchical organization of social institutions allows a minority to monopolize power. Another criticism of the elite theories against the Marxian view of distribution of power is that the ruling class too large and amorphous a group to be able to effectively wield power. In their view power is always exercised by a small cohesive group of the elite. Elite theory argues that all societies are divided into two main groups a ruling minority and the ruled. This situation is inevitable. If the proletarian revolution occurs it will merely result in the replacement of one ruling elite by another. Classical elite theory was propounded by Pareto and Mosca. Social mobility (vertical, horizontal) Social Mobility Individuals are recognized in society through the statuses they occupy and the roles they enact. The society as well as individuals is dynamic. Men are normally engaged in endless endeavor to enhance their statuses in society, move from lower position to higher position, secure superior job from an inferior one. For various reasons people of the higher status and position may be forced to come down to a lower status and position. Thus people in society continue to move up and down the status scale. This movement is called social mobility. The study of social mobility is an important aspect of social stratification. Infact it is an inseparable aspect of social stratification system because the nature, form, range and degree of social mobility depends on the very nature of stratification system. Stratification system refers to the process of placing individuals in different layers or strata. According to Wallace and Wallace social mobility is the movement of a person or persons from one social status to another. W.P Scott has defined sociology as the movement of an individual or group from one social class or social stratum to another. Types of Social Mobility Horizontal And Vertical Social Mobility A distinction is made between horizontal and vertical social mobility. The former refers to change of occupational position or role of an individual or a group without involving any change in its position in the social hierarchy, the latter refers essentially to changes in the position of an individual or a group along the social hierarchy. When a rural laborer comes to the city and becomes an industrial worker or a manager takes a position in another company there are no significant changes in their position in the hierarchy. Those are the examples of horizontal mobility. Horizontal mobility is a change in position without the change in statue. It indicates a change in position within the range of the same status. It is a movement from one status to its equalivalent. But if an industrial worker becomes a businessman or lawyer he has radically changed his position in the stratification system. This is an example of vertical mobility. Vertical mobility refers to a movement of an individual or people or groups from one status to another. It involves change within the lifetime of an individual to a higher or lower status than the person had to begin with. Forms Of Vertical Social Mobility The vertical mobility can take place in two ways individuals and groups may improve their position in the hierarchy by moving upwards or their position might worsen and they may fall down the hierarchy. When individuals get into seats of political position; acquire money and exert influence over others because of their new status they are said to have achieved individual mobility. Like individuals even groups also attain high social mobility. When a dalit from a village becomes an important official it is a case of upward mobility. On the other hand an aristocrat or a member of an upper class may be dispossessed of his wealth and he is forced to enter a manual occupation. This is an example of downward mobility. Inter-Generational Social Mobility Time factor is an important element in social mobility. On the basis of the time factor involved in social mobility there is another type of inter-generational mobility. It is a change in status from that which a child began within the parents, household to that of the child upon reaching adulthood. It refers to a change in the status of family members from one generation to the next. For example a farmers son becoming an officer. It is important because the amount of this mobility in a society tells us to what extent inequalities are passed on from one generation to the next. If there is very little inter-generational mobility . inequality is clearly deeply built into the society for people life chances are being determined at the moment of birth. When there is a mobility people are clearly able to achieve new statuses through their own efforts, regardless of the circumstances of their birth. Intra-Generational Mobility Mobility taking place in personal terms within the lifespan of the same person is called intra-generational mobility. It refers to the advancement in ones social level during the course of ones lifetime. It may also be understood as a change in social status which occurs within a persons adult career. For example a person working as a supervisor in a factory becoming its assistant manager after getting promotion. Structural mobility Structural mobility is a kind of vertical mobility. Structural mobility refers to mobility which is brought about by changes in stratification hierarchy itself. It is a vertical movement of a specific group, class or occupation relative to others in the stratification system. It is a type of forced mobility for it takes place because of the structural changes and not because of individual attempts. For example historical circumstances or labor market changes may lead to the rise of decline of an occupational group within the social hierarchy. An influx of immigrants may also alter class alignments -especially if the new arrivals are disproportionately highly skilled or unskilled. Social Classes in the United States Socioeconomic status is just a way of describing the stratification system of the United States. The class system, also imperfect in classifying all Americans, nonetheless offers a general understanding of American social stratification.

The Crucible Arthur Miller Essays - Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible

The Crucible Arthur Miller The Crucible Arthur Miller Introduction Arthur Miller was an American playwright who was born in 1915. He grew up in New York to a Jewish family. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1938 where he began to distinguish himself as a playwright. His first plays were Honors at Dawn (1936) and No Villain (1937) which won the University of Michigan Hopwood Awards. His Death of a Salesman won the Pulitzer prize in 1949. Miller wrote The Crucible in 1953 during the McCarthy period when Americans were accusing each other of Pro-Communist beliefs. Many of Miller's friends were being attacked as communists and in 1956, Miller himself was brought before the House of Un-American Activities Committee where he was found guilty of beliefs in communism. The verdict was reversed in 1957 in an appeals court. Miller married Marylin Monroe in 1956 but divorced her in 1961. The Crucible is set against the backdrop of the mad witch hunts of the Salem witch trials in the late 17th century. It is about a town, after accusations from a few girls, which begins a mad hunt for witches that did not exist. Many townspeople were hanged on charges of witchcraft. Miller brings out the absurdity of the incident with the theme of truth and righteousness. The theme is conveyed through the struggles of Miller's main character, John Proctor. Summary Act one begins with Reverend Parris praying over her daughter, Betty Parris, who lies unconscious on her bed. Through conversations between Reverend Parris and his niece Abigail Williams, and between several girls, the audience learns that these girls, including Abigail and Betty, were engaged in occultic activities in the forest lead by Tituba, Parris' slave from Barbados. Parris caught them and jumped from a bush startling the girls. Betty fainted and had not recovered. During this session, Abigail drank chicken blood to kill Elizabeth Proctor. She tells the girls that she will kill anyone who mutters a word about what happened. The townspeople do not know exactly what the girls were doing but there are rumors of witchcraft. John Proctor enters the room where Betty lies faint. Abigail is still in there and she tries to seduce him. Proctor is a farmer who has had an affair with Abigail a while ago, but now he wants to forget it. Reverend John Hale is summoned to look upon Betty and the research the incident. He is an expert in occultic phenomena and he is eager to show his knowledge. He questions Abigail who accuses Tituba as being a witch. Tituba, afraid of being hanged, confesses faith in God and accuses Goody Good and Goody Osborne of witchcraft. Abigail and Betty, who has woken up, claim to have been bewitched and confess faith in God. They name several other people whom they claim they saw with the Devil. Act two begins eight days after the discussion at Parris' house. Between act one and act two, Deputy Governor Dansforth came to Salem to oversee the court proceedings. Fourteen people have been arrested for witchcraft, and there is talk of hanging. Elizabeth Proctor asks John to go to the court and testify against Abigail and the other girls. John doesn't want to get involved. There is tension between Elizabeth and John since Elizabeth has not forgiven John for the affair. Marry Warren enters. She was in court testifying against the townspeople. She gives Elizabeth a doll which she has made in court. In the middle of their discussion, Hale enters to question John and Elizabeth, suspicious of witchcraft. Later, Giles Corey and Francis Nurse enter to seek advice after both their wives had been arrested. Next, the marshal arrives with a warrant for Elizabeth's arrest. Elizabeth was accused by Abigail for stabbing Abigail with a needle through a doll. John Proctor protests but Elizabeth is taken away in chains. Proctor demands Mary that she goes to court and testify against the girls. He vows that he will fight the proceedings, even if it means confessing his own adultery. Act three takes place in court. Francis Nurse, Giles Corey, and John Proctor present their case against the girls to Deputy Governor Dansforth and Judge Hathorne. Proctor presents a petition signed by 91 people testifying to the good character of their wives, and Dansforth issues warrants for the questioning of all of them. Corey charges Putnam on inciting his daughter to accuse Corey of witchcraft in order get his land. Corey has a witness but will not name him for fear of getting the man arrested. Corey is arrested because of contempt of the court. Proctor presents his case and

Child-Survivors of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Can the Development of Osteoporosis be Delayed or Avoided Through Physical Activity

Child-Survivors of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Can the Development of Osteoporosis be Delayed or Avoided Through Physical Activity Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a hematological cancer most-commonly diagnosed in children and young adults, is characterized by uncontrolled proliferation and maturation arrest of the lymphoid progenitor cells found in bone marrow (resulting in an excess of malignant cells). ALL is the most frequent childhood malignancy, with 2000-2500 new cases diagnosed in the United States each year and representing almost one-third of all pediatric cancers. Its peak-incidence is found in patients 2-5 years old. The cause of ALL is still unknown, although there are a small number of cases associated with inherited genetic syndromes (eMedicine 2003). Several specialists have studied the possible connection between ALL and development of osteopenia and osteoporosis later in life, and have concluded that while there appears to be a connection between the two, more research must be done to identify precise mechanisms, and also to determine whether or not this is truly a long-term concern or merel y one which disappears once the patient has recovered. Leukemia, meaning â€Å"white blood†, is a disease marked by an increased number of circulating white blood cells (Snively Beshear 1972). Acute leukemias are classified according to the patient and which cell types are involved. Most pediatric leukemias are lymphoblastic and begin in clusters of lymphocytes within bone marrow, stem cells or other lymphoid tissues (Robbins Angell 1976). The etiology of leukemia remains unidentified, however, some have postulated that it may be the result of a virus. Due to an overall cure-rate of almost 80%, it has become increasingly important to examine the consequences of the disease and its treatments in its survivors. Symptoms of ALL comprise fatigue, due largely to anemia; fever, as a secondary infection to neutropenia; and bleeding due to thrombocytopenia, including petechiae, ecchymoses, epistaxis and gingival bleeding. In certain cases, secondary complications may include lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly and kidney enlargement. There is also a relatively high risk of bone infiltration, marrow expansion, subperiosteal infiltration and bone necrosis; important factors to consider when theorizing a connection between ALL and higher risk of osteoporosis (Beck 1973). Decreased bone mineral density (BMD) may result from the leukemic process itself, ectopic production of parathyroid hormone, paracrine secretion of lymphokines and decreased physical activity. Treatment of ALL largely includes corticosteroids, methotrexate and radiotherapy (cranial irradiation), and many have hypothesized that alterations in bone mass density may be linked to these methods; it has been widely speculated that treatment of ALL can have negative effects on bone formation and remodeling. Children, the most common patients with ALL, are especially at risk of developing osteoporosis and growth retardation because they may be subject to alterations in bone development during the precise time when building is at its peak (van der Sluis ). Bone metabolism is a continuous process of modeling and remodeling, with a yearly replacement rate of 10% (Haddy et al. 2001). Osteoporosis is a metabolic disease of the bones, characterized by structural degeneration of bone tissue and steady decrease in bone mass, which causes bones to become weak and more susceptible to fractures; â€Å"osteo† translates to bone and â€Å"porosis† means porous (Leroux 2001). Osteoporosis is a major health threat for over 44 million people in the U.S., 68% of whom are women; 10 million of these individuals actually have the disease (80% afflicted are women) and 34 million have low bone mass (National Institutes of Health, 2002), a condition known as osteopenia. Osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures each year in the U.S. and the most common sites of fracture are hip, spine, wrist and ribs. Similar statistics are found in Canada, where 1.4 million people are affected by osteoporosis (350 000 of those reside in Quebec) (Leroux 2001). Although more research is required to determine the precise relationship between ALL and osteopenia, the precursor of osteoporosis (Haddy et al. 2001), the mechanisms can be theorized and the next portion of this paper will examine this possible connection. Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to alterations in BMD since this is the time when peak bone mass is built (Haddy et. al. 2001), and since 90% of peak bone density is achieved by the age of 30, it is believed that increased physical activity levels for young people could help prevent bone disorders such as osteopenia and osteoporosis (Eliakim Beyth 2003). Musculoskeletal disorders are common complications of ALL and its treatment, and children diagnosed with ALL have already been found to have decreased BMD at the time of diagnosis. A number of research groups have examined the possible connection between ALL and development of osteoporosis and, although some studies have shown these effects to be temporary, there seems to be a positive correlation between ALL and decreased BMD. While no clear resolution has been reached as to whether or not these effects endure long-term (post-remission), all seem to agree that the suspected physiological mechanisms make sense. Bone metabolism is a constant cycle and consists of 80% cortical bone (the dense outer protective portion) and 20% cancellous or trabecular bone (the spongy inner portion). As mentioned, ALL patients are especially susceptible to hampered bone formation due to the disease itself (because of leukemic invasion) and to its treatment, which includes corticosteroids, methotrexate therapy, local and cranial irradiation, and deficiency of various hormones. These individuals also tend to have limited exercise capacity, and tend to inactivity; these limitations a re likely due to cancer-related fatigue, and some suffer from nutritional deficiencies including: calcium, vitamin D and magnesium metabolism (Haddy et al. 2001). Limited research has been performed regarding long-term effects of radiotherapy, but a clear correlation appears to exist between reductions in BMD and increased fragility, and dose-level of radiotherapy (Hopewell, 2003).

Teen Suicide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Teen Suicide - Essay Example Teenage suicide is a voluntary move made by a person to end their lives. It is to be noted that teenage is one of the most common problem and is fast turning out to be a grave issue. Teen suicides issues are not something that came into news recently rather it is a common happening for some decades now. Teen suicide is the most common problems that is faced all over the world and it is one pressing issue that has been going on in regional, national as well as international levels. It is quiet shocking to note that teenage suicides are more in comparison to that of the adult suicide rates. Teens are not children and they are not adults as well which causes a lot of confusion and stress on them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention carried out a survey on the top causes for occurrence of death. In this survey, it has been proven that suicide is the third most common cause for death all over the world. It is to be noted that homicide and accidents comes in the first two slots in this survey. Teen suicide is not only an emotional problem but with the kind of influence that it has, it is soon turning out to be one of the major social problems as well. Suicides in general cause a lot of havoc on the people who are related to the person in question and it opens up a lot of other problems as well (Murphy, 1999). Teenage and adolescents are the two most common age groups who are prone to taking off their own life. Some of the countries that records highest rates of teen suicide on a global level includes that of USA, Australia and also India. There are various causes that can be attributed to the occurrence of teen suicide. Most of the times teen suicides can be prevented by taking adequate steps at the right point of time. Some of the suicides are committed emotionally whereas some others are committed because of severe pain. Teen suicides can be categorized into different areas. Suicides can be avoided if the

RTI^2 - Position Paper - Response to Intervention in Tennessee Schools Assignment

RTI^2 - Position Paper - Response to Intervention in Tennessee Schools - Assignment Example lem-solving model for addressing diverse student needs through high quality interventions and instructions tailored to student outcomes- learning rate and performance level (TN Core, 2013). It identifies students having particular learning disability thus requiring special education from students with normal abilities. It identifies such students using a three-tier approach. In this paper, I support the use of Response to Intervention in Tennessee schools. First, I am in favor of the comprehensive resolution of the student qualification for participation in the model. The tiered instructions of the model help to minimize probability of false positives, that is, it precisely identifies the true student victims of special needs excluding those students who appear disabled when actually they are not. In this way, it will minimize the resources directed at addressing the disability problem in academics with the saved resourced being used to address other challenges facing the education sector or any other sector of the economy. It also save the parents and families of the students who would have been wrongly identified with special learning needs from psychological suffering resulting from empathizing with their child. More so, it reduces the work load of practitioners administering the model’s assessment instructions. Second, I support Response to Intervention model because of its early intercession to the problem of special needs as this enables the school provide effective and comprehensive support to the students identified with such challenge. I believe the science research-based and high quality interventions used are more reliable as they are thoroughly tested and approved before their adoption thereby purging risks of undesired negative effects in their usage (Fucks and Fuchs, 2005). Basing on the individual performance levels and learning rates help to address the root cause of the problem as every student has unique causes for poor academic performance

Biology of Prostate Cancer

Biology of Prostate Cancer PDG The Biological basis of illness and therapeutics Cancer of the prostate Introduction Malignancies are currently responsible for more deaths in the UK than ischaemic heart disease (Cummings et al 1998). Half of these malignant deaths are from the â€Å"big four† – Lung, Bowel, Breast and Prostate (World Cancer Research Fund 1997). These cancers are almost unknown in developing countries but the incidence reverts to the UK norm within one or two generations of immigration, which argues strongly for the presence of environmental factors. If this is true then these malignancies should be theoretically preventable. Prostate cancer is the current most prevalent male cancer, accounting for about 30% of all new cases and also for about 14% of all malignant deaths (Montironi 2001). The incidence is increasing, this may, in part, be due to the increasing age of the male population. Increasing consumption of red meat and fats are associated with an increase in risk, and a diet of vegetables and salads (especially tomatoes) is associated with a lower risk. It appears that Vit E supplements significantly reduce the risk of developing the disease (Heinonen et al 1998) Pathophysiology of the disease The prostate is a walnut sized gland which is situated just below the male bladder. It is primarily responsible for producing the seminal fluid and it also produces some hormones. In malignancy, there are several different forms. The neuroendocrine form (small cell type) can occur but it is not as common as the focal neuroendocrine type. (Di SantAgnese 2000) Prostate cancer is thought to arise primarily from one or more (usually a series) of genetic mutations in the DNA. This can either be inherited or acquired. (Hague et al 1996) In the UK the majority of prostatic malignancies are thought to be mutations occurring at directly at the tumour site rather than being genetically inherited.(Bingham et al 1998) The genetic mechanisms can involve either the activation of an oncogene or the inhibition of a tumour supressor gene. The mechanism is not simple, and it is thought that about four to six stepwise mutations in the DNA are responsible for the genesis of prostate cancer. The actual mechanism of the acquired genetic mutation is thought to be when an oncogene is translocated and fused with the activity promoter of another gene, this mechanism is often found when specific tumour markers are detected in the blood (viz. PSA). A similar mechanism is implicated in the more aggressive forms of prostatic cancer where the oncogene combines (and thereby inhibits) a tumour supressor gene. Demonstration of abnormal amounts of proteins such as PSA are useful in detecting the presence of micro-metastases when the disease process is thought to be in remission. The original sequence of the DNA is thereby changed. The actual mechanism can be by translocation (as described above) or by insertions or inversions which are more usually due to errors of RNA translation. All of these mechanisms ultimately exert their effect by interfering with the proper regulatory controls of the protein manufacturing abilities of the cell One of the main pathological features of malignancy is the neovascularisation that almost universally occurs. It is thought to begin in Benign Prostatatic Hypertrophy (BPH), and progresses through the pre-malignant into the frank malignant state. (Bostwick et al 2000) This is thought to be a result of the increase in detectable levels of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF). The levels of VEGF are highest in the most malignant forms of the disease, and is amenable to external hormonal manipulation. The commonest sites of metastatic disease are in the bone and the liver. (Mazzucchelli et al 2000) There is considerable evidence to support the implication of oncogenes in the aetiology of this cancer. Oncogenes such as c-myc and c-erb-B of have been found, as have supressor genes such as p27(Kip1) and pp32R1/2. Oncogenes have also been implicated in the formation and regression of the metastatic form of the disease. (Lijovic et al 2000) There appears to be a genetic association with the cancer as 10% of sufferers have a family history of the disease (Selley et al 1997) Modern management of prostate cancer The management of prostate cancer is primarily dependent on the clinical staging. There are several different types of staging currently employed. The commonest is the Gleason staging (I-IV) with III being the clinically commonest presentation. Significant factors in the staging are: Neuroendocrine differentiation Angiogenesis Perineural invasion Proliferation markers Other factors also play a part including the PSA and other blood borne entities. The first two factors are arguably the most important. We have learned a great deal about the detection and treatment of prostate cancer in the recent past, but the mortality figures do not reflect the increase in our knowledge. The two overriding clinical factors are early detection (ideally in the pre-invasive state) and the identification of the other prognostic factors. Chemoprevention is a field that is gaining in momentum at the present, but it is still largely experimental. (Montironi et al 1999) The current mainstay of treatment at present is hormonal manipulation A recent paper by Armstrong (et al 2001) looks at the current role of cellular immunotherapy in the field of prostate cancer management. This is a field which also holds exciting practical prospects for tumour management. It involves giving the patient vaccines prepared from antigenically active tumour cells or activated lymphocytes. Specifically cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are used to identify and then destroy the tumour cells. They do this by being programmed to recognise a specific protein on the surface of the malignant prostate cell. Clinical trials have shown that this method of treatment is at its most effective when first line (hormonal) treatment has reduced the size of the tumour to a residual amount, which is at high risk of relapse. For reasons that are not yet fully understood, this method appears to suffer from a developing tolerance to the malignancy by the lymphocytes. This is currently the focus of intense research activity. ( Hwu et al.1999) A more recent development still is an offshoot of this type of treatment and that is the use of gene modified vaccines. This involves vaccines which contain genetically modified cells. The most effective found so far are those which work by making cells increase the production of cytokines in close proximity to the tumour cells. (Alvarez-Vallina et al 1996) This appears to increase the antigenic appeal of those cells and thereby render them more amenable to attack from the immune system. This avoids the difficulties with the side effects that were seen when cytokines were given systemically. (Gao et al 2000) Other mechanisms for gene therapy involve the ingenious use of viruses to transfer the altered DNA into the malignant cell. In prostate malignancies, their use has been disappointing because of problems with side effects, but the theory is also promising (Relph et al 2004) PSA and related proteins such as prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) are commonly helpful in monitoring the progress or relapse of the disease (Montie 1997) PSA is being experimentally exploited by being coupled to enzymes such as thymidine kinease. This can be placed in the body by a retrovirus and therefore infects all cells but is only activated in prostate cells. They are refered to as the Trojan Horse Vectors and appear to very successful in early trials. Proponents of the technique refer to it as performing a genetic prostatectomy. More modern techniques still involves the detection of prostate cells in the bloodstream using a reverse transcriptase and polymerase chain reaction. This is thought to be a particularly sensitive assay for the prediction of surgical failure (Olsson et al 2003) The downside to these treatments involving genes, is that the mechanisms of protein synthesis and regulation are unimaginably complex. Attempts to cure one malignancy may unwittingly cause another by a process called Insertional mutagenesis, where the desired effect in one cell is hindered by an unwanted malignant change in another. (Armstrong 2001) Conclusions The advances in our understanding of the molecular basis of prostate cancer have been spectacular in the last decade. Interventional genetics now are on the brink of offering a real chance of survival to patients with resistant disease. Patients with widespread disease are usually desperate to try any form of novel treatment. Although the theory and understanding of many of the oncogenic processes are already well advanced, it is vital not to give a patient false hope of cure. (Bingham et al 1998) To this end the Dept. of Health has set up a new governing body in the shape of he Genetic Therapy Advisory Committee (GTAC) to consider and oversee all new and proposed treatments. The major hurdles that remain in this field are how to effect the stable and specific transfer of genes into tumour cells, how to ensure the safety of both patients and staff and to define exactly where the best place is for gene therapy alongside the mainstream treatments today. (Montironi 2001) References Alvarez-Vallina L, Hawkins RE.2002 Antigen-specific targeting of CD28-mediated T cell co-stimulation using chimeric single-chain antibody variable fragment-CD28 receptors. Eur J Immunol; 2002 26: 2304-2309 Armstrong, David Eaton, and Joanne C Ewing 2001 Science, medicine, and the future: Cellular immunotherapy for cancer BMJ, Dec 2001; 323: 1289 1293. Bingham SA, Atkinson C, Liggins J, Bluck L, Coward A. 1998 Phytoestrogens: where are we now? Br J Nutr 1998; 79: 393-406 Bostwick DG, Grignon D, Hammond EH, Amin MB, Cohen M, Crawford D, et al. 1999 Predictive factors in prostate cancer. College of American Pathologists Consensus Statements 1999. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2000; 124: 996-1000. Cummings JH and Sheila A Bingham 1998 Fortnightly review: Diet and the prevention of cancer BMJ, Dec 1998; 317: 1636 1640. Di SantAgnese PA. 2000 Divergent neuroendocrine differentiation in prostatic carcinoma. Sem Diagn Pathol 2000; 17: 149-161 Gao L, Bellantuono I, Elsasser A, Marley SB, Gordon MY, Goldman JM, et al. 2000 Selective elimination of leukemic CD34(+) progenitor cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes specific for WT1. Blood 2000; 95: 2198-2203 Hague A, Butt AJ, Paraskeva C. 1996 The role of butyrate in human colonic epithelial cells: an energy source or inducer of differentiation and apoptosis? Proc Nutr Soc 1996; 55: 937-943 Heinonen OP, Albanes D, Virtamo J, Taylor PR, Huttunen JK, Hartman AM, et al. 1998 Prostate cancer and supplementation with alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene: incidence and mortality in a controlled trial. J Natl Cancer Inst 1998; 90: 440-446 Hwu P, Yang JC, Cowherd R, Treisman J, Shafer GE, Eshhar Z, et al. 1999 In vivo antitumor activity of T cells redirected with chimeric antibody/T cell receptor genes. Cancer Res 1999; 55: 3369-3373 Lijovic M, Fabiani ME, Bader J, Frauman AG. 2000 Prostate cancer: are new prognostic markers on the horizon? Prostate Cancer Prostatic Diseases 2000; 3: 62-65 Mazzucchelli R, Montironi R, Santinelli A, Lucarini G, Pugnaloni A, Biagini G. 2000 Vascular endothelial growth factor expression and capillary architecture in high-grade PIN and prostate cancer in untreated and androgen ablated patients. Prostate 2000; 45: 72-79 Montie JE, Meyers SE. 1997 Defining the ideal tumor marker for prostate cancer. Urol Clin North Am 1997; 24: 247-252 Montironi R, Mazzucchelli R, Marshall JR, Bartels PH. 1999 Prostate cancer prevention. Review of target populations, pathological biomarkers and chemopreventive agents. J Clin Pathol 1999; 52: 793-803 Montironi 2001 Prognostic factors in prostate cancer BMJ, Feb 2001; 322: 378 379. 1997. Olsson CA, Devries GM, Raffo AJ, Benson MC, OToole K, Cao Y, et al. 2003 Preoperative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for prostate-specific antigen predicts treatment failure following radical prostatectomy. J Urol 2003; 155: 1557-1562 Relph K, Kevin Harrington, and Hardev Pandha 2004 Recent developments and current status of gene therapy using viral vectors in the United Kingdom BMJ, Oct 2004; 329: 839 842. Selley S, Donovan J, Faulkner A, Coast J, Gillat D. 1997 Diagnosis, management and screening of early localised prostate cancer. Health Technology Assessment 1997; Sikora K 1994 Current Issues in Cancer: Genes dreams and cancer BMJ, May 1994; 308: 1217 1221. World Cancer Research Fund. 2003 Food, nutrition and the prevention of cancer: a global perspective. Washington, DC: WCRF, American Institute for Cancer Research 2003 PDG 12.9.05 Word count 2,206