Muscular Dystrophy Essay -- essays research papers

Muscular dystrophy refers to, not one, but a group of muscle diseases. These diseases have three features in common: they are hereditary; they are progressive; and each causes a characteristic and selective pattern of weakness. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most prevalent and severe childhood form of this group of diseases. Each form of muscular dystrophy is caused by a defect in a specific gene. In 1986, scientists discovered exactly which piece of genetic material is missing in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients. They named it for Guillaume Benjamin Amand Duchenne(1806-1875), a French neurologist who was one of the first doctors to discover and study the disease. When functioning properly, the Duchenne gene carries instructions for assembling a muscle protein known as dystrophin. At about 2,500,000 nucleotides, dystrophin is one of the largest genes known. Dystrophin is largely responsible for reinforcing and stabilizing the sarcolemma. Dystrophin associates with the muscle fiber sarcolemma by interacting with the actin microfilaments and with a transmembrane protein complex linked to the extracellular matrix. This latter dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex (DAGC) includes the extracellular proteoglycan, [Alpha]-dystroglycan, which binds to merosin in muscle fiber basal laminae, as well as a number of other integral and cytoplasmic membrane proteins: [Alpha]-dystroglycan; [Alpha]-, [Beta]- and [Gamma]- sarcoglycans (see Figure 1). The DAGC provides a physical link and, potentially, a signaling pathway between the extracellular matrix and the internal scaffolding of the muscle cells. Mutations in the Duchenne gene result in dystrophin deficiency, which constitutes the pathogenic basis of DMD. Dystrophin is either absent or severely deficient in a person with DMD. When dystrophin is lost through gene mutation, the muscle falls apart under the tension generated when it contracts. Without dystrophin, the muscle fibers also lose their ability to regenerate and are eventually replaced with adipose tissue and fibrous connective tissue (see Fig. 2 and Fig. 3). The Duchenne gene has been located on the short arm of the X chromosome. This means that Duchenne muscular dystrophy is inherited as an X-linked recessive disease. Females have two X chromosomes, while males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. Therefore, in females, a normal X... ...re out how get only one gene in the right cell, how to keep the gene from impairing any other functions and how to get the gene to produce the right amount of protein. Some researchers are trying a different approach; that of myoblast transfer therapy. This school of thought attempts to fuse healthy, immature muscle cells with dystrophic cells to make hybrid muscles that function normally. Unfortunately, initial tests have not fared very well because the injected myoblasts do not seem to travel very far from the injection site. The last type of research deals with a protein called utrophin. It is hoped that this protein could functionally take over for dystrophin. Scientists are trying to discover a chemical that will upregulate utrophin production without disrupting anything else in the body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Until a cure is found 1 in approximately every 3,500 boys will inherit Duchenne muscular dystrophy and eventually die from it. The current treatments only place a temporary obstacle in front of the disease. It is hoped that advancements in the fields of science and medicine will help to speed along the discovery of a cure for this debilitating muscular disease.

The Scarlet Letter Essay

â€Å"It is human nature to want patterns, standards, and a structure of behavior. A pattern to conform to is a kind of shelter. † This quote can be considered valid or invalid depending on the person who is reading the quote. Whether it is someone like the Puritans in the Scarlet Letter who believes that life should be lived in a strict manner, or whether it is someone who cannot stand a uniform life, there will be never a time when everyone accepts or denies this quote.People feel safe and confident when they are given standards or expectations. This gives them reassurance that they are living their lives the right way. For an example, in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, the townspeople look down upon Hester Prynne because of the crime she committed. Hester Prynne broke a law which reinforced the bystander’s confidence on how they were living their lives. This causes the townspeople to feel safe and protected so they decide to mock and taunt Hes ter to make themselves feel stronger.People also conform to live their lives in a strict manner because sometimes they just need guidance. After Hester was released from prison, she decided to live her life helping the poor and elderly. Hester does this because she is lost and does not know how to live her life anymore after she strayed off the strict path the Puritans were suppose to follow. Although many may find happiness in a habitual lifestyle, many other people may find happiness in a carefree life. Living a life without patterns or standards can help greatly in a positive way.Living an unpredictable life allows the person to be able to experience many different things that will teach them how to be insightful and decide right from wrong. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester commits adultery which is deviating from the path a Puritan is suppose to take. But because of what she did, she was able to give birth to her daughter who she loves so much, find the man she truly loves, and see the hidden darkness that was buried deep within Roger Chillingworth’s heart. Because she decided to stray from the path a puritan is suppose to take, her life turned out for the better.In the quote,† It is human nature to want patterns, standards, and a structure of behavior. A pattern to conform to is a kind of shelter†, it has become clear that depending on the reader, whether they are someone who likes a unchanging lifestyle, or whether they are someone who enjoys experiencing something new every day, it is up to them to decide if they feel safe to agree or disagree to this quote. No matter if the reader chooses to disagree or agree to the quote, both choices come with negative and positives outcomes.

Free sample - Mending Wall Analysis. translation missing

Mending Wall Analysis. Mending Wall AnalysisI find myself struggling to decide if the author of the â€Å"Mending Wall† is unreliable or somewhere in the middle between reliable.   I feel a tugging in the direction of unreliable as the author seems not to know all the relevant information to consistently interpret the events accurately. The author conflicts with what he says and what he lacks to do or doesn’t do in that he is constantly questioning the purpose of the wall in his particular case and the necessity of it, but he does nothing to remove the wall or to discuss the need of the wall to his neighbor. This leaves me to interpret that the speaker is trying to express his ideas about barriers between people and the feeling or sense of security that walls can give, and that the wall in the poem is symbolic of the barriers people erect in relationships. An odd observation in this poem I noticed is that the author is speaking to the stones â€Å"stay where you are until our backs are turned!† it seems that the man may be so bored not having anyone to speak with that he would talk to anything. The only thing in the poem the neighbors says is â€Å"Good fences make good neighbors† so maybe the neighbor isn’t much of a conversationalist and maybe the author has only the wall to converse with which would make the wall really a better neighbor than the actual neighbor. It is amusing that the author referrers to his neighbor as an â€Å"old stone savage,† but, I believe the author means his neighbor is single mindedly focused on the wall and the idea of maintaining its existence will somehow make good relations with his neighbors. The one sided fixation approach to the maintenance of the wall by his neighbor is what prompted the author to call him an â€Å"old stone savage,† that won’t go against his father’s advice.

Lady Macbeths Character in Macbeth. Essays - Characters In Macbeth

Lady Macbeth's Character in Macbeth. Essays - Characters In Macbeth Lady Macbeth's Character in Macbeth. Lady Macbeth's Character in Macbeth. Extracts from this document... Introduction Macbeth Lady Macbeth's Character in Macbeth Lady Macbeth is a controversial figure. She is seen by some as a woman of strong will who is ambitious for herself and who is astute enough to recognise her husband's strengths and weaknesses, and ruthless enough to exploit them. They see her in her commitment to evil and in her realisation that the acquisition of the Crown has not brought her the hapipiness she had expected, and finally, as one who breaks down nuder the strain. Others see her as a woman ambitious for her husband whom she loves. She recognises the essential good in him, and feels that, without her, he will never win the Crown. She allies herself with the powers of darkness for his sake, but here inherent(congenital) femininity breaks down under the strain of the unnatural murder of Duncan and the alienation of her husband. She can see what must be done; he visualises the consequence. "fiend-like queen" To Macbeth, in his letter to her, she is his "dearest partner of greatne ss", an indication of love and trust. Overcome By Ambition - she calls on the powers of evil to unsex her and make her cruel and to fill her full of "direst cruelty" "Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had done't" does this imply that she is still a woman with a woman's tendernesss? Is she alloy by exploiting his love for her when she makes his consent to murder a test of his love? Is she being cynical when she inverts logic and reality in asking him if he is afraid to be what he wants to be and in suggesting that to be a true man he must take what he wants She is aware, too, that dwelling on the moral aspect of the murder "will make us mad". The Better Criminal? - She seems to be the better criminal; she remembers the details that Macbeth has overlooked, "Why did you bring these daggers from the place?"...read more. Middle In this same dialogue, she also says "you shall put...into my despatch," which furthermore proves that she is leading Macbeth into believing that he will have no physical role in the murder of the king. Lady Macbeth thinks this strategy will work because she describes Macbeth as a man who "wouldst not play false, And yet would wrongly win;" Imagery in Macbeth In all of Shakespeare's plays he uses many forms of imagery. Imagery, the art of making images, the products of imagination. In the play 'Macbeth' Shakespeare applies the imagery of clothing, darkness and blood. (listed from least to most), Each detail is his imagery, it seems to contain an important symbol of the play. Symbols that the reader must understand if they are to interpret either the passage or the play as a whole. Within the play 'Macbeth' the imagery of clothing portrays that Macbeth is seeking to hide his "disgraceful self" from his eyes and others. Shakespeare wants to keep alive the ironical contrast between the wretched creature that Macbeth really is and the disguises he assumes to conceal the fact. In opinion, the reader thinks of the play honors as garments to be worn; likewise, Macbeth is constantly represented symbolically as the wearer of robes not belonging to him. He is wearing an undeserved dignity, which is a crucial point that Shakespeare has made. The description of the purpo se of clothing in Macbeth is the fact that these garments are not his. Therefore, Macbeth is uncomfortable in them because he is continually conscious of the fact that they do not belong to him. In the following passage, the idea constantly recurs that Macbeth's new honors sit ill upon him, like loose and badly fitting garments, belonging to someone else: "New honours come upon him, Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mould, But with the aid of use."(Act I, iii: 144) ...read more. Conclusion He tells himself that Duncan is good and kind and that killing him will provoke a tremendous out cry. Duncan's goodness will "plead like angels, trumpeted-tongued ". If Macbeth murders him he will be condemned to 'deep

Stephen Cranes The Blue Hotel

Stephen Cranes The Blue Hotel Free Online Research Papers Stephen Crane’s â€Å"The Blue Hotel† illustrates how we affect the out comes of reality by our preconceived notions of reality itself. Reality in the story was not definite, but it was in the characters minds. Specifically, the Swede, his view of the situation made the evening go in a direction no one could have predicted. Reality in the end is not as set in stone as we like to think. We create it as we make decisions only the past is set in stone. I also feel the story shows to a slight extent how everyone pays for the decisions they make. This story emphasizes how even the smallest decisions can change our life if dramatic fashion. What might have happened if the Swede had read Sherlock Holmes instead of cheap western novels? Would he have been calmer? Would he have been in Nebraska at all? In addition the western novels gave him the idea of right and wrong and how things worked in the West. If he had not had the stories of the Wild West floating around in his head he likely would have played a harmless card game and went to bed. Instead he made Johnny angry, got involved in a fight, which eventually lead to his death. In addition the Swede’s awkward mannerisms were largely due to the fact that he was imaging himself in the Wild West when he was really in a small rail station town. The character I most closely identify with is the easterner. Throughout the story he is largely a bystander and does not get involved any more than he must. In the end he blames himself for the Swede’s death. He did not say anything about Johnny cheating. He just sat back and let the fight happen. These two facts make him feel guilty about the course of events. I think it shows something about human nature. When something bad happens people always start pointing fingers. The people who were nearby often look at what they did as opposed to what they could have done to change things. People always try to blame themselves. The easterner did not kill the Swede, he did not start the fight, and he did not cheat. He only feels guilty because he was in a position to do something and did nothing. I feel we only have to pay for our actions. If someone else gets themselves into a bad spot they can not expect anyone to bail them out. I see no reason why the eastern feels any guilt about t he Swede getting himself killed. I would like to defend his actions here because I feel I would have done the same. When he saw Johnny cheating it did not matter to him. There was no money involved and it was just for fun. Why should he have jumped in to save the Swede, when the card game did not matter? Then when Johnny took offense the accusation why was in the easterners business. If two guys want to fight over a game I think I would just let them. Then later on the easterner did not make the Swede got to the bar nor did he make him drink. As for grabbing the gambler, I think the drinks and the Swedes arrogance are directly to blame for his death. The eastern did not kill the Swede nor was it his job to look after him. The person most directly to blame for the Swede’s death was the Swede. Johnny did not escape his wrong doings either. He could, however, have helped the situation by remaining clam. Had he just politely chuckled and said ok you got me Swede just having a little fun no harm meant. The characters might have been able to get along with less serious repercussions. Maybe they would have been able to explain to the Swede that the Wild West in his books was gone and he could lived out his life instead of the abrupt end he finds. I feel Johnny paid for his wrong doings, possibly too much. The story makes it seems like Johnny barely survived the fight and was bedridden for some time after. For no more than he did Johnny seems to have paid for his actions. The gambler takes the harshest punishment for the Swede’s murder, but even his sentence is not too harsh. He gets three years for murder. It was probably viewed as self defense since the Swede was a large man and was clearly intoxicated. I question the gambler’s actions more than the other characters. Could he not have simply cut the Swede’s arm to make him let go. The gambler instantly went for the kill; it is as if he was not thinking when he did this. Had he been more thoughtful he could have avoided jail and the murder of the Swede. He seems to be the least real character, because a man with a wife and two kids generally is not as reckless as the gambler. He did give the Swede a chance to walk away; I just question his use of lethal force. From his description I feel the gambler would have known what he had to lose and not risked killing the Swede until there was no way around it. One character that we hear little from is the bartender. He serves the Swede a few drinks then watches his quick murder. Should he have kept serving the Swede? Or at some point would it have hurt him to have one drink to calm down a rowdy customer? In the end the cowboy even says, â€Å"If the bartender had been any good, he would have gone in and cracked that there Dutchman on the head with a bottle in the beginnin of it and stopped all this here murderin.† Unlike the easterner the bartender did have a certain obligation to the Swede. I would not describe the Swede as a stable character anyway and with a few drinks in him he would be even worse. I think the bartender gets away far too blameless when he could have had a great outcome in the events that unfolded. He seems to be the exception in this story, because the Swede, Johnny, and the gambler all have to pay for their actions directly. The only punishment for the bartender seems to be his longing for a companion after the Swede’s murder. Use of the term square in this story caught my attention as I reread this story. I noticed that the gambler is described as square by the narrator. Then near the end of the story the Cowboy says, â€Å"The Swede might not have been killed if everything had been square†. Earlier in the story the Cowboy also said to the Swede, â€Å"Stranger, I don’t see how you come to be so gay around here.† These lines in the story seem to put the Swede and the gambler in different classes. To me this stresses that they are total opposites. I think the term square is a kind of silent theme in the story. To be square in this story implies even or normal. In the end all the characters are square in one way or another. Everyone paid for their actions and ended up square. The Swede dies in the end because he was never square. His view of reality did not work and he paid for the mistake his view lead him to. In the end your view of reality affects you decisions and you have to pay fo r your decisions. Research Papers on Stephen Crane’s â€Å"The Blue Hotel†The Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsCapital PunishmentHip-Hop is ArtWhere Wild and West MeetAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementMind TravelThe Hockey GameBringing Democracy to AfricaHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Essay

Qualitative Research Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Qualitative Research Analysis - Assignment Example The assignment "Qualitative Research Analysis" talks about the effective analytic tools that can be used for the identification of features that are necessary for qualitative analysis. The interview conducted revealed that education standards are reliant on the ability of university administration to promote higher performance, in education, as well as students input in the process of education. Key issues, which featured here, were university administrators and students. As such, students have to ensure that they improve their individual performance levels to lead to the attainment of better standards in a university. This is necessary for the admission process of students in the university is diversified such that students are admitted from low-grade scores to higher grade scorers. However, both students and university administration have to collaborate in order to ensure that university standards are improved. One of the student’s responses in support of this was: Student: The performance of the university is determined by the individual performance of all students. However, I can argue that the standard of the university is a collaboration of both the administration and the students. The quality of education, which is attained in a university, is also reliant on students’ performance. However, it is complex for one to determine whether one contributes towards the attainment of quality standards in a university. This is because universities tend to associate quality with students performance.

Critique a legal article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critique a legal article - Essay Example There have been many interesting controversies about the nursing practice in United States since it was formally introduced and recognized as a profession in the late nineteenth century. Majority of the issues were humanistic in approach tackling about the actual institution of medical ethics. However, there have been a growing number of legal concerns that were entertained too. In fact, the Legal Eagle Eye Newsletter for the Nursing Profession has published a recent legal matter involving a patient who died due to the negligence of the stationed nurse. The autopsy conducted showed â€Å"aspiration of food as the cause of the cardiopulmonary arrest that killed the patient† (Snyder, 2010). Tracing back the facts of the case, the patient was actually suffering from a swallowing disorder termed as dysphagia. At a particular time, a nursing aide came to his room and left a sandwich on his tray table and then went away. The patient ate the sandwich without supervision which was ci ted as the main reason of his choking resulting to his death. The heirs of the deceased sued the hospital who gained a favorable decision from the Appellate Court of Illinois in November of 2009. The said honorable court declared the stationed nurse negligent and required the hospital to pay the family of the deceased in the amount of five hundred thousand dollars. In addition, the appellate court affirmed that â€Å"before a nurse may delegate any care task to an aide, it is the nurse’s responsibility to determine that the task is appropriate for performance by an aide and by the particular aide selected to perform it† (as cited in Snyder, 2010). Hence, â€Å"violation of the standard of care for a care-giving task by a non-licensed aide is also a violation of the standard of care by the professional nurse responsible for supervising the aide† (Snyder, 2010). In this regard, it can be stated that nurses just like the other professionals in the society are obliged to serve