The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The book, The Alchemist, can be described as a metaphor of life. It is funny how dreams can mould a person’s life. It is a paradox such that people consider other lifestyles as better than theirs thereby striving to get that life that belongs to other cultures, through that lives are transformed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Dreams can also be seen as the driving forces behind an individual’s life, they bring about desires that mould an individual’s destiny because through them, then fate ceases to be the determinant of happenings in an individual’s life time. Santiago, a young shepherd, the main character in the story The Alchemist is portrayed by Paulo Coelho, as a go getter to some extent. He repeatedly gets a dream that haunts him and pushes him to follow it and thus his expedition in the story; he wants to achieve t hat dream (Coelho 34). Santiago gets the simple lessons of life of believing in the signs that one gets in life, even if it is just through dreams and following them till he achieves them. The crossing of cultures leads him to following his dreams which he finally achieves. The boy, Santiago is driven to search for the hidden treasure in Egypt making him cross many countries and even the wide Sahara desert whereby he meets different characters, both deceitful and truthful who shape his life, the same way the young Chinese man and other international students cross the borders to get to Melbourne to study, their treasure in this context, education. When the young man shows up in the author’s office with scratchy English (Coelho 45), it is evident that there is a bit of transformation from his past self to his present self. The young Chinese appreciated the author’s message that she had given him the first day he visited her office because she says so. In the same sprit of appreciation, the boy Santiago appreciated the advice given to him in the story which leads him to acquire the treasure that he set out to look for. For instance he gives the old man a share of his sheep, that is, a tenth of his flock and promises to give a tenth of his treasure to the old woman. The Chinese student on the other hand brings the tutor a painting of a well embroidered Chinese woman (Coelho 61). This therefore gives the importance of appreciating those who help us in our endeavors to acquire our different treasures in life.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Through the harsh experiences that he faces, the boy learns the value of being strong, patient, and persistent and being a hard working person. Regardless of the setbacks that he encounters a long the way, he does not give up. Just like Rachael, no potential was seen in her as a nurse, she was discouraged by her tutors that she could not make it as a children’s nurse, but her so many visits to the Occupational Health Department which convinced the tutors that she was capable of becoming a nurse saw her through (Coelho 25). It took a year to convince them, and about fifteen visits and in the long run she was allowed to take up the career path that she had dreamt of and desired to do. Her desire and persistence to follow her dream made her accomplish her heart desires. Following a dream can sometimes seem too hard and expensive but the determination in it tells all about the conviction that one has. The boy in the story The Alchemist is portrayed by Coelho as humble and a brave character. The king tells him that when he wants something, the world will always conspire to help him achieve it, and now that he wants to get the treasure then he is going to get it as long as he is ready to face the challenges (Coelho 24). The challenges he faces in foreign lands can be likened to the challenges faced by those living in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. We are told that the further one lives away from the city, the more harsh life is for them because life there is a bit depressing and that there is little or even no amenities at all. The public transport system is also poor. The kinds of houses that are there are in a sorry state just like street lights are not in proper functioning conditions. Fitting into a new culture can be demoralizing more especially after relocation to a new place, but regardless of this, accepting the prevailing conditions in order to achieve one’s heart desires is reason enough to go on, the international students face problems of housing but with perseverance they the can achieve their ultimate goals and desires. The boy Santiago takes up every opportunity that comes his way, he wallows through so much problems that he encounters along his path of getting to the treasure, he worked hard towards his destiny because no problem was t oo big for him to deal with. We find that dreaming is one thing and following that dream is another, Rachael had a dream of becoming a nurse, she felt that she really needed to give back to the community and serve the people who had made a great difference in her life and that is why she really wanted to be a children’s nurse, she was laughed at told on several occasions that it was never going to happen because a nursing course was not suitable for her and that she was fit to a desk job (Coelho 25).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nevertheless, her desire to follow her dream was the driving force that led her to achieving it in the long run. Had she given up a long the way due to the words of discouragement from even her tutors she could not have become a voice to reckon to the parents of the sick children that she attended to at the Children ’s Out-patient Department (Coelho 25). In the story, we are also brought to a level ground where freedom to choose what one wants to do should be embraced and given room to drive us. Freedom is the ability for one to do what he or she likes and that entails following one’s heart. Through this one is capable of exploiting his or her own potentialities and doing something that is self fulfilling, if one is made to do something that dictates his or her destiny in a forceful way then the end results will always be bitter. The boy chooses to travel the world because this is his inner calling other than studying theology and becoming a priest. He enjoys the life of adventure and travelling to new places. On her part, Rachael could have been forced to do a desk job because of her health something that she could have done regretfully thereby ending up a slave in a career path that on the contrary should have brought her inner peace and happiness. The boy was allowed to follow his heart which led him later on to acquire his life experiences that are worthwhile, even more than he could have achieved material treasures. The challenges faced by adapting to a new culture can some times be too much to bear, but how ready is a person to bear with the challenges that come with it? At the same time, it can be hard to make a dream a reality but how persistent that can one be to catch up with that dream (Coelho 89)? Both parties therefore should equip themselves with the communication gear which most definitely is the vehicle that will enable one to get to his or her destiny. The individual will get room to express him/her self thereby appreciating each other as well as compromising with each other’s feelings where possible, that way the joy of learning will have come into play. Once a dream has been hatched then the determination and persistence that will be employed in making it a reality is what will determine whether it is going to be the destiny of an i ndividual and that is what brings in the difference between destiny and fate. Though not sure of his destiny, he strives to get it no matter the challenges, and his life experiences show that everyone needs to work hard to achieve success, one need to strive for the good things in life. This simply inspires people to put effort in order to achieve our goals, for one to make his or her dreams become a reality, he or she is not just gong to sit there and wait for dreams to fall into place, one needs to risk the good things in life in order to achieve better ones (Coelho 100).Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Coelho simply intends to bring to our attention that if one dreams and wishes for something then one should be persistent about it and be patient for long enough, one might loose an opportunity by getting tired at the last minute and give up so easily, and see the fruits after somebody else has achieved the fruits of our long suffering. Just like Santiago ones wishes can come in both material objects and life experiences, as for the case of Santiago, his journey to the Pyramids in Egypt, is his treasure. Works Cited Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist. New York. Harpertorch. 1993. pp. 1 – 163. This essay on The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho was written and submitted by user CharlieCampion to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Deplete

Deplete Deplete Deplete By Maeve Maddox A reader questions the following use of depleting: The following headline appeared in Jamaicas leading newspaper today: My Savings are depleting. What am I doing wrong? The reader suggests changing â€Å"My savings are depleting† to â€Å"My savings are being depleted.† Like the reader, I thought the headline sounded wrong. â€Å"Savings are being depleted† sounds more idiomatic to my ear than â€Å"savings are depleting,† but I would have changed deplete to a different verb entirely: â€Å"My savings are diminishing† or â€Å"My savings are running out.† Deplete is from the Latin verb deplere. The de- is a negative prefix added to the verb plere, â€Å"to fill.† Deplere is â€Å"to bring down or undo the fullness of, to empty out.† It can also mean, â€Å"to let blood.† The intransitive use of deplete in the sense of â€Å"running out† or â€Å"becoming exhausted† appears frequently in environmental contexts with subject words like supplies and resources: Groundwater  supplies are depleting  at rapid rates around the world. More water is being taken out than put back in by natural replenishment (recharge), and supplies are depleting  as a result. The worlds  resources are depleting  because of a population that is out of control.   Although frequent in officialese, this intransitive use sounds odd to me. More idiomatic is to follow deplete with an object, as in these examples: My husbands  lack of employment is  depleting our  lifes savings. That section [of a law] limits the production and consumption of a set of chemicals known to  deplete  the stratospheric ozone. Charter  schools  severely  deplete  the resources  available  to the existing public schools. The following examples would be improved by substituting diminishing or running out for depleting: This [dog] is currently in Chicago with a trainer getting evaluated and learning some more manners but that time is depleting and she is needing a home not the shelter to go back to. I found  my patience depleting  by the minute.   My health is failing and  my friends are depleting. Perhaps some writers or speakers choose deplete in an attempt to avoid a clichà ©, but sometimes a clichà © is less distracting than the unfamiliar use of a word. For example, time is usually said to â€Å"run out.† Patience â€Å"wears thin.† As one grows old, â€Å"friends pass away.† Sometimes deplete is the wrong choice entirely, as in this comment on a site about dental care: It seems my gums are  depleting. Deplete connotes an emptying out of an exhaustible quantity. Gums recede, but they don’t deplete. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Arrive To vs. Arrive At50 Types of Propaganda13 Theatrical Terms in Popular Usage

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 25

Management - Essay Example ection of individuals who share similar abilities, interest, responsibilities or goal and combining their efforts in order to explore the maximum potential that is intended to be used in accomplishing a specific obligation. In the current decade, there is an increase on emphasis on teamwork. The aim of this section is to conduct an in-depth analysis and review of the books, researches and reports that have been published about group behavior so that it may build a profound understanding of the group behavior. The literatures that will be selected will attempt to point out the overall trends of group behaviors observed in various settings (Marios 56). Various theories and models will be ventured on with the objective of filling the gap that have been left out due to limited research on the essentiality and significance of group behavior and leadership. The ideas, concepts, and framework that will be ventured on in the review will attempt to support the hypothesis of the paper and give the transparent answers to the research questions. They include Reward power, Coercive power, legitimate power, Personal power, Expert power, and Referent power (Moline, 2001). These powers functions depending on the type of manager who holds the authority. Reward power: It is described as the extent to which a leader can use intrinsic and extrinsic rewards to mobilize and control other people at workplace. Success and prosperity in the accessing and utilization of rewards greatly depends or rely on how well the manager is acquainted with the knowledge and skills. Coercive power: It is a type of power that extents to which a leader can deny and restrict desired rewards and administers punishments so as to mobilize, monitor, and control other people. Availability of this kind of power varies from one manager and firm to another. Legitimate power: It is a form of power in which a manager can use subordinates’ internalized beliefs and believes in which they acknowledge that the

Protest Against Slavery In New England Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Protest Against Slavery In New England - Essay Example If one man raises his voice, then others will follow and this can create a strong protest against slavery which can bring freedom to people chained to injustice. The quote further asserts that struggle has mighty power and fight against slavery is an inevitable want and people must in some way protest against this. Without fighting there is no way out to come out of slavery. The people who practice slavery must be made realize the ill effects of this practice and should also be made understood the value of freedom and human rights. This quote is very useful one as it awakens the dull mind of people of New England and States as people are remaining ignorant and unaware of the injustice happening in their country. The quote is in many ways alerting the common men that fighting is not an easy action and can have many negative consequences. This quote is a warning and precautionary message to the people about what they should anticipate. People here are not only awakened but also are giv en guidance towards the reaction of the protest. It is highly appreciable of the quote that it projects facts about the real scenario of a fight against slavery. Slavery is indeed an evil which eats into the infrastructure of a society. Slavery upholds racism, disrespect, and cruelty in a society. So as the quote suggests it is highly necessary to fight against slavery. The quote claims that if people rise to fight against the slavery, then the union of the country may break up and this should not be the concern of the people.

Human Factors and Team Resource Management Essay

Human Factors and Team Resource Management - Essay Example However, the accident experienced by United Airlines Flight 173 brought the need to change the cockpit culture. The Crew Resource Management was, therefore, introduced as a new way of cockpit management. It was meant to improve the ability of crew members in handling complex flight situations that require emergency response (U.S. Dept. of Transportation, FAA, 2013). Latest findings by â€Å"National Transportation Safety Board† in the commercial aviation sector show that human error attributed to the occurrence of flight accidents rather than mechanical failure. A good example is United Airlines flight 173, which crashed and killed 8 passengers and 2 crew members out of the 189 passengers on board. The rest suffered serious injuries. The accident occurred in December 28, 1978 about 1815 Pacific Standard Time within a populated area of suburban Portland, Oregon (Wiener, 1993). Most of the human errors, during a flight, happen due to poor human resource management. Often, this happens due to poor training, especially, on how to make proper decision in a given flight situation. The â€Å"National Transportation Safety Board† realized that the probable cause of the flight 173 crash was the captain’s failure to monitor aircraft fuel state (National Transportation Safety Board, 1978). Furthermore, he did not respond properly to the low fuel state and advice given to him by fellow crew members. His attention was rather directed towards the malfunction of a landing gear and preparations for a landing emergency. A workshop held in 1979 by â€Å"national aeronautics and space administration† also arrived at the same conclusion made by â€Å"National Transportation Safety Board†. The research presented, placed human error as the major cause of accidents. It was discovered that there was poor communication and lack of leadership, among the crew members, in making proper decisions (U.S. Dept. of Transportation, FAA, 2004). After such loss of life caused by

African Trypanosomiasis Sleeping Sickness Biology Essay

African Trypanosomiasis Sleeping Sickness Biology Essay African trypanosomiasis also known as sleeping sickness is a wide spread parasitic disease (disease caused by organism that lives in or on another from which it obtains nourishment) that can be fatal if not treated. It is estimated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that it has 450 000 cases each year, however in the past there have epidemics (a rapid spread or increase) such as between 1896 and 1906 where it is believed that 300 000 to 500 000 died from the disease. [1] African trypanosomiasis is common in the sub-Saharan region near rivers, lakes, in gallery forests and in Savannahs where the large brown tsetse flies are present. It occurs in these remote rural areas because the health systems are weak and because most of these areas depend on agriculture, fishing, animal husbandry or hunting so they are exposed to the tsetse flies. [2]The disease has been present in Africa for a minimum of 14 centuries with millions of people being affected by it. As you can see below (in figure 1) the distribution of trypanosomiasis in Africa comprises currently an area of 8 million km2 between 14 degrees North and 20 degrees South latitude. tryp_map.gif [Fig. 1] Distribution of human African trypanosomiasis. http://www.who.int/tdrold/dw/images/legend5.gifEpidemic http://www.who.int/tdrold/dw/images/legend6.gifHigh endemicity http://www.who.int/tdrold/dw/images/legend4.gifLow endemicity http://www.who.int/tdrold/dw/images/legend7.gifAt risk http://www.who.int/tdrold/dw/images/legend3.gifAbsence of the disease   As well as African trypanosomiasis also occurs in South America it is called the American trypanosomiasis or the Chagas disease however the organism causing that disease is different to the Tsetse flies. African trypanosomiasis is however more common than the South American version and it is estimated that around 50,000 to 70,000 people are currently infected with it and around 48,000 people died from it in 2008. [3] If, like most diseases, African Trypanosomiasis is diagnosed early there is a high chance of survival. There are no effective vaccines, and the drugs used to treat this disease are often toxic and usually have many side effects. Untreated cases have a 100 percent  mortality rate. [4] The extent of African Trypanosomiasis is shown more clearly when compared to other diseases and during epidemic periods prevalence reached 50% in several villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola and Southern Sudan. Sleeping sickness was the first or second greatest cause of mortality in those communities, ahead of even HIV/AIDS. [5] There are two types of African trypanosomiasis which are common in humans. The first of the two sub species is trypanosomiasis brucei gambiense which causes a slow chronic trypanosomiasis in humans. This mostly occurs in central and western Africa, where humans are thought to be the primary target. The second is T. brucei rhodesiense and this causes a rapid onset of trypanosomiasis in humans and this is most common in southern and eastern Africa, where animals are the primary target. Tsetse flies are large flies which can be easily misinterpreted for a housefly but can be distinguished by various characteristics. These flies cause human sleeping sickness and animal trypanosomiasis (or nagana) as well as other diseases and its estimated it kills around 250,000 to 300,000 people a year. Tsetse flies are multivoltine (they have more than 2 generations per year) and there are 23 species of this fly existent today. Tsetse flies include all the species in the genus Glossina, which are generally placed in their own family, the Glossinidae. [6] AfrTryp_LifeCycle.gif[Fig. 2] [1] When a tsetse fly bites it takes blood from a human or animal host. [2] If the tsetse fly is infected it injects metacyclic trypomastigotes into skin tissue and the parasites enter the lymphatic system (part of the immune system) and pass into the bloodstream. Inside the host, they transform into bloodstream trypomastigotes and are carried to other parts of the body. [3] After this bloodstream trypomastigotes reach other blood fluids such as lymph, spinal fluid and continue the replication by binary fission (Asexual reproduction where parent cells divide into two equal parts.). [4/5] The entire life cycle of African Trypanosomes is in extracellular (outside the cells) stages. A tsetse fly becomes infected with bloodstream trypomastigotes when taking a blood meal on an infected host . [6] In the tsetse flies midgut (the mid section of the digestive tract), the parasites generate a cycle of trypomastigotes, they then multiply by binary fission and leave the midgut. [7] Thereafter the parasites transform into epimastigotes (a developmental stage in trypanosomes) [8] The epimastigotes reach the flys salivary glands and continue multiplication by binary fission . This cycle in the fly takes approximately 3 weeks to occur. http://www.icp.ucl.ac.be/~opperd/parasites/images/dia3.jpg[Fig.3] This picture shows an African male in the late stage of African trypanosomiasis Describe the biological processes involved in producing solutions to the problem You can spot African trypanosomiasis early if the following symptoms occur, and treating the disease early increases the chances of survival. Symptoms of sleeping sickness begin with fever, headaches, and joint pains. If untreated, the disease slowly overcomes the immune defences of the infected person, and symptoms spread to anaemia, cardiovascular and kidney disorders. The disease then enters a neurological phase when the parasite passes through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The symptoms of the second phase is what gives the disease its name, sleeping sickness, besides confusion and reduced coordination, the sleep cycle is disturbed with a period of lower level consciousness and periods of inability to sleep progressing to daytime drowsiness and night-time insomnia. Without treatment, the disease is fatal, with progressive mental deterioration leading to coma and death. Damage caused in the neurological phase can be irreversible. [7] Stage 1 illness: 2 to 3 weeks later, Stage 1 disease develops as a result of the protozoa being carried through the blood and lymph circulation of the host. This phase of the illness is represented by a high fever that falls and rises again, also irritating rashes, and headaches may occur. The Gambiense form, in particular, includes extreme swelling of lymph tissue, with enlargement of both the spleen and liver, and greatly swollen lymph nodes. During this stage, the heart may be affected by a severe inflammatory reaction, particularly when the infection is caused by the Rhodesiense variety of trypanosomiasis. These symptoms usually occur because of our immune system trying to defeat the invading organism; this is because of the increasing activity of our cells damaging organs and tissues. This may cause some blood vessels to leak and as a result of this the protozoa may spread further around the body. The immune system responds so violently because the trypanosomes survive so well by quickly changing specific markers, which are the outer coats of unique proteins. These proteins stimulate the hosts immune system to produce immune cells which will specifically target the marker, allowing quick destruction of those cells bearing the markers. Trypanosomes, however, are able to express new markers at such a high rate of change that the hosts immune system is constantly trying to catch up. Stage 2 illness This involves the nervous system, especially Gambiense sleeping sickness, which has a phase in which the symptoms involve the brain. These symptoms are that the patients speech becomes slurred, mental processes slow, and the patient sits and stares for long periods of time, or sleeps. Other symptoms resemble Parkinsons disease, including imbalance when walking, slow and shuffling gait, trembling of the limbs, involuntary movements, muscle tightness, and increasing mental confusion. Untreated, these symptoms could eventually lead to coma and then to death. [8] There are various treatments for the disease but it depends on the how bad the disease has got and what stage it is at. Suramin, eflornithine, pentamidine, and several drugs which contain arsenic (a chemical which in higher doses is highly poisonous to humans), are all effective anti-trypanosomal agents. When the disease is in its early stages it is easier to control and its treatments are the most effective, the least toxic, so the earlier the identification of the disease, the better the prospect of a cure. At the second stage the treatments depend on drugs that can cross the blood and the brain, to reach the parasite, however these drugs are more toxic and therefore carry a risk with them. There are four drugs that have been registered for the treatment of sleeping sickness which are; pentamidine, melarsoprol, eflornithine and suramin. If the disease is diagnosed early, the chances of cure are high. The type of treatment depends on the phase of the disease: initial or neurological. During which the second stage of the trypanosome parasites reside in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) so success in the latter phase depends on having a drug that can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to reach the parasite. Four drugs have been used until now. Without treatment, sleeping sickness will lead to death. Unfortunately, however, those medications effective against the Trypanosoma brucei complex protozoa all have significant potential side effects for the patient. An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc. Object name is AFHS0604-0223Fig1.jpg Object name is AFHS0604-0223Fig1.jpg [Fig 4] Sleeping sickness in South-Eastern Uganda from 1905- 2001 As you can see in figure 5 there were a high number of deaths of people from Trypanosomiasis from 1905-1915 but even thought the number decreases there have still been a lot of cases in this small region in the past 30 years and the number has been predicted to increase from The First Stage Treatment Suramin: Suramin is a colourless derivative. The development of suramin followed observations that a number substances. Suramin has six negative charges at physiological pH, thereby preventing its diffusion across cell membranes and it could possibly be used against late stage trypanosomiasis because it does not cross the BBB. Suramin is generally considered the drug of choice for the early stages of human African trypanosomiasis, especially T. b. rhodesiense infections. Because of the size and charge of suramin it makes it unsuitable to have a specific transporter. Suramin easily binds to many proteins. At attainable levels, more than 75% of suramin is bound to proteins, which include low-density lipoproteins (LDL). LDL and transferin are taken up through a receptor-mediated endocytosis and suramin enters the parasite specifically found to LDL. Accumulation of the drug in trypanosomes is relatively slow. In some studies, suramin has interfered with the metabolism of trypanosomes in different ways: It hampers the receptor mediated uptake of LDL, the carrier of cholesterol which is required for parasite growth Suramin, which enters via receptor mediated endocytosis in association with LDL, is most likely to accumulate inside the lysosome. Several of the enzymes encountered by suramin on its way from the extracellular fluid to the secondary lysosomes become inhibited by suramin. Many glycolytic enzymes located inside the glycosome on the African trypanosome carry a high positive charge, and therefore are all inhibited by micro molar levels of suramin. Second Stage Treatment Eflornithine: Eflornithine is an off-white, odourless, powder; the compound is freely soluble in water and sparingly soluble in ethanol. It is used mainly as a backup drug for melarsoprol but now in places such as Uganda it has become the first line treatment for sleeping sickness. Adverse drug reactions during eflornithine therapy are frequent. Their occurrence and intensity increase with the duration of treatment and the severity of the general condition of the patient. Generally, adverse reactions to eflornithine are reversible after the end of treatment. Trypanosomes are more susceptible to the drug than human cells, possibly due to the slow turnover of the ODC enzyme (which is key in the biosynthesis of polyamines) in T. b. gambiense. Eflornithine can effectively inhibit ODC activity and use the supply of polyamines in trypanosomes, which bring them into a motionless state that makes them vulnerable to the hosts immune attack. Therefore, a sufficiently active immune system is required to achieve a cure. Additionally, eflornithine induces the differentiation of thin forms to larger forms which do not divide anymore and therefore become accessible to the immune system. [9] It was found in a study that the effectiveness of eflornithine was 98.7% on its patients which is a high cure rate. Explain how the processes used are appropriate in terms of producing effective solutions to address the problem As you can see a total of 6 patients died, 5 of them on the 14 day course therefore the 7 day course seems to be much more effective. The 7 day course seems to be cause less adverse events in general then the 14 day course. [Fig. 5] However concluding figure 6 we can see that the probability of cure is higher in the 14 day regime then the 7 day regime. So even though there are some side effects of the 14 day regime still has a greater chance of curing the disease.[Fig. 6] F1_medium.gif [Fig. 7] A total of 103 patients with second-stage disease were enrolled. Cure rates were 94.1% for the eflornithine group and 96.2% for the nifurtimox-eflornithine group. Drug reactions were frequent in both arms, and severe reactions affected 25.5% of patients in the eflornithine group and 9.6% of those in the nifurtimox-eflornithine group, resulting in 2 and 1 treatment suspensions, respectively. There was 1 death in the eflornithine arm and no deaths in the nifurtimox-eflornithine arm. [10] The nifurtimox-eflornithine combination appears to be a promising first-line therapy for second-stage sleeping sickness. [10] F1_medium.gif [Fig 8] shows the probability of an event free survival among 1055 patients; they were treated with eflornithine for newly diagnosed second stage human African trypanosomiasis in Ibba, Southern Sudan. 1756-3305-1-3-3.jpg[Fig. 9] The combined efforts of chemotherapy, systematic case detection and vector control led to a dramatic reduction in the incidence of sleeping sickness at the beginning of the 1960s as shown in figure 2. The grey bars represent the number of cases whilst the line graph shows the population screened. Identify 2 implications of the solution encountered Suramin As suramin can only be injected it causes problems as African Trypanosomiasis can be spread easily from the needles not bring cleaned properly. If the patients who dont have the disease are injecting with the same unclean needle as people who are diagnosed this would result in the non-infected patients being infected. Further problems of suramin are that it has many side effects which include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, metallic taste and joint pain. Less common side effects are loss of vision and swelling around eyes. It can even rarely cause fainting and death. The advantages are that many of these side effects can be stopped by using a small sample dose, 100 mg IV, to test any toxic reactions of the patients. Eflornithine The route of application makes financial difficulties due to the workload and the additional material needed. A recently investigated abbreviated course of 7 days was found to cause a high relapse rate for the treatment of new cases. The superior outcome reported for the treatment of relapses still has to be confirmed, since there were a very small number of participants in the study. If there was an oral form for the treatment of sleeping sickness it would be more appropriate as it would be cheaper and less time consuming. In a study the average cost of eflornithine per patient being 552.3 USD and the cost per patients life saved averaging 559.8 USD. [10] Eflornithine also has side effects which include acne stinging skin; headache; dry skin; itching; erythema (redness); dyspepsia(upset stomach or indigestion); alopecia Fortunately there are advantages of this drug as efforts for the developments of an oral form of eflornithine are currently being made under the World Health Organisation/World Bank special programme for research and training in tropical diseases. This drug is generally better tolerated than the first line drug melarsoprol. It was found in a study that the effectiveness of eflornithine was 98.7% on its patients which is very high and therefore if the illness is treated within its late stages, stage 2, the chances of survival are still high. Evaluate the benefits and risks to humans, organisms and the environment Benefits: The side effects of Suramin can be stopped by using a small sample dose, 100 mg IV, to test any toxic reactions of the patients, so this means it could An oral form of eflornithine is currently being made under the World Health Organisation/World Bank special programme for research and training in tropical diseases. This would lead to cheaper costs of to treat a patient; therefore more people can be treated and cured. Effectiveness of eflornithine is 98.7% on its patients which is very high and therefore if the illness is treated within its late stages, stage 2, the chances of survival are still high, so a lot less people die when using the treatment. Disadvantges: The average cost of eflornithine per patient being 552.3 USD is far too high to cure most of the people especially because the treatment mainly depends on donated money as the government of the Third World countries are too poor to afford the treatment, so by using this lots of people may never be treated and therefore there may be a rise in the death rate. As the treatment of patients decreases, if people donate less, the number of deaths from the disease will increase. Further disadvantages of the treatments are that they both carry many side effects, even though some of these side effects arent major, the lack of treatments in these poor countries could result in a gradual decrease in health over time. Also some of the side effects and over doses could lead to death or serious illnesses so it is important to administer the drugs carefully and correctly as the end result could be fatal. Discuss alternative views or solutions for the problem encountered Pentamidine: Pentamidine can be used instead of suramin for a first stage treatment of trypanosomiasis. It is medication with a very slow rate of diffusion across biological membranes and it only treats the T.B.G. form of African sleeping sickness in the first stage. It could be injected or inhaled by the patient. Because of poor GI absorption, the drug is administered IV/IM and is strongly bound to tissues, including spleen, liver, and kidney. Clinical improvement usually noted within 24 h of injection. Reported to have a >90% cure rate. Pentamidine does not penetrate the blood-brain barrier effectively and, therefore, does not treat CNS infection. [9] Fifty-eight patients in the early-late stage (early central nervous system involvement) of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense trypanosomiasis were treated with pentamidine and divided into four groups according to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) indicators: white blood cell (WBC) count, protein level (CSF protein), and the presence or absence of trypanosomes. Group 1 consisted of eight patients with normal CSF WBC counts and CSF protein levels and trypanosomes in the CSF. Group 2 consisted of nine patients with elevated CSF WBC counts, normal level of CSF protein, and trypanosomes in the CSF. Group 3 consisted of 31 patients with high CSF WBC counts, normal CSF protein levels, but no trypanosomes in the CSF. Group 4 consisted of 10 patients with normal CSF WBC counts and CSF protein levels and trypanosomes demonstrated by CSF culture. Post-treatment follow-up of all patients for at least one year revealed three relapses. There were two deaths from diseases unrelated to trypanosomiasis or to the treatment protocol. Of these patients, 52 were followed for more than two years, the time necessary to confirm a complete cure, indicating a cure rate of 94%. Pentamidine is therefore effective in treating the early-late stage of T. b. gambiense trypanosomiasis, and is comparable with melarsoprol or eflornithine in terms of its tolerance and availability. [11] Side effects: Shortness of breath; closing of the throat; hives; swelling of the lips, face, or tongue; rash; or faintin;, bleeding or bruising; blurred vision; chest pain or irregular heart beat; chills; difficulty breathing dizziness, fainting spells or excessive tiredness; drastic appetite changes; mouth ulcers severe stomach pain; severe headache; seizureshttp://bryanking.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/hives.jpg [Fig 10] This picture shows hives which is a common side effect of pentamidine Melarsoprol: Melarsoprol contains an arsenic element with a reactive arsenoxide group. The presence of the arsenoxide enables the ability of lipid solubility and this allows passage across the BBB. Apart from its transport function, the arsenoxide group mediates in the killing of the parasites in the bodily fluid; CSF (Cerebrospinal fluid). Modification of the melarsoprol parent ring to generate other analogous compounds can have a significant impact on its trypanocidal efficacy. The trivalent arsenicals; melarsoprol, melarsen oxide and phenylarsen are highly active with a minimum inhibitory concentration. Usually the transport of melarsoprol into the trypanosome parasite is accomplished by purine tranporters. Purine transport is highly developed in trypanosomes as they do not synthesize nucleic acids and must directly acquire them from their hosts. Resistance The failure of melarsoprol to cure 10% of the late stage sleeping sickness patients possibly relates to the fact that these individuals accumulate levels of the drug in the brain. However, one study has indicated that the levels of drug are similar in the CSF of relapsing and non-relapsing patients, so parasites at other extravascular sites may be key to the treatment failure. In some regions, treatment failures have reached high levels up to 30%. Parasites retrieved from the patients with these treatment failures were less responsive to melarsoprol than parasites isolated from other foci. This clearly points to some form of mutation towards resistance. Indeed arsenic refractory parasites do possess an unusual amino purine transporter which accumulates melarsoprol and the loss of this transporter in the parasite leads to drug resistance. T. brucei contains several of the purine nucleoside transporter activities. [9] Melarsoprol is a good alternative and is used as the first line drug against Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) in many countries. This is because the drug has longer intervals between when the dosages should be taken so it requires fewer resources and is therefore cheaper. However melarsoprol is a highly dangerous treatment, only administered by injection under the supervision of a physician. It causes a range of side effects, among them convulsions, fever, unconsciousness etc. It is fatal in and of itself in approx. 10% of the cases. Meanwhile eflornithine is a modern and far less dangerous treatment for HAT but it is expensive not widely available in the market and the money for supplies are usually dependable on donations. Melarsoprol is a good alternative and is used as the first line drug against Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) in many countries. This is because the drug has longer intervals between when the dosages should be taken so it requires fewer resources and is therefore cheaper. However melarsoprol is a highly dangerous treatment, only administered by injection under the supervision of a physician. It causes a range of side effects, among them convulsions, fever, unconsciousness etc. It is fatal in and of itself in approx. 10% of the cases. Meanwhile eflornithine is a modern and far less dangerous treatment for HAT but it is expensive not widely available in the market and the money for supplies are usually dependable on donations.

humans doing their best :: essays research papers

We human beings are a very unique creature. We have the ability to communicate through words, actions, and visions. We also strive to be the best that we can be. Whether at sports, school, or work we all want to be to the leaders of our field. That is why with my guidance and leadership we can grow not only as individual people but as a group of people as well. As you all know, my door is always open to suggestions and comments. If you feel hat something might work better than the way it is being handled let me know. Also, I shall make sure everyone is treated fairly and justly. In our country everyone will be treated equally regardless of their wealth or status, which we all desire. Here, no one will be overworked or underpaid; we will all share the revenue that is created by our fellowman. Lastly, there will be low taxes which will go toward funding our military. Our military will be used to protect citizens so they will not live in fear, it will not be used to police our peop le, like fascists. In the end communism will benefit us by allowing everyone to feel safe and equal. Since we are a communist community I shall be speaking for all of us. But that does not mean you have no say in what goes on. As your leader, I shall keep you all posted on what is happening locally as well as internationally. Unlike democracy, bills will be passed in a timely fashion because there will not be political parties arguing. Also, everyone will have the resources that they need which will eliminate competition for basic necessities, such as food, clothing, housing and education. Furthermore, unlike democratic politicians this government will be honest with its' people. No one under this government would be ruled with an "iron fist," like in fascism, instead the punishments that people receive will be given in accordance with the crimes they commit. First of all lets talk about the rules. Rule number one is no killing. Those who fail to do so will be subject to torture of the victims families' choosing. Second, no stealing. Stealing will result in forced payment of double the value of the item stolen, and in the case that the thief is poor, he or she will do community service equivalent to a dollar a day until they have paid off double what they have stolen.

Invertebrates

Invertebrates Jellyfish The Jellyfish are truly a wonder of nature. They have always been objects of deep observation and admiration. Not to mention the fact, that they are also considered in great awe, fear and even repulsion by some folks. The repulsion and fear have originated from the fact that these creatures can be quite beautiful to behold, but extremely painful when stung by them. These marine creatures are classified under the group of Cnidarians. They typically have a soft jelly like consistency to their body, prompting the people to call them as Jellyfish. There are numerous surprises in store, when we deal with Jellyfishes.The first and foremost of the surprise is the vast reservoir of chemical factories, inside the tiny body. Though this creature does not have a vertebral column, a proper demarcation of body and head, and not even a brain, yet this Jellyfish is seen to possess numerous different chemicals, some of which are extremely toxic and poisonous too. Next in stor e for the observer or the scientist is the next surprise, which is the fluorescent quality of these creatures. The Jellyfish possess a chemical protein inside their body fluid, called as aequorin, which was derived from the species of Jellyfish called as Aequorea Victoria.The GFP or the green fluorescent protein was derived from this protein. Both these proteins have a property of photo luminescence, which means lighting up in the dark, and also the property of fluorescence. Then there are the Neon Jellyfish which are also called as rainbow Jellyfish. These do not produce any photo luminescent protein as such. But yet they manage to shine or light up in the dark. They possess a hair like structure called cilia which help in their motility. The light which falls on these cilia is reflected back and this simple property of light reflection makes these rainbow Jellyfish fluorescent.Cycloporus Venetus (Blue Flatworm) FLATWORMS – UMMM. THEY'RE FLAT We have to run out of steam ther e. But that's the one obvious connection between all of the worms in this group. Sure we can tell you that there are over 20,000 known species. Most of the species are parasitic. They are super-primitive organisms that were the first to develop mesoderm. The big thing you should remember is that they are flat. There may be one more fact to remember. They are found in every environment that has water. Many scientists believe there are hundreds of species we will still discover. BASIC TYPESYou'll learn about a few classic examples of flatworms in your classes. Tapeworms are always a nasty example. They live in intestinal tracts of many species. Cats, dogs, and even you could wind up with tapeworms. You'll also hear about flukes. It's another parasitic species that has a close relationship with man and other mammals. They are suckers in the flatworm family. Planaria are harmless flatworms that are often used in your biology labs. They are freshwater flatworms that have a head like an a rrow. They're black with two white spots on their heads. Those spots are not eyes, but they do sense light.Flatworms have very simple nervous systems. WHERE WILL YOU FIND THEM? If you find water, there's a good chance flatworms will be around. Most are very small and not obvious immediately. Flatworms get most of their oxygen through diffusion. Since they have no specialized circulatory system, their flatness gives them a greater surface area to absorb more oxygen. There are species in many freshwater and saltwater environments as well as inside larger organisms. While we made them seem easy to find, it's sometimes very hard to track them down. Since many flatworms are parasites, they have lifecycles in different hosts.Eggs many be deposited in the feces of one species. Another organism might eat those eggs and development begins in the digestive system. The flatworm might then mature in the muscle tissue. Flatworms can get around. SOME STRUCTURE STUFF Although really simple, flatwo rms have some advanced structures compared to some other animals. They were the first species to develop mesoderm. That mesoderm tissue develops into organs and muscles as the organism grows. They also have simple nervous systems and sensory organs. While they don't have a respiratory system or circulatory system to speak of, they do have a neat little digestive system.Most species of flatworms have no anus and a cavity with only one opening. While not all species do, many flatworm species use a mouth to eat. The only problem with no anus is that the stuff you don't digest has to go out the mouth when you're done. Other materials that need to be removed from the system can be excreted through specialized cells called flame cells. Flame cells are the first appearance of excretory ducts in organisms. Flame cells have cilia that beat and filter out materials that the flatworm wants to get rid of.

review of american beauty essays

review of american beauty essays The movie American Beauty is an interesting view of Suburbia America. While some people might criticize the movie for being to far fetch and to critical of America, others see the movie for the full value that it holds for its viewers. This movie can initially be labeled as a satire or a movie poking fun of American suburbs, but after deeper inspection this movie is more about the truth of who you are and coming to live with and understanding that realization. In the movie, the only people that were truly happy the whole time was the gay couple. This is funny because it is not a usual occurrence that there is a gay couple living next door. It is also weird because they are the only people that seem to function normally as a whole, and feel as if they have nothing to be ashamed of. The couple is truly happy because they understand who they are and they are secure with there standing in life. The mother of the family is never truly happy with who she is, as can be seen in her slapping herself in the being of the movie and her constantly criticizing her husband, and is very unhappy because of it. She tries to be something that she is not, and would rather live out this fantasy that she has of life that to live her own life. She frustrates her whole family with trying to be in charge of everything when all they really want from her is for her to be herself. The father is truly confused by what he wants from his life. He thinks that g oing back to the way he was during his teenage years will help all his problems go away and will ultimately make him happy. When truthfully all he needs is to accept what he is and learn to love everything that makes up his life. I think the final part of the movie shows that he has come to understand this point and wants to impart all this knowledge upon us as viewers and as strugglers of this confusing life. This movie says a lot about America and the ideals and ...

The Red Pony essays

The Red Pony essays The Red Pony by John Steinbeck is a book filled with archetypes and lessons. They can help readers identify hidden truths in books and sometimes even end up teaching them lessons. John Steinbeck uses archetypes skillfully to parallel the everyday lives of people. The Red Pony is filled with complex archetypes and symbolic events which are experienced by Jody, the main character of the book. He is a ten year old boy living on a ranch with his parents and a farmhand named Billy Buck. The archetypal patterns that his life goes through range from the number 2 to the life cycle to the loss of innocence. The Red Pony itself is divided into four very different books, each of which are surprisingly independent of each other. The character of Jody, in The Red Pony, experiences a separate event in each books that results in a loss of innocence, and in turn gains knowledge and matures over time. Jody experiences two losses of innocence in the first book of the Red Pony when he learns of human imperfection and when he is personally affected by death for the first time. At the beginning, Jody receives a red pony from his father, Carl, and cares for it all summer with the help of Billy Buck. He reveres Billy because of his knowledge of caring for and training the pony and is ready to do whatever he says so that one day he may have his own horse to ride. Billy . . . told Jody a great many things about horses (14). For example, He explained that they were terribly afraid for their feet, so that one must make a practice of lifting the legs and patting the hoofs and ankles to remove their terror (14). This shows that Billy knows a lot about horses and therefore Jody is very willing to trust Billy, even with his ponys life. One day, deep in autumn, Jody has misgivings about possible rain and tells his feelings to Billy, who reassures him that it wont rain. Because of this reassurance, Jody leaves th...

Family Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Family Law - Essay Example Even though the siblings do not stay in the same house, they must be allowed access to each other and more importantly must be aware of the fact that they have a half sibling. In this case, the boy’s mother does not have any right to keep the fact away from the boy. Also, according to the law half sibling has a right to Visitation and hence the girl has the right to have access to her brother. The boy’s mother cannot ignore the fact that they are half siblings and cannot make the decision for the boy even though he is under her custody. According to law in most jurisdictions, the view of the parent is of not much importance as compared to the interest of both the siblings involved. What is best to the siblings is what matters and hence, the girl in all right must get access to her half brother. As the half siblings will benefit from building a strong relationship by constant visitation, then non-biological parents are required to support and participate in such a visitation. A more serious issue in this case is not the visitation but the boy’s mother’s intention to not tell the boy about his half sister. Such a decision, can turn out be critical in the future for both the half siblings. There are numerous negative effects of half siblings not knowing about each other. Even if they do not have access to each other, they must be aware of the fact that they have a half sibling. There has been a recent incident that shows the negative effect of such secrecy. A couple have discovered that they are half brother and sister after they fell in love and have a child (Hanley, 2011). This is very dangerous and could have been avoided if the couple knew about their relation earlier. Also it is illegal for half siblings to enter the institution of marriage. Hanley, V. (2010). Couple discover they are siblings: Child courts blamed after strangers fall in love, have a son - and then find out they are half-brother and sister.

Tyrannical Manner of Governance and the French Revolution Essay

Tyrannical Manner of Governance and the French Revolution - Essay Example The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens provides that everyone is entitled to their opinion. They should not find any disturbance, provided they maintain public order. In addition, Robespierre made comparisons of terror to other principles of the society. Such principles included justice and promptness in the achievement of democracy. According to him, there was an urgency in the application of democracy and the use of terror could lead to the production of the virtues of democracy. The declaration provides the prohibition of injurious actions to the society and that only the law stipulates the requirements of the actions of the society. In my opinion, I disagree with Robespierre that the terror was necessary. This is because he provoked and assumed the strong beliefs and feelings of the people, in relation to their rights. It was wrong for the Robespierre to make terror a government policy for the achievement of political goals. In today’s world, governments are putting efforts to ensure the elimination of terror. I consider the status of the French revolution as a terrorist act, where the government is the mastermind of the terror attack. Robespierre himself was a lawyer and his job entailed the protection of the constitution. He knew that it was a criminal offense to take action to a criminal through mob violence. Therefore, the use of terror was due to fear on his part in the achievement of the governments’ goals. The majority will always have their way in the society. The people of France had become indifferent to the revolution. This is because it involved military conscription and the use of thre ats to the people, in a bid to change their lifestyle. The use of terror was an unfortunate event to the people who were hostile to the revolution. It is in order for the relevant authorities to take wrongdoers to court, where they receive judgment.