The Element of Style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Element of Style - Essay Example Kalman seems to be an expert on body language since these illustrations clearly have meanings and stories attached to them. If a picture can tell a thousand words, then Kalman’s paintings certainly qualify to prove this adage. One may well connect each painting to the word it is used to illustrate. For instance, the word ‘should’ may also be used in the sense of a moral imperative, as for example what should be done in such and such a situation. Should imposes this moral duty, (as â€Å"one should be kind to the poor†); Could means that it’s the person’s choice whether to act or not; (†he could have reacted sooner and saved the child’s life); and Would indicates that it is highly probable that the person will act in such a manner (â€Å"he wouldn’t be such a spoilsport now, would he?†). ‘Would’ is illustrated by Kalman as a man who is relaxed but looking at us keenly and ready to move into action. His bo dy language states that he is ready to get up. But the very fact that he is seated on a chair and near a bed gives one the idea that if he is not motivated to take action, he just might decide to get off his chair and move to relax and lit down on the bed nearby. Something might motivate him to take action, and then again, it might not. The choice is entirely up to him, it would appear so. On the other hand, ‘Should’ is illustrated by the painting of a quaint maiden who sits with her hands folded at her chest in a sitting position. She looks at us out of the corner of her eyes- a sideways glance (Strunk, White & Kalman, 2007, 36). This may refer to the old archaic origins of the word and its usage. She is dressed in red. For some reason, it indicates to me that she should get married as she seems to be a spinster. Although the woman is the focus of the picture, we cannot help noticing the painting of flowers or leaves behind her. The third illustration or

Evolution and religion Essay Example for Free

Evolution and religion Essay â€Å" Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind †, said Albert Einstein. This essay concentrates on evolution, religion, and creationism. In the first phase these are defined, and later their relationships and controversies are discussed. A conclusive statement is made a the end. Evolution The theory of evolution by natural selection was first put forth by Charles Darwin in his book, â€Å" on the origin of species†, in 1859. In 1930’s Darwinian natural selection was combined with Mendelian inheritance to form the modern evolutionary synthesis. With its enormous explanatory power, this theory provides a unifying answer to diversity of life on earth. Evolution is the change in a population’s inherited traits, from generation to generation. These traits are encoded as genes that are copied and passed on to offspring during reproduction. Mutations and other random changes in the genes can produce new or altered traits, resulting in difference between organisms. Evolution occurs when these different traits become more common or rare in a population. This happens through genetic drift and is based on the reproductive value of traits through natural selection. Under natural selection organisms with traits that help them to survive and reproduce tend to have more off springs. In doing so, they will pass more copies of inheritable beneficial traits on to the next generation. This leads to advantageous traits becoming more common in each generation, while disadvantageous traits become rarer. Over time, this process can result in varied adaptations to environmental conditions. As differences in populations accumulate, new species may evolve. All known species have descended from a single ancestral gene pool through this process of gradual divergence. According to theory of evolution, life on Earth started its journey over 3 billion years ago, when oxygenic photosynthesis emerged, which made development of aerobic cellular respiration possible around 2 billion years ago. In the last billion years, multi cellular plants and animals began to appear in oceans. The Cambrian explosion originated all major body plans of modern animals. About 450 million years ago ( mya) plants and fungi colonized the land, and were soon followed by anthropods and other animals. Amphibians first appeared around 300 mya, followed by reptiles and mammals around 200 mya, and birds around 100 mya. The human genus arose around 2 mya, while the earliest modern humans lived 200 thousand years ago. This theory states that all organisms on Earth have descended from a common ancestral gene pool. Evidence for this is inferred from traits shared between all living organisms. In Darwin’s days, this statement was based on visible observation of morphologic similarities. Today genetic science has proved this. For example, every living cell makes use of nucleic acids as its genetic material and uses the same 20 amino acids as the building blocks of proteins. The universality of these traits suggest common ancestry. The roots of evolution theory were laid by Charles Darwin in 1858. He could not propose any working mechanism for inheritance. This was provided by Mendel in 1865, who proved that distinct traits were inherited in a well defined and predictable manner.( Evolution ) Religion A religion is a set of beliefs and practices generally held by human community involving adherence to codified beliefs and rituals, and study of ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, mythology, personal faith and mystic experience. It is also described as a communal system for the coherence of belief focusing on a system of thought, unseen being, person, or object, that is considered to be supernatural, sacred, divine or of the highest truth. Moral codes, values, practices, institutions, traditions, rituals and scriptures are often associated with the core belief. Religion is also described as a â€Å" way of life †. There are number of models in which religions come into being and develop. Broadly these models fall into three categories: 1) Those which see religion as social construction 2) Those which see religion as progressing towards higher, objective truth 3) Those which see particular religion as absolute truth Creationism Creationism is the belief that humanity, life, the Earth, and the Universe were entirely created by a supernatural deity, God. His existence is presupposed. The term creationism is often used to describe the belief that creation occurred literally as described in the book ‘ Genesis’, for Christians and the Jews, and in ‘Qur’an’, for Muslims. In Christian context, many creationists adopt a literal interpretation of the Biblical narratives and say that Bible provides a factual account, given from the perspective of only one who was there to witness it at that time: God. Almost all churches teach that God created the Cosmos. Biblical creationism places knowledge of God central in pursuit of knowledge of anything, as everything comes from God. It says nothing about the mechanisms by which anything was created. No systematic or scientific inquiry was made into the validity of the text. Christian creationism id categorized into many types. These are : Young Earth creationism. This is inclusive of modern geocentrism, Omphalos hypothesis, and creation science. Old Earth creationism. This includes Gap creationism, Day-age creationism, and progressive creationism. Theistic creationism Neo-creationism, which includes intelligent design. While Christian and Islamic creationism are almost similar. Hindu creationism believes that all creatures including humans undergo repeated cycles of creation and destruction. The Hindu view of the cosmos is cyclic. ( Creationism ) Evolution and religion Religion is based on beliefs and science is based on proofs and evidences. The theory of evolution is backed by scientific proofs and is considered science beyond any doubt. The relationship between religion and science takes many forms as both are extremely broad. They employ different methods and address different questions. The scientific method adopts an objective approach to measure, calculate, and describe the natural, physical, material universe. Religious methods are more subjective, relying on notions about authority, intuition, belief in supernatural, individual experience and ‘reasoned’ observations about life or the universe, or a combination of all these. Science attempts to answer the ‘how’ and ‘ what’ of observable and verifiable phenomena, religion attempts to answer the ‘why’ question of values, morals, and spirituality. Both employ different methods to find answers to different questions. ( Relationship). A noteworthy dissimilarity between the two is that religion has been existing since ages, whereas science is too young. The earliest civilizations of human species have been worshipping a supernatural force, which was later named as ‘God ’ by Christianity and ‘ Allah’ by Islam. The two most popular religions of today’s world may be a few thousand years old only, but the concept of religion is as old as man himself. In opposition, the modern day science is hardly a few hundred years old. All the modern scientific theories and discoveries on which the world is thriving today, occurred after the renaissance era in Europe. There are two distinct views regarding relationship between religion and science. One known as ‘non-overlapping magisteria’, described by Stephen Jay Gould states that both deal with fundamentally separate aspects of human experience and so when each stays within its own domain, they can co-exist peacefully. The other view known as conflict thesis, which is not to the liking of historians but retains popular appeal, holds that science and religion inevitably compete for authority over the nature of reality. Here, religion has been gradually losing a war with science as scientific expressions become more powerful, acceptable and widespread. ( Relationship ) Evolution theory gives answers to various how life evolved and developed on this earth. Its domain is limited to explaining and proving the existence of a common genetic pool from which different species came into existence. On the other hand the combined domain of all the religions of this world is almost infinite. Answers to questions which science cannot answer are given by religion. The contents of theory of evolution are limited whereas that of all the religions combined are limitless. For example, evolution theory cannot give a satisfactory answer to the origins of universe or the starting point of life. It just assumes that there was a pool of genes from which all forms of life have descended. Religion explains that there exists a supernatural force, which is not seen by anyone and the existence of which can never be proved in a scientific way, which created the ‘ Big Bang’. Science assumes that this was the beginning of universe. Religion does have answers to questions which cannot be answered by any scientific theory. The theory of evolution has no clue about soul, which is globally accepted as a part of our body, while all religions of this world have clear answers to any question regarding soul. All scientific knowledge, if summed up, is like a small drop in an ocean of summed up knowledge offered by all religions on this world. If religion is based on assumptions, even science has assumptions at its base. Evolution is limited to various aspects of life on this planet. For any religion this is a very small chapter in a huge book. Religion not only touches the various aspects of how life developed, but numerous other topics also. As mentioned above, religion is a ‘ way of life’ and hence its perceptions are much broader than the evolution theory, touching the living and the non-living also. Conflicts between religion and evolution arise when religious fundamentalists refuse to accept the scientifically proved facts. This is true for Christian fundamentalists, especially in the United States. They are simply not ready to deviate from the Biblical teachings that God is the creator of all things and He runs the show. They tend to miss one important point that Darwin has never touched the debate on ‘why’ evolution occurred. He has simply found answers to ‘how’ it happened. The authority of God, or for that matter teaching of any religion is never questioned by the theory of evolution. As a matter of fact, there are ample proofs available which convince us that the scientific community also accepts and favors the theory of a super natural power. Writes Lovgren Stefan in his article in National Geographic news, â€Å" Some of history’s greatest scientific minds, including Albert Einstein, were convinced that there is intelligent life behind the universe. Today many scientists say that there is no conflict between their faith and their work†. He further writes, â€Å" the scientific evidence for evolution is overwhelming. Yet, in 2001 Gallup poll, 45% of USA adults said that they believe evolution has played no role in shaping humans. Darwin never said anything about God. Many scientists and theologians maintain that it would be perfectly logical to think that a divine being used evaluation as a method to create the world†. The article further argues , â€Å" there is no way to explain religious faith scientifically. It is hard to envision a test that can tell the difference between the universe created by God, and the one that appeared without God. But why did the universe exist at all ? This is a question which religion is particularly good at answering†. The same article has a report by Ted Sargent, a nano-technology expert at the University of Toronto. â€Å" Even as science progresses in its reductionist fashion moving towards deeper, simpler and more elegant understanding of particles and forces, there will still remain a ‘ why’, at the end. Why are the rules the way they are ? This is where people will find God †. Stefan comments, â€Å" To many scientists, this discoveries may not be that different from religious revelations. Scientific advancements may even draw scientists closer to religion†. ( Lovgren Stefan ) Conversely, religious fundamentalists should also accept the fats which are proven beyond any doubt. This establishes a harmony between religion and evolution. Evolution and creationism The conflict between the believers in evolution theory and creationism is more fierce than that of evolution and religion. This is especially true in the USA where it has become a political controversy. It is a dispute about the origins of Earth, humanity, life, and the universe. The level of support for the evolution theory is overwhelming in the scientific community and the academia, while support for creation based alternatives where evolution does not take place is minimal among secular scientists. Creationists argue that scientific theories are incomplete, incorrect, and inherently flawed due to the infinite regression nature of questions of origins. They argue that if science can provide answers to ‘ what caused the Big Bang ?’ or ‘ what was the nature of first life form ?’ it is likely that answers themselves will be subject to similar kinds of regressive inquiry. They firmly believe that science cannot provide answers to such questions and that their religious discourse is much more complete and more reliable than the naturalistic description provided by science. While creationists point at the limitations of scientific investigations, they intend to point towards the existence of creator God. Skeptics criticize this as ‘God of the gaps argument’. They say that religious argumentation is reduced to a place holder for gaps in human knowledge. One more argument presented is that evolution is a theory and not a fact. This is a result of misconception about the technical meaning of ‘theory’. In common usage, ‘theory’ means hypothesis and unproven assumptions. In science it means ‘ a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena†. Exploring this issue, Stephen Jay Gould wrote, â€Å" Evolution is a theory. It is also a fact, and facts and theories are different things, not rungs in a hierarchy of increasing uncertainty. Facts are the world’s data. Theories are structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts. Facts do not go away when scientists debate rival theories to explain them. Einstein’s theory of gravitation replaced that of Newton’s but apples did not suspend themselves from mid –air. And humans evolved from ape-like ancestors whether they did so by Darwin’s proposed mechanism or by some other yet to be disclosed â€Å". Karl Propper gave a new dimension to the debate, by evolving the concept of ‘falsifiability’. He claimed that testable theories are scientific but those that are untestable are not. He declares, â€Å" I have come to a conclusion that Darwinism is not testable scientific theory but a metaphysical research program, a plausible framework for testable scientific theories†. Debate among some scientists and philosophers of science on the applicability of falsifiabilty have been offered by some scientists: Richard Dawkins and J.B.S. Haldane both pointed out that if fossil rabbits were found in the Precarribean era, a time before most similarly complex life forms had evolved â€Å" that would completely blow evolution out of water†. Creationists have criticized the scientific evidence used to support evolution as being based on faulty assumptions and unjustified jumping to conclusions. These include: the fossil fuel record which has significant gaps that cast doubt on evolution the emergence of new species which has not been observed directly radiometric dating which is inaccurate due to an inappropriate reliance on assumption of uniformitarianism While creationists claim that the problems they point out represent significant ‘holes’ in evolutionary theory. Supporters of evolutionary theory respond by arguing that these gaps of knowledge do not cast doubt on the framework the theory of evolution provides, asserting that they indicate either areas where research needs to be directed or there is misunderstanding on the part of creationists. As a matter of fact scientists and subject experts of evolution, do not spend much time on refuting the charges of creationists. Many do not respond at all. They do not think it is worth it. After all, when they reply, creationists get the publicity. ( creation-evolution controversy ) Pope Benedict XVI , in a book titled â€Å" creation and evolution†, published on 11 April 2007, states that â€Å" The question is not to either make a decision for a creationism that fundamentally excludes science, or for an evolutionary theory that covers over its own gaps and does not want to see the questions that reach beyond the methodological possibilities of natural science. I find it important to underline that theory of evolution implies questions that must be to philosophy and which themselves lead beyond the realms of science. It is also true that the theory of evolution is not a complete, scientifically proven theory†. He believes that experiment in a controlled environment h as limitations, as, â€Å" We cannot have 10,000 generations into the laboratory†. He also does not endorse creationism or intelligent design. He defends ‘ theistic evolution’, a reconciliation between science and religion, already held by Catholics. He writes on evolution, as a ‘ process itself is rational despite the mistakes and confusion as it goes through a narrow corridor, choosing a few mutations and using low probability. This inevitably leads to a question that goes beyond science- where did this rationality come from ? † to which he answers that it comes from the ‘creative reason’ of God. ( creationism – evolution controversy) Third alternative The conflict and controversy over evolution and creationism can be resolved if a third alternative is adopted. If biology had followed Pasteur’s paradigm, instead of Darwin’s, and if the theory of cosmic ancestry was prevailing today, then the mechanical theory of nature would account for the evolutionary progress and the origin of life on Earth. There would be no need for supernatural intervention. Cosmic ancestry is fundamentally different from both Darwinism and prevailing western religions. Both hold that life arises and evolves from simpler beginnings. Darwinism explains this with material causes, western religions with supernatural causes. In Cosmic Ancestry life neither arises nor evolves to more highly organized forms from simpler beginnings. With material causes life can descend from prior life at least as highly evolved as itself. Thus in Cosmic Ancestry, life only descends. The fact is that neither science nor religion seem interested in adopting Cosmic Ancestry as an alternative. ( Evolution versus creationism) Conclusion The theory of evolution proves how life originated and developed on this Earth. It has a scientific base in all its claims. It is a result of careful analysis of data. All over the world it has been accepted as a ‘truly scientific explanation’ on evolution of life. It does not have to do anything with any supernatural power. Religious fundamentalists, specially Christian, have evolved a movement called ‘creationism’, which asserts that the theory of evolution tends to wipe off the Biblical teachings and the faith they have in God. Till today, the highest priest of Christianity, the Pope, is busy trying to find ‘holes’ in the theory of evolution, when the whole world has accepted this theory before 150 years. The paradox is that evolution has never touched upon the aspects of God. In fact, scientists also believe in God and accept His existence. There is no legitimate base for ‘creationism’, and it reflects the sense of adamancy among the Christian fundamentalists. Theory of Cosmic Ancestry can be adopted as an option. Works- cited page 1. Evolution, wikipedia the free encyclopedia, 14 April 07, Retrieved on 15 April 07 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution 2. Creationism, wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 14 April 07, Retrieved on 15 April 07 from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creationism 3. Relationship, Relationship between Religion and science, wikipedia the free encyclopedia, 12 April 07, Retrieved on 15 April 07 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relationship_between_religion_and_science 4. Lovgren Stefan, Evolution and religion can co-exist, scientists say, National Geographic News, 18 October 2004, Retrieved on 15 April 07, from: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1018_041018_science_religion.html 5. Creation-evolution controversy, wikipedia the free encyclopedia, 13 April 07, Retrieved on 15 April 07 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation-evolution_controversy 6. Evolution versus creationism, Retrieved on 16 April 07 from: http://www.panspermia.org/mechansm.ht m

Liver Disease: Causes, Symptoms, Effects and Treatments

Liver Disease: Causes, Symptoms, Effects and Treatments CHAPTER 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION Liver is the organ which is most important, and it plays a pivotal role in regulating various processes in the body, such as storage, metabolism and secretion. It has great capacity to detoxify toxic substances to nontoxic substances and synthesize useful principles (Shanmugasundaram et al 2006). 1.1 Anatomy of the Liver The liver is a triangular organ that extends across the entire abdominal cavity inferior to diaphragm. Most of the liver’s mass is located on right side of body, where it descends inferiorly toward right kidney. The liver is madeup of very soft, pinkishbrown tissues encapsulated by connective tissue capsule. The capsule is covered and reinforced by the peritoneum of the abdominal cavity which protects liver and holds it in the place within abdomen. Liver consists of four distinct lobes first the left lobe, second the right lobe, third caudate lobe, and last quadrate lobe. The left and right lobes are the large lobes and are separated by the falciform ligament. The right lobe is about five to six times larger than tapered left lobe. The small caudate lobe extends from posterior side of the right lobe and it wraps around the inferior vena cava. Small quadrate lobe is inferior to the caudate lobe and it extends from the posterior side of the right lobe and it wraps around the gallbladder. Figure-1: Structure of liver. Functions of liver: Production of bile that required for the digestion of foods. Storage of extra sugar or glucose into stored glycogen in liver cells of the body and then converts it back into glucose when the the body needs it for energy. Production of clotting factors. Production of amino acids that is building blocks for making proteins, that includes those used to help fight infection. The production and storage of iron which is necessary for production of red blood cells in the body. Manufacturing of cholesterol and other chemical substances that is required for fat transport. Conversion of waste products of the metabolism into urea that is excreted in urine. Metabolising medicines into their active form (ingredient) in the body. 1.2 Liver diseases Liver disease is any disturbance in functions of the liver that cause illness. The liver is responsible for various critical functions in the body and when it becomes injured or diseased, loss of those functions can cause significant damage to body. Liver diseases are also referred as hepatic disease. 1.3 Types of liver diseases Alcoholic liver disease Primary liver cancer Cirrhosis Cysts Fatty liver disease Liver fibrosis Hepatitis Jaundice Primary sclerosing cholangitis 1.3.1 Alcoholic Liver Disease In 2000, cirrhosis was 1 of the leading causes of death in U.S.A. (United States). Alcoholic liver disease usually develops after large amount of alcohol intake. The long period during which alcohol excessively consumed, larger the amount ingested, high the rate of developing alcoholic liver disease and other liver problems. Signs and Symptoms: Confusion Excessive fluid between the membranes lining abdomen and abdominal organs Tenderness and abdominal pain Dry mouth Fever Fatigue Jaundice Weight gain Nausea Loss of appetite Abnormal dark or light skin Agitation Altered level of consciousness Breast development in males Difficulty concentrating Hallucinations Impaired judgment Paleness Redness on feet or hands 1.3.2 Primary Liver Cancer Primary cancer of the liver which is a growing liver problem called primary liver cancer, it generally remains undetected until when this disease has reached the advanced stage because most people do not exhibit these symptoms early on. Signs and Symptoms Jaundice that is yellow discoloration of skin. Abdominal pain (the upper right part of the abdomen) Swelling of abdomen An enlarged liver Fatigue General weakness Loss of appetite Nausea vomiting Weight loss 1.3.3 Liver Cirrhosis Liver cirrhosis is generally considered to the fourth stage of the alcoholic liver disease, it is progressive condition which causes liver damage. chronic alcoholism is the most common cause of this disease. 40% of the 27000 people die from this disease. Cirrhosis is characterized by the replacement of normal healthy tissue by fibrous tissue, regenerative nodules and scarring of the liver that is liver scarring. The resulting hardening of the liver, hard liver interferes with the blood circulation in the body, it leads to irreversible damage to the liver and a completely loss of liver function. Signs and Symptoms Abdominal accumulation of fluid in abdominal cavity Abnormal pain Bleeding from engorged veins in esophagus Dark cola-colored urine Exhaustion Gallstone Fatigue Diabetes type 2 Itchy hands and feet Loss of appetite Cancer of liver Liver failure Nausea and vomitting Malfunctioning of other systems such as impotence, kidney dysfunction and failure, and osteoporosis Hypertension Sensitivity to medications Spider-like small blood vessels under the skin Swelling of feet and hands from retained fluid Hepatic encephalopathy Weight loss Weakness jaundice Liver cysts Liver cyst also known as hepatic cyst, a simple liver cyst is a bubble (thin walled bubble), a fluid filled cavity in liver. A common liver problem, liver cyst can normal benign and pose no health risks. but in some cases, liver cyst may grow large enough to cause pain and discomfort in the abdomen, liver enlargement, infection of bile ducts, and bile ducts obstruction, that leads the cyst itself to become infected. In this case, it is necessary to drain and remove the cyst. Fatty Liver Disease Fatty Liver Diseases (steatosis) are generally considered to the first stage of Alcoholic Liver Disease. The exact causes of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) are unclear. Many researchers, however, believe that the metabolic syndrome—a cluster of disorders that increase risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke—plays a crucial role in development of NAFLD. NAFLD Levels of Severity Simple fatty liver (steatosis). NASH (Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis), it is the inflammation and signs of necrosis. Cirrhosis is characterized by scarring of liver, results in a hard liver which is un-able to function proper. so Cirrhosis can be fatal. Signs and Symptoms Bleeding in esophagus from engorged veins Fatigue Fluid in the abdominal cavity Itching of feet and hands, and eventually entire body Loss of appetite Liver failure Lack of interest in sex Mentally confusion, such as forgetfulness and trouble concentrating Nausea and vomitting Small red spider veins under skin Swelling of feet and legs from retained fluid Weight loss Weakness Cola-colored urine Jaundice 1.3.6 Liver Fibrosis Liver fibrosis is generally considered to the third stage of Alcoholic Liver Disease, liver fibrosis is a liver condition which is very progressive. Liver fibrosis is characterised by the formation of the fibrous tissue, regenerative nodules and scarring of liver, which interfere circulation of blood and lead to loss of functions of liver. caused by chronic alcoholism and hepatitis C, cirrhosis is a disease which is degenerative disease of liver. Signs and Symptoms: Abdominal accumulation of fluids in abdomen Abnormal pain Bleeding from engorged veins in intestines or oesophagus Dark cola coloured urine Easy bruising Exhaustion Fatigue Itchy feet and hands Loss of appetite Lack of interest in sex Nausea and vomitting Swelling of feet and legs by retained fluid (edema) Enlargement of the liver Weakness Loss of weight Jaundice 1.3.7 Hepatitis Hepatitis is gastroenterological disease, means inflammation of liver. Hepatitis is not 1, but many diseases hepatitis A to E in which inflammation of liver occurs and its cells are damaged and then inflammatory chemicals are released and being produced in the liver. in some cases hepatitis B infection increases person’s chance to development of liver cancer by 100 times. Signs and Symptoms of Hepatitis: Diarrhea Dark urine Abdominal pain Enlarged liver Fever Fatigue General achiness Jaundice 1.3.8 Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Cholangitis is inflammation of bile ducts of liver. Sclerosing is inflammation leads to the excessive formation of scar and fibrous tissue. In primary sclerosing cholangitis PSC, the bile ducts of the liver have become inflamed and scarred. 1.3.9 Jaundice It is not directly the disease of liver but rather symptom that can occur as result of variety of diseases. Jaundice appears a yellow discoloration of skin and white of the eyes caused by the abnormal formation of bilirubin in the blood. Orange yellowish pigment bilirubin, bilirubin is the part of bile, it forms in the liver as a byproduct of old cells of blood. When there are many blood cells (RBC) dying for liver to cope with yellowish pigment forms in the body resulting in jaundice, it is visible sign of liver problems. Jaundice is an indicator that a person is suffering from 1 of a many diseases including, Paracetamol toxicity Alcoholic liver diseases Autoimmune hepatitis An abnormal narrowing of the bile duct Blocked bile ducts caused by stones, infection, and tumors Chronic hepatitis Drug induced cholestasis, bile pools in the gallbladder as a result of certain drugs Drug induced hepatitis Fatty liver disease Hemolytic anemia Intra-hepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, bile pools in the gallbladder because of the pressure in the abdomen during pregnancy. Ischemic hepatocellular jaundice Pancreatic cancer Primary biliary cirrhosis Primary liver cancer Viral hepatitis Malaria Causes of liver disease Viral hepatitis Obesity Alcohol Genetics Autoimmune disorders Drugs Toxins Cancer Table-1 Types of hepatobiliary injury or damage 1.5 Mechanism of hepatotoxicity Distruption of cytoskeleton: phalloidin and microcystin disrupts the integrity of hepatocyte cytoskeleton by affecting proteins that are vital to its dynamic nature. (Phillips et al, 1986) Cholastasis: Bile formation is vulnerable to toxicant effects on the functional integrity of sinusoidal transporters, canalicular exporters, cytoskeleton dependent processes for transcytosis, and the contractile closure of the canalicular lumen.changes that weaken the junctions that form the structural barrier between the blood and the canalicular lumen allow solutes to leak out of the canalicular lumen. An immunosuppressive drug frequently reported to cause elevated level of serum bile salts and bilirubin as well as a reduction in bile flow. Mitochondrial damage: Preferential injury to mitochondrial DNA, as opposed to nuclear DNA, is a plausible mechanistic basis for structural and functional alterations to hepatic mitochondria associated with nucleoside analog therapy for hepatitis B and AIDS infections and with alcohol abuse. 1.6 Hepatotoxic agents Abacavir Acetaminophen Acitretin Alcohol Aldesleukin Amiodarone Amsacrine Anabolic steroids Androgens Asparaginase Bexarotene Carbamazepine Carmustine Cytarabine Dantrolene Dapsone Daunorubicin Disulfiram Divalproex Epirubicin Erythromycins Estrogens Ethionamide Etretinate Felbamate Fluconazole Flutamide Gold compounds Halothane HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors Imatinib Iron (overdose) Isoniazid Itraconazole Ketoconazole Labetalol Mercaptopurine Methimazole Methotrexate Methyldopa Metronidazole Naltrexone Nevirapine Niacin Nilutamide Nitrofurans Pemoline Phenothiazines Phenytoin Plicamycin Propylthiouracil Rifampin Rosiglitazone Sulfamethoxazole Sulfonamides Tacrine Tenofovir Tizanidine Tolcapone Toremifene Tretinoin Troleandomycin Valproic acid Vitamin A Zidovudine Lamivudine 1.7 Mechanisms of liver injury by some hepatotoxic substances 1.7.1 Mechanism of liver injury by CCl4 CCl4 converts into CCl3 and CCl3OO free radicals in the presence of enzyme CYP2E1, these free radicals then activate the inflammatory and profibrogenic mediators, inflammatory mediators cause lipid peroxidation and profibrogenic mediators cause liver fibrosis which are responsible for the liver injury. CCl4 also acstivates Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1), Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2), Matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 these expressions also activate profibrogenic mediators which cause liver fibrosis. Fig-2: Mechanism of liver injury by CCl4 1.7.2 Mechanism of liver injury by acetaminophen In therapeutic dose acetaminophen metabolises by glucuronyl transferases and sulfotransferases to stable metabolites which excreted throughout the body but in over dose acetaminophen metabolises by CYP2E1,CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 to toxic metabolite NAPQI(N-acetyl parabenzo quinine immine). this toxic metabolite covalently binds with the hepatocyte and causes damage to hepatocyte. After binding of NAPQI to hepatocyte there are two possibility, first is stimulation of CD44 receptor expression on T cell which recovers hepatocyte and second is the reduced expression of CD44 receptor on T cell causes hepatocyte apoptosis which is fatal condition to liver. Fig-3: (a)Liver injury by acetaminophen (b) Hepatocyte recovery and apoptosis process. 1.7.3 Mechanism of liver injury by alcohol Fig-4 : Pathways through which alcohol (ethanol) can contribute to apoptosis. 1.8 Hepatoprotection Hepatoprotection is the ability to prevent damage to the liver. One medicine of hepatoprotection is silymarin, derived from Milk Thistle which selectively inhibits formation of leukotrienes by Kupffer cells. 1.8.1 List of Herbs have potentially hepatoprotective constituents (Jia et al, 2011) Almond oil Ganoderma lucidum Glycyrrhiza glabra Arctium lappa Halenia elliptica Astragalus membranaceus Murraya koenigii Nymphaea stellata Ocimum sanctum Paeonia lactiflora Pergularia daemia Picrorhiza kurrooa Phyllanthus amarus Plumbago zeylanica Silybum marianum Scoparia dulcis Salvia miltiorrhiza Amomum xanthoides Astragalus membranaceus Cichorium intybus Curcuma longa Cajanus indicus, Centella asiatica Coccinia indica Brassica, Eclipta Flickingeria fimbriata Flickingeria fimbriata Ganoderma lucidum Glycyrrhiza glabra Halenia elliptica Murraya koenigii Nymphaea stellata Ocimum sanctum Paeonia lactiflora Pergularia daemia Picrorhiza kurrooa Phyllanthus amarus Plumbago zeylanica Silybum marianum Scoparia dulcis Salvia miltiorrhiza Scutellaria baicalensis Schisandra chinensis Table2: Plant tested in animal models for their hepatoprotective activity and found to be active. SBS PGI Balawala, DehradunPage 1

Return to the Past: William Faulkner :: Creative Writing Dialogue Essays

Return to the Past: William Faulkner One Friday afternoon, I was sitting in my Calculus II class, taught by the one and only Dr. Larry Zettel. I was confused about the topic and wasn’t paying very close attention. My thoughts were drifting off between his explanation of anti-derivatives and thoughts of the other things going on in my world. I was remembering what a great time I had when I traveled back in time to interview A. E. Housman. It then occurred to me, I should do this again. The tough part was deciding whom I would interview. I finally decided to go to Oxford, Mississippi, to see William Faulkner because I had read his short story, â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† in class, and I had an idea of what it meant, but I wasn’t entirely sure. I snapped back to reality and class was finally over. I made my way back to my room. Later that night I placed a call to Jason back home. â€Å"Hey, Jason, what are you up to?† â€Å"A whole lot of nothing. What about you?† â€Å"Well, funny you should ask. I was wondering if you’d like to take another trip back in time, using the time machine you built, which I must say, is your greatest invention so far. We would be going to Mississippi this time to see William Faulkner.† â€Å"Sure, dude, sounds cool. When were you planning to go?† â€Å"I was hoping you could go come on up now, if that’s fine with you. I already talked to JoJo, and he said he’d let his parents know you could take his truck.† â€Å"Yeah, no problem, I’ll leave in ten minutes or so. See you in a bit.† â€Å"All right, see you soon.† A little bit later Jason showed up with Curtis, another one of my friends. We checked to make sure everything was operable so the trip would succeed. After everything was checked, we took off. We were heading, as I told Jason, to Oxford, Mississippi. I hoped I would find William Faulkner there on June 9, 1962. This time was going to be different. A different area, a different time. We didn’t know what to expect, and I still don’t really believe what happened on that trip. We arrived with a flash and a bang.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Space Programme

BOB Space programme plays an important role in our life because it helps human know the world clearly. There are increasing number of money spent on space programmer in United States and Russia, which has had a significant impact all over the world. Although there are some advantages like contributing to economy growth and providing chance to search new planet for human to live, there are several disadvantages need to be considered like wasting non-renewable resources and including unforeseen risks.Developing space programme has many advantages. First and foremost, developing space programme promotes the development of economy by creating job opportunities. Jewell. R(2011) said that â€Å"Aerospace-related industries employed millions of worker and supported a great number of profitable companies. Many experts believe that space tourism and development of space could result in an economic boom† Thus, the development of space programme helps the economy growth.Secondly, develop ing space programme provides the opportunity to search new planet for human to live. with the rapid development of industry, the natural resources are becoming rare in the earth and the earth is deeply polluted by human beings. For this situation, it seems obviously important for human to find a new planet to live in. Therefore developing space programme is a long-term consideration for human beings. On the other hand, there are some disadvantages in developing space programme.Firstly, developing space programme waste a lot of non-renewable resources. Every year millions of tons of coals were consumed by aerospace industry, which means a mass of waste gas, like carbon dioxide, discharged into air annually, resulting a series of environment problems such as ozone hole and acid rain directly. Consequently, spending vast amount of money in space programme is completely bad for the environment. Furthermore, there is always full of unforeseen risks with space exploration. Lichtenstein D. 2011) said that â€Å"The space shuttle Challenger exploded during launch in 1986, killing seven astronauts, and the shuttle Colombia exploded during re-entry in 2003, also killing seven† human’s life is valuable because everyone only lives once, which is not only precious for themselves, but also for their relatives. Thus, the development of space programme could threaten human’s life. To sum up, developing space programme has many advantages like promoting the development of economy and exploring new planet for human to live. However, there are some disadvantages like wasting non-renewable resources and filling with unforeseen risks.The decision to develop Space programmer not only affects human beings now, but also has an impact on their future life. Therefore, people should still develop Space programmer so that their can know more about the world. Reference Jewell. R(2011) â€Å"Positive Effects of Space Exploration† Retrieved 17/03/2013 from http:/ /www. ehow. com/info_839090880_positive-effects-space-exploration. html Lichtenstein D. (2011) â€Å"Bad Things About Space Exploration† Retrieved 17/03/2013 from http://www. ehow. com/info_8523069_bad-things-space-exploration. html

Much Ado About Nothing Essays - Motivation, Psychology, Free Essays

Much Ado About Nothing Essays - Motivation, Psychology, Free Essays Much Ado About Nothing The Power of Opinion Confidence is a key component in the development of success. In order to reach this stability one must be a recipient of encouragement and upholding. This support creates an individuality and esteem for success. For example, in my experiences with females I have come to a vague realization that they feed off of encouragement. It seems like the focus of most of the girls that I know, is to impress. I believe this because when they are complimented, to most it will make their day. This is how I have understood the magnitude that ones approval can make and how it is an essential element of happiness and success. In my life I have had the luxury of having a huge support group to always lift me up. This has bridged a barrier between the things that I can do and those I fail. This confidence is most evident in my basketball tenure because in my opinion basketball requires great confidence. An average basketball player needs to have a security in his skills, body, and team. During a playoff game my junior year, I was predominantly the sixth man or a back to the starter. In the final minutes of the game, we were trailing and my coach put me in the game. I really had no experience in situations like that but somehow I was able to defy my innate anxiety and channel the intensity on to the court. Moments later, I had two steals and sparked a team that was about to dwindle away. We almost won that game. On the bus ride home, I reflected upon the situation and saw how much strength that my coach had given me by simply putting me in. I now place an emphasis on encouraging and making individuals feel my approval. In the summer, I work at a number of basketball camps that are all over the metroplex. During these camps, they usually put me in charge of the first graders. First graders are at the beginning of everything and they really do not comprehend what is going on. However, my job is to encourage and befriend them. This may be the most important job at the camp. In my opinion, this is the best job in the world because I love working with kids who just want to have a good time. For example, we will be playing a game and I will encourage a kid and explain that he was doing great. He will have a priceless sparkle in his eyes. It makes me feel important to know that I can influence and allow these kids to have a great time. Self-esteem is tremendously significant in maintaining happiness and success. This trust focuses on how one receives adoration from another individual. This assurance from the outside creates a domino effect and promotes the levitation of their esteem. In life, there are a number of things that make us fall. However, outside support and trust are two important factors for getting back on our feet. In addition, the importance of giving support is twice as important as receiving. It is a cycle that allows individuals to rise to success.