Julian Beever free essay sample

Julian Beever is the greatest pavement artist Julian Beever is an English artist that creates surreal chalk drawings on pavement surfaces. His art is sometimes so convincing that people avoid potholes he has drawn on a pavement. His nickname is the pavement picasso. His chalk art can take days to create but only last for a short time after being stomped by pedestrians or destroyed by the elements. His art continues to live, however, by photographs taken at the time. Julian discovered his talent as an artist in the 1980s. The art of creating an image that looks real is called trompe loeil. He has worked in the UK, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, the USA and Australia. There seems to be a common chain email letter depicting his art. This in fact is what inspired me to create this squidoo page. He used to work in Punch Judy show and thats where he saw other pavement artists that inspired him to try it. We will write a custom essay sample on Julian Beever or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The 3D aspect came later: I decided to get into 3D after seeing the effect of tiles being removed from the street, and later trying to recreate the sense of depth in a drawing.How is this marvelous art created? His art is created with chalk. First, like a skillful architect, he first designs his creations on paper. Once he starts, Julian places a camera at a distance of the art and keeps observing it through the lens of the eye. The reason is simple: the camera has a wide angled lens that can create an optical ilusion that can distort the actual size of objects. I think because the camera limits what your brain can do, he said, it limits the brains ability to judge distance, it makes you only use one eye.And therefore you can make the brain believe stuff that otherwise it wouldnt believe. This is what is known as anamorphism. Once he gets started on his creation, he goes back and forth from his art to the camera a few hundred times to gain perspective. Once its created, the results will appear extraordinary as evidenced in the photos on this lens. it will slowly disappear due to nature. He is not worried about it disappearing, since he and millions of others are able to capture photographs of his creation that will forever live in the internet More about his lifeThere is not much more about Julians life, when confronted with private questions such as how much do you make from this? , he will not respond or ignore you, he would rather discuss questions about his art. Overall, Julian is very thankful to the internet because otherwise he would not have had the chance to show all his art to millions of people and gain the notariety he well deserves. Its that photograph that goes on the Internet. Then thousands of people will see it. It will be there forever. It doesnt vanish, really.The drawing on the ground is just a vehicle. Pavement Picasso dazzles pedestrians with 3D masterpieces In full view of onlookers in the middle of a London street the caped crusaders Batman and Robin scale the side of a burning building to rescue international artist Julian Beever, who is perched on the edge of the pavement. The super-hero scene is the work of the man dubbed the pavement Picasso for his talent at creating mind-blowing images on the sidewalks of everyday locations around the world. The 46-year-old artist, who is based in Belgium, has spent most of the past 20 years painting with chalk to produce stunning 3D images which mix reality with fantasy to fool the eyes and trick the minds of passers-by. From giant cola bottles to swimsuited cartoon sunbathers, Beever has made a name for himself creating illusions around the world, from Australia to the US and most of the major European countries that fall in between.When viewed from certain angles, Beevers intricately detailed chalk sketches create a convincing impression of depth on the flat surface of paving stones. From other perspectives, however, his drawings appear strangely distorted and bear little resemblance to their intended image. To construct his illusions Beever, originally from Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, uses a camera lens to help him manipulate the image on the flat surface to appear more realistic.By using techniques of perspective pioneered by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci in the 15th centu ry and Hans Holbein in the 17th century, Beevers anamorphic art blends reality with art to fool the human eye into seeing an image that doesnt truly exist. The human brain works out 3D images based on the information it receives from the 2D light patterns that fall on to the retina at the back of the eye. When added to the brains knowledge and experience of how parallel lines converge in the distance and objects seem larger the closer they are, Beever alters those perspectives to create his illusions.Beever became interested in pavement art while working with a Punch Judy show in York during the 1980s, when he first came across the work of other practitioners. I decided to get into 3D after seeing the effect of tiles being removed from the street, and later trying to recreate the sense of depth in a drawing, he once explained. Each of his creations can take up to three days to complete and, by their nature as street art, are never permanent. If it rains it means Ive done a lot of hard work for nothing, but I usually manage to avoid that, he said.His best known works photographs of which are widely available on the internet include a deep swimming pool so realistic that shoppers swerve to avoid it, a fountain in the middle of a pedestrian walkway and a 3D drawing of the Earth that was used to highlight the Make Poverty History campaign. In addition to his 3D art Beever also paints murals, replicas of old masters, oil paintings and collages. He is often commissioned by commercial organisations or groups looking to highlight a particular campaign or message. My art is for anybody, its for people who wouldnt go into an art gallery. Its art for the people, he said.

Affirmative Action3 essays

Affirmative Action3 essays There are many issues in todays society that have two solid sides to them, sides, or positions, that cannot be proven absolutely wrong or right. Issues such as capital punishment, abortion, labor unions, animal rights and the list goes on and on. But one issue of this sort haunts our schools, our industries, and the subject, or core, of the issue has haunted our country for the last century. The subject of race, and the issue of affirmative action. In the case of affirmative action, like other controversial issues, each side is strongly supported and neither side can be proven right or proven wrong. The supporters claim it is the best way to ensure equal opportunity in the schools and in the workplace, while those opposing it claim that it merely takes away opportunity from one race, and unjustly hands it to another. The side of this fine line that will be exploited in the following paragraphs is the side opposing affirmative action. The results of affirmative action are more ha rmful than helpful because it negatively affects the general public, denies opportunity to the deserving, and is an abuse of law and power by government. First, affirmative action negatively affects the public by setting quotas and standards in fields of life that race should have no preference to. For example: colleges and universities. Standards should not be set on which percentage of which race should attend a college or university. An Ivy League school shouldnt be required to have a percentage of students of each race and nationality. They should be allowed to enroll whom they feel best suits the educational requirements needed to be successful at the school. When standards are in effect students, who were accepted as a result of affirmative action, may find they cannot meet the educational requirements at the school and fail out. This in turn will more than likely either waste a years worth of work, and the individual will just a ...

(History class) Movie Review. Long list to choose from Review

(History class) . Long list to choose from - Movie Review Example Vito is the patriarch of the Corleone family. He is a cunning Mafia leader called the Godfather. Michael Corleone is the youngest son of Vito. At the start of the movie, he is detached from the Mafia and appears to be advancing toward a political career. Eventually, he decided to drop his plans and take over the family business and the Corleone household. A ruthless Mafia boss with no patience for disloyalty or rebellion, Michael is even more motivated, harsher, and riskier than Vito. This essay critically reviews the film. Summary World War II was over. Don Vito is seen dealing with residents of the New York Italian neighborhood who are nervous to ask for his assistance. Accompanying him is Tom Hagen, Don Vito’s attorney and amigo. Singing can be heard from outside, where the marriage ceremony of Connie, Don Vito’s daughter, to Carlo is occurring. The balladeer Johnny Fontane attends the party to sing for the guests. Among the guests is Michael, who has removed himself from the illegal operations of his family. He tells his girlfriend Kay Adams how Johnny was rejected for a starring role in a movie due to his philandering. Don Vito was appalled by such actions, but as the godfather of Johnny he felt obliged to force the film producer Jack Woltz to cast Johnny for the main role. The intensity of the criminal activities of Don Vito is exposed at a business gathering. To prevent angering his political connections, he declines to give protection to Sollozzo, who is ‘The Turk’ in his drug operations. Don Vito is able to save himself from an assassination even though his bodyguard Paulie is not around. Fredo, Don Vito’s middle son, is revealed to be incompetent at dealing with such situation. Sonny, the hot-tempered oldest son of Don Vito, has Paulie murdered for abandoning his responsibility. Sollozzo is exposed as the mastermind of the assassination attempt. When Michael finds out from a newspaper what happened to his father, his loyalty to and love for his family is renewed. At the hospital where Don Vito is confined, Michael finds out that the guards have been pulled out under police directives. He averts another murder attempt on Don Vito’s life, kills Sollozzo and the cop protecting him and runs to Sicily. There he gets married to a native girl, but she died from an explosion which is intended for Michael. The conflict persists in New York, with Sonny being murdered in a surprise attack. Don Vito attempts to stop the internal feud by demanding a meeting of family leaders. An agreement is reached, the payment being that Don Vito has to allow the drug trade. Michael goes back to New York and looks for Kay, who agrees to marry him. Don Vito passes on the business to Michael, who decides to legitimize it and transfer it to Las Vegas. The bedridden Don Vito cautions Michael that whoever arrives to set up a business discussion with the other families will deceive him. The foreseen event arrives at Don V ito’s funeral. Michael is determined to avenge their family and his father’s death. He is godfather to the child of Connie and Carlo, and the murder of his enemies happens during the baptismal. Carlo is executed when he discloses his betrayal. Michael’s path is ready. The movie begins with a father looking for justice for his child after her aggressors have been given a postponed sentence. The shot

Organisational Change Management Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Organisational Change Management - Dissertation Example However, the recent economic downturn has had a big impact on demand and the company is struggling to survive. It has formulated a new strategy that focuses on cutting costs as quickly as possible and to this end it has decided to stop producing some components and to concentrate the production of other components at fewer sites in order to benefit from economies of scale. This decision is still to be announced. It is possible that many of the B2 product development engineers may be reluctant to relocate. Employees at the other sites in Spain and France are likely to be worried that this may only be the first of many changes. Definition The primary underlying and the key issues of the case provided are discussed ahead. Before defining the problem, there is a need to have a brief look at the company holistically. D2, a car components manufacturing company has been a well renowned company for years and has been able to remain competitive over years since its establishment. The company has been able to maintain a good ROI that is return on investment and growing shareholder value by producing innovatively, investment in new technology and staff development. ... The company gets reluctant to spend on the marketing side too so cutting these costs may impact any sort of business especially big businesses like D2. There is a possibility that in such a situation the dividends may slump too or may be disappearing of completely. The shareholders may get worried. As the stock of manufacturer starts to falls and the dividends decline, the  institutional investors  that hold the stock are likely to sell it off and reinvest into stocks that are performing better. This will even more depress the stock price of the company (Cascio, 2002). Moreover the company may get bankrupted as the impact of recession can also lead to the slow, partial, late, or may be no return by the accounts receivable. This results in the company failing to pay its bills and meet its other costs and eventually there will be a reduction in the valuation of the company’s bonds and its ability to get the financing. This can have a great impact on the company’s cred it rating also that will prevent borrowing as it fails to pay the interest on the money previously borrowed (Redman and Wilkinson, 2006). The company in this situation like D2 likes to cut the cost buy cutting down the number of employees and increasing the work load of the remaining employees after the lay off. Productivity will be required to increase per employee but the morale of the employee may get lowered under such a situation. Despite of the increased work load the company fails to offer additional bonuses and compensation packages to its remaining employees leading to an even lowered morale level (Gandolfi, 2008). For companies like D2 which is a manufacturing company the company may be forced to close

Reporting and Analyzing Cash Flows Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reporting and Analyzing Cash Flows - Assignment Example However, the costs of the inventory has increased, which will cause growth of the amortization depreciations (Murphy, 2000). On the other hand, if the equipment is used more effectively, the overall production and operation costs will lower. This non-cash investment is intended to improve the overall performance of the Popowich Inc. Issuing additional shares is the double-end stick. On the one hand, it depreciates the already existing stocks, while on the other hand this will help to improve the company’s positions on the market by attracting investments. Financial activities of the company are mainly associated with the time and money restrictions. Nevertheless, the cash and non-cash investments of the Popowich Inc prevent the company from stagnation. Regardless of the fact that the further financial plans are unknown, if the existing tendency is preserved, the company will shorten the long- and short-term notes that will help to decrease the liabilities. Additionally, the proper capital budgeting will help to control expenditures. As Murphy (2000) emphasizes, the remaining capital expenses are generally graded in accordance with the profitability reported. Hence, the financing activity of the Popowich Inc is based on the capital budgeting model. The long-term liabilities of the company represent the positive tendency, as the company is aimed at shortening these points of the budget. The stockholders’ equities are involved into the strategy of attracting investors. In the light of this fact, it should be stated that the company’s financing activities form the positive

The Informal And Formal Carers Health And Social Care Essay

The Informal And Formal Carers Health And Social Care Essay Caring means looking after someone who is old, young or ill. The degree of care differs depending on whether one is young, old or ill but also depends on the individual and his or her requirements. The type of care given may include direct service provision, financial assistance, bureaucratic mediation and emotional support. The difference between Informal and formal care is distinguished by how the above acts of care occur. Informal care is usually voluntary and is offered by the family, neighbors or friends. The carer may be living with the care receiver and hence providing care 24 hours. It can also occur from outside the house hold whereby the carer lives outside the house hold and comes to visit the care-receiver often and complete the tasks assigned like cooking and other house work chores. The informal carers do not receive any financial payments from the care they give and hence are believed to have some kind of employment apart from their caring duties, either part time, ful l time or self employed. It involves support, social interaction and protective supervision. Formal carers act in an agency-client relationship and are paid for the services rendered. They are usually trained and there is an assessment procedure that determines the kind and amount of care that the client will receive from the carer. This is the prime difference between informal and formal care. There is a great need of incorporating informal and formal sectors in the future. This need has been brought about by the fact that studies have shown that informal carers provide 77% of all the care that has enabled people with disabilities and the old to remain at home. (Bittman et al, 2007). Impact of partnership Partnership between the informal and formal carer can occur whereby the home aides provide physical care like dressing, feeding, bathing and taking to the toilet the older people and a visiting nurse from a Medicare-funded home provide medically oriented care. These nurses may also be involved in other activities like teaching the family members on ways of providing the same treatment and care. The Family members may then be involved ion giving oral medicines and injections and caring for the wounds in between the nurse visits. Also the therapists either physical or speech therapists initiate rehabilitation programs for the care receiver and consequently teach the family members how to implement and provide it to the care receiver. Very few studies have been carried out to determine the effects of health of both types of care. Informal care has been examined on the basis of social, psychological and economic effects on the old people and on the family members giving the care. In essence it has been difficult to prove that formal home care services improve the functional status of the people who receive it But there have been recent studies which have shown that informal care given in the household improves the functional status for those being given the care The study carried out was meant to examine the functional status outcomes for care receivers discharged from the hospital with Medicare home healthcare and those discharged without Medicare home healthcare. The study showed that there is an overall deterioration six weeks later between those patients with Medicare home health care and those without. Other studies have shown that patients in fee-for service plans received more home healthcare and had more fu nctional status outcomes than the Medicare patients in HMOs. The conclusion that was suggested was that the higher intensity of home healthcare that those in fee-for -service plans received was what caused the good functional outcome. Nursing services compared to those services given by the home health aides and homemakers are more likely to reduce the likelihood of one being admitted to a nursing home. This therefore reflects nursing as an intensive intervention compared to other services. Caring and Mental health well being to Children Caring is very important and influential in the psychological development of a person. This occurs especially to newborn. Research has shown that major brain development in a child occurs in the first three years of the Childs life. In this period, there is formation of neural networks and hence a one year old child has the maximum number of brain cells that the brain can ever have in the life time of a human being. Hence there is need of caring for the infants to enable maximum and positive development of the brain. A child brain is very sensitive and is influenced by sensory stimulations e.g. listening to conversations, watching, colors, and emotional stimulation e.g. hugging. These factors can change the development of the childs brain. It is therefore important for the adult carers to stimulate the brains of the infant in various playful ways in order to bring the maximum physiological, emotional, social and mental development of the brain of the infant. By having a playful metho d of teaching, the child has a chance of discovering his or her own strengths, the body and the environment. It is imperative for the carer to allow the child to experience by experimenting. This is because lack of playful teaching methods may prevent creativity and the healthy development of the child. The carer should ensure that he or she does not use the instructional teaching method to the young child. This is the kind of method whereby the child is directed or instructed to do things. This method usually makes the child lack self confidence and he may become less clever. This is because the child may take him or herself as incapable, foolish and stupid and will always require the instructional carer to teach him or her all the time. But when the child is allowed by the carer to do and learn things by experiencing, he or she develops a heart full of self confident and he also becomes very knowledgeable. The carer should be one that encourages the child to participate in various activities that will help in the development of childs motor skills and body awareness. These activities may include those that aim at helping the child walk, climb, kick, jump, climb and catch. By doing this the child will have developed better and higher control of the smaller body muscles that coordinate finer movements. Also the carer should encourage the child to participate in other mind involving activities like sketching, painting, sculpting etc The carer should also allow for free reign to fantasy and wild imagination in order to encourage the development of the mind in terms of innovation and creativity. The carer should allow the child to make his or her own story that best suits their personal desires and they should avoid putting more pressure on the child to win any competition or contest. The carer should also not judge the child harshly as this may lead to low self esteem in the child. The child should also be given a chance to narrate his or her own story by the carer. In doing this, the child will be learning creative arts and will also learn how to express him or her self. He or she will also be developing courage of speaking to people. This will also build the confidence level of the child (Simi A., 2010). Caring and Mental health well being of the old The old are very prone to diseases like Schizophrenia. The characteristics of this disease may lead to increased mortality rates and high rates of other medical complications like respiratory and circulatory diseases. There is need to care for the old people because schizophrenia if accompanied with undiagnosed illnesses, lack of access to adequate medical care can lead to inadequate adherence to therapy. Caring for the mentally ill. Caring is important for the mentally sick. There are two kinds of treatment to mental disorders.ie Somatic and psychotherapeutic. Somatic treatment involves the drug and electroconvulsive therapy while psychotherapeutic. Include the treatment that is offered by an individual, a group or a family member. This is the kind of treatment that involves the carer. The carer has the responsibility of ensuring that the sick person gets well through offering him or her Psychotherapy. This is refereed to as talk therapy in that the cure of the person lies within himself. In such a case the carer has the key to the persons health and well being. This is because the cure for such a person can only be facilitated through creating an emphatic and acceptable atmosphere and through this the carer can help the person identify the source of the problem and can now consider the alternatives of dealing with them. The insight and emotional awareness that is gained through the carers talk therapy can lead to the change in attitude and behavior of the person and this can help the person to live a healthier, long and more satisfying life. The carer has a responsibility of creating a relationship that is empathetic and supportive between the care receiver and him or her. This relationship can lead to more open and courageous expression of feelings and hence the carer can be able to help the sick person to healthy living. The relationship that the carer establishes with the sick person is the key to the recovery. Curing of mental illnesses. There are a number of methods that are used to cure mental illness and these include methods like Drug and Electroconvulsive Therapy. There are a number of drugs as well that are used and they are highly effective in treating mental illnesses. These drugs are often prescribed and they are usually categorized in accordance to the disorder e.g. for depression, antidepressants are used. Electroconvulsive therapy is whereby electrodes are used and these are attached to the head and the sick person is sedated. Electrical shocks are delivered into the brain and this induces a brief seizure. This method has been proved the best for treatment of severe depression. After this exposure, the patient usually experiences a temporary memory loss but the method is safe and does not cause other side effects or complications (Carney, 2007). Conclusion Caring is a very important aspect in our society. This is because a lot of people are getting old while others are being born and hence these two groups of people need care. Both informal and formal caring should be partnered to ensure effective service delivery to the patients. The use of psychotherapy is common even to people who do not suffer from mental illnesses. It has been used in a number of conditions even top those people who do not suffer from mental conditions. It has been found to be useful in helping people cope with problems of unemployment, bereavement, marriage problems and chronic illnesses. Both psychotherapy and drug therapy should be used for the treatment of mental illnesses as no one method is effective on its own.

Essay --

From Faulkner’s description, the story, â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, takes place after American Civil War in a period that the southern aristocrats are declining but many still stick to their old traditional ways of living. Also, the story shows that there are still many unresolved conflicts between the North and South. In my opinion, the setting of this story, including the time, the place and the culture is the necessary factor for the development of this tragedy. In southern society, the father is always the center of a family and has the final word. The story depicts a vivid picture about Emily and her Father, â€Å"Miss Emily, a slender figure in white in the background, her father a spraddled silhouette in the foreground, his back to her and clutching a horsewhip, the two of them framed by the back-flung front door†.(716) Her father represents the thought of patriarchy in this story; he controls Emily’s life; moreover, he imprisons her, in a figurative sense. I can image that he uses his horsewhip to drive away every young man who shows love to Emily. This is the reason that â€Å"none of the yo... Essay -- From Faulkner’s description, the story, â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, takes place after American Civil War in a period that the southern aristocrats are declining but many still stick to their old traditional ways of living. Also, the story shows that there are still many unresolved conflicts between the North and South. In my opinion, the setting of this story, including the time, the place and the culture is the necessary factor for the development of this tragedy. In southern society, the father is always the center of a family and has the final word. The story depicts a vivid picture about Emily and her Father, â€Å"Miss Emily, a slender figure in white in the background, her father a spraddled silhouette in the foreground, his back to her and clutching a horsewhip, the two of them framed by the back-flung front door†.(716) Her father represents the thought of patriarchy in this story; he controls Emily’s life; moreover, he imprisons her, in a figurative sense. I can image that he uses his horsewhip to drive away every young man who shows love to Emily. This is the reason that â€Å"none of the yo...

Bee Season by Myla Goldberg

The novel entitled â€Å" Bee Season,† which is written by a great American Novelist and Musician named Myla Goldberg tells about the profound story of young girl whose intent is driven by her admirations of conquering the national spelling bee contest and her journey of facing the aftermath of her achievement.Basically, the story of this novel is bound within the limits and narrative of a family, which tackles the broad range and the various faces of domestic problems and difficulties among the family members.As for this novel, the conflict of interest within the family is considered to be one of the main aspects in the story, which dictates the progress of the novel's narrative. More so, the awareness of practicing personal autonomy, individual desire and differences in the family are of the most signifant features of the novel.On the other hand, this novel also enlightens the narrative as to how and why the young ones are affected by the various difficulties and negatives a spects of life. Thus, through the representation of Eliza Naumann, one of the main characters in the novel, the author, Myla Goldberg, provides a clear picture as to how the younger members of the family would lose their innocence and pollute their young percpetions as they slowly began to witness and face the harsh realty of life.Overall, this novel tells about the story of Saul Naumann who â€Å"spends the first portion of his life as Sal Newman, son of Henry and Lisa Newman, decorator of Christmas trees and Easter eggs† (Goldberg 2000, p. 110). Eliza Naumann, a seven-year-old girl the sole member of a gifted family who remains to be classified as a typical individual in a sense that she is less fortunate in terms of academic achievements. She is very much different from that of her brother and her parents.â€Å"Since being designated three years ago as a student from whom great things should not be expected† Eliza Naumann, for a certain time, is considered as a medi ocre not just in her family but also in the academe, as per the definition and point of view of her teachers and mentors (Goldberg 2000, p. 101). With this condition, as a student and the youngest in the family, Eliza has lived her life without the favorable guidance and support of her parents and of the other members of the family.Thus, for almost the entire span of her existence, Eliza is not aware and is deprived of knowing the activities of her parents and brothers. Far from the awareness of Eliza, the majority of her family is a practicing a strict religious way of life. Her father, Saul, works as a cantor in the local House of Prayer in their community and her mother, Miriam, works as a local lawyer, while her brother is a prolific and gifted student who reads and recites Hebrew through the intensive guidance of their father.Though it seems acceptable that Eliza Naumann accepts and understands her primary stand as mediocre and less important status in the family, she still has an exceptional gift that would alter the seat she occupies in the family. Fortunately, Eliza has discovered her exceptional gift in spelling as she won in the class and school spelling bee contest, which has served to be the start of something new in her life. This incident and the series of events in the life of Eliza have brought her to a new begginng, as she slowly attracted the attention of her parents.â€Å"When Eliza studies, it is like discovering her own anatomy† and it is no doubt that she has this kind of skill and gift, as she is a product of a well-rounded and gifted family. Since then on, Eliza's life has never been the same anymore. From a mediocre situation with a less signifcance in the family, Eliza's success in the spelling bee has gathered the respect and support of her father, Saul, who decided to teach her and encouraged her to study the works of religoius writers.In a sense, it can be said that through the success, which Eliza Naumann has gathered in wi nning all the preliminary spelling bee that she participated, she has lost her innocence as an ordinary young girl that belongs to a well-established and reputable family. As her success brought about an intensive attention to her family, Eliza's father has introduced her the religious way of life and belief that he has for most of his life.Thus, these changes have altered the young perception and existence of Eliza, as she has become more oriented and aware of different philosophy and beliefs with the help of her father's encouragement. More so, through the confidence and recognition that she got from winning the spelling bee in her school and in their district division, Eliza is more capable of doing and learning other things that would further enhance her awareness and knowledge as an individual, which has paved the way for her to lose her innocence.Lastly, witnessing and facing the harsh realirty of life and problems of their family, more especially with her mother ending up in the psychiatric hospital due to insanity, Eliza's innocence as a young girl has been jeopradized and sacrificed, which in the end, gave her the reason to let go of her innocence and do what she think is right and practices self autonomy.In the end, though Saul â€Å"would like to think he has kept his distance in order to protect his daughter from his unfulfilled hopes† (Goldberg, 2000, p. 161). His desire in shaping his children according to his beliefs and philosophy has still affected the innocent mind and perception of Eliza Naumann, as seen in the latter pasrt of the novel when she conciously mispelled a words in their class spelling bee (Goldberg, 2000). Reference Goldberg, M. (2000). Bee Season. New York: Anchor Books.

Riluzole in the treatment of Lou Gehrig’s disease The WritePass Journal

Riluzole in the treatment of Lou Gehrig’s disease Introduction Riluzole in the treatment of Lou Gehrig’s disease IntroductionReferencesRelated Introduction Lou Gehrigs disease is often referred to as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), this is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons come from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the entire body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS would eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is also lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, for this reason patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed (Choi, 1988). ALS is led to mean no muscle nourishment. When a muscle has no nourishment, it atrophies or wastes away hence the name. In addition to this, lateral shows the areas in a persons spinal cord where part of the nerve cells that signal and control the muscles are located. As this area degenerates, it leads to scarring or hardening (sclerosis) in this particular region. As motor neurons degenerate, this obviously means they can no longer send impulses to the muscle fibers that otherwise normally result in muscle movement. Early symptoms of ALS often include increasing muscle weakness, especially involving the arms and legs, speech, swallowing or breathing. When muscles no longer receive the messages from the motor neurons that they require to function, the muscles begin to atrophy (become smaller). Limbs begin to look thinner as muscle tissue atrophies (Choi, 1988). Neurodegeneration is used mainly for diseases that are characterised by progressive loss of structure and function of neurons. There are many neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that occurs as a result of neurodegenerative processes in selective areas. Several molecular studies have been designed both in animal models and in humans to determine the physiopathology of the disease in order to develop new approaches for neurodegeneration. ALS is a neurological disease of unknown origin which is characterised by a selective degeneration and death of upper and lower motor neurons this progresses to paralysis and death over a period of time. ALS diagnosis is based on the El Escorial criteria carried out on mainly clinical and electrophysiological findings in four body regions. Also around 95% of ALS patients are sporadic whereas 5% are familial. In this particular group approximately 15% are caused by mutations in the SOD one gene that codes for the CuZn superoxide dismutase-1 (Bensimon, 1994). This is an enzyme that catalyzes the dismutation of superoxide to molecular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. The symptoms and pathology of familial ALS patients with SOD1 mutations resemble those of patients with sporadic ALS. This suggests there are common mechanisms of neuron degeneration in both forms of the diseases. Several potential mechanisms of motor neuron degeneration in ALS have been projected. These include the involvement of environmental and genetic factors, autoimmune phenoma, increased oxidative stress, glutamate toxicity, viral infections, mitochondrial dysfunction and cytoskeletal abnormalities. This means that each mechanism involvedin the pathogenesis of ALS may represent a possible thjerapeutic approach to counteract neurodegeneration. Glutamate is the primary excitatory neuro transmitter in the central nervous system which acts at both iono-tropic and metabotropic receptors, the primary ionotropic receptor classes being N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) and (AMPA)/kainite. Extracellular glutamate levels are regulated by transporters, they have different transporter classes on neurons and on astrocytes, however most of the glutamate uptake appears to be mediated astrocytes. Excessive glutamate exposure is toxic to neurons which is most likely that is results from glutamate triggeredCa2+ entering the neurons. Also inhibitors of glutamate uptake can cause selective motor neuron damage in organotypic slice and in dissociated spinal cord culture models. This suggests that the increased extracellular glutamate concentration could add to motor neuron damage in ALS. Furthermore, observations of deficient glutamate transport capacity in affected regions of spinal cord and motor cortex show a likely reason for the rises in ex tracellular glutamate concentration. The only drug proven to slow the process of human ALS is the anti-excitotoxic compound Riluzole, which is an anti-convulsant and a neuro-protective agent and specifically blocks sodium channels in their inactivated states. This inhibits the release of glutamate by inactivating voltage dependent Na+ channels that are on the glutamatergic nerve terminals as well as activating a G-protein dependant signal transduction process, this slows down disease progression and in turn increases the patient’s survival rate. In addition to this Riluzole can also block some of the postsynaptic effects of glutamate, this is done by non-competitive inhibition at NMDA and AMPA receptors. For this reason a non competitive modulator of AMPA glutamate receptors has been used in clinical trials in ALS patients (Barbeito, 1996). Several studies showed that also the clearance of glutamate from neuromuscular synapases is slowed down in patients with ALS due to the loss of a glutamate transporter which is the excitatory amino acid transporter 2, this is of huge importance for synaptic glutamate re-uptake. A loss of high-affinity glutamate transport transport has been identified in specific brain regions and spinal cord of patients with ALS (Bensimon, 1996). From the above these results suggest that the defect in glutamate transport could be responsible for high elevations in extracellular glutamate. These results have supported the use of cephalosporins in ALS because of their antiexcitatory properties, this is done by increasing EAAT2 promoter activity. Also for human studiesthird generation ceftriaxone has been selected because of its superior CNS penetration and long half life. From this ceftriaxone observed a considerable improvement of antioxidant oxidative stress status in ALS patients after treatment. Riluzole treatment has been tested in trials which examine tracheostomy free survival rate, this included 974 riluzole treated patients. In respect to this the methodological quality of the experiment was acceptable and the trails were easily comparable. The results show that riluzole 100mg per day would provide benefits to the homogenous groups of patients with no evidence of heterogeneity. Also there was a 9% gain in the probability of surviving one year. Furthermore there was a small beneficial effect on both bulbar and limb functions but had no effect on muscle strength. Another significant effect which is represented in these results are a threefold increase in serum alanine transferase, this was more frequent in riluzole treated patients than the controls in the experiment (Wahl, 1997). In conclusion Riluzole 100mg daily is fairly safe and most likely prolongs median surbival by around two to three months in patients with amyotrophic lacteral sclerosis. However more research needs to be done to treat Lou Gehrigs disease such as different therapeutic strategies and oxidative stress in ALS can be looked at in further depths. References Barbeito, L. Estevez, A. and Stutzmann, J. Peluffo, H. (1996) Riluzole promotes motoneuron survival by stimulating neurotrophic activity produced by spinal astrocyte monolayers, J. Neurotrauma, 13: 629. Â  Bensimon, G., Lacomblez, L., Meininger, V. (1994). A controlled trial of riluzole in amyotrophic lateral. sclerosis, New Engl. J. Med., 330 : 585–591. Choi, D. (1988). Glutamate neurotoxicity and diseases to the nervous system. Neuron, 1: 523–634. Bensimon, G. Guillet, P. Lacomblez, L. Leigh, P. Meininger,V. (1996). Dose-ranging study of riluzole in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Lancet, 347: 1425–1431. Mary, V. Wahl, F. Stutzmann, M. (1995). Effect of riluzole on quinolinate-induced neuronal damage in rats: comparison with blockers of glutamatergic neurotransmission. Neurosci Lett. 201: 92–96. Wahl, F. Renou, E. Stutzmann, J. (1997). Riluzole reduces brain lesions and improves neurological function in rats after a traumatic brain injury. Brain Research, 756: 247–255.

Life lessons that can be found in Star Wars

Life lessons that can be found in Star Wars 7 Things to Learn From Star Wars Cant wait to see the glorious return of Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon? Lets take a look at the wisdom of the Jedi, The Force and Master Yoda, to find lessons Star Wars can teach us about life. (But even if the words In a galaxy far, far away, dont ring a bell for you, the rules are universal, so feel free to apply them in order to make your life better. And May The Force be with you! Live the life you want to live (you can do it!). Do or do not there is no try. Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back Theres no reason to waste your life being stuck in fear and uncertainty. Youre free to be whatever you want to be. Just make a decision and stick to the plan. Remember, The Force is on your side. Keep close to people who have faith in you. I find your lack of faith disturbing. Darth Vader in A New Hope Warning! Pessimism is contagious. Stay away from people who make you feel bad about yourself. In other words, say NO to energetic vampires. The rule is pretty simple: be with those who support you and believe in you. Be honest with yourself. You know what the right thing to do is. Already know you, that which you need. Yoda Let your heart guide you. You carry all the answers within. Just listen to the voice of that inner Yoda of yours, and youll find the way. Nothing is impossible. C-3PO: Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1. Never tell me the odds. Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back Even if your odds of success are really (I mean, REALLY) small, dont let this fact stop you from staying true to yourself and to your heart. You succeed by overcoming failures. Strike me down and I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine. Obi- Wan Kenobi in A New Hope The road to success is paved with failure. No matter how hard you try, you cant avoid mistakes. After all, were all humans here, arent we? So, the point is to make proper conclusions out of those mistakes and to prevent them from happening in the future. Dont let fear be your guide. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. Yoda in The Phantom Menace When youre scared, youre vulnerable. You cant see clearly if youre paralized with fear. Keep in mind that very often our fears are causeless. Just pull yourself together and dont let the imaginary monsters impact your life. Humor always makes it better. (as garbage compactor closes in) One things for sure, were all gonna be a lot thinner. Han Solo in A New Hope Freaking out is a common reaction when something goes wrong. But will it help you to solve the problem? Doubtly. Humor, instead, will make you feel way better and give you some time to think the situation through. Humor is the key to success (and to girls hearts as well ;))

Politics of Globalization and Iran Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Politics of Globalization and Iran - Essay Example Most of the enervating problems of the modern day Iran stem from its complicated and atypical political system that aspires to harmonize the elements of an Islamic theocracy with a fledgling democracy (BBC). The anachronistic seeming Iranian polity is a strange mix of elected democratic institutions such as a president, a cabinet, and a parliament being constitutionally and unambiguously superseded by a gamut of unelected power centres such as a guardian council, an expediency council, and the armed forces, which are administered by the highly influential and theocratic Supreme Leader. It is realistically impossible for the foreign policy and the trade policy in Iran to remain uninfluenced by the aforementioned power centres. President Mahmoud Ahamadinejad who came to power in 2005 has been trying hard to refurbish and realign the Iran's economic policies with the contemporary global trends. At the same time, the world community is resorting to a series of measures like active diplom atic engagement and trade sanctions to alter the Iranian state and trade policies. Iran subscribes to a primarily industrial economy that contributes more then 45 % of its GDP and is a profitable mix of oil and gas, textiles, steel, petrochemicals and automotive manufacturing (Ilias 13). The next major stakeholder in the Iranian economy is its services sector that represents another 43 % of its GDP (Ilias 13). Though the contribution of the agriculture sector to the Iranian economy is roughly 11 %, still it happens to be the major employer, absorbing nearly 20 % of Iran's workforce (Ilias 13). Iran boasts of the world's third largest petroleum reserves and the second largest gas reserves. Though the internecine war with Iraq severely jeopardized the Iran's oil production facilities, still they account for a bulk of the Iranian export earnings and are the single most vital source of government revenue. The oil sector in Iran is the primary enticer of the foreign investment and nascent fears are cropping up that such an intense concentration of investment in this se ctor could practically stifle the other emerging sectors in this developing economy (Ilias 13). The behemoth oil and gas sector in Iran solely comes within the ambit of state administration and are managed by the state run National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). Being a potent and founding member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Iran wields a considerable influence in the world economy, courtesy its ability to stir the world oil supply and prices (Sarkis). The top importers of the Iranian oil are India, China, Italy, South Korea and Japan. Still, the greatest delimiting factor that the Iranian oil industry has to contend with is a constricting lack of access to the new technologies owing to highly constrained investments and the running US sanctions (Ilias 14). Going by the Iran's exclusive dependence on oil reserves for economic sustenance, its economy is pathetically susceptible to any unforeseen changes in the international oil prices (Ilias 14). Desp ite sitting on the mindboggling 15 % of the world gas

2012 Olympic's impact on Sports management in London Essay

2012 Olympic's impact on Sports management in London - Essay Example Hence, Tennis Wimbledon Tournament or Football League Championship is mega-event known all over the world, which attracts millions of viewers. Also today there is no grown-up person who is not aware what the word â€Å"Olympics† means and who has not watched the greatest international complex sport competitions on television at least once. It is well-known that the famous symbol of Olympics, five colorful rings, can be identified by more than ninety per cent of planet’s population. This exceeds the recognition of such extremely popularized brands as Nike, Coca-Cola and McDonalds (Vigor, Mean, Tims 2004, pp. 4). Even in a far antiquity Olympic Games were the main sport event of all the times and nations. During the period of Olympics peace and consent were proclaimed on the Earth. The wars stopped and all dignified athletes competed in a fair fight for the top ranking. Olympic movement managed to overcome a lot of impediments, among which were: interruptions by World War s, attacks of terrorists, including bombing, kidnapping of sportsmen, murders, boycotts, and various diplomatic incidents. However, the Great Games have survived and currently take place every forth year, with interchange of summer and winter games with a difference of two years. Nowadays Olympics are spread on a large scale, being equipped with the latest techniques and recorded by numerous computers and cameras for defining the final results of the sportsmen with a high accuracy. Lately the cities that organize Olympics become the capitals of the world for the period of games holding. The place of the consecutive Games is announced beforehand for giving at least seven years to the country to get itself ready. Hence, London has been officially chosen for the Olympics 2012 on the sixth of July 2005, leaving behind such serious rivals as Paris, Moscow, New-York and