Human Evolution Essay Example for Free

Human Evolution Essay The Evolutionary History of Life on earth traces the process by which living and fossil organisms have evolved since life on the planet first originated until the present day. According to research earth formed about 4.5 Ga (billion years) ago and life appeared on its surface within 1 billion years. The similarities between all present day organizes indicate the presence of a common ancestor from which all known species have diverged through the process of evolution. Every organism has an evolved life history pattern. A life history pattern in which the way time and energy are allocated between growth, maintenance and reproduction. The Evolution of Human Behavior promotes there have been three major life history transactions toward later sexual maturation and longer lifespan. Such as; Prosimians to Monkeys, Monkeys to Apes and Apes to Humans, these patterns of life history characteristics resulting in parental care over long developing periods of human life’s expendency. In my opinion, in order for one must first find out what their genes have been up to in their past history and what they want in their present type of environment plays a big part as to where their future lifespan reaches. We have to consider both the successes and problems causing failures of attempts to use natural instincts to understand fully human behavior and reproduction. Human sexual selection is also an explanation for human social differences in which the human race evolves. Another behavioral perspective is the conclusion concerning the evolutionary base for differences in behavioral between men and woman. In addition, using survival skills such as; behavior in planning, consciousness, emotions, awareness and moral sense that often accompany what we do plays a big part in our destiny. According to anthropologist George Armelagos, ancient teeth tell us secrets that may relate to modern-day health: Some stressful events that occurred early in development are linked to shorte r life spans. Prehistoric remains are providing strong, physical evidence that people who acquired tooth enamel defects while in the womb or early childhood tended to die earlier, even if they survived to adulthood. The idea that many adult diseases originated during the fetal development and early childhood. Teeth are like a snapshot into the past, the evidence is  there and it is indisputable. Over half of the baby boomers here in America are going to see their hundredth birthday come to an excellent health. There will also be the other percent that will get to experience a shortened lifespan due to the lack of health effects in evolution ending in aging without children. Insurance companies are trying to promote and incorporate- The Die Younger plan so they can save millions of dollars on social security since they are running out. Not only are insurance companies promoting this plan but the child’s parent or guardian is also the cause of their shorter lifespan. The plan is pushing to encouraging Baby Boomers to smoke, eat fatty food, drink excessively, not exercise, and to generally burn the candle at both ends. In addition, the retirement age to be raised so Boomers have to keep working and live under a lot of stress causing them to have a shortened lifespan. The parents are not taking care of their healthy lifestyles but promoting bad eating and lack of exercise habits. In conclusion, health is an important role and affects one’s lifespan in evolution. So, unless we start taking better care of our health and habits we will not be able to elongate our life’s but shorten it instead. As the saying goes, what you do now reflects on your future.

How to Become a Successful Political Leader

How to Become a Successful Political Leader What is the strategy for becoming a successful political leader? Heba Ziad Before becoming a political leader, ask yourself why do you want to be a politician, set your goals and projects, and study the aspects of yours energy to achieve these goals and projects. A politician’s duties outweigh the rights as a citizen, so have your thought about your duties? A politician is responsible for their party, homeland and themself, responsible to raise the level of  their county and to address its issues. Responsible for the selection of parliamentary assemblies and to exercise their natural rights in their way. Political actions are a subject to man to exercise it. So did you study your facilities to ensure your success? It’s not enough for people to consider you a politician, you have to ensure your answer to people that wonder; what concerns you as a politician? What are your hopes? Where are your efforts? Where is your opinion and your voice? Where is your approach to serve your country and your nation? What is your curriculum? If you wish to be a successful politician, there is no success without ambitions. Aspiration not selfishness, to preach for motivation, adopt a vast of hopes and look into the future with determination, confidence and reassurance is not enough to spend your life as a member of a party or a minister, why don’t you become the party leader or the head of the ministry? A successful politician should not be tempted or condoles the situation your country is at, you must have the ambition to work on expanding the fellowship of your country, to increase its resources, upgrade it, and accept the ultimate position between countries in the world. Ambition is the key factor in the life of every successful politician, self ambitious, general ambition for the good of the country, the good of the world and the good of humanity. The life of politics is all about sacrifices, and a successful politician is satisfied with sacrificing everything for the sake of a principle, a party or a home. The life of politics and governance deprive politicians from corporate memberships, free businesses from the fields of the economy, from life comfort, convenience and peace of mind. Deprived of security, tranquility and safety, from taking care of their wife, children and siblings, from practicing their right to take care of their health and temper, from feeding their spirit with streams of science and literature. A successful politician is willing to sacrifies all these luxuries for the sake of their success as a respectable politician. The notion that politics is all about lying, flattery and hypocrisy is a weak sentiment, not one of the characteristics of a successful politician. Politics is frankness and sincerity, and not vice versa. A successful politician is an honest politician who can speak boldly of their opinion even if it cost him carrying the colors of harm, injustice and suffering. Political positivity is successful positivity. A politician by the name â€Å"Nuri Said† says: â€Å"Political negativity is easy, it is in the capacity of every man to practice, however, political positivity is the touchstone of every successful politician† It’s not enough to say no. A successful politician ought to say after what they want. It’s not enough to carry the pick of demolition, they should work on the building and construction, it is not enough to repeal, oppose and criticize, but they should take the initiative to lay the foundations to build something else in exchange. There is no place in the ship of successful policy for what we can call ship mice; if it sinks, they flee. A successful captain is one who is responsible for the ship and delivers it to safety, overcoming what intercepted it from waves, winds and hurricanes. They ensure the safety of the passengers, steers the ship towards safety and does everything they can in order to ensure its path with all their voltage, experience and intelligence. Therefore, if the ship sinks, they are the last one to leave it, and they might drown with it. The sense of responsibility and bearing it is necessary and a great thin in the life of both the ship, and the nations and empires, hence in order to succeed you must learn to carry responsibility. If a politician has espoused a principle, they ought to speak boldly of it,  are  they an oppositionist or a supporter? Which parties do they oppose and which do they support? They should not favor where there is struggle, nor deceive where there is combat, they should not evade or run away, nor bury their head in the sand. Ergo, a successful politician is a brave politician. A politician must read a lot. They should be enlightened in everything in literature, theirtory, philosophy, nature, poetry, the biographies of the great and the theirtory of art and music. Culture is like vitamins for the politician, it is their spine; it is a qualification in their conversations and speeches, and a reference in their researches. An ignorant politician, no matter how smart, brilliant, popular or patriotic they are, are not up to success as long as their sleeve is lacking the main element of success, that is culture. Do you want to be a successful political leader? Here’s what you have to do: Have a positive mindset, and direct yourself to solutions, actions and people; enthusiasm brings success. Embrace change; it is impossible for change not to occur. Followers tend to resist change, a successful leader must embrace change and seize the opportunity offered by it. Courage; â€Å"A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions† Douglas MacArthur â€Å"Courage is fear holding on a minute longer† George S. Patton Take risks; the greatest venture is to never take risks. Successful leaders resolve to win or try again. Listening; successful leaders listen and learn. Your potential followers know what they, so just listen to them. Communicate; successful leaders lean towards open communications, they use their minds, say what they feel and speak from the heart. Delegation and empowerment; leaders involve other people with their responsibility. They do not tell people what to do, but set and example for others to follow them. A successful leader encourages other people to develop, challenges them to take over new responsibilities, encourages them to succeed and supports them if they fail. A good leader understands that mistakes are only lessons on the path towards success that is beneficial. Understand others, yourself and your situation. Good leaders understand the importance of an open-loving mind for knowledge; the permanent pursuit of knowledge brings more understanding. Commitment; commitment is the catalyst that makes qualities of a good leadership a reality. To rededicate yourself to commit every day to commit is the foundation of becoming a successful leader. Start small, and then lead a group or a committee. Do everything necessary for the success of ttheir group or committee. Repeat such acts again until they become normal. Respect the attributes of leadership and the influence of those who wish to reach leadership.

Thalamic Glutamate as a Marker of Global Brain Pathology -MS

Thalamic Glutamate as a Marker of Global Brain Pathology -MS Author contributions: LP design conceptualisation of the study, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the manuscript for intellectual content. JR design conceptualisation of the study, data collection, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the manuscript for intellectual content. IRB analysis and interpretation of data, revising the manuscript for intellectual content. GS analysis and interpretation of data KZ data collection RN design conceptualisation of the study, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the manuscript for intellectual content.[LP1] Disclosures: LP no disclosures. JR no disclosures. IRV no disclosures. GS no disclosures. KZ no disclosures. RN Bayer, Biogen, Genzyme, Merck Serono, Roche honorarium for speaking, advisory boards. Biogen, Genzyme, Novartis funds for organising education, staff. Biogen, Novartis Principal investigator.[LP2] [LP3] Multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterised by demyelination and variable degrees of axonal loss and gliosis. People with MS (pwMS) present with sensory disturbances, spasticity, fatigue, ataxia, pain and urinary dysfunction1. The most common form of MS is relapsing-remitting and 85% of pwMS initially present with it, with most eventually progress to a secondary, progressive phase2. Without adequate treatment, 25% of pwMS become wheelchair-bound3. Charcot was the first to describe the inflammatory demyelinating plaque as a hallmark of MS in the late 19th century4. While white matter lesions (WML) contribute to disability5,6, they are likely not its only drive. Recent evidence supports the concept that grey matter lesions (GML) and atrophy are likely contributors to disability7,8. Furthermore, recent studies have looked at diffuse axonal loss and support the notion that this process drives long-term disability, due to a combination of focal inflammation and cortical damage driven by meningeal inflammation9-13. Large clinical trials in MS infrequently correlate the effect of therapies with brain lesion volumes and atrophy. This is due to the fact that as of today, no automated software exists which is able to consistently calculate WMLs14 and GMLs are grossly underestimated as they are not readily visible on MRI15,16. Lastly, brain atrophy is hard to quantify, can only be measured longitudinally and is subject to non-tissue related (pseudo-atrophy) volume loss subsequent to disease modifying treatment17,18. There is an unmet need for a simple biomarker that can act as a surrogate for neuronal damage in MS for use in observational and interventional studies. Natalizumab Natalizumab (Tysabri) is a disease-modifying treatment given intravenously as a monthly infusion19. In the UK it is licensed as a second-line treatment for severe, rapidly evolving, relapsing-remitting MS. It is directed against the ÃŽÂ ±4 subunit of integrin on lymphocytes and acts as an immune-modulator by inhibiting their migration to the brain20,21. Compared to placebo, it has been shown to reduce relapse rate by 68%. Furthermore, it reduced the risk of disability progression by 42%, defined as a change in EDSS score sustained for 24 weeks21. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a non-invasive MRI sequence that allows identification and quantification of in vivo metabolites present in a small, preselected brain region. Proton nuclei (1H) are most commonly used in studies of the human brain due to their abundance and high sensitivity. MRS sequences distinguish between different metabolites by measuring the frequency at which 1H nuclei flip, which is in turn dependent on the molecular group carrying the hydrogen atom22. Measuring these metabolic changes allows researchers to gain an insight into changes at a cellular and molecular level in the brain, which cannot be acquired using conventional MRI techniques23. The thalamus is a subcortical hub, with multiple reciprocal connections to both white matter tracts and cortical grey matter24. Previous studies evidenced the fact that it is sensitive to pathology occurring in other brain regions25. We speculated that by using the thalamus as our region of interest (ROI), investigated metabolites would give a measure of global neuronal damage. Aims We investigated thalamic MRS as a biomarker for global brain neuronal damage in MS by comparing baseline metabolite concentrations between pwMS and HCs. Metabolites that were found to be statistically significantly different between these two groups at baseline were investigated further. To additionally support using MRS imaging as a surrogate for global central nervous system pathology, we investigated the correlation between these metabolite concentrations in pwMS and total lesion volume. In order to investigate whether thalamic MRS can be used to monitor treatment response, we measured changes in their concentration following treatment with the disease-modifying drug natalizumab. Population Participants aged 21-65 underwent inclusion criteria screening. For the pwMS group, this included satisfying the McDonald criteria 2010, having highly active MS and having been scheduled to initiate natalizumab treatment as part of routine NHS Case. Following ethics approval and written informed consent from participants, 17 pwMS and 12 HCs were recruited to the study. HCs underwent an MRI baseline scan while pwMS underwent a scan at baseline, and follow-up scans at 10 and 56 weeks after initiation of natalizumab treatment. Acquisition of MRS data All experiments were carried out in the same Siemens 3T Magnetom Verio with a 32-channel receiver head coil[LP4], used to acquire combined MRI and 1H-MRS scans. A magnetisation-prepared rapid gradient-echo sequence (MPRAGE) was used to obtain high-definition T1 weighted scans with the following parameters: (repetition time (TR)= 2300s;echo time (TE)= 3ms; inversion time (TI)= 900; 160 sagittal sections; slice thickness 1.0mm; in-plane resolution of 1x1mm2 . A single voxel was placed over the left thalamus. In order to acquire the single-voxel scans, a Point-RESolved Spectroscopy sequence (PRESS) was used which had variable power and optimized relaxation delays (VAPOR) water suppression (TR/TE, 2000/30ms) on a single 15-mm slab. This was aligned to the T1 sequence sections (Figure 2). Four reference transients were used to align the data. The average of 96 transients was used for water suppressed spectra. The volume of interest was 15x15x15mm, voxel size was 3.4mL. These parameters we re also used to acquire reference MRS datasets without water suppression. This was done to obtain an internal water reference, which was used to scale metabolite signals. Double inversion recovery pulse and phase sensitive inversion recovery sequences were also acquired. Lesion volumes White and grey matter lesions were identified on 160-slice T1 scans with co-registered double inversion recovery sequences. Lesions were manually segmented in T1 space using the Imperial College software ImSeg. The images obtained by this process [LP5]were used to derive proportions of grey matter, white matter and total lesion volumes. T1, double inversion recovery pulse and phase sensitive inversion recovery sequences were used to check for presence of lesions in the thalamus. Data processing T1 and spectroscopy data were initially obtained from scans in dicom format (dcm). A modified MATLAB (v.2015b) script was used to convert the T1 scans into nifti format (nii), the single voxel spectroscopy scans into rda format (rda) and to generate mask files in rda format. LCModel (v.6.3-1K) was run by using a second modified MATLAB script, in order to obtain spectroscopy data from 0.2-4.0 ppm. The software is a user-independent fitting routine that works by superimposing spectra obtained in vivo with high-resolution model spectra. It is an accurate and reliable method to quantify MRS data with short echo times (ETà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤30ms)28,29. Partial volume corrections to explain different concentrations of water in the grey matter (GM), white matter (WM) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were conducted by converting T1 sequences from dicom to nifti format, and segmenting the obtained images using MATLABs SPM8 toolbox. This allowed scaling metabolite concentrations obtained from PRESS sequence with water-suppression, to the waters internal reference signal from the unsuppressed water PRESS-sequence. The segmentation was used to calculate voxel proportions of GM, WM and CSF, which are in turn needed to obtain the water concentration (WCONC) value from the unsuppressed water reference signal used to estimate absolute concentrations of metabolites. Total WCONC values for each voxel were computed in accordance with Section 10.2.2.3 of the LCModel manual29.Eddy-current correction was performed by using LCModel. Relaxation effects were not corrected for, and therefore reported metabolite concentrations will differ from actual ones by an unknown factor. The latter is likely to be negligible, as all reported concentrations will deviate from actual concentrations by this same, unknown factor. As per LCModels manual, metabolite concentrations were multiplied by a factor of 1.04, which amounts to the specific gravity of brain tissue29, and were reported in mmol/L (mM). Data exclusion A heat map (Figure 4, right side) was created in order to check for voxel placement by using FSL view v.3.2.0. T1 sequences and mask files were reoriented to match the Montreal Neurological Institute standard template, followed by brain extraction from the surrounding tissue. T1 sequences and mask files were registered to standard space using the Montreal Neurological Institute template, which consists of 152 averaged brain T1 scans of 2mm resolution. The heat map is a depiction of each voxel mask overlaid onto the che2better template for T1 sequences taken from the mricron software.[LP6] No MRS spectra were removed from the analysis owing to minimal inter-scan variability. Spectra generated by LCModel were checked for overall data quality in accordance with the softwares instruction manual29. 2 baseline HC and 2 pwMS spectra were excluded from data analysis (Table 1). For a metabolite to be investigated, it had to be relevant to MS pathology as evidenced by previous studies, as well as to demonstrate sufficient data quality, measured by having Cramà ©r -Rao lower bounds ratio of 75% of individual scans. Five metabolites were investigated: choline-containing compounds (Cho), glutamate (Glu), myo-inositol (Ins), total creatine (tCr) and total n-acetylaspartate (tNAA) (Table 1). In a given subjects scan, metabolite concentrations with a Cramà ©r-Rao lower bounds (CRLB) value of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥15% were excluded from data analysis, as per LCModels manual of instructions. Concentrations exceeding 2 standard deviations (2SD) out with the group mean were also excluded. QCa for entire spectra QC for individual metabolites Participant group Before spectra QC (n) After spectra QC (n) Metabolites (marker of)6 Participant group Before metabolite QC(n) After 1st QCf (n) After 2nd QCg (n) HCsb 12 10 Cho1 (membrane turnover) HCs 10 9 9 pwMS BLc 17 15 pwMS BL 15 12 12 pwMS 10wd 16 16 pwMS 10w 16 16 16 pwMS 56we 16 16 pwMS 56w 16 15 15 Glu2 (metabolism and neurotransmitter activity) HCs 10 6 6 pwMS BL 15 9 8 pwMS 10w 16 14 14 pwMS 56w 16 15 14 Ins3 (glial marker) HCs 10 7 7 pwMS BL 15 14 14 pwMS 10w 16 15 14 pwMS 56w 16 15 15 tCr4 (metabolic activity) HCs 10 10 10 pwMS BL 15 15 14 pwMS 10w 16 16 15 pwMS 56w 16 16 16 tNAA5 (neuronal loss, mitochondrial activity) HCs 10 10 9 pwMS BL 15 15 14 pwMS 10w 16 16 16 pwMS 56w 16 16 15 Statistical analysis Prism GraphPad (v.7) and IBM SPSS Statistics 24 software were used to conduct statistical analysis. Participant demographics results are reported as mean and standard deviation (SD). Metabolite concentrations are reported as mean, standard error of measurement (SEM) and 95% confidence intervals. Parametric tests were used after testing for normal distribution of the data. Unpaired t-tests were used to compare metabolites between pwMS and HCs cross-sectionally. Pearsons coefficient was used to correlate between metabolite concentrations and bilateral lesion volumes. A linear mixed model was used to quantify longitudinal changes in metabolite concentrations in pwMS. MRS data were obtained from 17 pwMS (mean age (SD) was 41.6 (10.6), range 21-58 years) and 12 HCs (mean age (SD) was 41.9 (8.3), range 29-61 years). Mean time since diagnosis in years was 12.1 (10.6) and mean Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was 4.1 (1.1). People with MS, n 17 Age, mean (SD) 41.6 (10.6) Sex, n (%) M 6 (35) F 11 (65) Years since diagnosis, mean (SD) 12.1 (10.6) EDSS score, mean (SD) 4.1 (1.1) Healthy controls, n 12 Age, mean (SD) 41.9 (8.3) Sex, n (%) M 9 (75) F 3 (25) Lower concentrations of glutamate are found at baseline in the thalami of people with highly active MS A statistically significant difference in the concentration of glutamate was found between the two groups (7.67 ±0.3456 in HCs and 6.55 ±0.232 in pwMS, p=0.016). No significant difference was found between the two groups using other metabolites. Metabolite Healthy controls (n=10) People with MS (n=15) 95% CI Cho 1. 69 ±0.0826,n=9 1.75 ±0.25, n=12 -0.232 0.216 Glu* 7.67 ±0.346, n=6 6.55 ±0.232, n=8 * -2.00 0.253 Ins 3.98 ±0.250, n=7 4.45 ±0.281, n=14 -0.452 1.380 tCr 34 ±0.134, n=10 5.42 ±0.150, n=14 -0.350 0.510 tNAA 8.60 ±0.134, n=9 8.46 ±0.178, n=14 -0.656 0.375 Baseline thalamic glutamate concentrations in pwMS correlate negatively with total lesion volumes Baseline glutamate concentrations in pwMS negatively correlated with T1 scan total lesion volumes (n=8; r=-0.80, p=0.017; Figure 6). No other thalamic metabolite correlated with lesion volumes. Lesion volumes in HCs (n=6) were assumed to be zero and are depicted in Figure 6, but this parameter was excluded from statistical analyses. No lesions were found in the thalami of pwMS in this study. Glutamate concentration correlated even more strongly with left hemisphere lesion volumes (p=0.0091), an expected finding given that the left thalamus was used as the studys ROI. The correlation was least significant when using right hemisphere lesion volumes (p=0.030). These results are reported in Table 3. Sampled lesion load location r, correlation coefficient p-value Left hemisphere -0.84 0.0091 Right hemisphere -0.75 0.030 Both hemispheres/Total -0.80 0.016 Thalamic glutamate concentrations increase following natalizumab treatment Glutamate concentrations measured in the thalami of pwMS increased significantly (p=[LP7]) between the 10 and 56 weeks (n=12 pairs of data-points) follow-up scans. At 56 weeks, no significant difference between the pwMS and HC groups was recorded, suggesting that glutamate levels had normalised[LP8]. No significant difference in glutamate concentration was recorded between baseline and 10 weeks follow-up scans (n=7 pairs of data-points) and between baseline and 56 weeks follow-up (n=7 pairs of data-points).[LP9] This observational study used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) to compare metabolite concentrations in 17 pwMS and 12 HCs. Study findings indicate a lower baseline concentration of glutamate in the thalami of pwMS compared to HCs. In pwMS this correlated negatively with total baseline brain lesion volume, which supports our initial hypothesis that thalamic MRS specifically measuring glutamate can be used as a surrogate for global central nervous system pathology. An increase in glutamate concentrations was recorded following natalizumab treatment between 10 and 56 weeks of follow-up. To our groups knowledge, this is the first 1H-MRS study to identify baseline cross-sectional differences in thalamic glutamate, correlate glutamate concentrations with total lesion volumes, and report longitudinal changes in thalamic glutamate following natalizumab treatment. Thalamic glutamate is a potential surrogate for total brain neuronal damage in highly active MS Glutamate, the chief central nervous system excitatory neurotransmitter is mainly synthesized from glutamine31,32. In addition to its neurotransmitter role, glutamate concentration is closely linked to the Krebs cycle, which reflects the cells metabolic activity. Previous proton MRS studies in MS reported higher levels of glutamate in lesioned white matter of pwMS compared to HCs33,34. One of these studies also reported lower levels of glutamate in lesioned grey matter regions34. The limitation of using white or grey matter lesions as ROIs is the high heterogeneity of these brain regions. With regards to WMLs, their definition includes- among others- active, inactive and remyelinating lesions. As for grey matter, this can be affected by exposure to cytokines from meningeal follicle-like structures or, similarly to WMLs, demyelination13,35,36. Current MRS imaging is unable to discriminate between these different pathologies. Therefore, metabolite concentrations obtained from these ROI s are likely to reflect the aforementioned local pathological changes, rather than global MS pathology. In contrast, the potential advantage of thalamic MRS is that the thalamus is rarely affected by local inflammation in MS37,38. Given that it is a subcortical hub highly connected with numerous other brain areas, this study hypothesised that the thalamus could be used as a biomarker of total brain neuronal damage in highly active MS. Two results in our study support this hypothesis: the decreased concentration of glutamate in pwMS and the negative correlation between glutamate and total brain lesion volume. Lesion volumes in MS have been found to correlate with axonal loss39 and disability40. Moreover, glutamate is mainly found in synaptic vesicles, therefore the decreased thalamic glutamate recorded in pwMS in this study could represent neuronal degeneration and synapse loss. Thalamic glutamate increases following natalizumab treatment Between 10 and 56 weeks of natalizumab treatment our group recorded a significant increase (p=,) in the concentration of thalamic glutamate in pwMS. At the end of the follow-up period, glutamate levels normalised, with no significant difference being recorded between pwMS and HC groups. No significant differences in glutamate concentration were found between baseline and 10 (n=x pairs?) and baseline and 56 weeks (n=x pairs?)[LP10] follow-up scans. It can be hypothesised that the limited sample size of pairs of data-points between baseline and 56 weeks follow-up glutamate prevented us from recording an existing statistically significant difference. With regards to changes in glutamate between baseline and 10 weeks, there could be a significant change in glutamate concentration within this timeframe, which was not picked up due to our limited sample size. It also cannot be excluded that thalamic MRS may take longer to respond to treatment. Previous published literature has shown lower glutamate concentrations in lesioned white matter of pwMS at baseline, which increased following treatment with natalizumab41. This effect can be attributed to the anti-inflammatory proprieties of natalizumab. By preventing production of nitrogen oxide and reactive oxygen species by macrophages, the drug could reduce axonal damage otherwise caused by these compounds42,43. Study limitations The algorithm used my SPM8 is incapable of accurately differentiating between the brighter grey and surrounding white matter, as the image intensity in the thalamus is very close to the intensity of white matter. Therefore the software records a higher white matter proportion in the thalamus than the true one. It should be however noted that this inaccuracy in measuring white/grey matter ratio should not cause any systematic error that would affect overall results. The studys HCs were adequately age-matched but poorly gender-matched to pwMS. Previous studies however reported no significant differences in any of the metabolite concentrations in the brain between different genders44. Therefore, no correction for a gender effect was made. The HC group only had a baseline scan, with no longitudinal data recorded. A useful longitudinal control group may be untreated pwMS. The absence of such a control group is currently however a common limitation, as people with highly active MS are nearly always on treatment. Having no information on the natural history of thalamic MRS in pwMS, it is difficult to interpret the significance of longitudinal changes in glutamate seen in this study. Lastly, albeit the thalamus is seldom affected by inflammatory activity in pwMS, the presence of inflammatory lesions has been previously described45. Such lesions are a confounding factor as they directly influence measured metabolite concentrations. However, based on T1, double inversion recovery pulse and phase sensitive inversion recovery sequences, no thalamic lesions were observed in our study. Future work Studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm our baseline findings, as well as to confidently interpret longitudinal changes in glutamate concentrations following natalizumab treatment. The presence of a pwMS untreated control group is not justifiable on ethical and legal grounds, however fu

Machiavelli’s The Prince as a Modern Political Guidebook Essay

The Prince as a Modern Political Guidebook       "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Shakespeare, 2 Henry IV 111.1.31) Kingship and leadership is a human concept.   Contraptions and   fiction invented by human beings that hold the fabric of   society together.   It is the job of the leader to make the fiction work for the good of all.   The quote above evokes the overall feeling about kingship held by both Prince Hal and his father in Shakespeare's Henry plays.   Being a leader is perhaps the most difficult position one can ever attain.   And in the same vein that King Henry IV says this above line, so does his son King Henry V offer this lament:      The slave, a member of the country's peace, Enjoys it; but in gross brain little wots What watch the King keeps to maintain the peace, Whose hours the peasant best advantages.   (Henry V:   IV.i 280-4)    Shakespeare was acutely aware that there was little difference between a real king and a player-king.   He gives us Henry V, a prince who knows how to be both.   We see him as a politician dealing with ambassadors and a diplomat dealing with his advisors.   He dispenses justice and mercy.   He must know when to execute traitors and thieves and when to free drunks who insult him in the streets.   He is a warrior and an oratorical wizard.   He inspires courage in the face of desperate circumstances and perhaps most importantly he knows how to seem one thing while he is another.   All these qualities make Hal Shakespeare's quintessential prince and these are the qualities that Niccolo Machiavelli saw as necessities for any "good" leader of a people.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Prince, written in Florence in the year 1513, by Machiavelli, is one of t... ...cause he didn't teach anything that wasn't already known to powerful leaders.   In fact, in his address to Lorenzo de Medici, as I noted earlier, he states that the conclusions he makes are drawn from his knowledge of history.   Throughout the book he makes references to historical situations and events that employ the very means to political success he describes.   What is great about The Prince is not its original content but that it mirrors the politics of his time as well as our time.   The book is a product of the Italian Renaissance in that it attempts to explain how things really are rather than how they are perceived.    WORKS   CITED Machiavelli, Niccolo.   The Prince.   Trans.   Christian E. Detmold.   New York:   Airmont, 1965. Strauss, Leo.   "Machiavelli the Immoralist."   The Prince:   A Norton Critical Edition.   New York:   W.W. Norton, 1977.   180-185.

A Clockwork Orange: Good Riddance To Bad Rubbish :: essays research papers

A Clockwork Orange: Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish A Clockwork Orange received critical acclaim, made more than thirty million dollars at the box office, and was nominated for various awards; however, this esteemed film was outlawed from the nation of Great Britain in order to curb its immoral content from permeating society. Before all the controversy began, A Clockwork Orange was a novel, written mostly in Russian, by Anthony Burgess. Stanley Kubrick is known to critics as a film maker who probes the dark side of human psyche. Kubrick has also directed films such as Dr. Strangelove, The Shining, and Full Metal Jacket. In each of these movies the audience delves into the evil side of the main character. Great Britain had this film removed from theaters across the country because the government justly illustrated there was a connection between the movie's graphic violence and an increased crime rate. In Clockwork . . . , there are unquestionably violent and graphic actions. Multiple beatings, a rape, and a murder are performed by the lead characters. These crimes are drug induced. Before going out, the gang goes to the "milk bar" for some "milk plus" which is riddled with amphetamines. The first violent act came not more than ten minutes into the movie. It was when the boys, led by Alex, beat a helpless wino that asked them for some change. The gang then strode away as if nothing occurred. They struck him repeatedly with canes and they kicked him a few times to the job. Next, the boys went to see a rival gang. This other group was in the middle of raping a woman when Alex and Company came in and intervened. They proceeded to beat the other gang members to a pulp. Then, they went to the house of a writer, to burglarize it. While there, they brutalized the writer and his wife. Alex raped the wife in front of the writer and then started to sing "Sing'n in the Rain" as he pummeled the old man. Alex's final act of violence came at the house of a rich health spa owner. The gang went there with the intent of robbing the place, but the woman who lived there was alert to the scheme and called the police. She attacked Alex and he defended himself with a sculpture of male genitalia. The fight ended when Alex crammed the statue in the mouth of the victim, and killed her. These were some of the more graphic scenes, which aided Britain's decision to ban the film. Incidents from this film triggered an onslaught of violent crimes across

Alternative solutions for internet censorship in Australia Essay

This report was commissioned to elaborate other alternative methods that can be used to monitor internet information in Australia without incorporating internet filtration as the Australian government proposes. The future of Australian children has been compromised by the immoral vices that the use of the internet perpetuates. Moreover, organizations, customers and innovators have also suffered from this paradigm which advocates for phishing, on-line identity theft and piracy among others. Therefore, the report advocates for the use of technology, political power, moral ethics and civil libertarians. These methods are not liable to scrutiny and criticism as they do not impede the first amendment bill of the constitution which advocates for freedom of expression among other concerns explained in the report. Furthermore, the report evaluates this range of methods and concludes that it would be ideal to implement the technology method. Introduction Advancement in technology has increased the reliance of internet as a means of entertainment and education source. It has also encompassed the education curriculum, social, economic and political activities creating both a positive and a negative impact. We have been able to succeed and are actually grateful because most of the information and technological know how can be retrieved with ease. However, our children and business enterprises have been adversely affected by the increased internet sexual harassment, privacy invasion, cyber-bullying, on-line identity theft, piracy and phishing just to mention a few in the unending list. In the event our children have developed aggressive attitudes which advocates for delinquent behaviours. On the other hand children that have experienced internet sexual harassment and bullying among others become depressed and thus are cut out from social life and its benefits. This explains the increased rates of teenage suicidal attempts in Australia (Australian Government 2007). Therefore, the government has taken a further step in an attempt of curbing this predicament by introducing mandatory internet filtration to all internet services at home, in schools and public computers used by he Australian children. The government also plans to prepare the Australian children on strategies of being responsible cyber-citizens, protecting their identity while on-line, understanding the impact of their actions on others while using the internet, responding to cyber-bulling and invasion of their privacy among other negative internet vices. To achieve this the government plans to launch education curriculum that provides first rate cyber-safety education programs and educate parents on the negative vices prevailed by the internet thus ensuring their children use the internet responsibly. Furthermore, the government plans to use the blacklist formulated by the Australia Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to ensure harmful information is not availed to the children, establish a Youth Advisory Group (YAG) to easily access information affecting children on-line and to do further research on cyber- safety issues in Australia among others (Australian Government 2007). This initiative has been met with mixed reactions as some citizens support the idea while others reject the move critically analysing it. Critics view the move as a lash to the development and welfare of the citizens in terms of internet use because internet censorship will reduce the speed of the internet, the initiative is not effective because people will still be able to access the prohibited information through the use of proxy services and web services just to mention a few. The initiative will also violate the first amendment bill which advocates for freedom of expression. The country will waste a huge sum of its capital through the implementation of this impractical solution because approximately USD 22billion of tax payers’ money will be used to implement this initiative. Furthermore, the criteria that will be used to determine the appropriate age to use the internet, the appropriateness of information on the internet and determining a comprehensive blacklist are in question. Therefore, to anal the dilemma the government is facing this report will elaborate on alternative methods of internet censorship other than internet filtration that can be used (Harvey 2009b). Alternative solutions To end the conflicts that have arisen because of the proposal of incorporating compulsory Internet Service provider (ISP) filtering in the country the government should implement other alternatives such as use of technology, political power, moral ethics and civil libertarian to implement internet censorship as outlined below. Technology The government can utilize the available technology to help implement their strategies on internet censorship rather than using internet filtration. It can establish websites that teach and warn adults and children on the dangers prevailed by the internet and how to avoid them. Alternatively it can take the initiative of funding such programs that have already being established. This method will be effective as the probability of people using the internet to access such information is high. The method is also cost effective as such initiatives have been implemented in other countries for example USA and proved to be efficient. Also the government will easily be able to avail on-line safety rules to the vicinity of children such as using passwords, meeting people met through the internet with the consent or accompaniment of parents and avoiding giving out personal information. For instance the Business Software Alliance (BSA) has enable to alert and educate e-tailers and customers on the dangers of internet such as auction site frauds, counterfeiting, identity theft and phishing among others and effective ways of preventing being victims of the above vices. BSA has established a website were they offer their learning and safe guarding tips by displaying stories from victims and tips of avoiding such incidents (Lindroth 2008). Moreover, programs that allow parents to personally regulate internet information availed to their children should be used. This will prevent the government from formulating legislations that violated constitutional rights such as freedom of speech and expression. It will also allow the development of this technology thus benefiting the country and improving the welfare of the population at large. For example US citizens have been able to enjoy the benefits of using glubble a Firefox browser plug-in that has enabled parents to create a safe browsing environment for their kids. The technology is easy to use, fast to install, helps parents to manipulate internet information at the vicinity of their children and enable their children to have the appropriate on-line experience. Furthermore, it does not limit internet information that is important to adults but harmful to children such as family planning tips. Therefore, the government should capitalize on such mechanisms by offering their support either politically or economically (Gary 2009). Political power The government is politically empowered thus has the power to control legislations and policies that regulate this country. Therefore, it should use this opportunity to formulate policies that will enable attainment of cyber-security without contradicting on legislations that had been previously formulated. For instance use of plug-ins and programs that will allow parents and public utilities where children are predominate users of the internet will increase intellectual property infringement therefore, legislations that will protect owners innovation should be stipulated allowing effective use of trade marks, patents and copyright laws among others thus expand the rights of these intellectual property holders. This will encourage innovators thus increase the variety of the advanced technology to consumers. Furthermore, it will increase the competitive nature of the economy of Australia both locally and in the world market. The government should also stipulate mechanisms that will take stern action against culprits who are caught perpetuating cyber-bulling, internet sexual harassment and stealing peoples’ identity. The government should also avail easy mechanisms for reporting vices that curb cyber-safety. This will serve as a warning to prospective culprits and thus decrease the number of such incidents. Also children will grow up morally as they will avoid practising such vices because this initiative will effectively tame them. Victims of such vices, parents, and children will willingly surrender information concerning such culprits to the relevant authority because of the assurance that effective action will be taken (Harvey 2009a). Moral ethics Most of the activities and information in the internet are morally wrong as they violate ethics and human norms. Therefore, another mechanism that can be used to increase cyber-safety is educating and guiding the population and children in particular on moral vices that can be adopted, thus enabling the adherence and respect of business, religious, social and moral ethics. For example more incidents of school children participating in social networking sites that perpetuate immoral behaviour such as pornography and prostitution are evident therefore, learning institutions should formulate policies that will effectively deal with school children that participate in such incidents and break school rules. Parents on the other hand should develop engaging relationships with their children to be able to further instil the moral principles that they learn and adopt from their school environment. Therefore, the school administration should work hand in hand with the government to clearly outline guidelines that will discipline students in regards to information availed and collected from the internet. The collation that will be formed will also help parents and the general Australian population to access such guidelines thus further perpetuate adherence to moral ethics and human norms (Madson 2005). It is quite evident that teachers nowadays use social networking sites for education purposes. Therefore, teachers should ensure that they effectively elaborate to their students how they intend to communicate to them and the necessary instructions that they should follow when logged into such sites to prevent them from accessing information that is not related to education and perpetuates immorality. Alternatively the school administration should establish websites which should be regularly monitored where teachers and students can communicate. Moreover, the learning institutions should implement educative programs that will educate the students on issues related to on-line- safety and the responsible ways of using Facebook and MySpace among others. Furthermore, policies that will effectively deal with students that perpetuate and practice cyber-bullying should be enacted. This responsibility should not only be left to the school administration and the government, other bodies such as religious institutions, public conferences and gatherings, activists and ethicist should also advocate for the adherence of moral ethics and human norms through the use of mechanisms such as safety conversation (McMahon 2008). Civil libertarian The government should also not ignore the role played by civil libertarians rather they should work hand in hand with them. This will further help them to ensure cyber-safety in Australia is emanated and thus protect the innocence and rights of children. This is because civil libertarians fight for the rights and respect of computer and network users by encouraging those involved to register with them thus regulates their activities. Therefore when formulating new legislations or changing those that already exists the government should engage such organizations thus the policies that will be formulated will be at the best interest of all stakeholders. For instance the Electronic Frontier Foundation in US provides legal assistance to companies or organizations that have out rightly been denied their constitutional rights by implementation of impractical legislations. In the event the organization promotes the US laws and allows efficient incorporation of advanced technology into the country. However, it indirectly regulates the information in the internet by offering legal support to organizations that avail useful information which is not harmful to the social being and economic welfare of the community and the country. Therefore, Australia should implement this example and follow suit as cyber-security will be enhanced while protecting and respecting the constitutional and human rights of its citizens (Swidorski 2003). Conclusion From the above facts it is quite clear that all the above principles should be implemented to effectively implement internet censorship. Each principle covers a specific area of enhancing cyber-safety in the country and among the citizens. The role that the government and politicians in general can play in the attempt of protecting Australian children from internet immoral vices without developing conflicts is outlined. However, the government also needs to work hand in hand with the school administration, teachers, parents and civil libertarians to efficiently enhance on-line security and educate Australian children on mechanisms of being responsible cyber-citizens. Also as we aim to be a world class country we will have to incorporate more sophisticated technology which is mainly attained from the reliance of the internet therefore, this subject should be researched regularly to enable formulation of policies that are relevant to the current technology in the country. In the event the country will be able to attain the technology without restrictions that may curb its development. Therefore, from my own opinion it is ideal for the government to implement the technology method which will go hand in hand with the development objective of the country because it will be cheaper to incorporate, it will be easier to regulate internet information at the disclosure of children while still gaining access to information that will help in improving the welfare of the community and country at large and human rights will not be violated as a result of internet censorship which I do not support. Word Count: 2189 List of references Australian Government (2007), Attitudes and behaviour of young people on-line, Research Summary. Available at [Accessed on 28th, May, 2009]. Gary, J. (2009), â€Å"Short range plug-ins work best in US,† Automotive Engineer, 34(3), p. 49. Harvey, S. (2009a), Australian internet censorship in practice, Available at [Accessed on 28th, May, 2009] Harvey, S. (2009b), Issues with re-establishing identity after natural disasters, Available at < http://www. pingudownunder. com/blog/index. php> [Accessed on 28th, May, 2009] Lindroth, L. (2008), â€Å"How to improve on-line safety,† Teaching Pre K-8, 28(7), p20. Madson, W. (2005), Internet censorship, Available at [Accessed on 28th, May, 2009] McMahon, F. (2008), â€Å"Smooth operator,† Digital Content Producer, 34(11), pp. 30-33. Swidorski, C. (2003), â€Å"Political science, the Labour Movement, and the struggle for freedom of expression,† New Political Science, 22(3), pp. 319-340.

Promote The Human Rights Essay

Identify legislation and policies that are designed to promote the human rights, inclusion equal life chances and citizenship of individuals with learning disabilities. Legislation and policies are implemented to support and protect the human rights and inclusion of individuals with learning disabilities Some of these Acts and policies include: The Human Rights Act 1998 The Human Rights Act in the United Kingdom came into force on the 2nd October 2000 and underpins many of the core values which we in the care industry must adopt. It ensures the rights of individuals and means that they are entitled to seek help from the courts if they believe that their human rights have been infringed. The Human Rights Act â€Å"guarantees† basic human rights: the right to life; the right to liberty and security of person; the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; the right to marry and found a family etc. The care sector has the responsibility to promote and respect human rights as a core part of their day-to-day work, from drafting policies regulations and rules, through internal staff and policy issues, administration, decision making, to implementing policy and working with members of the public. The basic human rights which the care sector has the responsibility to promote are: †¢The right to life (relevant to protection of clients’ physical and mental wellbeing) †¢The right to freedom from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment †¢The right of respect for private and family life, home and correspondence (relevant to confidentiality) †¢The right to freedom of thought, conscience or religion (relevant to respecting equality and diversity) †¢The right of protection from discrimination †¢The right to marry and found a family †¢The right to education †¢Free elections by secret ballot The Equality Act 2010 Brought in to replace the previous anti-discriminatory laws. It identifies nine protected characteristics; age, disability, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, gender, sexual orientation and gender reassignment. The Care Standards Act 2000 The Care Standards Act 2000 reforms the regulatory system for care services in England and Wales. It replaces the Registered Homes Act 1984, and associated regulations, which is intended to be repealed from 1 April 2002. The National Minimum Standards for registered care services are issued by the Department of Health as part of the implementation of the Care Standards Act 2000. These standards include requirements about the competence of the work force including their suitability, experience and qualifications. The Care Standards Act sets out a broad range of regulation making powers covering, amongst other matters, the management, staff, premises and conduct of social care and independent healthcare establishments and agencies. The aim is to ensure that the care of vulnerable people, in differing types of supported housing is properly regulated, to improve care standards and introduce consistency in the regulation of services provided. The Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA)/Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults (SVA) scheme will act as a workforce ban on those professionals who have harmed vulnerable adults in their care. It will add an extra layer of protection to the pre-employment processes, including Criminal Records Bureau checks, which already take place and prevent known abusers from entering the care workforce. This Care Act 2000 was replaced by the Health & Social Care Act 2008 with the aim to primary focus of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 was to create a new regulator whose purpose was to provide registration and inspection of health and adult social care services together for the first time, with the aim of ensuring safety and quality of care for service users. Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Group Act 2006 The purpose of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 is to restrict contact between children and vulnerable adults and those who might do them harm. The Mental Health Act 2007 The law which governs the compulsory treatment of certain people who have a mental disorder is the Mental Health Act 1983. The main purpose of the Mental Health Act 2007 is to amend the 1983 Act. It is also being used to introduce â€Å"deprivation of liberty safeguards† through amending the Mental Capacity Act 2005; and to extend the rights of victims by amending the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. Mental Capacity Act 2005 The Mental Capacity Act 2005 provides a comprehensive framework for decision making on behalf of adults aged 16 and over who lack capacity to make decisions on their own behalf. The Act applies to England and Wales. Scotland has its own legislation. The Act sets out a number of basic principles that must govern all decisions made and actions taken under its powers. These are rooted in best practice and the common law and are designed to be fully compliant with the relevant sections of the Human Rights Act. Where confusion arises about how aspects of the Act should be implemented, it can be extremely helpful to refer back to them. Actions or decisions that clearly conflict with them are unlikely to be lawful, although there may be occasions on which they are in tension with each other and some balancing will be required. Valuing People Now Valuing People Now is an opportunity to help get better lives for all people with learning disabilities and their families, including those with complex needs, and from black and minority ethnic communities. Valuing People Now says people with a learning disability have the same human rights as everyone else Putting People First Putting People First (PPF) sets out the direction for adult social care. It is a shared commitment by the Government, local councils and service providers to ensuring that people who need care and support have choice, flexibility and control to live their lives the way they wish.