Austens Growing Feminism in Emma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Austens Growing Feminism in Emma - Essay Example Rarely was it possible to attain both and often it was found, too late, that it was possible to attain neither. Even in the very early 1800s, though, many of these ideas were beginning to surface in the literature produced. Writers such as Jane Austen emerged as proto-feminists, planting the seeds of a new day while still remaining ‘acceptable’ to the old. This careful blending of feminist ideals with traditional behaviors can be found in such novels as Emma, in which critics have found support both for the traditional role of women as well as encouragement for a new way of thinking about women. Women’s lives were often strictly contained within rigidly defined terms. Women who formed the upper class enjoyed ample time for leisure activities in their lifestyles and once a woman married, her role was to simply to manage the home and the household. Though the life of the upper class woman might seem easier and more secure than that of a lower class woman, this was not always the case. Land, titles, and money were inherited by the closest male relative – typically the older son, but if there was no older son then it would go to a more distant relation. Only the small amount of money set aside as a woman’s marriage dowry went to an unmarried woman after the death of her father. In addition, many women were married nominally against their will in arranged marriages, by the Victorian age positioning the woman herself as commodity (Levine-Clark, 1991). As a result, many mothers and daughters were left extremely poor after the death of their husband and fathers. At the same time, the activities they were permitted to take part in remained relatively sedate and home-bound.

Factors That Affects the Preference of Online Games Essay Example for Free

Factors That Affects the Preference of Online Games Essay Online gaming can refer to any type of game that someone can play through the Internet or over a computer network. Most of the time, online gaming refers to video games played over the Internet, where multiple players are in different locations across the world. Players also can compete in massively multiplayer games, where dozens of players play an ongoing game in a virtual world. Often times, participants can communicate with other gamers through text chat sessions during online gaming or, sometimes, players can actually speak to other players, using special audio hardware. Online Games are now one of the most popular and fast growing part of the internet based industries. These computer games can be played be many people together in a network like the Internet or any office network. With the growing availability of the World Wide Web, these games have become one of the best ways to relief stress after a busy day. Today, there are many websites that allow people to play online games. Playing online games has many advantages. Users can play multiplayer online games with their friends. Children find multiplayer games more thrilling and entertaining as they compete against their friends. Online games offer a range of entertainment options for people. Online games are an excellent way to escape the â€Å"real world for a while and enter the virtual domain. In addition to providing entertainment, these games help us to be mentally strong. These games are liked by people of different ages, especially as they could be played in the comfort of their homes. The games are quite thrilling as they provide incredible features as well as a user friendly ambiance. These games also build team efforts and team spirits. A bond of togetherness is developed through these games. To cap it all, these games help one to interact and exchange ideas with others while paying multi-player games. The industry of computer games is continuously developing its techniques and strategies in order to make more and more appealing games. However, each company that produces video games is specialized in a certain type of games that address to a certain age group. For this reason, the variety of the existing games and of the games to be created is very notable and we should take it into consideration whenever we speak of this domain

Boy Talk :: Example Personal Narratives

Boy Talk We keep tally marks (with parenthetical comments) in my little black book. When we score, we call them glory points. We conceived the idea on a Friday night of meandering around coffee shops, discussing the book Catcher in the Rye. I convinced my friend Michael that Catcher in the Rye satires pathetically alienated teens and mocks the protagonist as much as anyone else - and thus bore our tradition. We score glory points by convincing the other that he is wrong; my little black book is the memo pad I use for keeping phone numbers, homework assignments, other assorted notes, and of course, glory points. At the moment, I am beating Michael five to four in the "glory game." Michael actually gave me the book "Catcher in the Rye" to read somewhere near the end of my freshman year, at the time when I had very few friends because I had just changed schools. He, also being an alienated youth, began to talk to me about phonies and other Holden Caufieldesque things. To this day, he brags about how he drove me into a "three month depression." From the philosophy of Holden Caufield, we have since progressed to arguing philosophy and politics. Prior to discussing phonies, Michael and I had never gotten far beyond the surface-levels of conversation. That kind of relationship wasn't unusual for me - virtually every relationship I had was as shallow as a kiddie pool. In fact, discussing phonies was a breakthrough for me, if only because we exchanged some semblance of ideas about personal psychology. Michael and I thoroughly agreed: "Everybody in the world is a phony - except me." (We never did figure our if the "everybody" included the other person.) During the summer between my freshman and sophomore years, I began to miss people - no one person in particular, just those mystical creatures that I missed walking down the street while I spent three or four days inside reading and watching television. I made something of a commitment to myself to actually befriend more than the handful of people I talked to over that summer. I committed myself to making close friends whom I could talk to about personal problems. Friends, ironically, like Michael. Michael and I moved to this topic near the end of that summer, at a time when he was in the process of switching to a private high school from our old, public high school.

Airborne Case Study Essay

Q1. How and why has the express mail industry structure evolved in recent years? How have the changes affected small competitors? The Express mail industry in the United States had a volume of $16-17 billion on expedited shipments in the year 1996. In the years before shipment volumes has risen 15-20% per year. However due to higher competition prices have fallen which resulted in a rise of only 10-15% in total revenues. As an example of this stands the revenue and the operating margin of the biggest player that make up 45% of the market. Federal Express’ revenue has more than quadrupled in the ten years prior 1996, however its operating margin has more than halved. (Exhibit 2) The increase in shipments is partly due to lower prices, which makes it more attractive for businesses to use shipments more frequently and reduce stocks and inventory to compete on the basis of time to market. Also the price sensitive businesses of catalogue retailers required urgent shipment. In order to cope with the quickly growing numbers of packages (1997 Federal Express delivered 2. million packages a day), the companies started using their own airplanes rather than using commercial airlines to do the job for them. Processes have become highly automated, starting with hand-held computers that give each parcel its own barcode to track it at each stage of its journey. The information is then passed on to central computers that allow customers to follow its deliveries online. Hub facilities are ever growing now being able to sort up to 300,000 packages per hour (UBS hub). Due to high automatization and low margins in the industry it becomes increasingly difficult for second-tier players to survive in the market. Since 85% of the market are in the hand of the three major players; Federal Express, United Parcel Service and Airborne Express, the six second tier players had to find their niche in the market. DHL specified on the international market. The company is responsible for 40% of all trans-border express shipments in America, which makes up to 80% of DHL’s shipments. DHL is also the specialist for services that include fast shipments to the far and hard to reach corners of the world, with hubs situated in Nairobi and Bahrain. TNT’s focus lies on international markets as well, however focuses its efforts on Europe. Another second tier player is BAX Global who specialized in business-to-business heavy cargo. Earlier BAX Global was focused on the market for overnight letters, which resulted in large losses, till the strategy was shifted towards heavy cargo. The company RPS does not offer overnight delivery but focuses on two-day delivery and a cheap group network with a sophisticated information technology, targeting price-sensitive business customers. Q2.  How has Airborne survived, and recently prospered, in express mail industry? In the fife years prior 1997 Airborne Express has grown faster than its two bigger rivals, giving it about 16% of domestic express mail market share in 1997. Airborne has achieved this by a couple of measures that allowed it to keep its costs down and guaranteed Airborne Express success in its niche. One of the key decisions of Airborne Express was to target regularly shipping business customers and purposely passing over residential deliveries and infrequent shippers. Ray Berry, vice president of Field Services Administration, commented this selection of customers: â€Å" Since we can’t be all things to all people, we pick our kind of customer deliberately. † And it has payed off; 1997 Airborne delivered 900,000 packages and documents each day. As a major hub for this serves an airbase in Wilmington, Ohio. In contrast to its competitors Airborne Express owns the airport, which brings some advantages. For example leases Airborne Express warehouse space on the airport to businesses, allowing them to ship merchandize the next day even if orders come in as late as 2AM. Another key factor for low costs is that Airborne Express relies less on automation and more on its human workforce than its competitors; hiring low part-time employees with wages of $7 per hours. Airborne Express’ air fleet distinguishes itself also from the competition. By primarily buying used aircrafts costs are held down. Also the aircrafts are on average 80% loaded; compared to 60% for Federal Express. Furthermore Airborne Express tries to avoid using airplanes whenever possible, resulting in 30% of non-air deliveries compared to 15% non-air deliveries at Federal Express. Since the cost of non-air deliveries is estimated to be only 1/3 of the cost of air deliveries, this depicts how well Airborne Express is able to save money. Another cost reducing factor are independent contractors hired for parcel pick up or delivery that save around 10% of costs compared to company employees. Airborne Express Marketing and Sales team does not invest in costly wide span advertising campaigns, but rather invest in advertising targeting logistic managers of major shippers. Known for its low prices it tries to gain customers, large businesses, with a 500-person sales force and the promise to tailor the services needed for its customers with solution-oriented approaches. Last but not least Airborne Express started to forge a relationship with RPS, an expert for cheap ground deliveries, trying to gain synergies and being able to offer integrated solutions on a case-by-case basis for customers. Q3. What would you recommend Robert Brazier, Airborne’s President and COO, to do in order to strengthen the company’s position?  As the world moves closer together and quick logistics and transportation are getting more and more important, the global express mail market is still growing. In order to secure growth and market share we would advise Airborne Express to push forward the relationship with RPS, maybe consider a merger, to fully gain the synergies. Also it is of key importance to strengthen the position in the market by gaining new customers, providing them with worldwide â€Å"flexible, solution-oriented express† services in the B2B area. This could be achieved by gradually increasing international activities on a customer case-to-case basis.

Critical Analysis of Traditional and Agile Project Management Essay

INTRODUCTION Project is an effort taken to build something unique within a specific period. (PMBOK, 2004: 20). This means that a project has a starting and an ending which has to be completed within the specified time. For a project to be completed within time limit and with little or no flaws, a plan has to be put in place so as to get a desired result. Project planning is the determination of the progress of a project to be carried out in a serial manner. (Successful Project Management, 2011: 57). Project planning is very essential in managing a project and will be discussed in detail specifically in traditional and agile project management which is the two major project management approaches. Critical analysis of these two approaches in respect to project planning will be given. That is treating the necessary processes in planning a project. Tools, techniques, and project lifecycle models used in project management will be explored. See more: how to write an analysis OVERVIEW Traditional project management TPM is a set of technique and tools that can be applied to an activity that seeks an end product, outcomes or service. This is a well taught out planning process which has a very strict control method that makes distinguishable stages in a project life cycle (hass, 2007). Requirement such as scope, cost and time are determined upfront, followed plans are also well laid out and once laid out, it cannot be modified. Due to this, life cycles are easily recognizable. Task are completed one after another once completed, it cannot be revisited. In TPM, a lot of importance is attached  to documentation of business needs thereby stakeholders needs are already known (Leybourne, 2009). TPM is based on the fact that situations surrounding project and activities are predictable and manageable (Hass 2007, Yusuf et al 1999). TPM views each project level as a separate process whose outcome or completion has an effect on how and when subsequent levels begin (caddle and Yeates 2008; Thonsett 2012). According to Larman (2004), a well thought out rule on project team members’ responsibilities are determined at the planning phase. This makes team members accountable for the project which ensures control (Saladis and Kezner, 2009). Examples of traditional models are: 1. PRINCE2 2. Waterfall 3. Event chain 4. CA-PPM. Agile project management APM is all about incremental iteration, adaptability, agility and collaboration (Scuh, 2005; Larman, 2004). It takes individual and iteration contribution over process and tools. It lays emphasis on short cycles of structure which happen at different levels and also emphasis on feedback (Hass, 2007). All plans are revisited to get certainty of delivery. APM sees the project as product increment. Due to its lack of structure, it requires a considerable amount of discipline and coordination. APM allows project scope to change rapidly and frequently which is done by constant communication with project stakeholders. APM teams consist of skilled members fully dedicated to the project and are co-located (Hass, 2007; Wysocki). The whole idea of what APM is all about is based on the agile manifesto. It was put forward by Martin Fowler and Jim Highsmith (wysocki,). Its content are given below: â€Å"We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools Working software over comprehensive documentation Customer collaboration over contract negotiation Responding to change over following a plan That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items  on the left more.† Types of agile project management approaches are as follows: 1. Agile Unified Process (AUP) 2. Scrum 3. Lean Software Development 4. Extreme Programming (XP) 5. Dynamic Systems Development Method 6. Feature Driven Development Scope Planning Scope planning is a process that describes and documents the boundaries of a project and project expectation. TPM is a rigid approach that gives no room to change once the scope plan has been created. Plans are made to prevent change in project scope. It focuses on developing all parts of the scope first. Documentation is very detailed trying to encompass the whole requirement. The project scope statement consists of the objective and boundaries of the project and also product specification. Work breakdown structure is then created. In TPM, steps are taken that the team sticks to the scope of the project. Scope planning in APM is a high-level activity because little is known of the solution. Change is a key part of APM, making the scope very flexible. The scope is constantly redefined due to the series of iterations. Ideas could be added at stage of the project. Documentations is present but not as detailed as in TPM. APM focuses on developing the most important part of the scope first and then proceed to the next. Human Resource Planning In TPM, team is usually large in number and consists of various levels of skilled members. The teams are very organized. The teams don’t make decisions on their own without the approval of senior managers. APM team members are proficient and are highly skilled, they are collocated in order to handle changes in project scope and also performance, communication and more so, interrelation. APM consists of small team, members are mostly between five and nine, and they also are highly productive. Agile teams are self-organizing and disciplined (Hewson, 2006). Agile teams are basically  independent. Risk Planning TPM assumes that there will be risk in the project. This is put into consideration at the planning of the project and measures are put in place to handle it. Projects in APM are volatile and very unstable because the solutions are not known. Every iteration cycle comes with its own risks. These risks are expected and are handled sequentially when it arises during project (Owen et al, 2006). Proponents of agile approach argue that dealing with real risk is better than preparing for unknown risk (Schuh, 2005). Quality Quality in agile is often determined by the regular feedback and acknowledgement of the customer’s view of the quality of the product. Time planning: In traditional approach, time estimation is dependent on the amount of tasks to be executed. Time estimation is done right after the WBS is created. Effort is made in other to complete the project within the required time (Hass, 2007). In agile approach, time estimation is based on features. The numbers of features to be developed determine the amount of time that will be used. Scheduling and workflow are also closely aligned. Management style: In TPM, the project manager is responsible solely for the planning and allocation of responsibilities (Kerzner, 2003). Traditional project managers focus more on the schedule, scope and budget (Fernandez and Fernandez, 2009). In APM, the project manager works in collaboration with the team (Hass, 2007). Agile managers focus more on the business value and deliverables (Fernandez and Fernandez, 2009). Cost management: Agile projects should be based on either a cost-reimbursable system, or the client accepts scope is a variable based on achieving the maximum improvement possible for a pre-set budget. This is a totally different philosophy to traditional project governance. Tools, Technique, models, and Project Lifecycle Models There are numerous tool and technique that can be utilized in the course of planning a project which include: Gantt chart is a graphical representation for scheduling the execution of various project activities. It can be used to make an approximation of time required to complete the  project. Brainstorming involves the assembling of idea by a group of people in order to solve problem and to arrive at a conclusion. It is essential in development of new ideas. Work breakdown structure (WBS) is the breaking down of project into smaller more manageable pieces in a hierarchical order. Each level in WBS is a smaller piece of the level above. Fishbone diagram is also known as cause-and-effect diagram. It is used to check the cause of a specific event. They also help during the collating and analyzing factors phase of project planning. Critical Path Method involves dealing with activities that has to be completed in order for other activities to be completed. It helps in the sequencing and correlating of interdependent processes. PERT Chart is a representation that shows the task to be performed serially in a graphical form. It helps to focus more on the most critical part of the project in order to reduce constriction. Project Charter is a document that formally authorizes a project statement. It contains project justification, business needs and so on. . (PMBOK, 2004) Scope Statement ensures that only the required work is done. That is work is not done out of scope of the project. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) WBS is a deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be done by the project team, to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. WBS is a tool which focuses on how a project work should be done. It breaks down the work to be done into smaller sections that can be managed by the project team, each section give details of the project work as such giving team understanding of what do(Biafore, 2011). WBS can be depicted as an outline or a diagram (Biafore, 2011). The number of levels present in a WBS should be reasonable as this is determined by how voluminous and complex the project is. WBS helps in d identification of task, brings to light what d project entails and a lot of other tools depend on WBS. It also allows stakeholders have an understanding of the scope of the project (Biafore, 2011). PERT Chart (Project Evaluation and Review Technique) It is visual illustration of a project plan task. It document important or critical phases of a project. It helps to identify critical processes and  the time that the process will end. It can also help in the documentation of a project. It helps in the organizing and scheduling of interrelated tasks in a complex project (Chinneck, 2009). It does this by using a network description to show parallel relationships between tasks (Chinneck, 2009). It helps in the completion of each task in other of precedence. It is a very important tool for tracking project activities and milestones. PERT enables the project team to handle task in order of importance. It also deal with uncertainty in process completion dates and determines activities start and end dates. Finally, PERT chart can be adjusted at anytime in the duration of the project. Linear Project Management Lifecycle Model This is a simple TPM approach which does not allow for returning to a project which has previously been completed. (Effective : 329). This means that once a phase in a project is completed, there will be no room to do any kind of adjustment. Incremental Project Management Lifecycle Model It is a traditional TPM in which unlike linear. It releases a solution to each phase of the project and it also emphasis on customer value than the linear approach. (Fernandez, Fernandez). Iterative Project Management Lifecycle Model In the iterative PMLC, change is required as it is the important part of the model. It is a learn by doing strategy. (Fernandez, Fernandez). All iteration consists of feedback loop, and it involves more clients and customers than incremental. Adaptive Project Management Lifecycle Model This is a PMLC that almost nothing is known about the solution and almost all of it are designed for software development project. It deals with a high level of uncertainty because little is known of the end product. Extreme Project Management Lifecycle Model In this model, there is no broad knowledge and solution about the project. The level of uncertainty is high and also that of clients too. CONCLUSION After looking at the two approaches, it is seen that both approaches are good  and can work perfectly well depending on the project at hand. TPM due to its detailed planning is the preferred choice for structured project. It is used in large projects that have well understood features and requirements and which involves large teams. Also, TPM is suitable for project that requires little change. APM is the preferred choice for unstructured projects. These kinds of projects have a high level of uncertainty and unpredictability about them. APM unlike TPM involves smaller projects.

buy custom Inflammation and Neuronal Degeneration essay

buy custom Inflammation and Neuronal Degeneration essay ) How the complement cascade participates in neural disease and precipitates injury. The complement system helps antibodies and other immune cells to destroy pathogens from an organism. It forms part of the immune system that does not change and an individual is born with it. The system and part of the innate immunity can also act together with the adaptive immunity. The complement system is made up of a number of proteins found in the circulatory system, synthesized by the liver, and circulates as inactive precursors also called pro-proteins. When the system is stimulated by one of several triggers, proteases cleave certain proteins to release cytokines and start an amplifying cascade of more cleavages (Boglio 89). The result of the activation cascade is a large amplification of the response and activation of the membrane attack complex. Many proteins and fragments make up the system, including receptors in the cell membrane and proteins in serum all of which make up about 5%of globulin in serum. Three pathways initialize the system: the mannose binding lectin pathway, classical pathway, alternative pathway (Rother 68). The main features of the system are lysis which involves rupturing membranes of foreign cells, Opsonization which is enhancing phagocytosis of antigens, clumping of antigen-bearing agents, Chemotaxis where there is an attraction of macrophages and neutrophils. Complement opsonins for example, Clq and C3b interact with surface complement receptors to promote phagocytosis while complement anaphylatoxins C3a and C5a initiate local pro-inflammatory responses that contribute to the protection of the host. Activation of the system to a higher extent has been thought to promote injury to tissues. There is evidence showing that the system is implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurological disorders including the human demyelinating disease multiple sclerosis and experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. Deposition of complement proteins correlates with areas of demyelination and axonal loss observed in EAE and complement inhibition ameliorates disease. However, the precise mechanisms underlying complement-mediated damage are still largely unknown (Alt 98). The recent use of transgenic animals is beginning to make it clear on the significant additions of the different complement activation pathways in the pathogenesis of experimental demyelin ation. Although the liver is the major source of complement, glial cells and neurons in the CNS can produce most of the 30 different proteins that make up the complex complement cascade. C1q, mannose binding lectin, and C3 stimulate the activation and chemotaxis of inflammatory cells, promote phagocytosis, and facilitate lysis by the membrane attack complex and Levels of complement components are increased in Huntington's disease (HD) Complement activation products, including the membrane attack complex, colocalize with amyloid plaques and tangle-bearing neurons in Down's syndrome. Using differential mRNA display, C1q B-chain mRNA was found to be strongly increased in an experimental model of prion disease (Rother 23). Complement activation can lead to the formation of C3 convertases, multiprotein enzyme complexes that cleave the secreted complement factor C3 into C3a and C3b. The C3a can promote chemotaxis of phagocytic cells. C3b binds covalently to acceptor molecules, initiating formation of the MAC and cell destruction. C3b deposition starts the phagocytosis process of the complement system through receptors that are found on macrophages. Host cells are normally covered from complement activation and self to self attacks by complement proteins bound on the membranes that regulate the system. Whether complement activation in neurodegenerative disorders represents an appropriate injury response or results from an impairment of these regulatory systems remains to be determined (Sherwood 61). 2) The role of the complement cascade in neural disease and injury precipitation. Inflammation is recognized in science as a protective response by a host to injury that has occurred due to physical trauma or infections by pathogenic organisms. It is characterized by features of swelling, redness, pain and heat. But despite its protective role, it also has diverse side effects on the host due to mediators released during this process (Blass 98). In the central nervous system, inflammation is implicated in a wide array of disease pathogenesis including diseases like schizophrenia, Alzheimers, Parkinsons disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. The inflammatory mediators implicated in the pathogenesis include adhesion molecules, complement system, cyclooxygenase system (both the enzymes and products) and cytokines. All the above mentioned components of the inflammatory pathway play a critical role not only in the defensive aspect of the process but also the injurious and albeit unwanted consequence therein. In the central nervous system, they are implicated in the neuronal injury that is a distinct characteristic of all the above mentioned diseases. This is due to the fact that years of research have shown that they are increased in levels in patients with the mentioned conditions. This fact cannot be debated since the use of therapeutic inflammatory modulators has shown success in neurodegenerative conditions such as multiple sclerosis (Blass 89). Although inflammation is essentially a protective event, it may lead to damage of host tissue around the site of the inflammation. For one to unerstand how the injury occurs, it is vital that one knows the events in inflammation. During tissue injury, either due to trauma or the offending toxins released by pathogens that have infected the host, the body releases an array of chemicals meant to carry out certain protective roles. The roles include; to recruit a large number white blood cells to the site of the event thus stopping the infection or preventing its further progression, to increase the blood flow to the affected region thus bringing more nutrition (oxygen and glucose) to the affected tissues and aid in removal of accumulated toxins, and to cause an increase in the size of the tissues (swelling) thus creating a walled off area from the rest of the surrounding tissue that is not affected. The chemicals/mediators that carry out this functions include; cytokines, Prostranoids, Kinins, substance P, Histamine, Serotonin and Nitrous Oxide ( Cutler 15). Cytokines are a family of chemicals that are key in the mediation of the inflammatory process. They are divided into interleukins and interferon. Further divided into those that enhance cellular immune responses, type 1 (IFN-, TGF-, etc.), and type 2 (IL-4, IL-10, IL-13) for antibody (Neal.R. 102). The brain has very distinct and unique features when it comes to inflammation and its response to inflammatory insults. The brain is described as an immunologically privileged site and the tight junctions of the cerebral vasculature prevent large molecules and cells from entering. The brain is also tightly confined in the cranium thus according very limited space for brain tissue swelling. Inflammation in the central nervous system has been implicated in both acute and chronic diseases. Most neurodegenerative central nervous system diseases are due to chronic inflammation. Multiple sclerosis, for example, is one of the most common of these diseases. The exact etiopathogenesis of this disease has not been fully unraveled (Wiley-Blackwell 45). But years of research have shown that inflammation has a key role to play, that of the autoimmune type. Evidence points to autoimmune condition that leads to T-cell activation and deactivation of suppressor T-cells leading to invasion of the central nervous system by the T-cells and macrophages (Prat et al. 2002). This leads to axonal demyelination, consequent degeneration and plaque formation. Both clinical studies and experimental studies (in mice immunized against myelin basic protein) have shown increased levels of TNF-alpha and INF-gamma, which are directly toxic to oligodendrocytes. These, effect on neurons, have been shown clinically. The autoimmune condition that causes release of these harmful cytokines has a snowball effect. The above cytokines lead to stimulation and production of more cytokine, therefore, leading to further disease progression and neurodegeneration. 3) The advantages and disadvantages of pharmacotherapeutics that target adhesion molecules and leukocytic infiltration into the CNS, such as in MS-spectrum disorders. The goal of pharmacotherauptic drugs acting in the CNS is to diminish or breakdown certain immune responses that are triggering by Multiple Sclerosis, while also causing minor side-effects, and not having to weaken the immunity of the body. Multiple sclerosis an autoimmune disease dealing with immune action targeted against central nervous system antigens (Sherwood 67). It is the most common inflammatory-demyelinating diseases targeting the CNS. With the support of the immune system participation in the progress of MS has grown, trials of many different new therapies to suppress the immune response and even alter the system are being conducted. Most therapies are still experimental. Data of recent randomized clinical trials are showing that immunosuppressive drugs that target adhesion molecules and leukocyte infiltration and methods can encouragingly affect the progress of Multiple Sclerosis. Toxic side effects often prevent their overall use. Immunosuppression of the host leaves the patient prone to a number of opportunistic infections. Amongst the many demyelinating conditions that have an effect on the CNS, those induced by an inflammatory process come out because of their relevance. The well described inflammatory-induced demyelinating condition is multiple sclerosis, but the immunity system response is a frequent pathogenic mechanism in less common diseases for example acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. Hence, changing of the immune system response is likely to be a best therapeutic choice. The introduction of these pharmacotherauputic agents has dramatically changed how neuro-degenerative diseases can be treated. These agents are immune-modulators, which in essence means, they can change the functioning of your immune system by suppressing or increasing in built immune responses. The more specific the specific target to be blocked is, the less the effect is to the other bodily functions, making the agent more effective. With the use of these agents in neuro-degenerative treatment, serious side-effects from treatment with the agents have been documented; even deaths have been noted with their usage. If there was a preexisting disease, such as tuberculosis or other serious diseases, the risk for severe side-effects from their therapy with these agents increases. Some research has shown their capabilities for increasing cancer through their actions on the body's immunity. Research into these drugs is still continuous and ongoing on the manny disadvantages as their long time use has not yet been documented (Alt 56). Pharmacotherapeutic therapy is very expensive and most times not a probable treatment choice. Their use is limited to those who can afford. Those agents that are approved for use in treating patients with neuro-degenerative diseases can be divided into three types: tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors which block the chemical messengers, T cell modulators that get the T cells and cytokine inhibitors that block specific intercellular connections and all this block leukocyte infiltration and cell adhesions (Lezonni 56). Any increase in strength of multiple sclerosis drugs could affect with the protective immunosurveillance of the central nervous system. One probable impact is an increased prevalence of opportunistic diseases. An increased surveillance for central nervous system infections in the prospect of immunosuppression is important to avoid major side-effects (lezonni 78). Many of these drugs are very helpful in controlling some of these neuro-degenerative diseases, but due to the many side-effects their use is still debatable. 4) Promising targets of therapeutics to be used in treatment of neuroimmunological disorders and the possible impact of such therapeutics on disease progression. Research has been ongoing into the possible development of neurodegenerative disorders treatments. But the main hurdle most researchers face lies in the thin line between the helpful and detrimental effects of inflammation. Delineating these two has proved to be a major headache to researchers. Another major setback is the inability of scientists to be able to identify which specific inflammatory mediators are involved, and the role they play in the different types of acute or chronic inflammatory diseases. In acute central nervous system injury, for example stroke or brain injury, there is a lot of literature available on the specific types of mediators involved and their role. Most of this data was obtained from experimental rodent studies (Sluis 44). In acute injury, research has shown that general anti-inflammatory therapy is helpful in the prevention of serious brain injury. Drugs like aspirin and Statins have been shown to help in management of the above mentioned injuries. Although Statins are known to exert their effects on cholesterol and aspirin on coagulation, most schools of thought do not dispute their anti-inflammatory effect as contributory (John P 42). Apart from these well established drugs in use, research is ongoing to develop drugs that are more specific and target certain mediators. For example, a drug targeting interleukin-1(IL-1) is already in early safety trials and so far no adverse drug reactions have been reported. This drug, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), is being used to reduce levels of IL-1 during inflammation. Interleaukin-1 has been shown to be in increased levels in acute neurodegenaration. It has also been shown to play a role in fever development following brain injury (fever is very common and is detrimental sequelae of brain damage). By decreasing the levels of interleaukin-1, the drug is aimed at reducing the intensity of the inflammatory response and reducing the development of fever. Though this drug has shown so much promise, the main setback is that it is a large molecule and its bioavailability in the brain is reduced since the brain blood barrier keeps most of it out. Researchers are trying to circumvent this short coming by employing cleavage enzymes, soluble receptors and inhibition of expression (Robin Thorpe 67). Apart from targeting interleukin-1, other cytokines can also be targeted and modulated using pharmacological agents. Research on this front is still poorly advanced, but it is still a very promising one. Cytokines like tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), which are widely known to be involved in central nervous system inflammation, can also be targeted. They can either be targeted by employing receptor antagonists or enzyme inhibitors. This would consequently lead to a diminished inflammatory response. Apart from pro-inflammatory cytokines, another target site can be anti-inflammatory cytokines like interleukin-10, interferon-beta (IFN-beta) and transforming growth factor-beta amongst others. The data on just how much neuroprotection they accord are very limited, but facts point to their ability to reduce inflammation in the brain (Robin Thorpe 106). Pharmacological agents can be developed either as analogs of these chemicals or by increasing their production through enzyme activities. The inflammatory process can also be targeted by preventing activation of microglia cells. Microglias are types of glial cells that are macrophages in the spinal cord and the brain. They are thus the primary form of active immunological defense in the central nervous system. When activated, they take an amoeboid shape and release cytokines and other inflammatory mediators that lead to neuron degeneration (Blass 100). This modulation can be achieved be achieved by Inhibition of activation, Regulation of chemokine receptor, Inhibition of amyloid deposition and Inhibition of cytokine synthesis. These are just but a few of the targets than can be isolated in the neuroimmflammatory pathway and appropriately modulated to reduce neuronal destruction in neurodegenerative process. By modulating the inflammatory process with the right drugs, the disease process can be halted, and even reversed in the long run. Buy custom Inflammation and Neuronal Degeneration essay

Essays Ancient Egypt and Mascara

Essays Ancient Egypt and Mascara Essays: Ancient Egypt and Mascara Alana Morreal Earth Science 2 Lesson 13 Mascara has been around since ancient Egyptian times, and today, millions of women use it. the main ingredient in mascara is petroleum. when putting on mascara we dont necessarily think of how its made or what its made of or how do we get the ingredients to make it. its shocking to knowing how much time and work can go into a little tube of eye makeup. When making mascara there are two types of methods. One is called the anhydrous method and the second is called the emulsion method. In the anhydrous method the ingredients are measured and weighed. Then they are emptied into the mixing tank. Heat is then applied to melt the waxes, and the mixture is agitated. The agitation continues until the mixture reaches a semi-solid state. The emulsion method is different however. This type is made with a lotion base. The way to make this is, water and thickeners are combined. while the waxes and emulsifiers are mixed and heated separately. Pigments are added before both mixtures are combined in a high-speed agitator called a homogenizer. The result of both methods is a semi-solid substance that is ready to be packaged. When buying mascara we don't really think about what it is actually made of, how it is made and how we get the ingredients to make it. The main ingredient in mascara is petroleum. You can't just get petroleum anywhere. In order to get some you need a petroleum extractor to do this job. The process of getting petroleum is hard. You need to find an open area and cut down all the trees and plants. then you need to start drill holes where the petroleum is then you use a rig to drill deeper holes to extract the petroleum.