Thursday, October 31, 2019

The Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

The - Essay Example However, with the regime change successfully happening in Egypt, it is acting as a catalyst for even more pro-democracy and anti-monarchy movements throughout the Middle-East. Bahrain is one of those countries, which has been witnessing anti-monarchy movement or uprising. When the protests in Egypt gained momentum, support for them came wide across the Middle-East. In Bahrain also, a group of individuals gathered in front of the Egyptian embassy to support the Egyptian protestors. In addition, they also wanted more political freedom, equal representation to all people and actualization of democratic practices. Political freedom in the sense, with the Bahraini King nominating the Prime Minister and sizable numbers of parliament representatives, demonstrators wanted more ‘elected’ representatives. Importantly, they wanted equal rights and facilities for all the people, particularly for the majority Shias, as minority Sunni section of the population is playing a dominant ro le and garnering all the powers and benefits. So, this paper will discuss how the uprising in Bahrain started or happened due to certain social factors, as well as geographical, historical and political factors, and how it effected and is still impacting the Middle Eastern region. Geographical and Historical factors Bahrain is an archipelago in the Persian Gulf, with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iran surrounding it. It consists of 33 islands and the largest is the Bahrain Island, which constitutes the majority of the Bahrain’s population. The capital Manama is situated in the northern tip of the island and is the seat of political power, and thus the hotspot of the uprising. Bahrain got evolved geographically as well as historically due to certain events that happened in the 19th and 20th century and those events can also be viewed as an indirect contributing factor to the current uprising. Bahrain existed as a fragmented geographical territory in the 19th century, with various ki ngdoms. Britain at that time was at the height of its imperialistic tendencies, and it tried to wrest some of the territories. Being a Shia Muslims majority country, Bahrain sought the aid of Iran to counter British imperialism. Although, Iran shielded Bahrain initially, it could not protect it continuously and so British took over Bahrain. Britain brought Bahrain under its protectorate in the Persian Gulf, playing a dominant role in every aspect of Bahrain’s functioning, from appointing its rulers to changing its demographics. Changing of demographics in the sense, British brought in people from Iran, Huwala, as well as India into Bahrain for commercial purposes. â€Å"Mixed with the indigenous population ( in Manama) are numerous strangers and settlers, some of whom have been established here for many generations back, attracted from other lands by the profits of either commerce or the pearl fishery† (Gardner 2010, p. 36). Although, these people brought in with them various business skills, and developed Bahrain from a tribal society to a modern one, it started changing the demographics, as there was heightened concentration of people from outside of Bahrain. The same charge of bringing people from other countries and how is affecting the local population is being levelled by the protestors of the current upris

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Psychology Research Essay Example for Free

Psychology Research Essay What are the main points of both articles? Anxiety Disorder: Panic Attacks. It can happen anytime, anywhere. Unexpectedly, out of the blue, your heart starts to speed up, your face goes red and you go through shortness of breath. One feels dizzy, nauseated and out of control. A number of people even think like theyre dying. Such may be a person experiencing a panic attack — a sudden occurrence of powerful fear that induces grave physical reactions in the body (Campbell, 2002). Several people, believing theyre having a heart attack, go to the emergency room. Others try to disregard the signs and symptoms, not comprehending that theyre experiencing a panic attack. A lot of women than men are disturbed by panic attacks. One-month prevalence estimates for women are 0.7% versus 0.3% for men (i.e., women are more likely to be affected than men by a 2- to 3-fold factor) (Daniels et al, 2006). And some people are experiencing frequent panic attacks, a condition known as panic disorder. Panic Anxiety Disorder starts most often when people are 20-30 years old. It activates less often in teenagers or persons in their forties. It is unusual for the disorder to emerge in the elderly for the initial time. Though panic attacks were once set aside as nerves or stress, theyre now documented as a potentially immobilizing, but treatable health condition. An assortment of approaches, together with medications, therapy and relaxation methods, can help one manage or prevent panic attacks (Wilson, 2005). Article #2: Children with Anxiety Disorder. Life is not easy for children these days. The fact that many adults suffer from mental illness of different kinds is enough to make people realize that children are even more susceptible to the same disease. It’s only good that a lot of breakthroughs are made especially in the area and study of mental illness. This study is even more significant in the light of the film Ordinary People, which has captured audiences worldwide decades ago. Precisely because the characters depict the â€Å"ordinariness† of each person and how representative they are to the masses, made this film a hit during its time. Ordinary People presents how malfunctioning individuals are as they go through each of their lives with the burden of mental illness. The role of the mother in the film shows someone who has personality disorder, specifically dissociative disorder, while the spouse and father as having generalized anxiety disorder; and their son Conrad, as suffering with PTSD or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Mental health experts describe the illness through its signs and symptoms. It is typified by children experiencing severe fear – a powerful worry or the uneasiness that run or last for periods of time ((http://www.nimh.nih.gov). When children sufferers are not treated, symptoms like these will present themselves through poor performance in academics, inability to relate with other children, low self-esteem, the use and abuse of illegal drugs including alcohol, and even anxiety disorder in adulthood (http://www.nimh.nih.gov).   Mental health experts describe the illness through its signs and symptoms. It is typified by children experiencing severe fear – a powerful worry or the uneasiness that run or last for periods of time ((http://www.nimh.nih.gov). When children sufferers are not treated, symptoms like these will present themselves through poor performance in academics, inability to relate with other children, low self-esteem, the use and abuse of illegal drugs including alcohol, and even anxiety disorder in adulthood (http://www.nimh.nih.gov). This mental health problem usually runs in families. Oftentimes, the disorder appears alongside other physical and mental health problems; substance abuse, like alcohol, usually comes along (http://www.nimh.nih.gov) with it. Anxiety disorder manifests in different forms: 1.) Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD, 2.) Phobias, 3.) Separation Anxiety Disorder, 4.) Panic Disorder, 5.)OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and 6.) Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Source: US Dept of Health, 1999 in http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/). 2. What are the similarities and/or differences? Similarities come in the form of the disorders’ signs and symptoms which include physical distress with Rapid heart rate , sweating, trembling , shortness of breath and hyperventilation, chills, hot flashes, nausea, abdominal cramping, chest pain, headache, dizziness, faintness, tightness in your throat, trouble swallowing, a sense of impending death . Other health problems — such as an impending heart attack, an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) or drug withdrawal — can cause similar signs and symptoms. Individuals who experience panic attacks often are affected by other mental health conditions, including depression, fear of public places (agoraphobia) and social phobia (http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic1725.htm). What experiences have you had that relate to the topic or what have you learned in prior courses? Researchers are not certain what bring about panic attacks. Heredity, stress and certain biochemical factors may play a part. A person’s chance of having panic attacks increases if she/he has a close family member who has had them. Numerous researchers think the bodys natural fight-or-flight reaction to danger is involved. For instance, if a snarling dog came after a child, his/her body would react automatically. The heart rate and breathing would race as the body readies itself for a life-threatening situation. A lot of the same responses take place in a panic attack. No noticeable stressor is nearby, but something trips the bodys alarm system. Persons having Panic attacks are no more likely than the average American to have suffered from emotional problems at the time the disorder begins (Wilson, 2005). How does your view point relate to the topics?) Definitely, I agree from personal observation that these panic attacks and /or anxiety disorder though present only in the mind, â€Å"effectively’ renders a person â€Å"paralyzed† no matter his intelligence, status and persuasion in life. Imagine this picture: after months or years of incessant panic attacks and the constrained lifestyle produced by the distinctive avoidance behavior, the sufferer may develop into a demoralized and psychologically or physically depressed person. In addition, some sufferers resort to alcohol in an effort to self medicate or to reduce the sign and symptoms of the disorder. This significantly causes difficulties to the individuals life and ability to seek suitable treatment. Unfortunately, one out of every five untreated sufferers attempts to end his or her life, not at all comprehending that there was chance for changes and treatment (Wilson, 2005). As in the film as mentioned, it is interesting to note that despite such a troubled family, Conrad emerged to be someone who has conquered the odds in his life. The loss of a brother and its effects on him, being around with parents who exhibit a variety of symptoms that they themselves are also suffering, these things could have been too much for him or for anybody for that matter. PTSD and other anxiety disorder sub-categories are very interesting types of mental health problems because of their prevalence – and in spite of that, still, many people most of the times, ignore the fact that they might be sufferers. Just as in the case of Conrad, ordinary people – the most common among the populace – are actually beset with extremely upsetting events and are left to themselves to cope as each day comes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To end, this study from researchers Craske et al shows the hope for sufferers: â€Å"With practice and encouragement or persuasion from the therapist the patient learns to reinterpret internal sensations from signals of loss of control and panic to cues that are intrinsically harmless and can be controlled with certain skills. The intentional creation of these signs by the client, coupled with success in coping with them, reduces their unpredictability and changes their meaning for the client† (Craske, Maidenbberg, Bystritsky, 1995). Reference: For Children with Anxiety Disorder: Campbell, Nancy M. Panic disorder. Mankato, MN: LifeMatters, [2002].  616.85 DYI VT Craske, MG; MAidenberg, E Bystritsky A (1995). Brief Cogntive-behavioral versus nondirective therapy for panic disorder. Journal of Behavior Therapy Experimental Psychiatry ; 26, 113-120. Giacobello, John. Everything you need to know about anxiety and panic attacks. New York: Rosen, [2000]. Daniels C., Yerkes S., Bureau of Naval Personnel emedicine.2006. Wilson, Reid D., Don’t Panic: Taking Control of Anxiety Attacks The Revised Edition Of: Harper Perennial ISBN# 0-06-095160-5. For panic Attacks Article: Davison, Gerald C., Neale, John 2001, Abnormal Psychology, Eighth Ed., John Wiley Sons, Inc. New York. National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) accessed in the Internet February 20, 2007 http://www.nimh.nih.gov. Surgeon general accessed in the internet February 20, 2007 http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/chapter3/sec6.html.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Purification of Immunoglobulin G by Ion-Exchange

Purification of Immunoglobulin G by Ion-Exchange Purification of Immunoglobulin G by Ion-Exchange Chromatography and Immunoelectropheresis William McTavish Joseph Zappa Introduction Immunoglobins or, Antibodies, are soluble proteins secreted from host differentiated plasma cells that target and eliminate specific antigens to protect the host from disease (Jakoby, 1971). There are five isotypes of immunoglobulin: IgM, IgD, IgA , IgE and IgG, with IgG being the most prominent antibody found in blood circulation of the host. The purification of specific antibodies has led to the development of techniques such as western blotting; where desired proteins can be targeted by monoclonal antibodies engineered for a specific affinity for that protein( Burnette, 1981). The basis of immunoglobulin purification can begin with a technique of â€Å"salting out†, used vastly for precipitating organic molecules and is the first step in protein purification (Tsutomu and Timasheff, 1984). Immunoglobins are small soluble proteins that can be found within serum that is removed from a blood sample taken from the host. Hydrophillic immunoglobins contain amino acids that are polar or possess an ionic charge. Counter ions in the serum of the host are attracted to these polar and ionic charges making the proteins soluble in the solvent. By destabilizing the intermolecular forces between the immunoglobins and the serum solvent there can be an induced precipitation of these proteins. Ammonium sulfate is a highly used compound in salting out procedures, for when ammonium sulfate dissociates, the large sulfate ions form hydrogen bonds between the polar molecules found in the serum (Tsutomu and Timasheff, 1984). The quenching effect of sulfate removes hydrogen bonds and intermolecular forces away from the protein molecules, forcing them to form bonds between one another. This forced intermolecular bonding between proteins causes an accumulation of aggregated proteins and eventually, at the right concentration of salt, precipitation out of solution (Tsutomu and Timasheff, 1984). Although the precipitation of immunoglobulin from host serum with Ammonium sulfate is an efficient procedure for isolating globin, it does not allow for the accurate determination of a specific isotype of immunoglobulin. Ion exchange chromatography is a prominent technique used to acquire a single desired protein, including a specific isotype of immunoglobins. All molecules, including immunoglobulin that have ionizable groups have a net surface charge that is highly dependent on the environmental pH in which that molecule is in. The pH of an environment can dictate the amount of charge present on a molecule, whether it is more positive or more negative, as well as neutral (Grodzki, and Berenstein, 2010). The neutral point, where all positive charges cancel out the negatives is expressed as the pI of the molecule (Grodzki, and Berenstein, 2010). Since all proteins vary in their pI they will express specific charges at any specific pH. This characteristic of immunoglobulin is utilized in Ion exchange chromatography to isolate specific isotypes even if they vary only slightly in charge. IgG, as well as other isotypes of Ig, have a pI occurring near neutral pH so Anion exchange resins are often used for this type of chromatography. Anion Exchangers utilize resin that contains positively charged functional groups that act as counter ions towards protein being eluted through the column (Determann et al. 1969). With the resin set at a specific pH, the proteins that are most positive will exit the column first due to the repulsion of charges between the positive protein and positive resin. The next proteins to elute will be the neutral ones followed by the negatively charged proteins. Proteins are removed in this manner by constantly adding more of the buffer the column is immersed in. By adding more buffer there is an increased competition for associating with the resins charges, which in turn dissociates protein from the resin and further elutes them through the column (Determann et al. 1969). Not only does the charge of the beads matter but also the flow and porosity of the resin, alternations of these can allow for either a more broaden column exchange or a far more refined one. Diethyl aminoethyl (DEAE)-cellul ose is a commonly used resin for anion exchanging due to its higher porosity and positive functional groups that allows for better flow properties of the column. Increased flow rate allows for separation of more bulky and crude proteins, such as crude immunoglobulin, and aids in a higher resolution of separated proteins (Determann et al. 1969). Once several fractions of the column elution is collected there is many ways to identify which fraction is most likely containing the desired protein of isolation including determining the optical density of the fractions with a spectrophotometer. The OD of Immunoglobulin and other proteins can be determined by selecting a specific wavelength of light and beaming it through the elution fraction and recording the amount of transmitted light via photoreceptors (Edelhoch, 1967). A common wavelength used for identifying immunoglobulin is 280nm, this wavelength is absorbed by the amino acid tryptophan in proteins. Absorption of this wavelength in protiens makes it a proportional reduction of transmitted light based on the concentration of protein present in the column fraction (Edelhoch, 1967). The higher the reduction in transmitted light, the higher the OD reading for a fraction. A fraction of elute from Ion exchange chromatography may contain the desired Immunoglobulin G, but to further prove this, a technique called Immunoelectrophoresis (IEP) can be used to confirm the purity of Immunoglobulin fraction. Immunoelectrophoresis is a two-part technique that combines the use of electrophoresis and zone of equivalence of immune complexes to determine a positive result. Electrophoresis is another basic technique used in separating proteins based on size and charge to obtain separate sections of protein in agar gel or other resins such as polyacrylamide in SDS-PAGE techniques.(1) Proteins separate into a gradient of smallest more positive charged towards the cathode to smallest most negative charged towards the anode, with the larger, less charged proteins in the middle gradient. (Serwer and Wright, 2012). After protein separation has occurred in the welled samples, there is addition of antibody specific for certain protein that may be isolated out of the samples used in the experiment. If proteins are present that are the target of affinity for the added antibodies there will be association of antibody:antigen complexes. These complexes will form in the agar gel and at the proper gradient of both antibody and antigen concentrations there will be precipitation of these complexes out of the solution (Slater, 1975). This correct gradient is called the zone of equivalence and is frequently used in determining the presence of desired protein molecules, including immunoglobulin (Slater, 1975). Several other techniques are used in isolating proteins, an extremely prominent technique is the use of Antibodies themselves in Immunofluorescence (IF). Antibodies are engineered to contain a specific affinity towards a desired molecule, protein or even a whole cell. IF can work in either two ways: the first involves a single antibody engineered towards a desired antigen containing a flurochrome itself and emits fluorescent light to be detected. The second contains a secondary antibody that has affinity for the primary antibody binding to an antigen, this secondary antibody is the one that contains the fluochrome for detection (Johnson, 2006). In either of these techniques there is the advantage of staining samples of proteins or cells and identifying not just a single antigen but several with several different antibodies. This technique is extremely useful for identifying proteins in cell structures as well as identifying the presence of proteins in biological systems. Methods and Materials All methods used in this experiment can be located in the Immunology Laboratory Manual cited in references. There were two major alternations to the Immunoelectrophoresis experiment; There was a time of 1.5 to 2 hours allowed for electrophoresis of the agar slides instead of 1 to 1.5 hours. There was also an expansion of time from 24 hours to 48 hours allowed for the IEP slide to rest in a cold room before soaking in 1% NaCl solution. Results A high concentration of IgG was isolated in the third elution fraction from DEAE-cellulose Ion exchange chromatography. Optical density of six Ion exchange chromatography elution fractions were taken with a spectrophotometer to determine protein concentration at a wavelength of 280nm (Fig 1). The highest optical density was observed in the third elution fraction (Fig 1). This illustrates that the largest concentration of protein at a similar charge was eluted at the third fraction of the Ion exchange experiment. Figure 1. Third fraction of DEAE-celluose elution scored the highest optical density. All fractions were tested with spectrophotometry and optical density measurements were taken at a wavelength of 280nm (Fig 1). Results are shown as single values of optical density (OD) and relate to the amount of protein concentration in each fraction. (Fig 1) Immunoelectrophoresis of isolated protein reveals presence of purified IgG in response to Goat anti-rabbit serum Presence of Rabbit Immunoglobin was tested for using Immunoelectrophoresis with Goat anti-rabbit serum. Normal rabbit serum and purified fraction of protein were welled on a 1% agar slide and proteins were separated based on charge via electrophoresis. Anti-rabbit serum was added and results were taken for precipitation of immune complexes 48 hours later (Fig 2). Thin white lines between the wells and trough are precipitated immune complexes and thus show a positive test for rabbit immunglobins (Fig 2). Figure 2. Precipitated immune complexes reveal immunoglobin presence in normal rabbit serum and purified fraction. Proteins were isolated based on charge via electrophoresis to isolate specific proteins. Goat Anti-rabbit serum was added as antibody for rabbit immunoglobin and incubated for 48 hours. Distinction of grey and white bands are positive results regardless Discussion Purified Rabbit Immunoglobin G was isolated from Normal rabbit serum using DEAE-cellulose ion exchange chromatography and Immunelectropheresis with Goat anti-rabbit serum. Once the majority of proteins were salted out of the normal rabbit serum, Ion exchange chromatography was used to separate all proteins from the sample of crude globin. Since immunoglobin proteins are soluble in the blood and are near neutrally charged at philological pH, a large amount of protein was expected to elute roughly half way through the Ion exchange chromatography regardless of using anion or cation exchange columns (Grodzki and Berenstein, 2010). These results occurred for the DEAE-cellulose Ion exchange column used to separate crude rabbit globulin in our experiment. The third elution fraction, of six, contained the highest optical density when evaluated with the spectrophotometer at 280nm. Optical density is related to the concentration of protein in a sample, thus the fraction containing the highest amount of protein was the third fraction which was collected half way through the elution process. Although the method of determining sample concentrations for proteins can vary, these results can be seen in similar protein isolation studies such as Ye et al. article Isolation of lactoperoxidase, lactoferrin, ÃŽ ±-lactalbumin, ÃŽ ²-lactoglobulin B and ÃŽ ²-lactoglobulin A from bovine rennet whey using ion exchange chromatography. The protein isolated is presumed to be the globulin isotype Iummogloublin G, this is due to the nature of circulating antibodies found in the serum of the rabbit. The most prominent antibody isotype circulating in the blood is IgG, which binds to antigens, forming immune complexes as well as aiding in many other immune system mechanisms such as compliment activation, opsonization and etc (Collins and Jackson, 2013). Immunoelectrophoersis with Goat anti-rabbit serum was used next to determine whether or not the isolated protein in the third elution fraction is Immunoglobulin G. The nature of this experiment depends on two key process gel electrophoresis and precipitation of Immune complexes. If electrophoresis is preformed properly there should be a separation of proteins based on charge/size from the samples that were welled on the agar covered slide used in the experiment; creating small zones of protein purity along the slide (Slater, 1975). Since the eluted fraction sample should only contain one kind of protein and is roughly pure, there should only be one zone of protein sample, where the normal rabbit serum, containing an array of different proteins, will electrophoresis out into several different zones of protein. Determining these zones of protein was done by adding Goat anti-rabbit serum and allowing diffusion into the gel to create zones of equivalence between antibody and antigen, thu s precipitating the complex to be seen visibly (Serwer and Wright, 2012). For a positive result on the purity of the fraction sample only a single precipitation line formed at the zone of equivalence would be seen. The results for the purity of the fraction sample was conclusive with the above expectations, only a single faint precipitated line was seen on the gel; therefore re-enforcing that there is only a single protein isolated from the Ion exchange elution phase. The single protein isolated is promptly IgG due to it’s response to the anti-Rabbit serum containing anti-rabbit globulin. Immunelectrophoresis was used in this experiment to confirm the presence of IgG in the eluted fraction sample taken from DEAE-cellulose ion exchange chromatography. The reason this method was used was due it’s simplicity in determining specific immune complexes and thus re-ensuring purity. It is relatively quick in determining the presence of antigen, in this case the immunoglobin G of rabbit, and gives results ready to be read visually, lacking the need for software or other means of identification. The draw back of this technique is that it takes some practical skill in preparation and is only useful in identifying the purity of one sample at a time. Techniques such as western blotting would be more efficient for studies that desire more than a single purity such as Yang et al’s article Correlation between the overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor and mesenchymal markers in endometrial carcinoma. An alternation to this experiment could be made in the chroma Purification of Immunoglobins is an extremely useful procedure. Being able to isolate specific classes of Immunoglobulin aids in research of host immune deficiencies such as the research done by Tamura et al in their article Tumor-Produced Secreted Form of Binding of Immunoglobulin Protein Elicits Antigen-Specific Tumor Immunity as well as many other fields of host immunity and clinical research. Successful purification and crystallization of Immunoglobulin has also allowed for insight on how host immune systems respond to infection and the biological processes that take place in these responses. References Jakoby, W.B. 1971. Cystallization as a purification technique, Enzyme Purification and Related Techniques, Methods in Enzymology. 22: 246-252 Determann, H. Meyer, N. Wieland, T. 1969. Ion exchanger from pearl-shaped cellulose gel. Nature 223: 499-500 Edelhoch, H. 1967. Spectrospoic determination of tryptophan and tyrosine in proteins Burnette, N.W. 1981. â€Å"Western Blotting†: Electrophoretic transfer of proteins from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels to unmodified nitrocellulose and radiographic detection with antibody and radioiodinated protein A. Analytical Biochem 112: 1935-203 Tsutomu A. and Timasheff, S.N. 1984. Mechanism of protein salting in and salting out by divalent cation salts: balance between hydration and salt binding Biochemistry(23)25:5912-5926 321 -Grodzki, A.C. Berenstein, E. (2010) Antibody Purification: Ion-Exchange Chromatography Methods in Molecular Biology 588: 27-32 Slater, L. 1975. IgG, IgA and IgM by formylated rocket immunoelectrophoresis. Ann Clin Biochem 12 (1) : 19-22, 24 Yang, W.N.Ai, Z.H. Wang, Xu, J.Y.L. Teng, Y.C. 2014.Correlation between the overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor and mesenchymal makers in endometrial carcinoma. J Gynecol Oncol. 25:36-42. 47 Collins, A.M. Jackson, K.J.L. 2013. A temporal model of human IgE and IgG antibody function. Front Immunol 4: 225 Ye, X. Yoshida, S. Ng, T.B. 2000. Isolation of lactoperoxidase, lactoferrin, ÃŽ ±-lactalbumin, ÃŽ ²-lactoglobulin B and ÃŽ ²-lactoglobulin A from bovine rennet whey using ion exchange chromatography The international journal of Biochemistry Cell biology 32 (11-12): 1143-1150 22 Nydegger, U.E. Lambert, P.H. Gerber, H. Miescher, P.A. 1974. Circulating Immune Complexes in the Serum in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and in Carriers of Hepatitis B Antigen QUANTITATION BY BINDING TO RADIOLABELED Clq Circulating immune complexes in the serum in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and in carriers of Hepatitis Antigen B Quantitation by binding to Radiolabelled Clq. J Clin Invest.  54(2): 297–309. Serwer, P. Wright, E.T. 2012. Agarose Gel Electrophoresis Reveals Structural Fluidity of Phage T3 DNA Packaging Intermediate. Electrophoresis 33 (2): 352-365 101-Johnson, I.D. 2006. Practical considerations in the selection and application of fluorescent probes. In: Handbook of biological confocal microscopy, 3rd ed. (J.B. Pawley.ed), Plenum Press. new York. p.362-3. Circulating Immune Complexes in the Serum in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and in Carriers of Hepatitis B Antigen QUANTITATION BY BINDING TO RADIOLABELED Clq

Friday, October 25, 2019

Computers And Marketing :: essays research papers

Computers And Marketing Marketing is the process by which goods are sold and purchased. The aim of marketing is to acquire, retain, and satisfy customers. Modern marketing has evolved into a complex and diverse field. This field includes a wide variety of special functions such as advertising, mail-order business, public relations, retailing and merchandising, sales, market research, and pricing of goods. Businesses, and particularly the marketing aspect of businesses, rely a great deal on the use of computers. Computers play a significant role in inventory control, processing and handling orders, communication between satelite companies in an organization, design and production of goods, manufacturing, product and market analysis, advertising, producing the company newsletter, and in some cases, complete control of company operations. In today's extremely competitive business environment businesses are searching for ways to improve profitability and to maintain their position in the marketplace. As competition becomes more intense the formula for success becomes more difficult. Two particular things have greatly aided companies in their quests to accomplish these goals. They are the innovative software products of CAD/CAM and, last but not least, the World Wide Web. An important program has aided companies all over the world. Computer- aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) is the integration of two technologies. It has often been called the new industrial revolution. In CAD, engineers and designers use specialized computer software to create models that represent characteristics of objects. These models are analyzed by computer and redesigned as necessary. This allows companies needed flexibility in studying different and daring designs without the high costs of building and testing actual models, saving millions of dollars. In CAM, designers and engineers use computers for planning manufacturing processes, testing finished parts, controlling manufacturing operations, and managing entire plants. CAM is linked to CAD through a database that is shared by design and manufacturing engineers. The major applications of CAD/CAM are mechanical design and electronic design. Computer-aided mechanical design is usually done with automated drafting programs that use interactive computer graphics. Information is entered into the computer to create basic elements such as circles, lines, and points. Elements can be rotated, mirrored, moved, and scaled, and users can zoom in on details. Computerized drafting is quicker and more accurate than manual drafting. It makes modifications much easier. Desktop manufacturing enables a designer to construct a model directly from data which is stored in computer memory. These software programs help designers to consider both function and manufacturing consequences at early stages, when designs are easily modified. More and more manufacturing businesses are integrating CAD/CAM with other aspects of production, including inventory tracking, scheduling, and marketing. This idea, known as computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM), speeds processing Computers And Marketing :: essays research papers Computers And Marketing Marketing is the process by which goods are sold and purchased. The aim of marketing is to acquire, retain, and satisfy customers. Modern marketing has evolved into a complex and diverse field. This field includes a wide variety of special functions such as advertising, mail-order business, public relations, retailing and merchandising, sales, market research, and pricing of goods. Businesses, and particularly the marketing aspect of businesses, rely a great deal on the use of computers. Computers play a significant role in inventory control, processing and handling orders, communication between satelite companies in an organization, design and production of goods, manufacturing, product and market analysis, advertising, producing the company newsletter, and in some cases, complete control of company operations. In today's extremely competitive business environment businesses are searching for ways to improve profitability and to maintain their position in the marketplace. As competition becomes more intense the formula for success becomes more difficult. Two particular things have greatly aided companies in their quests to accomplish these goals. They are the innovative software products of CAD/CAM and, last but not least, the World Wide Web. An important program has aided companies all over the world. Computer- aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) is the integration of two technologies. It has often been called the new industrial revolution. In CAD, engineers and designers use specialized computer software to create models that represent characteristics of objects. These models are analyzed by computer and redesigned as necessary. This allows companies needed flexibility in studying different and daring designs without the high costs of building and testing actual models, saving millions of dollars. In CAM, designers and engineers use computers for planning manufacturing processes, testing finished parts, controlling manufacturing operations, and managing entire plants. CAM is linked to CAD through a database that is shared by design and manufacturing engineers. The major applications of CAD/CAM are mechanical design and electronic design. Computer-aided mechanical design is usually done with automated drafting programs that use interactive computer graphics. Information is entered into the computer to create basic elements such as circles, lines, and points. Elements can be rotated, mirrored, moved, and scaled, and users can zoom in on details. Computerized drafting is quicker and more accurate than manual drafting. It makes modifications much easier. Desktop manufacturing enables a designer to construct a model directly from data which is stored in computer memory. These software programs help designers to consider both function and manufacturing consequences at early stages, when designs are easily modified. More and more manufacturing businesses are integrating CAD/CAM with other aspects of production, including inventory tracking, scheduling, and marketing. This idea, known as computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM), speeds processing

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Helping Young People Learn

Taking part in youth club activities has provided me a rich experience, which includes finding a way to help and teach the young. Whenever we visit a community, we make it a point to dress up casually so we can relate easily with people, and give them the idea that we have a lot in common. This allows them to feel comfortable to share their ideas and feelings with us, making us understand their situation more vividly. Most of the communities we visit are composed of poor families, so they normally expect us to give them food, clothing, and toys for the kids.Aside from the material things, part of our program also provides tutorial sessions for children to help in their studies, and give them an idea of how they can contribute to the family's financial resources. Particularly, I was assigned to tutor a group of young people about the age of thirteen. The teenagers were not classmates in school, but they belonged to only one level, thus their lessons were the same. Our regular session consisted of discussing topics in Science and Social Studies, and answering Math problems. 1.As we progressed with our tutorial sessions, we became close, and eventually, they shared with me their experiences in school and at home. I learned that one of them was suffering in class because of the family’s financial constraints. There were times when her parents did not have enough money to finance her projects in school, or provide her everyday meal allowance. Given this situation, I helped the child find other ways to do her projects. For example, when they were asked to make a calendar in their Art subject, I taught her how to use recyclable materials such as colored paper cups, old magazines, and empty snack foils.In the next project that she did, I noted that she used this kind of materials and accomplished the project on her own using other recycled resources. Based on this, I felt that the girl learned something from me regarding cost cutting when accomplishing school pr ojects. Teaching someone to be resourceful is important to enhance creativity as well. According to Vaune Ainsworth-Land (1982), there are four categories of a process and its product. The first category operates out of necessity. In my experience, we see that we were able to come up with a good output out of the need to make a project at a low cost.In Maslow’s, this category is a primary one, as it centralizes on the idea of materialistic need. The second category involves the analytic process. Referring back to our experience, the child found out that she could do a lot of things even without spending, and she would receive a better grade by recycling materials. In behaviorist theories, this explains the operant response in which the individual is rewarded for a good behavior. The third category involves synthesizing and innovation.As mentioned above, the child learned to accomplish projects using the same kind of material, thus she was able to apply her knowledge in other things. This behavior represents Koestler's bisociation, because the child was able to apply the learned concept to different aspects. The fourth category is â€Å"the ultimate form of relatedness,† (Ainsworth-Land, 1982) in which the person is seen to attain a â€Å"transformed consciousness. † Applying this to the situation, the child that we referred to would later attain this, when she continues to apply her knowledge into practical terms.Another student that I tutored had difficulty in solving word problems in Math. Based on his behavior, I recognized that his problem aroused from not having enough patience to comprehend items in problem solving. Apparently, reading problems confused and bored him the moment they appeared. To address this problem, I challenged him to imagine what was being described in one of their math problems, and illustrate what he understood in it. It showed that the boy understood the problem completely after illustrating it, and he was able to solve the problem after that.The theory of Situated Learning (1988) by J. Lave explains that a child can learn easily when the context and activity are based on his own experience. To help the child in problem solving, what I did was to situate him in the activity, and made him a part of the situation by asking him to illustrate based on his background of the problem. Particularly, I let him draw the situation and did not dictate what was conveyed. The activity made the child express himself better, which also led to motivate him to come up with the correct answer.Other theorists such as Brown, Collins & Duguid (1989) emphasized active perception over concepts and representation. Thus, by illustrating, the child gained an active perception of what was presented in the problem. The other boy that I handled had problems with his classmates who bullied him. Due to what his classmates did to him, he felt reluctant to go to school, and pretended to be sick at times. During our sessio n, I asked him first what the other boys told him, and why they called him with nasty words. The boy said that the other boys called him names and wrote on his notebook.I felt the boy’s pain as he told me about the hostilities of his classmates, so right away, I informed his mother of the situation, and advised her to consult with the classroom adviser or the guidance counselor in the school. I believe that this should be handled by authorities in the school as other students were involved. Through reporting to the teacher and school counselor, the boys were reprimanded of their teasing, and my friend felt better. Later on, he felt more comfortable going to school because the other boys already stopped teasing him.A lot of teenagers undergo this stage when their peers bullied them for nothing. In these cases, the victim tries to keep the situation to himself because he is afraid to create a scenario in class, or is threatened by his peers. According to Maslow’s theory of Motivation and Personality (1954), a person is driven by both internal and external factors. In addition, one’s motivation is dominated by his specific needs. In the boy’s situation, we can identify his need for belongingness as the factor that made him dissatisfied with school.Because this need was not realized, the boy felt reluctant to go to school, thus the motivation to go to school was associated with his need for friends and companionship. When the need was addressed, the barrier to learning also collapsed. 2. Aside from tutoring students in their academic subjects, I also told them stories to teach values like friendship, honesty, and service to others. In one session, I told them a fable, in which a rabbit sacrificed for another animal. Having told the story, I challenged them to do something similar to what the main character did, and tell their stories next time.Amazingly, one of the children took my challenge seriously, and did what I told them. He narra ted to us how he helped a man he saw on the street by sharing him some food, and giving him medicine to heal the man’s wound. In telling this story, the boy expressed how it felt good to do such kindness, and how the man thanked him with a smile. He professed that he will do this again once he sees another person needing his help. Just like the character in the story, he said that the kindness he showed the man will go a long way because by helping, he brought hope to the man, and made him feel loved.The boy added that if other people would do the same, no man will by lying cold on the streets. The words the boy uttered reflected his own realization based on experience. Those words also reminded me of the Good Samaritan, who helped an ill man lying in the cold. The experience of the boy reminded all of us, especially me, of our responsibility to others, especially the needy. With such good Samaritans like the boy, we can see hope in the next generation. 3. The success of a te am depends on the performance of each member’s role.Applying Meredith Belbin’s (1981) Nine Roles in Team Management, I served as the â€Å"specialist† in the tutorial session for teenagers, teaching them how to use the Internet as a useful tool for research. Due to the limited number of computers, and my own hope of making them learn how to teach others, I initially taught only four students to access the Internet. In turn, these students taught their peers and served as the â€Å"company workers† who provided the work of teaching others in their community.In one week’s time, we were able to teach a total of forty-five children how to use the Internet in their assignment and advanced readings. As discussed by Tuckman (1965) in his Stages of Group Development, we exhausted the means to reach our common goal of attaining learning for the group. In addition, we also assessed individual performance by asking them to make a simple research on their topi c of interest. During the Performing stage, the â€Å"company workers† or those tasked to teach their peers experienced some problems in that their peers wanted to spend time visiting gaming sites.This somewhat forfeited the purpose of teaching them the use of the Internet for research purposes, but with close monitoring, the behavior was corrected right away. After the Performing stage, the core group was asked to evaluate what they accomplished in terms of their own roles during the training. Notably, the students felt very proud of being able to teach their peers, and looking at the outputs, they cherished memories of taking part in other’s learning. References Berguist, Carlisle. (n. d. ) A comparative view of creativity theories: Psychoanalytic, behavioristic, and humanistic.Retrieved January 2, 2008, from http://vantagequest. org/trees/comparative. htm Famous models: Stages of group development. (2001). Retrieved January 2, 2008, from http://www. chimaeraconsulti ng. com/tuckman. htm Gawel, Joseph E. (1997). Herzberg's theory of motivation and Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Washington, DC: ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation, [ED421486]. Retrieved January 2, 2008, from http://chiron. valdosta. edu/whuitt/files/herzberg. html Manktelow, James. (2003). Belbin’s team roles. Retrieved January 2, 2008, from http://www. mindtools. com/pages/article/newLDR_83. htm

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Definition and Examples of Belles-Lettres in English

Definition and Examples of Belles-Lettres in English In its broadest sense, the term belles-lettres (from the French, literally fine letters) can refer to any literary work. More particularly, the term is now generally applied (when used at all) to the lighter branches of literature (The Oxford English Dictionary, 1989). Until recently, belles-lettres has similarly been used as a synonym for the familiar essay. Adjective: belletristic. Pronunciation: bel-LETR(É™). From the Middle Ages until the late 19th century, notes William Covino, belles-lettres and rhetoric had been inseparable subjects, informed by the same critical and pedagogical lexicon (The Art of Wondering, 1988). Usage note: Though the noun belles-lettres has a plural ending, it can be used with either a singular or plural verb form. Examples and Observations The emergence of a literature of belles-lettres in Anglo-America reflected the success of the colonies: it meant there now existed a community of settlers who took settling in the New World enough for granted not to write about it. Instead of histories, they wrote essays in which style mattered as much as content and sometimes more . . ..Belles-lettres, a literary mode that originated in 17th-century France, signified writing in the style and service of cultivated society. The English mostly kept the French term but on occasion translated it as polite letters. Belle-lettres denotes a linguistic self-consciousness testifying to the superior education of both writer and reader, who come together more through literature than through life. Or rather, they meet in a world reconstructed by literature, for belles-lettres makes life literary, adding an aesthetic dimension to morality. (Myra Jehlen and Michael Warner, The English Literatures of America, 1500-1800. Routledge, 1997)Reporting tr ained me to give only the filtered truth, to discern the essence of the matter immediately and to write about it briefly. The pictorial and psychological material which remained within me I used for belles-lettres and poetry. (Russian author Vladimir Giliarovskii, quoted by Michael Pursglove in Encyclopaedia of the Essay, ed. by Tracy Chevalier. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1997) Examples of Belle-Lettrists Often the essay is the favoured form of the belle-lettrist. The works of Max Beerbohm provide good examples. So do those of Aldous Huxley, many of whose collections of essays . . . are listed as belles-lettres. They are witty, elegant, urbane and learnedthe characteristics one would expect of belles-lettres. (J.A. Cuddon, A Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory, 3rd ed. Basil Blackwell, 1991) Belletristic Style A piece of prose writing that is belletristic in style is characterized by a casual, yet polished and pointed, essayistic elegance. The belletristic is sometimes contrasted with the scholarly or academic: it is supposed to be free of the laborious, inert, jargon-ridden habits indulged by professors.Reflection on literature has most often been belletristic: practiced by authors themselves and (later) by journalists, outside academic institutions. Literary study, beginning with research on the classics, became a systematic academic discipline only in the 18th and 19th centuries. (David Mikics, A New Handbook of Literary Terms. Yale University Press, 2007) Oratory, Rhetoric, and Belles-Lettres in the 18th and 19th Centuries Cheap print literacy transformed the relations of rhetoric, composition, and literature. In his review of [Wilbur Samuel] Howells British Logic and Rhetoric, [Walter] Ong notes that by the close of the 18th century orality as a way of life in effect ended, and with it the old-time world of oratory, or, to give oratory its Greek name rhetoric (641). According to one of the literature professors who occupied the chair of rhetoric and belles lettres established for Hugh Blair, Blair was the first to recognize that Rhetoric in modern times really means Criticism (Saintsbury 463). Rhetoric and composition began to be subsumed into literary criticism at the same time that the modern sense of literature was emerging . . .. In the 18th century, literature was reconceived as literary work or production; the activity or profession of a man of letters, and it moved toward the modern restricted sense, applied to writing which has claim to consideration on the ground of beauty of form or emotiona l effect. . . . Ironically, composition was becoming subordinated to criticism, and literature was becoming narrowed to imaginative works oriented to aesthetic effects at the same time that authorship was actually expanding. (Thomas P. Miller, The Formation of College English: Rhetoric and Belles Lettres in the British Cultural Provinces. University of Pittsburgh Press, 1997) The Influential Theories of Hugh Blair [Throughout the 19th century, prescriptions for] fine writingwith their attendant critique of literary styleadvanced an influential theory of reading as well. The most influential exponent of this theory was [Scottish rhetorician] Hugh Blair, whose 1783 Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles-Lettres was the text for generations of students. . . .Blair intended to teach college students the principles of expository writing and speaking and to guide their appreciation of good literature. Throughout the 48 lectures, he stresses the importance of a thorough knowledge of ones subject. He makes it clear that a stylistically deficient text reflects a writer who doesnt know what he thinks; anything less than a clear conception of ones subject guarantees defective work, so close is the connection between thoughts and the words in which they are clothed (I, 7). . . . In sum, Blair equates taste with the delighted perception of wholeness and posits such delight as a psychological given. He makes this remark by way of connecting taste with literary criticism and concludes that good criticism approves unity above all else.Blairs doctrine of perspicuity further connects least effort on the readers part with admirable writing. In Lecture 10 we are told that style discloses the writers manner of thinking and that perspicuous style is preferred because it reflects an unwavering point of view on the part of the author. (William A. Covino, The Art of Wondering: A Revisionist Return to the History of Rhetoric. Boynton/Cook, 1988)

Monday, October 21, 2019

You Can8217t Say That essays

You Can8217t Say That essays In a time of such progress and cultural diversity, one would thing that certain human rights would be honored and kept unfettered by laws. These human rights are some of the most basic elements having your own free will. But as time goes by, some of these rights are diminishing. When our forefathers wrote the Bill of Rights, they put the more important of these rights first, freedom of speech. Back in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, people had to watch what they say about the government, make sure they were practicing an approved religion, and could not voice there personal views for fear of being persecuted. Before the Bill of Rights, failure to adhere to the standard was grounds for punishment. Our forefathers say this travesty lay upon the people of other lands and swore that in the new land there would be no prejudice on personal views. By inputting these beliefs into the Constitution, they also laid the grounds for other human rights laws. If the freedom of speech amendment were not in the constitution, many of the theories and statements in the document would not hold water. In todays society we hold that amendment almost sacredly. Every day someone else is trying to ban something they do not like or feel it is unsuited for society. These people are taking away what was given to us over two hundred years ago. The amendment calls for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to assemble peacefully and freedom to petition grievances. With this being ratified in 1791, the writers knew that as the years went on it would take on different meanings, that is why it was written so generally. But if it is written so generally, why are people trying to censor things? The hardest hit industry in the war on censorship is the media. Newscasters are not allowed to say certain words on the air even though it is the exact description of what happened ...