The New Advancement in Treatment of Prostate Cancer - PROVENGE Term Paper

The New Advancement in Treatment of Prostate Cancer - PROVENGE (sipuleucel-T) - Term Paper Example Sadly, according to Vogelzang (1996), metastatic HRPC is responsible for almost all prostate cancer deaths. Medical options currently available for the treatment and management of prostate cancer include radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy, mitoxantrone, estramustine, vinca alkaloids, doxurobicin, and taxanes, among others (Middletone, 1996; Goodin et al., 2002). The choice of therapeutic management, however, is greatly determined by how advanced the disease has become. For instance, studies have shown that radiotherapy and radical prostatectomy could increase survival rate of patients with stage 1 and stage 2 prostate cancers by as much as 95% in the next 5 years but were no longer effective in treating the disease in its metastatic stage (Middleton, 1996). On the other hand, for patients with HRPC, taxane-based chemotherapy has demonstrated a modest survival advantage, but median survival after treatment is only 19 months (Small et al., 2006). Moreover, not all cancer patients are candidates for chemotherapy. Hence, more effective treatment regimens for advanced and metastatic prostate cancer are needed. A more recent advancement in the field of prostate cancer management is the use of the patient’s immune system to combat the disease through the administration of a non-prophylactic cancer vaccine (McNeel, 2007; Sonpavde et al., 2007). Sipuleucel-T, the first ever vaccine that works against late-stage, metastatic, and hormone-refractory prostate cancers, is an autologous cellular immunotherapy specifically designed to stimulate the body’s immune responses (FDA, 2010). This paper highlights sipuleucel-T (tradename: PROVENGEÂ ®) as a novel, nontoxic modality for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Specifically, this paper aims to review what sipuleucel-T (PROVENGEÂ ®) is, its components, its side effects, evidences of its effectiveness based on clinical trial studies, and its advantages over some of the existing prostate cancer treat ments. Discussion Among the different immunotherapy approaches investigated in the past, the use of dendritic cells (DCs), which are the main antigen-presenting cells (APCs) of the body, was found to be the most efficient way of presenting cancer antigen to the immune system (Bono et al., 2010). Sipuleucel-T, produced by Dendreon Corporation under the tradename of PROVENGEÂ ®, is a cancer vaccine that makes use of the patient’s own dendritic cells, hence the term autologous immunotherapy, to improve T-cell response (Harzstark and Small, 2009; FDA, 2010). Specifically, each dose of PROVENGEÂ ® contains at least 50 million autologous CD54+ cells activated with a recombinant human protein called PAP-GM-CSF, composed of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) (FDA, 2010). CD54+, a cell surface glycoprotein that functions as a stimulator on APCs, bind to its receptor on the surface of T-cells during the process of antigen pr esentation (CST, 2010). Meanwhile, PAP is a surface antigen expressed in prostate tumor cells. Studies have shown that PAP antigen is relatively specific to prostate epithelium, making it a good target for vaccines (Oh, 2010; Nabhan et al., 2011). On the other hand, GM-CSF is an immune cell activator (FDA, 2010). The CD54+ cells collected from the patient through a process known as leukapheresis, are treated with

Orthodox Jewish Wedding Essay Example for Free

Orthodox Jewish Wedding Essay Marriage is normally a ceremony done in churches, in government premises, or in modern ones like beaches and gardens. It is usually done as a sign of love between two people. Marriage used to be a very sacred ceremony as two people say their vows to each other. Different cultures do this in different manners. In this paper, we will discover how the Orthodox Jewish wedding is done. This would prove the diversity of cultures in the world and how the Jewish community carries out their traditions and belief. This is divided into three parts that include the preparations done before the wedding, the set up days before the wedding and the wedding proper. When two people fall in love, what they want to end up mostly is a bride and a groom or a husband and a wife. Although it is altered by some other reasons in the modern times, the idea of marriage is still considered sacred by most of us. Although socio-economic status, health, dynasty and other things affect the people’s view on marriage, we still cannot take away the fact that the people who get married always ask for a happy life. Whatever reason they may have, the bottom line is still that they are searching for contentment in any way. A Jewish wedding day, the same with all other religions, is something that they really celebrate. Different kinds of rituals happen weeks before and during this day, in consideration of their history and heritage. As soon as the couple gets engaged, rituals already take place. It includes breaking a plate to represent the temples in Jerusalem that were destructed. It is to signify that even if they are enjoying in the celebration of the wedding, they are still saddened with the fact that these temples were destroyed before. It is also usual for the parents to do the arrangement of the wedding, with the help of someone like a match-maker called Yenta. Although this is so, the groom is still required to ask the bride’s father for her hand in marriage and to pay a dowry in exchange of the bride (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. bbc. co. uk/religion/religions/judaism/rites/weddings_1. shtml). Judaism sees this practice as sacred. They think that without a man and a woman, each of the sexes will never be complete. They complement each other and each compensates what the other loses. They also teach in their doctrines that any person without getting married doesn’t experience the absolute joy and contentment in this life. It means that being married gives satisfaction to people, especially when they are blessed by God. When referring to marriage, they usually use the term â€Å"sanctification† which usually refers to the spirituality of the bond that binds two people and of the commandment made by God. They also see it as something that has a purpose. They view marriage as a perquisite to reproduction and friendship. It is both procreation and companionship. In the bible, as they believe, â€Å"It is not good for a man to be alone†. It is also a practice of each person’s legal rights through a contractual agreement where they sign on. Although there were times when the Jews were dispersed all over the world, they are still successful in preserving this practice as they live. This is probably because they really believe in the practice, because through it, history proves that families stayed stable and happy when they underwent the same kind of marriage . Jewish weddings are almost the same. They are made easier by the Rabbis by asking for a very minimal requirement. The Rabbis is the one who makes the laws in this kind of ritual (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. confetti. co. uk/article/view/5054-7598-0-). Marriage in the Orthodox Jewish is very much full of traditions that show practice and devotion. In planning their weddings, every detail is very important. They take the preparation as a challenge of their capacity and a challenge to celebrate the wedding successfully. They pay too much attention to all the needs of the ceremony that makes every wedding a perfect one. The Orthodox Jews are believed to be the strictest among the strands of the Jewish faith. Their wedding ceremony is done by combining the legal and religious aspects of marriage. In case one of the couple is non-Jewish, he or she is asked to convert to the same religion. They believe that happiness cannot be achieved if they don’t undergo marriage, which is a license to fulfillment in the world. Also, it is said that when they get married, they don’t just focus on material and temporal elements of the preparation, but they also assure that their doctrines are properly carried out and that their spiritual and moral preparedness is enveloped on the marriage itself. It just proves that although their marriage is after a good life on earth, they still put in more consideration the supernatural and their religion per se (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. confetti. co. uk/article/view/5054-7598-0-). Planning an Orthodox Jewish wedding is very tedious. They must consider a lot of things for them to be able to come up with a successful one. Most of the Jewish couple provides a planner that would make it easier for them to see chronologically their plans and the specifics of the ceremony. Through that, they will be able to get organized and efficient in the planning of the main event. The date of the wedding is usually known after they already register with a synagogue and Rabbi at the Chief Rabbi’s office. The time of the day and the day itself are also given much attention to in planning a wedding. It is usual to marry in the afternoon or in the evening, but you can also marry anytime of the day according to what the couple desires. Most of them, however, choose to marry on days like Sunday and Tuesday. It is also not allowed to do the wedding three weeks between July and August and on the Sabbath of festival days (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover Shavuot, and Sukkoth). In case, they want to get married on a Saturday, they prohibit doing the ceremony earlier than two hours before the sun is down (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. onfetti. co. uk/article/view/5054-7598-0-). In general, the first thing to do in planning it is to choose a date that they both want. They usually choose special days like the birth or the death of their rabbis to make a more meaningful celebration. Like other people getting married, they choose a date that means something to them or a date that is significant in their relationship. They also must specify a place or a venue which has enough space for dancing and a wide area where you can put a divider to separate men and women for modesty’s sake. They are very much particular with modesty which they can prove by separating people of different sexes during the wedding ceremony. They must also choose a rabbi to preside the wedding ceremony and a sofer or a Jewish scribe to take charge of the Ketuba or the marriage contract. After that, they must tell their relatives and friends about the wedding and invite them to attend on it. Attendees on this kind of practice matters a lot to the couple because the wedding would not mean anything at all without the presence of a specific number of people. Once they confirm their attendance, they can already inform the caterer about the approximate number of visitors. This is usually done to avoid hassles to both families of the groom and the bride and to assure that everyone eats enough as they celebrate that most important part of their couple life. After that, they must inform those people who are taking part in the wedding to dress accordingly. This is also a sign of respect to the practice. The female ones must use clothes covering the knees and the arms to the elbows, while the married ones must cover their air. Men must wear yarmulkes. The couple must make the wedding canopy from a cloth that is velvet or from a prayer shawl. This is to signify the clouds that helped Jews with everything when they were in the desert. They must make sure that they have the dress, rings without anything engraved in them, and the other things. The bride must make sure she has a veil thicker than the others’ to wear it on the wedding day. From that, they must find a schedule to do the veiling ritual prior the wedding ceremony. It is said that such a practice symbolizes the biblical story that happened between Jacob and Rachel, when they planned to get married. They must assign seven men to utter the words of blessings with a wine. Lastly, they must secure a room for the couple where they can spend on after the wedding proper. They are expected to stay there before they eat and spend time together alone for a certain period (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. ehow. com/how_2077192_plan-orthodox-jewish-wedding. html). The wedding invitation is usually two sided and has an English translation at the right side. It does not ask for the person’s presence, instead it is asking people to â€Å"dance at† or â€Å"share in the joy of†. In this kind of ritual, visitors are very important, because they play a very vital role in the process. The copies of the invitation may be distributed and may be given by the couple or both of their parents. Sometimes, the invitation also includes biblical quotes to explain people why such thing is done or to further elaborate the importance of each part of the program (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). All of the guests are provided with copy of the program for them to know exactly what part they are in during the wedding proper. It may also include some Ketuba texts, the vendors’ names, a note coming from the bridal couple and some explanations of the different elements of the ceremony. This is also done to avoid unnecessary noises when they ask others why a particular thing is done (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). The Orthodox bride must prepare something white, while the groom must have a short white linen robe called a kittel. The bride is also expected to visit mikyah in the morning of her wedding. This is done to make sure that the bride undergoes a ritual bath that is believed to purify her and to make her a better woman as she gets married (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). It is also a must, that in able for a couple to get married in the Orthodox Jewish tradition, it is a perquisite that their parents also married in the same manner. Usually, both of their parents underwent the same practice. If in case their parents did not undergo the practice, they must talk to the rabbi for clarification. The ceremony includes singing and reading from the psalms. The wedding usually takes an hour before it finally ends. The wedding can actually occur anywhere, depending on what the groom and the bride choose. Given a desired venue, the bride or the Kallah and the groom or the Chatan, must stand under a canopy. The venue as chosen by them is usually paid by the bride’s parents. The validity of the wedding depends on the number of males present. There must e ten of them, which in their tradition, is called minyan (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. confetti. co. uk/article/view/5054-7598-0-). Prior to the ceremony, the groom may spend time with his friends as eat and drink together on a table, called chassans tisch. Brides, on the other hand, take three or seven times circling her groom which is also a practice based on their bible (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). When the guests arrive on the wedding day, males go with the groom in a certain room, while the female ones go with the bride in another room where she sits on a throne-type chair. This is called â€Å"public beckoning† and may be spent with just family and other guests (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. eddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). A service usually starts with the opening from the rabbi, followed by a bride being escorted to the canopy. It is then followed by a ritual of circling the groom by the bride. This also has a hidden meaning. The benedictions are read after and then the sharing of the cup of wine. The exchange of the rings is then done, followed by the reading of ketuba. Another cup of wine is offered which is shared by the groom and the bride. It was first blessed and told with a prayer for the companionship and joy of the newly wed. Later on, they are proclaimed as husband and wife and they are showered with rice and are greeted with a toast (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). During the marriage proper, the groom is asked to read from the Torah. That ritual is called Aufruf. Further, it is like a way of congratulating the couple, and letting the public know that they are getting married soon. In the same practice, some brides throw candies and nuts as he finishes the recitation of the benedictions. Through that, they are able to ask for a sweet and fertile life. The groom gives his bride a ring that is a sign of love. It is put on the bride’s right index finger, up to the second knuckle. It is so, because they believe that such a finger points to the soul and that it is used in pointing when they are reading the Torah. On the contrary, she puts the ring on his left ring finger. As they are doing this, they are reciting a Hebrew statement called haray aht (Retrieved on December 11, 2008 from http://www. weddingdetails. com/lore/jewish. cfm). In summary, preparing for the Orthodox Jewish Wedding is no easy thing. It requires a lot of effort to come up with an acceptable wedding that takes in consideration both the earthly and the religious aspect of life. Through this paper, we can also picture that even if there are still more days before the wedding, the people are already busy planning the event and are already doing some practices for the benefit of the big day. The wedding proper shows that values of these people as they do the rituals associated with getting married. It is also very obvious that they are really trying hard to avoid getting away from the proper way of doing it. Before and after the wedding, they are very optimistic about their, because of their trust to the Almighty. Everyone is looking forward to a happy and a blessed life ahead as they undergo the blessing of God through marriage. Celebration of their wedding is really something that the Jewish community must really be proud of. It is full of traditions that only their group inhibits and practices as well. Their culture is very rich and admirable. This is only a proof that cultures vary from place to place and that each culture has its beauty that everyone can admire. It is the Jewish community’s pride to have this and definitely, there are not just proud, but happy about acquiring this kind of culture.

Explain the harmful effects of drugs such as ecstasy on the individual

In recent years, the rising use of addictive drugs has become one of the biggest social problems menacing certain countries. The illicit use of a variety of drugs appears to be increasing. Generally, a drug can be a substance, other than those required for the maintenance of normal health, which by its chemical nature alters the structure or function of a living organism. In this essay, drugs are more appropriate defined as psychoactive drugs such as ecstasy and cannabis, which lead to the influence of the central nervous system in mood, thought and behaviour. In addition, drugs can be classified into three categories  ¡V depressants, stimulants and hallucinogens (McGill, 2002, 78). It is widely believed that taking drugs can lead to harmful consequences on the individual and society. Therefore, this essay is concentrated on explaining the physical and psychological effects on individuals and the social impacts on society. Despite the belief that the perceived benefits outweigh the negatives, the negligence of the harmful consequences and dangers of drug taking results from the little or no drugs ¡Ã‚ ¦ knowledge among the drug takers. The truth is taking drugs may bring physical and psychological effects on individuals. Taking ecstasy as an example, also known as MethyleneDioxyMethAmphetamine, is a drug made with Lysergic Acid Diethylamide and amphetamines. The effects of ecstasy begin about thirty minutes after use and may last for four hours (Hurwitz, 1992, 21). Owing to the new development of youth  ¡Ã‚ §club ¡Ã‚ ¨ or  ¡Ã‚ §rave ¡Ã‚ ¨ culture, there is a rise of ecstasy use as recreational drugs among the young generation. Referring to National Drug Strategy, it explains that 40 per cent of the Australian population aged 14 or older has tried cannabis which is the most widely used illicit drug in Australia. This is followed by ecstasy which is the most frequently used amphetamines due to t he substantial rise in the use and availability of amphetamine-type substances (1998, Internet). Although the drug takers may experience positive changes in feelings and emotions, a high energy level and increasing confidence in the first few hours after taking ecstasy, there are harmful effects afterwards. According to Ecstasy Organization, it states that the short term effects of taking ecstasy include having dilated pupils, jaw clenching and teeth grinding, sweating, a rise in body tem... ...d incarcerated perpetrators of drug- related crimes (20.4 percent), lost legitimate production due to drug-related crime careers (19.7 percent), and other costs of drug-related crimes, including Federal drug traffic control, property damage, and police, legal, and corrections services (18.4 percent). Most of the remaining costs resulted from premature deaths (14.9 percent), lost productivity due to drug-related illness (14.5 percent), and healthcare expenditures (10.2 percent) (1995, Internet). Thus, in summary, although drugs such as ecstasy and cannabis may bring positive changes in feelings and emotions and a rise in energy level, it is no denying that the long-term negative physical and psychological effects outweigh the benefits on individuals. Likewise, it may still be suggested that the use of drug may also have social impacts such as increase in crime rate, family and work problems as well as economic costs on society. Drug abuse has detrimental effects on both individuals and society that has no sure end but tragedy. It is a dilemma that cannot be neglected. Future and current societies and governments must work to address to it, otherwise it will spread like a disease.

Mary Shelley Essay

When he first arrives at Inglestadt, he goes to visit one of his tutors, hoping to make a good first impression and appear eager and willing to learn, showing both his enthusiasm for the subject and respect for his future tutor. However he is met with a stout man with a â€Å"repulsive countenance† who informs Victor, upon hearing his list of previous reading, that â€Å"every instant that you have wasted on those books is utterly and entirely lost. † This is a huge anticlimax for Victor and this immediately manipulates the sympathy of the reader in Victor’s favour. This is important as the sympathy for Victor must be strong enough for the reader not to feel utterly repulsed by his later transgression. It will also provide Victor with deniability, as he has been mistreated by his tutor and possibly feels the need to prove that the research carried out by his first inspirers was not in vain. Victor has a very close relationship with his mother before her premature death; some interpreters may even go as far as to imply that he suffers from the Oedipus complex, and holds passionate feelings towards her. Whether this is deliberate, or simply a common misconception, it undoubtedly renders Victor more worthy of the sympathy of the reader. Victor suffers almost constantly from what a modern reader might well describe as â€Å"mood swings†, but I believe that the original intention of Shelley was to condemn him as an un-confessed manic-depressive. Shelley uses provocative language to good effect when manipulating the compassion of the reader towards Victor. This is shown when he finds the lifeless cadaver of his beloved Elizabeth on their wedding night and almost collapses whilst exclaiming â€Å"Great God! Why did I not then expire! † This technique is widely used in gothic fiction as it is very proficient in influencing the sympathy of the reader in any way the author wishes; in this case in Victor’s favour. Frankenstein’s creation is shunned and persecuted from the very day of its re-resurrection up until the day of its bereavement. The absolute epitome of this discrimination is when its own creator, to whom the creation owes his very existence to, turns against it on the night of its animation and is horrified by what he has done â€Å"How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? † Frankenstein’s creation was offered no choice of whether it was to be re-awakened or left to lie in peace where its components were originally laid to rest. This evokes sympathy in a reader as numerous people were brought up in poor homes and large families and can perhaps empathise with the creation’s sense of incompatibility in society. When Frankenstein and his creation meet in chapter 10, many different literary techniques are used to established sympathy in favour of Frankenstein’s creation. One technique used is dramatic setting, â€Å"the surface is very uneven, rising like the waves of a troubled sea. † The words troubled sea carry connotations of formidable weather and a faint sense of woe. This sets the scene for a miserable and desperate confrontation between creator and creation, and I think the sympathy is at this point transferred to the creation, as he has had to cross the sea of ice without the help or comfort of any man-made aids, and probably with little sustenance of real nutritional value. Another technique used during Frankenstein’s meeting with his creation is emotive language, for example â€Å"Devil, do you dare approach me? † This fierce greeting shows us just how anguished Frankenstein is but somehow renders his creation more worthy of the reader’s sympathy; this is possibly because he doesn’t really know that he has done anything wrong, he has just responded to the way people have treated him. In inference, I think that Mary Shelley intended for the sympathy of the reader to be evoked in favour of Frankenstein rather than his creation, but for the issue to be largely open-ended. I believe that when the novel was written, Frankenstein’s creation would have been feared rather than disliked particularly; but in today’s superficial society, it would be almost unanimously hated just for being different. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section. Download this essay Print Save Here’s what a teacher thought of this essay 4 star(s).

A Practitioner’s Guide to Ethical Decision Making

Holly Forester-Miller, Ph. D. Thomas Davis, Ph. D. Copyright  © 1996, American Counseling Association. A free publication of the American Counseling Association promoting ethical counseling practice in service to the public. — Printed and bound copies may be purchased in quantity for a nominal fee from the Online Resource Catalog or by calling the ACA Distribution Center at 800. 422. 2648.ACA grants reproduction rights to libraries, researchers and teachers who wish to copy all or part of the contents of this document for scholarly purposes provided that no fee for the use or possession of such copies is charged to the ultimate consumer of the copies. Proper citation to ACA must be given. Introduction Counselors are often faced with situations which require sound ethical decision making ability. Determining the appropriate course to take when faced with a difficult ethical dilemma can be a challenge.To assist ACA members in meeting this challenge, the ACA Ethics Committee ha s developed A Practitioner's Guide to Ethical Decision Making. The intent of this document is to offer professional counselors a framework for sound ethical decision making. The following will address both guiding principles that are globally valuable in ethical decision making, and a model that professionals can utilize as they address ethical questions in their work. Moral Principles Kitchener (1984) has identified five moral principles that are viewed as the cornerstone of our ethical guidelines.Ethical guidelines can not address all situations that a counselor is forced to confront. Reviewing these ethical principles which are at the foundation of the guidelines often helps to clarify the issues involved in a given situation. The five principles, autonomy, justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and fidelity are each absolute truths in and of themselves. By exploring the dilemma in regards to these principles one may come to a better understanding of the conflicting issues. 1. Aut onomy is the principle that addresses the concept of independence.The essence of this principle is allowing an individual the freedom of choice and action. It addresses the responsibility of the counselor to encourage clients, when appropriate, to make their own decisions and to act on their own values. There are two important considerations in encouraging clients to be autonomous. First, helping the client to understand how their decisions and their values may or may not be received within the context of the society in which they live, and how they may impinge on the rights of others.The second consideration is related to the client's ability to make sound and rational decisions. Persons not capable of making competent choices, such as children, and some individuals with mental handicaps, should not be allowed to act on decisions that could harm themselves or others. 2. Nonmaleficence is the concept of not causing harm to others. Often explained as â€Å"above all do no harm†, this principle is considered by some to be the most critical of all the principles, even though theoretically they are all of equal weight (Kitchener, 1984; Rosenbaum, 1982; Stadler, 1986).This principle reflects both the idea of not inflicting intentional harm, and not engaging in actions that risk harming others (Forester-Miller & Rubenstein, 1992). 3. Beneficence reflects the counselor's responsibility to contribute to the welfare of the client. Simply stated it means to do good, to be proactive and also to prevent harm when possible (Forester-Miller & Rubenstein, 1992). 4. Justice does not mean treating all individuals the same.Kitchener (1984) points out that the formal meaning of justice is â€Å"treating equals equally and unequals unequally but in proportion to their relevant differences† (p. 49). If an individual is to be treated differently, the counselor needs to be able to offer a rationale that explains the necessity and appropriateness of treating this indivi dual differently. 5. Fidelity involves the notions of loyalty, faithfulness, and honoring commitments. Clients must be able to trust the counselor and have faith in the therapeutic relationship if growth is to occur.Therefore, the counselor must take care not to threaten the therapeutic relationship nor to leave obligations unfulfilled. When exploring an ethical dilemma, you need to examine the situation and see how each of the above principles may relate to that particular case. At times this alone will clarify the issues enough that the means for resolving the dilemma will become obvious to you. In more complicated cases it is helpful to be able to work through the steps of an ethical decision making model, and to assess which of these moral principles may be in conflict.Ethical Decision Making Model We have incorporated the work of Van Hoose and Paradise (1979), Kitchener (1984), Stadler (1986), Haas and Malouf (1989), Forester-Miller and Rubenstein (1992), and Sileo and Kopala ( 1993) into a practical, sequential, seven step, ethical decision making model. A description and discussion of the steps follows. 1. Identify the Problem. Gather as much information as you can that will illuminate the situation. In doing so, it is important to be as specific and objective as possible. Writing ideas on paper may help you gain clarity.Outline the facts, separating out innuendos, assumptions, hypotheses, or suspicions. There are several questions you can ask yourself: Is it an ethical, legal, professional, or clinical problem? Is it a combination of more than one of these? If a legal question exists, seek legal advice. Other questions that it may be useful to ask yourself are: Is the issue related to me and what I am or am not doing? Is it related to a client and/or the client's significant others and what they are or are not doing? Is it related to the institution or agency and their policies and procedures?If the problem can be resolved by implementing a policy of an institution or agency, you can look to the agency's guidelines. It is good to remember that dilemmas you face are often complex, so a useful guideline is to examine the problem from several perspectives and avoid searching for a simplistic solution. 2. Apply the ACA Code of Ethics. After you have clarified the problem, refer to the Code of Ethics (ACA, 2005) to see if the issue is addressed there. If there is an applicable standard or several standards and they are specific and clear, following the course of action indicated should lead to a resolution of the problem.To be able to apply the ethical standards, it is essential that you have read them carefully and that you understand their implications. If the problem is more complex and a resolution does not seem apparent, then you probably have a true ethical dilemma and need to proceed with further steps in the ethical decision making process. 3. Determine the nature and dimensions of the dilemma. There are several avenues to foll ow in order to ensure that you have examined the problem in all its various dimensions. Consider the moral principles of autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and fidelity. Decide which principles apply to the specific situation, and determine which principle takes priority for you in this case. In theory, each principle is of equal value, which means that it is your challenge to determine the priorities when two or more of them are in conflict. o Review the relevant professional literature to ensure that you are using the most current professional thinking in reaching a decision. o Consult with experienced professional colleagues and/or supervisors.As they review with you the information you have gathered, they may see other issues that are relevant or provide a perspective you have not considered. They may also be able to identify aspects of the dilemma that you are not viewing objectively. o Consult your state or national professional associations to see if they can pro vide help with the dilemma. 4. Generate potential courses of action. Brainstorm as many possible courses of action as possible. Be creative and consider all options. If possible, enlist the assistance of at least one colleague to help you generate options. . Consider the potential consequences of all options and determine a course of action. Considering the information you have gathered and the priorities you have set, evaluate each option and assess the potential consequences for all the parties involved. Ponder the implications of each course of action for the client, for others who will be effected, and for yourself as a counselor.Eliminate the options that clearly do not give the desired results or cause even more problematic consequences. Review the remaining options to determine which option or ombination of options best fits the situation and addresses the priorities you have identified. 6. Evaluate the selected course of action. Review the selected course of action to see if it presents any new ethical considerations. Stadler (1986) suggests applying three simple tests to the selected course of action to ensure that it is appropriate. In applying the test of justice, assess your own sense of fairness by determining whether you would treat others the same in this situation. For the test of publicity, ask yourself whether you would want your behavior reported in the press.The test of universality asks you to assess whether you could recommend the same course of action to another counselor in the same situation. If the course of action you have selected seems to present new ethical issues, then you'll need to go back to the beginning and reevaluate each step of the process. Perhaps you have chosen the wrong option or you might have identified the problem incorrectly. If you can answer in the affirmative to each of the questions suggested by Stadler (thus passing the tests of justice, publicity, and universality) and you are satisfied that ou have selected an appropriate course of action, then you are ready to move on to implementation. 7. Implement the course of action. Taking the appropriate action in an ethical dilemma is often difficult. The final step involves strengthening your ego to allow you to carry out your plan. After implementing your course of action, it is good practice to follow up on the situation to assess whether your actions had the anticipated effect and consequences. The Ethical Decision Making Model at a Glance 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Identify the problem. Apply the ACA Code of Ethics.Determine the nature and dimensions of the dilemma. Generate potential courses of action. Consider the potential consequences of all options, choose a course of action. Evaluate the selected course of action. Implement the course of action. It is important to realize that different professionals may implement different courses of action in the same situation. There is rarely one right answer to a complex ethical dilemma. However, if you follow a systematic model, you can be assured that you will be able to give a professional explanation for the course of action you chose.Van Hoose and Paradise (1979) suggest that a counselor â€Å"is probably acting in an ethically responsible way concerning a client if (1) he or she has maintained personal and professional honesty, coupled with (2) the best interests of the client, (3) without malice or personal gain, and (4) can justify his or her actions as the best judgment of what should be done based upon the current state of the profession† (p. 58). Following this model will help to ensure that all four of these conditions have been met.

The Influence of Tradition in Japanese Cinema essays

The Influence of Tradition in Japanese Cinema essays Japanese culture has arisen as a mixture of the East and the West. Japanese have been able to keep their traditional aesthetic features while they also embraced western style, which was filtered through Japanese tradition. The presence of the Benshi ( a commentator who narrated the action of the film) could be a suitable example of the situation. The beliefs of Japanese people are East originated. Shintoism and Buddhism give lots of importance to the spirits and supernatural forces which are also cultivated in the Japanese mythology. Some of the Japanese directors have been able to combine a western visual art form (cinema) with their traditional beliefs different from the western examples of the same subject matter. In contemporary cinema this particular subject matter (ghosts/demons) mostly taken into the consideration as an element of the horror, but in Japanese cinema they are the elements of the drama ( particularly the spirit itself ) as well as a horrifying object. That is to say according to their beliefs, spirits are the ones who are suffering either because lack of the prayers that let them pass to the Land of the Dead, or because of the evil feelings/behaviors while they were in the Land of the Living. Dramatic situations of the suffering souls are represented in a poetic way, as the general look of the Japanese cinema relies on empty spaces, plainness, and landscape appearances. These features also exists one of their basic ordinary life rituels; tea- ceremony. The tea- ceremony room is decorated almost empty with a plain style and prefarably located with a view of a garden. This proves that ordinary life rituels influces the aestetic features of the Japanese cinema. These i nfluences becomes the resources of the national cinema of Japan. The narration in the Japanese cinema mostly relies on the style which ables to transfer the ideas ( of the director) through the atmosphere of the fil...

The Meaning for the Common Spanish Surname Colon

The Meaning for the Common Spanish Surname 'Colon' The common Spanish surname, Colon, most commonly derives from the Spanish given name Colà ³n, meaning dove, from the Latin colombus, colomba. As a personal name, it was favored by early Christians because the dove was considered to be the symbol of the Holy Spirit. The Colon last name is comparable to the Italian and Portuguese surname Colombo. Etymology The Colon surname may also have English origins, being a variant of Colin derived from the Greek personal name Nicholas, meaning power of the people, from the  elements nickan, meaning to conquer, and laos, or people. The surname is considered to be of Spanish and English origin. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was discovered that several Colon families moved to the Caribbean Islands and the Central American region. Colon is known as the 53rd most common Hispanic surname.  According to  Public Profiler: World Names, the majority of individuals with the Colon surname live in the United States, followed by additional concentrations in countries like Spain, Luxembourg, Belgium, and France.   Alternate Surname Spellings CoulonCollonCoulonsCoulombCoulomCoullonCoullonsCoulhonCoulombsDecoullonsDecoulons Famous People With the Surname Cristà ³bal Colà ³n aka Christopher Columbus: Famous Italian explorer best known for his discovery of the New World.Carlos Colà ³n: Retired Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He is the father of wrestlers Carly Colà ³n, known professionally as Carlito, and Eddie Colà ³n, known professionally as Primo Colà ³n. He is also the uncle of WWE wrestler Epico, whose birth name is Orlando Colà ³n.Ashley Colon:  Puerto Rican artist singer originally from Jamaica. She started her career in the tropical music band Las Chicas del Clean, translating to the girls of the clan. Genealogy Resources 100 Common Hispanic Surnames Their MeaningsGarcia, Martinez, Rodriguez, Lopez, Hernandez. Are you one of the millions of people sporting one of these top 100 common Hispanic last names?COLON Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Colon surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Colon query.FamilySearch - COLON GenealogyFind records, queries, and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Colon surname and its variations.COLON Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Colon surname.DistantCousin.com - COLON Genealogy Family HistoryFree databases and genealogy links for the last name Colon. Use the resource First Name Meanings to find the meaning of a given name. If you cant find your last name listed, you can suggest a surname be added to the Glossary of Surname Meanings and Origins. References: Surname Meanings and Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German-Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005.Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Short Mothers Day Quotes for Emails or Cards

Short Mothers Day Quotes for Emails or Cards The mother-child bond is too strong to be dulled by distance. Even if you are miles away from your dear mother, reach out to her with a thoughtful message. If you have something more elaborate in mind, here are some ideas. Why Use Mothers Day Quotes Usually, it is not too difficult to pick a gift for mothers. Mothers are not fussy creatures. Youd hardly meet a mother who would tell her son, Honey, Id really like the exquisite silver cutlery I saw at Macys. On the contrary, she would mostly say something like, Oh, sweetie, dont bother with these expensive gifts. All I want is to spend time with you. So heres the hint: Your mother needs you. Your mother, though she deserves a lot more, needs just a little bit of your time. If you want to be thoughtful, scribble her a few Mothers Day quotes to make her feel special. Share some happy moments with her, reading these wonderful quotes about mothers. Talk about your beautiful childhood memories, and watch her eyes go misty with those memories. Thats how you can make your mother the happiest woman in the world. Jane SellmanThe phrase working mother is redundant.Spanish ProverbAn ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy.Bill WattersonMothers are the necessity of invention.Harriet Beecher StoweMothers are instinctive philosophers.Jewish proverbA mother understands what a child does not say.James Russell LowellThat best academy, a mothers knee.D. W. WinnicottThe precursor of the mirror is the mothers face.Henry Ward BeecherThe mothers heart is the childs school-room.Jill ChurchillThere is no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.William Makepeace ThackerayMother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children.George WashingtonAll I am I owe to my mother.Lisa AltherAny mother could perform the jobs of several air-traffic controllers with ease.Ian NelsonMommy brain: when your grey matter turns into grey hair.Moorish ProverbEvery beetle is a gazelle in the eyes of its mother.Abraham LincolnAll that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.The Gold en GirlsIts not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it. J. D. SalingerMothers are all slightly insane.Ed AsnerRaising a kid is part joy and part guerilla warfare.Lin YutangOf all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother.

International Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

International Business Law - Essay Example Case #1 The case is presented within the jurisdiction of an international court of justice. Other countries have joined together to challenge oppose what they term as the annexation of the space country X. Joining them is country Y which may have the same interests as those of country X. They are justified to so do as they as signatories of â€Å"The Outer Space Treaty† which they did sign back in the year 1966 (Zines 2008). The case presented is the opinion of all member treaty was signed for the use and exploration of space was bringing conflicts among the superior state (Zines 2008). It came at a time when technologies were cropping up and great inventions being carried. The main purpose of this treaty was to ensure that weapons of mass destruction like nuclear bombs are not developed in the space. The super power countries don’t have trust in each other and they fear spying on their secrets Country X’s activities are within the provisions of the treaty. The treaty did state clearly that the space is freely accessible to the entire world and to any country that wishes to do so. This country is trying to explore the space scientifically which poses no danger to the world and other countries. It is not clear to the court that no other country has ever tried to intensify their activities in the space. Country X is a busy trying to explore the mysteries that are still hidden to the mankind. It has not in any case breached the terms of the treaty by occupying the space. Other allegations are that the country has put up its flag and claimed about 1000 square meters of the moon. The provision in the treaty is that no any country shall claim ownership on the ownership of space. Therefore, the court orders country X to remove its flag from the space and not to claim ownership of the area they have annexed. The landing station it has built on the moon is to be removed. This treaty did define that the space is free for all nations. However, the country has never been reported to carry out activities that may endanger life in the world. The court is just to order that the country needs to make their activities transparent to the world. The court has also found out that the countries launching complains are having fear of the unknown due to the secretive activities of the accused. Country X has promised to be responsible their activities and there are no complaints of negligence. It is stated clearly in the Outer Space Treaty that â€Å"countries exploring space are responsible and liable for any damage their activities may cause†. The court can conclude from whole proceedings that the accused country has established a base in the space. Reports of weapons and any arms are not there. The complaint brought by the 45 countries though presents the opinions of the world but these countries seem to have conflicts of interests. Take the case of country Y for example; joining the case afterwards. It beats logic how loud this country is launching it’s complain. The world today is being faced by cold war from the superpowers since they are the only ones that have the machinery to reach space. Country Y may be having interests in the in the space. Many decades have passed since man landed in the space. No any other country has ever tried building their base in the space. This country has not touched space objects like the steroids and the orbits. They use their own spaceship to navigate and have never touched the satellites. The court hereby rules that country X is free to explore the space. The case presented is a matter of further consultation among these countries. The decision has been arrived at since the court has found that these countries have common interests. They are all bound by the treaty they signed. Asking the court to exempt country X from space is unjust because a provision in the treaty allows them to do so. T he court, however, compels this country not claim

How can organisations ensure that information held within their Essay

How can organisations ensure that information held within their information systems is both secure and also used in an ethical and socially responsible manner - Essay Example n accurate and quickly gathered information regarding markets, products, customers, ideas, and other aspects concerning the business, in order to properly plan and implement their future strategies. Businesses must also keep accurate records of their past, current, and future plans in order to function in an organized manner (Martin, pg. 256, 1973). As businesses must take due care of their possessions and assets to prevent damage or theft, businesses must also protect their information from being stolen or misused. While assets may be quite expensive and valuable for the firm, information is worth much more and has a higher risk involved. Cyber crime is at large in today’s technologically advanced world, in which thieves do not attempt to take physical assets from people, but directly aim to access intangible information, which is regarded as more valuable. Corporations keep their information safe on computers that are locked with passwords and only staff is permitted to access the information. However, often there are instances of information leaks or access to restricted records by competitors, which causes the business immense damage. Hackers and other cyber thieves access important information to commit frauds or to manipulate the business’s financial records. Many times, large amounts of cash are transferred from the business account to other accounts and they become irretrievable (Kankanhalli, Teo, Tan, & Wei, pg. 145-147, 2003). There are thousands of ways that businesses can suffer harm through the access of their personal information. Account numbers, financial information, customer records, meeting plans, and new business strategies are all recorded on computers and it is regarded as a safer place to put such information rather than in paper form where it is easily accessible to all. Unfortunately, while computers may be the safer place to put such information, saving it from ordinary people and ordinary thieves, yet it is still considerably unsafe

To ascertain the motivational factors for buying wine Essay

To ascertain the motivational factors for buying wine - Essay Example John Bruwer and Graham Wood (2005): Motivational and Behavioral Perspectives: Journal of Wine Research: Volume 16: ISSN 0957-1264, Online ISSN: 1469-9672: Rout ledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group. Nelson Barber, Barbara A Almanza and Janis Donovan (2006): Motivational Factors of gender, income and age on selecting a bottle of wine: International Journal of wine marketing: Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 18 (3), pp.218-232. Olson, J. C and Jacoby, J (2002): Cue utilization in the Quality Perception Process: In Venkatesan Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Conference of the Association for Consumer Research, Chicago, pp. 167-179. Orth, U. R. & Krska, P. (2002) Quality Signals in Wine Marketing: The Role of Exhibition Awards, International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 4, pp.385-397. P.T.H Unwin (2000): Wine and the Vine: A Historical Geography of Viticulture and the Wine Trade: Routlegde Publishers: (Pgs 352-409) Keith Grainger and Hazel Tattersall (2005): Wine Production: Vine Bottle: Wiley-Blackbell (Pgs 56-125) Jenster, P. and Cheng, Y. (2008) Dragon Wine: Developments in the Chinese Wine Industry, International Journal of Wine Business Research, 20 (3), pp.244-259. Stephen Charters (2006): Wine and Society; The Social and Cultural Context of a Drink: Butterworth-Heinemann (Pgs 135-140) Sun, H., Yu, Y, Goodman, S., Chen, S., and Ma, H. (2009): Chinese choices: a survey of wine consumers in Beijing, International Jo

Explain the concept of time, value of money, and give some examples Research Paper

Explain the concept of time, value of money, and give some examples. Explain difference in ways to calculate FTEs and explain - Research Paper Example For instance, you can invest your dollar for one year at a 6% annual interest rate and accumulate $1.06 at the end of the year.   You can say that the  future value  of the dollar is $1.06 given a 6%  interest rate  and a one-year  period. It follows that the  present value  of the $1.06 you expect to receive in one year is only $1. A key concept of TVM is that a single sum of money or a series of equal, evenly-spaced payments or receipts guaranteed in the future can be converted to an equivalent value today.   Conversely, you can determine the value to which a single sum or a series of future payments will grow to at some future date. You can calculate the fifth value if you are given any four of: Interest Rate, Number of Periods, Payments, Present Value, and Future Value.   FTEs FTEs are basically the full time equivalents and help in analyzing the work done in hours according to the number of laborers employed. Efficiency indicators for benchmarking frequently require a benchmarking health unit to provide the number of FTEs involved in a particular activity. This is not a problem where programs are specialized, i.e. where full and part time staff is assigned to specific activities.

Sony Corp Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sony Corp - Research Paper Example orporation is a part of the parent company which is known as Sony group and Sony group has four different operating segments like motion pictures, electronics, financial services and music. Thus Sony has become one of the largest entertainment companies in the world. Sony Group was founded by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morito and they have derived the name Sony from a Latin word sonus which means sound and also from an English word sonny which means presentable and smart young men in Japanese. The original name of the company was Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo which means Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation. The company started using its initials TTK to market itself. But soon the owners realized the American public could not relate to that name TTK. Therefore, in the year 1958, the name was changed to Sony. The current share price of Sony Corporation is $17.63 per share at NYSE and on other stock exchanges it is 1761 Japanese yen per share. For the historical prices we have taken the share price of the previous two years starting from January 2012 to 14th march 2014. From the following table we can see that the monthly price per share from the month of January 2012 to 3rd march 2014. The daily price per share for the given period is shown in the appendix. From the above graph we can see that the share price of Sony was high during March 2012 but the share prices went down during the period of September to November 2012. It again started to increase from January 2013 and reach the highest level during September and October 2013. After that it has slightly went down but it is continuing in stable phase in these first three months of 2014. The nature of share of Sony Corporation can be measured by Earning per share and market price per share ratio. P/E ratio is the most common method to measure whether the stock is good or not. Generally, shares which have higher P/E ratio are considered as expensive and shares with lower P/E ratio are considered as cheap. But

Explain the concept of time, value of money, and give some examples Research Paper

Explain the concept of time, value of money, and give some examples. Explain difference in ways to calculate FTEs and explain - Research Paper Example For instance, you can invest your dollar for one year at a 6% annual interest rate and accumulate $1.06 at the end of the year.   You can say that the  future value  of the dollar is $1.06 given a 6%  interest rate  and a one-year  period. It follows that the  present value  of the $1.06 you expect to receive in one year is only $1. A key concept of TVM is that a single sum of money or a series of equal, evenly-spaced payments or receipts guaranteed in the future can be converted to an equivalent value today.   Conversely, you can determine the value to which a single sum or a series of future payments will grow to at some future date. You can calculate the fifth value if you are given any four of: Interest Rate, Number of Periods, Payments, Present Value, and Future Value.   FTEs FTEs are basically the full time equivalents and help in analyzing the work done in hours according to the number of laborers employed. Efficiency indicators for benchmarking frequently require a benchmarking health unit to provide the number of FTEs involved in a particular activity. This is not a problem where programs are specialized, i.e. where full and part time staff is assigned to specific activities.

Biotechnology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Biotechnology - Essay Example Much debate has already taken place over this very debatable topic. The label of these foods is another very debatable topic; human beings need to be educated about these foods, it is also important to tell them about the pros and cons of consuming it. Companies would gleefully produce tons of genetically modified food but who would take the responsibility of distributing it and educating the consumers about it? These questions need to be answered sooner rather than later. â€Å"What is the level of detectability of GM food cross-contamination? Scientists agree that current technology is unable to detect minute quantities of contamination, so ensuring 0% contamination using existing methodologies is not guaranteed.† (Genetically Modified Food) Genetically modified food is the result of fine genetic engineering, human beings have come a long way and some of the recent developments that have been made are truly startling. Every coin is two sided and this particular case is no different, research goes to show that genetically modified foods have a better resistance against pests when compared to natural food. This means the losses incurred to farmers and other people who are involved in the same can easily be averted. Research also goes to show that genetically modified food is also resistant to herbicides which natural food can never be. These are some of its advantages but there are disadvantages too which must be considered to make its case even. Last year a laboratory study was published which showed that pollen from B.t. corn caused high mortality rates in monarch butterfly caterpillars. Monarch caterpillars consume milkweed plants, not corn, but the fear is that if pollen from B.t. corn is blown by the wind onto milkweed plants in neighboring fields, the caterpillars could eat the pollen and perish. Although the Nature study was not conducted under natural field

To Kill a Mockingbird Racial Differences Essay Essay Example for Free

To Kill a Mockingbird Racial Differences Essay Essay In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the main themes of racism and social inequality are caused by cultural differences. The book demonstrates the struggles associated with the cultural differences in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1940s. The cultural differences are based on the social classes and hierarchy in Maycomb. At the top of the hierarchy are the relatively well-off Finches, with regular townspeople below them. Then there are farmers like the Cunninghams, and then the poor white people like Ewells and finally the blacks. Examples of cultural differences, which cause problems for the inhabitants of Maycomb, come from almost every character. Cultural differences today are profoundly different from those 70 years ago. Racism is not as prevalent and social inequality is almost nonexistent. The first instance of social inequality comes on Scout’s first day of school. When Walter Cunningham denies Miss Caroline when she offers him a quarter for lunch, Scout must explain that Cunninghams never take what they can’t pay back. Also a very dirty Burris Ewell curses at Miss Caroline. This reflects the social hierarchy of Maycomb by showing how the Cunninghams and the Ewells poorest white people in the county. Another example of social inequality is Dolphus Raymond’s problems. The inhabitants of Maycomb see Dolphus as an outcast because he married a black woman. Marrying someone of a different race was extremely uncommon at the time. The biggest example of racism and social inequality was Tom Robinson’s trial. Bob Ewell blames Tom Robinson for the â€Å"rape† of his daughter because it would be the most believable story if a black man did it. In the courthouse there is a separate balcony for black people. Tom Robinson was also convicted guilty even after Atticus gives the jury uncontestable evidence proving otherwise. This is the nadir of racism in the county and shows how the county feels towards blacks. Cultural difference not only cause conflict between blacks and whites but also between white people themselves. Atticus and the rest of Maycomb County are at odds because he defends Tom Robinson while everybody else feels that Tom is guilty. This causes many problems for him and his family too.

Plant Medicines in Cancer Treatment

Plant Medicines in Cancer Treatment Review of Literature Plants as therapeutic agents Plant medicines are the most widely used medicines in the world today. The use of herbs and plants as the first medicine is a universal phenomenon. Every culture on earth, through written or oral tradition, has relied on the vast variety of natural chemistry found in healing plants for their therapeutic properties (Serrentino 1991). Plants with therapeutic potential may be defined as any plant that can be put to culinary or medicinal use. Recent researches found that food and their constituents act in a manner similar to modern drugs without the dreaded side effects (Serrentino 1991). Sometimes plant medicine is viewed as complementary medicine, working closely with allopathic drugs. Nearly 5.1 billion people worldwide employ natural plant-based remedies as their primary medicines for both acute and chronic health problems, from treating common cold to controlling blood pressure and cholesterol (Stockwell, 1988). Most of the drugs were substances with a particular therapeutic action extracted from plants. Some medicines, such as the cancer drug Taxol from Taxus brevifolia and the anti-malarial quinine from Cinchona pubescens are manufactured from the plants. Other medicinal agents such as pseudoephedrine originally derived from ephedra species and methylsalicylate, derived from gaultheria procumbens are now synthesized. Plant medicines remain indispensable to modern pharmacology and clinical practice. Much of the current drug discovery and development process are plant-based, and new medicines derived from plants are inevitable. Functional foods A food can be regarded as a functional food if it is demonstrated to affect one or more target functions in the body beyond adequate nutrition and improves health/well-being or reduces the risk of diseases (Tsao and Akhtar, 2005). On this basis, a functional food can be a natural food, a food to which a positive component has been added, or from which a deleterious component has been removed or a food where the nature of one or more components has been modified (Tsao and Akhtar, 2005). While searching for new sources of functional food, attention has been paid to vegetables from the Cruciferae family, which more often used in the human diets. The cruciferous vegetables may thus become a potential source of a nutritious food or food ingredients. Recent research showed that cruciferous vegetables contain an appropriate amount of bioactive compounds such as GLs, ITCs, tocopherols, L-ascorbic acid, vitamin B, reduced glutathione, inositol phosphates and polyphenolic compounds [Nakamura e t al, 2001; Zielinski and Kozlowska, 2003; Zielinski et al, 2005; Takaya et al, 2003]. Cruciferous plants The family Cruciferae (Brassicaceae) is an economically important family with about 350 genera and 3000 species that includes several edible plants. Despite the great diversity among the crucifers, members of only a few genera are eaten. The most commonly eaten cruciferous vegetables belong to the genus Brassica that includes broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and Brussels sprouts. Other cruciferous vegetables used in the human diet such as radish, water cress, wasabi, horseradish, garden cress, Italian cress, Swiss chard and crambe belong to another genera of the family such as Raphanus, Nasturtium, Wasabia, Armoracia, Lepidium, Eruca, Beta and Crambe respectively. Cruciferous vegetables are important dietary constituents in many parts of the world and appear to account for about 10 15% of total vegetable intake, reaching almost 25% in countries with a high consumption (Bosetti et al, 2002; Chiu et al, 2003). However, regional pattern of crucifer consumption varies substantially in different parts of the world. The highest intake of cruciferous vegetable was reported to that of people in China, who consumed more than 100 g per day, representing about one-fourth of their total vegetable intake (Chiu et al, 2003). Other Asians and some Middle Eastern populations in Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Kuwait also have a relatively high intake of cruciferous vegetables, ranging from 40 80 g per day (Bosetti et al, 2002; Seow et al, 2002; Shannon et al, 2002; Memon et al, 2002). However, the only study carried out in India (Rajkumar et al, 2003) showed a lower daily intake of cruciferous plants, of about 17 g per day. In North America, the daily estima ted consumption was in the range of 16 40 g per day (Lin et al, 1998) and in South America, it was about 3 15 g per day (Atalah et al, 2001). The daily intake of cruciferous vegetables was reported to be about 5 30 g per day in Europe (Bosetti et al, 2002), 50 g per day in Australia (Nagle et al, 2003) and 15 g per day in South Africa (Steyn et al, 2003) respectively. Raphanus sativus R. sativus is believed to have originated in southern Asia and was cultivated in Egypt. The first cultivated R. sativus was black variety and later on white and red R. sativus were developed. It was highly esteemed in ancient Greece, and the Greek physician Androcydes ordered his patients to eat R. sativus as a preservative against intoxication. The Japanese white R. sativus, also named daikon, is the vegetable for which the literature reports the highest per capita consumption, quoted at 55 g per day in Japan (Talalay and Fahey, 2001). In addition to this, Japanese also consumes R. sativus sprouts under the name of Kaiware Daikon. Varieties of R. sativus There are six main varieties of R. sativus such as Daikons, Red Globe, White Globe, Black, White Icicles and California Mammoth White Daikons (R. sativus L) This variety is native to Asia. They are large and carrot-shaped, have a white flesh that is juicy and a bit hotter than a red radish, but milder than black. Red Globe (R. sativus var. red) This variety is the most popular in the United States. It is small, round or oval shaped, referred to as button red radishes and have a solid crisp flesh. White Globe (R. sativus var.white) This variety is small and oval shaped, referred to as hailstone or white button. They have white flesh and milder than the red variety. Black (R. sativus var. niger) This variety is thought to be native to Egypt and Asia. They are turnip-like in size and shape. They are quite pungent and drier than other varieties of radishes. White Icicles (R. sativus L var. thin) This variety is long and tapered. They have a white flesh that is milder than the red variety. California Mammoth White (R. sativus L var. large) A larger variety than the white icicle, these varieties have oblong- shaped roots and their flesh is slightly pungent. Nutritive value of R. sativus R. sativus root and its leafy part are ideal vegetables as they provide an excellent source of vitamin C. Leafy part contains almost six times the vitamin C content of its root and also a good source of calcium and iron. R. sativus is also a good source of potassium and folic acid. It is very low in fats. Approximately, 100 g of raw vegetable provides roughly 20 Kcal, coming largely from carbohydrates (Table 2.1). Thus R. sativus is a dietary food that is relatively filling for its caloric value. Some sources list R. sativus as being rich in dietary fiber, whereas other sources differ in respect of its roughage content (USDA Nutrient Database, 1999; Duke and Ayensu, 1985). Health benefits of R. sativus (Traditional usage of R. sativus) According to Hakeem Hashmi, an eminent Unani physician from India, R. sativus is unparallel in curing any kind of ailments. All the parts of R. sativus including its seed, stem, root and leaves are used in food and medicine. R. sativus is a unique vegetable having a hot and cold effect on the body simultaneously. R. sativus, like other members of the cruciferous family (cabbage, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts) contains cancer-protective properties. Liver and gall bladder disorders Throughout the history, R. sativus root and seeds have been effective when used as medicinal food for liver disorders. They contain sulfur-based compounds such as GLs and ITCs that increase the flow of bile and help to maintain healthy gallbladder and liver (Chevallier, 1996). They are useful in treating jaundice and also an excellent remedy for gall bladder stone. Kidney disorders R. sativus root, seeds and leaves are diuretic in nature and increase the urine output. Their diuretic properties help to flush out the toxins accumulated in the kidneys and protect them from infections and inflammatory conditions. It is an old belief that R. sativus can aid in the treatment as well as prevention of kidney stones (Chopra et al, 1986). Respiratory disorders R. sativus is an anti-congestive and relieves congestion of the respiratory system. It has found to be beneficial in problems associated with bronchitis (Bown, 1995) and asthma (Duke and Ayensu, 1985). Skin disorders R. sativus helps to cure skin disorders such as leucoderma, rashes, cracks, etc and also refreshes the skin by maintaining the moisture content of the skin (Duke and Ayensu, 1985). Digestive disorders R. sativus root, seeds and leaves are rich in roughage (indigestible carbohydrates) which facilitates digestion, retain water and relieve constipation (Chopra et al, 1986). They also soothe the digestive system and stimulate appetite (Chevallier, 1996) Nervous and vascular disorders R. sativus decreases nervous tensions and is also useful in enhancing blood circulation. It is a remedy for insomnia, hypochondria and irritative conditions of the central nervous system (Panda, 1999). Other benefits R. sativus is germicidal and suppresses phlegm. It is a good appetizer, mouth fresher, laxative, regulates metabolism, remedy for headache, acidity, piles, nausea, obesity, sore throat, whooping cough, dyspepsia, etc (Nadkarni, 1976; Kapoor, 1990). Chemical constituents of R. sativus GLs are an important and unique class of secondary plant metabolites found in the seeds, roots and leaves of R. sativus (Daxenbichler et al, 1991; Blazevic and Mastelic, 2009). GLSs include several naturally occurring thioglucosides with a common structure (Figure 2.2) characterized by side chains (R) with varying aliphatic, aromatic and heteroaromatic carbon skeletons, all presumably derived from amino acids by a chain-lengthening process and hydroxylation or oxidation (Larsen, 1981). In the intact cell, GLs are separated from thioglucosidase (EC 3.2.3.11), an enzyme generally known as myrosinase. When the plant cell structure is damaged, myrosinase catalyzes the hydrolysis of GLs to yield D-glucose, sulfate and a series of compounds including isothiocyanates, thiocyanates and nitriles, depending on both the substrate and the reaction conditions, especially the pH (Figure 2.2). GLs are also hydrolyzed by thioglucosidase activity of the intestinal microflora (Jeffery and Jarrell, 2001). 4-(methylthio)-3-butenyl glucosinolate (glucoraphasatin), 4-(methylsulfinyl) butyl glucosinolate (glucoraphanin) and 4- (methylsulfinyl)-3-butenyl glucosinolate (glucoraphenin) are the most predominant GLs in the root and seeds of R. sativus (Daxenbichler et al, 1991; Carlson et al, 1985). These GLs on hydrolysis by myrosinase yield MTBITC, sulforaphane and sulforaphene respectively. GLs are not uniformly distributed and are highest in the distal end of the root, decreasing in upper root sections with the lowest level in vegetative tops (Esaki and Onozaki, 1980). Apart from GLs and their breakdown products, R. sativus also contains polyphenolics such as phenolic acid, flavonoids and anthocyanins. Several polyphenolic compounds including sinapic acid esters and kaempferol were isolated from R. sativus sprouts (Takaya et al, 2003). Twelve acylated anthocyanins (pelargonidin) were isolated from R. sativus red variety (Otsuki et al, 2002). Phytochemical screening showed the presence of other phytochemicals such as triterpenes, alkaloids, saponins and coumarins in R. sativus seeds (Mohamed et al, 2008). The myrosinase catalyzed hydrolysis of glucosinolates. (Adapted from Rusk et al, 2000) Novel classes of plant defensins (small basic cysteine rich peptides) such as Raphanus sativus antifungal peptide 1 and 2 (RsAFP1 and RsAFP2) were isolated from the seeds of R. sativus (Terras et al, 1992a). RsAFP1 and RsAFP2 are highly basic oligomeric proteins composed of small (5 KDa) polypeptides that are rich in cysteine. Both RsAFP1 and RsAFP2 have a broad spectrum antifungal activity and show a high degree of specificity to filamentous fungi (Terras et al, 1992b). They are active against both phytopathogenic fungi such as Fusarium culmorum and Botrytis cinerea (Terras et al, 1992b), human pathogenic fungi such as Candida albicans (Aerts et al, 2007) and occasionally possess antibacterial activity. However, they are non-toxic to humans and plant cells. R. sativus 2S storage albumins were identified as second novel class of antifungal protein (Terras et al, 1992a). They also inhibit the growth of different plant pathogenic fungi and certain bacteria (Terras et al, 1992a). At least eight distinguishable isoperoxidases were isolated and purified to apparent homogeneity from Korean R sativus roots. Among them are two cationic isoperoxidases such as C1 and C3 and four anionic isoperoxidases such as A1, A2, A3n and A3 (Lee and Kim, 1994). Plant peroxidases play an important role in several physiological functions such as removal of peroxide, oxidation of indole-3-acetic acid and toxic reductants, wound healing and cell wall biosynthesis (Hammerschmidt et al, 1982). Further, peroxidase represents an important component of an early response in plants to pathogen attack and plays a key role in the biosynthesis of lignin, which limits the extent of pathogen spread (Bruce and West, 1989). The products of this enzyme in the presence of a hydrogen donor and hydrogen peroxide have antimicrobial activity and even antiviral activity (Van Loon and Callow, 1983). Recently, a novel heme peroxidase intrinsically resistant to H2O2 was isolated from R. sativus (Japanese d aikon), which showed relatively stronger oxidative stability than that of reference horse radish peroxidase (HRPA2) (Rodrà ­guez et al, 2008). Biological activities of R. sativus Evidence from numerous investigations reveals that the biological and pharmacological functions of R. sativus are mainly due to its GLs and its breakdown products ITCs (Esaki and Onozaki, 1982; Nakamura et al 2001; Barillari et al, 2006; Papi et al, 2008). These compounds provide to R. sativus its characteristic odor and flavor as well as most of their biological properties. GLs and/or ITCs have long been known for their fungicidal, bacteriocidal, nematocidal and allelopathic properties (Brown et al, 1991) and have attracted intense research interest because of their cancer chemoprotective attributes (Fahey et al, 2001; Verhoeven et al, 1997). Polyphenolics, alkaloids, saponins, isoperoxidases and antifungal peptides are also accountable for significant part of the health benefits of R. sativus. These constituents are reported to exhibit several biological effects, including radical scavenging activity (Takaya et al, 2003), gut stimulatory, uterotonic and spasmogenic effects (Gilani and Ghayur, 2004; Ghayur and Gilani, 2005), anti-hyperlipidemic activity (Wang et al, 2002) and anti-atherogenic effects (Suh et al, 2006) and would perhaps work synergistically with GLSs and ITCs of R. sativus. Antioxidant activity Damage to proteins, lipids and DNA by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) can lead to a variety of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular, inflammatory and age-related neurodegenerative diseases (Borek, 1997; Richardson, 1993). ROS/RNS can damage cell membranes, disrupt enzymes, reduce immunity (Ahsan et al, 2003) and induce mutations (Loft and Poulsen, 1996). ROS/RNS are by-products of normal aerobic metabolism and could occur during mitochondrial/microsomal electron transport chain, phagocytic activity or generated from oxidase enzymes and transition metal ions (Nohl et al, 2003; Aruoma et al, 1989). Other sources of ROS/RNS are environmental factors such as pollution, sun damage, cigarette smoke or even some kinds of the foods (Schroder and Krutmann, 2004). These reactive species and the resulting oxidative damages are usually counteracted by the antioxidant defense mechanisms (Bagchi and Puri, 1998). Recent studies evidence that plant-based diets, particularly those rich in vegetables and fruits, provide a considerable amount of antioxidant phytochemicals such as vitamins C and E, glutathione, polyphenolics, sulfur containing compounds and pigments, which offer protection against cellular damage (Dimitrios, 2006). Vitamins Ascorbic acid is found to be the most effective antioxidant in inhibiting lipid peroxidation initiated by a peroxyl radical initiator among several types of antioxidants including a-tocopherol (Fei et al, 1989). Ascorbic acid is also capable of scavenging hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals efficiently (Fei et al, 1989). It is also involved in the regeneration and recycling of tocopherols and ß-carotene (Niki et al, 1995). Numerous studies have shown that ascorbic acid is effective in lowering the risk of developing cancers (Block, 1991) and cardiovascular diseases (Trout, 1991). In spite of the overwhelming evidence on the health benefits, however, there are reports that demonstrated the pro-oxidant activity of ascorbic acid (Podmore, 1998). Tocopherols are essential vitamins with their major role as antioxidants in protecting polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and other components of cell membranes and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) from oxidation , thereby preventing the onset of heart diseases (Rimm et al, 1993). Polyphenolics Polyphenolics is an extremely comprehensive phrase that covers many different subgroups of phenols and phenolic acids. These compounds are most commonly present in fruits and vegetables. They are essential to the physiology of plants, being involved in diverse functions such as lignification, pigmentation, pollination, allelopathy, pathogen/predator resistance and growth (Haslam, 1996). Polyphenolics include single-ring structure such as hydroxybenzoic acids and hydroxycinnamic acids and multi-ring structure such as flavonoids, which can be further classified into anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, flavones, flavanones and flavonols. Some of the flavonoids such as flavan-3-ols can be found in their dimeric, trimeric and polymeric forms. Most of the polyphenolics are often associated or conjugated with sugar moieties that further complicate the polyphenolic profile of vegetables. Polyphenolics are especially important as antioxidants, because they have high redox potentials, which permit the m to act as reducing agents, hydrogen donors, singlet oxygen quenchers and metal chelator (Kahkonen et al, 1999) and alleviate free radical mediated cellular injury (Shahidi and Wanasundara, 1992). The antioxidant ability of individual polyphenolics may differ, but, as a group, they are one of the strongest groups of antioxidants. The antioxidant activity of a polyphenolic compound is chiefly determined by its structure, in particular the electron delocalization over an aromatic nucleus (Tsao and Akhtar, 2005). When these compounds react with a free radical, delocalization of the gained electron over the phenolic antioxidant and the stabilization of the aromatic nucleus by the resonance effect take place that prevent the continuation of the free radical-mediated chain reaction (Tsao and Akhtar, 2005). Sulfur-containing compounds GLs are a group of sulfur-containing compounds found in the cruciferous plants such as R. sativus, broccoli, cabbage, mustard, wasabi etc. These compounds are found to be strong antioxidants, which are indeed through activation of detoxification enzyme mechanisms for the efficient removal of xenobiotics, rather than through direct radical scavenging capability (Zhang and Talalay, 1998). This property of GLs and its hydrolysis products ITCs is considered as one of the major contributors to its anti-cancer activity (Zhang and Talalay, 1998). Antioxidant activity of R. sativus R. sativus is one of the major sources of dietary phenolic acids and flavonoids, which are mostly present as sugar conjugates (Takaya et al, 2003). The major phenolic acids found in R. sativus sprout are sinapic acid and ferulic acid, which are present in conjugated form as 1-sinapoyl-1-ß-D-glucopyranoside, ß-D-(3-sinapoyl) frucofuranosyl -a-D-(6-sinapoyl) glucopyranoside and 1-feruloyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside (Takaya et al, 2003). The major flavonoids present in R. sativus sprouts is kaempferol that occurs in a conjugated form as kaempferol-3,7-O- a-L-dirhamnopyranoside and kaempferol-3-O- a-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-4)- ß-D-glucopyranoside (Takaya et al, 2003). Lugasi et al (1998) demonstrated the strong antioxidant property of squeezed juice extracted from a black R. sativus root through its ability to donate electrons, chelate metal ions and scavenge free radicals in a H2O2/ ·OH-luminol system. Since HPLC analysis revealed the presence of a considerable amount of GLs degradation products and polyphenols in the squeezed juice of black R. sativus, antioxidant activity of black R. sativus root could be attributed to these compounds. Takaya et al (2003) tested methanolic extracts from 11 different plants including Daikon R. sativus sprouts for their ability to scavenge free radicals. Daikon R. sativus sprouts proved to be the most potent, almost 1.8 times more effective than Vitamin C. Souri et al (2004) studied the antioxidant activity of 26 commonly used vegetables in Iranian diet and found that methanolic extract of R. sativus leaf significantly inhibited the peroxidation of linoleic acid as compared to standard antioxidant such as a-tocopherol and quercetin. Katsuzaki et al (2004) found that hot water extract of Daikon R. sativus extract showed more significant antioxidant activity than the extract obtained at an ambient temperature. L-tryptophan was isolated and identified as the compound responsible for the antioxidant activity. They also found that L-tryptophan changed to 5-hydroxy tryptophan (5-HTP), a precursor to serotonin in the rat liver microsome model system. A plant-based 5-HTP supplement is popular for its anti-depressant, appetite suppressant and sleep aiding properties. Lugasi et al (2005) further demonstrated that squeezed juice from black R. sativus significantly alleviated the free radical reaction in rats with hyperlipidaemia by decreasing the lipid peroxidation reactions and by improving the antioxidant status. Recent study also showed that R. sativus extract reduced the extent of lipid peroxidation in a dose dependent manner in rat liver homogenate treated with cumene hydroperoxide by increasing the levels of reduced glutathione and thereby protecting the liver from the toxin induced oxidative damages (Chaturvedi, 2008). Salah-Abbes et al (2008a) showed the protective effect of Tunisian R. sativus root extract against toxicity induced by zearalenone in mice by virtue of its ability to alleviate oxidative stress through stimulation and improvement of the antioxidant status. Polyphenolics in R. sativus may act in a synergistic or additive manner with GLs and/or ITCs and exert their antioxidant activity through inhibition of lipid peroxidation, enhancing the cellular antioxidant enzymes and increasing the glutathione in the cells. Apart from these phytochemicals, R. sativus also contain several classes of peroxidases that could play a significant role in the elimination of toxic peroxides and thus reduce the impact of free radical mediated cellular injury (Wang et al, 2002). Antimicrobial activity Infectious diseases are the worlds leading cause of untimely death, killing approximately 50,000 people every year. Bacteria have a remarkable ability to develop resistance to most pharmaceutical antibiotics. An increase in such antibiotic-resistant bacteria are menacing the human population with a recurrence of infectious diseases that were once thought to be under control, at least in developed countries (Pinner et al, 1996). These antibiotic-resistant bacteria have also caused unique problems in treating infections in patients with cancer and AIDS (Dennesen et al, 1998). Since tenacious and virulent bacteria develop immunity to solitary antibiotics at an alarming speed, there is an imperative need for a holistic targeted approach to search for novel antimicrobials from natural sources, especially from plant kingdom. Long before mankind ascertained the existence of microbes, the fact that certain plants had therapeutic potential was very well accepted. Since ancient times, man has used plants as the widespread remedial tool to treat common infectious diseases. Some of these traditional medicines are still included as part of the habitual treatment of various maladies. Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) and cranberry juice (Vaccinium macrocarpon) are employed to treat urinary tract infections, while species such as lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), garlic (Allium sativum) and tee tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) are described as broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents (Heinrich et al, 2004). Plant based antimicrobials represent a vast unexploited source for medicines, which need to be explored further. They have an immense therapeutic potential as they are effectual in the treatment of infectious diseases while concomitantly alleviating many of the side effects that are frequently connected with synthetic antimicrobials (Cowan, 1999). Plant based anti-infective agents generally have manifold effects on the body and often act beyond the symptomatic treatment of the infectious diseases. Plants have a virtually unlimited capacity to produce secondary metabolites, especially for their defense against predation by microorganisms, insects and herbivores. Many of these secondary metabolites give plants their characteristic odors and also responsible for plant pigments. Antimicrobial phytochemicals are divided into several categories based on their structural similarity as follows: Phenolic acids These are the simplest bioactive phytochemicals consisting of a single substituted phenolic ring. Cinnamic acid and caffeic acids are the common representatives of this group. Phenolic acids are reported to be effective against viruses (Wild, 1994), bacteria (Brantner et al, 1996) and fungi (Duke, 1985). The number and site of the hydroxyl group on the phenol structure are considered to be related to their relative toxicity to microorganisms. Phenolic acids which are in the higher oxidized state are often more inhibitory towards microorganisms than the one with the lower oxidation state (Scalbert, 1991). Thus the mechanisms thought to be responsible for the antimicrobial activity of phenolic acid could include enzyme inhibition by the oxidized compound through interaction with SH groups or through nonspecific interaction with the microbial proteins (Mason and Wasserman, 1987). Quinones They are aromatic compounds with two ketone substitutions in the phenolic ring. They are ubiquitous in nature and show general antimicrobial properties (Duke, 1997). They are extremely active as they can switch between hydroquinone and quinone through oxidation/reduction reactions. Quinones bind with proteins irreversibly, leading to inactivation of proteins and loss of function (Stern et al, 1996). They may also make substrates unavailable to the microbes. Flavonoids They are phenolic structures containing hydroxyl groups. They are ubiquitous and are commonly found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, tea, wine, honey, etc. They are known to be effective antimicrobial compounds against a wide variety of microorganisms (Cushnie and Lamb, 2005). Catechins are the most extensively researched flavonoids for their possible antimicrobial activity due to their occurrence in green tea (Toda et al, 1989). Flavonoids have the ability to complex with extracellular proteins as well as with bacterial cell walls, rendering them inactive (Cushnie and Lamb, 2005). More lipophilic flavonoids may also have the ability to disrupt microbial membrane (Tsuchiya et al, 1996). Terpenoids and essential oils Essential oils are secondary metabolites that are highly supplemented in compounds based on an isoprene structure (Cowan, 1999). They are called as terpenes and usually occur as di, tri, tetra, hemi and sesquiterpenes. When the compounds contain extra elements such as oxygen, they are called as terpenoids. Camphor, farnesol, artemisin and capsaicin are the common examples of terpenoids. Terpenes and terpenoids are active against an array of bacteria (Habtemariam et al, 1993) and fungi (Rana et al, 1997). Previous research showed that terpenoids present in the essential oils of plants could be useful in the control of Listeria monocytogenes (Aureli et al, 1992). The mechanism action of terpenes is not yet established precisely, but is speculated to be due to the disruption of bacterial cell membrane by the lipophilic terpenoids (Mendoza et al, 1997). Alkaloids Alkaloids constitute large groups of compounds containing a nitrogen atom in a heterocyclic ring, with a broad range of biological activities. The first medically functional alkaloid was morphine isolated from Papaver somniferum (Fessenden and Fessenden, 1982). Alkaloids are generally found to have potent antimicrobial activity (Ghoshal et al, 1996). Solamargine, a glycoalkaloid from the berries of Solanum khasianum reported to be useful against HIV infection and intestinal infections associated with AIDS (McMahon et al, 1995). Berberine is an important and frequently studied member of the alkaloid group. It is potentially efficient against trypanosomes (Freiburghaus et al, 1996) and plasmodial infections (Wright et al, 1992). The mode of action responsible for the antimicrobial activity of alkaloids may be attributed to their ability to intercalate with DNA and arresting the metabolic activity of the bacterial cells (Phillipson and ONeill, 1987). Sulfur-containing compounds Sulfur-containing compounds encompass a wide array of compounds and usually found in the plants as glucosides (glucosinolates, alliin, etc). These glucosides, during the rupturing of the plant cell wall, are hydrolyzed into volatile sulfur compounds such as ITCs, allicin, allyl sulfide, diallyl disulfate, etc. Biological activity of sulfur-containing compounds is considered to be chiefly due to glucoside degradation products, as intact glucosides usually display much fewer biological activities than their subsequent hydrolysis products (Donkin et al, 1995). The mechanism of action responsible for the antimicrobial activity of sulfur-containing compounds varies. Antimicrobial activity of ITCs, degradation products of GLs, is thought to be related to its NCS group, in which the central carbon atom is highly electrophilic, which could interact irreversibly with

Case Study on Dave Barry :: History

Case Study on Dave Barry Much can be learned about Dave Barry's personal life by reading his books, which are compilations of the articles that he has written. His articles can be seen every Sunday in the Daily Break section of The Virginian-Pilot. He is a comedy writer who often points out annoying aspects of everyday life and makes fun of them. All of the following excerpts have been taken from the book entitled, "Dave Barry is not making this up" (unless otherwise noted). He uses a lot of parentheses to add asides, which further explain what he has written. Another technique in his writing that I have noticed is personification, sometimes in the form of quotes. All of these techniques are used in the following excerpts from an article entitled, "Food For Thought." Another problem is that our ant is starting to sag, both in the front (or, in entomological terms, the "prognosis") and in the rear (or "butt"). It doesn't look like one of those alert, businesslike, "can-do" ants that you see striding briskly around. It looks depressed, like an ant that has just been informed that all 86,932 members of its immediate family were crushed while attempting to lift a Tootsie Roll. But the ants that showed up at our experiment were total morons. You'd watch one, and it would sprint up to a Cocoa Krispie, and then stop suddenly, as if saying: "Yikes! Compared with me, this Cocoa Krispie is the size of a Buick!" then it would sprint off in a random direction. Sometimes it would sprint back; sometimes it would sprint to another Cocoa Krispie and act surprised again. but it never seemed to do anything. There were thousands of ants behaving this way, and every single time two of them met, they'd both stop and exchange "high-fives" with their antennas, along with, I assume, some kind of ant pleasantries ("Hi Bob! "No, I'm Bill!" "Sorry! You look just like Bob!"). This was repeated millions of times. I watched these ants for two days, and they accomplished nothing. It was exactly like highway construction. It wouldn't have surprised me if some ants started waving orange flags to direct other insects around the area. A technique found often in Barry's articles are graphic indicators, especially italics. The above excerpt shows how he uses them to indicate exaggeration ("This was repeated millions of times") and also to emphasize words ("†¦accomplished nothing).

Legal and Ethical Implications for Classroom Management Essay

Today’s classrooms are more dynamic than ever before. Educational needs of students are changing at breakneck speeds, along with the demands being placed on their teachers. There are associated legal and ethical implications that are evolving as rapidly as the technology that is driving a lot of the change. In order to have a chance to meet the needs of students and legal/ethical obligations, educators must have well developed classroom management techniques. These can get tricky quite often and require balancing the increasingly diverse needs of many different people. To be an effective teacher today is extremely difficult for these reasons. This essay will examine some of the current issues that teachers are exposed to in today’s classrooms by summarizing four journal articles and responding to them. The specific issues will be free speech and what it means in a school setting, cell phones in classrooms, bullying (specifically of students with disabilities), and gender specific dress codes. Freedom of Speech The issue addressed in the first article summary is freedom of speech and how it is interpreted in a public school setting in relation to the distribution of religious materials. This is really not a new topic of debate. Current precedents have been set in court cases dating as far back as1969 and the Tinker vs. Desmoines case. In that case, the court decision reads that, in order to prohibit any students’ expression of opinion, the school must provide evidence to support the fact that the actions being suppressed would be significantly disruptive (Essex, 2006). Because it is an issue of ongoing debate there are cases still being heard all over the country. This article is specifically in response to a case in the New York Supreme Court, where a student was prohibited from distributing religious fliers on school property. The question is, why was the student prevented from expressing her opinion in the first place. According to Essex (2006), one of the requirements placed on schools is that they remain viewpoint neutral. This means that if the literature was suppressed because it was religious in nature, the suppression violated her First Amendment rights, even in the school setting. In all court cases, the real message has been that schools are responsible for making sure parents and students are aware that the schools are merely sending messages indiscriminately from religious and non-secular sources and that they are not in support of any of them (Essex, 2006). Really the essence of the article is that sound policies must be in place, well documented, and consistently followed for a school to be able to regulate what a student says or distributes and there must be no endorsement of any particular ideas from any group or student. Cell phones The next topic of discussion is cell phones in classrooms. The article being summarized is entitled The Only Thing We Have to Fear is†¦120 Characters. In this article, Kevin Thomas and Christy McGee (2012) make arguments for the use of cellphones in classrooms in spite of the fact that 69% have banned them. This paper responds to the many reasons for disallowing their use, and then it goes on to highlight some ideas about why cell phones should be used as educational tools. Both sides of the discussion certainly make valid points. If 69% schools have taken students cell phones away, there must be some reasons. Thomas & Mcgee (2012) identified and responded to four commonly offered rationales, including misuse for cheating, replacing Standard English with textese, sexting, and cyberbulling. It seems rather obvious that these are negative side effects of the technology, however there are also positive results that can be attributed to the use of cell phones. Today, they are relatively affordable and powerful miniature computers. When used properly, the possibilities for better use of time are astonishing. According to Thomas and McGee (2012), teachers need to be modeling appropriate behavior with their portable electronic devices and taking advantage of the benefits because the technology is not the cause of the problems. The problems being associated with cell phones all existed in some form, long before modern technology. Thomas Diamates (2010) reports that courts have supported schools in their efforts to ban cell phone use as long as the school follow established procedures. Bullying The third topic has to do with bullying, specifically students with disabilities. These students stand out in the classroom, as they are â€Å"different† and so they are subjects of increased abuse from fellow students (Eckes and Gibbs, 2012). Schools and teachers have an obligation to provide students with disabilities a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004). This paper looks at the findings in several court cases to establish what is required of teachers in situations where students with disabilities are being bullied. What this article shows is that there are an increasing number of suits against school where disabled children are being bullied. The interpretation of what is considered an appropriate education, and whether or not the school took proper preventative/disciplinary steps in light of the bullying are the reasons for these suits. The findings of this study provide evidence that the courts will generally side with schools that have taken and documented actions to alleviate the harassment. In Brown vs. Monroe County Board of Education (1999), the Supreme Court ruled that for a school to be liable, it must receive federal funds, it must have been aware of and acted â€Å"deliberately indifferent† to the harassment, and the bullying must have been severe enough to deprive educational opportunity (Eckes and Gibbs, 2012). Basically, schools must make an adequate effort to alleviate the harassment in order to limit their liability, and this has been upheld by the courts in cases like Werth v. Board of Directors (2007), and Biggs v. Board of Education (2002). Dress codes The last article on the list takes a look at how and why public schools can or cannot implement gender based dress codes. Proponents of dress codes list reasons including less distractions, less pressure to dress right, safety, and lower cost to families. Opponents say that dress codes take away students expressive rights, which are already severely limited in school settings. In this particular case, Ceara Sturgis had her picture and name removed from her senior yearbook because she is a lesbian who was more comfortable wearing the school prescribed male outfit. The current question is whether or not this is in violation of her civil liberties. Historically the courts have upheld the rights of schools to implement dress codes with very few exceptions. In Blau v. Fort Thomas Public School District (2005), a father brought suit against the school for violating 1st and 14th amendment rights with their dress code. The court found no violation of rights since â€Å"it is not related to suppression of the content of expression, it furthers a substantial government interest, and it does not burden substantially more speech than is necessary to further that interest† (Dowling-Sender, p. 34, 2005). On the other side of the coin, in United States vs. Virginia (1996), schools were required to show a â€Å"legitimate and important† reason for any gender based restrictions (Smith, 2012). In Ceara’s case, the school is going to have to show that it meets all these criteria, and the outcome has some potentially far reaching consequences. What all this means is that teaching in todays classrooms must be dynamic. Teachers need to be aware of their ever-changing legal and ethical obligations as educators. Decisions must be based on sound judgment and carefully documented observations. Teachers, students, and parents must work together and communicate with each other to create the best possible learning environment for everyone.