The Latest Advances In Drug Manipulations Of The Immune System Essays

INTRODUCTION In order to provide a detailed analysis of recent pharmacological developments involving the human immune system, it is firstly necessary to introduce the innate and adaptive immune responses . Immunosuppressants and immunomodulators will be differentiated between and a selection of new and often experimental drugs belonging to each category will be provided. Specific drugs will be described including the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics involved with each type. The possible clinical uses will be alluded to along with details from recent research. INNATE IMMUNITY Innate immunity is the first line of defence and comprises physical (skin), biochemical (complement, lysozyme) and cellular (macrophages, neutrophils) mechanisms (Katzung, 1998). All these mechanisms are non-specific, anti-microbial agents which work in conjunction with adaptive immune responses to provide a more effective system (Downie et. al., 1995). ADAPTIVE IMMUNITY The adaptive immune system is split into two mechanisms: humoral immunity and cell-mediated immunity. A basic understanding of these concepts is necessary for the purpose of understanding the specific effects of different immunopharmacological agents. HUMORAL IMMUNITY Humoral or antibody-mediated immunity is associated with B-lymphocyte cells. Antigens are foreign molecules that initiate an immune response, they have inherent immunogenicity (Tortora & Grabowski, 1996). Upon contact with an antigen, B-cells divide to produce a clone of plasma cells capable of the production of antibodies. Antibodies are immunoglobulins, modified blood proteins with a specific action against antigens. Five main sub-types of immunoglobulins have been identified of which IgG is the most abundant in bodily fluids (Hopkins, 1995). Several cells are known to initiate the process of plasma cell differentiation and are known collectively as antigen presenting cells (APCs) (Waller & Renwick, 1994). Lymphokines The antigen on the surface of the APC triggers TH-cells to produce hormone-like lymphokines (Lessof, 1993). Lymphokines are cytokines, regulators of the immune reactions which are produced by lymphocytes. Examples of these chemicals include interleukins, interferon and tumour necrosis factors. Their action involves the regulation of the proliferation, differentiation and activity of leukocytes (Dale et. al., 1994). The na... ...nours/himmun.html">http://www.pharm.uwa.edu.au/aussie/honours/himmun.html Kahan, B. D. (1998) History of Immunosuppression AT <a href="http://surgery.uth.tmc.edu/organ_transplant/historyimmu.html">http://surgery.uth.tmc.edu/organ_transplant/historyimmu.html Nijkamp, F.P. & Parnham, M. J. (1999) Principles of Immunopharmacology AT <a href="http://www.springer_ny.com/catalog/np/mar99np/3-7643-5780-0.html">http://www.springer_ny.com/catalog/np/mar99np/3-7643-5780-0.html Schultze, J. & Johnson, P. (1999) A Stimulating New Target for Cancer Immunotherapy IN The Lancet vol. 354, Oct. 9, 1999, pp1225-1226 Stadtlander Drug Distribution Co. Inc. (1998) Investigational Immunosuppressants for Transplantation AT <a href="http://www.stadtlander.com/feature/immunosuppren.html">http://www.stadtlander.com/feature/immunosuppren.html Swope, V.B; Abel-Malek, Z; Kassem, L. M. & Nordlund, J.J. (1991) Interleukins 1 Alpha & 6 & Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha are Paracrine Inhibitors of Human Melanocyte Proliferation & Melanogenesis AT <a href="http://www.biosyna.com/patent.htm">http://www.biosyna.com/patent.htm

Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Knights Tale :: Chaucer Knights Tale Essays

Chaucer's Knight's Tale: Now you See it, Now you Don't  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Matthean discourse on sin and the kingdom of heaven, Jesus says, "And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire." (Matt.19.9). Yet this homily is perhaps better known through the compressed poetry of the King James translation. "If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out." Grahically and even grotesquely materialized, the "eye" is that which offends, that which slides, with terrible corporeality, from the body to the table. In this proverb of the visual, "it" or that which requires excision in the offense, is the self, in an erasure of exteriority. There is no object, no objective "it" that offends. The gaze and its object are coterminous: the eye becomes the screen, the site of truth--both agent and vehicle of retributive justice. Vision never leaves the body, but sits at its margins--or only leaves it when the eye is thrown away, and the world becomes en capsulated in a broader metaphoric range: myself, the hole where my eye was, and the eye lying across the room. I begin with this embodied proverb, in part because it troubles, and has always troubled me, rising in the dark with its self-reflexive and impossible logic. It also haunts the margins of all discourse on vision, informing the point of slippage between self and object we look on, the trap, as Lacan writes, of the gaze (93). In his moving seminaires on the eye and the gaze, Lacan speaks of the all-seeing spectacle of the world, the inside-out structure of the gaze that fixes us in front of what we see (75): "What determines me, at the most profound level, in the visible, is the gaze that is outside." (106) Unlike the it of the Matthean proverb, Lacan's eye stands apart from the interplay between subject and object, the ocelli as distinct from the gaze; yet both texts seem to describe the act of vision in terms of a radical discontinuity between what we see and the self that perceives it: both have us fixed before a world--and in Matthew we respond like Oedipus, with self-castration. In Chaucer's Knigtht's Tale, a tale rich in overlays of visual narratives, one of the first accounts of the operations of the gaze effects a similar kind of inversion, one fully authorized by medieval amatory metaphysics.

Living In Space :: essays research papers fc

Living In Space: Energy Space is filled with radiant energy and beyond earth's atmosphere this energy flow more steadily and more intensely from the sun than that which penetrates to the surface of the Earth. So an abundant and essential source of energy that would be used in space for the space colony would be solar radiation by developing satellite solar power stations. To live in space, humans must be protected from the fierce intensity and penetrating wavelengths of unattenuated sunlight, but this same energy is one of the primary resources of space. The colony will have to have enough energy to maintain a fairly uniform temperature even though it is apace. The sun shines twenty-four hours a day and is not dimmed by an atmosphere. Shaded materials not exposed to direct sunlight will almost be at absolute zero. While the temperature in closed bodies exposed to the sun can soar above the boiling point. The colony will need to have both heaters and air conditioners. On the other hand, this sun's energy can be converted into electricity in the colonies. It will be converted with ten percent efficiency to electrical power which is sold at a rate of .012 kw/hr, a square kilometer of space would return more than $14,000,000 each year. Converting solar power to electricity in space, we would build satellite solar power stations that would intercept the sunlight and convert it into electricity. The satellite solar power stations would intercept enough sunlight to replace five nuclear reactors or coal plants. The stations could be as big as nine miles long and four miles wide and it would only weigh twenty thousand tons. It would be built with hollow triangular girders made of aluminum that is very fast and easy to build . Solar power satellites are a pollution free way to generate electricity and cost no more than coal or nuclear energy. There has been twomajor designed stations made so far. One is designed by Peter Glaser of Author D. Little Inc., which would use very large arrays of photo voltaic cells to make the conversion directly into energy. The other major design is by Gordon Woodcock of Boeing Aircraft Corporation, proposed having conventional turbogenerators operating on a Brayton cycle with helium as the working fluid. The key product in the solar power stations is solar cells, which does the actual converting of energy into electricity. A useful material is found in lunar soil is silicon which is used to make solar cells. So we can produce a large amount of these cells and then we can avoid any problems of shipping the material from earth. Cells convert sunlight directly into electricity and this could be used to supply the electricity for the

Effects of Global Warming on Polar Bears Essay

No one is safe from the harsh effects of global warming. But if there is one species which suffers the most, they are the polar bears who can only survive under extremely cold climate. Although their actual population is hard to determine, they are believed to be around 20,000 to 25, 000 found throughout the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas (World Wildlife Organization). Polar bears’ habitat is almost covered by sea ice all year round (Great Bear Organization). The area is said to have a fragile ecosystem, requiring longer time to change and to recover when disrupted or damaged. However, research shows that the Arctic is most likely to be ice free between 2013 and 2040 for the first time in history. The region has been experiencing thinning of the polar ice cap due to warming of temperatures. With the melting of the ice comes the destruction of the life of the species which thrives in the Arctic. Polar bears, seals, including endangered species like walruses and whales, are forced to retreat to environment less suitable for their make up. Further, scientists fear that large amounts of melted ice enter the North Atlantic and disrupt the global current pattern. The melting of the Arctic ice also entails smaller hunting area for polar bears. Seals are their favorite and they cannot track them where the sea is unfrozen. They also eat plants, including berries, roots, and kelp, but none of these can satisfy their calorie requirement. Their body needs large amount of fats from marine animals for they are active year-round. Reduction in Arctic sea ice can lead to 67 percent loss of the entire polar bear population in 50 years (Bear Planet Organization). Though polar bears are exposed to other risks such as pollution, oil and gas exploration, legal and illegal hunting, global warming remains the biggest threat to their survival. They experience malnutrition and starvation due to habitat loss. Melting ice force them to shore before they have acquired enough fat reserves to survive the period of scarce food during the late summer and early fall. Thining ice are surface hard to walk on because they deform more easily which makes it more difficult for them to hunt for food. They also need to swim wider gaps between ice which further used up their energy and sometimes lead to drowning. Malnourished female polar bears result to lower reproductive rates and lower survival rates among cubs and juvenilles (Rosing, 2006). Thining ice make it hard for adult females to find mates. And when they do find one, the hard quest starts for a suitable maternity dens. Underground dens have tendencies to collapse or have low insulative power to provide heat for newly born cubs. Dens built on multi-year ice may experience movement that may result in longer distances for mothers and young cubs to walk when they return to seal-hunting areas. There is also a risk of disease-causing bacteria and parasites to flourish more readily in a warmer climate. In Western Huson Bay, ice breaks up earlier than it did 30 years ago during late spring season which shortens the hunting season for polar nears (National Wildlife Organization). Their population declined by 22 percent from 1987 to 2004 and their body condition is much different, weighing 60kg lighter in 2004 than in 1980 when likely pregnant female polar bears weigh around 290kg. In 2005, Alaska recorded four drowned polar bears who made longer swim than they normally do when hunting for food. Alaska also documented higher mortality rates among polar bear cubs and different denning sites for pregnant polar bears. Photos and videos of polar bears’ struggle are everywhere. In 2008, US Department of the Interior listed Polar Bears as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and melting of the sea ice in the Arctic as the biggest danger to their survival (The Humane Society of the United States). They are the only species aside from elkhorn coral and staghorn coral to be put on the said list. However, the decision was reversed following the commercial and scientific data that they are increasing in numbers in the past 30 years. As it currently stands, the US Fish and Wildlife Service consider polar bears as threatened species meaning anytime their habitat will vanish and their status will change to endangered before they ultimately become extinct. In Canada, polar bears were recommended by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada to be placed under the list of â€Å"species of special concern†. This list allows for a management plan to be written in five years, which was criticized by World Wide Fund for Nature as being too long to make a substantive impact to habitat loss from climate change. Since their current status is threatened species, it is not too late for efforts toward saving their habitat from further degradation (Bear Planet Organization). The simplest but the best way to mitigate the effects of global warming is to stop carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Recycle and reuse products and use energy efficient appliances to cut back CO2 in the atmosphere. Polar bears deserve a chance. Works Cited Bear Planet Organization. Polar Bears and Global Warming. July 8, 2009. . Great Bear Organization. Polar Bear (Ursus Maritimus). July 7, 2009. . The Humane Society of the United States. Polar Bears. July 8, 2009. . National Wildlife Organization. Polar Bear. July 8, 2009. . Rosing, Norbert. The World of the Polar Bear. NY: Firefly Books, Ltd, 2006. World Wildlife Organization. WWF: A Leader in Polar Bear Conservation. July 7, 2009. .

Compare and contrast mongol rule Essay

During the 12th and 13th centuries the Mongols swept across Eurasia and conquered various peoples, including the Persians and Chinese. There are many slmllarltles and differences In the political and economic effects of Mongol rule on the Abbasid Empire In Persia and on the Yuan Dynasty In china. In both regions, the Mongols were relatively tolerant of all religions. However, they differed in that the Mongol’s allowed Persia to have native administrators but did not allow China to. When the Mongols ruled in Persia and China, they respected all the religions they encountered. In Persia, the Mongols were attracted to Islam and overtime they ssimilated to it. The Mongols were intrigued by Muslim society and by the year 1295, the Persian khanate had converted to Islam. They built mosques throughout the region and returned Islam toa privileged position of Persian society. The Mongols were also tolerant of the other religions in Persia including. Nestorian Christianity, Buddhism and Judaism. In China as well, the Mongols respected all cultural and religious traditions. They began to adopt some of Chinese culture, like ancestor worship. Khubilai Khan even built temples for his predecessors, so he could practice ancestor worship. The Mongols tolerated religions and belief systems such as, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and Christianity. They allowed churches, temples and shrines to be built, because they wanted to maintain a good relationship with the people ot the region. Although the Mongols tolerated Confucianism, they did not allow It to have official support. The Mongols effects on rellglon In Persia and china were quite similar. The Mongol’s ways of governing In Persia differed from how they governed In China. In Persia, the Mongols ruled using ideas from Persian bureaucracy. They set up many district and appointed provincial governors. The highest government positions were held by Mongols, but Persians were allowed to be government offcers at lower levels. Persians served as state officials, ministers and provincial governors. The Mongols allowed the Persians to govern the ilkhanate because they knew the Persians had a successful government and would be able to maintain order. However, the Mongols required the Persians to deliver tax receipts as a way of limiting Persian power. The Mongols set up government in China very differently than they had in Persia. The Mongol’s pushed native Chinese people to the bottom of the hierarchy. The Mongols got rid of Civil Service Exams because they thought there was no need for them. They did not make use of Chinese administrative talent; instead they had foreign administrators govern China. The governing staff included Persians, Arabs and some Europeans. The Mongols didnt want Chinese people to rule because all they wanted from China was to generate revenue and have the people be cultivators. The Mongols governed and treated the Chinese and Persian people very differently. The Mongols political and economic control on Persia and China were alike In some ways and unalike in others. The treatment and tolerance of religions in China ere very similar to that In Persia. Yet, the administrative control in Persia differed than the administrative control In China. The Mongols had multiple methods of ruling conquered regions, none 0T wnlcn were very successTul. However, tnrougnout the Mongols rule, they facilitated trade and encouraged long distance communication throughout Eurasia, which led to cultural diffusion that can still be seen today. Additionally, the Mongols support of Islam helped establish its popularity and encouraged its spread, which has contributed to Islam being the fastest growing and second largest religion.

Promoting Cognitive Development Essay

Piaget was interested in how children think; Piaget says children learn with intelligent, video, cognitive development. He believes putting the development and learns. He believes that children learn by doing or copying as their fears. Anal stage is an important stage. B.F. skinner is a. behaviorist he believed that behavior is learned such as praising. He believes to praise for good things and not for bad behavior ignore it. He also believes that if you praise to much a child will just do things to please the parent. Les Vygotsky believes that children copy what they see their parents doing. He believed in cultural, Vygotsky believes in children construct knowledge. Vygotsky believes social interaction is vital ingredients in learning in development. Vygotsky believes the children should be shown so they can be successful. Piaget, Erikson’s, Skinner and Vygotsky believe that children learn by how and they think they also learn with intelligent and cognitive development. Erikson’s and Freud agree with Piaget that children learn by doing and they also learn by their fears. Such as going to the doctor, the pretend play and interact with each other like they are doctors. They substitute things that a doctor would use. Erikson’s and Freud also thin the anal stage is important because that is when children are being potty trained and using the potty by their selves. They are learning how important it is to wash their hands. Children are developing social interaction at this time because they are being developed. If a child is having a hard time doing something on their own and keep messing up the teacher should show the child to do it. Explain how each theorist would approach the issues of cognitive development to early childhood. Is seeking the growth and understanding changing and intellectual capabilities of cognitive behavior. A mentalist examines learning and memory problems solving and intelligence. Piaget believes that children learn from action and are born with acquire schemas a concept how to act and respond to the world. Children form and reform theirs ideals in their minds while they explore the world. Knowledge is gained by the activity as child does by doing more. Children’s knowledge does not develop, but is much different form adult knowledge. (pg.7) According to Piagetian perspective is a child has different stages and development. Reading and writing are more shaped more by accomplishment. Vygotsky believe that social interaction places emphasis on stages of behavior Vygotsky says the learning is a matter of internalizing of language and action of others. Adults can help children solve problems by discussing them with the child. (info@ncrel.org) Keith’s advice about Jasmine is that all children learn in different ways. When it comes to children they should know that they are carried for. The cognitive development stages that a child learns by doing and experiment. Psychosocial and Physical influences to be seen by. Piaget says during the preoperational stages which usually are from the ages 2-7. At this age children learn language and they start to pretend play. At the ages 7-11 is the concrete operational stage and children also gain ability to solve problems. The finally stages are 11-adolescent usually makes more abstractly to solve problems and think symbolically about things that are not really there concretely in front of them. (Piaget’s) Reference: Copyright North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Gulf Bend Center http://gulf bend.org/pov/view_doc.php Piaget, J. and Child Development.

What is steaming (food)?

Steaming is a cooking method that uses the steam from water under varying degrees of pressure. Low pressure cooking is food cooked either direct contact with the steam or an indirect contact. High pressure steaming, on the other hand is done when steam is not allowed to escape the cooking equipment that increases the temperature and pressure build-up that reduces cooking time. 2. What is a bamboo steamer?A bamboo steamer is a round wooden cookware made from bamboo with a lattice for a bottom and a snug top. It is placed on a wok or a pan with water and the food is cooked inside the bamboo steamer. It can also be stacked on top of one another to enable food to be cooked simultaneously. The holes under the bamboo steamer are what cook the food inside of it in low pressure cooking. 3. Brief history of bamboo steam in Asia? The first bamboo steamer was developed in China where ovens are not a common sight.In Asian cuisine, as opposed to Western cuisine, rice, not bread is their staple, a nd therefore, the idea of using an oven is not a common one. As a substitute, to be able to cook their breads, they developed the steamer which is commonly used in cooking steamed cakes such as the siopao. 4. Healthy and Efficient Advantages of steamed food with a Bamboo Steamer As already stated earlier, the bamboo steamer can be stacked on top of one another making cooking large amounts of food more quickly to accomplish.It is also designed to fit in any wok and could also fit in pans so no special equipment is needed to use them. The bamboo also helps to absorb excess moisture to keep the food from becoming soggy and retains heat. Health benefits of cooking with a bamboo steamer include being able to cook the food without using any sort of fat, oils, or butter, retaining its healthy properties and appears fresh and vibrant, and its naturally antibacterial properties. 5.How to care for your bamboo steamer? In cleaning the bamboo steamer, mild soap should be used along with warm wa ter to prevent any damages. After washing, the bamboo steamer should be thoroughly drained and dried before it is put away to prevent molds from accumulating. Also, bamboo steamers should never be put in the dishwasher and as much as possible, direct food to steamer contact should be avoided (this can be done with the use of parchment paper or lettuce).Removing food bits that get stuck to the steamer should be removed with a nylon scrubber 6. Other uses for bamboo steamer (favor box, centerpiece†¦)? Uses for the bamboo steamer include: †¢ Centerpiece †¢ Dim Sum and Food Steaming †¢ Tamales †¢ Pie Carrier †¢ Gift Box †¢ Wedding Favors †¢ Heating food †¢ Steam-Dye Fabrics †¢ Pet Treat Basket †¢ Food Basket Reference: http://www. gourmetsleuth. com/Articles/Unique-Cooking-Tools-641/bamboo-steamer. aspx http://www. wisegeek. com/what-are-bamboo-steamers. htm