Gun Control Essays (1599 words) - Gun Politics In The United States

Gun Control : The failure of Gun Control Laws Americans are faced with an ever-growing problem of violence. Our streets have become a battleground where the elderly are beaten for their social security checks, where terrified women are viciously attacked and raped, where teenage gangster shoot it out for a patch of turf to sell their illegal drugs, and where innocent children are caught daily in the crossfire of drive-by shootings. We cannot ignore the damage that these criminals are doing to our society, and we must take actions to stop these horrors. However, the efforts by some misguided individuals to eliminate the legal ownership of firearms does not address the real problem at hand, and simply disarms the innocent law abiding citizens who are most in need of a form of self-defense. To fully understand the reasons behind the gun control efforts, we must look at the history of our country, and the role firearms have played in it. The second amendment to the Constitution of the United States makes firearm ownership legal in this country. There were good reasons for this freedom, reasons which persist today. Firearms in the new world were used initially for hunting, and occasionally for self-defense. However, when the colonist felt that the burden of British oppression was too much for them to bear, they picked up their personal firearms and went to war. Standing against the British armies, these rebels found themselves opposed by the greatest military force in the world at that time. The 18th century witnessed the height of the British Empire, but the rough band of colonial freedom fighters discovered the power on the Minuteman, the average American gun owner. These Minuteman, so named because they would pick up their personal guns and jump to the defense of their country on a minute's notice, served a major part in winning the American Revolution. The founding fathers of the country understood that an armed populace was instrumental in fighting off oppression, and they made the right to keep and bear arms a constitutionally guaranteed right(The Gunin American 14-25)Over the years, some of the reasons for owning firearms have changed. As our country grow into a strong nation, we expanded westward, exploring the wilderness, and building new towns on the frontier. Typically, these new towns were far away from the centers of civilization, and the only law they had was dispensed by townsfolk through the barrel of a gun. Crime existed, but could be minimized when the townspeople fought back against the criminals. Eventually, these organized townspeople developed police forces as their towns grew in size. Fewer people carried their firearms on the street, but the firearms were always there, ready to be used in self-defense(27-39) It was after the Civil War that the first gun-control advocates came into existence. These southern leaders who were afraid that the newly freed black slaves would assert their newfound political rights, and these leaders wanted to make it easier to oppress the free blacks(41) This oppression was accomplished by passing laws making it illegal in many places or black people to own firearms. With that effort, they assured themselves that the black population would be subject to their control, and world not have the ability to fight back. At the same time, the people who were most intent on denying black people their basic rights walked around with their firearms, making it impossible to resist their efforts. An unarmed man stands little chance against and armed one, and these armed men saw their plans work completely. It was a full century before the civil rights activists of the 1960's were able to restore the constitutional freedoms that blacks in this country were granted in the 1860's(46). Today's gun control activists are a slightly different breed. They claim that gun violence in this country has gotten to a point where something must be done to stop it. They would like to see criminals disarmed, and they want the random violence to stop(Edel 77). I agree with their sentiments. However, they are going about it in the wrong way. While claiming that they want to take guns out of the hands of criminals, they work to pass legislation that world take the guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens instead. For this reason the efforts at gun control do not address the real problem of crime. The simple definition of a criminal is someone who does not obey the law. The simple definition of a law abiding

Strategic planning and performance measurement Logic Model

Strategic planning and performance measurement Logic Model Organization Name: Wounded Warriors Program Name: Family Support Inputs Program Activities/Processes Outputs Short-term outcomes Intermediate outcomes Long-term outcomes Capital 55 Trainers Services Community Workers Supporting Families psychologically and financially Developing economic policies for the affected families Offering credit families Providing emotional support and counseling the affected accordingly 50 households An approximate of $100,000 needed Issuing $2000 to each household head Giving $10 to each community worker Saving Lives Creation of awareness among families as regards to economic life Joining of broken marriages and families Monitoring the progress the affected in society Safeguarding the very survival of society Improved standards of living among the affected Prevention of moral decay caused by catastrophes Advising relevant authorities on the way forward Strengthening the country’s economy Eradication of poverty and strengthening family lives Eco nomically healthy society Effective implementation of programs related to the affected families The logic model has emerged as a desired tool in developing performance measures in both governmental and private sectors. It is mostly utilized in professional evaluation of programs in communities. It is also used in referencing office management and budgeting of national resources.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic planning and performance measurement : Logic Model specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Logic model is a participatory approach that aims at strengthening the relationship between managers and employees, employees and stakeholders, as well as offering a culturally competent structure for generating substantial programs (Poister, 2003). There is a preferred method as far as logic modeling is concerned. It is advisable that logic models must connect service inputs to outputs. The systems generated shoul d be implemented to capture clearly the outcome of information. This means that policy makers in non-profit organizations should participate in program modification and perfection that would probably benefit accomplices and actually strengthen funding (Bryson, 2004). On the other hand, the outcomes of any program are identified after considering some factors. The outcomes of a program can be short, intermediate-term or long-term. Irrespective of the above categories, they all aim at answering one question, which is ‘what happened after the program had been implemented’. Short-term outcomes are influenced by two major factors, which are awareness and knowledge base of the affected (Poister, 2003). Clients are usually affected after identifying the problem facing them. Through raising awareness, clients are in a position to increase their knowledge bases. Conversely, intermediate-term outcomes are identified after a certain program has changed the practices that are commo n to clients or communities.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The program could also change behavior patterns among families. Other changes that affect intermediate-term outcomes include strategies employed by governments or non-profit making organizations, technologies utilized in disseminating a program and leadership policies exercised by organizations. Furthermore, long-term outcomes are closely related to intermediate-term outcomes. When people’s economic conditions are enhanced, long-term outcomes can possibly be observed. Financial assistance and economic empowerment tend to improve people’s social conditions, which would further diminish violence in society. This is a sign of long-term outcome of any given program. People affected by calamities are mostly rendered homeless (Bryson, 2004). Some are forced to spend their nights in the cold. In th is case, they are exposed to harsh environmental conditions. On the other hand, improving people’s financial bases tend to minimize environmental degradation. This means that people are able to afford housing, which would in turn improve the quality of life. Alternatively, long- term outcomes are manifested by the safety of the environment. Finally, a policy maker is able to identify a long-term outcome by observing people’s political behavior, such as voting. Economically healthy people are tempted to participate in leadership by voting for leaders and presenting their candidature during elections. References Bryson, M. (2004). Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Guide to Strengthening and Sustaining Organizational Achievement (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Poister, H. (2003). Measuring Performance in Public and Nonprofit Organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Silverman, D. (2001). Interpreting qualitative data: methods for analyzi ng talk, text and interaction (2nd ed.). London: SageAdvertising We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic planning and performance measurement : Logic Model specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

Individual Written Comprehensive Care Plan Assignment

Individual Written Comprehensive Care Plan - Assignment Example Dougherty, L & Lister, S. (2011). The Royal Marsden Hospital manual of clinical Nursing procedures, student edition. MA: John Wiley and Sons. Retrieved October 9, 2011, from http://books.google.com/books?id=4AysuLGbMeMC&pg=PT574&dq=Constipation+Care+Plan&hl=en&ei=YdOQTqeUNcS68gOP89UQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDQQ6AEwATgU#v=onepage&q=Constipation%20Care%20Plan&f=true. Stepanek, J. S & University of Maryland. (2008). The experiences and needs of parents whose children died due to degenerative disabilities: A qualitative analysis. MI: ProQuest. Retrieved October 9, 2011, from http://books.google.com/books?id=AafbHJfnszMC&pg=PA14&dq=degenerative+neuromuscular+disease&hl=en&ei=ymuRTpeYA4PF8QPQl403&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=degenerative%20neuromuscular%20disease&f=false. -Holistic health perceives and attach great importance to physical, intellectual, socio-cultural, psychological, and spiritual aspects of a client life that should be integrated in health care planning of the individual (Thresyamma, 2005). -Attaining comprehensive holistic health care involves six critical steps that in most cases occur simultaneously: assessment; diagnosis; outcomes, therapeutic care plan, implementation, and evaluation (Dossey, Keegan, and American Holistic Nurses, 2009). Dossey, B. M., Keegan, L & American Holistic Nurses. (2009). Holistic nursing: a handbook for practice. MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Retrieved October 9, 2011, from

Legalizing Marijuana for recreational use Research Paper

Legalizing Marijuana for recreational use - Research Paper Example Ethics, unlike law determines what is right from wrong in regards to this issue regardless of the law which may be in existence unlike law which heavily defends a legal position that has already been defined using the oratory skills. This paper proposes the justice of making marijuana legal at a federal level as a controlled substance while taking 2 standpoints where the drugs benefits is more than the associated risks and also since there are inconsistencies with the current legal policies on the issue of marijuana as compared to both legal and illegal drugs that are more dangerous. Specifically, the paper will compare benefits and risks of legalizing marijuana against those of the most common legal recreational drug that are currently being used today. In specific it will look at cigarettes and alcohol. This paper tries to avoid discussing legalization of medical marijuana since research show that12 states already have allowed the use of marijuana in medicinal purposes and today there are over 2000 legal marijuana dispensaries all over the nation. However, the possession and usage of the drug is still illegal under the federal law. Due to the popularity and historical usage of the substance, a new look needs be implemented so that this can be a legal recreational drug together or even to be made to replace alcohol and cigarette smoking. Marijuana is a dried blossom of the Cannabis Sativa and Cannabis Indica plants. It is the most regularly used illegal drug and thus is considered as being one of the most popular recreational drug in United States. Over the years there have been a lot of debates over the issue of legalizing the drugs with many individuals coming up with both positive and negative issues. In the 21st century marijuana is illegal in the United States due to concerns over violence, health related issues and crimes that are associated with marijuana. There have been some

Community Service Is a Personal Commitment Essay Example for Free

Community Service Is a Personal Commitment Essay Community Service is a personal commitment, not a corporate responsibility. Community Service, in another word, means doing something that is meaningful for the welfare of the people who are in needs. To involve or not to involve in a social work depends on our own decision, not a corporate’s decree. Social Services is defined as the professional activity of helping individuals, groups, or communities in enhancing and restoring their capacity for social functioning and creating societal conditions favorable to the goal (The National Association of Social Workers Board of Directors, 2011). Personal commitment is an act or quality of voluntarily taking on or fulfilling obligations (Wikipedia, 2012). What makes the personal commitment ‘personal’ is the voluntary aspect. Anyone can become a part of the community services regardless of their race, language or citizenship status. People participate in community and social work because of their desire in serving the society who are in need and their interest in involving themselves in community project. It is our own choice of whether or not to get involved in community service. Once we have decided, a personal commitment in servicing the community is made. Getting the intention right signifies how deep one’s commitment is towards servicing the society. Ask ourselves these questions: Why am I doing the community work? What is the motive of participating in social work? Do I really have the desire to help them, or am I ‘performing’ just to gain compliments from my supervisors? Being in a community work and a real community work is different. A real community work occurs when a group of true and honest people come together and work with the common goal of assisting people who are in need by providing them resources they need. Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in (Moore, 2004). Every single person has their own lawful human rights to ‘vote’ in this society. Whether or not one wants to spend their time and money to the community is a matter of choice. We can expect every single one of us to participate in social work, but we cannot force someone to perform social work because that violates human rights. Since the year of 1986, the Atlanta’s 100 Black Men Inc. ith their community service program, ‘Project Success’, has become one of the city’s most effective community organization. They are successful because of the love and care they have towards the children who are in need. One of the members in the company, Ed Frances said, ‘Personal commitment often produces some touching moments. ’ (Atlantas 100 Black Men Inc. , 1990) Each and every member in the community organization has had the desire and strong will of shining for the others. Without the commitment from each member, the organization would not be successful. We may not be shining as brightly as we need to shine, but we are definitely shining, and we are doing something,’ said the President of the organization, Dr. Joseph I. Hoffman Jr. The persistence they show, together with the commitment they have has made a difference to the world. Community Service is an individual personal commitment because it is often performed outside of our working hours. It is the time where you can be yourself, the time where you enjoy the moment of assisting people who needs love. It is the time where we enjoy being in our ‘sacred place’ a place where we recognize ourselves and our commitments. Turkle, 2011) There is a person whom I respect commits her time in doing voluntary work after her retirement as a teacher. She was my primary school Chinese Language teacher. I remember when I first asked her, why do you travel around the world as a voluntary worker after your retirement? Why don’t you just stay at home and be a lady of leisure? ’ She smiled to me and said, ‘There are many people in this world who are less fortunate than we are. I have been blessed for 60 years, it is more than enough. It’s my time now to be a blessing to the others. It gives me a break in everything that I do while helping others. Being a voluntary worker is the most awesome moment I have ever had in my life. I have no regrets now. ’ Community service is a personal commitment because it only works well when we have desire and interest in it. Community service should not be a corporate responsibility, but a personal commitment because of the passion in each of us. Every one of us has different passion in things, don’t we? Only people who have the passion and joy in serving the community can make a personal commitment to the community. Personal commitment tends to produce a more effective and fruitful result compared to an organizational commitment. (Curtis Eby, 2010) Not everybody has the similar pursuit and hobby. Some people love swimming, diving, and some even have assisting people as their hobby. We only decide in doing something when we feel that we can do it, and we want to do it. Once decision is made, we will put in our extra attention and effort into it. The result will be promising because not only we put in our strength, but we place our heart in serving the community too. Conversely, if we are forced to perform something that we are not fond of, the result will never be impressive. For instance, XYZ Company organize a Chinese Festival and make it compulsory for all regular officers to work as voluntary workers outside their working hours. Some will love it, some will grumble, some will nag and some will protest. Complaints from the workers will not produce a satisfying result. This is because company forces them to do so, but in their heart, they are not committed in performing community service. They ‘appear’ to be committed, but actually they are not. In conclusion, who is a real volunteer? A real volunteer is a person who gives their personal commitment into serving others, who remembers to do things to make other people happy, who takes the loneliness out of the alone by talking to them, who is concerned when others are unconcerned, who has the courage to be a prophet and to say the things that have to be said for the good of all. (Moore, 2004) Being able to participate in serving the community is a great privilege we have. Mother Teresa once said: â€Å"Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go. (Teresa, 1990) Money is not everything in the social service network. Patience, love and strength are the important criteria we need to have in serving the community as well. Volunteering in a service to the community is a personal choice and responsibility. Only those who have the desire to love, to care and are willing to devote fully into helping others unconditionally are able to make a commitment to the community. A real, hidden and personal commitment we make to ourselves and to the society. Therefore, I strongly believe that servicing in the community is a personal commitment and not a corporate responsibility.

Mechanism and Optimization of Melphalan

Mechanism and Optimization of Melphalan Melphalan Introduction Cancer in general is referred to body cells that grows rapidly and over the limit of normal cells (Hayflick limit). There’s over 200 different types of cancer, where some cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body leading to further complications. It’s one of the biggest leading cause of death worldwide. Therefore interest in finding treatment and prevention for this disease has been growing. One of the most successful chemotherapy drugs is Melphalan. It’s been over 50 years in use and there’s an increase in research to improve this drug. It’s indicated for different type of cancer: for the analgesic treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) and for the alleviation of unresectable epithelial tumor of the ovary. It has also been used alone or in combination with other chemotherapy drugs for relief treatment of locally repeated or unresectable in-transit metastatic melanoma of the extremities. It’s also used in addition to other drugs or surge ry in breast cancer. Mechanism of action Melphalan belong to a class of chemotherapy drugs called nitrogen mustardalkylating agents. It’s the oldest class of anticancer drugs still frequently used. It’s a bifunctional alkylating agent which means it has two sites where the reactivity occurs. It displaces the chloride ion by amine nitrogen to form a cyclic amine ion (aziridinium ring) by intramolecular nucleophilic attack. Afterwards the DNA nucleophile undergoes a nucleophilic attack and opens the azidrine ring, which leads to the alkylation of DNA. The lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen in the drug will then be regenerated when the azidine ring cleaves. The same reactions happen on the second reactive site of the drug, by displacing the second chloride ion. (picture) This will lead to cross-linked DNA molecules through covalent bonds. The covalent bonds can be made in two different ways: either on the same DNA strand which will alter the shape permanently prevents other enzymes or molecules from binding t o it, or on adjacent strand therefore preventing replication/transcription process. (picture) The reaction happens in the N7-site of guanine, which is the most preferred nuclei acid. However the reaction can also take place at the N3-site of adenine. The alkylation of the nucleotide leads to miscoding of DNA as for example Thymine will bind to guanine instead cytosine. Due to the p-orbital of the benzene ring in melphalan that draws the lone pair electrons from nitrogen, this leads to reduction of reactivity to form the azirdine, hence only strong nucleophiles such as guanine will react with it. This has the benefit of reducing the side reactions with water, tissue and blood, leading to the drug can be given orally. The side chain of Melphalan is L-phenylalanine, meaning it has a component that act as the amino acid phenylalanine. (picture) Consequently the drug is most likely to be recognised as an amino acid, and it will be taken into the cell by transporter protein. This increase s the stability of the drug further. Optimization of Melphalan Despite Melphalan being used as an anticancer drug for over 50 years, it’s associated with many complications including poor solubility in water, variable bioavailability and rapid hydrolysis at physiological pH (11-14) which also increase the bioavailability problem. Another major problem is its rapid clearance from the blood circulation due to its short half-life (90 min). A study conducted in USA to tackle these difficulties by adding a poly ethylene glycol (PEG) to the Mel, in order to enhance the formulation of parental and oral administration. PEG is a synthetic polymer which is water soluble and non-ionic. It is an amphipilic polymer meaning it has an exceptional capacity to be soluble in both aqueous and organic solvents. This property makes it ideal for chemical conjugate of substance that has a biological effect. Another advantage of using PEG is it has exceptionally low level of antigenicity and immunogenicity. The process of conjugation is called PEGylation. Itâ₠¬â„¢s a two-step process where in the first step the activation and derivatization of PEG occurs with appropriate functional groups. In step two the conjugation of the activated PEG with Mel occurs. The NH2 group in melphalan undergoes a nucleophilic reaction with mPEG-succinimidyl propionate (mPEG-SPA) under the presence of DMAP catalyst. This reaction produces an amide bond, which is reasonably stable. The mPEG-SPA gets hydrolysed to mPEG and N-hydroxysuccinimide. Fig x. The study conjugated two molecular weight (MW) PEG: 2000 and 5000 Da. Variable test were conducted to measure the difference between the two different MW PEG conjugates and the parent drug Melphalan. The aqueous solubility of the conjugated Melphalan was measured by dissolution test, the results are shown in table 1. The table shows there is an increase in aqueous solubility of MpPEG-2000 by nearly 80 times reading as 7.2 ±0.12  µg/ml and increased by approximately 123 times for MpPEG-5000 reading as 11.07 ±0.8  µg/ml, compared to the measured solubility of the parental Melphalan of 0.09  µg/ml. This results can be explained due to the PEG chain being attached to the drug. On the other hand the haemolytic activity of melphalan versus its conjugates was also determined by assessing the haemoglobin content. The melphalan haemolytic activity was measured to 100% above the concentration 3.5  µg/ml (table 2). With regards to MpPEG-5000 only 48.8 ±1.5% haemolysis observed at concentration of 32  µg/ml (table 3). In case of MpPEG-2000 the highest percentage of haemolysis of 81.3 ±0.5% was recorded at concentration of 32  µg/ml (table 4). The lower haemolytic activity of the conjugates compared to melphalan might be due to the dominated property of polymeric carrier PEG. These results is an indication that the chain length of PEG plays an important role on the haemolytic activity. The property of delaying haemolysis is better in MpPEG-5000 compared to MpPEG-2000 even at higher concentrations. It also has an effect on the aqueous solubility due to the longer the chain the more hydrophilic backbone of PEG will be present. The percentage cumulative hydrolysis of the conjugates was observed in case of MpPEG-2000 to be 10.11 ±0.68 after 6 hours, whereas for MpPEG-5000 was only 5.21 ±1.2% after the same time (table 5). The low cumulative hydrolysis detected in MpPEG-5000 may be understood due to the ester linkage being protected by the PEG molecule du e to the steric hindrance. Furthermore the amide bond is more protected in MpPEG-5000 compared to MpPEG-2000 due to the shielding effect of the larger chain of PEG. Therefore the MpPEG-5000 can be an ideal candidate to provide a slow release drug formulation. Thus, increase the half-life of the drug and decrease the clearance. Clinical trials Conclusion This drug adds a small group, an alkyl group to the DNA to alter its structure and hence modifies the function. It’s an alkylating agent which means it adds an alkyl group to DNA. The alkyl group may be transferred as an alkylcarbocation, afree radical, acarbanionor acarbene(or their equivalents). Nitrogen mustards (NMs) form cyclic aminium ions (aziridinium rings) by intramolecular displacement of the chloride by the amine nitrogen. This aziridinium group then alkylates DNA once it is attacked by the N-7 nucleophilic center on the guanine base. A second attack after the displacement of the second chlorine forms the second alkylation step that results in the formation of interstrand cross-links (ICLs) as it was shown in the early 1960s. At that time it was proposed that the ICLs were formed between N-7 atom of guanine residue in a 5’-d(GC) sequence.[15][16] These kinds of lesions are effective at forcing the cell to undergo apoptosis via p53, a protein which scans the genome for defects. Note that the alkylating damage itself is not cytotoxic and does not directly cause cell death. For the analgesic treatment of multiple myeloma and for the palliation of non-resectable epithelial carcinoma of the ovary. Has also been used alone or as part of various chemotherapeutic regimens as an addition to surgery in the treatment of breast cancer, alone or in combination regimens for palliative treatment of locally recurrent or unresectable in-transit metastatic melanoma of the extremities, as well as for the treatment of amyloidosis with prednisone. http://www.bloodjournal.org.ezproxy.kingston.ac.uk/content/106/2/698 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.kingston.ac.uk/doi/10.1002/cncr.27820/full http://www.bloodjournal.org.ezproxy.kingston.ac.uk/content/117/24/6445 http://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB01042 http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/44/7/2773.full.pdf+html http://pubs.acs.org.ezproxy.kingston.ac.uk/doi/full/10.1021/jo300351g http://www.bloodjournal.org.ezproxy.kingston.ac.uk/content/100/1/224 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4024156/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4286742/ http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0898656813000314/1-s2.0-S0898656813000314-main.pdf?_tid=c3b012a4-c411-11e4-944b-00000aab0f27acdnat=1425654312_d9351a386aa77b225426f1c34e100e88 http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0144861714004196/1-s2.0-S0144861714004196-main.pdf?_tid=00c4f2b8-c412-11e4-aee6-00000aab0f6cacdnat=1425654412_90fa9336c00ccddd1706b13914966246 http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0009279702000145/1-s2.0-S0009279702000145-main.pdf?_tid=458a0f50-c412-11e4-b306-00000aacb360acdnat=1425654528_8adc41f2576ed853db84f0b37d63aba7 http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0014827X03001642/1-s2.0-S0014827X03001642-main.pdf?_tid=8710dca6-c412-11e4-ba2b-00000aab0f02acdnat=1425654638_fb397da0e9304b218456d2a2da0cc6bf http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0144861714012533/1-s2.0-S0144861714012533-main.pdf?_tid=ffa7bf86-c412-11e4-9b6f-00000aacb361acdnat=1425654840_9033413b545510662226d20eec11b255 http://www.drugs.com/mmx/melphalan.html http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/23/8_Part_1/1315.full.pdf http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jna/2010/543531/ https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Sd6ot9ul-bUCpg=PA1208lpg=PA1208dq=nitrogen+mustard+aziridine+ringsource=blots=TMPCHHeGPrsig=tArK9BCztSsPXxLXMj2ojRGFG2shl=ensa=Xei=FggDVaHxFMatU_6zgfABved=0CD8Q6AEwBg#v=onepageqf=false Bifunctional alkylating agents (e.g., nitrogen mustards (melphalan, chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide, and ifosfamide) and chloroethylnitrosoureas (BCNU and CCNU)) possess two reactive sites. These agents cross-link DNA with proteins or, alternatively, cross-link two DNA bases within the same DNA strand (intrastrand cross-links) or on opposite DNA strands (ICLs). ICLs, which block replication forks, are the most serious cytotoxic lesions produced by most bifunctional drugs. Accordingly, the extent of ICLs correlates well with the cytotoxicity of nitrogen mustard drugs

Role of Financial Institution in Economy

Role of Banks and Financial Institutions in Economy Money lending in one form or the other has evolved along with the history of the mankind. Even in the ancient times there are references to the moneylenders. Shakespeare also referred to ‘Shylocks’ who made unreasonable demands in case the loans were not repaid in time along with interest. Indian history is also replete with the instances referring to indigenous money lenders, Sahukars and Zamindars involved in the business of money lending by mortgaging the landed property of the borrowers.Towards the beginning of the twentieth century, with the onset of modern industry in the country, the need for government regulated banking system was felt. The British government began to pay attention towards the need for an organised banking sector in the country and Reserve Bank of India was set up to regulate the formal banking sector in the country. But the growth of modern banking remained slow mainly due to lack of surplus ca pital in the Indian economic system at that point of time. Modern banking institutions came up only in big cities and industrial centres.The rural areas, representing vast majority of Indian society, remained dependent on the indigenous money lenders for their credit needs. Independence of the country heralded a new era in the growth of modern banking. Many new commercial banks came up in various parts of the country. As the modern banking network grew, the government began to realise that the banking sector was catering only to the needs of the well-to-do and the capitalists. The interests of the poorer sections as well as those of the common man were being ignored. In 1969, Indian government took a historic decision to nationalise 14 biggest private commercial banks.A few more were nationalised after a couple of years. This resulted in transferring the ownership of these banks to the State and the Reserve Bank of India could then issue directions to these banks to fund the nationa l programmes, the rural sector, the plan priorities and the priority sector at differential rate of interest. This resulted in providing fillip the banking facilities to the rural areas, to the under-privileged and the downtrodden. It also resulted in financial inclusion of all categories of people in almost all the regions of the country.However, after almost two decades of bank nationalisation some new issues became contextual. The service standards of the public sector banks began to decline. Their profitability came down and the efficiency of the staff became suspect. Non-performing assets of these banks began to rise. The wheel of time had turned a full circle by early nineties and the government after the introduction of structural and economic reforms in the financial sector, allowed the setting up of new banks in the private sector. The new generation private banks have now established themselves in the system and have set new standards of service and efficiency.These banks have also given tough but healthy competition to the public sector banks. Modern Day Role Banking system and the Financial Institutions play very significant role in the economy. First and foremost is in the form of catering to the need of credit for all the sections of society. The modern economies in the world have developed primarily by making best use of the credit availability in their systems. An efficient banking system must cater to the needs of high end investors by making available high amounts of capital for big projects in the industrial, infrastructure and service sectors.At the same time, the medium and small ventures must also have credit available to them for new investment and expansion of the existing units. Rural sector in a country like India can grow only if cheaper credit is available to the farmers for their short and medium term needs. Credit availability for infrastructure sector is also extremely important. The success of any financial system can be fathome d by finding out the availability of reliable and adequate credit for infrastructure projects.Fortunately, during the past about one decade there has been increased participation of the private sector in infrastructure projects. The banks and the financial institutions also cater to another important need of the society i. e. mopping up small savings at reasonable rates with several options. The common man has the option to park his savings under a few alternatives, including the small savings schemes introduced by the government from time to time and in bank deposits in the form of savings accounts, recurring deposits and time deposits. Another option is to invest in the stocks or mutual funds.In addition to the above traditional role, the banks and the financial institutions also perform certain new-age functions which could not be thought of a couple of decades ago. The facility of internet banking enables a consumer to access and operate his bank account without actually visitin g the bank premises. The facility of ATMs and the credit/debit cards has revolutionised the choices available with the customers. The banks also serve as alternative gateways for making payments on account of income tax and online payment of various bills like the telephone, electricity and tax.The bank customers can also invest their funds in various stocks or mutual funds straight from their bank accounts. In the modern day economy, where people have no time to make these payments by standing in queue, the service provided by the banks is commendable. While the commercial banks cater to the banking needs of the people in the cities and towns, there is another category of banks that looks after the credit and banking needs of the people living in the rural areas, particularly the farmers. Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) have been sponsored by many commercial banks in several States.These banks, along with the cooperative banks, take care of the farmer-specific needs of credit and other banking facilities. Future Till a few years ago, the government largely patro-nized the small savings schemes in which not only the interest rates were higher, but the income tax rebates and incentives were also in plenty. The bank deposits, on the other hand, did not entail such benefits. As a result, the small savings were the first choice of the investors. But for the last few years the trend has been reversed. The small savings, the bank deposits and the mutual funds have een brought at par for the purpose of incentives under the income tax. Moreover, the interest rates in the small savings schemes are no longer higher than those offered by the banks. Banks today are free to determine their interest rates within the given limits prescribed by the RBI. It is now easier for the banks to open new branches. But the banking sector reforms are still not complete. A lot more is required to be done to revamp the public sector banks. Mergers and amalgamation is the next measure on the a genda of the government.The government is also preparing to disinvest some of its equity from the PSU banks. The option of allowing foreign direct investment beyond 50 per cent in the Indian banking sector has also been under consideration. Banks and financial intuitions have played major role in the economic development of the country and most of the credit- related schemes of the government to uplift the poorer and the under-privileged sections have been implemented through the banking sector. The role of the banks has been important, but it is going to be even more important in the future.

Morality and Power Essay

Thucydides’ written history of the Mytilenian Debate and the Melian Dialogue reflects the reality of a period where morality is dependent on the exercise of power and those who possess it. The main theme running through the course of these two debates is that those with the power to act as they wish inherently have the power to dictate morality. The arguments that decide the fate of the Mytilene are made not strictly on the basis of morality but on how their power allows them to exercise the moral course they choose. The Melian dialogue reveals how those in power can dictate morality in terms of self-interest. Both cases also demonstrate how morality is also a function of self-interest. The question of the relationship between power and morality also hinges on the definition of these two vague terms. Morality, in the broader sense of moral order, has been defined as â€Å"a set of rules which define what is right and wrong. † (Outka and Reeder, p. 5) Who decides what is right and wrong often depends, as with Thucydides’ history, on who has the power in a given situation. Power can broadly be defined, as the capacity to achieve what one wants. (Dickerson and Flanagan, p. 24) In the case of these two debates, the Athenians were the party who possessed the power. They had the coercive ability to decide the fates of both the Melians and the Mytilenians. This power was derived strictly from the military might their empire was able to build up. In both cases, power allowed them to dictate morality to the inferior parties. Thucydides’ history of the Mytilenian debate details the discussion of a council deciding on how to punish the citizens of Mytilene for a failed revolt. The two options on the table are to either slaughter all the inhabitants, as had been previously agreed upon, or to leave them without severe punishment. Cleon, the Athenian responsible of initially deciding to slaughter Mytilene, argued that it was necessary to take his brutal course of action for the safety of the empire. He stated succinctly that â€Å"leadership depends on superior strength and not on goodwill. † (Thucydides, p. 213) He believed that killing the Mytilenians was a question of safety for the empire; If you are going to give the same punishment to those who are forced to revolt by your enemies and those who do so of their own accord, can you not see that they will all revolt upon the slightest pretext, when success means freedom and failure brings no very dreadful consequences. (Thucydides, p. 216) In this statement, Cleon argues that Athens has a moral duty to put down this revolt in the harshest way. He makes it a moral argument because it is in the self-interest of Athens, and any state, to protect its citizens. It is their moral duty. The Mytilenians, in their own self-interest, would argue that it is immoral to slaughter a whole population. They are both right. Subsequently, the council decides not to slaughter the inhabitants of Mytilene. They are convinced to â€Å"look for a method by which, employing moderation in our punishments, we can in future secure for ourselves the full use of those cities which bring us important contributions. † (Thucydides, p. 221) They do this not the sake of the Mytilenians, but for one of pure self-interest. Morality, in this situation, is dictated by the party in power. The Melian Dialogue concerns the history of the island of Melos. Melis, a colony of Sparta, had refused to join the Athenian empire and side against Sparta; they instead chose neutrality. Athens had brought a force to the island to take Melos by force. Before the siege, the two sides met to discuss the surrender of the Melians. (Thucydides, p. 401) Athens does not argue the morality of what they intend to do, they say strongly that † the standard of justice depends on the equality of power to compel and that in fact the strong do what they have the power to do and the weak accept what they have to accept. † (Thucydides, p. 402) In this situation, power does not dictate morality; it completely voids it. The Melians ask repeatedly if the Athenians â€Å"would not agree to ? being friends instead of enemies. † The Athenians reply by saying that â€Å"if we were on friendly terms with you, our subjects would regard that as a sign of weakness. † (Thucydides, p. 402) The Melians question the Athenian’s morality by saying that this is not â€Å"fair play† since they have not posed any direct threat to the Empire. Athens responds by saying â€Å"that by conquering you we shall increase not only the size but the security of our empire? this is no fair fight? it is rather a question of saving your lives and not resisting those who are far too strong for you. † (Thucydides, p. 403) In the end, the Melians do not surrender and the Athenian army slaughters them. In Thucydides’ history, those in power decide morality. In both of the aforementioned cases, both sides have had morality on their side. The Mytilenians and Melians believed the moral precept of saving their own lives. The Athenians believed in the morality of preserving their empire. Neither side was right or wrong, neither side acted immorally. They both acted in their own self-interest. What decided the moral outcome was that Athenians had the power to impose their moral right on their powerless, but equally moral opponents. Works Cited Dickerson, Mark and Flanagan, Thomas â€Å"Government and Politics† Scarbourough, Ontario: ITP Nelson, 1998 Outka, Gene and Reeeder, John â€Å"Religion and Morality† New York: Anchor Books ,1973 Thucydides â€Å"History of the Peloponnesian War† Toronto: Penguin Books, 1972Ã'Ž

How to Write a Good Dissertation on Microbiology

How to Write a Good Dissertation on Microbiology This is our final   guide on microbiology that teaches you how you can write a perfect dissertation paper. We have included methodologies, as well as outlines and structures of a formal dissertation paper, which a professor seeks in your composition. Reading this guide, and following everything we have discussed will allow you to write an excellent dissertation on microbiology. But to make the most out of our guide, we recommend you to read all our guides thoroughly. Here is why: Reading our first guide, 10 facts for dissertation on microbiology, fills you with adequate information on microbiology that you can further use in your dissertation paper. Without credible facts, and resources (available in this guide), your dissertation paper wouldn’t weigh as it should and chances are, it would be rejected by your professor or just receive a lower mark. On the other hand, our second guide, 20 microbiology dissertation topics, reveals 20 relevant sub-topics on microbiology. This guide allows you to start composing your dissertation paper quickly. We recommend you to read this one as well. With that being said, let’s talk about how to write a good dissertation on Microbiology: Composing a Dissertation Paper A dissertation is one of the most challenging and rewarding tasks a student ever accomplishes in college/university. That’s because the dissertation requires a thorough research, planning, and understanding of the topic you’re writing on. Unlike other essays and assignments, dissertation allows you to choose your own topic. Normally, the university would give you six eight weeks (sometimes four weeks) to complete the paper, along with some specific guidelines to be followed. But generally speaking, here is how a dissertation is structured: Research Proposal or Introduction Literature Review and Methodologies Results and Discussion/Conclusion Here is how each section of the structure should be written: Research Proposal or Introduction This is one of the most important parts of your dissertation. If you want to impress your professor, you should write an informative introduction/research proposal. In this section, you’ll present how you’re going to explore and define the particular topic you have chosen. It will also contain some information as to why you chose that particular subject, for example, immunobiology and why you think there’s a need to write a paper on this topic. You will also discuss how you have gone through the whole dissertation – similar to giving a tour through your paper. We recommend you to put this part in the end of your dissertation. Literature Review and Methodologies Literature review and methodology are often combined. Writing a literature review is fairly easy. You explain the substantial facts, viewpoints and your understanding on the topic. In simple words, you’re actually giving an analysis of your dissertation to the reader. In methodologies section, youll explain why you’ve chosen quantitative or qualitative methods, or sometimes both. You will also describe the research methods you have chosen and used in your dissertation. Results and Discussions/ Conclusion Here, you will explain the process of the research and experiments you have run, and the results you obtained from your tests. In simple words, you will summarize the whole purpose of writing a dissertation paper on your chosen topic, and what you have obtained from it in the end. Final Thoughts That’s it. Following this short guideline will surely improve your understanding of writing a dissertation paper on microbiology. But to make it even more stellar, we recommend you to proofread and edit your content before submitting it to your professor. Happy writing!

Parental Control essays

Parental Control essays The Internet is probably the best invention in the last twenty years. The Internet has more information than you can find in about a million books. While many people used the Internet for informational things, today in the year 2002, kids are taking over. To this day kids all over the world are more knowledgeable than adults when it comes to using and finding information on the Internet. Numerous parents presume that the Internet is good for their children because of the many acquired facts one can find. Parents also believe that the Internet keeps their children out of the streets where they can easily get into trouble. What many parents do not realize is that the Internet is just as dangerous as the outside world. For one, the Internet does not restrict anything. Moreover, kids today use the Internet so they can communicate electronically with friends. This can be bad because there are a lot of crazy people out there and they wont hesitate to do something to whomever they meet online. Grunwald Associates, a marketing research and consulting firm, announced in June 2000 that Internet use by children ages 2 to 17 has tripled since 1997 (Bushong 12). The use of the Internet has gone up tremendously is because many kids do not have much to do after school. Countless parents actually view this as a good thing because they at least know where their kids are in the afternoon. What they are not aware of is that their children have unlimited access to a lot of corrupt information. For instance, your child might be a fan of the WB networks Charmed, a television show for teenagers about three sisters with magical powers. The teenager might be looking for sights on the show and decides to type the word Charmed on the search engine. Innocently, they could click on one of the sites. Instead of the site being about the show, they come to find out that it is about learning witchcraft or people tr...

Applied Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Applied Law - Essay Example It is extravagant to allow the public to acquire entertainment materials in digital forms while compromising the right of writers, artists and musicians. It is challenging to attain the rights of both the public and that of writers and musicians in the debate on whether to allow fair use of copyright materials. To protecting the rights of writers and artists, production of copyrighted materials should be subject to constitutional protection. This includes constitutional protections as that of the copyright clause. The first amendment should apply in an effort to protect writers and artists’ rights. The law should protect encryption codes that are important in ensuring access to materials protected under the copyright act. It is a protection of the rights of writers and artists by disallowing fair use. Protection on the rights of the public is under constitutional provisions on the use of copyright materials. Allowing fair use does not, therefore, entail the protection of public rights. Instead, advocating for fair use of copyrighted materials is tantamount to a violation of the rights of artists. It is, therefore, impossible t o attain the rights of both the public and artists in the debate to allow fair use of copyrighted

World War I Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

World War I - Essay Example Since Germany and Austria wanted a quick attack on Serbia, so that other countries would not get involved, an ultimatum was sent. When the ultimatum was sent to Serbia in July 23, 1914, which demanded Serbia to abolish all 'anti-Austrian activities', and allow Austria to investigate the assassination of Francis Ferdinand. Serbia accepted to the ultimatum, but did not allow Austria to investigate the murder. This caused Austria to declare war on Serbia on July 28. When Austria attacked Serbia, as the German leaders had anticipated, Russia prepared to attack Austria. Germany warned Russia to stop the preparation, but because Russia did not listen, Germany attacked Russia on August 1. Two days later, Germany also declared war against France, which was Russia's ally. Germany planned to invade France through Belgium, but unfortunately, Belgium refused this. On August 3, Germany invaded Belgium. The British then became involved in the war, for they had promised Belgium could be neutral, and not get involved in wars.1 In addition, the British had to join in the war because if they did not, Germany would control the continent of Europe. In less than six weeks, the domino effect had caused Serbia, Russia, France, Belgium and Britain to fight against Germany and Austria-Hungary. The WW1 fi... The WW1 finally broke out in June1914 because of an accident in Bosnia. It was the Sarajevo incident, the immediate cause of WW1. It took place on June 28, 1914. On that day, the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, and his wife were shot dead by a young Serbian student at Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital. Austria considered the murder of the heir to the throne an open Serbian attack.2 Austria would be left without an heir. Although she could not find any evidence that the Serbian government was connected with the assassination, Austria still declared war on Serbia. Within two month, the war became a world war. Finally, the war ended in 1918. The Central Power included Germany had lost. The First World War lasted from 1914 to 1918 and was called The Great War or the war to end all wars until World War II started. Some scholars believe that the First World War was simply the first phase of a 30-year-long war that entailed the period of 1914 to 1945. The outbreak of the clash is often ascribed to the European alliances. Germany-Austria-Italy formed an alliance against France-Russia; Britain and Serbia supported France and Russia. In fact, none of the alliances was initiated in the early outbreak, though Russian general mobilization and Germany's declaration of war against France were motivated by fear of the opposing alliance being brought into play. By 1882, Germany was allied with Austra-Hungary and Italy, in an alliance called the Triple Alliance. Then, in 1887, they signed the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia. Thus, Germany was allied with three major European nations and France was left isolated. In 1890, the German Kaiser set out to make Germany a major world power. He aimed to increase the number of Germany's overseas colonies.3 To do