The University of North Carolina maintains a website, Documenting the Essay

The University of North Carolina maintains a website, Documenting the American South, which contains an excellent collection of - Essay Example There are also different challenges facing slaves evident from the narrative; Aaron is lamenting waiting for relief help from well-wishers such as Priests and Levites. It pains to see how he among other slaves suffers in the hands of slaveholders as the congress continues with its process regardless of the issues affecting slaves. However, he is grateful because he is alive seeing a new day as he struggle to fight slavery (Morawsk and Smith, 2000). How did masters maintain the institution of slavery? Oppression was one of the ways used by masters to maintain slaves in slavery. A slave was subjected to torture through thorough beating if they tempted to quit. This made most of the slaves submit as they feared death or other mistreatment from resisting forced labor. Examples of areas where slaves suffered were in the south and the north in the hands of slaveholders, who tied up their slaves for whipping and torture yet they had done nothing. What tactics did they use to enslave other h uman beings? One of the common tactics used by masters to enslave people is bribing friends or relatives; they would go kidnap people and later sell them to slaveholders. An ideal example is the family that was taken away by their cousin at midnight and sold into slavery back in 1834. The other example is the white man sold his three daughters after selling his wife to slavery. This was one of the challenging and painful issues taking place in slavery; people betraying their relatives into slavery for money in quite inhuman. There are also cases where people captured strangers, and sold them to slavery; this is in instances where they met them stranded in their activities or on their way attending to their issues. Arabs were the communities known to practice such activities (Morawsk and Smith, 2000). Another tactic used by slaveholders to keep slaves was making them ignorant of their status. This is by building the thought that slavery is a natural state of being. Most of blacks in the narrative depict a thought that blacks have no capacity of taking part in civil societies in America. Through this, the white gathered courage to oppress the blacks by making them their servants. In slavery, slave children were denied a chance to education as this would make them have the capacity to read and write and this would be a challenge to the slaveholders. This is the reason why Aaron is an illiterate; this denied him a chance to evaluate the state of self-sufficiency and capability. If these slaves had the basis knowledge, they would question the dominance of whites over blacks. Slaveholders also took illiteracy to ensure that the life of slaves did not reach authorities who were against slavery. From this, slaves should seek education, as this is a gateway to freedom. Communication is also significant, as this would mobilize slaves in opposing oppression by slave-masters (Morawsk and Smith, 2000). Most slaveholders were strong Christians. They had buried their evil di d in church thus blinding slaves; most slaves were also Christian therefore found it wired to fight their own religious leaders. This fact also barred the thought that slavery was an unchristian practice following the fact that most of the slave masters were religious leaders. This tactic made slavery prevail in the south as well as in the north despite the fact that it was an era where Christianity was gaining popularity among different communities. Christianity also blinded slaves because they had a strong faith thus

Evaluation of five sites Essay Example for Free

Evaluation of five sites Essay The first website which I have chosen to do an evaluation on is a mobile company called, Vodafone. www. vodafone. co. uk The purpose of this website is to give Vodafone customers a chance to see the new deals the company have to offer, and to view the latest mobile handsets on the market. I my first impression of this website, is that it is very basic and easy to understand. The website designer has kept the theme of grey and red colours, throughout the whole website. I feel that this gives the feeling to the users a sense of professionalism. The website is full of hyperlinks which are quite easy to follow as, they are marked quite clearly. The website has been divided into six sections, but to view most of these you must register your details. By registering your details you are entitled to access free monthly web texts, and also you may be able to receive free registering credit. These offers are highlighted quite clearly on the website these make it appealing for the user to continue to brose the website. This will then entail the users to become a regular user of the Vodafone services. To conclude I feel that this website is quite appealing and I feel that the use of colour is just right, as too much colour may lead users to think that the website is designed for younger use. I liked the website because, it had attractive special offers to regular computer users and Vodafone customers. Overall I give this website a rating of 9/10. My second evaluation is on the website for the television soap, Eastenders. Here is the homepage of the website: This website is designed to provide viewers of the latest storylines, information on the soaps charters and also there are games for those to have a better understanding on what is going on the weekly soap. My first impression of this website is quite different to that of the Vodafone website. I feel now after viewing the graphics to this, the Vodafone website is quite plain. I feel that this homepage would be very appealing to people of all ages whom are interested in the daily soap. There are many different hyperlinks which lead into a series of completely different areas of the website. These different areas include, backstage knowledge, games, latest storylines and competitions. These are quite easy to access and are marked very clearly for anyone who visits the website for the first time. The colours, which have been used, are very imaginative, and very eye catching. In the background it has a picture of one of the leading ladies who is taking part in this weeks biggest storyline. This makes the user feel interested in what is going to happen in the next episode; therefore they stay to view the link. Overall I think so far out of the two website I have viewed that this would appeal most to me as a regular user of the Internet and its services. The third website which I have chosen to evaluate is a well-known music television programme called, cd: UK www. cduk. com It is designed to show viewers what goes on behind the scenes, up and coming venues and dates, information on the weekly stars which appear on the show, and the latest music charts in UK I found that this website was very eye-catching, with bright colours and imaginative. But the first thing that I noticed was the unnecessary icons in which the web designer has included. Users are able to change the background colour of the website which really in no use or in connection with the website or what it is about. Also to view the comments, which the readers have written there, is a very awkward scroll that you have to use. I feel that young sers or those with disabilities would not very easily use this, as it is not marked clearly on the page. On the other hand I feel that the graphics are quite good once you find your way around them though its hard to find your way around. I feel that this website could be improved a lot if the scroll bar was presented in a more simplified manner to make it user to access the information. Also if unnecessary things such as colour changes were not on the homepage would make this more appealing to older Internet users. My fourth evaluation is on a movie website, www. harrypotter. com: My first impression of this website is that it keeps the theme of ancient drawings and colours throughout the website. Which I feel is quite relevant to the movie. There is plenty of hyperlinks, which gives many clips form, the actual movie, which for those who havent seen it would be encourage doing so. I think that the graphics here are particularly good, again with an ancient feeling. I found that this was quite simple to use, and I could make my way around the various links very easily. By simply clinking on the enter link, you are able to take a look inside the castle in which the movie is based inside, which has very detailed graphics which, I feel are very impressive. Also again there is a message board for the viewers to post their comments about the website. Overall I think that this website has had the best graphics so far, and is quite interesting for the viewer to browse through. I dont think that I could point out any main features that could be improved as, I was very impressed with the whole website. My fifth and final evaluation is on the website.

Examining The Sentencing And Punishment Of Crime Criminology Essay

Examining The Sentencing And Punishment Of Crime Criminology Essay A sentence is a formal judgment pronouncing a specific punishment to be imposed for the conviction of a crime. It may involve the payment of a fine, community service, incarceration, or in capital offenses, the death penalty (Barlow, 2000). It also may consist of a term of probation or parole (although parole has been abolished in many states). Sentences may be meted out directly following the entry of a verdict or at a sentencing hearing scheduled for a later date. In the interim, prosecutors prepare a sentencing report which advises the court of the defendants prior criminal record, aggravating or mitigating circumstances, and other information about the defendant that may assist the court in deciding an appropriate punishment. There have been concerted efforts over the years to standardize the approach toward sentencing, particularly in felony offenses, and to diminish judicial discretion in sentencing. These efforts reflect a recurring perception by lawmakers and the public at la rge that arbitrary or discriminatory practices may interfere with fair and just sentencing in certain cases or for certain crimes. This paper will discuss sentencing, punishment as well as mens rea and actus reus. Judges, not juries, determine punishments for a crime (in capital punishment cases, the jury usually decides whether to recommend death or life in prison). The Eighth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution made applicable to the states by the Fourteenth Amendment provides that excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. In addition to the sentencing prohibitions contained in the Constitution, Title 18 of the United States Code, Part II (criminal procedure), Chapters 227 (sentences), 228 (death sentence), and 232 (miscellaneous sentencing provisions) also govern sentencing in federal courts (McAnany, August 2010). Most crimes are specifically enumerated in constitutions or statutes, and the provision that identifies the specific crime will also identify the appropriate punishment. For example, a statute may read, Violation of this statute constitutes a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not to exceed $500 or imprisonment not to exceed thirty days, or both. Given this range of potential punishment, a judge will then consider certain aggravating or mitigating circumstances to determine where along the prescribed spectrum a particular criminals punishment should fall. Common factors considered by judges include: whether the offender is a first-time or a repeat offender, whether the offender was an accessory (helping the main offender) or the main offender, whether the offender committed the crime under great personal stress or duress, whether anyone was hurt, and whether the crime was committed in a manner that was unlikely to result in anyone being hurt, whether the offender was particularly crue l to a victim, or particularly destructive, vindictive, etc., and (sometimes) whether the offender is genuinely contrite or remorseful (Stuntz, 2004). Under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 32(a), before imposing a sentence, the court must afford counsel an opportunity to speak on behalf of the defendant. The court will address the defendant personally and ask him if he wishes to make a statement in his own behalf and to present any information in mitigation of punishment. The attorney for the government will have an equivalent opportunity to speak to the court. Similar provisions are contained in most state procedural statutes and rules. In many state courts, a victim or the survivors of a victim may also have the opportunity to address the court and recommend leniency or strictness for the sentence. Under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, the Three Strikes statute (18 U.S.C. 3559(c)) provides for mandatory life imprisonment if a convicted felon: has been convicted in federal court of a serious violent felony and has two or more previous convictions in federal or state courts, at least one of which is a serious violent felony. The other offense may be a serious drug offense. The statute goes on to define a serious violent felony as including murder, manslaughter, sex offenses, kidnapping, robbery, and any offense punishable by ten years or more which includes an element of the use of force or involves a significant risk of force (Schiraldi, Colburn, Lotke, 2004). The State of Washington was the first to enact a Three Strikes law in 1993. Since then, at least half of all states, in addition to the federal government, have enacted three strikes laws. The primary focus of these laws is the containment of recidivism (repeat offenses by a small number of criminals). Californias law is considered the most far-reaching and most often used among the states. In addition to three strikes laws, other state and all federal criminal statutes include mandatory sentences that require judges to impose identical sentences on all persons convicted of the same offense. Mandatory sentences are a direct result of state legislatures or Congress response to the public perception of judicial leniency or inconsistency in sentencing practices (Schiraldi, Colburn, Lotke, 2004). Most crimes do not carry mandatory sentences. When sentencing is not mandatory, the judge may fit the punishment to the offender instead of fitting the punishment to the crime. Current debates about criminal justice help to fuel the different approaches to sentencing and punishment. These approaches include the severity of punishment meted, and the specific objective sought by the punishment: retribution, some argue that the primary purpose of punishment should be to punish an offender for the wrong committed as opposed to societys vengeance against a criminal. The sentiment is to punish criminals and promote public safety by keeping them off the streets. Some believe that the primary purpose of punishment should be to rehabilitate criminals to change their criminal ways and to encourage the adoption of a more socially acceptable lifestyle. Most experts agree that this theory is commendable but not practical in prisons. Many criminals boast of coming out better criminals than they we re when they entered prison. Others argue that the perceived punishment for a crime should be so undesirable as to result in deterring someone from actually committing a crime for fear of the likely punishment. These theories are good, but many crimes are committed while the person is under the influence of alcohol and other drugs and the above mentioned approaches wouldnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t help. Fear of punishment is usually not a deterrent under these circumstances (Hugo, 2010). Punishment is the imposition of something negative or unpleasant on a person in response to behavior deemed wrong by an individual or group. For a number of years, South Carolina operated under a fairly typical death penalty statute which provided for the ultimate penalty for a number of crimes including, but not limited to, murder, rape and kidnapping. The statute predicated the imposition of the death penalty in those situations where the jury made a finding of guilt without an affirmative recommendation of mercy (Hugo, 2010). Beginning in 1962, there was a moratorium on executions nationally even though the death penalty statutes remained in effect. In 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Furman v. Georgia held that the imposition of the death penalty was unconstitutional in those situations where either the court or the jury had practically unfettered discretion to impose the ultimate penalty.    The Furman case, in effect, declared most death penalty statutes, including that of South Carolina, in effect to be unconstitutional (McAnany, August 2010). South Carolina joined thirty-four other states in changing their death penalty statutes to provide that under given circumstances the death penalty would be imposed mandatorily. Several people in South Carolina were sentenced under this statute, however, the judgment was not executed upon any prisoner and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in 1976, that while the death penalty was not per se unconstitutional, Greg v. Georgia, that each individual case should be considered upon its merit and that the imposition of the death penalty pursuant to a mandatory statutory scheme was unconstitutional and violate of the Eighth Amendment. The court went on to say that the trier of fact, whether it is the court or a jury, should be allowed to take into consideration conditions in mitigation and aggravation prior to the imposition of the ultimate penalty. This, the court reasoned, would require a two phase hearing in which the jury made an initial determination of guilt or innocence and then the same jury reconvened to take additional testimony as to those conditions in mitigation and aggravation and made a determination as to the punishment, Woodson v. North Carolina (1976) (Stuntz, 2004). Prior to June 1995, Section 24-3-530 of the South Carolina Code of Laws provided that all persons receiving the death penalty shall suffer such penalty by electrocution. Subsequently, the General Assembly amended Section 24-3-530. Effective June 8, 1995, persons sentenced to death may elect to suffer such penalty by lethal injection. However, the election must be made in writing fourteen days before the execution date or it is waived. If the person waives the right of election and the sentence was imposed prior to June 8, 1995, the penalty will be administered by electrocution. If the person waives the right of election and the penalty was imposed on or after June 8, 1995, the penalty will be administered by lethal injection (Stuntz, 2004). Mens rea and actus reus are legal terms used to define a crime. Both Mens rea and actus reus must be present for an accused to be found guilty of a crime (except for strict liability). Mens rea means that the person must have had a guilty mind at the time of committing the crime. That is they must have intended to commit the crime. Actus Reus means wrongful act meaning that the person must have committed an act that is defined as wrong by law. Several common law jurisdictions define act differently but generally, an act is a bodily movement whether voluntary or involuntary. In Robinson v. California, 370 U.S. 660 (1962), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a California law making it illegal to be a drug addict was unconstitutional because the mere status of being a drug addict was not an act and thus not criminal (Kendall, 2009). The sentence is the final act of a judge ruled process. A sentence usually involves imprisonment, a fine, or other punishments against a defendant convicted of a crime. Changes in sentencing law and policy, not increases in crime rates, explain most of the six-fold increase in the national prison population. These changes have significantly impacted racial disparities in sentencing, as well as increased use of one size fits all mandatory minimum sentences that allow little consideration for individual characteristics. The progress of civilization has resulted in a change in the theory and in the method of punishment. In the past punishment was left to the individuals wronged or their families, and was vindictive or retributive: in quantity and quality it would bear no special relation to the character or gravity of the offense. This paper discussed sentencing, punishment as well as mens rea and actus reus.

Nitric Oxide Synthase Impairment for Baroreflex Dysfunction

Nitric Oxide Synthase Impairment for Baroreflex Dysfunction Harmit Bindra Critical Appraisal: Impairment of Nitric Oxide Synthase but Not Heme Oxygenase Accounts for Baroreflex Dysfunction Caused by Chronic Nicotine in Female Rats Lay Abstract Introduction: The baroreflex or baroreceptor sensitivity is a physiological parameter that regulates changes in blood pressure. Baroreflex dysfunction is thought to contribute to many of the cardiovascular changes caused by chronic intake of nicotine. Nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO) can be synthesised in the endothelial cells by the action of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and hemeoxygenase (HO), respectively. Inhibition of NOS and HO mediated pathways have been thought to cause reduction in baroreflex sensitivity similar to that of nicotine. This study targets these two pathways and their possible interactions in an attempt to reverse the deteriorating cardiovascular effects caused by nicotine. Methods: The sensitivity of baroreflex was determined by measuring changes in heart rate in response to changes in mean arterial pressure induced by sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and phenylephrine (PE). SNP and PE exert these cardiovascular changes by affecting the diameter of blood vessels. Six groups of conscious female rats were used (6-8 rats/group) to study the effect of NOS on the baroreflex dysfunction caused by nicotine. Rats were treated either with nicotine or saline solution for 2 weeks. Baroreflex curves using random doses of SNP and PE were obtained in conscious rats on day 14 after treating these rats with L-NAME (inhibitor of NOS), L-arginine (substrate of NOS) or saline solution for 15 minutes. In a second study, another group of 7 rats treated with nicotine was used to find out whether HO inhibition by zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP) abolishes the baroreflex response provoked by L-arginine. Baroreflex sensitivity was measured after treating rats with L-arginine and ZnPP for 15 minutes. Finally, the effects of the inducer and inhibitor of HO, hemin and ZnPP respectively, were investigated on the baroreflex dysfunction. Results: Inhibition of NOS using L-NAME caused a similar reduction in the baroreflex response as nicotine. This effect could be reversed with L-arginine. No further reduction in baroreflex response was evident in rats treated with both nicotine and L-NAME. Interestingly, HO inhibitor led to no reduction in baroreflex response and did not reverse any changes in baroreflex activity caused by nicotine. This implies that there is no direct role of HO mediated pathways in the nicotinic-baroreflex activity. On the contrary, there was an increase in baroreflex activity when HO activity was facilitated. In conclusion, inhibition of NOS is responsible for reduction in baroreflex sensitivity caused by nicotine. Background information and rationale for carrying out the work Smoking cigarettes is one of the most well established causes of mortality in the world and it is well known for its devastating effects on the quality of life and the impact it has on the families, including their psychological, social and physical well being. The majority of the harmful cardiovascular effects of smoking arise from the use of nicotine. Chronic intake of nicotine has been shown to reduce baroreceptor reflexes by decreasing the responsiveness of stretch receptors in the carotid sinus together with arterial compliance (Ashworth-Preece et al., 1998; Giannattasio et al., 1994). Nitric oxide (NO) is highly reactive gas, synthesised via three isoforms of nitric oxide synthase, including endothelial nitric oxide (eNOS), neuronal nitric oxide (nNOS) and inducible nitric oxide (iNOS). NO has been involved in various physiological pathways. For instance, eNOS results in arterial vasodilation by causing relaxation of vascular smooth muscles (Prado et al., 2011). nNOS plays an important role in neuronal activity by serving as a neurotransmitter. iNOS is generated by the phagocytes to invade the bacteria as part of immune response. NO has an ability to diffuse through and act as an intracellular messenger. It has been implicated in strengthening the synapses (long term potentiation) in learning and cause NMDA induced neurotoxicity in Parkinson’s disease (Taqatqeh et al., 2009). In a study carried out using brainstem nuclei of rats, it was found that inhibiting NOS in the central nervous system reduced baroreflex activation (Lo et al., 1996). Carbon monoxide (CO) has long been considered to be a toxic gas due to its high affinity for haemoglobin over oxygen. Contrary to popular belief, our body cells can also synthesise CO via heme oxygenase (HO) an enzyme that results in the generation of CO by catalysing the conversion of heme to biliverdin (Abraham Kappas., 2008). It has been established that inhibition of CO formed by HO reduces reflex activity as well as bradycardic response provoked by glutamate in the nucleus of the solitary tract (Lin et al., 2004). Other studies have independently found that inhibition of HO induced CO increases blood pressure systemically (Zhang et al., 2001). Interestingly, there seem to be some sort of interaction going on between NO/NOS and CO/HO pathways (Li et al., 2009). Indeed, the endogenous effects of these two molecules are provoked by the activation of soluble guanylate cyclase and a further increase in the levels of cGMP (Tzeng., 2009). Although there is a crosslink between these pathways, it has not been researched whether interruption of these mediators alone or disruption in their mutual interaction is responsible for the baroreceptor dysfunction mediated by nicotine. Approaches to the question The study was split into two groups to evaluate the role of NO/NOS and CO/HO pathways in nicotine induced baroreflex depression. In a first study, six small groups of female rats, ranging from 6-8 in each group, were used to study the effect of NOS on the baroreflex dysfunction. Three of these groups were given intraperitoneal nicotine for 2 weeks using a dosage of 2mg/kg/day, whereas the remaining groups were treated with saline solution. These rats were cannulated intravascularly on day 12. Baroreflex curves using SNP and PE were obtained in conscious rats on day 14 after treating these rats with L-NAME, L-arginine or saline solution for 15 minutes. In a second study, another group of 7 rats treated with nicotine were used to find out whether HO inhibition by ZnPP abolishes the baroreflex response provoked by L-arginine. Baroreceptor sensitivity was measured after treating rats with L-arginine and ZnPP for 15 minutes. The sensitivity of baroreceptors was determined by measuring changes in heart rate in response to changes in mean arterial pressure induced by vasoactive drugs, such as sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and phenylephrine (PE). This was carried out using regression analysis. Randomised doses SNP and PE doses, ranging from 1 to 16 µg/kg, were injected intravenously to obtain a baroreflex curve. An index of baroreflex activity was found by expressing the slope of the regression line as beats/min/mmHg. In the final part of the study, the effects of the inducer and inhibitor of HO, hemin and ZnPP respectively, were investigated on the baroreceptor dysfunction induced by nicotine. This was done using 5 different groups (5-8 female rats/group) for a 2 weeks period in which baroreflex testing was carried out using hemin, ZnPP, hemin + L-NAME, hemin + ODQ (guanylate cyclase inhibitor), and CORM-2 (CO releasing agent). Two further control groups were used in which rats received saline solution for 2 weeks and the baroreflex readings were then taken post-treatment with hemin or CORM-2. To measure the activity of NOS and HO, rats were treated with nicotine or saline for 2 weeks in the presence or absence of hemin and their brainstem was dissected and freezed at -80C. Key Results and analysis Both nicotine and NOS/NO pathway inhibition produced a similar effect on baroreflex activity. Rats treated with nicotine showed reduced slopes in the baroreflex curves exhibited by PE and SNP in comparison to the saline treated rats, suggesting a reduced baroreflex response. In rats treated with nicotine, there was a decrease from 2.1 ±0.2 ms/mmHg to 1.1 ±0.2 ms/mmHg in the baroreflex sensitivity exhibited by the PE. A similar reduction from 0.9 ±0.1 ms/mmHg to 0.4 ±0.1 ms/mmHg was seen in the baroreflex sensitivity exhibited by SNP. These results were statistically significant (P In short summary, the study was quite clear in explaining the involvement of NO/NOS pathway in the reduction of baroreflex activity caused by nicotine. First of all, inhibiting NOS using L-NAME caused similar reduction in baroreflex response as nicotine. Secondly, this effect could be reversed with the substrate of NOS (L-arginine). Thirdly, having both nicotine and L-NAME did not cause any further reduction in baroreflex response. The inhibition of HO by ZnPP had no effect on the baroreflex sensitivity in nicotine treated rats, implying that there is no direct role of HO pathway in the nicotinic-baroreflex activity. Any decrease in baroreflex sensitivity by nicotine could be reversed with hemin as the curve deviated more towards saline treated rats. Interestingly, when rats were treated with L-NAME or with ODQ, the protective effect of hemin to reverse the reduction in baroreflex sensitivity was no longer evident. This suggested that the initial reduction in baroreflex response was probably due to an increased activity of NOS that was no longer seen when L-NAME was used. Indeed, the activity of HO and NOS was found to increase in the brainstem tissue of rats treated with nicotine in the presence of hemin. Together, these findings imply that NOS is a downstream pathway responsible for changes in baroreflex sensitivity and hemin is somehow feeding into this pathway and activating it to facilitate baroreflex resp onse. There was no reduction in baroreflex response caused by nicotine with carbon monoxide release agent (CORM-2). This is supporting the idea that reduced baroreflex response is possibly due to NOS activity and not related to CO. Likely impact of research outcome The results implicated NOS pathways to be responsible for the deteriorating effects of nicotine on baroreflex sensitivity. Although, the current study implicated NOS pathways as a downstream mechanism and HO acting at the upstream level, more work is needed to investigate the effects of CORM-2 and hemin and shed light on the cellular cascades responsible for bringing these changes on baroreflex sensitivity. Taking into consideration that the ultimate pathways involved in the baroreceptor dysfunction from this study is NOS related, activation of NOS could be an important therapeutic target in treating the deteriorating effects of nicotine on cardiovascular system, especially the baroreceptor dysfunction. However, it is too early to accept this claim as these results need to be replicated and clinical trials must be carried out before considering any changes in the clinical practice. Future work and conclusion At present, this study is unlikely to have any major impact on the development of therapeutic drugs. Except the possible involvement of NOS, the signalling cascades responsible for baroreflex dysfunction still remain unclear. Contrary to these findings, the same author previously reported that CO formed by HO attenuated the baroreflex sensitivity in the nucleus tractus solitarii of rats (Lo et al., 2000; Lo et al., 2006). The author has attempted to justify the possible variation between the two studies with the use of conscious rats in the current study and anesthetised rats in the previous study. In addition, the inhibitor of HO was injected directly into the medullary nucleus in the previous study as opposed to an intravenous injection in the current study. Although these changes may contribute to the differences in terms of accuracy and reliability of the results, they are unlikely to fully account for the involvement of CO mediated changes in baroreflex sensitivity. Therefore th ese experiments need to be replicated before considering any clinical trials. The whole brainstem was dissected to measure the activity of NOS. This may not accurately reflect the levels of NOS in the cardiovascular nuclei of medulla therefore the study can be extended to investigate this. The use of animal models to test baroreflex sensitivity and the pharmacological agents to counteract such changes may not work similarly in humans. Baroreflex sensitivity is blunted to different degrees with increasing age (huang et al., 2007) and this may have an effect on the appropriate dose required to show any therapeutic benefits. Finally there could be intrinsic pathways affecting the baroreflex response because autonomic control can be influenced by different variables including mood, alertness and mental activity. Therefore, any future studies must take these factors into consideration. Words 2069 References: Abraham NG, Kappas A.Pharmacological and clinical aspects of heme oxygenase.Pharmacol Rev. 2008 Mar;60(1):79-127. doi: 10.1124/pr.107.07104. Epub 2008 Mar 6. Review. Erratum in: Pharmacol Rev. 2008 Jun;60(2):242. Ashworth-Preece M, Jarrott B, Lawrence AJ (1998) Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the rat and primate nucleus tractus solitarius and on rat and human inferior vagal (nodose) ganglia: evidence from in vivo microdialysis and [125I] alpha-bungarotoxin autoradiography. Neuroscience 83: 1113–1122. Giannattasio C, Mangoni A, Stella ML, Carugo S, Grassi G, et al. (1994) Acute effects of smoking on radial artery compliance in humans. J Hypertension 12: 691–696. Huang CC, Sandroni P, Sletten DM, Weigand SD, Low PA.Effect of age on adrenergic and vagal baroreflex sensitivity in normal subjects.Muscle Nerve. 2007 Nov;36(5):637-42. Li L, Hsu A, Moore PK.Actions and interactions of nitric oxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulphide in the cardiovascular system and in inflammationa tale of three gases!Pharmacol Ther. 2009 Sep;123(3):386-400. doi: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2009.05.005. Epub 2009 May 30. Review. Lin CH, Lo WC, Hsiao M, Tung CS, Tseng CJ (2004) Interactions of carbon monoxide and metabotropic glutamate receptor groups in the nucleus tractus solitarii of rats. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 308: 1213–1218 Lo WC, Jan CR, Chiang HT, Tseng CJ (2000) Modulatory effects of carbon monoxide on baroreflex activation in nucleus tractus solitarii of rats. Hypertension 35: 1253–1257. Lo WC, Lu PJ, Ho WY, Hsiao M, Tseng CJ (2006) Induction of heme oxygenase- 1 is involved in carbon monoxide-mediated central cardiovascular regulation. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 318: 8–16. Lo WJ, Liu HW, Lin HC, Ger LP, Tung CS, et al. (1996) Modulatory effects of nitric oxide on baroreflex activation in the brainstem nuclei of rats. Chin J Physiol 39: 57–62. Prado C. M., Martins M. A., and Tibà ©rio I. F. L. C. (2011) Nitric oxide in asthma physiopathology,ISRN Allergy, 2011:1-13. Taqatqeh F, Mergia E, Neitz A, Eysel UT, Koesling D, Mittmann T.More than a retrograde messenger: nitric oxide needs two cGMP pathways to induce hippocampal long-term potentiation.J Neurosci. 2009 Jul 22;29(29):9344-50. Tzeng E (2009) Carbon monoxide: vascular therapeutic for the future. Vascular 17 Suppl 1: S55–62. Zhang F, Kaide JI, Rodriguez-Mulero F, Abraham NG, Nasjletti A (2001) Vasoregulatory function of the heme-heme oxygenase-carbon monoxide system. Am J Hypertens 14(6 Pt 2): 62S–67S

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: essays research papers

To Kill A Mockingbird Many say that the central theme in the movie To Kill A Mockingbird is southern society and racism, but the central theme is the mockingbird, of which racism is a small part. Atticus Finch, a lawyer and father of two children living in Maycomb, Alabama, says: â€Å"they say that to kill a mockingbird is a sin because all the mockingbird does is sing for us all day.† The mockingbird symbolizes something or someone who is attacked by society unjustly, and that includes two characters. First, the mockingbird theme holds true for Tom Robinson. Tom is a black man who works as a field hand and is charged with raping a white girl and put on trial. Atticus defends Tom in the trial and makes it clear that Tom is innocent and even proves that someone else was responsible for the girl’s wounds: her father. Even though Atticus has proved Tom innocent, he is still declared guilty, put in jail, and sentenced to death. Another character, Boo Radley, also fits the mold of the mockingbird. Boo was probably just a normal boy who was unfortunately born to parents who weren’t the nicest in town and liked to keep to themselves. It was rumored that, as a child, Boo was cutting out articles in the newspaper for a scrapbook and when his father walked by, Boo plunged the scissor blades into Mr. Radley’s leg, took them out, and just kept cutting the newspaper like nothing had happened. From that point on, his parents kept him locked in the house. The whole town was convinced that he was something of a monster and came out at night peeking in peoples’ windows. It was even rumored that he wilted every flower he passed. Throughout the course of the book, Jem, Atticus’ son, finds little treasures in the hollow of the tree by their house: a watch, a ball of string, a spelling bee medal. When Jem is attacked by a drunken man one night, Boo Radley comes to his rescue and finally shows him self, and it is evident that he has been the one leaving the treasures in the tree in an effort to bond with Atticus’ children. Why are these innocent people being judged by society? Surprisingly, it’s the same reason that racism started: people whose lives were secure and comfortable started to become threatened by something different that might alter their lives and felt the need to remove the threat.

Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe Essay -- Moll Flanders Defoe Essays Pape

Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe Moll Flanders was a product of her vanity and pride. She devoted her entire life to achieving some sort of wealth and social status. Her pride encompassed her entire life and affected all of her life decisions. Moll sacrificed many things, including love, religion, self-respect, and peace of mind, in order to attain a sort of affluence. Eventually, Moll achieves her desires and retires a gentlewoman in America, but her journey definitely took a serious toll on her life. In the end, one must ask the question of whether Moll's lifestyle and decisions were the right ones. Did the ends justify the means? Did Moll's chosen path lead to a life of satisfaction or did the pain, paranoia, and emotional trauma that came along the way extract a price that is much greater then the wealth that she eventually achieved? The answer is that the suffering that Moll experienced was not worth the final outcome. Although Moll reached her goals in the end, she would have had a more fulfilling and gratifyi ng life had she suppressed her vanity and price and accepted her role in society and lived accordingly. Moll began life in the low class. Not much nobility or status was expected of the orphan born in Newgate Prison, and in English society, there was little chance for Moll to escape this class. But Moll had the blessing of the kind "nurse" who raised her, kept her out of the dreaded servitude, and found a high class family for Moll to live and grow up with. Moll was a beautiful girl and thanks to her "nurse" and this family, she was well along the road to truly becoming a gentlewoman. Had events continued flawlessly from here, Moll might have achieved her goal without any pain, suffering, or remorse. Unfortunately, this was not to be the case. Moll's problems began with her relationship with the eldest brother. Her vanity and egoism allowed her to be seduced thus creating a serious conflict when the youngest brother sought her hand in marriage. Moll soon faced the dilemma of marrying Robin or faring for herself. Opting for financial security, Moll married a man whom she did not love. After Robin's death, Moll once again sought to marry a well to do man. She did just that and lived extravagantly for a few years until her husband was imprisoned for his debts. Once again, Moll was placed in a position of faring for herself or marrying... ... right, it was still an unnecessary risk. Moll and Jemmy had enough money to survive comfortably on. Was a little extra money worth risking her family and the only man she truly loved? Once again, Molls vanity and pride risked the happy life that she had found. We have seen how Moll let her vanity and pride shape her life. She found what she wanted in the end, but it took a mighty toll. She suffered through numerous relationships, each one leaving her in a position worse off then before. She had to deal with the constant paranoia and fear that is associated with being a thief. Yet she couldn't give up that lifestyle. She even had to face down her own death when she was sentenced to the gallows because of her actions. Moll made it through all of this and finally seemed to find happiness. But once again she was willing to risk all that she had in order to satisfy her vanity and greed. Moll had several opportunities to suppress her vanity and turn her life in a more positive direction. Doing so would have prevented a lot of pain and trauma. Unfortunately, Moll was never capable of overcoming this pride and thus had to suffer all the ill effects that were associated with it.

Hamlet Essay -- essays research papers

The Revenge of Prince Hamlet   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shakespeare’s, Hamlet, is a wonderfully written play that has many tangled webs of lies, betrayal, and revenge. The play starts off with the death of Hamlets father, the king. One night Hamlet sees the ghost of his dead father. The ghost speaks to Hamlet and tells him that he was killed by Claudius. Claudius, who is Hamlets uncle, has recently become the new king and as well married Hamlets fathers wife, Gertrude. Prince Hamlet devotes himself to avenging his fathers death, but because he is contemplative and thoughtful by nature, his heart is not fully in the deed, and he delays, entering himself into a deep depression and strong apparent madness. Hamlets quest for revenge leads him on a long journey of deception and eventually his own death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hamlet himself feels that he is slacking on his vengeance. He explains that â€Å"...all occasions do inform against [him] and spur [his] dull revenge.† (Act IV, Scene iii) There are many points in the book were Hamlet gets upset at himself because he isn’t applying himself to his quest for revenge. Hamlet must do what his father told him to do. His father says that if Hamlet ever loved him, he will â€Å"Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.† (Scene I, Act v) He considers himself weak and says â€Å"My fathers brother, but no more like my father/ than I do Hercules.† (Act I. Scene ii)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eventually...