The Stereotyping of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans Essay Example for Free

The Stereotyping of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans Essay Stereotypes have existed in different forms throughout history. Although they are prevalent in all areas of the world, most countries have overcome name calling various ethnic groups to a degree better than the past. However, people in America still place several racist connotations on minorities. This is ironic because the United States is considered to be a giant melting pot of different cultures, and Americans still are racist toward diverse ethnic groups. Hispanics are one minority Americans constantly categorize and even degrade with derogatory names. Hispanics are consider to be from large families, dirty, not born in the US, unable to speak English, uneducated, eat too much beans and tacos, good dancers, and that they are gangsters who like to get tattoos and ride on low riders. Many people have bad images of the Mexican race because they see one Mexican person who dress a certain way or even acts a certain way and they assume they are all bad people. For example if you see a Hispanic man that is baldheaded and has on baggie clothes people assume that he is a gangster by the way he looks. On the other hand most Mexicans perceive Anglo Americans to be arrogant, over-bearing, aggressive, conniving, rude, unreliable and dishonest because of the unscrupulous actions of some. They worked hard to get were they are today in society. Today, Hispanic-Mexican people face challenges living between two cultures, and one of these is in employment. Hispanic-Mexican people receive reduced wages and are forced into stereotypical fields because of stereotypes and discrimination, and from their education. First, a challenge Hispanic-Mexican people face is discrimination and stereotypes which lowers their wages and keeps them in certain job areas, but for an adequate education to allow them to compete in an increasingly challenging job market condemns too many of them to unemployment, underemployment, or work in professions with little promise for upward mobility and jobs with decent salaries. Congressman John Box called for restrictions on Mexican immigration because the Mexican was a product of mixing by the Spaniard and low-grade Indians. This mixture, according to Boxer, was an obstacle to participation in American democracy. There are many incidents where Hispanic-Mexican women are viewed, stereotypically, as a woman only capable of being a housewife, and as a sexual object. They also argue that cross-cultural conflict Hispanic-Mexican people have to deal with on an everyday basis, in this, purely dominated by Caucasians. In Hispanic-Mexican culture the wife might perform work outside the household; this was usually an acceptable alternative only in cases of extreme economic duress. In such cases, her efforts were limited to a restricted number of options, almost always of a part-time nature, and contributed nothing to improve her subservient status within the house. This division of authority established between man and wife was perpetuated by their offspring. Girls were taught distinct behavior patterns and were encouraged to adopt specifically defined aspirations quite different from their brothers, beginning at an early age. Motherhood was the ideal objective of all young girls and the primary virtue of all those who achieved it. Throughout the course of my life I have lived in different areas and have been subject to different viewpoints about race and ethnicity. In each of the areas I have lived, I have experienced differences and things in common in how people are treated. When I was very young I was the minority and other times I have been a majority. I currently live in a majority Hispanic-Mexican community. The Westside of Phoenix, AZ has a much less diversified population, yet racism, media, and the government still contributes to the discrimination of many of the residents, which has caused uncertainty and grave disadvantages. Right now Arizona is going through the 1920’s, and 30’s with the treatment of Hispanic-Mexican people. The governor, sheriff and the rich have come to the conclusion that all Mexicans are criminals and should be deported just like the U. S. government did in the 1920’s with the mandatory deportation of all Mexican people whether they were legal or not. Nativist scholars and politicians feared mongrelization as a by-product of contact with Mexicans, and in 1925 a Princeton economics professor even spoke of the future elimination of Anglo Americans by interbreeding with Mexicans. They were considered at that time by Congressman John Box called for restrictions on Mexican immigration because the Mexican was a product of mixing by the Spaniard and low-grade Indians. And as late as 1969, a California judge ruling in an incest case reiterated similar racist beliefs. He stated in court: Mexican people think it is perfectly all right to act like an animal. We ought to send you out of this country. You are lower than animals maybe Hitler was right. The animals in our society probably ought to be destroyed†. This mixture, according to Boxer, was an obstacle to participation in American democracy. They also did increasing violence perpetrated by Anglo Americans made Mexicans and Mexican Americans intensely aware of their subordinate status within the American Southwest. They did not have equal protection under the law, despite the guarantees of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the U. S. Constitution, and several laws were passed to specifically control their way of life. According to Griswold del Castillo: A Sunday Law imposed fines ranging from ten to 500 dollars for engaging in `barbarous or noisy amusements which were listed as bullfights, horse races, cockfights, and other tradition California amusements. At the same time, a vagrancy law called `the Greaser Law was passed. This law imposed fines and jail sentences on unemployed Mexican-Americans who, at the discretion of local authorities, could be called vagrants They are doing these things again here in Arizona. They have done it with SB1070 and have put fear in a lot of Mexican-Americans and Mexicans because this law is Racial Profiling or Stereotyping against all the Hispanic people here. They have ripped so many families apart by deporting one of the parents or even both leaving the children alone or with a parent missing. This law is like having Hitler here going after the Jewish people the only difference is that Arizona is not exterminating them. I have these people for many years and have learned, lived and raised children with them. They are not what my government sees them as. They are a proud people with strong family values and culture. They are not stealing the jobs from white people, but are doing the jobs that the white people refuse to do. Now because of how Arizona wants to act the cost of dairy, fruits and veggies has gone very high. The farmers can’t afford to pay what the prisons want nor the regular white guy who is willing to work in the field. References: del Castillo, Richard Griswold, and Arnoldo de Leon. North to Aztlan: A History of Mexican Americans in the United States. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1996. McWilliams, Carey. North from Mexico: The Spanish-Speaking People of the United States, updated by Matt S. Meier. New York: Praeger, 1990. Between Two Worlds: Mexican Immigrants in the United States, edited by David G. Gutierrez. Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Resources, 1996. Samora, Julian, and Patricia Vandel Simon. A History of the Mexican-American People. South Bend: University of Notre Dame Press, 1993.

Fe-AZT and Pd-AZT Synthesis and Effects

Fe-AZT and Pd-AZT Synthesis and Effects Synthesis and Effects of Fe-AZT and Pd-AZT on Viability of Human Hepatocytes and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Submitted by: Anna Harutyunyan Introduction Cancer is one of the major causes of mortality in the world. In 2015, according to the National Cancer Institute, over 1.6 million new cases of cancer were reported in the United States. The estimated cancer deaths for the year of 2015 were over 500,000. According to the National Cancer Institute projections, in 2016 an estimated 1.7 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in the United States and 595,690 people will die from the disease (National Cancer Institute). Although new cancer treatments and therapies are designed and implemented every year, cancer is still the number two cause of mortality in the United States, therefore developing and testing new effective anticancer agents is crucial. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest forms of cancers (Venook et al., 2010). The overall 5-year survival rate of HCC is less than 17%, making HCC the fastest rising cause of cancer related death in the United States (American Cancer Society 2016; Mittal and El-Serag, 2013). The annual age-adjusted incidence rates of HCC increased from 1.4 per 100,000 individuals in 1975-77 to 4.8 per 100,000 in 2005-07. An estimated 39,230 new cases of liver cancer (including intrahepatic bile duct cancers) were expected to occur in the US during 2016, approximately three-fourths of which would be hepatocellular carcinoma. An estimated 27,170 liver cancer deaths were expected in 2016 (American Cancer Society 2016). In 80-90% cases HHC occurs with and after cirrhosis. HCCs major risk factors are Hepatitis B and C viruses, cirrhosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), overconsumption of alcohol and exposure to other carcinogenic substances (Mittal and El-Serag, 2013). Liver ca ncer is the sixth most common neoplasm and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths, accounting for approximately 600,000 deaths annually (Venook et al., 2010). Because of early metastasis and progression, HCCs treatment is difficult, and traditional chemotherapy has shown limited success (Sabokrough et al, 2014). A research study published in 2015 suggested that an organometallic complex of platinum (II) azidothymidine (Pt (II)-AZT) has an antitumor effect on rat hepatocellular carcinoma cells. It was shown that this complex was significantly more effective in tumor suppression than the AZT without platinum (Sabokrough et al., 2014). Several organometallic complexes of AZT (with Zinc, Cobalt, Copper and Iron) were synthesized and characterized previously. The Iron complex of AZT (Fe-AZT) was shown to be the most stable (Shirvastav et al.) and have antimicrobial activity against 4 groups of bacteria. Electron rich ligands like AZT effectively bind and interact with metal ions producing metallodrugs which offer promising therapeutic application in terms of combating the drug-resistant strains of pathogens. It is also logical that a metal ion can influence the biological activity and therapeutic efficacy of the bio-molecule they bind (Shirvastav et al.) Thus it is useful to investigate the effect of a metal ion on the efficacy and mode of action of AZT in suppressing malignant cells and inducing apoptosis. To date, no research has been published regarding synthesis of Pd-AZT the inhibitory effect of both Fe-AZT and Pd-AZT on malignant cells. The aim of this research project is to synthesize Fe-AZT and Pd-AZT, confirm their structure and molecular mass and test their effects on viability of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells and normal human hepatocytes. Background Normal cell cycle In order to understand the biology of cancer it is crucial to understand the cell cycle of normal cells and cancerous cells. All cells in a given organism are under strict control of multiple regulatory agents, such as RB or p53 that control cell growth and keep the proliferative index stable. If there is a need for the cell to divide, the proliferative genes will turn on, or the suppressor genes that keep proliferation from occurring will be shut down, which will result in cell division (Hardin et al., 2014). The normal cell cycle consists of the following phases: G1, S, G2, M. During the G1 phase duplication of organelles, membrane systems and other important components happens. There is an important checkpoint at the end of this phase referred to as the restriction checkpoint, which verifies that DNA synthesis was successful and no errors have been detected. Next is the S phase during which the cell duplicates each chromosome. During the G2 the rest of the components that were not synthesized in the G1 phase are synthesized. A checkpoint after this phase makes sure the cell is ready to divide, and no errors in chromosome duplication were made. Mitosis is the next phase, when the cell physically divides (cytokinesis) making two identical daughter cells. A checkpoint during this phase checks if both of the daughter cells received the correct number of chromosomes. After division, the cell may remain in its silent G0 phase, when it does not divide, but continues to function. If any errors are detected on any of the checkpoints, the cell cycle is put on hold and the cell will undergo apoptosis. This process is governed my many enzymes and complexes, and theoretically, malfunction of any of these enzymes may result in uncontrolled cell division/proliferation. This can be the onset of carcinogenesis. Figure 1. The cell cycle phases with their checkpoints. Cancer cell cycle It is important to note that the normal cell cycle is under control of thousands of regulatory elements that are coded for by different genes. If mutations occur in the genes that code for the key elements keeping cell proliferation at bay, one level of control over the cell cycle is lost. There are cell signaling mechanisms through which immune cells detect faulty cells, send them death signals and the faulty cell undergoes apoptosis. It takes more than one mutation for a normal cell to start behaving like a cancer cell. Usually it is either the loss of the function of suppressor genes, or overexpression of proliferative genes that result in uncontrolled cell proliferation. When the cell becomes malignant, it loses the ability to respond to death signals, thus does not undergo apoptosis. The malignant cell cycle is slower than the normal cell cycle, however, since the cancer cells keep dividing and do not die, their number grows exponentially resulting in tumors (Weinberg, 2014). There is distinct cytological difference between normal and cancer cells (Figure 2). A normal cell has a smaller, regularly shaped nucleus, a low nucleus/cytoplasm ratio, is well differentiated and has well defined borders. Cancer cells have larger, irregularly shaped nucleus, high nucleus/cy toplasm ratio, are less differentiated and have irregular borders. In contract with normal cells that adhere to each other, cancer cells are less adhesive and break away from each other (Weinberg, 2014). Figure 2. The comparison of the cytology of normal cells and cancer cells. Azidothymidine (AZT), Fe(III)AZT, Pd(II)AZT Azidothymidine (AZT, Zidovudine) is a thymidine derivative in which the 3-hydroxy group is replaced by an azido group (Figure 3). It has been shown to have antitumor effects on different animal carcinoma cells both in vitro and in vivo through inhibition of telomerase activity and by causing cell cycle arrest (Gomez et al., 2012; Hadizadeh et al., 2014, Cooper and Lovett, 2011; Matteucci et al., 2015). Figure 3. Thymidine (left), Azidothymidine (right). Since cancer cells have higher proliferation rate than normal cells, their thymidine turnover rate is higher, which could contribute to their increased sensitivity to AZT. Several studies conducted by Fang et al., have shown that a hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2) is significantly more sensitive to AZT toxicity as compared to the normal hepatocyte (THLE2) sensitivity (Fang et al., 2014; Fang and Beland, 2009). The current hypothesis on how AZT affects the cell suggests that AZT is phosphorylated intracellularly yielding AZT-triphosphate and AZT-monophosphate. The AZT-monophosphate can be incorporated into the DNA structure instead of thymidine due to its similar molecular structure and shape. However, in contrast with thymidine, AZT lacks the 3 hydroxyl group which is the group that forms phosphodiester bonds between nucleotides in the DNA backbone structure. This means, wherever the AZT phosphate is incorporated in one of the DNA strands during DNA replication, the elongat ion of that strand halts (Figure 4). This is one of the mechanisms through which AZT causes damage to DNA (Fang et al, 2014). The commercial name of AZT is Zidovudine, and it is the basis of AIDS treatments. AZT blocks the replication of HIV-1 virus by competitively inhibiting the viral reverse transcriptase (RT). In other words, HIV RT prefers AZT to normal nucleotides. As described above, AZT is phosphorylated to AZT-triphosphate and is incorporated into viral DNA, halting nucleotide chain elongation. It is also known that AZT-triphosphate can be incorporated into eukaryotic DNA, although its affinity for DNA polymerases is lower than that for RT (Gomez et al, 2012). It was shown that Pt(II)-AZT is more effective in suppressing cancer cells than AZT, thus it has been suggested that having a transition metal bound to the central nitrogen atom of the azido group increases the complexs affinity for G-C and A-T base pairs and the P-backbone of DNA (Das and Pitre, 2007; Sabokrouh et al, 2015). Materials and Methods Fe-AZT and Pd-AZT synthesis To carry out the synthesis of Pd and Fe complexes, solid AZT and a standard ion solution of each metal (iron nitrate nonahydrate (Fe(NO3)3 ·9H2O and palladium chloride (PdCl2)) will be purchased from Sigma Aldrich (St. Louis, MO). Synthesis will be performed according to the protocol by Das and Pitre (2007). A 1:1 molar ratio of aqueous solution of AZT and metal ion will be refluxed for 3 hours. The volume of the reaction mixture will be reduced by 75% in order for the complex to precipitate. The solid product will be vacuum filtered, washed twice with ice-cold water, recrystallized and air-dried overnight. Infrared absorbance spectra will recorded for the AZT, Fe-AZT and Pd-AZT complexes. In the experiment conducted by Das and Pitre (2007) the comparison of IR spectra of pure AZT and its complex with Fe, the spectrum indicated a shift in bands from 2170 to 2150 cm-1 due to complexation through N atom of azido group. A similar band shift in the IR spectrum of Fe-AZT and Pd-AZT is expected. A Matrix Assisted Laser Ioniation/Distortion Time-of-Flight (MALDI TOF) mass spectrometry analysis will be performed for the Fe-AZT and Pd-AZT to determine the molar mass and the stoichiometry of the complexes. The matrix for analysis will be composed of 1:1 saturated Anthranilic Acid and Nicotinic Acid (Sigma Aldrich, St. Louis, MO). The samples and matrix will be dissolved in 45% acetonitrile: 55% water (van Kampen et al., 2004). Cell cultures HepG2, THLE2. Liver carcinoma cell line HepG2 and normal human liver cell line THLE2 will be obtained from American Type Culture Collection (Manassas, VA). The standard protocol recommended by ATCC will be used for establishing and maintaining hepatic cell lines. The cell lines will be plated at a density of 5 x 103 cells/cm2. HepG2 cells will be cultured in DMEM with 10% fetal bovine serum and antibiotics (penn/strep). THLE2 cells will be cultured in LHC-8 medium with 70ng/ml phosphoethanolamine, 5ng/ml epidermal growth factor, 10% fetal bovine serum and antibiotics (Fang et al., 2009). After ensuring sufficient cell growth and several passages of each cell line, the two cell lines will be divided into 4 groups each: control (no treatment) and treated with each drug: AZT, Fe-AZT and Pd-AZT (Table 1). Table 1. The experimental setup of the control and experimental groups of cells. Control 1 (C1) THLE2 cell line (no treatment) Control 2 (C2) HepG2 cell line (no treatment) Experimental 1 (E1) THLE2 cell line+AZT Experimental 2 (E2) HepG2 cell line+AZT Experimental 3 (E3) THLE2 cell line+Fe-AZT Experimental 4 (E4) HepG2 cell line+Fe-AZT Experimental 5 (E5) THLE2 cell line+Pd-AZT Experimental 6 (E6) HepG2 cell line+Pd-AZT The cells in the treated groups will be further categorized by the concentrations of the drug. HepG2 cells will be incubated with 2, 20 or 100  µM aqueous solution of AZT, Fe-AZT or Pd-AZT for 14 days. THLE2 cells will be incubated with 50, 500 or 2500  µM aqueous solution of AZT, Fe-AZT or Pd-AZT for 14 days. Each group of cells will be seeded at 5 x 103 cells/cm2 density in 6-well plates. The cells will be passaged weekly during the two-week treatment period. The dosage and incubation time were chosen based on a similar study (Fang et al., 2013; Matteucci et al., 2015; Sabokrouh et al., 2015). Cell viability assay After 14-day treatment period, 103 106 cells from each group will be seeded in a 96-well plate, incubated for 4 hours, and treated with MTT reagent, followed by a 8-12 hours incubation at 37 °C. After the incubation with MTT, when the cells have metabolized the yellow tetrazolium dye (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) to purple formazan, the cells will be treated by a detergent to release the formazan into the solution, and the absorbance will be measured at 570nm using an ELIZA reader. The number of metabolically active cells will be determined using a previously made calibration curve. The statistical differences will be calculated using a Two-Way ANOVA and Tukeys Post-Hoc Test. Anticipated outcomes. The expected mass-to-charge ratio from mass spectrometry analysis of Fe-AZT complex is 323.1, that of Pd-AZT is 373.6. Based on the published literature and the adopted hypothesis, all three drugs are expected to decrease cell viability. The concentration of either drug should have positive correlation with decrease in cell viability. Based on previous observations, it is expected that the HepG2 cells will be significantly more sensitive to both complexes, thus will be significantly less viable after the treatment compared to the THLE-2 cells. Study Participants and Timeline Anna Harutyunyan is the primary author of this study. She is currently a senior biology and chemistry major at Wilson College. This project will serve as Annas senior research project. She will conduct the research and present the results with the supervision of her advisors Dr. Deborah S. Austin (Sponsoring PAS member) and Dr. M. Dana Harriger (PAS Member). The research study began in September 2016 and will be completed by April 2017. Annas research findings will be analyzed and written as her senior thesis. Anna will also present her findings at the 2017 Pennsylvania Academy of Science meeting and at the Wilson College research colloquium. Budget Item Price MTT Assay Kit (ThermoFisher) $235.00 Zidovudine (Sigma) $124.00 LHC-8 medium (Gibco) $140.00 Total $499.00 Facilities and Equipment The MALDI TOF mass spectrophotometer will be provided by Pennsylvania State College of Medicine Mass Spectrometry Facility under supervision of Bruce Stanley, PhD. All materials, other instruments, and equipment not listed, including cell culture media and supplies, will be provided by the Department of Physical and Life Science of Wilson College. References       American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts Figures 2016. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2016. Bilsland AE, Stevenson K, Liu Y, Hoare S, Cairney CJ, Roffey J, et al. (2014) Mathematical Model of a Telomerase Transcriptional Regulatory Network Developed by Cell-Based Screening: Analysis of Inhibitor Effects and Telomerase Expression Mechanisms. PLoS Comput Biol 10(2): e1003448. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003448 BIOL2060 Cell Cycle [Photograph found in Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland]. (2015). In Hardin Bertoni (Authors). Retrieved March 30, 2016, from http://www.mun.ca/biology/desmid/brian/BIOL2060/BIOL2060-19/CB19.html Chen, Yi-Bin. Liver Cancer Hepatocellular Carcinoma: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Aug. 2015. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. Cooper, D. L., Lovett, S. T. (2011). Toxicity and tolerance mechanisms for azidothymidine, a replication gap-promoting agent, in Escherichia coli. DNA Repair, 10(3), 260-270. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.dnarep.2010.11.007 Das, R., Pitre, K. S. (september 2007). Bioinorganic studies on Fe (II)- zidovudine (azt) complex. Indian Journal of Chemical Technology, 14, 526-528. Retrieved February 20, 2016. Fang, J.-L., Beland, F. A. (2009). Long-Term Exposure to Zidovudine Delays Cell Cycle Progression, Induces Apoptosis, and Decreases Telomerase Activity in Human Hepatocytes. Toxicological Sciences, 111(1), 120-130. http://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfp136 Fang, J., Han, T., Wu, Q., Beland, F., Chang, C., Guo, L., Fuscoe, J. (2014). Differential gene expression in human hepatocyte cell lines exposed to the antiretroviral agent zidovudine. Archives Of Toxicology, 88(3), 609-623. doi:10.1007/s00204-013-1169-3 Gomez, D. E., Armando, R. G., Alonso, D. F. (2012). AZT as a telomerase inhibitor. Frontiers in Oncology, 2, 113th ser. Retrieved March 11, 2016, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3434370/ Hadizadeh, S., Najafzadeh, N., Mazani, M., Amani, M., Mansouri-Torshizi, H., Niapour, A. (2014). Cytotoxic Effects of Newly Synthesized Palladium(II) Complexes of Diethyldithiocarbamate on Gastrointestinal Cancer Cell Lines. Biochemistry Research International, 1-9.doi:10.1155/2014/813457 Hardin, J., Bertoni, G., Kleinsmith, L. J., Becker, W. M. (2014). Beckers world of the cell (8th ed.). Boston: Benjamin Cummings. Harrington, J. A., Reardon, J. E., Spector, T. (1993). 3-azido-3-deoxythymidine (AZT) monophosphate: an inhibitor of exonucleolytic repair of AZT-terminated DNA. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 37(4), 918-920. van Kampen Jeroen J.A., Fraaij Pieter L.A., Vishal Hira, van Rossum Annemarie M.C., Hartwig, Nico G., de Groot Ronald, Luider Theo M.. A new method for analysis of AZT- triphosphate and nucleotide-triphosphates. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Volume 316, Issue 3, 9 April 2004, 151-159] Matteucci, C., Minutolo, A., Marino-Merlo, F., Grelli, S., Frezza, C., Mastino, A., Macchi, B. (2015). Characterization of the enhanced apoptotic response to azidothymidine by pharmacological inhibition of NF-kB. Life Sciences, 127, 90-97. doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2015.01.038 Mittal, S., El-Serag, H. B. (2013). Epidemiology of HCC: Consider the Population. Journal ofClinical Gastroenterology, 47(0), S2-S6.http://doi.org/10.1097/MCG.0b013e3182872f29 National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Retrieved February 16, 2016, from http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/all.html Neto, V. (2013, January). AZT action [Photograph found in Organic Chemistry]. Retrieved April 1, 2016, from http://wwwblogvine.blogspot.com/2013/01/azt-was-originally-intendedto- treat.html (Originally photographed 2013, January 20) Normal And Cancer Cells Structure [Photograph found in Cells or Tissue Abnormal Cells or Tissue Cells or Tissue Normal Cells or Tissue Historical Graphics, National Cancer Institute]. (2001, January 1). In P. Kenny (Illustrator). Retrieved April 1, 2016, from https://visualsonline.cancer.gov/details.cfm?imageid=2512 (Originally illustrated 1990, April) Pichard, L., Raulet, E., Fabre, G., Ferrini, J. B., Ourlin, J. C., Maurel, P. (2006, February). Human hepatocyte culture. Retrieved March 11, 2016, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7063976_Human_hepatocyte_culture Sabokrouh, A., Vaisi-Raygani, A., Goodarzi, M. T., Khatami, S., Taghizadeh-jahed, M., Shahabadi, N., à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Shakiba, Y. (2015). Comparison between Platinum-Azidothymidine and Azidothymidine Effects on Bcl-2 and Telomerase Gene Expression in Rats with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology, 7(2), 50-56. Sabokrouh, A., Goodarzi, M. T., Vaisi-Raygani, A., Khatami, S., Taghizadeh-Jahed, M. (2014). Effects of Treatment with Platinum Azidothymidine and Azidothymidine on Telomerase Activity and Bcl-2 Concentration in Hepatocellular Carcinoma-Induced Rats. Avicenna Journal Of Medical Biotechnology, 6(4), 200-209. Telomere Shortening Determines the Proliferative Lifespan of Human Diploid Fibroblasts. 2001. Nature Reviews. By Nicole F. Mathon and Alison C. Lloyd. Web. 21 Mar. 2016. ThermoFisher Scientific. (n.d.). MRNA Extraction. Retrieved March 11, 2016, from https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/life-science/dna-rna-purification-analysis/rna- extraction/rna-types/mrna-extraction.html Venook, A. P., Papandreou, C., Furuse, J., De Guevara, L. L. (2010). The Incidence and Epidemiology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Global and Regional Persprective. The Oncologist, 4(15), 5-13. Retrieved March 11, 2016, from http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.org/content/15/suppl_4/5.long Weinberg, Robert A. The Biology of Cancer. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Garland Science, 2014. Print.

The War on Drugs is Failing Essay -- George Bushs War on Drugs

The War on Drugs is Failing â€Å"Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance†¦ for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man’s appetite by legislation and make a crime out of things that are not a crime. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principle upon which our government was founded† Abraham Lincoln On January 16, 1920 the Eighteenth Amendment was ratified by thirty-six states and became part of the Constitution. The intention of this new amendment was to lower alcohol consumption by Americans. At the time each American consumed on average thirty gallons of alcohol a year.[1] This new amendment took away the license to do business from the brewers, distillers, and the wholesale and retail sellers of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol consumption did taper off somewhat at the beginning of prohibition only to slowly rise back to pre-prohibition levels shortly before the end of the movement which took place on December 5,1933. Not only was the goal of prohibition never achieved, but it raised organized crime to levels of power unimaginable before and seriously disrupted both the legitimacy and revenue of the government. Just as Prohibition incited many unsavory activities, so has the War on Drugs. The easiest way to show the connection between these to movements is an excerpt from an article pertaining to Prohibition in America during the 1920’s: Bootleggers ran wild. Professional robberies began as soon as Prohibition did. Territories were divided by groups of organized crime that became the scum known as the Mafia. The territories were decided by violence and death, both against each other, as well as those in the public who may/may not have been innoce... ...equipped with state of the art learning tools. Teachers will receive pay raises. Students will be in an environment conducive to learning. Not to mention violence in schools will diminish drastically. Public schools across America would phase out drug addicts by teaching drug awareness, tolerance and moderation. It is quite clear that the War on Drugs is failing. A drug free country would be ideal. So would an alcohol-free country, a pollution-free country, and most likely a fast food-free country. None of these things will happen, so we have to make the best out of the situation as it is presented. The only practical method of dealing with this problem is the legalization of drugs. The government should take advantage of the money drug revenues will generate to supply the youth of America with the knowledge to make the right choice.

Alice Munro :: Biography Biographies Essays

Alice Munro Alice Munro’s fiction receives its strength from her vivid sense of regional focus, the majority of her stories take place in Huron County, Ontario, and through the sense of her narrators she illuminates and gives personal significance to each story. Many of Munro’s themes are centered around adolescent girls dealing with the ideas of loving, growing up, and losing innocence in a small town. Munro steps away from the adolescent girl and in her most recent work focuses on problems of the middle aged, such as women alone and those of the elderly. Munro is most famous for her works that deal with the adolescent girl and it has been said that Lives of Girls and Women is nearer her autobiography than it is a work of fiction. Munro has been known to say it is "autobiographical in form, but not in fact." As mentioned above many of Munro’s themes are centered around young girls, but the overlying theme is power. Munro defines the power of her artistic vision as the direc t result of her lack of power as a woman. Munro state’s "A subject race has a kind of clarity of vision and I feel that women have always had a clarity of vision which men were denied. And, in a way, this is a gift, it goes along with lack of power." At the end of Lives of Girls and Women, Del, the narrator, is trying to write fiction but finally rejects her unwritten novel as an "unreliable structure." The Lives of Girls and Women is a novel that focuses on the young Del Jordan, who is struggling with the problems of becoming a young woman. Munro takes the reader through Del’s carefree childhood to an uneasy adolescence in search of love and sexual experience. Munro’s ability to use Del as the narrator and to capture the perfection of local speech makes the reader feel that it is not Del’s life that is being told, but every young adolescent girl’s. In Lives of Girls and Women, Munro uses metaphors to organize the sequences of the fiction into a larger picture.. Metaphors of fire and electric power are used to associate fleshly humiliation of death and in Lives of Girls and Women are associated with sexual experience as in the climatic chapter "Baptizing." The most pronounced metaphor Munro uses is that of drowning. Munro uses a splitting metaphor to describe two kinds of power, sexual power and the power of death.

Main Economic Features of Oligopolies and Price-fixing Theories Essay

Introduction Oligopoly, from the ancient Greek ÏÅ'ÃŽ »ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ³ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ¹ "a few" and πώÎ »ÃŽ ·Ãâ€š "seller" (Woodhouse, 2002), defines the market with a small number of large players. (Begg and Ward, 2009, B&W). To demonstrate a clear understanding of what it is and how it works, this essay will be tacitly divided in two sections. In the first section I will discuss oligopoly's definition, demand curve, main features and price-fixing. In the second, I will illustrate oligopoly by referencing the UK Beer Market, and the extent to which this industry could support price-fixing. Oligopoly: definition Under monopoly one firm has no rivals (Rittenberg and Tregarthen, 2009). On the contrary, in perfect competition many small firms co-exist, none with the power to influence price (Sloman and Sutcliffe, 2001). Equally important, as a combination of monopoly and competition, monopolistic competition represents the market with freedom to enter and many firms competing. However, each firm produces a differentiated product and therefore has some control over its price. Finally, oligopoly exists when few large firms can erect barriers against entry and share a large proportion of the industry. Moreover, firms are aware of their rivals and concerned about their response to competitive challenges (Allen, 1988). Consequently, oligopolies operate under imperfect competition. Demand Curve Oligopolies present kinked demand curves. These curves are downward-sloping, similar to traditional ones. However, they are distinguished by a convex bend at a discontinuity. This change in elasticity shows that price rises will not be match by competitors, yet prices reductions will (B&W). Therefore, firms will tend not to raise prices because a small increase will lose customers... ...n_law [Accessed on 21/11/2010]. Rittenberg, L. and Tregarthen, T. (2009). Principles of Microeconomics, 2nd edition. New York: Flat World Knowledge, Inc. Routledge, R.(2010). Bertrand competition with cost uncertainty. Economics Letters, no. 107, pp. 356–359. Sab-Miller Report. (2003). On-trade and off trade. Available at: http://www.sabmiller.com/files/presentations/2003/000503/may03_ontradeofftrade_slides.pdf [Accessed on 21/11/2010]. Sloman, J. and Sutcliffe, M. (2001). Economics for business, 2nd edition. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Vives, X. (2001). Oligopoly pricing: old ideas and new tools. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Woodhouse, S. (2002) English-Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary Of The Attic Language. 10th edition. Padstow: TJI Digital. World Bank. (2010). Indicators by country. Available at: [Accessed on 16/11/2010].

Animal Testing: a Human Benefit Through Major

Animal Testing This essay is centered towards people who think that there is no good reason to do animal testing. Medicine testing on animals necessary. The animal rights organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), is one that has really caught my attention in recent months. PETA has proven themselves to be the largest animal rights organization in the world, with over 3 million people members who all do their duty in attempts to reserve the rights of animals. I must say, the organization quickly brought me in favor of their beliefs for quite some time.As PETA clarifies that they come together to put a halt on the â€Å"abuse of animals in cruel and painful experiments,† it is very difficult to not support the organization. They focus most of their attention on these concepts, and show it’s negativity to industries based on what they call human â€Å"entertainment. † The issue is that PETA only reveals one side to the story, disregarding any possible benefits animal testing may provide to humans. The extensive interest I have on the issue has leaded me to further my understanding.With PETA’s constant views on the â€Å"implementation of humane† nature, I’ve come to notice that scientific research on animals does not affect the balance of nature; that is, in comparison to many activities in our society such as hunting for pleasure which serves no purpose. I began to question as to why animal testing is taking place right now in our society, and could the benefits of these experiments outweigh the negative outlook it has? I have been looking into the nature and ethics behind the testing’s, and I have come to realize there are strong opinions for both those for and against the practice.Contrary to PETA’s views, I believe that although animals may at time experience pain, it does not make it wrong to use animals. This does not include the use of animals towards unnecessary luxuries such a s cosmetics and fur in the clothing line, industries that PETA criticizes intently. Humans don’t benefit from animal testing by wearing animal fur; however they do benefit through major medical advancements, such as experiments leading to a successful vaccine for rabies.One of the most controversial topics would be that animal testing is morally wrong, and ultimately, disturbingly similar to murder. While one may justify this as a strong reason to position themselves against the rights of animal testing, I would argue that many people fail to understand the legitimacy behind the trials. PETA states that the federal government wastes their money on misleading experiments, and should focus their intentions on â€Å"studies that are actually relevant to humans. Bernard E Rolling states in his article, Animal testing: A Moral Science, that â€Å"although abolitionists argue that using animals in biomedical research produces no benefits on humans†¦the scientific community h as adopted an equally extreme position’. Rolling is implying that animal testing serves a purpose, and is being done for the better good of human society. Animal Testings role in developing vaccines on a cure for HIV and AIDS has been a controversial issue for quite some time. With HIV being one of many diseases which are still without a cure, the search for effective drugs has proven particularly difficult.Some argue that scientists should test on human participants prior to approving its safety; however dealing with potential vaccines is dangerous and can produce illness or even death. As a result, researchers use animals to help â€Å"ensure the efficacy of drugs and vaccines† prior to human use (Avert. Org). With multiple grim stories regarding the usage of animals on PETA, my first opinion was to fall for the sympathy of the animals; however, I’ve come to realize that sometimes the beneficial actions for our society may come with hardships.The ultimate goal for many things is to ensure the quality of life among the people, and to enhance the knowledge in the medical world. Furthering the discussion of animal distress within the experiments, many emphasize that all experiments are conducted humanely, to high scientific standards. As mentioned under the United States Department of Agriculture, the Animal Welfare Act is the only Federal law in the United States that regulates the treatment of animals in research, exhibition, transport, and by dealers†¦. while] enforced by the USDA and Animal Care Agency. † Based on this information, it may be true that many people are subject to animal testing misconceptions involving mistreatment. Strict regulations within the Animal and Welfare Act include the following: specifications of lighting and temperature, animals kept outdoors must be provided with safety and shelter from nature’s elements, food and water must be given regularly, and there must be regular research proposals t o â€Å"minimize discomfort, distress, and pain to the animals†.With this being said, I personally believe its uneducal to provide an opinion based on misconceptions rather than facts. In a world where rules and provisions serve as mandatory in day-to-day activities, it provides feedback on my opinion towards this controversial issue. As well, The Committee on Animal Research and Ethics (CARE) provides details on the basis prior to experimentation. Details within the justification towards research includes that research is done solely to accomplish a clear scientific purpose, and that there is â€Å"reasonable expectation that the experiment will†¦ ncrease knowledge of the process underlying [human] development or behavior, determine replicability of prior research, increase understanding of the species or provide results that determine benefits towards the health or welfare of human or animal species. † Arguably the most beneficial provision is that no research o r experiment may be conducted without the protocol being revised and determined appropriate by an animal care committee, thus ensuring the research to be safe and humane. The reality towards the issue is that it’s unfortunate that there aren’t more alternatives for animal testing.However on the basis that the human race needs to develop knowledge to further their research to obtain medicines, animal testing seems to serve the utmost importance. If we have a goal to one day cure diseases like AIDS and Cancer, shouldn’t research in this department be necessary? I agree with PETA in the sense that animal testing is morally wrong if implemented with the fur and cosmetic industries, but they fail to consider the other side to the issue: that it is necessary on the fact that humans need research to move forward as a whole.

Left in the Lurch Essay

Jim could give Sara a quick call before the presentation just to be sure it wasn’t her he saw at the gas station. Jim could go on with the presentation without Sara and hope that the sides he never received from her will not make a huge impact and do a great job presenting what he has. Jim could also call Sara before the presentation and ask if she can email him her PowerPoint slides. Jim doesn’t actually know whether or not Sara is in fact sick or not, nor does he know if that was her at the gas station, but he needs to know her well-being so that he can get her part of the presentation they are supposed to present to the CEO today. Jim can be persistent in taking control of the situation his partner put him in by not sending him the needed slides or show up to help present. Jim can show interest and enjoy presenting on his own. He can show his confidence in how successful of an outcome his presentation on his own. Jim should go on with his presentation with or without the slides Sara never sent and show how confident he is in the work he has done.