Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics Essays - Fiction

Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. The main characters are taken from "Little Red Riding Hood", "Jack and the Beanstalk", "Rapunzel", and "Cinderella", as well as several others. The musical is tied together by a story involving a childless baker and his wife and their quest to begin a family (the original beginning of The Grimm Brothers' Rapunzel), their interaction with a witch who has placed a curse on them, and their interaction with other storybook characters during their journey. "Be careful what you wish for" seems to be the ongoing theme in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Brothers Grimm inspired musical, Into the Woods . The story trails The Baker and his wife who wish to have a child, Cinderella who wishes to go the King's Festival, and Jack who wishes his cow would give some milk. When the Baker and his wife are visited by the neighborhood witch, who reveals to them that she placed a curse on their family, the two set off on a voyage into the woods to reverse the curse. Also in the woods, we meet Little Red, who is trying to visit her grandmother, the Wolf who loves tasty little girls, the Witch's daughter Rapunzel, and the Princes chasing after their loves. By the end of Act I, everyone has gotten their wish and will seemingly live happily ever after. But in Act II, when Jack's beanstalk brings them a visit from an angry Giant, we see how the costs of their actions haunt them in devastating ways. The community must c ome together to save each other and their territory , but sacrifices must be made . The musical was a little hard to follow because there was a lot going on. It is one that you have to sit and watch the whole thing to understand what is going on. If you miss any part of it will confuse you because the whole story is tied together. The themes are beloved childhood fairytales from long past that intertwine and is told as an overall story, such as when the witch told the Baker and his wife that if they want the curse reversed, they have to bring her some ingredients for a potion - a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, a slipper as pure as gold. She needs it by midnight in three days' time when the blue moon will come, which only happens every 100 years. If they can bring her the ingredients, she promises them a child. But it keeps going and brings more characters from the fairytales to the story. The actors and actresses that I liked on Into the Woods would have to be Cinderella because she works hard and finally after all the mistreating she has been through she finally finds h er true love but things are twisted and not the way she wants it to go. Another character I like was the giant, because the giant was just misunderstood. She just wanted to be befriended. The characters I disliked would have to be the baker's wife because she is a cheater and up to no good throughout the musical. Although she got what she wanted as it turns out none of them are happy and sometime later they realize it. The lighting and set seemed a little drab to me. It was kind of dark and not too many props were used, this was very minimal. The costumes were pretty spot on the way I remember the stories. The sound was good for an open theatre, but a little hard to hear in certain areas. The makeup was great I loved how they had Rapunzel and her long flowing hair and how they had the baker's wife she was plump. I guess for the play the lighting was okay especially that it came out in 1999. Technology has come a long way since that period. Overall I liked the props

Rbd Recycling Report Essay

Rbd Recycling Report Essay Rbd Recycling Report Essay Researching Business Data Assignment 1 Obtain some figures for recycling in different regions of the UK Table of Contents 1.0 - Introduction 2.0 - What is recycling and what is the reason for it 3.0 - Household waste 4.0 - Commercial and industrial recycling 5.0 - London result by WPA table 6.0 - revision and Error 7.0 -Types of revision * Schedule revision * Non-schedule revision 8.0 - References 1-Introduction The purpose of this report is too investigate figures for recycling in different regions of UK and discusses any increase or decreased for each of the figures. A brief history of recycling is initially outlined. And also an explanation of what recycling is and what is the reason for it. The discussion then is focused on the topic that has divided into two categories of household and commercial and industrial wastes and highlighting the purposes of individual campaigns in the individual regions. Furthermore the selected four regions are; Harrow, Lewis ham, Westminster and City of London. These are during the timeframe of 2006 to 2011. Recycling in the areas as mentioned above has encouraged by the government due to the different reasons. This is because although the individual regions have wastes to manage they have different quantities due to differentials in economic, industrials and general activities taking place in the chosen regions. In early pre-industrial times, waste was disposed of in the ground where it would act as compost, eventually the change from nomadic hunter-gatherer to agriculturist meant that waste could no longer be left as it was and thus pushed forward towards the growing problem of garbage disposal. This soon gave rise to the need of recycling. 2. What is recycling and what is the reason for it Recycling is a method through which present materials are processed with aim of producing newer products. This method would reduce energy usage and air pollution from incineration and water pollution from land field. The reason for recycling is that it could save energy, Material Conservation, Reduction of Rubbish in Landfills and Helping the Environment. This idea is also extend the life of something that has previously served its purpose all the while focusing on the prevention of useful materials. 3, The Proportion of collected HOUSEHOLD waste that is recycled or composted The graph above clearly states that Harrow has increased from 10% in 2004/5 to 50% in 2010/11. This shows that Harrow has ranks the second highest in London for household recycling and composting, the reason for this increase is because the government has said we must recycle and compose 40% of our waste by the end of 2010. If we do not reach this target, we will be fined and the cost will be passed on to the resident’s council tax. As the graph shows Lewis ham has increased from 10% in 2004/5 to 22% in 2007/8, and it has dramatically decreased to 20.5% in 2008/9. This is because there were not enough recycling bins for Lewis ham so the local council advised members of the community to share recycling bins or even wrap it up in a black bag and stick it in the garden attraction foxes. In addition Lewis ham has one of the lowest rates of the waste to landfill in London at Only 10%. This is because a large proportion of the waste is incinerated Westminster has increased from 15% in 2004/5 to 25.3% which suggest that it has one of the lowest household recycling and composting rate in London. Household recycling and composting in Westminster has increased but the rate of household composting is low this is due to housing stock, Less than 20% of residents have gardens. London has increased from 14% in 2004/5 to 39% in 2010/11. This has increased but composting remains low due to the prevalent of flats and absence of private gardens. If the initiatives

Role of commercial banks in causing the financial crisis Term Paper

Role of commercial banks in causing the financial crisis - Term Paper Example On the other side of Europe, the G7 financial ministers have assumed the crisis to be an American problem until much of the European banking system effectively collapsed. In countries such as Germany, the bailing out of the major industries including the Hypo Real estate as well as European mega banks came to hit them hard as they are the big lenders. Other nations like Britain emulated what was happening and commendably made their banking systems to become national. By October 2008 many of the European countries including Canada had gone so far as to guarantee not only the deposits but as well the debts of the banks as well. The financial system in the world is the umbrella body that will be concerned with how all the institutions that deal with finances will work including the borrowing of money in the form of loans that will be repaid in a period that will be short or relatively longer. At times, the webs of debt and credit have always been fragile in times of panic, spreading problems from a part of the global economy to the other. The reason that is responsible for this is that when one link in the very intricate chain becomes weak and breaks and defaults on some debt, it can leave creditors hazardously short of funds, unable to assure the credit of other firms. In this way, the consequences of one failure can spread throughout the entire economy and hence the entire money market (Roubini and Mihm 117) . There are always marketing risks arising when financial institutions trade assets and liabilities as well as derivatives as opposed to holding them for longer investment, funding or hedging purposes, (Saunders and cornett 184). When this happens, the financial institutions are assumed to directly control the maturities of their assets and liabilities as well as the interest issues are concerned. As interest rates fall, many mortgage borrowers seek to repay their existing loans and refinance at a lower rate.

Population & migration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Population & migration - Essay Example Population increase/explosion in developing countries contributes to problems such as malnutrition and poverty but does not have much negative effects in developed countries as they are well endowed with several resources. On the other hand, population decrease in developing countries can be seen as a blessing as it would boost the capacity of available limited resources and opportunities to cater for the needs of the population, but in highly industrialized countries it will be seen as a curse because of shrinking available workforce. This paper investigates problems of population explosion in India suggesting ways that can be used to control it. According to Webster’s dictionary, population is defined as the whole number of inhabitants or people in a given country whereas population explosion is pyramiding of numbers of a natural population. Population change is mainly influenced by death rate, birth rate and migration. Increase in birth rate and migration increase population whereas increase in death rate reduces population. Thus, population is calculated by subtracting a sum of deaths and emigration from a sum of births and immigration. Effects of population growth in India include increased environmental population, increased unemployment and illiteracy levels and increased depletion of resources. Increased environment pollution has resulted from increased establishment of more factories to satisfy the needs of the people in the country. When the fossil fuels are burnt to generate energy required by the increased factories, green house gases such as carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide are emitted into the atmosphere contributing to air pollution and global warming. Also, the factories discharge their industrial wastes into rivers. Equally, the increasing numbers of people exert pressure on the available natural resources; water resources are over-utilized, forest cover

John Heartfield Photomontages and Marxism Essay

John Heartfield Photomontages and Marxism - Essay Example To understand this relationship between Marx and Heartfield, this paper will provide some background into Heartfield’s work and the Weimar Republic before analyzing three of Heartfield’s works in light of Karl Marx’s â€Å"The German Ideology.† Within the language of his art, Heartfield created photographic symbols for the various political parties. He included such images as clenched fists, raised arms and open hands to show the strong actions and determined nature of the men in the various parties to do what they felt was important. Rather than going out and working to take his own photographs, Heartfield opted to take recognizable photographs from the mainstream press and reassemble them in such a way as to change the meaning of the image to what he envisioned. Most of his images appeared in the magazine Die Arbeiter-Illustrierte Zeitung (Worker’s Illustrated Magazine or AIZ). To make his meanings as clear as possible, Heartfield stuck to a minimalist style, restricting himself to only a few telling images in each piece, thus becoming a father of the modern and postmodern movements. The Weimar Republic, a convenient name developed by scholars to distinguish the political situation in Germany between the two world wars, was characterized by violent social upheaval. The country had been led for more than 40 years by the military and was suddenly forced, with the loss of World War I, to accept a civilian government. However, the large numbers of soldiers returning from the war, an unstable idea of how civil government should be constructed as well as a general non-acceptance of this type of government led to chaos within Germany. Several councils were put in place by the soldiers and workers of Germany. These councils led to the abdication of Emperor Wilhelm II, the establishment of a socialist nation and the creation of a parliamentary-led governmental system that acted more like a dictatorship. The general

Causes and Effects of the Amazons Deforestation

Causes and Effects of the Amazons Deforestation Dr. G. Leckebusch Deforestation in the Amazonas Basin and the Climate Policy of Brazil – A Critical Review The contemporary issue of deforestation is seen as a rising global concern involving the complete clearance of forests either by cutting or burning. Forest clearance is seen to fluctuate however rates of decrease across the Amazon basin where as large as 30% between 2001 and 2002 (Santilli et al, 2005). Optimistic climate change models show that the median distance between the areas in the Amazon rainforest and their closest future (2050) climate model according to the prediction based on temperature and precipitation change increase to over >475km (Feeley and Rehm, 2012). Deforestation affects the Amazon basin on a large scale whereby rates have exponentially increased since 1991 (Fearnside, 2005). Cattle ranching within the Amazon are seen to account for 70% of the clearing activity (Fearnside, 2005). This argued upward trend of deforestation is set to continue due to cattle, pastures and highways (Nepstad et al, 2001). Prior to this the Amazon remained largely intact until the â€Å"modern† wave of deforestation in 1970 due to the transamazon highway. Therefore due to modern issues such as global population increase, increased demand for land and resources forest degradation is becoming an important concern which needs to be addressed. With the original extent of the Amazon forest covering approximately the area of Western Europe (Fearnside, 1993a); reliable estimates are needed to monitor deforestation levels. Recent values of deforestation are seen in Figure 1. It can be argued that there is no real explanation as to why deforestation rates fluctuate therefore Fearnside Barbosa (2004) question whether the statistics produced are valid. However these estimates are needed in order for protocols to come into action. As high deforestation rates are contributing to the global concerns such as loss of biodiversity, greenhouse gas warming as well as the destruction of such valuable resource. Protocol’s can monitor these fluctuations however before prevention takes place the causes of deforestation need to be addressed. Causes Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest can be attributed to many different factors. Although the expansion of the highway infrastructure can explain part of the deforestation in the 1970s and 1980s it cannot be the sole reason (Schaeffer et al, 2005). As it does not provide the explanation for the issue in the 1990s when the infrastructure development came to an end however the rates of deforestation still remained high. Nowadays the current expansion of highways is seen as a consequence rather than a cause as blaming governmental organisations masks the real reasons. The primary underlying forces behind deforestation in the Amazon region are combined effects of cultural, demographic, economic, technological, political issues (Schaeffer et al, 2005). Then underlying governmental policies, as well as institutional, socio-economic factors interact among themselves and function as one, driving deforestation within the Amazon (Schaeffer et al, 2005). More recently there have been different drivers of deforestation such as soybean and beef production which have therefore required a larger portion of land for production and the infrastructure involved due to globalisation. However these new drivers have not replaced existing ones they have been added to the ongoing list of deforestation drivers. These new plantations involve new infrastructure development which can expect to destroy more forest alone (Fearnside, 2001c). Infrastructures developments are seen as an added effect as the Forest loss in the 1990s would have been notably less severe were it not for the preceding infrastructure standing in its way. These transportation links are seen to accelerate the clearing of rainforests. The Avanca Brazil Program created a development package for the period 2000-07 which included a US $20 billion development in infrastructure within the Amazon region (Laurance et al, 2001; Nepstad et al 2001; Fearnside, 2002a). This development was driven by the perceived need to transport the new production of soy beans. Particularly damaging roads where the BR-163 and BR-319 highways (Fearnside, 2005). Large landholders are seen to be the most sensitive to economic change such as variable interest rates, financial returns, land prices and inflation. With Tax drivers been a strong driver of deforestation rates in the 1970-80’s (Mahar, 1979). With government subsidised credit at rates considerably lower than inflation meant that they became much scarcer after 1984. However in 1994 when Brazil set out the plan for a â€Å"Plano Real Reform† (Fearnside, 2005) hyperinflation dominated the economy however this resulted in land been at peak price reaching levels which were justifiable for production. As a result deforestation enabled claims to land and cutting for cattle pastures was the cheapest and most effective method (Hecht et al, 1988; Faminow, 1998; Fearnside, 1987/2002b). Due to Brazil’s recession deforestation rates declined throughout 1987-1991 as ranchers were unable to expand as quickly due to the government lack of funds for infrastructure developments. H owever the â€Å"Decree suspending incentives† (Fearnside, 2005) came into practice in mid 1991 which was the result of the most effective decline; evident in figure 2. It has been argued that the peak in 1995 was a result of economic recovery due to the Plano real response however due to this the fall seen in 1996 and 1997 was a logical decision of the Plano Real to cut the rate of inflation; shows fluctuation in deforestation rates (Fearnside, 2005). These major rates of fluctuations where due to money availability, inflation rate due to most of the clearing been done by those who invest to medium/large cattle ranchers. In figure 2 it is clear to see that deforestation rates climbed per year which then remained constant for 4 years followed by a steep rise in 2002 to a new level. Timber extraction has seen to be a cause of such rises as increased forest flammability has meant higher rate of loss. This undetected deforestation leads to severe damage that is visible on landsat imagery as deforestation (Cochrane et al, 1999; Nepstad et al, 199b). The role of logging increases the chance of forest fire as fires dry out large areas making a wider catchment susceptible to fires. Verissimo et al (1992) notes that forest fires create the damage of almost twice the volume of trees being harvested. Similarly a major resulting concern is the number of rainless days needed for a logged area is much lower to reach flammable conditions than for one that hasn’t (Nepstad et al, 2004). Due to the above causes a global climate impact has occurred. Global climate impact Deforestation creates a large global climate impact which includes loss of biodiversity, reduced rainfall and global warming contribution; similarly a loss of productivity, soil erosion, nutrient depletion and soil compaction. A change in the hydrological regime impact involves watershed functions been lost and flooding. The percentage of water recycled within the Amazon basin is now seen to be 20-30% (Lean et al, 1996) rather than the previous figure of 50% (Salati Vose, 1984). This at a policy view is not appreciated (Fearnside, 2004) as current levels of available water worldwide is seen as low. Results show that currently 150 million people live in cities with a persistent water shortage (defined as â€Å"having less than 100L per person per day†) and by 2050 is set to increase to almost 1 billion people (McDonald et al, 2011). The deceptive view of the potential deforestation rates increasing global precipitation levels misleads the idea that deforestation is bad. Biodiversity loss is a result of deforestation which impoverishes the earth’s biodiversity (Capobianco et al, 2001). Net emissions of greenhouse gases are increased as a result of deforestation through forest fires. Amazonian deforestation distinguishes a greater concern due to potential future emissions. In 1990 the net commission emissions from Brazilian deforestation represented 5% of the global total from a variety of sources (Fearnside, 1997b). However the concern is in the carbon stock in biomass within the Amazon which represents 38% of the tropical total (Fearnside 2000a:129). Likewise this release of carbon through tropical deforestation showed a release of 1.5 billion metric tons of carbon (GtC) to the atmosphere annually throughout the 1990’s; which can be seen as 20% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. It can be seen that global climate models show that as precipitation decreases linearly there are increasing amounts of precipitation. The climate of Brazil changes due to the loss of tropical rainforests to pasture; the surface temperature increases by approximately 1 ° to 3 °, precipitation increase and a decrease in evapotranspiration. This heating out the surface leads to localised upward motions that cause the formation of clouds which in turn produces more rainfall (Shukla et al, 1990). Similarly compared to rainforest cover the degraded pasture is seen to have a higher albedo value, with lower surface roughness and a shallower and sparser root system and lower available storage capacity for soil moisture (Shukla et al, 1990). Thus cannot retain the high levels of precipitation leading to higher rates of surface runoff. Due to deforested areas been drier and more susceptible to forest fires, the ENSO triggered an extended dry condition in 1997-98 across the Amazon. This meant an increase in tree mortality and forest flammability especially in logged areas due to large areas burned releasing carbon to the atmosphere (Page et al, 2002). However even in non ENSO years global warming has been observed to be putting tropical regions at risk. Over the last 5 years droughts within the basin droughts have been detached from ENSO events but have collaborated with some of the highest temperatures on record (Gullison et al, 2007). If these droughts become more frequent and severe or the dry season lengthens due to deforestation or a reduction in rainfall due to global warming then a proportion of the carbon stored in the tropical rainforests will be released into the atmosphere (Santilli, 2005). So as Malhi et al (2004) states the undisturbed rainforests act as a â€Å"sink† for the atmospheric carbon w hich is yet to be released. The effects of Amazon deforestation upon climate change is investigated using numerical experiments of an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) with set global sea surface temperature and the same AGCM joined to an ocean GCM (CGCM) over the global tropics. The joined model demonstrated a reduction in rainfall which was 60% larger compared to its control run (Nobre et al, 2009). Nobre concluded that amazon deforestation affects climate change and is dependent on AGCM’s. However there is a general agreement that amazon deforestation results in a local reduction in rainfall and an increase of surface temperature. This abundant cheap land within the amazon needs caps on it to ensure all is not sold. As this means destructive, fire-based agriculture, such as cattle ranching and slash-burn-farming, will continue to thrive. In the Amazon an area the size of France has already been deforested, a large fraction of which is now degraded cattle pasture with minimal benefit for the natives (Schaeffer, 2005). Therefore sustainable development is the step forward.

Daniel Quinns Ishmael - Transformation of Will Weston from Taker to Le

Daniel Quinn's Ishmael - Transformation of Will Weston from Taker to Leaver The seceded Ecotopian nation and the country it came from can be categorized into two groups, "Takers" and "Leavers". These terms are derived from Daniel Quinn's novel, Ishmael. "Good. So henceforth I'm going to call the people of your [American] culture Takers and the people of all other cultures Leavers." "You call your self civilized and all the rest primitive." Upon entering Ecotopia, Will Weston is impressed, horrified and overwhelmed by the practices of Ecotopians. "Can things be as weird as they sound" and will he be able to "keep his sanity" among the madness he encounters? What Will does not know is that the longer he stays in Ecotopia, this "Leaver" society is going to challenge his "Taker" beliefs and mindset and ultimately change them for good. Will is very cautious and defensive upon going into Ecotopia. He's an American "Taker" traveling off into unknown "Leaver" territory and he is very suspicious of the Ecotopians. "Something peculiar is going on in this place. Can't yet exactly locate the source of the feeling. The way people deal with each other -with me- keeps reminding me of something -but I don't know what. Always takes me off guard, makes me feel I was confronted with some fine personal opportunity -a friendship, learning something's important, love -which by then has just passed Will's first impression of the Ecotopians is mixed. On one hand he thinks that they have very novel ideas in regards to the way they live and when he thinks of them as savages because of many of their different practices. "Woke up sweating, hands clutched tight on dream spear. Wished I was home safe in New York. Savages!" Many experiences wit... ... and live out in these past six weeks. He sees the horrible person that he used to be and instantly wants to part of it any more. He knows now that his place is right here in Ecotopia. For the past couple weeks he knew deep down that he should stay here, but couldn't bring himself to admit it openly. Not until he is shown is former self, does he admit his true feelings and decide to stay in Ecotopia. The one thing Will Weston never expected to happen as he went on assignment in Ecotopia did happen. He was influenced and changed by these so- called savages. He was changed from a typical American "Taker" into an Ecotopian "Leaver". His ideas about love, life and friendship were all changed in a matter of six weeks. He learned what it meant to live in harmony with nature and to be one with your fellow Ecotopians. We should only hope that Americans could do the same.

The Use of Lasers in Esophageal Cancer Treatment

Esophageal cancer is a rare form of cancer, but its numbers are on the rise around the world (Staff, Mayo Clinic 1). This disease occurs when malignant or cancerous cells form in the tissues of the esophageal lining of the body’s gastrointestinal tract. The esophagus is responsible for moving swallowed food and liquids from the mouth into the stomach for digestion. It consists of several tissue layers, including the mucous membrane, muscle, and connective tissues.When cancer forms in the esophagus, it begins in the innermost layer of the tissue (the mucous membrane) and moves outward (towards the connective tissue layer) as it spreads (see Figure 1). It often goes undetected for many years, and in its later stages, this cancer is not easily treatable. Among those who develop esophageal cancer, their long-term survival rate is low, as it is estimated that only 12. 5% of patients live five years beyond the date of diagnosis (Triesschejin, Martijn 5).The standard treatment option used to combat esophageal cancer is called an esophagectomy, in which the cancerous area of the esophagus is removed via surgery, however this procedure is very invasive, complicated, and is often times fatal. However, with today’s technological advancements, safer, less-invasive methods are beginning to replace this option and are proving to be successful in helping to extend the lives of those patients with severe esophageal cancer and aid in improving their quality of life.One up-and-coming treatment option that is far more safe and practical than esophagectomy is the integration of lasers in photodynamic therapy, or PDT. Although it is still an experimental treatment, is ideal because it has no long-term side effects, is minimally invasive, can be done quickly with little recovery time, has the ability to precisely target the areas of the body where the cancer cells are present, and can be safely repeated multiple times until the desired results are achieved.Post-treatme nt, it has been known to cause sensitivity to light, particularly pertaining to the patient’s eyes and skin, however this has not been shown to be a significant issue among those treated with PDT. Photodynamic therapy uses special drugs, known as photosensitizing agents, along with laser light to kill cancer cells closer to the surface of the skin. The agents are injected into the body via and ‘switched on’ with light of the appropriate wavelength depending on the drug utilized. Chemical and molecular reactions within the ody from the drugs then destroy the cancer cells and work to rid the body of the esophageal disease. Although several sources of light are possibilities when performing photodynamic therapy, lasers are the most preferred. They are the most effective in emitting monochromatic light, or light that is of a single wavelength and color, corresponding to all of the different absorption maxima of photosensitizers’ compounds, and can be relativel y easily coupled to optical fibers from 200 to 600 microns’ core sizes.Specifically, the type of laser that is optimal for the treatment of esophageal cancer is a diode laser. These lasers are the most recent to be used in cancer treatment, and were developed just within the last fifteen years. Thus, they have higher quality beams, expanded ranges of wavelengths, and can be used on higher powers if desired. Diode lasers are ideal because they are simple to use, easy to transport, and do not require difficult installation like the gas (argon) and dye lasers used before them (Boucher 74).The diode laser currently approved by the FDA is manufactured by Angiodynamics, and has been successfully used, along with the correct application of photosensitizers, in esophageal cancer treatments. â€Å"A good photosensitizer is preferably a pure compound with a constant composition† (Nyman 3). And in esophageal cancer treatment via PDT, the best-proven photosensitizer is called porf imer sodium, also commercially known as Photofrin ®.In fact, the United States’ Food and Drug Administration has only approved the use of this photosensitizer in the treatment of esophageal cancer via PDT (â€Å"Photodynamic Therapy† 2). Porfimer sodium is injected intravenously, where it is then absorbed by all of the body’s cells, but only those cells that are normal and not cancerous are able to get rid of it. To allow for the body’s normal cells to rid themselves of the drug, two to three days are given between the drug’s administration and the activation of the drug by laser light.After being passed down the throat through a small flexible tube called an endoscope, a thin fiber optic glass strand is used to direct the laser light at the affected area. The optical fiber is made of fused silica, and uses a balloon catheter to distribute a defined, controlled amount of light to the treated esophagus organ. If the beam were not diffuse, a direct beam (even at a low power) could be damaging to the esophageal tissue. The light is operated at weaker power of around 2 Watts to ensure that it does not burn any tissue, and it is relatively pain-free.The treatment it is applied for no longer than an hour at a time and can often be done in an outpatient setting (reference all sources listed). Normally, the most common wavelength used is red light, as its specific wavelength of 630 nanometers has been shown to work best when attempting to create the most effective and potent malignant cancer cell-killing method possible. Atomically speaking, following its activation by laser light, â€Å"†¦the photosensitizer is elevated from a ground state to a long lasting excited triplet state†¦. and it] can then react with cell membranes to form radical ions [intermediates] which interact further with oxygen to produce cytotoxic oxygenated molecules† (Gray 1). More simply put, the excited photosensitizer activated by the laser light transfers its energy to other molecules before returning to its ground state, which generates a reactive oxygen species (intermediate) that is able to directly kill and destroy the esophageal tumor via oxidation, and later, indirectly, via inflammation.Research has shown a huge increase in the survival rate of PDT patients receiving this treatment. Treated patients’ survival rates improved 25% over a span of five years compared to those who never received any type of treatment (Li 2). And although doctors have seen great success with the use of photodynamic therapy and diode laser treatments, there is still much more to be researched and improved upon. Currently, new drugs, such as Photochlor ®, and others are being clinically tested to see if they can be used as photosensitizers in the treatment of esophageal cancer.This photosensitizer looks promising, as it has already been shown to last a much shorter time and is more easily removed from the body than Photofrin ® is. Also, scientists are looking at the possibility of using ointments containing ferrous or colbalt ions and hydrogen peroxide on the treated cancerous area to improve PDT outcomes along with laser light. And with the further advancement of technology, hopefully newer treatments will be able to not only improve the outcomes of patients with severe esophageal cancer, but be able to cure them of it once and for all.

Ethics and Religion

Ethics and Religion Free Online Research Papers 1. Part two of McClendon concerns the church as a caring community. This community is not isolated but is part of the world. It has rules or laws that govern its actions and activities individually and collectively. One cannot embrace Christianity and live outside of society but, Christians should live in this world with its social mores as unified followers of Christ. We must be guided by the Holy Spirit to live socially, politically, and morally. Christians cannot ignore the fact that we live in a world with principalities and powers. These powers are not other worldly but they are of such that we deal with in our everyday lives. In our government we hear that there is a separation of church and state but, as followers of Christ we cannot ignore these powers. I believe we can live and be nonviolent but we cannot live not speaking out against the unjust deeds, and deplorable conditions in this world. However, we have to do this as a unified caring community. McClendon says that the caring community has both an internal and external moral life. The internal life concerns Christian living on a personal level. As a caring community we are responsible for others in the world also. McClendon uses the Sermon on the Mount as the rules or guide for living in this community. Do the church today practice mercy, compassion, and love as expressed by Jesus in this sermon? When Christians embrace the attitudes of the Sermon on the Mount others cannot be ignored socially or politically. When Christians ignore politically then we subject ourselves and others to such unfavorable leaders as Hitler. If we are â€Å"Our brother’s keeper† then we must stand up to prevent such atrocities as the Holocaust. Although it has taken place we must practice forgiveness if we are really Disciples of Christ. When the Lord’s Prayer becomes more than merely words to be recited we recognize that forgiveness is integral to the life of the believer. We will not be forgiven if we cannot forgive our brothers and sisters. Healing can never take place if the injury is never forgiven. The Lord’s Supper provides not only an avenue for forgiveness but, it brings the community of Christ together creating a unified body. It is the central theme for the caring community. It causes the injuring party to recognize the act of harm and to seek forgiveness, along with the injured party the ability to extend forgiveness to those who caused the injury. The act of forgiveness helps the community to maintain itself. Without forgiveness the community will destroy itself. 2. Part I shows us how Christians embodies the ethics of Jesus the Christ or how we live the ethics of Jesus. Chapter one told us that we are a convictional community that lives by a set standard or conviction. As followers of Christ we have taken on his attitudes and follow in his convictions to bring others into the community of believers. We embrace the Bible as the authoritative Word of God therefore we follow the standards and instructions of it. We believe that we have the freedom to respond to God without fear or reservation and by following the previous standards we can expect a life transformed into service by Jesus Christ. Here we begin the connection with part two which says that a life transformed by service does not end with self but, it is a life transformed into service to others. We are the body of Christ a caring community that loves and forgives one another as Christ would have us do. 3. Does your church practice what McClendon describes in Part II? My church does practice a community of care because we are what are known as a connectional church. My church is part of a district, and this district is part of the Western North Carolina Conference. This conference is then part of the general church that makes up all of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Churches of the world. We care for others through mission and community work. We are politically active by history having included in our membership such persons as Sojourner Truth, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Fredrick Douglas. We reach across denominational lines as we are members of the World Federation of Churches. We are part of the AIDS Council that is fighting this deadly disease worldwide. However, have we done enough in being a caring community? I think we have much work to be done still. There continues to be underprivileged persons, those who are starving, those who are considered second class citizens, and as the Bible tells us â€Å"The harvest is plentiful but, the la borers are few†. 4. How would you go about getting an already established church to follow the procedure which McClendon recommends? The only way is to bring the body to follow the procedures in McClendon is by beginning to follow what is found in the scriptures. The Sermon on the Mount gives us the teachings of Jesus that we should follow as a caring community. If the members are the disciples of Jesus then we follow his teachings and the Way that is already paved for us, first and foremost we must love without it we can do nothing else. If the church is just a game without goals, rules, or means to reach the goal then the church has failed as a caring community. Outreach ministry will have to be established to fulfill the mission of Christ. The church will have to become politically active becoming a voice for those who have none and not turn a deaf ear on those issues that impact the community as well as the church. 5. Suppose you are part (as leader/pastor) of a group of Christians which is forming into a church. How would you go about beginning the discipline process which will be an integral part of that new church? First, I would like to know if we all shared the same theological thoughts because the church needs to be a cohesive entity. I would want to know if we all shared or hoped to share similar ethical and moral standards. Without this we would just be a group with no guidelines or rules to live by. I would hope that these standards will be those of Jesus. Next I would establish each member with a partner because I believe that we all need someone to keep us accountable, for support, encouragement, and for prayer. The class system works well in this area. Research Papers on Ethics and ReligionComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoCapital PunishmentQuebec and CanadaArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Assess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeHip-Hop is ArtBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XDefinition of Export QuotasRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andGenetic Engineering

Controversial Issue Essay

Controversial Issue Essay Controversial Issue Essay Controversial Issue Essay: Making It Controversial If you always set one and the same question to yourself that is: why controversial issue essay again? we are going to answers your question. Controversial issue essay is the best exercise, which is only possible to invent for the proper process of studying. Controversial issue essay develops a lot of different skills and helps students to become more experienced in academic writing. Thus, controversial issue essay develop: analytical thinking skills perfect writing skills ability to have own opinions to all the possible problems excellent searching and analyzing skills the ability to work with facts, to analyze them and to use them for your sake. You see, that is why controversial issue essay is considered to be one of the favourite professors assignments: Preparation for Controversial Issue Essay Writing It is reasonable to get acquainted with the kind of controversial issue essay before starting to write your controversial issue essays. If speaking in a simple language, any of the controversial issue essays are the essays, which serve as a bomb. It is silent and quiet until it flashes. Each controversial issue essay is like a fire, like a hot spot, which makes people start debating. It should be emotional, burning, exciting. The main purpose of controversial issue essay is to convince people that your point of view is the only possible approach to the problem. Persuading is the only proper way of writing your controversial issue essay. A standpoint you deal with in your controversial issue essay should be supported by the authoritative facts taken from the authoritative sources. The more examples and proofs you present in your controversial issue essay the more persuasive it is going to be. Any controversial issue essay demands a lot of creativity from the writer. A common dull controversial issue essay is never going to be controversial. That is why in order to get the high grade for your controversial issue essay writing you have to make it hot, debating, and exciting. There exist a lot of different controversial issue essay techniques which can make a simple essay to be unusual and bright. Use them in your controversial issue essay and you will write an excellent work. Controversial Issue Essay Help If you need any kind of help or assistance with your controversial issue essay writing, you may bravely appeal to our custom essay writing service. We will support you at any stage of your controversial issue essay writing and give you some useful pieces of advice. Read also: Business Ethics Paper Term Argumentative Term Paper Analysis Term Paper 250 Words a Page Term Paper 15 Page Term Paper

Lebanese Security Issues and Solutions - Syrian Involvement Essay

Lebanese Security Issues and Solutions - Syrian Involvement - Essay Example Other groups that worsen the complication are the participation of the Libyans, Iraqis, Americans and the Russians ("The Lebanese War", 2005). The 15-years war in Lebanon (1975-1990) has begun from the disputes and political clash since the colonial period. One of the factors that aggravated the war was the conflict between the Christian and the Muslim. Added to these are the nearness of the country to Syria, the political revolutions and many other events in Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. The growing Arab Nationalism and Socialism in the perspective of the Cold War are the other contributing factors to the conflict in Lebanon. Also included were the trouble between Arab and Israeli, the revolution in Iran and the Palestinian terrorism. To complete the list, the Black September in Jordan, Islamic fundamentalism, and the war between Iran and Iraq are the rest of these factors. The war brought countless of victims. More than 100,000 people were killed and almost 100,000 persons were injured and added to this were the thousands who lost their limbs resulting from the explosion of land mines. More than 900,0 00 innocent civilians were dislocated. More than double of this number migrated to other countries to keep away from the trouble. The Lebanese war can be divided into a number of periods. The outburst of the war was in the middle of 1970s then in late 1970s came the intrusion of the Syrian together with the Israeli. It was then followed by the intensification of the war between the PLO and the Israeli that occurred in early 80s. The invasion of Israeli in 1982 and the involvement of the multinationals were the added factors to the conflict which happened after was the resolution of the Syrian occupation ("History of Lebanon", 2006). Large contingent of Syrian Army was remained in Lebanon as early as 1976. Although the war has ended, the Syrian keeps a total of 14,000 soldiers to maintain the peace and order in the country. With their presence and involvement in Lebanese political affairs, the major political decisions are mostly made in Damascus ("Young in the Arab World: Lebanon", 2005). At first, the Syrian's presence in Lebanon is supported by America for more than 30 years together with the Israelis they favored the stay of the Syrian forces to keep the control of the 300,000 Palestinian refugees in the country. At present, the continuous stay of Syrian troops and its domination to the internal affairs of Lebanon is becoming the concern of U.S. President Bush (Fisk, 2005). Growing number of Lebanese are becoming displeased in long stay of the Syrian troops in the country. The Christians are believed to be the most affected group in the peace and security situation. The presence of checkpoints can be noticed in many parts of the country. Large posters of former President Hafez Assad can be seen everywhere. Spies or undercover agents who are dispersed anywhere brought fear to the people. The Lebanese Government is largely influenced by the Syrian particularly in their major decision making and political exercises. Tension are felt during election, the officials to be elected should be endorsed by Syria. It was only until last year

Pollution & the Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pollution & the Environment - Essay Example Water may be polluted when pollutants come from point or non-point sources. Non-point sources include those sources that are non-discrete or that do not originate from one discrete source. Non-point pollution arises from the cumulative effect of contaminating agents in little quantities over a large area. When nitrogen compounds found in fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and other agricultural products leach out, it can easily cause pollution. Sheet flow over land used for agriculture may lead to pollution of water as the nutrients that were present in soil runoff in storm water. Point sources of pollution are those sources that come from discrete sources. For example, when a manufacturing company discharges hot water from its cooling system into a river, lake or other water body making the water body to become warm, pollution occurs from a point source. There are a wide range of agents that may cause water pollution. Some of these pollutants include pathogens, chemicals, and physical changes to the natural characteristics of water. While some minerals naturally occur in water, when their concentration in the water goes beyond the natural limit, the water is considered to be contaminated. Also, when substances that cause oxygen to be depleted in water such as man-made chemicals, grass and leaves, water pollution occurs. Pathogens or disease causing organisms such as Salmonella, Giardia lamblia, Burkholderia pseudomallei, and Cryptosporidium parvum may get into the water when waster water or sewage is not adequately treated (Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservatio, 2002). Chemical contaminants of water may include detergents, petroleum hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), products used for disinfection and waste from tree logging operations. Inorganic water pollutants include sulphur dioxide that is