Functionalization of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

Functionalization of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes The functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes with different drugs Duma (Voiculet), M. Prodana, I. Demetrescu Abstract—Functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by various groups (carboxyl or amino) can improve the properties of anti-tumoral drugs (cisplatin, docetaxel, zometa). Functionalization was evidenced by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Platinum ions released in simulated body fluid (SBF) were measured by inductively coupled plasma ion spectrometry (ICP-MS). Keywords—functionalization, FTIR, drug, carbon nanotubes, TEM. 1. Introduction In our days currently available technologies have made significant advances in cancer research, but proper treatment remains elusive. According to the report issued by the World Global Health (WHO) it is estimates that the incidence of new cancer cases increase by more than 10 million each year and the rate of deaths caused by this disease is over 6 million per year [1]. The most common cancers causing death are listed as WHO: lung cancer, stomach, liver, colon and breast cancers. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess properties for the development of advanced drug delivery systems, including their very large surface, which allows multi-conjugation of various molecules on the side walls. Molecules that contain aromatic groups may be easily covalently linked to strong interactions CNTs. 1-D functionalized CNTs (F-CNTs) could improve the binding of a single cell interaction via multiple binding sites, due to their flexibility. Clinical practice guidelines such as those from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO guidelines on extended use of intravenous bisphosphonates in metastatic breast cancer), the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN Breast Cancer Clinical Practice Guidelines), and the NCCN Task Force Report on Bone Health in Cancer Care all recognize the positive utility of bisphosphonate as zoledronic acid (Zometa) use in palliative bone care [2-5]. However, as new classes of inhibitor agents enter the metastatic cancer palliative it is important to understand how palliative care treatment modalities are used outside of the clinical trial setting. In this idea the present research is an investigation of a multiple hybrid functionalization of carb on nanotubues with drugs, introducing as a novelty functionalization with cisplatin, docetaxel and zometa [6]. 2. Experiment part The best known method of functionalization is noncovalently modified by embedding fragments containing functionalized aromatic groups in the outer wall of CNTs through interaction Ï€-Ï€ [7]. 2.1 Reagents Multiwalls carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) purchased from Sigma Aldrich had more than 90% carbon and 10 to 15 nm x D x L 0.1 10 pm, produced by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD). Oxidation of the carbon nanotubes was made using a mixture of 98% sulfuric acid (Merck). Ethylenediamine (EDA)-modifying agent was supplied by Fluka. We used saline zometa, docetaxel (Dox) and cisplatin, from pharmaceutical market, and all reagents were not further purified. In the last years there are studies in literature regarding CNTs functionalization with different drugs [8-10]. 2.2 Equipment FTIR spectra of functionalized MWCNTs were registered on a Perkin Elmer, Spectrum 100 equipment in 400à ·4500 cm-1 range with 4 cm-1 resolution and 32 scans. Nano-sized particles were investigated using TEM analysis with a microscope Philips EM-410, 60kV. ICP-MS, ELAN DRC-e Perkin Elmer SCIEX U.S.A. was used for platinum determinations. The detection limit was 0.001ÃŽ ¼g.g-1. 2.3 Procedure Multiwalled carbon nanotubes were functionalized with both amino and carboxyl groups. This functionalization was performed with the purpose to reduce the toxicity of multi-walled carbon nanotubes. MWCNTs (0.9 g) were dispersed in 98% sulfuric acid and ultrasonicated at 50 °C for 6 h to obtain MWCNT-COOH. Functionalization of MWCNTs reduced toxicity of carbon nanotubes. 0.3 mg MWCNT-COOH were ultrasonically prepared with thionyl chloride SOCl2 (50 ml) for 30 minutes at room temperature. The suspension obtained was refluxed under magnetic stirring at room temperature for 48 hours and then filtered. The filtrate was washed with tetrahydrofuran (THF) and dried at room temperature for 20 minutes. MWCNTs-SOCl2 were immersed in ethylenediamine at room temperature for 10 hours. The mixture was washed with tetrahydrofuran and filtered. The filtrate was dried at 80 ° C for 10 hours. Throughout preparation process, docetaxel, cisplatin and zometa was added to carbon nanotubes. Docetaxel was difficult to absorb due to their hydrophobic characteristics. Docetaxel (5 mg) was added to a solution of MWCNT, MWCNT-COOH, MWCNT-NH2 in 1 ml of saline and 0.5 ml of anhydrous ethanol using an ultrasonic bath for 48 hours at 50  °C. The suspension was centrifuged at 10000 rpm for 15 minutes until the carbon nanotubes were fully precipitated. Cisplatin (2 mg) was added to solutions that contain MWCT, MWCNT-COOH and MWCNT-NH2 in 1 ml of saline and was sonicated for 48 hours at 50 °C and filtered. The remaining solids were rinsed with anhydrous ethanol and deionized water to remove the excess of docetaxel and zometa. All samples were investigated using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). 3. Results and discussions FTIR spectroscopy is a very useful tool to show the presence of functional groups on the surface of MWCNT-COOH an MWCNT-NH2. The bands allocated to groups: -OH, -CH2 and amino in the four samples are almost identical. For MWCNT-COOH-CDDP-DOX-ZOMETA functionalized sample, for –CH groups bands appear in a range from: 3556.86 to 2921.60 cm-1, for CDDP the range is: 852.24 to 520.89 cm-1, for Dox the peaks for characteristic groups O=O is at 1082.30 and 1030.31 cm-1 and for zometa the range is betwwen 1461.51 to 1349.22 cm-1 as is shown in Figure 1a. In case of MWCNT-COOH-CDDP-ZOMETA functionalized sample, bands for –CH groups appears at 3555.69 cm-1, for CDDP the range is between 857.30 to 560.78 cm-1 and for zometa the specific bands are in a range between: 1463.81 to 1349.45 cm-1 as is shown in Figure 1b. For MWCNT-COOH-DOX-ZOMETA functionalized sample, bands for –CH groups appears in a range from: 3235.44 to 2922.98 cm-1, for Dox the range for characteristic groups O=O is 1072.19 to 1031.74 cm-1 and for zometa specific peaks appear in a range: 1453.93 to 1350.28 cm-1 as is shown in Figure 1c. For MWCNT-COOH-ZOMETA functionalized sample, bands for –CH groups appear in a range from: 3546.07 to 2922.38 cm-1, for ZOMETA the range is between: 1461.51 to 1352.80 cm-1 as is shown in Figure 1d. Fig.1. FTIR spectra for: a). MWCNT-COOH-CDDP-DOX-ZOMETA; b). MWCNT-COOH-CDDP-ZOMETA; c). MWCNT-COOH-DOX-ZOMETA; d). MWCNT-COOH-ZOMETA In case of MWCNT-NH2-CDDP-DOX-ZOMETA functionalized sample, bands for –CH functional grups are between: 3696.20 to 3544.20 cm-1, for amines group appear peaks between: 1735.03 to 1624.51 cm-1, for CDDP the peaks are between: 854.77 to 560.27 cm-1, for DOX the range is: 1077.24 to 1032.25 cm-1 and for zometa from 1448.87 to 1349.46 cm-1 as shown in Figure 2a. For MWCNT-NH2-CDDP-ZOMETA functionalized sample, bands for –CH groups are between: 3721.57 to 3012.65 cm-1, for amines groups the peaks are between: 1735.03 to 1623.54 cm-1, for CDDP from 859.83 to 580.56 cm-1 and for zometa the peaks appear between: 1483.93-1241.57 cm-1 as shown in Figure 2b. For MWCNT-NH2-ZOMETA functionalized sample, bands for –CH functional grups are between: 3544.43 to 3012.65 cm-1, for amines group peaks appear between: 1736.74 to 1640.05 cm-1 and for ZOMETA characteristic peaks appear between: 1466.57 to 1345.22 cm-1 as shown in Figure 2c. Fig. 2. FTIR spectra for: a). MWCNT-NH2-CDDP-DOX-ZOMETA; b). MWCNT-NH2-CDDP-ZOMETA; c). MWCNT-NH2-DOX-ZOMETA; d). MWCNT-NH2-ZOMETA Morphology of nanosized particles are investigated by transmission electron microscopic analysis (TEM). From this analysis shown in Fig. 3 it is evidenced the surfaces of MWCNTs functionalized with carboxyl CDDP, Dox and zometa. MWCNTs have a curved shape about 10-20 nm in diameter and a length of 0,1-10 microns. TEM images show CDDP and DOX grains of 10-20 nm in width while ZOMETA sample is spread radially from a common center at the intersection of MWCNTs. Encapsulation of drugs is well emphasized. In Fig. 4 morphology reveals multiwalled carbon nanotubes functionalized with amino group in which drugs were added (CDDP, DOX and ZOMETA). a). b). c). d). Fig. 3. TEM morphologies for: a). MWCNT-COOH-DOX-ZOMETA; b). MWCNT-COOH-CDDP-ZOMETA; c). MWCNT-COOH-CDDP-DOX-ZOMETA; d). MWCNT-COOH-ZOMETA a) b) c) d) Fig. 4. TEM morphologies for: a). MWCNT-NH2-CDDP-DOX-ZOMETA; b). MWCNT-NH2-CDDP-ZOMETA; c). MWCNT-NH2-DOX-ZOMETA; d). MWCNT-NH2-ZOMETA Samples were placed in SBF for different periods of times and the solutions were analyzed. The samples were added in a nebulizer for vaporization. Conditions were selected to maximize the ion signal while platinum solution was introduced in vapors generator. The steam generated was then transported to the ICP-MS to determine platinum ions. The largest amount of platinum ions was recorded for MWCNT-COOH-CDDP-DOX-ZOMETA as can be seen in fig.4 This value indicates that there are good possibilities for further analysis. Fig. 4.Platinium ion release from hybrid functionalized MWCNT with various drugs. 4. Conclusions We presented a study of docetaxel, cisplatin and zometa added to MWCNTs functionalized by carboxyl and amino groups. FTIR measurements have been used for structural characterization of drugs encapsulation in MWCNTs-COOH. This functionalization (encapsulation) is confirmed by TEM analysis that shows the morphology of the samples. CDDP release was measured by ICP-MS techniques and the amount of platinum ions was found higher in case of MWCNTs-COOH-CDDP-DOX-ZOMETA. Acknoledgments. PhD student A. Voiculet acknowledges the financial support from the European Social Fund through POSDRU//1.5/S/†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. References [1] B.W Stewart and P.Kleihuers, World Cancer Report,WHO, 2003 [2] G. De Rosa,G. Misso, G.Salzano and Michele Caraglia† Bisphosphonates and Cancer?What Opportunities from Nanotechnology†, J Drug Delivery, 2013, dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/637976 [3] U Ripamontia, , R M. Klara, L F. Rentona, C Ferretti â€Å"Synergistic induction of bone formation by hOP-1, hTGF- b 3 and inhibition by zoledronate in macroporous coral-derived hydroxyapatites†, Biomaterials, 31, 2010, pp. 6400 [4] G. Salzano, M. Marra, M. Porru, S. Zappavigna, A. Abbruzzese, M.I. La Rotonda, C. Leonetti, M. Caraglia, G. De Rosa â€Å"Self-assembly nanoparticles for the delivery of bisphosphonates into tumors† Int J Pharm, 403, 2011, pp.292 [5] M. Marra, G. Salzano, C. Leonetti, M. Porru, R. Franco,S. Zappavigna, G. Liguori, G. Botti, P. Chiefà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ , M. Lamberti,G. Vitale, A. Abbruzzese , M. I. La Rotonda, G. De Rosa, M. Caraglia â€Å"New self-assembly nanoparticles and stealth liposomes for the delivery of zoledronic acid: a comparative study†, Biotechnol. Adv. 30, 2012, pp. 302 [6] MJ Ernsting,M Murakami ,E Undzys ,A. Aman ,B Press ,SD Li â€Å"A docetaxel-carboxymethylcellulose nanoparticle outperforms the approved taxane nanoformulation, Abraxane, in mouse tumor models with significant control of metastases†, J Contorl Release, 162(3),2012, pp. 578 [7] L Mo ,L Hou ,D Guo ,X Xiao ,P Mao ,X Yang â€Å"Preparation and characterization of teniposide PLGA nanoparticles and their uptake in human glioblastoma U87MG cells† Int. J. Pharm., 436(1-2),2012, pp. 815 [8] M. Prodana, A. Voiculet, S. Garea, M.Radu, H Iovu, I Demetrescu, A Dinischiotu Synthesis, characterization and controlled toxicity of a novel hybrid material based on cisplatin and docetaxel „Cent. Eur. J. Chem.,2014, 12(10), pp. 1008 [9] A.Duma (Voiculet), M. Prodana, I. Demetrescu† Cisplatin functionalization of multiwalld carbon nanotubes† U.P.B. Sci. Bull. B, 76(1), 2014, p 49 [10] M. Prodana, A. Voiculet, D. Bojin , D. Ionita† Nanocomposites based on Carbon Nanotubes Functionalized with Drug Molecules† REV. CHIM. (Bucharest),64(8), 2013,pp.848

Incorporating Student Voices into Education Systems

Incorporating Student Voices into Education Systems â€Å"†¦language is the primary technology of communication.† Winch et al., 2004 6.1 Introduction to the Discussion This chapter uses its space to develop some of the issues raised by the research that has gone into the dissertation. If it is contentious, it is in order to ask questions about issues where the answers are not yet available, and develop a deeper understanding of the concepts. This includes: the reality of Student Voice as a supported and integrated concept, rather than as a manipulated concept for integration the validation of alternative education as an ideal place for Student Voice the questions of Partnerships and how this is being politically channelled whilst not perhaps given the strength of foundation it deserves and needs 6.2 Student Voice: Integration for Learning or Integration for Policy As the dissertation showed, there are strong theoretical underpinnings for the value of incorporating Student Voice into educational systems, especially when seen in a constructivist light. The surprise is that it has taken so long. However, the study has also shown that it is not always as easy as anticipated to re-format a school’s approach. There are worries and concerns surrounding the actual reality of adapting an existing system to incorporate Student Voice. There are the teachers concerns of devaluing learning at the cost of social development. There are fears about loosing control and upsetting the status quo. On the other hand, there are also those who embrace the concepts of freedom of learning choice and student contribution. As Martin, Worral, and Dutson-Steinfeld (2005) put it, it is now too late to put the lid back on Pandora’s Box. The danger is that the tide may follow the easiest path, rather than listening to the voices that are more difficult to hear. Cruddass (2001) argued that these voices may have the greatest contribution to make. After all, if Student Voice is a method of integration, it is surely fairly pointless directing it towards those who already have their avenues for communication and are well entrenched within the system, when those just outside need to be provided with a way in. It perhaps reflects some of the cultural values when it comes to who the system wants to provide a voice for and who it does not. For the Westernised education systems, changes in the socio-economic climates have brought about a: shifting balance of power, caused by information and communications technology and learners access to alternative sources of knowledge, reduced public funding, globalisation and commercial imperatives. Latchem Hanna 2001, p. 1 One could perhaps add that as the public funding has gone down, the gap has been filled by an incremental increase in policy documentation and political rhetoric. It seems that the onus is put on the schools to follow the recommendations, and increasingly to fund these demands themselves. That aside, listening to young learners, and understanding what they are communicating has most probably been a part of the repertoire of what Haberman (1995) termed star teachers long before it become encapsulated in documentation. The discussion is whether the value put on Student Voice is a passing phase or is getting the attention it so richly deserves. 6.3 Alternative Education and Student Voice This section of the discussion returns to the use of an environmental education format as a means of combining positive communication strategies through the use of different formats, such as a conservation park and school. It has taken some time for alternative educational formats to receive official consideration, and this has demanded a considerable change in mind set. For example, as more people have come to understand the necessity for a complete change with regard to the place of humans in the environment, the ideals of education driven by sustainability have become less the realm of extremists and more the essentials for good sense. If one were to take this a step further, a developed form of education such as that potentially offered by the Park could become less of an alternative, and more of a mainstream consideration. This is one reason that this dissertation has explored the environment as a means of generating attitudes and ‘raising voices’, rather than a que stioning of knowledge gained through the Activate Programs. Using the Park as the example, this study found that the Activate Programs were effective in communicating a positive attitude towards each other based on involvement with a specific environment. Rather than a sense of environmental consideration, there was a sense of connection amongst students to the Park. Although environmental knowledge was not measured, the results of working in the environment contributed to the Observational sections that informed some of this dissertation showed changes in awareness. One of the important factors was the ‘culture’ of familiarity that developed amongst those students who were regulars on the Activate programs. They developed a better understanding of the Park and knew more what to expect when they visited. This meant they not only had different expectations that those less familiar with the Park, but that they started to show a leadership and peer attitude that supported the Activate ethic. This working in the environment system, when designed carefully and driven by the right personalities, appears to strongly support the idea of a more mainstream approach to an ‘outdoor classroom’. This ‘culture of communication’, as it could be called, aims to be enabling and empowering for students. It not only encourages positive connections to develop between the students and the environment, it also gives them practical opportunities to see what they can do. This is a vitally important point for students from schools where they are all too often given information, but have no way of acting upon it in a positive and constructive way. In the Park, there is the combination of Student Voice as an over-current to the Activate activities. For example, the Lion group consists of some very challenging students who would not normally co-operate together. Yet at the Park, as the following quote shows, they do. There is a continual level of communication that seems to equate to a very different reality to the one found at school: It is very encouraging to see some of our students in this program and then see how different they are in their behaviour and attitude back in a classroom/school setting. In the classroom they can be the disruptive/troubled student and yet at the Park these same students have been the Leaders and are willing to help/show and guide new/younger student of this group. At the beginning of our program we had a hard, troubled group but as time evolved they have built relationships and furthered skills they didnt know they had. Teacher Interview 2006 Expectations were integrated with communication. Where there was insufficient communication between the Park and school staff, false expectations could be generated and this was an area that needed tightening up as it could lead to confusion. However, the outcomes for attitude have been predominantly positive. Not one teacher, student, parent or support staff wanted to see the programs stop and the majority like them as they are. 6.4 Does Parent Partnership’s Help Thanks to the SEN and Disability Act (DfES 2001), parents and carers now have avenues that will help them find out the options available for their SEN child. Parent Partnership Services (PPS) (see e.g. Worcestershire County Council’s online Parent Partnership Service) are designed to deliver statutory rights including: ..information, advice and guidance on SEN matters to allow them to make informed decisions about their child’s education. PPS can also help prevent difficulties from developing into disagreements. Rogers et al. 2006, p. 1 There are obvious advantages to a partnership approach (Roger et al.2006: Wolfendale 2002: Wolfendale Cook 1997). It enables a more holistic approach to the students’ whole learning experience and thereby includes their social and emotional status as well as the environmental and cognitive. But, as Rogers et al. (2006) show in their assessment of PPS, the methodology of integrating PPS still needs work and is highly variable. With regard to this dissertation, the discussion focuses on the positive contribution of parents and carers when they are involved with the student’s education at school whilst stopping short of advocating that teacher’s lesson plans be available to parents: Schools should make information available to parents on what they can expect from schools and individual pupils’ progress. This might include access to lesson plans and learning materials and should be available as and when parents want to access it. DfES 2006b, p. 24 If the goal is that of the ‘personalised learning’ (DfES 2006) currently advocated, with all it’s emphasis on partnership, then it may well be that teachers will have to re-evaluate what their planning is for. It would seem entirely acceptable, in deed necessary, for parents and carers involved in this partnership approach to be well acquainted with what is about to be taught. yet this sounds more and more like sending the parents back to school themselves. Perhaps the ideal is a school planning document that outlines the curriculum content and its anticipated coverage, subject to curriculum changes of course, that is specifically prepared for community involvement. The fact that Partnership is being advocated above Student Voice perhaps suggests that one format is easier to manage politically than the other. In fact, the following DfES (2006b) Figure 4 shows that pupil voice is more an element of learning an a cognitive descriptive than a part of all-round learni ng. These are just three of the issues put forward for discussion and it is anticipated that much more work will be done on these in the future. 7 CONCLUSION This study has been a learning journey in itself. The first thing the study demanded was learning to listen properly to students and not interpret what they were saying by my own standards. The added dimension of the zoological park provided a fascinating contrast with student’s styles and types of communication and how they changed at school and at the Park. The following is a brief summary of where we are now and what needs to be considered in the future. We now know that a democratic system equips students better, be they in a special school or mainstream, for a post educational reality. Part of this democratic system involves the right to speak on one’s own behalf and have one’s view listened to and, when appropriate, acted up. At its best, Student Voice works as a means of holistically integrating students in their education. Whilst Student Voice motivates, it also allows and encourages students to take responsibility for their learning. The dissertation has shown that this works at a variety of levels. In the classroom, the study identified some of the strong links between student intrinsic motivation and the power of choice. Where the student is involved in selection and method of learning, they are more likely to become and remain enthusiastic. It should go without saying that it is equally important for SEN students to have these same rights, even if the means of communication are different. This means official su pport (i.e. funding) is necessary for schools to be able to resource themselves sufficiently to cater for all Student Voices. As discussed, this issue of funding is a particularly thorny one and seems to get hidden beneath the shifting sands of politics, covered with a blanket of rhetoric and Government sponsored research. However, it is a step along the way towards changing ‘mind sets’ towards Student Voice. There is also the issue of teacher attitudes. Many teachers are more used to being heard and less familiar with the type of listening Student Voice requires. Some find it hard to validate student opinion. Despite all the research done into Student Voice, and the obviously better ‘fit’ it makes in contemporary society, there are still those who are frightened by the change in the status quo, or who’s training has not encompassed this, or who resent more official requirements. In fact, in a contemporary, humanistic and individualised paradigm, it seems increasingly strange that choice as a concept does not underpin the UK educational system. Therefore, one of the recommendations for the future has to more professional development for those teachers that need it. Teacher training itself is constantly subject to change and has the challenge of both preparing students for the reality of working in schools and establishing the current pedagogic approach. For example, it may be hard for a new teacher with a passion for listening to students to adapt to work in a more traditional school setting. With regard to settings, the dissertation showed that location and environment have a distinct impact on students. This led to the design of a new school which combined both the in-class educational formats and the outdoors activities, be those agricultural, environmental, or simply outside. In summary, the future of Student Voice and its best use in the UK educational system needs to take into consideration: Teacher training and continued support for new and existing teachers through professional development. Make the formats for student voice more user-friendly and introduce them professionally – do not expect all schools to be able to adapt their format automatically. Finance and long term support. What lies before us and what lies behind us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. Oliver Windell Holmes

We Must Ban Therapeutic Human Cloning Essay -- Argumentative Persuasiv

  Ã‚   The Senate is considering a proposal to outlaw human cloning. Two alternative proposals would ban only "reproductive cloning," which would mean explicitly legalizing human cloning but not the implantation of a clone embryo into a womb. Pro-cloners are willing for the most part to outlaw reproductive cloning because it isn't safe, but they oppose a ban on cloning for research and experimentation--known as "therapeutic cloning"--arguing that such a cloning license is necessary to the development of future medical treatments for human ailments. This opposition to a ban on human therapeutic cloning is misinformed.    The case against cloning, including therapeutic cloning, has mainly been argued on grounds of morality. Opponents have warned that creating embryos through cloning for the purpose of research (with the full intention of destroying them later) is a breathtakingly radical enterprise. For the first time in history, human lives will be created for the explicit purpose of exploitation. Such considerations have led activist Jeremy Rifkin to opine that the cloning debate is to the 21st century what the slavery debate was to the 19th.    Unfortunately, we live in a time of widespread and extreme non-judgmentalism, an era when many Americans simply do not respond to moral arguments in public policy debates. For these folk, what counts is not right versus wrong, but whether it will or won't work--in a word, utility.    Does this mean that the public policy amoralists among us must end up by default on the pro-cloning side? Not at all. There is increasing evidence that therapies based on cloned embryo cells would be so difficult and expensive to develop and so utterly impractical to bring to the bedside,... ...ork on embryos? The Red Cross representative could not have been clearer: "We really need to focus our resources, our attention, on those areas where we could most likely provide, in the shortest period of time, some therapies for our patients."    To pour money into human cloning embryonic stem cell research is to risk drilling one dry hole after another. The moral policy thus also turns out to be the pragmatic one. The United States Senate should vote to ban all human cloning now.    WORKS CITED: Civin, Curt I. "stem Cell Selection." http://www.stemcellselection.com/transwithselection/overview.htm Prentice, David. "The Truth About Stem Cells. http://www.nationalreview.com/interrogatory/interrogatory022601a.shtml Odorico and Kaufman. Embryonic Stem Cell Research - a Reality Check. http://www.stemcellresearch.org/info/quotes3.htm

Contrasting Shakespeares Richard with the Historical Figure Essay exam

There are two Richards: the Machiavellian monster created by Shakespeare and the historical figure who many historians claim is a much-maligned innocent man. So is Richard the sinner or the one sinned against? How can we decide? Is a decision even possible? In Shakespeare's play Richard III, Richard describes himself as a deformed malcontent in the opening soliloquy. (Shakespeare often uses physical deformity to mirror an evil mind.) I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion, Cheated of feature by dissembling nature, Deformed, unfinish'd, sent before my time Into this breathing world, scarce half made up, ... And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover, To entertain these fair well-spoken days, I am determined to prove a villain And hate the idle pleasures of these days. (1.1.18-31) Many historians, on the other hand, have a different view of the man. For instance, in the 1956 biography Richard the Third, Paul Murray Kendall describes Richard based on contemporary writings and two well-known portraits of the King. Most contemporary descriptions bear out the evidence of these portraits that Richard had no noticeable bodily deformity, and establish him as a thin, frail man of a little less than normal height. (537) The most heinous crime that the Tudors (the kings who succeeded Richard to the throne) accused Richard of committing was the murder of his nephews-Edward V and Richard, Duke of York-the sons of his brother, the former king, Edward IV. How seriously should we take this accusation? What evidence supports it? Kendall writes, "If we take 'evidence' to mean testimony that would secure a verdict in a court of law, there is no evidence that he [Rich... ...ing skills that will lead to success both in school and in life. Works Cited Fields, Bertram. Royal Blood: Richard III and the Mystery of the Princes. New York: ReganBooks, 1998. Kendall, Paul Murray. Richard the Third. New York: Norton, 1983. - - - . Richard III: The Great Debate. New York: Norton, 1992. Looking for Richard. Dir. Al Pacino. Perf. Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Aidan Quinn, Winona Ryder, and Kevin Spacey. Videocassette. Fox, 1996. The Missing Princes of England. Dir. Melissa Jo Peltier. Narr. David Ackroyd. Videocassette. New Video Group, 1998. Shakespeare, William. Richard III. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press, 1996. Tey, Josephine. The Daughter of Time. New York: Scribner, 1988. Weir, Alison. The Princes in the Tower. New York: Ballantine Books, 1995.

Marketing Strategy for a New Company Essay -- Business and Management

Marketing Strategy for a New Company Introduction I am making a marketing strategy for a non-existing Service. The service is going to be unique and very broad in the region of car services such as garages, repair and modifying services, selling cars and parts, and even entertainment including car shows and racing once or if the company expands. The service will also include a bar or social room. The service that will use the marketing strategy will be situated in Northampton; Northampton is situated in the centre of England and has been expanded rapidly into a city. The place in Northampton will be six fields because it has large room and has a main road through it, it also had buses going to and from it. I am going to use research on other similar existing services to get ideas and recognise competition. I have chosen a business in cars because it is a popular product and is quite stable. I also found a growing trend in Car modifications and a gap in the market; especially in the Northamptonshire area where my service is going to exist. The company will be focused most in the modification market since this is where a gap is. The service will be for people in the market aged 18 + since it covers a very wide range of car services but will mainly be aimed at 18-35 males since the characteristic of modification is more popular at a younger age range of males. The prices for my service will be at a price above average than what the market is...

Comparing the Two Poems: Clown Punk and Medusa Essay

Compare the ways the ‘Clown Punk’ and ‘Medusa’ show characteristics of being isolated and having bad or no kind of relationship with people. Both the ‘Clown Punk’ and ‘Medusa’ show characteristics of being isolated from humans; as shown in the ‘Clown Punk’, a man is being shunned by the general public, he is thought to be a bit of a joke – not to be taken seriously or treated as an equal. People fear him, yet despite this they also have a contrasting emotion of pity. Once thought of as rebellious, the man has now faded into the background, being forced to choose a simple job; his lack of education ensures this. He is a clown. The town clown. ‘Medusa’ can relate to the ‘Clown Punk’ because, although she was once accepted amongst people; beautiful and in love – she doubted her fiancà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s loyalty, slowly transforming her into a bitter and unsightly woman, thinking it would be ‘so better by far for me if you were stone’ in hopes that he would feel as isolated as she felt. Medusa’s wild thoughts slowly began to take actio n on her appearance, transforming her into a gorgon. Although Medusa and the clown punk are similar in many ways, Medusa chose to exclude herself from the rest of society, wanting to be unseen and living in the shadows of life, while the clown punk was turned away – wanting to be noticed but forever ignored. The ‘Clown Punk’ uses plenty of emotive language to emphasize the fact that the clown punk is a character the reader must feel for. The structure of the poem is 4 lines long within 4 stanzas, apart from the last which contains only 2, perhaps to draw attention to the fact that people wish that they could see less of the clown. ‘Medusa’ however uses a lot of figurative language – using similes and metaphors to emphasise the fact that Medusa is a character the reader must fear but also pity, similar to the ‘Clown Punk’ Emotive language, such as ‘deflated face’ is used in the ‘Clown Punk’ to create a vivid image for the reader. The language used allows the reader to picture the clown, making him appear more realistic and letting the reader feel sympathy for the clown punk because they can now imagine him clearer as a person with emotions. ‘Turned the hairs on my head to filthy snakes, as though my thoughts his sed and spat on my scalp’ This sentence is used in the Medusa poem because unlike the ‘Clown Punk’ it uses  both figurative language and emotive language, such as the simile, the use of the word ‘filthy’ and alliteration of the ‘S’ sound. The ‘S’ sound creates the sense that the reader can actually hear the snakes upon Medusas head, these snakes share Medusa’s thoughts, and take action upon them. ‘The shonky side of town’ is used in the ‘Clown Punk’ because the clown does not belong to the ‘good’ side of town. ‘shonky’ is a new word, invented by the author to show that there is no way to describe the awfulness of where the clown lives without mixing and matching words, (shonky is made up of shady and wonky) this is perhaps to show the slang attitude of punk rock. At the end of the second stanza within the ‘Medusa’ poem, their is a question which seems rhetorical – where in actual fact the question is answered at the beginning of the third stanza, making the reader pause momentarily before receiving the answer. This pause makes the question more frightening because waiting slightly adds drama and suspense to the poem. Within the structure of the ‘Clown Punk’ you could argue that the poem contains some characteristics of a sonnet, this could show that the clown punk is going against normal rules, he is rebelling. The structure of the ‘Medusa’ poem is rather long compared to the relatively short ‘Clown Punk’ ‘Medusa’ poem does not rhyme, whereas the ‘Clown Punk’ rhymes in the first, part of the third, and last stanza. The clown punk uses the same amount of syllables in each line in the first stanza. The reader of ‘Medusa’ would feel sorry her. Although Medusa rejected herself from social interaction, she is wild and can barely think straight without the snakes twisting her every thought. In addition to this, the reader may also attempt to understand medusa’s situation, in spite of the fact that she is no longer human – the reader can still sympathise with her. The author of the ‘Clown Punk’ never reveals the clowns actual name, this makes him seem mysterious and less human. Without a name, the public nickname him words that can scare other people away from him. It is this fear that contradicts the readers’ earlier emotion of pity. The reader of this poem would feel sympathetic at the relationship between the clown and the people, they would perhaps also feel grateful that they are accepted into their community – and no longer take for granted their friends and family.

Addicted to Food? Essay

Obesity and overeating are growing problems in America today. In this article by Oliver Grimm, he cited studies that speculate that in 2000 112,000 deaths were caused by obesity. There is also evidence that up to 1/3 of the US population may be considered overweight or obese. These numbers are startling and the root of this problem is under intense debate and scientific inquiry.   This search by scientist has led to many discoveries and theories behind why some people are unable to control their eating habits or their weight. One question that this article attempts to address is â€Å"Is overeating and addiction to food similar to drug addiction and what role does body chemistry play?†. Hormones are the regulators of the human body. There is much current research being aimed at these chemicals within the body and especially how they affect brain chemistry and maybe even addictive behaviors. Dopamine is one hormone that has been examined in both drug addicts and obese individual. Dopamine produces a reward sensation in the brain when we get something we want or when we are surprised. There is some research that says that drug addicts and obese individuals tend to have fewer dopamine receptors in the brain. This may cause them to have the urge to continue consuming food or drugs beyond a normal need. With fewer receptors, the brain may continue to look for ways to sate itself. Research the author cited pointed to rats that were denied dopamine soon would not eat anything. Another chemical that may prove to be important in fighting the obesity epidemic and drug addiction is leptin. This hormone has been shown to curb hunger when it is released from adipose (fat) cells where it eventually reached the hypothalamus. Lab animals deprived of this chemical soon became obese. This hormone may provide a vital link in helping severely obese people control their eating. If individuals have a faulty feedback mechanism or a lack of production of leptin, this may cause them to want to eat more. Other areas to be explored are how certain parts of the brain react to addiction, satiety and pleasure. Areas of the brain that have been researched that Mr. Grimm examines are the amygdala and the orbitofrontalis(OFC).   The amygdale seems to have some involvement in our response to food or drugs when we are hungry for them. It does not seem to be activated as much when we have taken in food or drugs. The OFC is generally thought of as an area of the brain that helps us to maintain rational behavior and use good judgment. This area may be operating differently in addicts. The author says that diet, exercise and lifestyle are the best ways to live healthy and control weight. His view; however, is that all research cited shows. â€Å"the brain processes stimuli related to eating in much the same way that it does to other addictive stimuli†(Grimm, 2007).   For us to have a better understanding of why certain people find it so hard to control their weight we may have to look more at addictive behaviors and the research that has been conducted. â€Å"For all their differences, drug addiction and obesity seem to be two sides of the same coin.† (Grimm, 2007) 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What are you being asked to believe in this article? In Mr. Grimm’s article we asked to believe that 9.1% of medical expenditures if for overweight and obese patients. We are also asked to believe that one-third of the US population may be overweight or obese according to studies. Overweight is defined a having a body mass index greater than 25. Simply put, body mass index is your weight divided by your height. We are asked to believe that obesity and being overweight are at epidemic proportions in this country. We are also being asked to believe that much of a person’s behavior when it comes to addiction and food consumption in obese individuals may be directly related to the person’s brain chemistry or factors affecting it. While the author agrees that there are many factors in a healthy lifestyle and behavior control, much of the article deals with research that says that hormones, brain function and chemical activity are huge contributors in how a person reacts to stimuli. Leptin and dopamine are seen as avenues that may lead to breakthroughs in the area of obesity. Areas of the brain such as the amygdala and the OFC are seen as possible areas that may lead to a better understanding of cravings and addictions. I believe that the main idea that the author is trying to convey is that drug addiction and food consumption are very closely related. We are asked to consider that a person who is obese may be in a similar predicament as a drug addict. The article says that drugs that help drug addicts may also help us to treat severe obesity. Again we are asked to parallel the two dilemmas and weigh their relevance to one another. It is hard for people to associate obesity with drug addiction, but Mr. Grimm would like us think otherwise and keep an open mind to the possibility of research in drug addiction that could lead to breakthroughs in obesity and weight management.