Suffering Patients Need Medical Marijuana Essay - 2497 Words

Suffering Patients Need Medical Marijuana If a doctor told you that you could either go blind in three years from glaucoma or break the law by smoking pot, which would you choose? If marijuana could prolong your life by allowing you to continue cancer chemotherapy without the unending vomiting and nausea, would you consider it? If cannabis could stop epileptic seizures that had plagued you since childhood, would you use it? This medicine can benefit patients suffering from these and many other afflictions, but it is being withheld; they are being denied a right granted to all living things—that of self-preservation. â€Å"It’s not about drugs, it’s about letting men fight,† George McMahon told me when I was fortunate enough to†¦show more content†¦McMahon’s daughter, who suffers from the same condition as her father, cannot obtain the drug either. By 1994, 36 states had enacted legislation to make marijuana available for medical use, but federal laws still inhibit the states’ wills (Grinspoon 17). Under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug—having a high potential for abuse, having no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and lacking accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision. Schedule I drugs are not available to patients even by prescription and are only occasionally granted to researchers under strict guidelines. The Food and Drug Administration has, at various times, based its refusal of a schedule change for marijuana on claims that it lacks the authority to regulate the practice of medicine and that there is an absence of data necessary for approval. Yet as Administrative Law Judge Francis L. Young observed in his review of another drug, MDMA, on May 27, 1986: The last [statement] flies directly in the face of the preceding statements of a complete reversal of position with no stated basis whatsoever. One can only conclude that, in the context of the battle over marihuana, FDA temporarily lost sight of its long-acknowledged lack of statutory authority to regulate the practice of medicine. Perhaps it failed to realize theShow MoreRelatedMedical Marijuana Should Be Legal1651 Words   |  7 Pagesmost commonly referred to as marijuana. Medical marijuana refers to the use of cannabis and its cannabinoids to treat disease or improve symptoms (Wikipedia.com). Cannabis contains two active ingredients inside called cannabinoids (CBD) along with the delta-g-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The medicinal and psychoactive effects that personally associate with marijuana are caused by unique structures of cannabinoids. In addition, the major psychoactive ingredient in marijuana is THC, which additionallyRead MoreLegalization of Medical Marijuana Essay863 Words   |  4 PagesMedical Marijuana: A Topic Leaving People Up in Smoke Renee Grant ENC 1101-1002 Professor Bahle March 30, 2013 Medical Marijuana: A Topic Leaving People Up in Smoke Medical marijuana has been an ongoing fight between the federal government, physicians and patients. Contrary to many beliefs, marijuana, whether it is used for medical reasons or recreational is non-lethal. It has been proven to be useful in many medical conditions. There hasRead MoreMarijuana: the Good Part1506 Words   |  7 PagesMarijuana is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known. No one has ever died from an overdose, and it has a wide variety of therapeutic applications: Relief from nausea and increase of appetite; Reduction of eye pressure; Reduction of muscle spasms; Relief from mild to moderate chronic pain. Marijuana is frequently beneficial in the treatment of the following conditions: AIDS. Marijuana can reduce the nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite caused byRead MoreEssay on Marijuana Is Helpful For Medical Use606 Words   |  3 Pageswonder drug, which has befriended countless sick patients in a number of countries. A relatively inexpensive drug that is not covered by health care plans, which has aided the ill both mentally and physically--marijuana. Significant scientific and medical studies have demonstrated that marijuana is safe for use under medical supervision and that the cannabis plant, in its natural form, has important therapeutic benefits that are often of critical medical importance to persons afflicted with a varietyRead MoreMarijuana Should Not Be Banned Marijuana1282 Words   |  6 PagesCannabis, also known as marijuana, is largely known for its use as a psychoactive drug and medicine. It’s become a controversial issue as many people are against legalizing it because they believe it is a gateway drug (a drug that isn’t n ecessarily addictive, but can lead the user to use more addictive drugs) or for other reasons. Others, such as Daniel J. Pfeifer, support the legalization of marijuana for recreational and/or medicinal use. As a law student, Pfeifer argues the federal government’sRead MoreEssay on Medical Marijuana Policy1310 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction In the United States, marijuana for medical purposes has gained more prevalence in current political discourse than in previous years. Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a flowering plant that originally came from South and Central Asia. For centuries, the cannabis plant has been used for many natural products such as seed oils, seed, fiber that is used to make hemp products and contains over four hundred chemicals, some of which have an antibiotic like effect (NordqvistRead MoreEssay Marijuana for Medical Use1547 Words   |  7 PagesMarijuana for Medical Use For many years the United States government has prohibited some drugs, such as marijuana, from being sold in the marketplace. Yet, even with prohibition, marijuana use has only decreased minimally. Because of its illegality, only the bad aspects of marijuana use have been made known. However, there are many positive aspects of marijuana legalization, including its application concerning medical cures. As of today, in most of the states, marijuana is classifiedRead More The Many Benefits of Medicinal Marijuana Essay827 Words   |  4 PagesMedicinal Marijuana When the religious leaders of Nicholas Copernicus time excommunicated him for his radical studies, they ignorantly dismissed a brilliant idea. The idea that the earth revolved around the sun inherently brought controversy upon the traditional styles of science. A controversy our leaders need to examine is the medical use of marijuana. Instead of banning marijuana and ignoring the public voice, our representatives need to examine the facts and effects of marijuana for medicalRead MoreEssay about Legalizing Marijuana Is our Solution 1396 Words   |  6 PagesImagine you are lying in your home, suffering from the side-effects of chemotherapy and all you can do is think about how sick you are and what could possibly keep you from being secluded from life and happiness. Marijuana will prevent side-effects linked to terminal illnesses, does not cause any real harm to a humans well-being, and would increase US revenue due to taxation and also tourism. Well, according to Ed Rosenthal and St eve Kubby of the book Why Marijuana Should Be Legal, from which this viewpointRead MoreMedicinal Marijuana Should Be Decriminalized Essay851 Words   |  4 PagesFor the past fifty years, heated debates over the topic of the decriminalization of marijuana have been a great controversy among politicians. Some politicians believe that marijuana for the use of medicine should be outlawed. As Congressman Bob Barr in his debate with radio talk show host Neil Boortz on May 14, 2002, stated, quot;There is no legitimate medical use whatsoever for marijuana. This [marijuana] is not medicine. This is bogus witchcraft. It has no place in medicine, no place in pain

Comparing A London fete and Composed Upon Westminster Bridge

Comparing A London fete and Composed Upon Westminster Bridge A London fete and composed upon Westminster Bridge. I am going to be comparing two poems in this essay the first poem is London fete which was written by a man called Coventry Patmore this poem is about a hanging that took place and about the effect it had on other people who watched. The second poem is composed upon Westminster bridge by William words worth which is about a man who is standing on a bridge describing the view he sees and how he feels looking at this view. The theme to composed upon Westminster Bridge is firstly about nature and beauty and peace. It describes his view of London to be beautiful and how he feels so calm and relaxed from looking at†¦show more content†¦In know that the setting is in the poem because the poem says â€Å"the beauty of the morning, so silent so bare† and the fact that in the morning the sun is shining and it’s peaceful creates the right atmosphere that the poet wants. In London fete it will be darker as the first line sets the scene. It says â€Å"all nights fell â€Å"which shows it is at night and this sets the scene for the poem. As it is a negative poem if it was a bright colourful day then the negative mood that is created in this poem wouldn’t be created. This shows how having the right type of time of day is important to the poet as it helps them set the mood to there poem. Both these poems are alike because there set in London but that’s when the similarities end. A London fete is a narrative poem, the start of the poem explains how a, man is brought out to be hanged as the poem says â€Å"they brought the man out to be hanged† which starts the story of the poem off, the middle of the poem explains how the audience is waiting with excitement for this man to be hanged, for example the text says â€Å"struggles for betting standings ended† this shows that they are all excited to watch this evil deed to be done. At the end of the poem it finishes the story with how little children who watched this murder were influenced by it and started killing other things as at the end of the poem it says â€Å" two children

Plant Imagery Throughout the Scarlet Letter Free Essays

Honors American Lit. B The Scarlet Letter Pathway Paper – 694 wordsApril 23, 2013 Throughout The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne uses vegetation imagery in correlation with his ideas about sinful nature and god. When describing the prison in the very beginning of the novel, Hawthorne writes, â€Å"a grass-plot, much overgrown with†¦ such unsightly vegetation, which evidently found something congenial in the soil that had so early borne the black flower of civilized society, a prison† (45-46). We will write a custom essay sample on Plant Imagery Throughout the Scarlet Letter or any similar topic only for you Order Now Hawthorne uses the imagery of a black flower to depict the sinful nature of humans as it was inevitable that even in this new flourishing society the people there saw the need to build a prison. This vivid image also relates to the Puritan’s harsh view on sin in the community. Throughout the novel Hawthorne frequently criticizes the Puritan society, this being another example, â€Å"but the proprietor appeared already to have relinquished, as hopeless, the effort to perpetuate on this side of the Atlantic, in a hard soil and amid the close struggle for subsistence, the native English taste for ornamental gardening† (97). The description of the Governor’s ornamental garden shows the garden failing, as if the person caring for it had given up and realized that it was impossible to have the ornamental garden in Boston the way it was in England. This parallels Hawthorne’s beliefs about Puritan society in that their abstruse beliefs would not sustain in the new world they were creating, for god is depicted through nature demonstrating how Hawthorne feels god is looking down on the materialistic and frivolous ways of the Puritans. Later in the novel Chillingworth says, â€Å"wherefore not, since all the powers of nature call so earnestly for the confession of sin, that these black weeds have sprung up out of a buried heart, to make manifest an unspoken crime? † (119). Nature is being associated with god in this passage therefore Hawthorne is saying that god calls for the confession of sin and goes on to say that god disapproves of a person that does not confess, thus the black weeds, mirroring sin, grow on the graves of those who cling to secrets. This idea is also repeated later in the novel, â€Å"and all this time, perchance, when poor Mr. Dimmesdale was thinking of his grave, he questioned with himself whether the grass would ever grow on it, because an accursed thing must there be buried! † (130). Sin is again depicted as lifelessness in this passage, for Dimmesdale has sinned, and not confessed; therefore he is concerned that god will reject him. Hawthorne clearly writes with a style of dark romanticism epitomized through his description of sin in the beginning of the novel as inexorable in every society. Hawthorne also reflects his religious views and those of his times period in the way he sees god and nature as one, similar to the ideas of Pantheism, a belief in the manifestation of god through nature. Hawthorne frequently links god to nature as seen when Hester calls to nature, as if calling to god, for forgiveness, â€Å"’Thou shalt forgive me! ’ cried Hester, flinging herself on the fallen leaves beside him† (175). While nature symbolizes sin, it also symbolizes the comforting and forgiving appearance of god. In relation to the bible, â€Å"†¦the yellow leaves will show no vestige of the white man’s tread† (178), the yellow leaves reference the scripture Isaiah 43:25, which reads, â€Å"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more† displaying the tie between nature and god both covering and forgetting sins; also tying into Hawthorne’s religious perspective in his writing. Nathaniel Hawthorne articulates his views on sin and god through his use of vegetation imagery throughout the scarlet letter; he continually uses dead and â€Å"black† imagery to allude to sin and secrets. His use of dead vegetation implies that he believes confession is the relief of the burden of sin and the necessary action to obtain god’s approval and forgiveness. Hawthorne also represents god’s forgiveness through plant imagery; connecting god’s washing away of sin to the forest and nature washing away of sin. Fundamentally Hawthorne uses vegetation to convey his ideas on divinity and human sinful nature in The Scarlet Letter. How to cite Plant Imagery Throughout the Scarlet Letter, Papers

The Better Life by 3 Doors Down free essay sample

Most of the time Most of the music that I listen to is weird and unusual . I know few people that have heard of this band. The few people that know of them dont give them much credit for their work. Kryptonite- is about being lost in there is nothing you can do to help it but to try and find your self. The identity of yourself is lost in your head and you dont know who you are. Another song that I found to be interesting was Loser, the song is very straightforward and gets to the point that he feels like he is a loser, that he has no right to be â€Å"the cool kid†. That he was a mistake, makes up lies to fit in with all of his peers but he feels like he should just be dead. This song is very powerful and a strong song, I can relate to this one very easily. We will write a custom essay sample on The Better Life by 3 Doors Down or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Life of my Own is another song that I connected to by how you should be able to live your life with no regrets and not have to look back on it. With this I just kinda connected to it because I once was told to live my own life, to get where I want to go to and finish strong. This album is for people who are in to rock bands, Personally I dont like rock bands but for some reason I was drawn to this particular band.

Movie Review to Save a Life Essay Sample free essay sample

To Salvage a Life is a narrative that I feel could transform lives if viewed by teens. Since I foremost watched this I have shown to my kids and my young person group and can candidly state that it impacted at least two. The film is about Jake Taylor. a senior at Pacific High School. Jake is the typical high school athlete that has it all popular friends. a beautiful girlfriend and is be aftering on go toing college on a hoops scholarship. He parties with the most popular and everyone looks up to him. He is at times even referred to as â€Å"everyone’s hero† . However Jake was non ready for what was acquiring ready to go on in his life. He had been friends with a immature adult male. Roger when they were childs but due to society and the outlooks of the hoops star and how he was suppose to move and who he was suppose to hang with they had grown apart. We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Review to Save a Life Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Roger had saved Jake’s life when they were younger and was injured doing him to walk with a hitch. He was non an jock and merely blended in with the remainder of the school. While Jake seemed to hold it all Roger had nil. no friends and was ever being made merriment of and he felt that he had no hope. In forepart of Jake. Roger comes to school one twenty-four hours and pulls a gun. Jake tries to halt Roger but it is no good he shoots himself in forepart of Jake. For hebdomads to follow Jake can non halt believing about Roger and if there had been something that he could hold done to halt him from killing himself. Jake Begins to look for replies and finds them in a relationship with God. Jakes full life alterations after this. he begins organizing new relationships and stoping 1s that are non good for him. He stops partying and recognize how shoal his life truly was. Jake realizes that the hurting and emptiness that Roger had experienced and realized that it was besides experienced by so many others at his school. Jake begins making out to the castaway. over looking some of the societal barriers that he one time would non traverse. By making this Jake saved at least one life but unluckily this cost him the life that he was usage to. This film explores that journey that teens face w ith their picks. In the film it addresses suicide. adolescent gestation. divorce. peer force per unit area and substance maltreatment every bit good as intimidation. I truly bask this film because even though it has many jobs that teens face on a day-to-day footing that their lone hope is found in a relationship with God. which is non ever the most popular pick for a high school pupil and can do jobs besides. However. in John 16:33 ( NIV ) : we are reminded that â€Å"In this universe you will hold problem. But take bosom! I have overcome the universe. † After reading the assigned reading this hebdomad I could see a batch of the theories in this film. One illustration would be the sensation-seeking theoretical account and the job behaviour theory. Both of these properties to striplings taking hazard that could be harmful to themselves such as Jake’s imbibing. unprotected sex. and partying ( Jaffe. 1998. pg. 139 ) . Even thought Jake had began doing alterations in his life he still returned to one concluding party because as a hoops star and the fellow of a cheerleader that was what was expected of him. Merely to recognize that this was non the life he wanted to populate. Adolescents feel that they are non traveling to be harmed by these behaviours and have the attitude â€Å"it is non traveling to go on to me† . nevertheless in To Salvage a Life it did go on to Jake h is girlfriend ended up acquiring pregnant and his hereafter he had all planned out changed. In the film Roger and Jake had been neighbours and best friends up until their first-year twelvemonth. Jake matured early. was tall. handsome and athletic and was accepted by his equals at school where Roger appeared to be a late maturing male child who still looked immature. still short. and compact. The dark that Jake chose non to travel with Roger was one dark after a hoops game and Roger had planned on traveling to his house with Jake and playing picture games and eating pizza. but Jake was invited to travel to a party with the â€Å"in† crowd. He foremost tried to include Roger but his friends told him he could non come. This was the beginning of the terminal of this friendly relationship. The film showed Roger’s tests and his battles in flashbacks and even showed him making out for aid at the same Church that Jake finally turned to. Roger felt that no one understood him that he had no other option but to kill himself that twenty-four hours. He felt that no 1 cared he even said when Jake pleaded with him non to make it â€Å"why make you care? † . This is an illustration of what David Elkin stated that â€Å"adolescents believe that their motivations and life experience are alone or so unusual that no 1 could perchance understand or appreciate what they go through† ( Jaffe. 1998. pg. 137 ) . If Roger could hold trusted person or believed that person could understand him so possibly he could hold had another option than taking his ain life. This is a job with a batch of teens ; they feel that no 1 knows what they are traveling through and that no 1 else has of all time been through. It is so existent to them and so large about and impossible state of affairs but what everyone demand to retrieve is in Matthew 19:26 â€Å"Jesus looked at them and said. â€Å"With adult male this is impossible. but with God all things are possible. † Puberty had a large function in Jake and his girlfriend Amy relationship they were sexually active and did non ever use protection which resulted in Amy acquiring pregnant. Harmonizing to Jaffe. â€Å"parents and instructors should stress to adolescents their sensed costs of risk-taking behaviour â€Å" ( pg. 140 ) . The determination doing theoretical account looks at this through low hazard striplings every bit good as high hazard striplings. Unfortunately in this film both sets of parents were covering with their ain personal jobs to see the jobs their kids were confronting. Jake had to turn up existent fast and made some life altering determination about himself. Amy and the babe. Once Jake got past badgering about what others thought of him and past egoism he was able to do good determinations and aid others. He was able to look beyond what others would state or how was his actions was traveling to impact him. There is one clip in the film when he realized that his pa has been holding an matter on his female parent that he had a set back but with God’s counsel he was able to do good determination in his life. which resulted in him being able to salvage a life. I would urge this film to anyone that has a adolescent or is involved in any work covering with the young person. It deals with difficult subjects like self-destruction. adolescent gestation. abortion. divorce. intoxicant and drug maltreatment. peer force per unit area and how determinations you make can impact others lives. It is about strong-arming and how our words and actions can do so much injury to others merely for our benefit. This film besides shows how with God’s grace that we can alter the manner we live. they manner that we view others every bit good as dainty them. Mentions Baugh. B. ( Director ) ( 2010 ) . To salvage a life [ DVD ] .Jaffe. M. L. ( 1998 ) . Adolescence. New York. New york: John Wiley A ; Sons. Inc.

The Power Of Music essays

The Power Of Music essays Sometimes in life people grieve. People feel all kinds of emotions. Music is almost and emotion in itself. In my eyes music can be an escape for a minute or two. It can be for however long you desire. Music has been called a way of life for certain human beings. Somehow, it has made such a large influence on the world. I can think of many instances where music has impacted someones life in some significant way. It may be something such as a big decision, or even a small predicament. Musicians have the advantage of touching people with their lyrics or music; a gift some people will never be able to give as well, but most people have the chance to listen to the feeling and conviction put into musicians work. Some of us have musical talent and others dont, but those who do can share their emotions through an expression, so to speak. The way music effects our everyday lives can be almost incomprehensible at times. One time in particular stood out to me when I thought of examples of what impact music can make on our lives. The concert held in New York for the September 11, 2001 tragedy, in a sense, brought our country together. So many famous musicians wrote songs dedicated to the tragedy. Through music people were able to express their feelings easily in a peaceful, yet effective way. It wasnt for money or publicity, it was simply for a good cause. Also, it was one of the best ways to prove that our country can come together in a time of crisis. The concert helped people who were grieving and even touched those who were not directly involved with the attack. Not only did it bring New York City together, but also it brought our entire nation together as one. As I went from week to week thinking about this project, I tried to look a life in a different perspective. Noticing how much music can drastically change a persons mood or day, can be noticed quite ea ...

Health and Safety Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health and Safety - Assignment Example The passers-by who use the main road are also in danger. The cattle and sheep may be potentially exposed to serious peril if the chamber suddenly explodes. (c.) Evaluation of Risks: Due to the impending peril of a potential explosion of the chamber brought about by the cracks, it is best that immediate remedy shall be effected swiftly. The toxic pollutants found in the sewer system can cause a critical threat to public health. In the event that it explodes, the water system shall be affected which can harm the community that uses the sewer system. (d.) Implementation: A simple solution to fix the cracks by applying a sealant to the cracked edges is just a temporary relief. There is a need to upgrade the sewer system management plan. In order to prevent sewer overflows, it suggested that some guideline should be followed: 1. â€Å"Maintain uninterrupted sewage flow without health hazard, effluent leakage, or water infiltration and inflow. 2. Operate a sanitary sewer system that meets all regulatory requirements. 3. Avoid sanitary sewer overflows and respond to sanitary sewer overflows quickly and mitigate any impact of the overflow. 4. Maintain standards and specifications for the installation of new wastewater systems. 5. Verify the wastewater collection system has adequate capacity to convey sewage during peak flows". Details on how to achieve a sewer system management plan can be found in this website http://www.ci.san-luis-obispo.ca.us/utilities/download/ssmpgoal.pdf. (e.) Review of Assessment : The grave problem must be acted upon immediately. There is no need to wait for the operation to take place in June. The sewer system issue must be resolved in the soonest possible time as many people shall be exposed to the danger of spreading diseases and toxic pollutants in the water system which can be caused by a broken subterranean chamber of the sewer system. II. Operation 2 (a.) Hazards: The maintenance and upkeep of growing trees, grasses and hedgerows along highway and in the vicinity of a junior school in the suburbs of a small town has become a refuge of drug traders living in the area. The possible menace that the drug dealers can cause to the innocent children, the people who reside in the community, and the motorists who traverse the highway, should be prevented. (b.) Who may be harmed: The safety and well-being of the students attending the junior school and the entire school community are in jeopardy for they may encounter misfortune with the members of the drug syndicate. The gardener who is responsible for the upkeep of grass verge, tidy up hedgerows, and trim tree branches is in also peril if he is left alone to finish the task. The landowners near the site will also be in danger if no maintenance is implemented. â€Å"The highway users are exposed to harm, especially if they are blind and disabled and wheelchair or pushchair users. Children are particularly at risk from eye injury. They can also impair vision for drivers a t junctions†. Details on the danger caused by overgrown trees and hedges to highway users can be viewed in the website of Worcestershire County Council which can be viewed at http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/cms/transport-and-streets/streets/trees-and-hedgerows.aspx. (c.) Evaluation of Risks: It is impossible for the grass cutter, which is a ride-on mower to be driven to the site on the

Seminar issues in hospital Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Seminar issues in hospital - Case Study Example A human resource unit must develop the skills and potential of an organization. Recent research indicates that career development and a challenging work environment is a priority for most employees (Griffin, 2015). They must create individual development plans for every position in the organization. In addition, this development needs evaluation and measurement to identify the satisfaction level of its workforce. The organization can use some devices to reduce the workforce. Succession planning is essential to ensure that the remaining employees can comfortably handle the remaining work. A voluntary exit incentive program is a useful device to ensure a smooth transition of laid-off employees out of the organization (Hopeman, 2003). Two years is a long enough period to ensure that the program is successful in an organization. Another device is the use of a forced ranking system, in which the abilities of the workforce are ranked according to their skills, and other factors such as length of stay in the organization, and performance (Hopeman, 2003). The human resource department is the most suited unit to implement the two devices in a fair manner. A voluntary exit incentive program is cheaper than a forced ranking system. A forced ranking system is a complex process that involves observation, collection, and analysis of

Identify a CRITICAL ISSUE from the reading to write about and present Essay

Identify a CRITICAL ISSUE from the reading to write about and present arguments for and against it then take a position and logi - Essay Example Walker to aid women by testifying on the effect of the syndrome. However, the arguments by Dr. Walker are yet to gain broad and dependable scientific backing. All the alternative studies on the subject indicate otherwise. Therefore, the issue of battered child and women syndrome can only be accepted as an existing issue but not for the purposes it has been used. The issue can be addressed in a better way by enhancing the law to deal with such issues amicably, because the current situation discourages one vice and encourages another. Two wrongs can never make a right. Introduction Children and women alike have been involved in killing in the United States but justice rendered in the courts is debatable, especially to the victims’ side. Children have been convicted and found guilty of killing their parents but the courts both in first trial courts and appellate courts have considered four possible judgments: first and second-degree murder, manslaughter and acquittal on the self- defense rule. Generally, lighter sentences and even acquittal on account of self-defense dominate the judgments in all cases. In most cases, first-degree murder sentences have been reversed and lesser punitive sentences given to the defendants (Wilson, 2000). The lawyers from both sides of the divide have been making their cases in all the cases mentioned. In any case, justice is expected to be delivered to both sides. However, in all these cases, the victim is not alive to state their case whereas the perpetrators of the crimes are there to state their case. This implies that it is the prosecution case against the defense case. It can be concluded from the outcomes in most of the cases that the defense has been carrying the day in either getting lesser sentence or being acquitted altogether. Whether the decisions were based on truth or partial truth is speculative. However, does the reason of battered child or woman syndrome justify committing murder? (Malmquist, 2007) Although mur der is a subject of definition in law as it may have been applied in this case, this paper uses to refer to mere killing of one human being by the other. The arguments are both supportive of the verdicts and against the verdicts in the cases. The conclusion section gives a verdict of this paper. Pros In the first case, the Menendez boys killed their parents, and after it was found that although they were guilty of the action, they were subject of child abuse (psychosexual abuse) there was a mistrial in first trial because the jury tied two versus two on whether rule murder or manslaughter. Even though they were eventually judged for murder and given a life sentence, there was a reason why there was a mistrial. Their relationship with their parents was questionable, to the extent that they feared for their lives every minute that passed. In the second case, Jahnke was found guilty of murdering the father. However, because it was after a violent argument, the jury termed it voluntary manslaughter and not predetermined murder. Although his appeal on grounds of battered child was rejected the judgment had already factored in this aspect. In the third case, the jury found Sociz guilty of attempted manslaughter and later the boy was acquitted for what the judges termed as sympathy for child’

Schizophrenia: Risk Factors, Cognition and Structure

Schizophrenia: Risk Factors, Cognition and Structure John Rogers Schizophrenia: a review of risk factors, cognitive deficits, structural and function abnormalities. Introduction Occurring in about 1% of the world’s population, schizophrenia is a disorder of abnormal cognition encompassing oddities in perception, thinking, attention, learning, inhibition, memory, manner relating to and others (Cunningham Peters, 2014). Traditionally, schizophrenia has been broken down into several subtypes depending on the symptomology expressed (e.g. paranoid, disorganized, schizoaffective, catatonic). The symptomology of the disease is subdivided into both positive and negative classifications, as well as cognitive deficits. Positive symptoms implicated in the disease include delusion, hallucination, disorganized speech or clang associations, whereas negative symptoms include emotional flattening, asociality, anhedonia or avolition (Butcher, 2010).      This essay has four main aims. Firstly, while a definitive cause of schizophrenia still eludes us, an abundance of research has identified a wide array of biological and psychosocial risk factors and these aetiological factors will be outlined. Secondly, cognitive deficits associated with the disorder will be outlined. This section will highlight the widespread variety of cognitive deficits presented in patients and discuss some of the batteries of cognitive tests developed in assessing the extent of these shortfalls. Subsequently the structural abnormalities associated with the disease will be briefly revised, along with some of the confines of structural studies. Additionally the essay aims explore whether schizophrenia is a progressive disorder or solely a disorder of neurodevelopment based on structural analysis. Prior to concluding, the essay will review some findings from fMRI studies investigating the functional connectivity within the schizophrenic brain and how they relate to both the positive and negative symptoms presented in the illness. Furthermore, the limitations of fMRI studies, born out of a lack of precision of hemodynamic response measurements will be highlighted by analysing the results of an experiment examining activation during a working memory task. Aetiology The aetiology of schizophrenia is complex and cannot be reduced down to a single causal factor. This is evident when we consider the subtypes and indeed individual cases of the illness deviate massively in their presentation, responsiveness to treatment and illness trajectory (Moore, Kelleher Corvin, 2011). An abundance of research into the cause of the disorder suggests that a combination of predispositional physiological factors and a multitude of environmental risk factors result in brain pathways developing abnormally. Schizophrenia is a polygenic disease and thus cannot be explained by one mutated gene. Eyles, Feldon Meyer (2012) have identified 40 genes implicated in the development of the disease, signifying that it is a cocktail within a certain genotype that confers susceptibility to the illness. A study by Tinari et al. (2004) found that the genotype for higher risk in the illness only resulted in schizophrenia when an individual grew up in a dysfunctional vs. heathy family, suggesting that while biology provides the tinder, environment produces the spark. The dopamine hypothesis has stood out as the more proficient biological theory to date in investigating the causes of schizophrenia. While originally thought to be a functional excess of dopamine, research has indicated that it is actually increased receptor density and sensitivity, (particularly super-sensitivity at the D2 receptors; Wong et al. 1986) that may contribute to susceptibility of the disease (Butcher, 2010). Other successful biologically based studies into the aetiology of schizophrenia include the glutamate hypothesis, hormone studies and twin hereditary studies (see Cunningham Peters for review, 2014). Although the aforementioned studies and approaches are useful in understanding the illness, they all share a common limitation; they each ignore the environmental and developmental factors that may contribute more to the onset of the illness than genetics (Bagby Juhasz, 2013). Cannabis use has been closely related to the onset of schizophrenia, with young males who use being at significantly greater risk of developing the illness (Zammit et al., 2002). Moreover, 75% of individuals presenting with first-episode psychosis use the drug regularly (Archie et al., 2007) although some believe the correlation with high usage rates is due to self-medication (D’souza et al., 2005). Other well documented psychosocial risk factors include urban living, immigration, childhood experiences of trauma or neglect and immunological factors (for review see Cunningham and Peters, 2014) Cognitive deficits About 60-80% of schizophrenic patients display cognitive deficits (Lewis, 2004) across a multitude of domains including; attention, memory, processing speed, social cognition, reasoning and verbal learning (Keefe Harvey, 2012; Green et al. 2004). A study by Keefe et al., (2005) found that 98% of patients perform more poorly on cognitive tests than would be predicted by their parent’s education level. Additionally, a collection of studies have shown that cognitive impairment can reach two standard deviations below a healthy control mean (for review see Keefe Harvey, 2012). The MATRICS (measurement and treatment research in cognition in schizophrenia; Green et al., 2004) project has developed a battery of ten tests (MATRICS Consensus Cognitive battery; MCCB) in order to access cognitive functioning across these domains (see fig. 1) Fig 1. Shows the severity and profile of cognitive impairment in patients using the MCCB (Keefe et al. 2011a) This spread of cognitive deficits manifest itself across numerous domains from social to financial and occupational. For example, poor attention or attentive vigilance may result in an individual being unable to follow instructions or concentrate on a task in an occupational setting, or follow individual or group conversations in a social setting. Furthermore, schizophrenic individuals experience deficits in social cognition that create further difficulty within these settings such as theory-of-mind task performance (Tan et al., 2005) and perception of negative emotions, fear and facial affect in others (Penn et al, 1997). Research suggests that some of the cognitive deficits implicated in schizophrenia may develop prior to the onset of the disorder. A study by Jones Rodgers (1994) identified 30 individuals with schizophrenia from a random sample of 5000 individuals born in 1946. All subjects had been tested for non-verbal, verbal and reading abilities, arithmetic, and vocabulary, at ages 8, 11 and 15. Their progressively low scores in relation to heathy peers indicated a risk factor for the disease. These results should be approached with caution as a dysfunctional home environment may also affect both the academic ability in children as well as contribute to the onset of the illness. Nevertheless, other research has found similar results suggesting the cognitive deficit in a young person is a significant risk factor (Caspi et al., 2003; Erlenmeyer-Kimling et al. 2000). Although the impact of antipsychotic medications on neurocogniton provides minimal benefits to patients (Keefe Harvey, 2012), recent research has shown that patients who receive psychosocial support preform significantly better on several cognitive tasks than those who do not, suggesting that such interventions may be beneficial to those suffering with the disorder (Dalagdi et al., 2014). Structural abnormalities An abundance of research has aimed at identifying the structural deficits within schizophrenia. The most well documented deficits associated with the disorder are compromised white matter integrity (Kubicki et al., 2007) in addition to, a reduced grey matter volume across a range of neuroanatomical areas including the anterior cingulate, frontal and temporal lobes, hippocampus/amygdala and the thalamus (Shepard et al. 2002). Moreover, dorsolateral prefrontal cells have a simple dendritic organisation, indicating fewer synapses than a heathy individual (Kolb Whishaw, 2009) What remains a source of debate within the literature of the brain structure of schizophrenia is whether the disorder is progressive throughout the life-span or is strictly a neurodevelopmental disorder. While the lion’s share of the sMRI research posits that the illness progressively affects both grey and white matter (for meta-analysis see Olabi et al., 2011), others have suggested that the ‘progressive’ structural abnormalities observed could more be a consequence of numerous confounding variables (e.g. low physical activity, smoking, stress, alcohol, cannabis, anti-psychotic medication ; Zipursky, Reilly Murray, 2012). Furthermore, Zipursky et al. (2012) argue there is an absence of evidence of any toxic effect of psychosis on brain tissue. Zhang et al., (2014) used diffusion tensor imaging and a cross-sectional design in order to investigate whether schizophrenia produces progressive brain abnormalities. They found that schizophrenic patients showed lower fractional anisotropy (diffusion in the cells) values in the corpus callosum and corona radiate, and that these values were negatively correlated with the age of the patient. These researchers used a cross-sectional design and a majority of drug-naà ¯ve participants in an attempt to control for any medication effects, however, in doing this they open their results to scrutiny by drawing inferences about differences in two different brains. There are several limitations in structural studies in schizophrenia. Firstly, it’s very difficult to measure the effect of anti-psychotics on the brain without a control group of drug naà ¯ve patients. Given the debilitating nature of the illness, it’s difficult to find older patients that have not been medicated for long periods of time. Furthermore, if these patients are severely psychotic, it may prove impossible to test them, meaning some samples aren’t a true representation of the population. Secondly, there are causal problems in the structural studies. Consider, for example, an experiment using sMRI undertaken by Fornito et al., (2012). Their results showed schizophrenic patients have altered interregional connectivity and hypoactivation in the prefrontal cortex. What remains unclear is whether schizophrenic patients have these altered patterns of activation are a cause or are a consequence of the disorder. Functional abnormalities Schizophrenia is believed to be a disorder arising from disturbances in brain connectivity (Fornito et al., 2012) and that these disruptions prevent functionality in cognitive domains which often require communication between several distinct regions (Konrad Winterer, 2008). An analysis of resting functional connectivity of the disorder by Venkataraman et al. (2012) posits that patients display two distinct patterns when compared with healthy controls and that these patterns are correlated with the symptomology expressed. Abnormally increased connectivity between the medial parietal and frontal lobes was correlated with the presentation of positive symptoms, whereas decreased connectivity between medial parietal and temporal regions, and the temporal cortex, bilaterally corresponded with the presentation of negative symptoms (Venkataraman et al. 2012). Functional studies in schizophrenia typically use fMRI, which measures hemodynamic response related to changes in neural activity. While their usefulness in neuropsychology cannot be overstated, they are not without their limitations due to their precision. Consider for example the following experiment by Royer et al. (2009). This study found that even though schizophrenic individuals did not perform as well as the healthy groups in the working memory task (n-back), patients that did do well showed hyper-activation in the prefrontal and parietal lobes when compared to the control. Furthermore, fMRI showed increased activity in the superior frontal sulcus (self-awareness) and the posterior parietal cortex (planning of movement, attentional maintenance, response preparation/monitoring; Royer et al. (2009)) during successful trails. Here we run into a problem due to the lack of precision in the fMRI. While we can now observe frontal-parietal over-activation, we cannot distinguish whether this suggests either or both; (i) a compensatory mechanism allowing patients to perform well despite impaired cognitive functioning or, (ii) over-activation in the parietal areas corresponds to the BA 40 area (short term memory), suggesting improved effort (Royer et al., 2009). Conclusion Ultimately, schizophrenia is one of the most horrific examples of what can happen when the brain goes wrong. The disorder has a huge social and financial burden on sufferers, family members and healthcare systems. While there is no single cause of the disease, at least that we know of, research has shown the disorder to have a wide variety of risk factors in both biological and psychosocial domains. Schizophrenia presents itself in a wide variety of moderately to severely debilitating cognitive deficits although very recent research has shown that psychosocial interventions may at least curve the extent of these shortfalls (Dalagdi et al., 2014), at least in individuals whose positive or negative symptoms are not too extreme. Structurally, schizophrenia can be observed as disorder of compromised white matter integrity (Kubicki et al., 2007), reduced grey matter within the frontal and temporal lobes, hippocampus/amygdala and the thalamus (Shepard et al., 2002) and simple dendritic organisation within the dorsolateral prefrontal cells. The jury is out on whether schizophrenia is a progressive or neurodevelopmental disorder and this is primarily due to the difficulty in controlling for variables such as the effects of anti-psychotic medications, stress, and long term institutionalisation may have on brain structure. The positive or negative symptoms expressed in schizophrenia are related to the functional abnormalities in connectivity between the various brain regions (Venkataraman et al., 2012). While fMRI studies can provide us with valuable clues as to which brain regions are implicated in specific processes, there are issues with precision when comparing blood flow to activation is precise areas.

1980 African American Education :: essays research papers

1980s African American Education Amount of Blacks in college 1980: Impressive 718,000 1987: Growing more slowly, 855,000 *1988: Sliding back down to 785,000 *In 1988, the enrollment of black men declined, while it increased for women. There were 179,000 black women in college, then black men. Percentage of highs school graduates going to college 1960-1970: Males exceeded women 1980’s: women overtake men and never lost the lead Popular concentration in education in the 1980’s 1981: business and management were the most popular of all black bachelor’s degree recipients. 13,325 blacks earned a bachelor’s degree in business and management (40% earned in historically black colleges). The Black and White Gap "The average scores of black students have remained well below those of whites, and at age 17, the reading achievement of black students was lower last year than it was in 1988—a depressing reversal of the gains made over the previous two decades," Michael T. Nettles, the vice chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board, said at a press conference held here late last month to release the results. The independent panel oversees National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) In just about every age group and in every subject, the test-score gap between white and African-American students has grown since 1986, reversing a trend in which the discrepancies decreased from the time the exams were first given in 1969, 1971, and 1973. Since the mid-1980s, gaps in several subjects and age groups have grown by statistically significant amounts. Resegregation occurring again â€Å"Studies finds the causes for resegregation stemming from a number of social and political factors: a series of court rulings beginning in the late 1980s that reversed many of the desegregation orders, the growing isolation of whites in suburban schools, and the increasing segregation of blacks and Hispanics in suburban schools.