Molecular Changes in Oral Cancer Progression and Their Underlying Essay

Molecular Changes in Oral Cancer Progression and Their Underlying Mechanisms - Essay Example Alcohol has been found to be a primary risk factor in oral SCC.5 Other factors include tobacco consumption, genetic predisposition, viral infection, and denture related factors.2, 6, 7 The process of oral carcinogenesis is a multifactorial and multistep process occurring when epithelial cells are exposed to genetic alterations.8 Complex molecular changes associated with oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes (TSG), and other factors underlie the development and progression of oral cancer. A study of these molecular mechanisms is vital in order to better diagnose and detect oral cancer related alterations that are often invisible under a microscope.8 The present paper outlines some of the molecular changes that are believed to contribute to oral cancer progression. The mechanisms underlying some of these molecular changes are also discussed. II. Progression of Oral Cancer The pathological progression of cancer takes place when normal cells are transformed to pre-malignant cells and then to malignant cells through the accumulation of mutations.9 The progression of oral cancer from dysplasia to the stage of metastasis is associated with multistage pathologic changes caused by molecular alterations.10 The pathologic phenotypes involved in cancer progression include increase in cell proliferation, horizontal spread and survival, which are associated with molecular changes such as altered expression of molecules such as p53 that regulate cell cycle, altered growth factor response, altered protein metabolism and synthesis, and cell immortality associated with telomerase.10 The progression of oral cancer may also be attributed to other molecular changes that lead to the overproduction of growth factors, increase in the number of cell surface receptors, alterations in transcriptional factors and signal messengers, etc.8 III. Molecular Changes Contributing to the Progression of Oral Cancer As already stated, the progression of oral cancer occurs as a result of multistep genet ic alterations resulting from molecular changes. The normal functioning of the oncogenes and TSGs is altered due to which there is an increase in the production of growth factors, transcription factors, intracellular signal messengers and/or number of cell surface receptors.11 These alterations lead to phenotypic changes in the cell, which facilitate cell proliferation and suppress cell cohesion, subsequently enabling the infiltration of malignant cells.11 McGregor et al. have shown that the initial stages of oral cancer progression from the dysplasia stage are associated with loss of the expression of (RAR)-? retinoic acid receptor, loss of expression of p16 cell cycle inhibitor, mutations in p53, and an increase in the levels of telomerase reverse transcriptase mRNA.12 There is an increase in the expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor after the dysplasia sta

Implant tractable ID chips in newborn babies Essay Example for Free

Implant tractable ID chips in newborn babies Essay Our companys idea to implant tractable ID chips in newborn babies offers a revolutionary approach to effectively combat the high incidences of abductions of newborns and children, a menace against which eve police forces are finding themselves helpless. Once the chip is placed within children, their every movement can be traced to exactitude using the GPRS technology, making their abduction and subsequent hiding a practically impossible task. Apart from this, these IDs would act as a database for these children, containing their relevant medical, physiological and personal details, with provisions of constant upgrades. Thus doctors needs to only access childrens ID to know their history of previous medical complications and treatments, police officers can easily trace parents of a lost child and parents can keep constant vigil on the movement of their children even from their workplace. However, there are many exacting complications in successful rollout of this idea. It can be safely assumed that this concept would come under severe moral, ethical, and religious censure through the entire world. Many, if not all, would form organizations and international groups to canvass on social and legal platforms against our proposal to tag human infants, and doubts would be raised on even our integrity, commitment and sanity. Moreover, the thrust of objection and criticism is likely to come from our own scientific intelligentsia, religious and spiritual gurus, intellectuals and similar eminent personalities. These estimated objections and criticism are hardly a surprising possibility, given worlds historical anathema against every new scientific invention or discovery, any path-breaking medicinal technology, or even against any idea that appeared contrary to its set of framed ideas and concepts. History is replete with evidences that from the time of Archimedes to modern day age of cloning, people have always approached every major scientific and technological breakthrough with skepticism, incredulity and more than often, downright hostility. We can see how strong the sentiments ran when Copernicus presented the theory that its Sun that is at center of solar system, and not moon and that world is sphere shaped, against what world had been led to believe (Hall, 1954). Later Galileo was humiliated by Roman Church on the same issue. We further see the way almost entire educated western society rose against Charles Darwin for his theory of evolution through natural selection and the stringent social and religious criticism he was subjected to (Hall, 1954). Even Einstein, one of the greatest human brains of all times, was not spared from hostile criticism and rejection when he denied the existence of gravity in his general theory of relativity (Hawkins, 1988). Technological innovations and many scientific inventions were treated with similar aggressive denial and denunciation. Whether it was construction of railway locomotives, invention of telegraphs and telephones, constructions of dams, introduction of vaccination techniques, advent of contraceptive pills, gene therapy or subject of cloning and stem cell research, a significant section of society always protested and rejected the concept on plethora of supposedly ethical and moral grounds (Thomas, 2005). It is futile to say that each of these innovations contributed to further advancement and growth of human society. The reason of this persistent fear of new technological innovations is that they defy and sometimes even break the existing concepts, perceptions and notions. Often these concepts and perceptions are embedded part of a social culture, and therefore their rejection is construed as a planned attack by scientists and technicians on the very foundation of the culture (Lyne, 2005). We cannot flippantly dismiss their fears, and overlook their arguments just because they happen to contradict our idea. Instead, we need to reach out to people, address their every valid question and dispel their remotest of the doubts related to implant of IDs in newborn babies. My own understanding of the issue says that we should move ahead with project because when people are presented with rational arguments and valid answers to their queries, their gravest arguments turns in staunchest of the support. Indeed, one of their first objections we are likely to face is ethical as well as medical propriety of inserting an unnecessary foreign object in the fragile body of a newborn. But as we maintain, this implant is done for childrens own security and safety. Further, the chip is especially designed in such a way that its implant would cause minimum distress for child and the implant can be done by any surgeon through a very superficial incision. The presence or location of the chip may very well remain unknown to child unless specifically told. Of course, implanting a foreign object in human body in itself is no more an ethical issue, especially after advent of pacemakers and artificial limbs. Rather a valid query may concern the possible radiation effect of the chip on childs developing body, and whether that this radiation would impede or in any way alter hormonal or chemical composition of the growing child. But as our repeated lab tests and years of experiments have shown, the chip does not interfere with human bio- chemical growth in any way. It stays in the body like a neutral object, deactivated unless recalled for. Even upon activation, the signals emitted by chip are no more harmful than the fields of electromagnetic radiation surrounding us every second of our life. The final debate around our proposed chip would center on moral and ethical issue of tagging children. Is it right to tag children like animals are tagged in zoo and safari and then observed? Further, when these children grow up, they might become uncomfortable with the idea of being watched or remotely tracked for their every movement, and may very likely treat this an infringement of their privacy. But in my opinion, these objections are specious, and deviating from our main issue- that of stopping crime and providing a safe and secure world for children. Parents, and later on Children, may be given the option to remove or manually deactivate the chip, when they start to feel that it is more a burden than as a benefit. However, for that time that it is there, it is the best way to ensure infants are secure, safe and sound under their parents, physicians and teachers constant observation. It is the best way to completely eliminate the threat of organized abduction industry, and certainly it is the surest way to ensure that no child goes every lost or missing. I would reiterate therefore we should confidently move ahead with this revolutionary idea and usher in the new era of human-technology integration.

A Poverty Stricken Paradise - Original Writing :: Papers

A Poverty Stricken Paradise - Original Writing On arrival in a small village called Wamba in Northern Kenya, the first thought that struck me as I stepped out of the Land Rover was the intensity of the midday sun blazing down upon me. As I took in the sights around me, a huge crowd of inquisitive children appeared from their huts and flocked towards the vehicle. So many happy faces in such a deprived village. This image will stay in my mind forever. To experience what life was really like in this small, but highly populated village, I stayed in a basic hotel among the villagers. The hotel was not a five star, luxury hotel, but was simply a bed and an integrated shower and squat toilet. For the villagers this would have been luxurious, as they lived in mud huts using whatever discarded plastic materials they could find to act as a roof. For me, this was like taking a trip back to the Stone Age. Everything was so basic. The most extraordinary view was one child's favourite toy. This was not some computer game, but an old car tyre. The poverty that these people were enduring was overwhelming, yet they were so happy with what little they had. The smiles on their faces were there constantly, even though they may not have eaten for many days due to the continuing drought that was affecting the area. When I asked one woman how she coped with not eating for so long, she replied, "When I feel hungry, I tighten my belt." This was horrific to hear, but for her it was a way of life. Because of the ongoing drought, water was becoming very scarce. To such an extent that their beloved cows and goats, which were their sign of wealth, were starting to die, leaving their owners with no food and no milk to drink. This leaves the people frail, but they are still both physically and mentally strong. The best example that showed this was one small boy, around twelve years old, carrying a

Imagery in Romeo and Juliet Essay

Both commit suicide rather than be separated by their families’ feud. The play has survived for centuries because of not only its captivating storyline but also its stirring phraseology. Shakespeare infuses Romeo and Juliet with various types of imagery – for example, celestial, religious, avian, and light and dark references – that provide metaphoric meaning, influence the spectators’ (or readers’) moods, and foreshadow the lamentable end. Heavenly imagery illuminates the brilliance of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship in the play. For example, Romeo says Juliet is like the sun, and that her eyes are â€Å"two of the fairest stars in all the heaven†¦ her eye in heaven/Would through the airy region stream so bright/That birds would sing and think it were not night† (2. 2. 15-23). Juliet states that Romeo should be â€Å"cut†¦ out in little stars† (3. 2. 24), and that daylight is â€Å"some meteor that the sun exhaled† (3. 5. 13). Humans have long been in awe of bright, dazzling astronomical objects like the meteors, stars, and sun that the lovers mention. With frequent celestial imagery, Shakespeare shows how beautiful and out-of-this-world Romeo and Juliet’s love is. Spiritual language, while emphasizing the purity of Romeo and Juliet’s love, also foreshadows their tragic fate. Romeo’s first discussion with Juliet is about Christian pilgrimage that illustrates how divine, almost flawlessly sacred, his devotion to her is, like the pious connection between a worshipper and God. To him, her hand is a â€Å"holy shrine† and his lips are â€Å"two blushing pilgrims† (1. 5. 105-106). He calls her a â€Å"dear saint† (1. 5. 114) and a â€Å"bright angel†¦ winged messenger of heaven† (2. 2. 29-31). His â€Å"pilgrim speech,† in which he convinces Juliet to let him kiss her, is written in sonnet form. The sonnet is the typical form of love poetry, and Shakespeare makes Romeo’s Christian language even more lyrical and beautiful. Later, their affection edges into blasphemy when Juliet names Romeo the â€Å"god of my idolatry† (2. 2. 119). Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare in England, in Victorian times. His audience would have belonged to the Anglican Church, and surely would have noticed that Juliet’s statement is irreverent. Though her adulation is touching, Juliet seems to be replacing God with Romeo, with passion supplanting faith. The audience would have thought that the lovers’ unfortunate suicides could have been influenced by heavenly retribution. The religious undertones throughout the play serve both to highlight Romeo and Juliet’s love, and to warn of the disastrous consequences. Avian imagery influences the atmosphere of scenarios in Romeo and Juliet. At the balcony scene, when the sweethearts exchange their vows of love, they employ descriptions of birds to express the simple cuteness of their fondness. O, for a falc’ner’s voice/To lure this tassel-gentle back again! † (2. 2. 169-170) sighs Juliet, to which Romeo responds, â€Å"My nyas† (2. 2. 179, in some editions). Juliet also wishes that Romeo were â€Å"no farther than a wanton’s bird,/That lets it hop a little from his hand†¦ And with a silken thread plucks it back again† (2. 2. 191-194). The birds they speak of, tamed falcons and pets, are benign, even loved; speaking of them makes their declarations of love prettier. After their marriage, when Romeo has killed Tybalt and has been exiled permanently from Verona, Juliet’s references to birds grows bleaker. She starts off by pleading with Romeo to stay; â€Å"Nightly she sings on yond pomegranate. /Believe me, love, it was the nightingale† (3. 5. 4-5). Her language is still reminiscent of mellifluous sweetness, as is the scene: they have just spent the night together, and Romeo is only now leaving. But as daylight, and danger, approaches, the euphonious nightingale transforms into the cacophonous lark â€Å"that sings so out of tune,/Straining harsh discords and unpleasing sharps†¦ she divideth us† (3. 5. 27-30). Her remark about how unpleasing the lark is mirrors the bitter situation that she and Romeo are in. After Lord Capulet demands that Juliet marry Paris, even after she has married Romeo, the Nurse says that â€Å"An eagle, madam,/Hath not so green, so quick, so fair an eye/As Paris hath† (3. 5. 232-234). Though she means to compliment Paris, Nurse creates a contrast between Romeo and Paris. Unlike the tamed falcons mentioned by Romeo and Juliet, eagles are wild, and quick and eager to kill; while Romeo and Juliet’s relationship is gentle and fond, Juliet’s view of Paris is not nearly as loving. Shakespeare invokes moods fitting to particular scenes through avian imagery. Light and dark imagery in Romeo and Juliet is not particularly metaphoric; light does not always stand for good, just as dark does not invariably represent evil. Rather, Shakespeare utilizes light and dark imagery to induce sharp contrasts. For example, Benvolio tells Romeo that, at the Capulet party, he â€Å"will make thee think thy swan a crow† (1. 2. 94), as though the difference between the white feathers of the swan and the black of the crow was like the distinctiveness between Rosaline and other beauties. â€Å"O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night/As a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear†¦ a snowy dove trooping with crows† (1. 5. 51-55); â€Å"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? † (2. 2. 2); â€Å"The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars/As daylight doth a lamp† (2. 2. 1-3); and â€Å"her beauty makes/This vault a feasting presence full of light† (5. 2. 85-86) are all praises that Romeo sings of Juliet. To him, she is as brilliant as light, and as different from all other people as white is from black and light is from dark. Juliet says likewise: Romeo â€Å"wilt lie upon the wings of night/Whiter than new snow upon a raven’s back† (3. 2. 19-20). She, too, believes that Romeo is one-of-a-kind and dazzling. Light and dark imagery applies to situations as well. Their love is â€Å"like the lightning† (2. 2. 126), standing out against the background of the hate and violence in the feud. After Romeo and Juliet have consummated their marriage, the daytime and the sadness is brings is the opposite of the happiness of the past night: â€Å"More light and light, more dark and dark our woes† (3. 5. 36). The light and dark imagery of Romeo and Juliet is used for sensory contrasts. Imagery, by sparking the audience’s and readers’ imaginations, is one of the most important literary devices in Romeo and Juliet. The imagery – particularly celestial, religious, avian, and light and dark – enhances the play by swaying the viewers’ moods, taking over as metaphors, and hinting at the plot. Romeo and Juliet’s storyline and language contribute equal impressions on readers and spectators. With language as beautiful as Shakespeare’s, it’s little wonder that Romeo and Juliet is one of the most popular love stories in the world.

Brain vs. Computer

Human Brain vs. Computer Outline Thesis Statement: Some say computers are more smarter than the human brain but in reality a humans brain is what created it. Introduction Memory A. Human Brain 1. Memory not measurable 2. Would not overload from memory B. Computer 1. Data programed 2. Can’t learn new things on its own 3. Limited memory space III. Capability A. Human Brain 1. Learn new things easily 2. Ability to make decisions B. Computer 1. Multitasking (complex tasks) 2. No emotion Upgrades and Repairs A. Human Brain . Cannot be updated 2. Adaptable to new settings B. Computer 1. Merge current ideas 2. Problems fixed easily Conclusion Human Brain Vs. Computer The brain and computer are always being compared to each other because they both perform computations. Some say computers are more smarter than the human brain but in reality a humans brain is what created it. The brain and computer can be set apart by differences such as: memory, their capabilities and creativities. Mem ory is the ability to store and revive information.The memory process for both the computer and human brain are very different. The human brain memory is not measurable. Scientist are unsure of how to calculate the size of memory in the brain. The capacity of the human brain is so big that it can not overload from information being stored in it. Although it is said that memory is not measurable, the memory process is very complex. There have been a few educated guesses that the memory process begins with encoding, then storing the information and some how retrieving it.Computers access its memory through a memory address; a number that is assigned to each byte in a computers memory that the CPU uses to track where data is stored. Data is programmed into the computer by a human being. Computers can not learn new things on its own. The computer memory cannot work independently. It has assistance by the human brain to do most of the work. Latest computers have about a million megabytes of storage. That is a limited amount of storage compared to the human brain. The computer and the brain both are capable of doing different things to extreme lengths.The brain receives uses the five senses constantly to understand and help process information. Since it is constantly working on the information it has to quickly adapt to learning new things. The brain can think, invent, dream, solve, read without any help. It also has a mind for expressing thought and emotions. The computer has the ability to perform many tasks all at once without error. The most multitasking the brain does is using the autonomic nervous system. The computer can perform calculations faster than the human brain.In order for a computer to learn new things things have to be coded and programmed into it. The computer has no emotion, no feelings and no senses. The world we know around us is rapidly changing and evolving. The human brain can easily adapt to the new settings in our environment. If something may happen to go wrong with the brain you cannot simply repair it. Whilst it is easy to repair a broken computer and add new parts to it, that can’t be done to a brain. The computer can receive updates by merging current ideas and setting them into its hardware.The brain can adjust to the changes on its own. The brain is always actively working. There is no ON/OFF button in the brain like there is on a computer. The brain is better than the computer when it comes to general purposes and acquiring new skills. Both the human brain and the computer have their strengths and differences. In some cases they can be very alike and complementary to each other. They both have their individually unique properties that also them apart. The brain has a lot of contribution to inventing the computer.Without the power of the brain there would not be a computer. There is much more that we do not know about the brain, but we do know everything about a computer. Works Cited Chatham, Chris. â⠂¬Å"Sentient Developments: Chris Chatham: 10 Important Differences Between Brains and Computers. † Sentient Developments: Chris Chatham: 10 Important Differences Between Brains and Computers. Sentient Developments, 22 May 2011. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. Mastin, Luke. â€Å"Memory Processes – The Human Memory. † Memory Processes – The Human Memory. N. p. , 2010. Web. 25 Mar. 2013.

Rome becomes a world leader essays

Rome becomes a world leader essays As Hannibal defeated the Carthaginians, their power increased, conquering Sicily, Spain, and Sardinia. Their expansion did not stop there but continued towards east. They subjugated Macedonia, Greece, and Asian Minor. However, since their territories were enormous, they had kept armies all around the Mediterranean Sea. In 146 B.C., city of Corinth was destroyed and its inhabitants were sold as slavery as consul Lucius Memmius came to an action. The speech made to the Senate, Carthago delenda est, had also demonstrated the hatred toward the Carthage of the Romans. This eventually resulted in the Third Punic War which lasted from 149-146 B.C. At this time, the Roman Senate had increasing power because when they were elected as a Senator, their job remained forever. With their power, they controlled over foreign and domestic policies and looked over finances. The Latin word, nobiles, which resembles the English word nobles, were high class people with most of the influential jobs. They organized provinciae so the jobs can be distributed into local regions. With the money gained from the provinces, Roman senators bought latifundia, large estates, which brought more organized and profitable agriculture. These profits were mainly from middle class who were meeting the success in commerce. These changes were long-term processes that were undergone long before the wars. Through their interaction with Greeks, they began to adapt to some of their cultures. Their gods, farming techniques, and religious rituals were similar. Not only that, Romans learned literatures, art, and science from Greeks. For example, Livius Andronicus tr ansformed the Greek play into Roman play in 240B.C. The changes that were brought to Romans were not threatening but enjoyable and successful opportunities for them. The great intellectuals were found during this time and the influence of Greeks help them in many ways. Later, this became known as Greco-Roman culture...

Choose one example of a real protectionist policy that has been

Choose one example of a real protectionist policy that has been Choose one example of a real protectionist policy that has been implemented by the government of some country and discuss the issues surrounding the policy – Essay Example Protectionist policy Protectionist policy is a policy that was set up with the main aim of protecting local domestic industries fromthe aggressive competition of other international industries that seemed to be well established by the use of waivers such as subsidies, tariffs, import quotas or any other restrictions that were placed on the goods imported from other foreign countries (Encyclopedia, 2013). This policy was first adopted by the congress of the United States of America back in 1789 despite their earlier opposition to it as practised by the British. They did this by adopting their first tariff which was aimed at raising revenue (Bartlett, 2013). Despite the Americans adopting the policy a few years after their independence, the tariffs were applied on many of their manufactured goods in the year 1824. The goods that experienced increased tariff rates were glass, lead, iron, hemp and wool. The protectionist policy reached it peak in the year 1828 when the new tariff referred to as Abomination was put in place (Bartlett, 2013). It was during the application of this Abomination tariff that the rates increased up to 49 per cent (Bartlett, 2013). The Americans continued using this policy even after the First World War whereby they argued that the use of high tariffs was necessary so as to be able to reduce the surplus of the treasury as well as to discourage imports. The republican had even passed the Payne-Aldrich tariff under President William Howard in 1909 (Bartlett, 2013). The protectionist policy has been set up and defended by governments of various nations by use of three key arguments. The first and most common reason among applying it claims that high tariffs, as well as subsidies is a way of protecting local jobs for the citizens in the domestic industries (Spruiell, 2006). The argument has been supported by the facts like; an American steel industry that is facing competition from a foreign company of Brazil will Be required to end contracts of the employees as a result of competition caused by cheap steel from Brazil (Spruiell, 2006). The act of laying off the employees will have negative impacts on their families. Another reason is that if the competition from a foreign company that is producing and exporting steel at a unusually low price will lead to the collapse of the local American Steel Company. The collapse of the company will result to the country like US to face double tragedy whereby all workers will lose their jobs   leaving the country with  only choice of having to depend on foreign company for the supply of steel (Edwards, 1991). This dependence on external supply of steel will also be a limitation with devastating effects on the US in case the country goes to war against other nations as it will be difficult to produce the country’s own resources (Spruiell, 2006).Also, this policy has been used as bargaining chip by many governments during various trade negotiation s  neighbouring countries due to the believe that  they have to be at par with each other (Spruiell, 2006). The protectionist policy benefits some industries at the expense of others. In the United States of America for instance, only powerful industries dealing in steels, agribusiness and Textile lobbies have been protected by the policy against completion from foreign companies while most of the other industries have not (Razin,1983). The policy has also saved jobs for the workers in the protected companies and helped those industries avoid financial catastrophe. It has also been useful during trade negotiations among countries (Spruiell, 2006). In case of the US increasing tariffs to protect domestic steel industry against cheap steel from Brazil, the Brazilian steel industry suffered negative impacts of protectionist policy as it affected the ready and reliable market for its steel in the America. The employees of the Brazilian company were not spared as the reduced sales resulted to them losing their jobs (Obstfeld, Maurice, 1982) Protectionist policy therefore,  has both advantages and disadvantages on the entire economy. The protected companies together with the workers enjoy the positive side of the policy while unprotected company faces risk of collapsing due to the foreign competition. Bartlett, B. (2013, March 24) The Truth about Trade in History. Retrieved March 24, 2013, from www.cato.org: cato.org/publications/commentary/truth-about-trade-history Encyclopedia, B. O. (2013, March 24). protectionism. Retrieved March 24, 2013, from www.britannica.com: britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/479643/protectionism Spruiell, S. (2006, August 30). Protectionism- Tariffs, Subsidies and Trade Policy. Retrieved March 24, 2013, from www.globalenvision.org: globalenvision.org/library/15/1211 Edwards,February 1991,Anticipated protectionist policies Retrieved March 24,2013,from www.ssrn.com Obstfeld,Maurice, 1982,Aggregate spending and terms:Is there Laursen-Metzler Effect?,The quarterly journal of Economics, MIT press, vol.97(2). Razin,1983, Trade taxes and Current account,Economics Letters,Elsevier,vol.13(1),pages 55-57