What potential benefits can medical treatments using stem cells provide (part 2)

Stem Cell Research

The therapies being researched stand to decrease human suffering by unheard-of levels. They are replete with cures for multiple types of cancer, liver disease, sickle-cell anemia, and more. However, less than a handful are beyond the earliest stages of development, and even the most basic clinical studies are years—up to a decade or more1—in the future. Slightly more than $1 billion was spent on stem cell work in 2005, which again sounds like an impressive sum. (Carrier et al 2007) However, when compared to the total amount spent globally on health-care R&D, it’s less than stellar: a mere 1 percent. (Carrier et al 2007) The analysis cited also takes into account the potential hobbles of heavy government regulation and environmental concerns. Both are highly likely, given the public’s uneasiness with topics related to cloning and human embryos.

Predictions of the Scientists

The consultants at Bain & Company predict a far more modest forecast of a $100-million market for stem cell therapies by the end of this decade. (Carrier et al 2007) By 2015, the forecast is more optimistic, rising to $2 billion worldwide. (Carrier et al 2007) Again, impressive numbers when viewed in isolation. And yet one cannot help but notice that the conservative forecast for the decade disagrees with the optimistic one pushed by stem cell boosters by a factor of 100. The same ratio holds in the amount spent on health-care R&D: For every dollar spent on stem cells, $100 is placed elsewhere. (Carrier et al 2007)

Investment in Stem Cells

Another interesting fact is that more than four-fifths of the global investment in stem cells has come from governments. Private venture capital, the traditional engine of biotech start-ups, pumped an anemic $50 million into the field in 2005. (Carrier et al 2007) The trend is sharply higher today, but why has it taken seven years from the time the first stem cell lines were made available to even start to grow? The real issue at hand for the stem cell industry is funding: specifically, federal funding. Due to the compromise worked out by President Bush and the religious conservative wing of his party, federal funding is only available to firms that are working with stem cell lines derived from human embryos before August 9, 2001. (Carrier et al 2007)

There was a strong backlash against this decision by groups who wanted to press stem cell research forward as quickly as possible. Proposition 71 passed by California voters to hand over $3 billion in state money, was only the beginning. (Carrier et al 2007) Just as California tends to set trends for the rest of the country in terms of culture, the West Coast’s cutting-edge initiative system tends to do the same thing. California’s measure has set off similar legislative issues in other states.

When most people talk about cloning, they generally mean the copying of the entire organism, as in the case of Dolly the sheep. Since this is the kind of cloning that yields offspring, for clarity it is called reproductive cloning. At present, researching this kind or cloning to create new human beings is shunned in the scientific community, and nations that have any laws on the books at all in regards to stem cell research and cloning embryos expressly forbid the reproductive cloning of humans. When discussing the benefits of stem cell research, however, what is actually being discussed is therapeutic cloning. This is when embryonic stem cells are harvested from the newly created embryo and expanded in a culture dish. (Holland et al 2006) Though the goal in therapeutic cloning is different, both types of cloning yield a clump of cells that has the potential to grow into a whole organism.

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Part 6 

The states role in the cultivation of the female ideal throughout Chinese history (part 6)

National Crisis

In her section on ‘Nationalist and Feminist Discourses on Jianmei (Robust Beauty) throughout China’s “National Crisis” in the 1930s’, Gao values the Shanghai every week women’s periodical Linglong as ‘a multi-vocal space for women’ (p. 109) to interrogate moving connotations of the notion of ‘robust beauty’ in relative to a varied feminine readership’s inquiries, answers and facts on present fads and fashion. Coming from distinct components of built-up humanity, these readers simultaneously with writers and reviewers offered a flawless computer display for philosophical discourses, informative missionizing and polemical propaganda that turned in specific Europe and the USA into both reflector and catalyst for new main headings at home. A complicated textual investigation (an investigation of a nation’s inscriptions on the feminine body) delicacies of moving localized notions of feminism, stereotyping (with ‘an intriguing rotate of racial dynamics’, p. 115) of ‘Western’ and ‘Chinese’ feminine attractiveness, of an appearing heritage of personal fitness joined to the ‘fitness’ of the territory and of interior dissension over localized emulations of alien ideas that sat uneasily with personal, heritage and communal truths in which the readers of Linglong discovered themselves.

Chinese Cultural Revolution

Jin Yihong’s study, deserving ‘Rethinking the “Iron Girls”: Gender and Labour throughout the Chinese Cultural Revolution’, extends with inquiries over the state’s mobilization of women employees, its significances for a gendered partition of work as well as for gender relatives and, more exactly, for women themselves. Symbolic of the liberation discourse throughout the Cultural Revolution, the function forms renowned as Iron Girls came to exemplify the influential Maoist decree that ‘men and women are the same’. Indeed, its leverage comes to into Chinese Communist Party rhetoric forming present gender politics. The Iron Girls, as Jin’s study illustrates, became a helpful, ideologically productive propaganda device for the Party to determination stress over work deployment but furthermore assisted other reasons, expanding command by the work unit over women and family. The force to outdo each other made these Iron Girls groups highly comparable, requiring although of their constituents tremendous pain and sacrifice.

In a perceptive investigation of women’s own evaluation of their function and the advantages reaped from such dedication, Jin remarks women’s focus on obligation, obligation and forfeit over a claim to rights. She brings out the distinction between country and built-up Iron Girls, with the previous taking on added responsibilities and occupations, without being reassured at dwelling from customary household tasks. Moreover, a devaluation of customary ‘female duties’ expanded the force to present in ideologically worthy roles. Whilst the unfastening up of new paid work conveyed with it new exhilaration over expanded communal and personal mobility as well as delight over employed inside assemblies of like-minded women, as Jin’s anecdotes illustrate so well, the personal charges and household stress made these Iron Girls groups short-lived. As the title shows, in the country localities, only unmarried young women could relish the liberty of paid work not allocated to wed women. This was else in built-up localities where childcare provisions and altering well-liked mind-set glimpsed wed women connect the ranks of working classes.

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Iran Theocracy and Democracy

Introduction

Many versions of comments and debates have been taking place in regard to Islam and Muslims right from their religious radicalism to their stringent laws regarding democracy. As politics of countries around the world take different dimensions, democracy has taken the world by a whirlwind which has taken Islamic. This paper analyzes whether the Islamic Republic of Iran is a democracy or a theocracy.

Theocracy and Democracy

Theocracy is a government much influenced by dominant religion in a particular country. All operations of government are controlled by religious principles. Democracy as President George Washington is the government by people, for people and with people. Democracy in Islamic countries has been a nightmare for the reason that it has brought about so many political and social conflicts. Many citizens of these Islamic countries in particular Iran feel that western democracy has been imposed on them and the approach has not been friendly to the traditional ways of its governance. Iran is a country that is sometimes difficult to define by the version of its governance but many people understand it as a theocracy. However (Kesselman, Krieger, and Joseph) agree that “democracy has gained remarkable acceptance in Iran even though theocracy takes a bigger share of governance…610”. Elections take place regularly but there are no potential political parties which play their part as opposition.

Learning Skills For Open Distance Learners (part 8)

Printed out related articles

Article 1

Distance Learning: Principles for Effective Design, Delivery, and Evaluation

Journal article by Cleborne D. Maddux; Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 75, 2004

Recent popular and professional literature is replete with news about the explosive present and future growth of distance education, and faculty on campuses across the country are debating the advisability of this new trend. As Mehrotra, Hollister, and McGahey point out, however, the question is no longer whether or not to implement distance education, but how best to do so. Therefore, the book is timely and needed.

The text is intended for instructors and administrators planning their initial foray into distance education. The authors have wisely chosen to focus on principles that will lead to quality distance education rather than on rapidly changing details of hardware and software. They maintain that when educators are aware of the principles that lead to excellent programs, and when the content, the student population to be served, and the desired student outcomes are identified and analyzed, good technical decisions can, with some minimal advice from technology experts, easily be made. Thus, rather than a book about technology, the authors aspire to produce a practical guide for those launching new distance education courses or programs.

The authors begin by stating their belief that most of the principles of good distance education can also be applied to traditional, on-campus courses. This, they believe, is particularly true given the recent interest in student-centered learning; countering the isolation felt by many students enrolled in very large, on-campus courses; and the considerable potential of technology to make active learning a reality.

The authors then present a brief history of distance education, an informative timeline of events, and an excellent discussion of the reasons for the implementation of distance education courses and programs by American institutions of higher learning. The next five chapters (dedicated to what should occur before students enroll) address the planning and preparation that should take place prior to implementation of distance learning courses and programs. Highlights include several pages of very detailed, practical ideas for promoting and marketing; a list of seven “good practices;” a lengthy chapter on course syllabi and how they should differ from traditional course syllabi; and a very usable decision tree for help in selecting course delivery methods.

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The Mediterranean diet good for us or not (part 4)

Firstly, it helps to increase longevity-means a reduced possibility of death at any age. The result has been confirmed in US and UK populations, which represents a 20% reduced threat of death at any age.

Secondly, fall into the possibility of developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, each of which are associated with the vascular and cardiac disease as well as other serious complications.

Thirdly, it reduces the chance of becoming obese and it formed the basis for a standard reduction in weight.

Fourthly but not the final, the chance of becoming affected by Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease is reduced.

Regarding all of these aspects, this book gives detail information which will help the readers to understand the benefits of adopting the Mediterranean diet. Furthermore, food-related evidence from the ancient Mediterranean through the present is presented in a simple way which will not be difficult to understand. It is well known that Mediterranean diet is nowadays considered as a diet model for a lot of people. The most reasonable reason for this preference is that it helps to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and cancer.

In the early 1960s, the report says that the occurrence of cancer and coronary heart disease in Mediterranean regions was much lower than other industrialized countries in Europe and North America. “The life expectancy of the Mediterranean population was higher, although medical care did not meet western standards.”[4]
The studies have found that those outcomes were due to Mediterranean diet and lifestyle. So, surely the reader can all benefit from the lessons learned from this nice and informative material.

However, it also needs to mention that the book has not given the information about the risk of the excess use of Mediterranean diet. “Mediterranean diet maximizes the intake of health-promoting ingredients, whilst minimizing quantities of ingredients associated with health risks”. But despite this disadvantage, Mediterranean diet index is proposed for most of the diet problems. Numerous studies have pointed out the nutritional needs of the pregnant women. In such case, the Mediterranean diet may represent a valid tool for the specific assessment of the diet of pregnant women living in countries in the Mediterranean area[5]. In the whole book, the writers have tried their level best and to admit this effort, it can be said that this book could get 8 marks out of 10 though this opinion may vary in different level of peoples. According to a report published in the British medical journal, the traditional Mediterranean diet provides protection against type 2 diabetes[6]. Actually, this is just something about Mediterranean diet. In the greater perspective, this diet is good for health compared to other regions diet.

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Civil Disobedience and Non Violent Movements (part 5)

At one time Mandela said that he was ready to die for his people, and is one of the first African lawyers in the Republic of South Africa, he knew the what the laws of the apartheid regime that was so hellish and more so towards the Afrikaners or the black people. For the reason of his struggle, Mandela was jailed for 27 years, denied encounters with other political prisoners and separated from his family. He made friends even when and while he was imprisoned. After the release of Mandela from jail or prison, he got the opportunity rule his people and this is the time Mandela’s great humanity and humility not to revenge his tormentors. Being the president of this divided nation, his approach was the ever best and soft in the whole world. Moreover, he is termed as one of the best and brilliant men of the 21st
century. During his rule, he never incited his fellow Africans to avenge their tormentors but he took a wonderful and different approach to national healing that worked. The reconciliation process that Mandela supported was led by the retired Arch-Bishop Desmond Tutu. Tutu was also a man of God who supported Mandela’s approach. At one time Desmond Tutu in his memoirs No Future Without Forgiveness of (2000) he believes and says that “we can not indeed transcend the conflicts of the past, we can hold hands as we realize our common humanity”. He only ruled for one term of five years and retired to his private life; this way stunned the whole world and confirmed his quest for equality and equal opportunities for all people in South Africa. The peaceful transition that Mandela presided over was applauded by all and sundry.

Mandela’s approach of nonviolent was mind-boggling for many whites even though the armed wing of the African National Congress had his blessings. Mandela did assume all the ills that befell his people for many decades that have had the impact to this day. After attaining independence Mandela forgot that past which professor Thompson (2001) says that “the black people in extension population faced all dehumanizing encounters and broken social systems which included the very basic ones of education and health.” South Africa could have plunged into a civil in the lifetime of Nelson Mandela, but his wisdom has seen South Africa emerge as an African superpower even though the ills are not yet finished. Furthermore, the minority rulers ceded power respectively and peacefully to be extended an olive hand when they are out of power. Mandela’s reconciliatory speeches have also acted as a weapon against a few enemies that do not recognize the majority rule of the black South Africans as Mandela (2000) quotes himself in a speech, “the Constitution of South African and the culture of respect and tolerance which it embodies, are among the reason, we do now, that South Africa has been supported from as far as even before independence.”

Conclusion

Non-violence and civil disobedience practices in many countries apart from India, United States of America and South Africa forced authoritarian leaders or despots to resign or quit office. In the present times, these practices have an impact and many leaders have left office. These approaches have been recommended to avoid bloody confrontations and coups. Unfortunately and of late we have not heard leaders of the same caliber as Mandela, Gandhi and Martin Luther. However, this great orators and eloquent speaker that moved masses will be role models throughout history.

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Fernando Meirelles

Short Biography

Among thе prominеnt Latin filmmakеrs to havе еmеrgеd during thе latе-20th and еarly-21st cеnturiеs, dirеctor Fеrnando Mеirеllеs has pеrhaps bееn thе most critically acclaimеd of thеm all – no small fеat whеn his contеmporariеs havе includеd Waltеr Salеs, Alfonso Cuaron, and Alеjandro Amеnabar. With his brеakout fеaturе, thе Oscar-nominatеd “City of God” (2002), a violеnt and kinеtic film about drug-dеaling gangs in thе slums of Rio dе Janiеro, Mеirеllеs displayеd a flair for stylizеd camеra movеs, rapid еditing, and gritty rеalism—еlеmеnts that soon bеcamе tradеmarks. An onе-timе commеrcial dirеctor, Mеirеllеs has takеn a non-traditional approach to filmmaking, using barеbonеs crеws, non-actors in major rolеs and major stars as camеra opеrators for point-of-viеw shots. Thе rеsults havе bееn somе of thе most stunning and vibrant films to havе еmеrgеd from south of thе Rio Grandе.

Filmography

Thе films producеd by Mеirеllеs includе: O Mеnino Maluquinho 2 (1998), Domеsticas (2001),  Cidadе dе Dеus (2003),  Thе Constant Gardеnеr (2005) and  Blindnеss (2008). Fеrnando Mеirеllеs was born in a middlе class family in Sгo Paulo City, Brazil. Hе studiеd architеcturе at thе univеrsity of Sгo Paulo. At thе samе timе hе dеvеlopеd an intеrеst in filmmaking. With a group of friеnds hе startеd producing еxpеrimеntal vidеos. Thеy won a hugе numbеr of awards in Brazilian film fеstivals. Aftеr that, thе group formеd a small indеpеndеnt company callеd Olhar Еlеtrеnico.

Aftеr working in indеpеndеnt tеlеvision during ninе yеars, in thе еightiеs Mеirеllеs gravitatеd towards publicity and commеrcials. Hе also bеcamе thе dirеctor of a vеry popular childrеn’s tеlеvision show. In thе еarly 90s, togеthеr with Paulo Morеlli and Andrеa Barata Ribеiro, hе opеnеd thе O2 Filmеs production company. Subsеquеntly, nеw friеnds joinеd thе group: Rеnato Barbiеrе, Agilson Araujo, Toniko and Marcеlo Tas. In 1982 thе company airеd TV programs on currеnt affairs, as wеll as thе childrеn sеriеs Rá-Tim-Bum, with 180 еpisodеs. In addition to obtaining high ratings, thеy also introducеd a rеfrеshing humorous informality in nеws rеporting. His first fеaturе, in 1998, was thе family film “Mеnino Maluquinho 2: A Avеntura”. His nеxt fеaturе, “Domеsticas” (2001), еxposеd thе invisiblе world of fivе Brazilian maids in Sгo Paulo and thеir sеcrеt drеams and dеsirеs.

Cidadе dе Dеus/City of God

In 1997 hе rеad thе Brazilian bеst-sеllеr “Cidadе dе Dеus/City of God”, writtеn by Paulo Lins, and dеcidеd to turn it into a moviе dеspitе an intimidating story that involvеs morе than 350 charactеrs. Oncе thе scrееnplay, writtеn by Brеulio Mantovani, was rеady, Mеirеllеs gathеrеd a crеw mixеd with profеssional tеchnicians and inеxpеriеncеd actors chosеn bеtwееn thе youngstеrs living in thе favеlas surrounding Rio dе Janеiro. Thе film was a hugе succеss in Brazil and bеgan to attract attеntion around thе world aftеr it scrееnеd at thе Cannеs Film Fеstival in 2002. “Cidadе dе Dеus/City of God” (2003) has won awards from film fеstivals and sociеtiеs all ovеr thе world, as wеll as four 2004 Oscar nominations, including a Bеst Dirеctor for Fеrnando Mеirеllеs.

“Collatеral”

Though Mеirеllеs could havе had thе pick of thе littеr aftеr his Oscar nomination—hе rеfusеd offеrs to dirеct big budgеt Hollywood fеaturеs, and еvеn turnеd down “Collatеral”—hе chosе instеad to continuе making films in third world countriеs that wеrе closеr to his hеart. His nеxt projеct was “Thе Constant Gardеnеr” (2005), an adaptation of thе John lе Carrе novеl about a kind and gеnial British diplomat (Ralph Fiеnnеs) in Kеnya whosе socially-conscious, outspokеn wifе (Rachеl Wеisz) is mystеriously murdеrеd aftеr invеstigating massivе corruption bеtwееn thе govеrnmеnt and pharmacеutical companiеs. Amidst rumors about hеr infidеlity, thе diplomat еmbarks on a pеrsonal quеst to find out thе truth about his wifе’s dеath. Thе film’s producеr Simon Channing-Williams rеalizеd hе nееdеd somеonе with a third world pеrspеctivе rathеr than a middlе class British viеwpoint.

Channing-Williams gavе thе script to Mеirеllеs, who immеdiatеly said yеs, days bеforе original hеlmеr Mikе Nеwеll bowеd out of thе projеct to dirеct thе fourth “Harry Pottеr” film. Mеirеllеs thеn found himsеlf in Kеnya scouting locations and working with a $25 million budgеt—a first for thе formеrly low-budgеt dirеctor. Dеspitе thе nеgativе portrayal of thе Kеnyan govеrnmеnt in thе script, Mеirеllеs was surprisеd that thеy wеrе еagеr to havе thе projеct filmеd in thеir country—at lеast it would providе somе jobs. Oncе on location, both cast and crеw quickly bеcamе еnchantеd with thе joyous lifе pulsating throughout thе country, particularly in thе poorеst sеctions. Initially worriеd about fееling sorry for thе locals, thе filmmakеrs camе away touchеd by thеir hospitality and gеnеrosity of spirit. Mеanwhilе, “Thе Constant Gardеnеr,” co-starring Danny Huston, Bill Nighy and Pеtе Postlеwaitе, was an astounding artistic triumph, with Mеirеllеs succеssfully raising a strong human story rich with fееling and еmotion out of lе Carrе’s mеticulously plottеd potboilеr and gеtting compеlling, multidimеnsional pеrformancеs out of his actors.

The Mediterranean diet good for us or not (part 2)

Review of the book “The Mediterranean diet: constituents and health promotion”

Many scientific and nonscientific books have already been published on this subject, any new book contributing significantly to this topic needs to be well organized and includes all aspects of diets in the Mediterranean region. Undoubtedly, “The Mediterranean diet: constituents and health promotion” is such a book. The book is divided into three sections and is well organized scientifically and chronologically, beginning with the history of the Mediterranean diet. No doubt, historical chapters are important when it is about to describe the diet of the region in relation to health.

This part “Background” deals with the history of the Mediterranean diet and their food patterns and prototypes from the ancient Greeks through the present. Ancient Greek and Roman diet-related information is widely diversified. The book provides the information that during classical periods, wealthy urban Greeks followed a vegetable-based food pattern. This food pattern was based on legumes, olive oil, grains, and wine. Barley and wheat were prepared as bread: chickpeas, lentils, fava beans were served as specific dishes. Olive oil dominated the field of cooking, while wine and water was the beverage of choice. Besides this rice, bread made from corn and its consumption, availability of zucchini has been shortly discussed.

Olive oil and its historical use and production among the Greeks have been highlighted significantly. How olive oil has affected the overall diet of Greeks in the past has been mentioned. In addition, the production of dairy foods of high quality and safety are also mentioned in this book. Most importantly, all the information the writers have mentioned in this book are accurate and reliable. From all these points of view, it can be said that this book provides a tremendous outcomes.

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