Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Finance - Essay Example In the year 2007, British Petroleum, Plc took many of the restructuring initiatives. It had restructured its operations in the North Sea Organisation. The restructuring was aimed to simplify the organisation and to improve the efficiency of the various related processes. The company was compelled to initiate such changes as the production in that area was depicting decreasing trend while cost was rising rapidly (BP, 2007). As the chief executive of BP put it, the over all restructuring measure was not all about ‘cost reduction and cull’, rather it was about the a change in culture among the employees of BP, as he observed that the oil major has been suffering from ‘over- complexity’ (Macalister, 2007). Though the management claimed it to be mere change in culture but it invariably meant reduction in the employee force as the company was witnessing alarming financial results. To do away with the complexities that according to the top management were responsible for such deplorable financial results, the company decided to make processes simpler. The corporation used to have three major divisions namely ‘exploration and production’, ‘refining and marketing’ and ‘gas, power and renewable’. To make operational process straightforward and reduce costs, the management restructured the process by doing away with the third segment and incorporating it into the other two. The company introduced a separate division to handle business of low carbon and options of future growth and named it ‘alternative energy’ (Kukec, 2007). The objective of any restructuring plan that any corporate initiates, is to increase its profitability and the financial performance and to create enhanced value for the share holders. The financial results of the British Petroleum for the financial year 2008 clearly depicts that the restructuring plans

Interpretive exercise Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Interpretive exercise - Assignment Example 2. Measure the width of the river to cross. What are the differences between the biblical audience and us? Bible has been segregated into two segments which are ‘Old Testament’ and ‘New Testament’. Old Testament describes the story of God’s treaty with Hebrew people. On the other hand, New Testament includes several versions of life, death and renaissance of Lord Jesus. ‘Measure the width of the river to cross’ is a New Testament passage relating to Bible. Here, river denotes something which can create differences in terms of diverse culture, customs, languages, time and power among others. Today, one obvious difference can be found between biblical audience and us. The difference is generational gap. Biblical audience was made up of first century and the present audience is made up of twenty first century who does not struggle with legalistic Judaism and traditional Gnosticism. The river which separates biblical audience and us is not wi de, but these differences should be addressed in order to cross the river1. 3. Cross the Principlizing Bridge. What are the theological principles in this text? Theological principles are generally intended for understanding the principles of God. The objective is to overwhelm the current gap between different religions and to demonstrate the mutual obligations of every religious discipline. In order to identify theological principles, one should recall the differences and similarities between present day’s audience and biblical audience. The theological principle of the text is that in order to be operative in serving God, people should employ their strength and bravery. The theological principles affirm that Christ provide the believers of God a kind of power in order to remain happy in variety of circumstances1. 4. Consult the biblical map. How does the theological principle fit with the rest of the Bible? The theological principles of the text are used by every Christian nowadays in terms of worship and divinity on Lord Jesus. The texts in Bible are precise, real and provide universal realities. In Bible, a particular passage can only be applied to certain circumstances. However, the theological principles revealed in the text are fit to each people who always have faith in God. Theological principles have certain definite meaning and application to the olden biblical audience and to the Christians in present days. As the theological principles possess explicit application and can be used by the audiences, it operates as a link for wrapping the river of differences2. 5. Grasp the text in our town. How should individual Christians today apply the theological principles? Individual Christians cannot apply the theological principles without knowing its significance. However, they can understand the main philosophy of Bible without implementing it in practical life. In order to apply the theological principles, initially there exists the need for observ ing the world, examining the cultural background of people and exploring the meaning of God’s word. There pertains huge dissimilarity between understanding the method of applying the theological principles and logically implementing them1. Assignment 17-1 The ‘Book of Revelation’ is the last volume of New Testament. Chapter 1 of the book defines John’s (one of the twelve supporters of Lord Jesus) explanations on seven stars of angels.

Principles of Public International Law Essay Example for Free

Principles of Public International Law Essay â€Å"Law will never really play an effective part in international relations until it can annex to its own sphere some of the matters which at present lie within the domestic jurisdiction of the several states. † Discuss ‘The principles and regulations established in a community by some authority and applicable to its people, whether in the form of legislation or of custom and policies recognised’. The aforementioned is a definition of law as defined by the American Heritage dictionary of the English Language. If we apply this definition of community in its strictest sense it becomes increasingly difficult to subscribe to the view that there is an international community at large. If we begin to analyse statistics that show that there are over 7000 languages in the world, approximately 10,000 distinctly different religions, and a disputably infinite number of ethnic groups across just the 195 countries that comprise our global society, then it becomes patently clear that we would be better off highlighting our divisiveness rather than our prospects as a global community. Our collective history as human beings, however, tells a different story about our common interest and the way in which we have formally raised and torn down barriers to promote the same. We have, on the other hand, been separated on the basis of differing ideologies and the exercise of exclusive nationalism. Since the latter is a sentiment which resides in particular nations which have at their core a set legal framework validating their very existence and their interaction with other nations, it is essential to any study of law’s application to international relations. How does a sovereign nation reconcile its very sovereignty with its growing need to be integrated into a shrinking global society with its concomitant shrinking global economy? It is clear that some compromises must be made. Before we consider any specific cases in which states have decided to relinquish some of their sovereign power, we must consider the implications of the term sovereignty itself, the elements of sovereignty and its importance to a nation-state. Much has been written on the topic of sovereignty. Definitions vary slightly from one text to the other but they all have at their core, when specifically referring to the idea of state sovereignty, the idea of legitimate authority. In Sohail H. Hashmi’s discourse on sovereignty in the book ‘State Sovereignty, Change and Resistance in International Relations’, he asserts, referring to the concept of legitimate authority, that it is â€Å" a broad concept – not a definition but a wide category – that unites most of sovereignty’s tradition. He further notes that authority can be defined as â€Å"The right to command and correlatively, the right to be obeyed† and is only legitimate â€Å"when it is seen as right by those living under it. † It is to be noted that legitimate authority is not simply the idea of more power. R. P. Wolf, the twentieth century political philosopher and individual anarchist, illustrates the difference more sharply in a classical example in which he argues â€Å"if I am forced at gunpoint to hand over my money, I am subject to power; if I pay my taxes even though I think I can cheat I am recognizing legitimate authority. † We must recognize, however, that though legitimate authority is the overarching principle on any discourse on state sovereignty, there are specific elements of state sovereignty that are crucial, which every sovereign state holds dear to it and attempts to retain regardless of seemingly necessary or stipulated concessions of power, influence or authority to the international community. They include International Legal Validation (of a sovereign state), Interdependence Sovereignty and Domestic Sovereignty. International Legal Validation can be viewed as the right of the state to be a sovereign entity as prescribed by ‘international law’. It is legitimate authority as a legal construct or as Hashami puts it â€Å"legitimate authority† that is â€Å"prescribed by the law. † (Hashami, pg 18) The author Stephen D. Krasner in his book ‘Sovereignty, Organised Hypocrisy’ describes this element of sovereignty as international legal sovereignty. He states that it â€Å"refers to the practices associated with mutual recognition, usually between territorial entities that have formal juridical independence. † At its core international legal validation concerns issues of the recognition of states. If one were ignorant about the political climate on the global front, the natural answer to the question ‘how did a state become a state? ’ would be that ‘the would-be state must satisfy the defined stipulations (in international law) for becoming a state. Following this line of reasoning would inevitably lead one to the very first article of the Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States, which since 1933 set out that â€Å"The state, as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications: (a) permanent population; (b) a defined territory; (c) government; and (d) capacity to enter into relations with other states. It does not take much political savvy, however, to understand that the legal criteria for statehood and the actual criteria for being recognized as a state by the international community at large is a de facto and de jure issue. As Krasner postulates â€Å"States have recognized other governments even when they did not h ave control over their claimed territory, such as the German and Italian recognition of the Franco regime in 1936, and the American recognition of the Lon Nol government in Cambodia in 1970. States have continued to recognize governments which have lost power, including Mexican recognition of the Spanish republican regime of 1977, and recognition of the Chinese Nationalist regime by all of the major Western powers until the 1970s. States have refused to recognize new governments even when they have established effective control, such as the British refusal to recognize the July monarch in France until 1832, the US refusal to recognise the Soviet regime until 1934. (Krasner, pg 15) The recognition of states is definitely an area in which the law (as prescribed by the Montevideo Convention and more recently the EU, which has almost identical tenets concerning the recognition of states) has proved ineffective in international relations precisely because of the political agendas and consequently domestic jurisdiction of the several states which reflect the political climate in which they operate. States attempt to hold on to this type of sovereignty because it affords them clout and validation in a global society in which interdependence is not just an ideal but a tool for survival, at the very least and a necessary aid to prosperity at the very most. The point here is not that nonrecognition brings with it a form of absolute isolation which renders the unrecognised state permanently barred from international commerce and diplomatic relations. What is of paramount importance, however, is the fact that nonrecognition brings with it an air of uncertainty concerning the unrecognised state, particularly in the eyes of multinational firms which as a result may be more reluctant to invest. Krasner notes that â€Å"by facilitating accords, international legal sovereignty offers the possibility for rulers to secure external resources that can enhance their ability to stay in power and promote the security, economic, and ideational interest of their constituents. (Krasner, pg 17) Interdependence sovereignty is the ability of a state to regulate the flow of information, goods, ideas and people into and out of its country. States try to hold on to this type of sovereignty because their ability to do this is directly related to their ability to effectively take control and organise their own polity, which in essence is domestic sovereignty which states must hold on to by definition i. e. in order to be a state in the first place. We shall consider reasons which prompt states to relinquish some of their sovereignty later in our discussion. We have thus far acknowledged, via several examples, based on the politics involved in the process of mutual recognition of states, that the issue of international legal sovereignty or international legal validation is a de facto versus de jure consideration. Is this, however, a trend in the legal procedures in international relations? The law, based on our previously defined definition, must be applicable to the actors in the community in hich it is operating. If, in the realm of international relations, the law can be voluntarily and regularly flouted by those who come under its subjection then serious questions arise about the very existence of ‘international law’. It must be duly noted though that states undeniably operate within the workings of a law order which to a large extent regulates their day to day interactions with one another and which is autonomo us in its operations. There are a countless number of international treatises that are steadfastly observed on a day to day basis. Examples include international agreements which facilitate the smooth to and fro transport of letters which are transported to all corners of the globe at fixed rates which are stipulated by the Universal postal union, the establishment of hundreds of football leagues worldwide- the individual countries who oversee them all subscribing to the specific rules and regulation set out by the world governing body in football, F. I. F. A. and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations which afford diplomats exemption from prosecution within the courts of the country in which they are stationed. It is evident then that there is a legal framework that regulates the goings on of international relations. We have to probe a bit deeper into the workings of this system in order to ascertain whether or not it can accurately be characterised as international law. It can be argued that upon examination of our above examples of situations in which law plays an effective role in international relations, that the circumstances demand that such broad and far-reaching legal action be undertaken. The methods may vary but in order for letters to be transported globally there must be some standardisation procedure. This sort of necessary ‘self-coercion’ can be observed in a slightly different manner in the operations of international trade and commerce. Often times when two countries have a trade dispute they seek to resolve it in the World Trade Organisation (W. T. O. ), the foremost international authority on trade and trade disputes. The country that loses the dispute, in a legal case which is heard before a court of law under the auspices of the W. T. O. , more often that not abides by the decision. This, again, is not necessarily because the losing party has a great respect or reverence for ‘international law’ or the W. T. O. per se, but rather because it is within its interest to do so. As Harris explains, â€Å"The great majority of the rules of international law are generally observed by all nations without actual compulsion, for it is generally in the interest of all nations concerned to honour their obligations under international law. † (Harris pg 8) He further argues that a nation will be â€Å"reluctant to disregard its obligations under a commercial treaty, since the benefits that it expects from the execution of the treaty by the other contracting parties are complimentary to those anticipated by the latter. It may thus stand to loose more than it would gain by not fulfilling its part in the bargain. This is particularly so in the long run since a nation that has the reputation of reneging on its commercial obligations will find it hard to conclude commercial treaties beneficially to itself. † (Harris pg8) There is, evidently then, a law amongst nations, which is effective regardless of the reason for it being so. The problem of defining this law amongst nations as ‘international law’, however, lies in part because of those very cases in which it is flagrantly disregarded. For any legal system to functional optimally it must operate in a community in which there is a legislative system to make laws as it sees fit, a judiciary to implement the administration of justice and an executive body to enforce the law. Now grant it, generally speaking, there is no formal legislative system in international relations, when countries enter into agreements with each other the signing of treaties is usually undertaken and this serves as the source of law that is meant to dictate the terms of their agreement. However, unlike what is the case in municipal law, there is no definite enforceability method. There is no one authority that can guarantee the compliance of states to international treaties or conventions. We have already made the point that in most cases compliance has become second nature – but what of the cases (though they are scarce) in which it is not? Within the domestic law arena there are cases in which the law is glaringly broken. Once there is enough evidence to convict the wrongdoer, he is convicted and punished. The punitive measures that are undertaken would have been pre-determined by the legislative body and subsequently enforced by an executive body. There is no such arrangement in the international domain. As Harris puts forward â€Å"The problem of enforcement becomes acute, however, in that minority of important and generally spectacular cases, particularly important in the context of our discussion, in which compliance with international law and its enforcement have a direct bearing on the relative power of the nations concerned. In those cases†¦considerations of power rather than of law determine compliance and enforcement. † (Harris, pg 9) Therein lies the difficulty in saying that there is a law of nations. Having established the problematic nature of ‘international law’ or a ‘law of nations’, we shall henceforth temporarily ignore our challenges with nomenclature for the purposes of our remaining discussion. That being said, it is of critical importance to analyse the impact of international law on municipal law and vice versa. There is an ongoing dispute between theorist who believe that international law and municipal law are two separate legal orders and theorist who believe that they are part of the same legal order. The formative argument is known as dualism while the latter is known as monism. There is no one argument based on either monism or dualism that comprehensively settles the dispute. â€Å"On the international plane, international law is invoked and applied on a daily basis by states and intergovernmental organisations. With minor exceptions, it is the only law that applies to the conduct of states and international organisations in their relations with one another. Here international law is a distinct legal system, comparable in its scope and function to a national legal system. † (Buergenthal-Murphy, pg 3) The point mentioned above is very valid and gives credence to the dualism argument. Diplomatic relations, as discussed earlier, are dealt with strictly on the international plane. In order to see the appeal of the monism argument however we have to look no further than the argument establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice (C. C. J. ). Article XXIII of this agreement is as follows: 1)Each contracting party should, to the maximum extent possible, encourage and facilitate the use of arbitration and other means of alternative dispute resolution for the settlement of international commercial disputes. )To this end, each contracting party shall provide appropriate procedures to ensure observance of agreements to arbitrate and for the recognition and enforcement of arbitral award in such disputes. The C. C. J. is a court whose aim is to have a â€Å"determinative role in the further development of Caribbean jurisprudence through the juridical process† is thus an international lega l authority. In order for its smooth operation it must nevertheless depend on the domestic jurisdictions of its member states. Monism and dualism can hence be viewed as fluid concepts which exist in varying degrees.

Word War II Essay Example for Free

Word War II Essay The book â€Å"PT 105† written by Dick Keresey was published in the year 1996 and was highly-acclaimed because it tells an exciting and accurate story about PT boats. Furthermore, the book sheds new light on the distinctive contributions made by these boats to the war effort in the South Pacific. During the Word War II, PT boats were considered as the fastest craft on the water in spite of its small size and vulnerability. PT boats were described as nimble, tough, and considered as the most heavily armed ships in the U. S. Navy. The PT 105 boats are patrol boat considered to be of the same class as John F. Kennedy’s PT 109 but execute test maneuvers in the Atlantic. Usually, a PT boat, also called as a â€Å"mosquito boat†, contains a crew of 12-14. These PT boats positioned at the Solomon Islands agilely stalked Japanese warships. The main objective of the boats in the Solomons was to thwart the delivery of supplies and troops to the bases of the Japanese. Moreover, these boats were very important because they fought in the very front line of the greatest sea war in history. Nevertheless, until today barely anybody truly understands and recognizes what they did. Due to the book of Keresey, the story regarding these strong little fighters offers new account on the roles and involvement of these boats to the war effort. Dick Keresey was the captain of PT 105 and he was also in the same battle as John F. Kennedy when the PT 109 of Kennedy was crushed and sunk. According to Keresey, the well-known event has frequently been portrayed erroneously and the PT boats were often described as ineffective and undependable. Aside from informing the readers regarding his experiences as a PT Boat skipper during the Pacific War, Keresey likewise imparts what it was like to be a young American involved in famous incidents of his time. PT 105 as written by Dick Keresey During the World War II, Dick Keresey had skippered a PT boat in the Pacific and, subsequent to spending the rest of his life practicing law, Keresey made a decision to write regarding his Navy career because when Keresey becomes a PT man, he happened to be intensely loyal to the boats and the men on them. Hence, the book â€Å"PT 105† was born. With Keresey’s book, the story about the incident was truthfully explained by means of illustrating the real picture of PT boats that makes use of Keresey’s personal experience at New Georgia, Guadalcanal, Choiseul Island, and Bougainville. Keresey’s book is action-filled and tells about avoiding night bombers, saving downed airmen and coast watchers, participating in cruel guan battles with Japanese barges including small freighters, setting aside Marine scouts behind Japanese lines, and dealing with disease, heat, and loneliness. I believe that Keresey’s story is full of varied emotions funny, scary, melancholy, exciting, and angry—this last feeling was triggered not just by infrequent past operational follies visited upon the boats by commanders far from the fighting but likewise since the boats’ involvement in the war effort has been either forgotten or misunderstood. Due to the fact that Keresey sets the record straight in his book with such clarity and energy, he was instantly requested to write an article for American Heritage. Moreover, in order not to lose Keresey’s proficiently drawn strategic picture and his personal anecdotes as well, Keresey was asked to condense his entire book into the compass of a magazine article. Nevertheless, I personally believe that the situation in the book that might have given me the most delight is a minor, nearly parenthetical one—although it concerns the most famous of all PT-boat men. JFK’s shadow has been the topic of a lot of cold scrutiny in current years that it is good to be offered an unanticipated preview of him plainly being a good guy. In the book, JFK, who was still young then, graciously greeting his forerunner is in effect furtively assisting a Navy friend. This Navy friend is Al Webb, who following his PT service turned out to be vice president of sales for Cavanagh Hats. With his fellow skipper’s famed bare headedness ruining his venture, Webb instructed Cavanagh to make two top quality custom hats and rushed to the White House to offer one to the President and one to Kennedy’s long-time friend, Red Fay who is a businessman. According to Keresey, Kennedy met the challenge of endorsing and promoting the hats in his own way. Because the following day after Webb brought the hats to the White House, Kennedy greeted ex- President Eisenhower at Camp David and after that sent Al a picture of the momentous event. The picture portrayed Kennedy bending forward, his right hand extended; and in his left hand he held a hat, the inside layer facing out toward the camera; hence, the Cavanagh Hats label was clearly obvious and noticeable. After several years, Keresey said in his book that he called the Kennedy Library to ask if he could obtain a copy of the said picture for his book. As written in the book, Keresey informed the curator what he wanted to ask and why. Keresey wrote in the book that the man in the library was thrilled because according to the man, Keresey has solved the mystery because Kennedy carried the hat around for two weeks, and no one has ever been able to work out or understand why. Furthermore, the subject of Keresey’s great memoir is his days when he was still a PT commander in the Solomons in the years 1942 and 1943. Written in a series of vignettes with a flowing narrative line, Keresey’s book concludes with a long explanation of a moral preference or decision made in the area that came back to him years afterward. I think that based on reading the book, I can say that Keresey is candid and frank regarding himself, his men, and the Navy he served in. Particularly astute is his frank admittance that what made him look extremely composed in battle was his cornered-rat inclination. In addition, Keresey likewise protects former Lt. John F. Kennedy for his actions and decisions in Blackett Strait when he sunk by a Japanese destroyer. In conclusion, I believe that Keresey’s PT 105 is a must read if the reader would like to take pleasure in learning what day to day life was actually like in the small command Navy. Moreover, I think that this book is an exceptionally well written factual story regarding life in the Pacific seen thru the eyes of PT 105 commanding officer Dick Kersey. Hence, if the reader wants personal eye witness accounts, then definitely he/she would love to re read this book over and over. # Reference Keresey, Dick. (2003). PT 105. Naval Institute Press; New Ed edition.

The Blood Clotting Cascade Biology Essay

The Blood Clotting Cascade Biology Essay von Willebrand Factor is a large multimeric clotting protein which plays a significant role in the process of blood coagulation. It is mainly secreted by the vascular endothelial cells and also by megakaryocytes in the bone marrow. The vWF performs two important functions in the process of blood coagulation, and thats why it is very important. First, it is responsible in bringing together the elements to form the primary hemostatic plug. It serves as an anchor for platelets at the site of injury in the blood vessel. Second, it acts as a protective chaperone for Factor VIII, to avoid lysis by proteolytic agents in the blood. The Factor VIII also released by vWF at the site of injury, whereby it brings about the completion of the Intrinsic Pathway of blood coagulation, and seals the site of injury with Fibrin. von Willebrand Disease (vWD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder in human beings the world over. Although, mutations in the vWF gene are responsible for the type of vWD in a patient, the transmission of vWD to the next generation is not solely linked to the vWF gene, but involves linkages with other genes such as the ABO blood type genes. The gene that encodes von Willebrand Factor is present on the short chromatid of chromosome 12, and is 178kb long with 52 exons or coding sites. Most of the exons are small, some as small as 41 base pairs (Schneppenheim, 2011). Exon 28, which has 1379 base pairs, is the largest. Mutations in the genes encoding vWF are primarily responsible for most vWD cases. Mutations can cause qualitative or quantitative deficiencies of vWF. Mutations in the vWF gene and the vWD that is attributed to the mutations are shown in Figure 1. C:UsersTj WorkDropboxTjBlood SensorThesisvWF Domains rot.jpg Figure : Upper panel: vWF Exons coding for the domains; Lower panel: Locations of mutations and their corrseponding vWD types The multimeric von Willebrand Factor contains identical subunits of 250kDa each. These subunits dimerize (into 500 kilo Daltons subunits) and then multimerize into clusters greater than 10 mega Daltons in weight (Sadler JE, 2006). The vWF performs two functions serve as an anchor for binding platelets to the site of injury and bind to and stabilize Factor VIII from degradation by proteases in the blood and presenting it only at the site of injury. A vWF monomer has a repeated domain structure S D1 D2 D D3 A1 A2 A3 D4 B1 B2 B3 C1 C2 CK (Figure 1). The monomer is 2813 amino acids long. At the N-terminal is the 22 amino acid long signal peptide. Domains D and D3 are specific to Factor VIII binding. Platelets bind to vWF at its A1domain with their Glycoprotein (GP)-1b surface receptors. The A3 domain is specific to collagen, predominantly type III (J. Siekmann, 1998). Thus, domains A1 and A3 are necessary and must be fully functional to form the primary hemostatic plug in the process of coagulation. Figure 2: Domains of vWF protein, (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007) Overview of the clotting cascade A brief overview of the blood clotting cascade is necessary to understand the function of vWF in the process of clotting. The process of blood coagulation involves platelets and clotting proteins. At the site of injury in a blood vessel, the subendothelial collagen (types I and III) in the extracellular matrix of the blood vessel is exposed to blood. vWF that is present in the blood binds to the exposed collagen with its A3 domain. The flow of blood causes the multimers of the anchored vWF to unfold and expose the sites of platelet binding on the A1 domain (Figure 2). The platelets bind to this domain with their Gp-Ib receptor proteins present on the platelet cell surface. The binding of platelets to vWF activates them and a chemical messenger Thromboxane A2 is released by the platelets. Thromboxane A2 at the site of injury attracts more platelets in the blood, and aids in platelet aggregation. Platelets flowing in the blood stream bind to the activated platelets with a surface prot ein Gp IIb/IIIa. Fibrinogen (Factor I) is present in between the GP-IIb/IIIa receptors of two platelets. Thus, a primary hemostatic plug, though weak in strength, is formed. Figure 3: Sequence of events of blood coagulation due to vWF (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007) The unfolding of the multimers of vWF also releases Factor VIII at the site of injury. In the Intrinsic pathway of coagulation, Factor VIII is essential in catalyzing the conversion of Factor IX to Factor X, and eventually, prothrombin is catalyzed to from thrombin. Thrombin catalyzes the conversion of Fibrinogen (Factor I) into Fibrin. The fibrin forms a thick proteinaceous mesh, which seals the loss of blood from the blood vessel, this completing the process of hemostasis. Tissue repair and wound healing ensues. von Willebrand Disease von Willebrand Disease (vWD) is a deficiency of von Willebrand Factor. Based on the quantitative and qualitative deficiency, it is classified into subtypes. Combinations of assays are done to detect vWF levels in human plasma. Results of these tests report vWF levels in International Units per deciliter (IU/dL). The plasma concentration of vWF in healthy individuals is reported to be at around 10Â µg/mL (Mannucci, 1998), and the corresponding IU measurement is 100 IU/dL. The classification of the vWD types is based on the criteria developed by the vWF Subcommittee of the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis at Carrboro, North Carolina, USA in 1994. Annual meetings are held by ISTH to review diagnosis and management guidelines for vWD by experts all over the world. The standard guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of vWD in the USA is based on the vWF Report by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which was released in 2007 by the expert panel on vWF, chaired by Dr. William L. Nichols, Jr., M.D. The ISTH holds annual meetings all over the world to discuss updates on vWD. The first vWD classification by the ISTH in 1994 was based on information about mutations on the vWF gene. However, because it was appropriate to only a small population of the human race, it was overruled in 2006 and was replaced by the new method based on response to treatment with DDAVP or other blood based therapeutics. vWD is classified based on qualitative and quantitative deficiencies. Partial quantitative deficiency is type 1 vWD and total quantitative deficiency is type 3. Qualitative deficiency is type 2, and is subdivided into types 2A, 2B, 2M and 2N based on the functions of the vWF which are affected. Quantitative deficiencies of vWF are discussed first types 1 and 3 vWD. The main laboratory tests to analyze vWF in patient samples are vWF:Antigen activity (vWF:Ag), Factor VIII: Coagulation activity (FVIII:C) and vWF: Ristocetin Cofactor activity (vWF:RCo). Type 1 vWD A patient with partial quantitative deficiency of vWD is diagnosed as type 1 vWD. The level of vWF in the plasma, though low, can still carry out the formation of the primary hemostatic plug, and also protect Factor VIII. In most type 1 vWD cases, Factor VIII levels are very mildly affected. It is hard to accurately diagnose type 1 vWD because, the vWF levels also depend on the ABO blood grouping. The average vWF level in healthy individuals with blood type O is about 75 IU/dL. It is reasonable to classify the condition of a patient with less than 20 IU/dL vWF level as type 1 vWD because this indicates a probable hereditary mutation. The vWF:Ag and vWF:RCo tests show similar reductions in vWF activity for type 1 vWD patients compared to the reference plasma by ISTH (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007). Type 3 vWD When the vWF activity of a plasma sample is less than 10 IU/dL, it is classified as type 3 vWD.84-86 Major mutations such as frameshifts, large deletions, splice-site mutations, and missense mutations can be causes for type 3 vWD (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007). Sometimes, clearance of vWF from the blood stream due to autoimmune disorders can decrease vWF quantity in the blood to type 3 levels of vWD. This is also one of the causes of of Acquired von Willebrand Syndrome AVWS. Type 2 vWD Type 2 vWD is a qualitative deficiency of vWF, where, although the vWF may be produced in normal quantities, fails to perform its tasks effectively. Based on the defect in the von Willebrand Factor, it is mainly classified into types 2A, 2B, 2M and 2N. In type 2A vWD, the vWF platelet binding activity is decreased due to the absence or deficiency of high molecular weight multimers of vWF. There is a sharp fall in the vWF:RCo activity, but not much decrease in vWF:Ag and FVIII:C activity. This is because the vWF is still able to bind to Factor VIII. (Ruggeri ZM, 1980) The high molecular weight multimers are either degraded by proteolytic enzymes in the blood or have not been produced due to mutations in the exons of the vWF gene that code for the A2 and/or the D3 domain. (Schneppenheim R, 2001), (Sutherland JJ, 2004) . Type 2B VWD is characterized by an abnormal increase in the vWF-platelet binding affinity, which leads to depletion of large, functional VWF multimers, and also a fall in platelet numbers (Zimmerman TS, 1986) The platelets circulating in the blood stream are blocked with the mutant vWF, due to which, there is a great difficulty in the formation of the primary hemostatic plug. Thus, thrombocytopenia ensues, along with increased Ristocetin Induced Platelet Aggregation (RIPA) even at low concentrations of Ristocetin. Mutations in the A1 domain are responsible for type 2B vWD (Huizinga EG, 2002). In type 2M vWD the vWF platelet binding activity is reduced. But unlike the type 2A vWD, there is no decrease in the quantities of high molecular weight multimers. This phenomenon is only due to a decreased affinity to the Gp-1b receptors on the platelets (Ginsburg D, 1993), (Schneppenheim R, 2001), (Meyer D, 2001), (Rabinowitz I, 1992) (Mazurier C, 2001). The vWF:Ag, vWF:RCo and FVIII:C activities in types 2A and 2M vWD are similar. They can only be diagnosed based on high resolution gel electrophoresis images. (Meyer D, 2001). Another phenotype of type 2M vWD is the failure of vWF to bind to collagen in the extracellular matrix of the vascular sub-endothelium. vWD type 2N is due to the absence of vWF-Factor VIII binding. This is due to mutations in the D and D3 domains of the vWF protein (Ginsburg D, 1993), (Mazurier C, 2001). The laboratory tests for this type of vWD indicate normal levels for vWF:Ag and vWF:RCo tests, but the FVIII:C activity is only about 10% of normal levels. Acquired von Willebrand Syndrome Acquired von Willebrand Syndrome (AVWS) is type of vWD which is not genetically linked. There are three mechanisms by which it is manifested: Autoimmune reactions against vWF, Increased proteolysis of vWF by a protease ADAMTS13 (A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase with a ThromboSpondin type 1 motif, member 13), or abnormal increase in the binding affinity of vWF to platelets or other cell surface receptors (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007). Diagnosis of vWD The diagnosis of von Willebrand Disease and its sub-type is made based on an initial review of previous health conditions and familial history of bleeding disorders, which is done in the clinic, and then obtaining plasma samples of the patient for laboratory tests.

Write on Topics You are Passionate About :: Teaching Writing Education Essays

Write on Topics You are Passionate About How do I become a better writer? Is it by proofreading and listening to my teachers? Does it come in time? Or should the question be what do I write better about? Do I write better about scientific garbage or idea and topics I can actually relate to. I will go with the latter. I write better about topics I am passionate about. For example, I can write more vividly about cheerleading and soccer than I ever could about evolution. Let us focus on becoming a better writer again. I watch television and go to movies frequently. I occasionally read books. Reasonably, engaging in visual entertainment and reading other authors’ work aid in my writing style. The shows I watch and the books I read are usually about topics I am interested in or passionate about. Specifically, the movie Pleasanteville, the television show Felicity, and two books A Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger and A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean help me to become a better writer. To begin with, Pleasanteville is an interesting movie that can easily be paralleled to the first book of the Bible, Genesis and to the civil rights movement of the 1960’s in the United States. The movie depicts two people bringing "color" to the lives of many. The "color", however, must come from sin. Therefore, the new "coloreds" are banned from the Garden of Eden so to speak. This is also very similar to the colored people being banned from public buildings and events for being different. These two topics, the Bible and civil rights of humans in general are of great interest to me. Hence, I paid attention to detail on how the director presented his ideas to the audience. By learning his techniques and agreeing or disagreeing with them can help me write better by simply applying his work to mine. Additionally, the television show Felicity is a show about college freshman students straight out of high school. The show focuses on relationships and hardships that a college freshman will encounter. Considering the fact that I am technically a college freshman myself, it is only natural that I allow this show to intrigue me. In particular, one episode caught my attention. This episode dealt with the issues of boundaries in a friendship and lightly touched on the issue of date rape.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Life, it is often said, is the greatest mystery. How many times throughout our lives do we pause and ask ourselves: Why are we here? What is our purpose? Or some other infinitely ponderous question. Here and now, as we stand teetering upon a great threshold welcoming us into a whole new realm of independence, is no exception. Tonight the many mysteries of life hang over us, but instead of casting a shadow, they are illuminating our world and setting a glow in our eyes and in our hearts. If you think there is no mystery around you now, I invite you to ask yourself: How did we get here? Can you recall the specifics? When we were full of hope, who shared in our elation? What will we do now? For some, the answer to that last question is simple. Some of us are looking ahead to work or furthering our education and others are looking no farther than this summer or even later tonight. But what about ten years from now? Twenty? All that we do now directly affects every coming second, just as all that we have done in the past has brought us to this point. Along the way there has been roc...