Drug-resistant Organisms Essay Example for Free

Drug-resistant Organisms Essay By the 1960s, the discovery of antibiotic drugs and subsequent advances in their synthesis led to the conquest of most bacterial diseases, at least in developed countries. In the 1969, the Surgeon General of the United States proclaimed that it was time to close the book on infectious diseases (Krasner 29) It indeed seemed so. But today, we confront not only new infectious diseases such as AIDS, but also a resurgence of old diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria that were written off rather prematurely over a generation ago. The old diseases are back with a vengeance, sporting frightening new faces. The same bacteria that almost disappeared are now resistant to penicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin, vancomycin, fluoroquinolones all the weapons that were supposed to have vanquished them. These bacteria have evolved and pose tremendous new challenges, however man and mans technology can also steadily advance to effectively mitigate the emerging bacterial threats – only a vast new impetus to research is needed. Not too long ago, people in the Western countries tended to think of deadly infectious diseases as old-fashioned afflictions that belonged to pre-modern times (or to the present-day Third World). Since the end of the Second World War, classical sexual diseases like syphilis and gonorrhea virtually disappeared in almost all the industrialized countries (Mode, Sleeman 16). The sexual revolution in the 1970s was encouraged by the confidence that sexually transmitted diseases were merely a temporary inconvenience that penicillin could cure. And then there appeared AIDS. As if that is not enough, just when we thought at least our old enemies were gone, to our dismay we find them all staring in our face, more ferociously than ever. E. coli, staphylococci and many other pathogens are evolving in scary ways. The more researchers investigate, the more fast-changing microbes they find. As a result of this evolution, many bacteria are learning to resist more and more of the antibiotics we humans use to fight them. Drugs that have once so effectively countered many deadly are losing their power. Without the help of these once magical drugs, even people who have robust immune systems can be seriously sickened or killed by virulent germs, and people with compromised immune systems face a significant chance of dying. A bacteria can mutate any time it reproduces, and all of that bacterias offspring will bear that mutation. Because bacteria replicate so often, random genetic mutations are common, and some of those mutations create genes that arm bacteria with drug resistance. A change in even just one gene can give a new strain of bacteria the ability to fend off a given antibiotic, maybe even all of the antibiotics in a large class of drugs. Such resistance genes provide bacteria with remarkable defense mechanisms. Resistance can begin in a single person when bacteria are only partially challenged by medication. This can occur when a patient is given too low a dosage of a drug, or stops taking it when he feels better, without completing the full course of treatment. Sometime children spit out half of the medicine they are given because of the taste. These conditions allow a pathogen to develop ways to fend off the chemical warriors. Then its descendents mutate in a way that makes them more capable of surviving higher doses of the same drug. Successive generations, which can occur in a matter of days if not hours, possess an ever-growing ability to beat the medication, ultimately creating pathogens that become completely resistant to the drug. Most antibiotics are broad spectrum, meaning they attack any and all bacteria in the patients body. When a person takes an antibiotic for a staph infection, for example, the drug molecules will kill the invaders but also destroy harmless/helpful bacteria, in a situation of collateral damage. Normally, healthy bacteria occupy most of the places in the stomach and intestines guarding against harmful bacteria percolating into bloodstream. The helpful bacteria also consume a large portion of nutrients available to bacteria, thus keeping the pathogenic bacteria at bay and keeping us from getting sick more often. But after antibiotics have attacked, they become thinned out, leaving the harmful bacteria which may have randomly mutated and acquired drug resistance to be free, feed and multiply. The healthy bacteria will reestablish themselves, but the drug-resistant pathogens will settle among them in greater numbers. And they will have evolved to better resist the same antibiotic when it comes the next time. Moreover, bacteria also develop new traits by exchanging genes with one another. A staphylococcus bacteria one of the most common pathogens could be handed a new resistance gene by a different kind of resistant bacteria that happens to be close by, or by special viruses that infect bacteria and can take genes with them to their next host. Otherwise harmless bacteria inhabiting our gut or skin could become reservoirs of drug-resistance genes, passing them on to visiting pathogens. Most importantly, when an organism becomes resistant to one drug, say penicillin, it is also likely to resist related drugs such as ampicillin and amoxycillin. Finding new molecular structures of this family of drugs cannot provide any long-term advantage, because in a few years the organism will become resistant to the whole family again. An entirely new type of drug, or better, a wholly new approach to combat disease is needed — which, in practical terms, translates to massive research on unprecedented levels. Despite several obvious ominous trends for decades now, only three new classes of antibiotics oxazolidinones, streptogramins, and daptomycin have been developed in the past three decades (Galanter et al., 500). This pace of research is completely inadequate. We now face a near crisis situation. The reappearance of TB and the increase in cases of antibiotic-resistant pneumonia and meningitis leave little room for complacency in the search for new drugs, if we are to continue to enjoy our lives that are relatively free of bacterial infections. Man will be successful, as he has been since the observations of Pasteur, in finding or creating new antibiotics — if he gives his mind a vast new scope to pursue knowledge and discovery in the new millennium. References: Mode, Charles J. , Sleeman, Candace K. â€Å"Stochastic Processes in Epidemiology: HIV/AIDS, Other Infectious Diseases and Computers. † Singapore : World Scientific Publishing Co. , 2000 Galanter, Joshua Mark; Golan, David E. ; Tashjian, Armen H. â€Å"Principles of Pharmacology: The Pathophysiologic Basis of Drug Therapy† Baltimore, MD : Lippincott Williams Wilkins, 2005 Krasner, Robert I. â€Å"The Microbial Challenge: Human Microbe Interactions. † Washington, DC : ASM (American Society for Microbiology) Press, 2002

Jonathan Larson :: essays research papers

Jonathan Larson ~ RENT (February 4, 1960 – January 25, 1996) Composer-lyricist-librettist of RENT, a rock opera inspired by "La Bohà ¨me", Jonathan Larson was born in Mt. Vernon, New York, and raised in suburban White Plains, the second child of Allan and Nanette Larson. Both Jonathan's parents loved music and theatre, and show tunes and folk music were always playing in their home. Jon and his sister Julie took piano lessons during elementary school. He could play by ear, and his teacher encouraged him to experiment with rhythm, harmony, and setting words. By high school, he was called the "Piano Man" after the enormously popular song of that title by Billy Joel; he also played tuba in the school marching band. Active in school and community theatre, Jonathan had major roles in several musicals. In 1978, Jonathan entered the acting conservatory at Adelphi University with a four-year full-tuition merit scholarship. He told an interviewer in 1993 that the program was "an undergrad version of the Yale Rep [the theatre where students of the Yale School of Drama work alongside veteran professionals]. And I was serious enough about theatre to know that this was what I wanted to do." He earned his Equity card doing summer stock and received a BFA with honors in 1982. His favorite part of the Adelphi curriculum was the original political cabarets. With classmates, Larson wrote rock-flavored attacks on the New Christian Right, Reaganomics, and the mind-numbing effects of television. He also scored EL LIBRO DE BUENAMOR (1979) and THE STEAK TARTARE CAPER (1981), musicals with lyrics and libretti by faculty members. He had a knack for pastiche and for complex ensemble numbers that used themes in counterpoint. In class, Jonathan studied the theatre of Bertolt Brecht and Peter Brook. Among his musical influences were JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, the Beatles, Prince, and the Police, but the writer he admired most was Stephen Sondheim, to whom he wrote during his last year in college. The distinguished composer-lyricist answered him and became an adviser to the young songwriter. After graduation, Jonathan moved to Manhattan, went on acting auditions, performed in a nightclub trio, and composed songs for a musical version of Rudyard Kipling's "Jungle Books". In 1982 he adapted George Orwell's "1984" for the musical stage. Deeply affected by the novel, and unflappably confident, he completed book, music, and lyrics, recorded a demo tape, sent a script to director Harold Prince, and wrote to Orwell's estate.

Felons and the Right to Vote

Sara Duran-Campos Professor Gould English 111 December 12, 2012 Convicted Felons Should Not Be Allowed to Vote Many Americans were not allowed to vote these past elections. It wasn’t because they didn’t pay taxes or were mentally incompetent or underage. The reason why they can’t vote is because they are convicted felons. Certain states do not give back the right to vote after Ex-convicted felons have paid their debts or completed their time in jail. Some states have a probation period before the ex-felon is allowed to vote.There are some states that go to the extent to never return the right to vote to felons or ex-felons. The right to vote to felons should be taken away as a form of punishment. After completing their time in jail felons, which now are ex-felons, should have their right to vote restored. A felony is a serious crime usually punishable by imprisonment or death. Felons are people that have been convicted of a crime such as murder, rape, arson, chil d molest, drug offender and burglary. Virginia is one of many states that takes the right to vote away from felons as a form of punishment.Maine allows felons to vote even when they are imprisoned. The act of taking away the right to vote from felons and ex-felons is called Disenfranchisement. People that are in favor of disenfranchisement believe that those convicted of a crime have shown poor judgment therefore, proves them unfit to make good decisions when it comes to elections. Some believe that felon disenfranchisement laws also have a big racial impact because certain percent of population have their right to vote taken away more than others.Rates of incarceration and sentencing for African-Americans are higher than Caucasians, Latinos, and Native Americans. It seems like a good point but voting requires certain minimum standards of and trustworthiness. Those who have committed serious crimes against their fellow citizens do not meet the standards of voting. Discrimination whe n sentencing a felon should not be practice in any court. If there is any proof of discrimination the government should that addressed too. Any citizen that does not want their right to vote taken away should not commit a crime.Voting is and should be a privilege for everyone without discrimination. Voting should not be allowed in prison. Felons are in prison because have not paid their debt yet. They are in the process of doing that. Felons have lost their right of freedom and other civil rights after committing a crime. The right of voting should also be taken away as a form or punishment. The right to vote should be withheld and return after release from prison. Those that support felons right to vote believe that a felon’s debt to society is their time behind bars. They don’t believe that felons should lose their right to vote.Section 5: Felons should pay Their debt * (Use your evidence to support it) * Comment on how you feel (Don’t use I feel, just say it) about this information in relation to the overall message. * Another point to support what was said in the beginning of the paragraph * Evidence * Comment on this as well * Transition * Section 6: Felons Should Have a Restoration of Vote * The Argument of felons and their right to vote is very important in the United States because many Americans were not allowed to vote this past elections due to being an ex-felon. Comment on how you feel (Don’t use I feel, just say it) about this information in relation to the overall message. * a study suggesting that former offenders who vote are less likely to return to jail. Evidence * Thirty-five states prohibit at least some people from voting after they have been released from prisonTransition * Section 7: Conclusion * Restate thesis * Reiterate your major points * Therefore, it is evident * Strong ending. Works Cited Browne, Sharon, and Roger Clegg. â€Å"Felons Have Lost Their Right to Vote. † Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2010. Web. 01 Dec. 2012.

Obesity Among Us - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 513 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/03/22 Category Health Essay Level High school Tags: Obesity Essay Obesity in America Essay Did you like this example? Over the course of forty-two years analyzation and statistical models were used to gather and provide results from one hundred and twenty-eight point nine million individuals across one-hundred eighty-nine countries to show three levels of weight from underweight, obesity, and mean BMI. Amongst these levels there are subcategories, these categories include but are not limited to three groups of ages, gender, and geographical areas. These subcategories are essential when it comes to the statistical data in the view of the fact that the obesity epidemic is different in children than amongst adults. Children from five to nineteen years of age, twenty years of age, and the remainder of adult ages were analyzed during this study. Children have easy access to a multitude of fast food which makes ensuring organic food being processed amongst children essential. The three main components that are being an increasing problem for children with a high BMI are type two diabetes, negative psychological effects, and lower chances of being academically successful. The Sustainable Development Goals which cover nutrition, health coverage, and a multitude of other concepts. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Obesity Among Us" essay for you Create order BMI has continuously increased in every country since 1975 to 2016 in both adults and adolescence. Europe stayed the most consistent when it comes to BMI for both adults and children. It was avow that self-reports were not granted. This would have been worrisome for certain geographical regions who strive for their individuals to look a particular part when it comes to sex, and even age. Statistical models were generally used when acquiring these statistics, as well displaying the findings. Figure three stated the three levels of weight are underweight, obesity, and mean BMI along with how each country corresponds to each category. North American region BMI in both men and women were significantly higher than other countries, thus confirming the saying we are the the fattest country. While the country with the lowest number of individuals who are significantly underweight is also North America. The Middle East as well as Africa, correlate positively with the highest population of underweight individuals. The Monte Carlo algorithm was used to visualizes the data. This stated the mean of the BMI for both boys and girls in 1975 and then again in 2016. You can see a substantial difference when you examine the figure. Part of the statistics that was the biggest shock was that womens BMI from 1975 to 2016 increased more than the males BMI. However, one part that they failed to put into perspective when it comes to women is the miracle that is child birth. While yes, everyones metabolism changes, womens bodies change due to having child as well not just from outside factors. When measuring BMI, it is only be fair to add women who have not bared a child, then women who have not bared a child, then the mens BMI. The first groups they test for this experiment could have not bared any children at all, and the group from 2016 could have bared six children each. This variable can skew the data significantly and give a false conclusion, thus it should be put into perspective.