Friends Can Bring You Down free essay sample

â€Å"I believe that friends can bring you down, just as much as you hoped they wouldn’t.† I’m almost a 15 year old teenage girl just wanting to be able to make old things better and throw all the feelings away like they don’t matter. It’s been a while now since me and my three other BFF’S (best friends forever) have talked, walking by myself around in the halls and seeing them still together, laughing and not caring that I’m falling apart, tears me down even more than just a little argument that was over in less than five minutes. While sitting at lunch or just floating around all the rumors going on and having the automatic thought â€Å"It’s them†. I don’t understand why if they told me they would always be there when I’m falling apart or need a shoulder to cry on, when they haven’t ever before. We will write a custom essay sample on Friends Can Bring You Down or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page â€Å"Wouldn’t that make you wonder?† knowing the fact that I’m alone and having to move on is also hard to keep my focus. I remember staying the night having slumber party’s was the only thing we all wanted to do every weekend, all niters laughing as hard as we could at nothing. But all I have now is just memories, memories that I think they all forgot about, just like they forgot about me or that I’m still even here. All I have left to do is move on, and not feel sorry anymore there are two other girls Emily (Bonita) and Brittany (Bonita Blonde) that I still have and can have fun with!!! Instead of letting friends bring me down. There’s still a future I believe that I have and I don’t need to sit in my room all the time just to let them feel they have all the power over me. So moving on and finding a way to get over the fact of them not around is gonna take some guts, but I can do it. I think the first thing I’ll try to do is apologize for whatever I did to get it off my chest and let them know how I’m feeling. Cause if you’re like me and you thing you’ve got a good friendship think again or look out because â€Å"friends can bring you down just as much as you hoped they wouldn’t and that’s what I truly believe.†

Scapegoat, Scapegoating, and Scapegoat Theory

Scapegoat, Scapegoating, and Scapegoat Theory Scapegoating refers to a process by which a person or group is unfairly blamed for something that they didnt do and, as a result, the real source of the problem is either never seen or purposefully ignored. Sociologists have documented that scapegoating often occurs between groups when a society is plagued by long-term economic problems or when resources are scarce. Scapegoat theory is used in sociology and psychology as one way to intercept conflict and prejudice between individuals and groups. Origins of the Term The term scapegoat has Biblical origins, coming from the Book of Leviticus. In the book, a goat was sent into the desert carrying the sins of the community. So, a scapegoat was originally understood as a person or animal that symbolically absorbed the sins of others and carried them away from those who committed them. Scapegoats and Scapegoating in Sociology Sociologists recognize four different ways in which scapegoating takes place and scapegoats are created. Scapegoating can be a one-on-one phenomenon, in which one person blames another for something he/she or someone else did. This form of scapegoating is common among children, who blame a sibling or a friend for something they did, to avoid the shame of disappointing their parents and the punishment that might follow a misdeed.Scapegoating also occurs in a one-on-group manner, when one person blames a group for a problem they did not cause: wars, deaths, financial losses of one kind or another, and other personal struggles. This form of scapegoating may sometimes be unfairly blamed on racial, ethnic, religious, class, or anti-immigrant biases.Sometimes scapegoating takes a group-on-one form, when a group of people singles out and blames one person for a problem. For example, when the members of a sports team blame a player who made a mistake for the loss of a match, though other aspects of play also affected the outcome. Or, when someone who alleges an assault is then scapegoated by me mbers of the community for causing trouble or ruining the life of the attacker. Finally, and of most interest to sociologists, is the form of scapegoating that is group-on-group. This occurs when one group blames another for problems that the groups collectively experience, which might be economic or political in nature- like blaming a particular party for the Great Depression (1929-1939) or the Great Recession (2007-2009). This form of scapegoating often manifests across lines of race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin. The Scapegoat Theory of Intergroup Conflict Scapegoating of one group by another has been used throughout history, and still today, as a way to incorrectly explain why certain social, economic, or political problems exist and harm the group doing the scapegoating. Some sociologists say that their research shows that groups that scapegoat occupy a low socio-economic status in society and have little access to wealth and power. They say these people are often experiencing prolonged economic insecurity or poverty, and come to adopt shared outlooks and beliefs that have been documented to lead to prejudice and violence. Sociologists who embrace socialism as a political and economic theory argue that those in a low socioeconomic status are naturally inclined to scapegoat due to the unequal distribution of resources within the society. These sociologists place blame on capitalism as an economic model and exploitation of workers by a wealthy minority. However, these are not the viewpoints of all sociologists. As with any science involving theories, study, research, and conclusions- its not an exact science, and therefore there will be a variety of viewpoints.

Social Phenomena Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Social Phenomena - Essay Example Each of these views relies upon more or less legitimate arguments and evidence, but neither of them is flawless. Functionalist perspective still remains arguably the most influential tool for understanding the phenomenon of deviant behavior. Since the term 'deviant behavior' is rather broad, only two types of social deviance will be closely analyzed within this project: crime and suicide. Functionalist explanation of the causes and social outcomes of these types can lead us to understanding of functionalist perspective on deviant behavior in general. Emile Durkheim, the famous French sociologist of the 19th - 20th century, was probably the first scholar to adopt the logic of the functional approach studying the phenomenon of deviant behavior. Thus, Durkheim claimed, "When . . . the explanation of a social phenomenon is undertaken, we must seek separately the efficient cause which produces it and the function it fulfills. We must determine whether there is a correspondence between the fact under consideration and the general needs of the social organism, and in what this correspondence consists" (Durkheim, 1930 in Coser, 1977: 143). Ut Utilizing these principles Durkheim focused on the way a society stimulates individuals demonstrate deviant behavior than on individual characteristics of those whom demonstrate such behavior, though majority of sociologists of those days viewed crime, suicide, and other forms of social deviance as an outcome of inborn psychological characteristics of the individual. Durkheim considered such approach flawed. Instead, the scholar argued that deviance in general and crime in particular was by no means abnormal or dangerous for the society: "Crime is normal, an inevitable and necessary part of every society [although] it may take abnormal forms, such as when the crime rate is unusually high (Durkheim, 1961: 872). Durkheim's views on another form of deviance - suicide - were absolutely the same. "La Suicide" was the third major work of Emile Durkheim. This book was the first sociological research that established the traceable empiric connection between the phenomenon of individual suicide and social environment, and defined certain social functions of suicide. In the end of the 19th century suicide or self-destruction was considered a form of deviant behaviour that occurred in insane individuals. Durkheim challenged this traditional standpoint that suicide was an unpreventable pathology. Instead, he provided " a sociological explanation for a phenomenon traditionally regarded as exclusively psychological and individualistic" (Thompson, 1982: 109). In fact, Durkheim formulated the founding principles of functionalist perspective on deviance precisely in his study of suicide. Even today, despite abundance of recent studies, Durkheim's work remains the most significant sociological analysis of s uicide in modern societies. Suicide is a complex phenomenon that can be caused by numerous factors. Many reasons both individual and social have been demonstrated to have certain correlation with self-destructive

Curriculum as process Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Curriculum as process - Assignment Example The main goal of this transformation was to help students understand democracy and all that it encompasses (Freedman, 2003). Furthermore, it would enable them to appreciate the unity in cultural diversity. Several methods can be used to develop and sustain a democratic curriculum. These include; teaching about conflicts and discussion of issues in open forums by students whereby interests of all individuals should be considered. It is also good to conceptualize curriculum as one process that is concerned with learning in classrooms and outside classroom. Sometimes, schools concentrate on learning in classroom ignoring co-curricular activities. This undermines art work, music and public speaking skills in students. A good curriculum is transparent and it values interactions out of school (Freedman, 2003). In this way, it leads to developing new knowledge and improving existing knowledge. It values diversity of teaching methods and flexibility of teachers. Teachers are able to use objects, drawings, videos, nature walks, park visits and photographs to teach instead of using course books only. Five questions that can be used for discussion of the chapter are; what is the importance of a democratic curriculum? Is it important to teach cultural diversity? What are the pertinent issues surrounding visual culture? Who enhances knowledge construction among students? Should students be involved in designing

Plasmid Retention and Bacteria Growth in E Coli

Plasmid Retention and Bacteria Growth in E Coli The increasing interest by the industry in recombinant protein production has caused an intensive study in this area during the last years. However, it is well known that there are a number of issues associated with the high expression of a recombinant protein. E. coli is one of the most used organisms for this purpose. In this organism, the most common and challenging problem is the formation of inclusion bodies. Probably, an incorrect folding process provokes that the recombinant protein forms those structures. When the protein forms inclusion bodies, it is insoluble and usually useless. In order to find a proper protocol for the high production of the protein S, we have assessed the expression system which use the BL21*DE3 strain as host and the pCV05 plasmid which contains the protein S sequence fused with the His tag sequence. Growth rate, plasmid loss and recombinant expression level were assessed. We obtained a reasonable production of target protein in the insoluble fraction. Further research is needed to know whether the processing of the His tag is able to make soluble the protein from the inclusion bodies as is described by other researchers. Introduction The increasing interest by the industry in recombinant protein production (RPP), due to the number of applications it can provide, has caused an intensive study in this area in order to improve its protocols. Thus, an improvement would make possible an increment in the target protein yield and the quality production as well as to establish more efficient host and plasmid for each target protein . The most common hosts utilized in RPP are bacteria because of the capacity that they have to express almost any gen and the relative facility to modify and use their plasmids in order to produce the target protein . However, it is widely known the number of problems that these hosts have when they produce a high amount of recombinant protein. Firstly, a frequent problem is the appearance of inclusion bodies which hinder a correct recovery of the target protein produced . Secondly, the host lysis event is the other common problem in RPP in bacteria. This undesirable happening in the production of recombinant proteins can be produced for several reasons. One of them is the high level synthesis of the mRNA and the target protein . Other reasons described are the accumulation of fragments of the recombinant protein because of the proteolysis . Finally, the main cause of the problems related to RPP is the accumulation of incorrectly folded intermediates of the recombinant protein. In E. coli this fact implies general stress responses . In order to find a proper protocol for the protein S (PS) production in E. coli and know more about the RPP process, we conducted an experiment testing post-induction bacteria growth, production of target protein and plasmid retention. In this experiment the E. coli strain BL21*DE3 transformed with the plasmid pCV05 was used to express the PS fused with a C-terminal His tag (6xHis). Materials and Methods The E. coli strain BL21*DE3 transformed with the plasmid pCV05 (a derivative of pET21a plasmid) was utilized to conduct the experiment. This plasmid carries in its sequence the gene of PS fused with a C-terminal extra sequence which encodes a His tag (predicted molecular weight 60 KDa). A flask with 25 mL LB (10 g L-1 tryptone, 5 g L-1 yeast extract, 5 g L-1 NaCl) supplemented with 0.1 g L-1 carbenicillin was inoculated with a single colony of E. coli. Subsequently, this flask was incubated during 7 hours (25 °C). The next step was to inoculate the 2.5-L fermenter (ΑG CH-4103 Bottmingen ®), which contained 2 L LB supplemented with 0.5% (w/v) glucose and 0.1 g L-1 carbenicillin, with 25 mL from the flask previously inoculated and incubated during 8 hours (25 °C). Immediately before inoculate the fermenter, a sample was taken in order to use it as a blank to measure the OD650nm of the following samples. The culture was grown at 25 °C until an OD650 nm of nearly 0.6 when it was added the inducer of recombinant protein expression (IPTG). The culture was supplemented with 100  µM IPTG. After this step, the culture was grown at 25 °C during 8 hours. The pH was controlled at 7 adding 5% (v/v) HCl and 1 M NH3, and 0.03% (v/v) final concentration of silicone antifoam was added in the fermenter due to prevent foaming during the last hours of the fermentation. During that period of 8 hours, the culture was fed and samples were taken at various times. One sample was picked just before the induction (0h) and the other samples were collected at 1h, 3h, 4h, 5h, 6h and 7h after the induction in order to check the bacteria growth. Besides, a pellet of bacteria was obtained from those samples collected to check the amount of target protein by a 15% SDS-PAGE gel subsequently stained with 0.2% (w/v) Coomassie Blue using the NEB Prestained Protein Marker, Broad Range (7-175 KDa) ® as a marker. In addition, BugBuster Protein Extraction Reagent ® protocol was cond ucted for additional 0h, 3h, 4h and 8h samples due to separate the insoluble and the soluble protein fractions from the bacteria and assess them by SDS-PAGE as described above. On the other hand, 0h, 3h and 7h samples were plated onto non selective nutrient agar (NA) and later replicated onto NA supplemented with 0.1 g L-1 carbenicillin in order to assess the plasmid retention of the bacteria. Results Inducer effect in Bacteria growth It was conducted a measurement of OD650 nm of the culture during the 8h-period of growth. In order to conduct that assessment, samples were collected immediately before the induction (0h) and 1h, 3h, 4h, 5h, 6h, 7h after the induction with IPTG. After the IPTG induction the culture grew slowly until time 3h. After that time, the growth rate was increased significantly until time 5h. However, at this time the culture presented a decrease in growth until time 7h. The growth dropped specially between time 5h and 6h (Fig. 1). Plasmid retention To assess how the E. coli strain BL21*DE3 retains the pCV05 plasmid after the IPTG induction, samples from the fermenter were collected at time 0h, 3h and 7h post-induction. Serial dilutions of these samples were plated onto non selective NA and subsequently replicated onto NA supplemented with carbenicillin. The relation between the colonies grown on NA plates and the colonies grown in NA supplemented with carbenicillin give the % of plasmid retention. The plasmid retention was hardly altered during the period of 7 hours post-induction assessed. Unexpectedly, according to the results obtained, the plasmid retention 3 hours after the induction is higher than the rate at time 0h. Regarding the time 7h, the plasmid retention percentage is much lower than in time 0h and 3h (Fig. 2). Target protein yield In order to compare the target protein yield during the growth of the culture, samples were collected immediately before the induction (0h) and different times post-induction (1h, 2h, 3h, 4h and 5h). In addition, insoluble and soluble fractions for time 0h, 3h, 4h and 8h were obtained in order to know if the target protein was correctly folded (protein in soluble fraction) or incorrectly folded (insoluble fraction). These samples were assessed in a SDS-PAGE gel. According to the SDS-PAGE profiles, although the PS::His band should be around 60 KDa, in this experiment the target band seems to be below the expected weight (Fig. 3). Regarding the total protein assessment, this band shows a gradual increase in its intensity from time 3h to time 5h post-induction. However, at time 0h, 1h, 2h after induction there was not significant production of the recombinant protein (Fig. 3a). As for the soluble and insoluble fraction samples, the SDS-PAGE analysis revealed a higher intensity of the target protein band in the insoluble fraction than in the soluble fraction of the times 8h, 4h and 3h. At those times, the intensity of the recombinant protein band for insoluble fraction samples is almost impossible to appreciate. The same occurs for the soluble and insoluble fraction samples at time 0h (Fig. 3b). Overall, according to the results of the SDS-PAGE profiles, there was a significant recombinant protein production since the time 3h after the induction with IPTG. On the other hand, it seems to be that there was not a proper target protein folding because the recombinant protein could be found in the insoluble fraction rather than in the soluble fraction. Discussion The main cause of an incorrect folding of the recombinant protein when a high yield is conducted is well known. The accumulation of misfolded protein intermediates causes considerable stress in the host cell . A wide range of different strategies have been conducted in order to solve this problem . It has been described that the use of IPTG-inducible T7 RNA polymerase system in the BL21 strain to produce high concentrations of recombinant protein usually implies a high level of post-induction stress . The solution proposed by some researchers is select mutants which have lower expression rates of the recombinant protein . Other researchers have opted for limiting the concentration of inducer used . Nowadays, the establishment of general protocols and host for the different target proteins is still a challenge. In this experiment, we have assessed the capacity of the E. coli strain BL21*DE3 to produce a high amount of PS fused with a C-terminal His tag as well as the bacteria growth during the process and the plasmid retention. According to the first part of the results, the bacteria growth rate changed during the 7 hours of fermentation. It is described that the high amount of recombinant protein in the cell causes stress response. This stress response implies that the growth rate of the culture turned into a negative rate (the number of cells in the culture decreases) . The data collected from other groups conducting the same experiment shows that this event has happened in 2 groups but the other 3 groups have a different growth pattern (Fig. 4). Technical issues may explain this incongruity between the different results obtained. Regarding the plasmid retention, the data obtained in this experiment suggest that because of the stress suffered by the cells when the recombinant protein levels are higher, the cells tend to have a lower rate of plasmid retention. An explanation may be that the bacteria with the plasmid suffer a higher stress due to the induction by the IPTG, and thus, they have less chance to survive than the bacteria which accidentally do not have the plasmid. Therefore, the bacteria suffer a selective pressure which results in a plasmid loss and it is more obvious after several hours of growth. Analyzing the data obtained by other colleagues, it is supported that there is a relation between the time after the induction and the plasmid retention rates (Table 1). As for the PS::His yield, the data shows that in the BL21*DE3 strain using pCV05 as a plasmid and with the conditions described before, this expression system needs 3 hours to start expressing the recombinant protein. After that time, it seems that the most part of the target protein is in the insoluble fraction. Regarding the total protein samples assessment, the relative amount of target protein produced by the cultures of the all groups was the same (Table 2). However, the recombinant protein is still in the insoluble fraction after the BugBuster Protein Extraction Reagent protocol. Probably, some of the proteins from the insoluble fraction were forming inclusion bodies . It is described that after the expression of the protein removing the His tag makes the recombinant protein more soluble and thus, it is possible to dissolve the inclusion bodies and recover a functional recombinant protein . Furthermore, the His tag allows an easier purification of the protein due to the affinit y of this polypeptide for metal ions . In order to confirm those statements for PS, it would be necessary to conduct purification and a proteolysis process of the His tag in order to assess whether the efficiency of this expression system is cost-effective and the amount of protein obtained is enough. The conclusion of these data is that this expression system for the PS yield could be a good and profitable system whether the His tag added finally allows to recover the recombinant protein from the inclusion bodies. Acknowledgements We are grateful to Dr Claire Vine, Dr Ian Cadby and Dr Jeff Cole for the excellent support given as well as the rest of the groups which conducted the same experiment because they have contributed to the experiment with very valuable data.

Biography of Charles Cromwell :: English Civil War Generals Military Essays

Biography of Charles Cromwell As a general on the parliamentary side of the English Civil War vs. Charles I, Cromwell helped bring about the overthrow of the Stuart monarchy, and he raised his country's status to that of a leading European power since the death of Queen Elizabeth I. Being a man with strong character made him one of the most remarkable rulers in modern European history. Although he was a convinced Calvinist he believed deeply in the value of religious toleration. Cromwell's victories at home and abroad helped to vitalize a Puritan attitude of mind, in Great Britain and in North America, which has continued to influence political and social life until recent times. (Gaunt, 1996) Cromwell, the only son of Robert Cromwell and Elizabeth Steward was born in Huntingdon, England in 1599. His father, who was active in local affairs, had been a member of one of Queen Elizabeth's parliaments. Robert Cromwell died when his son was 18, but his widow lived to the age of 89. Oliver went to the local grammar school and then for a year attended Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. After his father died he left Cambridge to go care for his mother and sisters but it is believed that he studies at Lincoln's Inn in London, where gentlemen could acquire a smattering of law. In 1620 he married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir James Bourchier, a merchant in London. They had five sons and four daughters. (Kathe, 1984) Both his father and mother were Protestants who had profited from the destruction of the monasteries during the reign of King Henry VIII, and they probably influenced their son in his religious upbringing. Both his schoolmaster in Huntingdon and the Master of Sidney Sussex College were enthusiastic Calvinists and strongly anti-Catholic. In his youth Cromwell was not very studious, since he enjoyed outdoor sports, such as hunting; but he was an avid reader of the Bible, and he admired Sir Walter Raleigh's The History of the World. Cromwell learned that the sins of man could be punished on earth but that God, through His Holy Spirit, could guide the elect into the paths of righteousness. (Kathe, 1984) In the early parts of his married life Cromwell, like his father, was quite conscious of his responsibilities to his fellow men and concerned himself with affairs in his native fenlands, but at the same time he had a spiritual and psychological struggle which confused him and damaged his health.

Ellis Island Immigration Essay

Family came, Haiti origin, along with 15 year old daughter for crises counseling and to file a petition. The daughter lived in United States since she was 5 years old. She also had siblings who are way older then she is, who were brought up back in Haiti. Parents complain that she is disobedient and they wanted to put her in jail. What they called disobedient is her refusing to take earrings off, because in their culture females are not allowed to use anything that might make them look attractive (at least that’s what they say). Parents are culture orientated and very traditional people. I talked to girl alone for long time, she felt misunderstood on so many levels. Nothing was wrong with her psychologically, and there was no need for psychiatric evaluation at all. She seemed very smart young female, who is also a typical teenager and her parents had hard time dealing with that. She want it make up, go to movies, and her parents didn’t like it. She skipped school from time to time, but nothing serious so there was no need to file petition for truancy. Both me, and psychologist I worked with had counseling with her parents. They kept telling us â€Å"other children were never like this,† so I tried to explain them that other children were raised in a different environment and off course they are going to act differently. I also told them I cannot file a petition because 15 year old has earrings on. It was a tough one, and we knew it would take time to change perspective of her parents. This is why Ellis Island immigration is so significant to me. Being labeled â€Å"insane† for something that is totally acceptable in own culture is pure injustice. Ellis Island is the place where everything started, and this occurs when people begun to be seen as the same but in fact, different. We all may have been equal, but have different values and beliefs and this has to be seen by everybody, especially professionals in such field. References Cohen, R. , & Swerdlik, M. (2005). Psychological Testing and Assessment: An Introduction to Tests and Measurement (6th ed. ). , : The McGraw-Hill Companies. Ellis Island http://sydaby. eget. net/swe/ellis_island. htm Ellis Island www. history. com