Abstract The paper analyzes the article "Small-Molecule MDM2 Antagonists Reveal Aberrant p53 Signaling in Cancer: Implications for Therapy" and explains the conclusions reached by the authors. The paper is of the opinion that the conclusions may have been slightly optimistic. The paper outlines the method used by the study discussed in the article and notes several limitations of the study.
Outline:
Summary
Method
From the Paper "The main focus of the article is around the protein murine double minute 2 (MDM2). MDM2 is a negative regulator of the p53 tumour suppressor protein. This is done through three mechanisms. Firstly, MDM2 binds at the p53 transactivation site and blocks its activation of transcription initiation [1]. Secondly, it participates in the nuclear export of p53 [1]. Thirdly, it serves as a ubiquitin ligase, promoting the degradation of p53. When p53 is activated, it can bring a halt upon the cell cycle and cause apoptosis [1]. This is very important as p53 acts as a transcription factor, the inactivation of which halts cellular apoptosis. In approximately half of all tumours that are malignant, p53 is perminantly disabled or deleted. However, in the other 50% of mutated cells, p53 simply remains inactive the misexpression of MDM2, which interferes with the proper functions of p53 [1]. So the object of the article is that disruption or inhibition of the MDM2-p53 interaction may correct p53 functioning and serve as a form of cancer therapy, such as suppression of tumour growth. Subsequently the problem that the authors tackle with is how to inhibit the actions of MDM2."
Abstract This paper discusses the problems with the electoral college system of voting and proposes a change in the system which would prevent such aberrations as the 2000 presidential election in America from reoccurring The paper looks at the original intent of the framers of the Constitution and how the system has changed over time, as well as the way it works today.
From the Paper "?One man, one vote" may be a familiar democratic motto, but it hardly applies to American Presidential elections. The Electoral College system makes it possible for a candidate receiving fewer popular votes to triumph and actually win the presidency. It was originally designed to provide protection to less populous states in the union whose tallies in the popular vote would always be proportionally small. To many modern Americans, though, this system, however well intended, seems to have produced some bizarre distortions. The claustrophobically close 2000 Presidential election between Al Gore and George W. Bush has revived the intermittent, long-running dispute over the validity of the Electoral College, refueling the debate about whether or not to maintain it. Valid or not, a change in the way the electoral count is conducted would resolve problems such as the ones which arose in the 2000 presidential election. My own position, which is neither for nor against the Electoral College as such, proposes a change in the system, which can resolve anomalies such as the 2000 presidential election."
Tags: vote, polls, constitution, candidate, congress, government, president
The following paper discusses Christopher R. Browning's "Ordinary Men Reserve Police Battalion 101" and "The Final Solution in Poland" with reference to the War Against Terror.
1,520 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 0 sources, 2003, $ 50.95
Abstract This paper supports Browning's thesis that the despicable behavior of Hitler and his allies towards another race, as seen in World War II, is no aberration but is rather entirely possible and even probable in other places and times. The writer makes reference to Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban comparing the organization to a totalitarian regime.
From the paper:
?Drawing extensively on primary source material, including transcripts of investigations and war crime trials, Browning asks how "ordinary men" could have carried out the horrific acts that are described in his book in such detail. His answer is disturbing, because he avoids facile generalizations that would provide a comfortable psychological distance between "us" and ?them.?
The following paper discusses Christopher R. Browning's "Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101" and the "Final Solution in Poland" with reference to the "War Against Terror".
1,910 words (approx. 7.6 pages), 0 sources, 2001, $ 60.95
Abstract This paper supports Browning's thesis that the despicable behavior of Hitler and his allies towards another race, as seen in World War II, is no aberration, but is rather entirely possible and even probable in other places and times. The writer makes reference to Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban comparing the organization to a totalitarian regime.
From the Paper ?Drawing extensively on primary source material, including transcripts of investigations and war crime trials, Browning asks how "ordinary men" could have carried out the horrific acts that are described in his book in such detail. His answer is disturbing, because he avoids facile generalizations that would provide a comfortable psychological distance between "us" and ?them.?
Abstract This paper begins with a discussion of the origins of the term "homosexual". It continues with an outline of beliefs about homosexuals through the ages, and the development of theories of homosexuality through modern times.
From the Paper "Although homosexual practices might have begun in the early centuries, the word "sodomy" was first used by a Catholic missionary, now a saint, Father Peter Damien around 1050. By sodomy, he meant masturbation and anal intercourse between men, a sin he condemned as the most perverse of sexual sins in his long letter to the Pope, entitled ?the Book of Gomorrah.? He emphasized that God designed sex exclusively for procreation and that the enjoyment of the sexual act outside this divine purpose was unnatural and therefore summarily grievously and wickedly sinful."
Abstract This research will examine the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692 in Massachusetts Bay Colony and set forth evidence from contemporaneous sources that they were politically motivated.
It is a commonplace of prerevolution American history that the Salem witch trials and executions of 1692 were an aberration of the general tendency toward shaping society in line with ideas of personal and political liberty. But that line of thought ignores the complexities of creating a new civil society in the wilderness.
From the Paper "This research will examine the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692 in Massachusetts Bay Colony and set forth evidence from contemporaneous sources that they were politically motivated.
It is a commonplace of prerevolution American history that the Salem witch trials and executions of 1692 were an aberration of the general tendency toward shaping society in line with ideas of personal and political liberty. But that line of thought ignores the complexities of creating a new civil society in the wilderness. Further, it ignores the fact that those who built that society, namely Massachusetts Bay, were amalgams of their personal and group history in England. As matters turned out, by 1792 Massachusetts had achieved a political reputation associated with political radicalism and a progressive, liberal republican government. However, the evidence of the Salem trials and..."
Abstract The paper shows that among the various arguments that are in support of Capital Punishment, the statement that it offers a permanent method of removing a violent criminal from society is one that can be clearly demonstrated. The paper disusses how in some situations, the criminal mind has been seen to be so devious that the criminal manages to either escape or to elude capture long enough to become a serial murderer, thus becoming a threat to society in general. The Bill of Rights, or Amendments to the United States Constitution establishes the penalty guidelines for serious crime, and permits the ultimate penalty under the Due Process clause. The paper shows that when the criminal mind of a murderer becomes so aberrant that death becomes a way of life, society must use its ultimate, legal method of protecting itself from the person who has proven himself to be a walking threat. The paper focuses on the case of serial killer, Theodore Bundy.
From the Paper "Perhaps one of the most extreme and notorious examples of a criminal mind that committed horrendous crimes against the citizens of the United States was the elusive serial murderer, Theodore Bundy. Described by those who knew him as bright if not brilliant, self-confident and charming, Bundy was an example of how a clever but deranged individual can move easily within a society, carefully selecting their unsuspecting victims at will. Due to the degree of antisocial depravity that was the driving force behind Bundy, the savagery of his crimes against young women was particularly violent."
Abstract This paper explores and compares the multiferous interpretations of two movies "Blade Runner" (1982) and "Brave New World" (1994). The paper shows how the contexts of the two movies are markedly different -"Blade Runner" exists in a context in which there is a growing support for libertarianism, influencing the increase in environmentalism, both of which detect the intended environmental and anti? authoritarian didactic of the texts, while "Brave New World" creates an aberration of the original intent, complicated by the mutating religious values of society.
From the Paper "The final scene of Brave New World disseminates Huxley's opinion that the suppression of human nature will ultimately lead to one's demise, a message which is especially prominent to the libertarians. Libertarian is a term to describe those who revile the concept of suppression and as such a message of freedom would be interpreted. The suppression of one's human nature creates a spiral of depression which will result in the obliteration of oneself. The savage attempted to suppress his feelings for Lenina, yet ultimately failed in his attempt. The savage had been taught, conditioned by his society that lust as with "every evil inclination has to place itself under such great restraint, don so many masks, lay itself so often on the procrustean bed of virtue" (Nietzsche), his feelings for Lenina were perceived to be evil, being contrary to the teachings of, in this case, the bible. The contradiction of his feelings and his teachings led to confusion as to the correct course of action, confusion which led to the complete suppression of emotions. The suppression of his emotions resulted in a decent into a self? destructive spiral, beginning with the use of self? punishment as a source of redemption, an act which brought him great pleasure, developing masochist instincts. The savage ultimately commits suicide, hanging himself in the tower, unable to repress his desires. The tower is a symbol of the self? destructive spiral, the concentric circles of the tower leading to the death of The savage. The suppression of human desires ultimately leads to one's demise as one enters a self? destructive spiral, until one destructs. Within Blade Runner there is an overt condemnation of oppression and suppression within the conclusion."
Abstract This paper discusses how, although tradition has often held that homosexuality was an aberration, something to be feared and shunned, times are changing. It looks at how gay culture has become increasingly more visible and considered more valid due to high profile individuals, movements, and trends made accessible through various types of media. It shows how the ever-visible presence of homosexuality is challenging traditional views, changing what society considers an acceptable lifestyle and how these societal alterations are observed in the media, the church, government, and economics in a time when gay culture has become an integral part of pop culture and mass society, in general.
From the Paper "There seems to be a need for token homosexual character on all sit-coms currently on the air. This incessant need for a gay presence may be to prove that the show is, in a sense, current and cool. Greenman (1998) outlines the chronology of gay appearance in television. The first major gay character on television appeared in the seventies, when Billy Crystal played the character Jodie Dallas on the program ?Soap.? However, the presence of his character on the show was only due to the fact that his homosexuality was seen as a problem. The eighties saw attempts of legitimacy for gay characters on television, which often did not succeed. AIDS became a prominent health threat for the gay populace, and homosexually then took a turn towards drama on television."
Abstract This paper positively reviews this non-fictional account of a boy raised as a girl after his parents were advised to do so by a medical doctor. The paper summarizes the life story of the child as reported in the book and talks about the book's successful treatment of issues regarding scientific arrogance within the medical treatment, sexuality, and gender identity.
From the Paper "We tend to think about sexuality as being about biology (as, of course, in some rather obvious ways it is) and not go beyond the physical mechanics of sex when we are thinking about what it means to be a sexual being. But sexuality is perhaps as much about cultural mores and habits as it is about genetics, as John Colapinto's As Nature Made Him : The Boy Who Was Raised As a Girl (HarperCollins, 2000) examines. The book is a well written, thoughtful analysis of how individuals come to see themselves as possessed of sexual identities, and the process through which each individual learns to negotiate his or her identity as an amalgam of personal and social desires. The book is at its heart an impassioned story of how sexuality and sexual identity are at the very core of who each person comes to be as an adult, and how sexuality must be understood to be a fundamental and pervasive aspect of our sense of ourselves, not just what it is we do in bed."
This paper argues that in this modern society everyone has the right to die with dignity instead of being made to suffer indefinitely at the end of lives only because of the misplaced moral beliefs of others.
Abstract This paper explains that, while modern technology and advances in medical science have succeeded in alleviating suffering for mankind to a large extent, they also have made it possible for prolonging the agony and suffering of terminally-ill people. The author points out that the major arguments against euthanasia are unsustainable. The paper stresses that taking away the right of terminally-ill people to make a decision about dying with dignity is an aberration in any compassionate modern day society.
Table of Contents
Different Kinds of Euthanasia
The Ethical and Legal Considerations
The Arguments against Euthanasia and their Rebuttal
Conclusion
From the Paper "Another argument against euthanasia is that once we permit any form of euthanasia, it would put us on a "moral slippery slope" leading to targeting of vulnerable groups of people and euthanasia would be used as a "cost cutting solution" by putting elderly and 'non-productive' people to death. Such alleged psychological inevitability of moving from voluntary to non-voluntary euthanasia is not supported by credible evidence. The example of Hitler's Germany is irrelevant because what the Nazis practiced was eugenics and terming it as euthanasia is a misnomer. Evidence from the Netherlands (where euthanasia is legal) is more relevant and serious studies on the subject reveal that there has been no slide on the "slippery slope" there."
Abstract This essay offers a nuanced historical account and explanation of why the Jewish dietary rule came to insist on the prohibition of the consumption of certain animals, while others were tolerated, with particular reference to the time when the rule came to be fleshed out. More specifically, the paper looks into the case of pigs or pork as an animal whose inclusion in the list of those unclean might strike as particularly odd to the modern reader. Given the similarities they had with oxen, sheep and goats as domesticated and herbivorous livestock, swine, it seems fair to say, had little reason to be excluded. But this short piece argues that their labelling as unclean had as much to do with the peculiar circumstances in which Leviticus and Deuteronomy were written as with the consistency of the religious doctrine based on an adherence to the tenet of separate spheres which pigs and other animals fell foul of.
Outline;
Introduction
Reasons for the Exclusion of Pig: Hygiene and Habit
Criticism of Hygiene and Habit Interpretation
Contextualising Dietary Law: Babylonic Exile and Anti-desert Mentality
Distinctive Categories and Aberrations Conclusions
From the Paper "That pork was unhygienic does not stand up to much scrutiny either. Criticising the hygienic rationale, Jean Soler for example, correctly makes the obvious point that the nomadic Hebrew tribes, who lived at the time when these rules were drawn up, did not possess sufficient medical knowledge to be able to pronounce the pig unclean based on the infectious dangers it posed to man. Even though it would be tempting to suppose that the kind of hot and arid climate in which the ancient Israelites lived was particularly hazardous for the transmission of diseases, the lack of even physicians to prepare for this possibility at that time points to the extent to which medical reasons could not plausibly be carted out to account for why pigs were expressly forbidden."
Abstract This paper makes the argument that the time has come for the US legislature to do away with anachronistic laws that support a dubious "gun culture", which is an aberration in a modern, developed society, and that the ability to bear arms should be a privilege instead of a right in the 21st century. The paper begins by tracing the origins of the "gun culture" in America and then presents the history and interpretation of the Second Amendment, which supposedly gives the right of bearing arms to the citizens. Next, the paper reviews both sides of the argument for and against gun control, and then presents arguments in favor of making laws that would make the bearing of arms in the 21st century a privilege instead of a right.
Outline:
Origins of the American "Gun Culture"
The Second Amendment, its Background and Interpretation
Supreme Court's Interpretation of the Second Amendment
Does the Proliferation of Guns Promote Crime and Violence?
The Economic Cost of Gun Violence
Public Opinion about Gun Control
Reasons Why More Stringent Gun-Control Measures are Still not in Place?
Conclusion
From the Paper "The Articles of Confederation, drafted and formulated during the Revolution, was America's first Constitution. The document, too, reflected the authors' suspicion of standing armies and a strong central government. The Articles severely restricted the powers of the Congress and gave maximum autonomy to the States. The responsibility of national defense was placed on the State militias instead of a national army and the Congress could not exercise any military powers unless 9 of the 13 States consented. Article VI specifically stated: "every state shall always keep up a well regulated and disciplined militia, sufficiently armed and accoutred." Before long, however, the founding fathers realized that the Articles were unworkable for running of an effective government because of the extremely limited powers granted to the central government. The fighting abilities of a volunteer militia as compared to a disciplined, professional army had already been exposed during the Revolution, and even George Washington had expressed his reservations about their effectiveness in private despite his public pronouncements in support of the citizen militia . "
