What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do for civil rights?

Martin Luther King, Jr. served as the public face of the Civil Rights Movement in the late 1950s and early 1960s.  He is not personally responsible for everything that the movement accomplished during this time, but we typically credit him with those accomplishments as he was the main figure who could be identified as the leader of the movement. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. was not the only leader of the Civil Rights Movement.  Obviously, he was only one man and the movement certainly could not have survived without all the masses of people who engaged in the protests that made it effective.   However, King did provide important leadership for the movement.  He is credited with being the main leader who set the strategy for the movement.  It was he who pushed for the nonviolent civil disobedience that was the hallmark of that movement.  Importantly, he also served as the movement’s public face.  He was able to reach out to white Americans, getting many of them to support the Civil Rights Movement.

In part because of his leadership, the Civil Rights Movement was able to achieve two main accomplishments.  The first of these was the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  This law made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of race in public accommodations such as restaurants and bus stations.  In one stroke, this law destroyed the system of segregation that had existed in the South for decades.  The second was the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  This law made sure that states could no longer create rules that were ostensibly not about race but which made it very difficult for black people to vote. 

In these ways, we can say that Martin Luther King, Jr. accomplished a great deal for civil rights.  He provided very important leadership that allowed the Civil Rights Movement to thrive.  In part because of his leadership, the movement was able to achieve legal equality between blacks and whites by the middle of the 1960s.

Where do images of forbidden desire and violence appear in Macbeth?

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the themes of desire and violence are intimately intertwined.  Indeed, there is almost a perverse passion for evil in the play, as many of the gruesome images are saturated with sexual desire. 

The play opens on a dismal scene with thunder and lightning creating an ominous tone that pervades the subsequent acts, and the first image the audience receives of Macbeth is particularly gruesome.  In Act 1 Scene 2, the Captain describes Macbeth as a violent warrior:

For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name—

Disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel,

Which smoked with bloody execution,

Like valor’s minion carved out his passage

Till he faced the slave;

Which ne'er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,

Till he unseamed him from the nave to th' chops,

And fixed his head upon our battlements (I. ii. 16-23).

The audience is introduced to Macbeth through the image of dismemberment. Macbeth has disemboweled and beheaded Macdonwald, but the diction of “brave,” “brandished steel,” and “valor” suggest this image is to be glorified.  Further, Duncan in hearing this account, exclaims, “O valiant cousin! Worthy gentleman!” (I. ii. 24). Thus, violent acts are valorized and aggrandized.  This is supported by the metaphor, “So well thy words become thee as thy wounds; / They smack of honor both” (I. ii. 43-44). Here, Duncan speaks to the Captain and asserts that his words, like his wounds, bring him honor. 

The linking of violence and desire gains further visibility when Ross describes the defeat of the Thane of Cawdor by Macbeth.  He states, “The thane of Cawdor, began a dismal conflict, / Till that Bellona’s bridegroom, lapped in proof, / Confronted him with self-comparisons, / Point against point, rebellious arm ‘gainst arm” (I. ii. 53-56).  In this quote, Macbeth is metaphorically referred to as a “bridegroom” of war, a description that carries both violent and sexual connotations. 

In one of the most prominent scenes of the play, Macbeth, through an aside, comments on both forbidden desire and violence in addressing the prophecy of the witches.  He delivers the following lines:

Two truths are told,

As happy prologues to the swelling act

Of the imperial theme. (to ROSS and ANGUS) I thank you, gentlemen.

(aside) This supernatural soliciting

Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill,

Why hath it given me earnest of success,

Commencing in a truth? I am thane of Cawdor.

If good, why do I yield to that suggestion

Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair

And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,

Against the use of nature? Present fears

Are less than horrible imaginings. (I. iii. 130-142)

In this scene, Macbeth refers to the temptation of power as a “supernatural soliciting,” suggesting his urge to become king is a deep-rooted desire.  Yet, this desire is forbidden, as evidenced by the line, “Cannot be ill, cannot be good.” He understands that he can only become king if Duncan is murdered, again linking his desire with violence.  This is upheld in the vivid imagery of “doth unfix my hair,” and “make my seated heart knock at my ribs.” Macbeth not only imagines the violence he intends to inflict upon Duncan, his physical nature becomes greatly disturbed. 

In Act 1 Scene 4, Macbeth in another aside, states, “Stars, hide your fires; / Let not light see my black and deep desires” (I. iv. 52-53).  In this apostrophe, the addressing of an inanimate object, Macbeth begs for his forbidden desires to not be made known.  Further, the image of “black and deep desires,” lends an evil connotation to this yearning.  This image gains more significance in the context of Lady Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act 1 Scene 7 when she parallels sexual action with murderous action.  When Macbeth expresses hesitation at carrying out the violent murder, Lady Macbeth urges him through erotic language to go through with it:

Was the hope drunk

Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?

And wakes it now, to look so green and pale

At what it did so freely? From this time

Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard

To be the same in thine own act and valor

As thou art in desire?  (I. vii. 35-41)

Here, Lady Macbeth accuses Macbeth of losing his manhood, and urges him to act on his forbidden desire in violent terms.  She expressly asks him if he is afraid to act the way in which he desires. To this accusation, Macbeth responds, “I dare do all that may become a man; / Who dares do more is none” (I. vii. 47-48).  Macbeth claims a true man would surely act on these urges, again linking desire and violence, but more importantly, linking the two themes through sexual undertones that emphasize the intimacy of violence and desire.  In conclusion, Macbeth is a play where forbidden desire leads to violent acts.   

What are complementary and alternative therapies?

Differences between complementary and alternative medicine: Complementary medicine is used along with conventional medicine. Practitioners of conventional medicine include allopathic (medical doctor, MD) and osteopathic (doctor of osteopathy, DO) physicians. Allied conventional health professionals include nurses, respiratory therapists, and psychologists. Examples of complementary therapies include using aromatherapy or massage to lessen discomfort following surgery or chemotherapy.

Alternative medicine is used instead of conventional medicine. Treating cancer with the compound containing amygdalin (trademark Laetrile) in place of undergoing surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy is an example of an alternative therapy. Little reliable evidence exists for Laetrile’s efficacy as a cancer drug, and the US Food and Drug Administration has not approved the use of this compound for cancer treatment.

The NCCAM, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), defines integrative medicine as a combination of mainstream medicine and those parts of complementary and alternative medicine that have high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness.

The NIH has placed complementary and alternative medicine modalities into five major categories: alternative medical systems, biologically based therapies, manipulative and body-based methods, mind-body interventions, and energy therapies. These provide a useful framework for understanding many different therapeutic approaches to health care.

Alternative medical systems: Alternative medical systems are complete care systems, much as conventional medicine is a complete system of theory and practice. These complete systems have central philosophies, such as the healing power of nature, and use therapies in line with these philosophies. These systems include traditional Chinese medicine
and other medical systems formulated outside of Western culture, such as American Indian, Tibetan, and Indian (Ayurvedic) systems, as well as homeopathic and naturopathic medicine, formulated within Western culture.

Although considered alternative medicine in the United States, traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda are part of the culture and heritage of China and India, respectively, and in these countries they have been practiced for millennia and coexist with conventional medicine. According to the NIH, scientific evidence supports the use of acupuncture, a technique from traditional Chinese medicine, to treat postoperative and chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting. Acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct for treating pain-related conditions and other maladies.

Naturopathy is a healing system initiated in Europe. It views disease as alterations in the body’s natural healing processes. Naturopaths believe that the body can heal itself if it is in a healthy environment. They take a holistic approach to the body, looking at the patient’s mind, body, and spirit, and use therapies such as nutrition and herbal medicine, physical medicine, hot/cold compresses, massage, lifestyle and psychological counseling, and detoxification. Scientific evidence does not support naturopathy’s claims.

Homeopathy was developed by Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843) in Germany during the late 1700s and early 1800s. Hahnemann believed that effective remedies must contain substances that produce effects similar to those produced by the diseases they cured, and he called this the principle of similars. Conventional medicine uses a thought process not unlike this principle in vaccine development. Homeopathy emphasizes the careful examination of all aspects of an individual’s health, including mental and emotional states, as well as distinctive physical and personality characteristics.

Homeopathy employs liquids or pills that have been diluted from the original substance to the point that sometimes no detectable trace of the original molecule may be found. The manufacturing process involves vigorous shaking between dilution steps, purportedly producing the vital essence of the substance. Homeopathy contends that the memory of the original molecule is retained after the homeopathic dilution process and that the end product is therapeutic even when the original molecule is thinned out of measurable existence. Scientific and clinical evidence of the efficacy of homeopathy is lacking.

Biologically based therapies: Biologically based therapies use natural substances such as herbs, vitamins, foods, and other dietary supplements. These substances are formulated in many ways, including tablets, capsules, gel caps, powders, teas, oils, and syrups. Although the idea of a natural substance is very attractive to many consumers, natural products can have serious side effects. Some biologically based therapies, such as the use of shark cartilage or Laetrile (a compound containing amygdalin) to treat cancer, lack scientific support, while others have some scientific studies that show their efficacy.

Amygdalin is a chemical found in the pits of many fruits. In the presence of certain enzymes, Laetrile breaks down and produces cyanide, a known poison. In addition to lacking effectiveness, Laetrile creates many side effects, mostly related to cyanide poisoning, including cyanosis (bluish skin secondary to oxygen deprivation), uncoordinated walking, liver damage, low blood pressure, and droopy upper eyelids.

The essential oils used in aromatherapy
are extracted from fragrant plants such as chamomile, lavender, lemon, and cedarwood. These oils are inhaled or applied to the skin. Although aromatherapy does not cure cancer, it can help patients with quality-of-life issues. Studies have shown that odors can improve mood, enhance perceptions of health, and reduce anxiety. Allergic reactions and dermatitis have been reported as side effects of aromatherapy.

The seeds of milk thistle, a plant native to Europe but also found in North and South America, have been harvested for more than two thousand years for use primarily as a treatment for liver disease. Silymarin, the chemical compound identified as the active ingredient in milk thistle seeds, is a potent antioxidant. It has been shown to help in cases of chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis, and some laboratory studies have indicated that it may increase the ability of some chemotherapeutic agents to treat cancer and decrease the drugs’ toxicity. More research must be done before its true efficacy is known. Few side effects are reported regarding milk thistle.

Dietary supplements

include vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, enzymes, and organ tissues. Although many people take these types of compounds for health reasons, these supplements are not regulated the same way as are over-the-counter and prescription medications. Prescription medications, in particular, must go through extensive testing and clinical trials and have proven efficacy before they are allowed on the market. Dietary supplements are regulated in a manner closer to the production of salt and pepper than that of prescription medication.

Manufacturers of herbs, vitamins, minerals, and other biologically based dietary supplements follow manufacturing guidelines for the production of food. Medications require Food and Drug Administration approval before they can be placed on the market, whereas individual manufacturers of dietary supplements are responsible for the safe production of their products. The Federal Trade Commission monitors dietary supplements for accuracy in advertisement, whereas the Food and Drug Administration regulates the production of prescription medications. These differences in oversight are not usually evident to the consumer, but consumers should be aware that supplements are much different from medications.

Manipulative and body-based methods: Body-based therapies are based on movement or manipulation of body parts. Chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation and massage therapy are examples of manipulative and body-based therapies. Rolfing, reflexology, Trager bodywork, Alexander and Bowen techniques, the Feldenkrais method, and many other techniques and therapies are included in this category. The NCCAM reports that appointments with chiropractors and massage therapists represent 50 percent of all visits to complementary and alternative health practitioners.

These practices focus on the body’s structural elements, such as bones and joints. Circulatory and lymphatic systems are often emphasized in manipulative and body-based practices. Some of these techniques were developed over the past two thousand years in traditional systems from China and India, whereas others, such as chiropractic and osteopathic manipulations, arose in the last 150 years. Although many practitioners are formally trained in anatomy and physiology, considerable variability exists in the education and approaches of these providers.

For example, osteopaths and chiropractors use manipulations involving rapid movements, whereas massage therapists use techniques involving slower force applications. Manipulative and body-based modalities share some principles, including the body’s ability to heal itself, self-regulation by the human body, and the interdependence of parts of the human body. These characteristics, along with the laying on of hands, are attractive to some health care consumers seeking relief from various ailments. Studies have shown massage to be useful in the short-term relief of pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and stress in cancer patients, but there is no scientific support for claims that massage slows the growth or spread of cancer.

Mind-body interventions: Mental, emotional, spiritual, and behavioral factors affect an individual’s health. Mind-body therapies focus on these powerful factors and on the interaction between mind, brain, body, and behavior. The therapies are generally based on respecting and enhancing the human capacity for self-care and individual knowledge. Techniques included in this category include hypnosis, meditation, visual imagery, biofeedback, yoga, tai chi, spirituality, support groups, and therapies tapping creative channels such as music, writing, art, or dance. Some of these therapies, such as patient support groups, have become part of integrated or even conventional medicine.

Evidence exists that a number of the mind-body therapies have been shown to help strengthen the immune system and reduce pain, anxiety, stress, and depression, thus improving the quality of life for cancer patients.

Energy therapies: Energy therapies use two major types of energy fields, biofield and bioelectromagnetic. Biofield therapies claim to manipulate energy fields surrounding and penetrating the body. These energy fields have not been adequately measured or scientifically proven. Some energy therapy techniques try to change biofields by manipulating the body or applying pressure in, on, or through these biofields. Examples include Reiki and Therapeutic Touch. Bioelectromagnetic-based techniques involve using electromagnetic fields, including pulsed, magnetic, alternating-current, or direct-current fields in unconventional manners. Their efficacy for cancer has not been proven.

Perspective and prospects: Conventional health care is disease oriented, tends toward specialty-based care, and is often used after an acute event (a major accident or illness). Allopathic and osteopathic (conventional) medicine becomes more specialty oriented as more scientific mechanisms for disease are discovered. Many people using complementary and alternative therapies are more concerned with maintaining health and optimizing defenses against disease. These people do not reject conventional health care but see conventional health care as an important part of their overall care plan, particularly for acute disease. Those who turn to complementary and alternative therapies after becoming ill typically want to optimize their chances for becoming well.

Many therapies previously considered a part of complementary or alternative medicine such as support groups for cancer patients, hypnosis for smoking cessation, aspirin for reducing inflammation, or digitalis for heart conditions have become part of mainstream or integrative medicine. Science does not support all modalities of complementary and alternative medicine, but it supports some aspects. The NCCAM, part of the US Department of Health and Human Services and National Institutes of Health, conducts and funds scientific research into nonconventional medicine in an attempt to help medical professionals and the public understand which therapies have been shown to be safe and effective.

Amer. Cancer Soc. "Complementary and Alternative Methods and Cancer." Cancer.org. ACS, 2014. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.

EBSCO Cam Review Board. "Cancer Treatment Support." Health Library. EBSCO, 3 Aug. 2012. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.

Keegan, L. Healing with Complementary and Alternative Therapies. Albany: Delmar, 2001. Print.

MedlinePlus. "Complementary and Alternative Medicine." MedlinePlus. US NLM/NIH, 22 Sept. 2014. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.

Natl. Cancer Inst. "Thinking about Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Guide for People with Cancer." Cancer.gov. NCI, 7 Mar. 2013. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.

Natl. Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. "Cancer and Complementary Health Approaches." NCCAM.NIH.gov. NCCAM, 24 July 2014. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.

Natl. Inst. of Health Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT). "Complementary and Alternative Medicine." Report.NIH.gov. NIH, 29 Mar. 2013. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.

Peters, David, and Anne Woodham. Encyclopedia of Natural Healing. New York: DK, 2000. Print.

Zhang, Qunhao. “Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States.” Asia Pacific Biotech News 8.23 (2004): 1274–1277. Print.

What is the significance of using Luminol in forensic science?

Luminol is a soluble, yellowish crystal. It is used in crime scenes to reveal blood.

The reaction of Luminol is several steps. First, the Luminol is put into solution with hydrogen peroxide, causing the Luminol to become a dianion in resonant stabilization. This means the Luminol is in one atomic configuration with two different electron configurations. Next, iron in the blood acts as a catalyst, decomposing the peroxide into oxygen and water. The oxygen reacts with the Luminol dianion, producing an unstable peroxide and nitrogen gas. The unstable peroxide immediately decomposes into 3-aminophthalic acid in an excited state. When the excited 3-aminophthalic acid drops to ground state, a photon is released. This light is why blood turns bright blue.

Luminol is used in forensics where there is suspected blood to determine a bloodstain from a regular stain. Investigators will lightly spray a suspected region with a solution of Luminol and hydrogen peroxide, looking for marks of blood.

Luminol is most often used on dry blood, because Luminol is not readily soluble with water, failing to react when blood is wet. Because Luminol requires very little blood to work, it is very effective even when blood may not be visible or when areas have been washed.

Luminol is unreliable when investigating surfaces with present catalysts, such as copper. Surfaces with other bodily fluids, like urine and feces, will also trigger Luminol.

Here are some sources.

Lab procedure for Luminol

Pictures of Luminol at a crime scene

Interesting report on use of Luminol in motor vehicles

There are a number of characters in Death of an Expert Witness. Most of them carry one secret or another. Considering all the characters, which one...

Readers will see a number of characters and suspects in the novel Death of an Expert Witness, and will be curious to find out which one committed the crime, since most of the characters do have one secret or another. In considering all the characters to decide on the one who intrigues you the most it might be useful to analyze them in the light of the various themes running through the novel. There are many to choose from, as this proves to be a complicated case where motives could include jealousy, money, revenge, hatred, sexual rivalry, and ambition. Students will be probably influenced by their own life experiences and unique curiosity around certain personality traits or life challenges.

In the novel, a forensic science laboratory is in trouble and waiting times are getting longer. The standard of work is falling, there is an atmosphere of anxiety and stress, and the workforce is divided on many issues. Things are getting serious because the police are having to wait longer and longer for crucial pieces of evidence to be examined. Tension levels rise and in those circumstances it is common for people to act out out of character and to consider courses of action they would not normally take. This is exacerbated by the arrival of disruptive new staff and characters. Once perfect professionals can often begin to act strangely when in fear of losing their job, particularly when there are other stresses at home, so the transformation of Dr Kerrison would be an intriguing one to chart.

As a pathologist he is a professional who would normally be looked up to, so it is an intriguing human interest story to see how and why the behaviors of these rational respectable people can sometimes plummet to new lows due to varying motives and anxieties. For example, he would love a new prestigious role as the 'Home Office Pathologist,' which would also provide him with more money. Kerrison is middle-aged and is getting a difficult divorce that involves child custody conflicts. He also has the stress of worrying about his job, which is doubly upsetting because it is closely related to his sense of self-esteem and he feels he is nothing without it. Dr Kerrison is one of the most intriguing characters because he represents the type of criminal many people find most shocking: the one who seems so respectable that people cannot believe it of him.

How are bacterial infections prevented?

Definition

Bacterial infections are infections that are caused by microorganisms called
bacteria. Common bacterial infections include
urinary tract
infection (UTI), strep throat, tuberculosis
(TB), Helicobacter pylori infection, and
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Types of Bacterial Infection

UTI is a bacterial infection of one or more parts of the urinary system. Most UTIs originate in the bladder or urethra, but they also can begin in the kidneys or ureters. Strep throat is an infection of the throat that is caused by the group A Streptococcus (GAS) bacterium. TB is a bacterial infection that affects the lungs. H. pylori is a bacterium that affects the intestinal tract. It causes chronic gastritis and duodenal and gastric ulcers, and it may contribute to the development of gastric cancer. MRSA is a staph infection that has become resistant to the antibiotics that are normally used to treat staph infections.

Prevention

UTIs most commonly occur when bacteria that normally live in the intestine enter the urethra. Other sources of bacteria that can cause UTIs are sexual intercourse, urinary catheters, and obstruction, such as kidney stones or prostate problems.

No vaccine exists for the prevention of UTI. However, one can take the following measures to reduce the risk for UTIs: Drink a minimum of eight glasses of water per day, urinate as soon as possible after intercourse, take showers instead of tub baths, wipe from front to back after urination or bowel movement, avoid spermicidal foams or jellies, and avoid feminine hygiene sprays or douches.

Strep throat is spread through droplets in the air when an infected person sneezes or coughs or by contact with infected objects. As with UTIs, no vaccine exists for the prevention of strep throat. One should take the following measures to reduce the risk of contracting strep throat: Wash hands frequently, especially before preparing or eating food; when possible, avoid contact with people who have strep infections; and avoid sharing personal items such as drinking glasses, eating utensils, and toothbrushes.

TB is spread through droplets in the air when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Although a vaccine has been developed for the prevention of TB, it is not commonly used in the United States. The TB vaccine, which is also known as the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, does not always protect against TB and could cause a false-positive result in people who are later tested for TB.

Even without the use of the BCG vaccine, there are still some things one can do to prevent the spread of TB. One method is to treat TB-infected persons before their disease becomes active. This involves regular testing of people who may be at risk. For persons who test positive for TB infection, certain medications can be prescribed by doctors to help prevent active disease. Other methods of preventing the spread of TB include covering the nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, opening windows to ventilate rooms if the weather permits, avoiding the workplace when sick, wearing a mask around others, and avoiding close contact with family members for the first few weeks of treatment.

It is not known how H. pylori infection is contracted, so
there are no specific recommendations for prevention. However, to prevent
complications of H. pylori infection, persons with symptoms of
gastritis or gastric or duodenal ulcers are frequently
tested for H. pylori and are treated if found to be infected.

MRSA can be acquired in hospitals and other healthcare settings, and in specific communities, such asnursing homes. MRSA infection is spread through contact with a contaminated person or object. In the health care setting, MRSA is frequently prevented through isolation of infected persons and through practicing standard precautions, such as handwashing and wearing protective gloves and clothing.

There are several measures that one can take to prevent the spread of MRSA in the community setting. These measures include covering wounds with clean, dry bandages until they have healed; frequent handwashing; not sharing personal items, such as towels, wash cloths, or razors; periodic cleaning of frequently touched surfaces with disinfecting wipes; and washing bed linens in hot water.

Impact

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases, UTIs account for more than 8 million doctor visits each year in the
United States. UTI is more common in women, and one in five women will get a UTI
at least once during her lifetime. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) reports that between 9,000 and 11,500 cases of invasive
GAS disease occur each year in the United States, resulting in 1,000 to 1,800
deaths annually.

The World
Health Organization estimates that one-third of the world’s
population is infected with TB at any given time, and that 5 to 10 percent of
infected persons will develop active TB in the future. In 2009, about 1.7 million
people died from TB.

The CDC estimates that approximately two-thirds of the world population is infected with the H. pylori bacterium, and that between 2 and 20 percent of those persons infected will develop ulcers. Furthermore, CDC statistics show that in 2005, more than 94,000 people developed a serious MRSA infection and more than 18,000 people died during a hospital stay related to these infections.

Bibliography

Brachman, Philip S., and Elias Abrutyn, eds. Bacterial Infections of Humans: Epidemiology and Control. 4th ed. New York: Springer, 2009.

Brogden, K., et al. Virulence Mechanisms of Bacterial Pathogens. 4th ed. Washington, D.C.: ASM Press, 2007.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “ Helicobacter pylori: Fact Sheet for Health Care Providers.” Available at http://www.cdc.gov/ulcer/keytocure.htm.

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. “Tuberculosis.” Available at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tuberculosis/DS00372.

_______. “Urinary Tract Infection.” Available at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/urinary-tract-infection/DS00286.

“Strep Throat.” Available at http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/tc/strep-throat-topic-overview.

How should the people view the conspirators and Caesar, according to Antony’s funeral speech?

Found in Act 3, Scene 2 of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, this is one of the most famous speeches in all of theatre.

Through it, Shakespeare has Marcus Antonius (Antony) engage in some of the greatest praeteritio of all time, claiming that he is criticizing Caesar while heaping praise upon him, and claiming that he is honoring the conspirators while deriding and disparaging them.

He says repeatedly that the conspirators are "honorable men", but by the end he has so thoroughly detailed their lies and crimes that "honorable men" begins to sound like an insult.

In particular, Brutus often accused Caesar of being "ambitious", which doesn't sound so bad to us, but in Shakespeare's time had a connotation closer to "audacious" or even "megalomaniacal". Antonius goes through several examples of Caesar acting justly and magnanimously, each time saying that this doesn't seem very ambitious, "But Brutus says he was ambitious, And Brutus is an honorable man."

Thus, if you use the surface meaning of his words, Antonius is saying that Caesar is despicable and megalomaniacal and Brutus and the conspirators are honorable and just; but if you delve deeper into the implications of his statements, he is clearly saying that Caesar was the honorable one, a great and worthy leader who was struck down in his prime by the cruel and mendacious conspirators. But he has plausible deniability to protect himself from the conspirators---because after all, he did just say that they were all "honorable men".

What are warts?

Definition

Warts are usually painless, harmless growths on the skin caused by a virus that can be disfiguring, embarrassing, and occasionally itchy and uncomfortable. Different types of warts include common warts, which usually appear on hands but can appear anywhere; flat warts, which usually appear on the face and forehead and are common in children and teenagers but rarely seen in adults; genital warts, which are usually found on the genitals, in the pubic area, and in the area between the thighs, but can also appear inside the vagina and anal canal; plantar warts, found on the soles of the feet; and subungual and periungual warts, which appear under and around the fingernails or toenails.

Causes

The typical wart is a raised round or oval growth on the skin with a rough
surface caused by a virus. This virus includes dozens of types of the
human
papilloma virus (HPV).

Risk Factors

Most warts are harmless and are more of a nuisance than a threat, but
genital
warts are the main cause of cervical
cancer. Although not a danger, warts around and under nails
are much more difficult to cure than warts elsewhere.

Symptoms

Warts are named by their clinical appearance and location; different forms are
linked to different HPV types. Common warts (verrucae vulgaris) are caused by HPV
1, 2, 4, 27, and 29. They are usually asymptomatic but sometimes cause mild pain,
especially when they are located on a weight-bearing surface. Flat warts, caused
by HPV 3, 10, 28, and 49, are smooth, flat-topped, yellow-brown papules, most
often located on the face and along scratch marks. Genital warts manifest as
discrete flat to broad-based smooth to velvety papules on the perineal,
perirectal, labial, and penile areas. Infection with high-risk HPV types (most
notably 16 and 18) is the main cause of cervical cancer.

Screening and Diagnosis

Diagnosis of warts is based on clinical appearance; biopsy is
rarely needed. A primary sign of warts is the absence of skin lines crossing their
surface and the presence of pinpoint black dots (thrombosed capillaries) or
bleeding when warts are shaved. Differential diagnosis includes corns (clavi),
lichen planus, seborrheic keratosis, skin tags, and squamous cell carcinomas. DNA
(deoxyribonucleic acid) typing is available in some medical centers but is
generally not needed.

Some warts will disappear without treatment, although they can sometimes remain
for a couple of years. Treated or not, warts that go away often reappear. Genital
warts are contagious, while common, flat, and plantar warts are much less likely
to spread from person to person. All warts can spread from one part of the body to
another. Treatment is often sought because people generally consider warts
unsightly and because the appearance of warts is often stigmatized.

Treatment and Therapy

Standard treatment for warts includes freezing (cryotherapy,
or liquid nitrogen therapy), treatment with cantharidin (a substance extracted
from the blister beetle), and minor surgery that may involve cutting away the wart
tissue or destroying it by using an electric needle in a process called
electrodessication and curettage.

Other possible treatments include self-care approaches such as salicylic acid and patches available at drugstores. Another approach is the use of duct tape to cover warts for six days, followed by their soaking in warm water and rubbing them with an emery board or pumice stone. Other therapies include injection with bleomycin or the use of retinoids.

Prevention and Outcomes

Avoiding the following behaviors will help to reduce the risk of getting or spreading warts: brushing, clipping, combing, or shaving areas that have warts; using on healthy nails the same file or nail clipper used on warts; biting fingernails near warts; and picking at warts. One should also keep hands as dry as possible, wash hands carefully after touching warts, and use footwear in public showers or locker rooms.

Bibliography

American Academy of Dermatology. “Warts.” Available at http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/common_warts.html.

Androphy, E. J., et al. “Warts.” In Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology in General Medicine, edited by K. Wolff et al. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical, 2008.

Berger, T. G. “Dermatologic Disorders.” In Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2011, edited by Stephen J. McPhee and Maxine A. Papadakis. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011.

Dehghani, F., et al. “Healing Effect of Garlic Extract on Warts and Corns.” International Journal of Dermatology 44 (2005): 612.

Egawa, K., et al. “Topical Vitamin D3 Derivatives for Recalcitrant Warts in Three Immunocompromised Patients.” British Journal of Dermatology 150 (2004): 367.

What themes does Atticus support in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Without Atticus Finch, there wouldn't be many themes in To Kill a Mockingbird at all. He outlines a theme and Scout and Jem discover it. For example, the title of the book is a theme that originates with something that Atticus says when the children receive air rifles for Christmas:

"I'd rather you shot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you'll go after birds. Shoot at all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" (90).

Miss Maudie breaks the meaning of this passage down for Scout by explaining that mockingbirds don't do anything to hurt anybody. They provide sweet songs to listen to and they aren't pests to farmers or anyone else. Anyone who has the advantage over a mockingbird and takes it is committing a sin because it's a defenseless fight. This is symbolic of what happens to Boo Radley and Tom Robinson in the novel as well. They are harmless to society, yet they are taken advantage of by others who have more status or ability than they do, which is unfair and mean. The theme is not to take advantage of others who are defenseless or who have less than you do.

Another theme supported by Atticus is to stand up for other people whenever you are called to do so. Atticus is appointed by Judge Taylor to take the Tom Robinson case. He didn't choose it--it chose him. But rather than do a sloppy job of it to get it out of the way, Atticus stands up to the prejudice surrounding the case by doing his best for his client. The following is a moment when Scout asks her father if he is going to win the Tom Robinson case:

"'Atticus, are we going to win it?'

'No, honey.'

'Then why--'

'Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win'" (76).

Atticus is referring to the hundreds of years of white men keeping black people as slaves. After the Civil War freed them, discrimination in the South was substituted as the new way to keep the black population down and out of control socially and politically. Even though the odds are against his case and his client, Atticus still stands up for what is right.

One final theme to touch on is when Atticus teaches Jem about what true courage is. In chapter 11, Mrs. Dubose calls Atticus terrible names to his children, not to his face. Atticus doesn't hold a grudge, though. In fact, he admires her because she conquers her morphine addiction before she dies. Atticus says the following:

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in  his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew" (112).

Again we see the theme of persevering when the odds are stacked against you; but we also see what courage and bravery are. Atticus says that following through with a goal that seems hard to achieve takes courage, not solving problems with guns or negative influences.

Did opposition to the Vietnam War increase or decrease with the Tet Offensive?

Opposition to the Vietnam War increased after the Tet Offensive. The offensive, which was a tactical failure for the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army, was nevertheless conducted on such a scale, and inflicted so many losses, that it raised the possibility in the minds of many Americans that victory was not attainable. This shift in public opinion was heavily influenced by media coverage of the war. By 1968, each of the major television networks had sent war correspondents to Vietnam, and the footage they sent back was difficult for Americans to accept. Images of American casualties and the brutality of guerrilla warfare (including the burning of Vietnamese villages) horrified many Americans. This culminated with Walter Cronkite, CBS News anchorman, warning on television that the Tet Offensive showed that the war was very likely to end in a "stalemate." After the Tet Offensive, the "credibility gap" between the news reports and the government (whose spokespeople claimed that the war was going well) only worsened. Domestically, the effects were profound--antiwar movements across the country became more frequent and more strident, the Democratic Party split between "hawks" and "doves," and President Lyndon Johnson declined to seek renomination for the Presidency. Johnson also began to attempt to roll back American involvement in the war by increasing bombing at the expense of ground operations. In short, opposition to the war dramatically increased (and went more "mainstream") after the Tet Offensive.

What does Audre Lorde want to say in the poem "Coping"?

Though Audre Lorde did not offer an explanation or commentary on her poem "Coping" during her lifetime, one can read the poem as a metaphor for dealing with sadness or stress. The poem is quite short and describes a boy bailing water from puddles in a garden to save the sprouts which grow there, lest they "forget" the sun and drown. The title gives us insight into the possibility that this poem is more to do with emotional coping than weather and plants. (Though, indeed, plants must "cope" with the rain.)

Lorde struggled with a sense of alienation growing up, and as an adult, cancer and depression shaped her writing. Perhaps Lorde constructed the visual of this little boy in the garden as a representation of her own relationship with the process of coping. It is possible that the little boy in the garden existed, and the imagery and his efforts resonated with her own experiences. The sprouts the boy is trying to save may be read as Lorde's own emotional growth and well-being-- the sun, then, would be a sense of hope and joy. Someone who has never experienced joy might easily be swallowed up by depression and fail to cope for the lack of knowing anything better to be possible.

In Act 3, scene 1, why does Mercutio curse Romeo's family as well as the Capulets? Why does Mercutio take it so seriously that he was stabbed...

Mercutio curses the Montagues as well as the Capulets because his death, in his mind, is the result of the feud between these families.  Tybalt comes looking to challenge Romeo because he wants to fight the son of his family's great enemy to pay him back for attending their celebration uninvited the night before.  When Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt, saying that he "love[s] [Tybalt] better than [Tybalt] canst devise" (3.1.70).  He says that he loves Tybalt, even though Tybalt cannot possibly understand why (it's because Romeo just married Tybalt's cousin, Juliet, in secret).  Mercutio sees this as a "dishonorable, vile submission" and feels obligated to get involved and fight Tybalt in Romeo's stead (3.1.74).  Therefore, if it were not for the feud between the Montagues and Capulets, Tybalt would never have come for Romeo, and Mercutio would not have felt the need to fight on his friend's behalf; Mercutio sees Romeo's behavior as cowardly and submissive, and so he blames his friend for his death, the result of that cowardice.

It's true that Romeo steps between Tybalt and Mercutio, attempting to stop the fight, but such an action would have been frowned upon at the time.  Romeo basically distracts them and blocks their view of one another, making for a more dangerous situation.  He has good intentions, of course, but Romeo created a situation that enabled Tybalt to strike when Mercutio was unprepared and distracted by his friend's interference.

How does Shakespeare develop the theme of fate in Romeo and Juliet, and why is this significant?

From the famous prologue of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to the Prince's closing statement at the play's end, fate weaves its way through the title characters' lives. Not only does the audience find out in the play's opening lines that Romeo and Juliet take their lives at some point during the play--which is admittedly ill-fated--but they are also forewarned that the young people are "star-crossed lovers," which implies that their destinies cannot converge successfully. From the moment they are born into feuding families, Romeo and Juliet's fate is to die in order to bring about peace. Shakespeare writes that "the continuance of their parents' rage, / Which, but their children's end, naught could remove" (Prologue, Lines 10-11), meaning that the grudge between the Capulets and Montagues is so strong that absolutely nothing other than each family's loss of a child could stop the feud.

During Acts II-IV, Romeo and Juliet seemingly cannot take a step without their family backgrounds hindering their relationship. Whether a scene involves Juliet's hotheaded cousin Tybalt insulting and causing trouble for Romeo and his friends, or the Nurse and Friar Laurence entangling themselves in the secretive relationship between the teens, or Romeo killing Tybalt and being banished, one cannot deny that none of these actions would have been necessary had not the pair been born into families which hate each other.

Finally, at the play's end, the Prince blames the Capulets and Montagues' hate for the deaths of their children and states that "heaven finds means to kill your joys with love!" (5.3.293)--thus, even true love between the young couple could not disrupt "heaven's" plan to end the ancient feud. After his admonishment of the families of the dead, the Prince acknowledges that even elements of nature such as the sun mourn the lovers' dreadful fate and closes by claiming that

"never was a story of more woe / Than this of Juliet and her Romeo" (5.3.309-310).

What are routes of administration for drugs of abuse?

Background

For drugs to affect a person’s psychological experience, they must reach the brain. This statement is rather obvious, but what may be less obvious is how the path a drug takes to the brain can affect the experience and consequences associated with taking the drug. All things being equal, the faster an addictive substance is delivered to the brain, the more that drug tends to be abused and addictive. One variable that plays a large role in determining how quickly a drug is delivered to the brain is the route of administration, or the method used to get the drug into the body.

Oral Route

Perhaps the most common route of administration is the mouth. The introduction of drugs into the body by swallowing them is referred to as oral administration. Pills are administered this way, as are liquids such as alcohol.

In addition, drugs that are consumed in whole-foods forms, for example, marijuana baked into brownies or hallucinogenic mushrooms brewed into tea, also are administered orally. When orally administered, drugs will be partially absorbed in the stomach and intestine, where the active ingredients are absorbed into the bloodstream and then carried to the brain.

The oral route of administration is a relatively slow way to deliver drugs to the brain. Because the active ingredients are absorbed through digestive processes, the speed of onset can be influenced by a variety of stomach and intestinal variables. A prominent example of this process is alcohol consumption, in which approximately 20 percent of the alcohol is absorbed in the stomach and the rest in the upper intestine. The speed with which this occurs is affected by how fast the stomach empties; this, in turn, is related to how much food is already in the stomach. This factor explains why people are more rapidly influenced by the effects of alcohol when they drink on an empty stomach.

In addition, men have more of a particular gastric enzyme that metabolizes a portion of the consumed alcohol before it is absorbed into the bloodstream. This partly explains why men will be somewhat less influenced by the effects of alcohol than will women, even when the number of drinks and body size are held constant.

Injection

A second route of administration is intravenous (IV), intramuscular, and subcutaneous. In an IV administration, the drug is injected with a syringe and needle, often directly into the bloodstream through a vein. Drugs also can be injected directly into muscle (an intramuscular injection) or just under the skin (a subcutaneous injection). However, most drugs of abuse that are taken through self-injection are delivered intravenously.

IV injection is relatively dangerous because it is fast and irreversible. Once the drug has been injected, it cannot be retrieved; the injection cannot be reversed. In addition, IV injection bypasses virtually all barriers to absorption. The drug that is injected will be completely and rapidly available. In some cases the rapid availability of the drug can itself become a problem. The dose of a drug that is administered orally will gradually become available to the brain as the dose dissolves and is absorbed. The same dose delivered intravenously will be available to the brain all at once. Serious problems can occur if the user has an allergic reaction, miscalculates the dosage, or has an unanticipated side effect.

Finally, it can be difficult for IV drug users to obtain safe and clean needles. Shared or reused needles can spread infection and blood-borne diseases, including hepatitis virus infection and infection with the human immunodeficiency virus.

Inhalation

among drug users is the lungs, in which the substance of abuse is inhaled. The inhalation route includes smoking, in which the drug of abuse is heated or burned to suspend its particles in smoke or vapor.

Inhalation is a popular way to administer tobacco, marijuana, and smoked versions of cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. Also, chemicals that are found in many household products, including some paints, cleaners, and glues, also can be administered as substances of abuse if their fumes are inhaled. The lungs absorb the inhaled chemicals rapidly and efficiently and send them directly to the heart and brain. As a consequence, drugs that are inhaled will have an extremely fast onset, sometimes even faster than IV injection.

Inhalation has the potential to damage the lungs themselves. In many cases the lung damage is not directly caused by the drug itself, but by other drugs and toxins that are delivered to the lungs at the same time. An additional problem associated with inhalation is that the amount of oxygen absorbed and made available to cells of the body is often reduced. Reducing the amount of oxygen available to the brain leads to a dangerous condition called anoxia.

Anoxia is a common and especially devastating problem with the abuse of chemicals in household cleaners, glues, and paints. In this case, the anoxic effects produced by the chemicals themselves are compounded by efforts that inhalant abusers often take to concentrate the gasses they are inhaling, such as covering the mouth with chemical-soaked rags or plastic bags.

Other Modes of Administration

Drugs also can be absorbed through nasal or oral mucous membranes (mucous administration). This route of administration is common with tobacco chew and snuff, in which the nicotine is absorbed through tissue in the mouth and nose, respectively. Mucous administration also is the method used to absorb cocaine or powdered forms of other drugs, which are snorted (sniffed into the nose).

Drugs also can be absorbed directly through the skin (transdermal administration). The most familiar example of transdermal administration of drugs is the nicotine patch, but this strategy is gaining popularity for the delivery of other drugs, including pain medications.

Bibliography

Julien, Robert M., Claire D. Advokat, and Joseph E. Comaty. A Primer of Drug Action. 12th ed. New York: Worth, 2011. An excellent, thorough text covering uses and effects of both psychiatric substances and drugs of abuse.

McCabe, Sean E., Carol J. Boyd, and Christian J. Teter. “Motives, Diversion, and Routes Of Administration Associated with Nonmedical Use of Prescription Opioids.” Addictive Behaviors 32 (2007): 562–75. Print. Reports the results of a large web-based survey of undergraduate students investigating the ways that students abuse opioid medications for nonmedical purposes and their motivations for doing so.

Samaha, Anne-Noel, and Terry E. Robinson. “Why Does the Rapid Delivery of Drugs to the Brain Promote Addiction?” Trends in Pharmacological Sciences 26 (2005): 82–87. Print. Proposes a theory of brain function and summarizes alternative theories for why increasing the speed of delivery of drugs to the brain increases their addictive potential.

What does Zeebo look like in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Zeebo is Calpurnia’s son.  He is the town garbage man.  Since he is Calpurnia’s son, obviously he is black. However, since he is Cal’s son and she is educated, he is one of the few black people in Maycomb who can read. 

Zeebo is not physically described very often, but his personality is subdued and polite. He seems to know the Finch children fairly well, since his mother works for them.  When Cal takes the Finch children to church, they see Zeebo and are surprised when he leads the entire congregation in song, one line at a time. 

Zeebo cleared his throat and read in a voice like the rumble of distant artillery:

“There’s a land beyond the river.”

Miraculously on pitch, a hundred voices sang out Zeebo’s words. The last syllable, held to a husky hum, was followed by Zeebo saying, “That we call the sweet forever.” (Ch. 12) 

Zeebo is patient, and the whole congregation follows his lead.  He does this several times throughout the service, so that the people can sing without knowing how to read.

Scout asks Calpurnia about this, and she explains to Scout that she did teach Zeebo to read, because there was no school for blacks when he was young. 

Zeebo was Calpurnia’s eldest son. If I had ever thought about it, I would have known that Calpurnia was of mature years—Zeebo had half-grown children—but then I had never thought about it. (Ch. 12)  

So all we really know about Zeebo is that is old enough to have "half-grown children," he is a garbage collector, he is one of only four blacks in Maycomb who can read, and he has deep voice “like the rumble of distant artillery.”  Even though it’s not a physical description, it does tell us a lot about him and his important role in Maycomb, from garbage collector to church line reader.

Why can't Helen Robinson get work in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee?

In chapter 12, Scout and Jem accompany Calpurnia to her church, where they discover Reverend Sykes is taking up a collection for Helen Robinson. Scout is confused why they would have to do that for her, so she asks the Reverend about it. He tells her that Helen Robinson has three children to feed and she "can't go out to work" (123). This answer does not satisfy Scout because she knows of a lot of African Americans who were allowed to work in the field with their children alongside them. The mothers would find some shade for the kids and watch them as she worked. The Reverend tells Scout he hopes Link Deas will have some work for Helen Robinson when the harvest comes, but the truth comes out when Scout asks Calpurnia about Helen not being able to work. Calpurnia responds with the following:

"It's because of what folks say Tom's done... Folks aren't anxious to—to have anything to do with any of his family" (123).

At that time, Maycomb's employers were white, and white people generally sided with other whites. As a result, white people didn't hire Helen because her husband is the black man in a racial controversy. Many white people did this out of loyalty to their own race and prejudice, not because truth is on white people's side. As a result, Helen Robinson is ostracized from working because her husband is accused of raping a white girl.

What are genital herpes?

Definition

Genital herpes is a highly contagious infection
that is caused by a virus. Genital herpes causes fluid-filled blisters or sores on
the skin of the genitals (areas on or around the vagina or penis). The infection
can also cause blisters at the anal opening, on the buttocks or thighs, inside the
vagina on the cervix, or in the urinary tract of women and men.

Causes

The infection is caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV), of which
there are two kinds: herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex type 2
(HSV-2). HSV-2 is usually the cause of genital herpes, but the disease can also be
caused by HSV-1, the virus that is associated with oral herpes (cold sores on
the mouth).

Genital herpes is a common virus. In the United States, forty-five million people, or one of every five adolescents and adults, ages twelve years and older, are infected with HSV-2.

HSV is transmitted from skin-to-skin contact, especially in places that are warm and moist. The virus enters the body through a cut or opening in the skin or through mucous membranes, the moist inner lining of the urinary tract (in the vaginal area), or the digestive system that includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, intestines, and anus. The virus stays in the nerve cells of the body, even if a person does not have symptoms or signs of genital herpes. Genital herpes is a chronic, life-long infection with symptoms that will come and go (be active and inactive) throughout a person’s life.

Risk Factors

Genital herpes is considered a sexually transmitted disease. One can
spread the virus by touching, kissing, or having sexual contact, including
vaginal, anal, and oral sex. Several factors lead to the spread of HSV, including
having sexual contact with someone who does not have any obvious sores and with
someone who has a clear outbreak of the virus. An outbreak means that the sexual
partner has visible sores or blisters in the genital area. These sores give off
(or shed) some of the virus that can infect the other partner. The virus is most
contagious when the sores are visible and open and are producing a discharge.

Symptoms

Once someone is infected, symptoms begin to appear within two to twenty days. The first outbreak is usually the most severe and lasts the longest. Early symptoms can last two to three weeks and can include discomfort (itching, burning, or pain) in the genital or anal area, discharge from the vagina, and a feeling of pressure in the abdomen.

Risk Factors

It is possible to develop genital herpes with or without the risk factors discussed here; however, the more risk factors one has, the greater the likelihood of becoming infected with genital herpes. Studies have found that cases of genital herpes have continued to increase. From the 1970’s to the 1990’s, the incidence of HSV-2, the virus that causes genital herpes, has increased by 30 percent.

Anyone who is sexually active (has vaginal, oral, or anal contact with others) can get genital herpes. If a person has oral herpes and performs oral sex, it is possible for that person’s partner to develop genital herpes from that contact.

The following factors can increase the risk of becoming infected with genital herpes:

Behaviors. Having unprotected sex, becoming sexually active at a young age, having been sexually active for many years, having had several sexual partners, having a partner who is infected with genital herpes, and anal sex.

Gender. Women (one of every four women) are more likely than men (one of every five) to become infected with genital herpes.

Socioeconomics. The majority of new infections occur in adolescents and young adults (ages twenty to forty years). In young adults, HSV-1 infection is becoming a more common cause of genital herpes.

Health. Persons with a higher risk of genital herpes are those
with human
immunodeficiency virus infection, a history of other sexually
transmitted infections, and a weak immune system.

Outside factors. Studies suggest there are several things that can trigger the virus and make it active, including stress, excessive sunlight, menstruation, and vigorous sexual activity.

Symptoms

Not all persons are aware they have genital herpes, mostly because they may not have symptoms. They may also not recognize the symptoms if they have them. When first infected, a person has the following symptoms, which appear within two to ten days:

Early symptoms that can last two to three weeks include itching, burning, and pain in the genital or anal area; discharge from the vagina; flulike symptoms, such as fever and swollen glands; and pressure in the abdomen (the area below the stomach).

As the infection progresses, symptoms of an outbreak include sores that start to form on the part of the body where the virus was contracted; sores that begin as small red bumps, develop into blisters, and then become painful open sores; sores or blisters that appear and occur in clusters or small groupings; vaginal discharge; pain when urinating; and flulike symptoms, including fever, muscle aches, swollen glands, and headache.

The outbreak is coming to an end when, after a few days, the sores form a scablike outer layer and then fall off. The virus will recur and become active and inactive over time. The frequency of these recurrences varies from person to person. One may experience symptoms a number of times throughout a given year or may experience an outbreak only once or twice in a lifetime. Doctors and researchers do not yet know why these recurrences happen.

Every case of genital herpes is unique. The average number of outbreaks that a person experiences each year is about four or five. The first year of the virus is usually the worst. The first outbreak is usually the most severe and painful, with the second occurrence often happening only a few weeks later. As time goes on, the frequency of outbreaks lessens and the outbreaks become much less severe. Recurrences tend to become milder and last usually only a week.

Genital herpes also can result in no symptoms. One can still spread genital herpes even if he or she does not experience symptoms or if the symptoms are inactive.

Many people fail to recognize the symptoms of genital herpes. Women often
confuse the discomfort with their menstrual period or with an itchy yeast
infection. Men often confuse the symptoms with jock itch or
friction burn. Symptoms of genital herpes have also been mistaken for insect bites
or hemorrhoids.

Screening and Diagnosis

Sometimes genital herpes is easy to diagnose because the blisters or open sores around the genital area are easily visible, but oftentimes, for an adequate diagnosis, one will need more than an examination. Also, one can have genital herpes yet display no visible sores.

During an examination, laboratory tests will be done to determine if HSV is in the body. These tests will also determine whether the infection is caused by HSV-1 or by HSV-2.

The following tests are used to check for genital herpes:

Viral culture. If the infection is visible, the doctor will rub a
swab over an open sore or blister to collect some cells. The cells are then tested
to see if the virus is present in those cells. It is recommended that this culture
test be taken within the first forty-eight hours after symptoms appear. The
problem with this test is that if the body’s immune system
already killed the herpesvirus from that sore, the test
may come back negative for genital herpes, leading to a false-negative
diagnosis.

Blood tests. These blood tests are also called antibody tests
because they measure HSV antibodies, the disease-fighting
substances in the blood. If the blood tests show HSV antibodies, the affected
person is most likely infected with HSV. Newer tests can even distinguish between
HSV-1 and HSV-2. It is recommended that one wait a minimum of twelve to sixteen
weeks from possible exposure to herpes so that the body has enough time to develop
antibodies. This will ensure a more accurate blood test.

Specific blood tests include a point of care test, in which the physician gets a small blood sample from the patient (by pricking the skin). Results are available in less than ten minutes. This blood test checks for the presence of HSV-2 antibodies. The HerpeSelect ELISA (enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay), the HerpeSelect Immunoblot, and Captiva HSV IgG Type Specific ELISA all involve the patient going to a lab, where blood will be drawn from a vein for testing for HSV-1 or HSV-2 antibodies. Results are available in approximately one to two weeks. None of these tests, however, can pinpoint the site of the infection.

Treatment and Therapy

There is no cure for genital herpes and no surgical option for treatment. There are, however, medications that treat the symptoms and help prevent future outbreaks.

Prevention and Outcomes

Because there is no cure, behavioral change is the best way to lower the risk of contracting the virus and spreading it to others. Abstaining or refraining from sex is the most certain way to avoid contracting genital herpes. Another preventive measure is to have a long-term mutually monogamous (only one exclusive sexual partner) with someone who does not have genital herpes. Persons should avoid sexual contact with others during a genital herpes outbreak, and one should always use a condom during sex. Persons with cold sores (a blister caused by HSV-1 infection) should avoid kissing other people and should avoid oral sex.

One should recognize when the disease is most contagious and know that the virus can be spread even if the person does not have visible sores or is not experiencing an outbreak. One should not touch any visible sores or blisters and should wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water if a sore or blister is touched. One can ensure against spreading the virus to other parts of the body, such as the mouth or eyes, by not touching sores and then touching these uninfected areas.

One can also take medications, such as valacyclovir, that are approved by the
U.S. Food and
Drug Administration for use in preventing the spread of
genital herpes. Taking valacyclovir only reduces the risk of transmission by 50
percent. A better way to protect oneself and one’s partner is to take valacyclovir
and use a condom.

Bibliography

American Academy of Dermatology. “Herpes Simplex.” Available at http://www.aad.org. A brief but comprehensive discussion of the herpes simplex virus and its dermatological manifestations.

Drake, S., et al. “Improving the Care of Patients with Genital Herpes.” British Medical Journal 321 (2000): 619-623. A clinician’s guide to caring for persons with HSV genital infection.

Groves, M. J. “Transmission of Herpes Simplex Virus via Oral Sex.” American Family Physician 73 (2006): 1153. Discusses how HSV infection, including cold sores, is transmissible through oral sex.

“Herpes Simplex.” In Ferri’s Clinical Advisor 2011: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment, edited by Fred F. Ferri. Philadelphia: Mosby/Elsevier, 2011. Provides recommendations on clinical treatments for HSV infections.

Langlais, Robert P., and Craig S. Miller. Color Atlas of Common Oral Diseases. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009. Provides six hundred color photographs of the most commonly seen oral conditions, including HSV infections, and descriptive text for each condition.

Is Donald Trump's real name actually Donald Drumpf?

The answer to this depends on how you are going to define the term “real name.”  It is clear that Donald Trump never went by the name “Donald Drumpf.”  It is also clear that at least some of his ancestors did spell their last name “Drumpf.”  It is unclear as to exactly when they changed from Drumpf to Trump.  So, if a man’s real name is the name his parents gave him when he was born, Trump’s real name is Trump.  If you feel that a man’s real last name is whatever last name his ancestors used first, then Trump’s real last name might be Drumpf.

If we are going to say that a person’s real name is the name they were given when they were born, then the answer to this is very easy.  Donald Trump’s parents used the last name “Trump.”  They gave their son that last name.  The Donald Trump who is running for president has never been named Donald Drumpf.

If we are going to say that a man’s real last name is the first last name his ancestors on his father’s side used, things get much more complicated.  First of all, last names are a relatively new thing.  Europeans only started using last names something like 500 or 600 years ago.  Second, accurate records of things like names and dates of birth are not always available going very far back in history.  Records were not always kept and records that were kept were often lost in fires, floods, or wars.  Third, in many places, people would not spell their names consistently.  William Shakespeare, for example, signed his name with different spellings at different times and even his published works did not always spell his name the same way.  What this means is that it will be very hard to know what some family’s “true” name was back in 1500 or so.  This makes it hard to say what someone’s “real” last name is if we believe that we have to discover their family’s original last name.

In Trump’s case, it seems clear that some of his ancestors did spell their last name “Drumpf” at some points in history.  There are different stories as to when they changed the name permanently.  However, none of these stories say that “Drumpf” was used as late as the time of Trump’s father’s birth.  Some stories say that Trump’s grandfather changed the name while others say the name was changed as long ago as the 1600s.

If a man’s “real” name is the name his parents gave him, Donald Trump’s real name is Trump.  If his real name is the name his ancestors first used when they started to use last names, his real name might be Drumpf or it might be something else entirely.

An object is on the ground and launched up into the air at a velocity of 30 m/s. What would be the object's potential energy at its maximum height?

Hello!

The only force acting on this projectile object is the gravity force `mg.` By Newton's Second law, an object's motion is uniformly accelerated (or we can say "decelerated") from the start to the point of maximum height.

The velocity will be `V(t)=V_0-g t,` where `V_0` is the initial speed, and the height will be `H(t)=V_0 t - (g t^2)/2.` Therefore the time of maximum height will be `t_1=V_0/g` and the height itself will be `V_0^2/(2g).`

The potential energy will be `mgh=(m V_0^2 )/2.` It is necessary to know the mass of an object to find its potential energy.

We could also find this answer from the energy conservation law. At the start, the only type of energy is kinetic, `(mV_0^2)/2` and at the maximum height, the speed is zero and the only type of energy is potential, and they must coincide.

In F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Winter Dreams," what does Judy represent to Dexter?

For Dexter, Judy represents all that glitters. That is, she is the embodiment of ambition and success, money, and beauty.

That's what Dexter wants, and that's why he never sees her as she truly is. Judy is just human, but Dexter sees her as perfect, as the key to his happiness. She isn't, and Dexter's bubble is burst at the end of the story when he finally realizes this.

Let's take a look at some evidence for this idea that Judy represents all that is desirable to Dexter: beauty, riches, and success.

First, let's note that Dexter is highly ambitious, even in his youth. He doesn't even have to work as a teenager, since his dad makes enough money to support their family, but Dexter works anyway--day in and day out, he caddies at the golf course, all for a few dollars a day. He wants the "pocket-money," or the money he can have on his own to spend.

More evidence of Dexter's ambition and success appears when the narrator informs us of it directly, and when we see Dexter climbing higher in the social and financial hierarchies:

• "He wanted not association with glittering things and glittering people--he wanted the glittering things themselves. Often he reached out for the best without knowing why he wanted it--and sometimes he ran up against the mysterious denials and prohibitions in which life indulges."


• "He made money. It was rather amazing."


• "Before he was twenty-seven he owned the largest string of laundries in his section of the country."


• (Spoken by Dexter to Judy) "I'm probably making more money than any man my age in the Northwest." 

So we know that Dexter wants to possess wealth, specifically "the glittering things" in life, and we know he wants to possess Judy, although she continually torments him. (She's constantly drawing him in, then pushing him away.) Dexter realizes that he can never truly have her, but he still desires her because for him, she's not just the epitome of beauty, but also his loftiest, most unattainable goal in life.

Why would we say she represents money then, or "all that glitters"? Because, in the story, Judy literally glitters.

Every time her beauty is described in the story, you get a mental image of a figure bathed in golden light. Here's the most relevant of these images:

"Judy Jones, a slender enamelled doll in cloth of gold: gold in a band at her head, gold in two slipper points at her dress's hem. The fragile glow of her face seemed to blossom as she smiled at him."

She's dressed in gold, wearing a halo, and glowing. She glimmers. That image of Judy as something that glitters, and as a creature who's more than human (part angel and part doll) helps support the idea that she represents success, beauty, and money for Dexter, which is what he wants.

What are the contrasts/contradictions in "Raymond's Run"?

In Toni Cade Bambara’s short story “Raymond’s Run” there are a number of examples of contrast/contradiction. As a reader, you notice contrast/contradiction when a character says or does something that is out of the ordinary when compared to what the character did earlier in the story. When a reader realizes this is occurring, it signals a change, after which inferences about the character or situation can be formed.

One contrast/contradiction evident in “Raymond’s Run” is the change in Squeaky’s feelings towards Gretchen from the beginning of the story to its end. Prior to the May Day race, Gretchen is Squeaky’s adversary. The girls show their disdain for one another when they meet on Broadway. Squeaky does not pay attention to the other girls, but directs her comments to Gretchen when she is taunted about losing the race.

“I always win cause I’m the best,” I say straight at Gretchen who is, as far as I’m concerned, the only one talking in this ventriloquist-dummy routine. Gretchen smiles, but it’s not a smile, and I’m thinking that girls never really smile at each other because they don’t know how and don’t want to know how and there’s probably no one to teach us how, cause grown-up girls don’t know either.

At the conclusion of the story, when Gretchen comes in a close second, Squeaky changes her mind and shows new respect for Gretchen. They exchange a “real” smile that demonstrates their newfound admiration for one other.

And I look over at Gretchen wondering what the “P” stands for. And I smile. Cause she’s good, no doubt about it. Maybe she’d like to help me coach Raymond; she obviously is serious about running, as any fool can see. And she nods to congratulate me and then she smiles. And I smile. We stand there with this big smile of respect between us.

Another contrast/contradiction in the story is Squeaky’s attitude about her disabled brother. At the beginning of the story, she views her responsibility for his care as her “job” in the family. Everywhere she goes, Raymond tags along. Sometimes he is a bit difficult, but Squeaky fiercely defends him against the neighborhood children when they make rude remarks about his abilities. Although she supports him, she does not see his potential until the end of the story when he matches her run stride for stride.

Squeaky finds new respect for both Gretchen and Raymond, which contrasts with or contradicts her feelings for them at the beginning of the story. Perhaps she settles some of her inner contradictions in the process.

Why does Atticus say the law is rigid for "common folk," but is bent in certain ways for the Ewells?

Scout's lesson about who the law applies to comes when she says that she doesn't want to go to school because the Ewells do not. Atticus explains Scout has to go to school because the Ewells are a special case. That is why they are able to get away with only attending the first day of school every year.

The Ewells are a special case because they are very set in their ways. They have been the same for generations. Mr. Ewell is lazy and will not change. The town officials know if they do not bend the laws for Bob Ewell, his children will not eat. That is why they look the other way.

Atticus explains to Scout that the Ewells she goes to school with behave the same way all the generations before them did.

Atticus said the Ewells had been the disgrace of Maycomb for three generations. None of them had done an honest day’s work in his recollection. . . They were people, but they lived like animals. “They can go to school any time they want to, when they show the faintest symptom of wanting an education,” said Atticus (Chapter 3). 

Atticus wants Scout to understand Maycomb bends the law for the Ewells because the Ewells are breaking the law. The Ewells live outside the law. They are not a regular part of society. The laws they break do not really hurt anyone outside their family. The law against hunting is for hunting for sport. Mr. Ewell is hunting to feed his family because he refuses to get a job. 

After the trial, Mr. Ewell's inability to hold down a job is confirmed when he is given a job after being in the town spotlight, but loses it just as quickly. 

The first thing was that Mr. Bob Ewell acquired and lost a job in a matter of days and probably made himself unique in the annals of the nineteen-thirties: he was the only man I ever heard of who was fired from the WPA for laziness (Chapter 27).

Bob Ewell is unable to exist in the regular framework of society. It is the way he was raised and the way his family operates. His children will likely be the same way, if Burris Ewell is any indication.  

In Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters, what are three examples of Mrs. Charles Bliss's attitude towards preachers and judges?

In Poem 88 of Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology, we hear the voice of Mrs. Charles Bliss, a woman who wants to divorce her husband but who is advised against it by her preacher and a judge. 

There are several moments in the poem which reveal her negative attitude about preachers and judges. First, at the opening of the poem she relates that her reverend (preacher) advised her against divorce and the judge advised her husband the same. Both gave this advice for the "sake of the children." As the poem continues, Mrs. Bliss explains that the children sided with different parents which caused the children to grieve and blame. This division caused the children pain. 

Second, the poem makes a comparison between how people would give advice for avoiding problems and pain. She compares the advice from the reverend and judge to the advice a gardener would give; the gardener knows that plants grown in darkness will not thrive. This comparison suggests that the advice-givers should have known the children would suffer from growing up in a divided house. Next, she compares the advice to "diseased milk" which no mother would give her child. Again, this suggests that the advice she received was harmful and even poisonous to the children because it caused them to suffer when their parents would not separate. 

Finally, with the ending line of the poem she rails against preachers and judges who advise the "raising of souls" in darkness and cold - an unhappy family - rather than allowing the parents to divorce. The final line - her exclamation "Preachers and judges!" - suggests just how much she blames them for her unhappiness and that of her children. 

It's worth noting that her last name - Bliss - implies great happiness, but this name is ironic since Mrs. Bliss is certainly very unhappy. 

In "A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry, why does Ben Price let Jimmy Valentine go?

Ben Price is motivated by the same feelings that most of the readers of the story experience. They are happy to see Jimmy Valentine going straight and prospering. They understand what a sacrifice he is making when he exposes his safecracking tools and goes to work expertly breaking into the supposedly state-of-the-art impregnable bank vault to save the life of the hysterical little girl trapped inside. Ben Price is not a government detective but a private investigator who probably works for the big firm of Pinkerton's Detective Agency. As such, he is not obligated to arrest Jimmy but can use his own discretion. He sees that Jimmy is a changed man and feels certain, as do the readers, that Jimmy will never be a threat to society again, but instead will be a good family man and a pillar of the community. So Ben pretends not to recognize Ralph Spencer as Jimmy Valentine and lets him retrieve his reformation. This is a surprise ending. It is also quite satisfying to O. Henry's readers.

What is King Duncan's relationship to Macbeth while at Dunsinane?

While Duncan is visiting the Macbeths early in the play, his relationship with Macbeth, Thane of Glamis and now Thane of Cawdor, is incredibly friendly and familiar.  Duncan and Macbeth are kinsmen as well as friends, and Macbeth has always been so loyal to the king that Duncan has recently awarded him with the new title.  They have always had a good relationship and Duncan has no reason now to think that anything has changed. 

Macbeth, however, has received the prophecies from the Weird Sisters that he would become Thane of Cawdor (which has already happened) and then king, and so he is considering committing the terrible crime of regicide, killing the man who is his king, friend, kinsman, and guest.  So, while Duncan imagines that their relationship is a loyal as it has always been, Macbeth is busy planning Duncan's murder with his ruthless wife. 

What does history tell us about the motivations of God, gold, and glory?

The answer to this question is largely a matter of opinion.  It is very difficult to tell, 500 years later, why Europeans went out to explore.  This is partly because the evidence from history is very ambiguous.  Let us examine some possible answers to this question.

One possible answer is that history tells us that the Spanish were much more motivated by God than the English were.  When the Spanish conquered, they took priests with them.  It was priests who established the first Spanish outposts in places like Texas and California.  The Spanish converted all the natives with whom they came in contact.  By contrast, the English did not do this.  When the English came to North America, they did not make a strong effort to convert the natives.  They did not send religious people out to set up missions among the Indians.  They were much more likely to simply push the Indians off the land.  This, we can argue, is proof that “God” meant much more to the Spanish than it did to the English, who only cared abut “gold” and “glory.”

Another answer is that none of the European countries really cared about “God.”  They really wanted “gold” and “glory” and used “God” as a pretext.  As discussed above, we do not have to take the idea that the English cared about “God” seriously.  Let us look, then, at Spain.  We can argue that Spain really just used God as a means of social control.  In this view, Spain was not truly interested in the spiritual welfare of the Native Americans.  What Spain actually wanted was another way of making sure that the natives did what the Spanish wanted.  By converting them, the Spanish did this.  The natives could now be told that they should obey the Spanish not because the Spanish were powerful, but because that was what God wanted.  Converting the natives would also make sure that they were not loyal to priests or other religious leaders who might be anti-Spanish.  While it is certainly possible to make this argument, it is also impossible to actually prove whether the argument is accurate.

What is clearly true is that European countries were strongly motivated by gold and glory.  They worked hard to conquer new territories and they extracted all the wealth they could from those territories.  They tried to maintain large empires because those empires made it seem as if they were important and powerful countries.  There is nothing in the historical record to suggest that any country was interested only in “God” and not at all interested in “gold” or “glory.”

So, what history tells us is that European countries were clearly motivated by two parts of this triad.  However, it is more ambiguous as to whether they were actually motivated by “God.”  It seems clear that England was not motivated by God to any great extent, but it is difficult to determine whether other countries like Spain actually did care about spreading religion for its own sake.

How would you compare the contents of a cell to the items in a purse?

Because some of the central aspects of a cell's nature are that it's alive, consumes food, produces waste, and responds to its environment, this isn't the best analogy. A purse is just a container, so we end up missing most of the "active" elements of comparison because they simply don't exist in a purse.

The outside of the purse is analogous to the cell membrane, in that it provides structure and support, and establishes the boundaries. The zipper or opening to the purse could be considered analogous to a selective channel protein—only certain things are "allowed" to go into the purse. The purse contents are analogous to organelles in that each one performs a specific function. 

Unfortunately, this is about as detailed as we can get while limiting ourselves to the contents of the purse; we miss out on important elements like the nucleus, which contains the cell's genetic information and guides most of its actions. A purse lacks any analogy to this function unless you start to take its owner into consideration, but at that point you're just comparing the cell to a human and the way a human uses tools.

A better analogy for the cell would be a factory, assembly line, farm, or bakery. These comparisons are more accurate because they focus on production and response, as the cell does, and they are active under their own direction.

Where in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird does it talk about Mayella offering Tom Robinson a nickel?

The idea that Mayella offered Tom a nickel for his services is presented twice in To Kill a Mockingbird.  In her testimony against Tom Robinson (Chapter 18), Mayella states that she offered Tom a nickel to "bust a chiffarobe" and that when he came into the house to do so, he instead chose to attack her.  According to that story, Bob Ewell happened on the scene shortly thereafter.

In Tom's testimony in Chapter 19, he addresses the idea that Mayella offered him a nickel.  He states that she did offer him a nickel the previous spring, but that he chopped up the piece of furniture that she requested without taking the nickel.  As for the night in question (the night of Mayella's alleged rape), Tom stated that he honored Mayella's request to help her fix a door, and that she, in turn, kissed him.  It was then that Bob Ewell arrived on the scene.

Thus, the nickel comes up in both testimonies (Mayella's in Chapter 18 and Tom's in 19), albeit in two different ways.