Thursday, April 17, 2008

Philippine Applicants

Due to 'spur-of-the-moment' applications received online, all serious applicants who are:
  • willing to spend at least 20 hours per week for a part-time research & writing job
  • good command of English
  • graduate of any 4-year course
  • preferably with English writing experience in school or at work

must bring transcript and resume as well as determination to pass an exam (basically a 5-6 pages essay) to the office-residence of our new coordinator: Jun Cruz, 2F Lands St., Vasra Village, Diliman (near Project 6, old Kadiwa/NFA, or PTV-4) every Monday office hours ONLY. Landmark is "Kambingan" restaurant in Visayas Avenue.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Wanted Academic Writers

We are currently accepting freelance applicants for Academic Writing & Research. HOW TO WORK WITH US:
  • We operate through internet email system only. But we have coordinators for each country with legally registered oganisation and their representative to provide update as well as payment for tasks completed every 15 days. We provide your contact organisation and person upon passing the online examination.
  • To apply, send in your resume at care4com@yahoo.co.uk indicating your subject expertise/ topic preferred. A timed examintaion notice shall be sent to your shortly.
  • Upon passing the exam, you shall be provided your rate per page and a sample structure which is generally followed as the format of an essay. You may take in starting 2 pages to 12 pages per day. Upon proving your capability to write and timely submission, more tasks may be assigned to you per day depending on the availability of orders and topics you can handle.
  • We encourage writers to take in more orders per day.
  • We encourage you to communicate openly about problems of task assigned in a timely manner with your local coordinator (no available sources, more time needed, more assignments, etc).
  • Please avoid plagiarism (always "quote" a direct copied material with the source immediately after it). List all sources with complete information under Reference section required after an essay.
  • Please always submit before the deadline indicated.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

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Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Anti-Racism and Provision of Social Care in UK (Essay)

The Significance of Anti-Racism on British Development and Provision of Social Care Introduction In order to asses the significance of anti-racism on the development and provision of Social Care in the United Kingdom, it is necessary to examine closely what are the existing anti-racism laws applicable to every individual in the United Kingdom regardless of ethnicity, religion or place of origin. In going through this, international laws through the United Nations, European laws as mandated by the membership of the United Kingdom to the European Council, existing treatises, among others that uphold the rights of every individual shall be incorporated in the discussion in order to facilitate clearly the link between these anti-racism laws or policies in the development and provision of social care. Likewise, it is also necessary to define and enumerate social care policies and existing provisions found in the United Kingdom and establish whether or not these are implemented, taken seriously in the parliament and various government agencies for development and improvisation, as may be necessary. But in consideration of the above, it is also necessary to integrate notions of racism, and ethnicity in this topic as may be described by Cashmore and Troyna (1990, p 2) as “A number of people who perceive themselves to be in some way united because of their sharing either a common background, present position or future-or a combination of these. The ethnic group is subjectively defined in that it is what the group members themselves feel to be important in defining them as a united people that marks them off, and not what others consider them to be. There is frequently a coincidence between what others feel to be a racial group and what the members themselves think of themselves. For example, whites may think of Asians as a racial group; Asians may think of themselves as united and therefore an ethnic group.” Discussion Politically, it is the aim of every policymaker and legislator to imbibe freedom, justice and equality among individuals in a constituency irregardless of age, gender, economic status, religion, colour, language or ethnicity. Policies and laws are established in order to facilitate what may be perceived as ideal and socially or politically correct society. But in reality, since the May 1954 court decision in the United States when Chief Justice Warren asked, “'Does segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race, even though the physical facilities and other “tangible” factors may be equal, deprive the children of the minority group of equal educational opportunities?” and answered “'We believe that it does…in the field of public education the doctrine of “separate but equal” has no place,” (Cashmore and Troyna, 1990, p 122) there is much to be done in order to promote anti-racism worldwide, including in the United Kingdom. In the book, the importance of education was also emphasised in order to achieve mentioned ideals on equality based on the assumptions that “education equips us to be aware, sensitive and contributing members of society. Second, that we can improve ourselves socially by being educated and gaining the qualifications that are likely to lead to well-paid and prestigious jobs. Third, that through learning from and about others, we can liberate ourselves from the ignorance and prejudices of those before us,” (Cashmore and Troyna, 1990, p 107) but it has been conceived that education policies such as the 1944 Act failed to achieve its good intentions, but “the social position of parents has an important bearing on what their children achieve at schools.” If the foundation for achieving eradication of racism and discrimination was only achievable in ideals, how much more have minority races have to bear? Existing anti-racism laws and policies. There exists international laws such as the International Bill of Human Rights with existing bodies that safeguard and monitor these rights: the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), their instruments such as the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (1989, No. 169), and the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to national or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. As for the prevention of discrimination, there is the Equal Remuneration Convention (1951, No. 100), the Discrimination (Employment and occupation Convention (1958, No. 111), the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, and the Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice (OHCHR, 2006). The Race Relations Act created the Commission for racial Equality (Blackstone, Parekh & Sanders, 1998) and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 Chapter 34 provided the background for the current Social Work Services’ Anti-Racism Action Plan issued in 2002. It requires all named public authorities to “eliminate unlawful racial discrimination, promote equality of opportunity, promote good race relations” and the general duty applies to Scottish Ministers, the National Health Services, the Police, bodies who discharge a function on behalf of a Public Authority under contract, and Local Authorities. It also requires that such bodies “assess and consult on the policy’s likely impact, monitor the policy for adverse impact on race equality, publish the results of the above, ensure public access to information and services, train all staff in their new duties under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act” (Glasgow Council, 2006). It was noted under the Race relations Act that “When originally enacted the Race Relations Act 1976 ("the 1976 Act") made it unlawful to discriminate on racial grounds in relation to employment, training and education, the provision of goods, facilities and services, and certain other specified activities only. The 1976 Act applied to race discrimination by public authorities in these areas but not all functions of public authorities were covered. The 1976 Act makes employers vicariously liable for acts of race discrimination committed by their employees in the course of their employment, subject to a defence that the employer took such steps as were reasonably practicable to prevent the employee discriminating. However, police officers are office-holders, not employees. Chief officers of police were, therefore, not vicariously liable under the 1976 Act for acts of race discrimination by police officers. The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) in its Third Review of the 1976 Act proposed that the Act should be extended to all public services and that vicarious liability should be extended to the police. The Report of the Inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence recommended, among other things, "that the full force of the Race Relations legislation should apply to all police officers, and that Chief Officers of Police should be made vicariously liable for the acts and omissions of their officers relevant to that legislation." SUMMARY OF THE 2000 ACT The 2000 Act's main purposes are to: extend further the 1976 Act in relation to public authorities, outlawing race discrimination in functions not previously covered; place a duty on specified public authorities to work towards the elimination of unlawful discrimination and promote equality of opportunity and good relations between persons of different racial groups; make chief officers of police vicariously liable for acts of race discrimination by police officers; and amend the exemption under the 1976 Act for acts done for the purposes of safeguarding national security,” (Crown Copyright, 2000). For the education sector where children are prepared to become progressive and contributing members of the society, anti-racism is promoted. Schools are mandated to adopt and implement policies that render equal opportunities of all races, ethnicity, gender, colour and religion. Likewise, local and city governments are enjoined to promote anti-racism as exemplified by the Glasgow’s Anti-Racist Policy Statement providing: “developing proactive and effective anti-racist policies across all our services sustained implementation of the Commission for Racial Equality Standard "Racial Equality means Quality" strengthening the inclusion of all communities in the development of Council policy and the delivery of services establishment of effective consultation mechanisms which allow the voice of all excluded and black and minority ethnic communities to be heard, including young people within those communities monitoring service delivery to black and minority ethnic communities and publishing results in an annual review targeting resources (both existing and new) towards tackling racism and exclusion,” (Glasgow City Council, 2006). Social Care Services. There are a varying degree of provision and support for most of the activities of individuals that may be or should have been supported with social services. These include adult protection, child protection services, community care, counselling, day care, family support, foster care, informal care, leaving care, long stay care, long term care, mediation, mentoring, multi-disciplinary services, placement, residential care, respite care, short term care, social care provision, and transitional services (SCIE, 2006). These services, in view of the individual rights protection and privileges of every individual, may be availed irregardless of financial status, language and ethnicity. There may be adjustments to provisions depending on the availability of public services and private services which may be applicable for the individual in need. Indications of Racism in the United Kingdom It is not enough to declare that racism is eliminated or that there exist anti-racism laws and policies within the United Kingdom. Manifestation of violations would indicate otherwise and gauge how well does provision and development of social care are implemented. One such case is what the media such as the BBC News (2002) have presented to the public, which is the “blame the victim” culture or mentality focused on the death of British African Stephen Lawrence, of which the compulsory tests on language and British society for immigrants was also linked. As a result of the protest on Lawrence’s case, the 1999 McPherson Inquiry outlined that, “Institutional racism is the collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin. It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and racist stereotyping which disadvantage minority ethnic people,” (Edinburgh Council, 2006). Another news report (Howe, 2003) where the British police was alleged to have “harboured the vilest forms of racial prejudice and hostility to blacks and Asians.” 12 policemen have resigned or were suspended on matters to do with race on that report that castigated on Home Secretary David Blunkett (Howe, 2003). In a report (Sacdev, 2002) tackling improvements in service provision to minority ethnic communities that reviewed researches undertaken to examine the efficacy and appropriateness of service provision, had the study by Jones and Butt (1995) conclude that there exists confusion and inactivity when it comes to servicing Black families by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) child protection teams of which 50 out of 61 teams surveyed working with Black families were perceived as a white organisation providing services for mainly white clients. The research found evidence that specialist Black projects were established but mainstream social care services cannot meet the needs of Black children and families. In another 1997 study (Barn, Sinclair and Ferdinand) examining how three social services departments meet the needs of minority ethnic families and children, it was found out that local authorities lack adequate management information systems focusing on race and ethnicity, religion, language and diet so that it could meet the needs of minority ethnic children, promote their welfare and protection. An inspection of eight social services departments (SSDs) by the Social Services Inspectorate, found that most SSDs lack enough strategies in place to deliver appropriate services to minority ethnic families while offering services to children and families that did not meet their proper needs sensitively (O’Neale, 2000). Likewise, in a survey of 84 family centres in nine local authority areas (Butt and Box, 1998) found that although Black families found the centres to be useful in ensuring their survival, majority of the centres are not accessible to Black families in need. This demonstrates the services provided by the statutory sector. Neither the adoption of equal opportunities policies (EOPs) was enough to guarantee availability and accessibility of services for ethnic minority families. Lack of information about available services are also a major barrier to parents in accessing family support as revealed by the study exploring use of family support services by South Asian Families (Qureshi, Berridge and Wenman, 2000). The study further found there is a low level of family support for Asian families and low level of access caused by lack of specific policies focusing on social service provision to South Asian families, lack of professionals and senior managers from the South Asian community in the department, negative assumptions about South Asian families, and lack of confidence and skills in the departmental staff to provide culturally proper services. Another racial issue that has been raised in several studies pertain to undocumented workers or “illegal aliens” (Guarnizo and Smith, 1998 and Anderson, 2001) where immigration policies become the trigger of racism. It has been pointed out that the British state view them uniformly, their origin states present the problems, as encountered in their embassies where the regularisation process is underestimated. In the studies, it was found out that employers in the UK who are supposed to support and use the policy use them as a weapon to “hold” their workers (Anderson, 2001). Conclusion: Cashmore and Troyna (1990) already presupposed that “race relations situations are very much alive in contemporary society. And where race relations situations exist, so does inequality. And where inequality exists for longish periods one expects conflict.” While there is an obvious on-going debate on race world wide, the United Kingdom, in its effort to minimise aggravating situations such as terrorism due to racism, it becomes a question that flow from the political leaders such as Blunkett down to the stream of services including the social services departments. It can be argued that the gaps in social care provision by the statutory sector led to the burgeoning of volunteers that complements these needs by efficient voluntary and private sectors which abound in the United Kingdom as may be revealed in the study undertaken by Butt and Box (1997). But it cannot be said that voluntary services and provisions are comprehensive and adequately address needs of the diverse race and minority ethnic groups in the UK. It has always been suggested that in order to succeed in anti-racism, all sectors, public and private, but most especially on the government sector, must join hands and be vigilant in promoting and implementing equality in political, economic, and social aspects and not limit campaigns in policies and lip service. References: Barn, R., Sinclair, R. and Ferdinand, D. “Acting on Principle: An Examination of Race and Ethnicity in Social Services Provision for Children and Families.” British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering, London. 1997. BBC News. “UK’s anti-racism policies ‘failing’.” 23 February 2002. From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1837365.stm Blackstone, Tessa, Bhikhu Parekh and Peter Sanders. Race Relations in Britain: A Developing Agenda. Routledge. 1998. Butt, J. and Box, L. “Supportive Services, Effective Strategies.” Race Equality Unit. 1997. Butt, J. and Box, L. “Family Centred: The Use of Family Centres by Black Communities.” Race Equality Unit. 1998. Cashmore, Ellis and Barry Troyna. Introduction to Race Relations. Falmer Press. 1990. City of Edinburgh Council, The. “Anti-bullying and Anti-racist Policy and Guidelines for Educational Establishments.” 2006. From http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/CEC/Education/bullyinginfo/bullypolicy.html Crown Copyright. “Explanatory Notes to Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 Chapter 34.” 2000. Glasgow City Council “Glasgow’s Anti-Racist Policy Statement.” July 2006. From http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/YourCouncil/PolicyPlanning_Strategy/ServiceDepartments/SocialWork/glasgowcitycouncilsocialworkservicesantiracismactionplan20012004.htm Howe, Darcus. “Only Undercover Reporting Could Reveal the Truth about Racism in the Police.” New Statesman, Vol. 132, October 27, 2003. Macy, M. “Towards racial justice? A re-evaluation of anti-racism.” Critical Social Policy, 44-45. 1995. pp 126-146. Modood, T. “Ethnicity and Complexity in Challenge, Change and Opportunioty: Overview Texts and Agenda. The Future of Multi-ethnic Britain: Report on the Conference.” University of Reading, Autumn. The Runnymede Trust, London. 1994. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. “Charter of the United Nations.” OHCHR. 1996-2006. From http://www.ohchr.org/english/law/ O’Neale, V. “Excellence Not Excuses: Inspection of Services for Ethnic Minority Children and Families.” Department of Health, London. 2000. Qureshi, T., Berridge, D. and Wenman, H. “Where to Turn? Family Support for Asian Communities.” National Children’s Bureau, London. 2000. Sacdev, Darshan. “Are We Listening Yet? Working with minority ethnic communities – some models of practice – Summary.” Barnardo’s. 2002. From http://www.barnardos.org.uk/resources Singh, S. and Patel, VKP. “Regarding Scotland’s Black Children: Policy, Practice and Provision.” Barnardo’s Family Placement Services and Scottish Black Workers Forum, Glasgow. 1998. Social Care Institute for Excellence. “Social Care Services.” Accessed Oct. 10 2006. From http://www.scie-socialcareonline.org.uk/copyright.asp

Press Release Sample

Importance of Nutrition to Schoolchildren (A Press Release for Department of Education)) Last May, the United Nations Children’s Fund said the Philippines rank ninth among 10 developing nations with the most number of underweight children below five years old stating further there were three million children aged five and below who are underweight. The report, conducted in 1996 to 2005 which appeared in Inq7 in May 6, said that 30% of the underweight under five in the Philippines suffer from stunting or being too short for their age while six percent have been classified as wasted or dangerously thin. Unicef country representative Dr. Nicholas Alipui wrote to the media, “This should serve as a challenge for the country to build a system and mechanism capable of implementing comprehensive nutrition interventions supported by all key players.” The Department of Education, nevertheless, has continuously been active in promoting children nutrition through the Feeding Program. Locally, the program is delegated to Home Economics teachers and partially subsidized by the local schools like the school canteen which may fund about 20% percent of the expenses in a twice a week Feeding Program. Nutritious foods such as “arroz caldo” garnished with school garden vegetables like “malunggay” as well as “sopas” with carrots, beans, cabbage and other vegetables were given to school children. Nutrition health problems had been noted to be one of the preventable diseases, which unfortunately claimed about 9942 Filipino children in 1997 alone as reported by Unicef. Malnutrition is caused by overlapping deficiencies of protein, energy and micronutrients (nutrients needed by the body in small or tiny amounts), inadequate food intake, poor health services, lack of safe water and sanitation, and inadequate child and maternal care. Parents are urged to serve fresh fruits, vegetables, fruit juice and as much as possible, home-cooked foods to their children. In order to avoid costly produce and processed snacks or junk foods as well as softdrinks that is heavily linked to diabetes during “merienda”, local products such as whole grain corn or “mais”, peanut or “mani”, cassava or “kamoteng kahoy”, banana or “saging”, mangoes, guavas, “santol”, and other local tropical fruits are highly recommended. For regular meals, rice may be regularly accompanied with fish and vegetables. Also best for the health are beans such as string beans, Baguio beans, mongo, and soy beans as good protein foods in lieu of fatty red and white meats. These combinations will also highly reduce cancer, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, among a long list of other diseases and will increase resistance to most acquired diseases. Likewise, local government’s rural health units are also enjoined to prioritize underprivileged families in health services as well as provision of free medicines, medical care, among others. As home and school are the most crucial places for learning, families and teachers are encouraged to join hands not only in educating children through serving or giving right dietary examples, but also through active promotion of good dietary and health practices. Television exposure has also been considered as influential in children diet as they are exposed to highly paid processed but unhealthy foods such as hamburgers, crunchy chips in fancy packages, soft drinks, and other easy-to-access mass-produced instant foods. If the future belongs to children, then, all sectors must help and actively promote children nutrition now. ###

Schizophrenia Research

Understanding Schizophrenia: A Comparison of Recent Studies Chapter 1 Introduction There had been a lot of developments in the study of treatment for schizophrenia since Kraepelin (Daniel, Harvey and Masand, 2006) conceptualised the illness with deteriorating course. There had been varying focus on the attributes of the illness such as on the traditional positive symptoms of delusions or hallucinations notably phenomenologic and treatment perspectives, while others on the negative symptoms. These were all presented as equally important as Daniel et al (2006) acknowledged “In recent years, researchers and clinicians have realized that understanding and treating the negative symptoms, the cognitive and the affective domains, are equally -- if not more -- important to improving the long-term outcome in patients with this illness.” Psychiatrists believe that their first duty to their psychotic patients is to control the positive symptoms of hallucinations, delusions and agitations, then meet the challenge of the illness in reintegrating their patients back to society (Daniel et al. 2006). This research shall present various schools of thought in order to integrate positive outcomes from each study which may be adaptable to practitioners and researchers. As the allopathic approach cannot be totally validated as effective and all-encompassing in addressing schizophrenia, other forms of medical treatment studies shall be considered. This researcher believes that a wider view may point out similar findings and approaches to treating or improving the condition of patients. With the premise that health or medical practitioners need data about these matters in order for them to gain insight and understanding of the illness, this study shall try to find out what have been the recent advances in the study of schizophrenia in various medical schools of thoughts in order. To present comparative analysis may open succeeding doors for more research and discovery in the advancement of professional health care provision for patients afflicted with the dreaded disease. Study Objective: This study aims to present various recent studies and findings about treatment and related data for the improvement and cure of the disease of schizophrenic patients. It will try to present various medical schools of thoughts approaches with the aim to integrate and compare findings that may aide health practitioners and professionals, as well as further research. It will try to answer the questions: · What are the various medical schools of thoughts and their view on schizophrenia? · How are the studies related to schizophrenia by these medical schools of thoughts impacted on subjects or patients? · What are the similarities and contrasts on their findings regarding treatment or improvement of condition of schizophrenic patents? Methodology: This study, in consideration various research factors, employ secondary analysis approach to distinguish improvements of studies by various medical schools of thoughts regarding schizophrenia. Secondary analysis uses existing data which have already been collected for previous studies, but with a distinct purpose (Heaton, 2002). This has been chosen to come up with an additional in-depth analysis from previous studies. Some characteristic problems may arise such as that enumerated by Heaton (2002) in using secondary analysis as follows: · “Secondary analysis involves the utilisation of existing data, collected for the purposes of a prior study, in order to pursue a research interest which is distinct from that of the original work; · The approach has not been widely used in relation to qualitative data; · Various methodological and ethical issues need to be considered and are more problematic if the secondary analyst was not part of the original research team; · Further work to develop the approach is required in order to see if the potential benefits can actually be realised in practice.” Most of the above need not be addressed by this research as all sources of this material will be properly acknowledged. In using secondary analysis, this research will facilitate archiving of data from qualitative studies (Corti and Thompson 1998, Hammersley 1997, Corti et al 1995) with the advantage of maximizing use of previous studies, allow unnecessary recruitment of new subjects, and cutting down on cost and lengthy primary research process. Furthermore, this approach may generate new hypothesis or support previous theories which is the aim of this study; to collate previous study findings about schizophrenia which might prove useful and strengthened with the integration of various medical schools of thoughts. Ethical Consideration This study shall, for all its intention, acknowledge as properly as possible all sourced information and material so as not to aggravate primary researchers and their efforts. As much as possible, secondary data shall be interpreted the best understanding thios researcher could extend.Study of Related Literature Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a group of heterogeneous disorders characterized by severe disturbances of thought, speech, perception, altered social functioning and volition (Areiti, 1974), disorganisation and dysfunction that afflicts both males and females with lifetime morbid rate of 1 % consuming a great deal of long term medical and social care. First recognized by Belgian psychiatrist Morel, the onset is usually between 15-30 yrs of age, which is insidious and has a poor outcome. It is earlier in a state of perceptual distortion and social withdrawal progressing to a state of chronic delusions and hallucinations. Symptoms vary from conceptual disorganization, delusions and hallucinations (positive symptoms) to negative symptoms like anhedonia, lowered emotional expression decreased social activity, impaired concentration and lack of function (Hamilton, 1986). At least one third of schizophrenics have predominantly negative symptoms (Chapman, 1966), which has poor outcome and drug response, most of them (10%) committing suicide (Siris, 2001). Diagnosis is only clinical and should have any of these two symptoms for a one-month period and continuous signs for at least 6 months. Response to anti-psychotics confers the prognosis and not the severity of symptoms. Genetic viability, winter birth, early birth insults are the major identified risk factors (Hamilton, 1986). Cortical-striatal-thalamic circuit is disturbed as evidenced by cortical atrophy, ventricular enlargement, specific volume losses in amygdala, hippocampus and thalamus, decreased metabolism in thalamus and prefrontal cortex, which is associated with progressive reduction of cortical volume over time (Kasper, 2005). Anti-psychotics remain the mainstay of treatment to date. Traditional Chinese medicine, which was used for more than 2000 years for the treatment of mental illness, was the mainstay of treatment in China before anti-psychotics were discovered. The Chinese considered the body (xing) and mind (shen) to be inseparable “when there is a body, there can be a mind” (Xunzi) in contrast to the western medicine which separates organic from other mental illnesses (Flaws and Lake, 2001). Similarly homeopathy considers that body and mind are not independent but are in a state of dynamic equilibrium and effect to one may lead to disturbances in other . As the Chinese medicine affects the various routes or channels in the body, similarly homeopathy tunes the body and supplies energy to the body in the form of medicine (Vithoulkas, 1979). Orthomolecular psychiatry considers schizophrenia to be due to distortion in the components of the body such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids etc. (Autry, 1975). And treatment is with substances that are normally present in the body like vitamins in very high doses creating a biochemical environment (Hoffer, 1996). Clinical Types of Schizophrenia Different schools of medicine have classified schizophrenia into different clinical types. In Allopathy and Homeopathy schizophrenia has been differentiated into the following clinical varieties (DSM IV, 1994)18. 1. Paranoid schizophrenia: it is characterized by the following features · Delusion of persecution, reference, grandeur, control or infidelity or jealousy. Delusions are well systematized. · Hallucinations have a persecutory or grandiose content. · Disturbances of affect, volition, speech and motor behavior. · Personality deterioration is much less than in other types. Patients may be apprehensive and evasive. · Onset is insidious, occurs later in life (late 3rd and early 4th decades) · Course is usually progressive and complete recovery usually does not occur. 2. Disorganized (hebephrenic) schizophrenia: characterized by · Marked thought disorder, incoherence and severe loosening of associations. Delusions and hallucinations are fragmentary and changeable. · Emotional disturbances (inappropriate and blunted affect) mannerisms, mirror gazing for long periods of time, poor self-care and hygiene, impaired social activities, lack of function. · Onset is insidious, usual in early second decade. Worst prognosis among the sub-types. · Course is progressive and down hill. Recovery never occurs. 3. Catatonic schizophrenia: it is characterized by marked disturbance of motor behaviour. It can present in three clinical forms. · Exited catatonia: increase in psychomotor activity, ranging from restlessness, agitation, excitement, aggressiveness and violent behavior (furor). There is increase · in speech production, with increased spontaneity, pressure of speech and · incoherence. · Stuporous (retarded) catatonia: there is extreme retardation of psychomotor function. · Catatonia alternating between excitement and stupor: the features of both excited and stupurous catatonia is present alternately. · The onset of catatonic schizophrenia is usually acute, usually in the late 2nd and early 3rd decade. Recovery from the episode is usually complete. 4. Residual and latent schizophrenia: · Prominent negative schizophrenic symptoms, i.e. psychomotor slowing, under reactivity, blunting of affects, passivity and lack of initiative, poverty of quantity or content of speech, poor nonverbal communication by facial expressions, eye contact, voice modulation, and posture, poor self care and social performance: · Evidence in the past of at least one clear-cut psychotic episode. · A period of at least one year during which the intensity and frequency of florid symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations have been minimal and the negative schizophrenic syndrome has been present. · Absence of dementia or other organic brain disorder. 5. Undifferentiated schizophrenia: diagnosed either when features of no subtype are fully present or features of more that one subtype are exhibited. 6. Simple schizophrenia: early onset (2nd decade), insidious and progressive course, and presence of characteristic negative symptoms of residual schizophrenia, vague hypochondriacal features, a drift down the social ladder, and living shaggily and wandering aimlessly. Delusions and hallucinations are usually absent. The prognosis is usually very poor (APA, 1994). Historical Background Western records of schizophrenia can be gathered from Morel’s description of demence precoce; Kahlbaum’s description of catatonia; Hecker’s description of hebephrenia. The scientific study of the disorder began with Emil Kraepelin who differentiated psychiatric illnesses into dementia precox and manic-depressive psychosis (Kraepelin, 1971). Later Eugen Bleuler(1950) renamed dementia precox as schizophrenia (meaning mental splitting) and recognized schizophrenia as a group of disorders rather than being a distinct entity(Bleuler, 1950). Kurt Schneider (1959) described first rank symptoms and second rank symptoms of schizophrenia. 19th century saw the rising of homeopathy with physicians like Hahnemann(1842), Jahr, Worcestor and Talcott .In olden days schizophrenics were socially unacceptable and were chained and put in jails and asylums. This practice was first opposed by Hahnemann who revolutionalised the treatment of schizophrenics (Hahnemann, 1842). Later the works of Hahnemann and Talcott were reinforced by eminent works of Thatcher, Cook, Andre Saine, Vithoulkas etc. From the past twenty centuries Chinese medicine has been researching and treating various forms of schizophrenia with a traditional way based on Qi (acupuncture and Qigong), which were gradually replaced by herbal medicines in the 19th century, when Wang Qingren (blood moving school) based on “blood stasis” formula made “Dian kang meng xing tang” (Awaken from the dream of madness decoctions). Another contribution to the classical Chinese medicine was by the famous Zhang Xichun who based on the phlegm theory made “Dang tan tang” (Flaws B, Lake, 2001). The earlier descriptions of schizophrenia like illnesses are recorded in ayurveda, which describes psychiatry as “bhuta vidya” (study of devil). The renowned sage Charaka Samhita described schizophrenia as “Bhuta yogika” (devils handy work) and used “jadi booti” (medicinal herbs) and meditation as treatment (Agnivesha, 1941). In 1222 AD, Najabuddin described a condition (sauda-e-tabee) with charachterstics resembling schizophrenia, which is a hallmark of “Ilaj-I-Nafsani” in Unani medicine (handbook of Unani medicine, 2004). Conventional Genetic Findings Mental disorders are considered as one of the leading causes of deaths that is universal in nature, or affecting the general world population (McGrath et al, 2004). In a 2004 study (Riley and Kindler), it was pointed out that genetic factors play an important role in influencing susceptibility to many of the most common disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Numerous family, twin and adoption studies have shown that risk of illness is higher among relatives of affected individuals. This, as pointed out by McGuffin et al (1994) and Kendler (2001), is the result of genes rather than shared environment. Five ascertained studies using modern diagnostic criteria report monozygotic (MZ) concordances estimated at 41-65% as compared with dizygotic concordances of 0-28% translating to broad heritability at 85% (Cardno and Gottesman, 2000) making genetic epidemiology a complex mode of transmission (Gottesman and Shields, 1967). The heritability of schizophrenia has been compared to that of type 1 diabetes at 72% to 88% and it has been considered that so much like environmental factors, many genes or polygenes distributed on different loci, influence predisposition to the diseases as claimed by Frota-Pessoa (1989) that “the determinants of schizophrenia are multifactorial and polygenic.” The following table shows the percentage of risk of illness: Table 1 Source: American Society for Clinical Investigation, 2006. Expressed Emotion. One of the most important findings in the field of treatment of schizophrenia is the concept of “Expressed Emotion” or EE. Kravanagh (1992, p. 616) claimed, EE “may prove to be the most significant treatment breakthrough in schizophrenia since the discovery of neuroleptic medication.” Psychoanalytic or “insight-oriented” psychotherapy of schizophrenia was shown to be ineffective in some studies (Gunderson et al, 1984, McGlashan, 1984, and Stone, 1986), EE studies proved that structured form of family psychotherapy influence the course of schizophrenia. This has opened the way for further studies of these psychological interventions and to a framework of general understanding (Migone, 1993). Some authors have relied on the concept of vulnerability which is the stress-diathesis model (Zubin and Spring, 1977) where EE in this concept is conceived as stressor that provoke relapse by increasing patients’ arousal beyond optimal level (Migone, 1993). Nevertheless, little is known precisely on why the emotions related to high EE trigger relapse of schizophrenia. Migone (1993) applied the psychoanalytic concept of projective identification to fill the gap in this area between psychiatric and psychoanalytic research in view of its use in general psychiatry (Jureidini, 1990). Since 1958, it has been found that discharged psychiatric patients have different outcome depending on their living arrangements with parents, spouse, in hostels so that those who lived alone or with siblings had a relapse of 17%, 32% for those who lived with their parents, and 50% for those who stayed with their spouses (Brown). EE has been found a fundamental variable in a succeeding study (Brown, 1962) where 128 families of psychiatric patients were divided into two groups of high and low emotional involvement. After one year, those with high involvement group showed worsening of symptoms and social behaviour at 76% with 56% readmitted as compared to the 28% of patients that lived in families with low emotional involvement. Brown et al (1962) pointed out that the higher the level of emotion and hostility in the family, the higher the likelihood for the patient to have a relapse within the following year. Vaughn and Leff (1976) modified an original scale formulated by Brown et al (1972) with the final version that includes the following: · Criticism – frequency of comments through expressions of disapproval, resentment or rejection and specific vocal characteristics of rate, tone of speech and volume. · Hostility – reflects global or generalised criticism or rejection of patient. · Emotional Over-Involvement – basis of both the past behaviour as exaggerated emotional response, excessive attitude of devotion or self-sacrifice or over-protectiveness. · Warmth – based on voice tone, spontaneity, sympathy, empathy, interest in or concern for the person. · Positive Remarks – are expressions of praise and approval of the patient’s personality measured in frequency. All four but Positive Remarks have been directly correlated with the course of schizophrenia with Warmth regarded as associated with better course more effective in a low EE families (Migone, 1993). Criticism presented 30-70% relapse, while Emotional Involvement relapse rate is at 8-30%.. Empirically, the threshold levels of high EE predicts schizophrenia relapses in nine months after discharge (Brown et al, 1972; Vaughn & Leff, 1976; Vaughn et al, 1984; Leff and Vaughn; 1985 Moline et al, 1985; Jenkins et al, 1986; Nuechaterlein et al, 1986; Tarrier et al, 1989; etc.). High EE in the patent’s family showed greater risk of relapse at three-to-fourfold in the next 9-12 months after discharge. Three factors have been identified to interact with EE and each other: · Medication – helps protect patients in low EE families from stressful events but less effective in high EE and stressful life events (Hogarty, 1988) · Time of face-to-face interaction with relatives at high EE exceeding 35 hours per week marks increase of relapse · Life events such as death of a relative, major changes in work or life situation increases possibility of relapse although it has been found that to be less effective in high EE (Birley and brown, 1970; Leff & Vaughn, 1980). Effect of high EE, nevertheless, is not confined to schizophrenia or mental disorders but also indicative in patients with depression, anorexia nervosa, obesity (Vaughn and Leff, 1976, Miklowitz et al, 1988; Hodes & LeGrange, 1993) and patients with epilepsy, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease. Skin Conductance (SC) response has been found higher in patients who expect to interact with a high EE relative or just being in the same room, than that of a low EE relative (Turpin et al, 1988 and Tarrier, 1989). Affective Style (AS) based on harsh or benevolent criticism, intrusiveness and induction of guilt feelings also predicts relapses as EE (Valone et al, 1983 and Miklowitz et al, 1984). Another factor, Communication Deviance that measures parent’s inability to establish or maintain shared focus of attention, negative AS, as high EE predicts the onset of schizophrenic symptoms up to four times (Goldstein, 1987). Psycho-educational Approach In consideration of the previous findings already mentioned, some studies probed into modifying EE levels and found that his helped lower the relapse rate. This has been called Psychoeducational by Anderson et al (1986) which involves education of the family regarding the nature of the mental disorder in a way that they are reassured of its biological nature resulting to less guilt and decreased pressure on the patient to change his behaviour. Projective Identification Formulated by Melanie Klein in 1946, this is the projection of the part of the subject onto the object with whom the subject is closely associating with, of which control is exerted. It has been regarded as a “bridge concept” and Ogden (1979, 1982) divided it into three phases: projection, interpersonal pressure, and reinternalisation. Interpersonal pressure is identifiable in projective identification as a term most widely used (Migone, 1993). As early, Heiman (1950) clinical intuitions such as use of the analyst’s own feelings to know and understand the patient’s unconscious, concept of evocation of a proxy (Wangh, 1962), externalisation (Brodey, 1965) role actualisation and role responsiveness (Sandler, 1976) supervise and interpret patient’s feelings (Searles, 1975 and Hoffman, 1983). The non-metapsychological explanation is that in the course of interaction with therapist, the patient learns new skills of adoptive behaviours he can use to cope with emotional stressors. If an analyst shows that it is possible to tolerate stressful feelings of anxiety, fears, depression, etc., and to survive through the analyst’s own behaviour, then, improvement occurs because the therapist does not discharge back onto the patient the projected feeling and keeps it to himself through silence and non-defensive attitude. Notably, discharge brings to mind the old metapsychological terminology of Freudian drive theory (Migone, 1993). In relating back to EE, high EE relatives are seen to be struggling to control the uncontrollable (Hooley, 1985 and Brewin et al, 1991) and seem to be unable to accept the loss of the idealised individual; or what the patient might have been. With low EE relatives, they may be sad about the loss but are more progressive and are able to acknowledge the loss as permanent so that they have a lower sense of guilt and no longer project it to the patient (McCarthy, 1993). Projective identification in this instance may complement psychoeducation and help relatives understand some aspects of their distress (Migone, 1993). When the therapist was able to teach relatives to contain the disturbing feelings they get from the patient and lower their EE, this may break the vicious cycle of anxieties and fears thereby relieving the patient. They learn that the patient is not to blame for his biological illness, their guilt lessened, and expectations lowered thus preventing frustration (Migone, 1993). Homeopathy and Schizophrenia As integrated approach is targeted in this study to reveal commonalities between various medical schools of thoughts, homeopathy or the “Law of Similars” postulated by German physician Samuel Hahnemann is considered in this research. It is based on the “similar suffering” popular in Europe and India with the premise of treating sick persons with extremely diluted agents that when undiluted, produce the same symptoms as that of the disease being treated. It views a sickness as “morbid derangements of the organism” (Morell, 1997) and that a sick person have dynamic disturbance rejecting the standard medical diagnoses of named diseases (Verspoor, 2006). Pataracchia (2002) cited several studies that have associated homeopathic medicine for mental illnesses that include schizophrenia but a study from India stood out with the report that 70 schizophrenics were managed in a 1-to 8 week trial using psycho-tropic action administered in low dose (Pataracchia, 2002). The patients were treated in a clinical hospital setting at the Regional Research Institute between 972 and 1974 in Kottayam, India. “Homeopathic medicine works by a mechanism of action that is said to tune the patient’s vital force witch has become mis-tuned as a result of disease,” Pataracchia (2002) explained, adding that “Therapy is not always a smooth process as patients may relapse and remise over the course of a treatment witch may last 2 or more years.” Although it was suggested that homeopathic medicines are reportedly “suitable adjuncts to neuroleptic therapy due to their relative safety and absence of side-effects,” (Pataracchia, 2002), aggravation of symptom that includes psychotic features occur, the report added, “Theoretically, in severe cases of aggravation and in extraordinarily rare cases, the aggravation could be permanent and perhaps lethal. Aggravations can proceed in a suppressive manner. Anti-doting a homeopathic medicine is not always successful,” with the disclaimer that “Aggravations are thought to foreshadow the disease presentation as it would have occurred without the homeopathic medicine. Aggravating symptoms are not new symptoms but rather, they are existing symptoms or a re-emergence of previously existing symptoms in the course of the patients’ lifetime. True aggravations, according to homeopathic philosophy, after lasting from a few hours to a few weeks, are followed by general amelioration. True aggravations are not unbearable.” Allopathic Medicine Coined by Hahnemann for the methods of his medical foes, allopathy is generally defined nowadays as the conventional, present or prevailing system of medicine. It was also defined as “therapeutic system in which a disease is treated by producing a second condition that is incompatible with or antagonistic to the first,” (Steadman’s Medical Dictionary, 2005). Originally, allopathy uses bleeding, leeching, cupping, blisteringm purging, puking, rubbing with toxic ointments to treat patients as these were thought to cleanse, purify or balance the harmony of the four humours (Shelton, 1968). The Four Humours Theory attribute disease with the imbalance of four humours” which are the blood, plegm, black and yellow bile and the four body conditions of hot, cold, wet and dry. These are also corresponding to the four elements earth, air, water and fire. So that those who follow the Hippocratic tradition balance sysmptoms with the opposite. Example cited was fever which is hot, and believed to mean excessive blood, and the petient was treated by blood-letting to cool the aptient, (Jarvis, 2000.) Complementray Medicines Zollman and Vickers (1999) defined complementary medicine as “to a group of therapeutic and diagnostic disciplines that exist largely outside the institutions where conventional health care is taught and provided.” These served as alternative for conventional and prevailing medicine in the 1970s to 1980s but have been in practice for centuries in eastern and western civilisations. Below is a table of existing complementary therapies: Table 2 Acupressure Chiropractic* Naturopathy Acupuncture* Cranial osteopathy Nutritional therapy* Alexander technique Environmental Osteopathy* medicine Reflexology* Applied kinesiology Healing Reiki Anthroposophic medicine Herbal medicine* Relaxation and Aromatherapy* Homoeopathy* visualisation* Autogenic training Hypnosis* Shiatsu Ayurveda Massage* Therapeutic touch Meditation* Yoga* Source: Zollman and Vickers, 1999. Most complementary medicine practice holistic approach in consideration that: · “Each individual is unique · Scientific, artistic, and spiritual insights may need to be applied together to restore health · Life has meaning and purpose the loss of this sense may lead to a deterioration in health · Illness may provide opportunities for positive change and a new balance in our lives,” (Zollman and Vickers, 2002). Discussion The conventional method (which may or may not be alluded to allopathic medicine) in the treatment of schizophrenia combines medicines and therapy as well as psychoeducation as promoted and supported by clinical and research findings as discussed extensively in this research. Since conventional method previously had been categorical in their approach to treat each disease such as schizophrenia as “mental”, thereby purely physical in nature, use of analysts and therapists introduced as well as supported Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis method. Complementary, and previously “alternative” medicine has for centuries alluded to an all embracing approach of treating a disease, whether it be apparently physical in nature. Forces include social, emotional and relational factors of an individual who is sick. With the extensive and consistent findings of the studies particularly in relation to Expressed Emotion and all other factors that come with it, emotional and social factors indeed poses great implications to the schizophrenic patient. Surprisingly, benefits derived from positive approaches of therapy benefit both the patient and the family, thereby indicating, after all, that although the cause of schizophrenia may be basically hereditary, environment, which is the family or relatives where patient lives, may ultimately influence source of positive treatment. This is supported by the views of other medical schools of thought such as homeopathy and complementary therapies. Conclusion: This research concludes that although there had been huge gaps and differences when it comes to practice and theories between conventional medicine and complementary medicine, there is an overlapping factor when it comes to the treatment of schizophrenia, and this refers to the social and emotional consideration of the patient, family members and even the therapists involved in the treatment. As complementary medicine and therapies are slowly being embraced mainstream, not basically by conventional medicine professionals but by users, patients and their families, it is therefore a progression that leads for the betterment of the schizophrenic patients and their families. It is therefore recommended that integrated studies must be considered in these fields in order to obtain empirical as well as phenomenologic data towards a better mental world. Reference: Anderson C.M. et al. (1986). Schizophrenia and the Family. A Practictioner's Guide to Psychoeducation and Management. 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(2006) “Improving Outcomes in Schizophrenia: Recent Advances in the treatment of Cognitive and Affective Domains.” Medscape. Freud A. (1936). The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense. New York: International Universities Press, 1946. Goldstein M.J. (1987). The UCLA high-risk project. Schizophrenia Bull., 13: 505-514. Gunderson J.G., Frank A.F., Katz H.M., Vannicelli M.L., Frosch J.P., Knapp P.H. (1984). Effects of psychotherapy in schizophrenia: II. Comparative outcome of two forms of treatment. Schizophrenia Bull., 10, 4: 564-598. Hammersley, M. (1997). “Qualitative data archiving: some reflections on its prospects and problems', Sociology, vol. 31(1): 131-42. Heaton, Janet. (1998). “Secondary Analysis of Qualitative Data.” Social Research Update Issue 22. University of Surrey. Heimann P. (1950). On countertransference. Int. J. Psycho-Anal., 31: 81-84. Also in R. Langs (editor), Classics in Psychoanalytic Technique. New York: Aronson, 1981, pp. 139-142 (trad. it.: Sul controtransfert. 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Wagner, editor, Social Psychophysiology: Theory and Clinical Applications. Chichester: Wiley. Valone K. et al. (1983). Parent expressed emotion and affective style in an adolescent at risk for schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 92: 399-407. Vaughn C.E. & Leff J.P. (1976a). The influence of family and social factors on the course of psychiatric illness: a comparison of schizophrenic and depressed neurotic patients. Br. J. Psychiatry, 129: 125-137. Vaughn C.E. & Leff J.P. (1976b). The measurement of expressed emotion in the families of psychiatric patients. Br. J. Social Clin. Psychology, 15: 157-165. Vaughn C.E. et al. (1984). Family factors in schizophrenic relapse: replication in California of the British research on expressed emotion. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 41: 1169-1177. Verspoor, Rudolf. (2006) “Taking Homeopathy into the Shadows: A Sequential Causal Approach to Treating Chronic Disease” Homeopathy Online. 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Music/Arts & Culture Essay

Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born March 4, 1678 in Venice and died July 28 1741 in Viena. His father is Giovanni Battista, a barber who became a professional violinist, and Antonio’s first instructor and inspiration. Giovanni toured Venice as a musician with Antonio in tow and one of the founders of “Sovvegno dei musicisti di Santa Cecilia,” a trade union for musicians and composers. His father is also believed to be a composer himself as an opera called La Fedelta sfortunata was composed by a Giovanni batista Rossi, the name he used in the union. Antonio Vivaldi was immediately baptized by the home midwife upon his delivery because of “danger to death” and is probably due to the earthquake that shook the city that day or the frail health of the infant. Venice at that time was the capital of the republic of Venice. The president of the union joined by his father, Giovanni Legrenzi, was maestro di cappella at the Basilica of San Marco and noted early Baroque composer. He was believed to have taught the young Antonio to compose. Scholar Walter Kolneder of Luxemburg figures that the liturgical work Laetatus sum ((RV Anh 31, written in 1691) written when he was just 13, showed influence of Legrenzi style. He began studying priesthood and in 1703, at the age of 25, he was an ordained Venetian priest and was nicknamed “Il Prete Roso” or The Red Priest but he did not practiced his vocation due to a sickness which is his tightening of chest, suspected as asthma. In 1704, he was given dispensation from celebrating the Holy Mass due to his illness and he withdrew from active priesthood in 1706. By December 1703, Vivaldi was appointed maestro de violino at the Ospedale della Pieta, one of Venetian girls’ orphanage. At that time, the institution had four branches in Venice giving shelter and education to orphaned, abandoned or children from impoverished families as funded by the Republic. The boys were taught a trade before leaving at age 15 while the girls had musical education and the talented were retained to be members of the Ospedale’s orchestra and choir. Ospedale under the ministration of Antonio Vivaldi began to gain appreciation even abroad as Vivaldi wrote most of the cantatas, concerto and sacred music. The position of teacher of viola all'inglese was also added on his duty as maestro de violini by 1704 and although he is already starting to prove his talent at that time, he was retained at the Pieta until 1709 only when the board dismissed him, for many perceived him a difficult man. He worked as a freelance musician for a year until the board recalled him in 1711 realising his potential. From then, Vivaldi was in his most productive years writing music or operas and concertos. His first collection of his works called Raccolta, a trio sonata was published in 1705 with his Opus 1 a collection of 12 sonatas for two violins and basso continuo in conventional style. His Opus 2 is a collection of 12 sonatas for violins and basso continuo and was published in 1709. L'Estro Armonico (Opus 3) his first collection of 12 concerti for one, two, and four violins with strings was published by Estienne Roger in Amsterdam in 1711. It became a success all over Europe as followed by another success La Stravaganza (Opus 4) in 1714 which is a collection of concerti for solo violin and strings. Musicians sought sought him out in Venice and commissioned works from him including for the Dresden court. Johann Sebastian Bach transcribed five Opus 3 concertos for keyboard and he influenced many German composers. Antonio and his father went to Brescia in 1917. His Stabat Mater (RV 621) was played as part of a religious festival and although the work was apparently done in haste, the forced essentiality of the music revealed musical and emotional depth that made it one of his masterpieces. He also started traveling in 1718 to promote his music and in even during his travels, he retained connection with the Pieta and wrote two concertos each month sending them by post. He also found time to rehearse with them about four times while he was in Venice. By 1735-38, he was assigned as maestro di cappella and directed some performances on special occasions (Sadie, 1996). Vivaldi was paid for 140 concertos between 1723 and 1729 as shown in Pieta’s records. In the 18th century, opera was considered the most popular musical entertainment in Venice. It was profitable for composers as theaters compete for public attendance. Vivaldi’s first opera Ottone in villa in 1713, incidentally, was not performed in Venice but at the Garzerie Theater in Vicensa. He became impresario of the theater Sant’ Angelo in Venice the following year. It is there that his opera Orlando finto pazzo (RV 727) was performed although it did not attract the public. After two weeks, it was replaced by a rerun. His Nerone fatto Cesare (RV 274) with music by seven different composers, of which he was the leader with 11 arias was presented in 1715. It was widely appreciated but the work is reportedly lost by now. A state censor blocked his Arsilda regina di Ponto (RV 700) as the main Arsilda character fell for a woman Lisea impersonating as man but when it finally went public, it was a resounding success. By that same period of time, the Pieta commissioned several liturgical works including two important oratorios: Moyses Deus Pharaonis (RV 643) reportedly lost, and Juditha triumphans (RV 644), composed in 1716, considered another of his sacred masterpieces commisioned to celebrate the victory of Venice against the Turks as well as the recapture of the island of Corfu. The arias that included parts by solo instruments: recorders, oboes, clarinets, vola d'amore, mandolins, showcased the range of talents of the Pieta girls that performed both male and female charcters. Still in 1716, Vivaldi wrote and produced L'incoronazione di Dario (RV 719), and the popular La costanza trionfante degli amori e degli odi (RV 706) that spanned a re-edition with the title Artabano re dei Parti (RV 701) also reportedly lost. It was performed in Prague in 1732 and Vivaldi wrote more operas performed all over Italy the succeeding years (Wikipedia, 2006). Vivaldi was considered a pioneer and earned the ire of his contemporaries and a pamplet attacking his style although his name was not mentioned, had been circulated. Nevertheless, Vivaldi’s popularity also earned him prestigious position as Maestro di Cappella of the court of the prince Philipp of Hessen-Darmstadt, governor of Mantua. He worked there for three years and produced operas that include the Tito Manlio (RV 738). In Milan, he presented the pastoral drama La Silvia (RV 734) by 1721 and the oratorio L'adorazione delli tre re magi al bambino Gesù (RV 645, also lost) the following year. He moved to Rome in 1722 where pope Benedict XIII invited don Antonio to play for him. During this time, he wrote the Four Seasons, four violin concertos depicting natural scenes in music allegedly inspired by Mantua’s countryside scenes depiciting flowing creeks, singing birds (of different species, each exactly characterised), barking dogs, buzzing mosquitoes, crying shepards, storms, drunken dancers, silent nights, hunting parties (both from the hunter's and the prey's point of view), frozen landscapes, children ice-skating, and burning fires. These were published in 1725 as the first four of a collection of 12, Il cimento dell'Armonia e dell'Inventione, his Opus 8, published in Amsterdam by Le Cène. Vivaldi was alleged to have an affair with singer Anna Giraud who he travelled with frequently. It was written in Wikipedia (2006) that: “Most of Vivaldi's repertoire was rediscovered only in the first half of the 20th century in Turin and Genoa and was published in the second half. Vivaldi's music is innovative, breaking a consolidated tradition in schemes; he gave brightness to the formal and the rhythmic structure of the concerto, repeatedly looking for harmonic contrasts and invented innovative melodies and themes. Moreover, Vivaldi was able to compose non-academic music, particularly meant to be appreciated by the wide public and not only by an intellectual minority. The joyful appearance of his music reveals in this regard a transmissible joy of composing. These are among the causes of the vast popularity of his music. This popularity soon made him famous in other countries such as France which was, at the time, very independent concerning its musical taste. Vivaldi is considered one of the composers who brought Baroque Music (with its typical contrast among heavy sonorities) to evolve into a classical style. Johann Sebastian Bach was deeply influenced by Vivaldi's concertos and arias (recalled in his Johannes Passion, Matthäuspassion, and cantatas). Bach transcribed a number of Vivaldi's concertos for solo keyboard, along with a number for orchestra, including the famous Concerto for Four Violins and Violoncello, Strings and Continuo (RV 580).” Vivaldi’s Works include: · “Opus 1, 12 Sonatas for 2 violins and basso continuo (1705) · Opus 2, 12 Sonatas for violin and basso continuo (1709) · Opus 3, L'estro armonico (Harmonic inspiration), 12 concertos for various combinations. Best known concerti are No. 6 in A minor for violin, No. 8 in A minor for two violins and No. 10 in B minor for 4 violins (1711). · Opus 4, La stravaganza (The extraordinary), 12 violin concertos (c. 1714) · Opus 5, (2nd part of Opus 2), 4 sonatas for violin and 2 sonatas for 2 violins and basso continuo (1716). · Opus 6, 6 violin concertos (1716-21) · Opus 7, 2 oboe concertos and 10 violin concertos (1716-21) · Opus 8, Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione (The Contest between Harmony and Invention), 12 violin concertos including the celebrated work, Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons), consisting of the first four concertos in opus 8 (1723). · Opus 9, La cetra (The lyre), 12 violin concertos and 1 for 2 violins (1727) · Opus 10, 6 flute concertos (c. 1728) · Opus 11, 5 violin concertos, 1 oboe concerto, the second in E minor, RV 277, being known as "Il favorito" (1729) · Opus 12, 5 violin concertos and 1 without solo (1729) · Opus 13, Il pastor fido (The Faithful Sheperd), 6 sonatas for musette, viela, recorder, flute, oboe or violin, and basso continuo (1737, spurious works by Nicolas Chédeville). Operas · Ottone in villa (1713) · Orlando finto pazzo (1714) · Arsilda regina di Ponto (1715) · L'incoronazione di Dario (1716) · Il Teuzzone (1719) · Tito Manlio (1719) · La verità in cimento (1720) · Ercole sul Termodonte (1723) · Il Giustino (1724) · Dorilla in Tempe (1726) · Farnace (1727) · Orlando furioso (1727) · Rosilena ed Oronta (1728) · La fida ninfa (1732) · Motezuma (1733) · L'Olimpiade (1734) · Bajazet (Tamerlano) (1735) · Griselda (1735) · Catone in Utica (1737) · Rosmira (1738) · [edit] · Concerto · Vivaldi wrote hundreds of concerti for various instruments. Below is a list of notable concerti: Mandolin: · Concerto for Mandoline in C major, RV 425 · Concerto for two Mandolins in G major, RV 532 Lute: · Concerto in D major, RV 93 Recorder and Flute: · Concerto in D major, RV 95, "La pastorella" · Concerto in C minor for Treble Recorder, RV 441 · Concerto in F major for Treble Recorder, RV 442 · Concerto in C major for Sopranino Recorder, RV 443 · Concerto in C major for Sopranino Recorder, RV 444 · Concerto in A minor for Sopranino Recorder, RV 445 · Concerto in F major for Flute ("La Tempesta di Mare"), RV 433 (Op. 10, No. 1), RV 98 and RV 570 · Concerto in G minor for Flute ("La Notte"), RV 439 (Op. 10, No. 2) · Concerto in D major for Flute ("Il Gardellino"), RV 428 (Op. 10 No. 3) · Concerto in G major for Flute, RV 435 (Op. 10, No. 4) · Concerto in F major for Flute, RV 434 (Op. 10, No. 5) · Concerto in G major for Flute, RV 437 (Op. 10, No. 6) · Concerto in C major for Flute, RV 533 Brass and Woodwind: · Concerto in C major for Two Trumpets, RV 537 · Concerto in D major for two Oboe, Bassoon, two French Horns, and Solo Violin, RV 562 · Concerto in D minor for two Recorders, two Oboe, and Bassoon, RV 566 · Concerto in F major for Oboe, Bassoon, two French Horns, and Solo Violin, RV 571 · Concerto in B-flat major for Oboe, Chalumeau, and Solo Violin, RV 579 Sacred Works · Kyrie a 8, RV 587 · Gloria, RV 588 · Gloria, RV 589 (Online Review at The Choral Pages) · Credo, RV 591 · Credo, RV 592 · Domine ad adiuvandum me, RV 593 · Dixit Dominus, RV 594 · Dixit Dominus, RV 595 · Beatus vir, RV 597 · Credidi propter quod, RV 605 · Laetatus sum, RV 607 · Nisi Dominus, RV 608 · Magnificat, RV 610, RV 610a, and RV 611 (Online Review at The Choral Pages) · Stabat Mater, RV 621 · Longe Mala, Umbrae, Terrores, RV 629 · Introduzione al Gloria, RV 639 · Oratorio Juditha triumphans, RV 644 · Nisi Dominus, RV 803 · Dixit Dominus, RV 807,” (Wikipedia, 2006) Reference: Sadie, Stanley. The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music. Mcmillan Press Ltd., London. From Classical Music Pages.from http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/vivaldi.html Wikipedia. “Antonio Vivaldi.” Accessed October 2006 from http://wikipedia.org

Drug Development Essay

Penicillin: Theory of Development Penicillin Introduction: Penicillin, one of the most ubiquitous and widely used antibiotic over-the-counter drugs of our time, played a major role during World War II. Its use had been so important, in a time when its supply so limited, it was consumed faster than produced, so that urine of individuals receiving treatment had to be collected in order to isolate and re-use penicillin in it. In fact, although Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming is considered the discoverer of penicillin, he actually stopped studying penicillin after 1931 when he was convinced penicillin would not last long in the human body to kill pathogenic bacteria. His study was later resumed in 1934 that then preceded several developments that changed the course of wars. Penicillin prior to Alexander Fleming’s discovery has been noted for its antibacterial effects. It was in Fleming’s St Mary’s Hospital Laboratory in London, now Imperial College teaching hospitals, where he noticed a halo of inhibition of bacterial growth around a contaminant blue-green mould on a plate culture of Staphylococcus. He concluded that the mould release a substance that stop the growth of bacteria. He grew a pure culture of the mould and learned it was a Penicillum mould or Penicillum chrysogenum. At that stage, it was already found that penicillin is most effective against Gram-negative organisms. Fleming became positive of its disinfectant properties. In 1939, Australian scientist Howard Walter Florey with his team composed of Ernst Boris Chain, A. D. Gardner, Norman Heatley, M. Jennings, J. Orr-Ewing and G. Sanders at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford showed the “in vivo” bacterial action of penicillin proving further its harmlessness and effect in mice. In March 14, 1942, John Bumstead and Orvan Hess successfully treated a patient with penicillin (Saxon, 1999 and Krauss, 1999). Discussion: Penicillin abbreviated as PCN is a group of β-lactam antibiotics that treat bacterial infections caused by Gram-positive organisms. From its discovery, the antibiotic has been developed into several forms with the basic Penam Skeleton with the molecular formula R-C9H11N2O4S with R as a variable side chain. Below is the penicillin nuleus: Source: Wikipedia Penicillins are easily secreted that 80% is cleared within three to four hours of administration. Scientists later found uricosuric agent probenecid could compete for the organic acid transporter responsible for secretion thus increasing penicillin’s concentration and prolonging its activity. Although the advent of synthetic forms of mass production decreased the use of probenecid (Silverthorn, 2004), it is still useful until today for infections that require high concentrations of penicillins (Rossi, 2006). Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin determined the chemical structure of penicillin in early 1940s that catapulted its synthetic production. Ampicillin was the first major development of penicillin allowing the treatment for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative infections. Amoxicillin followed with improved duration of action. Beta-lactamase-resistant penicillins were soon developed which include the varieties flucloxacillin, dicloxacillin and methicillin for treatment of beta-lactamase-producing bacteria such as Staphylococcus species. The β-lactam antibiotics inhibit the formation of peptidoglycan cross links in the bacterial cell wall with the β-lactam moiety of penicillin binding to the transpeptidase enzyme which links the peptidoglycan molecules in bacteria. This weakens the cell wall of the bacterium and causes cell cell cytolisis or death. Also, the build-up of peptidoglycan precursors triggers the activation of bacterial cell wall hydrolases that digest the bacteria's existing peptidoglycan.This disables multiplication of bacteria. This hypothesis was postulated by Scott Williams. Benzathine benzyl penicillin or Benzathine penicillin is a variety that is slowly absorbed into the circulation after intramuscular injection, and then hydrolyzed to benzipenicillin in vivo. It is used for prolonged low concentrations allowing antibiotic action until after 2-4 weeks of single IM dose of administration. Wyeth markets this with the trade name Bicillin. Indications include Prophylaxis of rheumatic fever and early or latent syphilis (Rossi, 2004). Benzylpenicillin or popularly known as penicillin G is adnistered in parenteral route or through injection or infusion because it is unstable to the stocmach’s hydrochloric acid. With phenoxymethylpenicillin, higher tissue concentrations can be achieved than is possible causing increased antibacterial activity. Indications include treatment for Bacterial endocarditis, Meningitis, Aspiration pneumonia or lung abscess, Community-acquired pneumonia, Syphilis, and Septicaemia in children (Rossi, 2006). Below is the Benzylpeninicillin nucleaus: Source: Wikipedia Phenoxymethylpenicillin or penicillin V is an orally-active form of penicillin appropriate where low tissue concentration is needed. Indications include treatment for infections caused by Streptococcus pyogenes such as tonsillitis, pharyngitis, and skin infections, prophylaxis of rheumatic fever, and moderate-to-severe gingivitis (with metronidazole) (Rossi, 2006). Procaine benzylpenicillin or procaine penicillin is a combination of benzylpenicillin with the local anaesthetic agent procaine. I is slowly absorbed into the circulation after instramuscular injection aimed at reducing pain and discomfort widely used in veterinarian practices. Indications include treatment for syphilis, respiratory tract infections where compliance with oral treatment is unlikely, and cellulitis, erysipelas, and an adjunct in the treatmnent of anthrax (Rossi, 2006). Narrow spectrum penicillinase-resistant penicillins are one of the structurally modified or semi-synthetic penicillins effective against beta-lactamases produced by Staphylococcus aureus. They are also known as anti-staphylococcal penicillins that include Methicillin, Dicloxacillin, Flucloxacillin, and Oxacillin. Moderate spectrum penicillins are one of the structurally modified or semi-synthetic penicillins that increase the spectrum of action and, in the case of amoxicillin, improve oral bioavailability which includes, Amoxicillin and Ampicillin widely used for children. Extended Spectrum Penicillins or Antipseudomonal penicillins ticarcillin, azlocillin, carbenicillin and piperacillin were the last to be developed and are used for Gram-negative bacteria and also indicated for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Allergy, Hypersensitivity and Contraindications: Adverse drug reactions of ≥1% of patients associated with the use of penicillins include diarrhea, nausea, rash, urticaria, and superinfection such as candidiasis. Others which may be rare (0.1–1% of patients) include fever, vomiting, erythema, dermatitis, angioedema, and pseudomembranous colitis. Pain and inflammation also occur in parenteral administration. Allergic reactions to β-lactam antibiotic occur in about 10% of patients receiving that agent. Anaphylaxis, or allergic suffocation occur in about 0.01% of patients (Rossie, 2006). Risk of cross-reactivity warrants contraindication of to β-lactam antibiotic to all patients with history of severe reactions such as urticaria, anaphylaxis, interstitial nephritis. Conclusion: Penicillin with its wide variety of choices made it possible for previously lethal diseases and infections curable. And with the development to synthtic formulae, it became accessible even to the most marginalized of the society. It is one of the most celebrated breakthrough in conventional medicine with its discovery propelling a wider array of medicinal drugs that inhibits growth of bacteria and fight infection that causes harm in the body. It is very interesting to note that the various additions or modification of the penicillin led to its wider indication to other forms of human, and even animal infection. Likewise, with the discovery of penicillin inhibiting growth as well as its property causing cell cytolitis, other branches of research, study and medicinal developments occurred leading to a continuous spectrum of research. It is therefore rational to credit the discovery of penicillin as one of the highlights of conventional medicine and therapy. As medical science march towards addressing worse conditions such as most incurable cancer diseases and destruction of cells (such as that of acquired immune deficiency virus or AIDS), researchers and scientitts can always look back to the properties of penicillin, its development and how it works in order to progress. Nevertheless, as it is, penicillins show other possible developments that might, in the future address which are now terminal diseases as cells become the center of discussion and themes within medical science. Already, it has proven its worth as previous developments addressed certain conditions, evolved to treat other else, and continue so until now. With penicillin, we can all look forward to advancement that could possiby alter most dreaded diseases of today. Reference: Fleming, A. “On the On the antibacterial action of cultures of a penicillium, with special reference to their use in the isolation of B. influenzæ.” Br J Exp Pathol 10 (31): 226–36. 1929. Krauss, K. (editor). Yale-New Haven Hospital Annual Report (PDF). Yale, New Haven Hospital 1999. Rossi, S. (editor). Australian Medicines handbook. Adelaide: Australian Medicines Handbook. 2004-2006. Saxon, W. “Anne Miller, 90, first patient who was saved by penicillin. The New York Times, June 9, 1999. Silverthorn, DU. Human Physiology: An Integrated Appproach. Upper Saddle River, pearson Education. 2004 Wikipedia. “Penicillin.” Wikimedia. Accessed October 2006 from http://wikipedia.org

Communication Essay

"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and Burke’s Dramatistic Pentad
Introduction: The blockbuster mandarin movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” directed by Ang Lee was a mega-hit in the U.S. , grossing $128 million in a country not known for welcoming foreign language films, and became the darling of critics and moviegoers alike. It was nominated for many awards around the world, including the Category of Best Pictures at the Academy Awards, where it won four slots, including the one for the best Foreign Language Film. But this film was not such a favorite in its homeland, China, where the very characteristics that endeared it to western audiences proved to be its shortcoming. The usual run of the Kung-fu films emphasize action and usually have flimsy plots, and an almost non-existent portrayal of deep human emotions, but Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a beautiful, luscious, almost poetic adaptation from a wuxia novel by mainland Chinese writer Wang Du-lu. This essay shall discuss the communication elements undertaken in the movie that made it a symbolic rhetoric that helped the western audience understand what went on in the movie’s plot, and why these things happened, in Kenneth Burke’s line of opinion. Discussion: To understand its appeal for the Western audiences, we define and analyze the movie in terms of Kenneth Burke's precepts of dramatism and the five terms that he believed is capable of defining all human action: “If action, then drama; if drama, then conflict; if conflict, then victimage.” This is also popularly known as the “dramatistic pentad.” Kenneth Burke’s Dramatism: We shall use five terms as generating principle of our investigation. They are: Act, Scene, Agent, Agency, and Purpose. In a rounded statement about motives, one must have some word that names the act (names what took place, in thought or deed), and another that names the scene (the background of the act, the situation in which it occurred); also, one must indicate what person or kind of person (agent) performed the act, what means or instruments he used (agency), and the purpose.... any complete statement about motives will offer some kind of answers to these five questions: what was done (act), when or where it was done (scene), who did it (agent), how he did it (agency), and why (purpose) (Burke, 1945), so much like the what, who, when, where, why and how in news reporting. How does this Orient production bring in a Western sensibility? In understanding the Burkeian school of thought, to mention a group would mean a “community” that has arrived into an identification after a process of learning and de-learning. In this instance where “Western sensibility” is found in an “Orient production” would only mean that the average western viewer or audience find in the movie values, lessons, identification of beliefs and actions that are culled within its identity. The only thing then that makes the movie or the act itself apart from the recipient of message is the actor. With a power cast alone, lure of western ingrained culture among these eastern talents induces the drama of integrating east and west in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But the movie is actually made by a team (the Agent) that is neither totally Eastern nor totally Western but truly global in its perspective by bringing together eastern characters or talents with western education or skills. And to say once again “global” would mean “western” as there exists a popular belief that colonists are global, and westerners are the “colonists.” Each of the team members who formed the Agent, thus brought to the movie a sensibility not totally rooted in mainland China, and thus the Agent had a lot of impact on the Act of making the movie, and on the Purpose to which it was made. The movie became more stylized, choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping, who had previously created the jaw-dropping sequences for The Matrix. The fight sequences are steeped with an inherent lyricism, and a fluid postmodern grace which gives the motions of Kung fu a free dynamism that defies gravity, a sample of their qinggong (the skill of weightlessness). These are far removed from the “realistic” traditions of Hong Kong action flicks, and look more like fierce ballet than battle. The Agency in the form of Lee also makes sure that the action sequences are not bereft of facial expressions, because these actually take the story forward. The Purpose But the most important part that differentiates the movie from others of the Kung fu genre is of course the Purpose that Burke has talked about. The Purpose is to create a world of fantasy, a time and place where passions, morals and destinies can come together in one grand adventure. Lee succeeds in making the film a glorious cinematic experience long absent from the contemporary Hollywood screens thus fascinated western audience, it failed, as earlier mentioned to capture eastern acceptance. Thus the Purpose had a big hand in how the Act turned out visually; it has the appeal and fascination that the West has always had for the Orient. Drama in this instance is how it was portrayed or presented. But the difference is not just visual, it is visceral, profound infusing a contemporary slant to the wuxia, removing it from its male-dominated characteristics and imbuing the females with the most importance. Here, the conflict, which is the purpose, enters as Burke would propose. Female role, already emphasized in the Disney animation hit “Mulan” stands out as “she” takes centerstage: “......that a hero's concerns are necessarily central on account of his being male…” The decisive reversal of this tradition made Lee’s movie appeal to western audience so used to seeing male doing kung fu and leading roles in Asian movies. In Wang's novel, the dragon and tiger of the title stand for the pair of young lovers, Yu Jen-long and Lo Xiao-hu (shortened to "Lo" and played by Chang Chen). In the film, however, Lo's role is so cut down in size that Jen alone is made to carry the cultural meanings of these mythical beasts--a transition that is potentially subversive given that Chinese women are traditionally likened to lilies and peonies (Leung, 2001). While western audiences might find Jen convincing though flawed and admire her “gumption,” Asian audiences might see her as disrespectful and dislike her presumptuousness. Western audiences might consider it is an act of rebellion and liberation, while some Asian audiences might perceive it as a miscalculated and failed learning.( Kim, 2001) The movie reaches beyond "positive female role models" to explore how they adapt in a world that does not overtly oppress them, but is nonetheless full of glass ceilings, sexual prejudices, and predefined images of masculinity and femininity (Levie, 2001). Nevertheless, these terms would mean something to a community or a group of people that identifies themselves with that theory or value, and may be perceived odd to another group. Conclusion: Given the above discussion basing the drama and impact of Crouching Tiger to its western audience, it can be concluded that the western audience, in their psyche, have been attuned to seeing movies that exemplify if not “glorify” that which is generally or what they themselves may perceive as “western.” The emergence of women liberation for instance, as signified in the lead female character’s travails. If only through a movie, done by Asians themselves portraying “values” or western ideals and in a “kung fu” movie at that, such as the Crouching Tiger, this has been achieved, then, let the audience appreciate as much as they want. In fact, in another point of view, say “un-western” or not even oriental, the movie consciously and subconsciously, could have been actually made for “western” audience considering the education and culture the actors had, which are basically western. In this instance, the movie is, as Burke would say, a replication of real life, for, theater, or movie and real life are quite indistinguishable from the other.Works Cited Burke, K. (1945) A Grammar of Motives. Publisher:New York: Prentice-Hall, xv. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (Asia Union Film & Entertainment, China Film, Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia, EDKO Film, Good Machine, Sony Pictures Classics, United China Visions, Zoom Hunt International Productions, Taiwan/Hong Kong/USA, China: 2000) directed by Ang Lee. Kim, L.S, (2006)Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Making women warriors — a transnational reading of Asian female action heroes. Jump Cut, A Review of Contemporary Media, Volume. 48, winter , Retrieved October 06, 2006 from Larsen, J.(2001) Hollywood Hucksters Ambushed by Tiger, The American Enterprise, Volume: 12: 3, 51. Leung, W, (2001) Crouching Sensibility, Hidden Sense, Film Criticism, Volume: 26: 1, 42 Levie, M( 2001) Ang Lee: third-stage feminist?.Bright Lights Film Journal, Volume July, 33, Retrieved October 06, 2006 from Wang, Hui Ling, Schamus, James, & Tsai, Kuo Jung. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: A Portrait of the Ang Lee Fihn, including the Complete Screenplay. Foreword and Notes by Ang Lee & James Schamus. Introductions by Richard Corliss & David Bordwell. New York: New Market P, 2000; London: Faber & Faber Ltd., 2001.

Monday, July 10, 2006

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