Hereditary Spherocytosis: Review of the Genetic Disorder

Hereditary Spherocytosis: Review of the Genetic Disorder Ginamar Galvan Abstract This review is on the studies of several scientists whom completed research on the genetic disorder, spherocytosis. Based on several articles in the literature, it was learned that spherocytosis is an inherited anemia caused by the dysfunction of the cell’s cytoskeleton. These articles provide information of hereditary spherocytosis comprising of the disorder on the molecular level and how the patient’s diagnosis is concluded using laboratory testing. Patients can be found to be affected on a certain level ranging from mild to severe. They are then prescribed remedial medical attention pertaining to their level. The research showed that a form of response is to undergo a splenectomy which can ease a patient’s ailment, but has been found to not correct the life span of erythrocytes unlike speculation that it did. Hereditary Spherocytosis: A Review on the Genetic Disorder Introduction Hereditary spherocytosis is an anemic disorder affecting the blood that causes erythrocytes to be produced as spheres while normal erythrocytes are shaped as concave disks. The spheroidal shape is caused by a loss of membrane surface relative to intracellular volume (Gallagher 2005). Spherocytosis is genetically based, meaning that it can be passed down from either parent who already encompasses the disorder. This disorder can be found in all racial classifications but is more prevalent in Caucasians (Oliveira et.al 2012). Spherocytosis in Northern Europe and North America have a 1 in 5000 births in reported incidences and is usually the cause of inherited chronic hemolysis (Huq et al., 2010 and Bolton-Maggs et al., 2004). In the reviewed literature, spherocytosis has been researched and discussed regarding various aspects of this disorder, including the functionality of erythrocytes and what occurs after diagnosis. Cellular Level of Spherocytosis In 1871, hereditary spherocytosis was first explained and the first splenectomy was also performed shortly after (Bolton-Maggs et al., 2004). Between family members, the expression of spherocytosis is somewhat similar but the degree of severity differs throughout. The cause of the irregular shape and lifespan of the erythrocytes is the defect of an element in the cytoskeleton which is made of proteins in which the vertical attachment of the proteins to the lipid bilayer membrane is affected and therefore it is weakened (Bolton-Maggs et al., 2004). Other elements that influence the shape of the cell includes problems with spectrin, ankyrin, band 3 and/or protein 4.2 and the severity of the disorder is influenced by how many of these proteins are affected (Bolton-Maggs et al., 2004). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophorese is used as to determine whether or not these proteins have deficiencies. The defects in the genes of spherocytosis are present in five genes in chromosomes 1, 8, 14, 15 and 17 (Oliveira et al., 2012). Dysfunctions of these genes affect the membrane of the red blood cell which can threaten the cytoskeleton which is meant to maintain the form and elasticity of the cell. When the cytoskeleton is infringed upon, the red cell becomes abnormally shaped and does not live as long as a normal healthy cell (Oliveira et al., 2012). According to the article, â€Å"Guidelines for diagnosis and management of hereditary spherocytosis†, a hundred and seventy-four individuals were recruited from a hundr ed and twenty-three families and spectrin-deficient pro-bands were a larger cause than any other protein defect in patients when compared to parents who were seemingly regular. Diagnosis of Spherocytosis Hereditary spherocytosis is usually diagnosed when the patient is a child who has a varying extent of anemia, jaundice, and splenomegaly (Bolton-Maggs et al., 2004). Family history is also very important when diagnosing because in most cases seventy-five percent of patients will have a family history of the disorder (Gallagher 2010). There are different varieties at which hereditary spherocytosis affects people and treatments can sometimes require blood transfusions. Complications may develop which include severe anemia which may cause growth delay, deferred sexual maturation, tumors, and skin ulcers and many of these patients are transfusion dependent (Gallagher 2010). The patients that participated in the clinical study at the Pediatric Hematology Center of Hospital das Clà ­nicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in the journal, â€Å"Clinical course of 63 children with hereditary spherocytosis: a retrospective study†, were followed for about 19 years and had scheduled follow ups for every three months or in some cases more often if it was deemed necessary. They were diagnosed based upon their clinical history, physical examination and tests done in the laboratory and family histories were studied. Patients were classified as mild, moderate or severe depending on their hemoglobin concentration, bilirubin concentration and reticulocyte count and were also screened by ultrasonography to see if they had cholelithiasis. Splenectomy happened when there is an increase in the size of the organ and hemoglobin is decreased while reticulocyte count increased. Ones that needed a spleen sequestration were given immunizations and penicillin. When hemoglobin and reticulocyte count both decreased the patient was categorized to be in aplastic crisis. Most patients have somewhat balanced hemolysis accompanied by slight to average anemia. Anemia can be asymptomatic except for some fatigue and jaundice occurs in patients about half of the time which is usually in association with viral infections (Gallagher 2010). When some patients’ erythrocytes are stressed, patients may notice symptoms because their body is compensating with amplified erythropoiesis for their hemolysis (Gallagher 2010). In the journal, â€Å"Guidelines for diagnosis and management of hereditary spherocytosis†, several laboratory tests were used for diagnosis which includes osmotic fragility, acidified glycerol lysis test, osmotic gradient ektacytometry, and eosin-5-maleimide binding. Osmotic fragility is affected by elevated reticulocyte count while acidified glycerol lysis test detects autoimmune hemolytic anemia, hereditary persistence of fetal haemoglobin, pyruvate kinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency as well as chronic renal failure. The osmotic gradient ektacytometry measures red cell deformability and the eosin-5-maleimide binding shows distinct histograms for red blood cells of spherocytosis. And in the journal, â€Å"Clinical course of 63 children with hereditary spherocytosis: a retrospective study†, the tests in the laboratory include the patient’s complete blood count, smear, reticulocyte count, concentration of bilirubin, positive osmotic fragility test and negative direct antiglobulin test. The osmotic fragility of the patients’ looked at the red blood cells in tubes that were washed in mixtures of increasing sodium chloride concentrations that were either put in incubation for 24 hours or not. Treatment of Spherocytosis There are ways to manage hereditary spherocytosis such as using folate therapy if the patient is severe, routine observation, frequent blood tests and in some cases splenectomy. Splenectomy can improve anemia in most patients including even the most severe. The splenectomy can be performed laproscopically and is the more preferred method because it causes less discomfort after the surgery, quicker recovery time, shorter hospitalization, and decreased costs. Splenectomy complications can occur including infection, bleeding and pancreatitis (Gallagher 2010). This operation used to be considered routine in hereditary spherocytosis patients but now is being reconsidered concerning the complications that can arise. The patients that usually receive a splenectomy are diagnosed to be severe or are older patients whose vital organs are inhibited vascularly (Gallagher 2010). Moderate patients possess more options and may not need a splenectomy. In â€Å"Clinical course of 63 children with hereditary spherocytosis: a retrospective study†, when patients were followed up, thirty-five patients needed transfusions and the need for them was more common in the severity group. Fourteen needed spleen sequestration, three had aplastic crisis, twenty-two had a splenectomy, seventeen developed cholelithiasis and ten had a cholecystectomy. Patients had different degrees of jaundice and anemia while most had some enlargement of the spleen. About 2/3 of the patients were anemic and seventy percent had splenomegaly. Patients that were classified as severe were younger and needed more blood transfusions than the other groups. A viral infection could lead to an overestimated severe classification because anemia level rises. All the patients were told and arranged to take folic acid. Does Splenetomy return Red Cell life span to normal? In some patients, anemia, reticulocytosis, and hyperbilirubinemia may disappear and cause some to infer that the patient no longer has problems with their red cell survival rate (Chapman 1968). Using a micro-hematocrit the hematocrit was determined, the reticulocytes were found in a methylene blue contained cover slip smear, and the red cell was counted by an electronic counter (Chapman 1968). The red cells that were being circulated were labeled with Diisopropyl fluorophosphates. DF32P were given to eleven patients that had a splenectomy two to twenty seven years before. The mean cellular hemoglobin content and concentration were higher in males than females. The concentration was of a normal degree in the females and above normal in all but one of the males (Chapman 1968). Mean red blood cell life spans were determined by the disappearance of radioactivity from the circulating blood by calculating linear regression. From the evidence the life span of the red blood cells seems to be somewhat dependent on age after their splenectomy. Patients that are within the same family do not show any consistency of the degree of spherocytosis expression. The red blood cell life span was averaged at about ninety-six days when normal life span is about one hundred twenty-three days (Chapman 1968). The range of life span between the patients ranged from seventy-six to one hundred eighteen days. From these results it is inferred that splenectomy does not repair red blood cell life span. Conclusion Hereditary spherocytosis is often identified in a patient’s childhood or early adult life, although, spherocytosis can be diagnosed at any age conditional to the entirety. This molecular disorder impacts their quality of life regarding aspects of treatment, finances, stress and recovery. As discoveries are made in this area of research, individuals will have a greater knowledge of spherocytosis and advancement in the treatment of this disorder including more options. References Bolton-Maggs, P. H. B., Stevens, R. F., Dodd, N. J., Lamont, G., Tittensor, P., KIng, M. -. (2004). Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hereditary spherocytosis.British Journal of Haematology, (126), 455-474. Retrieved from http://www.bloodmed.com/contentimage/guidelines/2121.pdf Chapman, R. G. (1968). Red cell life span after splenectomy in hereditary spherocytosis.The Journal of Clinical Investigation,47(10), 2263–2267. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC297390/ Gallagher, P. (2005). Red Cell Membrane Disorders. Hematology 2005, 2005(1), 13-18. Retrieved , from http://asheducationbook.hematologylibrary.org/content/2005/1/13.long Huq, S., Pietroni, M. A. C., Rahman, H., Alam, M. T. (2010). Hereditary spherocytosis.J Health Popul Nutr.,28(1), 107-109. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2975852/ Oliveira, M. C. L. A., Fernandes, R. A. F., Rodrigues, C. L., Ribeiro, D. A., Giovanardi, M. F., Viana, M. B. (2012). Clinical course of 63 children with hereditary spherocytosis: a retrospective study.Rev Bras Hematol Hemoter,34(1), 9-13. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3459613/pdf/rbhh-34-009.pdf What Is The Importance Of Chelates In Biology? What Is The Importance Of Chelates In Biology? Chelation is the formation or presence of two or more separate bindings between a polydentate (multiple bonded) ligand and a single central atom. Usually these ligands are organic compounds, and are called chelants, chelators, chelating agents, or sequestering agents. The ligand forms a chelate complex with the substrate. Chelate complexes are contrasted with coordination complexes composed of monodentate ligands, which form only one bond with the central atom. The denticity of a central atom, of course, refers to the number of bonds formed by the central atom. Chelants, according to ASTM-A-380, are chemicals that form soluble, complex molecules with certain metal ions, inactivating the ions so that they cannot normally react with other elements or ions to produce precipitates or scale. The chelate effect. The chelate effect describes the enhanced affinity of chelating ligands for a metal ion compared to the affinity of a collection of similar nonchelating (monodentate) ligands for the same metal. Consider the two equilibria, in aqueous solution, between the copper(II) ion, Cu2+ and ethylenediamine (en) on the one hand and methylamine, MeNH2 on the other. Cu2+ + en [Cu(en)]2+ (1) Cu2+ + 2 MeNH2 [Cu(MeNH2)2]2+ (2) In (1) the bidentate ligand ethylene diamine forms a chelate complex with the copper ion. Chelation results in the formation of a five-membered ring. In (2) the bidentate ligand is replaced by two monodentate methylamine ligands of approximately the same donor power, meaning that the enthalpy of formation of Cu-N bonds is approximately the same in the two reactions. Under conditions of equal copper concentrations and when the concentration of methylamine is twice the concentration of ethylenediamine, the concentration of the complex (1) will be greater than the concentration of the complex (2). The effect increases with the number of chelate rings so the concentration of the EDTA complex, which has six chelate rings, is much much higher than a corresponding complex with two monodentate nitrogen donor ligands and four monodentate carboxylate ligands. Thus, the phenomenon of the chelate effect is a firmly established empirical fact. Cu2+ complexes with methylamine (left) and ethylenediamine (right) The thermodynamic approach to explaining the chelate effect considers the equilibrium constant for the reaction: the larger the equilibrium constant, the higher the concentration of the complex. Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid, Widely abbreviated as EDTA is a polyamino carboxylic acid and a colourless, water-soluble solid. Its conjugate base is named ethylenediaminetetraacetate. It is widely used to dissolve scale. Its usefulness arises because of its role as a hexadentate (six-toothed) ligand and chelating agent, i.e. its ability to sequester metal ions such as Ca2+ and Fe3+. After being bound by EDTA, metal ions remain in solution but exhibit diminished reactivity. EDTA is produced as several salts, notably disodium EDTA and calcium disodium EDTA. EDTA is used to bind metal ions in chelation therapy, e.g., for mercury and lead poisoning. It is used in a similar manner to remove excess iron from the body. This therapy is used to treat the complication of repeated blood transfusions, as would be applied to treat thalassaemia. EDTA acts as a powerful antioxidant to prevent free radicals from injuring blood vessel walls. Dentists use EDTA solutions to remove inorganic debris (smear layer) and prepare root canals for obturation. It serves as a preservative (usually to enhance the action of another preservative such as benzalkonium chloride or thiomersal) in ocular preparations and eyedrops. In evaluating kidney function, the complex [Cr(edta)]- is administered intravenously and its filtration into the urine is monitored. This method is useful for evaluating glomerular filtration rate. EDTA is used extensively in the analysis of blood. It is an anticoagulant for blood samples for CBC/FBEs (complete blood count also known as full blood examination). Laboratory studies also suggest that EDTA chelation may prevent collection of platelets on the lining of the vessel [such as arteries] (which can otherwise lead to formation of blood clots, which itself is associated with atheromatous plaque formation or rupture, and thereby ultimately disrupts blood flow). These ideas are theoretical, and have so far been proven ineffective; however, a major clinical study of the effects of EDTA on coronary arteries is currently (2008) proceeding. EDTA played a role in the O.J. Simpson trial when the defense alleged that one of the blood samples collected from Simpsons estate was found to contain traces of the compound. In nature Virtually all biochemicals exhibit the ability to dissolve certain metal cations. Thus, proteins, polysaccharides, and polynucleic acids are excellent polydentate ligands for many metal ions. In addition to these adventitious chelators, several biomolecules are produced to specifically bind certain metals . Histidine, malate and phytochelatin are typical chelators used by plants. Histidine (abbreviated as His or H) is one of the 22 proteinogenic amino acids. In terms of nutrition, histidine is considered an essential amino acid in human infants. After reaching several years of age, humans begin to synthesize it, at which point it becomes a non-essential amino acid. Its codons are CAU and CAC. Histidine was first isolated by German physician Albrecht Kossel in 1896. Malic acid is an organic compound with the formula HO2CCH2CHOHCO2H. This carboxylic diacid is the active ingredient in many sour or tart foods. Malic acid is found mostly in unripe fruits. Malic acid has two stereoisomers, a left-handed L-enantiomer and a right-handed D-enantiomer, but only the L isomer exist naturally. The salts and esters of malic acid are known as malates. The malate anion is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle. Phytochelatins are oligomers of glutathione, produced by the enzyme phytochelatin synthase. They are found in plants, fungi, nematodes and all groups of algae including cyanobacteria. Phytochelatins act as chelators, and are important for heavy metal detoxification.They are abbreviated PC2 through PC11. A mutant Arabidopsis thaliana lacking phytochelatin synthase is very sensitive to cadmium, but it grows just as well as the wild-type plant at normal concentrations of zinc and copper, two essential metal ions, indicating that phytochelatin is only involved in resistance to metal poisoning. Phytochelatin seems to be transported into the vacuole of plants, so that the metal ions it carries are stored safely away from the proteins of the cytosol. In biochemistry and microbiology Virtually all metalloenzymes feature metals that are chelated, usually to peptides or cofactors and prosthetic groups. Such chelating agents include the porphyrin rings in hemoglobin and chlorophyll. Many microbial species produce water-soluble pigments that serve as chelating agents, termed siderophores. For example, species of Pseudomonas are known to secrete pycocyanin and pyoverdin that bind iron. Enterobactin, produced by E. coli, is the strongest chelating agent known. Porphyrins are a group of organic compounds of which many occur in nature. One of the best-known porphyrins is heme, the pigment in red blood cells. Heme is a cofactor of the protein hemoglobin. They are heterocyclic macrocycles composed of four modified pyrrole subunits interconnected at their ÃŽÂ ± carbon atoms via methine bridges (=CH-). Porphyrins are aromatic Hemoglobin (also spelled haemoglobin and abbreviated Hb or Hgb) is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in the red blood cells of vertebrates and the tissues of some invertebrates. Hemoglobin in the blood is what transports oxygen from the lungs or gills to the rest of the body (i.e. the tissues) where it releases the oxygen for cell use. In mammals the protein makes up about 97% of the red blood cells dry content, and around 35% of the total content (including water). Hemoglobin has an oxygen binding capacity between 1.36 and 1.37 ml O2 per gram of hemoglobin, which increases the total blood oxygen capacity seventyfold. Hemoglobin is involved in the transport of other gases: it carries some of the bodys respiratory carbon dioxide (about 10% of the total) as carbaminohemoglobin, in which CO2 is bound to the globin protein. The molecule also carries the important regulatory molecule nitric oxide bound to a globin protein thiol group, releasing it at the same time as oxygen. Heme group Chlorophyll (also chlorophyl) is a green pigment found in almost all plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Chlorophyll absorbs light most strongly in the blue portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, followed by the red portion. However, it is a poor absorber of green and near-green portions of the spectrum, hence the green color of chlorophyll-containing tissues. Chlorophyll was first isolated by Joseph Bienaimà © Caventou and Pierre Joseph Pelletier in 1817. In geology In earth science, chemical weathering is attributed to organic chelating agents, e.g. peptides and sugars, that extract metal ions from minerals and rocks. Most metal complexes in the environment and in nature are bound in some form of chelate ring, e.g. with a humic acid or a protein. Thus, metal chelates are relevant to the mobilization of metals in the soil, the uptake and the accumulation of metals into plants and micro-organisms. Selective chelation of heavy metals is relevant to bioremediation, e.g. removal of 137Cs from radioactive waste. Applications Chelators are used in chemical analysis, as water softeners, and are ingredients in many commercial products such as shampoos and food preservatives. Citric acid is used to soften water in soaps and laundry detergents. A common synthetic chelator is EDTA. Phosphonates are also well known chelating agents. Chelators are used in water treatment programs and specifically in steam engineering, e.g., boiler water treatment system: Chelant Water Treatment system. Heavy metal detoxification. Chelation therapy is the use of chelating agents to detoxify poisonous metal agents such as mercury, arsenic, and lead by converting them to a chemically inert form that can be excreted without further interaction with the body, and was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1991. In alternative medicine, chelation is used as a treatment for autism, though this practice is controversial due to no scientific plausibility, lack of FDA approval, and its potentially deadly side-effects. Though they can be beneficial in cases of heavy metal poisoning, chelating agents can also be dangerous. The U.S. CDC reports that use of disodium EDTA instead of calcium EDTA has resulted in fatalities due to hypocalcemia. Other medical applications Antibiotic drugs of the tetracycline family are chelators of Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions. EDTA is also used in root canal treatment as a way to irrigate the canal. EDTA softens the dentin facilitating access to the entire canal length and to remove the smear layer formed during instrumentation. Chelate complexes of gadolinium are often used as contrast agents in MRI scans. Copper-64 is a radioactive nuclide of copper which has unique decay properties making it useful in nuclear medicine for both imaging and therapy. 64Cu-ATSM (diacetyl-bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazone)) has been shown to increase the survival time of tumor-bearing animals with no acute toxicity. Areas of low oxygen retention have been shown to be resistant to radiotherapy because hypoxia reduces the lethal effects of ionizing radiation. 64Cu was believed to kill these cells because of its unique decay properties. In this experiment, animal models having colorectal tumors with and without induced hypoxia were administered Cu-ATSM. Cu-ATSM is preferentially taken up by hypoxic cells over normoxic cells. The results demonstrated that this compound increased survival of the tumor bearing hamsters compared with controls. In the control groups, death due to tumor burden occurred within 4 weeks while animals with a dose greater than 6 mCi of the radioisotope tumor growth was inhibited and survival increased. The results also suggested that multiple doses and a single dose of 10 mCi were equally effective while the multiple dose regimen i s safer for non-target tissue. Radiotherapy of cancer cells using 64Cu can be applied in medical research and clinical practice. The advantages of radiotherapy with beta emitters of this energy are that there is enough to do substantial damage to the target cells but the mean range in tissue is less than a millimeter so non target tissues are unlikely to be harmed. In addition, 64Cu is a positron emitter making it a viable PET imaging radionuclide which can give real time images of the physiological processes in the system. These abilities in conjunction enable accurate monitoring of drug distribution and biokinetics simultaneously. Radiotherapeutic efficacy of Copper-64 depends highly upon the radioligand delivery to the target cells, so the development of bifunctional chelates is central to development of 64Cus potential as a radiopharmaceutical. With sufficient development, 64Cu is likely to become a central element in nuclear medicine in the years to come. A preliminary study of the bio availability of iron- and zinc-glycine chelates Groups of rats were fed diets containing marginal levels of Fe and Zn as glycine chelates (tradename Chelazome, Albion Laboratories, Verona, New Jersey, USA), or the same level of mineral as ferrous sulphate or zinc carbonate. The Fe diets were fed to weanling rats for 4 weeks and the Zn diets to young adult rats for 5 weeks. Blood Hb concentrations were significantly higher in the group fed Fe-chelazome than ferrous sulphate, 149 and 128 g/l respectively (P

Franklin Delano Roosevelt :: essays research papers

Franklin Delano Roosevelt is one of our country's best known and most beloved presidents. He is commonly remembered for taking a tired, beaten, nation and instilling hope in it. This positive view of Roosevelt is held by Burns, who paints the picture of a man whose goal was to alleviate our nation's economic pains. But, is this view too myopic? Is Roosevelt deserving of such a godly reputation? These questions are posed by Conkin as he points out the discrimination that underlies many New Deal programs, and even suggests that many of Roosevelt's actions were for purely political motives. During the weeks preceding Roosevelt's inauguration the country was engaged in an economic crisis that was quickly spiraling downward. Banks failed, people panicked, and the nation looked to someone, anyone, for help. Hoover, sensing the country's desperation, but realizing his lack of power, and the feelings of resentment harbored towards him looked to Roosevelt. He asked the president-elect to join in economic planning, support policies, and most importantly to reassure the nation. While both authors note Roosevelt's unwillingness to cooperate with Hoover they site different reasons for it. Burns talks of Roosevelt's belief that the nation was not yet his domain, and that Hoover had the authority to handle the situation. In addition, Burns excuses Roosevelt by maintaining "Roosevelt did not foresee that the banking situation would reach a dramatic climax on Inauguration day. No man could have." (P. 148) This position is an exceedingly benevolent one when contrasted with Conkin's who writes Roosevelt "did nothing, and helplessly watched the economy collapse, letting it appear as one last result of Republican incompetence." This measure allowed Roosevelt to emerge as the "nation's savior," and ally the Democratic party with this image.Furthermore, the two authors differ in their assessment of the effect of public opinion on Roosevelt's actions. Burns gives the impression of a president who looked to engage all in his coalition. He states, politically, his cabinet "catered to almost every major group." Burns also adds, "Roosevelt did not slavishly follow the wishes of group leaders." (P. 150). Roosevelt is portrayed as the paragon of a humanitarian, "he wanted to help the underdog, though not necessarily at the expense of the top dog. He believed that private, special interests must be subordinated to the general interest." (P. 155) Conkin attempts to poke holes in this idealistic portrayal of Roosevelt.

Wealthy and Lower Socioeconomic Communities Differences

There exists an achievement gap among wealthy and lower socio economic communities. Students who come from schools within lower socioeconomic communities do not often receive the same education or services from wealthier districts. New Jersey has responded to this inequitable situation with the Abbot funding process. Recently two local communities, Long Branch and Neptune, have been threatened with the loss of their Abbott status; as a result of additional mandates from the federal No Child Left Behind Act, many such schools are being threatened with the loss of their funding if they fail to meet minimum academic achievement standards. To determine the impact of this potential loss, this paper will provide insights into local concerns in Long Branch to identify how this loss would affect the academic achievement gap. This discussion will be followed by a report on two areas where it is believed equity will be lost to the district. In their Abbott vs. Burke decision, the New Jersey Supreme Court mandated additional assistance for the state's 30 poorest districts, including Long Branch and Neptune (Quinn, 2003). According to an Asbury Park Press survey of enrollment data for Monmouth County found that minorities comprise the majority of the school population in Asbury Park, Red Bank, Neptune, Freehold, Long Branch and Lakewood; of these, the survey found that only Red Bank's poverty rate does not exceed the state's rate (Quinn, 2003). Furthermore, fully 20 percent of the Hispanic students in Monmouth County attend the Long Branch school system (Quinn, 2003). If the additional funding promised by the Abbott decision is halted or reduced, all of the low-income communities will undoubtedly experience further declines in the academic performance levels that are already precipitously low in many cases, with the thrust of this reduction in funding creating two fundamental problems: 1) adversely affect literary rates; and 2) further exacerbate the segregation of low-income and minority citizens into pockets of poverty. As to the first issue, Strickland and Alvermann (2004) reviewed the issues concerning the achievement gap in the U. S. and found that literacy demands of the middle grades are exacerbated when the students come from low income and minority homes; in particular, these issues assumed critical levels when the students are members of low-income and minority families. These students are already likely to attend schools characterized by high mobility rates, inadequate resources and facilities, and large numbers of young students with challenging learning needs (Strickland & Alvermann, 2004). Comparable trends are also apparent in the State of New Jersey as well. According to Lattimer and Strickland (2004), the results from the Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment (GEPA) from 2000-2002 identified consistent differences in partially proficient, proficient, and advanced proficient between District Factor Groups (DFG's) and race/ethnicity. In addition, the differences in academic achievement between special needs districts such as Long Branch and non-special needs districts found similar trends to the 2002 GEPA (Lattimer & Strickland, 2004). In fact, a 35-percentage point difference existed in the total number of students scoring proficient and advanced proficient in Language Arts Literacy in 2002; the authors point out that the District Factor Group is an indicator of the socioeconomic status of citizens in each district and has been useful for the comparative reporting of test results from New Jersey's statewide testing programs in the past (Lattimer & Strickland, 2004). Concerning the second issue of further segregating low-income and minority citizens into â€Å"pockets of poverty,† the school superintendent for Long Branch reported that although minorities tend to live in segregated communities, this was the result of a â€Å"social trend† rather than segregation; notwithstanding these assertions, though, these high concentration of low-income minority members in their own communities has created â€Å"have† and â€Å"have-not† districts, with the Long Branch district representing one of the hardest-hit in the state (Quinn, 2003). Clearly, if the Abbott funding is halted, parents will be faced with a dual-edged dilemma of being unable to provide their children with an adequate education by virtue of substandard schools while being forced to remain in these low-income districts out of sheer necessity. The people of New Jersey in general and the citizens of these low-income regions deserve the quality education that is their American birthright; unfortunately, the promise has not lived up to its legacy in many of these cities, and Long Branch continues to be threatened with even more academic and social miseries if its Abbott funding is stopped.

3 Ways You Can Make an Impact at Your Internship

3 Ways You Can Make an Impact at Your Internship In many areas of the world- especially the United States- job title and status  are an incredibly important factor to  the way society perceives you. It’s not uncommon for your  job title to hold more influence and status than your actual job description.  As an intern myself, I can vouch for that.  I have had first-hand experience in having my hand held  and being treated as if I’m significantly less competent  by  people who have been out of college  for a mere 3 years. But here’s the thing: success is  all about perspective, goals, and influence. Making an impact has very little to do with title and a lot to do with influence. I can choose to be offended by the way people treat me because of my intern status, or I can shift my perspective, set goals for myself, and grow my influence.All you need to do is ask yourself how you can make an impact in your company as an intern. What is your goal at the end of your  internship? It could be as s imple as getting a full-time position or finding out if  you’re in  the field you truly want to be in. As long as you have a goal in mind, you can set sail and proceed in the right direction.There is no one-size-fits-all method to get there, of course, but here are 3 ways you can make an impact at your internship and begin growing your influence and professional career.1.  Visualize the results you wantvia [giphy.com]Think of it this way- if you’re going shopping and walk into a store with no list, you might spend an entire day searching for just a few things. If you walk into the store with a list, it might take half the time to get the same task  done.The same concept can applied to an internship. Once you have a list of things you want to accomplish, you can work at a more efficient pace. Sit down with a supervisor, manager, or even a coworker who has more experience and go over your responsibilities and how they relate to the goals of the company.At my inte rnship,  I am responsible with managing two blogs for our company, so I block out time in my calendar to meet with two different people in my marketing team in order to go over my progress, current goals, future goals, and responsibilities. I do this twice a week and it helps me align what I’m trying to accomplish for myself with what the company wants to  do.2.  Show you’re hungry and ready to learnvia [giphy.com]At my internship, I’m always brainstorming ideas- not because I have an agenda, but because I’m genuinely involved and I enjoy marketing. I try to make the best of my 8 hours.  In order to begin making an impact, it’s important to take a similar approach. Even so, you also have to do your best to be a team player and help those around you. When a miscellaneous assignment comes my way, even if I have a million things on my plate, I do my best to find some time to tackle it.Being a team player is important, and showing you can help serve the needs of others and the company are characteristics of an effective leader- which also ties into growing your influence.Don’t be insulted when you get bombarded with menial tasks. I used to feel the same way. Instead, think of it as an opportunity to showcase how responsible you are. It’s an opportunity for you to show your team you can be trusted. With trust comes more responsibility. It’s okay to have a little voice in the back of your head saying â€Å"you’re better than this† because that’s entirely true, but the people around you don’t know that yet, so show them!3.   Know the essence of your charactervia [giphy.com]Having strong work ethic is important. You need to attend meetings, complete projects, meet deadlines, and contribute to the company- but one thing that truly stands the test of time is the content of your character.  Are you honest? Are you trustworthy? Do you have empathy for your fellow man? These cha racteristics are important building blocks to authentically building your influence.Most people these days are tired of the stereotypical  bad guy CEO. Things are changing and the corporate world isn’t as cutthroat as it used to be.  People prefer working with someone who is a good person and doesn’t just look out for themselves.Disclaimervia [giphy.com]There is an important caveat  that you should take away from all of this- professional change isn’t something that will happen overnight. It  will take time. At first, it may not feel natural,  but over time it will become habitual. Focus on growing yourself professionally and becoming a better person.Remember, it’s about more than just the workplace. You have to focus on yourself outside of work as well. Take the time to become a better version of you.  Titles are reactive. Influence is proactive.

How Long Does it Take to Write a Book Do it Well

How Long Does it Take to Write a Book Do it Well How Long Does it Take to Write a Book? The most valuable thing a writer can learn is how long does it take to write a book. And while most sources say it depends, we break it down for you.According to this article that interviewed famous authors, when asked how long it took to produce their debut novels, the answers ranged from four years to a decade. In other words, a very long time.While it’s nice to be able to take your time honing and polishing your new book, a rough draft sitting on your hard drive isn’t doing anything for you. It’s not building your author name, spreading your message, or growing your audience.Moreover, it’s not earning you a single cent.But there is amazing news:Writing your book can take far less time than you think. You just need to have the right mindset and stay motivated.Heres what youll learn about how long it takes to write a book:How to create a deadlinePrioritizing to take less time to write a bookCreate word count goalsFind accountability to write a book faster Set challenges to finish writing your bookHere at Self-Publishing School, our goal is to improve this arduous writing process. Right now, we coach our students to routinely complete a new book in just 90 days, finishing their first draft in as little as 30 days!They are able to accomplish this by following a simple step-by-step guide that were going to share with you today.NOTE: We cover everything in this blog post and much more about the writing, marketing, and publishing process in our VIP Self-Publishing Program. Learn more about it hereHow long does it take to write a book?Many authors report that it takes up to a year to write a book, but more recently, authors are finishing their books in as little as a month to 90 days. How long it takes to write a book largely depends on how much time the writer puts in to actually writing it, though.The truth about how long it takes to write a book depends on how many words are in it.Heres a guideline for how long it takes to write a book: 30,000 50,000 words: 500 words/day = 60 100 days50,000 80,000 words: 500 words/day = 100 160 days80,000 100,000 words: 500 words/day = 160 200 daysEssentially, the length of time it takes can be anywhere from two months to 7 months depending on how often you write and how many words you write per session.Following the guidelines below, you can learn to supercharge your own book writing process, and you’ll become a published author much faster.How to Write a Book Faster so it Doesnt Take as LongIf you want to know how to write a book faster so it doesnt take as long, here are our best tips.#1 Establishing a Strategic DeadlineDeadlines are designed to help you inch closer to completing your book. It also encourages you to work every day hitting both short-term and long-term goals. However, you wont find success by setting arbitrary due dates. They must be set up for your books success.Here are3 ways to establish strategic deadlines:Define realistic deadlines.Set short te rm and long term deadlines for each portion of your draft that breaks down your entire book.Set honest expectations.If youre only able to write 500 words a day, so be it. Dont push yourself into thinking that you can complete an unrealistic task. Be honest with your abilities and align it with your deadline.Implement rewards. Dont make writing a book feel like a tedious job. Reward yourself for achieving your goals! Attaching rewards to each accomplishment will make finishing your book much more aspiring to complete.Action Step:Before writing, set your first draft time frame between 30-90 days and set target dates that tackle both short term and long term goals for your first draft.#2 Prioritizing Your Writing Into TasksWhat separates those who can write multiple books to those who can barely write a page isthe ability to prioritize. Because there are so many competing factors that pull away our time and energy,prioritizing is actually a very hard concept to implement.But in order to write your book, you need to establish clear priorities to get anything done.Here are some ways to prioritize your work:List out every detail of your book and turn them into tasksAssess each task to identify what carries the biggest value to completing your bookOrder tasks by its immediate priority and length of time to completeAnticipate unexpected changes to your schedule, and plan an alternative schedule to stay on trackAction Step:Make the effort and spend a few hours prioritizing your writing process. You will be surprised with how much writing you can accomplish with a well thought out task plan.#3 Creating Word Count GoalsOne of the best ways to accelerate the writing process is to set word count goals. Like training intervals, setting up word count goals will pace how many words to write a day.First you have to understand how many words in a novel for your genre. Once you know this, you can work backward to figure out how much you have to write each day in order to reach your deadline.By establishing these parameters for your own success, not only will you be more likely to accomplish these goals, but you will also notice improvements to your writing.Heres an example of a tracking sheet you can set up in order to accomplish your word count goals:We recommend writing down your daily, weekly, and monthly word count goals to not only show your current progress, but to keep you motivated until you reach the end. It also helps to include rewards for every new milestone!Action Step:Start your daily word count goal to 500-1,000 words per day. By completing 1,000 words per day, you’ll be looking at your completed 30,000 word first draft in one month!#4 Finding Your Accountability PartnerA supportive partner can be a great soundboard, a first pair of eyes, and a protector of your sanity. They can also be the extrinsic motivation you need to meet your own deadlines and word counts.When you have an accountability partner backing you up, it makes it ha rder to procrastinate because they expect great results from you!At Self-Publishing School, we believe in the accountability system and encourage our students to pair up with other like-minded students to encourage one another and hold each other accountable for reaching goals and deadlines.This is done through our Mastermind Community, so everyone has the same goal in mind: start writing a book and finish by self-publishing a book.It’s a great motivating tactic and helps our students complete their books on time.Action Step:Find an accountability partner who is willing to encourage and hold you accountable to meet your deadlines!#5 Setting Challenges for YourselfFollowing the same routine can get old quickly especially for something lengthy like writing the first draft of your book.To combat the fear of boredom and add more spark to your writing project, we encourage you to set challenges for yourself!Here are some simple challenges to set to write your book faster:Double t he word count youve originally set daily, monthly, yearlyPurposely tighten deadlines to increase pressureBan the use of your phone or all forms of distractions until youve completed your taskRead your unfinished draft out loud to someone new for feedbackAction Step:Include a few of these challenges every so often to increase the intensity of your writing. You may tack on even better rewards for each successful challenge youve completed.If you ever dream of becoming a self-published author, now is the time to finally make it a reality.By following these guidelines on how to develop a robust writing process, you will have your first book ready to publish in no time.Ready to become a successful author?You already know you want to write a book. Your problem is howtogetitdonetimely. Because lets be honest, we all dont have years to get a book done.But thats where we come in.

Actus Reus and Mens Rea Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Actus Reus and Mens Rea - Research Paper Example lt case, for instance, may say that he hit the victim unintentionally and hence did not have the required motive for an assault, or a motive to bring about physical injury (Allen, 2013). Nevertheless, if the prosecution can establish that the victim and defendant had been quarrelling immediately prior to the suspected assault, the intent can work as a circumstantial proof that a suspect truly did intend to hurt the victim. Otherwise, defendants can take advantage of the prosecution’s lack of evidence of intent as a ‘reasonable doubt’ to evade criminal responsibility (LaFave, 2006). This paper discusses ‘actus reus’ and ‘mens rea’ as depicted on the cases of homicide, murder, rape, and manslaughter. It also answers the following questions: why are individuals not punished for their thoughts? What are some of the reasons why law requires ‘mens rea’? Why is it difficult to prove ‘mens rea’ beyond a reasonable doubt? Murder is a usual crime which has not been identified by the law. The 17th-century definition of murder given by Sir Edward Coke is â€Å"†¦ the unlawful killing of a reasonable person in being and under the King’s peace with malice aforethought, express or implied†¦ is widely referenced. The actus reus is described by the first part and mens rea by the second† (Allen, 2013, 324). As explained by Sir Edward Coke, the mens rea of murder needs one component to be met—malice aforethought, whether overt or covert. Aforethought does not necessitate planning or thinking ahead of time just that the motive to murder does not occur after the action. The mens rea of unlawful killing is fulfilled by the motive to kill or bring about serious physical injury (Allen, 2013). Overt motive is direct, a suspect fires at the victim attempting to murder him. Motive could also be indirectly expressed by the suspect trying to bring about harm which leads to death (Brody & A cker, 2011). Nevertheless, problems emerge when the primary goal of the

ENGINEERING PRODUCTS LTD (CASE STUDY) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ENGINEERING PRODUCTS LTD (CASE STUDY) - Essay Example uman Resources (HR) department acquires an importance in the success or failure of the company’s international operations (Quintanilla and Ferner, 2003). The HR department adopts numerous ways in which they could attempt homogenization of the various practices that are being adopted in the Headquarter of the company so that the uniformity in the products with respect to the quality can be achieved, as it is the order of the day that the customers insist on the consistency in the product design and quality. Such consistency can be achieved only by integrating the practices throughout the organization. While the HR Management takes the efforts for integration, they are usually confronted with various issues of power and control which are outlined in this paper while analyzing the case of Engineering Products Limited. The paper also discusses the implications on the managers and non-managers of the organization as a result of such integration efforts. Engineering Products Limited with more than 33,000 workers undertook a restructuring and expansion plan out of which the company expanded globally with more than half of the employees work in their overseas locations. Having three distinct business areas in automotive components, defence and industrial services, the company’s automotive components division being the largest have its employees scattered in the European countries Germany, France and Spain. A smaller percentage of them are placed in UK as well as North America. With the major customers of the company insisting on the same specification of the components produced in all the company’s location, the HR Department of the company is in an attempt to transfer the ‘best practices’ of the company to all its locations. For that purpose they adopt the following methods: One of the key areas of attention of the Management at the Head Quarter of the company is to adopt various management structures that can possibly help the exchange of information among