2.009

2.009 2.009  Product Engineering Processes. A senior capstone class option for mechanical engineering students (aka gotta take one of them to graduate).  The premise of this class is to ideate, design, build, and present a brand new product by the end of the semester. 1  Unifying theme. This year the theme was Danger, so there was a lot of really cool demos at the end. 8  Number of teams the class is divided into. 24.9 The average number of hours that students spend on this class a week, based on course reviews. ~150  Number of students in the class. 1,200  The number of people sitting in Kresge Auditorium during the live product launch, with thousands on a wait list to get tickets. ~40,000  The number of people watching the product launch webcast online. Many Actual products, patents, and companies that have come out of 2.009. This class is as Real Lifeâ„¢ as it gets. 2.009 consumed a lot of my waking hours this fall. Its hard enough to come up with a brand-new product idea. Its even harder to build it. Its even harder to make it work reliably enough to present live on-stage without a major catastrophe. And its hardest of all to do this in a single semester. However, I can honestly say that it was the most fun Ive had as a student at MIT.   I was on the Purple Team, and I am so incredibly proud of what we were able to build. Watching all of the presentations, it was obvious that all of the other teams felt the same way about their products, too.   Since not everyone was able to watch live, Im going to link videos of the final presentations and brochures for each of the teams, and add a few insider scoop comments. Note on the final presentation video format- each team has an intro skit, and there was a live band that played a custom song for every. single. team. This is followed by a 7-minute presentation and a 3 minute Q and A session. Yeah, it was a long night. Yellow Team- Manta  Yellow started off the night with a literal *BANG*. Their product, Manta, is a man-overboard rescue system that fires ropes attached to flotation devices   that encircle the person in the water and pull them back to safety. They literally fired it onstage in Kresge. Every spectator was given earplugs when they walked in. Click here to see the brochure. Blue Team- Talon  Blue made a knife that automatically retracts when it senses it has come in contact with something that it shouldnt cut, i.e. you. They demonstrated it live on an actual hand. I had my eyes closed for this part so I didnt really see it in action, but the student walked away with all of his fingers, so that was pretty cool. Click here to see the brochure.   Purple Team- Lilac  We made a breastfeeding aid that allows mothers and children who cant nurse (due to medical conditions, excessive pain or difficulty, etc.) to breastfeed as naturally as possible. Yes, an awesome mother and her adorable baby came on stage and demoed it live. Click here to see the brochure. Red Team- Tempra  Picture this- its past dinnertime, youve already been watching presentations for over an hour, youre super hungry and cant get food until the end and then Red Team comes on and cooks a full meal on stage. :(((((. Cool product though, it senses the exact temperature of your pots/pans and assists you in perfectly cooking your food. Bonus: Watch through the Q and A to see our very own Petey ask some key questions about thick steaks. Click here to see the brochure. Orange Team- Vesta  Orange made an awesome vest that keeps a person warm after falling into freezing water for up to 12 hours! I thought I had a rough semester, but apparently one of the students on this team had to lay in a freezing pool for hours  in order to test the product. You can see what that looks like in their demo video, where they re-created that test on stage. Click here to see the brochure. Green Team- Elevate  This is a wheelchair attachment that allows the user to raise the height of their seat, giving them the ability to reach higher places and see on a more eye-to-eye level (the use case they demonstrated was a user raising the height of their seat to eat in a restaurant). This was an awesome demo, and I really liked the fact that the mechanism they made was purely mechanical. No need for heavy motors and/or batteries! Click here for the brochure.   Pink Team- Zip  Another cool mechanical design, Zip is a knee scooter that can transform into crutches so the user can move up and down stairs or maneuver tight spaces. Their team space in lab was a graveyard of crutches and Razor scooters, which seems like a fun combo. Click here to see the brochure. Silver Team- Sentry  Silver made a speed bump that collapses to allow emergency vehicles to pass. A similar concept to the technology that changes traffic signals to allow ambulances, police cars, and fire trucks to speed through, but much more difficult to make. Unfortunately they couldnt bring a fire truck on stage, but they did have a golf cart drive over their bump. Click here for the brochure. Finally, heres a beautiful video of MIT and the surrounding area shot using a drone. They played this at the beginning of the presentation, and it made me nostalgic for my college years, even though I still go here: Post Tagged #2.009

Themes In Othello Essay - 2144 Words

Top Square Assignment Song is labeled â€Å"Othello.wav† in the class folder. It can also be found as a link on the â€Å"Othello Song† document in the class folder. Centre Square Assignment 1. Themes in Othello Love - Othello says, â€Å"For know Iago, // But that I love the gentle Desdemona, // I would not my unhoused free condition // Put into circumscription and confine // For the sea’s worth.†(Shakespeare, I.ii.24-27) This quote supports the theme of love found in the play Othello by William Shakespeare. This can be seen in how invested Othello seems to be emotionally when speaking about Desdemona. An aspect of love is already present in the fact that he and Desdemona are set to be wed, but this quote further shows that Othello is not†¦show more content†¦This quote alone shows just how sinister and revengeful Iago is and how representative he can be of this theme. This quote and many others exist in the book to show the actions and words o f the characters in the novel are illustrative of the theme of revenge. 2. Quotes surrounding characters in Othello Cassio - Cassio says, â€Å"Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my // reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what // remains is bestial. My reputation, Iago, my reputation!†(Shakespeare, II.iii.241-243). Iago says, â€Å"Reputation is an idle and most false imposition: oft got // without merit, and lost without deserving. You have lost no // reputation at all, unless you repute yourself such a loser. // What, man! there are ways to recover the general again.†(Shakespeare, II.iii.246-249) These quotes show just how reputation driven the character of Cassio is in the play. Cassio acts completely and utterly destroyed after learning that he has lost his position as Othello’s lieutenant and with it his honour and reputation. He goes as far as crying out, proclaiming that he has just lost an essential part of his being, and even going as far as pleading out his feelings to Iago. At this point in the play, we know that Iago still has use of Cassio for his ‘masterful plan’, so he is trying to do whatever it takes to keep Cassio on a tight leash. The second quote goes on to show Iago consoling Cassio in sort of a mockingShow MoreRelated Othello: Themes Essay1946 Wo rds   |  8 PagesOthello: Themes  Ã‚        Ã‚   How many themes course through the Shakespearean tragedy Othello? Let us in this essay analyze the variety and depth of the themes in this play.    Lily B. Campbell in Shakespeare’s Tragic Heroes indicates that hate is the theme on which this play opens:    It is then on a theme of hate that the play opens. It is a hate of inveterate anger. It is a hate that is bound up with envy. Othello has preferred to be his lieutenant a military theorist, one MichaelRead More The Numerous Themes in Othello Essay1715 Words   |  7 PagesThe Numerous Themes in Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚   The Shakespearean tragedy Othello contains a number of themes; their relative importance and priority is debated by literary critics. In this essay let us examine the various themes and determine which are dominant and which subordinate.    A. C. Bradley, in his book of literary criticism, Shakespearean Tragedy, describes the theme of sexual jealousy in Othello:    But jealousy, and especially sexual jealousy, brings with it a sense of shameRead MoreThemes in Othello Essays994 Words   |  4 PagesThemes in Shakespeares Othello Throughout Shakespeares play, Othello, there are many themes interwoven to describe the authors perspective of the true nature of a mans soul. Three themes critical to the play are doubt versus trust, monstrous imagery and the fallible love of man. One central theme of the play is the major contrast of doubt versus trust. For whatever reason, Othellos trust of Desdemona is too weak to resist Iagos accusations. As happens in many of Shakespeares works, miscommunicationRead MoreEssay on The Variety of Themes in Othello2340 Words   |  10 PagesThe Variety of Themes in Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In the Shakespearean tragedy Othello the number and description of themes is open to discussion. With the help of literary critics, we can analyze this subject in detail.    In the essay â€Å"Wit and Witchcraft: an Approach to Othello† Robert B. Heilman discusses the ancient’s instinctive reaction to the love-theme of the play:    Before coming directly to the forming of the love-theme that differentiates Othello from other Shakespeare playsRead MoreThemes in Shakespeares Othello Essay1155 Words   |  5 PagesOthello was written by Jacobean playwright William Shakespeare in 1603. It proved a huge success when first performed in 1604, in front of a huge audience. The story is one of Shakespeare’s great tragedy themed plays. Othello is the black protagonist and highly esteemed Venetian general. Iago is the ambitious but scheming villain of the play. When Othello promotes a man called Michael Cassio over Iago, he is furious and launches a malicious campaign against Othello. Meanwhile, Othello has marriedRead MoreThemes of Blame and Justice in Othello Essay979 Words   |  4 PagesThe Play Othello first performed in 1604 written by Shakespeare was a play that portrayed the problems faced in society regarding blame and justice. He showed this by using the setting of Venice where almost everyone was rich, living in houses based in the most powerful part of Italy. Shakespeare used race which tied into the setting as the main character, a black man living in a white society. He used gender to portray labels and to show how different sexes were treated. Shakespeare is showing usRead More The Theme of Control in Shakespeares Othello Essay996 Words   |  4 Pages The Theme of Control in Othellonbsp;nbsp; nbsp; Throughout history, powerful empires with boundless control have had a tendency to fall victim to corruption. It is common knowledge, among political scientists and historians, that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. William Shakespeares Othello, the Moor of Venice (reprinted in Laurence Perrine and Thomas R. Arp, Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense, 6th ed. [Fort Worth: Harcourt, 1993] 1060-1147) contains severalRead MoreEssay on The Theme of Self Esteem in Othello1475 Words   |  6 PagesThe Theme of Self Esteem in Othello For the theater-going people of the Elizabethan age, there were many hardships. Many of them experienced poor living conditions and treatment. All of them faced the dangers of a comparatively underdeveloped medical knowledge which often left the young and elderly to die of common diseases. The magic of Shakespeare is not only that historians can learn of otherwise undocumented details of the 1500s, but also that all readers can discover the many similaritiesRead MoreOthello and the Theme of Revenge Essay example941 Words   |  4 PagesOthello and the Theme of Revenge â€Å"Killing myself, to die upon a kiss†. These are Othello’s last words, as he commits suicide and dies next to his wife. After ironically killing her himself at the end of Act 5. Othello was led to do this by the manipulative Iago. He was just another victim of his revengeful scheme. The play was written in 1608 a time when the Ottoman Empire was at war with the Venetians. Othello is a tragedy because of the deception and betrayal of IagoRead More The Theme of Jealousy in Othello by William Shakespeare Essay1990 Words   |  8 PagesThe Theme of Jealousy in Othello by William Shakespeare Othello is a unique tragedy in that it focuses on the destruction of love through sexual jealousy. Jealousy is not inherited in a person, but developed from the fatal factors of their character. Othello is plagued with his ego and pride which contributes to his demise. Othello is, however, a truly romantic character because he is very passionate and full of deep feelings. It keeps a person wondering what could have possibly

Smart Guns and its Ability to Stop Gun Violence - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1113 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/03/20 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Gun Control Essay Gun Violence Essay Did you like this example? In 2017 alone, 11,560 individuals fell victim to gun violence, including suicides (Basu). The effects of these tragedies extend far beyond these casualties†gun violence affects the lives of the millions of Americans who see it, know someone who has gotten shot, or those who live in fear of the next catastrophe. As the idea of gun control becomes more controversial among Americans, there is a modern technology that may satisfy both sides of the spectrum: smart guns. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Smart Guns and its Ability to Stop Gun Violence" essay for you Create order With the number of gun violence victims steadily increasing, smart guns are the best, most efficient way to reduce gun related mishaps: it reduces the amount of crime done with stolen guns, the number of unintentional fatalities and suicides, and the number of guns resold in the black market. Smart guns are the best way to minimize crimes done with stolen guns. For example, according to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, from 2012 to 2015, criminals stole an estimated 1.2 million guns from police officers, licensed to carry citizens, and gun stores. 75% of the guns are in use by lawbreakers to commit petty crimes such as robbing convenient stores, or serious crimes such as gang related shootings. (Gun Violence Archive). With the new smart gun technology, the issue of crimes committed with stolen guns reduces significantly. Because smart guns have an ID authentication, it therefore would potentially end the phenomena of weapons falling into criminal hands. In addition, smart gun technology could potentially prevent mass shootings. In the wake of the Columbine High School shooting in April of 1999, Americans have increasingly demanded change with the safety in schools. In Tanya Basus article entitled Will this Smart Gun Solve Americas Gun Problem?, the author em phasizes that most school shootings, like the Sandy Hook Elementary school incident in 2012, are committed with guns that belong to the parents of the shooter. With that in mind, many of the tragic school shootings done with stolen guns could have been preventable, had this new smart gun technology been in use. With the smart gun product, the guns used in school shootings would not have been able to fire, considering that the gun belonged to the parent, and not the adolescent shooter. Furthermore, smart gun technology could reduce the number of gang related homicides. Situations such as drive by shootings and robberies are typically committed with stolen guns, according to FBI reports and statistics (FBI). A recent example of a well-known robbery and shooting was the incident with rapper xxxTentacion in the summer of 2018. The alleged shooter, Dedrick D. Williams, had a history with gang activity, and obtained a gun through a former gang member. Dedrick and three other individuals s hot and killed xxxTentacion with the motive of robbing him of a top-notch fashionable bag. (Nocera). Had the smart gun technology been in use, this young rapper could still be alive today. Although smart gun technology cannot completely erase the number of crimes done with stolen guns, it can prevent myriad tragedies and fatalities. Smart guns are the best way to reduce unintentional fatalities and suicides. Across the country, there are tons of stories about children playing with their parents guns, and the innocent situation turning into everyones worst fear. In fact, in 2016, 13-year-old Juan McDowell was a victim of an accidental shooting. Him and his cousin were playing around with the family gun, and the cousin wanted to show Juan that the gun would not fire. Unfortunately, there was a bullet in the chamber and it killed young Juan instantly (Nocera). Because of incidents like this, myriad Americans are pushing for more gun safety measures, especially when it comes to adolescents and unintended, preventable fatalities. Likewise, smart gun technology minimizes the rate of suicide with the use of a gun. According to FBI statistics on suicide via firearms, as high as 718 suicides on record each year are committed by handguns that do not belong to the suicide victim (FBI). Because smart guns need a fingerprint authorization, it therefore cuts the possibility of a suicidal individual using someone elses gun to end their lives. Instead, one with suicidal ideation would have to obtain a gun legally- a process that can take weeks. This process is time enough to ensure that the dark emotions that drive suicidal intent would dissipate and pass. This lengthy process could directly lower the occurrence of individuals creating a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Overall, smart guns are the most promising path to reduce gun violence on unintended adolescent fatalities and suicides committed via firearms. Smart guns are the best way to reduce gun trafficking and the number of stolen firearms resold in the black market. Gun trafficking is the process by which guns enter the black market where they often end up used in crimes that threaten many lives across the country. Guns move from areas with weak gun laws into areas with strong gun laws due to inconsistent regulation. (Nocera). There is a lack of anti-trafficking laws, making it easy for criminals to exploit the system and flood communities with illegal guns. For instance, guns trafficked from the United States play a key role in arming Mexicos violent drug cartels. FBI statistics state that 87% of firearms seized by Mexican authorities originate from the United States. (FBI). The states that border Mexico-Texas, California, Arizona, and New Mexico- have less gun laws compared to Mexico, therefore allowing for more guns to be trafficked and obtained illegally over the border. If smart gun technology were in use, the Mexican cartel w ould not be as big of a threat as they are now, because the stolen firearms in the black market would already have a fingerprint authentication- therefore making it useless across the border. Additionally, profuse amounts of shady dealings in the black market do not need background checks. Convicts can buy firearms without having to be concerned about their criminal record. If the firearm were to be brand new (having no previously set ID authentication), the results could be devastating due to the impure intentions of the weapon. Although the black market can make profit from illegal dealings, the potential consequences can be deadly. Because of the countless risks that come with firearms, there is an abundance of situations that one could avoid if smart guns were in use. Whether it be unintentional or intentional shootings, gun violence brings out the worst, most devastating conclusions to solvable problems. Smart gun technology can reduce the number of stolen guns, the number of unintentional shootings, and the number of guns resold in the black market. Although the idea of gun control is still controversial among Americans, smart guns can at least push individuals one step closer to a solution to gun violence.

The Boarding House Free Essays

The Boarding House is included in Dubliners, a collection of fifteen short stories by the Irish poet and novelist James Joyce, which was first published in 1914. This story of a boarding house, like the other stories in Dubliners, describes the lives of ordinary citizens of Dublin and illustrates their various qualities. There are three main characters – Mrs. We will write a custom essay sample on The Boarding House or any similar topic only for you Order Now Mooney, her daughter Polly and Mr. Doran. At the very beginning the author describes Mrs. Mooney, who relinquished a family traditional business – the butchery, and set up a boarding house in Hardwicke Street. There is no reference to many of her outward appearances, the author probably thinks it is not important and he leaves the picture of Mrs. Mooney to the reader’s imagination. However, he is very accurate in the description of her life and personality. He treats her as a courageous, strong, self-confident and imposing woman who dismissed her aggressive and worthless husband (she got a separation from him with care of the children). All the resident young men spoke of her as The Madam. In the present emancipated world, where women are practically independent, equal to men, having their own businesses, it would be nothing unusual for a woman like that. However, the character of Mrs. Mooney was likely quite anomalous at the beginning of the twentieth century, when the story was published. It was men who greatly dominated, earned money, led businesses, while women took care of household and brought up children. Besides, divorces used to be followed just exceptionally. Despite of this, Mrs. Mooney is not faultless. She can be cunning and intriguing and she has much trouble with her two incorrigible offsprings, who are described in detail in the following paragraphs. Jack Mooney, the Madam’s son, who was clerk to a commission agent in Fleet Street, had the reputation of being a hard case. He was fond of using soldiers’ obscenities; usually he came home in the small hours. Mrs. Mooney’s other child is her daughter, Polly. Polly was a slim girl of nineteen; she had light soft hair and a small full mouth. Her eyes, which were grey with a shade of green through them, had a habit of glancing upwards when she spoke with anyone, which made her look ike a little perverse madonna. Mrs. Mooney had first sent her daughter to be a typist in a corn-factor’s office but, as a disreputable sheriff’s man used to come every other day to the office, asking to be allowed to say a word to his daughter, she had taken her daughter home again and set her to do housework. It is apparent that Mrs. Mooney kept her daughter from meeting men. Unfortunately, she was not very successful, because Polly flirted with young men lodged in the boarding house. In her mother’s opinion these romances were just waste of time, none of them meant business or benefits. Still one day she found that something was going on between Polly and one of the young men. She started spying on them quietly, pretending not to know anything. People in the house learnt of the affair too, so it could be a scandal. However, Mrs. Mooney still did not intervene. The story progressed on a bright Sunday morning in early summer. First of all, Mrs. Mooney interviewed Polly. Things were as she had suspected: she had been frank in her questions and Polly had been frank in her answers. Mrs. Mooney did not ask any more pointless questions. She had a great plan, according to religious rules: for every sin there must be made reparation. For her only one reparation could make up for the loss of her daughter’s honour: marriage. If he married her daughter, Polly’s future would be secured. She had a plenty of cogent arguments and she was sure that she would succeed that day. She knew quite a lot about Mr. Doran and his job: he had been working for thirteen years in a great Catholic wine-merchant’s office and publicity of that affair would bring him the loss of his job. Then Polly visited Mr. Doran in his room, crying desperately. They retrospected the past, how they first met, how Polly cared for him, heated him food, how they used to spend the nights together. But Mr. Doran disregarded his relation to Polly. She was just a kind of entertainment for him. He disliked her thoughtless behaviour, her origin and the way of her speech. He was afraid what his family and his friends would think of her. The hysterical and intriguing Polly started to cry even more and threatened with committing suicide in case Mr. Doran left her. She was interrupted by a servant, Mary. She said that Mrs. Mooney would like to talk to Mr. Doran downstairs. He put on suitable clothes, let Mary cry on the bed and went to the Madam. On his way he met Jack Mooney and recollected the day when the violent Jack bawled at one London artiste threatening any fellow who would try that sort of a game on with his sister to put his teeth bloody well down his throat. Then we do not know what happened, there is no reference to Mrs. Mooney and Mr. Doran conversation. The following paragraphs describe just Polly’s cry. And the last paragraphs of the story are quite clear: At last she heard her mother calling. She started to her feet and ran to the banisters. Polly! Polly! † â€Å"Yes, mamma? † â€Å"Come down, dear. Mr. Doran wants to speak to you. † Obviously, the scene must have continued, but nothing else is added, so the story is open-ended. The reader is probably supposed to believe that Mrs. Mooney’s succeeded and forced Mr. Doran to marry Polly. Of course, there would be more options with a little imagination. Mr. Doran might have refused her suggestion, made a scene and left the boarding house. Even though, considering the conservative times and the country, Mrs. Mooney ultimately succeeded and Mr. Doran put up with marrying her daughter. How to cite The Boarding House, Papers

The Old Man and the Sea Outline free essay sample

B. â€Å"You are killing me, fish, the old man thought. But you have a right to. Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful, or a calmer or more noble thing than you, brother. Come on and kill me. I do not care who kills who. † (92) a. Santiago comes to honor the marlin, so much that he doesn’t care if the marlin defeats him because he thinks of the fish as a dignified opponent C. Who gave this to you? Martin. The owner. I must thank him. I thanked him already, the boy said. You don’t need to thank him. I’ll give him the belly meat of a big fish, the old man said. Has he done this for us more than once? I think so. I must give him something more than the belly meat then. He is very thoughtful for us. (20) a. The old man doesn’t like accepting help from others, so he instead goes to find a way to repay Martin, because of his pride. We will write a custom essay sample on The Old Man and the Sea Outline or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page III. Courage A. â€Å"He woke with the jerk of his right fist coming up against his face and the line burning out through his right hand. He had no feeling of his left hand but he braked all he could with his right and the line rushed out. Finally his left hand found the line and he leaned back against the line and now it burned his back and his left hand, and his left hand was taking all the strain and cutting badly. † (47) a. Throughout their duel, the line has been cutting into Santiago, more and more as the days go by. b. He decides to keep battling the fish, holding in his pain in hopes to defeat it. B. In the novel, one was able to tell of the courage it took to kill the marlin. One can contrast this with Santiago’s killings of the sharks, which took little to no courage to do. C. For one brief moment, Santiago accepts defeat, saying, I never knew how easy it is when youre beaten. But, of course, Santiago is not beaten. He has the courage left to return home, to drag himself to his hut, to face Manolin, and to accept the loss of his greatest catch. IV. Enduring A. A big example of Santiago’s endurance is his will to stay out on sea and fish, even though he has been unlucky. He doesn’t catch great fish like he used to, and can barely even feed himself, but stills finds it in himself do what he is passionate for. B. ’Fish,’ he said softly, aloud, ‘I’ll stay with you until I am dead. ’ He’ll stay with me too, I suppose, the old man thought and he waited for it to be light. ’† (52-53) C. ‘I must save all my strength now. Christ, I did not know he was so big. ’ ‘I’ll kill him though,’ he said. ‘In all his greatness and his glory. ’ Although it is un just, he thought. But I will show him what a man can do and what a man endures. † (66) V. Faith A. His faith is shown at the beginning of the book when we found out that he has gone through eighty-four days of bad luck. Everyone knows that Santiago has lost his touch, but he still manages to go out every day, to fish, and do what he has been for his whole lifetime. His faith becomes renewed when he finds the marlin. B. â€Å"’I am not religious,’ he said. ‘But I will not ten Our Father’s and ten Hail Mary’s that I should catch this fish, and I promise to make a pilgrimage to the Virgin of Cobre if I catch him. That is a promise. ’† (66) a. Santiago has a tendency to pray when we needs a boost in his morale and to keep faith in himself to keep battling the marlin. C. Santiago has faith in himself that he will keep going until the death, never to give up. He knows that the body is only weak, temporary, and vulnerable, and that the spirit is enduring, invincible, and eternal. This faith allows him to continue the duel. VI. Conclusion A. Ultimately, Santiagos honor, courage, endurance, and faith are what make him a symbol of a Christ-like figure, one that people would strive to be. B. We all have different struggles, with different foes, but Hemingway has created a character in The Old Man and the Sea, whose experiences could change the nature of human civilizaton.

Duchenne Cerebral Essay

Duchenne Cerebral Essay Duchenne Cerebral Essay What Is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy? What Is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy? DMD is caused by a change in a gene responsible for making the protein dystrophin, which keeps muscles strong and healthy. This change is referred to as a mutation. When there is a mutation in this gene, the protein dystrophin does not work. The muscle cells become weak and they gradually break down. DMD usually affects boys; it is extremely rare in girls. DMD is a progressive disease. At first, the weakness is mostly in the legs and hips. Those affected fall frequently, have trouble running and climbing stairs, struggle to get up from a sitting position and often walk on their toes. They also develop larger than normal calves. Eventually, the muscle weakness makes walking more difficult and a wheelchair is needed. Gradually, all the muscles become very weak - including the heart muscle and the muscles used for breathing. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is an inherited disorder caused by a mutation in the gene that produces dystrophin. This mutation is passed down from mother to son because the dystrophin gene is located on the X chromosome. If the mother passes on an X chromosome with an altered dystrophin gene to her son, he will develop DMD because he has only one copy of the X chromosome. Girls have two X chromosomes. When they inherit the DMD mutation from their mother, they also inherit a normal copy of the DMD gene from their father. That is why they do not develop the disease. However, they may be carriers and pass DMD on to their sons. Daily Life with DMD There is no cure yet for DMD. A healthy lifestyle, exercise and medication can contribute to a better quality of life for those with the disease. Jonathan takes a steroid-based medication called Deflazacort to help maintain his muscle strength. One of the side effects of steroidal medication and a lack of physical activity (as a result of wheelchair use) is a loss of calcium in the bones. This may increase the risk of fractures. Jonathan takes daily doses of calcium, in conjunction with vitamin D, to keep his bones strong. Other possible treatments that may help with some aspects of DMD include physiotherapy to help maintain correct foot position, chiropractic treatments, nutritional supplements and naturopathic preparations. One of the challenges that Jonathan's family had to face was adapting Jonathan's environment to his needs. The local community service centre

Writing a Residency Personal Statement

Writing a Residency Personal Statement As most medical students will attest, formulating a residency personal statement is an extremely difficult task. An essay that must articulate the students career intentions as well as his/her passion for the field, residency statements are not exactly a walk in the park. As someone who has written and proofed dozens of personal statements, I would like to offer the following tips on writing one for residency. As if getting into and graduating from medical school isnt difficult enough, young doctors also most complete several years as a resident in a hospital. Now, considering that young doctors arent paid squat while working as residents, you would think that hospitals would be begging them to apply. Not the case. Not only are top residency positions hard to come by, but graduate hopefuls must compete against the best in their field in order to even be considered. That is why the personal statement is so important. As a potential resident, the personal statement is your chance to stand out above the rest and literally plead your case. Residency personal statements are hard to write, but they arent impossible. For more information on writing a quality personal statement for your residency or if you would like to know where you can find an editor to assist you in the process, please access the link provided. In the meanwhile, good luck!