Hemagglutinin and a Future Cure for Influenza Essay -- Influenza Virus

Final Project: Hemagglutinin Abstract Hemagglutinin is membrane protein found on the influenza virus. This project focuses on hemagglutinin subtype H1, the one involved in the 1918 Spanish influenza. The project concentrates on explaining the structure and function of the protein, while trying to give an accurate account of the molecular interactions between the protein and the host cell membrane. Specifically, hemagglutinin is a protein composed of three monomer protein strands. Each monomer consists of three important subdomains called the fusion subdomain, the receptor binding subdomain, and the vestigial esterase subdomain. Each has an important function in a virus infection. This project hopes to provide info for future research into preventing and perhaps curing influenza. Background Viruses use simple mechanisms to attack and infect their hosts. One step in a virus attack is the binding of the virus to the host cell. The virus does this by using surface proteins that can recognize and attach to receptors on the cell membrane and somehow injects its genetic material into the host cell.3 Hemagglutinin is a kind of surface protein found on the lipid envelopes of the influenza virus. Hemagglutinin gets its name from its effect on making red blood cells clump together and agglutinate. The influenza virus has many hemagglutinin proteins, and each can attach to a red blood cell, causing the red blood cells to come together around the virus. This causes thickening of the blood and affects the clotting ability of blood.2 There are 16 different subtypes of the protein, ranging from H1 to H16. The more important ones are H1, H2, and H3, the subtypes found on the human influenza virus.2 This proj... ... - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 3 Mar 2004. 2 Aug 2007 . 3. "Influenza." Main Page - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 9 Apr 2002. 2 Aug 2007 . 4. Marcey, David, and Eric Mazur. "Influenza Hamagglutinin." California Lutheran University - Welcome. 22 Jan 2005. 2 Aug 2007 . 5. Woods, Heather. "Structural Analysis of Hemagglutinin from the 1918 Influenza Pandemic." SSRL- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory. 30 Aug 2004. 2 Aug 2007 . 6. The Structure and Receptor Binding Properties of the 1918 Influenza Hemagglutinin Science 303, 1838 (2004); DOI: 10.1126/science.1093155

All That Glitters Is Not Gold

e book, All That Glitters Is Not Gold, written by Benjamin Ifeanyichukwu Abugu, symbolically portrays deception. It shows that life is fragile and one should be be handled with care. Written in 19 chapters, the 152-page prose analyses the fruitlessness of promiscuity. It highlights how reckless living leads to pain and shame. Essentially, the book depicts the moral decadence of the 21st Century people, who believe in easy life and quick financial benefit. The story revolves round the major characters; Anya and his sister Blossom.Both are children of Gab Uku and Mabel from Egwuonwu who live in Lagos. Their escapades, belief, time and chance like the Biblical saying, are weighed in a balance. Anya and Blossom had lived a wayward live of watching pornographic films and fornicating. â€Å"Their inner conflicts are compounded by the scourge of HIV/AIDS, that currently threatens to destroy the entire population. † While Anya escapes the scourge, his sister falls victim. Former Miss World becomes a shadow of herself and finally dies. Anya, a newspaper reporter, has some bad habits which are controlled by his experiences.He learns from his experiences, illusions, dreams, particularly, his encounter with swindlers and robbery trial arising from his association with bad friends. Anya almost committed suicide when erroneously given a HIV positive result. His fears and conflicts are allayed after the result is corrected. From that moment, he turns a new leave. But Blossom is a former beauty queen and a campus babe. Having lived with her aunty, Eliza and husband, Chief Dike Akukamadu, a business mogul, becomes a sleeping partner to the chief.Aside living a carefree life, she is also a cultist. Her friend, Rose, introduces her to Daughters of Jezebel, the female wing of Red Atlantic cult. The cult was notorious for all manners of indecent appearance on campus, including nudity, which was regarded as the most sacred mark of the sisterhood of Jezebel. Blossom torment st arts after her escapades with Romeo, a sadist, who storms campus on a revenge mission to distribute HIV/AIDS to 50 girls. She and other fun-loving girls fall victims as a result of the dollars of Mr. Romeo.The author uses the third person narrative technique to tell the story. All that glitters is indeed gold. Had Blossom known, she would have lived a better life and she wouldn’t have wasted her beauty, talent and life just as Anya wouldn’t have been swindled. From the objects on the cover page, which sparkle like gold but are not there is a warning for everyone to beware of outward appearance because it is very deceptive as against inward virtues and qualities. The book is didactic. Its lesson is for all to beware and take time to weigh every action.It is thought provoking as many think that worldliness is the best form of living but really, it is not. The book is morally inclined. It is detached and impartial. It lays bare the evils of immorality and allows readers t o make their own judgment. Abugu has also published The Widow And The Wolves aside writing a number of articles published online @ expertscolumn. com. Born in Amachalla, Enugu-Ezike, Igbo-Eze North L. G. A, Enugu State, Abugu is a graduate of English Language from the Lagos State University. All That Glitters is Not Gold The adage â€Å"All that glitters is not gold† cautions us against forming our opinion about objects on the basis of superficial impressions. It also implies that one should try to ascertain the true nature of things and to understand the reality hidden behind their glittering facade. However, love for glamour is deeply embedded in human nature. Taking advantage of this inherent vulnerability of man to glamour, cash rich companies rope in glamorous film and sports personalities to advertise their goods and services.Soap and tooth paste used by charming actresses and dashing sportsmen sell like hot cakes. Companies' sales are boosted and consumers, particularly those of the lower middle classes, forego many necessities of life to have a taste of goodies recommended by their favourite stars. Man would read super hero stories from films and see that those are real and often fell in temptations and believe that those are great but actually those are also men. hose glitters in film s imagines him to be great but actually he is also a man among us.One would expect that our reading of such stories would make us wise and prevent us from falling prey to temptations of outward beauty. But man, weak as he is, never learns from others' experience. He often courts disaster by giving into temptations. We are repeatedly warned and alerted by the wise and the experienced not to take persons and things on their face value. The most innocent masks may hide behind them the most cunning of cheats.But very often even the wise fall prey to tricksters. Even Sita, the consort of Lord Rama, was tempted by the glitter of the golden deer she saw bounding around her forest cottage and requested Rama to bring it for her. Rama earnestly expostulated Sita to forget the deer as it might be a trap of some villain, but she was so charmed by the guiles of the deer that she pressed him to leave the Ashram in search of it. A few minutes later, Sita heard a distress call for help in Rama's vo ice.She, thereupon, requested Lakshman to go and relieve Rama from distress. Lakshman tried to convince Sita that nobody was brave enough to harm the invincible Rama, but Sita was so nervous that she forced Lakshman to leave the Ashram. In his absence, the Rakshasa king Ravana abducted Sita. It later turned out that the golden deer was actually the demon Marichi in disguise sent by Ravana to tempt Sita. Sita's temptation demonstrates the validity of the old saying â€Å"All that glitters is not gold†. All That Glitters is Not Gold The most valuable items in the world, monetary value wise, are the precious gems and metals that the rich and the famous constantly adorn themselves with. Today’s concept of value is based on tangible items that have a corresponding market value. Gold, which is the peg for most currencies in the world, is the universal currency these days. Nothing of value can be purchased, owned or possessed if it does not justify its â€Å"weight in gold†, so to speak. Yet, as the tagline of Mastercard suggests, there are those things that are â€Å"priceless.† In this world, not everything is gold and not everything that resembles something valuable has to glitter. Perhaps a perfect example would be an illustration of a personal experience of mine. I once had an opportunity to witness two lawyers working at their firm in the past. I must admit that I had certain preconceived notions of what I would see at that firm. I expected these senior lawyers to have fancy cars and flashy watches. Yet much to my surprise, they had none of those things.One lawyer regularly commuted to work while the other preferred to ride his bike to work. There were no glittering watches or pieces of jewelry. One of them could not replace his tattered briefcase with something more decent and perhaps functional. I knew from the moment I saw them that there was much more to them than that. As the day went on, I would see that they had a special touch with their clients. The fact that they knew the cases of their respective clients by heart and even the names of their children and family situation made me see them in a different light.They did not charge excessive fees and often just accepted small tokens of appreciation in return. The difference that these lawyers made was even more emphasized by an experience later that day when an opposing lawyer entered their firm. A sports car sped by the office window and anyone could see the person driving the convertible that had its top down. In his mid thirties, this young lawyer entered the firm with a certain air of authority, expecting everyone to recognize him.He had a gold watch would blind the eyes of anyone unfortunate enough to glance at it. He had platinum cuff links on his suit that were adorned with diamonds. Behind him were his assistants who were just as gaudily dressed. It turns out that they represented a large corporation that wanted these two humble lawyers to drop their case against the firm. They were prepared to offer a huge cash settlement in return. I was not surprised when these humble lawyers politely declined the offer and proceeded with the case which they eventually won for their clients.These were lawyers who were in a position to make millions of dollars yet they chose not to and instead devoted their lives to uphold the justice system of the state and of this great country. There was nothing flashy or fancy about the things that they did but I know that they have made a big difference in t his world. This personal experience of mine shows that not everything that glitters is gold; the former lawyer with all the pomp and flash that he had still resorted to underhanded tactics and eventually lost out in the end.There was no substance to this person. There was no value underneath that entire flashy exterior. The two humble lawyers, on the other hand, showed much more than their exterior would suggest. The kindness of their hearts was echoed in their actions and the time they devoted to their clients was something that was certainly worth more than any glittering watch of gold. Not everything that glitters is gold. Not everything that glitters has any value to it.Real value sometimes cannot be judged from the flashy exterior and certainly cannot be equated in today’s currency. It is the acts of kindness and selflessness that give value to things in this world, especially human beings. It is easy to be distracted by something shiny and pretty but one must always rea lize that everything material disappears in the end. All the shine will soon tarnish and fade away. Yet those intangibles that matter will never fade and will always be in the hearts of tho

The Rights Of Same Sex Marriages Essay - 1168 Words

Republicans believe in freedom, but only freedom that is God given, and affirmed by our Founding Fathers, articulated in the Declaration of Independence and protected by the Constitution. With that being said, they support everyone’s freedom unless it’s against God’s will. They believe in opportunity for all; where a person has the freedom of chasing their dreams, the ability to build a brand or business and have a life regardless of gender, race or religion. Unless, that particular person is a part of the LGBT community. Republicans support strong families, but they’re against same sex marriages. They believe marriage is a God ordained, legal, and moral commitment between a natural man and a natural woman. They’re totally against homosexuality, which they believe is a chosen behavior and it shouldn’t be accepted. They oppose monitoring gun ownership, taxation and regulations of guns and they want to eliminate all gun free zones. Republicans are pro-life, meaning they’re against abortions. so they want to abolish abortions, because even the unborn has the right to life. Democrats support and value freedom, privacy and personal responsibility. They believe in freedom from government interference in our private lives and our personal decisions, freedom of religion and individual conscience. They support responsibility, meaning people are responsible for their actions, meaning corporation are not people and cannot be used to protect people from taking responsibility of theirShow MoreRelatedThe Rights Of Same Sex Marriage1582 Words   |  7 Pagesas the Marriage Protection Amendment, Proposition 102 was placed on the ballot and passed by Arizona voters in 2008, amending the state’s Constitution which defined the traditional sense of marriage between a man and a woman. However, on October 17, 2014, a federal judge disagreed with voters and overruled Prop 102, claiming that the ban on same-sex marriage was unco nstitutional. Not long after the decision Attorney General Tom Horne stated that there would be no appeal and same-sex marriages wouldRead MoreAre Same Sex Marriages Right?518 Words   |  2 PagesAre same sex marriages right? Same sex marriage is allowable because everyone deserves to make their own decisions and choose the life they want. Every day there are people getting married and joining as partners to have a life together. So I say every person should do what their happiness is and if that falls under straight marriage or gay marriage then it should be socially acceptable. Same sex marriage is one of the top most controversional debates in politics currently because the United StatesRead MoreThe Right : Same Sex Marriage1888 Words   |  8 PagesShay Cramblitt Andrea Colman English 03-28-15 The Right Same sex marriage is a topic today that brings strong moral objections from both sides. Should same sex marriage be allowed? Should these humans be given the same rights in their relationship as heterosexual couples? Why restricted these citizens from their right just because of their love interest? Should we take certain customs away from foreigners just because it’s not customs we perform? The United States is a land of the free notRead MoreThe Rights Of Same Sex Marriage1821 Words   |  8 Pagesand rights for LGB individuals in today’s America is not yet over and how religious extremist groups can contribute to the obstruction of said equality On June twenty-sixth same sex marriage was made legal by the supreme court. This ruling lead to justified celebration by many Americans. However, it is important to understand and work towards getting rid of prejudice that many lgb persons still plaguing their lives. Although many Americans hold the belief that the legalization of same sex marriageRead MoreGay Marriage And The Right Of Same Sex Marriage1387 Words   |  6 Pagescommunal controversy regarding the right of same-sex marriage. I decided to explore the views of two different authors who contrast each other. British Author, Andrew Sullivan writes the essay, â€Å"For Gay Marriage† about equal rights on marriages for same-sex couples. William J. Bennett composes the essay, â€Å"Against Gay Marriage† giving his views on why couples of the same sex should not be allowed to engage in marital relations. Sullivan supports the idea of gay marriages while Bennett opposes the ideaRead MoreSame-Sex Marriage: A Human Right912 Words   |  4 PagesDespite this, same-sex marriage is only legalized in seventeen out of fifty states, as well as the District of Columbia (Freedom to Marry). In thirty-three states, the government has decided that it has the power to intervene in who its citizens want to marry and love, as if they could decide our friends and family. Though the question is often â€Å"Why should same-sex marriage be legalized?† no one seems to wonder â€Å"Why should I, or anyone else, have the power to choose who marries who?† Same-sex needs toRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Is A Fundamental Right870 Words   |  4 PagesUnited States Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, held that same-sex marriage is a fundamental right guaranteed by the due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. In consequence, many new legal implications have arose from this decision. For example, now there’ll be same-sex divorces, same-sex spousal rights for life insurance, wills, and the like. What does this all mean legally for same-sex couples? As time progresses, it will become clearer howRead MoreEssay on The Right to Same Sex Marriage1590 Words   |  7 PagesSame sex marriage is a highly controversial topic that has been lingering in America for some time now. The American society prides itself in the provision of equal rights and opportunities to all, yet, homosexuals continue to be discriminated against and denied their rights to marriage. It is often believe that â€Å"marriage is a commitment between two people that love each other and want to share the rest of their life side by side. It is not measured by whether it is a man and a woman, or a coupleRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Is Right Or Wrong?979 Words   |  4 PagesIn recent years, the topic of whether same-sex marriage is right or wrong has created a controversy. People should not feel coerced to agree with something they believe is wrong; clearly, same-sex marriage is immoral and unnatural. Many complications come with same-sex marriages including financial pressures, social pressures, moral pressures, and health risks. Many people believe in a traditional marriage between a man and a woman. God created man and woman to be faithful, produce children, andRead MoreSame Sex Marriage And Equal Rights Essay2005 Words   |  9 PagesBefore the issue of same-sex marriage and equal rights are approached, marriage must be defined. Marriage is a consensual, exclusive and lifelong commitment between one man and one woman, expressed in a physical union uniquely designed to produce and nurture children (Same-Sex Marriage Public Policy Statement, 2016). Marriage is both ubiquitous and central. All across our country, in every region, every social class, every race and ethnicity, every religion or non-religion, people get married.