Health Priorities in Australia Essay Example for Free

Health Priorities in Australia Essay 1. Using measures of epidemiology, investigate the health status of Australians. Health status is a holistic concept that is determined by more than the presence or absence of any disease. It is often summarised by life expectancy or self-assessed health status, and more broadly includes measures of functioning, physical illness, and mental wellbeing. Epidemiology is the study of disease in groups or populations through the collection of data and information, to identify patterns and causes. The measures of epidemiology are: Mortality- refers to the number of deaths in a given population from a particular cause and/or over a period of time. Infant Mortality- refers to the number of infant deaths in the first year of life, per 1,000 live births. Morbidity- is the incidence or level of illness, disease or injury in a given population. Life Expectancy- is the length of time a person can expect to live. More specifically, it refers to the average number of years of life remaining to a person at a particular age, based on current death rates. In Australia, the median age of death among the entire population in 2007 was 80.5 years old. In 2011 that statistic had risen to 81.5 years old, an increase of one year to the average life. In both years the leading cause of death among Australians was circulatory diseases (diseases of the heart and blood vessels) and the second leading cause in both years was cancer. Although the percentage of cancer deaths rose from 29.2% proportion of totals deaths to 29.8% and the percentage of circulatory disease deaths dropped from 33.8% of the populations deaths down to 31%. In the past 100 years the infant mortality rate as decreased by 95%, from more than one in ten deaths in the first year of life (100+ deaths per 1000 live births) to one in 200 deaths in the first year of life (5 deaths per 100 live births). This can be attributed to improved health education, public sanitation, improved medical diagnosis and improved support services for parents and new born babies. Most infant mortalities are caused by congenital malformations which are structural or functional anomalies which are present at the birth of a child, preventative causes of this disease are  improving the diet of women through their reproductive years, avoiding exposure to harsh environmental substances and improving vaccinations and health education. Information about the incidence and prevalence of the total population gives a broader perspective on the nation’s health than just the mortality statistics. Australia’s population has a lowering incidence of asthma and rising survival rate of cancer although since 1984 the incidence of five major cancers has risen (Breast, Prostrate, Melanoma, Colorectal and Lung) and a report from SMH in 2008 shows 7.4 million people are overweight or obese and the prevalence of diabetes climbs rapidly, along with these problems the amount of people affected by STI’s has risen to more than 230 per 100,000 people. According to AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) Australia is one of the healthiest nations in the world although Indigenous Australians lag behind in their health status. Australians live the second longest lives in world, behind Japan. The average Australian citizen will live to be 81.4 years old. And trends indicate that the expectancy of males and females is growing, since 2000 the life expectancy of males has grown from 77.4 years old to 79.7 years old, an increase of 2.3 years. The life expectancy of females since 2000 has grown from 82.6 up to 84.2, an increase of 1.6 years. This increase in the life expectancy of Australian residents indicates that their health is improving, with the help of increased knowledge and improved health services. Taking all of this information into account, using measures of epidemiology, the health status of Australians can be said to be relatively good compared with that of other nations. The improved health services and new discoveries in the health sector along with increased knowledge about health from the population also indicates that the health status of Australians may be improving. 2. Explain how health promotion, based on the Ottawa Charter, reflects social justice principles. Health promotion is a combination of science, medicine, practical skills and beliefs aimed at maintaining and improving the health of all people. The Ottawa Charter for health promotion promotes social justice as it incorporates the idea of giving all members of  the community access to health services and attempts to rule out inequities in differing communities. The Ottawa Charter does this through its five action areas: Building Healthy Public Policy, Create Supportive Environments, Strengthen Community Action, Develop Personal Skills and Reorient Health Services. All five of these action areas provide a building block for health promotions. The four principles of social justice are: Equity, Access, Participation and Rights. The way equity is reflected in health promotion based on the Ottawa Charter is through the action areas Building Healthy Public Policy, Create Supportive Environments and Reorient Health Services as these three areas bring together people onto an equal level and give specific help to those who need it, creating equity in communities. Access is reflected in health promotion based on the Ottawa Charter t hrough the action area Reorient Health Services, as this area of the charter aims to bring together health services, governing bodies and other health professionals in an attempt to give more adequate access to health services to those who need it. Also reflected is Participation, which can be based on the Ottawa Charter action areas through Building Healthy Public Policy, Strengthen Community Action and Develop Personal Skills. This can be known as empowering the communities and bringing the communities the education and information needed to know more about their own health. Lastly, Rights is reflected in health promotion through the action areas Create Supportive Environments and Reorient Health Services as they attempt to give equitable opportunities for good health to all individuals. With these four social justice principles reflected in health promotion, the overall health of Australia can be improved, examples of this include: ‘Quit for you Quit for two’ which promotes to pregnant women who smoke, who if they ceased their habit would be creating a more equal life for their expectant child and give them the right for an opportunity to good health. Another example would be the ‘Swap it’ campaign which aims at developing personal skills while creating equity through smart food choices. 3. Critically analyse how the action areas of the Ottawa Charter address Australia’s health priorities through ONE health promotion initiative. â€Å"Slip Slop Slap Seek Slide† Campaign by the Cancer Council of Australia was created in 1980 and revolved around Sid the Seagull who gave a constant reminder of the easy ways that the population of Australia would be able to avoid skin cancer; slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat. 27 year later the ad was upgraded to include; seek shade and slide on sunnies, thus creating the â€Å"Slip Slop Slap Seek Slide† song. The campaign aims to lower the prevalence and incidence of skin cancers in Australia. The action areas of the Ottawa Charter address Australia’s health priorities through this campaign. The action areas are: Building Healthy Public Policy, Create Supportive Environments, Strengthen Community Action, Develop Personal Skills and Reorient Health Services. Building Healthy Public Policy- Policies have been created due to increased awareness attributed to the â€Å"Slip Slop Slap Seek Slide† campaign; a commonly known policy would be the â€Å"No Hat, No Play† policy used in schools. This is used by teachers to protect children from skin cancer risks in the playground. Advantages of this would be that children will be increasingly protected and parents are given peace of mind, and no noticeable disadvantages are created by this policy. Create Supportive Environments- A noticeable environment change caused by the increased awareness of skin cancers would the addition of shaded areas to many public places. This creates an environment for the public population that is protected from harmful Ultraviolet sun rays. An advantage of this are that people can be outside but protected from skin cancer risks while a disadvantage would be that most of these shaded areas come at the expense of nature, eg- destruction of trees and/or other natural features. Strengthen Community Action- Two initiatives related to the ‘Slip Slop Slap† would be the introduction of Cancer Centres to many rural areas and the Relay for Life, which is about raising funds for the Cancer Council. These two initiatives can create awareness of skin cancer, while the former can save lives. Only advantages are created by these two initiatives, which are; increased knowledge, funds gained for research and practical use, the ability to detect cancers and save lives. Develop Personal Skills- The campaign of â€Å"Slip Slop Slap Seek Slide† uses a jingle to educate the Australian population. The TV ad itself is an educational video, which creates awareness of skin cancers in Australia. This leads to increased knowledge of how to protect yourself and others from skin cancers. An advantage of this is that the Australian public is being educated in their own home by the TV, although a disadvantage is that they do not know that  they are being directly educated. Reorient Health Services- A health service which has become operational due to increased awareness of skin cancers is the Skin Cancer @ Bondi checks, where on the beach at Bondi you can have a skin cancer check. This leads to a safer beach, as beachgoers can be precautious and have a skin cancer check. Advantages of this are that the population can be on the beach and get their skin checked at the same time as well as not have to book into a skin cancer centre for the check. A disadvantage may be that the check may not be a thorough as one performed in a more professional environment. Overall, the introduction of the â€Å"Slip Slop Slap† campaign and the readjustment to â€Å"Slip Slop Slap Seek Slid e† campaign has increased the awareness and knowledge of skin cancers in Australia. The action areas of the Ottawa Charter are relevant to the campaign and Australia’s health priorities.

Blood clotting enzyme Essay Example for Free

Blood clotting enzyme Essay Serine protease proteins are important enzymes involved in the process of blood coagulation. Blood coagulation is an importance defense mechanism that prevents the host mammal organism from losing excess blood or from forming unwanted blood clot. The process of coagulation can be initiated by both intrinsic factors and extrinsic factors. A cascade of event is followed which activate these enzymes; normally the enzymes are inactive state a condition called zymogens. Zymogens by their virtual condition of being inactive prevent unwanted blood clotting which may have a far reaching consequence such as thrombosis. Blood clotting in a series of processes, in which the zymogens’ need to be activated by reacting with its glycoprotein co-factors. Among the serine protease is the thrombin enzyme factor five (v) responsible for clearing clot in the blood. The enzyme is usually present circulating in plasma which is made up of a single monomer chain, it life span can range from 12 to 36 hours. In human the main regulator in blood coagulation is erythrocytes leukemia cells which activate adenylate cyclase, the process is reversible by the interaction of Aalpa-thrombin with glycoprotein while b alpha enhance the platelets interaction which initiate the proteolytic process. Fibrin-bound thrombin is cleaved by thrombin at a very specific site at the extracellular N-terminal, PAR-1 regulates a number of endothelial cell biology, vascular development but more so is a mediator of thrombin signaling. The human thrombin consist of two gamma chains namely the gamma A and gamma’ the final stage of coagulation of mammalian blood involves the cleavage of the four arginine and glycine bond. Binding studies shows both fibrin 1 and fibrin 2 with low affinity to the E domain and high binding affinity at the extreme end of 408 to 425 on the gamma chain The mode of action involves conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin by breaking the bonds in the fibrinogen at a precise position of arginine and glycine where the fibrin peptides are released. The serine proteases require restructuring itself in order to fit the key and lock model. The glycine at the position five is highly conserved because it is the one which occupy the active site which is determine by the acryl group during the substrate conformation. Asparagines 189 help the enzyme to easily recognize the substrate. The active site is entirely made of histidine 57, asparagines 102, serine 195 and serine 214. The reaction on many a times prefers position 1 to position 4 during remodeling, therefore the type of protein presence to a large extend determine the kind protease and also the kind of cleavage to take place. Thrombin activation is regulated by pentapeptide of the COOH terminus of the factor (v) heavy chains. Thrombin and thrombin receptors is another regulatory point where they both posses strong protective barrier and at the same time cancerous cells were eliminated by apoptosis. A study carried out using mitochondrial membranes which were depolarized using attenuated Catalase lead to controlled cell death. Statistical finding indicate that 30% of the population carried world wide indicated that activated peptide segment at position 4 of factor eight caused a substitution in V34L after binding the structure and analyzing the interaction according to (Brenda 2010). The switching of receptor is PAR-1-dependent signaling specifically to thrombin resulting inhibition of adhesion cell surface which activate thrombin the ligand occupancy position switches the protease receptor by signaling specifically to the thrombin. Human cell in culture indicated low amount of thrombin and receptor PAR-1 agonist induced strong anti-inflammatory activities which was secondary effect of the low concentration of thrombin after activation by P13 kinase and PAR-1. Thrombin like other enzymes is very specific in the binding domain and the insertion loop which is determined by the residues involved in ligand binding as result of interaction glycoprotein and protease receptor on the platelet membrane. This uniqueness makes it very efficient in it task according to (Webert 2006). The enzyme play vital role in homeostasis, cell differentiation, thrombosis and activation of blood cell types, on exposure to phosphatidylserine on the outer surface the platelets were stimulated. A study done using heparin indicated an overlap of the active site, which was attributed to the interaction of thrombin and the gamma peptide chains to the external and the interaction to the active site in close proximity to the Na+ of the substrate. The role of the enzyme can be explained in terms of NA+ binding to thrombin on the basis of prothrombotic and procoagulant. The cascade is a continuous cycle of events that are activated by two factors ,factor (ix) and factor (viii) to form tenase complex which is discontinued by down regulation that occur in the following mechanism which include; serpin (serine protease inhibitors) which function to degrade thrombin and other activation factors, it can also be regulated by protein C where thromodulin bind to it and is inactivate in the presence of protein S, limiting the action of tissue factor by the tissue factor pathway inhibitors by inhibiting excessive TF mediated activation of factor (ix) and factor (x), plasmin help to degrade fibrin hence preventing more fibrin being formed and lastly but not the least regulation through adenylate cyclase pathway by inhibiting platelet activation by decreasing cytosol level of calcium which ultimately result to decreased release of granules which are responsible for the activation of more platelets and coagulation cascade. In conclusion the work play by thrombin enzyme is of paramount importance considering the complexity of the enzyme kinetics involved in the human body. References Brenda Enzyme database retrieved on 13 August 2010 from http://www. brenda-enzymes. org/php/result_flat. php4? ecno=3. 4. 21. 5 Furie B, Furie BC (2005). Thrombus formation in vivo. J. Clin. Invest. 115 (12): retrieved on 12 August 2010 from http://www. jci. org/cgi/content/full/115/12/3355. Webert KE, Cook RJ, Sigouin CS, (2006). The risk of bleeding in thrombocytopenic patients with acute myeloid leukemia. haematologica .

The many failures that lead to the disaster at the Royal Bank of Scotland finance

The many failures that lead to the disaster at the Royal Bank of Scotland finance Among the many failures that led to the disaster at the Royal Bank of Scotland, there was obviously a failure of corporate governance. So it is only right that, along with all the other regulatory reviews, there should be a review of the governance of corporate governance. In Britain, this is partly a matter of self-regulation, with companies expected to follow the best practice corporate governance standards set out in the so-called Combined Code. It is surely only a matter of time before some headline-grabbing politician identifies the root cause of all our problems: we have been letting the rascals regulate themselves. So it is very sensible for the Financial Reporting Council, which acts as caretaker of the Code, to try to get its retaliation in first. And it is very sensible that it will work closely with Sir David Walker, who is conducting a separate review of governance of banks. Critics of the British approach to corporate governance particularly in America enjoy pointing out that RBS was, in fact, a model pupil. It did everything by the book, ticked all the boxes and filled page after page of its annual report with an exhaustive analysis of its corporate governance performance. In particular, it had a separate, non-executive chairman a central pillar of the UK code, but far from standard practice in the United States a post is designed to restrain an over-mighty chief executive. Yet the RBS chairman Sir Tom McKillop failed to restrain Sir Fred Goodwin, with catastrophic consequences for the bank and the taxpayer. American critics of the British system claim that we are so focused on ticking the boxes that it makes us complacent. It is one thing following all the rules, but boards also have to ensure that they are working in practice. There are a few obvious areas the review should examine. The roles of chairman, chief executive and senior non-executive director need to be better-defined. The code should encourage non-execs to seek outside advice on big decisions. It should consider whether there should be special rules applying to banks it would clearly be advantageous if at least the chairman and members of the risk committee of banks had specialist experience. The review should consider ways to encourage more active involvement of shareholders in corporate governance questions. And not just traditional institutions, but also sovereign wealth funds and even hedge funds. The problem with all this is that, however they are structured; boards are only as good as the people on them. And, for many reasons, the job of non-executive director of a big company, let alone chairman of a bank, is not getting any more attractive. Even good people fail. Example is RBS board. It included the likes of Peter Sutherland and Sir Steve Robson. And, given that so many reputations have been tarnished by the credit crisis, the pool of good people is shrinking. But it would be a mistake to allow the few good people to take on too many jobs. As chairman of BP, Mr Sutherland is now supporting the reappointment as a director of Sir Tom, whom he helped to become chairman of RBS. Sir Tom, the man ultimately responsible for Sir Freds pension, even sits on the BP remuneration committee. Research Question and Methodology: Royal bank of Scotland was a good example of following corporate governance which follows all the code of corporate governance. Despite this RBS had to bail out by taxpayer money, and majority of its share now owned by taxpayer. Board of directors of RBS was all outsiders and reputed on their own field and there was no inner member on the Board. This proposal found a report that RBS trader bought  £34 billion pounds of sub-prime toxic assets in US without informing its Board. The sub-prime assets are being blamed for causing the banks near collapse in 2008. Last year RBS posted a loss of  £28 billion the largest in British corporate history. There may be a conflict between Board of members and Management. Maybe if there were member in Board from inside or from management this trouble in RBS might be avoided. This proposal will try to find out structure and role of Board of Member and Management at RBS. And try to find out any conflict between Board and management which put RBS in turmoil. This proposal will try to research on theory of corporate governance and their practice at RBS; try to find out the impact of corporate governance and its practice at RBS. This proposal will use secondary date for its quantitative research. Literature Review: Corporate Governance Board of Directors The Corporate Governance is a wide and important subject that covers a range of issues from accountability and transparency and the relationship between the board of directors, management and shareholders to help in determining the path and performance of the corporation (Hunger Wheelen, 2007, p. 18). The corporate governance system was designed to help oversee the decisions and best interest of the shareholders. The system should works accordingly: The shareholders elect directors, who in turn hire management to make the daily executive decisions on the owners behalf. The companys board of directors position is to oversee management and ensure that the shareholders interest is being served. Corporate governance focus is with promoting enterprise, to improve efficiency, and to address disputes of interest which can force upon burdens on the business. Ensuring that the clearness, and truth in a companys business can make contribution to improving the enterprise standards and public g overnance. In brief, corporate governance is the system of controls to ensure that investors can assure themselves that they will get their investment back. Depending on laws and other standard it might vary, but generally Board of Director describes as bellow: Those who set the overall path, vision and mission within the business. Those who make the decisions to hire and, or fire any top management member (Hunger Wheelen, 2007, p. 19) Those who oversee management and evaluate strategy. Those who have the shareholders best interest in mind. Those who review and approve the use of company resources, as well as monitoring the effectiveness of the governance practices. Corporate Governance in U.K. Corporate governance is varied in almost every country depending on a number of factors such as the economic development of the country, the strength of the legal system, the stability of the government but despite this the U.K is decidedly different from that of its neighbouring regions in the E.U. There is a unitary board of management and a broader shareholder bases as well as hardly any dual shares and no pyramid structures. (Franks et al. 2004) An examination of the history and development of corporate governance and legislation in the U.K may provide some answers to the considerable differences that have occurred in contrast to many other European countries and worldwide. The U.K corporate governance practices have evolved from an agency perspective and the principal agent theory with a strong bias towards shareholder protection and shareholder rights. The protection of shareholders, in particular minority shareholders is covered by Company Law and is a major reason for the wide shareholder base characteristic of U.K listed companies. The major developments of a workable corporate governance system for the U.K came about due to a few notable high profile financial scandals and public corporate collapses such as Maxwells Communication Corporation and Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI). Robert Maxwell had been taking money out of the pension funds to aid his downwardly spiralling financial situations and managed to bypass auditors and shareholders alike. His uncurbed power made this possible. The BCCI scandal had a worldwide effect. The Bank was guilty of bribery, arms trafficking, money laundering, the sale of nuclear technology, tax evasion, illegal immigration etc. Auditors were blamed again. After these and various other scandals there appeared to be a lack of confidence in the ability of many U.K companies to accurately report on their financial situations. This led to an important committee being formed; the Committee on the Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance. The report issued by the committee in December 1992 is one the most influential codes on corporate governance and has been used and adapted by many other countries in the development of their corporate governance systems. Sir Adrian Cadbury was the Chairman of the Committee and so the report became known as the Cadbury Report. This report made many valuable recommendations on the composition and roles of the board of directors as well as the non executive directors. Some of the recommendations given in the Cadbury Report were the separation of the Chairman and the CEO, the inclusion on non executive directors, regular and scheduled board meetings, directors access to advice, the length of appointments, the system of appointing non executive directors, disclosure of remuneration and the system of reporting and controls. All U.K registered companies who want to be listed must comply with the Codes of Best Practice recommended by the Cadbury Report. This comply or explain system as opposed to statutory regulation is said to give the United Kingdom an advantage in that it doesnt unnecessarily constrain business practice and innovation. (Financial Reporting Council 2006)

Violence: A Means to an End? Essay examples -- Politics Government Lat

Violence: A Means to an End? The use of violence to further various political and social movements occurs throughout Latin America and its history. Its long-term effectiveness in a social context, however, is dubious. Although many of these revolutions proved initially successful in accomplishing their stated purpose, especially in the political arena, eventually the drastic changes cause regression or create a sort of culture of instability within the nation. The Haitian Revolution and the Mexican War of Independence exemplify this standard. Seen as huge successes in their time, these historical revolutions have caused deterioration in the current state of affairs in the respective nations. Despite the lasting changes they have brought about in the system of power in the country, they affected the masses little. Nations such as Cuba have seen a forceful removal of the government, which in its very purpose was designed to alter the structure of society. In these cases, violence alone is not enough to cause chan ge, but may serve to build momentum that in turn, makes change possible. Instead of the sole use of violence and intimidation tactics to force submission and support, widespread popular backing is exactly what is needed for a successful movement; a small but loyal constituency of oppressors, a significant number of oppressed, and a large amount of firepower may accomplish goals in the short-run, but will fall short of achieving lasting change. The effectiveness of a large movement by the people also lessens the success of violence in counter-revolutionary attempts. These missions, to keep control of power and subdue so-called subversives, tend to be fiercer and disregard issues such as personal freedoms and human right... ... Krause, Enrique. â€Å"The Vision of Father Morelos.† Problems in Modern Latin American History. Ed. John Charles Chasteen and James A. Wood. Wilmington: Scholarly Resources Inc., 2004. 27-30. â€Å"The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo.† The Vanished Gallery. http://www.yendor.com/vanished/madres.html. (15 April 2005) Stein, Barbara and Stanley. â€Å"The Racial Heritage of Colonialism.† Problems in Modern Latin American History. Ed. John Charles Chasteen and James A. Wood. Wilmington: Scholarly Resources Inc., 2004. 3-6. â€Å"United States World Report 2003.† Human Rights Watch. http://www.hrw.org/wr2k3/us.html#conditions. (15 April 2005). â€Å"When the people rule.† Fidel Castro History Archive. http://www.marxists.org/history/cuba/archive/castro/1959/01/21.htm. (15 April 2005) Wucker, Michele. â€Å"The Massacre River.† Why the Cocks Fight. New York: Hill and Wang, 1999. 37.

Comparing The Marble Faun Sartoris, The Sound and the Fury, Soldier’s Pay :: comparison compare contrast essays

William Faulkner - The Marble Faun   Sartoris, The Sound and the Fury,   Soldier’s Pay William Faulkner, originally spelt Falkner, was born on September 25 1897 in New Albany, Mississippi. The eldest of four sons of a middle class family, William grew up the in the South and enjoyed the luxuries of life in a rural area. Faulkner never finished high school; he left in 1915 after he got a broken nose playing football. Over the next few years Faulkner worked at miscellaneous jobs while beginning his writing career. Originally he worked with verse and had his writings published in small—scale journals and papers. In April of 1918, he enrolled in the British Royal Air Force but never made it into combat as the war ended before he finished training. The following year he enrolled in classes at the tin University of Mississippi. In 1924, Faulkner published The Marble Faun, a verse-sequence and continued to write his short stories. It was not until 1926 that he published his first major novel, Soldier’s Pay, in which lie depicted life of a soldier after returning from war In l929 Faulkner created the imaginary land of Jefferson and Yoknapatawpha County in Sartoris: it is these counties that are the setting for most of his following novels. In 1929 he married Estelle Oldhain and within a year he bought Rowan Oak, where lie spent most of his time in the following years. In October of that year The Sound and the Fury was published and proceeded to gain Faulkner a lot of recognition. It was a different approach to fiction in that it provided a look at a story from four very separate viewpoints. Each of Faulkner’s novels offers a little bit of enlightenment on the subject that they pertain to. Often they are stylistically enterprising, as well as the subject matter being of great interest Absalom Absalom! contrasts viewpoints from which the story is told as it depicts the life of a troubled. Southern family. The Wild Palms is another example of Faulkner’s creativity. The story is told from two distinctly contradicting points of view. In 1942 Faulkner again shocked the literary world with his graphic depiction of racial, specifically â€Å"black versus white†, interactions on a Southern plantation. Many thought that Faulkner had under taken the task of historically representing the south during this era.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (A.C.L) Tear :: essays research papers

Ligaments are tough, non-stretchable fibers that hold bones together. Damage to cruciate ligaments, which crisscross the knee to give it stability, is one of the most common sports injuries. The â€Å"tear† occurs from changing direction rapidly, slowing down from running, or landing from a jump improperly. The A.C.L tear is one injury that worries athletes in all sports at all levels because of its devastating effects. People ages 15-25 that participate in basketball and other sports that require pivoting are especially at risk.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  General Information   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The anterior cruicate ligament is a strong band that arises from the posterior middle part of the lateral condyle of the femur, it passes anteriorly and inferiorly between the condyle, and is attached to the depression in front of the intercondylar eminence of the tibia (Mosby‘s page. 105).† The tear of the A.C.L is described as a partial or complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament. The A.C.L. does not repair by itself. It is so important to an athlete in most sports because an athlete has to be able to rotate the knee in specific directions. The tear happens more frequently in soccer, basketball, and volleyball. Athletes who started participating in a sport while they were young have a greater chance of sustaining a tear. Women are more susceptible to this injury than men. Theories for this include hormonal, environmental, and biomechanical factors. â€Å"Women‘s muscles react differently in landing. Doctors say that women land with straighter legs than men do; thus, they pass their shock to the A.C.L. resulting in a tear. Environmental factors are shoes and playing surfaces.† (Patrick, Dick)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Causes and Symptoms   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most common way to tear the A.C.L is by violently twisting the knee. This can happen with or without contact. Most people say they hear â€Å"a popâ€Å". It can occur when you‘re slowing down from running, planting and suddenly changing direction, or hyperextending the knee. â€Å"When this happens immediate pain results, the knee will fully swell, tenderness occurs around the knee, and the range of motion will be greatly affected.† ( Micheli, Dr. Lyle J. ) The first thing to do if an injury occurs is to use R.I.C.E., which stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Diagnosis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the injury has occurred, the injured should see the family doctor or possibly a specialist to see if something is torn. The doctor will do some range of motion testing. Theses test are the Lachman, Dynamic extension and the pivot jerk.

Main Character Of The Novel Essay

Throughout the book, we see that George Elliot has a distinct pre-occupation and interest with presenting the working class rural community in an authentic light. She writes the book as a social anthropologist, studying the more primitive community of the time. She has a large amount of sympathy towards the poor, although she herself was not a member of the working class. Using the story as a vehicle she aims to expose the plight and indignity of the poor in Victorian England, it was her main motive. Therefore, her focus throughout the book is in fact village life; in this case a fictional village named Raveloe. Focusing on the villagers, their attitudes and their way of life acts as a way of also commenting socially and politically on the injustices they face. Raveloe can easily be regarded as the main character as without it, the narrative following Silas has little significance. The village shapes the narrative, being responsible for most of the major areas of interest in the tale. All the individual characters provide interest and together form the character of the town, from characters such as Dunsey to Dolly. The story begins with a sympathetic description of the ‘honest folk’ of Raveloe. Our first real source of interest in the novel comes from the villager’s hostile reaction to Silas. We are initially told about Silas through the eyes of the villagers. Elliot echoes the villagers process of thought and way of speech throughout the novel, namely at the beginning. The sound of Silas’ loom is described as ‘questionable’ and he is said to have a ‘dreadful stare’. She is mimicking the mannerisms and phraseology of Raveloe as a whole and its reaction to the unknown. Silas’ mechanical method of working on the loom is seen as un-natural by the villagers, who can only judge him on their own experiences, centred round farming and agriculture. Due to this unfamiliarity, they see even pitiful attributes as sinister. His bad eyesight is thought of as a ‘stare’. This reaction of the village acts just as a reaction of a human character. It is typical of the village to think this way. In this respect then, the village can be regarded as any other character would. It has attributes and a predictable nature. It is these collective attributes of the community that make Raveloe one character, with which Silas’ relationships revolve. His relationships and connections with the characters of the community provide the most significant points of interest in the novel. Initially, there is the theft of his gold by Dunsey, then his integration into the community with the help of Dolly and later his confrontation with Godfrey over the fate of Eppie. Dolly represents the warmer, caring part of the Raveloe community, opposite to William Dane, the bitter symbol of Silas’ past. She is described to ‘seek the sadder and more serious elements of life and pasture her mind upon them’. Dolly seems to almost gain sustenance from helping those in need, in this case Silas. She helps him with the upbringing of Eppie, offering clothes and her own time. She fulfils her found role in the community. Although she can be seen as the prime example of the village’s moral capability, such sentiments are seen universally. When Silas informs the villagers of his lost gold, the villagers group together in order to help him. By entering ‘The Rainbow’, Silas enters the hub of the village community, beginning the process of his integration. After seeing the authenticity and depth of Silas’ grief, any former rumours disappear as the villagers begin to relate him to themselves, seeming anxious to help. The event acts as a rare source of excitement, as the villagers become incapable of distinguishing reality from imagination, fabricating information concerning a pedlar ‘with ear-rings’. However this all represents a symptomatic characteristic of the village – a concern to help others. The villagers’ reaction concerning the pedlar, is an indication of another key characteristic of Raveloe – a belief in superstition. Although the villagers provide lengthy descriptions of this so called thief, we know that no such character even exists. It is an example of how, in such close cut communities, little matters, true or false, can be embellished, escalating into common belief, leading to the creation of new superstitions. Silas is initially associated with the devil and spirit worship. These suspicions are only heightened by his apparent skill with herbal remedies, his strange cataleptic fits, as well as his past home, ‘North’ard’, where wizards, magic and folklore were associated. However his evident massive bereavement following the loss of his gold dispels any former rumours. Much of this superstition originates from the villagers discussions in the ‘Rainbow’, an important focus of the novel. This can be seen in the tale of ‘Cliff’s Holiday’, a well known rehearsed tale. Mr Macey, the apparent head of this specific social community, describes how a tailor, known as Cliff, had tried to ‘ride the tailor’ out of his son, attempting rising up the class system by making a gentleman out of his son. The story however ends with the son dying, and Cliff following him soon after. The story entails much superstition, mentioning ‘old Harry’, a euphemism for the devil, suggesting this unnatural desire to climb the class system was responsible for the death of the boy. The villagers, opposite to Cliff, are in fact very accepting of what they have been given. They feel content with what God has given them. Their pre-occupation is not to rise out of poverty but to merely co-operate with each other in order to make it bearable. This is seen in Dolly’s clear desire to help anyone in need, or at least to do the best she can. None of the villagers seem to complain about their conditions. They support Silas and each other. Another example of this is in Aarons desire to help Silas later on in the novel with his garden. He has no qualms about working in his spare time, he sees it as simply a decent thing to do. These sentiments would largely be a result of his mother, Dolly, and the way she brought him up. The meetings in the Rainbow are an important aspect of the social nature of Raveloe. Like going to Church, it is a social function. This religious aspect of Raveloe is alien to Silas due to his origins of the non-conformist Lantern Yard. He knows nothing of churches, only chapels. This complete lack of knowledge somewhat isolates him from the community; he does not go to church. However Dolly, is adamant that Eppie shall be brought up in the Raveloe faith and at the same time, introduces Silas back into religion. Both the working class are present in such functions as well as the gentry. The gentry are represented by the Cass family. The squire sees himself above the other members of the community, only becoming involved with them at festive, social occasions, such as the new-year party at the Red House. They are differentiated from the poor and, unlike Dolly, Mr Macey or any other members of the lower class community, represent little more than themselves. The Cass family are one of the villagers’ topics of discussion. They perceptively see the faults of the upper class just as they see faults in the lower classes. They take a specific disliking to Dunstan, due to his lack of respect of anyone, especially those below him. Godfrey is also seen as weak, Mr Macey describing him as a ‘slack baked pie’, commenting on his moral flaws. The primitive but nevertheless logical philosophy of, those who do well are rewarded while those who don’t suffer, is apparently proven in both cases. Dunstan ends up dying due his greed, while, although it is unknown to them, because of his rejection of Eppie, Godfrey is seemingly punished by Nancy being unable to conceive. Silas’ innocence on the other hand, is eventually rewarded. He is blessed with Eppie, who changes his life. These conclusions follow the villager’s moral code, maintaining justice. Categorically speaking, the village has a variety of overall attributes and a predictable nature so therefore can be described as a character. Furthermore, being the main focus of the novel, we can go on to suggest it is the main character. We are more aware of the values and nature of Raveloe as a whole than any specific character – even Silas. All the main events of the novel are shaped by the village. Each personality of each character represents a different aspect of the village as a whole. These individual characters amount to create one, main character which dictates the narrative and plot of the novel. Elliot’s concentration on her depictions of the village, indicate that she desired it to be the main focus. Obviously Silas is important, however, it is the events that unfold around him in Raveloe that really influence the direction of the novel.