Sunday, March 22, 2020

A detailed description of the pharmacological treatments used in Alzheimer’s disease The WritePass Journal

A detailed description of the pharmacological treatments used in Alzheimer’s disease Introduction A detailed description of the pharmacological treatments used in Alzheimer’s disease IntroductionReferencesRelated Introduction The nervous system is involved in the transmission of signals for communication and for coordination of body systems. The principle cell of the nervous system is a neuron, the neuron components are a cell body, dendrites, axon, synaptic terminals and myelin sheath (not always). The cell body component of the neuron integrates signals and coordinates metabolic activities. Dendrites are the branched projections of a neuron that act to conduct the electrochemical stimulation. The axon in the neuron conducts the signal and the synaptic terminals transmit the signals. The myelin sheath is the coating on some neurons that that acts as an insulator to speed the conduction of nerve impulses, usually around only the axon of a neuron. The transmission of a nerve impulse along a neuron from one end to the other occurs as a result of chemical changes across the membrane of the neuron. The membrane of an unstimulated neuron is polarized- that is, there is a difference in electrical charge between the outside and inside of the membrane. The inside is negative with respect to the outside. Such polarization is established by maintaining an excess of sodium ions (Na+) on the outside and an excess of potassium ions (K+) on the inside. Na+/K+ pumps in the membrane actively restore the ions to the appropriate side. Other ions, such as large, negatively charged proteins and nucleic acids, reside within the cell. It is these large, negatively charged ions that contribute to the overall negative charge on the inside of the cell membrane as compared to the outside. In addition to crossing the membrane through leakage channels, ions may also cross through gated channels. Gated channels open in response to neurotransmitters, changes in membrane potential, or other stimuli. The following events characterize the transmission of a nerve impulse. Resting potential: The resting potential describes the unstimulated, polarized state of a neuron. Graded potential: A graded potential is a change in the resting potential. A graded potential occurs when the stimulus causes Na+ or K+ gated channels to open. Na+ channels open, positive sodium ions enter, and the membrane depolarizes (becomes more positive). If the stimulus opens K+ channels, then positive potassium ions exit across the membrane and the membrane hyperpolarizes (becomes more negative). Action potential: An action potential is capable of traveling long distances. If a depolarizing graded potential is sufficiently large, Na+ channels in the trigger zone open. In response, Na+ on the outside of the membrane becomes depolarized (as in a graded potential). Repolarization: In response to the inflow of Na+, K+ channels open, this time allowing K+ on the inside to rush out of the cell. The movement of K+ out of the cell causes repolarization by restoring the original membrane polarization. Soon after the K+ gates open, the Na+ gates close. Hyperpolarization: This is when K+ channels closes and more K+ has moved out of the cell. As a result, the membrane becomes hyperpolarized. Refractory period: The membrane is polarized, but the Na+ and K+ are on the wrong sides of the membrane. During this refractory period, the axon will not respond to a new stimulus. To re-establish the original distribution of these ions, the Na+ and K+ are returned to their resting potential location by Na+/K+ pumps in the cell membrane. Once these ions are returned to their resting potential the neuron is ready for another stimulus. Transmission of Nerve Impulses between Neurons: The nerve impulse (action potential) travels down the presynaptic axon towards the synapse, where it activates voltage-gated calcium channels leading to calcium influx, which triggers the simultaneous release of neurotransmitter molecules from many synaptic vesicles by fusing the membranes of the vesicles to that of the nerve terminal. The neurotransmitter molecules diffuse across the synaptic cleft, bind briefly to receptors on the postsynaptic neuron to activate them, causing physiological responses that may be excitatory or inhibitory depending on the receptor. The central nervous system (CNS) is that part of the nervous system that consists of the brain and spinal cord. The central nervous system is one of the two major divisions of the nervous system. The other is the peripheral nervous system (PNS) which is outside the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system (PNS) connects the central nervous system (CNS) to sensory organs (such as the eye and ear), other organs of the body, muscles, blood vessels and glands. The hippocampus is one of the first regions of the brain to suffer damage; memory problems and disorientation appear among the first symptoms. Damage to the hippocampus can also result from oxygen starvation (hypoxia), encephalitis, or medial temporal lobe epilepsy. People with extensive, bilateral hippocampal damage may experience anterograde amnesia- the inability to form or retain new memories. Cholinesterase is a family of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine into choline and acetic acid, a reaction necessary to allow a cholinergic neuron to return to its resting state after activation. Cholinesterase inhibitors work by increasing levels of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger involved in memory, judgment and other thought processes. Certain brain cells release acetylcholine, which helps deliver messages to other cells. After a message reaches the receiving cell, various other chemicals, including an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, break acetylcholine down so it can be recycled. Alzheimers disease (AD) is a slowly progressive disease of the brain that is characterized by impairment of memory and eventually by disturbances in reasoning, planning, language, and perception. Alzheimers disease is a result from an increase in the production of beta-amyloid protein in the brain that leads to nerve cell death. The only way to know for certain that someone has AD is to examine a sample of their brain tissue after death. The following changes are more common in the brain tissue of people with AD: Neurofibrillary tangles which are twisted fragments of protein within nerve cells that clog up the cell. Another change which is common in brain tissue of a patient with AD is neuritic plaques (containing beta-amyloid protein) mentioned above. This results in abnormal clusters of dead and dying nerve cells, other brain cells, and aberrant protein deposits. When nerve cells are destroyed, there is a decrease in the chemicals/electrical signal that helps nerve cells send messa ges to one another, which are called neurotransmitters. As a result, areas of the brain that normally work together become disconnected. The probability of having Alzheimers disease increases substantially after the age of 70 and may affect around 50% of persons over the age of 85. However Alzheimers disease is not a normal part of aging and is not something that certainly happens in later life, many people live to over 100 years of age and never develop Alzheimers disease. Fig 1 (alz.org/brain/images/09a.jpg) In fig 1 above is a view of how massive cell loss changes the whole brain in advanced Alzheimers disease. This illustration shows a crosswise slice through the middle of the brain between the ears. In the Alzheimer’s brain, the cortex shrivels up, damaging areas involved in thinking, planning and remembering. Shrinkage is especially severe in the hippocampus, an area of the cortex that plays a key role in formation of new memories. The ventricles spaces grow larger. The risks factors implicated in Alzheimer’s disease are age, ApoE4, Down’s syndrome, head injury, low education and also family history i.e. genes. The main risk factor for Alzheimers disease is increased age. As a population ages, the frequency of Alzheimers disease continues to increase. Studies show that 10% of people over 65 years of age and 50% of those over 85 years of age have Alzheimers disease. There are also genetic risk factors for Alzheimers disease. Most patients develop Alzheimers disease after age 70. However, 2%-5% of patients develop the disease in the fourth or fifth decade of life (40s or 50s). At least half of these early onset patients have inherited gene mutations associated with their Alzheimers disease. Also a child of a patient with early onset Alzheimers disease who has one of these gene mutations has a 50% risk of developing Alzheimers disease. Other risk factors for Alzheimers disease include high blood pressure (hypertension), coronary arter y disease, diabetes, and possibly elevated blood cholesterol. Individuals who have completed less than eight years of education also have an increased risk for Alzheimers disease. These factors increase the risk of Alzheimers disease, but this does not mean Alzheimers disease is necessarily expected in persons with these factors. The onset of Alzheimers disease is usually gradual, and it is slowly progressive. Problems of memory, particularly for recent events (short-term memory) are common early in the course of Alzheimers disease. Mild personality changes, such as less spontaneity, apathy, and a tendency to withdraw from social interactions, may occur early in the illness. As the disease progresses, problems in abstract thinking and in other intellectual functions develop. Further disturbances in behaviour and appearance may also be seen at this point, such as agitation, irritability and a deteriorating ability to dress appropriately. Later in the course of the disorder, affected individuals may become confused or disoriented. Eventually, patients will be unable to engage in conversation, become erratic in mood, uncooperative, and lose bladder and bowel control. In late stages of the disease, persons may become totally incapable of caring for themselves, and a result of this could be death. Those who develo p the disorder later in life more often die from other illnesses (i.e. heart disease). Fig 2 Deaths from Alzheimers disease: (alz.org/downloads/Facts_Figures_2011.pdf) From Fig 2 Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the country and the only cause of death among the top 10 in the United States that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed. From the data in the graph, death rates have declined for most major diseases while deaths from Alzheimer’s disease have risen 66 percent during the same period. Unfortunately, there is no cure for AD. However there are goals in treating AD, these goals are to slow the progression of the disease (although this is difficult to do), manage behaviour problems, confusion, sleep problems, and agitation, modify the home environment and support family members and other caregivers. Cholinesterase blockers are one of the main treatments of AD. Cholinesterase inhibitors are prescribed to treat symptoms related to memory, thinking, language, judgment and other thought processes. The different cholinesterase inhibitors are Donepezil, Rivastigmine, Galanthamine, Tacrine and Memantine. The three main drugs currently licensed for the treatment of AD are Donepezil, Rivastigmine and Galanthamine. Donepezil is the generic name and the brand name is Aricept. Donepezil is approved at all stages of Alzheimer’s disease. However the side effects of this drug are nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and increased frequency of bowel movements. Galanthamine, brand name Razadyne, is approved for the mild to moderate stages of AD. The side effects of Galanthamine are nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and increased frequency of bowel movements. Memantine (brand name Namenda), is approved for moderate to severe stages of AD, The side effects of this drug are headache, constipation, confusion and dizziness. Rivastigmine (brand name Exelon), approved for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s, the side effects of Rivastigmine are nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and increased frequency of bowel movements. Tacrine (also known as Cognex), this was the first cholinesterase inhibitor and was approved in 1993 but is rarely prescribed today; this is because of associated side effects which i nclude possible liver damage. Cholinesterase inhibitors work by increasing levels of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger involved in memory, judgment and other thought processes. Certain brain cells release acetylcholine, which helps deliver messages to other cells. After a message reaches the receiving cell, various other chemicals, including an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, break acetylcholine down so it can be recycled. But Alzheimer’s disease damages or destroys cells that produce and use acetylcholine, thereby reducing the amount available to carry messages. A cholinesterase inhibitor slows the breakdown of acetylcholine by blocking the activity of acetylcholinesterase. By maintaining acetylcholine levels, the drug may help compensate for the loss of functioning brain cells. The benefits of cholinesterase inhibitors are that people taking the cholinesterase inhibitor medications performed better on memory and thinking tests than those taking a placebo, or inactive substance. In terms of overall effect, most experts believe cholinesterase inhibitors may delay or slow worsening of symptoms for about six months to a year; although some people may benefit more dramatically or for a longer time. Namenda is approved to treat moderate-to-severe Alzheimers disease. Namenda works by a different mechanism than other Alzheimers treatments; it is thought to play a protective role in the brain by regulating the activity of a different brain chemical called glutamate. Glutamate also plays a role in learning and memory. Brain cells in people with Alzheimer’s disease release too much glutamate (Alzheimer’s Association 2007). Namenda helps regulate glutamate activity. Namenda works by blocking the receptors for the neurotransmitter glutamate. It is believed that glutamate plays an important role in the neural pathways associated with learning and memory. In brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, overexcitation of neurons produced by abnormal levels of glutamate may be associated with neuronal cell dysfunction (resulting in cognitive and memory deficits) and eventual cell death (leading to deterioration and collapse of intellectual functioning). By selectively blocking a type of glutamate receptor (NMDA receptor) while allowing for normal neurotransmission, Namenda may help reduce the excitotoxic effects associated with abnormal transmission of glutamate. (psychatlanta.com) Namenda may have increased benefit when used with Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne, or Cognex. Memantine, a voltagegated and uncompetitive NMDA antagonist with moderate affinity, can protect neurons from excitotoxicity. It was approved for treatment of the patients with moderate to severe AD.   (Alzheimer’s Association 2007) A growing body of evidence suggest that drugs indicated for other conditions may also possess preventive efficacy for AD. Among the most promising are antioxidants, nonsteroidal, statins, certain anti hypertensive agents, alcohol, fish oil and possibly estrogen. Antioxidants have been recommended for prevention of dementia. The use of natural antioxidants may inhibit damage to the muscarinic receptors caused by free radicals, possibly by preventing or treating AD. High dietary intake of vitamins C and E lower the risk of AD. Estrogen is a weak antioxidant, it is biologically plausible that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could protect against AD (Zandi PP et al 2002). AD is more likely to develop in a person with atherosclerotic cerebrovascular disease (Postiglione 1995). Antiatheroscleotic pharmacotherapies are used to treat atherosclerotic cerebrovascular disease, which then prevents AD from occurring (John B et al 2004). Folic acid is a AD preventer and is effective against AD. Folic acid is effective because it reduces homocysteine concentration, increased levels of homocysteine concentration increases the risk of AD. Statins is very effective at reducing the risk of AD. Statins reduce the risk of AD by reducing the cholesterol levels by interfering with the activity of enzyme. Moderate take of alcohol and intake of N-3 fatty acids reduces the risk of AD. Studies have shown that intake of N-3 fatty acids and weekly consumption of fish can decrease the risk of AD by 60 %. Pharmacological treatments of Alzheimers disease are limited. Recent observational studies have shown that use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may protect against the development of the disease, possibly through their anti-inflammatory properties.  Ã‚   (Mahyar et al 2007) The results from research which has been carried out has been varied. Caffeine can be used as a treatment in Alzheimers disease (Chuanhai et al 2009). Caffeine causes most of its biological effects via antagonizing all types of adenosine receptors (ARs), as does adenosine, exerts effects on neurons and glial cells of all brain areas. In consequence, caffeine, when acting as an AR antagonist, is doing the opposite of activation of adenosine receptors due to removal of endogenous adenosinergic tonus. Caffeine, through antagonism of ARs, affects brain functions such as sleep, cognition, learning, and memory, and modifies brain dysfunctions and diseases i.e. Alzheimer’s disease. (Gary W et al 2009). Studies shows that people that take regular supplements decrease the risk of AD. Many people take folate (vitamin B9), vitamin B12, and vitamin E. However, there is no strong evidence that taking these vitamins prevents AD or slows the disease once it occurs. Recent studies have shown that people believe that the herb ginkgo biloba prevents or slows the development of dementia. However, high-quality studies have failed to show that this herb lowers the chance of developing dementia. Treatment of ancillary symptoms of Alzheimer disease has improved as well. Techniques have evolved to treat depression, sleeplessness, agitation, paranoia. Also family support is a cure in its own why which gives the patient a feel good feeling to overcome AD. References Volume 20, Supplement 1, 2010 Therapeutic Opportunities for Caffeine in Alzheimers Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases (Guest Editors: Alexandre de Mendonà §a and Rodrigo A. Cunha) Pages 3-15 Volume 20, Number 3, June 2010 Special Issue Basics of Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention (Editor: Jack de la Torre) Pages 687-688 Supplement 3, November 2010 Anesthetics and Alzheimers Disease (Guest Editors: Pravat K. Mandal and Vincenzo Fodale) November 2010 Pages 1-3 Recommendations for the diagnosis and management of Alzheimers disease and other disorders associated with dementia: EFNS guideline Volume 14, Issue 1, pages 1–26, January 2007, From mild cognitive impairment to prodromal Alzheimer disease: A nosological evolution J.L. Molinuevo, C. Valls-Pedret, L. Rami, Volume 1, Issue 3, June 2010, Pages 146-154 G. Waldemar; B. Dubois; M. Emre; J. Georges; I. G. McKeith ; M. Rossor; P. Scheltens; P. Tariska; B. Winblad, Article first published online: 9 JAN 2007, European Journal of Neurology Mahyar Etminan et al 2003,Effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on risk of Alzheimers disease: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies   doi: 10.1136/bmj.327.7407.128, BMJ. 2003 July 19; 327(7407): 128. Gary W Arendash, Takashi Mori, Chuanhai Cao, Malgorzata Mamcarz, Melissa Runfeldt, Alexander Dickson, Kavon Rezai-Zadeh, Jun Tan, Bruce A Citron, Xiaoyang Lin, Valentina Echeverria, and Huntington Potter. Caffeine Reverses Cognitive Impairment and Decreases Brain Amyloid-%u03B2 Levels in Aged Alzheimers Disease Mice. Journal of Alzheimers Disease, Volume 17:3 (July 2009) Chuanhai Cao, John R Cirrito, Xiaoyang Lin, Lilly Wang, Deborah K Verges, Alexander Dickson, Malgorzata Mamcarz, Chi Zhang, Takashi Mori, Gary W Arendash, David M Holzman, and Huntington Potter. Caffeine Suppresses Amyloid-%u03B2 Levels in Plasma and Brain of Alzheimers Disease Transgenic Mice. Journal of Alzheimers Disease, Volume 17:3 (July 2009) John B. Standridge MD (2004) Pharmacotherapeutic approaches to the prevention of Alzheimers disease, Department of Family Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, Chattanooga Unit, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. Zandi PP et al (2002 Nov 6), Hormone replacement therapy and incidence of Alzheimer disease in older women: the Cache County Study, JAMA. 288(17):2123-9. Postiglione A, Napoli C, (1995 Aug 6), Curr Opin Lipidol. Hyperlipidaemia and atherosclerotic cerebrovascular disease. (4):236-42 alz.org/national/documents/topicsheet_treatments.pdf ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC165707/?tool=pubmed webmd.com/alzheimers/guide/treatment-overview ant.org.tw/Mag_Files/19-4/B.19-4ra.pdf ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21213151 alz.org/downloads/Facts_Figures_2011.pdf cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/Transmission-of-Nerve-Impulses.topicArticleId-22032,articleId-21935.html psychatlanta.com/documents/namenda.pdf

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Phyllis Schlafly Anti-Feminist Quotes

Phyllis Schlafly Anti-Feminist Quotes Phyllis Schlafly was perhaps most famous for her successful mobilization against the Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution in the 1970s.   She is often associated with the backlash against the so-called second wave of feminism.   Before that, she was active in the ultraconservative wing of the Republican party, and she remained active on many conservative issues. See also: biography of Phyllis Schlafly About the ERA ERA means abortion funding, means homosexual privileges, means whatever else.   1999 About Feminism The cry of womens liberation leaps out from the lifestyle sections of newspapers and the pages of slick magazines, from radio speakers and television screens. Cut loose from past patterns of behavior and expectations, women of all ages are searching for their identity the college woman who has new alternatives thrust upon her via womens studies courses, the young woman whose routine is shattered by a chance encounter with a consciousness-raising session, the woman in her middle years who suddenly finds herself in the empty-nest syndrome, the woman of any age whose lover or lifetime partner departs for greener pastures (and a younger crop).   1977 The womens liberationist... is imprisoned by her own negative view of herself and of her place in the world around her.... Someone - it is not clear who, perhaps God, perhaps the Establishment, perhaps a conspiracy of male chauvinist pigs - dealt women a foul blow by making them female. It becomes necessary, therefore, for women to agitate and demonstrate and hurl demands on society in order to wrest from an oppressive male-dominated social structure the status that has been wrongfully denied to women through the centuries. 1977 Confrontation replaces cooperation as the watchword of all relationships. Women and men become adversaries instead of partners.... Within the confines of the womens liberationist ideology, therefore, the abolition of this overriding inequality of women becomes the primary goal. 1977 And the first commandment of feminism is: I am woman; thou shalt not tolerate strange gods who assert that women have capabilities or often choose roles that are different from mens. Feminism is doomed to failure because it is based on an attempt to repeal and restructure human nature. â€Å"The feminist movement taught women to see themselves as victims of an oppressive patriarchy.... Self-imposed victimhood is not a recipe for happiness.† The Womens Lib movement has sealed its own doom by deliberately hanging around its own neck the albatross of abortion, lesbianism, pornography and Federal control. News flash: one reason a woman gets married is to be supported by her husband while caring for her children at home. So long as her husband earns a good income, she doesnt care about the pay gap between them. Characterizing feminists: Someone, it is not clear who, perhaps God, dealt women a foul blow by making them female. Men should stop treating feminists like ladies, and instead treat them like the men they say they want to be. Another silliness of the womens liberationists is their frenetic desire to force all women to accept the title Ms in place of Miss or Mrs. If Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan want to call themselves Ms in order to conceal their marital status, their wishes should be respected. But most married women feel they worked hard for the r in their names; and they dont care to be gratuitously deprived of it... 1977 Womens Nature Without womans innate maternal instinct, the human race would have died out centuries ago....The overriding psychological need of a woman is to love something alive. A baby fulfills this need in the lives of most women. If a baby is not available to fill that need, women search for a baby-substitute. This is the reason why women have traditionally gone into teaching and nursing careers. They are doing what comes naturally to the female psyche. The schoolchild or the patient of any age provides an outlet for a woman to express her natural maternal need. 1977 Men are philosophers, women are practical, and twas ever thus. Men may philosophize about how life began and where we are heading; women are concerned about feeding the kids today. No woman would ever, as Karl Marx did, spend years reading political philosophy in the British Museum while her child starved to death. Women dont take naturally to a search for the intangible and the abstract.   1977 Where man is discursive, logical, abstract, or philosophical, woman tends to be emotional, personal, practical, or mystical. Each set of qualities is vital and complements the other. 1977 About Women and the Military Putting women in military combat is the cutting edge of the feminist goal to force us into an androgynous society. No country in history ever sent mothers of toddlers off to fight enemy soldiers until the United States did this in the Iraq war. Every country that has experimented with women in actual combat has abandoned the idea, and the notion that Israel uses women in combat is a feminist myth. Much of the demand for women in combat comes from female officers who are eager for medals and promotions. The purpose of our military is to field the finest troops possible to defend our nation and win wars. The goal of feminists however, is to impose a mindless equality, regardless of how many people it hurts. 2016 About Sex and Sexuality If man is targeted as the enemy, and the ultimate goal of womens liberation is independence from men and the avoidance of pregnancy and its consequences, then lesbianism is logically the highest form in the ritual of womens liberation. 1977 Sex education classes are like in-home sales parties for abortions. About why condoms should not be available to young women:  Its very healthy for a young girl to be deterred from promiscuity by fear of contracting a painful, incurable disease, or cervical cancer, or sterility, or the likelihood of giving birth to a dead, blind or brain-damage [sic]  baby (even ten years later when she may be happily married). â€Å"How did the court feel empowered to put new limits on the settled law of Meyer-Pierce and give public schools the power to override parents on teaching about sex? Simple. The three liberal judges based their decision on our evolving understanding of the nature of our Constitution.   2012 About Transgender Issues Anyone with a child knows that children learn about the world through binary options: up or down, hot or cold, big or little, inside or outside, wet or dry, good or bad, boy or girl, man or woman. But the radical feminists, who staff womens studies departments at most colleges, have propagated the idea that we have to get rid of the gender binary along with the expectation of distinct roles for men and women. About Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment on the job is not a problem for virtuous women. About the Republican Party [F]rom 1936 through 1960 the Republican presidential nominee was selected by a small group of secret kingmakers who are the most popular opinion makers in the world. 1964 About International Issues It should be clear that teaching Americans we are now part of a global economy and teaching schoolchildren they are citizens of the world is a deceitful message to con us into a plan to add the poor countries around the Earth to our list of welfare handout recipients. 2013 About the United Nations: We certainly dont need a committee of foreigners who call themselves experts to dictate our laws or customs.   2012 It is a mystery why any Americans would support the concept of the EU. About Multiculturalism, Diversity, Race,  Immigrants The United States is the worlds most stunning example of a nation that has peaceably and successfully assimilated people from many disparate cultures. So why are some people trying to separate us into factions, emphasizing what divides us instead of what unites us? 1995 You cant be an American if you dont speak English. Our public schools should be mandated to teach all children in English. The most dangerous area where our laws are not being faithfully executed are the laws designed to protect Americans against the millions of aliens who enter our country illegally every year. How can we protect homeland security unless the government stops the invasion of illegal aliens? Birth on U.S. territory has never been an absolute claim to citizenship. In a world of inhumanity, war and terrorism, American citizenship is a very precious possession. Its not the physical location of birth that defines citizenship, but whether your parents are citizens, and the express or implied consent to jurisdiction of the sovereign. About Climate Change Of course, climate changes. Many changes are due to factors over which humans have no control, such as winds, ocean currents and sun activity. But the liberals want us to believe that climate change is also caused by gases expelled when humans burn so-called fossil fuels.  Ã‚  2011 About the Family â€Å"The American nuclear family made America great, but few are now defending it against forces determined to destroy it. If America continues to have many immigrants with different family types, we are less likely to maintain American values of personal freedom, individualism, and limited government.†Ã‚  2014 What I am defending is the real rights of women. A woman should have the right to be in the home as a wife and mother. People think that child-support enforcement benefits children, but it doesnt. First of all, I want to thank my husband Fred, for letting me come I always like to say that, because it makes the libs so mad! The United States: Exceptionalism The United States is a giant island of freedom, achievement, wealth and prosperity in a world hostile to our values. Education, Schools The cornerstone of the political correctness that dominates campus culture is radical feminism. The worst censors are those prohibiting criticism of the theory of evolution in the classroom. After Big Media, U.S. colleges and universities are the biggest enemies of the values of red-state Americans. Parents, are you ready to teach your kids arithmetic? 2002 National Standards was not a narrative of past events but was leftwing revisionism and Political Correctness. It is long overdue for parents to realize they have the right and duty to protect our children against the intolerant evolutionists. Our public school system is our countrys biggest and most inefficient monopoly, yet it keeps demanding more and more money. The most frequent complaint I hear from college students is that professors inject their leftist political comments into their courses even when they have nothing to do with the subject. Behind frequent protestations by public officials about local control of the schools, a federal curriculum has been quietly imposed by law. All the pieces are now in place for this major goal of the Clinton administration. Elementary and secondary school education used to be organized around subjects such as reading, math, history, geography, language and science. While smatterings of those subjects are still taught, the focus has been shifted from academic subject matter to teaching attitudes, beliefs, values, themes, behaviors and job skills. This is indoctrination, not education. Left-wing professors write the textbooks and the teachers unions control the public schools, so the ideology is what those groups deem politically correct. 2002 About Government, Judges Congress should pass legislation to remove from the federal courts their jurisdiction to hear these outrageous challenges to the Ten Commandments and the Pledge of Allegiance. Under the nanny state of the left, nothing remains private for long. 2012 The justices have constitutionally protected obscenity in libraries, filth over cable television, and now unlimited internet pornography. About Obama â€Å"Obama has compiled a record of hostility to religion that is unmatched by any other president in American history. 2012 â€Å"Obama did not want to join a  historically Christian black church in Chicago that took traditional Christian doctrines seriously. Rather, he sought out  a liberal church that would help him advance his budding political career.† 2012 Should Obama win a second term, the justices he appoints will almost certainly unveil a bogus new constitutional right to gay marriage, discovered within the penumbras of Lawrence v. Texas. At which point Obama, drawing upon the faux-pained honesty he has perfected, can regurgitate what he wrote in his memoirs: that he was once on the wrong side of history† but has now happily come into the light.  2012 Others About Schlafly Betty Friedan in a 1973 debate with Schlafly: I would like to burn you at the stake.... I consider you a traitor to your sex, an Aunt Tom.

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Nature Versus Nurture, which is responsible for leaders Assignment

Nature Versus Nurture, which is responsible for leaders - Assignment Example In order to understand whether or not leaders are natural born or nurtured into a leader, it is important to understand what exactly defines a leader and what type of traits a leader should posses. A leader can be defined as someone who is able to lead others. To lead others is to conduct plans and implement plans in a way other can easily follow. It is also important for a leader to be able to lead others in a way others will want to follow. Possessing a personality that is favored by many is a necessity for someone to be a leader. A leader is able to lead others into a specific event and lead others in a certain directions. Leaders need to have specific traits. Specific traits a leader should posses would include a strong personality. Strong personalities allow a leader to not easily be manipulated and stay focused. A leader must also posses’ traits that allow him or her to be organized. Being organized shows others that as a leader one is confident and well structured. A leader needs to work well under stress. Being able to work well under stress will allow for a leader to take on large tasks without easily becoming discouraged. The more personable one may be, the more able the leader is to obtain followers. A leader is not a leader unless people are willing to follow with their own free will and not by force or fear. Anyone can lead by fear but a true leader leads by personal choice. Knowing what a leader is and specific traits a leader should posses help to further explore the idea that leaders are both born with specific traits and nurtured by proper upbringing. Intelligence is a perfect example as to how leaders can be born leaders. A leader needs to have a certain level of intelligence in order to lead others. One who is born with a higher level of intelligence is able to learn fast, stay focused and keep up with the demand it takes to lead. It would be hard to lead others if one was lacking necessary skills such as

Monday, February 3, 2020

An economic analysis of the causes of serfdomslavery Essay

An economic analysis of the causes of serfdomslavery - Essay Example Serfdom on the other hand, is also a social economic system whose conditions of bondage are bound but not limited to the fields of landowners. This is in return for protection and the right to work in their leased fields. Basing on these definitions, serfs are also slaves, only that serfs are entitled to property rights, therefore, free, in a way, to do what he thinks is fit for his land. In an analysis paper on the causes of slavery or serfdom in relation to agrarian capitalism, the author distinguishes the two systems by the following context. This is with the assumption that: "A slave can be forced to supply unskilled labor when supervised by a farm operator but he cannot be forced to surrender his non traded skills. This captures the idea that you cannot make a slave a residual claimant without also giving them a substantial degree of independent control over how they allocate labor between their tenancy and labor services to the landlord. A slave owes labor service in return for nothing other than a subsistence wage, whereas serfs were typically peasant farmers who maintained access to land in exchange for payment to a landlord which may or not have included significant labor-service obligation." (Jonathan Conning, p.10) It was during the medieval times, with the rise of feudalism in Europe, that the era of serfdom and slavery became rampant. In the feudal system, the society was divided into three social classes, namely the religious, the nobles and the laborers. The serfs and the slaves were under the third class, whose tasks mainly consist of household duties. The nature of slavery and serfdom prior to the colonization of America was described in an online article at the following context: "Most slaves in Africa, in the Islamic world, and in the New World prior to European colonization worked as farmers or household servants, or served as concubines or eunuchs. They were symbols of prestige, luxury, and power rather than a source of labor." (Digital History online textbook) The Rise of Capitalism This social economic system developed further in Medieval Europe. Though it declined in Western Europe, in the later middle ages, it spread out on Eastern Europe. With the Europeans desire for colonization, it expanded to Africa and shortly thereafter, to Americas. An online article also pointed out that "It was only in the New World that slavery provided labor force for a high-pressure profit-making capitalist system of plantation agriculture producing cotton, sugar, coffee, and cocoa for distant markets." (Mintz, S.) This is when the nature of serfdom and slavery transformed and evolved. During this process of exploration and colonization, emerged the "triangular trade" between the colonies. The triangular trade is derived from the three ports or regions that participated in the trade namely West Africa, West Indies and Europe. The trade evolved where commodities that are not needed in one region are shipped (export) to other regions that needs and receives it (import). In this trading system, the products of slave labor like sugar, molasses, tobacco and rice were brought to England where an exchange of goods took place. The goods were also shipped to Africa in

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Making Renewable Energy SMART using Internet of Things (IOT)

Making Renewable Energy SMART using Internet of Things (IOT) Manuj Darbar, Kripa Shankar Pathak, Rajesh Goel Abstract: The paper highlights the cooperative behaviour of Multi agent systems by combining various renewal energy sources and then feeding the power to the grid. The process uses 6LoWPAN protocol to communicate with each other and C-ARTAGOs interface control with Guarde properties to intelligently manage the demand and supply. Keywords: SMART Grids, Renewal Energy sources, IoT. 1.0 INTRODUCTION Renewal energy is inspired by natural resources for energy conversion. Till date natural resources which are exploited for conversion of energy are: Wind, Biomass and Solar Power with the upsurge in energy demand countries are switching to alternative energy sources. These alternative sources could be Wind, Biomass or Solar Energy. Denmark tops the list with a very high penetration of renewal energy producing nearly 20% of total electricity demand. There is a paradigm shift from traditional method of generating power to renewal energy systems. There are two broad areas of research in renewal energy: Energy Transition, Energy Storage. Energy transition deals with conversion of natural energy into some form (Generally Electrical, Energy storage refers to store the energy generated by Natural resource generally solar cells uphill now manufacturers are using Conventional method of installing these energy sources, with the development of Internet of things the objects are made SMART. They can adjust output according to environment making them adaptive[2,3]. Unlike conventional internet, IOT supportive device usage with a very low bandwidth moreover the transmission is also inter sensor the novelty in this research area is to derive maximum efficiency from the entire setup. Each of the device will have an embedded chip sensor grid and communication link of all the connectivity nodes which are finally converted to cloud (P-cloud) for processing. For instance let up take the case of wind turbine, is case of any dynamic change in the operation of one turbine it is to be communicated to the cloud and all the turbines in li ne with turbine automatically adjust themselves, a self healing Immunization is injected which tunes the particular turbine in line with the other turbines. To manage the coherency between generation and storage battery signals and other parameters are sent to cloud for processing accordingly an adjustment/find turn of signal is generated to maintain the rhythm. Nowadays a new operating system like Windows and Linux has been developed specially catering to the needs of Internet of Things (IOT) named Contiki. Similarly we can apply for solar cell where a cell submits its health report on P-cloud on regular intervals. Some of the embedded systems supporting IOT are XBee, Rasberey pie and Cognitive Radio[8,9] Supporting Extended Environmental Markup Language, a type of XML document used in PACHUBED (suitable for public upload, download and display of data for Internet connected Networks. 2.0 MODEL DEVELOPMENT The paper highlights the development of a Toolkit for efficient management of Wind Energy and Solar Energy and feeding into the grid. In order to achieve synchronization between Wind grid, Solar Grid and existing grid we use the concept of Multi-agent system. These intelligent agents are integrated to a form self organizing net using swarming technique. Each of the wind mill and solar grid is connected by 6 LOWPAN Sensor devices. 6 LOWPAN is made up of Low-power wireless are networks. Which are IPV6 stub network. An Ad LOWPAN is not connected to the internet that operates without infrastructure. Figure 1 : Layer Architecture 6 LOWPAN In our framework we will be using Extended LOWPAN consisting of multiple edge routers. LOWPAN works on the principle of neighbor discovery (ND) LOWPAN needs participate in more than one LOWPAN at the same time also known as multi-homing. The protocol stack of 6 LOWPAN Protocol stack consists of Application, Transport, Network, Data Link and Physical. The Architecture of 6 LOWPAN consists of 1 Pv6 Internet connected to Remote sensor and an Edge Router which is connected with P2P link. This Edge Router consists of various Nodes of 6 LOWPAN (Figure 2) Figure 2: 6 LOWPAN Connection (Adopted from 6 LOWPAN – The wireless embedded Internet) Neighbor Discovery in LOWPAN includes a built in feature for dealing with Micro mobility. All the messages generated are being monitored and tracked by the Central Control Unit which feeds the power to the grid. Consider a scenario where grid of Wind Mills is installed, a grid of solar cells (figure 3). Figure 3: Multi-Agent System for Autonomic Control The above figure highlights the 6 LOWPAN sensor networks which is connected to each Wind Mill and Solar Panels. It is connected to the Control Centre by the help of an interface using 1Pv6 server and P2P connection by the Edge Router. The real time protocol for streaming the signals uses UDP which is an widely used for sensor data streams. The use Web services by the Control Centre helps in linking the current weather conditions (Sunny) or (windy) to Grid synchronizer which informs the Grid about the necessary invariability and power delivery in the Grid. In order to simulate the entire set-up we use the concept of C-ArtAgo developed by Alassendro Ricei et al. [1]. It is a platform for providing a general-purpose programming model. It works on two different aspects Agents and Artifacts. It is modeled in terms of set of artifacts programmed by MAS. Secondly the artifact collaborate each other using the combination of 6 LOWPAN communication[3,5,7] defined in FIPA standard protocols. The FIPA protocol[10,11] uses some of the concept of high-level interaction. It is categorised into three sections: (1) Basic Protocols (2) Network Protocol Contractual FIPA (3) Protocols FIPA Auctions. Since the Network protocol and Protocols FIPA Auctions are used when a electronic commerce has to be established. We will be using Basic Protocols of FIPA. The FIPA Basic Protocol allows an agent to request to another agent to perform certain action. It is combined with 6 LOWPAN Protocol to generate a standard set of communication link given in figure 4. Figure 4: AUML Representation of 6 LOWPAN FIPA Protocol quarry. This protocol allows an agent to request to another agent to perform certain action. The agent on receiving the request indicates whether it accepts or rejects the request. The FIPA protocol is further supported by conditional quarry protocol FIPA which allows an agent to request agent to perform an action when a certain condition is satisfied. The request protocol allows an agent to make an inquiry. The Agent on accepting the request can than acceptor refuse to provide information. (C-ArtAgo has a layerical structure with MAS acting as an middle layer. (figure 5) Figure 5 : Layerical Representation of MAS with CARTAGO Consider a scenario where we have to integrate Solar grid, Wind Grid and Normal Supply side grid by using guidance from the Web Service agent. The Web service agent we have used here are: The Weather services and Load Demand services provided by distribution agencies. In order to collaborate all the above entities we treat them as intelligent agents. In order to collaborate all the above agents we use (C-ARTAGOs usage interface control with Guarde properties. The operation control is either enabled or disabled. The Agent side side Use is used to trigger the Action, if USE + ENABLED then Action is Triggered otherwise the Action is stopped / Suspended. The sample program using Guard is described as: import alice.catrago.*; import java.until.*; public class Intelligent Agent extends Artifact { private Linked List sensor; void init (int max){ Sensors = new LinkedList define ( ) bsproperty (max-sensors, nmax); define Obs property (n_sensors,0); } @OPERATION (guard = n_sensors = active) void sense (device Id) {sensors.add (sensor); updatedObsProperty (n_IPv6, services, sensor.udp); } @GUARD boolean Grid Demand Not Full (set sensors) {intmax Agents = getobsProperty (max_agents). int value ( ) ; return agent size ( ) } } The above code deals with the problem of concurrent systems which requires effective coordination between produces agent (Solar Agent Windmill Agent) and SupplyAgent (The Supply grid). The use of Guard operation in Boolean option provides a necessary control giving the exact amount of Windmills / Solar panels currently active and based on Web service agent communication and the grid requirement the Boolean values change accordingly. 4.0 Conclusion: The paper introduces a framework for specifying the interaction between various types of intelligent agents. The coordination between the solar agent and Wind Mill agent is achieved by 6LOWPAN devices connected on IPv6 environment. The communication is achieved by Web Senor connected with Web services which guides about the environmental conditions and Peak Demand variations which is going to come in next couple of days. System uses FIPA protocol architecture for multi agent coordination. References: Book Section: [1] Alessandro Piunti, Michele A Viroli, Mirko A Omicini, Andrea Amal, Environment Programming in CArtAgO†, pp: 259-2188, Multi Agen Programming, 2009, Springer US. Research Papers: [2] Lehtoranta, O., Seppà ¤là ¤, J., Koivisto, H., and Koivo, H., â€Å"Adaptive District Heat Load Forecasting using Neural Networks†, in Proceedings of Third International Symposium on Soft Computing for Industry, Maui, USA, 2000. [3] M Darbari, VK Singh, R Asthana, â€Å"N-Dimensional Self Organizing Petrinets for Urban Traffic Modeling†, International Journal of Computer Science Issues (IJCSI) 7 (4), 37-40, 2010. [4] N Dhanda, M Darbari, NJ Ahuja, â€Å"Development of Multi Agent Activity Theory e-Learning (MATeL) Framework Focusing on Indian Scenario† , International Review on Computers Software 7 (4), 1624-1628, 2012. [5] M Darbari, VK Singh, R Asthana, S Prakash, â€Å"N-Dimensional Self Organizing Petrinets for Urban Traffic Modeling†, International Journal of Computer Science Issues (IJCSI) 7 (4), 37-40, 2010. [6] M Darbari, P Sahai, â€Å"Adaptive e-learning using Granulerised Agent Framework†, International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research 5 (3), 167-171,2014. [7] Mà ¼ller, J.P., â€Å"A Cooperation Model for Autonomous Agents†, Intelligent Agents III, Springer, 1997. [8] Malone, T., and Crowston, K., â€Å"The interdisciplinary study of coordination†,  ACM Computing Surveys,V ol. 26(1), 1994. [9] Nwana, H.S., Lee, L., Jennings, N.R., â€Å"Co-ordination in software agents systems†, BT Technology Journal. Vol 14(4), 1996. [10] Shoham, Y., and Tennenholtz, M., â€Å"On the synthesis of useful social laws for artificial agent societies†, in Proceedings of the 10th National Conference on Artificial Intelligence, pp. 276-281, 1992. [11] Wooldridge, M., Jennings, N.J., and Kinny, D., â€Å"The Gaia Methodology for Agent-Oriented Analysis and Design†, Journal of Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems, Vol. 3(3) pp.285-312, 2000.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Community Health Nursing Essay

As a registered nurse of only three years, I am often referred to by my peers as a â€Å"baby† nurse. However, in those short three years of practice I have learned and continue to learn many things whether medical, personal, or humanitarian. My personal nursing experience has been in surgical care services. The vast majority of the patients I have cared for are those undergoing elective procedures. They have chosen to have joint arthroplasty or some other type of procedure. I have also had the great fortune to care for those who have been diagnosed with terminal illnesses such as cancer and leukemia. Many times I see these patients in the infancy of their disease process, but I also see them on a continue basis during treatments such as blood or platelet transfusions. The difficulties faced by patient s such as these are varied and bring with each a different set of needs to be assessed and addressed. You become not just a nurse but a caregiver, advocate, therapist, and more often than not a friend. It is when working with these patients that the dynamics of quality versus quantity of life become central to care. In many cases family concerns, whether well meaning or not, may overshadow the patient’s wishes. Our selfish need to keep loved ones with us can blur the line as to the patient’s own wants and needs. In dealing with this you must also assess your own beliefs as to end of life decisions. My role as a nurse must be to advocate for my patient, to develop trust in the relationship, and to follow through with their wishes. All the while promoting compassion in our interactions,  In this case scenario, there are three strategies in which I would implement to address Mrs. Thomas as a patient. After assessing the patient and her situation referrals should be made for therapy modalities both physical and occupational, home health, and psychological/mental health for both Mrs. Thomas and her spouse/caregiver. Physical and occupational therapy could evaluate Mrs. Thomas and initiate a plan of treatment to increase stamina and range of motion to keep the patient at an optimum level of functioning. Physical improvement even in small increments can have a positive effect on the patient’s outlook. Home health could evaluate Mrs. Thomas and her need for pain control as well as her fear of dependency. Education at this juncture is imperative to patient outlook as well as outcome of treatments. With pain management in place, physical therapy could progress, thus increasing the level of patient participation. Also a mental health/psychological referral could be invaluable to both Mr. and Mrs. Thomas. Mrs. Thomas could be assisted in working through and understanding the stages of her illness, as well as her depression and sadness concerning her family relationships. It could also help Mr. Thomas with his depression and allow them both to connect with support groups or individuals within the community with whom they can share experiences. One of the best resources for breast cancer patients is the Susan B. Komen Foundation. As a certified breast cancer educator, I have had the pleasure of working with both survivors and their families. Education is very important to all concerned in a medical diagnosis of breast cancer. Understanding of the disease process and its effects are also essential to a healthy outlook. The Komen Foundation offers support to patients, survivors, caregivers, and family members. It would be an excellent resource in which both Mr. and Mrs. Thomas could receive individualized treatment and support. The team approach is also necessary for working with patients, families, and caregivers. As a nurse you must accept that an individual cannot meet all patient needs so you draw upon other health care professional s to accomplish the highest levels of care. A wide variety of team members can be utilized in the care of the Thomas’. Physicians who offer direct clinical care and disease pathologies, social workers/clinical case managers who can assist in community resources as well as their knowledge of insurances, spiritual leaders to aide in dealing with final decisions and spiritual needs of the patient and family, pharmacists  who assist with a wide array of pharmacological treatments for pain and symptom control, dieticians can be helpful in counseling with meals, nutrition, supplements, and hydration. Other team members may include physical and occupational therapy, psychologists, and perhaps even volunteers to assist in the home and with errands. The needs of Mrs. Thomas and her family will continue to fluctuate as her disease progresses. It is important for the team to stay abreast of these needs and adjust plans of care accordingly. At some point hospice services may be called upon and continued through death. This can be provided at home or on an inpatient basis. Initiating a plan of action can alleviate stress from both the Thomas’. Mr. Thomas may feel that some of the caregiver burden has been lifted and this could aid in the treatment of his depression. This in combination with medication could be the keys to initiating successful treatment. If a psychological evaluation is needed due to the possibility of suicidal ideations, then immediate intervention is warranted with a crisis facility. Especially if there is deemed eminent danger of self harm. With pieces of the clinical puzzle in place, the Thomas’ can be assisted with as much compassion, dignity, and support as possible to meet their needs in both the short and long term.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Peter Kolchin’s “American Slavery: Origins and Consolidation” Essay

Peter Kolchin’s book entitled, â€Å"American Slavery: Origins and Consolidation† discusses the problems and the evolution of slavery in the United States of America. The opening sentence of his first chapter is indeed quite interesting. According to him, Americans have this wrong perception that the U.S. is â€Å"conceived with liberty† because the reality is that, the so-called â€Å"New world† tolerates slavery. Kolchin believes that African slaves, more importantly, should not be treated by the Americans as inferior individuals but rather be grateful to them. One of the greatest sources of income actually came from the continuous importation of African slaves to the U.S. Because of the increasing number of slaves in the country during the early 16th-17th century, coercion in their labor actually provided for the country’s foundation of agriculture. He further believes that, slavery became widely accepted in the U.S. because of two factors namely, religious and economic. The concept of slavery as a labor system in the U.S. was patterned after the imperialistic attempts of European countries. The emergence of this kind of system is brought by the shortage in workers, especially in the agricultural aspects. A big number of workers are needed by the rich landowners during the harvest season in order for them to meet the existing demands of the market. Because of this, Africans were being imported to become farm workers. The more laborers that they have, the greater is the production, and therefore the greater is the possibility of an economic growth since there has been demands made in both international and local market, which is very apparent today in the U.S. (Kolchin, p.5) The second factor deals with religion. Since slaves are considered as subordinates to their masters, everything that the master will tell them, the slave will follow, including their master’s religion (which is mostly Christianity as Kolchim discussed). Unlike their masters who have religious backgrounds in the form of doctrines and teachings, the slaves do not have. Because of this, the slaves settled in potion-makings, superstitious beliefs, and the like. However, by being introduced to Christianity, they became more civilized and at least, knowledgeable because they already follow â€Å"legal rituals.† Surprisingly, the Christian bible tolerates the presentation of stories depicting slavery. For instance, the bible suggests that God blessed and protected the Christians while the non-Christians were punished and viewed as slaves, serving their Christian masters in building religious temples or religious images. In general, slavery in the United States of America has evolved throughout the years. In fact, two historical periods sought to explain this evolution. One is the colonial era wherein slaves were still powerless and submissive individuals, and the other is during the period of antebellum. During this period, there were calls and proposals to the slave-owners to treat their subordinates as humans, providing them with their basic needs (Kolchin, p. 28) I do agree that Kolchin has a basis in saying that economy and religion are the factors why slavery was accepted in U.S. because his arguments are very apparent. If we are to trace back history, the rich American landowners, there are a number of them who became the country’s chief executives, hired African slaves to attend to their agricultural business. In fact, he was quoted in his book saying â€Å"[slavery] helped propel the economic transformation of the leading colonial powers.† (Kolchin, p.5) Meanwhile, in terms of religion, many of the country’s leaders are Christians. As such, they follow the bible. A passage from the Book of Genesis 9:25 which states that, â€Å"Cursed be Canaan; a slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers,† Christian believers are quick to say that this passage is the cornerstone of the belief that God made the blacks suffer from slavery (Kolchin, p.145). The most important new information that I discovered about America’s history is the irony of former President Thomas Jefferson. While he announced that â€Å"all men are created equal† during his declaration of Independence, he was a large-scale slave owner himself. Apart from that, his all men are created equal contradicts his racist remark when he said that black’s â€Å"depravity† is caused by their slave status, and more offensively, the distinct nature of their innate characteristic (Kolchin, p.88). The reason why I considered it also as an important learning for me is because the African slaves suffered too much pain, physically and emotionally, under the Americans’ hands. Even former Presidents have their own share of taking advantage of these â€Å"blacks† despite their call of equality. African slavery will always be a part of American history. As such, this article further strengthens Kolchin’s arguments that slavery was caused by both economic and religious factors. The Americans, thinking that they are superior individuals, took advantage of the Africans. They used their power in order to force these Africans to work doubly hard and in case the slave masters were not satisfied, they will maltreat them. Meanwhile, the Americans use their influence in religion to further manipulate not only the actions of the slaves but more importantly, their way of thinking also. However, despite the influence of the Americans, it is not still safe to conclude that African slaves were â€Å"Americanized.† In fact, even if Americans do influence their thinking, they are still â€Å"Africans† themselves. It’s just that, Africans were exposed to two different cultures. Reference: Kolchin,P. Unfree Labor: American Slavery and Russian Serfdom. Harvard University Press, April 1987.