Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Superbugs

Humans are fragile in nature and often require seeking medical attention for minor illnesses to aid in their speedy recovery. With the advanced medical technology, dealing with common attacks from bacteria in the present world creased to be a problem.

Global warming, cause by revolution of our modern world brings yet another threat to the society, the extreme climate which is experienced throughout the world and worsening. Getting sick is inevitable as bacteria thrive in present day climate. In spite so drugs prescribed by doctors are sufficient in curbing the problem, or are they? We are currently fighting a losing battle against new and improved super bugs. By not completing the full course of anti-biotic would exacerbate the problem. Bacteria within the body are not totally exterminated, leaving behind traces of bacterial that survive the first offence. They form the roots of a new 'species' of bacteria that are immune to current drugs such as anti-biotic.

Super bugs are impervious to standard treatments, and they flourish in the human body. Relying on stronger drugs would be a final way to counter the problem, however the process of treatment may damage some of the organs and thus carries a risk of death. The problem is further amplified as many drug-developing companies choose to end their business due to the fact that this was not a profitable business and they were suffering from huge loss in revenue. Statistics shows that only five out of five thousand drugs make it to the human trials and out of the five only one will receive regulatory approval. What makes the situation more desperate is that this mutated bacterium has made it to the war zone, invading soldiers by penetrating though their wounds and even local hospitals are facing the threat of these drug resistant super bugs.

In my opinion, the discovery of super bugs meant that if an immune bacterium thrives in a certain part of the world and a cure is not found, an epidemic will arise, and until then a rupture would be unavoidable. Although humans proved to be superior over other species, without constant evolution, a new era whereby humans no longer dominate could begin.
The government could give their helping hand by simply support the development of drugs through sponsorship of research to develop new drugs that could cater towards the need and able to kill modern day super bugs without having any side effects. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, if through individual action, humans would take action by simply be more alert towards their personal hygiene, so that no bacteria would be given the chance to penetrate through the human body.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Running for his life

Many can walk, jog and run properly and also sleep properly. But in this group of 'Many', at least 80% of them take this for granted. Ryan's story made me treasure these tiny things which seem insignificant in our lives.

The pains started when Ryan was just five or six. Ryan would fall to the floor and scream. Lisa, terrified. would bundle him into a taxi or an ambulance. Stumped by his symptoms, hospital doctors could do little more than put Ryan on a morphine drip to knock him out and deaden the pain.

One evening, when Ryan was seven, Lisa was watching TV at home in the living room when she was startled by a scream from Ryan: "Help me, Mum!" Lisa rushed upstairs to his bedroom, expecting another pain attack. But this time it was different: Ryan was lying face down, violent spasms wrenching his back with what looked like small snakes twisting and turning beneath his skin.

Again doctors could do little more than put Ryan on a morphine drip. Some even wondered if he was imagining or exaggerating his pain, but finally, when Ryan was seven, a specialist confirmedthat he had dystonia, a rare condition similar to Parkinson's disease. Although the full causes of dystonia are not known, researchers believe the problem can be traced to an abnormality in the basal ganglia, a "switchboard-like" part of the brain that processes messages contolling the movement.

Ryan's dystonia was severe. it affected much of his body, including his left leg, back, hands and even his face. There was no cure. The older he got, the worse it became. He regularly fell down the steps at home, when his left leg would go into convulsions and collapse beneath him. Lisa would hear a crash and find him at the bottom of the stairs, crying out in pain. At other times, his jaw would lock and he could barely speak. He couldn't tie his own shoes or grip a knife and a fork well enough to cut up his food. The spasms became so frequent that Ryan had has his own permanent bed in Walsall's Manor Hospital.

Dystonia might have crippled Ryan, but he was still going on strong. Frustrated by a doctor who rarely spoke to him during a hospital stay, Ryan wrote to him a letter, complaining,"Stop treating me like a bin you just shove pills in I am a person. I am not a thing!"

Two months before he had been unable to walk more than a few steps is now actually jogging! While he is running his pain begins to disappear. it is uncanny; it's as if he can run away from his disease. As he continued to jog and go on to running, Frank Gardner, a coach, noticed his raw talent and willingness to practise. He just lacked technique, but he was fast.

Over the years Ryan had mastered how to cover up his pain and hide the side effects of dystonia.which had weakened his left side. He slightly dragged his left lef after years of favouring the other side and he leaned a bit to one side in an attempt to hide his limp.

It was in January 25, 2005, and the National Indoor Arena was packed with spectators and athletes for the Brimingham Games. Ryan Farrington, then 16, could hear his heart beating faster as he knelt into a crouch. It was Ryan's first official race, a heat, and he tries to block out the noise of the crowd and the image of the runners on either sides. The pistol fires and he explodes out of his starting position. His arms pump like pistons as he powers his slim, muscular, 170cm frame down the track. With his head held high and slightly forward, Ryan ran like a champion. He later won silver medals in regional races and a gold as a member of the West Midlands sprint relay team. He is now one of Britian's top 10 runners for his age. However, there are still days when he could not get out of bed.

In conclusion, I hope all of you will treasure everything in your life, even the smallest of things. And also, there is no problem without a solution. We just have to find it. Just like how Ryan Farrington did with his perserverance and determination. He found an astonishing antidote for himself to keep the pain of his incurable disease away, even though he still has some after-effects and outbreaks, he still continues to fight this disease and has already won half the battle. No matter what the outcome will be, he will just fight all the way until his last breath.

Likewise, we should also never give up until the very last minute. Even though the chances of winning is low, there is still a chance. Giving up would have meant that you have totally lost.


Jasmine Ang (2)

Monday, June 30, 2008

The Science of Sleep

Sleep means resting our mind or body. After a long day of working, studying, or even playing,we sleep to get enough rest, to refresh ourselves. Sleep is not just important to babies but most importantly, for the school kids. When we are studying, we used our brains and eyes, hence, by getting enough sleep, we can prepare ourselves for the next tiring day. Sleep also help students or worker to deal with social stresses and pressures of a busy environment. It is also essential for growing brains.

Sleeping can decide a person's attitude in the day, for example, a person who slept only few hours will have a bad temper and poor judgement. This can be dangerous as one may involve in an accident if he or she do not have enough sleep. in addition, when you are studying, you will not be able to focus on what teacher is teaching, leading to poor results.

However, kids or teenagers in the current world seems to hate sleeping or have difficulties in falling asleep. Research has shown that playing or using too much of computer,television etc will lead to detest of sleep. These electronic devices will cause people to be awake and difficult in sleeping, therefore, the kids or teenagers will have problems in studying in the day as they did not get enough sleep.

Problem comes with solution, to 'save' the people from this 'detest sleep disease', what can be done is to let them refrain from using too much of electronic devices. Nevertheless, campaign should be held to let them know the consequences of 'few hours sleep'.

Sleeping is good, but not too good if we sleep all time. We must work in the day and sleep in the night. Hope those who read my reflection can have a better understanding of SLEEP.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

The Rise of Cyber Bullying

Over the recent years, technology has been advancing rapidly, granting increased accessibility and connectivity. However, it appears that some insensible adolescents have misused this to conduct detrimental taunting.

Bullying is, indubitably, an indecent and improper conduct. This is believed to be acknowledged by all, but yet, there has been an increment of bullying cases. This makes me question the moral values of present youngsters. Has the moral obligation of the society degraded? The statistics seems to reveal a disheartening answer.

Cyber bullying is no trivial issue, it can inflict devastating emotional effects on the victim which can push him over the edge. He may suffer from depression, loss of confident and pride. The consequences wrought by cyber bullying, I feel, are more amplified than those inflicted by the conventional variety. This is due to the prevalence of the internet, which allows a sheer number of people to witness the bullying, imposing more shame and emotional effects on the victim. In addition, most cyber bullies choose to remain anonymous, making the victim desperate and impotent when he does not know who to accuse for bullying him. His desperation and confusion may even lead to detrimental psychologic problems. Physical wounds might heal, but such emotional anguish would remain in one’s memory for life, like a scar etched in the heart. They can even continue to inflict emotional problems for the victim when they enter the society in the future.

In my opinion, the main enticement that tempts teens to conduct cyber bullying is the ability to stay anonymous on the net. With the ability to conceal their identity, they could torment their victim and get away with it unpunished. This gives them a sense of thrill and satisfaction. Posteriorly, they might get increasingly audacious, amplifying their bullying as a result. Disserving others but staying anonymous. It is disappointing to know that present teenagers are so unscrupulous even when they are cause harm to others. This again reflects on the moral obligation of the society.

I believe that the best solution to minimize the cases of this disturbing society problem to raise awareness of the detrimental effects of cyber bullying. Only then would bullies think twice before disserving others. Parents and teachers can learn to deal with problems on cyber bullying and render assistance to victims when necessary. Other plausible solution is to introduce recording of identities of members to online portals and new websites, so as to prevent online users from misusing the option to stay anonymous to bully unbridledly.

I feel a sense of disapprobation towards these bullies, they should spare a thought for these victims and attempt standing in their shoes. Some of them are even doing this just for a moment of fun and thrill. I really feel sorry for these victims. I hope these cyber bullies would stop their insensible and relentless conduct.


Goh Chian Yee(8) 3I

Loose Nukes

In my opinion, the scenario of such a nuclear disaster is really scary. Right now, we can only live on one planet - Earth, but even one single nuclear explosion can affect the whole Earth. Where would we live in if that happens? Currently, we have not developed technology to live in other planets or the moon.

For most terrorists, they use the jihad concept, which is 'holy war', fought against those who "discriminate" Islam. This concept is brought to them by the Quran, their bible. But how could a Bible promote war and destruction? How serious is their misinterpretation of the Quran? Furthermore, if they use nuclear arms they will not only be hurting those who "discriminate Islam", but they are also hurting innocents and even themselves in the process. I am not saying the whole idea of Jihad is right itself, but even if they want to hurt their "enemies", they should hurt only them, and not others who are innocent. In that case, it is not a holy war anymore, but a massacre.

Nuclear arms could change the fate of the world. In the future, people might actually start to love Earth and protect it, and Earth would be a wonderful place. But this vision might be replaced with a sad picture of destruction and failure of mankind. This can be prevented by increasing the security of the nuclear arms to the maximum, so much so that nobody can access any nuclear weapon of any sort. Also, all sale of nuclear weapons could be prohibited. But could there be another better solution to this?

This problem could be solved forever by one simple solution: Stop producing any more nuclear arms and peacefully dispose of all current nuclear weapons. That is the best solution, and of course, the probability of that happening is less than 0.3. Everyone is paranoid that some other country might attack them with nuclear arms, so they keep some for themselves just in case. If every country is doing that, terrorists will have enough nuclear arms to launch a full-scale war against the world powers. In that case, we would have a destroyed Earth, and also an Earth controlled by terrorist governments. What a terrible scenario that would be.

I think that nuclear technology could be developed towards more peaceful uses, such as nuclear energy for a source of energy, and not nuclear weapons, especially if they pose such a threat. What we can do immediately is to step up security, try to eliminate terrorist threats, and possibly remove nuclear arms in the future. We must protect the place we live in, or the human race will regret their actions forever.

Anita Bartholomew: Dead of Night

As I’ve turned to page 120 of the Reader’s Digest magazine, no doubt the first thing that caught my eye was the magnificent and yet elegant house. However, later as I lowered my gaze, what actually gained my attention was the heading, ‘Dead of Night’. Who would expect anything terrible to happen that night behind the facade of the seemingly peaceful house?

True indeed, there was an invasion in Robert’s home, or perhaps, more than that. Many things had happened while everyone else in the neighbourhood was asleep, including the intense struggle between the drug addict Miller and the man of the Mandziara family so that the latter could finally run to safety after his wife, Ana. Not only that, in order to protect his two other children who were still sleeping, Robert sacrificed his life by turning back to danger although he had already escaped from Miller’s hands, which was certainly not an easy task. Since I have mentioned, it is this point that makes the moral of the story – family is always the top priority of life. I thus admire his placing of his loved ones before himself at all times, even before the incident happened, which probably is just the chance to prove what he promised Ana, that he would always ensure the safety of the family. Well, having experienced such a life-threatening event, the Mandziaras must have formed a stronger bond; so, are they considered lucky to be able to realise the importance of one another through this incident, or are they not?

Anyway, it is indubitable that crime is rife in many societies. For instance in this case, Miller was high on the drug methamphetamine that caused him to exhibit all its worst effects, producing a dangerous mixture of euphoria, paranoia, irritability and aggression. This thus explains his almost unbeatable strength during the long struggle between the two men. Because of the drug, it took his life away and ruined his future, leaving a bad record that can never be removed. It is this drug, comparable to a suicide pill that can conquer the body, which created the commotion, indirectly. If it had not been his craze over the killer drug, this would never have happened. But since he was apprehended by the cops due to the seamless plan that Robert and his neighbour, Dale, had made, all I hope for is that as the days ensued, he would no longer be tied to a life turned upside down by a drug and that, he would start afresh to be a decent man in spite of a bad record.

Certainly, what happened must have become a nightmare for the Mandziaras. But having overcome a big obstacle in life, it undoubtedly shows the love they possess in one another, and also the courage and quick-witted minds in the couple to ensure the family’s survival. Not forgetting Dale, a former police officer, he had helped much in bringing things to an end by sacrificing his life to approach the thief unaccompanied. In my opinion, the family is really fortunate to have an experienced police officer nearby who can be of help in such situations.

Despite having a happy family myself, I am envious of the five who apparently stay as one at all times. Now I understand how strong bonds and deep love within a family can unite as a powerful strength to overcome any obstacle getting in way.


Qianhui
12

The Rise Of Cyber Bullying

Internet usage by people has increased, which means to say, there is also a rise in cyber bullying. Online bullying includes the sending of threatening messages, displaying private messagesand posting embarrassing video footages and photos on the internet. Cyber bullying can also come in the form of games. Cyber bullying is a relentless attack. It can happen to anybody, like children, teenagers, adults, celebrities or even teachers. Online communication encourage people to act aggressively, thus, they can do things they would not dare to do in real life. This is beacause the online bullies can choose to stay anonymous. The lack of face-to-face contact might tempt the bullies to new levels of cruelty.

The cyber bullying situation in Asia is rampant. In Singapore, 80 cases were reported last year. This is very unsightly. There are more cases in the United States. Cyber bullies tend to think that cyber bullying is a very common issue and they would not have thought of the severe consequences that the victims face. Some of the victims committed suicide and some even fall into serious depression. Just like Ryan Halligan's case, he was taunted for months. His classmates spread rumors via the instant messaging that the 13-year-old boy was a gay. Unable to cope, he killed himself. Even numerous mysterious calls can also lead to the death of a victim. This is no joking matter. It is extremely devastating to see that teenagers as young as 13 taking their own life because they are being cyber bullied. Even celebrities are facing such undiserable problems- Jeong Da-Bin committed suicide after receving scandals from the public.

In my opinion, I feel that cyber bullying is a very serious problem now. It will just bring harm to more people. I abhor the cyber bullies as they are the most unrealistic and cruel people. They have not thought twice before bullying their friends. Their friends are also human beings and they have feelings. The bullies have also not considered that they are also hurting others like the victim's family members. What if, the bullies were the ones who get bullied? Having to taste their own medicine, i believe that they will not be able to tolerate the insulting remarks from others. I personally feel that parents should control their chindren over the usage of the computer and also to keep in track what the kids are doing. This may probably help to reduce the cases of cyber bullying. In conclusion, I feel that there should be peace and harmony between people and everyone should think twice before they decide to do anything.

Alicia (1)