Interactions of TiO2 Nanoparticles With Carotenoids

Interactions of TiO2 Nanoparticles With Carotenoids Role of TiO2 semiconductor nanoparticles on photodegradation of carotenoids: stability of carotenoids in solution. D.D.D.H Alwis, U.G. Chandrika, P.M. Jayaweera Abstract: Introduction Carotenoid (Car) molecules as a sensitizer in Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) with optimum photo conversion efficiency have recently been widely investigated by several researchers1-3. Car are one of the most widespread naturally occurring pigments which are of great interest due to their biological functions in living organisms4. The most striking feature of the long chain car molecules is absorbing visible light in the electromagnetic spectrum, and therefore act as light harvesting pigments in green plants. The optical absorption of car molecules is occurred in the range of 400 nm to 550 nm with a very high molar absorptivity coefficient. Besides their light harvesting and photo-protecting actions in plants, they play major roles as good antioxidants on preventing degenerative diseases and some of them are important dietary source of vitamin A. Light harvesting ability of car is responsible for their attractive colours and which is associated with the long conjugated double bond system, composed of light absorbing chromophore5. Although the all-trans configuration of car is most stable in nature, several of mono-cis and di-cis isomers are possible during photodegradation of car. Cis-trans geometrical isomerization of double bonds in chromophore may cause the loss in colour of car molecules as well as appearing a cis peak in UV-region (Amaya et al. 2001). This colour loss may imparts the structural variations to the dye molecule and hence the performance of DSSC. Light Irradiation of car molecules is studied by several researchers6-8 and the photocatalyzed degradation of car on semiconductors such as TiO2, CdS and ZnO are studied by (kispert et al. 1998), he revealed that a rapid photodegradation of car are occurred in the presence of the semiconductors. Recently the application of wide band gap semiconductors mainly TiO2 are greatly under investigations for Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells over the last few years. TiO2 plays a major role in development of higher conversion efficiency solar cells that is because due to its good photoactive properties9,10, as well as its biological and chemical inertness for more suitability for many environmental applications. PV solar cells provide an attractive alternative to high cost energy sources for harnessing and converting free, unlimited solar energy into clean electricity10-12. However the expensive raw materials and high manufacturing cost for silicon and Ru-based solar cells have led to develop viable alternative for sensitizers in solar cells with new molecular materials using naturally occurring plant materials. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) assembled by natural dyes extracted from plant materials as a sensitizer have made considerable attention due to their low cost and environmental friendliness13. DSSC composed of nanostructured, mesoporous, wide-bandgap semiconductor to which the dye molecules (sensitizers) are adsorbed, a counter electrode and an electrolyte. In DSSC the dye molecule absorb visible light, and inject electron from photo-excited state of dye molecule to conduction band of semiconductor.12,14 The performance of a dye-sensitized solar cell is mainly based on the structure of the visible light absorbing dye/ sensitizer. Several researches were focused to enhance the conversion efficiency of solar cells by improving the photovoltaic properties of dye-sensitized semiconductor solar cells15,16. Recently (Polivka et al. 2002) studied the dynamics of photoinduced electron transfer and recombination between car and a TiO2 nanoparticle by means of transient absorption spectroscopy6. On the other hand utilization of several natural dyes extracted from natural plant sources as sensitizers have been reported by several workers14,17. Besides that the interactions of human serum albumin, porphyrin and natural pigments with colloidal TiO2 were studied by several researchers18-21 with the use of absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. However the photochemical behavior and the stability of car containing terminal carboxylic groups adsorb on to a surface of semiconductor in a solvent mixture has not been extensively investigated to our knowledge. The present study involves the use of mono and di-carboxylic carotenoids bixin and norbixin respectively to investigate the interactions of TiO2 nanoparticles with carotenoids extracted from annato (Bixa orellana) seeds. The chemical structures of bixin and norbixin are shown in Fig. 1. Here we irradiate the car solution in MeOH in the presence of spray coated and non-coated TiO2 semiconductor glass plate to investigate the photodegradation behavior of car. Further the effect of colloidal TiO2 on the fluorescence quenching of car was also studied to attain better understanding on the interception of the excited state of car on the TiO2 surface. UV-vis absorption and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra were also obtained to characterized the car dye adsorb semiconductors. 2. Experimental methods. 2.1 Sample preparation and materials Titanium (IV) 2-propoxide at 21 nm in diameter was purchased from Sigma Aldrich. All solvents were HPLC grade obtained from Aldrich. The outer coating of the Annatto seeds of the Bixa orellana tree (50 g) were removed by ultra sonication and washed with hexane to extract the bixin14, followed by solvent removal by rotary evaporation. The crude residue was washed with cold solvent, further purified and dried. Norbixin was extracted by adding aqueous alkali to one part of the bixin residue obtained previously then heated for hydrolysis, followed by cooling. An aqueous solution was filtered and acidified with 5 M HCl to precipitate norbixin, washed with cold hexane, purified and then dried to obtain solid norbixin22. All of the samples were N2 purged and stored at -20  °C. Compounds were characterized using UV-vis spectrophotometry and HPLC techniques. A HPLC series 1200 (Agilent, Waldbronn Germany) apparatus equipped with a multiwavelength/ photodiode array detectors was used for chromatographic analysis. The mobile phase consisting acetonitrile, methanol and ethyl acetate with 0.05% (v/v) triethylamine was used a t a flow rate 0.5 ml/min. 2.2 UV-vis, UV-vis DRS and fluorescence spectroscopy Electronic absorption spectra were recorded using a Perkin-Elmer†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.., Spectro UV-vis double beam spectrophotometer Model †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ UV-Vis diffuse reflectance (UV-Vis DRS) were obtained in the range of 200-900 nm with†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦BaSO4†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ as the background on the Perkin-Elmer†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.spectrophotometer equipped with a integrating sphere. Fluorescence spectra were obtained at room temperature using Thermo Scientific Lumina spectro-fluorophotometer, using 10/10 nm slit widths. The excitation wavelength was 350 nm and the emission spectra were recorded between 460 and 660 nm. Fluorometric titrations were carried out by successive addition of 26.3 mg dm-3 of TiO2 NPs colloid in EtOH with a micropipette. The fluorescence spectra were recorded under 300 K. Photodegradation study of Car on TiO2 coated and non-coated glass plates were investigated by irradiating the samples with broadband UV source Xenon arc lamp (†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦W) at a distance †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. A spray coating method was used to prepare TiO2 coated glass plates having 2 cmÃâ€"2 cm surface area. During irradiation, the solutions were stirred magnetically and the effect of carotenoid degradation in pure MeOH, O2 purging and N2 purging were analyzed by measuring the absorbance of the solution at 460 nm for each 10 min intervals.

Dying with Dignity (Euthanasia)

By Valbona H. Bajrami Table of contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 History of euthanasia†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 Medicine†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5 Ethics†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Religion views†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7 Emotion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10 Introduction People have been suffering from terminal illnesses for centuries. Some physicians believed that these people should not have to suffer if that was their wishes. They had come up with the idea of euthanasia; euthanasia is the practice of ending the life of a person in a painless way.Some people think that euthanasia is a crime just like murder; some others think that euthanasia is necessary for those people who are in unbearable pain and have no cure. The term, ‘Euthanasia' comes from the Greek words eu meaning good, and thanatos meaning death, and is known as mercy killing or assisted suicide, usually practiced on a terminally ill person. In some c ountries, euthanasia is legal and a third person can assist suicide under certain conditions. Many religions and medical practitioners opposed the idea of euthanasia and strongly claimed it to be illegal.The debate on euthanasia is expected to continue in the future because there are both pros and cons to euthanasia. (Sandhyarani, 2011) When asked if doctors should be allowed to end the life of a patient who is suffering from a terminal illness and wants to die, 75% of Americans said â€Å"yes. † Although, euthanasia is prohibited by law in most states of the USA, this poll was based on statistics of Gallup Organization in 2007. In 2010, based on Angus Reid Public Opinion, 70% of Americans were pro when asked the same question. Opinion Polls/Surveys, 2011 ) The important terms that help to subdivide and classify euthanasia by type are: voluntary, which is a death performed by another with the consent of the person being killed, involuntary, which is a death performed by anoth er without the consent of the person being killed, active euthanasia, were patient's death is caused by specific steps; such as injecting the patient with poison, and passive euthanasia, which is usually defined as withdrawing medical treatment with the deliberate intention of causing the patient's death. History of EuthanasiaEuthanasia has a very old history, and this theme has been both opposed and defended since ancient times. The first who used the word, euthanasia, was a Roman historian, Suetonius. Based on criticisms that were made in the address of those who have practiced euthanasia, it is assumed that the first traces of euthanasia started in Mesopotamia, River Ganges in India and in ancient Israel. In the 16th century the first recommendation of euthanasia came by Thomas Mores, who said: When there is no cure and a patient suffers too much, the patient should be convinced to die.The patient should realize that his illness is incurable, he is a burden to others and his suff ering causes pity for people around him. In ancient Greece, when the physician gave medicine to the patient who was suffering extreme pain, and had an incurable terminal illness, classical Greek philosopher Plato strongly supported this action. He also believed that mentally and physically ill persons should be left to death because they do not have the right to live.The first objection to euthanasia came from the Oath of most famous ancient Greek physician Hippocratic, which says:†I will not administer poison to anyone when asked to do so, nor suggest such a course. † In ancient Rome, euthanasia was a crime and this action was accepted as killing someone on purpose. For the first time in the 17th century in Prussia, the person who killed the patient with an incurable disease was punished as a guilty man. Euthanasia was both criticized and defended in the 20th century. In beginning of the 20th century, the trends of legalization of euthanasia began in the United States, but the government idn't accept these proposals, even though 53% of American physicians defended euthanasia. (Erdemir, 2001) In1935 the euthanasia Society of England was formed to promote euthanasia, then in 1939, the first legalization of euthanasia was in Nazi Germany. The Nazi doctors took the lives of thousands of their fellow citizens on orders from the government. In 1996, in Australia the euthanasia went into effect, but it was overturned by the Parliament in 1997. The places where euthanasia is legal are; Oregon, Washington, Switzerland, Netherlands and Belgium. MedicineEuthanasia, sometimes known as â€Å"mercy-killing,† is the intentional ending of a patient's life by a physician, usually by lethal injection. One of the most known physicians who practiced euthanasia was Jack Kevorkian. He was a pathologist, and commonly known as â€Å"Dr. Death. † From June 1990 through January 1996, 27 people died using one of Kevorkian’s machines, and in total he sai d that he assisted at least 130 patients to end their lives. In 1999, Kevorkian was found guilty, and served eight years of a 10-to-25-year prison sentence for second degree murder.He was released on parole on June 1, 2007; on the condition that he would not offer suicide advice to any other person. â€Å"I will admit, like Socrates and Aristotle and Plato and some other philosophers, that there are instances where the death penalty would seem appropriate. † (Kevorkian) The euthanasia device is a machine engineered to allow an individual to die quickly with minimal pain. They may be operated by a physician, or by the person wishing to die. In 1989 Kevorkian described his original death machine called â€Å"Thanatron†.This device involved an individual pushing a button that released drugs or chemicals that would end his or her own life. The second model he used was called â€Å"Mercitron†. It was similar to the first one, except a gas mask fed by a canister of ca rbon monoxide was attached to a face mask with a tube. The third model was invented by Philip Nitschke, who is an Australian medical doctor. He named his device â€Å"Deliverance Machine† which was programmed to ask the patient a series of questions, that, if answered correctly, a lethal injection of barbiturates was automatically administered.In 2008, Dr. Nitschke invented another device called â€Å"Exit’s Euthanasia Device† witch used an ordinary barbeque gas bottle, filled with nitrogen and a plastic suicide bag. The gas is more psychological, with no chance of adverse reaction. â€Å"So it's extremely quick and there are no drugs. Importantly this doesn't fail – it's reliable, peaceful, and available and with the additional benefit of undetectability. † (Philip Nitschke) Ethics According to Garn LeBaron, the patient, his loved ones and the physicians all face ethical dilemmas when determining whether euthanasia is an ethical choice.Most physic ians that are against euthanasia believe that for hundreds of years of tradition, the doctors were dedicated to healing patients, not killing them. On an individual level, the person must make a decision whether or not to end their life. They may believe that based on their self interest and their personal benefit, it would be better to die believing they would be a financial, physical or emotional burden to their families should they live out their illness until their body dies on its own.In contrast, they may choose to live for the good of others and for the sake of loved ones, to spare them the pain and turmoil to make and support such a decision. Should the family have to consider mercy killing due to a family member being in a permanent vegetative state, then they would have to consider quality of life versus value of life in general. They may also follow through on any wishes the patient may have made known prior to the vegetative state. The physician’s moral ethical is sues are that they have a duty to preserve life at all costs but also have a duty to respect the wishes of their patient.I fully realize that there are times when those who have the noble duty to tend the sick and the dying are deeply moved by the sufferings of their patients†¦ Then, perhaps, it seems that universal moral principles are mere abstractions having little to do with the agony of the dying. But of course we do not see best when our eyes are filled with tears. (Layton, 1997 ) Religion views According to Michigan's Religious Leaders Forum, a group of Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders, those who promote this last, fatal escape as a â€Å"right† should remember that such a right may quickly become an expectation and, finally, even a duty to die.They fear that eventually some individuals and families will be forced to put financial concerns above the needs of loved ones. The Roman Catholic Church considers euthanasia as a â€Å"crime against life† and a â€Å"crime against God†. The Catholic Church is against the practice of euthanasia. According to the Holy Bible, Jesus Christ has a plan for each life, and shortening that plan interrupts what he wants to accomplish in that person. Although Protestants are part of Christianity, on the other side, they take more liberal views, and they offered religious arguments and support for limited forms of euthanasia.Among Protestantism, Judaism has become divided . Jewish thinkers oppose voluntary euthanasia but the preponderance of anti-euthanasia sentiment has shifted in recent years to increasing support for certain passive euthanasia options. In the same way as Roman Catholic Church, Islam categorically forbids all forms of suicide and any action that may help another to kill them. The Islamic prophet Mohammed refuses to bless the body of a person who had committed suicide. Islamic jurisprudence, based on a convincing interpretation of the holy Koran, does not recognize a personâ⠂¬â„¢s right to die voluntarily.In Hinduism there are two points of view on euthanasia. By helping to end a painful life a person is performing a good deed, but on the other hand a person is disturbing the timing of the cycle of death and rebirth. The Jainism religion, without hesitation supports euthanasia because they think that liberation from the cycles of lives is the primary objective in the religion. Similarly, in Shinto religion, the prolongation of life using artificial means is a disgraceful act against life, so most of the people who practice this religion support the practice of euthanasia. Religious views on euthanasia) Emotions The euthanasia debate is quite controversial. Many people have their own opinions, but to truly understand euthanasia and decide if you are for or against it, it is important to look at a real life story. Angela Belucciu who was diagnosed with cancer, and a supporter of euthanasia said: You can't imagine, living with the fear of facing death its elf is not scary for me, the manner of my death at the present time without Nembutal or something like that, without that my end, my death is not pleasant.Anyone can describe the pain experienced by people with terminal illness, but to feel the pain the way they do, we must be in their skin. To listen and experience are totally different acts. Although the number of supporters, according to statistics is high, some clinics have gone too far. Dignitas is a Swiss assisted dying group that helps those with terminal illness, and severe physical and mental illnesses to die assisted by qualified doctors and nurses. There was a shocking case that happened in this clinic, when a doctor had committed suicide after he found out that he had helped a woman, with a false diagnosis, die.The statement of â€Å"Dignitas† staff testified that irrespective of medical condition, it does not matter what people are suffering from, they do not refuse anyone. (Vanderheyden, 2005). Questions arise w hether it is right to legalize euthanasia only for people with terminal illness, or whether it will be respected by physicians and clinics? Certainly it would be difficult to get answers because in such cases the reaction of family members and loved ones would encourage debate in society at large. Conclusion Euthanasia has been practiced for hundreds of years all over the world by thousands of people from all walks of life.Religions have different views on the use of physician assisted suicides; some would say it is selfish of the family and patient to not let their â€Å"God† decide when it is their time to die and others would agree that it is a merciful way to end suffering for the dying person. There is and always will be strong ethical views on helping persons end their suffering. However, with the help of a practicing physician, it can also be seen as an inhumane decision or a loving decision. The ethical views are documented and are strongly stated either way.The only thing that will matter in the end is how the family interprets their decision. It won’t matter how long it was practiced for, who started it, which religious groups agree or disagree, ethical views from either side of this highly debatable issue, or any documentation regarding euthanasia, the family will have only one person in mind when deciding to help their loved one end their suffering or not. It cannot be an easy decision because of the abuses that might occur, or by any means for either the dying person or the family, for in the end the ones who go on living will have to live with what they have decided.References Cancer patient to fight on for legal euthanasia. (2008, March 8). ABC News. Retrieved from: http://www. abc. net. au/news/stories/2008/03/06/2182060. htm? site=news Erdemir, A. D. (2001, March). A short history of euthanasia laws. The Eubios Ethics Institute Retrieved from : http://www. eubios. info/EJ112/EJ112F. htm Euthanasia device. (n. d. ). Wikipedia. Ret rieved from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Euthanasia_device Jack Kevorkian. (n. d. ). Wikipedia. Retrieved from: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Jack_Kevorkian Kevorkian, J. (2001 – 2011).Jack Kevorkian Quotes. Brainy Quote. Retrieved from : http://www. brainyquote. com/quotes/authors/j/jack_kevorkian. html Layton, R. (1997 , June). Discussion Group Report. Humanists of Utah. Retrieved from: http://www. humanistsofutah. org/1997/IsEuthanasiaEthical_DiscGrp_6-97. html LeBaron, G. (1993-2010). The Ethics of Euthanasia. Quantonics. Retrieved from: http://www. quantonics. com/The_Ethics_of_Euthanasia_By_Garn_LeBaron. html Opinion Polls/Surveys. (2011 , August 17). ProCon Euthanasia . Retrieved from : http://euthanasia. procon. org/view. resource. hp? resourceID=000134 Quotations on Euthanasia. (n. d. ). Euthanasia. com. Retrieved from: http://www. euthanasia. com/quotationsoneuthanasia. html Religious views on euthanasia. (n. d. ). Wikipedia. Retrieved from: http://en. wikipedia . org/wiki/Religious_views_on_euthanasia Sandhyarani, N. (2011, August 24). History of Euthanasia. Buzzle. com. Retrieved from: http://www. buzzle. com/articles/history-of-euthanasia. html The Real Jack Kevorkian. (2011). Patients Rights Council. Retrieved from: http://www. patientsrightscouncil. org/site/the-real-jack-kevorkian/

Essay on Abraham Lincoln - the Greatest President

Abraham Lincoln There have been forty four U.S. presidents over the past two hundred and twenty years. What president has served the best for our country? None other than Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln is the greatest president ever because he did great things such as ending slavery, getting the us through the Civil War, and helped our country a lot. The American Civil War was a war between the Southern states and the Confederate states. Abraham Lincoln was not very prepared for the war militarily, but he knew about war. His time in office was peaceful for about a month and he was the only president whose whole presidency was focused on war. Lincoln took care of both the political and military aspects of the Civil War and he served†¦show more content†¦The Gettysburg Address is one of the best known speeches in U.S history. The speech was given during the Civil War on November 19, 1863. In the address Lincoln expressed the equality of people and referring to the Declarati on of Independence. He described the Civil War as ‘a new birth of freedom†, that would in the end bring peace and equality among U.S citizens. Another achievement accomplished by the great Abraham Lincoln was the Thirteenth Amendment. The Thirteenth Amendment was passed in 1864 and officially ended slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation freed all African American slaves and only ended slavery in the ten confederate states. The passing of the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the states that rebelled the proclamation. The Thirteenth Amendment was also the first of the Reconstruction Amendments. The Reconstruction Amendments are the Thirteenth , Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amendment to the constitution. These amendments helped shape the American south after the war. The Thirteenth Amendment was very important and was a great accomplishment for the United States and the greatest president, Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln did many great things as the president of t he united states. Lincoln also did many great things and he was very successful prior to his time in office. In the 1803’s Lincoln practiced law and was selfShow MoreRelatedAbraham Lincoln : The Greatest Presidents1876 Words   |  8 PagesAbraham Lincoln is widely known as one of the greatest presidents we have had. He hold this title because he got out country through the civil war. Even though he tried to prevent this war from happening he used everything in his power to bring it to a stop once it had begun. Lincoln had the utmost confidence in the Union and this showed by how America healed from the tragic death he went through. While Lincoln was in office his main priorities was to see this nation flourish and he did everythingRead MoreAbraham Lincoln s Greatest Presidents1671 Words   |  7 Pagesauthors takes on whether Abraham Lincoln was one of America’s greatest presidents was that Paludan stated Lincoln was a president who wanted to defend and uphold the c onstitution of the United States, especially since President Lincoln always stated that all men are created equal and that meant blacks to in his opinion. He was the type of person who talked to the people not at the people when he spoke. Paludan believes Lincoln was a president that was greater than any other President in history. He feelsRead MoreAbraham Lincoln s Greatest President2176 Words   |  9 PagesLaycock; Was Abraham Lincoln America’s Greatest President? Abraham Lincoln; America’s Greatest President In Larry Madaras and James M. SoRelle’s book Taking Sides: Clashing Views in U.S. History Volume 1: The Colonial Period to Reconstruction the topic as to whether or not Abraham Lincoln was America’s greatest president during and after the eighteenth century is explored and debated by Phillip Shaw Paludan and Melvin E. Bradford. Paludan believes Lincoln was America’s greatest president on theRead More Abraham Lincoln as the Greatest President Essay1704 Words   |  7 PagesAbraham Lincoln is regarded by many Americans as the greatest president to ever hold office in the history of the United States, and his reputation is definitely well deserved. Lincoln wasnt scared to stand up and fight for what he knew was right. He was convinced that within the branches of government, the presidency alone was empowered not only to uphold the Constitution, but also to protect, and defend it. Lincoln was able to lead our country and preserve the Union, keeping the United St atesRead MorePresident Abraham Lincoln : Greatest President Of American History1516 Words   |  7 PagesOctober 2014 President Abraham Lincoln: Greatest President in American History President Lincoln said the following about the South in his Inaugural Address, In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The government will not assail you.... You have no oath registered in Heaven to destroy the government, while I shall have the most solemn one to preserve, protect and defend it.(Freidel and Sidey 2006) President Abraham Lincoln is look uponRead MoreAbraham Lincoln : The Greatest President Of All Times798 Words   |  4 Pageshailed as the greatest president of all times, Abraham Lincoln was a strong Presidential leader who is known for his honest ways. He was President during one of the worst wars in American history and was a great leader for our military. Abraham Lincoln helped to abolish slavery. He was shot down in the prime of his life and term of President by John Wilkes Booth. President Lincoln’s contributions to the American society will never be forgotten. On a February morning in 1809 Abraham Lincoln was bornRead MoreAbraham Lincoln: Americas Greatest President Essay952 Words   |  4 Pagesto just any person, but rather it highlights a courageous, respectful, and driven individual. Abraham Lincoln’s contribution to the United States is so grand and captivating, that he is deservingly recognized as America’s greatest president. For example, he abolished slavery, led America through the Civil War, and prevented the Union from splitting apart. Abraham Lincoln is America’s greatest president and was the forceful leader that manipulated America from a state of turmoil into a state of justiceRead MoreAbraham Lincoln : The Greatest President Of The United States1051 Words   |  5 Pages Abraham Lincoln, arguably said to be the greatest president of the United States, was simply a smooth-tongued politician with the ability to sway the masses and imbibe a sense of patriotism which would allow for the United States to g o to war against itself, all while under the guise of equality and slavery; when in reality the war was about individual state rights, and the fact that the southern states were becoming too powerful to be controlled by the centralized federal government. Even fromRead MoreGreatest Presidents of the United States: Abraham Lincoln930 Words   |  4 PagesOne of the great Presidents of the United States and a condemner of war, Abraham Lincoln, once said, â€Å"Military glory--that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood--that serpents eye, that charms to destroy.† Similarly, E.E. Cummings denounces war in his poems, after first hand experiences of battle in World War I. Although American society glamorizes war and the honor of sending a loved one to war, Cummings argues through his depictions of actual life on the battlefield, that this glamorizationRead MoreThe Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln Essay944 Words   |  4 PagesAbraham Lincoln The President that was murdered because he forever freed the slaves in 1863 is how many people in today’s society remember the sixteenth president of the United States of America. President Abraham Lincoln leadership qualities and accomplishments go far beyond that life altering proclamation. 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Chronic Procrastination A Disappointing Life - 964 Words

Chronic Procrastination = A Disappointing Life By Kara Lane | Submitted On June 26, 2011 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon Share this article on Delicious Share this article on Digg Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest Expert Author Kara Lane Everyone procrastinates sometimes. We start doing this as children. If a child doesn t want to go to bed, what do they do? Tell you they need a drink of water, or they have to go to the bathroom, or they need to tell you something first. All are just forms of procrastination to avoid doing what they†¦show more content†¦Lack of self-confidence: I m probably going to fail anyway, so why even bother starting? Feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of the task: It s too hard; maybe I ll start tomorrow. Boredom: I don t want to do it; I d rather go do something else. Think of an area of your life where you have been procrastinating. It could be related to your health, your work, your finances, your relationships, or any other area where you have been putting off doing something you know you need to do. Do any of the reasons above apply to why you are procrastinating? If not, what is your reason? Awareness is the first step in changing our behaviors, so take the time to figure out why you are procrastinating. Next, write down all the benefits that will come if you stop procrastinating and take action. For example, if you ve been procrastinating on losing weight, write down all the benefits you ll receive if you lose weight. Don t just include general comments, like I ll look and feel better. Those are too vague to really motivate you. Go further and include specific benefits like, my husband will think I m hot, I ll be able to fulfill my dream of running in a mini-marathon, and I ll have the energy to play with my kids or grandkids. Paint a vivid picture of the benefits of taking action. Then, write down all the consequences of continuing to procrastinate. Again, be very specific. Paint a really terrible picture of the worst-case scenario. If you ve been procrastinatingShow MoreRelatedThe Negative Influences Of Procrastination1344 Words   |  6 PagesNegative Influences of Procrastination We’ve all had a paper due on a Wednesday that we had known about for the past two weeks, but for some unknown and involuntary reason, we choose to save it for a Tuesday evening, which turns into a Wednesday morning as we frantically work to finish an assignment we probably could have finished in class over a couple of days. We may have been preoccupied those couple of weeks, with a job, or sports; maybe even putting together a fundraiser of some sort. Or maybeRead MoreProcrastination: Why You Do It, When It Helps, And How1551 Words   |  7 PagesProcrastination: Why You Do It, When It Helps, and How to Stop Jim has appealed to his boss for months: â€Å"I’m ready for more responsibility. I’m ready to be taken more seriously.† Finally, his boss gave in. The motherload of projects lands on Jim’s desk. One with the power to make or break his career. One that can show his boss that he’s more than capable of becoming an office manager. On the outset, Jim is amped up and ready to get started. He reviews the parameters of the project. He delegatesRead MoreThe Effect Of Social Media On Classrooms On The Classroom1975 Words   |  8 Pagesdecrease in procrastination, apart from this it has allows outside controversial topics into the class room setting for an open discussion, as well as allowed the shyer children to participate and gain friends and future job connections. Lastly I would like to say that social media sites have evolved, and add on programs have been created to limit and stop any distracting or harmful outside forces from be on the page. Leaving us with a productive, educational page.† With a disappointing face as ifRead MoreRational Emotive Behaviour Therapy - Essay9996 Words   |  40 Pagesfeelings and behaviours – an important point, as it is a reminder to the therapist that there are limitations to how far a human being can change. A person’s belief system is seen to be a produ ct of both biological inheritance and learning throughout life. A useful way to illustrate the role of cognition is by using Ellis’ ‘ABC’ model. In this framework ‘A’ represents an actual event or experience, and the person’s ‘inferences’ or interpretations as to what is happening. ‘B’ represents the ‘evaluative’Read MoreDevelopment Administration5324 Words   |  22 Pagesinstitutional inheritance of the post-colonial state. They noted however that â€Å"in the ideal Weberian model, bureaucracy is an efficient instrument of policy implementation, but in many developing countries the practice of implementation had been disappointing†. This they attributed to poor administrative capacity. Looking at the colony legacy, Mills had his take when he noted that â€Å"the Crown Colony systems which existed in the Caribbean before the fourth decade of this century, governors exercisedRead MoreDevelopment Administration5338 Words   |  22 Pagesinstitutional inheritance of the post-colonial state. They noted however that â€Å"in the ideal Weberian model, bureaucracy is an efficient instrument of policy implementation, but in many developing countries the practice of implementation had been disappointing†. This they attributed to poor administrative capacity. Looking at the colony legacy, Mills had his take when he noted that â€Å"the Crown Colony systems which existed in the Caribbean before the fourth decade of this century, governors exercisedRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesStress-Reduction Techniques 144 SKILL ANALYSIS 147 Cases Involving Stress Management 147 The Turn of the Tide 147 The Case of the Missing Time 150 SKILL PRACTICE 155 Exercises for Long-Term and Short-Run Stress Management The Small-Wins Strategy 155 Life-Balance Analysis 156 Deep Relaxation 158 Monitoring and Managing Time 159 SKILL APPLICATION 161 Activities for Managing Stress 161 Suggested Assignments 161 Application Plan and Evaluation 162 SCORING KEYS AND COMPARISON DATA Stress Management AssessmentRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesGlobalization 16 †¢ Managing Workforce Diversity 18 †¢ Improving Custom er Service 18 †¢ Improving People Skills 19 †¢ Stimulating Innovation and Change 20 †¢ Coping with â€Å"Temporariness† 20 †¢ Working in Networked Organizations 20 †¢ Helping Employees Balance Work–Life Conflicts 21 †¢ Creating a Positive Work Environment 22 †¢ Improving Ethical Behavior 22 Coming Attractions: Developing an OB Model 23 An Overview 23 †¢ Inputs 24 †¢ Processes 25 †¢ Outcomes 25 Summary and Implications for Managers 30 S A L Self-AssessmentRead MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pagesbe used. Some cases are written entirely from published sources but most have been prepared in cooperation with and approval of the management of the organisation concerned. 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