Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The Performance Of Baseball Data And Analytics - 2304 Words

Introduction Statistics in baseball have always existed on a player and team basis, with some common statistics being hits, runs, earned runs, runs batted in, home runs, etc. Since the publication of Bill James’ abstract (1986), however, there has been large growth of interest in baseball data and analytics, and, more specifically, a large growth of interest in a branch of baseball statistics known as sabermetrics. This branch of statistics has been further spurred on by the publication of Moneyball (Lewis, 2003), and even more so by the movie debut of Moneyball in 2011. Sabermetrics uses baseball’s common statistics and creates a statistic that more efficiently determines the performance of baseball players.However, there is still some†¦show more content†¦For example, if two teams are versing one another and one pitcher has an ERA of 1 and the other an ERA of 6, the pitcher with an ERA of 1 may seem more likely to give up less earned runs, and thus more likely to win the game. An author in the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) journal, found this notion of ERA to be true as he found ERA to be a statistically significant predictor of team wins for National League MLB teams (Ault). Joe Watson (2011), a reporter for the sports news site bleacherreport, claims that ERA is the supreme statistic for examining pitchers because it gives a better insight on a team’s probability to win. Due to the theoretical example and the different articles, the assumption is made that ERA is the best predictor of a pitcher’s ability to achieve a win. This assumption has led experts and laymen alike to use ERA in their comparison of pitchers because the ultimate goal of any sports player is to win. Due to the major use of ERA there is a driven importance to predict ERA and establish what factors cause changes in it. CBSSports interviewed their staff experts to examine what was the best statistical measure of pitchers. The majority stated that WHIP was the best measure of a pitcher’s actual performance (Snyder, M., Rosecrans, T., Perry, D. 2012). A number of medical articles as well use WHIP to evaluate a pitcher’s ability to assimilate back into the MLB after surgery (Gibson, B. W., Webner, D., Huffman, G. R., Sennett, B. J.

Monday, December 16, 2019

Understanding human rights Free Essays

Introduction Human rights are defined as those inalienable and universal rights and freedoms which all individuals enjoy simply because they are human, they are entitlements which we all share regardless of age, gender, race, sexuality, class or culture (Henry 2009: 1). Human right are rights inherent to all human beings, irrespective of the nationality, place of resident, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. Human rights are entitlement gotten outside/without discrimination. We will write a custom essay sample on Understanding human rights or any similar topic only for you Order Now these rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible in the sense that most states have the same human right laws that govern the security of individual and group with brings about equality before the law and freedom of expression; economic, social and cultural rights, such as the rights to development and self-determination. Most human rights are expressed and supported by law, in terms of treaties, customary international law, general principles and other sources of international law. infact, these human right laws lay down obligations of Governments to act in certain way in order to promot and protect human rights. Human rights entail both rights and obligations. States assume obligations and duties under international law to respect, to protect and to fulfil human rights. The obligation to respect means that States must refrain from interfering with or curtailing the enjoyment of human rights. The obligation to protect requires States to protect individuals and groups against human rights abuses. The obligation to fulfil means that States must take positive action to facilitate the enjoyment of basic human rights. At the individual level, while we are entitled our human rights, we should also respect the human rights of others. Universal Declaration on human rights in 1948 contains 30 articles. but the most important of these are considered as follows: the right to life, liberty, property and security of person, the right to an education, the right to employemtn, paid holidays, protection against unemployment and social security, the right to participate fully in cultural life freedome from torture or cruel, inhumane treatement or punishment, freedome of expression and opinion freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Vienna World conference on human rights 1993 noted that ‘it is the duty of states to promoted and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms, regardless of their politica, economic and cultural systems. Human Rights Act in the UK â€Å"The Human Rights Act was brought about as a result of the European Convention on Human Rights, which was set up by the Council of Europe. This was to ensure that the violations of human rights under the reign of Hitler during the Second World War, would not be able to happen again. The act however, was only passed into UK law in October 2000. individual now have the right to seek redress in a UK court instead of having to visit the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, which covered the act of: the right to life, prohibition of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, Freedom from forced labour, Right to liberty, Right to a fair trial, Retrospective penalties, Right to respect for private and family life, Freedom of thought, conscience and religion, Freedom of expression, Freedom of assembly and association, Right to marry, Prohibition of discrimination†. The Human Rights Act 1998, has affected the lives of British Citizens, for example recently a law allowing terror suspects to be detained for up to 90 days without charge, but this was dropped as it was deemed to breach the rights of those being detained for such a long period of time. Importance of human rights Human rights help everyone to have a secured and safe life. it educates people to be directed to the full development of human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. Criticisms against human rights Human rights as a principle is always positive. They should be the basis for evaluating any regime, aid program, etc. The criticism can arise when human rights are written down as laws, as they are almost impossible to police and there can be very blurry edges when defining everyday practicalities, such as a bill of rights. Some sociologists also see a problem with western countries defining human rights in a way that makes sense to westerners, yet is at odds with another culture. An example is child education. we see it as a human right and wish to enforce it globally. Many poor countries depend on working children in order for the family to eat and survive. When the child is forced to go to school, they lose a breadwinner, and a parent can also be forced to cease work in order to now attend to a child who is not working at home like they used to. Costs are also astronomical in developing countries to school a single child, and many families are large. end result is deepening of impoverishment before the fruits of the child’s education kick in decades later. So is this still an easily recognisable human right? â€Å"Human Rights† is a much used and abused term today, and is used extensively for political gain. The term is used to defend Human freedom as well as destroy it. People tend to attach importance to particular human rights issue according to ideology and political convenience. if a man is not to have recourse or rebellion against tyranny and oppression, taking law into their own hands,†Human Rights† should be built into the society as a natural rule. As a last resort only, law should be applied as a protection. Desite the fact human right laws are in existence, there is still racism and discrimination which has criticised human right in a way that it can no longer make any impact to individual in some societies. Conclusion Human rights are the rights of individual men and women to basic freedoms such as freedome of association, freedom speech, etc. one should note that ‘the improvement fo one right facilitates advancement fo the others, likewise, the deprivation of one right adversely affects the others. How to cite Understanding human rights, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Immune Responses to Periodontal Bio Film

Question: Discuss about the Immune Responses to Periodontal Bio Film. Answer: Introduction The immune system of the periodontal diseases has been under evolution that has spanned many foundational transformations that are founded on the individual microbiology studies. It is the study that has long been known to provide a basis for the understanding and the appreciation of the primary stimuli for the infection. Periodontal disease is a chronic infection caused by bacteria affecting the gingiva and the bone supporting the teeth. It is a result of the response to the bacteria in the dental biofilm where most of them remain hosts to the gingival tissues where the tissues have minimal changes (Stathopoulou, Benakanakere, Galicia Kinane, 2010). The infection can be severe to the extent of causing destruction to the teeth resulting in a loss of attachment and the alveolar bone. Another evolution has been linked to the ongoing process in the parsing out of the technicality of the inflammatory in humans, innate and adaptive immune response that go along with the findings in the f ield of microbiology. The natural immune response entails the homeostatic system as the first defense line that can recognize the bacteria and triggers the immune systems to fight back. Along the innate immunity is the adaptive immunity cells believed to be critical in the pathogenesis scenes of the periodontal disease, the T-cells, and B-cells. The T-cells are essential for the human resistance. It is a kind of a lymphocyte that is very active in the immune response. The B-cell is also a type of lymphocyte that is responsible for the production of antibodies (Peyyala, Ebersole, 2013). The B-cells functions in the humoral immunity element of the adaptive immune system by secreting antibodies. The T-and B-cells are the cells in a human body specially designed for defensive purposes. The cells are differently tailored to different germs in the sense that when the body is attacked by a virus, the cell responding will have recognized that virus, rapidly disperses around forming an army of identical cells to combat the infection. The principal purpose of this paper is to research onto the immune responses towards the periodontal Biofilm (Guggenheim et al. 2009). Innate Immune Response in Periodontal Disease According to a histological evaluation, polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) is a key player in the maintenance of the periodontal health. These cells can be found in large numbers in the junction epithelium covering the tissues beneath from the reach of the bacterial infection. The existence of the PNM is because of the availability of the chemotactic factor in the gingival sulcus as well as the tissues beneath. When the PMNs fails to transmigrate into the endothelium, there is an increase in the inflammatory response that lowers the immune response against the bacteria causing periodontal infections (Mikihito et al. 2010). The periodontal epithelium offers a physical barrier to the infection and also plays active roles in the host defense of the innate because the epithelial cells are usually in contact with the bacterial products. In the existence of the active disease, the shifts in the epithelial results in the severe periodontal pocket that causes the bacteria to invade, also caus ing inflammation and destruction of the connective tissue associated with loss of bone and also the possible loss of the tooth. The epithelial can always take part in the in the infection by promoting further innate as well as the acquired immune responses. The epithelial cells may as well answer the calls by the bacterial by increasing their proliferation, by changing their cell initiation activities and also by transforming the cell differentiation and the death of cells (Peyyala, Kirakodu, Novak, 2012). After a variety of studies, it can now be concluded that the epithelia in the human bodies produce a wider range of antimicrobial peptides. These peptides have as well been discovered to have links with saliva and are in the case also present in the den to gingival junction area. The oral secular pocket and the epithelia in the junctions of the gingival have been associated with the generation of defensins and in most cases, the beta-defensin hBD-1, hBD-2, and hBD-3 (Turi et al. 2012). The integrity of the defensin epithelial is as well found to be disrupted by the different microbial pathogens that attack cell-cell junctions dissociating the cells from each other. The innate immunity is appreciated for its abilities to recognize bacteria as non-self agents because of the available microorganisms PAMPs in the bacterial wall acknowledged by the pattern recognition receptors on the surfaces of the immune wall. The PAMPs in the bacterial wall have been recognized to be invariant, and th ey represent conserved molecular patterns that are necessary for the microbial to survive. They are present in the bacterial lipopeptides, peptidoglycan, flagellin and DNA (Ali, Tahir and Ansari, 2011). Adaptive Immune Response in the Periodontal Infection The adaptive immune system is usually activated in cases where there has been a breach in the epithelial barrier along with the antimicrobial peptides and the other elements found in the innate system. The cytokines and the interleukins are found to be an integral part of the response, and they usually represent the intercellular messengers (Dickinson et al. 2011). According to Gemmel et al., the immune responses to the infection are usually under the control of the balance between the T helper (Th) 1 and two cytokines. To distinguish between the Th1 and two cell subsets, one would consider certain factors as the antigen and the antigen dose, the route of administration and the nature of the antigen presenting cell as well as the co-stimulatory molecules. Studies dated towards the end of the 19th century identified that the diapedesis was the fundamental mechanism involved in the process of leukocyte emigration. The invasion of the tissues by the leukocyte is usually influenced by di fferent elements including the IL-1, tumor necrosis factor as well as the LPS bacterial when injected (Li et al. 2007). Other chemokines have however raised significant interests regarding their selective recruitment and the activation of the leukocytes. The Chemikines are found to be a large family of small proteins almost similar to the heparin-proteins regarding their structures and are classified into four subfamilies based on the configuration of the cystein residues. Both the B and T cells are found to be present in the periodontal tissues. The infiltrate in the periodontal lesion is inclusive of the lymphocytes and mast cells that usually move to the tissues through the guidance of the various concentrations of the chemiokines and cytokines. The Th1 responses generated by the T cells are known to have the ability to enhance the phagocytic activity of the macrophages and neutrophils, and they also appear to host the infection. The B cells are activated and begin to produce ant ibodies when there is a Th 2 response. Many studies have declared and proved strong reactions of the antibodies against specific bacterial antigens that are associated with less severe diseases in the patients with aggressive and chronic periodontosis (Kenneth, 2008). Host inflammatory reaction related stimuli The environment is believed to be an ideal place rich in nutrients and can promote the growth of bacteria that will in the end form communities. The initial parts of the digestive tract give the bacteria a real surface of the teeth where they apply and multiply. The biofilm bacteria on the surface of the tooth usually activate the innate and the adaptive host responses that affect the biofilm. During the inflammation process, the changes in the surrounding might come along with effect on the biofilm (Siege et al. 2007). The environmental changes in temperature usually affect different functions and virulence of the full species of microbiology. The bacteria usually sense the variations in the temperature by proteins and also through the membrane lipids. In the periodontal pocket, there have been reports of an increase of 2 degrees Celsius in the affected sites as compared to the good sites. The increase in the temperature is believed to be a host defense mechanism that initiates the valance and the heat shock gene expression in the bacteria in response. Thus, the rise the temperature has also been noted to affect the attachment of the bacteria and the production of protease. The gingival in the case have as well been found to have been hit by the temperature. In the elevated temperatures, there is an expression of the rising volumes of the monophosphorylated penta-acylated lipid A. The fat is seen to be a rapid activator to the host Toll-like receptor four making the bacteria more susceptible to the host defensins. The overall effect of the temperature is however found to be favoring the periodontal pathogens in the sublingual films due to the increased portions of the Prevotella intermedia, P. gingivalisand A. actinomycetemcomitans associated with the high temperatures in the sites (Umeda et al. 2012). Host Defense Mechanisms The defense mechanisms of the host interrelating with each other are a reflection of the reaction of the host to the aggression. The response entails the ignition of both innate and the adaptive components of the immune systems. In the field of periodontists, the bacteria includes in an inflammatory response that is accompanied by their destructive effects and are the key players for the destruction of the tissues. Inflammatory and the immune responses have been found to dynamically interact even though the majority of the responses have been declared immunological. The gingival cervicular fluid is known as the serum tyransudate coming from the gingival plexus of the gingival corium blood vessels. Because if flows through the sulcular and the junctional epithelial and the periodontal tissues, the fluid has molecular biological markers. With an increase in the inflammation and the severity of the infection, the fluid augments. The GCF has been evaluated and found to contain serum comp onents available in the blood but is comprised with the particular component in the periodontist because it is enriched with specific elements in the periodontitis. This is because of the infiltration and the inflammatory cells that reflect on the local metabolic nature of the periodontal tissues. Many techniques have been used to sample the GCF, and many have since been developed where more than 100 different components of have been examined for periodontal diagnosis (Paino et al. 2013). The LPS is a known virulence factor in the Gram-negative bacteria membrane that comprises of Lipids A, antigen O, and oligosaccharide that unites them all. In the three portions, lipid A is the component that triggers an inflammatory reaction. LPS is a potent activator of the innate immune system that it usually meets through influencing the toll-like receptor 4. The receptor is a cell surface that appreciates the products of the bacteria. On entering the blood circulation, the LPS triggers many biological responses that may include death. Different researchers have confirmed that the rise of the serum LPS in the periodontitis comes along with the increase in the risks to systematic problems. The LPS oral fungi have instilled the effect on many types of cell found in the periodontal tissues that include the lymphocytes and osteoclasts. An LPS binding protein is referred to as an acute stage reactant that has been synthesized by the hepatocytes that intervenes LPS movement to its rece ptors. The ignition of the CD14 receptor incites monocytes and endothelial cells through a TLR4-pathway that in turn produces the secretion of the prionflammatory molecules. The molecules later trigger the release of the secondary inflammatory mediators (Paino et al. 2011). Complement system The complement system is a collection of close to 30 proteins that take part on the destructions of tissues and in the inflammatory process. It can always be triggured by the option pathway or by the classical pathway. The complement activation is usually considered proactive technique in the immunity of the antibacterial. However, some of the products in the channel may destroy the tissues. Many components of the system are discovered in the GFC of the periodontal patients that are usually retrieved from the serum or are generated through system activation locally (Paino et al. 12013). Many research papers have pointed out the significance of the regime in the case of the periodontal infection and the role it is playing in the protection against the pathogenic bacteria. The activation of the substitute system is one of the pioneer host immune response in the cervical space in the gingival. The activation though varies with the depth of the effect of the inflammation and could assist in differentiating the different forums of periodontitis. The bacteria related to the periodontal infection have been declared to have distinguished techniques to dodge the complement system. Some strains come with polysaccharides on their surfaces masking the molecules activating the complement while promoting the affinity of the traces that inhibits the activity or development of a steric impediment (Vardar-Sengul Mercola, 2009). Antibodies and Immunoglobulins (Igs) These are glycoproteins that are synthesized by the B lymphocytes and plasma cells that have the property designed for binding to the antigen. The pathogens in the periodontitis generate marked humoral immune responses that will be measured locally in the saliva of in the GFC. The existence of the antibodies in the fighting the pathogens in the GFC has been displayed in the patients suffering periodontitis with the predominance of the IgG1where there is the low presence of the IgG2. Various binding antigens have been explored in different distinct groups. The differences can be in the immunoreactivity profile where they are related to the hydrocarbon molecules and proteins. However, there are still no clear immune-dominance models established for any of the pathogens or patient groups (Simone et al. 2011). Conclusion Periodontal disease is a chronic infection caused by bacteria affecting the gingiva and the bone supporting the teeth. It is a result of the response to the bacteria in the dental biofilm where most of them remain hosts to the gingival tissues where the tissues have minimal changes. The natural immune response entails the homeostatic system as the first defense line that can recognize the bacteria and triggers the immune systems to fight back. Along the innate immunity is the adaptive immunity cells believed to be critical in the pathogenesis scenes of the periodontal disease, the T-cells, and B-cells. The periodontal epithelium offers a physical barrier to the infection and also plays active roles in the host defense of the innate because the epithelial cells are usually in contact with the bacterial products. The innate immunity is appreciated for its abilities to recognize bacteria as non-self agents because of the available microorganisms PAMPs in the bacterial wall acknowledged by the pattern recognition receptors on the surfaces of the immune wall. The adaptive immune system is usually activated in cases where there has been a breach in the epithelial barrier along with the antimicrobial peptides and the other elements found in the innate system. Inflammatory and the immune responses have been found to dynamically interact even though the majority of the responses have been declared immunological. Many research papers have pointed out the significance of the regime in the case of the periodontal infection and the role it is playing in the protection against the pathogenic bacteria. References Siegel, E. Weihe, M. Bette, R. M. Nsing, L. Flores-de-Jacoby and R. Mengel. (2007) The effect of age on prostaglandin-synthesizing enzymes in the development of gingivitis. 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Trimericformofintracellular ATP synthase subunit beta of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitansbinds human interleukin-1beta. PLoS One 6, e18929. Paino, A.; Lohermaa, E.; Sormunen, R.; Tuominen, H.; Korhonen, J.; Pllnen, M.T.; Ihalin, R. (2013). Interleukin-1is internalised by viable Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitansbiofilm and locates to the outer edges of nucleoids. Cytokine2012,60, 565574. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 1417235 Paino, A.; Ahlstrand, T.; Nuutila, J.; Navickaite, I.; Lahti, M.; Tuominen, H.; Vlimaa, H.; Lamminmki, U.; Pllnen, M.T.; Ihalin, R. (2013). Identification of a novel bacterial outer membrane interleukin-1beta-binding protein from Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. Simone Marconcini, Ugo Covani, Antonio Barone, Orazio Vittorio, Michele Curcio, Serena Barbuti, Fabrizio Scatena, Lamberto Felli and Claudio Nicolini. (2011) Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Analysis of Patients With Refractory Chronic Periodontitis. Journal of Periodontology 82:7, 1018-1024. Stathopoulou, P.G.; Benakanakere, M.R.; Galicia, J.C.; Kinane, D.F. (2010). Epithelial cell pro- inflammatory cytokine response differs across dental plaque bacterial species. J. Clin. Periodontol. 37, 2429. Umeda, J.E.; Demuth, D.R.; Ando, E.S.; Faveri, M.; Mayer, M.P. (2012). Signaling transduction analysis in gingival epithelial cells after infection with Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. Mol. Oral Microbiol. 27, 2333. Vardar-Sengul, S.; Arora, S.; Baylas, H.; Mercola, D. (2009). Expression profile of human gingival fibroblasts induced by interleukin-1beta reveals central role ofnuclear factor- kappa b in stabilizing human gingival fibroblasts during inflammation. J. Periodontol. 80, 833849.