Concussions in football Essay Example for Free

Concussions in football Essay The quarterback drops back into the pocket and begins looking down field towards his receivers. One of the defensive linemen breaks through the offensive line and the quarterback quickly throws the ball away, but not before he is slung to the ground. As the quarterback lands on the ground, his head cracks back and hits the turf with tremendous force; and despite wearing a protective football helmet, the quarterback suffers a severe concussion. Concussions happen weekly in the NFL to players of all positions due to the tremendous force these players are hit with weekly and need to be noted more carefully. The short and long term effects of multiple concussions can be devastating to the human mind. Not only does the brain suffer long term physical damage, players often suffer from long term mental problems. So what is the NFL doing about this? Surprisingly enough, very little. Before we get started, its very important to know what exactly a concussion is. A concussion is the most common type of traumatic brain injury. A concussion involves a transient loss of mental function. It can be caused by acceleration or deceleration forces, or by a direct blow to the head. Whether a player is hit with a helmet to helmet type of hit, a face mask, or just hits his head to hard on the turf; they can all cause serious concussions. Concussions werent taken very seriously until the middle of the 20th century. Often times, if a player said he was ok to go back onto the field after a concussion; the team doctors would let him. Recently, however, the NFL began doing studies on concussions due to the career ending injuries to Troy Aikman and Steve Young. In 1994, the NFL commissioned a research committee to learn more about concussions and the lasting effects that they had on players. The lead investigator, Dr. Elliot Pellman, took a look at videotapes from 174 different concussion instances to determine what designs they could make in the NFL helmet to reduce the amount of concussions that players suffered. Pellman and his colleagues wrote in January 2005 that returning to play after a concussion does not involve significant risk of a second injury either in the same game or during the season. However, a 2003 NCAA study of 2,905 college football players found just the opposite: Those who have suffered concussions are more susceptible to further head trauma for seven to 10 days after the injury. Pellman and his group have also stated repeatedly that their work shows no evidence of worsening injury or chronic cumulative effects of multiple concussions in NFL players. But a 2003 report by the Center for the Study of Retired Athletes at the University of North Carolina found a link between multiple concussions and depression among former pro players with histories of concussions. A 2005 follow-up study at the Center showed a connection between concussions and both brain impairment and Alzheimers disease among retired NFL players. Pellman told the NFL commissioner that half of the players that suffer concussions in game are allowed to return to the game. Pellman has no objections to having the players return because he doesnt think the players risk any significant long term damage by returning. However, many experts completely disagree with Pellman. The Second International Conference on Concussion in Sport met in Prague in 2004 and released the following statement: When a player shows ANY symptoms or signs of a concussion the player should not be allowed to return to play in the current game or practice. Many sports doctors agree that no players should return after concussions for a while because they are extremely susceptible to further brain damage. Many NFL players report having blacked out after returning from a concussion in the same game. According to Pellman though, they are completely fine. Several of the countrys preeminent neurosurgeons and neurophysiologists have grown increasingly concerned that the league is putting players at risk by following Pellmans lead. For one thing, Pellman is a rheumatologist by training a specialist in the treatment of joints and muscles not a neurologist. To be honest, that is all I really need to hear about him. How is a guy that is not even a certified neurologist giving advice to the NFL about the seriousness of concussions? Not only that, Pellman refuses to look at other data regarding concussions because he only wants to look at the data that he extracted from his players. Pellman reportedly left out many different cases involving players with concussions that did not coincide with his data. An associate he worked with said that 850 or so baseline cases were left out of their study when they should have been included. The NFL has to decide how much longer it can afford to send players back into games after theyve been knocked out. How much longer it wants to tell players that multiple concussions pose no threat to their future mental health. And how much longer it wants to keep relying on Elliot Pellmans research to make its calls.

Concussions in football Essay Example for Free

Concussions in football Essay The quarterback drops back into the pocket and begins looking down field towards his receivers. One of the defensive linemen breaks through the offensive line and the quarterback quickly throws the ball away, but not before he is slung to the ground. As the quarterback lands on the ground, his head cracks back and hits the turf with tremendous force; and despite wearing a protective football helmet, the quarterback suffers a severe concussion. Concussions happen weekly in the NFL to players of all positions due to the tremendous force these players are hit with weekly and need to be noted more carefully. The short and long term effects of multiple concussions can be devastating to the human mind. Not only does the brain suffer long term physical damage, players often suffer from long term mental problems. So what is the NFL doing about this? Surprisingly enough, very little. Before we get started, its very important to know what exactly a concussion is. A concussion is the most common type of traumatic brain injury. A concussion involves a transient loss of mental function. It can be caused by acceleration or deceleration forces, or by a direct blow to the head. Whether a player is hit with a helmet to helmet type of hit, a face mask, or just hits his head to hard on the turf; they can all cause serious concussions. Concussions werent taken very seriously until the middle of the 20th century. Often times, if a player said he was ok to go back onto the field after a concussion; the team doctors would let him. Recently, however, the NFL began doing studies on concussions due to the career ending injuries to Troy Aikman and Steve Young. In 1994, the NFL commissioned a research committee to learn more about concussions and the lasting effects that they had on players. The lead investigator, Dr. Elliot Pellman, took a look at videotapes from 174 different concussion instances to determine what designs they could make in the NFL helmet to reduce the amount of concussions that players suffered. Pellman and his colleagues wrote in January 2005 that returning to play after a concussion does not involve significant risk of a second injury either in the same game or during the season. However, a 2003 NCAA study of 2,905 college football players found just the opposite: Those who have suffered concussions are more susceptible to further head trauma for seven to 10 days after the injury. Pellman and his group have also stated repeatedly that their work shows no evidence of worsening injury or chronic cumulative effects of multiple concussions in NFL players. But a 2003 report by the Center for the Study of Retired Athletes at the University of North Carolina found a link between multiple concussions and depression among former pro players with histories of concussions. A 2005 follow-up study at the Center showed a connection between concussions and both brain impairment and Alzheimers disease among retired NFL players. Pellman told the NFL commissioner that half of the players that suffer concussions in game are allowed to return to the game. Pellman has no objections to having the players return because he doesnt think the players risk any significant long term damage by returning. However, many experts completely disagree with Pellman. The Second International Conference on Concussion in Sport met in Prague in 2004 and released the following statement: When a player shows ANY symptoms or signs of a concussion the player should not be allowed to return to play in the current game or practice. Many sports doctors agree that no players should return after concussions for a while because they are extremely susceptible to further brain damage. Many NFL players report having blacked out after returning from a concussion in the same game. According to Pellman though, they are completely fine. Several of the countrys preeminent neurosurgeons and neurophysiologists have grown increasingly concerned that the league is putting players at risk by following Pellmans lead. For one thing, Pellman is a rheumatologist by training a specialist in the treatment of joints and muscles not a neurologist. To be honest, that is all I really need to hear about him. How is a guy that is not even a certified neurologist giving advice to the NFL about the seriousness of concussions? Not only that, Pellman refuses to look at other data regarding concussions because he only wants to look at the data that he extracted from his players. Pellman reportedly left out many different cases involving players with concussions that did not coincide with his data. An associate he worked with said that 850 or so baseline cases were left out of their study when they should have been included. The NFL has to decide how much longer it can afford to send players back into games after theyve been knocked out. How much longer it wants to tell players that multiple concussions pose no threat to their future mental health. And how much longer it wants to keep relying on Elliot Pellmans research to make its calls.

The Pursuit Of Destiny English Literature Essay

The Pursuit Of Destiny English Literature Essay Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle, telling the story of Jamal Malik, a former street child, from the Juhu slum of Mumbai who appears on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and was one question away from winning 20 million rupees. Thus it aroused the suspicions of the game show host and of law enforcement officials. However, before the last question, he was arrested and interrogated by the police , who suspected him of cheating because of knowing all the answers with little education. Key words: Slumdog Millionaire, brotherhood, poverty, love, money. Slumdog Millionaire, telling the story of Jamal Malik, a former street child, from the Juhu slum of Mumbai who appears on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and was one question away from winning 20 million rupees. Thus it aroused the suspicions of the game show host and of law enforcement officials. However, before the last question, he was arrested and interrogated by the police , who suspected him of cheating because of knowing all the answers with little education. The story revolves around the interrogation of Jamal and the police. Jamal accounted that the incidents in his life which provided him with each answer. In the end, Jamal won the grand prize and met Latika at the railway station and kissed. It reveals that the lower in India. Jamals flashback reveals that the various injustice and difficulties the lower in India confront and the development of the society. The British director, Danny Boyle often express tragedy by drawing support from comedy, such as his best known film Trainspotting ,which is absurd and ridiculous but actually bleak and sad. Jamal, Salim and Latika grew up together after they had lost their family in a religious conflict. They were born in an urban slum, where was full of garbage and flies. Garbage and slums became the symbol of India at that age. They thought of themselves as three musketeers. The story of three musketeers would begin anew. But I am wrong, theyve wandered over cities in India. The reality was cruel, no matter how hard they tried, they were still in lower class. Destiny always play jokes on people. They were taken by Maman, the leader of a crime syndicate, who tricks and trained street kids into beggars. When Salim found that Maman was blinding children in order to make them more effective as singing beggars. Jamal and Salim ran away, and Latika didnt. Latika became the pain of Jamal. We live in a real world, which is full of injustice. Love is the language people all know from all over the world. Two naÃÆ' ¯ve kids tried their best to live, vendor, guider, nomad. At Jamals insistence, they had come back to find Latika. They rescued her and Salim killed Maman. For some reason. Jamal was separated from his brother and Latika again. While years later, Jamal was a tea server at an Indian call centre, he found his brother and his beloved girl. Salim was regretful for his past actions and only begged for forgiveness when Jamal physically attacked him. While Jamal admitted his love for her, Latika asked him to forget about her. Jamal promised to wait for her every day at 5  oclock at the VT station. Latika attempted to run with him, but she was recaptured by Salim. Jamal loss contact with Latika when Javed moved to another house, outside of Mumbai. Knowing that Latika watched it many times, Jamal tended to make contact with her again by becoming a contestant on the show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He made it to the final questiont, At last ,the love bird met in the railway station and kissed. Life is dear, love is dearer price. Both can be given up for freedomalmost everyone can recite Petofis poem. However, how many young men consider freedom is dearer than love at this age ¼Ã… ¸ There was always a girl in Jamals heart from he was a little boy to a young man, her name is Lakita. They had been separated twice in their life, and Jamal tried his best to find her every time. Once he told Lakita I know I will find you, it was our destiny. I dont know where theyve taken her. I went to the show (Who wants to be a millionaire), because I thought she would be watching, Jamal said th the police quietly. No mater where they come from , no mater what regime, race, skin, class and belief, people feel love. In this film, one of the most important figure , Salim, who had a strong enthusiasm to money. He was born in poverty. He wa.nted to get rid of it eagerly and this thirst led him to an apparently inexorable path. Finally .he realized that after what hed done ,the most important thing was not money ,but happiness. He couldnt go back where he was, his wish was to rescue his brother and his girl. He helped Latika and killed Javed. With his dying breath, Salim gasped that God is great. As Jamal describes the specific incidents that led to his being able to answer each of the quiz show questions, he is simultaneously telling several stories, tales of the link between brothers, the never-ending battle with poverty, the lure and pitfalls of crime and the rapid modernization of India. In my view ,I dont think Jamal could live without his brother. Although Salim was bad, he wanted to protect his brother deep down the heart. He sacrificed himself. These are the theme of Slumdog Millionaire-love, thirst and brotherhood. Notes: 1.Specifically, in the Kumar article, Boyle referred to Deewaar (1975) by Yash Chopra and Salim Javed , Satya (1998) and Company (2002) by Ram Gopal Verma, and Black Friday (2004) by Anurag Kashyap 2. Some of the other Indian films cited by Boyle as reference points for the film include Satyajit Rays Pather Panchali (1955), Mira Nair films such as Salaam Bombay! (1988), Ashutosh Gowarikars Lagaan (2001), and Aamir Khans Taare Zameen Par (2007).

Darkness and Death in Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night :: Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night

Themes of Darkness and Death in â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the forms of analysis and criticism that is best used with many works is the analysis of archetypal images.   Many words and objects are images that have much deeper meanings and values than you, as a reader, take at face value.   Many of the words and sentences in Dylan Thomas’ â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night† give away the poems underlying theme of darkness and death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the archetypal images Thomas uses is that of the wise old man.   â€Å"Though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words forked no lighting they do not go gentle into that good night.†Ã‚   This passage speaks of wise men that fail.   The archetypal definition of the wise man is one who possesses the qualities of insight, wisdom, cleverness, a spiritual principle, and much more.   But aside from the fact that these men are wise, their words still mean nothing.   This passage gives the reader an unmistakable image of darkness in the lives of even those who are wise.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A second image that portrays this theme is the fourth stanza of the poem.   â€Å"Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, and learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, do not go gentle into that good night.†Ã‚   Here the image of the sun represents the passing of life.   And the men, who were too late in catching the sun and grieved it on its way, are giving us the image that the sun is setting.   Or, as it could be interpreted, the sun for that day is dying.   Here again we have a passage that is giving us a clear image of darkness.   And here, also, we see Thomas referring to death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the strongest, if not the strongest, images of darkness and death is shown in the last two lines of the poem.   â€Å"Do not go gentle into that good night.   Rage, rage against the dying of the light.†Ã‚   The death of the light here shows us blackness: the ultimate darkness.

disciplining a child :: essays research papers

Disciplining A Child Relationships between children and parents are unique and intense. Families are often the happiest when parents and children have the skills to relate and communicate with each other in a positive manner, when parents feel competent in helping their children behave appropriately, and when children can express their emotions and behave appropriately. But behavioral problems among children are very common, and such problems might occur in daily life in the home and in the school, with peers or with other adults. My eight-year-old son’s performance at school recently started to decline. At the beginning of the school year, he was an A student with no problems in reading and writing. After a few months, he becomes a C student. First, I thought that he could not understand a particular topic or exercise, but after meeting with his teacher, I found out that he did not pay enough attention in the class. I and his father discussed the problem with our son. Also, I explained to him why his education is important for his future. He agreed with me and promised to change his behavior in the classroom. Despite that, the low grades continued. It was then I decided to use operant conditioning as a type of learning in order to bring out an entirely new response, with a non-physical punishment (the negative secondary reinforcer)such as time out and loss of privileges (TV watching and video games playing). I prefer to avoid the use of physical punishment with my child. Physical punishment usually happens when a parent is angry and this does not create a positive learning experience for a child. Physical punishment models and teaches hitting and physical aggression, often making a child want to avoid the parent and can have a negative effect on a child’s self-esteem. The non-physical punishment worked for a short time: however, very soon I discovered that my son started to hide his low-graded papers from me. I discussed the situation with him and told him that he chose an incorrect way to avoid punishment. I decided to try another kind of reinforcer, positive one, such as a reward. My son was told that if he would get an A in the next two reading and writing tests he would go to play to his favorite place â€Å"Chuck E. Cheese’s†. He was very excited about that and started to respond: to spend more time reading

A Mountain Run :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

A run to the top of a mountain can be understood in terms of numerous practical figures: 1407 feet in elevation; 2.5 miles (4 km) of trail; 2.4 foot strides that shorten as the trail steepens; 110 pounds of body weight striking the ground in two-month-old (400 miles of summer training) GT-2020 Asics running shoes; 18 minutes and 17 seconds clocked on an 8-lap memory, digital Triathlon Timex; a 420-calorie breakfast (a bowl of cereal, half a bagel, and a banana) eaten three hours earlier; muscle cells using the glycogen stores from this food and incorporating the free fatty acids in the blood for energy; muscles in need of oxygen utilizing chemical processes that free oxygen from within the muscle itself; wastes building up in the muscles faster than the blood can remove them. These physiological, mathematical, and anecdotal elements are, however, some of the furthest from my realm of consciousness as I approach my ascent. Jogging on the Point Reyes Peninsula’s Bear Valley Trai l, I come to the head of the Sky Trail, a trail that climbs up Mt. Wittenberg, a mild but memorable little mountain in the National Seashore. Beginning this run up a mountain feels somewhat like starting a race. Throughout the eight years I have run competitively, I have never felt completely comfortable with the fact that I choose to stand, leaning forward on a line while nervously holding my breath, waiting for some gun to announce the start of a completely uncomfortable journey. There are plenty of reasons not to begin a race, and there are many more reasons not to run up this particular mountain. Deliberations, however, are more agonizing than the run itself. Although this morning’s run lacks all of the hype of a big race, I can’t help feeling now the same as I would then: just let the movement begin. In his novel, Once a Runner,John L. Parker’s character, Cassidy, envisions the start of a race with the urgency most runners share: â€Å"The all-consuming roar, the overwhelming psych would begin then and would build up until he stood ready on this line, at once controlled and near lunacy, fear less and terrified, wishing for the relief of the start, the misery of the end. Anything! Just let the waiting be done with!†1 Although numerous haunting â€Å"why’s† are tempting dissuasions before any unnecessary physical exertion, I cannot bear to ponder them all at the base of this mountain.

Jungle Rot

Tropical ulcers (also commonly known as Jungle Rot) are necrotic painful lesions that are a result from a mixed bacterial infection. These ulcers are common in hot humid tropical or subtropical areas. They are usually found on the lower legs or feet of children and young adults. Typically, the ulcers have a raised border, and a yellowish necrotic base. The ulcers may heal spontaneously, but in many instances extension may occur which results in deep lesions that can penetrate into muscles, tendons and bone.If the so called Jungle Rot goes untreated it can result in much scar tissue and disability. A person can contract this disease or disorder in the skin from having preexisting abrasions or sores that sometimes begin from a mere scratch. The majority of tropical ulcers will occur below the knee of the patient, usually around the ankle. These lesions can sometimes also occur on the arms, but it is more likely to occur on the lower parts of the body. Most of the people who get this ul cer are subjects with poor nutrition which puts them at a higher risk, or people who do not wear socks or proper footwear and clothing.Jungle rot has been described as a disease of the â€Å"poor and hungry'. Urbanization of populations could be a factor in the disorder seeing as tropical ulcers are usually a rural problem. Sometimes outbreaks can occur; one was recorded in Tanzania in sugarcane workers cutting the crops while barefoot. Another piece of information on these ulcers is that males are more commonly infected than females. There are not really any symptoms from having a tropical ulcer. You are simply Just infected in some way and the ulcer appears. It is initially circular, superficial, very painful, and has purple edges.It will enlarge rapidly across the skin and down into deeper tissues such as the muscle or even the periosteum, which is the fibrous membrane covering the surface of bones. Tropical ulcers (or Jungle Rot) are known to reach several centimeters in diamet er after a couple of weeks. The edges will become thickened and raised at this stage of the ulcers growth. The central crater may also become necrotic, or blackened due to the death of tissue. Sometimes, the ulcer becomes foul smelling and quite simply, very nasty looking or else disgusting.Luckily, there are some known treatments for hese ulcers, although not all of the ulcers are treatable. In the early stages of the ulcers growth antibiotics such as penicillin or metronidazole can be used in combination with a topical antiseptic to reduce the size of the ulcer and ultimately clear the ulcer up altogether. For other subjects, if you simply improve nutrition and vitamins into their diet the ulcer can be healed. Sometimes if you Just keep the infected area clan or elevated the area becomes well. In extreme cases, amputation is necessary, but most of the time the Tropical ulcer can be treated with success.The reatments are usually quite affordable, it all Just depends on the person b eing treated and the amount ot money they nave . This disorder is also curable. The ulcers are known to go away in time as little as a week after being treated. Once a person has been ridded of the ulcer life can go on as normal if the treatment was successful. Sometimes there are complications with the skin pigmentation of the patient after treatment. Victims have been known to have different colors such as bright red, blue, and green around and on the infected area. It is even rare for there to be a color hange from regular pigmentation to orange.Although life goes on normally for some, for others it is different. If a patient's ulcer grew deep into large muscles or a bone, they can be left walking with a limp or other things such as not being able to use their arm or fingers in such ways like lifting things that they used to be able to. There are also more serious cases involving amputation that can put a person in a handicapped position such as having to use crutches to help wal k or only having one arm which limits very many things. There are known to be outbreaks of tropical ulcers, but nothing is said on a person preading the infection to another person physically.