Racial Misperception: Danger of Melanoma Skin Cancer and Importance of Sunscreen [Part II]
Posted inHealth Social Justice World Issues

Racial Misperception: Danger of Melanoma Skin Cancer and Importance of Sunscreen [Part II]

Sunscreen UV radiation exists in three forms, UVA, UVB, and UVC, in decreasing order of wavelength. While all of the UVC and most of the UVB rays are absorbed by the ozone layer, UVA rays reach and penetrate the skin, causing increased melanin production, premature skin aging, and melanoma development through gene damage and mutation (Bais et al., 2015; Del Bino et al., 2006; Miyamura et al., 2010; Young,…
Posted inHealth, Social Justice, World Issues
Racial Misperception: Danger of Melanoma Skin Cancer and Importance of Sunscreen [Part I]
Posted inHealth Social Justice World Issues

Racial Misperception: Danger of Melanoma Skin Cancer and Importance of Sunscreen [Part I]

One of the symptoms of melanoma; moles/darker spots in the skin Introduction Melanoma is one of the deadliest types of skin cancer. Around 132,000 people are diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer annually around the globe, and its incidence is estimated to increase as further depletion of the ozone layer brings more ultraviolet (UV) radiation to the Earth’s surface. Chronic exposure to UV radiation causes DNA damage, which can lead…
Posted inHealth, Social Justice, World Issues
Optimism for Upward Social Mobility in Colonial America: Social and Political Perspectives
Posted inOpinion Politics Writing

Optimism for Upward Social Mobility in Colonial America: Social and Political Perspectives

From the late-seventeenth to the mid-eighteenth century, Britain adopted a policy of salutary neglect, restraining from strictly enforcing colonial policies. Salutary neglect decreased British influence, leaving the colonies largely to govern themselves. With increased autonomy, British-American colonies developed distinct social and political structures. Socially, colonies developed a skill and wealth-oriented hierarchy that rejected noble titles. Politically, colonies established a governmental structure with great individual representation. Though limited, these two…
Posted inOpinion, Politics, Writing
Massachusetts and Maryland: How These Colonies Shaped Current-Day America
Posted inOpinion Politics World Issues

Massachusetts and Maryland: How These Colonies Shaped Current-Day America

During the 17th century, thirteen British colonies rose along the east coast of North America. Diverse people settled in those colonies for various reasons: economic gain, seeking religious freedom, escaping their hometown, etc. With those different people, the colonies became unique; Distinctions in religion and government of the colonies, two frequently-intertwined factors, shaped the individual characteristics of states of the modern day. Massachusetts Bay and Maryland were built upon…
Posted inOpinion, Politics, World Issues
Leprosy and leprostigma: A review from the past through COVID-19
Posted inHealth World Issues

Leprosy and leprostigma: A review from the past through COVID-19

Leprosy patients and leprostigma: Present-day situation and impact of COVID-19 Compared to the past, the prevalence of leprosy has decreased prominently. Important research funding sources have stopped supporting leprosy research, perceiving it as eliminated (56). Because the disease now mainly affects only small populations in poor and developing countries, leprosy is categorized as a Neglected Tropical Disease, meaning it gains low interest in various medical industries (57). However, <1…
Posted inHealth, World Issues
Leprosy and leprostigma: A review from the past through COVID-19
Posted inHealth World Issues

Leprosy and leprostigma: A review from the past through COVID-19

The consequences of leprostigma A leprosy hospital in India Leprostigma in society causes many patients with active leprosy to delay or avoid treatment (35). In Kaur and Ramesh’s research (48), nearly 77.4% of female leprosy patients in Delhi were afraid of receiving confronting questions about leprosy. Furthermore, Pelizzari et al. (49) found that some medical professionals even advised their patients to avoid discussing leprosy in public. These actions of avoiding…
Posted inHealth, World Issues
Leprosy and leprostigma: A review from the past through COVID-19
Posted inHealth World Issues

Leprosy and leprostigma: A review from the past through COVID-19

Leprostigma One of the biggest obstacles in reaching the complete elimination of leprosy is universal leprostigma. The main sources of leprostigma are religious and linguistic stereotypes, misconceptions, and fear of people with deformities. Religious and linguistic stereotypes come from many sources, one being the persistence of discriminatory language, as classified by the UN special rapporteur (30). Across diverse cultures, the word ‘leprosy’ was metaphorically associated with sins, curses or…
Posted inHealth, World Issues
Leprosy and leprostigma: A review from the past through COVID-19 [Part I]
Posted inHealth World Issues

Leprosy and leprostigma: A review from the past through COVID-19 [Part I]

Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae (1). Mycobacterium leprae  Leprosy patients can experience deformities that affect sight, touch, and manual dexterity. Macules, papules, and nodules are prevalent among other skin lesions (2). Along with these symptoms, leprosy patients experience immense stigma and discrimination, also called leprostigma. Leprosy can be cured using a combination of three antibiotics - rifampicin, clofazimine, and dapsone - widely known as multidrug…
Posted inHealth, World Issues
The Constitution vs. The Articles of Confederation
Posted inOpinion Politics

The Constitution vs. The Articles of Confederation

To what extent was the United States Constitution a radical departure from the Articles of Confederation? In 1781, during the late stages of the Revolutionary War, the Articles of Confederation were officially approved by all states as the first governmental structure of the new nation. However, created as a wartime document, the Articles proved insufficient in addressing the economic and political concerns arising during peacetime. In 1787, state delegates…
Posted inOpinion, Politics
A Historical Overview of Human Enhancement and Its Societal Impacts
Posted inHealth Social Justice World Issues

A Historical Overview of Human Enhancement and Its Societal Impacts

The Rise of Genetic Technologies  In the modern era, improvements in genetic knowledge and technology have brought novel methods of human enhancement - prenatal screening, embryo selection, and genetic engineering.  The first prenatal screening was developed in the 1950s with ultrasound, and in the 1970s, implementation of real-time gray-scale imaging allowed earlier detection. Prenatal screening technology allows the identification of birth defects and chromosomal abnormalities before birth that may…
Posted inHealth, Social Justice, World Issues