The Future and Stability of Taiwans Independence

Introduction For decades now, Taiwan’s international status has been in limbo. The Taipei’s government, which in the past represented China in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), currently does not enjoy a lot of support. Only around twenty diplomats continue supporting the government.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Future and Stability of Taiwan’s Independence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Consequently, the government finds it hard to gain recognition in the international arena. Today, very few states recognise Taiwan as an autonomous country (Chu 2004). However, Taiwan has been self-governed for a long time and has enjoyed a democratic government for over fifteen years. Relative to China, Taiwan enjoys what it refers to as the status quo, a situation that paves room for flexibility, but curtails the likelihood of Taiwan becoming a sovereign state. Currently, Taiwan’s condition does not appear too complex. The truce it established with china has allowed it to continue with its activities without interferences. Furthermore, Taiwan partakes in numerous international organisations. For instance, the country became a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2002. Besides, in 2009, the country became an observer in the World Health Organisation (WHO) (Hickey 2011). This paper will focus on the future of Taiwan’s independence in ten years and give some of the factors that affect the stability of Taiwan’s independence. The issue of independence Since early 1990s, the call for Taiwan’s democratisation stirred the subject about the identity of the Republic of China (Crane 2006). It unlocked the political continuum for parties that do not support the belief that the Republic of China stands for China’s government, but which posits that Taiwan is autonomous with a different national identity from China. In other words, the call for democratisation led to disagreement about the future of Taiwan as a sovereign state. These developments made it hard for Taiwan to hold public referenda, which could have helped the state to acquire its independence. Nevertheless, even if Taiwan gained independence, either as Taiwan or as the Republic of China, it would be very hard for it to change its international status (Hickey 2011). The state would only participate fully in the international affairs if other countries agreed to recognise it as a sovereign state. By declaring itself as a sovereign state, the move would not change the way other countries perceived it. Moreover, it would harm its relationship with numerous countries, especially those that recognise China as the only sovereign state in the region.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Most of the superpowers have openly expressed their opposition to the separation o f Taiwan from China. For instance, the United States has heavily invested in promoting good ties with China. Therefore, the United States does all it can to ensure that it discourages any move by Taiwan to gain its independence, no matter how Taiwan tries to disguise its intentions (Ross 2002). For instance, in 2008, the United States opposed the referenda that sought to see Taiwan become a member of the United Nations (Lowther 2010). It is evident that in the next ten years, it will be hard for Taiwan to gain independence due to pressure from the international community. For Taiwan to continue enjoying a cordial relationship with other countries, it will have to nurture and promote a peaceful co-existence with China as advocated by most of the influential countries. No possibility for unification Unification with China would help in defining Taiwan’s status in global affairs. Nevertheless, chances of unification between the two are minimal. Among all the available options fo r Taiwan, unification is treated as the last result. In an independent society, the move to embrace unification would only be decided by the Taiwanese people, who largely opt to keep the option pending and seek other alternatives (Kastner 2006). Nevertheless, it is hard to rule out that the two countries might end up unifying in the near future. There is a high chance that Taiwan may drop its call for independence in the next ten years if it continues to experience pressure from China and if it is promised that the unification will pave room for it to continue enjoying its current autonomy (Kastner 2006). Nevertheless, currently, no plans are underway to facilitate this move, and the Taiwanese population strongly opposes chances of union between China and Taiwan.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Future and Stability of Taiwan’s Independence specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Taiwanese voters oppose the c laim by the Chinese government that the union would pave room for a â€Å"one state, two systems† policy, which would ensure that Taiwan maintains its current autonomy and probably help Taiwan take part in global organisations even though it is not a state member. Some scholars claim that even if the two countries agreed on the unification, the move would only benefit the two countries and would have no benefit to the world (Kastner 2006). The two countries would come up with a stronger economy, since most of the economic resources that are currently used in safeguarding their divergent policies would be used in enhancing the economy. Status quo as the ultimate solution Rather than fighting to gain independence, there are high chances that Taiwan will fight to maintain the status quo for the next ten years. In late 1980s, Taiwan lost the majority of its diplomatic allies. Furthermore, it was scrapped from the international organisations. This made it hard for Taiwan to reflec t anywhere on the political map (Tsang 2006). Therefore, to ensure that it reflected on the political map, the Taiwanese government had to come up with creative strategies. Lee Teng-hui’s regime came up with the notion of â€Å"flexible† or practical diplomacy that claimed that if it were not possible for Taiwan to have formal relationships with other states, then the country would work towards entertaining considerable relations (Tsang 2006). This meant that Taiwan would work towards establishing close ties with other countries in the absence of diplomatic recognition. In addition, the country had to look for measures to help it participate in global organisations by using different names to suit the demands of the organisations. All these measures sought to help Taiwan maintain its status quo in the eyes of other countries. The current pressures from global organisations and influential nations imply that, it will be hard for Taiwan to continue fighting for its separ ation (Tsang 2006). Instead, the next ten years will see Taiwan struggling to maintain its status quo as the only strategy for its survival both politically and economically. After years of wrangles between China and Taiwan, President Ying-jeou stated that Taiwan was not ready for unification. Besides, he claimed that his country would no longer fight for independence and his government would cease applying force (Tucker 2007).Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The move led to stability in the region and economic ties between the two countries became strong. Since then, the two countries have engaged in numerous government-to-government talks and significantly enhanced the association between the Chinese and Taiwanese population. Taiwan has been the major beneficiary of this close relationship. The state’s economy has strongly improved. As china is opposed to any call for independence and is ready to use its military powers to ensure that Taiwan does not gain independence, Taiwan has no feasible alternative, but to maintain the status quo (Tucker 2007). This would be the only way that Taiwan would continue enjoying its ties with China. Taiwan will definitely have to come up with a solution to the current challenges facing it on matters to do with independence and self-determination (Tucker 2007). Most of the Taiwanese believe that the move to call for independence is not misguided. Nevertheless, they feel that the move would jeopard ise their close relations with the international community. Hence, currently, Taiwan is not only facing pressure from the international community, but it is also facing immense internal political disagreements. Some of the Taiwanese feel that even though they need to be independent, the independence will do more harm than good to them. Hence, they prefer maintaining the status quo since it helps in maintaining the country’s good reputation in the international arena (Wang 2010). Currently, Taiwan is a major attraction to the Chinese people. Hence, Taiwanese citizens do not want to ruin this relation. Most probably, in the next ten years Taiwan will continually drop its desire to become independent and work on enhancing its relations with China while maintaining its status. For a long time, Taiwan has been using different names to continue working with international organisations. Its absence in such organisations would be detrimental to its economy. On the other hand, the org anisations would not allow it use a name that is similar or contradicts with that used by China (Hickey 2011). In a bid to ensure that it remains as a member in most of the international organisations, Taiwan has continuously kept on changing its name whenever it realises that the existing name would contradict or interfere with the one used by People’s Republic of China. The main reason why most of the international bodies fail to support Taiwan’s call for independence is the influence that China has in the global economy (Hickey 2011). Supporting Taiwan would lead to China withdrawing all the support it extends to international organisations. In return, this would incapacitate them making it hard for the organisations to manage their operations. In this view, for Taiwan to ensure that it continues participating in global organisations, it has to drop its call for independence. Consequently, the possibility of Taiwan gaining independence in the next ten years is minim al (Crane 2006). Hence, Taiwan will only strive to maintain the status quo so that it can continue enjoying its current relations with international organisations. While Taiwan continues struggling to gain independence, it will be hard to gain it since it can only do that by negotiating with China. With most of the world states opting to support China due to its international influence, Taiwan is left with no state to turn to for support, in case it collides with China (Crane 2006). China is not likely to heed to these demands in the near future implying that it is hard for Taiwan to gain independence in the next ten years. Factors that affect the stability of Taiwan’s independence One of the factors that destabilise Taiwan’s independence is the â€Å"Anti-secession Law† signed by China in 2005. According to this law, the People’s Republic of China declared that it would use non-peaceful measures and ensure that Taiwan does not detach itself from China (H ickey 2011). Hence, this declaration destabilises the move by Taiwan to call for secession since it fears that China might attack it. Taiwan is weaker in terms of military powers relative to China. Hence, it would be hard for Taiwan to defend itself from china. In addition, most of the influential countries are against the secession calls. Failure to gain support from the international community also makes it hard for the country to demand its independence. For instance, the United States is opposed to the call since most of its military forces are involved in other battlefields. Hence, it would be hard to rescue Taiwan from any attacks. Moreover, the existing laws that define the relations between Taiwan and the United States do not commit the United States to protecting Taiwan. They only give the United States an option to protect Taiwan in case of any incursion. An internal political wrangle in Taiwan is another factor that destabilises its independence. In as much as Taiwanese a re calling for independence, there are some people within the country that do not approve this move (Chao 2003). Those opposed to the call claim that calling for secession would affect the country’s young economy, and ruin its current relationship with China and other global countries. Besides, they believe that the move would lead to the country suffering from disfavour from the international community. This disunity among the Taiwanese makes it hard for the country to pursue its goals with one voice. The divisions weaken the call for secession from the People’s Republic of China (Carpenter 2006). After the 2000 presidential elections, there emerged two opposing forces in Taiwan. The Pan-Green and the Pan-Blue supported the Taiwanese identity and the Chinese identity respectively. The two forces destabilised the effort by the country to fight for its independence. The Pan-Green supporters claimed that there was an imbalanced economic dependence on China (Carpenter 200 6). They warned that such an economic dependence might jeopardise Taiwan’s national security. Consequently, the Pan-Green politicians started looking for support from individuals that did not benefit from the economic ties between China and Taiwan. On the other hand, the Pan-Blue politicians asserted that the Taiwan-China economic relations would have positive effects on the country’s economy. Hence, they sought the support of individuals that benefited from the economic ties. Since then, the country has been split between these two groups of politicians (Carpenter 2006). While one of the groups supports the unification, the other one calls for separation. It is hard for the country to speak in one voice thus making it hard for people to make an informed decision on whether to advocate for independence or not. The cost of seceding from China is high for Taiwan. The current relationship with China allows Taiwan to enjoy a cordial relationship with the international comm unity. Most of the countries acknowledge the one-China Principle; hence, if Taiwan happens to declare itself as a sovereign state and cuts its relationship with China, there are high possibilities that the international community would stop associating with it (Chao 2003). The pursuit for the one-China policy destabilises the Taiwan’s independence. Gaining independence would push most of the nations that are members of the international community to stop supporting the country financially. Hence, the move would render Taiwan economically handicapped making it had for it to manage its operations. Furthermore, China supports Taiwan financially, which destabilises Taiwan’s independence since Taiwan fears that it would lose this support upon becoming independent. These economic costs associated with independence compel Taiwan to abandon its independence calls (Wang 2010). Rather, the country uses other methods to ensure that it develops its economy to a self-reliant level. Today, China is under no pressure from the international community to assist Taiwan to gain its independence. Hence, China uses its influence to destabilise the fight for independence in Taiwan. China uses its power to lure other countries into opposing the Taiwan’s call for independence (Barbieri 2003). As Taiwan seeks to enhance its membership in the international organisations, it faces stiff challenges from China, which has significant influence on most of the organisations. China uses its influence to ensure that other member states compel Taiwan to compromise on some of its conditions. The influence from China has affected the stability of Taiwan’s independence, and thus Taiwan has been forced to ensure that it maintains the status quo to enjoy cordial relationship with international organisations. Conclusion For decades now, the Taiwan’s international status has faced immense challenges. Unlike in the past when the Taiwanese government represented China, today the international community does not recognise this government. Currently, Taiwan enjoys what it refers to as the status quo, which allows it to enjoy numerous privileges in the international arena and manage its affairs. However, the status quo does not allow the country to gain full independence. Since 1990s, Taiwan came up with the issue of democratisation, which sought to help the Taiwan Strait break away from the mainland China. However, the call for independence led to Taiwan facing opposition from other countries that advocated for the one-China policy. In a bid to ensure that Taiwan continues enjoying its interaction with the international community, some parties call for unification. However, the Taiwan citizens are against unification, thus leaving it as the last option. Taiwan is not likely to achieve its independence in the next ten years. Instead, the country will continue working on maintaining the status quo to help it gain financial support from the internatio nal community. Since President Ying-jeou called for Taiwan to maintain the status quo, the country has enjoyed a good relationship not only with China, but also with other global states. China has vowed to use its political and military powers to ensure that Taiwan does not gain independence. Hence, the fear of being attacked by China may hamper Taiwan’s ability to gain independence in the next ten years, thus opting to maintain the status quo. Numerous factors affect the stability of Taiwan’s independence including the anti secession law signed by China in 2005. The law gives China the power to use military means to ensure that Taiwan does not gain independence. Another factor is the internal political wrangles among the different groups of politicians. While the Pan-Green group calls for secession, the Pan-Blue calls for unification thus hampering the collective efforts to pursue independence. Reference List Barbieri, K 2003, ‘Economic Interdependence: A Path t o Peace or a Source of Interstate Conflict?’ Journal of Peace Research, vol. 33 no. 1, pp. 29-49. Carpenter, T 2006, America’s Coming War with China: A Collision Course over Taiwan, Palgrave Macmillan, New York. Chao, C 2003, ‘Will Economic Integration between Mainland China and Taiwan Lead to a Congenial Political Culture’, Asian Survey, vol. 43 no. 2, pp. 280-304. Chu, Y 2004, Taiwan’s National Identity Politics and the Prospect of Cross-Strait Relations’, Asian Survey, vol. 44 no. 4, pp. 497-503. Crane, G 2006, ‘China and Taiwan: Not Yet ‘Greater China’, International Affairs, vol. 69 no. 4, pp. 705-723. Hickey, D 2011, ‘Rapprochement between Taiwan and the Chinese Mainland: implications for American foreign policy’, Journal of Contemporary China, vol. 20 no. 69, pp. 233-245. Kastner, S 2006, ‘Does Economic Integration Across the Taiwan Strait Make Military Conflict Less Likely’, Journal of East Asian Studies, vol. 6, pp. 319-346. Lowther, W 2010, US, PRC discussing ways for Taiwan to join world bodies, http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/print/2010/12/09/2003490463 Ross, R 2002, ‘Navigating the Taiwan Strait: Deterrence, Escalation Dominance, and US-China Relations’, International Security, vol. 27 no. 2, pp. 48-85. Tsang, S 2006, If China Attacks Taiwan: Military Strategy, Politics and Economics, Routledge, London. Tucker, N 2007, ‘If Taiwan Chooses Unification, Should the United States Care’, The Washington Quarterly, vol. 25 no. 3, pp. 21-24. Wang, Y 2010, ‘China’s Growing Strength, Taiwan’s Diminishing Options’, Taiwan-U.S. Quarterly Analysis, vol. 23 no. 3, pp. 34-47. This essay on The Future and Stability of Taiwan’s Independence was written and submitted by user Crystal Carson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

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Review on the Biomedical Importance of Taurine M.K.Vanitha, K. Baskaran, K.Periyasamy, D.Saravanan, A.Ilakkia, S.Selvaraj, R.Venkateswari, B.Revathi Mani, P.Anandakumar, D. Sakthisekaran ABSTRACT Objectives: To briefly outline the effects of taurine on different organs, in order to elucidate the biomedical importance of taurine. Summary: Taurineis a sulfur-containing amino acid that is found in mammalian tissues.Taurinehas different biological and physiological functions. It is a component of bile acids, which are used to help absorb fats and fat-soluble vitamins. It also helps regulate the heartbeat, maintain cell membrane stability and prevent brain cell over-activity. In addition,taurine chloramine, an endogenous product derived from activated neutrophils, has been reported to suppress obesity-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in adipocytes. 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Methionine and cysteine are precursors of taurine, however synthesis ability varies widely amongst species, the maximal human synthesis rate is unknown. The average daily synthesis in adults ranges between 0.4 1.0 mmol (50-125 mg) 4 under stress the synthesis capacity may be impaired; therewith some authors consider taurine as a conditionally essential amino acid, whereas for others it remains non essential. Fish is a good source of taurine and tests for taurine content for a variety of fish have been conducted. Figure 2: Biosynthesis of taurine 2. CHEMISTRY OF TAURINE The molecular formula of taurine is C2H7NO3S and its molecular weight is 125.15. It has a pKa of 1.5 (at 25 Â °C) and a melting point of 300 Â °C (decomposition) and shows a bulk density of 0.65–0.75g/cm3 and a density of approximately 1.7g/cm3. It is soluble in water (10 g dissolves in 100 mL at 25 Â °C) and insoluble in ethanol, ethyl ether and acetone. The pH of a 5 % solution in water is 4.1 – 5.6. Taurine is a white crystalline powder that is almost odourless but with a slightly acidic taste. It contains by specification at least 98.0 % taurine in dried substance. Taurine is a monobasic acid that has unique physical constants compared to other neuroactive amino acids. The uniqueness of taurine is mainly due to the functional group containing sulfur, the sulfonic group, unlike the carboxylic group typical of all the other natural amino acids. This difference may provide the rationale behind the unique biological nature of taurine which is not shared with other ne uroactive amino acids. With its sulfonate group, it is a stronger acid (pKa 1.5) than glycine, aspartic acid, ÃŽ ²-alanine, and ÃŽ ³-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Similarly, having a pKb value of 8.82, it is less basic than GABA, ÃŽ ²-alanine and glycine. Its solubility in water is 10.48g/100mL at 258Â °C, which is lower than that of ÃŽ ²-alanine, GABA or glycine. Table 1: Properties of taurine 3. BIOMEDICAL IMPORTANCE OF TAURINE 3.1 TAURINE IN FETAL DEVELOPMENT AND NEONATAL GROWTH The human fetus has no ability to synthesize taurine, but considerably high levels of taurine have been recorded, and this may be due to a very efficient placental role of taurine in disease prevention. The amount of taurine was found to be very high in human breast milk compared to cow’s milk, on which a large portion of infants are fed, and this may be due to the high concentration of taurine in placenta. Thus, taurine is now added to many infant formulas to provide improved nourishment.5 Several types of organ dysfunction develop from abnormalities of taurine levels in growing children. In neonatal cardiomyocytes (as in adult ones), taurine functions as an organic osmolyte. During pregnancy, taurine accumulates in the maternal tissues, from where it is periodically released to the fetus via the placenta. In infants, taurine is acquired through the mother’s milk. This is the stage when taurine accumulates more in fetal and neonatal brain. A low maternal taurine concen tration will lead to low fetal taurine concentration.6 3.2 TAURINE AND THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) Taurine is the most abundant amino acid in the brain after glutamate, and it is found in all cell types in the CNS. A high concentration of taurine occurs in the developing brain, but with maturity, its levels fall to 30%.7 Taurine is extensively involved in neurological activities, including protection, modulation of neural excitability, maintenance of cerebellar functions and modulation of motor behavior through interaction with dopaminergic, adrenergic, serotonergic and cholinergic receptors and through glutamate.8 Free radicals are particularly detrimental to brain tissue where there is a high concentration of lipids, suitable target for oxidation. Taurine is now being explored for its capacity to protect tissues against oxidative stress. In cerebellar neurons, stimulation by excitatory agents was effectively countered by taurine. While taurine may not directly decrease the levels of free radicals, it does increase cell viability. This may become an important alternate protective mechanism against free radical damage to brain cells. 3.3 TAURINE AND THE LIVER Liver synthesizes bile, which is a mixture of bile acids, salts, bilirubin, cholesterol and fatty acids, stored in the gallbladder. It is also responsible for the detoxification of harmful substances, but only if available in sufficient quantities. The bile acids act as detergents to solubilize or emulsify food into digestible components. This detergent action is due to the presence of both lipophilic and hydrophilic ends in the bile acids. The hydrophilic regions include sulfonates or carboxylate backbones. Mammals mainly use taurine and, to a lesser extent glycine, as the major amino acids that conjugate with bile acids to form biliary salts. Among the tauro-conjugates, taurocholic acid (TC), taurodeoxycholic acid (TDC), taurolithocholic acid (TLC), and taurocheno- deoxycholic acid (TCDC), can act as cholagogues (agents that promote the flow of bile into the intestine) or choleretics (agents that stimulate the liver to increase production of bile). The ratio between tauro-conjugate s and glycocholate in humans is about 3 : 1 and this ratio is adversely affected in cases of low taurine supply. In the absence of TC, bile salts can precipitate and form gallstones.9 3.4 TAURINE AND HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA In blood, cholesterol is carried in low density lipoproteins (LDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL). Elevated LDL levels are implicated in a range of heart and vascular diseases, including myocardial infarction (heart attack) and atherosclerosis (clogging of the arteries). Taurine can attenuate the increased levels in total and LDL cholesterol in animals consuming a high fat, high cholesterol diet.10 High fat diets produce hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, and accumulation of lipids on the aortic valve of the heart. Dietary taurine supplements are known to be beneficial in situations when the body cholesterol status is high, as well as normal. In particular, it has been demonstrated that taurine is capable of reducing plasma lipid concentration and visceral fat in diabetic rats as well as in obese humans.11 3.5 TAURINE AND OCCUPATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LIVER DAMAGE Exposure to toxic chemicals, which is a common hazard for industrial workers, has been linked to birth defects, sterility, headache, chronic fatigue, arthritic-like inflammation and many other symptoms. These chemicals have a deleterious effect on the liver and taurine is able to moderate the extent and severity of their side. Furthermore, it reduces the number of cancer antigen-positive hepatocytes and in several cases of chemical exposure, taurine also protected against DNA damage.12 3.6 TAURINE AND DIABETES Type II diabetes mellitus is one of the most common human diseases and its prevalence is constantly growing. This pathology is characterized by the reduced sensitivity of the cellular targets, mainly adipose and muscle cells, to insulin stimulation. Such alteration can lead to insulin resistance, hyper-insulinemia, hyperglycemia, and several other metabolic dysfunctions. Lifestyle, dietary habits, and environment can influence the appearance of diabetes.13 Taurine supplements administered to patients with type 2 diabetes were proven to be beneficial. Also, taurine alleviates clinical complications of diabetes, having beneficial effects on nephropathy and retinopathy. In animal models of experimental insulin resistance, it has been demonstrated that the metabolic alterations associated with diabetes are ameliorated by taurine administration.14 3.7 TAURINE AND THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM Taurine concentration is found to be high in the mammalian heart. The maintenance of cardiac taurine content is governed by a series of processes, which include transport, accumulation, binding, release, as well as metabolism. The availability of taurine in cardiac tissue is generally dependent on the transport process, because of its limited ability to be effectively synthesized in the cardiac tissue. Taurine deficiency may possibly be linked to cardiomyopathy, as it has been well reported in cats. Furthermore, conclusive evidence of the relationship between taurine and heart health was provided by studies with transgenic mice knocked out of its taurine transporter.15 3.8 TAURINE AND ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION Endothelial dysfunction is common among cardiovascular diseases and diabetes and it is known as one of the primary events in the development of atherosclerosis and diabetic angiopathies.16 Taurine has been shown to be a protector of endothelial structure and function after exposure to inflammatory cells, their mediators, or other chemicals. Treatment of activated macrophages with taurine inhibits the generation of NO and other inflammatory mediators, which is present in high amounts in inflammatory cells, seems to be uniquely capable of modifying homeostasis in both target and receptor cells through antioxidant calcium flux and the osmo regulatory pathway. Finally, taurine was proven to protect endothelial cells from damage induced by hyperglycemia and oxidized LDL.17 3.9 TAURINE AND LUNG FUNCTION The depletion of taurine is particularly harmful to pulmonary tissue. Alveolar macrophages, which reside on the surface of lung alveoli, ingest inhaled particulates to clear the alveolar spaces. However, alveolar macrophages, much like the general macrophages, become more susceptible to ROS and more pro-inflammatory when deprived of the antioxidant protective capacity that taurine provides. Fibrosis may also result from toxic chemical exposure. There are numerous factors responsible for toxin-induced damage to lung cells and tissue in animal models of induced interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. In several cases, the administration of taurine, niacin or a combination of both, yielded promising results, and can reverse increased lung lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, the ability to scavenge ROS and to stabilize cell membranes contributed to the suppression of lung collagen accumulation and oxidative stress damage. Asthma is a chronic disease characterized by bronchial obstruction and airwa y hyper reactivity with neutrophil accumulation. There is increasing evidence that excessive production of ROS along with defective endogenous antioxidant defense mechanisms may be responsible for asthma. In an animal model of allergic asthma, taurine content was found to be reduced and oral treatment with taurine produced anti-inflammatory responses. Similar effects have also been demonstrated in humans.18 3.10 TAURINE AND THE KIDNEY In the kidneys, taurine is found at a high concentration, which is regulated by the reabsorption at the modulating proximal tubule according to its dietary intake. In alleviating the diabetic nephropathy, taurine serves as an osmolyte, an endogenous antioxidant and an inhibitor of phosphokinase C (PKC) in mesangial cells. The beneficial effects of taurine may be due to its well-known anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities.19 3.11 TAURINE AND RETINAL PHOTORECEPTOR ACTIVITY The common eye disease cataract demonstrates the importance of lens condition. It is speculated that cataract formation may be largely due to the oxidation of protein in the lens. Consequently, a lack of antioxidants could be a major factor in the development of cataracts. Since taurine acts as an antioxidant directly, it prevents changes in the levels of glutathione, ATP and insoluble proteins, molecular factors that predispose to cataract formation.20 Furthermore, taurine plays a critical role in the structure and function of the photoreceptors, specifically rods, which are responsible for seeing in both low illumination and night conditions. The promotional effect of taurine in cellular regeneration is compromised with drugs that induce the activation of PKC or phosphate inhibitors.21 Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is characterized by visual field loss and night blindness. Nutritional factors are now recognized as important factors in the reversal of RP. Experimental finding suggests t hat RP patients recover their visual capacities with the addition of nutrients, including taurine, which has been found to be beneficial. Taurine and zinc interact with each other to influence the development of the retinal structure and function in the eye. Both molecules promote the healthy oscillatory potentials necessary for vision. Deficiency of taurine has been identified as the cause of all these diseases and clearly demonstrates its vital role in vision.22 3.12 TAURINE IN BONE TISSUE FORMATION AND INHIBITION OF BONE LOSS Bone tissue contains cells and the extracellular matrix, which is composed of collagen fibers and noncollagenous proteins. In bone tissue, taurine is found in high concentration, similar to that found in the liver and kidneys. This taurine-bone interaction is one of the latest added to its long list of actions.23 In bones, taurine acts as a double agent. It is involved in both bone formation and inhibition of bone loss. In addition to these two major actions, taurine has beneficial effects in wound healing and bone repair. 3.13 ANTICANCER ACTIVITY OF TAURINE Taurine has been found that taurine has radio protective properties and anti-mutagenic effect, reducing nucleic acid damage. The chemo-preventive activity of taurine and, in particular, 1-(2-chloroethyl)- 3(2-dimethyl sulfony) ethyl-11-nitrosourea derivative (e.g., tauromustine), have been used against colon and hepatic cancers. In hepato-carcinogenesis, the degree of membrane damage and the fall in glutathione function were reduced when oral taurine was given prior to exposure to carcinogens. These findings suggest that taurine, by inhibiting lipo-peroxidation and preserving the glutathione antioxidant system, offers protection against membrane breakdown.24 Recombinant interleukin-2 immunotherapy is utilized as a therapeutic approach in certain types of cancers. However, it may produce a cytotoxic effect on both tumor cells and healthy vascular endothelial cells. In such cancer therapy programs, taurine reduces interleukin endothelial cell cytotoxicity without compromising the antitumor activity of the immunotherapy. In addition, when taurine is used in conjunction with interleukin, it actually increases the tumor cytotoxicity. For the treatment of intra peritoneal (abdominal) tumors, researchers have studied a taurine derivative, taurolidine, as both an alternative and an adjunct to heparin, a standard substance used to prolong the clotting time of blood. In certain cancers, the amino acid profile yields data about the disease that is useful to better assess the therapeutic approach. Colorectal cancer patients exhibit a characteristic amino acid profile with significantly lower intracellular levels of taurine, glutamic acid, methionine , and ornithine and elevated levels of valine. Likewise, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck exhibit a profile that is marked by decreased taurine.25 4. CONCLUSION This review highlights the divergent effects of taurine on different tissues. Thus, further studies on taurine could exemplify the beneficial role of taurine in human health and disease. 1

Masque Of The Red Death :: essays research papers

In "The Masque of the Red Death", Poe leads one event into another often. He uses much symbolism, and in the paragraphs below, I will show you it. In the first couple of paragraphs however, I will summarize the plot and state the theme. In this plot, Poe begins by talking about the Red Death, basically setting the stage for later events in the story. Then, he talks about Prince Prospero, which tells the reader that Prospero and the Red Death will have a conflict later in the story. Next, Poe gives a short summary of the setting, and also mentions that the "Red Death" was not there. After this, Poe gives a description of the rooms. The first room had blue ornaments and windows. Poe then makes each room darker until he gets to the seventh, which is black. This shows that death is coming to Prospero. Also, in the seventh room, the windows are blood red, which also shows that the "Red Death" is coming. Also, the ebony clock keeps on ticking, which is slowly setting up the conflict, Prince Prospero vs. "The Red Death." Also, the color of the wood is also symbolic. Ebony is black, so again death is symbolized. At the end, or conclusion, the clock strikes 12, and "The Red Death" makes its appearance, and kills Prospero. In the plot, I believe that the talking about the Red Death and Prospero is the introduction, because it introduced the two big influences in the story. I also think that the descriptions of the rooms is the rising action, because it gives the setting for the conflict. The conflict is Prospero trying to avoid the Red Death, which is man vs. nature. The falling action in the story is when Prospero is caught by the Red Death, and the conclusion is that he is dead. The theme of the story is that you cannot escape death no matter how hard