Judaism Essays

Judaism Essays Judaism Paper Judaism Paper Judaism Name: Institution: Instructor: Course: Date: Section A The three people who have the main covenant are: Noah Abraham Moses Section B Every individual has a social responsibility towards other members of the society. The books of Deuteronomy, Exodus and Numbers give the guidelines that ought to govern man’s social relations. The social themes addressed are like those of equality, compassion, integrity, forgiveness and love. I believe that society has implicit rules that demand coexistence from the members of the society. There are particular pillars that enable the society to exist. These pillars are like those of love, compassion and equality. In my opinion, these pillars are similar to the moral virtues of Judaism. Equality is a core value that will promote harmony in the society. I believe that every individual is equal. This is by the virtue of them being human. Social status should not be the yardstick used to determine how individuals are treated. The moral attitude of Judaism encourages that our acts be governed by equality. The modern day society is dominated by biased attitudes. The wealthy members of the society receive better treatment and services. I believe that they are treated this way because of the influence they have. Integrity in the society is a sign of high levels of morality. The books of Torah talk about lending money to the poor without charging them interest and not hording the wages of a labour. Judaism upholds the virtue of being honest in ones actions. I. believe that these practices are seen as idealistic in the modern society. They are not a reflection of how social relations are governed today. Section C I find that the Jews had very high expectations of the Messiah. According to them, the expected Messiah was to save them from the political oppression that they had been subjected to by the Romans. I, however, feel that too much emphasis was laid on the political aspect of the Messiah. The Jews anticipated a political triumph that would then be justified be morality. This morality was embedded in the moral advancement that the universe would experience in the coming of the Messiah. In forming this kind of expectation, I believe that the Jews painted an idealistic view on the Messiah. The Jews were expecting a leader born in an influential family and one who was wealthy. In my opinion, these perspectives were what made the Messiah to be rejected when He dwelt on earth. I feel that the expectations of the coming Messiah were focused on the physical change that would be marked in his coming. In my opinion, Messianism signifies a period of Spiritual change and that the second coming of t he Messiah will bring about spiritual freedom. Section D I believe that the Sabbath is a day that is dedicated to the worship of God. I know that it is believed that worship should be an everyday affair, but the Sabbath is one day of the week where you isolate yourself and focus on activities that bring give God glory. These activities are like assembling with others to sing hymns, pray and fellowship. I know that the Sabbath is man’s way of emulating God’s rest after the six days of creation. I feel that individuals should take a rest from the normal activities and focus on showing God gratitude to God for His kindness. These normal activities are like carrying out one’s occupational duties, and going to school.

HIV Uses Trojan Horse Method to Infect Cells

HIV Uses Trojan Horse Method to Infect Cells Like all viruses, HIV is not able to reproduce or express its genes without the help of a living cell. First, the virus must be able to successfully infect a cell. To do so, HIV uses a veil of human proteins in a Trojan horse manner to infect immune cells. To go from cell to cell, HIV is packaged in an envelope or capsid made from viral proteins and proteins from human cell membranes. Like the Ebola virus, HIV relies on proteins from human cell membranes to gain entrance into a cell. In fact, Johns Hopkins scientists have identified 25 human proteins that have been incorporated into the HIV-1 virus and aid its ability to infect other body cells. Once inside a cell, HIV uses the cells ribosomes and other components to make viral proteins and to replicate. When new virus particles are formed, they emerge from the infected cell cloaked in a membrane and proteins from the infected cell. This helps the virus particles avoid immune system detection. What Is HIV? HIV is the virus that causes the disease known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. HIV destroys cells of the immune system, making an individual infected with the virus less equipped to fight off infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), this virus may be transmitted when infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions come in contact with an uninfected persons broken skin or mucous membranes. There are two types of HIV, HIV-1, and HIV-2. HIV-1 infections have mostly occurred in the United States and Europe, while HIV-2 infections are more prominent in West Africa. How HIV Destroys Immune Cells While HIV may infect different cells throughout the body, it attacks white blood cells called T cell lymphocytes and macrophages in particular. HIV destroys T cells by triggering a signal that results in T cell death. When HIV replicates within a cell, viral genes get inserted into the genes of the host cell. Once HIV integrates its genes into T cell DNA, an enzyme (DNA-PK) uncharacteristically sets off a sequence that leads to the death of the T cell. The virus thereby destroys the cells that play a major role in the bodys defense against infectious agents. Unlike T cell infection, HIV infection of macrophages is less likely to lead to macrophage cell death. As a result, infected macrophages produce HIV particles for a longer period of time. Since macrophages are found in every organ system, they can transport the virus to various sites in the body. HIV-infected macrophages may also destroy T cells by releasing toxins that cause nearby T cells to undergo apoptosis or programmed cell death. Engineering HIV-Resistant Cells Scientists are attempting to develop new methods for fighting HIV and AIDS. Stanford University School of Medicine researchers has genetically engineered T cells to be resistant to HIV infection. They accomplished this by inserting HIV-resistant genes into the T-cell genome. These genes successfully blocked the entry of the virus into the altered T cells. According to researcher Matthew Porteus, We inactivated one of the receptors that HIV uses to gain entry and added new genes to protect against HIV, so we have multiple layers of protection what we call stacking. We can use this strategy to make cells that are resistant to both major types of HIV. If it is shown that this approach to treating HIV infection could be used as a new type of gene therapy, this method could potentially replace current drug therapy treatment. This type of gene therapy would not cure HIV infection  but would provide a source of resistant T cells that could stabilize the immune system and prevent the deve lopment of AIDS. Sources: NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Scientists discover how HIV kills immune cells; Findings have implications for HIV treatment. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 June 2013. (www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130605144435.htm).Herbein G. and Kumar A. The macrophage: a therapeutic target in HIV-1 infection. Molecular and Cellular Therapies. Published 2 April 2014. (molcelltherapies.com/content/2/1/10).Stanford University Medical Center. Immune cells engineered in lab to resist HIV infection, study shows. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 22 January 2013. (sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130122101903.htm).