The Cuban Revolution Essays - Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro

The Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution Final Draft The Cuban Revolution was in various ways different from the American Revolution and in other ways similar to it at because it had the same purpose and it also succeeded. Therefore, it can be rightfully said that the Cuban Revolution is an example, among others, of revolutions following the steps and ways (set of guidelines) of the American Revolution, which led it to be a victorious one. It could also be said that this revolution also offered a number of contrasts to the American Revolution, thus making it clear that the American Revolution was a very unique and special kind of revolution that can never be exactly repeated by any other nation. One main similarity between the Cuban and the American Revolution is that they both held the same purpose, which was to overthrow the current abusive government and establish a new one that would serve the people rightfully and advance social and economic justice in the nation. Abuses of Batista's regime began on the same day that he came into power, when he suspended the constitution, dissolved the congress and instituted a provisional government, promising elections the following year. After crushing an uprising by a young lawyer, Fidel Castro, on July 26, 1953, the regime seemed secure and when the political situation had been calmed, the Batista government announced that elections were to be held on the fall of 1954.* That year Grau San Martin, Batista's opponent, withdrew from the campaign just before the election because he claimed that his supporters had been terrorized. Thus, Batista was reelected without any opposition since he brutally suppressed political opposition and le t his people live in appalling poverty. He crushed worker, peasant, and student opposition. Between 1952 and 1959, 20,000 Cubans were assassinated by Batista's henchmen. * The bodies of those assassinated were often dumped in public places with their eyes gouged out to intimidate the rest of the population; sending a message that any kind of opposition would not be tolerated at all. The Cuban economy under Batista's government brought little wealth to the Cuban people, 50% of who did not have electricity; 40% were illiterate and 95% of the children living in rural areas suffered from poverty-related diseases. * Before the 1953 uprising, Fidel Castro had written a pamphlet denouncing Batista as a tyrant and calling on young Cubans to be prepared to sacrifice their lives in a fight for freedom. Castro's friends distributed the pamphlet throughout Havana, and many of them within the Ortodoxo party began to conspire with him to overthrow Batista. Castro continued violently denouncing th e Batista government and encouraging armed rebellion through articles in the underground newspaper, El Acusador (The Accuser), of which he was political editor. During the summer of 1952, Castro had begun to turn his network of friends into a revolutionary movement. In several cities and villages, Castro's friends organized military training units; each composed of ten revolutionaries and their leader. The leaders answered directly to Castro. Almost all of those who joined this young military force were between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two. This organization of Castro's was kept secret as he established contacts with other revolutionary leaders throughout Cuba. However, in July 26 (1953), the storming of the Moncada Barracks by 150 young rebels led by Castro ended up in failure with most of them being killed and those eventually captured were put on trial. Castro was given a separate trial on October 16, at which he gave an emotional and eloquent two-hour speech denouncing ty rants such as Batista and claiming that the rebels' cause would one be victorious. Marta Rojas, a young editor at the time and later the editor of the Cuban government's official newspaper Granma, transcribed Castor's closing statement of his speech in court, which would become famous to all Cubans: ? I know that jail will be as hard as it has ever been?; but I do not fear this, as I do not fear the fury of the miserable tyrant who snuffed out the life of seventy brothers of mine. Condemn me, it does not matter. History will absolve me! The entire statement, reproduced in several forms and distributed widely throughout Cuba,

buy custom Nursing Informatics Tools essay

buy custom Nursing Informatics Tools essay Though not very new, nursing informatics is growing at a very first rate due to the new developments in technology each and ever day. The advances in technology is radically altering approaches used by nurses diagnosing, treating, caring for and managing patients. Cleveland Clinic Nursing Institute (2010) consequently defines nursing informatics as an area of expertise integrating nursing science, information science and computer science in managing data, information and knowledge in practice of nursing. For this reason, the field of nursing informatics is concerned with the resources, devices, and techniques needed to optimize, acquirement, storage, retrieval, and use of information in nursing. Tools for nursing informatics are not only limited to computers. Nonetheless they encompass formal nursing terminologies, communication and information systems and nursing guidelines. Currently there are many trends in healthcare that make use of nursing informatics tools. One of such is collaborative computing that makes use of internet to carry out research online. This has in turn encouraged productivity in the field as very many individuals all over the globe are allowed to share information and ideas instantaneously (Clinic Nursing Institute, 2010). This could also be accomplished on community of practice, telenursing networks, E-health networks, and virtual social networks. There are also a number of electronic devices, some hand held, that are used to collect the needed data, store the information and also some are used for data analysis. Very many decisions in health care support system now rely on tools for nursing informatics. Turley (1996) asserts that to allow accurate and standard exchange of data/information content between providers and system, there is use of medical vocabularies that are controlled. There are also other standards like the ISO used to regulate the nursing practice. Buy custom Nursing Informatics Tools essay

Placement of Spanish Adverbs

Placement of Spanish Adverbs As a general rule, Spanish adverbs  and adverbial phrases  are placed near the word they modify, generally right before or after. English is more flexible in this regard- it is common in English to see an adverb placed further away from the word it modifies, often tacked on the end. Examples of Adverbial Placement Note, for example, the differences in these two equivalent sentences: Aprobà ³ facilmente el examen de geometrà ­a euclidiana.She passed the Euclidian geometry test easily. In Spanish the adverb, facilmente, comes immediately after the verb, aprobà ³. In English, however, easily comes at the end of the sentence, with four words coming between it and the verb. Although it would be possible to place easily immediately before passed, it also would be acceptable to place an additional description after test and still keep easily at the end. In Spanish, it is possible to place the adverb after the object of a verb, but only if the object is made up of just a word or two. For example, either of these sentences would be an acceptable translation for The county issued two licenses previously: El condado emitià ³ dos licencias previamente.El condado emitià ³ previamente dos licencias. Emitià ³ here is the verb in the sentence, and previamente is the adverb. Previamente couldnt be placed at the end if licensias were followed by a description. For example, if the sentence were talking about business licenses, licencias de empresa, previamente would have to be placed next to emitià ³: El condado emitià ³ previamente dos licensias de empresa. If many words had followed the verb, the adverb would not be able to used at the end. An example using a variation on the last sentence would be: El condado emitià ³ previamente dos licencias de matrimonio para parejas jovenes.  The adverb previamente has to go close to the verb emitià ³. Otherwise, native speakers would not immediately connect the meaning of the adverb with the verb. Before or After the Word Being Modified? Depending on how the adverb is used, it can be placed before or after the word being modified. For example, is the adverb modifying a verb, another adverb, or an adjective? The type of word being modified usually determines where the adverb is placed in the sentence. Usually, an adverb that modifies a verb is placed after the verb. For example, The economy is based principally on three businesses, is translated as,  La economà ­a se basa principalmente en tres empresas.  Basa is the verb and principalmente is the adverb. Adverbs of Negation Exceptions to this rule are adverbs of negation such as no  or nunca, meaning no or never. Negating adverbs always precede the verb. For example, No quiero ir al cine, means,  I dont want to go to the movies. The adverb, no, comes before the verb, quiero.  Another example,  Marà ­a nunca habla de su vida personal, means, Marà ­a never talks about her personal life. The placement of the adverb is exactly the same as in English. The adverb, never or nunca, goes immediately before the verb, talks or habla. Modifying Another Adverb An adverb that modifies another adverb comes before the adverb being modified. For  example,  Pueden moverse tan rpidamente como la luz, means,They can move as quick as light. The literal translation of the sentence is, They can move really fast like the light. Tan, meaning really, is modifying  rpidamente, meaning,fast. Adverbs Modifying Adjectives An adverb that modifies an adjective comes before the adjective. Estoy muy contento, means, I am very happy.  Muy is an adverb that means, very, and contento is the adjective, meaning happy.   Adverbs Modifying an Entire Sentence An adverb that modifies an entire sentence often comes at the beginning of the sentence, but there is some flexibility, and it can be  placed in different spots in the sentence. For example, take a look at the sentence, Possibly, Sharon will postpone her trip. There are three possible placements of the adverb, posiblemente, and they are all correct: Before the verb:  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Sharon  posiblemente  retrasar su viaje.After the verb:  Sharon retrasar  posiblemente  su  viaje.At the beginning of the sentence:  Posiblemente, Sharon retrasar su viaje.   Key Takeaways Spanish adverbs are placed close, and usually next to, the words they modify.Descriptive Spanish adverbs usually come after the verbs they modify but before adjectives they modify.When an adverb modifies the meaning of the entire sentence, its placement is flexible.

Critical Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Critical Reflection - Essay Example It means that a leader has to have high emotional intelligence and be mindful in order to be successful and competent. In the public health sector, leadership may come in the form of a Medical Coordinator or the Director of a large health organization like World Health Organization (WHO). Whether in the political arena, organizations, family or in public health organizations, leadership is a key component of managing people. A leader has to guide and direct his followers. The leader can only do that if he/she has a significant influence on his people. Ego and leadership do not correspond because leaders who are egocentric usually possess little knowledge and vice versa. Furthermore, Good leadership and management in the public health care sector will always lead to efficiency, elimination of mistakes, positive patient outcomes, and better population health outcomes. Dr. Kiran Martin is an example of good leaders who transcended insurmountable odds to transform the society positively. Owing to the fact that no single leadership style can work in all situations, various leaders have chosen distinctive leadership styles that suit their prevailing needs. Whichever leadership style adopted should benefit the lives of the followers and those of their leaders as opposed to making them miserable. The major types of leadership styles include transformational leadership, transactional leadership, autocratic leadership, participatory leadership, servant leadership, transcendent leadership, situational leadership, and Laissez Faire Leadership Styles. Any one of these leadership styles may be applicable in unique situations, depending on the characteristics of the leaders in question. While others require active participation of the leaders, some require a passive approach to public health management. As far as Laissez Faire Leadership Style is concerned, it is worth

The Reasons Why Abortion should not be Legalized Essay

The Reasons Why Abortion should not be Legalized - Essay Example In some countries, abortion is illegal while it is recognized in certain countries. It is a fact that abortions have been carried out whether legally or illegally. However, this is a controversial topic since it is regarded as a serious moral issue which is often viewed as wrong. As such, this argumentative paper seeks to critique an op-ed paper by Antoni which is entitled, ‘Abortion should be legal.’ Antoni takes a pro-abortion stance and argues that the choice should be left to the women to decide to have an abortion or not. Against this background, this paper is going to argue against abortion as suggested by Antoni since I strongly believe that abortion should be illegal. However, Antoni also suggests that abortion should be illegal. The paper will start by summarising the points made in this op-ed paper. The second part seeks to critique why abortion should not be legalized. A synthesis of the whole discussion will be carried at the end of the paper in order to arti culate the position taken by this writer in view of abortion. According to the op-ed article entitled ‘Abortion should be legal,’ there are different reasons why women should be given the opportunity to terminate unwanted pregnancies. This view is also supported by Warton (6) who suggests that abortion should be seen as the last resort for women to gain control of their lives after horrific situations leading to their pregnancies they would have encountered. In some cases, pregnancy is a result of incest or rape and it is advocated that a woman should have a choice of terminating the pregnancy in such a situation. This is seen as a viable alternative of liberating women who would have been traumatized by the experience encountered that could have led to the pregnancy. In the event that the pregnancy is against the mother’s wishes and is beyond her control, I agree that abortion should be treated as the most viable option that can liberate the mother from the sad events leading to the unwanted pregnancy. Tribe (3) also concurs that rape amounts to the denial of liberty to the victim who may live with sad memories or trauma which negatively impacts on her well being. In such as situation, termination of the pregnancy can be advocated. In some circumstances, pregnancy can be terminated if it endangers the life of the fetus or the mother and I share the same view with this idea. It may not be a noble idea to have a deformed child as she may not enjoy the life of a normal human being. In some instances, if the life of the mother is endangered as a result of the pregnancy, it can be terminated at an earlier date to avoid complicating her health which can lead to death. The case of Jane Roe v. Henry Wade is one good example where the US Supreme court upheld that the Constitution of the United States should not permit the government to interfere with a woman’s right to opt for an abortion. However, the anti-thesis statement of this op-ed sug gests that abortion should not be legal because it is immoral. I strongly believe in this assertion given that there is no person with a right to end life. Even a fetus must be given the right to life since its life cannot be simply terminated as a result of the mother’s wrongdoing in some cases. Usually, a child does not apply to be born hence it is the responsibility of the parents to make sure that the child is given the chance to be born alive. It is also my belief that ending life is ungodly given that we are all created in the image of God hence no one should have the right to end life.  

A Comparison Between Fitzgeralds Great Gatsby and Veblens The Theory

Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby and Veblen's The Theory of the Leisure Class  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   The American Dream is real; Americans are able to rise out of poverty and into leisurely lifestyles with a bit of luck and a lot of hard work. Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and Thorstein Veblen's The Theory of the Leisure Class both address issues of status and wealth that arise from peoples' pursuits of the American Dream. But the authors differ in their beliefs about the nature and motives of peoples' pursuits of wealth. To begin with, Fitzgerald disagrees with Veblen's notion of pecuniary emulation as being intrinsic behavior (a goal in and of itself). He does this by conveying that Gatsby's flamboyant lifestyle is as extravagant as it is only because it is goal-driven (Gatsby wants to get Daisy's attention). Fitzgerald's ideas about the consequences of "conspicuous leisure" and "conspicuous consumption" are no less critical of Veblen's theory. Fitzgerald conveys that those who engage in pecuniary emulation invite superficiality into their social lives an d relationships-a consequence which Veblen fails to even consider. Furthermore, Fitzgerald disagrees with Veblen's belief that pecuniary emulation is consuming (it demands one's focus) by subjecting characters such as Gatsby and Nick to different levels of non-consuming materialism. Fitzgerald believes that the pursuit of wealth for the purpose of invidious distinction is not what Veblen claims it is--that is, that the pursuit is neither intrinsic, fulfilling, nor necessarily consuming.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fitzgerald sees pecuniary emulation as voluntary, non-intrinsic human behavior. In The Theory of the Leisure Class, Veblen writes that wealth "... ...burse and use money-probably because he was a multimillionaire. Because of the biases inherent to the discussion of wealth, one must consider all of society's sentiments in order to obtain a comprehensive basis from which meaningful discourse can spring. Resources such as The Great Gatsby and Theory of the Leisure Class allow that ideal basis to become ever more tangible.    Works Cited and Consulted: Fitzgerald, F. Scott.   The Great Gatsby.   Simon and Schuster Inc., New York: 1991. Hobsbawm, Eric. The Age of Extremes. New York: Pantheon, 1994. Mizener, Arthur, ed. F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1963. Raleigh, John Henry. "F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby." Mizener 99-103. Thorstein Veblen, The Theory of the Leisure Class (New York and London: Macmillan, 1899   

Eggshell Membrane Reduces Joint Pain Essay

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Design Carmelo Galati, SeeSaw Creative Communications, cgalati@seesawcreative. ca Published Precision nutrition inc. , precisionnutrition. com aBSTRaCT Can Eggshell Membrane Reduce Joint Pain? BaCkGRound While many conventional treatments have been used to remedy chronic joint pain, interest continues to grow in the area of alternative, natural treatments. Eggshell membrane (EM) supplementation is a novel treatment for joint health, and has recently been shown to rapidly and continually improve joint pain in patients with osteoarthritis and joint and connective tissue disorders. The current study aimed to observe the effects of one particular eggshell membrane product (fast joint care+; FJC+) supplementation on chronic joint pain in physically active adults. METhodS Sixty adults (40. 2  ± 10. 2 y; 78. 6  ± 10. 2 kg) experiencing chronic joint pain supplemented daily with either 500mg FJC+ or placebo, over the course of 4 weeks. Participants also completed a weekly exercise protocol designed to challenge their irritated joint. Participants then rated their joint pain immediately, and one day after, this exercise challenge. RESulTS Participants in the FJC+ group reported significantly less joint pain post-exercise following FJC+ supplementation (-16. 13  ± 3. 60) when compared to those in the placebo group (–4. 30  ± 2. 84; p=0. 00171). In addition, during the 4 week study, both groups experienced decreases in next day joint pain (p=0. 0015), although there were no significant differences between the two groups (p>0. 05). ConCluSionS In the current study, daily FJC+ supplementation appeared to decrease post-exercise joint pain vs. placebo, although this effect did not persist 24 hours post-exercise. Because eggshell membrane research is in its infancy, further research may be needed to clarify its utility in managing joint pain. 1 Precision Nutrition | www. precisionnutrition. com BaCkGRound Why Study Eggshell Membrane? n the united States, over 20% of adults have reported doctor-diagnosed joint and connective tissue (JCT) disorders; this number has been projected to increase by 40% over the next 25 years [1, 2]. numerous forms of intervention have been used as treatments to improve joint pain. Conventionally, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (nSaids) and analgesics have been used to address joint pain associa ted with JCT disorders; however, their long term use has been associated with diverse and severe side effects including cardiac and gastrointestinal complications [3, 4]. Alternative therapies used to treat joint pain include dietary supplements; the most popular of these supplements being glucosamine, chondroitin and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM). While many turn to these complementary treatments to avoid the side effects associated with NSAIDs and analgesics, there is little evidence to support their effectiveness, and the evidence that does exist is equivocal [5]. Several large-scale human clinical trials [6], including the National Institutes of Health-sponsored Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial, as well as a few additional meta-analyses and reviews [5, 7] have reported limited effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin supplementation in reducing joint pain. However, other groups have noted long-term improvements in joint pain from glucosamine supplementation alone [8], and further enhanced effectiveness of combined glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate, rather than the separate use of either supplement [5, 9]. The question of their effectiveness in JCT populations is subject to ongoing debate. There has been growing interest in eggshell membrane (EM) supplementation as a treatment for joint pain, as it does not present the side effects of conventional treatments (NSAIDs). Eggshells and their membranes have been extensively analyzed 2 Eggshell Membrane Reduces Joint Pain for their components: the separate layers of the eggshell have been analyzed and found to contain several types of collagen (types X, I, V) [10-12]. Additionally, EM has been found to have notably high concentrations of a number of amino acids [13], collagenlike proteins [14-16], enzymes [17-19] and glycosminoglycans (GAGs). Glycosaminoglycans are of high interest, as they play key roles in connective tissue [20]. Glucosamine, hyaluronic acid and chondritin sulfate are important GAGs in EM (21, 22). With the high protein and enzyme content, and naturally occurring GAGs in EM, scientists and nutritional supplement companies have speculated that it could present a viable alternative to traditional joint disorder and osteoarthritis treatments. Additionally, while the aforementioned elements of EM have been detected, it should be noted that membrane components have not yet been wholly characterized; there are likely a number of compounds that have yet to be identified in the membrane. Some of these yet undetected elements may contribute to benefits or improvements seen in joint health. To date, very few studies have investigated the effects of EM supplementation on joint pain and range of motion. In rats, 4 weeks of EM treatment led to significant reductions in many proinflammatory cytokines (measured in plasma), notably including TNF-? nd IL-1 [23]. Two recent clinical reports [24, 25] investigated the timing and effectiveness of EM supplementation in JCT and osteoarthritis patients experiencing severe pain and limited range of motion. These patients received daily 500mg doses of oral EM for four to eight weeks. Rapid (seven to ten days) and continuous effects were seen in terms of reduced pain and stiffness, as well as im proved flexibility. In both investigations, there were no reports of adverse effects with supplementation. In the present study, we set out to observe the effects of EM (fast joint care+; FJC+) supplementation on joint pain within a physically active adult population experiencing chronic joint pain in one of four joints (ankle, knee, shoulder or elbow). As many adults use exercise to manage joint and connective tissue disorders, this population would likely see great benefit from adjunct therapies designed to reduce pain and increase range of motion. 3 Precision Nutrition | www. precisionnutrition. com METhodS What We Did. And How We Did It. Prior to commencing the study, all participants gave their informed consent. A total of 60 adults between the ages of 18 and 70 (45 men and 15 women; 40. 2  ± 10. 2 y; 78. 6  ± 10. 2 kg; see Table 1) agreed to participate. Each reported chronic pain in one of the following joints: elbow, shoulder, ankle or knee. Participants were recruited online through a popular health and fitness community and data were collected through self reports in a distance-based capacity. Participants were also prescreened to exclude those who had used any additional medications (methotrexate or immunosuppressants), NSAIDs, analgesics, or joint supplements (MSM, glucosamine or chondroitin) two weeks prior to the start of the study. Those with egg allergies, or who were pregnant or breastfeeding, were also excluded. Participants were asked to refrain from use of pain medications throughout the study period. TaBlE 1. dEMoGRaPhiCS of BoTh SuPPlEMEnT and PlaCEBo GRouPS GRouP MalES fEMalES aGE (yRS) WEiGhT (kG) knEE loCaTion of Join Pain ShouldER ElBoW anklE Supplement Placebo 23 22 7 8 41. 0 +/- 10. 0 39. 4 +/- 10. 5 78. 6 +/- 10. 4 78. 6 +/- 10. 1 12 13 10 10 6 5 2 2 Sex, age, weight, and reported joint pain area are shown for each group. In order to participate, individuals had to be exercising regularly, at least three times per week. They were screened for their regular physical activity (reported 4. 8  ± 1. 1 exercise sessions/wk), and asked to ensure that both their exercise and nutritional regimens remained unchanged over the course of the study. After matching for age, sex, and affected joint, participants (n=60) were randomly assigned to receive either the EM supplement (fast joint care+; FJC+), or a placebo supplement for 4 weeks. These groups did not differ significantly in terms of age or weight, contained similar numbers of men and women, and contained similar numbers of individuals with shoulder, elbow, knee, and ankle pain (see Table 1). All supplements were provided to subjects in identically marked containers, and all capsules (placebo and FJC+) were identical in appearance (color, flavor, size). All participants were instructed to take their â€Å"supplement† once per day, at the same time of day (i. e. first thing in the morning, with breakfast). 4 Eggshell Membrane Reduces Joint Pain Each capsule of the FJC+ supplement contained 500mg of Gallus gallus (chicken) eggshell membrane extract (a commercial preparation sold as fast joint care+ by Genuine Health, Toronto, Ontario); additional non-medical ingredients included rice flour, magnesium stearate, gelatin, and water. The color and flavor matched placebo capsules contained only rice flour, magnesium stearate, gelatin, and water. The individual components of FJC+ were not quantified in the supplement as the product is intended to be used as a complete eggshell membrane extract, without additional ingredients (ie. additional glucosamine, chondroitin, etc. . In addition to their normal exercise program, participants were asked to complete an additional exercise challenge once per week. This exercise challenge was to be completed on the same day of each week (Monday) and at the same time of day (in the morning, after supplementation and breakfast). The exercise challenge for those with chronic shoulder or elbow pain consisted of pushups. For those with chronic knee or ankle pain, the exercise challenge consisted of jump squats. Each of these sessions involved performing 10 sets of 5 repetitions of the given movement, with 2 minutes of rest between sets. Immediately after each exercise challenge session, participants rated their specific joint pain on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at two time points: within 10 minutes of completing the challenge and 24 hours following the challenge. Compliance to the exercise programming and supplementation schedule was self-reported and logged by participants; those logs were provided to researchers weekly via email. Subjects were also asked to report any side effects during the trial. Joint pain was assessed using a 100mm visual analog scale (VAS), and participants submitted this information via electronic form. A self-assessment was performed at the two time points (post-exercise, and next day after exercise) for each of the 4 weeks. Each subject was asked to â€Å"click on the line below to indicate how severe the pain is on the affected joint with 0 being no pain and 100 being pain as bad as it can be†. Responses were submitted electronically on a weekly basis, after each pair of assessments. VAS scores were then measured in millimeters from the left hand end of the scale to the point marked by the subject. Data were collected across the 4 weeks of supplementation, and analyzed using a two-way ANOVA with repeated measures (i. . MANOVA). In cases of significant interactions (p? 0. 05) post-hoc analysis was performed using Student’s t-test for comparison between groups, and paired t-test for comparison within groups (JMP, SAS Institute Inc. , Cary, NC). The VAS ratings were reported on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 indicating no pain, and 100 representing greatest pain. Where ap propriate, change scores were examined after adjusting absolute scores and then comparing between groups with a one-way analysis. All values are reported as mean  ± SEM, and statistical significance was set at p? 0. 5. To summarize the protocol in brief: During week 1 of the investigation, subjects took their first 500mg dose of FJC+ with breakfast on Monday. After breakfast they immediately performed their first exercise challenge and then rated their joint pain using the VAS described above. In addition, they rated their joint pain on Tuesday, 24h later. During each subsequent week, subjects repeated the same protocol, providing 4 weeks’ worth of joint pain data, with week 1 serving as a baseline. 5 Precision Nutrition | www. precisionnutrition. com RESulTS So What Happened? Following 4 weeks of supplementation, participants in the FJC+ group had a significantly greater decrease in post-exercise joint pain compared to participants in the placebo group (-16. 13  ± 3. 60 in the FJC+ group and –4. 30  ± 2. 84 in the placebo group; p=0. 0171; see Figure 1). Figure 2 illustrates changes in joint pain between groups across the 4 weeks of supplementation: main effects were found for both time (p=0. 0003) and the interaction between group and time (p=0. 0354). 0 Change in Joint Pain Index (VAS) -5 Placebo FJC+ -10 -15 -20 * -25 Figure 1. Mean change in joint pain (measured with VAS) following 4 weeks of supplementation. Participants in the FJC+ group experienced significantly larger decreases in post-exercise joint pain compared to participants in placebo group (p=0. 0171). Note: absolute scores were adjusted into change scores, which were then compared between groups using a one-way analysis. 6 Eggshell Membrane Reduces Joint Pain 50 Joint Pain Index (VAS) 40 30 20 10 0 1 2 Weeks 3 4 FJC+ Placebo * Figure 2. Post-exercise joint pain (measured with VAS) across 4 weeks of supplementation. There was a main effect for time (p=0. 0003), and an interaction between time and group (p=0. 354), indicating greater joint pain decreases in the FJC+ group (-43. 4%) than the placebo group (-30. 6%). Post-hoc analysis showed between group differences from week 1 to week 4 (p=0. 0171). Note: higher VAS values indicate more pain. In accordance with Figure 1, post-exercise joint pain in the FJC+ group decreased by 43. 4% while the placebo group experienced a 30. 6% decrease in pain over the 4 week period. Post-hoc analysis shows a mean difference between groups when comparing overall change in pain from week 1 to week 4 (p=0. 0171). Next day reports of joint pain also decreased over time (p=0. 015; see Figure 3) with next day joint pain decreasing by 46. 7% in the FJC+ group (from 35. 34  ± 4. 33 during week 1 to 18. 82  ± 4. 38 during week 4) and by 40. 9% in the placebo group (from 26. 38  ± 4. 58 during week 1 to 15. 59  ± 4. 01 during week 4). There were no significant differences between the groups’ joint pain scores across the 4 weeks of supplementation (p=0. 1971 for group and time interaction). 7 Precision Nutrition | www. precisionnutrition. com 50 Joint Pain Index (VAS) 40 30 20 10 0 1 2 Weeks 3 4 FJC+ Placebo Figure 3. Next day joint pain (m easured with VAS) across 4 weeks of supplementation. A main effect was seen for time (p=0. 0015). However, there were no significant differences between groups across the 4 weeks (p>0. 05), indicating similar joint pain decreases in both the FJC+ group (-46. 7%) and the placebo group (-40. 9%). Note: higher VAS values indicate more pain. Participants in both placebo and FJC+ supplementation groups did not report any side effects during the study. 8 Eggshell Membrane Reduces Joint Pain diSCuSSion Some Clarifications About Our Work The results of this investigation suggest that four weeks of supplementation with 500mg fJC+ daily improves post-exercise joint pain vs. upplementation with placebo, specifically in physically active adults experiencing pain in the ankles, knees, shoulders, and elbows. Other investigations using EM supplementation have observed similar reductions in joint pain, specifically in populations with osteoarthritis and JCT disorders. In one randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, daily oral administrat ion of either 500mg placebo or 500mg EM was given to patients with knee osteoarthritis [24]. After 10 days, rapid improvements in both joint pain and stiffness were seen in the EM group. Improvements in pain and stiffness were sustained (and enhanced) following 60 days of administration. A similar study with JCT patients [25] also observed both rapid (7 days) and sustained (30 days) improvements in pain and flexibility following daily administration of 500mg EM. There were no adverse events reported in either study, and the treatments appeared to be well tolerated by the patients. These statistically and clinically significant outcomes suggest that EM supplementation may be a natural and effective alternative therapy for both clinical populations with limited activity levels as well as physically active populations. Many of the various components present in EM have been thoroughly analyzed. Eggshells consist of a number of layers: an inner and outer membrane, a mammillary layer (connecting the eggshell and outer membrane), an outer palisade layer, and an outer cuticle covering the eggshell [10]. The inner and outer shell membranes are the first layers of extracellular matrix covering the egg itself [11]; the outer membrane is predominantly made of type I collagen, whereas the inner membrane consists mainly of type V collagen [12]. In addition, type X collagen has been reported to occur in both of these membrane structures [10]. EM amino acid profiles have also shown high concentrations of arginine, glutamic acid, histidine, cystine and proline [13]. Additionally, a number of collagen-like proteins (including hydroxyproline, hydroxylysine, desmosine, and isodesmosine) are primary structural components of the membranes. 9 Precision Nutrition | www. precisionnutrition. com Other components have been quantified in EM including: lysyl oxidase (reported to play a role in the development and repair of connective tissue), ovotransferrin, and lysozyme [17-19]. However, the presence of glycosaminoglycans in EM is of particular interest. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), such as glucosamine, are composed of repeating hexosamine disasccharides and act as major components of connective tissue [20]. Clearly, there are a number of individual components present in the EM that have known physiological roles in joint and connective tissue; however, EM is novel in that it is a natural extract that provides a combined source of these compounds. The absolute quantity of each component in the EM is not known, and those quantities may likely vary with each extraction in the supplement production process. Additionally, it is plausible that a number of yet unisolated elements, proteins, and enzymes exist in EM, which may also contribute to improved joint and connective tissue health. Therefore, the observed benefits associated with EM supplementation may not be directly attributable to any one specific component of the supplement (ie. lucosamine, chondroitin, etc. ); it may be more appropriate to assume that the combined effects of the known—and unknown—components of EM contribute to the observed improvements in joint health. A number of individual components in EM are known to have important roles in maintaining connective tissue in vivo, though the physiological mechanisms by which those components improve overall joint health through supplementation (flexibility, connective tissue repair and maintenance) have no t been measured in humans. One experiment, however, investigated the effects of EM supplementation on systemic pro- and anti-inflammatory markers in rats [23]. In this study, rats were given oral doses of EM for 7 days. Significant decreases were observed in plasma levels of numerous inflammatory antigens following supplementation; thus, it is possible that the anti-inflammatory effects of oral EM supplements may contribute to the improvements in joint pain ratings seen in human trials. More research is warranted to investigate these effects. Interestingly, the most pronounced effects of FJC+ supplementation in this study were present in post-exercise ratings of joint pain. This may be due to the proposed anti-inflammatory benefits associated with EM. If the exercise challenge used in this investigation led to acute joint inflammation, it stands to reason that the most pronounced impact of EM would be to reduce the pain associated with this postexercise increase in inflammation.