Muscular Dystrophy: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

Muscular Dystrophy: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments Muscular Dystrophy Background Information: Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a genetic disorder that causes the deterioration of skeletal muscles, the muscles that enable the human body to move. People with muscular dystrophy have missing or incorrect information within their genes, which prohibits the development of the proteins they need for healthy muscles. Due to fact that muscular dystrophy is genetic, it is not contagious or contractible from another person; a person must be born with the problem. Muscular dystrophy breaks down muscles over a period of time, causing the patients of the disease to gradually lose their ability to do daily and simple tasks, like sitting up or bending down. A patient with muscular dystrophy may have symptoms as a baby or later on in their life. Duchenne muscular dystrophy, also known as DMD, the most common type of muscular dystrophy, is caused by the incorrect information with the gene called dystrophin. The function of this gene is to help muscle cells keep their strength and shape. Without the presence of this gene, muscles begin to deteriorate and a person’s health becomes weaker. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is one of the types that affect boys, and symptoms of the disease begin to show between the ages of two and six. Most children with duchenne muscular dystrophy will require transportation by wheelchair by the age of ten or twelve. Patients with duchenne muscular dystrophy may experience heart complications, and need to be meticulously monitored by pulmonologists and cardiologists. They can also develop scoliosis and tightness in their joints. DMD is a muscle degenerative disease. Muscles that control essential tasks, like breathing may grow weak, requiring the patient to use a ventilator. Treatments Diagnosis: A basic physical exam will be performed by the doctor to look for the general signs of muscular dystrophy. Following this examination, the doctor will request information about your medical history. This includes any concerns you have, your past health, any medications you are currently taking, your immediate family’s health, any allergies you may have, and other matters. Blood tests can help the doctor narrow down which type of muscular dystrophy a person has and eliminate the possibility of other genetic diseases that damage nerves or muscles. One blood test analyzes the components of the patients blood, including, the levels of the enzyme, serum creatine kinase, and the levels of certain proteins that are responsible for chemical changes in the body. Abnormally high levels of serum creatine kinase in the blood from muscle cells indicates that the enzyme is causing damage to the muscle. Other blood tests are used to identify the presence of dystrophin, which is a gene that regulates muscle health and its shape. Blood tests are available to create a diagnostic from some of these disorders. There are also a few types of tests that look into the DNA of the patient. Different types of blood tests can be useful in diagnosing duchenne muscular dystrophy, and also a numerous amount of different types of muscular dystrophy. In some cases, a muscle biopsy is recommended. This procedure includes the doctor detaching a small sample of muscle tissue and analyzing it under the lens of a microscope. If a person is ill with muscular dystrophy, the sample of muscle tissue will visually show some abnormally enlarged fibers, and also evidence of fiber deterioration in different areas. How Is MD Treated? There is not a cure yet for muscular dystrophy, but any doctors and scientists are researching different methods to find a cure. Some scientists are trying to repair the abnormal genes that lead to muscular dystrophy so they will make the right proteins. Another group of scientists are trying to make chemicals and new medicines that will carry out the functions of the abnormal proteins in the body. Every single one of these scientists are working hard so that these chemical and genetic fixes will assist and hopefully cure the frail muscles to work properly in people with muscular dystrophy. There are a few activities children and adults alike can do by themselves to help their muscles. Certain stretches and therapy can help people with muscular dystrophy avoid stiffening of the muscles near the joints, also called contractures, which make mobility difficult and lock the joints in painful positions. In many cases, teenagers are equipped with custom braces to protect flexible joints and tendons. In a few cases, surgery is used to reduce the amount of pain and increase mobility that was reduced from contractures. Some of our body functions, like breathing, depend on certain muscles to properly work. A few patients with muscular dystrophy need artificial respiratory aids, such as a ventilator, to enable them to breathe. If a person was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy during childhood, that child may suffer complications including scoliosis, as a result of weakened muscles and joint inflexibility. For some variations of muscular dystrophy medication can be beneficial. For example, males with duchenne muscular dystrophy may be helped by a prescription called prednisone, and patients of myotonic muscular dystrophy might use the drug, mexilitine, to relax very tight muscles. Currently no scientific cure has been found for Muscular Dystrophy, disregarding its specific form. However, this is not a cause to be disheartened as various types of therapy and drugs are available and can assist a patient with DMD into their adult years. In order for you as a parent to fully develop an understanding about therapies available to your child, as this article continues, we will further discuss a rough outline of the benefits your child will be offered under the care of a specialist. Please keep in mind that these are only possible options that your child may choose from depending on how strongly he is being affected. These therapies also coexist with a clean diet and moderate exercise so as to keep your child as happy and healthy as possible. Most medical care for cases of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy include steroids such as glucocorticoids, prednisolone, and deflazacort.These medications are meant to delay muscle deterioration among other things and could quite possi bly be taken in repetitive or continuous periods of time. Before giving your child these medications, we humbly advise you to further research about their side-effects that they might hold. Some people with DMD acquire osteoporosis or thinning of the bones which may be caused by steroid treatment. This can be prevented by allowing your child’s intake of Vitamin D to increase whether by taking him out to enjoy the sunlight, by drinking lots of milk, by taking dietary supplements, or by taking bisphosphonates. If your child faces complications towards breathing, you might consider non-invasive ventilation which is simply a mask which delivers pressurised air to your child with minimal intervention in daily activities. Your child will have occasional ECG’s and may have to take certain drugs like beta-blockers to assist a weakening heart. Physical and occupational therapy are both liable and recommended courses of action for your child. For further information about DMD tr eatment please contact your local specialist. We are here to inform you, not discourage. If you have any troubles please feel free to contact us and talk it out. We are always willing to listen to your troubles. Please contact your doctor right away if any unusual symptoms or worsening occurs. Current Research: Although frustrating, current research has not yielded very many breakthroughs on new treatments and therapy for muscular dystrophy. Many treatments are short-term and are only able to prolong the lives of patients with MD. There are many research facilities as well as non-profit organizations currently involved in the development of new forms of medical care but drug development is somewhat delayed due to all the complicated processes needed to ensure its safety. In the lead is the NINDS (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) and the other institutes that fall under the umbrella of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). They are working diligently so that your child may benefit from modern-day technological advancements that will soon cleanse him of DMD. Recently, small scientific discoveries have been made that might lead to treatment production progress. Santhera, a pharmaceutical company, announced that Catena/Roxone might contribute to the delay of weakening abilities to respire. Another recent study was testing drugs commonly known as cialis and viagra. In a trial, young boys diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy were given a single dose of this drug and their blood flow to their muscles shot up. It is believed that this surge of blood flow may contribute to the delay of muscle deterioration, but has yet to be scientifically proven. Just a couple days ago a biotech company, Prosensa updated the scientific world about its latest program. They are planning to begin giving out doses of Drisapersen which is shown to skip over exon 51 in dystrophin and has shown promising results. For further updates on medical treatment for DMD and when it will be readily available to the global market, please feel free to contact us at our toll-free number during office hours and/or subscribe to our weekly emails in which we discuss the latest news concerning your child’s shining future. Why is its name Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy? What is the definition of Muscular dystrophy? Duchenne muscular dystrophy was named after its discoverer, the French neurologist, Guillaume-Benjamin-Amand Duchenne. The term muscular dystrophy is created by several numbers of medical terminology prefixes, word roots, and suffixes. Firstly, the word â€Å"muscular†, contains the word root â€Å"musc† which means muscle. The suffix of â€Å"muscular†, is â€Å"-ar,† which can be defined as â€Å"pertaining to.† The word â€Å"muscular,† means â€Å"pertaining to muscle.† Secondly, the word â€Å"dystrophy,† is composed of the prefix, â€Å"dys-,† and the suffix â€Å"-trophy.† The prefix â€Å"dys-â€Å"has the definition of â€Å"painful/difficult,† and the suffix â€Å"-trophy,† means â€Å"development.† In full, muscular dystrophy can be defined as â€Å"painful and difficult development that pertains to the muscle.† What are Genes A gene is the one sided unit that is passed down from generation to generation. A person can have changes (or mutations) in their genes which have the ability to cause many health problems for the person hosting the malfunctioning genes. Depending on the type of change, the effect can be small; like a change in eye color, or it can lead to major health issues. Mutations in a person’s genes results in the malfunctioning of genes. Within biology, we have learnt that in certain cases, there is a dominant gene that can hide the defective gene, which may also be called a recessive gene. In these cases, the dominant gene is strong enough to dampen the recessive trait, and keep the body functioning as it is supposed to. A person or any other organism can be born with gene mutations, or they can develop mutations over the years in their lives. If the gene mutation is present within the egg or sperm cells of the parents, the children/offspring can have the gene mutation passed down to them by their parents. When such a case as this occurs, the mutation is present within every cell of the body, and the human body is not able to fix the mutation on its own.

Homoerotic and Homophobic Possibilities in The Castle of Otranto Essay

Homoerotic and Homophobic Possibilities in The Castle of Otranto Eve Sedgwick describes the gothic novel as a â€Å"dialectic between the homosexual and homophobic† (92). Homosexuality was first recognized in the eighteenth century and resulted in far reaching social responses. With the establishment of the term â€Å"homosexuality†, social tensions appeared. These tensions found their way into novels as fears of sexuality and the struggle for sexual expression. Sedgwick terms this emerging homoeroticism as the â€Å"gothic unspeakable†, which is reflected through the depiction of male class and male sexuality (95). Although homosexuality is not explicitly discussed in the text of Otranto, some critics find the relationships and behaviours between the male characters to manifest Sedgwick’s queer reading of the gothic novel. Research on Walpole has yet to turn up any concrete evidence that proves he had a preference for men. However, analysts of Walpole’s letters have found that he had developed strong intimate relationships with men that can only be described as romantic, and therefore homoerotic in nature (Fincher 231). Historically, Walpole has also been accused of being effeminate. In a pamphlet written by William Guthrie, an attack is made on Walpole’s â€Å"ambiguous gender†, of which Guthrie describes Walpole as â€Å"delicate† of â€Å"the third sex† and â€Å"possessing a most ladylike manner† (Fincher 233). There is always the possibility that Guthrie’s pamphlet was only written out of anger. Never the less, it functions as a piece of evidence that suggests Walpole’s sexuality, as well as provides an indication of the attitude towards homosexuality at the time. If indeed Walpole had homoerotic tendencies, then his sexuality would â€Å"give rise to rec... ... wins at the end of the novel, as Manfred’s title and property is stripped from him. Whether this indicates Walpole coming to peace with his own sexuality is debatable, and one can only speculate. Never the less, Sedgwick’s queer reading of the gothic novel provides another unique perspective towards Otranto. Works Cited Fincher, Max. â€Å"Guessing the Mould: Homosocial Sins in Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto.† Gothic Studies 3 (2001): 229-45. Haggerty, George E. "Literature and Homosexuality in the Late Eighteenth Century: Walpole, Beckford, and Lewis." Studies in the Novel 18 (1986): 341-352. Napier, Elizabeth R. The Failure of Gothic. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1987. Sedgwick, Eve Kosofsky. Between Men: English Literature and Male Homosocial Desire. New York: Columbia UP, 1985. Walpole, Horace. The Castle of Otranto. New York: Oxford UP, 1996.

Maya Angelou: A Remarkable Renaissance Woman

A Remarkable Renaissance Maya Angelo: A Remarkable Renaissance Woman Maya Angelo is a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director. Throughout Angelinos writings, she expresses the realities of growing up in difficult circumstances and has now become one of the most influential figures of American literature. The works of Angelo reflect the strength of womanhood and the impact she has made during her lifetime. Despite being abused and molested as a young girl, Angelo has proven to the world her capability of accomplishing her dreams.Maya Angelo, originally known as Marguerite Johnson, was born on April 4, 1928, in SST. Louis, Missouri (Williams). She adopted the name Maya Angelo in 1953. Angelinos parent's divorced when she was only three years of age. Once the divorce took place, she and her brother, Bailey, were sent to live with their grandmother in the small town of Stamps, Arkansas (America's Renaissance Woman) . While living in Stamps, Angelo experienced the racial discrimination that was the legally enforced way of life in the American south, but she also absorbed the deep religious faith and old-fashioned courtesy of traditional African American life (Williams).After living with her grandmother for four years, Angelo went through a phase of silence. The silence was the result of being sexually molested by her mother's boyfriend (Williams). Angelo felt as if she did not have the right to speak after hearing news of her uncle murdering her attacker. Angelo felt guilty and that it were her words that had killed the man. Angelo fell silent and did not speak for five years after the death of her attacker (Williams). It was not until the age of thirteen, when Angelo and her rather rejoined their mother in San Francisco that she began to speak again.Maya was finally able to overcome her fear of speaking. Throughout the years that Angelo attended Mission High School, she excelled in her school work. Angelo was not only able to excel at school, she also surpassed in the workforce outside of school life. When Angelo was seventeen, she became the first African American streetcar conductor on San Franciscans Market Street Railway Cones). She also worked various jobs such as a cook, dancer, and singer Cones). Angelo proved that she was a very active teenager and worked diligently at whatever task she was given.It was during this time that Angelo was exposed to the progressive ideals that animated her later political activism. Maya gave birth to her son, Guy, at the age of sixteen. She and her son moved to New York City in 1957 Cones). While living in New York, Angelo became involved in many different activities. During her time there, she raised money for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (CLC) with a show called Cabaret for Freedom Cones). Angelo wrote, directed, and starred in the show. In 1972, Angelo rote the script for another movie titled Georgia, Georgia.The many plays and movies that Maya produced contributed to the fame she has received today. Although Angelo has a varied career as a singer, dancer, actress, composer, and Hollywood first female black director, she is most famous as a writer, editor, essaying, playwright and poet (Angelo). Given Angelinos reallocates existence – from poverty in Arkansas to Journalism in Egypt and Ghana and ultimately to her destiny as a successful writer and professor in the States – it has been no surprise that Angelo has not limited herself to only one or two genres (Meet the Writers).Angelinos career ranges in a wide variety from writing poetry to directing shows. She has written books of poetry, autobiographies, children's books, and screenplays Cones). Angelo has also been a singer, actress, and movie director. As a child, Maya loved to read and dreamed of one day being the author of her own book. Her favorite writers were William Shakespeare, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Longs Hughes, and W. E. B. Dubious Cones). These writers inspired Angelo to be the excellent writer she has become today. Angelo published her first short story in a Journal called Revolute ¶n in 1958 Cones).The events that took place during Mama's childhood in Stamps, Arkansas, led her to writing the well-known auto-biography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. This auto-biography illustrates the life that Angelo had to live and the struggles that she had to face to finally reach where she is now. Maya Angelo has been a strong influence in American literature. She has also made an impact with her involvement during the civil rights movement and being a women's rights activist. Angelo was among the first, if not the first, to create a literary franchise based on autobiographical writings (Meet the Writers).Angelo has become a populist poet due to her writings on paper and being a suede-voiced speaker. Angelo has been awarded numerous awards for her various products she produces or writes. An award do es not always have to be materialistic. It is Just as much or a greater award for Angelinos works to still be shared throughout the world today. Angelinos 1993 poem â€Å"On the Pulse of Morning,† written for Bill Silicon's presidential inauguration, was later released as a Grammar-winning album (Meet the Writers). The Springing medal in 1994 was awarded to her for her achievement in literature (Williams).Angelinos 1995 poem â€Å"Phenomenal Woman† is still passed along the Web among woman as inspiration (Meet the Writers). Before Angelo received these awards, she had become involved with helping Martin Luther King Jar. , and his Southern Christian Leadership Conference fight against racism Cones). Angelo also agreed to help Malcolm X, but two days after Angelo returned to the United States from a trip, Malcolm X was killed. Martin Luther King, Jar. And Malcolm X both influenced the decisions that Angelo wanted to change in her life. Angelo realized that she could infl uence people the same as they were both able to.Angelo decided that she would help African Americans achieve equality through her writings. Angelo was able to accomplish her goal, plus take on many more challenges. Angelo is now a great-grandmother and is a professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N. C (Angelo). Angelo states that she does like to be called Dry. Angelo (Angelo). Although she never went to college, she has been awarded more than 30 honorary degrees. Angelo is an American study herself. â€Å"l created myself,† she says. â€Å"l have taught myself so much. † The multi-talentedAngelo is very proud of her accomplishments in life. She still enjoys being politically involved and making a difference in the United States. Angelo shared, â€Å"I'm not a writer who teaches. I'm a teacher who writes. But I had to work at Wake Forest to know that. † This statement Just shows how important it is to Angelo to make a difference in others' lives. Maya Angelo has been a hard worker since she was a young girl. As a result of her hard work, Angelo has written and published many successful pieces of literature. She has also been awarded numerous prestigious awards.

Significant Figures Example Chemistry Problem

Significant Figures Example Chemistry Problem Here are three examples determining significant figures. When asked to find significant figures, remember and follow these simple rules: Any nonzero digit is significant.A zero between two nonzero digits is always significant.Trailing zeros are significant if they are at the end of a number and to the right of the decimal point.Leading zeros to the left of the first nonzero digit are not significant. For example, placeholder zeros in the number 0.005 are not significant (only the 5 is significant).If a number ends with a zero, but it is not to the right of a decimal point, it may or may not be significant. Generally, its safest to assume it is not significant. If you take a measurement where the final zero is significant, be sure to include the decimal point to make yourself clear. Significant Figure Example Problem Three students weigh an item using different scales. These are the values they report: a. 20.03 gb. 20.0 gc. 0.2003 kg How many significant figures should be assumed in each measurement? Solution a. 4.b. 3. The zero after the decimal point is significant because it indicates that the item was weighed to the nearest 0.1 g.c. 4. The zeros at the left are not significant. They are only present because the mass was written in kilograms rather than in grams. The values 20.03 g and 0.02003 kg represent the same quantities. Answer In addition to the solution presented above, be advised you can get the correct answers very quickly by expressing the masses in scientific (exponential) notation: 20.03 g 2.003 x 101 g (4 significant figures)20.0 g 2.00 x 101 g (3 significant figures)0.2003 kg 2.003 x 10-1 kg (4 significant figures)

Tori Amos and Her Archetypes essays

Tori Amos and Her Archetypes essays body: Tori Amos And Her Archetypes The lyrics of Tori Amos are some of the most complicated in music today. They remain the primary focus of her dedicated fans, as well as her detractors, despite the media's fixation on her past history of rape and abuse. They are complicated on many levels, and Tori Amos' lyrics demand a mythological approach to scratch the surface of her artistic vision. In several interviews, she has admitted to being much influenced by numerous books of symbology and others of Jungian psychology and their archetypal insights. "I don't fall in love much. I mean, I fall in love every five seconds with something but I don't go from boy to boy. I go from archetype to archetype" (Rogers 33). Most dominantly, her lyrics rely on concept of the archetypal woman in all of her aspects. Motifs of creation and destruction are also represented in her work. Her ideals of balance for herself and femininity in general have propelled her into stardom; her uses of archetyp es have led the way. The allusions to Christian mythology and obscure references in "Father Lucifer" delve deeper than the casual listener may recognize. Even Toriphiles, her avid fans like to affectionately refer to themselves in this way, are pushed to the edge of their comprehension in attempting to come up with a meaning for every image. Applying a critical mythological approach works best with "Father Lucifer's" imagery because the archetypes lurk just below the surface. The title of this song aids the audience in being able to place the situation -as does the song's tranquil melody; the speaker treats the Lucifer character with compassion and appreciation. Lucifer represents more than just the idea of the Christian Devil; he is the Jungian shadow. "The shadow is the invisible saurian tail that man still drags behind him" (Guerin 180). He is not unlike other symbolic representations of this archetype in literature, namely Milton's Satan. "Fathe...

Birthmark Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Birthmark - Essay Example Hawthorn strives to introduce new horizons to the public and gives them a deep understanding of certain intricate issues of life. The message implied by the story is that people who hopelessly try to see perfection in others only torture themselves and their dear ones as their souls are like barren lands which never get satiated no matter how much rain pounds on them. Main themes of the story explore issues like striving for perfection is only foolishness, people cannot become godlike figures to reverse or combat nature, and no clear line could be drawn setting beauty apart from imperfection. It is stressed that it is always the mix of beauty and flaws that creates uniqueness. In this commendable story about the fanatical obsession a husband has with removing a birthmark from his wife’s face so as to achieve perfection, it is identified that human race is riddled with flaws and no one has ever been known to be born with perfection or totally flawless beauty on the face of Eart h. The story did not win the appreciation of all critics as it also attracted some controversy when it was suggested that since the author demonstrated how a man could kill his wife in such a facile manner in the process of achieving perfection and then get away with the murder so conveniently if the consequences turn ugly, this story should be assessed as a failure rather than labeling it a success (Fetterley, cited in Frank 164-173). To some extent this claim made by critics could be held true as the story really contains a detailed description of how Aylmer, a scientist and husband of Georgiana, has a dream one night in which the trademark foreshadowing occurs regarding how the birthmark is connected to Georgiana’s heart. The extent to which Aylmer’s offensive obsession is grown by that point could be judged from the fact that he unconsciously decides to cut out his wife’s heart as well if that is what needed to be done to achieve perfection. Georgiana is pre sented as a doomed character in the story who does anything and is willing to go through an change, even physical, so as to please her husband but to no avail (Wright). The extent to which demure and faithful Georgiana is hell bent on catering to her husband’s needs could be judged from the quote that â€Å"with her whole spirit she prayed that, for a single moment, she might satisfy his highest and deepest conception. Longer than one moment she well knew it could not be† (Hawthorne, cited in SparkNotes Editors). This shows how much sadness and grief is instilled in Georgiana’s heart by his emotionally deadpan husband as she longs for just one moment knowing how longer than that she could never be able to satiate Aylmer’s soul as it always remained in search of something new and perfect. The quote that â€Å"for his spirit was ever on the march, ever ascending  .  .  . [requiring] something that was beyond the scope of the instant before† (Ha wthorne, cited in SparkNotes Editors) underlines this fact. That is why she even allows Aylmer to perform his experiments on her face so that the birthmark which kept her from becoming all perfect could be removed. Aylmer is introduced as a brainy scientist type who is emotionally a deadpan and fixated on seeing perfection around him to achieve which he is willing to cross all boundaries. Intent on achieving perfect

The Responsibility of Parents in the Crimes Commited by Children Research Paper

The Responsibility of Parents in the Crimes Commited by Children - Research Paper Example bankrupt and devastate the whole family, leaving them unable to recover and in a position to deteriorate rather than rise above incidents that have already caused difficulties within the family dynamic. In addition, a parent going to jail for the crimes of their child will create a series of long lasting consequence from which the family might also never recover. The inequities within the various socio-economic classes within the United States means that the poor would be punished to an unprecedented magnitude, leaving a further gap between lower classes and the upper classes. Parents should not be penalized for the crimes of the children, rather children and parents should be put through therapies and courses of treatment that can re-socialize them so that they understand their mistakes, can recover from the incidents, and can move forward towards more productive lives. This research study has been conducted in order to understand how criminal liability for the crimes of children th at is placed upon families would affect those families. The opinions of parents in relationship to this concept have been examined through the use of a focus group which was interviewed in a semi-structured format to encourage parents to discuss the topic and relate their beliefs on the feasibility and consequences of holding parents responsible for the crimes of their children. Through qualitative methods of discovery, the opinions and experiences of three sets of parents have been examined to understand the belief systems that are in place in relationship to the responsibility that they hold for the crimes of their children in relationship to social and public consequences that society may choose to impose. Background The extent to which parents are liable for the crimes committed by... The study was significant in that it showed that the answer to the question of responsibility is both complex and in need of further study. Social and legal responsibilities are both structured to operate within the parameters of society as it is understood by its inhabitants. In this case, children have yet to fully come to an understanding of their world, thus their fantasy worlds seem to collide with it and create alternative belief systems that are outside of the understanding of their parents. Parents are at a loss to how they are supposed to control the emergence of beliefs when they are not always let into that world by their children. The example of fictional concepts, such as the film the Goonies or even the Harry Potter series reflect the idea that children often believe that the world will operate in a different way and it is through luck that their ‘adventures’ do not cause harm or come to tragic ends. This report makes a conclusion that the difficulty in coming to a conclusion through the discussion group stems from the personal connection that the parents have to a fear that something their child will do will result in a tragic event. With children, it seems, control is an illusion that parents try to assert but is still within the ability of the child to determine his or her behavior. Control is only asserted through convincing them that good behavior is better than bad behavior.