The Veil in Islam Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Veil in Islam - Research Paper Example Muslim women who strictly adhere to the requirement believe that it is an act of obedience to God and a stride towards freedom. In this regard, women’s freedom can be evaluated by their physical appearance rather than their intellect. The concept of veiling in Islam emanates from the need to maintain the association between the body and mind. It is often believed that covering the body is one way of shielding the heart from impurities. For that reason, men are admonished to avert their eyes from women, and subsequently, women are required to put on loose outer garments, and cover up their bosoms and heads (Hibri 8). Although the Holy Qur’an directs that women needs to veil themselves, the degree and style varies considerably depending on the situation. Veiling in Islam women is highly dependent on interpretation of various scriptures on the practice, culture, and personal preferences. According to chapter 33, verse 60 of the Qur’an, Allah says â€Å"O prophet! T ell your wives and your daughters, and women of the believers, that they should pull down upon them of their outer cloaks from their heads over their faces. That is more likely that they may thus be recognized and not molested†. There are two distinct interpretations of this scripture that has created two forms of veiling. In light of the instruction, some Muslim women choose to cover their heads while others choose to cover their faces. However, there are others who choose to adopt a compromised position of the two by covering their faces, only when they apply makeup (Ali 719). Majority of Muslim women veil themselves because of the need to uphold modesty, dignity, respect, and safeguard themselves from evils and harm. There are two fundamental parameters, which come from hadith or traditional reports, and Qur’an that guide the Islamic women dress code. The first parameter comes from Qur’an, and is indicated that a woman’s body should be covered in such a manner that only her feet, hands, and face are revealed, except under uncontrolled circumstances (Qur’an 24: 30-31). Additionally, women are required to put on loose clothing so that their body structure is not revealed. The second parameter come from hadith, and states that Muslim women should not put on clothing similar to that of men, or in a manner similar to those who do not believe God. This implies that their clothing should be simply modest, and not overly fancy or ragged. The traditional reports or hadiths presented a number of instances where women were admonished to cover up their nakedness. Scrutiny of the reports reveals that the definition of a woman’s nakedness is so wide and covers her entire body. Ibn Qudama in al-Mughni (1: 349) posited â€Å"all of the woman’s body is considered her nakedness† (Ali 412). In the Qur’an and the prophetic Sunna, there are some fundamental requirements that suggested the manner in which Muslim women are supposed to dress that includes; the extent of covering, thickness, looseness, color, appearance, and demeanor, variation from men’s clothing, variation from unbelievers clothing, and prohibition of ostentatious or vain dressing. Although modest dressing and hijab is mandated in the Qur’an, many Muslims dispute that it is not a strict condition, but simply a strong suggestion. Because of varied interpretations and cultural differences, many women in the Islamic world have adopted fashions of their country.

Feminism and Kate Chopin's The Storm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Feminism and Kate Chopin's The Storm - Essay Example Louis, Missouri, all of whom were women of determination and intellect. This probably pointed her towards the path of feminism. Chopin lived and wrote her impressive repertoire of short stories in the second half of the nineteenth century, when the still patriarchal society revolved around the firmly rooted tenet that the ultimate goal of a fulfilled woman’s life was to be the ideal wife and mother and to adhere to the glorified virtues of submission and sacrifice. The feminist movement was very much in its’ nascent stages and centered round the demand for equal rights for women in the legal, political and educational spheres. Even before these issues could be resolved, Chopin’s stories delved into the complex threads of a woman’s life, including love, marriage, sex, women’s alcoholism, motherhood and autonomy. She was â€Å"a pioneer in her own time, in her portrayal of women’s desires for independence and control of their own sexualityâ₠¬  (Emily Toth, cited in Kate Chopin, n.d.). The concept of freedom for women, let alone their freedom to explore their own sexuality, was far beyond the comprehension of that age. Chopin wrote ‘The Storm,’ in 1898 but, perhaps anticipating a ‘storm’ of protest and condemnation, the story was published only after her death. In this portrayal of a woman’s extramarital affair, beautifully orchestrated to match the cadences of the storm raging outside, Chopin boldly asserts a woman’s freedom to explore and delight in her own sexuality, to participate in the sexual act as an equal partner and to fearlessly adhere to the same standards of sexual morality as a man. ‘The Storm’ begins its’ depiction of its’ protagonist, Calixta, as a woman who conforms to the mother and wife stereotype of that period. Her life, confined within the four walls of her house, is apparently quite satisfactorily filled with domestic chores like sewing and the laundry. She

Broken Windows And The Cpted Policing Strategies Criminology Essay

Broken Windows And The Cpted Policing Strategies Criminology Essay CPTED and Broken Windows policing are both successful strategies for reclaiming crime-ridden public spaces (i.e., crime hot spots) by reducing crime opportunities and changing the publics perceptions of what are acceptable behaviors in those specific areas. The Broken Windows theory is a policing strategy based on the basic principles, which holds that ignoring the little problems such as graffiti, loitering, houses and building with broken windows tend to add up and typically end up destroying a neighborhood good social life. The term Broken Windows come from the term used in 1982 article in The Atlantic Monthly by James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling. Broken Window s theories, propose that in addition to ignoring minor crimes and the minor sings of disorder the results will be additional disorder and ultimately lead to serious crimes to be committed. In additional program capable of altering the safety and live hood of a community is one that requires the physical environment to be altered. Before one considers implementing Crime Prevention Thorough Environmental Design (CPTED), a working definition and basic understanding is essential. The CPTED is a very broad study and it entails a re-design of hot zone environments to encourage desirable behavior, and functionality, and decreased antisocial (criminal) behavior. Although the CPTED field is gradually expanding to encompass affective, psychological, and sociological environmental design-known as the second-generation CPTED, its traditional focus has still been emphasized on altering the environment through effective physical design. The Broken Windows theory created a positive environment were people who feared becoming crime victims would no longer want to abandon their communities. Instead it promoted community members to stay active in programs focused on prevention and reduction of criminal activity. In addition Broken Window policies sparked a revolutionary change in policing. In trouble neighborhoods were home foreclosures were the highest, the police worked with the community to improve the foreclosed homes physical appearance in turn improving the appearance of the community. If a window was broken the owner had to immediately replace it, if an owner was not found then the community replaced the broken windows. If the front yarn needed maintenance once again the owner was contacted if the owner could not be contacted the community would set up volunteer to help clean the yard. If there was graffiti on the walls they would immediately get painted over or scrubbed, then establish tough zero tolerance polic y to deal with graffiti artist. If there were abandoned cars then immediately haul them out. The Broken Windows theory can be applied to almost every other city or county where one resides. There is always that one part of a city where its known to fit into this theory. For example in some phoenix neighborhood that had drinking bars and liquor stores, customers were not allowed to drink outside. The business in collaboration with local police would make sure that there wouldnt be any homeless and drunks on the sidewalls. The residents would also establish community programs to help the homeless and individual dealing with alcoholism. Another example would apply to the growing problems the Buckeye police had to deal with, due to the high rates of foreclosed homes. The Broken Windows theory has implied that crime is more likely to occur in areas that are abandoned and not well taken care of. Broken Windows theory as explained by James Q. Wilson and George Kelling in 1982 (Peak and Glensor 99), they describe how not only physical signs that an area is unattended is where crime will more likely take place, but also the type of public it is attracting to those areas. When home owners abandon their homes, criminals would tend to hide or be out of the publics sight on foreclosed homes. The homes are also a loitered and frequented by drug users. Foreclosed homes will then tend to become hanging out spots for the local youths. The abandoned homes will then tend to get vandalized and have possible property damaged. Eventually these homes will deter potentially home buyers. However, Broken Windows Policing is not an answer to eradicate all crime, instead policies are intended to be proactive and preventive in working with the community and the local police to prevent and deter crime. Adequate implementation of broken windows policies and the ability to carry out Crime Prevention thorough Environmental Design resourcefully, play the most important role in removing un-wanted targets that may lead to opportunities for offences to be committed, such as larceny, auto theft, home burglary and many white collar crimes. When youre able to carry out broken windows policies and prevention through the effective implementation of the CPTED then the community would be and will remain crime free. Crime Prevention Thorough Environmental Design (CPTED) is different from other crime control approaches that attempt to change the disposition or surrounding factors the offenders. Crime Prevention Thorough Environmental Design (CPTED) policies do not deal with the crime or the criminal activity directly. Instead, situational Crime Prevention Thorough Environmental Design (CPTED) theories are based on changing the individuals environment. Crime Prevention Thorough Environmental Design (CPTED) prevention also targets potential victims by changing their interaction with their environment , with an end goal of positively changing the victims behavior .Effecting an environment is a way to reduce the likelihood of individuals of becoming crime victims as a cause of their environment conditions (wrong place at the wrong time). Crime Prevention Thorough Environmental Design (CPTED) will also tend to target public building designs that will target women and children for immediate situational crime intervention, since they will have higher chances of victimization. Crime Prevention Thorough Environmental Design (CPTED) ignores the individual, instead if focuses on the individuals interaction with its immediate social, psychological and physical environment. The theoretical stance in s Crime Prevention Thorough Environmental Design (CPTED), has a great deal in com ­mon with social learning theory (R.V.G. Clarke 1982), determines a productive interaction between the individual and the environmental scenarios. To prevent and to reduce crime the individuals interaction with their environment must be analyzed. Architects emphasise that to reducing delinquency in high schools it is just as plausible to locate the causes of delinquency in the individual as in the environment (1980: Newman) .Crime Prevention Thorough Environmental Design (CPTED) policies have enable the reduction of crime though environmental design by deterring low-rate offenders form being able to coming any crime, in addition (CPTED) policies are geared to identify and eliminate h igh-rate crime zone (such as alley ways, dark hallways and dead ends) to directly deter offenders. Crime Prevention Thorough Environmental Design (CPTED) offers effective design measures for the community and will most likely change the criminal to be perception of committing a crime in that particular neighbourhood. In an attempt to change the disposition or personality of hot zone environment ffor example, the introduction of technology which enabled telephones to display the calling number on a potential victims phone served to reduce the number of obscene phone calls (Clarke, 1991). Immediate physical changes on an environment, such as security visible cameras and constant recordings on videotape or DVDs on hot zones (such as liquor stores, alley ways, dark hallways and dead ends), will not only aid the police in convicting criminals but the cameras presence can also reduce the risk of personal items from being stolen and private property from being vandalized. For example in High School with dozens of unsecured and poorly labeled exterior(emergency) doors will not able to effectively control who comes and goes thought the doors. Intruders will have no restrictions and are free rein; as a result schools officials must rely on other security measures. Without the existence of a natural access control, school security officials much place a greater emphasis must on surveillance, territoriality, school social climate, and relying on security personnel to step in and compensate thus by changing the method on which unsecured doors are monitored the safety of the schools students have been increased . A similar argu ­ment concerning the negative aesthetics of an environment such as loud guard dogs, barbed wire and security cameras will deter any criminal activity from occurring. Policies through Crime Prevention Thorough Environmental Design (CPTED) will have an effect of changing the (criminals) individuals perception of a good target area prone to commit a crime; effective environmental designs will act a positive crime deterrent. To effectively maintain a crime free environment , governing bodies along with community planes must be required to approve effective planning policies but must also to effectively consult and address a communities social and criminal problems. Sometimes by just implementing slight aesthetic changes will imply that a criminal should be frustrated by CPTED measures being enforce. Adding lights to hot spots will additionally effect the deception of easy crime, (quick cash, etc.) and will also change a criminals decision, as to the time; location and ty pe of crime to be committed. The extend, under which these Crime Prevention Thorough Environmental Design (CPTED) policies get applied with immediately effect the motivation of the perpetuator and effectively deterring the opportunistic offender will be determined by its environmental designs. , both of these strategies CPTED and Broken Windows have the effect of increasing residents willingness to apply informal social control in an area These policing methods, Broken Windows Policing, Crime Prevention Thorough Environmental Design (CPTED) strategies require a substantial amount of trust on the police officers part as well as an active commitment/participation for the citizens part. Both of these methods of policing allow citizens to collaborate with community leaders, architects, social workers, designers and police agencies and develop environments that are not just esthetically pleasant but offer its inhabitants a guaranteed sense of safety and thrust. All participants will have to trust each other and know that each other is looking out for them to help everyone stay safe By understand how situational crime prevention is different from other crime control approaches by being able to bring together the policies and theories incorpo ­rated in rational choice theory and routine activity .Tends to lead to an increased focus on the relationship between certain environments and types of crime. We understand why certa in locations usually generate more crime, or whether they just provide a suitable environment in which crime just happens to occur. The environment does not so cause crime as merely provide an appropriate setting for it to occur ­. It very important to understand broken windows theories and Crime Prevention Thorough Environmental Design (CPTED), perspectives within certain environments are more likely to encourage criminal activity and focus in positive environments are less likely to do so. CPTED and Broken Windows policing are both strategies for reclaiming crime-ridden public spaces (i.e., crime hot spots) by reducing crime opportunities and changing the publics perceptions of what are acceptable behaviors in those areas. Broken windows theories and Crime Prevention Thorough Environmental Design (CPTED) promote the quality of life and sustainable living environments through enhanced community safety. .

The Negative Impacts of the Harlem Renaissance Essay -- essays researc

The 1920’s were a period or rapid growth and change in America. After World War I American’s were introduced to a lifestyle of lavishness they had never encountered before. It was a period of radical thought and ideas. It was in this time period that the idea of the Harlem Renaissance was born. The ideology behind the Harlem Renaissance was to create the image of the â€Å"New Negro†. The image of African-American’s changed from rural, uneducated â€Å"peasants† to urban, sophisticated, cosmopolites. Literature and poetry abounded. Jazz music and the clubs where it was performed at became social â€Å"hotspots†. Harlem was the epitome of the â€Å"New Negro†. However, things weren’t as sunny as they appeared. Many felt that the Harlem Renaissance itself wasn’t so much a celebration of Black culture, but rather a regurgitation of White ideals. To these African-Americans, the Harlem Renaissance represented conformity and s ubmission to the White culture. Yet there were also those who were not even given the opportunity to be a part of the Harlem Renaissance. The poor Blacks in the South never received any of the racial tolerance up north. They lived in a world of racism and the Ku Klux Klan. The Harlem Renaissance did not redefine African-American expression. This can be seen through the funding dependence on White Americans, the continued spread of racism and the failure to acknowledge the rights of poor Southern African-Americans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harlem provided a source of entertainment for many people. With its Jazz Clubs and poetry readings it was the â€Å"hip† place to be. This was a shock to many African-American’s, who had never before had the opportunity to perform in such affluent surroundings. Oftentimes funding for these clubs or programs was provided by White Americans. This in itself was not a problem. However, the Harlem Renaissance became so dependant on the funding that when it stopped coming, there was no means by which to keep any of the clubs or literary cafes open. Some clubs in Harlem even discriminated against Black audience members. The popular Cotton Club, which featured solely Black performers, even went so far as to ban African-Americans’ from its audience entirely. Even in the Mecca of supposed racial equality, these sorts of discrimination were still prevalent. Advertisements for products produced by African-Americans were also skewed. Para... ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Harlem Renaissance was a time of growth and development in for African-Americans. They wrote novels, performed in clubs, and created the genre of Jazz. However, the Renaissance was imprisoned by its flaws. Rather then celebrating the unique culture of African-American’s, it oftentimes catered to what the White Americans would want to see and hear. Although racism seemed to be lower in Harlem and the Northern states, for many Blacks racism was at all time high. The Ku Klux Klan reached membership of astronomical proportions. They marched on Washington DC and handed out membership cards bashing minorities. Less educated Blacks, or those who couldn’t make it to Harlem, were often deemed ignorant. There was a barrier built between those Blacks with an education, and those without. And when the Great Depression hit, African Americans lost their jobs at a rate almost triple that of White Americans. Where was the equality Harlem had fought so hard f or? The Harlem Renaissance, although it did achieve some remarkable things, did not redefine African American expression. That ideal, would take many more years of strife, struggle, and segregation to achieve.

Fredrick W Taylor Essay

Frederick W Taylor was one who led a life of earnest development in the production and manufacturing sectors. His life was one the spurned on time study and one that advanced America and the world in scientific management. Taylor was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 20, 1856. He lived an eventful and noble life for 59 years and one day dying on March 21, 1915. Throughout his lifetime he was a great inventor with over 40 patents and a brilliant engineer (Britannica). In his early years Taylor was always learning and creating. At age 12, Taylor created a harness that would keep him on his back to try and prevent nightmares (www.stfrancis.edu). In 1872 he went to the Philips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. Here he led his class scholastically. After his completion of studies at Philips Taylor started working as a machine shop laborer in a steel plant named Midvale Steel Company. Quickly Taylor started to grow in position; he became a successful shop clerk, machinist, gang boss, foreman, maintenance foreman, head of drawing office, and finally chief engineer. It is evident to see that Taylor was a man of wisdom and drive, who never settled for anything less than the best. In 1881, at age 25 he introduced time study at the Midvale Plant. The project was a great success and as a result the profession of time study was started. While working at Midvale, Taylor studied at night to get a degree in mechanical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. As can be seen even from an early age Taylor had successes in new areas of study which spurned on his later life accomplishments. Throughout Taylor’s mid and late life he continued to advance and spread his knowledge of time study. He retired at age 45, after that he, his wife and their three adopted children lived in Philadelphia from 1904 to 1914. He continued to devote money and time to promote the principals of scientific management through lectures at universities and professional societies (Britannica). In 1906 Taylor was elected the president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and that same year was he was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree by the University of Pennsylvania (Britannica). Taylor was a man of expert wisdom and foresight and it is seen throughout his life as we just discussed but these characteristics primary shine when you look at his theory and successes of time study. He realized that production could be increased by standardizing this system of work (smallbusiness.chrono.com). Taylor’s time study theory was that he would break each job down into specific tasks and timed how long it took a worker to complete each task (smallbusiness.chrono.com). Then he specified exactly how each task was to be performed and what tools to use, then the workers were trained to complete the task in a certain way (smallbusiness.chrono.com). He did this because he believed that there was one and only one method of work that maximized efficiency as he said, â€Å"And this one best method and best implementation can only be discovered of developed through scientific study and analysis.† (Vincenzo Sandrone). He proved this theory at the Bethlehem Steel Works where they had 500 men shoveling coal. He performed his time and motion studies and found out that using a different shovel for different size coal that it increased the amount you could shovel. So as a result of these two studies men could shovel more coal for a longer period of time. Thus he effectively reduced the number of men shoveling coal to 140 (smallbusiness.chrono.com). This is the reality of his theory and the results speak for themselves. Also, Taylor worked alongside Henry Ford to create the first assembly line (smallbusiness.chrono.com). Taylor also used his expertise and applied it to moving pig iron. He increased the amount moved from 12.5 tons per a day to 47.5 tons of pig iron a day. This leads to another point of Taylor’s theory and it was that he believed that you had to choose the right people for the task. Relating the example just mentioned, Taylor said that not all workers were fully capable of moving 47.5 tons of pig iron per a day, perhaps only 1/8 of the pig iron handlers were capable of doing that. This is because their physical capabilities were well-suited for moving pig iron. This is Taylor’s point, that workers should be picked according to how well they suit a particular job. Taylor also had a motivational theory, called the economic man (Business Studies). This was that workers were motivated or encouraged by money alone and the only factor that could stimulate further output or work was the chance of earning extra money (Business Studies). Taylor always said that workers should be paid a ‘fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work’ and that the pay should be directly linked with output (Business Studies). This leads to a further point of Taylor’s, and it is called ‘piece rate’. To encourage this, workers were pay by each unit that they produced, and the first unit were paid at a low rate and the more the worker produced that higher the pay they received. He also believed that incentive wages were of no use unless they were coupled with efficient tasks that were carefully planned and easily learned (www.stfrancis.edu). Thus is Taylor’s main motivational suggestion; to link pay with output. Taylor also standardized the role of management. This included setting managers apart from operations and giving them more authority to set the tasks workers do (smallbusiness.chrono.com). Taylors’ attitudes toward workers were laden with negative bias â€Å"in the majority of cases this man deliberately plans to do as little as he safely can.† The methods that Taylor adopted were directed solely towards the uneducated (Vincenzo Sandrone). Taylor believed that the secret of productivity was finding the right challenge for each person, then paying him well for increased output (www.stfrancis.edu). He believed that incentive wages were no solution unless they were combined with efficient tasks that were carefully planned and easily learned (www.stfrancis.edu). Throughout this passage it is evident to see what a work Taylor accomplished. He is the father of scientific management and the one who spurned off time study. Taylor spent his whole life increasing efficiency in the workplace, working with making people and companies, most notable, Henry Ford. He and many others of his time like Henry Ford did work that put the United States on the leading edge during the Industrial Revolution. Bibliography 1. Frederick Winslow Taylor, Mary Ellen Papesh, www.stfrancis.edu/content/ba/ghkickul/stuwebs/bbios/biograph/fwtaylor.htm 2. Britannica, Frederick W Taylor, www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/584820/Fredrick-W-Taylor. 3. Herzberg & Taylor’s Theories of Motivation, Lisa Magloff, Demand Media, www.smallbusiness.chrono.com/herzberg-taylors-theories-motivation-704.html 4. Frederick W Taylor: Master of Scientific Management, www.skymart.com/resources/leaders/taylor/asp 5. Business Studies second edition, Peter Stimpson and Alastair Farquharson, Cambridge University Press 2010

The Pathology of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease which affects the nervous system, namely the brain and spinal cord. It causes damage the myelin sheath, the material that surrounds and protects nerve cells (Marieb, 2012). This damage slows down the process in which the brain relays messages to the rest of the body, leading to a variety of symptoms. Some of the most common include pain and numbness; fatigue; walking, balance, and coordination problems; bladder and bowel dysfunction; vision problems; cognitive dysfunction; emotional changes and depression (National Multiple Sclerosis Society, n. . ). Though the exact cause of MS is unknown, it’s widely thought to be an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body (Marieb, 2012). In other words, the body actually attacks its own cells. The immune system mistakes some part of the body as a pathogen and attacks it. The disease affects women more than men, often beginning sometime between the ages of 20 to 40. Recently, a study found that the incidence of MS appears to be higher in African American women than in caucasians, contradicting previous findings (Langer-Gould, Brara, Beaber, & Zhang, 2013). The disease is usually mild; however, some people lose the ability to write, speak and/or walk. No cause or cure for MS has been found. It remains a mysterious disease with no known pathogen or even known determinants of its severity and course. Three recently published studies say that salt may play a role in MS and other autoimmune diseases, although no study has found a direct link between high salt intake and increased incidence of MS. On a more peculiar note, researchers in England have been investigating how the month of birth (May and November) affects the chances of having MS later in life. It’s thought that it could have something to do with climate, sunlight, and intake of vitamin D (Disanto et al. , 2013). Many of the medicines available for use by MS patients only slow the progress of the disease. The most common treatments involve interferons. Interferons are a group of natural proteins (beta, alpha, gamma) that are produced by human cells in response to viral infection and other stimuli (NMSS, n. d. ). The FDA has approved three treatments in the form of beta interferon called Avonex, Betaseron, and Rebif. Beta interferon has been shown to reduce the number of exacerbations and may slow the progression of physical disability (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2012). When attacks do occur, they tend to be shorter and less severe. A synthetic form of myelin basic protein, copolymer I, has also been approved and it has few side effects. For more severe or chronic cases, an immunosuppressant treatment (mitoxantrone) has been approved. While steroids do not affect the course of MS over time, they can reduce the duration and severity of attacks in some patients. Spasticity, which can occur either as a sustained stiffness caused by increased muscle tone or as spasms that come and go, is usually treated with muscle relaxants and tranquilizers (NINDS, 2012). Patients can also help control symptoms through adequate physical activity and occupational therapy. Exercise, especially stretching exercises, helps relieve stiffness and promote flexibility and mobility. With advances in the understanding of the brain come advances towards developing a cure for Multiple sclerosis. Improved ability to create images of the living brain and spinal cord, new understanding of the brain's capacity for repair, and an overall accelerated pace of new discoveries about the cellular machinery of the brain have lead to new therapeutic strategies. These strategies include gene therapy, stem cell transplantation, and neuroprotection strategies (Joy & Johnston, 2001). Very recently, a biotechnology company developed a new MS drug based on peginterferon beta-1a. Studies of peginterferon beta-1a show that, when injected under the skin either every two or four weeks, reduced the relapse rate significantly more than placebo in a study of 1500 people with relapsing MS (Biogen Idec, 2013). Myelin and the cells that make myelin, called oligodendrocytes, are the main focus of many MS studies. Scientists and medical research organizations (such as The Myelin Project) are trying to find ways to stimulate myelin regeneration in patients by uncovering the mechanisms involved in myelin regeneration. Once discovered, they could eventually be translated to promising new therapeutic approaches to restore function in people with MS.