The use of steroids in major league baseball Essay

The use of steroids in major league baseball - Essay Example In every game, millions of fans attend and cheer for their favorite team and favorite players in Major League Baseball. Fans are awed and fascinated by the sheer talent of the players they so admire. Yet what most don’t know and refuse to acknowledge is that some of these players use steroids, or performance enhancing substances. Because of this the integrity of the game that is held dear by many Americans becomes questionable. Can it still be called sheer talent and skill in the sport when performance enhancing drugs are being used? That is the question that every team owner, officer or administrator, coach, player, and fans must keep in mind. The widespread use of steroids in Major League Baseball indeed is a grave problem that needs to seriously be addressed by baseball officials and the government. Apart from the negative and potentially fatal side effects that the use of steroids poses to the human body, it also encourages young players to use the substance in order to improve their game and qualify in the major leagues (Mitchell, 2007).In an article in USA Today, Rep. Tom Davis, chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform, stated that "college athletes believe they have to consider steroids if they're going to make it to the pros; high school athletes, in turn, think steroids are the key to getting a scholarship. It's time to break that vicious cycle, and it needs to happen from the top down." (as cited in Jenkins, 2005, para. 8). In addition to this, the use of the substance by players to raise and improve their statistics is unjust and unfair to the other players who are honest, hard-working, and just plain talented (Mitchell, 2007). It is unfair for the younger players who are clean to be competing against other athletes who are pumped up with steroids. Again, this makes the validity of baseball records and stats questionable, as the use of steroids enables the player to attain a level of productivity that they would not have been able to achieve using their own talent, efforts, and abilities (Grossman, Kimsey, Moreen, & Owings, n.d.). Indeed, the substance abuse of Steroids in Major league baseball is a form of cheating - the players who use this substance not only cheats their fans, other players, and the league, but they also cheat themselves in believing that it is good for them. The purity and integrity of the game itself is then lost. Steroids Anabolic androgenic steroids are synthetic substances from testosterone, the primary male hormone responsible for anabolism and catabolism of protein in muscles resulting to increase in muscle mass and reduction of muscle soreness that is normally felt after strenous exercise (Mitchell, 2007). This permits the steroid users, then to exercise more. When steroids are regularly used for a longer period of time, eventually the body develops resistance to the effects of the drug, and larger doses are then needed to achieve the desired effects of the drug. When this occurs, significant adverse effects may arise. As the primary physiologic effect of steroids is to raise testosterone levels, steroid toxicity may result to manic-depression and aggressive behaviors, may contribute to heart attack and stroke, hypogonadism, and infertility (Mitchell, 2007). Steroid abuse may as well result to a severe case of acne as the sebaceous glands are stimulated to hypersecrete oil on the face and body (Mitchell, 2007). In addition to this, it may cause enlargement of the prostate gland, gynecomastia or emlargement of the male breasts, and speeds up the physiologic process of balding in men (Mitchell, 2007). In adolescents, the use of steroids may inhibit the natural growth process as it causes premature fusion of growth plate in the long bones of the legs and arms (Mitchell, 2007). Steroid use has also been claimed to greatly contribute to athletic injuries (Grossman et. al., n.d.)

The role of temporary works in civil Engineering Construction Assignment

The role of temporary works in civil Engineering Construction - Assignment Example For example when setting up a scaffold it is advisable that your scaffold is supported by the ground but if that is not possible one can make it to hang above the ground or water using the hanging scaffold (Webster 1997). A good scaffold should also be able to have a safety mechanism in order to avoid injuries in case the scaffold fails thus in constructing a bridge one can chose to attach himself to the bridge to be safe incase the scaffold is failing. Formwork In his contribution Blackledge (1977) refers to formwork as the process that involves the addition of base material and also the addition of concrete that is in retaining wall so that they can be used as slabs during the construction of a bridge. Formwork is very essential since it helps to make the concrete last for long due to the fact that it makes it strong (Blackledge 1977). The strength property of formwork guarantees the much needed support that is needed in construction of the bridge. Formworks is used by making that needed shape using steel or aluminum so that the concrete is then poured into it so that a desired shape is produced. This is then allowed to harden. When it’s all dry the fabrications are removed and the formwork remains in place in that desired shape. Formwork is used to guarantees the strong support for the bridge during construction which always has to remain strong to avoid collapse (Blackledge 1977). Falsework In his book Webster (1997) talks of falsework as a term that is used to refer to the activity of supporting arches and spans in the process of constructing a bridge by using temporary support structures. This is a very essential practice in construction of bridges since it helps support the bridges from below in order to ensure that the bridges do not collapse as the construction is still continuing and can also be used to create a strong work base for the workers during the process of constructing a bridge. This always has to remain intact to the construction unt il that time when the bridge can self support itself without collapsing which in the long run helps to keep the bridge in position (Webster 1997). Temporary Support of Excavation During construction of a bridge it might involve excavating various sections of the work site so as to achieve a certain level of ease during the construction of bridge (Hummell 2011). For example during construction when the building is to start like two stories below the ground then excavation will have to be done in order to achieve this. Also good to notice is that sometime exaction is done for example when gravel is need for construction so that it is dug from a place. After excavation it’s a good practice to always support the excavations in order to avoid collapse of the walls during construction according to Hummell (2011). There are two types of excavation that can be used in supporting an excavation walls; this can either be flexible support or rigid excavation support. When one uses Flexib le support then it would take sheet pilling, soldier pile and lagging walls. On the other hand rigid support entails slurry walls, secant piles or even tangent pile (Hummell 2011). Construction Dewatering In his deep insight on dewatering Hummell (2011) talks of this process as a way that is used to achieve a certain degree of ease at the work site by ensuring that the water that may cause difficulty during the