My Digital Projects

(Brittle Bone Disease)

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare disease in which the skeletal system and all its bones are extremely fragile and can break and fracture easily, often from very little trauma or force. It is also known as Brittle Bone Disease. The severeness of OI can vary from person to person. A person with OI can have several hundred fractures and breaks throughout their lifetime (“Osteogenesis Imperfecta”).

History

There is evidence that OI has affected people since ancient times. It has been recognized in an Egyptian mummy of an infant from about 1000 BC. The mummy is currently in the British Museum in London, England. A Viking leader who lived in the 9th century, Ivar Ragnarsson “Ivar the Boneless,” probably had OI (Wagner). He is reported to have been a very wise leader and a very fierce warrior who had to be carried into battle on a shield because his legs were so soft. Case studies of people with fragile bones and hearing loss began appearing in medical literature in the 1600’s. The term “osteogenesis imperfecta” was used in medical literature beginning in the 1840’s (About OI – OI Foundation).

Cause of OI/Genetics

OI is passed on genetically through a mutation or change in genes. People who have OI have a genetic mutation that carries the wrong set of instructions for making collagen, the substance that makes our bones strong.

People with OI have a mutation in one of the two copies of the genes (COL1A1 or COL1A3) that carry instructions for making type 1 collagen- the protein “scaffolding of bone and other connective tissues. The mutations cause a reduction in the amount of type 1 collagen made. Other people however may have a recessive inheritance pattern carried through families.

Dominant/ Recessive OI

In dominant OI, only one copy of the OI gene mutation is necessary for the child to have OI. If someone has dominant OI then they have a 50% chance of passing on to their offspring (Genetics).

In order to receive recessive OI, the gene mutation must come from both parents. Both parents d not need to have the disease however but both need to carry the mutation in their genes (Genetics).

This image shows the mutation of OI and how the mutation is recessive in this family.

Types of OI

Type 1: 

The most common type and much milder compared to other types. 

Bones are more likely to break from mild to moderate force and trauma and. Most bones break before the person hits puberty

Type 2: 

Most severe type. Causes death at birth or shortly after because of an inability to breathe. 

Most bones are broken during birth 

Lungs are generally undeveloped 

Type 3: 

 Most severe type is babies who don’t die as newborns. At birth, a baby may have slightly shorter arms and legs than normal and arm, leg, and rib fractures.

Type 4: 

Symptoms are between mild and severe. The bones of the arms and legs may not be straight. He or she may not grow normally.

Type 5: 

Similar to type 4. Symptoms may be medium to severe. It is common to have enlarged thickened areas (hypertrophic calluses) in the areas where large bones are fractured

Type 6: 

Very rare. Symptoms are medium. Similar to type IV.

Type 7: 

Similar to  type 4 or type 2. It is common to have shorter than normal height. Also common to have shorter than normal upper arms and thighbones. 

Type 8: 

Similar to types II and III. Very soft bones and severe growth problems.

Symptoms

Easily broken bones

Bone deformities (bowing in the legs)

Sclera (discoloration of the eyes) 

Curved spined

Barrel shaped chest

Weak muscles

Hearing and breathing problems

Most patients are small in stature

Treatment

Physical therapy

Fracture care

Bracing

Surgical Procedures

Medication

Biblography

About OI – OI Foundation. oif.org/informationcenter/about-oi.

Blocked. orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/osteogenesis-imperfecta.

Genetics. medicine.tamu.edu/class-files/webpath16/genhtml/genet051.htm.

OIFE - Osteogenesis Imperfecta Federation Europe. “What Is OI.” OIFE - Osteogenesis Imperfecta Federation Europe, 8 Dec. 2021, oife.org/what-is-oi.

“Osteogenesis Imperfecta.” National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, 4 Nov. 2022, www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/osteogenesis-imperfecta.

“---.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, 19 July 2022, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/osteogenesis-imperfecta.

Osteogenesis Imperfecta: MedlinePlus Genetics. medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/osteogenesis-imperfecta.

by Amir Agurs

“The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power, to create dynamics that separate and silence. Racist ideas have been woven into the fabric of this country, and the first step to building an anti-racist America is acknowledging America’s racist past and present”. - Ibram X. Kendi

Racism is the cancer of America. It is pervasive and has influenced and infiltrated every system of this country. America was not founded from a human rights standpoint and the constitution extended the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness primarily to white men. This final presentation will focus on the theme of race and racism across three key time periods 1) the onset of slavery and the science of race, 2) Jim Crow to Black power and 3) the age of social media to racial reckoning. 

RACE + OWNERSHIP = RACISM

In 1619 the first Africans arrived at the shores of Jamestown. They did not come by choice, but through brute force; captured from their homeland, transported across the Atlantic, to exist in a permanent state of chattel enslavement in a foreign land. Forced labor and indentured servitude were not uncommon practices throughout history. According to Elliot and Hughes (2019), “Africans and Europeans had been trading goods and people across the Mediterranean for centuries ---but enslavement had not been based on race” (Elliott et al.). The trans-Atlantic slave trade sparked a 244-year reign of terror and suffering on Black people supported by science and law. Despite this reality, Black people resisted, survived, and begin to create a new cultural identity in America. 

Racism as defined by sociologist Neely Fuller, is system of thought, speech, and action, operated by people who classify themselves as white, and who use deceit, violence, or the threat of violence to subjugate and abuse people classified as non-white, under conditions that promote the practice of falsehood, injustice, incorrectness, in one or more areas of activity, for the ultimate purpose of maintaining, expanding, and refining the practice of white supremacy” (Fuller 36).

Race became what Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie refers to as a single story. The single-story, she says, “creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but they are incomplete---making one story become the only story (Adichie 03:15–05:21). Race, as a US social construction and human invention, was developed to justify the enslavement of Black people and grant or deny benefits and privileges based on a hierarchy of racial superiority (National Museum of African American History and Culture). 

In Early American history, Racial stereotypes played an essential role in shaping the attitudes towards Black people (Green). During the mid-1800′s the scientific community tried to legitimize their racist ideas that Black people were inferior and only suitable for service (National Museum of African American History), lacked the intelligence to learn because they had smaller skulls, the initiative to work and the qualities for morality and domesticity to live in a society (“Racial Stereotypes of the Civil War Era”). The work of early European scholars helped to fuel anti-blackness that the Civil War and Emancipation did not undo. 

RACISM + JIM CROW = 100 YEARS OF TERROR

The Emancipation Proclamation of 1865, abolished chattel slavery, was signed into law by President Lincoln. Even though Black people were technically free, it was not until the ratification of the 13th-15th amendments adopted between 1865-1870, five years following the Civil War that slavery full ended (Reynolds and Kendi). These laws restructured the US from a country that was “half slave and half free” to a nation where freedom existed for all people, not just those that were white.

Reconstruction provided hope to Black people, allowing them to obtain the privileges and rights of being an American. For the first time in 200 years, Black people were able to function and be recognized in society as fully human. Black people were able to run for political office, own land, serve on juries, vote, and marry. By the end of reconstruction in 1877, over 2000 Black men had served in offices from senators to ambassadors (Locke and Wright). The promise of Reconstruction was short-lived because primarily southern white Americans became increasingly opposed to the idea of Black social and political power (Reynolds and Kendi). The response from white people was to use law and state constitutional provision to empower the south and kick off a 100-year reign of terror on Black people. 

The Jim Crow era (1876-1965) disenfranchised Black people through a set of laws referred to as the Black Codes and returned Black people to a subordinate position in society in order to maintained white supremacy and control over Black people lives (Reynolds and Kendi). Black people did could not serve on juries, run for political office,  own firearms, had no voting rights or civil rights. Many of the Jim Crow laws were focused on creating segregation and keeping Black Americans from white schools, public transportation, entertainment, parks, restaurants, bathrooms, and even water fountains (Reynolds and Kendi 54).  It would be almost 100 years before Black Americans would not enter the political field again and reclaim their human rights (Stefoff and Takaki 58-59).

The Jim Crow era led the way for the rise of white terrorism. From the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) to state-sanctioned violence, racism allowed Black lives to the threatened because of their race. Lynching became a regular part of life in the South after the Reconstruction period. From 1882 to 1968, 4743 people were lynched (“Lynching in America”), this included 3446 blacks and 1297 whites. The highest number of lynchings was in Mississippi, with 581 recorded lynchings (“Lynching in America”). Lynchings were used as a form of terror, to enforce Jim Crow and racial segregation and to keep Black people under control similar to how it was during slavery.  The assault on Black people would continue until the 1960s with the rise of the Civil Rights Movement.  

The Civil Rights and Black Power movement built on the historical acts of, resistance and insurrection that would lead to human and civil rights. The Civil Rights era saw many different laws that ended segregation, provided voting rights, and began to diminished the power of the KKK. Black people were finally getting the freedom to thrive, and with the death of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, a new type of self-determination was created.  “Black Power” was the rallying call for the pride, joy, and cultural identity people found in their Blackness.

TOWARDS RACIAL RECKONING

The chants for Black Power was replaced with Black Lives Matter. 400 years later, Black people are still demanding justice, freedom, and rights. With the rise of social media, people have been able to record racial acts of violence that are predominantly aimed at Black people in America. Instances such as police officers abusing their power, and the assault of Black people have steadily increased over the years. However, Black people, have not been passive and have been very active politically and socially to bring focus and awareness to the problem and push for solutions. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmad Aubrey, and so many others, sparked a new movement to hold police and society accountable for their historical assault against Black people. Calls to defund the police were spoken across the country. Protests and insurrections began in many major cities and across the world. For the first time, there was an acknowledgment of the value of Black life. George Floyd’s death showcased Black people’s suffering similar to how Emmit Till’s death shocked America in 1955. 

Racism in the present day is less tolerated than in previous times. Black people are still fighting for justice, but this time it seems different. Reparations were talked about in the presidential election, racism was deemed a public health issue and many people, places, and institutions require anti-racism training. Racism is a part of the public conversation in a way that it hasn’t been before. Racism, not race is seen as the problem, and the commitment to create a more just world keeps me hopeful that I can grow up as a young Black male in a different world that sees me as human and I can live my life to my fullest potential. 

This first semester, I have learned many new things about myself. I have learned that I have very good writing skills, I have learned that I enjoy U.S history very much, that math is a subject that I need more practice in, and that having gone to Oak Meadow for the ninth grade was the best decision I have made. 

This semester, there have been many hurdles I have had to overcome due to COVID-19, and the transition from in-person learning to online learning. The transition from middle school to high school was a very startling experience that made me realize just how close I am to become an adult. COVID-19 striking the U.S was a very shocking experience for me, and its waves of destruction have changed my plans for this year. 

In 2020 I was hoping to be at an in-person high school and hang out with other students my age who have similar interests as me. COVID-19 made it so that dream was changed. The transition from in-person to digital school was also challenging for me. The in-person school was easier for me because I had a teacher present teaching me the whole time instead of me having to do mostly independent work. I also miss the experience of working with classmates on assignments. This year I think I would not have done anything differently. While the pandemic brought so much pain and sadness, it has given me more time to spend with my family, and for that I am thankful.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Below you will find a summary of each of the areas of focus in my first semester. Each section will contain a brief overview of the writing assignment and links to read the full essay. At the end of the post, I will include what I am calling my scratch pad. This is the draft version of my essays, showing my writing process and the progression of each piece of writing. Let’s begin. 

READING PROFILE & NARRATIVE

Starting this course, I was required to read five essays each with a different theme, but a common thread that weave them all together.  Before I started my journey in writing, I read books -- hundreds of books because of deep love fore reading.  It is a place for me to relax and drift into my imagination. I started writing when I was in middle school. Writing just comes naturally to me, and that is why I have written a short story, and I am currently writing a Dark Fantasy story. This inspiration is what made me the writer I am today. For each of these essays, I have broken them down and compared their similarities and differences. These essays explored themes of nostalgia, perspective, passion, longing, obsession, mental illness, and desire. 

LEARNING PROFILE: HIGH SCHOOL IN A PANDEMIC

2020 and 2021 have been rough years for my learning and social life. Before this pandemic hit, I was in my last year of middle school. That year had started well, but when the pandemic struck, my whole life changed. The switch was very sudden, and the change at first was hard for me to deal with. However, the pandemic has its ups and downs, but you should enjoy the good things that come from it such as more time to spend with your family or go across the country. However, we should also think about those negative outcomes of the pandemic and understand why they have happened. 2021 has been great for me so far, and I hope that it will stay great. 

REFLECTIVE ESSAY: A TIME WHEN I HAD TO THINK FOR MYSELF

Before this, thinking for myself was a skill I had but I needed to develop it. The Reflective Essay was an assignment where I had to write about a time I had to think for myself. Writing this essay took a bit of practice and work but I eventually got the idea of what I had to do. The moment I chose to write about was applying to Edmund Burke. In the essay I talk in depth about why I chose this event and how I had to think for myself. 

ARTIST STATEMENT: THE BOOK OF SELF

  The Book of Self is one of my latest projects where I had to answer the questions, WHO AM I & WHAT DO I KNOW. This short essay talks about the inspiration behind the Book Of Self and why I chose to create it the way that I did. 

SELF UNDERSTANDING ESSAY

This essay is part of the last semester project, where I had to write about what I enjoyed and learned this semester, and how I think my next semester will be. I enjoyed the semester very much, but I go into much more details in the essay. 

I have always been fascinated by the history of Firearms; how they were created, and their original purpose. Firearms started out as a simple weapon that evolved into a dangerous weapon, but I think that it would be interesting to share how they were created.

Guns originated in China in the 10th century. The first gun was called the firelance or “huǒ qiāng,” which was a small pyrotechnic weapon used in close combat. At the end of it was a spear used in close quarters. 

In the 15th century the Arquebus, a German gun was created which was the earliest form of a rifle. The Arquebus had terrible accuracy. Since the bullets back then were balls, they would fly all over the place, and the muzzle of the gun was not rifled. 

In the 16th century, the wheellock handgun was made in Europe. This gun was more accurate and was fired by a spring connected to the wheel which spun when fired. The bullets in this time were more cylinder shaped so they could hit their target. 

Rifling is the grooves inside a gun barrel that allows the bullet or pellet to spin around so it can fly more direct. Original firearms were loaded by the muzzle, this required a little ball and a patch of cloth or leather.

The history of the United States is a country in North America. Native Americans lived in the Americas for thousands of years. The “Settlers,” white Europeans former from the U.K, won the Revolutionary War and started a new country. They signed the constitution on September 17, 1787, and wrote the Bill of Rights on September 25, 1791. 

The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the US Constitution, created in 1791 and was created rights such as the freedoms of speech, assembly, and worship. 

Amendment 2 states that a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. The Second Amendment was added in December 1791. The Second Amendment was written by James Madison and George Mason. It applied to white people being able to have firearms and use them for self-defense; however, this did not apply to black people, it was illegal at the time for them to own a gun. 

When the Civil War started in 1860, black men and women were drafted into the military to fight against the Confederacy. This was when black people first started using guns in war. During the Civil War, guns were used as a weapon to protect yourself, and so you could fight against the enemy on the opposite side. 

After the Civil War ended in 1865, Reconstruction began. The 13th Amendment abolishes slavery, and the 14th Amendment grants birthright citizenship to slaves, and the 16th Amendment grants enslaved Africans the right to vote. Enslaved black people were being elected as local officials, governors, members of congress. Reconstruction ended in 1877 when the last northern troops left the south. 

Black codes were laws made by Southern states in 1865-66 in the USA after the Civil War that restricted Afrikan Americans' freedom, and doing the work under low wages, voting, owning land, forbidden to own firearms or testify in court. 

It wouldn’t be till 1964 with the passage of the Civil Rights and the emergence of the Black Panther Party (BPP) that Black people more openly exercised their constitutional right to bear arms, protect themselves and their communities from terrorism by White supremacist and the police. 

In the 1980s crack cocaine began to flood the black communities. With this crisis came increased gun violence between black people, illegal use of and selling of guns, drugs, and other violent crimes. Some people argue that crack cocaine destroyed the civility of black people. In present-day communities and families are recovering. 

Also in the late 80s Gangsta Rap promoted by the NWA (Niggas With Attitude) celebrated violence, drugs, and assault against women in their music. However, the music also invoked social commentary, that reflected the lived experience of the artist. Gangsta rap changed the trajectory of hip hop and what exists today builds on this history. 

In present-day music, video games, and politics converge to reflect a culture that celebrates violence. When you add that to communities plagued by poverty and the effects of racism, violence appears to be healthy. It becomes a way to solve personal problems, to process hurt and stress, and exert power in a society in which black people often feel they have no control.