Lucy Essay free essay sample

We all realize that us humans have some sort of relation to apes and chimpanzees, but what evolved us from them to becoming bipedal hominids? In this essay I will be inculcating you about the evolution of humans, the captivating discovery of Lucy, an Australopithecus afarensis, and how her uncovering of a new species is so important to our advancement. Lucy is our oldest, most complete human ancestor and it lead to a controversial change in our view of human origins. Lucy is a 3. 15 million year old female hominid, of the genus Australopithecus, whose skeleton was uncovered on November 24, 1974 by Donald C. Johanson and Tom Gray in the Hadar region of Ethiopia. Donald Johanson’s first discovery consisted of a few pieces of a knee bone. He sent the bones to Owen Lovejoy, who was an anatomist and part-time forensic expert. He then examined the bone fragments and concluded that they appeared human, that the joint could â€Å"lock†, which meant the animal could walk upright. We will write a custom essay sample on Lucy Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This was an important discovery showing an ancient bipedal creature. They named their discovery, Lucy in reference to the well-known Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, which played over and over as they celebrated their findings. While only 40% of the skeleton was found, this uncovering of Lucy was very fascinating and answered many questions to our human evolution because it was the missing link between apes and the upbringing of hominids. The discoverers called Lucy, Australopithecus afarensis which stands for â€Å"southern ape of the Afar region†. This genus was one of the earliest species of hominids; the family of bipedal primates also includes homo hablis and homo erectus. While Australopithecus and Homo species vary in many ways, both hominids share common characteristics that define them as a group. The most distinct of these traits is bipedal locomotion, which means they could walk upright instead on being on all fours like apes. The particular and revolutionary characteristics of Lucy is that she had a small skull, a bipedal knee structure, molars, and front teeth of human form and size. Lucy’s skeleton proves that her kind was bipedal by the shape of her pelvis and the angle the femur takes from the hip socket to the knee joint. From her waist down she was hominid, and from her waist up she was still ape, as her skull was still the size of a chimpanzee. Her brain size varies in range from 365 to 385 cubic centimeters and had hand and motor cortex. Her species has a prolonged mouth, strong brow line, and a small forehead. She stood about three and a half feet high and weighed 60-65 pounds. The males were about twice the females size ranging from four to four and a half feet tall. This species also had about 100-120 different calls, hand gestures and signals. This suggests a intricate social and mating system. Evidence shows that she was probably young but fully mature when she died of natural causes. Her corpse is likely known to have sunk into a lake and over millions of years, the lake dried up, buried, and harden her bones which eventually fossilized them and preserved them for us to discover. The following year, again at the famous site of Hadar, Ethiopia, Donald Johansons team made the ground breaking discovery of the fossilized remains of some 13 individuals, known as the â€Å"First Family†. They believed that at that time, there was a mud slide that buried and killed tons of these creatures, in all age range, from babies to adults, both male and females. This was believed to be the oldest evidence of human ancestors living in groups. It had also provided us with much more understanding of their lifestyle and habitat. Lucy lived at a time when the Hadar region was not a desert environment like it is today. Instead, it was thought to be more like a woodlands and savannah domain. A. farensis, was not totally ape and yet not quite human, is thought to have probably lived in a variety of habitats. Having evolved into being bipedal as an adaptation to living in the open areas, like grasslands with few trees. They were thought to feed for seeds, berries, fruit, tubers, nuts and termites. The benefit of being able to walk upright gave them the advantage of free hands to grab food or carry their young, looking over high grassland, and developing a bigger brain. Unfortunately for them, they had long dry seasons with no rain which made the food source scarce. Without bipedalism we wouldn’t be able to develop into the hominids that we have become. The Hardy Weinberg’s equation is important for the concept of population genetics. In order for Hardy-Weinbergs equilibrium of no evolution occurring to work, the following seven conditions must be met: no mutations must occur so that new alleles do not enter, no gene flow can occur, random mating must occur, everyone produces the same number of offspring, the population must be large so that there is no genetic drift, natural selection is not occurring, and all members are breeding in the population. This equation does not work with humans because we do not randomly mate. Usually individuals choose a spouse who has positive attributes that they like, which can include personality, taste, attractive, good with children, intelligence, sometimes race/color, height, humor, etc. In Lucy terms they would want someone who is a good hunter, provider, and smart but they wouldn’t get that option of being picky because they couldn’t travel very far to selection their peculiar mate. Also, natural selection happens all the time as well as mutations but most are not harmful. So if you were to apply this to the A. afarensis, the majority would disprove this equation. A. afarensis were also good at tool making. They used horns and bones as tools but not as weapons, as many people though they did. Also, they would use some stone tools that were known to be the breaking dawn to human technology. Their main predators were â€Å"big cats† such as lions and leopards. They had little to no protection which made them easy prey. Leopards were excellent climbers but they could not climb as well as apes which made it hard to escape. Also the lions are very patient creatures, so they would wait under the tree until they would could down and then they would eat them. Eventually, the robust A. afarensis, a. boisei, a. robustus and a. aeithiopicus would go extinct but the gracile Homo Habilis, which was discovered 2. 6 million years ago by Lewis Leaky, would go on to become our ancestors. In Africa, some of the animals that relied on forest died out because it was too dry. For example, during this period Lucy had disappeared because this species cant survive in that situation. But other species evolved by exploring different dietary sources that were available in that time. For example, many evolved physical adaptations to graze on the new species of plant life called grass that colonized the deforested terrain. The same seems to have happened to our ancestors, who had previously relied on forest foods such as soft fruit. We just kept evolving as the millions of years went by and adapting to new environments. In this essay, as you can see, Lucy was an astonishing discovery and was the missing link to our upbringing. This species was bipedal and hominid from the waste down, ape like from the waist up. They were also smarter than chimps with their different hand and motor cortex, their tool use, and brain size. Without the constant concept and knowledge of evolution occurring, our species would have never of came about but we are very fortunate for this discovery and to be who we are in this world today.

A Question of Silence essays

A Question of Silence essays We have now started a new century during which feminism has become the real "f-word." A Question of Silence embodies the 80's representation of radical feminism and the filmmaker's own views. Marleen Gorris, the director, implies that women can live fulfilling lives without the help or support of men. It reveals the oppresive nature of the patriarchial society in which we live. The film also implies how women must move to rediscover or begin to discover their own voices and fight against misogyny. The movie is absolutly riveting, and one begins to wonder if this is a realistic portrail of the way society treats women, or a radical feminist revenge fantasy? This movie obviously infuriates some audience members, especially those with penises, because it implies the actions women have or could possibly take against men because of their oppresioin. Men become scared of films like this because they are inevitably the ones at fault, and begin to think that women will eventually come after them. This, of course, will probably not be the case. In the movie, three women who have been silenced throughout their lives, beat and genitally mutilate an annoying male store clerk. A female psychiarist, who has "made it" in a man's world, is called to the case. After a while, she finally begins to see that she is just as unheard as these murderous women when she tries to say anything that contradicts the patriarchal judicial system.The psychiatrist begins to see them not as criminals or clients, but as sisters and begins to understand why they were driven to murder this man. She then begins to understand the choice not to speak in male terms. She pronounces them sane and are in control of their actions, just fed up with a world in which men felt free to degrade and rule over the "second sex." None of the male lawyers or cops, and judge or her own husband can seem to understand why she would deem them "sane" instead of "craz ...

The Large, Meat-Eating Dinosaurs

The Large, Meat-Eating Dinosaurs Few issues in paleontology are as confusing as the classification of theropodsthe bipedal, mostly carnivorous dinosaurs that evolved from archosaurs during the late Triassic period and persisted until the end of the Cretaceous (when the dinosaurs went extinct). The problem is, theropods were extremely numerous, and at a distance of 100 million years, it can be hard to distinguish one genus from another based on fossil evidence, much less to determine their evolutionary relationships.   For this reason, the way paleontologists classify theropods is in a state of constant flux. So, Im going to add fuel to the Jurassic fire by creating my own informal sorting system. Ive already addressed tyrannosaurs, raptors, therizinosaurs, ornithomimids and dino-birdsthe more evolved theropods of the Cretaceous periodin separate articles on this site. This piece will mostly discuss the big theropods (excluding tyrannosaurs and raptors) that Ive dubbed the saurs: allosaurs, ceratosaurs, carnosaurs, and abelisaurs, to name just four sub-classifications. Here are brief descriptions of the classifications of large theropods currently in (or out of) vogue: Abelisaurs. Sometimes included under the ceratosaur umbrella (see below), abelisaurs were characterized by their large sizes, short arms, and (in a few genera) horned and crested heads. What makes the abelisaurs a useful group is that they all lived on the southern supercontinent of Gondwana, hence the numerous fossil remains found in South America and Africa. The most notable abelisaurs were Abelisaurus (of course), Majungatholus and Carnotaurus. Allosaurs. It probably wont seem very helpful, but paleontologists define an allosaur as any theropod more closely related to Allosaurus than to any other dinosaur (a system that applies equally well to all the theropod groups listed below; just substitute Ceratosaurus, Megalosaurus, etc.) In general, allosaurs had large, ornate heads, threes of allosaurs include Carcharodontosaurus, Giganotosaurus, and the huge Spinosaurus. Carnosaurs. Confusingly, the carnosaurs (Greek for flesh-eating lizards) includes the allosaurs, above, and is sometimes taken to embrace the megalosaurs (below) as well. The definition of an allosaur pretty much applies to a carnosaur, though this broader group includes such relatively small (and sometimes feathered) predators as Sinraptor, Fukuiraptor, and Monolophosaurus. (Oddly enough, as yet theres no genus of dinosaur named Carnosaurus!) Ceratosaurs. This designation of theropods is in even greater flux than the others on this list. Today, the ceratosaurs are defined as early, horned theropods related to (but not ancestral to) later, more evolved theropods like tyrannosaurs. The two most famous ceratosaurs are Dilophosaurus and, you guessed it, Ceratosaurus. Megalosaurs. Of all the groups on this list, megalosaurs are the oldest and least respected. This is because, early in the 19th century, pretty much every new carnivorous dinosaur was assumed to be a megalosaur, Megalosaurus being the first theropod ever officially named (before the word theropod was even coined). Today, megalosaurs are rarely invoked, and when they are, its usually as a subgroup of carnosaurs alongside the allosaurs. Tetanurans. This is one of those groups thats so all-inclusive as to be practically meaningless; taken literally, it includes everything from carnosaurs to tyrannosaurs to modern birds. Some paleontologists consider the first tetanuran (the word means stiff tail) to have been Cryolophosaurus, one of the few dinosaurs to be discovered in modern Antarctica. The Behavior of Large Theropods As with all carnivores, the main consideration driving the behavior of large theropods like allosaurs and abelisaurs was the availability of prey. As a rule, carnivorous dinosaurs were much less common than herbivorous dinosaurs (since it requires a large population of herbivores to feed a smaller population of carnivores). Since some of the  hadrosaurs  and  sauropods  of the  Jurassic  and  Cretaceous  periods grew to extreme sizes, its reasonable to conclude that even the bigger theropods learned to hunt in packs of at least two or three members. One major topic of debate is whether large theropods actively hunted their prey, or feasted on already dead carcasses. Although this debate has crystallized around  Tyrannosaurus Rex, it has ramifications for smaller predators like  Allosaurus  and  Carcharodontosaurus  as well. Today, the weight of the evidence appears to be that theropod dinosaurs (like most carnivores) were opportunistic: they chased down juvenile sauropods when they had the chance, but wouldnt turn up their noses at a huge  Diplodocus  that died of old age. Hunting in packs was one form of theropod socialization, at least for some genera; another may have been  raising young. The evidence is sparse at best, but its possible that larger theropods protected their newborns for the first couple of years, until they were big enough not to attract the attention of other hungry carnivores. (However, its also possible that some theropod kids were left to fend for themselves from birth!). Finally, one aspect of theropod behavior that has received a lot of attention in the popular media is cannibalism. Based on the discovery of the bones of some carnivores (such as  Majungasaurus) bearing the tooth marks of adults of the same genus, its believed that some theropods may have cannibalized their own kind. Despite what youve seen on TV, though, its much more likely that the average allosaur ate its already-dead family members rather than actively hunting them down for an easy meal!

Male circumcision as an hiv control stategies and not a natural condom Essay

Male circumcision as an hiv control stategies and not a natural condom - Essay Example Reproductive Health Matters, the safest way to prevent HIV infections is still to use a condom rather than relying on assumptions which are yet to be proven sufficiently (Bonner, 2001). Bonner is of the opinion that unless certain facts are not proven practically, it is unwise to adopt and follow such assumptions. The facts to be proven encompass umpteenth number of issues such as the reason and the way how circumcision is risk-free, the exact relationship between circumcision status and the remaining STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections). Also, Bonner is still waiting for an answer backed by sufficient evidence that whether or not positive result found in high-risk populations will reap equal results in case of other general groups. However, according to Updegrove, various conclusions insist that uncircumcised males tend to suffer from higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases (Updegrove, 2001). The same has been coherently acknowledged by Ronald Gray and his team with similar mindset (Gray, Kigozi & Serwadda, et al, 2007). Other think-tanks, Bailey, Plummer and Moses, all consider circumcision as an anti-HIV measure (Bailey, Plummer & Moses, 2001). Newell and Barnighausen have gone on to confirm that male circumcision cuts down HIV risk even in the general population (Newell & Barnighausen, 2007). Nevertheless, it should be noted that all the above think-tanks do reveal a certain level of uncertainty in expressing their perspectives. Hence, the two completely distinct recommendations; whether or not to replace condoms with circumcision appear to be a highly perplexing issue. Bonner highlights an investigation according to which circumcised men reveal higher occurrence of genital discharge (Bonner, 2001). He puts forward a French report which reveals that both circumcised as well as uncircumcised men exhibit almost same state of HPV incidence which plays a vital role in cervical cancer (Bonner, 2001). By referencing an American case, Bonner diligently

Should Japanese Yen be appreciated or depreciated against U.S. Dollar Research Paper

Should Japanese Yen be appreciated or depreciated against U.S. Dollar - Research Paper Example Over the years owing to crisis US has adopted unconvincing monetary policies as a measure for bailout and recovering from the miserable economic situation. This has made dollars almost worthless. Under such circumstances Japan has also adopted the mechanism of quantitative easing leading to appreciation of Japanese Yen. But it has not helped the Japanese economy much. Credit growth has been on the slower side (Zarathustra). Taking this as backdrop the paper intends to trace out the effective exchange rate policy for Japanese economy, whether it should be appreciation or depreciation, and citing various reasons and arguments for it. Japanese Yen is such a powerful currency that it has appreciated even under conditions of quantitative. This phenomenon has continued in Japanese economy for 10 years. In contrast there has been depreciation of Pound Sterling by almost 50 percent of Yen. Depreciation list includes many other important currencies like Euro. Japan has also maintained a low interest rate of 1.092% even in the era of debt crisis. But the ongoing recession has caused economic growth in Japan on the slower side. This has deleveraged private enterprises. This requires Japan to reconsider and frame an effective exchange rate that can lead to economic growth (Zarathustra; Japan Intervenes to Tame Soaring Yen Ahead of G20). New York has suffered a fall in recent times which had raised questions on status of US recovery. But ultimately it has been to recover to 88 yen as per the current Tokyo deals. Tokyo has brought back dollars recently and this had helped United States in overcoming recent downturns (Dollar recovers to 88 yen zone in Tokyo after sharp falls in N.Y. +). Currently Japanese Yen is going at 0.0128086 USD. Data from the months in 2011 gives the lowest value as 0.0122797 USD which was for the month of July and the highest value of 0.0131979 USD was traced for the month of October. Average has remained at 0.0129061

Organizations and institutions Essay Example for Free

Organizations and institutions Essay Maintaining and preserving the environment has been one of the key issues that have been prevalent in the present time. Creating avenues for environmental sustainability has continuously been evident among states, organizations and institutions. The same applies for the marine ecology particularly the Giant Blue-Fin tuna. The continuous decline of its population has been alarming different sectors in the economy as well as different environmental NGOs. Thus, it created numerous efforts among different organizations and governments to protect the Giant Blue-Fin Tuna. By controlling the amount of Giant Blue-Fin Tuna captured daily, the population of such species can be saved and be prevented from extinction. The Giant Blue-Fin tuna is considered one of the most prized species in the marine kingdom. â€Å"Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus, 1758), aka bluefin tuna, horse mackerel, northern bluefin tuna is regarded as one of the most highly evolved fish species and one of the most prized fish in danger of over fishing. † (MarineBio. org, 2007, p. 1) A Giant Blue-Fin is characterized under the category of ‘tuna’ due to their unique composition. â€Å"Tuna, originating from the Greek word meaning to rush, usually swim at speeds of 1. 5-4 kts, can maintain 8 kts for some time, and can rarely break 20 kts for short periods. † (MarineBio. org, 2007, p. 1) The Blue-Fin tuna is classified under the Scombridae family and it is considered to be the largest specie under such classification. â€Å"It is one of the largest bony fishes and can reach lengths of up to 3 m, although they are more commonly found from . 5-2 m in length. Adult weights range from 136-680 kg, although the upper weight range is rare. † (MarineBio. org, 2007, p. 1) Its appearance can be described to be â€Å"dark blue to black near the dorsal surface and silvery near the ventral surface. † (MarineBio. org, 2007, p. 1) In addition, Giant Blue-Fin tuna lives from 15 – 30 years. Also, Giant Blue-Fin tunas are considered to be warm blooded fishes. â€Å"Atlantic bluefin are homeothermic (warm-blooded) and are therefore able to thermoregulate keeping their body temperatures higher than the surrounding water, which is why they are so well adapted to colder waters. † Locations The Giant Blue-Fin tuna are only located in certain places. â€Å"Bluefin are highly migratory and limited numbers of individuals may cross the Atlantic in as little as 60 days and are widely distributed throughout the Atlantic and can be found from Newfoundland all the way to the coast of Brazil. † (MarineBio. org, 2007, p. 1) In addition, â€Å"they range in the eastern Atlantic as far north as Norway and down to northern West Africa. Bluefin tagged in the Bahamas have been captured in Norway as well as off the coast of Brazil. Bluefin in the South Atlantic belong to a distinct southern population, with known spawning areas south of Java, Indonesia. † (MarineBio. org, 2007, p. 1) Current Problems In the course of time as development begins to step into the picture, certain negative and adverse have began to emanate from the process. The most affected sector in the development process is the environment. As humans continue to develop technologically the consequences of such improvements have been the environment and the ecosystem. With this, it can be argued that the marine ecosystem has also been suffering the same fate. Such occurrence does not spare the Giant Blue-Fin tuna as its population gradually and continuously declines over the years. It is widely known that the Giant Blue-fin tuna serves as an important source of food and income among the fishing industry. â€Å"Once, giant bluefin migrated by the millions throughout the Atlantic Basin and the Mediterranean Sea, their flesh so important to the people of the ancient world that they painted the tunas likeness on cave walls and minted its image on coins. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 1) The Giant Blue-fin tuna are regarded by many to be a source of delicious food particularly in the making of sushi. â€Å"The giant, or Atlantic, bluefin possesses another extraordinary attribute, one that may prove to be its undoing: Its buttery belly meat, liberally layered with fat, is considered the finest sushi in the world. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 1) Too much hunting With the huge demand for its meat, the Giant Blue-fin tuna has been a victim of excessive hunting by different fishermen and institutions. â€Å"Over the past decade, a high-tech armada, often guided by spotter planes, has pursued giant bluefin from one end of the Mediterranean to the other, annually netting tens of thousands of the fish, many of them illegally. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 1) In addition, with the application of the technological advantages in fisheries, the decline of Giant Blue-fin tuna rose exaggeratedly. â€Å"The decimation of giant bluefin is emblematic of everything wrong with global fisheries today: the vastly increased killing power of new fishing technology, the shadowy network of international companies making huge profits from the trade, negligent fisheries management and enforcement, and consumers indifference to the fate of the fish they choose to buy. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 1) Enforcement or Request There had been different efforts by states as well as international organizations in addressing these issues. Fishing of Giant Blue-fin can never be banned due to the relative demand of consumers for their meat. Thus, organizations and states arranged quotas for local and international fishermen on how much each should fish. However, these quotas are oftentimes neglected or not followed. â€Å"The group charged with managing bluefin tuna stocks, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), has acknowledged that the fleet has been violating quotas egregiously. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 2) In addition, recognizing the constant decline of Giant Blue-Fin tuna in the ocean, ICCAT has requested different states and companies to reduce their quotas to allow these species to populate and multiply, however, these organizations and states declined. â€Å"But despite strong warnings from its own biologists, ICCAT—with 43 member states—refused to reduce quotas significantly last November, over the objections of delegations from the U. S. , Canada, and a handful of other nations. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 2) It has been predicted that if this type of fishing continues, then such industry would collapse and the Giant Blue-fin can become extinct. â€Å". Scientists estimate that if fishing continues at current levels, stocks are bound to collapse. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 2) What can be done There are different mechanisms that environmentalist and the government have tried to enforce to prevent the continuous over fishing of these species. However, little compliance can be seen in the process due to the high demand posed by the Giant Blue-Fin tuna especially in the world market. Thus, it is necessary for states and groups to enhance the level of monitoring and implementation of rules and legislation. In addition, stricter measures must be enforced to facilitate a better future for these creatures. Effective Management Effective management can be a solution to the long and impeding problem of over fishing in the ocean for Giant Blue-Fin tuna. â€Å"Experts agree that, first, the worlds oceans must be managed as ecosystems, not simply as larders from which the fishing industry can extract protein at will. †(Montaigne, 2007, p. 4) By creating effective and efficient management mechanisms can help enhance the efforts in improving the overall status of Giant Blue-Fin tuna. â€Å"Second, the management councils that oversee fisheries, such as ICCAT, long dominated by commercial fishing interests, must share power with scientists and conservationists. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 4) Cutting Fishing Vessels The constant decline of Giant Blue-Fin tuna are due to numerous fishermen who catches them. One possible scenario that legislators and organizations can do is limiting the number of allowed fishermen and industries who will engage in such actions. By doing so, it can help the population of the Giant Blue-Fin tuna to increase. â€Å"Further, governments must cut back the worlds four million fishing vessels—nearly double what is needed to fish the ocean sustainably—and slash the estimated 25 billion dollars in government subsidies bestowed annually on the fishing industry. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 4) Setting quotas and marine sanctuaries By creating quotas, Giant Blue-Fin tuna population can be maintained and can provide an avenue for an increase in population. â€Å"For giant bluefin in the Mediterranean, that may mean shutting down the fishery during the spawning season and substantially increasing the minimum catch weight. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 4) But with this situation comes with effective and efficient inspection and enforcement among the state, agency and organization in-charge of the process. Also, by creating marine sanctuaries in the area, Giant Blue-Fin tuna can survive the excessive amount of fishing by fishermen in a certain area. Marine sanctuaries seek to protect the overall area where Giant Blue-Fin tuna are situated. This means that they cannot be caught. â€Å"Another crucial step, both in the Mediterranean and around the world, would be the creation of large marine protected areas. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 4) Campaigning for change can also help in the process of conservation and sustainability. â€Å"Also important are campaigns by such groups as the Marine Stewardship Council, which is working with consumers as well as retail giants to promote trade in sustainably caught fish. † (Montaigne, 2007, p. 4) Conclusion The Giant Blue-Fin tuna is characterized to be an important part of the overall marine ecosystem. Taking them out in the overall system can create disparities and consequences in the marine ecosystem. Thus, the continuous decline of Giant Blue-Fin tuna must be addressed to sustain the continuous demand of people in the future. By creating efficient and effective monitoring mechanisms as well as legislation, the lives of Giant Blue-Fin tuna shall be sustained. It is our responsibility to continue addressing this for it shall be the future generations that will suffer if actions shall not be put into place and changes to occur in near time. References MarineBio. org (2007) Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. Retrieved November 28, 2007 from http://marinebio. org/species. asp? id=236 Montaigne, F. (2007) ‘Still Waters: The Global Fish Crisis’ in National Geographic: Interactive Edition. Retrieved November 28, 2007 from h http://www7. nationalgeographic. com/ngm/0704/feature1/index. html

Gene Therapy :: Genetics Genetic Engineering Essays

Gene Therapy Gene therapy, the process of inserting a gene into an organism to replace or repair gene function to treat a disease or genetic defect, has made headlines world wide over the past several years as the new cutting edge technique that has the potential to change the way we look at medicine and treat people. Gene therapy is a method of treating inherited diseases by inserting copies of genes into the cells of affected individuals. The current research on gene therapy has centered on targeting somatic cells, such as red blood cells and nerve cells. Another approach, called germ-line gene therapy, would insert new genes into egg cells, sperm cells, or even developing embryos. These genetic modifications would be passed on to future generations.10 The ability to alter genes bestows upon humanity incredible power. With gene therapy, diseases will be able to be treated before children are even born. However, with such treatment, a slippery slope is not far off. If it is considered good to treat a fetus with genetic defects in utero, then it is not a large logical leap to allow a couple to engineer the â€Å"perfect† child that they have always dreamed about having. With the dawn of designer children, the control of evolution could be in the hands of those willing to pay for it. As disparities in healthcare continue to grow, those who could not afford gene therapy could become marginalized, and humanity could witness the establishment of a genetic elite. The potential for new forms of genetic discrimination is also great. The gene pool could be systematically cleansed of traits deemed undesirable. Is it ethical to tamper with an individual's set of genetic instructions? If so, where do we draw the line?9 In the fall of 1999, the ethical issues surrounding gene therapy came to the forefront of the field with the first death of a gene therapy patient, Jesse Gelsinger.1 Gene therapy may contain inherent dangers that are not always obvious at first glance, as was illustrated more recently in a gene therapy trial involving SCIDs victims. Consequently, several new standards for gene therapy have been put into place regulating gene transfer trials to improve patient safety. Gene Therapy :: Genetics Genetic Engineering Essays Gene Therapy Gene therapy, the process of inserting a gene into an organism to replace or repair gene function to treat a disease or genetic defect, has made headlines world wide over the past several years as the new cutting edge technique that has the potential to change the way we look at medicine and treat people. Gene therapy is a method of treating inherited diseases by inserting copies of genes into the cells of affected individuals. The current research on gene therapy has centered on targeting somatic cells, such as red blood cells and nerve cells. Another approach, called germ-line gene therapy, would insert new genes into egg cells, sperm cells, or even developing embryos. These genetic modifications would be passed on to future generations.10 The ability to alter genes bestows upon humanity incredible power. With gene therapy, diseases will be able to be treated before children are even born. However, with such treatment, a slippery slope is not far off. If it is considered good to treat a fetus with genetic defects in utero, then it is not a large logical leap to allow a couple to engineer the â€Å"perfect† child that they have always dreamed about having. With the dawn of designer children, the control of evolution could be in the hands of those willing to pay for it. As disparities in healthcare continue to grow, those who could not afford gene therapy could become marginalized, and humanity could witness the establishment of a genetic elite. The potential for new forms of genetic discrimination is also great. The gene pool could be systematically cleansed of traits deemed undesirable. Is it ethical to tamper with an individual's set of genetic instructions? If so, where do we draw the line?9 In the fall of 1999, the ethical issues surrounding gene therapy came to the forefront of the field with the first death of a gene therapy patient, Jesse Gelsinger.1 Gene therapy may contain inherent dangers that are not always obvious at first glance, as was illustrated more recently in a gene therapy trial involving SCIDs victims. Consequently, several new standards for gene therapy have been put into place regulating gene transfer trials to improve patient safety.

Recruitment Strategy and Job Offer Process Essay

Organizations such as education, business and engineering all use diverse recruitment techniques as their operations transform and the demand for employees vary, based on the direction in which the organization is headed. This paper will study in detail business establishments and how they use their recruitment strategy to fill job vacancies. In addition, the paper will select and/or suggest which would be the best recruitment strategy to achieve the goal of drawing qualified personnel from within this industry. Finally, this paper will detail the process to be used in offering a job to an applicant. The first phase of recruitment is deciding on the need for personnel to fill current or future job openings. In business establishments, it is essential for a company to recognize whether an open or targeted recruitment strategy is effective, and to understand which one will succeed in meeting the company’s requirements. If there is no urgency in finding suitable candidates for th e position, then a better option would be an open recruitment policy (Mesmer, 1999). For instance, if a company has to fill more than 35 vacancies, the only real option for it is to choose an open recruitment policy. The open recruitment policy helps in attracting a number of applicants including an assorted group of people (Heinemann & Judge, 2009). In this way, the organization can obtain pools of potential employees with differing standards of knowledge, skills, aptitudes & other characteristics (KSAOs) from which they can select to fill vacancies. â€Å"If a business is required to recruit as many people as possible within a limited period, a sizeable applicant pool often supplies a company with a good number of personnel to fill vacancies† (â€Å"Recruiting practices,†1995). Hiring via newspaper, television, job fairs, radio and media channels will attract numerous candidates needed to fill several vacancies in businesses. The possibility of skimming a broad applicant pool reduces the company’s ability to appraise every application, resultin g in triggering high future attrition rates (Soberg & Bennington, 2009). Employing the open recruitment policy will not initiate a candidate pool with specific skills or experience levels as witnessed with the targeted recruitment policy. However, when organizational requirements demand specific skills, education, or experience levels, a business will adopt a targeted recruitment policy. Positive action also calls for a company to target a particular segment of the labor force like minority groups (Heneman & Judge, 2006). After identifying a specific target, a business may take the help of a talent management team equipped to win over a predetermined sort of applicant (â€Å"CTS strengthens†, 2010). For instance, a company in need of a web designer may advertise available job positions online rather than via the radio or other media channels. With technological advances, the Internet is fast becoming a cost-effect means of hiring, with advertising targeted at specific group of candidates. For a company on the lookout for a certain type of applicant, the target recruitment policy is the best method to use. With the evolving of businesses, organizations should use ingenious recruitment strategies to surface from the conventional â€Å"talent pools† which as Kemsley states are approached with caution and suspicion for assistance (2009). Businesses are becoming very choosy in their hiring methods when recruiting in the present economic scenario. They are recruiting based on business requirements; for instance, an accounting firm which is considering future job vacancies, may approach local educational institutions and target college students who are enrolled currently as accounting majors. The accounting firm then can target specific sub-groups within that group by seeking students with a specific GPA – grade point average, thus making certain that the company can hire new recruits with the requisite job qualifications. â€Å"In the same way, a business specializing in health care can adopt a recruitment strategy targeting personnel in the healthcare sector, thereby guaranteeing the solicitation of candidates with healthcare experience† (â€Å"Online health,† 2000). For some business establishments, limiting their options to a single recruitment strategy is bad. When a business does not have a recruitment deadline, the organization can gain from a good blend of open & targeted recruitment policies. For most businesses, using an open recruitment policy enables the company to fill vacancies which are not key positions like support staff. When organizational needs demand a highly qualified, trained, or experienced person, then it’s advantageous to use the target recruitment policy. The subsequent phase of recruitment after the interview & selection process is the job offer. Developing and extending a job offer can either be a simple task or a risky endeavor. If the business demands that numerous vacancies should be filled without any delay, the employment offer process is quite simple and the company faces no real risks. With a sizeable applicant pool, a company can extend basic job offers with minimal emphasis on bonus payments or incentives. However, where a business needs specialized skills, the business should know what the competition is offering employees with similar skills set. The greater the demands a company places on applicant qualifications, the more specialized are the job qualifications and the greater the risk involved in the employment offer process. When trying to lure a competitor’s employee, the company should be willing to provide what best fits such an employee’s requirements with no promise of long-term gains for the organization. If the receiver is undecided about accepting the employment offer, the company should decide if it’s willing to significantly change the employment offer in such a way that the receiver cannot turn it down. Finalizing the employment offer demands seeing all aspects of incentives/benefits verbally offered are properly documented. Moreover, the business must make certain that the job offer is not in violation of any federal or state laws. In business industries, limiting recruiting options to a single strategy is not beneficial; however, if a business has no recruitment deadlines, it can benefit greatly from using a mix of open & targeted recruitment policies. For most organizations, using an open recruitment policy enables them to fill job vacancies which are not key positions like support staff. Where an organization requires candidates with specialized skills or higher education or greater experience, then it’s profitable to use the target recruitment policy. Recognizing the differences in these two strategies enables a business to avail of the optimum recruitment strategy to meet the organizational requirements prevailing at that time. References CTS strengthen recruiting efforts with talent coordination teams. (2010, July 3). Health & Wellness Resource Center Alternative Health Module. Kemsley, N. (2009). Employee-centric markets: A different direction. People and Strategy. New York: 2009. Vol. 32(3), p. 14. Heneman, G. H., & Judge, A. T. (2006). Staffing Organizations (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Messmer, M. (1999, September). Developing a strategic staffing plan. National Public Accountant, 44(7), 20. Online health care recruiting company makes debut. (2000, July 3). The Enterprise, p. 7. Soberg, A., & Bennington, A. (2009). Workforce planning: implications for healthcare in Canada and elsewhere. People and Strategy. New York: 2009, 32(3), 26. Recruiting practices changing. (1995, November). Physician Executive, 21(11), 4.

Corruption Showed in A Raisin in the Sun Essay

The play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry was written to portray the lives of African Americans during the great depression era of the United States. This story is about a family’s struggle with money, prejudice, life and how obstacles can get in the way of accomplishing a dream. The story A Raisin in the Sun money has the ability to corrupt people as shown when Walter invests money into a liquor store, when he walks away from his wife when she tells him that she is pregnant, and when he considers selling his mothers† house to Mr. Lindner. Walter Younger is very dissatisfied with his life. He decides to invest in a liquor store with his good friend Bobo an this man Willy who he dosent know. Willy takes there money and runs leaving Walter with an empty pocket and an empty dream. Which changes the man that Walter is. Mama exclaimed,†No . . . something has changed. You something new, boy. In my time we was worried about not being lynched . . . You ain’t satisfied or proud of nothing we done. I mean that you had a home; that we kept you out of trouble till you was grown; that you don’t have to ride to work on the back of nobody’s streetcar—You my children—but how different we done become.† Mama is telling Walter that he dosent need to worry about the money that life was about family and togetherness and he needs to stop relying on the money for the happiness in life. Ruth become pregnant and she’s pondering on whether she should have an abortion or not. When Walter return home she planned to tell him so he can help her make a decision. When he returns home Mama says,†You†¦you are a disgrace to your father’s memory.† Mama is disappointed in her son for not stepping up and taking action in stopping Ruth from having an abortion.. She wants him to be a good man like his father was, but he’s changing into a bitter man due to the check that his mother has received. When the Younger’s arrive at their new home in Clybourne Park Walter was making a decision. He was enlightening the family on how he could sell this house to Mr. Lindner an receive more money. Mama says disappointingly to Walter,†You making something inside me cry, son. Some awful pain inside me.† Again Mama is very disappointed in the decisions her son is making in life. She wants him to get together and realize that his satisfaction is his life with his family in their new home. Walter Younger has been changed by the dissatisfaction’s in life by how the check money has affected him by, investing money on a liquor store, ignoring Ruth’s abortion, and when he was deciding on taking Mr. Lindnder†s offer. The power of the money has taken over Walter. He was a great man like his father and all Walter wanted to do was make his family get what they deserved in their lives. He wants them to to become the best they can be. But that power for greediness has taken over him and changed him into a different person A person his own mother didn’t recognize. We can all learn from Walter Younger that money can corrupt oneself in without one knowing.

Nutrition vs. sport performance

Nutrition vs. sport performance The world is an orb of life. In its limited space all life forms compete to hold their own position. As Darwin concluded in his theory of evolution, "only the strong and most advanced survive, while the weak perish and are pushed aside." Evolution, the theory we use today to fuel our need to win and succeed in any organized competition. It is this drive that results in the vigorous preparation athletes' go through to become superior among their race. To thrive, we must understand that proper nutrition is the basis any athlete must build from in order to achieve peak physical performance.Prior to strenuous activity it is imperative that the body has the required amounts of nutrients to carry out an activity. At the latest reference it is recommended that a person consume an average of 2200 mg of calories, 60 g of fat, less than 5000 IU of vitamin A, more than 60 mg of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin D, more than 2000 mg of potassium, 2000 mg of sodium, 65 g of protein, 1.5A community net ball team trains during the week in...mg of thiamin, 1.7 mg of riboflavin, 20 mg of niacin, and 18 mg of iron. Nutritionists of today simplify this into an equation of 40% carbohydrates, 30% fats, and 30% protein that the entire day's meals should be divided into. The total calorie intake must increase for active persons from 2200 to 2200 plus the total number used while exercising. This will ensure replenishment of the body's system.Edgeworth 2 With the wide variety of athletic competitions, the specific meal a competitor may need to eat to benefit themselves differs widely, as do the events. The last meal or two are extremely important in both their time of consumption and content. It is these two factors that can cause...

Software and apps admin assistants should master

Software and apps admin assistants should master Administrative assistants have a lot of tasks to handle on any given day, and strong tech skills are a must. From day-to-day essentials like Microsoft Office to helpers like productivity and organization apps, you’ll need to be up on the current software and tech trends in order to be effective in your position. And if you need to build (or refresh) these skills, almost all of the following have free online videos, courses, and usage guides to help you achieve administrative ninja-level skills.Scheduling SoftwareBeing an administrative assistant often involves keeping a live calendar for your boss (and maybe others as well), so this is a bare-bones essential tech skill to have. Most companies use Microsoft Outlook to sync and maintain employee calendars and meeting spaces, so this is the most important one to have under your belt- know it inside and out. But many companies are increasingly turning to free apps like Google Calendar as well.Email Apps and SoftwareMicrosoft Outlo ok is the gold standard for many companies’ email needs, so this is the core email system you should know very well. Gmail, like Google’s other office offerings, has emerged as the next in line because of its flexibility, chat features, and connection to other office-friendly Google apps. And if you want to be extra-current, recent office communication upstart is Slack combines the ease of email with real-time chat options. Many companies are using this app to supplement office email- or even replace it entirely.Spreadsheet SoftwareYou’ll likely need to create spreadsheets, either to track information or create and analyze reports. Microsoft Excel is- surprise!- the default spreadsheet software, and once you have those skills, they apply to Google Sheets too. Bonus spreadsheet skills that will always come in handy: pivot tables and vlookups.Presentation SoftwareWhether it’s you presenting or helping to create/edit someone else’s presentations, Micr osoft PowerPoint and LinkedIn’s SlideShare are the programs with which you’ll want to be familiar.Digital Publishing and Design SoftwareAs an administrative assistant, you may be responsible for creating, editing, or distributing content like newsletters, flyers, invitations, etc., so it’s a good idea to know your way around common design, publishing, and editing software. Adobe has the market cornered here- their Acrobat software creates and edits PDFs, while Photoshop lets you edit images. And if your job is likely to include video content, you should get to know Adobe Premiere or Apple’s iMovie.Document Creation SoftwareTraditionally known as word processing software, these apps allow you to create and edit text-heavy documents. Microsoft Word is by far the most commonly used program, but Google Docs has a close facsimile.Productivity AppsIn addition to keeping your boss organized and productive, you’ll need to keep your own stuff organized as w ell. Personal productivity apps like Asana (which can be used to track your own to-do list or group projects), Evernote (which lets you take notes and keep an annotated to-do list), and Dropbox (which lets you reach your files from anywhere, or share files with team members) all help to make your work life easier. And all of them can be used as tech skills on your resume.So much of our work is digital these days. While classic administrative skills like interpersonal skills, verbal and written communication, and general organization will never go out of style, the more tech cred you can add by learning and mastering these programs will make you even more marketable.

Analysis of English Grammar Synthesis Case Study

Analysis of English Grammar Synthesis - Case Study Example Throughout grade school, the concept of proper English is drilled into the heads of every student, but after reading the first chapter of Understanding English Grammar by Marsha Kolln and Robert Funk, the concept now makes sense. Grammar is a fundamental part of the English language, which reaches far beyond placing a comma in its correct place. This essential portion of our language helps in understanding the reasons why sentences are formed in the way that they are. This technical aspect of English helps to create a systematic set of ground rules for each and every student to follow, no matter what region, in order to be successful in the world of formal English. Grammar is taught from early childhood across the nation. However, there are different meanings to this basis of the English language. The first is that everyone has a different set of grammar rules depending on where they come from. The second definition stems from the linguistic science branch which studies the formaliti es associated with grammar. The formalities of sentences, otherwise known as their syntax, are discussed in this meaning. The final definition of grammar refers to the actual usage of the term and what is deemed to be proper and improper grammar. These three definitions help highlight the varieties and difficulties that many have with standard grammar. The format for the presentation of grammar in school dates back to the Middle Ages and the eight parts of Latin speech. Originally, Latin was thought to be the superior language, therefore, when scholars created the rules of English grammar, they based it upon this superior language. John Locke, an English philosopher, stated that it was important â€Å"to teach Men not to speak, but to speak correctly† (Kolln & Funk, 2012, p. 5) and to utilize the grammar rules that had been set forth by prior intellectuals. This view of the language, called prescriptive grammar, is traditionally taught in schools in order to establish knowled ge of the grammar skeleton. In more recent times descriptive grammar has become more popular amongst linguists, which is the acceptance of regionalism as a type of standard in addition to formal written English. With the different definitions come the arguments and differences in what is considered correct grammar or if correct grammar even exists. Regionalisms have become a sort of accepted way of grammar due to the three broad definitions of this language function. Modern linguists discovered that the issue of disregarding descriptive grammar was that entire language could be lost.