Antibiotics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Antibiotics - Research Paper Example About eighty percent of all antibiotics available are used in agriculture, for the purpose of fighting infections and for promoting unhealthy but profitable weight gain. According to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural affairs, on-going low-dose administration of antibiotics can increase the efficiency and rate of weight gain in healthy livestock. Further, it is likely that the presence of antibiotics may change the composition of the gut flora in favor of healthy growth. However, there is a debate concerning the way in which gut flora are changed. It may be merely a change in species composition, reduction in numbers, or a combination of both. Some antibiotics given to healthy livestock may also improve feed consumption and healthy growing by stimulating an animal’s metabolic process. Jill U. Adams of the Los Angeles Times argues that many ranchers and farmers give tetracycline, penicillin and other antibiotics to healthy animals to avoid them from being sick . They also grow big after they use the antibiotics (Adams, 2012) Raising healthier animals can be unhealthful for humans. Experts recently reviewed most of the scientific writings on the subject of the use of antibiotics in animals and the health hazards in humans. They concluded that, the extent to which antibiotics in livestock use contributes to antibiotic resistance in bacteria that cause food borne diseases in humans is unclear. The experts asserted that wide scientific studies affirm that individuals are most probable to get resistant illnesses due to their own use of antibiotics. Concerning food borne infections, luckily, for most healthy persons, majority of food borne infections including those brought by resistant bacteria, are not extremely severe to require antibiotic treatment (Chiras, 2005). Nonetheless, to help limit potential risks, the Food and Drug Administration policies include a procedure to establish if using a certain antibiotic can increase resistance risk. FDA also enforces that if deemed suitable, conditions for the prescription of the antibiotic would hinder resistance development. However, meat consumers should always adhere to recommendations to avert the occurrence of food borne illnesses, such as thorough cleaning of food preparation regions, frequent hand washing, and cooking foods, especially meat to recommended temperatures. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics may create selective evolutionary pressure that favors antimicrobial resistant types of bacteria to increase quickly than antimicrobial vulnerable bacteria. This increases the chance for people to be infected by resistant bacteria. Since antibacterial drug use contributes to the growth of drug resistant organisms, these vital drugs should be utilized judiciously in both human and animal medicine to slow down the emergence of resistance. Meat from animals treated with antibiotics is the main source of pathogens in humans that are resistant to antibiotics. This is evidenced when the author writes that for about 40 years, FDA has been concerned that the use of antibiotics in livestock may be accelerating the increase of pathogens in humans that are not susceptible to doctor’s medication. In addition, he mentions that people infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria or pathogens seem to be more seriously ill and are not easy to treat (Adams, 2012). Pathogens that are resistant to antibiotic accounts for approximately $20 or more billion healthcare expenses in the United States yearly, inclusive of longer

An Analysis on the Juvenile Justice System Dissertation

An Analysis on the Juvenile Justice System - Dissertation Example Young, O'Donnell and Clare (2001) in their report to the National Crime Council for the period 1950 - 1998 stated that, first and foremost, it had been difficult finding conclusive data for the majority of the period covered reflecting the lack of coordination on maintaining data on juvenile justice for the majority of the period of time covered in the report. Additionally, during the time period analyzed the age groupings fluctuated which made data gathering even more difficult. Several of the periods had overlapping age groups represented in several categories and during a 20 year period data was categorized for the age group 17 to 21 which did not reflect if the crimes were even committed by juveniles per se. Upon completion of the report, however, and with the limitations set forth previously addressed Young, O'Donnell and Clare (2001) presented their findings noting several general trends. Since 1958 the trend of juvenile offenses has been very erratic with marked differences fr om year to year in some cases. Figure 1 below shows the number of juvenile cases by year for the 40 year period. As seen from the above graph the highest recorded period of juvenile crime was in 1961 when 3,333 cases were reported. 1976 saw a dramatic drop in juvenile crime which may actually be a reflection of the change of reporting practices as opposed to an actual drop. As seen in the above chart since 1990 with the exception of 1996 juvenile crime has been decreasing at a steady rate. 1997 showed the all time low of only 465 cases while the following year the number juvenile offences increased slightly to 573. During the entire period of the study Young, O'Donnell and Clare (2001) reported that juveniles accounted for 23% of all reported crime in Ireland. The rate has not increased above 30% since 1961 and since the early 1990's has been 15% or less which reflects in the total number of youth being arrested for criminal offences. By 1997 only 9% of all crimes were committed by juveniles. This rose

Social vs Liberal Market Economies

Social vs Liberal Market Economies Gabriela Lopez Section I Dictators Dilemma: Dictators can never be sure of how much support they really have because of the repression they practice. As explained in the chapter â€Å"repression breeds fear, which in turn breeds misinformation.† Dictators often have to spend more on civilian or military spies to gain knowledge of opposing parties or disloyal civilians. Since dictators cant be sure of how many supporters they have, they find themselves spending money to buy loyalty. Dictators spend a lot of resources trying to neutralize areas that they believe could be a threat. Military regimes tend to be more paranoid when it comes to measuring the loyalty of the nation. They are aware that in order to gain power they overthrew the standing government; therefore, they know that someone else can do the same to them. It is important for the dictator to ensure the military’s loyalty but spending luxurious amount of money and resources. In Africa in authoritarian regimes it was obvious who was ruling because of the difference in infrastructure from one place to the other. Dictators tend to prefer to spend more on their home areas than anywhere else. It is common for authoritarians to be more generous with the people of own ethnic group. Drogus and Orvis 2012, Chapter 8 Social vs liberal Market Economies: Market economy is the system in which individuals exchange goods and services in a large manner. It is not limited to finished good, this system also includes labor. Social market economies are designed to benefit a larger amount of people. In a social market economy the government is highly involved in creating social goods for the people. They have highly coordinated business communities. In a social economy the government is heavily involved in protecting the citizen’s welfare and providing employment security. Germanys highly productive market economy led to be the leading industrial exporter. They have and extensive welfare policies that cover almost every citizen of the nation. Germany has been successful at keeping the productivity levels high, secure wages, and low inequality levels. In contrast, a liberal economy limits government intervention. The United States is an appropriate example of liberal economy, the states has allowed the economy to take its course with little of no intervention. The market has crashed more than once, taking the nation’s economy down with it. The bargaining levels are not as efficient in a liberal economy that in a social economy because of the lack of government intervention. The bargaining happens between the employer and employee, and unfortunately for the working class we get paid what the employer things the labor is worth. The United States continue to be one of the wealthy countries that don’t provide its citizens with welfare. The United States has been successful in creating good growth, keeping unemployment rates in a moderate state. On the opposite side, the United States has high inequality and poverty levels compared to other wealthy countries. Drogus and Orvis 2012, Chapter 5 Market Externalities: Market externalities are one of the three causes of market failure. Market externalities occur when the cost or benefit of the product is not reflected in the market price, this in turn reduces efficiency. The market price should include the price of production and the price of the damage it creates. Environmental damage is often considered an externality because the company that created the pollution did not pay for the damage. When a factory pollutes the air they create a long term health problem for the people that inhale it. Therefore, some people believe that industries should be limited to the amount of pollution that they can release to the environment and or be responsible for the full cost of their production. Efficiency can also be maximized if both the seller and the buyers know the full cost of the product; this is known as â€Å"perfect information†. The 2008-09 recessions were partially caused by investors not knowing the full cost. Home buyers were so desperate to buy homes that they didnt check the variable interest rates that were in the contracts. The high mortgage payments would be higher than what families could afford after a certain period of time. This happened to my family back in 2009, my parents lost the home that they had invested so on because the mortgage payment double from one month to another. I explain this part of my life to show that I completely understand market externalities. Drogus and Orvis 2012, Chapter 5 Four Welfare Policy Types: Social policy can be categorized in four distinct types: universal entitlements, social insurance, mean tested public assistance, and tax expenditures. Universal entitlements are the benefits that the government provides equally to all its citizens, these are funded with taxes. The only example that can relate to the United States is public education, which is a right that every citizen has. Some believe that is an indirect component, the government only offers free education because that will decrease the poverty level in the future. In Europe the universal entitlement is more direct, they provide cash benefits to the families to help pay for the expenses of raising a child. People dont always agree with universal entitlements because they feel that its a waste of money that is going to people that dont need it. Social insurance is a form of insurance that you only get if you have contributed to the funds. For instance, in the United States we have social security, the pension system created by the government to help you when you need it. The money is taken out directly from the paychecks and its put into the general fund. Young people pay for the elder’s social security and in turn we rely on the future generations to do the same. People are more supportive of social insurance because they dont have to question the reasons why people get money. Means-tested public assistance are the programs that only people that fall under low income levels get. SNAP, CHIP, WIC, TANF are programs offered in the United States to families that need financial assistance. The tax payers dont always agree with means-tested public assistance because they are funded with their tax money. The working citizens that contribute the nations general tax fund dont feel that the people receiving welfare benefits are worthy of the assistance because they are getting money that they did not work for. Tax expenditures are tax breaks that only specific people get. This social policy is different from the rest because the government is not spending money on providing you with assistance; instead they allow you to keep this money. This is sometimes helps families to keep money that they can use to purchase a home, which would stimulate the economy in a different way. Tax breaks can be limited to certain groups of people and they are meant to help lower poverty and inequality. Drogus and Orvis 2012, pages 564–596 Cap and Trade: Cap and trade is and incentive given to companies by the government that is intended to reduce the pollutant that a company releases into the environment. The government gives vouchers to the companies that allow them certain units of pollution, the companies are then free to trade or exchange with other industries that have a higher cost of pollution. The companies that cannot afford to but cleaner technology to create less pollution can buy more rights from the companies that can easily upgrade to more ecofriendly technology. The downside to the cap and trade system is that any company with enough resources can buy all the rights it needs, creating some trouble areas where they will suffer from severe pollution. The government still has to limit the amount of right a company can buy to be able to successfully make the cap and trade system work. Some suggest that a simpler solution will be to directly tax pollutants. Drogus and Orvis 2012, pages 564–596 Part II Is political science actually science? Political science as Aristotle described it is the study of the state. Political scientists preoccupy themselves with studying nations, states, and government policies among other things. As defined by dictionary.com science is the study of a subject that deals with facts systematically arranged to show the operational of general laws. Based on that definition I will say that political science is definitely a science. The study and comparison of the state policies and nations is no easy task, it requires hard work and years of study to find out what works for society and what doesnt. Comparative politics is possible because even when nations are not exactly the same they do have similar variables that can help weight the differences. Thanks to comparative politics we are free to â€Å"exchange ideas† with other nations. Throughout the course we have compared many nations and their rules and we have being able to make our mind on what we find correct and the things we wish to stay away from. For instance most of us already had an idea of what democracies are, but little did we know that there are different types of democracies. The type of democracy that we find politically correct is the one in the United States, the nation that allows a liberal market economy, and holds free and fair elections regularly. Other nations that are not democratic have adopted the term to make them sound democratic like the Democratic Peoples Republic of North Korea and the People Republic of China. Communist countries have gone as far as to adopt elections and have democratic institutions. Then there are nations that are recognize as democracies but don’t measure up to the definition of the word. Comparative politics ha s allowed us to measure how democratic a nation is based on contestation and inclusion. Political scientists are constantly focusing their studies on topics such as health care and the different types of health coverage offered across the world. Most of the world has adopted the idea that health care is a social right. Everyone is regardless of social status has the right to get the appropriate health coverage they need. Most wealthy countries have been able to intervene in the market to be able to create universal coverage to the citizens. Even though the United States has not taken it into its own hands to recognize health care as a social right it, it does claim the provision of the best health care possible to the largest number of people. Comparative politics has put the health care systems into perspective to be able to adequately identify which one serves the largest amount of people. In Germany the national health insurance system has been a success, the government has mandated that every must have health insurance. Since the government regulates insurance compa ny’s there’s absolute control on how much those companies can charge for premiums and health procedures. National health insurance only works for wealthy countries; most citizens in poor countries cannot afford insurance. Some countries implement a modified version of the national health insurance that adapts to the peoples budget, or that only benefits the higher classes. The national health system is also more common in wealthy countries. This system is government financed and managed. Doctors that work in a national health system get their income directly from the government. Therefore the government can regulate the cost of procedures and drugs. Poor countries attempt to enforce the national health system by offering services through public clinics and hospitals. Market based insurance is the least common; the insurance game is ran by markets. This allows limited government regulation which in turn creates high prices for the citizens to pay. Even though, the market based economy is usually pricier due to the lack of government regulation, the size of the population that doesnt have health insurance is relatively small. Comparative politics sets the examples of what country we want to be like. Do we want to continue to have a market based insurance system or do we want to be like Germany where health care is a social right? Political science has helped us gain knowledge of things that have failed in the past to keep us from making the same mistakes in the future. Everything in this world can be measured and compared; some things are more obvious to the eye than others. Comparative politics is certainly possible. If it wasnt for the patience and dedication of political scientist that live to reject their theories there might not have been such great advancement in the world. Citations: Clark et al. 2009, Chapter 5 Drogus and Orvis 2012, pages 564–596 Essay 2 Advanced Democracies Advance democracies are countries that have institutionalized democracies and have high levels of economic development and prosperity. Originally, advanced democracies were considered â€Å"first world† countries, they were ahead of all others because they were growing economically and they had declared themselves democracies. Referring to countries as first, second and third world had to be redefined because countries with oil-based economies began to become wealthier but werent exactly heading toward democracies. The biggest challenge that advance democracies face is staying ahead in the economy game. Advanced democracies can be identified as such by looking at the degree of institutionalization of participation, competition, and liberal. Advanced democracies have open market policies and high levels of private property ownership. A small portion of the economy is based on agricultural. Advanced democracies initially replaced agriculture with industrialization, which is now being replaced by education, real estate and other parts of the service sector. Liberal democracies all share common characteristics of high economic development based on industry and services. However some differences stand out. Advance democracies take different approaches to measure freedom and inequality. Liberal democracies limit the freedom that the citizens have. For instance, some countries like the United States allow abortion as long as they are done before the first trimester. In other countries the government can go as far as to ban abortions all together. Every country can takes different approache s to protecting certain liberties. Todays advanced democracies are rational, materialistic, and bureaucratic. They give greater importance to individualistic freedom than collective equality. Advance democracies are undergoing social, political and economic changes. These changes have shifted from having an economy that was based on industrial and agricultural goods to service sector economies. Most of the people in the nation are employed in the service sector, instead of producing something that can be sold or traded people are working in finance, retail, and health care. According to the reading three quarters of the population are employed by the public sector, the â€Å"made in China† stickers are to blame. Globalization has made it easier for companies to move to foreign countries to pay for cheap labor. Industries have migrated to China and India among other countries where labor is so cheap it outweighs the cost of transporting the goods. Advanced democracies are faced with the daily challenge of keeping unemployment levels down by creating different jobs. Globalization has made it easier for communist countries to draw economic growth their way. Being a manufacturing company in the United States comes with more costs than what companies can afford. In the United States environmental awareness is rapidly gaining attention, companies find themselves either having to buy newer ecofriendly machinery or buying pollution rights from other companies. Environmental issues might not be that big of a concern in developing countries, they are yet to see the long term cost of the rapid economic development theyve been enjoying. In consequence advanced democracies no longer have the advantage of selling â€Å"home-made† products. Companies in advance democracies have taken the rational approach to increase their individual gain while ignoring the nation’s economic needs. Globalization has made the challenge of even greater, economic growth more difficult. Fortunately, the market has been creative enough to come up with jobs that might not have existed years ago. The main concern is to come up with leverage to somehow be able to compete with growing economies that are benefiting from the companies that have found better business opportunities elsewhere. As a supporter of advance democracies, I believe in the strength and the efficiency of the countries to successfully compete in foreign markets. The United States must be able to produce something that other nations want to invest on, in order to have even trade with other countries. I also admire globalization and how easy it is to be united with other parts of the world. I believe that globalization is a threat when countries are competing for economic growth. The United Stated and other advance democracies should not ignore the importance of trading manufacture goods, there should be some incentive plans to keep American companies in American soil. Citations: O’Neil 2010, Chapter 7

Self Concept Essay -- essays research papers

Self-concept emerges as a child develops an increasingly rich concept of him or herself, separating the notion of â€Å"I† from other people and objects. In addition to he concept of â€Å"I† a child develops a separate notion of â€Å"Me† which has certain defining features and qualities. William James defined â€Å"Me† as one that is observed and perceived. â€Å"It is the Me that one sees when attention is focused on the self, the Me as an object, represented in self-concepts, in how we see ourselves.† The notion of â€Å"I† is represented by actions of an individual. The â€Å"I† self-regulates, self-monitors, and presents the self to others in most appropriate way. Self-concepts involve an integration and organization of an enormous amount of information. The self-concepts are utilized with the individual’s past experiences as well as his or her future preferences. The individual who learns to perform more competently achieves more gratification and is also likely to develop more positive attitudes toward himself or herself. Once one can overcome fears and stressful feelings, one will become more confident as a result. Evaluation of one’s behavior may play a significant role on how the individual perceives himself. Critics of behavioral therapy note that people may suffer not because their behavior is inadequate but because they evaluate it improperly. Some people have problems with distorted self-concepts more than with performance. These distorted self-concepts can be seen as a person labels himself a...

Cellular Basis of Life

What is Life? This perennial question the answer to which has somehow eluded the most brilliant minds. For while scientists have identified many years ago the right mix of the atoms and molecules that constitute cellular material, they have not succeeded in ‘switching it on’ to make it alive, or ‘breathing life’ into it (Rabago et. al,2006) In this module you will: a. Explain the concepts of the cell theory b. Identify the parts of a cell c. Describe the function of each cell part d. Differentiate prokaryotic from eukaryotic cells e. Compare plant and animal cells A. The Cell Theory – tructurally made up of 1. What are living things made of? cells. – 2. What can cells do? 3. Where do cells come from? All living things are The cell is the fundamental unit of life. – Cells come from the division of pre-existing cells. B. Cell Structure and Composition CELL MEMBRANE -Serves as the outer boundary of the cell. It is a selective permeable memb rane which permits the entrance of substances throughout the cell. CYTOPLASM -Serves as the reservoir of the organelles as it contain all the lifesustaining components. It is a jellylike structure. NUCLEUS -Usually located at the center and nown as the control center of the cell. It regulates and coordinates all the activities of the cell. C. Organelles in the Cytoplasm ORGANELLES STRUCTURE Membrane Components Module 8 A. 1. smooth endoplasmic reticulum – usually the site for fat metabolism; forms vesicles for transporting large molecules to other cell parts 2. mitochondria – sites of cellular respiration 3. Golgi apparatus – involved in modifying, sorting and packaging macromolecules for secretion or for delivery to other organelles 4. nuclear membrane – a double membrane which separates the nucleoplasm from the cytoplasm . nucleolus – the site where subunits of ribosomes are formed 6. nuclear pore – serves as pathway for the exchange of materials between the nucleus and the cytoplasm 7. rough endoplasmic reticulum – studded on its outer surface with ribosomes for the synthesis of protein FUNCTION D. Variations in Cell Structure and Function d. 1 Prokaryotic Cell vs. Eukaryotic Cell A typical Prokaryotic Cell A typical Eukaryotic Cell Prokaryotic Cells Eukaryotic Cells Pro = â€Å"before†, karyon = â€Å"nucleus† Eu = â€Å"true†, karyon = â€Å"nucleus† Prokaryotes are evolutionarily ancient. They were here first and for illions of years were the only form of life. And even with the evolution of more complex eukaryotic cells, prokaryotes are supremely successful. All bacteria and bacterialike Archaea are prokaryotic organisms. Eukaryotic cells are more complex, evolving from a prokaryote-like predecessor. Most of the living things that we are typically familiar with are composed of eukaryotic cells; animals, plants, fungi and protists. Eukaryotic organisms can either be single-celled or multi-celled. PROKAYOTIC EUKARYOTIC Nucleus: Present Number of chromosomes: More than one Cell Type: True Membrane bound Nucleus:Example: Multicellular Absent Oneâ €“but not true chromosome: Plasmids Unicellular Present Absent Animals and Plants Telomeres: Present (Linear DNA) Genetic Recombination: Mitosis and fusion of gametes Lysosomes and peroxisomes: Microtubules: Endoplasmic reticulum: Mitochondria: Cytoskeleton: DNA wrapping on proteins. : Ribosomes: Vesicles: Golgi apparatus: Mitosis: Present Present Present Present Present Yes larger Present Present Yes Chloroplasts: Present (in plants) Bacteria and Archaea Circular DNA doesn't need telemeres Partial, undirectional transfers DNA Absent Absent or rare Absent AbsentMay be absent No smaller Present Absent No—but has binary fission Absent; chlorophyll scattered in the cytoplasm Flagella: Microscopic in size; membrane bound; usually arranged as nine doublets surrounding two singlets Submicroscopic in size, composed of only one fiber Selective not present Yes Usually no Permeability of Nuclear Membrane: Plasma membrane with steriod: Cell wall: Vacuoles: Cell size: Only in plant c ells (chemically simpler) Present 10-100um Usually chemically complexed Present 1-10um d. 2 Plant Cell vs. Animal Cell Plant Cell Animal Cell Characteristics Plant Cell Cell SizeLarge Cell Shape Rectangular Vacuoles A single centrally located vacuole. It takes up almost 90% of the cell volume. The vacuole stores water and maintains turgidity of the cell. Cell Wall Chloroplasts Cell Division A rigid cell wall (made of cellulose) is present around a plant cell that helps it maintain its shape. Present. Chlorophyll is the pigment that traps sun's energy which is utilized by plants to make food through the process of photosynthesis. This pigment is present in the chloroplasts. Cell division takes place by the formation of cell plate in the center of the dividing cell.This becomes the cell wall between the two daughter cells. Centrioles Present only in lower forms. Plants instead have microtubule organizing centers (MTOC) that produce the microtubules. Centrosome Absent. Instead two smal l clear areas called polar caps are present. Absent Lysosomes Golgi Bodies In place of golgi bodies, its sub units known as dictyosomes are present. Animal Cell Smaller than plant cells Circular If any, there are a number of small vacuoles spread throughout the cytoplasm that store water, ions and waste materials. Cell wall is absent. This allows animal cells to adopt different hapes. Absent. As animals lack this pigment, they cannot make their own food. Animal cells divide with the formation of a cleavage furrow. This is formed as the chromosomes move to the ends of the microtubule spindle formed by the centrioles. Present. Centrioles help in division of animal cells by creating microtubule spindles that pull the chromosomes to opposite ends for cell division to occur. Present Present. Lysosomes are vesicles that contain enzymes that destroy dead cell organelles and other cells debis. Complex golgi bodies are present close to the nucleus. E. Articles about CellBBC NEWS-Last Updated : Tuesday, 20 November 2007, 16:42 GMT Stem cells are thought to hold huge potential for treating a wide range of disease and disability. Scientists around the world are working on techniques to Refine stem cell therapy. The latest technique, nuclear reprogramming, promises to solve some of the trickiest practical and ethical issues. What are stem cells? Most adult cells in the body have a particular purpose which cannot be changed. For instance, a liver cell is developed to perform specific functions, and cannot be transformed to suddenly take on the role of a heart cell.Stem cells are different. They are still at an early stage of development, and retain the potential to turn into many different types of cell. Why are they so useful? When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function. Scientists believe it should be possible to harness this ability to turn stem cells into a super â €Å"repair kit† for the body. Theoretically, it should be possible to use stem cells to generate healthy tissue to replace that either damaged by trauma, or compromised by disease.Among the conditions which scientists believe may eventually be treated by stem cell therapy are Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, diabetes, burns and spinal cord damage. Stem cells may also provide a useful way to test the effects of experimental drugs. It is also hoped that studying stem cells will provide vital clues about how the tissues of the body develop, and how disease takes hold. Are there different types of stem cell? Yes. Scientists believe the most useful stem cells come from the tissue of embryos.This is because they are pluripotent – they have the ability to become virtually any type of cell within the body. Stem cells are also found within adult organs. They have not taken on a fina l role, and have the potential to become any of the m ajor specialized cell types within that organ. Their role is to maintain the organ in a healthy state by repairing any damage it suffers. It is thought their potential to become other types of cell is mo re limited than that of embryonic stem cells. But there is evidence that they are still relatively â€Å"plastic†. Can they be easily grown in the lab?Large numbers of embryonic stem cells can be relatively easily grown in culture. However, adult stem cells are rare in mature tissues and science is still working on ways to grow them in the lab in sufficient numbers. This is an important distinction, as large numbers of cells are needed for stem cell replacement therapies. Is the use of stem cells controversial? Very. Campaigners are vehemently opposed to the use of embryonic stem cells. These cells are typically taken from lab-created embryos that are just four or five days old, and are little more than a microscopic ball of cells.However, opponents argue that all embryos, wh ether created in the lab or not, have the potential to go on to become a fully-fledged human, and as such it is morally wrong to experiment on them. They strongly advocate the use of stem cells from adult tissue. What is nuclear reprogramming? A new technique, in which cells isolated from skin tissue called fibroblasts are modified by inserting gene-controlling proteins. This chemical cocktail causes the cells to be â€Å"reprogrammed† to take on the plastic quality of embryonic stem cells. Why is the nuclear reprogramming an advance?There are two big potential benefits. The current methods derive stem cells from from existing lab lines, but these cells are foreign to the body, and run the risk of rejection if used to repair or replace damaged or diseased tissue. Nuclear reprogramming can potentially produce a supply of stem cells derived from a patient's own tissue – avoiding the issue of rejection of the cells. Secondly, the technique does not require the creation of , or destruction of an embr yo, and so is not ethically contentious. Are there safety concerns? Yes.Some researchers fear that it is possible that stem cell therapy could unwittingly pass viruses and other disease causing agents to people who receive cell transplants. Some research has also raised the possibility that stem cells may turn cancerous. Work also still needs to be done to refine the new technique. Similar results were achieved by two teams using a different combination of gene-controlling proteins. In both cases the success rate in producing new stem cells was also low. Last Updated: Monday, 8 January 2007, 08:58 GMT ‘New stem cell source' discoveredUS scientists say they have discovered a new source of stem cells that could one day repair damaged human organs. Researchers successfully extracted the cells from the fluid that fills the womb in pregnancy and then grew them in lab experiments. The types of stem cell with potentially the most use have so far been deriv ed from specially grown human embryos. But this has created ethical concerns because the embryos are destroyed in the process. Opponents say this is tantamount to cannibalism. Supporters say stem cells offer real hope in treating illnesses like diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.Implanted in mice Writing in Nature Biotechnology, the scientists said it should be possible to harness the cells' ability to grow into different tissue to treat disease. â€Å" It shouldn't be seen as a race between embryonic stem cells and other sources † Prof Colin McGuckin Newcastle University However, UK experts had doubts about the feasibility of the technique. They said gathering amniotic fluid from large numbers of women might be difficult. Amniotic fluid contains a large number of cells, many of which come from the developing foetus.The team from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in North Carolina, extracted these from fluid samples taken as part of unrelated diagnostic tests duri ng pregnancy, then encouraged them to grow in the laboratory. They found that they had the potential to turn into a wide variety of different cells – the hallmark of potentially useful stem cells. They then transplanted them into mice, and carried out further tests to look at how they performed in a living creature. Again, the results were encouraging, with the stem cells spreading and starting to produce key body chemicals in both brain and liver.Bone stem cells introduced onto an artificial ‘scaffold' then implanted into mice also appeared to behave in a similar way to normal bone cells, forming bone even months later. Great interest The conclusion of the researchers was that the amniotic cells were ‘pluripotent' – capable of becoming many different cell types, and that they held the potential for treatment – particularly on the child from whose mother they were taken, for whom they are an exact tissue match. Dr Paolo De Coppi, now of Great Ormond Street Hospital, who worked on the study, said the amniotic stem cells were similar to, but not identical to, embryonic stem cells.He said: â€Å"Our research suggests that for some clinical applications they may work better than embryonic stem cells. â€Å"For example, embryonic stem cells injected into muscle can form teratomas – amniotic stem cells do not do this. â€Å"However, the range of applications for these stem cells may be more narrow than for embryonic stem cells. † Dr De Coppi it might be possible to take amniotic stem cells from a child diagnosed before birth with a problem, and use them to grow new tissue in the laboratory, which would be ready to use to treat the child when it was born.In theory, it might also be possible to genetically modify a foetus' own stem cells and inject them back into the amnioitc fluid to correct gene disorders. Possible limitations Professor Colin McGuckin, from Newcastle University, is researching the use of similar cells taken from the umbilical cord at birth. He welcomed the report, saying that it was ‘thorough' and demonstrated the potential of amniotic stem cells. â€Å"The best thing is to have a variety of stem cell sources to provide the best stem cell for patients. Unless researchers do work to demonstrate there are alternatives to embryonic stem cells, the wider public won't understand that. It shouldn't be seen as a race between embryonic stem cells and other sources. † However, he said that harvesting amniotic fluid presented particular difficulties in many cases. â€Å"If it is a natural birth, the waters break and they are all over the floor, and you've lost them. In this country, the majority of women give birth naturally, which means that fluid could not be collected. â€Å"You could conceivably gather amniotic fluid during a caesarean section, but that process could interfere with the experience of giving birth. † Wednesday, 15 November 2006, 18:00 GMT Stem cells ‘treat muscle disease'A stem cell breakthrough could lead to a treatment For muscular dystrophy (MD), research has revealed. An Italian-French team found transplanting stem cells into dogs with a version of the disease markedly improved their symptoms. Writing in the journal Nature, the team said the work paved the way for future trials in humans. Scientists said it was a major step forward and bolstered the idea that stem cells could be used to treat MD. â€Å" This is the first piece of research that has convinced me that stem cell therapy could play a role in treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy † Professor Dominic WellsMuscular dystrophy is a group of genetic disorders that cause the muscles in the body to gradually weaken over time and mobility to be lost. It shortens life span and there is currently no cure. The researchers, led by a team at San Raffaele Scientific Institute, in Milan, Italy, looked at the most common form of the disease, Duchenne muscular d ystrophy. This condition, which usually only affects boys, appears in about one in every 3,500 male births and is caused by mutations in a particular gene that lead to a lack of dystrophin, a protein involved in maintaining the integrity of muscle.The team had previously seen promising results when they injected stem cells into mice with a version of this disease, but turned to dogs for their next trial because they replicate the musclewasting disease more accurately. Mobility returned The researchers used a form of stem cells, gathered from blood vessels, called mesoangioblasts, which are â€Å"programmed† to turn into muscle cells. They isolated the stem cells from both healthy dogs and also from MD dogs, with the latter's stem cells then being modified to â€Å"correct† the mutated gene. The scientists proceeded to inject these different types of stem cells into dogs with MD.They found that transferring the stem cells five times at monthly intervals produced the bes t results. Overall, injections of stem cells taken from healthy dogs showed the most improvement. Four out of the six dogs who received these stem cells saw the return of dystrophin and regained muscle strength. One dog that was injected at an early-stage of the disease retained the ability to walk, and two dogs injected at a late-stage of the disease had their mobility returned. Of the remaining two, one died early and the other, the scientists believe, did not receive enough cells.The experiment to inject MD dogs with their own â€Å"corrected† stem cells proved less successful, although the dytrophin protein returned. This approach was investigated because, should stem cell treatment move into humans, it would mean patients could be injected with their own cells, minimising the chances of rejection and avoiding the need to take immunosuppressant drugs. The researchers wrote: â€Å"The work reported here sets the logical premise for the start of clinical experimentation th at may lead to an efficacious therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. ‘Excellent work' Dr Marita Pohlschmidt, director of research at the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, UK, said: â€Å"We feel encouraged by the work because the results provide initial evidence that we might be one step closer to a stem cell treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. † Dr Stephen Minger, a stem cell researcher at Kings College London, said: â€Å"This is an excellent piece of work demonstrating significant functional improvement in a naturally occurring disease in dogs that is very similar to that in humans. Although it will likely to be some time before this work can move to humans, it is nevertheless an important study in developing therapies for muscular dystrophies. † Professor Dominic Wells, of the gene targeting group at Imperial College, London, said: â€Å"This is yet another example of the vital contribution animal research makes to the development of treatments for human disease. â€Å"This is the first piece of research that has convinced me that stem cell therapy could play a role in treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. â€Å"Kay Davies of the MRC Functional Genetics Unit, University of Oxford, said: â€Å"The use of stem cells to treat human disease holds great promise, but the actual delivery of such therapy is thought to be many years away. † The data, she said, changed this view. However, she added that the researchers needed to find out why not all dogs responded positively. Wednesday, 8 November 2006, 16:48 GMT Cell transplants ‘restore sight' Cell transplants have successfully restored vision to mice which had lost their sight, leading to hopes people could enefit in the same way. UK scientists treated animals which had eye damage similar to that seen in many human eye diseases. They were able to help them see again by transplanting immature retinal stem cells into their eyes. UK experts welcomed the study, published i n the magazine Nature, saying it was â€Å"stunning† research. â€Å" This is a stunning piece of research that may in the distant future may lead to transplants in humans to relieve blindness † Professor Andrew Dick University of BristolIf the results can be translated into a treatment for human eye disease, it could help the millions of people with conditions ranging from age-related macular degeneration to diabetes. Once the cone and rod photoreceptors in a retina are lost, they cannot be replaced. While treatments are being developed which might prevent or delay the loss of these cells, scientists are also seeking to help those already affected. It is thought the retina is one of the best places to try out cell transplant therapy because photoreceptor loss initially leaves the rest of the wiring to the brain intact.But previous attempts to transplant stem cells, which can turn into any kind of cell in the body, in the hope that they will become photoreceptors have failed because the cells were not developed enough. Harvest In this study, funded by the Medical Research Council, scientists from the University College London Institutes of Ophthalmology and Child Health and Moorfields Eye Hospital transplanted cells which were more advanced, and already programmed to develop into photoreceptors. ? 1 – Early stage retinal cells are taken from a newborn mouse ? 2 – They are transplanted into the retina of a mouse which has lost its sight ? – The cells implant and connect with existing cells in the eye, restoring some sight to the mouse. The team took cells from three to five-day-old mice, a stage when the retina is about to be formed. The cells were then transplanted into animals which had been genetically designed to have conditions which meant they would gradually lose their sight – either mimicking the human disease retinitis pigmentosa or age-related macular degeneration. The transplants were successful; the photorec eptors implanted and made electrical connections to the animals' existing retinal nerve cells – key to allowing them to see again.Tests showed that the mice's pupils responded to light and that there was activity in the optical nerve, showing signals were being sent to the brain. Dr Jane Sowden, one of the study's leaders, said: â€Å"Remarkably, we found that the mature retina, previously believed to have no capacity for repair, is in fact able to support the development of n ew functional photoreceptors. † ‘Not false hope' To get human retinal cells at the same stage of development, however, would involve taking stem cells from a foetus during the second trimester of pregnancy.But Dr Robert MacLaren, a specialist at Moorfields Eye Hospital who worked on the research, said they did not want to go down that route. He said the aim now would be to look at adult stem cells to see if they could be genetically altered to behave like the mouse retinal cells. There are some cells on the margin of adult retinas that have been identified as having stem cell -like properties, which the team says could be suitable. Dr MacLaren stressed it would be some time before patients could benefit from such a treatment, but he said that at least it was now a possibility. Every day, I sit in my clinic and have to tell patients that there's nothing I can do. â€Å"I don't want to give patients false hope. But at least now, if I see a young patient, I can say that there might be something within your lifetime. † Dr Stephen Minger, a stem cell expert at King's College London, said: â€Å"I think this is important, superb research – it clearly shows that the host environment is important in directing the integration of transplanted cells. † But Andrew Dick, professor of ophthalmology at the University of Bristol, added: â€Å"As with any basic research we have to be careful not to overhype.Remove the Jello from the plastic cup onto the paper pla te. We had some problem with this. The students may need to run the knife around the very outside edge of the Jello to loosen it. There are some suggestions that you might spray the cup with Pam or some other non -stick material. We did not get a chance to try this yet. Running warm water over the cup may also loosen the Jello. 3. Cut the Jello/Knox in half and remove the top half. Turn over the top and set it on the plate beside the bottom half 4. Use the spoon to dig out a hole in the bottom half of the Jello/Knox cytoplasm . Just pushing the food pieces into the Jello causes it to crack and come apart, making for a very messy cell.Place the gumball in this hole to represent the nucleus of the cell. 5. Using the spoon to make spaces and your diagram as a guide, place the other cell parts into the cell. Parts can be put into both the top and bottom half of the Jello/Knox cell 6. Take the top part of the cell and carefully place it on the top. If the cell feels soft, you can put the parts back into the plastic cup, then turn it over onto the paper plate. Then carefully remove the plastic cup. 7. After reviewing the parts one final time, those students who wish to can feast on their cell. Please use clean spoons in case the spoon you were working with fell on the floor or the table. It's Alive, Alive.Background: You will be in groups of three, each with your own job. The jobs to choose from are Contractor, Architect, and Surveyor. Your job, as a group, is to build the most realistic life-like plant cell the world has ever seen. Problem: What does a 3-dimensional cell look like? What are the various parts of plant cells? Materials: Play-doe, food coloring or tempera paints (red, purple, green, blue, white), 1 pair of gloves, yarn or undercooked spaghetti, pepper, plastic-bubble packing, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, pencil shavings, scissors, 1 large knife, glue. Procedure: 1.Before we start be aware that on the final day you must present your cell to the class. 2. After you have decided upon your jobs, the Contractor and Architect will collaborate to design the plant cell. The design should be drawn up on a piece of paper that explains what materials will be used for each organelle. It should be colored the same color it will appear when it is built. Take your time and make a good drawing. This should be completed early on day two. Throughout this entire process the Surveyor should be writing down the order in which each organelle was designed and the order in which it will be built. Along with this the Surveyor must make a copy of the design that the group can use when building it.The Surveyor's job is to basically take notes all the way through, so if the final product doesn't come out as planned the Surveyor can look back at their notes and answer why. 3. After you have finished your design, hand it in and your teacher will approve it. If it is approved, you can start to build your cell. 4. Building should be the role of the contractor. Architect's watch the bui lders to make sure they are doing it exactly as planned. Surveyors should take notes on how it is built and also can assist the Architects to make sure it is being built as planned. It's Just a Phase They're Going Through! Problem: What phases do cells undergo during mitosis? What happens at each phase?Materials: Unlined paper (1 sheet), colored pencils, pencil, crayons, light microscope, slides, cover slips, onion (fresh), toothpicks, knife (used by teacher only), iodine stain. Procedure: Procedure Part A: Slide Preparation Onion Skin a. First take a piece of onion skin off the onion. b. Put it flat on a slide. c. Bring the slide to the leader for a drop of iodine stain. Data Sheet d. Carefully put on a cover slip remembering to angle it. e. Examine the cell under low then medium power. 1. Front f. Adjust your microscope to a higher power. 2. Procedure Part B: Data Preparation 3. Back 1. You will take your paper fold and it in half, label each ox created (front + back) numbers 1 – 4 as shown on the right. 4. 2. Create a large box within numbered box, as shown. 3. Within the large area you will draw the stages of mitosis, make them colorful. 4. Within the smaller box you will write the name of each stage shown, and give a full description of what you see happening.Cells Vocabulary Quiz Directions: Match the vocabulary words on the left with the definitions on the right. 1. tissue the central, essential, or highly concentrated part around which other parts are grouped. 2. vacuole a musical instrument consisting of a keyboard attached to a device that forces air through a number of pipes to produce a wide range of sounds; pipe organ. 3. chromosome storage areas of the cell known for storing mostly water and/or food. 4. chlorophyll (chlorophyl) the ground protoplasm of cells that is outside the nucleus. 5. cell membrane Shaped like a bean, this cell organelle helps take food and manuf acture energy from it. 6. chloroplastA struct ure inside the nucleus where RNA is transcribed. 7. cell wall the mass of like cells in an animal or plant body, esp. as they form a specific organ: 8. nucleolus Thin, intertwined pieces of DNA found in the cell's nucleus. 9. organ the green (in color) pigment found in chloroplasts where photosynthesis takes place. 10. cytoplasm Mostly made of cellulose, this is the tough and rigid outer layer of plant cells. 11. nucleus an egg shaped body that appears green from all the chlorophyll they contain. This organelle is where photosynthesis takes place. 12. mitochondrion The enclosure of the cell that provides the body for all the organelles.Cells Word Chop Worksheet Directions: The table below contains words that have been chopped in half. Find the pieces that fit together and write them in the answer area below. osome vac sues chrom tis cell chlor org leus embrane ophyll eolus ans ondria cell m oplast nucl nuc chlor plasm cyto mitoch uole wall.

Effect of imperialism

Imperialism is when a mother nation takes over another nation and become its colony for political, social, and economical reasons. Imperialism is a progressive force for both the oppressors (mother country) and the oppressed (colony), majorly occurring during the late 19th and early 20th century. It had more negative effects than positive effects due to its domination to other nations. Documents 1 and 5 show how imperialism should work over politics and their benefits over the colonies while documents 2 and 7 show some beneficial effects of imperialism for the colonies.Documents 3, 8, 10, and 12 are different from the other documents in that they show the unfair way that the Englishmen treated their colonies, which can be described as one of the negative effects of imperialism. Documents 4 and 6 demonstrate how racist the â€Å"white men† were to their colonies, leading to another negative effect. And last, documents 9 and 11 explain why a nation must be controlled by another nation. And additional document that show the negative effects of imperialism of how the mother country exploited the colonies would be an article about why the Taiping rebellion occurred and the causes of the Boxer rebellion.Imperialism had some positive effects regardless of how strict and unfair it was. Some positive effects can be seen in documents 2 and 7, which talks about what the mother nation gave to their colonized nations. These oppressors built them roads, canals, railways, and gave them education. They also introduced to them telegraphs, newspapers, and overall made them economized. Another positive effect can be read on documents 1 and 5.These documents show how both the oppressors and oppressed benefit from getting new resources such as raw materials and food from one another, excluding what is said on document 1 about the white man’s rule over the â€Å"inferior races†. Imperialism experience negative effects too. As for the negative effects, some can b e read on documents 3, 8, 10, and 12. As you can see, in these documents the oppressors’ hard work did not really civilized the oppressed, just as shown on document 3, instead, they were put to work as cheap labor, like shown on document 8 and 10.They were tricked by the mother country, they had no freedom, they were exploited and were taken advantage of, and they had to do just as told, just like as shown on document 12. On document 4, another negative effect is seen. In this quote, the author talks about how the whites came and killed the innocent, which later on had many negative effects on the people of Africa. Document 6 describes the â€Å"Britons racism† and power by saying that the white race from Britain is the finest and most honorable race the world possesses.The last negative effect is illustrated on documents 9 and 11, which share a common idea that a nation can only be colonized for their better good. This is a negative effect of imperialism because just as shown on document 11, if the U. S has the right to hold onto the Philippines, then they are just imitating the basis of imperialism and can lead to an outcome similar to the one shown on document 9 â€Å"the white man’s burden†. Imperialism can’t be considered as a good cause and effect because, at first it may be seen as a positive effect, but in the long run, just like in this case, it ends becoming more of a negative effect.All Africans and Asians were exploited and were given no rights to do anything even thought the mother countries gave them modern culture. Colonies would have to fight wars for independence and to have their own rules. The mother country just took over other nations just to get a few things, which unfortunately they did. They wanted raw materials, markets for goods, national glory, balance of power and they also felt as though they needed to help smaller nations like if it was their burden, which Europeans called it the â€Å"white man ’s burden†. Mother countries were destroying ethnic groups and causing civil wars between smaller nations.Modern imperialism can be described that is was never good. When a nation took over a smaller nation for economic, political, or social reason, they were imperialistic, creating the oppressors and oppressed system of the mother and colonized nations. As expected they changed the modern world plenty and pretty much made it a harder world to live during that time. It depends on a person’s point of view. Some may think it was positive overall, but it only led to things in this world that were negative. Even though modern imperialism occurred more than 100 years ago, it still affects us on how our nations were broken down.

Editing †A Tough-Love Statement

Editing – A Tough-Love Statement Here lately, the discussion from readers seemed  to be centered about where to find an editor (for cheap), or in some cases, just finding someone who will read a manuscript and offer feedback. My answers are pretty clear: 1) Hire an editor (and be willing to pay what it costs), and/or 2) Trade services with another writer on your level or higher (and be willing to invest time into their manuscript), and/or 3) Carefully select/start a critique group and be patient enough to workshop the story over time. Any wallet can work with one of more of those options. If you want someone to read your work, either pay for it or critique in return. We cant just be takers. But back to hiring an editor. Its tricky to find one you appreciate and can afford. A cheap editor doesnt always offer iffy quality. And an expensive editor doesnt always get it right. Thats why word of mouth is valuable when finding an editor. You want that conduit between someone you trust and the party youre hiring. Sometimes it takes more than one, or two. Which is why so many people ask me who I recommend. How do I get my edits done?  (Even with dachshunds in my lap?) 1) First, Im not a bad editor in my own right, so my manuscripts are fairly clean. Yours need to be, too. 2) Second, I used to use two critique groups, then outgrew them. With my first several novels, these two groups were invaluable. If you are in this stage, hunt high and low to find one or two that fit. Search online, too. And stick with them for a couple years or more. 3) Third, I gravitated to beta readers. Just a couple of serious critiquers, and I seriously critiqued their manuscripts in kind. 4) Fourth, I ultimately hired the strongest beta reader I knew. That is the stage Im in now. Being under contract, I cannot afford the time delay of a group. 5) Fifth, I am traditionally published, so I know my publishers editor will beat it up again another three or more times. For those who will ask (and those who already   have), the beta reader I use is now hiring herself out for edits. She is one of two editors at  Two-Step Approach, where youll receive two editors feedback on your manuscript. I love this combination because you receive two opinions for the price of one. Both of these women have reviewed my novels. One of them has critiqued every novel Ive ever written, and she knew me before I was published. I still use these two ladies for developmental edits, even with a traditional press. There are many fine editors out there. There are many fine critique groups. And many authors have synced with strong beta readers. It takes time (and sometimes money), but the resources are there. So, you invest time or money into edits, or both. Time is invaluable to everyone. Remember that fact when you ask people to read your manuscript . . . and how often you would do the same for someone else. And if you dont have the time, or feel you dont have the talent to critique someone else, then pay for it.