Plant Lectin on Blood Agglutination

Lectin is a protein that is commonly found in certain plants such as grains   (wheat), legumes (soybeans and peanuts), and also can be found in potato, tomato, eggplant and pepper. It is found to be toxic, especially if the food containing it is undercooked. It causes damage to the gut wall in the stomach. Lectin’s toxicity may even cause rapid death. Lectin is a glycoprotein. As a glycoprotein, it is capable of binding to carbohydrate. It tends to bind to carbohydrates in specific and reversible manner. It is a protein that has binding site specific to carbohydrate. Because of this ability of lectin, it can cause agglutination of red blood cells. It does so by interaction with the sugar moieties of the cell wall leading to the clumping together of the cells. In blood agglutination by lectin, its active sites are the ones that bind to the sugar moieties present in the cell wall of the red blood cells These active sites are consists of certain amino acid residues. It was suggested that there are two or more amino acid residues that are present in the active site of lectin (cited in Sharon, 2007). Some of these amino acid forms hydrogen bonds with the hydroxyl group of the sugar or carbohydrate moiety. The other amino acids interact hydrophobically. Aside from these interactions, other kinds of interactions such as coordination with the metal, like interaction with the iron compound of the hemoglobin in the red blood cells, and electrostatic interaction might occur as well.   Further interaction of these active sites to other carbohydrate part of the blood cells results to large mass, then the clumping of cells occurs. Specificity of lectin towards carbohydrates depends on the kind of amino acid present in its active site. This made plant lectin found its usefulness in the field of medicine. One application of plant lectin is in determining blood group. Lectin can agglutinate specific types of erythrocytes. Different sources of lectin may have different active sites, therefore may dictate the kind of carbohydrate it binds with. Plant lectins, despite of the danger it may pose in our health, can be still useful in our life. As the study and research on lectin progresses, more benefits that we can derive from these compounds are revealed. Reference Sharon, N. (2007). Lectins: Carbohydrate-specific Reagents and Biological Recognition Molecules. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 282, 5, 2753-2764. Retrieved December 9,   2007 from, http://www.jbc.org/cgi/content/full/282/5/2753   

Need for collaborative projects in business courses Essay

Group projects are integral to the business curriculum and can be useful in developing students’ skills and abilities as managers. However, faculty encounter several problems with group projects, including assessing students’ efforts, aiding good communication and coordination among members, and making sure the project is a truly collaborative effort. Technology may aid in addressing these problems; electronic discussion boards and chat rooms, for example, can help faculty and students enhance collaboration and increase the accountability of group members. Keywords: Discussion boards, chat rooms, collaborative learning, student projects INCREASED GLOBAL COMPETITION and other changes in the business environment over the last several years have led organizations to restructure themselves. One aspect of that restructuring is a shifting of responsibility and decision making downward and a movement toward self-directed work teams (Cohen, 1993). To prepare students to thrive in this environment, we obviously need to teach them effective teamwork and communication skills. This article describes two tools that can help accomplish this task, the electronic discussion board and the chat room. These can foster interdependence in group projects and deeper, active learning. First, we discuss the need for and benefits of collaborative projects, the problems of group work, and the role of technology in such projects. We then provide recommendations for incorporating these electronic tools in business communication classes. Need for Collaborative Projects in Business Courses. As many researchers have noted, the structural shift towards teams occurring in many organizations should be reflected in the classroom (Bobbitt, Inks, Kemp, & Mayo, 2000). Using groups in class thus prepares students to work collaboratively in the business environment while promoting collaborative learning in the classroom itself. The first benefit of group work in the classroom is that it teaches students how to work collaboratively in the business environment. Business organizations repeatedly indicate that the increased use of teams in the real world has increased students’ need for exposure and experience with teams (Buckenmyer, 2000). Companies that use teams creatively spend many hours and dollars training individuals to work in teams and training managers to manage teams. Through working in groups, students can enhance their abilities in setting goals, delegating work, and dealing with conflict (Colbeck, Campbell, & Bjorklund, 2000). They can also improve their communication, leadership, problem solving, and technical skills. All of these skills are highly rated by recruiters and employers and will help graduates meet the demands and rigors of the workplace (McNally, 1994). The second benefit of group work is that these projects promote collaborative learning. University educators have embraced cooperative learning methods as ways to engage students and to foster cooperation (Ravenscroft, 1997). Researchers have found that the values of Generation X are highly individualistic, visually-oriented, and aligned with information technology, not with the sharing of information (Buckenmyer, 2000). Thus, group course projects, with proper guidance, can help these students learn to deal effectively with others. Group work learning can be an excellent way of encouraging the development of higher cognitive skills in students (Thorley & Gregory, 1994) and can be effective even for relatively quiet group members. When groups work well, students consistently fare better in class, on tests, and in attitudes towards the instructor and each other (Jones & Brickner, 1996). The quality of learning is improved by peer support, with students gaining experience in communication, negotiation, organization, and task management. Cooperative methods have been recognized as effective ways to motivate students to become actively involved in learning. The collaborative group project creates a forum that allows students to take an active approach towards their own education. The security of working within a group provides an excellent entree into the progression to independent and autonomous learning (Maguire & Edmondson, 2001). Problems with Group Projects The many benefits of collaborative projects, however, are often offset by problems. First, a common problem is the failure of the group to work together effectively. Students may exert an individual effort but are unable to coordinate their efforts effectively with their group members to achieve any kind of synergistic benefits (Tullar, Kaiser, & Balthazard, 1998). Group members need to be contributing their ideas, questioning and learning from each other, and building on the efforts of the other members. For collaborative learning to occur, students must coordinate the diverse skills and abilities of their group members to address a complex task (Tullar et al. , 1998). A second problem is that often group members simply divide a project so that each individual writes a portion. Then, just before the project is due, the students bring in their disks and combine files without coordinating their efforts or talents effectively. Third, group work often leads to unequal contributions of members, resulting in â€Å"hitchhikers† and â€Å"workhorses† (Cottell & Millis, 1993). These â€Å"hitchhikers,† also called â€Å"free riders† and â€Å"social loafers,† can cause problems in the workflow of the group, as they do not do their fair share. Members of the group have difficulty addressing the free-rider problem and documenting the problem and their efforts to solve it (Gremler, Hoffman, Keaveney, & Wright, 2000). The issue becomes one student’s word against another’s as the teacher tries to determine fair individual grades. Finally, group projects are often assigned without the allocation of class time for groups to develop cooperative skills or to become cohesive (Michaelsen, 1992). There is limited time in class to discuss both the needed topics and the mechanics of group management. In many cases, groups meet on evenings and weekends when faculty members are not available for assistance. Additionally, many group members are geographically and temporally dispersed, which makes organizing face-to-face group meetings difficult. The Role of Technology in Enhancing Collaborative Learning Active and cooperative learning approaches will be counterproductive unless they are thoughtfully implemented and well supported. Communication tools like discussion boards and chat rooms can be effective in inter-team collaboration as well as in faculty-student communication. These tools can help ease the problems discussed in the previous section. By solving these problems with technology, faculty can address three learning goals: empowering students, improving their communication skills, and developing their ability to work collaboratively. Finally, these technological communication tools offer teaching opportunities by allowing faculty to be more accessible to students and to track students’ efforts better. Addressing Group Project Problems Internet-based tools can be a tremendous help in coordinating team efforts, particularly when the team is geographically (whether by a few miles or a few thousand miles) or temporally dispersed (Kaiser, Tullar, & McKowen, 2000). With technology, groups can meet either synchronously, using chat rooms, or asynchronously, using threaded discussion boards, in which group members contribute to the group discussion at times convenient to their schedules over a defined time period. These tools enable everyone in the group to talk at the same time or at their convenience by typing their comments into the forum that instantly distributes their comments. Additionally, strong personalities have greater difficulty dominating the group as everyone has equal access to the â€Å"floor. † Students may feel more comfortable presenting ideas this way than in a face-to-face meeting, and the quality and professionalism of their ideas may be higher, knowing that their participation is being monitored. The discussion forum also gives all students ample time for reflection so students’ responses are often more thoughtful than those in face-to-face situations. Studies have illustrated this level of increased and more evenly distributed participation from students in computer-supported groups (Tullar et al. , 1998). Addressing Learning Goals Projects provide opportunities for experiential learning, that is, students apply what they have learned to real-world situations and thus develop decision-making skills. But in doing so, projects often produce anxiety as students struggle to determine what answer the instructor wants. However, with these projects, whether it be a case, a report of a business issue, or a business plan, faculty are typically not searching for one right answer, but rather are concerned with the process that students use in solving problems. Teaching students to ask the right questions is thought to be more important than giving students the right answers. In the real world, there is neither one right answer nor is there a â€Å"sage on a stage† that can direct students to the right answer. Students need to learn how to find and to support the answers for themselves. The use of electronic discussion boards and chat rooms can aid student learning in the struggle through the project process. Thus, three learning goals can be addressed through the use of electronic discussion boards and chat rooms with experiential group projects: (1) empowering students to become active participants in their learning, (2) increasing students’ communication skills in describing and solving problems, and (3) enhancing students’ abilities to collaborate and work with others in developing their own resources in solving problems. To achieve these goals, education must involve interactivity among instructors, students, and the materials, and electronic discussion boards and chat rooms can enrich that interactivity. Providing Additional Teaching Opportunities Another advantage of these tools is the opportunity for faculty to participate in the discussions and e-mails. Faculty can use these tools to demonstrate concern for students and to provide additional accessibility and feedback. In fact, the transactional distance encourages faculty to maintain a facilitative role rather than an authoritative role (Moore, 1993). Finally, these tools make it easier for faculty and students to keep track of what everyone has said as there is a written record (Kaiser et al. , 2000). Students have the opportunity to reorganize and reshape their understanding of course content. The Web-based tools allow thoughts to be captured for future examination, elaboration, and extension. The end result is usually more robust and thoughtful discussions. In fact, threaded discussions can extend the time that both instructors and students invest in the course (Bruce & Hwang, 2001). Recommendations for Using These Tools Many universities are starting to use various computer course tools or platforms to promote online learning. These platforms, such as BlackBoard or WebCT, can be used to design either Web-based or Web-assisted courses. For several years, we have used discussion groups and chat rooms in Web-based classes but have also found that communication can be enhanced in traditional classes through use of these tools. Since more business organizations are using electronic tools, such as Lotus Notes, to facilitate group meetings, using them in the classroom helps students further prepare for their careers. However, the wise faculty member will be advised that these tools should be used judiciously. Therefore, based on our experience, the following suggestions are made to faculty who are considering the use of Web-based tools. Discussion Boards Instructors and students can compose and post messages electronically on electronic discussion boards. Both public and private discussion forums can be implemented. With many computing platforms, such as WebCT, faculty can set up public forums to start threaded discussions for the class to which the students can respond electronically. Students can use these public forums to post questions to which the entire class can respond, such as for help in finding information for the project. A project normally seems easier when the instructor is discussing it in class and few questions arise. However, students’ questions occasionally occur after class or on weekends. The discussion board allows the opportunity for students to post problems asynchronously and to receive input from the class. The burden is no longer on the instructor to solve every problem as it occurs but is on the students to work with each other as well as with the instructor in solving problems. This is a tremendous lesson for students to learn to deal with problem solving in the real world. When an employer gives an employee a project or task to do, he/she expects the employee to do it on his/her own and not ask for assistance from the employer every step of the way. Students have to learn to be problem solvers on their own, and the use of electronic discussion boards helps develop that skill. The professor’s role is to help get the conversation started. For example, the instructor can post a question on the public project discussion board asking at which sites people are having success finding information for the project. The students can then respond. Those students who respond in a useful manner will be rewarded, such as with a participation grade. Those students or groups who do not respond can be asked on the discussion board for their input. When students see the progress other students are making, they may be spurred to work harder. Additionally, the faculty need to check the discussion board frequently to see if any misinformation is being spread, to ensure â€Å"netiquette† is being practiced, and to restart the conversation as needed. Finally, faculty can take questions that the students ask individually and request that the students post them on the discussion board. In that way the instructor only has to respond once, and similar inquiries can then be referred to that response. This will eve ntually build a culture in the class where the instructor is not seen as the sole source for information, and the students learn to work with each other in solving problems. Additionally, instructors can create private forums to be used to divide students into groups for class exercises or for the use of asynchronous coordination of group projects in which group members cannot all meet at the same time. The instructor can visit these public and private forums to track group progress, to encourage students to help each other to solve problems, and to provide assistance as needed after the students have tried first on their own. In the private group forums, the students are encouraged to use the board to organize group meetings, to post their research findings, and to post drafts of their work for their group members to see and make comments. The professor can encourage individual group members to post their contributions to the paper to the private forum for the other members to see and post suggestions. This would increase group collaboration in a manner that can be documented. After the group has collaborated on a draft of the project, the instructor can offer suggestions. Finally, instructors should consider requiring the groups to post progress reports on their efforts periodically during the term. These progress reports describe what the group has accomplished, what the group’s plans are, if there are any problems, and if there are, how they are being addressed. The instructor should provide guidelines as to what the groups should have accomplished by the progress report dates so the students can determine if they are on track. While these reports could be submitted on paper, doing it through the discussion board makes it easier for group members to be aware of what has been submitted. Chat Rooms. With chat rooms, students can meet electronically at the same time no matter where they are, as long as they have Internet access. Each group can have its own chat room, with the instructor joining in from home or office in one of several ways. The group can meet first and then have a designated time when the instructor logs in to answer questions. The instructor can leave when the questions are answered or give the group time to discuss among themselves and then check back later. For project work, it is important that instructors periodically meet with student groups to answer questions, address problems, and provide guidance. The chat room may be a useful tool in meeting with students out of class. The students can meet with the instructor for a practice â€Å"chat† to get the students comfortable with the technology. The instructor can request that the groups meet with him/her several times during the term to discuss their progress. These meetings can be either in the office during office hours or during designated chat office hours, such as on Sunday nights when the instructor is at home. With traditional classes, groups should have the option to meet in person with the professor, particularly early on in the project. For those students who cannot come during office hours, the chat room provides an excellent way to interact, although instructors may want to set clear boundaries or specific hours for when they are willing to meet in the chat room. When the instructor is meeting with groups via chat, patience is needed. It can be confusing when everyone is typing in questions. While the instructor prepares an answer to one question, several more students’ questions can appear. The instructor needs to make it clear that he/she will discuss questions in the order in which they appear. On the other hand, there may be times when the chat room is silent while the students are preparing their questions. The instructor may want to prompt to see if there are any other questions but should give the students some time if needed. Finally, no one should log off until everyone has finished. Someone may be in the middle of preparing something to post and the silence is seen as the end of the session, or someone may have left the room for a minute and has come back to find an empty chat room. Therefore, a practice chat session may be helpful with these issues. Grading Student Use of Discussion Boards and Chat Rooms Grading student responses in both the discussion forum and chat room can present challenges. Many times there may be a group grade for a project that is then adjusted for the individual student’s grade base on his/her contribution to the group’s project. Additionally, students may be individually graded for their participation in the course. Some students will initially shy away from using the discussion board, as they would prefer to do things the way they always have and do not want to learn a new technology. Other students, particularly those who are too shy to speak up in class, may welcome this new opportunity. It is up to the instructor to provide the incentive to become involved. While a positive attitude may help the instructor in encouraging students, making posts part of their grade, such as a portion of their participation grade, probably ensures the best results. Instructor can grade the posting on several issues: clarity of thought/grammer, quality of comments/critical thinking, and usefulness/participation in responding to other posts. In evaluating the group projects to determine individual grades, instructors often have students submit group evaluations. The information on these evaluations can be substantiated or compared to what has occurred on the group’s private discussion forum and what has been documented in the progress posts. If a group member is not contribution, it is the responsibility of the group to communicate this the instructor and to attempt to deal with the problem before the final project is submitted. The use of the discussion board and chat room can be a tremendous help in tracking a group’s activities. This puts more responsibility on the students to document and address the issues before it is too late. It also aids instructors in making fairer assessments of individual efforts. To better manage the communication tools, instructors should set up clear guidelines for grading, such as describing how many new posts and response posts are required per week, as well as how often the students are expected to check the discussion board. For example, the professor may want each group to submit a bi-weekly progress report on its project. The instructor may also want to review â€Å"netiquette† as well as set limits as to how many posts students can make on public forums to avoid overwhelming the discussion board. The instructor needs to stress that it is the quality of the posts and not the quantity that counts and provide students with feedback to encourage its proper use. Finally, the instructor can also utilize student management tools that are included in the computing platforms like WebCT to determine when and how many posts the students are making. Additionally, search commands can be used to find all the posts one student has made in order to track an individual student’s progress. Conclusion Teamwork and group meetings are entrenched elements of an increasingly global environment. As a result, business faculty must prepare their students, as future managers, to collaborate with groups effectively. Electronic meeting tools, such as discussion boards and chat rooms, can play a key role in that training. These tools can enhance and empower student learning and collaboration as well as increase communication and problem solving skills. By collaborating more effectively in school, students will be better prepared to collaborate effectively in the workplace (Kaiser et al. , 2000). These tools also offer additional teaching benefits. They are very useful in documenting student effort and accountability for fair contribution. They also provide a means for faculty to be conveniently accessible and to provide feedback outside of class time. Additionally, electronic tools help students learn to develop their own resources. These tools then can be a tremendous aid for faculty to address group project problems, to help their students achieve learning goals, and to provide additional teaching opportunities to interact with their students. Thus, by using electronic discussion boards and chat rooms, such as with group projects, faculty can effectively enhance their students’ collaborative learning. References Bobbitt, L. M. , Inks, S. A. , Kemp, K. J. , & Mayo, D. T. (2000). Integrating marketing courses to enhance team-based experiential learning. Journal of Marketing Education, 22(1), 15-24. Bruce, S. M. , & Hwang, T. T. (2001). Web-based teacher preparation in visual impairment: Course development, teaching, learning and quality assurance. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 95(10), 609-622. Buckenmyer, J. A. (2000). Using teams for class activities: Making course/classroom teams work. Journal of Education for Business, 76(2), 98-107. Cohen, G. (1993). New approaches to teams and teamwork. In J. R. Galbraith & E. E. Lawler, III (Eds. ). Organizing for the future (pp. 194-226). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Colbeck, C. L. , Campbell, S. E. , & Bjorklund, S. A. (2000, January/February). Grouping in the dark: What college students learn from group projects. The Journal of Higher Education, 71(1), 60-83. Cottell, P. G. & Millis, B. (1993, Spring). Cooperative learning structures in the instruction of accounting. Issues in Accounting Education, 8, 40-59. Gremler, D. D. , Hoffman, K. D. , Keaveney, S. M. , & Wright, L. K. (2000). Experiential learning exercises in services marketing courses. Journal of Marketing Education, 22(1), 35-44. Jones, J. D. , & Brickner, D. (1996). Implementation of cooperative learning in a large-enrollment basic mechanics class. ASEE Annual Conference Proceedings [CD-Rom]. Kaiser, P. R. , Tuller, W. L, & McKowen, D. (2000). Student team projects by Internet. Business Communication Quarterly, 63(4), 75-82. Maguire, S. , & Edmondson, S. (2001). Student evaluation and assessment of group projects. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 25(2), 209-217. McNally, J. (1994). Working in groups and teams. In L. Thorley & R. Gregory (Eds. ). Using group-based learning in higher education (pp. 113-120). London: Kogan Page. Michaelsen, L. K. (1992). Team learning: A comprehensive approach for harnessing the power of small groups in higher education. To Improve the Academy, 11, 107-122. Moore, M. (1993). Theory of transactional distance. In D. Keegan (Ed. ). Theoretical principles of distance education (pp. 22-38). New York: Rutledge. Ravenscroft, S. P. (1997). In support of cooperative learning. Issues in Accounting Education, 12(1), 187-190. Reeves, T. (1996). Relevant readings. Technology in teacher education: From electronic tutor to cognitive tool. Action in Teacher Education, 27(4), 74-78. Thorley, L. , & Gregory, R. (Eds. ) (1994). Using Group-based Learning in Higher Education. London: Kogan Page. Tullar, W. L. , Kaiser, P. R. , & Balthazard, P. A. (1998). Group work and electronic meeting systems: From boardroom to classroom. Business Communication Quarterly, 61(4), 53-65. Address correspondence to Jacqueline K. Eastman, Department of Marketing/Economics, College of Business Administration, Valdosta State University, Valdosta GA 31698 (e-mail: jeastman@valdosta. edu).

Discuss – Whether or not we should use animals

The use of animals for medical research is a debatable issue with some claiming that for the benefit of science, medical research needs animals and testing on animals is a necessity for the progress of science. Others argue that it is unethical to use animals and any other form of life as some of this research would involve killing of the animals and this is completely unacceptable even for the sake of progress of science. Other alternative methods to killing and using animals should be used for research and study and animals should not be directly used, abused and killed. In fact people advocating protection of wild life and related policies are against the capture and indiscriminate use of nature’s resources even if it is in the grab of betterment for humanity.   This essay deals with both sides of the debate showing the advantages and disadvantages of using animals for testing for betterment and advancement of medical research.Part IWhy animal testing is plausible and can be usedIn most cases, most pharmaceutical companies try new drugs on animals first and also try new chemicals or use animal anatomy to understand human anatomy. Many people believe that medical research as practised by big pharmaceutical companies use animals unethically for business gains and profits. The medical companies have their own research and development units where new drugs are initially tested on animals, especially rats or guineapigs and the effects of these drugs are then generalized on to humans a many clinical symptoms of animals are similar to what is expected in humans.Thus if new drugs are not effective or have adverse impact on animals, the same could be presumed in case of humans for the same drug. This generalization factor is important as companies and scientists claim that they use animals to understand the effects of drug on humans or simply to understand the structure and functions of human by studying animals as it would not be possible to study humans an d their body parts directly and it would also be completely wrong to apply new drugs or use new medicines for illnesses on humans directly without knowing what effects these would have on the body.In fact although before releasing a new drug in the market, companies conduct clinical trials on volunteers after testing these on animals and volunteers get paid for this. Yet the ethical aspect of this, or trying new drugs on humans is again debated but then this is the way medical research has to work otherwise new drugs will not be tested. It is again controversial whether new drugs could be tested artificially say with technical or robotic manipulation and whether drugs could be used on humans directly without testing on animals. How ethical would that be and thus there are two points here that touches on ethical issues.In the first case, animal testing would be unethical and yet testing medicines directly on humans without testing on humans would again be unethical as adverse consequ ences can directly affect human volunteers. For this reason it is almost necessary to test new drugs on animals first before testing them on humans as long as there is no suffering to animals and as long as there is some general research progress expected from such tests.Most people consider animal testing acceptable within limits. In one study by Fenwick and Fraser (2005), drug regulatory reviewers and pharmaceutical industry experts and scientists were interviewed to explore different perspectives on obstacles and opportunities of replacement, refinement and reduction or the three Rs in drug research and development (Fenwick and Fraser, 2005). The study found that most scientists and researcher generally tend to support the use of animals in medical research and suggested that the level of animal use is acceptable in pharmaceutical industry and replacing the use of animals would not be a feasible idea.Part II –Why animal testing is unethical and should not be usedIn the stu dy above by Fenwick and Fraser (2005) the three Rs have been considered as necessary in changing animal research. However this could be implausible as there are obstacles to applying the replacement or refinement of animal testing as there is a lack of non-animal alternatives and other alternatives may not fulfill the needs for statistical validity and industry. Also regulators could depart from certain patterns of animal use and in some cases commercial objectives are more important than following the three Rs. Less animal-testing could also jeopardize human safety according to some.However three Rs with replacement and refinement in testing could mean genetically modified animals and better animal models with drug use on gene actions and changes. The re-use of animals and using sufficient number of animals are also some of the issues. In some cases regulatory studies are combined so that animal data is minimized yet fulfill regulatory requirements.Fenwick and Fraser (2005) suggest ed that following the three Rs would be in accordance with industry priorities and validation of alternative methods would also be necessary. Greater consensus would be required in certain areas of disagreement related to animal testing according to the authors and these are issues related to death and re-use of animals and also whether pilot studies and alternative methods would contribute to reduction in the number of animals (Fenwick and Frazer, 2005).Thus animal use and testing is consider unethical due to matters related to death and reuse of animals and the use of too many animals could also be reduced with better more advanced tests that would require fewer samples and could be done more efficiently.Part III –Summary of both the viewsThus as seen, there are many reasons for which animal testing could be useful or even unethical. Death of animals would be suggesting against it and medial progress and usefulness for human drugs would be the strong points. It is important to develop alternative methods of testing that could replace the use of animals in medical research and according to Wilcox (1998), the US Food and Drug Administration or FDA is committed to facilitating the development and validation of new testing methods that could reduce or minimize the use of animals. The international science community has been challenged to develop and discover methods that could obviate the need for animals for extrapolation to human situations and conditions in case of pharmaceutical research.The appropriate mechanisms of toxicity and hazard and safety decisions should be known and the FDA is focused on protecting public health by successfully integrating science and social causes. The agency’s broad regulatory responsibilities relate to understanding the use of vaccines, drugs, blood supply and medical devices as also veterinary drugs and animal feed. The FDA has been in regulating the principles and alternatives of animal testing in medical resear ch.The FDA tries to identify the gaps between industry and academia especially in terms of communication or data gaps and methods gaps and supports in developing new research data and methods to find alternative methods of testing for drugs aiding in the regulatory decision making process. Wilcox (1998) suggests that a new paradigm introducing new and validated testing methods for the FDA scientists is emerging and this is responsible for application and acceptance of regulations in testing.A study by Williams et al (2007) investigated the use and impact of animal testing for research and teaching purposes and the awareness of these regulations among public and the opinions related to this. In a study by Williams et al, an independent telephone study was conducted to collect information on awareness and interest in the use of animal testing for medical research and whether individuals have confidence in such regulations and principles.The study obtained data from 750 individuals in NZ and 33% of the respondents expressed interest in the issue with 39% interested in animal testing for research and 21% showed interest for teaching purposes. Most respondents between 68%-72% suggested that animal testing would be acceptable if there is no unnecessary suffering to the animal and that regulated within the principles of medical research.However most people felt that animal research would be completely justified in case of research on life threatening and debilitating illnesses such as cancer and would also be justified when testing cosmetics and products that can do little or no harm to the animals.   8% of the respondents knew something about regulations dealing with animal testing in medical research.Williams et al (2007) thus suggested from the study that majority of the individuals were not interested in the issue although most who did accepted that animal testing is completely acceptable as long as there is no unnecessary suffering or in case of minimal advers ity or in case of medicines for life threatening illness. Thus there may be certain social opinions on the use of such drug trials on animals considering the seriousness of the research and the results expected.BibliographyAndreas-Holger MaehleGeneral Conclusions: Experimental Pharmacology and Therapeutic InnovationClio Medica/The Wellcome Series in the History of Medicine, â€Å"Drugs on Trial† by A-H. Maehle , pp. 311-315(5)Fenwick, N.P.;  Fraser, D.The Three Rs in the pharmaceutical industry: perspectives of scientists and regulatorsAnimal Welfare, Volume 14,  Number 4, 2005, pp. 367-377(11)Gerdts, Volker;  Littel-van den Hurk, Sylvia van Drunen;  Griebel, Philip J;  Babiuk, Lorne AUse of animal models in the development of human vaccinesFuture Microbiology, Volume 2,  Number 6, 2007, pp. 667-675(9)Roberts, Stephen M.Ethical Issues in the Use of Data from Testing of Human Subjects to Support Risk AssessmentHuman and Ecological Risk Assessment, Volume 7,  Numb er 6, 2001 , pp. 1569-1573(5)Williams, V.M.;  Dacre, I.T.;  Elliott, M.Public attitudes in New Zealand towards the use of animals for research, testing and teaching purposesNew Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 55,  Number 2, 2007, pp. 61-68(8)Wilcox N.L.FDA position on validation and acceptance of alternative methodsToxicology Letters, Volume 95, Supplement 1, 1998 , pp. 31-31(1)

Is Sartre's Existentialist account of morality more preferable than Essay

Is Sartre's Existentialist account of morality more preferable than that based on the existence of God - Essay Example This essay will explore different views of existential philosophers in support of or repudiation to Sartre's existential account of morality. We must also bear in mind the political/theological atmosphere surrounding all of these thinkers, which propelled them to pen their thoughts for consideration by the intellectual community. Herein lies the division between philosophy and theology; many times it seems that there is no division, simply an attempt to apply reason to religion, as it were. The very basis of philosophy is the search for Truth, and philosophers in general agree that no one owns Truth. The origins of philosophy were based around the conduct of humanity, based upon logic, ethics and emotion, with or without a God. While the philosophers of antiquity such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle addressed these three key components of philosophy whilst having been related to each other in terms of being each other's students, they managed to accommodate their contemporary theology in their views and ideas. In addition, the same disdain of politicians existed in their works, just as modern times. As philosophy progressed, politics of the day encroached more and more, taking on a more insistent voice in the musings of the philosophers. From Marxism to Existentialism in its truest sense, ideals of conduct were set forth with a plethora of reasons to engage in such conduct. In contrast to Sartre's assertions of morality having no intrinsic value other than humans being the sum of their parts, we look to the work of Karl Jasper, who cuts through the unnecessary conflict of whether or not there is a God and addresses the issue of transcendence being a process of individual maturation, which may lead to the discovery of the One in the Many. Jaspers was considered to be an anti-fascist; his premise took self-realisation into account with existentialism. The freedom of this style is that it gives the mind something to work toward in this one corporeal life; the betterment of oneself and therefore the discovery of interdependence, which may or may not lead to an epiphany regarding a supreme being. That Jaspers indicates something transcendent is indicative of the possibility of a God or higher being, or even a finer level of consciousness that is able to hold its morals and ethics in the face of life's daily pressures and trends, emerging triumphant from the blindness of the masses. While not advocating the existence of God, Jasper's work encourages morality without the need to negate God completely. In Jasper's own words, 'The philosopher lives, as it were, in a hidden, non-objective community to which every philosophising person secretly longs to be admitted. Philosophy has no institutional reality and is

Answer the questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Answer the questions - Essay Example According to them, all people are rebellious and deserve only Gods just punishment, so its up to God’s will to choose anyone, not because anyone deserves it for something but because its God’s unjust will to show his mercy as it was his kind choice. Calvin and Luther stressed that the center of the Christian faith was. "Justification by faith alone" (and related to that salvation by grace alone, not at all by works) was at the CENTER of the Christian faith, and this is the central teaching of the religion which needs to be recovered and is to b taught to everyone. Q: Thirty Years War from Ch.13, discussing why it took place? Who was on each of the sides (what countries, important personalities); important battles; and the peace that ended it? Why do you think that this was the last important of the religious wars? A: The Thirty Years War is one of the great clashes of early modern European history. it consisted of a series of declared and undeclared wars which wrath through the years 1618-1648 throughout central Europe. During the war the opponents were, on the one side, the house of Austria: the Habsburg Holy Roman Emperors Ferdinand and Ferdinand together with their Spanish cousin Philip. The Habsburgs were opposed by various international opponents of House of Austria, during the long time of the Thirty Years War: the Danish, Dutch and, above all, France and Sweden. The Thirty Years War was a German civil war, in addition to the international scope. It was also; somehow, religious war among Catholics, Lutherans and Calvinists. The series of conflicts, military and political, which make up the Thirty Years War, are highly complex. The main cause for this war was the inner crumble of the empire from 1555, as proved by the flaws of the majestic power, by the disgusting deficiency of patriotism evident by the lands of the empire, and by the paralysis of the

The Place of African Traditional Religion in Contemporary Africa Essay

The Place of African Traditional Religion in Contemporary Africa - Essay Example The introduction of European Christianity and values separated the indigenous Africans from their traditional spiritual roots as well as their traditional distinctiveness as a spiritual people. Traditional African religion is focused on the existence of one Ultimate High God. However, the Europeans who introduced Christianity in Africa didn’t understand or properly appreciate the Africans own understanding of the Great Creator. They saw no resemblance between the God they talked about and the Africans own belief in the One Highest God and creator who was, Omnipotent, king, the Great Judge, Omniscient, Compassionate, Holy and Obscure, Immortal and Supreme (Olupona, 1991). The traditional African belief is that the Great One brought the mysticisms into being. He therefore is the creator and everything in heaven and on earth owes their origin to Him alone. He is the king of kings and can not be likened in majesty. He is above all grandeurs and divinities. He resides everywhere. Thus He is omnipotent and is able to do all things and nothing can be created apart from Him. He is behind all achievements. He alone can speak and accomplish his words (Olupona, 1991). In Yoruba myth, Sango once governed as the fourth Alaafin of Oyo. Sango is said to have succeeded his father as one of the early kings of Oyo, and several verses say that he became a king. He was recognized for his magical power and was feared because when he spoke, fire came out of his mouth (Olupona, 1991).  After his unusual life and controversial death, his friends esteemed him as a god. His cult has enjoyed the royal patronage of the Alaafin of Oyo, who is regarded as his descendant. Sangos cult played a significant role in securing the peoples loyalty to the Alaafin in the days of the Oyo Empire (Olupona, 1991)   History has it that he is the son of Yemoja, the mother goddess and guardian of birth. Sango had three wives. Sangos followers regard him as the epithet of

The Influence of Activity Based Costing in Finance Sector Essay

The Influence of Activity Based Costing in Finance Sector - Essay Example Understanding ABC can show the way to better knowledge of an organization business course of actions and basic expenses. ABC is a financial plan and scrutiny process that estimates operating cost by involving overheads to orders, clientele, services and end-items. It permits managers to discriminate between cost-effective and non-beneficial services. ABC facilitates to fill up the spaces of conventional costing by recognizing all the work actions and their costs that enrol in constructing a product, carrying a service, or executing a process. When the solitary expenses are calculated, a representation of the overall cost of a process becomes apparent. The cost of giving out the different division of consumers can yet distinguish by ABC model (Shank, 1996).Daly (2001) elucidate that the central theory behind the Activity-based costing system is that resource operating cost have to be allocated to the activities executed. Expenses acknowledged in the economy are assembled and circulated to these events. This assists the firm to comprehend how much they are paying out on the activities that sustain the making of certain item for consumption or services.Mapping out firm expenditures can start by consulting department executives to find out what primary activities are carried out in each unit and what aspects decide how long a doing a cquires. Just the once this record is achieved, one can begin to trace the supply costs to activities. Taking the case of objects managing department in which the public in the department acted upon three fundamental assignments can represent this. These responsibilities comprised of: accepting purchased stuffs, accepting unprocessed materials and distributing materials. It was supposed that every member of staff in the division was uniformly trained and equally remunerated, so the firm made a decision to apply time percentages for handing over material costs to the three responsibilities. The time of the supervisor was spread transversely for all activities executed by the division in percentage to the time laboured by other workers under management. Therefore, exclusive of indulging each sort of work as different, costs were allocated in relation to the effort done. Several departments have persons who appear to work daily, no issue at what altitude of capability their division is functioning. This kind of obligation often is categorized as fixed, because the amount of people who work does not fluctuate with requirements. This view is not acceptable for all the time though, because the majority of departments have various fixed and variable costs. Within a department, workers may be handed over to complete a number of tasks based on the level of order. This kind of task can be marked out to what action is being carried out, and can therefore, be preceded to the concluding cost of the end substance. A quantity of resources might perhaps also be fixed for a division. This might comprise the space in the capacity that the department utilizes and the equipments that the division requires to work. With the technology at present, costing statistics should be readily obtainable to evaluate the variable costs of a division, plus the assigned costs, in c oncluding the achievability of a project (Locander, 1998). Literature Review Designing the Optimal System Different Perspectives Few years back a research association of banks constructed a report that evidently described how management accounting figures in banking

Discuss what enables staff to progress in their careers and how Essay - 1

Discuss what enables staff to progress in their careers and how managers can help them in their development in a health and social care setting - Essay Example Professional development will mainly involve enrollment in professional development programs in a given profession. The professional development programs, apart from improving the quality of services offered by an organization, â€Å"Boost individuals’ career, through travel, research, workshops and seminars, and through partnering with experienced professionals† (Morgan, 2007). In addition, professional development programs enable individuals to improve expertise in their fields and add value to the institutions through contributions in the developments. These programs are designed with the intention of helping people improve their level of competency and professionalism and are not only applicable to people in business or management, but also to other professionals such as medical practitioners, teachers, engineers, and nurses among others (Morgan, 2007). The health and social care practitioners are found in various settings and fields, requiring continued professional development to enhance delivery of quality healthcare and services. According to a joint statement on CPD for health and social care practitioners, â€Å"continuing professional development (CPD) is fundamental to the development of all health and social care practitioners, and is the mechanism through which high quality patient and client care is identified, maintained and developed† (RCN, 2011). Professional development in health and social care settings is pivotal in enhancing continued improvement in the quality of the services offered and high standards of care maintained. According to a Review of Continuing Professional Development in General Practice 1998, the effort to improve quality and excellence in clinical care provision can be achieved through CPD by focusing on three distinct inter-related areas: â€Å"clinical governance enhanced, professional s elf-regulation

Mini-Project (Third) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mini-Project (Third) - Essay Example This made Cashman â€Å"forced to scramble for an additional line of credit in project financing at prime plus 2-1/2%†, which was an excessive premium (due to Woody’s credit rating). Proper budgeting would have avoided the ‘fire fighting’ mode they had to resort to when they found themselves â€Å"throwing money at every problem in an effort to get the plant operational†. The project failures concerning financial planning, cash flow, cost control, costs incurred etc. are listed in section two. Recommendations are then given on how this should have been conducted properly so that the mistakes could have been avoided. Kim Cashman’s cash flow chart was improperly drafted. The amount of expenditure was only assumed i.e.  £1 million each in first and last months and  £1.4 million in each intervening 10 months. Secondly, the chart was locked away and the details were not divulged to the people concerned. The costs associated with the project were recorded as part of the company’s normal book-keeping whereas it should have been kept separate not least because the costs could be easily identified and controlled. EID’s initial fixed-price quotation was not deliberated upon. It could have been a more economical option than allowing the cost plus alternative that EID implemented with a high level of uncertainty. Moneysworth did not justify why he thought that the hourly rate was reasonable. He also thought that the hours could be monitored effectively but this proved not to be the case. The hourly rate was perhaps the largest contributor to the spiralling costs. Changes in project planning led to costs becoming uncontrollable and some of these were major. For example, software for the production train had to be rewritten and the building could not house the production train. The lack of schedule planning not only wasted time and caused delays but also resulted in the loss of income. For example, the several weeks that were lost in

Analyze an online article called Does Gender Matter by Ben.A Barres Essay

Analyze an online article called Does Gender Matter by Ben.A Barres - Essay Example First it acts as the backdrop. He argues that women are not pursuing sciences in academics mainly because of discrimination unlike what Lawrence and the others have based their argument on; that, women fail to advance in sciences due to difference in instinctive inability between men and women. This paper addresses the common expressed forms of discriminations that women go through and the risks that the writer takes in addressing this issue. Risks taken by writers to prove the impacts of female discriminations are far-fetched. Ben Bares refers to the before said hypothesis as, ``Larry summer hypothesis†.   He based his argument on that, a part from the major social factors that might make women to hate sciences and mathematics from a tender age, there is still slight evidence that there exists difference in gender abilities in mathematics which are innate or which are slightly relevant to lack of progression of women in sciences.   He explains that it is a fact that the society assumes that the women are less innately able in comparison to men. He further says this assumption is the foremost reason  why women are slow in progressing in sciences and mathematics. Ben Bares in rejecting the hypothesis by Lawrence Summers, Bares takes a great risk because he has to prove that it is not scientifically proven and there is no data supporting such claims. This he does warning that he dies not intent to battle with men or turn them into villains as  expressed in the quote, â€Å"I have no desire to make men into villain.† Bares take this risk so that he could protect the female gender in the society because in the past years it has faced much discrimination and there is no one who stood to protect their desires. This risk pays off well because it brought a great debate which has been discussed for months turning to years making him famous in protecting women in the society. Even before anybody could think of importance of studying the issue of

Personal Statement Prompt #2 Essay Example for Free

Personal Statement Prompt #2 Essay PERSONAL STATEMENT Prompt #2: Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud, and how does it relate to the person you are? I’ve never been so interested in my spiritual life, my religion, and my service to others as I have been these past three years. One of the proudest moments of my life is when I was accepted into my school’s LIFE team, which stands for Living in Faith Experience. The trips, retreats, and activities that I have shared with my peers have formed me into a completely new person and have allowed me to experience things that I wouldn’t have been able to experience on my own. Being able to be a part of the LIFE team is an accomplishment that has given me many opportunities, and has showed me ways that I can go out into the world and grab hold of the millions of other opportunities that awaits me. This particular team isn’t like the sports and organizations that my school offers. You first have to be nominated by three teachers or administrators, which allows you to receive an application. The end of my freshman year, I received an application, and I was confused. I wasn’t too sure of what exactly the team was, except for the fact they were religious and helped the campus minister out. The application did not only involve basic information, it also required short answers for approximately 15 questions. I ignored the fact that it was so time consuming because I enjoyed having to think about the answers, which were new to me. Later in the week, I was called into our Campus Minister’s office and was interviewed. The questions allowed me, for once, to just be me and talk about what I’ve been through and what I want for my future. Just being myself paid off, in a way that changed my whole high school career and life. The person that LIFE team has helped make me is much more open, compassionate, and helpful. From small groups on the retreats, large group discussions in class, and getting guidance through liturgies, I have opened up to where I can more easily express myself. I learned the importance of trusting people and being trusted. From being a servant leader, I have deepened my qualities of compassion and being helpful. LIFE team is focused on being good leaders for others, while being a servant to them and to Christ. I’m able to learn something and actually feel anxious to go and teach others the same. I couldn’t be more proud of the way  that I’ve progressed in my spiritual knowledge, deepened in my faith, and have become much more willing to open up and try new things. Being a part of the LIFE team for these past 3 years is an accomplishment for myself, a contribution to our school and society, and has helped me to better portray the qualities that I want and need to expose in order to be the best person that I can be.

Legal and Regulatory Framework Essay Example for Free

Legal and Regulatory Framework Essay There are many acts that exist to prevent discrimination, laws that protect age, sex, race, and religion. These acts are there to stop direct discrimination; when someone is treated less favourably than another. The company John Lewis is mostly affected by the Sex Discrimination Act 1975/97; to help stop judgement because of sex. They are affected by this act because of stereotypes; such as technological jobs that are expected to be done by a male, so when the company searches for an applicant they would mainly focus on males, making females have a lower chance of getting the job. This can also be related to an ethical issue, which is to never put the same gender in an interview panel, which is never done so that a person cannot be picked because of their sex. The company deals with this by looking carefully at each candidate, and may also consider leaving out the gender section, to not be stereotypical when choosing the right candidate. The Equal Pay Act 1970 would also affect this company just as it affects any other companies; it would force the company to pay its employees equally, ignoring gender. The company handles this by properly giving each employee their pay without considering gender to be an issue. The National Minimum Wage makes the company pay the minimum amount set by the government to their employees, this act would make the company suffer when it is in a difficult situation and they need money by decreasing the amount needed to pay to employees who are needed in the business. The company would deal to this law by making sure that the budget is enough and to see if they can get rid of an employee if the potential candidate seems better. The Race Relations Act 1992 stops discrimination on race, nationality, ethnic origin or national origin. One example that could happen is not involving a race when advertising the position, which would harm the candidates, and which will lead to harm to the business. The company would deal with this by making sure that no one is missed, and that not a particular race is picked for a job and given more of an advantage than another. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 2005 helps make a disable person get treated fairly when being interviewed; this act would affect the business because it they would have to pay equipment for the disabled, such as a wheelchair to help make the employee feel comfortable and not judged. Employment Acts 2002 and 2008, and the Work and Families Act 2006, covers maternity and paternity leave and pay, flexible working hours for carers of adults, as well as improved communication between employers and employees during maternity and paternity leave. This would affect the business because they would need new employees to cover the leave, as well as an extra pay for the new employee and the one leaving. The European Working Time Directive introduces the maximum working week of 48 hours over a certain number of weeks, as well as restriction on the length of nightshifts, rest periods and annual leave. This would affect the business because they won’t be able to employ someone longer to complete the job, which would lead to time loss. The company would deal with this by spreading the time between different employees equally. Ethics is what is expected to be done, and there are many ethics that are expected to be followed by a business when recruiting, one of them is to always ask the same questions in an interview, one simple reason to do this is to be fair to all of the candidates, but the main reason is compare them equally, as well as knowing what is needed to be known from all of them, which would help the business know the right candidate that would help the business. Another thing that a business is expected to do is to not make the interviewees related to the candidates, and the main reason to do that is to never make the results bias, an example of that is a candidate being chosen because he/she is related to the owner of the business. This would increase the chance of other candidates to be chosen who might have potential in the business. One other thing that the business is expected to do is to always make a promotion available, to help increase the motivation of the employees so that the job can be done, and to also helps make all the employees have the same opportunities, which would in return make the number of candidates  increase, making the chance of them having the right employee higher. Firing someone when it needs to be done is also something that the business is expected to do, as it will make the candidates aware that the business deals with a problem when they report them, and it would also be beneficial to the business at it would stop people from causing trouble or stealing form the business.

Female circumcision in other states

Female circumcision in other states An estimated 100 million to 140 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female gender mutilation/cutting (Population Reference Bureau, 2008). This figure is enormous and unsurprisingly, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is an extremely controversial topic within the international sphere. Whilst some may argue that it is simply natural and a general norm within certain areas and cultures, others, largely from the Western world, believe it to be an infringement of a basic human right and so many concerns and condemnations of the practice emerge from an ethical and humanitarian perspective. Engaging with this debate involves studying the works of two academics, Martha Nussbaum and Yael Tamir, both providing counteracting views towards such a complicated debate like this one. This essay examines the practice of female circumcision, arguing that it is legitimate for states like the UK to attempt to bring them to an end, thus agreeing with the argument made by Nussbaum, namely that we should be ashamed of ourselves if we do not use whatever privilege and power has come our way to make it disappear forever (Nussbaum, 1996). My argument however is one of states only being able to legitimately intervene where FGM is being practiced against the will of females, yet if the practice is warranted and women, of adult age, consent to it, then it is not as permissible for states to intervene. Cultural opinions and determination are not valid enough reasons to allow such a horrific process to continue, specifically due to the medical implications of the circumcision procedure as a whole. The Capabilities Approach by Nussbaum (1999) is examined within this essay therefore, in terms of arguing that females should have the choice of whether or not to go through with the act of FGM as this procedure removes their opportunity to fulfil their full capabilities as both human beings and as women. Thus this goes hand-in-hand with the argument that states are legitimate in interve ning to allow capabilities to be satisfied. Finally, a series of policy recommendations are made with respect to the ways in which states, such as the UK, can intervene legitimately to prevent such practices occurring in future years, the key one being education. These measures will therefore protect the human rights and social welfare of females across the world, along with other institutions i.e. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). FGM is commonly performed on young girls as a rite of passage to womanhood (Rahman and Toubia, 2000, p.3). Since the early 1990s, FGM has gained global recognition as a serious health and human rights issue. Often this act is committed for social and cultural values as opposed to medical ones and so it is very difficult to begin a process of change as in order to do this, as the whole thinking of society and its actors would need be adjusted. Largely conducted within African countries, the practice, although having decreased in recent years, still poses a threat to the rights and capabilities of women in such areas. The fall in numbers of females undergoing such circumcision coincides with numerous global efforts to target excisors, medical professionals, and families who perpetuate the practice (Population Reference Bureau, 2008). Political will and implementation of such legislation however is the key hurdle to achieving this. FGM poses severe health risks, both physical and psychological in both the immediate/short-term and also the long-term. Some of these medical problems include: haemorrhaging, infections, septicaemia, shock from the severe pain and loss of blood, risks during childbirth, and in extreme cases, death (Slack, 1988, p.451). Other side effects include: infertility, cysts and abscesses, urinary incontinence and psychological and sexual problems (Population Reference Bureau, 2008). Intense trauma is often caused as many of the females who undergo this operation are of an incredibly young age, held down by force and circumcised with little, if any, anaesthesia (Slack, 1988, p.454).These medical consequences for women who undergo genital mutilation are unbearable to even think of, let alone experience, yet still the practice continues due to the myths which surround the issue i.e. females being sterile until they have been excised and so the procedure will supposedly increase fertility (Slack, 1988, p.447) and other myths that the clitoris is incredibly dangerous to women so if not excised will be harmful to the foetus, physically and spiritually (Slack, 1988, 460). Such myths are of course based on fictitious information but due to social pressures are not questioned but preserved, as has been the case for many years. The following map illustrates where FGM is at its highest and thus such areas are the first which need to be aided through state intervention to stop it. Statistics have shown though, that although the practice is still occurring, largely within third world countries, the number of women undergoing FGM has actually fallen and so this is indicative that some level of progress towards eradicating FGM is occurring. African countries, specifically Egypt, Mali, North Sudan and Ethiopia are (according to 2009 figures) experiencing the highest rates of female circumcision procedures. In international relations, both high priority and low priority political issues need to be addressed, seeking global communication, negotiation and interaction. Globally, greater interconnectedness and increasing multicultural societies are leading to both domestic and international issues being discussed at a global level. This is indicative of states helping other states in terms of economics i.e. through increased trade and assistance during globalisation, and politics i.e. through the exchange of political ideologies and support. The argument here posits that if it is legitimate for states to intervene in economic and political issues, is it not also legitimate for states to intervene, when and where necessary, to improve social welfare and quality of life of the less fortunate? This does of course refer to intervention to stop FGM and resultantly improve the social welfare of women across the globe. Governments duty to take action against practices like female circumcision is e mbedded in international human rights treaties and thus states must comply with this (Rahman and Toubir, 2000, p.44). FGM is therefore a violation of a fundamental human right, and as the process cannot be reversed, the consequences are horrific. Bleeding profusely, reproduction problems, and even death are the terrible repercussions that those who undergo the process will endure. Hence these are serious medical implications and these are medical explanations for stopping the practice, as opposed to the usual moral explanations often spoken of within international ethics theory (Jaeger, Caflisch and Hohlfeld, 2009, p.31). Tamir (1996) however, makes the argument that before looking at other countries, we should look at our own countries as they are highly unlikely to be perfect. I disagree with this to some extent, particularly in relation to the issue of FGM. Countries where this occurs may simply believe this to be a custom or norm, something that is a normal and unquestionable pa rt of a females life. Without being educated and increasing awareness though, this disturbing process will continue. The people living in such small communities view FGM as normality, relying on myths on which to base the rest of their lives. Thus, it is the duty of those more educated i.e. in the West, to use education as the catalyst to bring about change and in turn stop this practice from occurring against the will of females. So why is it that FGM is seen as disgraceful whilst male circumcision is not seen with such unacceptability? A key reason for this relates to religion i.e. in Islamic teachings, male circumcision is natural and compulsory for all Muslim males. Male circumcision is not as harmful in any way when compared to FGM is and men are still able to fully function both physically and sexually whereas women arent. Male circumcision outside of Islam is often undertaken for hygiene reasons and so all of these reasons clearly display the picture that within most societies around the world, male circumcision is widely accepted as a type of norm. The term female circumcision seems to suggest an analogy with male circumcision yet in actual fact, the degree of cutting in female circumcision is anatomically much more extensive (Rahman and Toubia, 2000, p.4). In addition to this, FGM is seen as a way of sexually controlling females and although in current political debate this may seem to be rather liber al in appearance, references to cliteridectomy commonly reveal a patronizing attitude toward women, suggesting that they are primarily sexual beings (Tamir, 1996). Thus many advocates of cliteridectomy are concerned with corruption i.e. that the operation will restrict female sexual desires and in turn this will make them chaste wives and mothers (Tamir, 1996). The issue here though is that sexual enjoyment from women is not an openly discussed matter, but rather a taboo in many traditional communities, and so cliteridectomy is in itself symbolic of repressing female sexuality. Such non-Western cultural practices like FGM often symbolise resistance to the dominance of the West i.e. in Kenya, whereby cliteridectomy gained life as a political tool between British Colonials and African Nationals (Brown, 1991, p.262, cited in Jaggar, 2005, p.577/578). The counter-argument to this though lies within the hypothetical example given by Tamir (1996): mutilation enables women to be free of their reliance on men and thus they are able to function fully in order to follow social and political aspirations. The more common argument however is one of cliteridectomy and similar practices being corrupt in nature, restricting women and not allowing them to break free of the imposed barriers with respect to sexuality. All of these issues relate back to cultural and traditional values and so it often impossible to think beyond ones own culture. Nussbaum, a liberal feminist, provides an almost world-view which encourages people to think outside their own cultural box, raising the argument that just because something is done i.e. FGM, this does not mean that we cannot question it or interrogate it for the greater good. Her concerns therefore lie with issues of morality, freewill and choice. Nussbaum (1996) responded to Tamir (1996), focusing primarily on three points: (1) it is unfair to criticise another culture without being prepared to accept criticisms of ones own culture, (2) one cannot criticise another cultures acts without the certainty that their own culture is free of any evils, and (3) FGM is morally similar to dieting and body-shaping as within American culture. Nussbaum (1996) agrees with the first point, disagrees with the second and believes the third point to be egregiously wrong, con tending that the damage caused to women from extreme dieting and surgery can be undone in most cases, yet genital mutilation cannot be and so this is why it is of the greatest concern. The third critique Nussbaum (1996) makes is of greatest relevance as FGM is often compared cosmetic surgery and enhancements and so on by many theorists. It is often seen as the opposing argument, but as stated in the article, the eight differences between FGM versus dieting and surgery explain why Vogue is not illegal, whereas FGM is illegal in many of the countries where it occurs (Nussbaum, 1996). Nussbaum (1999) later built on Amartya Sens theory of Capabilities and this is of great relevance when examining the controversial topic of FGM. She understands capabilities to characterise each human life and is interested in ensuring that all persons have these capabilities to perform central functions, an explicitly Universalist standpoint. Her argument affirms that within the political arena, human beings exhibit moral capabilities which can in future be developed, yet such capabilities are deprived of the nourishment that would transform them into high-level capabilities (Nussbaum, 1999, p.236). Hence without these capabilities Nussbaum (1999) argues human beings are useless. With regards to FGM, the Capabilities Approach largely frowns upon the deprivation of individuals to have the opportunity to choose to be sexually active or indeed celibate (Nussbaum, 1999, p.238). Capabilities require constant development to be able to function fully. With respect to Nussbaums work, ten ce ntral human function capabilities are identified (Nussbaum, 1999, p.235). FGM breaks two of these capabilities, namely bodily health and bodily integrity (Nussbaum, 1999, p.235). Hence according to these, states are legitimate in intervening and influencing other states where practices like female circumcision are taking away the capabilities of their citizens. Resultantly, the Capabilities Approach is demonstrative of an accurate framework to use where the matter of states, like the UK, legitimising actions, such as FGM, is concerned. This Capabilities Approach was later put into action by the United Nations Human Development Reports, arguing that GDP per capita was not a true reflection of this and instead, Sen argued that how people live their lives and other similar economic indicators, need to be examined. Tamir (1996) opposes such points, arguing that there is much to criticise about ones own culture before one is able to criticise another. So common Western practices such as cosmetic surgery, in her argument, would be open to the same criticisms from non-Western countries as FGM is for people within the West. In her critique, states are not legitimate in intervening in other countries before they have addressed all issues of a similar nature within their own home country. With respect to this argument though, the fact of the matter remains that those individuals who undergo surgery and other cosmetic enhancements are usually doing so out of their own personal choice and so this raises other concerns as to why people feel the need to do this, as opposed to intervening to stop it. Other theorists are generally more reluctant for intervention to occur i.e. Walzer, who would argue that intervention of any kind would only be necessary if a clear case of genocide was being demonstrated whe re thousands of victims were losing their lives. In my critique of this though, the practice of FGM, although maybe not as severe as genocide, is indicative of female oppression and so causes a predictable number of deaths which could have been prevented had the right systems been put into place through state intervention. The factor specific to FGM which makes it appropriate for outsiders to intervene and attempt to halt it is that of women not being given a choice of whether or not to undergo the procedure. Women should be able to decide for themselves whether or not they wish to be circumcised, with no pressure from external forces, yet before such a decision they must be made aware of the implications in terms of health and future capabilities. This is what Nussbaum (1999) is referring to in her Capabilities argument as outlined previously. As prosperous developing countries, it is the obligation and duty of states like the UK to intervene to stop FGM when it occurs against the will of women, at least until sufficient change is seen and this change fosters sustainability. The following section therefore examines the ways of doing this. Since the early 1990s, FGM has been recognised as a global human rights issue and so numerous efforts have been made to end it or to at least reduce the number of cases of it occurring. Initiatives such as the annual International Day Against Female Genital Mutilation on February 6th, introduced by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 2007, demonstrates this, calling for greater government commitment to programmes preventing the practice (Obaid, 2007). Although female circumcision is a heavily criticised practice in many developed countries, it is not feasible to simply condemn the practice as this suggests that Western culture is paramount. Understandings of cultural relativism need to transpire but more importantly, a process of change needs to be instigated. Nussbaum (1996) is correct in critiquing Tamir for this (suggesting cultural relativism is a valid argument), explaining how it is difficult to morally decide whether or not intervention should be committed in terms o f local or distant acts, and although individuals will legitimately prioritise about these decisions, this does not mean that we should not intervene. Poor education and low levels of income among women in African countries, coupled with inadequate governmental support (Wakabi, 2007, p.1069) are the key issues regarding the eradication of FGM and only when such problem areas are addressed, can progress begin to occur. Rahman and Toubia (2000, pp.58-68) identify three types of measure to be implemented in order to tackle the FGM issue: legal, regulatory and policy measures. It is important to note from the very beginning though that no single measure will be feasible if states are to intervene, but rather a series of combined approaches and changes must be adopted. Legal measures involve ratifying human rights arrangements to ensure that rights within such treaties are upheld and also carefully considering the imposition of criminal sanctions to dissuade people from committing the circumcision operation (Rahman and Toubia, 2000, pp.59-61). With regards to regulatory measures, suggestions have been made of disciplining those medical professionals who engage in the practice and removing their licences if they persistently offend (Rahman and Toubia, 2000, p.68). Finally, but most importantly, policy measure areas are discussed, these being: education, the media, empowering women and increasing access to reproductive welfare services (Rahman and Toubir, 2000, pp.68-71). The primary way of states intervening legitimately, in my argument, is through the process of education. By educating those within the countries where the practice of FGM takes place, the root cause of the problem can be targeted. This has previously been done through NGOs and alike, yet states too can intervene to promote adequate social welfare for the women within countries where FGM is a severe issue. Older generations need to be approached and made to understand the deficiencies associated with the practice and thus ultimately this will feed through to younger generations. Simultaneously though, younger generations too need to be targeted as t hey are the future and by educating them, forthcoming generations of females will be protected against such a painful practice. Governments need to begin devoting resources to providing FGM practicing countries and communities with information about the negative effects of the procedure and about human rights as important. Such information however must emphasize the potential psychological and physical impact[as well as] examine the history and purpose (Rahman and Toubir, 2000, p.68). If we now examine the media, the argument made is one of facilitating public dialogue and discourse about FGM along with the promotion of women to be free from FGM by various media outlets (Rahman and Toubir, 2000, p.69). This is a very good suggestion, yet in my critique, isnt feasible due to the fact that media within FGM practicing countries is relatively low, if at all existent. Thus this policy recommendation is good in theory yet in practice may not be as simple as first assumed. Empowering women is the third suggestion, self-explanatory in nature yet the ways of doing this include reforming policies which prevent women from improving their status i.e. social, economic etc, ensuring women can work alongside men and that issues of equal pay are addressed (Rahman and Toubir, 2000, p.70). Again this poses potential difficulties in that in certain rural communities, women are not seen as employable and do not have the opportunity to go out to work and more importantly have not been educated enough to undertake even the most low-skilled job positions. Hence such a recommendation is reliant on the previous policy suggestion of education, as only when communities are educated will the women within them be able to start working legitimately. The final proposal is that relating to reproductive services for females within the communities where female circumcision is occurring. These services are critical in providing women with accurate information about FGM as a whole in terms of th eir reproductive health (Rahman and Toubir, 2000, p.71). This is a great service as it is well-known that women who have been circumcised require regular medical attention and so this would address this issue and make it a more widely recognised initiative. Hence the ideal outcome of this is that women, who understand the severity of the practice for their health, will be less likely to make their daughters go through with it (Rahman and Toubir, 2000, p.71). This is ideal and would be the best possible solution but, Rahman and Toubir (2000) fail to consider the impact of community, religious, cultural, family and social pressures on women who do not undergo the FGM operation. Thus reproductive services although being an invaluable resource, are not as simple and easy in terms of changing social attitudes immediately. In the long-run however, reproductive services do have the potential scope to be a success. Other suggestions for intervention include: withholding aid to those countries where FGM is continuing to happen along with working with local groups to support advocacy efforts promoting negotiated, verbal intervention as opposed to plain physical intervention. The critique of this though relates to speaking but taking no action and some theorists would argue that an issue like FGM can only be tackled by head-on intervention that doesnt pussyfoot around the topic but rather stops the practice for the horror it causes, and rightly so. It can be argued by many that these policy recommendations are too simplistic and idealistic yet the fact of the matter remains that before any of these can be implemented, government structures need to be changed. In places like Somalia, several humanitarian organisations have launched campaigns to stop the spread of FGM, yet the widespread insecurity and absence of a central administration have only handed minimal success to their efforts (Wakabi, 2007, p.1070). A case study of Mali however informs us of the positive impact of NGO based intervention, working alongside local communities and governments. The initiative here used a mobile cinema travelling from village to village to encourage the open discussion of womens health issues and once trust had been established, discussed FGM more openly in an attempt to change social attitudes towards it (Good, 2010). This programme has increased awareness about FGM amongst the Malian community, and is beginning to get positive results in M ali, where women are deciding against their daughters being circumcised (Good, 2010). Kenya too has undertaken programmes, the key one being Ntanira Na Mugambo which translates to Circumcision by Words (BBC News, 1998). This week long programme secluded women from males, informing them about FGM in a subtle manner i.e. referring to anatomy, reproduction, self-esteem building, dealing with peer pressure and respecting adults (BBC News, 1998). Thus this type of programme didnt abhor FGM outright but rather tackled the issues surrounding it, offering an alternative view yet allowing the women to make up their own minds. Another project was employed in Uganda where an Outreach Plan was created, targeting leaders of rural communities who commit the practice of FGM. Such a plan provided local community leaders with economic incentives to stop the process i.e. that those women who undergo FGM find it incredibly difficult to work and thus their contribution to the workforce is trivial (Rahman and Toubia, 2000, p.78). Such intuition prevents women from being forced to be circumcised whilst also positively impacting upon productivity and as a result increasing economic efficiency. Outside pressure does still exist though and experts on FGM believe it is vital to actively engage with communities to ban the practice and penalise those who still conduct it. Thus as said before, education, although the most important element of this process of instigating change, cannot simply be the only solution, but rather must be combined with a series of other strategies. To conclude, FGM is a practice heavily debated about within international relations due to the ethical concerns it raises and ultimately infringes. Cultural relativist positions would argue that is necessary to understand the behaving of different groups due to cultural backgrounds, yet the stance that we should simply accept differences is highly critiques where FGM is concerned. In my critique, the practice is one worthy of severe condemnation, yet through little fault of the people continuing it but rather the myths and general history surrounding it. Hence, ultimately it is these myths and historical factors that need to be eradicated in order to promote the safety of women across the globe, particularly in less-developed countries. Thus this essay has agreed with and supported the argument put forward by Nussbaum that it is legitimate for states like the US and UK to intervene to bring the practice of FGM to an end yet this is relative to the situation. My core argument however remains that if women are being forced to undergo genital mutilation, then it is acceptable for states to intervene through the measures discussed previously. However, if the procedure if consented to and women are voluntarily wishing to go through with it out of their own freewill, then states are not legitimate in intervening. Intervention thus is dependent on the factor of choice towards FGM, yet women and men alike should be educated about the medical and psychological consequences of it. Additionally, such education should enlighten communities about the falsities of the myths they cling on to and how they are in actual fact untrue. The Capabilities Approach is fundamental to this process of education as it informs the public of how FGM can harm and worsen the capabilities of women. Education however will not work alone and must be accompanied by a series of other policy measures, namely legislation, regulatory policies and reproductive services. It is therefore legitimate for states like the UK to intervene to halt practices like FGM, according to the circumstances outlined in this essay and through the policy recommendations suggested. Bibliography BBC News (1998) Female genital mutilation [online] Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/medical_notes/241221.stm [Accessed 25th November 2009] Good, H. (2010) Mobile cinema helps change attitudes about female genital mutilation/cutting in Mali [online] Available from: http://www.unicef.org/health/mali_52714.html [Accessed 21st March 2010] Jaeger, F., Caflisch, M. and Hohlfeld, P. (2009) Female Genital Mutilation and its Prevention: A Challenge for Paediatricians in European Journal of Paediatrics, Vol. 68, pp.27-33. Jaggar, A.M. (2005) Saving Amina: Global Justice for Women and International Dialogue in Pogge, T. and Horton, K. (2008) Global Ethics: Seminal Essays (eds.), New York: Paragon House, pp.565-603. Nussbaum, M. (1999) Women and equality: The capabilities approach in International Labour Review, Vol.138, No.3, pp.227-245. Nussbaum, M. (1996) Double Moral Standards? A Response to Yael Tamirs Hands off Clitoridectomy [online] Available from: http://bostonreview.net/BR21.5/nussbaum.html [Accessed 7th March 2010] Obaid, T.A. (2007) Statement on the International Day Against Female Genital Mutilation [online] Available from: http://www.unfpa.org/news/news.cfm?ID=927 [Accessed 21st March 2010] Population Reference Bureau (2008) Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: Data and Trends [online] Available from: http://www.prb.org/pdf08/fgm-wallchart.pdf [Accessed 25th November 2009] Rahman, A. and Toubia, N. (2000) Female Genital Mutilation: A Guide to Laws and Policies Worldwide, London: Zed Books Slack, A.T. (1988) Female Circumcision: A Critical Appraisal in Human Rights Quarterly, Vol.10, No.4, pp.437-486. Tamir, Y. (1996) Hands off Clitoridectomy: What our revulsion reveals about ourselves [online] Available from: http://bostonreview.net/BR21.3/Tamir.html [Accessed 7th March 2010] Wakabi, W. (2007) Africa battles to make female genital mutilation history in World Report 2007, Vol.369, pp.1069-1070.

Essay --

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE Akhil Lohchab Growing up in the late 90’s, I witnessed computers revolutionize India – we had cellphones and personal computers and the internet transforming our lives - and like most other kids, I was fascinated by them. It wasn’t until I took course on QBasic in 8th grade, however, that I really took a liking to computer programming. The idea of computer ‘languages’ seemed almost magical to me. Over the years, that proclivity for programming grew into a passion and led me to take more programming electives in higher grades. I also took the initiative to set up a student-run Computer Club in my high school and host our first annual Computer Symposium. My upbringing in Delhi also made me aware of the gaping inequalities of wealth distribution in our society and as my interest in Computer Science deepened, it only reinforced my belief that lean-technologies can help governments of developing countries in bringing their policies to the altar of execution more effici ently. It is that passion which has grown over the years into a single-minded pursuit of Computer Science as a serious academic career, and led me to pursue a B.Tech in Information Technology at Delhi Technological University (DTU; formerly Delhi College of Engineering), one of the premier institutions in the country. I aspire to attain a doctorate in the areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP). I believe Berkeley’s MS in Computer Science will help me expand both the breadth and depth of my knowledge in these areas and allow me to identify a specialization for a subsequent doctoral degree. My undergraduate degree at DTU has laid the groundwork for me through a well-designed curriculum that has helped me develop... ...Documents’ particularly interesting. I would also relish the opportunity to contribute to the AI research project on ‘Child Question Answering Software’. Berkeley offers me the unique proposition of not only being able to gain expertise and depth of knowledge in my fields of interest, but the chance to interact with a highly motivated and talented cohort of students that would help me grow as an individual. Pursuant to my doctoral research, I envision myself as an academic preferably teaching in the field of natural language processing. A MS in Computer Science from Berkeley will equip me with the proficiency and gravitas required to embark on my journey to become a Professor. I believe that my undergraduate research work makes me uniquely poised to pursue a graduate program and I am confident that I can be a valuable addition to the graduate community at Berkeley.

The Rise and Fall of the Eugnics Movement Essay -- A Historical Analys

Introduction According to Merriam-Webster.com, eugenics is defined as â€Å"the theory dealing with the production or treatment of a fine, healthy race.† Despite this seemingly innocent representation, eugenics is an extremely controversial science. Some even debate whether or not it is worthy of the label of science, or if it’s just a form of intellectual racism. Nevertheless, eugenics was greatly embraced and was behind a scientific and social revolution during the late 19th century through the Second World War. This essay will explore the topic of eugenics which has disappeared from today’s science textbooks. This includes a thorough history of the origin of eugenics, the people behind its movement, as well as its application in society. Sir Francis Galton Sir Francis Galton first coined the term ‘eugenics’ in 1883. Under his definition, eugenics was the â€Å"study of agencies under social control that may improve or impair the racial qualities of future generations, either physically or mentally.† (Newman, 441) Galton was born in 1822 into a rich English family. From an early age he was put under incredible pressure to follow in the footsteps of Erasmus Darwin, Galton’s medically famed great-uncle. However, this pressure had little impact as he transferred from King’s College Medical School to Cambridge University due to an intense dislike of the study of medicine. At Cambridge he attempted to receive an honors degree in mathematics until during his third year he suffered a nervous breakdown. After taking a semester off, he returned and eventually received his degree although it was not an honors degree but rather a pass-degree. Once again Galton attempted the study of medicine, but with the death of his father in 1844 he f... ...rbor Laboratories which Charles Davenport helped start. This web site contains a massive archive of all of the information ever tabulated by the laboratory, including pictures, essays, and an overall picture of the American eugenic movement. If you’re looking for great web information on eugenics start your research here. You’ll be able to spend days looking through their archives. [4] http://www.rethnkingschools.org/Archives/13_03/eugenic.htm This article was written to review the aspects of eugenics in light of recent public support for standardized testing and IQ testing. The article does a good job of presenting the material in a way that the reader can understand how the eugenics movement came about. Unfortunately, this site only deals with the aspects behind eugenics in the United States. But what information it does present is very accurate and insightful.

Analysis of Coca Cola Company Essay -- Coca Cola Case Study, SWOT Anal

1. Introduction For over 126 years, Coca Cola has been operated as world’s largest beverage company together with its subsidiary brands. The United States, as Coca Cola’s international headquarters, has one of the largest populations where Coke is the main beverage for most of the consumers. The purpose of this essay is to determine whether the environmental changes in the United States are beneficial for Coca Cola Company to operate more markets in the future. This essay will explore both the Coca Cola Company as well as the market in the United States. The tools used for this examination include a SWOT analysis of Coca Cola Company and PEST analysis of United States. In addition, we will examine Porter’s 5 forces of the beverage industry in the United States and we will conclude with a list of recommendations. 2. Company Background The Coca Cola Company has served various kinds of drinks from 1866 until present. As expected, Coca Cola Company made $48 billion net operating revenues, $9 billion net income, and $162 billion market capitalization in 2012. These huge amounts of earnings in 2012 proving that the Coca Cola Company makes big profit successfully within a year. Besides profit that is achieved, Coca Cola Company also ranked by Interbrand as World’s Most Valuable Brand with $77.8 billion in 2012. Moreover, the company supports over 280 physical activities or nutrition education programs in more than 115 countries around the world (The Coca Cola Company, 2013). 3. Country Background United States (US) is the world’s third largest country by size (9,826,675 square per kilometer) and by population with 50 states and the District of Columbia (316,438,601 people). The main urban areas by population are Washington, DC... ...a-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated. Wikivest. Retrieved on 28 January 2014 from http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Coca-Cola_Bottling_Co._Consolidated_%28COKE%29 SWOT analysis of Coca Cola. (2013). Strategic Management Insight. Retrieved on 20 January 2014 from http://www.strategicmanagementinsight.com/swot-analyses/coca-cola-swot-analysis.html The Coca-Cola Company. (2013). Retrieved on 19 January 2014 from http://www.coca-colacompany.com Panda, T. K. (2007). Marketing Management: Text and cases (2nd ed.). New Delhi: Anurag Jain. Pestal Analysis of Coke. (2009). Scribd. Retrieved on 31 January 2014 from http://www.scribd.com/doc/18975870/Pestal-Analysis-of-Coke Wahlen, J., Baginski, S., & Bradshaw, B. (2010). Financial reporting, financial statement analysis and valuation: A strategic perspective (7th ed.). United States of America: South-Western Cengage Learning.