Philosophers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophers - Essay Example His life is so blended with myths that today nobody can actually say what is true and what is legend about him (according to some legends, he was born at 62, after growing in his mother womb until that age). Some place his existence during the same period with that of Confucius', others centuries later, while others just argue the fact that he ever existed. Due to the major impact on people's life, Lao-Tzu is sometimes considered a divinity, or, at least a messenger of a Divine force. His constant efforts to teach the others how to respect order and harmony at all levels have materialized into the work that is presently known as Laozi. These writings have numerous interpretations, from various points of view, and are still arising philosophical debates. The Daoistic influences on Chinese culture, literature, philosophy and religion are incontestable. This ancient humanistic move hasn't only influenced the Chinese; Daoism is practically the support of many religions and cultures throughout Asia (Hong Kong, Taiwan and parts of Southeast Asia), an undeniable fact that clearly makes its founders remarkable people. With Bertrand Russell, mathematical logic and analytic philosophy meet, blend and create one revolutionist perception over words, language and implication. Our verbal mechanisms are studied and explained in a work that will become the foundation of the analytic philosophy of our times. ... His early studies in the field of mathematics had a surprisingly prolific result in the field of philosophy; he explored the uncertain, but fascinating fields of logical and philosophical mixture, aiming to answer that one, impossible and tormenting question about knowledge: is it really possible for humans to really know anything Maybe the motto of his quest should be precisely his question: "there is one great question [...] Can human beings know anything, and if so, what and how This question is really the most essentially philosophical of all questions." Russell's social and political philosophy has also had a great impact on the society of his times: he was a fierce opponent of nuclear weapons, and, generally, of any kind of forced attempt to disturb the natural social and cultural balance. Although his activism has brought him a great deal of trouble (beginning with his anti-war protests during the First World War and continuing through all his life), he never ceased to influence, educate and inform generations of readers through his inspiring writings on the social and political and philosophical issues of his day. Maybe no other quote could speak more about Andy Clark's work: "As our worlds become smarter, and get to know us better and better it becomes harder and harder to say where the world stops and the person begins. The Professor of Philosophy and at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, thus expresses one of our days most pregnant anxieties: are we becoming the robots that we have dreamed to build Are we so influenced by the reality of the virtual world that we ourselves are becoming more machine-like than human-like creatures The contemporary cognitive scientist explores the

Interpersonal Communication Essay Example for Free

Interpersonal Communication Essay First off, let me welcome you to a brand new world of love, care family bonds and holy matrimony. My name is Stacey Lindsey, and I am going to give you an idea of interpersonal communication is going to affect your lives, and the skills/knowledge you will need in order to find yourselves together and still happy 50 years down the road. Marriage today seems, to some, to be a fly-by-night operation. I stand here today writing you to let you know that this does not have to be the case. If you two are willing to take suggestions and follow a simple set of rules based on a healthy relationship built on proper interpersonal communication, then you have a chance to find yourself happy and in love for some time to come. Communication is the keystone to any strong relationship. In order to truly understand ourselves and our loved ones, we must first understand the way that we interact in our day to day intermingling. Explain the principles and misconceptions in effective interpersonal communications. In the text book Making Connections: Understanding Interpersonal Communication (Sole,2011), we are shown that there are six basic principles at plat regarding Human communications. First, we are told that communication is symbolic. Second, we are shown that communication is shared meaning. Third, communication is shown to be a process. Fourth, the argument is made that communication is culturally determined. Fifth, we are shown that communication occurs in context. Sixth, we are told that communication is purposeful. While these principles serve to explain the basic meanings behind how communications work, there will always be a basic misconception about how and what communication is meant to be. It is important, though, to remember that a basic set of principles guides us through understanding interpersonal communication. The use of symbols is widely believed to be what makes human language unique. A symbol can be anything that conveys a meaning, and it can be written, spoken, or non-verbal. Drawings, photographs, and music can be symbolic. Even objects such as homes, automobiles, clothing, and jewelry can be symbolic (Sole, Sn. 1.3, para 2.). Human beings have a unique ability to make almost anything stand for something, giving an almost endless ability to communicate. The fact the communication is shared meaning is the driving force behind the ability to visualize stories and information through shared language and symbols of our world. Our perception will directly affect how a story is communicated, so we must see these shared meanings as abstraction. Communication is a lifelong process by which we gain knowledge and experience, with which we sharpen our communication skills. Because this is an ongoing thing, we must continually work to maintain and build on the relationship we form. Communication is culturally determined, meaning that our cultures, or the way we eat, sleep, live and understand the world, affect the way we communicate. Many white americans idealize a dispassionate and logical mode of debating and problem-solving. In mediation this is expressed in maxims such as â€Å"separate the people from the problem† and the use of caucuses to cool down emotions (Fisher and Ury, 1981). In Black and White Styles of Conflict (Kochman, 1981) it states that African Americans construe a difference in communication style differently, and that â€Å"Blacks call this constraining mode of behavior fronting, and they generally regard negatively situations in which it is necessary to front†¦ All blacks consider fronting to be a strain†. Our ability to rationalize, our willingness to work things out, and our likely hood of finding common ground with someone we disagree with is greatly affected by our culture. Communication must be understood as a context driven subject. Where, when, and how we come to communicate is going to drive how we interact with others. Things such as our physical state, our mental well being, and the emotion surrounding a subject are sure to contribute to how we appreciate a communicated subject. It is important to remember that communication is purposeful. We do not communicate simply to make noise, but instead to share meaning and connect with others. Our needs are influenced and met through interaction with the outside world. These principles of communication guide us to understand the meaning and importance of human interpersonal communications and how we can communicate properly. There are misconceptions in interpersonal communication, though. The belief that we communicate only for our own good and that we will be unable to understand the meaning behind something without the proper context is wrong. We will find our way as we need be. Identify the barriers to effective interpersonal interactions. Competence, language, perception, and information are all barriers that can get in the way of effective interpersonal interactions. Any of these four barriers can cause an issue so great that effect communication is made impossible. All four parts must be met satisfactory if clear and concise communication is to be had. An article in the periodical Supervisory Management (1991) a situation is given that shows the proper way to get past barriers of effective interaction. â€Å"In order to make certain that you cover all aspects of a subject, you must take the time beforehand to plan what you want to say. In the case of an unsatisfactory employee, for instance, it’s not enough to know that his work has been slipping. Think about when you first noticed the problem, list examples of the problem on a piece of paper, and be prepared to explain what changes in the quality of performance you are requiring. Mentally go over the employee’s work history for the past few months to see if you can determine when they occurred. Pinpoint episodes that caused problems in the employee’s performance and prepare yourself to discuss them. Put yourself in the employee’s position and anticipate how he will react to what you are saying. Then try to prepare a proper response†. (Para. 4). All four barriers are avoided using simple tools. Competence, or having the knowledge to understand the subject, is taken care of by planning what you will say. The language section is covered by the same effect by known what you will say and how you will explain your thoughts. Your personal perception is a tough barrier to breach, but by listing examples of the particular problem on a piece of paper and taking that aspect of perception our of play, you effectively move forward. Lastly, the information that has been complied in order to present a clear and concise explanation of what is needed and how it can be done will avert any issues of this becoming a barrier. Averting the barriers that get in the way of interpersonal communication in its top form is going to give you a stronger relationship and a better avenue to share and learn about each other. Not allowing these four barriers to get in the way of your communication will leave an open line of communication to share your feelings and understandings of the world with one another. Recognize how words have the power to create and affect attitudes, behavior, and perception. Words are very powerful things. By uttering just the simplest word we can bring division and even hatred into a relationship. The miscommunication of language and can lead to misunderstandings, loss of clear communications, and at times, the end of a relationship completely. This does not have to be true. Understanding that words have power, and they can create and affect attitudes, behavior, and perception is a tool that will allow you to communicate to the best of your ability by understanding the power of your language. A word has the ability to represents can create a myriad of different emotions, feelings, and reactions. By choosing to use a word in one way, we find that we have affected another persons attitude, behavior, or even their perception of us/ ourselves. I, personally, noticed at a young age that my use of certain words in certain ways brought forth great emotion in the people around me. An example of this is the word â€Å"faggot†. I have never, and do not expect to ever, had an issue with homosexuals or their personal lifestyles. My use of the word described a person who did something extremely silly that I found myself unable to understand. Certain people would react angrily to the word, while others would accept it as funny and laugh away the misunderstanding around it. Sole (2011), tells us â€Å"Negative connotations often act s triggers to derail your interpersonal communication. We all have trigger words that create an immediate emotional reaction when we hear them† (Sect. 4.1). By understanding how we interact with one another, and how our words, and not only our actions, effect those around us as well as ourselves, we stand a chance of finding away to communicate effectively. Define emotional intelligence and its role in effective interpersonal relationships. In the text of Making Connections: Interpersonal Communications (Sole, 2011), emotional intelligence is defined as â€Å"The capacity to understand, communicate, and manage emotions and feelings and to understand and respond to the feelings of others† (Glossary), Emotional intelligence plays an integral role in effective interpersonal relationships. Without the skills mentioned we may never have a true understanding of what makes our loved one tick. We, as human beings, are a complicated lot. Our emotional make up is complicated, our ways of communicating are affected by an array of outside sources, and we can be tough to keep up with sometimes. If a husband is unable to sense a change in his wife’s emotional state due to something able to connect and communicate properly in order to find out what may be bothering her, he is doomed to fine himself alone, or worse, in an unhappy relationship. The ability to understand, communicate, and manage emotions will give a husband or wife the ability to make it through life a bit easier, as life will never be easy itself. Evaluating appropriate levels of self-disclosure is satisfying to a stable relationship. The quality and quantity of marital communication and disclosure had been linked to the level of perceived satisfaction within the marriage. Self-disclosure is one type of marital communication that has been identified as a key factor in this development. Although quality communication is defined differently from study to study, most agree that happy marriages and self-disclosure go hand-in-hand. Sharing private feelings, fears, doubts and perceptions is essential to self-disclosure and allows reductions with your mate will be. Once you mutually determine that you want to establish long-term relationship, disclosure continues and over time leads to more personal topics. Permitting one’s true self to be known can be difficult, yet to build a solid rapport in marriage it is imperative. The Risk of Self- Disclosure While self-disclosure can have many positive benefits; it can be risky, and can have negative consequences, true enough. Sharing information about yourself makes you vulnerable, and van be used to take advantage of you. However, it is the only way you can learn, feel, grow and have a meaningful, successful marriage. Broadly speaking, empathy as a form of self-disclosure, gives us the ability to feel for another person, to imagine oneself in the same situation, enduring those same experiences and emotions. Empathy is also something you both will have to learn; you must have the mental flexibility to put yourself in the shoes of the other person. Effective Interpersonal communication is often based on empathy, since interpersonal communication skills refer to how we interact with each other on a personal level. Whenever two people care about each other, as you do, they use many different interpersonal communication skills. Empathy is one of the most crucial skills that we have and can use on a daily basis. Listening with empathy can help you express yourselves and feel heard, as well. Learn to improve your self-disclosure. Empathetic listening will not only give you the ability to put yourself in another person’s shoes, but also provide a supportive listening environment. Neuroscientist Jean Decety, believes that empathy is even a mirrored emotion and that empathy is one of those human impulses that defy easy explanation. It gets entangled with sympathy or compassion or commiseration; it submerges into altruism. Empathy requires emotional control-the capacity to distinguish yourself from the other person, a gift invaluable to experiencing closeness in a relationship such as marriage. Describe strategies for managing interpersonal conflicts. Conflicts are sure to arise in any good, healthy relationship. Though this may seem odd, it is part of effective interpersonal communication. We must be able to discuss our feelings and needs, and at times, we have to argue about the importance of these needs or emotional situations. By listening, understanding and communicating effectively, you will find yourself in a place of understood emotions and happy campers. As a newlywed couple you must remember that life can only be as good as you make it. If you are unable to communicate effectively, you must look at the current situation and see if it is caused by personal error or a misunderstanding of how a relationship is supposed to work. If effective interpersonal communication seems to be impossible, maybe it is time to take steps towards a better understanding of what effective communication is, and maybe it is time to reexamine your relationship as it stands. To find your selves in a relationship that is healthy, open, full of free and exciting communication is the goal here. Good luck, and good night. Reference Fisher, Roger and Ury, William (1981) Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. New York: Penguin Books, 1981 Kochman, Thomas. Black and White Styles of Conflict. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. 1981 Sachs, R. (1991). Overcoming the Obstacles to Communication. Supervisory Management. Vol. 36, Iss. 7; Pg.4 (found through ProQuest at Ashford. edu) Sole, K. (2011). Making Connections: Interpersonal Communication. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. Ashford Student Library ProQuest Shared Talking Styles: Herald New Last Relationships

The Genetics of Identity and Normalcy (2001-2015)

The Genetics of Identity and Normalcy (2001-2015) This chapter chronicles the fascinating history of discovery in the study of the genetics of identity and normalcy. Key concepts covered: Race assignment of individuals does not carry any general implication about genetic differentiation. Intelligence is heritable. Sex identity is physical; gender identity is psychological. There is strong evidence that sexual orientation and social behavior are hereditary. Epigenetics is the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself. Race and Intelligence The desire to categorize humans along racial lines, and the impulse to superpose attributes such as intelligence (or criminality, creatively, or violence) on those lines, illustrate the general theme concerning genetics and categorization. Race Polygenic trees based on the DNA sequencing of people throughout the world have shown that Africans represent the root of the trees. This is interpreted as evidence that humans evolved in Africa, and then migrated across the globe. As humans colonized and settled permanently in various parts of the world, they differentiated themselves into distinct groups called races. Undoubtedly, many of the features that distinguish races, such as skin color or body shape, were adaptive in the local setting. Nevertheless, genomic analysis has revealed that the vast proportion of genetic diversity (85 to 90 percent) occurs within races and only a minor proportion (7 percent) between racial groups. The differences between races are superficial, based on the alleles of a relatively small number of genes that affect external features. So race assignment of individuals does not carry any general implication about genetic differentiation. For race and genetics, the genome is a one-way street. You can use genome to predict where X or Y came from. But, knowing where A or B came from, you can predict little about the persons genome. Intelligence Intelligence has historically been conceptualized as a more or less trait. Is intelligence heritable? Studies of twins do in fact provide strong evidence for the heritability of intelligence. The scores of identical twins reared apart are highly correlated (0.74). In addition, adopted childrens scores are highly correlated with the scores of their birth parents and not with the scores of their adoptive parents. Also significant are findings that heritability can differ between ethnic and racial groups, as well as across time within a single group; that is, the extent to which genes vs environment matter in IQ depends on many factors, including socioeconomic status and education. Sex Identity v. Gender Identity In 1903, Nettie Stevens, a graduate study in Biology under Thomas Morgan, was the first to recognize that females have two large sex chromosomes in the shape of Xs and that males have one of full size X and another that is missing a portion, making it resemble a Y. Later, she corroborated with Edmund Wilson a cell biologist, to discover the XY Sex Determination System. The XY system works like this. During meiosis the male XY sex-chromosome pair separates and passes on an X or a Y to separate sperms; the result is that one-half of the sperm that are formed contains the X chromosome and the other half contains the Y chromosome. The female has two X chromosomes, and all female egg cells normally carry a single X. The eggs fertilized by X-bearing sperm become females (XX), whereas those fertilized by Y-bearing sperm become males (XY). Unlike other pairs of chromosomes in which each member normally carries alleles of the same genes, the paired sex chromosomes do not carry an identical complement of genetic information. The X chromosome, being larger, carries many more genes than does the Y. Sex Identity In the early 1980, a young geneticist in London named Peter Goodfellow (1951- ) began to hunt for the sex-determining gene on the Y chromosome. He intended to use the Botsteins gene mapping technique to narrow down the search to a small region of the Y chromosome. But how could a normal gene be mapped without the existence of a variant phenotype, or an associated disease? But how can you find such a variant? The answer came in 1955 when Gerald Swyer, an English endocrinologist investigating female infertility, discovered a rare syndrome that made humans biologically female but chromosomally male. Women born with Swyer dyndrome were anatomically and physiologically female throughout childhood, but did not achieve female sexual maturity in early adulthood. When their cells were examined, geneticists discovered that they had XY chromosomes in all their cells. The most likely scenario behind Swyer syndrome was that the master-regulatory gene that specifies maleness had been inactivated by mutation, leading to femaleness. In 1989, Goodfellow discovered that a gene called SRY, located in the Y chromosome, was the master-regulatory gene responsible for sex determination. If you turn SRY on, the animal becomes anatomically and physiologically male; turn if off, the animal becomes anatomically and physiologically female. A women with Swyer syndrome is in fact a genetic male, but with the SRY gene (in his Y chromosome) turned off due to mutation. Gender Identity Gender identity is ones innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both or neither how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. Ones gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth. In the 1970s and 1980s, there were several cases of sexual reassignment the conversion of chromosomal male children into females through physiological and social conditioning each troubled and troubling in its own right. Some of them suffered hanuting pangs of anxiety, anger, dysphoria, and disorientation well into adulthood. Others had trouble reconciling her sense of herself as fundamentally female. They might had been converted into women physiologically, but genetically they were still male and exhibiting male behavior in a female body. So they had never really acquired the female gender identity. But to enable more profound aspects of gender determination and gender identity, SRY must act on dozens of targets turning them on and off, activating some genes and repressing others. These genes, in turn, integrate inputs from the self and environment form hormones, behaviors, exposures, social performance, cultural role-playing, and memory to engender gender. This geno-development cascade specifies gender identity. The existence of a transgender identity provides powerful evidence for this geno-development cascade. In an anatomical and physiological sex, sex identity is quite binary: just one gene governs sex identity, resulting in the striking anatomical and physiological dimorphism that we observe between males and females. But gender and gender identity are far from binary. Image a gene call it TFY that determines how the brain responds to SRY. One child might inherit a TGY gene variant that is highly resistant to the action of SRY on the brain, resulting in a body that is antomically male, but a brain that does not read or interpret that male signal. Such a brain might recognize itself as psychologically female; it might consider itself neither male or female, or image itself belonging to a third gender together. Sexual Orientation Social Behavior Sexual Orientation Sexual Orientation, or sexual identity, is how one thinks of oneself in terms of to whom one is romantically or sexually attracted the choice and preference of sexual partners. For a while in the 1950s and 1960s, the dominant theory among psychiatrists was that sexual preference was acquired, not in born. In the 1980s, J. Michael Bailey (1957- ), a professor of psychology, conducted a study of sexual orientation using twins. When he looked for concordance of gayness among twins, the results were striking. Of the fifty-six pairs of identical twins, 52 percent were both gay. Of the fifty-four pairs of nonidentical twins, 22 percent were both gay, lower than the fraction for identical twins, but still significantly higher than the estimate of 10 percent gay in the overall population. This study provided strong evidence that homosexuality is hereditary. In 1991, Dean Hamer (1951- ), a researcher at the National Caner Institute, came across Bailys twin study, and began his search for the gay gene. His studies led to the first molecular evidence for genes that influence human sexual orientation. His research groups first paper, published in Science in 1993, reported that the maternal but not paternal male relatives of gay men had increased rates of same-sex orientation, suggesting the possibility of inheritance from the maternal side of the families. A genetic linkage analysis of DNA samples from these families showed that gay brothers had an increased probability of sharing polymorphic markers on a small stretch of the X chromosome, called Xq28, providing statistically significant evidence for linkage to the sexual orientation phenotype. This finding was replicated in two other studies in the United States whereas a study in Canada found contrary results. After nearly a decade of intensive hunting, what geneticists have found is not a gay gene but a few gay locations. But none of the genes in these locations were experimentally linked to homo- or heterosexuality. The long-sought gay gene on Xq28 remains unknown. Social Behavior In 1979, Thomas Bouchard, a scientist in Minnesota, came across an account of twins who had been separated from birth and were reunited at age 30. For these brothers, genes were identical, but they grew up in different environments. By comparing separated-at-birth twins against twins brought up in the same family, Bouchard could untwist the effects of genes and environment. Bouchard began recruiting such twins for this study in 1979. By the late 1980s, he have assembled the worlds largest cohort of reared-apart and reared-together twins. This work became the Minnesota Study of Identical Twins Reared Apart (MISTRA), better known as the Minnesota Twins Project. In this study, he found out that shyness, political conservatism, dedication to hard work, orderliness, intimacy, extroversion, conformity, and a host of other social traits were largely heritable. In the early 1990s, Richard Ebstein, a geneticist in Israel, read Bouchards paper on the separate-at-birth twins. He wanted to identify the actual genes that determined variant forms of behavior. To find such genes, he would have to begin with a rigorous definition of the subtypes of personality that he wished to link to genes. He split out personality into four dimensions: novelty seeking impulsive vs cautious reward dependent warm vs attached risk avoidant anxious vs calm Persistent loyal vs fickle Ebstein was particularly intrigued by one of the subtypes novelty seeker, or neophiles. He began to collect a cohort of extreme neophiles using surveys, advertisements, and questionnaires. He then used molecular and genetic techniques to determine the genotypes within his cohort with a limited panel of genes. The most extreme novelty seekers, he discovered, had a disproportionate representation of one genetic determinant: a variant of dopamine-receptor gene called D4DR. His study was also corroborated by several other groups. D4DR is a human gene, located on chromosome 11. It is (so far) one of the only genes proven to be directly linked to a human personality trait. When the D4DR gene is mutated or elongated, studies have shown that the individual may be more interested in danger, excitement and thrill seeking. Epigenetics In the 1950s, Conrad Waddington (1905-75), an English embryologist, was fascinated in the early development of the fetus and interested in the mystery of how cells can start so simply and then develop specialized functions. He realized that a cells identity must be recorded in some manner beyond its genome for this to happen. He termed the phenomenon epigenetics. The word epigenetics literally means in addition to genes. Epigenetics is the reason why a skin cell looks different from a brain cell or a muscle cell. All three cells contain the same DNA, but their genes are expressed differently (turned on or off), which creates the different cell types. Today, epigenetics is the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself. It also refers to external modifications to DNA that turn genes on or off. These modifications do not change the DNA sequence, but instead, they affect how cells read genes. In response to cues from the environment, chemical marks are selectively added to certain genes and erased from others, modulating the expression of the genes in that cell alone. These marks are layered above the genes, leaving a permanent imprint on genes. This genetic memory would ensure that gene expression is locked into place in each cell, enabling each cell to acquire and fix an identity. Hongerwinter The Dutch famine of 1944-45, known as the Hongerwinter (Hunger winter) in Dutch, was a famine that took place in the German-occupied part of the Netherlands during the winter of 1944-45, near the end of World War II. A German blockade cut off food and fuel shipments from farm areas. Tens of thousands of men, women, and children died of malnourishment; millions survived. People who survived suffered from malnourishment and growth retardation. Children who survived the Hongerwinter also suffered chronic health issues: depression, anxiety, heart disease, gum disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes. In the 1980s, when the children born to women who were pregnant during the famine grew up, they too had higher rates of obesity and heart disease. In the 1990s, when the grandchildren of men and women exposed to the famine were studied, they too had higher rates of obesity and heart disease. The acute period of starvation had somehow altered genes not just in those directly exposed to the event; the message had been transmitted to their grandchildren. Some heritable factor, or factors, must have been imprinted into the genomes of the starving men and women and crossed at least two generations. The factor responsible for the memory could not be an alteration of the gene sequence: the people in the Dutch cohort would not have mutated their genes over the span of three generations. Here, an interaction between the gene and the environment had changed a phenotype (ie, the propensity for developing an illness). Something must have been stamped into the genome by virtue of exposure to the famine some permanent, heritable mark that was now being transmitted across generations. Gurdons Frog Cloning Experiment Our lives begin when a fertilized egg divides and forms new cells that, in turn, also divide. These cells are identical in the beginning, but become increasingly varied over time. It was long thought that a mature or specialized cell could not return to an immature state, but this has now been proved incorrect. In 1962, John Gurdon (1933- ) removed the nucleus of a fertilized egg cell from a frog and replaced it with the nucleus of a cell taken from a tadpoles intestine. This modified egg cell grew into a clone of the adult frog. Gurdons experiment had proved that factors present in an egg proteins and RNA could erase the marks of an adult cells genome and thereby reverse the fate of a cell and produce a tadpole from a frog cell. The idea was controversial at the time, but it later led directly to the cloning of Dolly the Sheep by Ian Wilmut in 1996, and to the subsequent discovery by Shinya Yamanaka that adult cells can be reprogrammed into stem cells for use in medicine. Chromosome Silencing In 1961, Mary Lyon (1925-2004), a former student of Waddington, found a viable example of an epigenetic change in an animal cell. In her biological study of chromosomes on mice, she found out that every paired chromosomes stained with chromosomal dyes looked identical except the two X chromosomes in females. One of the two X chromosomes in female mice was inevitably shrunken and condensed. The actual sequence of DNA was identical between both chromosomes, but the genes in the shrunken chromosome did not generate RNA, and therefore the entire chromosome was silent or inactivated. As nearly all female mammals have two X chromosomes, X-inactivation prevents them from having twice as many X chromosome gene products as males, who only possess a single copy of the X chromosome. How can a cell silence an entire chromosome? In the late 1970s, scientists discovered the epigenetic marker a group of methyl molecules attached to the DNA. Methyl tags were not the only epigenetic marker on genes. In 1996, working at Rockefeller University in New York, a biochemist named David Allis found yet another system of markers. Rather than stamping the marks directly on genes, this system placed its marks on proteins, called histones, that act as the packaging material for genes. Yamanakas Cell-fate Reversal Experiment Shinya Yamanaka (1962- ), a Japanese stem-cell biologies, was intrigued by Gurdons frog cloning experiment the idea that chemical marks attached to genes in a cell might function as a record of its cellular identity. What if he could erase these marks? Would the adult cell revert to an original state and turn into the cell of an embryo? In 2006, Yamanaka succeeded in identifying four genes within the genome of mice that proved decisive in this process. The introduction of these four genes into a mature skin cell of a mouse caused a small fraction of the cells to transform into something resembling an embryonic stem cell. This means that cells from someones skin can be made into stem cells which in turn can turn into any type of tissue in the body, meaning they can replace diseased or damaged tissue in patients. The Origin of Genes At Harvard, a biochemist named Jack Szostak (1952- ) has spent over two decades trying to discover the origin of DNA. In his laboratory, starting with chemical from the early Earth, the planet before life began, he was able to synthesize lifes basic building blocks lipids, nucleotides and amino acids, and assembled them into larger structures such as membranes, RNA molecules and peptides. Szostak believes that genes emerged out of this soup through a fortuitous meeting between these partners.

Hamilton and Limited Government :: Federalists American History

Hamilton and Limited Government  ·The proposed band would raise $10 million through a public stock offering. The Treasury would hold one fifth of the stock and name one fifth of the directors, but four fifths of the control would fall to private hands. Private investors could purchase shares by paying for three quarters of their value in government bonds. In this way, the bank would capture a significant portion of the recently funded debt and make it available for loans; it would also receive a substantial and steady flow of interest payments for the Treasury. Anyone buying shares under these circumstances had little chance of loosing money. Hamilton and Limited Government  ·Hamilton’s plan to establish a permanent national debt violated the principle of equality among citizens; it seemed to favor the interests of public creditors over those of other Americans. Hamilton’s critics also denounced his proposal for a national band, interpreting it as a dangerous scheme that would give a small, elite group special power to influence the government.  ·Opponents’ strongest argument against the band was their claim of its unconstitutionality. The Constitution gave Congress no specific authorization to issue charters of incorporation  ·Unless Congress adhered to a strict interpretation of the Constitution, critics argue, the central government might oppress the states and trample individual liberties, just as Parliament had done to the colonies  ·The president accepted Hamilton’s cogent argument for a loose interpretation of the Constitution  ·Tariffs doubly injured the majority of citizens, first by imposing heavy import taxes that were passed on to consumers and then by reducing the incentive for American manufacturers to produce goods at a lower cost than imports HAMILTON’S LEGACY  ·Despite the Federalists’ effort to associate themselves with the Constitution they actually favored a â€Å"consolidated† (Centralized) national government instead of a truly federal system with substantial powers left to the states  ·Resentment ran high among those who felt that the government appeared to be rewarding special interests  ·Southern reaction to Hamilton’s program was overwhelmingly negative  ·The Band of the United States had few southern stockholders and it allocated very little capital for loans there THE WHISKY REBELLION  ·Hamilton’s financial program not only sparked an angry political debate in Congress but also helped ignite a civil insurrection called the Whiskey Rebellion  ·Hamilton had recommended an excise tax on domestically produced whiskey. He insisted that his proposal would distribute the expense of financing the national debt evenly across the United States  ·The law furthermore specified that all trials concerning tax evasion be conducted in federal courts Hamilton and Limited Government :: Federalists American History Hamilton and Limited Government  ·The proposed band would raise $10 million through a public stock offering. The Treasury would hold one fifth of the stock and name one fifth of the directors, but four fifths of the control would fall to private hands. Private investors could purchase shares by paying for three quarters of their value in government bonds. In this way, the bank would capture a significant portion of the recently funded debt and make it available for loans; it would also receive a substantial and steady flow of interest payments for the Treasury. Anyone buying shares under these circumstances had little chance of loosing money. Hamilton and Limited Government  ·Hamilton’s plan to establish a permanent national debt violated the principle of equality among citizens; it seemed to favor the interests of public creditors over those of other Americans. Hamilton’s critics also denounced his proposal for a national band, interpreting it as a dangerous scheme that would give a small, elite group special power to influence the government.  ·Opponents’ strongest argument against the band was their claim of its unconstitutionality. The Constitution gave Congress no specific authorization to issue charters of incorporation  ·Unless Congress adhered to a strict interpretation of the Constitution, critics argue, the central government might oppress the states and trample individual liberties, just as Parliament had done to the colonies  ·The president accepted Hamilton’s cogent argument for a loose interpretation of the Constitution  ·Tariffs doubly injured the majority of citizens, first by imposing heavy import taxes that were passed on to consumers and then by reducing the incentive for American manufacturers to produce goods at a lower cost than imports HAMILTON’S LEGACY  ·Despite the Federalists’ effort to associate themselves with the Constitution they actually favored a â€Å"consolidated† (Centralized) national government instead of a truly federal system with substantial powers left to the states  ·Resentment ran high among those who felt that the government appeared to be rewarding special interests  ·Southern reaction to Hamilton’s program was overwhelmingly negative  ·The Band of the United States had few southern stockholders and it allocated very little capital for loans there THE WHISKY REBELLION  ·Hamilton’s financial program not only sparked an angry political debate in Congress but also helped ignite a civil insurrection called the Whiskey Rebellion  ·Hamilton had recommended an excise tax on domestically produced whiskey. He insisted that his proposal would distribute the expense of financing the national debt evenly across the United States  ·The law furthermore specified that all trials concerning tax evasion be conducted in federal courts

Leadership and Human Behavior Essay

As a leader, you need to interact with your followers, peers, seniors, and others; whose support you need in order to accomplish your goals. To gain their support, you must be able to understand and motivate them. To understand and motivate people, you must know human nature. Human nature is the common qualities of all human beings. People behave according to certain principles of human nature. Human needs are an important part of human nature. Values, beliefs, and customs differ from country to country and even within group to group, but in general, all people have a few basic needs. As a leader you must understand these needs because they can be powerful motivators. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Unlike others researchers in the earlier days of psychology, Abraham Maslow’s based his theory of human needs on creative people who used all their talents, potential, and capabilities (Bootzin, Loftus, Zajonc, Hall, 1983). His methodology differed from most other psychological researchers at the time in that these researchers mainly observed mentally unhealthy people. Maslow (1970) felt that human needs were arranged in a hierarchical order that could be divided into two major groups: basic needs and metaneeds (higher order needs): * Basic Needs are physiological, such as food, water, and sleep; and psychological, such as affection, security, and self-esteem. These basic needs are also called â€Å"deficiency needs† because if they are not met by an individual, then that person will strive to make up the deficiency. * Metaneeds or being needs (growth needs). These include justice, goodness, beauty, order, unity, etc. Basic needs normally take priority over these meta needs.

Free Essays on Old Man In The Sea

The Old Man and the Sea is a novella that was written in 1952 by Ernest Hemingway. It is a story that initially makes you think that the author was drunk while he was writing it. How can a book about a man fishing for Marlin become a Nobel Prize Winner? Meaning. By looking into the book and reading between the lines, we can see that in fact The Old Man and the Sea is a complex story, and is well deserving of such an award. I think the meaning of the book is that of life. If you take all of the objects in the book and relate it to life, it is possible to distinguish a giant metaphor that spans the whole novella. Through the use of symbols and the fact that we know the book is operating on a poetic level, and is not meant to be taken literally, we can determine our own version of what Hemingway intended as the meaning. One of the symbols constantly mentioned in the story is that of the great baseball player JoeDiMaggio. Although it is not apparent without careful study of the text, it can be seen that the â€Å"Great DiMaggio† was a simple fisherman in early life, much like the old man, and achieved stardom despite adversity. The old man has this great battle with an enormous fish, and throughout the whole ordeal, he constantly reassures himself by saying that â€Å"the Great DiMaggio† would have been able to pull through this. Just as DiMaggio managed to struggle through the pain of a bone spur, the old man was able to struggle through the pain of his hands, and his immense adversity in the fish. Referring to the meaning, we can see that this relates to life in that we can always struggle through what is painful, so long as we stick to our principles and our guidances. The other fishermen had called the old man unlucky, because he had not caught a fish for many days. This is reflected in the sail of the boat. The sail was """"patched with flour sacks and, furled, it looked like the flag of permanent defeat"""" (Pg. 5). Yet, when un... Free Essays on Old Man In The Sea Free Essays on Old Man In The Sea The Old Man and the Sea is a novella that was written in 1952 by Ernest Hemingway. It is a story that initially makes you think that the author was drunk while he was writing it. How can a book about a man fishing for Marlin become a Nobel Prize Winner? Meaning. By looking into the book and reading between the lines, we can see that in fact The Old Man and the Sea is a complex story, and is well deserving of such an award. I think the meaning of the book is that of life. If you take all of the objects in the book and relate it to life, it is possible to distinguish a giant metaphor that spans the whole novella. Through the use of symbols and the fact that we know the book is operating on a poetic level, and is not meant to be taken literally, we can determine our own version of what Hemingway intended as the meaning. One of the symbols constantly mentioned in the story is that of the great baseball player JoeDiMaggio. Although it is not apparent without careful study of the text, it can be seen that the â€Å"Great DiMaggio† was a simple fisherman in early life, much like the old man, and achieved stardom despite adversity. The old man has this great battle with an enormous fish, and throughout the whole ordeal, he constantly reassures himself by saying that â€Å"the Great DiMaggio† would have been able to pull through this. Just as DiMaggio managed to struggle through the pain of a bone spur, the old man was able to struggle through the pain of his hands, and his immense adversity in the fish. Referring to the meaning, we can see that this relates to life in that we can always struggle through what is painful, so long as we stick to our principles and our guidances. The other fishermen had called the old man unlucky, because he had not caught a fish for many days. This is reflected in the sail of the boat. The sail was """"patched with flour sacks and, furled, it looked like the flag of permanent defeat"""" (Pg. 5). Yet, when un...

Operating Systems and Software All Wrapped Up Essays - Free Essays

Operating Systems and Software All Wrapped Up Essays - Free Essays Operating Systems and Software All Wrapped Up April Page, Ian Keane, Nathan Cook, Alma Molina, Luis Wiley and Christine Lehman BIS 320 Business Information Systems July 27, 2015 Klckner Pentaplast Europe GmbH This company uses a wide range of operating systems and software applications that allow them to communicate effectively all over the globe. Klckner Pentaplast is a global company with a worldwide supply chain, supplying a wide range of products such as food packaging, films use in the medical field, for labeling and printing. Operating Systems are unique to a companys way of doing things. An operating system can be addressed as hard and soft systems including: technology, financial, marketing, operations and people. A hard system is the payroll and human resources system, where as soft systems include performance management, selection, and compensation and development systems. (Colan. 2015) Operating systems help the business by accomplishing the following, such as device management. Most computers have additional hardware, such as printers and scanners, connected to them. These devices require drivers, or special programs that translate the electrical signals sent from the operating system or application program to the hardware device. The operating system manages the input to and output from the computer. The Lync p hone system is a platform that has grown significantly through businesses; Lync is a collaboration that incorporates well designed user interface that moves and transitions easily from a chat session, to a video or audio business conferencing. When choosing an operating system for a business, the primary considerations should be the hardware platform used, the number of users and attendant system security requirements and the ease of administration. The objectives of every department in every organization at every level are to make owners and stockholders money. Therefore, the more efficient an organization is, the more can be completed while acquiring fewer liabilities. In this case liability would be in the form of more workers on the payroll. Have the operating systems that track and account for massive amounts of information enables the company to hire 50 employees to conduct payroll activities. Whereas if the company did not have the information systems in place they may need to have 100 employees simply dedicated to the payroll. By having the operating systems in place to make 50 workers as efficient as 150, the money saved can now be invested into the company to expand or create other operating systems to improve systems already in place. All systems in the organization work toward the same goal, regardless of what department or the specifics, the goal is efficiency, which increases the bottom line. All systems have a wea r out date and money saved by using the system should be used to upgrade them. The hardware requirements for these programs mirror that of most computers in use today. There must be keyboard, mouse devices, and document scanners for input. Major companies have large storage units otherwise known as servers that contain the massive data that goes through the entire company system. On a small level data is enter through to the system with flash or thumb drives. Companies such as KP want to ensure that employees who work out in the field are able to input data in to their systems immediately. An example would be they go out to the operation plant of a major client; the Manager of the plants asks if they have 1000 cases of packaging film available. The sales rep looks up the inventory and realizes that there is 1050 in stock. The sales rep uses their tablet to put a hold on those 1000 cases to ensure no other sales rep sells them cutting his order short. This also lets the manufacturing manager that there is a priority to get more made and in stock so that other re ps can offer it to their customers as well. This is how having efficient input hardware can improve sales at KP with high efficiency. A