Zimbabwe

Q. 1. The potential revenue of the field. Find the most reliable figure for this, tell where you obtained it and explain why you think it is the most reliable figure that you could obtain. Ans. 1. Zimbabwe started selling diamonds and earned more than ?1 billion by selling diamonds (The Press Association). The soldiers forced people to work harder. They also tortured them and their children with heavily armed force. There is no official estimate for the revenue from selling stones and diamonds in that sector but an unofficial estimated range is showing ?1. billion from that field in Zimbabwe (The Press Association). The eastern alluvial diamond fields of diamond estimated to meet one-forth demand of the total demand of diamond across the world in 2006. They earned high revenue and profit by trading diamonds into several countries, like, Israel, India, Lebanon and Russia. The government of Zimbabwe earned $20 million from the legal sale of diamonds in 2008 (The Press Association). But the important thing is that most of the earned income and revenue of mining diamonds is illegal and it has no governmental or official record. If a Chinese mining company wants to set up a legal partnership with Zimbabwe government then it will achieve great revenue with high profit and growth through mining diamond in Marange which is a newly founded diamond field in Zimbabwe. This particular field of diamond is situated in the eastern field which earned high revenue through diamond mining in Zimbabwe. To expand their trade facilities, they arranged some private planes to bring buyers from foreign countries. Most of the diamond fields in Zimbabwe are illegal and distributing conflicting diamonds to many countries. These illegal mining fields are expecting high profit and thus they forced poor people to work harder under the mechanism of ‘Dig or Die’ (The Press Association). Poor people are bound to work under the heavily armed security guard in these illegal fields of diamond. According to Abbey Chikane, the Kimberley Process monitor for Zimbabwe, marked the Marange Diamond field in Zimbabwe as a certified diamond field to export conflict-free diamonds to meet the demand of diamond across the world (Mutsaka, Wonacott and Childress, 2010). The human right organization of Zimbabwe is protesting the diamond mining though several illegal diamond fields which are doing illegal activities through killing many poor helpless men, raping women and torturing children to get hard work from them. To solve these problems, the government of Zimbabwe has become very serious to set up legal diamond mines to export conflict-free diamonds. Q. 2. Who controls the Mining Development Corporation? Do they have any existing joint venture partners? Who in the Zimbabwean government will influence decisions regarding the investment? Ans. 2. Diamond exporting and supplying business is currently controlled by the government of Zimbabwe. Though it is controlled by the government, there is a presence of powerful illegal diamond fields in Zimbabwe and these fields are engaged in several illegal and non-ethical activities with the help of the armed police and security guard force of Zimbabwe. The presence of political battle and high rate of corruption in the Zimbabwean economic, political and social atmospheres guided the government to a wrong direction. Being the Zimbabwe monitor of the world diamond control body, Abbey Chikane, also stated that the diamonds are ready for sale in the international market to provide minimum international standard of diamond (Mutsaka, Wonacott and Childress, 2010). According to the investors, the mining of diamond in Marange was conducted through use of virtual slaves under the control of armed soldiers in 2008 (Mutsaka, Wonacott and Childress, 2010). Therefore, this field is not working legally or the government may be not serious about fact of diamond mining in Zimbabwe. The Kimberley Process is an international monitoring body to control conflict-free diamond supply from certified diamond fields under governmental rules and regulations. Mr. Chikane announced that Zimbabwe can start trading the Marange diamonds under proper guidance of the government of Zimbabwe. According to him, the Zimbabwe government has taken several effective steps to regulate legal diamond fields and to remove illegal sources of diamond. The Kimberley Process did not consider the fact of taking steps against governments which violated the rules of the human-rights organization in Zimbabwe in diamond mining. The Kimberley team investigated that the heavily armed security forces killed many people, raped women who were illegally mining in the Marange fields in July, 2008 (Mutsaka, Wonacott and Childress, 2010). But the officials denied these charges against them and the government and they told that the security guards were there to give protection to the governmental part of the Marange diamond fields in Zimbabwe. The Kimberley members restricted sales of diamonds by the Marange diamond fields as they were supplying non-certified stones in the international market with proper certificates. This helped to get certification for the diamond fields in Zimbabwe. It also allowed exporting several other legal diamond fields into the foreign market. Zimbabwe's government earned $20 million from the legal fields of diamonds in 2008 (The Press Association). There are some political conflicts in Zimbabwe in the issue of diamond exporting and mining from legal and illegal diamond fields of the country. After the election in Zimbabwe in 2008, the situation in Marange diamond field has become very much concern about their effectiveness of the Kimberley Process. A top member of the World Diamond Council, Martin Rapaport reigned from the Kimberley Process to protest against their activity and controlling mechanism of the process. Human rights organizations in Zimbabwe are now become very much concern about the export of diamond in the international market after getting the green signal to restart the sale of diamonds from the Marange diamond fields, where heavily armed soldiers deployed by the President Robert Mugabe have been charged for conducting illegal activities (Peta, 2010). The Zimbabwean government investigated that more than 4 million carats of diamonds were founded from the controversial fields of the Zimbabwean diamond fields. Marange was one of them. The estimated value of the total sale of diamonds will be around $1. 7bn according to the Zimbabwe's 2010 budget and that will be very much helpful to provide a boost to the economic condition of Zimbabwe (Peta, 2010). Investment from the foreign investors is always encouraged the mining development corporation of Zimbabwe. To meet the international demand of diamond, they are gradually expanding their international business through legal export of conflict-free diamonds of certified diamond fields of Zimbabwe. To increase their revenue, the government of Zimbabwe is very much interested to incorporate many foreign investors across the world. The director of the Centre for Research and Development which is a Zimbabwean human-rights organization was tracking the operations in Marange diamond field in Zimbabwe (Peta, 2010). According to them at the end of 2008, there was no improvement in the condition of the human rights in the Marange diamond field. Mr. Maguwu, the director of the research and development centre, also showed how diamonds from the Marange Diamond field were being smuggled out from Zimbabwe to Mozambique and it became a profitable strategy for the soldiers of Zimbabwe through illegal diamond export to other foreign countries (Peta, 2010). The Zimbabwe government forced the African Consolidated Resources to take back their claims against the government and their officials in the issue of diamond supply and export from the Marange diamond field in Zimbabwe at the end of 2006. The high court of Zimbabwe decided that all diamond mines should hand over their power of illegal diamond export to the central bank of Zimbabwe and those mines could get back their power after resolving the dispute in 2008 (Peta, 2010). Therefore, after the political and social battle in Zimbabwean diamond fields, it has become mandatory to get certified by the government, the diamond research and development centre and also by the human rights organization of Zimbabwe. Game Theory: Q. 3. Game theory is very useful in planning strategy. Your firm, if it decides that it is a good investment, wants to win the rights to develop the mine. Explain how you can use game theory to plot a winning strategy. Ans. 3. If the Chinese firm decides that it will be a good investment and also wants to win the rights to develop the diamond mines in Zimbabwe, then they should follow a strategic plan with game theory application. The firm can invest in the Marange diamond field through legal contract of partnership with the mining company. They should be aware of the fact that there are no illegal activities in the mining field against the human rights organization in Zimbabwe. The government of Zimbabwe should follow ethics of the social and political aspects in the case of diamond mining from different legal fields of diamond. According to the perfect formation of the game of this case of development in the field of diamonds, the most effective and suitable pay-off will be the combination of the investment of the Chinese firm and the investment in the legal fields of certified diamonds in Zimbabwe. The investment of the Chinese firm will be more profitable if the firm can invest into a legal field of diamonds, rather than investment into an illegal field of diamonds. There are some other factors related with social, ethical and legal perspectives of the country in the case of diamond mining. These aspects should be highly concerned by the Chinese company who is very much interested to get with some Zimbabwean mining company through legal partnership contract. The Chinese company can get high revenue and profit if it makes a contract with an illegal company but other social, legal and ethical aspects will not be there. There may be several strategies but only one pay-off will be economically, financially, legally and ethically viable for this case. Pricing Strategies: Q. 4. Explain why the price of diamonds in international markets is so high. Note that a good answer to this question will involve research into the pricing strategies of the firms that sell diamonds as well as the application of basic economic principles. Ans. 4. The price of diamond is very high in the international market. If demand increases for a commodity, the price of that commodity will also increase keeping other factors as unchanged. The demand curve of a commodity is downward slopping in the price of the commodity and the quantity demanded for the commodity framework. Demand Curve of commodity: Price Demand Curve †¢ Quantity Demanded (Source: varian, 2003, pp. 4-6) The price of the commodity and the quantity demanded of the commodity are taken respectively as the vertical and the horizontal line of the diagram. The demand of diamond is gradually increasing in the international market. In the above diagram, according to the basic concept of the demand curve, the demand is dependent on the price of the commodity. Therefore, the price of any commodity should also be dependent on the demand of the commodity. In general, if the demand increases, the price should fall according to the demand curve. But in this case, the price of diamonds is gradually increasing with the increase in the price of the diamonds. The price of the diamonds is very high in the international market to reduce the demand of diamonds in scarcity of diamonds in the global market. The scarcity of diamonds is the main reason for the increasing price of diamonds in the international market. At present, there are few diamond mines from which high quality diamonds can be found. On the other hand, there are few diamond mining companies in the world. Therefore, the competition in these companies is negligible. If a firm with monopoly power in a market increases the price of its commodity, there will be no change in the demand of the commodity. This advantage for the diamond mining companies encourages them to increase the price to achieve high revenue and profit from this business. In the competitive market the firms can not increase the prices of their products because if they increase the price the demand of the product will reduce in those firms and the consumer will prefer to buy from any other firm at lower price of the commodity. There is another important reason for the increment of the price of diamonds in the international market. Most of the exported diamonds are smuggled out from the African diamond fields in different countries. These smugglers have fixed very high price for these diamonds in the foreign market. Though this reason is illegal and not providing any economic theory, it is a very important reason for the high price of diamonds. Ethics: Q. 5. What is the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme? What are the elements of the scheme? Does this investment satisfy these? Why or why not? Ans. 5. Mines Minister of Zimbabwe, Obert Mpofu, stated that more than 90% of the total demand from the international market was achieved by the trade watchdog, the Kimberley Process group in November in 2009 (BBC News, 2009). The armed police force in the diamond mining field killed more than 200 poor people by torturing them at the Marange field of diamonds (The Press Association). The activists wanted to remove these pathetic and illegal activities which were gradually reducing the socio-economic culture of the economy. They also announced to reform the planning and controlling strategies of diamond fields in Zimbabwe and they fixed 2010 as the deadline of this reformation (BBC News, 2009). The Kimberley process is a controlling body under the governmental power in Zimbabwe. With the help of this organization, the government earned a lot revenue and profit but it was not helpful to maintain social, legal and ethical aspects of the economy. To achieve high profit and growth, this organization forced people to work harder in the diamond fields of Marange. The security guards killed many people, raped women and forced children to work continuously in the fields. The Kimberley Process decided to work against the human rights groups of Zimbabwe. Therefore, this process is not concern about the ethics of the organization and they are away from maintaining social responsibilities in Zimbabwe. The government denied these charges against their officials and they are still not very much worried about the fact. The 70-member Kimberley Process group approved a compromise diamond contract at a summit in Namibia in 2009 (BBC News, 2009). To maintain balance in the socio-economic aspects of the economy, an independent monitoring body with independent inspector was established. This organization mainly monitors the diamond mining from the controversial fields. As this process is completely away from maintaining ethics and any other social responsibilities, the investment in this organization will not provide any knowledge of social, economic, legal and ethical responsibilities. This will not be suitable or helpful for the future in a long-run perspective. Q. 6. Do you think that this investment is ethical? Why or why not? Ans. 6. Investment in this organization or process will not be an ethical decision for the Chinese mining company. This process helped to work illegally to achieve high profit in an illegal diamond mining sector. This process is not maintaining any ethics which should be helpful for long-term planning. This process also affects the environmental degradation in Zimbabwe. It is also damaging farming irrigation systems in Zimbabwe (Conflict & Blood Diamonds, 2009). If the Chinese mining company wants to observe a sustainable growth and development for a long-term perspective, they should not go for the partnership contract with the Marange Diamond mining fields and should not even go for investing in these illegal unauthorized and non-certified diamond mining fields in Zimbabwe.

Heart of Darkness Essay

The mistress was always considered primitive and did not become civilised after being with Kurtz, showing she had strength to stay who she was and not be influenced by the `white man’, as many black people were. Her power on Kurtz, however, was far too great and he could not help but be influenced by this wild woman and also by the country, in which she lived. Kurtz was also influenced and changed by the `power’ of Africa. He could have control over the natives but he would never be able to succumb to the â€Å"heart of darkness†. The mistress, herself was actually a representation of Africa: â€Å"†¦ like the wilderness itself†¦ † which emphasises her power and compares it to that of her land into which even white men were afraid to venture too deep. When Marlow looked at a map of Africa he described the Congo river as looking like a snake. This again makes the audience relate back to Adam and Eve. A snake which symbolised the devil convinced Eve to tempt Adam. So through this we can see that the mistress received some of her power through a greater source. Her inability to speak makes readers think of her as more animal and primitive but this just adds to her mystery and makes her appear more like Africa and at one with the power in it. â€Å"†¦ the immense wilderness, the colossal body of the fecund and mysterious life seemed to look at her, pensive, as though it had been looking at the image of  its own tenebrous and passionate soul. † Emphasising these three characters’ power, Conrad uses a contrasting character for comparison. This character is Kurtz’s `intended’ who was very much opposite to the other females, in particular Kurtz’s `mistress’. This woman was a typical Victorian fantasy: â€Å"This fair hair, this pale visage, this pure brow†¦ her forehead, smooth and white†¦ her fair hair seemed to catch all the remaining light in a glimmer of gold. † She is the type of woman any British man would want. The use of words such as `fair’, `white’, `smooth’ and `pure’ conveys her as being innocent and good and she was never spoken about in a sexual way- she seemed not to have any sexuality- which is a very powerful attribute to have. Someone with these characteristics is usually not very powerful. Also her background: she is British and British women were often marginalised from power or authority due to males’ values so too would she be- she is no exception to this- more like an example of it. A year after Kurtz’s death she still mourned him and tells Marlow: â€Å"I have survived. † This tells readers she finds it hard to like without Kurtz- she is finding it hard to find the power to struggle on. Then when Marlow lies to her about Kurtz’s last words- readers are aware that he is does not believe she has enough strength (power) to handle that kind of truth. This lie is made to maintain women’s â€Å"great and saving illusion†. For this `powerless’ woman Marlow wants to â€Å"help (her/women) to stay in that beautiful world of their own†¦ † This is contrasted with the other three `powerful’ women as they were not in â€Å"that beautiful world of their own†. The aunt was almost in a `man’s world’- finding power from others in high places. The knitting women were represented as being in the `after world’ having power over people’s lives and â€Å"guarding the door of Darkness† therefore having the power (like the men believed they had over women) of deciding who could come in to their world and who could not. Then there was the mistress: her personality and her `world’ was the complete opposite to the intended (who was the representation of `powerless’). The mistress was considered wild, very sexual and uncivilised, living in an almost `animal world’ obtaining her power from nature. The typical woman in the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, is represented as not possessing much or any power. This is seen through the eyes of a man – therefore women are marginalised. They are excluded from the bulk of the story but when they do make an appearance, the `aunt’, the `knitting women’ and the `mistress’ all convey some sort of amazing power that is not typical to Marlow’s views and that men (of those times) do not consider or want women to have. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Joseph Conrad section.

Childhood Obesity Essay

Obesity in young children is becoming more and more of a problem in today’s society. The effects of this epidemic can be life long, or even fatal. Lack of nutritional education on the nurses’ behalf, theories on pre-birth influences and ignorance to the long term effects of obesity have lead up to being the main problems when dealing with childhood obesity. The causes of this epidemic range from before the child is even born, to the teenage stages. The role of a nurse is to address health problems of a single person, or poor nutritional habits of a family. It is important to involve the family as a whole when addressing a single person about their weight so that they know that they have their family behind them, supporting them through it all. â€Å"The child is embedded within the family system and therefore, it is very difficult for obese children to alter their dietary or physical habits if not supported by their families.† (Rabbitt 731). If a nurse implements these kinds of strategies when addressing the epidemic, a greater impact of importance would be laid upon the person facing their obesity. There are many theories out in the scientific field that have to do with causes in childhood obesity. We hear about poor nutrition and shortfall of exercise, but we might have looked over the mothers role when she is pregnant. Poor eating habits and not enough exercise are both factors that contribute to the theory: The Developmental Over-nutrition Hypothesis. This theory states that the fetus of and overweight mother is more prone to being overweight as a child due to over exposure of free fatty acids and higher levels of glucose (Ding 0353). Research done by Debbie Lawlor and some of her colleagues has proven an association between BMI of parents and children (Ding 0353). With the statistics that come with this research, we are able to identify core problems with family nutrition and eating habits. The fetus of a mother does not have the choice of what they do or do not eat, so it is the mothers’ responsibility to make sure that her baby is fed with proper, healthy foods. The amount of obese children in the United States has tripled since the 1980’s (Childhood Obesity 1). Not only is it the nurses’ and mothers’ job to watch what their child consumes,  but schools play a major role in the epidemic as well. Although schools strongly promote exercise, the food that they are feeding to the children does not help progress their intentions of preventing childhood obesity. When I was in elementary school, we were served fried foods galore. There was never a day that went without some kind of greasy, fatty foods. Convienence also is a major facto when it comes to eating healthy.

Strategy of international Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words - 1

Strategy of international Business - Assignment Example The competition analysis indicates that the firm may not have to face any severe competition in the industry which in turn can prove to be lucrative for the firm. Depending on these analyses, the company will devise its market entry strategy that will allow it to have access to the desired customer base and create the desired brand image. The internationalization of the business activities will also be based on creating a perfect product fit for the market, which in turn will help the company to meet the ongoing needs of the customers. Entering into a new market requires a thorough market research and an effective market entry strategy for the company which is seeking forward to expand in the host market. Internationalization is one of the most effective ways of expanding one’s business as it offers a larger customer base and a different market environment which may prove to be lucrative for the company (Lee and Carter, 2011). The advent of globalization has made it easier for the firms to expand its business to overseas locations. This as a result has attracted several companies to expand its business to foreign countries, in a hope that the company will be able to maintain a sustainable growth. This paper is based on the market entry strategies of All Communication LLC in the Indian market. It will discuss about the right market fit of the products and services offered by the company in the host market. All Communication LLC is a networking company which is an authorized dealer of Dishnetwork, Directv and several other companies like Sony, Onkyo, Sonos and Sanus (All Communications, 2015). The company was established in the year 2010 in Miami. It offers several networking and satellite communication services and equipments and caters to both business customers and end users. All Communications is best known for its quality assurance and dedication. The rapid

Primary Source Focus Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Primary Source Focus Questions - Essay Example Duties that masters and mistresses expected from their servants include retaining honesty and overall morality in the house. According to Mrs. Beeton, one of the most important qualities of a good mistress is her ability to engage her servant. Another quality is informing her friends and relatives of an empty house through friendly domestics and a relatively lasting willpower (Clark 415). Beeton says some of the most typical issues that exist between masters and servants are decadence and somewhat disposed attitudes towards each other. Beeton’s instructions tell modern readers of the radical change in relationships between household owners and their house cleaners within a span of hundred and fifty years. However, the instructions do not portray any contemporary relevance since this culture was completely abandoned during the twentieth century. 1) In The Ladies Paradise, how is the department store personified (i.e. portrayed) and what do you think this says about the new culture of 19th C consumerism? What challenges and advantages did shop-girls like Denise face? The writer gives the department store the features of a monster-like apparatus and personifies it. The book portrays the department store as a â€Å"continual cascade of materials† flowing alongside the rumble of a river (Zola 36). This portrayal of the department stores paints the image of the 1800s Parisian department store by using numerous definitive pictures. These pictures allow Zola to make an unambiguous comparison between what a customer views at the store and what took place behind the curtains. Challenges Denise faced as a shop girl include supporting her orphan siblings by working at the kid’s section of the store and the store’s uninviting working conditions. However, Denise benefited from the â€Å"match of progress† and her immunity to shopping desires (Zola 41). The theory of evolution challenged conventional belief systems by crossing

Advantages and disadvantages of on-line shopping Dissertation

Advantages and disadvantages of on-line shopping - Dissertation Example Branding might cause a person to shop on-line because that person is looking for specific brands that might not be available in stores. On the other hand, branding might work to encourage people to shop high street shops, because these shops do a more effective job of branding then do on-line stores. Therefore, it is necessary to examine what branding is. Branding began with the modern age. Modern consumption is also driven by the choices that were being offered in modern society, choices that were not offered in earlier societies, before mass production of goods became the norm. This mass production had a side effect as well, one that would influence the post-modern individual’s obsession with labels and designers – branding became essential, as there were so many goods flooding the market, that companies needed to distinguish their goods from the multitude of other goods that were coming into existence. According to Naomi Klein, this led to competitive branding and, u ltimately, to the rise of designer labels, such as Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. Because brands are essentially the same – Coke is not really that much different from Pepsi, Reebok is not much different than Nike, Apples are not appreciably different from PCs – companies must find a way to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Goldman & Papson argue that this has led to a rather cluttered landscape for the world of advertising, as each brand tries to get a leg up on their competitors by branding themselves as somehow different from the rest. One way is by attacking and counterattacking – such as when MCI named AT&T in their advertisements for friends and family, thereby gaining market share away from AT&T, AT&T went on the defensive, deriding MCI's friends and family program as a â€Å"manipulator of personal relations† because the program involved giving MCI a person's information without that person's knowledge. Another way is by showing wha t a product is not – such as when Pringle's potato chips transposed an image of their light chip with that of a guy eating greasy chips that dripped on his shirt (Goldman & Pappas, 1996). Because brands have a hard time saying that their product is better than the other guys, they instead seek to raise their symbolic image value – LL Bean's flannel shirts may be the same in quality as Wal-Mart's, but the image of wearing an LL Bean's shirt makes the value more than Wal-Mart. It is all about the image that has been carefully cultivated in the advertisements for these brands, where the product and the image coming together is known as a â€Å"commodity sign†. This is what is meant when somebody says that one is â€Å"paying for the name† (Goldman & Pappas, 1996). Identity became a construct of consumption, in that people, both men and women, started using consumption not as a way to express one's identity, but to construct it - â€Å"brands are how we figu re out who we are.†(Kacen, 2000). This reflects the fluidity of an individual's identity, and reflects that gender identity is also a fluid concept, as opposed to a fixed attribute (Kacen, 2000). Part of this was made possible by the Nikes and Tommy Hilfigers of the world who are not just selling products, but the image that their brand connotes. Therefore, mere manufacturing has been replaced by marketing (Klein, 2000). Price discounting may to differentiate one’s brand from other brands because of the problem of brand similarity. There is some indication that price discounting may actually hurt a store’s image and the brand image, and that it might not build sales (Grewal et al., 1998). Therefore, whether or not it actually works depends on other factors. One factor is known as the perceived discount. According

Irelnd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Irelnd - Essay Example Much of this success hs been the outcome of dynmic socil progrms developed by Irish government nd dministrtive deprtments imed to chieve greter socil performnce. It ws bsiclly Irelnd's ttempt to provide good working reltionship within the country s well s to rech consequency in immigrtion policy nd interntionliztion process tht shped country's socil policy. The generl orienttion in setting socil politicl or economic gols ws reching greement with the United Kingdom tht would enble the two governments to chieve significnt progress in the serch for pece in Northern Irelnd. These nd other fctors of internl nd externl socil policy of Republic of Irelnd will be exmined in the following pper. Prticulr focus on the interntionl sources of politicl, economic, nd socil trnsformtion will be mde to cover the ptterns of the topic. It is rgued tht these influences hve been the primry source of chnge in Irelnd since 1980 nd hve produced significnt benefits s well s certin problems for Irish society. Together with pressures for chnge by modernizing elites within Irelnd, who themselves were motivted prtly by their interntionl perspective, these internl nd externl fctors of socil policy hve creted synergistic process of chnge tht hs trnsformed the nture of Irish society. Due to Irish dispor nd close economic ties to Britin, Irelnd hs lwys hd significnt interntionl links nd strong position on interntionl mrket. But the trditionlism of Irish culture, reflected especilly by the profound nd powerful plce of the Ctholic Church, gve the ntion n insulr nd defensive qulity from independence through the 1960s. However by the erly 1990s the Republic of Irelnd hd received reputtion s highly dynmic, modern, nd successful ntion. Rpid economic growth in the 1990s hs resulted in high economic indictors nd nd result positive chnged in socil policy of the country. In 1996 per cpit gross domestic product (GDP) ws bigger thn the United Kingdom (UK) figure, nd growth since 1992 hs been especilly strong (Irelnd, 1997). In fct, through 1993-1999 Irelnd hd the highest GDP growth rte in the Europen Union (EU), nd its per cpit GDP by 1999 ws 112% of the EU verge (Europen Union, 2001). The consequences of culturl chnge produced verifictions to Irish economy nd prospects of its politicl sitution. In the erly 80th, Irelnd ws poor compred to the UK nd Europe's dvnced economies. But it ws not poor in comprison to the economies of Norwy nd nd Finlnd for exmple. (Kennedy, Giblin, & McHugh, 1988, pp. 14-15). Its popultion ws reltively literte, nd its trnsporttion fcilities, bnks, nd housing were reltively modern. lthough not industrilized, it nevertheless hd productive griculturl sector nd followed contemporry business prctices (Hughton, 1995). Of prticulr importnce ws griculturl reform prior to independence tht hd turned ntion where mny hd been exploited tennt frmers into n griculturl system chrcterized by privte ownership by independent frmers. long with significntly incresed interntionliztion of the Irish culture, lte 90th hve produced sound openness nd liberlism in the country (Gllign, 1996, 1998; O'Toole, 1996, pp. 11-22). Of gret importnce is the Good Fridy greement reched in pril 1998 tht creted opportunities for peceful settlement

The Ideology of Liberalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Ideology of Liberalism - Essay Example This essay discusses terminology of Industrialism, Liberalism, Socialism and Romanticism. Also it describes some societal and economic factors, that led to the birth of mentioned ideologies. Industrialism witnessed the dilution of the absolute power of the monarchy and the old aristocracy. The middle class, comprised of newly prosperous manufacturers, merchants and bankers, and professionals, used their economic strength to demand a greater role in the political structure. The tenets of early Liberalism included the belief in meritocracy, as opposed to inherited privilege, the guarantee of property and contract rights, the enshrinement of the Bill of Rights, and the rejection of state interference in the economy: a laissez-faire policy. The ideology of Socialism also had its roots in the rise of industrialism. The rise of the middle-class to economic and political prominence, and the unfettered pursuit of profit, widened the social and economic divide between the working classes and the new bourgeoisie. Romanticism, which emphasized the search for direct communication with nature, and the concept of humans as unique individuals, is another ideology which can trace its origins to the reaction of intellectuals to the materialism and mechanization of Industrialism, and to the tenets of Liberalism. In conclusion, the essay states that the ideologies, that were engendered by the Industrial Revolution continue to influence the principles which govern politics and society in the twenty-first century.

To be stated Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

To be stated - Essay Example Furthermore it will analyze nonverbal communication in the afore-mentioned media text through the lens of Charles Horton Cooley’s Looking Glass Self so as to depict how nonverbal cues, which can be either facilitative or debilitative, of fellow human beings collected by an individual actually shape his identity and subsequently determine his sense of self. The concept of the â€Å"looking glass self† promulgates that self-consciousness involves continually monitoring self from the point of view of others. Cooley stated this concept of the â€Å"looking-glass self† in his book Human Nature and The Social Order: â€Å"We live in the minds of others unknowingly. This creates the â€Å"social self† which might be called as the reflected or the â€Å"looking-glass self†:â€Å"Each to each a looking-glass/Reflects the others that doth pass† (73). This consciousness of self emanating from one’s view of oneself through the eyes of another is more a product of analysis of the nonverbal cues one gathers during interpersonal communication than the actual words one hears from the mouth of one’s fellow beings. Among the many other ways in which individuals respond to fellow individuals’ nonverbal cues touch avoidance is the most striking one. Defined as â€Å"an individual’s nonverba l predisposition to generally approach or avoid touch in interpersonal interactions† ( Anderson & Sull 82). An individual’s positive or reciprocal touch response is an indication of a mutual relation of trust and connection while the opposite reaction of reciprocal touch response betrays disconnect. Likewise the extent of touch avoidance is a manifestation of interpersonal distance. The Miracle Worker, a TV remake of William Gibson’s The Miracle Worker, released by Disney Movies in 2000, films the inspirational journey of Helen Keller with special

Retail Marketing and Logistics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Retail Marketing and Logistics - Case Study Example This way they maintain good hold over quality and are in position to quickly phase off food items that outlive their utility. Gregg's have their own registered charitable trust and they are actively engaged in providing grants and donations for needy causes. Their social activities include the environment, children's cancer research, breakfast clubs that provide free, nutritious breakfast for primary school children in socially disadvantaged areas, and raise funds for children in need. Their exposure to these social activities gives them the advantage of maintaining good public relations and also the marketing thrust in new regions where they open shops. Their social obligations are noteworthy and they encourage their staff to be involved in these ventures. Apart from these, their emphasis on customer satisfaction is fundamental to their success. They also constantly review their product range to ensure quality, taste and value for money. Products that appear to lose popularity are taken off the shelves without much loss of time. The products on display reveal a rich variety of food items and invite the buyers to purchase and try them. The shop design is continually modified and refined to improve the shopping experience. They are also ever on the lookout for new opportunities to open shops in areas where they perceive their products have demand (Greggs). Along with Retail Marketing Mix Along with the vision to open shops wherever there is the prospect for business, Greggs ensure that there is good management of their staff and their products are made to customer's satisfaction. This hawkish policy of making their presence where there is need has provided the company with good growth results. The company boasts of a sound system alive to customers needs and just waiting for opportunities to open shops in populated areas of towns and cities. Their marketing strategy is intrinsically held together in wooing the customers through the use of benign staff and products expertise. The policy of being where the customers are is responsible for the expansion of their business and in addition the customers are made to feel that they are welcome. The art of beguiling the customers with a smiling staff and healthy, hygienic foodstuff needs alert management trained to prod the manpower in the right direction of retention and growth (Greggs the Bakers (Shop)). The investment in purchasing or renting the shop premises is augmented with skilful handling of people in house and outside. Use of Relationship Marketing for Competitive Advantage Relationship management in Greggs is an aspect that they have diligently nurtured to secure competitive advantage. It is not only the relationship among the staff but also the way this translates with the customers. Even if the shop or outlet is small in comparison to the

Competition in the Bottled Water Industry in 2006 Essay

Competition in the Bottled Water Industry in 2006 - Essay Example The bottled water industry has expansively grown over the years. In the US, people consume billions of bottles of water, each week. On the average, the American population use close to $16 billion dollars on bottled water. It is expected that by the year 2020, the industry will account for $148 billion, from the $70 billion in 2005. The growth rate of the bottled water industry is remains positive, because most companies are increasingly shifting from bulk productions to bottled water (McEachern 130). Here, there are different competitors, who compete to be the best in the market. The key competitors, Nestle, Pepsi, Coca Cola, and Groupe Danone have developed effective strategies, which have made them to remain key players in the industry. Therefore, it is challenging for local sellers to compete with them. There are new entrants, and these introduce lower prices in order to compete favorably. A new trend in the bottled water industry is the production of the â€Å"enhanced waters.à ¢â‚¬  This are highly priced, thus, more profits for producing companies. The bottled water industry faced a high threat of substitute products. These mostly include the healthier products. Flavored water, vitamin added water, and non-calories water is the key substitute products of bottled water. ... Furthermore, the bargaining power of suppliers is quite low. This is because of the large number of existing suppliers in the industry. Similarly, the bargaining power of customers is medium. Since water is a basic commodity, consumers will not cease buying it due to increased prices; however, they can choose different brands from the available producers. Intense competition in the industry is a major competitive force in the industry. This is owing to the fact that the number of key global competitors in the industry is small. In addition, new entrants in the industry might base on the fierce competition to compete aggressively using product pricing. Furthermore, differentiation is an important factor in the bottled water industry. Therefore, developing the product is important in order to beat competition, as a new entrant. Nonetheless, basing on these factors, this industry is attractive for both the existing and new entrants, as long as they adopt effective strategies to counter competition. The major competitors in the bottled industry use different strategies to remain relevant in the market. Nestle is the world’s leading seller of bottled water. In 2005, this company had a market share of 18.3%. By 2004, this had 77 brands in 130 countries. The major strategies for this company are its low product pricing, and entering into joint ventures. Additionally, the production of enhanced waters since 2006 has boosted its profits. On the other hand, Dasani, the brand of Coca Cola, has also enabled the company to make great profits. In 2005, Coca Cola Company invested $20 million in the advertisement of Dasani, and distributed to all retail channels of Coca Cola Company. In 2006, Coca Cola diversified Dasani brand to include fruit-flavor.

No File Essay Example for Free

No File Essay â€Å"Why Lawrence Summers was Wrong† In this article Summers portrays simply portrays women as genetic under dogs, being that he basis his claim off of genetic variances betrwwen men and women, and the â€Å"biological differences†. He claims that women shy away from more critical math and science fields because they â€Å"naturally† want to nurture a family, leaving them with the lack of desire to want to pursue a high stressed job. He also uses, genetic differences causes more males to have high aptitude for critical thinking. By mentioning scientific reasoning, Summers try to make his claim stronger, thus inarguable, but in this case, he failed. He failed to realize that sometime nurture, and social up-bringing, in some cases, is much stronger than scientific facts. The casual argument suggested in this article is society and how if effects culture and gender roles. Beginning decades ago women were portrayed as being the â€Å"damsel in distress†, whereas men were expected to be the family hero and safe-keeper. Media usually objectifies women in a light that enable them to think of their worth as low. Christianson, cleary and strongly opposes Summers claim with a great argument. She states â€Å"the societal forces working againt [women] encouragement are still pervasive. The act of women being smart and successful, in the social eye, is considered unattractive. The stereotypes given to women consequently shape the career paths women chose to take. Can you recall any child time book that portrays the man as the home-maker and not the bread winner. This leads to the fact that nurture is what causes expectections of gender roles to be engraved in their minds, not biology, although it does have a minute effect. From birth usually female infants are socialized, by their own mother to be dependent, as in the study that showed â€Å"Mothers of daughters tended to ask their daughters more question, encouraging social interaction, whereas mothers of sons were less verbal, encouraging their sons to be more independent†. The fact that women are peace keepers make them fail to realize that they are being discriminated against. We are sometimes oblivious to the fact that we are experiencing social inequality, and accept what we a given to us.

Properties of Cartilage Tissue

Properties of Cartilage Tissue Chapter 1 1.1 Introduction Joint cartilage is highly sophisticated and has been optimised by evolution. There have been considerable research interests related to the cartilage cells, chondrocytes. In the last decades these studies made cartilage the first and very successful tissue engineering treatment. (Brittberg et al. 1994) 1.2 Categorization of cartilage tissue Cartilage tissue are categorised in three major types by their different biochemical composition and structure of their extracellular matrix (ECM). Elastic cartilage has a few cells, a small concentration of proteoglycans (PGs), and a relatively high proportion of elastin fibres. It is found in the epiglottis, small laryngeal, the external ear, auditory tube, and the small bronchi, where it is generally required to resist bending forces. Fibrocartilage also contains a small concentration of PGs, but far less elastin. The meniscus in the knee joint is made of fibrocartilaginous tissue. The third and most widespread cartilage in the human body is hyaline. It is resistant to compression or tensile forces due to the network organisation of type II collagen fibres associated with a high concentration of PGs. Hyaline cartilage can be found in the nose, the trachea, bronchi, and synovial joints. In the latter case, it is termed as articular cartilage, representing a unique type of connectiv e tissue. Its outwards thin layer covers the articulating joint surfaces and belies a specific structure with unique mechanical properties. These two layers acting as a covering material, is fibricated by the viscous synovial fluid. The joint capsule encloses the entire joint and retains the synovial fluid. (Schulz and Bader, 2006) 1.3 Composition of articular cartilage Articular cartilage is composed of chondrocytes and an extracellular matrix that consists of proteoglycans, collagens and water. (Darling and Athanasiou 2005) Chondrocytes contribute only between 5% of the tissue volume; the remaining 95% being composed of extracellular matrix (ECM), which is synthesised by the chondrocytes. (Mollenhauer, 2008; Buckwalter et al. 1988) The ECM of articular cartilage consists of about 60-85% water and dissolved electrolytes. The solid framework is composed of collagens (10-20%), PGs (3-10%), noncollagenous proteins and glycoproteins. (Buckwalter et al. 1997; Buckwalter et al. 1990) In articular cartilage, 95% of collagen in the ECM is comprised of collagen type II fibrils. The rest other collagen types are collagen type IX and XI and a small fraction of types III, VI, XII and XIV. (Eyre 2002) Type-I collagen forms thick fibres. Type-III forms thin  ¬Ã‚ bres. Unlike these two collagens, Type-II collagen which is present in hyaline and elastic cartila ges does not form  ¬Ã‚ bres, and its very thin  ¬Ã‚ brils are disposed as a loose mesh that strongly interacts with the ground substance. (Montes, 1996) This collagen component in articular cartilage provides tensile stiffness and strength to the tissue and opposes the swelling capacity generated by highly negatively charged glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) of the proteoglycans (PGs). The majority (50-85%) of the overall PG content in this tissue type were presented by large molecule aggrecan. This consist of a protein backbone, the core protein, to which unbranched GAGs side chains of chondroitin sulphate (CS) and keratan sulfate (KS) are covalently attached. ( 1.1) (Watanabe et al. 1998; Schulz and Bader, 2006) 1.1. Illustration of the extracellular matrix (ECM) organization of articular cartilage (Left) and the schematic sketches (Right) of the most relevant polysaccharides of proteoglycans (PGs) in articular cartilage. The PGs consist of a strand of hyaluronic acid (HA), to which a core protein is non-covalently attached. On the core protein, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) such as keratan sulphate (KS) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) are covalently bound in a bottle brush fashion. (Modified from Schulz and Bader, 2006 and Mow and Wang, 1999) 1.4 Low capacity of self-repair The aneural and avascular nature of articular cartilage, coupled with its low cellularity, contribute to both the limited rate and incomplete nature of the repair process following damage. (Heywood et al., 2004) In addition, the low mitotic potential of chondrocytes in vivo also contributes to its poor ability to undergo self-repair. (Kuroda et al., 2006) Indeed, in experimental studies on adult animals, full-thickness cartilage defects extending into the subchondral bone, have been reported to heal with the formation of fibrous tissue, which contains relatively low amounts of type II collagen and aggrecan. It is also composed of a relatively high content present in type I collagen, not present in normal adult articular cartilage and accordingly exhibits impaired mechanical integrity. (Hjertquist et al., 1971; Eyre et al., 1992) 1.5 Metabolism of articular cartilage Joint cartilage is supplied with nutrients and oxygen by the synovial fluid diffusion facilitated by compressive cyclic loading during joint movements as a pumping function. (Mollenhauer, 2008) Chondrocytes are imbedded in ECM. Within synovial joints, oxygen supply to articular chondrocytes is very limited. The oxygen tensions are very low varying from around 6% at the joint surface to 1% in the deep layers of healthy articular cartilage. It is supposed to be even further decreased under pathological conditions, such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. The metabolism of chondrocytes is largely glycolytic. Oxygen-dependent energy generated by oxidative phosphorylation is just a minor contributor to the overall energy in chondrocytes. Articular chondrocytes appear to show a so-called negative Pasteur effect, whereby, glycolysis falls as O2 levels drop leading to the fall in ATP and matrix synthesis. (Gibson JS et al., 2008) A negative Pasteur effect would make chondrocytes parti cularly liable to suffer a shortage of energy under anoxic conditions. (Lee and Urban, 1997) Changes in O2 tension also have profound effects on cell phenotype, gene expression, and morphology, as well as response to, and production of, cytokines. Condrocytes live in hypoxic environments implies that speci ¬Ã‚ c factors are required to control certain genes that are responsible for glucose metabolism, energy metabolism, pH regulation, and other responses. The most important component of this hypoxic response is mediated by transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), which is present in most hypoxia inducible genes. (Pfander and Gelse, 2007; Gibson JS et al., 2008) HIF-1a is necessary for anaerobic energy generation by upregulation of glycolytic enzymes and glucose transporters. (Yudoh et al. 2005) A previous study shows chondrocytes are not able to survive hypoxia in the absence of HIF-1. (Schipani et al. 2001) Moreover, the matrix turnover in articular cartilage is extremely slow. Proteoglycan turnover is up to 25 years. Collagen half-life is estimated to range from several decades up to 400 years. No immune-competent cells (macrophages, T-cells) enter the cartilage tissue. Thus chondrocytes have to defend themselves against hostile microorganisms, leading to its immunologically privileged. (Mollenhauer, 2008) 1.6 Mechanical conditions in vivo In vivo joint loading can result in high peak mechanical stresses (15-20 MPa) that occur over very short durations (1 s) causing cartilage compressive strains of only 1-3%. (Mollenhauer, 2008; Hodge et al., 1986) In contrast, sustained physiological stresses applied to knee joints for 5-30 min can cause compressive strains in certain knee cartilages as high as 40-45%. (Mollenhauer, 2008; Herberhold et al., 1999) A study of the response of articular cartilage from humans to impact load showed that articular cartilage could withstand impact loads of as much as 25 MPa at strain rates from 500 to 1000 s-1 without apparent damage. Impact loads exceeding this level caused chondrocyte death or fissure in the hip or knee. (Repo RU and Finlay JB, 1977) Chapter 2 Osteoarthritis and Treatments 2.1 Osteoarthritis, diagnosis and classification Most cartilage defects are due to direct trauma, but may also occur in avascular necrosis, osteochondritis dissecans, and a variety of cartilage disorders. The defect may be limited to the joint surface (chondral) or involve the underlying bone (osteochondral). (NHS guidance 2006) Articular cartilage defects can progress to osteoarthritis (OA) in some patients, which is a major health problem in developed countries. (Kuroda et al. 2006; Schulz and Bader, 2006; Buckwalter, 2002; Cicuttini 1996) Symptoms may include pain, catching, locking and swelling, and may lead to degenerative changes within the joint. (NHS guidance 2006) Arthroscopy has been used as the â€Å"gold standard† to confirmed cartilage defects. In a review of 31,516 knee arthroscopies of cartilage injury patients, the incidence of chondral lesions was 63%; the incidence of full-thickness articular cartilage lesions with exposed bone were 20% , with 5% of these occurring in patients under 40-years-old. (Marlovits, et al. 2008) Osteoarthritis (OA) severity is commonly graded from radiographic images in accordance with the Kellgren and Lawrence scale Bilateral. (Kellgren and Bier, 1956; Kellgren and Lawrence, 1957) Osteoporosis and erosions which included narrowing of joint space were recorded separately and graded as follows: 0 = no changes; 1 = doubtful joint space narrowing; 2 = minimal change, mostly characterized by osteophytes; 3 = moderate change, characterized by multiple osteophytes and/or definite joint space narrowing; and 4 = severe change, characterized by marked joint space narrowing with bone-on-bone contact with large osteophytes. (Kellgren and Bier, 1956; Husing et al. 2003) The radiologic grade of OA was inversely associated with the joint space width (JSW). (Agnesi et al. 2008) MRI is currently the standard method for cartilage evaluation, as it is a non-invasive, non-contact, multi-planar technique capable of producing high resolution, high contrast images in serial contiguous slices and it enables morphological assessment of the cartilage surface, thickness, volume and subchondral bone. The MRI classification of articular chondral defects are as follows: 1=Abnormal intrachondral signal with a normal chondral surface; 2=Mild surface irregularity and/or focal loss of less than 50% of the cartilage thickness; 3=Severe surface irregularity with focal loss of 50% to 100% of the cartilage thickness; 4=Complete loss of articular cartilage, with exposure of subchondral bone. (Marlovits et al. 2008) Agnesi et al. compared the radiologic grading of OA patients with the joint surface width measurements obtained from MRI images. (Agnesi et al. 2008) 2.2 Non-tissue engineering treatments Pain caused by osteoarthritis can be reduced through a number of methods. (Altman et al. 2006) These include: â€Å"Exercise programmes (strength and flexibility) and lifestyle changes Medication Dietary supplements Knee viscosupplementation Guidelines for viscosupplementation Other injections Custom foot orthotics Knee braces Other assisted devices (canes and walkers) Surgery† Total knee replacement is most commonly performed in people over 60 years of age. (NHS guidance, 2006; Altman et al., 2006; Brittberg et al., 1994) Besides that, the most frequently used treatments include the mosaicplasty, marrow stimulation, and autologous condrocyte implantation (ACI). (Steinwachs et al., 2008) Mosaicplasty is an autologous osteochondral transplantation method through which cylindrical periosteum grafts are taken from periphery of the patellofemoral area which bears less weight, and transplanted to defective areas. This transplantation can be done with various diameters of grafts. (Haklar et al., 2008; NHS guidance, 2006) Marrow stimulation methods include arthroscopic surgery to smooth the surface of the damaged cartilage area; microfracture, drilling, abrasion. All marrow stimulation methods base on the penetration of the subchondral bone plate at the bottom of the cartilage defect. The outflowing bone marrow blood contains the mesenchymal stem cells which are s tabilised by the clot formation in the defect. These pluripotent stem cells which are able to differentiate into fibrochondrocytes, result in fibrocartilage repair with varying amounts of type I, II and III collagen. (Steinwachs et al., 2008) 2.3 The tissue engineering treatment A 1984 study in rabbits reported successful treatment of focal patellar defects with the use of autologous condrocyte implantation (ACI). One year after transplantation, newly formed cartilage-like tissue typically covered about 70 percent of the defect. (Grande et al. 1989) In 1987, Mats Brittber et al. firstly performed ACI in 23 people with deep cartilage defects in the knee. (Brittberg et al., 1994) ACI is described as a three steps procedure: cartilage cells are taken from a minor load-bearing area on the upper medial femoral condyle of the damaged knee via an arthroscopic procedure, cultivated for four to six weeks in a laboratory and then, in open surgery, introduced back into the damaged area as a liquid or mesh-like transplant; at last, a periosteal flap sutured in place to secure the transplant. ( 2.1) (Husing et al., 2008) The cell density of the cultivated cell solution is required to be 30 x 106 cells/ml, or 2 x 106 cells per cm2 in a clinical setting today. (Brittberg e t al., 2003) Genzyme Biosurgery with its product Carticel ® was the first company which introduced ACT into the market and is market leader in USA. Carticel ® is a classic ACT procedure using the periosteal cover. (Husing et al., 2008) Today the periosteum is often replaced by an artificial resorbable cover such as collagen I/III and hyaluronan membrane, such as ChondroGide or Restore (De Puy, Warzaw, Indiana). (Gooding et al., 2006; Jones and Peterson, 2006) Another new method uses chondrocytes cultured on a three-dimensional, biodegradable scaffold. The scaffold, cut to the required size, is fixed into the lesion site with anchoring stitches. This method does not need the cover, thus simplifying the surgery and shorting the surgery time; opens up the possibility of arthroscopic surgery instead of open surgery which causes more tissue damage. HYALOGRAFT from Italy is one of the European market leaders. It is a cartilage substitute made of autologous chondrocytes delivered on a biocompatible tridimentsional matrix, entirely composed of a derivative of hyaluronic acid. (Marcacci et al. 2005) 2.4 Clinical follow-ups of ACI Brittberg studied the long-term durability of ACI-treated patients, 61 patients were followed for at least five years up to 11 years post-surgery (mean 7.4 years). After two years, 50 out of 61 patients were graded good-excellent. At the five to 11 years follow-up, 51 of the 61 were graded good-excellent. The total failure rate was 16% (10/61) at mean 7.4 years. (Brittberg et al., 2003) Since 1997 the year the FDA approved ACI, this method has been widely performed all over the world, in more than 20 000 patients. It has been reported to be effective in  improving clinical symptoms, such as pain and function. (Wakitani et al., 2008) 2.5 Randomised studies In 2004, Knutsen et al. studied 80 patients who needed local cartilage repair because of symptomatic lesions on the femoral condyles measuring 2-10cm2. The results showed there was no signi ¬Ã‚ cant difference in macroscopic or histological results between ACI and microfracture, and that there was no association between the histological  ¬Ã‚ ndings and the clinical outcome at the 2-year time point. (Knutsen et al., 2004) In the same series, there were no signi ¬Ã‚ cant differences in results at 5 years follow-up. (Knutsen et al., 2007) In another randomised controlled study that compared mosaicplasty with ACI, there was no significant difference in the number of patients who had an excellent or good clinical outcome at 1 year (69% [29/42] and 88% [51/58], respectively). In the subgroup of patients who had repairs to lesions of the medial femoral condyle, significantly more patients who had ACI had an excellent or good outcome (88% [21/24]) compared with those who had mosaicplasty (72% [21/29]) (p 2.6 The limitation of ACI The microfracture is a very simple and low-cost procedure whereas ACI costs almost $10 000 per patient. If ACI is not found to be more effective for improving articular cartilage repair than microfracture, the procedure will not be continued. (Wakitani et al., 2008) There are several possible reasons which should be blamed for the limitations of the traditional ACI procedure. The cell source in ACI is the cartilage tissue taken from a minor load-bearing area on the upper medial femoral condyle of the damaged knee via an arthroscopic procedure. However, Wiseman et al. found the chondrocytes isolated from the low loaded area of the knee joint respond in a distinct manner with the chondrocytes from the high loaded area, which suggests the traditional cell source of ACI may not provide enough mechanical response and may further lead to the insufficient mechanical properties of the repaired tissue. (Wiseman et al. 2003) As cultured in monolayer, chondrocytes undergo a process of dedifferentiation and adopt a more  ¬Ã‚ broblast-like morphology, which is accompanied by an increase in proliferation (Glowacki et al., 1983) and an altered phenotype. Type II collagen, the major protein produced by chondrocytes in articular cartilage, are down-regulated culture, while collagen types I and III are increased. (Stocks et al., 2002; Benya et al., 1978) The agregating proteoglycan aggrecan of articular cartilage, is down-regulated during dedifferentiation and replaced by proteoglycans not speci ¬Ã‚ c to cartilage, such as versican. (Glowacki et al., 1983; Stocks et al., 2002) Therefore, monolayer cultured chondrocytes do not express the true chondrocyte phenotype, and their ability to regenerate damaged cartilage tissue is impaired. Upon implantation, dedifferentiated cells may form a  ¬Ã‚ brous tissue expressing collagen type I that does not have the proper mechanical properties, which may lead to deg radation and failure of the repair tissue. (Brodkin et al., 2004) Chondrocytes grown in conditions that support their round shape, such as plating in high-density monolayer (Kuettner et al., 1982; Watt, 1988) and seeding in 3-D gels (Benya et al., 1982) can maintain their differentiated phenotype much longer compared to cells spread in monolayer cultures. Chapter 3 Tissue engineering strategies for articular cartilage 3.1 Introduction Although ACI can still be considered to be one of commonly form of repair of cartilage defects, it does have a number of scientific limitations. Some of those can be resolved using a more comprehensive tissue engineered strategy which incorporates cells, scaffold materials and potentially biochemical, biomechanical and/or physical stimulation in a controlled bioreactor environment. 3.2 Cell sources For a conventional ACI approach, chondrocytes are derived from the low loading area and then cultured in a monolayer. However, chondrocytes derived from the low load bearing area of the knee joint respond in a distinct manner with the chondrocytes from the high loaded area. Chondrocytes cultured in monolayer have a dedifferentiation phenomenon (Described in the previous chapter). In addition, the limitation of the transplant volume is always a major problem in autograft to be overcome (Kitaoka et al., 2001). Thus, potential cell sources are widely studied for the future improvement of ACI approach. Chondrocytes from immature animals (approximately 1-6 weeks old) have been used widely in tissue engineering studies for their ability to increase matrix synthesis and to produce better mechanical properties (Darling and Athanasiou, 2005). Kitaoka et al. examined the possibility of using hyaline cartilage of costal cartilage as a substitute to the knee joint articular cartilage. Costal cartilage cells are derived from 8-week-old male SV40 large T-antigen transgenic mice. Three mouse chondrocyte cell lines (MCC-2, MCC-5, and MCC-35) were established using cloning cylinders, which is a kind of mold. These cell lines showed chondrocytic characteristics, including formation of cartilage nodules that could be stained with alcian blue, and mRNA expression for type II collagen, type XI collagen, ALPase, osteopontin, aggrecan, and link protein (Kitaoka et al., 2001). Animal-derived bone marrow cells, in particular from rabbit origin, have shown a highly variable chondrogenic potential (Solchaga et al., 1999). The establishment of some bone marrow stromal cell lines having the ability of diffrentiation to chondrocyte has been reported, as well as some other cell lines established from rat calvaria, mouse c-fos-induced cartilage tumor and mouse embryonic carcinoma, respectively. Each of the cell lines showed chondrocytic phenotypes (Kitaoka et al., 2001). LVEC cells derived from EBs of human embryonic germ cells were reported to be homogenously differentiated into hyaline cartilage. Three dimensional tissue formation is achieved by encapsulating cells in synthetic hydrogels poly (ethylene glycol diacrylate) (PEGDA) followed by incubation in chondrocyte-conditioned medium (for the recipe, please see the paper) (Varghese et al., 2006). Periosteum consists of two layers. Fibroblasts are from the fibrous layer and progenitor cells are from the cambium layer. Progenitor cells are supposed to be able to differentiate into chondrocytes. Emans et al. compared the chondrocyte and the periosteum cell as cell source for autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) on animals. The results turned out that the condrtocytes are much better for ACI procedure (Emans et al., 2006). 3.3 Scaffolds Biomaterial scaffolds provide a critical means of controlling engineered tissue architecture and mechanical properties; allow cells attach, grow in and proliferation; allow the cell signals travelling through (Freed et al., 2006). In many in vitro or in vivo approaches, cells are grown on biomaterial scaffolds for further research or just for implantation, where new functional tissue is formed, remodelled and integrated into the body. The biomaterials which compose scaffolds are required to satisfy several properties. At first, the material as a support structure must possess enough mechanical strength to protect the cells contained in. Secondly, the material must have some bioactivity to accommodate cells for attachment, growth, proliferation and migration. The material should act as a vehicle for gene, protein and oxygen delivery. Furthermore, the material should be biodegradable for the new cartilage to form and replace the original structure. In this regard, the material should be non-toxic, non-inflammatory active, and also non-immunogenic. Finally, the material should be easy to handle for surgery procedure (Stoop, 2008). 3.3.1 Natural materials Collagen-based biomaterials are widely used in todays clinical practice (for example, haemostasis and cosmetic surgery). Collagen is also be commonly used as main components in tissue engineered skin products. Several commercial autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT) products have used collagenous membraneas the replacement for the periosteum to close the defect, such as ChondroGide or Restore (De Puy, Warzaw, Indiana) (Cicuttini et al., 1996; Jones and Peterson, 2006) The .combination of collagen with glycosaminoglycan (GAG) in scaffolds had a positive effect on chondrocyte phenotype. Condrocytes were cultured in porous type I collagen matrices in the presence and absence of covalently attached chondroitin sulfate (CS) up to 14 days in a study (van Susante et al., 2001). Hyaluronic acid is a non-sulphated GAG that makes up a large proportion of cartilage extracellular matrix. In its unmodified form, it has a high biocompatibility (Schulz and Bader, 2007). Matrices composed of hyaluronan have been frequently used as a carrier for chondrocytes. Facchini et al. con ¬Ã‚ rms the hyaluronan derivative scaffold Hyaff  ®11 as a suitable scaffold both for chondrocytes and mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of articular cartilage defects in their study. HYALOGRAFT from Italy is one of the European market leaders for ACT. It is a cartilage substitute made of autologous chondrocytes delivered on a biocompatible tridimentsional matrix, entirely composed of a derivative of hyaluronic acid (Marcacci et al., 2005). Fibrin plays a major role in general wound healing and specially during healing of osteochondral defects. Fibrin glue is currently used for the fixation of other chondrocyte scaffold constructs in defects. Some investigators used fibrin glues as a matrix, but owing to the exceedingly high concentrations and protein densities involved, the glue impeded rather than facilitated cell invasion and did not support a healing response (Stoop, 2008). Susante et al. found fibrin glue does not offer enough biomechanical support as a three-dimensional scaffold (van Susante et al., 1999). Another study found fibrin and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) hybrid scaffold promotes early chondrogenesis of articular chondrocytes in vitro. They used the natural polymer fibrin to immobilize cells and to provide homogenous cells distribution in PLGA scaffolds (Shaban et al., 2008). Sugar-based natural polymers such as chitosan, alginate and agarose can be formulated as hydrogels and in some cases sponges or pads. Although these materials are extensively used in in vitro research, their role in in vivo cartilage reconstruction is still limited (Stoop, 2008). Alginate possesses a number of suitable properties as a scaffold material for cartilage tissue engineering. The mobility of alginate allows the ability of cells to be distributed throughout the scaffold before the gelling phase. Its well-characterized mechanical properties are suitable for the transmission of mechanical stimuli to cells. Furthermore, it has been proved its ability to reestablish and maintain the differentiated state of chondrocytes during long-term culture (Heywood et al., 2004). Agarose is a clear, thermoreversible hydrogel which has been applied in numerous studies in cartilage tissue engineering. This hydrogel is supportive of the chondrocyte phenotype and allows for the synthesis of a fu nctional extracellular matrix. Agarose is neutrally charged, and forms solid gels at room temperature. The initial strength of the gel is dependent on the rate of gelling, which in turn is dependent on the ambient temperature. Gel strength is also strongly dependent on the concentration of the gel in solution. Basic science studies involving agarose gel formation have demonstrated that rapid cooling leads to a decreased, more homogeneous pore size. Increasing the gel concentration additionally decreases gel pore size and permeability. A number of studies have used agarose for the investigation of chondrocyte growth and response to mechanical stimuli (Ho MMY et al., 2003). 3.3.2 Synthetic materials Potential synthetic material scaffolds for the tissue engineering of bone or cartilage include: PL (Polylactic acid) PGLA (Polyglycolicacid and copolymers) CF-PU-PLLA (Carbonfibre-Polyurethane-Poly(L-lactide)-Graft) CF-Polyester (Polyester-Carbonfibre) PU (Polyurethane) PLLA (Capralactone (Poly-L-Lactide/epsilon-Caprolactone) PLLA-PPD (Poly- L-Lactic Acid and Poly- p-Dioxanol) PVA-H (Polyvinylalcohol-Hydrogel) ß-TCP (Tricalcium phosphate) CDHA (Calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite) (Haasper et al., 2008) The major advantages of the synthetic polymers are their design flexibility and avoid of disease transmission. Synthetic polymers can be easily processed into highly porous 3-dimensional scaffolds, fibres, sheets, blocks or microspheres. However, there are also disadvantages of some synthetic polymers, such as the potential increase in local pH resulting from acidic degradation products, excessive inflammatory responses and poor clearance and chronic inflammation associated with high molecular weight polymer (Stoop, 2008). Poly(glycolic acid) (PGA), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) have been investigated for use as cartilage tissue engineering scaffolds (Cima et al., 1991; Vacanti et al., 1991). Both, in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated these scaffold maintained the chondrocyte phenotype and the production of cartilage-speci ¬Ã‚ c extracellular matrix (ECM) (Barnewitz et al., 2006; Kaps et al., 2006). In addition, PLGA is used as a scaffold material for matrix-based autologous chondrocyte transplantation clinically for more than 3 years (Ossendorf et al., 2007). 3.4 Biomedical stimulation Growth factors are proved to be able to promote the formation of new cartilage tissue in both explants and engineered constructs (Darling and Athanasiou, 2005). Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) can dramatically increase biosynthesis level of choncroctyes, especially in the presence of mechanical stimulation (Bonassar et al. 2001; Jin et al. 2003). Transforming growth factor-ÃŽ ²1 (TGF-ÃŽ ²1) increases biosynthesis in engineered constructs and also stimulates the cellular proliferation (Blunk et al. 2002; van der Kraan et al. 1992). Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) stimulates cell proliferation (Adolphe et al. 1984) and biosynthesis (Fujimoto et al. 1999) in chondrocytes which were cultured under a variety of conditions. 3.5 Mechanical stimulation ACI is considered a proper way for the repair of cartilage defect. However, one of the obstacles to the use of autologous chondrocytes is the limited in vitro proliferation rate of these cells. A lot of stimulations have been found to be effective in stimulating cell proliferation and ECM synthesis, including mechanical, electrical, ultrasound (Parvizi et al., 1999; Noriega et al., 2007) and even laser (Torricelli et al., 2001) stimulation. Mechanical forces due to body movement are experienced by articular cartilage every day. These forces include direct compression, tensile and shear forces, or the generation of hydrostatic pressure and electric gradients. Some level of these forces is beneficial to chondrocytes. (Schulz and Bader, 2007; Shieh and Athanasiou, 2007) There are many studies which have described the design of bioreactor systems, which can apply shear forces, perfusion, tension, hydrostatic pressure, static compression, dynamic compression on cartilage explants, monolayer cultured cells or tissue engineered constructs. (Schulz and Bader, 2007) Previous work on these bioreactor systems has demonstrated that chondrocytes are highly mechanosensitive. A summary of the key studies is provided in Table 3.1. Static compression leads to decreased levels of sulfate and proline incorporation (Sah et al., 1989; Ragan et al., 1999). Type II collagen and aggrecan gene expression increase transiently, but decrease when exposed to longer durations of static compression (Ragan et al., 1999). In contrast, dynamic compression of cartilage explants stimulates sulfate and proline incorporation, while chondrocytes em bedded in hydrogels produce more matrix and form robust constructs when cyclically compressed. (Lee and Bader, 1997; Mauck et al., 2000) Table 3.1. Influence of the different models of mechanical stimulation on the biochemical response of articular chondrocytes. References Type of m

The Five Pillars Of Islam Are Mandatory Duties

The Five Pillars Of Islam Are Mandatory Duties The Five Pillars of Islam are mandatory duties that are required of each and every Muslim to perform. These duties help to make Muslim religious beliefs concrete reality. Many people across the world confuse Muslim unity with terrorism. People are quick to assume that when Muslims start to unite, that they are planning to attack. This misconception can be dismissed if one takes the time to read and understand the Five Pillars of Islam. Since the Quran teaches all Muslims that there is only one God, there is no division among Islam as to a trinity of Gods as in with Christianity (Hanson). Thus the practice of the Five Pillars of Islam helps to create a sense of unity among Muslims. In order to fully understand how the pillars create this sense of unity, first one must know what each pillar is and what the duty requires. The first pillar is called Shahadah. This pillar is the most practice, but, yet, it is constantly help the Muslim to profess their allegiance to Allah [God]. Shahadah consists of two parts- a negation and an affirmation (Emerick, 2002). In this first pillar, the phrase, There is no god except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is recited multiple times a day. This pillar is basically where an individual is ordered to think and speak from a heart and mind that is united with Allah. No one is to have any separate thoughts or remarks that either discredits or is against the teachings of Allah through his prophet Muhammad (Hoffert, 2009). With this pillar, there is unity among Muslims because Islam teaches to lead a moral life and to improve the lives of all living things. The second pillar, Salat, has the most direct impact on Muslim daily life. Salat in Arabic means prayer (Fluehr-Lobban, 2004) which is performed five times a day. Around the world, this joint facing of Mecca for prayer unites all Muslims into a single world family (Hoffert, 2009). These times of prayer helps Muslims to seek for strength and patience so that they can work alongside other Muslims to become one with Allah. Another way that this pillar unites Muslims is when prayer time approaches, many Muslims go to the mosques together to pray as one, since in the religion of Islam, the focus is always on being of one mind and spirit with Allah. This is common in most Arabic countries. However, any clean space dedicated to Muslim prayer can serve as the space in a mosque (Firestone, 2008). Fridays are typically when many practicing Muslims gather in mosques for communal prayer. They are led by the imam of the mosque. Prayers of Muslims whether at their own home or in a mosque, is an ad ditional manner on how the Five Pillars of Islam creates a sense of Muslim unity. Zakat, the third pillar, is a duty similar to paying tithes in Christian churches. However, there is a great difference. Another name for zakat is alms tax (Trueblood, 2010). With this pillar, the requirement is for each Muslim to give up a portion of their savings in order to help the poor. An Islamic government even has the task of imposing this tax on its citizens and using the collected funds for welfare and social programs for the less fortunate. (Emerick, 2002) Zakat is a way to worship Allah and provide service to the Islamic community. As the Quran teaches the Muslim people that everyone must give a portion of your earnings in order to help out fellow Muslims who are in need. As with non-Islamic people, this practice is also done, but with some variances. To Muslims, the giving of between 2.5 and 10 percent of his/her earnings provides money to those with less in the Islamic community (Firestone, 2008). This practice is designed to help balance any inequalities in wealth amon gst Muslims. What greater way to unify a community than ensuring that all people are able to provide for their family? This has always been the way of life for Muslims. The fourth pillar is Saum, or fasting. Fasting for Muslims, especially during Ramadan, is a way to become better enlightened. It is a time to where one gets their body and mind back on track and focused on Allah. Where this pillar could possibly help with Muslim unity is when at night, after the last scheduled prayer, people go to the mosques and pray with a congregation. During this time, the Imam leads all the gathered Muslims through a special prayer for Ramadan called Salah al-Tarawih (Emerick, 2002). The fifth pillar, called Hajj, is a requirement that every Muslim have to complete at least once in their lifetime. There are many rituals that have to be completed in order to fulfill this pillar. Every year more than 1.5 million Muslims perform Haj at Kaba. This large gathering of Muslims of all races and cultures promotes the international brotherhood and reflects that all Muslims are alike and equal in the sight of God (Hussain, 2003). Only Muslims who are financially, physically, and mentally stable to source the journey are required to go. There is no borrowing of funds by anyone. This pilgrimage, as it is called, is the true display of obedience to Allah. This act (or pillar) is of extreme importance because during this journey the end result of completing all ritual parts is complete and total cleanse of all sins (Hussain, 2003). Mecca is the central point of all Islamic relations. This is the place to where the journey of the fifth pillar brings all Muslims who are able to perform the rituals. This was the place, according to the Quran, where Abraham was directed by God to go to build the great temple for worship (Fluehr-Lobban, 2004). The temple, to this day, is known as the place to where all Muslims, as mentioned earlier, unite together for the common practice of worshipping Allah and being made innocent (Hussain, 2003). Muslim unity could be compared to a fraternity at one of the colleges. Muslims are in close ties with other Muslims and ensure that everyone is of equal qualities of life. Contrary to the beliefs of those not affiliated with Islam, Muslims are taught not to be of violent nature. Being violent amongst one another or against other living things is not living in the one mind and spirit of Allah. Those that do these things are the ones who have individualistic views and are solely out to disrupt the unity within the Islamic culture. The Quran does teach Muslims to unite and protect the Islamic community against threats, but not to intentionally hurt those that do not pose a threat. True Muslims, who are continually practicing these five pillars, are more concerned with uniting all cultures and living things than destroying them. The goals of the Five Pillars of Islam are unification with Allah in mind, spirit, and body and unification within the Islamic communities with fellow Muslims. If the pillars were never in place, then it would be hard for Muslims to establish peaceful relations among all Islamic communities. There would be great differences in qualities of life of all Muslim families. Because of this, the Five Pillars of Islam is a vital tool in creating and maintaining the unity that Muslims have with one another and with the cultures and communities that are not of Islamic faith. Each pillar, or duty, must be performed completely in order for to truly be obedient to Allah.

touch senses :: essays research papers

The skin contains numerous sensory receptors which receive information from the outside environment. The sensory receptors of the skin are concerned with at least five different senses: pain, heat, cold, touch, and pressure. The five are usually grouped together as the single sense of touch in the classification of the five senses of the whole human body. The sensory receptors vary greatly in terms of structure. For example, while pain receptors are simply unmyelinated terminal branches of neurons, touch receptors form neuronal fiber nets around the base of hairs and deep pressure receptors consist of nerve endings encapsulated by specialized connective tissues. Receptors also vary in terms of abundance relative to each other. For example, there are far more pain receptors than cold receptors in the body. Finally, receptors vary in terms of the concentration of their distribution over the surface of the body, the fingertips having far more touch receptors than the skin of the back. Other types of receptors located throughout the whole body, including proprioceptive receptors and visceral receptors, receive information about the body's internal environment. Proprioceptive or stretch receptors, located in muscles and tendons, sense changes in the length and tension of muscles and tendons and help to inform the central nervous system of the position and movement of the various parts of the body. Each stretch receptor consists of specialized muscle fibers and the terminal branches of sensor neurons. The muscle fibers and sensor neuron endings are very closely associated and are encased in a sheath of connective tissue. Visceral receptors monitor the conditions of the internal organs. Most responses to their stimulation by an organ are carried out by the autonomic system. Several visceral sensors, however, produce conscious sensations such as nausea, thirst, and hunger. Touch Receptors are the nerves cells that tell your brain about tactile sensations. There are several types of touch receptors, but they can be divided into two groups. Mechanoreceptors that give the sensations of pushing, pulling or movement, and thermoreceptors that tell you about sensations of temperature. The mechanoreceptors contain the most types of touch receptors. Free nerve endings inform the brain about pain, and they are located over the entire body. Located in the deep layers of dermis in both hairy and glabrous skin, the pacinian corpuscles detect pressure, telling the brain when a limb has moved. After the brain has told a limb, such as an arm, to move, the pacinian corpuscles tells the brain that that limb has actually moved into the correct position. touch senses :: essays research papers The skin contains numerous sensory receptors which receive information from the outside environment. The sensory receptors of the skin are concerned with at least five different senses: pain, heat, cold, touch, and pressure. The five are usually grouped together as the single sense of touch in the classification of the five senses of the whole human body. The sensory receptors vary greatly in terms of structure. For example, while pain receptors are simply unmyelinated terminal branches of neurons, touch receptors form neuronal fiber nets around the base of hairs and deep pressure receptors consist of nerve endings encapsulated by specialized connective tissues. Receptors also vary in terms of abundance relative to each other. For example, there are far more pain receptors than cold receptors in the body. Finally, receptors vary in terms of the concentration of their distribution over the surface of the body, the fingertips having far more touch receptors than the skin of the back. Other types of receptors located throughout the whole body, including proprioceptive receptors and visceral receptors, receive information about the body's internal environment. Proprioceptive or stretch receptors, located in muscles and tendons, sense changes in the length and tension of muscles and tendons and help to inform the central nervous system of the position and movement of the various parts of the body. Each stretch receptor consists of specialized muscle fibers and the terminal branches of sensor neurons. The muscle fibers and sensor neuron endings are very closely associated and are encased in a sheath of connective tissue. Visceral receptors monitor the conditions of the internal organs. Most responses to their stimulation by an organ are carried out by the autonomic system. Several visceral sensors, however, produce conscious sensations such as nausea, thirst, and hunger. Touch Receptors are the nerves cells that tell your brain about tactile sensations. There are several types of touch receptors, but they can be divided into two groups. Mechanoreceptors that give the sensations of pushing, pulling or movement, and thermoreceptors that tell you about sensations of temperature. The mechanoreceptors contain the most types of touch receptors. Free nerve endings inform the brain about pain, and they are located over the entire body. Located in the deep layers of dermis in both hairy and glabrous skin, the pacinian corpuscles detect pressure, telling the brain when a limb has moved. After the brain has told a limb, such as an arm, to move, the pacinian corpuscles tells the brain that that limb has actually moved into the correct position.

Delegation :: Business, Empowering Delegation

Managers can empower workers by delegating to them. â€Å"Delegation involves the assignment of work to other people, and it is an activity inherently associated with all managerial positions† (Whitten & Cameron, 2007, p. 467). Effective management can be attained through delegation. Therefore, a manager must decide when to delegate. Advantages and the Potential Outcome of Delegation Learning to delegate effectively is fundamental to managers’ success in the workplace. A competent delegator can empower others maximizing the organization effectiveness and efficiency. Whitten and Cameron (2007) identifies the following advantages of delegation: time, development, trust, commitment, information, efficiency, and coordination (p.467). Time Delegation can improve managers’ ability to get things done. Delegation increases the discretionary time of the manager† by freeing up some time (Whitten & Cameron, 2007, p. 467). A manager schedule can be extremely hectic and the pressure can be overwhelming due to demands. Managers can increase their time to focusing on other task that is highly prioritized and require the manager complete attention through delegation. Not being prepared and never meeting deadline are qualities that can injure ones reputation, for the manager can be viewed as less efficient and effective in management. Through delegation, the manager can squeeze more out of the day. Development Delegation can increase workers effectiveness. It allows delegates to â€Å"develop knowledge and capabilities† (Whitten & Cameron, 2007, p. 467). Through delegation, workers can be challenged and this can encourage them to develop their capabilities. They can naturally develop knew knowledge and the necessary skills to cope when they are challenged with tasks that are outside of their basic job duties. By encouraging such development, it can prepare employees for future assignments and promotions. Not only does delegation benefits the employee receiving the new task, but it also benefits the manager and the organization too by enhancing effectiveness. Trust Delegation can help managers build a positive relationship with staff. It is a way of showing employees they are respected, for delegation â€Å"demonstrate trust and confidence in delegates† (Whitten & Cameron, 2007, p. 467). Delegation can empower employees, for when the managers seek assistance with a task it shows that the manager believes in them; the manager is confident that that the employee can complete the task successful. Through trust, the manager can empower an employee to bring drive and initiative in the work. According to Whitten and Cameron (2007), individuals who felt trusted by t heir managers were significantly more effective than those who did not feel that way (p.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Genetic Engineering Essay

Genetic Engineering: Advantages and Disadvantages essay. During the latter stage stages of the 20th century, man harnessed the power of the atom, and not long after, soon realised the power of genes. Genetic engineering is going to become a very mainstream part of our lives sooner or later, because there are so many possibilities advantages (and disadvantages) involved. Here are just some of the advantages :Disease could be prevented by detecting people/plants/animals that are genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases, and preparing for the inevitable. Also, infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen.Animals and plants can be ‘tailor made' to show desirable characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more CO2 and reduce the threat of global warming.Genetic Engineering could increase genetic diversity, and produce more variant alleles which could also be crossed over and implanted into other species. It is possible to alter the genetics of wheat plants to grow insulin for example. Of course there are two sides to the coin, here are some possible eventualities and disadvantages.Nature is an extremely complex inter-related chain consisting of many species linked in the food chain. Some scientists believe that introducing genetically m odified genes may have an irreversible effect with consequences yet unknown.Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature. Genetic engineering may be one of the greatest breakthroughs in recent istory alongside the discovery of the atom and space flight, however, with the above eventualities and facts above in hand, governments have produced legislation to control what sort of experiments are done involving genetic engineering. In the UK there are strict laws prohibiting any experiments involving the cloning of humans. However, over the years here are some of the experimental ‘breakthroughs' made possible by genetic engineering.At the Roslin Institute in Scotland, scientists successfully cloned an exact copy of a sheep, named ‘Dolly'. This was the first successful cloning of an animal, and most likely the first occurrence of two organisms being g enetically identical. Note : Recently the sheep's health has deteriorated detrimentallyScientists successfully manipulated the genetic sequence of a rat to grow a human ear on its back. (Unusual, but for the purpose of reproducing human organs for medical purposes)Most controversially, and maybe due Essay topic: advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering. Discuss The development of genetic engineering has increased notably in the last few years.Some people support the investment in this field whereas others are against to. In this essay I shall delve into both sides before forming an opinion. Genetic engineering is the process of manipulating the genes of an organism. People supporting it use argue that for instance farmers could have crops more resistant to insects and diseases, and many genetically modified crops can grow faster. These advantages can be extremely positive for food production in developing nations where people starve. Faster growing cereals, fruits and veg etables would mean more profit.Moreover, some medicines and vaccines are obtained throw genetic engineering process. An important breakthrough that genetic engineering can bring to society is that some inherited diseases would no longer exist. Some genes can be modified before a baby is born improving its life expectancy. It could be said then that genetic engineering might cure some diseases. However there are ethical concerns about it use. Some ecologists warn about the disaster consequences to the Earth. They say that genetically modified crops can affect seriously whole ecosystems as the food chain can be broken if crops are more resistant to predators.Furthermore, some people are strongly against to human genetic engineering as parents might want to choose their children's characteristics. They support this argument saying that it would be unnatural and in some religions would be unacceptable. Society an human evolution would change completely. To sum up, both sides have strong arguments to support their opinions. As far as my opinion is concerned genetic engineering can bring to humans longer and healthier lives. However there is a thin line between what is ethical and what not What are the disadvantages of genetic engineering?* 5 years ago Best Answer  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Chosen by Voters 1. probably it would be costly 2. a single mistake has devastating repercussions 3. it borders on the issue of ethics and morality 4. an increasing demand for genetic modification which effetively increases discontentment for the self or for the original genetic configuration of an organism 5. prospect of creating new species might create natural imbalances especially on the habitats and feeding habits of other animals (by creating a new species, competition might arise, or it might be a predator to a prey who are already endangered, or for its own survival, it might need to destroy the habitats of others) 6. nexpected but undetected mutations can generally alter the future in unpleasant ways. What are the advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering?Answer: advantages:1. Disease could be prevented by detecting people/plants/animals that are genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases, and preparing for the inevitable. Also, infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen.2. Another of genetic engineering is that diseases could be prevented by detecting people that are genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases, and preparing for he inevitable. As well as preventing disease, with genetic engineering infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen3. Animals and plants can be ‘tailor made' to show desirable characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more CO2 and reduce the threat of global warming.4. Genetic Engineering could increase genetic diversity, and produce mor e variant alleles which could also be crossed over and implanted into other species. It is possible to alter the genetics of wheat plants to grow insulin for example.5. Another advantage of genetic engineering is that animals and plants can be made to have desirable characteristics which could help solve some of the world's problems. For example in trees, genes could be manipulated to absorb more carbon dioxide. This would help reduce global warming, and thus solve one of the biggest problems earth faces.Disadvantages:1. Nature is an extremely complex inter-related chain consisting of many species linked in the food chain. Some scientists believe that introducing genetically modified genes may have an irreversible effect with consequences yet unknown.2.Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature.3. Another reason why people think that using genetically mod ified crops and plants is a disadvantage is that they think it will increase our reliance on pesticides, which have a harmful effect on the environment.4. Another disadvantage of Genetic Engineering is Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature. Also it brings into question Darwin's theory of â€Å"the survival of the fittest†, if this theory has worked over the last 20 centuries , why change it? †¦ experimental ‘breakthroughs' made possible by genetic engineering.1. At the Roslin Institute in Scotland, scientists successfully cloned an exact copy of a sheep, named ‘Dolly'. This was the first successful cloning of an animal, and most likely the first occurrence of two organisms being genetically identical. Note : Recently the sheep's health has deteriorated detrimentally2. Scientists successfully manipulated the genetic sequence of a rat to grow a human ear on its back. Unusual, but for the purpose of reproducing human organs for medical purposes)   Most controversially, and maybe due to more liberal laws, an American scientist is currently conducting tests to clone himself. Genetic Engineering Advantages ; Disadvantages During the latter stage stages of the 20th century, man harnessed the power of the atom, and not long after, soon realised the power of genes. Genetic engineering is going to become a very mainstream part of our lives sooner or later, because there are so many possibilities advantages (and disadvantages) involved.Here are just some of the advantages :* Disease could be prevented by detecting people/plants/animals that are genetically prone to certain  hereditary  diseases, and preparing for the inevitable. Also, infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen.* Animals and plants can be ‘tailor made' to show desirabl e characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more CO2  and reduce the threat of global warming. Genetic Engineering could increase genetic diversity, and produce more variant alleles which could also be crossed over and implanted into other species. It is possible to alter the genetics of wheat plants to grow insulin for example. Of course there are two sides to the coin, here are some possible eventualities and disadvantages.* Nature is an extremely complex inter-related chain consisting of many species linked in the food chain. Some scientists believe that introducing genetically modified genes may have an irreversible effect with consequences yet  unknown. Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature. Genetic engineering may be one of the greatest breakthroughs in recent history alongside the discovery of the ato m and space flight, however, with the above eventualities and facts above in hand, governments have produced legislation to control what sort of experiments are done involving genetic engineering. In the UK there are strict laws prohibiting any experiments involving the cloning of humans. However, over the years here are some of the experimental ‘breakthroughs' made possible by genetic engineering.* At the Roslin Institute in Scotland, scientists successfully cloned an exact copy of a sheep, named ‘Dolly'. This was the first successful cloning of an animal, and most likely the first occurrence of two organisms being genetically identical.Note : Recently the sheep's health has deteriorated detrimentally* Scientists successfully manipulated the genetic sequence of a rat to grow a human ear on its back. Unusual, but for the purpose of reproducing human organs for medical purposes)* Most controversially, and maybe due to more liberal laws, an American scientist is currently conducting tests to clone himself. Genetic engineering has been impossible until recent times due to the complex and microscopic nature of DNA and its component nucleotides. Through progressive studies, more and more in this area is being made possible, with the above examples only showing some of the potential that genetic engineering shows. For us to understand chromosomes and DNA more clearly, they can be mapped for future reference.More simplistic organisms such as fruit fly (Drosophila) have been chromosome mapped due to their simplistic nature meaning they will require less genes to operate. At present, a task named the Human Genome Project is mapping the human genome, and should be completed in the next ten years. The process of genetic engineering involves splicing an area of a chromosome, a gene, that controls a certain characteristic of the body. The enzyme endonuclease is used to split a DNA sequence and split the gene from the rest of the chromosome. For example, this ge ne may be programmed to produce an antiviral protein.This gene is removed and can be placed into another organism. For example, it can be placed into a bacteria, where it is sealed into the DNA chain using ligase. When the chromosome is once again sealed, the bacteria is now effectively re-programmed to replicate this new antiviral protein. The bacteria can continue to live a healthy life, though genetic engineering and human intervention has actively manipulated what the bacteria actually is. No doubt there are advantages and disadvantages, and this whole subject area will become more prominent over time.The next page returns the more natural circumstances of genetic diversity. Genetic Engineering in Humans Science is a fascinating subject with unthinkable power. Man, the greatest creation of God and a scientific marvel, has developed the ability to genetically modify and create ‘near perfect' life. The term genetic engineering was first used in Dragon's Island, a science fic tion novel by Jack Williamson in 1951. With the discovery of ‘Deoxyribonucleic Acid' or mitochondrial DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick, this fictional plot started to turn into a reality.Watson and Crick, with their experiments, could prove that DNA was the genetic material that was transferred generation to generation, with genetic information. This genetic information determined all the characteristics of a living being. The tiny, microscopic DNA contained all the genetic information related to the person, like the color of the eyes, the hair, skin tone, height, weight, IQ, EQ, diseases, disorders, etc. and even be able to determine a smile or the shape of nose. This blueprint of life is the most important ingredient of genetic engineering.Genetic engineering is carried out using five steps, that are: Gene of interest is isolated Transfer vector is inserted into the genes The vector is transferred into the organism that is to be modified The cells of an organism are tra nsformed The last step involves selection of successfully genetically modified organisms (GMO) from those who have failed to be modified. This biotechnology was first applied to produce synthetic human insulin. This technology was gradually used to apply to a number of vaccines and drugs, that would prove to be beneficial to the human race.It was applied to plants to produce genetically modified foods, with higher resistance to infections and high nutritional values. With the advancement in technologies and major breakthroughs in genetic engineering, more and more scientists working for private and government companies are spending time experimenting with the human genes. The completion of the Human Genome Project, in 2006, has given a major opening to medical companies, to carry out experiments and genetic tests using genetic engineering.ADVANTAGES of Human Genetic EngineeringIt could help prevent life-threatening and incurable diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's disease, even HIV/AI DS. There are cases like cardiomyopathy or susceptibility to viruses, that can be overcome with the help of this technology. Better drugs could be produced that are disease or gene specific and attack the specific genetic mutation in an individual, to help over come a disease or disorder. Many people want to live a longer, healthier life or are just afraid of death. Such people with a love of life, can place their bets on it to help them live longer.It is possible to increase the average life span of an individual to 100-150 years. And not just a longer life, but a healthy, long life, free from diseases and disorders. Although this may take a bit longer to achieve, but is does not seem impossible any longer. Women have a craze to look young and maintain their beauty for all eternity. The benefits may make it possible to slow down or reverse certain cellular metabolism, that may be able fulfill this desire to remain ‘forever young' for many dreamers in the near future. You may have heard of designer clothes, designer bags, designer shoes and even a designer nose.But have you heard of designer babies? Yes, designer babies are possible to be produced with its help in humans. Parents can choose the characteristics of their babies, like blond with blue eyes, high IQ, fair skin, etc. It may even be possible to choose the talent in your favorite idol to be manufactured (pun intended! ) in your baby, for example, a singer like Elvis Presley or maybe a great dancer like Michael Jackson. No, I am not joking, this is all possible with a bit of genetic engineering, within the blueprint of life – DNA.One could even try to create super-humans by incorporating specific features of certain animals. For example, one could have super-sharp vision like the hawk or could outrun a cheetah. One could create a ‘Superman' like human who is indestructible. Do you remember ‘Dolly Sheep'? This was a genetically modified, cloned sheep that is now dead for over 6 years. This world-famous sheep was cloned using the cell from the mammary gland of another sheep. Cloning, its another aspect can also be possible. There are many ethical issues of cloning and it is considered illegal by many governments around the world.It is a crime to clone humans now, but may be in our quest to produce the perfect beings, cloning will soon become a part of life. These are a few advantages of genetic engineering in humans. But as every coin has two sides, there are many disadvantages that cannot be overlooked. Disadvantages of Human Genetic Engineering Under the pretext of producing a cure for diseases and hereditary disorders, many researchers carry out experiments on genetically modifying humans. It can prove to be a bane if: In the pursuit of producing babies without any genetic defects or hereditary disorders, we may end up producing super humans.Just as the example I mentioned in the beginning of my article, we may have a line of humans that may spell doom t o those who are not genetically modified. Smarter humans means, larger brains, that may lead to babies with larger heads that have trouble passing through the birth canal of their mothers. This may cause trouble during birth and a rise in cesarean. Long life could lead to population problems. There may be stress on the natural resources and less living space. Although, you may live free of diseases, you may have a fight for survival for securing the basic necessities.Just like in the movie Gattaca, there may be a division between genetically engineered humans and those that are normal (just imagine, begin normal may prove to be curse in the future! ). People will no longer be discriminated on the basis of race, religion or creed, but actually on their genes! Human cloning may create problems of copies of men moving about freely around the world. If your clone turns out to be the one with a criminal streak, you may end up in jail for a crime committed by your clone. It is possible, i f you can't prove your innocence. Imagine someone else taking over your life, family, work, etc!The problem faced by many developing countries today, is female infanticide. It may help stop this cruel and barbaric custom of killing the innocent girl child. You may think this is an advantage, I say otherwise. It may help such narrow-minded, biased parents to actually choose the gender of the child. Therefore, more parents opting for a male child over a girl child. Thus, directly bringing an end to girl child killing as there will be no birth of the girl child! The idea of ‘Superman' may seem tantalizing, but its consequences may be very dangerous.Imagine a person who is virtually indestructible, may carry out crimes and becomes a danger to mankind. I can go on and on regarding the benefits of genetic engineering in humans, like end of hunger, no disease, cure for all ailments, long life, ageless beauty, super intelligent humans, etc. But, one should always give a second thought to all the disadvantages listed. It is often said, man should not attempt to ‘play God'. That's correct, but if God has bestowed us the power to make some beneficial changes to his creations, then we should surely do so wisely.Genetic engineers have turned into modern-day alchemists, who are searching for the ultimate elixir of life, to produce the genetically modified, perfect human. This precious knowledge is being exploited by greedy men, who are using it just to earn more money. Nothing is bad if exploited within limits. When we harness our present, we should keep in mind all the possible effects it will have on our future. We may not be alive to view the beauty and the ugliness of the future, but our beloved children may be facing the consequences. Advantages and Disadvantages of Genetic Engineering Essay Genetic Engineering: Advantages and Disadvantages essay. During the latter stage stages of the 20th century, man harnessed the power of the atom, and not long after, soon realised the power of genes. Genetic engineering is going to become a very mainstream part of our lives sooner or later, because there are so many possibilities advantages (and disadvantages) involved. Here are just some of the advantages :Disease could be prevented by detecting people/plants/animals that are genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases, and preparing for the inevitable. Also, infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen.Animals and plants can be ‘tailor made' to show desirable characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more CO2 and reduce the threat of global warming.Genetic Engineering could increase genetic diversity, and produce more variant alleles which could also be crossed over and implanted into other species. It is possible to alter the genetics of wheat plants to grow insulin for example. Of course there are two sides to the coin, here are some possible eventualities and disadvantages.Nature is an extremely complex inter-related chain consisting of many species linked in the food chain. Some scientists believe that introducing genetically m odified genes may have an irreversible effect with consequences yet unknown.Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature. Genetic engineering may be one of the greatest breakthroughs in recent istory alongside the discovery of the atom and space flight, however, with the above eventualities and facts above in hand, governments have produced legislation to control what sort of experiments are done involving genetic engineering. In the UK there are strict laws prohibiting any experiments involving the cloning of humans. However, over the years here are some of the experimental ‘breakthroughs' made possible by genetic engineering.At the Roslin Institute in Scotland, scientists successfully cloned an exact copy of a sheep, named ‘Dolly'. This was the first successful cloning of an animal, and most likely the first occurrence of two organisms being g enetically identical. Note : Recently the sheep's health has deteriorated detrimentallyScientists successfully manipulated the genetic sequence of a rat to grow a human ear on its back. (Unusual, but for the purpose of reproducing human organs for medical purposes)Most controversially, and maybe due Essay topic: advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering. Discuss The development of genetic engineering has increased notably in the last few years.Some people support the investment in this field whereas others are against to. In this essay I shall delve into both sides before forming an opinion. Genetic engineering is the process of manipulating the genes of an organism. People supporting it use argue that for instance farmers could have crops more resistant to insects and diseases, and many genetically modified crops can grow faster. These advantages can be extremely positive for food production in developing nations where people starve. Faster growing cereals, fruits and veg etables would mean more profit.Moreover, some medicines and vaccines are obtained throw genetic engineering process. An important breakthrough that genetic engineering can bring to society is that some inherited diseases would no longer exist. Some genes can be modified before a baby is born improving its life expectancy. It could be said then that genetic engineering might cure some diseases. However there are ethical concerns about it use. Some ecologists warn about the disaster consequences to the Earth. They say that genetically modified crops can affect seriously whole ecosystems as the food chain can be broken if crops are more resistant to predators.Furthermore, some people are strongly against to human genetic engineering as parents might want to choose their children's characteristics. They support this argument saying that it would be unnatural and in some religions would be unacceptable. Society an human evolution would change completely. To sum up, both sides have strong arguments to support their opinions. As far as my opinion is concerned genetic engineering can bring to humans longer and healthier lives. However there is a thin line between what is ethical and what not What are the disadvantages of genetic engineering?* 5 years ago Best Answer  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Chosen by Voters 1. probably it would be costly 2. a single mistake has devastating repercussions 3. it borders on the issue of ethics and morality 4. an increasing demand for genetic modification which effetively increases discontentment for the self or for the original genetic configuration of an organism 5. prospect of creating new species might create natural imbalances especially on the habitats and feeding habits of other animals (by creating a new species, competition might arise, or it might be a predator to a prey who are already endangered, or for its own survival, it might need to destroy the habitats of others) 6. nexpected but undetected mutations can generally alter the future in unpleasant ways. What are the advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering?Answer: advantages:1. Disease could be prevented by detecting people/plants/animals that are genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases, and preparing for the inevitable. Also, infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen.2. Another of genetic engineering is that diseases could be prevented by detecting people that are genetically prone to certain hereditary diseases, and preparing for he inevitable. As well as preventing disease, with genetic engineering infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen3. Animals and plants can be ‘tailor made' to show desirable characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more CO2 and reduce the threat of global warming.4. Genetic Engineering could increase genetic diversity, and produce mor e variant alleles which could also be crossed over and implanted into other species. It is possible to alter the genetics of wheat plants to grow insulin for example.5. Another advantage of genetic engineering is that animals and plants can be made to have desirable characteristics which could help solve some of the world's problems. For example in trees, genes could be manipulated to absorb more carbon dioxide. This would help reduce global warming, and thus solve one of the biggest problems earth faces.Disadvantages:1. Nature is an extremely complex inter-related chain consisting of many species linked in the food chain. Some scientists believe that introducing genetically modified genes may have an irreversible effect with consequences yet unknown.2.Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature.3. Another reason why people think that using genetically mod ified crops and plants is a disadvantage is that they think it will increase our reliance on pesticides, which have a harmful effect on the environment.4. Another disadvantage of Genetic Engineering is Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature. Also it brings into question Darwin's theory of â€Å"the survival of the fittest†, if this theory has worked over the last 20 centuries , why change it? †¦ experimental ‘breakthroughs' made possible by genetic engineering.1. At the Roslin Institute in Scotland, scientists successfully cloned an exact copy of a sheep, named ‘Dolly'. This was the first successful cloning of an animal, and most likely the first occurrence of two organisms being genetically identical. Note : Recently the sheep's health has deteriorated detrimentally2. Scientists successfully manipulated the genetic sequence of a rat to grow a human ear on its back. Unusual, but for the purpose of reproducing human organs for medical purposes)   Most controversially, and maybe due to more liberal laws, an American scientist is currently conducting tests to clone himself. Genetic Engineering Advantages ; Disadvantages During the latter stage stages of the 20th century, man harnessed the power of the atom, and not long after, soon realised the power of genes. Genetic engineering is going to become a very mainstream part of our lives sooner or later, because there are so many possibilities advantages (and disadvantages) involved.Here are just some of the advantages :* Disease could be prevented by detecting people/plants/animals that are genetically prone to certain  hereditary  diseases, and preparing for the inevitable. Also, infectious diseases can be treated by implanting genes that code for antiviral proteins specific to each antigen.* Animals and plants can be ‘tailor made' to show desirabl e characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more CO2  and reduce the threat of global warming. Genetic Engineering could increase genetic diversity, and produce more variant alleles which could also be crossed over and implanted into other species. It is possible to alter the genetics of wheat plants to grow insulin for example. Of course there are two sides to the coin, here are some possible eventualities and disadvantages.* Nature is an extremely complex inter-related chain consisting of many species linked in the food chain. Some scientists believe that introducing genetically modified genes may have an irreversible effect with consequences yet  unknown. Genetic engineering borderlines on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which questions whether man has the right to manipulate the laws and course of nature. Genetic engineering may be one of the greatest breakthroughs in recent history alongside the discovery of the ato m and space flight, however, with the above eventualities and facts above in hand, governments have produced legislation to control what sort of experiments are done involving genetic engineering. In the UK there are strict laws prohibiting any experiments involving the cloning of humans. However, over the years here are some of the experimental ‘breakthroughs' made possible by genetic engineering.* At the Roslin Institute in Scotland, scientists successfully cloned an exact copy of a sheep, named ‘Dolly'. This was the first successful cloning of an animal, and most likely the first occurrence of two organisms being genetically identical.Note : Recently the sheep's health has deteriorated detrimentally* Scientists successfully manipulated the genetic sequence of a rat to grow a human ear on its back. Unusual, but for the purpose of reproducing human organs for medical purposes)* Most controversially, and maybe due to more liberal laws, an American scientist is currently conducting tests to clone himself. Genetic engineering has been impossible until recent times due to the complex and microscopic nature of DNA and its component nucleotides. Through progressive studies, more and more in this area is being made possible, with the above examples only showing some of the potential that genetic engineering shows. For us to understand chromosomes and DNA more clearly, they can be mapped for future reference.More simplistic organisms such as fruit fly (Drosophila) have been chromosome mapped due to their simplistic nature meaning they will require less genes to operate. At present, a task named the Human Genome Project is mapping the human genome, and should be completed in the next ten years. The process of genetic engineering involves splicing an area of a chromosome, a gene, that controls a certain characteristic of the body. The enzyme endonuclease is used to split a DNA sequence and split the gene from the rest of the chromosome. For example, this ge ne may be programmed to produce an antiviral protein.This gene is removed and can be placed into another organism. For example, it can be placed into a bacteria, where it is sealed into the DNA chain using ligase. When the chromosome is once again sealed, the bacteria is now effectively re-programmed to replicate this new antiviral protein. The bacteria can continue to live a healthy life, though genetic engineering and human intervention has actively manipulated what the bacteria actually is. No doubt there are advantages and disadvantages, and this whole subject area will become more prominent over time.The next page returns the more natural circumstances of genetic diversity. Genetic Engineering in Humans Science is a fascinating subject with unthinkable power. Man, the greatest creation of God and a scientific marvel, has developed the ability to genetically modify and create ‘near perfect' life. The term genetic engineering was first used in Dragon's Island, a science fic tion novel by Jack Williamson in 1951. With the discovery of ‘Deoxyribonucleic Acid' or mitochondrial DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick, this fictional plot started to turn into a reality.Watson and Crick, with their experiments, could prove that DNA was the genetic material that was transferred generation to generation, with genetic information. This genetic information determined all the characteristics of a living being. The tiny, microscopic DNA contained all the genetic information related to the person, like the color of the eyes, the hair, skin tone, height, weight, IQ, EQ, diseases, disorders, etc. and even be able to determine a smile or the shape of nose. This blueprint of life is the most important ingredient of genetic engineering.Genetic engineering is carried out using five steps, that are: Gene of interest is isolated Transfer vector is inserted into the genes The vector is transferred into the organism that is to be modified The cells of an organism are tra nsformed The last step involves selection of successfully genetically modified organisms (GMO) from those who have failed to be modified. This biotechnology was first applied to produce synthetic human insulin. This technology was gradually used to apply to a number of vaccines and drugs, that would prove to be beneficial to the human race.It was applied to plants to produce genetically modified foods, with higher resistance to infections and high nutritional values. With the advancement in technologies and major breakthroughs in genetic engineering, more and more scientists working for private and government companies are spending time experimenting with the human genes. The completion of the Human Genome Project, in 2006, has given a major opening to medical companies, to carry out experiments and genetic tests using genetic engineering.ADVANTAGES of Human Genetic EngineeringIt could help prevent life-threatening and incurable diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's disease, even HIV/AI DS. There are cases like cardiomyopathy or susceptibility to viruses, that can be overcome with the help of this technology. Better drugs could be produced that are disease or gene specific and attack the specific genetic mutation in an individual, to help over come a disease or disorder. Many people want to live a longer, healthier life or are just afraid of death. Such people with a love of life, can place their bets on it to help them live longer.It is possible to increase the average life span of an individual to 100-150 years. And not just a longer life, but a healthy, long life, free from diseases and disorders. Although this may take a bit longer to achieve, but is does not seem impossible any longer. Women have a craze to look young and maintain their beauty for all eternity. The benefits may make it possible to slow down or reverse certain cellular metabolism, that may be able fulfill this desire to remain ‘forever young' for many dreamers in the near future. You may have heard of designer clothes, designer bags, designer shoes and even a designer nose.But have you heard of designer babies? Yes, designer babies are possible to be produced with its help in humans. Parents can choose the characteristics of their babies, like blond with blue eyes, high IQ, fair skin, etc. It may even be possible to choose the talent in your favorite idol to be manufactured (pun intended! ) in your baby, for example, a singer like Elvis Presley or maybe a great dancer like Michael Jackson. No, I am not joking, this is all possible with a bit of genetic engineering, within the blueprint of life – DNA.One could even try to create super-humans by incorporating specific features of certain animals. For example, one could have super-sharp vision like the hawk or could outrun a cheetah. One could create a ‘Superman' like human who is indestructible. Do you remember ‘Dolly Sheep'? This was a genetically modified, cloned sheep that is now dead for over 6 years. This world-famous sheep was cloned using the cell from the mammary gland of another sheep. Cloning, its another aspect can also be possible. There are many ethical issues of cloning and it is considered illegal by many governments around the world.It is a crime to clone humans now, but may be in our quest to produce the perfect beings, cloning will soon become a part of life. These are a few advantages of genetic engineering in humans. But as every coin has two sides, there are many disadvantages that cannot be overlooked. Disadvantages of Human Genetic Engineering Under the pretext of producing a cure for diseases and hereditary disorders, many researchers carry out experiments on genetically modifying humans. It can prove to be a bane if: In the pursuit of producing babies without any genetic defects or hereditary disorders, we may end up producing super humans.Just as the example I mentioned in the beginning of my article, we may have a line of humans that may spell doom t o those who are not genetically modified. Smarter humans means, larger brains, that may lead to babies with larger heads that have trouble passing through the birth canal of their mothers. This may cause trouble during birth and a rise in cesarean. Long life could lead to population problems. There may be stress on the natural resources and less living space. Although, you may live free of diseases, you may have a fight for survival for securing the basic necessities.Just like in the movie Gattaca, there may be a division between genetically engineered humans and those that are normal (just imagine, begin normal may prove to be curse in the future! ). People will no longer be discriminated on the basis of race, religion or creed, but actually on their genes! Human cloning may create problems of copies of men moving about freely around the world. If your clone turns out to be the one with a criminal streak, you may end up in jail for a crime committed by your clone. It is possible, i f you can't prove your innocence. Imagine someone else taking over your life, family, work, etc!The problem faced by many developing countries today, is female infanticide. It may help stop this cruel and barbaric custom of killing the innocent girl child. You may think this is an advantage, I say otherwise. It may help such narrow-minded, biased parents to actually choose the gender of the child. Therefore, more parents opting for a male child over a girl child. Thus, directly bringing an end to girl child killing as there will be no birth of the girl child! The idea of ‘Superman' may seem tantalizing, but its consequences may be very dangerous.Imagine a person who is virtually indestructible, may carry out crimes and becomes a danger to mankind. I can go on and on regarding the benefits of genetic engineering in humans, like end of hunger, no disease, cure for all ailments, long life, ageless beauty, super intelligent humans, etc. But, one should always give a second thought to all the disadvantages listed. It is often said, man should not attempt to ‘play God'. That's correct, but if God has bestowed us the power to make some beneficial changes to his creations, then we should surely do so wisely.Genetic engineers have turned into modern-day alchemists, who are searching for the ultimate elixir of life, to produce the genetically modified, perfect human. This precious knowledge is being exploited by greedy men, who are using it just to earn more money. Nothing is bad if exploited within limits. When we harness our present, we should keep in mind all the possible effects it will have on our future. We may not be alive to view the beauty and the ugliness of the future, but our beloved children may be facing the consequences.