The Human Genome Project Essay -- Genetics Science Technology Papers

The Human Genome Project Almost every aspect that makes a person unique is due to genetic factors, from the color of an individual's eyes to the functions of white blood cells. The one thing that makes an individual's unique characteristics the hardest to understand is the fact that it is all composed of four bases in different patterns. These patterns of adenine, thiamine, guanine and cytosine are the only things that differ one human from the next. This genetic code is contained in every cell that is found in the human body. Gregor Mendel first discovered the foundations of inheritance in the nineteenth century. His discovery was the basis that has now made it possible for humans to learn more about the genetic code. Mendel's discovery has now turned in to a multi-billion dollar project. This project is known as the Human Genome Project (HGP). Brief History The HGP began as a joint effort between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Department of Energy's initial reason for entering the project was to was to gain a better understanding of the potential health risks that were involved in energy use and the production of energy, especially the risks involved with radiation. Two years after the DOE proposed the idea of sequencing the entire human genome the NIH joined in the effort. The foundations of the project were laid and two years later, in 1990, the project was begun. The project was originally laid out to be a fifteen-year program that would have a budget estimated at three billion dollars (1). The DOE and the NIH established five major goals for the HGP. The first goal is to identify all of the genes in human DNA. This goal is phenomenal when it is co... ...GR Announce Formation of New Genomics Company." Obtained from the WWW: http://www.tigr.org/new/press_release_may98.html 6) Website #6: Human Genome Project Information. "Facts About Genome Sequencing." Obtained from the WWW: http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/faq/seqfacts.html 7) Website #7: "Tools of the Trade." Obtained from the WWW: http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/publicat/tko/05_tools.html 8) Website #8: "Exploring the Genomic Landscape." Obtained from the WWW: http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/publicat/tko/04_exploring.html 9) Website #9: DOE Human Genome Program Report. "Capillary Array Electrophoresis." Obtained from the WWW: http://www.ornl.gov/TechResources/Human_Genome/publicat/97pr/04g_sequ.html 10) Karanjawala, Zarir E. "Genetics in the Context of Medical Practice." The Journal of the American Medical Association. Nov. 4 1998, v280n17, p1533. Student Essay List

Psle in Singapore Debate Essay

In this commentary, I chose my artefact as a newspaper article on PSLE stress because of many reasons. 1) I had always harbored a strong interest on what everyone is saying about this hot topic and it seemed very interesting, stating just one problem that Singapore currently face. 2) Other than that, it is a topic that is easy to research, unlike some historic things which are little-mentioned (e.g. the banana note, the merdeka talks,etc) 3) Last but not least,it is a topic that is widely discussed on and more sources can be found My view on the issue of PSLE Singaporeans have long since been debating whether to remove PSLE. I personally do not think that PSLE should be removed. On the issue of abolishing PSLE, my concern is if we do not have the PSLE, when it comes to the entrance to secondary schools, how do you decide who goes to which school? I sometimes wish we were a bit like Hogwarts in Harry Potter, where you have the sorting hat that decides which house you go to. But in reality, we do not have a sorting hat and how do we decide who goes to which school? If you did not do it according to grades and scores, how would you do it? Another way would be to do it geographically, where you go into the secondary school nearest to your home, but if you did that, everybody will be fighting to be in the primary school near the secondary school you want to be in. PSLE assess how much you have learnt over the six years in primary school and then allocates you to a secondary school according to your abilities and/or choice. If you remove it, you might as well say to remove all exams. On abolishing PSLE, let’s presume we do away with it, then how do we decide who goes to which school? If which school you are going is decided on ‘does the Principal know your father or your mother?’ then it’s not a very meritocratic system nor is it acceptable. It is totally, I think, against Singapore’s system. If it is to be decided by the distance and you live very near a very good school, can you imagine the pressure to enter a primary school that is near the secondary school you want to go to. If a sudent had done very badly, but he or she stays very near a good secondary school, he would get in, but a person who did better and stays lets say 10km away would not be able to enter if according to that policy. Imagine how disapp ointed he or she will feel. One question, is that fair? No doubt many people would say it is not.There is a whole range of scenarios that will come up if Singapore removes PSLE as the sorting exam. The question is how will Singapore deal with it? The real angst about PSLE is the pressure, and the real reason why you have the pressure is that parents perceive that certain schools will give the advantage of getting into university. So, the answer would maybe be to try to make sure that across the board, every school is a good school and that society should change their mindset that a child needs to get into a good school in order to get into university ( which acoording to a survey, is a goalfor many paents. One of the goals of the Singapore government would be ( I think)to make sure that no matter which school students go to, you have a chance to get into a university and even if you do not get into a university, the other options are also pathways to success. I hope that under this system, each person can be the best he or she can be, whether or not that person has a university degree. Why is PSLE bad? 1)Poor education system However, just because I do not think PSLE should be removed doesn’t mean that I totally think it should remain the same. I think, PSLE should not have such a big effect on what type of school a secondary student goes to. In PSLE, the focus tends to be on the aggregate score, which reports each student’s overall performance in comparison with the entire cohort. It’s called a T-score, or transformed score. It’s derived through a certain computation and basically provides a ranking of the entire cohort.* The T-score itself doesn’t actually tell the student how well he has performed in each subject or across all the subjects. In affect, it is a queue number. Thus, I think, to put the stress off the students’ shoulder a little. PSLE should form only about 35% of the final grades. This system also has its benefits as the students will not be so focused on the final examination. They might slack for five years and only start to really work when they are in primary 6. I have the same opinion on all the other major exams too. Also, more weight should be placed on continual assessments, conducted on every semester. Everything is more manageable when it is broken into small parts. This will reduce stress amongst students, and allow individual topics to get the attention deserved. Right now, PSLE encourages parents and students to â€Å"spot† possible exam questions, and prepare for those to the exclusion of all else. If every year’s mark have a large part in the final grade, the students will be more encouraged to work hard and it will be more competitive, resulting in better and smarter young Singaporeans, allowing the country to prosper more. This can happen if we followed the education system that I mentioned other than using other means like, tuition, etc†¦ 2)Encourages poor methods of studying Also, PSLE studying and actual learning have had a bad divorce. The methods common to passing PSLE are: †¢ Ask how, not why. †¢ Don’t experiment or try to be original. Follow what’s worked before, and just copy. †¢ Learn only exam topics. Treat everything else as unimportant. †¢ Memorize model answers, as if they’re cheat codes for a video game. Teachers who try to stray from the path are hammered down. There’s no room for exploration, discourse, or general knowledge. It’s not that students are unaware of this. They know these are bad teaching methods. But the importance of PSLE results overshadows their awareness. When an exam threatens to determine most of a child’s future, fear drives the curriculum (this has happened to me before) On the topic of tuition Ideally, the aim of the education system is that you should be able to pass your exams without tuition. That said, many parents still think that it is necessary for children to have tuition in order for them to do better; not in all the schools but certainly in a percentage of them. My view is that it should not be the case that because you cannot afford tuition you should not be able to pass your exam, which is why MOE has introduced the Learning Support Programmes in schools, mentioned by Minister of education minister Heng at the last Committee Of Supply Debate. The schools are putting a lot more resources to help students who have difficulty with subjects to help them level up. People generally think that Singapore has a good education system and that we are not deprived of a good education. But I do get the sense that many people think that the learning field is not level. The running track (describing the field in which where Singaporeans learn) is the same for everybody. It is just that those from the less affluent backgrounds are coming on with the plain sneakers and the one from the better affluent ones are coming with the branded sneakers which give you more comfort and support. The idea is that, if the playing field is not equal because there are some students who come from families with better resources, then for those students who do not come from families with better resources, at least you help them to level up so that they get a chance to do well. How can Singaporeans adopt a less stressful approach to the PSLE? I like to make a distinction between status and stature. Status is about our relative importance or merit in comparison to other people, who might or might not be better than yourself; assessment sometimes will tell us about academic status. In contrast, stature is inherent, not comparative. It’s about doing the best that you can, and recognising your intrinsic potential. Assessment should also help us develop our stature, and not our status. I know from my own experience how a drop of status badly affects my confidence. I hope this for every teacher and parent: To think and work hard about raising the stature of your children, and not just try to raise their status. Conclusion My conclusion for this is that the PSLE should not be scrapped but should be changed to a better and less stressful exam. So, the format should be changed to one more like the O levels. In the O levels, how well you do within a grade does not matter, just as long you get that particular grade. Once you score an A1, you will not be disadvantaged when compared to a student who has scored A1 with a higher score. I think this should be the model system for the PSLE. Thus , I end my commentary and hope (emphasis) you have enjoyed reading it.

Coco Chanel’s Influence on the Apparel Industry Essay

Coco Chanel’s influence in the fashion industry began over a century ago during the 1920’s. Chanel embraced the essence of the â€Å"Roaring Twenties† which was all about becoming â€Å"someone† and separating yourself from the old and beginning a new life. Chanel focused on the newly found needs and desires of women and designed her fashion around what women had wanted. Not only did Coco Chanel pave the way for modern fashion, she also created innovative ideas using fabrics that were traditionally used for menswear. These fabrics were incredibly durable which allowed Chanel to construct new designs with less fabric than what would have been traditionally used. One of the major fabrics that Chanel included in her lines again and again was wool jersey. This fabric is comfortable and easy fitting, but at that time, had not been considered suitable for fashionable clothing. This was an incredible influence that Chanel had in the fashion industry because she s howed the world that wool jersey’s can be used in fashionable clothing. Coco Chanel also had created a modern spin on embroidery for women’s clothing. Instead of using more fabric, such as lace, Chanel decided to decorate the clothing using beading and embroidery. Coco Chanel also frequently accessorized her clothing with multiple strands of pearls, quilted handbags, sling-back ivory pumps with black toes and of course, her combination of jewels with sportswear. All of these accessories are still used to accentuate Chanel’s clothing present day and have also set Coco Chanel’s clothing apart from the rest from the very start. Chanel also changed the way women’s clothing looked on women. Prior to the innovation of Coco Chanel, a women’s body was split into two halves—upper and lower. Chanel modified this and found continuity and symmetry throughout the entire torso. Chanel is also known for â€Å"letting go of the waistline† and created the style which we currently see in fashion. This in itself shows how Coco Chanel has changed the fashion industry forever. Chanel created the â€Å"flapper look†, which we all think of when we think of the Roaring Twenties. The â€Å"flapper look† was defined by its masculine influence, which incredibly popular throughout the 1920’s. Coco Chanel became an icon in the 1920’s, and every woman wanted to be just like her. Coco Chanel became very slender and long, which caused all of her clients to lose weight. This is how the â€Å"boyish frame† of women’s bodies became popular in the 1920’s. Coco Chanel also cut off all of her long hair to create a classic bob. This caused Coco Chanel to look even more boyish. All of her clients soon adopted the hairstyle themselves, which caused Chanel to also have been responsible for the popularity of the bobbed haircut of the 1920’s. Because Chanel paved the way in the physical appearance of women throughout the Roaring Twenties, Coco Chanel designed her dresses to be fitted for slimness and length, included with a dropped waistline. Chanel’s biggest influence in the fashion industry is how she drastically changed the length of skirts worn by women in the early 1920’s. Shortly after the introduction of shorter skirts, Chanel developed the ever so popular â€Å"little black dress†. This became an essential garment for every woman to own, in the past, and present day. The development and introduction of the little black dress into society had the most powerful impact than any other garment ever introduced. This gave women a go-to outfit for all times, whether it was for work, a dinner, or a more casual look. The Chanel style hasn’t changed since the designer began designing clothing. Currently, the Chanel style still holds the traditional and classic â€Å"French chic† with a menswear feel through texture and fabric. The innovative ideas of the late Coco Chanel has paved the way not only through modern fashion, but has also created what we now consider a â€Å"classic† look. This can be seen as true because the Chanel look is the perfect go-to and will never go out of style. The classic Chanel style has been in style for over 100 years, which shows how influential the designer was. Chanel’s style are still relevant today with women all over the world purchasing the â€Å"little black dress† and tweed suits, which Chanel made famous. Chanel impacted the apparel industry in the most powerful way  possible—she defined the classic look, which will never go out of style. This shows how Coco Chanel has not only influenced the world of fashion, but that she is one of the most influential people in the fashion industry. It has been well over a century since her introduction in the fashion industry, and her name still lives on—stronger than ever.

Free Essays on The Odd Couple (female Version)

â€Å"The Odd Couple† (the Female Version) Marvin Neil Simon was born in the Bronx on July 4, 1927, and grew up near Manhattan. He attended New York University briefly (1944-45) and the University of Denver (1945-46) before joining the United States Army. Once in the Army, Simon began his writing career working for the Army camp newspaper. He later took a job in New York as a mailroom clerk for Warner Brother's East Coast office. Here he and his brother Danny began writing comedy revues and eventually found their way into radio and television where they worked with â€Å"stars† like Woody Allen, Mel Brooks and Larry Gelbart. They began writing for The Phil Silvers Show and Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows. Simon received several Emmy Award nominations for his television writing and then decided to move on to the stage where he quickly established himself as America's most successful commercial playwright. He created a string of Broadway hits beginning with Come Blow Your Horn, Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple , Sweet Charity and The Star Spangled Girl. During the 1970-71 season, Broadway theatergoers had their choice of Plaza Suite, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, and Promises, Promises. Still, praise came slowly for Simon. Even having more smash hits than any other American playwright, critics continued to take pleasure in labeling him as a "writer of gags." In 1973, following the death of his wife, Simon reached a low point in his career with two failures The Good Doctor (1973) and God's Favorite (1976). A move to California, however, reinvigorated him and he produced a much more successful play later that year in California Suite. After marrying actress Marsha Mason, Simon went on to write Chapter Two (1977) which was considered by many to be his finest play at that point. His fourth musical, They're Playing Our Song, proved fairly successful in 1979, but his next three plays were all unsuccessful at the box office. Then, in ... Free Essays on The Odd Couple (female Version) Free Essays on The Odd Couple (female Version) â€Å"The Odd Couple† (the Female Version) Marvin Neil Simon was born in the Bronx on July 4, 1927, and grew up near Manhattan. He attended New York University briefly (1944-45) and the University of Denver (1945-46) before joining the United States Army. Once in the Army, Simon began his writing career working for the Army camp newspaper. He later took a job in New York as a mailroom clerk for Warner Brother's East Coast office. Here he and his brother Danny began writing comedy revues and eventually found their way into radio and television where they worked with â€Å"stars† like Woody Allen, Mel Brooks and Larry Gelbart. They began writing for The Phil Silvers Show and Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows. Simon received several Emmy Award nominations for his television writing and then decided to move on to the stage where he quickly established himself as America's most successful commercial playwright. He created a string of Broadway hits beginning with Come Blow Your Horn, Barefoot in the Park, The Odd Couple , Sweet Charity and The Star Spangled Girl. During the 1970-71 season, Broadway theatergoers had their choice of Plaza Suite, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, and Promises, Promises. Still, praise came slowly for Simon. Even having more smash hits than any other American playwright, critics continued to take pleasure in labeling him as a "writer of gags." In 1973, following the death of his wife, Simon reached a low point in his career with two failures The Good Doctor (1973) and God's Favorite (1976). A move to California, however, reinvigorated him and he produced a much more successful play later that year in California Suite. After marrying actress Marsha Mason, Simon went on to write Chapter Two (1977) which was considered by many to be his finest play at that point. His fourth musical, They're Playing Our Song, proved fairly successful in 1979, but his next three plays were all unsuccessful at the box office. Then, in ...

The Flowers by Alice Walker Essays

The Flowers by Alice Walker Essays The Flowers by Alice Walker Paper The Flowers by Alice Walker Paper Essay Topic: Literature Growing up happens. It is almost inevitable to go through life and still look at the world through childish eyes. Our planet is composed of microscopic cells and atoms that are always in movement and in constant change. We, as humans, are also susceptible to this flow of energy. So we must mature and leave our ignorance behind. In Alice Walkers The Flowers, the author uses Myop, a ten year old African American girl, to illustrate this shift from childhood into adulthood. Myop begins her journey into maturity by something as simple as exploring the woods behind her house. She was a worry-free little girl, who was just enjoying a beautiful day of summer by picking up some flowers. This day becomes different from all the other times Myop and her mother had gathered nuts when she decides to make her own path (Walker, 4). To the reader, this is a clear sign that she is by her herself and is starting to make her own decisions, which is the first step to growing up. Standing up for oneself and following our own ideals are not necessarily rebellious actions, however. Myop does not try to prove a statement or disobey rules, but she does what seems right to her, which is creating a new path. Even though Myop had often been as far away from home before (Walker, 5), she had never been to this particular place. Naturally, her adventure into this new land stands for Myops first contact with adulthood and her transition from innocence into truth. She dislikes it and even attempts to return to the peacefulness of the morning (Walker, 6), but its a bit too late. Myop is not able to go back to the lost beautiful day, but is instead stopped by something unexpected. Changes and opportunities to develop our understanding levels do not present themselves with some sort of announcement. Consequently, Myops life changes when her heel becomes stuck in a broken ridge (Walker, 6). The action of Myop reaching down and liberating her foot can be representative of her dealing with the circumstance (in this case adulthood) and facing the consequences. The author also uses strong imagery to demonstrate why what looks as something as simple as stepping on something eventually changes Myops outlook on life. The most important piece of information is given when Myop realizes that the dead body she had stepped on, this African American male, had not died of natural causes, but had been hung from a tree instead. She discovers the noose and the other piece of rope hanging from the oak because she is first attracted to whats familiar and beautiful: the pink rose. As she tries to pick it up to add it to her collection, her eyes are opened and her innocence flees in an instant. She understands what had truly happened and the severity of the occasion. It no longer feels right to her to go around skipping and picking up flowers. She [lays] down her flowers (Walker, 8), symbolizing the loss of purity and fairy-tale reality. She lays down everything she knew and she finally acknowledges truth. Life is mysterious and the most decisive events happen very unexpectedly. It does not wait for perfect timing and it does not discriminate because of age or gender. We are constantly thrown into unknown directions and forced to react. The day that Myop took that walk through the forest her mind was opened to a new reality that had been foreign to her. She was obligated to lose her sweet ignorance, and the things that seemed fulfilling before lost their beauty.

Republic of Irelands economy over the past three years Essay

Republic of Irelands economy over the past three years - Essay Example However, this economic boom started slowing down in 2001, two years later it resumed and then in 2006 it slowed down again. Efforts in this essay will be directed towards the post 'Celtic tiger' years. (O'Kane, 2007) Between the years 2005 and 2006, the government was successful in maintaining economic growth. However, after 2006 to 2008, there was a reduction in the economy and there are numerous factors that caused these increase and reduction. Between 2005 and 2006, the economy hade resurgence because the government dealt with some of the problems the country had encountered before and this was aided by some external factors. At that time, (2005-2006), the rate of economic growth in Ireland was over four percent while other countries such as France, Germany and Italy in the European Union had economic growth rates of between one percent and three percent. Ireland had been struggling with Foot and Mouth Disease at a certain point but this was dealt with accordingly and by 2005 and 2006, the problem had been eradicated thus boosting sales in the primary sector. (Clinch et al, 2008) Another factor that contributed to this economic growth in the first year under analysis could be because of increases in property values. Consequently, there was greater employment in the construction sector. But other external factors also contributed to the high economic growth rate. ... It also produces Apple, IBM, and HP makes. Therefore technology is a crucial factor in Ireland's economy. Ireland was a strong economic partner to the United States; therefore any factors affecting its partnmers were likely to trickle down to the country. Four years ago, the US had experienced the September eleven attacks, but by 2005, this had reversed and led to US' economic recovery. The government also encouraged further investments in industry, science and technology between 2005 and 2006. This was seen by the numerous international firms that have set up branches in Ireland. One such company is Google; others are Intel, Abbott Laboratories and Bell Labs. In line with these developments, the Ireland government decide to establish a body known as Science Foundation Ireland which was formed to assist science bodies in the Republic. The government had created an SSIA savings scheme and funds had matured. Consumers had been cushioned in their expenditure and this boosted growth in the retail sector. (CIA, 2006) But in the years 2006 and 2008, there has been resurgence in economic growth. This could be as a result of a recession in property values. Because of availability of labour and growing demand for homes after the Celtic Tiger years, the Republic started building homes aggressively. By 2006, homes had reached 90, 000 which is almost half of what the UK has yet the ratio of populations between the UK and Ireland is 15:1. This means that by 2007 and 2008, there were excess homes compared to the demand. Rent declined and there was less income coming from that sector. Another factor that led to this decrease in economic growth was the expansion of the European Union. During 2007, Romania and Bulgaria entered

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Strategy - Essay Example t size, market growth rate, market share as well as market segmentation, clearly, all these are the strength that are enjoyed more by Merck company as compared to the competitor. The company needs to reexamine the top-down aspect in relation to bottom up perspectives as it operation strategy. The decisions that are made by the organization from the top are very important for the company (Hynes, Michael, 23). In order to be able to set general direction for the company, and ultimately influence the overall strategy of the company, then there is a need to interpret clearly the functional areas of the company, including operations, finances as well as marketing. Another very critical area that needs to be explored by the Merck Company is to balance the market requirement and the operations resources. The strategy that has been adopted by Merck needs to examine and reflect on what the company is actually doing in relation to what the market requires. From the analysis, the company is much focused on cost than any other