Genetic Engineering Essays (1905 words) - Medical Ethics

Genetic Engineering Genetic Engineering Future Harmony or Future Harm The world of science has experienced many profound breakthroughs and advances in the twentieth century, but none perhaps as great as that of genetic engineering. However, the twentieth century society is not prepared or even willing at times to accept the moral and ethical controversies genetic engineering is creating. Genetic engineering, defined as ?the use or manipulation of an individuals genetic material in order to produce desired characteristics or results in the same individual, other individuals of the same species, or other species,? is undoubtedly changing society's relationship with nature, medicine, and perhaps its own cultural values (Thro 69). It has been predicted for the year 2020, ?people will have new definitions of health and illness? (Oleksy 108). The completion of genome mapping will allow a health plan for each person, preventing genetic disease and promoting a better life (Oleksy 108). However, genetic engineering, also called gene splicing or gene cloning, is not being welcomed with open arms. It affects the moral values of human beings, as well as other living things. The competing goods in genetic engineering, i.e. creating a stronger, more advanced human race vs. a natural selective process created by God, are virtually impossible to avoid and have placed a temporary hold one the progress of this new technology and society's moral view. Our society must be persuaded that genetic engineering is of great value in order to become an accepted social practice. This is something that society obviously lacks the conviction for thus far, making genetic engineering an object of continued scientific, as well as philosophical study. 1 Throughout history, science has allowed for advances in production, transportation, and even entertainment. Although, never in history has science been able to so deeply affect our lives as genetic engineering is undoubtedly doing and will continue to do in the not so distant future. Genetic engineering can help us create a stronger and more advanced human race by increasing food production, revolutionize new medicines, even enhance human intelligence, physical beauty and strength. Diseases could become weakened and cleaned out of humans' genetic makeup. For example, if one parent had a bad gene or some type of hereditary disease, it could be removed from the embryo and replace with another ?clean? gene. This process is called embryo screening (Oleksy 48). Embryo screening is used to determine if an embryo has received a defective gene. Several embryos could be genetically cloned, the DNA from one of the embryos could then be removed and standard genetic testing would be used to dete ct whether or not that embryo contained the genetic disease. If this cloned embryo contained a disease, then one of the other embryos could be used for implantation in a parent, thus, guaranteeing that the child would be free of genetic disease (Oleksy 49). This process would certainly be beneficial for couples who are infertile and want to have children. Genetic engineering would enable the couple to produce a baby with their characteristics. In fact, they would be able to pick and choose the characteristics of their unborn child. Another benefit of genetic engineering, is the possibility of cloning body organs. This process would prove to be very beneficial to people who have lost a body organ such as a kidney. Scientists could clone a particular organ of an individual. This process could have the potential to work better than a transplanted organ, because the genetic makeup of that individual would be used in the re-creation of the organ. 2 Not only does genetic engineering present the possibilities of saving lives; it can save entire species from extinction. Genetic engineering could be used to increase the population of endangered species of animals, thus saving them from total extinction. This would help maintain a natural balance, and provide a continuous life cycle. Even though there is the belief by some that genetic engineering is overall beneficial, many suggest that genetic engineering is unnatural and not ethically correct. Also, we know too little about this technology to understand the long-term effects of replacing old genes with new ones. Genetic engineering is triggering an ethical emergency within society, and causing this new science to be cast in a dim light. Anti-technologists, political extremists,

lord of the flies play essays

lord of the flies play essays The theatre version of Lord of the Flies based on the novel by William Golding and adapted by Nigel Williams are now being presented in the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith, London. Tickets cost about 7.00. This review is comparing the book and how Nigel Williams adapted it. The theatre version of Lord of the Flies is very good. Interesting and always in the climax. The actors are not little kids and there are not lots of them. There are only 8 actors. Some of the actors take 2 or 3 roles. The adult actors acted like a bunch of kids, which was very effective. The way the stage is set out was terrific, the moves around and about on the stage were really planned out well. The stage is a wrecked plane broken in to 2 parts. Actors used up all the stage. See diagram. For example when it is the mountain scene the fire on top of the shelter is lit up and the movable part is facing towards us with the highest point towards the audience. When simon is running down the mountain the movable parts were facing with the lowest point towards us so that it creates a downhill effect. Piggy was a very good actor. The person who took the role of piggy really sounded like piggy.(cockney accent). Some of Piggys lines were cut out and the way the Piggy died was totally different. Ralph was played by a good actor. The actor was really active, hyper, and was very childlike. He was serious and sometimes fun like in the book. Jack was not what I expected. The entrance of the choir was very good but Jacks voice was just to high pitched and annoying. If Jack were a bit more serious and manly he would have been the perfect actor. Jack sounded too childish. Simon was a very good actor. He was interesting. I taught that the actor had the potential to be like Ralph but because he plays Simon he doesnt talk that much. The ...

Ron Banks - Bullying in School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ron Banks - Bullying in School - Essay Example Banks offers an authoritative claim about the existence of bullying and accompanies it with substantive evidence. His approach to the issue that involves comparison with the Scandinavian nation’s research emphasizes the severity of the case and relates the present and long-term effects of bullying. He asserts his claims in a clear pattern to offer the audience the broad picture about the issues. Therefore, his choice of words, sentence structuring, and data depict an explicit knowledge that corresponds to the writers' questions. A clear presentation and breakdown of the issues give the audience visualization of bullying and the adverse consequences. The writer stamps the approach by offering distinctive data and percentages of the affected parties. First, he provides an elaborate answer that explains the effect of bullying on students overall development. Second, he highlights the social challenges that the bullies encounter in their future lives. The approach is unique and shows the breadth of the research. However, Bank fails to give a detailed coverage of bullies’ consequences. He only provides a brief about their future social life and emphasizes on the effects on victims. The style depicts his impartiality about the issues. Besides, it might represent the writer’s displeasure with the bullies and desire for a prompt action. Overall, Bank achieves his mission of informing the public about bullying in schools. The selective words arranged in short paragraphs and the data gives his presentation significant breadth. Therefore, he covers the concerns of the writers by offering substantive responses. Education is a process. Therefore, I appreciate your efforts and highly anticipate the transition to college. It is in this regards that I take the chance to prepare you for the next level of your college life. College presents opportunities and challenges in equal measure.

Review of Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Review of Literature - Essay Example Research elements were not used in this article. The article concludes that if done in the right way, physical activity, and physical fitness can assist in the reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and thus, improve the health of the United States. The information in the article is very important since it will assist nurses offer the best care possible such as the recommended time for doing exercise. Lauer, M. S. (2012). And what about exercise? Fitness and risk of death in â€Å"low risk† adults. Journal of the American Heart Association, 1, 1-3. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.112.003228 The article speaks of the controversy about the possible risks of being harmed by exercise. Many researchers have attempted to indicate that exercise can harm individuals. However, the author of the article is quick to note that these guidelines are founded on weak evidence. On the other hand, some researchers have shown that exercise below the recommended time had significant impact on the physic al fitness of an individual. Research elements were not used in this article. The article concludes that exercise is important in the reduction of cardiac-related events, and there is need to find better ways of improving public health. The information is important to the nurses in that it will assist them in making the right choice about the care to be given to a patient suffering from cardiac-related complications. The best decision will assist in rapid recovery of the patient. Galan, A. I., Palacios, E., Ruiz, F., Diez, A., Arji, M., Almar, M., Moreno, C., Calvo, J. I., Munoz, M. E., Delgado, M. A., & Jimenez, R. (2006). Exercise, oxidative stress and risk of cardiovascular disease in the elderly: Protective role of antioxidant functional foods. Bio Factors, 27, 167-183. The authors of the article state that exercise is a crucial component in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Exercise is an important element in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases; however, in elder ly people, it can enhance oxidative stress. Oxidative stress and vigorous exercise can cause oxidative injury and antioxidant depletion. It is important that balance between beneficial and harmful effects of physical activity to be achieved, particularly, in elderly people. The design of the study was a long-term intervention study, and was conducted as a controlled and randomized investigation based on the practice of nutritional antioxidant treatment and regular exercise. A group of 320 aged individuals was chosen (86 men and 234 women aged between 58 and 86 years old). The results of the research showed that moderate and regular exercise enhances cardiorespiratory function and decreases cardiovascular disease in elderly individuals. This information is important since it will help nurses in caring elderly individuals suffering from the condition and those not suffering from the condition. Li, J., & Siergrist, J. (2012). Physical activity and risk of cardiovascular disease  œ A meta-analysis of perspective cohort studies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 9, 391-407. doi: 10.3390/ijerph9020391 The article did a comprehensive analysis of the association between physical activity and cardiovascular disease. From the analysis, it was evident that leisure time and occupational physical activity

The Palace of King Minos Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Palace of King Minos - Essay Example An Antiquarian and Numismatist, Sir Evans contracted my assistance on the project toward historiographic documentation of his work, and that of Duncan MacKenzie whom will provide oversight on the forthcoming archaeological excavation. Inspired by the work of one of my colleagues, Heinrich Schliemann and his discovery of the royal tomb at Mycenae in 1876, Sir Evans has made numerous trips to Crete and the site at Knossos since the first encounter in 1894. In the Ancient Minoan period, the great palace is not only a royal residence but also the center of administration for the broader agrarian and maritime economies of the island. The site of exchange for governance of Cretan society, and locus of power in communiqu with other seafaring cultures of antiquity, the Palace of King Minos was to become my greatest resource for inquiry into to ancient civilization. While I had spent time following others like Schliemann around the Mediterranean in writing about the development of Bronze Age cultures, nowhere was I enlightened to the human spirit and its potential for inculcating both equity and whimsy into a praxis of leadership. Unlike the hierarchies of the Ancient Egypt Egyptian Kingdoms of the same period, Crete main tained a separate culture that could very well be the precursor to democratic monarchies of the modern period. Six Months later . . .How does a historian go about constructing an adequate chronological framework for such a site as we are uncovering We have been toiling at our work endlessly as Mr. MacKenzie and his crew of local workers dig, dust and classify the bronze statuary from both Crete, and the surrounding Mediterranean, the vast amount of clay pottery, and even shards of ivory and other foreign materials from as far away as East Africa that are so indicative of the world of abundant trade that the Minoans engaged. The robustness of their culture and especially successful economic trade with other civilizations, attests to the high standard of living that the culture enjoyed well beyond what might have been expected in Europe even one hundred years ago. We have decided upon a Chronology for the Minoan Bronze Age which is now determined to be three periods: Early, Middle and Late Minoan (em, mm, lm). Subdivision of the periods has been classified according to noticeable shifts in pott ery styles. Late Minoan pottery: (a) conical rhyton, h. 325 mm, from Gournia, Room C58, lm ib; (b) ovoid rhyton, Marine style, h. c. 240 mm, from Palaikastro, lm ib; (c) bridge-spouted jar, Special Palatial tradition, Floral style, h. 165 mm, from Knossos, lm ib; (d) 'Ephyraean' goblet, h. 150 mm, from the Temple Tomb, Knossos, lm ii; (e) jar, Palace style, h. 850 mm, from Knossos, lm ii-iiia:1 (all Herakleion, Archaeological Museum); (f) stirrup jar, Close style, h. 105 mm, from a tomb at Tourloti, lm iiic (Philadelphia, PA, University of Pennsylvania, University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology).iMuch effort has gone into geographic analysis of the site, and interpretation of planning that is an obvious precursor to Roman topographic renderings available to us today. The Palace at Knossos is to our best estimation 1300 BC. The

Media As Force Multiplier

Media As Force Multiplier Today media needs to be used in a more pro-active manner to shape the operational scheme of a commander. This can be done by more integration and engagement of the media, public relations officer and the men in uniform into two way communication looking after each others needs at the same time. One very important aspect is the education of the staff and subordinate commanders at operational level to realise the need and advantage of engaging media towards military operations. The fourth estate in this informational age gives commanders with vast opportunities to leverage towards own operations which should be exploited to the maximum. The media can be used as potent force multiplier in achieving the objective by boosting the morale of our own forces and people, as an agent of deception for the military, gathering valuable intelligence and enhancing better build up of situational awareness, sustained psychological operation and finally communicating the objective and end state to the international community. Maximizing the use of fourth estate Maximising and moulding the perception of the masses and adversary by the use of fourth estate and how the commander leverage the media to effectively achieve operational objective to his own advantage is what the commander should explore which obviously is the need of the hour. Before employing the media, a brief review of the nature of the media would be required to better understand its potential. Media covering any military operation ranges from novice in the field to the seasoned veteran. Thus employment of media by the commander should be in a judicious manner like not allowing the media to wander in the battlefield at free will due to the wide spectrum of their work experience. At operational level coverage of media can be divided into three main principles namely mobility, capability and responsibility. Mobility is considered as the center of gravity of the media which is reporting from the scene while safety is the medias critical vulnerability. This is evident from journalist getting stuck during operations not able to move due to lack of mobility. The units which are more mobile or the ones with freedom of mobility cover the operation in a much more realistic manner. Regarding the safety many a journalists have landed themselves in dangerous situa tions and few lost their lives while covering news from the crisis zone. With regards to capability, media is often ahead of military on information age battlefield being armed with sophisticated satellite communication technology. This mobility and capability have complicated the operational commanders challenge to be more proactive in winning or at least not loosing to the media coverage. Understanding the medias concerns, capabilities, strengths and weaknesses will help operational commanders in utilizing media towards the operational design and conduct of operations. Use of media by the commanders is enumerated below:- (i) Media as a platform. Media offers a platform for the operational commanders to transmit his operational objectives and goals. In many a cases during the operation when a commander is interviewed he communicates to general masses by giving his objective without divulging any intricacies which could jeopardise the operation. This way the people are aware as to what is happening and further their support towards the operation. This also keeps rest of the forces informed and they understand the goal. (ii) PSYOPS potential. The use of medias PSYOPS potential by the operational commander towards own advantage. Propaganda might get victory before the first shot is fired by merely demoralizing the adversary and breaking the will to fight. Using commercial broadcast would provide a heightened level of credibility with the enemy because its third party stature provides some assurance of truth, over military broadcast. Using commercial television for PSYOPS would have to be covertly subtle, done on a sublime level, and would require special authorization. The military might and capability can be projected to the adversary and people to play with their minds. Destructive images of the adversary, pumping in of more forces to the theatre and special training of our troops to take on the enemy will affect the way the operation will be conducted by the enemy. In short, to maximize the potential of PSYOPS the operational commander must consider the media as a primary means of influencing an o pponents actions. (iii) Media as a deception tool. The operational commander must consider using the media as part of the overall deception plan. Media can be utilized to inject information regarding a plan or designs however act on some other plan thus keep the adversary guessing on the course of action and delay his moves. (iv) Media for intelligence gathering. An area rich with possibilities for operational commander is harnessing the potential of media in gathering intelligence. Valuable intelligence like background information on people, terrain and facilities in a particular region can be provided by the reporters. Military may assign agencies/reporters to a particular geographic region to gain intimate knowledge of the social fabric and the culture. Military leaders need to exploit this intelligence asset when planning or entering a new theatre. Tapping into the media is an excellent open-source for gathering information about the adversary though it might be time consuming and challenging. Radical expansion and modernization of open-source exploitation is an important reform for the intelligence community these days. Commanders should develop innovative ways to penetrate and analyse the most difficult targets, the objective should be to strengthen analytic expertise, methods and practice. Exploit ing open-source information must be the priority and is one way operational commanders and intelligence staff can aide in this challenge. Day in and day out, there are new revelations about Muslim terrorist sleeper cells in India. Most of the suspects arrested and/or tried have links to Pakistan. Islamist extremism in India needs to be explored by recognised experts. Military forces are subjected to this extremism in day to day operations which needs to be addressed. Military has to look into the modus operandi, funding, support (state and non-state), recruiting pattern in terms of location, general populace, mode, means, etc to understand the enemy to maximize its operations. The internet, where a virtual caliphate has been created in cyberspace, is used to proselytize, recruit, radicalize, fund raise and plot act of terrorism. Military should be proactive in tapping the internet in conjunction with the state and friendly nation intelligence network to draw out inferences and intelligence to further their operations. Knowledge building and knowledge sharing should be the priority in this information age. Operational secrecy and media. Some secrecy is essential to both national security and democracy but excessive secrecy undermines accountability and decision-making, and sometimes national security itself. Disclosure decision in a democracy thus must balance the importance of public knowledge and deliberation against the risk of exposing and undermining desirable actions or damaging national security. But neither the military nor the press can be trusted to strike the balance, for both have asymmetric incentives. The military risks public criticism when it announces an audacious plan but risks little when it is secretive. Likewise, journalists have much to gain from publishing classified secret and little to loose. They almost fully internalize the benefits of publication, but may discount or inaccurately assess national security harms. A free press is essential to inform the public, but critic urge that reporters are less accountable than the military they seek to check. The press w ields vast power to undercut desirable classified information and to communicate the nations capabilities and vulnerabilities to the enemy. The military needs to look into unauthorized possession and disclosure of documents or information relating to the national defence by the press which could harm future operations. Operational security is paramount in any campaign be it a full scale war or handling internal crisis situation. Commanders at all times establish rapport with reporters so they develop trust in him and accept his explanation of events. General Schwartzkorf established four rules to engage the press, they are, dont let them intimidate you, there is no law that says you have to answer all their questions, dont answer any question that in your judgement would help the enemy and finally dont ever lie to the people of the nation you are fighting for. These rules apply and holds good to any commander. Press brief of any commander is transmitted via satellite to world wide audience which includes the adversary as well. Clear message can be sent across to the public and the adversary government and its military leaders. Information overload by the media. The rapid advancement in technology and the medias ability to report real time as they occur, military can no longer realistically hope to maintain operational security by denying information to the media. In the present context, to reduce the enemys military effectiveness is information overload. This entails providing the enemy more information than his ability to assimilate in any given point of time. A new military media construct, synergistic relationship with cooperation at all levels will ensure information overload and will force the enemy to focus on many diverse scenarios, making it impossible to discern valid intelligence data. These days media not only gathers information on preparation for the theatre of operation but have gone a step ahead by broadcasting possible strategies and tactics debated by military strategists. International community, general public and fighting forces will monitor these telecasts and contemplate scenarios an d reviews presented on global cable network and may be compelled to commit their scarce military resources to counter possible attacks. Thus the adversarys forces may be diluted and their overall military effectiveness reduced. The media has invariably become an indisputable ally in this process. Media for neutralizing propaganda. Media can be used to expose the untrue stories and the evil design of the adversary and thus making the propaganda machines of the parties involved ineffective. Media can aggressively hunt for the truth and fed with intelligence by various agencies to publish/broadcast the same thereby neutralizing the force multiplication effect of the propaganda by the adversary. Social dimensions Public and military morale. Public support, national morale and soldiers will are powerful force multiplier for a commander to have victory. Opinion creates a state of mind, which is what precisely what constitutes the will and in other words is known as morale. Many difficulties are overcome with a high state of morale. If the people in general are not supportive of the cause of the war or operations other than war and adopt a couldnt care less attitude towards it, the same attitude gets passed on to the soldiers which is detrimental to the cause. Commanders should use media to project a true and correct image to the public and once this is done, no matter what the odds are, a willing public support and response multiplies the chances of victory. The soldiers morale needs be boosted by the media as well and should peak just before the impending attacks sustaining it through the operations. Media serves as a forward as well as a backward link for the soldier with the people back home . Any wrong news or rumours traveling either way will affect the morale of the people as well as the troops which should be monitored by the commanders and negated by responsible journalism. Reaching the public. Today the commander should know the fact that the thrust which comes from the people of the nation when any operation takes place is due to the instant relay of situation to the masses by the media. The military thus have an advantage in reaching to the people as fast as possible to generate and harness the support. Military being known for a respected institution and profession in the country, the image maintenance if not enhancing should be the prime concern of the commanders. During any conventional war or operation other than war, the credibility of military action is seldom questioned due to the trust, confidence and respect which the military enjoys. Commanders need to be proactive in engaging the press rather than being reactive and thus loosing the opportunity to use the media rather than being used by the media. Accurate and correct reporting. Inaccurate reporting and depiction of the operations will have a negative and devastating effect on the conduct of operation there on in terms of likely changed perception of our own people and international opinion. This in turn will effect the decision making cycle from tactical to strategic level. Apart from the people of the nation and high level decision makers, one very important factor which comes into picture is that of our own troops, who are exposed to the same news, be it at the air bases, ships, harbours, communication chains, rear areas, etc will have an impact on the psychi. This again is going to have a telling effect on the way the troops are going to fight subsequently. Commanders should to be concerned of the said fact in this information age to keep the morale of the troops high. In fact the operations where our forces have given a valiant fight should be projected to each and every possible people by the fastest means. Our soldiers are the best and to maintain the image of this potent force especially in this fast pace materialistic world, Commanders must take every opportunity to showcase our outstanding airmen, soldiers and sailors. Image building when our armed forces are engaged in aid to civil power. Disgruntled armed forces personnel, rejected equipment suppliers or contractors, families and others seek justice through media and court. More worrying are court cases, some of which have been widely reported and sensationalised. These incidents are in an increasing trend and common to all the three services. Such adverse publicity has a bearing on the discipline and morale and cannot be simply ignored. Military commanders need to engage with the media and rationalise the news and not let the media to sensationalise the issue. The problem arises because of human rights violation, real, exaggerated or sometimes fabricated. These must be investigated and the findings made known to the public. Human rights commissions, NGO organisations and media can help redress the balance. These instrumentalities, therefore, need to be cultivated, not shunned. The commanders need to pay more attention to these issues and negate any adverse publicity which might bring down the morale of the troops and operation as such.

Affirmative Action In Seattle :: essays research papers

Affirmative Action in Seattle Present efforts to repeal affirmative action are based on several general misconceptions. One is that our society, having reached a point of true equality, no longer needs programs that help government recruit and hire qualified women, people of color, and persons with disabilities. Unfortunately, there is abundant evidence -- from Census Bureau data and academic studies, to news accounts and everyday experiences -- that we still have a long way to go to achieve equality of opportunity for all social groups. Another misconception is that affirmative action is based on quotas, and that, as a result, the government is hiring unqualified candidates. This view fundamentally misrepresents the reality of affirmative action in the City of Seattle. The City's affirmative action program does not establish numerical quotas for hiring decisions, nor does it result in the hiring of unqualified candidates on the basis of gender or race. What the City of Seattle's affirmative action program does is very simple: first, it gives City managers and personnel officers a snapshot of the labor market, so that they are aware of the availability rates for different groups for a given job classification. Through these availability rates, the City can determine whether or not women, people of color, or persons with disabilities are underrepresented in a given job classification within the work force; second, the City's affirmative action program encourages managers and personnel officers to make special outreach efforts into groups and communities that are underrepresented in our work force, in order to increase the number of qualified candidates in the potential hiring pool; Third, the City's affirmative action program directs that when there are two fully qualified candidates for a given position, preference should be given to the candidate that will make our work force more reflective of the labor pool and the broader community. Still another misconception is that affirmative action fosters "reverse discrimination" by giving minority candidates an unfair advantage over white candidates. However, a recent statewide study of affirmative action practices concluded that "whites are the primary beneficiaries of affirmative action programs affecting hiring -- this includes large numbers of white men as well as white women." It is also important to note that once the work force of a certain job classification within a particular City department reaches the point where it reflects the diversity of the available labor pool, affirmative action efforts are terminated for those job classifications. Affirmative action is only utilized for job classifications where women, people of color, and persons with disabilities are underrepresented within the work force. This overall approach has served Seattle well. It has provided a