Genetically Modified Organism Essay Example

Genetically Modified Organism Essay Example Genetically Modified Organism Paper Genetically Modified Organism Paper Essay Topic: Call of the Wild Genetically Modified Organisms Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are taking the aspects of genes that people like the most and infusing them into another gene. These GMOs are used to make plants live through pesticides and herbicides, drought, and Just about anything else that gets thrown at them. The problem with doing this is it not only makes the plants resistant to the chemicals but it also develops super weeds that can take on far more chemicals than the original ones. Now there is far more residue on peoples food and because GMOs are not labeled, people have no idea what they are eating. Not knowing what is being injected can cause some serious health problems relating to the immune system triggering an allergic reaction. In order to free a person from the everyday worries of ingesting these GMOs into their body with or without their knowledge, genetically modified organisms should be banned. When it comes to GMOs our knowledge is minimal. Until we can learn more about them they should be banned. The splicing of genes is how genetically modified organisms are made. Referred to as genetically engineering (GE), DNA from one species is injected into another species to create what nature cannot. These plants, animals, bacteria, and viral genes are relatively new to us. In the 1990s, a California company, Calegne, came out with the first GE tomato, Flavor Savr (Introduction). This tomato was created so that it wouldnt get soft when it ripens. This made it easier to pack and ship the tomatoes. By 1998, 25% of corn and 38% of soybeans were genetically modified (Maynard). Genetically engineered soy and corn are found in 60% of processed food (Maynard). : Since the beginning of the development of a pesticide called Roundup it has raised many concerns. Roundup and other similar herbicides and pesticides are used to kill eeds and pests without killing the plants. The plants have been modified to with stand these chemicals. The increase of the amount used increases the residue on our food. It has also caused the development of pesticide resistant super weeds because of the increase. In 2010, it was reported that almost 366 million acres of genetically modified crops were planted throughout 29 different countries (Introduction). While the United States is busy being the leading country in GM crops, Europe is working towards a Europe-wide ban on all GM crops (Introduction). Again, these genetically modified organisms are new to us. We need to ban them before the possible long term effects take a toll on our people and animals. Genetically modified organisms have a short history, which serves as an issue for long term studies. Since GMOs have only been out since the 1990s, they remain relatively new to us. There have been studies conducted on animals, but as of 2011 there was only human study published. It concluded that the genetic material that was injected in to GM soy transforms into bacteria that lives inside our intestines (Genetically). We may even have these continuing to grow inside of us after we stop eating GM products. The studies on humans Just simply are not there to evaluate. Animals, on the other hand, have had many short term studies done on them. One study Touna tnat (5M soy affected tne ovaries, uterus, or testlcles In rodents (Genetically). Another said that the kidney, thymus, spleen, gut, brain and the immune systems in rats had changes after eating GM potatoes (Verzola). One was done that resulted in the deaths of most of the baby rats after a mother rat fed on GM soy (Genetically). A study on hamsters again proved to be something wrong with their reproduction. After about three generations of GMO fed hamsters, they could o longer have babies and if they did they usually died (Genetically). Some of the hamsters were reported as having hair growing inside their mouths (Genetically). These are all examples of some of the short term studies done. If there were long term studies conducted then we would be more aware of the dangers of genetically modified organisms. Long term and short term studies do not make a difference when it comes to the possible allergic reactions that these genetically modified organisms can trigger. In the United Kingdom soy allergic reactions have increased by 50% (Genetically). A skin prick test was done with GM soy and wild soy. The results were people reacted to the GM soy but not the wild soy (Genetically). This supports that GMOs have higher level of irritants in them to cause these reactions. Lack of labeling almost caused a huge problem with a company in Brazil. Soybeans from Brazil were found with a type of nut gene in them (Maynard). The company that purchased the soybeans tested it to see what gene types were injected in it. Luckily they discovered the nut gene before the soybeans were distributed. This type of modification to the enes could have caused many problems with people allergic to nuts. The lack of labeling and the amount of reactions go hand in hand. If these companies were to label their products then people will either know not to purchase it or if they do and have a reaction then they know where to trace the source of the GMO. Labeling must also be done because the United States has six major GMO crops grown in the U. S: soy, corn, canola, sugar beets and alfalfa (Genetically). With these genetically modified crops our processed food is made. With the corn and soy alone, 60% of are processed foods are produced. Between 1996 and 2008 the percentage of adoption of corn, cotton, and soybean genetically modified crops have increased from between 0-20% to 60-90% (Rapid). This growth in the amount of GM crops out there has made it difficult to not eat GMOs. Many sources out there have all said that if a person wishes to not eat genetically modified food then organic is the way to go. We already know that some GMOs can contaminate other crops so even organic farmers are in danger of them no longer being the product they originally expected. If these were banned then we wouldnt have to worry about allergic reactions or the ontamination of our other crops. When genes were first beginning to be spliced, a company started making plants which had the ability to not be affected by large amounts of pesticides/herbicides. The large amounts of pesticides/herbicides caused the plants to become resistant and in turn grown into super weeds. The development of these super weeds caused farmers to spray larger amounts of these pesticides/herbicides onto their crops. The resistances dont stop at super weeds. If the antibiotic gene injected crops spread then they too can develop a resistance for antibiotics (Genetically). People who ngest these specific genes could also develop a resistance to antibiotics. This can prove to De extremely dangerous IT tne person Is to Tall serlously Ill ana already nave an antibiotic resisted system. The British Medical Association wanted to ban all antibiotic genes in GM food so that we can avoid developing an antibiotic resistance in our immune systems (Verzola). When it comes to our health and antibiotics when our health is weak, we should be doing everything to avoid developing antibiotic resistant systems. This is our health we are discussing. We have been growing crops since the beginning of time. There is no reason to try to change the ways we have been doing it when it has proven effective. If we stop allowing them to have genetically modified crops then the threat of antibiotic resistant immune systems ceases. People who are for genetically modified food argue that these foods can save the world. To have crops that are able to survive during a drought can save some struggling countries. Some people say that starvation is much worse than anything the GMOs cause (African). If the productivity of crops is increased then countries will be able to feed the fast growing populations. Even if the rich were to give other ountries free food, the population will still suffer. Poor countries depend on agriculture for their income, so increasing productivity via biotechnology can impact the outcome of the crops and their wallets (Economist). The FDA said that GM foods are the same as non-GM foods so they do not need to be labeled. These foods, although, are not the same. One can cause many problems while the other is all natural and doesnt have any effects. They also say that the things like cancer and long-term damage to the immune system cant be directly connected to the use of GMOs (African). Long-term are the key words in their own argument, no long term tudies have been conducted which basically makes us blind to the possible long- term effects. There is a very strong chance that if the studies were done there could be a link found between cancer, weak immune systems, and GMOs. Although some people argue that genetically modified organisms are going to save the world, we simply dont know that much about their effects. The lack of knowledge of what we are really putting into our bodies can end up causing more problems than we think. GMOs should be completely banned because of the possibilities they have. The allergic reactions can at least be lowered by labeling the products that do contain GMOs. Super weeds could mean chaos when it comes to this new development. We dont know what these genetically modified organisms can do to our plants, let alone humans. People dont want to put food in their bodies when they have no idea what was put in the food to begin with. Maybe after twenty years of studying the long-term effects of GMOs my mind could change on this subject, but as of right now too much information is still missing. Even if people do believe that genetically modified crops can help feed the world it has yet to be proven. The effects of GM crops in the long run can prove to be far worse than hunger in the world. No one really knows what is going to be the result in the future, but I dont like the results in the present as it is. The production of genetically modified organisms needs to be stopped. We are causing more harm to what has been naturally practiced since the beginning of time. We have always learned how to adapt to our environment when it comes to agriculture and biotechnology was never involved until recently. Stop it before it takes over the world as we once knew it to be: all natural and safe to consume. African American Environmentalist Association. Genetically Modified Foods Should Be Produced to Feed the World. Global Resources. Ed. David M. Haugen. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from Genetically Modified Foods. 2005. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. Economist, The. Genetically Engineered Foods Should Be Produced. Global Resources. Ed. Helen Cothran. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from Feeding Five Billion: New Agricultural Techniques Can Keep Hunger at Bay. The Economist (10 Nov. 2001). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 6 Nov. 2013. Genetically Modified Foods Could Pose Numerous Health Risks. Genetic Engineering. Ed. Noel Merino. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from Doctors Health Warning: Avoid Genetically Modified Foods. Vol. 1 . 2011. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. Introduction to Genetically Engineered Food: At Issue. Genetically Engineered Foods. Ed. Debra A. Miller. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 22 Oct. 2013 Rapid growth in adoption of genetically engineered crops, 1996-2008. Genetics and Genetic Engineering. Barbara Wexler. 2009 ed. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Information Plus Reference Series. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 7 Nov. 2013. Maynard, Cindy. Genetically Engineered Foods: An Overview. Genetically Engineered Foods. Ed. Nancy Harris. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. At Issue. Rpt. from Biotech at the Table. Current Health 2 27 (Nov. 2000): 22. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. Verzola, Roberto. Genetically Engineered Foods Have Health Risks. Genetically Engineered Foods. Ed. Nancy Harris. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. At Issue. Rpt. from The 1999 GE Food Debates: The Turning Point. Synthesis/Regeneration (Winter 2000): 24. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. web. 21 oct. 2013.

Battle of Princeton in the American Revolution

Battle of Princeton in the American Revolution Conflict Date: The Battle of Princeton was fought January 3, 1777, during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Armies Commanders: Americans General George WashingtonBrigadier General Hugh Mercer4,500 men British Major General Lord Charles CornwallisLieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood1,200 men Background: Following his stunning Christmas 1776 victory over the Hessians at Trenton, General George Washington withdrew back across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. On December 26, Lieutenant Colonel John Cadwaladers Pennsylvania militia re-crossed the river at Trenton and reported that the enemy was gone. Reinforced, Washington moved back into New Jersey with the bulk of his army and assumed a strong defensive position. Anticipating a swift British reaction to the Hessians defeat, Washington placed his army in a defensive line behind Assunpink Creek to the south of Trenton. Sitting atop a low string of hills, the American left was anchored on the Delaware while the right ran east. To slow any British counterattack, Washington directed Brigadier General Matthias Alexis Roche de Fermoy to take his brigade, which included a large number of riflemen, north to Five Mile Run and block the road to Princeton. At Assunpink Creek, Washington faced a crisis as the enlistments of many of his men were set to expire on December 31. By making a personal appeal and offering a ten dollar bounty, he was able to convince many to extend their service by one month. Assunpink Creek In New York, Washingtons concerns about a strong British reaction proved well-founded. Angered over the defeat at Trenton, General William Howe cancelled Major General Lord Charles Cornwallis leave and directed him to advance against the Americans with around 8,000 men. Moving southwest, Cornwallis left 1,200 men under Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood at Princeton and another 1,200 men under Brigadier General Alexander Leslie at Maidenhead (Lawrenceville), before encountering the American skirmishers at Five Mile Run. As de Fermoy had become drunk and wandered away from his command, leadership of the Americans fell to Colonel Edward Hand. Forced back from Five Mile Run, Hands men made several stands and delayed the British advance through the afternoon of January 2, 1777. After conducting a fighting retreat through the streets of Trenton, they rejoined Washingtons army on the heights behind Assunpink Creek. Surveying Washingtons position, Cornwallis launched three unsuccessful attacks in an attempt to take the bridge over the creek before halting due to growing darkness. Though warned by his staff that Washington may escape in the night, Cornwallis rebuffed their concerns as he believed the Americans had no line of retreat. On the heights, Washington convened a council of war to discuss the situation and asked his officers if they should stay and fight, withdraw across the river, or make a strike against Mawhood at Princeton. Electing for the bold option of attacking Princeton, Washington ordered the armys baggage sent to Burlington and his officers to commence preparation for moving out. Washington Escapes: To pin Cornwallis in place, Washington directed that 400-500 men and two cannon remain on the Assunpink Creek line to tend campfires and make digging sounds. These men were to retire before dawn and rejoin the army. By 2:00 AM the bulk of the army was quietly in motion and moving away from Assunpink Creek. Proceeding east to Sandtown, Washington then turned northwest and advanced on Princeton via the Quaker Bridge Road. As dawn broke, the American troops were crossing Stony Brook approximately two miles from Princeton. Wishing to trap Mawhoods command in the town, Washington detached Brigadier General Hugh Mercers brigade with orders to slip west and then secure and advance up the Post Road. Unknown to Washington, Mawhood was departing Princeton for Trenton with 800 men. The Armies Collide: Marching down the Post Road, Mawhood saw Mercers men emerge from the woods and moved to attack. Mercer quickly formed his men for battle in a nearby orchard to meet the British assault. Charging the tired American troops, Mawhood was able to drive them back. In the process, Mercer became separated from his men and was quickly surrounded by the British who mistook his for Washington. Refusing an order to surrender, Mercer drew his sword and charged. In the resulting melee, he was severely beaten, run through by bayonets, and left for dead. As the battle continued, Cadwaladers men entered the fray and met a fate similar to Mercers brigade. Finally, Washington arrived on the scene, and with the support of Major General John Sullivans division stabilized the American line. Rallying his troops, Washington turned to the offensive and began pressing Mawhoods men. As more American troops arrived on the field, they began to threaten the British flanks. Seeing his position deteriorating, Mawhood ordered a bayonet charge with the goal of breaking through the American lines and allowing his men to escape towards Trenton. Surging forward, they succeeded in penetrating Washingtons position and fled down the Post Road, with American troops in pursuit. In Princeton, the majority of the remaining British troops fled towards New Brunswick, however 194 took refuge in Nassau Hall believing that the buildings thick walls would provide protection. Nearing the structure, Washington assigned Captain Alexander Hamilton to lead the assault. Opening fire with artillery, American troops charged and forced those inside to surrender ending the battle. Aftermath: Flush with victory, Washington wished to continue attacking up the chain of British outposts in New Jersey. After assessing his tired armys condition, and knowing that Cornwallis was in his rear, Washington elected instead to move north and enter winter quarters at Morristown. The victory at Princeton, coupled with the triumph at Trenton, helped bolster American spirits after a disastrous year which saw New York fall to the British. In the fighting, Washington lost 23 killed, including Mercer, and 20 wounded. British casualties were heavier and numbered 28 killed, 58 wounded, and 323 captured. Selected Sources British Battles: Battle of PrincetonBattle of Princeton

Definition and Examples of Embedded Questions

Definition and Examples of Embedded Questions In English grammar, an embedded question is a  question that appears in a declarative statement or in another question. The following phrases are commonly used to introduce embedded questions:Could you tell me . . .Do you know . . .I wanted to know . . .I wonder . . .The question is . . .Who knows . . . Unlike conventional interrogative structures, in which word order is reversed, the subject usually comes before the verb in an embedded question. Also, the auxiliary verb do is not used in embedded questions. Commentary on Embedded Questions An embedded question is a question inside a statement. Here are some examples: - I was wondering if its going to rain tomorrow. (The embedded question is: Is it going to rain tomorrow?)- I suppose you dont know if they are coming. (The embedded question is: Do you know if they are coming?) You can use an embedded question when you do not want to be too direct, such as when you are speaking to someone senior in the company, and the use of a direct question seems impolite or blunt. (Elisabeth Pilbeam et al.,  English First Additional Language: Level 3. Pearson Education South Africa, 2008) Examples of Embedded Questions Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here? (Alice in Alices Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll)The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be.(Martin Luther King, Jr.)I set up the checkerboard and  explained how the  pieces are placed and how they move. (Herbert Kohl,  The Herb Kohl Reader: Awakening the Heart of Teaching. The New Press, 2013)I live in New York, and I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park, down near Central Park South. I was wondering if it would be frozen over when I got home, and if it was, where did the ducks go? I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over. I wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them away to a zoo or something. Or if they just flew away. (J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, 1951) Stylistic Conventions Kate [a copy editor] moves on to the second sentence: The question is, how many re-readings are reasonable? Uncertain about how to treat a question (how many re-readings are reasonable?) embedded in a sentence, she picks up [The Chicago Manual of Style] . . . [and] decides to apply the following conventions:Since the author has followed all these conventions, Kate changes nothing. The embedded question should be preceded by a comma.The first word of an embedded question is capitalized only when the question is long or has internal punctuation. A short informal embedded question begins with a lowercase letter.The question should not be in quotation marks because it is not a piece of dialogue.The question should end with a question mark because it is a direct question. (Amy Einsohn,  The Copyeditors Handbook. University of California Press, 2006) Embedded Questions in AAVE In AAVE [African-American Vernacular English], when questions are embedded in sentences themselves, the order of the subject (boldfaced) and the auxiliary (italicized) may be inverted unless the embedded question begins with if: They asked could she go to the show.I asked Alvin did he know how to play basketball. (Irene L. Clark, Concepts in Composition: Theory and Practice in the Teaching of Writing. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2003)

Article Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Article Analysis - Essay Example The researchers divided the whole procedure into preference assessment, functional analysis, discrimination training and experimental design. For phase 1, the students were given a tight schedule and requirements, which were required to be fulfilled and they were asked to pick one coupon. They were allowed to opt between food item and a break (Kodak, et. al, 2007). Students showed a preference for food item in phase 1. In phase 2, many tangible items were also added to the second reinforcer of break in order to check the preference of students. In second phase, the children showed preference for food item again. In phase 3, the students were allowed to choose between the options a number of times by adding to one option or minimizing from other option such as the food item of high preference was changed with low preference food item or the break time was facilitated with toys, adult attention and so on (Kodak, et. al, 2007). The results obtained from three phases were assessed by the researchers against each other in order to know as to what choices are effective in improving the problem behavior of the child. The children showed a preference for food item when a brief break was available with less facilitation. However, in later phases, when different tangible items were added to the break, the children also showed a preference for the break. According to Kodak, Lerman, Volkert and Trosclair (2007), the inappropriate behavior of children can be improved if highly preferred items are used by teachers and parents as children with autism show a clear indication of diversion towards high preferred items. The reinforcers that are highly preferred should be employed for treatment of problem behavior of children. People should be able to assess individual needs by evaluating the preference of each and every child with developmental disabilities or autism. After

Medical Genetics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Medical Genetics - Essay Example Individual II.5 is a homozygous normal parent while the partner is a homozygous affected person for a particular DNA coding conferring to a wild type phenotype. However, in an autosomal dominant inheritance, only a single copy of the wild-type phenotype allele is required for an offspring to be susceptible to expressing the symptoms. Therefore, each offspring has an equal probability of 50% of acquiring the mutant gene allele symptoms, and the other half would not be affected by the autosomal inheritance according to Onkers, I. (2009). Since the type of inheritance in this particular genetic pedigree is an autosomal inheritance, a heterozygous male (Bb) for the DNA coding mating to an affected female (bb)individual would produce one out of four offsprings expressing altered symptoms. However, within the unaffected offspring there would be two carriers (Bb) who will not show undesired traits for a particular condition. This is because when a homozygous wild-type mate with a heterozygous individual, there is a 25% chance of acquiring mutant (affected) individuals (Relethford, 2012). In a dominant, autosomal inheritance, individual III 1 (bb) can only acquire healthy offspring if she marries a homozygous normal man (BB). However, though the father (bb) of the individual III 1 (bb) suffers from the same disability as she does, the fathers’ disability does not affect her daughter’s subsequently genetic inheritance (Nielsen & Slatkin, 2013).

Baseline Organizational Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Baseline Organizational Ethics - Essay Example ng effective communication with the management is what has led the company to its great expansion and standardized consumer products as the ethics for the consumer industries demand. For IBM, even though its workers are subjected to sometimes longer working hours, the ethics in the technology industry permits that as long as the workers are compensated for long hours and they agree with them or they are included in their employment contract which is what IBM has done. As for Total for example, the environmental ethical guidelines are clear on the procedures and the precautionary measures required of the oil companies and these ethical policies have been neglected. The oil spill for example necessitates immediate compensation and public apology as well as participation in cleaning exercises of the environment but that did not immediately happen until the affected parties moved to court and the French judicial authorizes ordered their compensation and cleaning. The same case can be compared to BP which had a similar incident of oil spill in the ocean and they delayed in cleaning exercises until stringent measures were used including threats of closure before action was taken which is against the set ethical standards and policies. B. What are the primary factors that contributed to your ratings of the five companies, groups or organizations? Discuss how the examples you noted compare with similar policies, procedures, or standards that contributed to the ethical lapses in the publicly traded company selected for part a, of this assignment. I have interned and worked even part time in some of these companies and organizations and therefore have first-hand information on their ethical practices. A comparison of this information between these companies I have worked in and the set ethical standards is what has made me rate them as carried out in the table above. For those I have no first-hand experience, the media has been on the forefront on condemning them for not

Sampling and Continuous Improvement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sampling and Continuous Improvement - Essay Example United States have always been in the forefront of international trade and manufacturing and it wants to keep it that way. Since China started its mass export of goods, US had been worried that it would capture a major chunk of world's exports however US found solace in the fact that Chinese products were of lower quality. However with changing times, China has started to develop low cost and yet high quality products to challenge US in the international market. The study conducted by Industry Week magazine on the comparison of Chinese and American manufacturers have identified important developments in the inputs that largely contribute to China's inevitable success. The article "Manufacturers Like Us" by David Drickhamer gives us important insights in this subject. According to the article, Chinese manufacturers have become increasingly competitive over the past decade. Their strict management practices and performance metrics show the proof of such changes. Also US makes china's industry revolution much more prominent by referring to them as Enemy Number 1. The two basic reasons for the increasing competitive advantage of Chinese manufacturers have been described as cheap labor and much more efficient machinery. Costs of raw materials and land utilization have also been declared as important inputs to the higher quality outputs that are now being produced. To fully analyze the factors of high quality production by Chinese manufacturers, let's analyze each input factor in detail. 1) Raw Materials Raw Materials are the building blocks of the manufacturing process. These unprocessed materials are bought from the market and transformed into outputs by applying different processes. Since it is expected that the prices of the raw materials will rise in the future, some manufacturers start hoarding these raw materials. This storage is referred to as the inventory and it is kept to meet unexpected shortages in the future. The Chinese manufacturers store large amounts of inventory hence their inventory turnover rates are lower for all types of products. As most managers said that they had four or fewer total inventory turns in a year, there costs are lower since ordering and purchasing costs are not encountered regularly. Rise is raw material costs have not been met by half of the manufactures in China. And those who reported increases, 20% did not charge the customers for the increase. Because of lower raises in cost of raw material, Chinese products are of lower prices and they can maintain the quality of the products without increasing the prices. 2) Labor China has been able to maintain its low cost products primarily because of very low labor rates. According to the article, the Chinese manufacturers pay average wages of $1,450 per year, which is less than three weeks' pay in the U.S. This is how China is able to compete with any country on its cost difference. The quality of the products made by the Chinese seems to be increasing because of better skilled and better trained employees than were available in the past. The Chinese managers provide over 20 hours of training per employee per year while they spend 5% of their annual labor budget on training. The costs may