Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Free Essays on March Of Madness

Listening to the music: Social Problems in Song Mini-Assignment 1 Cory Rossin The song that I have selected with respect to a social problem (Global) is â€Å"March of Death† by Zack De La Rocha lead singer of â€Å"Rage Against Machine†. The intention of this article is to inform the reader of the expressive opinion in reference to the Iraqi war in conjunction with the sociological conflict theory imposed by Karl Marx. â€Å"March of Death implies several messages towards the act of war; consequences and political agendas within the U.S.A. government. â€Å"I won’t toe or defend, instead I curse at murderous men in suits or professionals who act like animals†. This bold statement refers to the new method of colonialism; multi-national corporations who exploit and conquer resources in countries that possess abundant supplies of tangible material and inexpensive labor. Who is in control? Who can repress the American leader, another intriguing statement by the songwriter. Finally the most important message of all, the destructive outcomes of war; thousands of helpless, innocent civilians disfigured and executed by the hands of Goliath himself. The Social problem is evident throughout this song, war and political propaganda a method of achieving the world’s precious energy, oil. In today’s world war is not just a social problem but also a malicious execution of all humanity; in theoretical terms war exhibits all three foundations of a social problem, origin, definition, and treatment (Fleras 2001,10). For conflict theorists war is an inevitable clash between inequalities of wealth, power, privilege, delivered through institutional means within a capitalist system. â€Å"Social problems are inherent in those societies organized around the capitalist principles of profit, competitive individualism, and class conflict† (Fleras 2001,19). â€Å"March of Death† closely reflects the conflict theory by describing religious, ... Free Essays on March Of Madness Free Essays on March Of Madness Listening to the music: Social Problems in Song Mini-Assignment 1 Cory Rossin The song that I have selected with respect to a social problem (Global) is â€Å"March of Death† by Zack De La Rocha lead singer of â€Å"Rage Against Machine†. The intention of this article is to inform the reader of the expressive opinion in reference to the Iraqi war in conjunction with the sociological conflict theory imposed by Karl Marx. â€Å"March of Death implies several messages towards the act of war; consequences and political agendas within the U.S.A. government. â€Å"I won’t toe or defend, instead I curse at murderous men in suits or professionals who act like animals†. This bold statement refers to the new method of colonialism; multi-national corporations who exploit and conquer resources in countries that possess abundant supplies of tangible material and inexpensive labor. Who is in control? Who can repress the American leader, another intriguing statement by the songwriter. Finally the most important message of all, the destructive outcomes of war; thousands of helpless, innocent civilians disfigured and executed by the hands of Goliath himself. The Social problem is evident throughout this song, war and political propaganda a method of achieving the world’s precious energy, oil. In today’s world war is not just a social problem but also a malicious execution of all humanity; in theoretical terms war exhibits all three foundations of a social problem, origin, definition, and treatment (Fleras 2001,10). For conflict theorists war is an inevitable clash between inequalities of wealth, power, privilege, delivered through institutional means within a capitalist system. â€Å"Social problems are inherent in those societies organized around the capitalist principles of profit, competitive individualism, and class conflict† (Fleras 2001,19). â€Å"March of Death† closely reflects the conflict theory by describing religious, ...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

What Is Entropy and How to Calculate It

What Is Entropy and How to Calculate It Entropy is defined  as  the quantitative measure of disorder or randomness in a system. The concept comes out of thermodynamics, which deals with the transfer of heat energy within a system. Instead of talking about some form of absolute entropy, physicists generally discuss the change in entropy that takes place in a specific thermodynamic process. Key Takeaways: Calculating Entropy Entropy is a measure of probability and the molecular disorder of a macroscopic system.If each configuration is equally probable, then the entropy is the natural logarithm of the number of configurations, multiplied by Boltzmanns constant: S kB  ln WFor entropy to decrease, you must transfer energy from somewhere outside the system. How to Calculate Entropy In an isothermal process, the change in entropy (delta-S) is the change in heat (Q) divided by the absolute temperature (T): delta-S  Ã‚  Q/T In any reversible thermodynamic process, it can be represented in calculus as the integral from a processs initial state to its  final state of dQ/T. In a more general sense, entropy is a measure of probability and the molecular disorder of a macroscopic system. In a system that can be described by variables, those variables may assume a certain number of configurations. If each configuration is equally probable, then the entropy is the natural logarithm of the number of configurations, multiplied by Boltzmanns constant: S kB  ln W where S is entropy, kB is Boltzmanns constant, ln is the natural logarithm, and W represents the number of possible states. Boltzmanns constant is  equal to 1.38065 Ãâ€" 10−23  J/K. Units of Entropy Entropy is considered to be an extensive property of matter that is  expressed in terms of energy divided by temperature. The SI units of entropy are J/K (joules/degrees Kelvin). Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics One way of stating the second law of thermodynamics is as follows: in any  closed system, the entropy of the system will either remain constant or increase. You can view this as follows: adding heat to a system causes the molecules and atoms to speed up. It may be possible (though tricky) to reverse the process in a closed system without drawing any energy from or releasing energy somewhere else to reach the initial state. You can never get the entire system less energetic than when it started. The energy doesnt have any place to go. For irreversible processes, the combined entropy of the system and its environment always increases. Misconceptions About Entropy This view of the second law of thermodynamics is very popular, and it has been misused. Some argue that the second law of thermodynamics means that a system can never become more orderly. This is untrue. It just means that to become more orderly (for entropy to decrease), you must transfer energy from somewhere outside the system, such as when a pregnant woman draws energy from food to cause the fertilized egg to form into a baby. This is completely in line with the second laws provisions. Entropy is also known as disorder, chaos, and randomness, though all three synonyms are imprecise. Absolute Entropy A related term is absolute entropy, which is denoted by S rather than ΔS. Absolute entropy is defined according to the third law of thermodynamics. Here a constant is applied that makes it so that the entropy at absolute zero is defined to be zero.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Operational Strategies and Change Management Case Study

Operational Strategies and Change Management - Case Study Example Before being acquired by Rendall Graphics, Preston Plant was going through problems mostly related to the quality of the products, which were surprisingly identified the customer, HP. The company was facing many hardships in producing quality products and no concept of control over the product operations. The existing crisis revolving around the quality of products and business operating under loss, the success would have been only possible with occurrence of certain significant events. Concern by HP criticizing the work of Preston Plant which was not able to control the quality of its products which was depicted in the control chart prepared by HP itself for Preston plant, which shows that HP was performance of quality was closely monitored by HP though it was not done by the Plant, worked as a alarm bell for the plant management. Tom Branton, Managing Director, employed cost reduction strategies to bring the company expenditure down by job layoffs and decision was taken to create a portfolio for the plant dedicated to new ideas in order to establish greater confidence in the future sales and an innovative ideas was 'Photowrap' for newsprint that could be re-pulped. According According to Slack et al (2007:566)3 quality is consistent conformance to customers' expectations. The word 'conformance' is stressed upon to meet the specifications set by the customer, ensuring a product or service conforms to specification whereas consistent implies that conformance to specification is not an adhoc. The quality crisis could be diagnosed by reducing the gaps in cusomter specification-operation's specification, the concept specification, the quality specification - actual quality, the actual quality - communicated image which can be done through marketing operations, product/ service development, etc. As per the case study, prior to the acquisition by Rendall Graphics, the management was producing goods which met the specification on the customer, but they did not performed any control check on the product, which was eventually done by HP, which showed the loopholes in the performance of Preston Plant. Preston Plant, after being acquired by Rendall Graphi c underwent massive change in the operation and management wherein the departments were asked to review the day to day performance of the operations which was later put on to debate and discussion once in a month. The result was positive as the processes were coming under control, quality levels were improving and the

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Pan-Arabism and Pan-Islamism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pan-Arabism and Pan-Islamism - Essay Example eology that involves Islam as an integral part of the regulatory framework of the country (like laws) but they believe that the government needs to separate Islamic religious ideologies and bring more secular sorts of governments and therefore the Islamic teachings merely reflect as a symbol of culture and not integrated in country as a religious marker. Pan-Islamism involves the integration of Islamic states under one Caliphate or a united Islamic state or a European Union sort of international organization based on Islamic principles without taking into consideration the ethnicity while pan-Arabism only involves independence and unity of Arabs without considering religion. As a kind of religious nationalism, the ideology of Pan-Islamism distinguishes itself from rest of ideologies such as Pan-Arabism, by ruling out ethnicity and culture as principal components towards conjugation. Although both are political ideologies involving Arab nations, both have distinct targets. The Pan Arabism originated between the late nineteenth and early twentieth century as the Arab nations of the Middle East acquired more education which in turn brought in a literary and cultural renaissance in the region. This imparted to political agitation and contributed to the independence of majority of Arab states from the European administrations during mid twentieth century and from the Ottoman Empire in 1918. On the other hand, the political movement of Pan-Islamism was started by Sultan Abdul Hamid II, in Turkey, during the end of nineteenth century with the intention to fight against the westernization process and to nurture the unification on the basis of Islamic principles. With the progression of colonialism, Pan-Islamism turned to be a defensive ideology that was directed against the European military, political, missionary and economic penetration. This ideology placed the Turkish sultan as a worldwide caliph and thus all Muslims were obliged to show commitment and obedience

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Activation Of T Lymphocytes Essay Example for Free

Activation Of T Lymphocytes Essay Different types of T lymphocytes exist and each type performs a specialized function.   Helper T cells, also known as TH cells, serve as messengers of the immune system.   When helper T cells are activated, these cells proliferate and produce cytokines, which are small proteins that control the extent of immune response that a biological organism will express.   Several types of cytokines exist and each cytokine triggers the maturation of helper T cells into specific subtypes such as helper T cell subtype 1, 2 and 17 (Balandina et al. , 2005). Another type of T lymphocyte is the cytotoxic T cell (CTL), which is also known as the TC cell.   Cytotoxic T cells are responsible for the destruction of cells that were infected by viruses, as well as for the annihilation of tumor cells.   These cells also play a major role in determining whether a cell is normally part of the system or a foreign cell.   Cytotoxic T cells are known to be the first in line to react and reject if an organ transplanted into a recipient is not compatible in terms of tissue compatibility. The cytotoxic T cells that are associated with tissue rejection are designated at CD8+ T cells, based on the idea that these cytotoxic T cells produce a specific CD8 glycoprotein that is displayed on its cell membrane.   These CD8 glycoproteins interact with helper T lymphocytes, of which may trigger its transformation into regulatory T cells.   The major role of regulatory T cells is to inhibit the onset of an autoimmune disorder within the system of the organism. Another type of T lymphocyte is the memory T cell which is produced as soon as an infection occurs in an individual.   These specific T cells continue to circulate in the blood system for several months even when the infection has been stopped.   Memory T cells further differentiate into effector T cells when they find the same antigen that was associated with the previous infection, hence the term memory is appropriate to apply to this type of function.   Two general types of memory T cells include the central and effector cells.  Ã‚   Memory T cells are known to carry either the CD4 or the CD8 glycoprotein on its plasma membrane (Wildin et al., 2001). Regulatory T cells are another type of T lymphocytes that play a crucial role in sustaining the tolerance of the immune system (Khattri et al., 2003).   These T cells were earlier called suppressor T cells and their primary role is to prevent immunity that is caused by other T cells during the later stages of an immune response (Fontenot et al., 2003).   Regulatory T cells are also responsible for inhibiting the immune reaction towards other cells of the body or self cells because this is important in maintaining the stability of the entire immunological system. Specific conditions result in the immune response towards self cells and this is usually observed when the thymus experiences difficulty in distinguishing self cells from non-self or foreign cells.   There are two major types of CD4+ regulatory T cells that have been characterized.   Naturally occurring regulatory T cells originate from the thymus and are sometimes referred to as CD4/CD25/ForP3 T regulatory cells. The other major type of CD4+ regulatory T cell is the adaptive T regulatory cell which is produced when an innate immune response occurs.   This type of cell is also called Tr1 or Th3 cell (Hori et al., 2003).   A distinguishing feature that facilitates is the differentiation of naturally occurring T regulatory cells from the rest of types of T lymphocytes is the occurrence of the FoxP3 molecule that is situated within the cytoplasm.   Research has shown that mutations incurred in the FOXP3 gene results in the inability of regulatory T cells to differentiate, which in turn influences the onset of the lethal condition of autoimmunity. Another type of T lymphocyte is the natural killer T cell which is serves as the communicator between the adaptive and the innate immune systems.   Different from the standard T lymphocyte that identifies protein antigens that are harbored by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), the natural killer T lymphocytes distinguish glycolipid antigens that are shown by the protein molecule CD1d.   The natural killer T lymphocyte is then activated and subsequently acquires the ability to execute specific functions that are related to Th and Tc cells, including the secretion of cytokines and the expression of cytolytic molecules that are responsible for the destruction of foreign cells that have invaded the body. Gamma-delta T lymphocytes represent a small subtype of T cells that carry a unique receptor on their plasma membrane.   Most of the T lymphocytes carry a receptor that is comprised by two strings of alpha and beta glycoproteins.   In gamma-delta T lymphocytes, the receptor is composed of a gamma and a delta glycoprotein string.   Gamma-delta T lymphocytes are quite rare, comprising only approximately 5% of the entire T lymphocyte population but are found in high concentrations in the epithelial lining of the stomach, as part of population of intraepithelial lymphocytes. Protein antigens that trigger a response from gamma-delta T cells have still yet to be determined.   It is interesting to know that gamma-delta T lymphocytes are not exclusively assigned to carry major histocompatibility complex molecules and are actually capable of identifying entire proteins than simply perceiving short protein chains carried by the major histocompatibility complex molecules on lymphocytes that harbor antigens. There are particular gamma-delta T cells that have the capacity to identify a specific type of major histocompatibility complex molecules, specifically class IB.   In the human immune system, the Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T lymphocyte makes up the majority of the gamma-delta T lymphocyte population that is circulating in the bloodstream.   These specific T lymphocytes have the function of quickly reacting to a tiny metabolite that originates from microorganisms, known as the isopentenyl pyrophosphate precursor.   Another type of T lymphocyte is the autoaggressive T cell which is highly specialized based on its ability to secrete the CD40 protein molecule (Miura et al., 2004).   CD40 is generally linked to T lymphocytes that present fragments of an antigen and this protein molecule is commonly produced by a subtype of T helper lymphocytes. Th40 cells are present in all human beings but the levels of this specific type of cells quickly increase during conditions of autoimmunity.   In patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus, the Th40 cells usually react to self-antigens.   In the case of patients diagnosed with non-autoimmune individuals, the Th40 lymphocytes do not react with these antigens.   An important function of the CD40 protein molecule on T lymphocytes is to trigger the recombinase proteins RAG1 and RAG2 in directing the receptor of a T lymphocyte. The receptor of a T lymphocyte serves as the route through which a T lymphocyte is able to identify a specific antigen.   It has been determined that the two recombinase proteins be produced exclusively in the thymus during the development of T lymphocytes.   It was, however, observed that the RAG proteins were secreted again by the T lymphocytes that were circulating in the bloodstream.   In addition, it was also observed that the CD40 protein associated with Th40 lymphocytes, resulting in the production of RAG proteins.   Subsequent to the expression of the RAG proteins, modifications in the receptor of the T cells take place, suggesting that the Th40 lymphocytes carry the ability to adapt for the entire duration of an individual’s life. The procedure of modifying the expression of the receptors of T cells that are circulating in the bloodstream has been names as TDR revision.   Research has reported that TCR revision influences the expansion of the repertoire of T lymphocytes, as well as generates T lymphocytes that are autoaggressive.   This observation therefore shows that the revision of the receptors of T cells is another method of T lymphocyte tolerance. THE DEVELOPMENT OF T LYMPHOCYTES IN THE THYMUS T lymphocytes are developed from the stem cells of the hematopoietic system which is located in the bone marrow.   These stem cells migrate from the bone marrow to the thymus, where they are expected to proliferate through the process of cell division and generate immature thymocytes.   Young thymocytes generally do not secrete any CD4 or CD8 proteins hence these cells have been described as CD4-CD8- cells. During their course of development, the young thymocytes acquire the capability of secreting CD4 and CD8 molecules and these thymocytes are now classified as CD4+CD8+ (Sakaguchi, 2000).   Further maturation of these cells involves the specific secretion of only one protein, either the CD4 or the CD8 molecule.   Once this has been determined in each thymocytes, these cells are then expelled by the thymus in order for them to circulate to the rest of the body.   Approximately 98% of the thymocytes produced by the thymus are expected to disintegrate during its maturation, resulting in only 2% of the thymocytes reaching maturity and categorically expelled by the thymus as immunocompetent T lymphocytes. Immature thymocytes that harbor the two types of antigens, CD4 and CD8, migrate into the core of the thymus in order to associate with antigens that are generated by the T lymphocyte.   These thymocytes interact with the major histocompatibility complex molecules that are present of the plasma membrane of the cells of the epithelium.   Only a specific fraction of thymocytes will be able to completely bind with the major histocompatibility complex molecules thus resulting in a signal that indicates the survival of the thymocyte. The rest of the thymocytes that were not able to achieve a complete association with the major histocompatibility complex molecules are thus classified as incapable of performing immune functions or even illicit an immune response.   This specific group of thymocytes thus undergoes the process of apoptosis, which involved the disintegration of the nucleus which eventually leads to cell death.   The cellular debris that results from the apoptotic pathway are enveloped and eaten by macrophages.   The entire process of differentiating immuno-competent from immuno-incompetent thymocytes based on the ability to illicit an immune reaction is known as positive selection. Thymocytes that endure positive selection travel towards the perimeter of the cortical and middle regions of the thymus. While situated in the middle region of the thymus, the thymocytes are presented with an antigen of its self in association with the major histocompatibility complex molecules on antigen-presenting cells (APCs), including the dendritic cells and macrophages.   Thymocytes that intensely associate with the antigen are sent a signal that induces their programmed death and the rest of the thymocytes that were first generated are trigger to disintegrate during this selection process in the thymus. A small fraction of the cells that survived is induced to develop regulatory T cells.   The other cells subsequently depart the thymus as differentiation naive T lymphocytes.   This mechanism is designated as negative selection, an essential process of immunological tolerance that controls the development of T lymphocytes that react to self cells and are able of to cause an autoimmune disease in the body of an individual (Shevach, 2000). Although the specific mechanisms of activation vary slightly between different types of T cells, the two-signal model in CD4+ T cells holds true for most. Activation of CD4+ T cells occurs through the engagement of both the T cell receptor and CD28 on the T cell by the Major histocompatibility complex peptide and B7 family members on the APC respectively. Both are required for production of an effective immune response; in the absence of CD28 co-stimulation, T cell receptor signalling alone results in anergy. The signalling pathways downstream from both CD28 and the T cell receptor involve many proteins. The first signal is provided by binding of the T cell receptor to a short peptide presented by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on another cell. This ensures that only a T cell with a TCR specific to that peptide is activated. The partner cell is usually a professional antigen presenting cell (APC), usually a dendritic cell in the case of naà ¯ve responses, although B cells and macrophages can be important APCs. The peptides presented to CD8+ T cells by MHC class I molecules are 8-9 amino acids in length; the peptides presented to CD4+ cells by MHC class II molecules are longer, as the ends of the binding cleft of the MHC class II molecule are open. The second signal comes from co-stimulation, in which surface receptors on the APC are induced by a relatively small number of stimuli, usually products of pathogens, but sometimes breakdown products of cells, such as necrotic-bodies or heat-shock proteins (Brunkow et al., 2001). The only co-stimulatory receptor expressed constitutively by naà ¯ve T cells is CD28, so co-stimulation for these cells comes from the CD80 and CD86 proteins on the APC. Other receptors are expressed upon activation of the T cell, such as OX40 and ICOS, but these largely depend upon CD28 for their expression. The second signal licenses the T cell to respond to an antigen. Without it, the T cell becomes anergic and it becomes more difficult for it to activate in future. This mechanism prevents inappropriate responses to self, as self-peptides will not usually be presented with suitable co-stimulation. The T cell receptor exists as a complex of several proteins. The actual T cell receptor is composed of two separate peptide chains which are produced from the independent T cell receptor alpha and beta (TCR? and TCR?) genes. The other proteins in the complex are the CD3 proteins; CD3 and CD3 heterodimers and most importantly a CD3? homodimer which has a total of six ITAM motifs. The ITAM motifs on the CD3? can be phosphorylated by Lck and in turn recruit ZAP-70. Lck and/or ZAP-70 can also phosphorylate the tyrosines on many other molecules, not least CD28, Trim, LAT and SLP-76, which allows the aggregation of signalling complexes around these proteins. Phosphorylated LAT recruits SLP-76 to the membrane, where it can then bring in PLC?, VAV1, Itk and potentially PI3K. Both PLC? and PI3K act on PI(4,5)P2 on the inner leaflet of the membrane to create the active intermediaries di-acyl glycerol (DAG), inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) and phosphatidlyinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3). DAG binds and activates some PKCs, most importantly in T cells PKC?, which is important for activating the transcription factors NF-?B and AP-1. IP3 is released from the membrane by PLC? and diffuses rapidly to activate receptors on the ER which induce the release of calcium. The released calcium then activates calcineurin, and calcineurin activates NFAT, which then translocates to the nucleus. NFAT is a transcription factor which activates the transcription of a pleiotropic set of genes, most notably IL-2, a cytokine which promotes long term proliferation of activated T cells. Overview of interactions between T cells and APCs T cells are a subset of lymphocytes that play a large role in the cell-mediated immune response of adaptive immunity. T lymphocytes are divided into 2 major classes distinguished by the expression of the cell surface molecules CD4 or CD8. CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) primarily destroy virus-infected cells whereasCD4 helper T lymphocytes are involved in activating B cells and macrophages. The response of both classes of T lymphocytes is dependent on interactions through the T cell receptor (TCR) and coreceptors (CD4 or CD8) with target APCs that present peptides in the context of MHC class I or class II molecules. MHC class I and class II molecules are structurally similar but differ in their source of antigenic peptide and in the transport mechanisms for their peptides. Class I MHC molecules present self peptides or viral products from the cytosol to CD8 T lymphocytes, whereas MHC class II molecules present peptides from pathogens that either reside or were endocytosed into intracellular compartments (Fontenot and Rudensky, 2005). T cells are activated on encountering antigen, which results in either lysis of target cells by CD8 T lymphocytes or recruitment of other effector cells by CD4 cells.   Modulation of the plasma membrane alters the T cell Ca2+ response.   A series of studies from showedthat unsaturated free fatty acids (FFAs) could inhibit specific aspects of cytotoxic T cell function by perturbing membranes.   Initially, it was shown that short-term exposure of murine allogeneic effector T cells to low levels of unsaturated FFAs (10 mol/L), including PUFAs, inhibited lysis of target APCs. The change in lysis of target cells was a direct consequence of the FFA added to the CTLs, because lysis could be inhibited by extracting the unsaturated FFA with bovine serum albumin before CTL-target conjugation. Specific aspects of T cell function inhibited by unsaturated lipids included the initial rise in intracellular [Ca2+] on conjugate formation, protein phosphorylation events and subsequent CTL esterase release.   On the other hand, release of inositol phosphates and binding to target cells were unaffected. Because the inhibition in CTL calcium release linearly correlated with the decrease in membrane acyl chain order induced by the presence of increasing unsaturation in the plasma membrane , it was hypothesized that modulation of membrane structure affected T cell Ca2+ signaling. References Balandina A, Lecart S, Dartevelle P, Saoudi A and Berrih-Aknin S (2005):   Functional defect of regulatory CD4( )CD25 T cells in the thymus of patients with autoimmune myasthenia gravis. Blood   105:735–741. Brunkow ME, Jeffery EW, Hjerrild KA, Paeper B, Clark LB, Yasayko SA, Wilkinson JE, Galas D, Ziegler SF and Ramsdell F (2001):   Disruption of a new forkhead/winged-helix protein, scurfin, results in the fatal lymphoproliferative disorder of the scurfy mouse. Nat. Genet.   27:68–73. Fontenot JD, Gavin MA and Rudensky AY (2003):   Foxp3 programs the development and function of CD4-CD25 regulatory T cells. Nat. Immunol.   4:330–336. Fontenot JD and Rudensky AY (2005):   A well adapted regulatory contrivance:   Regulatory T cell development and the forkhead family transcription factor Foxp3. Nat. Immunol. 6:331–337. Hori S, Nomura T and Sakaguchi S (2003):   Control of regulatory T cell development by the transcription factor Foxp3. Science 299:1057–1061 Khattri R, Cox T, Yasayko SA and Ramsdell F (2003):   An essential role for Scurfin in CD4-CD25 T regulatory cells. Nat. Immunol.   4:337–342. Miura Y, Thoburn CJ, Bright EC, Phelps ML, Shin T, Matsui EC, Matsui WH, Arai S, Fuchs EJ and Vogelsang GB (2004):   Association of Foxp3 regulatory gene expression with graft-versus-host disease. Blood   104:2187–2193. Sakaguchi S (2000):   Regulatory T cells: key controllers of immunologic self-tolerance.   Cell 101:455–458. Shevach EM (2000): Regulatory T cells in autoimmmunity. Annu. Rev. Immunol.   18:423–449. Wildin RS, Ramsdell F, Peake J, Faravelli F, Casanova JL, Buist N, Levy-Lahad E, Mazzella M, Goulet O and Perroni L (2001): X-linked neonatal diabetes mellitus, enteropathy and endocrinopathy syndrome is the human equivalent of mouse scurfy. Nat. Genet.   27:18–20.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Reasons Nora Helmer Must Leave Her Husband in Henrik Ibsens A Doll Hou

Reasons Nora Helmer Must Leave Her Husband in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll House Foreward: Henrik Ibsen's A Doll House (aka A Doll's House) is so rich in moral, political, and metaphysical (if one is to regard such matters as "selfhood" and "identity" as metaphysical) insights and criticisms that it is hard to imagine how one could absorb it all in one sitting. Its moral message was very bold in its day and remains so in the more slowly progressing parts of the world, like North America. Institutions move faster than attitudes (at least in times of progressive, interventionist governance) and there are many lag-minded relics who still don't understand why equal-rights legislation has had to be passed or what "all the fuss" has been about regarding racial, sexual (in terms of gender and orientation), and social discontent. To some readers, the play may represent an old regime and an antiquated system of values and expectations. However, the fact that still other readers do not see the necessity of Nora's leaving Helmer, and in fact go so far as to condemn her, sho ws that this system is not as dead as one might hope. That Nora's case requires pleading in this day and age is regrettable. Yet, here is her case. Thesis: Nora Helmer must leave her husband and children for their sake, for her own sake, and for the sake of society. The following assumes familiarity with the details of the play. That she must leave for the good of Torvald: He must learn manners. Despite all, he deserves not to be lied to or played to. He needs to be told he is a pompous ass before he reforms. If Nora were to stay with him after telling him off, she would feel pity and recant. Bullies are always sulks when they are confronted. As soon as she began cod... ... Pearsall, Marilyn, ed. Women and Values: Readings in Recent Feminist Philosophy. Third Edition. Toronto: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1999. 1 "P is true because S says so", where 'P' is some proposition and 'S' is some sort of supposed authority on the matter, is not a valid argument in any case. The truth-value of P is an entirely separate matter from the identity of S. Appeal to tradition, which could be called the fallacy of conservatism, takes the form "P is true because it is what has been traditionally been believed". P could be something like, "A woman's place is in the home," which would be false no matter who believed it. This assumes acceptance of the notion that no one has a "place" other than that which they choose. 2That is, all are free to decide/discover what happiness is for them. It may not be what tradition tells them it should.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Classic Drucker Book Report

Classic Drucker Book Report Recently, I had the pleasure of reading â€Å"Classic Drucker†. The book contains 15 articles from Peter Drucker that were printed in the â€Å"Harvard Business Review†. I chose a few takeaways with an explanation on why I chose them and how they can apply to your career. 1. â€Å"Whenever you make a key decision, write it down. † Next to it, write down what you expect the end result will be. † As you compile these decisions, review each on after an extended period of time.You will be surprised of your results and over time you may get increasingly accurate on your expected results. 2. â€Å"Mathematicians are born, but everyone can learn trigonometry. † Some people are just naturally more intelligent than others but at the same time, we can learn some of the components of what they know, and know those components just as much as they can. 3. â€Å"Manners enable two people to work together whether they like each other or not. † The words â€Å"please† and â€Å"thanks† go a long way in the business world. I even go as far as saying thanks when someone gives me a new assignment.At times they seem surprised but to be genuinely appreciative will show commitment to the team. 4. â€Å"Too many people work in ways that are not their ways, and that almost guarantees nonperformance†. Your peers may have work habits that are not the same as yours but that doesn't make them non productive. Productivity revolves around results, not one's arrival time, or the fact that a person prefers to wear headphones while they work. 5. â€Å"To be effective in an organization, a person's values must be compatible with the organization's values†.I interpreted this to mean, I am going to be much more successful if my values are aligned with my companies. Doing so will ensure that I am committed and passionate about my work, which has a better chance of leading to success. I wouldn't feel co mfortable working for a company that practiced in lying and cheating to achieve its objectives. 6. â€Å"It is incumbent on the people who work with them (bosses) to observer them, to find out how they work, and to adapt themselves to what makes their bosses more effective†.It has always been a goal of mine to keep all of my work off my boss’s plate, and to take responsibility for everything involving the products that I work on. The entire product might not be my responsibility but the more I can take on, the more my boss can be strategic. 7. â€Å"The theory of business becomes â€Å"culture. † But culture is no substitute for discipline, and the theory of the business is a discipline†. A company with a good culture that you are comfortable with might not necessarily relate to results.Culture doesn't necessarily meet deadlines. Tasks and rules seem to have a better chance of meeting guidelines than â€Å"family business†. 8. â€Å"All events but the truly unique require a generic solution†. I think of how the Product Development Process that has recently been applied to all of the products where I work and how every single one fits in at some phase of that process. The products had a problem being completed. Now we see the end with the implementation of a generic process. 9. Temps are a good way to avoid rules and regulations for employers.A highly trained temp can do the job without the corporate commitment and the need to adhere to hiring/firing HR standards that apply to every day employees. The employees are also easily manageable since many of them are already managed by their agencies. 10. â€Å"Leadership knows something someone else doesn't†. This is the most important takeaway for me. Some people think leadership means type-a personality or being stern, but knowledge truly is power. Knowing something someone else doesn't puts you in the front, with an opportunity to teach and display, some functions o f what many people consider leaders.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Active and Passive Verb Form

Active / Passive Verb Forms Sentences can be active or passive. Therefore, tenses also have â€Å"active forms† and â€Å"passive forms. † You must learn to recognize the difference to successfully speak English. Active Form In active sentences, the thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing receiving the action is the object. Most sentences are active. Basic form: [Thing doing action] + [verb] + [thing receiving action] Examples: – The professor teaches the students – Jonh washes the dishes. Passive FormIn passive sentences, the thing receiving the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing doing the action is optionally included near the end of the sentence. You can use the passive form if you think that the thing receiving the action is more important or should be emphasized. You can also use the passive form if you do not know who is doing the action or if you do not want to mention who is doing the action. Basic form [Thing receiving action] + [be] + [past participle of verb] + [by] + [thing doing action] |Active |Passive | |Simple Present |Once a week, Tom cleans the house. |Once a week, the house is cleaned by Tom. | |Present Continuous |Right now, Sarah is writing the letter. |Right now, the letter is being written by Sarah. | |Simple Past |Sam repaired the car. |The car was repaired by Sam. |Past Continuous |The salesman was helping the customer when the thief came into the |The customer was being helped by the salesman when the thief came into the | | |store. |store. | |Present Perfect |Many tourists have visited that castle. |That castle has been visited by many tourists. | |Present Perfect Continuous |Recently, John has been doing the work. |Recently, the work has been being done by John. |Past Perfect |George had repaired many cars before he received his mechanic's |Many cars had been repaired by George before he received his mechanic's | | |license. |license. | |Past Perfect Continuo us |Chef Jones had been preparing the restaurant's fantastic dinners for |The restaurant's fantastic dinners had been being prepared by Chef Jones for | | |two years before he moved to Paris. two years before he moved to Paris. | |Simple Future |Someone will finish the work by 5:00 PM. |The work will be finished by 5:00 PM. | |will | | | |Simple Future |Sally is going to make a beautiful dinner tonight. A beautiful dinner is going to be made by Sally tonight. | |be going to | | | |Future Continuous |At 8:00 PM tonight, John will be washing the dishes. |At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes will be being washed by John. |will | | | |Future Continuous |At 8:00 PM tonight, John is going to be washing the dishes. |At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes are going to be being washed by John. |be going to | | | |Future Perfect |They will have completed the project before the deadline. |The project will have been completed before the deadline. |be going to | | | |Future Perfect Continuous |They are going to have completed the project before the deadline. |The project is going to have been completed before the deadline. |will | | | |Future Perfect Continuous |The famous artist will have been painting the mural for over six |The mural will have been being painted by the famous artist for over six | |be going to |months by the time it is finished. months by the time it is finished. | |Used to |Jerry used to pay the bills. |The bills used to be paid by Jerry. | |Would Always |My mother would always make the pies. |The pies would always be made by my mother. | |Future in the Past |I knew John would finish the work by 5:00 PM. |I knew the work would be finished by 5:00 PM. |Would | | | |Future in the Past |I thought Sally was going to make a beautiful dinner tonight. |I thought a beautiful dinner was going to be made by Sally tonight. | |Was Going to | | |

Friday, November 8, 2019

Protecting the Innocent essays

Protecting the Innocent essays Capital punishment should be abolished in the United States. There may have been a time when capital punishment was needed and acceptable, but that time is far behind us. The concepts and beliefs supporting capital punishment are outdated and have no place in our modern society. There is no longer a need to perform executions to maintain a safe society. There are two opposing viewpoints on the issue of capital punishment, and both present strong arguments with valid points. One side maintains that capital punishment is an ethical response to crime, and the opposing side believes capital punishment is not an ethical legal action. Undeniably capital punishment does offer some advantages to our society, such as deterrence and incapacitation. However both of these can be gained without the death penalty. There is no proof that the death penalty is a deterrent to criminals, and incapacitation can be achieved by sentencing offenders to life in prison. A common misconception is that executing an offender costs less than life long imprisonment. The cost of apparatus and maintenance of the procedures attending the death penalty, including death row and the endless appeals and legal machinery, far outweighs the expense of maintaining in prison the tiny fraction of criminals who would otherwise be slain (Draper 46). A report issued in1998 by the Judicial Conference of the United States found the cost of sentencing a defendant to the death penalty is higher than imprisoning the accused for life. This is due to the high cost of providing representation in federal death penalty cases (www.uscourts.gov/dpenalty.htm). Cases involving the death penalty take longer to prosecute and therefore have higher costs than other cases. The state is usually responsible for paying the accused legal fees, as most cannot afford a lawyer. Some legal firms do handle capital punishment cases pro bono but the majority of defendants are un...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

HOW FREE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WEBSITES HELP YOUR WRITING

HOW FREE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WEBSITES HELP YOUR WRITING The federal government sponsors top-notch websites free for the searching. But why search the federal government websites instead of just googling your question? The answer lies in quality. These websites contain trusted sources and the top experts in their fields.   Of course, non-fiction writers should be acquainted with them, but they can also aid the fiction writer who has a question/problem. Once you choose a website, the searching process is guided so you don’t have to be a subject expert yourself to use them. A sampling of these free subject databases and examples appears below. Multidisciplinary:   http://usa.gov   A primary source for access to U.S. government documents. It is a â€Å"portal† which searches all agency documents at once in a unified way. As an example of how a fiction writer would use usa.gov, maybe Hope Clark’s Carolina Slade would need to know about the disease that killed Jesse Rawlings’ hogs. Just search â€Å"domesticated hogs diseases South Carolina† for a possible answer. As an added bonus, the portal lists U.S. government grants. Just enter â€Å"grants writers† and your state name. Criminal Justice: National Criminal Justice Reference Service https://www.ncjrs.gov/app/abstractdb/abstractdbsearch.aspxNCJRS services and resources are available to anyone interested in crime, victim assistance, and public safety including policymakers, practitioners, researchers, educators, community leaders, and the general public. Authors of murder mysteries can find source material here, for example, the murder rate in Detroit or any major city. Education: ERIC eric.ed.gov/ERIC is the world’s largest collection of education literature, containing more than 1 million records of journal articles, research, reports, curriculum and teaching guides, conference papers, books, and more and more full text. It covers preschool through higher education. An example of its use might be to find the relationship of an autistic child with his classmates for a character study. Medicine: There are two excellent medical databases MedlinePlus nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/and PUBMED ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ MedlinePlus is the National Institutes of Healths website for patients and their families and friends. It brings the layperson information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues. MedlinePlus offers reliable, up-to-date health information. It helps you learn about the latest treatments, look up information on a drug or supplement, find out the meanings of words, or view medical videos or illustrations. You can also get links to the latest medical research on your topic or find out about clinical trials on a disease or condition. This source is especially good for drug side effects and overdose information, again for those murder mysteries. Find the lethal dose of a drug for a fictitious poisoning. It contains medical encyclopedias for diseases your characters may suffer. More technical than MedlinePlus, PubMed comprises more than 21 million   records for

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Women Inequality and Development in Middle East Essay

Women Inequality and Development in Middle East - Essay Example This essay stresses that there are many ethnic groups residing in the Middle Eastern countries but unluckily all of them have similar though patterns of male dominating society. Men feel a sense of satisfaction if they pressurize their female counter parts. That is the reason behind a suppressive behavior for the women of Middle East. The conservative thoughts of the people have narrow down the space for women to survive in their families, society and generally in the state. There are even some severe cases of sexual violence in some states of the Middle East. The violence is not only sexually abusive, moreover it also affect mental and behavioral aspect of any woman. This mental and physical torture may cause a depression in the females and thus their skills and potential capabilities will also be disturbed. The women should raise their voices against this brutal social and cultural practice of the Middle Eastern male dominant societies. The world will consider the women rights if w omen themselves stand against them. This paper makes a conclusion that religion’s teachings are also very important but still culture has its own importance for shaping the people’s behavior in this regard. In case of Middle Eastern countries, the cultural values are dominating over the religious values and norms. The worst situation is that people even are not aware of their religious teachings and they are just following the cultural practices in their lives.

Friday, November 1, 2019

The Problems and Challenges in Developing Teams Research Paper

The Problems and Challenges in Developing Teams - Research Paper Example This requires extensive group activities and teamwork. Moreover, multinational organizations also require collaborating efforts of people located in a wide variety of geographic locations. Thus teamwork may also constitute people belonging to different nations. Thus it is seen that the overall performance and productivity of organizations fall short in the absence of proper management and development of teams. The present project discusses the situation and condition of teamwork and development at British Airways which is one of the largest airlines in England. The organization has confronted with challenging situations on account of the varying environmental and business conditions but has successfully overcome hurdles through proper and effective teamwork and development. Organizational Analysis- Context and Scenario leading to the problems of Team Roles and Team Development in the organization British Airways demonstrated tremendous failures in its self managed teams during the 19 90s. This is because of the fact that its team members lacked proper people management skills (McCann, â€Å"Introduction†). Following are the details of the context and scenario in British Airways which group work and team development failed. Person Sex Age Position Character AB M 35 Project Manager Autocratic leadership style that reinforces decisions and choices. Sociable, Extrovert. Pays little heed to people’s concerns, issues, views or suggestions CD M 32 Software Developer Highly knowledgeable and skilled worker, friendly yet introverted, conscientious; prefers to interact with computers rather than with people EF M 30 Software Developer Medium level of knowledge of technical aspects, people oriented, quick learner, extrovert and bubbly. Good listener and puts work first and self-aspects later GH M 28 Software Developer Unsociable, prefers to work on his own terms without being guided or directed; Concerned with his won work objectives and individual task accomp lishments rather than the tasks of the group at large. The above table mentions the characteristics of the different team members working under a single project manager. The main implication on the manager is the fact the members differ distinctly from one another in terms of their nature and behaviors. On the other hand, the manager himself displays an authoritarian autocratic style of leadership which members find difficult to handle. The fact that he imposes his own decisions and choices with regards to work activities and strategies is crucial for the team which comprises of members who are adequately knowledgeable and prefers to work as per their own understanding and decisions. Here, arises another problem.  Ã‚