US And UN Essays - International Relations, , Term Papers

US And UN Is the United States Giving too Much to the United Nations? Does it seem like whenever the United Nations (UN) sends peacekeepers to a region that the United States (US) bears the majority of the debt and load of troops? Does it seem that we are the only country supply material and "doing it all?" Is the US the worlds police department? No we aren't. The US is doing its job when the UN asks for assistance when a country needs peacekeepers in a time of transition, redevelopment, or serious acts against the rights of humans. The US is not the controlling force behind the UN like some people believe. For those of you how do, grow up! It is true that the US pays more than some other countries, but we do not carry the whole budget. We only cover 25% of the regular UN budget and peacekeeping operations. That comes to a total of $313 million for the regular budget and $282 million for peacekeeping, and whatever other contributions that Congress decides to give to other UN programs. Some might say that this is too much, well I believe that it isn't enough. The UN runs many programs and tries to maintain peace in an effort to thwart war. How much would you pay for a global peace? Whatever it is that you just said probably isn't enough. Why should any US citizen worry about what the UN does, we are the US, the most powerful country in the world? It should be a matter of your concern since the US is vulnerable, maybe not from some other falling superpower, but to some third world country that is trying to get their hands on a medium yield nuclear weapon. How does this effect the UN? Well the UN works with small third world countries to get them developing in the right the direction, away from weapons of mass destruction and more towards a better agriculture system of infrastructure. What type of military support does the US give the UN? Currently the UN has around twenty peacekeeping operations going on around the world, the most recent being the mission to East Timor. There are about 26,000 UN peacekeepers around the world and about 900 of those are American, so we contribute about 3% of the peacekeeping force. The largest contributor is Poland with about 1,100 troops and other personnel. I think that if a country like Poland can give 1,100 troops, we can do better. Yes, that might mean that we might loose more men and women, but we have the largest Navy, Air Force, and the second largest Army in the world. I am not saying we put all our Armed Forces at the disposal of the UN, but we can give more. Does this mean we will have to pay more, no. Congress recently passes a law saying that the US will pay no more than 25% of the UN regular budget or peacekeeping budget, and the UN is working with a no-growth budget for the first time. This is a win-win situation for the US if we gave more. It shows the world that the US does care about other countries other than itself, and it can spread the interest of the US to places where it might not usually get. This doesn't mean that the US is going to take over the world, it means that the US should take the world into consideration when it comes to making some policy decisions. You might think that if the US gives troops to an UN operation that is lead by a foreign commander that the US has no say it what happens. Well, that is wrong the President of the United States never relinquishes control of any US armed forces no matter the circumstance. The US should be more forward in the way it handles peacekeeping operations. I am not saying whenever there is trouble the US should run to that country and hold its hand, but we should go forth and help when we have an opportunity to share with the struggling country a hand up and get it going again. An example is helping the sovereign state of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. These are two countries that broke away or are trying to break away and become sovereign complete and not worry about Serbs coming in to ruin their way of life. What I am saying is that the US is a big financial backer

Californias Supreme Court Weighs in on Proposition 8

Californias Supreme Court Weighs in on Proposition 8 Since 1911 Californians have played an important role in shaping California's Constitution. Then Governor Hiram Johnson began his term by giving the citizens of California a tool in which they could use to adopt laws and constitutional amendments without the support of the Governor or the Legislature. California became the 10th State to adopt the initiative process (Secretary of State Debra Bowen, 2002).English: Debra Bowen, Secretary of State for Calif...In 2008 the citizens of California introduced Proposition 8, a ballot initiative written to overturn an earlier court decision legalizing same sex marriages. Proposition 8 eliminated the right of same sex couples to marry in California. It also provided that only marriage between a man and woman would be recognized in California. With both sides of the issue weighing in the measure was put to the voters on November 4, 2008. The ballot measure passed with 52.3% saying yes and 47.7% saying no (CBS Broadcasting Inc. (CBS). The State im mediately adopted the measure on November 5, 2008 and challenges to its constitutionality have been on going through the legal system.While thousands demonstrated outside; the California Supreme Court listened to arguments on the constitutionality of proposition 8. Gay rights advocates are seeking to overturn Prop 8 citing the initiative was put before the voters improperly; specifically that changes to the state constitution must be approved by the state legislature before being put on the ballot. Proponents of the Prop 8 are arguing that the initiative was approved correctly and in a free election the voters choose to exercise their right to change the constitution. Arguing for Prop 8, Ken Starr stated "it would be a miscarriage of justice for the court to overturn the results" (Sakuma, 2009, Â ¶ 4).The justices put forth a barrage of questions to Atty. Shannon Minter, arguing for gay...

Outsourcing, alliances, mergers Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Outsourcing, alliances, mergers - Research Paper Example This follows into the older model of competitive advantage for organizations; mergers and acquisitions. The paper concludes by evaluating the economics of each mode and understanding its need for businesses in the international arena. The confusion around globalization makes it harder to concretely define the term itself. In many cases, it is the prominent catchphrase for describing the process of international economic integration’ (Scholte, 2005, 16). In the context of the argument presented in this paper, globalization is viewed as an amalgamation of liberalization, universalization and westernization. Hence, it could be defined as the process of removing restrictions on movements between countries, creating a synthesis of cultures and spreading experiences to people in all corners of the world (Scholte, 2005). The birth of trade can be traced back to the time of the barter system – entities trading goods with one another, each valuing the other’s item equivalent to their own by a certain numerical degree, i.e. 1 is to 1, or 1 is to 10. With time, as trade expanded to larger volumes, the basic concept of valuation remained embedded in certain form. Inter-industry trade, where one country tends to export one good and import a wholly different type of good, is dominantly explained by comparative advantage. Prior to this concept, Adam Smith in 1766 proposed the theory of absolute advantage for international trade, where a country exports products that are produced cheaply compared to trading partners, and imports products produced more expensively. Hence, each country would hold absolute advantage in a product over the other. David Ricardo in 1817 brought about a different insight claiming international trade depends on opportunity costs (prices of one good expressed in terms of amount of other good needed to forego in order to purchase it) (Tayeb, 2000). Like other classical political economists, Ricardo’s

Research Methods Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research Methods - Assignment Example Theory building is relatively more complex that theory testing. In theory testing, a researcher primarily tests whether a certain theory explains a phenomenon that he or she is investigating (Christensen, Johnson & Turner, 2011). For instance, a researcher studying the cause of global warming may consider testing the Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) theory. The rationale behind testing such a theory is to uncover whether the AGW theory best explains global warming. Therefore, the researcher may test the theory by looking at the humidity levels resulting from the emission of carbon dioxide. Theory testing aims at collecting evidence to either confirm or contest a theory. In theory building, the researcher synthesis literature content related to his or her interested topic of study in an attempt to explain a given phenomenon. For instance, a researcher studying the concept of global warming may consider the analysis of all theories related to global warming including the AGW theory ( Polkinghorne, 2005). The usage of data in testing already constructed hypotheses and theories is advantageous since the analysis that shall be done is meant to confirm or dispute the given theories and hypotheses. On the downside, this statistical method is prone to the aligning of new information to old findings and may thus eliminate other findings not taken care of by the theory or hypothesis in question (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010). On the other hand, the usage of data in generating hypotheses and building theories has its advantages among them the completeness and depth of analysis and drawing of conclusions (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, 2004). This is due to the fact that there are no biases the researcher is exposed to (Polkinghorne, 2005). The disadvantage is that the conclusions are exposed to many untested results. The first rationale for employing the

Weapons Of Mass Destruction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Weapons Of Mass Destruction - Research Paper Example There are widespread assumptions that terrorist groups are going to use WMD and the use of NBC weapons by terrorists are highly inevitable. There is an increase in the number of terrorist groups that are both capable and interested in causing mass casualties. Their weapons have become more lethal in the age of globalization.Throughout history, chemical and biological weapons have been used by politically motivated individuals and groups, for purposes such as assassinations and generating terror. Since the successful development of the first nuclear weapons in 1945, debates about terrorism involving nuclear, biological and chemical weapons have been cyclical in nature, recurring in every decade, with varying levels of intensity.DefinitionsThe term â€Å"weapons of mass destruction† has been introduced to the world by recent horrible events like the Japanese subway attack using Sarin nerve agent, the abortive Russian hostage release at the Moscow theater using fentanyl, and thre ats from North Korea and Iran for use of nuclear weapons.Most people would consider WMD as a collective for nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons, but this is not correct. All weapons of mass destruction may not cause extensive destruction. A better definition for these weapons might be: ‘those things which kill people in more horrible ways than bullets or trauma, or which cause effects other than simply damaging or destroying buildings and objects, with the element of fear or panic included'.

Recent Applications of Keratin

Recent Applications of Keratin Abstract This review discusses the recent applications of keratin and keratin-based materials. Keratin-Based Materials The keratin-based materials are produced from keratin fibers, such as human hair, skin, hooves, feathers, beaks, feet and horns (18). For biomedical and pharmaceutical purposes, human hair is a preferred major source of keratin for several reasons. First, it is available readily from barber and beauty salons. Also, human hair is less prone to cause undesired allergic or immune reactions in a human. Finally, a derived keratin material is able to be made from the hair of a person for whom the keratin-based material will be used (13). Animal feathers are also major resources for keratin extraction. Every year, there are 5 million tons of chicken feathers produced from chicken meat as a waste stream (8). Thus, feathers are abundant source of keratin that can be easily obtained. There are numerous methods to extract the keratin-based material from the keratin sources. One method includes partial oxidization of some disulfide linkages of the keratin with an oxidizing agent, such as peracetic acid, while remaining disulfide linkages are left intact. The partially oxidized hair is powdered and the remaining intact disulfide linkages are cleaved with a reducing agent. An insoluble part of keratin fraction is, then, removed by centrifugation (3, 15). The soluble part, including alpha keratin, is purified and oxidized to reform disulfide linkages between protein backbones (3, 19). The oxidized soluble part is easily dissolved and can form keratin solutions with controlled concentrations (19). The produced keratin solid can be used in a fibrous form when shredded, in a powder form when finely ground, in a hydrogel or viscoelastic hydrogel when hydrated by adding water, or may be used in certain embodiments (13). These materials are used for biomedical, pharmaceutical, biosorbent, and industrial applications. Wound Dressing The optimum wound dressing protects the injured tissue, maintains moisture while being water permeable, is easy to apply, and delivers effective healing agents to the wounded tissue (15). The keratin-based material acts as a non-antigenic wound healing material (3). The keratin-based film is appropriate to be used as a wound dressing. The porous sponge matrices of keratin can play an important role in absorbing wound exudates and in maintaining a healthy and moist environment for healing an injury (16). Also, a hydratable keratin solid powder that is also used in a form of a keratin hydrogel when added water is used as a wound dressing (13). These highly absorbent keratin solid fiber and powder provide an extra benefit along with the water absorbency. This benefit includes healing or soothing peptides associated with the keratin (18). Blanchard et al. (3) tested the keratin power, which would be used to produce a keratin hydrogel when hydrated, as wound healing agent with several donor sites. The sterilized keratin powder is applied on a half of a donor wound site and the other half is treated with a standard treatment. The result shows the halves treated with the keratin powder mature faster and epithelialize more rapidly. Also, the patients with the wounds have significantly less pain with the keratin power treatment (3). Than et al. (4) conducted a study focusing on the effects of the keratin dressing on chronic wounds of different cases. For one of the studied cases, a minimally exudative wound, which had been existed for 11.5 months, was treated with a matrix dressing produced from freeze-dried keratin protein. This dressing allows the rapid growth of new tissue by reabsorbing into the developed tissue. The wound was healed after 30 weeks (Figure 2). Also, the patient had experienced the repeated leg ulcers; yet, the patient stayed ulcer-free after the treatment (4). Figure 1 (1A) Ulcer under keratin-derived matrix dressing treatment at Day 0; (1B) Healed ulcer under keratin-derived matrix dressing treatment at Day 99 (4) Pharmaceutical Siller-Jackson et al. (13) and Van Dyke et al. (18) proposed an invention of the keratin material incorporated with nonwoven film, which can be used in several different applications. One of the applications is that the solid keratin with nonwoven film can form a beneficial drug delivery system when it is incorporated with active pharmaceutical agents. These pharmaceutical agents, including the compounds that may allow ion exchange with sulfonic acid groups of keratin, can be formulated as hydrochlorides, polar agents, protein agents, polypeptide agents, and peptide agents (18). Polypeptide agents include both native and recombinant polypeptides (13). Table 1 provides the list of the classes and types of pharmaceutical agents (13, 18). Table 1 Classes and Types of Pharmaceutical Agents (13, 18) The invention of Van Dyke et al. (18) suggests that the application of the drug delivery system with solid keratin provides several significant advantages. In this system, the properties of the dosage form of a drug can be determined by the chemical and material properties of the keratin, whereas with most delivery systems, the level of a drug is maintained at a consistent concentration with sustained or controlled release. Also, the nonwoven film drug delivery system is performed in non-aqueous media, which is a distinct advantage because non-water soluble drugs are usually troublesome to formulate into convenient dosage forms. Furthermore, keratin can play a dual role of wound dressing and drug delivery system simultaneously, allowing a less intrusive therapy than separate treatments (18). Hemostat Aboushwareb et al. (7) demonstrated the hemostatic characteristics of the human hair keratin hydrogel with the ability to absorb fluid and bind cells successfully. The experiments evaluate the efficacy of human hair keratin hydrogel in a lethal model of liver injury in a rabbit model, compared to other commercial hemostats. The study proved the efficacy of the keratin biomaterials in arresting hemorrhage and increasing the survivability in a model of liver injury, similarly to the compared commercial products.   Also, it was proved that the keratin hydrogel does not produce adverse cell and tissue responses (7). Implant Filler The keratin hydrogel can also be used as an augmentation of soft tissue, including augmentation of vocal chords in order to restore elasticity, and augmentation of breasts, lips, chin, gluteal area, and wrinkled or acne scarred skin in order to improve the appearance of a subject (25). The biocompatible viscoelastic keratin hydrogel is used as an implant filler (25). Such keratin hydrogel provides a natural-appearing and safe implant for reconstructing or filling the human breast, and other tissues. The implant may be used in several ways. One way is that the solid hydrogel implant precursor is hydrated before placing the filler into an implant envelope. Another way is that tissue expanders are contained in an envelope with the keratin hydrogel. This method allows the implant to absorb the body fluids through the envelope and increasing in a volume at a controlled rate, providing a more convenient and comfortable implant compared to traditional implants (18). The keratin hydrogel implants are less toxic than the silicone implants, in case of the risk of a leakage. Also, the keratin fillers give more natural appearance and feeling than saline implants do. Additionally, the keratin implants do not require a second invasive procedure to harvest tissue as fat cells do (18). Biosorbent The interest in the use of biomass for the dissolved metal removal from aqueous solutions has been increasing because of the relatively high cost of the traditional water treatment materials, the complex operational set-up, and the safety precautions (9). The keratin-based material can be used as the purification method of natural and waste water resources contaminated with metal (8). The keratin protein fiber is used to purify heavy metal-contaminated water. The wool keratin has been reported to uptake mercury, copper, silver, cadmium, lead, chromium, and aluminum. Also, mohair keratin has been reported to remove copper (9). Khosa and Ullah (10) have recently presented the application of the keratin biopolymer for the removal of arsenic. Also, Saucedo-Rivalcoba et al. (11) have proposed the use of polyurethane-keratin hybrid membranes in order to absorb and remove hexavalent chromium from water. Rubber Hergenrother et al. (12) has proposed the utilization of keratin as a filler in rubber compositions. This use of keratin in conjunction with coupling agents increases dynamic storage modulus (G) while not affecting the physical properties of the compounds. The keratin filler used is derived from avian feather or feather meal, which has higher bulk density than ground feather. The compounds of the filler are economical and easy to process. Also, these are environmentally friendly because even a small amount of avian feather used will allow the reduced amount of non-renewable fillers, such as carbon black, to be used (12). The keratin filler used for rubber is beta-keratin-based and water-insoluble. Keratin from feathers is relatively economic, is non-toxic, has a high melting point, is light-weight, and is a biodegradable renewable material. Therefore, the reinforcing keratin filler will help produce sustainable products that uses rubber, such as tires. Diapers / Feminine Hygiene Products The absorbent materials are capable of absorbing body fluids such as urine and menses. Thus, the absorbent materials are included in the products that are used next to the skin. Such materials can be derived from wood pulp, cellulosic fibers, or synthetically produced superabsorbent (13, 18). An inner core of diapers and feminine hygiene products is designed to absorb water and urine. It is commonly formed with a superabsorbent polymer that is dispersed in a larger amount of less absorbent material.   Yet, even the absorbent materials are separated from the skin with at least one layer of materials, the skin contact with such materials have been causing irritation and not beneficial (13, 18). The keratin-based absorbent or hydratable solid, in forms of powder or hydrogel, is a natural material that can absorb body fluids, and is beneficial with respect to diaper rash. The hydratable keratin solid can be coated either on a layer next to the skin of a subject or on a layer separated from the skin by a water permeable layer (13, 18). For both diapers and feminine hygiene products, the hydratable keratin solid can be used in an inner absorbent core. The keratin materials may be associated with a nonwoven layer of product, or coated on a layer of a product, or permeated into a layer of a product (13, 18). Keratin Hydrolysate Similar to the keratin-based material sources, keratin hydrolysates are prepared from human hair, wool, animal hair, feathers and horns (21). The recent method of the keratin hydrolysate production utilizes chicken feathers with Bacillus subtilis (21, 22). Vermelho et al. (21) and Villa et al. (22) have suggested that the useful bacterium for the production is Bacillus subtilis.   Villa et al. (22) proposed an effective method that produces a clear hydrolysate (22). Feathers are transformed into keratin peptides and amino acid by peptidases and keratinases, produced by Bacillus subtilis (Figure 2) (22).   From this process, the keratin hydrolysates are produced enzymatically (21). Figure 2 (A) Control: Bacillus subtilis in feather containing medium at Day 0; (B) Growth in feather medium at Day 5 (22) Such method is also environmental friendly because it recycles and helps reducing the feather waste, which is the byproduct of the poultry industry (27). The keratin hydrolysate is majorly used for cosmetics applications. Cosmetics The keratin hydrolysates can be used in various cosmetic applications, such as hair and skin applications (21). Villa et al. (22) effectively proved that the enzymatic production of keratin peptides from feathers is significantly affective in hair care products. The keratin peptides improve the hair fiber hydration and seal cuticles in the hair fibers with the hydrolysates, which increase the shine and softness of the hair (22). Barba et al. (24) conducted a long-term study to find the beneficial effect of the topical application of the wool keratin peptides. The study was performed on undisturbed kin to determine the efficacy of the two keratin peptide samples, one with an aqueous keratin formulation and another with liposome formulation mixed with the aqueous keratin solution. Both of the keratin peptide samples showed very close result with the increase of the hydration of the skin. Also, the treated skin with both samples was resulted with increased skin elasticity (24). The keratin-based hydrogel is capable of facilitating the regeneration of peripheral nerves. Sierpinski et al. (5) showed that the keratin hydrogel enhances the in vitro activity of Schwann cells, led from the increase of cellular proliferation and migration, and the upregulated gene expression. References 1. Rouse, J.G.; Van Dyke, M.E., A Review of Keratin-Based Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications, Materials 2010, 3 (2), 999-1014. 2. Silva, R.; Fabry, B.; Boccaccini, A.R., Fibrous Protein-Based Hydrogels for Cell Encapsulation, Biomaterials 2014, 35 (25), 6727-6738. 3. Blanchard, C.R.; Timmons, S. .; Smith, R.A., Keratin-Based Hydrogel for Biomedical Applications and Method of Production, U.S. Patent 6,379,690, April 30, 2002. 4. Than, M.P.; Smith, R.A.; Hammond, C.; Kelly, R.; Marsh, C.; Maderal, A.D.; Kirsner, R.S., Keratin-Based Wound Care Products for Treatment of Resistant Vascular Wounds, J. Clin. Aesthet. Dermatol. 2012, 5(12), 31-35. 5. Sierpinski, P.; Garrett, J.; Ma, J.; Apel, P.; Klorig, D.; Smith, T.; Koman, L.A.; Atala, A.; Van Dyke, M., The Use of Keratin Biomaterials Derived from Human Hair for the Promotion of Rapid Regeneration of Peripheral Nerves, Biomaterials 2008, 29 (1), 118-128. 6. Apel, P.J.; Garrett, J.P.; Sierpinski, P.; Ma, J.; Atala, A.; Smith, T.L.; Koman, L.A.; Van Dyke, M.E., Peripheral Nerve Regeneration Using a Keratin-Based Scaffold: Long-Term Functional and Historical Outcomes in a Mouse Model, J. Hand. Surg.2008, 33A, 1541-1547. 7. Aboushwareb, T.; Eberli, D.; Ward, C.; Broda, C.; Holcomb, J.; Atala, A.; Van Dyke, M., A Keratin Biomaterial Gel Hemostat Derived from Human Hair: Evaluation in a Rabbit Model of Lethal Liver Injury, J. Biomed. Mater. Res. Part B Appl. Biomater. 2008, 90B (1), 45-54. 8. Khosa, M.A.; Ullah, A., A Sustainable Role of Keratin Biopolymer in Green Chemistry: A Review, J. Food Processing Beverages 2013, 1 (1), 8-15. 9. Kar, P.; Misra, M., Use of Keratin Fiber for Separation of Heavy Metals from Water, J. Chem. Technol. Biotechnol. 2004, 79 (11), 1313-1319. 10. Khosa, M.A.; Ullah, A., In-situ Modification, Regeneration, and Application of Keratin Biopolymer for Arsenic Removal, J. Hazard. Mater. 2014, 278, 360-371. 11. Saucedo-Rivalcoba, V.; Martinez-Hernà ¡ndez, A.L.; Martinez-Barrera, G.; Belascco-Santos, C.; Rivera-Armenta, J.L.; Castaà ±o, V.M., Removal of Hexavalent Chromium from Water by Polyurethane-Keratin Hybrid Membranes, Water, Air, Soil Pollut. 2011, 218 (1-4), 557-571. 12. Hergenrother, W.L.; Shltz, L.L.; Lin, C.J., Keratin in Rubber Applications, U.S. Application 14/492,835, January 8, 2015. 13. Siller-Jackson, A.J.; Van Dyke, M.E.; Timmons, S.F.; Blanchard, C.R.; Smith, R.A., Keratin-Based Powders and Hydrogel for Pharmaceutical Applications, U.S. Patent 6,544,548 B1, April 8, 2003. 14. Kelly, R.J.; Ali, M.A.; Roddick-Lanzilotta, A.D.; Worth, G.; Hassan, M.M.; McLaughlin, J.R.; McKinnon, A.J., Composite Materials Containing Keratin, U.S. Patent 7,767,756 B2, August 3, 2010. 15. Timmons, S.F.; Blanchard, C.R.; Smith, R.A., Keratin-Based Tissue Engineering Scaffold, U.S. Patent 6,432,435 B1, August 13, 2002. 16. Kelly, R.J.; Roddick-Lanzilotta, A.D.; Ali, M.A., Wound Care Products Containing Keratin, U.S. Patent 7,732,574 B2, June 8, 2010. 17. Kelly, R.J.; Worth, G.H.; Roddick-Lanzilotta, A.D.; Rankin, D.A.; Ellis, P.; Mesman, J.R.; Summers, C.G.; Singleton, D.J., Production of Soluble Keratin Derivatives, U.S. Patent 7,148,327 B2, December 12, 2006. 18. Van Dyke, M.E.; Timmons, S.F.; Blanchard, C.R.; Siller-Jackson, A.J.; Smith, R.A., Absorbent Keratin Wound Dressing, U.S. Patent 6,270,793 B1, August 7, 2001. 19. Wu, C.; Li, J.; Wicks, D.; Morgan, S.; Smith, R.A., Hydratable Keratin Compositions, U.S. Application 11/920,456, August 11, 2011. 20. Van Dyke, M.E.; Blanchard, C.R.; Timmons, S.F.; Siller-Jackson, A.J.; Smith, R.A., Implantable prosthetic or Tissue Expanding Device, U.S. Patent 6,849,092 B2, February 1, 2005. 21. Vermelho, A.B.; Villa, A.L.V.; Mazotto de Almeida, A.M.; de Souza Dias, E.P.; dos Santos, E.P., Keratin Hydrolysates, Process for Their Production and Cosmetic Composition Containing the Same, U.S. Application 12/666,409, August 5, 2010. 22. Villa, A.L.V.; Aragà £o, M.R.S.; Santos, E.P.D.; Mazotto, A.M.; Zingali, R.B.; de Souza, E.P.; Vermelho, A.B., Feather Keratin Hydrolysates Obtained from Microbial Keratinases: Effect on Hair Fiber, BMC Biotechnol. 2013, 13 (1), 15 23. Weathersby, C.; McMichael, A., Brazilian Keratin Hair Treatment: A Review, J. Cosmet. Dermatol. 2013, 12 (2), 144-148. 24. Barba, C.; Mà ©ndez, S.; Roddick-Lanzilotta, A.; Kelly, R.; Parra, J.L.; Coderch, L., Cosmetic Effectiveness of Topically Applied Hydrolysed Keratin Peptides and Lipids Derived from Wool, Skin Res. Tech. 2008, 14, 243-248. 25. Van Dyke, M.E.; Blanchard, C.R.; Timmons, S.F.; Siller-Jackson, A.J.; Smith, R.A., Water Absorbent Keratin and Gel Formed Therefrom, U.S. Patent 6,316,598 B1, November 13, 2001. 26. Misra, M.; Kar, P.; Priyadarshan, G., Keratin Protein Nano-fiber for Removal of Heavy Metals and Contaminants, Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 2002, 702, 27. Cedrola, S.M.; de Melo, A.C.; Mazotto, A.M.; Lins, U.; Zingali, R.B.; Rosado, A.S.; Peixoto, R.S.; Vemelho, A.B., Keratinases and sulfide from Bacillus subtilis SLC to Recycle Feather Waste, World J. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 2012, 28, 1259-1269.

Anatomy Of A Muscle Cell Essay -- essays research papers

Anatomy of Muscle Cells There are three types of muscle tissue in the human body. These muscle tissues are skeletal muscles, smooth muscles and cardiac muscles. Each of these muscle tissues has it very own anatomical makeup, which vary from muscle to muscle. The muscle cells in a muscle are referred to as muscle fibers, these fibers are skeletal muscle fibers, smooth muscle fibers and cardiac muscle fibers. The anatomy of a skeletal muscle fiber is formed during embryonic development. Skeletal muscle fibers arise from a hundred or more small mesodermal cells called myoblasts. The mature skeletal muscle fiber has a hundred or more nuclei. Once fusion occurs the skeletal muscle fiber will lose the ability to undergo cell division. This means that the number of muscle fibers is set before birth and most of these fibers will last a lifetime. The muscle growth that occurs after birth is a result of the enlargement of these existing muscle fibers. The mature muscle fibers have a few myoblasts, which remain as satellite cells. These myoblasts retain the capacity to join with one another or with damaged muscle fibers in order to regenerate these muscle fibers. John Centore2 Dr. Jain Anatomy & Physiology The many nuclei of skeletal muscle fiber are located underneath the sarcolemma, which is the fiber’s plasma membrane. Thousands of invaginations of the sarcolemma, which are called T Tubules, Tunnel from the surface to the center of the muscle fiber. These T Tubules are open to the outside of the fiber and are filled with extra-cellular fluid. Muscle action potentials propagate along the sarcolemma and through the T tubules and quickly spread through the muscle fiber. This process ensures that all parts of the muscle fiber become excited by an action potential virtually simultaneously. The sarcoplasm is located inside the sarcolemma. Sarcoplasm is the cytoplasm of a muscle fiber, it contains a good amount of glycogen, which is used for ATP synthesis. The sarcoplasm also contains myoglobin, a red colored, oxygen binding-protein, that is found only in muscle fibers. The myoglobin binds oxygen molecules, which are needed for ATP production within the mitochondria. The Mitochondria lie in rows throughout the muscle fiber, strategically close to the proteins that use ATP during contraction. The sarcoplasm is filled with little threadlike structures. These str... ...sponse to nerve impulses, hormones and other local factors. These muscle fibers can also stretch considerably and still maintain their contractile function. John Centore5 Anatomy & Physiology Dr. Jain The last of the three groups of muscle fiber is cardiac muscle fiber. The cardiac muscle fibers have the same arrangement of actin and myosin and the same bands, zones, and Z-disks as skeletal muscle fibers. However, the ends of cardiac muscle fibers connect to adjacent fibers by irregular transverse thickenings of the sarcolemma called intercalated disks. These disks contain desmosomes, which hold the fibers together, and gap junctions, which allow muscle action potential to spread from one cardiac muscle to another. In cardiac muscle fibers, calcium ions enter the sarcoplasm both from the sarcoplasmic reticulum and from extracellular fluid. The mitochondria in cardiac muscle fiber are larger and more numerous than in skeletal muscle fiber. Cardiac muscle fibers can also use lactic acid produced by skeletal muscle fibers to make ATP, a benefit during exercise. I had already submitted my Email is Johnnynip@aol.com,please excuse me for forgetting my email address....thank you

CAPM’s Contribution to the Stock Market

The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) is a mathematical, analytical formula to help investors make the wisest decisions on the stock market. Before purchasing a common stock, an investor may use the CAPM (a mathematical formula) to estimate its expected returns. The Model may be used for all kinds of assets. In brief, the CAPM helps to explain â€Å"the relationship between the risk of a particular asset or stock, its market price, and the expected return to the investor (â€Å"Capital Asset Pricing Model or CAPM,† 2007). By using CAPM as a tool to project expected returns from stocks, investors automatically affect the demand and prices of stocks sold on the market. The CAPM starts out with the assumption that there are two kinds of risks that must be assessed before an investment decision is made. Systematic risk includes risks facing the market as a whole and that cannot be dampened through portfolio diversification. Examples of systematic risks include rates of interest and economic slumps (McClure, 2008). While systematic risks must affect all stocks at the same time, unsystematic risks or specific risks are risks that are â€Å"specific to individual stocks and can be diversified away as the investor increases the number of stocks in his or her portfolio (McClure). † Of course, good investors are well-versed in investment theories such as the modern portfolio theory, which clearly states that diversification cannot resolve the issue of systematic risks, although specific risks may be easily handled by diversifying an investment portfolio. CAPM was developed as a way to address the issues raised by the modern portfolio theory. This Model is a tool to measure systematic risks as well (McClure). The Risk Glossary explains the importance of estimating systematic risk before the formula for measuring such risk is described: According to CAPM, the marketplace compensates investors for taking systematic risk but not for taking specific risk. This is because specific risk can be diversified away. When an nvestor holds the market portfolio, each individual asset in that portfolio entails specific risk, but through diversification, the investor's net exposure is just the systematic risk of the market portfolio. Systematic risk can be measured using beta. According to CAPM, the expected return of a stock equals the risk-free rate plus the portfolio's beta multiplied by the expected excess return of the market portfolio. Specifically, let and be random variables for the simple returns of the stock and the market over some specifi ed period. Let be the known risk-free rate, also expressed as a simple return, and let be the stock's beta. Then where E denotes an expectation (â€Å"Capital Asset Pricing Model,† 1996). The formula of CAPM is considered its conclusion (â€Å"Capital Asset Pricing Model†). To put it simply, the formula states that â€Å"excess expected return† of a stock is dependent on the beta of the stock rather than the stock’s volatility (â€Å"Capital Asset Pricing Model†). The same can be stated for an investment portfolio. Another way to explain the formula is that â€Å"the stock's excess expected return over the risk-free rate equals its beta times the market's expected excess return over the risk free rate (â€Å"Capital Asset Pricing Model†). † Or, excess expected return from a stock is dependent on systematic risk rather than the total of risks (â€Å"Capital Asset Pricing Model†). As suggested previously, by knowing the beta and expected returns for a certain stock or asset, investors are able to bid up or down its price. Expected returns are adjusted so long as the formula has not been satisfied. Thus, the Capital Asset Pricing Model ends up predicting the equilibrium price of a stock or asset. One of the assumptions of the model is that all investors agree on the expected return of certain stock or asset as well as the beta. Although this assumption is unrealistic, the CAPM is believed to affect the stock market by urging investors to raise the demand for particular assets or stocks as compared to others, based on the information they obtain through the use of the Model (â€Å"Capital Asset Pricing Model†). Apart from the unrealistic assumption of CAPM mentioned above, there are other problems with the Model that experts have identified by way of research. As an example, Eugene Fama and Kenneth French, upon considering expected returns on the American Stock Exchange, Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange for a period of 27 years, found that the differences of beta do not consistently describe the performance of stocks (McClure). McClure reports that the study conducted by Fama and French is not the only one that raised doubts about the validity of the Capital Asset Pricing Model. A major problem with the Model is the fact that beta cannot be used as a sure predictor of the reaction of stocks to various changes. All the same, the CAPM continues to be used by countless investors around the globe (McClure). In other words, beta continues to affect investment decisions that run the stock market day after day. References Capital Asset Pricing Model. (1996). Risk Glossary. Retrieved Nov 4, 2008, from http://www.riskglossary.com/link/capital_asset_pricing_model.htm. Capital Asset Pricing Model or CAPM. (2007). Money Zine. Retrieved Nov 4, 2008, from http://www.money-zine.com/Investing/Stocks/Capital-Asset-Pricing-Model-or-CAPM/. McClure, B. (2008). The Capital Asset Pricing Model: An Overview. Investopedia. Retrieved Nov 4, 2008, from http://www.investopedia.com/articles/06/CAPM.asp.

Miles Davis essays

Miles Davis essays Miles Davis is an icon, a true legend of music. He was a masterful trumpet player who "explored the instrument's lower register and tended to play slower, more lyrical lines, often melancholy, rather than the showers of high notes," such as that of Dizzy Gillespie and others (Miles pp). Davis, who released a multitude of recordings during his forty-five year career, offering a bewildering array of different styles, was at the center of almost every movement in modern jazz, from early be-bop, the cool sound, hard bop, orchestral experimentation, the "modal revolution," and fusion (Miles pp). Davis played with most of the key jazz artists from the post- war era, including Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Tony Williams (Miles pp). Davis has been called the Picasso of Jazz, for he reinvented himself and his sound endlessly in his musical quest (Cool pp). "He was an artist that defied (and despised) categorization, yet he was the forerunner and innovator of many distinct and important musical movements (Cool pp). Davis, an original, lyrical soloist, and demanding group leader, was the most consistently innovative musician in jazz from the late 1940's through the 1960's (Dewey pp). Probably the one single artist that best represents the turbulent course jazz has taken through the years is Miles Davis (Miles Miles Dewey Davis III grew up in East St. Louis, took up the trumpet at the age of thirteen and two years later was playing professionally with local jazz bands around town (Dewey pp). In September 1944, he moved to New York City, ostensibly to enter the Institute of Musical Art, now the Juilliard School, however, it was actually to locate his idol Charlie Parker (Dewey pp). Davis joined Parker in live performances and recording sessions from 1945-1948, and at the same time played in other groups and toured with big ba...

261 Huck Finn Characters and Heros Journey Professor Ramos Blog

261 Huck Finn Characters and Heros Journey Quick Write Quick Write We talked last time about Twain and how he was critical of society. What are some topics that he is criticizing in the novel so far? Huck Finn Continued We read Mark Twains  Adventures of Huckleberry Finn  Chapters 20-31 for today. Continuing with our analysis, I want to focus on the character of the characters for today. Lets come up with a big list of characters from the novel. Huck Finn Heros Journey Hucks development follows the stages of the Heros Journey described my Joseph Campbell. Hucks journey is one of internal growth and discovery. He goes from the view that slavery was ordained by God to a realization that slavery is wrong and unjust. Joseph Campbells Heros Journey SECTION ONE - Introduction to Setting, Characters Conflict The Ordinary World;   The Call to Adventure; Refusing the Call; Meeting with the Mentor:  and Crossing the First Threshold. SECTION TWO - Action, Climax, Triumph Tests, Allies, and Enemies; Approach to the Inmost Cave; Ordeal;  and Reward. SECTION THREE - Resolution and Denouement The Road Back; Resurrection;and Return with the Elixir. Huck Finns Journey In small groups, trace the development of Huck Finn in the novel following the Heros Journey. Focus on where Huck Finn is at the beginning and especially threshold moments/scenes where he changes. Thug Notes Summary and Analysis teachwithmovies.org/guides/huckleberry-finn.html

Why Teachers Deserve a Better Pay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why Teachers Deserve a Better Pay - Essay Example A question of budget cut Teacher’s pay freeze is right for times, read the Star Tribune’s Jan.22, 2011 editorial (Editorial, Star Tribune, 2011). Well, it is not a right time and it will never ever find a right time. The facts are clear, the US economy is still reeling from the woes of an economic recession and grappling with a $6.2 billion budget deficit (Editorial, Star Tribune, 2011). Consequently, there is diminishing subsidy to the whole US educational system , which leave school district’s no better option than either to freeze the salary of public school teacher’s or to distribute another round of pink slips amongst public school teachers. It is unfortunate that a salary freeze is proposed by no less than Sen. Thompson, Representative of ,Lakeville and were favoured by school superintendent’s. The group favouring a salary freeze argues that the current compensation system which provides an automatic salary increase to teacher’s who hav e been in service for a number of years and have taken additional college credits is the culprit for their school districts ‘overspending’ on salaries ( Editorial, Star Tribune, 2011).This is absurd and totally unjust. T... The real question at hand is why can’t the local and national government increase the funding on education? Why does the teacher’s and the students have to shoulder for the budget deficit that they did not create in the first place? It is unjust to ask the teacher’s to carry the burden of the country’s economic problems for the so called greater good. When big and private businesses fold up in the face of recession, government readily bails them out of people’s taxes and tells us that if it’s not bailed out, the economy would further shrink into recession and crisis. Education is a basic social service that government need to put its priority funding, why can’t the lawmakers shells out some more budget for the education. I believe these whole debate on teacher’s pay is a mere ploy to cover the real issue of budget cut which is unjust and uncalled for. Salary Freeze is not good for recession A better option for an economy sufferi ng from a recession is a salary increase not a salary freeze and much more not a salary cut and laying off of teachers. I don’t know why the lawmakers are finding it hard to comprehend that people need to spend more , so the economy would keep on moving. A salary freeze will definitely hinder teacher’s to get that next travel ticket for a much needed vacation. Salary freeze and cuts may result to teacher’s inability to pay for their house mortgages which in turn would hurt further the economy. On the other hand, laying off teachers would mean a dramatic decrease in the teacher’s ability to buy and afford commodities and services, which would further slows down the economy. Salary Freeze ,Cuts and Lay off would hurt the quality of education Salary freeze and cuts creates

Individual observation program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Individual observation program - Essay Example My main aim was to stimulate his interest, his ability to experience the world around him, and to motivate him to initiate movements outside his comfort zone. Through the assignment, I developed my knowledge and understanding on the movement displayed by the pupil in relation to his sensory impairments. I also gained a greater insight into the relationship between his physical experience and his cognitive abilities. In the course of my study and observations, I was able to uncover the reason why the pupil lacked the motivation to learn. All in all, I feel I am more able to incorporate the immediate environment as well as the activities which can overcome difficulties for pupils in accessing stimuli more effectively. Pupil Z individual observation programme – week 1 I completed a one-week individual observation programme on Pupil Z. In this programme, I decided to take a close look at Pupil Z’s movements. I wanted to find out about his natural movements and the ways in w hich any intentional actions were made. I wanted to gather information on the range of proper actions which can be made in order to ensure that I was making informed judgments about what I was seeing. I also wanted to use such informed judgments before I could develop a plan and implement a more meaningful movement experience for him. I decided I should use my observations and the standardised assessment format. This led me to explore a range of texts relating to the cognitive versus physical development of children, including studies on how pupils with multiple disabilities often suffer developmental delays. This led me to the use of Lillie Neilsen’s â€Å"Function Skills Assessment,† which is a formalised assessment tool highlighting significant milestones in the physical development of young children (Neilsen, 2000). I initially made some observations of Pupil Z while there were no stimuli or objects around him, first, while he was in a supported sitting position, a nd second, while he was on a supine position on the floor. Then I observed him when he explored different objects around him in these positions. I felt that this experience would enable me to compare his natural movements to his other movements when presented with objects and when given support by an adult. I was unable to observe his movement behaviours in the prone position as he did not tolerate being in this position too long and he communicated his discomfort by becoming increasingly distressed and by crying. Observation of Pupil Z’s movements without stimuli Due to his dystonic athetoid cerebral palsy, Pupil Z displayed abnormal involuntary movements that varied in intensity from mild to severe, and which often placed him in abnormal positions. For instance, his fists would often abruptly clench, his arms / hands would twist, and then his legs would stiffen and straighten. In his chair, his feet would straighten and extend for a few seconds and then relax, causing him t o fall back onto his chair. His facial expressions were often quite tense. These events usually appeared in cycles of action and rest, action and rest. These overactive muscle responses often have a negative impact on his energy level, causing exhaustion and decreased energy soon after. Oftentimes, he would sleep after said incidents. When in a supine position (lying on his back), and on the floor where his limbs are free, he also displayed lots of leg movements (e.g. kicking) with his arms straightening out to his sides or moving about from