Why Students Should Work Essay Example for Free

Why Students Should Work Essay I disagree that high school students should be limited in the amount of hours they work because students will be making less money. So they won’t be able to save enough money for college. Also students will learn about responsibility and will learn on how to manage their money,write checks, and use their credit card. I think that high school students should work as many hours as they want in conclusion they would be making more money to support themselves and their families. Also, because they get to experience what working is like so they could get ready for their career. Having a job has many benefits. One of these benefits is obvious, earning an income. With an income comes responsibility. When a student becomes an adult, he or she has to learn to depend on their own income, and there is nothing they can do to prepare themselves for that except to begin to get a feel for the responsibilities earning an income brings. Also, I think that students who work, it gives the student experience on what their working on so that they get good at it. I think that students who work more get more money so that they could buy a car and not be tired from school and work. Also, I think that this is an opportunity to learn how to manage their money and how to use it wisely. Students can gain experience by working through high school. This brings the opportunity to learn how to budget money, which is a vital part of being independent. Budgeting takes a lot of self-discipline and trial and error, but is possible to learn. It is also important for students to start making purchases that result in monthly payments, such as cell phone or car payments. Not only does this give students the ability to establish credit, but also a feel for what having bills is like. These are things that all students need to gain exposure to and begin become experienced with. It would be much more difficult to learn these things when one is dependent on themselves. It raises the risk of struggles with money. I think that students who work more could also maintain good grades and do homework because they only have to work after school. So they could do homework after work and still good to school with enough energy to last the  whole day.

How has Portugal been affected by globalization

How has Portugal been affected by globalization Economic globalization is not a recent phenomenon, it is the continuous evolution of developments that have been in train for a considerable amount of time. One may define economic globalization as the process by which markets and production in different countries are becoming increasingly interdependent due to the dynamics of trade in goods and services and flows of capital and technology European Commission (1997) cited in Sloman (2006). In other words, it involves the use of the factors of production on a world scale. The aim this essay is to discuss the impact of globalization in the economy of Portugal. Firstly, this paper will examine the relation between the globalization concept and the Portuguese integration in the European Union, explain in what forms its has been beneficial and describe the job creation in the service sector brought about the development of new information, production technologies and the expansion of tourism. Secondly, it is going to discuss the different negative repercussions of globalization in the various sectors of economic activity, analyse the socio-economic consequences of the relocation of multinationals, consider certain foreign investments in Portugal and expose certain possible disadvantages of having a single currency. The European Union as Cardoso and Ferreira (2000) asserts is currently the most successful example of regional economic integration which reflects the present Era of globalization. Portugal as a member of it since 1986 and as consequence of the European integration process has been experiencing considerable political, social and mainly economic changes. According to the above mentioned author, the various Portuguese areas of economic activity have been profoundly influenced by the European regulations and policies. With the creation of a common European market and a single currency, several constraints that limited in some extent the efficiency of business organizations and the full employment of their resources have been suppressed, the Portuguese companies gained the opportunity to explore economies of scale and to specialize in certain good and services through comparative advantage, improved their position to negotiate internationally, eliminated the exchange rate uncertainty, re duced inflation rates and enhanced competition which stimulates greater economic efficiency. Moreover, Cardoso and Ferreira (2000) further affirms that the gains of greater economic integration and interdependence between countries due to the globalization of the economy through the European Union also involve savings in foreign exchanges and transport costs. Furthermore, according to Lima et al. (2006), the above mentioned regional economic integration with its respective technological development of telecommunications and transport also permitted for example the organizational and technological restructure of the banking sector and stimulated employment in the service sector, mainly in the tourism sector. Considering the case of tourism, as Cardoso and Ferreira (2000) explains, this sector that in Portugal assumes significant social, cultural and particularly economic importance in creating jobs, increasing income per inhabitant, in the development of skilled labour, economic dive rsification and infrastructures has been profoundly positively affected along with different various areas of economic activity by the globalization and the European regulations and policies. Currently the total contribution of Travel and Tourism to the Portuguese Gross Domestic Product, including its wider economic impacts, is forecast to rise by 2.4% from à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬25.7bn (14.7% of GDP) in 2011 to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬32.6bn (16.2%) by 2021 (World Travel and Tourism Council, 2011) and one may deduce that the above mentioned economic facts are due to the present globalization that made the tourism industry grow mainly with the fusion of cultures, transports revolution and deregulation policies as Wahab and Cooper (2001) assert. In addition, Lima et al. (2006) corroborates the above mentioned arguments by pointing out the fact that jobs in the hotel and restaurant sector increased by 9.4% between 1998 and 2004 and it also asserts that there has been noteworthy investments in transpor t and telecommunications, 30,000 jobs were created between 1998 and 2004 in this sector and it represented in 2006 7.4% of the service jobs. Furthermore, as a positive impact of the globalization in the countrys economy, Portugal since its integration in the European Union has always benefited from various structural funds and programs to encourage economic growth, higher competitiveness and to help reduce disparities among regions. As an example, one may consider the Portuguese archipelago island of Madeira which according to Beirman (2003) has been apportioned since 1986 structural funds to develop and modernize the region that made possible the construction of numerous infrastructures as roads, bridges, schools, airports, ports and health clinics. On the other hand, globalization also affected negatively the economy of Portugal in various aspects. According to Lima et al. (2006), the liberalization of the global economic markets encouraged the relocation of national and foreign industries from Portugal to other countries with more profitable production costs, which ultimately resulted in increasing unemployment in certain economic sectors, particularly in the automobile, footwear and textile sectors. As Lima et al. (2006) explains, the effects of the above mentioned aspects are considerably different in the various economic activities. In the case of industry, according to Lima et al. (2006), the number of jobs has been cut significantly by 105,000 jobs between the year 2000 and 2006. In contrast, over the same period, approximately 417,000 new jobs were created in the service sector. However, the above mentioned author further notes that precarious work situations are more common in the service sector. On one hand, from the a nalysis of the above mentioned arguments one may notice that globalization in Portugal creates in some situations new jobs and opportunities to expand companies, but on the other, provokes significant qualified and unqualified unemployment. According to the European Commission cited in Lima et al. (2006), the sluggish European economic growth combined with the acceleration of the liberalization of World Trade resulted in a loss of 860,000 textiles and clothing jobs in EU between 1998 and 2010; sectors that are considerably important for the Portuguese economy. The footwear and textile industries are the source of a considerable amount of jobs in Portugal and they have been severely affected by the relocation of enterprises to countries that offer fewer bureaucracies, less strict labour criteria, financial benefits and cheaper factors of production. According to the Portuguese national statistics institute cited in Lima et al. (2006), Portugal lost 90.000 jobs between 1998 and 2004, reducing its industrial employment from 23.5% in 1998 to 19.4% in 2004. In addition, at the above mentioned period, as Lima et al. (2006) asserts, Chinese entrepreneurs have been investing in the textile and clothing sector, a phenomenon that has previously occurred in Italy where the Chinese business management method, based on production at considerable low margin of profit and high volumes of sales has raised several issues regarding unfair competition. Although one may initially suppose that the above mentioned foreign investment is beneficial to the economy of the country, in reality it may be perhaps considerably prejudicial in several aspects since local small and medium size industries possess difficulty in competing with the Chinese production costs. Regarding other industries, particularly the automobile industry, according to Lima et al. (2006), has also been affected since 1990 by industrial relocation for mainly the above mentioned reasons; There was a 9% drop in jobs i n this sector between 1998 and 2004 (ibid). As the above mentioned author further notes, the closing of the Opel factory in Azambuja in 2006 left 1.200 people without a job and Renault closed its Setubal factory and invested in various new factories in Brazil and Slovenia. Consequently, unemployment as Lipsey and Chrystal (2007) point out, involves numerous micro and macroeconomic issues that damage the economy of Portugal, including the loss of the individuals income, a decline in their living standards, social deprivation, negative multiplier effects, a loss of potential national output, a waste of resources (labour) and fiscal costs since the government loses tax revenues and possesses the necessity of spending more on welfare payments for unemployed family members. Moreover, as Sloman (2006) make clear, due to the current global and regional interdependence Portugal is affected by the economic health of other countries and by their governments policies, issues in any area of the world can significantly affect Portugal through trade and financial markets, despite the eventual geographical distance. The present Portuguese economic situation reflects the vulnerability of the country to financial crisis. Finally, the European Monetary Union that is one of the examples of todays globalization, may be prejudicial to the Portuguese economy if Portugal possesses for example higher rates of inflation and if consequently its national enterprises possess difficulty in competing with the rest of the European Union. With a separate currency Portugal could allow its currency to depreciate and prevent being a depressed region of Europe with rising unemployment. In conclusion it seems apparent that the economy of Portugal has been profoundly affected by globalization. This essay has shown that it is possible to identify in Portugal numerous positive aspects and a significant amount of negative consequences of the global and regional increasing interdependence. One may deduce that the current concerning economic Portuguese situation is in part a reflection of the international financial crisis and the countrys vulnerability to the exterior. Nevertheless, from the analysis of the above mentioned arguments and despite the referred serious prejudicial implications of globalization, it seems undoubtable that globalization in recent years has contributed to the economic prosperity of Portugal. Hence, this essay suggests to minimize the negative effects of globalization in the Portuguese economy, the investment in education to qualify the work force and gain competitiveness, creation of more jobs in viable sectors as tourism, possible greater monit oring of financial institutions to prevent unexpected issues and increased international co-operation to solve the current and future economic problems.

What Genetic Factors Contribute to Obesity?

What Genetic Factors Contribute to Obesity? Obesity has increasingly become a challenging epidemic and is now a global concern which has shown no sign of lessening (McAllister et al, 2009, p. 868). While considerable efforts have been invested in stressing the importance of physical activity and the choice of food intake, studies have shown compelling evidence that genetic determinants brought by the inter-individual differences have high responsibility in obesity susceptibility (ORahilly Farooqi, 2006, p.1095). Substantive evidences about the molecular constituents of the major pathways involved in the balance of mammalian energy have only been recently deciphered. Therefore, this provides a gateway to a mechanistic understanding of obesity that will soon be a useful resource in the designing of effective drugs against obesity. Linkage studies and associations based on populations have identified specific loci where genetic variations occur among obese individuals. Efforts to indentifying and characterizing the monogenic obe sity syndromes have also shown considerable success (ORahilly Farooqi, 2006, p.1095). While a number of researchers have come into a consensus that genetic factors predispose individuals to obesity, some still slightly differ by appreciating the role of such factors like the influence on metabolic rate as well as the effect of selective partitioning of the excess energy in the human body into fats (ORahilly Farooqi, 2006, p.1095). This paper specifically identifies various genetic factors which contribute to obesity and provides recommendations for addressing the epidemic. To date, there are five main constituent genes known to be involved in food intake and energy expenditure pathways which ultimately contribute to obesity progression. These genes are leptin, leptin receptor, melanocortin-4 receptor, pro-opiomelanocortin as well as prohormone convertase genes (Bouchard, 2009, p.1499). The role of these genes in the occurrence of obesity and mutation consequences of such genes, wh ich are studied in different experiments, are elaborated and explained under different gene headings below. Leptin gene Efforts to perform leptin gene cloning in 1994 opened an avenue for rapid research in biomedicine and large scale genetic studies followed thereafter (Hinney, Vogel Heberbrand, 2010, p. 297). Finally, these efforts made success stories after effectively managing to treat leptin deficiency children using the recombinant leptin protein. The treatment of leptin deficiency children also provided other insights to biomedical researchers that single gene mutations could potentially lead to disorders such as obesity and hyperphagia (Hinney, Vogel Heberbrand, 2010, p. 297). Since its discovery, leptin has posed a potential possibility for the treatment of obesity. The development of obesity treatments has been centered in identifying main targets in leptin gene which was the first to be implicated for the genetic cause of obesity. The leptin hormone is mainly secreted depending on the body fat and is responsible for the regulation of appetite and energy metabolism mainly in the brain (Ahim a, 2002, p.196). Results obtained from linkage studies have deciphered that leptin is basically an assembly of 167 different amino acids that are produced by the leptin gene right from the adipose tissue. The protein encoded by the leptin gene displays a number of biological roles associated with obesity by binding with a defined receptor located in the hypothalamus. These biological roles of leptin include the control of food intake pathways, body weight regulation and homeostasis of energy (Wang et al, 2006, p.183). French studies and investigations into populations in Pennsylvania have associated leptin to cases of severe obesity. Among humans, the chromosomal locations of the genes for leptin receptor and leptin have been mapped to 1p31 and 7q31.3 respectively (Wang et al, 2006, p.183). Research had earlier shown that the variant G-2548A occurring in the LEP promoter was responsible for reductions in the BMI among overweight women. In addition, a few studies have shown correlati ons between obesity development and the presence of LEPR gene polymorphisms (Geller et al, 2004, p.572). According to Ioffe, Moon, Connolly and Friedman (1998, p.11852), subset of obese humans have considerably lower levels of leptin plasma. The findings imply that abnormal regulation of the gene in the adipose tissue could be the main cause of pathogenesis in obesity. Ioffe et al (1998, p.11852) carried out an experiment to test the propensity that decrease in the production of leptin could impact the bodys metabolism thus cause obesity. They performed their experiment by mating animal models that carried lowly expressed adipocyte specific aP2-human leptin transgene with mice that did not express any leptin gene. The leptin treatment of the mice that never expressed leptin resulted to a marked reduction in weight which resembled the results obtained after wild-type mice treatment. Usually, a subset of obese individuals expresses relatively low levels of leptin in plasma. The decreased rates of leptin production among obese individuals by the adipocytes have been implicated for the caus e of obesity (Ioffe et al, 1998, p.11854). Mutations in the leptin gene or the leptin receptor gene have been found to cause increased appetite, overeating, massive weight gain, impaired thermoregulation, insulin resistance and diabetes, immune dysfunction, sexual maturation failures and a number of neuroendocrine derangements in both human subjects and rats (Ahima, 2002, p.196). Melanocortin-4 receptor gene (MC4R) Mutations in the melanocortin 4 receptor have been said to be the most common genetic factors which contribute to obesity. While the gene coding for the protein, MC4R has been implicated for regulating the body weight of individuals and obesity, there are no convincing reports associating the gene with the increased binge eating among obese individuals. Contrary to what had been observed in the previous studies, the MC4R deficiency does not actually cause hyperinsulinemia. However, a frameshift mutation in the gene coding for the protein MC4R has been associated with dominant human obesity (Hinney, et al, 2003, p. 4258). The protein also acts as an antagonist for the agouti-related peptide (AgRP) gene that code for an endogenous antagonist for the receptor. The homologous of the MC4R gene, the MC3R gene has also been found to be a good candidate for causing genetic susceptibility to glucose intolerance in type II diabetes mellitus (Hinney, et al, 2003, p. 4258). In order to prove tha t MC4R is influential in causing obesity, researchers have sequenced the introns of the gene among the Pima Indians who among them, 300 were severely affected by obesity and 126 of them were neither obese nor diabetic. In their study, the researchers have addressed the assertion that substitution of G-A at codon 103 of the MC4R gene is responsible for influencing abdominal obesity and lipid, glucose and insulin metabolism. The substitution has also been implicated for its effect in inflecting the circulatory hormones such as the salivary cortisol (Hinney, et al, 2003, p. 4260). Genome wide association studies (GWAS) have been potential tools for identifying a number of candidate genes in specific regions of the chromosomes which harbor genes responsible and other phenotypes (Zlot et al, 2007, p.31). GWAS also provide critical tools for indentifying the common variants with reduces penetrance relevant as traits of interests or risk factors. Genes such as melanocortin-4 receptor gene occur in a coding region which also harbors other polygenic variants which regulate weight in healthy individuals apart from the mutations responsible for obesity (Yang et al, 2002, p.20328). These minor alleles that have been identified include various polymorphisms which code for isoleucine amino acid instead of valine at position 103 (103l) and the other that codes for leucine instead of isoleucine at 251L of the receptor protein. These polymorphisms are all negatively associated with the problem of obesity (Zlot et al, 2007, p.31). Homozygous carriers of such alleles have sli ghtly reduced basal metabolic rate (BMI) which is a risk factor for obesity. The biological mechanism of the MC4R gene has been suggested to involve the activation of the MC4R receptor which leads to a significant decrease in food intake. The MC4R has therefore been marked as the main therapeutic target for obesity treatment. The new regulatory biological mechanism has also been detected in cell lines which are derived from the murine hypothalamic neurons that express MC4R endogenously. This therefore points to the physiological importance of the endocytosis promoted by AgRP. In a study involving a number of obese children and adults, 6 percent of them were found to posses MC4R SNPs (Zlot et al, 2007, p.29). Following agonist stimulation, the MC4R usually signals via the intracellular adenylate cyclase pathway of signal transduction. Studies among the obese subjects have detected large quantities of MC4R mRNA in the membranes of the astrocytes contrary to the HEK-rMC4R cell membranes. Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) Feeding in humans follows habitually trained rhythms which are regulated by the hypothalamus. The amount of food one consumes happens as a response to the energy status in the body that depends on the hormones. Even though this is a complex process, there exists an integrated relationship between the energy needs of the body and the amount of food that is required by the body. As a result, the brain through the hypothalamus triggers the release of responsible hormones that regulate food intake. This happens through the release of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) (Millinvgton, 2007, p.4). The initial stage of the production of pro-opionmelanocortin starts with the production of the release of the POMC at the hypothalamus. Through a series of active enzymatic reaction steps, the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) plays an initial role in the production of corticotrophin (ACTH), melanocyte-stimulating hormones (MSH) and endorphin (Millinvgton, 2007, p.4). The MSH leads to the production of melanocortin peptides that plays a high role in the development of appetite. The melanocortin peptides also continue to have a role in body weight regulation. As the body continues to produce the necessary genes that regulate its development, some genes that develop in the central nervous system give rise to the production of the melanocortin peptides. According to Zemel and Shi (2000, p.179), melanocortin peptides work by coating the melanocortin-4 receptors through the formation of a layer around these receptors. This covering inhibits the food absorption and intake. The absence of this through the degeneration of the melanocortin peptide cover marks the onset of obesity. This means that melanocortin receptors POMC peptide s plays a significant role in the development of obesity. As seen earlier, feeding is a process that happens through responses of habitual rhythms such as circadian rhythms. These rhythms are controlled by the genes that are adapted to a given type of system. The lack of POMC in the body exhibits itself through adrenal failure, altered pigmentation and increment in height onset of obesity (Millington, 2007, p.8). The processing of POMC occurs partially in the pituitary cells and neurons of the hypothalamus. However, POMC derivatives can be discharged differently through varying hypothalamic sites. These are sites that are involved in feeding process. This process of release leads to slight variations in the amount of signal sent to the sites. From the above discussion, dietary related aspects especially obesity emanates from a complex combination of various genes that makes their significant contributions. Environmental factors are also known to have their equivalent contributions to the role of the genes in the dietary habits and their effects on the body. The melanocortin that is produced as a result of POMC stimulation plays a central role in the direct processes of food absorption. Additionally, the signals sent by the POMC maintain the hormonal levels that controls amount of food to be absorbed at any given moment. This is depending on the homeostatic energy requirement at any specific time. However, in the instance when the levels of POMC released by the hypothalamus get reduced to minimal levels, the immediate effect that follows is the reduced production of melanocortin peptides. This means that the body no longer has the ability to control the amount of food being taken up by the body. Obesity develops as a resul t of the body absorbing food at a higher level than required. Prohormone convertase 1 (PCSK1) Researchers have reported that common variants in the PCSK 1 gene could be a potential cause of obesity. The proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 1(PCSK 1) has been suggested to play a critical role in proteolytic cleavage, a step which is also important in the maturation process of a number of hormones which are produced as precursors (Heni et al, 2010, p.86). The PCSK 1gene codes for the prohormone convertase 1 which is actively involved in peptide maturation. The protease is selectively expressed in the endocrine and neuronal tissues where its main substrates include the hormones which regulate energy metabolism such as proinsulin, proopiomelanocortin and proglucagon (Heni et al, 2010, p.86). Rare mutations in the PCSK 1 gene have been identified to be responsible for causing childhood obesity as well as the abnormal metabolism of glucose, proinsulin and insulin and the C-peptide. Common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the PCSK 1 gene, the rs6232 and rs6235 have b een associated with incidences of obesity (Heni et al, 2010, p.86). Various mutations of the PCSK1 gene cause monogenic obesity. The SNP rs6235 has a high correlation to the non-synonymous rs6234 which encodes the Q665E. This substitution occurs at the protein in the C-terminal region (Tuomas et al, 2009, 3499). This research found that there exist a significant correlation between age and crs6232 in the initiation and proliferation of obesity (Tuomas et al, 2009, 3499). Another research by Qibin et al (2010, p.456) found that the rs6234 has significant association with an increased risk of a combined obesity phenotype and an overall overweight condition. The PCSK 1 gene was also found to have a higher association to obesity among men as compared to women. The result of this gene is that it influences the increment in fat storage around the waist region. The study also found that there exist enough evidence that associates PCSK1 rs6234 with overweight and the level of body mass index in men. It was also revealed that PCSK1 rs6234 plays no role in the weight gain among women. There have been various recommendations in the use of several mechanisms in the management of obesity. This has been based on the knowledge of the fact that eating habits are part of acquired characteristics. However, studies have revealed that eating habits are controlled by genes. This has therefore called for more understanding on the gene make up of a person. The understanding of the role of PCSK1 gene in the control in insulin and consequent glucose synthesis is a breakthrough in the ongoing research in the search of the appropriate weight management measures. Studies conducted by Martin et al (2010, 9) have found that small amounts of alleles of PCSK1 and SNPs are associated in high levels of stimulation of glucose proinsulin levels. This gave an indication that the two are related in the reduction of proinsulin conversion with little effect on insulin itself. Under the normal conditions, prohormone convertase cleaves a substantial amount of proinsulin. The study further found that PCSK1 and SNPs alters the sequence of the amino acid sequence of the protein which makes up this hormone. The change that is initiated by the SNP rs6232 on asparagines is the reduction of the enzymatic activity. The similar change also occurs on the location of the protein thereby reducing its effectiveness in regulating insulin. The end result is the increment of body weight, a condition that is referred to as obesity. Fat Mass and Obesity Associated Gene (FTO) The FTO gene has also been identified, using the GWAS approach, to be associated with type II diabetes and obesity. The A-allele of the FTO variant rs9939609 in intron 1 has been shown to be associated with an increased risk to develop obesity complication by 31 percent (Hinney, Vogel Heberbrand, 2010, p. 302). The association of genes in obesity and overweight problems has been suggested to be high in both monogenic obesity and polygenic forms. The FTO gene is one of the best examples of the common variants which play a role in increasing the BMI and thus important among obesity individuals. The FTO gene is known to be found in chromosome 6 among humans and variants of the gene have closely been associated with human obesity. The gene is widely distributed in both adult tissues and fetal tissues but there is much expression in the pancreatic islets as well as in the hypothalamus. Transcribed amino acid sequence of the FTO gene has shown high homology with AlkB, an enzyme which demethylates DNA oxidatively. The FTO recombinant protein has the potential to catalyze 3-methylthymine demethylation in single-stranded DNA. Animal studies have shown that gene expression in FTO is usually upregulated in rats especially in the hypothalamus following food deprivation. The gene is also negatively correlated with the orexogenic galanin like peptide expression that is commonly involved in food intake stimulation. The increase in the expression of hypothalamic FTO is often associated with energy intake regulation but not the feeding reward. These consequences make the gene to be identified as a critical in causing obesity. An obesity risk allele of the FTO variant has been identified. Usually, the carriers with a single copy of the FTO allele are more susceptible to develop obesity than individuals without the copies. In another observation, the carriers of the two copies of the FTO gene weigh even more than those with a single copy of the gene. This implies that the gene causes an increased risk of obesity among the carriers compared to those without a copy of the gene. At the same time, researchers have identified the association of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the similar region (rs14210850) of the FTO gene. The variation has been identified as the cause for some percentage of population variance in BMI and even a higher number of attributable obesity cases. The risk allele, according to the researchers, is found in cluster 10 SNP in intron 1 of the FTO gene known as the rs9939609. Morbid obesity has also been shown to be associated with both the INSIG2 SNPs and the FTO gene. Varian ts of the FTO have also found to be associated with the obesity condition using GWAS of BMI. In the study, individuals with AA and AT alleles at rs993909 have been found to consume more energy per day compared to the individuals having the protective genotype of TT. However, the similar studies have indicated no variation in energy expenditure based on polymorphisms. In other studies, the consequences of variations in the two different types of SNPs in the FTO gene have shown the possibility of the gene impacting the levels of circulating leptin as well as the energy expenditure. The SNPs that affect the energy expenditure and the circulating levels of leptin include the rs1421085 and rs17817449. Although the studies have not pointed on the biological mechanisms of the FTO gene in contributing to obesity and weight control, researchers have postulated that the gene could be responsible for regulating appetite through its influence in the hypothalamus. Discussion and Recommendations The pathogenesis of complex diseases such as obesity has always been associated with the interaction of environmental and genetic factors. This complexity has made it difficult for researchers to tease apart the accurate relationship between the genotype, phenotype and environmental factors by only using conventional experimental designs. Using genetic information maintained in databases, researchers have been able to identify critical molecular pathways responsible for obesity which are specifically brought by the interaction of the environmental factors and the genetic factors (Gohlke et al, 2009, p.46). Bioinformatics techniques and the Internet have offered critical tools for synthesizing data on the relationship between genes and diseases such as obesity. Methods such as genome-wide association scans have shown a number of genetic variants in the FTO gene which might be associated with phenotypes related to obesity (Scuteri et al, 2007, p.115). Researchers have identified the po tential benefits of genomic-wide association studies (GWAS) approaches in obesity intervention and prevention strategies such as the design of highly specific drugs targeting the identified molecular pathways (Zlot et al, 2007, p. 31). The role of epigenetics in obesity has been explored by a number of researchers including McAllister et al (2009, p. 892). Epigenetics encompasses the study of a number of inheritable variations mechanisms in gene expression which do not necessarily originate from alterations in the DNA sequence. These mechanisms are often established at the early stages of postnatal development and during the prenatal stages and they act to maintain a number of gene expression patterns throughout the life of an individual (McAllister et al, 2009, p. 892). Because of this, some environmental factors have become common in the recent past and have commensurately deranged the epigenetic mechanism establishment which results in the regulation of body weight (McAllister et al, 2009, p. 892). The roles of cytosine methylation within the CpG dinucleotides, the modification of histone proteins which package the DNA into the nucleus and the cell-dependent expression of a number of autoregulatory DNA binding p roteins have been investigated and shown to perpetuate the conformation of regional chromatic which dictates which type of gene will be competent transcriptionally in specific type of cells (McAllister et al, 2009, p. 892). This literally implies that apart from the genetic basis of obesity, the epigenetic studies shed light and provides extra information that is layered above the common understanding of gene sequences. Like the DNA sequence, epigenetic factors are also replicated at cell division during mitosis and meiosis thus bestowing transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (McAllister et al, 2009, p. 892). As reported by McAllister et al (2009, p. 896), the understanding of the environmental factors on the epigenetic processes has always remained elementary. Therefore, there has been little evidence to point out specific environmental exposures whose increasing levels might affect epigenetic mechanisms. Maternal obesity has however been identified as one of the main environmental exposure which results into obesity. It is accepted that the obesity epidemic affects even the childbearing women and feed-forward transgenerational obesity amplification has been proposed to result among children born of obese mothers. This is because the intrauterine environments of obese mothers are likely to induce developmental adaptations in the developing fetus which consequently predispose them to obesity. In an observation made to support this assertion, children born of obese mother after bariatric surgery were found to have reduced risks for obesity than the children born of the same mothers before bariatric surgery (McAllister et al, 2009, p. 893). Bariatric surgery is one of the medical procedures carried out with an objective of losing weight and has shown exciting evidence in reducing the chances of obesity among the born children. There are two types of disorders that have been identified to be caused by single-gene defects. The first class of these disorders is the Mendelian disorders which cause a variety of clinical features including obesity. The second class of single-gene defects is mainly characterized by disease conditions in which obesity is one of the main clinical features. 11 different genes have been reported to be closely associated with monogenic obesity and 52 genomic regions which harbor quantitative trait loci have also been indentified to have associations with human obesity. Five of the genes have been considered to be of clinical importance since they account up to 5 percent of the early obesity onset and severe cases of childhood obesity. These genes are leptin, leptin receptor, pro-opiomelanocortin, melanocortin 4 receptor as well as prohormone convertase genes. One of the most interesting observations is that all the five genes are associated with encoding receptors and peptides involve d in satiety and appetite regulation. Therefore, there is need to intensify research efforts in marking the five genes and developing molecular drug targets for critical receptors which control appetite and satiety. Apart from the five common genes that have been associated with obesity, other minor genes with smaller effects such as ACE, LDLR and VDR have also been implicated for causing obesity. These minor genes are more than 20 in number (Bouchard, 2009, p.1499). Conclusion and Recommendation The prevalence of obesity is increasing globally as biomedical researchers step up their efforts to indentify the specific genetic causes of the epidemic. A number of technological and conceptual advances have made it possible for a shift to an approach centered in single-gene search for interventions aimed at treating and preventing obesity. Before these advances, traditional approaches involved studying obesity from the polygenic approach which was very difficult to mark out the exact molecular processes that occur in at cellular level. A few complex segregation analyses maintained the assertion that obesity was mainly caused by more than a single segregating genes having large effects on the adiposity and body weight. Later studies supported the evidence that obesity could be caused by both polygenic and oligogenic determinants. With the improved technology and scanning of the entire genome, it has been possible to identify individual genes responsible for obesity using polymorphi c microsatellite markers. Among the enabling technologies in sequencing the human genomes involve SNP identification, bioinformatics and SNP genotyping technologies. At present, these technologies have made it possible to study the anatomy of the human genome with improved details and this is expected to yield newer insights into pointing out the exact genetic causes of obesity.

Unique Cultures in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things and Chinua A

Unique Cultures in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart       There are a variety of cultures in this world and each culture is unique. Usually when one was born and raised in a certain culture, that person may adapt to that culture for a period of time. It is sometimes difficult to look into someone else’s culture, and understand their culture. Sometimes one must keep an open mind, study the culture, or live in another culture to understand the culture. When reading â€Å"The God of Small Things† by Arundhati Roy, and â€Å"Things Fall Apartâ€Å", by Chinua Achebe one must look beyond their culture to understand how others live in a different culture. When I read Roy’s novel, I did not get a great understanding of the novel, because it was difficult to follow. I did not know a lot about the culture before I read novel. Both text discusses a particular cultural group, and as the narrator tells the story the narrator intertwines the cultural elements with the actual story being told. The differences between the text were the way the text was structured, and how the stories were told. Also, both texts contained different religions practiced by the particular cultural group. In â€Å"The God of Small Thingsâ€Å", and â€Å"Things Fall Apart† both consist a particular cultural groups. In â€Å"The God of Small Thingsâ€Å", the people in the story were Pakistan Indian. The way Roy described the setting in the story, and how the people looked gave an idea of where the story took place. Plus she also mentioned some cities that are in India. Roy described the rivers as being unclean, but people would cleanse themselves in the river. The women wore saris. The immediate families and extended families seemed to live together also. I... ...me language in the text also. The African clan and Pakistan Indians had different religions. The African clan believed in spirits, and the Pakistan Indians believed in the Muslim faith. Both novels were great novels to read, if one wants to learn more about a particular culture. â€Å"The God of Small Things† is a little difficult to understand. There were so many different meanings in the novel. I believe that people should get a better understanding of one’s culture before one reads a novel of a different culture. If one does not understand the culture, one can misinterpret the meanings in the story.    Work Cited Achebe, Chinua. â€Å"Things Fall Apart†. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams. 7th ed. vol. 2c. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2000. pp.2617-2703. Roy, Arundhati. The God of Small Things. New York: Random House, Inc., 1997.

James Joyce Essay -- essays research papers

James Joyce James Joyce, an Irish novelist and poet, grew up near Dublin. James Joyce is one of the most influential novelists of the 20th century. In each of his prose works he used symbols to experience what he called an "epiphany", the revelation of certain revealing qualities about himself. His early writings reveal individual moods and characters and the plight of Ireland and the Irish artist in the 1900's. Later works, reveal a man in all his complexity as an artist and in family aspects. Joyce is known for his style of writing called "stream of consciousness". Using this technique, he ignored ordinary sentence structure and attempted to reproduce the rambling's of the human mind. Many of his works were influenced by his life in Ireland as an artist. He was influenced by three main factors in his life, his childhood and parents, his homeland of Dublin, Ireland, and the Roman Catholic Church. These three aspects show up in all his works subtly, but specifically in, The Dead, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and Araby. James Joyce, was born February 2, 1882 in Dublin, Ireland. He was the first of fifteen kids born to Mary Jane Murray, and John Stanslaus Joyce. He was christened James Augustine Aloysius Joyce. His mother was a mild woman who had intelligent opinions but didn't express them. His father was a violent, quick tempered man who was a medical student and politician. He was educated in Dublin at Jesuit school's his whole life. In 1888, he went to Clongeswood College, but his father lost his job and James had to withdraw. He graduated in October of 1902, from Royal University. He was fascinated by the sounds of words and by the rhythms of speech since he first started school. He was trained by the Jesuits who at one time hoped he would join their order; but Joyce became estranged from the Jesuits and defected from the Catholic Church after graduating college. Joyce made a huge effort to free himself from all aspects of the past such as, family, religion, and country. He left Ireland in 1902 after graduating college. He spent the rest of his life in either Trieste, Zurich, or Paris. During this time he was very poor. He spent much of his working career as a language instructor. He was said to have known 17 languages. He also s... ...and that people should think on their own, without the church telling you how to think. James Joyce's was interested in discovering the truth in his writings and revealing it. He was a good observer of reality, which he loved, and he always wanted to get at the truth behind the appearance. Joyce voluntarily exiled himself from Ireland, but still Ireland was never far from his mind, and his writing. He also exiled himself from the church yet wrote about it and it's constraints often. He left his childhood behind and chose to write his childhood autobiography under a different name. He observed other people's reality and yet choose to ignore his own. He left Ireland, the church, and his childhood, psychically, but he never left them in his own unconscious. He choose to write about his life and feelings in other peoples words and in other peoples mouths. Still wishing to exile himself from his life, he almost felt as if by leaving all these places on the outside he would leave all his feelings behind also. He wrote about the topics he choose to distance himself from, as if to get an unbiased look at them, and to write about the real truth. James Joyce Essay -- essays research papers James Joyce James Joyce, an Irish novelist and poet, grew up near Dublin. James Joyce is one of the most influential novelists of the 20th century. In each of his prose works he used symbols to experience what he called an "epiphany", the revelation of certain revealing qualities about himself. His early writings reveal individual moods and characters and the plight of Ireland and the Irish artist in the 1900's. Later works, reveal a man in all his complexity as an artist and in family aspects. Joyce is known for his style of writing called "stream of consciousness". Using this technique, he ignored ordinary sentence structure and attempted to reproduce the rambling's of the human mind. Many of his works were influenced by his life in Ireland as an artist. He was influenced by three main factors in his life, his childhood and parents, his homeland of Dublin, Ireland, and the Roman Catholic Church. These three aspects show up in all his works subtly, but specifically in, The Dead, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and Araby. James Joyce, was born February 2, 1882 in Dublin, Ireland. He was the first of fifteen kids born to Mary Jane Murray, and John Stanslaus Joyce. He was christened James Augustine Aloysius Joyce. His mother was a mild woman who had intelligent opinions but didn't express them. His father was a violent, quick tempered man who was a medical student and politician. He was educated in Dublin at Jesuit school's his whole life. In 1888, he went to Clongeswood College, but his father lost his job and James had to withdraw. He graduated in October of 1902, from Royal University. He was fascinated by the sounds of words and by the rhythms of speech since he first started school. He was trained by the Jesuits who at one time hoped he would join their order; but Joyce became estranged from the Jesuits and defected from the Catholic Church after graduating college. Joyce made a huge effort to free himself from all aspects of the past such as, family, religion, and country. He left Ireland in 1902 after graduating college. He spent the rest of his life in either Trieste, Zurich, or Paris. During this time he was very poor. He spent much of his working career as a language instructor. He was said to have known 17 languages. He also s... ...and that people should think on their own, without the church telling you how to think. James Joyce's was interested in discovering the truth in his writings and revealing it. He was a good observer of reality, which he loved, and he always wanted to get at the truth behind the appearance. Joyce voluntarily exiled himself from Ireland, but still Ireland was never far from his mind, and his writing. He also exiled himself from the church yet wrote about it and it's constraints often. He left his childhood behind and chose to write his childhood autobiography under a different name. He observed other people's reality and yet choose to ignore his own. He left Ireland, the church, and his childhood, psychically, but he never left them in his own unconscious. He choose to write about his life and feelings in other peoples words and in other peoples mouths. Still wishing to exile himself from his life, he almost felt as if by leaving all these places on the outside he would leave all his feelings behind also. He wrote about the topics he choose to distance himself from, as if to get an unbiased look at them, and to write about the real truth.

Private Fitness Essay

Six months ago, Rosemary Worth established Private Fitness, Inc in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Her experience as an aerobics instructor and notoriety as a US Fitness model were the perfect tools for building a business. The facilities were paid for through personal savings and a bank loan. Rosemary used $150,000 of the funds to renovate the facilities and purchase equipment. Five rooms were created; two locker rooms, an office, a weight room containing free weights and machines, and an aerobics room with treadmills, stair climbers, and other similar pieces of machinery. As a way to set the business apart, Rosemary found five instructors with specialized skills to meet the wide variety of classes available to the members. These instructors are given a commission of twenty to fifty percent depending on experience and if the client was brought in by them or not. One of the instructors, Kate Hoffman, was given a salary in addition to the commission and expected to manage the facilit ies. This included marketing, bookkeeping, facilities upkeep, and record keeping of the clients. Kate was proving to be successful with the steady increase in clients. To provide the best experience for clients, the equipment is not open for members to use freely. During peak hours, clients are charged $50 for an hour of training with an instructor. Non-peak hours cost $35 an hour, students are charge $12, and discounts are offered for prepayment. Rosemary discovered that Kate was stealing from the company by verifying the register amounts and confronting Kate about discrepancies. Not only were deposits short, but Kate was training clients, offering discounts, and pocketing the entire fee. When confronted with this, she denied the accusation of theft multiple times, before finally admitting to it. Now, Rosemary must decide how to handle Kate’s theft and improve the weaknesses of the current control processes. The largest culprit for the theft (besides Kate’s poor choic e) is the lack of proper management control systems. Rosemary has the ability to implement four different control measures, results-based, action-based, personnel-based, and culture-based. According to Merchant and Van der Stede, results controls empower employees to make the best decisions for the organization by aligning the personal goals with the organization. To implement these MCSs, managers/owners need to know exactly what results are desired, how to monitor these results, any weaknesses that may be addressed, and the rewards that should be given for reaching the desired results  (2012). Rosemary attempted to implement this control when she offered a commission based on the direct impact an instructor had in bringing in a new client. She left the control incomplete when she failed to properly segregate duties between the manager and instructors. Kate had a conflict of interest since she was paid salary, regardless if she enacting as a manager or instructor, and could gain more by working as an instructor. Without any additional costs, Rosemary would be better suited to hire a manager specifically trained in marketing and back office work, rather than an instru ctor. By continuing to pay the manager a set salary, he or she will not be tempted to steal clients. As a reward for growing the business, the manager can be directly rewarded for reaching certain revenue thresholds. The instructors should be rewarded for bringing in a certain amount of new clientele. If an instructor brings in five additional clients, they see a $100 bonus in their pay. Only the manager can approve new clientele and Rosemary must sign off on any paycheck that includes this bonus as a way to review who is bringing in new business or manipulating the system. The action controls are a direct management control that places constraints on employees to ensure bad decisions are not possible or at least difficult to perform (Merchant & Van der Stede, 2012). Rosemary failed with this control when she placed Kate in the managerial role with full control of the record keeping, cash box, deposits, and access to the facilities. Kate’s actions proved in the end that she w as not capable of handling the responsibilities. By hiring a new manager and front desk clerk, Rosemary can ensure they meet the needs of the company and incorporate additional segregation of duties. The clerk can run the deposits to the bank, while the manager can be responsible with preparing the deposits. All instructors should be required to submit new clients to the manager and provide a log of training sessions. This will allow instructors to see what is owed to them and keep them accountable for all training sessions. Personnel and Cultural controls are put into place to ensure that properly trained employees have an established culture to cultivate desired results (Merchant & Van Der Stede, 2012). Private Fitness, Inc. is still very new and has not established a set culture. Rosemary needs to create a code of conduct for employees to live by and reinforce the importance of acting with integrity. Additionally, key employees should be in positions to influence others and push this culture. Disciplinary actions need to be enforced for all breaches in misconduct. These actions can range from written warnings, penalties in pay, or even termination. Rosemary should hire a permanent manager with the skills to properly market the business, run the back office, and keep the integrity necessary to prevent fraud. To reward the manager, a financial incentive should be offered for meeting specific revenue goals and meeting a specific level of customer satisfaction with the facilities. An additional tiered reward should be awarded for new customers being brought in by the instructors. Instructors will not be allowed to hold managerial positions and the front desk clerk can run the register and make deposits after the new manager prepares the deposit. A new code of conduct list should be established and signed by all employees. The manager, Rosemary, and another instructor who exemplifies these characteristics should be responsible for holding others to these standards. Kate should be removed the managerial role and reprimanded by paying back all lost revenues. Additionally, she should be placed on probation. The reason she should not be fired is because she has proved to be an asset to the company. Also, clearly defined expectations had not been established. This allows Rosemary to recoup some of her losses and keep a full and diversified group of instructors. With the new controls in place, Kate will not be able to cheat Rosemary out of business again. The proposed solution tightens the current controls and adds necessary components to proactively combat operational deficiencies. Rosemary will still have the ability to spend time with her children. She can feel confident her business is running with the right standards in place, even when she is not present. In addition, the business will not face additional costs that will make success unlikely. References Merchant, Kenneth A. and Van der Stede, Wim A. Management control systems: performance measurement, evaluation and incentives. (3rd ed.). Harlow, England: Pearson Education Limited.

My Best Friend Essay

â€Å"Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow; don’t walk behind me, I may not lead; Just walk beside me, and be my friend†. I’m going to describe someone who means the world to me and also has a huge impact in my life. I have one such good friend who walks beside me and who extends her hand, when I am about to slip and fall. She is my greatest asset in life, which I treasure more than anything else in this world. She is my best friend. My best friend is Mahliet Mersha. We come from the same neighborhood. Our houses are situated close to each other’s. Both Mahliet and I are of same age and belong to more or less same economic background. In fact, what has cemented our friendship deep is that our families have been close to each other for a long time. My father and Mahliet’s father were good friends back in Ethiopia. Another reason, which probably helped us to become good friends, is that we have grown together. We have spent our childhood days playing, fighting, learning, and enjoying together. Mahliet and I generally go to school together but I will be leaving Mahliet because it’s going to be my final year. Mahliet has many excellent qualities of heart and mind. Her simplicity, smartness, neatness, intelligence, straightforwardness, cool temperament, pleasant behavior, gentle ways, dutifulness, etc. have made her one of the most liked and popular students in the school. Mahliet’s sweet temperament is her greatest quality. She never hurts others or speaks ill of others. She has an amazing personality. She also helps me more than anybody. She tries to do all she can to make me come up to her level. She never goes to any movies or party without me. I do the same for her. My best friend has been through a lot she is currently living with me sometimes and also living with my other friend Helen. I’ve helped Mahliet from day one; she was having problems at home and not living a healthy life. Whenever I am sick, she is the first to come and see me. There is no function in my home without her presence. All these have combined to make our friendship deep and lasting. The best trait that I admire and like most in my friend is her disciplined life. She gets up on time, does her homework always, attends school regularly, respects her teachers and elders and never indulges in unhealthy ways such as, smoking, taking alcohol, idling away time, skipping classes etc. Her principle of ‘duty first- enjoyment second’ is something that I find difficult to follow, yet try to imitate. She corrects me whenever I commit any mistake. For me she is a source of inspiration, support and also a role model to imitate. I am ever grateful to the almighty for having given me such a good friend. I cherish it as my greatest treasure. I am sure our friendship will grow deeper and deeper in the years to come. I wish everyone had such friends in life. I know I can always count on Mahliet whenever I need her and she also feels the same way. My best friend brings joy to me.