Analysis of treatment - Diabetic Leg Ulcers Essay

Analysis of treatment - Diabetic Leg Ulcers - Essay Example The literature review has provided information to be used in changing the present tools One of the more novel approaches to advanced treatment of the diabetic ulcer today is light therapy. In this therapy, there is a light emitting diode used (LED) and a super luminous diode (SLD) that will deliver low intensity laser light. This treatment is used in synchrony with conservative sharp debridement, offloading, bioburden management, and advanced dressings. According to Sutterfield (2008), the patients tested resulted in a healed wound in 8 weeks of treatment. During this same time period Blume, Walters, & Payne (2008) compared negative pressure wound therapy using vacuum-assisted closure with advanced moist wound therapy. This was a randomized multicenter controlled trial. There were 342 patients enrolled in this study and the mean age was 58. . Patients were randomly assigned to either the advanced moisture wound therapy or the negative pressure therapy. Evaluation of the ulcers occurred for 112 days and then they were followed for 3 to 9 months. The results showed that complete ulcer closure occurred with vacuum assisted closure 43.2% of the time and 28.9% of the time with dressing and topical. Lavery, Boulton, and Niezgoda et.al. (2007), also completed a study comparing diabetic foot ulcer outcomes from negative pressure wound therapy with historical standard ulcer care. They did this by analyzing Medicare claims data of 1,135 patients with diabetic foot ulcers that were treated with negative pressure and reviewed the results of a controlled wet to moist therapy meta-analysis that was a randomized study. Within 12 weeks, the negative pressure treatment showed significantly better results than the wet to moist dressings Further, Fernandez-Montequin, Betancourt, Leyva-Gonzalez et.al. (2009) studied the use of intralesional administration of epidermal growth factor-based formulation (Heberprot-P) in treatment of ulcers. They found that

Form and Structure Essay Example for Free

Form and Structure Essay As an AS drama group, we carried out certain exercises on narrative structure, to identify ourselves with that used in the play. For instance, we each acted out a scene, illustrating an everyday activity such as waking and getting up. We then narrated these scenes first in the first person narrative, then in the third. This enabled us to identify with how Brecht wished his actors to perform, as by narrating our own actions in the third person narrative, we were detaching ourselves from the parts we were playing, and so were not thinking emotionally what should this character think and feel now, but rather thought, how should this character appear. This also enabled us to understand how the process of taking photographs of scenes and trying to identify what was occurring within that scene, helped Brecht decide if his actors were performing correctly. The Verfremdungseffekte were designed to expose the familiar; Brechts actors were to present things in their concrete reality so that the audience would be encouraged to think about what had given rise to situation depicted, in this case Hitlers, or Uis rise to power, and therefore consider ways to change those conditions in the future. * The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui is divided into 15 scenes, some of which are subdivided into several sections identified by letters. These 15 scenes are then divided almost equally into 2 acts. This symmetry gives the play a degree of continuity, enabling it to flow smoothly. Scene 8 displays a structure unique from that of other scenes throughout the play. It is the scene in which the innocent fish is on trial for potentially burning down Hooks warehouse. He is being tried before a corrupt judge caused by the manipulation of the judicial system by Ui and his underlings. This scene is divided into seven parts, a to g. Each of these parts is shorter in length than that preceding it, hence quickening the pace of the play and building tension within the scene. The shortening sections also highlight Fishs plunge into a prison sentence, that which he is undeserving of.

Botanical Garden Importance Essay

Botanical Garden Importance Essay The topic for this essay is the role of botanical gardens in plant conservation. The essay will be divided into four main parts. The first part discuss about the botanical garden. This part will include the introduction, history and development, network and function of botanical garden. Second part will explain the importance of plant conservation and the global strategy for plant conservation. The third part is the role of botanical garden in plant conservation. The fourth part will be the example of botanical garden in Malaysia and its roles in plant conservation. The last part will be the conclusion of the essay. 2.0 Botanical Gardens 2.1 Introduction Botanical gardens or botanic gardens are generally well-tended parks displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names. They may contain specialist plant collections such as cacti and succulent plants, herb gardens, plants from particular parts of the world, and so on; there may be greenhouses, again with special collections such as tropical plants, alpine plants or other exotic plants. Botanical gardens are often run by universities or other scientific research organizations and often have associated herbaria and research programmes in plant taxonomy or some other aspect of botanical science. In principle their role is to maintain documented collections of living plants for the purposes of scientific research, conservation, display and education, although this will depend on the resources available and the special interests pursued at each particular garden. 2.2 History and Development The origin of modern botanical gardens can be traced to European medieval medicinal gardens known as physic gardens, the first of these being founded during the Italian Renaissance in the 16th century. This early concern with medicinal plants changed in the 17th century to an interest in the new plant imports from explorations outside Europe as botany gradually established its independence from medicine. In the 18th century systems of nomenclature and classification were devised by botanists working in the herbaria and universities associated with the gardens, these systems often being displayed in the gardens as educational order beds. With the rapid rise of European imperialism in the late 18th century botanic gardens were established in the tropics and economic botany became a focus with the hub at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, near London. Over the years botanical gardens, as cultural and scientific organisations, have responded to the interests of botany and horticulture. Nowadays most botanical gardens display a mix of the themes mentioned and more: having a strong connection with the general public there is the opportunity to provide visitors with information relating to the environmental issues being faced at the start of the 21st century, especially those relating to plant conservation and sustainability. 2.3 Network Worldwide there are now about 1800 botanical gardens and arboreta in about 150 countries (mostly in temperate regions) of which about 400 are in Europe, 200 in North America, 150 in Russia and an increasing number in East Asia. These gardens attract about 150 million visitors a year so it is hardly surprising that many people gained their first exciting introduction to the wonders of the plant world in a botanical garden. Historically, botanical gardens exchanged plants through the publication of seed lists. This was a means of transferring both plants and information between botanical gardens. This system continues today although the possibility of genetic piracy and the transmission of invasive species have received greater attention in recent times. The International Association of Botanic Gardens was formed in 1954 as a worldwide organisation affiliated to the International Union of Biological Sciences. More recently coordination has also been provided by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) which has the mission To mobilise botanic gardens and engage partners in securing plant diversity for the well-being of people and the planet. BGCI has over 700 members- mostly botanic gardens- in 118 countries and strongly supports the Global strategy for plant conservation by producing a range resources and publications, and by organizing international conferences and conservation programs. Communication also happens regionally. In the United States there is the American Public Gardens Association and in Australasia there is the Botanic Gardens of Australia and New Zealand (BGANZ). 2.4 Role and Function Botanic gardens have had a changing role throughout history, beginning often as medicinal gardens for the study and cultivation of plants with healing properties and going through many phases including of course as pleasure gardens. But the fact that their collections are more or less scientific means they are continually adapting and serving the needs of their societies in evolving ways as new challenges face those societies. In current times, they are becoming key players in both the conservation of plants and in the education of the people who come to see them. They are also starting to play a role in the mitigation of the effects of climate change, and could be absolutely vital to the survival of the planet as they are perfectly placed to help move species around and help ecosystems to adapt to new climates in different regions. 3.0 Plant conservation 3.1 Importance Plants are universally recognized as a vital part of the worlds biological diversity and an essential resource for the planet. In addition to the small number of crop plants used for basic food and fibres, many thousands of wild plants have great economic and cultural importance and potential, providing food, medicine, fuel, clothing and shelter for vast numbers of people throughout the world. Plants also play a key role in maintaining the planets basic environmental balance and ecosystem stability, and provide an important component to the habitats for the worlds animal life. At present we do not have a complete inventory of the plants of the world, but it is estimated that the total number may be in the order of 300,000 species. Many of these species are in danger of extinction, threatened by habitat transformation, over-exploitation, alien invasive species, pollution and climate change. The disappearance of such vital and large amounts of biodiversity poses one of the greatest challenges for the world community: to halt the destruction of the plant diversity that is so essential to meet the present and future needs of humankind. Plant conservation, long the poor relation of the conservation world, has started to come into its own since the rise of conservation biology as a recognized discipline in the 1980s. Plant conservation, and the heritage value of exceptional historic landscapes, was treated with a growing sense of urgency. Specialist gardens were sometimes given a separate or adjoining site, to display native and indigenous plants. 3.2 Off-site plant conservation Off-site conservation is the conservation of plants away from their areas of natural occurrence. The term ex situ is frequently used to describe the off-site conservation. Off-site conservation not only include growing the plants in botanic gardens, the concept extends as well to field gene banks, clonal collections, and germ plasma banks where propagating tissues and seeds are preserved for growing in the future. Off-site conservation can involve a range of plant parts-the whole plant, seed, other tissues, or genetic material in culture. Whole, living plants have particular value for conservation and will continue to be a major concern of off-site conservation. But conserving whole plants is not simple. To capture the range of genetic variation, such collections require large number of plants; these are expensive to establish and maintain. If the plants are annuals, they will require seasonal replication. Outside their natural habitat some plants may require hand pollination and special treatment of fruit and seeds to ensure germination. It is fortunate that improving technology is making storage as seeds, seedlings, rhizomes, tissues in culture, and even DNA an option for many plants. 3.3 Global Strategy for Plant Conservation The entry point for the strategy is plant conservation; other aspects such as sustainable use, benefit-sharing and capacity building are also included. The Strategy provides an innovative framework for actions at global, regional, national and local levels. The strategy is supported by a wide range of organizations and institutions governments, intergovernmental organizations, conservation and research organizations (such as protected-area management boards, botanic gardens, and gene banks), universities, research institutes, nongovernmental organizations and their networks, and the private sector. The most innovative element of the Strategy is the inclusion of 16 outcome-orientated targets, aimed at achieving a series of measurable goals by 2010. 3.3.1 Objectives The ultimate and long-term objective of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation is to halt the current and continuing loss of plant diversity. The Strategy will provide framework to facilitate harmony between existing initiatives aimed at plant conservation, to identify gaps where new initiatives are required, and to promote mobilization of the necessary resources. The Strategy will be a tool to enhance the ecosystem approach to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and focus on the vital role of plants in the structure and functioning of ecological system and assure provision of the goods and services such systems provide. 4.0 Role of Botanical Gardens in Plant Conservation Botanic gardens have collectively accumulated centuries of resources and expertise that now means they play a key role in plant conservation. Many of these activities contribute to ex situHYPERLINK http://www.bgci.org/ourwork/ex_situ/ conservation, but botanic gardens also play an important role in in situHYPERLINK http://www.bgci.org/ourwork/Ecosystems/ conservation Horticulture and cultivation skills allow us to grow plants that might be lost in nature, which means their plants diversity can be conserved in the gardens, but also allows us to consider restoration and rehabilitation of degraded habitats. Living collections of plants collect species under various groupings, to maintain a living store of genetic diversity that can support many activities in conservation and research. Seed banks and collections of living plants allow species to be safeguarded. Plants must be carefully collected stored to ensure maximum genetic diversity is retained, and much research is required to determine the best way of storing each species. This is the conservation of plant diversity in situ, and botanic gardens are key to this strategys capacity and success.. Research and development into plant taxonomy and genetics, phytochemistry, useful properties, informing selection of plants that can withstand degraded and changing environments (especially important in face of the threats posed by climate change). Education is a strength of botanic gardens that allows them to communicate the importance of conserving plants, reaching out to diverse audiences, and also to communicate how this may be achieved. Linking plants with the well-being of people, and also helping conserve indigenous and local knowledge, to encourage the sustainable use of plant resources for the benefit of all, as part of sustainable development. The conservation of plant diversity is critical for sustainable development and botanic gardens are playing a key role as centres of conservation action. Gardens maintain a wide range of species as living plants, in seed banks and tissue culture; according to estimation of BGCI, there are probably over 80,000 species in cultivation in botanic gardens of the current estimate of 270,000 known plant species in the world. Botanic gardens contain collections of plants for education, scientific purposes and display; they can be: Taxonomically-based collections of a particular family, genus or group of cultivars; Collections of native plants; Plants which share a common geographical or ecological origin such as Mediterranean, desert or alpine; Wild relatives or cultivars of useful species such as medicinal, aromatic or textile plants; Shared habit or life form such as an orchard, arboretum or succulent collection. Botanic gardens also have important conservation collections particularly of rare and threatened plants. According to the IUCN Red List of threatened plants 34,000 taxa are considered globally threatened with extinction. Currently, over 10,000 threatened species, approximately a third, are in botanic garden cultivation. These plants contribute to species recovery programmes and provide long-term backup collections. Botanic gardens undertake research from plant taxonomy, ecology to breeding systems. With their expertise in horticulture, botanic gardens develop propagation and cultivation methods for plants which have never been in cultivation. All these areas are essential for species recovery programmes and reintroduction of plants into the wild, such as developing techniques to reintroduce the Dragon Trees into the wild. A major cause of biodiversity loss is the over-collection of wild plants for horticulture, medicine and food. Bringing plants into cultivation can take the pressure off the wild populations, and also support livelihoods by generating income and promote trade Botanic gardens also manage protected areas within and outside their garden to promote biodiversity. These ecosystems such as forests, bush land, catchment areas, and coastal areas provide essential services from the generation of water, cycling of nutrients and replenishment of soil fertility and prevention of erosion which are vital to the livelihoods of all people. One of the major causes of species decline is invasive alien species which threaten plants, plant communities and ecosystems. Botanic gardens with their skills in identification and horticulture monitor invasive species and work locally and nationally to restore habitats that are important for diversity. Botanic gardens work with their local communities and visitors on education and environmental conservation programmes which promote environmental awareness and sustainable living. Globally, botanic gardens receive more than 200 million visitors a year. Further, botanic gardens are key institutions working with their governments and other organisations on key policies, national biodiversity strategies and action plans. 5.0 Botanic Garden in Malaysia Rimba Ilmu 5.1 Introduction Rimba Ilmu is a tropical botanical garden, set up in the University of Malaya campus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is modelled after a rain forest garden concept rather than a formal flower garden. It emphasises the flora of the Malaysian and Indonesian region. Together with the living collections of over 1,600 species, the Rimba Ilmu also houses the University of Malaya herbarium (acronym KLU) and has its own Environmental Education Programme. The Rimba Ilmu is a member of the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and the South East Asia Botanic Gardens Network. Rimba Ilmu means The Forest of Knowledge in the Malay language. The garden, established in 1974, occupies an area of 80 hectares. It is partly buffered by old rubber plantings and the living collections, mostly from Malaysia, are one of the most important biological conservatories in Malaysia. There are also plant species from other parts of tropical Asia, the Pacific islands, Australia, South America, Africa and Madagascar. Rimba Ilmus mission is to generate and promote awareness and knowledge of tropical plant life and its environment, ecology and conservation through the development and management of facilities and activities appropriate to its function in a university located within Malaysias most developed and populated landscape. The Herbarium (a reference library of preserved plant specimens) is Malaysias largest university collection containing some 63,000 accessions. In the Garden, there are several main show collections, including medicinal plants, palms, and the citrus and citroid collection. The Conservatory of Rare Plants and Orchids, opened in 2000, and the Fernery, with planting establishments made over several years and commissioned in 2003, are accessible only to special group visits and research contacts, and a new bambusetum (living collection of bamboos) was completed at the end of 2003 and generally accessible to the public. There is also a small research collection of bananas. A highlight in the development of the Rimba Ilmu is the establishment of a special arboretum (living collection of trees) beginning in 2001 as the anchor for our Millenium Forest project, which seeks to engage friends and concerned parties in establishing biologically diverse forest plantings in making a new forest withi n the city of Kuala Lumpur. Besides having a general collection of species from a variety of plant families selected for teaching, Rimba Ilmu is also developing various special collections ranging from those of medicinal plants, wild orchids, palms, pandan, tropical fruit trees, gingers, aquatic plants, wild citrus relatives to rare and endangered plants in need of conservation. 5.2 Role in Plant Conservation Rimba Ilmu is an important repository for many types of plants, including conservation collections of rare and endangered plants, and special collections of the useful plants (such as citruses and starch palms) and their wild relatives. In 2001, two other special collections, bamboos (sponsored by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute) and bananas (anchored by one of the universitys research groups in banana cytology), were also begun. Over 2004-5, with the assistance of DHL and involving their employees, a special collection of Malaysian forest trees has also been established. Outside of the Rimba Ilmu, it may be very difficult to observe so many different species of some groups, and the habitats of some of these plants may have already been altered or damaged. Conservation also involves public awareness, and visitors are first treated to a permanent exhibition on Rain Forests when they start to get familiar with the Garden. 6.0 Conclusion Botanical gardens maintain a wide range of species as living plants, in seed banks and tissue culture. Thus, botanic gardens contain collections of plants for education, scientific purposes and display. In conclusion, the botanical garden play an important role as the ex situ conservation for plant and also in situ conservation site. The conservation of plant diversity is critical for sustainable development and botanic gardens are playing a key role as centres of conservation action.

The Right Of Autonomy :: essays research papers

The Right of Autonomy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Political philosophy is the philosophy of the state. A state is a group of people who have supreme authority within a given territory or over a certain population, according to Wolf. Authority then, is the right to command and the right to be obeyed which is different from power. Power in Wolff's terms, is the â€Å"ability to compel compliance.† Moral autonomy is â€Å"a submission to laws which one has made for oneself.† Wolf believes that there is a problem between authority and autonomy. Autonomy overrides the importance of authority. He also thinks that classical democracy fails to be a solution to this problem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An autonomous person is not subject to the will of another. This is thought to be the primary obligation of man. In political philosophy, autonomy is a refusal to be ruled, and authority of the state is the right to rule, there is a conflict. If a man fulfills his obligation to autonomy, then he will go against the claim by the state to have authority over him. Wolf states, â€Å"He will deny that he has a duty to obey the laws of the state simply because they are the laws.† This is the major conflict with political authority. Some philosophers believe that a solution to this problem is the concept of democracy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This argument says that if men rule themselves then they would be both the law givers and followers, combining autonomy with authority. â€Å"His obligation to submit to the laws stems not from the divine right of the monarch, nor from the hereditary authority of a noble class, but from the fact that he himself is the source of the laws which govern him.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wolf doesn't think that it fully solves the problem between authority and autonomy. A unanimous direct democracy is the closest to resolving the conflict, yet in only exists in theory. Representative democracy seems to solve the problems of unanimous direct democracy, but it too, has its problems. Its problems lie in the fact that it is incredibly difficult for everyone to be truly represented. If one is not, then their autonomy is sacrificed. Another possible democratic solution is majoritarian democracy. The problem with this comes with those people who are in the minority. The minority voice is limiting their autonomy because they are obeying something that they do not will. Here Wolf again shows democracy fails to solve the problem between authority and

Online Social Network Bring More Benefits Than Harm for Teens Essay

Social networking is even used to prove the legitimacy or credibility of the individual. From entertainment, information to career improvement, social networking has practically changed the way people communicate and interact online. But social networks still have to face certain challenges especially on the users’ end since these challenges could harm users and the social network’s reputation. It is important for users of social network to consider these issues that surround the social network. By remembering these challenges, users will be able to protect themselves from negative repercussions on some issues on social network. Privacy as the Main Concern The number one problem users as well as social network administrators face everyday is security. It can happen in any given time with or without the user online. Attacks on different social networking website are always a possibility because the data protected by social networks are too precious to be ignored by attackers. Viruses, spywares and worms that aim to crawl through security protocols of social networks are constantly threatening social networks. Considerable time and resources are always spent by social networks in order to maintain privacy of their users. A single attack could make every user vulnerable to security related problems such as identity theft. Information Access Access to social networking websites varies. Some website will allow any user to access information of persons even though they are not part of the user’s network while some social network prohibit access to any form of information without confirmation from the profile owner. Problems regarding information access could be completely controlled by user but unauthorized access could still happen especially for those who are just starting to understand the rules of different social networks. Updated Notification Every social network provides real time notification usually through email if there are any changes in the user’s profile. But most notifications are very limited and they are usually on the positive things that happened on the social network. For example, when a request to connect is asked, the user will automatically be notified through email or any messaging system the user prefers. But social networks will never inform the user if someone willingly removes their connection. This is done to avoid confrontations between users which significantly affect the relationship. Misuse of Social Networks Unfortunately, there are those who use social network for scams and other illegal purposes. There have been reports around the world that social networks are used to spread rumors, lies or degrading messages that could affect the person’s reputation. â€Å"Cyber bullying† or an act of being hostile to another user online has also been observed in some social networks. This type of actions should never be allowed in any social network. Users have to be careful on the veracity of the data they receive and to take actions as soon as possible as soon as something undesirable is found on social networks. Protection for Children Aside from privacy and misuse of social networks, the vulnerability of minors is also a big problem for all social networks. While some social networks are geared towards adults, most social networks are open to everyone – including minors. Unfortunately, minors on social networks could become targets of sexual predators that can cloak their real identity in different social networks. While some legislators have taken steps in preventing these offenders from using social networks these efforts could be easily curtailed especially when the offender is more than familiar with the internet.

Noam chomsky essays

Noam chomsky essays Noam Chomsky asserts that the power elites of society shape public opinion and set the agenda for our society- and that in this way, they maintain their system of control. There are a small number of people that are given permission to use up the Earths resources. The problem is that the people who are not in this small number are led to believe that these issues are not important and so are discouraged from having an opinion. He argues that because of this, that real democracy is subverted and we do not even debate the important issues at hand, such as the depletion of the Earths resources. In my paper, I will discuss why I believe that Chomskys assertion is in fact true. . In many ways Noam Chomskys viewpoint points to factual and relevant information. Large corporations, along with the media control a large part of our daily lives. Each day when we turn on the news, we are getting (in a sense) entertained for 30 minutes. A great deal of important information is diluted for the sake of the viewer. There can be nothing that actually drives them to sit down and think about an issue, for that would depress the viewer and thus lose them as an audience. There is a great lack of real news out in the world today. Shows such as Entertainment Tonight show this phenomenon-where people would rather learn about the glamour and excitement than depleting resources. We as a society are led away from thinking that there even is a problem; and for the people that do believe that there is a problem, we merely label them as overreacting. In order to find the real and important information, one has to dig deep into government files and alternative news stories. It is not that the info is not available; its just that the info that is available is extremely hard to find. This is not done by accident either. Those large corporations hold so much control ove...

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce Essay Example

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce Essay Example An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce Paper An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce Paper Ambrose Bierce uses realism to portray the dark reality of the Civil War in his 1890 short story, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. However, Bierce does not portray the brutality of the Confederates, regarded as the enemies of history. Instead, Bierce makes us sympathize with a Southern slave owner, Peter Farquhar, turning our pre-conceived notions of a just war on its head. Using the positive portrayals of the main characters family, the reader begins to feel for the Southern plantation owner. Even with Farquhar’s support for the Confederacy and slavery, which Bierce does not heavily address, the reader begins to root for him to escape his demise. Through Bierce’s negative representation of the Union, Farquhar himself, and the use of family emphasizes the theme of realism throughout An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. Bierce seems to think that war is a brutal cause with no real reward. â€Å"Many veterans like Bierce wondered why they had fought at all (Hess).† Using his own experience in the Civil War, he portrays war as unnecessary violence through his story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.The story starts out by showing Peyton Farquhar standing on Owl Creek Bridge and he has a noose around his neck. He is about to be executed for burning down the bridge, which is a crucial supply line for the Union. With this beginning alone, we can see the brutal side of war. A man, who is not dressed like a soldier, but a civilian, is about to be executed. There is no evidence that a trial has occurred that has led to this situation. Instead, it seems like a Union army general has condemned him for death. This thought alone can make one shudder. Not only did he not have a fair trial, Farquhar didn’t have a trial at all. Martial Law, in which the military is in control of the laws and the fun ction of areas such as jail and sentencing, has been thrown upon Farquhar. This is not only prevalent in the Civil War, but in wars thought history.

Why Are We Afraid of PlagiarismÂÂ

Why Are We Afraid of Plagiarism   Your academic years are some of the most important and influential in your life. What you learn and how well you can portray your knowledge acquisition will dictate your future success. Therefore, it is understandable that many students are afraid of plagiarism. Whether you are wrongly accused or intentionally commit plagiarism, the practice has long-term, negative ramifications. However, we all know the rule Forewarned is Forearmed. Get a closer look on what is plagiarism and you will combat the fear of it for the whole college life. What Is Plagiarism? Plagiarism is the act of using someone else’s words or ideas and claiming they are your own. This is usually done by an act of omission failing to acknowledge the original source of the information. Things that are most commonly plagiarized include: Ideas Theories Facts Statistics Graphs, drawings or other visuals Spoken or written words How to Avoid Plagiarism? There are several steps you can take to avoid plagiarism. First, rephrase the information you plan to use. This means putting it in your own words. Simply playing with the sentence structure or changing the word or two won’t suffice. However, a paraphrase of the information should still maintain an accurate portrayal of the original purpose or claim. If you are unable to paraphrase the information, include a short quote of the material. This should be a direct quote- capturing exactly what the original author said. It should be noted that most colleges and universities are leery of large, block quotes. Generally, a quote should be less than 40 words. Anything more than that can easily be paraphrased. Second, be sure to add a proper citation. The way you format the citation will depend on the style guide you are using (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.). Usually, this means adding a notation of the author and date of publication (or other reference information). Note: Citations should be added for both quotes and paraphrases. Finally, include a reference page or works cited page. This will expound on the in-context citations you added, providing all the necessary information regarding the sources you used. Again, the formatting of this page will depend on the style guide you are using. It is important to note that your own works need to be properly paraphrased and cited too. If you’ve written something for this or another class, you must cite yourself. Treat the information the same as you would any other source. Otherwise, you risk to be punished for self-plagiarism. There is one exception to proper citation. If the claim is public knowledge- meaning the data can be found in various sources and is commonly known by the general population- you don’t need to cite it. For example, Barak Obama was inaugurated as president of the United States of America in January 2009. Consequences of Plagiarism The students who most commonly worry about the consequences of plagiarism are those who are intentionally embarking on the journey. However, it should be noted that these same punishments are also applied to those who unknowingly commit plagiarism. Each university has its own policy regarding plagiarism and will handle cases based on those predetermined rules. Usually, the severity and frequency of the act will determine the extent of the punishment. Many professors will award zero points for a project that is found to have plagiarized work. Alternately, the student may fail the class. Sometimes, the professor will use the formal disciplinary reporting process to notify university officials. Based on the officials’ findings, the student may be subjected to suspension or expulsion. Some schools make a note of the offense on a student’s transcript. This will severely limit the student’s potential for future success. Many graduate schools and prospective employers reference a student’s transcript; a notation of plagiarism could disqualify the individual for important opportunities. Perhaps more noteworthy is the negative ramifications the student inflicts upon himself. You are depriving yourself of a valuable opportunity to learn and grow each time you commit plagiarism. You aren’t creating your own work or even original thought. Additionally, you run the risk of being ostracised from your friends\ and fellow students. Anyone who has put in the effort will resent your attempt at an easy-out. Lastly, you will ruin the relationship with your professor. That professor could have been a valuable reference down the road and plagiarism will burn any bridges you have already created. Plagiarism is a dangerous act. However, honorable students don’t need to live in fear of accidentally committing a writing crime. Simply take the necessary steps to combat plagiarism; this includes thinking long and hard about intentionally embarking on any path that could jeopardize your future success. Have you ever plagiarised? Do you think plagiarism in college should be allowed? We are waiting for you feedback and your comment!

Personal Ethics paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Personal Ethics paper - Essay Example In certain cases these all are being determined by the universities or any other institutional bodies of the university but the professors’ decision are also involved. the paper looks at different ethical codes of conduct and the leadership principles which the college professor’s are expected to incorporate in their day-to-day professional demeanor. Professors are the members of the university who teaches the students on behalf of the University. Hence as the University has certain rules and regulation the professor also follows certain ethics and principles while imparting education to the students. Teaching is regarded as an art and while teaching certain things are always taken into concerns like the way things are to be taught and what is to be taught. (Markie, 1994, p. 3) There are certain professional responsibilities which are expected from the college teachers. (A statement of principles for college teacher of education, 1954, p. 128) The relationship of the student and teacher is generally cooperative and there are significant sets of power that has been granted to the teachers. And the individual power of the teacher is very obvious in the classroom where the teachers or the professors determine the on goings of the class and evaluate the performance of the students. He has the sole power to do it. The power that has been given to the professors can be utilized to make it â€Å"supportive† or â€Å"destructive†. (Markie, 1994, p. 6) The ethical professor should be guided by the basic three principles, they are: â€Å"demonstration of equity and fairness†, â€Å"attention to cheating†, â€Å"responsible use of power†. (Klein, 2005, p. 4) Benjamin Bloom (1956) categorized learning activities into three essential parts- cognitive (including mental performance and the quest for knowledge), affective (encourage feelings and passion or generate the right attitude) and psychomotor (physical skills and manual efforts). the effective leadership of the college

Dietary and Activity Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dietary and Activity Analysis - Assignment Example The assignment "Dietary and Activity Analysis" presents the analysis of the author's dietary and activity, his energy intake and output, carbohydrate, alcohol, fat, protein, vitamin/mineral intakes and overall dietary intake based on 3-day average data. The paper contains the analysis of the estimated 3-day average daily expenditure in comparison with the 3-day energy intake. The author talks about the gaining or losing weight recently and if it is consistent with the differences between his energy intake and estimated energy output and his 3-day average daily energy intake. The energy consumed is analyzed during the weekend or weekdays and if it expends more energy on the weekends or weekdays. It is estimated that one should have at least 125 grams of carbohydrates a day and ideally, much more. Therefore the average intake compares with this minimum. The person requires more than 125 grams of carbohydrates per day for the energy supply to the body. The negative consequences of consuming less than this amount on a regular basis because less carbohydrate leads to more weight loss. Also, the percentage of the total calories contributed by carbohydrate based on the 3-day average intake is calculated. It is analyzed if the author's intake in line with the recommendations that 45-65% of the calories in his diet should come from carbohydrate. The grams of fiber consumed based on the 3-day average are also calculated and compared with the recommendation to consume 21-38 grams of dietary fiber/day.

LEADING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

LEADING - Essay Example through a process of training; education; self-study and experience and anyone can become a leader, provided he has the willpower and the desire to do so. Successful leaders, lead by example; establish missions; make a roadmap for success in the future; are decisive and solution-oriented. They do not isolate themselves from others; rather, they work as a part of the team; communicate on a positive level; are emotionally stable, and have the ability to deal with all kinds of emotionally stressful situations without keeling over. They are follower-centric and stand tall and strong with their followers. They are competitive with a high-level of conscientiousness; are bold and ready to take action and risks spontaneously. Judgment -The ability to judge is highly related to the ability to listen; absorb; as well as; to learn from other people; by asking questions of wise people and learning from their answers. Judgment and courage go hand in hand. One leader whose sense of judgment has often been spoken about and appreciated was President Reagan. He made some very correct judgments, on major issues of great national importance. (Johnson, P. 2005; Forbes 175 (10), 31) Humor is also a very essential ingredient of leadership. Although there have been a few leaders who were not known for their humor; even some of those leaders e.g. Margaret Thatcher has been known to crack the odd joke or two. President Lincoln, and President Reagan were known for their stories and one-liners respectively. (Johnson, P. 2005; Forbes 175 (10), 31) Subordinates always work with more gusto when there is laughter behind their work and the person they are looking up to in a leadership position makes them laugh and feel comfortable. Moral courage is probably one of the most important traits of a leader. It leads a person to adhere to whatever he believes in, despite every adversity; criticism or obstacle thrown in his way. Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi all had moral

Addiction Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Addiction - Assignment Example Relapse can be handled in case the client has established that there is a clear plan to deal with the situation; hence, making it easier to manage after it has happened. In the case of a slip, there is a recurrence of behavior where the individual attempts to change but keep on engaging in problem behavior (Lowinson, 2005). Therefore, it is clear that a slip is less serious than a The prevalence of men relapse is more than that of women this is because staying sober requires that a person has outside support where in the case of women they are likely to seek group counseling. Additionally, people who are isolated by the addiction process need contact from other in order to give them moral support. By so doing, they help them with drug or alcohol relapse prevention plans, as well as, reducing stress and depression as they associate with other people. It has been established when individuals who have addiction issues develop a friendship with people who do not encourage their behavior they avoid relapsing (Marlatt & Donovan, 2008). Additionally, having an anonymous source of communication and support plays a vital role in ensuring that the individual has a person to encourage him or her in changing their behavior. Various warning signs that help in knowing that a person has relapsed. They include sudden relapse where there are emotional triggers, physical change and social situations where an individual withdraws from their friends and family. A person may also relapse is they have lost a loved one in a tragic death or illness.

Importance of Physical Education to student achievement Research Paper

Importance of Physical Education to student achievement - Research Paper Example Physical education and academic performance The direct implications of physical education on academic performance of students have been established by several researchers. One of the first studies analyzing the impact of physical activity on the academic performance of students was done by (Fourestier, 1962). This study included a small group of students from France. The sample population which underwent physical education in the afternoon after the forenoon’s sessions within the classroom was reported to have improved academic performance in comparison with the control group which didn’t undergo physical education (Fourestier, 1962). Though this study included only a small sample size and the methodology has not been detailed in the literature available, this has been indicated as one of the first studies in this research area. Another larger study which was conducted in 1970s has been recorded by Sallis et al (1999). This included 546 primary school children and confi rmed that those students who continuously engaged in five hours of physical education in a week performed better academically. This study has also analyzed the changing impacts of extent of physical education as the control population was constituted of children who had a limited exposure of 40 minutes of physical education per week Sallis et al (1999). ... Shephard (1997) reported that there was significant improvement in the mathematics score of students who underwent physical education for 5 hours a week. However, there were negative consequences in terms of scores in English. It is worth noting here that 33 minutes were reduced in the mathematics instruction while no hours were taken off from English teaching Shephard (1997). Raviv & Hectch (1999) recorded that physical movement education considerably improved the reading skills and the arithmetic test scores of students in an intervention made in an Israel school involving 92 preschool and 266 first grade children. More recent studies also suggest promising correlation between academic performance and physical education. Coe, Pivarnik, Womack, Reeves & Malina (2006) conducted an interventional study amongst 6th grade students which included fifty five minutes of physical education per day as an intervention. This intervention in terms of time was equivalent to that of the time slot for arts and computer sciences. The observations of this study indicated that these students performed as good as the control population in mathematics, science and English Coe, Pivarnik, Womack, Reeves & Malina (2006). The results of the Canadian Achievement Test revealed that even with decrease in academic time the academic performance of the sample population remained the same (Ahamed, Macdonald, Reed, Naylor, Liu-Ambrose & McKay, 2007). There are few studies which have suggested negative implications of Physical Education on academic achievements. Tremblay, Inman & Willms (2000) observed inverse association with academic performance in students of 11 years. This study is worth mentioning because of its large sample size. The research covered close to 7000 students as the

Gerontology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Gerontology - Essay Example The authors include, Dan Buettner, Sally Beare and Howard S. Friedman. They have applied both different and similar ideologies in their work. Based on health, the authors have different views on the fitness of the individuals in the blue zones. However, they have a common understanding where they believe that health depends on individual body fitness and genetic structures. Sally has done her research on the in habitats on the island by the name Okinawa, located in Eastern China (Beare 2006). She compares and contrasts the health her research samples with those from the Western countries. The island holds a record of the longest living persons in earth. She starts by comparing their physical attributes with those of the Western in habitats. Her results show that signs of healthy lifestyles before she gets into deeper research about the diseases found in the island (Beare 2006). Unlike the West where stroke, heart attacks and cancer related deaths are common, her area of study has less than 20% cases. Most diseases are so rare among the populations raising questions on the causes of the increased health cases. Scientists involved in the research have come up with results that show the strong immune systems found in the old generations. Sally related their strength to those of the young generations where that are able to fight most deadly diseases. Dan, on the other hand, has carried out most of his researches in Central and South America in some of the indigenous communities. However, his focus is on other attributes that contribute to long living other than health (Buettner 2007). For example, his study on Costa Rica reveals the physical lifestyles where his focal point is social ways of life such as how they cook their food and diet compositions (Buettner 2007). With his knowledge from other blue zones, she has come up with different myths that are common in people from other countries such as the U.S. The cultures use

Addiction Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Addiction - Assignment Example Relapse can be handled in case the client has established that there is a clear plan to deal with the situation; hence, making it easier to manage after it has happened. In the case of a slip, there is a recurrence of behavior where the individual attempts to change but keep on engaging in problem behavior (Lowinson, 2005). Therefore, it is clear that a slip is less serious than a The prevalence of men relapse is more than that of women this is because staying sober requires that a person has outside support where in the case of women they are likely to seek group counseling. Additionally, people who are isolated by the addiction process need contact from other in order to give them moral support. By so doing, they help them with drug or alcohol relapse prevention plans, as well as, reducing stress and depression as they associate with other people. It has been established when individuals who have addiction issues develop a friendship with people who do not encourage their behavior they avoid relapsing (Marlatt & Donovan, 2008). Additionally, having an anonymous source of communication and support plays a vital role in ensuring that the individual has a person to encourage him or her in changing their behavior. Various warning signs that help in knowing that a person has relapsed. They include sudden relapse where there are emotional triggers, physical change and social situations where an individual withdraws from their friends and family. A person may also relapse is they have lost a loved one in a tragic death or illness.

Gerontology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Gerontology - Essay Example The authors include, Dan Buettner, Sally Beare and Howard S. Friedman. They have applied both different and similar ideologies in their work. Based on health, the authors have different views on the fitness of the individuals in the blue zones. However, they have a common understanding where they believe that health depends on individual body fitness and genetic structures. Sally has done her research on the in habitats on the island by the name Okinawa, located in Eastern China (Beare 2006). She compares and contrasts the health her research samples with those from the Western countries. The island holds a record of the longest living persons in earth. She starts by comparing their physical attributes with those of the Western in habitats. Her results show that signs of healthy lifestyles before she gets into deeper research about the diseases found in the island (Beare 2006). Unlike the West where stroke, heart attacks and cancer related deaths are common, her area of study has less than 20% cases. Most diseases are so rare among the populations raising questions on the causes of the increased health cases. Scientists involved in the research have come up with results that show the strong immune systems found in the old generations. Sally related their strength to those of the young generations where that are able to fight most deadly diseases. Dan, on the other hand, has carried out most of his researches in Central and South America in some of the indigenous communities. However, his focus is on other attributes that contribute to long living other than health (Buettner 2007). For example, his study on Costa Rica reveals the physical lifestyles where his focal point is social ways of life such as how they cook their food and diet compositions (Buettner 2007). With his knowledge from other blue zones, she has come up with different myths that are common in people from other countries such as the U.S. The cultures use

Animal Experimentation Essay Example for Free

Animal Experimentation Essay After deep consideration and research about animal testing issues, this problem heated public opinions and took them to debates on media, news, etc. Animals were not experimented in order to find out potential treatments for patients, scientists also used them for testing cosmetic or explore their functions. Because opponents believe animal testing is cruel and ill-gotten and a lot of fight, protests, reasons against it, so everyone try to decrease the number of animals used in studies and finding alternatives. But proponents indicated the long list of medical advances made achievable with the help of animal research. They assumed that technological advances will never be able to reliably replicate all of the uses of laboratory mice and other creatures. First off lets get through a few basic facts. Animal testing costs over $136 billion dollars annually for the American public, so animal testing is actually very expensive. There are almost 400 known alternatives for animal testing being considered. Only 2% of human diseases are recorded inside of the animal kingdom. Everyone, whether they are for or against animal testing, are very biased about their ideas but I will also tell you about the valuable things that are generated from animal testing. Many things such as cleaners, pesticides, and herbicides are tested on animals to make sure they are safe as well. There are many different kinds of tests for different things. For example dogs are used for cardiovascular work. Now lets move on to all of the awful things coming from animal testing. I feel that animal testing is definitely giving us information but it is not worth it for all the pain the animals are experiencing. Some of the animals are not properly anesthetized. In fact, almost ten percent arent and 9 % of the ones who are die. I believe that these laboratories are not using the animals to the full extent anyway because all of the drugs that pass through animal testing either harm or kill humans 61% of the time. Is that the kind of results that should be coming out of this, especially since 33 animals die in a laboratory every second? Some scientists even will say that they believe that rats and mice dont matter because they dont live very long anyway, but I believe that they shouldnt take what little life they have away from them. We can not be completely sure if animal testing is very efficient either because 83% of tested products are found to e metabolized differently with humans and animals. Also a group of scientists tested on animals to see if they got lung cancer from smoking and they didnt, so is it safe to use them for our tests. It is also proven that cats are allergic to Advil. Animals also generate high levels of depression and stress from being contained inside of small cages. Did you know that 5 to 25 % of all drugs that come from animal tests that pass and then are later found to be bad are thrown away. Is it really fair for the animals if they have to give their lives and then we just throw away everything that comes out of it? A lot of scientists have come to the conclusion that animal testing is outdated anyway and they should consider more modern testing. They believe that we should be looking more into computer programs especially since you dont have to wait nearly as long for results and it is much cheaper. Animals must feel the same amount of pain we humans do; some might say otherwise because they dont understand that the animals may be more intelligent and emotional than it seems. Most scientists feel that they get better results and they can be more confident from the amount of data that arrives after a human based test. Even though scientists feel this way I still dont think that we should allow human tests either. It is also a proven fact that most scientists who do animal tests have very high levels of guilt and sorrow even though animal facilities work very hard to make sure the scientists dont become emotionally connected with the animals. Some people, including me, might even say that animals have become the slaves of our generation and we need to fix that. Just because they are inferior doesnt mean we should pick on them. In fact you dont see the smart people in America picking on the dumber or poorer people by subjecting them to tests. About 99% of all physicians have agreed that animal testing has played a great roll in medical advancements. About 97% of those physicians support animal testing. So if all of these very well educated people believe that we should keep it, should we really get rid of it? After all, animal testing does help us find out answers for our medically related questions without us having to harm humans but we shouldnt have to harm animals either especially since there are so many alternatives. But that is a big problem for some countries were they feel it is immoral or it has been made illegal to use a drug without it having been tested on an animal. In some countries they have to be tested on two different types of mammals. Most people who are against animal testing, including me, say that animals are not very much like us internally. The people for animal testing could argue that they mostly just test the living patterns that occur when taking a certain drug that is being tested instead of going deep into the body where it actually would make a difference. As proof, animal testing has given us cures for Polio, Herpes Simplex, Hepatitis B, Rabies, Malaria and Mumps. Dont get the impression that the humans are selfish and they only use they results for themselves, scientists also use the results for medical advancements on animals. Also, we probably wouldnt be able to get as much information without animal testing. I believe that this is true, and computer programs will not give as many results, but they display results more quickly. Therefore, given time, computer programs may be just as effective. They also argue that the scientists try as hard as they can to make their experiments the least painful as possible. Many large organizations including a British organization called RDS have filed tests to find out about the claims against animal testing and they have found some of them to be false. Though the information in the above paragraphs give a strong argument I still believe that it should be abolished. I have found animal testing to be cruel and wrong. I hope that you have too, because without the peoples permission animal testing will never be properly stopped. I hope that you will make the right decision so that we can take a step towards establishing a more peaceful America and getting rid of one dreadful thing at a time.

The idea of carrying capacity

The idea of carrying capacity ‘By the end of the 21st century, human population growth may exceed Earths carrying capacity. Discuss. The idea of carrying capacity is not a new one. Carrying capacity is the maximum population size that the environment can support without deterioration (McGraw-Hill, 2002). The first idea of carrying capacity applied to natural organisms was introduced in the 1980s so the concept that the earth is a ship with only enough food and resources to be able to sustain a finite population is not new (Sayre 2007). The population of Earth currently stands at around 6.8 billion and is expected to reach 7 billion by the year 2011. In just 12 years, the population of earth has risen by nearly 1 billion after a population of 6 billion was reached in 1999 (Unknown 2009). Population has been projected; and estimated to reach 9.4 billion by 2050. (Ehrlich.P, A 2009). The rate at which population is increasing causes a growing concern with the carrying capacity of the planet and whether or not the planet will be able to sustain the population. Humans have already put strain on the environment and an increasing population puts an ever-growing strain on the environment. Human and environmental changes that need to be considered such as climate change and over-consumption, new industrialising countries such as India and China. Countries with rapid population growth are already finding it hard to improve, or even maintain the health of their people and their economies. (MacKenzie 1994). There are many people who believe in Ester Boserups view that human innovation and ingenuity will prevail and overcome any problems that pose a threat to mankind. There have been many technological advances, which has allowed for increased yield of crops, one such advance is the invention by Fritz Haber in 1909, the nitrogen fixing process known as the Haber-Bosch process (Matthews 2005). This process has helped feed many millions and saved them from death and starvation (Bhagwati 1996). Many other technological advances such as one from Norm Borlaug where he devised a system to accelerate the breeding of disease-resistant wheat and beat the stem rust fungus in Mexico (MacKenzie 2009). The gains have not been without cost: soil quality has been damaged, crops like bananas have become less genetically diverse, rare breeds of animal have been pushed close to extinction, and habitats have been destroyed. Increasing demand for meat also puts pressure on agriculture (Marshall 2009). However factors such as climate change that may lead to rising temperatures, which is accelerated by our over consumption causing massive amounts of pollution and use of valuable resources is of great concern to the worlds carrying capacity and even with the advances in technology that humans succeeded in the future still looks grim. The six most widely grown crops in the world are wheat, rice, maize, soybeans, barley and sorghum. Results suggest that yields of maize, cotton and soybean drop by roughly 0.6 per cent for each degree-day spent above 29 Â °C. At present, agricultural regions across the US spend an average of 57 degree-days above 29 Â °C during the growing season. A growing season could rise to 413 degree-days by the end of the century (Barley 2009). As early as 2020 several countries in Africa are likely to experience a reduction in crop yields by up to 50%. Droughts in Kenya have become 4 times more common in the last 25 years. In 2009, Kenya has had its third failed harvest in a row. (Alagiah 2009) Overfishing of the worlds oceans has also led to great damage, causing population crashes in many species although in recent years, fish farms have become more widespread and they reduce the burden on wild fish but have problems of their own with escaping fish, excessive food consumption, infectious viruses and louse infestations (Barley 2009) The problem of increasing population makes the situation much more difficult to manage. It may be possible that human innovation and ingenuity will overcome any difficulties that mankind faces, although it does seem that the limit of the planets carrying capacity is close to reaching its peak; with depleting reserves of minerals, oil, agricultural yields and loss of biodiversity and that along with environmental changes in the world it will be difficult for the entire planet and that carrying capacity is a subject that needs careful consideration today. Alagiah. G (2009). BBC Future of Food [TV] Barley.S (2009). Climate tipping point defined for US crop yields [Online]. Available: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17680-climate-tipping-point-defined-for-us-crop-yields.html [Accessed] Bhagwati .K (1994). No Clean Hands [Online] Available: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg14920116.100-no-clean-hands.html [Accessed: 24/01/2010] Ehrlich.P, Ehrlich.A (2009). Population: Enough of us now [Online]. Available: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327271.500-population-enough-of-us-now.html [Accessed:23/01/2009] MacKenzie.D (1994). Will tomorrows children starve? The People problem [Online]. Available: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg14319413.600-will-tomorrows-children-starve-the-people-problem.html [Accessed:24/01/2010] Mackenzie.D (2009). Norm Borlaug: the man who fed the world [Online]. Available: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17778-norm-borlaug-the-man-who-fed-the-world.html [Accessed: 25/01/2010] Marshall. M (2009). Instant Expert: Food and Drink [Online]. Available: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17140-instant-expert-food-and-drink.html [Accessed: 25/01/2010] Matthews.R (2005). The real Dr Faustus? [Online]. Available: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18725172.600-the-real-dr-faustus.html [Accessed 23/01/2010] McGraw-Hill (2002). Dictionary of Environmental Science. McGraw-Hill. United States. Sayre.N (2007). Carrying Capacity: Genesis, History and Conceptual Flaws [Online]. Available: http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/GreenGovernance/ColloqPapers/Sayre2007.pdf [Accessed 23/01/2010] Unknown (2009). 2009 World Population Data Sheet [Online]. Available: http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2009/2009wpds.aspx [Accessed: 23/01/2010]

A Rose for Emily By William Faulkner :: essays research papers

Symbolism in A Rose For Emily William Faulkner (1897-1962) was a southern writer; he spent most of his time in Oxford, Mississippi. "A Rose For Emily" was a vehicle for him to write about the South and the old ways of the South. He was a well respected writer. In 1950 he received the Nobel Prize for Literature. faulkner uses symbolism to make his message stronger. Faulkner uses symbolism as a way to repersent the qualities of the character, places and events in his work. Emily came from a well to do family that had alot of history in the town. The Grierson's were so powerful, Emily did not have to pay taxes. The whole townspeople seemed to think taht they were snobby because in Emily's father's eyes, none of the men were quite good enough for Emily. Unfortunately, Emily turned out to be a lonely old woman because of her father's influence. in "A Rose for Emily", Faulkner uses the element of time to enhance details of the setting and vice versa. By avoiding chronological order of events of Miss Emily's life, Faulkner first gives the reader a completed puzzle, and then allows the reader to examine the puzzle piece by piece. By doing so he enhances the story and presents two different perspectives of time held by the characters such as, the world of the present and, the world of tradition and the past-"confusing time with it's mathematical progression...divided from them by the narrow bottleneck of the most recent decade of years"(Faulkner 35-36). Faulkner uses symbolic elements to compare the Grierson house with Emily's life- "lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps-an eyesore among eyesores"(Faulkner 29).

Free Essays on Homers Odyssey: Telemachus :: Homer Odyssey Essays

Telemakhos of The Odyssey Telemakhos, Odysseus's son, finally realizes that in order to preserve his estate he must fill in his father's shoes and grow up. Telemakhos not only needs to do this for himself, but for his father who is still alive. Telemakhos became a man his father would be proud of. Twenty years ago Odysseus left for Troy, leaving Telemakhos without a father figure since he was an infant. He grew up a mommy's boy not knowing his role in the kingdom because Odysseus was far away. Telemakhos recognizes that all the men trying to court his mother, Penelope, only want control of his kingdom. Zeus, King of the God's, gives his daughter, Athena permission to encourage Telemakhos to fall into his fathers shoes and become the man he was meant to be. "For my part, I shall visit Ithaka to put more courage in the son, and rouse him."(211 &212) In a way Zeus and Athena are doing what Odysseus could not be there to do. The reader is left to question if Telemakhos needed to be encouraged or would he have grown up on his own? The first sign that Telemakhos is becoming a man is when instead of comforting his mother in her grieving for Odysseus, he scolds her and tells her "Mother, why do you grudge our own dear minstrel joy of song, wherever his thought may lead?" (218) "Odysseus was not the only one at Troy never to know the day of his homecoming. Others, how many others, lost their lives!" (218) Telemakhos then went to his mother's suitors and told them "At daybreak we shall sit down in assembly and I shall tell you---take it as you will---you are to leave this hall." (218) This was very stunning to all the suitors because Telemakhos had no male guidance and they wondered who had invoked him to take back his home and inheritance. The suitors questioned Telemakhos if the God's were "teaching you this high and mighty manner." (218) Telemakhos justified himself by saying "all I insist on is that I rule our house and rule the slaves my father won for me.

How Do Others People’s Feelings Influence Our Decisions? Essay

How do others people’s feelings influence our decisions? Other people’s feelings can influence our decisions. People have an incredibly powerful effect on us. We care about other people and we don’t want to hurt their feelings, and we want to make good decisions too. But, don’t let other people influence your decisions or thoughts too much. Because, sometimes the fate of someone/something hang on our ability to make good decisions. People’s feelings can influence our decisions, they can influence our decisions even more if they’re important to us. For example, Glee Episode 4, Kurt is a ‘girly guy’. His dad wants him to be on the football team. Of course his dad is an important person to him, and he wants to make his dad proud rather than being this ‘girly guy’. So, he joins the team and made the team won. But, Kurt’s passion is not for football, but singing. At the end, Kurt confessed the truth and his dad understands. I think it’s true that people’s feelings can influence our decisions, even more if that person is important to us. We don’t want our decision to hurt other people, like declining something that hurt other people’s feelings. In his book, â€Å"The Power of a Positive No,† Dr. William Ury says taking a second to stop and think it through will allow you to weigh the pros and cons and make an effective decision, which will yield an effective answer. Many people struggle with declining offers or requests because they’re afraid of hurting another person’s feelings. My opinion, i agree with this, many people struggle declining offer or request because they’re afraid of hurting another person’s feelings, but there are many ways to say ‘no’ without upsetting or hurting other people’s feelings. Sometimes when we make decisions, we need other’s people comment and sometimes people are too scared to make their own decisions, they’re scared it wouldn’t be accepted and hurt their community of friends. Marilyn Manson said, â€Å"A lot of people don’t want to make their own decisions. They’re too scared. It’s much easier to be told what to do†. I kinds agree with this, i think it’s easier to make your own decisions that being told what to do by other people, but sometimes it’s true that we want our decisions to be accepted in public/community. My conclusion, we don’t want to hurt other people’s feelings because we care about them, and we don’t want to hurt their feelings. If our decisions hurt their feelings, we will consider it again. There’s this quote that i like, by Keri Russell, â€Å"Sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that can change your life forever†. We can care about other people’s feelings but don’t let it influence you too much. Sometimes important decisions must be based on reasoning and our own way of thinking. pls take full credits if you’re using my essay 🙂 twitter @AimeeJsminee

An Indigenous understanding of Reciprocity

Reciprocity is an underlying principle expressed throughout Aboriginal societies. Outline and Illustrate the Importance of this fundamental concept In the economic, social, spiritual and political spheres of Aboriginal life (refer to reciprocity In the index to Edwards 2005). The word reciprocity's conjures up a feel good image of ‘caring and sharing' (Schwab 1995: 8). However according to Peterson (1 993: 861) there is a darker more sinister side to this word when applied to Indigenous Australians.He defines it as ‘demand sharing' rather than reciprocity and he states hat Blurter Jones (1 987: 38) labels it tolerated theft. Peterson (1993: 860) goes on to assert that little ‘giving' Is purely altruistic because the giver might simply be protecting themselves from ‘pay-back† if they do not give, or be expecting some mutual benefit. Edwards (2004:76) espouses that white Australians disregarded the reciprocity of traditional territorial rights and misunder stood the code of mutuality in social relationships.They also failed to identify the privileges and responsibilities central to Aboriginal society based on relationship and reciprocity (Edwards 2004: 24). In order to enter a discussion on reciprocity with regard to our Indigenous culture, It must be looked at on two levels. First how reciprocity Is a central principle that has pervaded Aboriginal societies for millennia and secondly the impact that reciprocity with the Western culture has had on this Indigenous community, since the advent of Colonization.The Western way generally requires the borrower to formulate a case of need, whereas the Aboriginal approach is slanted towards the giver having to explain why he cannot give (Schwab 1 995: 8). However there is an increasing recognition that mutual benefit worked better within the Indigenous community when Aboriginals were hunter gatherers than It seems to In today's welfare society. Schwab (1995: title page) leans towards this real ization in his discussion paper short titled â€Å"The Calculus of Reciprocity†, where one could interpret the meaning of ‘calculus' to be the study of changed {mathematical}.He outlines an accepted act of generations of give and take, to one that is gradually changing to take' and either delayed ‘giving back or not at all. In the past the food or other goods ere shared out until they were all gone (Schwab 1995: 3-4) but Increasingly a ‘complex yet subtle calculus Is employed on a dally basis as Individuals decide which expenses (or gifts) require immediate attention and which can be deferred' (Schwab, 1995: 15). Reciprocity influences the political climate of Aboriginal society, especially the law, which was, is now, and always will be.According to Needing, Davis and Fox (1986: 42) an Elder sums it up when he says the Aboriginal Law never changes, â€Å"always stay same† while conversely, Western law Is â€Å"always changing†. There Is an Inte rconnectedness of all things, an agelessness which bears witness that spoilt exists now, as it did before and that creation exists as an historical fact and also has present currency and will into the future. In Colonial times, the principle of reciprocity was enigmatic to the Westerners and a constant source of acrimony – politically, legally and culturally.The Aboriginal philosophy of reciprocity encompassed the idea that if the balance of life was disturbed, there must be a ‘corresponding action' to repair the Imbalance and the status quo must be preserved aboriginal life and this essay will discuss the importance of reciprocity with regard to economic, political, social and spiritual spheres of Aboriginal life, although it is difficult to compartmentalize Aboriginal society due to its complexity, as there is an overlap and interconnectedness in all things.The economy is interwoven with politics, as social life is melded with spirituality. Pre Colonially, the concept of reciprocity had ensured the survival of Indigenous Australian peoples' lifestyle as a distinct economic style for thousands of years (Sermons, H. 2005: 70). In more recent mimes, colonial interference with its autocratic removal and relocation of key individuals and whole groups resulted in virtually a complete collapse of the traditional Aboriginal economy.As hunting and gathering is no longer possible for city dwellers, the concept of reciprocity becomes even more important, from an economic point of view, due to the nature of extended families all co-habiting in one small dwelling because of mutual obligation or reciprocity. According to Smith (1991) household structure has to stretch to encompass the extra-household fiscal networks it now accommodates. One must consider the concept of reciprocity or mutual benefit to obtain an understanding of domestic expenditure patterns.To better understand the impact of reciprocity on a single family, here is an example from the Lacuna c ommunity (Wallpaper people), which is currently representative of many Aboriginal communities (Sheathe, E 2005: 151). This anecdote illustrates how (poor) Aboriginal health is indisputably linked to their economic situation and that reduced eating patterns (feast or famine Schwab 2004: 5) are encouraged by the government welfare system.Elizabeth and David are out shopping for their extended family,4 hen Emily approaches and asks for food explaining her welfare money has run out, she is given quite a large amount of food. Elizabeth explains ‘l like to shop Just before it closes, because there are fewer people here †¦ In the mornings there are too many hungry people waiting for you' (Sheathe, E 2005: 152). This means Elizabethan family will eat well for a few days and then when the food runs out (earlier than intended because she has given some away) they will have to eat sparingly, or not at all, until the next welfare payment.At the same time David has been approached by Steve to use his gun and ammunition. David is reluctant to give up his gun fearing Steve will damage it, but willingly gives ammunition. David says ‘All the time people want things from you. It is no good. ‘ Later Steve returns and gives David a very small proportion of his ‘kill' (Sheathe, E 2005: 1 53); this is representative of a refused reciprocation. Stave's exchange is small because David did not share his gun. In the case of Emily, one can assume that if she has spent her welfare money before 1 1. 5 am on the day she received it, then it is doubtful she will reciprocate Elizabethan ‘gift' NY time in the future, as Emily has demonstrated she is unable to budget within her own economy. So, while reciprocation might have worked pre-colonization, it can be seen that in the present welfare economy, it is no longer a system of reciprocation, but rather a system of using and abusing one's kin because reciprocation is seen as a ‘right' and seemingly no l onger has to be ‘repaid', however the ‘shame' involved in not paying back (especially if the person has the means) has not changed (Schwab 2004: 6).The substance abuser, or the drunkard still have to be supported by their kin but hey are an economic threat to the household and possibly provide no means of return of the traditional arrangements of reciprocity while advocating that Indigenous people accept more responsibility so a sound economic base can be rebuilt for Aboriginal Communities. Both Elizabeth and Davit's self-protectionist attitudes seem to reflect the ‘modern' interpretation of reciprocity, that it is their kin's right to take', while sadly, they conceivably no longer expect them to repay in kind.Therefore the economy of this single household is skewed by having to support the immunity in general, instead of specifically their own family. In the past this would have been balanced out by equal trade-off, from Emily and Steve (or their immediate kin) bu t now days, due to issues such as alcoholism, homelessness, lack of education and substance abuse, true reciprocity is not as ubiquitous as it once was.A displaced sense of entitlement on the part of the taker' seems to be replacing the traditional sense of reciprocity and a certain wary counting of the cost seems to be reflected in the ‘giver's' calculus where the whole concept seems to be becoming a social burden Schwab 2004: 8). Indeed, Peterson (1993) in his article ‘Demand Sharing: Reciprocity and the Pressure for Generosity among Foragers' asks the question â€Å"Why is there a positive enjoyment to share if sharing is commonly by taking rather than giving? † (p. 861).When it comes to establishing the economic basis of a family, it becomes very difficult to measure their actual income due to people moving in and out of households, but Western society dictates that families meet eligibility criteria in order to qualify for welfare. The ideology of traditional reciprocity is not taken into account ND Schwab (1995: 16) suggests that politics, or policy makers ‘accommodate rather than contravene' these monetary instabilities and the ever changing family support arrangements. Western politics or law is generally not taken on board by Aboriginal society, or if it is, it is with reluctance and resentment.With this in mind, Schwab (2004: 2) wrote his discussion paper â€Å"The Calculus of Reciprocity' to further a ‘better understanding of the principles of reciprocity in contemporary Aboriginal communities' in the hope that it would better inform government policy makers, at a local, state and national level. There are two sets of politics (law) that the Aboriginal people must abide by. On the one hand there are the Politics and Law of Australia and then there are their own laws and politics as illustrated by The Dreaming, where explicit moral lessons transmit the ideology of didactic human behavior (Schwab 2004: 3).There is outra ge in Australia at the suggestion that certain individuals seek to impose elements of Shari law, but we turn a blind eye, or have a lack of understanding of Indigenous people carrying out their version of reciprocity when it comes to breaking their own laws. Some of the punishments imposed by Aboriginal Law include, death, spearing or other forms of corporal punishment (e. G. , burning the hair from the wrongdoer's body), individual ‘dueling with spears, boomerangs or fighting sticks, shaming, public ridicule, exclusion from the community or total exclusion (Australian Law Reform Commission ND: 1).The code of reciprocity controls the mutual rights and kinship obligations of the individual and encompasses the cultural norm of ‘payback for wrongdoing (Fryer-Smith, S 2002: 2. 18). As well as an understanding that reciprocity means the sharing of tools and food, there is also a oral principle of reciprocity with its negative forms encompassing retribution and revenge (Alkali and Johnson 1999, in Burbank 2006: 7). Burbank (2006: 7) stated that be killed, then reciprocity can be satisfied by the killing of another family member as due to the intricacies of kinship they are considered one and the same.This viewpoint would be considered barbaric in Western culture and would not be tolerated. As Edwards (2004: 73) states, the person who breaks the law must serve the sentence and for another person to pay the penalty would not be Justified or even permitted in Western law. In indigenous land management, the politics of reciprocity (between Western and Indigenous) should involve knowledge and understanding but the white Australian man tries to impose his vastly different practices onto the Aboriginals who have been practicing successful land management for millennia.Disappointingly much of the thousands of years of Indigenous knowledge are often disregarded by Whitefishes' (Baker, Davies, Young, 2001: 158). To illustrate the disparity of understanding of the principles of reciprocity in Colonial times, Edwards (2004: 73) outlines the anecdote where the Elder showed he settler a waterhole and then considered it a reciprocal action to later kill a sheep for food when the settler used the waterhole to water his flock.This Aboriginal would then be dealt with by the police and the courts and he would be mystified as he could see no Justice in a system such as this where reciprocity did not play a part. In his law, laid down by The Dreaming it would be sanctioned behavior to take the sheep as pay back for food for his clan. Western politics plays a part in the downfall of the concept of reciprocity, firstly by taking away the dignity of Indigenous people ho cannot reciprocate for their welfare payments in any quantifiable way.Secondly because life has so drastically changed for the indigenous people since Colonization, they now find themselves stripped of their place and their land and instead find themselves in the undignified position of be ing passive welfare recipients. So many have fallen by the wayside and become victims of alcohol and substance abuse due to their once well organized and purposeful life being ripped away. This has made them reliant on their relatives generosity, which leaves them no self-respect and minimal fiscal, physical or emotional resources to pay back with.Therefore the notion of reciprocity as a system of checks and balances to maintain social equilibrium (Bourne and Edwards, 1998, 100, p 106. In Fryer-Smith, S 2002: 2. 18) is stymied for some. Traditionally social stability has been maintained within the Aboriginal society because reciprocity has functioned as a means of equilibrium. Reciprocity has been important throughout all social and family relationships, where a complex system of kinship lines exists. This system relies heavily on the responsible and reciprocal participation of all members from the give-and-take of tools and hunting weapons, to the sharing of food.As one Elder expla ined: â€Å"Sharing Just a way of life for Aboriginal people, probably in our genes or something. Might be left over from the old days when we were hunters and that .. . All Aboriginal people know what it's like to be hungry. We Just can't turn away someone who says he's hungry †¦ I guess white people have a hard time understanding that one† (Schwab 1991: 145), whereas Western society is built on capitalism, meaning that some of its central values are totally opposed to the tradition view of Aboriginal culture (Richardson J 2006: 144). Moieties subtle and often invisible to some (Schwab 2004: 3). Indigenous societies place emphasis on social identity and the obligations individuals have to conform to the expectations their society has mapped out for them, whereas in Western societies the emphasis is on the individual and the rights and freedoms of that individual and there is no expectation that people will conform (Edwards, 2004: 52). Almost any behavior is accepted, as long as their actions do not harm others.Aboriginals believe there is a balance within ourselves that incorporates our social lives and our spiritual lives and to integrate ourselves into the ecology and consciousness of this oral, we need to intertwine these two worlds in our daily existence (Lower 1991 : 49). The requirement of reciprocity underpins most aspects of spiritual life, including ritual, ceremony and the protection of sacred sites (Fryer-Smith, S 2002: 2. 18). If one gives to the ancestor's by way of ceremony, song, ritual and dance they reciprocate by giving the strength, power and knowledge of the spirits (Lower 1991 P: 48).Likewise if one honors the earth, the earth will reciprocate with an abundant harvest. An Aboriginal had/has a responsibility to perform the rituals that released the creative rowers that abide in the land and if these rituals are not performed, great harm could befall the land. Even today, Aboriginal land management techniques rely on understandi ng the religious links between the Indigenous peoples and the land (Baker et al 2001: 113). Western society puts its faith in science and technology, while keeping an eye on the weather, to reap the finest harvest.They do not pray or perform religious services to interact with the land. Indigenous people believe the whole environment is formed by The Dreaming, there is a sense that all things partake in the sacredness of life. For millennia, Aboriginal people have co-existed with spiritual beings in their daily life. The essence of spirituality is present throughout the material world and through a cryptic sense of time; Aboriginal People seamlessly connect with the Dreaming origins of their spiritual being (Edwards 2004: 86).Aboriginal religion is bound up in The Dreaming and dictates that responsibility consists of acting in accordance with a few moral principles. For Aboriginal people, being deprived of their land means a â€Å"deprivation of access† to The Dreaming and th e severing of a certain life-force which breaks the link with The Dreaming. It is this very real deprivation that has broken the spirit of many an Aboriginal person, leaving them empty and heartsick (Triggering 1988: xv-xvii).Aboriginal people base their claim to ownership of the land on their belief that the spiritual forces which shaped the land also created them and still inhabit this land today (Edwards: 19). Rose (2004: 42) points out that earth is the initial mother, the mother of everything. She goes on to say that all knowledge and all living beings in their diversity are ultimately born of earth. Non-indigenous Australians often countryside the significance of the land to Aboriginal people; however The Aboriginal Land Rights and Native Title movements have increased awareness of this issue.As Rose (1987) says in her article â€Å"Consciousness and Responsibility in an Australian Aboriginal Religion†, if people protect the land by burning, using the country, performin g ceremonies to increase the bounty and by protecting the dangerous Dreaming sites so that no harm escapes, the land will repay them by reciprocal relationship that ensures the continuity of life for all involved, the land, humans, animals and the plant life (peg. 262). Partaking in this exchange of life will lead to balance for the land and its inhabitants. DRP.Pollinate in â€Å"Looking after our Spirit† (Pearce, M 2012) states that we have a duty of care to engage in reciprocity with the earth and to ensure that the environment we have inherited is left in the same, if not better condition, than when we got it. This is an ideal philosophy, but unfortunately the greed of many non-indigenous ventures such as mining for minerals and gas in many traditional lands has caused an imbalance and to the eyes of the Indigenous peoples, many landscapes are now out of balance and the aim of cooperation has been pillaged.Non-indigenous ventures plunder the land and they take, but they d o not reciprocate by giving anything back, although Western conservation laws are beginning to address this situation. As this essay has demonstrated, reciprocity is an economic means of survival and the Indigenous political system is built on the presumption of reciprocity, while the Australian Judicial system has been influenced by Aboriginal philosophy. Such documents as ‘Aboriginal Customary Laws and Sentencing, Aboriginal Customary Laws and the Notion of ‘Punishment† by the Australian Law Reform Commission, (ND) and theAboriginal Bench book for Western Australia Courts (2002) by Fryer Smith have been distributed to foster an understanding of the concept of reciprocity that Aboriginal life is founded on. Society is based on complex kinship lines where reciprocity is expected and accepted but is open to exploitation as demonstrated by those abusing the passive welfare system and who no longer honor the traditional social norms. A fulfilling spiritual life revolv es around maintaining relations with the Dreaming Spirits.

American Weight Gain and the Primary Concern

American Weight Gain and the Primary Concern Introduction A primary concern for many Americans is undesirable weight gain, which relates to food choices made daily. But what if people are aware of their food choices, but not what is in the actual food itself? With obesity on a constant rise, as well as other major health issues, many individuals are searching for reasons and answers. As most humans are omnivores, we consume various amounts of carbohydrates, sugars, and other fatty substances. In particular, high fructose corn syrup which is found in many of the daily food choices we consume. Yet ask yourself do you know what high fructose corn syrup is, or where it is found? In a society where maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important people need to investigate what he or she is putting in their bodies, such as high fructose corn syrup. What is high fructose corn syrup? High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a fructose-glucose liquid inducement substitute to sucrose (also known as table sugar) which was first presented to food and beverage manufacturing in the 1970s. It is not expressively diverse in structure or metabolism from other fructose-glucose sweeteners like honey, sucrose, and fruit juice concentrates. High fructose corn syrup was extensively incorporated by food formulators, and its consumption increased around the mid-1970s and mid-1990s, mainly as a spare for sucrose. This was primarily because of its sweetness similar to that of sucrose, better-quality constancy and functionality, and ease of use. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), also called isoglucose, is mainly a blend of two sugars, fructose and glucose. Soda and ice cream often merger 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose, while the HFCS used in canned fruits and condiments is generally a 42/48 percent mix (with other ingredients). White sugar is a 50/50 split. In the United State s, heavy corn supports and sugar-import barricades have made HFCS some 20 percent cheaper than sugar. The United States accounted for nearly 80 percent of global construction in 2004 and U.S. patrons accepted 58 pounds of the syrup per person last year in numerous harvests, conferring to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Other producers include Japan, Argentina, the European Union, and China. Some claim that HFCSs global growth and the parallel rise in obesity are related. The troubled dietitians debate that, unlike glucose, which activates appetite-suppressing indications in the body, fructose does not tell its consumers to stop. The theory rests unconfirmed, but a growing body of literature has recommended the syrup may certainly respond the satiation-hormone leptin. Conflicting research, reinforced by the American Beverage Institute, claims HFCS is no dissimilar than other sweeteners and is safe in control. The food manufacturing began to substitute cane and beet sugar with HFCS after sugar prices quadrupled in the 1970s, and a few years later soft-drink businesses followed suit. The syrups affordability in the United States has aided soda businesses retail greater bottles and greatly expand ingesting of the calorie-rich drinks. You wont find it on the U.S.D.A. pyramid, but theres a food category that includes breakfast cereals, ice cream, granola bars, hot dog buns, baby food, soft drinks, yogurt, soup, ketchup and barbecue sauce. Those and countless other products found on the shelves of any grocery store are united by a common ingredient: high-fructose corn syrup. The increasing use of the sweetener over the past three decades roughly corresponds with a dramatic rise in obesity and related health problems among Americans, and some experts on nutrition say thats no coincidence. The question of whether high-fructose corn syrup presents a distinct health threat or is unfairly blamed for the effects of general overconsumption is a divisive one, spawning disagreement even among scientists with no financial stake in the answer. For decades, processed foods were usually sweetened with liquified sugar, also called sucrose. But food researchers in the 1970s found a way to modify cornstarch into a syrup with a higher level of fructose, or fruit sugar, in relation to glucose, another form of sugar. Because the corn product is cheaper, easier to use and more durable than sugar derived from cane or beets, food manufacturers quickly adopted the new ingredient. (Diet sodas and other products contain newer sugar substitutes, such as aspartame and sucralose th at carry few or no calories.) The increased use of HFCS in the United States mirrors the rapid increase in obesity. The digestion, absorption, and metabolism of fructose differ from those of glucose. Hepatic metabolism of fructose favors de novo lipogenesis. In addition, unlike glucose, fructose does not stimulate insulin secretion or enhance leptin production. Because insulin and leptin act as key afferent signals in the regulation of food intake and body weight, this suggests that dietary fructose may contribute to increased energy intake and weight gain. Furthermore, calorically sweetened beverages may enhance caloric overconsumption. Thus, the increase in consumption of HFCS has a temporal relation to the epidemic of obesity, and the overconsumption of HFCS in calorically sweetened beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity. The digestive and absorptive processes for glucose and fructose are different. When disaccharides such as sucrose or maltose enter the intestine, they are cleaved by disaccharides. A sodium-glucose cotransporter absorbs the glucose that is formed from cleavage of sucrose. Fructose, in contrast, is absorbed further down in the duodenum and jejunum by a non-sodium-dependent process. After absorption, glucose and fructose enter the portal circulation and either are transported to the liver, where the fructose can be taken up and converted to glucose, or pass into the general circulation. The addition of small, catalytic amounts of fructose to orally ingested glucose increases hepatic glycogen synthesis in human subjects and reduces glycemic responses in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (12), which suggests the importance of fructose in modulating metabolism in the liver. However, when large amounts of fructose are ingested, they provide a relatively unregulated source of carbon pr ecursors for hepatic lipogenesis. The metabolism of fructose differs from that of glucose in several other ways as well (3). Glucose enters cells by a transport mechanism (Glut-4) that is insulin dependent in most tissues. Insulin activates the insulin receptor, which in turn increases the density of glucose transporters on the cell surface and thus facilitates the entry of glucose. Once inside the cell, glucose is phosphorylated by glucokinase to become glucose-6-phosphate, from which the intracellular metabolism of glucose begins. Intracellular enzymes can tightly control conversion of glucose-6-phosphate to the glycerol backbone of triacylglycerol’s through modulation by phosphofructokinase. In contrast with glucose, fructose enters cells via a Glut-5 transporter that does not depend on insulin. This transporter is absent from pancreatic ÃŽ ² cells and the brain, which indicates limited entry of fructose into these tissues. Glucose provides â€Å"satiety† signals to the brain that fructose cannot pro vide because it is not transported into the brain. Once inside the cell, fructose is phosphorylated to form fructose-1-phosphate (26). In this configuration, fructose is readily cleaved by aldolase to form trioses that are the backbone for phospholipid and triacyglycerol synthesis. Fructose also provides carbon atoms for synthesis of long-chain fatty acids, although in humans, the quantity of these carbon atoms is small. Thus, fructose facilitates the biochemical formation of triacylglycerols more efficiently than does glucose (3). For example, when a diet containing 17% fructose was provided to healthy men and women, the men, but not the women, showed a highly significant increase of 32% in plasma triacylglycerol concentrations (27). In the United States, HFCS is found in almost all foods containing caloric sweeteners. These include most soft drinks and fruit drinks, candied fruits and canned fruits, dairy desserts and flavored yogurts, most baked goods, many cereals, and jellies. Over 60% of the calories in apple juice, which is used as the base for many of the fruit drinks, come from fructose, and thus apple juice is another source of fructose in the diet. Lists of HFCS-containing foods can be obtained from organizations concerned with HFCS-related allergies (33). It is clear that almost all caloric sweeteners used by manufacturers of soft drinks and fruit drinks are HFCS (4, 34). In fact, about two-thirds of all HFCS consumed in the United States are in beverages. Aside from beverages, there is no definitive literature on the proportion of caloric sweeteners that is HFCS in other processed foods. HFCS is found in most processed foods; however, the exact compositions are not available from either the manufactur er or any publicly available food-composition table. What’s in the name of HFCS? Corn is high in starch, which is simply chains of glucose molecules held together. When chains are broken apart, individual glucose molecules are released and form glucose syrup. In the 1970s, scientist learned how to convert some of that glucose into fructose, and the resulting product was named high- fructose corn syrup. At the time, all other corn syrups were made of glucose. Although accurate relative to the term glucose syrup, the name high-fructose corn syrup has, over the years, been a source of confusion for consumers and scientists, alike. Commercially, various forms of HFCS are available with different percentages of fructose and glucose. The most commonly used are HFCS-42 and HFCS-55 which contain 42% and 55% fructose respectively. Thus, despite the name, HFCS is not particularly high in fructose compared to sucrose. In 1983, the FDA approved HFCS as Generally Recognized as safe (GRAS), and that decision was reaffirmed in 1996. To be included in the FDA’s GRAS list, evidence must exist that the ingredient is safe under the conditions of its intended use, and the approval process involves an extensive review of the science, including estimated dietary intake. The FDA decision to approve and subsequently reaffirm HFCS as GRAS was based in part on the substantial similarity between HFCS and table sugar. Diabetes and HFCS Research is clear that sugar do not cause diabetes. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists identifies the following as risk factors for diabetes: family history of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, over-weight or obese state, sedentary lifestyle, ethnicity previously identified impaired glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose, hypertension, increased levels of triglycerides and/or low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, history of gestational diabetes, history of delivery an infant weighing over nine pounds, polycystic ovary syndrome and psychiatric illness. Suffice it to say that diabetes is multifactorial. People who are old enough might remember that, Benefits of HFCS Compared with other sweeteners, HFCS has historically been relatively inexpensive. And while that HFCS is economical, HFCS is often the sweetener of choice because of its many positive attributes, which extend well beyond cost. HFCS sweetness and flavor profile is similar to table sugar. It also controls microbial growth more than sucrose and controls crystallization. High fructose helps retain texture in canned and baked goods. Another benefit of HFCS is that it reduces crystallization in canned, frozen and baked goods. It promotes ideal and controlled browning in baked goods and breakfast cereals. In the same way HFCS stables temperatures fluctuations and wide ranges of acidity. It blends easily with other ingredients. In the same way HFCS lowers freezing points which contribute to pourability of frozen beverage concentrates. High Fructose Conspiracy The use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has increased over the past several decades in the United States while overweight and obesity rates have risen dramatically. Some scientists hypothesize that HFCS consumption has uniquely contributed to the increasing mean body mass index (BMI) of the U.S. population. The Center for Food, Nutrition, and Agriculture Policy convened an expert panel to discuss the published scientific literature examining the relationship between consumption of HFCS or soft drinks (proxy for HFCS) and weight gain. The authors conducted original analysis to address certain gaps in the literature. Evidence from ecological studies linking HFCS consumption with rising BMI rates is unreliable. Evidence from epidemiologic studies and randomized controlled trials is inconclusive. Studies analyzing the differences between HFCS and sucrose consumption and their contributions to weight gain do not exist. HFCS and sucrose have similar monosaccharide compositions and sweet ness values. The fructose: glucose (F:G) ratio in the U.S. food supply has not appreciably changed since the introduction of HFCS in the 1960s. It is unclear why HFCS would affect satiety or absorption and metabolism of fructose any differently than would sucrose. Based on the currently available evidence, the expert panel concluded that HFCS does not appear to contribute to overweight and obesity any differently than do other energy sources. Research recommendations were made to improve our understanding of the association of HFCS and weight gain. Overweight and obesity have become increasingly problematic in the United States from an individual and a population perspective. According to the body mass index (BMI) categories defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 65% of the U.S. adult population aged 20-74 years is currently overweight. In addition, 31% of all overweight adults are classified as obese. In 1976-80, only 47% and 15% of adults in the United States were considered overweight and obese, respectively (CDC, 2004). About 16% of American children and adolescents aged 6-19 years are also currently overweight. Two decades ago, about 6% of individuals in this age group were classified as overweight (CDC, 2004). Prior to 1976-80, such dramatic overweight and obesity rates were not observed in the United States. Overweight and obese individuals are subject to societal stigmatization and are at increased risk for deleterious health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, osteoarthritis, and some cancers (CDC, 2004). Overweight and obesity increase health care costs (USDA, 2004) and mortality rates (Mokdad et al., 2004, 2005; Flegal et al., 2005). Overweight and obesity are influenced by many genetic and environmental contributors, including race/ethnicity, age, physical activity, sedentary behaviors, food consumption patterns, smoking, technological advancements, and psychological factors (CDC, 2004; Columbia Univ., 2000; Rashad and Grossman 2004). Researchers, government officials, politicians, and activist organizations are contributing significant resources in an attempt to understand and reduce the overweight and obesity epidemic in the United States. All sources of energy consumed in excess of energy needs can contribute to increased BMI and risk of overweight and obesity. However, several arguments suggest that, in addition to providing energy, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) may contribute to the development of overweight and obesity via other mechanisms. In the United States, HFCS has increasingly replaced refined sugar (sucrose) in many foods and most sweetened beverages. Outside the United States, HFCS is not used extensively, and sucrose continues to be the primary caloric sweetener. Some evidence suggests that high consumption of fructose plays a role in the epidemics of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and kidney disease. In the U.S., these epidemics have been paralleled by a rise in sugar consumption. High intake of free fructose (found in high-fructose corn syrup, but not in sucrose) is associated with hypertension and hyperlipidemia in animals and with dyslipidemia and insulin resistance in adults. Further, small particle size of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is associated with obesity, the metabolic syndrome, and central adiposity in older children and adults. Investigators in Switzerland examined the relation between dietary fructose consumption and obesity, distribution of body fat, plasma lipids, and LDL particle size in a convenience sample of 74 children (age range, 6-14 years) recruited from schools and pediatric clinics; 43 children were overweight (mean BMI, 23.4), and 31 were normal weight (mean BMI, 15.9). Dietary intake was measured by two 24-hour dietary recalls and a 1-day weighed food record. LDL particle size, triglycerides, and serum cholesterol were measured after a 12-hour fast. Overweight children had significantly higher plasma triglyceride levels, lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, and smaller LDL particle size than normal-weight children. LDL particle size was associated with overall adiposity and central adiposity. The only dietary factors that correlated significantly with LDL particle size were total fructose intake and grams of fructose per 1000 kcal consumed; higher fructose consumption was inversely associated with LDL particle size, independent of adiposity. Fructose intake did not correlate with any other lipid variable. Some claim that HFCSs global expansion and the parallel increase in obesity are linked. The concerned dietitians argue that, unlike glucose, which triggers appetite-suppressing signals in the body, fructose does not tell its eaters to stop . The theory remains unproven, but a growing body of literature has suggested the syrup may indeed counteract the satiation-hormone leptin. Conflicting research, supported by the American Beverage Institute, insists HFCS is no different than other sweeteners and is safe in moderation. The latest health concern stems from a recent Environment Health study that found mercury in samples from two HFCS manufacturers. Chemicals mixed during production to stabilize pH may have contributed the toxic metal, the study said. The industry accuses the research of using scant data of questionable quality. The environmental impact of HFCS depends on how the corn is grown. Conventional farming practices use significant water resources, pesticides, and fertilizers, leading to widespread water pollution and nutrient-depleted soil. Corn production has also become a major contributor to climate change. In The Omnivores Dilemma, author Michael Pollan estimates that between one-quarter and one-third gallons (about 1.0 to 1.25 liters) of oil are needed per bushel of corn to create the pesticides, fertilizers, and tractor gasoline, and to harvest, dry, and transport the corn. The U.S. high-fructose corn syrup industry used about 490 million bushels of corn last year, according to USDA. Fructose is a sweet tasting sugar that is found naturally in fruits and some vegetables and has been part of the human dietin modest amountsfor eons. The increasing consumption of sugar has dramatically increased our exposure to fructose (1). Sugar consumption has risen more than 40-fold since the Declaration of Independence was signed 250 years ago, and more than 40% of the added sugars in our diet are in sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit drinks (2,3). Thus, the principal sources of fructose in our diet are now sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, each of which has about 50% fructose. The intake of soft drinks has risen fivefold since 1950 (4,5) (Fig. 1) and with it the intake of fructose. The rise in the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages has paralleled the rise in the prevalence of obesity and the metabolic syndrome and is associated with the appearance of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (6-8). Although association does not prove causation, it has stimulated re search to understand whether current levels of fructose intake in beverages pose a health risk. Over the past decade fructose from either sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup has received growing attention as it has been associated with a widening group of health-related problems. Several meta-analyses have shown a relationship between the consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and obesity (9-11). The relation of these beverages to obesity can be attributed to the increased caloric intake and to the fact that beverages do not suppress the intake of other foods to an appropriate degreethus beverage calories serve as add-on calories enhancing the risk of obesity (12) (Fig. 1). Meta-analyses have also suggested that the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is related to the risk of diabetes, the metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease