Analysis of Program Prevent Diabetes Live Life Well

Analysis of Program Prevent Diabetes Live Life Well Introduction Live Life Well program is a health program that New South Wales Ministry of Health uses in preventing or delaying the onset of type II diabetes mellitus among adults.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Analysis of Program â€Å"Prevent Diabetes Live Life Well† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since the incidences of diabetes in Australia are very high, it necessitates health promotion program, which helps people to prevent and manage their diabetic conditions with the objective of living a healthy and a happy life. Statistics show that, in Australia, diabetes mellitus accounts for about 5.5% of health burden, prevalent rates is approximately 8% among adults with ages of 16 and above, and 275 adults develop it daily in Australia. These figures show that type II diabetes mellitus is a serious health condition in Australia, which has led to the establishment of Live Life Well program. Given that type I I diabetes is common among adults, the program targets Australians aged between 50 to 65 years, who are likely to develop the diabetes. In this view, the report analyses Live Life Well program, a program that aims at preventing or delaying the occurrence of type II diabetes mellitus among adult Australians. Description of the Program Live Life Well is a preventive health program, which aims at preventing type II diabetes among adult Australians with ages between 50 and 65. The programs enable adults, who are risk of developing type II diabetes, to prevent or delay the occurrence of the diabetes in their lives.Advertising Looking for report on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In selection of participants, the program uses the Australian Type II Diabetes Risk Assessment Tool (AUSDRISK), which assesses the diabetic risk of adults between the ages of 50 and 65 years. Once assessed for the risk of develop ing type II diabetes, the participants go through a one-year program that guides them to perform a number lifestyle changes and monitors their progress. The lifestyle changes that the participants perform are reducing intakes of total and saturated fats, reducing weight, increasing physical activity, increasing intake of fibre, moderating alcohol, quitting smoking, and managing stress well (New South Wales Ministry of Health 2014). During the course of the program, general practitioners assess the progress of participants in line with the lifestyle changes that programs aim to achieve. Therefore, Live Life Well is a preventive program that focuses on lifestyle changes among adults in preventing or delaying the occurrence type II diabetes. Analysis of the programs indicates that it employs both primary and secondary preventive strategies, which aims at preventing or delaying the occurrence of type II diabetes among Australian adults with ages 50 and 65 years. National Public Health P artnership (2006) defines primary prevention as a strategy that reduces or eliminates risk factors that cause certain diseases and promote factors protect or sustain human health. Since Live Life Well program aims to reduce intakes of total and saturated fats, reduce weight, reduce alcohol consumption, eliminate smoking, and promote healthy lifestyles such as increasing fibre intake and physical exercise, it qualifies to be a primary preventive program.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Analysis of Program â€Å"Prevent Diabetes Live Life Well† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Furthermore, Live Life Well qualifies to be a secondary preventive program because it employs the strategies of secondary prevention. National Public Health Partnership (2006) also defines secondary prevention as a prevention strategy, which â€Å"aims to reduce the progression of disease through early detection, usually screening at an asymptomatic stage and early intervention† (p. 3). Live Life Well applies secondary prevention strategy because it assesses the risk of Australian adults to type II diabetes using AUSDRISK, a sensitive too, that detects type II diabetes at an asymptomatic stage. Moreover, the program applies comprehensive intervention measures to prevent or delay the onset of the type II diabetes among Australian adults, who have high risks. Characteristics of the Program Live Life Well is a prevention program that relies on behavioural changes among Australian adults. The program relies on behavioural changes in terms of lifestyles because type II diabetes is a lifestyle disease. Sharma and Majumdar (2009) state that type II diabetes is a lifestyle disease that emanates from physical inactivity and poor eating habits, which constitute behavioural factors. Excessive intake of total and saturated fats, smoking, lack of enough physical activity, overweight and obese, and excessive consumption o f alcohol are some of the behavioural factors that predispose people to type II diabetes.Advertising Looking for report on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since Live Life Well aims to reduce or eliminate these factors, it employs behavioural interventions. Vermunt et al. (2013) argue that behavioural change is a complex process because it requires the application of numerous interventions, which focus one health issue. This explains why Live Life Well program utilizes diet and major interventions of preventing or delaying the onset of type II diabetes. The analysis of the behavioural approach that the program uses indicates that it complies with health promotion values and principles. The values and principles of health promotion usually focus on the general population, the population at risk, or focus on both, depending on the determinants of health and target disease (Lardon et al. 2011). In this case, since the program focuses on the population at risk of developing type II diabetes, it applies health promotion values and principles that aim to prevent or delay the occurrence of the diabetes among Australian adults. Gregg and Oâ₠¬â„¢Hara (2007) assert that in health promotion, the overarching principles that are applicable among the populations, which are at risk of developing certain diseases, are empowerment and participation. Empowerment of the population at risk enables them to understand healthy and unhealthy lifestyles that predispose them to certain diseases and thus provide the basis for them to make informed choices about their lifestyles and behaviours. According to Heritage and Dooris (2009), participation is an important principle in health promotion because it â€Å"emphasizes on the necessity of participation, with actions being carried out by and with people, not to the people† (p. 45). In this view, the program applies participation the principle participation because the participants perform virtually all activities while lifestyle officers and general practitioners merely guides and monitors the progress of the participants. Appraisal of the Program Live Life Well has two strengths, which make it an effective health promotion program. The first strength is that Live Life Well program applies the principle of empowerment in enabling and strengthening Australian adults to prevent or delay the onset of type II diabetes despite their susceptibility. World Health Organization (2010) states that the health promotion principle seeks to enable the target population to enhance control of their lives and their health choices. Fundamentally, the program empowers Australian adults, who are at risk of developing type II diabetes to prevent and delay the diabetes. The second strength is that Live Life Well supports participation of Australian adults in the prevention or delay of the onset of type II diabetes. Fienieg et al. (2012) state that for health promotion program to be effective, it must have purposeful action and personal development. Appraisal shows that Live Life Well has clear action and personal development milestones, which drive Australian adults to participat e actively for a period of one year. The weakness of the program in relation to the principles of empowerment and participation is insufficiency of the time to conduct the program. Geense et al. (2013) assert that time is a barrier that reduces the effectiveness of health promotion programs because public health officers do not have ample time to educate and monitor progress of participants appropriately. Appraisal of Live Life Well reveals that general practitioners and lifestyle officers can interest with the participants for a period of about 10 hours per year, which is quite negligible when compare to the period of the program. Such a short period of education and monitoring reduces empowerment and participation, which are central principles of health promotion. Thus, the amount of time that the program allocates to the participants is not sufficient for education, monitoring, and assessment. Enhancement of the Program Since type II diabetes does not only affect the old adults, the program needs to reduce the threshold for young adults from 45 to 35 years. Song and Hardisty (2009) early onset of type II diabetes at the age of below 40 years result in serious complications. Centres for Disease Control (2014) has made a significant impact in the prevention of diabetes among Americans because it incorporates numerous stakeholders such as healthcare professionals, insurers, community-based organizations, employers, and federal agencies in promoting behavioural changes that prevent or delay the occurrence of type II diabetes. In this view, Live Life Well should enhance its impact in the prevention and delay of type diabetes by incorporating additional stakeholders and increasing the amount of time it provides for teaching, monitoring, and assessment of participants. Conclusion Analysis of Live Life Well indicates that it is an effective program in the prevention and delay of type II diabetes among Australian adults because it employs both primary and secondary preventive strategies. Live Life Well is a preventive program that relies on behavioural changes in reducing or eliminating risk factors of type II diabetes or promoting healthy lifestyle among Australian adults. References Centers for Disease Control 2014, National Diabetes Prevention Program. Web. Fienieg, B., Nierkens, V, Tokens, E, Plochq, T, Stronks, K 2012, ‘Why play an active role? A qualitative examination of lay citizens’ main motives for participation in health promotion’, Health Promotion International, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 416-426. Geense, W, Glind, I, Visscher, T, Achterberg, T 2013, ‘Barriers, facilitators and attitudes influencing health promotion activities in general practice: An explorative pilot study’, BMC Family Practice, vol. 14, no. 20, pp. 1-10. Gregg, J, O’Hara, L 2007, ‘Value and principles evident in current health promotion practice’, Health Promotion Journal of Australia, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 7-11. Her itage, Z, Dooris, M 2009, ‘Community participation and empowerment’, Health Promotion International, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 45-55. Lardon, C, Soule, S, Kernak, D, Lupie, H 2011, ‘Using strategic planning, and organizational development principle for health promotion in an Alaska Native community’, Journal of Prevention Intervention in the Community, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 65-76. National Public Health Partnership 2006, The language of Prevention. Web. New South Wales Ministry of Health 2014, Live Life Well. Web. Sharma, M, Majumdar, P 2009. Occupational lifestyle diseases: An emerging issue. Indian Journal of Occupational Environmental Medicine, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 109-112. Song, S, Hardisty, C 2009, ‘Early onset type 2 diabetes mellitus: a harbinger for complications in later years: Clinical observation from a secondary care cohort’, International Journal of Medicine, vol. 102, no. 11, pp. 799-806. Vermunt, P, Milder, I, Wielaard, F, Baan, C, Schelfhout, J, Westert, G, Oers, H 2013, ‘Behavior change in a lifestyle intervention for type 2 diabetes prevention in Dutch primary care: opportunities for intervention content’, BMC Family Practice, vo. 14, no. 78, pp. 1-8. World Health Organization 2010, Milestones in Health Promotion: Statement from Global Conferences. Web.

Emily Dickinson - Continuing Enigma

Emily Dickinson - Continuing Enigma Known for:  inventive poetry, mostly published after her deathOccupation:  poetDates:  December 10, 1830 - May 15, 1886Also known as:  Emily Elizabeth Dickinson, E.D Emily Dickinson, whose odd and inventive poems helped to initiate modern poetry, is a continuing enigma.   Only ten of her poems were published in her lifetime. We know of her work only because her sister and two of her long-time friends brought them to public attention. Most of the poems we have were written in just six years, between 1858 and 1864. She bound them into small volumes she called fascicles, and forty of these were found in her room at her death. She also shared poems with friends in letters. From the few drafts of letters that were not destroyed, at her instruction, when she died, its apparent that she worked on each letter as a piece of artwork in itself, often picking phrases that shed used years before. Sometimes she changed little, sometimes she changed a lot. Its hard to even tell for sure what a poem by Dickinson really is, because she changed and edited and reworked so many, writing them differently to different correspondents. Emily Dickinson Biography Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts. Her father and mother were both what we would today call distant. Her brother, Austin, was bossy but ineffective; her sister, Lavinia, never married, and lived with Emily and was protective of the much shyer Emily. Emily at School While signs of her introspective and introverted nature were apparent early, she traveled from home to attend Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, an institution of higher education founded by Mary Lyons. Lyons was a pioneer in womens education, and envisioned Mount Holyoke as training young women for active roles in life. She saw that many women could be trained as missionary teachers, especially to bring the Christian message to American Indians. A religious crisis seems to have been behind young Emilys decision to leave Mount Holyoke after a year, as she found herself unable to fully accept the religious orientation of those at the school. But beyond religious differences, Emily also apparently found the social life at Mount Holyoke difficult. Withdrawn Into Writing Emily Dickinson returned home to Amherst. She traveled a few times after that once, notably, to Washington, DC, with her father during a term he served in the U.S. Congress. But gradually, she withdrew into her writing and her home, and became reclusive. She began to wear dresses exclusively in white. In her later years, she did not leave her homes property, living in her home and garden. Her writing did include letters to many friends, and while she became more eccentric about visitors and correspondence as she aged, she had many visitors: women like Helen Hunt Jackson, a popular writer of the time, among them. She shared letters with friends and family, even those who lived nearby and could visit easily. Emily Dickinsons Relationships From the evidence, Emily Dickinson fell in love with several men over time, though apparently never even considered marriage. Her close friend, Susan Huntington, later married Emilys brother Austin, and Susan and Austin Dickinson moved to a home next door. Emily and Susan exchanged ardent and passionate letters over many years; scholars are divided today on the nature of the relationship. (Some say that the passionate language between women was simply an acceptable norm between friends in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; others find evidence that the Emily/Susan friendship was a lesbian relationship. I find the evidence ambiguous at best.) Mabel Loomis Todd, a descendent of John and Priscilla Alden of Plymouth colony, moved to Amherst in 1881 when her astronomer husband, David Peck Todd, was appointed to the faculty of Amherst College. Mabel was twenty-five at the time. Both the Todds became friends of Austin and Susan in fact, Austin and Mabel had an affair. Through Susan and Austin, Mabel met Lavinia and Emily. Met Emily is not exactly the right description: they never met face-to-face. Mabel Todd read and was impressed by some of Emilys poems, read to her by Susan. Later, Mabel and Emily exchanged some letters, and Emily occasionally invited Mabel to play music for her while Emily observed out of sight. When Emily died in 1886, Lavinia invited Todd to attempt to edit and publish the poems Lavinia had discovered in manuscript form. A Young Contributor and Her Friend The story of Emily Dickinsons poems, with their interesting relationship to womens history, is highlighted by the most fertile period of Emily Dickinsons writing, the early 1860s. A key character in this story is better known in American history for his support of abolition, woman suffrage, and transcendentalist religion: Thomas Wentworth Higginson. Hes also known in history as the commander of a regiment of black troops in the American Civil War; for this accomplishment he proudly used the title Colonel Higginson to the end of his life. He was the minister at the wedding of Lucy Stone and Henry Blackwell, at which he read their statement renouncing any strictures that the law placed on the woman when she married, and stating why Stone would keep her last name rather than assuming Blackwells. Higginson was part of the American literary Renaissance known as the Transcendentalist movement. He was already an recognized writer when he published in 1862, in The Atlantic Monthly, a short notice titled Letter to a Young Contributor. In this notice, he solicited young men and women to submit their work, adding, every editor is always hungering and thirsting after novelties. Higginson told the story later (in The Atlantic Monthly, after her death), that on April 16, 1862, he picked up a letter at the post office. Opening it, he found a handwriting so peculiar that it seemed as if the writer might have taken her first lessons by studying the famous fossil bird-tracks in the museum of that college town. It began with these words: Are you too deeply occupied to say if my verse is alive? With that letter began a decades-long correspondence that ended only at her death. Higginson, in their long friendship (they seem only to have met in person once or twice, it was mostly by mail), urged her not to publish her poetry. Why? He doesnt say, at least not clearly. My own guess? He expected that her poems would be considered too odd by the general public to be accepted as she wrote them. And he also concluded that she would not be amenable to the changes that he thought necessary to make the poems acceptable. Fortunately for literary history, the story doesnt end there. Editing Emily After Emily Dickinson died, her sister, Lavinia, contacted two friends of Emilys when she discovered the forty fascicles in Emilys rooms: Mabel Loomis Todd and Thomas Wentworth Higginson. First Todd began to work on the editing; then Higginson joined her, persuaded by Lavinia. Together, they reworked the poems for publication. Over some years, they published three volumes of Emily Dickinsons poems. The extensive editing changes they made regularized Emilys odd spellings, word usage, and especially punctuation. Emily Dickinson was, for instance, very fond of dashes. Yet the Todd/Higginson volumes have included few of them. Todd was sole editor of the third volume of poems, but kept to the editing principles theyd worked out together. Higginson and Todd were likely correct in their judgment, that the public could not accept the poems as they were. The daughter of Austin and Susan Dickinson, Martha Dickinson Bianchi, published her own edition of Emily Dickinsons poems in 1914. It remained until the 1950s, when Thomas Johnson un-edited Dickinsons poetry, for the general public to experience her poems more as shed written them, and as her correspondents had received them. He compared versions in the fascicles, in her many remaining letters, and published his own edition of 1,775 poems. He also edited and published a volume of Dickinson letters, themselves literary gems. More recently, William Shurr has edited a volume of new poems, by gleaning poetic and prose fragments from Dickinsons letters. Today, scholars still discuss and argue over the paradoxes and ambiguities of Dickinsons life and work. Her work is now included in the humanities education of most American students. Her place in the history of American literature is secure, even if the enigma of her life is still mysterious.. Family Father: Edward Dickinson (treasurer of Amherst College, state legislator, U.S. Congressman)Mother: Emily NorcrossTwo siblings: William Austin 1829-1895, Lavinia 1833-1899 Education Amherst Academy (seven years)Mount Holyoke Female Seminary  (one year)

The Impact of Transportation on the Environment Essay

The Impact of Transportation on the Environment - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  the impact of the transportation industry on the environment can be classified into three categories such as direct impact, indirect impact and cumulative impact. Direct impact deals with immediate consequences of transportation activities on the environment where the cause and effect relationship is clearly specified or explained. Indirect impact explains the secondary   impact or effect of the transportation activities on the environment.This essay discusses that  the consequences of the indirect impact are higher as compared to the consequences of direct impact of transportation on the environment but the relationship between the direct and the indirect impact of the transportation on the environment is difficult to establish. Cumulative impact can be considered as the multiplicative, additive or synergic consequences of transportation activities on the environment. The cumulative impacts take into consideration the varied or different impac ts of the transportation on the ecosystem which are generally unpredictable in nature.   The transportation industry selected for discussion in this paper is trucking industry.   The trucking industry is often subsidized by public sector especially through the maintenance and construction of road infrastructure which is generally free of access. In developed countries the environmental regulations have been imposed by the government to reduce the emission of individual vehicles.

Political Parties and the Electorial Process Assignment

Political Parties and the Electorial Process - Assignment Example On the other hand, Democrats have favored interventions that intervene closely on the lives of individuals in a manner that may be seen to alter local authority (Peress, 2011). On economy, Republicans favor a policy of free enterprise where the government only encourages a free business environment. They focus on letting the people act independently within a free market with little government interference. For example, Republican policy may not so easily favor bailing out an enterprise that is facing financial woes. Democrats on their part, Democrats hold that the economy is a sensitive area that the government should monitor closely. They tend to favor government support of economic institutions in the event they are threatened with issues of performance. For example, the Obama administration bailed out Ford Company to save millions of jobs for Americans. The other difference between Republicans and Democrats ideologies is that whereas Republicans favor limited government spending, Democrats believe in federal tax control. Democrats hold that it is the business of the federal government to design tax policies and regulations. Republicans do not agree with this position, favoring controlled government spending and tax increases. ... On the other hand, Democrats have favored a controlled military spending. Even so, the current administration was not keen on that. It could be probably because of terror threat, which has been a serious issue in the last 10 years (Peress, 2011). Analyze Key Reasons Why Third Parties Have Ever Been Successful At the Presidential Level The nature of party system in the US is such that representatives are first elected at district level. Election at the district level is such that only one candidate with the most votes is declared the winner. This system has seen many candidates from third parties who lose at the district level since the major parties are usually out to make the best out of the districts elections. One can say that the level of political competition that the district level explains why it has always been difficult for third parties to be successful. Besides, the fact that there has been the trend that majorities of the electorates identify with the bigger parties has a lso posed a political challenge for candidates who prefer to run on third parties. It is a fear or concern of the psychological power of the big two parties on the minds of the electorates (Snyder and Ting, 2011). Besides, there is no big historical success for third parties. Probably Roosevelt was the only lucky candidate of third parties when he scooped 88% of the Electoral College votes, but he also reversed and joined the Republican Party. Therefore, it appears that history does not serve third parties a fair share of the competitive platform against Democrats and Republicans. They may be seen as political underdogs who cannot bark so loudly enough on matters of interest to the electorates. Lastly, third parties have also suffered the blow of

Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution Essay Example for Free

Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution Essay In the 1850s, Charles Darwin proposed his theory of evolution. His theory proposed that species evolved gradually through subtle changes from one generation to the next by means of natural selection. By natural selection, the most desirable hereditary traits become more common from one generation to the next while the less desirable, weaker traits die out. This gives rise to an organism that is more capable—fitted to—of surviving in the surrounding environment. At the time Darwin formulated his idea beginning with his trip on the HMS Beagle in the 1830s, some scientists resorted to the idea that God had preordained life by natural laws rather than by miraculous feats. While logical and correct, the idea still refers to a divine power, indicating a religious bent, so perhaps it was obvious that the ideas addressed could lead to religious controversy. As is common in science, Darwin’s concept arose from ideas garnered from a number of scientists of his time. Some researchers of the time believed that natural laws were responsible for life. While Darwin’s ideas did not account for the processes believed to account for life at the time, there was a theory at the time thought to account for life. Most thought that species were transmuted from one species into another. The problem with transmutation, an idea that is similar to evolution in some respects, is that a species may change through transmutation, but it will still be the same species. A dog may change into a different type of dog, but it will still be a dog; likewise, for a cat or any other species. Evolution dictates that the entire animal kingdom can grow through stages from one species into another over time. Birds came from reptiles, mammals came from birds and humans came from non-humans. (Lewontin, 1981) The data is unequivocal. During his voyage on HMS Beagle, Darwin found fossil remains of gigantic mammals that were recently extinct with no indication that their extinction had been caused by climate changes or catastrophic events. Although he believed that the remains he found were related to species in Africa or Europe, examination of the remains Darwin found showed that they were only related to other species found only in the Americas. Creationists insist that life came about from God in six days. While most evolutionists attack creationism on the grounds of scientific facts, there is another line of evidence virtually unnoticed by those who support evolution theory. Historians and archeologists have learned that the biblical story of creation came from the myths of another culture. Stories presented in the Bible evolved slowly over time, long before religions existed, and incorporated tales from many cultures. The story of the Garden of Eden, the serpent and the Tree of Life, for example, are said to have been depicted on an Akkadian Cylinder Seal nearly 2500 years before Christ. The serpent itself was viewed as a deity. Notice: No one familiar with the mythologies of the primitive, ancient, and Oriental worlds can turn to the Bible without recognizing counterparts on every page, transformed, however, to render an argument contrary to the older faiths. In Eves scene at the tree, for example, nothing is said to indicate that the serpent who appeared and spoke to her was a deity in his own right, who had been revered in the Levant for at least seven thousand years before the composition of the Book of Genesis. There is in the Louvre a carved green steatite vase, inscribed c. 025 BC by King Gudaea of Lagash, dedicated to a late Sumerian manifestation of this consort of the goddess, under his title Ningizzida, Lord of the Tree of Truth. p. 9. The Serpents Bride. Joseph Campbell. Occidental Mythology, The Masks of God. Arkana. New York. Viking Penguin Books. 1964, 1991 reprint The information in the Old Testament dates from about 1450 BC until 200 BC. This means that, contrary to the strongly held beliefs of most Christians, the creation story of Genesis is actually derived from the myths of ancient Sumerians. Therefore, the story is a myth. This means that those who against Darwin’s ideas on religious grounds based on their beliefs in the accuracy of the story in Genesis have unknowingly chosen to accept myth over facts. While they believe the myth to be factual, archeological evidence demonstrates otherwise. The scientific evidence leans heavily in support of Darwin’s ideas. While we may not fully understand some aspects behind the mechanism of evolution, we are continuously learning more about those mechanisms. (Dobzhansky, 1973) Dobzhansky states: Let me try to make crystal clear what is established beyond reasonable doubt, and what needs further study, about evolution. Evolution as a process that has always gone on in the history of the earth can be doubted only by those who are ignorant of the evidence or are resistant to evidence, owing to emotional blocks or to plain bigotry. By contrast, the mechanisms that bring evolution about certainly need study and clarification. There are no alternatives to evolution as history that can withstand critical examination. Yet we are constantly learning new and important facts about evolutionary mechanisms. Theodosius Dobzhansky, â€Å"Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in Light of Evolution†, American Biology Teacher vol. 35 (March 1973) reprinted in Evolution versus Creationism, J. Peter Zetterberg ed. , ORYX Press, Phoenix AZ 1983. Darwin (1859) believed that whales evolved from bears based on a scenario where selective pressures might cause this evolution, but he was criticized for this idea and removed the suggestion. Gould, 1995) Today, there is much more fossil evidence for the evolution of many species thus supporting the idea of evolution as a general biological principle, including the evolution of whales from lower animals. Evidence in support of evolution exists at many levels. There is paleontological evidence based on fossils, morphological evidence that relate the body morphology of higher animals to lower animals, evidence from molecular biology and from embryology. Added to this, the chronological picture that results is consistent with other lines of evidence. For example, the evidence for the evolution of whales from lower animals is convincing. Whales have been closely studied with respect to evolution. If evolution is valid, transitional stages from one level of evolution to another should exist. Although the fossil remains of whales spotty for a long time, recent fossil discoveries have more than adequately lent support to the concept of evolution for whales. Researchers state that independent lines of evidence from different disciplines confirm the pattern of evolution in whales. John Ray recognized that whales were mammals rather than fish in 1693 based on their similarity to terrestrial mammals. (Barnes, 1984) In 1883, Flower (see Barnes, 1984) found that whales had vestigial characteristics in common with terrestrial mammals just as humans have vestigial tails, the coccyx. Findings similar to these led to the concept of ‘ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny. ’ This concept is briefly explained in further detail below. Flower (1883) recognized that the whales have persistent rudimentary and vestigial features characteristic of terrestrial mammals, thus confirming that the direction of descent was from terrestrial to marine species. On the basis of morphology, Flower also linked whales with the ungulates; he seems to have been the first person to do so. Today, we know that whales have vestigial features in common with lower animals. For example, they have vestigial olfactory nerve, protruding hind limbs, pelvic fins and diaphragms. Like humans, during embryological development, whales develop features similar to lower animals and abandon them as development progresses. During their development, there is also evidence that whales have terrestrial ancestors. Some whales even develop hair while in the womb although they do not retain it. In 1985, Goodman et al. demonstrated that whales are more closely related to ungulates than to other animals. (Goodman, 1985; Miyamoto and Goodman, 1986) Some studies have identified genes, enzymes and other proteins that connect whales to extinct animals. (Irwin et al. 991; Irwin and Arnason, 1994; Milinkovitch, 1992; Graur and Higgins, 1994; Gatesy et al, 1996; Shimamura et al. , 1997) We have already noted above that the creation story in the Bible was taken from the text of an ancient culture that predates the Hebrew account. Rather than to openly acknowledge that the Bible’s story of creation is a mythical legend that explains evolution and the appearance of life on ea rth, some religious groups resort to far-fetched, fictitious, generally ridiculous concepts such as ‘creationism’, ‘creation science’ and ‘intelligent design’ to dismiss or explain away the science and replace it with fantasy. Embryology and developmental biology have a concept, ‘ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny’, that simplifies and briefly but succinctly expresses the concepts presented in the first chapter of Genesis. This is like explaining a complicated scientific concept, take conception and birth for example, to a little child by using a fairy tale rather than detailed research information. The fairy tale is not accurate, but the general information it communicates is true. With this single phrase, the first chapter of Genesis is summarized and explained. The phrase means that the embryological processes of development, ontogeny, depict and encapsulate the evolutionary history of the species, phylogeny. For example, during development of the human embryo, the fetus briefly has gills and a tail like its phylogenetic ancestors. In other words, during development, the developing embryo goes through some of the same stages that humans went through as the species developed from lower animals to humans. The concept makes perfect sense and explains many aspects of human development. Obviously, we cannot provide a comprehensive review of the evidence support evolution in a few pages, and we certainly cannot provide realistic evidence against it in light of all that exists to support it. While the evidence in support of the evolution of whales is plentiful, much evidence exists for evolution in general, including in humans. As has been reported here, the evidence is not just from scientific research, but also from archeology and history. That evidence shows, among other things, that the biblical story of creation in Genesis predates the Bible by hundreds of years. Despite all the evidence in support of evolution and against the idea of the biblical creation as being anything more than a myth, we can be certain that the argument in support of the biblical creation as being the real story and representing the real facts will not go away. Humans being what we are, we will always be faced with living with the Genesis myth as if it were fact, and coping with those who insist that the earth all the universe was created in six literal days. That concept certainly will never go away no matter what facts exist to disprove it.

Dolly and the New Age of Cloning :: Genetic Engineering Essays

Dolly and the New Age of Cloning The concept of cloning is not new. Organisms ranging from microbes (for example bacteria) and animals (such as aphids and even certain species of shrimp and snails) have practiced asexual reproduction for millions of years, where the offspring are exact duplicates of the parents. It is also not uncommon to encounter identical twins among the more complex life forms like mammals. Twins are in essence clones as they share the same genetic blueprint. What then is so significant about Dolly? In the research paper published by I. Wilmut, W.A. Ritchie, J. McWhir and K.H.S. Campbell (1), Dolly was described as the first known mammal to be cloned by nuclear transfer from a cultured cell line. This technique is revolutionary as it dispelled a dogma in biology that upholds the notion of differentiated cells, being highly specialized, are irreversibly altered to an extent that would render them unable to inter-convert between cell forms (i.e a lymphocyte is not able to produce a nerve cell and vice versa). Dolly is living proof that a differentiated cell, such as one in the udder of sheep, has not only the potential of creating other tissue forms, but the entire living being. The evidence gathered from Dolly also went one step further to establish that organisms produced in such a way were not disadvantaged in their general physiological or reproductive function. Thus the new age of cloning was born with Dolly as its flagship. The success of Dr Ian Wilmut and his team in creating Dolly sparked global interest. This has greatly benefitted science as it has accelerated the rate at which knowledge is assimilated in the field of cloning. Many attempts have been to clone other mammals (for example cows or pigs). However they do not always yield fruitful results. Dolly can be considered to be a success among 277 failures. Indeed of the 277 oocytes used in the experiment, only one yielded a success. The techniques used in cloning would have to be refined before it can be universally applied. We have now uncovered other interesting facts about Dolly and cloning. For example, Dolly is considered to be "older" than her natural counterparts by a measure of the length of her telomeres that was found to be relatively shorter. However Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) of Worcester, Massachusetts, using different techniques than Dr Ian Wilmut and his team, pro duced calves that were found to have longer telomeres (2).

Are Iphones Making Us Stupid?

Bridgett Goss English 101 MWF 11-11:50 September 23, 2012 Dr. Barko Are IPhones Making Us Stupid? Have we become too depended on our portable technology? Some people, not just teenage girls, cannot function without having their phone in hand constantly. Technology is not a just product anymore, it is a lifestyle, and without it people honestly do not think that they will not make it. These smart phones have everything on them; you can access internet search sites, shopping net works, public networks, and so much more.People are so into their phones that they will look like complete idiots by running into things and sometimes seriously hurting themselves because they are so taken into by their phones. I know I am a person that depends on my phone for everything, even simple things like telling the time. My phone is my access to my family all the way back in Louisiana, that is how I not only get to talk to them but also get to see them by using Skype and other camera products.Without t exting and being able to communicate with other people that are across the country from me I will go crazy. I think that technology, especially smart phones, like the IPhone, they are an addiction. Like the article with Google, we are dependent on them, we do not retain information because all we have to do is type it in our phone or even talk to and ask our phone and we get a quick response.People’s phones are their source of work also, they have their entire work career on their phone, and in some cases also their personal lives. Is there anything we can do to fix our addiction to our phones? Hopefully it will not become much more of a problem than it already is, as a whole our civilization needs to understand that technology is a resource not a life solution.