Energy Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Energy Issues - Essay Example It exists in many forms, such as, light, heat, electrical, kinetic, sound, thermal energy, elastic, gravitational, potential energy, mechanical energy, and many others. The fact with the energy is that it remains constant; even while transforming it into other forms. This principal is known as conservation of energy. Over time, energy is transformed and used for several purposes. For example, use of energy as fuel for transportation, use of electricity for domestic and commercial use, use of power in the industrial sector, use of nuclear power, and so many others. However, massive use of energy has created many energy issues which are affecting the environmental conditions of the globe and also affecting the human health. Some of the major energy issues would be highlighted in this reflective paper along with their affect on the environment by using daily life examples for the convenience of the readers. (Gallup, Frank Newport; 2006, p104) The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is situated in the north Alaskan coast (United States) with 80,000 kilometers of area, and has been an ongoing political controversial platform between the Democrats and Republicans since the year 1977. The question lies here is to decide whether to start drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or not According to the researchers, this area comprises of massive oil reforms, whereas the opposing group is against this decision since it could affect the wildlife breed in this area if oil drilling is allowed by the government. According to the estimate by the USGS, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is capable enough to produce 5.7 billion to 16 billion barrels of crude oil and natural gas which could be very beneficial for the economy of the United States. But on the other hand, the security wildlife present in this area cannot be guaranteed due to the constructive drilling work for the oil reforms. This has c reated a debate between the groups and controversy for the government since the government is unable to decide whether to go in favor f the drilling or to go against it. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Oil drilling would bring many monetary benefits to the people and the economic state of the country. It would increase job opportunities, working and business opportunities for individuals and companies. It would also attract the attention of foreign investment in the region, while giving a competitive edge to the economy of the country. Nonetheless, the oil drilling would help in lowering the high oil and fuel prices for the public. Not only this, but it would also reduce the cumulative net expenditures on the

Teaching Students with Disabilities with the use of technology to Research Paper

Teaching Students with Disabilities with the use of technology to support the learning process - Research Paper Example The paper avails insights on the role that technology plays in promoting the educational needs of students with disabilities. The paper explores the significance of integration of technology into the classroom for students with disabilities and its impact on students’ learning processes. The development of technology has assisted students with severe disabilities to overcome a broad range of limitations that constrain classroom participation. Teaching Students with Disabilities with the Use of Technology Introduction The National Centre for Learning Disabilities delineates learning disabilities as genetic and/or neurological disorder that influences the brain’s ability to obtain, process, store, and react to information. Learning disabilities encompass a number of conditions that might influence the acquisition, retention, organization, understanding, or utilization of information. Learning disabilities emanate from impairment in one or more processes associated with pe rception, thought, learning, or memory. Such a disorder can influence a person’s oral language, writing, memory and processing information, organization issues, sensory ability (vision and hearing), reading or computation and problem solving abilities (Quenneville, 2001). An overview of teaching students with disabilities Millions of students across the U.S. ... It is estimated that close to 286 million children with disabilities globally are within the primary school education context. As a result, it can be stated that children with disabilities comprise the world’s largest and most disadvantaged minority when it comes to education. For these children, computer based technologies can play an exceptional role. Computer technologies possess the capability to assist a broad range of educational activities directed at fulfilling a variety of needs for students with learning disorders. Adaptive technologies enable even those students with severe disabilities to become active learners within the classroom alongside their peers, who might not have disabilities. Technology  integration into educational programs  facilitates learning for students with diverse abilities across all grade bands. Computers can reinforce the variety of ways in which learners construct their own understanding by utilizing computers as resource tools, work stat ions for individual learning, or as communication channels for sharing information with other learners. Computers can be employed to assist in the creation of active experiences, besides encouraging cooperative learning and student collaboration. The incorporation of specialized features  into the curricula aids students with disabilities to interact with classroom technologies, as teachers are able to customize content for diverse students’ needs and preferences (Male, 2002). Technology holds immense promise for enhancing teaching practices for all students and aiding in the development of effective approaches to teaching children with sensory and learning disabilities. The Role of Technology in Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities

Walton S Mississippi: An American Journey | Analysis

Walton S Mississippi: An American Journey | Analysis Before his travelling to Mississippi, he never really felt the severity of the issue of racism, for he was born into a neighborhood where people kept what prejudices they had to themselves (4). For Anthony and most of the blacks today, Mississippi is something from which the blacks had freed [themselves], washed into the past. The blacks like Anthony today enjoy the fruits of success, freedom and equal rights from the sacrifices of their ancestors. Their biggest concern surrounds trivial questions like whether to have espresso or cappuccino after dinner (9). Most of his knowledge surrounding issues of racial discrimination towards African American are limited to textbooks and conversations with family. During the night of the assassination of Martin Lurther King, Anthony, who was only seven by that time, refused to take out the garbage'(5) for he was terrified of the dark. He knew that Mississippi had something to do with [his] fear (5). His real image of Mississippi came only when his school, Notra Dame lost to Ole Miss (University of Mississippi) during a football game. He was petrified by the scene where the Ole Miss supporters raise the controversial Confederate flags to support their team. He was befuddled by their acts but he realized that something was not right. His experience towards racism was strengthen during his stay in New York to report the protest march in Brooklyn neighborhood in the wake of Yusuf Hawkins murder where he realizes the existence and the severity of racial discrimination. The roads were filled with whites who were throwing watermelonsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and shouting NIGGERS! (7) He was terrified. He thought that such kind of open racism would only happen in the past, during the pre-Emancipation period. But he was wrong. It happened right in front of him, in this contemporary metropolitan New York. He knew something was wrong but he could not figure out what. That was when he decided to embark on the journey to Mississippi; to discover the root of the problem and find explanation for his many observations, he need to go back to a place where everything begins and that is, Mississippi. During his travelling in Mississippi, he has learnt and observed things that could never be learnt from textbook. During his visit to the Ole Miss football game, among the sharply and richly dress (161) spectators raised Confederate battle banner that were in everywhere, particularly among the alumni (161). Anthony was again befuddled by his sight. Shouldnt the Confederate flag, which is the ultimate symbolization of racism and oppression towards blacks, be removed in this day and ages? What was the intention of white Mississippians raising the Confederate flag? Dont they know that the flag was the key symbol of the period of greatest pain and suffering of the blacks ever in the American history? As he searched for the answer, he soon learnt that the Mississippians have not truly recovered from the pre-Emancipation period. Beneath the seemingly peaceful racial relationship are the prejudices which are deeply rooted in every Mississippians, that even the passage of time could not erase them completely. In places like football stadium in Mississippi, blacks would not be present, as Anthony suggest, for the blacks did not [feel] belong and certainly were not missed (162). There is still a great rift between the black and whites, that Mississippi contains two cultures of blacks and whites that are mutually hostile at each other. Just like the confederate flags that were waving high in the stadium, the whites see it as a representation of history and heritage while blacks think that the flag is a totem of subjugation. Two contrasting and opposing idea, again, reflected the very core problem of the contemporary Mississippi society the lack of understanding and tolerance between ra ces. After having been meeting with a few people like Mrs. Luckett and visiting places like the big mansions that whites reside, he realized that he was missing one major linkage in his search for the true and ugly American history his father. Being a direct victim of racial prejudices and oppression in the 50s, Anthonys father Claude did not talk to his child very much about his past. Anthony realized that by involving his father in his search for the roots of the problem, he would be able to find the linkage between his family past history with the disgusting, violent and often brutal Mississippi history. Through his father, Anthony knew that he was able to learn and feel the suffering of a black directly. Claude was born in Holly Spring. Just like many black children, he too faced with a lot of discriminations from the whites. For instance, he has to receive old books which always have pages missing (215) in school. Unlike the white kids, he didnt get to ride the bus. When there was n o school, Claude had to work in cotton field from early morning till at night. Through the vivid description of his father, Anthony finally understands how the aspect of Mississippi was like, that he often find hard to imagine. It was not until the brutal and merciless murder of his friend James, coupled with the hatred towards whites that he had long carried with him that James decided to leave Mississippi for Chicago, for he was tired of the racism and meanness'(213) here. He wanted to be treated like a boy, like a man (213). Through his journey to Mississippi, Anthony is able to gain more appreciation towards the Blues music, that blues has increasingly shadow everything, including his own worldview and those of [his] parents (227), as the detune notes (227) of the blues truly reflect and echoes the delivers of the spirit, the growl and the shriek (227) of the oppressed blacks towards the society. As Anthony continues to reveal one of the bloodiest chapters in the American history and associated them with his observations, he was petrified and abhorred by the ugliness of history the oppression of whites towards blacks and the inhuman and disgusting acts that have ever committed. He appreciates what his journey had taught him, though they might not necessarily be pretty. He tried to find the answers for what had happened around him. However, for each question he tried to answer, it will branch into three more, into infinitudes that he could no longer grasp (211). He started to view the problems, which he put the blame on the blacks, that trouble that blacks in South Chicago as an continuation of prejudices that rooted in the long history of Mississippi and American in general. He had finally learned to stop to evade and forget (275) the history but to embrace and call them [his] own. (275) In Mississippi: An American Journey, Anthony Walton travels back and forth in the river of Black history and his real-life journey to Mississippi. Waltons journey covers not only places that cast 200 years of history but also a long list of people: sharecroppers, planters, his parents and relatives, famous writers, bluesmen, aristocrats-white and black, those who create the history and those who inhabit it now. To Walton, once one of those who suffered from historical amnesia (274), this journey is a process of answering the contradictions and illusions around him, a process of gaining knowledge instead of being an American innocent, (274) and a process of deciphering his heritage, Mississippi, a place bearing the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. (274) However, it is not the knowledge increment of truth and stories that disappoint him but the acknowledgement of that the past has not yet passed do. Waltons innocence refers to his limited understanding of racism, Mississippi, even America. His knowledge of these is confined to awareness of them but not the insight into them. Walton once believed that the journey would bring him clarity and master of historical tradition of his race to compliment his inexperience. Certainly, the journey does give him enough fruit to appease his hunger. But what he discovers in Mississippi exceeds what he wanted to know. The knowledge he gains from the journey is that he progressively understands that the innocence comes from his happily suffering the historical amnesia that leads Americans to think they are innocent of history because they won-their values prevailed, their goals were achievedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Moreover, the realization of the pervasion of the darkness of Americas history wakes him up from the dream of the pursuit of truth and enlightment. In the prologue of Mississippi, Walton depicts a powerful scene in which his father, Claude, recounts an event happened on a Christmas Eve forty years ago. Claude points a shuttered building and says James Crump, his childhood friend, was shot right here where used to be a bus station because somebody called the sheriff and complained about James singing and clapping his hands on Christmas Eve. In Waltons mind, his father is a quiet man, well behaved, middle class as him, and never associated with violence because of his religion. But, what he sees in Claudes eyes when he recounts the story is indignation and grief that astonishes him. This old man turns to be a character lived under racism that he had never known. The increasing understanding of his fathers lives inspires him to reexamine racism and Mississippi. In a later chapter, Claude tells Walton the stories of his work during his escape from Mississippi to the North. Walton asks Did you ever want to hurt white people? (216) Claude responds with an ironic smile Most definitely. I hate white people, with a passionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ I hated them as much as they hated me. I often had visions of wiping out the entire white community. (217)Upon this time, Walton is amazed that his father and thousands of other people who experienced and suffered from racism did not push their suffering down into another generation. (274) But, compared to what confused him before the journey, the toll of daily discrimination and hostilities he paid at New York, Walton realizes that he is still living in the same life as his father did except for the physical labor. Though Walton and other younger blacks can be well-educated, though their parents tried hard not to pass down their suffering and grief to them, the truth that young blacks are unconsciously suffering from the racism cannot be omitted, as long as they are blacks. The augmented knowledge of his father pushes him to realize the vagueness of what he deeply believed before-history is [as being] progressive, as having a purpose. In college, Waltons connection to Mississippi is only when his school, Notre Dame, loses a bitterly fought football game to Ole Miss, which is also the University of Mississippi. What he only knows about University of Mississippi at that time is that there is lots of Confederate hoopla surrounding the Rebels (6) and he does not glad about that. During his journey, he visits University of Mississippi several times, with his mother, Dorothy, and his friend, Mona. Walton and Mona go to the homecoming football game. In the stadium, he once again catches the sight of the Confederate flag among the alumni occupying a half of the stadium. The whites claim the rebel flag represents history and heritage whereas blacks see it as a totem of their subjugation; and it was astonishing to see fifty thousand whites waving Confederate flags to urge on their black gladiators. (162) This striking scene shows that racism is still here, at Mississippi. The society is still separate; the cost of their parents generation has not yet been paid off. However, as Walton and his mother wander around the campus, they find that some of the college students of Ole Miss and other younger blacks generation seem to comfortably live in the freedom in the cost of the 250-year battle of black Mississippians for recognition and civil rights, especially the battle for Ole Miss. (91) No one black student seems to be aware of what had happened here and what is going on here. In Dorothys eyes, A lot of them dont really identify with the cause of Mississippi or with blackness, or with what it took to get here. They dont care what it took as long as they can get in on some of the benefitsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ They probably dont even know who James Meredith is. (91) Statistics even shows that nine out of ten of the black college students in Ole Miss dont know who Medgar Evers was. The reality and statistics both convince Walton of the persisting racism in Mississippi and the ignorance of the generation of young blacks. He defines this symptom as amnesia, an epidemic disease among young blacks. Fortunately, Walton recovers from the journey to Mississippi. In contrast to his previous innocence, Waltons new knowledge about Mississippi and the persisting segregation helps him see the hooplas as something more concrete than mere dislike. The emotion is more complex. It is filled with centuries of hatred and violence, the same as what he sees from his fathers eyes. Dorothy once asked him about William Faulkner when he was in graduate school at Brown University, because she wanted to write about a Nobel laureate from her hometown, New Albany. Walton laughed out loud and informed her that this Faulkner was white. So? she replied. Walton tries hard to not think of Faulkner during his trip to Mississippi because in his mind, Faulkner was a white, a celebrator of the Confederacy and the owner of a big house out on Old Taylor Road whereas himself is a descendent of those who had been the slaves of his Sartorises, Compsons and Sutpens, who had suffered enormously under the Snopeses. But, he realizes he was wrong. Faulkner is everywhere in Mississippi. What Faulkner says about the past is undoubtedly right-the past isnt dead. It isnt even past yet. Faulkners novel Absalom, Absalom! reflects the history of South and foreshadows its future. In the novel, Supten disavows his black son by a black woman while embraces the white son by a white woman. The refusal of admitting the black son sets off a chain of incidents that lead to the destruction of the entire Sutpen family and plantation. After two years of his trip, Walton comes to decipher the metaphor in the novel as the reality what he is examining in Mississippi. The states tragic history is testimony to what this refusal has wrought. And it is now likely that the members of the two racial groups are permanent strangers, doomed to gape and stare but not see, blind to each other as siblings, humans, Americans. (163) Walton also refers Faulkners family story as the history of Mississippi. Faulkner understands the conflict in the hearts of Mississippian because he has deeply fallen in love with a black woman, Caroline Barr. However, when looking around at Faulkners marvelous mansi on, Walton can hardly find anything implies the existence of Caroline and manifests the love of them. Waltons new knowledge or acceptance of Faulkner is the product of his journey, clearing his innocence, recognizing the truth and exposing the scar of history. The book Mississippi: An American Journey emphasizes the shift of Waltons innocence to knowledge of history of blacks, of Mississippi, and of America. In the journey to Mississippi, the cotton plantation, the Rosaline mansion, the resting place of Medgar Ever, Holly Spring, New Albany, and Ole Miss are not simple places or scenic spots to Walton. The long roster containing Richard Wright, President Roosevelt, Ross Barnett, Meredith, sharecroppers, and bluesmen is not merely a review of history neither. They are testimony of racism, hatred and the logjam of history. In the end of the epilogue, Walton points out that Most of all, we want to be innocent of how much the ghosts and bones of our beautiful landscape have shaped and twisted virtually everything that has happened here; and we want to remain ignorant of how costly our innocence is to our government, our communities and our hears. But now, after the journey, Walton is glad that he could recover from the amnesia, never embrace t he ghosts and cradle the bones and call them his [my] own. (275) again. Work Cited Anthony, Walton. Mississippi: An American Journey. New York, Vintage, 1996. Innocence to knowledge Anthony Walton, a black upper middle class man with an Ivy League education, decides to journey back to Mississippi in hopes of discovering more about the, the troubled soul of the south(Caryl Phillips). He describes his experience in his book entitled, Mississippi: An American Journey. Mississippi is a landmark place for him because both his parents were raised there and as a child he spent countless summers with family members there. In the end of his long journey Walton reviews over all that he has learned and witnessed while in Mississippi and he concludes that his findings have taken him from a state of innocence into painful knowledge he did not have before (272). Walton explains this knowledge to be much like the knowledge Adam and Eve received once they, [ate] the fruit of the tree of knowledge, because, [he] became aware of things [he] could never not know again (272). Now Walton is no ignorant person, he studied at both Brown and Norte Dame University, so when he talks of acquiring knowledge he is simply saying he was given in depth information on topics he did not know there level of severity. It is not just Walton who did not know the extent of Mississippi history, but he said Americans in general had this amnesia about the past (272). Some of the realities Walton received were the stories told by older family members. His father told the first story of the book, and that was of his friend being shot to death on Christmas Eve. This story was told as they were walking in Mississippis humid summer weather in the exact location that the killing took place. At the time of the story Walton could only focus on how terribly uncomfortable he was in the weather, while it seemed like his father had stepped in a time machine that put him back at the scene. The deceased boy was innocent, young, and had not hurt a soul that night, but without the slightest bit of questioning was shot and killed instantly by a white man for expressing his happiness. Seeing the emotional and long term effect this had on his father, Walton began to get a glimpse into the sufferings his father experienced as a child in Mississippi compared to the privileged life style his father had given to him. A life style in Illinois where people, kept what prejudices they had to themselves (4). That single story was the beginning of a long str ing of knowledge Walton would collect. In the journey Walton and his mother visited Ole Miss. Ole Miss is the University of Mississippi, the fighting ground for people like his mother and fathers generation. As the two of them sat on campus, Dorothy Walton, his mother reminisced on her dreams about Ole Miss. She said although her generation was not able to attend it she would think, if i could get a chance to go here, that would everything alright, (95). Dorothy also noticed black students on campus who did not acknowledge her and she felt as if they had disconnected and forgotten about all the hard work before them that allowed them to be where they are (91). For instance the first black man to attend Ole Miss, James Meredith, having to be escorted by, five hundred U.S. marshals, border patrolmen, and deputized prison guards (94).Walton listens to her and thinks back to the time when they were touring colleges for him and that bit of information about Ole Miss and his mothers discontent with blacks interaction on campus let him understand the true cost of education. Walton would attend an Ole Miss football game while in Mississippi and witness a sign of racism he had never seen before. He was obviously aware that black people were not always admitted into the university and therefore the past alumni would be white; what he did not know was that the alumni carried, Confederate battle banner[s] everywhere (161). That flag was not a flag that displayed unity amongst all but one that was symbolic of a time where blacks where suppressed and unequal. Whether the flag represented history or not it was offensive to groups and Walton had to be in disbelief when he saw it. These signs were the pieces of the knowledge puzzle he was putting together in his head. Throughout Waltons journey he continues to ask the question of worthiness. His aunt and his mother were approached with the question. He wanted to know from his aunt was it worth moving up north and then moving back to Mississippi where racism is different from up north. She said the ghettos up north were the cause of death for many black men and if she wanted her sons to succeed then they would need to be in another area. This was an eye opener for Walton because he grew up in the north an assumed its was better then the rural south. Walton also asks his mom was it worth having black students who went far but did not even recognize each other? The response that his mother, Dorothy, gives is yes it being worth all the struggles her generations and the ones before endured. He then understands everyone wants better for each other whether it be now or in the future. This was where Waltons innocence was diminished because he now understood that his success was because of the sacrifices o thers before him made, and uncovering these sacrifices was like the key to knowledge. Mississippi: An American Journey is truly a journey that people take as they read the story Walton writes. He brings to the light all of the dark in Mississippis history that he learns. Through Waltons lens Americans and himself know little truth about Mississippi other than its racist and segregated past. What Walton ends with is not petty events and insignificant details found on the street or in a history book, but critical details and events he never knew existed. His newly found knowledge gave him a sense of the strength within the black people of Mississippi and the courage to embrace the past ghost and call them his own(275).

Are Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia Ethical? Essay -- Euthan

Is Euthanasia Ethical?        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Euthanasia is one of the most acute and uncomfortable contemporary problems in medical ethics.   Is Euthanasia Ethical?   The case for euthanasia rests on one main fundamental moral principle: mercy.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is not a new issue; euthanasia has been discussed-and practised-in both Eastern and Western cultures from the earliest historical times to the present.   But because of medicine's new technological capacities to extend   life, the problem is much more pressing than it has in the past, and both the discussion and practice of euthanasia are more widespread.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Euthanasia is a way of granting mercy-both by direct killing and by letting the person die.   This principle of mercy establishes two component duties: 1. the duty not to cause further pain or suffering; and 2. the duty to act to end pain or suffering already occurring. Under the first of these, for a physician or other caregiver to extend mercy to a suffering patient may mean to refrain from procedures that cause further suffering-provided, of course, that the treatment offers the patient no overriding benefits.   The physician must refrain from ordering painful tests, therapies, or surgical procedures when they cannot alleviate suffering or contribute to a patient's improvement or cure. Perhaps the most familiar contemporary medical example is the treatment of burn victims when survival is unprecedented; if with the treatments or without them the chances of the patient's survival is nil, mercy requires the physician not to impose the debridement treatments , which are excruciatingly painful, when they can provide the patie... ...rom inattention, malevence, fears of addiction, or divergent priorities in resources.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In all of these cases, of course, the patient can be sedated into unconsciousness; this does indeed end the pain.   But in respect of the patient's experience, this is tantamount to causing death: the patient has no further conscious experience and thus can achieve no goods, experience no significant communication, satisfy no goals.   Furthermore, adequate sedation, by depressing respiratory function, may hasten death.   Though it is always technically possible to achieve relief from pain, at least when the appropriate resources are available, the price may be functionally and practically equivalent, at least from the patient's point of view, to death.   And this, of course, is just what the issue of euthanasia is about.

Difference between capital and revenue items of expenditure and income Essay

Accounting involves any business, company or person recording their financial transactions, such as payments coming in or paying going out. It is very important for a business to record their transactions for a number of reasons: Economic decisions: If a company is going to succeed then it’s needs to be aware of what it can and cannot afford and how the resources available will be effectively used and not put to waste. Inventory: Knowing how much of a product you have can be save you from buying the same product again and wasting money on something you longer need. Stocking up on a certain product that is no longer making sales could make it more prone to damage or theft, therefore making the product un-sellable. By recording the amount of stock you have left you could save money and make a larger profit, this would then further secure the stakeholders you have investing in your business. Monitoring activity: during the process of buying or selling goods mistakes can be made and those mistakes can properly be identified and dealt with if it is kept on a record. Keeping an account of your stock would also prevent theft, damage or loss of property. Also if there are any products exported out to different countries then accounting for which countries buy more products would help you provide more stock for that country to maximize profits. Measuring financial performance: A business needs to know how well they are doing; this can benefit them in a number of ways. If in the first quarter a business is doing well but in the second quarter the profit dips then the problem can easily be assessed and dealt with. However this can only be accomplished if the business keeps a record of the intakes and ou ttakes.

The Host Chapter 43: Frenzied

I imagined that from the outside, I looked as still as a statue. My hands were folded in front of me, my face was without expression, my breathing was too shallow to move my chest. Inside, I was spinning apart, as if the pieces of my atoms were reversing polarity and blowing away from one another. Bringing Melanie back had not saved him. All that I could do was not enough. The hall outside our room was crowded. Jared, Kyle, and Ian were back from their desperate raid, empty-handed. A cooler of ice-that was all they had to show for three days of risking their lives. Trudy was making compresses and laying them across Jamie's forehead, the back of his neck, his chest. Even if the ice cooled the fever, raging out of control, how long until it was all melted? An hour? More? Less? How long until he was dying again? I would have been the one to put the ice on him, but I couldn't move. If I moved, I would fall into microscopic pieces. â€Å"Nothing?† Doc murmured. â€Å"Did you check -â€Å" â€Å"Every spot we could think of,† Kyle interrupted. â€Å"It's not like painkillers, drugs-lots of people had reason to keep those hidden. The antibiotics were always kept in the open. They're gone, Doc.† Jared just stared down at the red-faced child on the bed, not speaking. Ian stood beside me. â€Å"Don't look like that,† he whispered. â€Å"He'll pull through. He's tough.† I couldn't respond. Couldn't even hear the words, really. Doc knelt beside Trudy and pulled Jamie's chin down. With a bowl he scooped up some of the ice water from the cooler and let it trickle into Jamie's mouth. We all heard the thick, painful sound of Jamie's swallowing. But his eyes didn't open. I felt as though I would never be able to move again. That I would turn into part of the stone wall. I wanted to be stone. If they dug a hole for Jamie in the empty desert, they would have to put me in it, too. Not good enough, Melanie growled. I was despairing, but she was filled with fury. They tried. Trying solves nothing. Jamie will not die. They have to go back out. For what purpose? Even if they did find your old antibiotics, what are the chances they would still be any good? They only worked half the time anyway. Inferior. He doesn't need your medicine. He needs more than that. Something that really works†¦ My breathing sped up, deepened as I saw it. He needs mine, I realized. Mel and I were both awestruck by the obviousness of this idea. The simplicity of it. My stone lips cracked apart. â€Å"Jamie needs real medicines. The ones the souls have. We need to get him those.† Doc frowned at me. â€Å"We don't even know what those things do, how they work.† â€Å"Does it matter?† Some of Melanie's anger was seeping into my voice. â€Å"They do work. They can save him.† Jared stared at me. I could feel Ian's eyes on me, too, and Kyle's, and all the rest in the room. But I saw only Jared. â€Å"We can't get 'em, Wanda,† Jeb said, his tone already one of defeat. Giving up. â€Å"We can only get into deserted places. There's always a bunch of your kind in a hospital. Twenty-four hours a day. Too many eyes. We won't do Jamie any good if we get caught.† â€Å"Sure,† Kyle said in a hard voice. â€Å"The centipedes will be only too happy to heal his body when they find us here. And make him one of them. Is that what you're after?† I turned to glare at the big, sneering man. My body tensed and leaned forward. Ian put his hand on my shoulder as if he were holding me back. I didn't think I would have made any aggressive move toward Kyle, but maybe I was wrong. I was so far from my normal self. When I spoke, my voice was dead even, no inflection. â€Å"There has to be a way.† Jared was nodding. â€Å"Maybe someplace small. The gun would make too much noise, but if there were enough of us to overwhelm them, we could use knives.† â€Å"No.† My arms came unfolded, my hands falling open in shock. â€Å"No. That's not what I meant. Not killing -â€Å" No one even listened to me. Jeb was arguing with Jared. â€Å"There's no way, kid. Somebody'd get a call off to the Seekers. Even if we were in and out, something like that would bring 'em down on us in force. We'd be hard-pressed to make it out at all. And they'd follow.† â€Å"Wait. Can't you -â€Å" They still weren't listening to me. â€Å"I don't want the boy to die, either, but we can't risk everyone's lives for one person,† Kyle said. â€Å"People die here; it happens. We can't get crazy to save one boy.† I wanted to choke him, to cut off his air in order to stop his calm words. Me, not Melanie. I was the one who wanted to turn his face purple. Melanie felt the same way, but I could tell how much of the violence came directly from me. â€Å"We have to save him,† I said, louder now. Jeb looked at me. â€Å"Hon, we can't just walk in there and ask.† Right then, another very simple and obvious truth occurred to me. â€Å"You can't. But I can.† The room fell dead silent. I was caught up in the beauty of the plan forming in my head. The perfection of it. I spoke mostly to myself, and to Melanie. She was impressed. This would work. We could save Jamie. â€Å"They aren't suspicious. Not at all. Even if I'm a horrible liar, they would never suspect me of anything. They wouldn't be listening for lies. Of course not. I'm one of them. They would do anything to help me. I'd say I got hurt hiking or something†¦ and then I'd find a way to be alone and I'd take as much as I could hide. Think of it! I could get enough to heal everyone here. To last for years. And Jamie would be fine! Why didn't I think of this before? Maybe it wouldn't have been too late even for Walter.† I looked up then, with shining eyes. It was just so perfect! So perfect, so absolutely right, so obvious to me, that it took me forever to understand the expressions on their faces. If Kyle's had not been so explicit, it might have taken me longer. Hatred. Suspicion. Fear. Even Jeb's poker face was not enough. His eyes were tight with mistrust. Every face said no. Are they insane? Can't they see how this would help us all? They don't believe me. They think I'll hurt them, hurt Jamie! â€Å"Please,† I whispered. â€Å"It's the only way to save him.† â€Å"Patient, isn't it?† Kyle spit. â€Å"Bided its time well, don't you think?† I fought the desire to choke him again. â€Å"Doc?† I begged. He didn't meet my eyes. â€Å"Even if there was any way we could let you outside, Wanda†¦ I just couldn't trust drugs I don't understand. Jamie's a tough kid. His system will fight this off.† â€Å"We'll go out again, Wanda,† Ian murmured. â€Å"We'll find something. We won't come back until we do.† â€Å"That's not good enough.† The tears were pooling in my eyes. I looked to the one person who might possibly be in as much pain as I was. â€Å"Jared. You know. You know I would never let anything hurt Jamie. You know I can do this. Please.† He met my gaze for one long moment. Then he looked around the room, at every other face. Jeb, Doc, Kyle, Ian, Trudy. Out the door at the silent audience whose expressions mirrored Kyle's: Sharon, Violetta, Lucina, Reid, Geoffrey, Heath, Heidi, Andy, Aaron, Wes, Lily, Carol. My friends mixed in with my enemies, all of them wearing Kyle's face. He stared at the next row, which I couldn't see. Then he looked down at Jamie. There was no sound of breathing in the whole room. â€Å"No, Wanda,† he said quietly. â€Å"No.† A sigh of relief from the rest. My knees buckled. I fell forward and yanked free of Ian's hands when he tried to pull me back up. I crawled to Jamie and pushed Trudy aside with my elbow. The silent room watched. I took the compress from his head and refilled the melted ice. I didn't meet the stares I could feel on my skin. I couldn't see anyway. The tears swam in front of my eyes. â€Å"Jamie, Jamie, Jamie,† I crooned. â€Å"Jamie, Jamie, Jamie.† I couldn't seem to do anything but sob out his name and touch the packets of ice over and over, waiting for the moment they would need changing. I heard them leave, a few at a time. I heard their voices, mostly angry, fade away down the halls. I couldn't make sense of the words, though. Jamie, Jamie, Jamie†¦ â€Å"Jamie, Jamie, Jamie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ian knelt beside me when the room was almost empty. â€Å"I know you wouldn't†¦ but Wanda, they'll kill you if you try,† he whispered. â€Å"After what happened†¦ in the hospital. They're afraid you have good reason to destroy us†¦ Anyway, he'll be all right. You have to trust that.† I turned my face from him, and he went away. â€Å"Sorry, kid,† Jeb mumbled when he left. Jared left. I didn't hear him go, but I knew when he was gone. That seemed right to me. He didn't love Jamie the way we did. He had proved that. He should go. Doc stayed, watching helplessly. I didn't look at him. The daylight faded slowly, turned orange and then gray. The ice melted and was gone. Jamie started to burn alive under my hands. â€Å"Jamie, Jamie, Jamie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My voice was cracked and hoarse now, but I couldn't stop. â€Å"Jamie, Jamie, Jamie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The room turned black. I couldn't see Jamie's face. Would he leave in the night? Had I already seen his face, his living face, for the last time? His name was just a whisper on my lips now, low enough that I could hear Doc's quiet snoring. I wiped the tepid cloth across his body without ceasing. As the water dried, it cooled him a little. The burn lessened. I began to believe that he wouldn't die tonight. But I wouldn't be able to hold him here forever. He would slip away from me. Tomorrow. The next day. And then I would die, too. I would not live without Jamie. Jamie, Jamie, Jamie†¦ Melanie groaned. Jared didn't believe us. The lament was both of ours. We thought it at the same time. It was still silent. I didn't hear anything. Nothing alerted me. Then, suddenly, Doc cried out. The sound was oddly muffled, like he was shouting into a pillow. My eyes couldn't make sense of the shapes in the darkness at first. Doc was jerking strangely. And he seemed too big-like he had too many arms. It was terrifying. I leaned over Jamie's inert form, to protect him from whatever was happening. I could not flee while he lay helpless. My heart pounded against my ribs. Then the flailing arms were still. Doc's snore started up again, louder and thicker than before. He slumped to the ground, and the shape separated. A second figure pulled itself away from his and stood in the darkness. â€Å"Let's go,† Jared whispered. â€Å"We don't have time to waste.† My heart nearly exploded. He believes. I jumped to my feet, forcing my stiff knees to unbend. â€Å"What did you do to Doc?† â€Å"Chloroform. It won't last long.† I turned quickly and poured the warm water over Jamie, soaking his clothes and the mattress. He didn't stir. Perhaps that would keep him cool until Doc woke up. â€Å"Follow me.† I was on his heels. We moved silently, almost touching, almost running but not quite. Jared hugged the walls, and I did the same. He stopped when we reached the light of the moon-bright garden room. It was deserted and still. I could see Jared clearly for the first time. He had the gun slung behind his back and a knife sheathed at his waist. He held out his hands, and there was a length of dark fabric in them. I understood at once. The whispered words raced out of my mouth. â€Å"Yes, blindfold me.† He nodded, and I closed my eyes while he tied the cloth over them. I would keep them closed anyway. The knot was quick and tight. When he was done, I spun myself in a fast circle-once, twice†¦ His hands stopped me. â€Å"That's okay,† he said. And then he gripped me harder and lifted me off the ground. I gasped in surprise as he threw me against his shoulder. I folded there, my head and chest hanging over his back, beside the gun. His arms held my legs against his chest, and he was already moving. I bounced as he jogged, my face brushing against his shirt with each stride. I had no sense of which way we were going; I didn't try to guess or think or feel. I concentrated only on the bouncing of his gait, counting steps. Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three†¦ I could feel him lean as the path took him down and then up. I tried not to think about it. Four hundred twelve, four hundred thirteen, four hundred fourteen†¦ I knew when we were out. I smelled the dry, clean breeze of the desert. The air was hot, though it had to be close to midnight. He pulled me down and set me on my feet. â€Å"The ground is flat. Do you think you can run blindfolded?† â€Å"Yes.† He grabbed my elbow tightly in his hand and took off, setting a rigorous pace. It wasn't easy. He caught me time and time again before I could fall. I started to get used to it after a while, and I kept my balance better over the tiny pits and rises. We ran until we were both gasping. â€Å"If†¦ we can get†¦ to the jeep†¦ we'll be in†¦ the clear.† The jeep? I felt a strange wave of nostalgia. Mel hadn't seen the jeep since the first leg of that disastrous trip to Chicago, hadn't known it had survived. â€Å"If we†¦ can't?† I asked. â€Å"They catch us†¦ they'll kill you. Ian's†¦ right about†¦ that part.† I tried to run faster. Not to save my life, but because I was the only one who could save Jamie's. I stumbled again. â€Å"Going to†¦ take off the blindfold. You'll be†¦ faster.† â€Å"You sure?† â€Å"Don't†¦ look around. ‘Kay?† â€Å"Promise.† He yanked at the knots behind my head. As the fabric fell away from my eyes, I focused them only on the ground at my feet. It made a world of difference. The moonlight was bright, and the sand was very smooth and pale. Jared dropped his arm and broke into a faster stride. I kept up easily now. Distance running was familiar to my body. I settled into my preferred stride. Just over a six-minute mile, I'd guess. I couldn't keep up that pace forever, but I'd run myself into the ground trying. â€Å"You hear†¦ anything?† he asked. I listened. Just two sets of running feet on the sand. â€Å"No.† He grunted in approval. I guessed this was the reason he'd stolen the gun. They couldn't stop us from a distance without it. It took about an hour more. I was slowing then, and so was he. My mouth burned for water. I'd never looked up from the ground, so it startled me when he put his hand over my eyes. I faltered, and he pulled us to a walk. â€Å"We're okay now. Just ahead†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He left his hand over my eyes and tugged me forward. I heard our footsteps echo off something. The desert wasn't as flat here. â€Å"Get in.† His hand disappeared. It was nearly as dark as it was with him covering my eyes. Another cave. Not a deep one. If I turned around, I would be able to see out of it. I didn't turn. The jeep faced into the darkness. It looked just the same as I remembered it, this vehicle I had never seen. I swung myself over the door into the seat. Jared was in his seat already. He leaned over and tied the blindfold over my eyes again. I held still to make it easier. The noise of the engine scared me. It seemed too dangerous. There were so many people who shouldn't find us now. We moved in reverse briefly, and then the wind was blasting my face. There was a funny sound behind the jeep, something that didn't fit Melanie's memories. â€Å"We're going to Tucson,† he told me. â€Å"We never raid there-it's too close. But we don't have time for anything else. I know where a small hospital is, not too deep into town.† â€Å"Not Saint Mary's?† He heard the alarm in my voice. â€Å"No, why?† â€Å"I know someone there.† He was quiet for a minute. â€Å"Will you be recognized?† â€Å"No. No one will know my face. We don't have†¦ wanted people. Not like you did.† â€Å"Okay.† But he had me thinking now, thinking about my appearance. Before I could voice my concerns, he took my hand and folded it around something very small. â€Å"Keep that close to you.† â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"If they guess that you're†¦ with us, if they're going to†¦ put someone else in Mel's body, you put that in your mouth and bite down on it hard.† â€Å"Poison?† â€Å"Yes.† I thought about that for a moment. And then I laughed; I couldn't help it. My nerves were frayed with worry. â€Å"It's not a joke, Wanda,† he said angrily. â€Å"If you can't do it, then I have to take you back.† â€Å"No, no, I can.† I tried to get a hold of myself. â€Å"I know I can. That's why I'm laughing.† His voice was harsh. â€Å"I don't get the joke.† â€Å"Don't you see? For millions of my own kind, I've never been able to do that. Not for my own†¦ children. I was always too afraid to die that final time. But I can do it for one alien child.† I laughed again. â€Å"It doesn't make any sense. Don't worry, though. I can die to protect Jamie.† â€Å"I'm trusting you to do just that.† It was silent for a moment, and then I remembered what I looked like. â€Å"Jared, I don't look right. For walking into a hospital.† â€Å"We've got better clothes stashed with the†¦ less-conspicuous vehicles. That's where we're headed now. About five more minutes.† That wasn't what I meant, but he was right. These clothes would never do. I waited to talk to him about the rest. I needed to look at myself first. The jeep stopped, and he pulled off the blindfold. â€Å"You don't have to keep your eyes down,† he told me when my head ducked automatically. â€Å"There's nothing here to give us away. Just in case this place was ever discovered.† It wasn't a cave. It was a rock slide. A few of the bigger boulders had been carefully excavated, leaving clever dark spaces under them that no one would suspect of housing anything but dirt and smaller rocks. The jeep was already lodged in a tight space. I was so close to the rock, I had to climb over the back of the jeep to get out. There was something odd attached to the bumper-chains and two very dirty tarps, all ragged and torn. â€Å"Here,† Jared said, and led the way to a shadowy crevice just a little shorter than he was. He brushed aside a dusty, dirt-colored tarp and rifled through a pile hiding behind it. He pulled out a T-shirt, soft and clean, with tags still attached. He ripped those off and threw the shirt to me. Then he dug until he found a pair of khaki pants. He checked the size, then flipped them to me, too. â€Å"Put them on.† I hesitated for a moment while he waited, wondering what my problem was. I flushed and then turned my back to him. I yanked my ragged shirt over my head and replaced it as quickly as my fumbling fingers could manage. I heard him clear his throat. â€Å"Oh. I'll, uh, get the car.† His footsteps moved away. I stripped off my tattered cutoff sweats and pulled the crisp new pants into place. My shoes were in bad shape, but they weren't that noticeable. Besides, comfortable shoes weren't always easy to come by. I could pretend I had an attachment to this pair. Another engine came to life, quieter than the jeep's. I turned to see a modest, unremarkable sedan pull out of a deep shadow under a boulder. Jared got out and chained the tattered tarps from the jeep to this car's rear bumper. Then he drove it to where I stood, and as I saw the heavy tarps wipe the tire tracks from the dirt, I comprehended their purpose. Jared leaned across the seat to open the passenger door. There was a backpack on the seat. It lay flat, empty. I nodded to myself. Yes, this I needed. â€Å"Let's go.† â€Å"Hold on,† I said. I crouched to look at myself in the side mirror. Not good. I flipped my chin-length hair over my cheek, but it wasn't enough. I touched my cheek and bit my lip. â€Å"Jared. I can't go in with my face like this.† I pointed to the long, jagged scar across my skin. â€Å"What?† he demanded. â€Å"No soul would have a scar like this. They would have had it treated. They'll wonder where I've been. They'll ask questions.† His eyes widened and then narrowed. â€Å"Maybe you should have thought of this before I snuck you out. If we go back now, they'll think it was a ploy for you to learn the way out.† â€Å"We're not going back without medicine for Jamie.† My voice was harder than his. His got harder to match it. â€Å"What do you propose we do, then, Wanda?† â€Å"I'll need a rock.† I sighed. â€Å"You're going to have to hit me.†

Fathom vs. Phantom

Fathom vs. Phantom Fathom vs. Phantom Fathom vs. Phantom By Maeve Maddox A recent letter to the editor begins this way: The most recent short-term fathom around the United States is the so-called outbreak of Ebola. The writer wishes to point out that the reported Ebola threat to the United States was not only short-lived, but also insubstantial, a â€Å"short-term phantom.† Here are the most common definitions of phantom as the word is used in modern English: phantom [FAN-tm] (noun): 1. A thing (usually with human form) that appears to the sight or other sense but has no material substance; an apparition, a specter, a ghost. 2. Something merely imagined; an image in a dream, vision, etc. Also: a (usually delusory) notion or idea that plays on the mind or haunts the imagination. phantom (adjective): illusory, imaginary. Examples of current usage: Noun Michael Crawford originated the role of the phantom in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London in 1986. I heard reports of the ice phantom, saw the secret spot where it was said to appear, [and] wondered about it for two years.   Are Water Well Meters a Phantom or Reality? Adjective Approximately 5 to 10% of individuals with an amputation experience phantom sensations in their amputated limb, and the majority of the sensations are painful.   Between King, Gohmert, and West, three separate House committees could decide to spend valuable congressional time combating a phantom threat.   The word fathom is an extremely old English word. It is used with more than one meaning. NOTE: The a in the first syllable of fathom is short, like the a in phantom, but the second syllable begins with the sound of th as in this. The two words do not sound alike. As a term of measurement, a fathom is a length of about six feet, commonly used to measure the depth of water. The original meaning of the noun fathom was â€Å"the two arms outstretched.† A fathom was the length represented by the arms of a full-grown man held straight out to either side. The literal meaning of the verb, to fathom is â€Å"to encircle with the arms.† For example, a tree trunk might be too thick for a man to fathom (i.e., encircle with his arms). When fathom came to be used to measure depth, the verb acquired a figurative meaning implying deep thinking and mental comprehension. For example: The traditional philosopher hoped to fathom the world through the exercise of reason alone. The catastrophe was an enactment of god’s moral justice, which mere mortals could not hope to fathom. A far more common error than using fathom for phantom is the error of using phantom for fathom: Examples of this error are especially plentiful in self-published works, both fiction and nonfiction: I thought that’s what you said. I just can’t phantom it, that’s all. –The Chronicles of Chanute Crossing, Book Two: Nurtured in Purple. I just can’t phantom in my mind the hardship they had to endure –Slavery: Where Did it Come From? I can’t phantom what the lead detective was thinking on this one. –Rainbows in the Dark. The error is also common in contexts other than self-publishing. Here are examples from a variety of sources, including the testimony of a government policy director: In a town with plenty of great sushi, I  cant phantom why anyone would want to  go here anymore. [A pet owner] just cant phantom why anyone would want to steal a dog. I  cant phantom why gas in Louisville exceeds the national average, time and time again. We are just beginning to phantom the importance of broadband deployment. I honestly  cant phantom why  people dont use spellcheck. If what you mean is â€Å"I can’t understand,† it might be best to go with â€Å"I can’t understand.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Words with More Than One SpellingSelect vs. SelectedPreposition Mistakes #1: Accused and Excited

How to Give Teenagers Advice Lesson for ESL

How to Give Teenagers Advice Lesson for ESL In this lesson plan, students will have the opportunity to practice offering advice to teenagers. This can be an especially fun activity to do with high school students. Lesson Plan - Giving Advice to Teenagers Aim: Building reading comprehension and advice giving skills / focus on modal verb should and modal verbs of deduction Activity: Reading about teenage problems followed by group work Level: Intermediate - Upper Intermediate Outline: Start off the lesson by asking students to suggest what type of problems teenagers typically may have.Use one of the problems mentioned and inductively review modal verbs of deduction by asking questions such as, What must have happened to the boy?, Do you think he might have lied to his parents?, etc.Ask students for advice on what the person should do (reviewing the modal verb should).Have students get into small groups (four or five students).Distribute the handout with the various teen problems taken from real life. Assign one (or two) situations to each group.Have the students answer the questions as a group. Ask students to use the same forms as given in the questions (i.e. What might he have thought? - ANSWER: He might have thought it was too difficult.)Students should then use the sheet to report back to the class actively using the modal verb should to give advice.As a follow-up exercise or homework:Ask students to write about a problem they have had.Students should not writ e their names on their short problem descriptionDistribute the problems to other studentsHave students answer the questions about the situation described by on of their classmatesAsk students to verbally give recommendations Teenage Problems - Giving Advice ​ questionnaire: Read your situation and then answer the following questions What might the relationship be between the person and his / her parents?How must he / she feel?What cant have happened?Where might he / she live?Why might he / she have this problem?What should he / she do? (Give at least 5 suggestions) Teenage Problems:Sample Texts Should I Marry Him? I have been with my boyfriend for almost four years, We are going to get married next year but, there are a couple of concerns I have: One is the fact that he never talks about his feelings - he keeps everything inside of him. He sometimes has trouble with expressing his excitement about things. He never buys me flowers or takes me out to dinner. He says that he doesnt know why, but he never thinks of things like that. I dont know if this is a side effect of depression or, maybe, he is sick of me. He says that he loves me  and that he wants to marry me. If this is true, what is his problem? Female, 19 For Friendship or Love? Im one of those guys who have the quite normal problem: Im in love with a girl, but I dont know what to do. I have already had a crush on some girls, never with any success, but this is something different. My problem is actually that Im too cowardly to tell her anything. I know that she likes me and were very, very good friends. Weve known each other for about three years, and our friendship has constantly become better. We often get into quarrels, but we always make up. Another problem is that we often talk about problems with each other, so I know she is having problems with her boyfriend (who I think is no good for her). We meet almost every day. We always have a lot of fun together, but is it really so difficult to love someone who has been a good chum until now? Male, 15 Please Help me and My Family My family doesnt get along. Its like we all hate each other. Its my mom, my two brothers, a sister, and I. I am the oldest. We all have certain problems: My mom wants to quit smoking so she is really stressed out. I am really selfish - I just cant help it. One of my brothers is too bossy. He thinks he is better than the rest of us, and that he is the only one who helps my mom. My other brother is kind of abusive and depressed. He always starts fights and hes really spoiled. My mom doesnt yell at him for doing things wrong and when she does, he laughs at her. My sister - whos 7 - makes messes and doesnt clean them up. I really want to help because I dont like being upset all of the time and having everyone hate everyone else. Even when we start to get along, someone will say something to upset someone else. Please help me and my family. Female, 15 Hates School I hate school. I cannot stand my school so I skip it almost every day. Luckily, I am a smart person. Im in all of the advanced classes and dont have a reputation as a rebel. Only the people who really know me know about my strange feelings. My parents dont care - they dont even mention it if I dont go to school. What I end up doing is sleeping all day and then staying up all night talking to my girlfriend. I get behind in my work and, when I try to go back to school, I get a bunch of crap from my teachers and friends. I just get so depressed when I think about it. I have given up on trying to go back and am considering dropping out altogether. I really dont want to do that because I realize it would ruin my life. I dont want to go back at all, but I also dont want it to ruin my life. I am so confused and I have really tried to go back and just cant take it. What should I do? Please help. Male, 16

Insects - Insecta - The Animal Encyclopedia

Insects - Insecta - The Animal Encyclopedia Insects (Insecta) are the most diverse of all animal groups. There are more species of insects than there are species of all other animals combined. Their numbers are nothing short of remarkable - both in terms of how many individual insects there are, as well as how many species of insects there are. In fact, there are so many insects that no one knows quite how to count them all - the best we can do is make estimates. Scientists approximate that there may be as many as 30 million species of insects alive today. To date, over one million have been identified. At any one time, the number of individual insects alive on our planet is staggering - some scientists estimate that for every human alive today there are 200 million insects. The success of insects as a group is also reflected by the diversity of habitats in which they  live. Insects are most numerous in terrestrial environments such as deserts, forests, and grasslands. They are likewise numerous in freshwater habitats such as ponds, lakes, streams, and wetlands. Insects are relatively scarce in marine habitats but are more common in brackish waters such as salt marshes and mangroves. Key Characteristics The  key characteristics of insects include: Three main body partsThree pairs of legsTwo pairs of wingsCompounds eyesMetamorphosisComplex mouth partsOne pair of antennaeSmall body size Classification Insects are classified within the following taxonomic hierarchy: Animals Invertebrates Arthropods Hexapods Insects Insects are divided into the following taxonomic groups: Angel insects (Zoraptera) - There are about 30 species of angel insects alive today. Members of this group are small, hemimetabolous insects, which means they undergo a form of development that includes three stages (egg, nymph, and adult) but lacks a pupal stage. Angel insects are small and are most often found living under the bark of trees or in rotting wood.Barklice and booklice (Psocoptera) - There are about 3,200 species of barklice and booklice alive today. Members of this group include granary booklice, booklice, and common barklice. Barklice and booklice live in moist terrestrial habitats such as in leaf litter, under stones, or in the bark of trees.Bees, ants, and their relatives (Hymenoptera) - There are about 103,000 species of bees, ants, and their relatives alive today. Members of this group include bees, wasps, horntails, sawflies, and ants. Sawflies and horntails have a body that is joined by a broad section between their thorax and abdomen. Ants, bees, and wasps have a body that is joined by a narrow section between their thorax and abdomen. Beetles (Coleoptera) - There are more than 300,000 species of beetles alive today. Members of this group have a hard exoskeleton and a pair of rigid wings (called elytra) that serve as protective covers for their larger and more delicate  hind wings. Beetles live in a wide variety of terrestrial and freshwater habitats. They are the most diverse group of insects alive today.Bristletails (Archaeognatha) - There are about 350 species of bristletails alive today. Members of this group do not undergo metamorphosis (immature bristletails resemble smaller versions of adults). Bristletails have a cylindrical body that tapers to a narrow bristle-like tail.Caddisflies (Trichoptera) - There are more than 7,000 species of caddisflies alive today. Members of this group have aquatic larvae that build a protective case in which they live. The case is constructed of silk produced by the larva and also incorporates other materials such as organic debris, leaves, and twigs. Adults are nocturnal and short-lived. Cockroaches (Blattodea) - There are about 4,000 species of cockroaches alive today. Members of this group include cockroaches and waterbugs. Cockroaches are scavengers. They are most abundant in tropical and subtropical habitats although their distribution is worldwide.Crickets and grasshoppers (Orthoptera) - There are more than 20,000 species of crickets and grasshoppers alive today. Members of this group include crickets, grasshoppers, locusts, and katydids. Most are terrestrial herbivores and many species have powerful hind legs that are well-adapted  for jumping.Damselflies and dragonflies (Odonata) - There are more than 5,000 species of damselflies and dragonflies alive today. Members of this group are predators in both the nymph and adult stages of their life cycles (damselflies and dragonflies are hemimetabolous insects and, as such, they lack the pupal stage in their development). Damselflies and dragonflies are skilled fliers that feed on smaller (and less skilled) flying insects such as mosquitos and gnats. Earwigs (Dermaptera) - There are about 1,800 species of earwigs alive today. Members of this group are nocturnal scavengers and herbivores. The adult form of many species of earwigs  has cerci (the rear-most segment of their abdomen) that are modified into elongated pincers.Fleas (Siphonaptera) - There are about 2,400 species of fleas alive today. Members of this group include cat fleas, dog fleas, human fleas, rabbit fleas, oriental rat fleas, and many others. Fleas are blood-sucking parasites that prey primarily on mammals. A small percentage of flea species prey on birds.Flies (Diptera) - There are about 98,500 species of flies alive today. Members of this group include mosquitos, horse flies, deer flies, house flies, fruit flies, crane flies, midges, robber flies, bot flies, and many others. Although flies have one pair of wings (most flying insects have two pairs of wings), they  are nevertheless highly-skilled  fliers. Flies have the highest wing-beat frequency of any liv ing animal. Mantids (Mantodea) - There are about 1,800 species of mantids alive today. Members of this group have a triangular head, elongated bodies, and raptorial forelegs. Mantids are well-known for the prayer-like posture in which they hold their front legs. Mantids are predatory insects.Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) - There are more than 2,000 species of mayflies alive today. Members of this group are aquatic in the egg, nymph, and naiad (immature) stages of their life. Mayflies lack a pupal stage in their development. Adults have wings that do not fold flat over their back.Moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) - There are more than 112,000 species of moths and butterflies alive today. Moths and butterflies are the second most diverse group of insects alive today. Members of this group include swallowtails, milkweed butterflies, skippers, clothes moths, clearwing moths, lappet moths, giant silk moths, hawk moths, and many others. Adult moths and butterflies have large wings that are covered with t iny scales. Many species have scales that are colorful and patterned with complex markings. Nerve-Winged Insects (Neuroptera) - There are about 5,500 species of nerve-winged insects alive today. Members of this group include dobsonflies, alderflies, snakeflies, green lacewings, brown lacewings, and antlions. Adult forms of nerve-winged insects have highly-branched venation in their wings. Many species of nerve-winged insects act as predators to agricultural pests, such as aphids and scale insects.Parasitic lice (Phthiraptera) - There are about 5,500 species of parasitic lice alive today. Members of this group include bird lice, body lice, pubic lice, poultry lice, ungulate lice, and mammal chewing lice. Parasitic lice lack wings and live as external parasites on mammals and birds.Rock crawlers (Grylloblattodea) - There are about 25 species of rock crawlers alive today. Members of this group lack wings as adults and have long antennae, a cylindrical body, and long tail bristles. Rock crawlers are among the least diverse of all insect groups. They live in high-elevation habit ats. Scorpionflies (Mecoptera) - There are about 500 species of scorpionflies alive today. Members of this group include common scorpionflies and hanging scorpionflies. Most adult scorpionflies have a long slender head and narrow wings with highly-branched venation.Silverfish (Thysanura) - There are about 370 species of silverfish alive today. Members of this group have a flattened body that is covered with scales, Silverfish are so named for their fish-like appearance. They are wingless insects and have long antennae and cerci.Stoneflies (Plecoptera) - There are about 2,000 species of stoneflies alive today. Members of this group include common stoneflies, winter stoneflies, and spring stoneflies. Stoneflies are so named for the fact that as nymphs, they live beneath stones. Stonefly nymphs require well-oxygenated water to survive and for this reason, are found in  swift-moving streams and rivers. Adults are terrestrial and live at the edges of streams and rivers where they feed on alg ae and lichens. Stick and leaf insects (Phasmatodea) - There are about 2,500 species of stick and leaf insects alive today. Members of this group are best known for the fact that they mimic the appearance of sticks, leaves, or twigs. Some species of stick and leaf insects are capable of changing color in response to alterations in light, humidity, or temperature.Termites (Isoptera) - There are about 2,300 species of termites alive today. Members of this group include termites, subterranean termites, rotten wood termites, dry wood termites, and damp wood termites. Termites are social insects that live in large communal nests.Thrips (Thysanoptera) - There are more than 4,500 species of thrips alive today. Members of this group include predatory thrips, common thrips, and tube-tailed thrips. Thrips are much maligned as pests and are known to destroy a variety of  grain, vegetable, and fruit crops.True Bugs (Hemiptera) - There are about 50,000 species of bugs alive today. Members of this group include plant bugs, seed bugs, and stink bugs. True bugs  have distinct front wings that, when not in use, lie flat on the insects back. Twisted-wing parasites (Strepsiptera) - There are about 532 species of twisted-wing parasites alive today. Members of this group are internal parasites during the larval and pupal stages of their development. They parasitize a variety of insects including grasshoppers, leafhoppers, bees, wasps, and many others. After pupating, adult male twisted-wing parasites leave their host. Adult females remain within the host and only partially emerge to mate and then return to the host while young develop inside the females abdomen, emerging within the host later.Web-spinners (Embioptera) - There are about 200 species of web-spinners alive today. Members of this group are unique among insects in that they have silk glands in their front legs. Web-spinners also have enlarged hind legs that enable them to scurry backward through the tunnels of their underground nests. References Hickman C, Robers L, Keen S, Larson A, IAnson H, Eisenhour D. Integrated Principles of Zoology 14th ed. Boston MA: McGraw-Hill; 2006. 910 p.Meyer, J. General Entomology Resource Library. 2009. Published online at https://projects.ncsu.edu/cals/course/ent425/index.html.Ruppert E, Fox R, Barnes R. Invertebrate  Zoology: A Functional Evolutionary Approach. 7th ed. Belmont CA: Brooks/Cole; 2004. 963 p.

SUMMARY Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

SUMMARY - Article Example In the developed world, older siblings are mandated to take care of their younger siblings in circumstances where the parents have gone to work and other rare situations when the parents are away. On the other hand in less developed countries it is an obligation for the older sibling take care of the younger siblings in all situations which include meeting some of their financial needs, mentorship, seeing them transit from one level to another. The nature of sibling relationship is influenced by factors such as age, sex, order of birth, number of siblings and treatment by parents. Researchers have shown that birth order has a lot to do with how siblings relate with each other. Being a firstborn is attached to a lot of expectations and responsibilities as opposed to other order of births. Firstborn have a lot of duties to fulfil as well as several points to prove not only to their parents but to the entire society. Birth order therefore has a strong influence on the personality and behavior of an individual throughout their entire lives. However other factors that influence character and behavior such as heredity, competency, and peer influence among others should also be considered in equal measure when analyzing behavior among

Summary of a biology article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary of a biology article - Essay Example ver specimens of the species have been preserved and a recent analysis carried out, in four places namely London, Liverpool, Philadelphia and New Zealand, on the mitochondrial genome have given new insights regarding the origins of this mammal. Through this researchers have discovered that the closest living relative to the Falkland wolf is the South-American maned wolf. While Darwin had observed certain striking differences between these two animals, genetic analysis however show that species divergence might have taken place about 6.7 million years ago resulting in the migration of the species. Scientists believe that the Falkland wolves might have used large icebergs along with sufficient as means of transportation to the island. Darwin had made a special mention about the differences between the mainland and island wolves in his notes and also mentioned that if answers be found for these differences it would really help to ascertain the stability of species. Darwin’s theory of evolution asserts that variation within the same species is a random phenomenon and survival or extinction of an organism is based on its ability to adapt to its environment in which it exists. If an organism adapts well to its environment by imbibing favorable variations it would thus be able to survive and reproduce at a higher rate. Such a state would determine the stability of the species within that particular environment. His study includes both plants and animals and the specimens analyzed by Darwin include plants, birds and animals and in addition he also collected different types of fossils during his expedition in the Beagle to South America. According to his evolution theory changes in the environment might result in divergence of species based on which environment they best adapt. A similar phenomenon has also occurred in the case of the Falkland wolves. According to the genetic analysis report divergence of the two species from a common ancestor has taken place even

Compare contrast and analyze the coastal management and its effect on Research Paper

Compare contrast and analyze the coastal management and its effect on the population in both ghana and South Africa - Research Paper Example The destructive activities performed by individual lead to destroying of the coastline resources of the countries. In this paper, the coastal management systems of South Africa and Ghana have been discussed precisely by considering all the significant facts about its coastal areas. The reasons for the destruction of the coastal areas of Ghana and South Africa have been explained and how those have impacted on the people and business located there, are also discussed. 2.0 Coastal Management Coastal management comprises of the coastal resource management, coastal zone management and integrated coastal zone management that relates to formal or informal practices, economies, rules, technologies as well as interaction among natural resources and humans who are located near sea coast. The coastal management also includes the way through which the resources are utilized and protected1. In the coastal management process, there are five phases such as identification of issue as well as evalua tion of baseline. The second phase includes the preparation as well as adoption of coastal resource management, in the third phase there is an action plan along with implementation of project. The fourth phase is the monitoring and evaluation, and the last phase comprises of information management, outreach and education1. The term ‘Coastal Management’ came into being after United States Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 was implemented. According to this act, sectoral management approach was not operating effectively, that was developed to focus on the individual resources such as fisheries, and other activities such as transport. Then the idea came to develop a coastal management approach with definite plans that primarily focus on particular issues related to national along with local importance. From that period new coastal management approach was applied in various situations all around the world2. The activities of coastal management takes place both in the dire ct land-sea border as well as in wider area of indirect influence of sea on land as well as land on sea. It also involves organizing the production of intertidal organisms and co-ordination of various sectors along with management agencies that have a direct along with indirect influence on the coast. The management of coast facilitates synchronization between the sectors and agencies. It also helps to develop the capability for integration of coastal consideration to the particular work2. Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) is considered as inter as well as trans-disciplinary approach of management, which was first initiated from the year 1970. The main objective was settlement of the conflicts of coastal stakeholders and to attain sustainable coastal development. Integrated coastal management is referred as the process by which several marine as well as coastal environments are managed in order to provide broad range of needs of bio-diversity protection along with sustainable use by facilitating the stakeholders to participate in the management programs3. MPA (Marine Protected Areas) is considered as an essential component of integrated coastal management program. They help in the protection of biodiversity as well as ecological

Technology Forecast Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Technology Forecast - Assignment Example This paper discusses the forecasted development of information technology industry through the year of 2013. Industry Overview Davis (1989) defines information technology as the use of telecommunication equipment and computers to keep, retrieve, transmit and manipulate data mostly in the field of a business or any other activity. Davis (1989) adds that this term is mostly used as a replacement for computers and everything that has to do with them, including other information delivery technologies, such as television and telephones. In the business setting, Information Technology Association of America defined information technology as the studying, scheming, developing, instigating, applying technical support, as well as handling computer-based information systems. People who work in this field are responsible for network administration, installing and developing software and even planning and managing an organization’s life cycle, under which software and hardware is upheld, upgraded or exchanged. It is through such processes the information technology is being developed in such a way that it enhances productivity and efficiency of employees and organizations. Indisputably, introduction of information technology within the contemporary business environment has had great impact on human daily routine. Chesbrough and Spohrer (2006) assert that information technology demand is driven by the high rate of rapid technology improvements. The profit of a modern company heavily depends on technical know-how, innovative services as well as real advertising by means of hi-tech. Chesbrough and Spohrer (2006) add that large companies have advantages over small companies in that they have broad global reach as compared to small companies that may choose to compete by specializing in market niche. The small companies may as well choose to partner with the big ones to enable their services are being rendered at a more productive rate. The business worth of information technology depends on the mechanization of business procedures, providing information in making decision, linking the businesses with customers and providing other productive tools to increase efficiency. Organizations, businesses, and individuals continue to employ information technology features and systems within the operations with the main aim of increasing efficiency and effectiveness. There is no doubt that since the coming of information technology many business operations, processes, and activities have considerably changed. The world continues to spend a lot of money to adopt and implement information technology in daily life at all levels. Amongst the aspects that the world spends so much money on in respect to information technologies there are devices, data system centers, enterprise software, information technology services, and telecom services, as illustrated in the following chart. The following charts show how global information technology has spread over the last two years. World spending in the year 2012 was found to amount at $3

Write a letter to a friend what it was like being a 19th century Essay

Write a letter to a friend what it was like being a 19th century worker. involving karl max and Robert Owen odeas - Essay Example As many factories began to emerge, people started to work at factories instead of at farms as it was before industrialization. Children started working for many of factories, Mines, and shops that needed help, and there were not enough men or women to meet the increasing labor demands. Children were seen as cheap, plentiful, and easy to control labor. Orphanages and even parents would give up their children to the cotton mills owners and other operators in exchange for sustenance. As young Children, we had to do the most dangerous and difficult jobs like coal mining, and fixing broken machinery. The coal mines were the worst because young children had to travel through the mines with poor lighting, and often carrying loads. Working from six in the morning to nine at night with no meals and a long distance from home the children suffered. If late for work, the children were often beaten, and if we worked slowly, or fell asleep at the machines, the supervisors could hit us using a strap. Women and children offered cheap labor and could work for less than a man would accept. Spending so many hours a day over factory machines often left us with bowed legs and poorly developed limbs and muscles. If one of us not "lucky" enough to be employed in these mines, he had the unpleasant option of living on the streets, which was accompanied with raw sewage, rotting animals, vegetable wastes, rats, disease, and putrid water. They also had to find food and a place to stay in when it is rainy and cold. Karl Marx was an idealist. He envisaged the cruelties and injustices that children, endured during the period of the industrial revolution. It was from the events that Marx developed the communist idea. Karl Marx was one of those reformers proposing and arguing for the reforms through the Communist Manifesto. His goals of the communist party were to end the exploitation of the working class and create a society with equality and no social classes. Marx has helped

Rock-n-roll and the use of drugs in the period between 1955 and 1966 Essay

Rock-n-roll and the use of drugs in the period between 1955 and 1966 - Essay Example As the counterculture began to emerge, however, an associated interest with mind altering drugs began to be a part of the experience. While the era of drug use and free thinking is often thought of as the 1960s, the counterculture began much earlier, stemming from the gravitation of certain individuals to jazz and folk music which was often expressed by those who were calling themselves beatniks and bohemians. The period of time between 1955 and 1966 were pivotal, however, as the course of social change also saw changes in the way in which intellectualism was pursued, leading to the heavier use of drugs during that time period. In 1966, Grace Slick wrote one of the more iconic songs that projected the connection between literacy, rock and roll, and the drug culture. Referencing Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland she wrote â€Å"One pill makes you larger/One pill makes you small/ And the ones that mother gives you/Don’t do anything at all/Go ask Alice/When she’s ten feet tall† (Farber, 2007, p. 62). At the same time, there has been a struggle between embracing the effects of drug use and the consequences of indulging in drugs with too much intensity. Rock and roll lifestyles are both filled with the hedonism of sex and drugs and written to reflect the spiral downward that is taken through the ’looking glass’ when drug abuse takes over one’s life. One of the more famous quotes about drug use and the early years of rock and roll came from David Crosby who said â€Å"if you can remember the 60s, you weren’t there†, intimating the close connection between the use of drugs, forgetfulness during use and the revolutions of the 1960s which included a high level of drug use (Farber, 2007, p. 63). ... 63). Drug abuse and alcoholism as it was connected to musicians did not begin in the 1960s. Where there are high levels of artistic emotions combined with the pressures of success, drug use and alcohol abuse were often involved. However, cultural groups that specifically aligned themselves with the use of drugs was a relatively new phenomenon in the 1950s. The type of groups that were defined by a sort of intellectualism that was following some of the great writers of the time, as well as following paths towards hedonism and self indulgences were ’beatniks’ and ’bohemians’ of the 1950s. The music of jazz and folk music, two genres that helped to form the structures of rock and roll, were a type of music that drew people towards it that often indulged in drug use. According to Weinstein (1999), â€Å"the initial sparks were struck in the 1940s that set the counterculture ablaze with drugs in the 1960s† (p. 169). When Ardous Huxley wrote Doors of Perc eption in 1954, the counterculture was motivated to seek the perfect high, that state in which transcendence had occurred in which the promise of drug use was finally fulfilled. Seeking to fulfill some sort of intellectual imperative, the book written by Huxley gave a framework of understanding about the nature of mind altering drug use and the advantages of what one can learn from having taken mind altering drugs. Huxley (2009) describes what Spanish conquerors saw when they encountered Native Americans. He states â€Å"they eat a root which they call peyote, and which they venerate as though tit was a deity†(p. 9). The book became centering piece of pop culture from which the pursuit of the ultimate spiritual experience was sought after which included high

Write a letter to a friend what it was like being a 19th century Essay

Write a letter to a friend what it was like being a 19th century worker. involving karl max and Robert Owen odeas - Essay Example As many factories began to emerge, people started to work at factories instead of at farms as it was before industrialization. Children started working for many of factories, Mines, and shops that needed help, and there were not enough men or women to meet the increasing labor demands. Children were seen as cheap, plentiful, and easy to control labor. Orphanages and even parents would give up their children to the cotton mills owners and other operators in exchange for sustenance. As young Children, we had to do the most dangerous and difficult jobs like coal mining, and fixing broken machinery. The coal mines were the worst because young children had to travel through the mines with poor lighting, and often carrying loads. Working from six in the morning to nine at night with no meals and a long distance from home the children suffered. If late for work, the children were often beaten, and if we worked slowly, or fell asleep at the machines, the supervisors could hit us using a strap. Women and children offered cheap labor and could work for less than a man would accept. Spending so many hours a day over factory machines often left us with bowed legs and poorly developed limbs and muscles. If one of us not "lucky" enough to be employed in these mines, he had the unpleasant option of living on the streets, which was accompanied with raw sewage, rotting animals, vegetable wastes, rats, disease, and putrid water. They also had to find food and a place to stay in when it is rainy and cold. Karl Marx was an idealist. He envisaged the cruelties and injustices that children, endured during the period of the industrial revolution. It was from the events that Marx developed the communist idea. Karl Marx was one of those reformers proposing and arguing for the reforms through the Communist Manifesto. His goals of the communist party were to end the exploitation of the working class and create a society with equality and no social classes. Marx has helped

Blink - Malcom Gladwell Essay Example for Free

Blink Malcom Gladwell Essay Among the thought provoking topics Gladwell presents in Blink, I found slicing as one the most interesting. The idea that short snippets of information can potentially allow more accurate perceptions of people and situations than longer periods with in-depth study and exposure to information. The awareness of the unconscious realizations occurring much quicker and more accurately than cognitive thought, inspires additional pontificate on ways to cut through the noise that interferes with conscious thoughts. Additionally, his identification of potential noise spurs the mind to ignore the slices offer opportunities to understand potential causes for historical perceptions that have proven to be incorrect. While reading Gladwell’s elaboration on the various methods of slicing, several historical business decisions come to mind. Gladwell’s review of speed dating offers many similarities to my experiences interviewing candidates to fill vacant positions on various teams I have managed. My process for interviewing candidates is a multistep process, where my first interview is normally no more than 30 minutes, containing about 15-20 minutes of my explaining the position being filled and the needs of the company. Gladwell specifically identified the purpose was not to determine if both speed dating parties want to establish a relationship together. The purpose was to decide if each person has enough interest in the other, to at least learn more about him/her. In the 10 minutes where I directly interview candidates for skills and competencies, I am simply deciding if I want to bring this person in to learn more detail about their skills and competencies. Gladwell also identifies that slicing is not always effective, due to noise received by the conscious self, sometimes allowing cognitive thought to challenge the unconscious perception. Although I take detailed notes on each candidate, there are many instances where, despite the notes and the observed mannerisms, my ‘gut’ suggested an opposite direction from the logical choice. In retrospect, I realize that during these initial interviews, as I put significant effort into evaluating skills and competencies as a whole. There was just too much data reviewed, instead of focussing on individual slices of data. In some cases my mind even justified the potential issues, offering undue credit to candidates because of their persuasive discussions and mannerisms, thereby continuing the hiring process with candidates that should not have made it past the first round. During one interview in particular, I was filling a position as Category Manager and my pool of candidates was somewhat limited. My company’s push to hire diversity candidates made the pool even shallower. After bringing candidates in for first round interviews, I decided to post the position online for a second time. The subsequent candidates were not significantly better than the first round. I could not identify a specific reason for my disinterest in the candidates, they just didn’t feel right. Most did not offer the typical image I associated with a successful category manager. As a favor to a colleague, I agreed to interview a wild card candidate for my vacancy. She had no experience with category management, but her career history showed steady progression and 3.8 GPA throughout her chemical Engineering major offered evidence of her intelligence. My colleague spoke very highly of her abilities and during the initial interview her image was consistent with high performing category managers I have known in the past. In reviewing my notes after the interview, I documented her lack of experien ce as being a key opportunity. Although my logical decision should have been to remove her from the list going forward, I followed my ‘gut’ and continued the interview process with her. As the process continued, she was eventually hired for the position on my team. I had somehow convinced myself that she could learn the trade and excel at it in a short period of time. Within a few months of hiring her, we both realized she wasn’t going to meet the requirements of the position and eventually, she went back to her previous company. I couldn’t help but wonder how she could have performed so well during the interview compared to the other candidates, but not be able to perform the duties of the actual job itself. After finishing Gladwell’s elaboration on priming, I gained better insights as to potential reasons why I hired the wrong person. Gladwell offered great examples of priming and how key words can impact an individual’s performance on tests. During the interview process, I normally discuss my educational and career history in an effort to reduce anxiety in candidates. I can’t help but wonder if during my discussions, I primed candidates, thereby pushing them to perform at anticipated levels based on my initial perception as they entered the first interview. Based on this theory, the words I chose during the interview process could have unintentionally encouraged one candidate and discouraged others. I find the concept of priming to be very thought provoking and it will definitely impact my speech at the beginning of each interview. Although Gladwell’s discussion regarding interpretations of slices of time proposes a more accurate perception is achieved by the unconscious mind well in advance of the conscious mind. Key points perceived during the initial moments could potentially shape my perception and thereby cause the subconscious to choose priming words to reinforce that perception. Being aware of this possibility is a key part of addressing it. From my experience illustrated above, focusing on neutral wording during future interviews will be a priority going forward.

Cystic Fibrosis Newborn Screening

Cystic Fibrosis Newborn Screening Cystic fibrosis is a common autosomal recessive genetic disorder1. This means that to have cystic fibrosis, a person must have inherited a defective gene from each of his or her parents2. This gene is located on chromosome seven2. Absence or mutation in this particular gene results in worse performance or absence of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator2. This is most commonly found in Europe, North America, and Australia1. This gene manages anion transport and mucociliary clearance in the airways1. With the failure of this function, the results are mucus retention and chronic infection in the lungs1. Nowadays, modern technology provides aid for patients with their diseases and gives them a longer and more active life. Newborn screening for cystic fibrosis is a modern technological advance which is designed to detect early signs of cystic fibrosis. Several methods under the name of the Newborn Screening are used to detect whether a newborn has cystic fibrosis or not1. These methods include immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT) testing combined with DNA mutation analysis and the sweat chloride test1. IRT stands for Immunoreactive Trypsinogen Test. The procedure of this test is a chemical reaction. Trypsinogen is made from the pancreas, and it normally transmits to the intestines where it is activated to a form of an enzyme called trypsin. In a patient who has cystic fibrosis, the thick mucus covers the pancreatic ducts1. Therefore, trypsinogen wont reach the intestines, and the amount of trypsinogen goes up. This test runs with a blood sample, and if the results come out with a normal level of trypsinogen, then this test is reliable, but if there is a high level of trypsinogen, then more tests need to be run to find out whether the patient has cystic fibrosis or not. A sweat chloride test is the amount of chloride in patients sweat. In a patient that has Cystic Fibrosis, the sweat chloride test will result in significantly higher levels of chloride in sweat than a person that does not have cystic fibrosis due to the restricted movement of chloride. The gene mutation test is a DNA sequencing test to locate a defective gene in the chromosome. There are many different types of mutations that can cause a deficiency in the production of the CFTR protein. More than 2000 CFTR variants have been discovered1. About 15% of the identified gene variants are not associated with CF1. CFTR mutations can be classified into six classes according to their effects on protein function1. Classification is helpful because it relates to the molecular and cellular processes in gene translation and protein processing and has some useful clinical relations1. Class I, II, and III mutations are associated with no residual CFTR function and patients with these mutations on average have a severe phenotype, whereas individuals with class IV, V, and VI mutations have some residual function of CFTR protein and have a mild lung phenotype and pancreatic deficiency1. Today, different laboratories use a wide variety of panels depending on the patients need, like t he twenty-three panel or panel of seventy. The following is an example of a molecular CF test. Lab Corporation of America published a procedure for a Cystic Fibrosis molecular diagnostic3; The coding sequence of CFTR is amplified by polymerase chain reaction and each PCR product (amplicon) then sequenced bi-directionally, using Sanger sequencing methodology. CFTR Chr7(q31,2) Nucleotide Change Amino Acid Change Consequencing Zygosity Relation to Cystic Fibrosis c.1327G>T p.Asp443Tyr missense mutation homozygous recessive, associated 1. Prof J Stuart Elbom, Cystic Fibrosis, Lancet, 19-25 November 2016, Volume 388, Issue 10059, page 2519-2531 2. The Clinical and Functional Translation of CFTR(CFTR2) at Copyright 2011 US CF Foundation, John Hopkins University The Hospital for Sick Children; available at https://cftr2.org. 3. Corporation of America Published Documents   2014   available @ http://oneworld.labcorp.com/Billing/TestMaster/Resource Center/Sample Reports/C-4/Cystic Fibrosis (CF) CFTR 252763.pdf