Man in Space

For many years, man has always been interested in exploring the space. This is evidenced by many fictional scientific stories about the space that have been written. However, he has not made significant success in this endeavor. The greatest success that has been achieved is travelling to the moon in recent decades.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Man in Space – Norm Thagard specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Man continues to make space travel attempts through advanced technology with the intention of exploring the space. The first attempt he made to travel to the space which was a joint effort between the Soviet Union and America took place in 1975. This project popularly known as Apollo test project was intended at testing the ability of the two countries to manage future space journeys (Nasa, n.d). Russia and America worked together since 1993 to facilitate space travel by man. Space travel equipments beg an making their trips to Russian stations in 1994. Norm Thagard was historically recognized as the first American astronaut to reside in Russia. Together with his seven colleagues, he joined other astronauts from Russia to work in an orbiting laboratory in Russia. This endeavor gave them enough experience that saw the development of space stations with international recognition. In 1998, the stations began developing in-orbit technology which was followed by constant staffing. These developments facilitated space travel greatly (Nasa, n.d). Most of the people who took part in space travel used different technologies such as nuclear propulsion technology. This was a preferable choice of technology because of its reliability and flexibility in long distance space travel. It was also preferable because it was cheaper when compared with other forms of technology such as chemical rockets. During space travel, man required certain domestic needs to be met and this made the development of modern technology important. The first technology development in space travel was associated with the Apollo project. This was the first space travel intended at placing man on the moon. This project was an important one and led to the development of different technologies. It expanded the knowledge of man regarding space travel (Nasa, n.d). During space travel, man required food since without food there would be no survival. As a result, the first technology used by man to prevent food from going bad during space travel was freeze drying. This technology was initially developed during the Second World War to preserve plasma. It involved freezing the food, a process that removed most of the moisture from it. The foods preserved used this technology included foods like meat, peas and liquids.Advertising Looking for essay on other technology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The second technology used in space travel was the use of cordless power tools. While in space, astronauts were supposed to carry out different tasks in their quest to gather scientific information. It was therefore not possible for them to gather this information by using traditional or power tools. Traditional tools could not provide much assistance while power tools presented limitations because of their cords. The use of cordless power tools proved to be very useful for the astronauts (Bryson, 2010). The third type of technology used in space travel was MRI and CAT technologies. The initial space travels were intended at identifying the most suitable grounds to land when man travelled to the moon. For this to be accomplished there was the need to have the right equipment to take space photographs. This technology was used by man during space travel to develop computer aided topography. It was also used to develop magnetic resonance imaging. References Bryson, B. (2010). A Short History Of Nearly Everything. New York: Transworld. Nas a. (n.d). Space Shuttle. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/sts1/gagarin_anniversary.html This essay on Man in Space – Norm Thagard was written and submitted by user Teagan Cantrell to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How Amino Acid Chirality Works

How Amino Acid Chirality Works Amino acids (except for  glycine) have a  chiral  carbon atom adjacent to the carboxyl group (CO2-). This chiral center allows for stereoisomerism. The amino acids form two stereoisomers that are mirror images of each other. The structures are not superimposable on each other, much like your left and right hands. These mirror images are termed  enantiomers. D/L and R/S Naming Conventions for Amino Acid Chirality There are two important nomenclature systems for enantiomers. The D/L system is based on optical activity and refers to the Latin words dexter for right and laevus for left, reflecting left- and right-handedness of the chemical structures. An amino acid with the dexter configuration  (dextrorotary) would be named with a () or D prefix, such as ()-serine or D-serine. An amino acid having the laevus configuration  (levorotary) would be prefaced with a (-) or L, such as (-)-serine or L-serine. Here are the steps to determine whether an amino acid is the D or L enantiomer: Draw the molecule as a Fischer projection with the carboxylic acid group on top and side chain on the bottom. (The amine group will not be at the top or bottom.)If the amine group is located on the right side of the carbon chain, the compound is D. If the amine group is on the left side, the molecule is L.If you wish to draw the enantiomer of a given amino acid, simply draw its mirror image. The R/S notation is similar, where R stands for Latin rectus (right, proper, or straight) and S stands for Latin sinister (left). R/S naming follows the  Cahn-Ingold-Prelog rules: Locate the chiral or stereogenic center.Assign priority to each group based on the atomic number of the atom attached to the center, where 1 high and 4 low.Determine the direction of priority for the other three groups, in order of high to low priority (1 to 3).If the order is clockwise, then the center is R. If the order is counterclockwise, then the center is S. Although most of chemistry has switched over to the (S) and (R) designators for absolute stereochemistry of enantiomers, the amino acids are most commonly named using the (L) and (D) system. Isomerism of Natural Amino Acids All amino acids found in proteins occur in the L-configuration about the chiral carbon atom. The exception is glycine because it has two hydrogen atoms at the alpha carbon, which cannot be distinguished from each other except via radioisotope labeling. D-amino acids are not naturally found in proteins and are not involved in the metabolic pathways of eukaryotic organisms, although they are important in the structure and metabolism of bacteria. For example, D-glutamic acid  and D-alanine  are structural components of certain bacterial cell walls. Its believed D-serine may be able to act as a brain neurotransmitter. D-amino acids, where they exist in nature, are produced via post-translational modifications of the protein. Regarding the (S) and (R) nomenclature, nearly all amino acids in proteins are (S) at the alpha carbon. Cysteine is (R) and glycine is not chiral. The reason cysteine is different is that it has a sulfur atom at the second position of the side chain, which has a larger atomic number than that of the groups at the first carbon. Following the naming convention, this makes the molecule (R) rather than (S).

Moby Dick Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Moby Dick - Essay Example Conversely, Starbuck had morals which provided him with opposing strength and a more honorable downfall than Ahab. Both men had a few similarities and were faced with the same challenges in whaling, the absence and presence of morals led the men to deal with the situation in different ways, and ultimately to distinct conclusions. To elaborate the thesis, we can see many instances available in the text. In Chapter cxxvi The Life-Buoy, when they were on a voyage to a rocky island, 'the bodings of the crew were destined to receive a most plausible confirmation in the fate of one of their number that morning' (p.517), there is certain exposition of prospective event that signals something to happen in future. "Indeed, in some sort, they were not grieved at this event, at least as a portent; for they regarded it, not as a foreshadowing of evil in the future, but as the fulfillment of an evil already presaged. They declared that now they knew the reason of those wild shrieks they had heard the night before. But again the old Manxman said nay." (p.518) The scene is described 'as the unsetting polar star, which through the livelong, arctic, six months' night sustains its piercing, steady, central gaze; so Ahab's purpose now fixedly gleamed down upon the constant midnight of the gloomy crew.' Furthermore, they feel as if 'it domineered above them so, that all their bodings, doubts, misgivings, fears, were fain to hide beneath their souls, and not sprout forth a single spear or leaf.' (p.528) If viewed critically and analytically, it may be affirmed that "In this foreshadowing interval too, all humor, forced or natural, vanished. Stubb no more strove to raise a smile; Starbuck no more strove to check one. Alike, joy and sorrow, hope and fear, seemed ground to finest dust, and powdered, for the time, in the clamped mortar of Ahab's iron soul. Like machines, they dumbly moved about the deck, ever conscious that the old man's despot eye was on them." (p.528) Everyone starts off at a common point but takes off at different speeds and on different roads. Ahab and Starbuck were generally the same in basic aspects. First, both of the men had strong beliefs. Ahab believed Moby Dick was evil and was destined to die at his hands. This belief was so strong that it led to obsession and destruction. In a similar fashion, Starbuck's strong belief in God led to his destruction for it prevented him from making the decision to kill Ahab and prevented him from destroying the entire crew. Second, Ahab and Starbuck both had a family. Apart from all of their whaling, their wives and sons were patiently waiting at home for their husbands' return from the voyage. Third, they both shared a common love for the sea Although crazed; Ahab still loved the ocean that he spent much of his life in. He expressed his love for the sea several times on his final whaling voyage remarking that the it's beauty soothed him. Starbuck spent much of his life on the ocean as well and enjoyed its adventures and beauty. In Chapter xxvi, Knights And Squires, Starbuck even respected the sea inhabitants and he

Health promotion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Health promotion - Essay Example Obesity in childhood, teenage and adults is considered an epidemic in the United States. The advancement in technology created rapid changes in the eating habits of individuals globally. However, as countries become more developed in terms of economic status, the greater the availability and affordability of innumerable choices of food that an individual can indulge in. The issue of addressing obesity has been specifically identified as a national agenda in Healthy People 2010. Obesity is defined as a chronic condition of excess fat accumulation in the body. (Medicine.Net, 2009, 1). Medically, obesity can be defined in relation to the body mass index (BMI). The body mass index â€Å"determines whether a person’s weight is appropriate for height by dividing the weight in kilograms by the height in meters squared.† (Delaune & Ladner, 2006, 1394) Using this index, obesity is then defined as a BMI of 30 and above. (Medicine.Net. 2009, 1) The primary causes of obesity are overeating and lack of physical activity. When a person takes in calories much more than what one burns, that persons gains weight. Excess energy is therefore stored as fat. If that person has no initiative at all to engage in any physical activity which would help him or her burn those excess calories, then, obesity sets in. Aside from overeating and lack physical activity, there are enormous factors which contribute to an individual’s being vulnerable to obesity. These are: genetics, composition of the diet, frequency of eating, slow metabolism, lack of exercise or physical activity, medications, psychological factors, and even certain diseases. With different researches undertaken to explore on the factors contributing to obesity, it is revealed in MedicineNet that ethnicity, childhood weight and hormones all have an effect in being obese. As a person gains weight and either consciously or unconsciously neglect any measures to prevent the continuous weight increase, that person increases

Isotopes in archeology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Isotopes in archeology - Essay Example Isotopes are classified into two groups, stable or unstable isotopes, stable isotopes are considered such because of the non-dynamic nature of their proton neutron relationship they do not disintegrate or decay, while unstable isotopes, on the other hand, are known as radioactive isotopes. They are characterized by an unstable proton-neutron combination, in the process of decaying; they emit various types of radiation such as gamma, beta, and alpha, depending on the creation process, ranging from Cosmogenic, to radioactive isotopes. Both classes of isotopes have a wide range of uses in various disciplines such as medicine, agriculture, and geology just to mention a few. This paper focuses on the uses of isotopes in archeology and examines the various uses of isotopes in archeological research, their advantages disadvantages, and alternative techniques. Radio carbon dating One of the most essential functions or radioisotopes is in the determination of the age of archeological especial ly the remains of once living organism which could have died thousands of years ago. This has been used to back up written and historical data in a range of disciplines such as history, evolution and religion. ... The archeologists hence measure the ratio of carbon in the organisms and compare it to the radioactivity of carbon 14 left in the organism (Van der Merwe, 1982). In this way, scientists have been able to determine, and with considerable success, the ages of many plants and animal matter that have been excavated in archeological sites. The main advantage of carbon 14 dating is that is economical, and when done properly after considering all the factors involved, it can produce results that are very accurate. However, it has got some limitations in that if the subject being aged has been in existence for over 50,000 years, it begins to lose accuracy since the carbon isotopes become too small for effective measurement. Besides, environmental changes due to natural or man-made courses such as atomic bombs and nuclear testing has varied the amounts of carbon in the atmosphere making it difficult to come up with accurate results (Van der Merwe, 1982). A new method is, however, being develo ped AMS (accelerator mass spectrometry) to counterman these short comings since it can derive more accurate dates from smaller samples of carbon for radio carbon dating. Determination of Geological location Using Strontium (Sr), which is an isotope found in human bones, archeologists can determine the geographical history of humans i.e. where past civilizations have been, their migration and settlement pasts and patterns can be deduced form these isotopes (Bentley, 2006). The strontium isotopes are ideal for this since they act like geochemical signatures, the body takes up the isotopes from the soil through the consumption of plant or animals which have consumed the same plants. The strontium hence embeds itself into the local food chain and substitutes some of calcium in the

A Reflective Paper On The Importance On Teamwork Nursing Essay

A Reflective Paper On The Importance On Teamwork Nursing Essay What is a team work? Team work can be defined as when actions of individuals are brought together for the purpose of a common goal. Each person in a team puts his efforts to achieve the objectives of large group. Teams make efforts to achieve the success but not necessarily the success is achieved every time. Within a team every member plays a role to achieve the teams objectives. These roles add new and important dimensions to interactions of team members. Bruce Tuckmans team development theory provides a way to tackle the tasks of making a team through the completion of the project. On the part of the team every member played an important role to achieve the success at the end of semester. Our planning (or worrying about) whats happening next gives us little opportunity or inclination to examine what has just passed (Wallace, 2005). Writing from the angle of teacher student and team member relationships, it was appropriate to look then above quote. I believe that many students in a team hesitate to step further for their next action during the proceeding of project. I need to be reflective in my action for the future performance in a team. Groups of employees who have at least some collective tasks and where the team members are authorised to regulate mutually the execution of these collective tasks (Delarue, 2003). Group work is defined by a common task requiring interdependent work and successive or integrative action (Hacker, 1998). Belbin (1981) developed a model on team roles which was extended in Belbins (1993) publication. On the basis of the Belbins model the team performance can be observed when a winning or losing task is set for the team. Each member with assigned role balances the team role in a group and strong representation of all roles is predicted with high performance. I have experienced the same the role of every member in my team. Belbin makes a difference between two terms team role and functional role. It is necessary for a team to keep the optimum balance both in functional roles and team roles. On the other hands the Tuckmans theory describes the four stages of small group development as forming, storming, norming and performing. However a fifth stage of adjourning was added which involves the completion of tasks, termination of roles and dissolution of groups. Belbins theory is helpful to identify the different types of the teams; the characteristics define the work of the four categories. This model explains that during the team developments conflicts and interpersonal issues are found there and team development is dependent on the quality communication and relationship maturity with better performance. In traditional setting this model is useful for many practitioners and team leaders. According to this model all members work at the same place and are engaged in predefined work. This model works at the micro level of teams when new tasks are introduced and people involved have worked together not for long time. Belbin (1981) saying that not a single individual may have all the qualities to accomplish the total corporate role is totally right. An individual in a team is assigned his role of his choice and is avoided to perform the roles which are not in his abilities. Belbin also formulated the concept of roles in a team and their contribution of characteristic personalities and abilities in a team. The success of a team is the result of combination of team roles in it. The roles identified by the Belbin are lesser or greater extent shape the individual roles in a team. I am agreed with these nine roles explained by Belbin; all the nine roles are not necessary to achieve the success. I think that five roles are sufficient to achieve the success as some roles are doubled up for example a specialist role can be performed by a Plants role included in nine roles of Belbin. A project in beginning needs the ideas, concept and contacts so the roles of Plants and Resource are more valued at that oc casion. When the project is completed the roles of implementers and completer have their own place in a team. The Belbin theory allows every role to play a secondary role in a team. The secondary role possesses the second higher skills in results. In this way a role can perform more than one function to become a secondary role player in a team. In this work I want to reflect the situation taken place during the last semester to develop and utilize my personal skills needed to maintain the relationships with other team members. Gibbs (1988) Reflective cycle is used to reflect in an effective way. I am using this model because it is a recognized framework for my reflection. Gibbs (1988) contains six stages to complete the cycle which improves my personal skills continuously and learning for the best practices in future. As Gibbs cycle moves forward the first stage describes the situation where the team members work together, next stage looks the feelings of members about the work and third stage involves the analysis of the feelings of team members. The fourth stage is the analysis to make the sense of experience, 5th stage includes the outcome of team work and the final stage involves the action plan for the situation if it arose again. This kind of reflection generated the practice knowledge which assisted me to work with m y team members and adapt the new situation during the work. The team work generated a sense of satisfaction and developed professional practices. My team work encouraged me to learn from the mistakes and behavior and looked at the perspectives of other members in team. It was important for me to build the team member relationship with other team fellows. I established a mutual understanding and trust with other team members. Bound (1996) has stated that reflection is prompted by its positive states. He gives examples of a completion of a task which was thought impossible previously. I think that I have showed this sort of reflection during my last semester. Team work faces many challenges as the Watson (1995) says that teamwork is not a smooth path individualistic behavior, competitive, personality imbalances and cultural, philosophical, gender differences are all risks. I have seen these negative aspects of teamwork provided me learning opportunities when I was asked to do a differ ently next time. There existed the cultural and language differences among the team members. Therefore many learning activities were organized as a group but the challenges of language and cultural differences resisted producing the expected results. Students in a group varied due to academic levels and many of them were unable to embrace the other cultures. Language differences also impacted our teamwork due to language handling conflicts. The positive points of teamwork are enormous as being a team member I have shared the resources, success glory and burden failure. We have talked on various topics relevant to our project during the last session. I have respected my team members, their ideas and feelings. At the start of the project,t team members agreed upon the team objectives and enabled us to make consensus on the aims, and minimized distraction from other issues. An agenda was prepared before every meeting and circulated to every member of the team during the session. It inc luded the venue, time and duration of the meeting and discussed the supporting materials at the meeting. It was impossible to solve the problems lonely. I inter-acted my team members which was vital for the team success. Our team leader addressed the team dynamics and created a culture of the creativity. I was a big part of my team to remove the barriers to generate the new ideas and encouraged all members and also supported them. Conclusions In this reflective paper the pros and cons of a team member are discussed with perspectives of Belbin and Gibbs theories. One very positive spin-off from this reflective essay is that now I am able to get further insights into processes and deliberations of each team. Overall it has been very learning experience for me and I have welcomed every my team members with different cultures and languages. A comparison of Belbins theory and Tuckmans theory is part of this paper. Belbins model is based upon the team roles while Tuckmans model tells us about team development process. Gibbs Reflective cycle is a role model to work within team and is described with its stages to improve my personal skills for the future work in a team. To keep the team more effective I must provide more opportunities and challenges and help my team members to plan their careers based on the projected organizational needs. By creating an organizational environment, openness and energies I can expect to attract th e vital team members which are major part of the keys to my future. Teamwork allows me to be involved and participate in equal ways, sharing equal ideas. This helps to broaden my thinking to achieve the best outcomes.(Griffith Graduate, 2003).

Judaism :: essays research papers

Judaism 1 A nation of Priests, Prophets, and Kings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While the Jews were still trying to find the holy land, the brother of Moses, Aaron, established a priesthood. They build the tabernacle, a large tent, it became the center for Jewish worship. In 1077 B.C. a member of the tribe of Judah, David, became King of the Israelites. He firmly established kingship and priesthood in the nation's capital of Jerusalem. Solomon, David's son, built a large temple in Jerusalem. The messiah would come from David's line. There were three prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, each warned of punishment from god. 2 Judaism under Roman rule   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Jews were divided into factions. The Pharisees emphasized oral law. The Sadducees stressed the importance of the temple and priests. There was also the Essenes, the Zelots, and the Herodians. Jewish leaders were called rabbis. Rebellion broke out against the Romans in 70 C.E. Troops laid waste to the city and destroyed the temple. Jerusalem was declared of limits to Jews. The Sadducees were thus wiped out without the temple. 3 Judaism Emerges with a Greek garment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By the 4th century B.C. the Jews had engulfed the Mediterranean sea. Alexander the great was welcomed into Jerusalem. The Greek and Jewish cultures mixed. As a result the Jewish religion spread even faster. They were able to expand all across the known world. Even scriptures began too be translated to greek. 4 Judaism and God's name   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jews Believe gods name is too holy to pronounce. Over the last 2000 years the name has been lost. The name of God is Yahweh. In Latin he is called Jehovah. The Jews put much importance to God's name. For a period of time it was illegal to speak gods name.

Abnormal Psychology Reflection Essay

The objective of the course was for a better understanding of mental disorders. This course has given me the ability to apply information learned about human experience, and relate it to psychopathology. During the semester I have learned various types of psychological perspectives and diverse treatment plans; and by taking this class I have been given the tools, and skills to think critically about mental disorders. The course of abnormal psychology is a branch that deals with the description, causes, and treatment of abnormal behavior patterns. Abnormal psychology is the thoughts or behavior that cause social, cognitive, emotional, and various other tribulations for an individual. When there is an abnormal behavior pattern disrupting one’s psychological functioning or behavior, it is due to a psychological disorder. I have realized that to be able to distinguish when a person has a psychological disorder, it is vital to be able to determine the definition of the abnormal behavior. The characteristics that classify abnormal behavior are unusualness, social deviance, faulty perception, significant personal distress, maladaptive behavior, and dangerousness, all traits that need attention and diagnosis. Abnormal behavior can bring unhappiness, conflict, or even discomfort in the individual’s everyday life not only impairing one’s lifestyle, but can affect others. However, behavior that is normal in one region may be considered abnormal in another, henceforth I must also be refined in the cultures around the world and of the patient. Each culture approaches mental disorders differently, and have different forms of normality’s, and solutions for one’s behavior. In this class I was taught how American and western cultures approach mental disorders. Throughout the course I learned about different perspectives of psychology and different approaches to treatment. The perspectives that I consider to best explain abnormal behavior is the biopsychosocial model. The biopsychosocial model is an integrative model, which explains abnormal behavior through the interactions of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors. The reason why IÂ  believe this model is the most accurate is because it takes into account that there is not just one factor that can cause a mental illness. One of the most interesting ways it approaches disorders is that it comes up with the diathesis-stress model. This model is a way of explaining how people end up suffering from mental disorders, by assuming that mental disorders come from the interaction of two things, genetic and life experience. A person that is genetically susceptible, minimal stress from the environment can trigger a mental illness; in contrast a person can withstand immense environmental stress and withstand mental illnesses. I find this model to be conclusive because it explains how all three factors contribute to different mental disorders. The treatment that I found most efficient and effective for mental disorders is cognitive-behavioral therapy. This therapy treats a maladaptive-learned behavior through applying the behavioral principles of learning. This gives the individual the ability to reconstruct his or her thoughts in a more positive matter. Disorders tend to make a person feel hopeless and maladaptive, but this treatment allows the person to have control of their thoughts and feelings. Mental illnesses can lead to disturbances in a person’s thoughts and may be an emotional experience. Mental illnesses tend to make life difficult because a person may find it hard to sustain relationships, keep a job, or motivate oneself to do daily activities. Without treatment, they can and often do make life intolerable to live. From this class I have a better understanding how mental disorders can affect one’s life and what one can do to change their life. Furthermore, this class has given me a better understanding of the various psychological disorders, and how to diagnosis, as well as treat them. This has guided me so that one day I can help other people, and make their lives enjoyable and fulfilling.

Three Blatant Acts of Racism Against Obama

Three Blatant Acts of Racism Against Obama When Barack Obama became the first African-American elected president on November 4, 2008, the world viewed it as a signal of racial progress. But after Obama took office, he was the target of racist illustrations, conspiracy theories, and Islamophobia. Do you know the tactics used to attack him on the basis of race? This analysis covers three blatant acts of racism against Obama. The Birther Debate Throughout his presidency, Barack Obama was dogged by rumors that he was not an American by birth. Instead, the â€Å"birthers†- as the people spreading this rumor are known- say that he was born in Kenya. Although Obama’s mother was a white American, his father was a black Kenyan national. His parents, however, met and married in the United States, which is why the birther conspiracy has been deemed equal parts silly and racist. The birthers have also refused to accept as valid  the documentation provided by  Obama that proves he was born in Hawaii. Why is this racist? New York Times columnist Timothy Egan explained that the birther movement â€Å"has little to do with reality and everything to do with the strangeness of Obama’s background- especially his race. He continued, Many Republicans refuse to accept that Obama could come from such an exotic stew and still be ‘American.’ †¦So, even though the certificate of live birth first made public in 2008 is a legal document that any court would have to recognize, they demanded more.† When Donald Trump repeated the claims of birthers in April 2011, the president responded by releasing his long form birth certificate. This move did not completely quiet the rumors about Obama’s origins. But the more documentation the president released about his birthplace, the less ground the birthers had to suggest that the black president did not belong in office. Trump continued sending Twitter posts questioning the birth certificate authenticity through 2014. Political Caricatures of Obama Before and after his presidential election, Barack Obama has been depicted as subhuman in graphics, email, and posters. While turning politicians into caricatures is nothing new, the ones used to criticize Obama frequently have racial overtones. The president has been portrayed as a shoeshine man, an Islamic terrorist, and a chimp, to name a few. The image of his altered face has been shown on a product called Obama Waffles in the manner of Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben. The depictions of Obama as ape-like have arguably sparked the most controversy, considering that blacks have been portrayed as monkey-like for centuries to suggest that they’re inferior to other groups. Still, when Marilyn Davenport, an elected official in the Republican Party of Orange County, Calif., circulated an email portraying Obama and his parents as chimps, she initially defended the image as political satire. Mike Luckovich, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, had a different take. He pointed out to National Public Radio that the image wasn’t a cartoon but Photoshopped. â€Å"And it was crude and it was racist,† he said. â€Å"And cartoonists are always sensitive. We want to make people think- we even want to tick people off occasionally, but we don’t want our symbolism to overwhelm our message. †¦I would never show Obama or an African American as a monkey. That’s just racist. And we know the history of that.† The â€Å"Obama Is Muslim† Conspiracy Much like the birther debate, the debate over whether Obama is a practicing Muslim appears to be racially tinged. While the president did spend some of his youth in the predominantly Muslim country of Indonesia, there’s no evidence that he himself has practiced Islam. In fact, Obama has said that neither his mother nor his father was  particularly religious. At the National Prayer Breakfast in February 2011, the president described his father as a â€Å"nonbeliever† whom he met one time,  according to the  Los Angeles  Times  and his mother as having â€Å"a certain skepticism about organized religion.† Despite his parents’ feelings about religion, Obama has said repeatedly that he practices Christianity. In fact, in his 1995 memoir Dreams From My Father, Obama describes his decision to become a Christian during his time as a political organizer on Chicago’s South Side. He had little reason at that time to hide being a Muslim and pretend to be a Christian as it was before the 9/11 terrorist attacks and his entry into national politics. So, why do rumors about Obama being a Muslim persist, despite his declarations to the contrary? NPR senior news analyst Cokie Roberts faults racism. She  remarked  on ABC’s â€Å"This Week† that a fifth of Americans believe Obama’s a Muslim because it’s unacceptable to say, â€Å"I don’t like him ’cause he’s black.† On the other hand, â€Å"it’s acceptable to dislike him because he’s a Muslim,† she declared. Like the birther movement, the Muslim conspiracy movement against Obama highlights the fact that the president’s different. He has a â€Å"funny name,† a so-called exotic upbringing, and Kenyan heritage. Rather than  point  out their distaste for these differences, some members of the public find it convenient to label Obama a Muslim, This serves to marginalize him and is used as an excuse to question his leadership and actions in the war on terror. Racial Attacks or Political Differences? Not every attack against President Obama is racist, of course. Some of his detractors took issue with his policy alone and not with his skin color. When the president’s opponents use racial stereotypes to undermine him or accuse him of lying about his origins because he’s different- biracial, bred outside of the continental U.S., and born to a Kenyan father with a â€Å"strange name†- an undercurrent of racism is often at play. As former President Jimmy Carter said in 2009: â€Å"When a radical fringe element of demonstrators †¦begin to attack the president of the United States as an animal or as a reincarnation of Adolf Hitler†¦people who are guilty of that kind of personal attack against Obama have been influenced to a major degree by a belief that he should not be president because he happens to be African American.†

Golden Lion Tamarin Facts

Golden Lion Tamarin Facts The golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) is a small New World monkey. The tamarin is easily identified by the reddish gold hair that frames its hairless face like a lions mane. Also known as a golden marmoset, the golden lion tamarin is an endangered species. So far, the tamarins have been saved from extinction by captive breeding in zoos and reintroduction into their native habitat. However, the outlook for this species in the wild is grim. Fast Facts: Golden Lion Tamarin Scientific Name: Leontopithecus rosaliaCommon Names: Golden lion tamarin, golden marmosetBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 10 inchesWeight: 1.4 poundsLife Span: 15 yearsDiet: OmnivoreHabitat: Southeastern BrazilPopulation: 3200Conservation Status: Endangered Description The most obvious characteristic of the golden lion tamarin is its colorful hair. The monkeys coat ranges from golden yellow to red-orange. The color comes from carotenoids- pigments in the animals food- and the reaction between sunlight and hair. The hair is longer around the monkeys hairless face, resembling a lions mane. The golden lion tamarin is the largest of callitrichine family, but its still a small monkey. An average adult is about 26 centimeters (10 inches) long and weighs about 620 grams (1.4 pounds). Males and females are the same size. Tamarins have long tails and fingers, and like other New World monkeys, the golden lion tamarin has claws rather than flat nails. New World monkeys, like the tamarin, use elongated fingers with claws to catch and eat prey. Steve Clancy Photography / Getty Images Habitat and Distribution The golden lion tamarin has a tiny distribution range, restricted to 2 to 5 percent of its original habitat. It lives in three small areas of coastal rainforest in southeastern Brazil: Poà §o das Antas Biological Reserve, Fazenda Unio Biological Reserve, and tracts of land set aside for the Reintroduction Program. Golden lion tamarin range. Oona Risnen IUCN   Diet Tamarins are omnivores that eat fruit, flowers, eggs, insects, and other small animals. The golden lion tamarin uses its elongated fingers and toes to catch and extract its prey. Early in the day, the monkey feeds on fruit. In the afternoon, it hunts for insects and vertebrates. The golden lion tamarin has a mutualistic relationship with nearly a hundred plants in the forest. The plants offer the tamarins food, and in return, the tamarins disperse seeds, helping regenerate the forest and maintaining genetic variability in the plants. Nocturnal predators hunt the tamarins when they are sleeping. Significant predators include snakes, owls, rats, and wild cats. Behavior Golden lion tamarins live in trees. During the day, they use their fingers, toes, and tails to travel from branch to branch in order to forage. At night, they sleep in tree hollows or dense vines. Each night, the monkeys use a different sleeping nest. Tamarins communicate using a variety of vocalizations. Reproductive males and females communicate using scent to mark territory and suppress reproduction of other troop members. When the dominant female dies, her mate leaves the group, and her daughter becomes the breeding female. Displaced males can enter a new group when another male leaves or by aggressively displacing one. Tamarin groups are highly territorial, defending themselves against other golden lion tamarins in their range. However, the practice of changing sleeping sites tends to prevent overlapping groups from interacting. Reproduction and Offspring Golden lion tamarins live together in groups of 2 to 8 members. A tamarin group is called a troop. Each troop has one breeding pair that mates during the rainy season- usually between September and March. Gestation lasts four and a half months. The female usually gives birth to twins, but can have anywhere from 1 to 4 infants. Golden lion tamarins are born with fur and with their eyes open. All members of the troop carry and care for the infants, while the mother only takes them for nursing. The babies are weaned at three months of age. Females become sexually mature at 18 months, while males mature at 2 years of age. In the wild, most golden lion tamarins live about 8 years, but the monkeys live 15 years in captivity. Conservation Status In 1969, there were only about 150 golden lion tamarins worldwide. In 1984, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature and National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C. started a reintroduction program that involved 140 zoos around the world. However, threats to the species were so severe that the tamarin was listed as critically endangered in 1996, with a total of 400 individuals in the wild. Today, the golden lion tamarin is categorized as endangered on the IUCN Red List, but its population is stable. An assessment in 2008 estimated there were 1,000 mature adults and 3,200 individuals of all ages in the wild. Despite the success of the captive breeding and release program, the golden lion tamarins continue to face threats. The most significant is habitat loss and degradation from residential and commercial development, logging, farming, and ranching. Predators and poachers have learned to identify monkey sleeping sites, affecting the wild population. Golden lion tamarins also suffer from new diseases when they are translocated and from inbreeding depression. Sources Dietz, J.M.; Peres, C.A.; Pinder L. Foraging ecology and use of space in wild golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia). Am J Primatol 41(4): 289-305, 1997.Groves, C.P., Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M., eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 133, 2005. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.Kierulff, M.C.M.; Rylands, A.B. de Oliveira, M.M. Leontopithecus rosalia. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2008: e.T11506A3287321. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T11506A3287321.enKleiman, D.G.; Hoage, R.J.; Green, K.M. The lion tamarins, Genus Leontopithecus. In: Mittermeier, R.A.; Coimbra-Filho, A.F.; da Fonseca, G.A.B., editors. Ecology and Behavior of Neotropical Primates, Volume 2. Washington DC: World Wildlife Fund. pp. 299-347, 1988.

Management Info Systems Individual Work wk1 Essay

Management Info Systems Individual Work wk1 - Essay Example On the other hand, Information Systems refers to the interlinked elements that control information with an organization in order to help in the decision-making process. It also helps in examining products for using new innovative ways to design a product. The Information System provides information regarding the organization as well as business external environment that affects the organization operation/undertakings. The main components of information are the input of information, processing of the information and finally giving the information as an output. The Information System of an organization is available for use by outsiders such as customers, competitors and other stakeholders. The main roles that Information System has played cannot be underestimated. Many organizations have been registered online; online advertisement has become a new phenomenon, and more internet users have been recruited (Loudon & Laudon, 2009). ABB is a multinational company that is based in Sweden.The organization is involved in supplying electricity and building automation products. It has an average of 7,000 employees in Sweden (ABB, 2014). Research was carried out to determine the role Management Information System had played in the organization. The study was necessary since one of its subsidiary company had adopted a new Information System. After a vigorous investigation, it was established that Information System had played five important roles that turned around the company’s fortunes (Askenas&Westelius, 2003). According to the investigators Information, system acted as a manipulator, administrative assistant, a consultant, was bureaucratic in nature, and was a changed. The Information System that was used before was very efficient.However, due to the dynamic technological environment; the company was forced to adopt a new system called Triton

The Concept of the Ecological Footprint Assignment

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