The Government Fund Stem Cell Research - 1952 Words

Our Medically Advancing Society: Should the Government Fund Stem Cell Research in Regard to Ethics? Jake Gilman Ms. Johnson A.P. Language and Composition Gilman 1 He was dying. 31-year-old Edgar Irastorza, a Miami property manager, had a heart attack on October 2008 due to excessive weight gain and a hereditary cholesterol problem. Although he survived the attack, it resulted in massive scar tissue damage in his heart. At this point in time, Edgar knew he had to get help, and fast. In Karen Weintraub’s article â€Å"The Trials of Stem Cell Therapy,† she claims that â€Å"Desperation motivated Mr. Irastorza to volunteer for a highly unusual medical research trial: getting stem cells injected directly into his heart.† She then†¦show more content†¦A perfect example of this is the previously mentioned Edgar Irastorza, who was given unspecified stem cells, which turned into heart tissue cells. According to Peter Bryant and Philip Schwartz in the book â€Å"Fundamentals of the Stem Cell Debate†, stem cells are: â€Å"recognized by their dual nature: they can expand their numbers while remaining undifferentiat ed or can differentiate and contribute to the development or repair of tissues of the body†¦ They are recognized by their expression of certain genes, their production of characteristic proteins and antigens, and their responsiveness to certain growth factors.† These characteristics show how stem cells are both complex in nature and are a perfect solution to many of the medical issues that are occurring today (See figure 1). Gilman 2 Christopher Reeves, the man who played Superman, was in a freak horseracing accident. It was not kryptonite that harmed him, but paralysis from the neck-down. As he wondered if he ever would walk again, Reeves knew he was in need of some form of treatment. After being exposed to many treatments, Reeves put all of his hope into stem cells. The Christopher and Diana Reeves foundation was then established to support not only Reeves, but also others that are in need of stem cell medical attention, even today. The Reeves foundation is very efficient with its work. For example, their â€Å"July 2009 journal articles follow-up on three

Punishment vs Rehabilitation free essay sample

Punishment versus Rehabilitation, there has been many debates on the effectiveness of punishment compared to the effectiveness of rehabilitation of convicted offenders in prison and under community supervision. Punishment is defined as a penalty that is imposed on an individual for doing something wrong. The term rehabilitation is defined as a way to help somebody to return to good health or a normal life by providing training or therapy (StudyMode). If an individual commits a crime serious enough to warrant incarceration, then the individual is sent to prison as a form of punishment. While incarcerated the individual may have the opportunity to receive rehabilitation services. Does it mean that the individual will be rehabilitated? Is punishment or rehabilitation more effective in combating crime? I will disclose my findings in this paper. Effectiveness of Rehabilitation As stated by Miceli (2009) rehabilitating criminals has become a highly debated topic throughout the nation. With the majority of criminals being repeat offenders, the correctional institution has resorted to making rehabilitation a top priority. We will write a custom essay sample on Punishment vs Rehabilitation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Research over the last twenty five years has shown that some programs are more effective than others (Miceli, 2009). The effects of correctional interventions on recidivism have important public safety implications when offenders are released from probation or prison. Hundreds of studies have been conducted on those effects, some investigating punitive approaches and some investigating rehabilitation treatments. Systematic reviews of those studies, displays a remarkable consistency in their findings. Supervision and sanctions, show modest mean reductions in recidivism and, in some instances, have the opposite effect and increase re-offense rates. This means that recidivism effects found in studies of rehabilitation treatment are consistently positive and relatively large. There is considerable variability in those effects associated with the type of treatment, how well it is implemented, and the nature of the offenders to whom it is applied. The specific sources of that variability have not been well explored, but some principles for effective treatment have emerged (Lipsey Cullen, 2007). Rehabilitation programs reduce recidivism if they incorporate proven principles and are targeted to specific offenders. Research demonstrates that offenders who earn a high school equivalency diploma while behind bars are more likely to get jobs after release. Those who receive vocational skills training are more likely to get jobs and higher wages after release and those who go through intensive drug treatment programs in prison are less likely to relapse outside of it. If effective programs were implemented, recidivism could be reduced by 15 to 20 percent (Petersilia, 2011). That is not to say that criminality is a problem that can always be solved. People go to prison for a reason, and in many cases there is very little or nothing that anyone can do to change the choices they will make in the future. Rehabilitation programs are not for every prisoner, and we should not waste money on those who lack motivation. But it would be foolish not to help those who wish to change. Effective rehabilitation and reentry programs that help offenders go home to stay are good for them and good for the rest of us, too (Petersilia). Effectiveness of Punishment In contrast with rehabilitation, there are others that feel consequences should be faced for breaking the law. Hard work for offenders is at the heart of our plans to make punishments more rigorous. Community sentences must be tougher and more intensive, with local communities benefiting directly from the hard work of offenders. Offenders will face the robust and demanding punishments which the public expects. Prisoners will face the tough discipline of regular working hours (Ministry of Justice). Prison deprives an offender of their liberty and as such it remains the ultimate sanction. A prison sentence provides immediate and tough punishment. It leaves offenders in no doubt that the crimes they have committed are so serious that for a time their presence cannot be tolerated in open society. It protects the public and provides peace of criminal behavior. Keep in mind that criminals are incarcerated and not able to cause further harm. For these reasons prison will always be the right sentence for serious and dangerous offenders (Ministry of Justice). Effect on victims and victims’ families With rehabilitation, aspects of what is called in the social policy profession the â€Å"what works† model – the goal is to ensure the prisoner, victim, and the community is healed and that connections between self, nature, god, and community are restored. Once balance is restored, the chances of the prisoner re-offending are diminished (Inayatullah, 2011). In contrast, there is the punishment model. Inayatullah (2011) states that the argument is that all the rights are given to the offender and the victim has none. Therefore in this approach, the best way to reduce present day and future crimes is to keep serious offenders in jail. Evidence shows that twenty-five percent of criminal activity can be reduced by lengthy prison sentences. With the punishment model, there could be a deterrance of crime by new or repeat offenders. Effect on the offender Rehabilitation wants to educate individuals about the wrong choices that they have made and help encourage these individuals to make better choices in the future. Rehabilitation recognizes that offenders may be victims of social economic conditions, and wants to help offenders learn from their mistakes, with the intention of not committing crimes when they get released. Meta-analysis is the study of other studies. The studies test the effectiveness of various programs of correctional treatment. Advocates of rehabilitation believe that meta-analysis can be used to supply deposits of prior research (Dove, 2012). Community partnerships are another approach that holds great promise for offenders. An excellent example is the Boston Reentry Initiative (BRI), a city interagency program that brings together law enforcement, social service agencies, and religious institutions to start working with inmates while they are still incarcerated. On the day the prison doors swing open, a family member or mentor is on hand to meet each released prisoner, and social service agencies are prepared to begin working to help the former inmate get a fresh start. The BRI focuses only on the highest-risk offenders leaving prison. They are offered opportunities for work and treatment, but for those who fail to take advantage of them and slip back into crime, the program calls for a swift arrest and prosecution (Petersilia). Deterrence of crime The view that the experience of prison in itself acts as a deterrent is rooted in the simple specific deterrence theory which predicts that individuals experiencing a more severe sanction are more likely to reduce their criminal activities in the future. Faced with the prospect of going to prison or after having to experience prison life, the rational individual would choose not to engage in further criminal activities. Surveys indicate that both the public and offenders consider prison to be the most severe or effective punisher of criminal behavior (Gendreau, P. Goggin,C. , 1999). Fiscal effect on society High rates of failure among people on probation and parole are a significant driver of prison populations and costs in most states. To cut down on new offenses and the incarceration of rule violators, several states are strengthening their community corrections systems. Many states began these efforts in the past few years as part of the national emphasis on helping people successfully return to the community following their release from prison. States are now bolstering both their reentry programs and community supervision programs and working to improve outcomes for people on supervision (Scott-Hayward, 2009). Many states are facing the increased fiscal consequences from years of harsher policies such as truth-in sentencing requirements, three strikes laws, and the mandatory minimum sentences that have resulted in longer sentences. While there is wide consensus that tougher penalties are necessary and appropriate for those convicted of serious violent or sex offenses, many policymakers are questioning the need for long prison terms for people convicted of less serious crimes such as nonviolent drug offenses. Some of these provisions were reversed during the fiscal crisis earlier this decade, resulting in severe prison overcrowding. States are also presented with a growing number of elderly and chronically ill prisoners whose ongoing care requires significant resources. To address these issues, officials have added or modified the laws and policies that determine the amount of time people spend in prison. These changes have the potential to lower prison populations, allowing states to close facilities and reduce corrections expenses in the longer term (Scott-Hayward, 2009). In this paper I explained the effectiveness of both punishment and rehabilitation within the prison system and the question remains, which is more effective rehabilitation or punishment? The punishment versus rehabilitation models debates will go on for years and the debate will continue until the justice system can figure out how to deal with the offenders.

True love free essay sample

Students, APA formatting is not required, however, you are required to substantiate your responses and opinions  with laws, cases, statutes, codes, regulations or anything else that gives credibility to your answers. Remember, this is a legal class. Also, remember to state issues, integrate facts, discuss both sides of an issue, thoroughly analyze each question in detail, and lastly, conclude, based upon your legal findings and premise. You can have more than one conclusion as long as you argue both sides of an issue. You don’t need one absolute conclusion. The most important thing in law would be your ability to see both sides, argue them, and present alternative conclusions based upon these factors. CASE #1. After two years of research and the investment of considerable funds, Coast-to-Coast Company (CC)  develops  a new product that it hopes will produce substantial profits. CC learns that a competitor, National Sales, Inc. , has made and begun to sell a nearly identical product. We will write a custom essay sample on True love or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page CC learns from a reliable source that National paid a CC employee to obtain the plans for CCs product while it was in development. What legal recourse does CC have against National? CASE #2. In 2002, Hawk Corporation begins making and selling electric motorcycles under the mark â€Å"Hawk. † Ten years later, Hawk. com, Inc. , a differ ­ent company selling medical equipment and supplies, begins to use â€Å"hawk† as part of its URL and registers it as a domain name. Can Hawk Corporation stop Hawk. com’s use of â€Å"hawk†? If so, what must the motorcycle-maker show?

Critical Study of Nutrient Sensing and Root System Architecture (Arabidopsis Thaliana) The WritePass Journal

Critical Study of Nutrient Sensing and Root System Architecture (Arabidopsis Thaliana) 1. Introduction Critical Study of Nutrient Sensing and Root System Architecture (Arabidopsis Thaliana) 1. Introduction2. Problem Statement Root System Architecture   Arabidopsis ThalianaEZ-Rhizo3. Background Survey Development LanguageDrawing packagesJava 2DOpenGLFractal DimensionAlpha BlendingVisualization Uncertainty 4. Proposed ApproachBasic FunctionalityAdditional FunctionalityDesign MethodologyRisk Analysis5. Work Plan Background ResearchRequirements Capture Implementation of the Basic FunctionalityTesting of Basic FunctionalityDesign and Build PrototypesExperiments with PrototypesIntegrate desired Prototypes Testing of Additional FunctionalityComplete and Submit DissertationBibliography Related 1. Introduction In 2004, the United Nations published a report (United Nations, 2004) predicting that the world’s population would steadily increase, year on year, until at least 2050. Between 2004 and 2010 the world’s population increased by 5 million people (PRB, 2004 and PRB 2010), demonstrating the validity of this prediction. Last year, the United Nations (United Nations, 2010) published another report estimating that over 900 million people were still suffering from malnourishment, highlighting an insufficiency within the volume and distribution of food currently being produced.   As a consequence, it has recently been suggested that as the population grows the number of people facing food insecurity will also increase (Den Herder et al, 2010), unless the pressures affecting food production can be alleviated. To increase the volume of food being produced, scientists have advised that at least one of the following objectives has to be achieved (Godfray et al, 2010): Improve the quantity and quality of crop harvesting Identify or create more arable land (land that can be used for growing crops) By increasing the quantity of the food we produce we should theoretically be able to feed the growing population. In recent years the use of fertilizers and pesticides have been used to enhance the quality and quantity of the crops however use of this cannot be increased due to the risks to public health (Den Herder et al, 2010), and so other options must be explored. Scientists are investigating methods with which to promote a plant’s intake of nutrients and to increase their tolerance against hostile environmental conditions such as drought. Another area scientists have been exploring is that of how to convert land that would be considered unsuitable for plant growth (Den Herder et al, 2010). By finding more land on which to cultivate crops, we could generate more produce using our existing techniques. There is extensive research being conducted in both of these areas however this project will only be focussing on the work being contributed by the Plant Science Group.   This Group are part of the Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology within the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences at the University of Glasgow.   The Plant Science Group consists of over 50 active scientists, of which Dr Anna Amtmann is currently a Research Group Leader, and their work covers a range of topics from plant nutrition to plants effect on human metabolism.   Within the Plant Science Group, Dr Amtmann’s Research Group is conducting research into the plant Arabidopsis Thaliana, with the aim of â€Å"understanding the molecular mechanisms involved within (Amtmann, 2011)†: Nutrient usage efficiency Salt and drought tolerance Interaction between abiotic and biotic stress To achieve this understanding experimental research is being conducted in a number of areas by her team, and this project aims to support the work within Nutrient Sensing and Root System Architecture. This research involves growing Arabidopsis Thaliana in controlled environmental conditions and analyzing the effect on the plants by monitoring their individual root structures. By comparing root system architectures that have developed in different environmental conditions, specific traits can identified which can lead to the understanding of how plants intake different nutrients and respond to specific stresses. Currently, the team grows hundreds of samples Arabidopsis Thaliana and records information about each of their root system architectures. This results in large volumes of data that require analysis and documentation. Currently the team create graphs to visualise and analyse this data but they have recently advised of the unsuitability of this approach.   This is predominantly due to the limited visualization options of graphs when considering root parameters and the fact that graphs can extremely time-consuming to construct. Therefore, this project aims to develop a system that will allow Dr Amtmann’s Research Group to visualise root system architectures of Arabidopsis Thaliana by using techniques that will manipulate the root structure architectural data into interesting and understandable representations. The following chapters of this proposal aim to document the proposed work that will be undertaken in a master project that will achieve this aim. 2. Problem Statement Due to the biological nature of this project, this section will define a number of key concepts required to understand the work undertaken by Dr Amtmann and her colleagues, and the issues they face, before discussing the intentions of this project. Root System Architecture Dr Amtmann’s team assesses the root system architectures of Arabidopsis Thaliana to understand how environmental conditions affect its development. The root system of a plant is responsible for the intake of water and nutrition (Malamy, 2005), among other essential functions, and so plays an important role within the development of any plant.   The root system normally consists of a main root with a number of lateral branches, which contain a number of root hairs that are responsible for the uptake of nutrients and water (Wikipedia, 2011). The way in which these underlying roots expand and branch is considered to be the root system architecture (RSA) (Figure 1). Depending on the environment in which a plant resides, changes occur to the RSA that can have a significant effect on the water or nutrient uptake of the plant(Armengaud et al, 2009). Therefore by understanding the environmental conditions that promote the growth of a successful RSA we can ensure the development of a healthy plant. Figure 1 – Root Structure Architecture (RSA) taken from â€Å"Root-System Development and Water-Extraction Model Considering Hydrotropism† by D. Tsutsumi et al.   Arabidopsis Thaliana Like many other research projects, Amtmann’s group uses the plant Arabidopsis Thaliana within their investigations. Arabidopsis Thaliana is considered to be a model species within plant science and biology as its genome was sequenced in 2000, meaning that its complete DNA sequence was determined (Wikipedia, 2011).   As the genome is relatively small it is easier to work with and analyse. It is also closely related to a large number of other plants such as (Somerville and Koorneef, 2002) meaning that any finding could be widely applicable. It can also be easily grown in laboratory conditions due to its small size and straightforward growth conditions. As a result of the Arabidopsis Thaliana sequenced genome, scientists can determine which genetic combinations are responsible for certain characteristics of the plant, such as the direction of root growth or number of lateral branches.   Figure 2 highlights some variation in roots of Arabidopsis Thaliana. Figure 2 Different Root Structure Architecture for Arabidopsis taken from unil.ch/dbmv/page36242_en.html Currently Dr Amtmann’s group grows multiple instances of Arabidopsis Thaliana in square agar plates that allow them to take two-dimensional images of the plant roots as it grows.   These images are then examined using a bespoke system called EZ-Rhizo, which was developed by Dr Amtmann’s Research Group, to determine the RSA of the plant. EZ-Rhizo EZ-Rhizo is freely available software that detects and measures the RSA of a plant quickly and accurately (Armengaud et al, 2009) when supplied with an image of a root system. It was developed by Dr Amtmann’s Research Group in conjunction with undergraduate students from l’Ecole Supà ©rieure dIngà ©nieurs en Electrotechnique et Electrique in 2008.   The main function of the system is to measure information about the main root and the lateral roots of a plant, and record this. All numerical values are stored in centimetres.   It then uses this data to derive further parameters such as the apical zone or straightness of the root. The key parameters that are captured by EZ-Rhizo in relation to this project are as follows: Apical Zone, which is the length of the root between the top of the main root and the oldest lateral root Length, which is the total length of the root from the origin of the main root to the tip of it.   (Note that as roots do not grow straight this value may be very large but the root may not have grown that far towards the ground) Vector Length, this is similar to the length however it calculate the shortest possible length of the root starting from the origin of the main root to the tip of it. Straightness, which is the Vector Length, divided by the Length. Angle, which is the degree between the Vector of the root and complete verticality. A full listing of all the parameter capture by EZ-Rhizo can located in the in that’s publication The system was developed for the Microsoft Windows operating system and stores data in a MySQL database. Queries can then be submitted to the database, which will retrieve all of the stored data for a specified root and output it into a Comma Separated Values (CSV) file (Armengaud et al, 2009). Project Objective As previously described, the main method used by Dr Amtmann’s Group to analyse and compare the plant root data, recorded by EZ-Rhizo, is to gather the required CSV files and generate the appropriate graphs in Microsoft Excel. The current methods used by this group can be extremely time consuming and could be subject to error if mislabelling on a graph occurs or if a value within a CSV file is misread. As the team work with large quantities of data there is a high probability of this occurring.   Also, the format of the results could also inhibit certain comparisons, as the visualization of the roots is limited to the graph format. Therefore the aim of this project is to design and implement a new system that will enable Dr Amtmann’s Research Group to overcome these difficulties. The proposed system will allow them to analyse and visualise their root data, collected from EZ-Rhizo, in a more flexible and reliable manner. The basic functionality of this system will be to create a realistic visualization of a root based on the supplied parameters. This will provide the foundation for developing alternative visualizations but it will also allow the researchers to understand the data that EZ-Rhizo is recording. As the system will re-create the root system architecture based on only the values provided by EZ-Rhizo, the re-creations will highlight which characterises of the root can be displayed. Therefore, once the visualizations have been created it may show that more root data is required to be captured by EZ-Rhizo in order to for the root system architecture to be properly documented.   This verification could not be achieved from a graph of the values or from viewing the original root structure image that is supplied to EZ-Rhizo. Once the basic functionality of this system is operational it can be enhanced, by the use of prototypes and experimentation, to find suitable techniques that allow for a meaningful representation of more than one root. For example, the average value of each parameter could be determined for a set of roots and the system could draw the average root. Alternatively given the parameters for a set of roots, the system may be able to estimate a root visualization that had all of those parameters altered by a set value and so produce a theoretical root.   Estimations of this nature would not be possible using the group’s current graphical techniques. In summary, the objective of this project is to implement a system that will create interesting and realistic visualizations of plants root system architectures that will be used by Dr Anna Amtmann and her Research Group in their experiments. 3. Background Survey Development Language One of the functional requirements that was supplied by Dr Anna Amtmann’s Research Group during the initial discussions of this project was that they require this system to be multi-platform, unlike EZ-Rhizo, which was specifically designed for Microsoft Windows Operating Systems. As a result of this requirement and the author’s previous development experience, the Java development language has been selected for this project.   As Java is a cross-platform language that be run anywhere, as long as the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) is present, it meet the requirement set by the Research Group.   Also, as a main priority of this project is to develop and experiment with the greatest number of prototypes, it is advisable to reduce the learn curve that would be required in understanding a new language and so as Java is the developers strongest language it has been selected. Drawing packages Java 2D The Java 2D is a freely available drawing framework that allows for the construction of two-dimensional images (Wikipedia, 2011) and is part of the core Java Standard Edition Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) developed by Sun Microsystems, and now maintained by Oracle (Oracle, 2011).  Ã‚   The key strengths of this API are that it supports the drawing of basic shapes such as rectangles and ellipses but also basic lines, which is required for this project. Also, it will export any images created into well-known formats such as JPEG or GIF (Sun Developer Network, 2011).   As this is a JAVA API there is also a great deal of implementation support provided. OpenGL Open Graphics Language (OpenGL) is a mutli-platform API for creating two-dimensional or three-dimensional graphics (OpenGL, 2011) that is now considered to be an industry standard for graphical development. Currently OpenGL can be used with a number of development languages including Java (JOGL), Python, C++ and C.   As this project will be constructed in Java, JOGL would be the appropriate selection and since the release of Java Standard Edtion 6 in December 2006, JOGL and Java 2D can be used concurrently. However, one limitation of JOGL is that it will add complexity to a if the developers has no previous experience with this API as it currently has 250 different function calls for drawing one image (Wikipedia, 2011). JHotDraw Fractal Dimension One of the key elements of the root visualization is to get it to be as realistic as possible. Now it is likely that the root will be drawn out of straight lines how it will be essential that Alpha Blending Visualization Uncertainty 4. Proposed Approach The suggested approach for this project will involve designing and implementing a basic system that contains all of the functionality required to visualize one root based on the information provided from EZ-Rhizo. Upon successfully implementation of this initial system, a number of prototypes will be created around techniques, such as Alpha Blending, that will manipulate this functionality to draw clusters of roots or alter the initial visualization to provide a different perspective for the user. Any prototype functionality that is considered to be useful, interesting or successful will then be fully integrated into the main system as additional functionality. Basic Functionality It is likely that the new system will send requests directly to the database to retrieve this information rather than obtaining this from CSV files. However this functionality will be discussed with Dr Amtmann’s group during the design phase of the basic system alongside all other functional and non-functional requirements This system will only work with data from EZ-Rhizo at this time and it is assumed that the parameters will be from Arabidopsis Thaliana JAVA – it needs to be multi-platform unlike Ez-rhio   and JDBC Additional Functionality Currently at least two general prototypes have been envisioned with the following functionality Being able to represent average values for root parameters, such as length, and display them in a readable and understandable manner Being able to represent the lifecycle of a root based on the parameters recorded on the first day of growth to the last. It is likely that each of these general prototypes will have sub-prototypes that will evaluate techniques that display the information to achieve the objective. After the more successful techniques have been identified they will be developed and presented to the research group to confirm if they still wish this prototype to be included. Design Methodology To ensure the success of this project, the implementation of this project will follow an iterative software development methodology of design, implementation and testing.   This has been selected because one of the key components of this project is to build upon a basic system. It is therefore essential that this be successfully deployed before introducing any further functionality from desired prototypes. Due to this requirement the selected methodology will be The Spiral, which supports iterations and constant reviews and refinements as shown in Figure 3. It is also vital to review each prototype after it has been implemented to ensure that the original functionality has not been compromised. Figure 3 – Spiral Software Development Methodology taken from http://as.exeter.ac.uk/divisions/exeterit/iws/projects/ede/ Risk Analysis As with any software development project there is a certain element of risk in undertaking the assignment, and the key risks identified within this project are as follows: Terminology Due to biological terminology involved in the understanding of the system requirements there is a possibility that these may be interpreted wrongly. Therefore it is imperative that this be considered at every stage involving an element of design, and clarification will be sought if any ambiguity arises. Time Constraints As this project is due to be completed over a 15-week period there is potential for the project to overrun at any point and so continual review of the work plan is required. The stage with the highest potential for delay would be that of developing and testing prototypes.   Once the initial prototypes have been produced there is a possibility that revision will be required after discussions with Dr Amtmann’s Research Team.   Where possible all prototypes will be implemented to the highest standard however at a given point the further development of the prototypes will have to be discontinued. Regular discussions with Dr Rogers and Dr Amtmann regarding this should identify a suitable stopping point and prevent the project from suffering from delays. 5. Work Plan This chapter will detail the provisional work plan for this project and it has been estimated that work will begin on 20th June 2011.   Please note that weekly meetings will be scheduled with Dr Simon Rogers during this time and there will be a high level of communication between Dr Anna Amtmann’s Research Group and myself. Figure 4 – Gantt Chart Showing Estimated Project Timescale The following sections detail the work that will be done in each phase of the project as shown in the Gantt chart in Figure 4. Background Research During this time I will study the areas identified in section three in more depth and review this background research.   At this stage I will also investigate further techniques that could be used to develop additional prototypes that could be used to manipulate and display the root data in an interesting manner. Deliverables: Revised Background Section Critical Rating: Preferably Risk Factor: Low Requirements Capture This stage will involve identifying and creating a detailed list of the functional and non-functional requirements of the system.   During this time a requirements document containing the appropriate UML diagrams will be developed and will be approved by Dr Simon Rogers and Dr Anna Amtmann before any implementation begins. Deliverables: A clear requirements document Critical Rating: Important Risk Factor: Medium Implementation of the Basic Functionality After the basic requirements of the system have been determined they will be implemented in an application. At this stage, the system should at a minimum be able to use the data from EZ-Rhizo and create a visualization of at least one root. A test plan will also be created at this time. Deliverables: Implementation of Basic System and Test Plan Critical Rating: Fundamental Risk Factor:   Medium Testing of Basic Functionality This stage will ensure that the basic system is operational and that all of the functional requirements have been achieved.   This may involve getting feedback from the Plant Science Group depending on their availability and whether or not they wish to test the completed project. Deliverables: Critical Rating: Important Risk Factor: Low Design and Build Prototypes The next section will involve developing prototypes that manipulate and display the root data in various interesting manners.   Each prototype will involve a technique identified previously in section three or found within the further research conducted at the beginning of the project plan. Deliverables: A number of prototypes that modify the visualization of a basic root Critical Rating: Fundamental Risk Factor: Low Experiments with Prototypes At this time Dr Amtmann and her team will review the prototypes with a follow up discussion with Dr Rogers and myself to confirm that they capture useful information.   At this time, depending on time constraints, additional prototypes may be developed based on the discussions, however this will be reviewed at the time. Deliverables: A list of prototypes that are deemed to be visually interesting and useful Critical Rating: Preferable Risk Factor: Medium Integrate desired Prototypes Any prototypes that are deemed to be successful will then be integrated into the basic system.   This will be completed in iterations, with testing being conducted after each integration to ensure that the new prototype does not break the basic system. Deliverables: Critical Rating: Important Risk Factor: High Testing of Additional Functionality Once every prototype has been implemented successfully, further testing will be conducted to ensure that the original functionality still meets the initial criteria and that the prototype functionality is producing valid and interesting results.   At this stage a small user evaluation may be conducted to ensure that the user interface developed for the system is successful. Deliverables: Critical Rating: Important Risk Factor: Low Complete and Submit Dissertation Finally, a dissertation documenting the work that has been undertaken will be composed and will be approximately 60-70 pages long.   It will be submitted on the 6th September 2011.   During the project, work will be provisionally documented to ensure an easier transition from implementation to documentation. Deliverables: A complete dissertation documenting the progress and outcome of this project Critical Rating: Fundamental Risk Factor: Low Bibliography (Armengaud et al, 2009) Armengaud, P., Zambaux, K., Hills, A., Sulpice, R., Pattison, R. J., Blatt, M. R. and Amtmann, A. (2009), EZ-Rhizo: integrated software for the fast and accurate measurement of root system architecture. The Plant Journal, 57:  pp. 945–956. DOI:  10.1111/j.1365-313X.2008.03739.x (Den Herder et al, 2010) Den Herder, G., Van Isterdael, G., Beeckman, T. and De Smet, I. (2010), The roots of a new green revolution, Trends in Plant Science, Volume 15, Issue 11, November 2010, pp. 600-607. DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2010.08.009. (Godfray et al, 2010) Godfray, H.C., Beddington, J.R., Crute, I.R., Haddad, L., Lawrence, D, Muir, J.F., Pretty, J. Thomas, S.M. and Toulmin, C. (2010), The challenge of feeding 9 billion people. Science Magazine, 12th February 2010: 327 (5967), pp. 812-818. DOI: 10.1126/science.1185383 (Malamy, 2005) Malamy, J. E. (2005), Intrinsic and environmental response pathways that regulate root system architecture. Plant, Cell Environment, 28:  pp. 67–77. DOI:  10.1111/j.1365-3040.2005.01306.x (PRB, 2004) Population Reference Bureau, www.prb.org/pdf04/04worlddatasheet_eng.pdf, accessed 20th March 2011 (Population Reference Bureau, 2010) Population Reference Bureau, www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2010/2010wpds.aspx, accessed 20th March 2011 (Somerville and Koorneef, 2002) Somerville, C. and Koornneef, M. (2002), A fortunate choice: the history of Arabidopsis as a model plant. Nature Reviews Genetics, 3:11, pp. 883 889 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrg927 (United Nations, 2004) United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs: Population Division, un.org/esa/population/publications/longrange2/WorldPop2300final.pdf, accessed 2nd March 2011 (United Nations, 2010) Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations, www.fao.org/hunger/en/, accessed 2nd March 2011 (Wikipedia, 2011) Wikipedia. Root Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia. Retrieved March 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root (Wikipedia, 2011) Wikipedia. Genome Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia. Retrieved March 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genome_sequence

The Philosophy of Honesty

The Philosophy of Honesty What does it take to be honest? Although often invoked, the concept of honesty is quite tricky to characterize. Taking a closer look, it is a cognate notion of authenticity. Heres why. Truth and Honesty While it may be tempting to define honesty as speaking the truth and abiding by the rules, this is an overly-simplistic view of a complex concept. Telling the truth- the whole truth- is at times practically and theoretically impossible as well as morally not required or even wrong. Suppose your new partner asks you to be honest about what you have done over the past week, when you were apart: does this mean you’ll have to tell everything you have done? Not only you may not have enough time and you won’t recall all details, but is everything really relevant? Should you also talk about the surprise party you are organizing for next week for your partner? The relationship between honesty and truth is much more subtle. What is truth about a person, anyway? When a judge asks a witness to tell the truth about what happened that day, the request cannot be for any particular whatsoever but only for relevant ones. Who is to say which particulars are relevant? Honesty and the Self Those few remarks should be sufficient in clearing up the intricate relationship there is between honesty and the construction of a self. Being honest involves the capacity to select, in a way that is context-sensitive, certain particulars about our lives. At the very least honesty requires an understanding of how our actions do or do not fit within rules and expectations of the Other- where the latter stands for any person we feel obliged to report to, including ourselves. Honesty and Authenticity But theres to the relationship between honesty and the self. Have you been honest with yourself? That is indeed a major question, discussed not only by figures such as Plato and Kierkegaard, but also in David Hume’s Philosophical Honesty. To be honest to ourselves seems to be a key part of what it takes to be authentic: only those who can face themselves, in all their own peculiarity, seem to be capable of developing a persona that is true to herself- hence, authentic. Honesty as a Disposition If honesty is not telling the whole truth, what is it? One way to characterize it, typically adopted in virtue ethics (that school of ethics that developed from Aristotle’s teachings), makes honesty into a disposition. Here goes my rendering of the topic. A person is honest when he or she possesses the disposition to face the Other by making explicit all those details that are relevant to the conversation at issue. The disposition in question is a tendency which has been cultivated over time. That is, an honest person is one that has developed the habit of bringing forward to the Other all those details of his or her life that seem relevant in conversation with the Other. The ability to discern that which is relevant is part of honesty and is, if course, quite a complex skill to possess. Further Readings Despite its centrality in ordinary life as well as ethics and philosophy of psychology, honesty is not a major trend of research in the contemporary philosophical debate. Here are some sources that can be useful in reflecting more on the challenges posed by the issue. The entry on virtue ethics at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, where the example of honesty comes up a few times.David Hume’s Philosophical Honesty, a brilliant short piece, too often forgotten.

Employees Performance Appraisal Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Employees Performance Appraisal - Coursework Example It is also the process of obtaining relevant information about an employee and determining its worth to the organization by analyzing the given information. The analysis of an employee’s performance involves its recent accomplishment in the organization, its deficiency, strengths and weakness to determine whether the employee is suited for promotion or needs to be retrained. In short, Performance Appraisal measures the actual performance of an employee in an organization of what it has already done, of how productive an employee is; whereas Potential Appraisal determines the future capabilities of an employee that can be used to optimize its manpower or to determine ability to assume varying or greater responsibilities. 2. Discuss the linkage between ''Potential Appraisal'' and ''Career Development''. (200 words)   Through Potential Appraisal, the company will be able to better match its human resource requirement with the career goals of its employees. As an employeeâ€℠¢s potential is â€Å"unlocked† through Potential Appraisal, the employee is given the chance to develop itself to advance its career in the organization and fulfill its career objective. ... sal a certain aptitude or inclination towards a skill set that is more needed in an organization, the employee may be groomed to undertake such career path for greater chance of advancement. For the company, it is able to optimize the capability of its workforce. Through Potential Appraisal, the company is able to place or match its employees in a job function that it has an aptitude or more motivated to perform. This will result in a workforce that is working efficiently while fulfilling the career goals of its employees. 3. Identify the manager's main responsibilities when conducting Potential Appraisal. (200 words). In conducting a Potential Appraisal to a prospective employee, it is the responsibility of the Manager not only to identify the possible qualities and skill sets of an employee that can be enhanced for future responsibilities but also to explain how these identified qualities and skill sets can be developed to be utilized on the current job and future responsibilities. It is important to note that in conducting a Potential Appraisal, it is the sole responsibility of the Manager to conduct feedback as to the result of the appraisal and provide counseling to the employee when a prospective weakness has been identified in the course of conducting a Potential Appraisal. Identified strength of an employee can be used by the Manager in the process of planning the career development of its employee. In the course of providing feedback to the employee, the Manager can help draw the right career path whereby its employee can pursue and realize its optimum potential. This way, the Manager is also to do proper job-matching by placing the right individual in the right function. In a case of identified deficiency, the Manager can recommend training whereby the

Care n Christian Communities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Care n Christian Communities - Essay Example the rope have responsibility over the other, but individuality and the reactive process divides the individuals responsibility over whether to hold onto the rope, or to pursue his passion (Richardson 26). The two people cannot be the same person. This is because they are dressed similarly, but one has a rope tied on his or her waist. They were also coming from different directions. Their difference in thoughts also suggests that they have totally different personalities. One person is wise while the other does not demonstrate wisdom in his words (Richardson 80). In this fable, the person holding the rope empowers the one suspended to make a decision. The man who is suspended by the rope is empowered to make a choice between helping himself and being set free. The suspended person is, therefore, the ultimate decision maker (Richardson 67). One can identify their role by analyzing the situation they encounter. This can be done by judging ones responsibility, and whether the other person is willing to participate in that responsibility. It is equivalent to taking leadership in a situation. I contribute to new possibilities in such situations by offering options or choices that can be made (Richardson 180). One core concept of family systems theory is communication. Family systems use regulatory patterns of interaction and communication in the process of adapting to external and internal changes, and this leads to development of rules and roles governing individuals. In this fable, the two individuals must interact in order to come up with a solution. They both have to make contributions in order to overcome the situation they are facing. One person has to hold on tight while the other has to make a choice of pulling himself up. This core concept provides a compelling view that suggests individual are affected by societal patterns, and they have to contribute to it (Richardson