Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Discussion About Genetically Modified Foods Essay Example for Free
Discussion About Genetically Modified Foods Essay Outline Introduction a. The genetically modified foods are a long issue which is widely debated. b. People feel confused about their safety. I. Views a. ) Magana-Gomez’s argument. b. ) He argues that negative effects of GM food were identified â€Å"at molecular and microscopic levels†. c. ) Curieux-Belfond CL contends that the benefits of genetically modified foods far outweigh the disadvantages. II. Genetically modified foods: Beneficial views Adverse views a. What is the possible risk for genetically modified crops considering nutrition and health? b. Whether the economic effects are the most important?c. Will it bring severe environment problems? III. Arguments for beneficial effects of GM foods a. Firstly, transgenic technology has made considerable progress in food applications. b. Transgenic food has successfully lowered food prices and ensured food safety. c. GM foods significantly reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. Introduction The author, Magana-Gomez, critically analyzed the risk assessment methods of transgenic food for human nutrition and health in the paper, â€Å"Risk assessment of genetically modified crops for nutrition and health†. Magana reviewed various modes including different feeding period, animal modes and parameters in the paper published in 2011 by Nutrition Reviews (Magana G, 2009). In consistent with his studies, negative effects of GM food were identified â€Å"at molecular and microscopic levels†. However, with our entry into the 21st century, genetically modified foods have undergone even faster development. However, there are also many doubts about the safety of genetically modified foods. Therefore, genetically modified foods have become a hot topic issue. Personally, although there are many controversies about GM food, I still insist on the research and promotion of transgenic food due to its diverse benefits. Views According to Curieux-Belfond CL, he could identify the factors that deserve consideration before â€Å"commercialization and promotion of transgenic food†(182). In this paper, â€Å"Factors to condider before production and commercialization of aquatic genetically modified organisms: the case of transgenic salmon†, the author took transgenic salmon as an example, in which Curieux-Belfond examined the corresponding impacts in terms of aquaculture, wildlife, ecosystem and human health. The paper published in 2011 by Evironmental Science Policy suggested that GM food undoubtedly contributed to economic benefits without exerting too much extra burden (Curieux B, 2009). In the end, the author believed that the benefits of genetically modified foods far outweigh the disadvantages. Analysis of the benefits of genetically modified foods Magana’s argument is persuasive when he assessed the risks about GM food. However, since genetic engineering techniques have successfully transferred anti-viral, insect resistance, cold resistance and other genes to cotton, wheat, tomatoes and other plants, we can get stable new varieties of genetically modified, with low production cost and high-yield food, which will ease the world food shortage and reduce the use of pesticides to a large extent. Based on the above reasons, I will provide a critical analysis with the following specific examples which show his argument is partially wrong. Firstly, transgenic technology has also made considerable progress in animal food applications. At present, a variety of mammal and bird genes are successfully integrated into the genome of fish, which can significantly enhance transgenic fish muscle protein content and improve growth speed. With the development of genetic engineering technology, people have been freed from natural enzymes to a large extent. Especially when the enzyme obtained from natural protein material encounters difficulties, genetic engineering has the unique advantages of natural gene cloning (Seralini GE, 2011). Thus, it can be highly expressed in microorganisms with mass production by fermentation. At present, the transgenic enzymes are widely used in the food industry, such as maltose enzymes amylase, pectinase and the juice protease. The food nutritional quality modified by genetic engineering has also made remarkable achievements. For instance, the genetic engineering technology has been applied for seed protein improvement, which renders it possible to change the plant composition and amino acid content. Secondly, transgenic food has successfully lowered food prices and ensured food safety, which helps increase production and food supply while reducing the farm labor and pesticide applications, agricultural inputs and production costs (Weasel LH, 2009). In the future, GM crops have great potential in solving the food crisis. For instance, by applying transgenic technology to the human staple foods of rice and wheat, people can increase food production and improve nutritional quality, which will provide mankind with higher-quality food. Furthermore, GM foods have also proved effective in alleviating poverty and hunger. The world’s poorest 50% of the population are small and resource-poor farmers, while 20% living in rural areas without their own land actually depend on agriculture. Therefore, the increase in small-scale and resource-poor farmers’ income will directly assist 70% of the world’s poorest people (Curieux-Belfond O, 2009). So far, genetically modified cotton in India, China and South Africa have already made a significant contribution to more than 1. 2 million poor farmers’ income. The benefits of genetically modified corn in the Philippines and South Africa will be much clearer in the future. In addition, genetically modified rice has great potential to benefit 250 million poor families in Asia, whose benefits will reach 10 million people (Curieux-Belfond O, 2009). Transgenic food also helps to reduce land development. Transgenic technology has been developed to improve the current 1. 5 billion hectares of arable land productivity through conservation of biological resources, thereby reducing land development and deforestation. Thirdly, I will demonstrate such improvement since they significantly reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. Traditional agriculture has a significant impact on the environment, and transgenic biotechnology can help reduce this impact. In the first decade of application of genetically modified crops, by planting herbicide and insect-resistant characteristics, transgenic technologies have greatly reduced the use of pesticides, saved fossil fuels and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Undoubtedly, genetically modified crops with drought-tolerant genes will improve water-use efficiency and maintain sustainable agricultural development, which will play an important role in easing the crisis of population growth and global food shortage (Artemis D, 2009). GM crops have also contributed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in two main ways, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping slow climate change. First, by reducing fuel use, the spraying of insecticides and herbicides, GM crops continue to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In 2007, genetic engineering has been stated to reduce 1. 1 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions, which is equivalent to a decrease of 50 million cars from the road. Secondly, herbicide-resistant GM crops help reduce tillage applications, which protects the land and enhances soil carbon sequestration. Conclusions Despite the many advantages of GM food, we cannot ignore the risks. After genetically modified foods have been taken into the human body, they may cause harm to human health. Moreover, after a large number of transgenic crops come into nature, they may be biologically harmful to ecosystems. Since the risks of GM food is serous, it is important for us to reflect on it first. Any of the scientific and technological developments should be comprehensive and provide well-being for human life. If genetically modified foods can only increase our economic interests and improved material life without the moral, social and environmental harmony, they cannot be defined as making great contribution to social development. Therefore, whether GM food is a benefit or a disadvantage really depends on what kind of human values people hold (Qaim M. 2009). That is the question we reflect on deeply. In contemporary society, with the rapid development of science and technology, the economic situation of the human and the material standard of living has been soaring. It seems that mankind is taking great proud for the advanced technology. However, we should look back to what the living environment we rely on is subjected to. Therefore, genetically modified foods are seen as the savior of mankind, which is actually human self-centered ideology. Of course, with the continuous development of biotechnology and genetic engineering, human beings have the ability to create more genetically modified food. Therefore, the drawbacks of genetically modified food are not the technology itself, but rather due to humans themselves. Thus, personally, I fully sanction the development of GM foods while we should objectively analyze the potential risks. Reference Artemis D. 2009. â€Å"Health risks of genetically modified foods. †Food Science and Nutrition. 49. (2):164-175. Curieux B, Vandelac L, ect. 2009. â€Å"Factors to condider before production and commercialization of aquatic genetically modified organisms: the case of transgenic salmon. †Evironmental Science Policy. 12. (2):170-189. Magana G, Javier A, Calderon de la Barca, Ana M. 2009. â€Å"Risk assessment of genetically modified crops for nutrition and health. †Nutrition Reviews. 67 (1):1-16. Qaim M. 2009. â€Å"The economics of genetically modified crops. †Annual Review of Resource Economics. 1:665-693. Seralini GE, Mesnage R, ect. 2011. â€Å"Genetically modified crops safety assessments: present limits and possible improvements. †Environmental Sciences Europe. 23. (10): 1-10. Weasel LH. 2009. â€Å"Food Fray: Inside the Controversy over Genetically Modified Food. †American Management Association. Amacom, 86-150. Print.
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Lab Report :: essays research papers
Hypothesis: I can successfully add vectors. Introduction: A vector is a quantity that has magnitude (speed, force, and/or length) and direction. For example, if a person is traveling East at 60 mph, then s/he is traveling in the direction East and at a magnitude of 60 mph. A scalar is a quantity with only a magnitude. Common scalars include currency, mass, time, and acceleration. It wouldn’t make sense to say the sweater costs $38.00 southwest, so we leave off the direction. The magnitude symbol ( ), an arrow, can express direction by its angle on a coordinate plane and its length, which is usually offered. In this lab, I also use the directional measurement unit of Azimuth (Az), which is conducted by starting at North and rotating clockwise to the desired angle, most probably the angle of the vector. Adding vectors, either two positive, two negative, or one of each is done most easily by resolving, or finding each vectors’ (A, B,C,†¦) x and y components. Here is an example of how to resolve then add vectors : Procedure: See lab book. Data:     Trial 1     Magnitude (g)     Direction (Az)     X (N)     Y (N) A     100.00     0     0     1.00 B     100.00     93.00     .998     -.052 C     100.00     177.00     .052     -.998 D     100.00     270.00     -1.00     0 Trial     Percent Error (%) 1     5.0 2     1.0 3     38.2 4     11.8 Trial 2     Magnitude (g)     Direction (Az)     X (N)     Y (N) A     120.00     332.00     -.563     1.06 B     100.00     75.00     .966     .259 C     100.00     150.00     .500     -.866 D     100.00     234.00     -.809     -.588 Trial 3     Magnitude (g)     Direction (Az)     X (N)     Y (N) A     170.00     277.00     -1.687     .207 B     200.00     60.00     1.732     1.00 C     100.00     148.00     .530     -.848 D     110.00     215.00     -.631     -.901                          Trial 4     Magnitude (g)     Direction (Az)     X (N)     Y (N) A     120.00     315.00     -.849     .849 B     200.00     339.00     -.717     1.867 C     300.00     138.00     2.007     -2.229 D     110.00     265.00     -1.096     -.096 Sample Calculations:           (Trial 2)                                                                                                                                             Conclusion: I successfully added three out of four vectors with a percent error of 12% or less, in which the acceptable percent error was 20% or less. Analysis: Friction between the string and the pulley can have an effect on the lab because it makes the forces unnaturally low. To solve this problem, nullify friction by vibrating the force table. Another source of error may come when someone is putting the weights on the hooks of the pulleys and neglects to add the 50 grams of the hooks to their total force pulling on that particular string.
Monday, January 13, 2020
Counter Reformation
Counter Reformation, begun by the Catholic Church with the opening of the Council of Trent, 1545, had two sides. One, the Counter Reformation proper, was a struggle against Protestantism. The otherâ€â€sometimes called the Catholic Reformationâ€â€was a movement for spiritual and moral reform within the Catholic Church (Reardon, 1981). For nearly a century many Catholic leaders had pleaded for a reform of the church â€Å"in head and members. †Little could be done, however, because key church appointments remained in the hands of political leaders.Spain was one of the earliest and strongest supporters of the Counter Reformation. Francisco Ximenes de Cisneros (1436- 1517) as archbishop of Toledo enforced drastic reforms in the church. Shortly before 1517 Giovanni Pietro Caraffa, later Pope Paul IV, helped found in Rome the Oratory of Divine Love, a society of priests committed to prayer and self- reform. In 1524, they disbanded and some of its members founded the Theatin es, an order of priests dedicated to reforming the church. The order spread through Italy, exerting growing influence (Bainton, 1983).In Spain, Saint Teresa of Avila, a Carmelite nun and mystic, reformed her order and exerted much influence through her writings. Another Spanish mystic and monastic reformer was Saint John of the Cross. Adrian of Utrecht, a Dutch cardinal, was elected pope, Adrian VI in 1522, but died 20 months later. He had tried to make institutional reforms in the church hierarchy and to keep church affairs independent of continental politics, but his efforts were fruitless. Clement VII (pope 1523- 34) was an intelligent clergyman, but timid and indecisive (Reardon, 1981).Paul III (pope 1534- 49) was committed to reforming the church. He was not influenced in church matters by pressure from continental leaders. Paul appointed many reformers to positions of authority. During Paul’s papacy, Ignatius Loyola founded the Society of Jesus, an organization dedicate d to reforming and strengthening the church. Members, called Jesuits, worked as theologians to help clarify and reform church doctrines; as teachers to educate youth in these doctrines; and as missionaries to spread the Gospel to foreign lands.Paul approved the society as a religious order in 1540. The Jesuits guided the Catholic revival and led the Counter Reformation (Bainton, 1983). The Council of Trent marked the beginning of the Counter Reformation. As early as 1534, Paul III had called for an ecumenical council to institute the reform, but his plans were obstructed by corrupt church officials and various continental leaders who wanted to maintain their influence over the church. The council finally convened 1545 and sat for three sessions (1545-47, 1551-52, and 1562-63).It reaffirmed Catholic doctrines, implemented reforms to prevent abuses, and tightened papal discipline over the church. It also gathered church forces into a united front against Protestantism. In 1555 Caraffa became Pope Paul IV. To demonstrate his commitment for reform, he broke with the papal tradition of worldliness and began a life of austerity, a standard which later popes maintained (Reardon, 1981). References: 1. Bainton, R. H. The Age of Reformation. Krieger, 1983. 2. Reardon, B. M. G. Religious Thought in the Reformation. Longman, 1981.
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Essay on The Characters of Prospero and Caliban in The...
The Conflict between Passion and Intellect in The Tempest During the time of Shakespeare, society had a hierarchical structure. In Shakespeares play, The Tempest, the characters of Prospero and Caliban, represent two different extremes on the social spectrum: the ruler, and the ruled. Their positions on the social hierarchy are largely due to the fact that Caliban responds almost wholly to passions, feelings of pleasure -- his senses, while Prospero is ruled more by his intellect and self-discipline -- his mind. However, the fight that Prospero has against his own natural tendency to ignore the discipline of his intellect, and give in to pleasures such as vanity and self-indulgence, cannot be ignored.†¦show more content†¦Although we are not given details of Calibans birth, it seems likely that a creature as subhuman in appearance as Caliban was not born of a human union. It has been postulated that, to quote Prospero, he was got by the devil himself upon thy wicked dam, from a union between Sycorax and an incubus (an extremely att ractive male apparition with intention to tempt). Caliban was therefore a creature born from passion, the offspring of an unholy pleasure. Prospero was not only of noble birth; he was also born to be the ruler of the city-state of Milan. Nobility, in Elizabethan times, carried with it heavy implications. It was expected that Prospero would be intellectually superior, and that he would exercise as great a discipline over himself as he was expected to exercise over others, in his leadership role. From their ancestry, Prospero is likely to be more ruled by his intellect, and Caliban by his love of pleasure. In the history of each character before the opening of The Tempest, there is a further contrast. Calibans original love for Prospero and Miranda, and his later misdemeanor and subsequent hatred of them, illustrate his fundamental reliance on his senses. Caliban loved Prospero and Miranda because they made much of me; and his response to this was purely sensual in hisShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s The Tempest1229 Words  | 5 Pagesplay, The Tempest. One of Cohen’s theses though - thesis four â€Å"The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference†- appears quite prominently in Shakespeare’s work. The thesis articulates that monsters are divisive and often arise in a culture to make one group seem superior to another. Further, societies devise monsters in order to create a scapegoat for social and political inequities and instabilities that surface in that society. 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