Assess the usefulness of functionalist theories in understanding religion today Essay

Assess the usefulness of functionalist theories in understanding religion today (33 marks) There are a variety of different definitions of religion including substantive definitions, which refers to focusing on the content or substance of a religious belief such as God, functional definitions, which refers to religion in terms of the social or psychological functions it carries out for the individual and there are also social constructionist definitions which focus on how members of society actually define religion. Functionalists hold a consensus view and argue that society requires both social order and solidarity in order for it to run smoothly, and religion is one way of providing this as it encourages shared norms and values. As previously mentioned, functionalists argue that social order and solidarity to run smoothly – Durkheim argued that there are four main ways in which religion maintains value consensus. One way is through the sacred and profane, he argued that sacred referred to things that are separate from society and create feelings of awe, wonder and fear whereas profane referred to things that were inferior with no real significance. Durkheim therefore argued that the only thing powerful enough to inspire people in the way religion does is society itself therefore meaning people are not worshipping their religion or god, but in fact society – this means that people unite under the same belief, spreading shared norms and values all over and therefore creating consensus within society. Another way in which religion helps to maintain value consensus is through Totemism – Durkheim argued that heart of all religions could be identified by examining its simplest form in the simplest type of society which he called a clan society. He carried out a study in Australia with a tribe with a clan system. (Arunta) This tribe consisted of a close knit community who carried out rituals together with involved the worshipping of a sacred totem, such as a plant of leaf that identifies the clan therefore creating a sense of social order and solidarity. Totemism is similar to the sacred and profane as it causes individuals to unknowingly worship society instead of a God or supernatural being, therefore again spreading shared norms and values. However, there are criticisms to this view; Worsley argues that there is no difference between the sacred and profane and his view of totemism would only apply to small scale communities with a single religion, but not larger scale communities with multiple religions as there are commonly conflicts between them, meaning there is no longer social order and solidarity. Malinowski argues that religion promotes social order and solidarity through it psychological functions, which helps individuals who are going through hardship therefore preventing them from going against society’s shared norms and values. Malinowski suggested two different types of situation in which religion helps to perform this role. One way is when the outcome is important but is uncontrollable – he compared the differences between two different ways of fishing when carrying out a study in the Western Pacific, he argued that lagoon fishing is predictable, safe and has a more successful method of catching fish meaning there is no ritual. However, when the islanders were ocean fishing, he identified it as more dangerous and uncertain which required the islanders to carry out rituals in order to ensure their safety whilst fishing. Malinowski argued that the ritual gave the islanders a sense of control and more confidence, again highlighting solidarity. The other situation was at times of life crises, this meant events that cause significant change such as birthdays, weddings, and death religion is useful as it helps bring little disruption. Similarly, Parsons argues that religion helps individuals to handle unforeseen events and uncontrollable outcomes. He identified two ways in which religion does this – one way is by creating and legitimising society’s central values but making them sacred. For example, in the USA, Protestantism helped make the American core values of meritocracy, individualism and self-disciple sacred. This therefore helps to promote social order and solidarity as the vast majority of Americans would have the same norms and values, creating little conflict and greater social cohesion. The other way is by answering people’s ultimate questions, such as who created the earth, and why do some people die young. It gives individuals a sense of security and makes people less likely to rebel against society. However, not all sociologists agree with the functionalists and their view of religion and its role. Feminists argue that the role of religion is to oppress women and help maintain patriarchy within society. One way in which religion maintains patriarchy is through religious organisations – these are significantly male dominated, for example, Orthodox Judaism and Catholicism do not allow women to become priests. Armstrong argues that this is evidence for the marginalisation of women in religion and society. Places of worship often separate the sexes, placing men on more holy ground with women sitting behind a screen. Women are also not allowed to preach or read from sacred texts. Additionally, menstruating women are not allowed to touch the Qur’an, this therefore reinforces patriarchy as women are forbidden from doing important rituals within their holy ground and are also discriminated against. Sacred texts are often focused on the actions of male gods and prophets and are commonly written by men. Women who are featured in sacred texts are commonly portrayed through stereotypes such as Eve, who caused the fall of humanity and expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Lastly, religious laws and customs ensure that women are given fewer rights than men, such as access to divorce, how many spouses they can have, decision making etc. In conclusion, there are a variety of different theories as to the usefulness of lack of in regards to religion.

Learning approach Essay

The essay examines the comparison of surface approach and deep approach used in university students. As a fact, many first year students, regardless of majors, adopt surface approaches to learning. However, universities encourage students to accept a deep approach to learn rather than surface approach. Therefore, many first year students face a challenge to use which approach to achieve high academic grades. The essay presents the two opposite arguments about the learning approaches, and then raises opinion that deep approach is a much feasible method. The surface approach to learning mentions students just recite study content rather than acknowledge the true meaning. Many first year students nowadays, regardless of their area of study, adopt surface approaches to learning. Actually, such surface learning approach is not quite effective. This is because such approach is stemmed from students’ previous learning knowledge, while the knowledge is not related with positive absorption. The knowledge is owned by students’ tutors rather than students themselves (Masters & Donnison, 2010). Students treat the learning courses as routine  memorizing process or requirement. They tend to focus much more energy on the surface requirements like reciting words or sentences, pursuit surface meaning of the tasks or courses without their own deep thoughts. Such learning approach makes students seldom timely respond learning strategies, lack learning enthusiasm and driving forces (Entwistle & Peterson, 2004). They will often feel pressure about study task, which will impact their confidence from a long run. Furthermore, due to these features, surface approach is usually thought as lack of understanding. Facts have proved that  surface approaches to learning are often related with poor academic performance over the first semester of study (Entwistle & Peterson, 2004). However, some researchers think it is not correct to think surface approaches to learning are always inefficient or ineffective, for example, as to some courses such as foreign languages study, basic mathematics and etc. , the capability of memory is regarded as necessary, because it builds up the base for deeper learning in such courses (Masters & Donnison, 2010). It is well known that advanced study contains learning process which makes  students become competent learner who fully understand the academic knowledge and restructure knowledge systems from his own perspective of view. Actually, this explanation reflects the essence of deep approach to learning. A deep approach to learning is defined as a complicated process of individual development which generates the fundamental change of learning habits and perspectives (Rawson, 2000). It is also required students to set up meaningful tasks objectives for engagement, put efforts on understanding deep context meanings and main principles, and utilize academic knowledge  into actual practice. Some researchers argue that the deep approach to learning is a kind of innovations in university course, but however it has none business with first year students (Masters & Donnison, 2010). The reason is that first year students have limited experiences in campus living and the priority thing for them is get quick familiar with the new surroundings. And what is more, they think it is difficult for first year students to go beyond basic understanding of the learning courses as most of them just start live and study independently (Entwistle & Peterson, 2004). Students in first year fail to present the all characteristics related to deep learning such as dedication in specific tasks continuously and persistently (Entwistle & Peterson, 2004). But the essay holds on the opinion that deep learning approach is not necessarily impracticable for first year students. The reason is because some first year students have used the deep approach to learning when they are studying in high school. Good learning habits or method is not directly limited by students existing experience and incapacity to merge various kinds of  basic knowledge (Donnison & Penn-Edwards,2012). Besides the above argument, for first year students, it is important to use strategic approach and put efforts into organized study since study is a process with a specific learning intention to fulfill all kind of assessment (Burton, Taylor, Dowling, & Lawrence, 2009). The said organized study contains effective time management and learning behaviors management which mean students need to learn to monitor the effectiveness of their study outcomes. From this point of view, therefore, a deep learning is preferable. At the first year stage, it is suggested that there is a need for students to change students learning habits from surface approaches to deep learning since one of the ultimate objectives of undergraduate education is to establish and develop students’ correct lifelong learning habits and thinking skills, which can benefit their whole life (Burton, Taylor, Dowling, & Lawrence, 2009). The learning approaches are much more important and meaningful than academic grades. Many educators argue that the first year in university should be assigned to build up a mature  methodology which could consistently help students take advanced learning, and assist them to change learning behaviors to become adaptive with higher education (Entwistle & Peterson, 2004). Additionally, deep approach to learning can make many students achieve good academic assessment from a long run. Students engage in learning just because of academic assessment demands, therefore using the appropriate assessment would seem much meaningful. Nowadays, university begins to take the comprehensive assessment system to evaluate students’ achievement rather than just use course scores before. Such changes of assessment practice will also push students to move from initial surface learner to deep learner. Students are encouraged to focus on soft aspects instead of hard scores. It is argued that it is necessary for first year students to make their learning processes transparent. And what is more, it is important to come into being the understanding (Burton, Taylor, Dowling, & Lawrence, 2009). In conclusion, some researchers have different arguments or indication for first year students to use a surface approach or a deep approach to learning. Researchers argue that some surface approaches of learning is important for first year students because the skills of memorization can be used to deepen and develop understanding which students can accept and come into being an learning approach (Entwistle & Peterson, 2004). They think the deep learning is impracticable and unexpected to first year students. While other opinions think the deep approaches of learning is much more important than surface one because learning attitude and methodology can build up solid base for student lifelong study. There is a place in higher education for a deep  approach to learning. The academic scores should not be put into first place for first year students (Burton, Taylor, Dowling, & Lawrence, 2009). Certainly, a complete education is aimed to keep balance between knowledge memorization and utilization. The essay proposes that deep approach of learning rather than surface learning should be regarded as an important and necessary method in university study, particularly first year study. Therefore, how to transit from surface approach to deep approach in order to go through the courses smoothly and achieve study objectives is the most critical topic  for most of first year students. References list: Burton, L. , Taylor, J. , Dowling, D. , & Lawrence, J. (2009). Learning approaches, personality and concepts of knowledge of first-year students: Mature-age versus school leavers. Studies in Learning, Evaluation, Innovation and Development, 6(1), 65-81. Donnison, S. & Penn-Edwards, S. (2012). Focusing on first year assessment: Surface or deep approaches to learning? The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, 3(2),9-20 Entwistle, N. , & Peterson, E. (2004). Conceptions of learning and knowledge in  higher education: Relationships with study behaviour and influences of learning environments. International Journal of Educational Research, 41, 407-428. Masters, J. , & Donnison, S. (2010). First year transition in teacher education: The pod experience. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 35(2), 87-98. Penn-Edwards, S. , & Donnison, S. (2011). Engaging with higher education academic support: A first year student teacher transition model. European Journal of Education, 46(4), 566-580. Rawson, M. (2000). Learning to learn: More than a skill set. Studies in Higher Education, 25(2), 225-238.

Punctuality

Every person in this world has morals and ethics that are differ from other. If people do not respect their morals and ethics, then obviously they do not respect their selves. For instance, respecting the time or punctuality is surely included in the personal ethics. It is important for each person to be punctual because it is conveys the personal ethics and increases the trusts of others. Academically, not being punctual will cause the student to miss information, failing classes and lose respect.The most significant effect of not being punctual is the student will miss classes, and that’s will cause the students to miss information. This information could range from pop quizzes to homeworks due dates. Furthermore, if the students permanently come late to the classes or misses it, they would not know about the homeworks due date or any information about it. Additionally, the students who are not punctual have a bigger chance of having lower grades on pop quizzes. Consequently , not respecting time will absolutely determine the total grade.Also, if the student has an assigned presentation to do and he/she are not punctual, he/she will fail to present what is assigned for them. Ultimately, the few minutes the students miss means more grades to lose. Secondly, the consequences of losing grades are apparently failing the classes. As a result, the student will have a lower GPA and will be dismissed from the university. The only thing that each student does not want to have is a low GPA, and that is why they study hard and put more effort on it.As a consequence, the A student is always punctual and will never miss any class. Because of having a lower GPA and not respecting punctuality, the student will be dismissed from the university. Surely no student wants to be dismissed from the university but punctuality is one of the unbreakable rules of the university. Accordingly, the student will face a hard time getting accepted from other universities, which most p robably will reject the admission request because of not respecting punctuality.One of the main effects of not being punctual, that the student will lose instructors, classmates and family respect. Firstly, the student who does not respect the class time and always comes late will lose the respect of the instructor. As a result, the instructors won’t be helpful to these students when it comes to the grades. Furthermore, the classmates will lose faith and trust on those who are not punctual. Because of their habits they can’t be trusted especially when it comes to studying and doing a group projects.Also, after being dismissed from the university and basically losing all the opportunities of having a good life, the family will not respect the unpunctual student and will treats them as a child. Because they spent so much money and time, and they are rewarded by being unpunctual. Finally, Punctuality is substantial and it must be respected from all the people. It is a mir ror for people’s ethics and countries culture. Personally, I would not go to the class rather than going late. Each student has to be punctual when it comes to class attendance, because it is one of the keys of academic success. Punctuality Every person in this world has morals and ethics that are differ from other. If people do not respect their morals and ethics, then obviously they do not respect their selves. For instance, respecting the time or punctuality is surely included in the personal ethics. It is important for each person to be punctual because it is conveys the personal ethics and increases the trusts of others. Academically, not being punctual will cause the student to miss information, failing classes and lose respect.The most significant effect of not being punctual is the student will miss classes, and that’s will cause the students to miss information. This information could range from pop quizzes to homeworks due dates. Furthermore, if the students permanently come late to the classes or misses it, they would not know about the homeworks due date or any information about it. Additionally, the students who are not punctual have a bigger chance of having lower grades on pop quizzes. Consequently , not respecting time will absolutely determine the total grade.Also, if the student has an assigned presentation to do and he/she are not punctual, he/she will fail to present what is assigned for them. Ultimately, the few minutes the students miss means more grades to lose. Secondly, the consequences of losing grades are apparently failing the classes. As a result, the student will have a lower GPA and will be dismissed from the university. The only thing that each student does not want to have is a low GPA, and that is why they study hard and put more effort on it.As a consequence, the A student is always punctual and will never miss any class. Because of having a lower GPA and not respecting punctuality, the student will be dismissed from the university. Surely no student wants to be dismissed from the university but punctuality is one of the unbreakable rules of the university. Accordingly, the student will face a hard time getting accepted from other universities, which most p robably will reject the admission request because of not respecting punctuality.One of the main effects of not being punctual, that the student will lose instructors, classmates and family respect. Firstly, the student who does not respect the class time and always comes late will lose the respect of the instructor. As a result, the instructors won’t be helpful to these students when it comes to the grades. Furthermore, the classmates will lose faith and trust on those who are not punctual. Because of their habits they can’t be trusted especially when it comes to studying and doing a group projects.Also, after being dismissed from the university and basically losing all the opportunities of having a good life, the family will not respect the unpunctual student and will treats them as a child. Because they spent so much money and time, and they are rewarded by being unpunctual. Finally, Punctuality is substantial and it must be respected from all the people. It is a mir ror for people’s ethics and countries culture. Personally, I would not go to the class rather than going late. Each student has to be punctual when it comes to class attendance, because it is one of the keys of academic success.

Business cycles, indicators, measures, economic evolution,outlooks Essay

Business cycles, indicators, measures, economic evolution,outlooks - Essay Example This decision came at a period when David A. Hoyt aged 58 to a step to retirement after a long-term working relation with wells Fargo as the head of wholesale banking. In a written statement the Company’s CEO, John Stumpf this reshuffles are aimed at pointing out the unique variety of high profile leaders in the organization and the value addition brought about by assigning them to head new posts. Sloan is expected to carry on his duties as the chief financial officer until the monthly report of the banks’ earnings are released. In his new assigned role Mr. Sloan will report directly to the CEO and be actively engaged in the company’s board committees. Sloan previously served as head of wholesale banking, commercial real estate and specialized financial services unit. The wholesale banking has proved to be a success bringing in 37percent of the banks net income. The economic principle applied in the event the Organization appoints a new Chief Financial officer is the principle that people respond to incentives.Whereby the reshuffles that are under taken in the organization are aimed towards motivating other heads to feel equal to new positions. The principle of increment in the profits indicates that such business ventures are of great assistance to others is also in application whereby through wells Fargo assistance to other wide range middle market commercial lending and international banking institutions. This has resulted in at profit margin of 37% to wells Fargo net income in the fourth quarter (Marshall, 315). The economic principle of people acting so as to achieve their set goals is also in application in the wells Fargo event. Where through chairing the wells FargoFinancial office for a period of four years and being able to achieve the profit margin for the company the decision of retirement is a rational act since various people choose

The Case of Lancaster ElectronicsTypes of Disclosure Essay

The Case of Lancaster ElectronicsTypes of Disclosure - Essay Example As an auditor he is supposed to give a report to give direction to the management of Lancaster Electronics. The payment of the dividend, year 2009 was as per the policy, but 2010 payment was halted and resumed in the first quarter of 2011. The information should have been reflected in the equity’s statement. Grinaker & Barr (1965) argued that changes in the equity payment should always be explained briefly in the footnote of equity statement. In 2010, the dividend was retained to finance the equipment for the new plant. The amount was neither reflected in the income statement as expenses nor in cash flow statement as investing activities. An auditor has to be certain that cash generated and spent can be accounted. Lancaster electronics received a loan that was to be repaid within a timeframe of ten years. The loan is a long term liability since it has to be repaid for more than one year. This should have been reflected in the balance sheet as long term liability. A ten year loan repayment period is a huge chunk amount of money. Therefore, the report of an auditor will not represent the actual state of the company. The agreement between the lender and Lancaster, of dividend payment, should not exceed the net income is contrary to how the firm used to treat preferred stocks. A brief explanation should be attached at the footnote of the equity statement. The staff auditor’s reported stated there was no restriction on the retained earning as at 31 Dec 2011. The information should be in equity statement so that other auditor can make a report that is accurate and reliable. Failure to include that information an auditor will a make wrong conclusion regarding dividend payment. Lancaster Electronics has a new manufacturing plant that costs $ 600,000. However, the lease is neither reflecting on the balance sheet nor income statement. An increase in asset volume and value makes the company stable. If a company does not present its entire asset on the

Kristen Swansons Theory of Caring Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Kristen Swansons Theory of Caring - Essay Example Kristen Swanson is the Dean of the school of nursing and a distinguished professor at the University of North Carolina at the Chapel Hill. Swanson got famous for her theory of caring. She developed the theory with intent of helping pregnant women who lose their pregnancy. The theory suggested that, in a situation where a nurse demonstrates that they care about a patient, the effect is as necessary to the patient as it could be had the nurse provided clinical activities to the patient (Grove et al, 2013). The clinical activities include preventing infections and administering medications. In the theory, Swanson referred to four phenomena that entail the field of nursing. These according to the theory are nursing, patient, health and an environment. The theory defined nursing as the informed caring of the well being of other people. It further defined patients as individuals who are in the process of becoming. The theory entailed five processes that should be followed when providing care to the patient. The five processes included knowing, being with, doing for, enabling and maintaining belief. The theory highlighted that each woman gets valued and treated as an individual while each midwife gets wholly committed to woman-centered care. Swanson described ‘knowing’ as the process of trying to understand a situation as it is in another person’s life. According to the process of knowing, one should not try to assume or conclude how another person feels without the evidence (Gottlieb, 2013). It should be evidence-based. The process involves getting inf ormation from the patient through personal experiences narrated by the patient as well as thorough testing done on the patient. The process of ‘being with’ according to the theory involves being there for or with the woman. The nurse should be in a position to be there for the woman. They should be able to provide the physical, psychological and emotional support to the woman. In order to achieve this, there should be effective communication between the woman and the nurse. The nurse should listen to the woman’s needs. Being with, according to the theory does not only entail being by the woman’s side physically. It also includes protecting and valuing her ideas. This can be achieved through accounting for every action taken in midwifery with evidence (Gottlieb, 2013). The third process according to the theory entails ‘doing for’. Doing for involves doing what the woman could have done to herself if she was in a position to do so. It involves identifying those activities that the woman cannot currently do for herself because of the situation that she is currently (Peter son & Bredow, 2009). This process can be viewed as the art of midwifery. It, therefore, comprises of all those activities undertaken by the nurse or midwife with an intention of making sure the woman has a successful delivery. The fourth process is enabling. This process can be described as the acts of trying to facilitate other people achieve what they wish in their life. It entails giving people power to do what they wish. In midwifery, the process involves making it

Security Administration and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Security Administration and Management - Essay Example From our analysis, by focusing on differentiation strategies in the security industry, Securitas AB success can be attributed to its vast experience in the market, product differentiation, and assorted brands. Securitas AB by using its trademark experience and know how both product differentiation and cost leadership strategy means the company has a focus strategy, focusing on cash on transit and other security system. It business concept of ", packaging, counting and storage of physical values such as cash and precious metals". This has become part of the company's culture. According to Johnson & Scholes (2007), organisational culture is a tool in management strategic armory which appears to be invisible yet it influences "why" "how" "what" and "when" things are done in an organisation or "it is the way things are being done here" (Johnson & Scholes 2007:66 Today's business environment is increasingly becoming more turbulent, chaotic and challenging than ever before and to survive, it is vital that a firm can do something better than its competitors ( Wonglimpiyarat 2004:1). ... 1.0 Introduction Today's business environment is increasingly becoming more turbulent, chaotic and challenging than ever before and to survive, it is vital that a firm can do something better than its competitors ( Wonglimpiyarat 2004:1). Globalisation has not only altered the nature and the intensity of competition but has had to dictate and shape organisations in terms of what consumers wants, how and when they want it and what they are prepared to pay for it (Hagan 1996:1). Kanter (1995:71) on his work of "Mastering Change" argues that success in the present day business is not for those companies that re-engineer the way they do things, or for those fixing the past. According to Kanter (1995) such an action will not constitute an adequate response. This is so because success is based on an organization's ability to create, rather than predict the future by developing those products that will literally transform the way the world thinks and view it self and the needs (Kanter 1995:71). Within the context of today's global competition, businesses and firms no-longer compete as individual companies but try to corporate with other businesses in their activities (Wu & Chien 2007:2). These researchers went further to argue that, this strategy has become quite common in many businesses including the retail clothing chain stores. The conventional vertical integrated company based business model is gradually being replaced by collaborative relationship between many fragmented, but complementary and specialized value stars and constellation (Wu & Chien:1). This paper aim at examining the external environment of the United Kingdom Mobile phone industry, this

Colonial America between 1492-1763 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Colonial America between 1492-1763 - Essay Example King Philip’s War, also known as â€Å"Metacom’s Rebellion,† a war between the colonists of New England and the various tribes of the surrounding areas, was but one example of the clash of cultures between Native Americans and Europeans; however, it is significant in history as a clash of cultures for a number of reasons, including its number of casualties, the fact that there were no clear divisions along cultural lines, and that it marked the end of hope that the Native American could be integrated into European society in the New World. In 1675, the Wampanoag chief Metacom resolved to drive the settlers out of what he saw as his land. His father, Massasoit, had ruled with gentle wisdom during his time as sachem (chief) of the Wampanoag, going so far as to befriend the settlers and set up trade with them, but Metacom saw things differently.3 It was up to him, he felt, to drive the settlers off his lands, or else he would one day be left with nothing.4 He told E uropean authorities very simply, â€Å"I am determined not to live until I have no country.†5 The preceding years of peace and harmony, of trade and prosperity between settlers and Native Americans were quickly coming to an end. Ironically, this great conflict was almost avoided. A man by the name of John Sassamon, who had grown up as a Wampanoag but attended Harvard College where he had been given his English name, warned the governor of Plymouth Colony that Metacom had sent word to various tribes to gather and attack.6 Sassamon pleaded with the governor to be allowed to stay at Plymouth Colony, fearing revenge for his warning; the governor heartily dismissed him and sent him back to his tribe.7 This action would prove to be dire in starting the conflict between the two cultures. It did not take long for hostilities to come to a climax. Sassamon was discovered a week later, his body found in a frozen pond with the neck broken.8 The governor was alarmed, and recalling the war nings he had been given, decided to assert his authority over the Native Americans.9 When he received reports that it was two Wampanoag warriors that had been seen murdering Sassamon, he entered the village of Metacom, dragged the warriors back to Plymouth Colony, and had them tried and executed in short order.10 To Metacom, this was seen as a gross injustice of his power, and only served to reinforce his belief that the settlers intended one day to take over both his tribe and all lands.11 Revenge was the only option left, and therefore, it was the option that was taken. The attacks began immediately. First to fall was the southwestern Plymouth settlement of Swansea, which was quickly burned and the settlers driven off. 12 Over the next months, Metacom took his war to various tribes and settlements all around New England.13 Skirmishes and battles erupted within Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, with tribes rallying around both sides.14 More than twenty towns and settlem ents were attacked in Massachusetts alone.15 It would not be an exaggeration to say that everyone had chosen sides, both settler and Native

Anzia yezierska struggle for independence in the new world and her Research Paper

Anzia yezierska struggle for independence in the new world and her strategy on being successful - Research Paper Example She struggles to rise out of the poverty of the New York City ghetto, to have cleanliness and space for herself. She also struggles with the desire for secular education, while continuing to respect her father's strict religion. Most importantly, Sara is struggling to be able to make her own choices. She desires independence and free-will and she is willing to work hard to achieve it. The novel's ending is controversial, though Sara does get the happily-ever-after ending the American dream promises to all immigrants. The youngest of nine children in a devoutly Jewish family, Anzia Yezierska was born in the Russian-Polish village Plinsk, near Warsaw, between 1880 and 1885. The exact date of her birth is unknown and Yezierska, herself, was constantly lying about her age to further convolute the biography. Her family immigrated to the United States in the early 1890's, joining an older brother who had moved several years earlier. Yezierska was given the name Harriet Mayer by her new gov ernment, though she went by Hattie at first and then reassumed Anzia in her late twenties. Her family moved to the Lower East Side of Manhattan, a largely Jewish ghetto, where Yezierska would later find inspiration in the crowded, bustling Hester Street for her writing. The crowded tenement her family lived in, as well as all the unfortunate idiosyncrasies of living in such close proximity to your family members and your neighbors is reproduced in Bread Givers as well as her other novels. Yezierska's writing, as well as her struggle for independence, personal space, cleanliness, education and financial security come from this period of her life (Horowitz). Yezierska's father, Baruch, also reproduced in Bread Givers, was a talmudic scholar and valued the study of sacred books over any work that would financially support his family. The task of bread-winning fell on Yezierska's mother and subsequently, their nine children as soon as they were able. Extreme poverty, coupled with the fa ct that their religion does not respect the educational aspirations of women, caused Yezierska to attend elementary school for only two years. She finally moved into the Clara De Hirsch Home for Working Girls, determined to gain her independence. Choosing education as the route away from her parents and their old world beliefs, Yezierska forged a high school diploma and was admitted to Columbia University's Teachers College and given a scholarship. Yezierska was said to have wanted to become a â€Å"domestic science teacher to help better her people,† though she only taught elementary school for five years before turning to fiction as a career. Her determination to acquire an education and carve her own way in her new country is evident in every phase of her life. By placing her desire for education above everything else she was able to earn a living for herself and earn a good reputation in her community. (Horowitz). In the novel, Bread Givers, Sara Smolinsky struggles with many of the same issues as Yezierska. The tenement the Smolinsky family lives in on Hester Street is incredibly crowded and cleanliness is something often strived for, though never fully achieved. They're so poor that when Mother comes home to find ten-year-old Sara peeling potatoes for dinner, with all the weight of the families hardships upon her young shoulders, she reprimands her wastefulness. â€Å"

The Effects of Illegal Immigration Essay Example for Free

The Effects of Illegal Immigration Essay To many, the purpose of life is to make it as enjoyable as possible. This is the principle of immigration. For America, with its extremely high standard of living, immigration is quickly becoming a problem. Illegal immigration to America is causing internal conflict in many areas, but one of the hardest hit is the economy. The success of the United States is the sole reason for the mass immigration that it receives every year. The average immigrant is in search of a better lifestyle, one where he can work to support his family and earn enough to have feed his children. He hears of The American Dream and that America is the land of the free. So, he decides to come to this great country he hears about. Since opening our borders to anybody and everybody would cost us our national identity, we must limit the number of immigrants accepted each year. This leads to illegal immigration, because those who are not allowed or who do not want to go through the procedure of entering legally decide to come into our country anyway. This uninhibited movement causes great tension and stress to our nation foundation. The United States economy is the powerhouse of the world, but it is not as strong as it can be. One issue that greatly effects the strength of the economy is immigration. Many uninformed men and women of America believe the opposite, that illegal immigration strengthens the economy because immigrants often fill the lower wage job markets, ones that an average American would detest. But, this is the exact reason that illegal immigration hurts the economy, the low wages they earn. Illegal immigration acts as a subsidy to businesses that employ unskilled workers, holding down labor costs while taxpayers pick up the costs of providing services to a much larger low-income population. Like any subsidy, businesses who receive it want it to continue, but for the nation and economy as a whole, its a bad deal. Because immigrants typically earn far less than the average American, they are unable to pay for necessities, such as insurance and other health care related programs. This causes an unnecessary burden on the tax-paying citizens, who are forced to pay out billions of dollars to cover immigrant costs. According to the Immigration and Naturalization Service estimates, hospitals are writing off nearly two billion dollars per year in unpaid medical bills to treat illegal immigrants. Hospitals are required by federal law to care for anyone who walks through their doors. The costs of such care have forced several hospitals, especially those in border communities, to close their doors of scale back their service. This is to the great disadvantage of tax-paying citizens who live near these hospitals, who will be may be unable to receive adequate health care when they are in need of help. Hospitals though, are only a small piece of the economic puzzle. It is true that some illegal immigrants pay taxes, but the number is extremely low. The reason is in order to pay taxes, one must obtain a social security number. In the case of the illegal immigrant, this social security number must be a forgery. The time and effort to obtain such a fraudulent number is often enough to deter immigrants from paying taxes, regardless of how much want to contribute to the society that has been their salvation. Based on fiscal estimates developed by the National Academy of Sciences for immigrants by age and education at arrival, the lifetime net fiscal drain (all taxes paid minus all services used) for the average adult immigrant is a negative $55,200. Likewise, the same statistic for natural born citizens is a much higher, positive number. Obviously, legal immigrants and illegal immigrants are different. But contrary to popular belief, legal immigrants are also an economic burden, more so than illegal immigrants in some cases. According to US State Department figures for the year 2000, immigrants as a whole cost taxpayers over $61 billion. But, illegal immigrants only account for $31 billion compared to $35 billion for legal immigrants. This mammoth figure represents costs after immigrants tax contributions are factored in. In conclusion, illegal immigration to the United States poses a severe  barrier for the economy of the nation. Immigrants cost taxpayers billions of dollars every year, and effects dont stop as fiscal burdens. Hospitals have been shut down or forced to degrade health care service and schools have become overcrowded. The ideals of America draw the attention of foreigners in every country, but the number of immigrants to the United States has exceeded its practical limit of functionality. Reference Cozic, Charles P. Illegal Immigration: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1997 Beck, Roy. Sorting Through Humanitarian Clashes In Immigration. The Social Contract Fall 1997: Internet. 12 Dec. 1999. www.thesocialcontract.com/showarticle.pl?articleID=671terms=ethics Squyres, Suzanne, Cornelia Blair, and Margaret Mitchell. Immigration and Illegal Aliens Burden or Blessing? Wylie, TX: Information Plus, 1997

Serum Urate Concentrations and the Risk of Hyperuricemia

Serum Urate Concentrations and the Risk of Hyperuricemia Common UCP2 variants contribute to serum urate concentrations and the risk of hyperuricemia Luyu Yang, Zheng Dong, Jingru zhou, Yanyun Ma, Weilin Pu, Dongbao Zhao, Hongjun He, Hengdong Ji, Yajun Yang, Xiaofeng Wang, Xia Xu, Yafei Pang, Hejian Zou,  Li Jin,  Chengde Yang*, Jiucun Wang* *Corresponding author These authors equally contributed to this study.   Abstract Elevated serum urate, which is regulated at multiple levels including genetic variants, is a risk factor for gout and other metabolic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the association between UCP2 variants and serum urate as well as hyperuricemia in a Chinese population. In total, 4332 individuals were genotyped for two common UCP2 variants, -866G/A and Ala55Val. These loci were not associated either serum urate level or with a risk of hyperuricemia in the total group of subjects. However, in females, -866G/A and Ala55Val were associated with a lower serum urate (P = 0.006 and 0.014à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’seperately) and played a protective role against hyperuricemia (OR = 0.80, P = 0.018; OR = 0.79, P = 0.016). These associations were not observed in the males. After further stratification, the two loci were associated with serum urate in overweight, but not underweight females. The haplotype A-T (-866G/A-Ala55Val) was a protective factor for hyperuricemia in the female subgroup (OR = 0.80, P=0.017). This present study identified a novel gene, UCP2, that influences the serum urate concentration and the risk of hyperuricemia, and the degree of association varies with gender and BMI levels.   Introduction Uric acid is the final product of purine oxidation in humans. Elevated serum urate, or hyperuricemia, has long been recognized as an independent risk factor for gout [1-2]. There is a renewed interest in hyperuricemia and its association with a number of other clinical disorders including hypertension, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney diseases, and abdominal obesity, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia, which are often subsumed under the term metabolic syndrome [3]. Serum urate is balanced between uric acid production in the liver and its disposal via the kidney and gut [4]. The occurrence of hyperuricemia could be caused by disruptions in any part of this metabolic process. Both genetic and environmental factors, such as gender and body mass index (BMI), have a strong effect on the risk of hyperuricemia [3]. Among those factors, the attribution of genetic factors is estimated to be as high as 73% [5]. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 28 loci associated with serum urate concentration [6]. However, only approximately 7% of the variation in serum urate concentration could be explained by those reported loci, suggesting the missing heritability remained to be explored [6]. Human uncoupling proteins (UCPs) are mitochondrial transporters present in the inner membrane of mitochondria [7]. UCPs are capable of uncoupling ATP production from mitochondrial respiration by causing proton leak and preventing mitochondrial hyperpolarization and the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [8]. Among the five identified UCPs, UCP2 is widely expressed in almost all mammalian tissues including white adipose tissue, liver, kidney, pancreatic islets, macrophages and retinal endothelial cells, indicating its involvement in a variety of physiologic or pathologic events [9-12]. Two of the most common polymorphisms of this gene, -866G/A (rs659366) in the promoter and Ala55Val (rs660339) in codon 55, were identified as being associated with different phenotypes [7, 12], including obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size, coronary incidence and other metabolic disorders [9-10, 13-21]. Given the involvement of UCP2 and hyperuricemia in a variety of metabolic disorders, we selected the two common loci -866G/A and Ala55Val to explore the association between genetic UCP2 variants and hyperuricemia in a Chinese population, offering a new diagnostic or therapeutic target for hyperuricemia. Results There was no  association between SNPs and serum urate The two loci were proven in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (-866G/A: P = 0.990; Ala55Val: P = 0.690). For -866G/A, AA, AG, and GG genotypes accounted for 21.6%, 49.9%, and 28.6% of hyperuricemic patients, respectively; in healthy controls, the distribution was 21.2%, 49.6%, and 29.3%, respectively. As shown in Table 1, the -866G/A polymorphism was not found to be associated with serum urate (AA/GG: Beta = -0.008, P = 0.644; AG/GG:Beta = -0.012, P = 0.474) or with the risk of hyperuricemia (AA/GG: OR = 1.05, P = 0.603; AG/GG:OR = 1.03, P = 0.667). For Ala55Val, the TT, TC, and CC genotype distribution was 21.5%, 50.5% and 28.0% in hyperuricemic patients, respectively, and the distribution was 21.5%, 49.8% and 28.6% in healthy controls, respectively. No association was observed between Ala55Val polymorphism and serum urate (TT/CC: Beta = -0.013, P = 0.460; TC/CC:Beta = -0.017, P = 0.324). There was no difference in the distribution of the genotypes or alleles among hyperuricemic patients a nd healthy controls (TT/CC: OR = 1.02, P = 0.824; TC/CC:OR = 1.04, P = 0.652). Therefore, no statistically solid evidence supported the genetic effect of -866G/A and Ala55Val on serum urate or the risk of hyperuricemia in the total group of subjects. UCP2 variants were associated withserum urate andhyperuricemia in female subgroups As shown in Table 1, we stratified all subjects into male and female subgroups to further explore the gender-related genetic effects of the two polymorphisms. In the male subgroups, there were no significant associations between the two loci and serum urate or the risk of hyperuricemia (all P > 0.025). However, some nominal significant associations were found between -866G/A and the hyperuricemia risk (genotype AA: OR = 1.26, P = 0.038; allele A: OR = 1.12, P = 0.035), indicating a possible risky effect of the -866G/A variant on hyperuricemia incidence in males. A significant association was found between SNPs and serum urate and hyperuricemia in the female subgroups. The -866G/A genotypes were associated with a lower serum urate (AA/GG: Beta = -0.078, P = 0.015; AG/GG: Beta = -0.104, P = 0.001) and a decreased risk of hyperuricemia (AG/GG: OR = 0.71, P = 0.025). The subjects carrying allele A had a lower serum urate and a decreased risk of hyperuricemia (A/G: Beta = -0.054, P = 0.006; OR = 0.80, P = 0.018). For Ala55Val, genotype TT carriers showed a lower serum urate (TT/CC: Beta = -0.075, P = 0.022) and a decreased risk of hyperuricemia (TT/CC: OR = 0.64, P = 0.020). Genotype TC carriers only had a lower serum urate (TC/CC: Beta = -0.082, P = 0.012) but no decreased risk of hyperuricemia (TC/CC: OR = 0.77, P = 0.093). Allele T was associated with a lower serum urate (T/C: Beta = -0.049, P = 0.016) and a decreased risk of hyperuricemia (T/C: OR = 0.79, P = 0.016). Further analysis of associationin females  with different BMI levels Further analysis was performed regarding the genetic effect of UCP2 variants on serum urate and the risk of hyperuricemia among females with different BMI levels (Table 2). The majority of the females enrolled were stratified into normal- or overweight group (Table 2). In the underweight subgroup, whose sample size was limited after stratification, no significant association was observed between the two loci and serum urate or hyperuricemia risk (all P > 0.025, Table 2). In the normal weight subgroup, -866G/A genotype AA+AG carriers were associated with a lower serum urate (AA+AG/GG: Beta = -0.095, P = 0.022) but not with a decreased risk of hyperuricemia (AA+AG/GG: OR = 0.65, P = 0.076). However, the Ala55Val genotypes or alleles showed no statistical association with serum urate (TT+TC/CC: Beta = -0.070, P = 0.091; T/C: Beta = -0.047, P = 0.106) or hyperuricemia (TT+TC/CC: OR = 0.72, P = 0.173; T/C: OR = 0.72, P = 0.051). In the overweight subgroup, the genotypes of both loci were associated a lower serum urate (AA+AG/GG: Beta = -0.138, P = 0.001; TT+TC/CC: Beta = -0.130, P = 0.003) and a significant, or at least marginal, decreased risk of hyperuricemia (AA+AG/GG: OR = 0.62, P = 0.015; TT+TC/CC: OR = 0.74, P = 0.027). However, the alleles of the loci were associated with a lower serum urate level (A/G: Beta = -0.072, P = 0.019; T/C: Beta = -0.072, P = 0.019) but not with a decreased risk of hyperuricemia (A/G: OR = 0.75, P = 0.036; T/C: OR = 0.74, P = 0.027). Our results suggested a stronger effect of UCP2 variants on overweight females than on normal weight females (Table 2). Association between haplotypes and risk of hyperuricemia As listed in Table 3, the haplotypes of the two loci were estimated in the total group of subjects and after stratification by gender. The -866G/A and Ala55Val variants were in strong linkage disequilibrium (D = 0.974, r2 = 0.936). The wild type haplotype G-C (-866G/A-Ala55Val) was applied as the reference one. Haplotype A-T made up for the most frequent one, while single mutation at -866G/A or Ala55Val each accounted for less than 1 percent (Table 3). In the total group of subjects, no haplotypes were correlated with susceptibility of hyperuricemia. In the female subgroups, haplotype A-T (-866G/A-Ala55Val) was associated with a decreased risk of hyperuricemia; however, this association was null in males. No further significant associations between hyperuricemia and other two rare haplotypes were found in our study, partly due to the limited size of the rare haplotypes carriers (Table 3). These results correlated with the association between genotypes or alleles and hyperuricemia (Ta ble 1). Discussion Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) is present in the inner mitochondrial membrane and mainly decreases the ATP level and ROS produced by electron transport; therefore, UCP2 is involved in a board range of pathological processes. In the present study, we first focused on the relationship between UCP2 variants and serum urate and hyperuricemia, potentially examining the scope of the loci related to hyperuricemia. The present study revealed no association between the two polymorphisms of UCP2 and serum urate or hyperuricemia in the total group of subjects. However, because serum urate is extensively influenced by gender differences, we stratified the total group of subjects and determined that -866G/A and Ala55Val were associated with serum urate and hyperuricemia in females [25-26]. Females with the -866G/A genotype AA+AG or allele A had lower serum urate and a decreased risk of hyperuricemia, indicating a protective role of -866G/A for hyperuricemia in females. The -866G/A variant is a functional polymorphism located in the promoter region and putatively changes the transcription factor binding sites [7]. The wild type G allele in -866G/A was associated with lower UCP2 mRNA expression [19, 27]. Increased UCP2 mRNA expression from the A allele was translated into an increased amount of UCP2 protein, with corresponding induced proton leak, decreased ATP/ADP ratio and enhanced elimination of ROS [10, 19]. Hypermethylation in the promoter region could affect the binding of transcripation factors, causing aberrant gene expression. Consistent with our expectations, we found a typical CpG island in the UCP2 promoter region, which included the locus of the -866G/A variant, using information from the University of California-Santa Cruz (UCSC; Santa Cruz, CA, USA) database (http://genome.ucsc.edu/cgi-bin/hgGateway). We believe the UCP2 promoter variant -866G/A could shape this CpG island and protect the UCP2 promoter region from DNA methylation, unco vering a novel underlying mechanism that determines -866G/A increases UCP2 transcription. Uric acid accumulation is caused by the acceleration of ATP degradation to AMP, a precursor of uric acid, and UCP2 could decrease the ATP level and lower redundant AMP for uric acid formation [7, 28]. Moreover, an elevation of serum urate concentration occurs as a physiologic response to increased oxidative stress [31]. Because the ROS level could be down-regulated by UCP2, a counter-regulatory increase of serum urate as an antioxidant defense is less urgent. Therefore, the -866G/A variant in the promoter region might serve as a protective factor through a higher UCP2 mRNA level and increased translation of the UCP2 protein, which might regulate ROS and modify the ATP/ADP ratio. The other locus, Ala55Val, is a missense variant in exon 4 and is associated with an altered degree of uncoupling [7]. In our study, a protective effect for hyperuricemia and lower serum urate were observed in genotype TT and allele T in the female subgroups. However, the genetic effect of the Ala55Val variant was less clear. Several researchers identified an association of Ala55Val with the BMI level and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), with controversial conclusions within cohorts, and few functional studies were performed [14, 32-33]. Similar to -866G/A, the protective role of the Ala55Val variant for hyperuricemia might also be attributed to altered UCP2 transcription. In the male subgroups, a less statistically significant but possible effect of -866G/A and Ala55Val was observed for hyperuricemia risk and higher serum urate. Similar gender-associated genetic effects of UCP2 variants were more or less observed for diseases other than hyperuricemia [7]. For example, Heidema et al. suggested a genetic effect of UCP2 on weight gain was regulated through different mechanism in males and females [34]. Lee, et al. demonstrated that the association between UCP2 variants and BMI was more apparent among female subjects [35]. Cheurfa et al. confirmed the association of UCP2 variants with coronary artery diseases in males but not females [36]. In the present study, we found UCP2 variants -866G/A and Ala55Val had a stronger effect on females with hyperuricemia. One possible explanation for the gender-associated genetic effects of UCP2 might be a regulation role of sex hormones such as estrogen. Estrogen was reported to repress UCP2 in a breast cancer cell line and papillary thyroid cancer cells [37-38]. Taken together, these results suggest the UCP2 protein level was down-regulated by estrogen in females but reversed by the variants of -866G/A and Ala55Val, providing a plausible explanation for the specific protective effects of UCP2 variants on females [37]. Genetic effects on hyperuricemia and obesity have been widely recognized [3]. In the present study, we found that -866G/A and Ala55Val were associated with lower serum urate and a decreased risk of hyperuricemia in overweight, but not underweight, females (Table 2). The relative small sample size might limit the correlation analysis in the underweight group. However, we did observe females with higher BMI level were more likely to benefit from the protective genetic effect of -866G/A and Ala55Val, where the association was significant between the two SNPs and serum urate level of risk of hyperuricemia. In the contrast, among the normal weight females, -866G/A, but not Ala55Val, showed a significant association with a low risk of hyperuricemia, indicating a less contribution from the protective effect of UCP2 variants than seen in overweight females. It was also implied from our results that the [tw1]functional à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢866G>A promoter variant displayed a stronger effect. The interactions between obesity, uric acid and UCP2 were complicated. BMI has long been viewed as an essential factor influencing uric acid [3]. UCP2 transcription was activated by fatty acids [16]. A recent meta-analysis revealed that UCP2 -866G/A and Ala55Val are associated with a risk of obesity [32]. Subtle intermediary obesity related phenotypes such as elevated triglycerides, total cholesterol concentrations, increased the risk of dyslipidemia and circulating leptin levels were also observed to be correlated with UCP2 variants [40]. Based on these results, we assumed lipid metabolism material such as fatty acids participated in and enhanced the genetic effect of UCP2 variants on serum urate regulation, explaining the stronger genetic effect of UCP2 variants on females with higher BMI levels observed in the present study. The -866G/A and Ala55Val variants were in strong linkage disequilibrium (D = 0.974, r2 = 0.936). The haplotype frequency analysis revealed that variants of the two loci were more in co-variant haplotype A-T (-866G/A-Ala55Val) compared with the single variant forms of G-T or A-C (Table 3). Haplotype A-T was associated with a decreased risk of hyperuricemia only in females, which was consistent with the genotype or alleles results. However, the small size of the two rare haplotypes might limit the power of association analysis with hyperuricemia risk to a certain extent. The susceptibility of hyperuricemia in the two rare haplotype carriers required validation in a larger cohort. Conclusion The present study identified a novel gene, UCP2, with two loci, -866G/A and Ala55Val; this gene influenced the serum urate concentrations and the risk of hyperuricemia in females. The associations of those loci were affected by gender and BMI. This study supported the potential involvement of this gene in the prevention, prediction and treatment of hyperuricemia. Materials and methods Experimental design A total of 4332 subjects were enrolled from the Taizhou Longitudinal Study [22] and included 1387 hyperuricemic patients and 2945 healthy controls. The associations of common UCP2 variants with serum urate and hyperuricemia were tested by linear regression and logistic regression with or without gender stratification, respectively. A body mass index (BMI) subgroup was also used for further analysis. Participants All subjects were enrolled from Taizhou Longitudinal Study [22], of which 1387 individuals had serum urate level over 7 mg/dl and were treated as hyperuricemic patients, and 2945 individuals had normal serum urate (à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 7 mg/dl) and were treated as healthy controls [23]. The subjects were divided into subgroups (underweight: BMI à ¯Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¼ 18.5; normal weight: 18.50 à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ £ BMI Genetic analysis Genetic analysis was carried out in accordance with the written informed consent and guideline offered by the Ethical Committees of the School of Life Science of Fudan University. For genetic analysis, peripheral blood was collected from all the individuals included in this study. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood using the QIAamp DNA Blood Mini kit (QIAGEN, Germany) and was stored at -20à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™. The DNA concentration and quality (including optical density (OD) 260/280 and 260/230 measurements) were determined using a Nanodrop Lite spectrophotometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA). Genotyping of -866G/A and Ala55Val in UCP2 were performed by SNPscan according to the manufacturers instructions. Statistical analysis The clinical characteristics were presented as the mean à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ± SD. Students t-test was used to test for a significant difference in the mean age, BMI and serum urate between hyperuricemic patients and healthy controls. The chi-square test was used to describe the gender distribution difference between hyperuricemic patients and healthy controls. The chi-square test was used to test Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) of the two loci. We conducted a logistic regression analysis to calculate adjusted odd ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) and P-values to describe the distribution of -866G/A and Ala55Val adjusted for age and gender between hyperuricemic patients and healthy controls. A linear regression was performed to calculate Beta and P-values to estimate the effect on serum urate in different genotypes and alleles. Genotype GG, allele G of -866G/A and genotype CC, allele C of Ala55Val were used as references, respectively. Stratification into subgroups was performed on the basis of gender and different BMI values for further analysis. Haplotype frequencies between the hyperuricemic patients and controls were estimated by OR (95% CI) and chi-square test. The haplotype of the most frequent (-866G/A-Ala55Val, G-C) was used as the reference. A 2-sided P-value less than 0.025 was considered statistically significant after multiple correlation by Bonferroni method. The PHASE program (V2.1) was used for haplotype frequencies estimation, and SPSS 19.0 was used for the statistical analysis. References 1. Choi HK, Mount DB, Reginato AM. Pathogenesis of gout. Ann Intern Med 2005;143(7):499-516. 2.  Weaver AL. Epidemiology of gout. Cleve Clin J Med 2008;75 Suppl 5:S9-12. 3.  Billiet L, Doaty S, Katz JD, Velasquez MT. Review of hyperuricemia as new marker for metabolic syndrome. ISRN Rheumatol 2014;2014:852954. 4.  Hediger MA, Johnson RJ, Miyazaki H, Endou H. Molecular physiology of urate transport. Physiology (Bethesda) 2005;20:125-33. 5.  Kolz M, Johnson T, Sanna S, Teumer A, Vitart V, Perola M, et al.. Meta-analysis of 28,141 individuals identifies common variants within five new loci that influence uric acid concentrations. PLoS Genet 2009;5(6):e1000504. 6.  Kà ¶ttgen A, Albrecht E, Teumer A, Vitart V, Krumsiek J, Hundertmark C, et al.. Genome-wide association analyses identify 18 new loci associated with serum urate concentrations. 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Jarmuszkiewicz W, Woyda-Ploszczyca A. [Mitochondrial uncoupling proteins: regulation and physiological role]. Postepy Biochem 2008;54(2):179-87. 13. Yu X, Wieczorek S, Franke A, Yin H, Pierer M, Sina C, et al.. Association of UCP2 -866 G/A polymorphism with chronic inflammatory diseases. In; 2009. p. 601-5. 14. Rosmond R, Bouchard C, Bjorntorp P. Lack of association between the uncoupling protein-2 Ala55Val gene polymorphism and phenotypic features of the Metabolic Syndrome. Biochim Biophys Acta 2002;1588(2):103-5. 15.  Heidari J, Akrami SM, Heshmat R, Amiri P, Fakhrzadeh H, Pajouhi M. Association study of the -866G/A UCP2 gene promoter polymorphism with type 2 diabetes and obesity in a Tehran population: a case control study. Arch Iran Med 2010;13(5):384-90. 16.  Emre Y, Nà ¼bel T. Uncoupling protein UCP2: When mitochondrial activity meets immunity. In; 2010. p. 1437-1442. 17. Toda C, Diano S. Mitochondrial UCP2 in the central regulation of metabolism. 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BMC Public Health 2009;9:223. 23.  Mandell BF. Clinical manifestations of hyperuricemia and gout. Cleve Clin J Med 2008;75 Suppl 5:S5-8. 24.  WHO Global Database on Body Mass Index (BMI): an interactive surveillance tool for monitoring nutrition transition. Public Health Nutr. 2006; 9(5):658-. doi:10.1079/Phn2006967. ISI:000239972300019.. 25. Terkeltaub RA. Clinical practice. Gout. N Engl J Med 2003;349(17):1647-55. 26.  Neogi T. Clinical practice. Gout. N Engl J Med 2011;364(5):443-52.   Ã‚   27.  Lapice E, Pinelli M, Pisu E, Monticelli A, Gambino R, Pagano G, et al.. Uncoupling protein 2 G(-866)A polymorphism: a new gene polymorphism associated with C-reactive protein in type 2 diabetic patients. Cardiovasc Diabetol 2010;9:68. 28.  Richette P, Bardin T. Gout. Lancet 2010;375(9711):318-28. 29. Waring WS, Webb DJ, Maxwell SR. Systemic uric acid administration increases serum antioxidant capacity in healthy volunteers. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 2001;38(3):365-71. 30. Zhang M, Wang M, Zhao Z. Uncoupling protein 2 gene polymorphisms in association with overweight and obesity susceptibility: A meta-analysis. Meta Gene 2014;2:143-159. 31.Vogler S, Goedde R, Miterski B, Gold R, Kroner A, Koczan D, et al.. Association of a common polymorphism in the promoter of UCP2 with susceptibility to multiple sclerosis. J Mol Med (Berl) 2005;83(10):806-11. 32.Heidema AG, Wang P, van Rossum CT, Feskens EJ, Boer JM, Bouwman FG, et al.. Sex-specific effects of CNTF, IL6 and UCP2 polymorphisms on weight gain. Physiol Behav 2010;99(1):1-7. 33.Lee YH, Kim W, Yu BC, Park BL, Kim LH, Shin HD. Association of the ins/del polymorphisms of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) with BMI   in a Korean population. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2008;371(4):767-71. 34.Cheurfa N, Dubois-Laforgue D, Ferrarezi DA, Reis AF, Brenner GM, Bouche C, et al.. The common -866G>A variant in the promoter of UCP2 is associated with decreased risk of coronary artery disease in type 2 diabetic men. Diabetes 2008;57(4):1063-8. 35.Nadal-Serrano M, Sastre-Serra J, Pons DG, Miro AM, Oliver J, Roca P. The ERalpha/ERbeta ratio determines oxidative stress in breast cancer cell lines in response to 17beta-estradiol. J Cell Biochem 2012;113(10):3178-85. 36.Hima S, Sreeja S. Regulatory role of estrogen-induced reactive oxygen species in the modulatory function of UCP 2 in papillary thyroid cancer cells. IUBMB Life 2015. 37.Hamada T, Kotani K, Fujiwara S, Sano Y, Domichi M, Tsuzaki K, et al.. The UCP2-866 A/A genotype is associated with low density lipoprotein particle sizes in the general population. Med Sci Monit 2008;14(3):CR107-11. Acknowledgements This research was supported by grants from the Science and Technology Committee of Shanghai Municipality (11DJ1400100), International ST Cooperation Program of China (2013DFA30870), Ministry of Science and Technology (2011BAI09B00), and Program for 2012 Outstanding Medical Academic Leader for Hejian Zou. The computations involved in this study were supported by Fudan University High-End Computing Center. Author contributions statement

Fordism and Post-Fordism: Concepts of Capitalism

Fordism and Post-Fordism: Concepts of Capitalism Understanding Dawn Dusk:  The Evolution of Capitalism from the Perspectives of Fordism and Post-Fordism. The pursuit of profit was not a science born perfect. Instead, as one technological or organizational invention after another led to ever increasing rates of incremental improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of the enterprise. These improvements either reduced the cost structure, increased the market demand or both. It was just such an ‘incremental’ improvement in the early twentieth century that led Henry Ford and his Model T to begin an era of ‘namesake’ capitalism that dominated until the 1980’s and persists even today. The methods that began the period of capitalism known as Fordism was not so much just the additional of an assembly line but rather a line that moved to the worker rather that the other way around. This technology of this method was not new, having been utilized in Chicago slaughterhouses since at least the 1890’s but it was the first time that it have been used on such a scale to consumer goods with the end effect of making the automobile affordable. Perhaps even more importantly, the application of this method to automobile production, enabled the use of additional organizational technologies to be deployed. For example, bottlenecks and other production issues could be readily identified and solved and it became possible for a smaller number of managers to ‘control’ the output of a larger group of workers (Grint, 1991, p. 294-295; Clarke, 1992, p. 17). Because of the organizational paradigm shift, these methods were quickly and successfully adopted at other companies in a many different industries. Together, changes introduced in technology and management paved the way to broader sociological changes. At the heart of these was the rise of â€Å"management† as controlling influence upon workers. While Taylorism implemented strict measures of control and efficiency to the workers, the organizational impact of Fordism harnessed individual productivity back into the firm. In some ways, practices at the Ford Motor Company were quite progressive such as his â€Å"Five Dollar Day† policy by which workers were paid for their time. While significant from a labor perspective, it also merits commented on based on the fact that this was compensation. Not just â€Å"pay† but rather compensation for becoming a cog in a wheel and a so-called ‘factor of production’ under somewhat harsh conditions. While some might consider Ford to be generous to pay his employees so a sum, others might not that it could also be viewed as a particularly shrewd means to decrease absenteeism, work interruptions, poor quality and perhaps most importantly, as a means to fend off interest in trade unionization by workers. In fact, once instituted, the results were dramatic as the following were observed, â€Å"absenteeism fell from 10% to less than 0.5% turnover fell from nearly 400% to less than 15%. productivity rose so dramatically that despite the doubling of wages and shortening of the workday production costs fell† (Clarke, 1992, pp. 20-21). With regards to organization and sociological implication, in the past, the dominant method of work was the â€Å"craftsman† who was a skilled worker and spent [his] time on creating specialized and unique projects and the family was, in a sense the primary economic unit of production (Pietrykowski, 1999, p. 191). Ford needed relatively few craftsmen but rather he needed many comparatively unskilled workers that were willing to submit to Tayloristic-type management in exchange for â€Å"†¦regularly rising wages†¦ as well as general guarantees of employment security† (Freidman 2000, p. 60). The widespread employment of an emerging American middle class by a growing number of large, vertically integrated oligopolistic firms bred the beginning of mass production. With ever increasing levels of productivity as a result of newer technologies and greater organizational control, more goods were produced at even lower cost levels. Not surprisingly, in return, this bro ught about new levels of mass consumption of mass-produced products by the burgeoning ranks of the working class (Friedman, 2000, pp. 59-60). This produced a cycle that was both self-reinforcing and self-entrenching. As the system of Fordism perpetuated itself, it began to create a bit of a monster. Almost by definition, Fordism is epitomized and stereotyped by very large corporations. For example, General Motors, employing the same tactics as Ford (General Motorism does not have quite the ring to it of Fordism), became the largest corporation in world in the 1950’s to the extent that this one firm had a macroeconomic impact on the US gross national product (think of Wal-Mart today with over $250,000,000,000 in annual sales). These companies that made their profits on economies of scale on the consumption of goods that were mass-produced and mass-consumed until they hit a bit of a ‘speed bump’ in the 1970’s. These speed bumps took on the form of a number of historical events as well as growing trends. For example, the oil crisis of the 1970’s, a wheat shortage and unrest among organized labor groups in addition to a â€Å"saturation of the market in consumer dur ables† let to the beginning of the end of what had came to be known as the Fordism era. The economy-wide, these changes were greatest for the types of companies that profited most from the technological and organizational developments that created them. Thus, the changes for ‘big’ corporate America came about through the combined phenomena of changes in markets and changes in labor, ironic but fitting as the very things that made them were undoing them, or, at least, causing them to learn to re-make themselves as conditions changed (Pietrykowski, 1999, p. 181). As America consumers had consumed about all they could, firms began to logically seek out new markets such as Latin America, Asia or European regions that had yet to be hardly touched with regards to US produced consumer goods. This globalization of business introduced a number of ‘new’ concepts to US firms. Perhaps most importantly, that simply selling the same widget may not be a path to profit. Interestingly enough, the corporate giant General Motors, in the now ubiquitous tale, was one of the first to discover this lesson as management noticed very disappointing sales for the Chevrolet Nova automobile south of the US border. Only later did they learn that â€Å"No va† exactly translates to â€Å"no go†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ a hard but valuable lesson as America goes global. Within the borders of the US, it was not that consumers no longer wanted to make purchases, rather, they wanted new products. Listening to the market was not a strength of the Fordist system. As Henry Ford himself said in regards to the Model T, â€Å"†¦ any color you want, as long as its black†, mass production was not noted for being flexible. The idea of flexibility became central to the emergence of what has come to be known as the post-Fordism era. â€Å"Flexibility† is reflected in post-Fordism in a number of ways. In regards to employment, in an effort to cope with changes in demand, corporations began to turn to the notion of flexible employment arrangements in order to avoid the high fixed costs of maintaining a large workforce in times of low demand. This was reflected by a small, core workforce that was supplemented by subcontractors and part-time workers and, temporary workers, if needed (Pietrykowski, 1999, p. 183). This is much in contrast to the masses of employees who, either through the employer or the Union, operated on the premise of life-time employment. Another means by which post-Fordism employed the concept of flexibity in employment was the introduction of ideas such as ‘cross-training’. Rather than having a one person – one specific job mantra, the new era of productivity espoused employees who were trained to do any number of tasks. This flexible functionality in production employees was adopted by companies with the idea of being able to adapt faster to changing demand and by employees in order to enrich jobs and to gain increased employment security (Pietrykowski, 1999, p. 187); Grint, 1991, pp. 296-297). In addition, firms began to outsource non-core functions such as cleaning or security in order to achieve lower costs and reduce the size of bureaucracies often accompanying large companies (Friedman 2000, p. 71). Overall, the change in markets and market pressures as well as the shifts in labor strategies that began to be noticeable in the 1970’s, marked the transition of the dominance of a few oligopolistic firms from a half century reign of mass-production to the current period of ‘mass customization’. Seemingly at odds with one another, the terms â€Å"mass customization† reveal an dynamic tension that is as evident on the factory floor and is in the market place. As technologies emerged that made it possible to store and analyze large amounts of data collided with the ability to precisely control manufacturing processes, the reality of being able to cost effectively introduced customer-requested variances in the processes of production heralded the birth of mass customization. In stark contrast to a ‘one-option’ Model T, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler (the ‘Big 3’) offered a plethora of models and options ranging from color, upholstery and interior appointments, engines, transmissions and more all for largely the same cost as one ‘off the rack’. This flexibility is easily reflected by a conversation with any US person over age 25 when asked what ordering anything but a ‘stock cheeseburger’ was like in the eighties. Now, the experience is much different with Burger King even going to far as to adopt the slogan, â€Å"We do it your way.† While mass customization continues to grow and flourish, mass production is not dead by any means but continues to be redefined in ways that â€Å"modify traditional [Fordism] relationships between capital and labor† (Pietrykowski 1999, p. 194). At the heart of Fordism is the congruence between large, vertically integrated firms competing in oligopolistic markets by striving for cost efficiencies through mass production principles. In contrast, post-Fordism is a combined economy / method that makes great use of the ability to deliver relatively customized goods on a large scale by using multi-skilled workers in firm that is strives to be market-sensitive so as to be able match demand (Friedman 2000, pp. 59-60). Though in many ways Fordism and post-Fordism could be viewed as being antagonistic to one another, by understanding the progression of early management styles and the accomplishments in productivity achieved, the idea that one is the necessary precursor to the other can not be overlooked. And so, in seeking greater understand of these concepts as periods of time during which there is a changing of dominant paradigms, the analogy of â€Å"night and day† is not so appropriate as perhaps â€Å"dawn and dusk† in that they are two perspectives on the same entity of the path to profitability. Works Consulted Clarke, S. (1992). â€Å"What in the F‘s Name is Fordism†. Fordism and Flexibility. (Gilbert, N., Burrows, R., Pollert, A., eds.). St. Martins Press: New York, New York. Friedman, A. (2000). â€Å"Microregulation and Post-Fordism: Critique and Development of Regulation Theory†. New Political Economy, (5), 1, pp. 59-76. Grint, K. (1991). The Sociology of Work. Polity Press: Cambridge, UK. Pietrykowski, B. (1999, June). â€Å"Beyond the Fordist/Post-Fordist Dichotomy: Working Through The Second Industrial Divide†. Review of Social Economy, (LVII), 2, pp. 177-198.

The Mad Hamlet :: essays research papers

The Mad Hamlet William Shakespeare wrote "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark". "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark" is a tragedy. William Shakespeare was born 1564 and died 1616. William Shakespeare himself, was one of the greatest play writers of all times. Hamlet was an odd character in the play because of the way he acted. Hamlet is intelligent, mad, and selfish. Hamlet is a very intelligent character. Claudius and Polonius planned to send Hamlet to England to be put to death, escorted by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet was supposed to be killed in England by getting beheaded, but he found a way around it. "†¦ My head should be struck off," (V, 2) "†¦Read it at more leisure†¦" (V, 2) and "†¦Devised a new commission, wrote it fair..." (V, 2) shows how Hamlet outsmarted Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Claudius, and Polonius. Hamlet wrote a different letter that said that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were to be executed, and therefore cheated death. Hamlet revenged his father's death by murdering Claudius. After Hamlet found out that the sword he and Laertes were struck with was poisoned he then stabbed Claudius with it; "The point envenom'd too? Then, venom, to thy work." (V, 2) From Hamlet's point of view, what he did to Ophelia was intelligent. When Ophelia went mad she said, "T omorrow is Saint Valentine's Day†¦ Never departed more," (IV, 5) and "Young men will do't, if they come to't†¦ You promised me to wed." (IV, 5) Ophelia was saying that Hamlet told her that they would get married if she had sex with him, and that he never showed any love for her, this was intelligent from Hamlet's or some males point of view. Hamlet was mad throughout the whole play. Hamlet murdered Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Claudius, Laertes, Polonius, and may have been the reason Ophelia went mad and drowned. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: "He should the bearers†¦" (V, 2) Claudius: "†¦ Then, venom, to thy work," (V, 2) Laertes: "They bleed on both sides†¦" (V, 2) Polonius: "†¦Dead for a ducat, dead," (III, 4) Ophelia: "What the fair Ophelia!" (V, 2) At one point Hamlet was so mad and depressed he wanted to kill himself. "To be, or not to be, that is the question†¦" (III, 1) The worst possible thoughts that Hamlet could have ever thought, he thought incestuously about his mother and himself. He never said that he wanted to be with his mother, but he was just mad that Claudius took the throne from him at the beginning of the play, not that his father was dead.

The Media During Times of War Essay -- Television Media TV Essays

The Media During Times of War The media has always tried to keep us as informed as possible on the events around us. Recently with the war in Iraq, the media has been doing what they can to keep all of us back at home aware of what’s happening. Some people feel that the amount of coverage given is â€Å"Un-American† while others think that the media is just doing what ever George W. Bush wants. The media has done only what they’ve always done, tried to get the story and make a name for themselves. On the ABS archives website, the titles alone show that the media isn’t a puppet to Bush; Two Soldiers Shot Dead in Mosul, US Soldier Killed in Blast North of Baghdad, Iraqi Oil Security Chief Killed in Mosul: Police, US Forces Kill Hungarian Student in Iraq, and several others missing a positive vibe (ABC). If the media was a puppet for Bush, I don’t think we’d be seeing all of this negative war coverage. This is where the other point of view comes in. Some people believe that all of the anti-war coverage along with the details repo... The Media During Times of War Essay -- Television Media TV Essays The Media During Times of War The media has always tried to keep us as informed as possible on the events around us. Recently with the war in Iraq, the media has been doing what they can to keep all of us back at home aware of what’s happening. Some people feel that the amount of coverage given is â€Å"Un-American† while others think that the media is just doing what ever George W. Bush wants. The media has done only what they’ve always done, tried to get the story and make a name for themselves. On the ABS archives website, the titles alone show that the media isn’t a puppet to Bush; Two Soldiers Shot Dead in Mosul, US Soldier Killed in Blast North of Baghdad, Iraqi Oil Security Chief Killed in Mosul: Police, US Forces Kill Hungarian Student in Iraq, and several others missing a positive vibe (ABC). If the media was a puppet for Bush, I don’t think we’d be seeing all of this negative war coverage. This is where the other point of view comes in. Some people believe that all of the anti-war coverage along with the details repo...