GMO Foods :: Science Agriculture Papers

GMO Foods A great deal of controversy has arisen with the advent of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), especially surrounding the production, sale, and consumption of genetically modified foods. Many people are concerned, if not convinced, that the consumption of GMO foods by human beings may pose serious health risks. The concern is centered around the notion that there could potentially be various different unforeseen consequences due to the consumption of GMO foods. In addressing potential side effects and byproducts of the creation of transgenic foods, such as potential toxicity and allergenicity, it was found that the possibility and probability of these side effects are being regularly assessed and precautions are being taken to detect and avoid them. Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) was also taken into consideration and though it is indeed possible that gene transfer of the genetically modified (GM) gene into the DNA of mammalian cells could occur, it would not have any persisten t or negative effect on the recipient. HGT into microorganisms might be a concern if antibiotic resistance was conveyed to the recipient but in light of this fact resistance to key antibiotics is not used in the creation of GMOs. Therefore, the overall potential of GM foods to have negative effects on human health due to the aforementioned phenomena is negligible. Introduction The commercial production and consumption of Genetically Modified (GM) foods is perceived by many to be a novel technology that has been poorly evaluated and could potentially be harmful to humans. Though these foods seem very new, the first regulatory approval of GM crops occurred in 1995 (A. Konig et al., 2004). It was in the mid-1980s that the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and the US Office of Science and Technology Policy were working to assess the safety and need for regulation of GM crops and any other foods produced using GM crops. That puts us back at least twenty years from today in our ongoing scrutiny of the safety of GM foods.

Imagery in Macbeth

Shakespeare’s Effective use of Imagery to Display Powerful Themes â€Å"Fair is foul and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air. † (1. 1. 11-12). This famous chant lies in the opening scene of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, providing dark evil imagery to evoke the senses and set a tone for the play. Images are strong sensory techniques that can be used as a basis for much further development in any piece of literature. A black cat, a dark alley and a stormy night are all modern day symbols of mystery and evil doings.Authors often times use these or similar images to embellish the plot by designing a setting or giving the characters more depth. More significantly, images provide a solid ground which gives underpinning to important themes of the writing. William Shakespeare very skillfully uses imagery to support prevalent themes of his drama Macbeth. Poison of the mind, the power of ones thoughts and hypocrisy are all significant themes carried throughout the play by effective use of imagery in reference to serpents, ghostly visions and ill-fitted clothing.Powerful images creep through the tragedy at every scene to construct a venomous atmosphere of false virtue and self-deceit. To start, Shakespeare effectively uses serpent imagery to illustrate the idea that power may act as a virus that poisons the mind and leads to moral and self-destruction. For instance, the power that Macbeth achieves through the violent act of murdering Duncan acts as a disease embedded into his mind that warps and twists his thinking.His only focus now is what evil acts must be done in order to ensure that his crown is safe. He expresses these poisonous thoughts when speaking to his wife about his idea to exterminate those threatening his title â€Å"O, full of scorpions is my mind. † (3. 2. 36). The powerful image of scorpions crawling through his brain, injecting their venomous thoughts effectively demonstrates how power can act as a poi son that challenges moral thinking and sets people on a wrath of destruction.By providing a very sinister, wicked image of the diseased mind a common theme of the poison in power is successfully illustrated to the reader. Similarly, Lady Macbeth emphasizes the idea that in order to carry out those actions necessary to maintain such power they must possess poisoned blood â€Å"look like the innocent flower/ But be the serpent under’t. † (1. 5. 64-65). This striking image that compares Macbeth to a serpent enhances the suggestion that his strive to maintain authority has transformed him into a toxic creature with venomous blood.Such compelling imagery gives the reader a sense of his sickly soul, thus further amplifying the idea that supremacy acts as a sickness that infects the mind and disrupts moral judgment. In summary, the use of serpent and poison imagery firmly expresses a central idea of the play; power is a virus that contaminates the mind and leads to moral and self-destruction. In the same way that Shakespeare uses imagery to emphasize the idea of power acting as a virus, he also makes use of images to portray the theme that the physical world (reality) is not always as real as the thoughts in one’s mind.First of all, as Macbeth is preparing the murder of King Duncan his innermost thoughts come to life when his anxiety gives rise to the hallucination of a dagger, the handle pointed to him and the blade aimed at Duncan. In a soliloquy, Macbeth expresses his confusion when he is unable to clutch the blade â€Å"Mine eyes are made the fools o’ the other senses, or else worth all the rest. † (2. 1. 43-45). The vision is so strong to him that Macbeth is unable to determine whether his eyes are incorrect or his other senses (such as the sense of touch) are failing him.The ghostly vision and Macbeth’s heavy belief in what clearly isn’t there illustrates the power in one’s thoughts compared to the reality of the universe, further highlighting a key theme of the play. Furthermore, Macbeth experiences an even more passionate response to illusory thoughts when he believes to see the ghost of Banquo sitting at his place the night of his feast. At the sight of the ghost, Macbeth loses all sense of reality and begins speaking to the ghost amid all of his guests; â€Å"Prithee, sit there!Behold! Look! Lo! How say you? Why, what care I? If thou cans’t nod speak too. † (3. 4. 69-70). Once again, the way Shakespeare depicts the power of these visions to Macbeth through his ghost imagery better reinforces the strength of our internal thoughts. Shakespeare’s use of ghost imagery, and more notably Macbeth’s strong reaction to them, positively expresses the theme of one’s inner thoughts providing a stronger reality than the physical world.In a similar fashion to the way Shakespeare applies ghost imagery to depict an idea of the strength in one’s innermost thoughts, he effectively constructs the lesson that hypocrisy goes against nature and will not work in the long run with his use of clothing imagery. The clothing imagery is used to demonstrate that the persona Macbeth is attempting to possess is not actually his; the moral standards he claims to have as a loyal King do not match with his actions. For example, when Macbeth is given title Thane of Cawdor, he asks Angus â€Å"Why do you dress me in borrow’d robes? † (1. . 108-109), indicating that they are literally not his, they belong to the current Thane of Cawdor. However on a more symbolic level, the image of these borrowed robes demonstrates that Macbeth’s honors do not really belong to him. They have been borrowed, even stolen and he should not possess such a title. Thus, the clothing image helps to emphasize the idea that false virtue is unjust, further developing a major theme in the drama. Also, the clothing imagery throughout the play aids in revealing this theme by hinting at the idea that Macbeth’s new title does not â€Å"fit† him right.For example, in act 5 when Angus speaks of Macbeth â€Å"Now does he feel his title hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe/ Upon a dwarfish theif. † (5. 2. 20-22), the reader is given a very awkward an obscure image, revealing Macbeth as a small, dishonorable man covered in garments that are unsuited to him. This advances the thought of Macbeth standing as a fraud; his clothing is not tailored to his size just as his personality is not tailored to the position he holds.He does not belong in that position of power, he should not be in that position of power and the obscure image if ill-fitted clothing really proves the idea that this is not right, it is unnatural. In short, Shakespeare’s use of clothing imagery helps to develop a central theme that hypocrisy is against nature, further emphasizing his ability to illustrate prevalent themes through images. Evi dently, Shakespeare utilizes a variety of images to effectively illustrate the important themes of Macbeth.His use of poison imagery to display the virus of power, ghostly images to portray strength in one’s innermost thoughts and clothing imagery to demonstrate that hypocrisy goes against nature are all examples of the way Shakespeare employs this technique. This cunning use of words that appear to the senses give the reader a powerful picture to provide further understanding of underlying themes already present in the writing. Such a method of writing has since been used by many other authors to enhance their writing and better depict significant themes.

What Makes Sammy Run?

What Makes Sammy Run? by Budd Schulberg portrays the life of Sammy Glick – a young and ambitious copy boy who rises to fame as a screenwriter in Hollywood. The name of the novel is significant in itself, for it underlines an age-old question: What makes an individual run? Is it the craving for success? Written in 1941 when the world was relatively quieter in terms of competitive edges, the novel seeks to find an answer to this question. The author does not temper the unethical means Sammy, the protagonist of the novel, resorts to in his run. (Schulberg, p.3)Budd Schulberg completely exposes his main character’s inability to care for others, especially his friends and associates whom he needed during the days of his struggle. Sammy is shown as a person who can go to any extent to fulfill his ambition of attaining the pinnacle of success in Hollywood. He does not mind backstabbing others, even his girlfriend, to reach his long cherished goal, and in the process, make hims elf a victim of self-inflicted loneliness and frustration. This book report is going to present a brief summary of the novel before examining Sammy’s relationship with the narrator Al Manheim.It is also going to make a comparative character analysis of the two, thereby tracing changes in their relation if there is any. The report will also focus emphatically on the end of the novel to investigate Sammy’s situation. Summary What Makes Sammy Run? begins with Al Manheim’s recollection of how he met a teenage Sammy, full of vigor and energy, when the boy was working under him as a copy boy to deliver newspapers. Immediately after he comes to know Sammy personally, he develops a strange attachment for him, partially out of his curiosity to explore the boy’s nature and partially out of his own business interests.However, Sammy regards Al as his best friend and mentor. The story of Sammy’s rise and eventual fall begins when one day he impersonates Manheim and rewrites one of his newspaper columns to impress the managing editor. Thus, Sammy manages to gain a column of his own. Later on, he steals a piece of writing by an aspirant named Julian Blumberg who wishes to make a career in screenwriting profession in Hollywood. This event turns the fortune for Sammy as he is credited for original screenplay of the movie Girl Steals Boy when it hits the theater.The next few years witnesses Sammy climbing the ladder of success and popularity in the most prized seat of stardom in the world. As fate would have it, he hires Blumberg as his ghost writer for a minimal payment. Meanwhile, Manheim comes to know that Catherine ‘Kit’ Sargent, one of the most promising novelists and screenwriters, has developed a crush for Sammy. Although Manheim is emotionally attached to this lady, he is openly told by her that she prefers Sammy to him. In the process tracing Sammy’s frenzied run for success and recognition, Manheim also observes t he power game and corruption that run rampant behind the scene at Hollywood.This is evident from the fact that Sidney Fineman, one of the revered producers around, gets victimized by Sammy, loses his job and dies, apparently of a broken heart. Moreover, Sammy goes about his mindless business of securing his career and personal life in the indignant manner imaginable when he decides to dump his girlfriend to marry Laurette, the daughter of a wealthy Wall Street banker Harrington. This marriage proves to be a disaster for Sammy as Laurette sees it no better than a business affair. Eventually Sammy finds his heart empty – as empty as the big mansion he owes, and orders for getting him a prostitute.Sammy’s relationship with Manheim – Comparison between Two Characters As mentioned earlier, Sammy and Manheim share a relationship of friendship and mentorship. However, reversal of roles and values is one of the major themes in the novel as the mutual dependency between Sammy and Manheim changes in the course of it. It is Sammy who is employed under Manheim in the beginning, but later on Manheim finds himself writing screenplays for Sammy. Again, Manheim is of moderate disposition in comparison with Sammy’s aggressive demeanor.He is portrayed as an observer whereas Sammy is the go-getter in modern corporate terminology. Sammy in the End The ending of What Makes Sammy Run? renders an incisive thrust to the very conscience of its readers. Schulberg gives his protagonist the life he truly deserves after fiddling around with other people’s careers and emotions. So it can be said that the author, with somewhat ironic affection, puts a brake to Sammy Glick’s running wheels of fortune by making him suffer for his actions. References Schulberg, Budd. (1993). What Makes Sammy Run?. New York: Vintage.

Book review Essay

Florence Industries, Inc. is a company which provides three entirely different types of products and services through three divisions of the company: consumer products division, industrial products division and professional services. Each division is treated as an entirely different company and the performance evaluation criteria is return on assets in recent years after major shift. Although, the divisions used to be treated as profit centres, this decision meant they are treated more as investment centres. The Company in 2008 & 2009: From the income statement for 2008 and 2009, it is noticed that there is an increase in revenue by 4% and 11% increase in net profit in 2009. From balance sheet for 2008 and 2009 it is noticed that Florence has issued shared and borrowed long term loan in order to invest in project required high asset cost as the company asset has increased by $ 50,460,000 during 2009. The Company has also declared a dividend to equity of $ 12,570,000 during 2009 and keep $ $11,736,000 to meet future expansion and expense of business Issues and Analysis: Rejecting Proposals Just Based On Gross Margin Requirement: CFO Ben Johnson has recently rejected the new product proposal of product development manager of consumer products division Calvin Marone as its estimated return of 13.67%(exhibit 1) per year was less than the 15% minimum gross return % requirement any new investment proposal should generate in order to get approve. The company’s 2007 gross return was 9.3 % and Ben estimated that it should go up easily to 12% and set target for each division to bring new product proposal of more than 15% gross return generating capabilities. Then again, gross return of Company in 2009 after rejecting the Marone’s proposal was 9.4%. Suppose if Marone’s proposal would have been accepted, then the Company 2009 gross return would have been approximately 9.6% (Exhibit 2) which would have been even higher than 2008 gross return of 9.5%. So, rejecting proposals that would have actually been beneficial just based on gross margin estimations seems redundant. Return on Investment Comparatively Low In Terms of Free Cash Flow: As per the balance sheet of Florence, it is noticed that there has been an increase in cash balance of $ 390,000 during the year 2009 as compared to 2008 balance. During 2009, the  Company has generated cash of $ 42,756,000 from operating activities and $ 13,950,000 from finance activities. Further the Company has used cash of $ 56,316,000(Exhibit 3) in investing activities. Company has used its majority of cash flow generated from operational and financing activities in investing activities. However in case of Florence, the free cash flow is less than the amount of investment made by the company in 2009 which indicate that the company is highly dependent on third party finance for expansion. However, the company has taken initiatives to counter this. They have broken down divisions into investment centres as compared to cost centres which will help enhance the performance of the divisions and influence them to get more out of investments made. By converting the divisions in investment units, it become the overall responsibility of division managers to generate the profit to the company not only on the basis of revenue and expense but also on the basis of total asset employed in order to run the division. Same Performance Evaluation Standard for Each Division: There are some negatives that came out of the Investment Center approach. First, it may not be appropriate to use one Gross return performance standard for all divisions of Florence, considering differences in type of service provided, products, operations, risks, and differences in measurement because of asset age. These divisions cannot be compared with the same yardstick. For example, Professional services division does not use much asset so it will be inappropriate to measure its performance on the basis of gross return % (exhibit 4). Also, as division manager of Industrial Products division tried to explain, Consumer Products Division had a lot of old machines in their assets meaning those depreciated assets, whatever return they come up with, are making things look better in terms of return on assets than they are in reality. Moreover, including allocated corporate asset in the computation of gross return figure means that division and division managers are held accountable for costs and assets over which they don’t have any control at all. Recommendations: Have Other Evaluation Criteria Along with Investment Center Approach: The decision to treat divisions as investment center has its benefits. Benefits of this approach include improvement in operational decision making, reduction in cost of corporate administration, increased motivation at  division level, and freeing corporate management up for more effective utilization. However, there are some pitfalls as well. Just having return on assets as decision criteria isn’t enough and they should take other criteria into account. Criteria like Economic Value Added which takes into account costs of financing the capital or even simple Net Profit which judges the division’s profitability as a whole. And, to counter the problem of having too many old machines in the consumer products division compare to other divisions, the company could take out the depreciation and compare to see how it affects ROA as a whole when taken in to account and when not. That should give the company a clearer picture. Developing a Balanced Scorecard: Developing a balance scorecard should go some way to make sure performance evaluation is fair and is illustrative of actual performance as it takes into account different measures for different functions usually. In this case, Florence would of course has to make it about the divisions rather than functions of business. In the suggested balanced scorecard below (Figure-1) we can see a bit modified targets and measures for different divisions as their goals are slightly different. Figure-1 For both consumer products and industrial products divisions, returns based on both net profit and ROA are important and give a fairer comparison. Customer satisfaction (in Industrial products division’s case it’s more the satisfaction based on compliance with specific designs is another evaluation criteria for both and the target for both should be bettering last year’s performance in each measures. For the professional services division, the growth has been rapid in recent years and retaining that growth will be important. Another important measure is corporate social responsibility i.e. environmental impact studies the division performs which not only is required by the law but also helps build reputation for the company and is part of CSR activities. So, it’s important to keep that into context. Develop evaluation criteria for new projects: Florence Industries Inc. needs to change evaluation criteria for new projects as it is noticed they’re rej ected a project that would have been beneficial for them every which way just because it didn’t fulfil ROA requirement. Along with ROA, CFO Ben could also analyse the below mentioned points before accepting or rejecting any new project: 1)Project payback period 2)Project NPV (Net present value) 3)Project IRR (Internal rate of return) Conclusion: Florence’s sales growth has been phenomenal for a new company and now it’s time to make some major managerial decisions that will shape the future. And, they have started doing so by transforming the divisions into investment centers from profit centers. While it is a good way to go, creating a balance is necessity and having a more comprehensive knowledge about how every division is doing based on more than one evaluation criteria will be important. Each division is run in their own way and the dissimilarities are far greater to just keep evaluating them based on the investment approach. Also, they can’t keep rejecting projects based on one simple requirement as it hinders the growth of the company. That’s why we suggest Florence Industries Inc. to be a bit more open-minded and take broader aspects in consideration and make things fairer for the divisions and the upcoming projects as well.

Food Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Food Marketing - Essay Example An alternative geography begins to emerge because the restricted ecologies of quality food production are frequently to be found in areas that have escaped the industrialization processes that support globalization. This is most apparent in agriculture, where the maintained use of â€Å"output-enhancing† technologies in the post-war period has frequently resulted in uncovered agricultural ecosystems. Thus those areas that have largely remained insignificant to industrialized agriculture are generally the very areas where quality production might bloom. The turn toward quality in consumption may then reveal a very different mixture of productivity, one that contrasts in important respects with the dominant geographic distribution of food production activities. Consumers increasingly are linking ideas of food quality to ideas of nature in the agro-food system, as though they feel that the higher the natural content of food the less susceptible it will be to hurt human interferen ce. Yet, some leading commentators on the food sector have begun to argue that the theoretical analysis of food has tended to underplay the â€Å"salience of nature†. It is now widely believed that the agro-food system is globalize, and much of the recent research into the agro-food system has taken as its main focus how processes of globalization come to be driven by the reshaping of food production processes according to patterns of capital growth.

Social Welfare Dependence of Single Mothers Research Paper

Social Welfare Dependence of Single Mothers - Research Paper Example The support is provided with the proviso that it may well be reduced and/or withdrawn any time when the condition of the recipient improves. Subsequent to the relief support provided to people in distress, 'make work', a New Deal concept created during the 1930s or later on redefined as 'workfare' were initiated so that the temporarily affected would feel that they earned their relief support rather than receiving it as a hand out (Prabhakar 1). Workfare is also a concept used in relation to welfare reform. It is a mechanism of imposing work requirements on recipients of public assistance. Despite several problems workfare encountered in the past, a number of states use it now as a means of shifting welfare dependent persons into the formal wage work with the proviso that sometime in the future those who, it is claimed, did not have work experiences, would be acquainted with the world of work, and would somehow hook themselves to jobs and eventually become self-sufficient. Single mot her parents, the recipients of public and other institutional assistance, are people, who for various reasons, including the death of or abandonment, separation or unmarried status, become household heads and take care of their children and other members of the family in place of the traditional breadwinner - the husband. The number of poor people in single mother household heads rose from some two million in the 1950s and 1960s to 11.4 million in 2010 (Seccombe 23; Open City Foundations, 1). Although single mothers were provided with welfare checks and other basic need supplies from the state on a relief basis, many were not able to achieve self-sufficiency. Alternative approaches that would capacitate single mothers need to be explored. Policy Issues and Poverty Urban poverty as it relates to single mothers has been a serious problem that had defied meaningful solution in the U.S.

QUESTIONS 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

QUESTIONS 2 - Assignment Example 2. Such a leader has to use the charismatic leadership style, which is a style of transformational leadership. In this style, the leader will inspire the team members and motivate them to move in the required direction without the use of power or command. For example, a company introduces a new organizational culture where certain dressing codes and behaviors have to be observed. The leader would best inspire others by being an example in observing such dressing or behavioral codes, while the others will be motivated and inspired to follow them. 3. The first approach would be to audit all processes involved from ordering material from suppliers, delivery and logistic processes to reviewing all lead times. Additional machinery or workforce may be added where the review points to such problems. Streamlining processes would ensure supplies are done well in advance, delivery of all necessary equipment and material completed where necessary before starting the project, and eradicating any lead time that may surface from these processes. Logistical processes in most cases may lead to delays. Next would be to review the conditions of the workforce and machinery with a view of establishing any weaknesses, and with a view of adding more workers or machinery where necessary. After all the review of processes, next would be to ensure manpower and equipment are utilized at an optimum level to maximize their utility in the project and cut the time required for delivery of such project. The graph above portrays the trends in demographic and revenue changes based on patients below and above 65 years of age who are under Medicare. The revenue in thousands portrays a drastic decrease in the Medicare revenue based on a rapidly increasing number of patients above 65 years. Patients in this category as the chart shows are rapidly increasing compared to those less than 65 years who as the graph portrays have a gradual