Moral and Religious Censorship, Family and Religious Values Essay

Moral and Religious Censorship, Family and Religious Values - Essay Example This increase has led to sorely needed strict laws that address these affronts. A personal incident has affected me. I have a nephew, who is so close to me that I think of myself as his â€Å"second father.† My nephew, being part of the new generation, uses the internet frequently for such activities as school work, playing games etc. One day, when he was on the internet and I was visiting, he asked me, pointing at the computer, â€Å"what are those two people doing?† I looked at the computer and was shocked to see a porn movie playing. I rushed instantly towards the computer and switched it off. I told him that this is adult stuff that he would learn in the future. I was outraged – children should not be exposed to sex. The early years should be spent thinking of studying and the small things in life, not thinking about sexual imagery. I used to believe that porn websites, magazines and movies were far from the reach of children, but my thoughts have changed as a result of this incident. After seeing a ten-year-old open a porn website, I realized just how easy it is for our youth to be exposed to these images. There is a clear lack of moral censorship in today’s society. Most of our recently produced movies have sexual content or nude scenes, while music videos that could be easily viewed on youtube and other video broadcasting websites feature ladies with about a quarter of their bodies covered. Childhood exposure to such adult imagery may lead to the increase of masturbation, voyeurism and sadism. Pornographic, indecent and obscene imagery also affects adults, as they introduce fantasies that could increase rape in our society. â€Å"According to conservatives, the sexually explicit content of pornography is an affront to decent family and religious values and deeply offensive to a significant portion of citizens who hold these values. The consumption of pornography is bad for society. It undermines and  destabilizes the moral fabric of a decent and stable society, by encouraging sexual promiscuity, deviant sexual practices and other attitudes and behavior that threaten tradit ional family and religious institutions, and which conservatives regard as intrinsically morally wrong.

Technical writting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Technical writting - Assignment Example He could position the data and information according to things to carry out in the diverse geographic or districts locations of the town. Spatial pattern makes logic intended for the author to standardize the information through physical location for the reason that the information is simple to understand as well as utilize in this format, mainly for tourists who are not well-known with the region (Friedlander, 2004). A Chronological principle of organization is order of importance or climactic order. In Chronological pattern, items are set as of least important to most important. Usual conversions would comprise most difficult, more important, by far the most expensive, still harder, worse up till now, even more damaging, and so on. This is an elastic standard of organization, as well as can guide the organization of the entire or part of case, cause & effect, comparison & contrast, plus description (Friedlander, 2004). For instance, a writers stated principle is to explain the past development or development of the city of Seattle. Supposing that Seattle is having 100 years old history, the writer could systematize the data and information through combining it into 4 chunks of 25-year each. In this state of affairs, the sub-points within all major part of time represent the mainly important events that happened throughout that particular time frame (University of Washington, 2009). Usability testing is proven to trim down expenditure, augment user satisfaction, also save on improvement as well as redesign work (Blastam, 2009). Usability testing assesses behavior, not preference.   Clients are notoriously bad at presenting what kind of software they want; on the other hand through observing and determining behavior, we are able to know about most excellent supports, their motivations, and objectives (Ostrander, 2000). Usability testing offers a great competitive

Essential elements Essay Example for Free

Essential elements Essay Failure in business ethics is a real threat to the future of every corporation. Business ethics as an issue is a hundred times more powerful than the internet or globalization and can destroy your business in a week. To make matters worse, standards of business ethics are changing rapidly in response to random events which capture public imagination. In business ethics, what was good is becoming bad and what was considered bad is now good. Standards for business ethics that have worked for decades are looking old fashioned or immoral while other practices that raised questions are becoming totally acceptable. So what is going to happen next in business ethics? How can corporations use business ethics to restore confidence and protect themselves against tomorrow’s headlines? What will be the new â€Å"Gold Standard† for business ethics and corporate governance? How much further than legal minimum requirements for business ethics should corporations go to ensure sustainable success? When business ethics goes wrong who gets blamed? Impact of media allegations of dishonesty, fraud or corruption of senior executives or directors – and how to protect business ethics reputation . Why goalposts for business ethics will go on changing, and how to get ready? are all the questions to be pondered upon . Methodology of Inquiry should be able to reflect upon all above mentioned issues. Ethical decision making is about deciding between two rights. Leadership requires doing the right thing for the people of the organization, the organization itself and those the organization supports. But, what is the right thing? When faced with the difficult decision of choosing between two rights, some people seek the easy way out; avoidance, delay, or compromise. Ethical decision making is required when you face a decision about whether to do something that the organization, the profession or society considers right but which conflicts with your strongly held values and principles. What should you do, go with the flow and obey the wishes and pressures of the organization, the profession or society? Or should you act in accordance with your own values, principles and moral or ethical beliefs at the risk of your job, your career and your social standing? Ethical decision making is required to resolve ethical dilemmas or moral ambiguity between your own values and principles for living. Doing our part to create a more just and loving world for all mandates a strong commitment on the part of Ethical Societies and their members to their surrounding communities are something that is actually needed . Applied ethics in effective inquiry system consists of the analysis of specific, controversial moral issues such as abortion, animal rights, or euthanasia. In recent years applied ethical issues have been subdivided into convenient groups such as medical ethics, business ethics, environmental ethics, and sexual ethics. Generally speaking, two features are necessary for an issue to be considered an applied ethical issue. First, the issue needs to be controversial in the sense that there are significant groups of people both for and against the issue at hand. The issue of drive-by shooting, for example, is not an applied ethical issue, since everyone agrees that this practice is grossly immoral. By contrast, the issue of gun control would be an applied ethical issue since there are significant groups of people both for and against gun control. The second requirement for in issue to be an applied ethical issue is that it must be a distinctly moral issue. On any given day, the media presents us with an array of sensitive issues such as affirmative action policies, gays in the military, involuntary commitment of the mentally impaired, capitalistic vs. socialistic business practices, public vs. private health care systems, or energy conservation. Although all of these issues are controversial and have an important impact on society, they are not all moral issues. Some are only issues of social policy. The aim of social policy is to help make a given society run efficiently by devising conventions, such as traffic laws, tax laws, and zoning codes. Moral issues, by contrast, concern more universally obligatory practices, such as our duty to avoid lying, and are not confined to individual societies. There should be an honest and ethical conduct including the handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships ; full , fair , accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports that a company files with the Commission . Accountability for adherence to the code hastens the system of inquiry of the paper. The system of inquiry should be so effective and quick that no time should be wasted at any level of inquiry. System of inquiry is thus not a set of hard and fast rules which once made are to be followed blindly. It in fact is a framework which needs to be firstly made seeing all perceptives and then renewed from time to time as per sociological requirements and most importantly rules should be kept flexible as the rules are for the people not that the people are for rules . Essential elements of an ethical frame work – include contextual input , purpose with actions at issue , path finding function , problem solving function , implementing function quality judgment and lastly its output. Thus , systems inquiry incorporates these inter- related domains of disciplined inquiry systems theory. Systems methodology provides us with a set of models , strategies , methods and tools that instrumentalizes the whole systems inquiry. In today’s highly competitive , performance – driven business climate , regulations are not enough ; professional codes are not enough ; the old model of business ethics is not enough – what is required is a framework – that must be able to identify the ends as well as the means. Bibliography: http://www.en.wikipedia.org

The Video Game Controversy Media Essay

The Video Game Controversy Media Essay The video game controversy has been an ongoing debate with one side insisting that video games increase violent tendencies amongst children and the other debunking it. Timothy F. Winter blames video games for violence amongst children in his article The Government Should Stop Kids From Buying Violent Video Games, published in U.S. News and World Report on 10th May 2010 while Michael D. Gallagher insists otherwise in his article, Video Games Dont Cause Children to be Violent, published in U.S. News and World Report on 10th May 2010. Both articles are directed towards parents as the topic concerns children and whether they are affected by video games, a common form of entertainment in any given household. This essay will critique the strengths and weaknesses of the articles with regard to how the authors used the rhetorical proofs of ethos, pathos and logos. Though Winter is better at using pathos in his article than Gallagher, his argument contains fallacies which weakens his argument considerably while Gallaghers article is reinforced by his usage of logos. The rhetorical proof ethos can be categorized to three different parts, that is, initial ethos, derived ethos and terminal ethos (McCroskey, 2004). McCroskey (2004) defines initial ethos to be the ethos of the source before the communicative act, derived ethos as the sources ethos during the act of communicating and terminal ethos to be the sources ethos at the completion of the communicative act. Ethos plays an important role in an argument because the audience judges not only the argument, but the speaker as well (Borchers, 2006). The key factors in constructing a believable ethos are source credibility, prestige and personal proof (McCroskey, 1997) and as Gallagher is the president and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association, a company that deals exclusively with video games (The Entertainment Software Association website, 2010), he is more than qualified to give his opinion on the subject thus he has high initial ethos. Winter is the president of the Parents Television Coun cil and though that organization advocates most forms of entertainment, its primary focus is television (Parents Television Council website, 2010) so his initial ethos is not as high as Gallaghers. Winter and Gallagher both have derived ethos because during the body of their articles, they both include factual material and opinions attributed to qualified sources (McCroskey, 2004). Winter cites findings from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Parents Television Council and the California Legislature. Gallagher includes sources from the Supreme Court, FBI statistics, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, a quote from Hon. Robin Cauthron of the United States District Court, and the FTC. Both Winter and Gallagher have terminal ethos because as a representative of the Parents Television Council and Entertainment Software Association, they manage to make their corporations look good through their arguments. Winters stance on video games is that it encourages violence amongst children due to the flaws in the rating system while Gallagher firmly believes that the rating system will prevent children from playing violent video games. Both writers are slightly biased in their articles in supporting their stance but Winter is noticeably more so than Gallagher. Winters article may offend the percentage of his audience that are gamers as he states that, The industrys arguments are logically and morally bankrupt. Reinking, Hart and von der Osten (1999) point out that if the writers tone is mean or arrogant, it offends the public and will fail to persuade the public. Winter is sarcastic and snide in his comments about the video game industry in his article. Gallagher expresses his genuine concern for the subject as he believes in finding a solution to the problem and is generally respectful to the audience. To appeal ethically to the audience, one has to be committed to the truth, have sincere re spect for others and to be concerned about the issue (Reinking, Hart von der Osten, 1999). Thus from an ethos standpoint, Gallagher is better at backing up his argument with ethos than Winter. Ramage, Bean Johnson (2004) associates pathos with emotional appeal which focuses on making the audience feel what the writer feels. They further state that pathos relies on the audiences imaginative sympathies. Gallagher concludes his article with a sentence that will appeal to the audiences sympathies, Americans rights to speech and expression are sacred and inviolate- millions across the political spectrum agree with us. His audience, Americans as this article appears in the U.S. News Report, are being emotionally manipulated to believe that those opposing Gallaghers argument are suppressing their freedom of speech. He is relying on the audience to sympathize with the video games industry as they are being oppressed. Thus Gallagher has developed some pathos in his argument, as he knows his audience and how to sway their emotions (Borchers, 2006).Winter also displays a knack for utilizing this rhetorical proof as he describes in length the violent acts one can commit when playing a video game such as shoot a police officer and urinate on him as he tries to crawl away. The examples he gave serves two purposes; it provides evidence that supports his reasoning and it also gives his argument presence and emotional resonance (Ramage, Bean, Johnson, 2004). Winters inclusion of specific details in his argument can help to create an image in the audiences minds that will trigger their feelings (Ramage, Bean, Johnson, 2004).Winter uses terms like ultraviolent video games to further insinuate his message to the audience that video games are a negative form of entertainment that focuses on violence. Reinking, Hart and von der Osten (1999) affirm that pathos can be used to drive people to action, people who would otherwise passively accept an argument based solely on logic. Winters graphic details will cause parents to be against video games because they would not want their children to participate in these violent actions. Gallagher attempts that strategy as well when he indirectly accuses his opposition of taking away Americans freedom of speech by condemning the video game industry because video games are considered to be media too. However, the rest of Gallaghers article lacks pathos as he does not attempt to connect with the audience as much as Winter. Therefore, Winter displays a better use of pathos than Gallagher in his article. Though both Winter and Gallagher have used the rhetorical element of logos in their arguments, Gallaghers use is stronger as Winters article contains fallacies that weaken his argument. Logos refers to the internal consistency and clarity of the message and to the logic of its reasons and support (Ramage, Bean, Johnson, 2004). Gallagher makes a good point when he states that the video game industry has a rating system that informs and empowers parents. He believes that parents should be in control of deciding what their kids are allowed to play and that the rating system will enforce that. He backs up this argument by stating facts from the FTC like how 87% of parents were satisfied with video game ratings and that the FTC has applauded the video game rating system because it clearly displays rating information and restricts childrens access to mature-rated products. In his article, Winter uses refutation to this claim, that is, the practice of countering an argument with evidence o r reasoning (Borchers, 2006) by stating statistics from the Parents Television Council that indicate that an underage child is able to purchase a mature game 36% of the time. Winter is framing his evidence; he is maximizing his readers focus on his data and is guiding his readers vision and response (Ramage, Bean Johnson, 2004). However, Jenkins (n.d.) points out that the FTC has found that 83% of games purchased by underage consumers are made by parents or children accompanied by parents. Parents are responsible in restricting the access of mature-rated games from children and Gallagher points out that the video game industry is working to help parents as current-generation game consoles come with built in parental controls that allow parents to block video games they do not want their children to play. He states that major U.S. retailers are also working to help parents by enforcing age restrictions in the purchase of games. Though a functioning and praised rating system exists f or the video game industry, Winter is not satisfied because he is of the opinion that children will continue to be able to play violent video games. Gallaghers article consistently debunks the statement that video games cause violence amongst children and he supports himself by including FBI statistics that confirm that youth violence has declined in the recent years as video game popularity has increased. However, Winters article confirms that more than 3000 studies links violence tendencies amongst children to the consumption of violent media. Jenkins (n.d.) states that though much research has been done on whether video games contribute to violence amongst youth, most of this research is inconclusive and have been criticized on methodological grounds. He concludes that no research has found that video games are a primary factor in increasing violence amongst children and turning them into killers. Ramage, Bean and Johnson (2004) discuss universal quantifiers, which is the tendency to confuse universal quantifiers with existential qualifiers. As Winter ignores the fact that playing violent video games is not the sole cause for violence amongst children, he is guilty of this fallacy. Gallagher refutes Winters statement by quoting the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, The state has not produced substantial evidence thatviolent video games cause psychological or neurological harm to minors. Thus Winter is begging the question, that is, a fallacy where he asserts the truth of an unproven statement (Reinking, Hart von der Osten, 2004) when he states that video games increase violence tendencies amongst the youth. Not only that, Jenkins (n.d.) points out that the most studies on violent video games found is a correlation, that aggressive people like aggressive entertainment. Winter is also guilty of the fallacy post hoc, ergo propter hoc, which is confusing the correlation for the cause (Ramage, Bean Johnson, 2004). Winter brings up a very good point in his argument, that video games are different from other forms of entertainment because the player is actively engaging in the violent acts rather than just watching it onscreen. Children who are playing violent video games choose who to beat, rape, maim or kill and Winter reasons that because of this unique problem, the government should do more to prevent children from playing adult games. Winters reasoning is linked to the audiences values as parents would not want their children to play these violent games and as such he is persuasive (Ramage, Bean Johnson, 2004). Gallagher tries to claim otherwise by quoting the Hon. Robin Cauthron of the United States District Court, the presence of increased viewer control and interactivity does not remove these games from the release of the First Amendment protection. However his claim does not prove anything, just that video games are entitled to freedom of expression thus it is redundant in this context . Both articles include the rhetorical elements of ethos, pathos and logos to support their arguments. It is clear however, which is the stronger argument. Winters usage of ethos to support his arguments is poorer than Gallaghers as he is more biased and appears less credible than Gallagher. However, Winter effectively uses pathos to sway the audience in his argument as he includes specific examples. Though Gallagher does try to persuade his audience in this way, he is still lacking in the element of pathos. Logos plays an important role in any argument and though both authors have strengthened their arguments with this rhetorical proof, Gallagher does a better job at logically reasoning with the audience. He supports his claims with suitable evidence and makes some very good points. Winter has points that are refutable because he is guilty of fallacies in his arguments. In conclusion, Gallagher presents the better argument when he proves that video games are not to blame for violent t endencies amongst children and that the rating system will help prevent children from playing mature games. References Borchers, T 2006, Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction, Thomson Wadsworth, Toronto. Gallagher, M.D. 2010, Video Games Dont Cause Children to be Violent, U.S. News and World Report 10 May, viewed 13 May 2010, . Jenkins, H n.d., Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked, Public Broadcasting Service, Virginia, viewed 15 May 2010 . McCroskey, JC 1997, An Introduction to Rhetorical Communication, 7th edn, Prentice Hall, Massachusetts. Parents Television Council, 2010, Parents Television Council, Virginia, viewed 26 May 2010, . Ramage, JD, Bean, JC, Johnson J 2004, Writing Arguments: A Rhetoric with Readings, 3rd edn, Pearson Education, New Jersey. Reinking, JA, Hart, AW von der Osten, R 1999, Strategies for successful writing: A rhetoric, research guide, reader and handbook, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. The Entertainment Software Association, 2010, The Entertainment Software Association, Washington, D.C., viewed 26 May 2010,. Winter, T.F. 2010, The Government Should Stop Kids From Buying Violent Video Games, U.S. News and World Report 10 May, viewed 13 May 2010, .

Causes for World War One

Causes for World War One Connor Sweeney Q1) The incitement of World War One was the result of different factors set in motion by various political situations with many believing Germany pursued war for aggressive reasons. Additionally, historians illustrate that Germany pursued war as a solution to domestic issues such as the rise of socialism. Many historians believe that Germany pursued war through aggressive means such as policies and diplomatic decisions. Between 1890-1914, Germany adopted a new aggressive foreign policy that focused on territorial expansion called Weltpolitik. The German Foreign Minister, Bernhard von Bà ¼low once said Only a successful foreign policy can help to reconcile, pacify, rally, unite. Germany, as a result of this new policy, required a new larger naval fleet in order to push their expansionist ambitions which in turn threatened Britains status as the worlds colonial power. Consequently, Germanys Navy Laws of 1898 and 1900 upset Britain and sparked the Naval Race, a race to build the largest and most advanced naval fleet which in turn deteriorated Anglo-German relations. As a result, Britain entered into alliances with France in 1904 and Russia in 1907 respectively, creating what was known as the Triple Entente, meaning war with one nation could escalate into a European conflict. Additionall y, Germany pursued foreign interest in Morocco, in what was to be known as the Moroccan Crisis, where he publicly announced Germanys backing of Moroccos independence. This was during the time France was hoping to colonise Morocco with British backing through the Anglo-French Entente and thus Germany hoped to disrupt this relationship, feeling that it posed a threat to Germanys world influence. Towards the end of the 19th century, Germany was undergoing rapid mass industrialisation with coal and steel production increasing. As a result German society was beginning to politically shift as mass urbanisation began with many flocking to cities to work, where there were greater inequalities between the growing working class in the cities and the rural aristocrats in the countryside.   Discontent spread as workers working long hours for poor pay and conditions led changes for greater democracy and rights. This led to a rise in Socialism within German society that challenged the conservative and traditional Kaiser Wilhelm and the German government. This rise in socialist views was exhibited by the rise of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who, representing the growing working class, pursued social and political change. By 1912 the SPD had 110 seats in the Reichstag as opposed to 35 seats in 1890. The German government and the Kaiser saw the SPD as a dangerous threat and would no t let them the opportunity to govern despite their majority in the Reichstag. As the SPD grew, the right-wing parties in the Reichstag on whom the Kaisers government relied were losing support.   Thus the Kaiser introduced Sammlungspolitik, a domestic motion to support Weltpolitik. This was to ensure political and domestic unity in rallying together Germanys social elites (landowners, new industrialists, and the army) and encouraging patriotism and loyalty to the Kaiser and the government whilst encouraging opposition to socialism. Q2) As Europe entered the period of June August 1914 it became a diplomatic hotbed known as the July Crisis. The July Crisis coins the political and diplomatic situations following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a close ally of Germany. The assassin, Gavrilo Princip, was a member of a Serbian terrorist organisation fighting for Slav Independence from Austria-Hungary. Thus Austria saw this as a direct attack from the Serbian government and as a result sent them an uncompromising ultimatum or war. Germany saw this as an opportunity to push their expansionists aims and gave Austria their full backing. This Blank Cheque, as it was known, became a key step into outbreak of the war as with Germanys full backing, Austria could push on into war with Serbia.   Germany with their issue of the Blank Cheque believed Austria was ready to ignite an immediate and rapid war against Serbia despite their wariness of Russias Dual-alliance with Serbia, potentially escalating the war into a European conflict with the Franco-Russian Alliance causing France to support Russia. However, Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg, the German Chancellor, thought should a European war occur, that it was better to happen in 1914 than years later when Russia would be at a greater military capacity.   Although Serbia agreed to meet some of the demands of Austrias ultimatum, it did not fulfil all the terms and Austria with the blank cheque of Germany behind them, declared war on Serbia on the 28th July.   During these last few days in July, the European political situation heightened to breaking point with Tsar Nicholas signing motions for plans to both partial and general mobilise the Russian troops despite firm warnings from Germany. On the 29th July 1914 there was telegram exchanges between the Tsar and the Kaiser regarding the newly erupted war in the Balkans. Kaiser writing Of course military measures on the part of Russia would be looke d upon by Austria as a calamity we both wish to avoid[i], showing Germanys unrelenting stance. This was followed up by the Tsars reply I hope from all my heart that these measures wont in any way interfere with your part as mediator which I greatly value.[ii]. From these telegrams both the Tsar and the Kaiser conveyed an unwavering stand that illustrates an inevitability between both nations involvement in the Balkan war. As July drew to a close, events accelerated towards war with Austria-Hungary ordering general mobilisation on the 30th July 1914 with Russia doing the same. News spread to Berlin and by the 1st August Germany had declared war on Russia and started general mobilisation, activating the Franco-Russian Alliance which meant that Germany on the 3rd August declared war on France.   Part of Germanys military strategy against France was the Schlieffen Plan that involved marching through Belgium, a neutral country. In order to help protect Belgian neutrality, Britain had n o choice but to declare war on Germany on the 4th August and so Europe was plunged into war. Q3) There are many varying interpretations on who was responsible and culpable for the origins of WW1 with two of the main differing theories being from historians Fritz Fischer and Christopher Clark. Fischer takes the stance that sole responsibility for the war lies with Germany while Clark on the other hand, looks at the origin of the war as a collective responsibility where all nations must take a share of the blame. Fritz, on one hand, believes that Germanys pursuit of war was just a progression of their vast, expansionist aims. He claims that Germany, in the interest of becoming a global great power, was ready to launch WW1 and that once the war had started, its aims were precise and pre-determined especially in areas of territorial gains in Central and Southern Europe. Furthermore, Fischer believed that it was domestic factors that drove Germanys foreign policy as opposed to the orthodox view that it was external factors. At this time Socialism threatened the old, traditional empirical German society while industrialisation/urbanisation had caused growing inequalities between social classes which Fischer believed the Kaiser and the government wanted to resolve this through the pursuit of war. Fritz thought Germany was actively pursuing war to solve their domestic problems at home and fulfil their expansionist aims in one swoop. In this, he believes the blame lies solely at the step of Germany. On the other hand, Clarks thesis believes that a collective responsibility must be placed on all nations There is no smoking gun in this story; or, rather there is one in the hands of every major character[iii]. Clark states that the outbreak of the war was an accumulative result of political situations and diplomatic manoeuvres that metaphorically stumbled into a war. There is significant evidence to support this thesis such as Russias and Germanys unwavering relentlessness to get involved in the Austro-Serbian conflict as exhibited by the Willy-Nicky telegrams. Personally, the Fischer thesis provides the more convincing theory as it is supported by more significant evidence. In my opinion, Germanys adoption of Weltpolitik, an expansionist policy, forced other nations into alliances such as Britain who formed alliances with France following the Naval Race that was subsequently caused by this policy. Additionally, this aggressive foreign policy led to diplomatic manoeuvres such as the blank cheque to Austria Hungary, a promise of full support, that with its absence may have avoided the Austro- Serbian conflict that started the war. It seemed that Germany manoeuvred themselves into a position where war was inevitable in order to progress their expansionist aims and although many nations must take their share of the blame, it is in my opinion that Germany must take sole responsibility for the outbreak of World War 1. [i] The Willy-Nicky Telegrams, July-August 1914, Kaiser to Tsar (29th July 1914), History A: German Foreign Policy 1890-1914, Pg. 40. [ii] The Willy-Nicky Telegrams, July-August 1914, Tsar to Kaiser (30th July 1914) History A: German Foreign Policy 1890-1914, Pg. 40. [iii] Christopher Clark, The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914(London: Harper Collins,2012). http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/kaiser-wilhelm-of-germany-and-czar-nicholas-of-russia-exchange-telegrams http://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/germanys_blank_cheque_to_austria-hungary

Mutations in KCNQ1 Ion Channel May Cause Jervell and Lange-Nielsen Synd

Mutations in KCNQ1 Ion Channel May Cause Jervell and Lange-Nielsen Syndrome Abstract Jervell and Lange-Nielsen Syndrome is a human disorder that causes deafness and an irregular heartbeat. It is caused by a mutation in a protein that is a potassium ion channel. The mutations lead to a protein that does not serve the purpose it was designed to serve. It is difficult to treat, but there are things that can be done for both the cardiac and auditory aspects of it. Implantation of a device used as a sort of bionic ear can be used as treatment for the deafness characteristic of JLNS. The cardiac portion of JLNS can be treated by either a preventative step or with an implantable device used to stop arrhythmias (irregular beating of the heart) once they have started. Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome is a recessive genetic disorder caused most commonly by mutations in the gene that codes for the KCNQ1 protein. In JLNS, these mutations cause a premature termination of the protein synthesis, leading to a loss of function. It is also known that KCNQ1 can mutate to cause a gain of function (e.g. a quickened heartbeat). Another disorder known as Romano-Ward syndrome involves changing a few of the amino acids within the protein so that the protein retains its basic shape and function, but is a lot less efficient. Without mutations, the KCNQ1 protein is a potassium ion channel, meaning that it transfers potassium ions between a cell and its surroundings. When mutated, KCNQ1 can cause deafness, and long QT syndrome (a disorder in which the heart takes longer to recharge than normal (QT segment is longer than average), often leading to fainting or sudden death.) Jervell and Lange-Nielsen Syndrome affects an estimated 1.6-... ...m.nih.gov/pubmed/18595190?ordinalpos=7&itool=Entrez System2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum [3]Smith, Jarrod A., and Vanoye, Carlos G. and George Jr., Alfred L. and Meiler, Jens and Sanders, Charles R.. "Structural Models for the KCNQ1 Voltage- Gated Potassium Channel." Biochemistry 4614 11 2007 14141-14152. 27 Jul 2008 sample.cgi/bichaw/2007/46/i49/html/bi701597s.html#bi701597sAF2>. [4]"Cochlear Implant." Wikipedia. 27 Jul 2008 . [5]"Long QT Syndrome." Wikipedia. 27 Jul 2008 . [6]"Jervell and Lange-Nielsen Syndrome." Wikipedia. 27 Jul 2008 . [7]"Jervell and Lange-Nielsen Syndrome." WSLH. 27 Jul 2008 .

Heroes of Celtic and Germanic Mythology Essay -- Celtic Germanic Mytho

Heroes of Celtic and Germanic Mythology Throughout the myths of the Celtic and Germanic peoples of northern Europe tales of epic heroes and their extraordinary deeds abound. These tales depict heroes performing a variety of incredible feats; many of which appear to be magical, superhuman, and, quite honestly, utterly impossible (e.g., wading across oceans, defeating armies virtually single-handedly, and other astounding exploits). Since the Celtic and Germanic tribes of antiquity inhabited neighboring lands and lived in close proximity to one another (as many of their modern descendants continue to do: i.e., in Great Britain), it is not surprising that they often established intimate relationships with each other via commerce, conquest, and the spread of religious beliefs. In light of this intimate association, it is not astonishing that the cultural and consequent poetic traditions of these ethnic groups were often remarkably analogous. Frequently, the archetypical champions of Celtic and Germanic mythology exhibited similar characteristics regardless of whether or not they were Anglo-Saxon, Rhenish, or Irish. Indeed, there are many parallels between the behaviors demonstrated by the heroes of Beowulf, the Nibelungenlied, and the Tain Bo Cuailnge. Some of the most striking of these parallels are: the noble and divine lineage of the hero; the hero’s increased endurance and his exceptional combat abilities (including the use of powerful weapons and berserker behavior); the hero’s ability to attain victory against seemingly insurmountable odds or indestructible creatures; and the ritual practices of the taking of heads and the giving of rings. The epic poem Beowulf may be considered unique in the context of mythol... ...kely exception being Cuchulainn). Interestingly, as a result of the parallels between these champions, one can gain important insights regarding the values of ancient Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, or Rhenish culture by examining any one of them. Bibliography Beowulf. Translated by Chickering, Jr., Howell D. New York: Random House, Inc. 1977. Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Norse Myths. New York: Random House, Inc. 1980. Davidson, H.R. Ellis. Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe: Early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press. 1988. The Nibelungenlied. Translated by Hatto, A.T. London: The Penguin Group. 1969. Powell, T.G.E. The Celts. New York: Thames and Hudson, Inc. 1980. The Tain: From the Irish Epic Tain Bo Cuailnge. Translated by Kinsella, Thomas. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. 1969.