Analysis data by SPSS software Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Analysis data by SPSS software - Essay Example Planning in work area based on fulfilling the needs of your customers, monitoring on an ongoing basis the needs of your customer and your success in meeting them, developing customer loyalty and advocacy rather than just keeping customers satisfied and having a clear understanding of how to keep your customers satisfied are other attributes which need to be factored in the company planning. In addition, being able to make or influence changes you believe to be to the benefit of staff work area, recognizing and rewarding staff excellence and initiative, being fully involved in the development of objectives and plans that relate to different jobs and actively encouraging and rewarding innovation in different work areas. The research paper was based on a manufacturing company which was dealing with kitchen and bathroom cabinetry. The company had the interest in determining staff satisfaction levels across its functional areas. The main purpose of the research findings on customer satisfaction was to enable the company position itself in the industry and to retain quality staff (in a field with few professional) for greater competitive advantage. Further, the survey had been occasioned by high staff turnovers leading to huge company losses. The mean, minimum response, maximum response and the standard deviation of the staff responses were determined (see table 2 above). Further, value 3 was considered as the average response and all values greater that 3 were admitted as above average performance while values lower than 3 were admitted as poor performance. Statements with a value less than 3 were to be considered as problematic areas which needed total consideration if the company is to do better. In terms of communication and feedback, it is evident that the mean difference of the responses; you receive regular feedback on the progress of your work area and you receive

Martin Luther King Essay Example for Free

Martin Luther King Essay I have a dream was one of the most powerful and influential speeches of all time, it not only created the realisation that the Negro was not free, it persuaded that of white people to make a change for the benefit of the African Americans. The African American civil rights movement was creeping forward but two individuals created a greater atmosphere for the reinforcement of the movement, sure William Wilberforce abolished the slave trade for Britain in 1807, and that was just the start, but 203 years later the African Americans are now equal. It took time but nonetheless it happened. In essence the African American civil rights movement was Martin Luther king’s dream, and that dream has come true. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia; He was the middle child from a family of five. Growing up in Atlanta, King attended Booker T. Washington High School. An intelligent student, he graduated from Morehouse with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology. The bus boycott of 1955 was the first step in king’s revolutionary ideas. The boycott lasted 382 days. After which the Supreme Court of the United States had declared the laws requiring segregation on buses as illegal, Negroes and whites rode the buses as equals. During these days of boycott, King was arrested, but after he was released, he emerged as the Negro leader. King came from a world where he was part of an inferior race, it was this very world that needed to change and martin Luther King Jr was the one to start the changes that would soon shape the world. The bus boycott was just the beginning of his incredible contribution. Martin Luther King Jr then went on to be one of the most influential people among those who changed the world for the better; he died fighting the cause of justice that is now known as the African American civil rights movement. King wanted a better world where his children were not subjects to racial oppression and judged not by their skin colour but by their character and personality, where the coloured man was equal to the white man, Martin Luther king Jr was so inspired and passionate about change to come about, and he started the bus boycott, taking a stand for what was righteous. The fact that Martin Luther was an African American himself was just as much motivation for his actions and dedication to the African American civil rights movement. Martin Luther king Jr understood the pain caused by racial discrimination and through understanding this pain first hand, made him realise that he wanted to make a change and through doing so, started the bus boycott in 1955. Martin Luther king was so inspired to eventually give his most well known speech which is â€Å"I have a dream†, this speech changed the African American revolution and spoke to every person in the world, whether you were a man of colour or not, it still had meaning, he said that we should treat all people equally and not judge someone by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. He was inspired and became an influential person for many. John Kennedy came from a rich and privileged Irish-American family. Even so, the family had to leave Boston, and move to New York. In Boston, the family had been held at arm’s length by those rich families who saw their Irish background as vulgar and the family’s wealth as lacking ‘class’. The Kennedy’s hoped that the more cosmopolitan New York would allow them to access high society. This introduction to bigotry and discrimination should have given Kennedy some kind of empathetic understanding of what life was like for African Americans. However, the opposite would appear to be true. However, during the presidential campaign and after he was nominated for the Democrats, Kennedy made it clear in his speeches that he was a supporter of civil rights. Some saw the opposition to the 1957 Act as understandable from a political point of view. Others have adopted a more cynical view which is that Kennedy recognised that he needed the ‘Black Vote’ if he was to beat Nixon. Hence why he said in his campaign speeches that discrimination stained America. Kennedy did not exploit the African American civil rights movement as a scheme to gain more votes, Kennedy wanted the African Americans to be equal, so he took their side, He wanted a better world where blacks and whites were equal, through martin Luther king Jr’s dream, Kennedy also had a vision of this dream where everyone was equal. A world where everyone is not equal is hardly a world at all, and john F Kennedy was a supporter of the new world, he was inspired both through getting the black vote and making a change for the better, with a vision of the new world. Kennedy helped shape the world to what it is today with equality and harmony through all individuals no matter what the race or colour or religion. Within the three speeches in which I have chosen to analyse, there are three main techniques that all three speakers use. These techniques help to make the speeches more effective and have a deeper impact. Repetition is a key point throughout all these speeches, in martin Luther king’s speech he keeps repeating about the dream he has â€Å"I have a dream that one day †, The dream is a frame for the future and sets the stage for the rest of the words. Dream is vague aspiration. One day starts to make it specific. This creates an ambience throughout the audience when he begins to share his dream, those words â€Å"I have a dream† is constantly repeated so that the audience remembers his dream, and even today it is a prominent speech. In JFK’s speech he repeats the phrase â€Å"It ought to be possible† he gives examples of what should be possible. â€Å"It ought to be possible for American consumers of any colour to receive equal service in places of public accommodation. †; â€Å"It ought to be possible, in short, for every American to enjoy the privileges of being American without regard to his race or his colour† this helps the listeners and viewers to get an idea of the dream that both JFK and martin Luther king Jr share. He highlights the importance of what is ‘ought’ to be like to be an American. Furthermore all speakers use emotive language, in martin Luther king Jr’s speech emotive language is everywhere, â€Å"One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so weve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. † We immediately feel sympathetic to the Negro’s because of the oppression that they face in everyday life, martin Luther king uses emotive language in several occasions within his speech both for effect and to get people to realise how harsh negro’s are treated in society. We preach freedom around the world, and we mean it, and we cherish our freedom here at home, but are we to say to the world, and much more importantly, to each other that this is a land of the free except for the Negroes† JFK says this with passion as he repeats martin Luther king’s dream and message, the negro is still not free regardless of this contradiction wi th the American voice of freedom. They speak of freedom and peace throughout the world yet, the Negro is still not free, Despite contradictory ideas within the American public, they are forced to feel sympathy for the negro because of these words being spoken. Finally the use of personal pronouns within all three speeches. Martin Luther king specifies the Negro as his personal pronoun, the use of the word in his speech is not to offend but to educate that the African American is still not free; he addresses the Negro people in the crowd and the world. â€Å"But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination† But not only does he address these people, the speech is aimed at white people because they are the oppressors, yet martin Luther king decides to address the Negro as his collective, everyone who attended that speech was addressed, martin Luther king used personal pronouns to persuade and win over his audience and he changed and aided the African American revolution for the better. In JFK’s civil rights message he uses personal pronouns to win over and side with the audience members. Negro† and â€Å"American† are the two personal pronouns used the most throughout this speech. These are used so that everyone is included within this speech, and hence everyone can be persuaded that a change is needed because they feel as if JFK is talking to them, the use of personal pronoun within all three speeches is used to persuade and win over the people receiving the speeches. â€Å"I hope that every American, regardless of where he lives, will stop and examine his conscience about this and other related incidents. † This is speaking out to all Americans in a way through the use of a personal pronoun.

Lincoln and Kennedy Assassination Similarities Essay Example for Free

Lincoln and Kennedy Assassination Similarities Essay Similarities between the Lincoln and Kennedy Assassinations Both American presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy (JFK) were tragically assassinated during their terms in office. Both men, admired by many, were hated by many who opposed their political views. Very shortly after the Kennedy assassination in November of 1963, a strikingly similar comparison of the circumstances of his death and the death of Lincoln in 1865 surfaced media everywhere. These comparisons have both fueled conspiracies and pointed out some amazingly specific coincidences. Some examples include: -Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846/Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946 -Lincoln was elected president in 1860/Kennedy was elected president in 1960 -Both of their wives lost a child while living in the White House -Both were directly concerned with Civil Rights -Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy who warned him not to go to the theater/Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln who warned him not to go to Dallas -Both were shot in the back of the head in front of their wives -Lincoln was shot in the Ford Theatre/Kennedy was shot in a Lincoln (made by Ford) -Both shot on Fridays -Booth shot Lincoln in a theater and fled to a warehouse/Oswald shot Kennedy from a warehouse and fled to a theater -Both assassins were killed before being brought to trial -Lincolns successor was Andrew Johnson (born in 1808)/Kennedys successor was Lyndon Johnson (born in 1908) -both presidents last names contain letters While entertaining, most people argue that these coincidences could have occurred to anyone. Several say that similarities between two people can be found easily with a small analysis. Nevertheless, the conspiracy boggles the minds of Americans daily.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth: Creative Writing

Journey to the Centre of the Earth: Creative Writing Thus the memorable session ended. This discussion had thrown me into a fever. I left my uncle’s study dazed; I felt there was not enough air to  breath in all the streets of Hamburg put together. So I decided to walk made to the banks of the Elbe. Was I really convinced of the truth or did I just bend under the rule of Professor Lidenbrock’s? However, I must confess that I did remember being convinced, although my enthusiasm was now beginning to fade  Ã¢â‚¬Å"This is all very absurd!’ I exclaimed. â€Å"No sensible man should ever entertain such a proposal. I must have had a bad dream.† I walked along the banks of the Elbe and working my way along the port I reached the Altona road where I saw Grà ¤uben walking gracefully back to Hamburg. â€Å"Grà ¤uben!† I shouted from a distance. â€Å"Axel!† she was rather surprised to see me there. She looked at me and noticed the distress and uneasy look on face. â€Å"What is the matter ?† she asked. And in a few seconds she was fully informed about the position of affairs. She listened attentively and remained silent for a few seconds. â€Å"Axel,† she said at last. â€Å"It’ll be a wonderful journey.† â€Å"Grà ¤uben, are you not going to stop me from going on such an  expedition?† â€Å"No, Axel, and I would have loved to go with but this poor girl will only be in your way† She was not afraid to join in herself and persuaded me  to take part in such an expedition! Night had fallen by the time we got home to Kà ¶nigstrasse. I expected  to find the house quiet, but I had forgotten about the professor’s impatience. I found him shouting and rushing round amongst a crowd of porters who were busy laoding boxes in the passage. â€Å" Axel, where have you been ?† he shouted. â€Å"Your boxes are not packed â€Å" â€Å"Are we really leaving?† I asked as I stood there motionless. â€Å"Of couse, we are!† â€Å"Day after tomorrow, crack of dawn.† I could hear no more and I took refuge in my little room. I could barely catch a wink that night and was called early the next morning. I decided not to open the door. But could resist the sweet voice saying of Grà ¤uben calling me . I came out and dragged Grà ¤uben  into the professor’s study. â€Å"Uncle, it is only the 16th of May and we have time until the end of June. What is the need to hurry?† I asked. â€Å"If we waited until 22 June, we would arrive too late to see the shadow of Scartaris playing along the crater of Snaefells! We have to get to Copenhagen as quickly as possible and try to find some means of transport there. Go and pack your trunk.† There was nothing more I could say. I went back up to my room. Grà ¤uben came with me. She immediately took charge, carefully packing  into a small suitcase the things needed for my journey. Finally the last strap had been tightened round the trunk. I went downstairs again. Throughout the day, more and more suppliers of scientific instruments,  firearms, and electrical apparatus arrived. Martha was in a terrible tizzy. Evening came. I was no longer aware of the passing of time. â€Å"See you tomorrow morning† said my uncle. â€Å"We will depart at six sharp.† I woke at five the next morning. My uncle was at table gobbling his breakfast. I couldn’t eat. At half past five, there was a rattling of wheels in the street. A large carriage arrived to take us to Altona station. It was soon piled up with our trunks. Meanwhile my uncle was solemnly putting the reins of the house in  Grà ¤uben’s hands. She kissed us goodbye. â€Å"Go, dear Axel.† You are leaving a fiancà ©e but you will come back to  a wife.† I held her briefly in my arms, then got into the carriage. She and  Martha waved us a last goodbye from the front door and the two horses, galloped off towards Altona. We had crossed the border into Holstein Province. Altona, a suburb of Hamburg, is the terminus of Kiel railway, which was to carry us to Belts. Soon the carriage pulled up in front of the station. My uncle’s  numerous packages and bulky trunks were offloaded and loaded into the luggage van. At seven o’clock, the steam-whistle blew, we were sitting opposite each other in our compartment and the locomotive moved off. We were off. We were alone in the carriage, but did not speak. My uncle checked his pockets and travelling-bag, I noticed that that not forgotten a single item needed for this project. Amongst other papers, there was a note addressed to the Danish consulate, signed by Mr Christiensen, who was the consul-general in Hamburg  and a good friend of the professor’s, this was to pave the way to an introduction to  the Governor of Iceland. I also noticed the famous document, which was carefully hidden away in a secret compartment of his portfolio. A little later the train reached Kiel, a stone’s throw from the sea and our luaggage was transferred on to the steamship. The streamer, Ellenora was not due to leave until after nightfall. We had nine hours to kill and so we set off to explore the town. At half past ten the smoke rose from the Ellenora into the sky and the steamer moved rapidly over the dark waters of the Great Belt. It was a dark night; there was a strong breeze and a the sea was very rough sea, we could see nothing except some occasional fires on shore and a lighthouse. At seven in the morning reached Korsor, a little town in the west coast of New Zealand. We were then transferred to another train. It took three hours to reach the capital of Denmark. My unclehadn’t shut his eyes all night. Finally we reached Copenhagen at Ten in the morning. We then took a cab to the Phoenix Hotel in Breda Gate. As soon as we reached the hotel, my uncle dragged me out of my room to go to the Museum of Northern Antiquities. He wanted to hand over the letter of recommendation to the director of this establishment, a friend of the Danish consul in Hamburg. The director had been informed that we were tourists bound for Iceland, and he did all he could to assist us. We visited the quays with the object of looking for a next ship to sail. A little Danish schooner, the Valkyrie, was due to sail for Reykjavik on 2 June. The captain, a Mr Bjarne, was on board. He told us to be on board by 7 a.m. on Tuesday. We then thanked Mr. Thomson for all his help and returned to the Phoenix. â€Å"Now let’s eat some breakfast and and then we can visit the town.† We first went to Kongens-nye-Torw, then we had a scrumptous breakfast at a french restaurant run by a French chef called Vincent. Then I took a childish pleasure in exploring the town, with my uncle. But he took notice of nothing ,not even the Royal Palace, nor the pretty seventeenth-century bridge across the canal in front of the museum. Except  when we arrived at the Vor Frelsers Kirke. There was not special about the church but its spire had attracted Professor’s attention. â€Å"Let us go up there,† he said. â€Å"But I may feel dizzy,† I said ‘All the more reason: we have to get used to it.’ I had no choice but to obey him. A caretaker who lived across the on the  street gave us the key, and our ascent began. My uncle went first, and I followed him slowly for I was sure to feel dizzy. At first everything went well. But after 150 spiral steps the air suddenly hit me in the face: we had arrived on the platform. This was where the open-air staircase began, protected only by a thin rail, the steps were now getting narrower, and seemed to up into infinity space. I started feeling dizzy. â€Å" I can’t do this,† I cried ‘Of course you can! You are not a coward? Start climbing!’ my uncle said in a very stern voice. The open air made my head turn. My legs began to give way. Soon I was crawling on my knees, then on my stomach. I closed my eyes and at last we reached the apex. â€Å"Open your eyes, Alex,† he shouted. â€Å"You need take a lesson in abysses† I opened my eyes. Above my head the clouds drifted past. I could see greenery on one side and the sparkling sea on the other side. My first lesson in dizziness lasted an hour. When at last I was allowed to come down and set foot again on the firm pavements of the streets, I was aching all over. â€Å"We shall do this again tomorrow,† said the Professor. And thus I was forced to undergo this anti-vertigo exercise for five days in succession! The day for our departure had arrived. The day before we left, Mr. Thomson visited us and gave us letters of recommendation for Count Trampe, the governor of Iceland, Mr Petursson, the bishop’s suffragan, and Mr Finsen, the mayor of Reykjavik. On 2nd at six in the evening we boarded the Valkyrie. And soon the schooner made full sail through the straits. â€Å"Is the wind favorable?† enquired my uncle. â€Å"Perfect,† replied Captain Bjarne. â€Å"How long will the journey take?† enquired my uncle. â€Å"Roughly about ten days, if we don’t have too many nor’wester passing the Faroes.’ The crossing did not involve any special incident.But my uncle was ill all thought the voyage. As a result, he was unable to converse with the Captian about the subject of Snaefell. He had to put off all his questions until he arrived, and spent all his time lying in the cabin. A few days later the  Valkyrie finally dropped its anchor in Faxa Bay, a little before Reykjavik.The professor finally came out of his cabin, a little weak, but still enthusiastic and with a gleam of satisfaction in his eye. As soon as the schooner was anchored, my uncle rushed out. But  before leaving the deck, he dragged me forward; pointing his finger at a distant mountain with two points on top, a double cone covered with perpetual snows. â€Å"Snaefell,† he shounted with joy and made a gesture indicating total secrecy, and then climbed down into the waiting boat. Soon we were treading the soil of Iceland itself. The first we met was the governor of the island, Baron Trampe himself. The professor presented the governor with the letters from Copenhagen and launched into a short conversation in Danish. My uncle also received a warm welcome from the mayor, Mr Finsen and Mr Fridriksson. Mr Fridriksson was a good natured gentleman who taught natural scienecs  at Reykjavik School. This humble scholar spoke only Icelandic and Latin and  was in fact the only person I could converse with during my entire stay in Iceland. He even offered us two rooms in his house to stay in. â€Å"Axel,† said my uncle, â€Å"there is no time to lose, I am going to the library to look for some manuscript of Saknussemm. â€Å"Okay, I will explore the town while you explore the library’† I said stepped out to roam the streets of Rejkiavik. After a good walk I returned to Mr Fridriksson’s house: my uncle was already there, together with his host at the dinner table. He devoured his portion voraciously. Mr Fridriksson asked him if he has any success at the library. â€Å"Your library is deserted and has nothing but a few tattered books† my uncle replied. If you will tell me what books you are looking for, perhaps I may be of some assistance to you. My uncle hesitated at first and then decided to speak. â€Å" Monsieur Fridrikssen, I wish to know if you have any works of of a certain Arne Saknussemm.† â€Å"Arne Saknussemm! Are you referring to that scholar of the sixteenth Century, the great alchemist,† asked Mr. Fridrikssen. â€Å"Yes, I am!â€Å" replied my uncle. â€Å"His works do not exist, in Iceland or anywhere else,† he cried. â€Å"What, why is that?† my uncle asked in astonishment. Arne Saknussemm was persecuted for heresy, and his works  were burned in 1573 by the hand of the executioner in Copenhagen.† â€Å"Yes, this explains everything,† said my uncle. â€Å" Now I understand why Saknussemm had to conceal the secret in an incomprehensible word-puzzle† â€Å"What secret?† asked Mr Fridriksson keenly My uncle stammered: â€Å"No, nothing.† Mr Fridriksson, was kind enough not to pursue the topic any more. â€Å"I hope that you will not leave our island without exploring its mineral riches?† he told my uncle. â€Å"There are many mountains, glaciers, volcanoes there are to be studied,  and explored! Look at that mountain on the horizon. It is called Snaefell.† â€Å"It is an unusual volcano, whose crater is rarely visited. It is extinct for the last five hundred years,† he continued. ‘Well!’ replied my uncle, frantically tapping his legs and trying really hard so as not to jump into the air. â€Å"I will begin my geological studies with this Snyfil. . . Feless. . . what is it called?† â€Å"Snaefell,† repeated Mr Fridriksson. My uncle was trying really hard to conceal his excitement. â€Å"Yes,’ said my uncle, we will try and climb this Snaefell, perhaps even try and study its crater!† â€Å"It seems a very good idea, Professor Lidenbrock, to begin with this  volcano. But you will have to go by land as we do not possess any small boat in Reykjavik.† â€Å"But I can offer you a guide, who is not only reliable and also very intelligent and speaks perfect Danish,† cried Mr. Fridriksson. â€Å"Very well then, can I meet him today?† asked my uncle. â€Å"I am afraid, he will only be here tomorrow.† â€Å"Tomorrow then,† my uncle replied with a sigh.

Conflict in the Twilight :: history

Conflict in the Twilight When has war ever been fair, just or necessary? Yet, we all wage wars. In my opinion all wars are a result of the breakdown of the rules of society which leads to the polarization of sensibility and reason. The root cause of the problem is usually trivial compared to the consequential disaster. No reason can warrant the taking of precious innocent lives; yet wars take place despite the wisdom and the best efforts of the human race, almost as if they are preordained. I don’t believe they are preordained, but they are certainly bred. As we are taught right from wrong each one of us builds an ideology based on teachings and experiences. This ideology, which is ideally meant to make one a better human being, becomes the reason for conflict when one is rigid and applies one’s standards onto others. As soon as the first bullet is fired both sides are on a roller coaster and they live off a mixture of ego, righteousness, comradeship, strategies, victories, setbacks and revenge. The situation grows to obsession and desperation and soon the gloves are off - the nastier the better. During WW II the British were fighting the war as gentlemen but British parliamentarian, Mr. R. T. Bower, said, â€Å"when you are fighting for your life against a ruthless opponent you cannot be governed by Queensberry rules†- the code that governs boxing. Speaking about the government policy of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain he is claimed to have said â€Å"The government would rather lose the war under Queensberry rules than do anything unbecoming to an absolutely perfect gentleman†. â€Å"That kind of thing will not do† he said. Soon after Winston Churchill took over as Prime Minister the policy changed and covert operations were executed to set Europe ablaze by sabotage, assassinations and a host of other irregular warfare. It has happened in every war and on every side. In the twilight the right and the wrong look similar, such are the times that we live in. The ‘A’ bomb was invented and immediately used. It may have brought an end to the war but the Japanese people have yet to recover from the psychological trauma of the event. They shun violence and their constitution forbids them to send their troops out of Japan, not even for the United Nations, except, recently, as peace keepers. Their constitution was written for them by the Americans after the war but even after all these years of economic development, which has made them an economic super power, they are not willing to change that provision in their constitution.

Stem Cell Research: Scientific Advancement vs. Human Rights Essay

Introduction to Stem Cells As improvements in scientific technology and techniques allow for better observations and insights into the natural world, so to do advancements in medical research occur on a seemingly daily basis. On such research topic that has found itself the center of a global debate is the issue of stem cell research. Hailed by some as one of the most dynamic areas of research ever to exist, it is thought to be the next big â€Å"revolution† in medicine, surpassing even the advent of anesthesia and antibiotics (Towns, 2004). Though the reputation does not come without controversy, stem cell research can be found in the headlines of news publications for changes in policy or position on the topic equally as much as breakthroughs in research. With the recent death of former President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy’s pledge to find a cure for the debilitating Alzheimer’s disease from which he suffered, stem cell research became a leading domestic issue in the President race of 2004. Defined as â€Å"unspecialized cells that renew themselves for long periods through cell division† and â€Å"under certain physiological or experimental conditions. . . can be induced to become cells with special functions,† stem cells hold the key to many developmental mysteries for biologist (National, 2002). Originally described by Owen in 1945 when studying chimerism in a pair of twin cows (Cogle, 2003), stems cell research has gained momentum since the mid 1970’s culminating with the first successful culturing of human embryonic stem cells in November 1998 at the University of Wisconsin. Scientists currently working with both animal and human stem cells are currently working at identifying the factors behind stem cells’ ability to remain u... ...Reproductive BioMedicine Online. Jun2003, Vol. 6 Issue 4, p438. Theodosius. â€Å"Embryonic stem cell research in the perspective of Orthodox Christianity.† Orthodox Church in America. (Website). Last Updated 10/17/2001. http://www.oca.org/pages/ocaadmin/documents/Pastoral-Letters/2001-Stem-Cell-Research.html Towns, C. R.; Jones, D. G. â€Å"Stem cells, embryos, and the environment: a context for both science and ethics.† Journal of Medical Ethics. Aug2004, Vol. 30 Issue 4, p410-13. University of Wisconson. â€Å"Embryonic Stem Cells: Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.† (Website). http://www.news.wisc.edu/packages/stemcells/. Vogel, Gretchen. â€Å"Can Adult Stem Cells Suffice?† Science. 06/08/2001 , Vol. 292 Issue 5523, p1820-22. Vogel, Gretchen. â€Å"Regulations Constrain Stem Cell Research Across the Globe.† Science. 8/9/2002 , Vol. 297 Issue 5583, p924 Stem Cell Research: Scientific Advancement vs. Human Rights Essay Introduction to Stem Cells As improvements in scientific technology and techniques allow for better observations and insights into the natural world, so to do advancements in medical research occur on a seemingly daily basis. On such research topic that has found itself the center of a global debate is the issue of stem cell research. Hailed by some as one of the most dynamic areas of research ever to exist, it is thought to be the next big â€Å"revolution† in medicine, surpassing even the advent of anesthesia and antibiotics (Towns, 2004). Though the reputation does not come without controversy, stem cell research can be found in the headlines of news publications for changes in policy or position on the topic equally as much as breakthroughs in research. With the recent death of former President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy’s pledge to find a cure for the debilitating Alzheimer’s disease from which he suffered, stem cell research became a leading domestic issue in the President race of 2004. Defined as â€Å"unspecialized cells that renew themselves for long periods through cell division† and â€Å"under certain physiological or experimental conditions. . . can be induced to become cells with special functions,† stem cells hold the key to many developmental mysteries for biologist (National, 2002). Originally described by Owen in 1945 when studying chimerism in a pair of twin cows (Cogle, 2003), stems cell research has gained momentum since the mid 1970’s culminating with the first successful culturing of human embryonic stem cells in November 1998 at the University of Wisconsin. Scientists currently working with both animal and human stem cells are currently working at identifying the factors behind stem cells’ ability to remain u... ...Reproductive BioMedicine Online. Jun2003, Vol. 6 Issue 4, p438. Theodosius. â€Å"Embryonic stem cell research in the perspective of Orthodox Christianity.† Orthodox Church in America. (Website). Last Updated 10/17/2001. http://www.oca.org/pages/ocaadmin/documents/Pastoral-Letters/2001-Stem-Cell-Research.html Towns, C. R.; Jones, D. G. â€Å"Stem cells, embryos, and the environment: a context for both science and ethics.† Journal of Medical Ethics. Aug2004, Vol. 30 Issue 4, p410-13. University of Wisconson. â€Å"Embryonic Stem Cells: Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.† (Website). http://www.news.wisc.edu/packages/stemcells/. Vogel, Gretchen. â€Å"Can Adult Stem Cells Suffice?† Science. 06/08/2001 , Vol. 292 Issue 5523, p1820-22. Vogel, Gretchen. â€Å"Regulations Constrain Stem Cell Research Across the Globe.† Science. 8/9/2002 , Vol. 297 Issue 5583, p924

Ligation of EGFP into pET41a(+) vector transformed into E. coli cells :: PCR amplification of extracted DNA plasmid

Ligation of EGFP into pET41a(+) vector transformed into E. coli cells followed by PCR amplification of extracted DNA plasmid for success evaluation along with gel electrophoresis at each step. Introduction Enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was originally isolated from a bioluminescent jellyfish called Aequorea victoria. As suggested by the name, this protein fluoresces green when exposed to light in the ultraviolet range. The ultimate goal of the following experiment was to successfully create a pET41a(+)/EGFP recombinant plasmid that was transformed into live E. coli cells. The success of this transformation could be evaluated based on whether EGFP’s fluorescence properties were displayed by the colony in question. The protein’s fluorescence properties â€Å"triggered the widespread and growing use of GFP as a reporter for gene expression and protein localization in a broad variety of organisms† (Ormo, et. al., 1996). Although EGFP and GFP differ for a few amino acids that make EGFP’s fluorescence mildly stronger, the basic principle that such a protein allows for the evaluation of transformation success remains intact. The first step of the experiment was ligation, and the objective was to insert EGFP cDNA into a restriction cut pET41a(+) vector to obtain a recombinant plasmid that would express green fluorescent gene. pET41a(+) was the choice of vector to ligate the EGFP into. Its structural design and genomic sequential properties render it especially well-suited for cloning and high-level expression of peptide sequences. This 5933 bp circular vector contains a built in sequence for Kanamayacin resistance gene. â€Å"Rooting of non-transgenic shoots was completely inhibited in all culture media containing kanamycin† (Montserrat, et. al., 2001). This allowed the growth of recombinant and non-recombinant colonies of E. coli, all of which contained the vector insert. Once the recombinant plasmid was obtained, it was then inserted into E. coli cells through transformation. From a successful transformation, we expected the bacterial cells to translate the inserted EGFP sequence into its protein form. The bacteria cultures were plated on petri dishes containing growth supplement, Luria Broth (LB), an antibiotic: Kanamycin, and IPTG which induced the fluorescence property within successfully transformed bacterial colonies. Different variants of the petri dishes were also included as control and unknown. The miniprep consisted of isolating the DNA plasmid from the bacterial cells. This was used to identify the success of EGFP ligation into pET41a(+) vector upon restriction digest and gel electrophoresis. Additionally, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was run on the isolated DNA plasmids with one of the primers specifically annealing to a part of pET41a(+) sequence and the other annealing to the EGFP gene.