Audience Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Audience - Assignment Example mon point in all these appeals is that they try to persuade the customer that his or her life will be better off and so much simpler, convenient and complete that he or she cannot afford to miss the opportunity of trying out the product or service at least once to see for themselves. It then remains to be seen if the manufacturer or advertiser’s claims are valid and this decision will be made by the user after he or she tries the product or service and records his or her feelings, measures of satisfaction and desire to purchase or not once again. This paper will comment on the advertisements in popular magazines like Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Cosmopolitan and the like and make comments on their specific appeals to audiences based on seven separate characteristics: age, culture or ethnic background, social status and education, income and occupation, religion, political affiliation, and gender. It is natural and desirable for marketers and advertisers to aim their advertisement at specific groups of potential or actual customers called the Target Market, based on common characteristics as defined by their particular demographics, psychographics, and lifestyle values. Trying to target everyone with one advertisement would admittedly be difficult- people are different and have distinct needs, desires and aspirations that have to be catered to. One may be influenced by price, another by quality, and a third by size and convenience of the product or service being offered. We will now try to choose and understand the audience appeals of five advertisements based on the various appeal characteristics as outlined above. Both verbal and visual appeals are generally used to attract and ensnare buyers into trying out a product or service. While it was previously okay just to advertise the benefits of a product or service and nothing more, hoping that the buyer would buy and try the product or service out of sheer need or curiosity, today’s marketers try to

Important challenge facing management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Important challenge facing management - Essay Example Other times the employee’s pay is low with minimal benefits. This could greatly affect an employee. Some employees also lack the necessary skills and qualifications required for the job. There are many ways to address the issue of employee performance. Proper pay and remuneration of employees will motivate them to work harder and more effectively. It is also important to have effective screening processes to ensure that the ideal worker gets the job, which they are most comfortable doing. This ensures that one excels in their area of specialization (DuBrin, 2009). It is also necessary to set a good example for the employees. They need motivation by the leadership of the organization, and this should inspire them to work harder. One should also engage in creative discussion with the employees so that they can freely voice their opinions concerning work and the workplace environment. This will help tackle the issue of employee

Uncontrolled Proliferation of Cells: Lung Cancer

Uncontrolled Proliferation of Cells: Lung Cancer Exhibit the uncontrolled proliferation of cells and constant progress of malignant cells in the body. 1.6.2.1. Lung Cancer: The normal lungs tissues are composed by normal cells and they are intending to determine the right size, appropriate shape and the normal function of the lungs. In a cancerous cell, the genetic material DNA is altered by the encoding of the genes which are responsible for the transformation of normal cells into muted or cancerous cells. The lung cancer is classified into two major categories, known as small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The SCLC is exceptionally assertive, and it spreads all over the body very rapidly. A high percentage of the lung cancer patients, when diagnosed, are already in metastatic phase of the disease (48). NSCLC is the most common type oflung cancer. It usually grows and develops gradually, and progress at moderate rate as compared tosmall cell lung cancer. Therefore, it is treatable most of the times when NSCLC is diagnosed. 1.6.2.1.1. Risk Factors for Lung Cancer: Research has proposed numerous risk factors that may contribute to enhance the chances of getting lung cancer. They may include air pollution, and exposure to inorganic compounds. Additionally, family history, use of tobacco, mineral oil exposure, and occupational contact may contribute to the development of lung cancer. Furthermore in certain cases it was also observed that the previous cancer and treatment, silica interaction, inhalation of welding fumes, are also responsible for developing lung cancer in humans as well. 1.6.2.2. Blood Cancer: Blood is a unique type of body fluid. The main component of blood is plasma, which is a yellowish high viscous liquid and is more than 90% of the blood. The solid material present in the blood consist of platelets, red and white blood cells, whereas whole blood is a mixture of about 55 percent plasma and 45 percent blood cells. It has been observed that 7 to 8 percent of the total body weight is consist on blood whereas an average-sized man has about 12 pints of blood in his body, and an average-sized woman has about 9 pints of blood (49). The blood looks like a red fluid due to the presence of a great numbers of red blood cells called erythrocytes, and more than 40 – 45 % of blood volume consist of erythrocytes. The leukocytes are white blood cells and they are part of our immune system. The task of immune system is to offer defense to the body of an organism against undesirable entities present inside the body as well as in the environment. Another specialized type of white blood cells is neutrophil, which get stimulated immediately after the invasion of any foreign particles and disease causing agent to the body. Blood plasma is composed of 92% of water and 8% plasma proteins, mineral ions, glucose, clotting factors and carbon dioxide, serum albumin, lipoprotein particles, immunoglobulin electrolytes, etc. Blood plays a vital role in keeping an organism alive. If for some reason blood is not healthy enough or it is not able to perform its functions properly, the situation could be life threatening. Blood performs many different functions inside the body that include, supplying oxygen and nutrients all over the body. It has specific proteins that help in forming blood clots to avoid excessive blood loss, which is a natural mechanism for the repair of cells. In addition, it manages waste products such as urea; lactic acid and carbon dioxide by collecting from our body take them to the kidneys and liver, which sieve out harmful species from blood. Furthermore, blood normalizes and maintains normal body temperature. It also keeps the normal pH inside the body. The homeostasis mechanism remains dependent on regular circulation of blood inside the body. Blood maintains pressure inside the body in order to coup the out side pressure i.e. atmospheric pressure exerted by air and this pressure i s approximately 14lb/ sq inch (50). There are various types of blood cancer that have been discovered in human beings. The most frequent diagnosed blood cancers areleukemia, lymphoma, andmyeloma. All cellular blood components are derived fromhaematopoietic stem cells. The hematopoietic process is controlled through a series of chemical reactions, which are regulated with the support of immune system. A failure in any of these steps can lead to the uncontrolled division of immature blood cells. These types of malfunction can occur due to a variety of reasons, including spontaneous gene mutation and chromosomal aberrations and exposure to chemicals and radiations etc. Blood cancer is the result of abnormal development of bone marrow or the collapse of lymphatic system. Malignancies caused by blood cancer have shown distinct rate of augmentation that are directly associated with the type of blood cancer, and patient’s capacity of tolerance. However, rate of survival with blood cancer has dramatically increased in late 20th century due to the improvement of invasive treatment and the development of new strategies with the compliance of revolutionary medicines. Despite this fact, the timely diagnosis of blood cancer is highly manageable in these days. Like every cancer, blood cancer also starts from a single cell that has abnormal or mutant DNA in its nucleus. That muted cell divides rapidly and forms a bulk of abnormal cells. This bulk of cells, rather than maturing and completing its life cycle and following a pattern of natural death, it starts accumulating in the body of an organism until the individual is diagnosed with blood cancer. Nevertheless the causes of blood cancer remain unidentified. However, it is imperative to know the rationale explanation for the initiation of these irregularities in the bone marrow, which is the main cause of transformation of a healthy cell to cancerous cell. 1.6.2.2.1. Risk Factors for Blood Cancer: The immune system has an assigned and a prominent role endowed by nature, which is to provide protection to a body against internal and external factors that may initiate a chain of disorders and in turn can cause serious consequences for the body in the form of disease. The defective or damaged immune system cannot perform in adequate manners and therefore, in this situation, the risk of having cancer increases at the magnitude of many folds. Certain factors that can influence the immune system are exposure to viruses and chemicals. Furthermore, contaminated environment and infections have also been associated with poor defense system and, consequently, have been linked to a cause of blood cancer as well. It is also reported that there are many other cancer triggering agents such as tobacco, radiation exposure, growing older, and family history, which may also contribute to the etiology of blood cancer. Blood cancer may also be inherited but cancer usually skips generations and can be transmitted to more than one member of a family. There are two types of blood cancer; chronic type of blood cancer develops slowly over a period of years while acute cancer develops rapidly and when it diagnosed it could be too late to be cured (51). 1.6.2.3. Breast Cancer: Although it has been observed that the occurrences of cancer have considerably decreased in United States in last three decades. The breast cancer is still at the top among the other types of cancers in European nations such as Spain, Portugal, Greece, Hungary, Poland, and Italy (52). It has been observed that for a long period of time breast cancer was the foremost cause of death in North America and Northern Europe (53) while least number of breast cancer cases were registered in Asia and Africa. In addition, other countries such as Southern Europe and Latin America show that the number of breast cancer patients remains the same and not very distinct among the other types of cancer (54). Therefore, it is a distinguished feature that could be monitored and enable the scientist to a point where they can speculate the reasons for the existence of this type of trend. Moreover, they were being able to establish some guidelines that were helpful in determining the order of severity of the disease in these regions. Breast cancer is known to have a long latency period; there may be several decades between the initiation of the carcinogenic process and clinical detection (55). Environmental factors during embryogenesis, childhood, and adolescence may affect breast cancer occurrence in adulthood by enhancing or deterring carcinogenic processes (56). The embryo develops rapidly and toxic agents that do cross the placental barrier can have specific effects on organ development depending on the time at which the exposure occurs (57). Even though breast tissue begins to differentiate by the fourth week of development, the breast has distinct features among body parts in contrast to other body parts in that it remains relatively unchanged until puberty or later. Environment in which we live and breathe is already contaminated with various types of chemicals. These chemicals present in the environment can behave as an impersonator of certain hormones and they can impact the other chemical reactions inside the body of an organism, as well as the cell division. Some breast tumors depend on estrogen for their occurrence and progression. The chemicals and trace elements that can influence the metabolism of estrogen, prop the development of breast tumor. For example, preliminary research suggests that the exposure to an environment that is contaminated with estrogen 4-octylphenol is highly linked with the risk of breast cancer (58). In another study it was found that the metal ions in the environment are capable of promotion of DNA double-strand breaks and the process of strand-breakage is complicated however it has the ability to replicate the altered DNA. This is probably the consequence of conversion of a DNA single-strand break into double-str and breaks (59). Nevertheless, the authors have reached the consensus that the metals ions have the ability to initiate many trails that can make a cell vulnerable and expose it to toxic elements, which could increase the risk of breast cancer. Antioxidants that have selenium as an essential part of their structure can provide protection by pursuing free radicals in the upper lining of epithelial cells in the breast. 1.6.2.3.1. Risk Factors for Breast Cancer: The involvements of certain factors, which are consistently found in the history of cancer patients, are known to be as â€Å"established risk factors†. For instance, getting older and having regular menstrual periods earlier or going through menopause later in life are considered as established risk factors. Moreover, having a first baby late in life or not having any pregnancy in their life time is well known established risk factor. It was also observed that the risk was significantly elevated among those who have family history of having breast cancer in their blood relatives such as mother or sisters and the siblings of parents as well. It is also important that the breast cancer victim have the radiation exposure in their record (64). A study shows that trace elements exposure increases the risk of breast cancer occurrence as well. 1.7. Cancer and Trace Elements: The physiochemical properties of a metal greatly contribute to the determination of the toxicity of their compounds such as oxidation state, charge and ionic radii, the coordination number, ionization potential, etc. The similar physiochemical properties of a toxic metal, such as charge and size as those of essential ions, may compete for the biological binding sites of the latter and cause structural perturbations resulting in peculiar function of biochemical macromolecules. 1.7.1. Cancer and Chromium: Chromium is a human carcinogen primarily through inhalation exposure in occupational settings. Although lung cancer has been established as a consequence of hexavalent chromium exposure in smokers and nonsmokers, some cancers of other tissues of the gastrointestinal and central nervous systems have also been noticed (65). Several studies of the chrome-plating industry have demonstrated a positive relationship between cancer and exposure to chromium compounds (66). The chromium (VI) compounds are toxic and carcinogenic. These compounds have a wide range of capabilities and can contribute to the development of cancer. The bronchial tree is the major target organ for carcinogenic effects of chromium (VI) compounds. Chromium (VI) is a powerful epithelial irritant and a confirmed human carcinogen. Cancer primarily occurs following inhalation exposure and uptake in the respiratory organs. This is of great significance with respect to the subsequent risk of lung cancer in humans. IARC has stated that chromium and certain chromium compounds have shown sufficient evidences for considering the chromium as a carcinogen for humans. Moreover, the most recent carcinogenic risk of chromium and its compounds was evaluated in another study and an increased incidence of lung cancer has been observed among workers in the chromate producing industry. In addition, it was observed that the chromium alloy workers were diagnosed with lung cancer (67-69). The findings were consistent with the hypothesis that soluble hexavalent chromium compounds are potent human lung carcinogens (70). Subsequently, the same was reported by a prospective cohort study of the same cohort of 1,193 workers at small Japanese plating facilities, while a trend toward statistical significance for risk of lung cancer was seen in the chromium plating subgroup (71). Several studies have shown that chromium (VI) occupational exposure was identified as an important risk factor of lung cancer. Higher percentage of SCLC was found in chromium exposed individuals (72). 1.7.2. Cancer and Selenium: The epidemiological survey and the data collected by several scientists have irrefutably reported that selenium is an antioxidant and can be used as an inhibitor of cancer. The flux in genetic material generated by carcinogens or endogenous means has been believed to be crucial for the development of cancer. The role of selenium in a biological system as an anti-carcinogen and the extent of its protective behavior are not implausible. It has been widely recognized, and recommended that the combination of vitamin E, selenium and methionine must be taken as an essential nutrient, however the dose has the ultimate edge over the recommended theory (37). The role of selenium as an essential trace mineral in human health and disease is currently a subject of keen interest. The essential role of selenium for animals was discovered in the 1950s (73) and for humans in the 1970s (74). Selenium has shown to benefit in reducing the risk of cancer incidence and mortality in all cancers, and specifically in liver, prostate, colon-rectal and lung cancers (75). 1.7.3. Lung Cancer and Chromium: Industrial uses of hexavalent chromium compounds include inks, chromate pigments in dyes, anticorrosive agents to paints, and plastics. The use of chromates is tremendously increased due to the development of high technology, such as chromic acid is utilized for electroplating and ornamental purposes as well. Hexavalent chromium can also be formed when performing jobs at elevated temperature such as welding metallic objects. The high temperature favors the conversion of chromium, from one oxidation state to another oxidation state and most likely during the process of welding or coating, the chromium transforms into chromium (VI) (76). Therefore, the excess risk can be contemplated to be the result of exposure to hexavalent chromium. It is important to measure hexavalent chromium exposure and lung cancer risk along with cigarette smoking as a risk factor as well. As a whole, the chromium exposure was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer (77). Hexavalent chromium is not on ly a carcinogenic form of chromium, its adverse health effects have long been known as a risk factor as is reported by Mancuso (78-79). The International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that chromium and certain chromium compounds were known as human carcinogens (80). The Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) for hexavalent chromium is 1 g Cr/m3 (approximately 2 g CrO3/m3) (81). An elevated risk of lung cancer among workers in chromate production facilities has previously been reported. This excess risk is accepted to be the result of exposure to hexavalent chromium. However, the results of other studies indicate that moderate or heavy exposure to zinc chromate may give rise to a severe risk of developing lung cancer, but that exposure is relatively mild or lasts less than a year and may not constitute an effective risk (82). 1.7.4. Blood Cancer and Trace Elements: Bone marrow is the soft tissue located in the cavities of bones and is the source of generating all types of blood cells. It has been observed that the malfunction, nutrient deficiency and the trace elements alteration leads to a condition where the risk of cancer escalates considerably. The various types of blood cancers have been discovered, and it would be very difficult to explain all of them individually. Therefore, it is appropriate to use the general term ‘cancer’ where it permits for all types of blood cancers to be characterized without mentioning their names separately. There are multiple reasons as to why the normal bone marrow starts developing malignant cells. It has been observed that there is a depletion of bone-marrow cells due to deficiencies of trace elements (83). A study revealed remarkable alteration in thetrace elemental concentration of zinc and selenium in both pre-cancer and cancer patients as compared to the control group. In this study it was concluded that there is a critical relationship between alternation in the level oftrace elements, oxidative stress and leukoplakia (84). Another study has suggested that the trace element concentration in the blood of cancerous and controls subjects present a significant difference and it can be related distinctively to the carcinogenesis (85). For instance, copper deficiency affects various physiological characteristics that may be important in immunological defense to pathogenic challenge (86), while certain trace elements level in leukemia patients are considerably higher as compared to the normal individuals (87). Trace elements play an important role in biological processes through their action as activators or inhibitors of enzymatic reaction, or by influencing the permeability of cell membrane or by their essential role as direct anti-oxidant enzymes (88-89). Several researchers have found that the depressed antibody response is the result of deficiency of certain trace elements (90-92). Therefore, malfunctioning of the immune system which in turn creates a suitable environment for the development of leukemia and it has especially demonstrated a high negative correlation between the selenium content of soil and the mortality ofleukemia (93). 1.7.5. Breast Cancer and Trace Elements: Breast tissue is unique due to its complex hormonal influences and dramatic changes during various life events. Individual hormonal levels and metabolism are affected by environmental factors as well and some frequently used chemical and metals that have the ability to disrupt endocrine function and thus mimic the effects of estrogen (94). On a daily basis we interact with various chemicals and some of them are naturally present in our environment and others are the by-products of several industrial process. The breast is a sensitive organ and it responds to even a minor event that occurs in the form of chemical changes inside the body. However, the exposure of certain elements brings changes in the concentration levels present in our body even though these elements are indispensable for the life and also have significant importance for our livelihood. These elements play a very critical role in the body and in certain amount they are advantageous. However, their concentration variat ion may impact the gene activation and is an example of gene-environment interaction as well. For example, in a study it was mentioned that if a woman is already exposed to an organic complex known as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) she still does not have an extraordinary risk of developing breast cancer. While in another research work it has been reported that if a woman shows the combination of both factors, such as if she already has been exposed to PCBs and exhibits the alteration in their CYP1A1 gene, she has immense chances to develop breast cancer in her life time (95). For example, the result of a recent study suggests that cigarette smoke exerts a dual action on the breast, with different effects in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. It is relevant because investigators found an association between environmental carcinogens and putativeendocrinedisruption and risk ofbreast cancer (96). Selenium is an important cofactor in the production of antioxidant enzymes that may influence cancer progression. However, the findings suggest that selenium intake before breast cancer diagnosis may improve breast cancer-specific survival and overall survival (97). On the other hand, the association between selenium and breast cancer has been studied and it was concluded that selenium levels were significantly lower among patients suffering from breast cancer. However contrary reports were also submitted by other researchers and they concluded that they did not find any direct relationship between selenium levels in the blood of patients and breast cancer (98). A study was conducted on Dutch women aged 55–69 years. In this study they tried to find out the association between selenium and breast cancer. The analysis was based on the diagnosis of breast cancer in various patients between one and more than three years. It was found that selenium concentration was considerably lower in the blood of individuals diagnosed earlier during follow-up process. The authors provided no evidence for an inverse association between selenium status and breast cancer (98). 1.8. Analytical Techniques: Analytical techniques are the basic tool for the analysis of chemical elements from major to smaller trace levels in variety of matrices. These tools provide complete information about the composition of a simple to complex substrate and these techniques are usually applied for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of samples of interest. There are many types of analytical techniques available for the analysis of elements in biological matrices in terms of their sensitivity and accuracy. The choice of an analytical technique is contingent to many factors, such as the nature of the problem, type of the sample, elements of interest, and moreover the attention of the analyst that dictates the end use of analytical results (99). However, there are some other traits that may also influence the use of a particular technique for the elemental analysis, for instance the principle, and instrumental limitations. Therefore, every analytical technique may not be considered appropriate for the analysis of certain elements. Moreover, the interference due to the presence of other elements and due to the instrumental technology is another important contributing factor in selection of an analytical technique, as well as the intentions of the scientist which inadvertently dictates the results the analyst would like to obtain from the experiment. A few analytical instrumental techniques are concisely discussed with their limitations and preferences over one another because of their sensitivity and accuracy for the analysis of certain trace elements in human whole blood. 1.8.1. Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometry (ICP): The Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) is a multi-elemental technique that has ensured its place with established techniques such as atomic absorption spectroscopy and x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. It has detection limits that are usually attainable at the parts per billion (ppb) levels, while most of the samples are introduced in liquid form as aqueous solutions. The technique has widespread applications in the fields of metallurgy, geology, environment, agriculture, industries, and biology. The excitation source for ICP is argon plasma that operates at atmospheric pressure and sustained by inductive coupling to a radio frequency electromagnetic field. The plasma furnishes a chemically inert, high temperature environment that is very effective for vaporization, atomization, ionization and excitation of the sample material that is injected into it. Two types of ICPs are discussed here: 1.8.1.1. Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry: The Inductive Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) is inherently a multi-element technique with two types of spectrometer configurations that are used to detect the atomic emission radiations of elements of interest. Simultaneously, Poly-chromators are used for multielement analysis and mono-chromators for sequential multi-element analysis (100). The ICP-AES consists of an excitation sources for atomic emission and a spectrometer that helps in order to detect the emission spectra. Changes in the concentration of coexistent elements may generate gradual changes in the background. These background shifts are assumed to have great importance for the determinations and are made at declining concentration levels. However the stray light may be responsible for this effect (101). The disadvantage of this technique is that some elements readily form non-emitting and refractory oxides that result in an underestimation of their concentration. 1.8.1.2 Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry: In this set up, the ICP source is mounted horizontally and the sample is introduced into the plasma by standard ICP nebulization process. The mass spectrum can be recorded in a short period of time i.e. approximately one minute, and can enable the instrument to analyze the sample at a faster rate than the conventional mass spectrometric technique. The advancement in technology has made the ICP-MS more efficient, and improved its performance due to altering its design of the interface between the atmospheric plasma and the vacuum spectrometer. ICP-MS is incredibly sensitive, with its detection limits of parts per billion (ppb) for most of the elements and exhibit comparatively less spectral interferences. This technique is particularly useful in the analysis of rare earth elements, and appropriate for the analysis of the actinides. These are characterized to produce complex optical spectra. The natural applications of the ICP-MS technique include isotope ratio measurements and isotope dilution analysis as well (101). The emission techniques always presented an incomplete resolution of radiations emitted by the analyte and the back ground interferences. The high temperature supports transitions to various excited states of the atom thus the wavelength of the emission line selected for an analyte may coincide with a line emitted by another component of the sample i.e. direct spectral overlap or the two lines may be so close that they partially overlap i.e. partial or wing overlap with each other. If these lines are not disti nctively separated, the spectral interference may occur, and hence demonstrates a counterfeit level that is higher than the true concentration of the respective element. The ICP-MS is not a pertinent analyzing technique for noble gases. Similarly, halogens and some non-metals are difficult to be analyzed by setting standard parameters of this technique. In addition to that, poor sensitivity of ICP may also be observed for alkali metals. Another disadvantage of this technique is the spectral overlapping generated by the interferences of polybaric, polyatomic and doubly charged ions. As a result, elements like manganese, vanadium, and arsenic are sometimes difficult to determine with good precision at low concentration with ICP-MS. The technique imparts accuracy for solutions; therefore, sample dissolution procedures are recommended, however dissolution may involve additional steps for sample preparation and consequently add up contamination in analyte and introduce more problems to the method of analysis. Therefore, it is not recommended for high purity materials and for those samples that have low levels of elements concentration. In this technique, varieties of interference are met, such as nebulization interferences, transfer and desolvation interferences, chemical interferences, ionization interferences, and atomization and volatilization interferences (102). All interferences introduce the transformation or rotation of the calibration curve. However, ICP-MS is a technique that offers reduced spectral and isotopic interferences. 1.8.2 Anodic Stripping Voltammetry (ASV): The most sensitive analytical technique is anodic stripping technique (ASV) that is convenient and cost effective analytical method for the detection and quantization of metals in drinking water as well as in biological materials (103). The advantage of this technique is that the various metals such as Pb, Cd and Cu can be analyzed simultaneously. The ASV can be considered as a small scale electroplating experiment. The metals are present as an ion form in the solution, and are plated on an electrode by applying a negative potential that initiate deposition on it for a specific period of time. The deposition serves to concentrate the metal ion from the solution on the electrode as metal (0). For example, if the electrode is mercury, the metals often develop a form of amalgam on it. After deposition the potential is switched towards positive potential. The peaks of the current appear at a point where potential corresponds to the oxidation of metal as they are oxidized and back strippe d from the electrode into the solution. The peak height/ area can be correlated with the concentration of the metal ions in the solution. It is necessary to calibrate the procedure with the standard solutions of known quantities of respective metal ions. Along with advantages of ASV, some disadvantages are also associated with this technique as well. For instance, only mixture of metals can be analyzed, however the analysis time is longer than usually taken by spectroscopic method. In addition, the technique is extraordinary sensitive for interferences as well. It is also important to start the analysis by a profe

BYU Student gets booted :: essays research papers

B.Y.U. Student Gets Booted   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Could you imagine being twenty years old , trying to discover yourself, and then being punished for it? Weather you saw it happen on MTV or you heard about it in the news most of us have heard about ex-Real World cast member Julie Stoffer, and the controversy surrounding her appearance on the popular MTV reality show.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Julie Stoffer was born on July 11th 1979 in Provo, Utah. The daughter of devote members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Julie followed in her parents footsteps and decided to attend Brigham Young University. A business major and straight A student Julies responded to an advertisement to audition for MTV’s The Real World printed in the university newspaper during her junior year. Julie told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that she never really thought she would be picked for the show and the free trip to Los Angeles for the audition finals was what she was really after. â€Å" When I went to L.A. it was just life-changing. I got out there and I saw a whole new world I’ve never seen before. I met some really cool people, and I realized, if this experience could be this cool in a couple of days, imagine four months in a new place with new people. I just wanted to see new things, see what I wasn’t seeing in Provo. Julie also ad mitted that she hadn’t had that much exposure to MTV. â€Å" I’d seen a couple of episodes of â€Å"The Real World† at a friends house, but that was it† she told the Deseret News.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Upon entering Belfort Mansion, in New Orleans Julie was immediately faced with the change she had been looking for. Among her roommates Julie found two minorities, and an openly gay male. Most of whom had a set of moral values that were considerably different than hers. From the moment she stepped into the Real World house Julie began dispelling stereotypes associated with Mormonism. During the first hour she is asked if she is married and about weather or not she can drink caffeine. Although it seemed she was uncomfortable answering these questions she did anyway. Julie has said that â€Å" I went into this saying that I was not going to be a representative for Mormonism† however she later recognizes that â€Å" ..in being my religion I am a representative of it.

More than Black & White: I am Who I am Essay

One thing that truly sparked my attention for this assignment is the title, â€Å"Who am I and Why Does it Matter?† Over twenty-two years of my existence, I still ask myself this question every day. I cannot guarantee that I have an absolute answer, for I am still in the process of personal discovery and grasping the concept of personhood that differs at a particular time. What does it really mean to be me, especially at this point in time? Am I the same person now as opposed to say, a decade ago? As I take a step back and recollect all my past experiences in life, I noticed how much I have grown and how my perception of who and what I am has significantly transformed. Each year contributes to my development as I transition from an adolescent into adulthood; each life stage marks a new beginning as I approach closer and closer towards uncovering this indeterminate question of â€Å"Who and what am I†? I identify myself as a man; but what does it really mean to be a man? Is it solely defined by my biological features, the way in which I am genetically born with male genitals? As I continue to dive further into this question, I am reminded once again by John Locke’s Prince and the Cobbler analogy. If the prince, one day, wakes up in the cobbler’s body, is he no longer the prince—and vice versa? To what I remember in my philosophy course, Locke’s objection to the Same-Body Theory, argues that the sameness of body cannot be the gauge of identifying whether or not two individuals are the same person. Similarly, in contemporary times there are individuals who are genetically born as males but identify themselves as females—and vice versa. So if the body is not the sole definition to define gender variations, then what is? Growing up, I was taught that men are expected to be masculine, strong, and brave. Residing in a male-dominant society, often times men are expected to suck up their pain—physically or emotionally. We must play the dominant role and cannot show signs of fear or we would be seen as incompetent. Women, on the other hand, are depicted as a motherly-figure, the nurturer and homemaker; and believe it or not, women are perceived as inferior in contrast to the superiority of male counterparts. It is due to these gender roles that every individual must â€Å"act† a certain way in order to uphold society’s stereotypical views of what is considerably the norms  given these gender variations. And believe me, I am everything NOT what was described above. I am scrawny like a twig, unafraid to show my emotions, still cry like a baby when I need to, and there is relatively a feminine touch within me. I see myself as a man, not because of my physical body or how society shapes the image of what a man is supposed to be. I am a man, because of my own personal values, beliefs and how I was raised—my culture, character, and most importantly, my own shaped image or interpretation of what a man truly entails. In other words, I can associate a man who is unafraid to break boundaries’ directing to traditional gender roles, someone who is confident in his own skin and fearless to show emotions. He is a hero not because he portrayed no signs of weakness or fear. He is a hero because he is unafraid to show those weakness or fear in public, and to conquer them in becoming stronger. It does not matter how society sees you, what really matters, is how you see yourself. Furthermore, it is important for the younger generation to understand the concept that it is okay to be different, and that, gender is in the eyes of the beholder. Women are not any less competent than men, and men are not any less emotional than women. This is an important point to address when working with others either in an academic or working environment. A better understanding of these concepts can help better equip a team-building atmosphere. Placing ourselves in each other’s shoes and seeing things at a different prospect—at different angles, can help improve gender equality. As a result, this constitutes to producing results at its most efficient and effective way. If we take another step back and evaluate other characteristics regarding my personal identity, my race and ethnicity is only a dime size in the deep ocean. I was born in the Guangdong province located in the south of Chinese borders, and again, it is a size of a pencil point if you were to locate it on the map of China. When I first arrived in the United States, my family was exceptionally traditional. It took them approximately a decade to slowly assimilate into the American culture. Furthermore, my parents forced me to study the Cantonese language, along with Mandarin, and my mother constantly remind me to never forge my origins. And now that I am an adult, I take her words dear to my heart. I associate myself with yellow skin and I am proud to be a part of my Chinese heritage. Nonetheless, China has over five  thousand years of history, and countless cultural differences across all regions of People’s Republic. And, because there are so many variations within the Chinese heritage, it is inevitable for others to project misconceptions of Chinese people. Especially in western and European societies, we are being seen as those with squinty eyes, loud, animal abusers, and lack of etiquette and mannerism. I am not saying that there are absolutely no Chinese individuals who fits into those categories, but generally, this reflects upon everyone across all cultures. We live in such a diverse world, and especially in San Francisco, there are innumerable different faces that comes in all shapes and colors. It is important that because we live in a society where diversity is so prominent, we need to learn how to appreciate and accept these differences. Every culture and heritage consists of their own practices, values and beliefs. Do not be shy to showcase who you are, and only judge others similar to how you would like to be judge. I think the reason why there are so many fallacies, and discrimination against a particular race or culture is due to the fact that people are simply unaware, and afraid to accept differences—fear of change . When one is accustomed to a particular culture or language all their lives, they begin to draw barriers and become close minded with regards to the outside world. They become frightened of exploring the new and unfamiliar, and refuse to accept diversities that resides outside their comfort zone—the ambiguous. As educators, peers, working professionals, we need to instruct others to embrace diversity in comprising an all-inclusive environment. That is the reason why I joined ASI Project Connect, is due to the different faces I see, and how they appreciate and accept me for who I am—my race, culture, gender. In order for me to contribute back to ASI, I will use similar attitude to recruit and retain new members, educating them that the beauty of living lies not in all similarities and perfections, but for all the differences to help broaden our knowledge and learn more about other parts of the world. In turn, we improve ourselves on how to treat others with dignity and mutual respect, keeping an open mind and appreciate race and ethnicities at a more personal level. Similar to what Socrates once said, â€Å"The unexamined life is not worth living†. We must not be imprisoned in Plato’s cave forever, not knowing what really occurs outside our familiarity; but instead, we must formulate questions and explore life  outside the cave. Even though it is relatively factual to say that we all share similarities, exposing ourselves with familiar characteristics which reflects another key point in relating to others with parallel interests and retaining them. But within those similarities consists of differences that we should all learn to value and appreciate in order to serve as role-models for new generations. That way, we can better recruit and retain members across all parts of the world who share both similarities AND differences. In this world, there are more than simply black and white, but we live in a society filled with compound colors. How you see yourself is more important than how others see you. You are who you are, and you should not change to fit into certain expectations or societal roles. At the end of each day, ultimately, I am who I am and there’s nothing you can do or say to change me, for I am proud of being simply†¦me!

The Host Chapter 6: Followed

The light was finally fading outside the windows. The day, hot for March, had lingered on and on, as if reluctant to end and set me free. I sniffled and twisted the wet handkerchief into another knot. â€Å"Kathy, you must have other obligations. Curt will be wondering where you are.† â€Å"He'll understand.† â€Å"I can't stay here forever. And we're no closer to an answer than before.† â€Å"Quick fixes aren't my specialty. You are decided against a new host -â€Å" â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"So dealing with this will probably take some time.† I clenched my teeth in frustration. â€Å"And it will go faster and more smoothly if you have some help.† â€Å"I'll be better with making my appointments, I promise.† â€Å"That's not exactly what I mean, though I hope you will.† â€Å"You mean help†¦ other than you?† I cringed at the thought of having to relive today's misery with a stranger. â€Å"I'm sure you're just as qualified as any Comforter-more so.† â€Å"I didn't mean another Comforter.† She shifted her weight in the chair and stretched stiffly. â€Å"How many friends do you have, Wanderer?† â€Å"You mean people at work? I see a few other teachers almost every day. There are several students I speak to in the halls†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Outside of the school?† I stared at her blankly. â€Å"Human hosts need interaction. You're not used to solitude, dear. You shared an entire planet's thoughts -â€Å" â€Å"We didn't go out much.† My attempt at humor fell flat. She smiled slightly and went on. â€Å"You're struggling so hard with your problem that it's all you can concentrate on. Maybe one answer is to not concentrate quite so hard. You said Melanie grows bored during your working hours†¦ that she is more dormant. Perhaps if you developed some peer relationships, those would bore her also.† I pursed my lips thoughtfully. Melanie, sluggish from the long day of attempted comfort, did seem rather unenthused by the idea. Kathy nodded. â€Å"Get involved with life rather than with her.† â€Å"That makes sense.† â€Å"And then there are the physical drives these bodies have. I've never seen or heard of their equal. One of the most difficult things we of the first wave had to conquer was the mating instinct. Believe me, the humans noticed when you didn't.† She grinned and rolled her eyes at some memory. When I didn't react as she'd expected, she sighed and crossed her arms impatiently. â€Å"Oh, come now, Wanderer. You must have noticed.† â€Å"Well, of course,† I mumbled. Melanie stirred restlessly. â€Å"Obviously. I've told you about the dreams†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No, I didn't mean just memories. Haven't you come across anyone that your body has responded to in the present-on strictly a chemical level?† I thought her question through carefully. â€Å"I don't think so. Not so I've noticed.† â€Å"Trust me,† Kathy said dryly. â€Å"You'd notice.† She shook her head. â€Å"Perhaps you should open your eyes and look around for that specifically. It might do you a lot of good.† My body recoiled from the thought. I registered Melanie's disgust, mirrored by my own. Kathy read my expression. â€Å"Don't let her control how you interact with your kind, Wanderer. Don't let her control you.† My nostrils flared. I waited a moment to answer, reining in the anger that I'd never quite gotten used to. â€Å"She does not control me.† Kathy raised an eyebrow. The anger tightened my throat. â€Å"You did not look too far afield for your current partner. Was that choice controlled?† She ignored my anger and considered the question thoughtfully. â€Å"Perhaps,† she finally said. â€Å"It's hard to know. But you've made your point.† She picked at a string in the hem of her shirt, and then, as if realizing that she was avoiding my gaze, folded her hands resolutely and squared her shoulders. â€Å"Who knows how much comes from any given host on any given planet? As I said before, I think time is probably your answer. Whether she grows apathetic and silent gradually, allowing you to make another choice besides this Jared, or†¦ well, the Seekers are very good. They're already looking for him, and maybe you'll remember something that helps.† I didn't move as her meaning sank in. She didn't seem to notice that I was frozen in place. â€Å"Perhaps they'll find Melanie's love, and then you can be together. If his feelings are as fervent as hers, the new soul will probably be amenable.† â€Å"No!† I wasn't sure who had shouted. It could have been me. I was full of horror, too. I was on my feet, shaking. The tears that came so easily were, for once, absent, and my hands trembled in tight fists. â€Å"Wanderer?† But I turned and ran for the door, fighting the words that could not come out of my mouth. Words that could not be my words. Words that made no sense unless they were hers, but they felt like mine. They couldn't be mine. They couldn't be spoken. That's killing him! That's making him cease to be! I don't want someone else. I want Jared, not a stranger in his body! The body means nothing without him. I heard Kathy calling my name behind me as I ran into the road. I didn't live far from the Comforter's office, but the darkness in the street disoriented me. I'd gone two blocks before I realized I was running in the wrong direction. People were looking at me. I wasn't dressed for exercise, and I wasn't jogging, I was fleeing. But no one bothered me; they politely averted their eyes. They would guess that I was new to this host. Acting out the way a child would. I slowed to a walk, turning north so that I could loop around without passing Kathy's office again. My walk was only slightly slower than a run. I heard my feet hitting the sidewalk too quickly, as though they were trying to match the tempo of a dance song. Slap, slap, slap against the concrete. No, it wasn't like a drumbeat, it was too angry. Like violence. Slap, slap, slap. Someone hitting someone else. I shuddered away from the horrible image. I could see the lamp on over my apartment door. It hadn't taken me long to cover the distance. I didn't cross the road, though. I felt sick. I remembered what it felt like to vomit, though I never had. The cold wetness dewed on my forehead, the hollow sound rang in my ears. I was pretty sure I was about to have that experience for my own. There was a bank of grass beside the walk. Around a streetlamp there was a well-trimmed hedge. I had no time to look for a better place. I stumbled to the light and caught the post to hold myself up. The nausea was making me dizzy. Yes, I was definitely going to experience throwing up. â€Å"Wanderer, is that you? Wanderer, are you ill?† The vaguely familiar voice was impossible to concentrate on. But it made things worse, knowing I had an audience as I leaned my face close to the bush and violently choked up my most recent meal. â€Å"Who's your Healer here?† the voice asked. It sounded far away through the buzzing in my ears. A hand touched my arched back. â€Å"Do you need an ambulance?† I coughed twice and shook my head. I was sure it was over; my stomach was empty. â€Å"I'm not ill,† I said I as pulled myself upright using the lamppost for support. I looked over to see who was watching my moment of disgrace. The Seeker from Chicago had her cell phone in her hand, trying to decide which authority to call. I took one good look at her and bent over the leaves again. Empty stomach or no, she was the last person I needed to see right now. But, as my stomach heaved uselessly, I realized that there would be a reason for her presence. Oh, no! Oh, no no no no no no! â€Å"Why?† I gasped, panic and sickness stealing the volume from my voice. â€Å"Why are you here? What's happened?† The Comforter's very uncomforting words pounded in my head. I stared at the hands gripping the collar of the Seeker's black suit for two seconds before I realized they were mine. â€Å"Stop!† she said, and there was outrage on her face. Her voice rattled. I was shaking her. My hands jerked open and landed against my face. â€Å"Excuse me!† I huffed. â€Å"I'm sorry. I don't know what I was doing.† The Seeker scowled at me and smoothed the front of her outfit. â€Å"You're not well, and I suppose I startled you.† â€Å"I wasn't expecting to see you,† I whispered. â€Å"Why are you here?† â€Å"Let's get you to a Healing facility before we speak. If you have a flu, you should get it healed. There's no point in letting it wear your body down.† â€Å"I don't have a flu. I'm not ill.† â€Å"Did you eat bad food? You must report where you got it.† Her prying was very annoying. â€Å"I did not eat bad food, either. I'm healthy.† â€Å"Why don't you have a Healer check? A quick scan-you shouldn't neglect your host. That's irresponsible. Especially when health care is so easy and effective.† I took a deep breath and resisted the urge to shake her again. She was a full head shorter than I was. It was a fight I would win. A fight? I turned away from her and walked swiftly toward my home. I was dangerously emotional. I needed to calm down before I did something inexcusable. â€Å"Wanderer? Wait! The Healer -â€Å" â€Å"I need no Healer,† I said without turning. â€Å"That was just†¦ an emotional imbalance. I'm fine now.† The Seeker didn't answer. I wondered what she made of my response. I could hear her shoes-high heels-tapping after me, so I left the door open, knowing she would follow me in. I went to the sink and filled a glass with water. She waited silently while I rinsed my mouth and spat. When I was through, I leaned against the counter, staring into the basin. She was soon bored. â€Å"So, Wanderer†¦ or do you still go by that name? I don't mean to be rude in calling you that.† I didn't look at her. â€Å"I still go by Wanderer.† â€Å"Interesting. I pegged you for one that would choose her own.† â€Å"I did choose. I chose Wanderer.† It had long been clear to me that the mild spat I'd overheard the first day I woke in the Healing facility was the Seeker's fault. The Seeker was the most confrontational soul I'd come across in nine lives. My first Healer, Fords Deep Waters, had been calm, kind, and wise, even for a soul. Yet he had not been able to help reacting to her. That made me feel better about my own response. I turned around to face her. She was on my small couch, nestled in comfortably as if for a long visit. Her expression was self-satisfied, the bulging eyes amused. I controlled the desire to scowl. â€Å"Why are you here?† I asked again. My voice was a monotone. Restrained. I would not lose control again in front of this woman. â€Å"It's been a while since I heard anything from you, so I thought I would check in personally. We've still made no headway in your case.† My hands clamped down on the edge of the counter behind me, but I kept the wild relief from my voice. â€Å"That seems†¦ overzealous. Besides, I sent you a message last night.† Her eyebrows came together in that way she had, a way that made her look angry and annoyed at the same time, as if you, not she, were responsible for her anger. She pulled out her palm computer and touched the screen a few times. â€Å"Oh,† she said stiffly. â€Å"I haven't checked my mail today.† She was quiet as she scanned through what I had written. â€Å"I sent it very early in the morning,† I said. â€Å"I was half asleep at the time. I'm not sure how much of what I wrote was memory or dream, or sleep-typing, maybe.† I went along with the words-Melanie's words-as they flowed easily from my mouth; I even added my own lighthearted laugh at the end. It was dishonest of me. Shameful behavior. But I would not let the Seeker know that I was weaker than my host. For once, Melanie was not smug at having bested me. She was too relieved, too grateful that I had not, for my own petty reasons, given her away. â€Å"Interesting,† the Seeker murmured. â€Å"Another one on the loose.† She shook her head. â€Å"Peace continues to elude us.† She did not seem dismayed by the idea of a fragile peace-rather, it seemed to please her. I bit my lip hard. Melanie wanted so badly to make another denial, to claim the boy was just part of a dream. Don't be stupid, I told her. That would be so obvious. It said much for the repellent nature of the Seeker that she could put Melanie and me on the same side of an argument. I hate her. Melanie's whisper was sharp, painful like a cut. I know, I know. I wished I could deny that I felt†¦ similarly. Hate was an unforgivable emotion. But the Seeker was†¦ very difficult to like. Impossible. The Seeker interrupted my internal conversation. â€Å"So, other than the new location to review, you have no more help for me on the road maps?† I felt my body react to her critical tone. â€Å"I never said they were lines on a road map. That's your assumption. And no, I have nothing else.† She clicked her tongue quickly three times. â€Å"But you said they were directions.† â€Å"That's what I think they are. I'm not getting anything more.† â€Å"Why not? Haven't you subdued the human yet?† She laughed loudly. Laughing at me. I turned my back to her and concentrated on calming myself. I tried to pretend that she wasn't there. That I was all alone in my austere kitchen, staring out the window into the little patch of night sky, at the three bright stars I could see through it. Well, as alone as I ever was. While I stared at the tiny points of light in the blackness, the lines that I'd seen over and over again-in my dreams and in my broken memories, cropping up at strange, unrelated moments-flashed through my head. The first: a slow, rough curve, then a sharp turn north, another sharp turn back the other way, twisting back to the north for a longer stretch, and then the abrupt southern decline that flattened out into another shallow curve. The second: a ragged zigzag, four tight switchbacks, the fifth point strangely blunt, like it was broken†¦ The third: a smooth wave, interrupted by a sudden spur that swung a thin, long finger out to the north and back. Incomprehensible, seemingly meaningless. But I knew this was important to Melanie. From the very beginning I'd known that. She protected this secret more fiercely than any other, next to the boy, her brother. I'd had no idea of his existence before the dream last night. I wondered what it was that had broken her. Maybe as she grew louder in my head, she would lose more of her secrets to me. Maybe she would slip up, and I would see what these strange lines meant. I knew they meant something. That they led somewhere. And at that moment, with the echo of the Seeker's laugh still hanging in the air, I suddenly realized why they were so important. They led back to Jared, of course. Back to both of them, Jared and Jamie. Where else? What other location could possibly hold any meaning for her? Only now I saw that it was not back, because none of them had ever followed these lines before. Lines that had been as much of a mystery to her as they were to me, until†¦ The wall was slow to block me. She was distracted, paying more attention to the Seeker than I was. She fluttered in my head at a sound behind me, and that was the first I was aware of the Seeker's approach. The Seeker sighed. â€Å"I expected more of you. Your track record seemed so promising.† â€Å"It's a pity you weren't free for the assignment yourself. I'm sure if you'd had to deal with a resistant host, it would have been child's play.† I didn't turn to look at her. My voice stayed level. She sniffed. â€Å"The early waves were challenging enough even without a resistant host.† â€Å"Yes. I've experienced a few settlings myself.† The Seeker snorted. â€Å"Were the See Weeds very difficult to tame? Did they flee?† I kept my voice calm. â€Å"We had no trouble in the South Pole. Of course, the North was another matter. It was badly mishandled. We lost the entire forest.† The sadness of that time echoed behind my words. A thousand sentient beings, closing their eyes forever rather than accept us. They'd curled their leaves from the suns and starved. Good for them, Melanie whispered. There was no venom attached to the thought, only approval as she saluted the tragedy in my memory. It was such a waste. I let the agony of the knowledge, the feel of the dying thoughts that had racked us with our sister forest's pain, wash through my head. It was death either way. The Seeker spoke, and I tried to concentrate on just one conversation. â€Å"Yes.† Her voice was uncomfortable. â€Å"That was poorly executed.† â€Å"You can never be too careful when it comes to doling out power. Some aren't as careful as they should be.† She didn't answer, and I heard her move a few steps back. Everyone knew that the misstep behind the mass suicide belonged to the Seekers, who, because the See Weeds couldn't flee, had underestimated their ability to escape. They'd proceeded recklessly, beginning the first settlement before we had adequate numbers in place for a full-scale assimilation. By the time they realized what the See Weeds were capable of, were willing to do, it was too late. The next shipment of hibernating souls was too far away, and before they'd arrived, the northern forest was lost. I faced the Seeker now, curious to judge the impact of my words. She was impassive, staring at the white nothingness of the bare wall across the room. â€Å"I'm sorry I can't help you further.† I said the words firmly, trying to make the dismissal clear. I was ready to have my house to myself again. To ourselves, Melanie inserted spitefully. I sighed. She was so full of herself now. â€Å"You really shouldn't have troubled yourself to come so far.† â€Å"It's the job,† the Seeker said, shrugging. â€Å"You're my only assignment. Until I find the rest of them, I may as well stick close to you and hope I get lucky.†