Sexual studies biology assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sexual studies biology assignment 1 - Essay Example Hormonal changes The menstrual cycle is determined by the functioning of four organs namely; the hypothalamus, the anterior pituitary gland, the uterus and the ovaries. It consists of phases identified as the follicular, ovarian and luteal. The beginning of the cycle is marked by a decrease in estrogen and progesterone levels. These are primary female hormones. This decrease stimulates the hypothalamus to produce Follicle Stimulating Hormone Release Factor (FSHRF). The FSHRF triggers the anterior pituitary gland to produce Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH). FSH is responsible for the release of estrogen in the ovaries which leads to the formation of the Graafian follicles in the cortex of the ovaries. These follicles are cells which cannot be fertilized. Increasing levels of estrogen cause the growth of uterine wall in preparation for possible implantation of the fetus after fertilization. This marks the follicular phase (Ferin, Jewelewicz, and Warren 5). The ovarian phase begins wi th the production of Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Factor (LHRF). This is initiated by the hypothalamus in response to low progesterone levels. LHRF then activates the production of Luteinizing hormone in the anterior pituitary gland. This hormone causes the production of progesterone from the ovaries. ... The luteal phase is characterized by the change of color to yellow of Graafian follicles to form the corpus luteam. The hormone progesterone also called the hormone of pregnancy is identified as responsible for this. The hormone further leads to the thickening of the uterus lining and increased blood supply in readiness for possible fertilization. If fertilization does not occur, progesterone levels start to drop. This decrease and eventual decline causes the shedding of the uterine wall, tearing of blood vessels and ejection of the contents through the vaginal tract. This is menstruation and marks the end of the cycle. The low levels of progesterone and estrogen effectively stimulate the hypothalamus to begin the next cycle (Ferin, Jewelewicz, and Warren 10). Fertile period of the cycle The period of the menstrual cycle when fertilization is most likely is identified as mid way through the cycle. A female whose cycle takes twenty eight days for example would be fertile on the fourte enth day. This is when ovulation takes place. The fertile egg (ovum) has a lifespan of twenty four hours and the fertile period lasts as much. The male sperm however has a longer lifespan of three to five days once released into the female. This means sperms released three to five days before ovulation can fertilize the egg. The twenty four hours immediately after ovulation however remains the most fertile period (Edin, Golanty, and Brown 170). Physical and emotional changes during cycle The hormonal variations during the cycle are identified as the cause of physical and emotional changes over the period. Studies show that contraction of the uterus (cramps) is inevitable. Lower back pain, fatigue and pelvic

Rhetorical analysis memo Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rhetorical analysis memo - Assignment Example Today, the organization has over 2,500 members where they have put up programs to promote pig farming on a large scale. Ohio shelters over 4,100 pig farmers and many of these are operated by families and this organization ensures that they become successful in producing healthy pork for the nation (â€Å"What do pigs eat†). The mission of Ohio Pork Farmers organization is to help all the Ohio pork producers understand a healthy and safe environment for the pigs. The author’s purpose is to show the pig farmers the healthy process through diet that pigs under this organization undergo to produce quality and healthy pig products for the nation. The intent of the organization is to create a video that shows the benefits of modern commercial pig farming to produce the best pork products for the society. This video is most likely created for the larger Ohio community, who participate in pig farming to encourage them to join and partake in the extensive and controlled modern p ig farming process (â€Å"What do pigs eat†)? The intended audience is Ohio farmers and potential farmers to show them the steps the Ohio Pork Farmers organization is making to produce healthy pig products. By referencing to â€Å"modern† pig farming process, the video targets all private farmers to encourage them to become members, so that they benefit under the Ohio Pig Farmers organization. The video talks of pig feeds being â€Å"scientifically formulated† (â€Å"What do pigs eat†) to enlighten private farmers to join such an organization for a bigger commercial establishment. The author values modern pig farming and references this by citing that â€Å"modern pigs are fed on a diet of corn and soy beans (â€Å"What do pigs eat†). Through this revelation, it becomes apparent that the author values the process of a modern commercial farming unit where pigs are kept in controlled housing to get proper diet. In the

Mixed Blood Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mixed Blood - Assignment Example I believe that the writer is right in questioning the existence of the term â€Å"race† in our minds. Since most people believe it is a biological entity. However, one must remember that there are no biological tests that can help classify humans into different races. The author puts a question in all our minds but then answers them simply with scientific explanation. He concludes that race is nothing but a fantasy of the human mind. Human beings are one species and therefore can engage in mating. Two people from any part of the world can mate and produce a child who is sterile thereby vindicating that there is absolutely no biological or genomic difference between any races whatsoever. He further explains the origin of man and writes that man originated in Africa from where he migrated to different parts of the world. Genetics plays an important role here since random mutations, genetic drifts and other genetic changes were induced into the genome of man to help him in his survival in different surroundings. The survival of the fittest theory helped Nature select the genetic changes which were best suitable and hence this gave rise to the varying phenotypical features that we find today in different parts of the world. The writer skillfully presents his viewpoint that race cannot and should not considered a biological entity as well since this classification itself is without nay proper basis. Study of genetics can help people understand that the different features that have been inherited as a result of genetic changes are best suited for survival and are not a base for

Write about a real contemporary problem where you see the status quo Essay

Write about a real contemporary problem where you see the status quo as lined up against something that is just or in favor of something that is unjust - Essay Example Although American slavery was abolished more than one hundred and fifty years ago, the legacy of slavery continues to have important ramifications on the lives of African-Americans today. Accordingly, African-Americans have lower-life expectancies than their white counterparts and the insidious legacy of slavery has continued health ramifications. Unequal access to healthcare is a contemporary problem with broad ramifications. Seeking to address inequality in health as a feature of the United States healthcare system, this essay will persuasively argue that African-Americans face a variety of health challenges in the United States and these challenges are a legacy of centuries of racism, represented today through discrimination and institutionalized racism in this country. (DHSS, National Healthcare Disparities Report, 2005). In the United States, health insurance coverage ensures that there is financial means by which basic health care can be accessed. Individual comprehensive health insurance plans depend on an individuals’ age, level of employment, residency, and race/ethnicity. Studies have shown that African-Americans do not receive the same care even if they have the same government funded insurance as their white counterparts, such as Medicare. For example, in a study conducted by the Brown and Harvard Medical Schools, researchers found that there were significant racial disparities within Medicare plans. In addition, they found that the quality of care was a factor concerning race and ethnicity among Medicare beneficiaries. This suggests that in addition to access to care, quality of care is different among ethnic groups. To this extent, racial difference in coverage may influence health disparities and inequities within the healthcare system. Medicare is a federal government funded insurance program for disabled young adults, persons above the age of 65, and those with permanent disabilities who become eligible for

Lifes Ups and Downs Essay Example for Free

Lifes Ups and Downs Essay One warm weekend in June, my girlfriend decided she wanted to take me on a weekend getaway to none other than Las Vegas, Nevada, a place where no one else existed but me and her. So I thought. I was totally ecstatic; at this point it’s been moths since we’ve been out just the two of us with no kids. The first night we get there we get dressed up and make reservations at our favorite restaurant. The moment we get to the restaurant, she starts acting weird and all of a sudden does not find a single thing on the menu appetizing and complains of a stomach ache, so we leave in a hurry. Arriving back to our suite, there is a card taped to the door with her name on it. So many thoughts are racing through my mind, â€Å"She is planning something special for us, she has a surprise for me, maybe she ordered room service while we were out and it was inside waiting for us.† As quickly as the thought came they left, we entered the room only for her to admit she was just too tired and needed to rest. So I let her, I laid next to her wondering what was going on, what was going on in her mind. It was almost like we were living in two different worlds. As she slept curiosity suddenly came over me, very quietly I got out of bed grabbing her bag which contained the note that was tapped to the door, into the bathroom I went. My eyes could not believe what was written so boldly across the paper â€Å"I HOPE SHE WAS WORTH IT.† I could not resist questioning the matter at hand, I woke her up and she blatantly denied there being any meaning to this card. We argued hard and like ever before, almost like she had forgotten who I was, like I didn’t matter to her. The rest of the night went on and we were both hurt. I used indirect termination strategies to spare my heart anymore hurt. I couldn’t come to terms that this was finally coming to an end. Four years later, I found out I was never her one and only I was simply her girlfriend number two. Being very cautious to every relationship offer that came my way, I turned down so many. I did not care to see another relationship. I was never one to â€Å"get-over† a bad situation, but I knew I had to move on; I couldn’t come to terms with my last break up. Just as soon as I let down my guard, there she was someone who made me feel alive again. She helped me heal every wound in my heart and soul. Until, I started to see some similarities from my past relationship. She was so secretive, there began to be relational violence. I had to wear sunglasses everywhere I went even if I was inside because of the bruises I would have from the nights before when I didn’t do what I was asked in a timely manner. When the questions came from my friends and co-workers I had to lie. My life has never had so much deception I soon began believing in my own lies. I questioned her I didn’t understand why I had become her human punching bag. She was so cold and nonchalant towards me. As the days went by the dresser drawers slowly became empty the closet became empty and there seemed to be less and less of her things at my place. I wanted to know what was happening, was my life slowly slipping away again? So I picked up the phone and attempted to call her, I got no answer. Days went by without me hearing from her. Then I realized our relationship had ended in sudden death. There was no contact between us. The outside world became non-existent to me. I could not cope with the thought of another relationship ending so sudden. My life hasn’t been the same, how do you wake up one day to a world that isn’t your own? Relearning life one day at a time has been tough but I am a fighter this too will make me stronger!

The Sin Tax Bill How Its Affect the Bar Industry in the Philippines Essay Example for Free

The Sin Tax Bill How Its Affect the Bar Industry in the Philippines Essay In 2011, there was a tax increase on alcoholic beverages. The tax increase depended on the alcohol content and the net retail price of the beverage. This however had little effect on bars/pubs in the Philippines because the tax increase was not significant. Many consumers did not feel the price change too much because of the relatively high mark-ups at bars/pubs. PROSPECTS In 2011, the Philippine government was reviewing a bill which proposes to increase alcohol and tobacco taxes quite significantly in the Philippines. If the bill is passed, this may negatively impact sales in bars/pubs in the Philippines. The higher prices of alcohol may result in less alcohol consumption by consumers when they dine-in at bars/pubs. INTRODUCTION MANILA, Philippines—A sin tax on cigarettes and alcohol dampened the New Year party spirit when it was introduced in the Philippines Tuesday, as part of a government bid to boost finances. Many stores started selling tobacco and drink at inflated prices before midnight, ahead of the official implementation of the tax hikes on January 1, 2013 hitting partygoers in the pocket. Tax on cigarettes will gradually be raised to P30 ($0.72) per pack by 2017, roughly doubling the current price to around 52 pesos. Duty on alcohol will also increase gradually until 2017, increasing the price of a bottle of beer by 23.50 pesos, with varying levels for other drinks including wine and spirits. It will be further increased by four percent each year thereafter. The new prices compared to countries like Singapore, for example, are still low, but for the ordinary Filipinos they are expensive, said Laudemer Angeles, a 33-year-old shop owner in the town of Bacoor, south of Manila. Many of my customers were complaining about the higher prices and were not too happy when they bought their booze and smokes for their parties last night. Anti-smoking campaigner Emer Rojas said he hoped the new taxes would lead to a gradual decline in the number of people suffering from tobacco-related illness. I think the sin taxes should even be raised higher, he told AFP. But we commend President Aquino for showing his resolve in signing the law. The government has said that the country of 100 million has the highest incidence of smoking in the region, with tobacco-related diseases costing the country P177 billion ($4.3 billion) last year. The new taxes aim to raise P33 billion ($800 million) this year alone, gradually increasing over the coming years. A large percentage of the money will go towards the government’s healthcare program. The government first asked Congress to raise taxes on â€Å"sin† products as early as 1997, but a strong lobby by tobacco manufacturers stifled change. The lobby included members of Congress representing tobacco-growing regions as well as powerful cigarette companies that enjoyed one of the lowest tobacco taxes in Southeast Asia. Published on Tuesday, January 1st, 2013 Link: http://www.euromonitor.com/cafes-bars-in-the-philippines/report http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/333451/philippines-sin-tax-introduced-dampens-new-year-fun

Impacts of Commercial Pressures on Audit Performance

Impacts of Commercial Pressures on Audit Performance Given the commercial pressures  are Auditors doing a good job? Introduction For two decades the debate has raged regarding whether auditors are performing their tasks adequately, within the bounds of the commercial pressures they are under. In preparing this paper, we have studied current research and comment surrounding this issue. Our opinion is that, although there are areas of serious concern and issues that need to be addressed, generally the auditing profession is doing a good job. â€Å"The debacle of Enron has shaken core assumptions about auditors and auditing.† (Kay and Carsberg 2002). Following the collapse of Enron, and its auditor’s Andersen, the role, competency, quality and standards of auditors came under increasing scrutiny, resulting in a raft of headlines such as the one quoted. The call from Kay and Carsberg, and others, for national and international standard committees to be set up, was quickly responded to. The US Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002) and UK Combined Code of Corporate Governance (2003), both of which imposed stringent conditions onto the audit process, were swiftly introduced. As a result, the profession, through the IFA[1] (2006) responded with a complete overhaul of standards. All these regulations and standards have been subject to constant revision since their inception. However, concerns still exist regarding auditor performance as recent attempts by the UK government to criminalize certain audit failures shows (Parliamentary Correspondent 2006). In the same article audit firms responded, stating such a move would be â€Å"both costly and ineffective†[2] and that the â€Å"proposed offence will inevitably lead to defensive auditing, which is not in the interests of the profession or clients.†[3] . The auditing process, particularly in respect of Plc’s[4] is a complex procedure. There is a significant amount of preparatory work to be undertaken prior to the audit itself, including an understanding of the client’s business, evaluation of the risk, and the costing and construction of the audit itself (Dassen et. al. 2004, ch.6). This will determine the depth, breath, and percentage of testing required, fulfilling their tasks and complying with the requirements of all the applicable regulations and codes. This process also includes reaching an agreement on the fees to be charged. The audit task is even more complex when the organisation involved is a multi-national or transnational corporation. In addition, auditing firms have to ensure that they, and all of the persons involved in the audit, when preparing the audit, need to take into account all modifications and improvements to IFA standards, Company Law and the Combined Codes (Grey and Manson 2004). To monitor audits standards the government set up the Audit Inspection Unit (2006). The task of this unit is to ensure audits have complied with all current regulations (see page 6 of the report). Their latest report covered the â€Å"big four† firms and, for first time, the next five largest auditing firms. Seventy-seven audits were reviewed, over a number of sizes and industry sectors (see Appendix 1). Although, in general terms, the report responded positively, concluding that auditing firms are maintaining a reasonably high standard, there were some concerns. They found that progress on previous recommendations had been slower than expected, although there were mitigating circumstances (see section 4.1.1, p.11). In addition there was some concern expressed regarding the audit documentation (section 4.4.7, p.21). However, in other areas, such as leadership and human resources (section 4.2), improvements had been seen. In their final analysis, only in three areas did the Uni t make further recommendations. Addressing the position from the government viewpoint, a report was commissioned by the FRC[5] (Oxera Consultancy Group 2006). This report concentrated on the availability of auditor choice to corporations, and the competitive aspect of the profession in general. Whilst agreeing with the Audit Reporting Unit’s conclusion that generally the audit profession was performing their tasks well, this report expressed concerns in other areas. These focused on the dominance of the major audit firms within Plc and international fields. The fear is this leads to lack of choice and has produced increases in fees that exceed inflation by a significant amount, as much as 11%. There was also recognition that, from a logistical and cost point of view, it was virtually impossible for other auditing firms to compete for this market. One of the resultant fears that most corporate management expressed, was the problem that would be caused if there was a consolidation from four to three firms, and the impact this would have on other accounting and financial services, as well as the audit choice. Conclusion Having studied all of the research, we would concur with the conclusion that in view of the commercial concerns, audit firms are generally performing a good job. However, in our opinion, there is a need to address the competitive issues surround audit firms in the cases of quoted company audits. We would recommend that the laws of competition should be applied to the audit industry to ensure the numbers of firms do not reduce still further, and that ways should be considered to enable other firms to compete successfully in this market. References Audit Inspection Unit (2006) 2005/6 Audit Quality Inspections. Financial Reporting Council. London. UK Dassen, R., Schilder, A., Wallage, P. and Hayes, R. (2004) Principles of Auditing: An Introduction to International Standards on Auditing. FT Prentice Hall. Gray, Iain and Manson, Stuart (2004). The Audit Process: Principles, Practice and Cases. Third edition. Thomson Learning. Handbook of International Auditing, Assurance, and Ethics Pronouncements. (2006). International Federation of Accountants. New York. Kay, John and Carsberg, Bryan (2002) Stiffening the auditors’ backbones. Financial Times. UK Oxera Consultancy Group (2006). Competition and choice in the UK audit market. Report prepared for Financial Reporting Council. London. Parliamentary Correspondent. (2006). Auditors may escape criminal sanctions. Accountancy Age, UK. Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002) Retrieved 6 November 2006 from http://www.sarbanes-oxley-101.com/sarbanes-oxley-TOC.htm The Committee on Corporate Governance (2003). The Combined Code on Corporate Governance. Financial Reporting Council. London. Footnotes [1] International Federation of Accountants [2] Baroness Noakes, a former KMPG partner [3] An Ernst Young spokesman [4] Public Limited Companies [5] Financial Reporting Council