Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Federal Funds Should Be Used for Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Are embryonic stem cells the cure to many of the human body’s ailments, including defective organs and crippling diseases, or is their use a blatant disregard of human rights and the value of life? Thanks to the rapid advancements in this field, the potential benefits of stem cells are slowly becoming reality. However, embryonic stem cell research is an extremely divisive topic in the United States thanks to the ethical issues surrounding terminating embryos to harvest the stem cells. In response to this debate, Congress passed the Dickey-Wicker amendment in 1995 to prohibit federal funding of research that involved the destruction of embryos. President Bush affirmed this decision, but more recently President Obama lifted many of†¦show more content†¦It has the ability to form any type of specific cell and thus has the greatest potential for treatments in the near future. A more recent development in stem cell research is the creation of induced pluripotent cells , which are adult cells that become undifferentiated through a series of treatments. Induced pluripotent stem cells have a number of benefits because the destruction of embryos is not necessary and there are no issues with immune response or rejection because the cells come from the patient. However, it will be a long time before this type of cell become widely used on humans because the method used is not completely understood and has negative side effects. In animal testing, â€Å"†¦the virus used to introduce the stem cell factors sometimes causes cancers† (â€Å"Stem cell basics†). Therefore, embryonic stem cells should be an important part of stem cell research. Even if induced pluripotent cells can replace embryonic cells in the future, the knowledge gained from current embryonic cell research would still be very applicable. Unfortunately, research is very time and resource intensive, which is where the debate of federal funding comes into play. The fact that researchers must destroy human embryos to obtain the stem cells is the main issue that prevents the support of many Americans for federal funding. The question of terminating the embryo of viable offspring is a very divisive issue and will probably not be resolvedShow MoreRelatedResearch On Stem Cell Research Essay1708 Words   |  7 Pages Stem Cell Research James A Merritt PIMA Medical institute Embryonic stem cell research is a controversial topic. In the religious aspect its man trying to play the authority of GOD on whether people should live, die or suffer from ailments and injuries. On a scientific and medical aspect it is compassionate people lookingRead MoreEmbryonic Stem Cells Pros And Cons1664 Words   |  7 Pagesyears, researchers have been studying the miraculous potential of human embryonic stem cells. Human embryonic stem cells, also known as hESC, have the ability to develop into any kind of specialized cells in the human body, ranging from as simple as a skin cell to as complex as a neuron. This â€Å"miracle cure,† however, comes with a great cost; the stem cells have to be extracted from a human embryo, completely destroying it. Research institutions often obtain embryos either from abortion clinics or, mostRead MoreThe Debate Over Embryonic Stem Cell Research1652 Words   |  7 PagesEmbryonic stem cell research could one day hold the key to many new scientific discoveries if it is continuously funded in the years to come. I chose to base my research around the question, Should embryonic stem cell research be government funded? When I finish highschool I hope to pursue a career in the medical field. Although I wish to become a doctor and may not be directly researching stem cells, they may one day be a treatment that I will have to administer to patients. To answer this questionRead More Stem Cell Research Essay1291 Words   |  6 PagesStem Cell Research   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In modern medicine today there are remedies for many diseases and sicknesses. For those unfortunate few with rare diseases, cancer, or a genetic mutation, we don’t have a resolution or cure. The race to find these cures is going on right now. Many think the solution can be found in the tiny embryonic stem cells. Most of the people who believe that the embryonic stem cell is the solution also believe that the federal government should help fund the research. The use ofRead MoreOpposing Embryonic Stem Cell Research Essay1748 Words   |  7 PagesOpposing Embryonic Stem Cell Research Stem cell research has a lot to offer in the way of treatments, or even cures to some devastating diseases that humans face. However, research using human embryonic stem cells that can only be obtained by killing a human embryo can not be condoned or paid for by the United States Government. Federal funding needs to focus on the adult stem cell research that has already been proven successful and can be obtained without destroying a human life. EthicsRead MoreCell Research : Stem Cell Therapy1095 Words   |  5 Pagestime I heard about stem cell research, but I remember when it first stood out to me was when quarterback Peyton Manning went over to Europe to get stem cell therapy done on his neck to prevent him from getting surgery done. Stem cells offer much hope for medical advancement because of their ability to grow into almost any kind of cell. Stem cells are crucial to develop organisms. They are non-specialized cells which have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the bodyRead MoreEmbryonic Stem Cell Research Can Save Lives Essay1616 Words   |  7 Pagesbiomedicine has been the research of embryonic stem cells. Stem cells are extremely fascinating to what they can do they have the potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In many tissues they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing without limit to replace other cells as along as the person is still alive. When stem cells divide they could become specialized cells such as muscle cells, red blood cells, brain cells, and etc. their uniqueRead MoreThe And The European Union1108 Words   |  5 Pagesprogression of research. The law states that research on embryos older than 14 days is prohibited. Panno Joseph, Ph.D. holder and clinical E.S cell researcher, explains how the age limit of 14 days is specifically used because it is the time period when the brain and spinal cord start to develop, which is the beginning of the neuralization (Panno 32). In addition, the United Kingdom denies the use of embryonic stem cells without a license (Vogel 1602). A license is only obtained for research agencies promotingRead MoreThe Debate Over Embryonic Stem Cell Research1710 Words   |  7 PagesEmbryonic Stem Cell Research Embryonic stem cells, according to the National Institute of Health, are cells obtained from embryos that are prepared from fertilized eggs which have been collected through the in vitro technique; in specialized clinics. Scientists use the stem cell research to have a better idea about the evolution, aging, and disease. Thus, they keep track of the stem cells progress across the lifetime; this tracking process can help scientists to figure out the genetic mutationsRead MoreStem Cell Research1647 Words   |  7 Pages Stem cell research has been and will always be a controversial subject. With today’s advanced technology, scientists are trying to create new, healthy cells to repair any damaged cell. However, this action requires the destruction of an embryonic cell in its early stages of development. This is where the controversy comes in hand; people are taken back and refuse to fund stem cell researchers or the clinics that perform such procedure. Most people who are pro-life are against and challenge

Monday, December 23, 2019

Fate and Free Will in William Shakespeares Macbeth Essays

Fate and Free Will in William Shakespeares Macbeth In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, there is a question as to whether or not Macbeth is driven by fate or free will. The three weird sisters approach Macbeth with prophecies that will all come true in the end. It would appear that Macbeth is just following destiny at first. However, Macbeth always had a choice throughout the play to choose his own fate. Macbeth journeyed to his murderous doom through his own free choice. In Act I, the three witches visit Macbeth and Banquo on the heath. The witches make three predictions; Macbeth will be the Thane of Cawdor, he will be King, and Banquo’s sons will be king but not Banquo. Even though the witches did make these prophecies, Macbeth’s fate was†¦show more content†¦At this point in the novel Macbeth is using the witches as a guideline to his life. The apparition that he cannot be harmed by anyone born of woman creates a false sense of security within himself. Even at this point, Macbeth still has a choice of whether or not to believe the witches. The weird sisters have not put any spell on him; they have just filled his greedy mind with a sense of security and power for kingship. From the beginning, Macbeth chose to follow the witches instead of letting things just naturally occur. Banquo serves to show how the predictions were not just destiny and did not control his life. Even when he sees that many are becoming true, he states, may they (witches) not be my oracles(Act III, sc.i, 9). He is stating that he will just let events occur and not try to fulfill the prophecies. Macbeth also had this same choice. If he had taken the same approach as Banquo, a claim could be made that it was destiny that Macbeth would murder Duncan. However, Macbeth lived on account of the prophecies, not the reverse. Macbeth’s downward spiral of events was created through his own free will. The witches did foretell his future but they never directly controlled his actions. The sisters did not cast a spell to make Macbeth go crazy. He was engulfed in his lust for power and his battle with his conscience. This led to his insomniaShow MoreRelatedMacbeth Themes899 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"What are the major themes in Macbeth† By Connor Maguire William Shakespeare’s Macbeth a play complete with many themes and viewpoints. The themes are exhibited by the main characters of the play, notably antagonist Macbeth. Themes seen in the play include ambition, where is is portrayed as both dangerous and unnatural. However, it does exist in both good and evil forms in the play. Another theme seen is whether Macbeths actions in the play are a result of fate, or free will. Although outside sourcesRead MoreEssay on Macbeth vs. Satan695 Words   |  3 PagesMacbeth vs. Satan How can two authors write stories almost half a century apart where the characters have comparable qualities? William Shakespeare and John Milton wrote a play and a poem, respectively, where two characters share qualities. These characters are Macbeth from Macbeth and Satan from Paradise Lost. Despite the similarities between the characters of Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Satan in Milton’s Paradise Lost, which include their strong will, pride, and insatiable greed, theyRead MoreFate Vs. Free Will988 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout the scottish tragedy Macbeth, William Shakespeare plays with the concept of fate versus free will in the the title character, Macbeth. This internal conflict is sparked and continued by the presence of the witches; three old hags whose primary purpose is presumably to serve evil. The three witches are in control of Macbeth throughout the play by incanting prophecies that ultimately remove Macbeth’s free will. Shakespeare choos es the witches to serve as the stimulant for Macbeth’s unethicalRead MoreDiscrepancies and Similarities between Shakespeares The Tragedy of Macbeth and History816 Words   |  4 Pagessuccession. William Shakespeare, a playwright of the Renaissance, sculpts events from this era into a dramatic sequence of events. The Tragedy of Macbeth displays Macbeth, a zealous thane, and his successful homicide which results in his succession of the throne and his downfall. Each of The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare and history has discrepancies as well as similarities between its characters, settings, and plot events. One element that varies and coincides between Shakespeare’s MacbethRead MoreMacbeth Fate And Free Will Analysis1198 Words   |  5 Pagestragedies, have fate. The question of whether or not each individual truly chooses what happens in their lives is one that has been addressed in various works of literature time and time again. This battle of fate vs free will is especially prominent in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In Macbeth, Shakespeare pits destiny against decision throughout Macbeth’s journey towards his downfall. While Macbeth is given options and opportunities by fate throughout the play, it is his own decisions and free will thatRead MoreFree Will in William Shakespeare ´s Macbeth836 Words   |  3 PagesThe American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language concludes that free will is the ability to act without the constraint of necessity or fate. Occasionally, we are pressured, manipulated or controlled to make certain decisions by our surro undings, which defeats the purpose of free will. In William Shakespeare’s play the Tragedy of Macbeth, the witches’ prophecies negate Macbeth’s free will. When the witches announce their prophecies, the possibility of the predictions coming true overpowersRead MoreMacbeth Fate vs. Freewill Essay948 Words   |  4 PagesFate vs. Freewill In Shakespeare’s Tragedy Macbeth, it is very debatable if fate, or freewill is what causes Macbeth to do the things he does through out the tragedy. Freewill is at work most through out the tragedy because Macbeth is convinced he can change or speed up the fate the three weird sisters prophesized for him at his own will. Throughout the play, Macbeth slowly begins to think he can modify his fate by using the prophecies told to Macbeth by the weird sisters and attempting to changeRead MoreFate vs Free Will in Sophocles ´ Oedipus Rex and Shakespeare ´s Macbeth1487 Words   |  6 PagesFate and free will are two topics that are often questionable because they go hand in hand. Fate is a belief that a certain event is said to happen, then that persons choice and free will lead them to what has been predicted as inevitable. Knowing whether something is fate’s fault or the fault of the person who’s going to enact the said action, is one question that has never been fully answered. In Sophocles Oedipus Rex and Shakespeares Macbeth, fate is determined by their own choices and freeRead More The Free Will of Macbeth Essay754 Words   |  4 PagesThe Free Will of Macbeth      Ã‚   Destiny Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. (William Jennings Bryan) Are we in control of our own destiny, our own fate, or are our lives really already planned and mapped out for us? Does Macbeth willfully choose evil in order to achieve his destiny? Or, is his destiny doomed by the witches prophecies? Macbeth may not have made any of his same choices, if theRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth 1399 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’, resonates the damnation and inevitable dissolution of man in the face of compunction, facades and vaulting ambition. Through the use of dramatic irony, symbolism and soliloquies, Shakespeare denotes the happenings of a tragic hero who ambles on the verge between moral and immoral; the inception after which humanity cascades to pieces. Ultimately through this farrago of self-seeking divinations, disdainful d esires, decimating machinations and an ultimate plunge from

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Week discussion questions Free Essays

Personally when I complete tasks on my lists I feel a sense of accomplishment and have more desire to tackle some of the harder tasks on y list. I will begin to implement this time management skill with this class, and carry it over to block 2 through Gateway Community College. 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Week discussion questions or any similar topic only for you Order Now Plan a schedule that has important work, fun activities, and rest. I get so busy with what I think needs to be done that I forget to include fun things In my schedule. Having fun and enjoying my time is something that is very important because It helps decrease stress. Because I have a four year old who feeds off of my emotions It Is vital that I don’t show my stress and that I enjoy my time with him rather than worrying about what tasks are not getting done. 3. Create a designated study time, and stick to It. I plan to implement an hour of study time each morning and actually hold to It. Every semester I tell myself I will study more but I never seem to find the time to and I find myself scrambling at the last minute to cram for the upcoming exam. If I set aside time and It Is a part of my dally routine I can avoid all insights the day before the exam and feel better prepared for whatever It Is I will be doing that day In school. What resources might you have available to use for professional and personal development? I have my education to use for professional and personal development. In school I am learning more than Just the science and theory behind nursing. I am learning how to analyze my thinking and the thinking of others, how to make and achieve goals, critical thinking skills that can be used both at work and at home, and how to manage my time wisely. With the program I am In through Gateway Community College and The university of Phoenix I am able to network with other nursing professionals and build relationships that I can use as references later or as guidance on what field and where I should be looking for a Job. I have support from family, friends, and lacerates available to lad In my development. They are there to encourage me to keep going when I feel Like Glenn up, and to help me emotionally get through this rigorous program. By pointlessness done that I forget to include fun things in my schedule. Having fun and enjoying my time is something that is very important because it helps decrease stress. Because I have a four year old who feeds off of my emotions it is vital that I don’t show my not getting done. 3. Create a designated study time, and stick to it. I plan to implement an hour of study time each morning and actually hold to it. Every time and it is a part of my daily routine I can avoid all insights the day before the exam and feel better prepared for whatever it is I will be doing that day in school. My time wisely. With the program I am in through Gateway Community College and The University of Phoenix I am able to network with other nursing professionals and build relationships that I can use as references later or as guidance on what field and classmates available to aid in my development. They are there to encourage me to keep going when I feel like giving up, and to help me emotionally get through this How to cite Week discussion questions, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Financial Statements of A2 Milk Company-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Analyze the financial statements of A2 Milk company for the year 2017. Answer: Background of A2 Milk Company This company was known previously known as A2 corporation. A2 Milk Company is engaged in the production of milk and milk related products. A2 milk Company also makes milk products which are related to infant formula. The company was founded by Dr Corran McLachlan and it was founded in 2000 in New Zealand. Dr Corran McLachlan was engaged in the research of health effects of Milk Protein of A1 Beta-casein. The company carried out genetic test to identify which cows which can produce milk with A1 protein. The company started its operations on farm breeding programs in order to breed cows which can produce A2 milk. The company has its headquarter in Sydney, Australia and the total revenue of the company as per 2016 figures is $ 337.3 million (The a2 Milk Company", 2018). The core activities of A2 Milk Company consist producing A2 Milk, other related dairy products and infant formula. Ownership Governance Structure of the a2 Milk Company Substantial Shareholders of A2 Milk Company The main shareholders of the company who have a majority shareholding in the total shares of the A2 Milk Company which is greater than 5% are USB Group AG and its related parties which has a shareholding of 8.10%. The other shareholders which have a shareholding of more than 5% are challenger Limited, Colonial First State Asset Management (Australia) Limited, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Greencap Capital Pvt Limited, Harbour Asset Management Limited. There are no shareholders who holds more than 20% shares in the company. USB Group AB is not in any way related to the A2 Milk Company and thus it is not a family company. Major roles involved in Corporate Governance The corporate governance of the company lies with the board of directors and CEO of the company (Ahmed Henry, 2012). David Hearn is the Chairman and Executive Director of the company and he is responsible for the corporate governance policy of the company along with the board of directors of the company. The board of director of the company includes Julia Hoare, Peter Hinton, Warwick Every-Burns and Jesse Wu. The CEO and the Managing Director of the Company is Geoffrey Babidage. There are no such shareholders which have a shareholding of more than 20% as per the shareholders Information of the company. The shareholders which hold more than 5% of the total shareholding of the company are not in any way related to the company and therefore does not have any role in the corporate governance of the company. Key Ratios of the Company Trend Particulars` 2014 2015 2016 2017 2014 2015 2016 2017 Net Profit/(Loss) after Tax (NPAT) A 10000 -2091000 30436000 90646000 -100.0% 20910.0% -304360.0% -906460.0% Total Assets (TA) B 76643000 88867000 210152000 343930000 100.0% 115.9% 274.2% 448.7% Ordinary Equity (OE) C 58644000 58629000 133078000 241482000 100.0% 100.0% 226.9% 411.8% Total Liabilities D 17999000 30238000 77074000 102448000 0.0% 100.0% 254.9% 338.8% Return on Assets (ROA) E= A/B 0.01% -2.35% 14.48% 26.36% -100.0% 18033.75% -111000.91% -201999.87% Return on Equity (ROE) F=A/C 0.02% -3.57% 22.87% 37.54% -100.0% 20915.35% -134123.51% -220134.17% Debt Ratio G=D/B 0.235 0.340 0.367 0.298 100.0% 144.89% 156.17% 126.84% The above table depicts the ratios such as Return on Assets (ROA), Return on Equity (ROE) and Debt Ratio (Heikal, Khaddafi Ummah, 2014). As per the above chart the total asset (TA) and Ordinary Equity (OE) figures as shown in the table are increasing. Such changes in total assets and ordinary equity affects the return on total assets and return on total equity (Fan, Titman Twite, 2012). As the total assets of the company increases the net revenue of the company will also be high and such will be also be reflected in the Return on Assets (ROA) of the company. Moreover, as the assets increases there would be a reduction in the debt ratio of the company which will in turn increase the Return on equity (ROE) of the company. As per the table given the increase in the ROE is much more as compared to the increase in the return to assets of the company. This may be due to the fact that A2 Milk Company is utilizing more equity capital in the capital structure of the company (Baos-Caballero, Garca-Teruel Martnez-Solano, 2014). As per 2017 financial reports the companys balance sheet shows no debt capital or long term borrowings in the non-current liability section. Graphical Presentation of Stock Prices Figure1: (Graph showing Stock price Movement) Source: (Created by the Author) As per the above represented chart, the stock prices of the company has fluctuated a bit and it has even gone down below the all ordinary index (Handley, 2012). The stock prices of A2 Milk Company has increased and the stock line is above the all ordinary index line from 1/11/16 as shown in the graph above till it declines below the all ordinary index line in 1/9/17 as shown in the graph. It can be said that the stocks are less volatile as there have been case where there is sharp increase and decrease in the stock prices of the company. Factors which influences the Share Prices The major factor which affect the stock prices of the company is that the company has a lot of competitors in the market which results in intense competition. The competition among rivals segments the market and its consumers and have an overall impact in the stock prices of the company. Moreover due the company focuses on milk products which are free from A1 Beta-Casein proteins, the company has differentiated product from normal milk which are produced by the competitors. This does affect the creditability of the company and its products which affect the stock prices of the company. Computation of Required Rate of Return The beta of A2 Milk Company as per analysis of the stock prices and stock market information is 0.97. The computation of the required rate of return is given below: Particulars Amount Beta of the company A 0.97 Risk Free Rate B 4% Market Risk Premium C 6% Required Rate of Return D=B+[AxC] 9.82% The rate of return of the company is 9.82 as shown in the chart above considering the beta and risk-free rate of return and market premium (Arrow Kruz, 2013). The investors should invest in the company as the rate of return is high. Computation of Weighted Average Cost of Capital Particulars Amount Weightage Cost Return Rate Tax Rate WACC Total Long Term Debt 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 30.00% 0.00% Total Equity 241482000 100.00% 9.82% 9.82% TOTAL 241482000 100% 9.82% As per the above table it is evident that the company does not have any debt capital or long term borrowings as per the financial statement of A2 Milk Company for 2017. Therefore the company uses only equity capital in its capital structure. The higher is the weighted average cost of capital the more risks the company faces. In this case the cost of equity is the weighted average cost of capital for the company (Barberis et al., 2015). The company can add debt capital to the capital structure mix to gain benefits of leverages. Debt Ratio and Capital Gearing Ratio of the Company The debt ratio of the company shows the relation between the total liabilities to the total assets of the company. The debt ratio of the company has reduced from the previous years trend. The companys debt ratio was 0.367 in 2016 and it reduced to 0.298 in 2017. The company does not have any debt capital as per the financial statement of 2017 and the capital structure of the company only consist of equity share capital. The company thus seems to be avoiding the use of debt capital of the company (Hou, Van Dijk Zhang, 2012). As per the financial statements of the company, the management of the company intends to make a buyback of its shares in the next 12 months period which will be up to $ 40 million. Dividend Policy The company has not announced any dividends for the year, however the company plans to announce special dividends due the buyback plans which the company intends to follow (Travlos, Trigeorgis Vafeas, 2015). The dividend of the company is on the basis of the profits which the company earns during the year. The company has a basic Earnings per Share of 12.66 cent per share. Letter of Recommendation Dear client, Perth Australia Respected Sir, I would like to advise you to invest in A2 Milk Company as the performance of the company has been outstanding in the past few years. The company has achieved tremendous growth in the Australian market with its infant formula. Moreover. the rate of return which the company is offering is around 9.82% which is a decent rate of return as per the market. The significant ratios such as return on assets and return on equity is on an increasing trend which is favorable for investment. The company has also been earning good rate of net profit over the past two years. In addition to this the company has potential for further development. I hope this letter of recommendation will help you to take necessary investment decisions in this regard. Thanking you Client Investment Company References Ahmed, K., Henry, D. (2012). Accounting conservatism and voluntary corporate governance mechanisms by Australian firms.Accounting Finance,52(3), 631-662. Arrow, K. J., Kruz, M. (2013).Public investment, the rate of return, and optimal fiscal policy(Vol. 1). Routledge. Baos-Caballero, S., Garca-Teruel, P. J., Martnez-Solano, P. (2014). Working capital management, corporate performance, and financial constraints.Journal of Business Research,67(3), 332-338. Barberis, N., Greenwood, R., Jin, L., Shleifer, A. (2015). X-CAPM: An extrapolative capital asset pricing model.Journal of financial economics,115(1), 1-24. Fan, J. P., Titman, S., Twite, G. (2012). An international comparison of capital structure and debt maturity choices.Journal of Financial and quantitative Analysis,47(1), 23-56. Handley, J. C. (2012). An estimate of the historical equity risk premium for the period 1883 to 2011.Report prepared for the Australian Energy Regulator. Heikal, M., Khaddafi, M., Ummah, A. (2014). Influence analysis of return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), net profit margin (NPM), debt to equity ratio (DER), and current ratio (CR), against corporate profit growth in automotive in Indonesia Stock Exchange.International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences,4(12), 101. Hou, K., Van Dijk, M. A., Zhang, Y. (2012). The implied cost of capital: A new approach.Journal of Accounting and Economics,53(3), 504-526. Travlos, N. G., Trigeorgis, L., Vafeas, N. (2015). Shareholder wealth effects of dividend policy changes in an emerging stock market: The case of Cyprus. The a2 Milk Company. (2018).The a2 Milk Company. Retrieved 15 February 2018, from https://thea2milkcompany.com/

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Too Much of a Good Thing free essay sample

To persuade my audience to be cautious in using medicines and supplements that are usually considered beneficial. Central idea:Medicines and supplements that can be beneficial are sometimes harmful if ingested in large amounts. Introduction 1. Attention-getter There is an old saying that â€Å"Too much a good thing is wonderful. † Is it always true? A young woman went out on her sailboat one Friday afternoon. She suffered a back injury, causing terrible back pain. For pain relief, she took a painkiller. For the next three days, she ingested the pills at more than twice the recommended dosage. On Tuesday, four days after she started the pills, she died en route to the hospital from liver damage. 2. Credibility Since I heard about the story, I have done some research in this area. 3. Preview of main points Today I’m going to talk about the problem of taking excessive amounts of drugs and then discuss the possible solutions. We will write a custom essay sample on Too Much of a Good Thing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page (Transition: Let’s examine the problem in more detail. ) Body I. Many people don’t know that taking excessive amounts of medicines and supplements can be dangerous. A. Ambien, a sleeping pill, makes you sleepy, so will you go to sleep faster if you increase the dosage? 1. Perhaps, but you could suffer breathing problems, and even lapse into a coma and die. 2. This is the finding of Dr. Daniel F. Kripke, professor of psychiatry at University of California, San Diego. (The Dark Side of Sleeping Pills) B. Ibuprofen relieves pain, but if too much is taken, it can cause gastrointestinal bleeding after just three days. (General Practitioner) C. Dr. Bill Edwards, director of inpatient care at Children’s Hospital in Peoria, IL, relates the story of a child patient. 1. The child displayed all the signs of a brain tumor (dizziness, pressure inside the head, extreme headache, and blurry vision). 2. Tests could find no evidence of a tumor. 3. Further tests revealed an overdose of vitamin A. D. Vitamin A and other vitamins can be toxic in large amounts. (Dr. Joshua Hamilton, professor of toxicology at Dartmouth College) 1. Too much vitamin B6 can cause nerve damage to arms and legs. . Too much vitamin C can cause kidney stones. 3. Too much vitamin D can damage kidneys. (Transition: We’ve seen the problem – what is the solution? ) II. The solution is to be cautious and well-informed. A. Collaborate with your doctor on which pills, vitamins, and supplements you should take. B. Always study labels for dosage directions and never take more than the recommended amount. C. Be aware of possible compl ications. 1. Even if you take the recommended dosage of one medicine, there can be a toxic interaction if you are taking other drugs at the same time. . Make a list of all vitamins, supplements, and pills that you use, and include the amounts you consume. 3. Ask your doctor and pharmacist to analyze the list to make sure you are safe. D. Educate yourself. 1. See health books in a library or buy them at a bookstore. 2. Subscribe to health magazines and newsletters. E. Be careful with health info on the Internet. 1. You can trust reputable sites, such as the health sections of ABC News, MSNBC, and CBS. 2. But be cautious when search for health information using a search engine like Google. Dr. Kathis Kemper, Holistic Pediatrician) 3. Going back to Dr. Edwards and the child who overdosed on vitamin A, do you know why the child consumed megadosage? 4. The parents had been persuaded by some Websites that vitamin A is a cure for hyperactive children who can’t concentrate in school. 5. A Web search will turn up hundreds of sites that tout the healing powers of vitamin A. 6. These sites are devoted to selling supplements, so you can’t trust them to be objective. (Transition: Let’s summarize. ) Conclusion I. Summary A. Substances that can be good for you are sometimes harmful if ingested in large amounts. B. Collaborate with your doctor and pharmacist. C. Always stay within the recommended dosage. D. Stay well-informed by consulting books, magazines, and reliable websites. II. Closing remarks We know we can’t always accept the old saying, â€Å"Too much of a good thing is wonderful. † Better advice is another saying, â€Å"Too much of a good thing can be awful.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Present Participle as Adjective

Present Participle as Adjective Present Participle as Adjective Present Participle as Adjective By Maeve Maddox As one of our readers tells her students, writers should rejoice in the present participle because it is one of the rarities of English â€Å"rules†: one thing they can count on. Unlike its sibling the past participle, the present participle always has the same ending. Reminder: English verbs have five principal parts: Infinitive, Simple Present, Simple Past, Past Participle, and Present Participle. Past participles take different forms, but the present participle always ends in -ing. Used with helping verbs, the present participle forms the continuous tenses: We were living in Taiwan at the time. (past continuous) Tom Selleck has been playing law enforcement characters for thirty-four years. (present perfect continuous) Used without a helping verb, the present participle functions as an adjective. (The -ing verb form has another use, but this post is about its function as an adjective.) Here are some specific uses of the present participle: in front of a noun Poirot solved the puzzling mystery. (modifies â€Å"mystery†) The smell of burning leaves stirs memories of my childhood. (modifies â€Å"leaves†) after a verb of perception They heard someone screaming. (modifies â€Å"someone†) The woman watched the cat creeping toward the bird. (modifies â€Å"cat†) with the verbs spend and waste Don’t waste your time trying to convince him he’s mistaken. (modifies understood subject â€Å"You.†) The inefficient blogger spent her entire afternoon researching and writing one post. (modify the subject â€Å"blogger†) to introduce a participial phrase Weeping bitterly over her loss, Gwendolyn lay on the bed for several hours. The archaeologist, sweeping the shards into a neat pile, cursed his clumsiness. It is this last use of the participle that often leads to the error known as a â€Å"dangling participle.† For example: Stubbing his toe on the step, the heavy chair fell from his grasp. Leaning affectionately toward him, her head rested against his shoulder. The participle phrases in these two examples are â€Å"dangling† because there’s no appropriate noun for them to describe. Dangling participles can be corrected in more than one way: 1. Provide an appropriate noun or pronoun for the phrase to describe: Stubbing his toe on the step, the mover dropped the heavy chair. Leaning affectionately toward him, she rested her head against his shoulder. 2. Rewrite the phrase as a clause: When the mover stubbed his toe against the step, the heavy chair fell from his grasp. She leaned affectionately toward him and rested her head against his shoulder. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Types of LanguageDoes "Mr" Take a Period?Grammatical Case in English

Friday, November 22, 2019

How to Write the Williams College Essays 2018-2019

Williams College is found tucked away in the idyllic college town of Williamstown, a liberal arts college renowned for its undergraduate education. Only 2000 students attend Williams, allowing for a stellar focus on its undergraduates and a 7:1 student-faculty ratio. Williams was founded in 1793, and through its 225 years of existence, has accrued a deep history and a wealth of tightly held traditions. Williams College has consistently been ranked the nation’s top liberal arts college by the US News College Ranking. Williams is also highly selective: for their class of 2022, the college only admitted 12% of its applicants. Notable alumni include former president James A. Garfield, composer Stephen Sondheim, and photographer Walker Evans. The early decision deadline for Williams is on November 15th, and the regular decision deadline is on January 1st. Choose one of the following: (300 words) Option 1: At Williams we believe that bringing together students and professors in small groups produces extraordinary academic outcomes. Our distinctive Oxford-style tutorial classes—in which two students are guided by a professor in deep exploration of a single topic—are a prime example. Each week the students take turns developing independent work—an essay, a problem set, a piece of art—and critiquing their partner’s work. Focused on close reading, writing and oral defense of ideas, more than 60 tutorials a year are offered across the curriculum, with titles like Aesthetic Outrage, Financial Crises: Causes and Cures, and Genome Sciences: At the Cutting Edge. Imagine yourself in a tutorial at Williams. Of anyone in the world, whom would you choose to be your partner in the class, and why? Option 2: Each Sunday night, in a tradition called Storytime, students, faculty, and staff gather to hear a fellow community member relate a brief story from their life (and to munch on the storyteller’s favorite homemade cookies). What story would you share? What lessons have you drawn from that story, and how would those lessons inform your time at Williams? Option 3: Every first-year student at Williams lives in an Entry—a thoughtfully constructed microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience. From the moment they arrive, students find themselves in what’s likely the most diverse collection of backgrounds, perspectives, and interests they’ve ever encountered. What might differentiate you from the 19 other first-year students in an entry? What perspective(s) would you add to the conversation with your peers? Choosing a single essay may seem daunting at first, as you may wonder if you are choosing the perfect essay prompt that will convey yourself to the reader in the best way possible. However, just like in the Common App personal statement, you may not necessarily have to â€Å"choose† your essay. After looking through the prompts and brainstorming parts of your identity and passions that you want to show to the admissions team, you will easily be able to answer any one of the questions, as all three prompts revolve around your personal story, interests, and ambitions, albeit in slightly different fashions. As a result, the prompt choice becomes much less important than distilling your nuances and complexities onto the page. Option 1: At Williams we believe that bringing together students and professors in small groups produces extraordinary academic outcomes. Our distinctive Oxford-style tutorial classes—in which two students are guided by a professor in deep exploration of a single topic—are a prime example. Each week the students take turns developing independent work—an essay, a problem set, a piece of art—and critiquing their partner’s work. Focused on close reading, writing and oral defense of ideas, more than 60 tutorials a year are offered across the curriculum, with titles like Aesthetic Outrage, Financial Crises: Causes and Cures, and Genome Sciences: At the Cutting Edge. Imagine yourself in a tutorial at Williams. Of anyone in the world, whom would you choose to be your partner in the class, and why? If you choose this first prompt, there are a couple of points you should make in the essay. First, your possibility of options are infinite in this prompt—as a result, make sure the person and class you settle on reveal important parts of your own background and interests. You definitely want to describe why you chose the person and class you did, but make sure to return the focus back to you, and how you could grow through interacting with this person. The goal of this essay is to allow you to highlight one of your academic interests, so don’t stray too far by fawning over your chosen partner. Here are some brainstorm questions you should think about before writing: You should look up the list of tutorials offered for the 2018-2019 school year as a source of valuable information, which is also a good starting place for sparking ideas. If there is a course pertinent to your own interests as well as the person you choose, feel free to mention the course. However, don’t feel limited to these classes, and make up a class topic of your own which you feel like your partner would be an excellent collaborator in (in this case, it could be good to mention a professor whose research deals with the topic you want to focus on). One note of caution: be wary of choosing incredibly common historical figures: Julius Caesar, Michael Jordan, Abraham Lincoln, Oprah, etc. If you do so, make sure to have a fresh, unique, and persuasive set of reasons as to why you would pick this person. You should also be careful if you decide to talk about very controversial leaders and politicians, past or present. Anything that could evoke strong emotional responses in an outside reader could be risky. On the other hand, if the person you choose is not well known, give a sentence or two introducing to the reader the person’s significance. Example 1: Say you were particularly drawn to the course â€Å"Leaving the World Behind: The Literature of Reclusion† because you were always interested in both the relationship between technology and society and literature, your stated major. As a result, you would love to engage in a semester-long course with someone who grew up in an era without constant global communication. To do this, you bring out Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), someone whose texts you poured over while trying to find peace in your own solitude (to no avail). You and Saint Francis, who spent much of his life in solitude and solo travel, could spend each class discussing the relationship between the individual and society, and how this relationship has been negotiated throughout time and space. Example 2: You could also put a personal twist on the prompt. Say your parents immigrated from Korea, and your Korean identity makes a large portion of who you are. As a result, you choose your grandmother, an incredibly bright woman who fled from North Korea to South Korea as a teenager during the Korean War. As someone planning to study history in college, you want to make sure you learn about your family’s own history and how that fits into a larger framework of foreign policy and global politics. As a result, you would love to take â€Å"The Two Koreas† as a tutorial with your grandmother. You would study perceptions of both Koreas from different generations, as well as Koreans in Korea and Koreans living abroad. You also want to know yourself on a deeper level, especially through tracing a legacy of generational war trauma in your family. Example 3: Say after reading this prompt, instead of focusing on a class topic, you instead immediately think of a person to work with, this person being the Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez. You have read every single one of his novels, interviews, and essays, and yearn to pick the mind of someone you see as the world’s greatest storyteller. However, you wouldn’t want a tutorial class that focuses on his novels, or even the magical realist genre he worked in. Instead, you imagine studying Russian 19th century realist fiction with him, a genre of literature very different in style, but very similar in emotional insight, doing a comparative analysis of sorts. You would also get to hear the plethora of personal stories he could share. Example 4: Maybe in high school, you fell in love with Richard Feynman’s famous â€Å"Feynman Lectures on Physics,† which led you to eventually put your intended major as physics on the Common Application. You would love to take the â€Å"Applications of Quantum Mechanics† tutorial with Feynman, who you know to be not just a physicist, but someone with wide-ranging interests in things like Brazilian Samba music and the relationship between science and the government, specifically in his assistance in creating the atomic bomb. As someone who eventually wants to work in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, you want not just to grow deeper in your understanding of physics, but more broadly understand the different ways people configure meaning in the world, whether in physics or music or ethics. You find that Richard Feynman, who struggled with these questions his entire life, could help you get closer to these goals of yours. Option 2: Each Sunday night, in a tradition called Storytime, students, faculty and staff gather to hear a fellow community member relate a brief story from their life (and to munch on the storyteller’s favorite homemade cookies). What story would you share? What lessons have you drawn from that story, and how would those lessons inform your time at Williams? The second prompt is also incredibly open: talk about something that happened in your life. Of course, you want the story that you pick to have a greater significance beyond the simple narrative, whether this is a coming of age moment, a moment of realization and clarity, or a moment that has indubitably formed the person you are today. As for what constitutes a â€Å"brief story,† think about a singular episode that you could tell someone in person in around ten minutes. As to the last part of the prompt, â€Å"how would these lessons inform your time at Williams,† this could take various shapes and forms. Maybe this is simply being a more community-focused human being on campus, or maybe this could mean creating a campus organization that reflects what you learned, or maybe this means coming into Williams a more open-minded person. If your Common App essay delves into more serious themes involving your identities and your passions, you could possibly use this essay to reveal more lighthearted, fun elements of your personality. Whether or not you do this, the key here is to show, not tell, as you want your essay to read like a gripping campfire story. You could immerse the admissions reader with the present tense, â€Å"in the moment† narrative of your story, or you could use the past tense to evoke a more reflective mood.    As a side note, don’t forget the word â€Å"brief† here—you probably don’t want an incredibly long-winded story detailing all your major trials and tribulations. Stick to one event that is illustrative of greater themes in your life. Dig into your past. Here are a few examples: Example 1: Say you had a poignant breakthrough moment with your father, with whom you never really had a strong relationship before. Your father, an ex-military, stoic man, never really shared his past with you, but one night you asked him about his days in the military, and he told you a hodgepodge of stories both thrilling and depressing. You learned so much about him that night, allowing you to piece together more of your own identity and where you came from. The lessons you learned that night, that vulnerability bridges relationships, would undoubtedly carry over to Williams, where you have the ability to form once-in-a-lifetime friendships. Example 2: This could also be a â€Å"summer shenanigan† type story if it was a particularly formative experience. Say you and your friends, on one particularly boring summer night, decided to buy goldfishes for many of your other friends. After showing up at your friends’ doors, you were met with equal amounts of shock and laughter, but each friend promised to take care of their fish. What started as a prank turned into a bonding moment where a group of friends collectively took charge of the lives of their goldfishes. You could then transition to talking about how this experience, in a weird way, mirrors the tight undergraduate experience provided at Williams, in regards to how everyone is together pursuing a common goal of learning about the world through a liberal arts curriculum. You also believe these ideas would transition well to a tight-knit cultural group on campus, which for you is Williams South Asian Student Association. Example 3: Maybe you are still learning the lessons of the story you choose, as the story itself has some unfilled pages. Say you came out to your parents, who immediately rejected you as their child. Talk about how, at the time of writing, you are still trying to negotiate your identity with your status in your family, even though your parents find your situation non-negotiable. You could talk about how, if you were afforded the opportunity to attend Williams and escape from your current surroundings, you could have clearer mental headspace, as well as be able to take part in a welcoming and inclusive environment. Submit your essay and we’ll get back to you with helpful edits. Option 3: Every first-year student at Williams lives in an Entry—a thoughtfully constructed microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience. From the moment they arrive, students find themselves in what’s likely the most diverse collection of backgrounds, perspectives and interests they’ve ever encountered. What might differentiate you from the 19 other first-year students in an entry? What perspective(s) would you add to the conversation with your peers? In this â€Å"what unique things do you contribute to our school?† prompt, you have a few paragraphs to advocate for and brag about yourself. By no means, however, does this essay have to be a glorified achievements list. If you feel uncomfortable bragging about yourself, reframe the prompt as ultimately being candid about your background. You could also frame it as bragging about your family, or a community you were a part of, and using these groups as a way to illustrate your own identity formation. We can break down this prompt into the three mentioned facets of diversity: backgrounds, perspectives, and interests. These three obviously overlap with each other, as perspectives and interests often come out of background, but think about each of these three aspects and unearth the most compelling parts of yourself that you think makes you unique. However, don’t be dissuaded if you aren’t the best in the world at a certain activity, or come from a faraway country most people have not heard of. If you speak with candor and love for your roots and passions, a uniqueness in how you frame yourself will cut through to the readers. Even if you feel like your passion/story is common, with 300 words, you can more than adequately illustrate the complexity and uniqueness of your situation. Here are a few routes you can take with this prompt: Example 1: Say your primary interest is in math. Even though this interest is common to many, the reasons why math is so fascinating to you is more unique than just liking problem-solving. Instead, you are passionate about math pedagogy, specifically, how current primary and secondary school math education has been twisted and standardized to a point where you believe it is almost a completely different subject from the one you grew up loving. As a result, you started a math circle with middle school students, allowing them to explore the open-ended and creative side of math so different from algebra and geometry, and in the essay, you can use specific anecdotes with students who disliked school math but loved the math they did in their math circle. In regards to bringing diversity, you could talk about how you treat math as simultaneously a STEM and humanities field, and how this seamless fluidity between the two informs much of your personhood. Example 2: Say music and the performing arts are your primary interests, another set of common interests. Talk about your rocky experience with the indie band you started in high school, and how all of your preconceived notions of glory and greatness were crushed. You could transition into talking about how you learned from this failure, and how you feel ready to even possibly grab some Entry mates and start a band once more. Example 3: Say you’re a first generation immigrant who lives in New Mexico. You could talk about how you want to retain your cultural heritage although desiring at the same time to live in a completely foreign environment like New England. Coming from Latin America to New England by way of the American Southwest, your fashion and culture would immediately make you stand out from the other, largely coastal students. Example 4: Maybe you grew up as a racial, sexual, or economic minority in a community, in which you felt a constant brush of hostility. Although this may also not be entirely unique, maybe the community you grew up in was actually known to the country as an inclusive and progressive community, but your personal experience was anything but that. Example 5: If you do have a niche interest, such as lepidopterology (the study of moths and butterflies), and are an avid butterfly watcher, talk about why this activity is so important to you. Talk about the joy you feel after spotting a certain butterfly you’d been searching for hours for after traveling to a new environment, or the amazement you feel when looking at butterflies in a natural history museum. You could distill the core parts of this activity into a more generalized set of things you have learned—in the case of lepidopterology, it could be dogged persistence, or the pleasure of immersing yourself into nature without technology, or how you found a community with other lepidopterologist who share your passion. Overall, after talking about your passion or background, make sure to explain why it is so significant to you, and how that would allow the students in your Entry to grow in their own worldviews. You could also talk with excitement about how you too would love to hear the different perspectives of all those in your Entry, and how the Entry system, in general, would allow you to experience the polar opposite of the cloistered, homogenous environment you grew up in. As you have seen, Williams College requires numerous supplemental essays, many of which you may struggle with. If you want professional help on your Williams application essays, click to learn about our College Apps Program . If you want to quickly edit your college essay, submit it to our Rapid Review program , and we’ll get it back to you quickly with comments from our expert team. How to Spend Your Summer as an Aspiring Engineer Future engineers, we see you. The movers, shakers, thinkers, and game-changers-to-be of the world. And you’ve prepared, too. Science olympiad and math league are old hat, whatever math you’re currently taking is one of your favorite classes, and you’ve probably tinkered with more odds and ends than you can remember. But then summer rolls around and school ends, and along with it goes all of the science, math, and outreach extracurriculars that operate when school’s in session. You now have this huge amount of free time that you can do practically anything with — while it may not seem like much on the surface, it’s actually a big opportunity in disguise. There’s nothing more an engineering college loves to see than a curious self-starter who’s not afraid to get his or her hands dirty, and taking initiative to enrich your own engineering portfolio during the summer is a good way to show the engineering adcoms just that. Of course, some of you already have things planned out, and that’s great! But for the people who are drawing a blank, who need some inspiration or ideas, this post is for you. Here’s a list of summer plans that we recommend for aspiring engineers — some drawn from our own experiences. Let’s get this one out of the way first since this is what usually comes to mind for people when they think about application-boosting summer experiences. This is essentially the better version of summer camp, where you go to a college and take college-level classes, or refine your skills through real-world practice. Point is, you’ll go somewhere that’s not home for the sole purpose of building your technical repertoire with a group of like-minded people — which is essentially what college is, for an engineer. And it’s immensely fun. Programs like Carnegie Mellon’s Pre-College and the University of California’s Summer School for Mathematics and Science are designed to train future engineers and scientists that will go on to use their skills in college and even to participate in research beyond that. Often, gaining admission to these programs is in itself a rigorous process, and can signal to colleges your skill and interest in the STEM subjects. Another good part about participating in these summer programs is that they can help you network and make connections with people in STEM — a good mentor relationship with a summer program’s professor, for instance, can make for a valuable recommendation letter when it comes application time. Other times, some of these program are also geared towards building leaders in the STEM fields, so they   can also double as a leadership extracurricular. However, not all of these programs are free — some of them may offer scholarships, but not all of them do. That’s the main drawback to this type of summer program; some of these programs may be just as expensive as paying summer tuition at these colleges. The good news, though, is that price is often inversely proportional to the prestige of the program; the less you pay to get in, the more impressive it looks on an application. In fact, you should be wary of expensive summer programs, as those are perceived as more of a sign of privilege on an application than your engineering capabilities. The go-getter: Learning a new (programming) language Coding is an important skill to have as an engineer today. If you’re going into software engineering, then it’s a given. If you’re a mechanical engineer, programs can be helpful in running simulations. If you’re analysing data, you’ll need something like Matlab. Computers are some of the most powerful engineering tools we have today, and to be able to use them freely is a valuable addition to any skillset. In fact, many engineering colleges now require their undergraduates to take at least one coding class as a graduation requirement. If you’re already a logical thinker (like many of you are), this shouldn’t be too hard. With the wealth of online tutorials, videos, APIs, forums, and other resources, all the information you need to master a new language is readily available. It might take a bit of practice and lots of trial and error, but it’ll be worth it in the end when you can create your own programs that make your life easier. To help you focus your efforts, you can try studying for a specific test; AP Compsci isn’t a bad choice, as getting a 5 on this test can get you out of many intro computing classes. Or you can set a personal project as your goal: an app, a website, a program that sets your alarms for you or makes your friend’s computer randomly play a YouTube video every six minutes — whatever floats your boat. Either of these pursuits can show up as a bright spot on any application, especially since your motivation for starting this pursuit (and completing it) was entirely intrinsic. It can also be good material for a personal statement, since honestly — how many people can go into college saying they’ve built their own app from scratch? The altruist: Teaching and sharing your knowledge Engineering is what builds the entire infrastructure of our modern society, and engineers can definitely change the world. But what about on a smaller scale? What about helping, mentoring, or inspiring one person at a time? Colleges like to admit community-builders, people who are willing to help other people out and people who can appreciate diversity. So, if you feel comfortable in your STEM skills and knowledge, why not spend a summer sharing it with others? Many summer educational camps and programs love having tutors work with younger children to try and foster an early interest in science and math. Science museums across the nation always welcome knowledgeable, enthusiastic tour guides who would love to answer questions for curious guests. Or you could even volunteer and start your own mentoring program — outreach is always important for STEM, and if you’re dedicated to making science and math more accessible to people, this might just put your interests in line with those of your ideal college. Sharing your knowledge for the sake of other people shows your interest in making positive, altruistic change in the world, and may also attest to your mentorship and social skills. While your intelligence and your academic ability are important to a college in deciding whether or not to admit you, who you are as a person also factors in greatly, as a result of holistic admissions. So in presenting yourself, applications-wise, it’s important to remember not to just show yourself as the student that adcoms want to see in their lecture halls, but the person that they would love to see around campus. Whether it’s by taking a summer off for a STEM program, teaching yourself a new skill, or by helping others out with the knowledge you have, you won’t just be outstanding in your stats alone — these summer experiences will show these colleges that you are the type of person that they’d want to see as an engineer at their institution.