Stem Cells -- Ethics, Research, and Regulation Essay -- Embryonic Stem

Stem Cells -- Ethics, Research, and Regulation I. Introduction: â€Å"Embryonic stem cell research offers both great promise and great peril.† - President George W. Bush, Aug. 9, 2001 Stem cell research is not new but only recently has it become widely known to the public because the benefits of the technology are coming closer to reality; the field of stem cell biology is advancing at an incredible pace with new discoveries being reported in scientific literature on a weekly basis. Scientists first announced a method of growing embryonic stem cells in a laboratory in 1981, but the cells were from a mouse. It wasn’t until five years ago that James Thomson (pictured to the leftP3) at the University of Wisconsin- Madison announced that he was able to isolate cells from the blastocyst of an early embryo.5 From research he gathered in the fields of applied reproductive biology and mouse embryology, he was able to develop the first human embryonic stem cell lines. At the same time as Mr. Thomson, John Gearhart (pictured to the rightP4)reported the first derivation of human embryonic germ cells from the primordial germ cells located inside the fetal gonadal tissu e that is key in the development of eggs and sperm. Dr. Gearhart, working at Johns Hopkins University with other prominent stem cell researchers, was then able to develop pluripotent stem cell lines by isolating stem cells from early human embryos and grow them in culture. Most recent research is focusing on two types of stem cells: pluripotent cells and adult stem cells that have been in clinical use for use but just recently were discovered to be able to develop into cells that have many of the characteristics of neurons. But even with all the information known alrea... ... the National Bioethics Advisory Commission. 4. National Institutes of Health Online. 27 August 2001. National Institutes of Health Update. 5. National Institutes of Health Online. September 2002. Stem Cell Primer. Pictures related to topic may be foud at: P1. http://www.americanfieldguide.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec01/stem_cells.html P2. http://www.stemcellresearch.org/ P3. http://www.jsonline.com/lifestyle/people/aug01/jamie05080201.asp P4. http://www.stemcellresearchfoundation.net/Research/Gearhart.htm P5. http://www.nih.gov/news/stemcell/primer.htm P6. http://www.klaj.nu/bilder/glasyrkonst/embryo.jpg P7. http://organtx.org/images/stem%20cells%20022301.jpg P8. http://www.firstivf.com/ivf.htm

The Hike Up Poly Mountain :: Descriptive Essay About A Place

The Hike Up Poly Mountain Our journey begins on a foggy and cool Monday morning in late September. The group of freshman English students wait eagerly at the gate to Poly Canyon anticipating the adventures to come. Once Professor has taken roll and explained what is in store for the impending hike, we start walking up a rocky path. Immediately I feel like I am in nature. I am reminded of all the camping and hiking trips I went on as a child and I feel at peace. But something in the sky keeps bothering me, the fog. I was expecting to be able to stand on top of Poly Mountain and see the entire city of San Luis Obispo. I brought my camera along hoping to take beautiful pictures of the city and send them home to my family. But the thick fog above my head reminds me that this probably will not happen. I try to take the ominous fog off my mind and continue examining the land. We walk past the dry creek bed of Brizzolara Creek and it becomes obvious we have not had a significant amount of rainfall in months. A fellow hiker points out several deer on the canyon side, the first sign of wildlife. I can hear birds chirping in the distance but cannot see any because of the dense fog. I am hit on the nose with a drop of dew falling from a Coast Live Oak and another drop falling from a Eucalyptus tree. The air is still and the sun remains hidden behind the fog. We walk farther into the canyon and come across several manmade structures. A small footbridge over a gentle stream and a rock arch inviting hikers into the hills are reminders of what man can do to enhance nature’s beauty. The path gets steeper and narrower and as we climb higher, the fog gets thicker. I am still hoping the fog will fade away enough so that I can experience the beautiful views I was expecting. Our hike up Poly Mountain becomes much more strenuous and we stop every few minutes to catch our breath. We are no longer hidden underneath The Hike Up Poly Mountain :: Descriptive Essay About A Place The Hike Up Poly Mountain Our journey begins on a foggy and cool Monday morning in late September. The group of freshman English students wait eagerly at the gate to Poly Canyon anticipating the adventures to come. Once Professor has taken roll and explained what is in store for the impending hike, we start walking up a rocky path. Immediately I feel like I am in nature. I am reminded of all the camping and hiking trips I went on as a child and I feel at peace. But something in the sky keeps bothering me, the fog. I was expecting to be able to stand on top of Poly Mountain and see the entire city of San Luis Obispo. I brought my camera along hoping to take beautiful pictures of the city and send them home to my family. But the thick fog above my head reminds me that this probably will not happen. I try to take the ominous fog off my mind and continue examining the land. We walk past the dry creek bed of Brizzolara Creek and it becomes obvious we have not had a significant amount of rainfall in months. A fellow hiker points out several deer on the canyon side, the first sign of wildlife. I can hear birds chirping in the distance but cannot see any because of the dense fog. I am hit on the nose with a drop of dew falling from a Coast Live Oak and another drop falling from a Eucalyptus tree. The air is still and the sun remains hidden behind the fog. We walk farther into the canyon and come across several manmade structures. A small footbridge over a gentle stream and a rock arch inviting hikers into the hills are reminders of what man can do to enhance nature’s beauty. The path gets steeper and narrower and as we climb higher, the fog gets thicker. I am still hoping the fog will fade away enough so that I can experience the beautiful views I was expecting. Our hike up Poly Mountain becomes much more strenuous and we stop every few minutes to catch our breath. We are no longer hidden underneath

The Great Saljuq Sultanate :: essays research papers

The Great Saljuq Sultanate! Although the Turks had played an important role in the Islamic world, before the 11th century, the arrival of the Saljuq Turks marks a new era in Islamic history. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of the Saljuq Turks’ in Islam. In doing so, the paper will be divided in two parts. The first part will present the historical background of the arrival of the Saljuqs and their participation in Islamic politics. The second part will discuss the contribution of the Saljuq administrative system to Islamic politics. Turks had been participating in the Islamic politics well before the 11th century. For example, the Mamluks and the Ghaznawids were from Turkish origin. What made the Saljuqs distinct from these earlier Turks is how they have penetrated Islamic politics. Before the 11th century, Mamluks and the Ghaznawids were slaves recruited as individuals and took power from inside. However, the Saljuqs came in as organized tribal groups and conquered the Persia and much of the border lands.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Saljuq conquest marked the beginning of Turkish rule in Persia. This rule arguably lasted until 1925. In 426/1035, the Saljuq brothers Toghril Beg and Chaghri Beg led the Saljuq tribe to move into Khurasan. The brothers battled against the Ghaznawids to take over Khurasan. According to the course reader, the Khurasan population accepted the Saljuq rule just as they had earlier accepted the Ghaznawids. Five years later the Ghaznawids regrouped and waged war against the Saljuqs. The Ghaznawids were defeated and never came back. The Beg brothers ruled together until the death of Chaghri Beg in 452/1060. Morgan notes that this shared power between the two brothers was â€Å"in accordance with the Turkish conception of the nature of political sovereignty, which the Saljuqs had brought with them from central Asia.† After they had defeated the Ghaznawids from Khurasan, the brothers perceived that their major threat was the Buyids in western Persia and Iraq. It did not take long for the Saljuqs to eliminate the Buyids from Persia and Iraq. Toghril conquered Baghdad in 447/1055 and restored the Sunni rule. Consequently, Caliph Qa’im granted the title of Sultan on Toghril. Although the Buyids and the Caliph coexisted in Baghdad, their relationship was not based on the Caliph’s consent. The Buyids knew that most of their subjects in Baghdad were Sunni and half of their army were of Turkish origin whom may ally with the Sunnis.

Corporate Governance Essay

1. Business Decision; that compares the costs and benefits of manufacturing a product or product component against purchasing it. If the purchase price is higher than what it would cost the manufacturer to make it, or if the manufacturer has excess capacity that could be used for that product, or the manufacturer’s suppliers are unreliable, then the manufacturer may choose to make the product. This assumes the manufacturer has the skills and equipment necessary, access to raw materials, and the ability to meet its own product standards. A company who chooses to make rather than buy is at risk of losing alternative sources, design flexibility, and access to technological innovations. Determination whether to produce a component part internally or to buy it from an outside supplier. This decision involves both qualitative and quantitative factors. Qualitative considerations include product quality and the necessity for long-run. Business relationships with subcontractors. Quanti tative factors deal with cost. The quantitative effects of the make-or-buy decision are best seen through the relevant cost approach. 2. They Budget for many reasons; to control spending, to set goals, to control the direction of the company, and to run effectively. Controlling spending is an obvious reason. Setting goals is another. For instance, if x department meets a goal, they may get a budget increase (which can lead to an increase in wages for that department). Allocating monies to a department makes that department want to be more efficient with their money. Budget managers can control the direction of the company by giving or not giving money to certain parts of the company. For instance, in an oil company, a budget manager might give a lot of money to the Exploration department to find new oil, but cut back on the Logistics department. Budgeting is a great way to both force a company to run efficiently and to find out if they are actually doing it. If a department or region is consistently over-budget, they will need to be looked at as to why. If another region is consistently under-budget, maybe they are being allocated too many resources that could go somewhere else. DELOITTE 3. Company boards, executives, and management are investing more and more time and resources on issues of sustainability – such as carbon (greenhouse gas emissions), energy efficient technology, water use, cleantech, and biodiversity, to name just a few. An important part of the global push towards sustainability practices involves a need to account for, and report on, sustainability – sometimes referred to as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting. On this page, we maintain a history of developments in sustainability reporting requirements and practices, tracking its gradual adoption on both a voluntary and mandatory basis, and also consider the wider integrated reporting initiative being led by the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC). International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) (previously the International Integrated Reporting Committee) was formed in August 2010 and aims to create a globally accepted framework for accounting for sustainability, bringing together financial, environmental, social and governance information in an â€Å"integrated† format. The IIRC brings together a cross section of representatives from corporate, investment, accounting, securities, regulatory, academic and standard-setting sectors as well as civil society. It comprises a Steering Committee, a Working Group and a three taskforces (dealing with content development, engagement and communications, and governance). The IIRC is chaired by Professor Mervyn King, Chairman, King Committee on Corporate Governance and Former Chairman, Global Reporting Initiative. Membership includes Hans Hoogervorst (IASB Chairman), Leslie Seidman (FASB Chairperson), Maria Helena Santana, (Chairperson, IOSCO Executive Committee), Gà ¶ran Tid strà ¶m (IFAC President), Jim Quigley (former global Chief Executive Officer of Deloitte), and many others. Paul Druckman is Chief Executive Officer. The objectives for an integrated reporting framework are to: * support the information needs of long-term investors, by showing the broader and longer-term consequences of decision-making * reflect the interconnections between environmental, social, governance and financial factors in decisions that affect long-term performance and condition, making clear the link between sustainability and economic value * provide the necessary framework for environmental and social factors to be taken into account systematically in reporting and decision-making * rebalance performance metrics away from an undue emphasis on short term financial performance * bring reporting closer to the information used by management to run the business on a day-to-day basis. * The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) has released a finalised ‘prototype’ of its integrated reporting framework and reaffirmed the expected timing of the issue of a consultative document as it moves towards finalisation of the framework by the end of 2013. * The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) has launched an ‘Integrated Reporting Emerging Practice Examples Database’, which contains integrated reporting examples from businesses around the world.

Effects of Earthquake Essay

Primary effects are the immediate damage caused by the quake, such as collapsing buildings, roads and bridges, which may kill many people. Those lucky enough to survive can suffer badly from shock and panic. Secondary effects are the after-effects of the earthquake, such as fires, tidal waves, landslides and disease. Fire – earthquakes destroy gas pipes and electric cables, causing fires to spread. Broken water mains prevent the Fires being extinguished. Fires spread very quickly in cities, especially in poor-quality housing areas where wooden buildings are common. Tsunamis – an earthquake on the sea floor or close to the coast may cause huge waves. Landslides – earthquakes often cause landslides, especially in steep river valleys and areas of weak rocks. Disease and famine – fresh water supplies are often cut off causing typhoid and cholera. Lack of shelter and food causes much suffering. soil liquefaction when soils with a high water content are violently shaken they lose their mechanical strength and behave like a fluid and so buildings can literally sink. Excellent clip 2011 Japan Tsunamis Mega tsunami caused by a landslide July 9th 1958 Explanation Outline causes A tsunami can be generated when destructive plate boundaries abruptly move and vertically displace the overlying water. It is very unlikely that they can form at constructive or conservative plate boundaries. This is because constructive or conservative boundaries do not generally disturb the vertical displacement of the water column. Subduction zone related earthquakes generate the majority of all tsunamis. Tsunamis have a small wave height offshore, and a very long wavelength (often hundreds of kilometers long), which is why they generally pass unnoticed at sea, forming only a slight swell usually about 300 mm above the normal sea surface. and they travel quickly at speeds over 700 km/h. They grow in height when they reach shallower water.

Ethical Theories of Nursing Essay

When a person meets the unfortunate circumstance of being admitted to a hospital for an illness they are depending on healthcare personnel to have their best interest in mind and make them better. When people think of who it is taking care of them and making them better they specifically think of Doctors and Nurses. As Doctors and more specifically Registered Nurses it is their duty to have a client’s best interest in mind and always act in their benefit. This raises the question, what guides Nurses to maintain this mindset of always putting the patient first? The answer is their ethical duty, meaning every nurse is guided by ethical theories and principles which help guide them as a patient advocate. It is these ethics that make a nurse so valuable to clients and ultimately makes a nurse the client’s best advocate. In this paper the core ethical theories and principles will be discussed and how exactly this helps RN’s be the best possible advocate and what benef its the clients themselves derive from these ethical theories. In order to properly understand the ethical theories of nursing one must first know what the core ethical principles and theories in nursing are. The ethical principles of nursing are Autonomy, Beneficence, Fidelity, Informed consent, Integrity, Justice, Nonmaleficence, Paternalism, Veracity, as well as Privacy and confidentiality. Some ethical theories that influence nursing practice are Consequentialism, Deontology, Ethical Relativism, Utilitarianism theory, Teleology, Virtue ethics, and Justice and equity. To a layperson some of these words may make sense and others may not. In order to better understand how these theories and principles shape the practice of nursing you must better understand what they mean. A brief description of some of these terms will be given before their influence on nurses is discussed. Autonomy refers to the patients’ own rights to make decisions about their healthcare, health, and lives without the interference from healthcare personnel such as the physician, the nurse, or other team members. This means the nurse would have to resist the urge to interject his or her own feelings, values or beliefs onto the patient. This principle was made more evident with the passing of the Patient Self Determination Act by Congress in 1990 (â€Å"Ethical Principles,† n.d., para. 2). Beneficence is very simple, it is referring to always doing what is beneficial to the patient and therefore in their best interest (Silva & Ludwick, 1999). This principle also invo lves taking actions to help benefit others and prevent  both physical and mental harm of the patient. Fidelity is synonymous with faithfulness and is therefore achieved by remaining loyal, fair, and truthful to patient and encompassing the idea of being a patient advocate. An example of fidelity would be keeping a promise to a patient of coming back to check on them even if they become slammed with a heavy workload. Informed consent is directly related to autonomy in the fact that it allows the patient to make an informed decision about their treatment (Daly, 2009). This means that accurate information must be provided to the patient in order to make an informed decision. Three elements involved in informed consent are Informed, Competent, and Voluntary. What this means is the patient has all the accurate information, they are in a stable and competent mindset to make the decision, and that they are voluntarily making the decision. Justice is simply referring to fairness and equality. It is applied to healthcare by providing equitable access to nursing care. Nonmaleficence literally translates to â€Å"do no harm† and is a concept that originated from the Hippocratic Oath. Nurses apply this principle by not causing injury, being either physical, psychological, emotiona, or financial (â€Å"Ethical Principles,† n.d., para. 16). Paternalism is a negative principle of nursing and is implied when a nurse does not respect the patients’ right to autonomy by making decisions for the patient because he or she thinks she knows what’s best for that patient (Sliva & Ludwick, 1999). Privacy and Confidentiality is relating to maintaining the security of a patient’s information and only sharing that information on a need-to-know basis with other healthcare members involved with that patients care and act to prevent breaches of confidentiality. Veracity as a word is associated with truthfulness. In nursing it is a duty to disclose pertinent information and the obligation to respect confidentiality at the same time. This means giving truthful information about the risks of a procedure while still respecting the patient’s confidentiality. These are the main principles of ethics as far as it pertains to nursing and knowing this information is vital to understanding ethical theories and how to bet ter apply them as a practicing nurse. As mentioned earlier some of the Ethical theories are Consequentialism, Deontology, Ethical Relativism, Teleology, Virtue ethics, and Justice and  equity. It is important for Nurses to understand the definition of each of these, as well as how to apply them, and how it benefits the patient. It is pivotal for nurses because it will ensure that they are preforming their jobs and duties with the highest regard to patient advocacy and maintain the ethics which nursing is based on. Consequentialism, also referred to as utilitarianism, seems simple enough to understand as the word â€Å"consequence† is evident. Consequentialist ethics refers to the idea that the correct moral response is always going to be related to the outcome, or consequence, of the act. This idea can also be thought of in a way that if a decision must be made it would be wisest to make the decision with the central aim of doing the maximum amount of greatest good for the greatest number of people. The actual ‘good’ that is being referred to can be expressed in numerous ways such as referring to values such as happiness, being pain or symptom free, or another life enhancing outcome (â€Å"Ethical Theories,† n.d., para. 2). There can be a backside to this theory however which can cause acts that would be contrary to the rights of individuals if the end result is one that would improve care for many others, this is referring back to the theory of doing the greatest good for the greatest amount of people. Deontology is simply following the moral theory of doing unto others as you would want them to do unto you. This theory is placing more value on the intentions of the individual as opposed to the actual outcome of any action. It also focuses on rules, obligations, and duties. In order to follow the theory of deontology it requires absolute adherence to these obligations and acting from duty is viewed as acting ethically. An ethical person must always follow the rules, even if doing so causes a less desirable outcome. Since with this theory it is the motives of the actor that determine the value of the act a bad outcome may be acceptable if the intent of the actor was good. On the back side of this theory there is a criticism in healthcare that applying a strictly deontological approach to healthcare can lead to conflicts of interest between equally entitled individuals which can be difficult or even seemingly impossible to resolve (â€Å"Ethical Theories,† n.d. para. 4). Teleology is a theory that is opposite to deontology in a sense. Whereas with deontology it is the intent of the decision made that determines the value as opposed to the outcome, with teleology it is the  outcome that determines whether the act is good or of value and that achievement of a good outcome justifies using a less desirable means to attain the end. Ethical relativism takes into account for the variability in what is considered to be normal or acceptable to any given culture. What this is saying is that every culture has their own set of norms and therefore certain behaviors that may be acceptable in one culture may not be acceptable in others. A nurse must keep in mind that ethical standards are relative to person, place, time, and culture. The nurse must take on the fact that whatever a person thinks is right, is right. Right and wrong is not definite in most cases as there are no absolute truths. While there are no universal truths in ethical relativism there are few topics that are not open to debate, such as incest (American Nurses Association, 2011). Although this theory has been largely rejected it is still valuable for a nurse to consider when caring for their patients. If a nurse is better educated on the culture of their client and what is considered normal or taboo they will be better equipped to provide excellent care in that persons eyes without infringing on their culture or having a biased opinion of them. Virtue ethics is different from other ethical theories in that it places much less emphasis on which rules people should follow and instead focuses on helping people develop good character traits, such as kindness and generosity. These character traits will, in turn, allow a person to make the correct decisions later on in life. Virtue theorists also emphasize the need for people to learn how to break bad habits of character, such as greed or anger. These are called vices and stand in the way of becoming a good person. This theory, while having the patients best interest in mind, focuses on the healthcare provider and asking them to learn good habits while breaking bad habits in order to predispose them to making the correct decision automatically while providing care to their clients. It requires the nurse to take a look at his or herself and make judgments on their character and work to change whatever is deemed unethical about themselves for the greater good of their patients. Thi s is an essential process of becoming a nurse as nobody is perfect and allowing oneself to be open minded about change will allow them to be the best nurse possible. Justice and equity is simple, it refers to being fair and equal to all patients no matter their socioeconomic status or resources at their disposal. This ethical theory is meant to  protect the less privileged people in society and give them access to fair and equal healthcare access without bias from the healthcare members caring for them. The theory states that a â€Å"veil of ignorance† should be worn regarding who is affected by a decision and should be used by all decision makers because it allows for unbiased decision making. An ethical person should choose the action that is fair to all, including both the advantaged and disadvantaged groups in society. This theory is in place to protect those less fortunate people and is essential to all of society to keep the balance and fairness when it comes to healthcare. Now that all of the ethical principles have been defined it is easier to make sense of how the ethical theories came about for our healthcare system and all the members of the healthcare team taking care of the patients. It is essential for these theories to be understood and applied by nurses all across the world in order to attain the best results for patients and the future of our healthcare system. It is essential of nurses to be well versed in the ethical principles and even more so in ethical theories to help guide them in their decision making when caring for clients. A nurse who knows the ethical theories and furthermore applies them in the field will have better client outcomes and prevent errors that can cause harm to a client in any way shape or form. These theories truly help protect not only the patients being cared for but also the nurses caring for those patients.

Becky

The government, business, and consumers all have an important role a play in the field of environmental protection. The three components should form an interrelated system in which the government and consumers exert pressure upon businesses to act ethically in environmental matters, and business executives are committed to the issues of sustainable development that forms part of corporate social responsibility.Alan Larson in his remarks on corporate social responsibility addressing the National Policy Association Conference noted that although he believed in profit maximisation as the CEO’s primary objective, â€Å"in a global marketplace where reputation matters deeply, shareholder value depends more than ever on corporate values† (Larson 2001). Thus, corporations cannot be interested in profits as the only priority; instead, they should be interested in the situation on the planet in general.Just as â€Å"sustainable development† is an appropriate measure for s ocial progress, so â€Å"sustainable profits† should become part of the accounting vocabulary indicating that the corporation can â€Å"increase shareholder value by communicating to shareholders, employees, customers, regulators, and the general public how it is practicing environmental stewardship and social consciousness in its operations† (Larson 2001). Thus, business has an independent incentive to act ethically. However, Larson notes, the government can enhance this incentive by offering, for instance, the Award for Corporate Excellence only to environmentally conscious companies.Another way is to include the government regulations into guidelines of state structures, for instance, OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprises or guidelines of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Consumers in the 1980s and later decades became aware of the influence of their purchasing choices upon the environment. Their responsibility to the environment , among other things, was included for discussion at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio under Agenda 21 (Yu ). Their role in sustainable consumption has to be defined through a range of consumer initiatives.Thus, the three parties can cooperate in enhancing environmental protection. References Larson, A. (2001, June 11). Role of the U. S. Government in Promoting Global Corporate Responsibility. Remarks to the National Policy Association Conference. Retrieved November 25, 2005 from http://www. state. gov/e/rls/rm/2001/3526. htm. Yu, N. (n. d. ). The Green Consumption Movement: The Roles of Government, Business, Academia, NGOs and Consumers. Retrieved November 25, 2005 from http://www. apo-tokyo. org/gp/e_publi/gsc/0315RES_PAPERS. pdf.