Hermaphrodite Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hermaphrodite - Research Paper Example Although some hermaphrodites have one sex organ being more dominant than the other, some have a combination of both genitalia sharing dominance. Medical practitioners in the U.S. estimate the frequency of hermaphrodite’s births to be 1 in 1500. An extensive review of a medical journal published in 1998 by Dr. Gregory Simpsons provides a glimpse of different sex variations and their probability of occurring. The probability of delivering a child that is not XX or XY is 1 in 1,666 births. Discussion Hermaphrodites are treated differently in different cultures due to their sexual orientation. Asian cultures have classified such individuals as a third gender that blends social roles for centuries. Most societies throughout the globe expect hermaphrodites to identify with one gender role, either male or female (Dreger, 25). There exists no universal tolerance to this biological phenomenon, but the existence of hermaphrodites was known to many ancient cultures. Medical authors for e xample, introduced the term â€Å"true hermaphrodite† to accommodate persons who had both testicular and ovarian tissues during the Victorian era. The terms male pseudo-hermaphrodite, and female pseudo-hermaphrodite were coined later to describe individuals who had one dominant genitalia. However, British medical specialist, Allen Weber, sought to replace the term hermaphrodite with intersex. True Hermaphrodite A true hermaphrodite is an individual with both testicular and ovarian tissues. In addition, the genitalia are often ambiguous since none of the organs is fully developed. So far, there is no known cause of this biological problem that affects thousands throughout different cultures. However, Dr. Kathleen Long postulates that the cause of this problem could be the mutation of the sex-determining gene in addition to the fertilization of an ovum by two sperms (Long, 152). Partly, this could explain why the genitalia have both organs present at the same time. Mostly, ovar ies develop underneath each testicle leading to an ovotestis that contains both types of the tissues. However, there is no documented case in which both genitalia function. Some of the katyotypes that have been encountered so far include 46XX/47XXY, 46XX/46XY, and 47ZZY. This condition can be distinguished histologically since it is dissimilar to mixed gonadal dysgenesis. As of May 2008, there have been 11 cases reported of fertility in true hermaphrodite humans. However, a case in which both gonadal tissues function is yet to be documented, as opposed to rumors that true hermaphrodites can impregnate themselves. The degree of external genitalia ambiguity is dependent on the amount of testosterone that is produced by the testicular tissue between the 8th and the 16th week of the gestation period (Long, 180). Medical authors suggest that it is caused by the division of one ovum, followed by fertilization of both haploids before they fuse again early in the fetus development stage. Ho wever, few people believe it is caused by the mutations in the SRY gene. Male Pseudo-Hermaphrodite A male pseudo-hermaphrodite has ambiguous female external characteristics, but the male organ is often dominant. In most cases, the testicles are fully developed even though they are attached to an under-developed female genital. Individuals with this biological condition have secondary sexual characteristics such as being less virile and often portray a feminine

Accounting and Finance Degree Reflection

Accounting and Finance Degree Reflection Accounting has always been an interest of mine. Since I was a child, I have always been good in calculation, which makes it clearer that accountancy would be a good choice. After years of studying it, I realised accounting is not only about numbers but theory that require various skills in order to perform a good accounting. The increase number of students in the accounting field has made employment extremely competitive. Major findings suggest that, employers require a broad range of generic and professional skills in graduates to add value to business. In the past, generic skills was broad in that it was usually associated with those skills developed outside the technical curriculum. More recently the scope of the term generic skills has extended to emphasize relevance to graduate outcomes in terms of the world of work and, more specifically, employability (Barrie, 2004). The mixture of skills is necessary by the employers as it helps them solve the diversity of business challenges . Generic and professional skills that employers require The embedding of generic and professional skills in higher education curriculum has been of interest for many years. Skills are important for life-long learning and employability. B. Jackling and P. De Lange (2009) suggested that the skills most desired by employers include communication skills, analytical skills and team skills. Communication skill is particularly essential to accounting profession for which interaction between the providers and the recipients of information. For accounting it is important to starts with gathering and processing of information and end with communication of processed information. Previous research shows that accounting graduates experience communication problem in early employment (McLaren, 1990: Pattern and Williams, 1990). Despite that accounting curriculum has positively contributed to the development of written communication skills (Zaid, O. and Abraham, A. 1994) Analytical skills is relating to using analysis or logical reasoning to solve a problem. It is the ability to visualize and solve complicated problems while making accurate and informed decision. Employers are looking for people that are able to think critically and its consequence. For example, one could be good at spread sheets, can manipulate data effectively but they arent good at figuring out whether the information is reasonable or realistic (Ballantine, J. A. Larres, D. M. 2004). There are an increasing number of companies that want employees to work in a collaborative environment in order to respond quickly in an environment with intense complexity. Avery (2001) proposes teamwork as and individual skills, meaning each individual in a team must take responsibility for the process necessary to accomplish a similar goal. Teamwork is used a lot in the field of accounting such as complete tasks, evaluate clients and report and analyse financial statements. Learning outcomes that are relevant to achieving these skills The degree that Im currently pursuing is Accounting and Finance. The module chosen from this course is Financial Accounting and Reporting (U50035), delivered in semester two of the 2011-2012 academic year, and Financial Accounting Theory (U50081), delivered in semester one of the 2012-2013 academic year. As a credit entry student, I took a module in year one similar to Introduction to Accounting delivered in semester one 2010-2011 academic year. The learning outcomes from the modules in the area of financial accounting were designed to provide students with opportunities to build their employability profile alongside developing their knowledge. The modules were designed to encourage students to build their skill base as part of their way to higher level of intellectual development. In my second year I did Financial Accounting and Reporting module. Throughout this module, I manage to develop some skills and achieve some learning outcomes. For instance outline the regulatory framework for financial reporting which applies to UK and international companies and also using financial and other reports to appraise the performance, financial situation and cash position of companies. We were given two coursework assignments: one individual and one group. The individual coursework is regarding IAS 19, Employee Benefits that has been amended. At a glance, the coursework is intimidating because there are substantial amount of research and reading. They reduced my motivation. However, as I started to read, common key term such as International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), defined benefits, termination benefits, service cost, net interest, re-measurements tend to appear in most of the articles. The skimming phase confirmed that my initial problems came from jargons and new terms about the IAS 19. It taught me to use critical and analytical skill in order to find key words and phrases, which help me to read long articles. The second assignment of this module is to do a group presentation on the financial performance, financial situation and cash position of Good Energy Group plc. Further, I have improved my presentation and writing skill because this coursework is presented in a professional report with graphs and financial data. We have limited time to carry out research and we were worn off by the intensive lectures. This is where I found out how time management and teamwork skills play as important elements for success. We distributed the workload among ourselves and set a time frame for completion. Group members were to adhere to the time frame stipulated. This is how we manage to complete a simple presentation, with many hidden hard work behind our success. Currently Im doing Financial Accounting Theory module. There are several learning outcomes from this module one of it is to understand the function and operation of Accounting in a range of contexts, informed by current thinking and research in the discipline. We were given homework almost every time after a seminar. In week 4 we were asked to read a few articles regarding revisiting the conceptual framework. This article refers that the framework needs updating and refining, the inconsistencies need to be eliminated because framework being less helpful in providing guidance for standard setting decisions. During the seminar in week 5, we then discussed our findings in a small group of three. Through this Ive learned a lot more than self-reading, the interaction has definitely improved my communication skills. One strategy describes by Cunningham (1998) to develop creative and critical thinking skills in students are by analysing real life case studies. During the seminars, students were asked to analyse articles provided by the lecturer. Learning outcome such as able to demonstrate the use of current accepted technical language of accounting and accounting practices internationally is achieved. A constructive feedback is given on the spot after a question is raised. This will assists students to develop a questioning attitude as well as able to update their knowledge. Introduction to Accounting is a first year compulsory module, which introduces student to certain principles and techniques of accounting. The module will be concerned with the processes used to record, summarize and present accounting data. The objective of this part of the module is to enable students to prepare company financial statements. Learning outcome after having completed this module is the ability to prepare a set of financial statements for a company from a trial balance and incorporating a variety of simple adjustments. For example when learning how to produce a financial statement, it requires technical and theoretical knowledge once I discovered how to present the information, thats when I develop non-verbal communication skills (Ballantine, J. A. Larres, D. M. 2004). When I started my first semester, I find myself struggling for time. My lifestyle has become chaotic, as I have to juggle between school, work and family. I felt tired everyday and have no motivation to complete my tasks. This is mainly due to my poor time management. As part of the module, an educational talk from one of the accounting firm, Ernst and Young has made me realize that many things could be achieved with proper time management. A person that works at least 12 hours a day still find himself some time spend with family and for his favourite sports. Conclusion This reflective statement is a learning tool, which will help students better understand, learn and reflect on issues covered in the entire course and in other relevant areas. I believe that a strong academic background is a fundamental issue for student but might not be enough in indicating whether or not a student will be successful in a particular work environment. Throughout this course I personally think that the modules I have taken have been benefiting me in terms of the aspects in which I have learned. It is designed to encourage communication skill, teamwork, critical thinking and analytical skill. This is what employers seek for in a potential candidate. Researching on coursework have opened my eyes and made me aware of any jargons that come across during reading. In the final (third) year, I feel as if I have a great deal of knowledge of the information that I looked at for these modules. The use of case studies, group-based learning, and task designed to address communica tion and presentation skills are suitable for developing appropriate competencies in accounting graduates for future employment.

Book Report The Corona Project by Curtis Peebles :: essays research papers

THE CORONA PROJECT: AMERICA’S FIRST SPY SATELLITES Curtis Peebles is empowering readers with the newly declassified information on how the first American satellites were set into use for intelligence gathering. Through his book, â€Å"The Corona Project: America’s First Spy Satellites†, the author gives detailed information on the birth of the satellite program by watching the Corona project from its beginnings in the late 1940s to the declassification of the project and its exhibitions at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book begins with a look into World War II and how the event of Pearl Harbor pressed the need for aerial reconnaissance. The first chapter gives the different technological challenges that had to be faced in order to achieve aerospace superiority. This chapter takes a close look into the development of the WS-117L reconnaissance satellite and how the two projects are related.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main thrust that the project received was from the launch of Sputnik I. With the Soviets now seemingly ahead, the author explains how the project was taken away from the Air Force who was failing with the WS-117L and passed the mission onto the CIA for the development of the Corona satellites. Peebles explains that the difference between the two programs is that the WS-117L promised almost real-time through radio-transmitted imagery while the Corona missions would drop the film from the nose cone for development.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The engineering team faced numerous challenges in the task of getting the satellites into orbit as explained in chapter three. The chapter covers blundering trial after trial and the success finally achieved by Discoverer 13 after delivering its payload (an empty capsule) undamaged to the earth’s surface.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Peebles goes into depth about the first sets of films that were recovered and developed in chapters four through six and then goes into depth about how this new satellite program revolutionized the capabilities that the Americans now had in aerial reconnaissance. Peebles covers the continuing evolution of the KH or â€Å"Key Hole† cameras used aboard the Corona satellites. The author talks extensively about the Kennedy administration and the Corona project, which lead to the increase of security as the project grew.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The bread and butter of the information provided in the text can be found in chapters seven through nine. In these chapters the author provides detailed information about how the satellite preformed operations. Furthermore, Peebles begins sharing new information about recently declassified photography of Soviet (and a few other countries) installations.

Banking Regulation Act Summary

BANKING REGULATIONS ACT 1949 The Banking Regulation Act was passed as the Banking Companies Act 1949 and came into force wef 16. 3. 49. Subsequently it was changed to Banking Regulations Act 1949 wef 01. 03. 66. Summary of some important sections is provided hereunder. The section no. is given at the end of each item. For details, kindly refer the bare Act. * Banking means accepting for the purpose of lending or investment of deposits of money from public repayable on demand or otherwise and withdrawable by cheque, drafts order or otherwise (5 (i) (b)). Banking company means any company which transacts the business of banking (5(i)(c) * Transact banking business in India (5 (i) (e). * Demand liabilities are the liabilities which must be met on demand and time liabilities means liabilities which are not demand liabilities (5(i)(f) * Secured loan or advances means a loan or advance made on the security of asset the market value of which is not at any time less than the amount of such l oan or advances and unsecured loan or advances means a loan or advance not secured (5(i)(h). Defines business a banking company may be engaged in like borrowing, lockers, letter of credit, traveller cheques, mortgages etc (6(1). * States that no company shall engage in any form of business other than those referred in Section 6(1) (6(2). * For banking companies carrying on banking business in India to use at least one word bank, banking, banking company in its name (7). * Restrictions on business of certain kinds such as trading of goods etc. (8) * Prohibits banks from holding any immovable property howsoever acquired except as acquired for its own use for a period exceeding 7 years from acquisition of the property. RBI may extend this period by five years (9) * Prohibitions on employments like Chairman, Directors etc (10) * Paid up capital, reserves and rules relating to these (11 & 12) * Banks not to pay any commission, brokerage, discount etc. more than 2. 5% of paid up value of one share (13) * Prohibits a banking company from creating a charge upon any unpaid capital of the company. (14) Section 14(A) prohibits a banking company from creating a floating charge on the undertaking or any property of the company without the RBI permission. * Prohibits payment of dividend by any bank until all of its capitalised expenses have been completely written off (15) * To create reserve fund and 20% of the profits should be transferred to this fund before any dividend is declared (17 (1)) * Cash reserve – Non-scheduled banks to maintain 3% of the demand and time liabilities by way of cash reserves with itself or by way of balance in a current account with RBI (18) * Permits banks to form subsidiary company for certain purposes (19) * No banking company shall hold shares in any company, whether as pledgee, mortgagee or absolute owners of any amount exceeding 30% of its own paid up share capital + reserves or 30% of the paid up share capital of that company whichever is less. (19(2). Restrictions on banks to grant loan to person interested in management of the bank (20) * Power to Reserve Bank to issue directive to banks to determine policy for advances (21) * Every bank to maintain a percentage of its demand and time liabili ties by way of cash, gold, unencumbered securities 25%-40% as on last Friday of 2nd preceding fortnight (24). * Return of unclaimed deposits (10 years and above) (26) * Every bank has to publish its balance sheet as on March 31st (29). * Balance sheet is to be got audited from qualified auditors (30 (i)) * Publish balance sheet and auditors report within 3 months from the end of period to which they refer. RBI may extend the period by further three month (31) * Prevents banks from producing any confidential information to any authority under Indl Disputes Act. (34A) * RBI authorised to undertake inspection of banks (35). * Amendment carried in the Act during 1983 empowers Central Govt to frame rules specifying the period for which a bank shall preserve its books (45-y), nomination facilities (45ZA to ZF) and return a paid instrument to a customer by keeping a true copy (45Z). * Certain returns are also required to be sent to RBI by banks such as monthly return of liquid assets and liabilities (24-3), quarterly return of assets and liabilities in India (25), return of unclaimed deposits i. e. 10 years and above (26) and monthly return of assets and liabilities (27-1).

Assignments Physical Activity, Disease and Public Health

Obesity is becoming a leading killer disease in the world. The changing nature of life has led to change in lifestyle which has led to increased cases of lifestyle diseases.   It is estimated that more than half of the population of United States is obese or overweight.However epidemiological studies show ethnic and racial dimension with regard to prevalence of obesity in the population. African Americans especially African American women have a higher prevalence of obesity compared to other races.There are many genetic and environmental factors which have been predisposing African Americans to increased cases of obesity. Obesity does not only affect health and social life of the individual but it is also a gateway to development of many other chronic illnesses.   If not well managed, obesity leads to other terminal illnesses like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and others.Change in diet and tendency towards a sedentary lifestyle have been identified as the leading causes of ob esity all over the world.   The increasing prevalence of obesity in the population has been correlated with myriad of environmental, behavioral, physiological, and genetic factors.   Attenuated metabolic response to the exposures in the environmental combined with a number of predisposing factors and low level of energy expenditure leads to   positive energy balance which increases body weight.Several researches have underpinned the importance of diet modification and exercise in reducing body weight. However the emphasis has been mainly on diet modification with less attention on the role of exercises. Regular exercises can help to burn the excess body fats leading to reduction of obesity.In this study we are going to review a number of studies which have looked into the role of exercise in the management of obesity. The study   review a total of 10 studies from American Journal of Nutrition, JAMA, British Journal of Sports Medicine, and many   other renown medical sites. The key search words used include obesity, African Americans, Body Mass Index, and physical activitiesObesityObesity is one of the growing health problems in the world. Since the mid 20th century, the number of obese individuals in the population has been growing at an alarming rate due to the changing nature of our life.   The high prevalence of overweight and obesity is a great concern for adults, children, and adolescents not only in the United States but also in the rest of the world.  Obesity can be defined as increase in body weight due to accumulation of fat tissues. Individual weight status is usually determined by the Body Mass Index, which is a ratio of individual’s weight to height.   Body mass index has been shown as one of the most effective tools to assess the level of risk from individual weight. Obesity can be described as accumulation of fast on the body due to a positive energy balance.The food we eat is used up for body metabolism processes and the r est is stored as fats in the body adipose tissues.   If we eat too much and engage in fewer exercises, there is that energy balance in the body that is converted to fat.   Therefore the more we eat or the higher calorie foods that we eat, the more we gain weight and we end up being obese.According to the body mass index measure, a health individual should have a BMI of 18.5 – 24.9 kg/m2. The following table shows the classification of BMI and the body weight status.

Government of Verdania essays

Government of Verdania essays The government of Verdania is a combination of a Democracy and a Theocracy. This is because it is tied in very closely with the Grasshopper religion, and unlike in a democracy, you have to be a member of the religion to have a say in the government. A leader is elected every year, as the people live by the seasons of the weather, and after each rainy season a new leader is chosen, or the old one can be re-elected for as long as the people want him. The leader is called the Great Grasshopper, after the mythical insect that gave the people their rules to live by. He wears a headdress at ceremonies that looks like the head of a grasshopper. The next page shows their flag, which has one of these masks on it. The leader of the people right now claims to be a descendant of Marcus, one of the two prophets of the religion, so the religion has a lot to do with how the government is run. The leader rules by several sources of power. Economic is one, in that survival is very hard sometimes on the grasslands so everyone has to pitch in to make things work. It is also based on ideology, because almost everyone in Verdania is a member of the religion, so they believe in what their leader tells them. The governement is mostly decentralized. Each village has a Shaman who is pretty much in charge and who goes to meetings with the Great Grasshopper at the beginning of each season. This is to make sure that everyone will have enough to eat, if one village has extra, they can share that with the others. One of the philosophers that we know of that most relates to the Verdanian society would be Thoreau, who wrote about the relationship of man to nature and the importance of being in balance with it in a book called Walden Pond. The Verdanian government sets very high standards for the ecology and nothing may be done which creates pollution as this would ruin things for everyone. Each citizen, even if he is not a member of the religion is e...

10 Fascinating Facts About Stick Insects

10 Fascinating Facts About Stick Insects Stick insects are part of the order Phasmatodea (also known as phasmids and walking sticks) and are most often found in subtropical tropical habitats- when you can find them, that is. These amazing bugs are hard to spot because they look so much like twigs- until those twigs get up and walk away, that is. 1. Stick Insects Can Regenerate Limbs Should a bird or other predator grab hold of its leg, a stick insect  can still make an easy escape. Using a special muscle to break it off at a weak joint, the imperiled insect simply sheds the leg in a defensive strategy is known as autotomy. Juvenile stick insects regenerate the missing limb the next time they molt. In some cases, adult stick insects can even force themselves to molt in order to regain a lost leg. 2. Stick Insects Can Reproduce Without Males Stick insects are a nation of Amazonians, able to reproduce almost entirely without males, using a process known as parthenogenesis. Unmated females produce eggs that when mature, become female stick insects. When a male does manage to mate with a female, theres only a 50/50 chance that the offspring of that union will be male. A captive female stick insect can produce hundreds of all-female offspring without ever mating. In fact, there are species of stick insects for which scientists have never found any males. 3. Stick Insects Even Act Like Sticks Stick insects are so named for their effective camouflage among the woody plants where they feed. Theyre typically brown, black, or green, with thin, stick-shaped bodies that help them blend in as they perch on twigs and branches. Some stick insects exhibit lichen-like markings to make their camouflage more authentic but to make the disguise complete, stick insects imitate twigs swaying in the wind by rocking back and forth as they move. 4. Their Eggs Resemble Seeds Stick insect mothers arent the most maternal. While some stick insects females actually make an effort to hide their eggs- sticking them to leaves or bark or placing them in the soil- they typically drop eggs randomly on the forest floor, leaving the youngsters to whatever fate befalls them. Dont be so quick to judge mama stick insect, though. By spreading her eggs out, she lessens the chance of predators finding and eating all of her offspring at once. Its also helpful that the  eggs resemble seeds, so carnivorous predators are less likely to take a closer look. 5. Nymphs Eat Their Molted Skin After a nymph has molted, its vulnerable to predators until its new cuticle darkens and hardens. The castoff skin nearby is a dead giveaway to enemies so the nymph quickly consumes the shriveled exoskeleton to get rid of the evidence, simultaneously recycling the protein it took to create the discarded layer at the same time. 6. Stick Insects Arent Defenseless Stick insects arent venomous but if threatened, one will use whatever means necessary to thwart its attacker. Some will regurgitate a nasty substance to put a bad taste in a hungry predators mouth. Others reflex bleed, oozing a foul-smelling hemolymph from joints in their body. Some of the large, tropical stick insects may use their leg spines, which help them climb, to inflict some pain on an enemy. Stick insects may even direct a chemical spray, much like tear gas, at the offender. 7. Their Eggs May Attract Ants Stick insect eggs that resemble hard seeds have a special, fatty capsule called a capitulum at one end. Ants enjoy the nutritional boost provided by the capitulum and carry the stick insect eggs back to their nests for a meal. After the ants feed on the fats and nutrients, they toss the eggs onto their garbage heap, where the eggs continue to incubate, safe from predators. As the nymphs hatch, they make their way out of the ant nest. 8. Not All Stick Insects Stay Brown Some stick insects can change color, like a chameleon, depending on the background where theyre at rest. Stick insects may also wear bright colors on their wings but keep these flamboyant features tucked away. When a bird or other predator approaches, the stick insect flashes its vibrant wings, then hides them again, leaving the predator confused and unable to relocate its target. 9. Stick Insects Can Play Dead When all else fails, play dead, right? A threatened stick insect will abruptly drop from wherever its perched, fall to the ground, and stay very still. This behavior, called thanatosis, can successfully discourage predators. A bird or mouse may be unable to find the immobile insect on the ground or prefer living prey and move on. 10. Stick Insects Are the Worlds Longest In 2008, a newly discovered stick insect species from Borneo broke the record for longest insect (which had previously been held by another stick insect, Pharnacia serratipes). The Chans Megastick, Phobaeticus chani, measures an incredible 22 inches with legs extended, with a body length of 14 inches. Sources Marshall, Stephen A. Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity. Firefly Books, 2006.Gullan, P.J., and Cranston, P.S. . The Insects: An Outline of Entomology. Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.