Metabolic Control Analysis(MCA) Essay -- Science Biochemistry

Introduction: In 1970s, a new method called (Metabolic Control Analysis) for analysing the distribution control of the flows and medium concentrations in the metabolic path between different enzymes that form the corridor, was developed by Henrik Kacser and other scientists. Since then, attention was paid to more research in this method and its applications, and developing analytical and educational tools (Wildermuth, 2000). In the flowing literature review, some examples of the significance of Metabolic Control Analysis, pros and cons will be discussed. Literature review: At first glance, engineering a metabolic system with aim of raising metabolite's yield or flux during a metabolic pathway system, could be done through the method of identifying and controlling, which called rate-limiting-steps. Rate-limiting steps is a certain steps in the paths that exercising the most control over the whole system. Though the good features of this method, the majority of experiments that were tried using that method to increase the pathway fluxes ended up with failure (Walker and Raply, 2009). In fact, the control of the system as a whole is distributed across the system’s components much more than esteemed. This area of distributed is a part of sensitivity analysis, which offered lots of applications for many engineering specializations and for economics as well. According to (Walker and Raply, 2009 ; Gunawardena, 2002), metabolic control analysis (MCA), was developed in 1973 in Edinburgh, by Henrik Kacser and Jim Burns, and, autonomously in Berlin in1974, by Reinhart Heinrich and Tom Rapaport through application of the general concept of sensitivity analysis, to provide a precise quantitative basis to determ... ... control and regulation. However, it is a good point to start for improving access to a deeper understanding better than what can be given by qualitative of conventional biochemistry. Works Cited Fell, D. (1997). Understanding the Control of Metabolism. London: Portland Press. Walker, J., & Raply, R. (2009). Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. Cambridge: The Royal Society of Chemistry. Wildermuth, M. C. (2000). Minireview Metabolic control analysis: biological applications and insights. Genome Biology, 1(6). Retrieved May 1, 2011, from http://genomebiology.com/2000/1/6/reviews/1031 Gunawardena, J. (n.d.). Notes on Metabolic Control Analysis. Papers and Presentations from the Virtual Cell Program. Home of the Virtual Cell Program, Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School. Retrieved January 9, 2011, from http://vcp.med.harvard.edu/papers.htm

Human cloning Essay

If there was one technology that the world never accepted, then it will be the cloning of humans. Just 30 hours after the news of a cloned lamb hit the streets, movements against human cloning already started forming (Pence 1998, p. 1). 90 days after the study, a law against human cloning was already being pushed. People claimed that there is no good reason to clone humans, and yet, how can this be known when there wasn’t enough time to discuss it? When the scientific community did not even have time to prove its advantages? Most of the arguments against cloning are philosophical in nature. It is not about â€Å"scientific facts but about ethics, human nature and public policy† (Pence 1998, p. 3). If we look at human cloning in an objective point of view we will realize that there are certain merits to this technology. Certainly, there are disadvantages too, but whether the disadvantages outweigh the advantages is still a question unresolved today. Advantages of Human Cloning Human cloning becomes a good prospect when we talk about the issue of infertility and genetic illnesses. In an article published by ScienceRay (Whatani 2008), it was mentioned that only half of the population of females are capable of gestation. Estimates show that current infertility treatments are only 10% effective (Benefits of Cloning n. d) hence, there are many couples who end up getting frustrated because of their inability to have children. With human cloning, there is no need for the egg to be fertilized, and there is no need to find a mate, and only one parent is needed to create a child (Teacher’s Domain 2010). Researches show that an average person carries 8 defective genes (Benefits of Cloning n. d). In some cases, these genes are recessive and no symptoms will appear, but there are also instances when the genes are inherited by the children and they become dominant traits. Down’s syndrome and Tay Sach’s disease are just two genetic illnesses which can be inherited if reproduction is left to natural means. Though human cloning, parents can choose which genes their children will inherit, thereby allowing them to get rid of the defective genes. Another advantage of cloning is that it is now possible to create organs which can be used for transplants (The Advantages of Cloning n. d). People with liver and kidney trouble no longer need to wait for a donor to get a transplant. People suffering from leukemia can get cloned marrow. Scientists will be able to produce effective therapy for cystic fibrosis if only they are allowed to test the technology for human cloning. Lastly, cloning will allow medical professionals to understand how cells differentiate and become cancer cells, thereby allowing the creation of a cure for the disease. Disadvantages of Sexual Reproduction In several researches conducted (Science Daily 2006; Treisman 1976; Williams and Mitton 1973) it was discovered that sexual reproduction allows populations to adapt to their environment better because they are able to resist harmful mutations. Yet, sexually transmitted diseases are already so widespread that sex has become risky. Also, sexual reproduction has its costs wherein the female carry most of the burden, a situation called as the two-fold costs of sex (Science Daily 2006). In his study, Ricardo Azevedo says that in order to overcome the two-fold cost of sex, two things must be true ‘†The production rate of harmful mutations must be relatively high, such that each individual acquires on average one or more harmful germline mutations not inherited from its parents. The second is that these harmful mutations must interact in a special way, called negative epistasis, such that adding more and more harmful mutations makes you progressively worse off (Science Daily 2006)†. This means that in order for genetic illnesses and harmful mutations to become extinct, these two conditions must take place. Needless to say, there are no studies which show how prevalent negative epistasis is in nature, hence the extinction of genetic illnesses and mutations are purely by chance. With the world becoming even more chaotic because of the discovery of new incurable diseases and the rapidly degrading environment, there is a big possibility that the survival of humankind may need to rely with artificial means. With human cloning, it is now possible to create a healthier, if not a better race of individuals who are more resistant to mutations and have lesser diseases to endure (Phil for Humanity n. d).

Morality and Sacrifice Essay

â€Å"Sacrifice† is the surrender of a greater value for the sake of a lesser one or of a non value. Thus, altruism gauges a man’s virtue by the degree to which he surrenders, renounces or betrays his values (since help to a stranger or an enemy is regarded as more virtuous, less â€Å"selfish,† than help to those one loves). The rational principle of conduct is the exact opposite: always act in accordance with the hierarchy of your values, and never sacrifice a greater value to a lesser one. â€Å"Sacrifice† does not mean the rejection of the worthless, but of the precious. â€Å"Sacrifice† does not mean the rejection of the evil for the sake of the good, but of the good for the sake of the evil. â€Å"Sacrifice† is the surrender of that which you value in favor of that which you don’t. If you exchange a penny for a dollar, it is not a sacrifice; if you exchange a dollar for a penny, it is. If you achieve the career you wanted, after years of struggle, it is not a sacrifice; if you then renounce it for the sake of a rival, it is. A sacrifice is the surrender of a value. Full sacrifice is full surrender of all values. If you wish to achieve full virtue, you must seek no gratitude in return for your sacrifice, no praise, no love, no admiration, no self-esteem, not even the pride of being virtuous; the faintest trace of any gain dilutes your virtue. If you pursue a course of action that does not taint your life by any joy, that brings you no value in matter, no value in spirit, no gain, no profit, no reward—if you achieve this state of total zero, you have achieved the ideal of moral perfection. If you wish to save the last of your dignity, do not call your best actions a â€Å"sacrifice†: that term brands you as immoral. If a mother buys food for her hungry child rather than a hat for herself, it is not a sacrifice: she values the child higher than the hat; but it is a sacrifice to the kind of mother whose higher value is the hat, who would prefer her child to starve and feeds him only from a sense of duty. If a man dies fighting for his own freedom, it is not a sacrifice: he is not willing to live as a slave; but it is a sacrifice to the kind of man who’s willing. If a man refuses to sell his convictions, it is not a sacrifice, unless he is the sort of man who has no convictions. Sacrifice could be proper only for those who have nothing to sacrifice—no values, no standards, no judgment—those whose desires are irrational whims, blindly conceived and lightly surrendered. For a man of moral stature, whose desires are born of rational values, sacrifice is the surrender of the right to the wrong, of the good to the evil. The creed of sacrifice is a morality for the immoral—a morality that declares its own bankruptcy by confessing that it can’t impart to men any personal stake in virtues or values, and that their souls are sewers of depravity, which they must be taught to sacrifice. By its own confession, it is impotent to teach men to be good and can only subject them to constant punishment.

Employee Rewards System At Marriot Hotels Assignment

Employee Rewards System At Marriot Hotels - Assignment Example †¢ Heart of the house: The positions offered to the employees under this role are housekeeping, kitchen service, security, maintenance and engineering services and information technology where teamwork is essential †¢ Heart of the house: The positions offered to the employees under this role are housekeeping, kitchen service, security, maintenance and engineering services and information technology where teamwork is essential (Marriott International, Inc, 2015c)†¢ Hotel management: The positions offered under this role are Director of Finance, Operations Manager, General Manager, Director of banquets, Restaurant manager and Manager of Security where leadership qualities and guidance is essential to achieve the desired results.Jobs supporting Marriott’s BusinessThe different roles offered for supporting the business:†¢ Jobs at Headquarters: The associates have to manage the portfolio of brands that belong to Marriott; they also have to perform in different s pecialized fields like accounting and finance, operations management, different business disciplines and human resources portraying leadership and supportive skills.†¢ Regional and national jobs: The associates of Marriott working in offices provide support to the business in different countries, continents and regional markets by serving in different areas of marketing and sales, human resources, accounting and finance, risk management, tax planning and working across the globe employing the supporting and leadership skills.

Nagel and Russell on Absurdity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Nagel and Russell on Absurdity - Essay Example Thomas Nagel and Betrand Russell wrote about the absurdity that defines life. Many philosophers have focused on the issue of absurdity as it is one of the surging worries that human beings experience continually. This explains why different philosophers have been trying to highlight the causes of the debilitating feeling that every venture in life is absurd. Realizing the causes of the feeling of absurdity has not been enough. There is the ardent desire of understanding the different ways of dealing with absurdity. This paper will analyze the views of Nagel and BetrandRussell concerning the absurdity. Summary of the ‘Absurd’ by Nagel Nagel begins by highlighting the fact that many people often make known their feeling that life presents a lot of absurdity, sometimes in a continuous manner. However, he asserted that few of the reasons used to explain how the absurdities of life result serve as adequate defense to explain why life is that way. He provides examples of the reasons that people have put forward as potential causes of absurdity. One of these reasons is the opinion that whatever transpires in life at the moment does not present evidence that it will matter in a million years into the future. The feeling that current ventures in life do not present any feasibility of being crucial factors in a progression of a million years. Nagel refutes this claim by highlighting that such thinking invites critical thought of analyzing whether things really matter. If one can doubt whether something happening in the current life will matter in the future, then it is only rational to realize that whether that thing is b ringing happiness or misery, it may not even matter (Pojman 555). For other people, the absurdity of life emerges from the realization that human are minute forms in a vast universe. This perception of human life in terms of space and time in comparison with the entire universe does not suffice to explain the cause of absurdity in life. Nagel argues that this reason is insufficient because little would change even if humans occupied a larger proportion of the universe (556). He opined that living a longer life and occupying greater space would imply that absurdity would increase at the same proportion of space and time. Nagel also mentions that some people experience absurdity because they realize that all then justifications used to present life with meaning will eventually diminish. However, Nagel mentions that even if these justifications were reliable enough to define the entire process of life, they would diminish eventually. He further argues that even if a single justificatio n had the potential of defining an individual’s entire life, it would require an additional justification to make it worthwhile (556). According to him, all chains of justifications depend on external factors for their relevance, factor that makes them diminish at some point. With this argument, Nagel highlighted that it was pointless to blame the insufficiency of justifications for the absurdity of life. In the second part, Nagel begins by highlighting the fact that absurdity resulted from the crises and discrepancies between the pretexts and aspirations of an individual in life. However,he highlights that individual often visualize a way of adjusting aspirations. In case such an adjustment is impossibility, the individual tries to avoid the reality of the absurd situation. However, the feeling of absurdity increases when an individual does not find a valid escape from the previously defined aspirations (557). Moreover, Nagel highlighted that a person’s ambitions were possible causes of the feeling of absurdity especially if the person keeps searching changes that present the potential of altering life. This may often result is an individual takes life’s decisions activities too seriously. He highlights that although life needs constant attention, taking it too seriously can be detrimental causing absurdity. Moreover, perceiving others

Human Resource Assignment (Hospitality Industry) Essay

Human Resource Assignment (Hospitality Industry) - Essay Example In other words, the service sector can be termed as hospitality sector (Simmering, 2006). One of the most important aspects to remember is that the service or hospitality industry deal with selling customer satisfaction and it is not an easy task. Training is the responsibility of the Human Resource Management. Additionally, they also take care of employee recruitment and make sure that employees' abilities are precisely and favourably nurtured to best suite the companies' requirement. However, today several such industries lack proper training resulting in failures. This paper analysis the reasons for the success and failures of training programs in the hospitality industry. Customer satisfaction is the main job of any hospitality industry. Hospitals are a part of this industry and make sure that the patients are given at most care and support for recovery. Aviation industry is involved in flying passengers with all comforts to their destinations. Similarly, hotel's don't sell rooms or a place to sleep rather they sell customer fulfilment and comfort. Food industry or a restaurant is not just the business of selling food, but they sell service, luxury and comfort. It doesn't matter what service or hospitality industry, customer satisfaction is of great importance (Bacal & Associates, N.D.). There are several reasons as to why the training aspects are not taken up with all seriousness. Employees in the hospitality arena oppose or dislike training because they believe that they are already trained. Most of them believe they already have the requisite skills to do their job reasonably well (BNET, 1998). In recent decades the attitudes and awareness to training has changed to a great extent. Historically, training applied more to manual and enhanced the trade skills through apprenticeships. With the help of current technology the training skills to a great extent has developed and improved to cover all aspects of modern business and industry. There are three broad approaches according to Armstrong (1999 Cited in cookeryonline.com) to training. The first one is about the adoption of lassie-faire approach believing that employees will find out what to do for themselves or through others. For instance if skill shortages were to be encountered, they would set right the circumstances by poaching staff from other organisations that invest in training. In a second type of organizations, they may invest in training in good times, i.e. when they have enough funds, but in bad times training budgets will be the first to be cut. Thirdly organisations that take on a positive training philosophy do so because they recognize the fact that they live in a world where competitive advantage is achieved by having higher quality people. This goal cannot be achieved if proper investment in developing the skills and competencies of their employees is not taken up. Training is the practical move toward rather than reactive approach designating t raining as a permanent and on-going process within the organisation. There are several factors that need to be considered for any company to design an effective training programme. For instance, it is said that training

Serotonin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Serotonin - Research Paper Example The metabolism of serotonin takes place in the live. The product of metabolism is known as 5-HIAA. In the process of metabolism, serotonin is oxidized by monoamine oxidase to produce aldehyde. Aldehyde is further oxidized into 5-HIAA by aldehyde dehydrogenase. Large amounts of serotonin in the blood leads to certain forms of carcinoid syndrome of flushing. It also leads to diarrhea, and heart complications. Human beings who experience the production of large amounts of serotonin often suffer from tricuspid valve disease. This disease is caused due to proliferation of myocytes into the valve (Chattopadhyay, 2007). Serotonin is not only found in animals. There are plants and fungi that have serotonin. Worms and insects also have serotonin. This is manifested the pain caused due to their bites. Plant spines also cause pain to human beings. Other pathogenic amoebas have the ability to produce serotonin, the effect of the serotonin from amoeba leads to diarrhea. 5-HT receptors belong to the A rhodopsin-like G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). These receptors are said to have seven transmembrane spanning helices which include; three intracellular and three extracellular loops, one extracellular amino-terminus, and an intracellular carboxy-terminus. The transmembrane helices are charged with the function of binding endogenous ligand serotonin. Serotonergic neurons are lovated at the dorsal and median raphe nuclei region of the brain stem. In addition, serotonergic neurons are responsible for the projection of nerve terminals to every region of the brain.... It also leads to diarrhea, and heart complications. Human beings who experience the production of large amounts of serotonin often suffer from tricuspid valve disease. This disease is caused due to proliferation of myocytes into the valve (Chattopadhyay, 2007). Serotonin is not only found in animals. There are plants and fungi that have serotonin. Worms and insects also have serotonin. This is manifested the pain caused due to their bites. Plant spines also cause pain to human beings. Other pathogenic amoebas have the ability to produce serotonin, the effect of the serotonin from amoeba leads to diarrhea (Chattopadhyay, 2007). 5-HT receptors belong to the A rhodopsin-like G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). These receptors are said to have seven transmembrane spanning helices which include; three intracellular and three extracellular loops, one extracellular amino-terminus, and an intracellular carboxy-terminus. The transmembrane helices are charged with the function of binding endo genous ligand serotonin (Chattopadhyay, 2007). Serotonergic neurons are lovated at the dorsal and median raphe nuclei region of the brain stem. In addition, serotonergic neurons are responsible for the projection of nerve terminals to every region of the brain. There are primary targets for serotonergic projections in the brain. The main targets include the substantia nigra, hypothalamus, amygdaloid-hippocampal region, caudate, plutamen and nucleus accumbens. Other areas that are targeted by the serotonergic projections include cerebral cortial areas such as the frontal, occipital, insular, parietal, temporal, and cerebral cortices (Vanhoute, 1993). In the brain, the cerebral cortex region has several nerves of serotonin