Domestic Terrorism Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Domestic Terrorism Final - Essay Example In addition, ethnic refugees such as Cuban and Puerto Rican, support local movements that support independence or regime change. One of the main attractions for foreign terrorists in the US is the ability to raise money. While this somewhat distorts the technical definition of 'domestic terrorist', it does indicate the level of cooperation, even when the goals are self-serving. According to Ehrenfeld and Lappen (2007), "A major funding source for terrorist and criminals is the trade in illegal drugs". It has been well publicized that "Islamic extremist organizations, primarily Hizballah, and, to a lesser extent, the Sunni extremist" groups have been cooperating with international terrorists in South America, such as FARC, to raise funds through the drug trade (Hudson, 2003, p.14). These drugs are then marketed through US groups, and according to John Sullivan of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, "organized crime groups in Los Angeles County are supporting international terrorists" (qtd. in Ehrenfeld and Lappen, 2007). 2.) The Internet has become a powerful tool because of its capability to communicate around the globe instantaneously. As with all other technology, it is not the technology that creates the problem. It is the user. Freedom of speech and the right to privacy hold conflicting roles when we examine private communication that incites violence. The public display of speech or information that incites or advocates violence or illegal activity is already illegal in the US (Finkleman, 2006, p.178). A web site that calls for the destruction of property or lives should be taken down by law enforcement and the perpetrators pursued. However, private communication should be considered as a separate issue. E-mails and private messages that travel across the Internet should be treated no differently than printed material. The US has a long tradition of constitutional guaranteed freedoms that included freedom of speech. Most intelligent people also understand that with this freedom comes a responsibility. We are not free to say anything, anywhere. However, private conversations are given extreme consideration, and electronic correspondence should be considered private conversation. I would object to the government intrusion. Though I have nothing to hide, there is the potential for government officials to use their authority to pursue or oppress their political opponents. There is the fear that the label 'terrorist' could be applied to well intentioned social movements, or people who plan to engage in the time honored protest of civil disobedience. Removing freedom of speech from private conversations is a step down a slippery slope that should not be taken. 3.) By definition, 'domestic terrorism' must involve a criminal act. According to the US criminal code Title 18, Part I, Chapter 113B, 2331 (5A), the activity must "involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State" (US Code Collection, n.d.). However, there is a significant difference between disturbing the peace by blocking the entrance to an abortion clinic and the burning of a business, such as the vandalism that did over $1 million damage to the U.S. Forestry Science Laboratory in Rhinelander, Wisconsin that was blamed on the Environmental Liberation Front (ELF) (Terrorism 2000/2001, 2004). The difference is

Drugs and Crime - Neurotransmitters Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Drugs and Crime - Neurotransmitters - Assignment Example The brain as an entry of the CNS is the centre of control in the body that has three main components; brainstem, forebrain and the hindbrain. The forebrain’s responsibility is stretched several functions such as thinking, understanding, perceiving, reception and sensory information processing among others. Some of the structures forming it include thalamus, hypothalamus, cerebrum and the cerebral cortex (Nieuwenhuys, 2008). The hind and midbrain from the brainstem. Visual and auditory responses are carried out in the midbrain. About the hindbrain, it stretches from the spinal cord. It holds structures that build it such as the cerebellum and the pons. This region is vital for the maintenance of equilibrium and balance, coordination and conducting the sensory information. The medulla oblongata is also in the hindbrain, responsible for automated functions such as heart rate, digestion and breathing. The spinal cord is also a structure in the central nervous system; it takes a cylindrical form of bundled nerve fibres that are connected to the brain, running in the protective column that extends from the neck. Its nerves relay external stimuli to and from the brain. Body cells contain neurons and are the basic units of the CNS, they hold nerve processes which consist of dendrites and axons to transmit and conduct signals. Axons ferry signals outside the cell body, while dendrites do the reverse (Nieuwenhuys, 2008). Neurons are further classified as sensory or motor, inter-neurons. The motor neurons transport information from the CNS to glands, muscles and organs while the sensory neurons carry information to the CNS from external or internal stimuli. Signals between the sensory and motor are relayed by the inter-neurons The synapse is the gap between the axon and dendrites that holds the synapse fluid where axon releases the neurotransmitters.  Neurotransmitters are mostly associated with dopamine and schizophrenia.     

The Impact of Rising Healthcare Cost on Employer Benefits Essay

The Impact of Rising Healthcare Cost on Employer Benefits - Essay Example One of the most strongly affected employee benefits due to increasing healthcare costs have been retirement benefits. The most common retirement benefits that employers provide to their employees are pension, gratuity fund, healthcare and provident fund. These benefits help in ensuring that the retired employees either have a consistent stream of income or a reasonable amount available to them once they have left the organization. Although the number of benefits offered to employees varies from employer to employer, yet on a larger scale the trend in the industry has been affected negatively. The relationship between healthcare costs and retirement benefits has been inversely proportional. The rise in the former has lead to a decrement in the latter. In many cases the impact has been so grave that employers have had to completely cut down on certain benefits like entitlement to healthcare after retirement, pension and gratuity fund. During interviews with managers and employees at different organizations, it was observed that the inflation in the cost of healthcare has lead to immense dissatisfaction among employees. ... Statement of the Nature of the Issue and its Origins The burgeoning cost of healthcare has affected employers' healthcare coverage plans and other benefit policies. Of all the benefits issues the most severely affected and neglected one has been that of retirement plans. In the past companies used to provide full coverage of employee retirement benefits but now an increasing number of employees have to bear the burden themselves. Employees are spending more time at work to earn more in order to meet the demands of the current life style. Improvements in living standards have caused an increase in expenditure on the whole. Owing to this, retirement benefits play an important role in enabling retirees to maintain life styles as they used to lead during employment. In the past, employers assumed all the risks which came with the benefit plans they offered to their employees. They also made significantly large contributions to these plans. However, with the passage of time, they have been shifting the risks on their employees and minimizing the contributions as well. Over the past 10 years the inflation in healthcare costs has been unacceptably huge. Pension fund which was already facing a continuous decline was hit hard by this. A pension fund is a sum of money paid regularly as a retirement benefit. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the impact of rising healthcare costs on the decline in the provision of retirement benefits by employers. It primarily emphasizes the cut down in pension funds to which the employee was initially entitled. Literature Review By several measures, health care spending continues to rise at the fastest rate in history. In 2005 (the latest year data are available), total

Drugs and Crime - Neurotransmitters Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Drugs and Crime - Neurotransmitters - Assignment Example The brain as an entry of the CNS is the centre of control in the body that has three main components; brainstem, forebrain and the hindbrain. The forebrain’s responsibility is stretched several functions such as thinking, understanding, perceiving, reception and sensory information processing among others. Some of the structures forming it include thalamus, hypothalamus, cerebrum and the cerebral cortex (Nieuwenhuys, 2008). The hind and midbrain from the brainstem. Visual and auditory responses are carried out in the midbrain. About the hindbrain, it stretches from the spinal cord. It holds structures that build it such as the cerebellum and the pons. This region is vital for the maintenance of equilibrium and balance, coordination and conducting the sensory information. The medulla oblongata is also in the hindbrain, responsible for automated functions such as heart rate, digestion and breathing. The spinal cord is also a structure in the central nervous system; it takes a cylindrical form of bundled nerve fibres that are connected to the brain, running in the protective column that extends from the neck. Its nerves relay external stimuli to and from the brain. Body cells contain neurons and are the basic units of the CNS, they hold nerve processes which consist of dendrites and axons to transmit and conduct signals. Axons ferry signals outside the cell body, while dendrites do the reverse (Nieuwenhuys, 2008). Neurons are further classified as sensory or motor, inter-neurons. The motor neurons transport information from the CNS to glands, muscles and organs while the sensory neurons carry information to the CNS from external or internal stimuli. Signals between the sensory and motor are relayed by the inter-neurons The synapse is the gap between the axon and dendrites that holds the synapse fluid where axon releases the neurotransmitters.  Neurotransmitters are mostly associated with dopamine and schizophrenia.     

Population Control Essay Example for Free

Population Control Essay INTRODUCTION The myth of overpopulation is one of the most pervasive myths in Western society, so deeply ingrained in the culture that it profoundly shapes the cultures world view. The myth is compelling because of its simplicity. More people equal fewer resources and more hunger, poverty, environmental degradation, and political instability. This equation helps explain away the troubling human suffering in that ‘other’ world beyond the neat borders of affluence. By procreating, the poor create their own poverty. We are absolved of responsibility and freed from complexity. The population issue is complex. Hartmann (1995) asserts that to put it into proper perspective requires exploring many realms of human experience and addressing difficult philosophical and ethical questions. It entails making connections between fields of thought that have become disconnected as the result of narrow academic specialization. It demands the sharpening of critical facilities and clearing the mind of received orthodoxies. And above all, it involves transcending the alienation embodied in the very terms ‘population bomb’ and ‘population explosion’. Such metaphors suggest destructive technological processes outside human control. But the population issue is about living people, not abstract statistics. PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH POPULATION CONTROL The myth of overpopulation is destructive because it prevents constructive thinking and action on reproductive issues. Instead of clarifying our understanding of these issues, it obfuscates our vision and limits-our ability to see the real problems and find workable solutions. Worst of all, it breeds racism and turns womens bodies into a political battlefield. It is a philosophy based on fear, not understanding. Now this picture both the population predictions and the social predictions are challenged by those who argue especially against compulsory population controls. It is argued that we do not have accurate figures showing the number of people now existing in the world, that we have no reliable way of forecasting future population growth, that there is no acceptable standard prescribing optimum population size, and that although the pressures of population may contribute to some social ills, they are not the primary cause of them. Those who respond to the population problem in this way point the finger in other causal directions to account for environmental decay to our economic system, which encourages environmental destruction, to our technology which is responsible for high-polluting individualized transportation, and to our minimal emphasis on public or mass transit and so on. They also point to the fact that some nutrition experts give us assurance that food resources exist which would permit the feeding of the worlds population even if it doubled. ALLEVIATING SOCIAL ILLS THROUGH POPULATION CONTROL The point is, this argument continues, that a number of voluntary moves can be undertaken to mitigate whatever causal influences population growth has on our social ills. We can produce more food, redistribute people, provide meaningful jobs for women outside the home, provide family planning programs, contraceptive information and services, early abortions, voluntary sterilization, and so on. Anything short of government coercion. Anything short of violating or overriding what is taken to be a fundamental moral and constitutional right the right to procreate and to have as many children as one wants. Gordon (2002) relates in her book that population control measures would alleviate certain local pockets of poverty, as population excess was relative, not just to the means of subsistence, but also to the system of control over the means of subsistence. In the same light, population control has always been closely associated with economic, moral and feminist issues in the United States. Many had also become aware that development by itself was not a magical solution to rapid population growth. The idea of social reform in early twentieth-century America was embedded in the larger understanding that scientific principles could and should be applied in an effort to alleviate social ills. The great social ills we face today: poverty, war, hunger, disease and ecological degradation are clearly rooted from the sheer effects of population excess to the global situation, which is why the direct solution to the problem, which is population control, is the first and most potent step to take towards lessening the evil impacts of said social ills to the global community. Although many critics claim that overpopulation has been the famous scapegoat for society’s ills, the fact that population could be controlled to a manageable degree could and would facilitate a general ease in the social inequalities being experienced by the world over due to the scarcity of resources available to the privileged few who has the means and the power to be in charge of the distribution or even the consumption of such scant resources. The growth of population very rapid in the less-developed countries, but not negligible in most developed countries, either will continue to compound the predicament by increasing pressure on resources, on the environment, and on human institutions. Rapid expansion of old technologies and the hasty deployment of new ones, stimulated by the pressure of more people wanting more goods and services per person, will surely lead to some major mistakes actions whose environmental or social impacts erode well-being far more than their economic results enhance it. This gloomy prognosis, to which a growing number of scholars and other observers reluctantly subscribes, has motivated a host of proposals for organized evasive action: population control, limitation of material consumption, redistribution of wealth, transitions to technologies that are environmentally and socially less disruptive than todays, and movement toward some kind of world government, among others. Implementation of such action would itself have some significant economic and social costs, and it would require an unprecedented international consensus and exercise of public will to succeed. Throughout its history, the emphasis and primary concern of the population control movement has been the welfare of the family; it has stressed the economic, educational, and health advantages of well-spaced, limited numbers of children. Population control cannot be achieved in a social or economic vacuum, of course. To formulate effective population control measures, much greater understanding is needed about all peoples attitudes toward reproduction, and how these attitudes are affected by various living conditions, including some that seem virtually intolerable to people in developed countries. Even more, it is essential to know what influences and conditions will lead to changes in attitudes in favor of smaller families. OUTLINE INTRODUCTION PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH POPULATION CONTROL ALLEVIATING SOCIAL ILLS THROUGH POPULATION CONTROL WORKS CITED Hartmann, B. (1995). Reproductive Rights and Wrongs: The Global Politics of Population Control. Boston, Massachusetts: South End Press. Gordon, L. (2002). The Moral Property of Women: The History of Birth Control Politics in America. Chicago, Illinois: University of Illinois Press.

Techniques for the Identification of Unknown Microorganisms

Techniques for the Identification of Unknown Microorganisms Identification of Unknown Microorganisms For years and years, we have been trying to classify and understand microorganisms, and in doing so, we learned of certain techniques to identify them based on what they look like, where they live, and what they eat. We used this knowledge to derive simple tests to run, and we used a key to narrow down our choices, all in an effort to identify a microorganism. Beginning in the earliest labs with the earliest microbiologists, the most common way to identify an organism is to look at it and look at what it does. In microbiology of bacteria, is it round (cocci) or rod-shaped (bacilli)? Does it stain purple (gram +) or red (gram -)? Does it use lactose as food, while creating an acidic product that can be observed? These tests based on the physiology/morphology and biochemistry fall under what is known as classic identification  [1]. Classic techniques focus on the ability of a bacterium to grow and reproduce in certain conditions, such as the fact that bile salts can interact unfavora bly with the peptidoglycan cell walls of gram positive bacteria, therefore selecting against their growth. Most tests are used to specifically select for or differentiate between the species, this in conjunction with a dichotomous key helps narrow down the choices until one is satisfactory. In contrast, modern methods of identification are based on the technological advances of recent years, namely, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genetics. The use of PCR to identify bacteria is rooted in the study of genetic coding, in particular, RNA. Every bacterium has strands of RNA that is used to bind the mRNA for translation: the 16s ribosomal RNA (rRNA)  [2]. This sequence is conserved in all bacteria and can be used to identify species after amplification through the PCR process. Since every species has a different genetic make-up, it is simply a matter of time for identification. But for most purposes, getting samples to a PCR and running them takes quite some effort, and a lot of m oney, thus the simpler and more efficient method is the classical testing. At one point or another, we all have gotten the sore throat and cough. These symptoms are sometimes caused by microbes in the pharynx that shouldnt be there. Bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumonia, Haemophilus influenza, and Moraxella catarrhalis can infect the area and cause this sore feeling. A more serious offender, Streptococcus pyogenes, causes what is commonly known as strep throat. These bacteria make the pharynx sore by harvesting erythrocytes and breaking them down as sources of food, in turn, destroying the lining and causing the all familiar sore feeling1. A simple test on a blood supplemented agar helps reveal what source of pathogen is causing the sickness. The agar is inoculated and incubated until growth is seen, and the plate will show a pattern of hemolysis if caused by one of the bacterial pathogens. Beta hemolysis is the ability to fully metabolize the cell and hemoglobin and will produce a clear halo around the colonies. Alpha hemolysis is the partial breakdowns of hemoglobin into billiverdin, making the halo appear yellow/green. Gamma hemolysis is the absence of halo, as it means the organism cannot lyse erythrocytes1. Procedures: Respiratory swab: Take a sterile cotton swab and swab the tonsilary region Inoculate blood agar by rolling the cotton tip in a streak plate method After the initial line, discard the swab in biohazard bin, and continue with a flamed inoculation loop Second swab: Take a sterile cotton swab and swab the tonsilary region Place the swab in a test tube Dilute to 10-3 and 10-4 Make a pour plate with nutrient agar Unknown identification: To start to identify any unknown organism by classical methods, it is necessary to create an appropriate dichotomous key to accompany the tests. The first step to any key is the gram stain; this essentially splits the number of possible organisms in half, gram positive and negative. Further tests based on morphology and biochemistry will select and differentiate between common characteristics of species until one organism stands out. At the start of every lab day, fresh streak plates and broths are prepared to keep the organism isolated and fresh. Take a single colony and prepare streak plates, one for 37 °C and one for 25 °C Prepare broths aseptically in similar fashion Dichotomous key: The dichotomous key was prepared using only the organisms on the list provided by Dr. Maxwell. Gram stain: The gram stain separates bacteria into two main groups, gram positive and gram negative. The peptidoglycan cell walls of gram positive organisms will absorb the crystal violet stain and appear purple under microscope inspection. The gram negative bacteria lose their outer membrane during the decolorization step and will absorb the safranin stain, appearing red. Prepare specimen by taking an isolated colony and heat fixing on a slide Apply crystal violet stain for 60 sec Wash with water Apply iodine fixer for 45 sec Wash with water Rinse with decolorizer for exactly 8-10 sec Wash with water Apply safranin for 60 sec If gram positive, the next step in my dichotomous key is to differentiate based on morphology: is it a cocci or bacilli? This step will split the organisms by shape, essentially cutting the number in half. Using the gram stain slide, look at the shape of the specimen under 100x oil immersion Bacilli are rod-shaped cocci are round If bacilli, run the catalase test. The catalase test will reveal if the organism has catalase, an enzyme used to breakdown harmful oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide, which could be made as a result of metabolism. A drop of hydrogen peroxide is added to the specimen placed on a slide. A positive result will cause bubbles to form, indicating presence of catalase. Put a colony on a slide Add hydrogen peroxide Observe bubbles/no bubbles If catalase negative, as in no bubbles formed, the organism is Lactobacillus acidophilus. The bacteria are part of healthy normal flora and aids in digestion  [3]  . If catalase positive, the endospore stain must be used for further classification. The endospore is a tough spore formed by some bacteria during harsh environments. The spore will be dyed green in contrast to a cell dyed red. Prepare a specimen by heat fixing on slide Cover the slide with bibulous paper Add methylene blue Place slide on steamer over a Bunsen burner Steam for 7-10 minutes, applying additional methylene blue to prevent the paper from drying out Remove slide and paper Cool for no more than 30 seconds and rinse Counterstain with safranin for 1 minute Rinse and blot dry If endospore positive, the bacteria is Bacillus subtilis. The organism is found readily in the soil and can form a tough endospore when conditions become unfavorable. Bacillus is also a great model organism for gram positive studies  [4]  . If endospore negative, the organism is Corynebacterium diphtheriae. This bacterium is the cause of diphtheria, a respiratory infection. If the organism observed is cocci, run the catalase test. The catalase test will reveal if the organism has catalase, an enzyme used to breakdown harmful oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide, which could be made as a result of metabolism. A drop of hydrogen peroxide is added to the specimen placed on a slide. A positive result will cause bubbles to form, indicating presence of catalase. Put a colony on a slide Add hydrogen peroxide Observe bubbles/no bubbles If catalase negative, the organism is Enterococcus faecalis. It is commonly found in the digestive tract of humans and is considered part of the normal flora. It does not produce catalase. If catalase positive, the use of mannitol salt agar is used to differentiate between the staphylococcus and micrococcus bacteria. Mannitol salt agar is used to select for staphylococcus. Staphylococcus aureus will produce a yellow halo. Inoculate the MSA plate with a isolated colony Incubate at 37 °C for 48 hours Observe growth If a yellow colored halo around the colony is observed, it is either S. aureus white or S. aureus gold. The way to differentiate between the two is the color of the colony itself, which respectively is, white or golden (yellow). S. aureus is part of the normal flora and what is the usually cause of infections and pimples. If the MSA plate shows no yellow halo, then it is either Micrococcus roseus or Staphylococcus epidermis. The way to differentiate between them is the color of the colony itself. Micrococcus will appear red in color due to a pigment it secretes  [5]  , while S. epidermis will be a white color. Both are normal skin flora. If the organism is gram negative, the first test to run is the lactose supplement phenol red broth. The purpose of this test is to indicate whether or not the organism can use lactose as a food source. Fermenting lactose will produce an acidic waste and cause the phenol red to change color. A positive test will turn yellow. Inoculate a tube with an isolated colony Incubate at 37 °C for 48 hours Observe color change If the organism cannot utilize lactose, then perhaps it can use glucose as a food source. The glucose phenol red broth tests for a similar metabolic process as the lactose one. Inoculate a tube with an isolated colony Incubate at 37o C for 48 hours Observe color change If the bacteria are glucose negative, then it is either Pseudomonas (Burkeholderia) cepacia or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The two can be differentiated by the pigment of the colonies. P. cepacia will appear a light purple color while P. aeruginosa will be white, and also produce a green pigment known as pyocyanin  [6]  . If glucose positive, a citrate slant must be prepared. The citrate slant tests for the ability to use citrate as a carbon source. A positive result will turn the green slant blue. Inoculate the slant with an isolated colony Incubate Observe color If citrate negative, the bacteria is Proteus vulgaris. It is a bacterium that normally inhabits the intestines of humans and in certain cases can cause infections, albeit in most cases of immunocompromised individuals. If citrate positive, the organism is Serratia marcescens. It also produces a red pigment that can be used to identify it. The bacteria are found throughout environments and can be observed upon bathtubs that dont get washed often  [7]  . If the organism can ferment lactose, then the citrate test is prepared. The citrate slant tests for the ability to use citrate as a carbon source. A positive result will turn the green slant blue. Inoculate the slant with an isolated colony Incubate Observe color If citrate negative, the bacteria is E. coli. This is one of the most used model organisms for gram negative studies in labs. The rod shaped bacteria can cause some food poisoning if ingested. But the best use of it is in the labs, as it is easy to care for, replicates fast, and genetically simple, allowing for genetic research  [8]  . If citrate positive, the bacteria could be either Enterococcus or Citrobacter. The test to differentiate between the two is a Methyl red à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ Voges Proskauer media. The MR-VP is used to differentiate bacteria based on the ability to hydrolyze dextrose and create stable organic acids during fermentation. The MR-VP test combines the two separate tests. The positive result for the methyl red test is a red color when the methyl red indicator is added to the media. The positive result for the Voges Proskauer test is a red color. Inoculate two MR-VPs Incubate Add the MR reagent to one tube and observe any color change every 10 mins Look for any color change for the VP test before addition of reagent If MR-VP positive, the organism is Enterobacter. E. aerogenes can cause infections and is considered pathogenic; however it still does exist as part of the normal flora of the human intestines. If MR-VP negative, the organism is Citrobacter. They are ubiquitous in the environment and also inhabit the intestines. Results: Respiratory swabs: The streak plate to identify organisms with hemolytic abilities showed growth of many different bacteria morphologies. Green and white colonies were observed to be growing on top of the plate. The media remained red throughout; no indication of any white spots. The pour plates for were both too numerous to count. Unknown organisms: The organisms were isolated using a streak plate. Two isolations were obtained at two temperatures, 25 ­o C and 37o C. the plate at room temperature showed red pigmented colonies (B), while the body temperature plate showed thick white colonies (A). A third unknown was given pre-inoculated (C). Three biochemical tests and two morphological tests were used to identify the first unknown organism after isolation. A gram stain revealed that the organism was gram positive; being violet under the 100x oil immersion lens. Also while under the microscope, it was revealed that organism A was cocci. A catalase test was done and organism A was determined to be catalase positive, producing bubbles after addition of hydrogen peroxide. The unknown bacteria were inoculated on a mannitol salt agar, which showed the halo, a positive result. To identify between the two staphylococci aureus, the pigment of the colonies was used: white. A gram stain revealed that organism B was gram negative; red under the 100x oil immersion lens. A lactose and glucose tube was inoculated in the same period to identify the ability to utilize those sugars. The organism was not able to metabolize lactose and was able to use glucose. A citrate slant was inoculated, after 48 hours the butt and slant of the citrate slant was turned blue; positive result. The third unknown was tested to be gram positive. A catalase test came out negative, producing no bubbles. Conclusions: Respiratory swab: Because no halo or clearing of any kind was observed in the media around the colonies, it can be safely said that none of the organisms in our throat swabs contained bacteria capable of hemolysis. This lack of hemolytic ability is known has gamma hemolysis. The pour plates were TNTC. This is probably because the dilutions performed were not enough; too many organisms were taken per tonsil swab. At the time, both participants were mildly sick and had seasonal allergies, possibly contributing to the amount of organisms per swab. Unknown organisms: Three unknown organisms were presented for identification. Organism A was successfully identified as Staphylococcus aureus white. What lead to that identification is that S. aureus is a gram positive cocci that produces catalase and is able to use mannitol and grow on the mannitol salt agar and produce the halo; it was determined that the color of the colonies was white as opposed to gold. S. aureus is a common bacteria found on the skin and part of human normal flora. The bacteria can cause minor infections of the skin and can sometimes cause serious diseases and infection if it reaches the systemic circuit  [i]  . Organism B was identified as Serratia marcescens. It is a gram negative rod that can ferment glucose and citrate, but not lactose. It is a common environmental bacterium that can sometimes cause infections in skin and the urinary tract. S. marcescens is part of the family enterobacteriaceae and produces a red pigment that can be found on bathtubs and tiles, feeding on soap residues  [ii]  . Organism C was identified to be Lactobacillus acidophilus. It is a gram positive rod that does not produce any catalase for hydrogen peroxide breakdown. The bacteria are part of Lactobacillus which ferments sugars into lactic acids. This bacterium is used often for the production of many dairy products such as cheese and yogurt. L. acidophilus is part of normal human flora and can be found on the skin or gut. Sometimes it is used as a probiotic supplement. It also prevents Candida from overgrowing in the female vagina  [iii]  . All three organisms were identified successfully with the use of classic techniques.

Evaluation of Writing :: Education Educational Writer Writing Essays

Evaluation of Writing Works Cited Missing "We need to recognize that composition is probably going to remain the stepchild of rather unwilling English departments, that research in teaching and learning to write will continue to scrape by on the edges of several disciplines, and that few of those who will teach writing in American schools and universities will get much training or background as part of their regular education." -E. White (Teaching and Assessing Writing) In retrospect, I fail to remember consistent writing practices or writing assignments in English class (or otherwise) as a student in middle or secondary school. Luckily my love for and skill at creative and critical writing was encouraged by my parents and has remained at the heart of what I have chosen to pursue as a career. However, students whose writing is not only discouraged but is not treated fairly and properly in terms of evaluation have few options: to begin to regard writing as frivolous and unimportant; to remain underdeveloped in the areas of mechanics let alone harnessing of creativity and stylistic technique. Evaluation, as does actual instruction of writing, remains underdeveloped as well. Tension lingers between teachers who either are intimidated by evaluation processes or reject too rigidly structured models and the necessary aspect of not only teaching students how to write but teaching writing as a process which, in the end, requires assessment. Ultimately what has been absent in the past and is lacking still is agreed upon (by teachers, administrators, and test practitioners) theory and practice of sound writing programs and evaluation measures. Two major components, whose relationships fuel the tension that inhibits a consensus, are the contrasts between holistic and analytic approaches to evaluation and hence writing as process or a mix of isolated skills. It is with interest that I research what has historically been found to work and not work with regards to practical and purposeful evaluation procedures that, in and of themselves, should reflect thoroughness but also serve as an integral component of good writing. The Whole Picture versus Isolated Elements Surely on opposite ends of the English education spectrum are the camps who advocate subjectivity and overall quality of writing and those who approach writing with analytic reductionism. Holistic proponents value writing in terms of its ultimate expression while reductionists believe that the whole is merely a sum of its parts (White, 18). Holistic assessment contradicts the notions of not only evaluating writing as a series of independent skills but also multiple choice testing as a means of determining writing ability (testing which requires the labeling of sentence components).