Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms as Human Disease Markers Essay Example for Free

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms as Human Disease Markers Essay In using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to match subtle DNA changes with an individual’s susceptibility to a disease of interest, one can start by distinguishing the suspect DNA from a preset standard using the technique of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). In this method, copies of extracted and purified DNA are made using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) before being cut up by preselected restriction endonucleases, and the resulting fragments subjected to electrophoresis. Once a suspect sequence in the fragments obtained is found, it can then be subjected to a sequencing technique that can pinpoint the nature of the SNP. One such method is Pyrosequencing, where a sequencing primer is prepended to the fragment under scrutiny and is mixed with a cocktail composed of a DNA polymerase, ATP sulfurylase, luciferase (the enzyme responsible for making luciferin in luminous animals glow), and apyrase, as well as luciferin and adenosine 5’-phosphosulfate (APS). Deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs, four in total, corresponding to the four DNA bases) are added, one by one, into the reaction mix. For each time a dNTP is added, the polymerase causes the incorporation of the dNTP into the strand at appropriate positions, if any are present, with the simultaneous release of pyrophosphate, in an amount that is equimolar to how much nucleotide was used in incorporation. The pyrophosphate reacts with the APS, catalyzed by ATP sulfurylase, to produce ATP which participates in the chemoluminescence reaction of luciferin and luciferase. The amount of visible light generated by the reaction is proportional to the amount of ATP generated, and this is recorded by a special camera and noted as a peak into what is called a Pyrogram. How much light is generated depends on how much dNTP was used up. Any unused dNTP and ATP present in the mix is degraded by the apyrase. The sequence of the fragment can then be read off from the peaks of the gradually being produced Pyrogram. Specially constructed software can then spot SNPs by comparing the Pyrogram of the fragment of interest with known Pyrograms. By using an â€Å"association study†, where people with the trait and a control group are compared with regards to the presence of â€Å"marker alleles†, or alleles that can be shown to be present only in people with the disease. SNPs are convenient for this purpose since SNPs are easily inheritable and occur usually more frequently in genes than the other possible variations. This is most useful for diseases that can be shown to be influenced by only a single gene, for association is difficult enough when done on a single gene. Accuracy in identification can be had by having the affected and the control be as closely related as possible, since differences that might be disease-related will be easier to spot. References: Ronagi, M. Elahi, E. (2002). Discovery of single nucleotide polymorphisms and mutations by Pyrosequencing. Comparative and Functional Genomics, 3(1), 51-56. Li, M., Boehnke, M., Abecasis, G. R. (2006). Efficient study designs for test of genetic association using sibship data and unrelated cases and controls, The American Journal of Human Genetics, 78, 778–792.

On Top of the World :: English Literature Essays

On Top of the World This winter wonderland called Austria is full of small villages surrounded by snow capped mountains that look like someone has come along with some icing sugar and generously topped each one. Mountain after Mountain clustered together, with pine trees placed here and there that are dappled with snow. A real life picture post card with chocolate box wooden houses and roof tops covered in crisp clean snow. Pretty balconies with people sat enjoying a glass or two of the local Gluevine which tastes of hot red wine with a hint on cinnamon that warms your very soul. People sat inside the houses in front of raging log fires cosily wrapped in thick warm blankets with a huge mug of hot chocolate covered with a generous topping of grated chocolate. Going up the mountain in the lift with the mountains leering over you like a huge dragon ready to pounce and the tiny houses below getting smaller and smaller as they disappear, passing through fluffy white cotton wool like clouds you must remember to hold on tight as the lift comes to a sudden abrupt jolt just before it reaches its destination at nearly the top of the mountain. Walking around up here, high above the madness of the world below you find peace within yourself, you feel you are catching up on lost time spent rushing around at home. Stopping and taking a moment to close my eyes and breath in the fresh clean spring like air then slowly opening them to the wonder of the view around me I feel I’m making the most of life. Standing here with a whimsical look on my face, life feels magnificent, and it feels good to be alive watching the children playing in the snow with glowing red tipped noses and rosy cheeks there smiles telling a story of happiness and freedom to just be children unrestricted by the rules of the world below. Adults free of the troubles of everyday life with huge smiles enjoying the local culinary specialities like large bowls of hot delicious soup with great chunks of fresh bread. How wrong I was to feel so daunted at the thought of my first winter holiday being on top of an artic slushy snow laden mountain freezing to death for a whole week didn’t exactly fill me with excitement and wonder. Before me is the most incredible view I’ve ever seen, I always believed that good old Blighty was the prettiest place on earth with its countryside of rolling hills and lush green landscape.

Exams Are a Necessary Evil Essay

Exams! Exams! Exams! Exams are the dreaded word that plagues you during student life. As an adult who is done and dusted with this nightmare, you may look back more often than once wondering if all that stress and trauma was after all worth the while. For starters let’s take a step back and analyze what skills one is expected to acquire during the course of education. Well the skills that are used in everyday life, the skills that allow one to get a job and succeed in their field of choice are surely the skills that one should acquire in the formative years. In this case logic, analytical ability, memory, communication skills and interpersonal skills will probably top the list of most people. Of course there is also the actual knowledge which needs to be tested! What skills do exams test? Now though exams are a mode of testing, the manner in which the test is administered can decide what skills are actually tested. The regular ones requiring long winded answers test your memory and perseverance coz surely you must work hard to cram all that stuff into your head and then retain them long time to put them down on paper. In the more objective format of exams, it can be argued that logic and analytical ability is tested. Upside of exams Structure is probably the biggest upside of exams. When you know you have exams around the corner you make a serious attempt to actually stop fooling around and make good use of your time to actually study. They help you deliver results under pressure. Memory is certainly sharpened and they can also make you very competitive. This is arguably a great virtue in today’s world. Downside of exams You forget what you cram and write. Then why bother! This is the age old argument which works against exams. The wise are known to argue that education must cause a student to think, become inquisitive and have an unquenchable thirst to seek knowledge. It is well known that the human brain has an expiry dated storage space for information and hence pundits believe that we need to create an ambience where we nurture genuine students of  knowledge who are passionate about learning. Exam centricity takes away the joy of learning since it is a closed approach; not many excel in the format though they may be inherently very intelligent and it also does not nurture passion of learning but actually serves to detract from that stated objective. Also there are those scores of cases which point at psychological and physical trauma such as illness and depression owing to unwarranted stress levels. Man evolves with time and so will the educational system and the methodology of testing. While in the short to midterm, exams are here to stay, there may be a day when a bold patriarch chooses to shun this process and allow students to flourish in a non-threatening environment which sustains the process of natural learning. There are already a few examples of such forms in modern day society and it will not be surprising that these voices gather momentum with the years to come!

Brownies

Brownies became popular across America beginning in the sass. Today, a search in the internet can discover over 100,000 brownie recipes. The variations seem endless, containing everything from candy to coffee beans (Blitz, 2014). As a new variation, the company presents a new taste of brownies having Morning Leafier or better known as Malagasy as the flavor because of its growing popularity and relevance. Malagasy is a popular backyard plant in the Philippines.It is once known as a poor man's vegetable, but is now garnering international attention as a â€Å"superegos† of miracle tree† with its proven nutritional value and many uses (Gasman, 2013). This product intends to offer people a healthy lifestyle featuring the extra benefits and nutritional values of the said plant, for this product will be presented as a food supplement to children, teenagers and adults. Studies show that the Malagasy plant is widely used as herbal medicine for a number of illness and other prac tical uses.Malagasy is known as a very nutritious plant, where it is used to combat malnutrition in third world countries especially for infants and mothers, and also as having antimicrobial, antibacterial, anti fungal repertories (AN & Part, 2003). These studies prove the effectiveness of the plant and its great help to people's health that is why this plant was chosen as the new flavor of the brownies. Nowadays, people are looking for differences and distinctions between products and so, companies are challenged in developing new products for people.This product is a solution to people who needs food supplements, but do not want to take the usual medication like in the forms of capsules, syrups, etc. This company is working to offer food supplements in the form of Malagasy brownies. People, who will avail the said product, will get to have the all-time favorite dessert, the brownies plus take pleasure in and have the benefits of the very nutritious Malagasy plant. Thus, the Mornin g Leafier or Malagasy plant is chosen as the raw material of the product which is food supplements in the form of brownies.This product will be offered to suit the needs of people who are in need of help to their health featuring the nutritional values and many benefits of Malagasy. REFERENCES Blitz, l. (25 June 2014). Failed Cake to Family Favorite: Brownie History. Retrieved from http://www. Prepares. Org/Assets/files/Brownie_Recipe_Handout. PDF. Gasman, M. (21 November 2013). Malagasy (Morning)-the World's â€Å"Superegos†. Retrieved from http://www. Classicist. Com/Malagasy-morning-worlds-superegos/. AN, K. & Part, L. (2003). Malagasy Uses, Health Benefits, Side Effects, Preparation.Retrieved from http://www. Indistinguishable. Com/articles/Malagasy. HTML. BUSINESS DESCRIPTION The main purpose of the business is to provide a healthy lifestyle and living in the present generation specifically to children with ages 7-12, teenagers 13-19 and adults tit ages 20 and above. The company will provide food supplements in the form of Morning Leafier or Malagasy brownies as the products. These brownies will offer the unique benefits and nutritional values of Malagasy leaves and plant to health.To be able to produce the product, the company will be offering a partnership to the Malagasy Plantation in Apace, Nag City. This plantation will provide the Malagasy plant as the main ingredient or raw material of the brownies as food supplements. The partnership will be having 70% of the revenues for our company and the engaging 30% for the Malagasy Plantation. The Cacao Farm and Industries will also be another supplier for our company. The company will be management. Under this, there will be subgroups such as the Financial, Operational and Human Resources departments.The Malagasy Plantation will be the head for the Operational department and under them is the Cacao Farm and Industries together with the other suppliers. Job Descriptions: General Manager The general ma nager conducts and administers the overall undertaking in the business. The general manager will asks for the reports and updates from the line managers regarding the business dealings delegated to each of them. Checking the performance of all the managers is also a duty of the general manager.The general manager will also help draw ideas and thoughts together with the other managers to come up with a rational, agreed result in order to achieve the company's objectives. Financial Manager The financial manager is in charge with the overall financial affairs of the business. He identifies costs relating to the business. He keeps the book of accounts and monthly reports. He is also in charge in the preparation of the financial statement. Productions and Operations Manager The productions and operations manager has the task of buying the needed ingredients for the production of the products.He is also commissioned to make an inventory system. He is involved with the planning, coordinati on and control of manufacturing processes. He ensures that goods and services are produced efficiently and that the correct amount is produced at the right cost and level of quality. Sales and Marketing Manager The sales manager has the task of monitoring the sales. He is also tasked with the costs needed in making long-term plans for the business. He furthermore studies and analyses the changes in the market trend and come up with appropriate innovations in the product that will suit customer's taste and preferences.The sales manager studies and reports the supply and demand trends in the business. The marketing manager is in charge of formulating strategies to improve public relations. He also makes a wide campaign via calling cards, referrals of the baked products to make the business recognized. He is also asks for comments, makes surveys from customers and develops strategies to meet their expectations. Human Resources Manager Human resources manager develops, advises on and im plements policies relating to the effective use of personnel within an organization.His aim is to ensure that the organization employs the right balance of staff in terms of skills and experience, and that training and development opportunities are available to employees to enhance their performance and achieve the employer's business aims. In the present times, the company will Just be proposing the Malagasy brownies, but will not be limited to it in the near future. The company will be extending their reduces in terms of new flavors for the brownies or new forms of the Malagasy food supplements.Product development and innovation will be used as marketing strategies of the company depending on the sales and opinions or feedback from the people. The company will do research to give the customers their satisfaction. At the end of the year, the company is tasked to have paid the liabilities from the capital. The company must also seek to improve the lifestyles of people as its main pu rpose and must have provided positive comments and effects to people who will avail the product. OPERATIONAL PLAN The business will communicate with the customers through direct selling or house- to-house selling or person-to-person selling.The company aims to provide the customers an easy way of reaching the product. Another way to promote the product is through the use of social media such as Faceable, Twitter and other websites. Customers are free to contact the company regarding the product or send an email to our official page. The pricing strategy will be based on the materials used and each will cost 25 pesos and a box of 12 will cost 290 pesos (A 3-percent discount is offered). The product does not look like the usual brownies which shapes as square or rectangle, but will be circular in appearance or will look like cupcakes.Customers will be given the chance to avail membership worth 3,000 pesos as an initial payment and will have certain discounts and other benefits. For th ose who will avail the membership, they will have an additional two boxes of the products for one year. The company plans to a consignment for our product to different stores in Nag City particularly in terminals, cafeteria, canteens and eateries. But, the business intends o operate primarily by accepting orders from customers through mobile, e-mail and other means of communication.

Shermans March to the Sea essays

Sherman's March to the Sea essays William Tecumseh Sherman made the famous and very true statement, War is all hell! He said this surprisingly before the Civil War. At this time he was retired from the armed forces and thought by many to be insane. Later however came the time in his life that would be taught in high school U.S. History classes. The time when Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman would be reinstated into the army to crush over half of the Confederate States with his destructive marches that shocked the civilized world. I Guess he wasnt so crazy after all. In some ways Sherman was the first true modern. He was at least the first in American History to understand that civilians are the backbone of a war. In other words, in order to break the backbone of the Confederacy, he made war on the civilians directly. Tecumseh Sherman, named by his father in honor of a great Indian chief, was born in Lancaster, Ohio, on February 8, 1820. Shermans family was originally from New England and came to America from England in the Seventeenth century. Two hundred years later his mother and his father, who was a lawyer and in his later years a Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, migrated them to what was then the unsettled west and eventually migrated to Ohio. When Sherman, who was called Cump by his family and close friends, was only nine his father died leaving his mother and a large family without adequate financial support. Sherman and his younger brother John were farmed out to a family friend, Thomas Ewing, who would one day be a U.S. Senator and serve in the cabinets of three presidents. When the Ewings learned that Cump had not been baptized he was given the name William T.C. perhaps because the Catholic priest objected to an Indian name without a Christian first name preceding it. At the Ewings home the boys were surrounded by talkative and energetic farmers, lawyers, and politicians. While John would...

How Long Are the SAT Subject Tests

How Long Are the SAT Subject Tests SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The SAT subject tests are all one hour in length and are all multiple choice. However, they differ in features, format, and the time pressure you will feel depending on where your academic strengths and weaknesses lie. Let's discuss the differences among the subject tests and how you can beat the time pressure. First, let's consider the unique features of the test. Unique Features There are 21 different subject tests (I'm counting Biology E and Biology M as two separate tests). Of these tests, the language, biology, math, and chemistry tests have some special features, as explained below. Language Subject Tests Some language tests include a Listening component. Listening tests are always given in the first hour on test day, so you can only take one Listening test per test date. French, German, and Spanish have non-Listening and Listening options. Chinese, Korean, and Japanese can only be taken as Listening tests. Language Subject Tests are also the only Subject Tests with four answer choices per question. All other Subject Tests have five answer choices per question. Biology Subject Tests If you choose to take the Biology subject test, you have the option of Biology E or Biology M. While they share 60 core questions, each has an additional 20 questions with an ecological or a molecular focus. Learn more about which concentration makes sense for you by taking a look at some practice questions. Math Subject Test There are two math subject tests, Level 1 and Level 2. Level 1 requires two years of algebra and one year of geometry. Level 2 requires the same plus some understanding of trigonometry and pre-calculus. Level 2 also requires more extensive use of (and comfort with) a graphing calculator. Chemistry Subject Tests The chemistry test has a separate section on the bubble sheet for you to answer 5 special questions. These questions will ask you to compare two statements by balancing equations or making predictions about chemical reactions. The other tests are relatively straightforward in their format. Since all of them are one hour, a better question than, "How long are SAT subject tests?" would be "How many questions are on SAT subject tests?" This is where the answer gets a little more complicated. How Many Questions Are On Each Subject Test? Subject # of questions Literature ~60 US History 90 World History 95 Math Level 12 50 Bio E/M 80 Chemistry 85 Physics 75 French and German 85 (~85 with listening, 35% are listening) Spanish 85 (~85 with listening, 40% are listening Hebrew 85 Italian 80-85 Latin 70-75 Chinese with Listening 85 (33% are Listening) Japanese and Korean with Listening 80 (35% are listening) There isn't a huge amount of variation in the number of questions per SAT subject test time- the Literature test is the one that stands out as having significantly fewer questions. Don't assume this means it's easier, though! The Literature test involves close reading of passages, which takes up some of your valuable 60 minutes of test-taking. Now that you know how many questions are on each test, how can you use this information to maximize your time management under these strictly timed conditions? Tips on Timing Time Yourself When You Prep As you can see in the above chart, almost all of the tests have more questions than minutes. This means you are expected to spend less than a minute on each question. The best way to master the material and perfect your pacing is to practice under simulated timed conditions. Sit down for exactly one hour with a practice test, and don't give yourself extra time. Record how you do and see if you can beat your score each time you practice. You'll almost certainly see improvement as you get more familiar with the test. Use Questions From Real Tests College Board offers useful practice material here. You can learn about the content of each individual test and practice with questions taken from real tests administered in the past. Using high quality, relevant prep materials is the only way to prep effectively for the real thing. Move Quickly and Efficiently The strict timing of these tests allows no room for lengthy consideration or debate. If a question completely stumps you, don't waste valuable time on it. Mark it, skip it, and come back to it at the end with fresh eyes, or simply to make a guess and fill in a letter on the bubble sheet. You might get lucky and get the point! If you're skipping questions, leave a small amount of time at the end to revisit them or fill in the bubble sheet with guesses. Understand Your Ideal Testing Style Will taking three tests in one morning energize or exhaust you? Will you be able to focus on two or three subjects in one sitting, or will fatigue prevent you from performing well? The subject tests start between 8:30 and 9:00 in the morning. You'll get a five minute break between each test. Some students get an adrenaline rush jumping from one subject test to another. Others might have trouble shifting gears between subjects. Again, practicing under simulated conditions may help you figure out your testing style and whether you should take several subject tests on one date or space them out. Not only will timing yourself help create the conditions of the real test, but finding friends and peers to practice with will also resemble the experience of testing beside others. Guessing Strategies for SAT Subject Tests Unlike the general SAT, for SAT Subject Tests you lose a fraction of a point for each question you answer incorrectly. Here's how scoring works for Subject Tests (all the Subject Tests except the foreign language tests have five answer choices. Foreign languages tests have four answer choices): You get 1 point for each correct answer. A fraction of a point is subtracted for wrong answers: 1/4 point is subtracted for five-choice questions. 1/3 point is subtracted for four-choice questions. 1/2 point is subtracted for three-choice questions. No points are deducted for questions left blank. If your final score is a fraction, it's rounded to the nearest whole number - 1/2 or more is rounded up; less than 1/2 is rounded down. What does this mean for you? Too many random guesses could bring down your score, so you have to be smart on when to guess on a question (and risk a point deduction) and when to leave a question blank (with no change of getting it right). Here are some strategies to follow: If You Can't Eliminate Any Answer Choices If you're really stumped on a multiple-choice question and can't eliminate any of the options, don’t guess yet. Skip the question for now and return to it after you've finished the rest of the exam. What if you still can’t eliminate any answer choices? Then leave the question blank. Don’t blindly guess without eliminating any answers. Without eliminating any of your answer choices, you have a high chance of losing points by choosing the wrong answer. Here's the math: on a question with five answer choices, you have a 20% chance of selecting the right answer by guessing blindly. If you guess on five questions, odds are you will get four questions wrong and one right, or zero points total! This is why there is a wrong answer penalty on SAT Subject Tests it makes blind guessing pointless (literally). But because of how randomness works, you might end up guessing incorrectly on more questions than expectedmbsp;leaving you with a net negative number of points. If You Can Eliminate Only One Answer Choice It may make sense to guess here. Cross off the answer choice that you know is incorrect, and take a look at the rest of the answer choices to see if you can narrow down your options further. In this situation, you'll likely gain more points than you lose by guessing. If you guess randomly on 16 questions where you can eliminate one answer choice for each (with five answer choices to start), you will gain a full point on average (4 - (.25 x 12) = 1). It's not huge, but compared with leaving all those questions blank and getting nothing, that’s a pretty good deal. But remember, this advice assumes purely random guessing, which is rare. A certain answer might be appealing to you for whatever reason, so you will go for that choice instead of taking a truly random guess. Test makers often try to make incorrect answers look more appealing so students are more likely to get tricked and choose them. When taking these factors into account, your chance of guessing correctly after eliminating one answer choice is actually less than 25 percent. In the example above, if you were to get even three questions right rather than four and 13 wrong rather than 12 you would be losing a quarter of a point (3 - (.25 x 13) = -0.25). If you do decide to guess in this situation, pick an answer as much at random as possible, rather than getting mired in the wording of each choice. For example, you may choose to always "A" on questions you're guessing on (unless that's the choice you've eliminated) to make your guesses as random as possible. If You Can Eliminate Two or More Answer Choices Now we’re talking! Even with the tricky wording of SAT questions, your chances of choosing the correct answer are high enough here that it may be appropriate to guess. Say you have a set of 15 questions where you guess after eliminating two choices (leaving you with three answer choices per question). With random guessing, this gives you a net total of 2.5 points (five questions correct, 10 incorrect; 5 - (0.25 x 10) = 2.5). Even if you don’t do quite that well and end up getting one more question wrong and one less right, that still gives you 4 - (0.25 x ) = 1.25 points earned. Of the answer choices you have left in this scenario, try to guess randomly. It can still be risky to guess here because we're assuming that all the answer choices you eliminated are definitely incorrect. However, if you have done your homework on the SAT and are familiar with strategies for eliminating incorrect answers, you should be good to go. Additional Note: If you take a practice test, I would recommend marking all the questions you guessed on so that you can later evaluate the success of your guessing strategies. This will also prevent you from just ignoring questions you got right by chance, which you should still revisit if you don't understand the material. Summary While these tests seem to have a lot of questions in a short amount of time, you'll definitely be able to get to all of them if you study effectively. Prep with high quality materials and train yourself in time management and pacing, the same way you would as an athlete. Taking two or three subject tests in one day may sound tough, but a lot of students actually get into a highly focused zone and feed off the energy of the challenge. Be strategic about how you schedule your tests, but remember you can always take the subject tests again if need be- most colleges will take your highest scores. Click here to learn about when you should take the SAT Subject Tests in and around the general SAT and all your other tests and finals. What's Next? Now that you're familiar with the length of the subject tests, how can you decide which subject tests to take? This article will help you choose which subject test is best for you. Are you also taking the SAT? Just like with the subject tests, it's vital to know the format and timing of the SAT. Click here to learn about the SAT and how you can manage your time during this long test. Also, check out our famous guide to how you can score a perfect SAT score. Are you more interested in the ACT? Read about how long it is and how you can pace yourself throughout the different sections. Then read about what a good ACT score for you is. Need a little extra help prepping for your Subject Tests? We have the industry's leading SAT Subject Test prep programs (for all non-language Subject Tests). Built by Harvard grads and SAT Subject Test full or 99th %ile scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Learn more about our Subject Test products below:

The Greek Island Crete Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Greek Island Crete - Essay Example The Islands contains rich folk traditions and cultural heritage despite economic growth, globalization and tourism. The famous dances are still conducted at every opportunity in most celebrations. Crete boasts of exceptional artistic phenomena such as poetry, embroidery, jewelry and Cretan music which are played with the violin, lyre and laouto (Duke, pg.89). The major diet consists of cuisine made of extra virgin olive oil, vegetables and legumes. The economic state of the island mainly depended on farming and stock breeding but has changed to incorporate tourism. Most of the agricultural goods produced include potatoes, grapes, oranges and olives. Other forms of industry active in the island include packaging and shipping industries as well as real estate. The region boasts of temperate climatic conditions with snow on the mountains thus making visits better in autumn and spring (Georgiou, pg.56). The flora is rich in herbs and pharmaceutical plants like thyme and labdanum and a variety of flowers like tulips and orchids. It also has varied fauna like wild goats, tree frogs and