Themes and Style comparison between Pans Labyrinth and The City of Essay

Themes and Style comparison between Pans Labyrinth and The City of Lost Children - Essay Example The themes of both the films have one thing in common; they are about dreams. The films show how important dreams are and especially of young children. In Pan’s Labyrinth, this theme is shown as the young girl has an imaginative fantasy world in which she lives and creates her own magical world. In her dream world, she is a princess and she sees people in the real world as annoying and distracting. It is her love for fairy tales that led her to go on an adventure where she was given the chance to become the princess she was and return to her father, the King. She was told that she was a born princess by a faun who she meets at the night in the forest. The rest of the film shows how the young girl accomplishes three gruesome tasks just to claim her royalty and her status as a princess. In The City of Lost Children, the theme of dreams is depicted as the old aging scientist kidnaps young children to steal their dreams. This theme is portrayed as children dream big and they have the capability to dream about their fantasies and their innocent world. The evil scientist starts stealing these dreams leaving the children empty and without their dreams. The children are lost without their dreams and they are kept in a secret place. The old scientist steals the dreams as he doesn’t have the capability to dream himself. It is also shown that the scientist is aging rapidly only because he doesn’t have dreams. The film shows how dreams keep us younger and give us the reason to live a life. The theme of evil is also somehow depicted in both the films as they are fantasy films and they show the evils which are associated with every good. The young girl in Pan’s Labyrinth is living her dream fantasy of being a princess and having royalty. However, her dream is disrupted by the evils that surround her. The fairy takes her to the forest where she is told she is a princess and in order to

Marketing Mixmarketing Mix Essay Example for Free

Marketing Mixmarketing Mix Essay 1. Marketing Research : A new product strategy will ultimately need to be tested through focus groups, phone surveys and beta tests. Focus groups are sessions where company managers observe consumers through a one-way mirror. A moderator or interviewer will ask the consumers questions related to the companys product concept, including their likes, dislikes and suggestions for the product. This information is usually evaluated later to help tweak the product concept. After focus groups, companies use phone surveys to obtain a more reliable sample about the markets reaction to the product. 2. Product Positioning: Product positioning is a best practice strategy used for both new and existing products. Small companies typically use a grid when developing a product positioning matrix. The objective of product positioning is to determine which segment of the market to place a product. Companies often use two important product variables in a product positioning matrix. For hot cereal, these variables may include price and time to cook. The product price can be low or high, and the time to cook the cereal can be slow or quick. Consequently, segments for hot cereal may be low price/quick to cook, low price/slow to cook, high price/quick to cook or high price/slow to cook. A small company will usually plot its existing products as well as competitive products within the various segments. The segment with the least amount of plotting points may indicate an opportunity for the company, as that particular segment is under-served. Place of Distribution Strategies Depending on the type of product being distributed there are three common distribution strategies available: 1. Intensive distribution: Used commonly to distribute low priced or impulse purchase products eg chocolates, soft drinks. 2. Exclusive distribution: Involves limiting distribution to a single outlet. The product is usually highly priced, and requires the intermediary to place much detail in its sell. An example of would be the sale of vehicles through exclusive dealers. 3. Selective Distribution: A small number of retail outlets are chosen to distribute the product. Selective distribution is common with products such as computers, televisions household appliances, where consumers are willing to shop around and where manufacturers want a large geographical spread. Pricing Strategies 1. Penetration pricing: Here the organization sets a low price to increase sales and market share. Once market share has been captured the firm may well then increase their price. A television satellite company sets a low price to get subscribers then increases the price as their customer base increases. 2. Skimming pricing: The organization sets an initial high price and then slowly lowers the price to make the product available to a wider market. The objective is to skim profits of the market layer by layer. A games console company reduces the price of their console over 5 years, charging a premium at launch and lowest price near the end of its life cycle. 3. Competition pricing: Setting a price in comparison with competitors. Really a firm has three options and these are to price lower, price the same or price higher. Some firms offer a price matching service to match what their competitors are offering. Promotion Strategies 1. Public relations: Involves developing positive relationships with the organization media public. The art of good public relations is not only to obtain favorable publicity within the media, but it is also involves being able to handle successfully negative attention. 2. Internet Marketing: Promoting and selling your services online using various forms of online marketing techniques such as banner advertisements, videos or social media. 3. Sponsorship: Where you pay an organization to use your brand or logo. This organization usually has a high profile so that you know that your brand will be seen by a large audience. Most common use of sponsorship is with sporting events. The 2012 Olympics being held in London is being sponsored by a number of organizations such as Mcdonalds and Coca-Cola as the event will attract a worldwide audience that will run into hundreds of millions.

Anorexia Nervosa: An issue of control Essay -- Eating Disorders Health

Anorexia Nervosa: An issue of control As medicine has progressed through the years, so have the avenues for diagnosing the various causes of many disorders. Recently there have been new discoveries about the disorder anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is a life-threatening eating disorder defined by a refusal to maintain body weight within 15 percent of an individual's minimal normal weight. (2) Other essential features of this disorder include an intense fear of gaining weight, a distorted body image, and amenorrhea (absence of at least three consecutive menstrual cycles when otherwise expected to occur) in women. (1) Theories about the causes of anorexia nervosa include the psychological, biological, and environmental. This paper will discuss the question of the multiple origins of anorexia nervosa, and attempt to identify a common underlying cause. Conservative estimates suggest that one-half to one percent of females in the U.S. develop anorexia. Because more than 90 percent of all those who are affected are adolescent and young women, the disorder can be characterized primarily as a women's illness. It should be noted, however, that children as young as 7 have been diagnosed, and women 50, 60, 70, and even 80 fit the diagnosis. (5) Like all eating disorders, it tends to occur in pre or post puberty, but can develop at any life change. One reason younger women are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders is their tendency to go on strict diets to achieve an "ideal" figure. This obsessive dieting behavior reflects a great deal of today's societal pressure to be thin, which is seen in advertising and the media. Others especially at risk for eating disorders include athletes, actors, and models for whom thinne... ...he links between mental illness and depression. It addresses a very wide variety of issues. http://my.webmd.com/content/article/9/1663_51209.htm? 7)Genetics and Eating Disorders, this site looks at the link between genetics and eating disorders. It also looks at the different medical studies that have been conducted on the topic. http://my.webmd.com/webmd_today/home/404?ourl=404;http://my.webmd.com/content/article/2/3204_673.htm?&referer=http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro03/web2/arutigliano.html 8)On the Teen Scene, this site looks at the effect of anorexia nervosa on teenagers. It looks at questions as to why it affect that one age group so hard, and its ramifications. http://my.webmd.com/webmd_today/home/404?ourl=404;http://my.webmd.com/content/article/5/1680_50412.htm?&referer=http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro03/web2/arutigliano.html

Cisco case Essay

1. What are the challenges faced by Cisco in introducing a major product like Viking? There are four main challenges encountered by Cisco: Time-to-Market pressure: Cisco has only one year to launch Viking. Since the development of technology accelerates information exchange and boost customers’ demand, only companies that can catch the market transitions quickly can survive in the rapidly-changing society. Cost pressure: Price competition in hi-tech market is rather fierce. E.g. bandwidth prices were constantly dropping while customers expected continuous improvement in price-performance on their equipment. Immense technical complexity and concern on outsourcing production: For example, Viking contained some 300,000 components, which is 30 times more than in a small business router. So this requires a high ability for the contract manufacturer and a close cooperation between Cisco and the manufacturer. Uncertainty in NPI’s effectiveness and efficiency: This newly introduced mechanism requires substantial global operation collaboration among far-flung teams, which contains considerable uncertainties. 2. In selecting Foxconn and involving it from the start, what were the potential risks and values to Cisco? Risks: Lack of experience in handling technical complexity: Foxconn has never made complex product like Viking before. Excessive dependence on vertical integration: Overly depending on a single manufacturer will run a great risk of whatever financial and operational constraints it has. Meanwhile, Cisco may lose the opportunity to select the most appropriate suppliers. Values: Low cost: Selecting Foxconn can dramatically decrease the cost due to the cheaper labor force and materials from China and other Asian countries, as well as reduction in transition. Efficient supply chain: A single site and its vertical integration create an agile structure, which promotes the efficiency greatly. Long-term incentive to develop the contract manufacturer: If Foxconn performed well in making a high-end router in a low-cost manufacturing environment, Cisco would have more flexibility for  further products. 3. What should Cisco do to ensure successful development and launch of the Viking router? There are three major ways for Cisco to ensure success: Engaging supply chain partners early on to help simplify product design and manufacturing processes. Getting Foxconn closely involved early in development to lower risk. Utilizing technology to execute global, cross-functional teamwork, and to ensure smooth collaboration with Foxconn. Adopting innovative and intensive marketing strategies.

Definition of Culture and Its Importance Essay

Human beings are considered the highest form of animals, behaving passionately social as a group, using language and understanding, and doing teamwork and intergroup rivalry. Culture then relates to everything that humans have, think and do as a member of the social group. Both existent and make-believe, humans have stuff like tools, weapons, languages, laws, music, art, material resources, technologies and systems that when taken jointly will give details of the past and describes the present. On the other hand, when ideas, values, attitudes, beliefs and ideologies are taken as a group, help explains religious partiality, political directives, mores and extensive range of social associations. In addition, humans do or perform activities among specific group or society based on nationality, religion, ethnic boundaries and even occupation and academic, which later on collectively form the prescribed accepted behavior. (Holt, D. & Wigginton, K. 2002). In 1997, culture was described by Geert Hofstede in his book, Cultures and Organizations as the â€Å"software of the mind†. While individuals all have the identical â€Å"hardware†, which is the human brain, their â€Å"software† or â€Å"programming† is rather diverse. It is an identical experience when interrelating with somebody from a dissimilar culture – their language, suppositions, body language and movement, morals, and other facets of their culture will not be logical when relocated to another’s orientation structure. There are three fundamental logical reasoning when it comes to culture, namely: 1. Superiority of experience in the fine arts and humanities; 2. A combined blueprint of human knowledge, trust, and manners that relies upon the aptitude for figurative thinking and social knowledge; and 3. The set of divided outlooks, principles, purposes, and practices that distinguishes an association, society or group. According to Holt and Wigginton (2002), culture is a concept in the field of anthropology that concerns with shared structure of attitudes, way of life, ownership, traits, tradition and morals that describes group actions, which can be observed in a family, ethnic group, a business organization or a society. Authority, leadership, work attitudes and ethical practices on the part of management are influenced by this shared structure. Workers also are influenced by cultural antecedents on how they recognize and understand quality performance, work responsibilities, their function in decision-making and attitude in following orders from superior, as well as insight of human rights. The daily demeanor of workers in terms of punctuality, following rules on safety standards and personal hygiene are also affected. Slight differences between any two or more cultural groups can be observed, which therefore requires sensitivity to understand cultural differences, especially in manners of proper handling of business transactions. This way, when difficulties are encounter they will be solved readily with positive results. Understanding Differences in Culture The basic requirements for human survival are standard, which means for people to live they need water, food, clothing, housing and security. However, scarcity of these necessities compels human to creatively expand manners of acquiring them in order to give solutions to these survival problems. For simple societies, economic and social behavior consists of uncomplicated activities like looking for and cooking food, crafting clothes, building houses and rearing children. On the other hand, for developed societies, roles go beyond work and domestic related actions and extend to production and distribution of goods and services in order to sustain their big areas of responsibilities. It is essential to know that differences in culture would mean that different cultures have a diversity of styles in looking at things, ways of dressing and expressing individuality and/or goodness. Education, social rank, religion, individuality, belief composition, precedent experience, warmth shown in the domicile, and a countless of other factors will influence an individual’s manners and mores. A good deal of dissimilarities in culture has something to do with foodstuff preparation, music, and what each culture considers good manners. There are really cultural and philosophy disparities and it is fine to have an appreciation about a civilization’s way of life. Hofstede’s Model of Cultural Dimensions A Dutch researcher by the name of Geert Hofstede made a cross-cultural study of organizational behavior using managers from different countries to produce profile of cultural differences. This model is the most famous Hofstede’s Model composed of five dimensions namely power distance, individualism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity and long term orientation, which gives a comparative evaluation of group attributes. Said dimensions when used jointly, provide management sensible outlook regarding contradicting values and prototypes of manners among countries and groups. Power distance as a dimension relates to the degree of human inequalities. Hierarchical position and authority are the main focuses of a culture with high power distance. Less dominant member of the society acknowledge just being subordinates, who should always follow those who are leading. In societies with high power distance as exemplified by Japan, formal authority comes from the hierarchy where employees hardly ever go against a chain of command or subject into scrutiny the decisions of top management. The reverse is true with societies like the United States, Australia and New Zealand with low power distance, where both higher-ups and subordinates coordinate their decisions with one another and authority is not a big deal. However, for societies like Great Britain, Israel and Canada in particular, though they refuse to accept parity in social level, still they value the right of each person’s accomplishment (Holt, D. & Wigginton, K. , 2002). Individualism pertains to the degree of initiative in becoming independent against that of collective endeavor. Societies with high individualism placed importance on personal triumphs, advancement, escapades and self-sufficiency. This implies ignoring the extensive necessities of the society and making oneself and ones family the priority. Contradictory, culture with low degree of individualism supports family relationship, group synchronization, social order and devote to compromised ideas. Uncertainty avoidance (Holt, D. & Wigginton, K. , 2002) is the degree of open-mindedness for uncertainty and ambiguity, particularly to man’s search for Truth. It means the feeling of contentment and discontentment in shapeless circumstances which are unusual, unknown and unexpected. For majority of the societies, their religious beliefs stand as their manner of knowing the Absolute Truth. Japanese culture for instance, typifies a society that avoids uncertainty by creating detailed laws and standards in consonance with the norms of the society. There are also societies with dual philosophical beliefs that they do not consider any Absolute Truth and so they accept uncertainty within their organizations. Canadians, as an example do not prioritize ceremonies and company rites unlike the Japanese. The degree of motivational behavior based on value systems that are depicted in terms of being masculine or feminine is another dimension in the Hofstede’s Model termed masculinity. The focus of the said model is not on biological perspectives; however, the behavior is portrayed using gender. In countries with high masculinity, like Japan, men work and hold top positions in organization, while women stay at home to perform household chores and nurture children. In other words, there are distinct roles that women and men do in society. The priorities of people living in societies with high masculinity are achievement, wealth and expansion. Working professionals spent much of their time in work related activities and seldom take vacations to relieve their stress. When confronted with problems, the manners of settling these conflicts are done aggressively. On the opposite, countries that score low in masculinity give significance to their family, relationships and quality of life. There is equality in terms of positions for both men and women which could be observed in all aspects of their lives. Negotiation for people in societies with low masculinity is the best way to resolve misunderstandings and disagreements. They are also fond of working in flexible hours to give way for more vacations and relaxation. The fifth and newest cultural dimension is the long term orientation, founded on the teaching of Confucius on the East. Countries with high long term orientation can be described as being persistent, thrifty, having a sense of shame and organizing and observing relationship by status. On the other hand, those cultures with short term orientation have personal control and firmness, shield ones â€Å"face†, value ritual and give back to greetings, favors, and gifts.

The Timeline for the End of the Roman Republic

The Timeline for the End of the Roman Republic This  timeline uses the Gracchi brothers attempt at reform as the starting point and ends when the Republic has given way to the Empire as evidenced by the rise of the first Roman emperor. The Gracchi brothers were  Tiberius Gracchus and Gaius Gracchus. The two  of them were politicians who represented the commoners in the Roman government. The brothers were progressive activists interested in land reforms to benefit the poor. In the 2nd century B.C,  the two  of them  tried to reform Romes social and political structure to help the lower classes.  Events surrounding the politics of the Gracchi led to the decline and eventual fall of the Roman Republic. Overlaps in Roman History Since beginnings and ends overlap, the final entries of this timeline could also be looked at as the beginning of the succeeding era of Roman history, the Imperial period. The beginning of the final period of Republican Rome likewise overlaps the middle of the Roman Republican period. The  End of the Roman Republic   133 B.C. Tiberius Gracchus tribune 123 - 122 B.C. Gaius Gracchus tribune 111 - 105 B.C. Jugurthine War 104 - 100 B.C. Marius consul. 90 - 88 B.C. Social War 88 B.C. Sulla and the First Mithridatic War 88 B.C. Sullas march on Rome with his army. 82 B.C. Sulla becomes dictator 71 B.C. Crassus crushes Spartacus 71 B.C. Pompey defeats Sertorius' rebellion in Spain 70 B.C. Consulship of Crassus and Pompey 63 B.C. Pompey defeats Mithridates 60 B.C. First Triumvirate: Pompey, Crassus, Julius Caesar 58 - 50 B.C. Caesar conquers Gaul 53 B.C. Crassus killed in (battle) of Carrhae 49 B.C. Caesar crosses the Rubicon 48 B.C. Pharsalus (battle); Pompey killed in Egypt 46 - 44 B.C. Caesars dictatorship 44 B.C. End of Civil War 43 B.C. Second Triumvirate: Marc Antony, Lepidus, Octavian 42 B.C. Philippi (battle) 36 B.C. Naulochus (battle) 31 B.C. Actium (battle) 27 B.C. Octavian emperor

All About Plastics

All About Plastics Every day, people use plastics in various applications. Over the last 50 to 60 years, the uses for plastic have expanded to infiltrate virtually every aspect of life. Because of how versatile the material is, and how affordable it can be, it has taken the place of other products including wood and metals. The properties of the various types of plastics make it beneficial for manufacturers to use. Consumers like it because it is easy to use, lightweight and easy to maintains. Types of Plastics Overall, there are about 45 unique types of plastics and each type has dozens of different variations. Manufacturers can change the physical structure just slightly to benefit the application for which they are using it. When manufacturers change or modify things like the molecular weight distribution, the density or the melt indices, they alter the effectiveness and create plastics with many specific properties - and therefore many different uses. Two Plastic Categories There are two main types of plastics, thermoset plastics and thermoplastics. Breaking these down further, you can see the everyday uses of each type. With thermoset plastics, the plastic will hold its shape long term once it has cooled to room temperature and hardened thoroughly. This type of plastic cannot return to its original form - it cannot be melted down into its original form. Epoxy resins and polyurethanes are some examples of this type of thermosetting plastic. It is commonly used in tires, auto parts, and composites. The second category is thermoplastics. Here, you have more flexibility and versatility. Because it will return to its original form when heated, these plastics are commonly used in various applications. They can be made into films, fibers, and other forms. Specific Types of Plastics Below are some of the specific types of plastics and how they are in use today. Consider their chemical properties and benefits, too: PET or Polyethylene terephthalate - This plastic is ideal for food storage and water bottles. It is commonly used for things like storage bags, too. It does not leach into the food, but is sturdy and can be drawn into fibers or films. PVC or Polyvinyl Chloride - It is brittle but stabilizers are added to it. This makes it a softer plastic thats easy to mold into various shapes. It is commonly used in plumbing applications because of its durability. Polystyrene - Commonly known as Styrofoam, it is one of the less ideal options today for environmental reasons. However, it is very lightweight, easy to mold and it works as an insulator. That is why it is heavily used in furniture, cabinetry, glasses and other impact-resistant surfaces. It is also commonly added with a blowing agent to create foam insulation. Polyvinylidine Chloride (PVC) - Commonly known as Saran, this plastic is used in wraps to cover food. It is impermeable to odors from food and can be drawn into various films. Polytetrafluoroethylene - A growing popular choice is this plastic also known as Teflon. First manufactured by DuPont in 1938, it is a heat-resistant form of plastic. It is very stable and strong and is unlikely to be damaged by chemicals. Moreover, it creates a surface that is almost frictionless. This is why it is used in various cookware (nothing sticks to it) and in tubing,  plumbing tapes and in waterproof coating products. Polypropylene - Commonly called just PP, this plastic has various forms. However, it has uses in many applications including tubes, car trims, and bags. Polyethylene - Also known as HDPE or LDPE, it is one of the most common forms of plastics. New formations of it make it possible for this plastic to be flat. Its initial uses were for electrical wires but it is now found in many disposable products, including gloves and garbage bags. It is also used in other film applications such as wraps, as well as in bottles. The use of plastics every day is more commonplace than many might think. By making small changes to these chemicals, new and versatile solutions are obtained.

How to Make Connections with College Professors

How to Make Connections with College Professors By all means, form as many bonds and make as many friends as possible while in school, but don’t neglect the connections you form with college professors. Those can come through in tight spots professionally, and professors are typically well-connected amazing people. Let’s talk about 5 solid ways to get close without stepping over any bounds. 1. Impress the Connections out of Them There’s so many faces like yours coming and going; so many papers to grade, cups of coffee to drink and meetings to attend. You’re going to have to stick out without being a jackass. If you’re trying to get either the professor or other students to laugh during class, you’re probably not impressing anyone. Here’s a couple tips: Details: Pay attention to the little things because your professors will be. The quickest way to impress is to NOT do all the things they expect students to do. Be THAT person who takes the time to understand protocol, be prompt and pay attention to details! Now, don’t make light of this practice, just realize that it IS noticed and appreciated. Study Up: Has the professor written a book? Many books? Do they have a blog? If you take the time to get to know them as a person, you can see what motivates them. This way you can add nuances to everything you do that will catch their interest. Barely anyone does this, so it can work like a charm. Show interest in them. 2. Be Available Willing to Serve It’s not about what your professor can do for you, but what you can do for your professor. Don’t sit in the back of class, but don’t attempt to be a teacher’s pet either. Make it obvious what you’re doing, which is no different than your professor did. Making connections in college is par for the course (forgive the pun). Consistent: Don’t pester, but be consistent. Let them know you’re standing at the ready to be of service in any way possible. The Word: Don’t treat only one of your professors this way, but all those whom you think could become a mutually beneficial connection. Options: If they’ve already got their assistants covered and don’t need your help in the office, is there something you could do for them in their private lives? Cut the lawn? Landscaping? Perhaps just a some quality conversation on interesting class-related topics? 3. Set Up Communication Early On Don’t wait, quickly stop by their office to personally introduce yourself. Don’t be bubbly and overflowing with youthful angst, just relax and act as professionally informal as possible. Now, try not to mention grades, period. Instead, focus on these three things. Your Goals: Your goals are what you intend to learn from the professor. Don’t dehumanize them by only referring to â€Å"class.† Their Goals: Let them know you appreciate their position and knowledge without kissing their backside. Make it clear that it is your intention because you would like to impress them and get to know them better. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this, and they know it. Keep it Short: No long-winded conversations for your first couple visits. Keep it short and stay well behind the informal boundary. A couple minutes is all it takes to make a great impression. 4. Don’t Ask to Be Called On Your professors should know you’ve got your act together. You study, you take the course seriously, you intend to get to know them better and you’re a star player. But, never make this obvious in class and NEVER try to upstage the professor in front of students. Wait: Don’t be a jabber jaw and or a Mr. Know it all. Why speak in class if you’re not called on? What’s the point? Are you really going to argue with someone and de-rail the professor’s plan for class? Defer: Instead of hogging the class conch, say what you need to say to make a good point and then pass it along. Do what you can to let other people keep the lime light. Listen: Keep your ears open and listen to the issues, concerns and problems that other students are having. This information can come in handy. If the professor sees you making their job easier, they’ll notice you for it. 5. Be Human Ask for Help If you’re having a hard time, or going through a crisis, don’t complain in class or complain to other students in the class. Instead, bring your very human issues to your equally human professor. Oftentimes they will bend over backwards to help students that need and ask for it without being a pain. Hope this helps. Remember, your professors are like windows into professional worlds. Don’t neglect them and do what you can to form mutually beneficial connections. So, what have you done to get closer to your professors? What’s working or not working for you?

Computer security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Computer security - Essay Example Every organization should be cautions to information or sites concerning their web services. Most hackers would normally exercise the illegal practice to either search for credit or endorse a basis when vandalizing a high profile site (Lennon, 2012). Oracle Corporation’s website was hacked, and words displayed to cause confusion and outcry from the users on the homepage (Lennon, 2012). The practice of hacking led to prosecution and fine of Razvan in the court of laws. Security countermeasures that might be used to avoid hacking include frequent change of passwords and use of latest data protection versions of software. Additionally, hacking can be avoided in the future by educating users about prior changes in the user interface details that might confuse them. Users should only trust official information from Companies websites and not messages that are displayed at the homepages. Hacking is a process that disables normal operation of a website or a webpage. It is an illegal activity performed by individuals who gain access to an individual or organization’s website, then deface the crucial features in the webpage. The hacking process leads to users being unable to enjoy the services from the website. The implications of this practice are that other users were able to access the webpage using their mobile phones, but others could not do so using desktop computers. This caused confusing among the users since no prior information or the company’s press had offered disclaimer. Similarly, other services were functioning as usual without any reported cases of vandalism. It appeared that there was also a chance that Oracle’s web group made an error during update development or site protection (Lennon, 2012). Hacking is not a regular maintenance practice by organizations but a means aimed towards affecting the operations of commonly visited

Compare soccer in Brazil and football in America Essay

Compare soccer in Brazil and football in America - Essay Example Subsequently, rugby originating from England’s rugby school crossed the Atlantic to America, and developed into the sport of American football. The purpose of this paper is to compare different aspects of Brazilian soccer and American football. Comparison of Brazilian Soccer and American Football According to Bellos (2009), the world-famous game of Brazilian soccer is significant for the immese skills of its individual players, which surpass team tactics. Rather than physical challenges or long-distance passes, dribbles and flicks are preferred, and players’ techniques have all the elements of dance. Thus, Brazilian soccer is made up of a combination of athletes and artists. Not only the rest of the world, but Brazilians also define themselves by their Soccer. Bellos (2009) observes that the game symbolizes racial harmony, flamboyance, youth, innovation, and skill, and is also a microcosm of the country itself, including its contradictions. American football is an all-a ction team sport, states Gifford (2009). The development of the National Football League of professional players, did not affect the popularity of college football throughout the United States. The teams in major colleges have considerable fan following, and the game is played in very large stadiums, thereby providing financial support for the game. Both sports have eleven players on each side. The most apparent difference between soccer and American football is that in soccer the ball is kicked by the players who are not allowed to use their hands for playing; while only the goalkeeper is allowed to handle the ball (Goncalves, 1998). Jeromski (2010) supports this, stating that â€Å"in soccer the hands are strictly forbidden from touching the ball, while in American football they are an integral part of ball movement†. Thus, American football permits the throwing of the ball. A lot of practice is required for throwing the ball successfully. (Gifford, 2009, p.16) explains tha t â€Å"the thrower steps forward, turning his hips and shoulders to face the target. The ball is released with a flick of the wrist to help it spin and travel smoothly towards its target†. Further, soccer balls are round in shape; while American football uses oval-shaped balls. In soccer, a goal is scored by putting the ball into a net made up of two posts and a crossbar, and is worth one point (Woods & Owen, 2011). Similarly, in American football, a touch down is scored at the end zone, over a touch-line. Thus, when a receiver catches a ball from a quarterback, he avoids getting tackled, and runs into the end zone. This touchdown is worth 6 points, and is the score that the players aim for. According to Gifford (2009, p.8), â€Å"despite its name, a touchdown does not mean that the ball has to touch the ground. To score, a player must carry the ball into the end zone or catch it in the end zone†. Further, in a soccer game, the play is open, fluid and continuous; on t he other hand in a game of American football, â€Å"the teams move down the field in increments, one play at a time† (Jeromski, 2010). A soccer game extends for a total of over 90 minutes (Goncalves, 1998), and is divided into two halves. On the other hand, a game of American football lasts for a total of just 60 minutess, and consists of four 15-minute-long quarters. However, the full game may extend to three to four hours, if overtime is played between teams

Legal Environment of BUSINESS FINAL EXAM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Legal Environment of BUSINESS FINAL EXAM - Essay Example On the other hand, the article contains guarantee for fitness of goods for the right use (Ferrari 43). This implies that the seller of a product should assure the buyer that the product will serve the intended purpose. In this case study, the seller bought software online from Ace Inc. according to Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code, the buyer is entitled to enjoy products of merchantable quality and the product should serve the intended purpose (Saxon 93). However, it appears that the buyer has no problem with the quality and performance of the product. The buyer discards the software because the seller has offered it at a higher price than another seller of similar product. Therefore, basing my view on article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code, I believe John (buyer) has no reason for discarding the software because the seller has met all the requirements as stipulated in the article. John was supposed to examine different prices offered by different sellers in order to decide on where to buy the product. The fact that John bought the similar software from a different company implies that what Ace Inc met the warranties of merchantability and fit for the purpose (Ferrari 71). Also, these warranties apply to John because he bought the software from a company that was operating in the same field of business. According to the law of contract, the buyer owes the seller duty of acceptance of the product and payment of reasonable price (Ferrari 112). Therefore, John should accept the software and pay a reasonable price for the products. In case the buyer feels that the price was unfair, he should petition the court to decide on what the fair price will be in this situation. Question B: sale of goods Contracts The contract is for the sale of goods as stipulated in English Sale of Goods Act 1893 (Saxon 154). A contract for sale of goods involves an offer and an acceptance. In this case study, Ammco made an offer to sell merchandise worth more than $500.00 to Erm a. According to the requirements of the contract of for sale, Erma agreed to purchase the merchandise in writing hence fulfilling the contract requirement that sale of goods exceeding $5 should be in writing (Ferrari 154). The contract involved two parties, the seller and the buyer. In addition, the consideration of a contract for sale of goods should be in monetary value, and this was fulfilled in the case study because Erma agreed to pay more than $500. The contract for the sale of goods determines the moment when transfer of property in goods takes place because this determines when the risk in goods passes to the buyer and remedy available to each party in case the goods are damaged. This contract did not follow the actual procedure of forming a contract. The additional information given by the seller to the buyer constitutes a counter offer hence the contract is voidable at the will of the buyer (Ferrari 187). This implies that the contract will be formed between the buyer and the seller the moment the buyer will accept the new conditions stated by the seller. Should the buyer agree to pay for insurance and cost of freight, then there will be a conclusion of a contract under Cost Insurance and Freight (C.I.F). Under C.I.F contract, the buyer has a right to accept the merchandise only if the merchandise meets the specifications stipulated in the contract. The goods on voyage are at the buyer’s risk since the seller insured the goods on his behalf. However, if the

Management and Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management and Leadership - Assignment Example A. legitimate B. expert C. information D. charismatic E. referent 4. _____power is based on the capacity to control and provide valued rewards to others A. Legitimate B. Referent C. Reward D. Information E. Expert 5. As the sales manager, Kirk supervises the sales people, hands out bonuses to those who surpass quotas that he assigns, allots vacation time, and determines pay raises. To the sales people he manages, Kirk has___ power. A. legitimate B. expert C. award D. charismatic E. referent 6. As the office manager, Pat has the authority to dock someone's pay who got to work late, to suspend workers who are lazy, and to fire workers who are incompetent. In terms of the office personnel, Pat has _____ power. A. legitimate B. expert C. information D. coercive E. referent 7. ____power depends on the ability to punish others when they do not engage in desired behaviour. A. Legitimate B. Charismatic C. Coercive D. Referent E. Reward 8. During the recent power outage, the janitor was the o nly person who could find the steps and help the people on the eighth floor find their way out of the building. To the people on the eighth floor, the janitor had ____power during the blackout. A. legitimate B. expert C. information D. coercive E. referent 9.____ power is based on the possession of expertise that is valued by others A. Legitimate B. Charismatic C. Coercive D. Expert E. ... A. legitimate D. coercive B. expert E. referent C. information 11. ___ power results from being admired, personally identified with, or liked by others. A. Legitimate B. Information C. Coercive D. Referent E. Reward 12. The president of Hatfield Manufacturing Company threatened to fire all of his line personnel if they continued to ignore the new safety regulations. How will the employees most likely react to this threat? A. with resistance B. with commitment C. with agreement D. with submission E. with compliance 13. Jason is a stonemason who has worked on refurbishing the great cathedrals in Europe. He has agreed to help restore the small Gothic church in Hyatt if the workers want him to. Which would describe the most likely response from the other workers? A. Resistance B. commitment C. acceptance D. submission E. compliance 14. Intelligence, appearance, sociability, and extroversion an all examples of __ that may distinguish leaders from non-leaders. A. demographics B. psychograp hics C. personalities D. traits E. profile items 15. Which of the following statements about the study of leadership traits is true? A. Researchers have identified several traits that are associated with individuals who are recognized as leaders by others. B. For the most part, early research studied historical leaders. C. Most management experts believe that performance is more closely related to the traits leaders possess than the things leaders actually do. D. Recent studies have discovered certain traits that can be used in any situation to determine which individuals will be leaders. E. Researchers have always believed that the key to locating leaders was in the study of traits and have never abandoned this line of reasoning. 16. University of

Humanities and film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Humanities and film - Essay Example In other words, the moving images we see on film largely represent a filmmaker’s vivid imaginations and creative expression resulting to an artistic creation. Consequently, this depiction of feelings and ideas through film affect our emotion and move us; so much so that it enables us to reflect about the condition of our own existence and time here on earth. Indeed, what makes film a significant art form is that it reveals an artist’s portrayal of an idea or situation that deeply touches our humanity. A filmmaker’s task goes beyond recording footages and presenting them to general viewers. Like any form of art, film making involves a rigorous task of carefully choosing the right composition of shots and capturing vivid emotions to achieve the desired cinematic movement and expression. In this way, film enables us to reveal our humanity because it allows us to relate and reflect on the moving pictures shown to us on screen. When we watch a film, it shows that we are human beings with fragile emotions when we start to cry over a dramatic act or laugh at a funny scene. Our emotions are impulsively reacting what to what we see – which is merely the result of a filmmaker’s artistic expression and interpretation of a narrative plot. Moreover, the significance of film in the study of humanities is revealed on how stories are created and interpreted to reveal our human condition. Some films tell stories that depict our present reality, in such a way that its primary purpose is to mirror what is going on in our society. On the other hand, some films revolve around our imaginations which describe stories about the â€Å"dream life of our culture† (Wall, 1998, p.1). Because human stories and aspirations are depicted on film, we are able to transport ourselves into a different place and see how other individuals live. By seeing a different perspective on

Studying for business report and essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Studying for business report and - Essay Example the government has to curb their control over the supermarket industry as it forms a major part of the economy and may negatively affect economic growth if the government puts restrictions on it. The supermarkets in the UK market compete each other closely and have price wars. According to Maddox (2004), they offer the consumers special discounts, sales and have weekly promotions etc on special items all to attract more consumers by giving them price discounts. Stores like Tesco and Nettle and especially known to have low-priced products. Capizzi (2005) argues on the other hand stores like Sainsbury try to compete their pricing by offering seasonal price cuts. Due to all these price wars, the customers gain in the process. Moreover, the UK market has saturated and new consumers are not found. Thus the supermarkets have to steal market share from one another which they do by cutting prices. Such competition results in low prices for consumers which is very beneficial for them especially in an economic downturn. The superstores add convenience to the way consumers shop. Previously consumers had to go to different stores to buy food items and non food items. But with the advent of supermarkets, consumers have the convenience of shopping for everything they need under one roof. This adds to convenience. They also save on travelling expenses and time which is very essential for them as many consumers now have to work in two jobs. Moreover according to Maddox (2004), even women work and thus they enjoy the convenience offered by these superstores. There is also a growing trend of offering online shopping. The supermarkets have online stores and the consumers can order online and have the products delivered at home. This saves them time which they really appreciate. However, the delivery may not be efficient and online stores may not have all the variety and brands offered in-store. Thus many times

Humanities and film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Humanities and film - Essay Example In other words, the moving images we see on film largely represent a filmmaker’s vivid imaginations and creative expression resulting to an artistic creation. Consequently, this depiction of feelings and ideas through film affect our emotion and move us; so much so that it enables us to reflect about the condition of our own existence and time here on earth. Indeed, what makes film a significant art form is that it reveals an artist’s portrayal of an idea or situation that deeply touches our humanity. A filmmaker’s task goes beyond recording footages and presenting them to general viewers. Like any form of art, film making involves a rigorous task of carefully choosing the right composition of shots and capturing vivid emotions to achieve the desired cinematic movement and expression. In this way, film enables us to reveal our humanity because it allows us to relate and reflect on the moving pictures shown to us on screen. When we watch a film, it shows that we are human beings with fragile emotions when we start to cry over a dramatic act or laugh at a funny scene. Our emotions are impulsively reacting what to what we see – which is merely the result of a filmmaker’s artistic expression and interpretation of a narrative plot. Moreover, the significance of film in the study of humanities is revealed on how stories are created and interpreted to reveal our human condition. Some films tell stories that depict our present reality, in such a way that its primary purpose is to mirror what is going on in our society. On the other hand, some films revolve around our imaginations which describe stories about the â€Å"dream life of our culture† (Wall, 1998, p.1). Because human stories and aspirations are depicted on film, we are able to transport ourselves into a different place and see how other individuals live. By seeing a different perspective on

Patient safety in the operating room Term Paper - 1

Patient safety in the operating room - Term Paper Example ip, culture and behavior---rather than the science that proves to be the weak link in the chain of health-care delivery and patient safety.† In fact, patient’s safety in the operating room has a direct impact on nursing. Therefore, the procedure and methodologies used to ensure ultimate objective of patient safety are required to be studied for effects on nursing behavior and practices. Throughout the history of healthcare and especially in the recent decades the operating room nursing practices are primarily influenced by the patient safety. Operating Room (OR) nursing is gauged by the preventive measures and safe handling of the patient. The Operating room safe handling is closely monitored, and a mere negligence can bring the devastating results. Under these circumstances pressures and stress are the natural outcome in OR nursing practices.   â€Å"Focusing on the structure, processing and outcomes of care, a behavioral health patient safety program continually emphasizes changing the system to make treatment safer for consumers through evolution of the evidence.† (Fowler & Susan, n. page). This focus and monitoring at all levels demand an extra bit of vigilance and strict compliance with laid down procedures and standing orders to ensure patient safety. However, it reduces the margin of decisions, which is a major instrument for safety management in op erating rooms. Drawing on the importance and sensitivity of decision in operating rooms Pikaar, Ernst &, Paul (239) states, â€Å"The surgical domain is a fragile and a complex web of experts with constant decision making and uncertainties linked to patient safety. Any unwanted technological interference in key treatment strategies or surgical tasks can lead to fatalities.† The complexities of decision-making are not limited to technological domains, the psychological pressures and overriding stress can be equally distressing for nursing staff. The Patient Safety precautions can also affect the operating

Health Education Tool Development Essay Example for Free

Health Education Tool Development Essay Modify or create a health education tool that is appropriate for your participating family. Ensure that your tool achieves the following:  · Identifies the family’s health and educational needs  · Establishes educational goals and objectives  · Uses appropriate educational methods  · Uses the appropriate language and literacy level  · Is sensitive to the family’s cultural or religious background  · Makes use of the types of technology resources available to the family  · Include all supporting materials (handouts, Internet resources, demonstrations, or sample materials) Explain how you will deliver your health education tool to the participating family. Address the following:  · How the tool was selected, modified, or created  · Why the tool is appropriate for the family  · How the tool addresses the family’s health needs  · How the tool relates to the Healthy People 2020 Health Indicators  · How the tool coordinates with, complements, or replaces community health services  · If you modified an existing health education tool in any way, provide a reference to the original material. Prepare a 10-minute presentation of your health education tool. You many use one of the following formats:  · In class oral presentation  · Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® including speaker’s notes  · Video of yourself presenting the information uploaded to a video sharing website such as Youtube.com (Submit a link to your facilitator)  · Another format approved by your facilitator Note. You will not a Find needed answers here https://bitly.com/12BuYnS Speak with your professors daily to build strong relationships. Professors are the ultimate resource and can do a lot to help you along the way. Be sure to help if the opportunity presents itself and ask a lot of questions. Maintaining these good relationships can be advantageous while you are going to college. General Questions General General Questions Resources: Windshield Survey; Community Assessment; Family Assessment; and Assignment Grading Criteria: Health Education Tool Development and Presentation Modify or create a health education tool that is appropriate for your participating family. Ensure that your tool achieves the following:  · Identifies the family’s health and educational needs  · Establishes educational goals and objectives  · Uses appropriate educational methods  · Uses the appropriate language and literacy level  · Is sensitive to the family’s cultural or religious background  · Makes use of the types of technology resources available to the family  · Include all supporting materials (handouts, Internet resources, demonstrations, or sample materials) Explain how you will deliver your health education tool to the participating family. Address the following:  · How the tool was selected, modified, or created  · Why the tool is appropriate for the family  · How the tool addresses the family’s health needs  · How the tool relates to the Healthy People 2020 Health Indicators  · How the tool coordinates with, complements, or replaces community health services  · If you modified an existing health education tool in any way, provide a reference to the original material. Prepare a 10-minute presentation of your health education tool. You many use one of the following formats:  · In class oral presentation  · Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® including speaker’s notes  · Video of yourself presenting the information uploaded to a video sharing website such as Youtube.com (Submit a link to your facilitator)  · Another format approved by your facilitator Note. You will not actually deliver this health education tool to the participating family. The tool is developed and presented only to your classmates and facilitator. Submit the following with your assignm

Style Mirrored in the theme of As I Lay Dying :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Style Mirrored in the theme of As I Lay Dying William Faulkner in his book As I Lay Dying communicates the central theme of Independence to show his style of writing; Point of view. In As I lay Dying the theme is independence; of the family, of each character. Each of the characters independence is devised of their isolation and their individuality. In each characters chapter its their points of view, either if they are reliable or not, he shows what they are and converts it through the characters words and then to us. There are three passages in sequential order which show true isolation through their points of view are; Cora, Addie, Whitfield. These three characters have conflicts relation to one another, but each of their chapters they inform us more, while the other characters are oblivious to what really happened. In the chapter of Cora (the wife of Tull, a religious woman in the area, who disapproves of Addie) she spends the finals hours of Addie’s life with her. There was a flashback to when they were having a conversation of religion, how Addie was judging rather then leaving it up to God. Addie was vain and proud of it, and she realized that Jewel was her favorite and most appreciative. That Jewel is her God â€Å"He is my cross and he will be my salvation.† Cora is independent to this family; she has nothing in common but their location. They Bundren family is not religious compared to Cora, Cora seems as a missionary trying to convert this family into believers. But even thought The Cora and the family don’t see eye-to-eye, she thinks that she needs to be there to explain religion.

Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales Essay -- Chaucer Geoffrey Canterbu

Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales The Knight, Squire, Prioress, The Monk and the Friar are defined by their settings in Geoffrey Chaucer’s "Prologue" to The Canterbury Tales. 1. Portnoy says in his article in the Chaucer Review that "The General Prologue is like a mirror reflecting the individuals appearance which then defines the character of that person."(281) 2. Scanlon backs up Portnoy in his article from Speculum by saying "†¦Characters descriptions somehow emerge inevitably from the original intentions of Chaucer’s text or reflect its lasting value." (128) 3. Russell remarks in his book Chaucer & the Trivium: The Mindsong of the Canterbury Tales: There is something that seems natural and almost unavoidable in the structure of the individual portraits in the General Prologue: How else could you describe the characters without passing judgment on them? (62) KNIGHT The Knight is defined by his settings. 1. Andrew says in The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue: The Knight is described as having no name, no family seat, no manor house, and no lands. Furthermore, his obsession with foreign service indicates a lack of feudal ties and bears all the marks of a career of a landless knight, without family or possessions in England. (80) 2. Andrew says "The Knight is described as an aged veteran warrior, with whom the stern realities of life have sobered down much of his early romance." (43) 3. The Knight fought in his sovereign’s wars in both Christian and heathen places, which shows he is a holy and honorable man by he followed his king’s commands, and he fought for religious purposes. 4. Roggiers reiterates that statement in his book The Art of the Canterbury Tales by saying "The Knights Tale is Chaucer’s own e... ...er, Geoffrey. ""Prologue" to The Canterbury Tales." England in Literature. Eds. John Pfordrester, et.al. Inglewood Cliffs: Foresman, 1972. Fredell, Joel. "Late Gothic Portraiture: The Prioress and Philippa." Chaucer Review, 23(May 10, 1989):181-191. Hussey, Maurice. An Introduction to Chaucer. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1972. Portnoy, Phyllis. "Beyond the Gothic Cathederal: Post Modern Reflections in the "Canterbury Tales"." Chaucer Review, 28(May 31, 1994):279-292. Roggiers, Paul G. The Art of the Canterbury Tales. Milwaukee: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1965. Russell, J. Stephen. Chaucer & the Trivium: The Mindsong of the Canterbury Tales. Miami: University Press of Florida, 1998. Scanlon, Larry. "A Variorum Edition of the Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, 2: The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue" Speculum, 72(January 1997):127-129 Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales Essay -- Chaucer Geoffrey Canterbu Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales The Knight, Squire, Prioress, The Monk and the Friar are defined by their settings in Geoffrey Chaucer’s "Prologue" to The Canterbury Tales. 1. Portnoy says in his article in the Chaucer Review that "The General Prologue is like a mirror reflecting the individuals appearance which then defines the character of that person."(281) 2. Scanlon backs up Portnoy in his article from Speculum by saying "†¦Characters descriptions somehow emerge inevitably from the original intentions of Chaucer’s text or reflect its lasting value." (128) 3. Russell remarks in his book Chaucer & the Trivium: The Mindsong of the Canterbury Tales: There is something that seems natural and almost unavoidable in the structure of the individual portraits in the General Prologue: How else could you describe the characters without passing judgment on them? (62) KNIGHT The Knight is defined by his settings. 1. Andrew says in The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue: The Knight is described as having no name, no family seat, no manor house, and no lands. Furthermore, his obsession with foreign service indicates a lack of feudal ties and bears all the marks of a career of a landless knight, without family or possessions in England. (80) 2. Andrew says "The Knight is described as an aged veteran warrior, with whom the stern realities of life have sobered down much of his early romance." (43) 3. The Knight fought in his sovereign’s wars in both Christian and heathen places, which shows he is a holy and honorable man by he followed his king’s commands, and he fought for religious purposes. 4. Roggiers reiterates that statement in his book The Art of the Canterbury Tales by saying "The Knights Tale is Chaucer’s own e... ...er, Geoffrey. ""Prologue" to The Canterbury Tales." England in Literature. Eds. John Pfordrester, et.al. Inglewood Cliffs: Foresman, 1972. Fredell, Joel. "Late Gothic Portraiture: The Prioress and Philippa." Chaucer Review, 23(May 10, 1989):181-191. Hussey, Maurice. An Introduction to Chaucer. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1972. Portnoy, Phyllis. "Beyond the Gothic Cathederal: Post Modern Reflections in the "Canterbury Tales"." Chaucer Review, 28(May 31, 1994):279-292. Roggiers, Paul G. The Art of the Canterbury Tales. Milwaukee: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1965. Russell, J. Stephen. Chaucer & the Trivium: The Mindsong of the Canterbury Tales. Miami: University Press of Florida, 1998. Scanlon, Larry. "A Variorum Edition of the Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, 2: The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue" Speculum, 72(January 1997):127-129

Abortion research paper Essay

I believe abortion is wrong because human life begins at the time of conception between the union of the sperm and of the egg. I chose this topic for my research paper because I found this to be one of the most talked about and well known controversial topics there is. I also find it be extremely interesting and that there are so many relating arguments to abortion, which left me with multiple to chose from. There were several different viewpoints and I opinions I researched also corresponding with the topic and argument of certain aspects of abortion but picked this one to write about. Is the embryo considered human life when conceived? Or when the fetus reaches a certain milestone during pregnancy? Maybe when it moves around and shows full signs of life? believe it, or not, some people believe the baby is not considered to be alive until it is delivered at the hospital! See more: Old Age Problem essay I personally believe the baby is alive from conception, or even during the early stages of the quickening process, when you would start to feel the baby growing and moving and you can feel yourself becoming pregnant. I just don’t see how people could abort an innocent 9 month old child waiting to be born†¦ but people do. One very popular and well known argument relating to abortion is that â€Å" human life begins with the union of the sperm and ovum (egg) .† well over 30 million abortions have been performed and took place in the US. Multiple researchers say that the fetus is a living organism and is living the very second in which it has been conceived. Researchers have several tests and a multitude of information and a vast spread of studies with lots of information to prove and show when life does begin, but still to many this day it is a ‘personal’ opinion as to when life starts. â€Å" A sperm has 23 chromosomes and no matter what even though it is alive it can fertilize an egg.† â€Å" An egg has 23 chromosomes just as a sperm does, when the two join together they total to 46 of their very own new chromosomes, they together create a brand new genetic chromosomal code unlike any other individual has ever had, unless of course (identical twins)†. (Carolyn C. Gargaro ) The majority of American citizens in the United States of America are for the prolife side. This does not mean profilers’ are against having sex, or also against all woman’s rights or anything like that. It just shows that the majority just mostly believes the child in alive and living from as soon as the child was conceived in the womb. I personally, in my very own opinion do believe each woman does have a choice. However I am not agreeing with pro-choice because I support the side of pro-life for several reasons, but I personally do believe each and every woman out there does too have rights to what they want to do with their own body. I think of abortion occurring in any stage as an immoral murder and can be looked at as a form of genocide. I believe it is completely wrong, and life is too special to be taken from something so innocent who did not even have a chance, or for that matter was GIVEN the chance to live and experience life. â€Å"People of the pro-life side stand up for the sacredness of life.† Life begins at conception. Humans are created in the image and likeness of God. All human life is sacred. All human life possesses infinite value. – I do agree fully with this statement because it is saying life is a privilege and having a child of your own is too a privilege. Several people cannot have children and would give anything to be able to. Some people who have died and, people who have lost close loved ones no longer have that privilege of life. The privilege that each and every day by multiple people truly goes un-noticed and overlooked by many. The problem of abortion in other countries is very close to non existent because â€Å" in many countries abortion is not legal at anytime, though special cases might be made if there is a medical reason for abortion and doing the procedure would save the life of the mother.† Other foreign countries look down at abortion just like the pro-life movement does. A lot of people are against abortion especially at later stages of pregnancy. I believe that life should certainly not be under any circumstances, taken for granted, there are so many other different options and other choices and ways of dealing with it rather than turning to abortion. I view abortion as almost an easy way out, a way of not being judged for having a child, a way of not having to work and support a child, a way of not having to give up and sacrifice everyday life for a new completely changed lifestyle. I think most people can be selfish and would rather not give up what they have and just live life without a child, especially when the pregnancy was not planned and may be looked upon as an accident. Like most teenagers, abortion is the easiest way out for most. Very often at the time people find out when the pregnancy is unplanned it that seems most practical and simple rather than waking up in the middle of the night to care for someone other than themselves, pay the bills, get a job, support someone new, give up plans on a Friday night to stay in and spend time with your own child, who was infact an accident. Instead of turning to abortion multiple couples would be more than willing to make that child their own. There are multiple programs that can provide counseling and also medical care, adoption, housing, job training, and school. Which are all services for anyone with an unplanned or even planned pregnancy who may have changed their minds. Just different ideas and alternatives instead of abortion. The conception of the baby doesn’t mean the child is â€Å"alive† and some believe it doesn’t start â€Å"living† until 3 months or maybe even later, some think that still only the moment it is delivered is when it comes to life. Some people believe the child hasn’t reached a certain point of development at the young stages therefore it doesn’t mean they are â€Å"living† most people do not care at all. The opposing side of the argument is that abortion is okay, it is accepted and that there is nothing wrong with it. Most abortions happen because of a careless mistake or because of different reasons such as mistakes, rape, or attention. Some people argue that they weren’t ready for the baby at the time of the conception therefore they aborted it until they were ready. Some people just say that they weren’t cut out to have children and weren’t planning on it. Some also say that they don’t have enough money for a child, others say that the relationship with the person they are with is completely unstable and it would not work out. Some people say rape is an acceptable excuse, and this I do agree with. Rape I believe is one condition where abortion should be tolerated. Throughout the process for researching the two opposing viewpoints of abortion I believe that personally I do still stand by my opinion which I had formed before the paper. The only new exception I have thought of is rape, or incest I believe for the sake of the baby. It would just be best if it was aborted. I don’t agree with carelessly doing it for no good reason like multiple Americans living in the United States today. I think that people who get abortions today are harshly judged, but the people who are against abortions are also viewed in a different way. I think a lot about being brought up a certain way has to do with it, dependent upon whether or not you do or don’t attend church or believe strongly in any type of faith. I agree with pro-life still today rather than abortion.

Literature-based discovery of diabetes

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known mediators of cellular damage in multiple diseases including diabetic complications. Despite its importance, no comprehensive database is currently available for the genes associated with ROS. Methods We present ROS- and diabetes-related targets (genes/proteins) collected from the biomedical literature through a text mining technology. A web-based literature mining tool, SciMiner, was applied to 54 biomedical papers indexed with diabetes and ROS by PubMed to identify relevant targets.Over-represented targets in the ROS-diabetes literature were obtained through comparisons against randomly selected literature. The expression levels of nine genes, selected from the top ranked ROS-diabetes set, were measured in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of diabetic and non-diabetic DBA/2J mice in order to evaluate the biological relevance of literature- derived targets in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy. Results SciMiner identified 1,026 ROS- and diabet es-related targets from the 54 biomedical papers (http://Jdrf. eurology. med. umich. edu/ROSDiabetes/ webcite). Fifty-three targets were significantly over-represented in the ROS-diabetes literature ompared to randomly selected literature. These over-represented targets included well-known members of the oxidative stress response including catalase, the NADPH oxidase family, and the superoxide dismutase family of proteins. Eight of the nine selected genes exhibited significant differential expression between diabetic and non-diabetic mice.For six genes, the direction of expression change in diabetes paralleled enhanced oxidative stress in the DRG. Conclusions Literature mining compiled ROS-diabetes related targets from the biomedical literature and led us to evaluate the biological relevance of selected targets in the athogenesis of diabetic neuropathy. Diabetes is a metabolic disease in which the body does not produce or properly respond to insulin, a hormone required to convert ca rbohydrates into energy for daily life. According to the American Diabetes Association, 23. million children and adults, approximately 7. 8% of the population in the United States, have diabetes [1]. The cost of diabetes in 2007 was estimated to be $174 billion [1]. The micro- and macro-vascular complications of diabetes are the most common causes of renal tailure, blindness and amputations leading to significant morta y, morbidity poor quality of life; however, incomplete understanding of the causes of diabetic complications hinders the development of mechanism-based therapies.In vivo and in vitro experiments implicate a number of enzymatic and non-enzymatic metabolic pathways in the initiation and progression of diabetic complications [2] including: (1) increased polyol pathway activity leading to sorbitol and fructose accumulation, NAD(P)-redox imbalances and changes in signal transduction; (2) non- enzymatic glycation of proteins yielding â€Å"advanced glycation end-productsâ €  (AGES); (3) ctivation of protein kinase C (PKC), initiating a cascade of intracellular stress responses; and (4) increased hexosamine pathway flux [2,3].Only recently has a link among these pathways been established that provides a unified mechanism of tissue damage. Each of these pathways directly and indirectly leads to overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [23]. ROS are highly reactive ions or small molecules including oxygen ions, free radicals and peroxides, formed as natural byproducts of cellular energy metabolism. ROS are implicated in multiple cellular pathways such as mitogen-activated protein kinase MAPK) signaling, c-Jun amino-terminal kinase ONK), cell proliferation and apoptosis [4-6].Due to the highly reactive properties of ROS, excessive ROS may cause significant damage to proteins, DNA, RNA and lipids. All cells express enzymes capable of neutralizing ROS. In addition to the maintenance of antioxidant systems such as glutathione and thioredoxins, pri mary sensory neurons express two main detoxifying enzymes: superoxide dismutase (SOD) [7] and catalase [8]. SOD converts superoxide (02-) to H202, which is reduced to H20 by glutathione and catalase [8].SODI is the main form of SOD in the cytoplasm; SOD2 is located within the itochondria. In neurons, SODI activity represents approximately 90% of total SOD activity and SOD2 approximately 10% [9]. Under diabetic conditions, this protective mechanism is overwhelmed due to the substantial increase in ROS, leading to cellular damage and dysfunction [10]. The idea that increased ROS and oxidative stress contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic complications has led scientists to investigate different oxidative stress pathways [7,11].Inhibition of ROS or maintenance of euglycemia restores metabolic and vascular imbalances and blocks both the initiation and progression of omplications [1 2,13]. Despite the significant implications and extensive research into the role of ROS in diabetes, n o comprehensive database regarding ROS-related genes or proteins is currently available. In the present study, a comprehensive list of ROS- and diabetes-related targets (genes/proteins) was compiled from the biomedical literature through text mining technology.SciMiner, a web-based literature mining tool [14], was used to retrieve and process documents and identify targets from the text. SciMiner provides a convenient web-based platform for target-identification within the biomedical iterature, similar to other tools including EBIMed [1 5], ALI BABA [16], and Polysearch [1 7]; however, SciMiner is unique in that it searches tull text documents, suppo free-text PubMed query style, and allows the comparison of target lists from multiple queries.The ROS-diabetes targets collected by SciMiner were further tested against randomly selected non-ROS-diabetes literature to identify targets that are significantly over- represented in the ROS-diabetes literature. Functional enrichment analyses were performed on these targets to identify significantly over-represented biological unctions in terms of Gene Ontology (GO) terms and pathways. In order to confirm the biological relevance of the over-represented ROS-diabetes targets, the gene expression levels of nine selected targets were measured in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) from mice with and without diabetes.DRG contain primary sensory neurons that relay information from the periphery to the central nervous system (CNS) Unlike the CNS, DRG are not protected by a blood-nerve barrier, and are consequently vulnerable to metabolic and toxic injury [19]. We hypothesize that differential expression of identified targets in DRG would confirm heir involvement in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy. Defining ROS-diabetes literature To retrieve the list of biomedical literature associated with ROS and diabetes, PubMed was queried using (â€Å"Reactive Oxygen Species†[MeSH] AND â€Å"Diabetes Mellitus†[MeSH]).This que ry yielded 54 articles as of April 27, 2009. SciMiner, a web-based literature mining tool [14], was used to retrieve and process the abstracts and available full text documents to identify targets (full text documents were available for approximately 40% of the 1 , 1 54 articles). SciMiner-identified targets, eported in the form of HGNC [HUGO (Human Genome Organization) Gene Nomenclature Committee] genes, were confirmed by manual review of the text. Comparison with human curated data (NCBI Gene2PubMed) The NCBI Gene database provides links between Gene and PubMed.The links are the result of (1) manual curation within the NCBI via literature analysis as part of generating a Gene record, (2) integration of information from other public databases, and (3) GeneRlF (Gene Reference Into Function) in which human experts provide a brief summary of gene functions and make the connections between citation PubMed) and Gene databases. For the 54 ROS-diabetes articles, gene-paper associations we re retrieved from the NCBI Gene database. Non-human genes were mapped to homologous human genes through the NCBI HomoloGene database.The retrieved genes were compared against the SciMiner derived targets. Any genes missed by SciMiner were added to the ROS-diabetes target set. Protein-protein interactions among ROS-diabetes targets To indirectly examine the association of literature derived targets (by SciMiner and NCBI Gene2PubMed) with ROS and diabetes, protein-protein interactions (PPIs) mong the targets were surveyed This was based on an assumption that targets are more likely to have PPIs with each other if they are truly associated within the same biological functions/pathways.A PPI network of the ROS-diabetes targets was generated using the Michigan Molecular Interactions (MIMI, http://mimi. ncibi. org/ webcite) database [20] and compared against 100 PPI networks of randomly drawn sets (the same number of the ROS-diabetes target set) from HUGO. A standard Z-test and one sample T-test were used to calculate the statistical significance of the ROS- diabetes PPI network with respect to the random PPI networks.Functional enrichment analysis Literature derived ROS-diabetes targets (by SciMiner and NCBI Gene2PubMed) were subject to functional enrichment analyses to identify significantly over-represented biological functions in terms of Gene Ontology [21], pathways (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG, http://www. genome. ]p/kegg/ webcite) [22] and Reactome http://www. reactome. org/ webcite[23]). Fisher's exact test [24] was used to calculate the statistical significance of these biological functions with BenJamini-Hochberg (BH) adjusted p-value ; 0. 5 [25] as the cut-off. Over-represented ROS-diabetes targets Defining background corpora To identify a subset of targets that are highly over-represented within the ROS- diabetes targets, the frequency of each target (defined as the number of documents in which the target was identified divided by the n umber of total documents in the query) was compared against the frequencies in randomly selected background corpora.Depending on how the background set is defined, over-represented targets may vary widely; therefore, to maintain the background corpora close to the ROS and diabetes context, documents were selected from the same Journal, volume, and issue f the 54 ROS-diabetes documents, but were NOT indexed with â€Å"Reactive Oxygen Species†[MeSH] nor â€Å"Diabetes Mellitus†[MeSH]. For example, one of the ROS-diabetes articles (PMID: 18227068), was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Volume 283, Issue 16. This issue contained 85 papers, 78 of which were not indexed with either â€Å"Reactive Oxygen Species†[MeSH] or â€Å"Diabetes Mellitus†[MeSH] indexed.One of these 78 papers was randomly selected as a background document. Three sets of 54 documents were selected using this approach and processed using SciMiner. Identified targets were con firmed by manual review for accuracy. Identifying significantly over-represented targets ROS-diabetes targets were tested for over-representation against targets identified from the three background sets. Fisher's exact test was used to determine if the frequency of each target in the ROS-diabetes target set was significantly different from that of the background sets. Any targets with a BH adjusted p-value < 0. 5 in at least two of the three comparisons were deemed to be an over-represented ROS- diabetes target. Functional enrichment analyses were performed on these over- represented ROS-diabetes targets as described above. Selecting targets tor real-time R A subset of targets were selected for RT-PCR from the top 10 over-represented ROS- diabetes targets excluding insulin and NADPH oxidase 5 (NOX5), which does not have a mouse ortholog. Nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOSI), the main generator of nitric oxide, ranked at the 1 5th position and was additionally selected for inclusion in th e test set.Differential gene expression by real-time RT-PCR Mice DBA/2J mice were purchased from the Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, ME). Mice were housed in a pathogen-free environment and cared for following the University of Michigan Committee on the Care and Use of Animals guidelines. Mice were fed AIN76A chow (Research Diets, New Brunswick, NJ). Male mice were used for this study. Induction of diabetes Two treatment groups were defined: control (n = 4) and diabetic (n = 4). Diabetes was induced at 13 weeks of age by low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) injections, 50 mg/kg/day for five consecutive days.All diabetic mice received LinBit sustained release insulin implants (LinShin, Toronto, Canada) at 8 weeks post-STZ treatment. Insulin implants were replaced every 4 weeks, at 12 and 16 weeks post-STZ treatment. At 20 weeks post-STZ treatment, mice were euthanized by sodium pentobarbital overdose and DRG were harvested as previously described [26]. Real-time RT-PCR The gene expression o f the selected nine literature-derived ROS-diabetes targets in DRG was measured using real-time RT-PCR in duplicate.The amount of mRNA isolated from each DRG was normalized to an endogenous reference [Tbp: TATA box binding protein; A cycle threshold (CT)]. Identification of ROS-diabetes targets A total of 1,021 unique targets were identified by SciMiner from the 1,154 ROS- diabetes papers defined by the query of (â€Å"Reactive Oxygen Species†[MeSH] AND â€Å"Diabetes Mellitus†[MeSH]) and confirmed by manual review. Table 1 contains the op 10 most frequently mentioned targets in the ROS-diabetes papers. Insulin was the most frequently mentioned target, followed by superoxide dismutase 1 and catalase. Table 1 .Top 10 most frequent ROS-diabetes targets The NCBI Gene2PubMed database, containing expert-curated associations between the NCBI Gene and PubMed databases, revealed 90 unique genes associated with the 54 ROS-diabetes papers (Additional File 1). SciMiner identified 85 out of these 90 targets, indicating a 94% recall rate. Five targets missed by SciMiner were added to the initial ROS-diabetes target set to result in 1,026 unique targets (Additional File 2). Additional tile 1. The list ot 90 genes trom the NCBI Gene2PubMed database tor the ROS-Diabetes literature (1 , 1 54 papers).Format: XLS Size: 35KB Download file This file can be viewed with: Microsoft Excel Vieweropen Data Additional file 2. The list of 1,026 ROS-Diabetes targets. Format: XLS Size: 229KB Download file This file can be viewed with: Microsoft Excel Vieweropen Data PPI network of the ROS-diabetes targets The PPI network among the ROS-diabetes targets was evaluated using MIMI interaction data. This was based on the assumption that targets commonly related to certain topic are more likely to have frequent interactions with each other.One hundred PPI networks were generated for comparison using the same number of genes (1,026) randomly selected from the complete HUGO gene set (2 5,254). The PPI network of the ROS-diabetes targets was significantly different from the randomly generated networks indicating their strong association with the topic â€Å"ROS and Diabetes†. Table 2 demonstrates that the mean number of targets with any PPI interaction in the randomly generated target sets was 528. 9 (approximately 52% of 1,026 targets), while the number of targets with any PPI interaction in the ROS- iabetes target was 983 (96%).The number of targets interacting with each other was also significantly different between the random networks (mean = 155. 4) and the ROS-diabetes network (mean = 879). Figure 1 illustrates the distributions of these measurements from the 100 random networks with the ROS-diabetes set depicted as a red vertical line. It is obvious that the PPI network of the ROS-diabetes targets is significantly different from the random networks. Table 2. Summary of 100 randomly generated PPI networks thumbnailFigure 1 . Histograms of randomly gene rated PPI networks.The histograms llustrate the distributions of 100 randomly generated networks, while the red line indicates the ROS-diabetes targets. The network of the ROS-diabetes targets is significantly different from the 100 randomly generated networks, indicating the overlap of ROS-diabetes targets with respect to the topic â€Å"Reactive Oxygen Species and Diabetes†. Functional enrichment analyses of the ROS-diabetes targets Functional enrichment analyses of the 1,026 ROS-diabetes targets were performed to identify over-represented biological functions of the ROS-diabetes targets.After BenJamini-Hochberg correction, a total of 189 molecular functions, 450 biological rocesses, 73 cellular components and 341 pathways were significantly enriched in the ROS-diabetes targets when compared against all the HUGO genes (see Additional Files 3, 4, 5 and 6 for the full lists). Table 3 lists the top 3 most over-represented GO terms and pathways ranked by p-values of Fisher's ex act test: e. g. , apoptosis, oxidoreductase activity and insulin signaling pathway. Additional file 3. The enriched Molecular Functions Gene Ontology Terms in the 1,026 ROS-Diabetes targets.Format: XLS Size: 91 KB Download file This file can be viewed with: Microsoft Excel Vieweropen Data Additional file 4. The nriched Biological Processes Gene Ontology Terms in the 1,026 ROS-Diabetes targets. Format: XLS Size: 95KB Download file This tile can be viewed wit Microsott Excel Vieweropen Data Additional tile enriched Cellular Components Gene Ontology Terms in the 1,026 ROS-Diabetes targets. Format: XLS Size: 61 KB Download file This file can be viewed with: Microsoft Excel Vieweropen Data Additional file 6. The enriched pathways in the 1,026 ROS-Diabetes targets.Format: XLS Size: 104KB Download file This file can be viewed with: Microsoft Excel Vieweropen Data Table 3. Enriched functions of 1,026 ROS-diabetes targets Identification of over-represented ROS-diabetes targets To identify th e ROS-diabetes targets highly over-represented in ROS-diabetes literature, three sets of background corpora of the same size (n = 1 , 1 54 documents) were generated using the same Journal, volume and issue approach. The overlap among the three background sets in terms of documents and identified targets are illustrated in Figure 2.Approximately 90% of the selected background documents were unique to the individual set, while 50% of the identified targets were identified in at least one of the three background document sets. The frequencies of the identified targets were compared among the background sets for significant differences. None of the targets had a BH adjusted p-value ; 0. 05, indicating no significant difference among the targets from the three different background sets (See Additional File 7). thumbnailFigure 2. Venn diagrams of document compositions and identified targets of the randomly generated background sets.Approximately 90% of the selected background documents we re unique to individual set (A), while 50% of the identified targets were identified in at least one of the three background document sets (B). Additional file 7. Comparisons of target frequencies among three background sets. Format: XLS Size: 22KB Download file This file can be viewed with: Microsoft Excel Vieweropen Data Comparisons of the ROS-diabetes targets against these background sets revealed 53 highly over- represented ROS-diabetes targets as listed in Table 4.These 53 targets were significant (p-value ; 0. 05) against all three background sets and significant following BenJamini-Hochberg multiple testing correction (BH adjusted p-value ; 0. 05) against at least two of the three background sets. SODI was the most over-represented in he ROS-diabetes targets. Table 4. 53 targets over-represented in ROS-diabetes literature Functional enrichment analyses of the over-represented ROS-diabetes targets Functional enrichment analyses of the 53 ROS-diabetes targets were performed to identify over- represented biological functions.Following BenJamini-Hochberg correction, a total of 65 molecular functions, 209 biological processes, 26 cellular components and 108 pathways were significantly over-represented when compared against all the HUGO genes (see Additional Files 8, 9, 10 and 11 for the full lists). Table 5 shows the top 3 ost significantly over-represented GO terms and pathways ranked by p-values of Fisher's exact test. GO terms related to oxidative stress such as â€Å"superoxide metabolic process†, â€Å"superoxide release†, â€Å"electron carrier activity† and â€Å"mitochondrion† were highly over-represented 53 ROS-diabetes targets Additional file 8.The enriched Molecular Functions Gene Ontology Terms in the Over- represented 53 ROS-Diabetes targets. Format: XLS Size: 46KB Download file This file can be viewed with: Microsoft Excel Vieweropen Data Additional file 9. The enriched Biological Processes Gene Ontology Terms in the Over-represented 53 ROS- Diabetes targets. Format: XLS Size: 95KB Download file This file can be viewed with: Microsoft Excel Vieweropen Data Additional file 10. The enriched Cellular Components Gene Ontology Terms in the Over-represented 53 ROS-Diabetes targets.Format: XLS Size: 66KB Download file This file can be viewed with: Microsoft Excel Vieweropen Data Additional file 1 1 . The enriched pathways in the Over-represented 53 ROS-Diabetes targets. Format: XLS Size: 75KB Download file This file can be viewed with: Microsoft Excel Vieweropen Data Table 5. Enriched functions of the 53 over-represented targets in diabetes Gene expression change in iabetes Two groups of DBA/2J mice exhibited significantly different levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (%GHb). The mean ? ± SEM were 6. 2 ? ± 0. for the non-diabetic control group and for 14. 0 ? ± 0. 8 for the diabetic group (p-value < 0. 001), indicative of prolonged hyperglycemia in the diabetic group [26]. DRG were harvested from these animals for gene expression assays. Nine genes were selected from the top ranked ROS-diabetes targets: superoxide dismutase 1 (Sodl), catalase (Cat), xanthine dehydrogenase (Xdh), protein kinase C alpha (Prkca), neutrophil cytosolic factor 1 Ncfl), nitric oxide synthase 3 (Nos3), superoxide dismutase 2 (Sod2), cytochrome b-245 alpha (Cyba), and nitric oxide synthase 1 (Nosl).Eight genes exhibited differential expression between diabetic and non-diabetic mice (p-value < 0. 05) as shown in Figure 3. Cat, Sodl, Sod2, Prkca, and NOSI expression levels were decreased, while Ncfl , Xdh, and Cyba expression levels were increased in diabetes. thumbnailFigure 3. Gene expression levels of selected ROS-diabetes targets in DRG examined by real-time RT-PCR. Expression levels are relative to Tbp, an internal control (error bar = SEM) (*, p < 0. 05; **, p < 0. 01; ***, p < 0. 01). Eight (Cat, Sodl, Ncfl , Xdh, Sod2, Cyba, Prkca, and Nosl) out of the nine selected ROS-diabetes genes were sign ificantly regulated by diabetes. Discussion Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are products of normal energy metabolism and play important roles in many other biological processes such as the immune response and signaling cascades [4-6]. As mediators of cellular damage, ROS are implicated in pathogenesis of multiple diseases including diabetic complications [27-30].With the aid of literature mining technology, we collected 1 ,026 possible ROS-related targets from a set of biomedical literature indexed with both ROS and diabetes. Fifty-three targets were significantly over-represented in the ROS-diabetes papers when compared against three background sets. Depending on how the background set is defined, the over-represented targets may vary widely. An ideal background set would be the entire PubMed set; however, this is not possible due to limited access to tull texts and intense data processing.An alternative method wou d be to use only abstracts in PubMed, but this may not fully represen t the literature. Using only the abstracts, our target identification method resulted in 21 (39%) of the 53 key ROS- iabetes targets (Additional File 12), suggesting the benefit of rich information in full text documents. In the present study, background documents were randomly selected from the same Journal, volume, and issue of the 54 ROS-diabetes documents, which were not indexed with â€Å"Reactive Oxygen Species†[MeSH] nor â€Å"Diabetes Mellitus†[MeSH].This approach maintained the background corpora not far from the ROS and diabetes context. Additional file 12. The Key 53 ROS-Diabetes Targets Identifiable Using Only the Abstracts. Format: XLS Size: 23KB Download file This file can be viewed with: Microsoft Excel Vieweropen Data The gene expression evels of nine targets selected from the 53 over-represented ROS-diabetes targets were measured in diabetic and non-diabetic DRG. Our laboratory is particularly interested in deciphering the underlying mechanisms of diab etic neuropathy, a major complication of diabetes.Data published by our laboratory both in vitro and in vivo confirm the negative impact of oxidative stress in complication-prone neuron tissues like DRG In an effort to obtain diabetic neuropathy specific targets, SciMiner was employed to further analyze a subset of the ROS-diabetes papers (data not shown). Nerve growth factor (NGF) was identified as the most over- epresented target in this subset when compared to the full ROS-diabetes set; however, NGF did not have statistical significance (BH adjusted p-value = 0. 06). The relatively small numbers of papers and associated targets may have contributed to this non-significance.Therefore, the candidate targets for gene expression validation were selected from among the 53 over-represented ROS-diabetes targets derived from the full ROS-diabetes corpus. Among the tested genes, the expression levels of Cat, Sodl , Sod2, Prkca, and NOSI were decreased, while the expression levels of Ncfl , Xdh, and Cyba were increased nder diabetic conditions. Cat, Sodl , and Sod2 are responsible for protecting cells from oxidative stress by destroying superoxides and hydrogen peroxides [8-11]. Decreased expression of these genes may result in oxidative stress [32].Increased expression of Cyba and Ncfl , subunits of superoxide-generating nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase complex [30], also supports enhanced oxidative stress. Xdh and its inter-convertible form, Xanthine oxidase (Xod), showed increased activity in various rat tissues under oxidative stress conditions ith diabetes [33], and also showed increased expression in diabetic DRG in the current study. Unlike the above concordant genes, protein kinase C and nitric oxide synthases did not exhibit predicted expression changes in diabetes.Protein kinase C activates NADPH oxidase, further promoting oxidative stress in the cell [34,35]. Decreased expression of Prkca in our diabetic DRG is not parallel with expression levels of other enzymes expected to increase oxidative stress. Between the two nitric oxide synthases tested in the present study, NOSI (neuronal) expression was significantly decreased (p-value < 0. 01) in diabetes, while Nos3 (endothelial) expression was not significant (p-value = 0. 06). The neuronal NOSI is expected to play a major role in producing nitric oxide, another type of highly reactive free radical.Thus, with some exceptions, the majority of the differentially expressed genes in DRG show parallel results to the known activities of these targets in diabetes, suggesting enhanced oxidative stress in the diabetic DRG. Assessment of antioxidant enzyme expression in diabetes has yielded a variety of results [36-40] depending upon the duration of diabetes, the tissue studied and other factors. In diabetic mice and rats, it is commonly reported that superoxide dismutases are down-regulated [37-40], where data regarding catalase are variable [36,40].PKC is activated i n diabetes, but most papers that examined mRNA demonstrated that its expression is largely unchanged [41]. Among the 53 over-represented ROS-diabetes targets, SODI was the most over- represented and was differentially expressed under diabetic and non-diabetic conditions. To the best of our knowledge, no published study has investigated the role of SODI in the onset and/or progression of diabetic neuropathy. Mutations of SODI have long been associated with the inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) [42] and the theory of oxidative stress-based aging [43].Early reports indicate that knockout of the SODI gene does not affect nervous system development [44], although recovery following injury is slow and incomplete [45,46]. With respect to diabetes, SODI KO accelerates the development of diabetic nephropathy [47] and cataract formation [48]. Thus, examining the SODI KO mouse as a model of diabetic neuropathy would be a reasonable follow-up study. One limitation of the cur rent approach using literature mining technology is incorrect r missed identification of the mentioned targets within the literature.Based on a performance evaluation using a standard text set BioCreAtlvE (Critical Assessment of Information Extraction systems in Biology) version 2 [49], SciMiner achieved 87. 1% recall (percentage identification of targets in the given text), 71. 3% precision (percentage accuracy of identified target) and 75. 8% F-measure (harmonious average of recall and precision = (2 x recall x precision)/(recall + precision)) before manual revision [14]. In order to improve the accuracy of SciMiner's results, each target was anually reviewed and corrected by checking the sentences in which each target was identified.Approximately, 120 targets (†10% of the initially identified targets from the ROS-diabetes papers) were removed during the manual review process. The overall accuracy is expected to improve through the review process; however, the review process did not address targets missed by SciMiner, since we did not thoroughly review individual papers. Instead, 5 missed targets, whose associations with ROS-diabetes literature were available in the NCBI Gene2PubMed database, were added to the final ROS-diabetes target list (Additional File 2).