The Geography of Latin America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Geography of Latin America - Essay Example When it comes to language, Latin America has the world’s largest concentration of romance language speakers, derived from Latin, thus the name Latin America. The romance languages spoken in Latin America include Spanish, Portuguese and French (â€Å"Geography Resources†). Culturally, Latin America is all about a blend of many different cultures. Generations of intermarriage between various ethnic groups produced the Blanco of European ancestry, the Mestizo of mixed ancestry, the Indio of Indian roots, and the Negro of African origins. The Blancos usually represent the elite of the society, although most people are mestizos (â€Å"Geography Resources†). As to religion, there is also a variety of systems of faith in Latin America. These include Roman Catholicism, which includes the largest population of believers. Other religions include the minority Christian groups, and some ancient religions like the Macumba, Voodoo and Camdombe, which were the religions of the African slaves (â€Å"Geography Resources†). Latinos are not without their traditional health beliefs and practices. Some of them include the humoral imbalance for illnesses caused by temperature, empacho or indigestion caused by eating the wrong food at the wrong time, mal de ojo or feelings of fatigue and headache caused by the admiration or jealousy of another person who looks at the victim, envidia or envy that causes bad luck or illness, and susto, or the fear coming from a traumatic experience (â€Å"Building our Understanding†). Latin America actually suffers from high external debts incurred for the financing of large development projects. There is also economic restructuring that is being initiated and enforced by international agencies that lend money. Moreover, the cuts in social programs and services and the rising prices caused many job losses but were countered by communal self-help. The

Instructional Design Skills and Competencies Dissertation

Instructional Design Skills and Competencies - Dissertation Example This includes internal training courses, formal and informal mentoring, certification programs, and externally run training courses. Unfortunately, this is not the case for all faculty. Although these numbers have increased nationwide, when analyzing data from individual schools, there are many faculty who do not receive this training. The specific topic for this research is the skills that are needed for faculty who are involved in online course development, and the training that is needed to assist in this development. 1.4 Research Problem Write a brief statement that fully describes the problem being addressed. Present this in one sentence or no more than one clear concise paragraph. Through the past decade, the number of higher education institutions that offer online courses has increased, and there has been an increase of enrollment in these courses (Allen and Seaman, 2011). In specific colleges and universities, faculty members are faced with developing these courses without f ormal training in many cases. This lack of knowledge indicates a need for increased knowledge and skill building for all teachers developing and teaching online course. According to Allen and Seaman (2011), 65% of institutions surveyed indicated that online course delivery is critical to an institution’s long-term plans. Also, there has been an increase in acceptance of online courses (Carliner & Driscoll, 2009). Faculty is often responsible for creation, development, and management of online classes (Carliner & Driscoll, 2009), without formal training. Devries (2007) states that there is an assumption that ready-made software automates part of course development processes, leaving only the contributions of subject matter experts (SMEs), who are the faculty-designers. This usually is not true in practice. Although the software may use templates and other tools, faculty may lack understanding of how to use them (De Vries, 2007). Faculty-designers are often met with the tasks o f developing and managing course content, facilitating and recording student activity, providing consultation sessions for students with questions and concerns and developing meaningful learning activities (Ally, 2008). The need for faculty training in these areas is well documented (Ally, 2008; De Vries, 2007) and an effective training program to enhance the skills needed must be found. 1.5 Research Purpose Write a brief statement that fully describes the intent of the study or the reason for conducting the study. Present this in one sentence or no more than one clear concise paragraph. The purpose of this study is to understand the needs of faculty designers who teach and design online courses. The findings from this study will provide insight into instructional design skills currently used by faculty-designers of online higher education courses. It will also provide information about skills required to develop and manage online courses from the faculty-designer perspective. The f uture purpose of this research is to design a training program for a higher education institution where faculty need training. 1.6 Research Question(s) (What do you really want to know? The rest of this form derives from and should constantly be

Ap Biology Notes Cellular Communication Essay Example for Free

Ap Biology Notes Cellular Communication Essay Cell-to-cell communication is essential in multicellular organisms. They must communicate to coordinate activities such as growth and development, and reproduction. In addition unicellular organisms communicate with each other. Signals may use light, or touch but we will focus on chemical signals. 1. External signals are converted to responses within the cell a. Evolution of cell signaling i. In yeast a cells and ÃŽ ±cells both secrete chemicals, which can only be received by the alternate type yeast. This signals the two cells to join via fusion 1. The process by which the signal on the surface of the cell is converted to a series of steps by the cell in response is called a signal transduction pathway ii. Signal transduction pathways are very similar in yeast and in complex multicellular organisms 2. This leads scientists to believe that this pathway evolved first in ancient prokaryotes b. Local and long distance signaling iii. Local signaling 3. Adjacent cells of plants and animals may communicate through cell junctions a. Signaling substances dissolved in the cytoplasm travel between cells i. Plants = plasmodesmata ii. Animals = gap junctions 4. Animal cells may use the following b. Cell-to-cell recognition iii. Direct contact between membrane-bound cell-surface molecules iv. Important in embryonic development and immune response c. Paracrine signaling v. Uses local regulators which are released and travel only a short distance to nearby cells vi. Ex. Growth factors target nearby cells to grow and divide d. Synaptic signaling vii. Electrical signal along a nerve cell triggers a chemical release across a synapse to trigger response in target cell viii. Ex. Nerve cells iv. Long- distance signaling 5. Both plants and animals use hormones e. Animals (endocrine signaling) cells release hormones which travel in the circulatory system to target cells f. Plants hormones travel in vessels or by diffusion through the air as gas g. Hormones vary in size and shape 6. Nervous system signals can also be long distance c. The three stages of cell signaling: A preview v. Reception: when the target cell detects a signaling molecule. The signaling molecule binds to a receptor protein on the target cell’s surface vi. Transduction: After binding the receptor protein is changed in some way, this converts the signal to a form that will bring about a specific cellular response 7. May occur in a single step or a series of changes vii. Response: The transduced signal triggers a specific cellular response. 8. Catalysis of an enzyme, rearrangement of the cytoskeleton, activation of a specific gene 2. Reception: A signaling molecule binds to a receptor protein, causing it to change shape d. To ensure signals are sent to the correct cell signaling molecules act as a ligand. viii. Ligand- molecule that specifically binds to another (usually larger) molecule ix. The receptor protein then usually changes shape x. May be located on the membrane or inside the cell e. Receptors in the plasma membrane xi. Water-soluble signaling molecule binds to receptor on the membrane causing it to change shape or aggregate. f. Intracellular Receptors xii. Found in cytoplasm or nucleus of target cells 9. Signaling molecule must be hydrophobic enough or small enough to pass through the plasma membrane h. Steroid hormones, thyroid hormones, nitric oxide | Examples| Pathway| Other| G-Protein Coupled Receptors| Yeast mating factors, epinephrine, hormones, neurotransmitters| 1. signaling molecule binds to the g-protein receptor 2. receptor changes shape and the cytoplasmic side binds to the inactive G protein 3. GTP then displaces to form GDP and activates the protein 4. Activated G protein diffuses along the membrane to an enzyme altering the enzyme to trigger the next step| Bacteria such as whooping cough, botulism and cholera disrupt this pathway| Receptor Tyrosine Kinases| Enzymes that catalyze the transfer of phosphate groups| 1. binding of two signaling molecules to two tyrosine chains causes the two to associate with each other forming a dimer 2. dimerization activates the tyrosine kinase region to add a phosphate from and ATP to each tyrosine in the polypeptide 3. each tail can now bind to and activate a different specific relay protein within the cell| One receptor may activate ten+ pathways. Absence can result in cancer| Ion Channel Receptors| Nervous system| 1. signaling molecule binds to the ion channel in the membrane 2. protein changes shape creating a channel through the membrane 3. specific ions can now flow through the membrane which may cause a change in the cell or trigger another pathway| Some ion gated channels are controlled by change in voltage rather than binding of a ligand| g. Intracellular Receptors xiii. Ex. Testosterone 10. Hormone passes through the plasma membrane 11. Testosterone binds to a receptor protein in the cytoplasm activating it 12. The hormone-receptor complex enters the nucleus and binds to a specific gene 13. The bound protein acts as a transcription factor, stimulating the transcription of the gene into mRNA 14. The mRNA is translated into a specific protein 3. Transduction: cascades of molecular interactions relay signals from receptor to target molecules in the cell h. Protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation xiv. Proteins can be activated by the addition of a phosphate group (often broken off of ATP or GTP) 15. Phosphates are transferred from ATP to a protein by a general group of enzymes known as protein kinases i. Phosphorylation often causes the protein to change shape j. This happens because the added phosphate group interacts with polar or charged amino acids within the protein xv. Protein phosphatases are enzymes that remove phosphate groups from a protein 16. Mechanism for turning off signal transduction 17. These also allow for turning off and reusing pathways i. Small molecules and ions as second messengers xvi. Molecules other than proteins act as second messengers 18. Small and water soluble such as ions k. This allows them to rapidly spread throughout the cell via diffusion 19. Second messenger refers to anything after the first messenger which is the extracellular signaling molecule that binds to the membrane 20. Most common second messengers are cyclic AMP and Ca+2 xvii. Cyclic AMP as a second messenger in response to the hormone epinephrine 21. Epinephrine binds to receptor molecule protein activates adenylyl cyclase which can catalyze the synthesis of many molecules of cAMP l. Adenylyl cyclase catalyzes the conversion of ATP into cAMP ix. cAMP usually activates a serine/threonine kinase known as protein kinase A which phosphorylates many other proteins m. cAMP is converted back to AMP by phosphodiesterase xviii. Calcium ions and inositol tripohosphate 22. Increasing calcium concentration causes responses such as muscle contraction, secretion of substances, and cell division in animals, and greening in response to light in plants 23. Calcium is usually in high concentrations outside of the cell and in the ER but in low concentrations in the cytosol 24. Pathway n. Signaling molecule binds to receptor   o. Phospholipid pinches off membrane IP3 is released as second messenger p. IP3 binds to receptor on ER causing protein channel to open q. Ca+2 is released into cytosol 4. Response: Cell signaling leads to regulation of transcription or cytoplasmic activities j. Nuclear and cytoplasmic responses xix. Pathways lead to the regulation of one or more cellular activities 25. Regulate protein synthesis r. Turning specific genes on or off (calls for the synthesis of mRNA from DNA) 26. Regulate protein activity s. Cause a shape change to turn a protein on or off 27. Regulate overall shape change of cell 28. Release of mating factors 29. Cell division k. Fine-tuning of the response xx. Signal amplification 30. Enzyme cascades amplify effects by increasing the product at each step t. Enzymes stay active long enough to work on multiple products before becoming inactive xxi. The specificity of cell signaling and coordination of the response 31. Different types of cells are programmed to respond to only certain types of signals u. Some cells will respond to the same signals but in different ways v. This is because different cells have different collections of proteins xxii. Signaling efficiency: scaffolding proteins and signaling complexes 32. Scaffolding proteins increase the efficiency of the response w. A large protein with multiple protein kinases attached x. Decreases the time of the response because diffusion between proteins is not needed 33. Pathways are not linear, in fact the same protein may act in multiple pathways 34. Relay proteins serve as branch points where the signal may go in one of two directions xxiii. Termination of the signal 35. Each step in the pathway lasts only a short time, this makes the proteins ready for a new signal 36. When the signaling molecule leaves leave the receptor it reverts to its inactive form and the relay molecules follow

Cesar Chavez: A Great Organizer and Leader Essay -- The United Farm Wo

Labor unions have been instrumental in the lives of workers throughout American history, and have led to important advances in the American workforce. Throughout history there have been patterns of exploitation of immigrant workers by businesses in order to increase profits; the Mexican migrant workers of southern California are the most recent historical group to fall into this pattern of exploitation mostly from their lack of organization. Cesar E. Chavez was a great organizer and leader of the United Farm Workers labor union. Robert Kennedy referred to him as â€Å"one of the heroic figures of our time.† Chavez used his life experiences in order to better the lives of many migrant workers in America. Key points in Chavez’s life that had profound effects on the Mexican American workers include things such as: his first taste of leading political organizations in 1952; the foundation of the United Farm Workers of America in 1962; and the use of nonviolent approaches such as boycotts, strikes, and fasts, as seen in the grape and lettuce strikes. Throughout his career his selfless exploits made him the hero that he is now seen to be. When these key portions of Chavez’s life are examined, it can be seen that he had a very large role in gaining and defending civil rights, wage increases, and worker benefits for migrant farmers (Chavez Foundation). In 1952 Chavez would begin his career as a community leader and political organizer through the Community Service Organization or CSO, which was already established as a prominent Mexican American civil rights organization in southern California. The CSO worked mostly with voter registration and everyday problems that Mexican Americans would encounter, and this served as a valuable learni... ... understood what was right, and he sought to fill the need that had been left by government and the private sector. Works Cited Chavezfoundation. â€Å"Cesar E. Chavez> American Hero.† http://www.chavezfoundation.org/_page.php?code=001001000000000&page_ttl=American+Hero&kind=1. Griswold Del Castillo, Richard, and Richard A. Garcia. Cà ©sar Chavez: A Triumph of Spirit. The Oklahoma western biographies, v. 2. Norman, Okla: University of Oklahoma Press, 1995 Martin, Philip. â€Å"Labor Relations in California Agriculture: 1975-2000†. September 20, 2000. http://migration.ucdavis.edu/cf/more.php?id=44_0_2_0. Moore, Joan W., Cuellar, Alfredo. Mexican America. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc 1970. Tejada-Flores, Rick. â€Å"Fight in the Fields: Cesar Chavez and the Farmworkers’ Struggle†. 2004. http://www.pbs.org/itvs/fightfields/cesarchavez.html.

Social Affects on Neurobehavior Essay -- Biology Essays Research Paper

Social Affects on Neurobehavior "The brain does not exist in isolation but rather is a fundamental, interacting component of a developing, aging individual who is a single actor in the larger theater of life. This theater is undeniably social. . ." (1) For the past few weeks our class discussions have largely hinged on brain and neuron function and how this relates to behavior. Some students in the class have expressed a difficulty with the concept that brain equals behavior because they feel like this limits their individuality and choice if they are only a combination of inputs and outputs. As a student of the social sciences I question this thinking because behavior is not just limited by brain function but also by social constraints. People's actions are limited by values, norms and mores found in their respective environment. In my web research, and with help from Dr. Grobstein, I found a few sites dedicated to what is called 'Social Neuroscience' and some studies that have been done to show that in animals and humans social influences can have a direct effect on biological function from the release of certain chemicals to actual changes in receptors. The first site is run by Ohio State and tells the history of social neuroscience and looks at social factors and the immune system. The second is run by a professor in the United Kingdom looking at diet and criminality and the last is from Georgia State and looks at social status and defense mechanisms in crayfish. William James an American psychologist of the 19th century was one of the first people to state that there is a connection between neurophysiological processes and psychological phenomena (1). In 1992 John Cacioppo and Gary Bernstein determined that t... ... responsiveness even when the crayfish becomes the subordinate. So a change in the social status of the crayfish causes changes in the receptors for seratonin in the nervous system of the crayfish. This is a striking example of the social environment causing direct changes in the nervous system. As more and more research in this area develops, I am sure we will see an even stronger connection between social environment and the development and functioning of the nervous system and maybe gain more insight into why people behave the way they do. WWW Sources 1)Ohio State Social Neuroscience Laboratory http://www.acs.ohio-state.edu/units/psych/s-psych/socnelab.htm 2)Crime and Nourishment http://mhnet.org/perspectives/articles/art03964.htm 3)Research: The Neural Bases of Behavior, (very interesting picture of the LG neuron) http://www2.gsu.edu/~biodhe/

Interpersonal Communication Through URT Essay

Everyday we encounter people unknown to us. There are times when we are totally no interested in meeting and introducing ourselves to them. In certain situations we are forced or are voluntarily placing ourselves within there area of consciousness, like in a class or in our office, we disclose information about ourselves in order for a complacent relationship to transpire. This new connection will either grow or dissipate based on the disclosed information. Researchers say that interpersonal communication occurs only between two people who have known each other for quite some time (Borchers). This can be attributed to the contextual factors, such as psychological, relational and cultural, present in interpersonal discourses. The attainment of these factors signify that the two people conversing already know well of each other (King, 2000). At first, when we are asked by our late seatmate at first day of school who our professor is, or when we ask our office secretary who to call to fix a down network system, the interaction that occurs implies only an impersonal exchange between two people who ask for information because of external needs and is most likely to end that same moment. When you answer the above questions with â€Å"he’s the head of the department, we live in the same neighborhood† or â€Å"i know a little on systems troubleshooting but it isn’t my job, i’ll call one immediately,† the interaction introduces information related to the speaker and are affective to the receiver. This exchange becomes personal and may give way to a more gratifying relationship through following disclosures. These disclosures in turn reduces uncertainty, a considerably large blockage to a desirable relationship. Berger and Calabrese’ uncertainty reduction theory in 1975 presents steps on how we can achieve a fully ineractive personal relationship with other people. This theory explains why people tend to be information seekers and reduce the unpleasant effects of uncertainty in an introductory conversation and in the whole attainment of a relationship (Oregon State University). The theory discusses three stages of disclosure in interpersonal development. These stages are entry, personal, and exit (University of Twente). The interaction given above can be considered within the entry stage. By giving information on where you live or what your skills are(demographic), the receiver obtains also some point of conformity or agreement that sparks an interest for a relationship. Eventually we reveal our values, attitudes, and beliefs and we are taken now taken to the personal stage of disclosure. These somewhat â€Å"deeper† information suggest the existence of a relationship between two people. The exit stage relates to discourses on the shared values, beliefs, and attitudes which lead to actions or decisions where both interests are unified. Since interpersonal communication is based on two interrelated people’s discourses, this not specified only on verbal exchange, uncertainty reduction theory is an effective tool in determining interpersonal relationships and communications. By focusing on the information exchanged by two individuals we can predict the stage of their relationship – whether on entry, personal, or exit stage. Certainly, the information shared will not be as substantial in terms of personal relevance necessary for the attainment of interpersonal communication. Given the difficulty of initiating contact and conversation aimed at establishing a relationship, we are most likely to shy away and be frightened. If this happens, proceeding conversations are terminated. One basic method in squeezing out information from another person is to reveal your own personal information. Self-disclosure gives way to information not normally revealed through ordinary conversations. It requires an initiative to know and be known. Also, it is a way to know how the other people react and determine the topics under their interests. Furthermore, the voluntarily disclosure of personal information gives an impression of the willingness of a person in entering a relationship. In uncertainty reduction theory, self disclousre acts as the most effective way in removing the barriers of mistrust and non-complacency. By analyzing the information you reveal, one notices your values, beliefs, and emotional and moral tendecies accompanying your disclosures. These are considered to be a pattern for compatibility looked after by uncertain people. The situation above is common to almost everyone, given that the educated still dominate in number those who haven’t been to school or had work. I have experienced introducing myself to someone I am interested to. Most of the time I am replied with suspicion and mistrust which make me feel in need of proving myself. By self-disclosure I get their attention and know further what interests them and on fortunate times they react with personal disclosures too. Eventually the barrier of uncertainty dissipates and we are now getting ready for a more personal relationship. By reducing uncertainty we increase trust, thus more information is exchanged. Uncertainty reduction theory explains the systematic yet unsure disclosures toward interpersonal communication. Through complete understanding of the three concepts, uncertainty reduction, disclosure, and interpersonal communication, we can attain desirable relationships that can outlast time itself. References: Uncertainty Reduction Theory. 2006. Oregon State University. Retrieved 2 April 2008. http://oregonstate. edu/instruct/theory/ur.html King, Donnell. (2000). Four Principles of Interpersonal Communication. Pellissippi State Technical Community College. Retrieved 2 April 2008. http://www. pstcc. edu/ facstaff/dking/interpr. htm Borchers, Tim. (1999) Interpersonal Communication. Allyn & Bacon. Retrieved 2 April 2008. http://www. abacon. com/commstudies/interpersonal/interpersonal. html Uncertainty Reduction Theory. 2004. University of Twente. Retrieved 2 April 2008. http://www. tcw. utwente. nl/theorieenoverzicht/Theory%20clusters/Interpersonal

Thinking Nonthinking Essay example

Thinking Nonthinking Essay example Thinking Nonthinking Essay example Nell Bornhorst Philosophy 103 March 2, 2015 Thinking and Non-Thinking In this paper, I will be analyzing and interpreting Arendt Hannah’s lecture, â€Å"Thinking and Moral Considerations†, focusing on her take on evilness and the dangers of non-thinking, and the document â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† written by Martin Luther King Jr., focusing on the necessity of tension within the mind. Arendt’s argues that evilness is a person’s inability to contemplate what is unjust, and King offers a solution. Both Ardent and King relate their arguments to the words of Socrates. Socrates believed in the necessity of a dialogue and a relationship with ones thoughts, and believed tension in the mind allowed a person to evaluate and question to find meaning and truth. Socrates’ concepts will help to support my explanation of the two texts and their idea that evilness is only a product of thoughtlessness, with thinking comes natural morality, and â€Å"creative tension† promotes â€Å"a kind of action† leadi ng to â€Å"positive peace†. In our society what is right and what is wrong is presumably decided for us. Laws and restrictions are taught to be the truth, and with these set standards the need to think for oneself is diminished. The threat of non-thinking becomes dangerous. By following the law instead of following our own virtues, we become tied to a blind obedience. Arendt describes this idea as a clichà © or â€Å"standard codes of expression and conduct†. In her study she contemplates the idea that evilness is caused by the absence of thought and use of clichà ©s. Arendt along with Socrates believes examination is good for the mind, and â€Å"By shielding people against the dangers of examination, it teaches them to hold fast to whatever the prescribed rules of conduct may be at a given time in a given society†(Arendt 436). Socrates, a man who she believes to be a model or professional thinker said, â€Å"an unexamined life is not one worth living†. This is because you have no love or desire to discover or find â€Å"what is not†. Without this love you cannot have a relationship with ones thoughts. This being said, Arendt concludes that â€Å"only people filled with this eros a kind of love), this desiring love of wisdom, beauty, and justice, are capable of thought† (Arendt). When considering evil, such as in Otto Adolf Eichmann, one of the main organizers of the Nazi regime, Arendt does not believe it is inherent. In an article on the capture and trial of Eichmann, for The New Yorker, Arendt describes Eichmann’s character and contemplates the truth of his corruption or evilness. Eichmann was accused of crimes against the Jewish people, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, and eventually sentenced to death. Arendt stated, "The deeds were monstrous, but the doer ... was quite ordinary, commonplace, and neither demonic nor monstrous"(Arendt). She believed it was not his character that of the man that was evil, but the â€Å"thoughtlessness† of Eichmann that led him to commit evil acts or his â€Å"authentic inability to think". This example of non-thinking shows the dangers of it. If the conversation we have with ourselves when making decisions is gone, any form of morality goes with it. Especially in the hands of someone like Eichmann, non-thinking is extremely dangerous. If thought is never incited, evilness and corruption can go on unnoticed. However, we were born with a sense of right or wrong. This being said, thinking is natural, and naturally in the opinion of Arendt and Socrates, all humans are good by nature. The idea of non-thinking is in reality unnatural. In the last paragraph, I interpreted Arendt to be saying, in summary, that thinking makes us who we are. If we are who we are only when we think and we are good by nature, then it only makes sense that when we do wrong, we are not who we are and we are non-thinking. By acquiring our human virtues, we can avoid allowing wrong doings and clichà ©s to strip us of our identity. Clichà ©s can be detrimental if they become