Wednesday, November 27, 2019
The Science of Curing Grey Hair
The Science of Curing Grey Hair The current cures for gray hair range from the truly promising to being downright snake oil in nature. The products and procedures that are for real are based on real science and recent research on the causes of gray hair. So recent, that as of this writing any real solutions for reversing gray hair are still pending, however, they are definitely in the works to manifest for the consumer during the next few years. What Causes Grey Hair Each individual hair follicle has pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. As the hair strand is being formed, the melanocytes cells inject pigment (melanin) into cells containing keratin, the protein structures that makes up our hair follicles, skin, and nails. Throughout our lifetime, our melanocytes continue to inject pigment into our hairs keratin, giving it color, however, after a certain amount of years of producing, our melanocytes go on strike so to speak and stop making as much melanin which causes grey hair, or make no melanin at all which causes white hair. When you ask a scientist why this happens, the common answer given us is usually genetics, that our genes regulate the predestined exhaustion of the pigmentation potential of each individual hair follicle. However, there is a more in-depth explanation about what happens when our hair turns gray or white, and understanding the science behind that is leading to innovations that will change the inevitability of having to put up with a loss of hair color. Stem Cell Research: Reversing Grey Hair In 2005, Harvard scientists were the first to propose that a failure of melanocyte stem cells to maintain the production of melanocytes caused the graying of hair. They were correct, and other scientists have expanded on their research. The simplified definition of a stem cell is a cell whose job is to make more cells. Stem cells repair and build our bodies. As explained above in this article, two different types of cell production occur when our bodies produce a non-grey strand of hair. The melanocytes stem ââ¬â¹cells produce the hair color, and other stem cells produce the hair follicle. Scientists have researched this coordinated production between the two different stem cell types, and have discovered a signaling protein called Wnt. Think of Wnt as a type of work foreman that oversees the production of hair and tells each different stem cell type how fast to work. Wnt has everything to do with why our hair turns gray. When our melanocytes stem cells do not have enough Wnt protein, they do not get the signal to produce hair color. Professor Mayumi and a team of researchers at the New York University Medical Center have successfully restored hair color in mice by manipulating the Wnt signaling proteins. Mayumi is confident that the research will lead to solutions of melanocyte related issues both serious and cosmetic in humans, including skin diseases such as melanoma, and of course gray hair. Researchers at the Tokyo University of Science, have also experimented with stem cells in attempts to regrow hair and restore color. The researchers injected a bald and otherwise colorless mouse with stem cells from live hair follicles and were able to grow dark tufts of hair on the injection site. The research is intended to lead to solutions for both baldness and gray hair in humans. LOreal Research: Preventing Grey Hair Doctor Bruno Bernard is the head of hair biology at LOreal in Paris. LOreal, a company known for hair and beauty products, is currently supporting research into innovative methods of preventing hair from turning gray. Bernard and his team have been studying the melanocyte stem cells found in our skin that are responsible for making skin the pigment that it is. The researchers wanted to know why our skin doesnt turn gray with age but our hair does. They discovered an enzyme called TRP-2 that is present in our skin stem cells but is missing in our hair follicle stem cells. They observed that TRP-2 helped protect the melanocyte stem cells in skin from damage, and so helped those stem cells to last longer and function better. The TRP-2 enzyme provided an advantage to our skin cells that the cells involved with hair production do not have. LOreal intends to innovate a topical treatment, such as a shampoo for hair, that will replicate the effect of the TRP-2 enzyme and give the melanocyte stem cells in hair follicles the same advantage that skin stem cells have, thereby preventing and delaying gray hair from happening in the first place. The End of Grey Hair The majority of all people, over three-quarters of the population, will have some gray hair by the age of fifty. Surprisingly, one in ten people over the age of sixty still have no gray hair. For those of us who just dont want the look, hair dye to cover the gray has always been the only option, if you exclude hats. Viable alternatives may be on the horizon.
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Hypothesis Test Example of Calculating Probability
Hypothesis Test Example of Calculating Probability An important part of inferential statistics is hypothesis testing. As with learning anything related to mathematics, it is helpful to work through several examples. The following examines an example of a hypothesis test, and calculates the probability of type I and type II errors. We will assume that the simple conditions hold. More specifically we will assume that we have a simple random sample from a population that is either normally distributed or has a large enough sample size that we can apply the central limit theorem. We will also assume that we know the population standard deviation. Statement of the Problem A bag of potato chips is packaged by weight. A total of nine bags are purchased, weighed and the mean weight of these nine bags is 10.5 ounces. Suppose that the standard deviation of the population of all such bags of chips is 0.6 ounces. The stated weight on all packages is 11 ounces. Set a level of significance at 0.01. Question 1 Does the sample support the hypothesis that true population mean is less than 11 ounces? We have a lower tailed test. This is seen by the statement of our null and alternative hypotheses: H0 : à ¼11.Ha : à ¼ 11. The test statistic is calculated by the formula z (x-bar - à ¼0)/(ÃÆ'/âËÅ¡n) (10.5 - 11)/(0.6/âËÅ¡ 9) -0.5/0.2 -2.5. We now need to determine how likely this value of z is due to chance alone. By using a table of z-scores we see that the probability that z is less than or equal to -2.5 is 0.0062. Since this p-value is less than the significance level, we reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis. The mean weight of all bags of chips is less than 11 ounces. Question 2 What is the probability of a type I error? A type I error occurs when we reject a null hypothesis that is true. The probability of such an error is equal to the significance level. In this case, we have a level of significance equal to 0.01, thus this is the probability of a type I error. Question 3 If the population mean is actually 10.75 ounces, what is the probability of a Type II error? We begin by reformulating our decision rule in terms of the sample mean. For a significance level of 0.01, we reject the null hypothesis when z -2.33. By plugging this value into the formula for the test statistics, we reject the null hypothesis when (x-bar ââ¬â 11)/(0.6/âËÅ¡ 9) -2.33. Equivalently we reject the null hypothesis when 11 ââ¬â 2.33(0.2) x-bar, or when x-bar is less than 10.534. We fail to reject the null hypothesis for x-bar greater than or equal to 10.534. If the true population mean is 10.75, then the probability that x-bar is greater than or equal to 10.534 is equivalent to the probability that z is greater than or equal to -0.22. This probability, which is the probability of a type II error, is equal to 0.587.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
National Branding vs Private Label Branding Essay
National Branding vs Private Label Branding - Essay Example Usually, it is hard to know, without the aid of chemical analysis or other forms of tests, whether private brands match national brands. Uncertainty may occur due to many reasons. For example, a bread company produces many private-label breads. This however does not mean that private brands are of the same quality as the name (national) brand. The bread company may differ in its formula when producing private brands, and we should also consider that the private brands may not be as fresh as the national brands (Kis 10). Similarly, we can also look at the case of say the largest brewer of beer in your region under its own national label; can also be among the biggest supplier of private-label brand of beer. Many private-label brands of wines and spirits as you have witnessed are produced by well-known national-brand companies. Consumers are usually willing to pay more for national brands, because they are confident in their quality. This way they evade the risk of purchasing a low-qua lity product, which is usually a private label brand. Hence, if they can be convinced to try out cheaper brands and find out that their quality is similar to the national brand they are accustomed to, they may switch (Lincoln 23). In a Gallup Poll, it was discovered that about 80% of consumers who tried a product with a private-brand label like a store brand, instantly became regular buyers. Store-brand customers are typically well-informed people, who pay attention to the labels. The Gallup Poll also showed that many consumers make an effort to study the labels and prices. The Poll indicated that 40% of shoppers are selective: this means that they compare products on different dimensions considering the quality, price and special offers; therefore they do not just choose the national brand. Most national-brand products are known to be of a superior quality; therefore, they are usually sold for significantly higher prices than private labels. In June 1984, the Private Label Manufact uring Association conducted an independent research where they compiled a "Market Basket List" for 17 staple items. Private labelsââ¬â¢ total cost was found to be lower compared to national brands. It was found that private-label shoppers generally pay less as compared to national brand shoppers. Private-label strength is highly susceptible to economic conditions and will vary depending is this factor. This means that private-label market shares goes up when the economic situation is not good and down when the economy is good (Mennen 23). The main reason for the existence of brand names is because consumers usually need to be sure of quality when they lack the time, opportunity, or ability to examine other options. Brand names simplify the selection process, since you will find that the products are cluttered. A survey by DDB Needham conducted in 1994 indicates that 60% of consumers prefer factors pertaining to national brands, for example, security, value and comfort, as opposed to private label brands. National brand-name goods have better competitive advantage over private labels, due to their solid foundation. They have a running start. The strongest national brands have been in existence for decades and have consistent quality. National brands have value for retailers, which mean that retailers must have them, since consumers expect to find them widely distributed. If consumers fail to find them, they are
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Is Response Intervention effective in Autistic Children Case Study
Is Response Intervention effective in Autistic Children - Case Study Example Response to Intervention in Autistic Children Response-to-Intervention is a popular object of present day research. Much has been said about the benefits and principles of RTI models for children with special needs. Psychologists welcome the implementation of RTI models and principles for exceptional children, including those with autism. Unfortunately, the effects of RTI on autistic children and their behaviors remain unclear. This paper reports the results of RTI usage in children with autism. A brief review of literature is performed. Methods and results of the intervention are discussed. The goal of the study is to see whether RTI can be successfully applied to enhance emotional stability and behaviors in children and adolescents with autism. Literature Review Response-to-Intervention (RTI) is a popular object of present day research. RTI is claimed to be an innovative approach to delivering learning and psychological/ emotional services in schools (Barnes & Harlacher, 2008). RTI is fairly regarded as a relevant, proactive response to the emotional and behavioral difficulties faced by school children in their striving to meet at least the basic learning objectives (Barnes & Harlacher, 2008). ... According to Barnes and Harlacher (2008), RTI relies on the five main principles. First, the model is both proactive and preventative (Barnes & Harlacher, 2008). Second, RTI ensures a strategic emotional and instructional fit between the student, studentââ¬â¢s needs, and the curriculum and instruction (Barnes & Harlacher, 2008). Third, RTI builds on data-based decision-making and is problem-solving-oriented (Barnes & Harlacher, 2008). Fourth, RTI relies on the use of effective instructional practices; and fifth, it is a systems-level approach (Barnes & Harlacher, 2008). To a large extent, the use of RTI does not merely allow identifying students with special learning needs but creates the basis for improving their learning outcomes (Barnes & Harlacher, 2008). Barnes and Harlacher (2008) specify that the principal features of RTI are (1) multiple tiers; (2) a complex system of assessment; (3) a sophisticated protocol; and (4) evidence-based instruction. Here, the complex relationsh ip between features and principles of RTI becomes evident. Multiple tiers reflect and reinforce the proactive nature of the model and create a foundation for achieving the instructional match between the student, studentââ¬â¢s needs, and instruction/ curriculum. The assessment system inherent in the RTI is integrally linked to the modelââ¬â¢s problem solving orientation. The protocol as the third most important feature of RTI is inseparable from the principle of effective practices, whereas evidence-based instructions and practices support the systems-level character of RTI (Barnes & Harlacher, 2008). The current state of literature offers arguments to defend and expand the use of RTI in various instructional situations. Barnett, VanDerHeyden and Witt (2007) list a set of arguments and
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Listening and Paraphrasing Essay Example for Free
Listening and Paraphrasing Essay The first person I interviewed was my sisterââ¬â¢s friend who is nineteen years old and is in college. She works part-time a crew in a coffee shop just outside our village. I asked her about her job and how she was able to manage her time juggling work and studies. According to her, what she is doing is tiresome but she was able to do both activities since it is not simultaneous and that, she really has to be able to do so. She mentioned how she prioritizes work over her studies. She attends to her class regularly but admits that, most of the time, she isnââ¬â¢t attentive. She said that she had to miss some of her morning classes because sheââ¬â¢s too tired to get up in the morning. She gets to miss several classes but never miss even a minute of work. She told me that she doesnââ¬â¢t resent having to work while studying unlike other students because she believes that she is learning more and is getting personally better when she is forced to work and study at the same time. She takes everything as a training for what else worse that could happen. She said she feels like thereââ¬â¢s nothing that she wonââ¬â¢t be able to get through because she has gotten stronger after all the early struggles in her life. She also said that her job as a crew is not all about the money she is earning. She said that she is also enjoying the work because she wants to put up business someday and she is planning to pursue food business. She has been learning a lot by working and feels more unfortunate than other students because she was able to directly apply what she learns from school. In this interview, I would have to repeat some of her answers to make it appear that I am deeply interested in what she is saying. I have learned that paraphrasing also eliminates bars between two communicating parties because it makes one believe one is interested with the otherââ¬â¢s tales (USDVA, 2004). When I repeat what she tells me, I say it in a different manner like this one time when she said, ââ¬Å"I really donââ¬â¢t mind if I donââ¬â¢t get too good grades. Passing is enough for me. I just know that I am more knowledgeable than them and I understand exactly what the principles are saying. They only know it by words! â⬠I would say, ââ¬Å"You are no longer after the high grades because you know you understand the subject very well and school grades are just evaluation of school performance. â⬠And I would follow it immediately with a question to keep our conversation going. The next person I interviewed is my grandfather who is already seventy-eight. Weââ¬â¢ve talked about his life as part of the navy, how he met my grandmother and who is his favorite among his children. The talked about who is his favorite child is the most interesting part of our conversation. He said, ââ¬Å"Your father wouldnââ¬â¢t lift a hand to reach something and would wait for his siblings or his mother or me to pass by so we could reach it for him. â⬠I said, ââ¬Å"My dad wouldnââ¬â¢t bother himself trying to reach something and would have to rely on someone else so he could get that something. â⬠Having to repeat their words would mean understanding the matter more clearly (RMIT, 2005). It is also a tool for clarifying ideas. In communication, it is very effective because when one feels that the other understands him, he feels more comfortable to talk about anything without any hesitations (Rowley, 2002). I was able to demonstrate it when I was able to extract information from my sisterââ¬â¢s friend that is in a more personal level and when I was able to let my grandfather to bring back the memories he had with my father. References: RMIT University. 2005. Paraphrasing. Study and Learning Center, RMIT. Retrieved February 10, 2009 from http://www. dlsweb. rmit. edu. au/lsu/content/4_WritingSkills/writing_tuts /paraphrase_LL/index. html. Rowley, Richard. 2002. Active Listening. Retrieved February 10, 2009 from http://www. aligningaction. com/activeli. htm. U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 2004. Listening to Paraphrase. Retrieved February 10, 2009 from http://www1. va. gov/adr/page. cfm? pg=46.
Friday, November 15, 2019
Lady Macbeth, Macbeths Forceful Woman Essay -- Macbeth essays
Macbeth's Forceful Woman à à à à à Shakespeare's Macbeth presents to the audience a woman who is more man than woman. Her masculine virtues (or vices) outweigh her feminine strengths. Let us look at her character in this paper. à A.C. Bradley in Shakespearean Tragedy explains wherein lies the greatness of Lady Macbeth: à The greatness of Lady Macbeth lies almost wholly in courage and force of will. It is an error to regard her as remarkable on the intellectual side. In acting a part she shows immense self-control, but not much skill. Whatever may be thought of the plan of attributing the murder of Duncan to the chamberlains, to lay their bloody daggers on their pillows, as if they were determined to advertise their guilt, was a mistake which can be accounted for only by the excitement of the moment. But the limitations appear most in the point where she is most strongly contrasted with Macbeth - in her comparative dullness of imagination. (340) à In The Riverside Shakespeare Frank Kermode enlightens the reader regarding the murderous mind of Lay Macbeth: à The fatal dismissal from consideration of "the life to come" disables the case for the real as against the apparent good to such a degree that Lady Macbeth, even less aware of the spiritual issues and ridiculing as effeminate the merely human reasons against murder, and showing, as against her husband's view, that the thing is possible.à (1309) à Samuel Johnson in The Plays of Shakespeare underscores how ambition by the protagonists leads to detestation on the part of the readers: à The danger of ambition is well described; and I know not whether it may not be said in defence of some parts which now seem improbable, that, in Sh... ...Blakemore Evans. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1972. à Knights, L.C. "Macbeth." Shakespeare: The Tragedies. A Collectiion of Critical Essays. Alfred Harbage, ed. Englewwod Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964. à Mack, Maynard. Everybody's Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993. à Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Macbeth. http://chemicool.com/Shakespeare/macbeth/full.html, no lin. à Siddons, Sarah. "Memoranda: Remarks on the Character of Lady Macbeth." The Life of Mrs. Siddons. Thomas Campbell. London: Effingham Wilson, 1834. Rpt. in Women Reading Shakespeare 1660-1900. Ann Thompson and Sasha Roberts, eds. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1997. à Wilson, H. S. On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1957.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Isaac Asimov: Envisioning the Future of Our Own Humanity
ââ¬Å"If it brings me humanity, that will be worth it. If it doesn't, it will bring an end to striving and that will be worth it, too. â⬠(The Bicentennial Man 22). Isaac Asimov, a dreamer who with humble beginnings pushed science fiction into the beginnings of reality. There is no one quite like Asimov. He has written more on more subjects, and better on more subjects, and more unexpectedly on most subjects, and in more ways on more subjects, than anyone else in the field. He writes poetry, limericks, short stories, novels, essays, articles, nonfiction books, trilogies, jokes and so on-more of them than anyone else could imagine (The Bicentennial Man 1). With all his intelligence, and all his heart, he fought for a world in which his ideas could become reality. His humanity was found in his struggle to educate us all, encouraging us to expand our horizons beyond our own lack of knowledge. This fact is alluded to in an article he wrote to Newsweek in the 1980s, ââ¬Å"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ââ¬Ëmy ignorance is just as good as your knowledgeââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ (ââ¬Å"A Cult of Ignoranceâ⬠19). His view of the world included us understanding. His oppression was caused by our ignorance. Isaac Asimov was born sometime between October 4, 1919 and January 2, 1920 (In Memory Yet Green 1). His parents did not remember the exact date of his birth but claim it to be around that time. He himself celebrated it on January 2nd (In Memory Yet Green 1). He was born to Anna Rachel Berman Asimov and Judah Asimov, a Jewish Russian couple. At the age of three, his whole family immigrated to the United States to the city of Brooklyn, New York (Biblio). Asimov graduated high school early, starting college and writing his first published novel which he completed by the end of college (http://psu. edu). Asimov was a man who spent his entire life writing. His earliest writings were found in magazines. His friend and publisher John W. Campbell saw his early stories as rough but promising (http://psu. edu). The story that really launched his career was Nightfall. Nightfall was a simple story, written about how a society could potentially collapse if great change occurs even if that change is not inherently negative. In Nightfall and Other Stories, he writes, ââ¬Å"The writing of ââ¬ËNightfall' was a watershed in my professional career â⬠¦ I was suddenly taken seriously and the world of science fiction became aware that I existed. As the years passed, in fact, it became evident that I had written a ââ¬Ëclassic'â⬠(Nightfall and Other Stories). His career and fame continued to grow as the years passed. Beginning in 1942 and ending in 1945 he worked for the Philadelphia Naval Air Experimental Station (Biblio). During this time he started work on five novelettes and four novellas that are now known as the Foundation Trilogy. Of the trilogy, Charles Elkins of DePauw University wrote, ââ¬Å"Among SF series, surely none has enjoyed such spectacular popularity as Isaac Asimovââ¬â¢s Foundation storiesâ⬠(http://psu. edu). The Foundation series received numerous awards for its quality and content, eventually ending up in a Hugo award for Asimov (WorldsWithoutEnd). In the Foundation series, through the use of science fiction he tackled the issues he was passionate about. In his novel Pebble in the Sky he writes about racism. The story is written in the view of humans of other worlds holding a prejudice against Earth-dwellers because they ââ¬Å"simply do not like the Earthâ⬠(http://psu. edu). He also tackled another issue that lays claim to how he lived his life. In book three of the foundation series, The Mayors, he begins to describe a religion that focuses on science (Foundation). As an atheistic humanist minority in a culture that was vastly overpoweringly theist, the best approach he took to tackling the issue of religion was through science fiction. As an educator at heart, he just wanted us to challenge the status quo with what we understand. In The Mayors, the religion of science worships a mythical galactic spirit. It is strikingly similar in some respects to modern religion, as this storybook religion had both a prophet, a story of how it all began, and a book of rules to live by (Foundation). His views on religion can be read inside the stories that he wrote. The life of Asimov cannot simply be summed up in a short phrase or story. He was an influential writer, attacking literature in many different writing formats. He fought for the rights of others, shaping our belief systems through the use of storytelling. He pushed for greater desire to learn in all of us, by writing of a robot that learned to become human (The Bicentennial Man 22). The call to be human and to remind us to be human was the goal of Asimov.
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