Synthesis And Secretion And Dendritic Spine Morphology

Calcium controls many neuronal functions, such as neurotransmitter synthesis and secretion and dendritic spine morphology. The role of CaMKKÃŽ ² is probably best characterised in the brain. CaMKKÃŽ ² and CaMKKÃŽ ± are both highly expressed in the brain (Anderson et al. 1996), and have been shown to be important in the formation of memory and neuronal plasticity (Wayman et al. 2008). In addition, studies show the CaMK cascade is essential for axon and dendrite elongation in cortical neurons (Ageta-Ishihara et al. 2009; Davare et al. 2009), as well as synaptogenesis in hippocampal neurons (Saneyoshi et al. 2008). The CaMK cascade is known to regulate cAMP response-element binding protein (CREB) dependent transcriptional activity in vivo, which is important for hippocampal long term memory formation (Lonze and Ginty. 2002). Global CaMKKÃŽ ²-/- mice generated by Peters et al were found to have male specific impaired spatial memory formation secondary to reduced spatial-training induced CREB activation, as well as impaired long term memory for the social transmission of food preferences secondary to the lack of late long term potentiation at the hippocampal area CA1 synapses (Peters et al. 2003; Mizuno et al. 2007). No difference was found in other types of hippocampus dependent long term memory, including contextual fear memory and passive avoidance, compared to wild-type mice suggesting that the formation of these long term memory types do not require the activation of CREB by CaMKKÃŽ ².

The Sentencing Policies For Crimes - 1357 Words

When America changed the sentencing policies for crimes, primarily drug crimes, in America, the effect this change would have in the poor communities were impossible to imagine. The policies which were changed to get tougher on drug crimes on the federal level followed with mass incarceration in the prison system. This was especially true with young African American males in largely poor communities. So these policies not only created a mass incarceration but also racially targeted certain race in America. These procedures which were created to protect the community and the streets actually did nothing but drive a wedge in the relationships between those same communities, law enforcement, and policy makers. The war on drugs was what caused an increase of arrests and people going to prison. The incarceration boom in the early 1970’s, where African American’s, mostly young men, were twice as likely to get arrested for drug crimes as were a white male. However, when the sentencing standards changed on the federal level to mandatory sentencing, a black male was now four times more likely to get arrest on drug crimes than a white male (Clear, 2007). These changes were made to attempt to make the streets and the communities safer from drugs. What the law and policy makers were unaware of was how these changes would bring about widespread incarceration of young black adults, which would disrupt the families of these offenders, mainly in the inner cities of America. One ofShow MoreRelatedThe Sentencing Policy And The Criminal Justice System1065 Words   |  5 Pagesjustice policies and laws that demonstrate how the policy has been informed by the theories that have been covered this semester. Many connections are not explicit but offer great detail in offering information based on the given topics. The current criminal justice policy that I’ve chosen was the sentencing policy. The sentencing policy was put together to reach every type of case that could possibly be seen in the criminal justice system. Here we will further discuss the sentencing policy, a caseRead MoreThe Theories Of Punishment Article1571 Words   |  7 Pageseliminating crime. They realize that the possibility of a crime-free world is non-existent, so minimizing the rate of crime is the only solution to a happy life for the citizens. â€Å"†¦laws that specify punishment for criminal conduct should be designed to deter future criminal conduct,† (Theories of Punishment). There is no extent to the force of punishment; punishment should never be limited if crime is to be at a minimum. In the utilitarian philosophy, punishment is meant to deter crimes from happeningRead MoreTruth In Sentencing Policies and the Effects on Courts and Prisons1563 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough tough penalties for convicted criminals. When deterrence fails, criminals need to be identified and held accountable for their actions. Law enforcement enforces many different crimes; some of the most serious crimes are violent crimes. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program, violent crime is defined by four offenses: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault (FBI, 2007). Defeating the threat of violent offenders is importantRead MorePrison Blues : How America s Foolish Sentencing Policies Endanger Public Safety1033 Words   |  5 PagesPOLICY RECOMMENDATIONS It has been established that the current policy does not work as it was intended to, so thus it must be changed. William Rehnquist, a former Supreme Court Justice, stated his opinion of minimum sentencing during an often cited speech. As stated in his book Prison blues: How America s Foolish Sentencing Policies Endanger Public Safety, David Kopek credits Rehnquist with stating: These mandatory minimum sentences are perhaps a good example of the law of unintended consequencesRead MoreCriminal Punishment And The Criminal Justice System1193 Words   |  5 Pageshappiness of criminal offenders as the final sentencing decision. Judges have an extensive range of sentencing options. These options range from fines, restitution, and probation to incarceration in jail or prison. For much of the 20th century, criminal sentencing practices remained largely unchanged in the United States. Over the past few decades, we have witnessed a practical revolution in criminal punishment processes. A number of different sentencing reforms have been recently expanded, resultingRead MoreThe Effects Of Mandatory Sentencing On The United States Essay1273 Words   |  6 Pagescountry has such a high incarceration rate is the policy changes that have occurred since the 1970s. During this time, the United States has enacted policy changes that have produced an astounding rise in the u se of imprisonment for social control. These policy changes were enacted in order to achieve greater consistency, certainty, and severity and include sentencing laws such as determinate sentencing, truth-in-sentencing, mandatory minimum sentencing, and three strikes laws (National Research CouncilRead MoreThe Sentencing Reform Act Of 19841526 Words   |  7 PagesThe Sentencing Reform Act is associated with the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984, were the U.S. federal statute increased the consistency in the United States federal sentencing. The Sentencing Reform Act created the United States Sentencing Commission. This act allowed the independent commission into the judicial branch of the United States Sentencing Commission. It consists of seven voting members and one nonvoting member. For the sake of the United States Sentencing Commission, thereRead MoreThe Goals of Sentencing in the Criminal Justice System1747 Words   |  7 PagesThe Goals of Sentencing in the Criminal Justice System By: Brian Ouellette Criminal Justice CCJ 1020 Mr. Leonardo Cadogan Abstract In the United States there is no standard when it comes to punishment and sentencing. This area of the  criminal justice system is in a constant state of change. Sentencing practices and goals are always being closely examined. From getting tough on crime to more rehabilitative approaches, the views and goals of sentencing are always beingRead MoreThe Law Of A Uniform Sentencing Guidelines1126 Words   |  5 Pagesoffenders. In India, a uniform sentencing policy does not exist, as neither the legislature nor the judiciary has supplied any formal guidelines. However, the need for the same has been repeatedly recognized by both. For instance, the Committee on Reforms of Criminal Justice System (Malimath Committee) published its report in March 2003, stating the need for uniform sentencing guidelines: The Committee recommends that a statutory Committee be constituted to lay down sentencing guidelines to regulate theRead MoreThree Strikes: Harsher Sentencing of Repeat Felony Offender804 Words   |  4 Pagesfour states enacted three strikes sentencing policy which calls for much harsher sentencing of repeat felony offender. Most sentences for these repeat offender called for a minimum punishment of a life sentence with possibility of release until twenty five years have been served (1 Marvell, Moody 89). These laws where created to target and punish what lawmakers believed to be the small percentage of criminals that where committing the majority of serious crimes such as murder, rape, kidnaping,

Exemplar Free Essays

INVESTIGATING THE ECOLOGICAL NICHE OF THE CRAB USING A FAIR TEST INTRODUCTION: The ecological niche of the crab Hemigrapsus edwardsi. The crab is a member of the Crustacea phylum and is in the family Grapsidae. This crab species is found only in New Zealand on rocky shores. We will write a custom essay sample on Exemplar or any similar topic only for you Order Now The rocky shore, where the crabs studied in this investigation were found is quite exposed. There is a large rock platform that provides small crevices and small rocks which help to protect them from wave action and predators. There are also sea lettuce, and other algae growing on parts of the rocks. The crab has many adaptations that allow it to live on the rocky shore including: †¢ grey/black colour for camouflage †¢ food detection structures (antennae on its head and hairs on the mouth parts to sense chemicals in the sea water) †¢ 4 pairs of legs with muscles that allow it to move sideways, as well as forwards and backwards †¢ behavioural adaptations such as scuttling under rocks when the tide goes out or to avoid predators †¢ freezing when being attacked (we noticed this when we touched some of them on their backs). This might confuse predators. †¢ gills for gas exchange. The rock pools provide a micro-climate where the temperature and salinity of the water will change, depending on the weather. If it was a really hot day, the rock pools will get warmer, more water will evaporate and the salinity will increase. The crab would have to be adapted to cope with these changes in salinity, otherwise, as the concentration of salt in the water around it changes, it will gain or loose mass due to osmosis. Through the process of osmoregulation, the crab is able to maintain a constant water balance in its body, but to do so requires energy and this could be measured by an increase in the respiration rate. This is what I am going to investigate. Aim: To determine whether the respiratory rate of the crab changes in different salinities. Hypothesis: The respiratory rate of the crab will increase as the salinity changes away from â€Å"normal† salinity. METHOD Thirty crabs of similar size, were collected from the rocky shore. The salinity was varied by diluting the 200% conc. seawater provided in to five different concentrations. The volume of the solutions was 200mL each. The concentrations were 150%, 125%, 100%, 75%, 50% conc. Water with 100% concentration is equivalent to the concentration of normal seawater. Sixty-five mL of the 150% solution was poured into a petri dish. The petri dish had a thin layer of stones in the base to recreate the natural environment of the crabs. One crab was put into this petri dish and left for five minutes to allow them to adjust to the conditions. The petri dishes were floated on a water bath which was set at 180C. The water bath was placed in the room where the light intensity was the same for all petri dishes. An indirect method of estimating respiration was used. This was to count the number of currents seen on the surface of the water. I assumed that a higher number of currents indicated a higher respiration rate. A little bit of carmine red was sprinkled onto the solution in the petri dish in order to see the movement of water more clearly. The crabs were left in the petri dishes for five minutes before counting the respiratory currents. The respiratory currents were counted for 30 seconds. This amount was doubled to give the rate per minute. 5 more trials with different crabs were done at each concentration. Each time a fresh 65 mL of solution was added. The results were recorded and the rates per minute were averaged. This process was repeated for the 4 remaining concentrations and the results for these were averaged. Results: Average respiratory rate of the crab in different concentrations of seawater. | |% concentration of the water (100% = normal sea water) | | |50 |75 |100 |125 |150 | |Average number of respiratory | | | | | | |currents per minute |7. 2 |6. 75 |6. 00 |7. 50 |12. 42 | Average respiratory rate of the crab in different seawater concentrations. Statistical analysis of results: The graph of the results suggests that there is a significant relationship between the concentration of the seawater and the respiratory rate of the crabs. This is confirmed by the r2 value of 0. 9642, which indicates that 96% of the variation in the results is explained by the change in seawater concentration. Conclusion: The respiratory rate of the crab, as measured by respiratory currents, increased when the concentration of the seawater either increased or decreased from the 100% conc. (normal seawater). Discussion: This investigation was carried out to determine whether respiratory rates of the crab increased as the salinity was changed from normal levels. The crab is a euryhaline organism that lives on the rocky shore, often in rock pools. Because of the tidal movements of water, the salinity of the crab’s environment fluctuates. To maintain homeostasis, the crab osmoregulates. This means it actively controls the salinity levels inside its body. As the seawater concentration increased or decreased from the concentration of normal seawater (100% conc. ) the respiration rate increased. This is because the crab is most comfortable at the concentration of normal seawater. As osmoregulation involves the active transport of ions, it requires energy to adjust to higher or lower seawater concentrations than 100% seawater. As the salinity of the crab’s environment increases or decreases from the salinity of normal seawater it requires more energy in order to osmoregulate. So in order to obtain that energy, it needs more oxygen and its respiration rate increases. This is necessary for the crab as it must deal with a range of salinity as the tidal pools dry out. If the concentration of the water is greater than that of the crab’s internal environment, it will go through osmosis. Although the crab has an exoskeleton, water can still leave its body through the space around its joints and gills. Evaluation: Initially I found that there were several problems with my investigation. The most significant one was that the crabs were out of their natural environment which made them more fidgety. Some of mine even attempted to escape from the petri dishes during the trials. This clearly shows that they were unsettled and perhaps not responding as they usually would. If they decided to stay inside the petri dish, they stayed close to the edge and moved away from the movement of people around them. I moved my investigation to a more secluded position and screened them off with a cover so that were not able to see what was around them. I also lined the petri dish with a thin layer of stones to attempt to somewhat recreate the natural environment. This change made the crabs calmer and produced a more natural response. The counting of actual respiration itself was difficult as it was a humid day and the carmine red seemed to be congealing before being placed in the water. Perhaps in humid conditions chalk dust or very fine sand would have been more suitable but these were not available where I was carrying out the investigation. Where the crabs were sampled from may have biased the outcome of the results as the position in the tidal zone might influence the levels of salinity that they were accustomed to. Most of my animals appeared to be female, this may also have biased my results. Further investigations would need to be carried out to determine if sex or original location influences crab respiration rate. Despite these limitations my results show that the increase in respiratory rates can be explained by the changing concentration of the seawater. ———————– INTRODUCTION ECOLOGICAL NICHE AIM HYPOTHESIS Explains aspects of the ecological niche that are related to the investigation. Hypothesis linked to ecological niche. VARIABLE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE CONTROLLED VARIABLE DEPENDENT VARIABLE Controlled variables A valid range of the Independent variable Controlled variables Dependent variables Sufficient data PROCESSED DATA [pic] STATISTICAL ANALYSIS CONCLUSION Sufficient data that is appropriately and accurately processed to show relevant pattern. (raw data is in log book) Workable method outlined Sufficient data that is appropriately and accurately processed to show relevant pattern. (raw data is in log book) Statistical analysis of the validity of the conclusion A valid conclusion that is justified by the data and relates to the hypothesis DISCUSSION EVALUATION Critical evaluation through analysis of the validity of the investigation Critical evaluation – limitations discussed and changes made to the method justified in relation to validity of investigation Discussion of results related to niche Significance of findings in relation to the ecological niche How to cite Exemplar, Papers

The American Dream In The Great Gatsby Essay Example For Students

The American Dream In The Great Gatsby Essay Theodore DreiserTheAmericanDreamCourtney ConnorsEnglish III CPMr. BreslinThrough the social criticism of Theodore Dreiser, the plight of the poor is compared against the actions of the rich. In both An American Tragedy and Sister Carrie Dreiser presents characters who are driven by ignorance and in ability to withstand the pressures of the shallow American yearning for money, success, fashion dreams about which Dreiser himself was indeed an authority (W.A. Swanberg 254). Throughout his career, Dreiser wrote for a variety of periodicals in order to earn enough money to support himself. His success there lead him to write novels, which in turn guided his path to fame and fortune. Mirroring the life and ambition of Dreiser, the characters in An American Tragedy and Sister Carrie demonstrate the same goals and hopes for their lives. Like Dreiser, both Clyde and Carrie came from modest roots. In American society at the turn of the century, however, it is money that ultimately makes the man. As a result, both characters spend their lives working their way into this mold, even at the cost of compromising themselves. Within the book An American Tragedy, a poor boy is working his way up to become known. In his society, a name is known for the amount of money its holder makes. His actions in and out of work reflect what his social life of popularity will become. He strives for richness and a life of prosperity, but it is not always what he wants. His choices with love have to be that of wealth and success or he is dishonored. This character, Clyde, takes a series of miscellaneous jobs to help him succeed. His first high paying job was as a bell hop in a hotel frequented by the rich. From there he went on to work at the shirt factory owned by his extremely wealthy uncle, Uncle Griffiths. Beginning in the wash rooms, Clyde eventually worked his way into a managerial position keeping tab of the payroll. While at the shirt collar factory Clyde engages in a relationship with Roberta, one of the workers under his charge. Clyde then falls in love with Sondra, a woman of the upper class. Not long after, he discovers that Roberta is pregnant. Rather than jeopardize his own rise into the upper class, Clyde must find a way to get rid of Roberta. His only thoughts are that of murder, but he lacks the courage to do it himself. Instead, he leaves her to drown after their boat overturns during an outing. Clyde is caught and then imprisoned, given the death penalty. In Sister Carrie, Carrie Meeber is a young woman travel ing from her country home to the city to live with her sister. Upon arriving, she is fascinated by the fast and flashy city lifestyle. Carrie soon discovers, however, that it is only the wealthy who can enjoy this side of city living. Rather than work as a lowly employee in a shoe factory, Carrie allows Drouet, a rich man who is drawn to her inexperience, to support her. Soon thereafter, however, Carrie meets Hurstwood, a similarly wealthy man who, without her knowing, is already married. Hurstwood falls in love with Carrie and, in an attempt to convince her to run away with him, steals a large sum of money from his workplace and runs off, taking her with himHurstwood ends up returning the money and the couple eventually move to New York. There Hurstwood is unable to find work and Carrie grows increasingly unhappy with their lack of money and incognito state. Carrie then pursues work in the theater as an actress, becoming a celebrity almost overnight. As Carrie catapults into fame a nd fortune she forgets Hurstwood, which in turn leads him to suicide at the novels end. What both novels portray is the pursuit of the American Dream at the turn of the century. The idea behind the American Dream concept is that, through hard work and moral goodness, anyone can rise from poverty into riches. If they can do it, so can I. Dreisers characters, however, are not completely moral and reliant on hard work to gain their success. In this society the ends justify the means. Carrie, for