CREBP Mutation Schematic Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

CREBP Mutation Schematic - Lab Report Example The kinase pathways, in essence, induce phosphorylation of a single residue SER133 (Salks Institute, Undated) on CREB to activate it. There is evidence of four such kinase pathways - cAMP-dependent protein kinase, multiple mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), ribosome S6 kinase and - and calmodulin-dependent kinases (CAMKs) (Euskirchen, G., et al, 2004). The phosphorylated CREB attracts coactivator CREB binding protein (CBP or CREBBP ) which allows the activated phosphorylated CREB to bind to cAMP-responsive element (CRE) sequences on DNA to initiate gene expression (Thiel, G., et al, 2005). CBP coactivator work is often copied by its paralog p300, a highly related transcriptional coactivator protein targeted by the adenoviral oncoprotein E1A (Brody, T.B., 1996). This is still not a very clear process as much has yet to be known about the mechanism by which CBP binds to the phosphorylated CREB and subsequently promotes gene transcription. For gene transcription to take place a polymerase complex must be recruited, it must then be subsequently isomerized and cleared to transcribe the target gene (Kim, J., et al, 2000). There is evidence that the phsophorylated CREB, after binding with CBP, also recruits a RNA(2) polymerase complex to initiate transcription on CRE elements on target genes in various cells and tissues (Kim, J., et al, 2000). There is much that has been cleared in this direction by the research efforts of Kim et al, 2000, yet more has to be done before any definite conclusions can be reached. The paper now focuses on the molecular and genetic identity of CBP so that the next section on possible mutations on the protein can be better understood. Nevertheless, it is noted here that CREB activity is triggered off by diverse factors such as growth factors, hormones, neurotransmitters, ion fluxes and stress signals (Euskirchen, G., et al, 2004), all of which help recruit the protein. CBP action is initiated through heterodimerization of basic leucine zipper (bZIP) domains (Euskirchen, G., et al, 2004). Its action via gene transcription is also very diverse and the number of genes it helps express is also >100. Thus, mutations in CREBBP or CREB binding protein have numerous implications.The CREB Binding Protein (CBP or CREBBP) CBP is encoded in DNA sequences on human chromosome 16 at 16p13.3 (CREBBP, GeneCard, 2006). Gene location is from GC16M003716 to GC16M003870. The sequence starts at 3,716,568 bp from p terminal and ends at 3,870,723 bp from p terminal making up a sequence of size 154,155 bases with a minus strand orientation (CREBBP, GeneCard, 2006). The human CBP is made up of 2442 amino acid sequences and is 265337 Daltons in molecular weight (CREBBP, GeneCard, 2006). A rough domain count of the protein sequences is available for isoform 'a'. These are as per Table 1 and Diagram 1, Appendix, sourced from Giles et al, 1997, Fig. 3 and 4 respectively. As can be observed from both the table and the diagram, there are 11 distinct domains. This is not exhaustive as there are many regions on the total CREBBP (human) DNA sequence that have not been mapped according to function

Analyze a passage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Analyze a passage - Essay Example The reasons provided to support the main idea do enough to justify the insights. Surely, when the element of voluntary action disappears and it becomes requisite for livelihood, it is an example of forceful subscription or attachment to any work. They are reasonable and relevant in that there is no choice that is left especially when the labourer depends on labour to sustenance. It is true to say that this case is prevalent in the world which makes just about anyone who works for a living an enslaved person. The passage is important in guiding the efforts of people and their attributes towards labour. It promotes acceptance since it addresses the fact that humans need to do what they do. It is somehow a natural order and something that ought to be embraced in the quest for survival. Generally, the passage communicates important information for any person who engages in an activity and is concerned about

White Noise Essay Example for Free

White Noise Essay There are certain land marks that if a person where to go to the same image is with them forever. Think about the empire state building, people tend to think about the helicopter view drifting around the building. They could have worked there or just visited it in real life yet the image is kept with them. In the novel White Noise by Don DeLillo it mentions the most photographed barn in the world which murray states that â€Å"it is impossible to see the barn for what it really is. It is impossible to escape it aura. Which can mean that because it has been so photographed it becomes impossible to have a memory about it that someone one hundred percent created, yet only mentally captured the printed image into one’s mind. Also, when such a large amount of people have seen an object, it is impossible to make a unique opinion on it. It would fall into a generic overview of the barn. Then there is the aura of the tourist, which in Murrays opinion â€Å"are taking pictures of taking pictures†(pg12). There is a good chance that they have seen the barn before yet are still taking images of it so they can have their own â€Å"claim† of it which puts them away of the reality of the barn and is in a way a form of voyeurism. Imagine the effile tower or the empire state building, two images that define the city’s which they call home. It is hard to think about Paris or New York City without them located in the city. Most people have never even seen these marvels of modern architecture but the image is seared like a hot iron into ones brain. There is a condition called Paris syndrome (^1) where people who visit the city become psychotic because the city did not meet the image of advertising or perceived ideals. When people come to see the barn Muarry states, they don’t see it. They see the pictures and the t. v adds that have been implanted in their minds. This makes sense from all the advertising in the novel and in real life. When something has the label of being captured by film more than anything in the united states it is impossible for at least one of those images to not be stuck bouncing around in one’s head as they think about the barn. Its â€Å"aura† is that it is captured in a certain way and impossible to overthrow. When people go on vacation they always take pictures. It is claimed that I helps keep the memories of the trip; to capture the moment. Yet, how often do people remember actives on a trip that were not photographed. Murray tries to state that photographs standardize the memory and make it so it is uniform. Which is un-relevant why someone wants to do that? It is unimportant to standardize memories when the unique sensations that people experience are what make the memory great. The photos of the barn only apply to one of the five senses. Being there add’s all of them the smell of the air around it, the sound of the creaking of the wood, the feel of the barn door being opened and if that person is it to it they can even lick the barn to find out the taste. That is what makes the moment of a memory. When something is captures so many times it is impossible to form a unique idea about it or to have a memory. It is thought of the same way for every person. Muary was trying to state that exact idea. What is special about the memory is what makes it a memory.

The importance of geometry

The importance of geometry This chapter includes the importance of geometry and the importance of learning how to solve traditional word problems by students in school mathematics. The concerns of mathematics education stakeholders about word problem solving based on national and international assessments and the suggestions provided by researchers and educators to improve students performance when solving word problems are also reviewed. The theories and empirical studies that focus on comprehension, representation, and solution of word problems are summarized. Although using mathematics, and in particular geometry, to model situations from work places has been part of education for centuries, the review of the literature starts with the beginning of the late nineteenth century, with the exception of Renà © Descartes (1596-1650) doctrine of problem solving (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1983). The review includes recommendations from important publications that inform mathematics education. Research-based theoretical and conceptual frameworks that support the solution process of mathematics word problems are used to develop a research hypothesis for examination in this study. Problem Solving and Solving Word Problems Some mathematics educators and researchers believe that a problem lies as an obstruction between two ends, the problem and the solution, without any clearly defined ways to traverse (Brownell, 1942; Mayer, 1985; Polya, 1980). This definition may also be applied to word problems because many researchers include math word problems in problem solving research (Kilpatrick, 1985). The logic behind this definition can be traced back to Renà © Descartes (1596-1650) philosophy which suggests that method is necessary to uncover the truth of nature. The following excerpt from Encyclopedia Britannica (1983) on Descartes Discourse on Method is worth mentioning as part of his doctrine of problem solving  [1]  [The Discourse] is a philosophical classic. [It] hides the fundamental assertion that the human mind is basically sound and the only means of attaining truth à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ never to accept anything as true which I [you] did not clearly and distinctly see to be so. Descartes thus implies the rejection of all accepted ideas and opinions, the determination to doubt until convinced of the contrary by self-evident facts. The second rule is an instruction to analyze the problem to be solved. Once cleared of its prejudices, the mind, using the example set by mathematicians, must divide each of the difficulties under e xamination into as many parts as possible; that is, discover what is relevant to the problem and reduce it as far as possible to its simplest data. The third rule is to conduct my thoughts in order, beginning with objects that are the simplest and easiest to know and so proceed, gradually, to knowledge of the more complex. The fourth rule is a warning to recapitulate the chains of reasoning to be certain that there are no omissions. These simple rules are not to be considered a mere automatic formula; they are to be regarded as a mental discipline, based on the example of mathematical practice. (p. 600) Schoenfeld (1987) summarized the four phases of Descartes problem solving plan. The idea in phase I is to reduce an algebra problem to a single variable equation for solving. Phase II suggests reducing a mathematics problem to an algebra problem and solving it according to phase I. In phase III, any problem situation is converted to a mathematics problem by mathematizing. In phase IV , the problem is then solved using the ideas in phase I and II. In two of his many rules (rules XIV and XV), Descartes suggested the drawing of diagrams as an aid to solving problems (pp. 29-36). It is noted from the above excerpt of Descartes problem solving process that a problem should be broken down to its parts before attempting to solve it. Each part should also be understood separately. For example, a word problem can usually be solved if one can understand the words (vocabulary), their meaning, their interconnection, the objects they represent, and the relevance of those objects in the problem. Solving a word problem is also sometimes referred to as problem solving. According to Branca (1987), problem solving is an alternative meaning of applying mathematics to different circumstances (p. 72). That means if a situation is explained in words, or in a word problem, then applying mathematics as a tool to solve that problem situation may be treated as problem solving. Also, Brow n, Cronin, and McEntire (1994) stated that assessment on word problems has different names, including math reasoning, problem solving, word problems, as well as story problems (p. 32). Although word problems have been extensively used in problem solving research, the similarity and differences between word problems and problem solving should be clarified. A word problem is also a problem to solve, according to the definitions previously mentioned. Many educators think solving word problems require the problem solving skills. For this dissertation, word problems will refer to problems of the type that appear in standardized assessments and tests such as the NAEP, the New Jersey HSPA, the SAT, and the ACT. They are not problems related to everyday human life without unstated facts where students have to wander, collect facts for mathematizing the situation before solving them. The problems in this study can be attempted using general heuristics (Polya, 1945; Schoenfeld, 1985), as well as through the application of Descartes problem solving principle and other methods based on Descartes philosophy. According to Kilpatrick (1987), in recent years, some researchers in mathematics education have used problems with increasing level of difficulty and learning opportunity that require the novel combination of rules and reasoning. A few similar problems were used in this research. (See Appendix K for sample problems) However, these problems are infrequently found outside of tests or class assignments. Solving Word Problems: A Goal of Mathematics Education Learning to solve problems is the principal reason of studying mathematics (National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics, 1977, p. 2). The NCTM (Krulik Reys, 1980) also suggested that problem solving be regarded as the major goal of learning school mathematics from 1980 to 1989 and repeated that recommendation more recently (NCTM, 2000). Mathematics accomplishment of students, which includes problem solving, became a major concern in the U. S. with the release of A Nation at Risk (U. S. Department of Education, 1983). This publication recommended focusing on the teaching of geometric and algebraic concepts and real-life importance of mathematics in solving problems. The low word problem solving ability of U.S. students of 9, 13, and 17 years of age was verified by the first data from the NAEP conducted in 1973. While analyzing the results of that assessment, Carpenter, Coburn, Reys, and Wilson (1976) concluded: It is most disturbing to ascertain the suggestion that many students receive very little opportunity to learn to solve world problems. The assessment results are so poor, however, that we wonder whether this is not the case. A commitment to working and thinking about word problems is needed for teachers and their students. (p. 392) Table 2.1 shows the scale scores of NAEP on mathematics obtained by U.S. students in grades 4, 8, and 12, on a 0 to 500 scale, from 1990 to 2007. Table 2.2 s hows the percent of different types of word problems correctly answered by the students in grades 8 and 12. According to Braswell et al. (2001), the achievement levels of 249, 299, and 336 are considered proficient levels for fourth-, eighth-, and 12th-grade students, respectively. Table 2.1 indicates very small improvements in the NAEP test scores for fourth-grade and eighth-grade students over the span of 17 years (1990 to 2007). However, these scores are below the suggested proficiency levels. It may be noted from Tables 2.1 and 2.2 that improvement, either in overall performance or in word problem solving skills for all participating U.S. students, is trivial. Also the scores that hover around 230 for grade 4, 275 for grade 8, and 300 for grade 12 on a 0 to 500 scale are too low. Of particular concern is an average of only 4% correctly answered questions for the years 1990 to 2000 (Table 2.2) by U.S. grade 12 students on volume and surface area related problems. International as sessments such as the FIMS in 1965, the SIMS in 1982, the PISA in 2003 and 2007, and the TIMSS in 1995 and 2003 further attested U.S. students poor problem solving skills and highlighted their low mathematical achievement in comparison to students from other participating countries. The FIMS and SIMS conducted mathematics assessment of 13year-old students and high school seniors (National Council of Educational Statistics, 1992). According to the NCTM (2004), the PISA measures the numerical skills and problem solving aptitude of 15-year-old students on a scale of 0 to 500whereas the TIMSS measures fourth and eighth grade students ability on concepts on a scale of 0 to 1000. The NCTM also reported that the NAEP, TIMSS, and PISA, which are low-stakes tests, generate group performance results of students. High-stakes tests, like New Jerseys HSPA or other state mandated tests, as well as the SAT and ACT, focus on the performance of individual students. Of the three assessments, NAEP, TI MSS, and PISA, TIMSS and NAEP have the most in common in terms of mathematical concepts and cognitive necessity (NCTM). The findings from the mathematics results of the PISA of 2000 and 2003 reported by Lemke et al. (2004) indicated that U. S. performance in algebra and geometry was lower than two-third of the participating OECD countries. Even the top 10% of the participants in the U.S. were outperformed by more than half of their OECD counterparts in solving problems. The then U.S. Education Secretary emphasized the need to reform high schools on top priority basis (U.S. Department of Education, 2005). The latest PISA (2007) results indicated that the mathematical accomplishment of U.S students is lower than the international average. According to TIMSS (2003), U.S. students of fourth and eighth grades scored on average 518 and 504, respectively in mathematics. These scores were higher than the average score of 495 of the fourth-grade students in the 25 participating countries and the average score of 466 of the eighth-grade students in the 45 participating countries. However, these scores were lower than the 4 Asian countries and 7 European countries for fourth grade and lower than the 5 Asian countries and 4 European countries for eighth grade. Although the average score of U.S. eighth-grade students improved by only 12 points from 492 in 1995 to 504 in 2003, there was no change reported by TIMSS in their score from 1999 to 2003. Overall, these scores on a scale from 0 to 1000 indicate that students in grades four and eight in the U.S. only achieved about 50% mastery of the concepts tested. National (NAEP, 2007) and international (FIMS, 1965; SIMS, 1982; TIMSS, 1995, 1999, 2003) assessments indicate that student achievement in mathematics remains a major educational concern. Those assessments use multiple choice, short-response, and open-ended word problems which are similar to those on the New Jersey HSPA, SAT, and ACT. Since students mathematical skills are measured using one or more of the above assessments, learning to solve word problems must be considered a major goal of mathematics education and a major component of assessing student achievement in mathematics. Further, learning to solve word problems related to real-life situations using mathematical concepts also helps students to be successful at work and in their lives. Geometry as a Cornerstone of Mathematics-History of Problem Solving and Geometry In ancient India, the rudiments of Geometry, called Rekha-Ganita, were formulated and applied to solve architectural problems for building temple motifs (Srivathsa, Narasimhan, Saà ¡Ã‚ ¹Ã†â€™sat 2003, p. 218). The 4000 years old mathematics that emerged in India during The Indus Civilization (2500 BC-1700 BC) proposed for the first time, the ideas of zero, algebra, and finding square and cube roots in Indian Vedic literature (Birodhkar, 1997; OConnor Robertson, 2000; Singh, 2004). The significance of studying geometry is evi dent from the past mathematical records. The book, A History of Mathematics (Suzuki, 2002) provides the mathematical innovations made by the most brilliant mathematicians from ancient times until the 20th century. Some of the mathematical developments presented in this book that are related to problem solving and geometry are discussed next. According to Suzuki (2002), the ancient Egyptians (3000 B.C.) demonstrated their skills in solving word problems by an Egyptian scribe on the mathematical papyri using the concepts of linear and nonlinear equations without any mathematical notations. That is, every problem solved by an Egyptian scribe was a word problem (p. 13). In order to redraw property lines after the yearly flooding of the Nile, the Egyptians developed realistic geometry related geometric figures, but not their abstract properties. Also, their geometry is filled with problems relating to pyramids (p. 16). The Babylonians (1700 B.C.) also routinely solved more complicated an d complex problems à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ entirely verbally (Suzuki, 2002, p. 28) without any system of mathematical notations. Their ways of solving interest relate problems show their advanced mathematical skills. According to Suzuki, the Babylonians also developed methods for calculating the area of triangles, trapezoids and other polygons. Before Pythagoras (580-500 B.C.), the Pythagorean Theorem was well known to the Babylonians (p. 31). The development of pre-Euclidean geometry goes back to the age of Plato (427-347 B.C.). It is said that the entrance plaque to Platos school in Athens read, Let No One Unversed In Geometry Come Under My Roof (Suzuki, 2002, p. 74). According to Suzuki, Plato had probably discovered the word mathematics from the mathema, meaning the three liberal arts, arithmetic, geometry, and astronomy (p. 74). Later, Euclid (300 B.C.), who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, wrote the Elements, a conglomeration of 300 years of Greek geometrical development. The Elements was so important for the next two thousand years of mathematics that Euclidean geometry became an essential part of learning mathematics until it faced the first serious mathematical challenges (p. 86) in the 19th century. The significance of understanding geometry for high school students has been a part of recommendations of the committees on mathematics education in the U.S. since 1894 (Commission on Mathematics, 1959; National Education Association, 1894, National Committee on Mathematical Requirements, 1923; Progressive Education Association (PEA) Committee and the Joint Commission, 1940; The National Committee of Fifteen, 1912). An account of these committees reports may be found in the 1970 yearbook of the NCTM, A History of Mathematics Education in the United States and Canada. A brief of the recommendations of these committees are presented below. The first national group of experts that addressed mathematics education was the subcommittee on mathematics of the Committee of Ten (National Education Association, 1894). They considered the goals and curriculum for mathematics education and recommended preparatory work on algebra and geometry in the upper elementary school curriculum. On demonstrative geometry, the committee stressed on the importance of elegance and finish in geometrical demonstration (p. 25). About demonstrative geometry, the committee further stated, there is no student whom it will not brighten and strengthen intellectually as few other exercises can (p. 116). This suggests all mathematics teachers engage their students in using the geometric concepts to visualize their surroundings and to geometrically demonstrate what they visualize. The final report of The National Committee of Fifteen on the Geometry Syllabus (National Education Association, 1912) recommended using realistic approaches to exercises in mathematics instruction. Eleven years later, its final report, The Reorganization of Mathematics in Secondary Education (The National C ommittee on Mathematical Requirements, 1923) also stressed the importance of the studying geometry. The commission advocated that the course of study in mathematics during the seventh, eighth, and ninth years contain the fundamental notions of arithmetic, of algebra, of intuitive geometry, of numerical trigonometry, and at least an introduction to demonstrative geometry (p. 1). One of the practical aims of this ecommendation was to encourage familiarity with geometric forms common in nature and life, as well as the elementary properties and relations of these forms, including their measurement, the development of space-perception, and the exercise of spatial imagination.

Philosophy :: essays research papers

Interpreting Plato Alfred North Whitehead once remarked that all of philosophy is but a footnote to Plato. This proves true in the case of St. Augustine’s Confessions, where he specifies Plato’s good as God by personalizing the forms, Eros, sin, and recollection. Specifically, Augustine’s idea of â€Å"original sin,† forgetfulness and recollection follow the philosophy of Plato, bringing them into the â€Å"God realm,† rather leaving them in a figurative sense open for interpretation. In the Confessions, Augustine says that â€Å"the soul commits fornication when it is turned away from you and, apart from you, seeks such pure, clean things as it does not find except when it returns to you† (2.6.14). Here Augustine provides an overview of his idea of God: it is initially with God, because it must turn away, or forget, in order to leave God, but is left unsatisfied until it returns, or remembers. This is a direct use of Plato’s theory that the soul of man originally dwells with the forms in the realm of the â€Å"good,† then the soul forgets on earth what the â€Å"good† is, but spends life trying to remember. For both Plato and Augustine, the journey begins at birth. When a person is born, they possess both an original sin and an original innocence. Being born into the world, people are certainly corrupted by society and prone to sin, because in the eyes of Plato and Augustine, the body itself is corrupt and leads to sin. At the same time, though, man is born with â€Å"good† inside of them. The soul of humankind comes from God or from the â€Å"good,† and it has a recollection of the good of which it once knew. Augustine said of infancy that, â€Å"the sin that is in him you have not made†¦For in your sight, no man is clean of sin, not even the infant who has lived but a day upon earth† (1.7.11). So what is it about living a day on the earth that makes an infant sin, and what is it in a person that makes them turn away from sin? According to Plato, the body leads to sin. As with Plato, while a person becomes a sinner when they enter into the body, they have with in them an inherent, incorruptible good, the soul; only it forgets from what it came, thus turning away from the good. In the speech of Diotima, she says that love is giving birth to new ideas, bringing beauty in the presence of mortality. Philosophy :: essays research papers Interpreting Plato Alfred North Whitehead once remarked that all of philosophy is but a footnote to Plato. This proves true in the case of St. Augustine’s Confessions, where he specifies Plato’s good as God by personalizing the forms, Eros, sin, and recollection. Specifically, Augustine’s idea of â€Å"original sin,† forgetfulness and recollection follow the philosophy of Plato, bringing them into the â€Å"God realm,† rather leaving them in a figurative sense open for interpretation. In the Confessions, Augustine says that â€Å"the soul commits fornication when it is turned away from you and, apart from you, seeks such pure, clean things as it does not find except when it returns to you† (2.6.14). Here Augustine provides an overview of his idea of God: it is initially with God, because it must turn away, or forget, in order to leave God, but is left unsatisfied until it returns, or remembers. This is a direct use of Plato’s theory that the soul of man originally dwells with the forms in the realm of the â€Å"good,† then the soul forgets on earth what the â€Å"good† is, but spends life trying to remember. For both Plato and Augustine, the journey begins at birth. When a person is born, they possess both an original sin and an original innocence. Being born into the world, people are certainly corrupted by society and prone to sin, because in the eyes of Plato and Augustine, the body itself is corrupt and leads to sin. At the same time, though, man is born with â€Å"good† inside of them. The soul of humankind comes from God or from the â€Å"good,† and it has a recollection of the good of which it once knew. Augustine said of infancy that, â€Å"the sin that is in him you have not made†¦For in your sight, no man is clean of sin, not even the infant who has lived but a day upon earth† (1.7.11). So what is it about living a day on the earth that makes an infant sin, and what is it in a person that makes them turn away from sin? According to Plato, the body leads to sin. As with Plato, while a person becomes a sinner when they enter into the body, they have with in them an inherent, incorruptible good, the soul; only it forgets from what it came, thus turning away from the good. In the speech of Diotima, she says that love is giving birth to new ideas, bringing beauty in the presence of mortality.

Comparing Femininity in The Woman Warrior and King Lear Essay -- compa

Femininity in The Woman Warrior and King Lear  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   What is femininity? What role should women play in society? These are questions that humanity has faced ever since the first hunter-gatherer tribes developed. Gender roles, at least in the popular imagination, were clear; the men hunted for big game, the women picked nuts and berries. There were clear reasons for this - hunting required the brute muscular strength of the male, while gathering did not. But as humanity invented labor-saving devices, physical strength became less and less important to survival, while "mental strength" - strength of character - played an ever-increasing role. This is a phenomenon that we see played out in Shakespeare's play King Lear and Maxine Hong Kingston's memoir The Woman Warrior.    Any work of literature can be said to make a claim about the nature of femininity; even a work with all male characters would be notable in this respect for the absence of females. But these two works are notable because rather than showing females in their "traditional" passive roles, they are made into active figures. Though the two works are vastly separated in space and time, they both make the same essential claim about the nature of woman. They make the claim that women can, and should, be empowered, and that the idea of the "woman warrior" is not a dream, but a viable reality. In order to show this, the character in each work that best exemplifies this "modern spirit must be considered. In King Lear, this is Cordelia, although the choice is superficially unobvious. In The Woman Warrior, the narrator - Maxine, for the sake of brevity - is the only female character well enough known to the reader for any empowerment to be perceived. In order... ...o begin the essay with the quote below:   The last thing I wanted was infinite security and to be    the place an arrow shoots off from. I wanted change and    excitement and to shoot off in all directions myself, like    the colored arrows from a Fourth of July rocket. Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar (68)    Works Cited Feldman, Erica. Personal communication. 28 Sept 2000. Kingston, Maxine Hong. The Woman Warrior. New York: Vintage International, 1975. O'Brien, Tim. "How To Tell A True War Story." The Things They Carried. New York: Penguin, 1990. 73-91. Plath, Sylvia. The Bell Jar. New York: Harper and Row, 1971. Rolfe, Alex. "Fa Mu Lan: an autobiography." The Woman Warrior reaction papers. 2000. Shakespeare, William. King Lear. 1608. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press, 1993.      

Andersen’s Case Auditing and Assurance Services

Arthur Andersen was one of the five biggest accounting firms in United States. Arthur Andersen is specific example about the most recent business collapse, which is considered profound in American business history. The firm, practicing in more than 80 countries with thousands of employees, now lost its reputation as an audit and accounting firm. There are many different thoughts and judgments about the case when Arthur Anderson failed its tasks to detect fraudulent financial activities on Enron and several different companies.The Enron Company filed bankruptcy in December of 2001. Being well known as a big energy company which headquarters is located in Houston, the bankruptcy of the company drew lots off attentions from business world. Questions were asked and lots of financial misstatements were revealed and Arthur Andersen – Enron’s external auditing and accounting firm in Houston, was involved. Stephens (2002) stated, Arthur Andersen who were responsible for managin g Enron’s audits, had illegally destroyed paper and electronic documents related to their representation of Enron (p. 4). The case soon went to the jury. Louwers et al. (2011) reported the instructions hinged on the wording of statue that makes it a crime to knowingly use intimidation or physical force, threaten, or corruptly persuade other person. According to Oxford Dictionaries online, corrupt means having or showing a willingness to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain. In this case, the word â€Å"corrupt† was not applied appropriately to the actions of Anderson. There was no evidence to prove that there is a person who is corrupt persuader.Who was the one that acted dishonestly? The court also needs to identify the personal gain that a corrupt persuader can gain from having such action. The court could not find the answers to this issue, which means the decision is attached to the firm’s fate – Arthur Andersen. Research by Stephens ( 2002) states that to clarify the instruction of Judge Harmon about â€Å"corruptly†, the prosecution describes the illegal conduct of four corrupt persuaders: Duncan, Temple, Thomas Bauer, and Michael Odom.After a few days, the jury was not required to unanimously agree on the single corrupt persuader’s identity (Stephens, 2002). As Louwers et al. (2011) stated that the issues that overturned the Andersen verdict were based on faulty jury instructions, not on whether Andersen was in fact guilty or innocent. It was not Andersen who violated the law; it is individuals of the company who did. Hoxter (2005) argued that the instructions were faulty because they did not require proof that Andersen officials knew they were doing something wrong.The ruling destroying the documents was not a crime. There must be a person with authority who sent out the instructions for Arthur Andersen employees to do so. As Stephens (2002) restated from the interviews with reporters after the v erdict, four jurors identified Temple as that person. It is appropriated for the Supreme Court to overturn the lower court’s decision because Judge Harmon used the word â€Å"promptly† with different meaning from the dictionary, which is â€Å"improper purpose†, such as intent to subvert or undermine the fact finding ability of an official proceeding.The lower court failed in identifying the specific person who is corruptive persuader. According to Duska (2005), Arthur Anderson, a venerable firm, at one time, prided itself in its role as auditor since it fulfilled an important public function. As auditors, Andersen’s employees should have had clear minds to make sure that the financial statements that they audit are really what were going on in the company. However, big money that was made in the consulting means the responsibilities that auditors have to face is heavier.The SEC and the department of Justice should’ve tried to targeted specific ind ividuals who had engaged in acts because it seems not fair for the rest of the firm. According to Cunningham (2005), â€Å"It is a shame that the actions of a few individuals at Andersen caused 28,000 employees in the U. S. to lose their jobs† (p. 6). Indeed, putting the complete firm out of business for the unethical actions of a couple of individuals was the real sin. Andersen’s conviction was overturned does not mean that its employees acted in ethical manner.McNamee and Palmeri (2002) provided information about Arthur Anderson’s cleaning-up mission when the Enron case started to topple. From Anderson’s internal document, Enron team was also busy amending four key memos to correct the record of its review of Enron’s convolute and conflicted partnership deals (McNamee and Palmeri, 2002). Moreover, David Duncan overruled the concerns on at least four occasions, siding instead with Enron on controversial accounting that helps to hide debt amount an d brought up the earnings.That is not all, there are also evidences said that Duncan’s team wrote memos which are falsely stated that PSG partners had signed off on Enron’s inventive bookkeeping. Nancy Temple is the attorney for Arthur Andersen. She is the one who should clearly know about all the regulations and should not be the one who acted unethically. According to McNamee and Palmer (2002), memos from Nancy Temple to David Duncan were found which can considered the main key in the conviction of Duncan about shredding the documents. It is more for Nancy Temple who is more responsible for the Andersen saga.The class action lawsuit against Andersen also has another name which include other entities name in there because those entities also had involved in Enron’s case. These entities helped Enron to cover up because by helping them they make more profit. From Arthur Andersen’s case, entities and accounting firms in business world should learn lessons f or their own goods. If the employees notice of any concerning about the legality of any records, they should contact the legal department right away. There is nothing wrong disposing of business papers that are not needed.It is illegal only when retention is required by law or regulation according to Stephens (2002). Reference Page Hoxter, C. J. (2005). Arthur Andersen Conviction Overturned. Caribbean Business, 33(25), 8. Duska, R. (2005). The Good Auditor – Skeptic or Wealth Accumulator? Ethical Lessons Learned from the Arthur Andersen Debacle. Journal Of Business Ethics, 57(1), 17-29. doi:10. 1007/s10551-004-3818-1 Stephens, D. O. (2002). Lies, Corruption, and Document Destruction. Information Management Journal, 36(5), 23. McNamee, M. , Borrus, A. , & Palmeri, C. (2002). OUT OF CONTROL AT ANDERSEN.Businessweek, (3777), 32-33. Cunningham, C. (2005, July-August). Ruing Andersen's demise and the loss of audit competition. Financial Executive, 21(6), 6. Retrieved from http://g o. galegroup. com. glbvv001. enmu. edu/ps/i. do? id=GALE%7CA134300985=2. 1=nm_a_enmu=r=EAIM=w In Oxford Dictionaries online. Retrieved from http://oxforddictionaries. com/us/definition/american_english/corrupt? q=corrupt Louwers, T. J. , Ramsay, R. J. , Sinason, D. H, Strawser, J. R, & Thinodeau, J. C. (2011). Auditing & Assurance Services (5th, ed. ). NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.