Difference Between Acclimation And Adaptation Biology Essay

Difference Between Acclimation And Adaptation Biology Essay Adaptation for an animal is any genetically heritable trait that allows an individual to reproduce and pass on its genes. Example (Camels adapting to be able to survive long periods of time without water in the desert) Acclimation for an animal is the process by which an animal gets used to a changing environment. Example (If a deer lives in a forest, and one year that forest experienced a colder, then the deal would have to acclimate get used to the cold or move to a different forest) 10/10 List 5 protein types and their roles (functions) in organisms. Antibodies defense Motor / Contractile Proteins provide help with movement Structural Proteins provide structure and support Hormones initiate chemical reactions Enzymes catalyze chemical reactions Transport Proteins Help transport substances across the membrane 10/10 List 3 significant differences between DNA and RNA. The secondary structure of DNA is a double helix, the secondary structure of RNA is a hairpin. In DNA the 4 bases are Thymine, Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, in RNA the 4 bases are Uracil, Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine. The sugar in DNA is deoxyribose, the sugar in RNA is ribose 10/10 List 3 types of polysaccharides and their use in cells. Starch used to store energy in plants Glycogen used to store energy in animals Chitin used to provide structural support for the cell wall of bacteria, as well as the exoskeleton of crustaceans and insects Peptidoglycan used to provide structural support for the cell walls of bacteria Celluose used to provide structural support for the cell wall of plants 10/10 Give a detailed explanation of the two methods by which molecules move across lipid bylayers. Active Transport Active transport describes when a molecule uses energy to cross a lipid bilayer Passive Transport Passive transport describe the movement of molecules across a membrane that does not require energy or ATP 10/10 For each of the following, tell whether the component is an organelle and briefly describe its function. Ribosome not organelle (make proteins for amino acids are protein builders / synthesizers. Mitochondria organelle (produces ATP) Lysosome organelle (break up food, and other particles to make it easier for the body to digest the food or said particles Vacuole membrane bound organelle (digestion, and getting rid of waste) Nucleus organelle (stores genetic information) 10/10 Give examples of the diversification in animal development in the areas of feeding, movement and reproduction. Diversification in animal feeding = some animals like deposit feeders (sea cucumber, worms, etc) eat through the sediment that is around them to obtain their nutrition. Filter feeders (certain types of whales) filter through water in order to obtain tiny crustaceans like krill. Many types of insects use a proboscis to obtain food like nectar, Humans, and many other animals like dear, bears, lions, otters, snakes, some fish, etc. have the presence of a jaw which allows them to eat. Diversification in movement = some animals like worms move with the a hydrostatic skeleton. Many other animals use the presence of limbs like legs, fins, tails, wings and other appendages to move. Other animals like snakes make coiling actions with their spine to propel themselves forward. Diversification in reproduction = some animals reproduce asexually, some animals are able to reproduce by budding (sea stars), and other animals (humans, some fish, deer) reproduce sexually. 10/10 List the differences between protostomes and deuterostomes. Protosomes developed an anus first then a mouth Deuterostomes developed a mouth first then an anus 5/10 What are coeloms, pseudocoeloms and hemocoels? Coelom = A fluid filled cavity within the mesoderm Pseudoceoloms = An internal body cavity of some invertebrates. Homocoel = A cavity or space in most arthropods and mollusks between the organs where the blood or fluid flows through or bathes the organs. 10/10 What is a hydrostatic skeleton and how does it work? Give one example of a specimen with a hydrostatic skeleton. A hydrostatic skeleton is a skeleton that consists of fluid filled closed chambers, that generates movement as a result of muscle contractions. Examples worms 10/10 Describe the process of natural selection as postulated by Darwin. Darwins process of natural selection basically said that animals and species who dont have certain heritable traits or are unable to adapt to their surrounding will die out and species who have certain heritable traits or are able to adapt will live and produce offspring with those heritable traits. Natural selection doesnt affect the individual but the population. 7/10 Discuss the concept of behavior in which an animal sacrifices itself for the good of the species in the context of natural selection. (i.e. Does such behavior fit into Darwinian evolutionary models? Why or why not? Can you give or refute examples of it? Is this consistent with evolutionary models?) I think this question can be best answered with another question. Can animals (besides humans) feel emotion? Does another animal feel compassion towards other members of its herd enough so thats its willing to sacrifice its life? I believe the answer is yes. All mammals and most other animals have the natural tendency to protect their young and the young of the heard. For example in Africa when elephants are crossing the Serengeti and a young elephant is attacked by a lion or other predator, it is very common that many other members of the heard (not including his or her parents) will defend and in some cases die for that young elephant. We can also see this among dogs (whom I believe do have emotions for humans). In domesticated dogs there have been numerous incidents where the dog will defend their owners if they feel that their owner is threatened by another dog or what have you. This is because the dog feels the human as its own family or heard and would in some cases die for the greater good of his heard (human family). I personally dont believe that these examples dont fit into the Darwinian models, because theres no way to predict, or accurately count how many times an instance like this occurs. Darwinian evolutionary models show how animals adapt, die out, or reproduce depending on their surroundings. Sacrificing yourself for the greater good of your species / heard / family does not fit into that model. 12/15 List the differences between mitosis and meiosis. Meiosis = 2 cell divisions, chromosomes are halved, results in 4 haploid daughter cells, synapsis of homologs, different identical make up of chromosomes in daughter cell Mitosis = 1 cell division, chromosomes stay the same, results in 2 diploid daughter cells, no synapsis of homologs, identical make up of chromosomes in daughter cell 10/10 Asexual and sexual reproduction each have advantages and disadvantages. List one advantage and one disadvantage of each. The advantages of asexual reproduction are that it is more efficient than sexual reproduction. The disadvantages are that the offspring is going to have an identical genetic makeup which can possibly keep a bad gene in the in an offspring through generations of asexual reproduction The advantages of sexual reproduction are that with sexual reproduction you will get a variation on the genes with each offspring depending on the maternal and paternal genes. The disadvantage is that it far less efficient than asexual reproduction. In most cases of sexual reproduction you have to attract / get the consent of the opposite sex to mate via (songs, fighting over with other animals, displays, etc.) 10/10 Trisomy is the presence of an extra chromosome, while monosomy is the absence of a chromosome. Approximately 1 in 200 humans have a trisomic karyotype and about 1 in 5000 humans have a monosomic karyotype. What conclusions can you draw about the relative survivability of organisms with extra genes compared with those with missing genes? Explain why you think this would be so from an evolutionary prospective. From the number you have given me it would appear that the relative survivability of an organism with a monosomic karyotype is much lower than those with a trisomic karyotype. A monosomic karyotype is 50 times less likely to occur than trisomic karyotype, which causes me to believe that people with a monosomic karyotype would die out more quickly or be less able to reproduce, there for causing the gene to be less frequent in individuals. The fact that monosomic is becoming less frequent in individuals shows me that people are evolving to combat the issue, or the gene is dying / fading out. 15/15 The same genetic process is used to produce both sperm and egg cells, yet more than 90% of trisomies appear to be due to maternal errors. Give a hypothesis to explain why this might be so. How might one test this hypothesis? Its possible that there is a predisposition in all females that allow this error to occur. This could be similar to Tuner Syndrome where the end results are always sterile females. My guess is that the reason 90% of trisomies appear to be maternal errors is there is something in the female body or a slight different in the way something is produced that causes this error. However since 10% would appear to be a paternal error, the cause for the error in females must relate somehow the error in males. To test this hypothesis, I would run hundreds of tests in a laboratory to produce sperm and eggs and watch how each of them develop, exactly what goes into both of them, and see how they both develop under different conditions, and the exact conditions. From there I might be able to find the missing link to why this is happening. 15/15

Nurseâ€Patient Ratio in California

a) Nurse-Patient ratio is the relationship of the number of patients that should be served by one nurse at particular moment of time. It was a working formula that was proposal in 1992 by the California Nurses Association (CAN), which was to cater for quality service to patients by their nurses in the hospitals. After varied controversial arguments about the proposal regarding the overall implication to the economic costs of the ratio, different proposal from the concerned parties were arrived at where; the state government proposed ratio was 1:6 for all the medical or surgical units in the hospital.   However this ratio was to lower to 1:5 in a period of one and one-half year. The California Nurse Union (CNU) had a proposal of 1:3 for the medical units and 1:4 for the surgical units. The California Hospital Association (CHA) had proposed a ratio of 1:10 for both medical and surgical units. The nurse-patient ratio was enacted in October 1999.   However, the results of the actual proposed ratios were released on 2002.   The CNU and CHA ratio requirement were thought to be stable all through and each of them parties sought for its own ratio implementation.   However, the state proposal consisted a series of development where, they were to be implement at 1:6 and later reduced to 1:5 after 1 – 1  ½ year. (Slack, Slack,2001, p.107) b) History The nurse-patient ratio was firstly proposed by nurses in California in 1992 (Russell, 2004) However it was enacted as a law in 1999 but its enactment was to be followed by a period of its implement, which was to be until January 2002.   This implementation gave the California Hospital Association upto a deadline of January 2003 to hire the right number of nurses for their hospital as required by the government proposal of 1:5   ratio which the government had stated would lower from the ratio of 1:6 in a period of 1 – 1  ½ years. However, due to the complains, from the CHA, the proposal was only enacted into a law in January 2004, requiring the hospitals to implement on the 1:5 ratio by June 2004.  Ã‚   But following an emergency proposal by the director of department of Health Services – Sandra Sherry, the 1:5 ratio laws would only be instituted in January 2008.   (Russell 2004) c) Ideally, this proposal would highly support a positive nursing work environment.   Although the Californian Hospital Association argues that this would be too costly, but this would on be argumentable for the short run.   However, the cost would be reduced in the short run period of their business cycle.  Ã‚   Since higher ratios would ultimately help to improve the existing state of patient care.   Either, Lower ratios would consequently call for more nurse to join the career, whose turn over was very low. Through lowering the ratios, then the profession would be more interesting to the young learners who will be able to join it.   Also, it was made to call back those nurses who had left the profession due to unappealing ratio. To defend, their argument, they argued that, lower nurse-patient ratio was to lower the possible costs by hospitals to hire other nurses.   This is because of the possible economies that would be arrived at through the savings in greater patient care and faster service delivery.   Either, hospitals would reduce the hire of the nurses who were temporary registered, and whose cost was higher than that of permanently employed nurses.   (Coombs, 2004, p. 83) d) However, different controversies were between different parties aligned to this proposal.  Ã‚   Firstly, the California Nurse Association felt that, this was a good move, as it enhanced better patient care and ultimately economies to the owners of the medical centers in the long run.   They believed that, by using lower ratios, the result would be an attraction of more number of young and others who had left to the nursing profession.   Either, this worked to reduce cost by the hire of temporary registered persons. However, the California Hospital Association argued that this was impractical in terms of cost of implementation.   They argued that these would only work to favour the nurses at the expense of their business.   The state government thought that, the proposals of the nurses were viable but could only work under stages of implementation. It believed this proposal worked for the good of the people.   Also, the union for Service Employees International was also in the view that, this proposal worked to improve the amount of care given to patient hence it was important for its implementation. (Ponton, Carrion, 2001, p.48) e) The proposal would be highly recommendable for the general service delivery to the patients.   Either, it was important since it worked to improve the conditions of both the patients, nurses and hospital owners. f. (I) Yes, they work to ensure that, there were a lesser number of patients for service by one nurse.   This helped to reduce the amount of service by the nurses hence they could give a better attention to the patients.   However this did not keep the attention of any possible risk cases where the number of patients may increase indefinitely. ii) The government enacted that the ratio that would remain as 1:6 in January 2004, and reduce to 1:5 by June the same year.   However, in a petition that was passed to the court, by the direction of California Hospital Association this would only to be active in January 2008.   However, the ratio of 1:6 has not been followed in some health centers where nurse are made to serve a bigger number than this ratio.   Else where, there has been a positive adherence to this law in most of the hospitals. (David, Baustica, p. 66) References David, E. & Baustista, H. (2004) La Nueva California LATINOS IN THE GOLDEN STATE. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Ponton, M. & Carrion, J. (2001).   Neuropsychology and the Hispanic Patient: A clinical Handbook; Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Coombs, M. (2004) Power & Conflict between Doctors and Nurses.   Breaking Through the Inner Circle in Clinical Care. London : Routledge. Slack, N. & Slack, C. (2001) Cyber Medicine: How Computing Empowers Doctors and Patients For Better Cared Revised and Updated Edition. San. Francisco: Jossey – Bass. Russell, S. (2004).   State Moves to Freeze Nurse Patient Ratio.   Nov, 05, 2005

History of Women Inventors Who Filed Patents

Before the 1970s, the topic of women in history was largely missing from general public consciousness. To address this situation, the Education Task Force on the Status of Women initiated a Womens History Week celebration in 1978 and chose the week of March 8 to coincide with International Womens Day. In 1987, the National Womens History Project petitioned Congress to expand the celebration to the entire month of March. Since then, the National Womens History Month Resolution has been approved every year with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. The First Woman to File an American Patent In 1809, Mary Dixon Kies received the first U. S. patent issued to a woman. Kies, a Connecticut native, invented a process for weaving straw with silk or thread. First Lady Dolley Madison praised her for boosting the nations hat industry. Unfortunately, the patent file was destroyed in the great Patent Office fire in 1836. Until about 1840, only 20 other patents were issued to women. The inventions related to apparel, tools, cook stoves, and fireplaces. Naval Inventions In 1845, Sarah Mather received a patent for the invention of a submarine telescope and lamp. This was a remarkable device that permitted sea-going vessels to survey the depths of the ocean. Martha Coston perfected then patented her deceased husbands idea for a pyrotechnic flare. Costons husband, a former naval scientist, died leaving behind only a rough sketch in a diary of plans for the flares. Martha developed the idea into an elaborate system of flares called Night Signals that allowed ships to communicate messages nocturnally. The U. S. Navy bought the patent rights to the flares. Costons flares served as the basis of a system of communication that helped to save lives and to win battles. Martha credited her late husband with the first patent for the flares, but in 1871 she received a patent for an improvement exclusively her own. Paper Bags Margaret Knight was born in 1838. She received her first patent at the age of 30, but inventing was always part of her life. Margaret or Mattie as she was called in her childhood, made sleds and kites for her brothers while growing up in Maine. When she was just 12 years old, she had an idea for a stop-motion device that could be used in textile mills to shut down machinery, preventing workers from being injured. Knight eventually received some 26 patents. Her machine that made flat-bottomed paper bags is still used to this very day! 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition The 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition was a World Fair-like event held to celebrate the amazing progress of the century-old United States of America. The leaders of early feminist and womens suffrage movements had to aggressively lobby for the inclusion of a womans department in the exposition. After some firm pressing, the Centennial Womens Executive Committee was established, and a separate Womans Pavilion erected. Scores of women inventors either with patents or with patents pending displayed their inventions. Among them was Mary Potts and her invention Mrs. Potts Cold Handle Sad Iron patented in 1870. Chicagos Columbian Exposition in 1893 also included a Womans Building. A unique safety elevator invented by multi-patent holder Harriet Tracy and a device for lifting and transporting invalids invented by Sarah Sands were among the many items featured at this event. Traditionally womens undergarments consisted of brutally tight corsets meant to shape womens waists into unnaturally small forms. Some suggested that the reason women seemed so fragile, expected to faint at any time, was because their corsets prohibited proper breathing. Enlightened womens groups throughout the nation resoundingly agreed that less restrictive underclothing was in order. Susan Taylor Converses one-piece flannel Emancipation Suit, patented August 3, 1875, eliminated the need for a suffocating corset and became an immediate success. A number of womens groups lobbied for Converse to give up the 25-cent royalty she received on each Emancipation Suit sold, an effort that she rejected. Linking the emancipation of women from constrictive undergarments to her own freedom to profit from her intellectual property, Converse responded: With all your zeal for womens rights, how could you even suggest that one woman like myself should give of her head and hand labor without fair compensation? Perhaps its a no-brainer that women inventors should turn their minds to making better the things that often concern women the most. The Ultimate Home The ultimate convenience invention must certainly be woman inventor Frances Gabe’s self-cleaning house. The house, a combination of some 68 time-, labor-, and space-saving mechanisms, makes the concept of housework obsolete. Each of the rooms in the termite-proof, cinder block constructed, the self-cleaning house is fitted with a 10-inch, ceiling-mounted cleaning/drying/heating/cooling device. The walls, ceilings, and floors of the house are covered with resin, a liquid that becomes water-proof when hardened. The furniture is made of a water-proof composition, and there are no dust-collecting carpets anywhere in the house. At the push of a sequence of buttons, jets of soapy water wash the entire room. Then, after a rinse, the blower dries up any remaining water that hasn’t run down the sloping floors into a waiting drain. The sink, shower, toilet, and bathtub all clean themselves. The bookshelves dust themselves while a drain in the fireplace carries away ashes. The clothes closet is also a washer/drier combination. The kitchen cabinet is also a dishwasher; simply pile in soiled dishes, and don’t bother taking them out until they are needed again. Not only is the house of practical appeal to overworked homeowners, but also to physically handicapped people and the elderly. Frances Gabe (or Frances G. Bateson) was born in 1915 and now resides comfortably in Newberg, Oregon in the prototype of her self-cleaning house. Gabe gained experience in housing design and construction at an early age from working with her architect father. She entered the Girl’s Polytechnic College in Portland, Oregon at age 14 finishing a four-year program in just two years. After World War II, Gabe with her electrical engineer husband started a building repairs business that she ran for more than 45 years. In addition to her building/inventing credits, Frances Gabe is also an accomplished artist, musician, and mother. Fashion Forward Fashion designer Gabriele Knecht realized something that clothes makers were neglecting in their clothing designs—that our arms come out of our sides in a slightly forward direction, and we work them in front of our bodies. Knecht’s patented Forward Sleeve design is based on this observation. It lets the arms move freely without shifting the whole garment and allows clothes to drape gracefully on the body. Knecht was born in Germany in 1938 and came to America when she was 10 years old. She studied fashion design, and in 1960, received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Knecht also took courses in physics, cosmology, and other areas of science that may seem unrelated to the fashion industry. Her broadened knowledge, however, helped her understand shapes and methods of pattern design. In 10 years she filled 20 notebooks with sketches, analyzed all the angles that sleeves can take, and made 300 experimental patterns and garments. Although Knecht had been a successful designer for several New York companies, she felt she had more creative potential. Struggling to start her own business, Knecht met a buyer from Saks Fifth Avenue department store who liked Knecht’s designs. Soon she was creating them exclusively for the store, and they sold well. In 1984 Knecht received the first annual More Award for the best new designer of women’s fashions. Carol Wior is the woman inventor of the Slimsuit, a swimsuit guaranteed to take an inch or more off the waist or tummy and to look natural. The secret to a slimmer look in the inner lining that shapes the body in specific areas, hiding bulges and giving a smooth, firm appearance. The Slimsuit comes with a tape measure to prove the claim. Wior was already a successful designer when she envisioned the new swimsuit. While on vacation in Hawaii, she always seemed to be pulling and tugging on her swimsuit to try to get it to cover properly, all the while trying to hold in her stomach. She realized other women were just as uncomfortable and began to think of ways to make a better swimsuit. Two years and a hundred trail patterns later, Wior achieved the design she wanted. Wior began her designing career at only 22 years old in her parents garage in Arcadia, California. With $77 and three sewing machines bought at auction, she made classic, elegant but affordable dresses and delivered them to her customers in an old milk truck. Soon she was selling to major retail stores and was quickly building a multi-million dollar business. At age 23, she was one of the youngest fashion entrepreneurs in Los Angeles. Protecting the Children When Ann Moore was a Peace Corps volunteer, she observed mothers in French West Africa carrying their babies securely on their backs. She admired the bonding between the African mother and child and wanted the same closeness when she returned home and had her own baby. Moore and her mother designed a carrier for Moores daughter similar to those she saw in Togo. Ann Moore and her husband formed a company to make and market the carrier, called the Snugli (patented in 1969). Today babies all over the world are being carried close to their mothers and fathers. In 1912, the beautiful soprano opera singer and actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Lillian Russell, patented a combination dresser-trunk built solidly enough to remain intact during travel and doubled as a portable dressing room. Silver Screen superstar Hedy Lamarr (Hedwig Kiesler Markey) with the help of composer George Antheil invented a secret communication system in an effort to help the allies defeat the Germans in World War II. The invention, patented in 1941, manipulated radio frequencies between transmission and reception to develop an unbreakable code so that top-secret messages could not be intercepted. Julie Newmar, a living Hollywood film and television legend, is a women inventor. The former Catwoman patented ultra-sheer, ultra-snug pantyhose. Known for her work in films such as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Slaves of Babylon, Newmar has also appeared recently in Fox Televisions Melrose Place and the hit feature-film To Wong Fu, Thanks for Everything, Love Julie Newmar. Ruffles, fluted collars, and pleats were very popular in Victorian-era clothing. Susan Knoxs fluting iron made pressing the embellishments easier. The trademark featured the inventors picture and appeared on each iron. Women have made many contributions to advance the fields of science and engineering. Nobel Prize Winner Katherine Blodgett (1898-1979) was a woman of many firsts. She was the first female scientist hired by General Electric’s Research Laboratory in Schenectady, New York (1917) as well as the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in Physics from Cambridge University (1926). Blodgett’s research on monomolecular coatings with Nobel Prize-winning Dr. Irving Langmuir led her to a revolutionary discovery. She discovered a way to apply the coatings layer by layer to glass and metal. The thin films, which naturally reduced glare on reflective surfaces, when layered to a certain thickness, would completely cancel out the reflection from the surface underneath. This resulted in the world’s first 100% transparent or invisible glass. Blodgett’s patented film and process (1938) has been used for many purposes including limiting distortion in eyeglasses, microscopes, telescopes, camera, and projector lenses. Programming Computers Grace Hopper (1906-1992) was one of the first programmers to transform large digital computers from oversized calculators into relatively intelligent machines capable of understanding human instructions. Hopper developed a common language with which computers could communicate called Common Business-Oriented Language or COBOL, now the most widely used computer business language in the world. In addition to many other firsts, Hopper was the first woman to graduate from Yale University with a Ph.D. in Mathematics, and in 1985, was the first woman ever to reach the rank of admiral in the US Navy. Hopper’s work was never patented; her contributions were made before computer software technology was even considered a patentable field. Invention of Kevlar Stephanie Louise Kwolek’s research with high-performance chemical compounds for the DuPont Company led to the development of a synthetic material called Kevlar which is five times stronger than the same weight of steel. Kevlar, patented by Kwolek in 1966, does not rust nor corrode and is extremely lightweight. Many police officers owe their lives to Stephanie Kwolek, for Kevlar is the material used in bulletproof vests. Other applications of the compound include underwater cables, brake linings, space vehicles, boats, parachutes, skis, and building materials. Kwolek was born in New Kensington, Pennsylvania in 1923. Upon graduating in 1946 from the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie-Mellon University) with a bachelor’s degree, Kwolek went to work as a chemist at the DuPont Company. She would ultimately obtain 28 patents during her 40-year tenure as a research scientist. In 1995, Kwolek was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Inventors NASA Valerie Thomas received a patent in 1980 for inventing an illusion transmitter. This futuristic invention extends the idea of television, with its images located flatly behind a screen, to having three-dimensional projections appear as though they were right in your living room. Perhaps in the not-so-distant future, the illusion transmitter will be as popular as the TV is today. Thomas worked as a mathematical data analyst for NASA after receiving a degree in physics. She later served as project manager for the development of NASA’s image-processing system on Landsat, the first satellite to send images from outer space. In addition to having worked on several other high-profile NASA projects, Thomas continues to be an outspoken advocate for minority rights. Barbara Askins, a former teacher, and mother, who waited until after her two children entered school to complete her B. S. in chemistry followed by a Master’s degree in the same field, developed a totally new way of processing film. Askins was hired in 1975 by NASA to find a better way to develop astronomical and geological pictures taken by researchers. Until Askins’ discovery, these images, while containing valuable information, were hardly visible. In 1978 Askins patented a method of enhancing the pictures using radioactive materials. The process was so successful that its uses were expanded beyond NASA research to improvements in X-ray technology and in the restoration of old pictures. Barbara Askins was named National Inventor of the Year in 1978. Ellen Ochoa’s pre-doctoral work at Stanford University in electrical engineering led to the development of an optical system designed to detect imperfections in repeating patterns. This invention, patented in 1987, can be used for quality control in the manufacturing of various intricate parts. Dr. Ochoa later patented an optical system which can be used to robotically manufacture goods or in robotic guiding systems. In all Ellen Ochoa has received three patents, most recently in 1990. In addition to being a woman inventor, Dr. Ochoa is also a research scientist and astronaut for NASA who has logged hundreds of hours in space. Inventing Geobond Patricia Billings received a patent in 1997 for a fire resistant building material called Geobond. Billings’ work as a sculpture artist put her on a journey to find or develop a durable additive to prevent her painstaking plaster works from accidentally falling and shattering. After nearly two decades of basement experiments, the result of her efforts was a solution which when added to a mixture of gypsum and concrete, creates an amazingly fire resistant, indestructible plaster. Not only can Geobond add longevity to artistic works of plastic, but also it is steadily being embraced by the construction industry as an almost universal building material. Geobond is made with non-toxic ingredients which make it the ideal replacement for asbestos. Currently, Geobond is being sold in more than 20 markets worldwide, and Patricia Billings, great grandmother, artist, and woman inventor remains at the helm of her carefully constructed Kansas City-based empire. Women care and women care as inventors. Many female inventors have turned their skills on finding ways to save lives. Invention of Nystatin As researchers for the New York Department of Health, Elizabeth Lee Hazen and Rachel Brown combined their efforts to develop the anti-fungal antibiotic drug Nystatin. The drug, patented in 1957 was used to cure many disfiguring, disabling fungal infections as well as to balance the effect of many antibacterial drugs. In addition to human ailments, the drug has been used to treat such problems as Dutch Elms disease and to restore water-damaged artwork from the effects of mold. The two scientists donated the royalties from their invention, over $13 million dollars, to the nonprofit Research Corporation for the advancement of academic scientific study. Hazen and Brown were inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1994. Fighting Disease Gertrude Elion patented the leukemia-fighting drug 6-mercaptopurine in 1954 and has made a number of significant contributions to the medical field. Dr. Elions research led to the development of Imuran, a drug that aids the body in accepting transplanted organs, and Zovirax, a drug used to fight herpes. Including 6-mercaptopurine, Elions name is attached to some 45 patents. In 1988 she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine with George Hitchings and Sir James Black. In retirement, Dr. Elion, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991, continues to be an advocate for medical and scientific advancement. Stem Cell Research Ann Tsukamoto is co-patenter of a process to isolate the human stem cell; the patent for this process was awarded in 1991. Stem cells are located in bone marrow and serve as the foundation for the growth of red and white blood cells. Understanding how stem cells grow or how they might be artificially reproduced is vital to cancer research. Tsukamotos work has led to great advancements in comprehending the blood systems of cancer patients and may one day lead to a cure for the disease. She is currently directing further research in the areas of stem cell growth and cellular biology. Patient Comfort Betty Rozier and Lisa Vallino, a mother and daughter team, invented an intravenous catheter shield to make the use of IVs in hospitals safer and easier. The computer-mouse shaped, polyethylene shield covers the site on a patient where an intravenous needle has been inserted. The IV House prevents the needle from being accidentally dislodged and minimizes its exposure to patient tampering. Rozier and Vallino received their patent in 1993. After fighting breast cancer and undergoing a mastectomy in 1970, Ruth Handler, one of the creators of the Barbie Doll, surveyed the market for a suitable prosthetic breast. Disappointed in the options available, she set about designing a replacement breast that was more similar to a natural one. In 1975, Handler received a patent for Nearly Me, a prosthesis made of material close in weight and density to natural breasts.

How the HUD Anti-Flipping Rule Protects Homebuyers

In May 2003, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a federal regulation intended to protect potential homebuyers from potentially predatory lending practices associated with the process of flipping home mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). Thanks to the rule, homebuyers can â€Å"feel confident that they are protected from unscrupulous practices,† said then-HUD Secretary Mel Martinez. â€Å"This final rule represents a major step in our efforts to eliminate predatory lending practices,† he said in a press release. In essence, â€Å"flipping† is a type of real estate investment strategy in which an investor buys houses or property with the sole intent of reselling them for a profit. The investor’s profit is generated through increased future sale prices that occur as a result of a rising housing market, renovations and capital improvements made to the property, or both. Investors who employ the flipping strategy risk financial losses due to price depreciation during declines in the housing market. Home flipping becomes an abusive practice when a property is resold for a large profit at an artificially inflated price immediately after being acquired by the seller with little or no appreciable improvements to the property.  According to HUD, the predatory lending happens when unsuspecting homebuyers either pay a price far higher than its fair market value or commit to a mortgage at unjustly inflated interest rates, closing costs or both. Not to Be Confused With Legal Flipping The term â€Å"flipping† in this instance should not be confused with the completely legal and ethical practice of buying a financially distressed or rundown home, making extensive â€Å"sweat equity† improvements in order to truly raise its fair market value, and then selling it for a profit. What the Rule Does Under HUD’s regulation, FR-4615 Prohibition of Property Flipping in HUDs Single Family Mortgage Insurance Programs,† recently flipped homes are not allowed to qualify for FHA mortgage insurance. In addition, it allows FHA to require persons attempting to sell flipped homes to provide additional documentation proving that the home’s appraised fair market value had truly increased significantly. In other words, prove that their profit from the sale is justified. Key Provisions of the Rule Sale by Owner of Record Only the owner of record may sell a home to an individual who will obtain FHA mortgage insurance for the loan; it may not involve any sale or assignment of the sales contract, a procedure often observed when the homebuyer is determined to have been a victim of predatory practices. Time Restrictions on Resales Resales occurring 90 days or less following acquisition will not be eligible for a mortgage to be insured by FHA. FHAs analysis disclosed that among the most egregious examples of predatory lending was on flips that occurred within a very brief time span, often within days. Thus, the quick flips will be eliminated.Resales occurring between 91 and 180 days will be eligible provided that the lender obtains an additional appraisal from an independent appraiser based on a resale percentage threshold established by FHA; this threshold would be relatively high so as to not adversely affect legitimate rehabilitation efforts but still deter unscrupulous sellers, lenders, and appraisers from attempting to flip properties and defraud homebuyers. Lenders may also prove that the increased value is the result of rehabilitation of the property.Resales occurring between 90 days and one year will be subject to a requirement that the lender obtains additional documentation to support the value to add ress circumstances or locations where HUD identifies property flipping as a problem. This authority would supersede the higher expected threshold established for the above-mentioned 90 to 180 day period and will be invoked when FHA determines that substantial abuse may be occurring in a particular locality. Exceptions to the Anti-Flipping Rule The FHA will allow waivers to the property flipping restrictions for: properties acquired by an employer or relocation agency in connection with the relocation of an employee;resales of foreclosed, bank-owned property by HUD under its real estate owned (REO) program;sales of property by other U.S. government agencies;sales of properties by nonprofit organizations approved by HUD to buy single-family properties at a discount with resale restrictions;sales of properties that are acquired by the seller by inheritance;sales of properties by state and federally-chartered financial institutions and Government-Sponsored Enterprises;sales of properties by local and state government agencies; andsales of properties within Presidentially Declared Major Disaster Areas (PDMDA), only upon issuance of a notice of an exception from HUD. The above restrictions do not apply to builders selling a newly built house or building a house for a borrower planning to use FHA-insured financing.