Human Genetic Screening Essay -- Genes Science Papers

Human Genetic Screening What is genetic screening? Genetic screening is the testing of cells to check for certain kinds of genes, or for potentially damaging changes to those genes. It may be defined as a systematic search for persons with a particular genotype in a defined population. Genetic screening serves as an important adjunct of modern preventive medicine. The usual approach is to identify persons whose genotype places them or their offspring at risk for genetic diseases. Such screening has the potential to lessen the devastating impact of genetic diseases. Genetic screening may be undertaken for research purposes unrelated to disease or the improvement of health. The National Academy of Sciences recommends that genetic screening is an appropriate form of medical care only when certain conditions are met. These include: (1) evidence of substantial public benefit and acceptance, (2) the benefits outweigh the costs; (3) appropriate public education can be carried out; (4) informed consent is feasible; (5) the means are available to evaluate the effectiveness and success of each step in the process (Blank, 1982). Some screening is aimed at the general population, while others are targeted at selective high-risk population; screening can also be conducted at various stages of life. There are three principal types of genetic screening. (1) Newborn screening identifies serious genetic disease at birth, permitting prompt treatment to prevent mental and physical retardation. (2) Fetal screening and prenatal diagnosis identify genetic disease in the fetus permitting selective termination of pregnancy and the opportunity to have children free of defects detectable in uterus. (3) Carrier screening identifies individuals hete... ...5. Fost, N., 1993. Genetic diagnosis and treatment, American Journal of Diseases of Children. 147(11):1190-1195. 6. Knoppers, B.M., 1986. Genetic information and the law: constains, liability and rights. Can Med Assoc J. 135(12):1257-1259. 7. Markel, H.M., 1992. The stigma of disease: implication of genetic screening. The Americal Journal of Medicine 93:209-214. 8. Rowley, P.T., 1984. Genetic screening: marvel or menace? Science 225(4658) Jul 13: 138-144. 9. Waugh, D., 1994. The human-genome project and pandor's box. Can Med Assoc J. 151(1):73. 10. "What is genetic screening" obtained from the WWW: http:/www.scicomm.org.uk/biosis/human/whatis1.html 11. "The principles of genetics and heredity" obtained from the WWW: http:/www.eb.com:180/cgi- bin/g?docF=macro/5002/57/50.html&DBase=Articles&hits=10&context=all ¶gra phType=1&indexremove=off#0102

Qualitative Research Methodology Essay

In this essay I am going to express my understanding of the key principles of qualitative research. In order to understand the nature of qualitative research, we must primarily look at the constructivist ontology and the interpretivist epistemology, which will allow us to develop an understanding of the context in which the qualitative methodology is conceptualised. Furthermore, I will look at the research design process and the inductive nature of this subjective, value laden procedure. I will then go on to look at the principles of qualitative research, with focus on the concepts of trustworthiness and authenticity from a qualitative perspective, which can help sociologists gain Verstehen with individuals. To conclude my essay, I will look at the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative research, making reference to specific methods. Ontology and Epistemology Researchers using qualitative methods of inquiry believe that social phenomena are constructed through human interactions and not determined by governing laws. This is known as the constructivist ontology and aims to understand how a social phenomenon is created through interaction and intersubjective meaning. From their perspective, they believe that social actors create the social world through interactions as opposed to objectivists who believe that social structures determine individual actions and behaviour (Bryman, 2004, p. 3-25). This constructivist ontology needs to be investigated using an interpretivist epistemology, and by understanding this epistemology we can therefore appreciate the key principles of qualitative research. By using interpretivism and an inductive form of inquiry, sociologists aim to understand how individuals construct meaning. For interpretivists, subjectivity is incredibly important due to the subjective nature of individuals, and they try to gain Verstehen. They would see value neutrality as unnecessary because it is impossible to gain Verstehen without using qualitative methodologies (Berg, 2007, p. 19-52). The Inductive Research Process To conduct qualitative research, you would primarily need to select an area of research and research questions, and in this sense the type of question ou select will guide your research process. Qualitative research is inductive, so it does not require an initial hypothesis, unlike quantitative research. This is because behavioural and socio-cultural patterns emerge over time and in some cases are not noticed until after the research has been conducted. After selecting an area of interest, the researchers would need to decide on the research setting and establish what method/s they will use to conduct their research (Bryman, 2004, p. 265-290). There are many methods that can be used in qualitative research, which, according to Strauss and Corbin is used to describe â€Å"any kind of research that produces findings not arrived at by means of statistical procedures or other means of quantification† (1990, p. 17). The researchers themselves play an important part in the research process as they bring their values to the research, which complements the interpretivist epistemology. Researchers have to be aware of the ethical guidelines set out by the British Sociological Association (BSA). Researchers have to take into consideration professional integrity, anonymity, privacy, confidentiality and informed consent (unless research is conducted covertly). Covert research has ethical implications if the research is not important and in the public’s interest. The researchers are in a sense a tool used to collect primary data, and the flexible nature of qualitative research means they are not bound by a rigid process and can adapt their research when needed. The final stage of qualitative research is writing up findings. Research results can be compiled to form a book, journal, article or report (Bryman, 2004, p. 61-82). The Principles of Qualitative Research Qualitative research looks at the micro sociological context. That is, qualitative researchers like to study people in their natural environments. This means that qualitative research is context specific. Qualitative research is concerned with the quality of the social research and aims to be explanatory by looking at the interaction between variables. You can get expert help with your essays right now. Find out more†¦ Qualitative researchers want to understand and explore social situations through generating descriptions from on-site observations and interviews. Qualitative researchers focus on understanding patterns and themes as stated by the author of Jones International University web site: The real world is complex; qualitative research focuses on the elements of that complexity: emotions, meanings, symbols, motivation, thought processes, feelings, patterns and themes. Qualitative research seeks to make sense of this world by finding meaning through the eyes of participants. (http://www. jonesinternational. edu/schools/courses/edu793. hp) Using qualitative methodology, researchers are able to give detailed accounts and descriptions of socio-cultural phenomena which do not need to be conveyed quantitatively. In contrast, quantitative, positivist, deterministic research generalizes findings to the whole population and aims to be conclusive by discovering governing laws (Bryman, 2004. p. 3-25). There are also many other methods qualitative researchers can employ, for example, focus groups, interviews and case studies. After the researcher has decided on the methods, they need to conduct their research. Qualitative researchers are not bound to one particular research method. They can use a variety of different methods if their research requires them to. This use of multi methodology is called triangulation (Berg, 2007, p. 19-52). Qualitative research design is circular. Qualitative researchers needto repeat and adapt their design to suit the flow of their research. After selecting their methods and collecting their data, researchers need to analyse their findings, which can be done in various ways. For example, the research findings would need interpreting; this can be done by linking data to a larger sociological context and generating concepts. Findings can also be analysed by detecting patterns and trends in the data. This can be done by using textual analysis, such as coding using computer software such as MaxQDA (Bryman, 2004, p. 398-416). There are different theoretical approaches involved in qualitative methodology, for example naturalism, ethnomethodology, emotionalism and postmodernist research. Each approach is used as a means of interpreting social phenomena by using a value laden perspective where a researcher applies his/her own values to a social context through an unscientific, flexible process and finally an in-depth, subjective methodology. These principles shape the methods used for qualitative research as they compliment both the constructivist ontology and the interpretivist epistemology. I am now going to discuss some of the different methods used by qualitative researchers that apply these principles. Qualitative Methods Qualitative data collection can be conducted through observations. Participant observation is one of the most common methods for qualitative data collection. Participant observation has strong authenticity but it does lack in repeatability as the research is difficult to reproduce in the same way. There are many different ways of conducting participant observation, and it typically requires the researcher to become a participant in the culture or context being observed. Participant observation is often longitudinal; the researcher needs to spend long periods of time with the focus group to be able to gain a â€Å"native’s point of view†. Participant observation can be conducted either overtly or covertly, depending on the nature of the research. Covert participant observation involves the researcher hiding their true identity and motives of their research from their subjects. This is effective in socially sensitive areas, such as deviant or criminal subcultures, where a researcher can gain Verstehen by using qualitative research methodologies (Hammersley and Atkinson, 1995, chap 8). An example of observational methods is ethnography. Ethnography focuses on the sociology of meaning through observation of socio-cultural phenomena; typically, the ethnographer focuses on a small group or community and uses largely participant observation. This research method was employed by the University of Chicago during the 1920’s and 1930’s. Robert Park, an important figure at the University of Chicago in the 1920s, encouraged students to go outside and collect primary information by using observational methods to study social phenomena: Go and sit in the lounges of the luxury hotels and on the doorsteps of the flophouses; sit on the Gold Coast settees and on the slum shakedown; sit in the Orchestra Hall and the Star and Garter Burlesque. In short, gentlemen, go get the seat of your pants dirty in real research (Park, cited in Prus, 1996, p. 103-140). Overt participant observation contrasts with covert, as the identity of the researcher and intentions of the research are known to the group being studied. Researchers using this method will often record their findings by making detailed field notes; this, however, can become difficult if the research requires them to take a covert stance, as their ‘cover’ may be jeopardized if they were recording their findings in front of the group. Qualitative research analysis is dependent on building interpretations of the research to gain authenticity and trustworthiness. This may be difficult because of the subjective nature of this method, but due to the ideographic nature of individuals and the interpretivist epistemology, this would not be an issue for qualitative researchers, who ultimately aim to gain Verstehen. Conclusion In conclusion, while this approach can be criticized by positivists for its subjective nature and lack of empirical methods, it does, however, offer a more in-depth perspective into individuals and their lives. Qualitative research is rigorous and highly subjective because the researcher’s investigation is overly influenced by the views of the researcher involved. Also, qualitative research does provide a way of extracting more complex, in-depth and comprehensive information from social contexts that would be difficult to retrieve using quantitative methods. However, this methodology has been criticised by positivists and the objectivist ontology because of the value laden perspective it takes. If the researcher does have any preconceived ideas of the findings, it may cause bias in the results and therefore affect the authenticity of their work. Also the researcher may misinterpret the social phenomena they are studying and therefore have difficulties establishing the real meaning of that particular social situation. Qualitative research can also be criticised because of its lack of representativeness of the larger population, as qualitative research typically deals with micro social issues that cannot be generalised to the wider population because they are context specific. However qualitative researchers would see this as an advantage because they require a deeper understanding in order to gain Verstehen. Another criticism would be that qualitative methods are also very expensive to conduct, mainly because of the amount of time it takes to interpret data and conduct observational studies. Despite these criticisms, qualitative research is a flexible, in-depth form of enquiry that is not dominated by statistics or rigid research methods. It is largely dominated by the constructivist ontology and the interpretivist epistemology which believe that the social world is built upon actions and interactions. Researchers adopt this qualitative approach to enable them to form Verstehen with their research topic or group.

Thermal Energy A Substance Or System - 3594 Words

Kelly McManus Physics Honors Block 1 January 5, 2015 Thermal Energy Thermal energy is the energy a substance or system has related to its temperature. This means the energy of moving or vibrating molecules. Atoms and molecules are always in motion. Generally the motion of thermal energy cannot be seen, but instead the effects it has on the substance can be seen or felt. Thermal energy can have several different uses. It can be used to heat homes, cook food, and generate electricity. Thermal energy, however, is not the same as heat. Heat is energy transferred between substances or systems due to a temperature difference between them. Therefore it is correct to say that a system contains thermal energy, but it is incorrect to say that it contains heat. This is because heat refers to energy that is transferred from one thing to another. The quantity of heat transferred by a substance is reliant on on the speed and number of atoms or molecules in motion. The faster the atoms or molecules move, the higher the temperature. The more atoms or molecules that are in motion, the greater the amount of heat they transfer. Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a body. Temperature can be understood by recognizing that a hot object contains more thermal energy than a cold object. The amount of thermal energy in a substance is affected by the amount of particles that are in it. Temperature is independent of number of particles inShow MoreRelatedThe Gap Between Energy Consumption And Energy Generation1718 Words   |  7 PagesCHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Background The gap between energy consumption and energy generation is gradually increasing and has become a significant problem for both domestic and industrial applications. Furthermore, conventional energy sources, like fossil fuels, are not fulfilling the energy needs of the developing world. 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Energy which may find out in various forms.for example kinetic energy,potential energy, thermal energy etc. so that heat is the form of thermal energy.According to human various purposes same energy can uses in various places. In this case the transfer of energy is very important. There are various methods bywhich we can transform energy from one form to another.But it depands on

How Can We Understand The Iraq War - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 429 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/05/07 Category History Essay Level High school Tags: Iraq War Essay War Essay Did you like this example? Iraq had a big part in war and PTSD. Iraq is a country in south-western Asia. It has a small border on the Persian Gulf. â€Å"War is a state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between a state or nations.† (From the Merriam Webster Dictionary). â€Å"PTSD is a psychological reaction occurring after experiencing a highly stressing event.† (From the Merriam Webster Dictionary). Deaths and casualties happens in every war. For U.S. soldiers, 31,958 were WIA and there were (including both KIA and non-hostile) 4,410 total deaths. Symptoms for PTSD are: Disturbing thoughts, feelings, or dreams related to the event(s). Some complications from PTSD can be suicide. Treatment can be counselling or medication. The Iraq war lasted 8.8 years. The war went from Mar. 20, 2003-Dec. 18, 2011. Iraq war was an armed conflict. A lot of countries were in the Iraq war. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "How Can We Understand The Iraq War?" essay for you Create order â€Å"Why the Iraq war has produced more PTSD than the conflict in Afghanistan† (Badger np). Over the length of these two wars (Afghanistan and Iraq). Iraq service members have been exposed to more combat than Afghanistan. â€Å"PTSD affects about 11% of veterans of the war in Afghanistan, but 20% of veterans who served in Iraq.† (Badger np). Looking forward for veterans, they will likely need more money for mental health care. (Badger np). Problems caused by PTSD are a serious issue. Mental problems include: depression, other anxiety disorders, drug use problems. For physical health, a lot of things are associated. Like, arthritis, heart-related problems and disease, respiratory system-related problems and disease, digestive problems and disease, reproductive system-related problems, diabetes, pain. â€Å"PTSD puts tremendous physical and emotional strain on a person.† (Tull np). â€Å"People with PTSD may engage in more risky and health-compromising behaviors, such as alcohol and drug use.† (Tull np). PTSD puts strain on the human body. It is very important to get medical help if you have PTSD. To understand the Iraq war, you need eye witnesses. Casey Owens was a marine and a land mine took both legs on his second deployment. He says he loves his life. Even without legs, he still runs with prosthetics. He got the Purple Heart. At the age of 22, he was admitted to combat. He has a special needs dog, to cope with Caseys PTSD. Evan Morgan was a marine who lost both legs to an IED blast. He got the Purple Heart. Says hes happy. He got married and had two kids. Tony Riddle was a marine. His wife said he was different when he came back. He has PTSD. He got awards. They were all in 1st battalion, 7th Marines.

Obesity And Being Overweight Common Worldwide Issues...

Oluwakemi Agbi-Williams Professor Keneika Rowe HP 450-45 Hospitality Senior Seminar 04 July 2015 Introduction Obesity and being overweight are very common worldwide issues around the world, especially in the U.S. There are more than 3 million cases per year. By changing your lifestyle such as diet and exercise, losing weight can seem effortless. Desirable junk/fast food or even irresistible fast food commercials can tempt you to do the unthinkable. We are all victims of this advertising war. Quick-service restaurants (QSR) generate these advertisements in hope to attract more consumers or to increase their popularity rates around town. These commercials bombard our state of mind only to convince us to buy unhealthy food for worthless money. The increase in fast food commercials in the U.S. has led to an increase in both QSR revenues and the obesity rates. Regulating commercial frequencies will lead to a decline in the obesity rate. Our country has more than enough issues that frequently affect our population. Despite these alarming cautions, the food industries with their advertiser use eve ry available media outlet to promote and sell their products. Pushing food and drinks high in sugar is unethical and unjust. We learn to encourage children into healthy food habits, but we don’t always take these precautions to action. Non-Stop Push from the Food Industries There is no doubt that any industry, regardless the service, will want to make as much money as possible. TheShow MoreRelatedThe Problem Of Teenage Obesity Essay1177 Words   |  5 PagesTeenage obesity is rising significantly not only in the New Zealand but all throughout the world. It is growing epidemic and it’s a terrible thing. Watching a teenager wobble around all day out of breath and struggling to manage the stairs at school something no one should ever witness but with 18%⠁ ´ of teenagers obese it’s becoming a more common site everyday. 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Tim O.Briens, the Things They Carried Critical Essay Free Essays

Dan Gaumer Gaumer 1 Prof Montgomery English 104 10/22/12 Hard Times of Norman Bowker Have you ever found yourself carrying something heavy for a long period of time? Do you remember feeling pain, or wanting to drop the object because it was too much to bear? Tim O’brien’s novel, The Things They Carried, is about men in the middle of the Vietnam War just trying to survive. These men, like all soldiers, carried many things ranging from the physical items of war to the emotional and mental weight that comes along with the horrors of war. They carried all they could bear, and then some, including a silent awe for the terrible power of the things they carried. We will write a custom essay sample on Tim O.Briens, the Things They Carried Critical Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now †(O’brien,7) I believe in this novel, O’brien gives many great and detailed examples of PTSD, even in his own life. This novel is more than just about the Vietnam War. It is about what a solider goes through on and off the battlefield. It’s about the art of a real war story. Most importantly it’s about what soldiers carried, physically, mentally, and emotionally; during, before, and after the war. The soldiers that made it back home suffered from many mental issues, mainly Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Many people who go through traumatic events have difficulty adjusting and coping for a while. But with time and taking care of yourself, Gaumer 2 such traumatic reactions usually get better. In some cases, though, the symptoms can get worse or last for months or even years. (Staff, Mayo Clinic,†Definition†) Thoughts of sorrow and loss overwhelm the Vietnam veterans upon their return back home. Crushed from the horror of war, they come back to even bigger disappointments and sadness. Instead of the mellow lives they lead before they left for war and the presence of warm and caring everyday life, most of them encounter empty beds, cold family ambiance and overall loss. Already physically and emotionally defeated, they can’t seem to pick up their lives where they left off. Even in instances of supportive partners, the inevitable horrors of the war haunt them in sleep or come back to them in daydreaming. They all came back with multiple disorders, PTSD with the common symptoms. â€Å"The war was over and there was no place in particular to go† (131). Various examples of this disorder are found in a few chapters such as â€Å"Speaking of Courage† and â€Å"The Man I Killed. † For Vietnam veterans, nothing could replenish the zest for life they had before the war. According to O’Brien’s text, upon their arrival home the veterans imagine, even hallucinate, what things would have been like if they had not suffered through the war. Examples of such occurrences exist in the stories â€Å"Speaking of Courage† and â€Å"The Man I Killed. † Norman Bowker in â€Å"Speaking of Courage† daydreams of talking to his ex-girlfriend, now married to another guy, and of his dead childhood friend, Max Arnold. He lives out over and over his unfulfilled dream of having his Sally beside him and of having manly conversations with Max. He cannot stop day dreaming and dwelling in the past. Gaumer 3 Unemployed and overwhelmed by inferiority and disappointment, Bowker lacks a motivating force for life. Emotionally stricken, he only finds satisfaction in driving slowly and repeatedly in circles around his old neighborhood in his father’s big Chevy, â€Å"feeling safe,† and remembering how things used to be when there wasn’t a war. These recurring events also spring memories of the beautiful lake where Norman used to spend a lot of time with his now married ex-girlfriend Sally Kramer and his high school friends. The lake invokes nostalgic and sentimental memories both of his girlfriend and his long gone – drowned – best friend, Max Arnold. However, now for Norman the past seems an idea, or like Max would say, that everything exists as a â€Å"possible†¦ idea, even necessary as an idea, a final cause in the whole structure of causation† (133). Thus, his ex girlfriend, his friends, the lake, the gatherings, his father and all the rest exist as ideas in Norman’s head now that all of his past exists only as flickering thoughts in a big jumbled chaos in his head. All of this has symptoms of PDST all over it. He only possesses the solitary capability of bragging about the medals he won or he should have won. Even that does not bring him comfort since he imagines talking to Sally: † ‘How’s it being married? ‘ he might ask, and he’d nod at whatever she answered with, and he would not say a word about how he’d almost won the Silver Star for valor† (134). Nothing fulfills Norman Bowker anymore. Instead, a terrible confusion has taken over his mind in the form of blur and chaos. He desperately needs someone to talk to: â€Å"If Sally had not been Gaumer 4 married, or if his father were not such a baseball fan, it would have been a good time to talk† (134). Unfortunately, he keeps questioning and answering himself in order to justify and compensate the loss and to make some sort of sense out of the entire situation. He loans to impress Sally with some dumb tricks of telling the exact time without even looking at a watch, just as much as he wishes for a father-son conversation. So that he can make his father proud, if nothing else, that his son won seven medals during the war. He does not have anybody to comfort him in moments of self-blame, for example when he cannot forgive himself for not winning the Silver Star because he â€Å"couldn’t take the goddamn awful smell† (136). He evokes the â€Å"shit experience† from his war days. He goes on to comfort himself, by pretending what considerate thoughts his father might have: â€Å"If you don’t want to say anymore -,† to which immediately Norman answers himself: â€Å"I do want to†(136). He tries to maintain calm and balance-minded while thinking of being camped in the shit field. He cannot stop thinking of the cruel war incidents that he witnessed, and therefore, he cannot forget the death of his friend Kiowa, who died in an explosion in the shit field: â€Å"There was a knee. There was an arm†¦ There were bubbles where Kiowa’s head should’ve been†¦ He was folded in with the war; he was part of the waste† (142,143, 147). Not only can Norman not stop thinking about the cruelties, but he also cannot forgive himself for letting go of Kiowa because he blames himself for not being able to save his Gaumer 5 friend’s life, of which as a consequence Norman did not win the Silver Star. It seems like Norman carries the shit experience with him for life. Other characteristics of PTSD in this story are Norman’s inhibited social skills. Instead of placing a fast-food order through the drive-through intercom he honks at the waitress and once he gets his order, he does not move away until after he eats his hamburger and then presses the intercom again to inform the waiters that he finished his hamburger. From this novel I’ve come to figure out the realism of the true things soldiers carry during and after the war. There is the weight of the physical items, than there are the weight of the mental issues that come along with fighting in war. Issues like PTSD, which the story of Norman Bowker gives various good examples of. And the proving the very real pain that goes along with it by him eventually committing suicide. In my opinion, in this novel, O’brien gives many examples of PTSD, even in his own life. The results of the trauma suffered in the war together with the emotional baggage: grief, terror, love, and longing, proves how PTSD can affect a soldier. How to cite Tim O.Briens, the Things They Carried Critical Essay, Essay examples

Marshall Islands

Question: Writing an essay on Marshall Islands? Answer: Introduction I am writing an essay on Marshall Islands. It is a small island country and is located close to the equator in Pacific Ocean. The largest city and the capital of this country is Majuro. The official language of the natives is Marshallese, English is fairly a common language that is spoken in this Island. Location Marshall Islands is a part of a larger group of Islands known as Micronesia. It is located 4000 km in the northeast direction of Australia. There are two groups of islands running from northwest to southeast. A rough estimation of about 30 atolls and 1152 islands are present in the Marshall Islands but only 19 atolls and 4 islands are inhabited. It is located in the tropics and thus the weather of the country is mostly humid and hot. Temperature of the country in average is around 81 degree Fahrenheit or 27 degree Celsius. The country receives rain from the month of May till November. The annual rainfall received every year is about 157 inches or 4000 millimeters. Population The population of the country was estimated to be 6800 in the year 2009 and the density of the population is about 375 persons present per kilometer square (2015). The population is growing in a rather rapid speed. The birth rate of this country was 45 to 1000 births in the total population and 6 to 1000 deaths. This rate of birth and death rate suggest that most of the population of this country is about the average age of 0 to 14 years. Population in the urban area is about 70% of the total population of the country. Major number of the population of this country belongs to Micronesian group. Most of the inhabitants practice Christianity. The literacy rate in the year 1980 showed that the rate was about 93%. Economy There is a very little scope of exports due to the fact that the Islands have not many natural resources. This is the reason why they import things more than export. They have 2 brackets for income tax with the rates of 12 percent and 8 percent and 3 percent corporate tax. US government assists the island and this is the reason why the islands economy has not broken down. They have a base in the country for which they give rent to the locals (Rmiembassyus.org, 2015). Agriculture in Marshall Islands in confined to very small farms. The commercial crops that that grow include tomatoes, melons, coconuts and breadfruit. There are few small scale industries present which is confined to fish processing, handicrafts and copra. The economy of the country is also stable due to its tourism. In the year of 1997 about 1000 tourist arrived in this islands. There are some private hotels present and there are many guest houses provided by the government in the country. In the year 1977 was estimated that about 3 million dollars were made because of tourism. The tourism rate was falling down in the past due to the fact that the country did not have a lot of facilities (Unesco.org, 2015). History Marshall Islands were first occupied by the Micronesians in the 2nd millennium BC, very little is known about its history. It was first explored by a Spanish voyager Alonso de Salazar in 1526. European travelers, Captain John along with Thomas Gilbert entered the islands in the year 1788. It was named Marshall Islands after the European traveler captain John Marshall. Spain had a claim over Marshall Islands from the year of 1874 but she did not try to maintain its foothold there and as a result Germany gained their position in Marshall Islands. Britain had no objection on the colonization of Marshall Islands by the Germans.Even before the Germans came and colonized the place, Japanese fisherman and traders visited the Marshall Islands time to time. During the World War I, Japan captured many colonies including many in Micronesia. During the time when Japan colonized the Marshall Islands, they moved or shifted 1000 or more Japanese to these Islands. Japan even inflated the administration and also appointed leaders who were natives this weakened their tradition of ruling. One third of the land that was above the water level was taken by the Japanese government. During the Second World War, US occupied and invaded the Islands in the year 1944. During the time of its invasion by the US the people in the Islands suffered due to the lack of food items and injuries. This Island was then used for nuclear tests. Marshall Islands gained its freedom in the year 1979 and the country gained full and complete control in governing the country. The procedure of Independence was officially complete in the year 1990. Intresting Fact The islands comprise 2 small groups of islands and a total of 29 atolls. It is one of the smallest country in the world. The two groups of island are: Ratak Chain which means sunrise and Ralik which mean sunset. Its history goes back to second millennium BC; the occupants were mainly sea travelers. It motto is jepilpilin ke ejukaan meaning accomplishment through joint effort. A flower named Flame of the Forest is found in the atolls which s considered as a blessing by the natives of the country. The most important food in its economy is Copra which is dried coconut meat. There is only one land mammal preset in the country which is Polynesian rat. Us government performed nuclear test in the atolls of this country (Topics.nytimes.com, 2015). The nuclear test was performed in the year 1954 on March 1. It was the first hydrogen bomb that was tested and the name of the Atoll where it was tested is Bikini. Conclusion Marshal islands are one of the smallest countries. It was colonized and explored by several nations. Its economy is still standing due to the assistance received from US. The Second World War had some devastating effects on the country. There were nuclear test performed in this country by the US government. Reference (2015). Retrieved 29 May 2015, from https://(Topics.nytimes.com, 2015) org,. (2015).RMI Homepage. Retrieved 29 May 2015, from https://www.rmiembassyus.org/ nytimes.com,. (2015).Marshall Islands. Retrieved 29 May 2015, from https://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/marshallislands/index.html org,. (2015).Marshall Islands | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 29 May 2015, from https://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/worldwide/asia-and-the-pacific/marshall-islands/