Present the current status of gene therapy for retinal diseases Research Paper

Present the current status of gene therapy for retinal diseases - Research Paper Example Diseases of the eye which have the potential of being treatable with gene therapy in future are retinitis pigmentosa, proliferative retinopathy, autoimmune uveitis, gyrate atrophy, age-related macular degeneration, retinoblastoma and Leber's congential amaurosis. Thus gene therapy has the potential to treat various inheritable retinal diseases in future. As of now, no product has been approved for clinical use and most of them are in clinical trial stage. Introduction Whenever a particular gene is defective or absent, there is either absence of a particular protein, or there is production of abnormal protein or the amount of protein produced is insufficient. This causes diseased states. Many of these diseases can be either prevented or treated by replacing the abnormal gene, or by introducing the absent gene or by supplementing the defective gene. Using genes thus to prevent or treat a disease is known as gene therapy (HGPI, 2009). This is an experimental technique and is done by ins erting genetic material into the patient’s cells. The genes thus introduced exert their benefits by either compensating for the abnormal genes or by producing beneficial protein or by supplementing the abnormal gene (Hecht, 2004). ... g genetic material into cells that cause cancer cells to revert back to normal cells, delivering genes of bacteria or virus as a form of vaccination, elivering genetic material that either impedes or promotes growth of a new tissue and delivering genetic material that stimulates healing of a damaged tissue (Hecht, 2004). Currently, research is going on for gene therapy by various approaches in different parts of the world for various diseases like combined immuno-deficiencies, hemophilia, Parkinson's disease, cancer and even HIV. Thus, gene therapy has emerged as one of the novel treatment strategies for several untreatable diseases (Singh and Tripathi, 2002). One significant area in which enormous research has been done with regard to gene therapy is retinal diseases. In this article, the current status of gene therapy for retinal diseases will be discussed through review of suitable literature. Why is retina suitable for gene therapy? Several genes which are responsible for various inherited retinal disorders have been identified (Dejneka and Bennett, 2001). Eye, especially retina, is one of the best suitable targets for gene therapy because of easy accessibility and allowance for local application of various therapeutic agents, along with decreased risk for systemic effects. Another major advantage is that the effects of therapy can be monitored through various non-invasive tests. Of the parts in the ocular system, retina is the most suitable candidate for gene therapy. This is because; the amount of virus that needs to be injected into the retina is just 1/1000 of that needed for other systemic diseases (Singh and Tripathi, 2002). The blood ocular barrier that is present in the eye separates eye from other parts of the body and protects retina. This barrier

Utilitarianism In Contemporary Ethics Essay Example for Free

Utilitarianism In Contemporary Ethics Essay 1. State the Principle of Utility as formulated by Bentham and Mill and apply it to a particular action (e. g. , lying) to illustrate how it works. (3 points. ) 2. Explain the di%erence between â€Å"act utilitarianism† and â€Å"rule utilitarianism. † (2 points. ) 3. Identify three di%erent utilitarian philosophers and explain how their versions of utilitarianism di%er from one another. (3 points. ) 4. Identify one strength and one weakness of the utilitarian view. (2 points. ) 1. THE PRINCIPLE OF UTILITY DEFINES AN ACT OR RULE THAT IS IN THE RIGHT, WILL CREATE THE GREATEST GOOD OR HAPPINESS FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE. FOR EXAMPLE, IF A FRIEND LIES TO A GROUP OF HIS/HER FRIENDS, THAT GROUP OF FRIENDS COULD QUITE POSSIBLY FIND OUT ABOUT THIS LIE THAT COULD CAUSE A NEGATIVE EFFECT FOR THE FRIENDS. THUS, NO GOOD OR HAPPINESS WAS CREATED FROM AN ACTION THAT WAS NOT GOOD FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE. CONVERSELY, THE PRINCIPLE OF UTILITY WOULD CONDONE AND APPROVE A LIE IF IT RESULTED IN GREATER HAPPINESS (E. G. , LYING ABOUT AN EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR TO PROTECT A PERSON’S REPUTATION OR TO AVOID CAUSING NEEDLESS DISTRESS TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY). 2. RULE UTILITARIANISM MEASURES THE AMOUNT OF GOOD THAT AN INDIVIDUAL ACTION DOES ACCORDING TO A RULE OR LAW. ACT UTILITARIANISM DOES NOT JUDGE AN ACTION IN TERMS OF RULES OR LAWS BUT WHETHER OR NOT THE ACTION BENEFITS THE MOST PEOPLE. 3. PREFERENCE UTILITARIANISM FIRST PUT FORWARD BY JOHN HARSANYI (1977) PRACTICES THAT THE ULTIMATE CRITERION FOR DECIDING WHAT IS GOOD OR BAD FOR AN INDIVIDUAL IS JUDGED BY THE INDIVIDUAL’S OWN DESIRES AND PREFERENCES. NEGATIVE UTILITARIANISM BROUGHT ON BY R. N. SMART, INSTEAD OF JUDGING WHAT IS BEST FOR THE GREATEST GOOD THE PHILOSOPHY IS TO JUDGE BY WHAT CAUSES THE LEAST AMOUNT OF PAIN FOR THE MOST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHEN PRESENTED WITH A SITUATION THAT WOULD ENTAIL SUFFERING. NEGATIVE UTILITARIANISM WAS PROPOSED BY KARL POPPER. SMART OPPOSED IT. ACT UTILITARIANISM BROUGHT ON BY WILLIAM PALEY, DETERMINES IF AN ACTION IS RIGHT IF IT FOLLOWS A RULE THAT WILL MAXIMIZE UTILITY. PALEY WAS AN EARLY PROPONENT OF UTILITARIANISM WHO COMBINED UTILITARIAN ETHICS WITH CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS. 4. ONE STRENGTH OF A UTILITARIAN VIEW IS THAT IT AIMS TO HELP SOCIETY EXIST IN A WAY THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF INDIVIDUALS IN THAT SOCIETY. ONE WEAKNESS OF UTILITARIAN VIEW IS THAT IT DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHO DOES THE ACTION, SO LONG AS THE CONSEQUENCES OCCUR. WHY IS THIS A WEAKNESS? THE MAIN WEAKNESS OF THE THEORY IS THAT IT CONTRADICTS OUR COMMON-SENSE ETHICAL VIEW THAT MOTIVES AND INTENTIONS MATTER AND THAT SOME ACTIONS SEEM WRONG REGARDLESS OF THEIR OUTCOME. 8. 5 POINTS.

Techniques of Team Building for Organizational Development

Techniques of Team Building for Organizational Development Abstract In organizational development the team building process can benefit the corporation by grouping people together with common skills and providing them with a clear and concise mission and common goal. Team building is also a function that does not end when the team comes together, but is an ongoing process that runs throughout the project. Teams are a necessary part of organizations and will be important far into the future. The knowledge of team cultures and dynamics can be an invaluable tool for organizations. Techniques of Team Building for Organizational Development A Review of Forming and Managing Teams within an Organization A team is a small number of people with complementary skills, who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable (Gordon p. 489). Teams are also described as groups of two or more people who interact and influence each other, are mutually accountable for achieving common goals associated with organizational objectives, and perceive themselves as a social entity within an organization (McShane 2010, p. 234). Since the beginning of time there have been teams such as hunting teams, where each member of the team has a specific task, but the overall goal for the team was to kill an animal for food. When man began building large structures there were work teams that would be in charge of producing the stones for the structure, work teams that would be in charge of moving the stones from the quarry to the structures construction site, and work teams that constructed the structure. The purpose of building teams is to allow employees to participate in the planning problem-solving and decision-making to better produce products and provide services. When companies grow they become more complex, therefore having groups or teams within the company allows the company to perform tasks more efficiently and effectively. An example of this can be seen in the automotive industry. Small car companies can have as few as seven employees performing specific skills to produce one vehicle at a time. Over time if this company is successful and begins to grow it will need to hire more employees. These employees will need to be placed into teams with each team performing a certain task or group of tasks in a certain area such as a body shop, and engine shop, a chassis shop, or an interior shop. Each shop has a group of employees that specialize in a particular area in the company that is necessary to produce the product. When the company was small one person could build an engine in a day for one car, but as the company grew more people are required to build more engines for more cars each day. There are various different types of teams: work teams, project and development teams, parallel teams, management teams, transitional teams, virtual teams, and self-managed teams. Work teams perform operations like manufacturing, assembling, selling, or providing services (Gordon p. 490). Work teams are the most common type of teams because theyre the most basic. Project and development teams work on projects that take a long time and they have specific tasks such as research and development. The teams new members usually contribute expert knowledge and judgment to the project, so they must be trained in that particular area for the work that is being performed. These teams work on one project and then disband when it is completed. Parallel teams are made up of individuals who are picked from various different teams in the organization and brought together to work outside the organization temporarily. Parallel teams are different in that they are formed to produce a product or service that is not normally done within the organization. Management teams provide direction to and work within, to other teams under their leadership. Management teams are a group of managers responsible for different subunits were together form a team and establish should take a direction and manage the companys overall performance. Transnational teams have members in multiple countries and are different from other work teams because they are multicultural and geographically dispersed. Also transnational teams also tend to be virtual teams. A virtual team has members that are not located in the same location. They communicate through e-mail, telephone, or with a teleconference system. Virtual teams created difficult challenges because of the way they operate and communicate. Virtual teams are usually made up of self-managing professionals. Some of them are made up of individuals that are trained to do all or most the jobs for specific task and have no supervision. Usually, as with virtual teams, self managed teams make the decisions that are usually made by their supervisors. There are advantages and disadvantages of forming teams. Early studies have shown that under the right conditions teams make better decisions, develop better products and services, and create a more engaged workforce than do employees working alone (McShane p. 237). Most teams create an environment that promotes communication, motivation, and better work ethics. Most employees prefer to work in teams because it gives them a sense of belonging. The motivation to work can be strong when the team is part of the employees social identity and by being accountable to their team members who watches their performance and quality of work more than their supervisor would. The drawbacks of developing teams is that the teams take a lot of energy and resources to develop and that some of the members of the team may not be trained to the level of skills that are required to be at to perform the certain task asked of them. Another disadvantage of developing teams is that adding new members to an ex isting team may drawdown the process and quality of work performed by the team. Source: Retrieved from PM: Program Manager (Online) July August 2002 Issue p. 79 There are five stages of team development; they are forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjoining. Forming is when the members get acquainted with each other and figure out the benefits of staying in the team. During this stage the members learn about the evolving culture within the team and the social boundaries in its environment. The storming stage is when the members become more comfortable in the team that they begin to test the boundaries and become more competitive with each other. During this stage norms of appropriate behavior are established. Norms are the shared rules and expectations that are established to regulate the behaviors that are important to the members of the team. The norming stage is when the team members come together and gain trust within the team. As objectives are established the team members begin to form a consensus on the goals. During the performing stage the team member are resolving conflicts by themselves. The members adjust to changes in the environment easier than at any other time. The adjourning stage comes at the completion of the project, the members disband and move on to other projects and teams or as an old team they take on a new project and start the process all over again. Teambuilding is an ongoing process, even though the team is formed, the process of maintaining the team goes on throughout the project. The most important property of a team is cohesiveness. Cohesiveness is the degree to which a group is attractive to its members, members are motivated to remain in the group, and the members influence one another (Gordon 2010 p. 501). The two reasons why cohesiveness is important in the team is first, it contributes to the member satisfaction and second, cohesiveness has a major impact on the teams performance. An organizational planner may be called on by company to assist them in developing or managing their teams. To be successful in this you need to know about personal behaviors, team dynamics, and about the individual roles within a team. When constructing teams it is best to select team members who are trained to perform the required roles necessary for that job so they may become effective contributors to the team. There are two roles that must be performed within the team, first the team specialist is a role that is filled by an individual who has a particular job-related ski ll and ability, secondly the team maintenance specialists develop and maintain harmony within the team by boosting morale, giving support, providing humor, soothing hurt feelings, and generally exhibiting a concern with team members well-being. The most important facet for team effectiveness that an organization must know is that to enable the teams productivity and cohesiveness the members must have a clear and concise knowledge of what tasks and duties they are responsible for. As a team performs a job, the individuals within the team perform specific tasks the culmination of these tasks make up the jobs at the team is responsible for. Allowing team members to be involved with the leadership and decision-making process will also motivate them toward superior performance as well as assisting them in the understanding of what they are required to perform through clear communication. Being able to identify performance norms allows for adjustments in the team to achieve optimal output and member satisfaction. In an article about building a better team Kevin Mehok stated: Picking the right players is critical to building a solid team. There are so many aspects of this process. You need to have the right people for the right job (2010 p. 2). The following chart displays the high and low cohesiveness versus the high and low performance norms. (High cohesiveness and low performance norms shows that there is high goal attainment based on the groups perspective but there is a low task performance based on managements perspective. Source: retrieved from, /imagecache/book/28776/fwk-bauer-fig09_004.jpg>. Low cohesiveness and low performance shows that there is poor goal attainment and poor task performance. With high cohesiveness and high performance norms there is a high goal attainment and a high task performance whereas with the low cohesiveness and high performance norms there is moderate goal attainment and task performance. Non-cohesive groups with high performance norms can be effective from the companys standpoint; however they wont be as productive as they would be if they were more cohesive (Gordon 2010 p. 502). Being able to understand the teams cultural environment makes it easier to make adjustments if necessary to enhance the teams cohesiveness. Some of the cultural environments are the clan, adhocracy, market, and hierarchy. A summary of the Hawthorn White Paper (2009) described the four different cultures as in a clan when the members identify with the group like they would a family where the emphasis is on team and teamwork and the members are loyal and friendly. Adhocracy is when the members have a large amount of independence with an emphasis on developing cutting-edge products and services. Hierarchy is where tradition and formality are dominant values and the emphasis is on stability, rules, and efficient processes. Market is where the members are competitive, hard-working, and demanding with the emphasis on productivity and beating the competition. Teams that are operating effectively and efficiently can identify problems faster. This allows the members to feel more confident in the decision making process. Having confident team members also reduces constructive conflict. When building an effective team there are a few activities that can be performed to boost morale, communication, and trust, along with having a lot of fun. Activities can range anywhere from a simple 10 minute exercise to a week long adventure. Measuring how effective such one-time activities are in changing a culture is difficult, so team building now employs more subtle methods to break down mistrust, inadequate leadership, and weak communication among employees (Laff 2006 p. 1). The greatest effect of these activities is the members are awakened by the obstacles of working with others, this comes out at the end of the exercise when they discuss there experience with each other. Usually a company will hire someone to facilitate these team building activities. One of the activities is that Alan Chapman (2010) posted on his web site that a developer can facilitate. It is an experiment to explore the brains capability to estimate scale. Using sticky notes have the team members mark a distance of ten feet on the floor, a height of three feet on a wall, and a distance of one yard on a table. They must do this without a measuring device. Review the activities as appropriate for your purposes, points for example: What surprises did we find? What clues are there to peoples different abilities? What differences are there in guessing different types of scale? What creative methods were used in measuring? How does the brain guess something? In work/life how do we decide when to guess and when to measure, and are these the best criteria? How can we make our guessing more reliable? (If exercises are performed in teams) are team guesses more reliable than individual guesses? What merit is there in the Wisdom of Crowds in guessing and making intuitive judgments? At the end of the exercise the facilitator will provide an assessment of the effectiveness that the activities provided the organization along with possible follow up events to maintain team cohesiveness. Have a facilitator draw out the dynamics using the Socratic Method of learning to tie together what happens in the office setting with what the members just experienced. Also remember to remind participants that they are not at the office, many of the activities still contain some form of gaming (Laff 2006, p. 1). Training team members to operate in the environment around them and not to hide from it, ignore it, and to not fight it will further enhance their efficiency in the team. May organizations are looking to streamline their operations, one of the tools they can turn to is hiring team building facilitators to perform exercises and give feedback. Of all of the functions an organizational developer performs to analyze, troubleshoot, and coach an organization toward their optimal output, team building is one of the most effective.

The Lunar Landing Hoax Theory - Evidence Pro and Con Essay -- Argument

The Lunar Landing Hoax Theory - Evidence Pro and Con A cash reward of $100,000 was offered to anyone who could prove, with conclusive physical evidence, the existence of the moon. This reward still remains unclaimed ("The Moon-The Real Truth"). After all, how does one know for sure the moon even exists? Even if it does exist, how does one prove it? That's what NASA set out to do in the late 1960's. On July 20, 1969 Neil Armstrong planted the first human footprints in the lunar soil. The United States had accomplished their goal in sending men to the moon. They managed to not only send them 238,857 mi. (384,403 km) into space to our neighbor celestial body, but also send them back with a successful flight to our mother earth. This seems like a difficult task for a country that was behind Russia in space exploration at the time. So, did NASA actually have enough technology to do this? Even though many Americans believe that the United States sent men to the moon in 1969, there are a few who believe that the moon landing was a hoax. A 1999 Gallup poll showed that 6% of Americans have doubts about the moon landing. Even though 6% of Americans doesn't sound like a lot, it translates to millions of people (Plait). It would have been easier to fake all the photographs in the Nevada desert in Area 51 than to actually perform the mission to the moon. However, NASA did indeed have the technology in the late 1960's to send men to the moon, and all the evidence they brought back proves it. On July 16, 1969 the space ship Apollo 11 left from Kennedy Space Center en route to the moon. The crew consisted of Neil A. Armstrong, the commander; Edwin E. Aldrin, the jr. lunar module pilot; and Michael Collins, the commander module pilot... ...aphs and videos ("Proof"). This is a matter of physics. No one can physically prove that the US landed on the moon. So, will Americans ever know the real truth about the moon landings? What one's eyes see, one believes. So, from all the evidence that NASA obtained, it proves that they really did send men to the moon in 1969. Works Cited "Apollo Investigation." Aulis online. 11 Feb. 2001. 9 Dec. 2001 <http://www.aulis.com/>. Dumoulin, Jim. "Apollo 11." Kennedy Space Center Launching A Vision. 12 Dec. 2001. 13 Dec. 2001 <http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/>. "The Moon-The Real Truth." Reptilian Research. 9 Dec. 2001 <http:www.reptiles.org>. Plait, Phil. "Fox TV and the Apollo Moon Hoax." Bad Astronomy. 3 Dec. 2001. 6 Dec. 2001 <http://www.badastronomy.com/>. "Proof." Red Zero. 8 Sept. 2001. 6 Dec. 2001 <http://www.redzero.demon.co.uk/>.

Proportioning of Concrete Ingredients and Mixes

Ingredients for concrete are cement, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate and water. The best concrete can be obtained by mixing the ingredients in correct proportions. The ideal proportion of concrete will be that, which produces greatest strength and solidity at the least cost. In estimating the quantities of ingredients for cement concrete it should keep in mind that voids of coarse aggregates are filled up by sand and voids of fine aggregates are filled up by cement. The concrete mix of 1: 1: 2 and 1: 11/2: 3 are mostly used for water retaining structures.The concrete mix 1: 2: 4 is most commonly used for R. C. C. construction. The mix proportion of 1: 3: 6 and 1: 4: 8 are used in lean concrete works. The concept behind the proportioning of concrete mixes is that the resulting concrete is densest and strongest with least amount of cement. Following are the methods of proportioning concrete: †¢Arbitrary Standard Method. The concept of this method is that fine aggregate should be sufficient in the mix to fill the voids of coarse aggregate and quantity of cement is just sufficient to fill the voids of the fine aggregate.By experiments and experience, it is seen that ratio of fine aggregate and coarse aggregate to develop a dense mix lies between 1: 11/2 and 1: 21/2. Similarly, amount of cement, required to fill the voids of fine aggregate is ascertained. Based on experience and experiments, it is possible to fix arbitrary ratios of cement, F. A. and C. A. in forms of 1: n: 2n. †¢Minimum Voids Method. In this method of proportioning, the voids in F. A. and C. A. are found out the separately with the help of graduated cylinder and water.After finding the voids, cement and F. A. are so proportioned that they are slightly more in volume than the voids in F. A. and C. A. , respectively. Cement is normally taken 10% more and F. A. about 15% more than the percentage of voids in F. A. and C. A. Sufficient water is added to the mix, so obtained to make the mix wo rkable. This method does not give satisfactory results because presence of water, in sand and cement separates the constituents of coarse aggregate, thereby increasing the voids.In this method of proportioning no consideration is given to the grading of the aggregate which is very important concept in concrete technology. Hence, concrete designed by this method does not give the highest strength. †¢W/c Ratio. W/c ratio law states that the strength of well compacted concrete with good workabity is dependent only on w/c ratio. In addition to other factors like grading and proportioning of aggregates, proportion of cement, the workability of concrete also depends upon the quantity of water used in the mixture. ? Proportioning of Concrete Ingredients and Mixes Ingredients for concrete are cement, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate and water. The best concrete can be obtained by mixing the ingredients in correct proportions. The ideal proportion of concrete will be that, which produces greatest strength and solidity at the least cost. In estimating the quantities of ingredients for cement concrete it should keep in mind that voids of coarse aggregates are filled up by sand and voids of fine aggregates are filled up by cement. The concrete mix of 1: 1: 2 and 1: 11/2: 3 are mostly used for water retaining structures.The concrete mix 1: 2: 4 is most commonly used for R. C. C. construction. The mix proportion of 1: 3: 6 and 1: 4: 8 are used in lean concrete works. The concept behind the proportioning of concrete mixes is that the resulting concrete is densest and strongest with least amount of cement. Following are the methods of proportioning concrete: †¢Arbitrary Standard Method. The concept of this method is that fine aggregate should be sufficient in the mix to fill the voids of coarse aggregate and quantity of cement is just sufficient to fill the voids of the fine aggregate.By experiments and experience, it is seen that ratio of fine aggregate and coarse aggregate to develop a dense mix lies between 1: 11/2 and 1: 21/2. Similarly, amount of cement, required to fill the voids of fine aggregate is ascertained. Based on experience and experiments, it is possible to fix arbitrary ratios of cement, F. A. and C. A. in forms of 1: n: 2n. †¢Minimum Voids Method. In this method of proportioning, the voids in F. A. and C. A. are found out the separately with the help of graduated cylinder and water.After finding the voids, cement and F. A. are so proportioned that they are slightly more in volume than the voids in F. A. and C. A. , respectively. Cement is normally taken 10% more and F. A. about 15% more than the percentage of voids in F. A. and C. A. Sufficient water is added to the mix, so obtained to make the mix wo rkable. This method does not give satisfactory results because presence of water, in sand and cement separates the constituents of coarse aggregate, thereby increasing the voids.In this method of proportioning no consideration is given to the grading of the aggregate which is very important concept in concrete technology. Hence, concrete designed by this method does not give the highest strength. †¢W/c Ratio. W/c ratio law states that the strength of well compacted concrete with good workabity is dependent only on w/c ratio. In addition to other factors like grading and proportioning of aggregates, proportion of cement, the workability of concrete also depends upon the quantity of water used in the mixture. ?

Battle of Omdurman

Battle of Omdurman The battle of Omdurman took place on the 2nd of September 1898. It was a decisive battle that established the power of the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium government on the territory of the present-day Sudan:Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Battle of Omdurman specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More â€Å"In 1898 Kitchener led a force of 8,200 British troops, 17,600 Sudanese and Egyptians up the Nile to capture a city in the Sudan called Omdurman, the Dervish capital across the river from Khartoum† (â€Å"The Battle of Omdurman-Sudan 1898† n. pg.). As a result, the state of Sudan was destroyed and the territory became a British colony, This reconquest was a major international event in both African and European contexts† (Spiers 9).This battle predetermined future historical development of the country. The results of the battle made its contribution to current developments in international security policy. â⠂¬Å"The Battle of Omdurman is perhaps the best known single episode of the Sudan campain† (Keown-Boyd 95). Before analyzing the results and influence of the battle, we should explore the historical background of it. So, today Sudan is the largest country of the Arab world which is situated in the northeastern Africa. As Levy and Latif write in their book Sudan, â€Å"It is a place where African and Arab cultures mingle, Sudan is home to a physically, religiously, and culturally diverse people† (5). This diversity is the result of a historical development of the country. For a very long time it was under the Turco-Egyptian rule. Since 1821 till 1881, â€Å"the south of Sudan was now open for the first time to the sustainable influence of the north, and trading networks were established. (Peters 15). Under the Egypt governance, the infrastructure of Sudan’s economy improved greatly, especially in cotton production. After 1882, when the British Empire occupied the territory of Egypt, the Khedivial government was established in the country with its corruption. When Europeans introduced the company against the slave trade, the economic development of the country decreased which resulted in economic crisis.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It was one of the leading factors that caused the rise of Mahdist forces, who had two major victories in 1885, â€Å"when they captured Kassala and Sennar† (Featherstone 7). Mahdi was a religious leader who managed to lead the northern tribes to a successful fight against the Turco-Egyptian rule. In 1884, the British government offered to general Gordon to evacuate Egyptian people, but the operation was unsuccessful. â€Å"The Mahdists held power for 13 years while Britain and other colonial powers conquered other regions of Africa† (Levy and Latif 27) and in this time, the his government did nothing to restore a social order in the country. General Herbert Kitchener was sent to Sudan and it was under his commandment when the country was invaded by the Anglo-Egyptian army under his rule. In the battle of Omdurman, â€Å"Major General Sir Herbert Kitchener defeated the Mahdist forces under the command of Abdullah el-Taaishi† (Boddy-Evans n. pg.). Kitchener’s forces moved slowly, they occupied Dongala. Mahdi did not consider the attacks as something serious and â€Å"sent 14,000 men to attack the British near Atara† (Hickman n. pg.). The success of the British army was guaranteed as they were equipped with the latest military defense technology, â€Å"The Khalifas plan of attack appears to have been complex and ingenious. It was, however, based on an extraordinary miscalculation of the power of modern weapons; with the exception of this cardinal error, it is not necessary to criticize it† (Churchill 270). The battle continued for several hours u ntil the whole army of Khalif was destroyed. The battle was a starting point for establishing of the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium: â€Å"Some measure of relief would only arrive with the defeat of Mahdist forces at the Battle of Omdurman in 1898 followed by the formation of the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium government† (Miner n. pg.). During the Anglo-Egyptian rule, the major focus of the economical development was on the rise of agriculture. In 1922 â€Å"closed areas† were introduced in some regions on order to control the â€Å"internal slave trade†. In addition, :restrictions on work and travel were used in some provinces to control the spread of Muslim influence† (Peters 16).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Battle of Omdurman specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More By the mid 1930th, two regions of the country, North and South, became almost fully separated from each other. By the 1946, the road to independence was opened. The British government was trying to prevent the claims of Egypt to control Sudan and began the program that should be resulted in the independence of Sudan from Egypt. In 1954, Sudan became an independent state. The consequences of the battle influenced on the current development of the international security politics. The major task is to maintain peace and prevent internal and external military conflicts and enhance human security, â€Å"What is fundamentally important is to acknowledge that ‘reconciliation’ at all politico-social levels, including at a grass-root level within different communities, is the key to ending conflict and reconstructing peace† (Inoguchi n. pg.) In addition, Sudanese intellectuals should thing about the reasons why after 50 years of independence from Britain, â€Å"we are still unable reach a consensus on a way to govern the country that will allow all Sudanese to contribute to its social and economic dev elopment† (Mohamed 1). Thus, the results of the battle of Omdurman had a great influence on the further historical and political development of the country and influenced on the current developments in international security politics. Boddy-Evans, Alistair. Battle of Omdurman. 2 Sep. 2009. Web. Hickman, Kennedy. Mahdist War: Battle of Omdurman. About.com Guide. Web.Advertising Looking for essay on asian? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Churchill, Winston S. The River War: An Account of the Reconquest of the Sudan. San Diego: Icon Group International, Inc., 2008. Featherstone, Donald. Omdurman 1898: Kitcheners victory in the Sudan. London: Osprey Publishing, 1993. Inoguchi, Kuniko. Conference on the Implementation, By the Arab States, of the UN Programme of Action on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons. 18 Dec. 2003. Web. Keown-Boyd, Henry. A Good Dusting: a Centenary Review of the Sudan Campaigns 1883-1899. New York: Leo Cooper in association with Secker Warburg, 1986. Levy, Patricia, and Zawiah Abdul Latif. Sudan. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2007 Miner, Edward. The Historical Background of Missionary Activity in the Southern Sudan. 29 Aug. 2003. Web. Mohamed, Hafiz. Attack of Omdurman the Ramification for Sudan. Web. Peters, Chris. Sudan: a Nation in the Balance. Oxfam: Oxfam, 1996. Spiers, Edward M. Sudan: the Reconquest Reappraised. New York: Routledge, 1998. â€Å"The Battle of Omdurman-Sudan 1898†. 22 Nov. 2002. Web.