Intro to Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Intro to Philosophy - Essay Example the individual private conversations with ourselves that we conduct ‘in our heads.† People therefore talk about "making up my mind" "changing my mind" or of being "of two minds" about some matter about which a decision is required. This fits in with the idea that the mind is a very private and personal area to which no other person has access. The etymology of the word in English shows how there is some confusion as to what ‘mind’ actually means. In Old English it was ‘gemynd’, a word used to refer to memory and intention as well as thinking (, Harper 2012), even ‘having the mind aroused’. In Greek the word ‘memona’ referred to both yearning for something and also madness. In Latin, as in Old English, the word was linked to recall and memory. In English by the 14th century ‘to mind’ meant to remember. In French however the word is ‘esprit’ or spirit, and in German ‘geist’ i.e. ghost , both referring to an intangible something. The brain is obviously a physical object, it can be measured, observed, even weighed. With modern imaging techniques it is even possible to see it in action, chemically, neurologically and electronically. The mind however is much less tangible – something we all know exists yet cannot quite explain. It is a separate entity. Our body can be totally relaxed, even asleep, but the mind can be very active. The reverse can also be true - we are running along perhaps, pushing our body to its physical limits, while at the same time the mind is simply ticking over, thinking of almost nothing. The mind can be defined as that part of conscious beings which reasons, perceives, thinks, wills and judges. The Free Dictionary defines the mind as being :- The human consciousness that originates in the brain and is manifested especially in thought, perception, emotion, will, memory and imagination. It is also described in the same dictionary as :- T he collective conscious and unconscious processes in a sentient organism that direct and influence mental and physical behavior. All cognitive being are born with amazing brains and minds, yet it is something about which humanity in general knows relatively very little. This essay will consider various views on the subject, looking at research, at opinions, secular ideas and religious texts. It is likely that man, from earliest time, has been aware that he is made up of more than physical things, more even than what he perceives through his senses - man is after all a dreamer and also capable of spiritual experiences. Probably the oldest known ideas about the mind come from Zoroaster who may have lived as long ago as 2000 B.C.E.(Parsa, undated), although estimates of his dates vary considerably. According to his biographer Zoroaster, a Persian philosopher and the founder of the Zoroastrian religion taught that :- By keeping the mind healthy and by making use of creative forces, indi viduals can find satisfaction and passion in what they do. In Buddhism the body is compared to a house and our mind to a guest staying there. According to this belief when a person dies their mind moves on into the next life or place , and the house, as houses do, stays behind to be taken care of. (Kadampa 2010). The same article also points out that, as the mind is formless, it is totally unrestricted by physical objects – which explains why it is possible to dream or to consider something without being in its

Othello Essay Example for Free

Othello Essay In the play of â€Å"Othello†, Shakespeare skillfully uses the opposition of light and darkness to express the ironic conflict of race and Othello’s internal conflict propelled by his sense of otherness and jealousy. By doing so, Shakespeare challenges the audience’s traditional associations of light and darkness. He also allows us to see the how internal conflict could lead to one’s complete destruction. Shakespeare uses the opposition of light and darkness to express the racial conflict in â€Å"Othello†. Literally, light and darkness can be represented as white and black. The time period during which the play is set has an Elizabethan audience who made general associations with these two colours. White was generally associated with fairness and nobility; whereas black was usually assigned to negative connotations such as evil and corruption. However in this play, Iago and Othello are portrayed inversely against this traditional generalization. Othello has a black physical appearance but inside, he’s a fair and noble hero at the beginning of the play. This is supported when the Duke of Venice comforts Brabantio about the marriage of Othello and Desdemona by saying that â€Å"Your son-in-law is far more fair than black†. In contrast of Othello, Iago is a white man in the Venetian society with an absolute black soul. He plots against Othello throughout the play for his own benefits and to satisfy his professional jealousy. In his revenge plan, Iago remarks that Othello â€Å"will as tenderly be led by th’nose/ As asses are†. Iago’s duplicity is also proved by his confession to Roderigo. He states he belongs to the kind of people who â€Å"trimmed in forms and visages of duty. Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves†. Through the traditional associations around light and darkness as well as black and white, Shakespeare shows us the ironic contrast between Othello and Iago, while the black-skinned Othello is pure and the white- skinned Iago is corrupt, a Machiavellian, a personality type, someone who was not true to their word, and it’s the one that the Elizabethan audience feared. In this manner, Shakespeare challenged the general ideas of the Elizabethan society which ranked black people racially to be lower. Shakespeare also allows us to consider the representation of appearance versus reality. What we see with our own eyes is not always the truth, so it’s not necessary for anyone to have racial bias. Shakespeare also employs the opposition of light and darkness to express Othello’s internal conflict. Figuratively, light can be associated with love and honesty, whilst darkness can be used to represent suspicion and jealousy. Throughout the play, Othello always views himself honourable, as the light, and so is his love for Desdemona, which is also associated with light. However, after Iago has manipulated him into believing Desdemona is unfaithful, he starts to suspect his wife’s fidelity, â€Å"I think my wife be honest, and think she is not†. His solution to his internal conflict is to kill Desdemona. But the metaphor â€Å"put out the light, and then put out the light† suggests that he still doubts whether his wife is truly unfaithful or not, as he refers to Desdemona as the light. Ultimately, he regrets his commitment of killing Desdemona by referring to her as a â€Å"pearl† and himself â€Å"the base Judean† who throws it away. Yet in his final speech, Othello presents to the audience his insistence that he is â€Å"not easily jealous†. This brings us, the audience, to see the tragedy of the play, the power that Iago wielded, and the great loss of love. Through the use of the opposition of light and darkness, Shakespeare expresses how Othello has kept switching his belief and judgment from rightness to falseness. The fact that Othello is a black man being in a white world is vital. His sense of feeling himself as â€Å"other† exacerbates his insecurity. This dark side of Othello’s character as a result causes him to lose self-control and commit a series of irrational actions. We witness his shift away from his original lightness. Shakespeare therefore shows us that the Moor has become internally darkened through his internal conflict in terms of feeling jealous and his sense of otherness. In conclusion, Shakespeare uses the opposition of light and darkness to show us the racial conflict in the Elizabethan society and the internal conflict of Othello. He inverts Iago, a white man, as evil, and Othello, a black good man who does wrong because of Iago. Shakespeare therefore challenges the Elizabethan audience’s traditional associations of black and white. â€Å"Othello† is the play that allows us to connect with Othello’s action. We are shown how people can complete an absolute destruction when they are caught by their internal conflict, just as the noble Othello has been darkened by his sense of insecurity and jealousy.

A Study of Narcissism :: Psychology Essays

A Study of Narcissism Missing works cited Spanning back to the era of ancient Greek mythology, narcissism is currently recognized as an â€Å"infatuation and obsession with one’s self to the exclusion of all others†, and as the egocentric pursuit of one’s gratification, dominance and ambition† (Vaknin 1). This egocentric disorder is named after the ancient Greek myth of Narcissus- a man so enchanted by his own reflection that he pined away before it. The origin of narcissism as an acknowledged psychosis is deeply rooted in the mythological source of its very namesake. Narcissus’ obsession with image shows his self-idolization, but also hints toward an insecurity regarding identity and self worth (Alford 3). According to Ovid’s classic account, Narcissus is quoted saying: â€Å"Am I the lover or beloved? Then why make love? Since I am what I long for, then my riches are So great they make me poor.† (Ovid 464) Parallel in character to Narcissus, those diagnosed with his disorder are consumed by an exaggerated drive for supremacy and control. Characteristic also is a predilection toward entitlement. Narcissists tend to the notion that one is worthy of great admiration and esteem, regardless of his or her accomplishments (Vaknin 5). Present psychology diagnoses this sort of self-fascination as a distinctive mental health illness - Narcissistic Personality Disorder, or NPD as documented in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistics Manuel (1994). Common characteristics of an individual afflicted by the disorder include: feelings of grandiosity, desiring a state of unequalled brilliance, the need for constant affirmation, and the â€Å"interpersonal exploitation†(DSM 1994) of others for self- achievement. Narcissism is usually seen as an infatuation with self so acute that the welfare of others is ignored. This is due to the narcissistic opinion that people exterior to the ‘self’ simply serve to mirror one’s own importance. As analyzed by Freud, the story of Narcissus and its resulting condition can be divided into two categories: â€Å"regressive† versus â€Å"progressive† (Alford 35). Freud interprets narcissistic behavior as neither sick nor healthy, but indicative of the normal human condition.

The Role of Religion in Presidential Elections

The Role of Religion in Presidential Elections â€Å"The relationship between faith, reason, and fear sometimes resembles†¦rock, paper, scissors (45). † This is the opening sentence in chapter two of Al Gore’s book, The Assault on Reason. In this chapter Gore talks about how fear takes over reason, reason challenges faith, and eventually faith defeats fear. This is the way that our society worked when he wrote the book, and it has not changed for the better since then, although it has not necessarily gotten substantially worse.Today religion is still a huge player in political debate because people are guided, for the most part, by their morals and it is commonly held that morals come mainly from religious teachings. This is a complex subject because that also opens the door to the idea that atheists, agnostics, etc are not moral people because they are not religious. By that logic, only the religious should be allowed to lead our country because they are the only moral people. Do we believe that all religions are good, though? Are some better than others?Ideally, and under our Constitution, no; all religions are equal in the eyes of our laws. However, there are stigmas attached to certain religions, and to many non-religious people there is a stigma on religion itself. So why, then, does religion play such a large role in political campaigns? It’s simple; because we view religion as having a direct correlation with morals, politicians, political parties, and interest groups can use fear to override our reason in order to sway our opinions. Historically, here in the United States, our citizens have elected white Christian men to the office of the President.To go even further, we have elected Protestant Christians to office. It is apparent that, political parties aside, we have a preference as to what our President should be, religiously. We have only had one Roman Catholic President, John F. Kennedy; during his campaign there were fear s that he would follow the wishes of the Bishop rather than the people. To some degree we still hold these beliefs. If we did not, religion wouldn’t be used as a fear tactic. The colonists who came from England were escaping religious repression, and were the inspiration for our freedom of religion.In modern times, we seem to have lost sight of that. Four years ago, Barack Obama was running for office for the first time. Among many other controversies, i. e. whether he was actually born a U. S. citizen, was the rumor that Obama is a Muslim and not a Christian as he has time and time again identified himself to be. In the United States, where we have the freedom of religion outlined in our Constitution, people were worried that someone of a Muslim background would be able to become the most powerful man in the world.A large part of that fear certainly stems from the attacks on September 11, 2001 but surely there is no legitimate reason to fear Muslims other than the combinatio n of our ignorance of Muslim culture and faith, and the fear that is instilled in us not only by political parties but by non-affiliated extremist groups as well, that say all Muslims are terrorists. Barack Obama went on to win the election, which is not surprising because the public could see right through these shaky scare tactics. However, this has not stopped people from trying to use it in the current election.In a ninety second audio clip taken from a call between a Republican volunteer and a constituent, the volunteer calls Obama a Muslim and says that he wants to take away their Medicare (Dixon, 2012). So even though this tactic has not worked in the past, it doesn’t do much to stop people from trying to spread these rumors again. Between the 2008 election and the upcoming election not much has changed, although in this year’s election the religion card will likely play a larger role in who will win the electorate.Mitt Romney is a Mormon, and while the small ou tcry claiming Obama to be a Muslim was never on firm ground, there is no question of Romney’s religion. This is where we fall back to the days of Kennedy’s campaign. People are worried that Romney will place his religious views before the welfare of our nation. The accusation that people are making is that he is incapable of leading our country because he is a Mormon. Some of the big issues on his plate currently involve women’s rights.As a Mormon, he does not believe in abortion and has made it clear that he would try to pass legislation that sets the beginning of life at conception. While there are certainly non-Mormon people who do not believe in abortion, this is being attributed to his religion. Fifty years ago, or even twenty-five to thirty years ago, this would have been a non-issue. Romney’s beliefs would have been more in line with the more conservative nature of the time period. Needless to say Mitt Romney faces an uphill battle on his quest for the White House.Given all of this information, it would seem very apparent that religion plays a huge role in presidential elections. This is true, but not necessarily in the way that one might think. According to an article in the Huffington Post, most Americans say that it is important for the President to have strong religious beliefs, even if the beliefs differ from their own. This information seems to undermine what the media would have us believe. In addition, constituents tend not to know or be confused about the candidates’ actual religion.Only four in ten citizens could correctly identify Mitt Romney’s religion and forty-six percent of American’s said they did not know (Neroulias, 2011). This goes back to the idea of morals; those who have religion are moral and good, while those who do not cannot be moral and therefore should not lead our country. In the end, politics have not done much to change for the better. We still fear religions that we have no need to fear, and this is largely because fear tactics are used every day by political parties as well as extremists who have the ability to make it into mainstream media.Absolutely anyone can start a rumor that a candidate is Muslim and can’t be trusted, and that could catch like wildfire, or it could be blown off for the most part. It is also exponentially easier to take a candidates religion and a single belief, and then convince the country that he should not be President. Another thing that we see is that citizens place a large emphasis on religion itself, but there is still a large stigma on religions that are not traditional Christian. Until we become collectively more knowledgeable about other religions and debates become more informed, not much could possibly change.References Dixon, M. (2012, September 27). Call from clay county gop:obama is a muslim who'll take away medicare. Retrieved from http://m. jacksonville. com/news/metro/2012-09-27/story/call-clay-county-g op-obama-muslim-wholl-take-away-medicare Gore, A. (2007). The assault on reason. (p. 45). New York, NY: Penguin Group. Neroulias, N. (2011, September 24). How religious identity is influencing the presidential election. Retrieved from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2011/07/25/presidential-candidates-religious-beliefs_n_908858. html

Agricultural News in BTV Versus ATN in Bangladesh

Among television channels we have 4, 24hour news based television channels (moi. gov. bd). Once upon a time Bangladesh needs to depend on foreign media to know the information. But after 1997 with the permission of first satellite private television station ATN Bangle these rights explore its wings, and in 2000 with the hands of Ekushe Television the Information sector got an energetic change In the country (Akhter, 2003). Following this continuity, the media now enjoying the freedom of press as well as the people are enjoying the free flow of information.But it is found that the sampled television channels are confined only in he capital city of Bangladesh. But we should remember that almost 66 percent of our people are still living in rural area and economy mostly depends on our agriculture. So Media has a huge responsibility to develop the agriculture for better contribution In our economy. But media of our country do not telecast proper and sumclent content Tor tne development 0T our agrlculture. In tne contrary, tney produce the programs and content which only urban based.Even this tendency is also noticed in the content of their prime time news. That is why, the report would be n this issue that the channels are not telecast the agricultural news sufficiently during prime time news.

The Aztec essays

The Aztec essays Rebellion, battle, sickness, triumph, worship and human sacrifice. Thats what one may learn about that Aztec culture if one were compelled too. All of which I have read about in this case study. A history of ancient militia, nomadic migration and some of the earliest conquering of territory in human history. The Aztec civilization was primitive yet genius with their early tools of agriculture and weapons of warfare. Through unity, sacrifice, and kinship the Aztec went on to be one the largest ancient civilizations in all of existence. The Aztec civilization was believed to be formed around 1312. Nomads from northern Mexico, Central America and even native North America formed an alliance in central Mexico, calling themselves mexica. The Mexica began moving south, unfortunately their search for unsettled territory was unsuccessful at first. There was already states with their own form of irrigation and living practices. Although they continued marching south along the way they took knowledge from each state and settlement. Learning tools of agriculture as well advancing in numbers. Along their journey, evidence of dissension and internal rebellion were evident, most likely signs of frustration due to not finding a permanent settlement. This is where many that studied the Aztec believed the idea human sacrifice was derived. Every time the Aztec stopped they constructed a temple for Huitzilopotchtli this was their most sacred deity, he was responsible for providing guidance on their exodus. Human sacrifice was e ssential for keeping him happy and to continue providing safe journey. Finally some 13 years later around 1325 they arrived a Lake Texcoco, it was there that Huitzilopotchtli instructed them to stop and begin to prosper, they named the state Tenochtitlan. For the next 200 years the Aztec flourished as a civilization, highly increasing in numbers as well as military strength. By ...

The eNotes Blog Shakespeare Its in theDNA

Shakespeare Its in theDNA Are you old enough to remember when floppy disks were  actually  floppy? Or maybe when disks were 3 wide? (Yes, kids, thats what that little icon to save your work to your hard drives and flash drives represents, a hard little disk that held approximately two Word files or a half a dozen pictures (but not at the same time). Maybe you think data storage has reached its pinnacle. It is rather startling to realize you carry more technology in your pocket on your smart phone than was available for the moon landing (but with considerably less LOL cats).   But when you understand that there is now over one trillion gigabytes of information in the world, not even the iPhone 204 can keep up with that pace. (Heres what 10 trillion gigabytes looks like in numbers: 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. ten plus twenty one  zeroes). Every method of storage we have thus far employed has had long-term storage problems. CDs and DVDs scratch and wear out, as do magnetic tapes. But what about DNA, natures storage system? DNA is compact and durable. We can extract DNA information from bones that are millions of years old. It sounds like science fiction, but its actually science-in-action. Nick Goldman heads up a research team at  European Bioinformatics Institute in the U.K. Goldman and his fellow scientists are studying  DNA data storage and Goldman has written a paper on the process which appeared  Ã‚  in the journal  Nature  last week. In an interview with Ira Flatow on NPRs Science Friday, Goldman explains that DNA utilizes a storage system much like computers use ones and zeroes so [w]e wrote a computer program that embodied a code that would convert the zeros and ones from a hard disk drive into the letters that we use to represent DNA, and then we our collaborators in California    were able to actually synthesize physical DNA. Once the scientists realized this was possible, they decided what they would first try to encode and store: [W]e chose a photograph of our own institute because were sort of self-publicists at heart, I guess, and an excerpt from Martin Luther Kings speech I Have a Dream, all of Shakespeares sonnets and a PDF that contained in fact the paper, the scientific paper by Watson and Crick that first described the structure of DNA itself. All of this information, Golman says, is saved   on the equivalent of a speck of dust. How large of an area would contain all 10 trillion gigabytes of the worlds information? It would fit in the back of a station wagon.

The State Of Crappy Content (And How To Rise Above) With Barry Feldman

The State Of Crappy Content (And How To Rise Above) With Barry Feldman Does your blog stand out from your competition? Does it provide experiences that make prospects want to come back? If your blog is boring, what does that say about your products and services? But if your blog content is engaging, imagine what your target audience will think about them. Today, we’re talking to Barry Feldman, mastermind behind Feldman Creative. In this episode, Barry shares some tips on what to do and not do to create standout content, build an audience, and offer awesome experiences through your content marketing. Biggest impediment for content marketing success is tunnel vision, where companies focus explicitly on a blog but nothing more; expectations are unreal Think about the entire content marketing funnel capturing emails, building a community, and building a relationship; a blog is just a piece of that process Build an audience; create assets that excite people and don’t depend on one channel Barry’s experience with The Article Factory, a cheap content farm; you get what you pay for Barry’s price for articles is higher because he understands SEO, writing, positioning, and conversion; he can help you reach your objectives Blogs should be educational, entertaining, and inspiring; make customers the stars of your stories and showcase in-house/guest writers with opinions High-quality content is so exciting that you want more of it; the purpose of a blog content is to get someone to subscribe to your Website Invest more time and resources to create quality content; bigger is better Successful content marketers position themselves as experts in their field; communicate authority with your posts Content Marketing: Keep trying, roll with the changes, take it seriously; success isn’t instant and you don’t hit a homerun every time Links: Feldman Creative Books by Barry Feldman The Article Factory How Publishing Crappy Content Ruins Your Rankings The (Sarcastic) Guide to Publishing a Boring Blog Joe Pulizzi Write and send a review to receive a care package If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Barry Feldman â€Å"I think there’s a horrible amount of tunnel vision where (people and companies) focus explicitly on the blog and nothing more.† â€Å"You have to think about the entire funnel capturing emails, building a community, and building a relationships and a blog is just a piece of that.† â€Å"You can build an audience in a lot of ways. But if you’re depending entirely on any one channelyou may or may not build an audience.† â€Å"Content marketing succeeds when subject matter experts and talented creatorscome together.†

Writer's choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Writer's choice - Essay Example To her, the 6-year old protagonist is a symbol of the racially discriminated, belonging to the weaker sex and ultimately representing those who are unable to fight for their basic rights. She is the epitome of the Black race, considered to be survivors because they are rough and tough. Similarly, Henry Giroux uses the same approach to call the attention of his readers to see what the images after Katrina really meant. Racism, feminism and violence may be the thesis of Hook’s argument but Giroux shifts from racism to specifically point out the social issue on class, where the poor are involved. Katrina may be just a story of disaster to many people but to the second writer, it is a calamity that exposed the naked truth about how the poor are disregarded in America. During Katrina, decaying bodies of different colors including Whites, males and females, young and old; were left alone for several days. Giroux mentions that this shows how the poor are not given much attention; they were not the priority of the government. It may not be necessary to mention but perhaps, if only the cadavers will not become threats to the health of people and the political status of officials, they would have been totally

White Collar Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

White Collar Crime - Essay Example 214). In the United States of America, the punishments for white-collar criminals include fines, imprisonment, probation, and other similar punishments. The law that regulates white-collar crimes in the United States is the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which is a federal criminal law that protects public and shareholders from fraudulent practices (Green, 2004). There are three main rules, which regulate this law. Ge and McVay (2005) state, â€Å"The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of 2002 requires the implementation of many new rules and procedures†. The first rule prevents people from altering, destroying, or mutilating any financial record. The second rule holds accountants responsible for maintaining the audit reports for a period of 5 years. The third rule ensures the retention of all types of business records and electronic transaction records. Although complete prevention of white-collar crimes is not possible, but the government of America has been successful in reducing the white-collar crime rate to some extent through implementing such policies that restrict higher officials from accessing the private records. Although this strategy has decreased in the United States of America over the last decade, but we cannot consider it a notable decrease. The reason is the rise of technology, which has made it easier for criminals to access the private records of banks, organizations, and other financial institutions. Two other strategies, which have been successful in the reduction of white-collar crimes, are Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) and Crime Prevention through Awareness and Procedural Design (CPTAPD). People commit white-collar crimes when they see that the chances of incarceration are less as compared to the benefits of crimes. The government of America has also achieved success in reducing the white-collar crimes by setting a corruption-free system. A

Safety Aspects of Food Processing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Safety Aspects of Food Processing - Essay Example Such secondary manufacturers can include re-packers, food caterers, and food retail outlets. As of a decade ago, the working legislation relating to this topic is EC Regulation No 2073/2005. It states that food should â€Å"not contain micro-organisms their toxins and metabolites in quantities that present an unacceptable risk for human health† (European Commission 2005). In addition, existing policy does require that some food business operators be required to demonstrate that the foods the produce comply with the stated criteria related to microbiological material throughout the entire period of time mentioned in the shelf-life. This relates specifically to reasonable and foreseeable conditions of distribution, storage, and use of the food. In regard to labelling, it is important to note that the legal definition of shelf life in Europe is defined as the ‘date of minimum durability’. This means that it refers to the date until which a food can be reasonably expe cted to retain its specific properties as long as it is stored properly. Another important term to note is the ‘use by date’, which relates to a microbiological perspective. Within a short period of time after this date, the food would be deemed to constitute an immediate threat to the health of a human. As such, as the the ‘use by date’ has passed, the consumer should consider the food to be unsafe, but prior to this date they have the expectation that it is, indeed, safe. In addition, the ‘best before date’ is taken to mean to the date until which a food retains its specific properties when it is stored properly. The properties include, but are not limited to, appearance, odour, texture, and flavour. It is one thing to understand the legal requirements of properly setting a valid shelf-life duration for any given product, but it is another thing entirely to do so

Hypothesis Testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Hypothesis Testing - Essay Example These projections are based on the average marks for the whole class in which those parents get the insights of their students’ performance before, the results are out. Therefore, the null and alternative hypotheses may be stated as; From these two propositions, the first one (H0) is the null hypothesis while the H1 is the alternative hypothesis. Such an idea is based on the idea of probability and the rejecting the null hypothesis may be influenced by different factors (John, 2007). If the students do not revise well and cover the expected chapters, their performance will be adversely affected and the chances are high that they will not attain the mean mark of 50%. Therefore, under such circumstances the null hypothesis will be rejected and conclude that the mean mark was less than 50%. However, Type I error may occur whereby the H0 is rejected while the students had performed to the average mark. Such an idea may be caused by computational errors or using a poor approach (John, 2007). On the other hand, we could accept the H0 and conclude that the mean mark was on average of 50% when on reality the mean mark was less than 50%. Such an aspect allows the tutor to report a false result (John,

Tax avoidance and evasion schemes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tax avoidance and evasion schemes - Assignment Example The government has made tax evasion and avoidance one of its key priorities so as to reduce the deficit and boost the exchequer (Alan 2011). Tax evasion is illegal way of minimizing taxes thus stiff penalties are involved on individual or corporate bodies who evade taxes. Unintentional mathematical errors in tax returns are not considered to be tax evasion (McGee 2012). Tax avoidance is a legal way of minimizing tax liability, and it involves planning in advance an intended transaction so as to get a specific tax treatment. Individuals can minimize taxes through tax planning for example through schemes. Avoidance also involves disclosure. Tax avoidance and evasion schemes a) Defined contribution retirement plan Contributing money to a qualified employer sponsored retirement plan helps in reducing tax liability. A defined contribution retirement plan is an IRS approved retirement plan sponsored by an employer. Contributions made by the employees to these schemes are tax deductible, an d as a result, the tax payable is reduced. For example, if an employee who is in a tax bracket of 25% contributes 2000, he will save 500 (McGee 2012). Another benefit with defined contribution retirement plan is that the contributions made by the employee to the scheme are invested to a mutual fund. ... Such expenses include qualified parking, transit passes and van pool commuting. These savings made from the payroll are deductible for tax purposes thus tax payable is minimized (Alan 2011). c) Flexible spending account This account is also referred to as an expense reimbursement account designed for employees who pay for the child or parent care. FSA helps employees fund medical and dental expenses through salary deduction to out of pocket unreimbursed health care expenses limited by law to $2,500 annually and depended care up to a maximum of $5,000 annually (McGee 2012). Example includes prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs and annual deductibles. d) High income child benefit charge According to the Finance Act 2012 section 681B, a person is only legible to claim the high income child benefit charge if personal income for the year exceeds ?50,000 (Great Britain 2011). Also, when either a person or his partner are entitled to receive child benefit, or get contributions from someone else who claims Child Benefit for a child who lives with you..If you are liable to the tax charge and your income increases or drops, this can affect whether you continue to be liable or how much tax charge you have to pay. If your individual income drops to ?50,000 or less for a tax year you will not have to pay the tax charge (Karayan and Swenson 2007). e) Offshore business structures Investors make investments through non-resident companies especially ones with lower tax jurisdictions. Tax charged on rental receipts for overseas investments is 20% unlike 26% charged to residents. The tax is withheld by tenants or appointed agents from their rent. Alternatively, an approval from HMRC can be obtains for rents to be received at

IT - Virtual Reality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

IT - Virtual Reality - Research Paper Example In view of the fact that it involves so many factors, hence it took a lot of time and efforts to build it what it is nowadays. In addition, the virtual reality is yet a great deal hyped term that carries people to consider on the eternal virtues of this rising technology and paradigm. However, with the passage of time we are observing a lot of real implementations of virtual reality appearing into life (VRS, 2009). This paper presents a detailed overview of virtual reality. In this scenario, this research will cover a lot of aspects which are related to virtual reality such as its history, its associated elements and advantages. History of Virtual Reality The idea of virtual reality has always been in under construction and optional for many years, even though the public simply became aware of it in the early 90s. Basically, the history of virtual reality can be traced back in the mid 50s; when Morton Heilig who was a cinematographer imagined a theatre experience that would excite al l his audiences’ senses, catching them into the stories more efficiently. For this purpose, he constructed a single client console in the 60s, which is known as the  Sensorama  that incorporated fans, a stereoscopic display, stereo  speakers, odor emitters  and a moving chair. In addition, he as well invented a head-mounted  TV to allow the people to watch TV in 3-D. In this scenario, users were passive viewers of the films, however a lot of Heilig’s ideas have discovered their way in the VR field (Strickland, 2012). After that Philco Corporation  engineers  developed the primary HMD in 1961 that is known as  Headsight. The helmet comprised a video screen and tracking system that engineers connected to a high-tech closed circuit camera system. They projected the HMD for utilizing in hazardous situations; a user could watch a real situation remotely, connected to the camera angle through turning his head. In 1965, a computer scientist Ivan Sutherland vis ualized what he named as Ultimate  Display. This Ultimate Display allowed the people to look into a virtual world that would come into view as a real world the user lived in. This idea directed almost all the developments within the areas of virtual reality (Strickland, 2012). In 1966, Sutherland built an HMD that was connected to a  computer  system. In this scenario, the computer was used to offer all the graphics for display. He used a deferment system to grip the HMD, as it was very heavy for a person to support comfortably. In addition, the HMD was able to show images in stereo, offering the delusion of depth, and it could as well follow the user’s head activities so that the field of sight would change suitably as the user looked about (Strickland, 2012). What is Virtual Realty Basically, the term Virtual Reality can be utilized in different scenarios with a lot of definitions. For instance, the majority of people consider VR as a specific set of tools and technol ogies such as a Glove Input Device, Head Mounted Display and Audio. Additionally, a lot of people use this phrase to add traditional books, pure fantasy, movies and thoughts.

Tax avoidance and evasion schemes Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tax avoidance and evasion schemes - Assignment Example The government has made tax evasion and avoidance one of its key priorities so as to reduce the deficit and boost the exchequer (Alan 2011). Tax evasion is illegal way of minimizing taxes thus stiff penalties are involved on individual or corporate bodies who evade taxes. Unintentional mathematical errors in tax returns are not considered to be tax evasion (McGee 2012). Tax avoidance is a legal way of minimizing tax liability, and it involves planning in advance an intended transaction so as to get a specific tax treatment. Individuals can minimize taxes through tax planning for example through schemes. Avoidance also involves disclosure. Tax avoidance and evasion schemes a) Defined contribution retirement plan Contributing money to a qualified employer sponsored retirement plan helps in reducing tax liability. A defined contribution retirement plan is an IRS approved retirement plan sponsored by an employer. Contributions made by the employees to these schemes are tax deductible, an d as a result, the tax payable is reduced. For example, if an employee who is in a tax bracket of 25% contributes 2000, he will save 500 (McGee 2012). Another benefit with defined contribution retirement plan is that the contributions made by the employee to the scheme are invested to a mutual fund. ... Such expenses include qualified parking, transit passes and van pool commuting. These savings made from the payroll are deductible for tax purposes thus tax payable is minimized (Alan 2011). c) Flexible spending account This account is also referred to as an expense reimbursement account designed for employees who pay for the child or parent care. FSA helps employees fund medical and dental expenses through salary deduction to out of pocket unreimbursed health care expenses limited by law to $2,500 annually and depended care up to a maximum of $5,000 annually (McGee 2012). Example includes prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs and annual deductibles. d) High income child benefit charge According to the Finance Act 2012 section 681B, a person is only legible to claim the high income child benefit charge if personal income for the year exceeds ?50,000 (Great Britain 2011). Also, when either a person or his partner are entitled to receive child benefit, or get contributions from someone else who claims Child Benefit for a child who lives with you..If you are liable to the tax charge and your income increases or drops, this can affect whether you continue to be liable or how much tax charge you have to pay. If your individual income drops to ?50,000 or less for a tax year you will not have to pay the tax charge (Karayan and Swenson 2007). e) Offshore business structures Investors make investments through non-resident companies especially ones with lower tax jurisdictions. Tax charged on rental receipts for overseas investments is 20% unlike 26% charged to residents. The tax is withheld by tenants or appointed agents from their rent. Alternatively, an approval from HMRC can be obtains for rents to be received at

Sports Sponsorship Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sports Sponsorship - Term Paper Example This paper is aimed at analyzing the extent of sponsorship by indicating what has been spent and by whom with the aim of arming the readers with the relevant information in planning for sponsorship. Sports sponsorship is a golden opportunity for companies to market their products on a large scale. Whenever companies align their products with the value of the sport, the result is that the customers associate the success of the brand with that of the sports team that they sponsor. The linkage of brands and the emotional connection that the target consumers have for particular sports in one of the largest market places in the world can have a profound impact on the market share of those brands. Brands and corporations can have the power to leverage upon the sponsorship of certain sports with the goal of building a long lasting relationship with the customers. The emotional bond that sports enthusiasts attach to the sports can be transferred to a brand if the sponsorship is right. Such b onds are not usually temporary and in most cases last for a lifetime (Dobson & Goddard, 2001). This presents the corporations with the perfect opportunity to capitalize on those opportunities by building customer loyalty which may be the cure for surviving economic uncertainty in the long term. Discussion TV programming now encompasses a vast diversity in terms of coverage of sports events. There are many channels that are now dedicated entirely on sports. Studies that have been done on the Spanish population reveal that 70% of them watch news where about 20% is dedicated to sport which is the same amount of time dedicated to politics (Garcia & Rodriguez, 2002). It is no wonder that sports stars now enjoy the same level, if not more, of prestige as do the politicians. Olympic Games and world football are the two major events in the world that drive people in a frenzy. These events easily bring countries where they are being held to a standstill. The previous events and most recently the Olympics in Beijing, previous world football events like the recent world cup in South Africa are some of the examples of the enthusiasm that is attached to sports. The physiognomy of a country changes rapidly due to hosting an international event. The Olympics for example changes both the physical as well as the economic standing of the country it is held in. PricewaterhouseCoopers, an audit firm conducted a study in 2004 which placed the impact of the Sydney Olympics as having been 2.78% of Australia’s GDP in that year. The 1996 Atlanta Games also accounted for 2.41% of the American GDP. Professional football also has a profound impact on the GDP of a country. In Spain, for example, the industry accounts for 1.7% of the GDP and rises to 2.5% when in relation to the service sector. With such immense numbers both in terms of revenue and the attendance by the people, corporations see it as a perfect opportunity to market their products. Real Madrid, a football club in Spa in, is one of the most reputable worldwide. The election of Florentino Perez as its president had a profound effect on the club. He is responsible for the success of what was referred to as the Galacticos era or the Galaxy players. These players were world class and they were brought in order to improve the image of the club. Perez referred to the club as being both a brand and content. The brand was built on the human resources who included the players, coaches and the management

Tourette Syndrome Essay Example for Free

Tourette Syndrome Essay Tourette syndrome (TS) is a chronic, familial, neurobiological disorder with its   onset in childhood and is marked by presence of involuntary motor movements and sounds, known as motor and vocal tics respectively (Bagheri, Kerbeshian Burd, 1999). According to Lingui-Systems (1999, cited in Prestia, 2003), approximately 1 in every 2,500 individuals suffer from TS, with boys being diagnosed more frequently than girls. Tourettes syndrome also known as Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (after its discoverer Georges Gilles de la Tourette, a French neurologist), can be considered to be the most complex and severe manifestation of the spectrum of tic disorders (Kwak Jankovic, 2002). Etiology and Pathogenesis The exact cause of TS is not known. TS is supposed to have a multifactorial etiology with, genetic and environmental factors playing an important role in its development. Concordance rate of about 60% in monozygotic twins and 10% in dizygotic twins suggest genetic basis behind TS (Bagheri et al, 1999). The mode of transmission of Tourettes syndrome is controversial. Though the exact patho-physiological mechanism underlying the disease has yet not been discovered, abnormalities in basal ganglia (shown in figure 1) and frontal cortex have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Tourettes syndrome (Bagheri et al). Abnormality in secretion of neuro-transmitters especially dopamine is also thought to be associated with TS (Bagheri et al). Figure1. Brain Structures Involved in Tourette Syndrome Source: John Henkel, J. (2006). Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved on 21 April 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Brain_structure.gif Symptoms Tourettes syndrome follows a fluctuating course in most children. Symptoms   usually appear at about 6-7 years of age.   Many factors like anxiety, stress, substance abuse etc can intensify tics. Presence of tics (both motor and vocal) is characteristic of TS. According to American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition- text revision. (DSM-IV-TR, 2000), tics are defined as sudden, rapid, purposeless, repetitive, non-rhythmic, stereotyped movements or vocalizations. Tics in TS are not constantly present (except in extremely severe cases) and occur on a background of normal motor activity (Kwak Jankovic, 2002). This disorder usually begins with simple tics which progress over time into more complex ones.   Different types of simple and complex tics as described by Bagheri et al (1999) which can be seen in patients with TS have been enumerated in table 1. Besides TS, tics can be seen associated with other neurologic disorders like (encephalitis, Huntington’s disease etc). These secondary tics, not associated with Tourette syndrome are commonly referred to as tourettism ((Bagheri et al, 1999). Table 1.Common Types of Tics Seen in Patients with Tourette Syndrome. SIMPLE TICS COMPLEX TICS Motor tics Vocal or phonic tics Motor tics Vocal or phonic tics Eye blinking Throat clearing Flapping arms Talking to oneself Sticking tongue out Sniffing Facial grimacing Assuming different intonations Head turning Barking Adjusting or picking at clothing Coprolalia: blurting out obscene or socially inappropriate words or phrases Jerking of head or shoulders Coughing Complex touching movements Echolalia:   involuntary repetition of the words of others Muscle tensing Yelling Jumping Palilalia: involuntary repetition of ones own words Flexing fingers Hiccupping Shaking feet Kicking Belching Poking and pinching Producing animal sounds Copropraxia: involuntary performance of obscene gestures Kissing self or others Spitting Source: Bagheri, M.M. Kerbeshian, J., Burd, L. (1999). Recognition and management of Tourette’s Syndrome and tic disorders. American Family Physician, 59 (8). Retrieved on 21 April from http://www.aafp.org/afp/990415ap/2263.html Motor tics Motor tics can be described as brief movements which occur due to   involuntary muscle contraction. Motor tics can be simple or complex in nature (see table 1). Tics usually occur as an involuntary movement or as a response to an involuntary urge to perform the movement (Kwak Jankovic, 2002). These involuntary movements are often perceived as voluntary by the patient and he tries to suppress them. Suppression of tics results in building up of an inner tension or a feeling of discomfort. This leads a further burst of tics which is relieved after performance of the movement (Kwak Jankovic, 2002). Vocal tics Vocal or phonic tics represent involuntary sounds produced due to contraction of   nasal or oro-pharyngeal muscles (Kwak Jankovic, 2002). Like somatic motor tics, vocal tics can also be divided into simple and complex tics (shown in table 1). Coprolalia once thought to be characteristic of TS is present in about 8-25% cases (Bagheri et al, 1999). Another type of speech disturbance present in some patients is ‘blocking tics’. They are manifested by either hesitancy in starting the speech or sudden interruption in the flow of normal speech (Kwak Jankovic, 2002) Developmental stuttering is also sometimes seen in patients with TS (Kwak Jankovic, 2002). Tourette’s syndrome is often associated with other co-morbid conditions like obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), behavior problems and learning disabilities (Prestia, 2003). Diagnosis Diagnosis of TS is usually made clinically based on recognition of tics. The Diagnostic criteria for TS as defined by American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition- text revision. (DSM-IV-TR), 2000 is shown in table 1. Table 1. DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic Criteria for Tourettes Disorder A Presence of both motor and vocal tics at some time during the illness, although not necessarily concurrently. B The tics occur many times a day (usually in bouts) nearly every day or intermittently throughout a period of more than 1 year, and during this period there is never a tic-free period of more than 3 consecutive months. C The onset of symptoms is before the age of 18 years. D TS is diagnosed after ruling out the presence of symptoms due to direct effect of drugs of abuse or general medical conditions (e.g., Huntingtons disease or post viral encephalitis). Treatment      Ã‚  Ã‚  Treatment of TS may require a multi-disciplinary team approach involving   neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, educators etc. (Kwak Jankovic, 2002).An algorithm for management of TS as described by Bagheri et al (1999) is shown in figure 2. Pharmacological therapy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Medical therapy should aim at the treatment of most disabling symptom. Tics   (both vocal and motor) respond best to dopamine blocking drugs (Kwak Jankovic, 2002). These can include conventional neuroleptics like haloperidol and pimozide and the atypical neuroleptic agents like risperidone. Neuroleptic agents are associated with numerous side effects like sedation, weight gain, impaired academic performance, in children and extra pyramidal movement symptoms (like tardive dyskinesia). Since TS is frequently associated with other co-morbid conditions like OCD, ADHD etc, pharmacotherapy should be tailored to treat these conditions as well (Kwak Jankovic, 2002). For e.g. Central nervous system stimulants (amphetamines and dextroamphetamine) can be used for treatment of ADHD and anti-depressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) for management of OCD, if present. Injections of botulinum toxin can be used for tics isolated to one body region such as the eyes, neck, or vocal cords. Non-Pharmacologic interventions Since TS most commonly affects children in the age when they are attending school, symptoms of TS can affect their academic performance, cause inference with their social-emotional development, and impose limitations due to physical disabilities produced as a result of tics (Prestia, 2003). It is the duty of educational providers, school personnel and parents to keep these limitations in mind and to draw out an adequate plan incorporating carefully thought out interventions and adaptations, in order to enhance the success and performance of children suffering with TS, at school (Prestia, 2003). Behavior treatment and counseling can be used to promote development of social and academic skills in children and to prevent exacerbation of symptoms related to TS, by modifying their behavior (Bagheri et al, 1999). Source: Bagheri, M.M. Kerbeshian, J., Burd, L. (1999). Recognition and management of Tourette’s Syndrome and tic disorders. American Family Physician, 59 (8). Retrieved on 21 April from http://www.aafp.org/afp/990415ap/2263.html Prognosis TS is a lifelong disorder with an unpredictable course (Prestia, K. (2003). The   clinical course of TS as described by Bagheri et al (1999) is shown in figure 3.   As shown in figure 3, symptoms of TS diminish during and after adolescence in about 85% of patients. About 5 to 10 % of patients may show no improvement. Most patients with TS require medication for up to one to two years. About 15 % of patients may require long-term medication for tic control.                Figure 3. Clinical Course of Tourettes Syndrome Source: Bagheri, M.M. Kerbeshian, J., Burd, L. (1999). Recognition and management of Tourette’s Syndrome and tic disorders. American Family Physician, 59 (8). Retrieved on 21 April from   http://www.aafp.org/afp/990415ap/2263.html Conclusion TS is not an uncommon problem and can be often encountered in school children. TS is a multifactorial neurological disorder requiring an integrated treatment approach targeting at the other co-morbid conditions associated with TS, as well. Treatment must also incorporate an effective multi-disciplinary team approach aiming at treatment and recognition of underlying complex mechanisms, solving speech and language problems and promoting socio-emotional and academic development to substantially improve the quality of life and performance of individuals with TS. Article Review The article by Prestia, 2003 focuses on need of educators to understand the special academic, social-emotional, and physical needs of the children suffering from TS. Educators need to make use of simple interventions to help these children overcome their illness and achieve best possible performance at school. TS can cause significant academic, social-emotional, and physical challenges for the child as described below: Academic Challenges TS does not directly affect intelligence, and many students with TS have average or above average IQs. Still approximately 40% of individuals with TS can have learning problems. This is so as many individuals with TS have associated comorbid disorders like learning disabilities, OCD, ADHD, Asperger syndrome etc. Assistance can be provided through special education services or individualized education program (IEP) or a 504 Plan. If the student does not qualify for either, classroom teachers can make use of simple interventions and plans by using available resources and their own knowledge .For e.g. if the child is having trouble with writing, teachers can make use of alternatives like using oral assessment tests instead of written assignments, using multiple-choice questions etc. Since stress can precipitate tics, teachers should take steps to eliminate any source of stress for the student. Social-emotional Challenges Children with TS tend to have problems in interacting with and being accepted by their peers due to abnormal behavior produced as a result of motor and vocal tics. Such children may become isolated and depressed and are at risk for developing poor self-esteem and self-confidence. They are also easy targets to bullying. Educators should take steps to encourage acceptance and support of such students by their peers. Physical Challenges Underlying physical problems accompanying the disorder often go unaddressed. Educators should properly assess these problems by consulting a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) involving a physical therapist, occupational therapist, and adapted physical education teacher in order to determine the students motor strengths and areas of need. For e.g.   Impairments in sensory processing or motor planning may interfere with normal day to day non-academic activities like toileting, eating lunch, etc. Simple solutions can be offered by the MDT to facilitate independence and to prevent self-harm during the period of tic release in such children.   Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In my view this article provides helpful suggestions that can be utilized in school settings. In order to achieve optimal development and performance of these students, educators must make use of simple and carefully thought out interventions. They should find out ways to promote social-emotional development and also help them in coping with learning and physical disabilities, imposed by the tics. References American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical manual of mental   disorders, fourth edition- text revision.   (2000). Retrieved on 21 April from http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/disorders/touretteTR.htm Bagheri, M.M., Kerbeshian, J., Burd, L. (1999). Recognition and management of   Tourette’s Syndrome and tic disorders. American Family Physician, 59 (8). Retrieved on 21 April from http://www.aafp.org/afp/990415ap/2263.html Kwak, C. Jankovic, J. (2002). The Neurology of a Tic: From the Point of View   of the Scientist. Retrieved on 21 April 2007 from http://www.asha.org/about/publications/leader-online/archives/2002/q3/020806a.htm Prestia, K. (2003).Tourettes syndrome: Characteristics and interventions. Intervention   in school and clinic, 39(2), 67. Retrieved on 21 April 2007 from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=37did=443394391SrchMode=1sid=2Fmt=4VInst=PRODVType=PQDRQT=309VName=PQDTS=1176684625clientId=18091

Techniques for Donor Nephrectomy Analysis

Techniques for Donor Nephrectomy Analysis Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy versus robotic assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy: A prospective randomised comparative study Introduction: Donor nephrectomy is unique surgery which is done on person who is not a patient and come forward for purely altruistic reasons. So the margin of error in donor nephrectomy is nil and hence the stress in donor surgeon is quite high. At the same time all attempts should be done to minimize the donor morbidity to minimum. With the same intension in 1995, Ratner reported first laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy (LDN) (1) and later gradually the laparoscopic approach has become almost the standard of care for living donor nephrectomy. Randomised controlled trials (RCT) comparing the laparoscopic vs. open donor nephrectomy suggested that laparoscopic approach was associated lesser postoperative analgesic requirement and lesser hospital stay and faster returned to work compared to open approach without affecting immediate graft outcome although there was significantly increased warm ischemia time and total operative time with LDN group (2,3). So LDN was associated with dec rease in the disincentives associated with voluntary donor nephrectomy. Further course of time saw further refinement in the techniques of LDN and towards further reducing the morbidity associated with donor nephrectomy. These modifications were introduction of laparo- endoscopic single site surgery(LESS) (4), retroperitoneoscopic donor nephrectomy, robotic assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (RDN) (5) and transvaginal laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (6). In 2002 Horgan first reported the RDN. The goal of this study was to compare the outcomes of LDN and RDN. Materials and methods: The study was started after approval from institutional review board. Study enrollment time was from March 2014 to February 2015.Primary end point was the postoperative visual analogue pain scores of the donors. Secondary end points were donor’s postoperative analgesic requirement, haemoglobin drop, hospital stay ,lost arterial and venous length, total operative time(TOT) , retrieval time (RT) , warm ischemia time ( WIT),. Recipient related secondary end points were graft function at serial follow up. Surgeon difficulty scores for different steps of surgery were also analyzed. Total of 45 donors were to be enrolled into the study with enrollment ratio of 1:2 for Robotic: Laparoscopy arm for establishing mean pain score difference of 1 with standard deviation of 1 to reject the null hypothesis that the robotic and laparoscopic pain score means are equal with probability (Power) of 0.871 and the type 1 error ( ÃŽ ±) of 0.05.The sample size was calculated w ith power and sample size program version 3.0.7. After written informed valid consent for inclusion in study, 45 live related voluntary kidney donor who were completely evaluated and planned for right (N=27) or left donor nephrectomy (N=18) were randomised into robotic (Da Vinci Si TM-Intuitive surgical ® ) or laparoscopic approach for donor nephrectomy with chit method.(Figure 1). Exclusion criteria were patient unwilling for inclusion in study, preemptive transplantation, body mass index (BMI)> 35kg/ square meter, multiple renal artery or veins on donor side or epsilateral adrenal adenoma. Parameters noted in all donors preoperatively were, age, gender, comorbidities, previous surgeries GFR (Cockroft-Gault), serum creatinine BMI, length of renal artery and vein ( up to level of bifurcation) on CT angiogram. RDN was done by two surgeons with expertise in robotic surgery.LDN was done by multiple surgeons (including both the surgeons performing RDN) with expertise in LDN. Bed side surgeons in RDN were the same surgeons who were performing LDN. The operative room team in both the group was same. In Right LDN, access was achieved from three 12 mm ports for camera and working and two 5 mm ports for lifting ureterogonadal packet and liver retraction. In 9 cases additional 12 mm port was placed from Pfanensteil retrieval wound for insertion of vascular stapler. In Left LDN, two 12 mm ports for camera and working and two 5 mm ports for working and lifting ureterogonadal packet were used. Three left LDN could be managed without port for lifting of ureterogonadal packet. In Left RDN, three 8mm robotic working ports and two 12mm ports ,one for robotic camera and another was for bed side surgeon working port were used. In Right RDN in addition to above ports one more 12 mm port in Pfanensteil retrieval wound for stapler insertion was used in 7 cases and one 5 mm port for liver retraction was used in all cases. The steps for the surgery were similar in LDN as well as RDN. The difficulty scores (visual analogue score 0-10; 0 being easiest and 10 being most difficult ) of donor surgeon were noted on for bowel reflection, lifting up the ureterogonadal packet, hilar dissection, upper pole dissection, clipping the ureterogonadal packet, clipping renal artery and vein, cutting renal artery and vein and retrieval of graft in laparoscopy group. The console surgeon difficulty scores were noted for bowel reflection, lifting up the ureterogonadal packet, hilar dissection, and upper pole dissection, cutting renal artery and vein in robotic cases. Bed side surgeon difficulty scores were noted for tasks done by him like clipping ureterogonadal packet, clipping of renal artery and vein and retrieval in robotic cases. A 5-7cm Pfanensteil incision is placed and deepened to the level of parital peritoneum for graft retrieval. In 2 right RDN kidney was flipped for getting longer renal artery stump. Mannitol was given intravenous before cutting ureterogonadal packets. After cutting the ureter brisk urine output was observed from cut ureter before clipping of hilar vessles. After cutting renal vein, graft was freed of lateral attachments and kept free in peritoneal cavity. After incising this parital peritoneum in Pfanensteil incision, graft is retrieved in longitudinal axis by hand introduced into peritoneum by donor surgeon in LDN and patient side surgeon in RDN. During retrieval undocking of fourth arm of robot was necessary in most of the cases with RDN. Intraoperatively noted parameters in robotic as well as laparoscopic cases were number of ports, retrieval time, warm ischemia time total operative time, length of artery and vein (Up to level of bifurcation) on bench, intraoperative complications. Retrieval time was considered from clipping of artery up to the retrieval from donor. Warm ischemia time was considered from clipping of artery up to reperfusion of kidney with perfusion fluid till the time when efflux from renal vein is clear. Docking time was noted in robotic cases. Post operative visual analogue pain scores (VAS) were noted in donor at 6 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours. Donors were discharged when they were allowed full oral diet, passed motions, ambulant and comfortable. Other donor parameters noted postoperatively were analgesic requirement in milligrams of tramadol, complication grades by Clavien –Dindo complication scale, hospital stay, haemoglobin drop, and serum creatinine at 1 month follow up. Recipient parameters noted were e GFR (Cockcroft-Gault) at 7 days, 1month, 3 month, 6 months and 9 months, graft complications, graft loss. Statistical analysis was done with Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 15.0. Analysis was done for comparing RDN vs. LDN. Subgroup analysis was done to compare Right RDN vs. Right LDN and Left RDN vs. Left LDN. The Chi-square test and Student’s t-test was used for categorical and continuous variables respectively. Results: The demographic parameters in donors are as shown in table 1.Demographic parameters in right and left subgroup are shown in table 2 and 3 respectively. Both the RDN and LDN groups as well as right and left donor subgroups were similar in age, gender, BMI, preoperative renal function, previous surgeries and comorbidities and preoperative artery and vein lengths. All 15 RDN were completed without conversion to LDN or open donor nephrectomy. All 30 LDN were completed without conversion to open donor nephrectomy. There were no intraoperative complications in any of RDN or LDN. In all the RND and LDN the ureter was cut at pelvic brim level. All the recipients (N=45) in both the groups had good urine output on table after vascular anastomosis. 2 surgeons (one on console and one on patient side) were necessary in RDN compared to single donor surgeon in LDN. The difficulty score on VAS scale 0-10 for donor surgeon in LDN and console surgeon and patient side surgeon in RND is shown in table 4 for right side and table 5 for left side. The VAS score of patient side surgeon in RDN was higher in graft retrieval compared to donor surgeon in LDN in both right and left subgroup. In right subgroup, the VAS scores of RDN surgeons were less than LDN surgeon except in step of upper pole dissection and adrenal sparing which have comparable VAS scores. In left subgroup, the VAS scores of RDN surgeon and LDN surgeon are similar other than step of renal artery and vein cutting which was easier in RDN group. The analysis of intraoperative and postoperative parameters as well as recipient and graft outcomes is shown in table 6.The subgroup analysis in right and left group is shown in table 7 and 8 respectively. Donor VAS pain score at 6 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours, analgesic requirement, hospital stay was less in RDN group compared to LDN group. There was no significant difference in donor haemoglobin drop, donor complications, donor serum creatinine at 1 month, recipient eGFR at 7 days, 1month, 3 months, 6 months and 9 months or graft complications between RDN and LDN group. More ports were necessary in RDN in either of the subgroups. The total operative time was not significantly different in RDN and LDN group as well as in right and left subgroup. However the retrieval time was higher in RDN group overall as well as in both right and left subgroup. The warm ischemia time is higher in RDN group overall as well as in left subgroup. However it is not significantly different in right subgroup. There was no difference in lost length of vein during clipping in RND or LDN in both subgroups. However in right RDN longer artery length could be preserved compared to right LDN. This was not found in left subgroup. Discussion: More important than introduction of any new technology is safety associated with the technique. This is more so in transplant as there are outcomes in two persons are at stake. As found in our study the RDN is safe technique. It is associated with similar immediate and early postoperative outcomes in donors as well as corresponding recipient’s graft function. Previous literature also suggest that RDN is safe(5,8,9). Study comparing robotic versus laparoscopy suggest that robotic approach is associated with less pain than laparoscopic approach (10). The possible reason for less pain in robotic surgery is robotic arms which are pivoted around port site are moved at fixed remote centre. So there is less leverage around the port site and lesser pressure at port sites which leads to lesser trauma to abdominal wall tissues around the port. Our study suggested that RDN is associated with lesser pain score and lesser analgesic requirement compared to LDN. This also transforms into earlier recovery and discharge from the hospital. Although the voluntary kidney donors donate with altruistic approach, any donor will prefer approach which further reduces the morbidity associated with donor surgery. It is for this reason that live donor nephrectomy rates increase after advent of LDN compared to open donor nephrectomy (11, 12).RDN may further reduce morbidity associated with donor nephrectomy. Most of the transplant centres prefer left sided graft kidney over right in view of small right vein length and need for retrocaval dissection or flipping of kidney on right side to achieve good graft artery length (13, 14) which may be technically more challenging.Studies also propose that the robotic approach with its 3 Dimentional vision,7 degrees of freedom,higher magnification and enhanced dexterity compared to standard laparoscopic approach facilitate the renal hilar dissection(15). In our study we found that the VAS of donor surgeon for right hilar dissection was lesser in RDN than LDN. Right kidney was flipped in two RDN. The preserved renal artery length was more in right RDN than right LDN. The technical ease was felt in right RDN compared to right LDN in all steps other than upper pole dissection and retrieval. However it is worth noting that this technical ease did not reach level of significance in any steps of left RDN vs. LDN except cutting of renal artery and vein. Th e lost artery or vein length was not different in left RDN and LDN. This suggest that robotic approach may provide some technical advantage compared to laparoscopic on right side but not so significantly on left side.At the time of writing this manuscript and during the conduct of this study instruments like robotic vascular stapler are not available. Availability of such instruments will further reduce the role of patient side surgeon and may influence the technical ease of this surgery. It may also reduce the steep learning curve associated with LDN(9). The total operative time was not different in RDN vs. LDN. However the warm ischemia time was significantly more in Left RDN group than LDN (p=0.01, power of test for this parameter=87.8%) which is definitely a matter of concern. The retrieval time was more in RDN in both subgroups. The difference in WIT did not reach level of significance on right side.Possible cause for this increased WIT and RT is need to undock the fourth arm during retrieval. This is also a cause for increased patient side surgeon VAS during retrieval in RDN. The increase in WIT does not correlate with recipient graft function in limited range of time (16,17).In our study as well the recipient graft related complications or e GFR was not different between RDN and LDN group at 7 days,1 month ,3 month,6 month,9 month follow up . We acknowledge the limitation of our study that although it is well powered for its primary end point of post operative visual analogue pain scores of donor, it is less powered for few of the secondary end points. The longest recipient graft follow up is 1 year in our study and we don’t have any longer follow up. Last but not least ,our study does not focus on the economic aspects of comparison between RDN and LDN.The RDN increased the cost of surgery for donor nephrectomy(18).It remains to be determined if the benefits of RDN in reducing donor morbidity and technical ease associated with it out weight the cost implications associated with it. Conclusion: RDN is safe procedure and is associated with better postoperative pain scores, analgesic requirement as well as lesser hospital stay compared to LDN. Robotic approach in right donor nephrectomy is associated with more technical ease to console surgeon compared to laparoscopic donor surgeon in most of the steps of surgery and facilitates preservation of longer length of right renal artery. However there is no significant technical ease associated with left RDN compared to left LDN. Left RDN is associated with longer WIT than LDN however this does not reflect adversely into early graft function from 7 days up to 9 months.

Hesse Biber- Am I Thin Enough Yet? The Cult of Thinness and the Commercialization of Identity :: essays research papers

The Cult of Thinness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many modern women subject themselves to an intense day-to-day involvement in the pursuit of thinness demands. These demands resemble those behaviors commonly associated with cult hood. Three main â€Å"tools† are used in order to achieve this goal or ideal. The Cult of Thinness invests in thinness through primary rituals. The rituals are followed through by the obsession of a particular â€Å"ideal† body. There are also extremities or positions of higher authority with extreme involvement in cults, much like the level of devotion in The Cult of Thinness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Daily actions of checking and critiquing can be performed in many ways. Body monitoring offers an array of resources. Constantly weighing one’s self is a way of achieving quantitative precision. Being able to pinpoint an exact gain or loss is a necessity in this cycle. To be able to have an ideal weight and to accurately compare yourself leaves no room for misinterpretation. Counting Calories helps maintain discipline to be sure not to exceed the limit. If one eats certain â€Å"restricted† food, it is seen to be sinful or as breaking the rules. This restriction of food intake is in a highly disciplined way. This is part of a larger process of dieting and exercising which is used in an obsessive manner to obtain the â€Å"perfect† body. These diet rituals can go as far as to fast for days at a time. Another â€Å"tool† of monitoring is food watching, monitoring the intake of â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† foods. Nutritionally healthy foods are considered good. Anything else, from sweets to foods with fat, are considered bad foods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Other rituals are performed through comparisons. By evaluating and examining old pictures and using them as motivation. Having a constant reminder of previous slimness can push a person to regain what might be an unrealistic goal. Mirrors provide a selective image to the viewer. You only see what you want to. This is particularly important, as most members to this Cult of Thinness have low self esteem. A mirror can be used to scrutinize and dissect physical flaws. â€Å"’A mirror reflects the virtual image of an object placed in front of it.’† This provides an analogy for how society fosters women’s obsession with their weight and body image. These rituals can serve as a reminder to ones self that one is not meeting the standards, guilt and self penance are results.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a cult, there is an object or ideal to â€Å"worship.

Xiaojiji

Today Im goanna talk about the difference between college applications in America and that in China. First of all, the requirement. In America we need a lot of things to apply to colleges, such as GAP SAT Recommendations essays and all sorts of things that can reflect you as a person. In china all we need is to take one entrance exam, called okay, which takes place once a year. It includes four subjects, math, Chinese, English, science.Each college has a particular score you have to get on that test in order to get in. K Advantages. In china, the system Is fair because everyone will be taking the same test. No matter who you are, you score will be based only on how well you did on that test. And whether you can get in colleges or not Is based solely on that score you get. So everyone has the same chance. In America, students are valued based on overall qualities, so whether we can get In college or not Is based on our abilities as a person rather than as a student.Also since we stude nts are valued on so many things, we eave more opportunities to make our profiles look stronger, as opposed to that In china, where we only have one chance for that test. K now lets talk about disadvantages. In china, to prepare for the entrance test Is very time-consuming. It usually takes three years to prepare for that test. Also the fact that It takes place only once a year makes It harder and more overwhelming. The disadvantage In America Is Its nontransparent, for there Is really no uniform standard of acceptance.We do not really how the decisions are made by admissions There are different causes behind each system. In china, the population Is large, so colleges do not have the split to get to know each of the students Like the way American colleges do. Also since almost all colleges are public colleges In china, we need to a uniform standard to everyone. In America, people come from diverse cultures, so It Is necessary to get to know each student. Also since most colleges are private-owned In America, the admissions have the absolute right to make decisions. K Advantages. N china, the system is fair because everyone will be taking the same test. And whether you can get in colleges or not is based solely on that score you get. Qualities, so whether we can get in college or not is based on our abilities as a person have more opportunities to make our profiles look stronger, as opposed to that in K now lets talk about disadvantages. In china, to prepare for the entrance test is fact that it takes place only once a year makes it harder and more overwhelming.The disadvantage in America is its nontransparent, for there is really no uniform tankard of acceptance. We do not really how the decisions are made by admissions There are different causes behind each system. In china, the population is large, so colleges do not have the spirit to get to know each of the students like the way American colleges do. Also since almost all colleges are public colleges in ch ina, we cultures, so it is necessary to get to know each student. Also since most colleges are private-owned in America, the admissions have the absolute right to make decisions.

Recording, analysing and using HR information Essay

It is beneficial for a business to collect a variety of data to gain an understating of its performance to satisfy compliance legislation. However the information collected needs to be useful, relevant and selective. Raw data collected can be converted into useful information. It is important for human resources (HR) to collect data to meet legal requirements, keep necessary contact details of employees, records all contractual arrangements and to provide supporting information in the event of a claim that may be made against an organisation. It also supports an organisation when making decisions. Data can be collected in two different types of formats within an organisation. These are quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative is data collected numerically which allows for data to be measured and calculated. Quantitative is a descriptive method of collecting data. This type of data can be observed but not measured. These two different types of data support HR practices in a number of different ways, such as, showing patterns of absence relating to employees, highlighting any learning and development requirements that an individual may require, trends’ in staff turnover and key performance indicators. Customer feedback can also be obtained to allow a business to improve it services and costs can also be easily monitored. HR data can be stored by a number of different methods each having advantages and disadvantages. Data can be stored electronically and non-electronically. Storing data electronically can be beneficial as it is easy to access, can be shared easily and takes up less space. Online HR systems are available to employees where data and information can be added and updated by an individual and also can be accessed by one or more people such as line managers. This is useful for appraisals and monitoring performance. Storing data electronically through databases is also more secure than manual documents. Sorting data manually such as diaries, word processing documents and paper based surveys also has its benefits as it can be more cost effective to a business and cannot be easily lost where electronic data could be. Also employees require less training to store and organise manual data. There is an array of different UK legislations currently enforced relating to data and legislation is in place to enforce correct storing, recording and accessibility of data. One of these UK legislations are The Data Protection Act, The information commissioner has produced a code of conduct relating to the data protection act. This applies to personal data held and the legitimate grounds for this being held, which information is classed as sensitive and cannot be gathered without explicit permission. Another type of current UK legislation is the Human Rights act. This confers the right of respect of privacy on individuals and provides for employees in the public sector to take legal actions against their employer of they consider their rights infringed.

English as a Global Language Essay

In recent decades, the entire world has bared witness to the rise of English as the world’s primary language. Apart from being the primary forms of communication for ordinary people, English has also poses as a means of communication in other domains such as mass communications, economics, engineering, business, aviation, political affairs, and entertainment. The question has thus become apparent, how did English become the world’s lingua franca? Originally, English was only spoken as a vernacular language of people within the British Isles, but since the expansion of the British Empire from the middle ages to the middle of 18th century, the English colonizers have taken their local dialect to the territories they conquer (Schitz, 2004). With the exception of Egypt and Sudan, figure 1 shows that most of the nations under the British Empire’s control manifest the influence of the English language to the local populace. Figure 1 (Schitz, 2004) Today, the English language is considered the primary language of most countries such as the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Asia, Africa (Schitz, 2004). Putting the number of speakers aside, the placement of English in the pedestal of global language can also be attributed to the stature of the global superpower. From the very reason of the spread of English to the world’s consciousness, power plays a vital role in recognition of language. David Crystal explains that language itself is dependent, in a sense that language only exists in the human senses of those who speak it, when such people of a particular language succeed, their language comes with them (1997, 7). As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the United States being a superpower nation is the major factor why English is a global language. And being the emblem for world dominance for the last five decades reflects that power has played a vital role in the emergence of the United States’ brand of English as a global language (Bruthiaux, 2003, 9). Gillaume Schitz (2004) relates the strength of America as a superpower to the constant migrations in the country in recent decades. Figure 2 (Schitz, 2004) Based on Schitz’s analysis, the diction and/or accent of American English varies dependent of the regions within the American geography, but regardless of the diversity of the American English norms, generally, American English is a world standard because of its stature among the world’s nations. In a similar magnitude, the American English language contributes to success in various fields such as culture, business and economy while complementing the fact that the success of the United States in other facets of human endeavour also establishes English as a global language. For instance, the multinational fast-food chain McDonalds primarily invaded the food industries of non-English speaking nations through the introduction of their food products to the markets of most countries in the world. English as a global language provides an extensive communication system in the advent of globalization through overseas employment, tourism, international security and information dissemination (Crystal, 1997, 100). Overseas employment requires a universal language since there are applicants and employers who do not understand the native language of one another. Similar principles can be applied in the art of music, a song cannot grasp international success and recognition if the lyrics cannot be understood (Crystal, 1997, 104). Braj B. Kachru (1995) has come up with the three circle model to represent English as a global language by categorizing the use of English as primary, secondary, and tertiary language. The drastic change in the world’s collective culture is another considerable factor on why English is the global language. Much of this is brought about by the fact that most influences on the world’s cultural trends come from Americans. The technology of personal computers for instance, contributes to the proliferation of English in the context of a global language because the American life has transformed the personal computer from a sophisticated technological device to a standard business tool and home appliance. And as David Groddol indicates, English is used in most computer and internet applications simply because most of these applications are made by Americans (Graddol, 1997, 4). In addition to the trend that most transactions today are processed in computers and that the internet can be used as a means of education and resource for information (Graddol, 1997, 4). Technology in terms of communication is another vital factor that manifests the reason why English is the language of globalization (Crystal, 1997, 86), since English can serve as the universal medium to share cultures. English can also serve as the universal informant of international affairs and other international issues. English should be the world language simply because it has become popular over the centuries. The rise and fall of the British empire, the drastic changes in culture, economy, bussiness, technology and communication contribute to putting the english language in the pedestal of universality. The given points in the essay answers the question should english be become the world’s language, and justifies the answers to the said questions as well. In this sense, english can be the only medium that can unite a diverse world. References Bruthiaux, P. Tonkin, H. , and Reagan, T. G. (Eds). (2003). Contexts and Trends for English as a Global Language. In Language in the Twenty-first Century. Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company. Crystal, D. (1997). English as a Global Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Graddol, D. (1997) The Future of English?. London: The British Council. Kachru, B, B. , Quirk, R. and Widdowson, H. G. (Eds). (1985) Standards, codification and sociolinguistic realism: The English language in the Outer Circle. In English in the world: Teaching and learning the language and literatures. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Schitz, Guilaume. â€Å"Lecture 7 – World-Wide English. † 6 February 2004. eHistLing. 3 March 2008

Marked Women Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marked Women - Assignment Example This in itself is part of the problem; because women are marked, their opinions don’t count and they are encouraged not to speak out. I feel that Tannen is exploring uncovered territory as far as gender imbalances are concerned. What Tannen really does well is use her experience of observing both men and women at a small working conference. This is the best place in which to find unconscious gender stereotypes because of the formal setting. Women can also be marked in every day life, but it is more pronounced in a male-dominated business world. Because women feel that they have to conform to a certain type of image, this only shows that they themselves feel as though they are marked. I found it really interesting about the mention Ralph Fascold’s book and his thoughts on the topic. To be marked literally means to be different and have a defining feature that sets someone apart. From a biological point of view, it makes sense for males to be considered marked because they have a Y chromosome, something which women do not possess. Women will only be considered â€Å"unmarked† if society changes its attitude towards women, although this will probably take many

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Leadership - Essay Example Eisenhower and President John F. Kennedy. There are a couple different styles of leadership that a leader can use. President Eisenhower was a transactional leader, in that his style of leadership was systematic and was based on the idea of rewards and punishments associated with making decisions. This comes with the fact that he had a military background, which provided him the experience and knowledge base for him to exercise his leadership authority. Many of his actions were the result of defense and competition with the Soviets as his term of presidency was during the period where the United States was operating under the containment policy of trying to prevent the spread of Communism into the democratic sphere. Thus these programs, such as the development of nuclear weapons as well as the start to the NASA program served their purpose as showing the United States’ raw power. As a result, a majority of the way in which he dictated policy both in the United States and as in foreign policy was always based on that of defense and military authority (â€Å"Dwight D. Eisenhower†, 2011). President John F. Kennedy was an enthusiastic, young leader that was more inexperienced than his predecessor President Eisenhower. He also was a soldier who served as an officer in the Untied States Navy.

Health sciences and medicine Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Health sciences and medicine - Case Study Example The initial lab evaluation entails the testing of the BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen). The test determines the volume of nitrogen in the blood that results from the by-product of urea (Desch & Motto 2007).   It establishes functioning of the kidney in the elimination urea from the blood. In a situation where the kidney is not functioning well, the blood urea nitrogen level increases. The test is beneficial since it enables the use of creatinine test to enable the finding of the Blood Urea Nitrogen to Creatinine ratio (BUN: creatinine) allowing the identification of dehydration problems in the patient. The laboratory result showed that the Blood Urea Nitrogen of the patient was 9.3 mmol/L. The result falls within the normal range that is recommended for children who are between 5 to18 mg/dL (Lehman, 2008).Haemoglobin Test      The test is usually to investigate blood conditions including anemia together with the hematocrit or complete blood count. The test is beneficial in the screeni ng, monitoring and diagnosis of diseases and conditions that impact on the red blood cells and the volume of hemoglobin in the blood. Conditions that lead to the loss or destruction of the red blood cells dues to bleeding makes the bone marrow unable to secrete new ones quickly hence leading to hemoglobin reduction and thus leading to anemia.The hemoglobin test on the patient arrived at a result of 82g/L that is low than the normal level that is between 120 to 140 g/L, hence suggesting that the patient is anemic.

Stress and the Neuroendocrine Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stress and the Neuroendocrine Response - Essay Example Prolonged stress tends to impair the learning and memory ability of individuals, which is as a result of reduction or loss of the hippocampal volume. Chronic stress also impacts on the level of dopamine released, which blunts an individuals capacity for pleasure, and increases anxiety facilitating poor decision making (Amara & Kuhar, 1993). Â  Short-term stress in this article is described as stimulation. Transient and moderate stress that leave individuals feeling good. The effect of short-term stress on the brain is the increased activity of the cells in the hippocampus, the region responsible for learning and memory. Another effect of the stimulation has increased the release of dopamine, the neurotransmitter central to pleasure, hence the feel-good effect. Â  The hippocampus is a small region of the brain that is associated with learning, memory, and spatial navigation. It is placed in the middle of the temporal lobe just below the cortical surface. It is structured into two halves, lying on the right and left sides of the brain and has a curved shape. The hippocampus is associated with the formation of long-term memories and three-dimensional space navigation. The impairment of the region can cause memory loss. Hippocampal neurogenesis shows that production of new cells in the brain follows a procedure. During which, newborn cells have acquiesced to regulatory factors which influence cell proliferation, maturation, and survival. Situational and dispositional factors have the ability to control neurogenesis and impact on the hippocampal reliant learning and memory (Freund & Buzsaki, 1996).

IPad's Security Breach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IPad's Security Breach - Essay Example Subsequent to this breach of AT&T’s security, a lot of security issues have since arisen for the firm and other computer security firms. In addition, many interested parties have questioned the justification of hacking activities as well as the role of ethical statements and policies of computer security firms, which promote activities such as website hacking. This paper explores the subjects of the possibility of the justification of hacking, computer security firms’ ethics that promote hacking, and the social responsibilities of media firms such as Gawkers Media LLC. Justification of Hacking into Websites Most hackers state that they hack into websites not as criminals but as interested parties seeking to identify flaws in computer systems or reveal certain information. By hacking, they claim, it becomes possible for computer security firms to prevent or rectify any damaging security leaks. However, due to the side effects of hacking and the damages it causes to compu ter firms’ images and business, questions have a risen on the issue of justification for hacking and activities. While others insist that hacking can never be justifiable, others believe it is a justifiable practice, depending on the reasons for which it is done (Harper’s Forum, 1999). ... peoples’ data worldwide, hackers believe they compel these companies to ensure that they have tamperproof systems that keep their clients’ data confidential. Therefore, hackers are watchdog for the public on the security weaknesses of technology firms. Hacking is thus justifiable since it addresses the vulnerabilities inherent in technology products that expose clients’ confidential information (Harper’s Forum, 1999). Hacking could also be justifiable if its exposes illegal political activities by discredited groups. In addition, hacking may be justified if it reveals certain publicly important information, which the public is denied by governments, organizations, or politicians. Importantly, hackers reveal malpractices and criminal activities that may be happening without the knowledge of the public and the law enforcement agencies. That is, when a hacker discovers the criminal operations of certain individuals or organizations and such reports are sent t o law enforcers, that hacking is certainly justified since it benefits the society and does not harm the public or any private person in any way (Harper’s Forum, 1999). Various factors have been found to promote hacking activities. Among these factors are the various ethical statements by computer security firms. Corporate Ethics Statement That Promote Hacking The ethical issue regarding the freedom to access information is perhaps the number one motivator of hackers to indulge in their activities. In fact, the ethic on which hackers justify their actions is that they investigate issues, allowing every individual in the society to gain information and knowledge on the various hidden issues affecting their lives (Ermann, 1997). Once a corporate computer firm issues ethical statements that emphasize the