What Caused the Collapse of the Angkor Civilization

The fall of the Khmer Empire is a puzzle that archaeologists and historians have wrestled with for decades. The Khmer Empire, also known as the Angkor Civilization after its capital city, was a state-level society in mainland Southeast Asia between the 9th and 15th centuries AD. The empire was marked by enormous monumental architecture, extensive trade partnerships between India and China and the rest of the world, and an extensive road system. Most of all, the Khmer Empire is justifiably famous for its complex, vast, and innovative hydrologic system, water control built to take advantage of the monsoonal climate, and cope with the difficulties of living in a tropical rainforest. Tracing Angkors Fall The date for the empires traditional collapse is 1431 when the capital city was sacked by the competing Siamese kingdom at ​Ayutthaya. But the fall of the empire can be traced across a much longer period of time. Recent research suggests that a variety of factors contributed to the weakened state of the Empire before the successful sacking. Early Kingdoms: AD 100-802 (Funan)Classic or Angkorian Period: 802-1327Post-Classic: 1327-1863Fall of Angkor: 1431 The Angkor civilizations heyday began in AD 802 when King Jayavarman II united the warring polities collectively known as the early kingdoms. That classic period lasted more than 500 years, documented by internal Khmer and external Chinese and Indian historians. The period witnessed massive building projects and expansion of the water control system. After the rule of Jayavarman Paramesvara beginning in 1327, internal Sanskrit records stopped being kept and monumental building slowed and then ceased. A significant sustained drought occurred in the mid-1300s. Angkors neighbors also experienced troubled times, and significant battles took place between Angkor and neighboring kingdoms before 1431. Angkor experienced a slow but constant decline in population between 1350 and 1450 AD. Factors Contributing to the Collapse Several major factors have been cited as contributors to the demise of Angkor: war with the neighboring polity of Ayutthaya; conversion of the society to Theravada Buddhism; increasing maritime trade which removed Angkors strategic lock on the region; over-population of its cities; climate change bringing an extended drought to the region. The difficulty in determining the precise reasons for Angkors collapse lies in the lack of historical documentation. Much of Angkors history is detailed in Sanskrit carvings from the politys temples as well as reports from its trade partners in China. But documentation during the late 14th and early 15th centuries within Angkor itself fell silent. The Khmer Empires principal cities--Angkor, Koh Ker, Phimai, Sambor Prei Kuk--were engineered to take advantage of the rainy season, when the water table is right at ground surface and rain falls between 115-190 centimeters (45-75 inches) each year; and the dry season, when the water table drops up to five meters (16 feet) below the surface. To counteract the ill effects of this drastic contrast in conditions, the Angkorians constructed a vast network of canals and reservoirs, with at least one of these projects permanently changing the hydrology in Angkor itself. It was an immensely sophisticated and balanced system apparently brought down by a long-term drought. Evidence for a Long-Term Drought Archaeologists and paleo-environmentalists used sediment core analysis of soils (Day et al.) and dendrochronological study of trees (Buckley et al.) to document three droughts, one in the early 13th century, an extended drought between the 14th and 15th centuries, and one in the mid to late 18th century. The most devastating of those droughts was that during 14th and 15th centuries, when decreased sediment, increased turbidity, and lower water levels were present in Angkors reservoirs, compared to the periods before and after. The rulers of Angkor clearly attempted to remedy the drought using technology, such as at the East Baray reservoir, where a massive exit canal was first reduced, then closed off entirely during the late 1300s. Eventually, the ruling class Angkorians moved their capital to Phnom Penh and switched their main activities from inland crop growing to maritime trade. But in the end, the failure of the water system, as well as interrelated geopolitical and economic factors were too much to allow a return to stability. Re-Mapping Angkor: Size as a Factor Since Angkors rediscovery in the early 20th century by pilots flying over the densely overgrown tropical forest region, archaeologists have known that the urban complex of Angkor was large. The main lesson learned from a century of research has been that the Angkor civilization was much larger than anyone would have guessed, with an astounding five-fold increase in the number of identified temples in just the last decade. Remote sensing-enabled mapping along with archaeological investigations have provided detailed and informative maps which show that even in the 12th-13th centuries, the Khmer Empire was stretched across most of mainland Southeast Asia. In addition, a network of transportation corridors connected far-flung settlements to the Angkorian heartland. Those early Angkor societies profoundly and repeatedly transformed the landscapes. Remote-sensing evidence also shows that Angkors expansive size created serious ecological problems including over-population, erosion, loss of topsoil, and forest clearing. In particular, a large-scale agricultural expansion to the north and a growing emphasis on swidden agriculture increased erosion which caused sediments to build up in the extensive canal and reservoir system. This confluence led to declining productivity and increasing economic stress at all levels of society. All that was made worse by droughts. A Weakening However, a number of factors weakened the state besides climate change and declining regional instability. Although the state was adjusting their technology throughout the period, the people and societies in and outside of Angkor were in increasing ecological stress, particularly after the mid-14th-century drought. Scholar Damian Evans (2016) argues that one problem was that stone masonry was used only for religious monuments and water management features such as bridges, culverts, and spillways. The urban and agricultural networks, including the royal palaces, were made of earth and non-durable materials such as wood and thatch. So What Caused Khmers Fall? A century of research later, according to Evans and others, there still simply isnt enough evidence to pinpoint all factors which led to Khmers downfall. This is especially true today, in taking into account that the complexity of the region is only beginning to become clear. The potential is there, however, to identify the precise complexity of the human-environment system in monsoonal, tropical forested regions. The importance of identifying the social, ecological, geopolitical, and economic forces leading to the downfall of such an enormous, long-lived civilization is its application to today, where elite control of the circumstances surrounding climate change is not what it could be. Sources Buckley BM, Anchukaitis KJ, Penny D, Fletcher R, Cook ER, Sano M, Nam LC, Wichienkeeo A, Minh TT, and Hong TM. 2010. Climate as a contributing factor in the demise of Angkor, Cambodia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107(15):6748-6752.Caldararo N. 2015. Beyond Zero Population: Ethnohistory, Archaeology and the Khmer, Climate Change and the Collapse of Civilizations. Anthropology 3(154).Day MB, Hodell DA, Brenner M, Chapman HJ, Curtis JH, Kenney WF, Kolata AL, and Peterson LC. 2012. Paleoenvironmental history of the West Baray, Angkor (Cambodia). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109(4):1046-1051.Evans D. 2016. Airborne laser scanning as a method for exploring long-term socio-ecological dynamics in Cambodia. Journal of Archaeological Science 74:164-175.Iannone G. 2015. Release and reorganization in the tropics: a comparative perspective from southeast Asia. In: Faulseit RK, editor. Beyond Collapse: Archaeological Perspectives on Resilience, Revitalization , and Transformation in Complex Societies. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press. p 179-212.Lucero LJ, Fletcher R, and Coningham R. 2015. From ‘collapse’ to urban diaspora: the transformation of low-density, dispersed agrarian urbanism. Antiquity 89(347):1139-1154.Motesharrei S, Rivas J, and Kalnay E. 2014. Human and nature dynamics (HANDY): Modeling inequality and use of resources in the collapse or sustainability of societies. Ecological Economics 101:90-102.Stone R. 2006. The end of Angkor. Science 311:1364-1368.

The Representation Of Gender Masculinity - 1729 Words

The representation of gender in a masculine context in New Zealand is constructed through hegemonic constructions formed through colonisation. Due to being constructed by this dominant ideology, which in terms of a New Zealand context is Pakeha and male (Hegemony), the construction of masculinity appears natural. This hegemonic masculinity is so naturalised it becomes invisible and we don’t see or think about it. Law, R (1997) states that â€Å"The concept of hegemonic masculinity allows for us to theorise the simultaneous existence of different constructions of masculinity, the social dominance of some constructions and their legitimation as ‘natural’ and the fluid and contested character of all constructions of gender† Pakeha men are the hegemonic masculinity in a New Zealand context, they have social dominance over women and the Maori, even though they are same gender as Maori men due to colonization they are repressed in terms of dominance. Masculinity is ideological; it is embedded in culture and constructs gender. One is born as a sex, either female or male, which then leads to a representation of there gender, as in if you’re a man it is being masculine and a female being feminine, these expectations of gender have been embedded in society and determine traits and qualities that represent the two genders. This means we have to act in a certain way to show our gender or to be considered masculine or feminine and if you don’t fit into to these stereotypes, it can effectShow MoreRelatedRepresentations Of Gender And Masculinity1503 Words   |  7 PagesRepresentations of gender and masculinity in Pat Barker s Regeneration. One of the major themes in Pat barker’s ‘Regeneration’ is gender and masculinity, this is my chosen theme. The novel overall reflects the struggles of World War one soldiers and their attempts to overcome the trauma of war experience. 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One questionRead MoreGender Roles And Attitudes Of A Teacher s Practice1189 Words   |  5 PagesThe present essay attempts to demonstrate the stereotypes around gender and and it’s relation to a teacher’s practice. In order for this objective to be met, the theory of gender will be introduced, followed by the stereotypes regarding the gender ‘’roles’’. Moreover the role of culture in the creation of gender roles and how popular culture-media carry stereotypes on children will be presented. This aims to show how a teacher can combat or prevent those stereotypes through her tho ughtful, carefulRead MoreMovie Analysis : Toy Essay1607 Words   |  7 Pagesmost popular, if not most popular, animated movies of all-time, Toy Story offers a limited perspective when it comes to gender because of manhood acts, homosociality, and stereotypes. The manhood acts in the film suppress women at the same time as they support the hegemonic masculinity, which is the masculinity that actively attempts to suppress women and inferior masculinities (Bird pg. 129). When the male characters in the movie do this, it approves of this negative behavior that limits the voiceRead MoreYet, A Reading Of Deleuze’S Concept Of ‘Becomings’ Enable1292 Words   |  6 Pagesleans between two polarized state: maturity and innocence. She experiences biological changes, inducing the maturation of her body with notably the swelling of hips and breast. This inevitable natural episode induces girls to prevailing female representation as she enters the stage of ‘to-be-lo oked-at-ness’. On the other hand, despite their womanly body, for their young age, the girls remain childlike minded which promises the men dominancy to remain unchallenged (American Girl 1999, Lolita). However

Lebanese Americans Free Essays

The present paper is designed to show the adaptation of immigrants in the United States. We will include Alison Lambert, who is the representative of the Lebanese nation, was born in Lebanon and moved to the United States country for permanent residence two years ago. The principal issue to clarify in this essay will be whether it was difficult for Mrs. We will write a custom essay sample on Lebanese Americans or any similar topic only for you Order Now Lambert to assimilate with US culture and people, what differences she has found between two cultures and how different cultural norms influence her living in the new for her country on the daily basis. Immigrants in America A lot of people from different countries come to the United States in search for their good future. There exists a myth that living in the United States is like a paradise, but it is not always so. The presidents of the United States together with other senators promote legislation to confer some kind of guest worker. Many people think that all those bills should not be accepted, because they are immoral. When they invite people from other countries to the United States they show them that they fit only for obsequious jobs that the Americans do not want to do. They think that they are too good for it. When foreigners start working in the United States at first they get miserable payment for the work they do. There is no expectation that you will rise up the economic and social ladder. There are a lot of bills all over the country which regulate rights of the guest worker. There are points when the foreigner can be expelled from the work and deported back to his country where he will continue his life in poverty. The bottom line in all of them is almost the same. It says that the Americans are not equal in their rights with other people who came from other countries to earn money. The plot is hidden but still it exists. America is a country that invites immigrants who arrived there legally and who comply with their laws and Constitution, who understand and can freely speak their language. Such people begin their career with low-paid jobs. But such people have a chance to rise into a middle class and realize their dream. Such countries as Germany and France showed their folly of a guest worker economy. Immigrants do low-paid jobs. But now there are a lot of people in these countries who don’t absorb. People do not agree with the social welfare system. Let’s find out more about the adaptation of the people from Arabic countries in the United States by telling a story about one of the immigrants from Lebanon, Mrs. Lambert. Mrs. Lambert considers family and close people to be the most important in her life. The principal difference in the family values between Lebanese and American culture is that when one is young, one never looks into the future considering oneself outside family. Family appears to be the core of everything they plan to accomplish in life. American society is more independent in relation to family as a notion. Lebanese people share everything they have with their families, and they grow surrounded by their family members. Their cousins, sisters, brothers, with whom they grow, often appear to be their best friends. Each of them knows that he or she is the most important person in his or her life, and she was used to grow in such surrounding. What she has noticed in the United States of America and what is absolutely absent in the Lebanese families, and in Lebanon in particular, is the disease which she would call ‘family’ disease. This is the disease which is very popular among American children. In her society family is something which will never let her and her countrymen down. She was very much assisted by her family members when she has first entered the United States. Now she is not only in constant touch with all her relatives, but all members of her family help each other on the daily basis to the maximal extent. Mrs. Lambert is a teacher; she feels at present that her cultural difference does not prevent her from effective working with the students and effectively performing in her daily life. Her first and probably, the biggest difficulty was the language. She had basic knowledge of the language, but it was not enough to teach students; and in order to acquire good position she had to learn it very fast. On the other hand, the accent is still very visible when she speaks and some students ask her about her origin. She was lucky not to see any discrimination in relation to her Lebanese identity on the side of her students. However, there are many Lebanese immigrants who also came to the United States to work and suffered from discrimination there. Most of native citizens are surprised on the fact of Lebanese very close family ties. When Mrs. Lambert tells the stories of her life, some of them cannot clearly understand the idea of family being the core of their lives, as well as that one can be so much connected with the family through all his or her life. Her assumption of the family norms influences her behavior on the daily basis, and it is doubtless; it becomes even more vivid in the light of the norms according to which one lives. When people immigrate they face different difficulties and challenges. The principal challenge for Mrs. Lambert is the difference itself, the difference in cultural norms. She doesn’t think there are disadvantages in her culture. She thinks that every culture has its own advantages and disadvantages. Still, when one comes to another country he or she is a foreigner. The language is the biggest challenge between any two different cultural identities. Mrs. Lambert was faced this challenge and almost coped with it. Yet, she clearly understands that many other cultural challenges are ahead of her. Mrs. Lambert thinks that it is important to assimilate with the culture of the country one now is living in. She supposes that this assimilation is inevitable; however, the extent to which this assimilation should take place with every newcomer should be reasonable. Mrs. Lambert’s family was afraid of her losing her identity on entering another country for the permanent residence; and it was probably one of her most important cultural challenges – to adjust to the new cultural surrounding without losing too much of her own cultural traditions. Assimilation with the cultural traditions of the other country often becomes the means of getting stable position and solid basis for human relations. When immigrants come to another country it is significant and highly important to have a source of strength and support there. It is necessary to have something which unite foreigners and help them feel a little bit be home. It may sound surprising, but yet family remains the principal source of support for her in the U.S. This is the peculiarity of her culture – not only is the family the stem of Lebanese identity, but it is also not influenced by the distance. She also gets a lot of support from the local Lebanese community. They have regular meetings during which they discuss urgent problems and issues, and try to find solutions beneficial for everyone. It is very often, that the members of the community ask for assistance in solving cultural problems, not only related to the language, but to the misunderstanding of the people they are surrounded by of their cultural preferences. Cultural identity at times becomes the matter of difficulty in getting assimilated to the new surrounding. Lebanese culture is not very well supported and popularized there, and it is often that Lebanese newcomers appear in cultural vacuum. Thus, this community and regular meetings become the means of supporting those who need this support. Very often people face personal misunderstanding with the native population, and they try to find the way out of the conflict. In the light of all above said, and taking into account the theories of cultural identity, it is possible to note the following. Cultural identity conflicts are usually called intractable, and thus, they are not possible to be resolved through the traditional approaches. The frames of the individual identity are extremely influenced by the cultural identity and cultural surrounding. The differences in culture often become the ground for the cultural conflict, as the difference in cultural ideas and preferences may be taken by the other side as not simply an outrageous idea, but ridiculous and unreal understanding of the world. For the better cultural communication it may be suggested, that the attitudes towards other cultures should be more tolerate. The cultural ideas and beliefs expressed by the representatives of the other culture should not be taken as unreal or unacceptable. Differences in culture between people will always exist, and thus for the more effective communication it is important to understand and accept the significance of the traditions, which are valued by the other culture, as well as try to better explain the traditions into which the newcomer would wish to assimilate. However, and what is more important, it is not allowed to break the cultural identity of the person; the difference in cultural views does not mean they are wrong. Conclusion The issue of cultural identity was always urgent, and with the growing opportunities for migration, this issue will not soon lose the necessity of being discussed. However, it is important to understand one thing in relation to cultural conflicts: the differences between cultures should not and won’t be erased; they should be treated with tolerance. In conclusion It is important to say that it is up to everyone to decide whether to lead a life of immigrant or not. There are a lot of possibilities to have a nice life in one’s own country where one will be respected. Nobody will look at him or her as if he or she is an alien. One’s country is one’s home one must be proud of it. Everyone must do everything possible to make one’s own country be respected. Escaping from problems at home and going abroad in search for good life and a great number of possibilities to realize oneself is not a way out. Works cited Carrithers, M. Why humans have cultures. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1992 LeBaron, Michelle. Bridging cultural Conflicts: New Approaches for a Changing World. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. 2003 Mathews, G. Global culture/ Individual identity: Searching for home in the cultural supermarket. London: Routledge. 2000 Stone, Douglas F., Patton, Bruce, and Heen, Sheila. Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most New York: Penguin Press. 2000 How to cite Lebanese Americans, Essay examples

Variable Cost and New Conditioning Shampoo free essay sample

Bingham Corporation uses the weighted-average method in its process costing system. Data concerning the first processing department for the most recent month are listed below. Work in process, beginning: Units in beginning work-in-process inventory| 400| Materials costs| $6,900| Conversion costs| $2,500| Percentage complete for materials| 80%| Percentage complete for conversion| 15%| Units started into production during the month| 6,000| Units transferred to the next department during the month| 5,000| Materials costs added during the month| $112,500| Conversion costs added during the month| $210,300| Ending work in process: Units in ending work-in-process inventory| 1,200| Percentage complete for materials| 60%| Percentage complete for conversion| 30%| Required: Calculate the equivalent units for materials (using the weighted-average method) for the month in the first processing department. Axillar Beauty Products Corporation is considering the production of a new conditioning shampoo that will require the purchase of new mixing machinery. The machinery will cost $375,000, is expected to have a useful life of 10 years, and is expected to have a salvage value of $50,000 at the end of 10 years. We will write a custom essay sample on Variable Cost and New Conditioning Shampoo or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The machinery will also need a $35,000 overhaul at the end of Year 6. A $40,000 increase in working capital will be needed for this investment project. The working capital will be released at the end of the 10 years. The new shampoo is expected to generate net cash inflows of $85,000 per year for each of the 10 years. Axillars discount rate is 16%. Required: (a) What is the net present value of this investment opportunity? (b) Based on your answer to (a) above, should Axillar go ahead with the new conditioning shampoo? (Points : 35) | (TCO C) Nic Saybin Enterprises Accounting Department collects all pertinent monthly operating data. Selected data are presented below for the current month. From the data provided, please provide Saybin Enterprises Management with a flexible budget analysis to see how costs were controlled. | Actual Costs Incurred| Static Budget| Activity level (in units)| 754,009| 746,500| Variable Costs:| Indirect materials| $328,897| $325,640| Utilities| $174,332| $171,890| Fixed Costs:| General and administrative| $237,985| $244,908| Rent| $135,500| $135,000| (Points : 30) (TCO D) Lindon Company uses 4,500 units of Part X each year as a component in the assembly of one of its products. The company is presently producing Part X internally at a total cost of $69,000 as follows: Direct materials| $16,000| Direct labor| 18,000| Variable manufacturing overhead| 10,000| Fixed manufacturing overhead| 25,000| Total costs| $69,000| An outside supplier has offered to provide Part X at a price of $11 per unit. If Lindon stops producing the part internally, one third of the manufacturing overhead would be eliminated. Required: Prepare a make-or-buy analysis showing the annual advantage or disadvantage of accepting the outside suppliers offer.

Clockwork orange movie evaluation Essay Example

Clockwork orange movie evaluation Paper A Clockwork Orange is a psychological thriller that examines and analyzes the effects of a corrupt individual and societys attempts to reintegrate him. The director Stanley Kubrick depicts a deeply chilling and disturbing story of a young man by the name of Alex and is considered a menace to society who is eventually punished for his wrong doings and given the chance of a lifetime to reinvent himself. The new an innovative way to reintegrate disturbed individuals into society is through a type of conditioning that causes a nauseating reaction to violent acts for the patient. It is difficult to determine the time period of the film since Kubrick uses scenery that makes it appear as though it could take place today, tomorrow, yesterday, or even fifty years in the future making it applicable to all times. In addition, Kubrick is very cautious to use problems in society that have been evident and irksome since the beginning of man such as rape, muggings, murder, etc. With this stunning combination of societys everyday problems, A Clockwork Orange is the type of movie that appeals to all time periods and will always be applicable to the troubles that are present in todays society. We will write a custom essay sample on Clockwork orange movie evaluation specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Clockwork orange movie evaluation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Clockwork orange movie evaluation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The psychological aspect of the movie is the way in which society wishes that it could deal with them through a simple program that allows the individual to be reborn in a sense and make it physically impossible for them to return to their old devious ways. The conditioned versus an unconditioned response technique is a major factor in Alexs transformation toward becoming an acceptable human being in society. During the first half of the movie before Alex undergoes treatment, he is shown with his fellow droogs or his small four member gang that creates havoc throughout England with their acts of ultra-violence where they commit heinous acts of violence and on random victims. Alex and his droogs are shown in the first scene of the movie at their favorite local hang out joint called the Korova Milkbar where they indulge themselves in drugged milk beverages. The movie never directly states what is in the milk, yet after drinking it, the droogs all seem very excited and almost imagining their environment. This leads one to believe that there was some type of an amphetamine or hallucinogen because the amphetamine would cause an increase in energy and alertness while the hallucinogens caused a sensory distortion (Kalat 94). The amphetamine is considered a stimulant which causes an increase in the activities levels and pleasure which explains the groogs eagerness to go out and expend seemingly endless amounts of energy without so much as breaking a sweat (Kalat 95). This particular milkbar is very unusual in that, the entire room is filled with sexual images of women in compromising positions that are dispersed throughout the room and available to give the laced milk from their nipples. Alex and his groogs hit the streets to begin their night of ultra-violence and it begins with the senseless beating of a drunken homeless man under a bridge. From there, the group heads out even more anxious than before and go to a home of a crippled man and his wife. Upon tricking the wife to allow them in saying they had an awful car accident, and upon entering the four boys begin to rape the woman in front of her husband while he was senselessly beaten. The only major difference between the two encounters is that the boys were a wiser and wore masks during their attack. The psychological aspect during this part of the movie is more to realize the mental capacity of the attackers. The groogs and especially Alex are not phased by the ruthless violence and desperate cries for help from their victims. Most psychologists would conclude from these observations that Alexs problems are not that he enjoys violence, but rather he had a troubled childhood along with his uninvolved parents that shaped him into the monster that he had become. It has been agreed that the majority of social development in humans is established in the earlier stages of childhood and adolescence. One aspect of the movie that infers that Alex has a unique and troubled home life is almost any scene that involves his parents. Alexs parents are very distant and unconcerned with his activities and lack of attendance at school. They are the typical example of uninvolved parents who are very uninterested in their childs activities, do not spend time with them, and may spend very little time with them (Kalat 194). This type of parenting can lead to children who are generally impulsive and undisciplined. Agreeing with this observation is that Alex may have been raised in a broken home and that his mother in the movie is not in fact his biological mother. It is believed that children in broken homes may have more difficulties in the real world have a greater difficulty with their academics, social, and emotions (Kalat 194). This could lead Alex to grow up according to the belief that his attachment was never fully developed to one parent and that he developed later in life the inability to have close relations with others. This includes his friends or groogs who he seems to simply bully around and never confide any secrets or let on that he has confidence in them. Furthermore, Alex has a constant problem with a sexual addiction where he has one night stands and orgies with random girls, yet fails to develop a substantial relationship. This lack of closeness also may have contributed to Alexs inability to identify exactly where he fit in with society and his small identity crisis that he experiences. He seems to be having trouble with his concern with decisions about the future and the quest for self-understanding because he is rather nonchalant about looking toward the future and simply lives off the constant high of his ultra-violence (Kalat 186). Alex is eventually caught for his mischievous acts and given the opportunity to undergo an experimental program to supposedly cure all his illness. The government at this time is offering a new and innovative way to cure disturbed individuals through an extreme version of conditioning. Pavlov first discovered that certain stimulants triggered natural responses in both humans and animals which he called the unconditioned response since it needed no training or reinforcement to encourage it (Kalat 207). By placing another stimulant in addition to the natural response, the animal then reacted to both the stimulant and the natural response in the same way. Alexs government used his unconditioned response of enjoying violence and attempted to correct it by injecting him with a nauseating inducing drug before being shown violent acts. In turn while watching the violent acts Alex began to learn the conditioned response that while he watched violent nature he would feel a wave of immense sickness overwhelm him. While the effects of the drug were the most prevalent Alex was shown films of graphic nature that included rape, murders, and all of the old activities of Alexs past that he used to take pleasure in. All the while, Alex listened to the music of Ludwig von Beethoven during the films in the background. Strangely enough to Alex, he begins to feel an overwhelming feeling that he simply wants to die a calm and painless death despite the fact that Beethoven had once been his favorite composer and that violence once gave him a euphoric feeling. The combination of music the nauseating feeling became the conditioned stimulus which means that they were the new stimulus that induced the conditioned response for Alex to not partake in violence. After many sessions involving this nauseating feeling associated with the violent images, Alex was released back into society and claimed to be completely cured. A simple cure was impossibility due to the fact that those who Alex had hurt in his life such as the homeless man, his groogs, and the crippled old man still had the feelings of resentment toward him. The old man began to beat on Alex with the help of the other homeless people and Alex could do nothing to defend himself but instead sat there being beaten and regaining that nauseating feeling while wanting to die due to his conditioned response. Eventually, Alex coincidentally returns to the home where he had previously raped the woman and her crippled husband recognizes Alex; he locks Alex in a room with the music of Beethoven that was played during the violent images. This unconditioned response causes Alex to go insane without having seen any violence at all. This response is a result of classical conditioning is the result that what had once prepared Alex to watch violent images now cause Alex the same feelings whether or not he is viewing the images. While in the room Alex goes to the extreme and attempts to commit suicide. This does not work and Alex is treated at the local hospital while those in charge of his classical conditioning responses were reprimanded for an inhumane process and treatment. The movie does not directly state, but it leads one to believe that Alex had some type of brain surgery to reverse his classical conditioning effects. It does not appear as though any type of extinction or a removal of the classical conditioning through any other experiments other than surgery (Kalat 210). Soon Alex is back to his old ways of demoralizing women and undisturbed by his thoughts of ultra-violence. It is evident that through this film the idea of classical conditioning being used to reprimand a human or try and change characteristics are futile. While the classical conditioning worked, it may be said that it worked too well and that Alex was unable to be reintroduced into a society where there is a constant negative reinforcement for what he sees. Even if Alex is not actively participating in the violent acts he still is negatively reinforced causing him suicidal thoughts and actions. The problem with Alexs treatment was that the only positive reinforcement, or an encouragement to achieve a conditioned response, was that he no longer craved violence or sex, although it was seemingly easy to reverse the effects of his study. Overall, Alex is a perfect case of the negative effects of classical conditioning and brings up the question if perhaps there is no simple answer to cure any disturbed individuals within a society.

Malcolm X Essays - African-American Muslims, English-language Films

Malcolm X Essays - African-American Muslims, English-language Films Malcolm X Malcolm X, a civil rights leader in the 1960's believed that blacks and whites should be segregated. He also believed that white man was evil and were trying to brainwash all blacks and that Martin Luther King's "non-violent protests" weren't working and that violence was needed for change. Malcolm X's life was a life with a lot of conflict and violence in it. Malcolm X was born under the name of Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska in 1925. His father was a baptist minister and an outspoken follower of Marcus Garvey, the black nationalist leader of the 1920s who preached that all blacks should leave the US and go back to Africa. While Malcolm's father was away and Malcolm's mother was pregnant with Malcolm, a group of KKK members came to their house and told Mrs. Little to send out her husband. She came out of the house and stood where all the KKK could see that she was pregnant and told them that Mr. Little was in Milwaukee preaching. The KKK, disappointed, shouted threats and told them to leave town. After this they broke every window in the Little's home and left. When Mr. Little came home and heard what happened, he decided to move as soon a Malcolm was born to Lansing, Michigan. Here was where Malcolm's father died at the hand of the Black Legion (X 4-! 13). After Malcolm's father's death, his mother who had to take care of eight children and endure threats from the KKK, suffered a nervous breakdown. As a result, Malcolm and his siblings were taken by the welfare department. Malcolm was later enrolled in a reform school and did very well grade wise. He was the best student in his class and wanted to become a lawyer. When the school heads heard about this, they sent a person to talk to Malcolm. This person told and convinced Malcolm that he was black and that he could never become a lawyer because of it. As a result, he dropped out of after the eighth grade and moved to Boston, Massachusetts where he worked several different jobs. Soon, Malcolm became associated in a gang and sold and used drugs, and was involved in many other criminal activities. His gang "career" ended when he got into some trouble due to a bet with the gang leader. Since the gang wanted Malcolm killed, Malcolm hid for a while. Soon, Malcolm decid! ed to rob a house which he heard had a lot of valuables in it. Soon one night, he robbed the house, but was caught later. Malcolm was charged with burglary and sent to prison for a maximum of eight years of which he served six. This was a turning point in Malcolm's life. While in prison, Malcolm educated himself and became interested in the teachings of Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm spent his time in jail educating himself and learning more about the Nation of Islam (later known as the Black Muslims). Their belief, which was contrary to Martin Luther King Jr.'s, mainly to was to segregated whites and blacks. The Nation of Islam wanted to establish a separate Afro-American homeland in the U.S. and believed that the white person is "the Devil" who wanted to enslave all non-whites. The Nation of Islam also strictly followed the Islamic belief. When Malcolm was released from prison after in 1952, he joined a temple in Detroit, and took the name Malcolm X. He took the name X because his present last name was the last name of the slave master who freed their slave and since the slave didn't know who their ancestors were, and therefore didn't know their real last name, they often took up the last name of their master. Many Muslims kept the name "X" because in math, "X" is represented as an unknown variable like their real last name. A person was to keep the name "X" until God himself gave them a "holy name"(Encarta 2). Soon after his release from jail, Malcolm worked for his oldest brother who managed a furniture store. While working, he also gave many speeches, and went "fishing"(fishing is when someone stands out on a sidewalk and hand

Business ethics and deontology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business ethics and deontology - Research Paper Example It is a case of â€Å"fraudulent financial reporting†. Adelphia is a publicly traded corporation based in the United States. In 2002, Adelphia was ranked sixth among the largest cable service providers in the country. In the same year, the company was publicly accused of discrepancies in the financial reports prepared and produced by the company. It was found that the company did not represent the real economic condition and Adelphia was charged of a major accounting disgrace. Investigations proved that the managers modified financial statements of the company by excluding many billion dollars that it held as debt, from the company’s balance sheets. Hence, auditors could not discover the presence of fraudulent activities that the company indulged in. This is a major example of infringement of deontological issues. It was revealed through investigation that some of the most influential and important rank holding members of the organization lacked ethical behavioral trait s and they were the major participants in this scandal. Key ethical problems The Adelphia scandal is a case of financial fraud that broke the trust of the shareholders and lowered level of faith of the public on the company. It is the most far-reaching financial fraud that has occurred in the country in the past few decades (Markon & Frank, 2002). The company filed for bankruptcy in June 2002 and was finally purchased in July 2006 by Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Inc. Two ethical problems were distinctly identified in this fraudulent case; financial statement modification and superficial statement about stock earnings. The first ethical issue is concerning the fact that the officials in the company had strategically and systematically excluded several billion dollars that the company held as liabilities over the period of four years between 1998 and 2002. The liabilities were hidden fraudulently from the books of off-balance sheet affiliates (Barlaup, Dronen & Stuart, 2009). Additio nally, the company also inflated its earnings in order to meet the expectations of shareholders in the Wall Street. Various operations statistics were falsified and concealed (The SEC, 2002). These activities raised questions about ethical duties of the employees working in different private as well as public corporations. Deontological ethics The term ‘ethics’ is generally understood as â€Å"systematic attempt to understand moral concepts and to propose and defend principles and theories regarding right and wrong behavior† (Barlaup, Dronen & Stuart, 2009, p. 186). Normative ethics is found to be highly relevant to the issues faced business firms and the problems faced by auditors. Under the framework of normative ethics, three principal theories of ethics can be identified. These are egoism, utilitarianism and deontology. In this section, the focus would be on the deontological theory of ethics. General theory Deontological ethics relate to the â€Å"ethics of duty of principle† (Cooper, 2000, 179). The term ‘deontology’ was coined by Bentham (1748-1832) and by this term he emphasized on the following meaning. It is the act of motivating people in such as way that it would maximize overall community happiness. This would be done by mobilizing the causes that inspire specific private

Paraphrasing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Paraphrasing - Essay Example Tocqueville stipulated that democracy plays a crucial role with respect to influencing opinion of the members of the public, serving as the foundation of the country’s economy, and in helping people to realize their freedom and authority (Nolla 36). The spirit of patriotism is the one that drives American citizens. They are also self-governing and the will of the people is the one that determines how the nation will be ruled. Tocqueville refers to this as â€Å"majority omnipotence,† which means that the mainstream society is the one that rules the nation while the minority get oppressed. To demonstrate this, Tocqueville offers an example of the American Indians and the blacks who were subjected to suffering for centuries in their own country (Nolla 37). Though Tocqueville significantly approves the amount of freedom that is present in the US, he reveals elements of pessimism when he points out the concept of the â€Å"art of being free.† Here, he stipulates that freedom in America is in a constant process of transformation; whereby as one form becomes non-existent another one emerges. Since this transformation process cannot be avoided, people are encouraged to stand ready and fight for their independence. Conversely, Tocqueville demonstrates significant attentiveness to the US since it serves as the foundation for democracy, which cannot flourish for long in the face of individual manifestation (Nolla

Used Book Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Used Book Business - Essay Example Location – Used book stores are best suited to be located in high traffic region. A store in the vicinity of a university or college will have added advantage. Shopping malls and popular hangouts are also preferred location for used book store. Proximity to new book store is also ideal. Manpower – A good number of people should be involved in the business to source, refer and negotiate the purchase of books from the initial owner to the prospective buyer. Over the counter sales has to be assigned only to book lovers who have an outgoing attitude, business aptitude and are personable. Training employees at various level of operation will enable them to handle the store in the absence of the owner. Promotion – It may be noted that used book buyer is usually not an in depth reader. Hence adequate marketing and promotional activities should be carried to bring in people to the store to browse through the used books. Design of the store – The used book store should have a clear show window with the arrangement of books in uncluttered style. Prospective buyers should be able to view the book and this is vital to attract passers by. Used book business can be started by selling the owner’s collection of books which forms the inventory on launch. The initial stocks can also include the books donated by relatives, friends and neighbors (How to Make It Big with a Used-Book Store). The short term objective of the store should be service oriented rather than aim to make huge profits. This earns reputation and future prospects for sale. The business should make sure to obtain positive feedbacks from customers and make courtesy communication to understand the pulse of the customers (Weber & Weber 2005 p.57). The next step is to search for prospective book sellers from whom books can be purchased at a low cost. Low cost books can also be gathered from goodwill stores, garage sales, church

Face Recognition Using PCA Algorithm

Face Recognition Using PCA Algorithm Bollini Lokesh, Abhishek Nallamothu, Mr.S.Planiappan ABSTRACT Day by day technology is changing and way of securing and automation is also trending. Facial recognition (or face recognition) is a type of biometric software application that can identify a specific individual in a digital image by analyzing and comparing patterns. Facial recognition systems are commonly used for security purposes but are increasingly being used in a variety of other automation applications. In real time, face recognition algorithms deal with large data base. Execution of these face recognition algorithms take high computational power and time on large database. Our objective is to improve speed of face recognition on large data base by using PCA algorithm. The goal of our proposing PCA algorithm is to reduce the dimensionality of the data by mapping the data into a lower dimensionality subspace while retaining as much as possible of the variation present in the original dataset. We formally prove this algorithm on ORL face data base with best precision. Keywords: PCA: Principle Component Analysis, MATLAB: Matrix Laboratory, ORL: Olivetti Research Laboratory INTRODUCTION Facial recognition (or face recognition) is a type of biometric software application that can identify a specific individual in a digital image by analyzing and comparing patterns. Facial recognition systems are commonly used for security purposes but are increasingly being used in a variety of other applications. The Kinect motion gaming system, for example, uses facial recognition to differentiate among players. Currently, a lot of facial recognition development is focused on smartphone applications. Smartphone facial recognition capacities include image tagging and other social networking integration purposes as well as personalized marketing. A research team at Carnegie Mellon has developed a proof-of-concept iPhone app that can take a picture of an individual and within seconds return the individuals name, date of birth and social security number. Facebook uses facial recognition software to help automate user tagging in photographs. Here’s how facial recognition works in Facebook: Each time an individual is tagged in a photograph, the software application stores information about that person’s facial characteristics. When enough data has been collected about a person to identify them, the system uses that information to identify the same face in different photographs, and will subsequently suggest tagging those pictures with that person’s name. Facial recognition software also enhances marketing personalization. For example, billboards have been developed with integrated software that identifies the gender, ethnicity and approximate age of passersby to deliver targeted advertising. The main aim of this project is to improve the computational speed of face recognition by using PCA algorithm. This can be done by reducing the dimensionality of images, while doing computations on images in data base. We propose a PCA algorithm with reduced dimensionality in calculations, and we formally prove this algorithm on ORL face data base of ten different images of each of 40 distinct subjects with best precision. RELATED WORK The proposed face recognition system by using PCA algorithm overcomes certain limitations of the existing face recognition system. It is based on reduction of dimensionality and extracting the dominating features of a set of human faces stored in the database and performing mathematical operations on the values corresponding to them. Hence when a new image is fed into the system for recognition then it will reduce dimensionality of new image and extract the main features to compute and find the distance between the input image and the stored images. Thus, some variations in the new face image to be recognized can be tolerated. When the new image of a person differs from the images of that person stored in the database, the system will be able to recognize the new face and identify who the person is. The proposed system is better mainly due to the use of facial features rather than the entire face. Its advantages are in terms of: Recognition accuracy and better discriminatory power Computational cost because of reduction in dimensionality and removing of noise from data set Concentrating on main features require less processing to train the PCA. Because of the use of dominant features and hence can be used as an effective means of authentication Principle Component Analysis Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was invented by Karl Pearson in 1901 and is now used in many fields of science. It is a way of identifying patterns in data, and expressing the data in such a way as to highlight their similarities and differences. Since patterns in data can be hard to find in data of high dimension, where the luxury of graphical representation is not available, PCA is a powerful tool for analyzing data. The other main advantage of PCA is that once you have found these patterns in the data, and you compress the data, ie. by reducing the number of dimensions, without much loss of information. The main aim of this project is to improve the computational speed of face recognition by using PCA algorithm. This can be done by reducing the dimensionality of images, while doing computations on images in data base. We propose a PCA algorithm with reduced dimensionality in calculations, and we formally prove this algorithm on ORL face data base of ten different images of each of 40 distinct subjects with best precision. Actually issues arise once performing arts face recognition in a very high-dimensional area (curse of dimensionality). therefore we have a tendency to area unit managing spatiality issues in face recognition performance. important enhancements will be achieved by 1st mapping the information into a lower-dimensional sub-space. Mapping knowledge|of knowledge|of information} into lower dimensional data is feasible by PCA formula. In PCA formula, 1st itll convert all face pictures (N X N pixel) in knowledge base into face vector (N2X1 dimensionality).It hundreds of these face vectors into one matrix (N2X M matrix; here M=number of face pictures in database).It cipher average face vector(N2X1 dimensionality) by doing mean on all face vectors. It calculate normalized face vectors matrix (N2X M dimensionality) by subtracting average face vector from every face vector. It calculate variance matrix to search out out best Eigen|chemist}|chemist} vectors (best Eigen vectors represent best Eigen faces).It calculate signature of image and place it in( M X S dimensionality; here S=number of signatures). PCA converts input image (image for face recognition) into face vector, then it converts into normalized face vector and thereby it verify weight vector of input image. Finally it compare weight vectors and thereby it verify the person. Face recognition bioscience is that the science of programming a laptop to acknowledge a personalitys face. once someone is listed during a face recognition system, a video camera takes a series of snapshots of the face and so represents it by a singular holistic code. once somebody has their face verified by the pc, it captures their current look and compares it with the facial codes already hold on within the system. The faces match, the person receives authorization; otherwise, the person wont be known. the prevailing face recognition system identifies solely static face pictures that just about specifically match with one among the photographs hold on within the information. once this image captured nearly specifically matches with one among the photographs hold on then the person is known and granted access. once this image of someone is significantly totally different, say, in terms of facial features from the photographs of that person that area unit already hold on within the information the system doesnt acknowledge the person and thence access are denied. The existing or ancient face recognition system has some limitations which may  be overcome by adopting new ways of face recognition: The existing system cannot tolerate variations within the new face image. It needs the new image to be nearly specifically matching with one among the photographs within the information which can otherwise end in denial of access for the individual. The performance level of the prevailing system isnt considerable. CONCLUSION The PCA method is an unsupervised technique of learning that is mostly suitable for databases that contain images with no class labels. PCA improve speed of face recognition by mapping higher dimensionality of face image into lower dimensionality. PCA provides best precision in face recognition process. In future we are planning to implement automation in security and automation in attendance by using this algorithm. We will try to get more efficiency and precision by combining this algorithm with other algorithms. We are planning to implement this algorithm for recognizing multi faces by combining this algorithm with other face recognition algorithms. REFERENCES: [1] A.S Syed navaz, T. Dhevi sri Pratap mazumdar â€Å"Face recognition using principle component analysis and neural networks† International Journal of Computer Networking, Wireless and Mobile Communications (IJCNWMC) ISSN 2250-1568 Vol. 3, Issue 1, Mar 2013, 245-256 [2] Lindsay I Smith â€Å"A tutorial on Principal Components Analysis†February 26, 2002 [3] Sasan Karamizadeh, Shahidan M. Abdullah, Azizah A. Manaf, Mazdak Zamani, Alireza Hooman â€Å" An Overview of Principal Component Analysis† Journal of Signal and Information Processing 2013, 4, 173-175 [4] Toshiyuki Sakai, M. Nagao, Takeo Kanade, â€Å"Computer analysis and classification of photographs of human face,† First USA Japan Computer Conference, 1972 [5] Yuille, A. L., Cohen, D. S., and Hallinan, P. W., Feature extraction from faces using deformable templates, Proc. of CVPR, (1989).

Essay on The Crucible: The Concept of Conscience :: Essay on The Crucible

The Crucible:   The Concept of Conscience Conscience is the awareness of right and wrong. In The Crucible, the idea of conscience in strongly emphasized. Miller himself said, "No critic seemed to sense what I was after [which was] the conflict between a man’s raw deeds and his conception of himself; the question of whether conscience is in fact an organic part of the human being, and what happens when it is handed over not merely to the state or the mores of the time but to one’s friend or wife." The idea of conscience in the play The Crucible is based very much on Christian concepts, firstly the idea of morality, or conscience of right and wrong, secondly the idea of the confession of sin, and finally the idea of guilt and penance for sins. Conscience, then, as an issue of morality, is defined very clearly at the start of the play. "†¦a minister is the Lord’s man in the parish; a minister is not to be so lightly crossed and contradicted" says Parris in Act One. Here it is established that theologically the minister, in this case, Parris, is supposed to be the ultimate decider of morality in Salem. The Church, in theocratic Massachusetts, defines conscience. Right and wrong is decided by authority, and the authority here is the Church. Law is based on the doctrines of the Church, and Salem is a theocracy.   "For good purposes, even high purposes, the people of Salem developed a theocracy, a combine of state and religious power whose function was to keep the community together, and to prevent any kind of disunity†¦but all organization is and must be grounded on the idea of exclusion and prohibition, just as two objects cannot occupy the same space. Evidently the time came in New England when the repressions of order were heavier than seemed warranted by the dangers against which the order was organized." So firstly Salem was a place where the conscience of the people was strictly governed by the theocracy, and socially Salem was repressive. However, at the start of the book, we see that the people of Salem have already begun to strain under this strict idea of conscience, this repression. Abigail says to John, "I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew what pretence Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men! And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes?

Blood pressure Essay

Question One: Hypertension (in addition to a number of medical conditions) may be considered as primary or secondary. Explain these concepts giving three examples of secondary hypertension and their pathophysiology. Most of the conditions that cause secondary hypertension involve the overproduction of one of the body’s hormones. Some of the medical problems that can cause secondary hypertension include: Kidney disease. Secondary hypertension is related to damaged kidneys or to an abnormal narrowing of one or both renal arteries. The renal arteries are the major blood vessels that bring blood to each kidney. When the kidney’s blood supply is reduced by a narrowing (called renal artery stenosis), the kidney produces high levels of a hormone called renin. High levels of renin trigger the production of other substances in the body that raise blood pressure, particularly a molecule called angiotensin II. Adrenal disease. The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and produce several hormones that help regulate blood pressure. Sometimes, one or both adrenal glands make and secrete an excess of one of these hormones. Three different types of adrenal gland conditions cause high blood pressure: Pheochromocytoma. A tumour of the adrenal gland that overproduces the hormones epinephrine (adrenalin) and norepinephrine (noradrenalin). Hyperaldosteronism (also called Conn’s syndrome). Both adrenal glands can overproduce the salt-retaining hormone aldosterone or it can arise in a benign adrenal tumour. Hypercortisolism (also called Cushing’s syndrome). Both adrenal glands can overproduce the hormone cortisol or it can arise in a benign or malignant tumour. Hyperparathyroidism. A hormone called parathormone is made by four tiny glands in the neck called parathyroid glands. If the glands produce too much hormone, calcium levels in the blood increase. People with hyperparathyroidism are more likely to have high blood pressure. The exact reason for this association is not known. Question Two: Roger was a symptomatic and only came in for a check up. Why is it important for this ‘silent disease’ to be detected and appropriately treated? As blood flows through arteries it pushes against the inside of the artery walls. The more pressure the blood exerts on the artery walls, the higher the blood pressure will be. The size of small arteries also affects the blood pressure. When the muscular walls of arteries are relaxed, or dilated, the pressure of the blood flowing through them is lower than when the artery walls narrow, or constrict. Blood pressure is highest when the heart beats to push blood out into the arteries. When the heart relaxes to fill with blood again, the pressure is at its lowest point. Blood pressure when the heart beats is called systolic pressure. Blood pressure when the heart is at rest is called diastolic pressure. When blood pressure is measured, the systolic pressure is stated first and the diastolic pressure second. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). For example, if a person’s systolic pressure is 120 and diastolic pressure is 80, it is written as 120/80 mm Hg. T he American Heart Association has long considred blood pressure less than 140 over 90 normal for adults. However, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in Bethesda, Maryland released new clinical guidelines for blood pressure in 2003, lowering the standard normal readings. A normal reading was lowered to less than 120 over less than 80. Hypertension is a major health problem, especially because it has no symptoms. Many people have hypertension without knowing it. In the United States, about 50 million people age six and older have high blood pressure. Hypertension is more common in men than women and in people over the age of 65 than in younger persons. More than half of all Americans over the age of 65 have hypertension. It also is more common in African-Americans than in white Americans. Hypertension is serious because people with the condition have a higher risk for heart disease and other medical problems than people with normal blood pressure. Serious complications can be avoided by getting regular blood pressure checks and treating hypertension as soon as it is diagnosed. If left untreated, hypertension can lead to the following medical conditions: arteriosclerosis, also called atherosclerosis heart attack stroke enlarged heart kidney damage. Arteriosclerosis is hardening of the arteries. The walls of arteries have a layer of muscle and elastic tissue that makes them flexible and able to dilate and constrict as blood flows through them. High blood pressure can make the artery walls thicken and harden. When artery walls thicken, the inside of the blood vessel narrows. Cholesterol and fats are more likely to build up on the walls of damaged arteries, making them even narrower. Blood clots also can get trapped in narrowed arteries, blocking the flow of blood. Arteries narrowed by arteriosclerosis may not deliver enough blood to organs and other tissues. Reduced or blocked blood flow to the heart can cause a heart attack. If an artery to the brain is blocked, a stroke can result. Hypertension makes the heart work harder to pump blood through the body. The extra workload can make the heart muscle thicken and stretch. When the heart becomes too enlarged it cannot pump enough blood. If the hypertension is not treated, the heart may fail. The kidneys remove the body’s wastes from the blood. If hypertension thickens the arteries to the kidneys, less waste can be filtered from the blood. As the condition worsens, the kidneys fail and wastes build up in the blood. Dialysis or a kidney transplant are needed when the kidneys fail. About 25% of people who receive kidney dialysis have kidney failure caused by hypertension. Question Three: The renin-angiotensin system plays a central role in blood pressure regulation. Explain the renin-angiotensin system with reference to Conn’s syndrome. The Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System is a hormone system that regulates BP and fluid balance. When blood volume is low, the juxtaglomerular cells in the kidneys secrete Renin directly into circulation. Plasma Renin converts a polypeptide called Angiotensinogen, which is secreted from Liver into Angiotensin I, which in turn is converted to Angiotensin II (or ATII) by the enzyme called ACE (Angiotensin converting enzyme) found in the lungs. It so happens that Angiotensin II is a potent vaso-active peptide that causes blood vessels to constrict, resulting in increased blood pressure. Angiotensin II also stimulates the secretion of the hormone Aldosterone from Adrenal cortex. Aldosterone causes the tubules of the kidneys to increase the reabsorption of sodium and water into the blood. This increases the volume of fluid in the body, which also increases blood pressure. If the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is too active, blood pressure will be too high. There are many drugs that interrupt different steps in this system to lower blood pressure. These drugs are one of the main ways to control HBP, heart failure, renal failure and the harmful effects of Diabetes. Angiotensin II is degraded to angiotensin III by angiotensinases located in red blood cells and the vascular beds of most tissues. Angiotensin III has 40% of the pressor action of ATII, but 100% of the aldosterone-producing activity of ATII. Angiotensin II has autocrine, paracrine and endocrine actions on different systems: Cardiovascular effects: AT II is the most powerful vasopressor known, constricting both arteries and veins. Myocyte growth is stimulated through a local tissue RAAS. The same system can be activated in the smooth muscle cells in conditions of HTN or endothelial damage thus contributing to and accelerating the process of Atherosclerosis. Neurological effects: ATII increases the thirst sensation by directly stimulating the Subfornical organ of the brain (Dipsogenic action). AT II also decreases the response of Baroreceptor reflex. ATII increases secretions of both ADH and ACTH besides stimulating postganglionic sympathetic fibers to secrete Noradrenaline. Adrenal effects: Angiotensin II acts on the Adrenal cortex causing it to release Aldosterone, a hormone that causes the kidneys to retain sodium and lose potassium.

The Patriots Act essays

The Patriots Act essays After the tragedy on September eleventh something called the Patriots Act was passed. This Act allows the FBI s to infringe on our personal liberties as Americans. It mainly takes away our rights that the 1st and 4th amendment gives us. I personally think that it infringes on our fourth amendment more than the first. The fourth amendment states; The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, ad effects, against unreasonable search and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause. With the Patriots Act in effect the 4th amendment might as well not even exist. The FBI can do basically anything they want to try and protect us. They can get library records, tap phones, see what websites you visited, and spy on you with you never having knowledge of it. Worst of all they do not even need to obtain a search warrant or have probable cause to do so. I realize that this act was put into effect to try and protect us from another terrorist attack but the government went to far. There is no reason why they should have this kind of power to spy on American when the 4th Amendment clearly protects us from doing so. The First Amendment states; Congress shall make no law respecting and establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise there of; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. The Patriots Act infringes on the 1st amendment because you can be investigated simply by saying something or even just by going about your everyday activities. If the FBI thinks that youre involved in terrorist activities just because you said something or because you are a certain religion they will investigate you, take your rights away and you will probably never find out that it happened. I realize that this act was made to protect America from another attack but if it takes away my civil liberties as an American then the act should be void. The FBI should find anoth ...

The Third Gender Evolutionary explanation for Male Homosexuality Essays

The Third Gender Evolutionary explanation for Male Homosexuality Essays The Third Gender Evolutionary explanation for Male Homosexuality Essay The Third Gender Evolutionary explanation for Male Homosexuality Essay Fag, faggot, fairy, fart knocker, felcher, fruit, fuck face, pansy, pantywaist, pillow biter, poof, poove, pouf, queen, queer, shit-stabber and turd burglar: just some of the culture specific slang words still in use today to address homosexuals and male homosexuality. As cited in Buss (1994) Helena Cronin says, We are walking archives of ancestral wisdom and perhaps it is true that ancestral wisdom has little to do with homosexual behavior when looked at it from the perspective of Darwinian sexual selection. Nonetheless, with an ongoing global campaign for homosexual awareness it becomes, in my opinion, an important part of evolutionary psychology to address homosexualitys progression as a probable byproduct of sexual selection. Evolutionary Theorists across the globe struggle with the idea of homosexuality in context to Darwin especially due to irregularities in defining sexual preference. Ideally, all men ought to be heterosexual so that they may procreate and achieve fitness. It is unlikely that sexual sterilization would not only survive but also thrive in circumstances present today. Nonetheless, Homosexuality with all the derogatory terms language has cultivated exists and finds in its category a growing number of men. As Stephen Dawkins (2005) recently said, The problem with verifying evolution is not that there hasnt been enough time but that there has been too much time. When seen from the evolutionary psychologists point of view the possibility of homosexuality as a valuable instrument in developing mating behavior becomes more and more viable in lieu of its contradictory nature. In my paper I hope to argue that male homosexuality is actually an evolutionary tool for efficiency in sexual selection by bringing together various theories by Buss. What Men Want Why They Want it Evolutionarily, men have a vested interest in furthering their chances of producing offspring and thereby propagating their genetic information. For this purpose they have two main mating strategies: 1. Short Term Mating Strategy 2. Long Term Mating Strategy Short Term Mating Strategy involves the male to be active in casual sex relationships with many women. This strategy is used to make sure that his reproductive value would increase at least by an average. The second strategy is an evolved strategy that benefits men who invest time and resources in a woman who would depend on these resources for her better survival. It is with the help of the Long Term Mating Strategy that the man ensures the possibility of reproductive success through a contractual relationship with a woman e.g. marriage. Having said this, Buss insists that male homosexuality is an extension of mans evolutionary heterosexual behavior: both of short and long term mating strategies. The two men require similar characteristics in their mates e.g. youth, good looking and are identical in their mating strategies except for one, that the homosexual man is attracted to men instead of women. Hamer discussed this difference as a possibility for a gay gene in his 1993 study. Although McKnight has pointed out that even though with there being a genetic difference between male homosexuals and heterosexuals, it is still largely an area that needs further research. This indirect evidence of a genetic basis for at least some forms of male homosexuality is supported by three decades of research reporting chemical and anatomical differences between straight and gay men. (McKnight, 1997) On further experimentation, McKnight writes on Hamers theory of the gay gene, At this preliminary stage we have no found support for Hamers suggestion (McKnight Malcolm, 2000) He further states, Our analysis failed to find a distinctive reproductive pattern, which might emerge with a larger sample size, but if repeated would suggest that the genetic mechanism is autosomal. (McKnight Malcolm, 2000) Buss writes that, Many men who prefer women as mates may nonetheless substitute a man as a sex partner, either because of an inability to attract women or because of a temporary situational constraint that preludes access to women (Buss, 1994) This is true in the case of prisons or forcefully held captives but not always true of the large population of gay men in society today. Buss (1994) further continues that, Male homosexuals and male heterosexuals seem to have indistinguishable mating preferences, expect with respect to the sex of their preferred partner. Evolutionary Problem / Solution regarding Homosexuality There are two main evolutionary problems with homosexual behavior that emphasize its extinction. Still, keeping conflicting motives in mind between evolution and homosexuality, the gay male introduces himself as a tool for understanding evolutionary motivations. 1. Procreation With similar mating strategies between male heterosexuals and homosexuals, it becomes increasingly complicated to understand why the homosexual man has survived and continues to do so. The two men (straight gay) share in common certain characteristic requirements of their mates. The straight male can produce children and therefore increase his evolutionary fitness. On the other hand, the gay male cannot reproduce. There are obvious disadvantages of homosexuality that natural selection would eventually select out such as the inability to procreate. Evolutionary advantage works to increase the average growth of the species and the homosexual male cannot be used as a catalyst. Yet, according to the Census of 2001 there has been a rise of gay population across the United States. McKnight (2000) exclaims in his paper that there is a real puzzle here and it goes to the heart of sexuality as no sex equals no children. While sex has more purposes than reproduction, begetting offspring is the ultimate end game a relationship more clearly understood in an age of unreliable contraception. He calls this phenomenon Child Hunger. It would according to evolutionary theorists be baffling to understand homosexuality in face with the fact that it results in no children and therefore is not child hungry yet it not only exists but increases rapidly. Male homosexual orientation is particularly problematic as it is a behavior that is clearly a reproductive liability. (Weinrich, 1978 as cited in McKnight, 2000) 2. Sexual Variability The idea of normalcy in terms of sexual behavior globally has changed drastically over and over again through the course of history. The categorization of men as homosexuals and heterosexuals labels, confines naturally sexual deviations into one or the other group. That many men having homosexual experiences as part of their development was deeply disturbing to the mid twentieth century, does not disguise that similar studies report similar findings at the end of the millennium. Kinsey (Kinsey, Pomeroy and Martin 1948) may have lifted the lid on the realities of human sexual experience but a half-century of further research merely confirms how plastic our sexuality is. (McKnight, 2000) This plasticity of sexual behavior increases the likelihood that homosexual behavior although conflicting with evolutionary psychology indeed is a process of increasing sexual deviations and therefore the possibility of natural selection in sexual experience. Through gay behavior the human male is abl e to explore all possibilities of sexual behavior that would excite and entice him into an evolutionary advantage over men who are not as sexually active. Origins of Homosexuality According to Buss (1994), the origins of homosexuality remain a mystery. Yet, the alarming increase in males who prefer men as their mates seem as if the origins of homosexuality similar to that of heterosexuality is the same. Sexual selection provides for variants in sexuality not unlike natural selection. If you accept that human sexual orientation is diverse and variable and above all plastic, then there is a certain sympathy for Murphys view: It is hard to see that there is any reason to study the origins of behavior that is morally, medically, psychologically (and perhaps even religiously) aproblematic. (Murphy, 1990 as cited in McKnight, 2000) Nonetheless, evolutionary theorists have studied the origins of homosexuality in great detail attempting to find a key difference between straight and gay men. Biological Influences as origin of homosexuality: Alexander (2000) initiated research in finding structural and functional differences between homosexual and heterosexual males. He writes that Burnham in 1977 had noted that females have smaller brains than males and therefore women were less intellectual then men. Although it is true that male brains are somewhat larger than female brains, this is the first example of structural difference that does not evince a measurable behavior difference. (Alexander, 2000) Similarly, the fact that there might be some structural differences between straight and gay men it does not account for the fact that there would be core differences in sexual preferences. Alexander (2000) further noted that the Committee for the Study of Sex Variants in New York City in the 1930s studied a homosexual population using various psychological tests, hormonal measurements and physiological measurements of the genitalia and other body parts including skull circumference. The authors of the study realized that there was no conclusive proof that any individual may be a so called sex variant and or might be more prone to homosexual behavior than the next person. (Henry, 1948 as cited in Alexander, 2000) These inconclusive studies provided for further research that might shed light on biological aspects of homosexuality. The early 1990s was a remarkably productive period of time for research into sexual dimorphism of brain areas. (Alexander, 2000) If there would be any biological connective that was found then it would also be possible to understand the motivations for homosexuality and categorize it in terms of evolutionary advantage, if any, by studying the population. This was not the case. Although there were studies done by researchers such as Allen and Gorski in 1990 and 1991 Taken together, these finding indicate that sexually dimorphic structures can be found in many different areas of the brain. (Alexander, 2000) A foremost breakthrough in these studies was by Swaab and Hofman, 1990 in which distinct differences were noted. The Suprachiasmatic nucleus of vasopressin-containing neurons was double in homosexual men when compared to heterosexual males. (LeVay, 1991) Further studies compared Swaabs findings with that of Allen and Gorski that concluded that the anterior commissure (found to be sexually dimorphic larger in females) also was different according to sexual orientation such that it was larger in homosexual males compared with both heterosexual males and females. Since the homosexual group did not fall between or have identical size to the female group, this outcame gave rise to another working hypothesis of a third sex the gay sex. (Alexander, 2000) Nonetheless Breedloves 1997 study proved that this hypothesis was false. Breedlove concluded that there was no evidence that the outcome mentioned before was not an effect rather than a cause. It is possible that differences in sexual beh avior cause, rather than are cause by, differences in brain structure. (Breedlove, 1997) Since there is no actual biological root that explains homosexuality, it is possible that similar to heterosexuality, it was used as a tool to better achieve fitness. Male homosexuality, in my opinion can be explained in evolutionary terms as follows: 1. Sex used as a tool for reciprocal altruism Women have evolutionarily used sex as a means to get resources and guarantee a mate through promising sex. Homosexuality, similarly, in men can be used to coopt resources and guarantee a long term partner that would invest resources. 2. Adoption of Children Homosexual men are also an added advantage in a social structure that produces excess children with little life expectancy without adequate domestic care. They can provide as means of adoption and surrogate parents an alternative to what may be now considered a family. 3. Reduction of Same Sex Conflict Homosexual behavior might also be responsible for creating coalitions amongst men that would eventually decrease male male aggression and therefore increase evolutionary advantage for the species by an average. These three suppositions go without any data to support them and I would find it interesting to look at studies that would explore homosexuality as an added advantage for evolutionary success.

Corporate Development Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Corporate Development Strategies - Essay Example This paper focuses on one of the chains, particularly the Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong. It also gave a view of how the Hong Kong branch carries on with its business and gave out its services. An analysis of its corporate strategies was also made to show what the company does to attain success, or failure, for that matter. It will also make recommendations as to the corporate development strategies that could best enhance the business status and improve the weaknesses found that would only hinder the Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong’s growth and further success. This is done with the use of various tools for analysis such as SWOT, PEST and 7Ps. Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1: Introduction & Background†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 1.2: Purpose of Study†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...5 1.3: Corporate Strategy †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 CHAPTER 2 INTERNAL ANALYSIS 2.1: Current Strategic Marketing Decisions (7P) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 2.2: Strengths †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..10 2.3: Weaknesses †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..11 CHAPTER 3 EXTERNAL ANALYSIS 3.1: PEST Analysis – Hospitality Industry Environment †¦...12 3.2: Competitive Environment and S&W ..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦17 3.3: Opportunities †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦18 3.4: Threats †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦.20 CHAPTER 4 FOCUS AREAS 4.1: Effect of U S Dollar Drop and RMB Rise†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦21 4.2: Effect of inflation †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦22 CHAPTER 5 RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1: Recommended Decisions †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦22 CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..25 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1: Four Seasons Hotel, Hong Kong: Introduction & Background Isadore Sharp, better known as â€Å"Issy† is the founder of Four Seasons Hotel

Labeling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Labeling - Research Paper Example While labeling theory is not as popular as it once was, it has not been completely discredited as a way to understand how social processes lead to deviant behavior. Labeling Theory & Who Labels Whom? Labeling theory argues that just observing the delinquent, or its characteristics, will not provide a whole image of deviance or crime. A complete picture has to include community/society responses to such incidents (Traub and Little 291). Labeling theory is used as a way to understand deviant behavior, including crime, as a consequence of social differentiation processes in which some of society's members are singled out, identified, and defined as deviant, while others are not (Traub and Little 289-295). The causal proposition of labeling theory is that the act of treating a person as a deviant, in itself, can lead to deviant behavior on the part of that person. The punishment of deviant behavior often has an ironic effect: efforts at social control lead to decreased control (Schur 10) . Social definitions of deviance and their accompanying social sanctions somehow pressure labeled individuals into further deviant behaviors. Loosely speaking, a "label," or, a definition of a person as deviant, may be thought of as an independent variable, or, a cause of deviant behavior (Akers 121). The process by which a person is labeled as deviant may be summarized as follows. First, an act is deemed as deviant. Second, the person committing the act is deemed as deviant. And third, a moral condemnation is placed upon this person (Traub and Little 289). According to labeling theory, then, reactions to criminal behavior should be considered at least as important as the behavior itself, if not more. Labeling theory took a lesson from Kai Erikson (p. 11), who argued that the "social audience," not the individual, is the critical variable in studying deviance because it is the audience who decides which acts, or types of acts, deserve the deviant label. In their coverage of labeling theory, Traub and Little (p. 290) wrote "it is the definition of an individual's behavior as deviant, rather than the behavior itself, that can cause a marked change in status which transforms a person's conception of self and initiates the process of locking that person into a 'deviant career'." Thus, it is the community and authority figures such as the police, judges, teachers, parents, and psychiatrists, who label persons as "criminal," "delinquent," "bad kid," "mentally ill," "poor student," and so on. Consequences of Labeling Labeling theory argues that public deviant labeling can have a profound impact on the ability of the labeled person to participate in mainstream society. In one sense, this is an all-too-obvious observation. Societal sanctions have obnoxious effects for the offender of social norms. This assumption is central to the classic school in criminology, namely the deterrence approach to crime and punishment (Gennaro 196). This perspective argues that being caug ht and punished for a crime should decrease one's future rate of offending. Punished individuals should tend to desist from crime to avoid the pain of punishment in the future. However, in direct contrast to this traditional view, labeling theory points out that the ability of the individual to engage in rational decision-making is not the only relevant factor in determining the consequences of punishment. Labeling theory looks beyond individual-level processes and

Marking dissertation proposla Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Telemarketing in the Hong Kong Insurance Industry - Essay Example Due to the market liberalization that was engulfing the insurance sector in the region during the 1990s, many foreigners have ventured into insurance and the reinsurance business. It is imperative to note that many of the companies that moved into Hong Kong were mainly from the West, especially from the UK as well as the United States of America. As it was expected, this created an environment within this market or sector that was largely characterized by heightened competition as presented by Clutterbuck. As a result, it became apparent that companies within this industry needed to explore other marketing modes if they were to remain in the business and competitively impact on it. Hence, it is against this backdrop that telemarketing should be construed as a feasible option to help in the option of market amongst the various players within this industry. Telemarketing is a form of reaching the ‘would be’ clients by telephone according to Rosenzweig, and Boone and David. Why is it important? – Why is it the important topic to investigate from a theoretical and/or practical perspective? State how the dissertation will help your personal development objectives; career development objectives; your organization’s objectives (where appropriate) and meet the Henley objectives.   It is every business entity’s drive to increase its profit earnings. To achieve this, a business organization needs to conduct an exhaustive study of its surrounding environment and get information on how operations are executed. On the other hand, the business environment is quite dynamic. In this regard, operating businesses, irrespective of their line of operation, need to take into account these aspects.

Gary Paulsen’s novel Hatchet Essay Example for Free

Gary Paulsen’s novel Hatchet Essay In Gary Paulsen’s novel hatchet the protagonist Brian Robenson develops many new skills after his plane crashes into the Canadian wilderness. It is his ability to make a fire, build a shelter and make new tools that enable him to survive. During one of the nights when he was stuck in the Canadian wilderness a porcupine went into his shelter and he felt it he through the hatchet as a reaction which hit the rock and made a spark he woke up the next morning, remembering what had happened during the night, sparks, fire, I I can make a fire with my hatchet and the rock, it took a fair few tries but he eventually got it on the fire lasted till the day he got rescued, during all those days he was stuck out there â€Å"he had to keep hoping† because if he gave up he wouldn’t of gotten rescued and it could have ruined the book. After the crash it took him about a day to realize had to build a shelter this would help him survive it could maybe protect him from the wild animals and definitely protect him from the bad weather, he finds a rock/cave type thing and ends up having to re-build his shelter a few times due to animals wrecking it. Through the novel hatchet , Brian makes a couple of spears and catches all different animals, sometimes he ate the food raw or cooked it on the fire some of the time, it depended what it was, he ate the turtle eggs raw, but cooked the bird. When Brian is stuck in the Canadian wilderness he needs a fire and shelter and food to survive if he didn’t have them three things he would have only lasted a few days tops, he could of died of hyperthermia or starvation and he wouldn’t of been saved, and if he dies it would of ruined the book.

The Sacrifice Of The Oedipus Rex Play

The Sacrifice Of The Oedipus Rex Play Sacrifice, a trait few hold. In The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and Sophocles renowned play, Oedipus Rex, each possess the mutual theme of sacrifice, specially selfless sacrifice the willingness to give to others at the stake of your own well-being. In The Metamorphosis, the protagonist sacrifices for his own family by forfeiting his own life. While in Oedipus Rex, sacrifices were made by the ruler of a kingdom for the sake of his own people. In both texts, an instance of humanity was given through the motif of sacrifice, and through the plot, the protagonists exemplify the reason for necessity of sacrifice to be called on in life. Franz Kafka, a culturally influential German author of the early 1900s, has written a multitude of different works, the most noteworthy being The Metamorphosis. Gregor Samsa, the protagonist in The Metamorphosis, is altered into an enormous bug (13) at the start of the book. As the plot thickens, it is evident that Gregor is submissive, dutiful worker, who, in his life, has yet to miss a day of work. In addition, he provides for the necessities of his own family. Gregor willingly forfeits his aspirations and goals for the well-being of his family, despite living in a dead-end, menial life and longing to quit, he bears with his situation and will not abandon his job until his familys debts are relieved. This, in turn, is what makes Gregor such a human, lovable character, for bugs and animals seek primarily of the survival and well-being of themselves for that of others. However despite, being physically handicapped by his disposition as a bug, he still tends to his family and sister i n particular. Sacrifices were continuously made throughout the day by Gregor as a bug in order to hold onto what little humanity that remains. In Kafkas decision in having Gregor choose to remain with his family the entire span of the story, instead of escaping was to depict Gregors own selfless sacrifice and his remaining humanity. On the other hand, on the account of his own free will, Gregor decides to stay inside his room, not making an attempt to flee, through this, he sacrifices a more joyful and free life away from his family, to hold onto the only physical remainders he has left, his own roomultimately his own humanity. Eventually, Gregor makes his most crucial decision and sacrifices himself: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦he felt relativelyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ comfortableà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ he stayed in this state of vacant and peaceful studyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ his last breath issuedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ faintly from his nostril (46), this represents his prevailing humanity. While his demise lifts a heavy l oad off of his familys shoulders, it also allowed for them to be liberated from the constraints of such an obstacle, as they are no longer pinned to the apartment due to Gregors presence. On the other hand, in Sophocles celebrated play, Oedipus Rex: the protagonist of the story, Oedipus, the proclaimed king of Thebes, is prophesied to incur an horrendous fate as a child: to his own sons he shall be found related as a brotherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and of the woman from whose womb he came bothà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ spouse and son; one that raised up seed to his father, and has murdered him (15). Bearing the fear of such a curse, Oedipus biological mother and father attempt to slay their own son, sentencing him to death in hopes of avoiding their own fate. However, the shepherd that was given the heavy task took pity on the child, and instead, gave Oedipus to the royalty of Corinth. As years pass, Oedipus ultimately realizes the prophecy, himself. Bearing the same fear his mother and father had, he banished himself from Corinth and sought a life away from the monarchs in an attempt to protect the well-being of his adoptive father, in addition to his dignity. Still, a twist of plot unfolds on Oedipus journey to Thebes, after his departure from Corinth, he stumbles across his biological father, King Laius, who he is not familiar with and ends up slaying him due to a disagreement. In spite of this, in the process, he is found to be the next heir to Thebes throne as he solves a sphinxs riddle and liberates Thebes from its grasp. As a king Oedipus then unknowingly marries his own biological mother-alas carrying out his own demise, his prophecy. The play revolves around Oedipus vengeance to eradicate the murderer of the past king of Thebes, his father, who he, without knowledge, murdered himself. Through this, he hopes to end the suffering of his city due to a ravaging plague. As the play progresses, our protagonist discovers the reality of the situation and his actions and acts acc ordingly-forfeiting his position as king in order to halt the ongoing curse that has been wreaking havoc on Thebes. Sophocles, being the legendary playwright that he is, utilizes the motif of sacrifice throughout the story in order to show how an individual, disregarding their position, is in no situation more important than the welfare of the general public. Oedipus, being the protagonist, does not hesitate to exempt himself from keeping power, no deny the truth; instead he is conscious of his role and position as a leader and cares for his citizens. Through Oedipus actions his kingdom is saved, his citizens; safe, his dignity; tarnished, himself, a hero. Both Kafka and Sophocles possess a similar type of reasoning when they decided on the death and sacrifice of their protagonists. The selfless sacrifice of these both deemed heroes made throughout each story signified that there is no force that requires any of these characters to sacrifice themselves, nonetheless they nobly do so. The design of these stories unfold in a similar fashion. In which the story trails the reader onto a climax, of which the greatest and last sacrifice is taken by the protagonist of each story, however then abruptly finishes without a gradual or defined conclusion. The purpose of the authors writing these works in such a way was to create a last and significant message onto the reader. In both works, sacrifice was also found to be a centerpiece. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor surrenders his life for the welfare of his family, while in Oedipus Rex, Oedipus sacrifices his social status and ultimately life in order to save his kingdom and citizens. Through utilizing sacrifice multiple times as a theme, the authors indicate to the reader to recognize sacrifice is a major focus and motif in the stories. Whereas in the authors purpose to have their protagonist sacrifice for the well-being of a more significant group of people, was to create their own personal reasoning and perspective on why sacrifice is necessary, which, based on the readings, was to be benefit society. In both literatures, it can be hinted that the beginning and the ending were quite similar in ways. Oedipus Rex and The Metamorphosis both start in the middle of an action, in Oedipus Rex ¸ the city of Thebes is consumed in a crisis: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦[the] city teems with incense-smoke, and paean hymnsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ sounds of woe the while (2). Meanwhile, in The Metamorphosis ¸ Gregor Samsa is, without delay, introduced as a vermin: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦When Gregor Samsa awoke from [his] troubled dreams one morning, he discovered that he had been morphed intoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [a] bug (12). In regards to the ending, both stories left the reader wondering and speculating at the same time. The development of plot is also a significant factor to the readers comprehension of the idea the author conveys, through using such unorthodox styles of starting in the middle of a crisis or dilemma, or ending near the climatic point, or building up only to create an undefined ending, the authors were able to successfully keep the reader entertained and interested. The Metamorphosis and Oedipus Rex both introduce the technique of focusing on a central character and through the employing that technique, the reader is successfully able to become more easily attached emotionally to a single character. In Oedipus Rex, the reader is able to feel Oedipus great sorrow and pain as it is revealed that his wife or mother had hanged herself and, in regret, he is required to depart Thebes, abandoning his daughters and his people. Similarly, in The Metamorphosis, one can truly share Gregors frustration and pain as his humanity gradually fades. Despite how the conditions of the majority of the people improved in both stories, the story ends as a tragic for the two protagonists. In Oedipus Rex ¸ the plague subsides and the citizens of Thebes are unshackled, while in The Metamorphosis, the family is truly unshackled by the lack of the burden of the obstacle of which they knew as Gregor Samsa. Even though both works directly do not correspond to present times, the protagonists are able to still be acknowledged for their selfless sacrifice; both protagonist gave themselves up for the ones they truly cherished and they can be looked at, through even todays standards, as a vanguard of liberality. The two reputed works, Oedipus Rex and The Metamorphosis, are noteworthy as they exemplify the bases of humanity, moreover revealing the certain aspect of selfless sacrifice. The two authors decision in the use of sacrifice as the theme of their works reveals their awareness of humanity and, through great success and greater influence, they truly conveyed that message. Oedipus and Gregors unwavering loyalty to the welfare of the general public ultimately provides the model of how one should live in life-for the sake of others. Work Cited Kafka, Franz. Metamorphosis. New York: Dover Publications, 1995. Print. Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. New York: Dover Publications, 1990. Print.