The Utopian Worldview of Afrocentricity: Critical Comments on a Reactionary Philosophy

Cameron Gilmore Professor Stephen Ferguson Liberal Studies 202 14 September 2012 The Utopian Worldview of Afrocentricity: Critical Comments on a Reactionary Philosophy In this paper, I will analyze Stephen Ferguson’s article â€Å"The Utopian Worldview of Afrocentricity: Critical Comments on a Reactionary Philosophy†. Throughout Ferguson’s article he discusses the limitations of Afrocentrism and the negative effects it may cause because of the beliefs and ideas expressed from the philosophical view.Following the summary of the article’s main points and themes, I shall expound upon the article’s erudite theme, while illuminating the author’s generalization of this â€Å"worldview†. Ferguson introduces the reader to the article with a poem entitled Heritage by Countee Cullen. While Ferguson only includes the first stanza of that poem, the entirety of the poem somewhat relates to the view of Afrocentrism in how Cullen articulates the beau ty of Africa, but by the end of the poem the mood has changed to Cullen’s current life and how it has changed.Like the poem the main point of the article is that Afrocentrism may be something of a good thing, but it cannot be any good to history if it is only based of off of â€Å"fantasy or fairy tale† as Ferguson states. There are many examples on the claims that are made on Afrocentrism and how it clouds the rich African-American or African heritage.One line from the passage says, â€Å"†¦[the Afrocentric quest for an authentic past] ignores the fact that the Pharaohs in conjunction with the priests were an oppressive and exploitative aristocracy. Dreaming of what Kwame Nkrumah termed an idyllic African classless society is a wrong-headed approach for Black Studies† (Ferguson). I found that this strongly demonstrates how farfetched ideas may become, mostly, when Afrocentrism becomes just a ploy to console the African-American race from times of struggle or disparity.Along with the negative side of the Afrocentric view, Ferguson greatly details on how it is even more important to read, research, learn and teach all parts of history; in which, he includes a cited passage, The Mis-Education of the Negro, written by Carter G. Woodson which basically says that it is important to read about great historic heroes such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, but it is just as important to read about the slaves that provided all the labor that contributed and made this country what it is today.One final theme that I received from the article is that like today’s Eurocentric view, which is also full of fallacy, Afrocentrism would not be too far from it with all the misleading and misguided illustrations, as opposed to simply researching and collecting facts, like this quote from Carter G. Woodson used in the article, â€Å" ‘race prejudice was based on wide-spread ignorance’ and that ‘carefully gathered scientif ic proof’ would eliminate it† (Ferguson).Throughout this review of Ferguson’s â€Å"The Utopian Worldview of Afrocentricity: Critical Comments on a Reactionary Philosophy†, I have discussed the author’s main points which I believe are that Afrocentrism is frequently filled with ideal views and utopian ideas, that African-Americans used these ideas at times of hardship to uplift the race, that it is just as important to research and learn about European history as well as every other history and that just as Eurocentrism can be cloudy in terms of actuality, so can Afrocentrism.I would have to honestly agree with all of these points, especially after the given details and examples, however I do fear that the author has made a generalization of this Afrocentric view. I believe that many people nowadays know of the oppression faced during the era of Ancient Egypt and Africa, and those phrases and terms given by early generation African-Americans which f ed to the false ideas to Afrocentrism have been proven to be exaggeration.In conclusion, I have reasoned that while Ferguson has given great details and is right on his claims, this does not mean that they are widely believed as much as his says, which in turn gives of a since of generalization.

Rhetorical Analysis of “A Modest Proposal” Essay

Since the first British colonization attempts of Ireland the island had been a place of tyrannical oppression and prejudicial mistreatment. This went on for centuries, with constant rebellion and resistance. In 1729 Jonathan Swift, an Irish clergyman living in England, denounced the cruel policies of England in a backwards manner. His use of verisimilitude in â€Å"A Modest Proposal exposes the corruption of British foreign policy towards the impoverished Irish people. He captures the minds and hearts of his audience, the British people, by posing a solution to apparent human issues of society, only to use ridiculously horrid ideas to show the true state of Irish treatment. To earn the audience of the British people, Swift had to play their heartstrings, as well as set up a logical basis for progression. He describes what he aims to solve as issues that would be â€Å"agreed by all parties† to be â€Å"great additional grievance[s].† Among these issues he addressed homeless beggars, especially children, â€Å"voluntary Abortions,† and the prominent act of thievery among the impoverished youth. His focus on the youth and poor conditions of life would most likely have drawn in the public to consider what he would later propose, as they are issues that were prevalent and of dire need of solution. The human tie to the wellbeing of children would inspire the British people to want to help them in whatever way possible. He also supports his ideas by claiming that the children shall not be a â€Å"charge upon their Parents, or the Parish,† but be a benefit to society by â€Å"contribut[ing] to the Feeding and partly to the Clothing of many Thousands† of people. This proposal not only solves the problems, but does so inexpensively and with an increased benefit of providing for the other impoverished. This logical appeal would most likely have make his audience more likely listen to his idea, as it thus would have seemed to be a convenient solution with no yet apparent drawbacks. Juxtaposed within these statements Swift began to dehumanize the impoverished people, describing the women as â€Å"Dams,† generally a term to describe cattle or other female beasts, and â€Å"Breeders.† He slipped in these  terms while stating the raw statistics of the cost of a child and the total number of impoverished children coming into Ireland annually. The use of terms of cattle during the hard facts gave Swift the ability to trick the people of Britain into considering, as was almost normal of the time, that these people were not actually people, but just a problem to be solved. By grabbing the attention of his audience and progressing to dehumanize the impoverished people of Ireland, Swift would potentially succeed in convincing, although he did not believe in it personally, that the people of Ireland were actually less than human. He then progressed to address his actual proposal: that the homeless and impoverished children of Ireland would make a â€Å"most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome Food.† He stated various manners of how to prepare the child, when the best time for preparation would be, and even that their skin would â€Å"make admirable Gloves and Summer Boots.† The absolute horror of doing this to human children, which is murder, would then have most likely dawned on the audience. The fact that they now view them as humans, would show the hypocrisy in their previous less-than-human views of the Irish people. Throughout the essay Swift addressed the lords and gentry specifically, having claimed that a child’s meat would be â€Å"very proper for Landlords, † and their skin good in the application of â€Å"Gloves for Lady’s, and Summer Boots for fine Gentlemen.† His focus on the profitability of the proposal was also intended to be an appeal to the wealthy controlling power. Having their attention, he then stated that there should be no â€Å"other expedients† on top of the profit of such a system. He was referring to harsh taxes, limiting production and export, forbidding importation of luxury items, and mistreatment of workers and tenets by landlords. By juxtaposing, yet again, this hyperbole of the potential of eating children with the actual treatment of Ireland, saying that the former was the preferable of the two, he would most likely make the British people aware of the harshness of their polices and abuses. He made it very clear that he was speakin g to the landlords and wealthy, then claimed that what they were doing was better than if they were eating their children. Such a claim is a harsh reality that would potentially have some reconsider their prejudice and ideals. It is hardly likely that anyone would actually believe that someone would propose such dastardly actions as an honest proposal. By exaggerating the horrors of the ridiculous proposition of eating children he makes it obvious that he doesn’t truly believe the British should eat Irish children. He shows that what it means to be human is being destroyed by the practices of the British as it is, just as if they were consuming and murdering their children. By forcing the two things into a juxtaposed parallel, he shows that they are of the same horror and despicable nature.

Questions on Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Questions on Law - Assignment Example The police officer who witnessed their act together with his back up team issued citation for the suspects. The gang moved a motion for dismissal of their cases on the ground that their citations were issued by officers who lacked probable cause. Legal principle: Prosecution’s reasoning The case is based on the principle of probable cause for making an arrest. Under the principle, a police officer can make a warrantless arrest, and citation, if there is a sufficient probable cause. A police officer can justify the move under probable cause in two circumstances. The officer must be able to explain the information that led to the assumption that the suspect was involved in a criminal act and the officer’s move must have been based on the suspected cause (Bergman and Berman, 2011). The likely ruling In the cases of Maryland vs. Pringe, Ybarra v Illinois and the case of State v. Sokolow, it was held that the presence of an incriminating evidence and reasonable suspicion for m ground for sufficient probable cause to arrest a suspect. It was further held, in the case of Alabama v. White, existence of probable cause is sufficient. The judge is therefore likely to uphold the case due to sufficiency of probable cause that the officers had (Bergman and Berman, 2011), (Carmen, 2009), (Meeker, 2004).... The gang can use this principal to suppress the paper (Meeker, 2004). Prosecution’s likely argument The law exempts the need for warrant before a search in cases where the searches are immediately related to an arrest. In the case of Colorado v. Bertine, the courts held that searches of a person’s possession are admissible if the search is done within the immediate scope of the arrest. The prosecution can thus argue that the retrieval of the paper was incident to the issuing of citations and therefore admissible (Carmen, 2009). The judge’s likely decision The judge is likely to uphold the evidence. This is because the suspects were under the authority of the police and the case of Colorado v. Bertine would be more applicable (Carmen, 2009). Question 3 Search of Ma’s car Tony accepts citation and gets into Ma’s car. A police officer then asked to search Ma’s car and she sped off. Legal status of the search Ma was obliged to let the police offi cer search her car. Reason Search on motor vehicles are governed by the Fourth amendment. Under warrantless search and frisk, a motorist can be searched on two grounds. The motorist must have been reasonably suspected of association with a criminal act. A search is also called for if the police officer feels threatened. The basis of a motorist’s association with a criminal act was established in the case of Pennsylvania vs. Mimms in which it was held that there must be a legal ground for stopping the car (Carmen, 2009). Persuading the court that the search was invalid A search, considered as a breach of a person’s privacy, is valid if it is done legally. The general rule for warrantless searches is that they have to be done with free consent of the suspect

METHODOLOGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

METHODOLOGY - Essay Example Research Design A research design is critical in establishing the outlay upon which data analysis will occur. A research design aids in achievement of the research objectives through a purposeful articulation of the overall theme of the research (Katherine, 1998, p.2). In addition, the research design helps in explaining the reason for which a particular kind of data is necessary for the research (Kiecolt & & Nathan, 1985, p.6). The design helps in showing the intended use of the data in a way that seeks to attain the research objectives. The research design for this research seeks to marry the objectives of research with the practical possibilities that are achievable from our chosen method of data collection. This research makes use of both quantitative and qualitative secondary data to unravel elements in the data that reveal information consistent with our research aims. By a combination of authentic secondary data sources, our methodology will help use comprehensively fulfill th e intended research objectives. ... the secondary data used in this research are government records, industry data sources, non-governmental organizations, research institutions, journal publications, books, annual reports, magazines, and company data. Specifically, the research uses data touching on various aspects of shareholder rights in UK, US and China. Some of the data discussing shareholder issues include books on corporate governance discussing companies, and other sources exploring the place of shareholders. Information needed Secondary sources help in identifying related areas of research, which require further inquiry. In addition, secondary data sources outlining the legal frameworks upon which shareholders base their actions undergo careful analysis regard to each of the three countries under study. For the achievement of this purpose, sources of data from professional corporate regulatory bodies such as the ICSA and GAAP form a constituent part of the research framework. With the use of such sources of da ta, we can comprehend the legal groundwork on which shareholders can operate. In consideration of the research objective, which emphasizes the use of real life cases from companies from each of the three countries, three companies, one from each country goes under scrutiny for this analysis. The case studies help us to gain a more intimate understanding of shareholder behavior, and legal realities the shareholders face for each of the three countries. In particular, secondary data from three companies aid in achievement of this objective: Balfour Beatty Plc. of UK, KBR of the US, and CNOOC limited from China. For the research to display a more encompassing perspective on the issues under consideration, the research also enlists the use of company data and annual reports to identify details

Analysing Argument - A Way to Pay for College, With Dividends Essay

Analysing Argument - A Way to Pay for College, With Dividends - Essay Example The article is based upon the argument of proving the benefits of human capital contract as the more suitable and appropriate source of study finance that is beneficial for the students as well as for the entire society and labour market. The author has impressively described the pros and cons of several ways of arranging the higher studies finance and has persuasively concluded that the human capital contracts are the most expedient and equitable way for the students to manage finance for their higher education. The author has included the experience of some students who have availed different options for securing the finance for their higher education. In the light of the experiences of these people the author insists that the most suitable, fair and supportive mode of college finance is human capital contract that needs to be further refines and elaborates to provide students will freedom of choice about their professional careers. He also highlight the disadvantages and problems associated with the other modes of higher education finance and argues that the comparison of all the possibilities unveils that human capital contract is the best options among all the choices and schemes available and implemented for providing the finance for the higher education to the students. The article explains that the choice of getting study finance through the "human capital contract" appears to be helpful resource for finance for the low income students of US, Mexico and Colombia etc. The author compares this option with certain other possibilities of getting finance. He also talks about the income based repayment introduced by US government and criticizes the finance schemes like income based repayment. He argues that in these methods the students are bound to repay the loans once they finish their education. This liability limits their freedom and they have little options in front of them to initiate their careers and rather spending time in the job of their choice, th ey are compelled to work for the corporations from where they could earn enough to pay their loans. The author argues that human capital contracts have more options and freedoms for the students and that rather than becoming slaves they could make free choice for their working careers. He shares his opinion â€Å"with human capital contracts, students would have wider options. They would know that, regardless of their career choices, their payments would not be unmanageable†. The author answers the people concerns and criticism regarding the market based mechanism of financing and their demands for the free college financed by the government. The author explains that it is not realistic approach to expect that the government should get enough from the taxes to build the free college for the students because usually the government fail to collect the desired amount of taxes from the citizens. He stresses upon this opinion by explaining that expecting government to provide educ ation finance will cause heavy tax burden on all the citizens that will eventually added to the problems of the people rather facilitating them. The article presents the author’s viewpoint that if the government will take the initiative to provide free college education it will result in the

African films Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

African films - Assignment Example The use of silence was a tool that disempowered women in the palace by not allowing them to speak about what was happening to them in their life. If they were forced into a behavior they did not want, they were expected to remain silent about the situation. If they were sick, they bore their pain in silence. The women knew what was going on in the palace, but were not allowed to talk to anyone about what they knew. If the woman was not married, the name of the father of any children was never uttered (Tlatti, 1994). The women were considered household slaves and were not allowed to leave the house, were expected to cook, clean, and perform any other duties, as requested by the family, without saying a word. They talked among themselves, but even that conversation was limited. Each woman had to bare her own burden in silence. The only way this silence could have been used to empower the women is if they would have been able to communicate with the outside world and then the family wou ld have had to pay them to keep quiet about the affairs of the palace. Sexual violence was included in the lives of these women, but none of them were allowed to have a voice in the situation. The women were not allowed to refuse, they could fight back until they were over powered, but the act would still take place if the man wanted it to happen (Tlatti, 1994). None of the other women were allowed to come to the aid of anyone being forced and the harm that was caused was not discussed by the victim. If medical attention was needed, a nurse was summoned. Demanding that a woman have an abortion is just as violent and results in death as other violent acts that can and have been performed on people in society. Making sure the slave/servant women remained in the home at all cost required that all births happened without any medical intervention (Tlatti, 1994). This could also be considered a form

Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Operations Management - Essay Example e continuous improvement as a never-ending process, emphasis should be given on restaurant staff, equipment, suppliers, materials (such as ingredients) and processes. Walter Shewhart has developed a circular model PDCA which can be used as a tool for continuous improvement. Another approach which Nok can adopt to emphasis on continuous improvement is to create a small team of 8-12 employees which is known as quality circles. Nok can provide the team with the required tools and techniques through which they can identify the problems and make the required changes to solve the problem (Mahadevan, 2010). The major problem which Nok has realised that she will face is the varying demand of the customers, which will not also result in unavailability of various ingredients but will also result in wastage of unused items. Therefore, the first mission of quality circle will be to determine how to predict the demand of customers rightly and how to ensure just-in-time inventory or stock. In order to determine the solutions to the above mentioned problem, the team should meet at least twice a week for 60-90 minutes to determine the number of customers visited the restaurant during the week and the items that were requested from the menu and the ingredients that wer e used. Once the quality circle gets able to solve this problem, then and only then any problem can be approached. In this way, by using these two quality management approaches, Nok will be better able to improve and ensure the quality of its products/services. Although quality management team or quality circle will be able to determine the areas where the improvements can be made to reduce the defects and problems, however, to understand the root cause of the problem, using Cause and Effect (Fishbone) Diagram can be very significant. Since the ultimate aim of excellent operations management is to achieve the customer satisfaction, therefore, to assess the quality provided by the restaurant and to analyse the

President as global leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

President as global leader - Essay Example Prior to the onset of the Second World War presidents had only been interested in being leaders in the Western hemisphere, with the Monroe Doctrine asserted that America had the right as well as the duty to interfere with, or lead the countries of Central and Latin America.2 The only time that an American president tried to be a global leader was when Woodrow Wilson attempted to be one at the end of the First World War. Congress, who vetoed American membership of the League of Nations and returned to a policy of strict neutrality, overturned his efforts.3 In many respects the American president acting as a global leader was a consequence of American involvement in the Second World War, and also the Cold War, which followed on from it. President Roosevelt was able to portray himself as a global leader during the Second World War until his own death. The American use of the atomic bombs against Japan meant that President Truman could boast of being the most important global leader due to the Americans been the only nuclear power. The onset of the Cold War also ensured that America could not resort to a neutral foreign policy ever again. American presidents were in affect global leaders of the capitalist Western World, containing the spread of communism.4 Certainly in the Cold War period the majority of American presidents successfully presented themselves as being global leaders. Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Reagan all made viable claims about their status as global leaders. Presidents Carter and Ford were arguably less successful in that regard. The ability of these presidents to portray themselves as global leaders was shaped by internal and external factors as well as their own personalities. To a large extent all post-war American presidents have had the same constitutional powers as each other.5 In constitutional terms every American president has operated with actual as well as potential blocks to his or her

Law and Business Ethics and Social Responsibility Essay

Law and Business Ethics and Social Responsibility - Essay Example states. Thus, the major U.S. law primarily consists of state law. The U.S. law is framed from various sources including statutory law, constitutional law, administrative regulations, common law and treaties. At the state and federal levels, the U.S. law was mostly derived from U.K. Common law, enforced at the instant of the Revolutionary War. Although the American law has deviated significantly from its ancestor in terms of procedure as well as substance, and has integrated a great number of innovations in the civil law. The main aim of the law is to rehabilitate people and organizations violating the law. In the U.S. law stare decisis pertains to the  sharing  of a case than to  obiter dicta i.e., things supposed by the way, as it has been decided by the American Supreme Court that dicta are not binding but might be pursued if it is adequately persuasive. The U.S Supreme Court has made the stare decisis principle most flexible in cases of constitutional nature. It has been stated by the Supreme Court that is the court provides various reasons for a verdict then each reason unambiguously marked as an independent ground, by the court for the verdict should not be simply treated as a dictum (Burnham, 2006). Microsoft is one of the leading software companies. In terms of CSR, Microsoft has framed mission to serve global communities and play its role in addressing public causes. One such step taken by Microsoft in the fiscal year 2011 involves reaching almost 250 million teachers and students around the globe in collaboration with their partners in learning program by the year 2013 to provide technology to their classrooms (Microsoft 2011 Citizenship report,

Planning for Opportunity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Planning for Opportunity - Essay Example In order to acquire reliable information, a marketing research coupled with SWOT analysis was conducted. The plan also contains various financial forecasts that support the financial and economic feasibility of the selected project. Wojciech and Stefan (2011) say that the most appropriate way of addressing the issue of economic insecurity is to encourage development of entrepreneurship attitudes among members of the society. Consequently, I have made up my mind to initiate an entrepreneurship program comprising of efforts provided by five members of my group. This program seeks to establish an Arabic restaurant within the England’s city of Swansea. Russels and Andreas (2011) insinuate that this business plan serves as an indication of the business’ feasibility level. The restaurant, which will be named Almajles, will be a traditional center for Arabic cuisine in the city. In his regard, I will serve Arabian food and other typical Arabian products like sheesha bars. The restaurant will be selling several dishes including jerrak, Arabic coffee and soft drinks. It will be located in Marina, Swansea. This neighborhood proved suitable since it hosts many students. In this case, we will be able to bring Arabic dishes close to student population, which is the targeted market for the restaurant. The current position of Arabic dishes and services market remains at an unexploited stage within Swansea. The city comprise of a cosmopolitan population with a significant proportion of Arab-related people. These people remains interested in purchasing and consuming Arabic dishes served from traditional styled settings. According to Riley (2007, actual state of affairs shows that Swansea has few restaurants serving traditionally made Arabic dishes. Therefore, investment in this section of hotel industry may prove economically viable. On the other hand, most students

The Place of Diversity Essay Example for Free

The Place of Diversity Essay The term â€Å"Diversity† is a dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another. (Bacher, 200) The word itself has become more frequently used in recent years as the world is beginning to encompass people with many differences. Diversity covers a range of characteristics and deals with how we accept and deal with how we accept or respect those characteristic. Bucher , 2010) In other words, diversity is just not about ethnicity, race, gender but its much broader then we actually think but it’s the otherness or those human qualities that are different from our own and outside the groups, to which we belong, yet present in other individual groups. The specific characteristic or trout’s that difference people or groups are referred to as the dimensions of diversity (Bucher, 2010). As one recognizes the many dimensions of diversity, it is important to note that not all of the dimensions are visible. Many all of the dimensions are visible. Many of our dimensions that make us different are considered hidden because they are not apparent by working at a person. Also, some dimensions may be a person’s race, gender, or ethnicity (Bacher, 2010). Sometimes hidden dimensions can include non- physical traits such as social class, religion, level of education, sexual orientation, and religion, level of education, sexual orientation, or marital status. We can recognize that diversity can have different meanings; we must also recognize that people will have their own dimensions of diversity, whether visible or hidden. My Place for Diversity Multimedia Review: I completed and viewed the profiles and observe the Characteristics of the people in the multimedia. I recognize how there can be preconceived ideas of how a person will look if they contain certain dimensions. As I completed the profile, I reviewed Tammy. Reading the non- observable characteristic. I used my own stereotype and prejudices to attempt to determine which person would match the given description, I was wrong. The method I used to determine who fit the profile could be considered visible dimension. I only can conceive what I see not what is hidden my visible dimension maybe consider optimism. The profile describe this person being born in syracaur, NY, they lived in an upscale suburb. These people graduated at the age of 17, then went to college out of state and visit her family during the summer breaks; she is 5ft 3 in tall with few gray hairs. Next, I ruled out the other woman because their description didn’t fit in my mind to the non- observable characteristic. Why? While one lady looked as if she was upscale by her dressed appearance and long dark hair setting in a office seat. Actually, after I read the observable characteristic, then I noticed that Tammy did fit the visible dimension because of her work baggage on her work uniform. Also she had glasses on that made her look professional. Most hidden dimension can be over looked by just judging the outer appearance whether then accepting the person and respect their uniqueness. When you see many different sides of other cultures, you are now being well-versed, and can make sensible assessments about others.

Transport across a membrane

Transport across a membrane Transport across a membrane occurs by one of two opposite means, actively or passively. Active transport requires the cell to utilise cellular energy in the form of ATP, in order to employ protein pumps or engage in the activity of endo / exocytosis. Passive transport therefore occurs with no energy expenditure by the cell, where molecules exit or enter the cell using kinetic energy, or protein channels. To this effect passive transport encompasses, osmosis, diffusion of a solute across a membrane, facilitated diffusion and transport of an ion down an electrochemical gradient. The reasoning for this is outlined below. Intrinsic homeostasis at a cellular and molecular level is achieved when the cell is in an isotonic environment where the internal solute concentration of a cell is in equilibrium with the external, extra cellular environment, solute concentration and there is no net movement of water in any direction. A change in concentration of solute, initiates transport across the membrane in order to achieve equilibrium once again. The cell membrane is a structure designed in such a way to allow passage of molecules and ions in and out of the cell, to and from the extracellular fluid, whilst keeping essential components such as organelles and ribosomes within its boundary. It is comprised of a phospho lipid bi-layer, in which are embedded a variety of carrier and channel proteins. The lipid bi-layer acts as a barrier to molecules in both directions and the proteins allow entrance and exit of select molecules. (www.faculty.weber.edu/jclark1/mem%20 Permeability. PDF 25.11.09) Some chemicals will traverse the membrane, such as water, carbon dioxide, oxygen, small polar molecules and lipids and others such as ions, amino acids, large polar and macromolecules will not and the membrane is effectively selectively permeable. (www.staff.jccc.net/PDECELL/cells/transport.html 25.11.09) The most basic category of passive transport is that of diffusion of a solute across a membrane. Molecules that move across the membrane in this manner are more soluble in oil than in water and hence effortlessly ‘dissolve in and spontaneously cross the non polar lipid core of the membrane bi layer Examples of these molecules are steroid hormones, Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide (www. Biologyreference.com/Ma-MO/membrane-Transport.html 26.11.09) during the process of diffusion, ‘molecules move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration down the concentration gradient in order to achieve equilibrium. This is achieved by kinetic energy of the molecules whi ch are in Brownian motion. An increase in temperature causes the rate of diffusion to increase causing equilibrium to be achieved more quickly as kinetic energy increases. Size and type of molecule also has a bearing on the rate as the smaller the molecule the faster it will diffuse. Osmosis is purely ‘the diffusion of water molecules across a partially permeable membrane from a region of higher water potential to an area of lower water potential'(www.biologymad.com/resources-getting in and out of cells 25.11.09) In an isotonic surrounding there is no net movement of water molecules in either direction as there is no concentration gradient, however in a hypertonic solution where the concentration of solutes is higher and hence the water potential is more negative than the cell, water molecules from within the cell will move down the ‘water potential gradient to the extracellular fluid in order to achieve equilibrium. This can be shown in laboratory conditions by placing red blood cells in a hypertonic solution and observing them. Over time the cells will crenate as the water molecules exit the cell. Similarly if cells are in a hypotonic solution where the concentration of solutes is lower, the water potential is higher and hence the cells now have a more negative water potential and water will be taken into the cell by osmosis down the water potential gradient. Red blood cells left in a hypotonic solution and observed will show nothing under the microscope over time, as the cells eventually undergo cytolysis. (www.biologymad.com/resources-getting in and out of cells 25.11.09). Unfortunately most molecules cannot cross the membrane by straightforward diffusion alone as they are either too large, insoluble in lipid or they carry a charge which is repelled by the surface of the membrane. They therefore undergo facilitated diffusion, a mechanism by which passive transport still occurs without energy expenditure of the cell, but where the molecules are assisted across by groups of proteins inherent to the membrane. Facilitated diffusion still occurs down the concentration gradient but is specific to the molecule being facilitated. A carrier protein is specific to a particular molecule or class of molecules,(www.users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ulyranet/biologypages/d/diffusion.html#facilitated 26.11.09) where the molecule binds to the protein which in turn changes shape to enable the molecule to cross the membrane. An example of this being the transport of glucose into the cell. Once inside the cell glucose phosphate is manufactured for which there is no carrier prote in and hence glucose cannot pass back out of the cell. In this case equilibrium will never be reached. . (www.biologymad.com/resources-getting in and out of cells 25.11.09). In the case of transport of an ion down the electrochemical gradient, Ions transit from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration again through facilitated diffusion with the aid of intrinsic proteins called ion channels. Without these channels charged molecules such as K+ Na+ would be repelled by the charge on the membrane. Transmembrane channels that allow facilitated diffusion, can be permanently open, or can be closed and opened as in neurones, and as such are known as ‘gated, they open or close in reaction to a ligand, a signalling molecule which can be either extracellular or intracellular. It is the gated mechanism that allows a nerve impulse to pass along a neurone. Sometimes however it is necessary for cells to transport molecules against the gradient by the use of carrier proteins, known as protein pumps. They are akin to those of facilitated diffusion, except they are working against the gradient and therefore energy in the form of ATP is expended by the cell in the doing so. This process is known as Active Transport. In all the cases outlined above the objective of passive transport has been to transport molecules across the semi permeable membrane down a concentration gradient, without expenditure of energy to the cell, and, passive transport can be demonstrated by diffusion of a solute, osmosis, facilitated diffusion and transport of an ion down an electrochemical gradient.

Factors Increasing Extinction Rates in Giant Panda Populations

Factors Increasing Extinction Rates in Giant Panda Populations Ailuropoda melanoleuca otherwise known as the Giant Panda is categorised as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2007a). This means that this is an animal which is at a very high risk of facing extinction, i.e. the species will die off. This has been a main concern for conservation since the 1950s, as at present there are approximately one thousand and six hundred giant pandas living on earth today (Yiming et. al, 2002). There are many reasons which have caused a such decline in populations of Giant panda such as their reliance on mainly bamboo, low reproduction rates, hunting and most importantly habitat destruction. All of these factors have played a key part in pushing our much loved animals to smaller and smaller numbers. WWF, (2011a) states that 30,000 sq km of forest in China is solely protected for pandas. This means that 80% of wild panda are highly protected by the Chinese government (WWF, 2011a), but why are numbers still decreasing? This essay will discuss what these factors are and how they are affecting the populations and communities of A. melanoleuca. Currently there are programmes being carried out to help conserve this species and increase numbers but are these really working? Why are there still so many few Giant pandas living on earth today? And can our conservation efforts help prevent this species from going in to extinction? To answer these questions we must look at each factor and how these are being dealt with. The Giant Panda inhabits South Central China and ranges from six isolated mountains in the Gansu, Sichuan and Shaanxi Provinces (IUCN, 2007b). Currently, this species is on the Appendix 1 CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) List (CITES, 2011a). This means that giant pandas cannot be traded internationally except in circumstances in which the reason for trading is for scientific research (CITES, 2011b). This is because this species is critically endangered and is at a high risk of extinction. The prohibition of trade will prevent giant pandas being removed from their natural habitats and reduce extinction rates in this species. Despite being biologically carnivorous, A. melanoleuca has an herbivorous diet consisting primarily of bamboo (Dierenfield et. al, 1982). In fact it is estimated that 99% of the Giant Pandas diet comprises of this food source (Schaller et. al, 1985, cited in Carter et. al, 1999). Therefore, habitat locations are very dependent on the distribution and availability of bamboo (Xuezhi et. al, 2008). There is a wide variety of bamboo which is consumed by the giant panda which consists of sixty different types with thirty-five of those containing their primary food sources (Hu, Wei, 2004, cited in IUCN, 2007b). By limiting their diet to mainly bamboo, the giant panda is at risk of eventual starvation. This is because in every fifteen to one hundred and twenty years, there is a bamboo die-off cycle which naturally occurs (Calhoun, 2005). Once this die-off occurs in the bamboo (depending on which species), the time it takes to grow to a level which can feed a full population of giant panda can be up to twenty years, thus many pandas are starved and may die due to this (Calhoun, 2005). Examples of this would be two of the main species of bamboo which are eaten by the giant panda; Arrow and Umbrella. It takes on average between forty and fifty years for Arrow bamboo to flower and for Umbrella bamboo this process takes approximately one hundred years (Franzen, 2003). Once these species and others eventually die off, giant pandas will need to search for a replacement and if unsuccessful, will starve to death and may face extinction. In the event of certain types of bamboo species dying off, conservation plans must be in place. In recent years, conservationists have been putting in place corridors between panda populations and areas which have bamboo which is not being fed on which can be suitable for feeding (Carter et. al, 1999). This type of programme is also being done to create corridors between different populations of panda also (Carter et. al, 1999). It was also suggested by Carter et. al, 1999, that these corridors should be a long term solution as the carrying capacity (the maximum population size a species can reach) of the giant panda can take up to two hundred years! Another factor which has had a negative impact on the population sizes of pandas is their vulnerability to poaching. This is when they are hunted (by humans) in the wild for their skins and skulls (Yiming et. al, 2002). To assess what effect poaching is having on the giant panda; population viability analysis (PVA) is required. PVA takes into account a range of ecological and environmental factors to evaluate the risks and threats to particular species. This allows planning for conservation and allows us to identify levels of threats to a given species (Yiming, et. al, 2002). By using PVA, Yiming et. al, 2002, found that even without the effects of poaching to giant pandas, population numbers were still very low. This is quite worrying as this means that although poaching is highly threatening, other factors are still pushing the species towards extinction. Results from Yiming et. al, 2002, experiments found that with the increase of poaching of the giant panda, a large decrease in p opulation size and a higher extinction rate was the result. Their experiments also compared poaching between the two sexes. They found that poaching in females was found to have a more negative impact on the extinction rate as they would appear to have a higher extinction rate than males, despite the intensity of poaching being the exact same. This comparison was mirrored in the analysis comparing adult and young pandas (i.e. Adults had a higher extinction rate). Therefore, Yiming et. al, 2002, highlighted that although the giant panda is naturally facing extinction due to many factors, poaching can significantly increase the extinction rate in populations. However, in recent years, the market for panda skins and incidents of poaching has began to decrease and is now no longer a key threat to the population of the giant panda (IUCN, 2007b). Reducing illegal capture and killing of the giant panda has been very successful due to training conservationists to patrol areas in which pandas are at risk (WWF, 2011b). The WWF began this training in 1996 and had more than three hundred people trained within four years. Above this, cameras have been installed on sites in which the giant panda inhabits. This allows trained staff to see how the pandas live naturally and can plan ahead on useful conservation programmes to prevent extinction occurring (WWF, 2011b). A. melanoleuca have a k-strategy approach when it comes to reproduction (Linderman et. al, 2004). This is because females do not begin to mate until they are approximately four or five years old and will only give birth to a small number of cubs (this can be as little as one or two young) (WWF China, 2011). If food is scarce (i.e. due to bamboo die-off) then the chance of the survival of cubs is very slim. Another factor which affects the reproductivity in the giant panda population is pandas in captivity. It has been found that giant pandas in captivity are not breeding well and it has been suggested that they find it difficult to mate in the presence of humans. This is because they are not in their natural environment (WWF China, 2011). The major threat to giant panda communities which is increasing extinction rates is habitat loss. Habitat loss is due to human impacts in which the giant pandas habitats have been destroyed by logging, agriculture and the development of hydropower amongst many other things (WWF, 2011c). Research published in 2008 by Xeuzhi et. al stated that agriculture was the most threatening human impact on reducing habitat sizes in panda populations. This is because farmland is usually located near human settlements which affect pandas directly. Also, as pandas are required to consume clean drinking water every day to survive, they tend to avoid large rivers. This is because large rivers are usually nearby to human settlements, in which the water will be highly polluted (Xuezhi et. al, 2008). Therefore, human impacts are limiting where panda communities can live. Fragmentation of the giant pandas habitat is also a factor contributing towards increasing the extinction rate. This has been due to ag ain, human impact as the Chinese economy has being growing exponentially (WWF China, 2009). As habitat destruction and fragmentation are the major issues impacting the giant panda population it is highly important that we try to reverse these effects as human activity is responsible for this. An example of an area which has been badly affected is Jiuzhai ring road in the Minshan Reserve Region (Xuezhi et. al, 2008). This has a high number of traffic daily and has caused the nearby community of pandas to become remote (Xuezhi et. al, 2008). It was suggested by Xuezhi et. al, 2008 that in order to prevent further damage to panda communities, the amount of human activity had to be reduced. This same idea was suggested for the Jiuzhai ring road by reducing traffic daily. In conclusion, it is clear to see that the future of giant panda populations and communities is critical and will remain so unless great changes are made. This is mainly down to human impacts which have negatively affected population numbers by destroying habitats, removing this species from its natural environment (captive breeding) and poaching. However, the giant pandas specialised diet is also pushing this species towards extinction as they are at risk of starvation. Despite this, programmes are in place to help restore habitats by creating corridors to new sources of bamboo and monitoring to prevent poaching. However, at the moment it is very difficult to determine whether or not the extinction of A. melanoleuca will be sooner rather than later. In short, the future of the giant panda is uncertain.

Slaughterhouse Five Essay -- essays research papers

Novel Summary Billy Pilgrim is unstuck in time, and so is Slaughterhouse Five. Novel follows Billy's "unhinged" life. If I write every hop, skip, and jump, the summary would be as complicated as the book. These are the basic facts of Pilgrim's life; they are shown in chronological order (but are definitely not in the book): Billy Pilgrim is born in 1922 and grows up in Ilium, New York. He is a funny-looking youth, he does reasonably well in high school, enrolls in night classes at the Ilium School of Optometry, and is soon drafted into the army and the Second World War. He serves as a chaplain's assistant, then is thrown into the Battle of the Bulge, and almost immediately gets taken prisoner behind German lines. Just before being captured, though, he becomes unstuck in time for the first time. He sees all of his life in one sweep. Billy is transported with other privates to the city of Dresden. There, the prisoners are made to work for their stay. They are kept in a forme r slaughterhouse. Allied forces bomb the city, then drop gasoline to create a firestorm that sucks most of the oxygen into the blaze, suffocating or burning 130,000 people. Billy and his fellow POWs survive in an airtight meat locker. They emerge to find, "a moonscape of destruction". Several days later, Russian forces capture the city and Billy's help in the war is over. He returns to Ilium and finishes optometry school. He gets engaged to the daughter of the founder of the school. Afte...

Schindlers List :: Film Movie Movies

I wanted to film Schindler’s List for the reason that the Holocaust was a ghastly occasion in history and should not be over and done. The Jews suffered to the highest degree, they were exposed of their soul rights, treated be fond of animals, slaughtered in the vein of animals. I Intend to remind people of what the Jews had to go all the way through , how Hitler shed them out from the social order. What happened to the Jews should never happen for a second time to anyone. I chose to spotlight Oscar Schindler, because this chap did an extraordinary thing. He saved countless Jews from foreseeable imprisonment and execution. He is evidence that one being can make a difference. During the film the lingo I used was in English with a German twang to show their race. There was lots of rumpus in German and I didn’t bring into play subtitles to endeavour and get the viewers to undergo confusion, like when Stern was approached by a Nazi and shrieked at, Stern had denial plan what he was motto. Goeths verbal communication was very prevailing, he beam of how the Jews come to Krakow and bring zilch, he referred to them as flora and fauna. I Juxtaposed His tongue with disordered images of Jews in the ghetto His verbal communication was spoken at a snail's pace so every word would really be submerged in with the addressees. furthermore there’s repetition on â€Å"today† and â€Å"they† this helps to call attention to the summit. He uses undersized sentences to make the speech more theatrical. All of it is ceremonial to inflict say-so. Schindlers speech was very touchy, He took no blame for reduction of the Jews and admitted his innocence fo r being in the Nazi party. As the Jews first went into the ghetto, it was scandalous to see a little lass shouting ‘goodbye Jews’ her right to be heard could still be heard in the after that view. This showed how much she had been unfair by Hitler’s cant. I made the film black and white to de-familiarise the spectators and make them feel prickly. The lasso in ruby paint was a momentous symbol during the film. She first appeared at a little arena in the liquidation of the ghetto and represents all the mayhem of the Jews, anger, hate and yet at the same time guilt and worship.

Death of a Salesman Character Development Essay :: essays papers

Death of a Salesman Character Development Essay A person’s attitude is mostly what everyone around him or her will view them as. From this they can tell many things. Whether it is if the person is funny or down to earth or even irresponsible. Many times people change personalities often and they would be classified as being a dynamic type of person. A person who is doesn’t change is classified as being a static character. Willy, from Death of a Salesman written by Arthur Miller, is a static character for his inability to grasp reality, his poor parenting and his constant lying to his wife. Foremost, Willy has a problem with his inability to grasp reality. As he grows older his mind is starting to slip. For example, when he talks to the woman and his brother Ben. Throughout the story, Willy dreams of talking to the woman, because the woman is a person that he was dating in when he went to Boston. He was cheating behind his wife’s back. Willy basically uses her as a scapegoat when he’s hallucinating about her. He blames all of his problems on the woman. For instance Willy says, â€Å" Cause you do†¦ There’s so much I want to make for.† (38) This is the evidence right here. Also he dreams about his brother Ben. Willy wishes could be more like his brother who has just passed away a couple of months previously to the story. He also wishes he didn’t have to work and could be rich like Ben. He respects Ben for not really working and making a lot of money. Another example of Willy’s hallucinations are when he says,â€Å" How a re you all?† (45) This occurs when Willy is talking with Charley and he starts thinking about Ben. Willy’s inability to grasp reality never changed throughout the story. Willy also has very poor parenting skills. He has two children Biff and Happy. Willy excuses Biff for a lot of events when he was younger. If Biff stole something, Willy just brushes it off and says that is was no big deal. He didn’t even care when Biff failed math and did not graduate from high school. He measured success in how many people you knew not what your grades are. In one breath Willy would say that Biff is lazy and then in the next say he’s not.

The Return of Martin Guerre

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the book â€Å"The Return of Martin Guerre† by Natalie Zamon Davis. Specifically, it will discuss the life of the peasant during the Middle Ages. This book is a fascinating account of a true case that happened during the 16th century in France. The book is also an excellent example of how the peasants lived in the Middle Ages, from what they ate, to how they traveled and what their family lives were like. This book shows that life in the Middle Ages was difficult and demanding, but it seems a little bit peaceful and serene, too. The main occupations were farming and raising sheep or goats, and there were tradesman in the villages who worked for a living, such as a shoemaker, a blacksmith, and such. Martin Guerre and his family were tile makers, but they also farmed and raised sheep to become relatively prosperous in their small village (Davis 14). The peasants were uneducated, (the Guerre's town did not even have a schoolmaster), and most could not read, and could only write a small amount (Davis 15). They also married their children off very young, and often made matches for them. Martin Guerre married when he was only fourteen, and his wife was even younger (Davis 16). Life revolved around the village, the church, and the family, and it was a very busy but seemingly contented lifestyle. Their main concerns were the family and simple survival. Everything they did was to feed and clothe the family, from raising grains and grapes to raising sheep so they could spin the wool into cloth and clothe the family members. When they became more successful, it was to make money and rise up in stature in the village community, but peasants who did not have trades worked the land for their own survival. They were also extremely close-knit families, often living nearby each other, so family was important for them, as well. They worked together as a family, and widows lived with one of the grown sons, creating an extended family unit. Family relationships were important in this society, and they were the source of land and dowries for the children, which were very important at the time. In the Basque country, families often lived together, as the author notes, â€Å"When a household is set up with two generations of married folk, it is not the Basque combination of the old heir and the young heir, but a widowed parent, usually the mother, with one of her married children† (Davis 11). Even when Martin's uncle married, he moved nearby to another house, and lived close to his relatives. Martin returned with his bride to his father's house after they married, and lived with his family under one roof (Davis 18). Since their main concern was survival and perpetuation of the family, this indicates how important family life was to the peasants. Women had a lesser position than men did in the society. Davis writes, â€Å"At the parish mass, she would have to get used to the fact that her women did not push ahead of the men to make their offerings, did not go about the church to collect for the vestry, and din not serve as sacristans† (Davis 15). Women were also blamed for a man's impotence, as Davis notes. She writes, â€Å"In the sixteenth century, it was usually blamed on the power of a woman outside the marriage† (Davis 21). The fact that Martin abandoned his wife and newborn son after eight years of marriage shows what low status women had in society. She had no recourse, she lived in a foreign household, and she could not even remarry. Girls were not educated; instead, they learned â€Å"women's work† like spinning and cooking, and they were always at the mercy of their husbands. Davis writes, â€Å"First a world where organizational structure and public identity were associated exclusively with males† (Davis 29). The women worked in the fields, helped raise the livestock, served as midwives, cooked and baked. They were essential to everyday life in the peasant world, but they held no rights or privileges. The only women that really rose up in society were the widows, who could earn the respect of others and wield â€Å"informal power† (Davis 31). Armand Du Tilh was able to get away with his deception for several reasons. First, he resembled Guerre enough that people mistook him for the missing man (Davis 39). Next, he learned all he could about the missing man so that he could fool Martin's family into believing he was actually Guerre. Davis writes, â€Å"He informed himself as cunningly as he could about Martin Guerre, his situation, his family, and the things he used to say and do† (Davis 39). He also grew a beard to hide any differences in his face, and took great pains to learn the villagers' names and how he interacted with them when he had lived in the village before. In short, he learned every detail about Martin Guerre's life, and convinced people he was Martin because of all the details he seemed to â€Å"recall† about his prior life. Davis believes that he was accepted because people wanted him to come back for all those years, and that he came â€Å"announced† as Martin Guerre, and so people wanted to believe it was true (Davis 43). Most of all, Bertrande's acceptance of the new Martin helped soothe the minds of others. It is easy to see why Bertrande would accept the imposter. Davis writes, â€Å"What Bertrande had with the new Martin was her dream come true, a man she could live in peace and friendship (to cite sixteenth-century values) and in passion† (Davis 44). They also seemed to have become very attached to each other in their new life together. In conclusion, this book is a fascinating story of deception and betrayal, but it is a fascinating glimpse into the everyday life of the sixteenth-century peasant, as well. The book shows how families lived, survived, and even thrived, how women were treated in society, how important the Church was to so many aspects of life, and how difficult life was for many peasants. It is a good book to read to learn the more intimate details of life in the Middle Ages. The Return of Martin Guerre The film The Return of Martin Guerre is based on a true story about a young man, Martin Guerre, during the mid-16th century. It takes place in a small peasant town, Artigat, located in southwestern France. Martin is married off at a young age but is unhappy with his life. He decides to abandon his family and join the army. After several years gone, he finally returns to the village. The village is ecstatic of his return, especially his wife Bertrande. However after a disagreement with his uncle over land, the village begins to question whether his is truly Martin Guerre. Their skepticism proves to be accurate when finally the real Martin Guerre returns. The fake Martin, known as â€Å"Pansette† is then executed for his crime. This film illustrates the concerns and lives of the people in 16th century France, through the interplay of social, religious and political institutions. In the film, we see marriage being treated as a social matter, rather than a religious matter. During the 16th century, marriage began to be treated as secular, instead of a sacrament. Because of this parents’ control over whom their children married began to increase (Western Civilizations, 357). At a young age, Martin’s family married him off to Bertrande de Rols. Bertrande belonged to a well-off peasant family. Bertrande was chosen by Martin’s family based on what her family could offer to Martin. Her dowry included a bed, linen sheets, wool and a vineyard, among other items of value. Because marriage involved the inheritance of property, most believed it was too important of a matter to be left in the hands of the children (357). Once Martin’s father passed, Martin would inherit his family’s land. During the 16th century was the father’s role to instruct and discipline his household, while the woman was to tend to and show obedience to her husband, and also to bear children (Western Civilizations, 357). After the marriage, Bertrande moved in with Martin and his family. Martin worked underneath his father and learned from him. However soon into the marriage, it was discovered that Martin could not consummate his marriage and therefore the family did not have children. In the film, we see how infertility was dealt with socially and religiously during this time. The village poked fun at Martin’s infertility during a festival. During the 16th century, festivals served a social function. Usually they were used for celebration and demonstration of solidarity. However, like in this case, festivals were used as competition between classes and were incredibly violent (Wahl, â€Å"Festivals† notes). During a Candlemas festival, a â€Å"symbolic castration† took place. Martin was dressed up as a bear. The villagers pretended to hunt him and cut off what symbolized his genitals. Bertrande claimed that he had been put under a spell and a Catholic exorcism is performed. Both Martin and Bertrande are tied to a post naked, while the Priest performs rituals. After this, Bertrande becomes pregnant with their son, Sanxi. Though his infertility was reversed and his son was born, Martin was unhappy with his life. He did not like farming and kept to himself. After an argument with his father over stolen grain, Martin leaves during the night and does not return for several years. During this time, Martin’s father passes. In the 16th century, when a father dies the estate is given to the eldest son. In this case, it was Martin. However, because Martin is not around, Martin’s uncle takes control of the Guerre’s estate. In order to keep the estate within both families, Bertrande’s mother marries Martin’s uncle. Throughout Martin’s absence, Bertrande remains married to him. Because there was no proof that Martin was dead, Bertrande was not considered a widow and therefore could not remarry. It was also not common for the Catholic Church to annul a marriage, unless it could be proven that either party had not freely consented to the marriage (Western Civilizations, 357). During the 16th century, a person’s identity was based on his or her actions rather than appearance. For this reason, the fake Martin Guerre, Pansette, was able to convince the village that he was the real Martin. No formal records or pictures were kept of people at this time. The people of the village relied on the memory of Martin. With Pansette’s slight resemblance to Martin and his vast knowledge of Martin’s life, he was able to fool everyone. Pansette tells stories of the places he visited. Specifically he spoke of the men he saw from Brazil. He describes the men as naked and in chains with feathers on their heads. Pansette tells them that they eat their prisoners’ hearts, and share their land and women. He also told them that women make the decisions and go to war for the men. Bertrande seems shocked by this and asks if they are human or if they have souls. This is significant because it demonstrates the power of men at this time. In the 16th century, men made the decisions, while woman were expected to obey their husbands. Therefore it was strange for them to hear of woman having power over the men. After a dispute over the land between the fake Martin and his uncle, his uncle begins to question whether he is the real Martin. Rumors go around about this and the village is split on this issue. With this issue, we see how it is dealt with through religion and politics. The Toulouse Parliament of France is put in charge of this matter and questions Bertrande. She stands by Pansette, claiming he is the true Martin Guerre, although she knows that he is not. From a religious point of view, by doing this she is living in mortal sin and damning her soul and politically, she can be hanged for this crime. This case is brought before a court. Those who testified claimed that Pansette was not an imposter, until a man walks in claiming to be the real Martin Guerre. Martin’s family, including Bertrande, admits that this man is, in fact, the real Martin. Pansette finally confesses that he is not Martin and learned everything he knew about him through Martin himself. Although Pansette is found guilty, the court frees Bertrande from prosecution as a collaborator. This is because the court holds the real Martin Guerre to be partially responsible for not acting as a true husband. This issue is considered so serious because it is an issue of property. By pretending to be another man, Pansette is taking another man’s wife and stealing his wealth. During the 16th century, crimes against property, such as theft and arson, were punishable by execution (Wahl, â€Å"Counter Reformation† Lecture). The story of Martin Guerre and his return demonstrate the concerns and lives of people in 16th century France, through social, religious and political institutions. Socially, we see the act of marriage as a secular matter, ather than a religious one, where wht dowry a woman can offer determines if she is fit to be a wife. Also, we see the issue of identity and individuality based upon knowledge and actions, rather than appearance. It can be argued that during this time people know each other better than today. To decide if Pansette was the real Martin, they based their decision around how he acted and what he remembered about life before he left (although Mart in’s family was fooled by the fake Martin), while today identity is based a lot more on just appearance. We see how religion plays a role in their actions. They believed to fix Martin’s problem of infertility, they must perform an exorcism to get the demon out of him. Also, we see how by believing the fake Martin, Bertrande is living in sin under God. Finally, politically we see just how serious Pansette’s crime was. By interfering with the real Martin’s property (his family and land), he is committing the ultimate crime and is executed for this.

Heart Failure Essay

Heart Failure The heart is one of the body’s most vital organ. The heart pumps blood throughout the body which carries nutrients other organs need. It also carries oxygenated blood to the lungs which allows us to breathe. Since the heart is so important, relying on it that it will do its job is necessary so we can live, but sometimes the heart can fail. Heart failure is a syndrome that occurs when the heart can not pump enough blood to meet the body’s metabolic needs. This paper will discuss what heart failure is, the signs and symptoms, and lastly the treatment and prevention of heart failure. Heart failure is usually classified according to the side of the heart that is affected. Either â€Å" left or right side, or by the cardiac cycle involved† (Lippincott Wilkins & Williams, 2011). Left sided heart failure occurs when there is ineffective function of the left ventricular contractile. As the pumping of the left ventricle fails, cardiac output also fails. The blood that is suppose to go to the body is no longer being pumped out, thus backing up into the left atrium and the the lungs, causing â€Å"pulmonary congestion, dyspnea, and activity intolerance† ( Lippincott Wilkins & Williams, 2011). Right sided heart failure results from ineffective right ventricular contractile function. Blood is not being pumped effectively through the right ventricle to the lungs, causing blood to back up into the right atrium and the peripheral circulation. When this happens, the patient gains weight and develops peripheral edema and engorgement of the kidney and other organs. Heart failure not only effects the heart but also other systems in the body. The cardiovascular system is affected by the heart not being able to pump blood throughout the body. Also, as the blood backs up into the left atrium, blood backs up into the lungs causing pulmonary congestion which affects the respiratory system. When blood backs up into  the right atrium, the kidneys become engorged which cause problems with the renal system. There are different signs and symptoms for heart failure. People with heart failure can develop shortness of breath, also called dyspnea, caused when the blood is backed up in the pulmonary veins. The patient will feel breathlessness during activity or while sleeping. Another sign and symptom is persistent coughing or wheezing, caused when fluid is being backed up in the lungs. The patient will cough up pink or blood stained mucus. Another sign and symptom is build up of excess fluid in body tissues, also called edema, and is caused when blood flow out of the heart slows down, the blood returning to the heart through the veins backs up, causing fluid to build up in the tissues. Patient can also develop swelling in the feet, ankles, legs or abdomen, or weight gain. A patient with heart failure may also feel tired and develop fatigue caused by the heart not pumping enough to meet the body’s needs. They also might develop digestive problems causing loss of appetite and nausea. Th is is a result of the digestive system not receiving enough blood causing digestive problems. ( Chen, 2013) If a patient has been diagnosed with heart failure there are some treatments that are involved to keep the syndrome under control. The patient will have medical therapy that involves medications such as an angiotensin- covering enzyme, diuretics to reduce fluid volume overload and venous return, beta- adrenergic blockers to prevent remodeling, any many others. A patient may also have to undergo surgery such as cardiac bypass. There are many life style changes that the patient also has to comply with. Some include weight loss, limited alcohol intake, smoking cessation, stress reduction, and development of an exercise program. If the case is severe, the patient might have to have a heart transplant, but even so, many complications and a hospitalizations are experienced. In order to porevent heart failure there are two ways to approach it. First is to stop or slow heart failure, and second is to avoid a repeat of any event detrimental to the patient’s life. (Shaddinger, 2014) Heart failure is a very serious disease. It should never be be taken lightly and although the most common cause of heart failure is coronary artery disease. It can also occur in infants and children with heart defects. References Chen, M. (2013) Hear Failure Overview. The New York Times. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/heart-failure/overview.html Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, (2011) Pressure ulcers. Professional Guide to Pathophysiology. 3rd ed. p. 575-579. Philadelphia. Wolters Kluwer. Shaddinger, D. (2014) Treatment and Prevention. Seconds Count. Retrieved from www.scai.org/secondscount/treatment/default.aspx

Mental Workload Assessment

We all feel stressed out and strained when we have work to do. Not only that, we experience situations like this even if we are just studying. More often, we feel pressured just by thinking the amount of exams to be prepared for, or for that next project that is necessary for a good promotion in the company. Mental workload is the right term for the stress and strain we experience, especially with regards to studying and working.   The Hanover College defines mental workload as â€Å"the feeling of mental effort or the level of use of the human operators limited resources† (n.d.).   In short, mental workload is a demand placed upon humans (Xiaoli, n.d.). When there is too much mental workload, it might lead to errors. Preventing this makes mental workload important to be understood. However, due to the many factors that must be considered in discussing mental workload, defining it becomes difficult. Mental workload is important in driving and aviation and design. In fact, most of the studies conducted about mental workload were about driving and aviation and task demands. This is perhaps due to the fact that a driver is required to do not just one but many tasks. Moreover, even though a driver is experienced, accidents still occur. De Waard (1996) conducted a study on mental workload among drivers. He said that driving a car looks like a pretty simple task for everyone. Driving schools provide comprehensive lessons and manuals on how to drive safely. But no matter how good a driver can be, accidents cannot be avoided. Moreover, these accidents are attributed to human failure. Human failure is still increased due to several factors. First is the increasing number of vehicles on the road. There is a demand on the human information processing system, and also increase in the likelihood of vehicles colliding. Second, people drive well into old age. However, older people tend to suffer from problems in terms of divided attention performance. It all started with the car radio, and then car phones and other technological devices. The driver must divide his attention to all these systems besides controlling the vehicle. Lastly, those drivers in a diminished state may endanger him. Most of the time, drivers set out at night for the longer journeys to avoid traffic. Driving at night can cause him sleepiness and fatigue. Aside from this, the driver can also be intoxicated (de Waard, 1996). Xiaoli (n.d.) presented the factors which affect driver workload, including the following: fatigue, monotony, sedative drugs and alcohol. Environmental factors also affect drivers, such as traffic demands, automation and road environment demands. There are different techniques in assessing mental workload, including the following: performance measures, physiological measures, and subjective task measures (or self-report measures) (Luximon & Goonetilleke, 2001). Primary and secondary task measures comprise the performance, or system output measures. An overview of each assessment technique will be discussed in the context of traffic research (driving or aviation). Performance Measures In Xiaoli’s (n.d.) slide presentation, he said that the measures usually belonging to this category are speed of performance, number of errors made and reaction time measures. Outside the laboratory, these become task-specific. De Waard (1996) said that most of primary-task measures include speed or accuracy measures. Aside from this, De Waard (1996) explained that primary-task performance establishes the efficiency of man-machine interaction. Not just the primary-task performance but also other workload measures must work together so that valid conclusions can be drawn about man-machine interaction. There are several approaches in the measurement of performance measures. First is the analytical approach (Meshkati, Hancock, Rahimi and Dawes, 1995). According to Welford (1978, cited in Meshkati, Hancock, Rahimi and Dawes, 1995), the analytical approach considers the detail at the actual performance of the task that will be assessed. Not only the overall achievement is examined but also the manner in which it is achieved. Another assessment technique is the synthetic methods. These start with a task analysis of the system. Task analytic procedures are then used to identify the specific performance demands placed on the operator. The third approach is the multiple measurement of primary task performance. This approach is very useful when individual measures of primary task performance do not show enough sensitivity to operator workload. On the other hand, Xiaoli (n.d.) indicated that secondary-task performance are about factors such as time estimation or time-interval production and memory-search tasks. The assumption associated with secondary task measure says that an upper limit exists on the ability of a human operator to gather and process information (Meshkati, Hancock, Rahimi & Dawes, 1995). The way to measure secondary-task performance is through another task included to the primary one. De Waard (1996) mentioned about the multiple-resource theory. The theory says that â€Å"the largest sensitivity in secondary-task measures can be achieved if the overlap in resources is high† (De Waard, 1996). According to Hancock, Vercruyssen and Rodenburg (1992), a person must have the ability to synchronize their actions with the dynamics of differing environmental demands so that he can survive and prosper in uncertain conditions. This means that the person must have some degree of autonomy with respect to space and time. However, secondary-task measures have disadvantages to consider. According to De Waard (1996), time sharing is not very efficient if the same resources are utilized. Moreover, additional instrumentation is required in secondary-task measures. Not only that, but there is lack of operator acceptance. There are also possible compromises to system safety. Subjective Task Measures There is much talk about the self-report measures, which is also called subjective measures. In fact, for De Waard (1996), self-report measures are advantageous because they can better show the real meaning of mental workload. These measures’ subjectivity is what makes self-report measures strong. Muckler and Seven (1992, as cited in De Waard, 1996) explained that self-report measures are strong because the awareness of the operator about the increasing effort used must give subjective measures an important role to play. Moreover, performance and effort are incorporated in self-report measures. Additionally, individual differences, operator state and attitude are also considered. Xiaoli (n.d.) said that the primary advantages of subjective task measures are high face validity, ease of application and low costs. However, there are also limitations in these measures. First is that there might be confusion of mental and physical load in rating. There might also be an exhibition of the operator’s inability to differentiate between external demands and actual effort or workload experienced. Second, limitations can be seen in the operator’s ability to introspect and rate expenditure correctly. Hancock, Brill, Mouloua and Gilson (2002) added that another disadvantage of self-report measures is that they cannot be used for online workload assessment. Physiological Measures According to De Waard (1996), physiological measures showed sensitivity to global arousal or activation level and in some stages in information processing. One advantage of this is that physiological responses do not need an obvious response by the operator. Additionally, most cognitive tasks do not need overt behavior. Moreover, some of the measures can be collected continuously. Kramer (1991, cited in De Waard, 1996) showed some of the disadvantages of these measures. First is that there must be specialized equipment and technical expertise to be able to utilize these measures. Second is the presence of signal-to-noise ratios. Kramer furthered that in operator-system performance, the operator’s physiology is not directly involved, unlike in primary-task performance. Other physiological measures involved in driving are pupil diameter, endogenous eye blinks, blood pressure, respiration, electrodermal activity, hormone levels, event related potentials, and electromyogram. De Waard (1996) furthered that not all measures are sensitive to workload when it comes to performance. There are instances when dissociation between these measures of different categories was reported. He said that dissociation occurs between measures when they do not correspond to changes in the workload, or if there is an increase in one measure and a decrease in another. Performance is thus affected by the amount of resources invested and the demands on working memory. Hancock, Brill, Mouloua and Gilson (2002) said that although physiological measures present global assessments of workload, they do little to balance the demands of tasks on sensory systems. In addition, physiological measures provide little or no information about what sensory systems are most taxed. To measure mental workload, two groups must be considered (Gopher & Donchin, 1986, cited in De Waard, 1996). Self-report measures, physiological measures and performance measures are included in the first group. This group supposes that it is probable to achieve a global measure of mental workload. The second group includes secondary-task measures and some of the physiological measures. This group is concerned about those diagnostic procedures and has something to do with the theories of multiple resources. References De Waard, Dick. (1996). The measurement of drivers’ mental workload. The Netherlands: The Traffic Research Center VSC. Hancock, P.A., Brill, J.C., Mouloua, M., & Gilson, R.D. (2002). M-SWAP: On-line workload assessment in aviation. Paper presented at the 12th International Symposium on Aviation Psychology. Dayton, OH. Hancock, P.A., Vercruyssen, M., & Rodenburg, G.J. (1992). The effect of gender and time-of-day on time perception and mental workload. Current Psychology: Research and Review,. 11, 203-225. Hanover College. (n.d.). Mental Workload. Retrieved October 27, 2007 from http://psych.hanover.edu/classes/hfnotes3/tsld022.html Luximon, A. & Goonetilleke, R. (2001). Simplified subjective workload assessment technique. Ergonometrics, 44, 229-243. Meshkati, N., Hancock, P.A., Rahimi, M., & Dawes, S.M. (1995). Techniques of mental workload assessment. In J. Wilson and E.N. Corlett, (Eds.). Evaluation of human work: A practical ergonomics methodology. (Second Edition), London: Taylor and Francis. Xiaoli, Yi. (n.d.). Measurements of mental workload. [Slide presentation]. Available on http://www.slideshare.net/ESS/measurement-of-mental-workload/            

Practicum report sample for hotel and restaurant management Essay

COLLEGE OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT HRM 117- OJT in Hotel BSHM STUDENTS PRACTICUM EVALUATION FORM Aaron C. Magallon Student Front Office – Bell Service Department and Position DUSIT THANI MANILA Cooperating Hotel PERIOD COVERED: _________________________________ DIRECTION:The statement below represents the expected skills and other personal qualities of HM practicum students. Please rate the trainee accordingly by checking the appropriate box with the corresponding points relative to the acquired knowledge and skills. The five points Liker Scale below will guide in your rating. POINTS VERBAL INTERPRETATION EVALUATION SCALE GRADE 5 Excellent4.20-5.00 1.00 4Very Good (VG)3.40-4.19 1.25 3 Good (G)2.60-3.39 1.50 2 Fair (F)1.80-2.59 1.75 1 Poor (P)1.00-1.79 2.00 AREA 1: VOCATIONAL / TRADE SKILLS (25%) 5 4 3 2 1 1.1 Quality of work ability to meet Quality of Standards 1.2 Application of acquired knowledge and skills 1.3 Ability to use tools and equipment properly 1.4 Ability of work safety, effectively, and efficiency Weighted Mean AREA 2: WORK QUALITIES AND HABITS 5 4 3 2 1 2.1 Industry Personal application to assigned work 2.2 Reliability 2.3 Initiative 2.4 Punctuality 2.5 Ability to follow direction Weighted Mean AREA 3: PERSONAL AND SOCIAL QUALITIES 5 4 3 2 1 3.1 Cooperative-ability to work together with other people 3.2 Self-Control ability to control emotions 3.3 Poise-demonstrate level of self-confidence appropriate for the job 3.4 Reaction to advice and constructive criticism 3.5 Willingness to follow direction 3.6 Adaptability-capacity to adjust to new problem and changing situation Weighted Mean AREA 4: COMMUNICATION SKILLS 5 4 3 2 1 4.1 Ability in oral communication 4.2 Ability in written communication 4.3 Knowledge of vocabulary related to the job Weighted Mean AREA 5: PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP 5 4 3 2 1 5.1 Ability to work harmoniously with co-workers 5.2 Ability to work harmoniously with immediate supervisors Weighted Mean COMMENTS: ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Grand Mean: ________Equivalent Grade: ________ EVALUATOR Signature over Printed Name Noted by: MS. DULCE B. AURELIO Practicum Coordinator

The Bhopal Disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Bhopal Disaster - Essay Example (e) The MIC tank was filled beyond capacity, so much that the overflow tank was also full. (f) The malfunctioning blow down value of the MIC tank was malfunctioning because it was in an open position. Consequences of the disaster: As stated earlier, there were 3800 plus deaths and more than 200,000 injured. Apart from the loss of human life, crops, animals and marine life were destroyed. Many of the women developed diseases such as gonorrhoea and pelvic inflammation, excessive menstruation and suppressed lactation. There was a high incidence of still births and among the babies who where born, there was a high rate of babies born with deformities. Many foetuses suffered from respiratory ailments and complications, which also afflicted the mothers. Other symptoms which were produced included impaired audio and visual memory, neuroses and anxiety reactions. Reliability Block Diagram: The reliability of any system is derived in terms of the reliabilities of the individual components of the system. The advantages of using reliability block diagrams are as follows: (a) Integrating the probability of faults occurring into modules (b) Including within each module, the probability of failure, the failure rate, the distribution of time to failure, the steady state and instantaneous availability (c) The ability to organize each module in a structured way, dependent upon the effects of each module’s failure The reliability block diagram can be used to assess probability for failure for the Bhopal disaster as well. The major cause of the failure was the faulty valve which allowed water to pass into the MIC tank. This major fault was only... There were 3800 plus deaths and more than 200,000 injured. Apart from the loss of human life, crops, animals, and marine life were destroyed. Many of the women developed diseases such as gonorrhea and pelvic inflammation, excessive menstruation and suppressed lactation. There was a high incidence of stillbirths and among the babies who were born, there was a high rate of babies born with deformities. Many fetuses suffered from respiratory ailments and complications, which also afflicted the mothers. Other symptoms which were produced included impaired audio and visual memory, neuroses and anxiety reactions. The reliability of any system is derived in terms of the reliabilities of the individual components of the system. The advantages of using reliability block diagrams are as follows: Integrating the probability of faults occurring into modules Including within each module, the probability of failure, the failure rate, the distribution of time to failure, the steady state, and instantaneous availability The ability to organize each module in a structured way, dependent upon the effects of each module’s failure The reliability block diagram can be used to assess the probability of failure for the Bhopal disaster as well. The major cause of the failure was the faulty valve which allowed water to pass into the MIC tank. This major fault was only exacerbated by other related factors, such as switched off air-conditioning, and malfunctioning pressure and temperature gauges, which prevented the fault condition being detected on time.

Orientalism in Fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Orientalism in Fashion - Essay Example The essay "Orientalism in Fashion" concerns the fashion and orientalism. One can attribute this invasion of Oriental elements into European art and fashion to Paul Poiret and his imaginative and bold style that he pioneered in the decade leading up to the First World War. After inaugurating his fashion house in 1903 on the rue Auber, Poiret’s business grew quickly. Parisian women found the clear lines and simple forms of his designs very appealing. Poiret is the first couturier to â€Å"raise the waist in women's dresses, recalling Empire lines and thereby creating an elongated silhouette, like a cue stick.† The invasion of oriental elements into Parisian fashion was so pronounced that by 1913, one can see everywhere loose-fitting waists, oriental chemises or Russian blouses, drawn into â€Å"a sash of velvet or satin, or where there is no sash, a band of embroidery encircles the hips to give the same effect." At the time Paul Poiret was establishing his career in fash ion design there was a sense of stagnation and limitation in fashionable expression for women. At the turn of the century when Poiret opened his couture house, women’s figures â€Å"were not only divided in two by a whalebone corset, but also constrained by masses of fabric†. Poiret went about changing this condition and hence freed a generation of women from constricted dresses. His wife and muse Denise was also his foremost model for trying new design prototypes. What Poiret wanted to achieve was to bring back the classical dressing sensibilities. that he so admired and assimilated into his aesthetics. He first encountered classical paintings at the Louvre as a school boy. His unique design style shifted the emphasis to the shoulders; the waist was raised to a considerable degree. His style reflected the neo-Grecian Directoire sensibilities of erstwhile art patrons Empress Josephine and Lady Hamilton. To accentuate the contours of the body Poiret employed fine fabric s such as silk, tulle and muslin. He also reduced the hemline into that iconic model called the hobble skirt. (Web 2007) The Oriental elements to Paul Poiret’s designs were manifest in his use of gold, fur, fringes and turbans – some of which are being reinvented contemporarily at Prada. Poiret’s embrace of Oriental elements reached its peak in Paris with the unveiling by Leon Bakst of the Ballets Russes. One of the stand-out designs in the years preceding the First World War is the Persian themed designs that were seen during the 1002nd Night party in 1911. Exhibiting his showmanship during the event, Poiret dressed up as a sultan and locked up his wife in a golden cage. As usual she modeled his latest creation: harem pants. Poiret was flooded with orders for these pants. Women saw in them an avenue for liberty, if only to let them dance to the emergent cultural craze for the tango. (Web 2007) Art 1. Two Dresses by Paul Poiret (Plate 2 from Les Robes de Paul Po iret), illustrated by Paul Iribe, 1908. The significance of Poiret’s Orientalist designs emerges from their widespread cultural effects. For example, the sultan harem pants were in such vogue that respected architecture journal commented and illustrated Poiret’s works through the artful photographs of Edward Steichen. The journal article went on to praise Poiret’s work as an â€Å"

The final paper for ukrainian Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The final paper for ukrainian - Essay Example Ukraine hoped to would become a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and European Union (EU). However, Ukraine has never fulfilled these expectations. From the year 2000 to the Orange revolution that occurred in 2004, the per capita GDP of Ukraine rose as compared to the GDP of its neighboring countries. The GDP rose from 61% to 68% (DeBardeleben and Crina 67). However, Ukraine’s GPD in 2013 declined precipitously. Notably, Ukraine’s economy was in recession in 2013. This recession has been noted to have increased in 2014 where the economy of Ukraine has experienced a 7% to 10% drop. This abrupt crisis is associated with the falling of average income and decline in the real GDP of Ukraine. The crisis is best evident in the collapse of the Ukrainian currency and the reduction of its foreign currency reserve. Notably, if a country’s currency collapses and there is little foreign exchange reserve obtainable, the crisis will escalate swiftly. However, since the beginning of this year, the Ukrainian currency has dropped by 20% in relative to the US dollar. This means that there is rising inflation for all the imported goods, less investment by businesses located in Ukraine, slower economic growth as less consumption spending by the Ukrainians. The collapse of the currency also means that the Ukrainian central bank has to raise the domestic interest rates. The rise in the domestic interest rates will slow the economy as the domestic investment and consumption decline further. The raising of the rates will decipher into slow direct foreign investment into the country. The collapse of Ukrainian currency is worsened by the loss if foreign currency reserve. Notably, foreign exchange is needed for making payments on bonds to the foreign investors

Auditors' liability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Auditors' liability - Essay Example Scandals such as those of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), Barlow Clowes, Atlantic Computers, Coloroll, Ferranti, Homes Assured, Levitt, Queens Moat Houses, Resort Hotels, Eagle Trust, London United Investments, Maxwell and Polly Peck have resulted in loss of jobs, savings, investments, pensions and taxation revenues. (Mitchell et al, 1991) The audit of a company's financial statement poses a certain degree of risk for the auditors and the company. The auditors have to objectively audit a company that reflects a true picture of the company. Since the managers depend on the audit to help them understand the current scenario of the company to take future decisions, and investors use the audit to help them take investing decisions, the correctness of the audit carries high stakes for all. (Defintions) Until recently, auditors had unlimited liability towards the public incase of negligence, breach of contract or fraud. Due to this very law, there have been cases in the past that have wiped the company clean due to gigantic compensations. Following the collapse of a company, third parties would often attempt to recover their losses from a solvent and insured auditor. Faced with such claims, the common and civil law courts had to struggle between two conflicting interests: the public's interest in the independent and competent review of financial statements and the interest of the auditing profession in carrying out its function without the burden of a potentially overwhelming liability. (Khoury, 2001) The scandal of Enron and its audit company, Arthur Anderson, were the victims of improper auditing and impedance to justice. There were once the 'Big 8' auditing companies which now have been left with the 'Big 4' after a series of mergers. All over the world, these four companies control about 85% of the total audits. (Lawrence, 2006) Auditor liability has been an increasing concern for the auditing profession for a considerable number of years. Such large liabilities are unfair and unjust to auditors. Consequently, a number of jurisdictions in recent years have introduced measures aimed at reforming their auditor liability regimes. However with the communities becoming increasingly litigious, one wonders when the 'Big 4' would be left with the 'Big 3'. (Lawrence, 2006) Duty of Care Owed A duty of care is an obligation to provide a certain level of care to others depending on different circumstances to avoid injury to that individual or his property. Basically the relationship of the parties, the negligent act or omission is prevented by fore-sighting any loss to that individual. An auditor is expected to be able to foresee such acts and respond accordingly. In cases of unintentional negligence which results in losses, such an act will be regarded as having breached a duty of care and at this a time a duty of care is owed. (Solicitors, 2002) (Definitions) The English Law for duty of care was formed in the Scottish case of Donoghue v Stevenson 1932 SC (HL) 31. The general principles for duty of care to be owed included the presence of three points (Solicitors, 2002) 1. Does a duty of care exist The existence of duty of care depends on the type of relationship between the parties. An auditor of a company has a duty towards the

Data Warehousing and Data Mining Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Data Warehousing and Data Mining - Essay Example The main objective is to eliminate or minimize the redundancy and at the same time increasing database efficiency. The negative part illustrates that too much implementation of normalization can cause issues. The objective is to deploy the highest acceptable level of normalization. If we compare three of these NF’s, the 1NF removes replication in groups. The 2NF reduces data replication or redundancy and the 3NF reduces columns from the tables that are not reliant on primary keys. Therefore, database design must demonstrate the highest level of normalization possible, in order to make database efficient and robust. In order to maintain 3 large databases for a VLDB and to keep them efficient for two years if required, there is a requirement for constructing a ‘store and forward’ mechanism that will process the data or information from and through each distribution center database. Likewise, at the same time embrace that data or information pending till the completi on of EDW. Moreover, data archiving is also required for maintaining each distribution center becoming a VLDB. EDW is efficient enough to support this scenario. A study demonstrated the overall cost of this disease throughout the world is $376 Billion annually. It is now almost fundamental that a person exceeding an age of 60 have more chances to get this disease, as it is now considered as the fourth largest live taking disease globally along with making its name for the fourth most common disease that contributes to a death of a person. However, the most common of all diabetes is the type 2. As there are almost 20% habitants suffering from in the United Arab Emirates alone, many research studies and debates are conducted yearly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Moreover, awareness sessions are conducted in every town of the cities to aware the people about this disease (MoH launches second phase of diabetes campaign.2010). However, this case study demonstrates the disease diabetes and medic al data associated with patients from the Middle east region i.e. United Arab Emirates for discovering concealed patterns and the valuable information that can be utilized for decision making process. In addition, these informed decisions are performed by medical personnel and practitioners. Therefore, this case study can be utilized for illustrating the requirements for medication for each type of diabetes and also forecast the futuristic elements reflected in the extracted data (MoH launches second phase of diabetes campaign.2010). In the process of data mining, the data associated with people has risky ethical significances. Data mining experts need to deploy norms for making the data application resilient (Keating, 2008). As far as humans are concerned, this method is associated with disparity along with behaviors such as racialism, as they are negative to norms. Perception that is considered as another example is dependent on the applied classification, as it is recognized in s plitting a disease that needs urgent attention. However, in case of a financial institution or a bank, loan acquisition is a non-ethical characteristic. Similarly, there are numerous factors that may be relevant to data mining. For instance, a report that was published from a leading consumer illustrated that in France, customer possessing a red car are more likely to be defaulters in returning loans back. As it is a debatable issue on categorizing it as ethical or non-ethical issue, similarly, insurance companies are always