Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Western Part of Scotland Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Western Part of Scotland - Assignment Example Apart from these two rocks, alkali basalt or dikes are also scattered in this part and dates 66 ±0.4Ma.The mid-latitude regions ranging from 250m   to 350m is covered by all categories of rocks, igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary. These include orthogneiss, psammite, trondhjemite, polite, amphibolites and spinifex komatiite dating 800,000,000 million years ago.   The lower regions (below 250m) mainly consist of pebbly sandstone, conglomerate sandstone, limestone, white sandstone and pegmatite dikes dating about 180,000,000 years ago.   The highest point of this place lies on the eastern part and it slopes towards the western region. Where ÃŽ » is decay constant = 1.42 X 10-11 yr-1 and t is age in years. The equation takes the form y = mx + c where eÃŽ »t-1 is equal to the gradient. Rearranging gives t = Ln(1.005689) à · 1.42 X 10-11 yr-1 4.00 X 108 years

Monday, October 28, 2019

Secondary Sjögren’s Syndrome and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Secondary Sjà ¶gren’s Syndrome and Rheumatoid Arthritis Secondary Sjà ¶gren’s Syndrome and Rheumatoid Arthritis Activity – a case of severe dry eyes Authors: Dina Christina Janse van Rensburg, MD1, 2 Catharina Cornelia Grant, PhD1, 2 Audrey Jansen van Rensburg, MSc1,2 Pieter Roelof Cronjà ¨, FC Ophth, MBChB3 Thelani Catharina Grant, BSc Agric (Hons)1, 2 Abstract Patients with Sjà ¶gren’s syndrome present with a wide range of clinical manifestations that carries a high rate of morbidity and mortality with increased risk of lymphoma development. Sjà ¶gren’s syndrome is either a primary disorder, or secondary to other autoimmune disorders e.g. rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Due to the multiple aspects of the disease and the similarity of the symptoms to other diseases, diagnosis and management of Sjà ¶gren’s syndrome is challenging. Among the symptoms, Sjà ¶gren syndrome typically presents with dry eyes that may result in severe ocular surface disorders such as persistent epithelial defects, and conventional dry eye therapy is often unsuccessful in controlling ocular signs and symptoms. We highlight the rare case of a 50 year old woman whom despite well controlled RA disease activity still manifested with severe secondary Sjà ¶grens syndrome. It was only after autologous serum was applied as a last resort that her ocular s ymptoms improved. Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis, dry eyes, Sjà ¶gren’s syndrome, autologous serum, inflammation Introduction Sjà ¶gren’s syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease affecting the exocrine glands. A lymphocytic infiltration in the salivary and lacrymal glands results in reduced secretion, leading to continual dryness of the mouth and eyes.1-3 SS may manifest as a primary disease presenting as a single entity, or secondary in combination with other autoimmune disorders.4 The prevalence of secondary SS relates predominantly to RA5 and associates with increased disease acivity.6 It may present with a systemic component, including painful joints, dry and itchy sunlight sensitive skin, irritable bowel, liver problems and extreme tiredness. Because of the many possible clinical pictures of SS it is a challenging diagnosis to make and may therefore go undiagnosed for many years after the onset of symptoms.3,7-9 Dryness symptoms are amplified in patients with RA, it increases with age and are associated with the severity of illness, relating to worse outcomes measures of the disease. Appr oximately 25% RA patients presents with keratoconjunctivitis sicca as the most prevailing and frequent ocular complication.5,10 Several therapies have been identified that inhibit inflammatory mediators and mechanisms in dry eye disease, however the treatment of persistent epithelial defects and severe ocular dryness by means of topical tear replacement often proofs inadequate.11 In this case study we report a RA patient who regardless of well controlled treatment with a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor, still developed severe secondary SS. Autologous serum drops offered significant improvement of her extreme ocular surface inflammation and symptoms, when all other treatment modalities failed. Case Report A 50 year old Caucasian woman was diagnosed with RA. During the course of the illness she was treated with methotrexate, folic acid, meloxicam, prednisone, sulfasalazine and leflunomide. Seven years post RA diagnosis and despite well controlled disease on adalimumab, methotrexate and folic acid, her eyes became extremely dry and highly sensitive to light. This dryness caused severe, constant discomfort and visual blurring, rendering her partially incapacitated, even though her corrected vision was still normal at 6/6. She had to wear sunglasses indoors and could not drive independently. On examination of her corneas the various findings confirmed the severity of her dry eyes. These included a tear breakup time of 5 seconds bilaterally, mucus filaments, punctuate corneal straining and an almost non-existing tear meniscus indicating very little tear secretion. Evidence of previous (healed) peripheral ulcerative keratitis could be seen on the medial aspect of both corneas. These symptoms lead to the diagnosis of Sjà ¶gren’s syndrome. She was treated with all possible modalities including punctum plugs and multitudes of topical medication including Cyclosporine A, with no apparent improvement. A decision was made to attempt an eye drop prepared from autologous serum. Her condition improved remarkably in the year since she started the serum. Discussion Sjà ¶gren’s syndrome was first described by the eye specialist Hendrik Sjà ¶gren in 1933. It presents with a variety of symptoms, including fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia, keratoconjunctivitis sicca(dry eyes, in part known as Sicca syndrome), xerostomia (dry mouth), skin lesions, lymphoproliferative disorders, neurologic involvement, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, rhinitis, pharyngitis and laryngitis.3,9,12 In view of the wide range of severe systemic manifestations of the disease patients are often characterised with higher morbidity and mortality, which are mainly related to an enhanced probability to develop lymphoma.3,13 Most patients with SS are middle-aged women, and symptoms mostly occur with the accompaniment of, but not exclusively to, RA.3,12 Recently literature differentiates between two main types of the disease: The glandular (exocrine gland-localised) form that affects mainly the quality of life of the patient, and the systemic syndrome type which display extraglandular manifestations that may lead to lymphoma.3 The glandular phenomenon includes ocular symptoms (dry eyes, xerophthalmia) and oral involvement (dry mouth, xerostomia, caries and candidiasis).3 Extraglandular manifestations consist of musculoskeletal indications, Raynaud’s phenomenon, renal, liver and neurological involvement, vasculitis and haematologic manifestations.3,13 Diagnosis Sjà ¶gren’s syndrome is difficult to diagnose due to the multiple aspects of the syndrome, and similarity to the symptoms caused by other diseases.3,7,8 SS is a slow progressing disorder, and on average may take approximately 5 years from the onset of symptoms before the correct diagnosis is reached.8 Sjà ¶gren’s syndrome is strongly suggested in patients who present with both signs and symptoms of oral and ocular dryness and who test positive to the diagnostic criteria. From clinical experience it was found that if a patient does not suffer from both dry eyes and dry mouth, it is necessary to exclude further causes of the dry eyes by means of differential diagnoses.13 A series of tests in the diagnosis of Sjà ¶gren’s syndrome are outlined in Table 1. These criteria consider dryness symptoms, changes in salivary and lacrimal gland function, and systemic findings.8 Table 1. Tests and criteria used to diagnose Sjà ¶gren’s Syndrome8 Treatment The aim of treatment for dry eyes is mainly to provide relief of symptoms and to prevent corneal epitheliopathy. Management of the disease currently includes artificial tears, topical secretagogues, local immunomodulatory drops, lachrymal duct occlusion and hypotonic hyaluronic acid drops in the treatment of dry eyes.3 Different methods of treatment that may be used independently or in combination with tear supplements include systemic immunoactive drugs and calcineurin inhibitors, topical corticosteroids and topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.3 Patients with dry eyes normally respond well to these treatments that focus on optimising the ocular surface environment. Some patients, however, present with more serious ocular surface disorders, that do not react to conventional treatment, which may lead to severe visual impairment.14,15 Fujita et al.10 drew attention to the exceptionally high incidence of dry eyes in patients with RA. Their conclusions are that although RA patients with SS present with systemic effects on dry eyes, there seems to be other local factors independently of the systemic process, that disturbs the ocular surface and control the severity of dry eyes in RA patients.5,16 Due to the many local elements active in dry eyes it calls for improved new therapeutic agents for managing dry eyes without making use of systemic agents.5 The various factors that contribute to a healthy ocular surface include an adequate blink reflex, normal tear production and healthy adnexae.14 Typically tears contain epitheliotrophic factors including growth factors, vitamins and fibronectin that are of vital importance to the ocular epithelial health.15 These factors support the viability, proliferation and migration of ocular surface epithelial cells.15 They are not found in pharmaceutical tear substitutes, but do however occur in blood serum. Clinical cohort studies have reported the successful useof epitheliotrophic factors in autologous serum drops to improve severe cases of dry eyes where other conventional treatments fall short.14,15 Autologous serum drops was first described in 1984 as a substitute constituent free of potentially harmful substances17 applied as unpreserved artificial tears.15 It is believed that the epitheliotrophic factors in the serum are the rationale behind its success in the treatment of extremely dry eyes.15 The use of autologous serum eye drops may in many cases be a last resort of treatment for SS patients who have not responded well to conventional tear replacement therapy. Even though the preparation thereof is costly and complex, it proofs a clinically effective treatment in ocular surface diseases.3,11 Being non-allergenic with biochemical properties akin to normal tears,3,18 it benefits the conjunctival epithelium supplementing essential vitamins, fibronectin, anti-proteases and growth factors. This may stimulate its proliferation and repair,11 and play an important role in the integrity of the cornea and conjunctiva.3,11 Autologous serum appears to be more effective in resistant cases. It may also play an essential role adjunct to therapy in other ophthalmological conditions as seen in chemical injuries of the ocular surface. Conclusion Sjà ¶gren’s syndrome may cause marked disability in patients suffering from the disease, especially when secondary to RA. In this case study, despite optimal control with a TNF inhibitor the patient still presented with SS and suffered from severe xerophthalmia. All treatment modalities had failed and as a last alternative autologous eye serum was instituted. This significantly improved the severe dry eyes and persistent epithelial defects and enabled her to live a normal life. Consent Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report. A copy of the written consent is available for review. References 1.Shiel W. What is rheumatoid arthritis?. 4/24/2014; Available at: http://www.medicinenet.com/rheumatoid_arthritis/article.htm. Accessed June 26, 2014. 2.Antero DC, Parra AGM, Miyazaki FH, Gehlen M, Skare TL. Secondary Sjà ¶grens syndrome and disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis. Rev.Assoc.Med.Bras. 2011 05/20;57(3):319-322. 3.Vitali C, Palombi G, Cataleta P. Treating Sjà ¶grens Syndrome: Insights for the Clinician. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis 2010 06;2(3):155-166. 4.Patel R, Shahane A. The epidemiology of Sjà ¶grens syndrome. Clin Epidemiol 2014 07/30;6:247-255. 5.Lemp MA. Dry eye (Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca), rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjà ¶grens syndrome. Am.J.Ophthalmol. 2005 11;140(5):898-899. 6.Fox RI. Sjà ¶grens syndrome. Lancet 2005 07/23;366(9482):321-331. 7.Mayo Clinic. Diseases and Conditions: Sjogrens syndrome tests and diagnosis. Jul. 08, 2014; Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sjogrens-syndrome/basics/tests-diagnosis/con-20020275. Accessed June 25, 2014. 8.Sjà ¶gren’s Syndrome Foundation. Diagnosis about Sjà ¶grens Syndrome. 2014; Available at: http://www.sjogrens.org/home/ about-sjogrens-syndrome/diagnosis. Accessed June 26, 2014. 9.Kruszka P, OBrian R,J. Diagnosis and management of Sjà ¶gren syndrome. Am.Fam.Physician 2009 03/15;79(6):465-470. 10.Fujita M, Igarashi T, Kurai T, Sakane M, Yoshino S, Takahashi H. Correlation between dry eye and rheumatoid arthritis activity. Am.J.Ophthalmol. 2005 11;140(5):808-813. 11.Cho YK, Huang W, Kim GY, Lim BS. Comparison of autologous serum eye drops with different diluents. Curr.Eye Res. 2013 01;38(1):9-17. 12.ELLMAN P, Weber FP, Goodier T. A contribution to the pathology of Sjà ¶grens disease. QJM 1951;20(1):33-42. 13.Kassan SS, Moutsopoulos HM. Clinical manifestations and early diagnosis of Sjà ¶gren syndrome. Arch.Intern.Med. 2004 06/28;164(12):1275-1284. 14.Noble BA, Loh RSK, MacLennan S, Pesudovs K, Reynolds A, Bridges LR, et al. Comparison of autologous serum eye drops with conventional therapy in a randomised controlled crossover trial for ocular surface disease. Br.J.Ophthalmol. 2004 05;88(5):647-652. 15.Geerling G, Maclennan S, Hartwig D. Autologous serum eye drops for ocular surface disorders. Br.J.Ophthalmol. 2004 11;88(11):1467-1474. 16.Villani E, Galimberti D, Del Papa N, Nucci P, Ratiglia R. Inflammation in dry eye associated with rheumatoid arthritis: cytokine and in vivo confocal microscopy study. Innate Immun 2013;19(4):420-427. 17.Fox RI, Chan R, Michelson JB, Belmont JB, Michelson PE. Beneficial effect of artificial tears made with autologous serum in patients with keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Arthritis Rheum. 1984 04;27(4):459-461. 18.Quinto GG, Campos M, Behrens A. Autologous serum for ocular surface diseases. Arq.Bras.Oftalmol. 2008 11/20;71(6):47-54. 1

Friday, October 25, 2019

Alexander Graham Bell :: essays research papers

Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell is a name of great significance in American history today. A skillful inventor and generous philanthropist, he astounded the world with his intuitive ideas that proved to be both innovative and extremely practical in the latter half of the 19th century. Most notable, of course, are Bell's work in developing the telephone and his venerable life-long endeavor to educate the deaf. Originally, his only wish was to help deaf people overcome their difficulty in learning verbal communication, and later was pushed into researching the possibility of a device that could transmit the human voice electronically over a distance. After building his first working telephone model, Bell's fame spread quickly as people in America and around the world began to realize the awesome potential this wonderfully fascinating new device held in store for society (Brinkley 481). His telephone an instant success and already a burgeoning industry, A. G. Bell decided to turn his attention back to assisting the deaf and following other creative ideas including the development of a metal detector, an electric probe which was used by many surgeons before the X ray was invented, a device having the same purpose as today's iron lung, and also a method of locating icebergs by detecting echoes from them. With his many inventions (especially the insanely popular and universally applied telephone), his efforts to educate the deaf, and the founding and financing of the American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf (now called the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf), Alexander Graham Bell has become a very important historical figure indeed (Berstein 9). Perhaps a key factor in Bell's successful life was his invigorating background. His family and his education definitely had a deep influence on his career. Born in Scotland, his mother was a painter and an accomplished musician, his father a teacher of the deaf and speech textbook writer. His father invented "Visible Speech," a code of symbols which indicated the position of the throat, tongue, and lips in making sounds. These symbols helped guide the deaf in learning to speak. His grandfather, also named Alexander Bell, had similarly specialized in good speech. He acted for several years and later gave dramatic readings from Shakespeare. Young Alexander Graham Bell had a great talent for music. He played by ear from infancy, and received a musical education. Later, Bell and his two brothers assisted their father in public demonstrations in Visible Speech, beginning in 1862. He also enrolled as a student-teacher at Weston House, a boys' school, where he taught music and speech in exchange for

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Rise of Global economy

The BBS was thus a Joint management of new economic and political order. Countries under the BBS embraced Capitalist ideologies and systems. It also enhanced the influence and prestige of US. To sum up, the BBS catalysts economic integration and led to the rise of Macs, which is another factor. NC The Macs set up different manufacturing bases In different countries. The Macs were Important In spreading economic links of globalization and helped the US to expand its global reach to more countries, hence increasing US strength and influence.The Macs created globally-integrated enterprises and brought skills and technology, Fids and expertise to the rest of the world. It thus helped to industrialized economies and helped the world to progress together. USA role Dominant global power in political, economic, ideological aspects. Politically, it asserted political presence and dominated International organizations Like ON, MIFF and the World Bank to enforce a Capitalist system which eventu ally helped the world o progress economically as a whole.Economically, since USA was the least affected country by WWW, it was able to provide aid through monetary policies like the Dodge Plan to help Japan. The Aqua's stable currency also provided a peg to stabilize other currencies. Regionalism Europe wanted to create unified regional bloc to act as a counter-balance to Aqua's dominance. It also allowed for greater specialization and expansion of markets. European coal and steel community 1950 France and Germany, later on the rest of he European countries, except Britain.Common Market Treaty 1958 called for reduction of tariffs and barriers Mixed Economies Combination of Capitalist free market systems and socialist communist systems Combined efficiency and enterprise of private sector and foresight and resources of government. Achieved 10th prosperity and equality Global spread of mixed economy model Japan second largest economy after US and West Germany rebuilt after 5 years Brit ain National Health Service Four Asian tigers 7% growth per annum

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

A research on lyndon johnson and the great society Essay

Lyndon Baines Johnson, also known as the LBJ, had a vision of a Great Society for his fellow citizens that led him to become the 36th president of United States of America. The humble beginnings of Lyndon were not to be regarded as full of luxuries and paradise travels as he felt the anguish of the poor and socially disadvantaged people and saw the pinch of rural poverty. Before he slided into presidency, earning money for the family constituted his youth that made him surged deeped into compassion for the impoverished people and pursuit for a great society. The main theme of the origins of the legendary LBJ was the rise from social and economic ills and finding ways to instigate change in the mainstream society of America where he was actually isolated from. According to LBJ, â€Å"When I was young, poverty was so common we did not know it had a name†. Though he was socially accustomed to think that he would have to deal with poverty and isolation from refinement, Lyndon came to a realization that he was â€Å"special- a young man destined for exceptional things†. Eager to fulfill his destiny and inspired to solve poverty, Lyndon struggled to have a decent yet competitive education with the support of his humble parents, Sam Ealy Johnson Jr. , a farmer and politician, and Rebekah Baines Johnson, a journalist. Solving poverty might be the factor that fueled his political dreams, but it was his father who greatly influenced him in his political actions. His father was a man of ambition and integrity as a legislator serving two terms in 1904. His father was regarded as the agrarian liberal or populist who â€Å"would not allow himself to be bought by lobbyists who dominated the proceedings†. Rebekah Baines’s line of descent as a journalist had equipped Lyndon with a deep â€Å"sense of inherited superiority. † The parents were astonished in Lyndon’s youth that was full of revelations and inklings about his future in the field of politics. As a gifted child and empowered by the praises and encouragement from his family, Lyndon went to local public schools, graduating from high school in 11924. After his graduation, Lyndon spent three uyears traveling around and applying for odd jobs before finally landing at the Southwest Texas State Teachers College that later became the Texas State University-San Marcos. It was in his college days that he gave out â€Å"concern, friendship, and benevolent support. † Lyndon said, â€Å" Some men want power simply to strut around the world and to hear the tune of the ‘Hail to the Chief’ while others want it simply to build prestige, to collect antiques and to buy prertty things-well, I wanted power to give things to people, all sorts of things to all sorts of people, especially the poor and the blacks. † Known as the embodiment of the great Texan spirit of self-denial, conservation, and service, Lydon became a popular figure at the university not in terms of academic performance. This event led to a career milestone for Lyndon. Lyndon’s career before the presidency was in education. He started as a teacher at the Welhausen Elementary School where he showed the children â€Å"a sense of importance most of them had never known before. † He moved to the Sam Houston High School before landing up a job in the congress as a secretary to a US congressman from the Fourteenth District in Texas in 1931. In this, Lyndon became more empowered to pursue his ambition. He became the Director of National Youth Administration that greatly addressed the â€Å"concern of Roosevelt’s New Deal to save a generation of young people from ignorance, unemployment, and enduring hardship. † Undaunted by the economic depression, he was elected to House of Representatives and campaigned successfully on a New Deal platform with the help of his wife Claudia Taylor. He joined the Navy for a brief period as lieutenant commander and won a Silver Star in the South Pacific. After serving six terms in the House, he was elected to the senate in 1948. In the 1960, Lyndon became John F. Kennedy’s running mate and sworn in as Vice President. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, Lyndon sworn in as the President of the United States. A. Foreign and Domestic Policies Several politicians and critics of the LBJ presidency were at one in stating that the administration, together with its foreign and domestic policies, had its peaks and valleys. During the first year of the LBJ administration, the president saw many impressions bestowed upon him as he entirely devoted much effort and time on â€Å"vital domestic matters, both the tax cut and the civil rights law. † Impressions at this time said that the president might not be interested in foreign policies because of LBJ’s adept focus on the real needs of Americans. LBJ was like a domestic politician who could not care less about external affairs. He said, â€Å"Foreigners are not like the folks I’m used to. † After establishing a new civil rights bill and tax cuts, LBJ urged the nation to unite as one in creating a â€Å"Great Society, a place where men are more concerned with the quality of their goals and than the quantity of their goods. † The domestic policies of LBJ were concentrated on issues such as â€Å"civil rights, social welfare, anti-poverty programs, and labor. † The LBJ administration made a great deal about education, Medicare, urban renewal, conservation of the environment, health, voting rights, prevention of crime and delinquency and an amendment to the Social Security Act. The LBJ presidency also made explorations of space with three astronauts successfully orbiting the moon in December 1968. The administration also sought to fight the inevitable crisis from Vietnam that forced the president to impose budget cuts on domestic policies so that he would be able to push through with the foreign and defense policies. The LBJ policies pointing to Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Latin America â€Å"were bound up with the war in Vietnam. † Despite his efforts to stop the Communist war and reach an agreement, the war continued. Heated debate arose with the president’s decision to limit the bombing in North Vietnam in order to instigate negotiations. There are critics who said that the great foreign policy failure of the administration was its treatment to Vietnam. Following his firm stance on Communist Aggression, LBJ was convinced to gove Vietnam limited help. He said that he â€Å"would not permit the independent nations of the East to be swallowed up by the Communist conquest, but it would not mean sending American boys 9 or 10,000 miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves. † To show firmness and decisiveness, LBJ ordered only retaliatory attacks to the aggressive North Vietnam and launched â€Å"Rolling Thunder†, a sustained bombing campaign to Vietnam. According to LBJ, â€Å"the key to peacemaking was to arrange a settlement that both preserved South Vietnam as an independent state for the foreseeable future and the quickest possible American exit from a war the country by 1968 no longer wished to fight. † Such assumption suggested that LBJ was â€Å"torn between an honorable exit and his desire to not to be the first president to lose a foreign war. † B. The Decision Not to Run for Re-Election When LBJ commanded to limit the bombing of Vietnam, he paired such action with a decision to withdraw from the re-election so that he might find some time for the quest for peace with no interruptions coming from politics. LBJ came to realization that he would not allow the presidency to be involved in any partisan movements which had infiltrated the United States since the advent of the Vietnam war. His policy of military escalation and the US participation in the war had overshadowed his popular standing and he was not able to establish real concessions for the peacemaking process. After his decision, the Vietnam aggression dragged on. By withdrawing from the re-election, â€Å"the administration found it difficult to act decisively,† LBJ’s decision not to run in the reelection was the outcome of his discernment in which he had to go through with his failing political instincts. Prior to his announcement, LBJ had to endure the criticisms which came with the rapid involvement of the US in the Vietnam war, racial tension in the American soil leading to widespread civil riots in the 1960s and the flaws of the Great Society movements. The flawed policies and programs of the LBJ administration led to Republican gains in the 1966 election and dwindled the hopes of Lyndon to further his participation in the Congress. It was in this turbulent period that antiwar candidate Senator Eugene McCarthy gained momentum to head the â€Å"dump Johnson† movement within the Democratic Party. The failure of his actions made it impossible for LBJ â€Å"to leave the White House without attracting hostile protesters. † 1968 had been dubbed as the â€Å"year everything went wrong† for the LBJ administration. II. Political Climate A. The Dominance of the Democratic Party LBJ made his congressional district in Texas as his foundation in his pursuit for a national role in the Democratic Party. He was â€Å"frustrated with the bureaucratic inertia and lack of innovation in fundraising by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and Democratic National Committee (DNC). † It was in this frustration that he developed a finite and negative impression of the national party committees that greatly influenced his leadership to the political party. His support to the Democratic Party saw him finding ways on how to finance hundreds of congressional particularly those who have a good of winning and satisfying their requests. As a congressional campaign manager for the House, his vigorous fundraising strategies to support the candidates earned him the respect and support coming from FDR and the other congressmen whom he helped to win. When FDR asked LBJ the result of the campaign, LBJ replied that the Democratic Party would not lose. He says to FDR that â€Å"We’re not going to lose, we’re going to gain. † Now that the House was run by literate Democrats, what FDR had started, including the Social Security (FICA) Program would soon see radical change. During his presidency, LBJ took the Social Security Program from independent trust fund and transferred it to the General fund in order for the Congress to spend it on valuable measures such as in the enactment and foreign and defense policies pointing to the unending war in Vietnam. LBJ’s military escalation policy to Vietnam failed and his domestic policies on civil war and racial tension became undone which had shattered the Democratically-controlled House and Senate. These dark moments became the finest hour of Republicans. B. â€Å"The Johnson Treatment† Lyndon was renowned for his arm twisting of influential politicians in order to pursure legislation. He became famous for his authoritative glance and powers of persuasion, dispensing them with what became popular as the â€Å"Johnson Treatment†. Such coinage was used to describe the domineering personality of LBJ who tend to impose physical size and initimidation in order to advance what he had to say. Lyndon once said, â€Å" I do understand power, whatever else may be said about me, I know where to look for it and I know how to use. † One of the key elements in Lyndon’s leadership and power was his use of the â€Å"Johnson Treatment† that was an eclecic mix of flattery, gentle pleading, logic, and threats. He was able to strategically utilize the â€Å"Johnson Treatment† in the way he gained full control of the Democratic Policy Committee, managed relations within the senate, maintained connections with the Republicans and the Liberals who supported civil rights for the African Americans, solidified control under his leadership, and established a coup when he was still a majority leader convincing the Senate to increase public spending on housing sector. It was in this coup that the he became a master politician or the master of the Senate because of his display of single-mindedness, skill and attention to details. But LBJ’s art of persuading and use of intimidation was no match against the revolutionary nationalists such as Gamal Abdel Nasser who said, â€Å"the West if the enemy, while the Soviets are kindred spirits and purveyors of weapons unobtainable elsewhere. † The â€Å"Johnson Treatment† failed to instill a positive effect on Nasser who continually resisted American policies and â€Å"denounced American imperialism in Congo. † LBJ deeply shocked with the unveiling of the â€Å"Blueprint for the Liberation of Palestine† accompanied by Nasser statement that the only way to liberation was Arab revolutionary action. The failure of the â€Å"Johnson Treatment† was equally defined by LBJ’s unsuccessful leadership to pull the United States out of the quagmire of the Vietnam war. The failure of the â€Å"Johnson Treatment† was viewed by the Americans as the failure of his policies toward Vietnam. The solution to the Vietnam unrest was one of the goals of the three presidents before LBJ and just like them, the LBJ sought to determine how to prevent the North Vietnamese Communists from acquiring South Vietnam that the US supported. C. The Civil Rights Movement Reformation of the civil rights proved to be the greatest challenge to LBJ’s majority leadership and to his presidency later on. In the mind of LBJ, the civil rights issue â€Å"was a fundamental prerequisite to strengthening the American voice abroad. † LBJ sought to â€Å"mount a social revolution in civil rights and the extension of the welfare state. † His policies on alleviating poverty and upholding rights were aiming at demonstrating that â€Å"he was a president who could rise above politics to serve the national interest. † The reform in the civil rights in the US started from a small-scale demonstrations before key players, movements, leaders and organizations finally constructed a vivid change. LBJ was one of the key leaders in bringing change. The turbulent period of the 1940s and the early 1950s was attributable to the â€Å"white southerners who controlled Congress and engineered the defeat of six civil rights bills. † The white group opposed the integration with blacks and â€Å"argued that individual states should have the right to manage their own affairs. † They used states’ rights in order to promote segregation, â€Å"a system of laws that required African Americans to be separated from the whites. † As such caused a significant backlash that came in the forms of protests and racial violence in the middle of the 1950s as African Americans continued to push harder for equal rights. The period was made more turbulent with the enactment of the Jim Crow laws that reinforced segregation. The Jim Crow laws banned African American students from going to educational institutions with white students and also prevented blacks from going to swimming pools, hotels and other establishments where there were whites. Jim Crow laws prohibited African Americans from voting and denied them many opportunities which were only provided for the whites. Then came Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. , who led the civil rights protests until his death by assassination in 1968. Harder violence was pushed through with the struck down of segregation in schools. As a southerner who had accustomed himself to the separation of blacks and whites thoroughout his career, LBJ â€Å"seemed to be an unreliable advocate of civil rights statute. † He supported civil rights but he was aware that the â€Å"pushing for a strong bill would anger many Democrats in the South. † As a compromise, LBJ â€Å"worked out a deal with southerners to pass a weakened bill and convinced liberal western membbers to pass it in exchange for support for a dam they wanted built. † The bill became the first civil rights legislation enacted by the Congress in 82 years and LBJ took all the credit for it. The Civil Rights Act was proposed by the President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and quickly became a controversial issue. The Civil Rights Act would guarantee African Americans with freedom to vote, to go to places of public accommodation, and with equal opportunity in employment. Although the Congress did not approve of Kennedy’s initiative, a stronger version of the bill was eventually approved with the constant urging of Kennedy’s successor, LBJ. On July 2, 1964, LBJ signed the bill into law and soon became the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that gave the federal law enforcement agencies the authority to stop and prevent racial violence and discrimination in voting, employment and in the utilization of public facilities. III. The Great Society A. Civil Rights The Great Society domestic programs of LBJ were aiming at two creating social reforms for the elimination of poverty and racial discrimination. One of legacies of the Great Society programs was translating some of the needs and demands of the civil rights movement into law. During the LBJ presidency, four civil rights acts had secured their passage in Congress. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 stopped job discrimination and the segregation in the use of public facilities. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 eliminates the â€Å"use of literacy requirements and other methods to keep African Americans from voting. † In LBJ’s pursuit for the Great Society, he also gave the nation urban renewal programs, housing subsidies, tax cuts, Traffic Highway Safety Act, National Commission on Product Safety, and environment beautification programs. B. War on Poverty LBJ was determined to â€Å"promote economic growth and commit the nation to a ‘war on poverty. ‘† The war on poverty was deemed as the most ambitious and controversial part of the Great Society. Headed by Sargent Shriver, the war on poverty promised to improve Americans’ standard of living. LBJ said to Shriver, â€Å"You make this thing work. Appoint all the committees you want to, confer with everybody. † LBJ continued, â€Å"This is number one on the domestic front. Next to peace in the world, this is the most important. † The unconditional war on poverty implemented by LBJ was confronted with resistance from the 88th Congress that later on granted â€Å"$947. 5 million in 1964 for the antipoverty program. † The centerpiece of the antipoverty program was the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 that LBJ signed on August 22, 1964 and established the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). The anti-poverty program included the Job Corps and Neighborhood Corps, food stamp program, rent subsidies for moderate and low-income families, a youth employment initiative, and other antipoverty efforts. The initiative lessened the poverty rate in the US from â€Å"22. 4 percent in the late 1950s to 11. 1 percent in 1973. † C. Medicare/Medicaid Medicare was included in the package that was the extension of the War on Poverty. Representative Hale Boggs said that during LBJ presidency, â€Å"the Congress passed more bills than had ever been passed in all the rest of history of the country together. † Included in the passed bills was a Medicare bill that aim â€Å"to provide health care for the nation’s elderly and health benefits for the poor† The Great Society effort federally financed the training for doctors and nurses, establishment of mental heath centers and health facilities focusing on heart problems, cancer and stroke. The Social Security Act of 1965 was passed by Congress to render federal funding for the medical costs of the elderly. This legislation was opposed by the American Medical Association but overcame such opposition to the idea of socialized medicine or public health care and connecting payments with the private health insurance companies. Welfare recipients regardless of age obtained health benefits by the Medicaid program established on July 30, 1965 under Title XIX of the Social Security Act. D. Education LBJ said that he â€Å"no longer can afford second-class education for children who know that they have the right to be first-class citizens. † In fulfilling this aim, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was signed into law on April 1965. The legislation federally funded public schools to help them obtain educational materials and start special education programs to institutions with large number of low-income children. It pursued Head Start, a program initially worked on by the OEO. The Head Start program provided comprehensive aid to the field of education, healthcare, and parent involvement initiatives to low-income children and families. Other programs of LBJ included â€Å"school breakfast programs, Teacher Corps Act of 1965, Adult Education Act of 1968, and the Educational Opportunity Act of 1968. † E. Arts One of the significant contributions of the Great Society effort was the promotion of the arts and humanities. LBJ said, â€Å"The happy relationship between the arts and politics which has characterized our long history I think reached culmination tonight. † LBJ was successful in formalizing federal aid for public radio and television stations, arts institution and higher education. LBJ signed the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities into law that later on established both the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities as separate agencies. He also gave attention on the need for the noncommercial education television in society that paved the way for the enactment of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. The law led to the creation of the Public Broadcasting Service and the National Public Radio. National centers and arts facilities also received federal funding during the presidency of LBJ. IV. The Success of LBJ Administration LBJ’s presidency is greatly remembered for the â€Å"Great Society† programs that aimed to improve the quality of living of Americans. The domestic policies enacted by the Congress during the time of LBJ played significant roles in the lives of Americans who were caught up with the loss of Kennedy, violence and economic ills. LBJ gave light to his people by promising them better and healthy living. One of main goals of the Great Society was to eliminate poverty. LBJ showed determination in reaching the promised land of Great Society by urging Americans to rebuild their cities, eliminate urban decay, and attain a renewed sense of community. In order to help his people, LBJ established a list of laws which promoted racial equality, qquaality education, healthcare, and lowered poverty rate. Many of LBJ’s programs â€Å"made great strides in improving the lives of ordinary Americans. † Some of the laws created impact on the political direction of the nation. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 gave voice to African Americans while the Civil Rights Act of 1964 freed African Americans from violence, racial prejudice and social inequality. The result of the war on poverty was promising enough as the poverty rate of the nation dwindled from â€Å"22. 4 percent in the late 1950’s to 11. 1 percent in 1973. † Antipoverty programs of LBJ created millions of jobs, increase in salary and wages and in business profits, and decrease in unemployment rate. Promising results were also seen in the field of education and healthcare as federal funding continued to help citizens exploit what the administration had to offer. Medicare and Medicaid were made to render medical insurance for the elderly and to the poor people. Funding for heathcare benefits continued while the availability of Medicare and Medicaid widened. Support for the arts and culture was also evident. V. The Failure of LBJ Administration Unfortunately, â€Å"LBJ had promised the impoverished much more than he could deliver. † There were many citizens whocame to realize that the administration had just an â€Å"overly optimistic prediction that did not come true. † Resulting from disappointment were black power and violence in the streets which showed the anguish of the nation. African Americans started to lose faith in LBJ and began to demand immediate change. The backlash of LBJ’s antisegregation efforts began to incite arguments within the southerners while the American people urged the government not to gift black rioters with federal programs. The anger over the desegragation policy of LBJ weakened the Democratic Party and LBJ’s base of power. LBJ’s foreign policy dilemmas stirred antiwar protests along with civil unrest. Demonstrations concerning the involvement of the United States in Vietnam began to undercut LBJ’s presidency. The people complained that the involvement of the nation in the Vietnam war â€Å"took money and attention away from the needed domestic programs. † The people accused Lbj of turning the Vietnam war into national obsession making his War on Poverty nothing more like a skirmish. The presidency of LBJ was equally defined by his Great Society programs and the nation’s entanglement in the Vietnam war. Problems in the foreign policies of Lbj started from the cold war between the US and the Soviet Union. The conflict was that the Soviet Union and Korea were supporting the commkunist forces in northern Vietnam while the United States was in support of the South Vietnam government. Despite complaints, LBJ pushed through with the Vietnam War fearing that losing South Vietnam would wreak havoc on his political career. VI. Conclusion The administration of LBJ was defined by the successes and failures of foreign and domestic policies. During his stay at the White House, he pursued Kennedy’s civil rights bill and tax cuts. He promised to promote better living for the Americans though his Great Society programs. But as he was doing well in putting America in the promised land of a Great Society, Vietnma War was intensifying. Later on, antiwar protests and civil violence gained momentum as American casualties increased in Vietnam. It was evident that LBJ could care less about hearing his people and his presidency was all about between him, his instincts, and his advisers. The failure of his foreign policy in the Vietnam war became the measurement of his entire political career. The dilemma was that LBJ considered the Vietnam War as an inherited course instead of treating it as his job as an influential leader. It could be observed that LBJ was an indecisive leader with no firm stance on foreign policies. To make matter worst, the indecisive president was surrounded with political advisers who were not united and binded with the same aim. It was in the topic of Vietnam War that he was not able to fully utilize his â€Å"Johnson Treatment† to the advantage of American people. Even though the issue in Vietnam War dominated the entire career of LBJ, it was good to know that his Great Society programs were successful. Such programs were only overshadowed by the riots and violence and the public’s demand for more than what LBJ could give. The Vietnam War was just one of the flaws of the Great Society programs since the domestic policies were connected with the foreign ones. The Great Society programs produced favorable results while their negative impact to the world came from the opposition that was not supportive of LBJ’s presidency. BIBLIOGRAPHY Brands, H. W. The Foreign Policies of Lyndon Johnson: Beyond Vietnam. Texas: A&M University Press, 1999. Dallek, Robert. Lyndon B. Johnson: Portrait of a President. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Gold, Susan Dudley. Presidents and Their Times: Lyndon B. Johnson. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2009. Savage, Sean J. JFK, LBJ, and the Democratic Party. New York: State University of New York, 2004. Schwartz, Thomas Alan. Lyndon Johnson and Europe: In the Shadow of Vietnam. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2003.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

India and Rampant Piracy Essay Example

India and Rampant Piracy Essay Example India and Rampant Piracy Essay India and Rampant Piracy Essay â€Å"PIRACY AND FILM INDUSTRY IN INDIA† (With special reference to Tollywood) A presentation submitted in partial fulfillment of the Masters Degree (M. Sc) in Visual communication By GUNNA KARTHIK DEPARTMENT OF VISUAL COMMUNICATION ANDHRA LOYOLA COLLEGE Vijayawada (2010-2011) CONTENTS Research Topic Introduction Review of Literature Research Hypothesis Research Objectives Research Questions Research Methodology Scope of the Study Tentative chapterisation Reference and Bibliography RESEARCH TOPIC: â€Å"PIRACY AND FILM INDUSTRY IN INDIA† (With special reference to Tollywood) INTRODUCTION Indian film industry film piracy The Rs 3,000-crore Hindi film industry loses nearly Rs 1,000 crore annually to piracy. Tollywood Making an Important Ingredient in the Bollywood Industry In India, this is the largest revenue generating industry. Piracy cost Bollywood Nearly 1. 8 million jobs and contributed $6. 2 billion to the Indian economy in 2008. The Industry Today Currently, T ollywood produces around 150 films annually, with approximately three films produced per week. There are also several TV channels dedicated solely for the showing of Telugu movies. pic] Types of Movie Theft 1. CAMCORDER THEFT 2. PEER-TO-PEER (P2P) THEFT 3. STREAMING THEFT 4. OPTICAL DISC THEFT 5. THEATRICAL PRINT THEFT 6. SCREENER THEFT 7. SIGNAL THEFT 8. BROADCAST THEFT 9. ILLEGAL PUBLIC PERFORMANCE RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS Release of movie DVDs into market parallels to theatrical release will reduce the extent of piracy in India. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Indian producers lose heavy some due to piracy. The producers of the three films have suffered a loss of Rs. 10 crore each due to the pirated VCDs of the films making their way into the market the ery next day. Bollywood Piracy: Fighting Technology with Technology. We are all aware of the rampant piracy affecting Bollywood but the scene of crime seems to have shifted to cyberspace in the recent past. Tollywood unhappy. Keshav Reddy, coordi nator of the anti-video piracy cell of Tollywood, asked the Tamil Nadu government to crack down on 400 video shops in Burma Bazaar of Chennai which are pirating Telugu movies even before their release as the piracy is causing a loss of Rs 50 crore to the Telugu film industry annually. Moreover, India is one of the largest users of cyber lockers in the world. ? On average, 8. 2% of visitors to the top ten cyber lockers worldwide are located in India and the country makes up 11. 8% of visitors to the top ten cyber locker link sites. ? Hindi films are the most widely available domestic Indian content with most down loaders in Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. ? The recent film â€Å"Kaminey† is estimated to have been downloaded just over 350,000 times on Bit Torrent with around two? thirds of those down loaders located in India. Telugu films are mostly downloaded in Hyderabad and Bengaluru. ? Over 88% of down loaders of four Telugu films on Bit Torrent were located in India. CASE STU DY Dabangg: Record Breaking Piracy Within 15 hours of its release in India, over 50 websites were showing the entire movie of Dabangg. In 24 hours the numbers were over 200. When we did our view and download count at the end of Sunday, 72 hours after the movie had released, we were taken aback by the final tally after crunching the numbers – over 150,000 downloads in high-conservative assessment. In terms of dollar value at a 10 dollars ticket price, it is 1. 5 million dollars (US) in the first 72 hours that has been lost. In Indian Rupees it comes to approximately – 6. 8 Crores, an amount that could easily finance a couple of movies. It becomes the largest value of piracy in the first three days of a Hindi movie’s release, as per our knowledge and records. Movies Compression and Conversion Invention of video compression formats; it is possible to fit an entire movie on CD, with near TV quality. In years past, downloading a movie that is 1300 MB in size over a 28. modem would have taken many days or even weeks. But with the introduction of high speed internet technology into the home, such as DSL and Cable Modems, and with the possibility to compress a movie down to 300 MB or less, it only takes minutes or hours to download a full movie. There are 4 common video compression techniques: Divx Real Video Asf Mpeg Tollywood Fights Back Yalamanchili Ravi Chands hunge r strike against piracy. Film piracy continues unabated That film piracy is thriving in Andhra Pradesh is no secret. And, it will continue to flourish despite police raiding video parlours so many times and seizing thousands of pirated film CDs. Chiranjeevi requests Goonda Act against Film Piracy in AP He spoke in assembly about this and said â€Å"A producer who spends 25 crores on his movie will have his heart broken when he sees his movie in a 3-in-1 DVD for Rs. 25 on street. There are no strict rules against piracy in AP and we should implement something like Goonda act in Tamil Nadu which controls piracy strictly†. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES To study the extent of piracy of films in India To study the impacts of piracy of films on film industry in India To study the behaviour of audience who use piracy films To study the influential factors behind the piracy of films in India RESEARCH QUESTIONS SCOPE OF THE STUDY This study will be in unique in nature as very study has been done so far. As film has become part and partial of human life, a through research is required pertaining to the ind ustry. The current research will try to assess the extent of piracy and its suggestive solutions. The researcher will try to focus the practice of piracy relating to Tollywood industry. The research is carried in the limited geography (i. e. ) Vijayawada and association of the findings to India is susceptible. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY TENTATIVE CHAPTERISATION Chapter I: Introduction Chapter II: Review of literature Chapter III: Understanding Piracy and Films in India Chapter IV: Critical Analysis of Piracy in India -Reference to Tollywood industry Chapter V: Findings Solutions Recommendations Chapter VI: Reference and Bibliography REFERENCE and BIBILOGRAPHY – A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE Nilesh Zacharias Ashni Parekh THANK YOU G. KARTHIK NMVC-20

Monday, October 21, 2019

The risk of malnutrition Essays

The risk of malnutrition Essays The risk of malnutrition Essay The risk of malnutrition Essay Introduction The most of import issue with for the Great Horn of Africa ( GHA ) states is the equal supply of sufficient nutrient. Poor conditions and struggle are some of the factors that cause the nutrient insecurity. Increase in planetary nutrient monetary values besides cause more weakening in nutrient security which increases the hazard of malnutrition. The purpose of this essay is to discourse how addition in nutrient monetary values in general affects lessening in nutrient security in the GHA and increase the hazard of malnutrition of the people in those states of GHA. The United States Agency for International Developments ( USAID ) defined nutrient security based upon the one adopted at the 1996 World Food Summit. This defines nutrient security as all people, at all times holding physical and economic entree to sufficient, safe and alimentary nutrient that meets their dietetic demands and nutrient penchants for an active and healthy life , ( Riely et al. , 1999, FAO, 2006 ) . Food entree, use, nutrient handiness and stableness are the four key elements ( FAO, 2006 ) . These four key elements province that there ever sufficient sum of nutrient, quality of nutrient has to be kept same even it is imported or produced, to fix nutrient and consume nutrient in a alimentary and hygienic mode equal tools or pecuniary resources for its acquisition is needed, and non to lose all these elements the hazard should ever be low. Otherwise, if any of these elements has some lacks so nutrient security will diminish. The states that are portion of GHA which has suffered from long term nutrient insecurity are Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Dijibouti, Uganda, Sudan, Kenya, parts of the Central African Republic ( CAR ) and the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ) . These states faced nutrient insecurities at critical degree and have required external nutrient aid for at least 10 or more old ages during the period 1988-2005. However, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan and DRC faced nutrient insecurities for the full continuance of this period or more ( FAO, 2006 ) . The causes of nutrient insecurity There were still some annihilating factors refering with the nutrient security in the GHA part. First of all, fickle and drought rainfalls combined with deforestation have ruined dirt quality in decreased harvest outputs and grazing land for croping animate beings ( Riely et al. , 1999 ) . The rainfall was below the norm in many parts of GHA bespeaking moderate to badly dry conditions in Somalia, some parts of Kenya, south-eastern Ethiopia and Dijibouti between February to September 2008 ( FEWS_Net, 2008a, FEWS_Net, 2008b, FEWS_Net, 2008c ) . Less sum of rainfall caused to the dirt wet degrees to drop and this affected corn harvest to neglect in some parts of GHA. Political instability and armed struggle are some of the causes that make it hard to get down and go on to administer nutrient to the people in a market substructure mode ( Riely et al. , 1999 ) . As an illustration, between 1991 and 2000, since Somalia has nt got a functioning authorities, it has merely recognized a transi tional national authorities after approximately a decennary involved in internal struggle ( Bureau_of_African_Affairs, 2010 ) . After all these happened, the figure of internally displaced people who can non work and depend on external nutrient assistance increased to 980,000. Due to some internal supplanting doing the post-election ferociousness in 2008, around 257,000 people had nutrient insecurity issues ( FEWS_Net, 2008d ) . All of these factors when they are combined affect people to obtain adequate nutrient in their ain economic system and force them to international assistance and markets. Food handiness and nutrient entree depend on the cost of nutrient. Since the production capacity degrees are lower, the GHA part is a net importer of nutrient particularly cereals from international markets ( IFRC, 2008 ) . In add-on to this, monetary values of cereal including rice and corn additions in the period from 2006 to 2008.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Brain Training Exercises. Dont Let Your Brain Dry Out in Summer

Brain Training Exercises. Dont Let Your Brain Dry Out in Summer After another grueling academic year of school work, papers, standardized tests and final exams, its tempting to take the summer off to give your brain a little R R. While some rest is important and even healthy, spending the summer binging on TV or video games is not going to do you any favors as fall comes. If youre not involved in any academic activities over the summer but dont want your brain to dry out before September, try some of these brain training exercises to keep your mind sharp. Learn to Strategize by Playing Chess Chess is more than a game, its a strategic endeavor. It requires patience, calculation and planning in order to be successful. You could join a chess club, hire a chess tutor, download an app and play against the computer or against other players online. As you develop your chess skills, youll learn strategic maneuvers, how to spot your opponents weaknesses and patterns as well as your own. Its an excellent way to keep the brain cells active and charged. Create New Brain Pathways with New Skills Learn a new skill brain activity isnt just sitting down and studying. There are many ways to develop your brain. An interactive way is to learn a new skill. Taking up a dance class or yoga or tai chi class, learning to play an instrument or learning a new language whatever you choose, learning any new skill is proven to strengthen brain activity and develop new brain pathways. The more diverse your brain pathways are, the easier it is for your brain to assimilate new information. In other words, the more new things you do, the smarter you become. Train Your Memory Memorization games are like lifting weights for athletes. They keep your brain muscles toned and strong. You could invent a number of memorization games to practice on your own. If your summer job is waiting tables, try memorizing your customers orders instead of writing them down. Try memorizing the phone numbers in your cell phone, or the birthdays of all your Facebook friends. You could memorize a poem or a speech or advanced multiplication tables. Increase Your Vocabulary Learn a new word each day – it will keep your brain fresh over the summer as well as scoring you some SAT points on exam day. Wordsmith.org has A.Word.A.Day program where they send you a new word every day via email. Solve Puzzles Sudoku is a simple and accessible brain teaser that asks you to solve puzzles and identify patterns based on numbers. You can start out easy and work your way up to â€Å"evil† on websudoku.com. Do Simple Math Problems Stop using a calculator – instead, every time you need to add something, write it down on paper or do the calculation in your head. There are lots of scenarios where you can practise calculating things yourself: When you go out for pizza with your friends, instead of using a calculator to divide the bill, use a piece of paper and make the calculation yourself. Calculate how much youre going to earn at your summer job. Calculate how much youll earn for the summer, for the month, the week, the day, the hour. Calculate the percentage youll need to improve in order to reach your target when taking your next SAT exam. Calculate your GPA. Learn to Concentrate Through Meditation Nowadays, everyone is meditating. The employees at Google have meditation sessions and theyre a pretty smart bunch. Meditation can help your concentration, provide aid with stress management and develop calm and positive thinking. Try this simple exercise: sit in a quiet space and set the timer on your cell phone for 10 minutes. Close your eyes and spend some time noticing if there is any tension in your body and consciously relax these areas. Gradually, begin to notice your thoughts. Without any judgments, just observe them as though you were seeing them from an objective distance. Try to release your mind from all thoughts. You may be able to achieve this for a while and then start having thoughts again. Each time you have thoughts, just observe and try to release them again. Continue releasing tension from the body and thoughts from the mind over the course of ten minutes. This simple meditation exercise is a great way to train yourself to control the direction of your thoughts, a useful skill when studying, writing or taking a test. Good luck and happy brain training!

Saturday, October 19, 2019

BUSINESS DECISION MAKING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

BUSINESS DECISION MAKING - Essay Example The cost of this property is around 30% of prime property in London which can act as trigger for expatriates to invest in Dubai. (Castro, 2009). Similarly other proposed advantages of Dubai and reasons to remove doubts in Canadian and English minds should be gathered from the internet and real estate agents in Dubai. When it comes to gathering primary data, the company should randomly select 20 clients in the UK and Canada and present them with the questionnaire. This questionnaire is specifically designed to find out their preferences when investing. The presentation and the solution to the business problem will then be proposed after analyzing and synchronizing data from the Dubai property market and customer preferences and affordability. This when elaborated means that properties which match customer's tastes and budgets will be selected and then presented to the potential customers. Questionnaire for prospective clients 1) How much money do you plan to invest in Dubai? a) AED 10 0000 b) AED 200000 c) AED 2500000 or more 2) How much initial deposit are you willing to pay? a) 5% b) 10% c) 15% d) 20% or more 3) What is your current annual income? a) AED 200000 or less b) AED 300000 c) AED 400000 or more 4) What percentage of interest on mortgage do you recommend? a) 7.5% b) 9% c) 10% 5) What in your view is the ideal length of the investment term? a) 10 years b) 15 years c) 20 years d) 25 years or more 6) What is your expected annual rate of return from the property? a) 7% b) 10% c) 12% or more 7) What are your basic reasons for buying property in Dubai? a) Retirement/ Investment b) Vacation c) Second home d) Rental income 8) What is the ideal size of property you wish to buy? a) One bedroom studio b) 2 bedroom apartment c) 1 bedroom villa d) 2 bedroom villa or larger 9) Do you have any reservations about investing in Dubai? If yes please elaborate Results of the questionnaires collected from 10 clients. The Questionnaires were distributed to 20 potential clie nts, 10 in Canada and 10 in UK. The results were as follows. 10 out of 20 expatriates were willing to spend AED2000000 whereas 6 chose AED1000000 and 4 chose 2500000 or more. Most that is 8 chose to pay 15% as the down payment whereas 6 wanted to pay 20%. 3 chose 25% and 3 chose 10%. All potential clients had the annual income of AED 400000 or more showing that they had extra money and liquid financing to invest. Almost all unanimously agreed to lowest interest rates of 7.5% but 2 and that too only those who chose lower down payments agreed to 9% interest. The ideal length of the investment term was a tie between 15 and twenty years with 8 votes each. 2 selected 10 years and 2, 25 or more. The expected annual rate of return was 10% by 12 votes showing that prospective buyers knew that the current rate of returns lie between 7 and 10%. 6 chose 12% and 2 chose 9%. The results for the reasons for buying property were extremely variable. Muslim customers wanted property for retirement, vacations and second homes. People from other faith also chose between vacation and investment with vacations being the choice of the majority by getting 5 votes 8 clients wanted a 2 bedroom villa, 6 a 2 bedroom apartment while 4 wanted a larger villa and 2 a one bedroom apartment demonstrating that they

Turkish Airlines Current 4Ps Marketing Policies Essay

Turkish Airlines Current 4Ps Marketing Policies - Essay Example As of today, almost 51% of its shares are owned by the public, whereas, the remaining are retained by the government. Over the years the company has flourished to the extent that, in 2008 it was named as one of the fastest growing European carriers in terms of traffic and seating capacity (Turkish Airlines, 1996-2012). At a time when the global recession caused other European airlines to cut down their operations, Turkish Airlines managed to demonstrate steady growth in terms of its passenger traffic and seating capacity. The company has over 127 carriers in its fleet and flies to over 145 international and 41 local destinations (Turkish Airlines, 1996-2012). Istanbul is primarily considered to be its gateway to various Middle East destinations. The company’s overall business strategy revolves around expansion and development of its operations. As part of recognition for its strategic efforts, it has been labeled as a four-star airline (Skytrax, 1999-2011). The company, theref ore, is now eyeing the five-star segment and is enhancing the quality and service of its carriers in order to enhance customer experience. An essential part of its overall strategy, therefore, is inevitably the marketing strategy. Holistically, the company is aiming at creating greater brand awareness amongst its target market and to position itself differently from competitors in terms of reliability, safety and quality. The company is targeting the attainment of crucial values such as customer safety and quality service as well as providing value for money. Therefore, the focus of this airline is to provide low cost fares with unmatched quality of customer experience. The 4P’s for the company involve the Product (airline service), Price (fares), Promotion and Place (destinations in this case). As far as the product is concerned, the company has targeted its airline service to a wide range of segments. The company’s primary target market is the leisure customers who m ake up a vast chunk of its overall passengers. The secondary market is the corporate segment, comprising of business executives and corporate individuals. Such customers require corporate discounts (that are perhaps endowed to them by their organizations) since they travel is high volumes. Turkish Airlines has kept this trend in mind and has offered quantity discounts in markets where a large number of multinationals are located. There are several MNCs in Europe such as Shell, Delloit, Deutsche Bank etc that have high volume of business travelers. The company derives a major chunk of its revenues from the â€Å"leisure† segment, as opposed to the business segment. According to a research, 54% of the company’s market share is derived by â€Å"leisure† segment, whereas, 32% is derived from â€Å"corporate† segment. A common terminology used in aviation is that of the load factor which is described as the relation between the aircraft’s lift capabilit y to its weight. Turkish Airline’s load factor has declined over the years, from a rate of 71.5% to 71% (Centre for Aviation, 2010). The company is now taking steps to ensure that its load factor increases, especially during the peak summer period. An efficient load factor of approximately 77% is ideally looked upon as a healthy sign since it shows that the weight is being efficiently utilized through passenger traffic. A crucial aspect of Turkish Airline’s marketing policies has been a focus on Turkish tourism, of which Istanbul is a highly

Turkish Airlines Current 4Ps Marketing Policies Essay

Turkish Airlines Current 4Ps Marketing Policies - Essay Example As of today, almost 51% of its shares are owned by the public, whereas, the remaining are retained by the government. Over the years the company has flourished to the extent that, in 2008 it was named as one of the fastest growing European carriers in terms of traffic and seating capacity (Turkish Airlines, 1996-2012). At a time when the global recession caused other European airlines to cut down their operations, Turkish Airlines managed to demonstrate steady growth in terms of its passenger traffic and seating capacity. The company has over 127 carriers in its fleet and flies to over 145 international and 41 local destinations (Turkish Airlines, 1996-2012). Istanbul is primarily considered to be its gateway to various Middle East destinations. The company’s overall business strategy revolves around expansion and development of its operations. As part of recognition for its strategic efforts, it has been labeled as a four-star airline (Skytrax, 1999-2011). The company, theref ore, is now eyeing the five-star segment and is enhancing the quality and service of its carriers in order to enhance customer experience. An essential part of its overall strategy, therefore, is inevitably the marketing strategy. Holistically, the company is aiming at creating greater brand awareness amongst its target market and to position itself differently from competitors in terms of reliability, safety and quality. The company is targeting the attainment of crucial values such as customer safety and quality service as well as providing value for money. Therefore, the focus of this airline is to provide low cost fares with unmatched quality of customer experience. The 4P’s for the company involve the Product (airline service), Price (fares), Promotion and Place (destinations in this case). As far as the product is concerned, the company has targeted its airline service to a wide range of segments. The company’s primary target market is the leisure customers who m ake up a vast chunk of its overall passengers. The secondary market is the corporate segment, comprising of business executives and corporate individuals. Such customers require corporate discounts (that are perhaps endowed to them by their organizations) since they travel is high volumes. Turkish Airlines has kept this trend in mind and has offered quantity discounts in markets where a large number of multinationals are located. There are several MNCs in Europe such as Shell, Delloit, Deutsche Bank etc that have high volume of business travelers. The company derives a major chunk of its revenues from the â€Å"leisure† segment, as opposed to the business segment. According to a research, 54% of the company’s market share is derived by â€Å"leisure† segment, whereas, 32% is derived from â€Å"corporate† segment. A common terminology used in aviation is that of the load factor which is described as the relation between the aircraft’s lift capabilit y to its weight. Turkish Airline’s load factor has declined over the years, from a rate of 71.5% to 71% (Centre for Aviation, 2010). The company is now taking steps to ensure that its load factor increases, especially during the peak summer period. An efficient load factor of approximately 77% is ideally looked upon as a healthy sign since it shows that the weight is being efficiently utilized through passenger traffic. A crucial aspect of Turkish Airline’s marketing policies has been a focus on Turkish tourism, of which Istanbul is a highly

Friday, October 18, 2019

Decision Making Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Decision Making Process - Essay Example On a practical note, decision making involves identifying all possible choices of solution, analyzing the pros and cons of choosing each decision and finalizing on the appropriate one. The choice of appropriateness is further befuddled by number of other aspects. The perfect choice depends on identifying the stakeholders involved in the decision, the impact of it to them, the moral values, the ethical goodness and finally, the desired result. So, decision making even in its ubiquitous explanation, involves so much complication. In addition, if there is an added pressure that human lives are at stake at every decision being made, then every simple decision needs a humongous amount of thinking and courage to be put in by the decision maker. Such is the profession of nursing where the nurses are made to make decisions, day in and day out. Over the years, the facilities and teaching processes that back the profession of nursing have improved so much that the current generations of nurses are equipped very well on how to execute any decision that is made but there is still an element of uncertainty involved in their profession – the real time decision making process. Several researches have been done and methods have been proposed that guide the nurses in these decision making processes. ... The patient was operated for inguinal hernia mesh repair and had a LMA (laryngeal mask airway) in-situ to allow him to breathe as he recovered from the operation. The problem that she encountered in this setting was when the senior nurse decided to leave her in-charge for few minutes as she had decided to take a break. The fear of facing any emergencies alone; the possibility of aftermath that she had to face in case of any mishaps and, her inexperience prompted her to make the decision of questioning the senior staff. The inquiry included a question about the repercussions of leaving an inexperienced nurse alone with a just operated patient and a suggestion of possible replacement till the senior nursing staff returns. Patterns of Knowing Barbara Carper, in 1978, established four fundamental patterns of knowing in the belief that it could help a great deal for the betterment of the nursing profession both in teaching as well as learning aspects. It becomes mandatory to give a brief description about the four patterns of knowing before divulging more about their relationships with the decision made (Carper, 1978). Empirics: The science of Nursing According to this knowing, nursing is a science where the knowledge mainly focuses on empirical data. According to Barbara, nursing in this aspect is researched and theorized in terms of factual data so that most of the empirical knowledge can be analyzed to form laws and regulations that could provide a structure to the study of nursing. There is a strong urge among the nursing practitioners and researches in identifying the structures and models of nursing. And the output of

Should a price ceiling (limit) be imposed on gasoline prices in the Essay

Should a price ceiling (limit) be imposed on gasoline prices in the U.S. market Why or why not - Essay Example If price ceiling on gasoline prices are implemented economic efficiency will be lost. Economic efficiency takes place when a particular action results in higher benefits for the society and lower costs. If price ceilings are set and the suppliers decrease the supply, the gasoline will start trading in black and unregulated markets where the suppliers will be charging higher price from the consumers and the taxes and revenue that is earned by the sale and purchase of gasoline by the government will be lost. Other than black markets, the entire economic system may be negatively impacted by price ceiling on gasoline prices. This is because when there will be shortage of gas, people will have to line up in huge queues in the pursuit of obtaining gas. As a result of this a lot of time will be wasted which the consumers could have invested in positive economic activity and this would result in decline in

Thursday, October 17, 2019

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 15

English - Essay Example On the surface, Troy Maxson – as a symbol- is Wilson’s way of telling people that African American men are not irresponsible, absentee fathers they were portrayed to be because the figure was clearly depicted as someone who has an overwhelming sense of duty and responsibility to his family. Troy, for example, confessed to Rose the guilt he feels over taking Gabe’s money just so he could renovate his home. He said: â€Å"Man go over there and fight the war†¦ and they give him a lousy three thousand dollars. And I have to swoop on that.† (28) But as the play narrated the life of Troy Maxson, there emerged a deeper and darker truth to what he represented. In Troy’s struggles, the plight of the Black community in America during the period became evident. The chronicle of Maxson life - his psychology and, certainly, his physical emancipation from poverty, paternal neglect and abuse, from physical incarceration, his suppressed dreams of major-league baseball, from workplace frustrations and alienation within his home to complete spiritual and mental freedom – they demonstrated the collective experiences of the African Americans as they deal with the economic and social challenges of the period. Early on, a description has been aptly given: â€Å"Together with his blackness, his largeness informs his sensibilities and the choices he has made in life.† (1) As with most Blacks in the period, Troy was poor and this drove him to commit crime. Then, his dreams were dashed, first, by racism and, then a string of unfair employment practices. All his life had been a struggle. In Troy, there was the expected victimization by and resentment of the forces of social and economic oppression that were experienced by Blacks in modern America. Rightly so, his reaction to his plight demonstrated much of the disappointment, frustration, resentment and anger of African Americans. This reaction was aptly

History - The Mongol Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History - The Mongol Empire - Essay Example Some of the key features brought to the human thinking by this impressive empire include the intercontinental long distance trade, united people that formed different distinguished nations, change the way leadership, specifically military leadership, was thought to be, and fanatically developed new norms for the historians. The historians remember the Mongol Empire as the largest contiguous kingdom mankind has ever witnessed. The best spectator of this empire was the area of Eurasia, distinctly at the 13th and the 14th century. But the overall ruler ship of Mongols throughout the world is like the golden pages of history books. 2 Brief History The Mongolian empire was a federation of different tribes of Central Asia. The evolution of this empire was a slow and steady process that began when the Turkish and Mongolian tribes sat together for mutual interests. The first renowned of them was Temujin (1165-1227). He was a charming and fascinating leader and was the heir to Toghril Khan, s upreme leader of the Kereits. The â€Å"Kereits† tribe was the most prominent and populous tribe among the Mongols. The idea of leadership that Temujin possessed was genetically adopted from his father. Soon after he came into limelight, sections of people emerged that were jealous from Temujin. This jealousy ended into a clash in 1203 from which Temujin was left victorious and he gained control of the entire area of Mongolia. 3 Temujin modified the concept of the people residing in this tribal land, unifying each one into a single umbrella of â€Å"Khamag Mongol Ulus†, the ultimate and the all powerful Mongol State. He dissolved the tribes and formulated them as they could be used in the military wings. He introduced the use of decimal systems for assembling his militia. Discipline was mandatory for the armed forces and a strong code of conduct was introduced by him. By 1204 he had defeated all who stood against him. By 1206, through his outstanding military and leade rship skills, he was assigned the title of Chingis Khan (Genghis Khan), which means a robust and firm person and a remarkable leader. 4 The rise of the Empire At the beginning of the 12th century AD, the huge grasslands of Mongolia were resided by Turkish and Mongol-Tung sic tribes, Mongolian tribe being the most populous and the creative one. In 1130 the Mongols entered the regions that are now part of the People’s Republic of China, defeating the powerful Jin Empire and indulged their area of control. 5 The history of the Empire started from 1218, when an interesting event shaped the empire and more particularly the life of Genghis Khan, from a nomadic person to the conqueror of the world. A trade convoy starting their travel from the Mongol lands, heading towards the Persian area that now lay in modern Uzbekistan, was stopped unexpectedly by the Persian State Ruler. The ruler suspected that the caravan was one of the Mongolian spies, so he mutilated the men, raped women an d seized all the goods that the group was carrying with them. The doubt was not something out of the world; in fact the Mongols were very intelligent people at gathering information from around the world that benefited them. At the Mongolian side, this was a strict violation of the peace treaty that assured that the trade caravans will be safe from any

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 15

English - Essay Example On the surface, Troy Maxson – as a symbol- is Wilson’s way of telling people that African American men are not irresponsible, absentee fathers they were portrayed to be because the figure was clearly depicted as someone who has an overwhelming sense of duty and responsibility to his family. Troy, for example, confessed to Rose the guilt he feels over taking Gabe’s money just so he could renovate his home. He said: â€Å"Man go over there and fight the war†¦ and they give him a lousy three thousand dollars. And I have to swoop on that.† (28) But as the play narrated the life of Troy Maxson, there emerged a deeper and darker truth to what he represented. In Troy’s struggles, the plight of the Black community in America during the period became evident. The chronicle of Maxson life - his psychology and, certainly, his physical emancipation from poverty, paternal neglect and abuse, from physical incarceration, his suppressed dreams of major-league baseball, from workplace frustrations and alienation within his home to complete spiritual and mental freedom – they demonstrated the collective experiences of the African Americans as they deal with the economic and social challenges of the period. Early on, a description has been aptly given: â€Å"Together with his blackness, his largeness informs his sensibilities and the choices he has made in life.† (1) As with most Blacks in the period, Troy was poor and this drove him to commit crime. Then, his dreams were dashed, first, by racism and, then a string of unfair employment practices. All his life had been a struggle. In Troy, there was the expected victimization by and resentment of the forces of social and economic oppression that were experienced by Blacks in modern America. Rightly so, his reaction to his plight demonstrated much of the disappointment, frustration, resentment and anger of African Americans. This reaction was aptly

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Activation of inflammasome Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Activation of inflammasome - Dissertation Example There is a connection between deficiencies in the molecular underpinnings of the adaptive immune system and vulnerability to infections that this report will explore. This study will investigate the most immediate pathogenic effects resulting from this disorder using cells infected with S.typhimurium and L.Monocytogenes to demonstrate vulnerability to infections. Homozygous mutants suffered the highest mortality rates. Assays were conducted to determine the molecular cofactors most involved during the acute disease state by examining the process of inflammasome formation. Mutations along several stages of the process elucidate the cofactors involved. Ataxia Telangiectasia alters the formation of the inflammasomes complex based on caspase recruitment, and is characterized by deficiencies in interleukins as opposed to tumor necrosis factors. The identification of cofactor levels corresponding with the autosomal recessive genotype could potentially support the development of enhanced sc reening or diagnostic techniques with an ultimate goal of corrective therapy. INTRODUCTION The Immune system offers protection to the body from internal and external threats. Mammalian Immune system is classified into innate and adaptive immunity. Adaptive immune system appeared later in the evolutionary time line and it is more specific than the innate immunity. Through feature called immunological memory, adaptive immune system evokes a quick immune response upon subsequent exposure to similar pathogenic stimuli. These responses are typically dependent on T-cells, which involve not only the removal of active pathogens; but also the elimination by cell-death (Apoptosis). Innate immune system has no immunological memory. This analysis depends upon the genetic basis underlying failure in the immune system due to molecular changes. Innate immunity is the body’s first line of defense. Innate immune recognition and responsiveness to biological danger is mediated by germ-line enco ded innate immune receptors called pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). PRRs recognize conserved motifs on pathogens called Pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) or endogenous molecules called Damage Associated Molecular Patterns (DAMPs) that are released by stressed of dead cells6. PRRs are classified into trans-membrane receptors: Toll like receptors (TLRs) and C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), the cytoplamic families of PRRs: Nucleotide-binding oligomerization (NOD)-like receptor (NLRs), RIG-I like receptors (RLRs) and cytoplasmic DNA receptors (CDRs)6. Cytoplasmic DNA Receptors (CDRs) consist a diverse and growing number of receptors that recognize DNA in the cytoplasm. Members of this family include DAI, IFI16, LRRFIP15. TLRs are type-I trans-membrane proteins composed of an ectodomain domain rich in leucine-rich repeats that play a role in the recognition of PAMPs, trans-membrane region and cytosolic Toll-IL-1 receptor (TIR) domain which are involved in the activation of downstream signaling pathways. 10 and 12 TLRs have been identified in human and mouse, respectively. TLRs are localized at the cell surface and endosomal compartments where they recognize a broad range of bacterial, viral, fungal, protozoan PAMPs such as lipoproteins (recognized by TLR1, TLR2, and TLR6), double-stranded (dsRNA) (by TLR3), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (by TLR4), flagellin (by TLR5), single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) (by TLR7 and TLR8), and DNA (by TLR9)1. NLRs consists of a large family of receptors that recognize broad spectrum of PAMPs and DAMPs in the cytoplasm8. Till now 34 murine and 23 human NLR genes have been identified. Plants contain NLR orthologues as R genes. Plants lacking adaptive immune s

Monday, October 14, 2019

Change in Diet Essay Example for Free

Change in Diet Essay I began this class with very little nutritional knowledge. During week one of this class, it became evident to me that my eating habits were completely unhealthy. Before taking this course, my interpretation of eating right consisted of eating foods that I thought were healthy, and basically sticking to that particular meal plan. I started this class coming off of a self-created protein diet plan of my own. My diet plan consisted solely upon eating cereal for breakfast, chicken breast, white rice, and egg whites for lunch, and drinking a protein shake for dinner, every week on days Monday through Friday. For the weekends, I would basically eat whatever I wanted. The weekends were considered my grace period where I was allowed to ignore my diet for two days. About a week or two before the course began, I had completely stopped my protein diet, and I was basically back to eating whatever I had a taste for at any given time of the day. I had lost all discipline and obedience to my â€Å"healthy† meal plan. The amount of meals I would have each day varied from one meal a day, to two or three meals a day. Rarely was it consistent. I would skip out on breakfast on many occasions. On some days, I would eat solely junk food all day long. Water was almost inexistent in my life. Completing week one’s assignments gave me an opportunity to actually read how bad my eating habits were as I typed them in. I also learned that my once proclaimed healthy diet was in fact not as healthy as I thought it was. I also learned that I was missing key foods necessary to live a long and healthy life such as fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables were nonexistent in my life. Vegetables, I never took well to. Fruits just did not seem as important to me as they should have been, and they definitely never satisfied my sugar craves. I learned the importance of fruits and vegetables. I learned that they provide the vitamins, minerals, and fibers my body needs to live a successfully healthy life. Throughout the course, I learned a lot about nutrition. I now know the difference between saturated and unsaturated fat. I am aware that all fat is not bad for the body. In fact, fat should be apart of every diet, and is required for healthy growth. This course has also given me a better perspective of dehydration. I now fully understand what dehydration is, and the causes of it. I am definitely more aware of the importance of drinking water. Currently, compared to week one of this class, my eating habits are totally different. I definitely see changes in my diet. From completing assignments mixed with personal research, I have learned that a person can actually gain weight from not eating enough. I learned that it is important for individuals to consume their recommended amount of calories each day in order to maintain a healthy and normal metabolism rate. A lack of food can slow metabolism. Metabolism burns fat. So of course, the first change in my diet was to make sure that I was consuming as close to my recommend amount of calories each day as much as I could. In result, I currently eat three healthy meals a day. Fruits and vegetables have become apart of diet. I am eating more fruits and vegetables now, than I ever have in my entire life. I am also making sure to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables compared to eating just one or two types. This course has helped me gain a better understanding of whole foods such as whole grains and wheat. I no longer eat white rice or white bread. I have substituted white rice with brown rice, and I have replaced white bread with whole grain wheat bread. These changes were not easy at all. I loved white rice and white bread. It was definitely a challenge making that transition. I have even made changes to the type of sandwich meats I eat. I have replaced deli ham with white turkey and chicken breast. For breakfast, I have stopped eating cold cereal and frozen waffles, and have started eating whole grain oatmeal with fruit slices. I still drink protein shakes after weight lifting. However, I no longer have protein shakes for dinner. From the course I have learned that oils are needed in any diet. In result, I have begun using olive oil with some of my dishes. I no longer use margarine, and have replaced it with real butter. I have eliminated any idea of a grace period and I try to eat healthy seven days a week. As mentioned early, I have learned a lot about dehydration and the importance of drinking water. I avoid all caffeinated beverages. I have eliminated sodas and other beverages from my diet. I drink milk, green tea, and one hundred percent fruit juices, but mainly water. Throughout researching, I have learned just how necessary it is to drink water. I learned that water helps the body’s organs function properly, water clears the body of toxins, and water helps burn calories. I learned the recommended daily serving of water should be eight to ten glasses, a minimum of 64 ounces. Upon learning this information, I have visited my local supermarket and have purchased a water bottle of 24 ounces. This course has taught me that many people mistake thirst with hunger, causing overeating and weight gain. I now consume 72 ounces of water a day. I make sure to fill and empty my water bottle three times a day. I have also created a system with accordance to my schedule where I eat dinner no later than 7:30 p. m. My workouts at the gym have also changed as well. Before, my workouts consisted solely on weight lifting. I have now made time in the beginning of my workouts for at least thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercises. The changes that I have made to my diet has really changed who I am as I person. I feel different, healthier. There has been a dramatic decrease in my stress levels. I am full of energy and happiness. I am now more aware of what I allow to enter my body.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Vertical integration in studio system Essay -- Economics

Vertical integration in studio system The term "vertical integration" refers to the structure of a marketplace, which is integrated (rather than segregated) at a variety of crucial levels. In the case of the motion picture industry, the studio system established a market in which the studios owned production facilities, distribution outlets, and theaters. In other words, the studios controlled every level of the marketplace from the top down, from production to exhibition. "Vertical integration" began in the 1910s and inspired the postwar consolidation of the studio system as national distribution companies, such as Paramount merged with production companies, such as Famous Players and Lasky and subsequently began purchasing theater chains. All of the major studios in Hollywood (Paramount, MGM, Warner Bros., etc) owned theater chains; the minors, Universal, Columbia, and United artists, did not. The minors, distributed their pictures, by special arrangement, to theaters owned by the majors. The majors booked one another's films in their theaters. Vertical int...

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The True Heroes in Hemingways The Sun Also Rises Essay -- Hemingway

The True Heroes in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises   Ã‚   The imagery of bulls and steers pervades Hemmingway's novel, The Sun Also Rises. Bullfighting is a major plot concern and is very important to the characters. The narrator physically resembles a steer due to the nature of his injury. Mike identifies Cohn as a steer in conversation because of his inability to control Brett sexually. Brett falls for a bullfighter, who is a symbol of virility and passion. However, there is a deeper level to the bull-steer dichotomy than their respective sexual traits. The imagery associated with bulls and steers is more illustrative than their possession or lack of testicles. In their roles and in the images associated with them, bulls are glorious, exciting and dangerous. Steers are humble, impotent and safe. Hemmingway's treatment of these associations favors an ethic of weakness prevailing over strength. Despite the seeming advantages to being a bull and the explicit statements in their favor, steers are the true heroes in Hemmingway's novel .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The imagery associated with bulls and steers is confusing, since it is clearly supportive of bulls over steers. Bulls are associated with passion. Those who identify with bulls through their enthusiasm for bullfighting are called "aficionado" from the Spanish word for passion (131). Those who lack aficion are valueless while a true aficionado is a "buen hombre" (132). The bulls are "beautiful," muscular, aggressive and "dangerous" (139, 141). Because of their physical prowess and their sexual potency, bulls are capable of ascending to the heights of glory. They arouse passions in the crowds who gather to watch them run and fight. In sharp contrast, the steers are weak and emasculate. ... ...dencies. Without the bulls, the steers would stagnate. Without the steers, the bulls would self-destruct. The novel is a story about passion and how it must be pacified by the pedantic voice of normalcy. The way of the steer rescues the way of the bull from its conclusion in self-annihilation. In turn, the aficion of the bulls gives meaning and purpose to the life of the steer.    Works Cited and Consulted: Bloom, Harold. Ernest Hemingway. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. Hemingway, Ernest. The Sun Also Rises. New York: Simon and Schuster Inc., 1993. Kerouac, Jack. On The Road. New York: Penguin Books Ltd., 1976. Svoboda, Frederic J. Hemingway and The Sun Also Rises: The Crafting of a Style. Kansas: The University Press of Kansas, 1983. Young, Philip. "Ernest Hemingway." Encyclopedia International. v. 8, p.388-389. 1982 ed.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Debunking the Democratic Peace Theory Essay

The development of the democratic peace theory started with the writings of has its roots in the writings of German Philosopher Immanuel Kant. In 1795 Kant went talked about â€Å"perpetual peace based partially upon states sharing ‘republican constitutions.’† He then said, â€Å"that a republican form of government, exemplifying the rule of law, provides a feasible basis for states to overcome structural anarchy and to secure peaceful relations among themselves.† Kant continues to argue that â€Å"once the aggressive interests of absolute monarchists are tamed and once the habit of respect for individual rights is engrained by republican governments, wars would appear as the disaster to people’s warfare,† rather than an instrument for growing a state, as it was used for many centuries. This was the true beginning of what we now know to be the Democratic Peace Theory. This theory remained dormant in the minds of realists and neo-realists that strongly influenced the field of international relations for centuries leading into the Cold War. In 1972, American sociologist Dean Babst published an article in which he reported â€Å"no wars have been fought between independent nations with elective governments between 1789 and 1941.† This enlightened the worlds of political science and international relations and ever since studies have followed this theory, constantly supporting it and positive relationships between democracies. Expanding on Kant’s original idea of democratic peace, political science professor Bruce Russett a very hot topic, exclaiming, â€Å"democracies had rarely if ever gone to war with each other† as a fact. With this simple statement, Russett made political scientists either accept or oppose the democratic peace theory and countless attempts to support each point of view with historical evidence. Democratic peace theorists have long asserted that all democracies are not only more peaceful than other governments, but are prone to fight against countries ran by other forms of government when they are engaged in war. These theorists and political science buffs argue that democratic peace is supported by a long history of peace and civility between democracies versus military action elsewhere. However, the democratic peace theory is problematic because it prematurely takes a stance on the grounds that a correlation between democratic status and incidence of war is proof of an ally relationship between nations opposed to a statistical anomaly. Does a historical anomaly excuse the desire for mutual democratic passivity? Ph.D. Sebastian Rosato of the University of Chicago argues, â€Å"Democracies do not reliably externalize their domestic norms of conflict resolution and do not trust or respect one another when their interests clash.† Rosato makes a very accurate observation , democracies tend to be rather secretive or even circumvent surrounding conflict resolution particularly with other democracies. Having a democratic government does not assure universal peace, and different forms of democracy assure disputes and clashes between governments between exceedingly democratic societies. In reality, some of the most thorough liberal democratic end up in war with non-democratic nations, justifying combat with the claim of spreading democracy. Though economic interests are typically apparent and the underlying motive for warfare, media throughout democratic countries end up not only tolerating, but also accepting and normalizing war as if it was a trending topic that came and went. Representative democratic systems lead to monolithic party structures that initiate war and still get elected to new terms and positions in government. Advocates of the democratic peace theory often fail to discuss colonial wars and civil wars, as they do not support the theory and its ultimate goal of widespread peace. The histories of many democratic countries have proven to not hold up with the democratic peace theory. Democratic countries have repeatedly fought colonial and civil wars which critics show to make the democratic peace theory false. Political Scientists Ravlo, Gleditcsch, and Dorussen expand upon the colonial war aspect of opposing the Democratic Peace Theory in â€Å"Colonial War and the Democratic Peace† in 2003’s The Journal of Conflict Resolution. They elaborate on reasons suggested to explain why colonial wars do not invalidate the democratic peace argument, saying, â€Å"First, although democracies rarely, if ever, fight one another, they participate in war as much as non-democracies. Thus, mixed political dyads have the greatest propensity for war. Second, the nature of colonial conflict has changed over time. Finally, a correct assessment of the democratic peace argument needs to rely on a multivariate model.† The trio makes great points regarding colonial wars and how they work against the democratic peace theory. Regarding the first point, if non-state rivals were perceived to be nondemocratic, democratic states would regularly engage in colonial wars. Also, the nature of colonial conflict has indeed changed over time, and the relationship between democracy and colonial war is tested in imperialist, colonial, and postcolonial eras. With appropriate control variables in place, it is apparent that the positive relationship between democracy and war begins to vanish. History also shows us that in the post-World War II period, democracies begin to fight colonial far less than non-democracy states. There are various reasons why this occurred other than a simple theory that universal democracy equals world peace without question. Primarily this may have occurred due to changes in the views non-European peoples, typically in non-democracies outside of the primarily Caucasian western world. Legendary Political Scientist and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee stresses, â€Å"It is primarily democracies that h ave made colonial conquests and fought wars to prevent the liberation of colonies,† and, â€Å"Preferring to deal only with â€Å"coherent,† â€Å"mature,† and â€Å"stable† democracies, when these varying regimes prevent coherence, maturity, and stability abroad, is clearly ethnocentric.† Excluding the civil and colonial war histories form democratic governments from the study and validation of the democratic peace theory not only makes the affirmative point of view on the theory inaccurate, but also does come off very ethnocentric. In short, civil and colonial wars expose some of the bloodiest and most dysfunctional, corrupt eras in the governments of democracies around the globe. In the published piece, â€Å"Democracies are Their Own Enemies,† Political Science Professor Dr. Gilbert N. Kahn claims, â€Å"In watching the events throughout the world over the past few weeks, one is struck by how profoundly challenged democracy has become. In the United States, Great Britain, and even Israel, fundamental democratic values appear to be undermined by the political behavior of elected leaders. All of this is occurring at a time when the West is trying to sell democracy to the world.† While America is being criticized for starting war through attempting to sp read democracy with clear economic motives, Israel is realizing the extent of its social and economic disparities as a few rich families have their hands in much of the government, and The United Kingdom is seeing regular revolts and terror attacks in its economic centers. Democracies are becoming their own enemy in promoting a democratic government, and showing how they react when under social and economic pressure. Democratic nations rarely engage in wars of aggression against other democratic nations, absent substantial provocation or dire necessity. Nations tend to go to war mainly based upon: Expansion of territory or ideals, defense and pre-emptive strike upon a threatening nation, or conflicts of interest that are inexplicable through diplomacy. These other vital conflicts are worth further consideration. Two democracies could still find themselves inexplicable conflicts of interest. If both two democracies required resources in a border region to prevent their economic turmoil, economies from collapsing, and there wasn’t enough resource in that border region to share between the two of them, that just may force them against each other. Under conditions when democracies are in competition under the pressure of economy, the democratic peac e theory supplies no explanation for why widespread democracy would work equally peacefully for all nations. Democratic Peace Theory harps on the idea that democratic nation-states won’t go to war because its citizens would vote against heads of government for re-election for putting the nation in conflict. No one likes the idea of war despite whatever government they live under, or the idea of family members being sent off for extended periods of time without a promise of returning. According to Dr. Hebert West, â€Å"correlation does not equate to causation is one of the first and foremost rules of the social sciences, and causality requires several alternative explanations to be proven wrong.† The fact that the correlation between democracy and war does not equate to causation proves that though correlation between democracy and peace is strong by many accounts, sufficient evidence to prove that a causal relationship exists in the desired direction by democratic peace theorists, without the influence of other variables, has yet to be published. This disproves a key part of the democratic peace theory: that the need for the face of government discourages igniting war. The field of International Relations has always debated when and why democracies would go to war with one another. Debaters disagree that liberal ideas in democracies help them avoid war. The over legitimacy of empirical evidence typically used to defend democratic peace also comes under fire in most political fields. Using historical evidence to prove that widespread democracy bring world peace is a very far fetched comment without examining all the details that make it possible for democracies to engage in war internationally with having the action always take place within the non-democratic state. The theory has been difficult to prove empirically, which is why it remains a theory. While the idea of democratic peace is enticing, it does not allow for the error that occurs even when international democracy is accomplished. When looking at the face of historical circumstance the democratic peace theory may appear to be true. However, when one uses this historical anomaly as a predictive tool for future behavior of states seems ill-informed when no one field of politics can agree on one side of the argument, or give solid evidence that democratic peace would be successful even if applied. The longevity of democratic peace is strongly unlikely as no two democracies have ever been the same. Difference in ideals encourages nations to force their form of democracy on other countries. Democratic peace theory takes advantage of circumstance. This debunks the idea that if all nations were liberal democracies, there would be no war because no two democracies are the same and the urge to spread one nation’s ideals will always cause conflict. A strong example of a democracy that helps break down the democratic peace theory is South Africa. On April 26, 1994, South Africans of all heritages voted like never before to mark the symbolic end of apartheid and the beginning of South Africa’s rough transition to democracy. In nearly two decades, South Africa has achieved greater political stability and greater economic freedom and growth, lowering public debt. While major political parties hold on to democratic ways, more South Africans now receive education and have access to electricity and clean water. However, South Africa still has major challenges ahead such as extremely high HIV/AIDS rates and government corruption. South Africa is a democracy in that it is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. South Africa is rather peaceful with its neighboring countries (Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Mozambique and Namibia), bei ng that the last official war South Africa has engaged in was the Boer War (1899-1902). The war was supposedly based on British expansion with â€Å"an underlying cause being the presence in the Transvaal territory of the largest gold-mining complex in the world, beyond direct British control.† This sounds familiar, that the United Kingdom, a democracy, would kill and pillage for economic, monetary benefit. South Africa is a perfect example of why universal democracy would not manifest into long-term world peace. South Africa is a representative democracy; in that it’s current government is a variety of democracy, opposed to direct democracy. South Africa’s Legislative Branch consists of the National Council of Provinces where there are 90 seats are occupied by 10 members elected by each of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms, and the National Assembly where 400 seats are occupied by members elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms. South Africa also has a common judiciary system where The Constitutional Court, Supreme Court of Appeal and High Courts have the power to protect and regulate their own processes, and to develop the common law. However, South Africa’s executive branch is unique In that the people to not vote directly for their president, Jacob Zuma, instead South African citizens only have the power to elect members of the National assembly, which in turn ends up choosing the next president for the country. In a world where the democratic peace theory is put into action, South Africa’s different way of running a government while still under the title of democracy would certainly clash with democracies of the western world. The People’s Republic of China is a huge world player and has seen an incredible economic boom since the 1990’s. China’s Legislative Branch has a National People’s Congress where the level of Congress directly below them indirectly chooses them. The Judicial court has a typical high court and smaller courts. However the executive branch is run by Communist Party of China (CPC), â€Å"whose power is enshrined China’s constitution.† Local politicians are voted for but a hierarchical electoral college chooses higher officials and the president, Hu Jintao, a position that was officially created in China’s 1982 constitution. Though China’s Communist Party has modernized its authoritarianism to fit the times, it is still certainly an authoritarian government. As a communist country that runs on a social organization characterized by submission to authority and its administration, which is, compared to the size of the country, concentrated in a small group of politicians. China isn’t engaged in war, and hasn’t been since the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979. Also China still owns Tibet after invading the territory in 1950. Given this information, China maintains relationships with many of it’s neighbors so that the two nations never reach the point of war, but cannot be classified as non-violent wit neighboring countries Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Vietnam. The Islam Republic of Afghanistan is made of one of the world’s oldest nations. Afghanistan is certainly a totalitarian country, being that the Islam Republic of Afghanistan is a political where the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life. Afghanistan’s judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court, High Courts, and Appeal Courts. The legislative branch consists of a National Assembly, which consists of an upper and lower house. The executive branch, however, is run by the president, which is voted in by the public through a run off majority vote. President Hamid Karzai is the head of the executive branch, serving as the head of state and the Command-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is currently in a war with the United States. In fact, the War in Afghanistan began on 7 October 2001, as the armed forces of the United States, the Kingdom, France, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. America has tried to introduce democracy to Afghanistan while fighting the war on their land and killing their citizens, a common action of democracies around the world. Hence, Afghanistan is currently not in good peaceful with its neighbors, which include Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran. Indubitably, the democratic peace theory is simply just that, a theory. It is doubtful that democracies are less violent that other countries, despite not having militarized disputes with other democracies. With that in mind, the tendency for democracies to attack fledgling democracies has shown to stand out among the observed pattern that democracies do not fight with each other if the hegemonic or economic or hegemonic benefits are high enough. This debunks the claim that democracy determines the level of peace between any given states. Perhaps relationships between democracies are simply just a facade and raise the question of alternative explanations, such as a spurious relationship. Political Science Professor Erik Gartzke proposes that, â€Å"it is capitalism, and not democracy, that is the independent variable which causes peace and war.† Despite the validity of this claim, one would doubt that the state of international war and affairs would depend upon one single variable regardless. It is much more likely that a combination of variables between nations, under specific conditions, creates one of countless outcomes necessary for the potential for war. The spread of democracy is relatively new compared to other widespread forms of government and statehood, providing far too few examples to weigh its statements on. Works Cited â€Å"British Military & Criminal History in the period 1900 to 1999.† Stephen’s Study Room. http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/boer_war.htm (accessed November 29, 2012). Chan, Steve. In Search of Democratic Peace: Problems and Promise. Mershon International Studies Review 41 (1997): 59-91. Chan, Steve. â€Å"In Search of Democratic Peace: Problems and Promise.† Mershon International Studies Review 41 (1997): p. 60 â€Å"CONSTITUTION OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.† People. English.people.com.cn/constitution/constitution.html (accessed November 20, 2012). Dorussen, Han, Nils Peter Gleditsch, and Hilde Ravlo. â€Å"Colonial War and the Democratic Peace.† The Journal of Conflict Resolution Vol. 47, no. No. 4 (2003): 520-548. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3176207 (accessed November 20, 2012). Doyle, Michael W. â€Å"Kant, Liberal Legacies, and Foreign Affairs.† Debating the Democratic Peace. Eds. Michael E. Brown, Sean M. Lynn-Jones and Steven E. Miller. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 1996, p.24 Gartzke, Erik A. â€Å"Erik A. Gartzke, Associate Professor, University of California, San Diego.† UCSD. Haas, Michael. 1995. â€Å"When Democracies Fight One Another, Just What is the Punishment for Disobeying the Law?† Paper presented at the 91st annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, August, Chicago. 7. Haas, Michael. 1995. â€Å"When Democracies Fight One Another, Just What is the Punishment for Disobeying the Law?† Paper presented at the 91st annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, August, Chicago. 14. Khan, Dr. Gilbert. â€Å"Democracies are Their Own Worst Enemies.† The New Jersey Jewish News, August 17, 2011. http://www.njjewishnews.com/ (accessed November 20, 2012). Russett, Bruce. Grasping the Democratic Peace: Principles for a Post-Cold War World. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1993: p. 4 Sebastian Rosato (2003). The Flawed Logic of Democratic Peace Theory. American Political Science Review, 97, pp 585-602. West, Dr. Herbert. â€Å"The History of ‘Correlation Does Not Imply Causation’ .†Slashdot. October 3, 2012. http://news.silobreaker.com/the-history-of-correlation-does-not-imply-causation. (Accessed November 20, 2012).