Meeting the Needs of Students

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are a leading cause of death and disability among children and adolescents, with an annual incidence estimated at 180 cases per 100,000 children between the ages of 1 and 15 in the United States (Yeates,2005). Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are defined in the special education law in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 1990) as being an â€Å"injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment† that affects a child's educational performance (Cave,2004). Knowing that, students learning needs are different from students with other exceptionalities (Spear,2005). General and special education teachers need to use a variety of specific strategies based on learning styles and certain resources, with students who have experienced a TBI, to promote learning in all subject areas. A TBI alters a child’s mind and changes the way he or she thinks. Teachers must be aware of this and know how to adapt in order to accommodate their needs in the classroom. TBI’s change cognition and behavior in students and no two students with traumatic brain injury will display the same characteristics (Spear,2005). Students who have sustained a head injury may experience problems in physical, cognitive, and psychosocial areas. Physical effects With regard to physical deficits, individuals with TBI may have an array of problems ranging from sensory deficits to difficulty with mobility. Headaches and fatigue are common, especially during the early stages of recovery (Bullock,2005). Their muscles may be â€Å"weak, hypotonic, or spastic,† which could interfere with learning activities such as writing and keyboarding. They may also experience seizures. In general, schools are more proficient at making physical accommodations for students. Cognitive Effects Cognitive difficulties are common following a brain injury and some may seem quite baffling to educators unfamiliar with TBI (New York State Education Dept. ,1997). For example, children with TBI may have short-term memory problems, yet, may be able to easily recall information learned prior to their injury. This has significant implications for assessment purposes. Furthermore, it is possible for a student to perform well on â€Å"some widely used standard assessments† using his or her prior knowledge. Such a â€Å"false indication† of the student's current level of functioning may prevent the individual from receiving the proper services. To avoid this drawback, several different methods of assessment should be used when attempting to determine the needs of a student recovering from TBI. Memory is only one aspect of cognition that is affected by TBI. It also commonly affects a student’s ability to attend to â€Å"instruction, mental processing speed, and thought formulation and reasoning†. These are only a few of the hardships faced by students who are affected by TBI and educators must be aware of these problems. Psychosocial Effects Difficulties that result from changes in the student's social, emotional, and behavioral functioning are known as psychosocial effects (Bullock,2005). The changes in the brain resulting from the injury, along with stress and anxiety brought on by rehabilitation and recovery, may cause children with TBI to exhibit unusual emotional states, such as dramatic mood swings. This emotional state can bring negative reactions from peers and teachers and makes it difficult to maintain positive relationships. When children with TBI return to school, their educational and emotional needs are often very different than before the injury. Remembering how they were prior to the brain injury may make injured students feel â€Å"embarrassed, ashamed, or frustrated† about their change in performance in the classroom (Bullock,2005). Of the various types of difficulties resulting from brain injury, the psychosocial effects have proven to be the most challenging for school personnel and parents to manage. Resources and Services Available The effects of a brain injury include a wide range of services and accommodations that may be needed. Highly individualized planning is also required (Zabel, 2005). Many students with mild to moderate TBI’s usually return to regular general education classes with some adaptations and modifications. Students with TBI who attend mainstream classes may also receive accommodations or related services under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504. Section 504 covers â€Å"all students who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limit one or more major life activities, including learning† (Zabel, 2005). Students with more significant impairments should be referred to special education evaluation to determine if specialized services are necessary to address any cognitive, communication, physical, or social limitations. What Educational Interventions Are Successful? Students who have a difficult time concentrating or completing tasks need strategies. Teachers should present information to these students based on their strengths. These students have to choose a way to strengthen their learning skills by practicing modalities such as learning visually, kinesthetically, or auditorily. It is important that teachers include prioritizing, structuring, and slowing down while instructing a lesson. This can simply mean talking slower, giving less information at a time, and answering questions more thoroughly(Cave,2004). ClassroomAccommodations Altering the classroom environment is essential when trying to meet the needs of a student with a TBI (Bowen, 2005). As an educator, you may want to provide external devices and cues, which the student can use to compensate for organization, memory, and motor deficits. Assistive devices can include technical equipment and materials such as â€Å"tape recorders, calculators, electronic spellers, computers or word processors, augmentative communication devices, timers,or equipment for mobility (e. g. , wheelchair or electric scooter)†. Other external cues used to remind students include â€Å"labels, maps, checklists, pictures or icons, photograph cues, post-it-notes, calendars, planners, and journals† (Bowen, 2005). Modifications to existing materials can assist students with TBI to learn and function in the classroom setting. Typical adjustments that allow students to participate at their grade level include providing â€Å"large print books, books on tape, and graphic organizers†. A similar approach involves â€Å"altering the expectations for student participation. † For example, teachers may choose to allow more time on tests, reduce the amount of written work required, provide exams in multiple choice format, or give pass/fail grades rather than letter grades. Researchers have found that modifying the educational environment and increasing the amount of structure and predictability in the child's school day facilitates learning† (Keyser-Marcus, 2002). We must consider each child's individual difficulties and circumstances when determining appropriate modifications. Therefore, we must assess the influence of the environment on the student's ability to focus and learn; and we need to explore a variety of modifications before we modify the educational surroundings. Due to the fact that many students with TBI experience difficulty with fatigue, a modified school day may be necessary for better performance. Scheduled breaks or a shortened school day may limit fatigue. Another strategy would be to schedule difficult subjects early because the student’s alertness level is higher. In addition to modifications to the school day, researchers have found â€Å"that altering the student's workload, extending deadlines, and breaking tasks into smaller components have all improved academic performance†. TBI Organizations The Brain Injury Association helps promote â€Å"awareness, understanding, and prevention of brain injury through education, advocacy, and community support services† (Monfore, 2005). Its web site has links to support groups and has a wealth of information on various aspects of brain injury. The Brain Injury Society is a non profit organization that works with clients, families, and caregivers to identify strategies and techniques to â€Å"maximize newfound potential for a stronger recovery† from brain injury. This organization sponsors events, as well as provides general information on TBI, a newsletter, links to other relevant sites, and important contact information â€Å"for government officials in a position to affect legislation†. Summary Children and youth with traumatic brain injury can pose a significant challenge to educators in educational planning, teaching methods, and monitoring of students' performance. For students who have experienced TBI, educators should be aware of the medical, neurological, and psychological issues which shape each individuals TBI case (Stevens, 1994). The educator must understand the relevance of these issues to plan effective educational programs. Regardless of the types of accommodations and strategies we use with these students, the most effective programs depend on our willingness to learn about the specific consequences of the injuries and our attempts to customize the instruction and curriculum to meet the needs of those students. Educators have a vital role in providing the widest range of opportunities available to these students.

Ap Bio Chapter 4 Course Learning Objectives

Chapter 4 CLO 1. A branch of chemistry dealing with compounds of Carbon. 2. Carbon’s has 4 valence electrons that can form covalent bonds with others atoms (Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen and Carbon atoms mostly) to make large, complex and diverse organic molecules. 3. The carbon skeleton vary in 4 areas, 1. Length 2. Branching 3. Double Bond Position 4. Presence of Rings. Carbon skeletons can have double bonds in different locations and also different numbers of double bonds. . Hydrocarbons only have hydrogen and carbon molecules, hence the name. Hydrocarbons are hydrophobic because they mostly consist of hydrogen and carbon bonds that have no charge, therefore don’t attract additional bonds. 5. Isomers are compounds made up of the same number of atoms and the same type of elements but configured differently, giving them different functions. There are 3 types of isomers, 1. Structural isomers differ in the arrangement of their bonds. 2.Geometric isomers have different arra ngement around a double bond due to the double bond’s inflexibility for atoms to rotate around it. 3. Enantiomers isomers are mirror images of each other due to the arrangement of atoms around an asymmetric carbon atom. 6. a. Hydroxyl group is a hydrogen atom and oxygen atom, which is bonded to a Carbon atom. Is polar because the electrons spend more time by the negative oygen atom. Helps dissolve organic compounds because of ability to form hydrogen bonds. b. Carbonyl group is a carbon atom that is double bonded to a oxygen atom.The 2 types of Carbonyl group compounds (Ketones and Aldehydes) can be structural isomers, which would give them different properties. c. Carboxyl group is a oxygen atom double bonded to a carbon atom and bonded to a –OH group. Basically a combination of the Hydroxyl and Carbonyl groups. Acts as an acid. Has ability to give H+ atom due to polarity of the covalent bond of OH. Also has a charge of 1-, called carboxylate ion. d. Amino group is a nitrogen atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms and the carbon atom.Acts as a base and can take the H+ from other compound. Also has a charge of 1+. e. Sulfhydryl group is a sulfur atom bonded to a hydrogen atom, shaped like hydroxyl group. Can stabilize protein structures by forming covalent bonds with another sulfhydryl group. f. Phosphate group is a phosphorus atom that is bonded to 4 oxygen atoms, two of which are negatively charged, one is bonded to the carbon atom and the last one is double bonded to the phosphorus. When at the end of a molecule the charge is 2-, when in a chain of phosphates the charge is 1-.Has potential to release energy by reacting with water. g. Methyl group is a carbon atom attached to 3 hydrogen atoms and to a carbon or different atom. Affects the expression of genes by addition to DNA or molecules bound to DNA. The methyl group’s arrangement affects the shape and function in male in female sex hormones. 7. The ATP functions as the primary energy tran sfer molecule by having a reaction with water. ATP reacts with water by having a phosphate atom split off. This reaction releases energy that the cell can use.

Drawing on What You Have Learned About City Road from the Making Social Lives Dvd and Learning Companion 1, Describe Some of the Ways in Which Order Is Made and Repaired on the Street Which You Know

Drawing on what you have learned about City Road from the Making Social Lives DVD and Learning Companion 1, describe some of the ways in which order is made and repaired on the street which you know. The purpose of this assignment is to compare and contrast the social order of City Road with a local road to demonstrate how order is made and is continually repaired over time. Abington Street, has changed considerably over the past 50 years, from a quiet street of individually owned shops such as, Halford Jewellers, Benefit footwear, and only one a big convenience store.Today, you will find fewer individually owned and many more big name high street shops, such as Primark and Tesco Express. Firstly, I will compare Abington Street, and how it has changed to City Road. Abington Street used to be the main thoroughfare to the town centre, with a tram running down the centre of the street creating â€Å"invisible order†, nowadays the street remains invisibly ordered but is used diffe rently as it is now completely pedestrianised. It is both a daytime shopping zone and a night time social space.Meanwhile City Road has changed from a simple country road to a busy town through road, however similarities still exist with Abington Street as both are now shopping and social spaces, as City Roads 1960’s car showrooms, have been replaced by shops, cafes, takeaways and restaurants designed for a wide range of people. With the changes in use, have come the changes in visible order, Abington Streets use changes throughout the day, in a very similar way to City Road.Shopping is the daytime occupation, with people eating and drinking in the cafes, visible order is demonstrated by adherence to the society’s rules as people queue in orderly fashion to purchase goods. Disruption of social order occasionally happens when for example, shoplifting occurs, however this is deterred by CCTV keeping invisible order and is repaired by the presence of security guards preve nting further incidents. Social order is present at night in Abington Street as well as in City Road, at night the shops close, as the takeaways, pubs and clubs open. Young people then use Abington Street for entertainment rather than for shopping.Although, Abington Street brings in different types of people during the different times of day, different shops and venues are aimed at certain groups of people. The younger generation use fast food takeaways or go to socialise at the pubs at night, whilst in the DVD Jose Romas Surez, from Taste bud cafe talks about how mostly elderly customers regularly come back to his cafe during the day, because they feel secure in there this could be to do with the types of people using the streets during a day – the elderly or school children (Making Social Lives on City Road DVD, 2009, scene 3).Most invisible social order at night in Abington Street is maintained by the use of CCTV, whilst visible night time order is maintained by the presen ce of club bouncers, the police and local community support officers. Young people may see the presence of the police and community support workers as a deterrent to them having fun, whilst the shopkeepers rely on the police to maintain social order and protect their property from drunken or accidental bad behaviour.Social order is also affected by the influx of big business; this is demonstrated in the DVD, which shows how the arrival of Tesco Express to City Road results in the closure of smaller businesses. There are inequalities between local shops and the big named supermarkets on both streets. On Abington Street there are two very dominant stores, Tesco Express again as well as Marks and Spencer’s. Both of these shops have a large variety of products on offer at competitive prices; these stores also have a wider range of goods for the convenience of the customers.In City Road, like in Abington Street, the smaller business owner reports adverse affects, an example of thi s is Colin Butwell (the newsagent),he described how he had been affected, saying that Tesco moving in close to his store has resulted in a reduction in trade. On the positive side the opening of well known chains can have a positive effect on remaking society, and social ordering, as it can bring about more jobs, and encourage people to use the area more resulting in other places such as cafes, restaurants being busier.As Georgina Blakely point out some people gain from the reshaping and some people lose (Making Social Lives, 2009, Scene 5). In conclusion, social order will always need to adapt, change and be continually restructured, and repaired to meet society’s requirements. The effects of a single change can have a massive impact on a street and the people that it involves. This can be seen in the effect that pedestrianisation had on Abington Streets main uses, it is also clear to see that the slightest change can have a massive impact on the social ordering of the area. This can be applied to any street in the world. 814 WORDSBibliography, * Blakeley, G. , Bromley, S. ,Clarke, J. , Raghuram, P. , Silva, E. and Taylor, S. (2009) Learning Companion 1,  Introducing the social sciences, Milton Keynes, The Open University. * ‘The street' (2009)  Making Social Lives  [DVD], Milton Keynes, The Open University. * What have you enjoyed about starting this module? I have enjoyed getting back into studying again, after leaving college. I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of this course. What have you found difficult? Time management is my main difficulty, juggling working and writing an assignment but I’m sure I will find this easier as time goes on.

Flexibility in Information Systems Context Essay

Flexibility in Information Systems Context - Essay Example Cloud computing and its components are a further development of utility computing and in our discussion we shall often use cloud computing to encompass both concepts. The idea behind cloud computing if it could be simplified is that businesses will no longer have to focus on initial investment in IT hardware, upgrades, software licenses and fixed maintenance fees, but on the variable investment on IT resources based on consumption under pay-as-you-use models (Siemens IT Solutions and Services, 2009). The recent credit crunch has created a number of significant challenges especially with regards to capital availability. This has implied that businesses are increasingly finding it difficult to maintain operations and grow in the short term. Also, we cannot neglect the impact of globalisation for example the effects of the credit crunch are not uniform around the world. The emerging markets such as China and India have experienced less significant slowdowns compared to the developed countries yet globalization has meant that businesses must remain competitive regardless of their location (Verizon Business, 2009) because the world has become a single market. This necessitates that businesses have to be redefined if they are to survive today or in the future. Utility computing offers business the option to shift their IT investments and costs from fixed to variable costs. However, more importantly, according to Gliedman, Erickson and Brown (2004) utility computing offers businesses the much needed flexibility, scalability and adaptability to confidently face rapid business changes and future business uncertainties. The first phase towards flexibility for a business is where the organisation is referred to as the isolated enterprise. Here the enterprise is characterised by undefined assets, IT silos, incompatibility and lack of processes (Starkey, 2009). Silos occur naturally within

Finance and Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Finance and Investment - Essay Example Based on the given information, it appears that all projects are viable because of the positive NPV. In selecting the best project, the highest NPV has to be considered. In this situation, Project B is expected to provide more gains. Its NVP is more than double compared to the NPV of Project A. This means that benefits generated by Project B are twice greater than Project A. In practice, there are several aspects that can affect the determination of the coefficients. First, the inflation rate is one of the indicators used to identify the coefficient. Basically, considering the inflation rate changes the value of the principal as time progresses. Usually, the interest rate changes the amount that is expected to be gained from an investment when the benefits of the venture are realized in an installment basis. Second, the interest rates are also valuable aspects in determining of the coefficient. This happens when the project is financed by debt. It is imperative that the interest rate will serve as factor. A. Usually, senior executives view the different valuation methods to be similar. The most extensively used among the schemes is the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) because of its inclination to be flexible and accurate. Some instances, however, suggests that several aspects affect the precision of the forecasts. Benchmarking the methods used by the company to its competitors is a viable scheme to arrive at more accurate predictions. The process when correctly manifested enables the company to determine mismatches in performance and strategically determine its position in the industry. Using multiples analysis provides insights that contribute in creating value in the industry. Multiples analysis is often miscomprehended and misused. Several analysts have failed to consider minor details that have great impact on the end result. Given this limitation, the companies can address the deficiency through meticulous designing of the multiples analysis. A prominent design was developed by Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) which tracks the stock movements among US firms. Another important problem observed in multiples analysis is that the method results to several varying conclusions. Overall, multiples analysis remains as an important component of DCF which accurately determines the future gains of investments. B. One of the main uses of multiples analysis is on predicting the price of stock markets. It assumes that the same prospects apply to the firm being studied. This appears to be limited because such has never been the situation for some firms. Using the same prospect makes the forecasting limited. In effect, it will difficult to arrive at an accurate result. In addition, it has been detected that the method tends to provide unexpected difference. In forecasting, the analyst draws conclusions that will like be observed. Multiples analysis becomes problematic because analysts fail to recognize the important differences after the results have been obtained. Amidst the use of multiples in DCF, its

Criminal Justice System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Criminal Justice System - Essay Example Prison life is not an easy life, prisons are basically made to correct human behavior, but the current conditions of US prisons is very bad and instead of correcting human behavior, prison life further ruins prisoner’s behavior. In US prisons individuals experience loss of freedom of life, they are restricted in jails that are even smaller than the bathroom size of an individuals house. Prisoners are dictated terms according to which they have to live, these terms are not only dictated by the law enforcing agencies or the law enforcing agents, these terms are even dictated by the inmate. If prisoners fail to comply with the guidelines of the inmates who are more powerful, then prisoners have to face various consequences such as sexual harassment and assault. In equal distribution of resources is even a part and parcel of prison life, those prisoners who are not strong enough in muscle power or who do not have enough friends within the prison, they are restricted from getting a ccess to resources that are of high quality and are restricted to use resources that are of meager quality. Security is huge risks within US prison, certain times those people are sentenced who have never committed a crime or who have committed a crime that is quite not serious in nature; these individuals are those who are not connected to the criminal world. These people are treated very badly by the inmates and several times they face beating and bullying at the hands of stronger inmates. War on Drugs War on Drugs is a movement that the United States have pursued since 1914 till today in order to decrease the amount of illegal drug within and outside the nation, they are pursuing this campaign with the aid of the US military forces and other nations who have joined hands with the US for this cause. The main purpose of the initiative is to counter manufacture, supply and usage of illegal drugs that are psychoactive in nature, to achieve this purpose the US has created various poli cies. During President Nixon’s tenure this fight against drugs was recognized as War against Drug Abuse and during His trip to Texas he used the term War on Drug to refer to this initiative under taken by the US. During the period of 2009the director of the organization of

Postmodern in planning theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Postmodern in planning theory - Essay Example Examining the philosophies of town planning in regards to postmodernism then provide different insight into the approach which is taken to build and reconstruct a town with ideologies of the modern city. When looking at the concept of postmodernism, it can be seen that the identity of culture and society is the driving force of implementing new developments with cities. The philosophies of postmodernism are then defined by forces in society which are creating the changes and the new systems and pieces of architecture which are being set in urban developments. The concept of the postmodern is one which is identified as the celebration of difference and suspicion of the truth (Allmendinger, 25). Many consider it a paradox, specifically because it identifies art, creativity, culture and other facets of life in multidimensional respects. These dimensions are based on creating a definition of completeness to a given arena. This is combined with the idea of creating completeness from the sense of the modern, which is based on post – industrial methodologies of production as well as information as a driving force in society. The changes which society makes in relation to these dimensions then becomes the celebration of difference and the acceptance of diversity within a given area. These driving forces then create an understanding of the conditions of modern life, which is what becomes attributed to the making of the postmodern city (Allmendinger, 28). The concept of postmodernism and the main philosophies then become directly attributed to the building of a city, art, architecture and other applications within society. The main concept is to promote the same modern principles of what it means to be a contemporary city while creating a collage of social and cultural differences which can be celebrated. These are combined with various types of diversity and practices in the city, all which can be developed and

Operational Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Operational Management - Essay Example The company should also be focused on material flow and this increases the liquidity of assets and hence reduces the chance of obsolesce. This can also be dealt with by reducing defects and this ensures that fewer cars are taken back to the factories to rectify the defects. Aligning the metrics in any company has been seen to be crucial in ensuring efficient production. This was demonstrated well by Alfred Sloan where managing the cost of production is key. Having a lean organization where all the resources are used to the maximum is the driving force of success. Currently GM produces approximately 6.1 million unit products annually. If the company takes measure to improve the inventory turnover ratio, this can boost production making the company to increase productivity with 25%. It could thus be possible for GM to produce 7.625 million unit products with its current resources. This would result in increased sales turnovers as their automotives do not stay in stock for a long

Analytical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analytical - Essay Example hen he famously remarked, ‘privacy is dead.’ This statement was made in response to the protest of Facebook users about the decreased privacy features of Facebook (Popkin, 2010). Zuckerberg would later apologize for such comments and would later relent to demands of users on the establishment of protective measures for their privacy. Even with these measures in place however, so much private information are still being made available and accessible through the internet (Lipschultz, 2008). Accessing websites often require the entry of email addresses and these email addresses are often sold to advertisers who then send spam to the electronic mails (Angwin, 2010). Many scams also gain access to these email addresses and send bogus mail which attempt to convince the user to give up their names, Social Security Numbers, Credit card numbers, bank accounts, birthdays, addresses, phone numbers, and similar personal information. Once this information is gained, credit card phish ing and skimming are carried out, often charging thousands into user’s credit cards and sometimes cleaning out their bank accounts (Angwin, 2010). Despite its numerous merits, the use of the World Wide Web as it is commonly known also has its negative repercussions. The internet, through the social networking sites and online economic transactions, carries a lot of information, both private and public (Angwin, 2010). People however are still eager to use it despite its negative implications in regard to privacy. It has become an indispensable part of their lives (Hoffman, Novak, and Ventakesh, 2004). The World Wide Web is a universal trend and within it carries vital private information about people all over the world. There is no disbelief that the internet has to an immense deal changed the lives of people but what about its negative side on privacy matters? The ever increasing exchange and storage of personal information on the internet seems to have largely been compromised

Evaluate the role of violence in the US counter-culture Essay

Evaluate the role of violence in the US counter-culture - Essay Example Jobs were plentiful and the advances in technology that were rapidly filling all the dreams of a consumerist society filled homes with products that were making life easier and creating a world in which survival was no longer the primary concern. As the ‘utopian’ nature of the new technologically advanced world began to move forward, however, many people needed to find new challenges outside of the needs of survival in order to motivate achievement. Some of those challenges included revolutionizing the culture and in the 1960’s, movements that worked towards emancipating the culture from oppressions that were suppressing the rights of women and those of minority races began to rise. In addition, the Vietnam conflict was providing a resource from which to galvanize many people towards looking at the government with a more critical eye. The war provided fuel for those who believed that the motivations of the government in the use of its people no longer represented the best interests of the nation. The time period of the 1960’s was framed by a society that was trying to find a way in which to best situate the culture in order to provide for the most enlightened version of the American ideals. Emancipating women, African Americans, Hispanics, the military, and even attitudes about sex seemed to be the way toward creating a society that no longer impressed upon some of its people oppression that prevented them from reaching their goals within the context of the ‘American dream’. What had seemed so perfect in the 1950’s was revealed for a facade that was hiding a plethora of social problems that could now be revealed as the freedoms that technology and the rise of the media presented an open door through which causes could stake their claims and make social revolutions out of injustices that were occurring. The media arts, such as literature and film, began to reflect the desires of those who were firmly situated in the counterculture revolutions of the period, expressing anger through violence. The expressions of violence created a sensationalized point of view, however, often galvanizing people in a direction that did not promote improvement of society but that incited anarchy. The connection between social revolution and violence in film and literature is defined by the shifts that can be observed in the cultural attitudes of the 1960’s and the 1970’s. Specific changes, especially and readily available in the example of film, provide a frame for understanding how society changed from a glossy representation of idealized values to a peeled back, raw version of social construction in which the flaws of the culture were finally exposed. In exposing those flaws, however, the artful representations became increasingly violent having an effect on the way in which some people would view the causes, some who were against those causes and others who were part of the movement. 2. Charles St arkweather In 1958 Charles Starkweather and his girlfriend Caril Anne Fugate, both teenagers with the girl being only fourteen, went on a murderous spree that shook the image of security that people of the United States had about their relationships with law, safety, and with the control that they felt that they had over their society. The late 1950’s represented a time in penal history where reforms were being considered as the nature of the criminal mind was discussed in terms of society’s responsibility in forming individuals who were inclined

Rise and Decline of the Witchhunts Essay Example for Free

Rise and Decline of the Witchhunts Essay The Reformation era was a time of great change in Early Modern Europe. Sixteenth and seventeenth century Europeans were attempting to make sense of the frightening events that were happening, such as the Black Death and famine. To find meaning in a world that seemed in constant chaos, early modern Europeans looked to find patterns that would set things right. â€Å"The Reformation would not have happened if ordinary people had not convinced themselves that they were actors in a cosmic drama plotted by God: that in the Bible he had left them a record of his plans and directions as to how to carry them out. † The Reformations brought a new direction of faith, where one had to be more active in one’s own salvation. They also brought a profound sense of the fear of hell, and this directed much of the actions of the reformed. The Reformations were a catalytic force in the rise of the witch hunts during sixteenth- and seventeenth- century Europe because they brought a new emphasis on the fear of the devil, a new direction of faith that required personal accountability and brought a sense of guilt to the one that felt they were not doing as they should, and did away with the familiar tokens and practices of magic that characterized an aspect of pre-Reformation, early modern European religion. The Reformations also contributed to the decline of the witch hunts as theology evolved during the time period to include an awareness of the sovereignty of God as well as Biblical literalism. The Reformations contributed to the development of the witch hunts in several ways, the first being a new emphasis on the fear of the devil. In terms of the Protestant Reformation, this was not necessarily a contradiction to former Catholic beliefs of demonology, as Catholics had an awareness of the presence of the devil. It was simply a new heightened fear of the devil and his influence in the world. â€Å"Although the great reformers did little to change traditional Catholic demonology, they did tend to emphasize the presence of the Devil in the world and exhibit a more profound fear of him.† Catholic theology incorporated the presence of the Devil, but did not adopt the concept of diabolical power. However, during the Counter-Reformation, Catholics became just as diligent in expressing this fear of the Devil. â€Å"Catholic priests often matched their Protestant colleagues in convincing their parishioners of Satan’s omnipresence and in raising their fears of him. They could also be equally effective in encouraging them to campaign ceaselessly against him.† This awareness of diabolical activity for both the Protestants and Catholics was a new phenomenon, and it was a beginning phase in the persecution of witches during the Reformation era in that witchcraft came to be viewed as the work of the Devil. Along with this new emphasis on the danger of the Devil and diabolical temptation was an emphasis on one being active in leading a morally conscious life and being responsible for one’s own salvation. â€Å"Instead of merely encouraging conformity to certain standards of religious observance (such as attending church), the reformers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries instructed the people to lead a more demanding, morally rigorous life.† Personal sanctity became the new means for one’s salvation. A side effect of the emphasis on personal piety was a deep sense of sin that people sought to relieve in any way possible. Naturally, one of the methods of relief was projection of guilt onto another person. A person regarded as a witch often took the brunt of that projection during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. â€Å"[I]n sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England, many accusations arose when individuals refused to provide economic assistance to people who needed it and who came to one’s door asking for it. In denying this aid, which both Catholic and Protestant moral teaching enjoined, the person naturally felt guilty, but by depicting the unaided person as a witch and therefore as a moral aggressor unworthy of support, he could rid himself of the guilt he was experiencing.† Projection of guilt on to the witch eliminated the responsibility of the pious person to cope with it, as the witch was seen as someone practicing morally dubious acts. The traditional blend of pagan forms of magic and religion in Europe came under attack during the Reformations, which changed the methodology of early modern Europeans. In the opinions of the reformers, this was an effort to teach people the true Christian faith and proper forms of worship. â€Å"One of the main purposes of this instruction was to purify the faith by eradicating superstitious beliefs and practices, eliminating vestiges of paganism and suppressing magic (the great rival of true religion) in all its forms.† In the minds of the reformers, anything that was not expressly from the Bible was not true. Furthermore, a belief in anything not found in what was believed to be the direct word of God, the Bible, was a sin. â€Å"Those persons who sought to use objects for purposes which nature could not justify were guilty of idolatry, superstition, and at least implicitly of soliciting the aid of the Devil.† This contributed to the witch hunts in that it took away the usual forms of protection that those who believed themselves victims of witches were accustomed to, such as using the sign of the cross or holy water, as the reforme rs considered these to be external tokens that distracted one from true communion with God. â€Å"When that happened, the victims of witchcraft could easily have been led to the conclusion that the only way to deal with witches was to take legal action against them, thus leading to an increase in the number of prosecutions.† The prosecutions of those suspected of witchcraft was a new direction for dealing with a familiar problem, brought about by the societal shifts that the Reformations brought to early modern Europe. Just as the Reformations contributed to the growth of the witch hunts, they also contributed to their decline. This can be attributed to such things as the Protestant emphasis on the sovereignty of God and Protestant Biblical literalism. The Protestant view of the sovereignty of God made the idea of the Devil’s diabolical power a heresy, as this implied that the Devil had power equal to that of God’s. â€Å"The insistence upon God’s sovereignty led a number of Protestant writers and preachers to deny the Devil’s ability to produce certain types of marvels, such as hailstorms, and this fostered a scepticism toward maleficia that involved such wonders.† To the reformers, God’s sovereignty not only meant that the Devil did not have equal power to God’s, but that he was under God’s control. â€Å"And therefore let us mark (as experience also shows) devils may work many illusions by enchantments. And truly such things are not done in the dark. For as long as we are enlightened by God, we need not fear that a man shall seem a wolf to us, or that such trishtrash shall get the upper hand of us.† This evolving theology changed the view on the diabolical power of the Devil through witches in that God’s power began to be viewed as absolute and God’s word as absolute truth. Protestant reformers’ focus on Biblical literalism contributed to the course of the witch hunts in that the Bible contained very few references to witches, and none to devil-worship. The Bible also gave evidence of the restraints that God placed on the Devil’s power. â€Å"Calvinism may have encouraged people to engage in an incessant war with Satan, but it also encouraged them eventually to define exactly what he could do and to adopt [a] purely spiritual view of him.† Therefore, the previously held belief in the diabolical power of Satan, and the fear of the Devil, were virtually eliminated. The Reformations brought great change to early modern Europe – a new direction of faith, a new sense of the fear of Hell, a new emphasis on personal responsibility for salvation, and the elimination of magic as an aspect of life. These changes drove an increase in the witch hunts as early modern Europeans sought to make sense of the changes the Reformations brought by recognizing the witch as an instrument of evil rather than a practitioner, a projection on to the witch of their own guilt for sin, and the removal of magic as a familiar token of comfort when attempting to cope with their surroundings. Likewise, as the Reformations caused an increase in the witch hunts, they added to their decline as the reformers introduced the sovereignty of God which took away the diabolical power of the Devil, and the acceptance of the Bible as a literal instruction manual where mention of witches and worship of the Devil was virtually absent. Works Cited Calvin, John. Sermon on Deuteronomy (1550). In Witchcraft in Europe 400-1700: A Documentary History, Second Edition, by Alan Charles and Peters, Edward Kors, 267. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001. Levack, Brian. The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe, Third Edition. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, 2006. MacCulloch, Diarmaid. The Reformation: A History. New York: Penguin Books, 2005. Thomas, Keith. Religion and the Decline of Magic. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1971. [ 1 ]. Diarmaid MacCulloch, The Reformation: A History, (New York: Penguin Books, 2005), 550. [ 2 ]. Brian P. Levack, The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe, Third Edition (Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, 2006), 112. [ 3 ]. Ibid, 114. [ 4 ]. Ibid, 114. [ 5 ]. Ibid, 115. [ 6 ]. Ibid, 117. [ 7 ]. Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, (New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1971), 256. [ 8 ]. Brian P. Levack, The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe, Third Edition (Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, 2006), 118. [ 9 ]. Ibid, 128. [ 10 ]. John Calvin, Sermon on Deuteronomy (1555), in Witchcraft in Europe 400-1700: A Documentary History, Second Edition, ed. Alan Charles Kors and Edward Peters (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001) 267. [ 11 ]. Brian P. Levack, The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe, Third Edition (Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, 2006), 129.

Source I suggests that attitudes to Elvis Presley Essay Example for Free

Source I suggests that attitudes to Elvis Presley Essay Q. 5. Source I suggests that attitudes to Elvis Presley were beginning to change by 1958. Use the source, and you own knowledge, to explain why this was happening. By 1958 Elvis Presleys popularity and acceptability with adults was still unchanged, and his manager, Colonel Parker, decided to revamp Elvis image to better suit the tastes of the older generations. In order to achieve this Elvis was persuaded to do what every other young American man was obliged to do at the time: spend time assigned to the US Army for National Service, wearing fatigues and earning a pittance. This gained him good publicity as can be seen from Source I, which is obviously keen on Elvis as it is using him to demonstrate the brilliance of Americas society and American democracy. The article is making use of his rise to fame (how he was a nobody who became a somebody so quickly) to prove how the American dream (how anybody can be famous and dreams can come true in America) is really possible. The article also states how Elvis did not simply use his riches and influence to buy his way out of this duty to his country. By serving his time in the Army alongside other, ordinary draftees and not asking for special favours, and because of the good publicity he got from it, Elvis gained great respect from the older, patriotic generation, making them feel less negative towards him. It would have seemed now to parents that Elvis was setting a good, nationalistic example to their children, showing them the right path, and they liked him and the impact he was having better for this reason. He was also seen as not rebelling against what society expected of him, again making him more acceptable by the old as a role model for the young. The source differs from sources B and C in that it is not being critical of Elvis, and it is showing how he might have a good influence rather than a wholly bad one. The opinions have changed so much at this point and continued to change after Elvis returned from the Army mainly because Elvis was no longer as shocking, and therefore not as dangerous an influence on the young, or the morality of American society through outrageous television performances (after the third Sullivan appearance, Elvis manager raised his television price from $50000 to $300000, and the networks refused the new proposal, so Elvis didnt do TV again until 1960). For example, Elvis shocking ducktail haircut was shorn, and Pageant magazine reported: Fans cried, parents sighed. On becoming a G. I. in the Army, Elvis said: Its a duty Ive got to fill, and Im gonna do it. I guess the only thing Ill hate about it is leaving my mama. Shes always been my best girl. This showed that Elvis had family values, and love for his mother, which would have made him seen more normal and down-to-earth (or less shocking and less rebellious). Again Elvis would have made parents think he would lead their children the right way, rather then corrupting their morals. By the time Elvis had returned from the Army in 1960, his TV appearances would have lost their initial shock. He was still popular, but the primal hysteria was gone, and shortly the fan magazines for teenagers would have had the Beatles to talk about. After joining the Army, Elvis also changed his musical style, performing some religious songs and doing a duet with Frank Sinatra, the grown-ups music star, making him a lot more acceptable, even likeable. It was around this time that Elvis started to star in his own films, but these films werent action packed or shocking. They were mainly romances and love stories, portraying the softer, tenderer side of Elvis that seemed less threatening to the adult generation. Generally, adults attitudes towards Elvis were beginning to improve by 1958 because of the change in his image. The youth however maintained their rebelliousness, and Elvis popularity among teenagers dropped slightly as they saw that adults found him more acceptable, or lost interest because he was no longer as downright shocking or rebellious as before.

Effects of Globalisation on Businesses

Effects of Globalisation on Businesses Arpan Ganguly    Introduction Globalisation is a force that shapes our contemporary world, affecting business, environment, and society. Suppliers, corporations, and consumers are linked by information, material, and capital flows as production processes become increasingly dispersed around the globe (Kopnina & Blewitt, 2015). Globalisation is the ongoing process that is linking people, neighborhoods, cities, regions and countries much more closely together than they have ever before. This has resulted in our lives being intertwined with people in all parts of the world via the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the music we listen to, the information we get and the ideas we hold (UNESCO, 2010). The Risks and Opportunities from Globalisation (2007) mentions that since globalisation has the trend towards increasing the global economic integration, is one of the largest force affecting the world economies at the present. The current period of increase in globalisation will have major ramifications for the world and New Zealand economy (New Zealand Treasury, 2007). Globalisation has been taking place for hundreds of years, but has speeded up enormously over the last half-century, however globalisation is not helping to close the gap between the worlds poorest and the worlds richest (BBC UK, 2014). Effects of Globalisation on Businesses Positive   Ã‚   Competition: Globalisation leads to increased competition in businesses. The competition can be related to product and service cost or price, target markets, technological adaptation etc. When a company produces with less cost it is able to increase its market share (Forsyth, 2011). Due to competition growth companies and foreign brands have been compelled to improve their standards and consumer benefits which have positively affected many people globally. Although there are a few negative impacts of competition but the positive outcomes outweigh the negatives. Rise in Technology: Globalisation has also allowed a significant rise in the level of technology used in todays world. Many entrepreneurial and internationally oriented firms have obtained the help of technology to exploit new business opportunities. A good example of this would be the increasing usage of E-commerce procedures in majority of businesses. Technology is also one of main tools of competition and the quality of goods and services. Globalisation has increased the speed of technological transfers and improved overall technological quality. Most companies in capital intensive markets are at risk and thats why they need good and efficient technology and R&D management (Forsyth, 2011). Employment: Due to globalisation people from various countries are provided with jobs. It has also created the concept of outsourcing. Work such as software support, marketing, accounting, etc. are given to developing countries such as India, Pakistan, Nepal etc. Impacts of Globalisation on Businesses Negative Fluctuation in Prices: Globalisation has led to fluctuation in price across the globe in various areas. Due to increase in competition, business firms in developed countries are forced to lower their prices for their products. A big example of this is countries like China produce goods at a much lower cost than other countries which lead other firms and organizations in other parts of the world lower their prices to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty. This is a negative effect as it reduces the ability to sustain social welfare (UKESSAYS, 2015). Job Insecurity in Business: In developed countries, the risk of job insecurity is increasing. Globalisation has led to firms outsourcing their jobs to developing countries, which have led to lesser jobs in developed countries. Outsourcing occurs because businesses want to manufacture their products at a cheaper rate, which is possible in developing countries such as India, China where manufacturing costs and wages are lower than highly developed countries. As mentioned earlier, jobs such as software programmer, accountant etc. are outsourced to developing countries which has led to a lot of people in the same profession to lose their jobs (UKESSAYS, 2015). Summary To summarize globalisation can be said to be good, bad and inevitable. People want the good to outweigh the bad but prolonged exposure to globalisation is something that is inevitable (Gemma, 2014). The only solution is to make use to resources of the world in the best manner possible for both the betterment of businesses and society. References BBC. (2014). Globalisation. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/globalisation/globalisation_rev1.shtml Gemma, W. (2014, May 7). Impact of globalization: the good, the bad, the inevitable. Retrieved from https://blog.udemy.com/impact-of-globalization/ Forsyth, P. (2011, October 6). How globalization affects business. Retrieved from http://bookboon.com/blog/2011/10/how-globalization-affects-business/ Kopnina, H., & Blewitt, J. (2015). Sustainable business: Key issues in environment and sustainability. London: Routledge. McPheat, S. (2011, July 7). The effects of globalisation on business. Retrieved from http://www.mtdtraining.com/blog/the-effects-of-globalisation-on-business.htm UNESCO. (2010). Globalisation. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mods/theme_c/mod18.html UKESSAYS. (2015). Positive and negative effects of globalization. Retrieved from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/economics/positive-and-negative-effects-of-globalisation-for-business-economics-essay.php

Douglas M. Mcgregor: Theory X and Theory Y :: Business

Mr. McGregor theorizes that management views an employee’s motivation toward work in two distinct ways—Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X managers believe the following: (1) The average worker naturally does not like work and will avoid it whenever possible. (2) Managers must always control, motivate, and direct their employees to perform well. (3) Most workers prefer being directed, avoid responsibility, and seek job security. On the other hand, Theory Y managers assume the following: (1) Employees enjoy working. (2) Managers do not need to control and punish workers to accomplish organizational goals. (3) Workers will be committed to an organization if their work is satisfying. (4) Managers should “…arrange organizational conditions and methods of operation so that people can achieve their own goals best by directing their own efforts toward organizational objectives'; (Kolb, et al., 1995, p. 62).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The theory McGregor believes will best stimulate employee motivation toward accomplishing organizational goals is Theory Y. The goal of Theory Y is to provide employees ways to attain the higher levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (esteem (ego) and self-actualization (-fulfillment)) so that the establishment may prosper. McGregor thinks that most organizations today already fulfill the lower needs of employees (physiological, safety, and love (social)) and therefore should concentrate on the higher needs of individuals. Therefore, McGregor says that management should try to develop a relationship based on two-way trust between management and employees.

Oil and its Economics :: Economy Petrol

Supply of Oil â€Å"Since 1974 oil-exporting nations have substantially increased their imports in order to finance development plans and to pay for highly technical military training, equipment, and sophisticated defense systems such as the airborne warning and control system, AWACS. From 1972 to 1983, OPECs imports increased approximately sevenfold. Furthermore, exports to OPEC from OECD as a percentage of the latter's total exports increased from 4.1 percent in l972-73 to 8.8 percent in 1975-82, then to 8.4 percent in 1983; and it dropped to 7.1 percent in 1984.† (http://www.georgetown.edu/users/johnsonj/oweiss/petrod/increase.htm) â€Å"Dynamic forces of oil supply and demand led to all excess supply in world markets since 1980, which in turn led to a de facto decline in the price of oil even before OPEC's London agreement of March 1983 in which the official price was reduced by approximately 14 percent. This oil glut in world markets was the result of at least three mutually dependent dominant forces: high oil prices, increase in production, and reduction in demand.† (http://www.georgetown.edu/users/johnsonj/oweiss/petrod/since.htm) â€Å"First, following the initial leap of 1973 the price of oil was once again drastically increased in l979. This rise led to a substitution of other sources of fuel and a reduction in real income, which contributed eventually to a decline in the demand for oil after a three-year time lag.† â€Å"A second factor in the oil glut was the increase in world oil production--a predictable economic consequence of rise in its price.† â€Å"A third factor in the oil glut was decreased demand for oil. The 1980 economic recession, which had plagued the world economy and which had markedly reduced the productive capacity of industrial nations by its greatest percentage decline since World War II, was a dominant force in reducing the demand for oil yet further. As their gross national products headed downward because of the recession, industrial nations reduced their imports. This, in turn, led to a reduction in foreign exchange earnings of the less-developed countries. These had, therefore, to curtail their purchases from abroad, including imports of oil. A multiplier effect of all such factors had a marked effect on the demand for oil in world markets.† (http://www.georgetown.edu/users/johnsonj/oweiss/petrod/since.htm) DEMAND Demand for Oil over Time (http://www.georgetown.edu/users/johnsonj/oweiss/petrod/time.htm) â€Å"A conventional downward-sloping demand curve is not, in [Dr. Oweiss’]opinion, sufficient to explain the interaction of oil prices and quantity demanded over time. In studying the dynamics of international oil markets which differentiates between upward and downward trends in prices. A small rise in the price of oil, from its low, pre-1973 level, will not change the quantity demanded, for demand at such a low level may he regarded as perfectly inelastic.

Far From The Maddening Crowd :: essays research papers

c â€Å"Far from the Maddening Crowd† â€Å"Far from the Maddening Crowd† is a story of three men with nothing in common except the conquest for the same woman. It takes place in the 19th century in a country town of West England, where the sound of the wind along with the singing of the birds is a melodic rhythm, the field is green, and the flocks of sheep graze peacefully like cotton balls. On top of the hill lived Bathsheba, a beautiful and independent young woman. After the death of her father, she confronted with the role of managing the farm she inherited from her father. Batsheba faces her duties and responsibilities with control and authority. This is in contrast to her personal life; she is confused because she does not know which one of her three pretenders she wants as a prospective husband. One of Batsheba’s pretenders was Gabriel Oak, a shepherd of flocks and a man who was loved and respected by everyone. Gabriel was a kind man whose eyes implied tenderness. He wanted Batsheba’s love, but she told him that she was independence and needed a husband that would tame her. He lost all of his wealth when his flock of sheep had strayed off a cliff and had to become Batsheba’s Foreman. Bathsheba arouses an unrestrained passion in Mr. Boldwood, a middle-aged, wealthy man who had never bothered with the feelings of a woman, until, he receives an anonymous letter where he was teased with a marriage proposal. When he found out that Batsheba had written the letter, he proposed to her. Batsheba felt guilty for what she had done to Mr. Boldwood and was willing to marry him even without feeling any love for him. Batsheba meets the third pretender; Sgt. Troy, a good looking, daring, young man, depressed by being left at the altar by the woman he loves. Bathsheba felt jealousy and distraction toward him, which she thought was love. He desires only Bathsheba’s wealth. Bathsheba and Sgt. Troy were married even though Mr. Boldwood offered Sgt. Troy a fortune in exchange for not marrying Batsheba. Gabriel and Mr. Boldwood were left broken hearted; Mr. Boldwood sworn vengeance to Sgt. Troy. As soon as they were married, Sgt. Troy started ill treating Bathsheba, and he does not help her with the farm duties; instead, he demands money to support his gambling. But there was Gabriel Oak always by her side and working arduously on the maintenance of the farm.

Information Speech Outline

Brooke Miller Information Speech Outline Specific Purpose: I want my audience to learn about child abuse and how it is different from corporal punishment. Thesis Statement: Physical child abuse and corporal punishment are two different things. It is important to know the difference between the two because all children deserve to be safe. Introduction I. In 2005, 3. 6 million children were investigated by Child Protective Services as victims of maltreatment, 899,000 children were found to be abused or neglected, and 1,460 children died from abuse. 76. 6% of those children who died were 4 years old or younger.II. These are some pictures of child abuse victims. These are some of the things that each of us should be aware of in order to protect our children, or the children in our families. III. I have done research through books, as well as online articles. I will be able to inform you what child abuse actually is, and be able to answer any questions that you might have about this topic as well. IV. Physical child abuse is an issue that deserves everyone’s attention. Everyone who has a child in their family needs to know the difference between abuse and punishment, because all children deserve to be safe.Transition: First, I will start by informing you of the definition of physical child abuse. Body I. Physical abuse is defined as acts of commission that result in physical harm, including death of a child. A. Examples of physical abuse and injuries B. Examples of sexual abuse C. Examples of neglect II. The definition of corporal punishment is inflicting bodily pain on a child as a response to misbehaving and preventing a repetition of the behavior in the future. A. Examples of corporal punishment B. Hawaii Case C. North Dakota Case III.There are signs that each of us need to be aware of in order to protect our children, and/or the children in our families A. Signs of physical abuse B. Signs of sexual abuse C. Signs of neglect IV. It is important to be able to get the abused child to talk to you about the abuse; hopefully you are able to save the child before the abuse leads to death. A. How to get the child to talk to you B. Ways the abuse can lead to death Transition: Now that you know abuse is definitely different from corporal punishment, I’m just going to review the information I have given you today.Conclusion I. You all now know what physical abuse is, and what corporal punishment is. You know the signs to look so you know whether or not the child is actually being abused. You know some ways to help you get the abused child to talk to you so you are able to help them before the abuse continues, or possibly leads to death. II. So, remember there are nearly one million children abused every year, and there is something that each one of us can do to save a child from being continually abused.

Discuss the relative importance of physical and human factors in accounting for changes to vegetation over time within ecosystems in the British Isles Essay

There are many factors that account for the changes to the vegetation over time within ecosystems in the British Isles, such as human activity, climate, soil, light availability and intensity and natural disasters. The characteristics of the vegetation that are influenced by these factors are height, distribution, variety of species, adaptations and density of the vegetation. Some of these factors have relatively little influence on the succession development, whereas others have a dramatic influence over a long period of time, such as human activity. These factors, over time, result in the progression of a succession until the climatic climax vegetation is reached. However, sometimes these factors can mean that a plagioclimax is reached, as they prevent the succession from progressing any further and the climatic climax vegetation is never achieved, which in the UK are Oak, Hawthorne and Birch trees. This succession results in the development of an ecosystem. An ecosystem is a dynamic, stable environment which is composed of interacting and functioning biotic and abiotic components and can be of any size. There can be composed of variety of successions, such as lithoseres in grassland and woodland areas for example the Isle of Aaron, psamoseres along the coastline or small scale urban successions in urbanised areas. In an ecosystem, all the component are characterised as biotic, for example animals and plants, or abiotic for example climate, pH, soil characteristics or drainage. These biotic and abiotic factors determine the changes to the vegetation in the ecosystem overtime as they have a great effect on it, such as flooding and animal grazing. Within the ecosystem, there are inputs, outputs, stores and flows which transfer minerals, nutrients, water and light energy. The most important input is light energy from the sun, which is the source of any food chain. Producers start a food chain, but they would not be able to do so without the 2% of energy provided by the sun to allow photosynthesis to occur. 10% of this energy is then transferred through the trophic levels in the food chain, from the autotrophs, through the consumers to the detritivores. Energy is lost at each stage as a result of movement, excretion and heat loss. As long as there is sufficient sunlight, consumers will continue to be able to use the vegetation in an ecosystem is a food source, which will have a dramatic affect on the characteristics of the vegetation. In this case, both human and physical characteristics are equally important for accounting to changes in the vegetation. Nutrients in an ecosystem are transferred through the nutrient cycle, a balanced cycle which ensures that there are enough nutrients for the ecosystem to survive. This cycle is represented in a Gersmehl Diagram. An example of an ecosystem is a temperate deciduous woodland. The main human factor that affects the development of a temperate deciduous woodland is deforestation. Deforestation occurs for a number of reasons; to use the timber for commercial use, to use the land for agriculture or to use the land to build on. Once the land has been deforested, it will never be able to be used for the same environment again as the soil washes away in the rain. Therefore, human activity has an extremely large impact on the development of vegetation as it can result in the environment becoming inhospitable. One of the physical factors that affects the distribution of vegetation is the height and density of the exsisting vegetation. This is because the more dense the canopy layer, te less light will filter through the leaf mosaic to the shrub layer. This means that only plants that require little sunlight will be able to survive, unless they have adaptations that enable them to absorb as much sunlight as possible such as having bread flat leaves so that they have a large surface area, or flowering earlier or later than other plants, such as Dogs Mercury and Bluebells. Another physical factor that affects the distribution of vegetation is the climate. If an area receives too little or too much rainfall, the plants will not be able to survive. On average, the temperate deciduous woodland should receive around 750-1500mm of rain per year. If this number is greatly exceeded, then the soil will become saturated and the area will flood, suffocating the plants as they do not have access to sufficient oxygen and carbon dioxide. On the contrary, if there is not enough rainfall then the plants will also die because they do not have access to a plentiful supply of minerals that the water contains such as nitrogen and magnesium. One type of succession that can form an ecosystem is a lithosere. A lithosere is a plant succession that begins life on a newly exposed rock surface, such as one left bare as a result of glacial retreat, tectonic uplift as in the formation of a raised beach, or volcanic eruption. The lithosere succession is initiated by pioneer plants, such as blue and green algae with colonise the sock as there are into a lot of nutrients available and they have no root systems, so they can survive in the hostile conditions. The succession then progresses due to the pioneer plants dissolving the rock, resulting in a release of nutrients. This then means that mosses, lichens and liverworts are able to thrive on that ground as the moss can absorb nutrients from rain water and they provide their own energy from photosynthesis. These plants chemically decay the rock by releasing acids, and physically decay the rock as a result of their root systems, leading to an amelioration of the plants so that the lithosere can progress to the next seral stage. Herbs grasses and small flowering plants can now colonise in these conditions, which are followed by ferns, brackens and small shrubs as the soil is now thick enough to support their roots and their seeds become lodged in the cracks made by the moss, so colonisation continues. Once these plants die and decay, they leave humus which adds to the richness of the soil and enables more developed plants to grow in their place. At this stage, the soil is developed enough and contains enough nutrients that it can host small tress, such as Alder and Rowan. Once these trees die, the lithosere is able to reach its climatic climax vegetation of Oak, Birch and Pine. There are many physical and human characteristics that affect the development of a lithosere. In the Isle of Aaron, there is no vegetation in areas of high relief. This is because the seeds for the plants slide down the slope, and do not colonise the steepest areas but colonise the top and bottom of the slope. Another physical factor which causes a lack of colonisation is the salt spray from the sea. The salt dehydrates the rocks that it lands on, so the area becomes inhospitable to the hardiest of plants. The prevailing winds from the south west result in a higher wind chill factor, therefore temperatures are lower, resulting in niche conditions. The winds also deliver seeds which can colonise the area, if the niche conditions that have been created are an appropriate for their survival. The southerly facing beaches receive more light and heat energy, therefore decreasing the time in which it takes for the succession to reach its climatic climax vegetation. This is because the increased heat energy results in more photosynthesis taking place, as photosynthesis needs carbon dioxide, water and sunlight to occur. As a result, the plant has more energy and so the root systems develop at a fast rate, weathering the rock. In this particular example, the physical factors have a great effect on the development of the lithosere as its development is regulated by factors such as climate, relief of land and pH of the environment. A plagioclimax is when human activity interferes with the succession of a sere and prevents it from reaching its climatic climax vegetation. Human activity which causes a plagioclimax to occur could be deforestation, animal grazing or fire clearance. Conversely, it is not just human activity that can result in a plagioclimax. Natural disasters such as floods and volcanic eruptions can also result in a plagioclimax being reached. However, if the plagioclimax is reached as a result of physical activity then it is generally not maintained and secondary succession can occur, which is when plants develop on land that has previously been vegetated. An example of a plagioclimax is the heather moorland in the North York Moors. The North York Moors were once covered in woodland, and heather would have featured in very small quantities. However, as a result of sheep grazing and deforestation, the regrowth of the climatic climax vegetation has been prevented and now heather is the dominant species. To control the uplands and encourage new heather shoots, managed burning is employed every 15 years, a technique that eliminates the less fire resistant species, allowing heather to dominate and conserves as many nutrients as possible. To conclude, I think that both physical and human factors play a significant role in accounting for changes in vegetation over time in the British Isles. However, I feel that physical factors have a greater impact in the long term that human factors, as physical factors are such that they generally change the environment or habitat on a permanent basis, such as climate change. Nevertheless, I believe that human factors play a significant role in changes to vegetation over time, but I feel that human intervention is not as long term as a change made as a result of physical factors because humans generally have the control and power to continuously change the environment and possibly restore it back to the way in which it was originally, whereas physical factors are not controlled.

Kidney Function

It is said that we are what we eat. Because the food we eat is assimilated into our blood. And the nutrients circulating in our bloodstream replenish every cell of our body. On the other side of the coin, this blood needs to be constantly cleaned and maintained at an equilibrium. This is where the kidneys come in. It is the function of the kidneys to continually filter out the impurities and toxins from the blood.   After the body tissues have taken what is needed from the nutrient-laden blood, waste is sent back to the blood. If our kidneys did not remove these waste substances, they would build up in the blood to the point of death. Kidneys excrete the unwanted stuff from the blood and retain only the essential ingredients. In this sense, it can be said that we are indeed what our kidneys keep. Kidneys are such vital organs of the body that we can only keep going as long as the kidneys keep functioning.The kidneys regulate the composition of the blood by 1) removing waste chemica ls from metabolism of body’s tissue cells and various chemicals that have been detoxified by the liver (such as drugs, toxins and hemoglobin breakdown products) – i.e. excretion 2) maintaining the concentrations of various ions (including sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, sulfate, phosphate) and other important substances at optimum levels   – i.e., osmoregulation. 3) keeping the volume of water and in the body at the right levels and 4) keeping   the acid/base concentration of the blood constant.Besides regulating the blood composition, kidneys also help maintain the body’s blood pressure through the action of an enzyme called renin. Further, they actually help new blood cells to generate from the bone marrow. This they do by acting in the capacity of endocrine glands by releasing a hormone called erythropoietin. The kidneys also release a hormone called calcitrol which helps the body sythesize calcium.Blood is pumped down from the hea rt, and the kidneys receive this blood through a branch of aorta called the renal artery. Although the kidneys are relatively small in size and constitute less than 1% of the total body weight, they can take in up to 20% of the body’s total blood volume at a time. Blood flows from the renal artery into progressively smaller arteries, the smallest being the arterioles. From the arterioles, blood flows into tufts of microscopic capillaries called glomeruli. Blood exits each glomerulus through another arteriole, which connects to a small vein. The small veins join to form a single large renal vein, which carries blood away from each kidney. After the processing of the blood, the purified blood is returned to the body through the renal vein and the filtered-out waste products and other unwanted substances move out through the ureter. Urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the bladder.The kidneys filter and return to the bloodstream about 200 quarts of fluid every day . of which about two quarts are removed from the body in the form of urine.Excretion in the kidneys removes water, inorganic ions, products of detoxification of blood, and nitrogenous waste products that result from the metabolism of protein taken into the body in food. Protein is broken down by the process of digestion into amino acids which are carried to the liver by the blood and get converted into body protein. But the surplus amino acids which cannot be stored by the body undergo a process of deamination, i.e. are broken down. Ammonia is formed as a by-product. Ammonia is an extremely toxi substance. Inside the liver it combines with carbon dioxide in a series of reactions known as the ornithine cycle. Urea is formed as a result, which then passes into the circulation and is carried to the kidney, is processed by nephrons and then excreted in the urine. With waste products thus expelled from the body, the purity of the blood is restored – an this is a continuous process inside our bodies.The NephronThe key functional unit of the kidney is called the nephron. Each kidney contains about a million nephrons. It is these nephrons that contain glomureli. Each nephron consists of a glomerulus surrounded by a thin-walled, bowl-shaped structure (Bowman's capsule), a tiny tube (tubule) that drains fluid from a space in Bowman's capsule, and a collecting duct that drains the freshly-formed urine from the tubule. Each of these tubules has three parts: the proximal convoluted tubule, the loop of Henle, and the distal convoluted tubule. It is in this closely packed intricate network of glomeruli and tubules that the basic process of blood filtering takes place.Nephrons regulate water and electrolytes in the body by filtering the blood, after which necessary fluid and molecules are reabsorbed and unneedes substances are secreted. Reabsorption and secretion are accomplished with both cotransport and countertransport mechanisms established in the nephrons and asso ciated collecting ducts.Blood enters the glomeruli at high pressure. Much of the fluid part of blood is filtered through small pores in the glomeruli, leaving behind blood cells and most large molecules, such as proteins. Thus filtered fluid then enters Bowman's space and passes into the tubule leading from Bowman's capsule. In the first part of the tubule, most of the sodium, water, glucose, and other substances are reabsorbed and returned to the blood. In the next part of the tubule, the remaining sodium,   and potassium, and chloride are pumped out, and the resulting fluid becomes increasingly dilute. The dilute fluid then passes through the next part of the tubule, where more sodium is pumped out in exchange for potassium and acid, which are pumped in. A complex series of chemical exchanges constantly take place inside the glomeruli and tubules of nephrons.The Kidneys and the Liver  There is also another major organ responsible for filtering out toxins from the blood, and th at is the liver. The liver performs several roles in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Further, the liver breaks down toxin substances, and it also breaks down hemoglobin.  Food nutrients entering the liver from the intestine are changed into forms usable by the body cells or are stored for future use. Fats are converted into fatty acids and then into carbohydrates or ketone bodies and transported by the blood to the tissues. Sugars are converted into glycogen, which remains stored in the liver until it is needed for energy production, when it is reconverted into glucose and released into the bloodstream. In its role as a blood purifier, the liver metabolizes nitrogenous waste products from body processes and detoxifies poisonous substances, preparing them for elimination in the urine or feces.The human liver secretes about one litre of bile each day to aid the digestion of fats in the food. Bile is also the medium of excretion for certain metabolic waste products, drug compounds , and toxins. Bile secreted into the common bile duct enters the gallbladder, where it is concentrated and stored. When needed,   this bile flows out of the gallbladder and into the intestine. Worn-out red blood cells are destroyed in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow.   A pigment, bilirubin, formed in the process of hemoglobin breakdown, is released into the bile, creating its characteristic greenish-orange colour.The red blood cells are degraded at end of their lives in liver and spleen, with hemoglobin breaking down to heme and globin. Erythrocytes of red blood cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide by binding them with iron in hemoglobin. Erythrocyte production in the body is stimulated by a hormone called erythropoietin, secreted mainly by kidneys. The fixed phagocytic cells of the spleen and bone marrow destroy old blood cells and convert the heme groups of hemoglobin into the pigment bilirubin. The bilirubin is secreted into the blood and carried to the liver where it is conjugated with glucuronic acid, a derivative of glucose. Some of the conjugated bilirubin is secreted into the blood, and the rest is excreted in the bile as bile pigment that passes into the small intestine. This â€Å"conjugated† bilirubin is called direct bilirubin, while the â€Å"unconjugated† bilirubin is called indirect bilirubin.The conjugated bilirubin that is excreted into the bile by the liver is stored in the gall bladder or transferred directly to the small intestines. Urobilinogens are colorless compounds formed by bacteria in the intestine from bilirubin after the conjugated glucuronic acid has been removed. The urobilinogen remaining in the intestine is oxidized to brown stercobilin which gives the feces their characteristic color. A small portion of the urobilinogen is reabsorbed, extracted from the circulation by the hepatocytes and excreted by the kidney. This constitutes the normal â€Å"intrahepatic urobilinogen cycle†.If a liver disease su ch as hepatitis interferes with the normal intrahepatic urobilinogen cycle, increased amounts of urobilinogen may appear in the urine where it is converted to yellow urobilin.Whearas in a typical case of biliary obstruction, decreased amounts of direct bilirubin reach the intestine for conversion to urobilinogen. With little urobilinogen available for reabsorption and excretion, the amount of urobilinogen in the urine is low, which would be detected in a urinalysis.UrinalysisUrinalysis is a physical and/or chemical examination of the urine. It consists of a series of chemical and microscopic tests to identify urinary tract infections, kidney disease, liver disease, and diseases of other organs that may result in the appearance of abnormal metabolites (break-down products) in the urine.In urinalysis, a small, randomly collected urine sample is examined physically for things like color, appearance, and concentration (specific gravity); chemically for substances such as proteins, gluco se, and acidity vs. alkalinity (pH value). Further on, tests can be conducted for the presence of cellular elements (red blood cells, white blood cells, and epithelial cells) mircroscopic organisms, crystals, and casts (structures formed by the deposit of protein, cells, and other substances in the kidneys' tubules).Normal Values and DeviationsNormal urine may vary in color from nearly transparent colorlessness to dark yellow. If the urine is of an unusual color that cannot be accounted for by food intake or medication, it is an indication of some abnormality. The urine specific gravity ranges between 1.006 and 1.030. The specific gravity varies depending on various factors such as food and the time of the day. If the specific gravity is above or below the normal range, or if it does not vary, it may indicate a kidney problem.The urine pH value is also influenced by a number of factors. Generally the normal pH range is from 4.6 to 8.0. If the pH is very acidic or alkaline, beyond wh at could be attributed to normal levels of variation, then there could be a problem. There is usually no detectable urine glucose, urine ketones, or urine protein. Significant amounts of glucose and ketones point to uncontrolled diabetes. There should be no red blood cells present in urine. If blood is found in the urine, it is a sure sign of trouble, possibly of a serious nature. It may indicate a urinary tract disease, or the dreaded cancer.Bilirubin is normally not found in the urine, as it would only be present in such tiny quanties as is undetectable by a routine test. There may be a trace of urobilinogen in the urine, but bilirubin in discernable amounts in the urine is a sign of a liver or bile duct disease. Nitrites and white blood cells (leukocytes) too should not be normally present in the urine. And if they are, a strong possibility of an urinary tract infection rises.Creatinine Clearance Test for GFRCreatinine is a metabolite of the compound creatine that is found in mus cles. Creatine is a by-product of muscle energy metabolism. It is filtered from the blood by the kidneys and excreted into the urine, in the same general manner as urea. Creatinine clearance is the process of removal of creatinine from the body, and technically signifies the volume of blood plasma that is cleared of creatinine per unit time (typically, milliliters per minute).Creatinine clearance is used for estimating the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of the kidneys, which is the volume of fluid filtered from the renal glomerular capillaries into Bowman's capsule per unit time. GFR measurement is often considered to be the best avilable determinant of renal function. The normal range of GFR for males is 97 to 137 ml/min, and for females is 88 to 128 ml/min. The average for men is 120 ml/min and for women 95 ml/min. The GFR may reach 200 ml/min during pregnancy.A clearance of less than 80 ml/min is significant except in people over 80 years. A decreased creatinine clearance rate is an indication of increased blood creatinine level, and happens due to the diminished capability of kidneys to carry out their function, under conditions of abnormality and disease. A creatinine clearance of 50 ml/min or less indicates serious renal insufficiency.The GFR can predict the signs and symptoms of uraemia, especially when it falls to below 10-15 ml/min. It must be noted that the GFR varies according to renal mass and correspondingly to body mass. In a lab report, GFR is corrected for body surface area (which equates with renal mass), which in normal humans is approximately 1.73m2 and represents an average value for normal young men and women.   Impaired renal function is indicated by a GFR of 30-80 ml/min/1.73m2 and in cases of less than 30 ml/min/1.73m2 – there is a strong possibility of renal failure.References:Freudenrich C C (n.d) How Your Kidneys Work. Retrieved May 08, 2006 fromhttp://science.howstuffworks.com/kidney.htmNIH Publication No. 06–4241 (November 2005) Your Kidneys and How They Work. Retrieved May 09, 2006 from http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/yourkidneysStone C.(Nov 2005) Bilirubin. Retrieved May 09, 2006 from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003479.htmMerck Manual. (February 2003) Kidneys. Retrieved May 09, 2006 fromhttp://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec11/ch141/ch141b.htmlFord-Martin, P.A. (n.d.) Kidney function tests, Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Retrieved May 09, 2006 from http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2601/is_0007/ai_2601000790/pg_1National Kidney Foundation. (n.d.) How Your Kidneys Work. Retrieved May 09, 2006 from http://www.kidney.org/kidneydisease/howkidneyswrk.cfmLAb Tests Online. (n.d.) Creatine Clearance. Retrieved May 09, 2006 from http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/creatinine_clearance/test.htmlFadem S.Z. (n.d.) How the kidney works, The Nephron Information Center. Retrieved May 09, 2006 from http://links.nephron.com/nephsites/htkw/r2_htmlWikipedia. ( April 2006) Renal Function. Retrieved May 09, 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renal_function

Pestel Framework

The PESTEL framework is designed to provide managers with an analytical tool to identify different macro-environmental factors that may affect business strategies, and to assess how different environmental factors may influence business performance now and in the future. The PESTEL Framework includes six types of important environmental influences: political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal. These factors should not be seen as independent factors. Factors such as technological advances may probably affect the social and economic conditions in different markets.Below, some characteristics in each environmental factor are listed, which may give business managers guidance to, which factors may be of importance to a company's strategy. The list is however far from complete, and it only gives managers some preliminary inspiration to, which factors may be of relevance for handling business strategies. Many factors, that are not included below, may have an effect on business success, and each company must evaluate for themselves, which key drivers of change will potentially have strategic and competitive consequences.Political factors †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stability of government †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Social policies: (e. g. social welfare etc. ) †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Trade regulations: (e. g. the EU ; NAFTA) †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tax policies †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Entry mode regulations Economic factors †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disposable income of buyers †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Credit accessibility †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Unemployment rates †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interest rates †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Inflation Social Factors †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Population demographics: (e. g. aging population) †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Distribution of Wealth †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Changes in lifestyles and trends   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Educational levels Technological factors †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   New innovations and discoveries †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pace of technological innovations and advances †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pace of technological obsolescence †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   New technological platforms (e. g. VHS and DVD) Environmental factors †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Environmental protection laws †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Waste disposal laws †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Energy consumption regulation †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Popular attitude towards the environment Legal factors †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Employment regulations †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Competitiv e regulations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Health and safety regulations †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Product regulations The key for business managers is therefore to discover the main drivers of change that may affect business strategies, and to discover the factors most likely to influence the performance of the business. In conducting a PESTEL analysis, business managers may create strategies that take several macro-environmental factors into consideration, so that the strategy formulation process will be as sensitive to current and future environmental factors as possible.

Can Computer Replace Human Beings Essay

Many of us think that computers are many times faster, more powerful and more capable when compared to humans simply because they can perform calculations thousands of time faster, workout logical computations without error and store memory at incredible speeds with flawless accuracy. Human Brain: We can only estimate the processing power of the average human brain as there is no way to measure it quantitatively as of yet. If the theory of taking nerve volume to be proportional to processing power is true we then, may have a correct estimate of the human brain’s processing power. * by simple calculation, we can estimate the processing power of a average brain to be about 100 million MIPS (Million computer Instructions Per Second ). In case you’re wondering how much speed that is, let us give you an idea. * 1999’s fastest PC processor chip on the market was a 700 MHz pentium that did 4200 MIPS. By simple calculation, we can see that we would need at least 24,000 of these processors in a system to match up to the total speed of the brain !! Computers have brought a revolution in human life. To begin with, computers took over different human activities. Now even thinking and problem-solving are being done by computer The situation makes many of us believe that computers are likely to replace human beings in every walk of life. But every coin has two sides. However useful they may be, computers cannot replace human beings. Human life is not a mechanical affair. A pearl like tear silently rolls down the cheek at the memory of the loved one. A compliment by an elderly person restores the confidence of a depressed person. Computers have intelligence and think like human beings? Will computer be superior to us and replace us in the future? On hearing the questions, many people may think that it’s impossible that computer will be superior to human. Computer is made by us; it’s only a machine, a tool. It cannot have feelings But a lot of facts make us surprised. Let us see what is going on in detail. A chess-playing computer can defeat the world chess champion in 1997. Nowadays, artificial intelligence has got a significant development. Computer can understand our language and accept the oral command. Computer can already do a lot of tasks and they are learning to do other new tasks one by one. In some fields, computer works more efficient than human indeed. However, I think, we should catch the key point: computer is always doing the things that we told them how to do. We admit that if we tell computer how to do the work, it can do it and sometimes it can do better than us because computer has greater ability to deal with some special kind of problems and it will not be tired. Computer cannot solve the new problems that it has never met The human’s development process is always raising problems and solving them again and again, these attributes cannot be possessed by the computer. , though computer can act like human, it is still a computer; it doesn’t have feelings or free will. We have feelings, we will be happy or unhappy, we will be ashamed when we do something wrong. We have soul and we are alive. We have free will to decide what to do. Can computer have feelings? It can’t. It has no will, what it is doing is only executing the programs made by human. I don’t think a computer can ever be replaced with a human, because it doesn’t have the same physical needs that we have. But I want a computer to interface with me almost like a human. At least on the interface side to be polite like a human, to understand my human needs. I want it to serve me and understand me as a human. However, I expect a computer to be better than a human in many ways, such as keeping track of time. I expect a computer to know what five minutes is. I expect a computer to be reliable. I expect a computer’s memory to be perfect. I expect a computer to do all the things that computers do well. Record video information – humans can’t do that – record audio information, do text-to-speech, keep an accurate and perfect record of time and what happens in time. All the things that a computer is flawless at and can do well. I want the computer to help me. Help me augment my memory, so that when I go to the doctor and they say â€Å"What did you have for breakfast?† it could show me, â€Å"This is what you had for breakfast, I took a picture of it.† Because that’s what a computer can do for you. But I want it to understand that that’s what I need, that’s what I want. In order for the computer to understand what I need and what I want, it has to understand my emotional reactions to things, so that it can learn what it is that I need and want. A simple touch of mother silences a crying baby. Can a computer perform these and many such other miracles? Nowadays, teaching is being done by computers. Computer-lovers claim that the can learn with the help of a computer. Computers also administer tests, declare results and award certificates. But imagine the difference between the two situations, i.e., sitting before a computer and sitting in a class room with dozens of students around us and in the presence of a teacher. The pains and pleasures of companionship, the repudiating as well as encouraging expressions on the teachers face, the direct interaction, eye contact, spontaneous smiles and abundant sharing and understanding set this living situation a world apart from the lonely, computer-controlled suffocating room.

International marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International marketing - Assignment Example China’s exchange rate in the stock market is classified into two categories i.e. class A shares and class B shares. The class A type is only meant for Chinese citizens while the class B type is meant for non citizens. At the age group of 20-30 years, the productivity is highly available since ready and cheap labor is in place due to the overpopulation in china. This age group is the main backbone of the Chinese economy. They are the most industrious and active source of labor in the Chinese economy. Due to this, the government of China has been advocating for the end of rural to urban continuous migrations of its citizens. During the economic reforms revolution, this movement was allowed. Its main aim was to increase labor output since the economy was steadily growing fast and industrialization was also taking place. China’s most source of external income has been through foreign investments it undertakes in the developing and 3rd world countries .This investments have become the major source of economic growth in this countries. As a result of the labor china has been able to produce goods of high quality and quantity to enable efficiency thus maximizing the country’s output (Liu, 2007). ... In the last three centuries, China has been globally reinforcing its market. It has ventured in both developed and developing nations to market its commodities. This has been made easily successful through lowering of taxes on its products making them cheaper but wholesomely producing the products (Zhiyong & Zhibiao, n.d.). Diversification into wide variety of production and activities has contributed to its economic growth rating it to be the most economic secure nation. Constant date-to-date innovation and invention has also greatly contributed to China’s economic stability. The age bracket of 20 to 30 is the greatest percentage of Chinese population .This group is the labor in the market driving economy of each province .Due to better infrastructure like roads and electronic train transport services goods are easily transported from one region to another that might have not been widely developed in terms of infrastructure (Zhiyong & Zhibiao, n.d.) . In addition, the use of air transport has also enhanced the growth of Chinese economy globally to landlocked countries and regions where shipping might not take place. Modern invention of technologies such as use of the internet has also led to the speedy and spread of Chinese economy since the age racket of 20 and 30 frequently use the social sites to market their small-scale products (Mullner, 2005). Target market is the situation whereby producers come together as a group with the aim of marketing their products to specific consumers. Over the years, Chinese products have been regarded as among the best products in the world. Its customers have been able to purchase their products at lower costs saving