Religious Change Over Time in Latin America and Caribbean Essay

Throughout the years of 1450 to present, the religion of Latin America and the Caribbean went through a number of changes. Although the religious beliefs and practices of these areas were mostly animistic prior to 1450, they proved to be flexible and went through many alterations get to where they are today. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors, the Latin American people had never heard of Catholocism, which would eventually become a dominant religion. In the early centuries of Latin America, the religion was polytheistic. The people known as Aztecs, who lived in towns located along rivers, built sacred temples to honor their many gods. They worshiped at least 128 deities in total, including Tlaloc, the god of rain. Little distinction was made between the world of the gods and the natural world. The temples, some of which still stand today, were made of earth and/or large burial mounds. The burials included art such as pottery, paintings, and carvings and were often accompanied by rituals. These rituals contained human sacrifice, cannibalism, and executions. In the period after militarism, human sacrifice became much more prominent than before. It has been questioned whether the reason for the sacrifice was actually the result of religious conviction, or simply done as a tactic of terror towards rulers and priests. Aztec people had known nothing other than this lifestyle for centuries until a new culture made its way to their land. In 1492, Spanish Conquistadors such as Hernan Cortes sailed to the coast of Latin America, bringing their religious views along with them. Cortes and his army of 600 conquered the land, destroying precious temples in the process. They pulled down all the polytheistic idols, rearranging their stone to replace them with Christian architecture such as Catholic cathedrals. In this time period, art and architecture were prominent and intended to serve the glory of God. Dominican friar Bartolome de Las Casas replaced the Aztec’s long-practiced human sacrifice with Catholic mass. In addition to the conquistadors, there was another group called the Jesuits who sought new followers of their religion. The Jesuits offered special privileges to those who converted to Catholicism, while the Spanish convinced the people that their Catholic God would provide protection from diseases and harm. Although the majority of the people were won over by Catholicism, some chose to remain isolated and continued to practice polytheism. Regardless, all Aztec people remained devoted to their religion. Meanwhile in the Caribbean, Spanish and Italian merchants began to import African slaves to work on the few sugar plantations that operated on the islands. These slaves brought a mixture of religious beliefs along with them, their own pagan views mixing with Christianity. In both present day Latin America and Caribbean, Catholicism is the dominant religion. In modern day Caribbean, the small non- Catholic population consists of various forms of Christianity that were formed with the arrival of African slaves. One of these other religions is Rastafarianism. This is a form of Christianity with a distinct Caribbean style. It uses the Bible as its main text, but interprets it much differently than the more traditional Christian sects. On the other hand, the Latin American non-Catholic population consists of a small group of people who were not converted by the Conquistadors and chose to remain animistic. Throughout all the changing, some Latin Americans have had the same animistic beliefs despite what’s been going on around them. The Latin American people always have and always will be devoted to their religion, as we can tell by the great pyramids mounds they built that are still standing today. Prior to 1450, religious beliefs and practices in Latin America were polytheistic and included human sacrifice. When the Spanish Conquistadors and Jesuits came to the area, Catholicism was introduced and began to spread rapidly. Now, in present day Latin America and Caribbean, it is impossible to avoid Catholicism. It has become the major, dominant religion of the area and its followers are as devoted as ever. In addition to the large Catholic population, there continues to be a mixture of religions and practices of polytheism and voodoo throughout the area. Societies change for a number of reasons, one being foreign influence. If it wasn’t for the missionaries coming into the Latin American and Caribbean society, the people would most likely have remained polytheistic forever, because there would be nothing new introduced. For these reasons, religion in Latin America and Caribbean has changed drastically from its early years, while also staying the same in some ways.

Koutons Retail India Limited Essay

The company went public in early 2006 and thereby became Koutons Retail India Limited (KRIL) with effect from June27, 2006. KRIL is primarily an integrated apparel manufacturing and retail company in India. They are in the business of designing, manufacturing and retailing under the brand names Koutons and Charlie Outlaw. Their main target customers are middle class consumers who are keen to trying out new fashions falling in the age group of 22 – 45 years. Find below a brief timeline of Koutons. 1991- Started as Charlie denim jeans showroom 1994 – Incorporated as Charlie Creations Pvt. Ltd 1997 – Diversified in non-denim apparel, awarded with Best Menswear Collection 1998 – Brand Koutons was launched 2002 – First exclusive brand outlet of Koutons opened 2006 – IPO. Name changed to Koutons Retail India ltd in June 27, 2006 2007 – Listed on BSE and NSE Koutons Financials Koutons has reported the fastest growth in its sales and profits among its listed and closest peers partly due to a smaller base. The Company’s restated total income and profit after tax were Rs 4036. 17 million and Rs 344. 87 million respectively as of and for the year ended March 31, 2007 compared to Rs 1583. 85 million and Rs 131. 8 million respectively as of and for the year ended March 31, 2006. (Exhibit 1). Koutons do not have any stock option scheme or stock purchase scheme for the employees of the company. Industry Overview The Indian retail sector, which is believed to be at an inflexion point, is valued at USD 270 billion (2006) with Food and Grocery being the dominant sector followed by clothing, textiles and fashion accessories which contributes nearly 9. 5%. The organized retail sector on the other hand has grown with a CAGR of 30% and stands at about USD 12. 4 billion (2006) which is only 4. 6% of the total retail market thus demonstrating its huge future otential. In the organized retail sector the major share is held by the clothing and accessories sector (39%) growing at a rate of 30. 3% during 2005-06, followed by food and grocery (11%). The Indian apparel retail industry(which mainly consists of sale of all menswear, womenswear and infantswear) grew by 12. 3% in 2006 to reach a value of $20 billion (INR 880. 9 billion); the CAGR growth for the period 2002-06 being 11%(Exhibit 2). The share of the organized apparel retail has grown steadily to reach 18. 9% in 2006. Considering an anticipated CAGR of 10%, the apparel retail industry in India is expected to reach USD 32. billion by end of 2011. Fuelled by strong economic growth, favorable demographics, easy availability of credits, availability of retail space, rising level of disposable income, rise in dual income families and shift of life style pattern, organized retail in India is expected to grow tremendously in the next few years. The emergence of the mall culture in India acts as catalyst in this growth story. By the end of 2007 approximately 68 million sqft of mall space is expected to come in India, majority being equally shared between North Zone (39%) and West Zone (33%). According to a 2005 KPMG retail survey report, the Specialty and Super Market format have the highest potential for growth (45%) followed by Hypermarkets(36%) and Discount Stores (27%). In terms of opening up of new retail outlets, the apparel retailers and brands attained a growth of 113% in 2006 compared to 84% in 2005. As on 2006, major share in the Indian apparel retail market is accounted for by Menswear (45%), followed by Womenswear (36. 1%), Infantswear (18. 8%). While the Menswear has witnessed a growth of 12% by value and 3. 9% by volume, Womenswear has grown 14. 9% by value and 5. 4% by volume. Almost comparable growth has also happened in the Infantswear sector (11. 5% by value and 3. 8% by volume). Competitive Landscape in Apparel Retail Porter’s Five Forces Model The competitive nature of the Indian apparel retail sector can be very well analyzed using the famous Five Forces Model as suggested by Michael Porter. Fig: Porter’s Five Force Model Bargaining Power of Buyers The bargaining power of buyers becomes weak because of three main reasons. First, majority of the buyers are individual consumers and hence has limited purchasing power. Second, the retailers can very easily differentiate their products. Third, only the retailers can provide the consumers with a wide variety of quality products. On the other hand, the fact that buyers have very low switching cost and retailers are obliged to act according to buyer needs provides the buyer with some bargaining power. Infact, it is believed that in Indian apparel retail, brand loyalty exists mostly for the brands and less for the retailers. Bargaining Power of Suppliers The sourcing happens mostly from the clothing manufacturers and the wholesalers. The manufacturing industry is highly fragmented in nature inducing a price war. Low product diversity on the part of the suppliers reduces the switching cost for the retailers. However, the only drawback of moving to a low cost supplier might be the threat of not being able to live up to the highly volatile trend of changing fashion. Entry Barrier Entry barrier is comparatively low, like any other retail sector. The industry itself is highly fragmented and requires low capital investment. The policy taken by the Government to open up the retail sector to foreign investments will definitely encourage entry of other foreign players. Threat of Substitutes We can identify three major threats to the apparel retail. First, with e-buying becoming popular with every passing day there may be an opportunity of buying directly from the manufacturers. Homemade apparels though can be a substitute has a very low threat mainly because of the ever changing fashion needs of the generation and the substantial increase in disposable income. The last and the biggest threat for substitute come from the sale of counterfeit apparels. Competitors The Indian apparel retail industry is highly fragmented in nature. Within the readymade segment there are both branded and unbranded players. There are many foreign brands that have established themselves successfully in the Indian apparel retail market using different channels. While brands like Allen Solly and Arrow have taken the licensing route, Benetton have entered the market through tie-up with domestic players. Again brands like Tommy Hilfliger, Mark’s and Spencers and Speedo have taken up the franchisee channel. On the other hand, Metro entered the market through cash and carry wholesale trading route. The private labels, by virtue of providing higher margins to the retailer and lower cost to the customers have also become extreme popular. Some of the well known private labels are John Miller, Bare and Stop. Although competition in the retail apparel segment is heating up, the inherent advantage of Koutons model – backward integration, positioning and first mover advantage – is not easy to replicate within a short period of time. On the back of the company? s aggressive rollout plan and diversification to high-margin segments, the company enjoys better valuations than its peers like Kewal Kiran and Zodiac Clothing, although not strictly comparable. There are approximately 23 major players in the branded apparel retail segment in India with Koutons coming next to Raymond Ltd. Exhibit 3 ; 4). Pentagon-Triangle Model Koutons mainly works on pentagon model. The key attributes of the pentagon model fit as follows: Place Size and Location: Out of 999 exclusive brand outlets (EBOs as Aug 20, 2007) 531 EBOs were present in northern region. West and east India has about 29 and 38 stores respectively. Koutons has o ver 1000 company managed stores and 18 manufacturing units. By August 2007 they owned 14 warehouse facilities spread around Gurgaon. They are present mainly in northern and north western region. By March 2006, there was no presence of Koutons in southern region. They have started slowly moving into southern region. Layout and Design: Koutons generally operate through a franchisee model. Traditionally, Koutons outlets used to store men? s apparel. But recently they have extended their product portfolio to include women? s and kid wear as well. Generally, the size of a Koutons outlet ranges from 1000 sq feet to 2000 sq feet; variations happening depending on the location, real estate rates and host of other factors as well. Their flagship stores have a size of 3000-5000 sqft. Koutons outlets may be single storied or multi storied. The outlets are generally spacious and display caters to need of middle class Indian customer segment. (Exhibit 5: Koutons EBO, Calicut). Product Style and Fashion: Go with latest fashion trends. Mainly target high fashion aspirants of the age group 22-45 years. If any type of fashion becomes obsolete, still Koutons tries to attract customers, but ultimately if situation does not improve they also stop keeping such fashioned garments and go with new trends and fashions. Assortment: Wide variety of men? s wear including shirts, trousers, jeans, jackets, T-shirts. Limited variety of kids and women? s wear. The assortment also depends on region. An EBO in north India might have little different assortment compared to one in south. Value Price: Low brand value. It sometimes offers 70% discounts which have diminished its brand value to a large extent causing a barrier in the way of moving up the value chain. Koutons follows a unique discounting policy wherein they claim to give a discount of x% + y% which is often criticized as a marketing gimmick and a way to mislead the customer. For example, a discount of 50%+40% often gives the customer the impression of availing a 90% discount – whereas effectively it means a 70% discount. Quality: Mixed conception among customers. Most people think its product quality goes down with increase in discounts. It has failed to maintain same quality of products throughout its EBOs across all regions. People Service: Koutons mainly deal with men? s apparels. But recently have started making garments for women also. Knowledge: For managerial position they mainly look for experienced people (at least 2-3 years of experience in apparel business). Climate: Koutons generally stocks apparel which are all-weather. Few varieties differ with region, e. g. sweaters are stocked in north EBOs but not in south. But most of the stock can be sold in all weathers. Communication Positional: Koutons have positioned themselves as „„value for money, but high on fashion†. They mainly target pro-fashion customers who are very much willing to try new fashion trends at nominal prices. They often offer attractive discount policies to attract middle class fashion minded customers. T heir target customers belong to age group 22 to 45 years. Promotional: Koutons mainly advertise through newspapers and they have a well designed website. They incur minimum advertising expense and rarely goes for any celebrity endorsement. Their presence in 450 cities of India is believed to have created an automatic brand visibility. Business Processes The two major business processes at Koutons are Manufacturing and Sales operations. The diagram below shows the processes involved in manufacturing. Some of the key differentiating factors involved in the business processes are : Procurement of raw materials: Procurement of raw material from India, China, Taiwan and Italy using third party suppliers. Third party manufacturers: To cater to the growing demand for outsourcing of manufacturing is also done. For this, the Company has executed 211 agreements with 211 fabricators. Manufacture of production sample: A product sample is produced in house according to the specifications provided for the range of products for a particular season. The first production report is prepared on the basis of this sample. All apparent and intricate corrections are made in the sample so as to make it error free. Accordingly, a detailed production plan is devised. Fabric cutting and stitching: A layout for cutting the respective products is done with the help of CAD plotter machines. Sales and distribution The company has a dedicated â€Å"Sales and Marketing† team which consists of 90 employees. Competitive Strengths The key strengths of Koutons are: ? Exclusive brand outlets ? Wide network of retail stores ? Low-cost sourcing capabilities (diminishing the cost of material as well as that of the final products hence resulting in low cost products) ? Proper brand positioning (identifying the proper target customer segment and meeting their requirements) ? Expertise in designing and merchandise (core competency) ? Efficient management ? Wide apparel range (customers can choose their required things from a well chosen stock) ? Efficient utilization of IT and making it a differentiating factor compared to other retailers. Koutons always follows proper strategic planning before taking any business decision. They are planning to increase their geographic penetration by increasing the number of brand outlets to distant areas, enhancing manufacturing capabilities, targeting new customer segments. Positioning the Koutons brand strongly (exporting apparels under the brand name), making potential mergers and acquisitions and most importantly constantly improving the cost structure. Some of the key differentiating strengths of Koutons are described in detail. Exclusive Brand Outlets: The majority of the apparel manufacturers cum retailers in India operate through a combination of retailing through exclusive outlets, national chain stores and multi brand outlets. This entails supplies being managed directly and through distribution agents. Koutons operate on a model of marketing apparel directly through a chain of exclusive brand outlets and thus are independent of external marketing pressures attributable to the national chain stores, multi brand outlets and other intermediaries. This enables them to focus quality maintenance and customer satisfaction without the interference of any external agency. This model also enhances the brand equity and recall as the shelf space on each of the exclusive brand outlets is controlled by company. In the process, Koutons has developed a greater brand visibility and an identity of its own and has thus reduced the chances of brand dilution. As of August, 2007, the â€Å"Koutons† brand was sold through 566 exclusive brand outlets and the â€Å"Charlie Outlaw† brand was sold through 433 exclusive brand outlets. The wide coverage of exclusive brand outlets from metros to tier II towns and through the various regions in India, allows them the flexibility to hedge against fashion changes given the general time lag in fashion trends between metro and tier II towns. The table below shows the growth in number of Koutons EBOs. The company? s brands are marketed through three outlet models ? Company owned / leased and company operated (COCO) ? Company owned / leased and franchisee operated (COFO) ? Franchisee owned / leased and franchisee operated (FOFO) The company had 17 outlets, 124 outlets and 858 outlets under COCO, COFO and FOFO models, respectively, on 20 August 2007. To accommodate all EBOs (Exclusive Brand Outlets) the company is also looking for spaces for extension. It has been allotted a manufacturing facility in Gurgaon at a total project cost of Rs 301. 85 million. Koutons has benefitted heavily by following a franchisee model as often large scale operation as theirs often becomes tough to be controlled by themselves alone. Also it helps Koutons in availing real estate easily. Besides, the franchisee owners bring in entreprenual energy to the business. This model has also helped Koutons in tackling to some extent the inherent attrition problem in the retail sector and cut down on loses happening due to staff related pilferage. Koutons, in the process, has also realized cost cutting by relieving themselves of the responsibility of bearing the social security liability of the employees. Koutons franchisee model is different from its peers as it offers its franchisee minimum guaranteed payments covering lease rentals, employee costs, and other establishment costs apart from incentivized sales. Products are consigned to the franchisees, who do not bear the inventory risk except for pilferage–the risk of unsold stock remains with Koutons. The company collects a security deposit (bearing nominal interest rate) from the franchisee towards the apparels that the latter stocks at the outlet. This model is highly attractive for franchisees who seek security and low investment, which is reflected in the rapid ramp up as well as the fact that franchisee churn rate has cumulatively been less than 1. 5 per cent since inception. Koutons has planned to expand their franchisee retail model to other products like home linen and furnishing and toys. Integrated player with low-cost sourcing capabilities: Koutons is an integrated apparel manufacturing and retail company with capabilities across the entire value chain of manufacturing and retailing. One of the major strengths includes in-house finishing facilities and rigid quality controls. Extensive logistics and supply chain management systems is put in place to maintain maximum flexibility, which enables them to meet needs in an efficient manner without relying on any one vendor, factory or country. The centralized purchasing system helps in achieving the standardization in quality control systems. Their involvement at every stage of the value chain has helped them successfully cut down on the intermediary costs. Unique brand positioning: Koutons positions itself as a „High Fashion Value for Money? brand. The â€Å"Koutons† brand is positioned in the middle to high fashion segment, offering a complete range of man? wardrobe (in the age group of 22 to 45 years). The â€Å"Charlie Outlaw† brand is a casual brand targeted at fashion conscious youngsters in the age group of 14 to 25 years. Foreign brands mostly target a niche market while Koutons cater to mass market. Koutons score over foreign brands in terms of fit and size they offer to Indian cons umers. Design and merchandising expertise, with a pulse on fashion: A team of designers and merchandisers who are supported by a staff of 40 professionals, including assistant designers and technical designers. Specialized design teams for each apparel categories are formed. Wide apparel range: A wide apparel portfolio which ranges from shirts, non denim trousers, denims, suits, blazers, T- shirts, cargos, capris, sweaters etc. It has also recently launched a range of apparel for women and children. IT Infrastructure: Until now Koutons has been using a specially developed computerized system (customized) to keep all records related to sales and inventories. To keep pace with the market competition and to make its operations more efficient, it has recently started using an enterprise resource planning system using advanced computer systems with the help of Ramco systems. This advanced system will help them to reduce inventory related problems (such as decreasing the inventory lead time, planning delivery schedules better), improving transparency and reducing redundancy. State of the art information flow system to maintain records relating to sales and inventory and integrate key work flows. In 2006 the company also installed a state of the art enterprise resource planning system. The company has been working on enhancing its IT capabilities for better management. This has helped it to bring down the average inventory days from 213 in FY07 to 202 in FY08. Huge sales per store due to hefty discounts offered by the stores. Weaknesses ? COFO model problems: Opening up manufacturing as well as retail outlets needs huge capital investments and hence limits the company? s ability to expand fast, as well as react to the changing market scenario. ? The company is not able to distribute from the multibrand shops and malls. This shuts it off from a major business opportunity and capitalizes on the retail revolution. ? Inventory problem: 340 days of inventory in an apparel industry where demand is seasonal. (Poor inventory turnover) ? Low Brand Value: Koutons stores only stock their own brands and perennial 70% discounts have completely eroded its brand value. This will prevent the company to move up the value chain. ? Concerns due to the nature of its business, Koutons finds large sum of money blocked up in the form of working capital. In FY08, working capital amounted to almost 68 per cent of annual sales which is on the higher side in retail sector. Acquisitions On January 2008, the Board of Directors decided to acquire 51% or more share in Touchwood International Pvt Ltd. , a Rs. 5 crore company and the owner of the brand „Upper Class?. The company has its presence in the ladies segments. „Upper Class? has its major presence in Delhi and has a strong foothold in the ladies garments segment. The brand specializes in casual bottom wear for women and has its presence in Multi brand outlets (MBOs) like Shoppers Stop, Pantaloons and Globus. Besides, it has its presence in the European market as well. Wh ile the acquisition will definitely give Koutons an exposure to the European market, it will help „Upper Class? gain a retail presence in the domestic retail market. Koutons has planned to open up 400 outlets of „Upper Class? by 2010. Expansion Koutons earlier was exporting Koutons and Charlie brand apparels to the Middle East. But it was halted in 2004 in 2004 as a part of the management strategy to focus more on the domestic market. But now that it has made its mark in the domestic market, it is actively trying to tap the exports market by 2008 with a view to target the Indian population in the Middle East region. It has initiated talks with large retail networks based in West Asia, whereby it plans to open 30 EBOs each of Koutons and Charlie brand by 2009. Koutons plans to enter the market through the route of Joint Venture wherein the majority stake will be retained by Koutons. While the designing, branding and production will be done by Koutons, their local partners will manage the supply chain and logistics. Koutons has already earmarked Rs 40 crores for rolling out the stores. Their first outlet is planned to come up in Dubai by 2008. The other cities under consideration are Abu Dhabi, Sarjah, Doha and Qatar. They also have plans to enter the Chinese market by 2008 and enter the European market very soon. All these would definitely provide the company with immense global visibility. Going Forward The company is aggressively rolling out its EBOs in southern India. Koutons would be enlarging its product portfolio in FY09 by adding categories like accessories and handbags for women along with belts for men and footwear collection for both men and kids by 2008. It is being done with a view to increase the footfalls in the outlets and thereby assist cross-selling and also to make it a one-stop-shop. The company has plans to introduce a new line of women? wear (Les Femme brand) and kids? wear. Koutons plans to open up 150 Koutons Junior and 200 Les Femme stores by 2009-10. To lessen the risk of stock obsolescence, the company has been deploying the strategy of shifting the unsold stock from metros to tier III towns to leverage the time lag in fashion trends between metros and tier III towns. For the year 2008-09, Koutons has planned to grow through the ladies wear and kids wear segments whi ch though being high margin segments are currently being dominated mostly by the regional players. Koutons plans to revolutionize these two segments by providing value for money products – which all throughout have been their core competency. The entry of foreign players in the Indian apparel market has one hand brought the threat the increased competition and on the other hand has increased the fashion awareness amongst the Indian population. However, which target mostly target the mass market can avoid direct confrontation with the foreign players who are more into niche segments. With the rising inflation and increasing cotton price, Koutons definitely has a challenge in their hands in the years to come.

ch 2 medical terminology- suffixes indicating diseases or abnormal conditions Example For Students

ch 2 medical terminology- suffixes indicating diseases or abnormal conditions Term Definition Categories of Suffixes diseases or abnormal conditions surgical procedure diagnostic procedure general suffixes medical specialties or personnel converts word roots into adjectives algia pain asthenia weakness cele hernia, protrusion dynia pain cytosis abnormal cell condition ( too many) ectasis dilated, stretched out edema swelling emesis vomiting emia condition of the blood ia state, condition iasis abnormal condition ism state of, condition -itis inflammation lith stone lysis destruction lytic destruction -malacia abnormal softening -megaly enlargement, large oma tumor, mass -osis abnormal condition -pathy disease penia too few -phobia fear plegia paralysis -ptosis drooping -rrhage bursting forth -rrhagia bursting forth -rrhea discharge, flow -rrhexis rupture -sclerosis hardened condition -spasm involuntary muscle contraction -stasis stopping -stenosis narrowing -toxic poison -uria condition of the urine

Climate Change in Boreal Forests Research Paper

Climate Change in Boreal Forests - Research Paper Example According to the research findings the shifts occurring in climate is hence highly likely to affect the forest areas as well, due to the change in precipitation conditions, leading to an expansion in some forest areas, particularly those falling within temperate zones; and contraction in certain other areas, such as those witnessed in the Boreal forest regions and the tropical forest regions. The changes are believed to have occurred due to the change in global climate and precipitation levels, over the years. Although it is highly difficult to predict with accuracy, the exact change in forest areas, which can directly be attributed to climate change. There are various evidences based on empirical research on the subject and other available literature, which is discussed in the following sections. Research suggests that the factors such as climate change fuelled with unsustainable human activities such as deforestation and extensive land conversions are driving the deterioration of f orests and natural habitation worldwide. According to Burton et al such activities is likely to increase the risk of natural disasters such as forest fires especially in forest areas which have low precipitation and is prone to dryness in the weather as is observed in the Boreal forest range. The conifer-dominated Boreal forest comprises of almost one third of the earth's forest systems covering approximately 1.7 billion hectares stretching across Scandinavia, Alaska, Russia and northern Canada. (MNR.org, 2012). Almost two thirds of this forest range is located in the Eurasian region and the remaining one third in the Canadian province and Alaskan region (Hare and Ritchie, 1972). In Canada the boreal forest spans over a region of 290 million hectares and extends from the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest in Ontario to the lowlands in Hudson Bay. The Boreal forest comprises of a vast and varied range of flora and fauna, ranging from larch, pine, spruce to fir, birch, aspen, willow and alder. The overall composition of the boreal forest i.e. the natural vegetation, the soil, and the climate is relatively simple yet its interaction with the external forces as a result of climate change, such as the availability of necessary nutrients, rising temperature, and the ecology of forces has added to the complexity and gravity of the issue (Bonan, 1989; Bonan & Shugart, 1989; Viereck & Schandelmeier, 1980). The uniqueness of the composition of the Boreal forest enables it to sustain in the cold weather and store the large amount of carbon deposits which are held in its organic soils (McGuire et al., 1995; Alexeyev & Birdsey, 1998). The fact that the mean global temperature are on a steady rise and the temperature rise in the Boreal forest region, due to climate change, has been recorded in the upper latitudes in Northern Hemisphere (Serreze et al., 2000). The large scale transformations in the forest management practices, owing to the increase in unsustainable human activi ties, have resulted in a simultaneous rise in the GHG emissions (Schlamadinger & Marland, 1996). According to researchers, there are various other factors which account to an imbalance in the forest atmosphere which are likely to have a far worse and negative impact on the ecology, as compared to the CO2 emission (Jackson, et al., 2008; Bonan, 2008). These factors arise from the manipulation of the earth’s surface due to human activities, and have the capacity to affect the reflectivity of solar power leading to instant heating up of the atmosphere in and around the area hence ultimately resulting in disturbance and unequal distribution of energy within the climate system (Marland et al., 2003). The following figure shows the change in

Become a Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Become a Model - Essay Example Our reliable and confidential human resources department is ready to help you to become part of this industry. We are awaiting applications from fashion photographers, retouchers, fashion designers and stylists, lighting assistants, and make-up artists who have the passion and desire to work with us all over the globe. This is a rare opportunity that will not be offered again, so please contact our human resources department. Are you a professional photographer or are you new to the industry? Do you need a portfolio to represent yourself to magazines and fashion brands? We are ready to help you find the appropriate studios where you can take your images. Our profession is organized in a particular way. Many model agencies request a portfolio of the photographer’s work. This is important because it will give agencies an idea of how to match models with brands and photographers. Send your photography portfolio. Don’t forget that a photographer’s main important skill is their technical knowledge about photography, so we would need to see your photos to determine whether or not they are adequate. You should send your portfolio or website to us so we can add you to our database. If any brands or fashion industry members request a professional photographer, then we can recommend you to them and arrange production by contacting you. You may need to attend a business meeting, wedding, film premiere, or another special event. Our experienced stylists are ready to advise you and get you ready for your special event. Our reliable fashion department will make contact with fashion designers and stylists.  

Job reward Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Job reward - Essay Example Research suggests that both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards are necessary in motivating employees. Traditionally, extrinsic rewards that are derived not from the work itself were considered sufficient. These include salaries, bonuses, perks, benefits, commissions and cash rewards (Thomas). The tall hierarchies and close supervision allowed managers to keep track of whether the policies are being followed and could either grant or hold back these rewards based on performance. However, workers today prefer self-management rather than close supervision and get motivated from being empowered which gives them a sense of belonging to the organization (Thomas). Hence, intrinsic rewards are largely based on the satisfaction that workers derive from the task at hand (Thomas). Therefore, intrinsic rewards entail greater commitment and initiative on the part of workers who take pride in doing their work. Although the importance of extrinsic rewards is diminishing, they are can by no means be ne glected. As per Maslow’s theory of hierarchy, lower order needs such as pay and job security must first be satisfied before workers become motivated by higher order needs such as belonging, self-esteem and self-actualization. Therefore, both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards must be considered in employees’ job rewards package. Rummassah’s major problem in recent years is its high employee turnover and low level of employee morale that has often been reflected in bad attitude towards customers and job switching to competitors’ companies. Greater insight revealed that Rummassah was paying too little monetary incentives to its best performers and too much to their inefficient workers which led to the latter’s disillusionment. Most rewards were not customer focused as a result of which even poor performers were getting the same monetary incentives as good performers. Furthermore, rewards focused on length of service or seniority tends to turn compensati on into entitlement. Furthermore, insights revealed that part-time employees were not been provided with stock options which made them switch to other jobs, thereby increasing costs for the company. Employees also complained about monotonous work and lack of social gatherings to break the high pressure and stress during peak periods. Considering that almost 40% of the workforce was expatriates, they could not understand local Arabic language which made them fearful of dealing with customers. Finally, there were complains of long waiting times and lack of coordination amongst the cafe staff by disgruntled customers. In view of the above problems, the organization must implement a rewards program that addresses the above issues. Performance in this case shall be based on the achievement of tasks in the job description as well as relations with other employees. Firstly, good performers shall be recognized through their picture being put up on the company’s notice board under the caption â€Å"Star of the month†. The best performer will receive a bonus of AED 300. Furthermore, the name of this employee shall be featured on the company’s website. However, research shows that simply praising the employee’s work through thank you notes has more value than employee of the month awards (Bersin, 2012). Keeping

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

Definitions - Essay Example Na+ (sodium ion) is a positive and major ion in fluids outside of body cells. Its major function is to regulate water and fluid levels in the body. Na+ is involved in transmission of nerve impulses (Ganong, 2005). Normal sodium levels in the body is between 135-145mmol/L. High levels of Na+ in the body results to hypernatremia while low levels result to hypernatremia. K+ is a positive ion found inside of body cells. The main function of K+ is to regulate heartbeat and body muscle function. Normal body levels of K+ is between 3.5-5.0mmol/L. An increase in body levels of K+ results to hyperkalemia while a decrease below normal results to hypokalemia. Increase or decrease in K+ levels results to irregular heartbeats known as arrhythmias and can also result in nervous system impairment (Ganong, 2005). Ca++ refers to ionized calcium in the serum. Its main functions are for blood clotting, transmission of nerve impulses, cell membrane permeability and muscle contraction. Normal blood calcium level ranges between 2.2 -2.6mmol/L. An excess of calcium ions in the serum results to hypercalcemia while a deficit results to hypocalcaemia. A decrease in serum calcium levels results to neuromuscular irritability. Phosphorus (P) main function in the body is it gets distributed as Adenosine-triphosphate which is the main chemical energy for the body. It is a major component of DNA and RNA. It is also essential for teeth and bone formation. High levels of phosphorus in the body results to increase risk of cardiovascular diseases. Normal values of phosphorous in blood range from 2.4-4.1mg/dL (Ganong, 2005). ADH- antidiuretic hormone also gets called as arginine vasopressin. It becomes secreted in the posterior pituitary gland. It plays a key role in regulating body water by reducing its loss through urine. It stimulates water reabsorption in the kidney tubules. Artrial natriuretic hormone refers to a cardiac hormone whose gene and receptors get found

Health Care Information Systems and Technology Article

Health Care Information Systems and Technology - Article Example It also implies that each person involved in interacting with the information technology resources shall have easy and unrestricted access according to the information requirements and nature of work. In terms of health care settings, it means that doctors, nurses and other medical staff shall have the access to the information which directly pertains to them. It also requires that each person involved in the overall delivery of healthcare services shall have required and pertinent information. One of the key trends emerging in information technology is the use of mobile applications which medical professionals can use is on the rise. The use of mobile applications combined with the use of cloud computing technologies is considered as the next cutting edge technological innovation. X-rays can be easily seen on iPads and doctors can easily access medical imaging records of patients using mobile applications and devices. (Gallagher, 2012) One of the key requirements for completing the assignments for this course is having access to relevant information and data. Having access to patient data and other relevant and pertaining information therefore is important for seeking answers to various questions and issues raised in the assignments for this course. The various assignments given in the course are of various difficulties and it is important that in order to complete these assignments, this tool can be handy and easy to deploy to complete various assignments. It will also reduce the cost and time to complete the assignments. Healthcare information exchange as a tool therefore is one of the essential tools as it provides access to the required information. It not only ensures mobilization and access to the data and relevant information but it also suggests particular resources which can be used to complete the assignments. (Winter, et

Work Perspectives PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Work Perspectives - PowerPoint Presentation Example Since, the leader is the one who makes the decision and major actions within a given organization; it is only applicable that he/she is adept with the right qualities and fundamental skills in order to strengthen good relationships with his/her people who will be his/her partner in achieving their goals. This paper will discuss a few Exhibits presented in the book of justice Administration and to explain each factors or concepts by giving examples. Leadership’s Bond of Trust Kokkelenberg (2010) compared the kind of leadership in the US 200 years ago with today. Before, the kind of leadership was autocratic which was based on the old military dogma â€Å"follow orders before complaining.† This implies that the employee needs to obey his or her boss instructions even though it is against his/her principles or will. Like for example: he/she follows his/her boss to falsify records for the fear to get fired. But, today leadership has transformed in many ways such leaders now tend to work with someone like for example getting the opinions and feedbacks of his/her subordinates in formulating decisions. And everyone at work has already right to voice out his/her opinion especially if the superior’s order is against his/her principles (Peak, 2010; Kooken, 1947). ... For instance, he/she was offered a big amount of money just to shut his/her mouth because he/she discovered anomalies. If this leader has integrity, without any hesitation he/she will standby for the truth no matter what happen. And in order to gain the trust of the employees a leader must be competent in everything he/she do. This means that he/she can make sound decisions, manage organization, make strategies and can interact with all the people involved in the business regardless of their position. An example showing competency of a leader is if he/she manifested the following actions: remains steady or thrive under pressure, using it to fuel productivity and efficiency; stays calm and maintain focus in turbulent, threatening, or emergency situations; makes rational decisions and continues to perform effectively; and provides direction in crisis situations through defusing potentially violent people or situations, calming others and removing them from harm. Another important chara cteristic that a leader must possess is being accountable and dependable. This means that he/she takes personal responsibility for the quality and timeliness of work, and achieves results with little oversight. A leader is said to be accountable and dependable if he/she manifested the following examples: shows up to work on time, and follows instructions, policies, and procedures; meets productivity standards, deadlines, and work schedule; stays focused on tasks in spite of distractions and interruptions; makes the best use of available time and resources; balances quality of work with meeting deadlines; does not make excuses for errors or problems; acknowledges and corrects mistakes; and

Clinical study report for plavix Case Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Clinical report for plavix - Case Study Example at least an episode of atherothrombotic event like heart disease, stroke as well as those diagnosed with peripheral arterial diseases characterized by problems with blood flowing into arteries especially in the leg region. This drug is also prescribed for patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and those with arterial fibrillation (AF); characterized by fast and irregular heartbeats (Dickie, Jennifer, and Lesley 34). Platelets are responsible for the clotting of blood whenever it is necessary for example, when one has a cut and in doing so prevents father bleeding and hemorrhage. In the event that arteries are narrowed by plagues, the body reacts by aggregating together and they may rapture and further increase narrowing of these vessels, which is, likely to increase the chance of heart attack, stroke and other circulatory disorders. This drug acts by reducing the chances of these occurrences by preventing the coagulation in the first place. Plavix acts by irreversibly binding to the P2Y12 receptors on platelets and preventing Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) from activating platelets, which form clots. Drug belongs to the group of drugs called P2Y12 inhibitors and is similar to the drug Ticlopidine (Ticlid) in its chemical structure and mechanism of action. The only difference is that Clopidogrel bisulfates do not cause serious decline in the white blood cell count as seen in patients on Ticlopidine hence there is no need for regular tests to determine white blood cell counts. Plavix is used to prevent the risk of heart disease and stroke in patients who have had a recent episode of heart attack, stroke and narrowed arteries as well as those suffering from peripheral vascular disease characterized by pain in the leg, which could be disabling. The US Food and Drug Association (FDA) approved this drug in 1997. This drug is used in prevention of atherothrombotic events like myocardial infarction (MI), Stroke and vascular death in patients with

Part IV, Current Procedural Terminology Essay Example for Free

Part IV, Current Procedural Terminology Essay This chapter provides an overview of the CPT Surgery section and covers its guidelines. The chapter also focuses on the CPT Surgery General and Integumentary System subsections. Lesson Objective Define key terms. Explain the organization, format, and content of the CPT Surgery section. Interpret CPT surgery section guidelines and modifiers. Interpret CPT surgery coding notes for the General and Integumentary System subsections. Assign CPT surgery codes from the General and Integumentary System subsections. Add CPT and/or HCPCS level II modifiers to codes as appropriate. Surgery Section Organization The Surgery section is the largest section in CPT and its subsections are organized anatomically. Selecting the appropriate surgery code requires a careful review of the patient record to determine the procedures and services provided. The basic organization of the Surgery section is by major body system, with headings and subheadings based on anatomic site and/or type of procedure. The CPT Surgical Package Definition See pages 481-482 of the 3-2-1 Code It! text; What services are always included? Read the Surgery Guidelines at the beginning of the Surgery Section in the CPT code book. Surgical Modifiers If services are provided by more than one physician, what modifiers do you use? When do you use them? Read about unusual services and treatments. What is the modifier to show unusual services? When do you use it? Find the modifier for a separate procedure. What is the definition of separate procedure? What modifier would you use to show a distinct procedural service? Integumentary System Integumentary procedures include incision, biopsy removal, paring/curettement, shaving, destruction, excision, repair, adjacent tissue rearrangements, grafts, flaps, and specialized services. Refer to the definitions of surgical terms in the textbook.

Why did Operation Barbarossa Fail?

Why did Operation Barbarossa Fail? Before Operation Barbarossa was launched, Hitler and Germany have great success on invasion and battles, except Battle of Britain. Hitler invaded Poland in 1931, attacked Belgium, France, and Holland, battle with Britain. But when he comes to invading Soviet Union, the operation was the beginning of Hitler’s downfall. Operation Barbarossa is a code name for German’s invasion of USSR. That operation was launch on June 22, 1941, and because it was launched at that time, Germany has to deal with one of the biggest problem when they were invading Soviet Union winter. It was the largest military attack in World War Two. Operation Barbarossa was the turning point of World War Two, and reason why is because the invasion of Soviet Union is one of the biggest mistakes Hitler makes in World War Two. The idea of invading Soviet Union is not the problem, but the way Hitler did it. Operation Barbarossa failed because Germany used weak military forces, had poor logistics and plannin g, and failed to win the Battle of Stalingrad, which is one of the main battles in Operation Barbarossa. First of all, Germany has weak army and military forces. Their condition, military forces, army were weaker than Red army. One of the main problems is the winter in Russia. German’s army and military forces can’t handle the winter in Russia. â€Å"The German tanks had narrow treads with little traction and poor flotation in mud. In contrast, the new generation of Soviet tanks such as the T-34 and KV had wider tracks and were far more mobile in these conditions.† (Operation Barbarossa) According to the information above, Soviet Union has more reliable and improved vehicles than Germany’s. Their military forces such as tanks were not good as Soviet Union’s. They were also not prepared for the weather and Soviet Union’s poor road network, even reaching to certain destination was also hard for them. â€Å"Consequently, the troops were not equipped with adequate cold-weather gear, and some soldiers had to pack newspapers into their jackets to sta y warm while temperatures dropped to record levels of at least -30  °C (-22  °F). To operate furnaces and heaters, the Germans also burned precious fuel that was difficult to re-supply.† (Operation Barbarossa) Besides transportation problem caused by the winter, German’s army were also affected by the winter. Their equipment and gears were not fit for the weather. For example, they have to burn fuel, which is a very important supplies and very hard to get, to keep them warm. On the other hand, Soviet Union’s troops have warmer clothing. Their vehicles such as aircraft also weren’t in a good condition, because sometimes fuel will freezes and soldiers will have to took time to fixed it, otherwise those vehicles can not be used. Lubricants for vehicles were also useless as well in such a cold weather in Russia. These supplies such as lubricants, oil, fuel, were extremely important, because these supplies keep German’s military forces such as guns, vehicles in action and a good condition. Second reasons were German’s poor logistics and planning strategy. One of the reasons is because Germany was way too confidents, they’ve over underestimated Soviet Union. That leads to unrealistic, poor strategy and logistics. â€Å"The invasion had three main objectives. Army Group Center, consisting of 1.3 million troops, 2,600 tanks and 7,800 artillery pieces, mounted a massive drive on Moscow. Meanwhile, Army Group North, consisting of 700,000 troops, 770 tanks and 4,000 artillery pieces.† (Erik Sass, Operation Barbarossa: The Biggest Military Adventure in History) Hitler uses the strategy called â€Å"blitzkrieg†, or â€Å"lightning war†. This is the same strategy Hitler use to defeat France and Poland, but this doesn’t work on Soviet Union. Soviet Union was also surprised by this invasion, due to Stalin’s belief Germany won’t attack it’s own allied, especially after signing the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Due to the di fficulty of getting fuel for supplies, Germany sometimes has not enough fuel to reach to the destination. Their army doesn’t have enough ammunition and other supplies as well. Food was never important to Hitler. Because it is hard to get supplies while in the frontline of battlefield or marching toward the heartland of Russia, Hitler has to choose between food, ammunition, and warm clothes, Hitler mostly choose ammunition instead of others. â€Å"Commanders in the field relied on foraging local livestock to feed the soldiers and this continued until such time when shortages resulted in troops eating their units horses.† (MAJ Loganathan, Failure Of Logistics In â€Å"Operation Barbarossa† And Its Relevance Today) By September 1941, Germany was winning and the invasion was successful so far. They have already conquered Kiev and Odessa, and pushing forward to Leningrad and Moscow. â€Å"By December 1941, the combined German armies had killed 360,000 Soviet soldier s, wounded one million, and captured two million more, for total Red Army losses of around 3.4 million by the end of the year. In six months, German troops and their allies advanced up to 600 miles and occupied over 500,000 square miles of Soviet territory, home to 75 million people.† (Erik Sass, Operation Barbarossa: The Biggest Military Adventure in History) Finally, Germany lost the battle of Stalingrad, which is the turning point of this operation. Before this battle, Hitler was mostly success in this invasion. â€Å"Russians consider it to be the greatest battle of their Great Patriotic War, and most historians consider it to be the greatest battle of the entire conflict.† (Battle of Stalingrad) The Battle of Stalingrad was started at 17 July 1942, in this battle Soviet Union successfully defend the city of Stalingrad. One of the reasons why Stalingrad is important is that it was Russia’s main communication center in the south. German’s commander was General Paulus, and his main goal was to secure the oil field in Caucasus, on the other hand, Russia would try not to let Germany secure the oil field. German’s army had to deal with and handle the winter in Russia while fighting with Soviet Union. That makes Germany harder to defeat their enemies. Zhukov, Russian commander, used strategy to go around the city and trap German’s army. At this point, Hitler still refused to give up, and commanded General Paulus to hold their ground. â€Å"Hitler ordered that Paulus should fight to the last bullet, and to encourage Paulus, he promoted him to field marshal. However, by the end of January 1943, the Germans could do nothing else but surrender. Paulus surrendered the army in the southern sector on January 31st while General Schreck surrendered the northern group on February 2nd, 1943.† (Battle of Stalingrad) 91,000 soldiers were taken as prisoners and about 150,000 men were lost. That’s a huge lost for Germany and their military had been weaken since then. In conclusion, Operation Barbarossa was one of the greatest mistakes Hitler had made. It was the turning point of World War Two. Operation Barbarossa failed because Germany used weak military forces, had poor logistics and planning, and failed to win the Battle of Stalingrad, which is one of the main battles in Operation Barbarossa. The major problem that leads to the failure of this operation was the winter in Russia. That cause many major and minor problems such as weaker military forces, poor transportation. Russian army also has better equipment, gears, vehicles that suit the situation more. Second is that Germany has poor logistics and planning strategy. Germany has over underestimated Soviet Union, and their army, supplies were too confident. That leads to unrealistic, poor strategy and logistics. Finally, Germany lost the Battle of Stalingrad, which is a important major battle in Operation Barbarossa. German’s army was surrounded and Hitler makes the wrong call. Works Cited â€Å"Operation Barbarossa†. New World Encyclopedia. Web. 12 May 2015. MLJ Loganathan. â€Å"Failure Of Logistics In â€Å"Operation Barbarossa† And It’s Relevance Day†. mindef. gov. sg. Web. 12 May 2015. â€Å"Battle of Stalingrad†. History.com. A+E Networks. 2009. Web. 12 May 2015. Erik Sass. â€Å"Operation Barbarossa: The Biggest Military Adventure in History†. Mental_floss. Web. 12 May 2015. Chris Trueman. â€Å"The Battle of Stalingrad†. History Learning Site. 2014. Web. 12 May 2015. Professor Richard Overy. â€Å"The Soviet-German War 1941-1945†. BBC. Web. 12 May 2015. Kennedy Hickman. â€Å"World War II: Battle of Stalingrad†. about education. Web. 12 May 2015.

Sustainable Product Design And Materials Recycling Environmental Sciences Essay

Sustainable Product Design And Materials Recycling Environmental Sciences Essay Over the last three decades, environmental issues have become a significant concern for all societies. With growing awareness of environmental issues, for instance, Air Pollution, Global Warming, Water Pollution and Ozone Depletion, sustainability has been gaining increasing attention in recent years. (Roy, R. 2000) However, according to Tseng, M. et al. (2012), currently it is generally not sustainable that models of consumption and the Manufacturing systems which based on traditional activities and business technologies. Therefore, sustainability has captured the attentions of most designers, regardless of their specialism. In other word, designers have to consider the sustainable aspects of their practices in order to adapt to a sustainable future. The choice of recycled materials used to make product is important, allied with the way in which they are used. (Manheim, J. 2009) The literature review is based upon the examples from Internet and books that were found to have relevanc e to the topic of sustainable product design and recycled materials. And this literature review will aim to bring together the most key examples and developments in recycled materials and sustainable product design from recent years in order to establish what the present state of the art is. (G.D. Hatcher et al., 2011) In the final part, it will demonstrate the significance and limitations of sustainable product design made from recycled materials and from this provide suggestions as to where the research should go next. Sustainable product design and materials recycling A sustainable product design also known as eco-design, green design or design for environment, and it depends on two things: what types of designs are made, and in what quantity they are made (Matthew, S. and Andrew, S. 1997). In other words designing with recycled materials is actually depending on the type of waste objects that you have access to. While from the environment aspect, Lennart (2007) suggested that a sustainable product is a product, which will give as little impact on the environment as possible during its life cycle. And sustainable products applying environmental criteria aimed at the prevention of waste and emissions and the minimization of their environmental impact, along the material life cycle of the product. (Weenen, J. C., 1995) Sustainable product design can be characterized by several factors; for instance, recycling materials through the design for environment is one of key factors, which includes design for remanufacturing, design disassembly and for sust ainability. Employment of cleaner production principles of preventive strategy and source-oriented approaches are equally essential in sustainable design practices (Tseng, M. 2012). It is generally useful to define a sustainable product or at least to have some measures of degree of sustainability. It is agreed that the principles of eco-design can be considered the running of resources in the environment. Recycled materials include collecting a large number of already made products and materials from various sources and reducing them to other standardized raw materials objects; original product form and function is totally discarded or partial changed. The main consideration of sustainable product design made from recycled materials is to facilitate the reduction or changing process, and involves approaches such as (1) modifying the materials mix, (2) recycling for disassembly, (3) designing for recycling process compatibility, and (4) adopting materials coding systems. (Fuller, D.A. and Ottman, J.A. 2004) Designer and artist worked with recycled materials Julia Manheim is a famous designer and having gained an international for her work. In the early 1970s, her concern for the disposal of materials started and found that she was fond of collecting piles of Guardian newspapers and disliked anything to going to waste. (Manheim, J. 2009) She collected various waste materials in her life such as chocolate wrappers, burnt film, toothbrush heads, plastic carrier bags, etc. then made them into creative jewelries. Her research is about how to recycle existing materials in different approaches to give it a second life and a new meaning. Accordingly, this might be achieved by altering it, using it in different ways, cutting it up, adding to it, covering it up, or casting it in another recycled material. These are all methods of reusing and reinterpreting what is here already, rather than having to start from scratch. Also she started to develop a sensibility for looking at and seeking the potential in old product and then changed it into the ne w one. It seems that intervention can be minimal, and materials do not always need to undergo a total transformation to become to a new thing; they just require handling with sensitivity and an awareness of their inherent properties. The product made from recycled materials can be equally unusual and creative if the recycled elements are easily identifiable. It depends on how inventively the materials are reused and put together. (Lea, V. 1997) Fashion designers are also chasing this eco-trend, take Gary Harvey, for example, he can recycle waste materials from his life such as a piece of old jeans, newspapers, some trench coats, army jackets or wedding dresses and turn them into new amazing dresses with eco-conscious. Gary Harvey is the former Creative designer of Levi Strauss and Dockers Europe director for Levis. An impressive creation was made from cans, cardboard boxes and bottle tops. People admire him about designing a surprising dress made from old jeans, newspapers, or even juice packages. Some people may have a question about the wearability of a designing dress out of waste materials. However, this dress is an environmentally friendly dress, which people can be worn for special occasions. It will help people spread the information of helping the environment and with unique style. His most recycled materials were from everyday life which made me consider how everyday domestic objects, found around the house or at a local shop, can be used to make sustainable product. In addition, I started pay attention to the relationship between my recycled objects and fashion. The Nike shoes are successful example of an eco-design product which is environmentally and sustainably. Steve Nash who is the All-Star Guard for the Phoenix Suns and Nike has made up a team to produce the Nike Trash Talk, the first Nike performance basketball shoes completely produced from manufacturing waste materials. The emphasis of this design was aim to create a sustainable, high-performance basketball shoe. Nike used manufacturing waste materials, such as, leather materials and synthetic leather waste from the products factory floor for the upper replace using toxic adhesives; used zigzag stitching to sew the upper together. The mid-sole was made up of scrap-ground foam from factory production materials. Nike recycled waste materials from their own manufacturing-with a low-toxin, environmentally preferred rubber to make an outsole which contains 96% fewer toxins. Even the shoelaces and sock liners were made from environmentally preferred materials. Finally, the shoes were pack aged in a fully recycled cardboard shoebox. The company tends to encourage the designers to design more sustainable products. Significance and limitations Girlamy (2008) suggested that recycling materials and transforming them into new sustainable products is a win-win trend. Designers and artists who designing sustainable product out of recycled materials are taking an object at the end of its useful life and changing it into a helpful raw material to make another new object. (Manheim, J. 2009) As a consumer, you are helping the development of eco-friendly environment when you support businesses that remanufacture products such as clothing and furniture made from recycled materials. Scientists are finding our planets landfills are filling at an alarming rate; many of the landfills filled with waste materials will remain for thousands of years. As a consequence, it will be disastrous if we do not follow the trend of using sustainable product made from recycled materials. Material recycling reduces the demand for raw materials and thus protecting the environment and preserving resources. It reduces the pollution of air and water allied with energy usage. The consumer in turn is rewarded by gaining some products which are special and exquisite when they choose a sustainable product with recycled materials. This is because, products made from waste materials are often handcrafted and manufactured by a fair trade organization that provides a fair wage and favorable working conditions for their workers. But there are clearly very few truly sustainable designs. As discussed above, humans have received a considerable number of benefits from sustainable product design, and the demand for sustainability to designer is increasing. However, sustainable product design has its limitations. In particular, an eco-friendly advantageous change in one aspect of a Green design may have contrary environmental influences elsewhere in its life cycle which may outweigh any benefits. For example, the avoidance of potentially toxic materials may decrease a designs lifetime and therefore require it to be replaced more frequent, consequently, eco-designs may consume more energy and generate more pollution than it saves. (Roy, R. 2000) The designers should not only consider the sustainability in their design activities, but also need to grasp the economic, technical, social and cultural background of their designs in various areas. In other words, designers need to consider long-term benefits rather than current benefits. Sustainability should also be of concern not only to the designers, but also to every company or organization. This is because, sustainable product design is an integrated design process driven by whole-system thinking.

The motherboard is the main circuit board of a microcomputer Essay

January 28, 2005   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The motherboard is the main circuit board of a microcomputer. The motherboard contains the connectors for attaching additional boards. Typically, the motherboard contains the CPU, BIOS, memory, mass storage interfaces, serial and parallel ports, expansion slots, and all the controllers required to control standard peripheral devices, such as the display screen, keyboard, and disk drive. Collectively, all these chips that reside on the motherboard are known as the motherboard's chipset. On most PCs, it is possible to add memory chips directly to the motherboard. You may also be able to upgrade to a faster CP by replacing the CPU chip. To add additional core features, you may need to replace the motherboard entirely. (Glossary)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Also known as the logic board, main board, or computer board, the motherboard is the computer's main board and in most cases holds all CPU, memory, and I/O functions or has expansion slots for them†. (Kingston) The motherboard is the most important part of your computer. It is also one of the most compared, critiqued, and reviewed pieces of hardware. Often, on the internet, you'll find reviews and debates over which board is best or which chipset is best. The chipset controls the system and its capabilities. It is the hub of all data transfer. It is a series of chips on the motherboard, easily identified as the largest chips on the board with the exception of the CPU. Chip s...

The Bill of Rights Essay -- American History

Bill of Rights We live in the 21st century, where most Americans mind their own business but take for granted our God given rights. Not only God given rights but also those established by our founding forefathers. This paper will illustrate and depict the importance of the original problems faced when adopting the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It will discuss the importance of the first amendment, the due process of the 4th, 5th, 6th, and the 8th amendments. Last but not least the importance of what is known as the â€Å"second Bill of Rights† (14th amendment). What problems with the original document motivated the adoption of the Bill of Rights? Many felt the Constitution was strongly focused on the power and authority the central government would have over the states and the people. Such supporter was Thomas Jefferson, who said, â€Å"bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on the earth, general or particular, and what no just government should refuse.† Thomas Jefferson December 20, 1787 (American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU], 2002). The Constitution was set up with a system of checks and balances between the three branches of government. For its time it was remarkable but was flawed in expressing what it could do, but nowhere did it say what it could not. This was the great argument by the Anti-Federalist. Second, the Anti-Federalist would only support the Constitution if Congress was to include the proposed Bill of Rights. This would ensure the unalienable rights would be protected. Federalist No.84 says. â€Å"In the course of the foregoing review of the Constitution, I have taken notice of, and endeavored to answer most of the objections which have appeared against it. There, however, remai... ...brief-history Coates, R. E. (1995-99). Freedom of the Press . Retrieved November 12, 2010, from http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff1600.htm Freedom of assembly and association. (N.D.). Retrieved November 16, 2010, from http://www.hrea.org/index.php?doc_id=406 Hamilton, A. (n.d.). Certain General and Miscellaneous Objections to the Constitution Considered and Answered. Retrieved November 16, 2010, from http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fed_84.html Morse v. Frederick. (2007). Retrieved November 16, 2010, from http://oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2006/2006_06_278 Patterson, T. E. (2009,2008,2005,2003,2001,1999,1997,1993,1990). The American Democracy (9th ed.). [Adobe reader]. Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/TOC.aspx?assetdataid=d779f52a-1e20-4dad-a9af-b169cc8fe798&assetmetaid=972de29b-d180-4689-8f49-21b4f77c72a3

Melodrama Essay -- Literary Analysis,Steve Neal, Christine Gledhil

There are many debates in Film Studies over what films count as melodramas. Film scholar Steve Neale’s essay, â€Å"Melodrama and the Woman’s film,† describes the paradigm shift that melodrama has experienced from the Silent era to the 70’s. On the other hand, Christine Gledhill’s essay, â€Å"Rethinking Genre† and â€Å"The Melodramatic Field: An Investigation,† suggest that melodrama is just a mode and, not, in fact, a genre. While Thomas Elsaesser’s essay â€Å"Tales of Sound and Fury: Observations on The Family Melodrama,† identifies the different types of melodrama. But what is a true form of the melodrama genre? At first, it might be difficult to understand why an animated film such as Curious George made my nephew ask me why he felt like crying when the monkey was separated from his zookeeper, and proceeded to ask why the film made him sad. What my little nephew didn’t know was that I also cried. Melodrama tic films are those that make you cry: films that have an essence of verisimilitude, evoke pathos, and use music to accentuate the ‘drama.’ In this essay, I will take elements of Neale, Elsaesser, and Gledhill’s discourses on melodrama to support my definition. By the end of this essay, I will give a brief explanation on why the melodramatic film as the contemporary drama is important and universally understood. In order for a film to be considered to be a melodrama it has to have a presence of verisimilitude. In other words, a melodramatic film has to mimic real life. According to Elsaesser’s essay, he says that, â€Å"even if the situations and sentiments defied all categories of verisimilitude and were totally unlike anything in real life, the structure had a truth and a life of its own, which artists could make part of their material (37... ...ealizes the loss Pita is going to have. By adulthood, one is familiar with extreme sadness and true suffering. Most adults know the feeling of never being able to say you love someone because they have passed on. Or, losing your favorite toy. Even if you haven’t gone through such life changing events, we have all experienced the separation from our mother’s womb into the world. Our first cry is our first trauma that is implanted into our psyche. That’s why in Melodramatic films are solemnly those of great pathos that make the spectator cry because they familiarizes with the pain (even a five year old can understand), and there are cries of joy at the end for the purpose of catharsis which relieves of trauma of separation. (Why is crying therapeutic? How does it relieve this trauma? Does it cause us to confront the anxiety of separation you are referring to?)

Everything has to evolve or else it perishes Essay

Denial, and acceptance, these words are intertwined with innocence, and the loss of said innocence. In order for one to mature one has to accept the truth and make necessary adjustments. The people who deny the truth don’t experience the â€Å"fall from innocence† and may be blind to the things going on around them. If the innocent chooses to accept the truth the characters â€Å"evolves† and falls from innocence. If a character chooses to deny the truth it will take a toll on the character mentally, or physically. In A Separate Peace, John Knowles uses the archetype of the Fall from Innocence in order to illustrate Leper’s philosophy, â€Å"Everything has to evolve or else it perishes. † He demonstrates this theme through the characters of Leper, Finny, and Gene. Gene is a character in the book who loses his innocence. Gene is smart young man attending attending Devon school. He is best friend’s with Finny. Gene is always competing with Finny, most of the time Finny doesn’t realize this. Finny is oblivious to many of the things going around him and is always happy. Finny’s attitude and the way he carries himself frustrate Gene. Finny is â€Å"perfect† and nothing ever seems to go wrong in Finny’s life. Gene becomes jealous of Finny and begins to resent Finny for trying to sabotage his academics. These feelings of jealousy eventually cause Gene to push Finny off the tree. Gene tries to preserve his innocence by attempting to convince himself that he was not responsible for the fall and that it must have mysteriously happened. The fall shattered Finny’s legs. Deep down Gene knew that he was responsible for Finny’s fall. This experience was traumatizing for Gene. Gene would have to deal with the fact that HE was responsible for Finny not being able to do anything he loved. Gene was responsible for Finny not being able to be in the Olympics, not being able to enlist, and causing Finny to eventually lose his innocence. Gene was directly responsible for his best friend’s problems and he couldn’t ignore it. Gene chose not to enlist to stay with Finny, he chose to train for the Olympics for Finny, he probably would have done more if he had to. Gene did these to protect his innocence, and make himself feel better. He did not want to believe he was responsible and was trying to make up for the fall by doing these. After the fallt things don’t get better for Gene. It isn’t until Leper’s testimony that he must accept what he has done. When Leper confirms that it was not an accident and that Gene was responsible for breaking his best friend’s legs Gene can no longer pretend that everything is fine. Everyone including Finny knew that Gene was responsible. Gene could no longer act like he did not do it. Gene had to cope with his actions and their consequences. Accepting his actions are what lead to Gene losing his innocence. Finny is an example of the Innocent archetype, who â€Å"perishes† when he denies the truth. Finny is a prime example of the innocent, he seeks safety, he is naive and doesn’t understand or want to understand the evils of the world. Finny’s loss comes at the hands of his best friend Gene. Finny’s fall begins when he and Gene decide to jump off the tree and Finny falls off the tree. Finny is an exceptional athlete and has jumped off the tree many times. In his mind nothing like this could ever happen, he’s done things like this many times before, and has done them well. Falling off the tree could have never been his fault and he knew that. That is why he looked at Gene with â€Å"extreme interest† as he fell. Somewhere in his mind he felt that Gene could have been responsible for this but he didn’t want to believe this and chose not to. He could not believe that his best friend could have pushed him off the tree which led could have led to things for more severe than broken legs. When Gene tells Finny that he was responsible for his fall Finny continues to deny this and even apologizes for thinking Gene could have been responsible. Later on in the book when Brinker tries to find the truth about the fall and Finny has no choice but to accept the truth he continues to deny it. Rather than hearing all of the truth, that Gene was responsible for his fall, which would destroy his world he decides to leave the presence of everyone else. Finny’s suspicions were right but he, the innocent boy, can’t accept that anybody would be cruel enough to push him off the tree. As he takes the stairs to leave, he slips and falls. This fall would later be the cause of his death. Finny refuses to grow up, and accept the events taking place in his life, regardless of the evidence that shows his perfect world has many imperfections. His clouded judgement and refusal to accept the truth and evolve eventually leads to his death. Leper’s loss is portrayed through his insanity. Leper was once a sane, quiet boy who was interested in skiing, and went to school with Gene, and Finny. One day Leper found out that the army had skiing patrol and his passion for skiing lead to him enlisting in the army. Leper’s decision to enlist in the army was not influenced by the possible consequences and responsibilities of the war but by his passion to ski. Leper was not aware of the reality of the war, and what was going to happen once he enlisted. His innocence led him to believe that nothing bad could come from the war and he would only be skiing. Once he faced the reality of the war Leper could not handle it. The traumatic experiences from the war led to his insanity and him leaving the war. Leper was a timid, innocent boy who had not been exposed to the horrors of the real world and the war. Once he enlisted he had to face a world that he could not handle, his innocence was lost. In A Separate Peace three boys, Finny, Gene, and Leper all experience a â€Å"Fall from Innocence. † The three characters have to deal with circumstances they have never dealt with before. Not prepared to handle these events they experience a â€Å"Fall from Innocence. †

Capitalism and the American Dream

SOCI 2013 17 April 2013 How Capitalism Affects the American Dream Capitalism is defined as â€Å"an economic system in which the ownership of the means of production- like land, factories, large sums of money, and machines – is in private hands† (SOC 10). Social Philosopher Karl Marx strongly believed that in the end, capitalism simply wouldn’t work for several different reasons. His idea became known as Marxian conflict theory. While the functionalist theory examines groups’ order and cohesion, the conflict theory examines ways groups disagree and struggle for power.Marx predicted that capitalism would cause continuous tension between the haves and the have -not’s; the have-not’s mostly being the minorities and the poor. He believed that capitalist societies would be reduced to two social classes; the capitalist class (the bourgeoisie or the rich) and the working class (the proletariat or the poor), and that this division would eventually ca use some sort of social upheaval. Generation Y is in trouble with the years to come seeing as it is against the odds that one will becomes part of the small percentage of people that are the capitalists.If our economic system remains the same, the generations to come will become nothing more than workers for the bourgeoisie. Karl Marx gave five reasons in particular as to why capitalism will fail. It will result in monopolies, inflation, unemployment, lack of income, and the wealthy ultimately ruling the world and making the rules. This all will result in reduced quality goods, poverty, poor legislation, and people not being able to afford the necessities of life.The first reason Marx gave as to why capitalism won’t work is that in a capitalist economy, monopolies are unavoidable. A monopoly is when one supplier of a particular commodity is the only supplier. Monopolies eliminate competition. This gives the supplier the power to charge high prices and reduce the quality of th e products because the consumers don’t have any other choices. An example of this would be cable TV verses things like Dish TV, the iPad, and Netflix. Not as many people want to pay for cable when it is much easier and cheaper to view television shows and movies n other ways. The same concept is happening to land line phones. Gasoline companies are obvious example of monopolies, in which the easiest mode of transportation is a motor vehicle. In this case, people eventually will have no choice but to purchase gasoline. OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) now controls 46% of all the oil produced in the world, making it a huge global monopoly. Paying high prices for lower quality products will only cause more and more problems for future generations.The second reason Marx gave was that because there is no centralized planning in capitalism, meaning that over-production of products is inevitable, and in turn, causes inflation and depressions. Over production is when too many goods are produced and supply outdoes demand. Companies are left with stocks they cannot sell and are forced to shut down as a result. Another reason capitalism doesn’t work is that unemployment levels are raised. Demands for labor saving machinery force employers to let people go.The worldwide unemployment rate is 6% while the United States, a capitalistic economy, has an unemployment rate of about 8%. According to Marx, unemployment is unavoidable in our economic system. Unemployment also plays into the fourth reason Marx gave, which is that employers will try to maximize their profits by reducing labor expenses and firing people, thus creating a situation where the unemployed don’t have enough income to buy the goods produced, creating the contradiction of causing profits to fall, which starts the cycle all over again.The fifth, and perhaps the most startling reason Marx gave, is that the control of the state will be by the wealthy, the effect of wh ich is laws benefiting themselves. The wealthiest 1% of people in the United States control 42% of the wealth in our country. Many of these super rich are the ones that own the monopolies like the oil suppliers or are politicians that make laws that are ultimately in their favor. Even if a person in the generations to come were to work hard and have a good paying, stable job, it is still very unlikely that they will be one of he super rich, allowing them to be safe from the current and/or potential economic depressions. Thus, it is safe to conclude that Marx was correct in his predictions that a capitalistic country will eventually fail. Works Cited Amadeo, Kimberly. â€Å"Monopoly. † About. com. N. p.. Web. 15 Apr 2013. . Benokraitis, Nijole. SOC. 2nd Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2012. 9,10,14,151,152. Print. Kopicatsu, . â€Å"Karl Marx: Why Capitalism Will Fail. † The Escapist. N. p. , 16 Sept 2011. Web. 15 Apr 2013. lt;http://www. escapistmaga zine. com/forums/read/528. 313395-Karl-Marx-Why-Capitalism-Will-Fail> â€Å"Top 1 Percent Control 42 Percent of Financial Wealth in the U. S. – How Average Americans are Lured into Debt Servitude by Promises of Mega Wealth.. † My Budget 360. N. p.. Web. 15 Apr 2013. . â€Å"Unemployment. † Wikipedia. N. p. , 13 Apr 2013. Web. 15 Apr 2013. .

Oligopoly Problems

Oligopoly Problems (Note that second page has some partial answers so that you can check yourself. I think these are correct, but I did it quickly. So I will offer one bonus point per mistake for the first person who finds the mistake in my answers with a maximum of 3 points per student. ): 1) Demand is given by P=100-Q/2. Two firms compete according to the Cournot model and each has TC=10q. What profit does each firm earn?How would your answer change if the second firm observed the first firm’s decision (this is the Stackleberg problem)? 2) Demand is given by P=80-2Q. There are three identical firms each with TC=10. Find the profit of a firm if they each pick quantity simultaneously (Cournot). Find the Profit of a firm if the each pick price simultaneously (Bertrand). 3) Suppose there are n firms that compete according to the Cournot model and that each has MC = C. If demand is given by P=A-BQ, what profits will a firm earn?What would a cartel do? 4) Factory 1 has TC=20q +10 and Factory 2 has TC=10q. If both factories are operated by rivals who compete according to the Cournot model, what profits would each earn assuming that demand is given by P=180-Q? If this was one firm (a cartel) what would it do (hint: if the one firm decided to operate both factories it would want MC to be the same at both locations or else it could increase profits my shifting where it produced)? 5) Firm 1’s demand is given by P=49-q1+0. 5q2 and Firm 2’s demand is given by P=49-q2+0. 25q1. If TC=q2 +5 for each, what profit will each firm earn? What kinds of goods are the two firm’s selling? 1) q1=60 and q2=60 for Cournot while q1=90 and q2 = 45 for Stackleberg. 2) Under Cournot, q1= q2 = q3 =10. Under Bertrand, the firms will push price down to 0. 3) Each firm will produce q = (A-C)/[B(n+1)] under the Cournot solution. 4) In the competitive situation, q1=50 and q2= 60. 5) Each firm would make q=13. 07.

Legalizing gambling Essay

Gambling is legal in many places, it’s not either a criminal or dangerous activity provided it is done responsibly, and in accordance with the law. Have you ever wagered on a game? If so you were gambling and should have been fined. Lawmakers have decided that it is evil to gamble, they have justified it as a means to scam billions from citizens in order to compensate for their mismanagement of tax revenue. They pass laws that could put a taxpayer in jail for placing a single dollar wager on a pool game. Legalizing gambling nationally could potentially benefit our economic situation. All gambling was once legal. Looking back only 75-100 years ago most of our states had lotteries in place. Over the past century, as a result of abuse and moral fervor the majority forms of gambling have been prohibited. The history of gambling in the United States evolved from Europe. The Puritans and Quakers took little time to create first laws against gambling in 1638. Casino gambling is becoming increasingly popular especially in southern states. Native Americans are allowed to establish bingo parlors and casinos on their reservations, although Las Vegas and Atlantic City remain gambling tourist top destination choice. Many states allow horse and dog racing tracks and then there’s the people who bet on sporting events, card games, and almost anything you can imagine in the privacy of their own home. The first thing to do is to regulate gambling, both land-based and online. After the legislative base is created and regulation covers every aspect of the gambling industry, it’s half way to being legalized. I don’t see why we should lose a couple dollars to a pool hustler, when we could be hustled legally by the state. Gambling offers individuals the adrenaline rush that greater opportunity lies within their own hands. People should not be denied an activity that they enjoy partaking in. Government can earn revenues from legalized gambling which can be diverted towards bettering our society. Legalizing gambling would increase employment opportunities in society which could help to reduce the amount of working capable people out of a job. Gambling establishments have shown to increase employment opportunities as well as improve tourism in the right areas. The presence of gambling establishments is also beneficial to society because they can contribute the revenues to local governments which then could use the profits for social programs that would benefit both gamblers and non gamblers. Legalized commercial gambling is becoming an increasing controversy within our state governments. There is no doubt that many different forms of legalized gambling has exploded in the region and around the country, if the government gives full support of legalization they will be doing all US citizens a favor. Some argue that gambling is an addiction, one that can become dangerous and harmful to the general public. The truth is that like all other influenced jobs it can be a way of making a living for yourself and your family. Though there are a lot of people that struggle with an addiction to gambling, there are probably just as many people who are responsible gamblers and have enough self control to moderate there wagering hobbies. Legalizing gambling nationally will help stimulate our struggling economy in many ways. If our government would be willing to try to implement new laws to legalize and regulate it theres no way a short time period of testing these ideas would leave any permanent damage on our nation.

Fluid Boundaries in Reality TV Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Fluid Boundaries in Reality TV - Essay Example Reality TV constructs the boundary between the ordinary and extraordinary by depicting and contributing to ambiguities between reality and fiction. Bourdon explores the changing definitions of reality TV in â€Å"Self-Despotism: Reality Television and the New Subject of Politics†. He notes that while the media industry was initially slow to label the genre of reality TV, scholars used the label to help them analyse the growing social interest in it: â€Å"Among academics, reality television is an ideal notion for theorists like Jason Mittell who seek to...use them simply as one element of a set of wider ‘discursive practices’ that help to categorize texts†. The category launches and supports scholarly inquiries. Reality TV, however, has changed dramatically since the anthropologist, Margaret Mead, called attention to the new Public Broadcasting System series, An American Family, which captured the lives of the Louds, a middle-class California family. Mead d escribes the show as â€Å"a new kind of art for,† an innovative form that can be â€Å"as significant as the invention of drama or the novel†. Sanneh, in the article â€Å"The Reality Principle,† stresses that since An American Family, reality TV has become an â€Å"amorphous category† because of emerging new forms of TV shows that depict themselves as reality TV, such as What Not to Wear and The Apprentice. She is concerned of the â€Å"reality† in some of these current reality TV shows, when assumptions about beauty are based on fiction

The Biology of Sleep Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

The Biology of Sleep - Essay Example Human beings often underestimate the importance of sleep in their lives. Contrary to popular belief, sleep is not a passive phenomenon. It is a dynamic process during which the body recharges, recovers and recuperates. Several physiological systems of the body undergo repair while we sleep. Thus, sleep deprivation can lead to serious health implications. According to the National Sleep Foundation in the United States, human infants require as much as sixteen hours of sleep, while human adults require about eight to nine hours of sleep every night. Women in the first 3 months of pregnancy often need several more hours of sleep than usual. The amount of sleep a person needs also increases if he or she has been deprived of sleep in previous days. Sleep is particularly important for the brain. Even 24 hours of continuous wakefulness can lead to reduced memory and concentration ability, hallucination and mood swings. Precisely how sleep affects human beings is still an area of intense research. Scientists are still trying to comprehend the molecular and physiological functioning of the body in the sleeping stage. But studies conducted so far have only reiterated that sleep is essential for survival. One such study conducted on rats revealed that sleep deprived rats had a severely shortened life span and a breakdown in the immune system. The normal life span of rats is 2-3 years, however sleep deprived rats live for only 3 weeks. These rats develop abnormal low body temperatures and sores on their tails and paws. (Mostaghimi, 2005) Researches conducted over the ages have theorised about the possible functions of sleep. As mentioned earlier, healing and repair are two of the key functions of sleep. A study conducted revealed that sleep hastened the healing process of burn wounds in rats. (Gumustekin et al, 2004) Sleep also forms an important means of energy conservation especially when a person is ill. This probably happens because cytokines, chemicals our immune systems produce while fighting an infection, are powerful sleep-inducing chemicals. Sleep may help the body conserve energy and other resources that the immune system needs to mount an attack. The body is in a quiescent stage while sleeping and considerably less energy is spent in the physiological functioning of the body. Sleep might also be an anabolic state marked by physiological processes of growth and rejuvenation of the organism's immune, nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems (with some exceptions). When a person is in deep sleep, growth hormo nes are released in the body. Also, proteins, which form the building blocks of the body, are produced in large numbers during sleep. The most important function underway in a sleeping human being is memory processing. Scientists have successfully correlated sleep to memory. Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. More specifically, working memory was shown to be adversely affected by sleep deprivation. Working memory keeps information active for further processing and supports higher-level cognitive functions such as decision making, reasoning, and episodic memory. (Turner, 2007) Stages of Sleep A human being usually passes through five stages of sleep. The first four stages can be

DECONSTRUCTION OF DRACULA BY BRAM STOKER EDITED BY JOHN PAUL RIQUELME Essay

DECONSTRUCTION OF DRACULA BY BRAM STOKER EDITED BY JOHN PAUL RIQUELME - Essay Example These ideas are exposed to greatest effect when using the critical perspective of deconstruction in an attempt to see the story from another character’s perspective. As these concepts are difficult to define or explain, literature provides examples and analogies that bridge gaps in understanding as well as pose new questions to be answered. It also helps us to understand how these ideas were being formed and reinforced within the society in which these texts were written. Bram Stoker’s story of Dracula is very popular and has been depicted in numerous films and other materials for years. It is therefore difficult to come to the book without any pre-conceived ideas about the plot. However, reading the book is vastly different from simply watching the movie and provides the opportunity to see the story as it really is – a collection of writings that may have been as much fiction as the novel itself. The book begins with the journal entries of Jonathan Harker, a British lawyer traveling through Transylvania in order to complete a deal for his employer with Count Dracula who resides deep within the Carpathian Mountains. Within this journal, Dracula is portrayed as a man charming enough to set his guest at ease despite a shrieking instinct and misgivings founded on village rumors. He is described as ‘courtly’, ‘charming’ and ‘courteous’ even as he provides his guest with a warm and comfortable luxury suite in which to stay (Stoker, 1897: Ch. 2). He has ruddy red lips that give him an â€Å"unexpected air of vitality† (Ch. 2), but his breath is horrendous, making Harker feel ill. Harker also comments upon Dracula’s extremely pale complexion, the unusually pointy teeth that protrude over his bottom lip and the icy cold touch of his hands, which have, incidentally, been manicured to provide him with very pointy fingernails. His jou rnal is so detailed because it