Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Explain the Physiology the Cardiovascular and the...

Explain the physiology the cardiovascular and the digestive system in the body in relation to energy metabolism in the body. Discuss the role of energy in the body and analyse how those two body systems interrelate to perform a named functions. For distinction analyse Energy it is the ability to do work. Energy cannot be destroyed but it can be changed to another form. Without energy we would not be able to growth or move. To stay alive we need regular and permanent supply of energy or else we would die. Without energy our body would not be able to carry out processes such as: * Growth and reconstructions of new cells and tissues as energy is necessary to supply biochemical reaction that then is building larger organic molecules†¦show more content†¦Break food into tiny parts, so that the useful elements of food could be absorbed into out bloodstream and sent through our body. 2. Get rid of useful parts of the food that our body can’t use. Digestion starts in mouth and it is going through several steps. Teeth which are a Mechanical digestion start tearing and crushing the food down into small pieces so that the food will smoothly run down our throat. The salivary glands are located underneath the back of our tongues and that’s what is creating our saliva. The saliva is the Chemical Digestion is helping soften the food in the mouth so it is easy to swallow. Also saliva is the first out of several chemicals that is breaking the food into smaller bits. The tongue is the muscle that works with the food and saliva to form something similar to balls that can be swallowed. Also tongue contains taste buds so that we know if the food is salt, sweet, sour or bitter. Esophangus is a simple transportation tube that is joining the throat with stomach. When swallowing we are closing a trap door in our throats called the epiglottis. By closing this trap we are preventing the food prom going to trachea and into our lungs. Also Food moves down the esophangus using muscles not gravity. Stomach is the first stop after the Esophangus. When the food gets into stomach the stomach uses chemicals to try to make the food smaller. These chemicals are called gastric juices and they include hydrochloric acid and enzymes. (Enzymes areShow MoreRelatedAssignment Brief to Break Down Unit 5 Health and Social Care Level 11545 Words   |  7 PagesTitle: Extended Diploma Level 3 in Health and Social Care Unit : 5 Assignment Title: Anatomy Physiology Scenario/Vocational Context: This unit introduces core knowledge of cellular structure and function, and the organisation of the body as a whole, and then builds on this to develop a more detailed knowledge of the fine anatomy and physiology of the systems involved in energy metabolism. Functional Skills Development: This assignment will give you the opportunity to develop skills

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Free Will Essay example - 1168 Words

Free Will I want to argue that there is indeed free will. In order to defend the position that free will means that human beings can cause some of what they do on their own; in other words, what they do is not explainable solely by references to factors that have influenced them. My thesis then, is that human beings are able to cause their own actions and they are therefore responsible for what they do. In a basic sense we are all original actors capable of making moves in the world. We are initiators of our own behavior. The first matter to be noted is that this view is in no way in contradiction to science. Free will is a natural phenomenon, something that emerged in nature with the emergence of human beings, with their†¦show more content†¦Dogs, lizards, fish, cats, frogs, etc.; have no free will and therefore it appears arbitrary to impute it to human beings. Why should we do things that the rest of nature lacks? It would be an impossible aberration. The answer here, is tha t there is enough variety in nature—some things swim, some fly, some just lie there, some breathe, some grow, while others do not; so there is plenty of evidence of plurality of types and kinds of things in nature. Discovering that something has free will could be yet another addition to all the varieties of nature. I am going to give four agruments on why, in my opinion free will exists. The first argument has to deal with determinism. If we are fully determined in what we think, believe and do, then of course the belief that determinism is true is also a result of this determinism. But the same is true for the belief that determinism is false. There is nothing you can do about whatever you believe—you had to believe it. There is no way to take an independent stance and consider the arguments unprejudiced because all various forces making us assimilate the evidence in the world just the way we do. One either turns out to be a determinist or not and in neither c ase can we appraise the issue because we are pre-determined to have a view on that matter one way or another. We will never be able to resolve this debate, since there is no way of truly knowing. InShow MoreRelatedFree Will And Free Choice1122 Words   |  5 Pagesknown permitted the choice, your free will grants you this privilege. Or does it? Free will is a false concept often confused with free choice. Free will does not truly exist, the limitations set by nature and the influence of other people hinder the ability to choose without the impact of past experiences. As Barbara Smoker, a British Humanist activist and freethought advocate stated, â€Å"Free choice means you are not forced by other people or what is outside of you. Free will is the idea that you areRead MoreShould Free Will Be Free?904 Words   |  4 Pagestalking about the idea of â€Å"free will† there are a lot of factors involved. I think it’s difficult to just openly say yes or no to the question of â€Å"Do all humans have free will?†, because there are certain cases on each side where things aren t so black and white. When first thinking about this question, I went back and forth on my answer. It was hard to pick a side. In the end though I came up with this idea. All humans are created as free beings, and they have the free will to do as they chooseRead MoreFree Will And The Door For Free Action1426 Words   |  6 PagesWith a revised interpretation of free will and internalization of weight bestowal, indeterminacy might open the door for free actio n. We will discuss what this paper means by free action and indeterminacy, explore why Sider thinks indeterminacy is incompatible with free action, object Sider’s arguments using Nozick’s proposal of self-subsuming weight bestowal, and investigate possible counter arguments to Nozick’s proposition. The libertarian view requires a free action to be non-random, uncausedRead MoreThe Theory Of Free Will1616 Words   |  7 PagesEssay 3 – Free Will Free will is the ability to choose freely and control our actions. Basically, free will shows the level of responsibility we claim for our actions and decisions. Obviously, if outside forces determine our choices, we cannot be held responsible for our actions. However, if our choices are made with total freedom than certainly we must claim responsibility for our choices and actions. God is justified in creating a world with the existence of free will which philosophers suchRead MoreFree Will and Determinism 1619 Words   |  7 PagesThe problem of free will and determinism is a mystery about what human beings are able to do. The best way to describe it is to think of the alternatives taken into consideration when someone is deciding what to do, as being parts of various â€Å"alternative features† (Van-Inwagen). Robert Kane argues for a new version of libertarianism with an indeterminist element. He believes that deeper freedom is not an illusion. Derk Pereboom takes an agnostic approach about causal determinism and sees himselfRead MoreIn Defense of Free Will1055 Words   |  4 Pages In this paper I will present an argument against free will and then I will defend a response to that argument. Free will is defined as having the ability to make our own choices. Some will argue that all of our decisions have already been dictated by our desires therefore we never actually truly make our own choices. The purpose of this paper is to defend the argument that we have free will by attacking the premise that states we have no control over what we desire. I will defeat this premiseRead More Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - The Paradox of Free Will1318 Words   |  6 PagesA Paradox: Oedipuss Free will in the Play Oedipus Rex William Shakespeare once wrote, Who can control his fate? (Othello, Act v, Sc.2).  A hero and leader must acknowledge above all else his honor, and the pride of his image.   In ancient Greek beliefs, a hero was a man who stood taller than the rest; he was able to better any conflict.   He did this not for himself or for any token award that may be given to him, but for the security of his fellow man.   Physical strength and superior wit areRead MoreThe Relevence of Free Will615 Words   |  3 Pageshuge part in who we are. But we also have free will. -Aidan Quinn Basically this quote is saying how we are raised in the home determines a big factory of how discipline we are however we still must take into consideration that we are still held accountable for our action regardless. Although how we were raised in the home play a major role with the choices we make in our entire lives as an individual. I do believe that morals have a strong factor in free will and determinism. Hom es that teach moralsRead MoreThe View On Free Will1264 Words   |  6 PagesAvalon Singer 29 September 2014 Topic 1: What I Believe is the Correct View on Free Will We are raised to believe that we are the makers of our own destiny. Every decision we make is our own, and we are free citizens in every sense of the word. Although this thought is comforting, I do not consider it to be true. I think that free will is an illusion. The idea of free will is what keeps us sane and motivates us in our lives, but is not what controls our lives. I presume that our world isRead MoreThe Theory Of Free Will950 Words   |  4 PagesAs a concept, free will offers a tremendous opportunity to pursue rationality of purpose. Within this rationality, individuals find wisdom whenever they exercise it appropriately. Both Skinner and Bandura state that free will explore the determinant to the ability of humanity to discover the space around them (Koons, 2002). Over time, philosophers have maintained that free will offers itself as a gift to humanity. It is presumed, therefore, that free will is God’s ordination, and as such, man should

Monday, December 9, 2019

Thermal Equilibrium Experiment free essay sample

This laboratory focused on the thermodynamic processes involved when two incompressible substances are mixed together. 12 experiments were performed, 10 involving the combination of a measured amount of hot and cold water and 2 involving the combination of ice and liquid water, the majority of these experiments were performed three times. The average variance in final temperature for each experiment was less than 10 percent providing proof of repeatability. Equipment used during the experiment included a gram scale, thermocouple, Styrofoam cup, glass beakers, microwave, an ice bath and ice. The first half of the experiment was dedicated to the mixing of two containers of water at different temperatures. The mass of the water in each container was measured and the containers were then heated or cooled to achieve the temperature desired for the experiment. The temperature was measured with a thermocouple before and after mixing. The data was recorded and is included in tables. The second half of the experiment involves the mixing of ice and liquid water. Water was weighed and cooled then mixed with an amount of ice that was also weighed. The temperature before and after mixing was recorded and included in tables. When the experiments were completed analysis was performed using the laws of thermodynamics. The data collected was used in equations to find theoretical values for final equilibrium temperature. The theoretical values were compared with those measured during the experiment. The total average percent difference between the measured final temperature and the theoretical final temperature is less than 5. 0%. This low deflection between measurement and theory lends credibility to the experiment and proof of the concepts provided within the experiment. When two incompressible substances of different temperatures are combined, there will be a resultant equilibrium temperature that lies between the temperatures of the substances that were combined. The mass of the substances greatly affects the resulting final temperature. An incompressible substance is one whose volume can be considered constant no matter the change in pressure. In this laboratory, the incompressible substance water was used in its liquid and solid states. The First Law of Thermodynamics is essentially an energy balance equation and is state below. Q – W = ? U (Eq. 1) Q represents the amount of heat transferred into or out of the system. W represents the amount of work done by or on a system. ?U represents the change in the internal energy of the system. The units for Q, W and U are kilojoules. When analyzing a thermodynamic process, a system boundary must be established. Establishing the boundary will determine how complicated or simple the first law analysis is. The boundary for this experiment was established in such a way that there was no heat transferred into or out of the system. There was also no work being done on or by the system. A value for work would be required if a device such as a compressor or turbine was included in the system. Since there is no heat transfer across the boundary or work done, the Q and W values are considered to be zero. The equation now becomes. 0 = ? U = Ut2 – Ut1(Eq. 2) In order to use equation 2, the mass and specific heat of the incompressible material was determined. Specific heat refers to the amount of energy, measured in kilojoules, required to raise one kilogram of the incompressible substance by one degree Kelvin or Celsius. The specific heat value for water at 1 atmosphere of pressure varies according to temperature, but the average is 4. 18 KJ / KG* ? K Using mass and specific heat values, the following equation for the change in internal energy was used to calculate final equilibrium temperature. 0 = [ M * C * ( T2 – T1 ) ]substance 1 + [ M * C * ( T2 – T1 ) ]substance 2(Eq. 3) M represents the mass of the substance ( KG ) C represents the specific heat of the substance ( KJ / KG * ? K ) T2 represents the final equilibrium temperature ( ? Kelvin ) T1 represents the initial temperature ( ? Kelvin ) Modifications to this equation must be made in the case of phase change. Phase change occurs when a substance changes from a solid to a liquid for example. When hot water was mixed with ice, the ice changed phase from solid to liquid. This phase change must be taken into account because a portion of the total system energy is committed to the process of turning the solid ice into liquid water. To accomplish this, the latent heat of melting for ice is included in the energy balance equation. The average percent difference between theoretical final temperature and measured final temperature for Table V is 5. 23%. This indicates that the theoretical calculations and the measured values for final temperature are close enough to one another to lend credibility to the experiment. Data from Table IV was used in Equation 4 to find the theoretical final equilibrium temperatures for the experiments involving the mixing of ice and water. The average percent difference between the theoretical final temperature and the measured final temperature is 3. 61%. This is also an indication of a legitimate, repeatable experiment. Possible sources for error in the experiment contributing to variations between measured and theoretical final temperatures are listed below. †¢Liquid residue remaining in transfer beakers causing the mass of the water that was actually mixed to be lower than that measured in the beaker before mixing. †¢Evaporation of liquid from the hot water beaker during transfer from the microwave to the laboratory station where the experiment was being performed. This will also cause a lower mass of water to be mixed. †¢Accuracy of testing equipment. The thermocouples and gram scales used have tolerances above and below actual values being measured. †¢Heat transfer due to the environment such as convection and radiant heat transfer. Though our experiment was simplified by specifying a system boundary by which there was no heat transfer into or out of the system. The fact that some amount of heat transfer due to the environment occurred can’t be completely ignored. The Equilibrium Experiment provided valuable information concerning the thermodynamic processes involved in the mixing of two incompressible substances. Data was successfully obtained from numerous experiments and analyzed using Equations 3 and 4. The overall percentage difference from data collected to theoretical calculations made is a mere 4. 42%. The quality of the results lends credibility to the experiment and confirms established theory. When two substances of different temperatures are combined, they will eventually reach an equilibrium temperature that lies between the initial temperatures of the two substances. The mass and temperature of the objects govern what the final temperature will be.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Personality Essay Example

Personality Essay While there are many different theories of personality, the first step is to understand exactly what is meant by the term personality. The word personality itself stems from the Latin word persona, which referred to a theatrical mask work by performers in order to either project different roles or disguise their identities. A brief definition would be that personality is made up of the characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviors that make a person unique. In addition to this, personality arises from within the individual and remains fairly consistent throughout life. Some other definitions of personality: Personality refers to individuals characteristic patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior, together with the psychological mechanisms hidden or not behind those patterns. This definition means that among their colleagues in other subfields of psychology, those psychologists who study personality have a unique mandate: to explain whole persons. (Funder, D. C. , 1 997) †¢ Although no single definition is acceptable to all personality theorists, we can say that personality is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a persons behavior. (Feist and Feist, 2009) While there are many different theories of personality, the first step is to understand exactly what is meant by the term personality. The word personality itself stems from the Latin word persona, which referred to a theatrical mask work by performers in order to either project different roles or disguise their identities. A brief definition would be that personality is made up of the characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviors that make a person unique. In addition to this, personality arises from within the individual and remains fairly consistent throughout life. Some other definitions of personality: †¢ Personality refers to individuals characteristic patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior, together with the psychological mechanisms hidden or not behind those patterns. This definition means that among their colleagues in other subfields of psychology, those psychologists who study personality have a unique mandate: to explain whole persons. (Funder, D. C. , 1997) Although no single definition is acceptable to all personality theorists, we can say that personality is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a persons behavior. (Feist and Feist, 2009) These personality types are †¢ Sanguine †¢ Phlegmatic †¢ Choleric †¢ Melancholic Long ago, each of these types was associated with a dominant humor present in the body: sanguin e – blood humor, phlegmatic – phlegm humor, choleric – yellow bile humor, melancholic – black bile humor. We will write a custom essay sample on Personality specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Personality specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Personality specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Additionally to that, the latest research shows that these four basic temperaments are associated with chemicals, like dopamine (for sanguine type), estrogen (for phlegmatic type), testosterone (for choleric type) and serotonin (for melancholic type). The Sanguine Type This type is characterized by spontaneity, optimism, enthusiasm, high energy, mental flexibility, novelty seeking, impulsiveness and curiosity. These traits are associated with specific genes in the dopamine system. These people often have very expressive faces and love using words like â€Å"adventure†, â€Å"energy†, â€Å"new†, â€Å"fun†, â€Å"active†, â€Å"travel† and similar. The Phlegmatic Type These people are mainly defined by their social skills, such as their ability to express themselves and read other people face expressions and body language. They do well at connecting facts and seeing â€Å"the big picture†. They are nurturing, sympathetic, agreeable and emotionally expressive. Some of these character traits are linked with estrogen that is present in both men and women. Physically you can recognize them by their smooth skin, full lips, round faces and small noses. Their favorite words are â€Å"passion†, â€Å"passionate†, â€Å"sensitive† and â€Å"sweet†. The Choleric Type This type is associated with testosterone, which is also present in men and women, but more so in men. These people are direct, focused, tough, analytical, logical and strategic. They have a great deal of courage and like to compete, often against each other. They often have square jaws, high cheekbones and high foreheads and love to use words like â€Å"intellect†, â€Å"ambition† and â€Å"challenge†. More  » The Melancholic Type Melancholics tend to be calm, loyal and orderly, just as their personality name sounds. They are cautious and conventional. These men and women inherited genes in the serotonin system and their favorite words are â€Å"family†, â€Å"loyal†, â€Å"respect†, â€Å"caring†, â€Å"values† and â€Å"moral†. Thorndikes theory of learning 1. Learning is incremental. [9] 2. Learning occurs automatically. [9] 3. All animals learn the same way. [9] 4. Law of effect- if an association is followed by a â€Å"satisfying state of affairs† it will be strengthened and if it is followed by an â€Å"annoying state of affairs â€Å" it will be weakened. 5. Thorndike’s law of exercise has two parts; the law of use and the law of disuse. . Law of use- the more often an association is used the stronger it becomes. [15] 2. Law of disuse- the longer an association is unused the weaker it becomes. [15] 6. Law of recency- the most recent response is most likely to reoccur. [15] 7. Multiple response- problem solving through trial and error. An animal will try multiple respo nses if the first response does not lead to a specific state of affairs. [15] 8. Set or attitude- animals are predisposed to act in a specific way. [15] 9. Prepotency of elements- a subject can filter out irrelevant aspects of a problem and focus and respond only to significant elements of a problem. [15] 10. Response by analogy- responses from a related or similar context may be used in a new context. [15] 11. Identical elements theory of transfer- This theory states that the extent to which information learned in one situation will transfer to another situation is determined by the similarity between the two situations. [9] The more similar the situations are, the greater the amount of information that will transfer. 9] Similarly, if the situations have nothing in common, information learned in one situation will not be of any value in the other situation. [9] 12. Associative shifting- it is possible to shift any response from occurring with one stimulus to occurring with another stimulus. [15] Associative shift maintains that a response is first made to situation A, then to AB, and then finally to B, thus shifting a response from one condition to another by associating it with that condition. [16] 13. Law of readiness- a quality in responses and connections that results in readiness to act. 16] Thorndike acknowledges that responses may differ in their readiness. [16] He claims that eating has a higher degree of readiness than vomiting, that weariness detracts from the readiness to play and increases the readiness to sleep. [16] Also, Thorndike argues that a low or negative status in respect to readiness is called unreadiness. [16] Behavior and learning are influenced by the readiness or unreadiness of responses, as well as by their strength. [16] 14. Identifiability- According to Thorndike, the identification or placement of a situation is a first response of the nervous system, which can recognize it. 16] Then connections may be made to one another or to another response, and these connections depend upon the original identification. [16] Therefore, a large amount of learning is made up of changes in the ident ifiability of situations. [16] Thorndike also believed that analysis might turn situations into compounds of features, such as the number of sides on a shape, to help the mind grasp and retain the situation, and increase their identifiability. [16] 15. Availability- The ease of getting a specific response. 16] For example, it would be easier for a person to learn to touch their nose or mouth than it would be for them to draw a line 5  inches long with their eyes closed. [16] Development of law of effect Thorndikes research focused on instrumental learning, which means that learning is developed from the organism doing something. For example, he placed a cat inside a wooden box. The cats used various methods trying to get out, however it does not work until it hits the lever. Afterwards, Thorndike tried placing the cat inside the wooden box again, this time, the cat is able to hit the lever quickly and succeeded to get out from the box. At first, Thorndike emphasized the importance of dissatisfaction stemming from failure as equal to the reward of satisfaction with success, though in his experiments and trials on humans he came to conclude that reward is a much more effective motivator than punishment. He also emphasized that the satisfaction must come immediately after the success, or the lesson would not sink in. [ Transfer of learning is the study of the dependency of human conduct, learning, or performance on prior experience. The notion was originally introduced as transfer of practice by Edward Thorndike and Robert S. Woodworth. [1] They explored how individuals would transfer learning in one context to another context that shared similar characteristics  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ or more formally how improvement in one mental function could influence another related one. Their theory implied that transfer of learning depends on the proportion to which the learning task and the transfer task are similar, or where identical elements are concerned in the influencing and influenced function, now known as identical element theory. Transfer research has since attracted much attention in numerous domains, producing a wealth of empirical findings and theoretical interpretations. However, there remains considerable controversy about how transfer of learning should be conceptualized and explained, what its probability occurrence is, what its relation is to learning in general, or whether it may be said to exist at all. 2] Most discussions of transfer to date can be developed from a common operational definition, describing it as the process and the effective extent to which past experiences (also referred to as the transfer source) affect learning and performance in a current novel situation (the transfer target). [3] This, however, is usually where the general consensus between various research approaches ends. There are a wide variety of viewpoints and theoretical frameworks apparent in the literature. For review purposes, these are categorized as follows: †¢ a taxonomical pproach to transfer research that u sually intends to categorize transfer into different types; †¢ an application domain-driven approach by focusing on developments and contributions of different disciplines that have traditionally been interested in transfer; †¢ the examination of the psychological scope of transfer models with respect to the psychological functions or faculties that are being regarded; and †¢ a concept-driven evaluation, which reveals underlying relationships and differences between theoretical and empirical traditions. Do we really forget? Many people think that the human mind is too complex to explain, and memory is no exception. Even though vast amounts of research have been carried out into how we remember (and forget! ) things, nobody knows for sure the model on which human memory is based. There are, nonetheless, two main reasons for which psychologists think we forget information: †¢ You store information in your memory but are unable to remember it when you need to, but perhaps can at a later date. In this case, information is inaccessible †¢ The human memory simply forgets information, permenantly, and the physical traces of the memory disappear. In which case, information is unavailable †¢ Forgetting †¢ You can’t talk about remembering without mentioning its counterpart. It seems that as much as we do remember, we forget even more. Forgetting isn’t really all that bad, and is in actuality, a pretty natural phenomenon. Imagine if you remembered every minute detail of every minute or every hour, of every day during your entire life, no matter how good, bad, or insignificant. Now imagine trying to sift through it all for the important stuff like where you left your keys. †¢ There are many reasons we forget things and often these reasons overlap. Like in the example above, some information never makes it to LTM. Other times, the information gets there, but is lost before it can attach itself to our LTM. Other reasons include decay, which means that information that is not used for an extended period of time decays or fades away over time. It is possible that we are physiologically preprogrammed to eventually erase data that no longer appears pertinent to us. Failing to remember something doesn’t mean the information is gone forever though. Sometimes the information is there but for various reasons we can’t access it. This could be caused by distractions going on around us or possibly due to an error of association (e. g. , believing something about the data which is not correct causing you to attempt to retrieve information that is not t here). There is also the phenomenon of repression, which means that we purposefully (albeit subconsciously) push a memory out of reach because we do not want to remember the associated feelings. This is often sited in cases where adults ‘forget’ incidences of sexual abuse when they were children. And finally, amnesia, which can be psychological or physiological in origin Memory Human memory, like memory in a computer, allows us to store information for later use. In order to do this, however, both the computer and we need to master three processes involved in memory. The first is called encoding; the process we use to transform information so that it can be stores. For a computer this means transferring data into 1’s and 0’s. For us, it means transforming the data into a meaningful form such as an association with an existing memory, an image, or a sound. Next is the actual storage, which simply means holding onto the information. For this to take place, the computer must physically write the 1’ and 0’s onto the hard drive. It is very similar for us because it means that a physiological change must occur for the memory to be stored. The final process is called retrieval, which is bringing the memory out of storage and reversing the process of encoding. In other words, return the information to a form similar to what we stored. The major difference between humans and computers in terms of memory has to do with how the information is stored. For the most part, computers have only two types; permanent storage and permanent deletion. Humans, on the other hand are more complex in that we have three distinct memory storage capabilities (not including permanent deletion). The first is   Sensory memory, referring to the information we receive through the senses. This memory is very brief lasting only as much as a few seconds.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Conquest of gaul essays

Conquest of gaul essays Julius Caesar was a patrician by birth. He held important positions such as quaestor and praetor early in his career. Caesar then became the governor of Spain. Along with the legendary Pompey and Marcus Crassus he formed the first Triumvirate. Soon after he was elected consul and proconsul in Gaul. Caesar is known as one of the greatest military rulers and conquerors in the history of the world. Not only was he a great military leader, but he also had a softer side which is obvious because of his relationship with Cleopatra. Caesar was assassinated in the Senate House on the ides of March, it is believed that his killers were led by Cassius and Brutus. The legend of Julius Caesar will always remain. His life and journeys left a permanent impression on the world. Not only is Caesar remembered as a great conqueror but he was also one of the first historians. Julius Caesar took place in many wars and battles, many of which he documented and later published his own eye-witne ss accounts. The Gallic Wars were one of Caesars greatest accomplishments and he made sure to document with great detail everything that happened during those years of battle. The historically correct journal would later be published as The Conquest of Gaul. This legendary work is the only source of information about the Gallic Wars that exists today. The Conquest of Gaul is and account written by Julius Caesar about his nine years in Gaul. In the book Caesar graphically describes the battles and intrigues that took place in the nine years he spent battling local armies that were opposing the Roman domination. The account is very accurate and sometimes the descriptions of war are very vivid. The Conquest of Gaul starts out with the Helvetian war. Caesar describes Gaul and the campaign against the Helvetii, a large group of people who decided to migrate by force of arms from the Alpines through Gaul and then to the west. In order to do this the...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Nuclear Fission Versus Nuclear Fusion

Nuclear Fission Versus Nuclear Fusion Nuclear fission and nuclear fusion both are nuclear phenomena that release large amounts  of energy, but they are different processes which yield different products. Learn what nuclear fission and nuclear fusion are and how you can tell them apart. Nuclear Fission Nuclear fission takes place when an  atoms nucleus splits into two or more smaller nuclei. These smaller nuclei are called fission products. Particles (e.g., neutrons, photons, alpha particles) usually are released, too. This is  an exothermic process releasing the kinetic energy of the fission products and energy in the form of gamma radiation. The reason energy is released is because the fission products are more stable (less energetic) than the parent nucleus. Fission may be considered a form of element transmutation since changing the number of protons of an element essentially changes the element from one into another. Nuclear fission may occur naturally, as in the decay of radioactive isotopes, or it can be forced to occur in a reactor or weapon. Nuclear Fission Example: 23592U 10n → 9038Sr 14354Xe 310n Nuclear Fusion Nuclear fusion is a process in which atomic nuclei are fused together to form heavier nuclei. Extremely high temperatures (on the order of 1.5 x 107 °C) can force nuclei together so the strong nuclear force can bond them. Large amounts of energy are released when fusion occurs. It may seem counterintuitive that energy is released both when atoms split and when they merge. The reason energy is released from fusion is that the two atoms have more energy than a single atom. A lot of energy is required to force protons close enough together to overcome the repulsion between them, but at some point, the strong force that binds them overcomes the electrical repulsion. When the nuclei are merged, the excess energy is released. Like fission, nuclear fusion can also transmute one element into another. For example, hydrogen nuclei fuse in stars to form the element helium. Fusion is also used to force together atomic nuclei to form the newest elements on the periodic table. While fusion occurs in nature, its in stars, not on Earth. Fusion on Earth only occurs in labs and weapons. Nuclear Fusion Examples The reactions which take place in the sun provide an example of nuclear fusion: 11H 21H → 32He 32He 32He → 42He 211H 11H 11H → 21H 01ÃŽ ² Distinguishing Between Fission and Fusion Both fission and fusion release enormous amounts of energy. Both fission and fusion reactions can occur  in nuclear bombs. So, how can you tell fission and fusion apart? Fission breaks atomic nuclei into smaller pieces. The starting elements have a higher atomic number than that of the fission products. For example, uranium can fission to yield strontium and krypton.Fusion joins atomic nuclei together. The element formed has more neutrons or more protons than that of the starting material. For example, hydrogen and hydrogen can fuse to form helium.Fission occurs naturally on Earth. An example is the spontaneous fission of uranium, which only happens if enough uranium is present in a small enough volume (rarely). Fusion, on the other hand, does not occur naturally on Earth. Fusion occurs in stars.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Life of educated vs non educated women using Willy Russell's Educating Essay

Life of educated vs non educated women using Willy Russell's Educating Rita - Essay Example The perfect example of the poor life was of her mother’s. During one part of the play she says, â€Å"†¦when I looked round me mother had stopped singin’, an’ she was cryin’†¦I said, ‘Why are y’ cryin’, Mother?’ She said, ‘because- because we could sing better songs than those.’†¦And that’s why I came back. And that’s why I’m staying.† (Russell) Rita thinks that ignorance has ripped freedom from the women like her mother. The uneducated did not have freedom of choice and they were forced to do what is demanded of them. They could not live for themselves and since their vision and thinking was narrow they were easily pressurized into living the way others want them to live. Hence, according to the novel the life of the uneducated is miserable and without any freedom of choice. Rita was also an illiterate but she wanted to be different from the other uneducated women that surr ounded her. This is the reason she studied literature from Frank as she believed that only education could lead her to personal discovery. Education brought a lot of changes in Rita. It gave her confidence and the freedom to express. She felt independent and a void that was previously present in her life had been filled.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Wiki, Blog, and Podcast analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Wiki, Blog, and Podcast analysis - Essay Example Such a transition may require one or more strategies from the following as defined by Ballard (2008): This presentation is pertaining to the feasibility analysis of Wiki, Blogs and Podcasts for Smith Systems Consulting for the purpose of two way interactions with the customers. The paper is presented in the form of feasibility study and proposal for Smith Systems Consulting. The organization is in the business of web site development for the customers staring from conceptualization to productionization. Smith Systems Consulting uses cutting edge programming, database & networking tools, methods and techniques to develop the websites for their customers. In order to keep in touch with the customers, Smith Systems Consulting wants to carry out research on Wiki, Blogs and Podcasts to verify their feasibility for this purpose. The author hereby presents their feasibility analysis in the next section. Austin and Coates et al. (2009) define the Wiki as a fully editable website on which users can read and add content to contribute to a framework of collaborative knowledge. One of the most prominent examples of Wiki is the Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia that comprises of more than 2 million articles available in 265 languages. The content on Wiki's can be updated by any user through a web interface that allows almost instantaneous updating of the content. The system is subject to reviews like peer reviews, expert reviews, abuse control, etc. Wikis can be public (editable by anyone) or private (editable by a closed user group). i. Type of Information that Wiki can effectively convey Wiki is used as shared knowledge database in which content is added and managed related to a particular subject matter, project, reporting matter, conference, discussion groups, on-line terms & glossaries, dictionaries, collaborative software development, etc. Hence Wiki can be used for any collaborative environment for knowledge sharing. The content in Wiki can be entered and

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Essay on Assam Essay Example for Free

Essay on Assam Essay Assam has been aptly described by some as ‘the Shangrila of the North-Eastern India’ – a state having breathtaking scenic beauty, rarest floras and faunas, lofty hills, lush tea gardens, undulating plains, mighty waterways, dense forests, fertile valleys, etc. It lies as a jewel of exquisite beauty and charm on the Northeastern horizon of India. Since the days of Hiuen-Tsang it has fascinated the rest of the world with her aura of myth and mysteries, history and folklore, music and dance. Known as Pragjyotishpura (land of Eastern lights) in ancient time and Kamrupa in medieval times, Assam is the anglicised name for the state. The name of the state may have come from the word ‘Ahom the people who migrated to the Brahmaputra valley in the early 13th century and gave shape to the Assamese of today. The state lies between 89 °. 50†² to 96 °, 10†² E. longitude and 24 °. 30†² to 28 °, 40†² N. latitude. Seven Indian states and two foreign countries touch its boundary. Spread over an area of 78, 438 sq. km. State has a total population of 26, 638, 407 according to Census, 2001. We have a clear picture of Assam only from the early 13th cent, when the country was conquered by Ahoms. Later they were ousted by the Burmese, who handed over the area to the British by the treaty of Yandaboo in 1826. All the major races of the world such as, Austro-Asiatic, the Indo- Aryans, Indo-Tibetans, Indo-Burmese, Mongolians, etc. have combined to make the great Assamese people of today. Assam, however, has remained practically a land of Tibeto- Burmese people. Assamiya or Assamese is the lingua franca of the state. Assam can be divided into three natural regions, namely the Brahmaputra valley, the Barak valley and the Hilly regions. These regions are quite distinct from one another with regard to the composition of people, manner of living and culture. The mighty Brahmaputra along with Barak has nourished the state from time immemorial and has been a source of solace as well as a source of sorrow for the people of the state. The economy of the state is overwhelmingly agricultural and about 75% of the population directly or indirectly depends on this sector for their livelihood. Rice, fruits, aracanut, jute, sugar cane, and tea are the chief agricultural produce of the state. The state also produces nearly half of the country’s total output of tea. he state is rich in natural resources such as oil, gas, coal, and limestone. The perfect fusion of heritage, tradition, faiths, and beliefs of  numerous races has resulted in many festivals in the state. The main festivals of Assam are the ‘Bihus’ which are celebrated all over the state by every one with great pomp and grandeur. The most colourful amongst the three ‘Bihus’ is the spring festival known as Rongali Bihu. Nature has abundantly blessed Assam with charming sights and exciting natural scenery. Kaziranga National Park and Manas Sanctuary are the chief tourist centres famous for Royal Bengal tiger, one-horned rhinos and golden langur. The other attractions of the state are the famous Kamakhya temple near Guwahati, Umananda temple, Navagraha temple, Kareng Ghar, Rang ghar, Talatal Ghar, Majuli island, Jatinga, etc. Nestling in the Himalayan foothills the state is rich in cultural heritage, natural beauty, and mineral resources. There is no denying the fact that the state of Assam during the last fifty years has made great strides in many fields. But a lot more remains to be done to bring the state to the forefront of development and progress. Given better political stability, adequate stress on industrialisation, proper utilisation of resources available and less militancy, the state can leap forward to an era of prosperity and all-round development.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Pros and Cons of Globalization and Localization Essay -- Globalization

Growing up in the United States, we have been lucky enough to have been blessed with a stable economy. There has always been the extreme feeling of complacency and stability that comes with being a very large, internationally respected country. Strangely enough, America does not only reap the benefits of globalization, but it also basks in the glory of localization. We have, as a country, experienced much success both internationally and domestically. For example, without our international businesses booming the way they are, our country would suffer from a great economical loss. "One third of the growth of our economy comes from exports." (The New York Times, 9/15/98) On the other hand, localization brings the citizens a great sense of nationalism. It feels good to see something with a made in America tag on it, and it also feels great to know that we are not totally dependent on other countries. On more of an international level, "there is no question that freer capital flows have brought tremendous benefits to the global economy, as well as perils. Some places, like Hong Kong, have opened themselves to capital flows without restriction and are examples of the prosperity that free movements of capital can reap." (The New York Times, 9/20/98) On the other hand, the Malaysian economy, so far, has witnessed some short-term success with a localized view on their economy. Malaysia bans "most investments from being taken out of the country within the first year." (The New York Times, 9/20/98) Many countries are planning to try to follow in their footsteps. There are so many pros and cons, or costs and benefits, of both globalization and localization. For the United States, being a largely international economic country, "trading... ...with those changes are the adaptations that each country and each citizen of each country must go through. Whether or not the government chooses to act globally or domestically, there needs to be a conscience effort to make the best of what is offered. From each of these economic views, there are fundamental gains and fundamental losses. Neither is a more correct way. It is just what works for a country on a whole. There are all different levels of economic complexity that goes along with these two schools of thought. One has to do with the citizens, another with the government, and another with the world. The best thing for a country to do is to give up as little as it can while its political systems and economy conform to what it wants. To do so, one must weigh the costs and benefits of each, choosing what will be the best in the present and in the future.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

College Essay Essay

The last two years I have been on the high school gymnastics team. Before that I was in club gymnastics, yet somehow both are very different from each other. When I started high school gymnastics I didn’t know what to expect. Everyone was very friendly and excited to start the season, just like I was. In club gymnastics, it seemed more like an individual sport. High school gymnastics has been such a good and different experience. It may seem like gymnastics would be the same no matter where you went, with routines and working out the same. But in high school, you see your friends in the gym and during school too. I have made so many friends and new relationships with people with different interests and personalities, that I didn’t think I would ever get to know. I have learned from these relationships how to respect people more and treat people how you would want to be treated. It has helped me to understand people better and how to respond to people in different situations. Now it may seem like I only did gymnastics for friends, but that’s not true. I have been in gymnastics since I was 3 years old. It has taught me so much more than just friendship. It has taught me self- discipline, courage, strength (physically, and mentally), and now that I’m older, leadership. In life I consider those very important traits to have. I can take what I’ve learned in gymnastics and apply it to everyday life. We would have to set goals for gymnastics on certain skills we wanted to get by a certain time. I have used that to set goals for the future and where I want to be in 5 – 10 years. Not only did I set those goals, but I know what I have to do to achieve those goals. And having self –discipline helps me keep myself on track to make sure I get things done, not just with goals in life, but also with everyday things. For example, juggling school work and gymnastics. I have to keep myself on track to make sure I understand the material to keep my grades up. So gymnastics has really taught me a lot, not only throughout my life, but these last two years especially. It has helped me over come things I didn’t think I could handle by myself. I can honestly say gymnastics has made me the person I am today, and can’t wait to see the things colleges brings my way in the future.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Qualities of a Good Book Essay

Personally, I think the qualities of a good book are many, and diverse. To be good, I think a book should relate to life experiences, give the audience something they can relate to and empathize with, to help them learn something that will help them in their life. Yet, the book should do this in such a way that not only does it act as a window into the human world, yet also offer escapism. It should have a character that the readers can identify with, in a way that they imagine what it is like to be the character themselves. Though, the character should be normal enough to identify with, yet special enough to go on adventures (in fictional books) and unique in their own ways. Another factor that comes into play in the qualities of a good book is the fact that it should captivate the reader; should be wholly absorbing and keep the readers not only reading the first few pages but reading till the very end. I myself have left many books through the middle, seeing as they had lost my interest. A good book should have a very unique original plot and story line. The readers should be able to enjoy what they are reading; and to do that the story must be original, since I (and presumably many others) find no pleasure in reading books with similar or identical plots of situations. Not only that, but the plot must have twists and tensions to make the book more appealing to the human minds analyzing it. A good plot never comes without tensions in my point of view- it should be a whole package. The book should keep the readers on edge, reading and turning page after page wanting to know what will happen next. That, for me, is the post important quality a book should have. It is quite easy to get the interest of many people into reading a book, but to have the readers finish it anxiously till the very last page is something that takes skill, talent and quality, and not all have those critical traits. Thus, tensions to say the least, are a must, since the book should give you something to think about. A good book is unpredictable. What’s the point in reading a book where one can easily predict the ending, or the future events that were to happen? The book should keep your mind flooded with options, keep the reader pondering, yet at the same time throw the reader completely off guard when the time comes. It should be exciting, surprising, flabbergasting and memorable; the reader should absentmindedly be able to causally cross a situation and remember and think of the book. A great book is inexhaustible, so no reading of it is a final reading, and no discussion ever runs it dry. You can never say you’re done with it except in a provisional sense. If you take a break and come back to it, you’ll find more in it. Good grammar and style are also very important- A great book is well crafted. For me, I like to read the best which has been thought and said. For us, the two have to go together. It needs to be clear and straight to the point- the reader must understand it with undying clarity. What if somebody had a great idea but wrote about it badly? We need to be able to lean on every sentence, and not have it suddenly give way and crumble beneath the weight of our analysis. The style is also important, as well as the meaning behind the words. I should be clear, yet with a twinge of mysterious in it, yet not confuse and baffle the reader with bad grammar or sequencing. â€Å"Well, he said this, but maybe he meant something else. † Last but not least, I think a good book should always have romance and drama. If not, even a little romantic twist always fills in the empty gaps, don’t you think?

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Timeline of Charlemagnes Life and Reign

Timeline of Charlemagne's Life and Reign For a quick overview of the progress of Charlemagnes life, consult the chronological listing of significant events below. Timeline 742: Charles the Great is born on April 2, traditionally in this year, but possibly as late as 747751: Charlemagnes father Pippin is declared king, beginning what would later be called the Carolingian dynasty768: Upon the death of Pippin, the kingdom of Francia is divided between Charles and his brother Carloman771: Carloman dies; Charles becomes sole ruler772: Charlemagne makes his first raid on the Saxons, which is a success; but this was just the beginning of an extended struggle against the decentralized pagan tribes774: Charlemagne conquers Lombardy and becomes King of the Lombards777: Construction of a palace in Aachen begins778: An unsuccessful siege of Saragossa, Spain, is followed by an ambush of Charlemagnes retreating army by the Basques at Roncesvalles 781: Charles makes a pilgrimage to Rome and has his son Pippin proclaimed King of Italy; here he meets Alcuin, who agrees to come to Charlemagnes court782: In response to recent attacks by Saxon leader Widukind, Charlemagne reportedly has 4,500 Saxon prisoners executed en masse 787: Charles launches his educational plan by ordering bishops and abbots to open schools near their churches and monasteries788: Charlemagne takes control of Bavaria, bringing all the territory of the Germanic tribes into one political unit791-796: Charles conducts a series of campaigns against the Avars in present-day Austria and Hungary. The Avars are eventually destroyed as a cultural entity796: Construction on the cathedral in Aachen begins799: Pope Leo III is attacked in the streets of Rome and flees to Charlemagne for protection. The king has him conducted safely back to Rome800: Charlemagne comes to Rome to oversee a synod where Leo clears himself of the charges laid on him by his enemies. At Christmas mass, Leo crowns Charlemagne Emperor804: The Saxon wars finally come to an end812: Byzantine emperor Michael I acknowledges Charlemagne as emperor, though not as Roman emperor, providing official power to the power Charles already wielded in fact813: Charles delegates imperial power to Louis, his last surviving legitimate son 814: Charlemagne dies in Aachen

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The Goliad Massacre of the Texas Revolution

The Goliad Massacre of the Texas Revolution In the wake of the Texan defeat at the Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836, General Sam Houston ordered Colonel James Fannin to abandon his post at Goliad and march his command to Victoria. Moving slowly, Fannin did not depart until March 19. This delay allowed the lead elements of General Josà © de Urreas command to arrive in the area. A mixed force of cavalry and infantry, this unit numbered around 340 men. Moving to attack, it engaged Fannins 300-man column on an open prairie near Coleto Creek and prevented the Texans from reaching the safety of a nearby timber grove. Forming a square with artillery at the corners, Fannins men repulsed three Mexican assaults on March 19. During the night, Urreas force swelled to around 1,000 men and his artillery arrived on the field. Though the Texans worked to fortify their position during the night, Fannin and his officers doubted their ability to sustain another day of fighting. The next morning, after Mexican artillery opened fire on their position, the Texans approached Urrea regarding negotiating a surrender. In meeting with the Mexican leader, Fannin asked that his men be treated as prisoners of war according to the usages of civilized nations and paroled to the United States. Unable to grant these terms due to directives from the Mexican Congress and General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and unwilling to mount a costly assault against Fannins position, he instead asked that the Texans become prisoners of war at the disposal of the Supreme Mexican Government. To support this request, Urrea stated that he was unaware of any instance where a prisoner of war who had trusted the Mexican government had lost their life. He also offered to contact Santa Anna for permission to accept the terms requested by Fannin. Confident that he would receive approval, Urrea told Fannin that he expected to receive a response within eight days. With his command surrounded, Fannin agreed to Urreas offer. Surrendering, the Texans were marched back to Goliad and housed at Presidio La Bahà ­a. Over the next few days, Fannins men were joined by other Texan prisoners that had been captured after the Battle of Refugio. In accord with his agreement with Fannin, Urrea wrote to Santa Anna and informed him of the surrender and recommended clemency for the prisoners. He failed to mention the terms sought by Fannin. Mexican POW Policy In late 1835, as he prepared to move north to subdue the rebelling Texans, Santa Anna grew concerned about the possibility of their receiving support from sources within the United States. In an effort to deter American citizens from taking up arms in Texas, he asked the Mexican Congress to take action. Responding, it passed a resolution on December 30 which stated, Foreigners landing on the coast of the Republic or invading its territory by land, armed, and with the intent of attacking our country, will be deemed pirates and dealt with as such, being citizens of no nation presently at war with the Republic and fighting under no recognized flag. As the punishment for piracy was immediate execution, this resolution effectively directed the Mexican Army to take no prisoners. Complying with this directive, Santa Annas main army took no prisoners as it moved north to San Antonio. Marching north from Matamoros, Urrea, who lacked his superiors thirst for blood, preferred to take a more lenient approach with his prisoners. After capturing Texans at San Patricio and Agua Dulce in February and early March, he sidestepped execution orders from Santa Anna and sent them back to Matamoros. On March 15, Urrea again compromised when he ordered Captain Amos King and fourteen of his men to be shot after the Battle of Refugio, but allowed colonists and native Mexicans to go free. Marching to Their Death On March 23, Santa Anna replied to Urreas letter regarding Fannin and the other captured Texans. In this communication, he directly ordered Urrea to execute the prisoners which he dubbed perfidious foreigners. This order was repeated in a letter on March 24. Concerned about Urreas willingness to comply, Santa Anna also dispatched a note to Colonel Josà © Nicols de la Portilla, commanding at Goliad, ordering him to shoot the prisoners. Received on March 26, it was followed two hours later by a conflicting letter from Urrea telling him to treat the prisoners with consideration and to use them to rebuild the town. Though a noble gesture by Urrea, the general was aware that Portilla lacked sufficient men to guard the Texans during such an endeavor. Weighing both orders during the night, Portilla concluded that he was required to act on Santa Annas directive. As a result, he ordered that the prisoners be formed into three groups the following morning. Escorted by Mexican troops led by Captain Pedro Balderas, Captain Antonio Ramà ­rez, and Agustà ­n Alcà ©rrica, the Texans, still believing they were to be paroled, were marched to locations on the Bexar, Victoria, and San Patricio Roads. At each location, the prisoners were halted and then shot by their escorts. The overwhelming majority were killed instantly, while many of the survivors were chased down and executed. Those Texans who were too wounded to march out with their comrades were executed at the Presidio under the direction of Captain Carolino Huerta. The last to be killed was Fannin who was shot in the Presidio courtyard. Aftermath Of the prisoners at Goliad, 342 were killed while 28 successfully escaped the firing squads. An additional 20 were saved for use as doctors, interpreters, and orderlies through the intercession of Francita Alvarez (The Angel of Goliad). Following the executions, the bodies of the prisoners were burned and left to the elements. In June 1836, the remains were buried with military honors by forces led by General Thomas J. Rusk which advanced through the area after the Texan victory at San Jacinto. Though the executions at Goliad were carried out in accordance with Mexican law, the massacre had a dramatic influence abroad. Whereas Santa Anna and the Mexicans had previously been seen as cunning and dangerous, the Goliad Massacre and the Fall of the Alamo led them to be branded as cruel and inhuman. As a result, support for the Texans was greatly bolstered in the United States as well as overseas in Britain and France. Driving north and east, Santa Anna was defeated and captured at San Jacinto in April 1836 paving the way for Texas independence. Though peace existed for nearly a decade, conflict came to the region again in 1846 following the annexation of Texas by the United States. In May of that year, the Mexican-American War began and saw Brigadier General Zachary Taylor win quick victories at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. Selected Sources Texas State Historical Association: Goliad MassacreFannins Fight the Massacre at La BahiaTexas State Library Archives Commission: Goliad Massacre

Sunday, November 3, 2019

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

FM - Essay Example An increase in the scale of production could likely result in changes to both fixed and variable cost. Increasing the scale may lead to increased fixed cost. Additionally, buying more raw materials could result in a lower cost per unit. Furthermore, producing more of an item could lead to higher hourly rate for labour as overtime may be necessary. Overtime is normally charged at a higher rate of time and a half. Break even analysis, assumes that the quantity of Racey that is produced will be sold. It may not be possible for JxCorp to sell all the products produced. Profit is calculated on the quantity of goods sold and not the quantity of goods expected to be sold. Additionally, JxCorp may not be selling Racey to one customer. Other customers may demand a lower price per unit. Break-even analysis breaks down as it assumes there is only one market for the product and all units are sold at the same price. It does not take into consideration that JxCorp may have to sell Racey to different customers at different prices. It uses only one selling price to determine how changes in volume sold will affect profits. It is common practice to sell goods at different prices to different customers. The weighted cost of capital is the weighted average of the components of capital (Brigham and Ehrhardt 2005). In this case, the components are equity and debt. The calculation of the weighted cost of capital WACC is shown in Table 4 below. The calculations in Table 4 indicate that WACC is 11%. The weight of each component is 50% (0.5). The symbol Wd represents the weight of Debt and We the weight of equity. The symbol rd represents the interest rate on the debt which is 9% and re the return on equity which is 15%. The corporation tax rate, T is 22% or 0.22. The information in Table 5 indicates that capital allowances of  £100,000,  £75,000, and  £56,250 were charged in years 1, 2 and 3 respectively and balancing charge of  £168,750 in year 4. The

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Teaching ESL Adults Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teaching ESL Adults - Essay Example However, good times are not always why people seek overseas settlement (Yen, 2012). According to the United States 2010 Population Census, of the 26.4 million immigrants in the United States, almost 80% are adults (Yen, 2012). English as a Second Language (ESL), as a result, has turned into the fastest growing and developing segment in government financed adult education program. A majority of the adult ESL students do not have much education in their home country, and hence, lack proper study skills vital for academic success and accomplishment. They tend to face great financial distress, as well as family responsibilities, which oftentimes avert them from focusing on their education, as well. Educating them can be a vital challenge for both the curriculum developer and the teacher (Yen, 2012). Therefore, a proper lesson plan should be devised, which seeks to incorporate all adult ESL students in the classroom. The title of the lesson will be "Finding a Job: An Introduction to Apply ing for Entry Level Positions". The plan will incorporate 15 adult students of varying ages, origins and language proficiency who are concerned in discovering what it takes to find employment. The course will run for two-hours, twice a week for eight weeks. The three main goals of the lesson plan will include enabling to listen actively, speak so others can understand and also enable adult ESL learners to read with understanding. In Colorado state, the capability of listening and understand English incorporates goals, which mainly revolve around survival and personal safety (Fullan & Stiegelbauer, 2008). A case of a survival skill at an indispensable stage is understanding when a person asks for your name. Also, in Colorado, understanding someone can be positively influenced by education. Not being understood is annoying for a non-native English speaker. An easy goal is the ability to inquire the price of an item in the market especially a crowded one (Starr, 2013). A higher goal is the ability to hold a discussion with your child's teacher at school, or to give details about a book adequately, which a librarian can assist in locating the title. Understanding and interpreting the written English language is also vital. The skill to understand and interpret road signs or pick a meal from a menu is a recessed skill, while a high-level skill is the capacity to select suitable classes from a college course catalog (Starr, 2013). This talent permits the adult language learner to feel more contented and happy in a language, which is not his or her own. Many adult ESL learners find this the most natural place to begin their English language acquirement. Benchmark standards of the adult ESL students with regards to Colorado state standards include: All ESLs have to take state educational achievement tests in language arts, apart from ESLs who have been in the United States for less than one year. If available from the state, ESLs students can seat for these language a rts tests in their native languages so as to understand how the vocabularies are used in language. Adult ESLs students who have been in United States for three successive years should be tested in language arts/reading using an examination written in English, even though on a case-by-case basis, this phase can be prolonged up to five years. Adult ESLs students as a group should meet annual targets of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). States, districts, and

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The gospel of Mark supports the idea that the messiah (Jesus Christ) Term Paper

The gospel of Mark supports the idea that the messiah (Jesus Christ) must receive dominion, glory, and kingship - Term Paper Example Verse 14 of the same chapter says that dominion, glory and a kingdom were all given to the image he saw, people of all nations and languages should serve him (what resembled the son of man). Further, the son of man's dominion over the nations is everlasting and shall not pass away and his kingdom shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7: 14). Although what Daniel saw was just a vision, the description befits the character of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament. Hundreds of years after Daniel' vision, the fulfillment came through the birth of Jesus. According to Mark 1: 2, the birth of Jesus came as a fulfillment of what was written by the prophets. Hence, God send a messenger to prepare the way for the coming of Christ. After Jesus' birth, what transpired as recorded in the Gospel of Mark only supports the idea that Jesus was indeed the Son of man as predicted by Daniel and that he had in his power the ability to be the messiah and deliver the world from earthly sins. All the aspects of Jesus were unique, right from the time he was baptized to the time he died on the cross. This papers bases its discussion against a backdrop of the events that led to the birth of Jesus, right from the prophesies in the Old Testament to the fulfillment of all the anticipated occurrences. Hence, the paper will evaluate the significance of Daniel's visions as well as the relevance of the prophesies. In order to get concise ideas from the New Testament, the Gospel of Mark will be used to highlight the life of Jesus right from baptism and therefore show why Jesus was indeed the figure to receive dominion, glory and kingship to rule over the world. The birth of Jesus and commencement of his ministry There is every bit of evidence that the life Jesus would be no ordinary right from the time he was baptized. To begin with, he was baptized by a very special man, John the Baptist, who had been born just to prepare a way for him (Mark 1: 2). While John was used to baptizing people with water, he was categorical that Jesus would have powers to baptize people using the Holy Spirit. This portrays Jesus as a being that would possess supernatural powers that would rule over the people. Indeed when the time came for Jesus to be baptized, the service was provided by John the Baptist. That would seem ordinary since baptism was part of John's normal activities, but the amazing aspects of the baptism are the events that followed the baptism activity. As recorded in Mark 1: 9-10, after Jesus was baptized, the heavens opened and Jesus saw the spirit of God descending upon him in the form of a dove. This was followed by a voice from heaven that said that Jesus is "my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased". This was probably the voice of God and the statement shows that Jesus was indeed being monitored at all times. In the early days of Jesus' ministry, he went to Galilee to preach, at a time when John the Baptist had been imprisoned (Mark 1: 14). The choice of words that Jesus used implied that he indeed had a right to the kingdom (of God). Jesus told the people that the time had been fulfilled, and that the kingdom of God was at hand, they only had to repent and believe the Gospel (verse 15). That the kingdom of

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Development of Korean Pop Culture

The Development of Korean Pop Culture Korean pop culture has risen as the most developed pop culture in Asia over the last ten years. American pop culture does not dominate Asian cultural market anymore. Asians are giving their attentions to the cultural media in which they can find their identities. Many have recently preferred Korea pop culture, which is fresh, trendy, and something that contains Asian sentiments. More and More people in Asia are selecting to listen to Korean pop songs, watch Korean movies, and travel to Korea to visit places shown in Korean dramas. The sudden rise of Korean pop culture in its popularity and its dissemination throughout Asia is innovative, unprecedented, and fascinating. This cultural flow in contemporary Asia is called the Korean Wave. Starting point of the Korean Wave in China The term Korean Wave refers to the phenomenon of Korean popular culture, disseminated primarily through the mass media and enjoying a broad popularity outside of Korea. It includes Korean dramas, movies, pop music, fashion, games, and any other cultural contents. Public media began recognizing Korean popular culture in mainland China in 1997, when the Korean television drama Star Is in My Heart was broadcast in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other Asian countries. China broadcasting company broadcasted the drama throughout Asia under its Chinese title, and the drama aroused broad popular appeal especially in mainland China. Among many elements composed the drama, the main actor, Ahn Jae Wook, caught peoples attention by his good looking. Ahn Jae-Wook, therefore, became a symbol of the Korean wave in China. Following to Star Is in My Heart, Autumn Story, Winter Sonata, What Is the Love and many other drama fascinated people in China.  [1]   Korea pop music has also taken a huge role of the Korean Wave from the beginning. Young dance music groups, H.O.T and Clone ignited the Korean Wave in China in 1999. Various radio stations in China began to create programs specializing K-pop. Moreover, it is known that the number of fans of H.O.T. was eight million only in China in 2002. Afterwards, at least 50 different Korean pop albums were produced in China, and more than three million albums in total were sold by 2002.  [2]   Beyond simply consuming the media contents, Chinese teenagers repeated Korean pop songs and imitated Korean actors and singers fashion and hairstyle. In addition, Korean restaurants in China became popular among people who were enjoying Korean pop culture.  [3]  Through the indirect experience of Korean food in television drama, people became familiar to it and such familiarity made people walk to Korean restaurants. As the effect of the Korean Wave, the national image of Korea was recognized as positive. As a result, Korean products raised their own value as well. Samsung mobile phones and LG air conditioners and microwaves took bigger portions at Chinese market as people demanded more of such products.  [4]   Started with the drama, Star Is in My Heart, and Korean pop music sung by H.O.T and Clone in China, the Korean Wave outstretched to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, and other Asian counties. The Koran Wave started to link Asian regions in a huge boundary of cultural kinship. The Second round of Korean Wave in Japan Even though people in most Asian countries showed deep interests in Korea pop culture, Japan, which is geographically the nearest neighbor, was not affected by the Korean Wave until Winter Sonata hit Japan. In 2003, the Korean drama, Winter Sonata, was first shown on Japanese television in twenty episodes. It captured 22% of the prime time viewing audience. In 2004 Winter Sonata had its second showing. This time it captured 24% of viewing audience.  [5]   Japanese response to the Korean drama was not passive but aggressive. Japanese positively embraced the Korean drama, especially the television drama Winter Sonata and its Korean associations. Some of the Japanese fans elevated Winter Sonata to cult status. For example, the DVD of the Winter Sonata series sold out within few hours of its release in 2003.  [6]  Korean actors in many dramas become celebrities in Japan. Indeed, the male leading actor in Winter Sonata, Bae Yong Joon, was addressed as Yon Sama, an honorific usually assigned only to royalty in Japan. During visits to Japan actors and actress of popular dramas were mobbed by their fans. Demand by fans for Winter Sonata merchandise has created an industry with an annual turnover in Japan and Korea worth 2.3 billion US dollars.  [7]  The industry produces clothing, accessories, jewelers, stationery, magazines, books, DVDs and supports fan clubs. Significantly this interest extended beyond the characters of Winter Sonata toward a more general interest in Korea. The Korean Wave greatly affected to the tourism industry in Korea. In 2004, Japan was the source of nearly half of Koreas 5.6 million overseas visitors, and was its major source of tourists. In 2006 Korean Air announced special film in flights from Japan so that Japanese fans could have more information of the Winter Sonata location sites. In the same year, NHK television media and publishers announced an increase of its annual sales of its Korean language textbook to 20,000 copies.  [8]  As Japanese have enjoyed the Korean cultural media, their interest toward Korea in general also grew. Three main reasons why the Korean Wave became popular in Asia The good quality of cultural media comes to the foremost reason. According to the Chinese local analysis, Korean dramas have outstanding storylines, well designed characters, and sophisticated directing system.  [9]  Plus, original background music (OST) are excellent as well. Whether Chinese or Taiwanese dramas repeat the obvious storylines making people already bored by watching only the first episode, Korean dramas own various styles and types of story raging widely. Their creativities in developing stories fuel peoples curiosities to see the next episode. Korea actors handsome appearance, stylish fashions and hairstyles, and outstanding acting abilities are said to the best among Asian actors. Improved technology in film producing helps background settings and music to be wonderfully assimilated to each other. Camera walking and well designed composition of pictures improve overall quality of the video. The second reason is that the economic decline of Asia forced television producers to seek out products cheaper than Japanese and Western products. The drama series were the starting-point of the Korean Wave in Taiwan. The Korean Wave arose mainly because of the media liberalization that swept across Asia in 1990s, when the economic crisis made Asian buyers prefer the cheaper Korean products compared with Japanese and Hong Kong products. The primary producer of K-Pop Entertainment at Gala-TV in Taiwan told that the main reason that GTV began programming Korean dramas was because of their cheap prices compared to Japanese products, and Korean dramas were even cheaper than domestic ones.  [10]  According to her, Korean dramas were of much better quality then Taiwanese products, but were much cheaper, so GTV dubbed in Mandarin and aired the programs as if they were locally made dramas.  [11]   In 1999, GTV began buying old dramas from the Korean Broadcasting System under the considerations that it costs less than the domestic dramas and the quality of the Korean dramas could be guaranteed. GTV was informed that KBS had invested a huge amount of money in production. Indeed, Korea has long invested in dramas, and after 1993 it has encouraged the investment of private capital in the media industry. Therefore, to supplement domestic dramas, GTV introduced Korean dramas of low cost and good quality.  [12]   Thirdly, Korean movies, dramas, and sometimes even pop music show virtue and kindness. In Korean movies and dramas, people are amiable, and families are harmonious. Juniors respect elders and elders cherish juniors. Lovers love sweetly each other, and spouses care for each other. Korean dramas illustrate the harmonious and pure-hearted feelings. First of all, such heartwarming stories attract wide age groups. It is appropriate for elementary school kids to elder grandma and grandpa to watch altogether. Most western dramas or movies contain suggestive scenes to express passionate love between lovers which made family members to be apart to watch them. However, all family members gather around and can watch Korean dramas or movies which mostly depict pure-hearted loves between friends, families, and lovers. Second of all, pure love between lovers especially attracted Japanese women. Winter Sonata which delivers the story of pure love between main characters evoked Japanese Womens memories of their first love. Since purity in love was already old-fashioned culture in Japan, women who watched Winter Sonata brought out their nostalgic feelings toward pure love. Husband and wife do not talk a lot because Japanese people do not directly reveal their emotions and feelings to others which were regarded as the most secret part of individuals.  [13]  The actions, that spouses sincerely care for each other, stirred desires of Japanese women to be loved from their love directly and in a gentle way. Lastly, the family value commonly dealt in Korean drama evoked nostalgic feeling toward family among Chinese people. Through the Cultural Revolution and through the national campaign, One family, one child, large families were exterminated in China. Naturally, the older generations miss memories they had in large families. The older generations in China could be vicarious satisfaction as they enjoy Korea drama. Even though Asian countries are bound with the similar cultures and traditions, purity in love and family value were lost in Japanese and Chinese society. Pure-hearted feelings and harmonious aspects of Korean society reflected on drama played the significant role to promote the Korean Wave in two societies. The Range of Economic Effects Since the Korean Wave is a Korean pop-culture syndrome, the exportation of cultural industry is at the core of its economic effects. To calculate the whole economic impacts, however, the exportation of cultural industry is not fully satisfied. The derivative products due to the Korean Wave, ripple effects on national economy, and immeasurable effect such as diplomatic effect should be regarded as economic effects that the Korea Wave brought.  [14]   Category Range Cultural industry (effect of direct exp.) Movie, broadcast, music, game, book, concert Derivative products (effect of indirect exp.) Cosmetics, tour, accessories, clothes, mobile phone, home appliance, automobile, food Ripple effects on National economy Active production of cultural industry and derivative goods, creating jobs Immeasurable effects Hangeul, Korean food, diplomacy, national image Table I. The Range of Korean Wave Products First, cultural industry includes movie, broadcast, music, game, book, and concert at which people directly show their enthusiasm. Second, derivative products are products such as cosmetics, tour, accessories, clothes, mobile phone, home appliance, automobile, and food which are indirectly linked with the cultural contents. Automobile that one Korean star drove in drama or the place where the drama was directed are in this category. Third, ripple effect on national economy is that effect on the other economy as cultural industry and derivative products are exported. For example, if the cultural contents were exported and therefore if the mobile phone meets the great demand, the mobile phone company needs to employ more people to produce the phone. As a result, more jobs are created in domestic market. This is a ripple effect on national economy. Fourth, immeasurable effects is, as it says in its word, it is not measurable by numeric values or by statistics. It is invisible effect suc h as people who are big fan of Korean culture learning Korean language. The Effects of Cultural Industry Table II. Exports of Cultural Industry in 2005 unit: million KRW Korean exports in cultural industry to overseas amount to eleven million dollars in 2007. It shows 11.3% of annual growth from 2005 to 2007. In the case of movie industry, the movie, in which Bae yong-Jun (Yon-sama) acted in 2005, was exported at a high cost to Japan. The success of this movie resulted out exporting 76 million dollars. However, the following year reported the exports of only 25 million dollars which fells 68%. Japan China Asia Other Total Movie 48,479 436 5,393 327 54,634 broadcast 74,235 12,473 23,241 642 110,592 Game 120,854 60,188 41,669 3,021 225,732 Music 2,661 461 186 3,308 Book 14,461 2,726 5,152 1,767 24,106 Concert 1,004 50 1,054 total 261,694 76,285 75,455 5,993 419,427  [15]   Table III. Exports of Cultural Industry in 2006 unit: million KRW Japan China Asia Other Total Movie 7,944 344 5,036 260 13,584 broadcast 61,141 9,475 43,656 1,137 115,409 Game 101,981 75,768 50,462 4,296 232,507 Music 2,079 1,821 6 3,906 Book 9,330 2,510 47 11,887 Concert 937 956 47 1,939 total 183,413 90,874 104,454 7,354 386,094  [16]   Table IV. Exports of Cultural Industry in 2007 unit: million KRW Japan China Asia Other Total Movie 4,723 696 5,281 329 11,028 broadcast 83,154 11,208 29,365 1,188 124,916 Game 110,634 112,121 45,079 4,411 272,246 Music 1,604 1,153 18 2,775 Book 7,246 3,938 11,803 1,800 24,787 Concert 911 929 46 1,886 total 208,273 130,046 91,528 7,792 437.639  [17]   The broadcast industry is especially strong in Japan than any other Asian countries. While the broadcast industries in Japan and China show fairly steady outcome, other Asian countries and non-Asian region suddenly consumed the doubled volume of Korean television dramas in 2006 compared to that of 2005. The game industry, which takes the biggest portion in the cultural industry, gradually increased it exports. The Effects of Derivative Product Derivative products are not the cultural contents; however, they are closely related to the Korean Wave. The car appeared in drama or the cosmetics which Korea celebrities advertising are included in the realm of derivative products. Therefore, they are second biggest part in calculating the economic effects of the Korean Wave. Korean cosmetic brands such as The Face Shop and Misha rapidly grew in size in the international market and exported three hundred million dollars in 2005 and three hundred fifty million dollars in 2007. Cosmetic brands are sensitive to their models; therefore, companies frequently change the models to the most popular one at the time. Interestingly, Korean cosmetic brands use male Korea celebrities who are at the center of the Korean Wave because, in this way, it is easier for companies to appeal to female Korean fans in overseas. This is the strategies Korea cosmetic companies are using to target the international market. In the case of clothes, clothes industry resulted out the exports of twenty-three million dollars in 2005; however, exporting volume has been gradually decreased to seventeen million dollars in 2007. Decrease in home appliance exports can be explained by the increasing supply of Chinese products with the developing qualities in China mainland. When the exports of clothes, accessories, mobile phone, and home appliances were decreasing, automobile industry stretched its competitiveness in the international market with the grow rate of 12.5%. Koreas developed technology in automobile production and positive image toward Korean automobile brand established such consequence. Abroad fans interest and familiarity to Korean food helped its industry internationally. Japan China Asia Growth rate Cosmetics 306 319 346 6.3 Tour 1,139 935 791 -16.1 Clothes 2,313 1,9556 1,705 -14.1 Accessories 405 320 296 -14.5 Mobile phone 19,095 16,799 18,644 -1.2 Home appliance 14,656 14,553 13,433 -4.3 Automobile 27,256 30,597 34,482 12.5 Food 875 1,030 1,154 14.8 Table V. Exports of Derivative Products unit: million KRW, % 18 Table VI. Inflow of Foreigners Tour expenses 2005 2006 2007 Growth Rate(%) Number of tourists 6,022,752 6,155,047 6,448,240 3.5 The rate of tourists due to the Korean Wave (%) 14.2 11.8 10.0 Number of tourists due to the Korea Wave (KOR) 855,231 726,296 644,824 -13.2 Total consumption due to the Korea Wave (million KOR) 1,166,329 893,419 735,099 -21.6 19 The number of tourists is increasing from 2005 to 2007 with the growth rate of 3.5%. However, the number of tourists who visited Korea because of the Korea Wave is decreasing with the rate of -13.2%. Winter Sonata sensationally hit Japan in 2003. Thus, the rate of tourists, who came to Korea by the influence of the Korean Wave, in 2005 is comparatively higher than in 2006 and in 2007 as the aftereffect of Winter Sonata. As Japanese tourists who were deeply impressed by Winter Sonata increases after 2003, interesting thing happened in the streets in Korea. The shops near the locations appeared in Korean drama have Japanese explanations on each products. Moreover, the shop assistants in Myung-doing streets tout people in Japanese. They speak Japanese more than Korean to tout Japanese tourists. The decreasing number of tourists due to the Korean Wave does not mean that the Korean Wave has less impact on other cultures. Rather, people, who already visited Korea, would not make a second trip in near future. Therefore, it is quite natural that the number of people visiting Korea due to the Korean Wave gets smaller and smaller, regarding the huge impact of Winter Sonata in 2003. Instead, increasing number of tourists shows the general perception on the image of Korea is improving and it is ultimately the result of the Korean Wave. Therefore, I conclude that the Korean Wave yet fosters the tourism industry in Korea. Riffle Effects on National Economy Through the Korean Wave, Korean international economy was vitalized. Growing demands of Korean cultural contents from abroad have increased supplies, and therefore, Korean cultural industry has grown in a large scale. Numerous companies which create the cultural contents require more labor force as they extend their business. The Korean Wave not only vitalized the Korean economy but also opened the labor market to support industry. Considering the fact that companies, which directly or indirectly related to the Korean Wave, inevitably employ more labors, unimaginable number of people would come into the economic activities, relieving unemployment and boosting the national economy. The Korea Wave started with few dramas and pop songs now controls the whole national economy. Immeasurable effects Korean fans outside of Korea often learn Korean language and eat Korean food. More and more people have interest in Korean culture and favorable impression toward Korea. These sociological phenomena raise the power of Korea very softly everywhere in the world where the Korea cultural syndrome has hit. This is the Soft Power that Korean has. Conclusion The Korean Wave hit China in 1997 for the fist time and now its influence prevails all over Asia. By watching the same drama, by reading the same comic book, and by listing to the same pop songs, people have a strong sense of solidarity. Reflecting on my own experience, Asian teenagers become intimate to each other easily by sharing their cultural interests. In the fact that cultural contents take the large portion on students lives, there is nothing better which connects the students so tightly. They would forget the time flying away when they talk about their own favorite dramas and celebrities. The Korean Wave was directly connected to the domestic economy. Numerous cultural industries have expanded their influence in Asia and related manufacturing industry also has been thrived. The cultural industry established the average exports of 414,387 million Won from 2005 to 2007 and the derivative industry reached to the average exports of 2,204,567 million Won from 2005 to 2007. The whole economic impacts including the ripple effects during the past few years are tremendous in Korean domestic economy. There are several shortages of the Korean Wave that the Korean cultural contents overwhelmingly attract female but only mimic influence to male and that the current Korean Wave is not as sensational as the past few years. The Korean dramas and movies mostly deal with romantic love stories which women love and do not take action or thriller genres which men like. To embrace a broader range of people, Korean production companies need to develop creative and interesting scenarios in various genres. Plus, the economic effects are diminishing in many sectors of industry such as clothes, home appliance, and mobile phone. It is because there are recently no big contents such as Winter Sonata and Dae Jang Geum which rose fanatical boom about Korean media. The more efforts to create the high quality cultural contents enable to continue the glory of Korean Wave in 2004 and 2005. Asian countries and people have never gathered and shared the same cultural contents before as they do these days. Even though there are worried voices that Asian cultures are losing diversity in arts and culture, I valued more on the Korean Waves positive effects that connecting many countries and people in Asia in a close bound. I hope the unified the cultural market in Asia region would be the chance for cultural industries in each Asian countries to cooperative each other to create more developed cultural contents opening up new visas of the future.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Essay --

Podcast Paper: Troubled Asset Relief Program Name: Institution: The Global Financial Crisis and Troubled Asset Relief Program In 2008 the global economy experienced its worst economic turmoil in 2008 since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The effects of the crisis started to show in mid 2007 and by September 2008, the situation was out of hand. The world stock market had plummeted, huge financial institutions had collapsed and the government in the developed economies had put in place measures to rescue their economies from disintegrating. The first clear indicator of the crisis was in 2007 when the high prices of homes in the United States nose-dived and there were massive defaults on mortgages. The US financial sector soon started trembling and before long the world’s financial markets were in tatters. The US financial sector was the main casualty and the effects were felt by many businesses and people that rely on credit. The auto industry was on its knees with a number of players in the industry filing for bankruptcy; indeed, they only stayed afloat through government bailouts. Indeed, every se ctor of the global economy felt the stinging impact of the crisis with the US bearing the blunt effects. Even though massive fiscal and monetary policies prevented the US economy from collapsing, recovery has been very slow. The government policies were not applauded by many Americans who believed that the government was bailing out the same institutions responsible for the crisis. Among the government programs initiated during the recession was the Troubled Asset Relief Program. It was created by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act to address the biting financial crisis that was at its peak in September 2008. The trea... ... captured by the interests of Wall Street that usually do not serve the welfare of the American people. In fact he pointed out that no single presidential candidate had the willpower to streamline the operations of the financial systems. However, he states that since there are Members of Congress, who severed relations for the sake of the economy and its people, the same people can be the driving force towards meaningful reforms. The American people should never be subjected to such humiliation by a few large financial institutions that have the material resources to influence the decision makers in the economy. In fact, if political will as well as proper legislation and regulation existed, the American people would have reaped optimum returns from the bailout program. Equity stake at the collapsing huge banks would have given the taxpayer greater returns.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

From Determinism to Cognitive Theory

From Deterministic Behaviorism to Cognitive Theory: An Evolutionary Trail Alesia G. McDaniel University of the Rockies Abstract The Behaviorist theory, introduced by Pavlov and popularized by Watson and Skinner is discussed based on its roots in the philosophy of determinism which maintains that all behavior is the result of a specific cause. The theory of evolution and the consequential nature-nurture debate following contributes to the search for the meaning of behavior. A relationship to present day behaviorism theory and the rise of cognitive behavioral theory with its branches of cognitive behavior therapy and neuroscience will be explored. An analysis of the similarities and differences between the two constructs in the field of psychology, leads to a discussion of how these theories are used in current psychological practice. Keywords: Determinism, Behaviorism, Cognitive Theory, Cognitive Behavioral Psychology From Determinism to Cognitive Theory: An Evolutionary Trail The history of psychology is informative. It began 100 years ago with an introspective search for mind (Skinner, 1990) that came from philosophy and metaphysics. A philosophical principle called determinism appears to serve as a root for what later became behaviorism. This paper will outline an evolutionary trail. Beginning at the sea of determinism and crossing the plains of evolution, through the jungle of experimental psychology to find the path leading to the oasis of explanation of behaviorism where after a short rest, the trail winds around the curve of cognitive theory ending at a fork in the road. At this point, one path leads to current cognitive therapy practice and the other to current applications of behaviorism. The Sea of Determinism Determinism emerges as the explanation of a principle of physics called cause and effect which asserts that all behavior is the result of some cause (Bargh, 2000). Causation comes as a direct result of purpose or reason. No event is uncaused and all events are of necessity. Philosophy tends to use introspection to flesh out concepts of how the mind interacts with the body. Introspection was rejected by the experimental psychologists. The Plains of Evolution Behaviorism is the idea that all behavior can be traced to specific causes either environmental or reflexive. Thompson (1994) states that behavior of the organism as a whole is the product of three types of variation and selection and that natural selection is the first type. It is responsible for the evolution of the species and hence for species behavior. The Jungle of Experimental Psychology Watson attacked introspection in his behaviorist manifesto of 1913, and for that or other reasons, introspection was essentially abandoned (Bargh, 2000). Behaviorists came out of structuralism and functionalism as a protest of the mentalism that guided the careers of Wundt and Titchener. Experimental psychologists hoped to isolate compounds of images, feelings and sensations in a way that they could measure them and us the measurements to predict the cause of human behavior (Bargh, 2000). It was hoped that these elements could be organized into a type of table as is used in physics. The failure of experimental psychologists to isolate behavior in this manner gave rise to Behaviorist theory. An Oasis: Behaviorism Pavlov’s conditioned reflex formed the basis of Watson’s behaviorism (Thompson, 1994) B. F. Skinner and John Watson developed â€Å"nurture focused† determinism with in two models of behavioral conditioning (Bargh, 2000). B. F. Skinner is known for development of Operant Conditioning which differed from Watson’s version by addition of operation procedures in addition to the CS and the UCS in his S-R model. Operant conditioning addressed the causality of human behavior and as such involved specification of how stimuli, responses, reinforcers, and drive states are woven into relationships that change and sustain an organism’s behavior (Herrnstein, 1977). This method had some limitations that contributed to the rise of cognitive theory as the answer to the question of why humans behave as they do. This process lacked objectivity to sustain its vision and goals. Psychological study without consideration of internal process in unproductive. It is missing a significant variable. Behaviorism came about as a reaction to the subjectivity and unreliability of methods used in experimental psychology and strove to provide a mechanical account of human behavior (Bargh, 2000). It was based on the physiological concept of reflex as a result of external stimulation. The S-R unit was seen as the basic building block of human behavior with no theoretical base. There isn’t any empirical evidence to prove its actual existence. As long as the S-R units of the behaviorist experiments remained contained in labs and boxes, it proved successful, but when taken to higher level processes such as language and social interaction, the S-R unit was no longer plausible. It was thought that what was discovered in the lab with pigeons and rats was transferrable to human behavior outside the lab. The failure of behaviorism’s model to explain higher mental processes of language acquisition, social interaction, memory, and judgment led to cognitive theory to find the missing link (Bargh, 2000). The Curve of Cognitive Theory Behavioral theory exposed the rudimentary or first principles of human behavior from which cognitive therapy evolved. Behaviorism denied internal processing and focusing only on external stimuli leaves much to be desired. The behaviorist held to the idea that the mediating internal constructs and processes hinder achieving the results of the assumption that human behavior can be explained by nurture focused determinism (Bargh, 2000). An integration of cognitive and dynamic psychology to understand all processes that cause behavior is needed. Cognitive theory focuses on the internal processing of external events as the cause of behavior and as such relates to determinism. Perhaps behaviorism failed to completely answer the questions of causality of human behavior because it denied that consciousness plays a role, with consciousness, representing those processes that motivate behavior internally. Perception, interpretation, memory, judgment, evaluation, and goal pursuit all serve to cause behavior. Maybe behaviorists were trying to disprove religious teachings of their time and the belief that God or the Devil had something to do with behavior. They were not willing to deal with what they did not know how to measure. As cognitive science picked up where Behaviorism left off, psychology begins to unravel a process by which an understanding of how the internal processes of the human mind work in combination with individual differences in consciousness and how that influences and directs human behavior. The Fork in the Road: Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Current Behaviorism Applied Cognitive behavior theory and behaviorism theory translated to cognitive-behavioral therapy currently helps practitioners to flesh out the root causality of problematic behavior with their clients. An understanding of why we do, what we do or, what thinking leads to certain behaviors is crucial to eradication of self-destructive behavior as well as restoration and growth after experiencing trauma or victimization. Applications of these theories have contributed to advances in treatment of addiction and trauma. The practices of psychotherapy and medication therapy have also benefited from advances in this area. The End of the Trail? The trail began seeing behavior as the effect of a cause. It continues to evolve from the present path of thinking processes being the cause of behavior. Experimental psychology, behaviorism blazed new trails toward the manifest destiny that is the mind. As new trails are being blazed to understand how thought is related to behavior the evolution continues. . References Bargh, J. A. (2000). Beyond behaviorism: On the automaticity of higher mental processes. Psychological Bulletin,126(6), 925-945. doi:10. 1037/0033-2909. 126. 6. 925. Goodwin, C. (2008). A history of modern psychology, 3rd ed. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Herrnstein, R. J. (1977). The evolution of behaviorism. American Psychologist, 32(8), 593-603. doi:10. 1037/0003-066X. 32. 8. 593 Skinner, B. F. (1990). Can psychology be a science of mind? American Psychologist, 45(11), 1206-1210. doi:10. 1037/0003-066X. 45. 11. 1206 Thompson, R. F. (1994). Behaviorism and neuroscience. Psychological Review, 101(2), 259-265. doi:10. 1037/0033-295X. 101. 2. 259