Management Planning and Ethics

First American Guard Services Company provides unique security services to all our clients. To maximize on our services, the company operates round the clock to ensure all the customers’ requirements are met.   Our core values are innovations, competence and reliability.   The company strives to offer quality services, professional development and high ethical standards.   Our team is highly committed to understand customers’ expectations and solve all safety problems.   The services offered not only will they accommodate all the clients’ needs but also exceed their expectations. (Francesco, 2006) Organizational Structure First American Guard Services is made up of qualified and professional team.   The company is under the Chief executive officer, the Vice president of company operations and Vice president of marketing and Finance.   The Chief Executive Officer manages the whole company and holds the final word.   The VP is in charge of departmental operations and the second VP is in charge of marketing and finance. The planning Function of the Management To ensure the smooth flow of all the activities within the company, the company has decided to embark on management planning and ethics plans to harmonize all the plans laid out.   The management will streamline legal issues, ethics and corporate social responsibility and how it impacts the management and business planning.   All the issues will enhance proper communication, accountability and clarify the vision of all the plans.   The corporate social responsibility will broaden the perspectives of communications at the corporate level within the management so that sound policies can be made. The management consists of the CEO, and the two VPs (Francesco, 2006) Legal issues are vital if any organization must perform well.   The legal issues affect the management since they are responsible for laying out rules and regulations that staff members are expected to adhere to.   First American Guard Company’s management will evaluate all the processes to improve the performance of the management.   The Chief executive will lead the team by initiating workshops and seminars whereby they will be exposed to management courses.   The courses will enhance ethical standards and adhere to the law. (Francesco, 2006) Legal issues, ethical factors as well as corporate social responsible are interrelated since they affect performance of the management and ultimately output of the organization. (Francesco, 2006) Legally, there are rules stipulated by the law that businesses must follow.   The rules determine the types of decisions and plans made at the management level.   Some of the legal issues will determine the quality of services offered by First American, to ensure they meet the standards set by the law.   Despite all the innovations, that the management hopes to come up with, they must be within the law.   On the other hand, ethics are designed by the company, that is, code of ethics indicating the conduct and organizations expectations of all the employees.   The ethical infrastructure will support the effective implementation of ethical responsibility and corporate strategies.   (Francesco, 2006) The ethical training will be directed to the first American Guard service team, so that the members can make use of moral reasoning tools so that questions related to ethics and corporate activities are properly addressed.   The image of the management relies on the code of ethics.   Ethical standards set by the company are usually the crucial tools which enable the management carry out corporate, social and ethical responsibilities.   The function in essence is beyond legal requirements. (Francesco, 2006) The corporate social responsibility will however consider the international standard as well as the best practices. (Francesco, 2006) Conclusion According to many writers, the social responsibility of any business must have ethical responsibilities.   First American Guard Services Company has social responsibilities which will further be subdivided into ethical, legal and economic.   In addition, the ethical responsibilities of the company are parallel to the legal issues. (Francesco, 2006) The management function will therefore revolve around harmonizing all the issues concerned, to ensure all the business plans, implementation adhere to the management function.   This is because, all legal, social and ethical guidelines, determine the policies that the management will formulate and who the implementers will be. (Francesco, 2006) It is important to note that, most social responsibilities are not clear and are more or less an assortment of legal and moral responsibilities, vested interests and some moral ideals.   This package however, inhibits the managements to consider other ethical responsibilities of the company.   This means that if the company trades on ideals, corporate social responsibility myth diverts the attention from the duties of the management. (Francesco, 2006) References Francesco, P. (2006) Developing Corporate Social Responsibility, Edward Elgar   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Publishing.            

The world

There are too many parts In his recordings that do not make sense that lead me to my decision. The accounts of Pocahontas are a major factor that many say make Smiths works not credible. When John Smith was kidnapped by the King of the Photostat Tribe, Pocahontas' dad, they were about to kill him then and there. Side note: they kidnapped Smith just to kill him instead of ailing him during the battle between Smiths men and the Native Americans.Why would they spear Smith's life after they killed all his men? Anyways, right before the King & his men were about to kill him, weapons drawn, this young girl Jumps in and shields Smith from the men. â€Å"Pocahontas with no appeal or petition got his head in her arms and laid her own upon his o save him from death. † She happened to be the king's daughter. She was so brave that she risked her own life Just to save a stranger that was an enemy In her father's eyes. But John Smith does not give us any time of season why Pocahontas did th is for him because when Pocahontas covered him they didn't kill him.Later in the story he records how after he was released, Pocahontas was providing him with food and other things so he wouldn't starve to death. But yet again Smith doesn't record why she is doing this for him, making a reader like me suspicious about his credibility. Maybe she had a crush on him but I don't think they were secretly in love because she was probably too young for him. Throughout Smiths writings in â€Å"A General History' & his accounts of Pocahontas, e makes mostly everything seem to not be his fault.He doesn't tell us or explains to us the wrong decisions he made that lead to his close encounters with death. He makes It seem like he was o innocent. He was proud, arrogant, and boastful, writing in 3rd person about himself, removing himself away from the narrative. He TLD care about the other tribes around his area, stealing food and necessities from them. Even though it was for the good of his own colony or group of people, it still isn't right to steal from others and sin like that, then go on to write about Religion and how people should go about it in the â€Å"New World. Most likely the other tribes will fight back. I question if Smiths recordings of Pocahontas are real because how can Smith get kidnapped & released all because a girl he never met shielded him. Pocahontas saved him and now he gets to go? Why didn't the king search for him? It's funny because Smith refers to the king as a devil and refers to the Native Americans as â€Å"Barbarians. † How was the King the devil if he spared your life and traded with your colony In the future?I think Smith was captured then released on a deal that was dad between him and the King, probably a deal to help the Photostat tribe out because Smith was a smart resourceful man. I don't know why he had to put the Pocahontas story into his recordings instead of just telling the truth, because that accounts of Pocahontas in hi s 1607 recordings, but he mentions the Photostats. It wasn't till his 1624 recordings 20+ years later, that he mentions Pocahontas long after she died. So now we don't have any witnesses or any accounts from Pocahontas about what really happened or if the story is fabricated and never actually appended.I believe Smiths accounts in â€Å"A description of new England† are credible. He drew maps for future colonies and focused heavily on religion, encouraging people to come to the New World. But I do not think he cared about any of these things. He probably wanted people come to so he could make money by promoting the World, because maybe somebody was paying him. He probably sold the maps he drew to the people he was recruiting to come to the new World. To conclude my paper I tell you again that I do not believe that John Smith was a reducible writer.If he explained the things that happened in the Photostat tribe more thoroughly, I think I would have a change of mind about his c redibility. Why would a young girl who is a stranger to Smith save his life twice for no reason? Why wouldn't Smith explain why she does these things? The king released Smith and later became friends with him, why? That makes no sense. A normal person would be confused as am while reading this. As I said if one story isn't believable, it makes me question all his other accounts of what happened. The World The world’s biggest software maker felt that it had been robbed, so much so that they posted a high-level summary of 235 patents that were allegedly violated by Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), including the Linux Kernel, Samba, OpenOffice. org, and others . Microsoft does not play when it comes to patent infringement, but did they have a case? †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ So if Microsoft ever sued Linux distributor Red Hat for patent infringement, for instance, OIN might sue Microsoft in retaliation, trying to enjoin distribution of Windows.It's a cold war, and what keeps the peace is the threat of mutually assured destruction: patent Armageddon an unending series of suits and countersuits that would hobble the industry and its customers. † (Parloff may 28, 2007). Shortly after that, Microsoft entered into a series of three contracts with Novell, one of which was a patent agreement that basically said, â€Å"Don’t sue us and we won’t sue you. † So now the qu estion is â€Å"At the time of the scenario, some dire consequences were predicted for FOSS. How has FOSS fared since then? † From what I have researched so far FOSS generally has still faired fairly well through the whole ordeal.The GNU still viewed as a pinnacle for open source software and distribution. The Deal with Novell was made to walk around the GPL of the GNU and expose loop holes for Microsoft’s gain but also creating a pressing dilemma for the GNU. The deal struck between Novell and Microsoft was a â€Å"we don’t sue you and you don’t sue us† which indicates that not only was FOSS involved in patent infringement but also Microsoft. The Deal included over 200 million dollars to Novell and 43 Million to Microsoft for â€Å"license distribution† of Novells’ Server software.Linux has grown from its earlier days as a fringe operating, evolving more and becoming more wide spread as a use for servers. What impact have these event s made since then, or will they make? The threat of a lawsuit had little if any impact on the free open source market at all. People continued to download just about anything these days. Why you ask? It simple, FOSS has good quality codes that can be changed, shared, copied at will, and downloaded. It's adaptable and it can be tailored to perform almost any large-scale computing job and it is almost crash proof.Software that is free is good to anybody no one can deny that. Many individuals that used open source applications on their smart devices, as well as large companies which use these applications for daily activity for their need in their company. FOSS is great for everyone because it can be shared, copied, changed and of course downloaded. FOSS is not going anywhere just for the reason being that it’s free. Has FOSS been hurt, helped, or neither? Big corporate companies have been changing their philosophy on open source software since Microsoft posted their findings in 2006.Major corporations like IBM, Oracle and Google have been using FOSS. They are big allies to FOSS so in my opinion I think it has helped them because then other small companies that actually look up to these powerful corporations would later start using FOSS. When something is starting to being used and downloaded on a constant basis, this means it’s becoming popular and it is in high demand. So it has helped them since then. Free software is great, and corporate America loves it. What in FOSS’s or Microsoft’s actions against FOSS has changed since then?Microsoft actions towards FOSS since then allegations were published is to get paid, the company is trying to still get royalties from developers that use FOSS. After the deal between Novell and Microsoft, Novell continued getting open source software getting their royalties and charging for them instead of being free. Microsoft did not sued FOSS but are lobbying their hardest (unsuccessfully I might add) in getting most of the large corporations to not join or ally themselves with FOSS. Bibliography Parloff, R. CNN Money, â€Å"Microsoft Takes on the Free World. † Last modified may 28,2007. Accessed July 29, 2012. http://money. cnn. com.

Divorce Rates in America

America’s Divorce Rates: Why Are They So High? The sanctity of marriage is a tradition that has been entered by generations over the past thousands of years. In the United States alone, 2,200,000 people choose to enter the lifetime commitment of marriage every year. Yet, less than half of that population is expected to keep that commitment. In a 1999 Rutgers University study, it is said that only 38 percent of Americans consider themselves happy in their married state, which has decreased from 53 percent 25 years ago.With the current, alarming statistic of over half of marriages resulting in divorce, there is much reason to take notice of how these numbers got so high. Although I personally have not grown up in a divorced household, I sought to understand why so many other people have, and in turn possibly gain knowledge to avoid becoming a part of the divorced population as well. In Steven Nock’s article, â€Å"America’s Divorce Problem,† he encloses the important point that â€Å"Divorce is not the problem, but rather a symptom of the problem† (1 Nock).With varying symptoms such as the feminist movement in the 1960s, an increase in financial dependence, increased career mobility, and the overall changed perception of marriage, the divorce rates have increased rapidly since the 1960s and deserve further explanation. The overall family structure has been challenged, and fault lines in American families have widened since the 1960s and the 1970s, which is when the divorce rate doubled.In the magazine article, â€Å"The Pursuit of Autonomy,† Alan Wolfe states that â€Å"the family is no longer a haven; all too often a center of dysfunction, it has become one with the heartless world that surrounds it. † While this statement may be a slight exaggeration of the family perception, reasons remain for the rapid increase of 30 percent in the divorce rate since the 1960s. Discussed in Barbara LeBay’s article, †Å"American Families Are Drifting Apart,† there are supposedly four main societal changes that occurred in the 1960s, which have greatly impacted today’s traditional family structures in America.Such societal changes include the sexual revolution, women's liberation movement, states' relaxation of divorce laws, and mobility of American families and are said to be responsible for many of our family alienations. During this time frame, society’s youth fled from the confines of family, while other family members sought to keep them close and as a result, it is said that there were most likely more problematic issues between children and parents during the 1960s and early 1970s than ever before.More importantly, the women's liberation movement in the workplace played a large role in changing the values and perceptions of family structure in America. Before this time, men were the assumed leader of each household and were given the largest responsibility of advancing i n their careers to make a living, while women were for the most part financially dependent upon them. However, starting in the 1960s women with a college degree could live independently and establish a life for themselves.There was a new recognition in society that civil rights meant equal rights for everyone, including women (243 Finsterbursch). Women sought sexual equality, which included a wider range of career opportunities and promotions that were once available only to men. By having this form of financial independence, women also had more of the freedom to break away from destructive or unhappy marriages. Although this movement is an important and productive one, it also impacted the traditional notions of marriage.Marriage had suddenly become a â€Å"choice,† rather than a â€Å"necessity,† and the entire concept of divorce became less of an issue. Another great change during this time period was the increase in mobility of families in which many family members were no longer living in the same household with one another. Men and women began to move to wherever they could advance in the corporate ladder in the shortest amount of time. Despite how far it was from where they grew up, college students took more jobs away from home, jeopardizing family unity.People needed to invest lots of time and energy to recreate their lives without the support of their family with these relocations, and still today many are willing to sacrifice their family relationships in order to advance in their careers. Barbara Lebay makes the important point that strangely, the more financially independent people become, the more families scatter and grow apart and tolerance levels decrease as their financial means increase (1 Lebay).In relation to this observation, Joseph Ducanto makes a similar point about the financial effects of divorce on poverty, along with the idea that while fixing the divorce system will not eliminate the future of poverty, certain changes can help to bring the problem into an easier resolution. In the article, â€Å"Divorce and Poverty are Often Synonymous,† there is praise for the concept of prenuptial agreements due to the fact that in recent years, prenuptial agreements have been adopted by many states of the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act.The adoption of this Act is said to â€Å"significantly strengthen the legal basis for acceptance and enforcement of these agreements within marital proceedings† (90 Ducanto). In today’s society, the need and importance of prenuptial agreements signifies our priority of finances being a common theme to marriage termination. Often times, who makes the money in the family and just how much can determine whether a marriage will stay together or not, an issue that was not common before the 1960s. The accumulation of marriage and divorce laws over the years are also said to have affected our increasing divorce rates.Since the 1970’s, all states have had access to what are called â€Å"no-fault divorces,† with the only real restriction being a waiting time limit of a few months to a year. The motivation for this concept came from the movement of people who felt this would benefit women and children who were stuck in verbally or physically abusive marriages. However, in Steven Nock’s article, â€Å"America’s Divorce Problem,† he discusses that many believe that the facility of this idea has also created somewhat of a â€Å"divorce culture† to the United States in which the traditional sanctions of marriage are no longer respected as much.Others also disapprove of the no-fault divorce saying that it often leaves women dependent, harms the interest of the children, and deteriorates the general social welfare (1 Nock). Although I personally have not grown up in a divorced household, I sought to understand why so many other people have, and in turn possibly gain knowledge to avoid becoming a part of th e divorced population as well.With varying symptoms such as the feminist movement in the 1960s, an increase in financial dependence, increased career mobility, and the overall changed perception of marriage, the divorce rates have increased rapidly since the 1960s and 1970s. During this time, there came the beginning of what some would describe as a â€Å"divorce culture† for America in which divorce was not seen as such a serious matter, with even the electing our first divorced President of the United States, Ronald Regan.Although events and movements of this era such as women’s empowerment in the workplace are very important to history, they have also impacted the traditional notions of marriage. Marriage has become a â€Å"choice,† rather than a â€Å"necessity,† and the entire concept of divorce is much less of an issue. This new attitude on divorce has clearly prevailed to current times and will hopefully correct itself throughout more changes in ev ents to our society. Works Cited Ducanto, Joseph N. â€Å"Divorce and Poverty Are Often Synonymous.   American Journal of Family Law  24. 2 (2010): 87-94. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. Finsterbusch, Kurt. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Social Issues. New York: McGraw Hill, 2011. Print. LeBey, Barbara. â€Å"American Families Are Drifting Apart. †Ã‚  USA Today Magazine  130. 2676 (2001): 20. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. Nock, Steven L. â€Å"America's Divorce Problem. †Ã‚  Society  36. 4 (1999): 43-52. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 19 Apr. 2011.

Stress of unmarried motherhood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Stress of unmarried motherhood - Essay Example If stress is left untreated, this may lead to life altering health complications that may also affect the child, thus coping with the challenges of single-parenthood and social support are of core importance. To start with, it shall be emphasized that single mothers, in this study, refers to those women who were separated, divorced, widowed, or never been married living with at least one child (minor age). The number of single-parent families, majority of which is headed by women, grew substantially since the 1960’s as a result of increasing rates of divorce and separation (Avison, Aneshensel, Scheiman, and Wheaton 73). In the most recent census in the U.S., about 84% of 13.7 million single parents are single mothers (Grall 1; Wolf n. pag.); 45% are currently divorce or separated; 34.2% have never been married; 19% are married (usually remarried); and 1.7% are widowed (Wolf). Wolf added that 79% of single mothers are employed and those who work in full-time basis are much grea ter (71.7%) compared to part-time basis workers (18.4%). In relation to poverty, 27% of single mothers live in poverty and in terms of public assistance or support, 22% receive Medicaid, 23.5% receive food stamps, 12% receive public housing or rent subsidy, and 5% receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Wolf n. pag.). In connection to stress, it is important to understand what stress is all about. According to Dr. Stoppler (1), stress, in general, is related to external (physical environment, job, relationships with others, and all situations, challenges, difficulties, and expectations occurring everyday) and internal (body’s ability to respond) factors. When a stressor comes in, our body’s rapid and automatic defense would be a â€Å"fight-or-flight--a reaction called the stress response (Smith, Segal, R., and Segal, J. n. pag.). The three components of the body involved in response to stress are: (1) the brain that immediately responds to release epinephrin e and norepinephrine, (2) the hypothalamus and pituitary gland transmitting signal to the adrenal cortex to release cortisol and other hormones, and (3) the many neural (nerve) circuits involved in the behavioral response (Stoppler 4). Though a certain level of stress can motivate an individual to perform well under pressure (Smith, et al n. pag.), however, a stress-out lifestyle is more likely an unhealthy one because it can affect the person’s eating habit that may result either to weight loss (due to lack of time to prepare healthy foods) or weight gain (to fill an emotional need and partly due to the effect of high level of cortisol during stress that stimulates fat, carbohydrate, and insulin) (Stoppler 1). Focusing on stress among single mothers, Scott (n. pag.) said that most mothers, generally, feel stress in the following areas: (1) time demands, (2) finances, (3) relationship demands, (4) protective instincts, (5) self doubt, and (6) time alone. A single mother carri es all stress in these areas with no male partner to share with, thus parenting is more burdensome to them compared to two-parent family. Studies consistently found out that single mothers have high levels of psychological distress and high rates of major depression than married mothers (Avison, et al 73). More specifically, separated or divorced mothers have higher rates of depression, dysthymia (a mood disorder),

The skin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The skin - Research Paper Example Furthermore, it is going to discuss the functions of the skin. The skin is divided into two parts the epidermis and the dermis (Dean). The epidermis is the upper layer of the skin the one that is visible to the naked eye. The epidermis are also known as the cuticle. Underneath the epidermis is the dermis. It is that part that contains the nerve cells and the body hair. The skin derived its name from a Greek word meaning dermis of the skin and epi for outer (Dean). The skin has various functions. The skin guards the body from injuries(Jones, 63).. The skin also prevents germs from entering the body by trapping them on the soft body hair. The skin is literally the set alarm that warns our bodies to change according to the temperatures. Thus, the skin regulates temperature gain and loss. The skin also allows the body to release unwanted toxins from our bodies through mechanisms like sweating through the pores(Jones, 63). In conclusion, the skin is the largest body organ weighing about six pounds. It is made up of two parts, the dermis and the epidermis. The dermis is the outer covering while the epidermis is the inner part that contains the nervous system and cells. The skin has very many functions. It regulates body temperature, prevents injuries and germs from entering the body and it also releases toxins from the body (Patricia, 36). The skin is obviously a very significant body organ, yet it is the most neglected and uncared for body part (Patricia, 34). The skin tells the story of our lives. For example, another person can tell our health status, age, occupation, race and many more by observing the skin (Patricia,

What, If Any, Is The Link Between Inflation And Output In Your Essay

What, If Any, Is The Link Between Inflation And Output In Your Discussion Refer To Both Theoretical And Empirical Evidence - Essay Example When prices of domestic goods and services are rising fast this will generally be true also of wages, of the prices of the imported goods, of the money supply and of the prices of assets. This is because inflation is one sector of the economy permeates rapidly into other sectors. The phrase â€Å"a high rate of inflation† therefore usually describes a situation in which the money values of all goods in an economy are rising at a fast rate . The view commonly taken is that inflation should be kept close to zero; prices should rise at no more than about 2 to 3 percent a year on average. This is because high inflation affects the economy adversely in a number of ways. For example, it distorts the income distribution; because of the difficulty and risk associated with the complete index-linking of pensions tend to suffer. Also, it biases investment decisions: the cost of borrowing money rises making debt finance expensive in the early years of a project and reducing the incentive to invest. In theory inflation accounting could correct for this, but in practice this has proved difficult to implement.

Revenue Recognition Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Revenue Recognition - Research Paper Example Modern financial accounting is highly dependent on double entry bookkeeping. However, the origin of double entry bookkeeping is not clearly known of yet literatures suggest that in almost every civilization, financial record keeping was followed. Franciscan Friar, Luca Pacioli is often associated with double entry bookkeeping because he published a book on the same in 1494. In the book, he spoke of debit and credit as well as of liabilities and assets. Pacioli also advised in the book about periodic profit calculation and yearly closing of books (Previts, Parker & Coffman, 1990). Around sixteenth century, noticeable changes were proposed and incorporated in the bookkeeping techniques for the purpose of recording various kinds of transactions. During this period, usage of specialized subsidiary books such as separate cash book increased greatly. By the end of seventeenth century, evolution of periodic preparation of financial statements was witnessed. Additionally, the eighteenth century marked personification of different accounts and transactions for rationalizing debit and credit rules that were applicable to abstract and impersonal accounts (Jones & Riahi-Belkaoui, 2010; Previts, Parker & Coffman, 1990). The period also pointed at evolution of three methods of treating fixed assets. Firstly, assets were carried forward in financial statements at original cost and difference between revenue payments and receipts was shown in profit and loss account. Secondly, fixed asset accounts were closed on the balancing date and the difference between debit and credit balance due to original cost and other expenditures was carried forward. The third method was to evaluate appreciation and/or depreciation in the asset value and the difference was reflected in profit and loss account. However, it was only around 1930s, the depreciation charges and methods became more evident in practice (Edwards, 2013). Post industrial revolution in nineteenth century, cost

Description of The Green Man by Tim Burton Essay

Description of The Green Man by Tim Burton - Essay Example The irregular shapes are shown through the head, neck and shoulder parts as well as the shirt. The painting drawn on canvass with oil and acrylic used different lines and shapes to make the general form of a distorted figure of a man. Short lines were used to portray stitches on the face of the man in addition to the reddish background. The painter used the basic colors blue, red and yellow as well as secondary colors like orange and green. Darker shades were used around the image while different hues of different colors were used in the image as well as those which are very near images that the painter seemed attract the audiences’ attention to like the nose. Around it are obviously brighter shades of the background, looking like a light is directed to it. Strengthening the color of the nose and eyes, Burton used different shades of blue on the shirt, showing it to resemble clothing that had been worn for a long time. The red and white covering of the neck not only attracts the observers’ eyes to it but adds to the contrasting colors and emphasizes the use of t he basic colors. In its general form, the picture may not be pleasant to look at but its message can attract audiences to what could be conveyed through

Death penalty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Death penalty - Research Paper Example Opponents also assert that the practice is overtly costly and racially biased while not realizing the intended outcome. Proponents think it is neither cruel nor unusual, quite the opposite, they think it fair and just. The objective of this study is to discuss the moral and legal concerns that literally are a life and death issue and is a key barometer when measuring a cultures collective conscience. The ‘eye for an eye’ faction not only accepts but insists that the death penalty be sustained and has supporting rational to back up their argument which will be covered comprehensively in this discussion. It will also take into account the opponents’ reasoning concerning why it should be eliminated along with the legal precedents concerned in an effort to achieve a comprehensive view of the capital punishment debate. Legal speaking, capital punishment is not unusual, by definition, unless one acknowledges the racial bias that exists throughout the justice system. The law cannot define whether it is cruel or not. Cruelty can be defined only by the collective social conscious of a society. The legal interpretation of the combined ‘cruel and unusual’ is open to debate, to some extent but the general usage of the word ‘cruel’ refers to vicious punishments that cause extreme pain. Most legal scholars agree that punishments that include body dismemberment or torture are unquestionably classified as cruel. The term torture was evidently open for debate during the past decade but the word means essentially the same universally; causing unwanted physical or mental anguish. The word ‘unusual’ is normally understood to mean going beyond what is an equitable application of punishment for an offense. For instance, if ten people were ticketed for a traffic violation and judge fined nine of them $150 but one was charged $1500, this punishment would be considered ‘unusual.’ Taken together in the phrase, †˜prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment’ signifies that the penalty should be apportioned equitably according to the specific offense committed. A ‘life’ prison sentence is an acceptable punishment but not if this punishment was imposed for jaywalking, that would be an obviously unacceptable sentence imposition because it is considered excessive and extreme given the nature of the offense. Excessive is a term that is also open to broad interpretation in both the legal and public realm. Some would contend, for example, that any amount of time imposed for ‘crimes’ such as the possession of drugs, prostitution and gambling should be interpreted as excessive consequently ‘unusual.’ The Supreme Court has on many occasions judged the merits of the death penalty and this action is interpreted as punishment which is cruel and unusual by the Constitution. The Court has consistently ruled the language of the Eighth Amendment does not prohibit t he death sentence as punishment. The Constitution was meant to be and is a malleable document, however. The judicial interpretation of the Eighth Amendment has evolved to some extent throughout the years. Therefore the Court could potentially reverse this standpoint at a future time as result of changing societal values. For instance, whipping convicted criminals was routine until the late Eighteenth Century. This practice is now considered to be inappropriate because society’s attitude changed to define it as a ‘cruel’ punishment. With respect to capital punishment, however, â€Å"

Many Nations Native Americans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Many Nations Native Americans - Essay Example There is a group of Cherokee people that want to stay in their homelands spearheaded by Principal Chief John Ross. The opposition to the removal of the Cherokees was justifiable and was based on a valid argument. Initially, all the Cherokees were united in opposing the removal from their ancestral homelands. Even after the 1832 court ruling that Cherokees should be allowed to live in their ancestral lands, the government has not heeded. The land lottery that was enacted in 1830 is being implemented, where citizens of Georgia are the beneficiaries of the Cherokee’s land. The Cherokees attempted to fight for themselves with the government on the opposition. Despite some of the Cherokees having no hope in that they will regain their land, a group of them was totally opposed to the removal. One of the strong believers that the Cherokees should not be removed from their homeland was Principal Chief John Ross. He had support from the majority of the people. However, a rift among the people created instability to the Cherokee government. Various advantages helped the group that was opposed to the removal to be dominant and stronger. Firstly, under the Principal Chief John Ross they had a control of the Cherokee government. This means that rebels were thrown out of the government once they were known. Secondly, they were the majority; in this case, the people behind Principal Chief John Ross were much more than those that attempted to collaborate. This ensured that the rebellion became stronger. Thirdly, the elite among the Cherokees supported non-removal. These include Principal Chief John Ross, his brother among other leaders that were more enlightened. Despite their concerted efforts, the non-removal delegation was defeated because both the federal and state governments supported it. Upon the ratification of the Treaty of new Echota by the Senate, the battle was lost despite the push by Ross and his leadership. In

Use of English Essay Example for Free

Use of English Essay I. Fill each of the numbered blanks in the following text. Use only one word in each space. (15 points) In a major breakthrough in diving, scientists have developed an artificial gill capable 1 obtaining oxygen 2sea water. The question of 3. fish breathe puzzled man for centuries. Now, fortunately, a team of chemists, physicists and mathematicians at Tokyo University have built two forms of artificial gill, which imitate the breathing method used 4.. fish. They are also developing a lightweight version 5. could be worn on the back. They expect that the first model will be 6.for human trials within three years and could be7 .. sale in the shops within five to ten years. Fish transfer oxygen directly to the blood, and the artificial gill will be 8. to transfer oxygen through a mouthpiece into human lungs. This process of taking oxygen 9 of water occurs through the ultra-thin surface of hundreds of fine, hollow threads. As water streams over them, the dissolved oxygen in10 . passes through to become a breathable gas. At the moment, the human gill has a 10-litre volume, 11.. has to be halved to produce a machine small 12.to be commercially successful. In 13..to this, the team is optimistic, believing it will have huge value both for commercial and leisure purposes 14.. it will let people dive, in shallow water, for as 15as they like. II. Read the text below and use the word given in the brackets to form words that fit in the gaps. (10 points) There has been much debate in recent times about when young people should take up a second language. This has been especially fuelled in recent times by the increasing 1.(important) placed on the English language. It is now commonplace to see parents providing a substantial amount of 2.(funds) on additional tuition on language lessons to give their children every 3.(competition) edge. In the past decade, language institutes have sprung up in 4 ..(number) urban centres, all claiming to provide rapid 5.(advance) in English. There has been a push by many parents to expose their children to English in their 6..(formation) years. This, many claim, will make the language more 7(instinct) and ensure that all pronunciation errors can be avoided. There is some evidence which points to youngsters who have been raised in 8(language) families, where the language spoken at home is different to the one that they 9..(conversation) with in their external environment. While these children can switch between two languages with greater 10.(easy) it remains to be seen whether this is advantageous when learning additional languages. III. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between 3 and 8 words including the word given. (15 points) 1. When I realised what had happend, I became quite afraid. OVERCOME I when I worked out what had occurred.[pic] 2. It looks as if hes forgotten about the meeting again. TO He seems. about the meeting again. 3. You can see that they made a big effort with the school play. DEAL You can see that. into the school play. 4.You have to work here for two years before they consider you for promotion BEEN They will consider you for promotion.for two years. 5. It was a bad idea to turn up unexpectedly without calling first. BLUE You shouldwithout calling first. IV. Find one word which is appropriate for all three gaps in each of the following sentences. (10 points) 1. We were aiming to raise one million euros for charity, but we†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.short by quite a long way. I did a survey online and it said that I†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.into the category of people who should consider a career change. Jane seemed confident going into the interview, but then she†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦to pieces and made a complete mess of it. 2. I don’t like parties because I’ve never been good at†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.talk. I wish you wouldn’t try to make me look †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..in front of other people. We sat up chatting into the†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦hours. 3. I’m planning to go to the funeral, just to†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..my last respect. I was surprised when Caleb said I looked nice because he doesn’t usually †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.me compliments. I might not have a lot of money, but I always make sure I †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦my way. 4. There’s no†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.for believing that the Queen is going to abdicate. She is only working here on a temporary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ We chose Turkey on the†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.that it’s much cheaper than Greece. 5. We hope it won’t be too long before we start a †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. My dad thought that the whole thing reflected badly on the†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦name. Our dog’s got a great personality and we all treat her like one of the†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..

Career as a Fire Fighter or EMT Essay Example for Free

Career as a Fire Fighter or EMT Essay Saving ives and helping people in trouble is very rewarding career. A fire fighter is a first responder to natural disasters, fires, and vehicle wrecks. A firefighter fights fires to prevent loss of life, and/or destruction of property and the environment. Firefighting is a highly technical skill that requires professionals who have had extinctive training in both general firefighting techniques and specialized areas of expertise. Fires can rapidly spread and endanger many lives; however, with modern firefighting techniques, catastrophe is usually, but not always, avoided. Fire ighters goals are to save lives, property and the environment. The rewarding Job of saving a life ofa civilian is an important part of this career. Not one individual can fully extend their thanks to an individual that saves them at least another day alive. Work involves responsibility for the protection of life and property through firefighting and rescue operations, usually under close supervision. In large cities, firefighters may work on special squads that require advanced training. Firefighting and emergency rescue work, including the administration of first aid and emergency medical treatment. Employees are also required to learn and participate in the operation of firefighting equipment and apparatus. A major portion of time is spent on pre-flre surveys; training, studying methods, techniques and organization of firefighting and on routine duties in the care and maintenance of Fire ; Rescue Department property and equipment. Shifts involve an element of personal danger and require working on extended shifts. Highly organized and extinctive training makes the proses of this Job preform smoothly. Employment of firefighters is expected to grow by nine percent, slower than the ostsecondary firefighter education and paramedic training should have the best prospects. Emergency rescue teams will undoubtable be necessary in the future for any growing town or city. The need for fire rescue will always increase on account of natural disasters and disasters caused by men. Prospective firefighters must be at least eighteen years old and high school graduates to take the fire exam. In recent years, most applicants have had a few years of college or completed two- or four-year programs in fire science at community colleges or universities. Experienced firefighters sometimes take these courses to prepare for promotion. These courses are also useful for those preparing for Jobs as fire-science specialists. The firefighter exam includes a written section; tests of strength, physical stamina, and agility; and a medical examination, including a drug screening. Applicants with the highest scores undergo several weeks of formal training at an academy. Some fire departments offer apprenticeship programs that last three or four years. Experienced firefighters go on practice drills to maintain their skills. I plan on attending the University of South Alabama to receive my four- year degree and EMT training. The University of South Alabamas Center for Emergency

Evolution of Australian Flora: Hymenopteran Visual Systems

Evolution of Australian Flora: Hymenopteran Visual Systems Abstract Very little work has been done on the evolution of floral colour diversity, outside of Europe and the Middle East. In particular, we know almost nothing about the evolution of the Australian flora in the context of hymenopteran visual systems. Such a study is likely to be important due to the geologically long isolation of the Australian flora and the high proportion of endemic plant species. The aims of this study were to investigate the colour of Australian native flowers in the context of hymenopteran visual systems, the innate colour preferences of Australian native bees (Trigona carbonaria), and the interactions between native bees and a food deceptive orchid (Caladenia carnea). Firstly, I found that the discrimination thresholds of hymenopterans match up with floral colour diversity and that hymenopterans appear to have been a major contributor to flower colour evolution in Australia. Secondly, I found that Trigona carbonaria has innate preferences for wavelengths of 422, 437 a nd 530 nm. Thirdly, I found that bees were able to habituate to orchid flowers based on colour, thus potentially explaining the colour polymorphism of Caladenia carnea. Together, my study suggests that the evolution of the Australian flora has been influenced by hymenopterans. 1. Introduction Plant-pollinator interactions The mutual interactions between pollinators and plants have been suspected in driving angiosperm radiation and diversification in the past (Regal 1977; Crepet 1984; McPeek 1996). The obvious mutual benefit is that pollinators depend on the pollen and/or nectar of flowering plants for food and, in return, partake in the incidental transfer of pollen necessary for plant reproduction (Faegri and van der Pijl 1978; Harder, Williams et al. 2001). Worldwide, it is estimated that more than 67% of angiosperm plants rely on pollination by insects (Tepedino 1979). Hence, pollinators play a critical role in the persistence and survival of flowering plants, which are of high value to the human food chain (Kearns and Inouye 1997; Klein, Vaissiere et al. 2007). Flower colour signals and sensory exploitation Colour is the result of the visible light being absorbed or reflected off objects and then processed by the eye and brain of an animal (Le Grand 1968). Light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and can be quantified by the wavelength of different photons of energy (Bueche 1986). The wavelengths reflected off the object are perceived by a visual system as the object’s colour. For example, light that appears blue to a human observer can be described by a dominant wavelength of 400nm, whilst light that appears red is 700nm. Ultraviolet light falls between 300-400nm and can be seen by bees, but not humans. Flower colours have been influenced by the sensory receptors of insects, including their colour vision, which is different to human vision. Humans have a red, blue and green receptor (Chittka and Wells 2004). In contrast insects have a UV, green and blue receptor (Chittka and Wells 2004). As human vision is very different to a hymenopterans’ colour visual system, one cannot discuss a bees’ colour perception according to human colour terms such as red or blue. Therefore, this thesis will discuss colours according to wavelength. Colour is one of the most important floral signals plants use to communicate information to insect pollinators (Giurfa, Vorobyev et al. 1996; Dyer, Spaethe et al. 2008). Although it is known that pollinators select flowers based on morphology, nectar availability, size, and odour (Giurfa, Nà ºÃƒ ±ez et al. 1994; Kunze and Gumbert 2001; Spaethe, Tautz et al. 2001; Whitney and Glover 2007), colour is known to play a critical role in enabling pollinators to detect and discriminate target flowers from a biologically important distance of up to 50 cm (Giurfa, Vorobyev et al. 1996; Dyer, Spaethe et al. 2008). Our understanding of the evolution of colour vision in insects has advanced considerably in recent years. In the past, studies of colour perception were limited due to little information on the colour visual system of insects (Frisch 1914; Daumer 1956). It is now possible to evaluate how flower visual signals appear to the visual system of hymenopteran pollinators, using spectrophotometer and colorimetry techniques, which allows quantitative evaluations of how complex colour information is perceived by insect pollinators (Chittka 1992) (fig. 1). Previous research has revealed that colour discrimination in hymenopterans is phylogenetically ancient, with different hymenopterans sharing similar colour perception (Helversen 1972; Chittka and Menzel 1992). Importantly, colour discrimination in the hymenoptera is known to predate the evolution of floral colour diversity (Chittka 1996). Here, recent research has revealed remarkable convergence in the evolution and distribution of floral colours in different parts of the world. Specifically, in a seminal paper, Chittka (1996) showed that flowering plants in both Europe and the Middle East have adapted their colour signals to the visual systems of bees, with flower colours in these regions closely matched to the visual receptors of hymenopterans (Chittka 1996). However, outside of Europe and the Middle East, very little work has been done on the evolution of floral colour diversity. In particular, we know almost nothing about the evolution of the Australian flora in the context of hy menopteran visual systems. This is an important question to investigate due to the long isolation of the Australian flora and the high proportion of endemic plant species. I hypothesise that the Australian floral coloration will closely match the discrimination thresholds of hymenopterans as recent evidence suggests that insect pollinators supported the early spread of flowering plants (Hu, Dilcher et al. 2008). Innate colour preferences of bees Charles Darwin was the first to state that innate preferences could allow an inexperienced pollinator to find a food source (Darwin 1877). Pollinators may use certain traits of flowers such as morphology, scent, temperature and colour to locate food (Heinrich 1979; Menzel 1985; Dyer, Whitney et al. 2006; Raine, Ings et al. 2006). Previous studies evaluating innate colour preferences have tended to focus on two species: the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) and bumblebee (Bombus terrestris). By contrast, no studies have looked at the innate colour preferences of Australian bees and how this affects their choices for flowers. We know that European bumblebees and honeybees show strong preferences for violet and blue (400-420nm) throughout their geographic range (Chittka, Ings et al. 2004) ,which interestingly correlates with the most profitable food sources (Lunau and Maier 1995; Chittka and Raine 2006). These preferences are likely to have had an impact on the relative success of dif ferent flower colours in regions where these bees are dominant pollinators (Chittka and Wells 2004). Consequently, information on the innate preferences of Australian bees will be important to understand hymenopteran plant interactions in the Australian context. Pollinator learning and food deceptive orchids Most plants reward their pollinators with nectar or pollen. However, some species do not offer floral rewards and, instead, employ a range of deceptive techniques to trick insects into performing the task of pollination. Deceptive pollination strategies are particularly well known and widespread among orchids (Jersà ¡kovà ¡, Johnson et al. 2006). For instance, approximately 400 orchid species are known to achieve pollination through sexual deceit, luring unsuspecting male insects to the flower through olfactory, visual and tactile mimicry of potential mates. More common are food deceptive orchids which are believed to number as many as 6,000 species (one-third of orchids) (Jersà ¡kovà ¡, Johnson et al. 2009). Food mimicking orchids employ bright colours to falsely advertise the presence of a reward to attract naive pollinators (Ackerman 1986; Nilsson 1992; Jersà ¡kovà ¡, Johnson et al. 2006). The common occurrence of food deception in orchids suggests that this form of pollinat ion by deception is an extremely successful evolutionary strategy (Cozzolino and Widmer 2005). Visits by pollinators to deceptive plants are influenced by pollinator learning. In the case of sexual deception, previous research shows that insects quickly learn unrewarding flower decoys and avoid them. For example, male insects learn to avoid areas containing sexually deceptive orchids (Peakall 1990; Wong and Schiestl 2002). However, whether insects can learn to avoid food deceptive orchids remains to be investigated. In addition, high levels of variability in floral traits, particularly flower colour and floral scent, may interrupt the associative learning of insects by preventing their ability to become familiar with deceptive flowers (Schiestl 2005). Indeed, variation in colour, shape and fragrance is evident in non-model food-deceptive orchids (Moya and Ackerman 1993; Aragà ³n and Ackerman 2004; Salzmann, Nardella et al. 2007). However, previous studies have only looked at pollinator preference for colour morphs (Koivisto, Vallius et al. 2002), rather than assessing if vari able flower colour slows down the ability of naive pollinators to learn unrewarding flower decoys. Furthermore, there is a need to incorporate a combination of colour vision science and behavioural ecology to understand how a bee perceives the orchid flowers, as bees have a different visual system to humans. Although humans cannot see ultra-violet light, UV sensitivity is common in some animals (Tovà ©e 1995). UV sensitivity has been found in insects, birds, fish and reptiles (Marshall, Jones et al. 1996; Neumeyer and Kitschmann 1998; Cuthill, Partridge et al. 2000; Briscoe and Chittka 2001). Studies on UV vision in an ecological context have mainly focused on species specific signalling and mate choice (Bennett, Cuthill et al. 1996; Bennett, Cuthill et al. 1997; Pearn 2001; Cummings, Garc et al. 2006). However, few studies have looked at the role of UV signals in attracting bees to orchids. Previous studies have shown that the presence of UV reflecting crab spiders attracts honeybees to daisies (Heiling, Herberstein et al. 2003). In a similar study, Australian native bees (Austroplebia australis) were attracted but did not land on flowers with UV reflecting crab spiders (Heiling and Herberstein 2004). However, the role of UV signals in orchids is not well studied. In particular, it is not known if the UV signal is important in attracting naive bees to food deceptive orchids. Thus, it will be useful to know if UV signals might also serve to lure naive pollinators to deceptive flowers to understand deceptive pollination. Aims This project will investigate Australian flower colour diversity in the context of hymenopteran visual systems, the innate colour preferences of Australian native bees (Trigona carbonaria) and their interactions with a food deceptive orchid (Caladenia carnea). This study aims to address the following questions: 1. Is there a link between hymenopteran vision and Australian floral coloration? 2. Does an Australian native bee (Trigona carbonaria) have innate colour preferences? 3. Does a food deceptive orchid (Caladenia carnea) exploit the innate colour preferences of Trigona carbonar 2. Methods Part 1. Is there a link between hymenopteran vision and Australian floral coloration? Flower collection and spectral reflectance functions of Australian native plant flowers Australian native flowers were collected from Maranoa Gardens, Balwyn (melway ref 46 F7). Maranoa Gardens was chosen due to the diverse collection of species from all over Australia. Flowers were collected once a month, from May to January. A colour photograph was taken of the flower for identification. I also took a UV photograph for all flowers, using a digital UV camera [Fuji Finepix Pro S3 UVIR modified CCD for UV imaging] with calibrated UV-vis grey scales (Dyer, Muir et al. 2004). As UV rays are invisible to the human eye (Menzel and Blakers 1976; Dyer 2001), this photo enabled any UV reflectance areas of the flower to be measured by the spectrophotometer (Indsto, Weston et al. 2006). The spectral reflection functions of flowers were calculated from 300 to 700 nm using a spectrophotometer(S2000) with a PX-2 pulsed xenon light source attached to a PC running SpectraSuite software (Ocean Optics Inc., Dunedin, FL, USA). The spectrophotometer was used to quantify the colour of the flower as wavelength. The white standard was a freshly pressed pellet of dry BaSO4, used to calibrate the spectrophotometer. A minimum of three flowers from each plant were used for each spectral analysis. I evaluated a sample of 111 spectral measurements from Australian flowering plants, encompassing a representative variety of plant families (fig. 2). Correlations between spectral reflectance functions of different plant flowers and trichomatic vision of the honeybees To understand if there is a link between hymenopteran vision and Australian native flowers, I used the methodology used by Chittka and Menzel (1992). In that study, Chittka and Menzel looked for correlations between flower spectra sharp steps of different plant flowers and trichomatic vision of the honeybees. Sharp steps are a rapid change in the spectra wavelength (Chittka and Menzel 1992) (see fig. 3 for an example of a sharp step). These steps cross over different receptors, thereby producing vivid colours that stand out from the background. Furthermore, a colour signal will be more distinguishable to a pollinator if the sharp steps match up with the overlap of receptors in a visual system. Thus, the main feature of a flower wavelength is a sharp step. For this study, I defined a sharp step as a change of greater than 20 % reflectance in less than 50 nm of the bee visual spectrum. The midpoint of the slope was determined by eyesight as described by Chittka and Menzel (1992), as th e nature of curves varied with each flower. The absolute numbers of sharp steps within each flower spectra were counted. The frequencies are shown in fig. 4b. As hybrid plants are artificially selected by humans, hybrid flowers were not included in the analyses. Generating a Hexagon colour space To evaluate how flower colours are seen by bees, I plotted the flower colour positions in a colour hexagon space. A colour space is a numerical representation of an insect’s colour perception that is suitable for a wide range of hymenopteran species (Chittka 1992). In a colour space, the distances between locations of a two colour objects link with the insect’s capacity to differentiate those colours. To make the colour space, the spectral reflectance of the colour objects were required, as well as the receptor sensitivities of the insect. For Trigona carbonaria, the exact photoreceptors are currently unknown, but hymenopteran trichromatic vision is very similar between species as the colour photoreceptors are phylogenetically ancient (Chittka 1996). Thus, it is possible to model hymenopteran vision with a vitamin A1 visual template (Stavenga, Smits et al. 1993) as described by Dyer (1999). I then predicted how the brain processed these colour signals by using the avera ge reflectance from each flower, and calculating the photoreceptor excitation (E) values, according to the UV, blue and green receptor sensitivities (Briscoe and Chittka 2001) using the methods explained by Chittka (1992). The UV, blue and green E-values of flower spectra were used as coordinates and plotted in a colour space (Chittka 1992). The colour difference as perceived by a bee was calculated by the Euclidean distance between two objects locations in the colour hexagon space (Chittka 1992). Modelling the distributions of Australian flower colours according to bees’ perception I analysed the most frequent flower colour according to a bees’ colour perception using the methods of Chittka, Shmida et al. (1994). I plotted the Australian flower colours in a colour space (Fig 5a). A colour space is a graphical representation of a bees’ colour perception. A radial grid of 10 degree sectors was placed over the distribution of colour loci and the number of floral colour loci within each sector was counted(fig. 5b). Part 2. Does an Australian native bee (Trigona carbonaria) have innate colour preferences? Insect model and housing Trigona carbonaria is an Australian native stingless bee that lives in colonies of 4000-10000 individuals (Heard 1988). In the wild, stingless bees live in hollows inside trees (Dollin, Dollin et al. 1997). Trigona carbonaria has a similar social structure to the honeybee (Wille 1983). They are common to North Eastern Australia and are a potentially important pollinator for several major commercial crops (Heard 1999). A research colony (ca. 4000 adults and 800 foraging individuals) of T. carbonaria was propagated for the experiments by Dr Tim Heard (CSIRO Entomology, 120 Meiers Rd, Indooroopilly 4068, Australia) as described in the paper by Heard (1988). Bees were maintained in laboratory conditions so that no previous contact with flowers had been made. For this study, a colony was placed in a pine nest box (27.5 x 20 x 31 cm; LWH) and connected to the foraging arena by a 16 cm plexiglass tube, containing individual shutters to control bee movements. All laboratory experiments were conducted in a Controlled Temperature Laboratory (CTL) at Monash University, Clayton, School of Biological Sciences (CTL room G12C dimensions 3 x 5m), during the months of July 2009- January 2010. Relative humidity (RH) was set to 30%, and the temperature was set to 27  °C (SPER-Scientific Hygrometer, Arizona, USA), as this set up approximately matches conditions in Queensland for insect pollinators (Heard and Hendrikz 1993). Illumination (10/14 hr day/night) was provided by four Phillips Master TLS HE slimline 28W/865 UV+ daylight fluorescent tubes (Holland) with specially fitted high frequency (>1200Hz) ATEC Jupiter EGF PMD2x14-35 electronic dimmable ballasts which closely matches daylight conditions for trichromatic hymenoptera (Dyer and Chittka 2004). The flight arena (1.2 x 0.6 x 0.5m; LWH) was made of a coated steel frame with laminated white wooden side panels. The arena floor was painted foliage green, and the arena lid was covered with UV transparent plexiglass. Experimen ts were conducted from 1pm-3pm to control for time of day, as this is when bees are most active (Heard and Hendrikz 1993). Pre-training Bees were habituated to the flight arena for seven days. Naive foragers (i.e. bees that had never encountered real or artificial flowers) were initially pre-trained to forage in the flight arena on three rewarding aluminium sanded disks (25 mm in diameter), with a 10-ÃŽ ¼l droplet of 15% (w/w) sucrose solution placed in the centre. The disks were placed on vertical plastic cylinders (diameter = 25 mm, height = 100 mm), to raise them above the floor of the flight arena so that bees learnt to fly to the disks. Pre-training allows bees to become habituated to visiting artificial flowers for further experiments. The aluminium sanded disks were chosen as neutral stimuli because they have an even spectral reflectance curve in the spectral visual range of the bees, fig. 6. The sucrose solution reward on these training disks was refilled using a pipette after it was consumed by foraging bees. The spatial positions of these training disks were pseudo randomised, so that bees would not learn t o associate particular locations with reward. Bees were allowed a minimum of two hours to forage on the pre-training disks before data collection Innate colour preference testing To test the innate colour preferences of naive bees, I performed simultaneous choice experiments with flower-naive bees using artificial flowers that simulated the floral colours of natural flowers. The aluminum rewarding disks were replaced by the ten unrewarding, coloured artificial disks in the original flight arena. Artificial flower stimuli were cut in a circle (70 mm diameter) from standardized colour papers of the HKS-N-series (Hostmann-Steinberg K+E Druckfarben, H. Schmincke Co., Germany). In each experiment the same set of ten test colours (1N pale yellow, 3N saturated yellow, 21N light pink, 32N pink, 33N purple, 50N blue, 68N green, 82N brown, 92N grey, back of 92N white) were used. These colours were chosen as they have been used in innate colour experiments with other hymenopterans (Giurfa, Nà ºÃƒ ±ez et al. 1995; Kelber 1997; Gumbert 2000), and the colours are also widely used in other bee colour experiments (Giurfa, Vorobyev et al. 1996). The coloured paper disks were placed on vertical plastic cylinders (diameter = 15 mm; height = 50 mm), to raise them above the floor of the flight arena. The gate was shut in the arena to ensure the bees used in each trial were separated from the next trial. The number of landings and approaches to the stimuli were recorded for one hour. Approximately 200 bees were used for each trial. The spatial positions of the artificial flowers were pseudo randomised in a counter balance fashion every 15 minutes. After each trial, the colour disks were aired and wiped with a paper tissue to remove possible scent marks, which are known to affect experiments with honeybees (Schmitt and Bertsch 1990; Giurfa and Nà ºÃƒ ±ez 1992). I conducted each subsequent trial after removing the used bees from the system, to ensure that the bees in the next trial were replaced with naive foragers. It is known that perception of colour can be influenced by background colour (Lunau, Wacht et al. 1996). Therefore, I also tested colour choices on other background colours of grey and black. The results are qualitatively similar (fig. 8b), so only data from the biologically relevant green background was used for subsequent analysis. Analysis of colour stimuli As bees see colours differently to humans, I quantified stimuli according to five parameters: wavelength, brightness, purity (saturation), chromatic contrast to the background and green receptor contrast. Dominant wavelength was calculated by tracing a line from the centre of the colour hexagon through the stimulus location to the corresponding spectrum locus wavelength (Wyszecki and Stiles 1982). Brightness was measured as the sum of excitation values of the UV, blue and green receptors (Spaethe, Tautz et al. 2001). Spectral purity of the stimulus was calculated by the percentage distance of the stimulus in relation to the end of the spectrum locus (Chittka and Wells 2004). Chromatic contrast was calculated as the distance of a colour stimulus from the centre of the colour hexagon relative to the background. Chromatic contrast is important as perception can be affected by background colour (Lunau, Wacht et al. 1996). Green receptor contrast was measured as the green receptor excitat ion from a stimulus relative to the background (Giurfa, Nà ºÃƒ ±ez et al. 1995). This contrast is relevant as green receptors and green contrast are known to affect motion in bees (Srinivasan, Lehrer et al. 1987). Statistical analyses The impact of wavelength on number of landings by Trigona carbonaria was investigated using a single factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a post hoc Tukeys HSD test (ÃŽ ±=0.05) (Quinn and Keough 2002) using the number of landings as the dependent variable and wavelength of stimuli as the independent variable. Brightness, purity (saturation), chromatic contrast to the background and green receptor contrast of stimuli were analysed using the Spearmans rank correlation test against choices. Statistical analyses were conducted using R statistical and graphical environment (R Development Core Team, 2007). Statistical significance was set to P≠¤0.05. Part 3. Does a food deceptive orchid (Caladenia carnea) exploit the innate colour preferences of Trigona carbonaria? Plant model Caladenia carnea is a widespread species, common to eastern Australia. The orchid is highly variable in colour, ranging from pink to white. It is pollinated by Australian native bees of the Trigona species (Adams and Lawson 1993).With bright colours and fragrance, this orchid achieves pollination by food mimicry (Adams and Lawson 1993). Thus, due to the colour variation of the orchid, C. carnea is an excellent model with which to examine floral exploitation of potential pollinators. Caladenia carnea flowers were supplied by private growers from the Australasian Native Orchid Society. Can Trigona carbonaria perceive a difference between pink and white flowers of Caladenia carnea? Colorimetric analysis of the pink and white Caladenia carnea flowers were used to investigate whether different colours of the orchid would be perceived as similar or different to a bees’ visual system. A spectrophotometer was used to take four measurements of each flower colour (pink versus white). The actual measurements used in the analysis were an average of each colour (Dyer, Whitney et al. 2007). To predict the probability with which insect pollinators would discriminate between different flowers, these spectra were plotted as loci in a hexagon colour space (Chittka 1992) (see ‘hexagon colour space’ methods). Choice experiments I conducted trials testing the preferences of bees when offered a dichotomous choice between a white versus pink Caladenia carnea flower. Each trial took place inside a flight arena. Each white and pink flower used in a trial were matched for size, placed into indiviual plastic containers (diameter= 5 cm, height=5 cm) and placed in the arena with a distance of 10 cm between flower centres. Each container was covered with Glad WrapTM (The Clorox Company, Oaklands, CA, USA) to remove olfactory cues as they are known to in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uence the choice behaviour of honeybees (e.g. Pelz, Gerber et al. 1997; Laska, Galizia et al. 1999). Approximately 50 bees were let into the arena for each trial. The  ¬Ã‚ rst contact made by a bee with the Glad WrapTM within a distance of 4 cm, was recorded as a choice of that  ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ower (Dyer, Whitney et al. 2007). The number of landings were recorded to the flowers for five minutes. After each trial, the Glad WrapTM was changed to prevent scent ma rks. In addition, individual flowers and spatial positions were randomised. Individual bees were sacrificed after each trial to avoid pseudo replication. Does the UV signal affect the attraction of bees to orchid flowers? To investigate whether the UV re ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ectance of the dorsal sepal affected the response of bees, I offered bees the choice between two white orchids, one with a UV signal and the other without (N=16). The UV signal was removed by applying a thin layer of sunscreen (Hamilton SPF 30+, Adelaide, SA, Australia) over the dorsal sepal. Spectral reflectance measurements were taken to ensure that the sunscreen prevented any reflection of UV light (below 395 nm) from the sepals and did not change the reflectance properties of the orchid. In addition, spectral measurements of orchid sepals under Glad WrapTM confirmed that the foil was permeable to all wavelengths of light above 300 nm and did not obscure the reflectance of flowers. Do bees display preferences when choosing between pink versus white orchid flowers? To assess whether bees show a preference for pink or white variants of the orchid Caladenia carnea, I offered bees a simultaneous choice between a pink or white flower (N=16). See procedures for choice testing. Do bees habituate to non-rewarding orchids based on differences in floral coloration? I conducted a two stage experiment to investigate if bees could learn to habituate to a non-rewarding flower colour over time and whether bees adjusted their subsequent flower choice depending on the flower colour encountered previously. At stage 1 of the experiment, native bees were presented with one flower, either white or pink. Flowers were placed in a container with Glad WrapTM. Landings to the flower were recorded at the start and again at the 30 min mark. At stage 2, the flower from stage 1 was swapped with a new flower colour and the number of landings were scored for 5 minutes. Flowers were randomised and Glad WrapTM changed to prevent scent marks after each trial. Once again, bees were used only once per experiment. Statistical analyses For experiments 2, 3 4, numbers of landings by naive bees to flower pairs were compared using two tailed paired t-tests. A two factor ANOVA was used to analyse whether bees habituate to non-rewarding orchids based on differences in floral coloration. The dependent variable was the number of landings and the two independent variables were previous flower colour and new flower colour. 3. Results Part 1. Is there a link between hymenopteran vision and Australian floral coloration? Correlations between the inflection curves of different plant flowers and trichomatic vision of hymenopterans The analysis of 111 spectral reflection curves of Australian flowers reveals that sharp steps occur at those wavelengths where hymenoterans are most sensitive to spectral differences (fig. 4b). There are three clear peaks in sharp steps (fig. 4b). It is known that hymenopteran trichomats are all sensitive to spectral differences at approximately 400 and 500 nm (Menzel and Backhaus 1991; Peitsch, Fietz et al. 1992). Hence, the peaks at 400 and 500 nm can be discriminated well by hymenopteran trichomats, as illustrated by the inverse Δ ÃŽ »/ÃŽ » function (solid curve shown in fig. 4a) of the honeybee (Helversen 1972), which is an empirically determined threshold function which shows the region of the electromagnetic function that a bees’ visual system discriminates colours best. In summary, the spectral position of receptors of trichomatic hymenopterans are correlates with steps in the floral spectra of Australian flowers. The distributions of Australian flower colours according to bees’ perception The floral colour loci are strongly clustered in the colour hexagon (fig. 5a). Blue-green flowers are the most common in the perception of bees, while pure UV flowers were the rarest (fig. 5b). Part 2. Does an Australian native bee (Trigona carbonaria) have innate colour preferences? Effect of brightness, spectral purity, chromatic contrast and green receptor contrast on colour choices There was no significant effect of stimulus brightness on choice frequency (rs= 0.333, n=10, p= 0.347; fig. 7a). There was no significant effect of spectral purity on choice frequency (rs = 0.224, n=10, p= 0.533; figure 7b). There was no significant correlation effect of chromatic contrast on choice frequency (rs = 0.042, n=10, p= 0.907; figure 7c). There was no significant effect of green receptor contrast on choice frequency (rs = 0. 0.552, n=10, p= 0.098; figure 7d). Effect of wavelength on colour choices Stimuli colours are plotted in figure 8a, as they appear to a human viewer to enable readers to understand the correlation between colour choices. However, all statistical analyses were conducted with stimuli plotted as wavelength due to the different visual perception of bees and humans (Kevan, Chittka et al. 2001). There is a significant effect of wavelength on the number of landings by Trigona carbonaria (Single factor ANOVA, F9,110 = 5.60, P

Kate Chopins The Awakening Essay -- Kate Chopin Awakening Essays Pape

Kate Chopin's The Awakening In Kate Chopin's novel The Awakening, written approximately one hundred years ago, the protagonist Edna Pontellier's fate is resolved when she 'deliberately swims out to her death in the gulf'(Public Opinion, np). Her own suicide is indeed considered as a small, almost nonexistent victory by many, nevertheless there are those who consider her death anything but insignificant. Taking into consideration that 'her inability to articulate her feelings and analyze her situation [unattainable happiness] results in her act of suicide...'(Muirhead, np) portrays Edna as being incapable of achieving a release from her restricted womanhood as imposed by society. Others state that the final scene of the novel entirely symbolizes and realizes Edna's victory on a 'society that sees their [women's] primary value in their biological functions as wives and mothers?(Kate Chopin, np). In short, The Awakening is the tragic story of a woman who in a summer of her twenty-eighth year, found herself and struggled to do what she wanted to do; be happy. Although ?from wanting to, she did, with disastrous consequences?(Recent Novels 96). For those who wanted it to be a truly, and ironically, life achieving instead of life ending end, it was. But those who disagreed with Chopin?s choice ending found themselves losing some sleep over another magnificent author gone wrong (96). Various readers and reviewers alike found the ending to be sold short and unsatisfactory since it did not deliver the promise of a rewarding happy life to the protagonist who so valiantly endured her obstacles throughout the novel. Had she lived by Prof. William James? advice to do one thing a day one does not want to do [in Creole Society, two would perhaps be better], flirted less and looked after her children more, or even assisted at more accouchements- her chef d?auvre in self denial- we need not have been put to the unpleasantness of reading about her and the temptations she trumped up for herself. (96) Irony plays an inexplicable and majestic part in the conclusion of The Awakening. One can say with confidence that in a story a protagonist, or heroin in this case, is expected to fulfill a happily ever after ending not only from a repetitious guarantee but from the incisive determination by such character, whom through hardships, earned it. Edna Pontellier... ...ine. Galenet. 4 April 2001. Available FTP: www.galenet.com Muirhead, Marion. ?Articulation And Artistry: A Conversational Analysis of The Awakening.? The Southern Literary Journal 33.1 (2000): n. pag. Online. Internet. 4 April 2001. Available FTP: http://muse.jhu.edu/demo/slj/33.1muirhead.html ?Kate Chopin.? Gale Group (1999): n. pag. Online. Galenet. 4 April 2001. Available FTP: www.galenet.com/servlet/SRC ?Recent Novels: The Awakening.? The Nation Vol. LXIX, No. 1779 (3 Aug. 1899): 96 pp. Online. Galenet. 4 April 2001. Available FTP: www.galenet.com/servlet/LitRC Bogard, Carley R. ?The Awakening: A Refusal To Compromise.? The University of Michigan Papers in Women?s Studies U Vol. II, No. 3 (1977): pp. 15-31. Online. Galenet. 4 April 2001. Available FTP: www.galenet.com/servlet/LitRC Eichelberger, Clayton L. ?The Awakening: Overview.? Reference Guide to American Literature 3rd ed. (1994): n. pag. Online. Galenet. 4 April 2001. Available FTP: www.galenet.com/servlet/LitRC Eble, Kenneth. ?A Forgotten Novel: Kate Chopin?s The Awakening.? Western Humanities Review No. 3 (1956):pp. 261-69. Online. Galenet. 4 April 2001. Available FTP: www.galenet.com/servlet/LitRC

Sino-Tibetan Affairs Essay -- Tibet History Government Papers

The â€Å"Tibet Question† has evolved into a Western synthesis of affairs and circumstances that govern the uncertainties of Tibet’s national identity- a mere euphemism concerning the improbabilities of Tibet’s political fate. Tensions seemingly escalate by the day, as questions of Tibet’s impending future become more and more desperate, and to the chagrin of many Tibetans, only the Chinese government has the foresight to ascertain a solution. Though the future of Tibet and China is still more or less unseen, it does happen to serve a function in illuminating the aspects of their rough and tumble past. The premise to my essay concerns itself with the chronological development of Sino-Tibetan foreign relations. From its origins in tribute relations, on through Mongol dynastic rule, and ending in the apocalyptic era of Mao, I intend to explore the various strategic purposes and objectives that led to Tibetan neutrality and Chinese antagonism, the definitive stance of today’s affairs. The evolution of this relationship is no more than a mirror and reflection of the progression of ethnic kinship into a national identity. The fundamental purpose of my essay is to extend the â€Å"Tibet Question,† so as to include the uncertainties and questions of Tibet’s ethnic identity in conjunction with the real question regarding their political fate. I make the assertion that the conflict of today is simply the culmination of prior ethnic conflicts, and not the struggle for supremacy between two proximal nations. The Tibet Question has been misconstrued so as to consider the Sino-Tibetan conflict exclusively one of politics, but in truth, as my essay should reveal, it transcends borders and exposes greater ethnic attitudes. Origins: An Exami... ...: Oxford University Press, 1962., 475. [5] Smith Jr., Tibetan Nation: A History of Tibetan Nationalism and Sino-Tibetan Relations, 23. [6] Smith Jr., Tibetan Nation: A History of Tibetan Nationalism and Sino-Tibetan Relations, 22. [7] Smith Jr., Tibetan Nation: A History of Tibetan Nationalism and Sino-Tibetan Relations, 23. [8] Smith Jr., Tibetan Nation: A History of Tibetan Nationalism and Sino-Tibetan Relations, 25. [9] Smith Jr., Tibetan Nation: A History of Tibetan Nationalism and Sino-Tibetan Relations, 27 [10] Smith Jr., Tibetan Nation: A History of Tibetan Nationalism and Sino-Tibetan Relations, 27. [11] Melvyn C. Goldstein, The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China, Tibet and the Dalai Lama, 2. [12] Melvyn C. Goldstein, The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China, Tibet and the Dalai Lama, 4. [13] Hugh E. Richardson, Tibet and its History, 1-2.

The Atomic Bomb Helpful or Harmful Essay -- essays papers

The Atomic Bomb Helpful or Harmful There used to be a time in America when the name â€Å"Atomic Bomb† seemed fictional to some, non existent to others,and seemed only a dream to those in the science world. That time is long gone.The day that changed all ideas and opinions about what war was and what is has evolved to be was August 6,1945. President Truman had decided to drop the Atomic bomb in order to end the war and save as many lives as possible. The United States had dropped the bomb on Hiroshima in order to end the war almost instantly and avoid bloody invasion, thereby saving both American and Japanese lives. Whether or not to drop the atomic bomb was president Truman’s decision, faced with this decision Truman researched and asked advisors to share their ideas about the bomb and then made the best decision for the American and Japanese people. â€Å" In an invasion of Japan,the fighting would have been more savage, and the number of lives lost on both sides would of been tragic.†(O’Neal 35) The Atomic bomb was essential in helping to put and en d to the war and saving lives. The decision to drop the atomic bomb was made by President Truman . In his decision he states, â€Å" The only thing that was the right thing to do for the American and Japanese people was to end the war through the use of the atomic bomb.† ( O’Neal 36) Why all the controversy over the bomb? Historians and people today continue to ask this question along with others. Were the Japanese seriously considering surrendering before the bomb was let off, and was the only way the war could of been ended ended was throughout the bomb? The atomic bomb saved lives on both sides and served it’s purpose of helping to end the war. The facts remain the Atomic Bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima killed many civilians, but if the war continued to go on it would of killed many more. When President Truman walked in to the White House he had problems and decisions lying ahead of him that he knew little about.In his first few days of briefing from advisors and committee he had said,†I have to decide Japanese strategy-shall we invade Japan proper or shall we bomb and blockade? That is my hardest decision to date .but I’ll make it when I have all the facts. â€Å"(Takaki 26) As you can see Truman had no intention of making uneducated decisions and he was by no means in a rush to bo... ...tomic bomb was being assembled at the time and it was to be let off on Tokyo, that bomb was never used. The 500,000 lives that were saved in bombing Hiroshima compared to the 100,000 that died in the bombing shows that Truman did in fact make the best decision when lives were at stake. Bibliography: Alperovitz, Gar. The Use of the Atomic Bomb. Chicago : D.C. Heath and Company, 1974. Blow, Michael. The History of the Atomic Bomb. New York ,New York:American Heritage Publishing and Company Inc., 1968. Feis, Herbert. The Atomic Bomb and the end of World War II. Chicago: Princeston University Press, 1866. Kurzman, Dan. Day of the Bomb. New York: McGraw- Hill Book Company, 1986. Nardo, Don. Modern Japan. California: Lucent Books, 1995. O’Neal, Michael. President Truman and the Atomic Bomb. San Diego,California Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1990. Takaki, Ronald. Hiroshima. Canada: Little Brown and Company Limited, 1995. Wheeler, Keith. World WarII Time Life Books. Virginia: Time Life Books Inc., 1983. Wyden, Peter. Day One Before Hiroshima and After. New York: Simon and Schustler, 1984.

Nature and Management in Different Countries Essay

Terrorism is a war that has been waging on for more than what the general American population knows about – what makes terrorism a very close reality and a household name is the fact that in the last few years, terrorists are bringing the smell of fear and death closer to the erstwhile protected US domestic landscape through a very lethal weapon: suicide bombers. Times have changed, and the terrorists are getting bolder and bolder, so they say, but some things remain the same, and that includes the nature of suicide terrorist groups, how they are managed by their leaders and how things are just as much the same as it was in the past, as it was in the other countries were suicide terrorist activities were felt earlier, harder, harsher prior to the onslaught of these breed of freedom fighters in the collective US consciousness. Suicide terrorist groups, like any other organization, is a complex maze which can only be treaded successfully through the use of human resource management tools, not very far from the management paradigm and approaches that business groups and other non-violent groups use, since the key to the sustenance of suicide terrorist groups, ironically, is the efficiency of the management to ensure that they always have people who wants to die and to kill in the name of satisfying the greater goal and the greater good. People who are living in a place and in a time characterized by commercialism and consumerism – of television ads and product promotions about how to stay beautiful and live longer, about how to look better and have better skin and hair condition, about means and ways to battle diseases and extend lives a little longer – people, who, in short enjoys life to the full extent, may find it difficult to understand how there are those who unlike them can just lay down their lives to die, living everything that the material world still has to offer. Suicide terrorists no doubt are a source of fear and anger as much as they are a source of wonderment, mystery and mystique. People ask themselves why these suicide terrorists do what they do. â€Å"What does motivate men and women to become suicide fighters? This is another difficult question to answer. Some of the suicide groups are motivated by religion, others by ethnic nationalism – or by a combination of the two. In many cases, it is difficult to tell which motivation is the strongest (Williams, Waltrip, 2004, p.139). † Here, Williams and Waltrip points to the nature of suicide terrorists found in different parts of the world – that they are motivated by something greater than the preservation of their mortal life. The difference in motivation is not just found among different groups, but as low as every one single suicide terrorist and his/her personal reason for embarking on such kind of work and mission (Williams, Waltrip, 2004, p. 139). The modern media(television, Internet and movies) supplement whatever little knowledge the public has by providing either real or fictitious information through documentaries and television shows and movies that graphically illustrate suicide terrorists, their behavior, their nature and their characteristics, with the risk that sometimes they are far from telling the people the truth: e. g. take for example the notion of most people about the gender of a suicide bomber as male, when some historians say otherwise. â€Å"In general, males rarely become suicide terrorists, who are more typically young women and teenagers (Wessely, Krasnov, 2006, p. 112). † What this points out is that with the growth of global terrorism and the rise of suicide terrorist groups and their actions, the desire for knowledge about such aspect of modern day life also improves. Short history on suicide terrorism – In its most basic sense, suicide terrorism may refer to any act wherein the cause of terror of the people, community or society wreaks havoc, death and mayhem without regard for his or her own survival or even with the presence of risking sure death in the process. If this is the case, then suicide terrorism indeed goes way, way back – even during the times of barbarian warriors or even further back. But the concept of modern day suicide terrorism is younger, being around for just nearly three decades. â€Å"Apparently, the first terrorist suicide attack took place in Beirut on 15 December 1981. On that date a suicide driver reportedly drove an explosives-laden car into the Iraqi embassy, killing himself as well as 61 other persons and injuring more than 100. Iraq claimed that the attack was carried out by the Iranian and Syrian intelligence services. The use of suicide attacks as a systematic tactic, however, began only in 1983 (Bjorgo, 2005, p. 72). † Historians do not actually claim that this act triggered the new wave of in the style of terrorism, but this is one of the first one of its kind, probably the first documented act constituting the idea of modern day suicide terrorism by a suicide terrorist. Suicide attacks by suicide terrorist groups is not something new, especially not in the international level, since many groups decades ago were already resorting to this type of attack. The only difference is that now, there is an increased global presence and awareness about suicide terrorist groups and their actions because they are expanding their targets towards new locations, targeting a new set of people some of which are not even fully aware that they are just as susceptible to such attacks compared to the people living in other locations which are war torn and struggling from armed conflict. â€Å"Although suicide terrorism is not new to the world, it appears to have greatly expanded since early 2003 and has spread to regions where it was previously unknown. The primary increase was in the large number of suicide terrorists operating in Iraq, which until the war had not experienced this brand of terrorism (Fieldman, Shapir, 2004, p. 46)†.

Life Payments Essay

It is 10:33 AM. You are awaken abruptly from your alarm. You prepare yourself for the day ahead. The day has been going well so far. It is now 12:25 PM. You step into your vehicle hoping to stop at the best burger place in town for lunch. The preceding are the last thing you remember when you wake up cold, sweaty, and drowsy from your coma. Changing perspectives, you are a family member now. Your brother has been in a horrific car accident and is in a coma for thirteen days now. How will you communicate with him? How will you tell him that you love him and are here for him? Most importantly, how do you know that he is still alive? For those who don’t know, a coma is a persistent vegetative state, also known as PVS. Coma is also defined as a state of almost total unresponsiveness to external stimulation in which the patient lies with his eyes closed. It is a condition in which the normal cognitive and communicative functioning of the patient is hampered. A coma may occur for various reasons, such as intoxication, CNS (central nervous system) diseases, a serious injury, and hypoxia (oxygen deprivation). But there have been a number of cases across the world like the example mentioned above. A 26-year-old patient named Kate Bainbridge had a viral infection which had put her in a coma — a condition that generally persists for two to four weeks, after which patients die, recover fully or, in rare cases, slip into a vegetative or a minimally conscious state. (Tutton) And there is most notably Rom Houben, also known as Patient 23. Allan Hall reports â€Å"Alive but unresponsive, he has been in a coma for 23 years since he has been 24 years old. Ongoing research in the field of comatose communication has found out that there may be small â€Å"islands† of consciousness, even in persistent vegetative states, like such in Houben’s case. And this is how, through comatose communication and other methods such as fMRIs, they were able to conclude that Houben was still alive in his body. This could be another example of how the conscious is separate from the physical body. So why should you care? How can coma work help patients, families, and caregivers? Coma work furthers the internal and external ommunication of patients in altered consciousness. This can aid patients to complete inner work and spontaneously come closer to the surface, and at times even all the way out of coma or other altered consciousness. With metabolic comas emergence can be quick and dramatic. Mark Tutton, an author at CNN. com, reports â€Å"a study carried out last year on 103 patients by Laureys and his colleagues at Liege’s Coma Science Group found that 41 percent of patients in a Minimally Conscious State (MCS) were misdiagnosed as being in the much more serious Vegetative State (VS). Dr. Daniel Hanley, professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, in Maryland, told CNN that VS is a coma-like state in which patients have a sleep and wake cycle, and can show reflex chewing, swallowing and blinking, but don’t respond to language or stimulation. † With coma from traumatic brain injury and other causes, progress is usually slow, but measurable. Progress can be accelerated if the awareness for coma communication is heightened. Families and caregivers are often relieved to find ways to communicate with loved ones and clients about treatment options, life and death decisions, and love and personal connection. Family and caregivers often feel validated about their perceptions of subtle cues they have noticed. Now put the shoe on the other foot and imagine if you yourself were to be in a coma today. Wouldn’t you like a way to tell your family that you are alive, are ready to fight through it and come out of your PVS state? Surely yes.

Bullying in the Elementry School Essay

Every day we face situations that affect our diary to live. The children have a beautiful daily beginning, until they come to their school environment. There they found truly friends, but also children who damage them. The school harassment or â€Å"bullying† is a social problem that affects the majority of the children in our country and the world. The school harassment is the intimidation that a child creates, with power or force and aggression on one or more children to call the attention or simply to avoid to be one more. The â€Å"bullying† since better it is known refers to any act of physical or verbal aggression that it realizes one or more children against his homonyms. At the global level there is a phenomenon that affects the education of children and young people. This is manifested within the centers of education and has been for decades a serious problem that can bring repercussions to the students. Garcia (2011) indicates that the bullying cause serious damage to the mental and physical health in the people involved. It is inferred that the bullying is a problem, to the extent that we see as the students identify to this as an evil that harm permanently or part. Another reason is that it breaks with the expectations of society, which searches for a good school environment and therefore, it becomes an antisocial behavior reprehensible. To learn this behavior we must begin with the main participant, the aggressor. The aggressor is usually mostly feel need to dominate, are impulsive, show little empathy and are presented as people physically stronger. Olweus (1980) reaffirmed that it is natural to assume that they have developed a certain degree of hostility toward the environment, such feelings and impulses can make injure or harm to others causing them satisfaction. The aggressors may be people who work, study or provide services within the school and its grounds. We emphasize that the aggressor is not only the student but that involves other people. The spectator is an indirect aggressor, which according to Trautmann (2008), is the hearing of the aggressor and in which the aggressor is stimulated or inhibited by them. Any type of attacker can reach express violence with direct contact, psychological, emotional and the use of technology. These, the aggressor and the spectator or cooperator assault to another person, the victim, which suffers from all the aggressions. Galvez (2008), mentions that the victims usually are children that do not have the resources or skills to react, are little sociable, sensitive and fragile. Children who suffer from bullying are rejected by the other students and live in constant search of acceptance. These behaviors can have serious consequences for the physical and mental health of the victim permanently or part. From the right to education, physical, mental and the life, is that I am looking for studying this phenomenon as a social problem so that, identify their mode of operation, how to treat it and prevent it. Bullying The term bullying (Olweus, 1978) is now common in the literature on the topic of bullying among schoolchildren, to refer the situation of sustained violence, mental or physical, guided by an individual or by a group, directed at another individual in the group, who cannot defend themselves. The problem, being a new phenomenon, if it adopts new dimensions and it is worrying that our industrialized society that seems to have reached a certain level of welfare, employment of abuse and violence in school environments, paradoxically being detected ever so more alarmingly early age. The analysis of the problem offers some things to consider. It can be verbal, physical or psychosocial. Sometimes presents socially acceptable ways such as competitiveness academic, sports, social success, which in itself makes others feel inferior. It is necessarily repetitive behavior and causes pain at the time of the attack and sustained, to create an expectation on the victim of being white future attacks it is characterized by the dominance of the powerful over the weak in any context. The dynamic character bullying is â€Å"expansive† since its inception; a specific episode of abuse happens to be an assiduous dynamics of exclusion, violence and impaired socialization. It comes as a group phenomenon, from the moment that requires the support of the group and therefore, must be within the network of relationships that it is generated. Ramirez (2002) mentions that bullying is usually violent events among students and on occasion, there have been reports of violence by individuals outside the classroom to students. They identify certain behaviors as other forms of violence that affect the relationship between students and teachers, such as absenteeism, lack of participation and punctuality. It should be noted that in many of the cases, a student’s absences constant victim of harassment are to avoid being attacked, mocked at school and choose not to go to the classroom. Being one of the most common characteristics a victim of bullying. Areas affected by bullying Professor Dan Olweus was initiated investigations on the subject of bullying. At the beginning of 1970, Olweus began their investigations within schools in Norway, presenting a problem about assaults on persons; it is noteworthy that the institution had no interest on the subject. It was not until the 1980s that three young people between 10 and 14 years old committed suicide as a result of the activity of aggression upon them by their peers, thus arousing the attention of educational institutions on the problem. Education it is essential for the progress of a person and the country, also that it is a constitutional right. This phenomenon happens in all centers of education and in all its facets. Obviously affect the education of students to large scale and their mental, physical and emotional health. Because of this, it is vital that you consider this phenomenon as a problem and identify ways to treat it and prevent it. To achieve this, we must attack its root, which is located within the school facilities. It is important to study the bullying at the family level, since education starts at home, teaching behaviors to avoid that children create behavior hostile or conversely, too quiet. Also of utmost importance that the family is in constant orientation in order to keep your children from bullying and be able to identify when they are victims of this. Rodrigo (2004) says that family relations continue to be a relevant element in the analysis of behavior and lifestyle of the teenager. Aviles (2002) indicates that both the structural aspects of the educational institution and its dynamics are very important in explaining and, above all, prevent abuses among equals at the school. Polanin (2012) suggests that researchers and administrators of the school should consider the implementation of programs that focus on the supplementary behavior of transient bullying intervention and prevention programs. Cepeda, Pacheco, Garcia and Piraquive (2008), indicate that to learn if there is bullying, we must recognize that there is a relationship of power, power-submission, by one or more assailants on the victim and if the aggression has been consecutively. Attacks could be physical with some degree of aggression or psychological. Salmivalli (1999), comments that the aggressor is classified into two types, the predominantly dominant with antisocial tendency and the antisocial predominantly related to a low self-esteem. Recent research Del Prado (2011) notes that there has always been bullying and that many of the victims are marked for life. He mentions that according to statistics, 12 out of 100 students suffer bullying by peers. It indicates that victims choose to suffer isolation and a terrible fear of going back to school, clinging to silence as his only witness. Also infers that contrary to myth, the aggressor is not always bigger and stronger. This can be any child with low self-esteem need to get attention from their peers. He advises that we must ensure that the victim signals show how, insulation, etc. depressive symptoms. It concludes that a good interaction of the institution and parents is crucial in preventing this phenomenon, but that happened is the responsibility of the school. Traulsen (2011) this has been a drastic change of bullying. One of the new ways is cyber bullying, which is committed to social networks or technological means. Indicates that bullying can occur because of race, color, religion, sexual preference etc†¦ The victim did not reach the necessary maturity, fails to adequately address this situation. It is difficult for parents to detect that your child is being targeted because they tend to isolate themselves and hide the facts. For this family, school and government are essential to help combat this evil. The author infers that it is time to take drastic action against this phenomenon that is often taken for granted, so that in this way we ensure viable and proper education. Martinez (2005) investigated bullying and specific problems or patterns that occur in schools. The author conducted a review of the main conflicts of bullying, with the purpose of investigating and detecting possible solutions. We mentioned some factors that influence antisocial behavior as social inequality, the media, the motivation of the student and others. Refer some of antisocial behaviors that arise in the school as classroom disruption, indiscipline, vandalism, physical violence, psychological, social and in some cases, sexual assault. The conclusion is that using any direct remedy to remedy the phenomenon, beyond programs and techniques will be effective in resolving this conflict. Barcelo (2011) indicates that violence in the family learned and interactions with the environment influence bullying. He reports that for us to understand this phenomenon, teachers need to see this phenomenon as one of violence. Defines bullying as a type of violence where there are three participants who consist of the offender, victim and the spectators. The stalker uses different types of techniques from physical, verbal, psychological, social and racial harassment. As a result, the victim feels isolated and sometimes even can lead to dropout, suicide or retaliate against the aggressor to death. From here you have the need to intervene with this phenomenon and use punitive methods to the aggressor. And finally work with the victim, improving self-esteem and school environment. Teresa (2010) indicates that in the phenomenon of bullying are direct and indirect aggressors. Live is one who commits indirect aggression and has been the viewer. Mostly the harasser is narcissistic and needs of people who support or encourage them to commit their acts. Here is where the participation of the viewer aggressor, who plays a double role. On the one hand supports the harasser but the other is solidarity with the victim. This becomes a stalker and manipulator. Mention other accomplice’s classification called conscious or unconscious, the first known his actions and still participates. The second is usually a person close to the stalker who acts without realizing the facts. Study concludes that there are certain to classify accurately, what kinds of people are bullies. What if it could be located, is that bullies mostly come from the upper class. Methods to assess bullying Arzoz (2011) in his Thesis Analysis of the Situation and Proposed Intervention in an Education Center recommends an evaluation of intervention programs and techniques carried out in schools about bullying. He argues that it should take an individualized program in each school that meets the needs of them and take into account existing features. He points out that there is a shortage of technical or individualized treatments with students. Refers to the method of questionnaire on campuses is a good tool to detect bullying and work on time or remedy in cases where necessary. On the other hand emphasizes the validity of the method Pikas and teaching social skills as a factor in prevention. The author concludes that having prevention programs, we would reduce the phenomenon in question. Garcia (2011) states that as bullying phenomenon. This postulates that the lack of values, economics, drugs, among others, may be determining factors for violence in the perpetrator arises. Also emphasizes the serious damage this phenomenon generated on both sides: bully-victim, and that the best strategy is prevention. For this, we have developed a program that is based on parameter to the prevention and students involved in bullying. Within the prevention distinguishes three lines starring: education in emotions, feelings and values in cooperative group work and democratic management of coexistence. In the situation of students involved have proposed six programs which are: a) conflict resolution, b) peer support, c) quality circles d) development programs empathy, e) and f assertiveness programs ) the Pikas method. Emphasizes that despite the myths no spend this very worrying phenomenon that prevails in all schools at all levels.