The Mysterious Death of Mary Rogers Sex and Culture in Essay

The Mysterious Death of Mary Rogers Sex and Culture in Nineteenth-Century New York - Essay Example The story is about a twenty one year old, beautiful woman called Mary Cecilia Rogers who used to live with her mother at the New York boarding house. Her father had been in a steamboat explosion which he had not survived when she was only seventeen years old. So she started working behind the counter as a clerk at a small cigar store called Anderson’s Liberty Street in Manhattan whose owner was John Anderson. He paid her an above than normal wages because her beauty brought in more customers than usual so sales were high. This was proven when fewer customers turned up on the day that she did not come for work. Mary had used her savings to buy her mother an Inn and it was there where the two resided. One of the customers living here was a young man called Alfred Crommelin who was a lawyer. He soon fell in love with Mary who rejected her, but he was gentleman enough to retreat without complaints. He moved out but the two remained friends despite his continuous love for the girl. The person who Mary did fall in love with despite his weakness of alcoholism was Daniel Payne who worked as a cork cutter. The two got engaged though the relationship was disapproved of by her mother Phoebe but life carried on. The first time Mary’s disappearance was reported was in the month of October in 1838 in the Sun. Phoebe had come across what seemed like a suicide note where Mary stated her wish to finish herself off. However, the young girl returned the next day saying that she had been only visiting a friend who lived in Brooklyn. It was said that the Sun had published a hoax to get some attention. Later, there were rumors that Anderson had created the story to gain more customers. She lived a normal life until the incident that took place during the summer of 1841 in New York City when she was announced missing from her mother’s home for the second time. After three days of search, her mutilated corpse was found. Her badly bruised body had been discovered f loating on the Hudson River near the Jersey shore, Crommelin having identified her. The hand prints around her neck proved that she had been murdered and not committed suicide. Investigations were carried out, several theories were provided by the police force as well as the journalists, and yet no one managed to discover for sure who exactly was responsible for such an act. Her fiance Payne was implicated but had an alibi to prove his innocence. Nonetheless, some weeks after Mary’s death, he took his life by drinking poison out of his love for his fiancee. The police thought that some members of a gang had tortured her, killed her and then dumped the woman in the River to rot. Later on, a woman called Mrs. Loss who was notorious in that area for her job of helping single pregnant women getting abortions made some revelations. She stated that Mary had conceived a child and had come to her with a dark, handsome man to get rid of the baby. This led to rumors that the abortion h ad led to complications leading to her death. However, questions were raised regarding the very obvious bruises on her bodies which showed that she had been killed in a very brutal and violent manner. During this time, New York was considered as the urban city where everyone was moving up to raise their social and living standards. The Rogers family had done the same. However, the security of the regions was not good, the police force just present for name, not doing any work. There were sets of officers whose duty was to patrol the city during the

Special Education Research Critique Essay Example for Free

Special Education Research Critique Essay REFERENCE Rickson, D. J., Watkins, W. G. (2003). Music therapy to promote prosocial behaviors in aggressive adolescent boys A pilot study. _Journal of Music Therapy, 40_(4), 283-301. PURPOSE The hypothesis of this research study was to determine if music therapy would help promote prosocial behaviors in aggressive boys. These subjects have different social, emotional, and learning disorders. METHOD The subjects were selected from a group of 88 young boys who have intellectual, social, and emotional deficits. These boys were enrolled in a special education facility in New Zealand. The students who started before May 2000 and after March 2001, which was 49 students, were not included because of the likelihood of them leaving before the study was completed. This left a remaining 39 students. These students were given the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) test. A total of 21 students were excluded due to lack of aggressiveness and already gone through musical therapy. Researchers were left with 18 boys whose ages ranged from about 11 years and six months to 15 years and three months. These subjects had an extreme measure on the CBCL test. 12 of the boys were already diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Of the 12, five had a dual diagnosis which included Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) or Conduct Disorder (CD). Four had a general developmental delay and two had a head injury along with depression. About half of the boys were taking psychotropic medication. They were randomly assigned into two music groups of six and one control group of six. One subject was suspended right after the therapy began. Another quit after a few minutes into a session. Also, one more was suspended from school after one session due to extreme  disruptive and aggressive behavior. A total 15 students completed the treatment. The treatment was the participants were placed into different music groups. In the music groups, the students would do different musical activities and express themselves through music. RESULTS There was an increase in disruptive and aggressive behavior in Group 1. This is a negative result due to the treatment. Group 2 had no changes in behavior. Group 3 also had little to no change in their behavior at school. AUTHORS CONCLUSION No significant statistical differences were found after the treatment was completed. Because there was no difference, there can be no definitive conclusion to be made by the author. Some social workers did record small improvements that were interesting and could lead to further study. They noted that the subjects were not as aggressive as they were before the research study. The author would also like to try to do another study but have it be based on a specific diagnosis of the subject. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The usefulness of this treatment is very minimal. The results after the treatment was conducted were negative or neutral overall. If I were to try and implement it into a classroom environment, I am not sure if it will be helpful in any way. CRITIQUE I feel like this study not fully prepared or researched. The researchers did states their hypothesis, addressed the results, and the sample size. But the treatment itself was not successful. The sample size for this kind of treatment should have been bigger than just 15 students. The researchers could have gone and tested other schools or even elementary and high school.  A sample size of 15 subjects cannot represent 100 subjects. In conclusion, this musical treatment study was not well planned out.

Glucose Transporter 4 (GLUT4) and Diabetes

Glucose Transporter 4 (GLUT4) and Diabetes Insulin and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signal pathways are known to be involved in glucose uptake regulation, but the integration of signals between these two pathways in maintaining glucose homeostasis remains mysterious (1). Insulin stimulates glucose uptake into skeletal muscle mainly via the translocation of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) to the plasma membrane (2). Also the exact mechanism involved is not yet fully understood, however, in insulin-induced glucose transport cascade it seems that insulin activates specific protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms (2). In Liu L. Z. et al work, stimulation of insulin conferred a glucose uptake or translocation of surface glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4).Using specific inhibitors to key kinases of both pathways and PKCzeta small interference RNA, it was found that protein kinase C zeta (PKCzeta) regulate insulin-stimulated protein kinase B (PKB) activation and inhibit AMPK activity on dorsal cell surface, whereas in the presence of berberine, PKCzeta controlled AMPK activation and AMPK blocked PKB activity in perinuclear region. The inhibitory effect exerted by PKCzeta on AMPK activation or the arrestment of PKB activity by AMPK still existed in basal condition. Overall, these results are suggestive for an antagonistic regulation between insulin and AMPK signal pathways, which is mediated by the switch roles of PKCzeta. The protein kinase Akt is associated with different cellular processes, including cell proliferation, growth, metabolism and importantly, insulin-regulated transport of glucose into muscle and fat cells. Activation of Akt involves binding of an extracellular ligand to its cognate tyrosine kinase receptor, which lead to activation of PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) and generation of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3. This in turn enables the translocation of Akt to the plasma membrane where it is phosphorylated at Thr308 and Ser473 by PDK1 (phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1) and the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin)/rictor (rapamycin-insensitive companion of mTOR) complex respectively. Once activated, Akt phosphorylates a range of substrates that regulate a variety of key biological processes (3). There are several Akt isoforms, Akt1 function is mainly related to growth and proliferation. On the other hand, Akt2 is more involved in metabolism, and loss-of function mutations in Akt2 have been link ed to Type 2 diabetes (3). Akt has been involved in the insulin-induced expression of GLUT1 in hepatoma cells and GLUT3 in skeletal muscle (4). Insulin-regulated transport of glucose into muscle and fat cells is thought to be mediated by Akt-dependent movement of GLUT4 glucose transporters to the plasma membrane (3). It was found after Tan S. X. study that non-ATP-competitive allosteric Akt inhibitors in 3T3-L1 adipocytes caused a decrease in the Akt signaling pathway simultaneously with reduced glucose uptake, notwithstanding, no such reduction in GLUT4 translocation to the plasma membrane was seen. This is explained by the fact that minimal amount of Akt phosphorylation is prerequisite for robust GLUT4 translocation, thus a marked reduction in Akt phosphorylation may not necessarily translate into a similar reduction in GLUT4 translocation to the plasma membrane (3, 5). Additional investigation revealed that the inhibitory effects on glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes of these compounds were independent of the Akt signaling pathway. Moreover, inhibition of glucose transport was also noticed in other cell types such as hum an erythrocytes that are rich in GLUT1 and T-47D breast cancer cells, proposing that these effects are not specific to GLUT4, and that the Akt inhibitors affect glucose uptake in different cell types (3). Alternatively, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signal transduction pathway is a well-known mediator of cell growth, proliferation, and survival signals. Riley J. K. et al studied the Inhibition of the PI3K pathway, and results indicated that inhibition of this pathway cause an induction of apoptosis in both murine blastocysts and trophoblast stem cells. Moreover, the apoptosis induced correlates with a decrease in the expression of the glucose transporter GLUT1 at the plasma membrane (6). Additionally, blastocysts cultured in the presence of the PI3K inhibitor LY-294002 exhibited a reduction in 2-deoxyglucose uptake and hexokinase activity. In rat primary brown adipocytes, insulin acutely stimulated glucose uptake in a PI3-kinase-dependent but p70S6-kinase-independent manner, and Akt represents an intermediate step between these kinases. Therefore, the goal of Hernandez R. et al study was to investigate the contribution of Akt to insulin-induced glucose uptake in brown adipocytes using ML-9, a recently proposed chemical inhibitor of Akt activity (7) and by using Akt protein with dominant-negative activity to block (4). ML-9 treatment of primary brown adipocytes showed a complete inhibition of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and also impaired GLUT4 redistribution from internal membrane to plasma membrane in response to insulin. It was found that ML-9 inhibited Akt activity and Akt phosphorylation at Ser473. Furthermore, results showed that long-term treatment with ML-9 produced down-regulation of the GLUT4 mRNA accumulation, inactivation of Akt, and possibly its translocation to the nucleus (8). Co-transfection with à Ã‚ ªAkt prevented insulin stimulation of GLUT4 promoter activity, suggesting that PI3-kinase/Akt pathway is regulating GLUT4 gene transcription by insulin (4). It is well known that phosphatidylinositol (PI)3-kinase activation mediates GLUT4 redistribution to the plasma membrane, and overexpression of the catalytic subunit of p110 produced GLUT4 translocation and increased glucose uptake (9). Alternatively, inhibition of PI3-kinase (by chemical inhibitors or by microinjection of blocking p85 protein, or by transfection with a dominant-negative mutant of p85) prohibits insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation (10). Two classes of Ser/Thr kinases have been suggested to act downstream of PI3-kinase, and they are Akt/PKB and the atypical protein kinase (PK) C isoforms ÃŽ ¶ and ÃŽ » (PKC ÃŽ ¶/ÃŽ »). It well established that expression of a constitutively active, membrane-bound form of Akt cause a persistent localization of GLUT4 at the plasma membrane and increased glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, yet, it did not promote GLUT4 translocation or glucose transport in L6 myotube(4, 11). Despite the fact proved by in vivo studies that GLUT4 expression in insulin-responsive tissues is under insulin and/or metabolic control (12), experiments performed with cultured fat cells had failed to establish a stimulatory role of insulin in GLUT4 expression (13), and the positive effect of insulin seen on GLUT4 gene expression had only been noticed in the presence of dexamethasone (14). Nevertheless, rat cardiomyocytes showed a direct effect of insulin on GLUT4 transcription (15). Different studies have validated that insulin-stimulated glucose uptake is separated from GLUT4 translocation based on using phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor; wortmannin .Therefore, it can be concluded that GLUT4 translocation and the intrinsic activity of GLUT4 are differentially regulated. Insulin is known to activate p38MAPK, and using SB203580; p38MAPKÃŽ ± and p38MAPKÃŽ ² inhibitors reduce insulin- stimulated glucose uptake without affecting GLUT4 translocation. p38MAPKs are serine/threonine kinases that are activated by several factors such as environmental stressors, inflammatory cytokines, protein synthesis inhibitors, growth factors like insulin and muscle contraction. It has four isoforms; p38ÃŽ ± and p38ÃŽ ² that are ubiquitously expressed, p38ÃŽ ³ that is highly expressed in skeletal muscle and p38ÃŽ ´ in the lung and kidney (16). Full activation of p38MAPK necessitates dual phosphorylation on residues corresponding to threonine-180 and tyrosine-182 on p38ÃŽ ± catalyzed by dual-specificity MAPK kinases 3 and 6 (MKK3 and 6). p38MAPK inhibitors like pyridinyl imidazole derivatives (SB203580 and SB202190) or azaazulene pharmacophores (A291077 and A304000) have the potential to inhibit insulin-mediated glucose uptake without producing any effect on GLUT4 translocation. As a conclusion, insulin increases the intrinsic activity of GLUT4 via p38MAPK (16). Antonescu, C. N. et al aimed to determine whether p38MAPK is required for insulin- stimulated glucose uptake in L6-GLUT4myc myotubes using a mutant of p38ÃŽ ± (DR-p38ÃŽ ±) resistant to SB203580, dominant-inhibitory mutants of p38ÃŽ ± and p38ÃŽ ² and siRNA against p38ÃŽ ± and p38ÃŽ ². The results obtained by these independent molecular methods to interfere with p38MAPK signaling did not interfere with stimulated glucose uptake. Nonetheless, SB220025 was found to inhibit p38MAPK as strongly as SB203580, but again, had no effect on insulin stimulated glucose uptake. So, collectively, it can anticipated that p38MAPK is not involved in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and that the SB203580-mediated reduction in glucose uptake is a result of SB203580 action on another protein (16). References 1. Liu LZ, Cheung SC, Lan LL, Ho SK, Chan JC, Tong PC. The pivotal role of protein kinase C zeta (PKCzeta) in insulin- and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-mediated glucose uptake in muscle cells. Cellular signalling. 2010;22(10):1513-22. Epub 2010/06/24. 2. Braiman L, Alt A, Kuroki T, Ohba M, Bak A, Tennenbaum T, et al. Activation of protein kinase C zeta induces serine phosphorylation of VAMP2 in the GLUT4 compartment and increases glucose transport in skeletal muscle. Molecular and cellular biology. 2001;21(22):7852-61. Epub 2001/10/18. 3. Tan SX, Ng Y, James DE. Akt inhibitors reduce glucose uptake independently of their effects on Akt. The Biochemical journal. 2010;432(1):191-7. Epub 2010/09/08. 4. Hernandez R, Teruel T, Lorenzo M. Akt mediates insulin induction of glucose uptake and up-regulation of GLUT4 gene expression in brown adipocytes. FEBS letters. 2001;494(3):225-31. Epub 2001/04/20. 5. Ng Y, Ramm G, Burchfield JG, Coster AC, Stockli J, James DE. Cluster analysis of insulin action in adipocytes reveals a key role for Akt at the plasma membrane. The Journal of biological chemistry. 2010;285(4):2245-57. Epub 2009/11/10. 6. Riley JK, Carayannopoulos MO, Wyman AH, Chi M, Moley KH. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity is critical for glucose metabolism and embryo survival in murine blastocysts. The Journal of biological chemistry. 2006;281(9):6010-9. Epub 2005/11/08. 7. Smith U, Carvalho E, Mosialou E, Beguinot F, Formisano P, Rondinone C. PKB inhibition prevents the stimulatory effect of insulin on glucose transport and protein translocation but not the antilipolytic effect in rat adipocytes. Biochemical and biophysical research communications. 2000;268(2):315-20. Epub 2000/02/19. 8. Salinas M, Lopez-Valdaliso R, Martin D, Alvarez A, Cuadrado A. Inhibition of PKB/Akt1 by C2-ceramide involves activation of ceramide-activated protein phosphatase in PC12 cells. Molecular and cellular neurosciences. 2000;15(2):156-69. Epub 2000/02/16. 9. Martin SS, Haruta T, Morris AJ, Klippel A, Williams LT, Olefsky JM. Activated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase is sufficient to mediate actin rearrangement and GLUT4 translocation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The Journal of biological chemistry. 1996;271(30):17605-8. Epub 1996/07/26. 10. Cheatham B, Vlahos CJ, Cheatham L, Wang L, Blenis J, Kahn CR. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activation is required for insulin stimulation of pp70 S6 kinase, DNA synthesis, and glucose transporter translocation. Molecular and cellular biology. 1994;14(7):4902-11. Epub 1994/07/01. 11. Kohn AD, Summers SA, Birnbaum MJ, Roth RA. Expression of a constitutively active Akt Ser/Thr kinase in 3T3-L1 adipocytes stimulates glucose uptake and glucose transporter 4 translocation. The Journal of biological chemistry. 1996;271(49):31372-8. Epub 1996/12/06. 12. Berger J, Biswas C, Vicario PP, Strout HV, Saperstein R, Pilch PF. Decreased expression of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter in diabetes and fasting. Nature. 1989;340(6228):70-2. Epub 1989/07/06. 13. Flores-Riveros JR, McLenithan JC, Ezaki O, Lane MD. Insulin down-regulates expression of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter (GLUT4) gene: effects on transcription and mRNA turnover. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 1993;90(2):512-6. Epub 1993/01/15. 14. Hajduch E, Hainault I, Meunier C, Jardel C, Hainque B, Guerre-Millo M, et al. Regulation of glucose transporters in cultured rat adipocytes: synergistic effect of insulin and dexamethasone on GLUT4 gene expression through promoter activation. Endocrinology. 1995;136(11):4782-9. Epub 1995/11/01. 15. Petersen S, Bahr M, Eckel J. Insulin-dependent regulation of Glut4 gene expression in ventricular cardiomyocytes: evidence for a direct effect on Glut4 transcription. Biochemical and biophysical research communications. 1995;213(2):533-40. Epub 1995/08/15. 16. Antonescu CN, Huang C, Niu W, Liu Z, Eyers PA, Heidenreich KA, et al. Reduction of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in L6 myotubes by the protein kinase inhibitor SB203580 is independent of p38MAPK activity. Endocrinology. 2005;146(9):3773-81. Epub 2005/06/11.

Marketing Strategy and ECommerce :: GCSE Business Marketing BTEC Coursework

Marketing Strategy and ECommerce Introduction With the rapidly advancing technologies that are occurring in modern business, organisations are required to be ready, and able to adapt within their ever-changing environment. It is true across all diverse industries that in order to stay competitive, organisations must be able to utilise the various tools that technology has to offer. Technological factors have been of growing importance, particularly in recent years. A major factor involved in these technology issues is the use of the Internet as a major issue to modern organisations. The Internet has been rapidly growing since it's inception and is now commonly used in all sectors of societies, in all corners of the globe. The Internet has quickly become one of the most valuable assets in modern technology, and as such, is developing as an integral part of modern commerce. As with past technologies, the Internet will have future technological advances develop from its own growth. The task the organisations of in the new century? Realise future opportunities and threats, and base a strategy accordingly. "Is it clichà © to say that 'the Internet changes everything': the challenge now is to say what, how and how quickly". (When Companies Connect, 1999, p.19) The Internet has lead to the birth and evolution of electronic commerce or E-commerce. E-commerce has now become a key component of many organisations in the daily running of their business. Simply defined, "electronic commerce is a system of online shopping and information retrieval accessed through networks of personal computers". (Reedy, J. Schullo, S. Zimmerman, K. 2000, pg. 29) E-commerce challenges traditional organisational practices, and opens ups a vast array of issues that the organisations must address. By focusing on the varying levels of an organisation, it soon become apparent the effects that E-commerce can have. An understanding of the implication E-commerce has on such organisational divisions can help businesses gain understanding hence plan for it's inevitable continuing evolution. In terms of marketing, the modern organisation must be critically aware of the development of E-commerce, and the implications that it entails. "Marketers develop their own recipe of promotional tactics to fit the product lines or industries in which they compete. Now electronic communications tools are and will continue to be an important ingredient in the promotional mix" (Reedy, J. Schullo, S. Zimmerman, K. 2000, pg. 29) In assessing the implications of E-commerce in terms of marketing, it is important to understand its impact in respect to

Macbeth: A King in Name Only Essay

â€Å"I am, indeed, a king, because I know how to rule myself† (Pietro Aretino). Effective kings know how to rule themselves and their people. Throughout William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the protagonist shows that he lacks verity, or the ability to be truthful. Similarly, Macbeth is in need of stability. Finally, Macbeth shows that he lacks patience. The characteristics that Macbeth demonstrates in the play suggest that he is an ineffective ruler due to his lack of verity, stability, and patience, several qualities which Malcolm describes as required of an effective ruler. Being truthful is a necessary and important characteristic for a ruler to be effective. A ruler who lacks verity will be challenged and others will not trust him. A ruler needs the support of his people and can gain their respect by being truthful. Throughout the play, Macbeth shows a lack of truthfulness to many people, including himself. When Macbeth finishes discussing the details of how he and Lady Macbeth will murder King Duncan, he leaves her by saying, â€Å"[Go], and mock the time with the fairest show: / False face must hide what the false heart doth know† (Mac. 1.7.82-83). Macbeth is telling Lady Macbeth to act like a welcoming and friendly hostess for their special guest, Duncan, while hiding her dark desires to kill him and take his rule over Scotland. Early in the play, this shows that Macbeth is very untruthful and wants other people to think the opposite of what he is thinking. This parallels the theme of appearance versus reality because Macbeth wants his wife to look like she is friendly and warm, but in her heart know her intentions of killing the king. After killing Duncan, Macbeth regrets his bad choice, but then lies when he is talking to Banquo about the witches’ prophecies by saying, â€Å"I think not of them† (2.1.22). This demonstrates Macbeth’s lack of verity because he tells Banquo that he is not thinking about the witches’ prophecies, but he certainly is. Macbeth’s over-ambitious nature causes him to be untruthful in his thoughts and his actions. His thoughts are now starting to take control of his actions. Not only does Macbeth lack the truthfulness required of an effective ruler, but his stability is also questionable. To be effective, a ruler must exhibit stability. He must be calm and be able to control his emotions. He cannot  make careless or irrational decisions and must act in the best interest of others, rather than focusing on himself. Demonstration of this quality through these actions is important in winning trust and respect from those under his rule. Macbeth’s mental stability starts to deteriorate and this leads to impure and insane behaviour. Macbeth is still contemplating killing Duncan, when he has a hallucination and says: Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible To feeling, as to sight? or art thou but A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? (2.1.33-39) Macbeth sees a dagger with drops of blood all over it, the blade pointing to Duncan and the handle to him. This suggests that fate is telling Macbeth to kill Duncan. This shows Macbeth’s mental instability because he is imagining the image of a bloody dagger, which indeed suggests that he is unstable and not fit to be an effective king. Macbeth’s mental deterioration starts to show even more when he sees Banquo’s ghost at a banquet he holds for his lords. Macbeth appears to get angry at the ghost of Banquo when he slams his cup down saying, â€Å"Avaunt! and quit my sight! let the earth hide thee! / Thy bones are marrowless, thy blood is cold; / Thou hast no speculation in those eyes / Which thou dost glare with† (3.4.93-96). At this point, even Macbeth’s guests start to question him and Lady Macbeth tries to calm him down. This suggests he is feeling guilty from all of the evil deeds he has committed, especially the murder of his dear friend, Banqu o. Throughout the play, Macbeth’s instability causes him to commit selfish and illogical deeds, which leads to great chaos in Scotland. An unstable ruler will cause chaos in his land and will therefore be an ineffective ruler. Since Macbeth’s mental state is quickly deteriorating, he is being forced to make quick decisions which he does not think through. Finally, in order to deal with people effectively, a strong ruler needs patience. People have different opinions and needs and a ruler must react to challenges calmly,  taking time to consider all facts to make decisions in the best interest of the country. A ruler who shows patience becomes more approachable to his subjects who trust the ruler to make good decisions. Macbeth does not demonstrate this quality and his lack of patience leads him to make irrational decisions and to overthink things, thus contributing to his downfall. Macbeth’s great ambition controls his actions and makes him more impatient. Macbeth shows his ambition early in the play, after he and Banquo receive their prophecies from the â€Å"weird† sisters. At first, they question the prophecies they receive, but then Macbeth becomes impatient and wants to be king as quickly as possible and against all odds. At the king’s palace, he proves his impatience by saying, â€Å"The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step,/ On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap† (1.4.48-49). Macbeth means that he must either stay where he is right now, or he must commit evil deeds to get what he wants, which is to become king. This shows he is impatient because the prophecies could have meant that Macbeth was going to become king by fate, but instead he took it into his own hands to become king. He did not want to wait for fate to take its course. It is Lady Macbeth who persuades Macbeth to kill the king and she fuels Macbeth’s ambition by calling him a coward and unmanly. He feels that he has to prove himself to Lady Macbeth, so he follows through and kills the king rather than taking time to think through the consequences. Macbeth again proves his blind ambition and shows his impatient nature when he prepares to kill the king. Macbeth recognizes his blind ambition because â€Å"[he has] no spur/ To prick the sides of [his] intent, but only/ Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself,/ And falls on the other† (1.7.25-28). Macbeth admits his ambition and says that this is the only reason he can give for wanting to kill the king so quickly. Macbeth’s impatience and ambition later lead him to kill Banquo and Macduff’s family in order to quickly remove obstacles he perceives are in the way of him becoming king. Macbeth’s impatience to become king continues as he becomes an ineffective ruler and disrupts the order of the once happy Scotland. The protagonist, Macbeth, brings chaos to Scotland because of his lack of verity, stability, and patience, all qualities which Malcolm states are necessary for a good king. Macbeth shows he lacks truth through his many lies. That he also lacks stability is proven in his many hallucinations. Finally, Macbeth’s impatience is proven through  his blindly ambitious murders. Macbeth is clearly an in effective ruler, but if you were king, would you know how to rule yourself? Works Cited Shakespeare, W. Macbeth. Toronto: Canadian School Book Exchange, 1996. Print.

Henry David Thoreau: Transcendentalist Essay

Henry David Thoreau spent much time studying nature and applying those studies to the human condition. His Transcendentalist ideas shone through in his writings and his life. In â€Å"Economy† he asks, â€Å"Why has man rooted himself thus firmly in the earth, but that he may rise in the same proportion into the heavens above† (Thoreau 58). He asks this question in response to man’s ever increasing need to have more than the basic necessities of life. In other words, if we have warmth, food, water, and clothing what purpose does added luxury serve. Thoreau reinforces this later when he writes, â€Å"When I have met an immigrant tottering under a bundle which contained his all – looking like an enormous wen which had grown out of the nape of his neck – I have pitied him, not because that was his all, but because he had all that to carry† (Thoreau 110). In Thoreau’s opinion these things only hamper one’s ability to rise above a mundane existence. Moving to the pond and living off what it supplied helped him in that quest. Reading on into â€Å"Where I Lived† he says, â€Å"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is dear, nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary† (Thoreau 135). This is an extremely telling statement. Thoreau is speaking of his dedication to finding truth in nature. The real travesty, for him, would be to neglect this opportunity to learn what nature has to teach him or die never the wiser. He honestly believed nature to be the highest physical reality on Earth and only by understanding it could a person understand oneself. Living in harmony with nature was the first and best way to realize the truths of human nature. He furthers these ideas later in â€Å"Sounds† by asking what is gained by earnestly listening to what is around you: The rays which stream through the shutter will be no longer remembered when the shutter is wholly removed. No method nor discipline can supersede the necessity of being forever on the alert. What is a course of history or philosophy, or poetry, no matter how well selected, or the best society, or the most admirable routine of life, compared with the discipline of looking always at what is to be seen? Will you be a reader, a student merely, or a seer? (Thoreau 156). He had not read any books over his first summer at Walden in favor of working his land and keeping other practical matters in order. The sounds of the natural world, as well as the opportunities he afforded himself to sit in the sun, offered a unique opportunity to for inner reflection. While he must have gotten much joy from reading and learning he understood that true understanding could only come from observing what nature offered. He continued, â€Å"†¦I was reminded of the lapse of time. I grew in those seasons like corn in the night, and they were far better than any work of the hands would have been. They were not time subtracted from my life, but so much over and above my usual allowance† (Thoreau 157). How beautiful it must have been for him to have this time to search within himself through nature. Knowing and understanding that nature provides an environment to grow spiritually allowed Mr. Thoreau to learn his place in the world and accept it happily. This utilization of his natural surroundings helped him focus inwardly. Looking at his isolation as a gift he wrote, â€Å"Some of my pleasantest hours were during the long rain-storms in the spring or fall, which confined me to the house for the afternoon as well as the forenoon, soothed by their ceaseless roar and pelting; when an early twilight ushered in a long evening in which many thoughts had time to take root and unfold themselves† (Thoreau 177). The solitude he found at Walden, on a dreary rainy day that may have found others in different depressed states, he used to ponder the idea of loneliness and how it had such a small effect on him. To Thoreau, loneliness was only possible for those who had to be contented by spending time with others in endeavors that did nothing to increase the human spirit or give way to a heightened perception of one’s self. It seems that, above all, Thoreau felt that mankind devoted too much of itself to trying to compete, impress, and just generally keep up with itself. The disarray of the government in Thoreau’s time did not serve to better this opinion. This was the time of the Mexican war and slavery was a growing issue in the United States. Thoreau had come to a point that his faith in government was lost as well as his faith in those that followed it. â€Å"The mass of men serve the state thus, not as men mainly, but as machines with their bodies† (Thoreau 388). He felt all those employed by the state had lost the ability to make rational moral judgments and the citizens were deprived of a true say in government. He argues that by doing this, â€Å"†¦they put themselves on a level with wood and earth and stones; and wooden men can perhaps be manufactured that will serve the purpose as well. Such command no more respect than men of straw or a lump of dirt† (Thoreau 388). To Thoreau, people of the time were blindly following a government that put its interest ahead of the peoples. What was even worse was that the people could see the truth if only they would look. The answers to these problems at the time did not necessarily have to be revolution. In Thoreau’s mind a man could make a dramatic statement by washing his hands of the whole mess and therefore making a powerful statement to others.

Diseases essays

Diseases essays There are many different kinds communicable diseases. Small pox happens to be one of them. The cause of it is contact with the person who has it. It is also caused by a virus. This means just being around the person who has it. No direct contact is needed. The symptoms of it are a fever and a pimple like rash that grows. The bumps are full of pus which look very gross. Treatments for it are to get a vaccination before you get it or before you start to get a rash. Influenza also known as the flu is also a communicable disease. The cause of it is direct contact with people such as touching other peoples hands. Airborne droplets from infected people is also another way of getting the flu. Symptoms of the flu are, a fever, aches, coughing, tiredness, and weakness of breath. Treatments for it are getting a lot of bed rest, having good nutrition, and drinking plenty of fluids. You can also get a vaccination before you are infected with the virus which protects you from it. Chronic bronchitis is not a communicable disease. It is caused by bacteria, various viruses of the common cold, and smoking. Symptoms if it are a persistent cough, wheezing, respiration, and heaviness in the chest. Treatments for it are trying to reduce the cough which means taking certain kind of cough suppressants. Cerebral palsy is also a non-communicable disease. The cause of it is toxic substances in the mothers body at the time of giving birth and during the pregnancy. A symptom which can lead to the disease is lack of oxygen at birth. Treatments for it are steroids and methotrexate and folic acids. ...

Love in Twelfth Night essays

Love in Twelfth Night essays Love is generally something sudden and irresistible, it is extremely difficult to get rid of. People seem to suffer from love, or at least people claim to suffer. Despite Twelfth Nights comic plot, Shakespeare paints the ambiguous picture of romance and infatuation in the play. It is a story of the madness of love, it can as well be viewed as an essential celebration of romantic love. Most characters in the play are involved in love in varying degrees. Throughout the play, many forms of love are portrayed. The first form of love explored is romantic love. Duke Orsino is seriously in love with love. At the beginning of the play, Orsino says, If music be the food of love, play on (Act1 Scn1 L1), he is hungry for love so bad. But actually Orsinos love is a false love, since he is satisfied by the idea of being in love, he is only in love with love itself and he doesnt know what true love is. The second form of love portrayed is the love at first sight. O, when mine eyes did see Olivia first, Methought she purged the air of pestilence! ... (Act 1 Scn 1 L17-22), says Duke Orsino. As soon as the Duke saw the beautiful Lady Olivia, Orsino is lovesick for her and she has become the passion of his life. There is another example of love at first sight in the play, which is performed by Olivia, who is in love with Cesario. However, Cesario is in fact a woman, Viola, who disguised herself as a young man and becomes a page to the Duke, makes both Olivia and Orsino misunderstand. Once Olivia see Cesario, who comes to her to carry love messages from Orsino, she is in love with the fake image of Cesario. As Olivia does not know the genuine identity of Cesario, Olivias love is as well a false love. The third form of love portrayed is secret love. Secret love obviously means the love that cannot be exposed to the public. Viola loves Orsino secretly; Orsino loves Olivia secre ...

University of Southern California Summer Programs for High Schoolers

Many high schoolers (and parents!) think that a part-time job is the best way for teenagers to spend their summers. However, summer programs designed specifically for high school students can provide benefits that they can’t get from a traditional part-time job. Summer programs are a great way for high school students to develop their interests and learn more about college and potential career paths. Plus, participating in a summer program can make a student’s application stronger by senior year. Many of these programs are short, usually one or two weeks, and can be done alongside part-time jobs or volunteer opportunities, so teenagers don’t have to choose one over the other. The University of Southern California knows how valuable summer programs can be for high school students, and that’s why we’ve dedicated an entire post to the programs available at USC. You’ll find that many of these programs offer college credit in addition to the benefits we’ll outline below. We’re giving parents a quick look at the USC summer programs to help you figure out which program will work best given your student’s goals and interests. Summer programs for high school students are about more than having fun (although there’s plenty of that too!). One of the main benefits of summer program is that they allow high school students to specialize in an area of interest without the distraction of other schoolwork or constraints. They provide an inside look into an industry that most students wouldn’t be able to get in a traditional class setting, and expand students’ awareness of opportunities in that field. Many summer programs are at colleges and universities, which provide an additional bonus of helping students get a feel for campus life. Not only that, these programs often provide high school students with hard-to-find resources which can be invaluable to them as they prepare to apply to college, such as specialized learning communities or even scholarships. Again, there’s no need to choose between working over the summer and doing a summer program. Colleges like USC offer programs at a variety of lengths, so that you can choose the program that allows your student to balance work and family obligations while pursuing their interests. College admissions officers care about students’ extracurricular activities and often consider them not only for admissions but for awarding merit scholarships. They want to see that students pursued their interests outside of the classroom and took advantage of any resources available to them. Summer programs are more interesting to admissions counselors than other types of extracurriculars because fewer students participate in them, and the experiences can be valuable material for an admission essay. This is especially true when the summer program is held at a top school like USC. Perhaps the greatest advantage of attending a summer program at a college is the chance to connect with current students and faculty. One of our top recommendations for helping students get into their dream school is to connect with students who were successfully admitted to that school, and summer programs make that a much easier process for high school students. By attending a program at USC, high school students get to know current USC students and can get the inside scoop about what it’s really like to get in and attend. Our Early Advising Program helps students in 9th and 10th grade discover their passions and build strong academic and extracurricular profiles to succeed in high school. USC has two different options for summer programs: a 4-week credit program and a 2-week non-credit program. The more common one is the 4-week credit program, where students will earn an elective college credit. However, for students who need more flexibility, USC offers 2-week non-credit programs in some of their popular subjects. All of these programs, credit or non-credit, can strengthen your student’s application and help them refine their career interests. We encourage you to choose the one that best suits your student’s goals. These program costs are all approximate. There may be differences in cost based on whether a student stays on-campus or decides to commute, is a California resident or not, or if there are scholarships available. Students explore a career in architecture during this 4-week program. Students will take field trips to renowned architectural sites, learn the fundamentals of architecture, and get insight into what a compelling architecture portfolio entails. Learn more about the Exploration of Architecture Program . Students delve into entrepreneurship during this 4-week program. Students will have the chance to hear from entrepreneurs, take field trips to meet with ventures and startup firms, and apply their skills to develop their own business. Learn more about the Exploring Entrepreneurship Program . Students learn marketing, operations, and finance during this 4-week program. Students will get an overview of all the major departments in a business, including marketing, finance, ethics, and management. Learn more about the Introduction to Business Program . Students explore prototyping technologies during this 4-week program. Students will learn the fundamentals of 3D design and apply their skills to create their own 3D prototypes. Learn more about the 3D Design and Prototyping Program . Students design, build, and test during hands-on activities in this 4-week program. Students will explore the different engineering disciplines through classroom activities and group projects. Learn more about the Discover Engineering Program . Create your own video game through hands-on activities in this 4-week program. Students will create original games, playtest games in production, and learn about the technology used to design video games. Learn more about the Introduction to Video Game Design Program . Students develop electronic and digital prototypes during hands-on activities in this 4-week program. This unique experience blends engineering and entrepreneurship to help students invent a valuable product. Learn more about the Technology Innovation Experience Program . Students discover approaches to preventing disease in diverse communities worldwide in this 4-week program. This program is perfect for students interested in medicine, public health, anthropology, international relations, international business, law and social justice. Learn more about the Global Health Trends and Challenges Program . Students explore approaches to conflict resolution in this 4-week program. This program is perfect for students interested in diplomacy or understanding why conflicts emerge in the first place. Learn more about the International Relations Program . Students write stories about real people and issues in Los Angeles in this 4-week program. They will get to explore online reporting, blogging, and multimedia technology. Learn more about the News Reporting in the Digital Age Program . Students explore multi-platform sports journalism in this 4-week program. This program combines hands-on learning assignments with field trips and state-of-the-art in-studio production. Learn more about the Sports Journalism: Multi-Platform Storytelling Program . Students explore normal brain development in this 4-week program. They’ll participate in labs to learn about how we think and express ourselves and develop a final course project. Learn more about The Brain: Introduction to Neuroscience Program . Students get to shadow physicians in this 4-week program. Perfect for the student who wants to become a doctor, students will hear from a variety of medical professionals and even learn the basics of suturing. Learn more about the Future Physicians Program . Students explore the field of mental health in this 4-week program. They’ll review case studies, take a field trip to the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, and develop a final project with their peers. Learn more about the My Mind & Me: Introduction to Mental Health Program . Students delve into the fascinating world of psychology in this 4-week program. They’ll learn about meditation, take personality tests, and go on field trips to various shelters and labs. Learn more about the Psychological Science and Society Program . Students critically examine the criminal justice system in this 4-week program. They will meet with lawyers and activists, attend criminal court proceedings, and explore different career opportunities in criminal justice. Learn more about the    Exploring Criminal Justice Program . Students participate in legal analysis and writing in this 4-week program. They’ll get an inside look into the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and learn how to prepare for law school. Learn more about the Legal Reasoning and Argumentation Program . Students build a strong foundation in acting during this 4-week program. They will learn in a conservatory-style environment from theatre professionals, attend professional theatre productions, and rehearse and perform workshop productions. Learn more about the Acting Intensive Program . Students work with comedy professionals in this 4-week program. They will participate in a conservatory-style environment with a strong emphasis on improv, sketch, standup, and industry-focused master classes. Learn more about the Comedy Performance Program . Students will enhance their ability to bring a story to life in this 4-week program. They’ll participate in acting, singing, and dance classes and take field trips to see professional theatre in Los Angeles. Learn more about the Musical Theatre Program . Students will experience the collaborative environment of a writing workshop. They will learn about the variety of creative writing formats, including poetry, short stories, and nonfiction, and even work on developing a compelling admissions essay. Learn more about the Creative Writing Workshop Program . Students explore pressing moral questions in this 4-week program. They will learn university-level argumentation and critical thinking, participate in respectful debates, and hear from leaders in business and technology. Learn more about the Ethics in the 21st Century: Business, Politics, & Technology Program . Students explore a career in architecture in this 2-week program. Students will learn the fundamentals of architecture and get insight into what a compelling architecture portfolio includes concurrently with the 4-week credit program. Learn more about the Exploration of Architecture 2-Week Program . Students receive an introduction to kinesiology and movement science in this 2-week program. They learn about career options in kinesiology, hear from experts in the field and participate in labs to deepen their understanding. Learn more about the Kinesiology 2-Week Program . As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities for students to learn more about different industries and experience college firsthand. If your student missed a deadline, you can always plan for next summer. In the meantime, there are plenty of other activities that students can participate in over the summer to stay engaged, including getting involved in community organizations, volunteer service, and working. You can find more ideas for giving your student a productive summer in our post Summer Activities to Strengthen your College Applications . It can be hard to find summer programs that will interest your student and work for both your schedules. That’s why ’s Mentorship Program helps students identify activities to refine their interests and strengthen their portfolios. Find out if our Mentorship Program is right for you!

Esaay 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Esaay 1 - Essay Example One of the justifications for this was parens patriae, meaning that the state has the right to intervene in the affairs of the child when they feel that the child is endangered or not being taken care of properly. One of the main guiding points is the environment in which the child has grown up in. Social learning theory and living with parents that do not nurture the child can lead to an increase in deviant behavior. Therefore, the child has not been taught how to act properly in society. This would then fall under parens patriae, in which the state would intervene and focus on the rehabilitation, not on punishment like the adult contemporaries. In addition keeping the children with positive role models through foster care can also help with their deviant behavior by taking them out of areas they associated with their bad life style, such as what they did in New York and Baltimore. One of the most important themes posed by Platt is the question of bringing juvenile crime into the sc ope of criminal law and the effect of nature vs nurture. This is a completely applicable question in today’s judicial system. Some children are born with a conduct disorder which can lead to more severe deviant disorders during development.

Research and Analysis Business Problems Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

And Analysis Business Problems - Research Paper Example JC Penney’s accomplishment is seen to be less in comparison with its competitors. At present, JCP is functioning to discard this previous image and is trying to concentrate instead on reasonable pricing, attractive marketing and highlighting the exclusive brands that are offered. By analyzing the stimulating plans revealed by JCP, it is found that there are enduring areas the company has not concentrated on. These gaps may cause problems in the long run and have a negative effect on innovation that the company is trying to accomplish. To sufficiently address and recognize the possible issues still prevailing within the new strategy for JCP, it is very important to understand the current position of the company. So as to recognize the newly projected changes and how they will really impact the company, it is important to acknowledge from where the company started, where it is at present and also where it is going. The analysis will connect jointly both periods of JCP and depict the four major environments (PEST) of the company. By analyzing the strategies of the company, any gaps within the plan are assessed and solutions are presented from an outside point of view. Going back to the original format of the department store is one of the recommendations, which would provide JCP with an opportunity of formulating a store separately. The area needs to consider properly before going ahead with this recommendation. Discussions must be done with suppliers to decide the sensibleness of introducing new store areas. Moreover, the company must consider performing a wide market study to scan if consumers are attracted in a central point ground one stop shop or not. It is also recommended to create partnerships between JC Penney and other trendy or customer preferred brands within the new areas of market. This is a modest risk recommendation as it engages integrating a second company into the variety mix for merely an imperfect time period. The retailer has proven th ey can provide good value and pricing, but they have also ignored the more obvious problems of poor merchandise mix and styles.   While JC Penny can compete on traditional and formal clothing, an understanding of newer styles seems to escape the company’s fashion buyers (Lee par 6). The company’s current triumphant partnership with Sephora, a cosmetic chain, has paved way for JCP to partner with stylish and popular brands. It challenges the ability to assign and stock products within the suitable time as well as budget that have already been set. It is also recommended to focus on implementing new product changes to fit into the existing image that JCP has shaped. This alteration to choose merchandise and separating merchandise could result in creating various challenges for JCP.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"It is also found that low inventory levels can adversely affect the fulfillment of customer demand and diminish sales and brand loyalty† (Item 1A. Risk Factors pg 5). Positi on: JC Penney Company, Inc. (JCP) is one of the main top department store retailers in America. James Cash Penney started the first JC Penney department store in 1902, initially named ‘The Golden Rule.’ Ever since, with â€Å"1033 JC Penney department stores in 49 states and Puerto Rico† (JC Penny 2006 web Pages and Annual Report par 3), it has turned out to be one of the leading retailers in the discount segment and department of the retail

Financial analysis of a company Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Financial analysis of a company - Assignment Example It is extensively relied on the notion of â€Å"Celebrity Endorsement† to advertise its leading brands. Major events that occurred during the last 4 fiscal years The purchase of Rocca In 2008, Damiani Group acquired â€Å"Rocca†, a high end jewelry and watch chain leader in Italy. Rocca will represent as the first distribution brand of Damiani and it will help sell all the leading brands of the company. The acquired company has its strong footprints in the Italian market. Commercial and licensing agreements During the year 2009, the Group has signed commercial and licensing agreements for the creation, design and distribution of jewelry lines with the prestigious brands. Balance Sheet *Balance Sheet (In thousand Euros) 2008 2009 2010 2011 Inventories 94,713 121,192 106,108 96,192 Trade receivables 65,794 54,551 42,971 31,232 Tax receivables 394 5,571 3,661 2,788 Other current assets 14,718 12,619 9,777 11,401 Current financial receivables       - 1,074 Cash and cash equivalents 52,813 9,542 7,332 10,217 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 228,432 203,475 169,849 152,904 Goodwill 5,002 5,002 4,984 4,984 Other Intangible Fixed Assets 7,056 9,204 7,504 5,596 Tangible Fixed Assets 14,698 26,626 20,397 17,590 Investments 169 169 167 167 Financial receivables and other non current assets 2,663 4,655 4,479 3,493 Deferred tax assets 12,229 18,552 19,807 19,854 TOTAL NON CURRENT ASSETS 41,817 64,208 57,338 51,684 TOTAL ASSETS 270,249 267,683 227,187 204,588                Current portion of long term financial debt 5,162 9,681 10,040 7,861 Trade payables 65,305 70,923 57,945 54,673 Short term borrowings 16,229 2,593 1,964 5,965 Income tax payables 2,752 8,977 2,399 2,425 O ther current liabilities 5,090 6,350 4,819 4,862 TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 104,675 88,387 77,167 75,786 Long term financial debt 16,631 22,029 34,356 26,316 Termination Indemnities 4,223 4,868 4,693 4,325 Deferred Tax liabilities 2,608 4,227 864 1,131 Risk reserves       649 1,431 O t her non current liabilities 2,441 2,046 431 493 TOTAL NON CURRENT LIABILITIES 25,903 33,170 40,993 33,696 TOTAL LIABILITIES 137,845 114,290 118,160 109,482 Share Capital 36,344 36,344 36,344 36,344 Reserves 102,742 96,691 89,438 71,890 Group net income (loss) for the period 15,127 (4,709) (18,242) (14,525) TOTAL GROUP SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY 154,213 128,326 107,540 93,709 MINORITY SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY             Minority share capital and reserves 1,571 1,668 1,513 1,422 Minority net income (loss) for the period 175 (156) (26) (25) TOTAL MINORITY SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY 1,746 1,512 1,487 1,397 *As on 31 March of each FY Income Statement Income Statement (In thousand Euros) 2008 2009 2010 2011 Revenues from sales and services 164,919 149,289 145,365 143,323 Other recurring revenues 683 502 390 226 Other non-recurring revenues 8,506          TOTAL REVENUES 174,108 149,791 145,755 143,549 Costs of raw materials and consumables (69,898) (71,090) (82,595) (79,476) Costs of servi ces (53,719) (55,847) (50,226) (46,229) Personnel cost (24,249) (28,251) (27,017) (24,821) Other net operating (charges) incomes 2,397 6,518 843 903 Amortization and depreciation (2,503) (4,191) (5,886) (4,884) TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES (147,972) (152,861) (164,881) (154,467) OPERATING INCOME (LOSS) 26,136 (3,070) (19,126) (10,918) Financial Expenses (3,312) (2,651) (3,065) (2,926) Financial Incomes 2,153 2,277 350 377 INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES 24,977 (3,444) (21,841) (13,467) Income Taxes (9,675) (1,421) 3,573 (1,083)

How do Game Technologies affect the living world nowadays in different Essay

How do Game Technologies affect the living world nowadays in different category compared to the past and the near future - Essay Example Just like other computer technologies, this field also keeps on improving year after year in terms of speed, graphics, logical and skills requirements. Games have great effects on their users and these factors have been impacting the societies since their invention. Some of the effects of gaming technologies in the past, as well as predicted effects in the future will be discussed in the paper. The current trends and effects of the gaming technologies will also be discussed. 2. Gaming Technologies in the Past The gaming technology initiated in the 1970s and has seen remarkable response from the customers ever since. Kooijmans provided the information that Nintendo was one of the pioneers in the gaming industry; they were known to sell 3 games every second from the year 1983 to 1995. This figure meant that every teenager in the world possessed one of their games. The first generation of computers was based on geometrical shapes, slower motion of objects and limited quality of sound ef fects, for example PONG and Pacman. The technologies were limited in those days since gaming technologies have always made use of the prevailing technologies in the market. Only one or more objects screen could be controlled by the player. 2.1 Impact on Health Gaming technologies were considered to be a occasional source of entertainment, whereas other activities included outdoor activities and sports. Media and gadgets had not taken over the society; rather they were used as means to get work done. Gaming technologies had limited features, controls and possibilities that were soon conquered by the user. The limited nature of entertainment played a role in the technology staying as a source of entertainment, and not becoming a addiction. The situations and graphics were not very close to reality. The sound effects also did not participate in making the whole experience addictive. Due to the lack of addiction, individuals spent less number of hours in playing games, thus no health is sues became evident among the users in those times. 2.2 Impact on Social Skills Gaming technologies in the past were not available on a variety of gadgets which limited its usage and impact on the user’s lifestyle. The immobility of the gaming technologies helped the individual to maintain his personal relations and outdoor activities. People were still socially active and would participate productively in discussions. 2.3 Impact on Aggression Level The aggression level in gaming technologies was not a matter of concern till the 1980s and 1990s when Nintendo and Sony PlayStation launched new generations of games, respectively. Earlier, the games mainly involved the journey of a character to a certain place, coupled with minor barriers. The games were not known to have any element of aggression in them. On the contrary, Gardner used classic games, like Mario Bros, to help in the psychotherapy of children in activities like motor coordination, foresee and handle matters on the basis of past experiences etc. These games would not be chosen for clinical purposes if they had high levels of aggression in them. 2.4 Impact on Education There is no significant role of the gaming technologies in the field of education in the early years of the invention. 3. Impact of Gaming Technologies in the Current Times The advent of innovative technologies has improved games to a great extent as the game developers can incorporate greater

Research paper on mapreduce Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

On mapreduce - Research Paper Example Reduce collects relevant parts from the locations where the map function occurred and return the result to HDFS. IBM defines MapReduce based on its association with Hadoop (IBM 1). The company affirms that MapReduce denotes two distinct roles performed by Hadoop programs. The initial role pertains to map job. It engages data and changes it into another set by breaking down individual aspects into value pairs (IBM 1). Reduce job engages the output generated by a map and engages it to produces smaller value pairs. Based on IBM definition, it is clear that MapReduce is a popular programming technology that allows the use of many computers in order to process huge amount of data. It helps in coordinating tasks in order to avoid issues such as input problems and harmonization delays. One can perform various tasks such as data mining and graph processing using this concept. The concept is popular in industries and conducting complex researches. An example of commonly use MapReduce implementations is Hadoop. Vianna, Almeida & Kuno (1) further define Map Reduce based on its sorting process. The authors indicate that when one has many sets of records and he needs to sort or process them in a specific order, he may use MapReduce. MapReduce is an invention that allows an individual to use Mappers that have sorting keys that dive the data set based on the values associated with them. Vianna, Almeida & Kuno (1) further define MapReduce as a process involving the combination all the sorted data. This concept is usually applied in data analysis. The authors provide an example of MapReduce as used in data filtering. They indicate that when one has sets of records that require arrangements to ensure they meet a certain condition, he can filter them using MapReduce. For instance, one can filter the records using Mappers which produce transformed versions of the

Financial analysis of a company Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Financial analysis of a company - Assignment Example It is extensively relied on the notion of â€Å"Celebrity Endorsement† to advertise its leading brands. Major events that occurred during the last 4 fiscal years The purchase of Rocca In 2008, Damiani Group acquired â€Å"Rocca†, a high end jewelry and watch chain leader in Italy. Rocca will represent as the first distribution brand of Damiani and it will help sell all the leading brands of the company. The acquired company has its strong footprints in the Italian market. Commercial and licensing agreements During the year 2009, the Group has signed commercial and licensing agreements for the creation, design and distribution of jewelry lines with the prestigious brands. Balance Sheet *Balance Sheet (In thousand Euros) 2008 2009 2010 2011 Inventories 94,713 121,192 106,108 96,192 Trade receivables 65,794 54,551 42,971 31,232 Tax receivables 394 5,571 3,661 2,788 Other current assets 14,718 12,619 9,777 11,401 Current financial receivables       - 1,074 Cash and cash equivalents 52,813 9,542 7,332 10,217 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 228,432 203,475 169,849 152,904 Goodwill 5,002 5,002 4,984 4,984 Other Intangible Fixed Assets 7,056 9,204 7,504 5,596 Tangible Fixed Assets 14,698 26,626 20,397 17,590 Investments 169 169 167 167 Financial receivables and other non current assets 2,663 4,655 4,479 3,493 Deferred tax assets 12,229 18,552 19,807 19,854 TOTAL NON CURRENT ASSETS 41,817 64,208 57,338 51,684 TOTAL ASSETS 270,249 267,683 227,187 204,588                Current portion of long term financial debt 5,162 9,681 10,040 7,861 Trade payables 65,305 70,923 57,945 54,673 Short term borrowings 16,229 2,593 1,964 5,965 Income tax payables 2,752 8,977 2,399 2,425 O ther current liabilities 5,090 6,350 4,819 4,862 TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 104,675 88,387 77,167 75,786 Long term financial debt 16,631 22,029 34,356 26,316 Termination Indemnities 4,223 4,868 4,693 4,325 Deferred Tax liabilities 2,608 4,227 864 1,131 Risk reserves       649 1,431 O t her non current liabilities 2,441 2,046 431 493 TOTAL NON CURRENT LIABILITIES 25,903 33,170 40,993 33,696 TOTAL LIABILITIES 137,845 114,290 118,160 109,482 Share Capital 36,344 36,344 36,344 36,344 Reserves 102,742 96,691 89,438 71,890 Group net income (loss) for the period 15,127 (4,709) (18,242) (14,525) TOTAL GROUP SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY 154,213 128,326 107,540 93,709 MINORITY SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY             Minority share capital and reserves 1,571 1,668 1,513 1,422 Minority net income (loss) for the period 175 (156) (26) (25) TOTAL MINORITY SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY 1,746 1,512 1,487 1,397 *As on 31 March of each FY Income Statement Income Statement (In thousand Euros) 2008 2009 2010 2011 Revenues from sales and services 164,919 149,289 145,365 143,323 Other recurring revenues 683 502 390 226 Other non-recurring revenues 8,506          TOTAL REVENUES 174,108 149,791 145,755 143,549 Costs of raw materials and consumables (69,898) (71,090) (82,595) (79,476) Costs of servi ces (53,719) (55,847) (50,226) (46,229) Personnel cost (24,249) (28,251) (27,017) (24,821) Other net operating (charges) incomes 2,397 6,518 843 903 Amortization and depreciation (2,503) (4,191) (5,886) (4,884) TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES (147,972) (152,861) (164,881) (154,467) OPERATING INCOME (LOSS) 26,136 (3,070) (19,126) (10,918) Financial Expenses (3,312) (2,651) (3,065) (2,926) Financial Incomes 2,153 2,277 350 377 INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES 24,977 (3,444) (21,841) (13,467) Income Taxes (9,675) (1,421) 3,573 (1,083)

Research paper on mapreduce Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

On mapreduce - Research Paper Example Reduce collects relevant parts from the locations where the map function occurred and return the result to HDFS. IBM defines MapReduce based on its association with Hadoop (IBM 1). The company affirms that MapReduce denotes two distinct roles performed by Hadoop programs. The initial role pertains to map job. It engages data and changes it into another set by breaking down individual aspects into value pairs (IBM 1). Reduce job engages the output generated by a map and engages it to produces smaller value pairs. Based on IBM definition, it is clear that MapReduce is a popular programming technology that allows the use of many computers in order to process huge amount of data. It helps in coordinating tasks in order to avoid issues such as input problems and harmonization delays. One can perform various tasks such as data mining and graph processing using this concept. The concept is popular in industries and conducting complex researches. An example of commonly use MapReduce implementations is Hadoop. Vianna, Almeida & Kuno (1) further define Map Reduce based on its sorting process. The authors indicate that when one has many sets of records and he needs to sort or process them in a specific order, he may use MapReduce. MapReduce is an invention that allows an individual to use Mappers that have sorting keys that dive the data set based on the values associated with them. Vianna, Almeida & Kuno (1) further define MapReduce as a process involving the combination all the sorted data. This concept is usually applied in data analysis. The authors provide an example of MapReduce as used in data filtering. They indicate that when one has sets of records that require arrangements to ensure they meet a certain condition, he can filter them using MapReduce. For instance, one can filter the records using Mappers which produce transformed versions of the

Strategies For Reducing Violence Essay Example for Free

Strategies For Reducing Violence Essay There are many causes of death but violence can be considered one of the leading causes worldwide. The most recent violent act was a tragic event that took place at an elementary school in Connecticut that killed 28 children as well as some teachers. Violence can be defined as the use of physical force or power against oneself, another person or against a community of a group, which may result in injury, death, mental harm or physical harm. Acts of violence include suicide, terrorism, child abuse, rape, and bullying. This essay will explore how violence can be reduced through changing social and cultural norms, and the teaching of social skills. Violence can be reduced through different school programs that teach the students ways to reduce violence. Olweus (1972) conducted an experiment in schools in Norway and had the whole-school faculty participate. He developed a seminar that taught the school faculty how to deal with bullying which included strict supervision on playgrounds and lunchrooms. He advised that if any bulling took place, the counselors should conduct therapy with the bullies. Olweus reported that this program reduced 50% of all bullying activities. However, on the downside, this research only took place in Norway, which is a country that already emphasizes on social importance and bullying. This could mean that the research may just be adding on to the progress already made. In addition, the policies and programs may only be effective if everyone is aware and is committed in changing. This research is a qualitative research, which can lead to bias and there is no control group for this experiment. However, a nti-bullying programs have been shown to be effective. Another method to reduce violence is through the teaching of social skills. Aronson (1979) used cooperative activities in classroom with the idea that everyone must work together. He used jigsaw puzzles and allowed the class to work together to come to a common goal, or consensus. Everyone had something to contribute and students had to collaborate to move forward. This forced children to help one another and contributed towards the learning process. Aronson also found that this lowered the rate of bullying in schools and increased interaction between out groups. There are also more positive interaction between students. However, this research cannot measure the interaction between students outside of school because it was limited within school grounds. The research was qualitative research, which can lead to possible biases. Although the research emphasizes cooperation and collective norms that would reduce bullying, this research is 20 years old. But there are newer research conducted by Figueireido et al in 2007 with computer training which shows similar effects. This activity alone will not reduce violence because there should be school monitoring of the students. Overall, this method is quite effective and schools should emphasize in training the students. Violence can be reduced through the changing social and cultural norms. There have been many studies that show that norms can increase violence. For example, the American south have a culture of honor that forces men to not accept insults or inappropriate conducts from others. One way to change the social and cultural norms is through education. In a study conducted by Foshee et al where he aimed to prevent adolescent dating violence, the participants’ attitudes towards violence were measured through a series of questionnaires before and after the program. Foshee et al, found that there were less psychological abuse and sexual violence reported in the treatment than in the control group. However, these effects were only reported through questionnaires and the conclusions of the results were based on self-report, not actual behavior. In addition, the effects were explained by changes in the dating violence norms, awareness and gender stereotyping. But reducing the adolescent dating violence through education is a possible option to consider. In conclusion, violence can be reduced through educating children about bullying and changing social and cultural norms. These are the bases of whether a person will be violent or not. If the root cases of these bases are solved, then there will be less violence in the future. It is important for people to educate the young about violence but it is difficult to change a communities’ social norm. However, it is possible if people are cooperating, there will be less more tragic incidents like the shooting in Connecticut.

Political Situation of the Central African Public

Political Situation of the Central African Public Central African Republic:  Africa’s Bleeding Heart A- Overview: Deep in the heart of Africa lies the Central African Republic, it is a landlocked country (i.e: has no coastal lines) as the country is boarded by: Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo to the south and Cameroon to the west. Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries in the world although its rich with natural resources and potentials such as diamonds, uranium, timber and gold; CAR has been unstable since its Independence from France as the country faced lots of coups and decades of blood sheds, conflicts and wars. In 2013 an armed Muslim group seized power over the country and executed numerous incidents of violence resulting in a backlash by an armed Christian group that also responded by violent incidents. With citizens being the major victims of these incidents CAR occupies the 3rd place in the Fund for Peace 2014 Failed States Index as the latest events escalated into genocides and ethnic cleansing that increased the country’s insatiability and deteriorated human rights conditions, making CAR Africa’s bleeding heart. B- Country Profile: Population: Central African Republic has a population of 4.6 million, with 40.6% of the population between the age of 0-14 years. Religions: indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%. Language: there are 2 official languages in CAR which are French and Sangho, in addition to some tribal languages. Interim President: Catherine Samba-Panza. Interim Prime Minister: Mahmat Kamoun. Capital: Bangui. Key Exports: Diamonds, timber, cotton, and coffee. Key Imports: Food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, motor vehicles, and pharmaceuticals Trading Partners: Belgium, China, Netherlands, Cameroon, D.R.Congo, France, and South Korea C- Insight on CAR History: The central African republic was part of the french colonies in Africa as in 1894 France created the Ubangi-Shari territory (the present-day CAR), in 1946 the country was given its own representation in the french parliament and Barthelemy Boganda becomes the first central African to be elected in the french parliament, and in 1958 the country achieves self-governance within the french equatorial Africa and Boganda becomes the prime minister. Independence and post Independence era: After seeking Independence the country finally achieves it in 1960 and David Dacko -Boganda’s nephew- becomes the first president of the country, and in 1964 he is confirmed as a president in elections in which he was the only candidate. In 1965 as the country was facing banckrupcy the army commander Jean-Bedel Bokassa leads a coup and overthrows Dacko. At first Bokassa declares himself a president for life but then in 1976 he declares himself emperor and renames the county the â€Å"Central African Empire†. After widespread protests in 1979 in which many school children were arrested and massacred while in detention Dacko -backed by French troops- leads a coup and rises back to power. However he is soon deposed in a coup led by the army commander Andre Kolingba. In 1992 a multiparty presidential and parliamentary elections took place in which Kolingba came last but these elections were annulled by the supreme court and another elections occurred in 1993 in which Ange-Felix Patasse wins to end 12 years of military rule. In 1997 France begins withdrawing its forces from the country and African peacekeepers replace the French troops, in 1999 Patasse is re-elected and the former president Kolingba comes in 2nd place with 19% of votes. In March 2003 the army chief of staff Francois Bozize leads a coup d’etait.Upon seizing the presidency, Bozize suspended the country’s Constitution and dissolved the National Assembly.Though he promised to step down after an initial transitional period to democracy, Bozize was reelected in 2005 and began calling for national unity, development, and democratic freedom. A peace deal known as theBirao Peace Agreement, which was signed in 2007 between the government of the CAR and the rebel group Union des Forces Dà ©mocratiques pour le Rassemblement UFDR (Union of Democratic Forces for Unity), appeared to solidify Bozize’s intentions. Further progress was seemingly made with the2008 Libreville Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which, in addition to the UFDR, also included the rebel groups Armee Populaire pour la Restauration de la Democratie (People’s Army for the Restoration of Democracy – APRD) and the Front democratique du Peuple Centrafricain (Democratic Front for the People of the Central African Republic – FDPC) in its negotiations. Together, these deals promised amnesty; disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programs for former combatants; and political power-sharing. Yet, the fragility of these peace deals was soon evident. In 2010, the Bozize regime came under fire from opposition leaders who announced their intention to boycott the January 2011 elections in light of institutional changes affecting the voter registration process. When Bozize was reelected in 2011, his victory was shrouded by allegations of election fraud that further threatened the already-declining security situation in the CAR. The Bozize government’s inability to demobilize rebels and ex-soldiers, along with such foreign involvement as a February 2012 joint offensive between troops from the CAR and neighboring Chad (which sought to weaken a Chadian rebel movement and left thousands of civilians displaced) added to growing instability throughout the country. D- March 2013 Coup d’Etait: In December 2012, a loose rebel coalition named the Seleka initiated a military campaign to overthrow Bozize’s government. The Seleka, mainly composed of factions of armed groups in northeastern CAR, including the UFDR and FDPC, as well as the Convention Patriotique pour le Salut Wa Kodro (CPSK) and the Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace (Convention des Patriotespour la Justice et la Paix – CPJP), criticized Bozize’s government for failing to implement the DDR program in the northeast, declining to investigate rebel and government crimes that had been occurring since 2005, and demonstrating a general lack of governance in its region.Capitalizing on the fact that the country had been â€Å" virtually ungoverned † outside of the capital, Bangui, for years, the Seleka rapidly captured several strategic towns in early 2013 and was poised to take Bangui next. A hasty intervention by Chad and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) instead persuaded the Seleka to negotiate with Bozize’s government. The result of these negotiations was the Libreville Agreement of January 2013, which established a three-year power-sharing arrangement in the CAR.In addition, itstipulatedthat Bozize would remain in office until 2016, but that he would not be allowed to run for a third term beyond that. Unfortunately, however, the Libreville Agreement was made between regional heads of state rather than heads of warring parties in the CAR, which, as the Council on Foreign Relations noted , increased the difficulty of implementing real change because it neglected to consider the â€Å"intricacies† of the conflict. The government’s failure to carry out agreements under the 2013 Libreville Agreement generated anger and frustration on the part of the Seleka, who resurged and took control of Bangui and 15 of the CAR’s 16 provinces on 24 March 2013, a move which simultaneously caused Bozize to flee to Cameroon . Upon seizing the capital, Seleka leader Michel Djotodia proclaimed himself President and suspended CAR’s constitution. Djotodia’s leadership was immediately criticized at the international level, as his Seleka fighters were accused of having used child soldiers in their successful overthrow of the Bozize government, as well as having engaged in the looting of villages, the raping and killing of civilians, and the abduction of members of the national army. Continued violence on the part of the Seleka even after Djotodia took office raised additional questions about the security situation in the CAR. By August theSà ©là ©ka-run government under Djotodia was said to be increasingly divided.The conflict worsened towards the end of the year with international warnings of genocide. The fighting was between the government of the Central African Republic s former Sà ©là ©ka coalition of rebel groups, who are mainly from the Muslim minority and the mainly Christian anti-balaka coalition Anti-balakaare Christian and animist militias formed in the Central African Republic after the rise to power of Michel Djotodia in 2013-. In January 2014 President Djotodia resignedand was replaced by Catherine Samba-Panza ,but the conflict continued. As soon as Djotodia left office, Seleka forces began to withdraw from their outposts across the country. In town after town, when the Seleka left, the anti-balaka militia moved in and launched violent attacks against the Muslim minority. Because international peacekeeping forces were extremely slow to deploy across the country, the field was open to the anti-balaka to assert their power and authority. They killed many hundreds of Muslim civilians, sometimes in large-scale massacres, looted Muslim homes and shops, and burned and destroyed mosques. Anti-balaka fighters are now the main perpetrators of violence, especially in Bangui and in the western third of the country. Seleka forces that retreated to the north also continue to commit serious human rights abuses in the territory under their control. There is currently no functioning justice system in CAR, with little or no possibility of police investigations, court proceedings, and incarceration, resulting in total impunity for human rights violations. E- Human Rights Conditions: â€Å"Civilians are being killed by all sides at an alarming rate and people are desperate for protection,† said Lewis Mudge , Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch Almost 2.5 million out of the 4.6 million population are in immediate need of humanitarian assistance, 620,000 unable to receive basic health care medicine, and more than 430,000 internally displaced people inside CAR . Thousands of houses have been looted and burnt, leaving many people – Christians and Muslims alike – without a home to return to. The few thousand Muslims who remain in the capital and the western part of the country (where they used to represent about 15 percent of the population) are nearly all displaced. Many are taking refuge in churches, and most are waiting for evacuation, fearing attacks by anti-balaka fighters. Refugees: Since the beginning of the clashes more the one million people -quarter of the population- fled their homes escaping from violence and seeking safety. Recent months have witnessed massive ethnic cleansing: a forced exodus of tens of thousands of Muslim civilians to Chad, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic of Congo -in order of concentration of refugees-. Much of this newly-created refugee population is living in makeshift camps where conditions are dire. Those who have fled are often traumatized, malnourished and dehydrated. Many have walked for weeks and taken refuge in the bush along the way to hide from armed groups. Some have been exposed to atrocities and survived violence. The majority are women and children, as the men in the families often remain in CAR to protect family assets. Many people fleeing CAR have serious medical needs stemming from injuries during attacks or displacement. Children: in 17 December the UNICEF warned that 2 out 5 children urgently needing humanitarian and vital aid are without it. There are 5,000 severely malnourished children under-five, and about 159,000 under five need highly nutritious foods. Since the beginning of the clashes both groups used child soldiers, some forced to join and others volunteer out of poverty or the desire to avenge the deaths of beloved ones. The number of child soldiers increased from 2,500 at the beginning of the crisis to an estimation of 6,000-10,000 on Dec. 2014 with some of them as young as eight years old. G- Peacekeeping Missions: Operation Sangaris: there has been a presence of French troops in CAR before the recent crises as France had troops deployed in March 2009- and May 2014 French troops took charge of the security of the airport in Bangui, however the situation was deteriorating in CAR, and as a result on December 5th, 2013, the President of France announced his decision to reinforce the French troops in CAR to prevent a humanitarian disaster in the country in what is known as Operation Sangaris, by which France deployed 1,200 troops making the total number of French troops rises to 1,600 which increased since then to about 2,000. MINUSCA: Despite the presence of the Operation Sangaris and an African Union led troops (MISCA) yet violence and widespread human rights violations continued to happen in CAR. Trying to stop this bloodshed the UN Security Council authorized on the 10th of April 2014 the deployment of a multidimensional United Nations peacekeeping operation (MINUSCA) , and on the 15th of September the MISCA mission transferred its authority over to MINUSCA. The mission has a total of 6,590 military personnel out of authorized 10,000 personnel in addition to civilian personnel. The mission has some initial priority tasks set by the security council, which are: Protection of civilians. Support for the implementation of the transition process, including efforts in favor of the extension of State authority and preservation of territorial integrity. Facilitate the immediate, full, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance. Protections of the United Nations. Promotion and protection of human rights. Support for national and international justice and the rule of law. Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration (DDR) and Repatriation (DDRR).

Short Story Writers :: Writers Literature Fusco Essays

Short Story Writers "And then I woke up."Thus goes the kind of "trick ending" that every first year writing student is told to avoid, a mark of cheap theatrics and poor craftsmanship.Historically, this kind of ending is often associated with Guy de Maupassant, the prolific French writer of the 19th century, or his 20th century American heir apparent, O. Henry (William S. Porter).In this well researched and at moments insightful book, Richard Fusco argues that Maupassant's bad rap as first and foremost the inventor and disseminator of the "trick ending" is undeserved.What Fusco feels Maupassant does deserve is recognition as perhaps the single most important influence on American short story writers of the late 19th and early 20th century, particularly Ambrose Bierce, Kate Chopin, Henry James, and of course O. Henry.However, even as Fusco's readings of these writers are laudable in their thoroughness (with the exception of his treatment of O. Henry), his overall argument seems finally too dependent on an understanding of "trick ending" which does not make necessary distinctions, and is therefore superficial enough to accommodate nearly any writer one cares to name. Not that Fusco doesn't differentiate between types of trick endings.In fact, he develops his own seven categories of stories--from the simplest (linear) to most complex (sinusoidal)--based on their varying "placement and number of discovery points for the reader."The first two chapters, where Fusco limits himself to a thorough and interesting analysis of narrative structure in Maupassant, are the best of the book.However, in shifting his terms from "trick endings" to "discovery points," Fusco deprives his argument of its specificity and thus its power. To cite one example: Fusco argues that Maupassant and Bierce were similar in that they "favored fictive structures that depended on last-second, ironic reversals in the reader's perception."He then uses this theorized similarity to compare Maupassant's much-anthologized "The Necklace" to the that of Bierce's equally popular "Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge."In analyzing these (and other) stories by the two writers, Fusco uses Poe's "unity of effect" as a synonym for "discovery point" (which is in itself too reductionist a reading of what Poe meant).However, unity of effect for Maupassant in "The Necklace" is utterly dependent on information unavailable to the reader, i.e., that the necklace is paste, and thus the reader's "discovery" depends entirely on an absence, a trick of concealment, as in a "bad" murder mystery.In "Owl Creek," on the other hand, one need only read closely in the section where Peyton first falls from the bridge (and, in reality, dies) to obtain all the informatio n necessary to correctly interpret the rest of the story as an hallucination.

Hamlet: A Tragic Hero Essay -- Hamlet, Shakespeare

â€Å"A tragic flaw is an error or defect in the tragic hero that leads to his downfall.† (http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/literature/bedlit/glossary_t.htm) In the history of literature, if the question of who was the most indecisive character was brought up, Hamlet would be a prime candidate. Hamlet had numerous chances to reap revenge for his father’s death but was only able to follow through after the accidental murder of his mother. Hamlet’s inability to make a decision ultimately leads to his demise, and for that is his tragic flaw. What makes a tragic hero? Dr. Peter Smith, Associate Professor of English at Kentucky State University, broke the archetypical characteristics of a tragic hero down into six groups. Of the six, four will be discussed, the first being â€Å"noble stature.† (http://www.kysu.edu/artsscience/ENG411/tragic%20hero.htm) Smith said that the fall of one with noble stature will not only affect their life but also the lives of the people who look to them for support. Hamlet is the prince of Denmark; the people of Denmark rely on a strong royal family to rule and support the country. Next, Smith discussed the â€Å"tragic flaw† (http://www.kysu.edu/artsscience/ENG411/tragic%20hero.htm) which leads to the decline of the hero. Hamlet’s inability to make a decision lead to his death, which will be discussed in more detail further on. Thirdly, Smith says that one must have â€Å"free choice. The tragic hero falls because he chooses one course of action over another.† (htt p://www.kysu.edu/artsscience/ENG411/tragic%20hero.htm) Hamlet is not forced to kill but makes the decision on his own. Finally, Smith says, â€Å"the punishment must exceed the crime.† (http://www.kysu.edu/artsscience/ENG411/tragic%20hero.htm) The audience cannot f... ... the one behind the curtain and kills Polonius by mistake without a second thought. Hamlet is a tragic hero because he follows the guidelines set by Dr. Smith; he has noble stature, he has a tragic flaw, he has free choice, and finally, he has unjust punishment. (http://www.kysu.edu/artsscience/ENG411/tragic%20hero.htm) His downfall was his inability to make a decision. He vowed revenge for his father’s death only to stall time and time again until he finally goes through with it only to die himself. Work Cited Clark, William George, and Wright, William Aldis. The Unabridged William Shakespeare. Philadelphia: Courage Books, 1997. â€Å"Glossary of Literary Terms.† The Meyer Literature Site. February 7, 2002. Smith, Peter. â€Å"The Characteristics of an "Archetypal" Tragic Hero†. Characteristics of a Tragic Hero. 2002. Kentucky University. February 7, 2002.

Positive and Negative emotions Essay

  There are a few benefits associated with experiencing a positive emotion theory. Typically, when you are having a positive emotion you see things on the up side rather than a negative outlook. For instance, people always feel good or continue to think positive if they are getting good grades in school. I, myself is very eager to sustain a positive emotion when my grades are above average and I am getting positive feedback from the instructor saying that I am on a great path in that class. This emotion will help promote a positive well-being. Another benefit associated with experiencing positive emotion is positive effect. With this warrants joy, happiness, and positive fulfillment. These emotions create a desire to search for new possibilities as well expressing your creative talents. Me personally, women are more emotional creatures. We sometimes can get in our feeling, rather the emotion is positive or negative. We are sensitive, shy, and reluctant at times, versus men who tend to keep their emotions in check. I feel men are the lessor emotionally engaging of the two. Most of the time men are more positive about certain situation unlike women, we can find negativity in a plain paper bag. When comes to the raising of children, men are more apt to being positive. I say that because I can be all up in my emotions dealing with our son and my husband (almost with a blank stare on his face) will say he is a boy let him get bumps and bruises that will toughen him up. Despite what he says I am still a nervous wreck when may fall or hurt himself. So, I think there is a big gap in how men and women differ in negative emotions.

Xcom/285 Business Writing Portfolio

Business Writing Portfolio Mea Greenidge September 26, 2010 XCOM/285 Essentials of Managerial Communication Axia College The writing skills and techniques learned in my Essentials of Managerial Communication class can and will benefit me in my future classes as well as in my career in many ways. A few of the skills learned are including, but not limited to the appropriate ways of communicating depending on the audience, e-mail and business letter writing etiquette and also the importance of unbiased speaking in the workplace.It is important to have been taught these skills as I now know that there are many changes that need to be made to my future business plan and even in my current work day. I can use the skills that I was taught to give efficient business lectures and presentations. The class also taught me the importance of appropriate introductions and closing. Within this lesson I learned that every presentation should be altered based on the type of audience to whom it will be presented to as a presenter can easily lose his or her audience if the presentation is not created specifically for that audience.Another lesson in the Essentials of Managerial Communication class discussed the proper ways to begin business writing. It is important to have business writing mapped out and clearly thought out before one even begins writing. A writing map or outline can be used as a guide for a writer so that he or she may effectively include all the necessary information needed within the writing.In my future endeavors as a wife, mother, daughter, student, employee and future business woman, I will take the skills learned from this communications class and apply them in any way possible as these skills are skills that will only push me further down the road to success within my business. [pic] NOTICE OF CHANGE IN BUSINESS HOURS Effective SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 In an effort to preserve fuel and energy and due to the slowing economy, Effective September 1, 2010, Dress for A ll will be changing its store hours to Monday-Saturday opening at 10am and closing at 9pm. MemorandumTo:ALL COMPANY EMPLOYEES CC:ALL MANAGERS From:PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER Date:9/26/2010 Re:NOTICE OF CHANGE OF BUSINESS HOURS Effective September 1, 2010, Dress for All will be changing its store hours to Monday-Saturday opening at 10am and closing at 9pm. As a result of this change all employee work hours will be changing as well. In the coming weeks full time employees’ work schedule will be converted to a four day work week/ ten hour work day. For all part time employees, schedules will be converted to a 1, 2, or 3 day work week depending on the average number of hours worked.There will NOT be a change in compensation at this time. Thank you all for your continued hark work and cooperation regarding this matter. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact your immediate supervisor. Regards, Mea Greenidge Public Relations Manager Confidential E-MAIL To: STORE M ANAGERS CC:OWNERS From:PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER Date:9/26/2010 Re:NOTICE OF CHANGE IN BUSINESS HOURS Managers, As you all may be aware the cost of gas has been rising immensely and in an effort to lower operations cost, Dress For All will be changing its store hours.The new store hours will be Monday-Saturday opening at 10am and closing at 9pm. As a result of the change in the business hours, there will also be a change in employee work hours. In the coming weeks full time employees work schedule will be converted to a four day work week/ ten hour work day. For all part time employees, schedule will be converted to a 1,2, or 3 day work week depending on the average number of hours worked. The change may be difficult to adjust to for some of the employees, so it will be your jobs as managers to assist and work with them as much as possible during the transition.The employees will be notified of the change within the next week and will be directed to their immediate supervisors with a ny questions or concerns that they may have. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at any time. Regards, Mea Greenidge Public Relations Manager Many companies have implemented the benefit of tuition reimbursement. Tuition reimbursement benefits both the employer and the employee. Our company has approved a budget plan for the expansion of tuition reimbursement for those employees seeking a bachelor’s degree in business and communication.In most cases, companies begin determining whether or not to implement tuition assistance and/or tuition reimbursement during the developmental stages of the company’s benefit package. Other companies wait for the success of the company to begin rolling, and then decide to provide additional benefits for its employees. Offering tuition assistance to employees seeking a bachelor’s degree in business and communication, will qualify employees for new internal professional opportunities. Having employees with bache lor’s degree in business and communications will also benefit the company both financially and socially.Business Communications degree programs teach students important skills they'll need to work in the communications-dependent world of business. Students come out of Business Communications programs ready to write, speak in public, schmooze with clients and do everything else it takes to work as communications managers, public relations specialists, technical writers and more. â€Å"People who complete a business communication program are qualified for a wide range of careers and work in a multitude of industries; a wide variety of industries require the skills and expertise gained in business communication degree program.People working in this field are responsible for constructing, disseminating and evaluating different types of communications, including press releases, e-mails, television commercials, print ads, business reports, conferences and websites. † (Babcoc k, 2009) Companies with internal business and communication degree recipients are able to complete tasks internally and for a fraction of the normal cost, which another company would have to seek an external company to perform the job. This will prove its self tremendously in the marketing department.Many companies are at times forced to seek additional resources when trying to market their company and/or products. Implementing the addition of tuition reimbursement to our employee benefits, will lessor the number of times we have to call outside sources, and provide us with more internal resources for marketing and public relations. According to the University of Phoenix, â€Å"The Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Communications promotes the knowledge and skills needed for effective communication within the business environment. Giving employees the option to higher their education to completing their bachelor’s degree in business and communication not only builds additional rapport between the employee and employer, but it also gives the employer the opportunity to create new positions based on the capabilities of the current employees. In addition to the perks, rewards and benefits received from the current position, having a bachelor’s degree in business and communication will boost ones earnings potential tremendously, which will ultimately boost the earning potential of the company in which they are employed. The monetary value of a college degree is hard to dispute. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, adults aged 18 and older holding a bachelor's degree earned an average of $51,544 in 2004, compared with an average of $28,645 earned by those with a high school diploma–or about 73% more. Multiplied over the course of a lifetime, that could translate into a difference in income of hundreds of thousands of dollars. † (Value of a College Degree) Take public relations specialist for example, â€Å"Median a nnual earnings for public relations specialists were $43,830 in 2004.Communications professionals involved in advertising and related services had salaries of $50,450 in the same year. † Therefore, the earning potential of individuals seeking a bachelor’s degree in business and communications will increase immensely following the completion of the program. Not only will the employees who take advantage of the newly implemented benefit of tuition reimbursement see an increase in their earning potential, they will also see an increase of different positions within a business that they now qualify for.The of the different careers people with a bachelor’s degree in business and communications include but are not limited to, a Public Relations Specialists, Technical Writers, and Communications Managers. â€Å"Graduates of Business Communications bachelor's degree programs generally have better employment opportunities than students who graduate from associate program s. † (Education-Portal) Competition within the field of business communications is particularly high at the entry-level, and the number of qualified applicants usually exceeds the number of job openings available.Employments for a business communication degree regiments is expected to grow faster than average to 2014, as the demand for professional and it's skilled candidates grows with the competitive business industry. As previously stated, having internal employees with the capabilities of the above mentioned job titles will benefit the company in multiple ways including being able to complete different task without being required to hire an outside company or individual. In most cases, businesses are able to tilize individuals with a degree in Business and Communications, to Draft press releases, contact people in the media, prepare speeches, conduct presentations, make film presentations, slideshows, and compile media kits. Putting together reports, articles, and news sto ries are also among the many things that can be done. When our company expands or employee benefits, adding tuition reimbursement for those seeking a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Communications will ultimately only provide positive benefits for our company and its employees.With the skills and training learned in the Business and Communications program, our employees will be able to boost our marketing and public relations department as well as our technical support and information systems department. In addition, with the conflict management and strong writing skills learned employees will also be able to assist in the employee relations department if needed. Adding tuition reimbursement for those seeking a Bachelor’s degree in business and communications will ultimately be another step forward in our company’s journey to success. References Babcock, Pamela. 2009. Always More to Learn. † HRMagazine 54, no. 9: 51. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (access ed September 14, 2010). Education-Portal. com  © copyright 2003-2010 Education-Portal. com. All other trademarks and Copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. â€Å"Tuition Reimbursement and More. † Connection: The Journal of the New England Board of Higher Education 19, no. 1 (Summer2004 2004): 21. Professional Development Collection, EBSCOhost (accessed September 14, 2010). â€Å"Value of a College Degree. † Facts On File: Issues & Controversies, EBSCOhost (accessed September 26, 2010).