Thursday, December 26, 2019

Modern Liberalism and Political Policies - 1337 Words

Modern Liberalism Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau’s political philosophies and theories each differ from one another’s, but these three philosophers have all staked their claims as to what man would be like, prior to the formation of the state. This is the State of Nature. Their notions on the social contract reflect their position on the political spectrum. These three philosophers also examine the purpose and function of the government to individuals of the state. Modern liberalism is the philosophical standpoint for an increase in social progress. Jean Jacques Rousseau provides a compelling account of modern era liberalism through his advocation because of his notions on good government, his social contract, and†¦show more content†¦Man will be unable to become corrupt and will live his life in ignorance. Social Contract A social contract is an agreement, whether implicitly or explicit that defines the legitimacy, or lack thereof, of the authority of the state over it’s subjects. Thomas Hobbes’ state is one that is filled with constant fear. Fear of their enemies and those who will betray them. Through a social contract, individuals of the state are able to establish a civil society and achieve security for the purpose of self-preservation. The social contract is a surrender of an individuals rights and freedoms, but he must be willing to, for â€Å"when others are so too, as far forth as for peace and defence of himself he shall think it necessary, to lay down this right to all things† (LEVIATHAN 16). John Locke’s social contract differs from Thomas Hobbes’ social contract in the manner that Locke views human nature as peaceful, with no corruptive temptations. There was no constant fear. A key component to the establishment of a social contract in L ocke’s state was for the protection of property from those who are feared. Individuals of the state surrendered the right to enforce the law of nature while preserving and maintaining order. For Jean Jacques Rousseau, the state of nature is good. Rousseau believes that individuals are better off in a state of nature than in a state with an establishmentShow MoreRelatedNeo Liberalism And Its Impact On Society1414 Words   |  6 Pagesproactive welfare state. The concept of neo liberalism basically revived from liberalism. By this it can be suggested that liberalism was absent from politics in order to emerge in a new form. Neo liberalism is not basically a distinct ideology and a not proper form of liberalism. It shares only some of the historic views with liberalism which would be general. Another concept which is introduced is economic liberalism. It is defined as that the states do not intervene inRead MoreSocialism vs Liberalism617 Words   |  3 PagesThe terms ‘socialism’ and liberalism’ are used a lot nowadays, and many people often mistake one for the other. In order to differentiate between these two terms, one must keep in mind the clear-cut differences by defining the prevailing ideology of each term. The tenets of socialism assert that the state should wield total economic power by manipulating prices of goods and wages of workers. Furthermore, socialism requires people to submit to the rule of law. In return for their compliance, citizensRead MoreLiberalism Is The Root Of Our American Soil Essay1217 Words   |  5 Pagesin my opinion, liberalism should be guiding our thinking when it comes to our economic ways, and political rights; liberalism is the root of our American soil. Many people believe that steering away from liberalism is the right way to create change, and build upon our freedoms, but by returning to what our country was built upon, we can continue the aim of a free, fair and prosperous society. This paper will guide you through the two main phases of liberalism: classical and modern; their manifestations;Read More Modern Political Thoery and Liberalism Essay1040 Words   |  5 PagesModern Political Thoery and Liberalism The subject given for this paper was to â€Å"assess the alienation from liberalism found in modern and contemporary political theory.† To be honest, I don’t see a correlation with alienating liberalism and modern political thought through the time line of political theory in the 18th and19th century and through the 20th century. So, for this paper, I will prove the opposite. I will show, in my opinion, how the rise of liberalism has kept alive modern and contemporaryRead MoreThe Intellectual Tradition Of Political Economy1692 Words   |  7 PagesCourse Date Intellectual Traditions in Political Economy i) In what significant ways does modern liberalism break from classical liberalism s conceptualization of the market? In your answer, be sure to focus on the principles of classical and modern liberalism, as well as key 20th-century intellectual developments in each tradition. The definitional conceptualization of the five premises of political economy underscores the differences classical and modern liberalism. These premises include human natureRead MoreIdeals of Liberalism Expressed in President Obamas Speeches 1470 Words   |  6 Pagespressing domestic and international policies. What both these speeches hold in common, is the logic behind the liberalism tradition of international relations. The foundations of the President’s speeches are set in the ideals of liberalism from which rise three strands of modern liberal thinking: economic, social, and political. â€Å"Liberalism is a distinct ideology and set of institutions that has shaped the perceptions of and capacities for foreign relations of political society that range from socialRead MoreClassical Liberalism Vs. Modern Liberalism Essay1534 Words   |  7 Pagesprogressive ideology that humanity has struggled long and arduously to fully achieve. (PP classical liberalism) According to the Bond textbook, â€Å"Ideology is a consistent set of values, attitudes, and beliefs about the appropriate role of government in society.† (Textbook, page 22) The movement that spanned during the creation of the United States was called classical liberalism. What is liberalism? Classical Liberalism could be defined as a movement during the eighteenth maybe nineteenth century that was focusedRead MoreHow Liberism has Evolved During the 20th Century980 Words   |  4 Pagescentury, liberalism has been one of the sources of political progress in the West. Liberalism is a philosophy based on id eas of liberty and quality. Liberalism is hard to define due to the term being used to describe ideas, parties, movements and practices in different societies and different historical periods. The core values of liberalism are individualism, rationalism, freedom, justice and toleration . Liberalism is one of the most powerful ideologies shaping Western Politics. Early Liberalism showedRead MoreLiberalism And Its Impact On International Relations Essay1427 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract Liberalism is more of a dominant philosophy in modern world more concentrating to European and American political system. Liberalism have many variations and many proposal for state. In this essay I will try to discourse different views towards liberalism is viewed. This essay views liberalism in more surficial manner but will try to touch the essential values and norms regarding liberalism. Liberalism is based on human experience and habit absorbed from society. So in same manner in thisRead MoreDemocrats and Republicans: Is There a Difference? Essay1649 Words   |  7 Pageswelfare. What exactly is liberalism? According to Sidlow (2013), liberalism is the belief that big government is necessary for the promotion of the common good (p.16). Without government action, many social and economic outcomes for many people would turn out badly. In other words, without government intervention, many children of poor individuals would never have access to health care in the first few critical years of life and may not get enough food to eat. Liberalism is the belief that social

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

A Research Project On Social Networking Sites And Its...

The first step in performing a qualitative research project is to develop a theoretical and conceptual understanding of the phenomenon being studied; which includes performing background research on the theoretical foundations of the phenomenon and researching research conducted on the phenomenon’s field. This is the literature review. The literature review shares with the reader the results of other studies that are closely related to the one being studied. It relates the study to the larger ongoing dialogue in the literature, filling in the gaps and extending prior studies. It provides a framework for establishing the importance of your study. And it Provides a benchmark for comparing the results with other findings. The†¦show more content†¦In the Krasnova et. al. study, the researchers examined several gratification mechanisms with regard to individual self-disclosure on Online Social Networks. They found that the convenience of maintaining relationships is an important determinant of Self-disclosure. Convenience benefits arise as a result of the OSN design, which places users just ‘one click away’ from each other and allows them to easily and efficiently update a large group of friends and acquaintances. A small post on the wall is a simple way to remind others about oneself, helping to keep relationships alive. Additionally, they confirm that people looking for new friendships disclose more about themselves in their attempt to find common ground with unknown people. Furthermore, they found enjoyment to be a significant driver of self-disclosure. Features that address users’ pleasure motives are continuously integrated into the platforms, encouraging users to reveal more information and creating site stickiness. This result reveals that the rewards people gain from engaging in intensive communication on OSNs can overshadow the risks and induce them to reveal more information. Furthermore, their results showed that the feeling of being in control enhances the user trust in the OSN provider. By

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Shelly’S Novel Essay Research Paper Example For Students

Shelly’S Novel Essay Research Paper The cold passion carries the sound of ego and the dust with another element that is the monster. The unique living creature trapped in human darkness. The day the Ogre took step in this world he became a plague upon mankind. He was the unknown freak to the world but the world was a freak to him. He was a stranger who is intimate to the outcast of the world.  Dead nor alive; heaven nor hell; creature nor human. These symptoms work in a cycle since the day an embryo is made. No one exists as dead or alive but if life can be given it can also be taken. Frankensteins Monster was given life and therefore his life can be taken away. The Monster was made from organs- benevolence and malevolence was in those bones, this may retire him to heaven or hell. His actions will also decide upon on his placement. His brain is a creature but his body parts and organs are from human beings. Who is to decide whether he is a creature or human? Only his performance in life.  The merciless creature fell from hell on to the earths surface. The living ghost made from organs brought a walking disease. They say a matter cannot be created or destroyed. Then how? Whereby Shelly now declares that past history will be destroyed and recreated.  Shellys gothic and epistolatory novel conveys how a new species could interfere with nature. Interfering with nature, hell or heaven, is interference with God. That chance could cost you your life! Creating life, who could possibly think of this except Victor? He is the creator of the monster. Mankind has taken it as far as genetically modifying people, designing clones and test tubes babies but this is the key to heaven and hell.  Victor studied in a scientific environment at Ingolstadt University and was inspired by a professor to study natural philosophy. His destiny was to find the key to life. In Shellys novel she has three main narrators. They all have an individual role to carry out a specific part of the novel. There combined roles make the function for us. The Monster has a role to inform Victor about the serious situations and the difficulties he is encountering in his life. Victor then has a role to move the story forward and inform the Captain, Robber Walton. He is the conduit of the novel; he follows the command of Victor to tell the story to the reader. Their function is to move the story forward and as individuals their role is to tell their part of the story. Shellys allegory conveys the consequences when a man is given the ability to create life but misuses it. She gave Vector the potency, the power and the potential of God but she highlighted the threat and danger to the world if it is not used wisely. Receiving this great knowledge his ambition changed to one though, one conception, and one purpose. This highlights that his view on life has been taken further and now has the mutuality of a martyr. His belief will fulfill until death embosses over his grave. If his one thought is meet to reality then the world will look upon him as a creator, a god who has the power to give life to the dead. His one and only concept is to create life, which is like taking on the role of god. Shellys use of Victors character shows how great superior powers can be cause natural events. Frankensteins monster was distinct from humans even though vast majority of him was human. Physically and mentally he was superior. He had the power of a God. He never evolved. It was like he fell on earth, as an adult and therefore he had no experience of childhood. Physiologists like Freud say that you learn more in the first three years of your life than the rest of coming life. From the day a child is born it learns to eat, walk, sleep and most importantly live in a loving environment. The monster had nothing, he lived of land for several years and only a person defined as superhuman or superior could do such a thing. The monster secretively lived next to a stone cottage in a disused shed. There were gaps between the stones so he observed the Delacey family and learnt to speak, read and the human way to live life. This shows he is a phenomenon of human ability. .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376 , .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376 .postImageUrl , .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376 , .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376:hover , .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376:visited , .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376:active { border:0!important; } .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376:active , .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376 .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u871c172d21f6ec3be7d6ad38270af376:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Psychological Effects of Marijuana1 EssayI beheld the figure of a man advancing towards me with superhuman speed. He bounded over the crevices in the ice, among which I had walked with caution; his stature seemed to exceed that of man. This quote comes across as a beast overcoming humans. It seems unstoppable, unbreakable and invincible.  Listen to my tale: when you have heard that, abandon or commiserate me, as you shall judge that I deserve. But hear me. These articulate words from the Monsters mouth shocked the daylight of Vector as this same creature could only murmur but not only that he had learnt to communicate and at least has the standards of his creator.  His isolation was more of a danger to himself, than, others, he needed some one of his kind, someone to love and companion with. Shellys statement of a superhuman shows no empathy was given to the monster therefore the monster could evolve even further and destroy a major proportion of nature. Her use of gothic genre shows how disturbing with nature could utterly reflect upon with the civilization.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Characters Were All Completely Different In Age, Size And Attitude

The characters were all completely different in age, size and attitude. This made it interesting from the beginning, as I wasn't sure how they would gel together as a regiment to perform as a soldier to the best of their ability. We are introduced to Osborne first. He is around forty-five, tall with well trimmed grey hair, also deputy to the Commander, Stanhope. We hear a lot about Stanhope before we meet him from the conversation Osborne and Hardy (a commander that seemed to know Stanhope rather well from the past) had together when Osborne arrived at the Front. It was said that Stanhope could and did drink a rather handsome sum of whisky. It was also said that he had been fighting in this war for sometime and it had really damaged this mental stability. This shocked me as he had only been away from school for three years and was healthy before arriving here. The next character was one of my favourites: Raleigh. He was the youngest of them all, and knew Stanhope before arriving. The y went to school together, but also saw a lot of him out with school as his parents were friendly with Stanhopes. Trotter was the cheerful soldier in the regiment. He seems to always be dreaming and ignoring all the negative points of his current position. In my opinion, Trotter did well to ignore the war, but this meant he became very much independent of the group's natural bonding. Last of all there was Hibbert. He was a rather interesting but dissapointing character. He felt that he had had enough stress and decided to fake illness to be allowed home. Bibliography The characters were all completely different in age, size and attitude. This made it interesting from the beginning, as I wasn't sure how they would gel together as a regiment to perform as a soldier to the best of their ability. We are introduced to Osborne first. He is around forty-five, tall with well trimmed grey hair, also deputy to the Commander, Stanhope. We hear a lot about Stanhope before

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Free Essays on Family Preservation

In 1980, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act passed (P.L. 96-272), which required child protection services (CPS) to make "reasonable efforts" to prevent children from being placed into foster care. From this law, human services agencies and child protection agencies began to focus on the development of family preservation services (FPS). The emphasis of FPS, cumulated in 1993 in the Family Preservation and Support Act, which encouraged states to begin or further develop FPS by providing funds. "By the mid-1990s, most states had passed some form of legislation requiring the provision of preventivite child welfare services...closely reflecting the Homebuilders model" (Linblad, Dore and Stern, 1998, pg. 14-15). The Homebuilders model "is based on a crisis intervention theory, social systems theory and social learning theory" (Linblad et al. 1998, pg. 15). Their goal is to "add resources to relieve pressure and to facilitate the development of a safe, nurturing environment for children within the context of family" (Kinney, Haapala, and Booth, 1991, pg 3). There are different models of FPS, although many recognize the Homebuilders model as the prototypical family preservation service, yet all models have five characteristics in common in order for them to be classified as FPS. First family preservation services are crisis oriented. "Crisis theory postulates that when people go through periods of high stress, their regular coping mechanisms break down, leaving them open to change in either a positive or negative direction." Families that are referred for FPS, are usually experiencing the possibility of their child/children being removed from the home by CPS or the environment of the home is so hostile that the parent is refusing to let the child/children live with them, or the child is running away. (Kinney et al. 1991, pg 15) FPS also has an emphasis on family strengths, and is family centered. Focusing on strength... Free Essays on Family Preservation Free Essays on Family Preservation In 1980, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act passed (P.L. 96-272), which required child protection services (CPS) to make "reasonable efforts" to prevent children from being placed into foster care. From this law, human services agencies and child protection agencies began to focus on the development of family preservation services (FPS). The emphasis of FPS, cumulated in 1993 in the Family Preservation and Support Act, which encouraged states to begin or further develop FPS by providing funds. "By the mid-1990s, most states had passed some form of legislation requiring the provision of preventivite child welfare services...closely reflecting the Homebuilders model" (Linblad, Dore and Stern, 1998, pg. 14-15). The Homebuilders model "is based on a crisis intervention theory, social systems theory and social learning theory" (Linblad et al. 1998, pg. 15). Their goal is to "add resources to relieve pressure and to facilitate the development of a safe, nurturing environment for children within the context of family" (Kinney, Haapala, and Booth, 1991, pg 3). There are different models of FPS, although many recognize the Homebuilders model as the prototypical family preservation service, yet all models have five characteristics in common in order for them to be classified as FPS. First family preservation services are crisis oriented. "Crisis theory postulates that when people go through periods of high stress, their regular coping mechanisms break down, leaving them open to change in either a positive or negative direction." Families that are referred for FPS, are usually experiencing the possibility of their child/children being removed from the home by CPS or the environment of the home is so hostile that the parent is refusing to let the child/children live with them, or the child is running away. (Kinney et al. 1991, pg 15) FPS also has an emphasis on family strengths, and is family centered. Focusing on strength...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Absolutism and Democracy Essays

Absolutism and Democracy Essays Absolutism and Democracy Essay Absolutism and Democracy Essay What would happen if you got two different governments going head to head, fighting to see who is better? What if those two governments were Democracy and Absolutism? In the Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries, they were both used, and one was more effective; But which one? In this time period, Absolutism was the best form of government, because it was effective and worked for the people. In an Absolutism government, or a Monarchy, it was believed the Kings worked with God, and He bestowed them with the power to be King. In Document Two, King James said, â€Å"Kings are not only God’s lieutenants upon earth†¦ But even by God himself they are called gods†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is because the people believed Kings have powers similar to God’s. Kings can create and destroy; Can judge, but are not judged; Give life or send death. The people honestly believed because of this, they worked together with God. Their teamwork with God is why Kings were accepted by the people, and why Absolutism was accepted as well. Kings used fear to gain control over the people, which is why they didn’t fight against it. Machiavelli wrote in The Prince that a prince needs to be feared by the people; Not loved and well liked. He would be incapable of being able to hold power over the people. If there wasn’t a King, then there would be no control in the government. People would be deciding everything for themselves, and it would end in disaster. The King/ Prince kept them in line, and the people didn’t revolt. â€Å"The head alone has the right to deliberate and decide, and the functions of all the other members consist only in carrying out the commands given to them†¦Ã¢â‚¬  King Louis XIV said that the King is the only person able to give the right orders, and make the right decisions. Everyone else was there to follow through on what he said. The interest of the state must come before the individual. The King was the only person capable of making sure the right decisions were made, and that the other members carried out the commands. So as you can see, Absolutism would win against Democracy in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries. It was more efficient, and worked well for them. The Kings had the power, and everyone was content with how things were set up. The people felt like this was how it ought to be, and it was. That is why Absolutism is the best form of government in this time period.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Discussions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Discussions - Assignment Example The future is very unpredictable and I do not plan for the predictable but also prepare for the unpredictable which I do not know when or where it will happen. In the old aged institution that I work, my decisions are based on evidence and am also led by research. This ensures that the decisions that I make are real and viable. It also ensures that the firm I work in can compete favorably in the market. I also get things done. My propulsion for doing things this way is because I am always striving to make a difference. Also, by doing this, I am able to inspire my junior workers to do the same as some of them look up to me. Getting things done when you set to do them reduces the wasting of resources. Opening new horizons by setting out to get new ways of getting things done is another of my leadership qualities (Quong &Walker, 2010). This is mainly evident by the fact that I make decisions that are based on evidence and led by research. Sustainability goes beyond the triple bottom line. It includes what people think and this is mainly concerned with some myths that are common in business organizations. These myths have been carried on from one generation to another. Such myths could have been true when the business environment was still young and premature but as of the day-to-day business environment, such myths deserve to be done away with. One of the common myths in business organizations is that the manager is more important that the other employees. The importance of the manager is tied to the position that he/she occupies. It should instead be viewed that the managers are stewards or people who offer guidance to the other junior employees. Leadership should be viewed as a teamwork kind of thing, every employee contributes towards attaining it (Harrison, 2015). There are numerous changes that are taking place and the business organization that merely concentrate on social, environmental, health and safety rules are going

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Conflict Theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Conflict Theory - Assignment Example As far as our roles are concerned, our society, community or group expects certain roles from us (Woznaik, 2009). An individual cannot be identified alone as he has no individuality or character on his own in isolation, but when he is part of a certain system. Whatever a person performs or does, it is according to some social or societal conditions or norms such as rules and regulations, conditions for playing and so on (Callahan, 2010). The idea of self is related to one’s positioning in a society. If a person regards himself delinquent, he has developed a self-concept of delinquency. If the self-concept is positive, the person shows avoidance of delinquent behaviour and if the self-concept is negative, he is more prone to be delinquent. Labelling of a person as delinquent or good also builds a self-concept that is either good or bad (Brownfield & Thompson, 2008). The societies who have lower crime rates promote shamefulness in a positive manner and those having higher crime rates promote shamefulness in a negative manner. There are two concepts, stigmatization and reintegrative shaming. Stigmatization leaves the wrong doer as a disrespectful person who should not be forgiven while reintegrative shaming allows wrong doers to be forgiven and gain respect again. The wrong doer is regarded as a person who has done a wrong deed, but is not overtly bad (Braithwaite, 2000). If labelling of a person is done using reintegrative shaming, the crime will be minimized while the labelling of a person by stigmatizing will make his situation worse and he will appear more delinquent. Overall, a person requires social support for keeping himself away from crime (Braithwaite, 2000). A person becomes a bully or victim when he is stigmatized in his childhood at some time by his parents or some other person in authority (Leyva & Bickel, 2010). Parents who are hostile,

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Gays Adopting Children Essay Example for Free

Gays Adopting Children Essay Society is a flexible structure. Only this way it can serve the best way for its members. Democratic process is aimed to increase the rights of its citizens. Nowadays the theme of sexuality becomes an important social issue. Recognition of rights of homosexuals is an important process, which signifies that a lot of people are ready to express freely their sexual preferences and are ready to fight for their rights. Legalization of homosexual marriages and the right of such couples to adopt children is an important and controversial issue of our time. â€Å"Researchers estimate that the total number of children nationwide living with at least one gay parent ranges from six to 14 million† (Gottman, 105). At the present moment many countries legalized the right of lesbian and gay couples to adapt children. Such countries as Andorra, Belgium, Guam, Iceland, the Netherlands, Sweden, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom. It is also legal in some separate parts of the Australia, Canada and the United States. In the United States of America 22 states allow lesbian and gay couples to adopt children. The issue is so burning because for homosexual parents adopting becomes the only way to have a child. Even the artificial insemination can not be applied in all cases. First of all this method can be used only for lesbian couples. In addition another spouse form the couple has to adopt a child in order to become his legal parent. For gay couples this method can not be applied. In addition, adopting is a right of each person. That is the reason the question is more important than just an opportunity for homosexual couples to have children. In April 2001 Holland enlarged the definition of marriage and enabled the people of the same sex to get married. Same did Belgium in 2003. The next was Canada. Same sex couples can get married in San Francisco since February 12 of the 2004, because of an action by their mayor. The question of the legislation of homosexual marriages becomes more and more burning and needs a deep survey. There are a lot of reasons against same sex marriages. One of the reasons is that homosexual marriages contradict the tradition. The idea of homosexual marriages threats the very idea of the sanctity of the marriage. The term marriage should refer to a loving relationship between man and woman. The institution of marriage considers the union of two adults of different sex living together. For centuries the marriage was considered just between the people of the opposite sex and by now the marriage of the people of the same sex can be wrong on an evolutionary scale (Coolidge, 1997). People don’t have much faith in the marriage institutions now and the legislation of the heterosexual marriages can weaken this faith. In addition, if the homosexual marriages are legalized to protect the freedom of human why there should be other restrictions for the marriages such as marring the relative or the age of getting married? So called domino effect can cause the demand to cancel all kinds of restrictions on the marriages. If the marriages between the people of the same sex can be accepted like a demonstration of the free will of the individuals, why can’t be accepted the marriage between the brother and the sister or other close relatives? In the case of legalization of homosexual marriages we speak only about the rights of homosexual people. The issue becomes much more complicated when it comes to adopting children. In this case the rights of both, homosexual parents and the rights of adopted children should be considered. Since children are not able to express their own will during the process of adoption, the society must make an important choice deciding on the rights of children. From the other hand it is necessary to mind the right of homosexual couples, who also have their rights and desires. There are many arguments pro and contra adopting children by homosexual couples. Those who stand for giving homosexual couples this right state that all people must have rights to adopt children. If both parents are able to give their child all normal conditions for living, there is no reason to ban homosexual parents to adopt children. Those, who are against this right, state that homosexual couple will not be able to provide normal life conditions for children. In this case the question about â€Å"normality† arises. Social norms are expanded with each year. Homosexual relations, which were considered sinful and even criminal several centuries ago, become a social norm nowadays. This means that the meaning of â€Å"normal† family structure and â€Å"normal† life conditions can also be transformed with the flow of time. Those, who support an idea to give the right of adopting to homosexual couples state that many children wait for adoption and giving this right to homosexual couple would help to improve the situation. In addition specialists, who stand for the legalization of the right of homosexual couples to adopt children state that only small number of children from heterosexual families have normal life conditions. â€Å"Most children in the United States do not live with two married parents. In fact, according to the 2000 census, only 24% homes were composed of a married mother and father with children living at home. † (Green,1978, p. 19) In the case with homosexual family the children will have two parents, even if they are of the same sex. In â€Å"normal† families children often have only one parent. The proponents of legalization of adoption give data, which proves that children, grown up in one-parent and homosexual families, have same level of emotional and social adaptation as children from heterosexual families. This means that homosexuality of parents has little effect on the development of a child. As state specialists, children are more influenced by their relations with their parents and social surrounding than by the sexual orientation of their parents. Even the American Association of Paediatrics agreed with this opinion and supported the legalization of adoption. In addition, if we turn to legal issues, there is no official reasons to ban homosexual couples to adapt children. There is no special amendment in the Constitution, which would deny gay and lesbian couples their rights to adopt children. Most courts, which should make a decision concerning adopting, are be driven by the interests of a child. It is evident that for children having non-traditional family with loving parents is much better than not have any. If sexual orientation of parents has little impact on the living conditions of their children, homosexuality of parents should not be an obstacle for adopting of a child. There are no serious objections, which would prove that gay and lesbian couples will make bad parents. â€Å"Home environments with lesbian and gay parents are as likely to successfully support a childs development as those with heterosexual parents† (Schelberg, Mitnick 2006) Specialists state that here is not connection between sexual orientation and parenting skills. This means that homosexual people can be perfect parents, same as heterosexual people can be bad ones. In addition there is a legal controversy, concerning the right to adoption. Legally, even single parents have right to adopt children. Here arises a kind of controversy since one person can adopt a child but he or she can not do the same thing if he has a spouse of the same sex. Those, who stand against the legalization of homosexual’s right to adopt a child give their arguments in order to support their position. They state that homosexual environment can have an extremely negative effect on child’s development. Some researches (Golombok, Tasker) state that children, raised by homosexual parents, are more likely to adopt same patterns of sexual behaviour. In other words children, raised in homosexual families have more chances to become homosexuals as well. As Golombok and Tasker state: â€Å"by creating a climate of acceptance or rejection of homosexuality within the family, parents may have some impact on their children’s sexual experimentation as heterosexual, lesbian or gay† (Golombok, Tasker, 1993, p. 124). According to their opinion homosexual couples should not be giving a right to adoption. Sexuality is not only personal affair. It’s also social phenomenon society has to deal with. Woodhorse talks about the fortification of gender roles and restrictions to this roles brought to the social culture by transvestites. He believes that cross-dressing and transvestites make a potential danger for the society as it can lead to the displacement of gender categories and gender roles. On a social and cultural level the two groups (male and female) are equally restricted. (Woodhouse,1996, p. 117). The marriage is an institution aiming to create a family first of all and the family presumes giving birth to children. Homosexual marriage create no opportunities for natural reproduction. Modern science gave people opportunities to have children even in the same sex marriage but a number of problems appear. It’s commonly known that men and women are equal creatures and have same rights and obligations but they are not identical and usually presume different models of behavior, models of reactions and thinking. A lot of research made by scientists proves that the child needs both – a mother and a father to become a full personality (Donovan, 2001). There are some things during the upbringing which can be taken only from women’s or only from men’s behavior patters. The children raised in the homosexual families will not have the opportunity to see both –female and male behavioral patters, which can cause serious problems for their future life. In addition the children raised in a homosexual surrounding are more probably to pick up same lifestyle in the future and to copy the model of homosexual relationship. Another problem the children from the homosexual families can and most probably will come across is an attitude of the surrounding. The children can meet a social hostility from the very beginning of their social interaction due to their family background which can make more difficult the social adaptation in the future (Stone 2006). A lot of homosexual couples meet social and religious disapproval but they have chosen their type of behavior themselves and must be responsible for their decisions. The children raised in the homosexual families do not have this choice. Negative attitude of the church to same sex marriages can create additional problems for children. Another problem appears with the children, adopted by gay couples. The patters of family behavior, which are presented in homosexual families, are very different from patterns, peculiar to heterosexual families. This issue is very important since children most probably will adapt the type of relations they see in their family. Homosexual relations usually are thought to be not traditional ones and talking about sexuality in this type of relations is difficult due to the multiple variations of these relations. There are a lot of distinctions between homosexual and heterosexual relationships. Complementary nature of the most heterosexual relations is not so evident in homosexual ones. In most of the homosexual relations there is a division, which is expressed more directly in heterosexual relations. In homosexual relations two people take different roles. Usually, in both, female and male homosexual relationship there are active and passive partners. The roles may change but usually the division to active and passive partner is saved and this relation is usually transmitted to other spheres of life of the couple. Passive partner usually takes female roles in sex and everyday behaviour. An active partner plays the role of the man accordingly. There are derivations in the models of homosexual relations. Tapinc (1992) distinguishes four additional models of homosexual relations. In the first model both males are homosexual. This is one of traditional homosexual models. â€Å"The homosexual mail pair consists of the erastes and the eromenos, ‘lover’ and ‘beloved’; we can infer an active/passive division, but strictly speaking these are not examples of inserter/receptor terminology. (Norton, p. 2002 5) Homosexual male relations are rarely monogamous. Journal of Sex Research made a study of the sexual profiles of 2,583 older homosexuals. â€Å"Research found that only 2. 7 percent claimed to have had sex with one partner only. Research elsewhere indicated that only a few homosexual relationships last longer than two years, with many men reporting hundreds of lifetime partners† (Bozett 1993, p. 112). This way if homosexual parents get an opportunity to adopt children, this most probably will result in the transformation of the role and functions of family. Children, grown up in such untraditional families with untraditional family values, will use this model in their future families. This may result in the increase of the families with untraditional family values. Possible consequences of this phenomenon are very hard to predict. To sum up, there are many reasons for and against adopting children by gay and lesbian couples, There is no one definite opinion concerning this issue. The debates concerning this subject are hold in several spheres, such as religions, social and political ones. A lot of important factors should be considered in order to take a right decision concerning this issue. Adopting concerns the rights of both – children and homosexual couples and decision should the best way serve to the interests of both sides. References 1. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, (2002, Oct 4). NA. Retrieved February 19, 2008, from Database. Gale Power Search. 2 . Bailey, J. M. , Bobrow, D. , Wolfe, M. Mikach, S. (1995), Sexual orientation of adult sons of gay fathers, Developmental Psychology, 31, 124-129; 3. Bozett, F. W. (1987). Children of gay fathers, F. W. Bozett (Ed. ), Gay and Lesbian Parents (pp. 39-57), New York: Praeger; 4. Coolidge, David Orgon, (March 1997). Same-Sex Marriage? Baehr v. Miike and the Meaning of Marriage, South Texas Law Review, 38:1-119 5. Davidson, Arnold (1987) ‘Sex and the emergence of sexuality’, Critical Inquiry, 14 (Autumn), 16-48, reprinted in 6. Stein, Edward (ed. ), Forms of desire (1992, 1990), 89-132. 7. Donovan, (2001,Sept 14). Judge upholds Florida ban on gay adoption. National Catholic Reporter, p. 37, 39. 8. Gay rights. The Advocate, (2002, April 30). p. 18(1). 9. Gottman, J. S. (1991), Children of gay and lesbian parents, F. W. Bozett M. B. Sussman, (Eds. ), Homosexuality and Family Relations (pp. 177-196), New York: Harrington Park Press; 10. Golombok, S. , Spencer, A. , Rutter, M. (1983), Children in lesbian and single-parent households: psychosexual and psychiatric appraisal, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 24, 551-572; 11. Green, R. (1978), Sexual identity of 37 children raised by homosexual or transsexual parents, American Journal of Psychiatry, 135, 692-697; Huggins, S. L. 12. Lewin, Tamar (2001, August 31). Court backs Florida ban on adoption by gays. The New York Times, p. A14 13. Stone, Andrea (2006, Feb 21). Drives to ban gay adoption heat up. USA Today, p. 01A. 14. Schelberg, Neal S. and Carrie L. Mitnick, (2004). Same-Sex Marriage: the Evolving Landscape for Employee Benefits,

Friday, November 15, 2019

Supremacy of European Union Law Over National Law: The Factotame Case E

The establishment of the European Union gave birth to various institutions, which bring order and reform to member states. One of these institutions which is extremely important the European Court of Justice as it interprets the laws of the European Union and makes sure that all the laws are applied in the same with in all of the European Union countries. Aside from interpreting laws it also settles legal disputes between the European Union government and the various institutions in the European Union. The jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice encompasses: solving disputes from country to country and within an institution, individuals, companies or organization, if the European institution threatens rights. One such case, which was brought forth by an individual to the court, is the Factotame case. Before we embark upon why the Factotame case was brought fort to the court it is extremely important for us to know about the composition of the European Court of Justice. The court is made up of twenty-seven judges, one from each member state. There are eight â€Å"advocates – general† whose job is to present opinions on cases, which are brought before the Court. The appointment of judge and advocate general is determined by each member state of the European Union and they are appointed for a six-year renewable term. Due to the large number of cases brought forth to the European Court of Justice, in an effort to better serve the constituents the General Court decides over certain cases. The General Court decides over cases that encompass private individuals, companies and organizations. The court has a President, which is elected by all the judges for a renewable term of three – years. The primary j... ...ate of discrimination of any sort and it will not tolerate any acts that are passed any government, which promotes discrimination of any sort. Works Cited "Clients." Thomas Cooper:Factortame The Background. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. . The Common Fisheries Policy. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. . "Court of Justice of the European Union." EUROPA -. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. . "European Court of Justice." European Court of Justice. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. . Ian Bache, Stephen George & Simon Bulmer, Politics in the European Union, Oxford University Press, 2011.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

“Perfection Wasted” by John Updike Essay

Legend Ends or Perfection Wasted? Each person brings a special quality and gift to life that creates an individualistic style to the world that we live in. The poem Perfection Wasted was written by John Updike in the year 1990; this poem accentuates the flair that can never be replaced when a loved one dies. One way to better understand a poem is to paraphrase it into your own words. Paraphrase of Perfection Wasted: One thing that is unfortunate about departing this life is the lost vivacity that a person works to expand since the day they were born. The closest relationships surrounding the person enjoy the up close and personal events in the stage of life. They are there through the good times and the bad while having utmost concern for you. The many special moments that were spent together, will never be relived again in the same capacity. Though they can try to be like you, they will never fully succeed due to individual quality you brought to life. â€Å"Imitators and descendan ts aren’t the same† The theme of this poem is death and what factors play into what is lost when a person dies. The setting of the poem is philosophical in thinking about qualities that someone special carries in retrospect to life. I found no similes in the poem. Perfection Wasted is a metaphorical in the idea that is parallel to the idea that life is a stage and we are the players. Updike uses a lot of abstract and theoretical imagery as well as minimal visual imagery. One example of visual imagery includes the descriptions of the stage and the description of the faces he sees in the audience. An example of kinetic imagery is the â€Å"laughter† which leads the audience members to cry. The imagery is vivid and serves the purpose of swaying the view of the reader into an emotional state. The poem contains a medium to high level of diction that contains little slang while using one contraction in the last line that is the word â€Å"aren’t†. The words are not overly elaborate and maintain a descriptive role in the poem; the level of diction did not reveal what region the n arrator originates. I chose to compare the poem Perfection Wasted to the recent passing of my legendary hero Dale Earnhardt. He was an amazing driver who lived his world on a stage in the public eye. I had the opportunity to meet Dale several times throughout the years and he did have that special sparkle when I met him in person. Others can drive a car, but no one can replace Dale or his style. His son continues to drive one of the Earnhardt cars, but as Updike says, â€Å"imitators and descendants aren’t the same†. I know I will not be. I enjoyed  reading Updike’s poem Perfection Wasted as well as his earlier work named â€Å"A&P†. He has a unique writing style that brings the reader to an emotional and empathetic state in relating to his characters. We can all relate to the situations that he puts his characters, along with their thoughts and actions. Death might bring the end to the magic of one lifetime, or the end of a legend. Regardless of the conclusion, perfection was not wasted. It was shared among the people whose lives were touched by that person’s gift.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Historical Development in the Field of Toxicology

Historical Development in the Field of Toxicology And Mechanisms and Factors Responsible for the Entrance of Toxicants in the Human body and their Harmful Effects Jorge D. Rebolledo Columbia Southern University Abstract The purpose of this paper is to make a short historical reference in the field of Toxicology and how this area of science has develop starting from centuries ago until our present. It is also the intention of this paper to explain how the toxics enter our body, how they are absorbed and the mechanisms responsible for that. Introduction As stated by E. Monosson, some define Toxicology as the study of toxic materials, including the clinical, industrial, economic, and legal problems associated with them. Although toxicology—as a formally recognized scientific discipline—is relatively new (with major developments in the mid-1900s), the science itself is thousands of years old. Consider the potential results of early trial and error experiences of hunter-gatherers for whom identifying a toxic plant or animal was a life or death situation. Some of the most poisonous substances known today are naturally produced chemicals including ricin from castor beans or tetrodotoxin from the puffer fish. Early humankinds’ careful observations of such plants or animals with toxic characteristics as frogs, containing curare, were put to use not only for avoidance of toxic substances but for weaponry as well. Many naturally-derived poisons were likely used for hunting, as medicinal (the Egyptians were aware of many such toxic substances as lead, opium and hemlock as early as 1500 BCE). Use extended eventually to political poisonings as practiced, for example, by the early Greeks and Romans. With time, poisons became widely used and with great sophistication. Notable poisoning victims include Socrates, Cleopatra, and Claudius. One of the more interesting stories resulting from a combination of both ancient history and current toxicological research, is the story of King Mithridates, king of Pontus (120-63 BC) who according to toxicology legend was so afraid that he might be a casualty of political poisoning, is said to have concocted a potion from a great number of herbs for his own consumption. It is believed he understood that by consuming small amounts of potential poisons, he might protect himself from any would-be poisoner. That is, he believed in the effectiveness of hormesis. Apparently, his plans worked so well that he gained a name for himself as one so mighty he could not be killed. Unfortunately, it is said that when circumstances were such that he desired to kill himself, he was unable to do so by ingesting poison and had to be run through by a sword instead. Whether or not the story is true, it has led current day scientists to speculate upon the ingredients of his potion. It is believed that some herbs that he may have used, for example, St. Johns Wort could truly have contributed to detoxification of some other poisons. Recent studies have demonstrated that St. Johns Wort (often used as an herbal remedy) can increase the metabolism or breakdown of certain drugs and chemicals. This early story of toxicology relates a very important concept—that all animals have some kind of intrinsic ability for detoxifying a number of naturally-occurring toxicants in small doses (so that, in some cases low doses of chemicals may pass through the body without causing harm. From this we derive the concept of a chemical threshold), and that these processes can be altered by exposure to other chemicals. The question remains as to how adept animals, including humans, are at detoxifying many of the newer industrial chemicals or mixtures of industrial or industrial and natural chemicals. Additionally, it is well known that in some cases, detoxification of chemicals can produce even more toxic compounds. Pre-Industrial Toxicology As declared by E. Monosson, as humans sought to better understand natural compounds that were both beneficial and harmful to them, there was very little if any clear understanding of the fundamental chemical nature of substances. That is, there was no connection between the ‘extract’ and ‘essence’ of a poisonous plant or animal and any one particular chemical that might cause toxicity. In fact, an awareness of chemistry in its modern form did not occur until around the mid to late 1600s. Paracelsus, a physician from the sixteenth century and one of the early â€Å"Fathers of Toxicology† believed that all matter was composed of three â€Å"primary bodies† (sulfur, salt, and mercury). Yet, Paracelsus also coined the now famous maxim of the newly emerging discipline of toxicology: â€Å"All substances are poisons, there is none which is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy. † (Paracelsus, 1493-1541) This phrase and Paracelsus’ name are committed to memory by hundreds of new toxicology students each year and has become the ‘motto’ of toxicology. Interestingly, if one takes Paracelsus at face value, it appears that in this quote he was referring to substances which served as potential remedies but could be poisonous if taken in high enough concentrations. Most of us are aware of the fact that overdosing can turn remedies to poisons, even with such apparently innocuous drugs as aspirin and Tylenol. Another branch on the toxicology family tree that developed in the sixteenth century, along with the study of drugs and the use of chemicals in hunting and warfare, was occupational toxicology. As humans learned how to remove and exploit such materials as coal, and metals and other minerals, occupational exposures to these chemical substances (and chemicals produced incidentally) resulted. Scientists eventually recognized the linkages among illnesses and exposures to these compounds. Some of the first reports of occupational illness, or diseases caused by activities related to specific occupations, can be found in literature from the mid- to late-1500s. Early occupational observations include the ill effects from lead mining and madness caused by mercury exposure (for example, the saying â€Å"mad as a hatter† was attributed to the common use of mercury in the hat felting process). Later, in the 1700s, Bernardino Ramazzini is credited with bringing to light diseases of tradesmen, including silicosis in stone workers and lead poisoning. In the late 1700s, Sir Percival Potts made one of the more famous observations in toxicology, linking an occupational exposure (in this case soot in chimney sweeps) to cancer of the scrotum. At this point we have discussed the pre-Industrial Revolution developments in toxicology, that were primarily devoted to the study of such naturally-occurring toxicants as the polyaromatic compounds contained in soot and heavy metals, and such toxins as botulinum toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Toxicology and the Chemical and Industrial Revolution The chemical/Industrial Revolution of the mid-19th century released many naturally-occurring chemicals into the environment in unprecedented amounts. Also, it produced and released new substances unlike any that had existed in the natural world. With the production and use of these chemicals, and the need to protect humans from the toxic effects of industrial chemicals, toxicology eventually evolved to include its modern day branches: pharmacology, pesticide toxicology, general toxicology, and occupational toxicology. Towards the mid-late 20th century, environmental toxicology was developed to specifically address the effects on both humans and wildlife of chemicals released into the environment. A notable difference among the branches of toxicology is that pharmacology, pesticides and even occupational toxicology primarily have focused on the effects of relatively high concentrations of single chemicals. This compares to the relatively low concentrations of several different chemicals or chemical mixtures that are relevant to environmental toxicology. The chemicals considered by the earlier branches of toxicology were, and are, a known quantity. That is, the research was designed to address questions about specific, well-characterized chemicals, exposure conditions, and even concentration ranges rather than complex chemical mixtures. For example, pharmacologists might work with a particular active ingredient (e. g. , salicylic acid or aspirin), and be confident about the route of exposure (oral) and the concentration or dose. This is seldom the case in environmental toxicology, and hazardous waste assessment and cleanup in particular, where chemicals often are present in mixtures, routes of exposure may vary (for example, from oral to dermal to inhalation). Significantly, exposure concentrations prove difficult to determine. Mechanisms and Factors Responsible for the Entrance of Toxicants in the Human body and their Harmful Effects Absorption of toxicants Absorption is the process whereby toxicants gain entrance to the body. Ingested and inhaled materials, nonetheless, are considered outside the body until they cross the cellular barriers of the gastrointestinal tract or the respiratory system. To exert an effect on internal organs a toxicant must be absorbed, although such local toxicity as irritation, may occur. Absorption varies greatly with specific chemicals and with the route of exposure. For skin, oral or respiratory exposure, the exposure dose (or, â€Å"outside† dose) is usually only a fraction of the absorbed dose (that is, the internal dose). For substances injected or implanted directly into the body, exposure dose is the same as the absorbed or internal dose. Several factors affect the likelihood that a foreign chemical or, xenobiotic, will be absorbed. According to E. Monosson, the most important are: †¢ Route of exposure Concentration of the substance at the site of contact †¢ Chemical and physical properties of the substance The relative roles of concentration and properties of the substance vary with the route of exposure. In some cases, a high percentage of a substance may not be absorbed from one route whereas a low amount may be absorbed via another route. For example, very little DDT powder will penetrate the skin whereas a high percentage will be absorbed when it is swallowed. Due to such route-specific differences in absorption, xenobiotics are often ranked for hazard in accordance with the route of exposure. A substance may be categorized as relatively non-toxic by one route and highly toxic via another route. The primary routes of exposure by which xenobiotics can gain entry into the body are: †¢ Gastrointestinal tract: Key in environmental exposure to food and water contaminants and is the most important route for many pharmaceuticals. †¢ Respiratory tract: Key in environmental and occupational exposure to aerial toxicants and some drugs that use this route (i. e. : inhalers). †¢ Skin: Also an environmental and occupational exposure route. A lot of medicines are applied to the skin directly. Other routes of exposure—used primarily for specific medical purposes—are: †¢ Injections (IV, Subcutaneous, Intradermal, Intrathecal) basically used for medications. †¢ Implants (Hormone patches) †¢ Conjunctival instillations (Eye drops) †¢ Suppositories For a toxic to enter the body (as well as move within, and leave the body) it must pass across cell membranes (cell walls). Cell membranes are formidable barriers and major body defenses that prevent foreign invaders or substances from gaining entry into body tissues. Normally, cells in solid tissues (for example, skin or mucous membranes of the lung or intestine) are so tightly compacted that substances cannot pass between them. Entry, therefore, requires that the xenobiotic have some capability to penetrate cell membranes. Also, the substance must cross several membranes in order to go from one area of the body to another. In essence, for a substance to move through one cell requires that it first move across the cell membrane into the cell, pass across the cell, and then cross the cell membrane again in order to leave the cell. This is true whether the cells are in the skin, the lining of a blood vessel, or an internal organ (for example, the liver). In many cases, in order for a substance to reach its site of toxic action, it must pass through several membrane barriers. Cell membranes surround all body cells and are basically similar in structure. They consist of two layers of phospholipid molecules arranged like a â€Å"sandwich† and also known as â€Å"phospholipid bilayer†. Each phospholipid molecule consists of a phosphate head and a lipid tail. The phosphate head is polar so it is hydrophilic (attracted to water). In contrast, the lipid tail is lipophilic (attracted to lipid-soluble substances). The two phospholipid layers are oriented on opposing sides of the membrane so that they are approximate mirror images of each other. The polar heads face outward and the lipid tails inward. The cell membrane is tightly packed with these phospholipid molecules—interspersed with various proteins and cholesterol molecules. Some proteins span across the entire membrane providing for the formation of aqueous channels or pores. Some toxicants move across a membrane barrier with relative ease while others find it difficult or impossible. Those that can cross the membrane, do so by one of two general methods: either passive transfer or facilitated transport. Passive transfer consists of simple diffusion (or osmotic filtration) and is â€Å"passive† in that there is no requirement for cellular energy or assistance. Some toxicants cannot simply diffuse across the membrane. They require assistance that is facilitated by specialized transport mechanisms. The primary types of specialized transport mechanisms are: †¢ Facilitated diffusion †¢ Active transport †¢ Endocytosis (phagocytosis and pinocytosis). Passive transfer is the most common way that xenobiotics cross cell membranes. Two factors determine the rate of passive transfer: †¢ Differences in concentrations of the substance on opposite sides of the membrane (substance moves from a region of high concentration to one having a lower concentration. Diffusion will continue until the concentration is equal on both sides of the membrane); and †¢ Ability of the substance to move either through the small pores in the membrane or through the lipophilic interior of the membrane. Properties of the chemical substance that affect its ability for passive transfer are: †¢ Lipid solubility Molecular size †¢ Degree of ionization (that is, the electrical charge of an atom) Substances with high lipid solubility readily diffuse through the phospholipid membrane. Small water-soluble molecules can pass across a membrane through the aqueous pores, along with normal intracellular water flow. Large water-soluble molecules usually cannot make it through the small pores, although some may diffuse through the l ipid portion of the membrane, but at a slow rate. In general, highly ionized chemicals have low lipid solubility and pass with difficulty through the lipid membrane. Most aqueous pores are about 4 angstrom (A) in size and allow chemicals of molecular weight 100-200 to pass through. Exceptions are membranes of capillaries and kidney glomeruli that have relatively large pores (about 40A) that allow molecules up to a molecular weight of about 50,000 (molecules slightly smaller than albumen which has a molecular weight of 60,000) to pass through. Facilitated diffusion is similar to simple diffusion in that it does not require energy and follows a concentration gradient. The difference is that it is a carrier-mediated transport mechanism. The results are similar to passive transport but faster and capable of moving larger molecules that have difficulty diffusing through the membrane without a carrier. Examples are the transport of sugar and amino acids into red blood cells (RBCs), and into the central nervous system (CNS). Some substances are unable to move with diffusion, unable to dissolve in the lipid layer, and are too large to pass through the aqueous channels. For some of these substances, active transport processes exist in which movement through the membrane may be against the concentration gradient: they move from low to higher concentrations. Cellular energy from adenosine triphosphate (ADP) is required in order to accomplish this. The transported substance can move from one side of the membrane to the other side by this energy process. Active transport is important in the transport of xenobiotics into the liver, kidney, and central nervous system and for maintenance of electrolyte and nutrient balance. Many large molecules and particles cannot enter cells via passive or active mechanisms. However, some may enter, by a process known as endocytosis. In endocytosis, the cell surrounds the substance with a section of its cell wall. This engulfed substance and section of membrane then separates from the membrane and moves into the interior of the cell. The two main forms of endocytosis are phagocytosis and pinocytosis. In phagocytosis (cell eating), large particles suspended in the extracellular fluid are engulfed and either transported into cells or are destroyed within the cell. This is a very important process for lung phagocytes and certain liver and spleen cells. Pinocytosis (cell drinking) is a similar process but involves the engulfing of liquids or very small particles that are in suspension within the extracellular fluid. Gastrointestinal Tract The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, the major portion of the alimentary canal) can be viewed as a tube going through the body. Its contents are considered exterior to the body until absorbed. Salivary glands, the liver, and the pancreas are considered accessory glands of the GI tract as they have ducts entering the GI tract and secrete enzymes and other substances. For foreign substances to enter the body, they must pass through the gastrointestinal mucosa, crossing several membranes before entering the blood stream. Substances must be absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract in order to exert a systemic toxic effect, although local gastrointestinal damage may occur. Absorption can occur at any place along the entire gastrointestinal tract. However, the degree of absorption is strongly site dependent. Three main factors affect absorption within the various sites of the gastrointestinal tract: †¢ Type of cells at the specific site †¢ Period of time that the substance remains at the site †¢ pH of stomach or intestinal contents at the site. Under normal conditions, xenobiotics are poorly absorbed within the mouth and esophagus, due mainly to the very short time that a substance resides within these portions of the gastrointestinal tract. There are some notable exceptions. For example, nicotine readily penetrates the mouth mucosa. Also, nitroglycerin is placed under the tongue (sublingual) for immediate absorption and treatment of heart conditions. The sublingual mucosa under the tongue and in some other areas of the mouth is thin and highly vascularized so that some substances will be rapidly absorbed. The stomach, having high acidity (pH 1-3), is a significant site for absorption of weak organic acids, which exist in a diffusible, nonionized and lipid-soluble form. In contrast, weak bases will be highly ionized and therefore are absorbed poorly. Chemically, the acidic stomach may break down some substances. For this reason those substances must be administered in gelatin capsules or coated tablets, that can pass through the acidic stomach into the intestine before they dissolve and release their contents. Another determinant that affects the amount of a substance that will be absorbed in the stomach is the presence of food. Food ingested at the same time as the xenobiotic may result in a considerable difference in absorption of the xenobiotic. For example, the LD50 for Dimethline (a respiratory stimulant) in rats is 30 mg/kg (or 30 parts per million) when ingested along with food, but only 12 mg/kg when it is administered to fasting rats. The greatest absorption of chemicals, as with nutrients, takes place in the intestine, particularly in the small intestine (see Figure 9). The intestine has a large surface area consisting of outward projections of the thin (one-cell thick) mucosa into the lumen of the intestine (the villi). This large surface area facilitates diffusion of substances across the cell membranes of the intestinal mucosa. Since the intestinal pH is near neutral (pH 5-8), both weak bases and weak acids are nonionized and are usually readily absorbed by passive diffusion. Lipid soluble, small molecules effectively enter the body from the intestine by passive diffusion. In addition to passive diffusion, facilitated and active transport mechanisms exist to move certain substances across the intestinal cells into the body, including such essential nutrients as glucose, amino acids and calcium. Also, strong acids, strong bases, large molecules, and metals (and some important toxins) are transported by these mechanisms. For example, lead, thallium, and paraquat (herbicide) are toxicants that are transported across the intestinal wall by active transport systems. The high degree of absorption of ingested xenobiotics is also due to the slow movement of substances through the intestinal tract. This slow passage increases the length of time that a compound is available for absorption at the intestinal membrane barrier. Intestinal microflora and gastrointestinal enzymes can affect the toxicity of ingested substances. Some ingested substances may be only poorly absorbed but they may be biotransformed within the gastrointestinal tract. In some cases, their biotransformed products may be absorbed and be more toxic than the ingested substance. An important example is the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines from non-carcinogenic amines by intestinal flora. Very little absorption takes place in the colon and rectum. As a general rule, if a xenobiotic has not been absorbed after passing through the stomach or small intestine, very little further absorption will occur. However, there are some exceptions, as some medicines may be administered as rectal suppositories with significant absorption. An example, is Anusol (hydrocortisone preparation) used for treatment of local inflammation which is partially absorbed (about 25%). Respiratory Tract Many environmental and occupational agents as well as some pharmaceuticals are inhaled and enter the respiratory tract. Absorption can occur at any place within the upper respiratory tract. However, the amount of a particular xenobiotic that can be absorbed at a specific location is highly dependent upon its physical form and solubility. There are three basic regions to the respiratory tract: †¢ Nasopharyngeal region †¢ Tracheobronchial region †¢ Pulmonary region By far the most important site for absorption is the pulmonary region consisting of the very small airways (bronchioles) and the alveolar sacs of the lung. The alveolar region has a very large surface area (about 50 times that of the skin). In addition, the alveoli consist of only a single layer of cells with very thin membranes that separate the inhaled air from the blood stream. Oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases pass readily through this membrane. In contrast to absorption via the gastrointestinal tract or through the skin, gases and particles, which are water-soluble (and thus blood soluble), will be absorbed more efficiently from the lung alveoli. Water-soluble gases and liquid aerosols can pass through the alveolar cell membrane by simple passive diffusion. In addition to solubility, the ability to be absorbed is highly dependent on the physical form of the agent (that is, whether the agent is a gas/vapor or a particle). The physical form determines penetration into the deep lung. A gas or vapor can be inhaled deep into the lung and if it has high solubility in the blood, it is almost completely absorbed in one respiration. Absorption through the alveolar membrane is by passive diffusion, following the concentration gradient. As the agent dissolves in the circulating blood, it is taken away so that the amount that is absorbed and enters the body may be quite large. The only way to increase the amount absorbed is to increase the rate and depth of breathing. This is known as ventilation-limitation. For blood-soluble gases, equilibrium between the concentration of the agent in the inhaled air and that in the blood is difficult to achieve. Inhaled gases or vapors, which have poor solubility in the blood, have quite limited capacity for absorption. The reason for this is that the blood can become quickly saturated. Once saturated, blood will not be able to accept the gas and it will remain in the inhaled air and then exhaled. The only way to increase absorption would be to increase the rate of blood supply to the lung. This is known as flow-limitation. Equilibrium between blood and the air is reached more quickly for relatively insoluble gases than for soluble gases. The absorption of airborne particles is usually quite different from that of gases or vapors. The absorption of solid particles, regardless of solubility, is dependent upon particle size. Large particles (>5  µM) are generally deposited in the nasopharyngeal region ((head airways region) with little absorption. Particles 2-5  µM can penetrate into the tracheobronchial region. Very small particles (

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Democratic Republic of Congo Compared to the United States of America Essay Example

The Democratic Republic of Congo Compared to the United States of America Essay Example The Democratic Republic of Congo Compared to the United States of America Essay The Democratic Republic of Congo Compared to the United States of America Essay In a war torn country, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa, there are a number of complex reasons why it is still to this day a poor nation. The central African country is bordered by numerous nations with whom it has had conflicts. There have been a number of complex reasons, including conflicts over basic resources such as water, access and control over rich minerals and other resources like oil, and various political agendas. This has been fueled and supported by various national and international corporations and other regimes which have an interest in the outcome of the conflict. There are clear statistical differences in why the Democratic Republic of Congo (D. R. C. ) is so much the opposite of the United States (U. S. ). Comparing these two places will show Just how poor and conflicted the DRC is to the U. S. The D. R. C. and the U. S. have relatively high foreign external debts, but the U. S. is especially higher. According to the Central Intelligence Agency (C. I. A. ) website on country statistics, the U. S. owes roughly $17 trillion today, whereas the D. R. C. , as of December 31st, 2012 only owes $6 billion. The United States provides approximately $428 million dollars a year to the D. R. C in economic and military assistance. In comparing their Gross Domestic Products (GDP) and Gross National Product (GNI, formally GNP) with the U. S. , there is a significant difference. GDP at purchasers prices is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy, plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. Even though the D. R. C. has a huge total GDP of $27. 3 billion USD, their GDP per capita that is spent on each person a year is only $271. 97 USD (World Bank). The U. S. has a total GDP of $15. 94 trillion with the GDP per capita at $50,700 GNI is the sum of value added by all resident producers, plus any product (C. I. A. ). taxes not included in the valuation of output, plus net receipts of primary income. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the D. R. C. has a total GNI of $24. 53 billion USD and a per capita GNI of o nly $340. The U. S. in comparison has a total GDI of $16. 77 trillion and per capita GNI of $43,743. In understanding how their GDP and GDI can be so much higher compared to what they provide their people I will give other economic statistics on their trading partners and their main industries, rops, and minerals. The D. R. C. s main trading partners in exporting are China (53. 0%), Zambia (24. 5%), and Belgium (7. 9%) and in importing they are South Africa (21. 4%), China (15. 1%), and Belgium (7. 9%) (C. I. A. ). D. R. C. s main industries are mining, mineral processing, consumer products such as, textiles, plastics, footwear, and cigarettes, metal products, processed food and drinks, timber, cement, and commercial ship repair. Their main crops are coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, cotton, cocoa, quinine, cassava, bananas, plantains, peanuts, root crops, and corn. Main minerals include cobalt, copper, diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, niobium, tantalum, and petroleum. The United States in comparison fares far better off than the D. R. C. Our main trading partners in exporting are from China (19%), Canada (14. 1%), Mexico (12%), Japan (6. 4%), and Germany (4. 7%). The U. S. s main industries are petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, and mining. Our main crops are wheat, corn, fruits, vegetables, and cotton nd our main minerals are coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc and petroleum (C. I. A. ). There are also differences in the two countries. The population in the whole U. S. combined is roughly 317 milli on people, while in the D. R. C. there are about 75 million people. With those figures it appears that there is a much smaller population of people in the D. R. C. , but in reality with the amount of land that each nation encompasses, the differing amounts are closely the same. In the D. R. C. The population density is 28. and in the U. S. there are 34. 06 people. That is only roughly 5 more people per square mile in the U. S. , 34. 3% urban. The D. R. C. is the 20th largest nation in the world by population with the U. S. coming in at 4th, roughly 82% being urban. The life expectancy, fertility, and infant mortality rates in the D. R. C. are by far the biggest indicator on how bad their economy and health is. With the quality of life and society as a whole being impoverished, the D. R. C. s population on average is only expected to live to be 56. 14 years with a 2. 54% population growth rate. In the U. S. ur life expectancy is on average 78. 62 years with a . 09% population growth rate. With the D. R. C. having higher population growth than the U. S. , fertility rates are much higher. The fertility rate in the D. R. C. is 4. 95 children, per women whereas, in the U. S. our fertility rates are 2. 6 children, per woman. Infant mortality rates in the D. R. C. are 74. 87 deaths out of every 1,000 live births with the U. S. only having 5. 9 deaths out of every 1,000 births. In the D. R. C adult literacy rates are extremely low with only 66. 8% of people over the age of fifteen can read or write. In the United States 99% over the age of fifteen can do so. Access to clean water and sanitation might be one explanation as to why the people of the D. R. C. have so many problems. Only 45% of the D. R. C. population has safe water to drink and ways to stay clean, but in the U. S. ur total population is at 100% availability for clean water and sanitation (C. I. A. ). With there being wide spread poverty in the D. R. C. communications, the ability to reach the outside world is even less desirable. Telephone services are owned and operated by the corrupt government, and radio and television transmissions are State-controlled. According to a statistical website that aims to facilitate comparison of publicly available data on all countries of the world, states that there are 2 televisions, 19 cell phones, and 385 radios owned out of every 1,000 people in the D. R. C. compared to the U. S. at 1,180 televisions, 600 landline phones, 670 cellular phones, and 2,146 radios per 1,000 people (Allcountries. org)). In conclusion, the D. R. Cs economy being what it is, and a government that is riddled with corruption, there is a long road ahead of them. This republic government faces challenges that include the presence of armed groups in eastern D. R. C. , rampant corruption, inadequate infrastructure and human resources, and a limited capacity to raise and manage revenues. According to the U. S. Department of State, In trying to encourage the growth and living standards for the Congolese citizens, the U. S has taken steps to aid in the D. R. C. s structure. The D. R. C. and the U. S. belong to a International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. The U. S. relations with the D. R. C. are strong. The U. S. foreign policy in the D. R. C. is focused on helping the country become a nation that is stable and democratic, at peace with its eighbors, extends state authority across its territory, and provides for the basic needs of its citizens. In my opinion, the D. R. C. s government has made little effort to punish the rebel groups who are responsible for the chaos. The government itself is unstable and plagued by corruption which heightens the already devastating conditions. There needs to be real support for the ongoing peace process, and holding our allies in the region accountable for their actions. Being socially, politically, legally, and economically empo wered, I believe the citizens of the D. R. C. will rise up and promote a positive change.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

History of the Michelson-Morley Experiment

History of the Michelson-Morley Experiment The Michelson-Morley experiment was an attempt to measure the motion of the Earth through the luminous ether. Though often called the Michelson-Morley experiment, the phrase actually refers to a series of experiments carried out by Albert Michelson in 1881 and then again (with better equipment) at Case Western University in 1887 along with chemist Edward Morley. Though the ultimate result was negative, the experiment key in that it opened the door for an alternative explanation for the strange wave-like behavior of light. How It Was Supposed to Work By the end of the 1800s, the dominant theory of how light worked was that it was a wave of electromagnetic energy, because of experiments such as Youngs double slit experiment. The problem is that a wave had to move through some sort of medium. Something has to be there to do the waving. Light was known to travel through outer space (which scientists believed was a vacuum) and you could even create a vacuum chamber and shine a light through it, so all of the evidence made it clear that light could move through a region without any air or other matter. To get around this problem, physicists hypothesized that there was a substance which filled the entire universe. They called this substance the luminous ether (or sometimes luminiferous aether, though it seems like this is just kind of throwing in pretentious-sounding syllables and vowels). Michelson and Morley (probably mostly Michelson) came up with the idea that you should be able to measure the motion of the Earth through the ether. The ether was typically believed to be unmoving and static (except, of course, for the vibration), but the Earth was moving quickly. Think about when you hang your hand out of the car window on a drive. Even if its not windy, your own motion makes it seem windy. The same should be true for the ether. Even if it stood still, since the Earth moves, then light that goes in one direction should be moving faster along with the ether than light that goes in the opposite direction. Either way, so long as there was some sort of motion between the ether and the Earth, it should have created an effective ether wind that would have either pushed or hindered the motion of the light wave, similar to how a swimmer moves faster or slower depending on whether he is moving along with or against the current. To test this hypothesis, Michelson and Morley (again, mostly Michelson) designed a device that split a beam of light and bounced it off mirrors so that it moved in different directions and finally hit the same target. The principle at work was that if two beams traveled the same distance along different paths through the ether, they should move at different speeds and therefore when they hit the final target screen those light beams would be slightly out of phase with each other, which would create a recognizable interference pattern. This device, therefore, came to be known as the Michelson interferometer (shown in the graphic at the top of this page). The Results The result was disappointing because they found absolutely no evidence of the relative motion bias they were looking for. No matter which path the beam took, light seemed to be moving at precisely the same speed. These results were published in 1887. One other way to interpret the results at the time was to assume that the ether was somehow connected to the motion of the Earth, but no one really could come up with a model that allowed this that made sense. In fact, in 1900 the British physicist Lord Kelvin famously indicated that this result was one of the two clouds that marred an otherwise complete understanding of the universe, with a general expectation that it would be resolved in relatively short order. It would take nearly 20 years (and the work of Albert Einstein) to really get over the conceptual hurdles needed to abandon the ether model entirely and adopt the current model, in which light exhibits wave-particle duality. Source Find the full text of their paper published in the 1887 edition of the American Journal of Science, archived online at the AIP website.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Research Proposal Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Research Proposal - Coursework Example Conducting the mega events turns out to be highly beneficial and productive in many ways for the host country. Not only this that mega sports events serve as a healthy activity in respect of promoting the talents under a competitive environment (Coalter, 2005:5); but also these events also turn out to be beneficial ones for the commercial activities of the area hosting the event (Dolles & Sà ¶derman, 2005:22). Moreover, mega sports events also support the projection and popularity of the cultural traits and social norms of the host state all over the world (Dolles & Sà ¶derman, 2005). The people belonging to diverse nations, states and communities watch their favourite teams playing on television as well as by personally visiting the place where the event has been arranged (Lumpkin, 2008:34). By taking the example of 2012 Summer Olympics organised in London, it becomes evident that nearly 4 billion spectators watched the grand inaugural ceremony on television, in which over ten thousand athletes from over 200 countries were participating (Kuba, 2014). Furthermore, almost 20 million people were estimated to visit London, which led to the generation of over $14 billion in the wake of conducting the 2012 Summer Olympics (Kuba, 2014). Moreover, it is also estimated that the British economy also witnessed the increase of  £9.9bn boost in the areas of trade and investment out of hosting the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games (BBC, 2013). Similarly, the country observed an additional investment of  £2.5 billion, nearly three fifth of which was made from the ci ties other than London. Moreover, the country also observed the additional sales of multiple products, predominantly of sports-related items, worth  £5.9 billion through the Foreign Office and UKTI (BBC, 2013). Furthermore, the country also obtained significant boost through the overseas contracts it entered into with the future

Friday, November 1, 2019

Documentary film represents its subjects from a distinct perspective Essay

Documentary film represents its subjects from a distinct perspective or point of view. How would you identify the point of view - Essay Example The principles of documentary films and especially as exercised by early documentary filmmakers stand out as crucial distinguishers of these forms of films in comparison to the other representations (NICHOLS, 2003, p. 234). One of the major principles by Grieson includes the fact that the potential of cinemas in looking at life may be in a new art form. The original actor and scene are better than the fiction counterparts are and materials from the ‘raw’ are realer compared to the acted material. A documentary from the previous work of Grieson is therefore, the creative treatment of the actual world. It is also the representation of factual events but in a dramatic setting. A documentary stands out from the rest of other non-fictional films since it provides a well-defined opinion, has facts, and a specific message (NICHOLS, 2003, p. 235). The process of creating documentary projects is simply the documentary practice. It is a complex procedure done by people in order to explain the creative, ethical and conceptual problems arising from the process of making documentaries (Erik, 1993, p. 56). Observational Cinema, which is also Cinema Verite, refers to a style in the filmmaking of documentaries. It is a combination of the power of improvisation and use of a camera in the activity of unveiling the truth. Jean Rouch is the founder of this style and Robert Flaherty is the most popular user of the style in his films. It may involve interactions and set-ups between the filmmaker and the subject under surveillance to a point of provocation. The technique is widely used over the years like in 1963 where Pierre Perrault asked old people to fish for a whale and then filmed them. However, critics argue that this style of filming is a deceptive pseudo-natural formation of reality. Just as research shows of the two ways to present a cinema of the real, one is pretending of one’s ability to present reality and the second the ability to show the problem o f reality. The same is true for of Cinema Verite with the first way being pretense of bringing forth the truth and posing of the problem of the truth (Erik, 1993, p. 58). It is true of what they say that making a film involves elimination of the non-essentials. In the film making industry and especially on documentary filmmaking, documentary mode is exceedingly crucial. This refers to a scheme developed by Bill Nicholas that distinguishes conventions and traits of the many documentary films. The styles applied in documentary filming differ in various ways depending on the purpose and the audience of the documentary. Early documentary filmmakers had a distinct way of representing their subjects on a distinct point of view, which led to their success and fame in the presenting their ideology and uncompromised truth as compared to other as the text will later discuss (Erik, 1993, p. 59). The History of Documentaries The history of documentaries is long and engrossing and various phases of its evolution are crucial in its study. Documentary filmmaking has seen a series of evolution stages dating back to the extreme historical time until the emergence of the most current and technological forms (Michael, 2003, p. 34). Before 1900 During this time in history the art of filmmaking was new and at its initial stages. The basic and commonly used style in this period was the single-shot moments that were exceedingly short in length. However, this was just

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

BLIP Echo Planar Imaging Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

BLIP Echo Planar Imaging Method - Essay Example Sampling of k-space is different in EPI that enables high quality of images acquired. EPI uses quickly switching gradients to produce its echo train as against use of RF pulses in FSE. EPI frequency encoding gradient oscillates from positive to negative to create odd and even echoes. Each read gradient echo corresponds to one k-space with the positive and negative gradients changing the direction of the line that is read. The changing of direction of the line read results in a phase ‘blip’ causing a shift in Ky and this method of phase encoding is referred to as blip EPI. Characteristics of EPI: EPI has three distinct characteristics in terms of speed, the variety of contrast and the flexibility in terms of available resolution for imaging small structures like the pituitary gland. EPI offers higher speeds (6 to 10 times) of imaging of short temporal events under motion. It provides with high image quality by collecting more averages with increased slice frequency per TR . The signal to noise ratio of the images is high and the resolution is also high. Its usefulness depends on the MR system used and the efficiency is determined by the ability to perform 1282 or 2562 in a very short time to avoid large off resonance artifacts. It means that high quality images of moving patients can be obtained by using the speed of EPI. A variety of tissue contrasts (T1, T2 and T2*) are allowed by EPI for image acquisition and small structures are imaged using the flexibility in resolution where the field view can be reduced, the echo train length can be increased or geometric distortions can be reduced to increase the resolution. Also, just half of the data of the image can be gathered that can be further synthesized through conjugation to obtain the remaining data. Flexibility in contrast can be used to produce an image similar in standards to that of an SE image with the same TE and TR by using an excitation pulse in the front part followed by a 1800 pulse (T2* dephasing) to create the first echo. EPI compared to conventional fast imaging methods: EPI uses the Blip EP method of phase encoding where each phase blip between echoes causes a shift in k-space line. Each k-space line is contributed by the gradient refocused echo and is either read positively or negatively through the gradient change. The quickly switching gradients that produce the echo train are responsible for the odd and even echoes. When the lines are read, the reversed read lines are reordered before constructing the image. Also, the rf pulse is not used to create multiple echoes as in conventional FSE. Figure 1: (a) Pulse diagram of FSE, 4 echoes and (b) pulse diagram of EPI. Source: (McMahan, 2012). Benefits in EPI: Acquiring single snap shot images is much faster (20-100 ms) using EPI when compared to conventional FSE as gradient echoes take less time as all the encoding steps are obtained after one single excitation pulse is applied. This is in contrast to the train of rf pulses applied that increases TR. Also, EPI allows flexibility in contrast that enables even small structures to be imaged very fast. Further, slice coverage is increased with EPI when compared to FSE. EPI has fewer rf pulses that result in low specific absorption rate (SAR). As SAR is low, TR is also low, resulting in more slices to be covered in the same TR as in FSE. Sensitivity to resonance effects: A disadvantage in EPI is that it is sensitive to off resonance effects of the echo gradients

Monday, October 28, 2019

Future events Essay Example for Free

Future events Essay Richard here talks of a forthcoming golden era full of glory and hope. Whilst speaking in public, Richard uses this opportunity to defend him from being accused in future events. By praising the running of the country nobody would suspect him of becoming a family murderer. Again, in private Richard reveals his true feelings and again reveals to the audience future plots.  I am determined to prove a villain and hate the idle pleasures of these days. Plots I have laid, inductions dangerous. (Act 1 scene 1.Lines 30 +32) When speaking concealed away from the public, Richard provides insight into future events. Although it may appear that the war is over the royal family is about to confront another battle in the eyes of Richard. It is through what is said in private that Richard sheds light on future plots and events and to an extent he draws a relationship with the audience because of this.  The final area in which I will explore appearance and reality will be through the manipulation of religion. Richard of Gloucester is not the only character in the play to use appearance and reality as his two partners in crime prove. Catesby and Buckingham use religion as a weapon of disguising for Richards true personality and intentions. He is within, with two right reverend fathers, divinely bent to meditation .. To draw him from his holy exercise. (Act 3 scene 7.Line 60 + 61)  Buckingham endeavors to make Richard appear holy and innocent by portraying him as a devout, holy and religious man. By this point in the play we know that Richards life is not based on serving god but rather serving his own desires. His allies continue to do their utmost to mask his evil traits in front of the politicians.  This prince is not an Edward. He is not lulling on a lewd love-bed, but on his knees at meditation.(Act 3 scene 7.Line 70-71) Again, religion is manipulated to give a false identification of Richard. Their aim is to get Richard to become king and attain ruler ship thinking that they may get something in return. Buckinghams language reveals that he; Catesby and Richard are play acting.  Two props of virtue for a Christian prince .. and see a book of prayer in his hand. (Act 3 scene 7.Line 95+96)  Buckingham makes it apparent that this is a play within a play and uses the church and the word of god as a prop to make Richard look convincing on stage. Richard also does his part in covering up his true personality. I do beseech your grace to pardon me, who, earnest in the service of my god. (Line 104-105)  Richard once again stresses how devoted he is to god when really he is only devoted to getting himself raised to a godly figure in the form of king. Shakespeare reveals yet another plane to Richards ever- changing character through the manipulation of religion as we not only see a deceitful interpretator, a cold-blooded murderer but also a manipulative man. He has no regard for family, women or even god and this manifests the extent that he is willing to go to get what he wants. Shakespeare provides us with another peek into future events through the manipulation of Richard. Come, let us to our holy work again.(Act 3 scene 7.Line 245)  This holy work will in fact not be holy but will rather entail unholy and irreligious dealings. The work will contain further plotting and this braces the audience for further manipulation. This device measures the extent to which Richard will go to change his character. It also reveals that Richard isnt the only character that utilizes appearance and reality in the play and this reflects the amount of manipulation contained within the play. Appearance and reality is a device that Shakespeare cleverly uses to keep the character Richard of Gloucester running throughout the play. It revitalizes his character and interest in him is always stimulated because of this. To an extent, Richard uses appearance and reality as a stepping stool for further dealings in the future. Richard, the anti-hero, uses his physical appearance as a driving force for evil traits and deceive4s others into thinking that it makes him weaker. His contrasting treatment of women perfectly illustrates how well he can adjust roles when required. He is the master of deception as his opening soliloquy proves. It is what is said in private that reveals to the audience what Richards true intentions are and it is what is said in public that reflect lies. Shakespeare makes this link early on so that Richards changing wont fool the audience. Shakespeare mirrors appearance and reality through the manipulation of religion to show the extent that Richard will go to obtain what he requires. Appearance and reality is important because it shows that Richard is a character of dual interpretations and Shakespeare makes sure Richard uses it continually so that his character continues to fuel interest for the audience. Appearance and reality is a vital tool in the play as it not only plays a huge part in shaping events in the play but it also reveals future events that are to take place.