Thursday, October 31, 2019

Engineering drawings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Engineering drawings - Essay Example These manuscripts speak about the science of mechanics, laws of movement. The manuscripts give details about how Leonardo understood each small components individually that goes into the making of big machines. When he studied screws, he studied its varied forms and methods to fabricate them. In this list are the components such as hoists, rollers, pulleys, flywheel, winches and many more. It is his remarkable understanding of these components in those days that made it possible for him to create many functional machine designs. War Machines Leonardo developed many war machines when he was in the long service of Lodoviko Sforza, a duke at Milan. He displayed his abilities as a civil and mechanical engineer designing many useful devices. Some of the devices such as cannons, a giant wheel were developed by him as his military activities during the time. Leonardo developed a drawing of a bridge as a civil engineering project that spanned 240 meter. Though its real construction never mat erialized, it continued to inspire engineers that followed him. His note books spoke about war machines that included a tank that could be operated through crank shafts. The design and mechanics though were not fully developed – perhaps his intention was not to allow it to fall in the hands of wrong people. He developed cannons that would spew small pebbles on the enemy to prevent them inflicting a frontal attack. A Device Resembling Flywheel Leonardo designed an engine kind device that is currently known as flywheel and crank. It is important to note here that when James Watt developed a steam engine, he never made use of flywheel – a wheel that provides high angular momentum. It was much later that a design expert added flywheel to achieve steadiness in the shaft operation. A Device for Lifting Loads Lifting loads has been always a most cherished requirement of humans since time immemorial. No wonder than that Leonard worked on a system to lift heavy loads. What he d esigned in those days is known as the worm gear in current parlance. The device employed an endless screw that is turned by a crank to mesh with the teeth of a gear rotating and raising the load. His device provides more safety that usually a single tooth gear design lacks. Worm gear as prevalent in current times came into existence much later. That shows Leonardo’s genius in designing a device that has hundreds of application in the modern machines including analog clocks. Bicycle Design One of the vehicle designs that he has drawn is a two-wheeled vehicle with spokes. Two wheels are joined by a single rod gives an indication that his vehicle takes a shape of a bicycle for an easy movement by humans. Rear wheel is attached to a cogged-wheel through a chain and cogged-wheel has pedals as found in the modern bicycles in current times. Flying Design He studied motion and movements in depth. While building canals and locks he tried to understand the water flow and whirlpools. In the same way, he tried to understand the flying of birds – the operations and anatomy of the wing. That helped him to build flying designs. Many of the Leonardo's drawings present theoretical understandings or initial intuitions before an idea takes some concrete shape. One of the design looks like a helicopter provided with a huge spiral. It is not understood what idea he had in his mind to

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Impact of technology in an organization Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Impact of technology in an organization - Article Example The other challenges include how to have proper incentives as well as team work. Some universities are still using a system, which is traditional and in turn, it has made the mass markets become exhausted. Organization structure is affected if it does not employ the use of information technology (Hitt & Brynjolfsson, 1997). Most of the employees who work in universities, which are traditional, are not happy with changes related to the existing organization structure and coming up with an organization, which is virtual. There is usually a need in universities to ensure that people are united, in order to increase their productivity. The theory of social action is extremely useful in knowing the impact technology has had on the universities. This is because their failures and successes are easily made known. According to Brynjolfsson and Hitt, organizations are forced to obey authority, which is decentralized. The latter is as a result of the impact of Information technology. Furthermo re, they believe that transmission of knowledge becomes cheap as a result of IT. Universities are now ensuring that all their departments are connected, in order to increase efficiency. Rights for making decisions are thus allocated to the entire optimum knowledge chamber, which exists (Hitt & Brynjolfsson, 1997). ... In order to obtain information, there is a central agent. It is vital in matters related to cost saving as well as its benefits. The disadvantage is that those involved in decision making especially the central ones are the ones who lose a lot. Decentralization occurs as a result of efficiency, which is induced. Decentralization is affected by the presence of decision makers who are multiple (Hitt & Brynjolfsson, 1997). On the other hand, Baroudi and Lucbas believe that there is a link between organizational design and IT design. There are many ways, which tasks can be coordinated, as well as be divided in order to increase productivity. The process of organizational design can also be used because it advocates for management decentralization (Lucas & Baroudi, 1994). This means that all the employees working in the university will be involved in decision making. Span control is an element of a variable used in the design process. At the different universities there will be many peopl e in management and they have to report to their heads. In every organizational chart, every employee’s job titles are made known and can easily be altered. The latter can easily be achieved as compared to strategy, culture and behavior. The frame work of social action advocates for constructs, which are key in any university. The most vital aspects of any organization should be technology, structure, tasks and people. Technology plays an essential role in bringing about changes in the universities structure. This means that there is a direct relation between organization form and IT. Relationships, which exist in firms, are due to communications as well as computers. In modern times, universities are seeking to become hybrid as compared to before when they were

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Analysis of Russias Financial and Labour Crisis

Analysis of Russias Financial and Labour Crisis INTRODUCTION In 2003, major economic organisations and key economists predicted that within a decade, the Russian Economy will face a human capital and labour crisis that will be unable to meet the growing demands of the country. This prediction came true and Russia slowly witnessed diminishing labour market performance following the Global Financial Crisis starting in 2009. The Russian Federation has a very flexible labour market. Cutting wages, reducing working hours and minimising non-wage labour costs are some of the policies adopted by most of the companies to adjust to the economic scenario. The workers respond to this by changing jobs. Hence, there exists a high and stable overall employment rate, but also high wage inequality, informality and labour turnover, due to which firms do not have the incentive to invest in human capital and productivity improvements. Hence, the growth figures of the Russian Economy rarely indicate how the economic performance is impacting the average man. Problems in the labour market of Russia slowly became noticeable following the Global Financial Crisis that started in 2008. The global financial crisis had a significant impact on the Russian economy and its labour market. According to OECD Database, in 2009, the decline in the GDP was −7.9% (World Bank Economic Outlook, 2009). However, since the latter half of 2009, Russia showed economic recovery. There was 4.5% growth rate in 2010 (World Bank Economic Outlook, 2010), and 4.3% in 2011 (World Bank Economic Outlook, 2011). The graph above indicates the changes in the unemployment rate and GDP of Russia during 2008-09. Russia was the third country along with Slovenia in the list with highest downfall in the GDP after Estonia and Finland. The unemployment rate increased, although it was stable as compared to other countries This period saw a fall in the output generation of goods. Working hours and wages were reduced to adjust to the scenario. The Youth of the country were the most affected by the sudden increase in unemployment. As shown in the diagram, from 2009 to 2012, unemployment rate was the highest for people aged 15-24. The labour market strengthened a little in early 2013. Unemployment in the months of January, February, and March lowered by 0.4% than the rate prevalent in 2012. But the second quarter of 2013 again saw a reversal of this trend, with unemployment again growing up by 0.1% compared to 2012 (OECD Economic Survey- Russian Federation, 2013) This marked the advent of an Economic Slump in the Russian Economy that is discussed in the succeeding chapter. Russian Economic Slump: How and Why? Russia suffered from major economic slump in 2012 and tried to make efforts to recover from it using the oil and gas revenues. However the living standards and productivity was below those of advanced BRIICS countries. Growth in 2012 slowed not only because of cyclical factors but also due to slow down of potential output growth. The Ministry of Economic Development, in November 2013, projected long-term average growth to 2.5% (OECD Survey 2013) down from 4.3% (ibid) projected in April, warning that Russian growth until 2030 would lag behind the global average. The reason that led to the emergence of slump is the heavy dependence on natural resources and the challenge lies in reduction of dependence on exhaustible natural resources, strengthen sustainable, productivity-driven, regionally balanced and broad-based growth. The abovementioned Economic slump emerged in late 2012 and into 2013, resulting in the recent Russian Economic crisis triggered by stagnant terms of trade due to inefficient labour market reforms. The temporary factors that earlier boosted growth slowed down, reducing investment mostly driven by natural resource related sectors and public expenditures. The employment and capacity utilization rates are near their pre-crisis records. The unemployment rate has fallen because of employment gains, a fall in labour force, high wage flexibility and extremely low unemployment benefits. Inflation rose above the central bank target range of 5-6% (Ibid). Although this rapid rise was driven mostly by high food prices due to the poor 2012 harvest and headline inflation, the second half of 2013 was on a downward trend and inflation expectations are sticky. These factors structurally limited growth , slowing potential growth below 3% (ibid) This Russian economic slowdown led to several changes in the society and some significant trends were seen: Partial employment increase No demand for radical life changes or political changes Dormant discontent against crisis situation unique adjustment function of the Russian labor market suppressed the impact of the economic crisis on the workers and they did not express their discontent in the form of strikes The policies and reforms for this slump are given in further chapters as discussed by the OECD report on Russian Economic Crisis. OECD ECONOMIC REPORT: REFORMS AND POLICIES Previously we studied the background of Russia and the possible reasons that triggered the current Russian economic slump. OECD is a world organisation that has come up with a report about the changes required for the current economic slump. The Organization of economic cooperation and development (OECD) is a forum founded in 1961 that discusses economic growth and world trade of its 34 member countries. It provides answers to common problems, identify practices in favour of these countries and also provide coordination between the domestic and international policies. It gives assistance in economic, environmental and social issues. Objectives of the OECD- To promote sustainable development in economic growth and employment, giving a rise in standard of living along with the maintenance of financial sector. To provide economic expansion to member countries in order to promote development in world economies. To carry out this expansion on a non-discriminatory basis. OECD: Russian Labour Market The Russian Labour market is in segments even though the global financial crisis ended the long period economic growth .The labour market faces a number of problems like unequal earnings, lack of enforcement of effective labour laws and underdeveloped collective bargaining. To improve this imbalance between labour market flexibility and the protection of workers the Russian federation needs to impose favourable labour market institutions. This imbalance can be improved by shifting to a more sustainable based growth from dependence on revenues from natural resources such as oil (main relying natural resource) by making it attractive place to invest, study and work. Russia should ensure growth beyond natural endowment. BOOSTING PRODUCTIVITY Stronger and more sustainable growth is not possible without better use of skills and stronger innovation. Considerable resources are employed in lowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœproductivity activities. Lifelong learning, activation programmes and temporary income support remain underdeveloped. Key Recommendations: Better market oriented training. Strengthening the quality of the education system Improve the governance of higher education. IMPROVING THE BUSINESS CLIMATE The business climate in Russia is turning out to be risky as rule of law is weak and widespread corruption along with widespread state involvement. The implications are widespread such as low level of entrepreneurship and investment. Thus a stronger policy initiative along with stronger financial sector is required to match the skills of labour. Key Recommendations- Identify risks to integrity for particular jobs, work and project. Strengthening the rule of law by enhancing the quality of law instead of increasing the number of laws and regulations thus giving rise to judicial independence. Incorporating accountability and transparency of public institutions through promotion of media freedom. COMPETITION FRAMEWORK IN RUSSIA Russia has the highest barriers to competition when compared with any OECD country or emerging country. This halts the diffusion of technology and hampers the speed with which the labour productivity catch up with best performers. As suggested by OECD product market regulation (PMR) indicator, it suggests that Russia’s PMR is very restrictive as compared to any other OECD country. A PMR indicator tells the state involvement extent and administrative barrier to developing new enterprises. This high rate is reflected in Small and Medium sized enterprises sector in Russia. Key Recommendations- Lowering administrative burden on firms by cutting ‘red tape’, introducing deemed clearance regime and carrying out systematic Regulatory Impact Analysis and Stake Holder consultations. Strengthen the competition by eliminating subsidies to large firms, prioritize resources only to important cases and liberalization of foreign trade and investment policy. Widening scope of competition by taking WTO accession as an opportunity and supporting the concerned firms with framework measures rather than imposing entry barriers. POLICY IMPLICATIONS The basic problem in the Russian Economy is that it is still heavily dependent on the communist age infrastructure and economic mechanisms. No innovations or new methods of economic development have significantly evolved after the communist era collapsed. The economy still uses capitalist management styles that were used in the erstwhile USSR. The economy is heavily dependent on gas reservoirs and their rising prices. This leaves the domestic market open to major jolts due to the fluctuating world market prices of gas and other natural resources. Growth in 2013 slowed to 1.3 percent, the lowest in a decade other than during the global recession in 2009 (OECD Economic Indicators Report 2013). As mentioned in the previous chapter, the economic resilience of the economy can be raised through structural reforms. Making the economy more balanced, and less dependent on the volatile revenue from the energy market is one of the main challenges. This challenge can only be met by higher productivity of labour and energy efficiency which further, can by increasing competition in the market and investment in the structural economy. The improvement of the political economy and implementation of structural reforms is crucial to revive the Russian Economy. The society and not natural resources needs to partake in Russia’s transformation. And so there is need for investments in infrastructure, innovation and human resources. Russia needs to step up its governance and address the increasing inter-regional disparity. The OECD survey indicates that the Federation is doing well in numerous areas but future growth and development is being retarded by poor governance and laws. Russia faces major transport bottlenecks that hinder the infrastructural growth in many potential regions. The irony is that a majority of the Russian population- about a million, are engaged in the railways with most of them being disguisedly unemployed in the process. The Russian Federation has one of the highest shares of tertiary educated population in the world, but the education system has had difficulties in providing the education according to the needs of the market and the firms. The education system of the country is outdated. It needs to be revamped to suit the modern sensibilities and economic conditions. Education will have to target higher paying and more intellectual jobs (white collar jobs). Public spending on education is low and the high inequality of educational opportunities adds to the problem. Major public and private sector investments in the education sector, especially in backward areas should be a national priority. Better quality of market oriented vocational training and an improved technical curriculum is also the need of the hour. Another good way to increase the labour force of the nation is to decrease the gender gap in the labour market. Education and training focused solely on women would be beneficial. The Government should also increase the retirement age of women to equal to that of men. A boost in education and skill in turn will increase opportunities and investments in Research and Development that will bring the much needed innovation and further enhance the business climate. Flexibility in the Russian labour market has helped the economy achieve very low levels of unemployment. However, firms lose the incentive to invest in human resource due to the high labour turnover. This causes high wage inequality. The OECD encourages better communication between employers and labour, encouragement to engage in long term training programmes and temporary income support from the Government. One industry that has a lot of potential in the Russian economy and will benefit out of the recommended labour changes by OECD is the automobile industry. This will not only give a much required push to the economy but also solve the transportation bottleneck that the nation is facing. The Russian Federation will also benefit by strengthening its Immigration policies. There is a large influx of unskilled labour from countries that were part of the former Soviet Union, who come in the search for better employment opportunities and standards of living. They are seen to be putting additional burden on the Government’s diminished welfare schemes such as free education and healthcare systems. This is happening due to the easy immigration policy of the state. Hence the welfare labour policies that are already functional in the State cannot give quality output due to this additional burden put on them. CONCLUSION It can be asserted that the economic slump in Russia is a temporary bottleneck in its path of growth and development and can the removed by focusing on the improvement of the labour market performance by implementing the measures given in the OECD Economic Report on the Russian Federation 2013. As suggested by the OECD, encouraging lifelong learning among skilled workers, training and targeting the youth for inculcating better skills, developing advanced Information Technology in this arena, reducing the gender gap in the work force, reforms in the education system and promoting innovation and technology can take the nation a long way. However other measures such as State support in welfare schemes that boost labour performance and privatisation of firms can be beneficial. Encouraging better Human Resource policies in Russian Firms and stronger collective bargaining power of the workers can also help promote the right balance between wages and productivity. Russia also needs to look into its immigration policy to stop the rapid rise in immigrants who are unskilled and ultimately become a burden on the state.

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Dramatic Effect of Act One Scene Five of William Shakespeares Rome

The Dramatic Effect of Act One Scene Five of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet In this essay I will explain how Act 1, Scene 5 is dramatically effective. Act 1, Scene 5 is the most important scene in the play because it is the scene where Romeo and Juliet first meet. This play is essentially about two families that are enemies, The Capulet’s and the Montague’s, Juliet is the daughter of Capulet and Romeo son of Montague during the play they fall in love. Right from the beginning the prologue tells us this play is a tragedy. We also know Act 1, Scene 5 is dramatically effective because we are told when Romeo and Juliet meet they will become: ‘Star crossed lovers’ We know it is doomed love because it also says: ‘Take their life’ ‘Death-marked love’ The drama is built up before Romeo and Juliet meet. Romeo is keeping to himself and prefers night to day. He is already in love with someone else. Rosaline but she doesn’t feel the same. It is shown in this quotation: ‘Well in hit you miss: She’ll not be hit with cupid’s arrow’ The audience is told that Paris wants to marry Juliet but her father disagrees because he feels she is too young, however he invites Paris to the party to win Juliet’s heart. This is shown by Capulet saying: ‘But woo her gentle Paris, get her heart,’ When Juliet is asked about marriage by Lady Capulet she feels differently: ‘It is a honour that I dream not of.’ One of the ways Shakespeare makes this scene dramatically effective is by making Romeo discover Rosaline has been invited to the Capulet party. Benvolio urges Romeo to go and they decide to gatecrash the party. ... ...s as Juliet asks the name of two other men before asking for Romeo’s. The audience feel they are being played by this story unfolding, and are very effective dramatically. There is dramatic irony as the nurse goes to find out Romeo’s name Juliet says: ‘If he be married.’ The audience know that love can lead to marriage and that can consequence in death for Juliet. Juliet has a dramatic reaction when she finds out Romeo is a Montague: ‘My only love sprung form my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late!’ Juliet has fallen in love with Romeo an enemy of her father. There is Dramatic irony that underlines the dramatic effect of the whole scene. In this essay I have clearly shown the different ways in which Shakespeare has made Act 1, Scene 5 dramatically effective throughout the play.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Amir character in the novel “The Kite Runner” Essay

The character of Amir goes through drastic changes as he moves from adolescence to adulthood. As a child Amir begins his life in Kabul, where his character is shaped through conflicts with his father and Hassan. Later, when he moves to America he leaves these conflicts behind and is able to create a stronger relationship with his father. However, when Amir is an adult he is called back to Afghanistan by an old friend to confront these earlier conflicts. In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, observable changes can be seen in Amir’s character as he moves from Kabul, Fremont, and later back to Kabul. In the beginning of the novel one encounters a self-centered young boy, who lives a notably privileged life. He has a great friend, his father is wealthy, and he belongs to the upper social class in Afghanistan. However, a troubled relationship with his father deprives him of the affection he longs for, which he blames on himself. He believes Baba wishes he was more like him, and that Baba holds him responsible for killing his mother, who died during his birth. For example, when Baba tells Rahim Khan that, â€Å"If I hadn’t seen the doctor pull him out of wife with my own eyes, I’d never believe he’s my son† (Hosseini 25). As a result Amir behaves jealously toward anyone receiving Baba’s affection, especially Hassan. This causes Amir to resent bringing Hassan around Baba, even if it’s just for a short time. This is evident when Amir states, â€Å"He asked me to fetch Hassan too, but I lied and told him Hassan had the runs. I wanted Baba all to myself† (Hosseini 14). Although they are best friends, Amir feels that Hassan is beneath him because he is his Hazara servant. For instance, after the rape of Hassan Amir tries to justify his actions by stating that, â€Å"He was just a hazara, wasn’t he?† (Hosseini 82). At the same time, Amir never learns to defend himself or anyone else because Hassan always did it for him. After Hassan’s rape Amir realizes this explaining, â€Å"I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he would do to me† (Hosseini 82). As Amir departs for America his character can be described as selfish and cowardly. When Baba and Amir arrive in Fremont his character changes considerably.  Amir adapts easier to life in America than Baba and no longer sees him as a legendary father but as a simple man. For example, when Baba becomes angry at a store clerk for asking to see his I.D. Amir is able to calm him down and defuse the situation. Amir explains to the store clerk that, â€Å"My father is still adjusting to life in America† (Hosseini 135). This new life helps Amir forget about Kabul and the sins he committed against Hassan. Amir reveals, â€Å"For me, America was a place to bury my memories† (Hosseini 129). In Fremont, Baba turns his attention to raising Amir, without the distractions of his business or Hassan to interfere with their new special connection. Amir has never been happier, not only from the new bond between him and Baba, but from his new wife as well. The marriage of Soraya and Amir can be seen as another substantial step in Amir’s maturity. Before the marriage Soraya told Amir about her struggle with her past relationship. Amir jealously announces after hearing this, â€Å"I envied her. Her secret was out â€Å"(Hosseini 174). When Soraya tells him this he envies the relief she must feel, which urges him to seek redemption with Hassan. Baba’s death can be seen as the final step in Amir’s journey of becoming a young adult because he understands that he will no longer be defined as Baba’s son. Amir realizes this when he says, â€Å"Baba wouldn’t show me the way anymore; I’d have to find it on my own† (Hosseini 188). Shortly after Baba’s death, his old friend Rahim Khan calls him to come back to Afghanistan to finally make amends. As Amir begins his journey back to Afghanistan, his character can be defined as empathic and loving. Once back in Kabul, Amir takes steps he would never have imagined, which truly define his character. On his venture back to Afghanistan he learns the truth about Hassan’s connection with Baba. After hearing this Amir feels robbed of the truth and is angry at how his own father could hold this back from him. Despite his feelings, Amir realizes he must not only pay for his betrayal of Hassan but for Baba’s betrayal of Ali too. Amir knows he must face his fears and he understands this when he reveals, â€Å"I remembered Baba saying that my problem was that someone had always done my fighting for me† (Hosseini 239). Following this he undertakes a personal mission to find Sohrab and finds the courage to stand up to the Taliban, nearly dying in the process. During his quest Amir comes face to face with the disturbing Assef  and fights him for Sorab, the ultimate sacrifice for his dead half-brother. While he is beaten he begins to laugh, which angers Assef even more. Amir explains that, â€Å"What was so funny was that, for the first time since the winter of 1975, I felt at peace† (Hosseini 303). After successfully bringing Sohrab back to California, Amir defends his Hazara nephew when General Taheri insults him. Over the dinner table Amir replies curtly, â€Å"you will never again refer to him as ‘Hazara Boy’ in my presence. He has a name and its Sohrab† (Hosseini 380). In the end, Amir finds himself flying a kite with Sohrab. As they fly the kite together the lifeless, empty look leaves Sohrab’s eyes and a half smile suddenly appears on his face. Amir exclaims, â€Å"The glassy vacant look in his eyes was gone. His face was a little flushed, his eyes suddenly alert† (Hosseini 389). Amir can now smile at his not so perfect past because he feels he has redeemed himself and his father. As the novel ends, Amir’s character can be characterized as selfless, brave, and compassionate. Amir’s character changes remarkably from when he is a young boy to a grown man. In Kabul, Amir’s character is damaged and he can be seen as a villain after incidents with Hassan. Once in Fremont, he is able to step away from these old sins and re-shape his character into a more loving one. Finally, when Amir returns to Kabul, he is able to seek redemption and become the perfect version of himself. In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, noticeable changes can be seen in Amir’s character as he transitions from a young boy to a grown man between Kabul and Fremont.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

My doc

Two boys who live In the same town, one being a small and often diminished boy, Owen Meany and the other Johnny Wheelwright who loses his mother early In his life. It is narrated by Johnny himself, in which he describes how Owen altered his fate in god. The whole affair begins during a little league baseball game, when Owen hits a foul ball that unfortunately strikes Johnny's Mom in the head, in turn killing her. After this event Johnny lives in different homes, however he and Owen remain good friends and together overcome many obstacles throughout their lives.Johnny tells his story to show the reader how powerful it can be to have a friend who is so inspirational and well guided, to promote his fate in god, and to show how magnificent of a person Owen Meany is. A Reason for Johnny narrating the story Is that even thought Owen kills his mother, his only link to knowing who his father Is, he still manages to remain friends with Meany. This shows how much trust and admiration Johnny ha s for Owen. Throughout the novel, Owen continues to baffle Johnny with his â€Å"God Given† knowledge.Each time Owen assists Johnny; It makes Johnny want to become closer to god as he feels his friend is blessed. For example Johnny does not wish to join the army during the Vietnam war, and Meany ensures this wont happen as he convinces Johnny that cutting of his finger will exempt him from enlisting. This is Owen watching out for his best friend. This event is connected in Johnny's reason for telling his story because if it wasn't for Owen thought of amputating his finger, he could have ended up a statistic; one of the 58 thousand dead American soldiers.Owen however showed great courage and enlisted as a usually assistance officer, were he transported dead soldiers to there families. Early on In Johnny's life Owen assures him that God will gulled him to finding out whom his father Is. Throughout Owens life he considers himself to be â€Å"Gods Instrument†, as he Is sen t messages from god such as the fact that he This strong connection with God that Owen preaches throughout his life is another reason for Johnny to share his story of growing up with Meany. Owens messages from God begin in a school play were he invasions his gravestone, as he plays a ghost.Him playing a ghost is also a hint at his foreseeable death. He believes he is destined for a heroic death. Him and Johnny begin to practice a basketball move called â€Å"The Shot†, in which Johnny lifts Owen too the hoop, and Owen dunks. This move is later used to save the lives of several young boys, and Johnny. When the two pals meet later in there lives when Owen Is on duty in Arizona guiding refugee's to living areas, a patriotic teen tries to blow up a group of refugee Vietnamese children who Johnny and Owen are escorting. The grenade lands In Owens hands.As it does, he tells Johnny that the shot was practiced for this moment and Johnny does the move and lifts Owen too a window, whil e Owen chucks the live grenade out of the window. Due to the explosion Owen is killed, however he saves the bystanders in the process. This Owens actions and that he lead him towards a heroic and mind-blowing exit. A last and final reason why Johnny tells his heart breaking story, is that before Owens funeral at there hometown of Gravesend, Johnny stops by the reverend's office to talk o him and what happens next changes Wheelwrights life forever.Owen Meany's ghost possesses the reverend, and proceeds to tell Johnny that the reverend in fact is his father. Owen also tells Johnny that the reverend prayed for the foul ball to kill his mother, and in vengeance, god has turned from the reverend. This event, shows Just how divine Owen was, but what Owens father would tell Johnny soon after would solidify everything Johnny believed. Johnny pays a visit to Mr.. Meany, and is told by him that Owen was a virgin birth, Just like Jesus Christ.It all is clear to him now, the vision of the tombs tone, the shot and now this, Owen really was a messenger of God. Johnny Wheelwright tells the magnificent story of living along side Owen Meany to reveal to you, the reader, what a blessed individual the small and dwarfed Owen Meany was. He tells his account to display how somebody can be so close and intimate with God, and how Owen truly changed his life for the better. The events that took place during Johnny's life could only have been so, if it wasn't for the God favored boy, Owen Meany.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Robespierre Maximilien His Reason Behind the Terror essays

Robespierre Maximilien His Reason Behind the Terror essays Maximilien Robespierre: His Reason Behind the Terror No figure of the French Revolution has aroused so much controversy as that of Maximilien Robespierre. He is known to most people as the symbol of the Reign of Terror, a period where approximately 17,000 people died while enduring horrible prison conditions or were executed due to the mere suspicion of being a traitor. The question of whether or not these actions were rightfully justified is an important one. Robespierre seems to have thought so. I, however, will show that the use of terror by Robespierre during the French Revolution was not just or necessary, and that he was acting in his own best interest rather than the States. First to understand Robespierre it is important to look into his past. He was born on May 6, 1758 in the town of Arras to Francois Robespierre. Although he belonged to a poor family, he was able to study law in Paris by means of a scholarship. He was highly dedicated to his studies which left him isolated from companionship. Returning to Arras, he practiced law and gained a reputation. He then became familiar of the works of Jean Jacques Rousseaus theories of democracy, deism, and virtue (which Robespierre understood as civic morality). These beliefs eventually led to his epithet the Incorruptible (Lycos). In 1789 he was elected into the States-General and attached himself to the extreme left wing. His influence grew over the Jacobin Club and eventually he became its leader. In 1791 he made a law which stated that no member of the current Constituent Assembly would be able to sit in the following Legislative Assembly. For this, he was appointed Public Accuser. Robespierre opposed the Girondists war proposals in 1792 which caused him to lose popularity with the public. He resigned as Public Accuser and was then elected as first deputy for Paris to the National Convention where he was bitterly attacked by the Girondists. R...

Monday, October 21, 2019

How to Make Fitzroys Storm Glass

How to Make Fitzroys Storm Glass Admiral Fitzroy (1805-1865), as commander of HMS Beagle, participated in the Darwin Expedition from 1834-1836. In addition to his naval career, Fitzroy did pioneer work in the field of meteorology. The Beagles instrumentation for the Darwin Expedition included several chronometers as well as barometers, which Fitzroy used for weather forecasting. The Darwin Expedition also was the first voyage under sailing orders that the Beaufort wind scale  was used for wind observations. Storm Glass Weather Barometer One type of barometer used by Fitzroy was a storm glass. Observing the liquid in the storm glass was supposed to indicate changes in the weather. If the liquid in the glass was clear, the weather would be bright and clear. If the liquid was cloudy, the weather would be cloudy as well, perhaps with precipitation. If there were small dots in the liquid, humid or foggy weather could be expected. A cloudy glass with small stars indicated thunderstorms. If the liquid contained small stars on sunny winter days, then snow was coming. If there were large flakes throughout the liquid, it would be overcast in temperate seasons or snowy in the winter. Crystals at the bottom indicated frost. Threads near the top meant it would be windy. Italian mathematician/physicist Evangelista Torricelli, a student of  Galileo, invented the barometer in 1643. Torricelli used a column of water in a tube 34 ft (10.4 m) long. Storm glasses available today are less cumbersome and easily mounted on a wall. Make Your Own Storm Glass Here are instructions for constructing a storm glass, described by Pete Borrows in response to a question posted on NewScientist.com, attributed to a letter published in the June 1997 School Science Review. Ingredients for Storm Glass: 2.5g potassium nitrate2.5g ammonium chloride33 mL distilled water40 mL ethanol10g camphor Note that man-made camphor, while very pure, does contain borneol as a by-product of the manufacturing process. Synthetic camphor doesnt work as well as natural camphor, perhaps because of the borneol. Dissolve the potassium nitrate and ammonium chloride in the water; add the ethanol; add the camphor. It is advised to dissolve the nitrate and ammonium chloride in the water, then mix the camphor in the ethanol.Next, slowly mix  the two solutions  together. Adding the nitrate and ammonium solution to the ethanol solution works best. It also helps to warm the solution to ensure complete mixing.Place the solution in corked test tube.  Another method is to seal the mixture in small glass tubes rather than using a cork. To do this, use a flame or other high heat to crimp and melt the top of a glass vial. No matter what method is selected to construct a storm glass, always use proper care in handling chemicals. How Storm Glass Functions The premise of the functioning of the storm glass is that temperature and pressure affect solubility, sometimes resulting in clear liquid; other times causing precipitants to form. The functioning of this type of storm glass is not fully understood. In similar barometers, the liquid level, generally brightly colored, moves up or down a tube in response to atmospheric pressure. Certainly, temperature affects solubility, but sealed glasses are not exposed to the pressure changes that would account for much of the observed behavior. Some people have proposed that surface interactions between the glass wall of the barometer and the liquid contents account for the crystals. Explanations sometimes include effects of electricity or quantum tunneling across the glass.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

50 Winning Cause and Effect Essay Topics and Ideas

50 Winning Cause and Effect Essay Topics and Ideas If you are struggling with choosing a winning topic for your cause and effect essay feel free to use our cause and effect topics list which is being constantly updated. Cause and effect essay is an essay that deals primarily with the causes and effects of the event, situation or dilemma. The purpose of such an essay is to explain why the event happened, what are all the consequences and ramifications of the event. This  manner  of the  essay is an easy way to discuss and organize ideas around topics. In the essay of this type, you will be required to outline a situation describing what caused it and the effects of that particular situation:  direct and indirect, seen and unseen. 5 STEPS ON HOW TO WRITE A CAUSE AND EFFECT ESSAY How to Structure Your Essay A cause and effect essay is similar in structure to most other essays, in that it requires an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. However, because of the nature of the essay, body paragraphs will be largely  split into two major components, unlike many argumentative essays that often have three major body components. While writing a cause and effect essay stick firmly to the correct  cause and effect essay outline, since it is one of the key factors in getting a high grade for your paper. Cause and Effect Essay Topics by Levels of Difficulty Easy Cause and Effect Essay Topics History Causes of the American Civil War – state’s rights for slavery, unable to compromise, state vs. federal authority Effects of the Civil War – start of the civil war, federal authority established, end to slavery in America Education Causes of Bullying in School – parental abuse at home, feelings of inadequacy Effects of Bullying in School – physical and mental harm, lowering of grades English Causes of the Decline of Spelling in Schools – less focus on rote memorization techniques Effects of the Decline of Spelling in Schools – fewer students are becoming authors Political Science Causes of the Magna Carta – Nobles wanted the Monarchy to be more responsible, King John’s continual tax raises Effects of Magna Carta – all democratic institutions today, rule by the people Medium Difficulty Cause and Effect Essay Topics Marketing Causes of Brand Loyalty – effective marketing campaigns, repetitive advertising, similar messages Effects of Brand Loyalty – higher sales, enables higher pricing levels and better profit margins Sociology Causes of Poverty – lack of education, poor life choices, born into poverty Effects of Poverty – low life quality, perpetuates further poverty Science Causes of the Big Bang – what was the initial reaction, are there other theories more accurate to describe the beginning of the universe Effects of the Big Bang – are the causes relevant to the effects, would the Universe have evolved without a major starting event Criminology Causes of Riots – higher rates of poverty, unfair legislation, not enough social safety nets Effects of Riots – possible government overthrow, higher rate of crime Difficult Cause and Effect Essay Topics Environmental Studies Causes of Climate Change – pollution, human causes, long-term cycles Effects of Climate Change – more prevalent severe weather, rising tides Psychology Causes of Mental Illness – is there a family history, extreme stressful events Effects of Mental Illness – low quality of life, effects on other family members, long-term effects on mental ability Medical Practice Causes of Obesity – genetic causes, environmental causes, societal marketing Effects of Obesity – shorter life span, increase mental illness Computer Science Causes of the Singularity – humans create artificial intelligence for productivity increases Effects of the Singularity – machines take over the earth, machines become sentient If you are looking for cause and effect essay examples here is a great one CAUSE AND EFFECT ESSAY EXAMPLE: GREAT DEPRESSION Cause and Effect Essay Topics by Subject Environmental Issues Effects of CO2 Emissions on Global Environment Causes and Effects of Glacier Melting Effects of Industrial Pollution Causes and Effects of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Effects of Drinking Water Contamination Blast Fishing and Its Effect on Marine Ecosystems Political Issues Why Has the US Invaded Iraq and Afghanistan? What are the consequences for such invasion? Did the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Lead to Risky Lending? Causes and Consequences of U.S. Governments Efforts to Increase Homeownership Will Congress and the President Take Action on the Growing Debt? What if it Does Not? What are the Causes and Implications of Winding Down Military Operation in Afghanistan? Social Issues Response of Society to Same-sex Marriages How Will Changes in Gun Regulations Affect Our Society? Consequences of Legalizing Abortions The Need for Sustainable Communities: Root Causes and Anticipated Effects Obesity in the US: Root Causes and Effects Economic Issues The Global Financial Crisis: Causes, Consequences, and Possible Alternatives Impact of Consumerism on Global Economy The Economic Impact of Hurricane Sandy Impact of â€Å"Obamacare† onto the Healthcare System Issues in the IT Spread of the Internet has Given Rise to Cyberbullying Cause and Effect of Internet Monitoring by US Government Impact of Social Networking Services on Today’s Life Ethical Issues Genetic Engineering: Causes and Effects Causes and Effects of Legalizing Marijuana for Recreational Use in Colorado Washington Cultural Imperialism Impact of Globalization Writing a cause and effect essay is a very specific task that needs to be structured properly. Teachers and professors are looking for specific links between causes and effects or an explanation as to why they were not causal to each other. A great essay explores not only the direct links that are obvious, it delves into the depth of  other possible connections to the situation. These indirect or unseen causes are often left out of these essays and cause lower marks. Get help in writing your cause and effect essay today by calling 1-800-235-4105  or place your order using our order form.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Cloud computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cloud computing - Essay Example IT gurus administer the fused cloud platforms by means of the advanced knowledge of the virtual servers and the virtualization skills. Infrastructure and applications that promote cloud computing acceptance, attraction of IT Professionals towards cloud computing, and cloud adoption and rejection factors are fundamental. Cloud acceptance: (After reading the slide) let me explain this with the help of a diagram: Organizations that use cloud service can be categorized into three types based on their size; the mega enterprises, the large enterprises, and the medium enterprises. Cloud services used by them are of different kinds including collaboration, software services, desktops and infrastructure, and disaster recovery backup. Here, you can notice that while many enterprises are already using these kinds of services, there is a substantial number of organizations that are considering to use these services, which indicates that cloud computing is growing in popularity. ... nificance and value to the IT implementers because of the benefits its offers that include but are not limited to work efficiencies, support, enhanced productivity, and low-cost initiatives. More benefits of cloud computing are illustrated in the sixth slide. Virtual Infrastructure Cloud computing’s property of virtualization functions most efficiently at the minimization of the cost and complications of the IT operations. There are numerous other advantages that have worked for virtualization that primarily include improved accessibility, virtual maturity, larger data storage capacities, mobility and efficiency. IT executives invest in the cloud initiatives for a variety of reasons including saving money, increased predictability of costs, improved IT customer service, increased productivity, and standardized IT. As you can see in the diagram, the prime motivation behind investing in the cloud initiatives is minimization of cost and saving of money. Increased predictability o f costs and improved IT customer service are equally strong motivators following the saving of money. IT staff supports the cloud initiatives in order to be more efficient, to work with the latest technology, to improve the IT customer service, to maintain a current set of skills, and to minimize the complexity of the job. There is variation among the decision maker and implementer IT staff’s motivations behind supporting the cloud initiatives as evident from the graph. Except for the motivation of keeping the set of skills current, there is a greater number of the decision maker IT staff that is motivated by all of the aforementioned factors as compared to the implementer IT staff. This speaks of the fact that these factors play an important role in the decision making in the IT departments.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Critical Inccident Staffs Values and Attitude Essay

Critical Inccident Staffs Values and Attitude - Essay Example Distribution of severe and profound learning disabled people is even and uniform across the country and across the socio-economic groups. For mild to moderate learning disabilities, a link has been established with poverty and rates are therefore higher in deprived and urban areas. Increase of severe and profound learning disabled patients is approximately 1% annually over the next 15 years. Only less than 10% of the learning disabled work and are highly dependent on social security benefits. Public expenditures for learning disabled services was over  £3 billion with  £1.4 billion spent on health and  £l.6 billion on social services. Furthermore, about  £308 million was spent by social services and  £177 million by health on supporting disabled children, though not all of them have learning disabilities (Valuing People, 2001). People with learning disabilities may be categorized as vulnerable adults when they are aged 18 and over and â€Å"who is or may be in need of community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness; and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation† (No Secrets, n.d.). If a person with a learning disability is convicted of a violent crime, he may be considered a forensic patient while the caring for this type of patient has been termed as forensic nursing. Forensic nursing is a specialty of mental health nursing, and has a specific group of skills and interventions developing around patient offending and antisocial behavior in a range of settings from high security to community care (Kettles et al, 2002). Forensic nurses are nurses they specialize in the care, treatment, rehabilitation and management of individuals who have either violated criminal law or been deemed to pose a high level of dangerousness (Whyte, 2000). Forensic nursing care includes education,

Strategic Managemet of Human Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic Managemet of Human Resources - Essay Example Its mission seeks to propel the organization as the global leader in innovation of the best products and services. In order to realize its full potential, Microsoft employs the best talent and its chairman Bill Gates upholds that talent utilization and innovation are essential if success is to be attained in the globally competitive environment. As such, the corporation adopts flexible and dynamic human resource strategies and policies to ensure it retains its global competitiveness, diversity and inclusion. Microsoft corporation strategic management of human resources Introduction The current business state refers to how the key functions of an organization (Microsoft); including messaging systems are currently attaining or tying to achieve the organization’s business goals. The current business state is the starting point in determining what needs to adjust in order to obtain to the desired business state. In order to propel the business to the desired levels, it is essentia l to understand the business model or models that an enterprise uses. It is also essential to evaluate the current business model and any other model that a corporation plans to implement in the future. Businesses usually look at projects of major impacts like Microsoft’s Exchange Server 2007 infrastructure design project as an opportunity to shift their model or strategy. An enterprise also uses a major project to enhance its position in the industry or change its internal operations. The current state of the Microsoft Corporation in terms of external influences (pestle) Microsoft is making changes to its current business model, embracing radical, inventive and new thinking, assimilating other companies and technologies in its domains. Microsoft is currently pursuing yahoo to enhance its competitive merit in the search business. The corporation has also joined other companies in dominating the market for cloud computing. Cloud computing is a domain that entails a centralized storage and information processing. The shift towards cloud computing could lessen the role of desktop computers and the servers and other equipments run by numerous corporations. The current strategic approach entails diversification through acquisition of complementary businesses that could be future rivals. It also shifts its marketing focus to tangle with Google over the search engine issue. However, Google and yahoo are some of the competitors to the Microsoft’s internet explorer (IE) (Hill & Jones, 2012, p 36). Microsoft is under external influence by the government to do certain activities following a suit by the Europe union. The U.S department of justice ordered that consumers ought to have a choice on what Windows features are obligatory in any fitting of the operating system. Furthermore, Microsoft has to reveal certain facts to third party developers to make software that better fits with Windows. In terms of external business; Microsoft faces a serious threat on its monopolistic practices as other players like the IBM Corporation and the Sun Microsystems seek protection from the European Union. These complementary corporations exert external pressure on Microsoft, which sometimes results in financial costs. For instance, Microsoft was fined $613 million in 2008

The Life of Mozart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Life of Mozart - Essay Example Born in 1756, Mozart seemed to have inherited the interest for music from his father, Leopold Mozart who was a choir master and the court musician for the Prince Archbishop of Salzburg (Herbermann, 1913, p.623). Mozart demonstrated his skills in piano before he was above five years of age. He was honored with the Order of the Golden Spur when he was only thirteen years old. Mozart had an estranged relationship with his father though he had gained his initial inspirations from him itself. This had worsened after the death of his mother, when Mozart decided to walk out on his father and become a self made person. He married in Constanze and he also consumed alcohol heavily. It is said the he died of rheumatic fever (Jenkins, 2005, p.113). Music and conflicts Mozart was born in the time when the Christian society was torn between the Catholics and the Protestants. His parents had to travel extensively from London to Austria. Mozart was also a prodigy in languages as he had learnt fiftee n languages over his life time. â€Å"In 1769, the 13-year-old Wolfgang had composed the first 65 pieces in the Kochel catalogue. The Kochel catalogue is the definitive system for identifying Mozart’s works; each piece is designated by either â€Å"K†, for Kochel or â€Å"KV†, for Kochel-Verzeichnis (German for Kochel Catalogue) and followed by a number between 1 and 626† (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, n.d, p.2). Mozart met Johann Christian Bach during 1764-1765 who made a big impression in his career and music (Flothuis, 2001, p.2). Bach’s music had greatly influenced Mozart to compose his creations in the form of symphonies and piano concertos. He had also absorbed some of J.C. Bach’s creations in his own music. Mozart was a very troubled person from within. He was not accepted by the society initially and his financial condition was also very poor. He was also neglected by the emperor Leopold II who thought his music to be a laughable kind of music. The previous emperor, Joseph II, had shown admiration for Mozart in spite of his scarcity in monetary support and his infamous comment. However, Mozart was completely ignored by Leopold II who had not included the composer in the musicians who were invited to the coronation of the emperor in Frankfurt in the year 1790 (Greene, 2007, p.410). Compositions During his life time of 35 years Mozart had composed 600 works that included 16 operas, 41 symphonies, 27 piano concerti, 5 violin concerti, 25 string quartets, and 19 masses (Foley & Bangert, 2000, p.210). His compositions had formed the basis for many music composers like Beethoven. In the later years, Mozart had incorporated the musical styles from other countries into his creations. Mozart had perfected the symphony for operas. Mozart was well known for his symphonies such as Symphony No. 40 in G minor. His compositions â€Å"have become synonymous with the Classical "age of elegance," and are perhaps best exemplified by the well-known Serenade in G major, which the composer called Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A little night music)† (The Classical Period, 2008). Conclusion Mozart was considered to be one of the pioneers composers of all times. His music depicted a bold expression that was sometimes complex and dissonant, and often required greater technical knowledge from the musicians who

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Job Performace Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Job Performace Case Study - Essay Example Yet, the labour objected taking the same job classification out of the bargaining unit. This indicates the inherent suspicion that characterizes labour union-management relations and is partly responsible for the fall in job performance of the job testers. The labour union clearly showed this at the hearing. It blamed the management for not only disciplining the defaulting employees but also offering the same job classification to the same defaulting employees when the job classification was removed from the bargaining unit. This suggest the unions ‘I don’t care’ attitude because the testers handled only a job classification in the production process. Their poor performance would not have been undetected by other salaried employees. But the feeling that the management should be responsible for its ‘experimental’ decision might have informed the ‘I don’t care’ attitude. The testers were not considered part of the labours or other em ployees’ purview. In addition, one of the differences between salaried job under the non-bargaining unit and hourly job under the bargaining unit is the lack of supervision of non-salaried employees. The company management expressed its inability to discipline the testers despite having knowledge of testers’ poor performance. It means that ‘casualized’ employment focuses on cost minimization measured in terms of output of employees at the expense of employees’ conduct. Negotiating the issue of the failure of experimental program would have been the normal (or moral) thing to do. The management informed the union in the first place, when it intended to experiment the program. This gave rise to the side bar agreement. Under this agreement, the movement of the tester job classification to the bargaining unit was based on the condition of program success (quality of product). Given this and the subsequent failure of experimental program, the management ought

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Cloud Computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Cloud Computing - Essay Example By the early 1970s, many mainframes acquired interactive user interfaces and operated as timesharing computers, supporting hundreds of users simultaneously. Data was batch processed at the end of business cycles, usually daily at night; modem speeds were slow and downloads happed when computer were more or less idle. Users gained access through specialized terminals or personal computers equipped with terminal emulation software. By the 1980s, many mainframes supported graphical terminals, and terminal emulation, but not graphical user interfaces. Graphical user interfaces reached mainstream in the 1990s through new operating systems supporting GUIs on personal computers. In the mid-2000s the word timeshare became cloud computing and was sold to new customers as a new network configuration. Cloud computing allows business to work with documents in the cloud such as word processing and spreadsheets. Microsoft office functionality for documents, calendars, and contacts can be accessed through Microsoft’s office 365 for small firms. This office offers all the requirements that may be needed by small firms in terms of word processing. Packages that are also offered by cloud computing are the full desktop version of Microsoft office that the users can download, install and use from their main computer when one is working without internet connection (Defelice 2010). Businesses can exchange accounting information and data through email cloud services, for example firms can simply buy as many mail boxes as it can and then allocate the mail boxes to the employees, and therefore the business do not need to set up and manage an email server from its premises. Google applications for work are some of the most powerful cloud email that is widely used by many companies. Another important mail service is the Gmail which is very powerful and flexible for the vast majority of small firms. Moreover, cloud email services are available from many email service

Job Performace Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Job Performace Case Study - Essay Example Yet, the labour objected taking the same job classification out of the bargaining unit. This indicates the inherent suspicion that characterizes labour union-management relations and is partly responsible for the fall in job performance of the job testers. The labour union clearly showed this at the hearing. It blamed the management for not only disciplining the defaulting employees but also offering the same job classification to the same defaulting employees when the job classification was removed from the bargaining unit. This suggest the unions ‘I don’t care’ attitude because the testers handled only a job classification in the production process. Their poor performance would not have been undetected by other salaried employees. But the feeling that the management should be responsible for its ‘experimental’ decision might have informed the ‘I don’t care’ attitude. The testers were not considered part of the labours or other em ployees’ purview. In addition, one of the differences between salaried job under the non-bargaining unit and hourly job under the bargaining unit is the lack of supervision of non-salaried employees. The company management expressed its inability to discipline the testers despite having knowledge of testers’ poor performance. It means that ‘casualized’ employment focuses on cost minimization measured in terms of output of employees at the expense of employees’ conduct. Negotiating the issue of the failure of experimental program would have been the normal (or moral) thing to do. The management informed the union in the first place, when it intended to experiment the program. This gave rise to the side bar agreement. Under this agreement, the movement of the tester job classification to the bargaining unit was based on the condition of program success (quality of product). Given this and the subsequent failure of experimental program, the management ought

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

The pathology, physiology and biochemistry of hypertension Essay Example for Free

The pathology, physiology and biochemistry of hypertension Essay Hypertension is a condition in which the individual’s blood pressure rises to an abnormal level.   In this condition, the systolic blood pressure is persistently above 140 mm of Hg and/or the diastolic blood is persistently above 90 mm of Hg.   The quantity of blood pumped by the heart, and the size of the blood determine the blood pressure (blood pressure = cardiac output * peripheral vascular resistance).   Besides this, the quantity of water present in the body, the salt levels, kidneys, nervous system, hormone levels, etc, also play a very important role in determining the blood pressure (Najafian, N., 2006). The blood pressure tends to increase with age, and is about 160/95 at the age of 50 years.   There may several causes related to hypertension.   However, in 95 % of the cases a single underlying cause is not found, which may be due to interplay of several factors.   This type of hypertension is known as ‘essential hypertension’.   In more than 70 % of such individual, a pattern of inheritance is observed.  Ã‚   Several ethnic groups such as Jews, African-American and Japanese, develop hypertension more often (Mayo Clinic. 2006). Studies have demonstrated that the important cause for essential hypertension is an increase in the peripheral resistance of the blood vessels.   This disorder can develop due to sympathetic nervous activity or from narrowing of the blood vessels.   The remaining 5% of the cases are caused due to certain disorders such as cardiac disorder (corarctation of the aorta), renal disorders (glomerulonephritis and chronic pyelonrphritis), endocrinal disorders (such as pheochromocytoma, primary aldosteronism, Cushing’ syndrome), drug usage (such as corticosteroids, certain birth control pills) and sometimes during pregnancy. Excessive hormones are released in pheochromocytoma, which cause an increase in the cardiac output and rise in the peripheral vascular resistance.   In the renal disorder, the kidneys do not function efficiently, resulting in sodium retention in the body.   In some conditions, excessive rennin is produced by the kidney resulting in activation of the angiotensin II (that has great vasoconstrictor action).   Angiotensin II encourages release of aldosterone which causes sodium retention.   In primary aldosteronism, the mineral sodium is retained in the body, along with changes in the vascular smooth muscles of the blood vessels (Boon, N.A. and Fox, K.A.A. 1996). In individuals with essential hypertension, the large arteries experience changes in the vessel wall.   The inner elastic lamina gets thickened; the smooth muscles increase in size and fibrous tissues gets deposited.   In an effort to normalise the blood flow, the arteries dilate and become tortuous.   In such circumstances, due to the damage of the inner-lining tissues of the blood vessels (endothelium), the deposition and retention of lipoproteins in the sub-epithelial wall develops.   Along with this, other substances such as connective tissue matrix, smooth muscles, the mineral calcium, inflammatory cells and newly-developed blood vessels are formed.   (Shah, P.K., 2001).   Smaller blood vessels get narrowed, and aneurysms are formed. Due to these anatomical changes in the blood vessels, the blood flow and the peripheral vascular resistance is increased.   The process of atheroma is also hastened.   If the blood supply to the kidney is affected with the narrowing of the blood vessels, rennin and angiotensin are activated, and sodium and water are retained.   Sometimes the associated narrowing of the blood vessels to the organs are so severe that the organs began to function abnormally.  Ã‚   The kidneys produce proteinuria and microscopic haematuria.   Besides, the blood supply to the brain is also affected as the arteries begin to narrow (Boon, N.A. and Fox, K.A.A. 1996). In the body, multiple mechanisms may be involved in elevating the blood pressure.   In arterial hypertension, the relationship between cardiac output and the total vascular peripheral resistance is distorted.   Blood pressure is affected by several variables including genetic, environmental and demographic, which affect both the cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistance (includes age, sex, gender, body mass index, etc).   Cardiac output has an effect on the blood volume which is influenced by sodium levels in the body.   The peripheral vascular resistance is affected by hormonal and neuronal factors.   Vasoconstrictors that reduce the lumen for blood flow include Angiotensin II, catecholamines and the endothelium. The vasodilatation factors include kinin and prostoglandins.   Several auto-regulatory mechanisms also take part in regulating the peripheral vascular resistance.   They automatically increase the blood flow when vasoconstriction occurs.   The local factors that adjust the blood pressure include pH, hypoxia, alpha and beta-adrenergic mechanisms that affect cardiac contraction, vascular tone, heart beat, etc.   The kidneys adjust the blood pressure in several ways.   The rennin-angiotensin system (RAS) affects the metabolism of sodium and peripheral vascular resistance.    Renin is released by the juxtaglomerular cells that transform angiotensinogen present in the blood to angiotensin 1.   This is later transformed to angiotensin II by the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE).   Angiotensin increases the blood pressure by inducing vasoconstriction (action on the smooth muscles present in the blood vessels) and increasing the blood volume (by encouraging aldosterone release).   The kidneys also increase the blood pressure by reabsorbing sodium from the proximal tubules.   In this way the sodium levels increases in the body and thereby there is an increase in the blood volume (Schoen, F. J. 2002). The kidneys manage about 170 litres of blood filtration every day.   This amount of blood contains about 23 moles of salt.   More than 99.5% of this is reabsorbed back into the blood through ionic channels, exchange and transporter, etc.   Certain changes in the proteins that involve sodium reabsorption may be expressed through genetic defects.   This condition is known as ‘Liddle’s syndrome’.   Likewise, several other components of the RAS system are affected by genetic defects.   The kidneys may release reduced amounts of sodium leading to increased blood volume and increased cardiac output, leading to a rise in the blood pressure (Schoen, F. J. 2002). The blood vessel wall may be directly stimulated by chronic vasoconstriction.   This can lead to thickening of the blood vessel wall, which further narrows the lumen and raises the peripheral vascular resistance.   Large and medium-sized blood vessels have associated changes in the blood vessel wall.   Aortic dissection and haemorrhage can occur due to increased vascular resistance.   In small blood vessels, hyaline arteriosclerosis and hyperplasic arteriosclerosis can result (Schoen, F. J. 2002). Genetic defects can cause rare forms of hypertension.   Deficiency in enzymes of aldosterone metabolism leads to increased release of aldosterone, and increased salt and water reabsorbtion (Schoen, F. J. 2002). Aldosterone is present in the cells of adrenal zona gloemerulosa.   Angiotensin II helps to activate it through the RAS system.   When the sodium levels decrease, and the blood pressure drops, the alodsterone gets activated.   Angiotensongen is combined with renin.   Angiotensin I is formed which is converted to Angiotensin II by the ACE enzyme present on the surface of endothelial cells located in the kidneys and the lungs.   Aminopeptidase converts Angiotensin II to Angiotensin III by the enzyme aminopeptidase (Schmidt, T.J. Et al. 2006). Several enzymes such as caboxypeptidases and aminopeptidases produce a number of subtacnes related to angiotensin such as angiotensin I, II, III, IV, etc.   Each has their own physiological function.   Several alternative pathways may be present mainly associated with angiotensin II production.   Angiotensin I can be converted to another form known as ‘Angiotensin-(1-9) by the enzyme carboxypeptidase (associated with ACE).   This later gets converted to Angiotensin II.   Further studies need to be conducted on the exact mechanism by this conversion takes place.   Clinically, ACE and angiotensin I receptor are significant, although a lot has to be studied about these alternate pathways (Kramkowski, K. Et al. 2006). The diagnosis of hypertension is made based on the history, symptoms, signs, and the results of several diagnostic tests such as urine tests, blood tests, Electrocardiogram (ECG), chest X-rays, etc.   Urine tests are required to determine the level of proteins, glucose, and the presence of blood in the urine.   Blood tests are required to determine the level of urea, creatinine, cholesterol, triglycerides and hormones in the blood.   Chest X-rays, angiograms and MRI scans of the heart are required to determine the activity of the heart and the lungs. ECG is required to determine the electrical activity of the heart and abnormalities such as ischemia and left ventricular hypertrophy.   The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (2003) have classified hypertension based on the severity of the blood pressure.   These include normal blood pressure (120/80 mm), pre-hypertension (120-139/80-89 mm), stage 1 (140-159/90-99 mm), and stage 2 (150/100 mm).   In pheochomocytoma a specialised test to determine the 24 hour urinary cathecholamine output may be performed.   In Conn’s syndrome the blood rennin and aldosterone activity is determined (Boon, N.A. and Fox, K.A.A. 1996). The main aim of treatment is to relieve the symptoms, reduce the effects of the disease process and prevent further complications.   Once hypertension is detected, the individual has to take care and follow certain measures in diet, lifestyle, physical activity and consume certain medications.   Studies have demonstrated that timely and appropriate treatment can help reduce the occurrence of several complications such as stroke, renal failure and others.   Besides, the fatalities due to cardiovascular events are significantly reduced (Boon, N.A. and Fox, K.A.A. 1996). The individual has to consume a low-sodium diet, and reduce consumption of alcohol.   Individuals, who smoke, may gain significantly if they stop the habit.   Exercises can also be very beneficial to hypertensive individuals, and can drastically help reduce the blood pressure.   Regular consumption of medications has ensured that the individual’s blood pressure is within normal limits.   Drugs are administered as a single or a combination therapy.   The problem in hypertensive individuals is that they tend to stop the medications once the symptoms reduce.   However, the disease can remain silent, and the individual may experience the complications, later.    Hence, it would be advisable to continue the medications as prescribed, with appropriate control of the side-effects.   Several agents such as beta-blockers, angiotensin II receptor blockers, ACE inhibitors, thiazide diuretics, calcium channel blockers, vasodilators are available which are administered appropriately.   The first-line drugs use varies from one individual to another depending on the severity of the condition. Combination therapy is also available to treat refractory cases (or when hypertension cannot be controlled by drug doses at which side-effects do not develop).   During emergency treatment of hypertension, the blood pressure should not be brought rapidly down as it can lead to brain damage, cardiac insufficiency and renal problems.   The blood pressure has to be brought down to 150/90 level over a period of one hour to ninety minutes.   In an emergency situation, sodium nitroprusside is mode ideal bring down the blood pressure.   Labetalol, oral nifedipine and hydralazine are also ideal to bring to bring down the blood pressure reduced (Boon, N.A. and Fox, K.A.A. 1996).    References: Boon, N.A. and Fox, K.A.A. 1996, â€Å"Diseases of the Cardiovascular System.† In: Edwards, C.R.W., Bouchier, I.A.D. and Haslett, C., Davidson’s Principles and Practice of Medicine, 17th ed, Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh. 191-311. Kramkowski, K., Mogielnicki, A. and Buczko, W. 2006. â€Å"The physiological significance of the alternative pathways of angiotensin II production.† J Physiol Pharmacol, vol. 57, no. 4, pp. 529-539. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmedcmd=Retrievedopt=AbstractPluslist_uids=17229979query_hl=3itool=pubmed_docsum Mayo Clinic Staff. 2006, High blood pressure (hypertension). [Online], Available:   http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-pressure/DS00100/DSECTION=1, [Accessed: 2007, January, 30]. Schmidt, T.J. and Litwack, G. 2006, Biochemistry of Hormones, in: Devlin, T.M., Textbook of Biochemistry with Clinical Correlations, Wiley-Less, New jersey. 895-946. Schoen, F.J. 2002, Blood Vessels, in:   Kumar, V., Abbas, A.K., Fausto, N. (eds), Robins and Cotran: Pathologic Basis of Disease, 6th ed, Saunders, Philadelphia. 2002. 423-444. Shah, P.K. 2001, Pathogenesis of arthrosclerosis, in: Rosendorff, C., Essential Cardiology: Principles and Practice, W.B. Saunders Company., Philadelphia. Tweedie, D. (2006). The Pathology of Hypertension (Heart/Circulation). [Online], Available:   http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:izxWLiHy3tUJ:www.uwo.ca/pathol/MedsII/Notes/CVS-Hypertension.rtf+hypertension+pathologyhl=enct=clnkcd=4, [Accessed: 2007, January, 30].

Monday, October 14, 2019

Influence of Public Health and Safety Matters in the City

Influence of Public Health and Safety Matters in the City Towns are and were always associated with trade and power[R1]. Although towns as well as humans have to develop. They were formed and shaped by numbers of various factors. This essay would show how have public health and safety matters in the past influenced the invention of the city? One of the very first and obvious that come to mind are strict British fire regulations, clearly and rightly linked by most to the Great Fire of London. In its history London as a city had great amounts of fires in its account.One of first severe recorded fires of London happened in 1135. It put down most of the city between St Pauls and St Clement Danes in Westminster as well as famous London Bridge. â€Å"Little wonder London suffered from fires: housing and commercial premises existed together; a Norman law banned house fires after dark, but was probably ignored; buildings were largely made of wood and thatch; and no organised fire brigade existed.†(The 12th of July 1212 AD, Great Fire of London 1212, n.d.). It took well over 70 years and another huge fire, on 12th July 1212. This fire and figure of 3000 deaths, still appears in the Guinness Book of Records, even though perhaps exaggerated. Those fires caused people to consider about building rules. In effect ‘legisla tions’ as well as methods to abide them were introduced. Primitive and very first form of fire protection was something as simple as banning thatched roofs in entire London. By its first mayor Henry Fitzailwin. He also signed a document saying: â€Å"Complaints about building nuisances could be brought by one neighbour against another. The mayor and aldermen settled such cases in a court called the Assize of Nuisance†. Judgements were advised by appointed masons and carpenters. (History of Building Regulations in the British Isles, 2014) Other British cities started follow London’s lead. The actual turning point in building history was fire of 1666.[R2] Fire known as the Great Fire of London started in the bakery on Pudding Lane and very soon started spreading west reaching beyond Roman city walls. On 4th September wind direction changed, it headed and almost reached the Tower of London. During the firefighting process â€Å"King Charles II personally helped fight the fire. He lifted buckets of water and threw money to reward people who stayed to fight the flames.†(Museum of London Frequently asked questions, n.d.) Quenching the fire is considered to have been successful due two factors: the strong east winds died down, and the Tower of London garrison used gunpowder to create firebreaks, and stop further spread eastward. (Great Fire of London Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, n.d.). It’s believed that as a consequence of this fire 80% of capital was burned to the ground. Inevitably disaster of this scale couldn’t happen again. Therefore London Rebuilding Act of 1667 was introduced.[R3] This document created foundations of city/master planning as well as some other areas of modern building regulations. Was the very first to specify how city planning was to be regulated (i.e. Certain streets need to be wider depending on intensity and purpose of use). It was describing what matters and how they should be resolved by judges. Also specifying thickness and location of walls, including party walls. It introduced the idea of the commission designing cityscape as well as commission to approve location and shape, as well as materials used in new buildings. All buildings from that point onwards were to be built of brick or stone. It also regulated minor issues like precipitation management, maximum overhangs, which previously were making already narrow streets even narrower and tighter. That was introduction to the idea of more pleasant cities, even though done for practical reasons. Some more health and safety rules were issued. [R4] Even though this law was extremely precise for that time. It was written by local government of London and was to be obeyed only during rebuilding of the city. As effect of that British Isles were left without public law. In 1898 Ebenezer Howard initiated â€Å"The Garden City Movement†. Garden cities were designed and intended to be self-contained, self-sufficient communities. Separated and surrounded by tracks of open, green areas. Taking inspiration and trying to make a utopian dream of Sir Thomas More come truth. Howard’s idealise garden city was using clear zoning system. Keeping residential and industrial development areas separate, allowed â€Å"smokeless† idea of the city to develop. They would be populated by 32000 people on around 6000 acres (2400 ha). Planned in concentric circles, when fully populated another garden city would develop nearby. Several of these would be clustered ‘orbiting’ around the central city (populated by 50000 people ). [R5]â€Å"The Garden City Association set itself the ambitious task of developing a first garden city. Work on the chosen site at Letchworth began in 1903 and by 1914 it housed 9,000 inhabitants.†(The birth of town planning UK Parliament, n.d.) Letchworth was very innovative and successful, it populated 33500 people. It was possibly impractical to use concentric plan, although principles were kept. Letchworth introduced roundabout (1909) and was very first example of ‘green belt’. This project didn’t require authorising legislations, although it was inspirational to â€Å"garden suburbs†. These were first introduced in Hampstead. Endorsed by Parliament in 1906, in what has been called â€Å"Hampstead Garden Suburb Act[R6]†. This document legislated that distance between the two houses on opposite sides of the road, were to be not less than 50 feet (15.24m) apart. And that there should be no more than 8 houses per acre (4046.9m2). [R7] ‘Back-to-back’ houses, so popular in industrial Victorian developments. During the industrial revolution â€Å"great influx of workers and their families into the rapidly industrialised towns during the 1800s, this number increased massively and the problems of over-population became disastrous†(Public Health History of medicine, n.d.). This was revealed by the report of Liverpools first medical officer of health (Dr Duncan). It stated that – third of the citys population lived on earth floored cellars of back to back houses. (The birth of town planning UK Parliament, n.d.) Without any ventilation and sanitation with as many as 16 people living in one room, these were surely not what those cellars were designed for and what they could withstand. They were made illegal in 1909 due to Housing and Town Planning Act, as there was concern that it could be the starter of the new chain reaction effect of plague for example similar in effect to London’s Gr eat Fire. [R8] Letchworth and Hampstead was the main inspiration for that 1909 Act. It also took inspiration of garden city movement principles. Not a surprise that the Garden City Association actively lobbied for it. This also encouraged to use ‘Garden City’ principles. Leading the way to the more enjoyable urban environment and more flexibility in terms of design. This act obligated local authorities to use town planning, and control building standards. Specified the job of local governments on what they can and can’t do. The new law formed the guide on how to plan cities and how to build safely. It also specified land law, how and where working class housing should be built. Also, considering health and safety of citizens and future residents, which could be named as a form of sustainable design.[R9] As earlier mentioned planning law has been changing and adapting for past years. Even though fire regulations in the UK are possibly one of the strictest in Europe. As statistics show there is a lot of improvement to be made. World of planning needs people like Ebenezer Howard, idealist and dreamers that design, plan and improve urban and world environment – in effect making world more enjoyable. In modern cities main perplexity are sustainability and public health. It’s not easy to decrease obesity and other so called civilization diseases. The rate of these could be lowered by eliminating factors that do or may cause it. The main ones being: lack of physical activity, unnatural/unhealthy diet, polluted air and some more (Diseases of modern civilisation — Frank Fenner Foundation, n.d.). These may and should be considered at design stage. To improve physical activity. It’s necessary to increase the amount of public transport used, as well as increase amoun t of playgrounds. Enhancing physical activity from early years, followed by footpaths, parks or other green areas. Obviously there is very little designer or architect can do about human diet. Nevertheless, what could be done is to design green markets into town scape. These would make fresh, naturally grown, healthy fruits/vegetables effortlessly accessible. Another in theory inaccessible area for urban planners is air pollution, as we can’t actively decrease pollution. Already Ebenezer Howard has suggested to use town zoning to move industrial expansion out on the peripheries of towns. In the long term this would decrease the amount of polluted air in towns, by distributing it more evenly across open areas, and most likely lower the urban island effect. All of those examples show how past events were effecting town planning. It proves that there is a set of ingredients and stimuli. They all effect planning law and planning methods. Urban environment is always changing and it is hard to design it well. This is why there are groups of urban planners, architects, designers and others working to improve the design of towns. This has been changing for hundreds, or even thousands of years, and they would be. Changes are inevitable, what is now countryside in 10 years, or even less could be new suburbs. This should stimulate designers and visionaries to improve inner urban scape, resolve current and anticipate future issues and address them today. References BBC History British History in depth: London After the Great Fire (n.d.). [Online] [Accessed on 26th December 2014] http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/after_fire_01.shtml. ‘Building Regulations David Watkins.pdf’ (n.d.). Diseases of modern civilisation — Frank Fenner Foundation (n.d.). [Online] [Accessed on 1st January 2015] http://www.natsoc.org.au/our-projects/biosensitivefutures/part-4-facts-and-principles/human-health-issues/diseases-of-modern-civilisation. English Historical Fiction Authors: Changing the Face of London the Great Fire of 1666 (n.d.). [Online] [Accessed on 26th December 2014] http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/changing-face-of-london-great-fire-of.html. Great Fire of London Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (n.d.). [Online] [Accessed on 27th December 2014] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_London. Handbook to the Housing and Town Planning Act, (n.d.). [Online] [Accessed on 27th December 2014] https://archive.org/stream/handbooktohousin00thom#page/n1/mode/2up. History of Building Regulations in the British Isles (2014). [Online] [Accessed on 14th December 2014] http://www.buildinghistory.org/regulations.shtml. History of Building Regulations in the British Isles (n.d.). [Online] [Accessed on 26th December 2014] http://www.buildinghistory.org/regulations.shtml. Housing, town planning, etc., act, 1909; a prac (n.d.). [Online] [Accessed on 27th December 2014] https://archive.org/stream/housingtownplann00bent#page/n5/mode/2up. London Fire Brigade The Great Fire of London (n.d.). [Online] [Accessed on 26th December 2014] http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/great-fire-of-london.asp. Museum of London Frequently asked questions (n.d.). [Online] [Accessed on 26th December 2014] http://archive.museumoflondon.org.uk/Londons-Burning/FAQ/. Museum of London The 1667 Rebuilding Act (n.d.). [Online] [Accessed on 27th December 2014] http://archive.museumoflondon.org.uk/Londons-Burning/Themes/1405/1408/Page1.htm. Public Health History of medicine (n.d.). [Online] [Accessed on 29th December 2014] http://www.priory.com/history_of_medicine/public_health.htm. Samuel Pepys Diary 1666 Fire of London (n.d.). [Online] [Accessed on 27th December 2014] http://www.pepys.info/fire.html. The 12th of July 1212 AD, Great Fire of London 1212 (n.d.). [Online] [Accessed on 27th December 2014] http://www.information-britain.co.uk/famdates.php?id=1019. The birth of town planning UK Parliament (n.d.). [Online] [Accessed on 28th December 2014] http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/towncountry/towns/overview/townplanning/. The Geneva Association (2014) ‘World Fire Statistics.’ The Hampstead Garden Suburb Act 1906 (n.d.). [Online] [Accessed on 28th December 2014] http://www.hgs.org.uk/history/h00012000.html. [R1]Emersion of towns [R2]Fire of 1135 and predominantly 1212 [R3]Great fire of London [R4]London rebuilding act [R5]The garden city movement [R6]http://www.hgs.org.uk/history/h00012000.html [R7]Letchworth and Hampstead Garden Suburb Act [R8]Back to back houses and their banister [R9]A bit about 1909 act

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Hong Kong must move with the times by making itself an efficient :: Economics

Hong Kong must move with the times by making itself an efficient platform for Mainland financial intermediation. A number of journalists with specialised interests in financial developments in Hong Kong asked for my interpretation of the "move with the times" speech delivered by the Governor of the People's Bank of China, Zhou Xiaochuan at the Annual Dinner of the Hong Kong Association of Banks on 30 September 2005. The "move with the times" comment was made by Governor Zhou in relation to maintaining the status of Hong Kong as an international financial centre. We should of course all move with the times and be alert to changes taking place around us if we do not wish to be left behind. This comment has a universal application and is particularly important when times are changing rapidly. Those with the ability to anticipate changes and prepare for them stand a much higher chance of success. Those that carry on doing the same things in the same old way will simply be left behind. This is the reality. I obviously do not wish to quote others out of context or to put words in others' mouths, just as I do not wish anybody to do the same to me. But Governor Zhou delivered an important speech on a matter of great importance to Hong Kong - so important that it merited special reference in Article 109 of the Basic Law - the maintenance of the status of Hong Kong as an international financial centre. And the HKMA does have certain indirect responsibilities for this subject, derived from the Financial Secretary's authority in the Exchange Fund Ordinance to use the Exchange Fund, with a view to maintaining Hong Kong as an international financial centre, to maintain the stability and the integrity of the monetary and financial systems of Hong Kong. So, for what it is worth, I will make an exception to my usual practice and offer my (undoubtedly subjective and possibly biased) interpretation. Since I don't speak from a position of authority, my comments will concentrate more on how times are changing and less on how we in Hong Kong should move with them. Governor Zhou made it abundantly clear that, in terms of the financial environment in which Hong Kong operates, times are changing and changing fast. He made six important points. First, the savings rate on the Mainland is high by international standards and increasing, in contrast to a zero savings rate in the United States. I take this to mean that there is an exceedingly large amount (relative to GDP) of domestic savings on the Mainland to be mobilised and channelled into

Saturday, October 12, 2019

King Lear is a Christian Play About a Pagan World Essay examples -- Wi

King Lear is a Christian Play About a Pagan World It is evident that King Lear contains references to both the Christian and Pagan doctrine. However, they seem to be expressed in entirely different styles. King Lear is purposefully set in a pre Christian era with numerous references to classical Gods but conversely there appears to be a striking resonance of Christian theology throughout the play. These echoes appear in various forms including the idea of Edgar being a Christ-like figure and also the presence of a supposed divine justice. Therefore there is truth in the view that although King Lear has a pagan setting, its significance is ultimately relating to Christianity. Perhaps the most obvious way in which Shakespeare creates the pagan setting is through the specific mentions of non-Christian gods. When looking at the first scene it is apparent Shakespeare has deliberately seasoned it with pagan references, an example being Lear's response to Cordelia's unwillingness to speak, 'by the sacred radiance of the sun, The mysteries of Hecate and the night'. Shortly after this, Lear's rage is aimed at Kent for his defence of the king's supposedly wicked daughter, when he swears, 'by Apollo' and 'by Jupiter'. Another instance that shows Lear appealing to deities rather than the Christian belief of a singular being occurs during his exposure to the storm on the heath, 'Let the great Gods, That keep this dreadful pudder o'er our heads, Find out their enemies now.' All these quotes therefore demonstrate that King Lear is deliberately set in a pre-Christian era. However, this is not conclusive evidence that... ...ester's attempted suicide and the implication of Kent's without arousing shock and disapproval from the paying audience, as it was believed that such behaviour prevailed in this 'unnatural' era. In conclusion, the view that King Lear is 'a Christian play about a pagan world' is entirely plausible. The characters openly speak to and appeal to non-Christian gods and they doubt divine justice, suggesting that, 'They kill us for their sport.' This therefore creates a pagan setting for the play. However, there are definite Christian ideas running throughout the play which manifest themselves mainly in Edgar and Lear. Therefore, there is an inclination to agree with J C Maxwell, as despite the setting of the King Lear being Christian, its morals and concepts of atonement and redemption, lean towards Christian theology.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Men and Women Through Body Languages Essay

Abstract Communication had its verbal and nonverbal understandings, but they also have their misunderstandings. Body language has industrialized itself with different types of language that were brought up by the society. Men and women weren’t use to these body languages towards the similar gender. Miscommunication has been a problem when dealing with these differences. Men and women continue to build body languages that only made sense to themselves and not to the opposite gender. Although one defeats the other in a general body language such as; gestures for men and facial expressions for women, they will always be equal. Body languages may also differ between the two parties through culture and behavior. By knowing the differences between the two genders, a mutual understanding may be established. What is â€Å"communication†? Realistically, we can never fail to harass the use of communication because of its purpose in the society. Communication can be either verbal or nonverbal (Carnes.2010). How DO Men and Women communicate differently using body language? That’s the question we would usually ask ourselves and scarcely know the answer. According to Gray, author of the best-seller â€Å"Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus† (1992), one of the reasons that men and women differ in their use of nonverbal communication is that their reasons for communicating are often different (Carnes.2010). This means, in most situations, a man will commonly misunderstood a woman’s language because the perspective of one gender is distributed at a different angle. Diligently, Communication has altered itself through the different uses of body language between men and women; therefore, by expanding our knowledge of its diversity; we can unravel the miscommunication between two different parties. Such as the different types of verbally communicating, there are also different types of body language. We can’t entirely stress ourselves to see that, it is now a common and preferable use to most nowadays. Body language has industrialized itself through, facial expression, gestures, and physical contact by different classes of the society, whether it’s from the low class (Gangs, uneducated, etc.) to the high class (the Rich, prejudice, perfectionists, etc.). Research shows that women tend to make more eye contact during communication than men (Carnes.2010). Part of the reason for this is that, they want to be able to engage an emotional connection. An emotional connection through facial expression provides women an easier approach without the need to decide the words she wants or needs to say. This is why women are often taken for granted by men, because men read the emotions shown by women differently. Despite women’s abusive use of eye contact, men also have their side of use. Unlike women, men use eye contact to intimidate by nonverbally asserting dominance (Grover). Since men and women use similar nonverbal communication approach to different ends, they may interpret it differently when confronted. However, eye contact isn’t the only facial expression they differ, but also a simple smile. Women smile more often than men, however, this doesn’t necessarily mean that women are naturally happier than men. Freeman, author of â€Å"Women: A feminist perspective,† asserts that men rely on more obvious gestures and are more likely to use their hands to express themselves (Carnes.2010). Majority of the time, men decide to let their hands do the talking, such as women; they try not to stress themselves with words in order for them to remain in a safe zone. Similar situation happens within cultures such as the Samoans. The High Chiefs would speak with a lot of hand movement in a tradition ceremony. This means, they fear that words wouldn’t deliver correctly or satisfy the opposite. Because men dominant over gesture than women; women tend to make up for it with more facial expressions. However, that doesn’t mean women don’t know how to use gesture, for they use more subtle and restrained gestures and exhibit deferential gestures, such as lowering the eyes when interrupted or confronted (Carnes.2010). According to Carnes (2010), since men are more likely than women to associate touching with sexual intentions, heterosexual men are less to use touch during conversation with other men. Due to what men call, â€Å"Manly hood† or a similar term called â€Å"standards†. Men tend to keep distances from people when they talk to them and touch them less. Men do not express too much when touching other men unlike women, where they are far less concerned about touching other women because they also use touching as an expression of friendship or sympathy. They stand close to people and touch them to generally connect with whoever they are talking to. The difference between the two are simple, men aren’t as open as women where they express their feelings to men through touching just as to other women. This is considered a nonverbal difference because, like other reasons, it can be interpreted in different ways by different genders. Miscommunication has been a problem when dealing with these differences such as relationships. Romantic relationships often end due to miscommunication between the man and woman (Renwall.2010). It’s not because either of the two didn’t have good intentions, it’s because they didn’t communicate well enough to understand each other. Among males, competition is more important. Women in the other hand, concentrate more on cooperation. Studies show that as males’ age, their fact-to-face communication eventually resembles two people sitting in the driver’s and passenger’s seats, in the front seats of a vehicle (Renwall.2010). However, girls sit or stand in a circle when communicating, so that it’ll them to form a bond with each other. We’re all-too-familiar with the iconic scene of a husband who’s just returned from work, and buries himself in the daily newspaper. His wife wants to talk to him about his day, but he’d rather enjoy the escapism that the newspaper provides. In this scenario, neither the man nor the woman is â€Å"right† or â€Å"wrong.† Instead, they’re exhibiting the c ommon communication style of men and women, in a particular situation (Renwall.2010). In addition to (Carnes) relationships, women tend to lean forward when talking to a person, to show that they’re listening. They tend to use nonverbal communication as a means of enhancing her relationship with the person she’s communicating with. Often of times when couples or friends get into a major argument, it’s by miscommunication. But by learning how to communicate more effectively with opposite gender, you can prevent such situations that could even be fatal to the relationship! (Renwall.2010). There are times when women tend to say things while moving in circles; especially if there’s something that’s bothering them. By dropping hints instead of attacking the matter head on, women feel they are working at maintaining the relationship (Finkle.2011). However, it can contradict if a man is totally confused because he lacks at interpretation. Women go in circles, but men go for the jugular. To elaborate more on that; when men are bothered by something, they most likely focus on verbally communicating with just few words such as, â€Å"that’s just wrong†. Women interpret this as a heartless and tactless way of communicating, which may lead to arguments (Finkle.2011). Although one is dominant than the other to certain categories; women tend to be better at understanding body languages than men. Women are often better at picking up differences between what someone is saying with his words and body language. Sometimes women would communicate with men nonverbally; however, they wonder why men do not understand. On a daily basis, you would hear a man or a group of men calling out to a woman by saying words such as â€Å"hey baby, damn you’re hot, hello sexy momma, etc.† this is what Sam Grover of the eHow contributor community meant when he said â€Å"The reason is because men rely more on verbal communication than women.† This could sometime be a turn off for most women because it gives an image that they are cheap (Ta’amu.2012) There are differences in behaviors as well as differences in the purpose behind their behaviors (Amos,2012). These are the two primary ways that show up through the differences between men and women in body language. This means, some of these differences are done naturally; similar to genetics. Others are picked off through experience from places and can definitely differ in cultures. As mentioned earlier, women are more open than men, thus displaying their type of behavior called nurturing behavior. Contraire, on the men side, they display behaviors of a king; power and dominance. However, this was known to be facts in the past. In the modern world, these tendencies are subject to far more variability than ever before. This is due to increased acceptance and comfort with each gender displaying non-typical body language in many different situations (Amos.2012). Men and women use language differently and communicate differently because they were usually brought up differently. The society expects boys and girls as different background. Boys are expected to put themselves forward, while girls are expected to be humble. The most common body language differences are receiving and sending messages. When receiving messages, as mentioned before; women tend to be better. Unfortunately, men tend to be less skilled at using indirect body language to influence communication without actually knowing it at all when sending messages. Unlikely as it is, there are factual physical reasons for these differences. Women process messages using up to 16 different parts of their brain at once, while men process messages using about six or 7 different parts of their brain at once. Neither is better than other, but each processing pattern does influence the receiving and sending of messages based on gender (Amos,2012) This is the reason for women’s power to multitask and their creative imaginations. As with most things divided up along gender lines, the body language differences between men and women are best used as general guidelines (Amos.2012). This is saying that by knowing these differences between men and women, we may establish a better understanding between the two genders. Relationships between others may last longer than usual. One of the most common ways to better understand the opposite gender is by trust. They are a starting point, if you will, for engaging in interactions and going through the process of establishing rapport and building trust (Amos.2012). Once both men and women better understand each other’s perspective, both can improve on interpretation and understanding. The key is to be respectful of differences and not belittle or judge either gender based on body language issues (Amost.2012). We’re all addressed to our own action, words, perspective, and intention. There will always be a time when we got to face the differences. Just as the saying goes â€Å"Let’s sit, and settle our differences†. By knowing the differences between the two genders, we can start knowing that neither is right or wrong. Despite who is dominant, both men and women have fallen into miscommunication. Therefore, by understanding how the opposite gender tends to communicate, and by using some of those methods yourself–you can prevent miscommunication and strengthen the relationship with your special someone (Renwall.2010). Through the expansion of human knowledge, we unraveled the differences. This study has a lot of implications and great information for mangers who manage both genders, leaders, ministers, CEO of companies etc†¦ A deeper understanding of the way men and women communicate many domestic and social conflicts in society can be resolved. (Ta’amu.2012) References * Carnes, D. (2010, July 12). Retrieved November 30, 2012, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/172581-do-men-women-use-nonverbal-communication-differently/#ixzz2BnRKgKyj * Renwall, G. (2010, March 16). Retrieved November 30, 2012, from http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Men-and-Women-Communicate-Differently&id=3940430 * Grover, S. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2012, from http://www.ehow.com/info_8110509_gender-differences-nonverbal-communications.html * Amos, J. (2012, October 15). Retrieved November 30, 2012, from http://www.bodylanguageexpert.co.uk/bodylanguageandmenandwomen.html * Finkle, L. (2011, October 12). In Communication. Retrieved November 30, 2012, from http://incedogroup.com/do-men-and-women-communicate-differently-3-telltale-examples-that-say-they-do/