Oil and Natural Gas Industry and Its Effect on the Economy

The 300 Million Year History of Amphibian Evolution

The 300 Million Year History of Amphibian Evolution Heres the strange thing about amphibian evolution: You wouldnt know it from the small and rapidly dwindling population of frogs, toads, and salamanders alive today, but for tens of millions of years spanning the late Carboniferous and early Permian periods, amphibians were the dominant land animals on Earth. Some of these ancient creatures achieved crocodile-like sizes, up to 15 feet long (which may not seem so big today but was positively huge 300 million years ago) and terrorized smaller animals as the apex predators of their swampy ecosystems. Before going further, its helpful to define what the word amphibian means. Amphibians differ from other vertebrates in three main ways: First, newborn hatchlings live underwater and breathe via gills, which then disappear as the juvenile undergoes a metamorphosis into its adult, air-breathing form. Juveniles and adults can look very different, as in the case of tadpoles and full-grown frogs. Second, adult amphibians lay their eggs in water, which significantly limits their mobility when colonizing the land. And third, the skin of modern amphibians tends to be slimy rather than reptile-scaly, which allows for the additional transport of oxygen for respiration. The First Amphibians As is often the case in evolutionary history, its impossible to pinpoint the exact moment when the first tetrapods, the four-legged fish that crawled out of the shallow seas 400 million years ago and swallowed gulps of air with primitive lungs, turned into the first true amphibians. In fact, until recently, it was fashionable to describe these tetrapods as amphibians, until it occurred to experts that most tetrapods didnt share the full spectrum of amphibian characteristics. For example, three important genera of the early Carboniferous period- Eucritta, Crassigyrinus, and Greererpeton- can be variously described as either tetrapods or amphibians, depending on which features are being considered. Its only in the late Carboniferous period, from about 310 to 300 million years ago, that we can comfortably refer to the first true amphibians. By this time, some genera had attained relatively monstrous sizes- a good example being Eogyrinus (dawn tadpole), a slender, crocodile-like creature that measured 15 feet from head to tail. Interestingly, the skin of Eogyrinus was scaly rather than moist, evidence that the earliest amphibians needed to protect themselves from dehydration. Another late Carboniferous/early Permian genus, Eryops, was much shorter than Eogyrinus but more sturdily built, with massive, tooth-studded jaws and strong legs. At this point, its worth noting a rather frustrating fact about amphibian evolution: Modern amphibians, which are technically known as lissamphibians, are only remotely related to these early monsters. Lissamphibians, which include frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and rare earthworm-like amphibians called caecilians, are believed to have radiated from a common ancestor that lived in the middle Permian or early Triassic periods, and its unclear what relationship this common ancestor may have had to late Carboniferous amphibians like Eryops and Eogyrinus. Its possible that modern lissamphibians branched off from the late Carboniferous Amphibamus, but not everyone subscribes to this theory. Prehistoric Amphibians: Lepospondyls and Temnospondyls As a general rule, the amphibians of the Carboniferous and Permian periods can be divided into two camps: small and weird-looking (lepospondyls), and big and reptilelike (temnospondyls). The lepospondyls were mostly aquatic or semiaquatic, and more likely to have the slimy skin characteristic of modern amphibians. Some of these creatures (such as Ophiderpeton and Phlegethontia) resembled small snakes; others, like Microbrachis, were reminiscent of salamanders, and some were simply unclassifiable. A good example of the last is Diplocaulus: This three-foot-long lepospondyl had a huge, boomerang-shaped skull, which might have functioned as an undersea rudder. Dinosaur enthusiasts should find the temnospondyls easier to swallow. These amphibians anticipated the classic reptilian body plan of the Mesozoic Era: long trunks, stubby legs, big heads, and in some cases scaly skin, and many of them (like Metoposaurus and Prionosuchus) resembled large crocodiles. Probably the most infamous of the temnospondyl amphibians was the impressively named Mastodonsaurus; the name means nipple-toothed lizard and has nothing to do with the elephant ancestor. Mastodonsaurus had an almost comically oversized head that accounted for nearly a third of its 20-foot-long body. For a good portion of the Permian period, the temnospondyl amphibians were the top predators of the Earths landmasses. That all changed with the evolution of the therapsids (mammal-like reptiles) toward the end of the Permian period. These large, nimble carnivores chased the temnospondyls back into the swamps, where most of them slowly died out by the beginning of the Triassic period. There were a few scattered survivors, though: For example, the 15-foot-long Koolasuchus thrived in Australia in the middle Cretaceous period, about a hundred million years after its temnospondyl cousins of the northern hemisphere had gone extinct. Introducing Frogs and Salamanders As stated above, modern amphibians (lissamphibians) branched off from a common ancestor that lived anywhere from the middle Permian to the early Triassic periods. Since the evolution of this group is a matter of continuing study and debate, the best we can do is to identify the earliest true frogs and salamanders, with the caveat that future fossil discoveries may push the clock back even further. Some experts claim that the late Permian Gerobatrachus, also known as the frogamander, was ancestral to these two groups, but the verdict is mixed. As far as prehistoric frogs are concerned, the best current candidate is Triadobatrachus, or triple frog, which lived about 250 million years ago, during the early Triassic period. Triadobatrachus differed from modern frogs in some important ways: For example, it had a tail, the better to accommodate its unusually large number of vertebrae, and it could only flail its hind legs rather than use them to execute long-distance jumps. But its resemblance to modern frogs is unmistakable. The earliest known true frog was the tiny Vieraella of early Jurassic South America, while the first true salamander is believed to have been Karaurus, a tiny, slimy, big-headed amphibian that lived in late Jurassic central Asia. Ironically- considering that they evolved over 300 million years ago and have survived, with various waxings and wanings, into modern times- amphibians are among the most threatened creatures on the Earth today. Over the last few decades, a startling number of frog, toad, and salamander species have spiraled toward extinction, though no one knows exactly why. The culprits may include pollution, global warming, deforestation, disease, or a combination of these and other factors. If current trends persist, amphibians may be the first major classification of vertebrates to disappear off the face of the Earth.

Business advise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Business advise - Essay Example This massive drop in revenue may result in the hospital being unable to meet operational cost thus resulting in closure. The first solution to the problem is that the hospital can form its own ACO. Since the hospital has access to funding as a source of capital, it can easily raise money to set up an electronic record of patients (McCaffrey 217).The hospital has trained health professionals who can handle clients. This is extremely beneficial since to hospital will not need any additional funding as it makes use of resources already at its disposal. However, this is time consuming and since most of the patients around already belong to a functioning ACO, it would be very hard to convince them to join the new outfit. Second, the hospital can pot to buy some of the ACOs already in operation. The hospital would spend money on the acquisition only; the rest of the infrastructure is already in place. The challenge in this case would be convincing the doctors involved to selling their venture (McCaffrey 218).The option of buying into an already established ACO would be the most appropriate. Buying existing ACOs is a low level of risk because the system is already functional and has a client base ready to receive

Kants morally impermissible actions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Kants morally impermissible actions - Essay Example Deontological ethical theory Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher proposed the theory of deontological ethical theory; this has the foundation on the point that only essentially good will is derived from a good thing. This implies that an action is evaluated when the motives or maxim behind it are evaluated, these can be looked at from two angles. First, evaluation of actions by taking into consideration their consequences, this is rejected, a person can control motives and purpose but lack the inability to control the consequences of his/her actions. Secondly what is ‘ought’ means ‘can’ this means that a person is held responsible morally only for a limited number of actions that are under his/her control. Logic as the Basis for Ethics: What action can be described as permissible and hence the converse implies impermissibility? An action is said to be permissible if its cause can be found to be logically consistent and an action is said to be impermissible if its cause is found to be irrational, inconsistent or contradictory (Sullivan 163). This arguments aid in avoidance of mistake and prejudice, provides tenable defense of moral motives, and implies a reply to moral skeptics. The argument can also be said to provide moral universality theory and to give the impression that immorality implies inconsistency and irrationality. For an action to be praiseworthy, the action must have foundation on a logically rational or consistent motive. A praiseworthy action is one that has foundation on a given motive that is obeying the moral law, moral laws are those that are consistent for everyone and are applicable to every other person. Permissible actions are as defined above are those that are because of a consistent motive and are done out of moral duty. The Categorical Imperative: Kant suggested that the moral duty is given to an agent by reason as a categorical imperative (McCracken 131) a person is told how to behave out of an imperative statement. Imperative statements can be considered on two occasions, hypothetical imperative is built on commands for accomplish a particular objective; categorical imperative is modeled on natural law. This becomes the focal point of Kant’s moral principle; to him the foundation of the principle cannot be anything but absolute. An attempt to rationalize morally impermissible behavior will prove self-defeating; this is known as morally impressible action (McCracken 131). An act is impermissible if and only if the action is acted upon the foundation of the maxim that a person cannot will to a universal law; therefore, the permissible action implies the converse. This implies that a person will do an action given the circumstance and because of a certain motiv e, this gives the reason for the action-the maxim. Every person will do actions given the set of circumstances and because of those motives; this means that a person’s actions is consistent with everyone’s actions. The murder example If a person is considering killing another person for egoistic reasons, because, the other person is committing adultery with his wife, consider the impermissibility of this case. The action, which is murder for egoistic reasons this gives the circumstance and finally the motive, is adultery. Every person will kill those people for egoistic reasons, because, these people have committed adultery with their wives. The first argument provides the maxim principle while the second argument provides the universal law; this cannot consistently will that people will commit all those actions this therefore means that the action is impermissible. This example above illustrate classifications of moral duties, the classifications are premised on these divisions, first, the duties to self by implication to others and perfect duties by implication imperfect duties. Perfect duties are done at every other chance whilst the imperfect duties are done at a unique chance but the agent must put thought to it. Violation of

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 17

Research paper - Essay Example They also realized that they had a lot in common. Eventually, tribes and races intermarried hence socialism became the norm. However, in the modern world, there exist people who practice racism against other races. Different types of races have different types of music. Music from all over the world differs on harmony, melodies, rhythms and musical instruments. Different tribes and races, dance differently and sing differently. Why should it be different then when it comes to music? This paper seeks to explain this difference, its importance and beauty. Those who interact with other people from other races end up enjoying music from a different cultural background. A clear difference between races and ethnic communities can be seen from a comparison of their music. It is easy to tell the difference between African, Spanish, Indian and South American music. Therefore, it is important to experience a communities’ music before interacting with them since it help in understanding their practices and interest. Music is diverse, but it seeks to develop a tendency and pattern of growth1. However, some types of ethnic music carry a message that relates well with people of other races as well. The methods used to compare various types of ethnic music include: timbre, harmony, rhythm and universals such as: sound perception, scale structures, and melodic contour. Timbre refers to the distinct sound made by various voices and instruments. Harmony refers to the sound created when two or more pitches are combined. Moreover, rhythms also vary in various ethnic communities.2 The song ‘Love is color-blind’ by Sarah Connor clearly shows that there is really no distinction among various races. It also shows the way children of different races grow together without discrimination but grow to learn of their differences and deviate from their previous fellowship. This people grow out of love and

The sociological theory of social constructionism

The sociological theory of social constructionism Social Constructionism essentially represents a sociological theory of knowledge that studies the development of various sociological phenomena in social contexts. A social construct, the anchor of this theory, refers to a concept that is the artefact of a specific group. Social constructs, to elaborate, dispense with take away from commonly accepted inherent qualities of items, concepts, or issues, and instead focus on their dependence upon, and the contingent and conditional rationale of, our social sense. They describe such issues and things are more easily described as the result of numerous human choices, rather than of natural laws or divine intention. The origins of present day social constructionist theories go back to the writings of Immanuel Kant. Kant argued for the existence of a world that was independent of human minds, thus implying that humans should not assert that they created the world. This world, he said, is without structure and is not divided into things and facts. Structure is imposed on the world by perceiving it and thinking of it in specific ways, as also and by the adoption of particular sets of beliefs, (rather than instead of others) about it. Vivine Burr (2003, p 2) argues that social constructionism enables individuals to adopt critical attitudes towards their conventional and traditional methods of perceiving and understanding the world and their own selves. It provides humans us with fresh ways on perceiving ideas and things that are considered to be commonplace and are unquestioningly accepted. Numerous things like for example money, newspapers or citizenship are socially constructed and. All of these t hings would not obviously have existed in the absence of society. Each of them furthermore could have well been constructed differently. Social constructionism encourages people to question the widely held perception that conventional and accepted knowledge has sprung has come about from objective and impartial examination of the world. It is as such opposed to the positivist epistemology of traditional science and spurs thinking individuals to constantly question their assumptions about the appearance of their environment and its various components. This short study deals with the implications of social constructionism for social workers and how its use can help them social workers to understand human behaviour. Specific emphasis has been given to the use of social constructionism in understanding commonly held perceptions and attitudes towards mental disorders. The Use of Social Constructionism by Social Workers to Understand Human Behaviour Social workers have two fundamental objectives, namely the strengthening of the ability of individuals and groups to cope with and overcome the many difficulties and challenges they confront in life, and the bringing about of improvements in various social and environmental circumstances areas, in order to improve the satisfaction of human needs; especially of people from underprivileged and oppressed social segments. Social workers plan and attempt their various interventions through their understanding of environmental circumstances, the various reasons for such these conditions, and the client system. Such understanding and knowledge and the consequent adoption of theoretic approaches significantly influence the point, the tool, and the nature of social work intervention. It becomes evident that adoption of theoretic preferences, based upon an understanding of the reality of the client environment, is crucial, both to social work theory and its practice. Theories of classical empiricism assert that the truth about the world is established and is independent of the individual. Social constructionism conversely puts forth argues that such truth is certainly not independent of individuals but is actually depends upon their thoughts, perceptions and beliefs. Social workers, by using social constructionism, will be able to understand the various dimensions of reality within such individual thoughts, perceptions and beliefs. Constructionists state that reality cannot be known separately from our elucidation of it. Social constructionism works on the principle that reality is constructed socially and places emphasis on language as a critical route for interpretation of experience. Whilst objectivists state that individuals make discoveries and find out about the reality of the world through the construction and testing of hypotheses via the actions of neutral observers, constructionists debunk such assumptions arguing that the interests and values of observers can never be separated from their observations and are thus bound to influence the final construction of common perceptions about world realities. Gergen (1985, p 270), states that generation of ideas of reality is initiated by social, rather than individual, processes and that the touted objective reality of the positivist approach is actually the result of various social construction processes that are influenced by historical, political, cultural and economic conditions. With such knowledge being essentially constructed, it can change over time and diverge across cultural groups that embrace different perceptions and beliefs about human nature and development. Considering that the norms, beliefs, valu es, traditions, attitudes and practices of different cultural groups vary from each other, the social construction of their knowledge is also likely to differ significantly. An understanding of this fundamental principle can help social workers in their realisation of the different perceptions, attitudes and behaviours of different individuals towards similar social phenomena or stimuli. Social constructionism helps social workers in adopting critical stances towards established assumptions on regarding the social world that reinforce the interests of powerful and dominant social groups and assists them in realising that the world has come about because of historical processes of communication and negotiation between groups and individuals. Gergen (1985, p 266), states that people see the world through the eyes of their particular communities and cultures and respond accordingly. Established assumptions, understandings and behaviours of people are sustained by social, political, economic and moral institutions. Payne (1997), states that reality, according to social constructionism, can be stated to be the guidance of behaviour by individual perceptions of knowledge and reality. Individuals arrive at shared perceptions of reality through the sharing of their knowledge via different social processes that first organise such knowledge and thereafter establish it by making it objective. Social and individual activity thus becomes habitual with individuals sharing their assumptions about their perceptions of reality. People behave in line with social conventions that are based on such shared knowledge. These conventions are furthermore institutionalised because of the agreement of many people on such understandings on different aspects of society. Such realisations and accords become legitimised by processes that integrate these ideas about reality into ordered and believable systems. Social workers need to realise that social understanding is finally the combined result of various human understandings through the operation of circular processes, wherein individuals contribute to the construction of social meaning within social structures of societies through processes of institutionalisation and legitimisation. Societies consequently create conventions through the participation of individuals in their structures, which, in turn influences the behaviours of people. Spirals of constantly moving influences build and rebuild the conventions that people adopt and by which they live. Berger and Luckmann, (1966), state that individuals experience the world to be an objective reality, comprising of persons and events that exist separately of individuals perceptions. Language provides the means through which individuals make sense of their environment, classify persons and events, and interpret new experiences. The shared reality of everyday life by different individuals distinguishes it from individual realities, (like dreams). Language helps individuals in sharing their experiences and making it available to others. Such sharing of reality leads to institutionalisation and thereafter to habitual ways of working. Habitualism makes the behaviour of different individuals predictable, facilitates joint activity and perpetuates social control mechanisms. Knowledge is as such institutionalised within sub-groups, or at social levels, and significantly influences the behaviour of people. Social constructionism allows social workers to question dominant structures of knowledge and understand the impact of culture and history. Social workers by and large understand the requirements of humans through the interplay of different ideological, ethical, political and economic factors. An understanding of social constructionism can help them in understanding the responses behind the actions of both dominant and vulnerable groups of society and decide upon the adoption of the best suited routes for bringing about social change. Social Constructionism and Mental Illness Much of modern day societys perceptions about mental ailments are influenced by the medical and psychological models, which state that medical illnesses are real; they concern disturbances in thoughts, experiences, and emotions and can be serious enough to cause functional impairment in individuals. Such ailments make it difficult for individuals to sustain interpersonal relationships and conduct their jobs. They can also sometimes result in self destructive actions, including suicides. The more serious of such illnesses, like extreme depression and schizophrenia, can often be chronic and lead to serious disability. The social constructionist approach states that such much of modern day perceptions about mental ailments are caused by the specifically constructed vocabularies of medical and psychological models, replete with their elaborate terminologies for mental disorders and focused their focus on deficits. Social constructionism can help social workers in understanding the socially constructive and destructive illusions that have been created put up by existing medical and psychological models and deficit based language. Walker (2006), states that vocabularies of medical and psychological models, including the concept of mental illness itself, are essentially social constructions. They are made up of vocabularies that describe deficits and diseases and perceive human beings as things that can be examined, diagnosed and treated, much in the manner of machines. Such perceptions (a) lead to obsessions with compliance, (b) distinguish between normal and pathological states, and (c) position prac titioners as experts, even as clients are represented built up determined as passive and obedient recipients of treatment. Recommended treatments focus on elimination of symptoms, support established paternalistic roles, and are not focused on actual client needs. Examined from the perspective of linguistics, reified categories like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia appear to be defined by clusters termed as symptoms; schizophrenia for example is concerned with the occurrence of audio hallucinations. Such terms, it is evident exists only because of the creation of consensus among the dominant groups of doctors and psychologists and persist because of convention. Mental illnesses are often described akin to physical ailments like diabetes, where individuals are required to manage their lives with specific medications. Such comparisons are used to explain the working of medications and to make the diagnosis and recommended treatment for mental ailments acceptable to clients. Such analogies however breakdown completely considering if it is realised that discussions about thoughts and feelings of individuals concern their identities and not their bodies. Social workers need to understand that the vocabularies of medical and psychological models essentially position clinicians as the most suitable interpreters of client experiences. Even apparently harmless terms like clinical or treatment plans establish contexts where clients are perceived to be abnormal or having pathologies, even as clinicians are established as authorities with abilities to perform interventions for assisting clients in overcoming their pathologies. With the power of definition lying with clinicians, the labelling of people as mentally ill pushes them to the borders of society and takes away from them their intrinsic rights and privileges. Social constructionism helps social workers in understanding that whilst political and human pressure has helped in eliminating the incarceration of the mentally ill in mental hospitals, the distinction created by vocabulary on mental illness leads to the movement of centres of power to clinicians and undermines efforts for self determination and community integration. Such medical and psychological vocabularies constitute obstacles to more inclusive mental health programmes and undermine social understanding of people with mental disorders.

Essay --

In Antigone, death is a central theme that is consistently present throughout the entire play. In this particular passage, the chorus proclaims that man’s access to resources will allow him to continue to exist; however, as long as man exists, so will death – a fate that no amount of resources can help anyone escape. In this essay, I will explore the correlation and significance of this passage, and more specifically, the correlation and relation to death, with particular characters of the play. These particular characters each have a different relation and perspective of death, however, as the story progresses, I will discuss why their relation, perspective and the way that which they acknowledge death itself evolves and changes so drastically. In the first part of the passage, ‘speech and thought’ and ‘mind for law’ refer to the attributes of man; what it means to be human. The passage is directly praising man for all the wonders of the human race; man who has taught himself, built a shelter, a city and created a law, man’s capability and skills to become accustomed to the land, to the very earth and nature itself, the world that they have been put in, man’s capacity to learn to adjust and survive and live in the way that we see fit. Antigone making the choice to go against the king, because of what she believes to be right, attempting to give her brother Polynices what she believes he deserves – this thought, ‘quick as the wind’, including every action she carried out after, was effortless and came naturally to her. The set of principals and values that each individual has and what they choose to believe in become like instinct; to fight for what you believe in b ecomes as natural as to look for ‘shelter from the arrows of the f... ...tten that he is not divine like the gods are. He is a man with plenty resources, and although by the end of the play, Creon is still living - he hasn’t escaped death. In the passage, note that while the chorus is listing the wonders of man, the accomplishments of human beings; each accomplishment is paired with an element of nature, wind, frost, sky and rain – and each accomplishment is referring to man applying control over nature, mirroring the confliction in the entire story. Creon represents the city, a man made empire, while Antigone stands for the gods, nature and herself. When Creon loses all the people that he cares for, nature seems to be punishing Creon for his disrespect. It appears that each step onward as we progress, we further distance ourselves from where we started, making each of our achievements and the wonders of man just as bad as they are good.

A Woman and Her Doll- Ruth Handler

In 1959 the world of toys was changed forever by a woman under 12 inches tall, Barbie. Barbie was a pioneer in a time when baby dolls with cubby, rosey cheeks dominated the market. She was the first mass marketed adult-like doll and one of the first toys to have a marketing strategy based on television advertising. Since Barbie’s debut at the New York Toy Fair, in her zebra bathing suit, she has kept pace with the times and sported many influential and influenced looks over the decades.It is now estimated that over a billion Barbie dolls have been sold worldwide in over 150 countries (Wikipedia, â€Å"Barbie†). M. G. Lord, author of â€Å"Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Living Doll,† called Barbie the most potent icon of American culture of the late 20th century. She's an archetypal female figure, she's something upon which little girls project their idealized selves. For most baby boomers, she has the same iconic resonance as any female saints, a lthough without the same religious significance. Lord, Forever Barbie) Behind this icon of pop culture was a woman by the name of Ruth Handler. Ruth and her husband, Isador â€Å"Elliot† Handler founded Mattel in 1942. But it wasn’t until Ruth’s revelational busty figured, blue eyed, platinum blonde came on to the scene, that business really started booming.Handler’s inspiration came from watching her young daughter play. Barbra, whom Barbie was named after, showed little interest in playing with her baby dolls. Instead she preferred to dress up her adult-like cut out paper dolls. Every little girl needed a doll through which to project herself into her dream of the future,† Handler said, in a 1977 interview with The New York Times. â€Å"If she was going to do role playing of what she would be like when she was 16 or 17, it was a little stupid to play with a doll that had a flat chest. So I gave it beautiful breasts. † Barbie has undergone a lot of changes over the years and has managed to keep up with current trends in hairstyles, makeup and clothing. She has been a reflection of the history of fashion since her introduction to the toy market.The book â€Å"Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll,† discusses Barbie and her attire. Early outfits included â€Å"Friday Night Date† and â€Å"Sorority Meeting. † In years to follow, Barbie sported a Jacqueline Kennedy hairdoo and during the civil rights movement, Mattel created Barbie’s first black friend, â€Å"Colored Francie. † There have been many critics along the way, commenting on Barbies scientifically impossible body and â€Å"questionable portrayal of intelligence† (Kershaw, The New York Times).But as I and many others see it, Barbie has enhanced girl’s self-image and encouraged them to reach for stars and expanded their sense of potential. Over the past 50 years, Barbie has had vast and numerous c areers, from a surgeon to a gymnast to an astronaut. Ruth Handler and Barbie gave little girls all over the world the inspiration to dream of what they could one day aspire to be. Not only did Handler create a revolutionary doll with breasts, she also invented the worlds very first prosthetic breast (Ladies Home Journal Books).In 1970, Ruth was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to have a mastectomy. At the time women were using lumpy socks and rolled up pantyhose to try to help resemble what they had lost in the surgery. Ruth saw this as unacceptable according to Veronica Horwell of the Guardian. With the help of a craftsman named Peyton Masses, Handler designed a line of realistic artificial breasts made from foam and silicon. She called her new product â€Å"Nearly Me† and formed the Ruthton Corporation to sell it (Horwell, Ruth Handler). Handler was intent on demystifying what was a taboo subject in the 1970’s.She became an outspoken advocate for early detection of breast cancer and offered her prosthetics as a way for women to feel good about themselves again. Handler’s â€Å"Nearly Me† was a great success and counting the former first lady Betty Ford among her numerous customers, she sold the company in 1991. Handler has been quoted saying many many times that she did not make a lot of money in it, but she rebuilt her self-esteem and hoped that she did the same for others. Ruth Handler has changed the lives of women young and old.She gave us all hope for the future through plastic and silicon. I think Ruth said it best in her autobiography, â€Å"Dream Doll: The Ruth Handler Story. † She writes â€Å" My whole philosophy of Barbie was that through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be. Barbie always represented the face that women had choices. † I think Ruth Handler and Barbie accomplished exactly that!Works Cited â€Å"Barbie. † Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundati on, Inc. 22 July 2004. Web. 27 November. 2010. Horwell, Veronica. â€Å"Ruth Handler: Creator of the Doll Whose Changing Style Defined Genera-tions of Young Women. † The Guardian. 02 May 2002. Kershaw, Sarah. â€Å"Ruth Handler, Whose Barbie Gave Dolls Curves. † The New York Times. 29 April 2002. Ladies’ Home Journal Books. 100 Most Important Women of the 20th Century. Des Moines, Iowa: Meredith Corporation, 1998. Lord, M. G. Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Living Doll. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1994. Ticona-Vergaray, Evelyn. â€Å"Barbies 50 years of Beauty and Controversy. † United Press International University. 08 November 2009. Web. 27 November 2010.

Professional Mission Statement Essays

Professional Mission Statement Essays Professional Mission Statement Essay Professional Mission Statement Essay Each profession differs in the kind of service it provides or the role it fulfills. People go through life looking for meaning and wondering what to do with themselves. Some of them consider factors like wage range, ease of job, and the prestige associated with the title, while some are forced to glide through life taking whatever they can find as long as they survive. I am quite fortunate to have finally discovered that I want to be a teacher specifically for young kids. It is quite the challenge because this is the age bracket that forms and shapes their habits, behaviors, and attitude towards life, people, and education. I love taking on challenges because they inspire me to work harder in achieving goals and most of all I am passionate about working with children. As an aspiring parent, I believe that setting the right foundation is quite essential for the overall development of children. The young ones spend most of their time in schools more than at home, leaving teachers with the responsibility of being their guardians and guides. Therefore, I find fulfillment in knowing that I have taken part in ensuring that children have the right foundation in building their lives. Becoming a teacher is not the hardest task. One only needs to qualify academically and get enrolled in an academic institution. However, being successful at the job is what determines the nature or characteristics of a good teacher. Anyone can be a teacher, but to be a good teacher especially for the young children requires particular skills. First of all, a teacher should be passionate about the art because the passion drives their dedication to the role (Devine et.al, 2013). Without the passion, the instructor may as well give the children the books to learn on their own. A regular teacher is concerned with exchanging knowledge to students, but a passionate one will ensure that they understand and apply the knowledge appropriately. Secondly, an educator should know how to relate to children on their level. It motivates the children to be receptive towards the teacher and comfortable during class. Other skills needed include patience, communication proficiency, confidence, good lead ership, and organization (Devine et.al, 2013). Due to the tasking nature of dealing with young children, I sought to increase my knowledge in other fields instead of focusing on teaching. For example, I took some early development and counseling courses to sharpen my ability to understand and work with children. I have also volunteered to participate in school and community programs dealing with the kids and their welfares. Through active participation, I am aware of issues that these young ones go through outside the school setting, and how these events affect their lives both inside and outside of school. My primary mission is to impart the young ones lives in a wholesome way other than ensuring they succeed at the classroom level. The current education system has failed to provide this experience to children. Schools are more focused on completing the syllabus as per state or national regulations than how education impacts the lives of the children (Sallis, 2014). My goals are also to ensure that the children focus less on com peting and more on developing their talents, and not being afraid to fail at what they want to achieve. I want to teach children to learn how to love themselves so that they avoid future problems like misconduct due to peer pressure or indulging in destructive behavior. The best way to advocate for children as a teacher is by presenting their needs to the relevant stakeholders such as parents, fellow educators, school administrators and the government. Working in public schools is the bigger challenge due to the standards set across all States, inadequate funding, overpopulation, and lack of amenities among other problems faced by public institutions (Ballantine Hammack, 2015). Instead of burdening children with several subjects that have no impact on their current lives, I intend to focus on nurturing their development by teaching them life skills. I will also use different assessment methods instead of using tests to reduce the pressure of learning to cram the syllabus as opposed to understanding it (Devine et.al, 2013). My primary goal is to set aside a small number of children and apply the different education strategy, and after successful implementation, I will use them as proof that the system requires an overhaul. In the event I fail to do s o, I intend to work within my means by impacting the lives of those I can in a given moment. As a Christian, I believe in setting the right foundation from an early age. Just as my faiths doctrine preaches, when you teach a child certain ways while they are still young, they will never part from those ways even when they are fully grown. I am, therefore, spiritually and morally obligated to ensuring that I use my position to create a positive influence in society. Our current civilization requires an overhaul in nurturing and education (Sallis, 2014). The busy and demanding lifestyles have rendered parents unavailable to fulfill their parenting role leaving it to teachers. Some of them are not passionate about their jobs while others lack the capacity to act due to circumstances such as handling several classes at once or working in public schools. It is easy to choose to give up and follow the system when overwhelmed, but I hope my passion for this role gives me the strength to achieve what I want. There is nothing more fulfilling than knowing I played a part in the success of a childs growth. References Ballantine, J., Hammack, F. M. (2015).The sociology of education: A systematic analysis. Routledge. Devine, D., Fahie, D., McGillicuddy, D. (2013). What is goodteaching? Teacher beliefs and practices about their teaching.;Irish Educational Studies,32(1), 83-108. Russell, T., ;Korthagen, F. (2013).;Teachers who teach teachers: Reflections on teacher education. Routledge. Sallis, E. (2014).;Total quality management in education. Routledge.

10 College Project Topics on Computer Science

10 College Project Topics on Computer Science If you need   some information on computer science for your college project, consider these 10 fun facts below: There is a persistent problem with staffing and retaining IT employees and, although there have been studies that have looked at IT workers’ job motivation and attitudes toward their jobs, there has been little literature on key attributes of IT personnel which differs from other occupations. By understanding the key personality traits among IT workers and how these traits differentiated them from other professions, the results can inform a wide variety of organizational processes such as assessing IT candidates for job and organizational fit, recruitment, selection, placement, identifying training needs, career planning, counseling, and ongoing management. Today, the modern customer is changing not only how to look for products and services, but how they use them. Transformation over the last few years alone has resulted in an increase of customers focusing on geographically based searches for those companies nearest their location by way of geographical tags on their smartphones and wireless connections. Customers are turning to tablets and smartphones when shopping in lieu of physical spaces. Customers are demanding faster responses to inquiries and internet based options. Long gone are the days where companies can survive without a website, but now the continually changing customer has continually changing needs which require all businesses to focus more on internet-based service. Companies are turning with higher frequency to digital methods of marketing, advertising, and data mining. Data mining is used to collect customer information. Multiple companies utilize the collection of customer data to make predictions based on whether the customer is worth maintaining for the long term and how much money the customer will bring to the company on a regular basis. This type of data mining also stretches to include predictive measurements for behavior, especially with the focus on the target company and the pregnancy prediction analysis which they implemented (Berry Linoff, 1991; Han, Kamber, Pei, 2011; Laudon Lauden, 2010, p. 245). Directly in tandem with the data mining is the field of behavioral science, something which is used to determine the success rates of the various data mining related strategies. For example, behavioral studies determined that target customers did not appreciate the predictive pregnancy analyses, and they did not appreciate the pregnancy or baby related coupons which were sent to them. But when they assumed this was random and that their personal information has not been spy on they were much more willing to accept the coupons and to use them (Han, Kamber, Pei, 2011). It is by way of SAS statistical modeling software that companies are gathering the customer information especially information related to local trends, geographic location, habitual purchases, as well as personal details such as the number of children, marital status, and more.  Understanding habitual purchases by customers is also beneficial for all of the companies listed in the case study. It allows each of the organizations to determine which habitual purchases were made on a regular basis and which items individuals enjoyed. The items which are made on the eventual bases are things which do not relate directly to impulse purchases and as such having coupons or advertisements while shopping are not nearly as beneficial and investment (Berry Linoff, 1991; Han, Kamber, Pei, 2011; Laudon Lauden, 2010, p. 245). That being said the software can provide information specific to gift purchases or other impulse related by so that marketing efforts can be better coordinated and target ed to individual customers. This software also provides information as to which customers may require additional benefits such as bonus gift from the company in order to sustain that membership. These efforts of other companies to target their traditional marketing effort on this customers which will provide them with the most profitable lifetime memberships ((Berry Linoff, 1991; Han, Kamber, Pei, 2011; Laudon Lauden, 2010, p. 245). Information maintained by companies such as patient or customer data are typically maintained on cloud networks, so as to afford access to all necessary employees or customers/patients no matter where they are located (Berry Linoff, 1991; Han, Kamber, Pei, 2011; Laudon Lauden, 2010, p. 245). With so many companies turning to cloud computing and maintaining long term data, cyber security remains a serious concern, particularly as it relates to things such as data breaches. Regardless of where attacks originate, Internet users are at risk of victimization by professional hackers no matter where they live. This results in a significant loss of valuable information and identity information. By raising public awareness large-scale organizations can take the necessary steps to protect their users and their data while using the Internet. Increasing investment within IT professionals on staff can also help to offset the impact that the hacking economy is having. Some companies utilize inventory management online by tracking the quantity of every item which is maintained and triggering orders for out of stock items when the quantities drop below predetermined amount. The systems are often connected to point of sale systems which ensure that every time an item is sold one is removed from the turtle inventory count. This provides a closed information loop from every department. But in order for these systems to communicate with one another IT professionals must remain intact. Managing information systems must be done for data management. Today companies continue to maintain digital versions of all documents on a storage device or service. Once these documents are digitized they are instantly available to anyone in the company no matter where they are located. This means companies can store and maintain significant amounts of historical data available to all employees. But in order for this information to be the only protected from security threats but operational such the employees can access it from any location, IT staff must be on hand to immediately rectify any problems which arise and maintain optimal functionality at all times. Many progressive companies will use a management information system to track all of their sales data, their productivity levels, and every principle. This information can be used to track all profitability overtime, to maximize return on investment, and to identify areas which need improvement. Through such software managers contract sales on a regular basis which allows them to react immediately to lower than expected numbers by increasing productivity among employees or decreasing the cost of individual products. These management information systems have to be overseen by professional IT employees. Companies that use customer relationship management systems to capture customer data must also rely upon continually functioning interactions between customers, administration, and each of the technological systems. This is best done with the assistance of professional IT employees. In conclusion we hope these facts will give a boost towards confidently writing your assignment. Along with it come our 20 topics for computer science school project along with our writing guide that will hold your hand through the process. References: Berry, M. J., Linoff, G. (1997).  Data mining techniques: for marketing, sales, and customer  support. John Wiley Sons, Inc. Borgohain, S. B. (2010).  Key Factors and Challenges for Retention of Employees in a Public Sector Enterprise: A Case Study in Power Grid Corporation of India Limited: Masters Thesis  (Doctoral dissertation, SB Borgohain). Han, J., Kamber, M., Pei, J. (2011).  Data mining: concepts and techniques: concepts and  techniques. Elsevier. Laudon, K. C., Laudon, J. (2013-03-06). Managing Information Systems: Managing the  Digital Firm (13th Edition) (Page 245). Pearson HE, Inc.. Kindle Edition. Aarseth, W., Rolstadà ¥s, A., Andersen, B. (2013). Managing organizational challenges in  global projects.  International Journal of Managing Projects in Business,  7(1), 103-132. Lea Yu and Xuyan Fang, â€Å"100 Million Usernames, Passwords Leaked† (Caixin Online: December 29, 2011): http://english.caixin.com/2011-12-29/100344138.html. Lewis, A., Sequeira, A. H. (2012). Effectiveness of Employee Retention Strategies in  Industry. Traits of Information Technology Professionals. Computer and Information Science, 7(3). doi:10.5539/cis.v7n3p38 Lumley, E. J., Coetzee, M., Tladinyane, R., Ferreira, N. (2011). Exploring the job satisfaction  and organisational commitment of employees in the information technology environment.  Southern African Business Review,  15(1), 100-118. Lounsbury, J. W., Sundstrom, E., Levy, J. J., Gibson, L. W. (2014). Distinctive Personality

Problem of Trans-National Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Problem of Trans-National Terrorism - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the multinational business enterprise and its attendant economic phenomenon of globalization have become ubiquitous in the new neo-liberal world order of the last few decades.   However, all too often, these enterprises’ activities have lacked prudence and foresight in terms of the consequences for the local populations.   Moreover, the loopholes of international business law allow these companies to go scot-free and evade accountability toward the citizens of the countries in which they operate.   Globalisation per se can either be beneficial or disadvantageous to a particular country.   But, recent evidence suggests that there are more cases of the latter than the former.   The culmination of this discontent among the masses of lesser developed regions of the world seems to fuel the fire of trans-national terrorism.   This essay tries to find how far true the criticisms directed at the phenomenon of neo-liberal glo balization are, and how much it is culpable for the propagation of terrorism. The primary criticism leveled against globalization is its lack of accountability toward the local and broader communities in which it functions.   While financial analysts can accurately evaluate the values of tangible assets, more often than not the measure of intangible consequences of a business corporation’s operations are not accounted. For example, let us take a company that out-sources manufacturing of cosmetics to a developing country.  

What is Good Death (Meaningful Death) Meant to Christianity Essay

What is Good Death (Meaningful Death) Meant to Christianity - Essay Example Job’s friend, Bildad, typified death as the â€Å"lord of terrors† (Jackson 1). The writer of Hebrews, on the other hand, spoke of those who, through the fear of death, were, throughout their existence, put through bondage and oppression. Though few of us might attain that high peak of faith, where we can say like Apostle Paul that we desire to die, surely with the clarification of the New Testament exposure, we can encounter the mysteries of death with calmer spirits. This paper will discuss what a good death is meant to a Christian. It will dwell on factors such as organ donation, after life and how to live for a meaningful death as a Christian. Death refers to the state of sleeping. The New Testament talks about dead people as those that have fallen asleep in Jesus (Jackson 1). The phrase â€Å"sleep† is utilized in the Scriptures to explain the state of the human body in death. The book of Daniel reveals that only the body of man slumbers in death. Here, it i s certain that the fraction of man, which is laid in the dust of the soil, is that which sleeps. However, it is the human’s body, which is laid into the ground. Therefore, it is the human body, which sleeps in death, not the spirit (Sheehan 34). In the New Covenant, the phrase â€Å"asleep† is said to originate from the Greek word (koimaomai), which is also from keimai, plainly signifying â€Å"to lie down† (Sheehan 34). ... The Bible also sensibly speaks of the rotting of the human body (Sheehan 34). When Adam and Eve committed their sin, the tree of life was taken away from them and; thus, physical immortality. Death is, hence, man’s lot to go back to the dust of the ground. Paul talks about the earthly home of our tabernacle being â€Å"dissolved† or shuttered by death (Jackson 1). The Greek phrase for â€Å"dissolved† is kataluo, accurately signifying to â€Å"loose down,† a clear expression for fleshly decomposition. It is distressing that others decline to acknowledge the fate or destiny of the body, using huge sums of money trying to preserve their mortal remains in anticipation of resuscitation. Regardless of the claims to the opposite, physical immortality will never be attained by the medical profession (Jackson 1). In this age of fast growing health care technology, on a day-to-day, basis Christian nurses are faced with vital issues, which result in questions and un certainty regarding the relationship between Christian ethics, as well as modern medicine. This exercise of organ donation, in addition to transplantation, is one such medical development (Howard 15). Following the first victorious organ transplant, in 1954, the matters circulating this practice have become more and more complicated. Apparently, many people promptly accept the notion that receiving or donating organs is ethically permissible. With regards to Christianity, sacrifice and assisting others are key themes, and; thus, a choice to donate organs is perceived as a constructive thing. Christians should be confident to assist others in need (Howard 16). They see organ donation as an act of love and care to the receiver. It is also a way of