Obsidian Hydration - An Inexpensive, but Problematic Dating Technique

Obsidian hydration dating (or OHD) is a scientific dating technique, which uses the understanding of the geochemical nature of the volcanic glass (a silicate) called obsidian  to provide both relative and absolute dates on artifacts. Obsidian outcrops all over the world, and was preferentially used by stone tool makers because it is very easy to work with, it is very sharp when broken, and it comes in a variety of vivid colors, black, orange, red, green and clear. Fast Facts: Obsidian Hydration Dating Obsidian Hydration Dating (OHD) is a scientific dating technique using the unique geochemical nature of volcanic glasses.  The method relies on the measured and predictable growth of a rind that forms on the glass when first exposed to the atmosphere.  Issues are that rind growth is dependent on three factors: ambient temperature, water vapor pressure, and the chemistry of the volcanic glass itself.  Recent improvements in measurement and analytical advances in water absorption promise to resolve some of the issues.   How and Why Obsidian Hydration Dating Works Obsidian contains water trapped in it during its formation. In its natural state, it has a thick rind  formed by the diffusion of the water into the atmosphere when it first cooled—the technical term is hydrated layer. When a fresh surface of obsidian is exposed to the atmosphere, as when it is broken to make a stone tool, more water is absorbed and the rind begins to grow again.  That new rind is visible and can be measured under high-power magnification (40–80x). Prehistoric rinds can vary from less than 1 micron ( µm) to more than 50  µm, depending on the length of time of exposure.  By measuring the thickness one can easily determine if a particular artifact is older than another (relative age). If the rate at which water diffuses into the glass for that particular chunk of obsidian is known (thats the tricky part), you can use OHD to determine the absolute age of objects. The relationship is disarmingly simple: Age DX2, where Age is in years, D is a constant and X is the hydration rind thickness in microns. Defining the Constant Obsidian, natural volcanic glass exhibiting rind, Montgomery Pass, Mineral County, Nevada. John Cancalosi / Oxford Scientific / Getty Images Its nearly a sure bet that everybody who ever made stone tools and knew about obsidian and where to find it, used it: as a glass, it breaks in predictable ways and creates supremely sharp edges. Making stone tools out of raw obsidian breaks the rind and starts the obsidian clock counting. The measurement of rind growth since the break can be done with a piece of equipment that probably already exists in most laboratories. It does sound perfect doesnt it? The problem is, the constant (that sneaky D up there) has to combine at least three other factors that are known to affect the rate of rind growth: temperature, water vapor pressure, and glass chemistry. The local temperature fluctuates daily, seasonally and over longer time scales in every region on the planet. Archaeologists recognize this and started creating an Effective Hydration Temperature (EHT) model to track and account for the effects of temperature on hydration, as a function of annual mean temperature, annual temperature range and diurnal temperature range. Sometimes scholars add in a depth correction factor to account for the temperature of buried artifacts, assuming the underground conditions are significantly different than surface ones–but the effects havent been researched too much as of yet. Water Vapor and Chemistry The effects of variation in water vapor pressure in the climate where an obsidian artifact has been found have not been studied as intensively as the effects of temperature. In general, water vapor varies with elevation, so you can typically assume that water vapor is constant within a site or region. But OHD is troublesome in regions like the Andes mountains of South America, where people brought their obsidian artifacts across enormous changes in altitudes, from the sea level coastal regions to the 4,000-meter (12,000-foot) high mountains and higher. Even more difficult to account for is differential glass chemistry in obsidians. Some obsidians hydrate faster than others, even within the exact same depositional environment. You can source obsidian (that is, identify the natural outcrop where a piece of obsidian was found), and so you can correct for that variation by measuring the rates in the source and using those to create source-specific hydration curves. But, since the amount of water within obsidian can vary even within obsidian nodules from a single source, that content can significantly affect age estimates. Water Structure Research Methodology to adjust the calibrations for the variability in climate is an emergent technology in the 21st century. New methods critically evaluate the depth profiles of hydrogen on the hydrated surfaces using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) or Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The internal structure of the water content in obsidian has been identified as a highly influential variable which controls the rate of water diffusion at ambient temperature. It has also been found that such structures, like water content, vary within the recognized quarry sources.  Ã‚   Coupled with a more precise measuring methodology, the technique has the potential to increase the reliability of OHD, and provide a window into the evaluation of local climatic conditions, in particular paleo-temperature regimes.   Obsidian History Obsidians measurable rate of rind growth has been recognized since the 1960s. In 1966, geologists Irving Friedman, Robert L. Smith and William D. Long published the first study, the results of experimental hydration of obsidian from the Valles Mountains of New Mexico. Since that time, significant advancement in the recognized impacts of water vapor, temperature and glass chemistry has been undertaken, identifying and accounting for much of the variation, creating higher resolution techniques to measure the rind and define the diffusion profile, and invent and improved new models for EFH and studies on the mechanism of diffusion. Despite its limitations, obsidian hydration dates are far less expensive than radiocarbon, and it is a standard dating practice in many regions of the world today. Sources Liritzis, Ioannis, and Nikolaos Laskaris. Fifty Years of Obsidian Hydration Dating in Archaeology. Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids 357.10 (2011): 2011–23. Print.Nakazawa, Yuichi. The Significance of Obsidian Hydration Dating in Assessing the Integrity of Holocene Midden, Hokkaido, Northern Japan. Quaternary International 397 (2016): 474–83. Print.Nakazawa, Yuichi, et al. A Systematic Comparison of Obsidian Hydration Measurements: The First Application of Micro-Image with Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry to the Prehistoric Obsidian. Quaternary International  (2018). Print.Rogers, Alexander K., and Daron Duke. Unreliability of the Induced Obsidian Hydration Method with Abbreviated Hot-Soak Protocols. Journal of Archaeological Science 52 (2014): 428–35. Print.Rogers, Alexander K., and Christopher M. Stevenson. Protocols for Laboratory Hydration of Obsidian, and Their Effect on Hydration Rate Accuracy: A Monte Carlo Simulation Study. Journal of Archaeological Scie nce: Reports 16 (2017): 117–26. Print.Stevenson, Christopher M., Alexander K. Rogers, and Michael D. Glascock. Variability in Obsidian Structural Water Content and Its Importance in the Hydration Dating of Cultural Artifacts. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 23 (2019): 231–42. Print.Tripcevich, Nicholas, Jelmer W. Eerkens, and Tim R. Carpenter. Obsidian Hydration at High Elevation: Archaic Quarrying at the Chivay Source, Southern Peru. Journal of Archaeological Science 39.5 (2012): 1360–67. Print.

The Life of Leon Trotsky Essay - 1462 Words

The Life of Leon Trotsky Leon Trotsky is well recognised as one of the greatest Marxists that ever lived. After being arrested, sentenced to exile twice and supporting the Mensheviks, Trotsky was deported to New York Citywhere he was to be a peaceful, productive member of society. Following the removal of the Tsar during the Russian Revolution, Trotsky returned to Russia in May 1917. In August 1917, Trotsky joined the Central Committee of the Bolshevik party whose leader was none other than Vladimir Lenin. Trotsky assumed key roles in the events and policies concerning the Bolshevik Government, which included the Bolshevik Revolution, Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the Civil War and views on†¦show more content†¦Trotsky marched out of negotiations, however the immediate threat posed by German forces led the Bolsheviks to sign the treaty of Brest-Litovsk and agree to even harsher terms than what was first proposed. Trotsky was the main negotiator at the peace talks, supporting a strategy of no war, no peace. Despite Trotskys actions at negotiations, forcing the Bolshevik government to agree to even harsher terms, Lenin understood Trotskys motivations as a show of loyalty to the Bolshevik Government and allowed him to stay Minister of Foreign Affairs. As the Civil War started, the Bolsheviks passed a declaration announcing the creation of the Red Army, which was Trotskys idea. On the 8th of April, Lenin appointed Trotsky as Minister for War. Shortly after Trotsky introduced conscription and obtained the numbers to overcome the Whites, the Red Army had a total of 3 million men by 1920. Trotskys disciplinary actions paid off with the Red Army being able to launch a counter-attack, driving the enemy back. Thus, with Trotskys other military success of the Bolshevik Revolution and the support from within the Army, Trotsky took on another major feature of his life, the Civil War and successfully created Red Army into victory, as well as consolidating his power by being made Commissar for War. By the mid-1920sShow MoreRelatedThe Russian Revolution And The Soviet Revolution1295 Words   |  6 PagesHowever, many people forget to acknowledge the role played by Leon Trotsky who stood by Lenin s side throughout the Revolution. I believe that Leon Trotsky and his actions during the Russian Revolution were essential to the security of the revolution and therefore his overall impact and status is heroic. Leon Trotsky byname of Lev Davidovich Bronshtein was born in the Ukraine on the 7th of November, 1879. Since a young age, Trotsky had possessed revolutionary ideals and alternative options to theRead MoreRussian Revolution And The Soviet Revolution1238 Words   |  5 PagesHowever, many people forget to acknowledge the role played by Leon Trotsky who stood by Lenin s side throughout the Revolution. I believe that Leon Trotsky and his actions during the Russian Revolution were essential to the security of the revolution and therefore his overall impact and status is heroic. Leon Trotsky byname of Lev Davidovich Bronshtein was born in the Ukraine on the 7th of November, 1879. Since a young age, Trotsky had possessed revolutionary ideals and alternative options to theRead MoreLeon Trotsky s Influence On The Soviet Revolution1496 Words   |  6 Pages Ms. Zbrzeznj Global Perspectives 13 March 2015 Leon Trotsky Leon Trotsky was a man to be reckoned with. Trotsky was a Marxist revolutionary who played a leading role in the 1905 Revolution, in the eventual Communist Revolution of October 1917, and in the Russian Civil War. Without Trotsky’s impact in the Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks would have been defeated. His own beliefs on Marxism combined with his intellect made Trotsky a target and influential leader in the Soviets. From hisRead MoreThe Characteristic Of Snowball By George Orwell885 Words   |  4 Pagesimportant characters of the Russian Revolution. There are many characters in this book. A pig named Snowball is one of them who is based on Leon Trotsky. Leon Trotsky was an early leader in communism (ANIMAL FARM). He had control of the Soviet Union. He followed Karl Marx direction who was leader of communist party and also planner of Russian revolution. Trotsky leaded the â€Å"October Revolution,† to get freedom from Czar Nicholas II. On the other hand, Snowball is an early leader in Animalism. He playedRead MoreLeon Trotsky aka Lev Davidovich840 Words   |  3 PagesLeon Trotsky also known as Lev Davidovich Bronstein was born on November 7, 1879. He was born in Yanovka which is now known as Ukraine. When Trotsky was about eight years old his parents sent him to Odessa school, which is a major cultural center of multi-ethnic population. When he started his last year of schooling, which was when his life as a revolutionary began to take shape. It was in Nikolayev at the age of 17; Trotsky started to skip school and was going to talk with political exiles and alsoRead MoreLeon and Snowball Comparison 942 Words   |  4 Pagesgoing. The inspiration for his character was from important revolutionist, Leon Trotsky. Snowball was modeled after him, showing most of his character trails and interest. Most of the people and events that look place throughout Trotsky’s life are also incorporated in Snowball’s life. Orwell’s imagination ran wild as he wrote this memorable story so that he might warn the people of Russia for what was to come. Snowball and Leon are the same in every way from what they believed to their personality.Read MoreSnowball from Animal Farm and Leon Trotskys Roles in the Russian Revolution891 Words   |  4 PagesResearch Question: How was the affect of Leon Trotsky and Snowball? Throughout time, people learned about history from books, websites, articles, and magazines to gain their understandings of History. Leon Trotsky played an important role in the Russian Revolution and so did the character of Snowball from the novel Animal Farm. Their life actions had a positive affect towards history even though their goals were never accomplished. Leon Trotsky Leon Trotsky was the chairman of the Military RevolutionaryRead MoreAnimal Farm by George Orwell Essay876 Words   |  4 Pagesmany different qualities. Animal Farm is an allegory, fable, and a satire. He made the characters in the novel relate to real people and events in history. Examples such allegory would be Animalism compared with Communism, Snowball compared with Leon Trotsky, and Napoleon compared to Joseph Stalin. Animalism in many ways does symbolize Communism. Animalism for the animals would be a perfect land, no rich, no poor, and everyone is equal. They all would own the same amount of the farm. No animal wouldRead MoreCharacters In Animal Farm, By George Orwell1079 Words   |  5 Pagesrepresents Leon Trotsky. Snowball opposes Napoleon and Leon Trotsky opposes Joseph Stalin. Snowball argue on everything. Snowball speeches win over the crowd but Napoleon controls the animals with violence. Leon Trotsky and Snowball are similar because they both had a plan to improve and better the animals. Leon Trotsky during the russian revolution proposes a five year plan. Snowball in Animal Farm proposes to build a windmill. Leon Trotsky and Snowball both help win their revolutions. Leon Trotsky andRead MoreLeon Trotsky, a Leader of the Bolshevik Revolution and Early Architect of the Soviet State741 Words   |  3 Pageshistorians agree that throughout his political career Trotsky displayed various t alents and abilities. However, these skills alone were not enough to enable him to become the supreme leader of the USSR. In the context of the workings of the Bolshevik party to rise to the highest office of the politburo required certain traits and qualities as well as an ability to utilise the party machine and exploit its members-talents, traits and qualities Trotsky clearly lacked. For these reasons the statement is

Gun control and the Constitution Free Essays

The history of the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution, which guarantees the right of US citizens to â€Å"bear arms† is one of the most complex and controversial of all the developments within constitutional law that have occurred in the last 230 years. In this book Cottrol attempts to bring together most of the major cases on the Second Amendment from the Supreme Court, and also includes various articles on their meaning. One of the most valuable aspects of this book is the fact that Cottrol tackles his subject neither from the perspective of a supporter of the Amendment nor from a gun control advocate. We will write a custom essay sample on Gun control and the Constitution or any similar topic only for you Order Now This balance is a rare achievement in a treatment of an aspect of the law that often inspires resonantly partisan scholarship that fails to offer the true complexity and difficulties involved with balancing the various parties involved with the Second Amendment. The book is divided into two main sections. The first gives copies of the two leading Supreme Court cases, Presser v. Illinois and United States v. Miller, as well as a state case that is now more than a century old but still provides precedence: Aymette v. State of Tennessee. Unlike many other books, Cottrol also provides the full texts of leading laws regarding gun control, such as the Brady Act and the 1986 Farm Owners Protection Act. These enable the reader to compare court cases, with the points of law that are raised within them, as well as the constitutional issues, with the actual laws that are now in place. Over all of them is the simple but actually over-riding language of the Second Amendment. In the second part of the book, Cottrol provides ten law and history scholarly articles which offer a strictly balanced view of the spectrum of views on the Second Amendment. Four out of the ten articles are actually challenging to the idea that the Second Amendment is sacrosanct, while the rest are either historical or pro-Second Amendment in nature. Perhaps the best section of the book is actually the Introduction, an extended contemplation of the various issues involved with gun control from the Revolutionary War on. Cottrol argues that the founding fathers saw that an armed citizenry was a necessity for the defence of political liberty that had only recently been won. However, the idea that America was (and still is) somehow intrinsically different from other countries in its attitude towards gun is merely stated rather than proven. Thus Cottrol argues that â€Å"from the beginning, conditions in colonial America created a very different attitude towards arms and the people† (p. 13). But most European countries had a heavily armed populace in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries compared to today, but have succeeded in developing into modern countries that do not have a generally armed citizenry, with associated much lower crime/murder rates. Cottrol offers an interesting view on a part of the gun control debate that rarely received much attention from either side. That is the fact that during the Nineteenth Century fears of insurrection from slaves (and then freed blacks) and Indians meant that there were outright bans on these groups possessing arms. So the Second Amendment has already been suspended in the past for what are now regarded as spurious reasons: should not similar suspensions be considered in the present day? Cottrol does not explicitly state this, but it is implicit within his own scholarship that he briefly outlines within the Introduction to his book. In one of the most important aspects of the book, Cottrol argues that the â€Å"collective rights† argument over whether the Second Amendment merely guarantees the right to bear arms for a small, trained militia (i. e. an army? ) is moot. He says that if both pro and anti- gun control proponents accepted that there is a right to bear arms guaranteed in the Constitution then a genuinely productive conversation and dialogue could occur within society as to sensible limits to access to that right. Arguing theoretically over whether the â€Å"right† exists or not is a rather futile exercise in sophistry. The more important argument is how the right should be instituted within society: what type of arms should be allowed under the constitution, what limits as to age, criminal history etc, should be placed? The right to bear arms, Cottrol suggests correctly, does not imply the right to bear all arms. For example, fully automatic machine guns have been illegal for ordinary citizens in the United States since the 1930’s. A person cannot but a bazooka, tank or fighter plane and claim that the Second Amendment protects his right to purchase and use it. So the argument, Cottrol suggests, should be on the types of arms that are allowed, not whether they are to be allowed at all. Here Cottrol’s suggestion that Federalist issues be more closely considered is very interesting. He correctly asserts that about 43 states already have laws and/or constitutions that touch in some way or another upon the unfettered right to bear arms. This area of law, full of often contradictory of at least contrasting law, has yet to receive much scholarly attention. Cottrol implies that far more gun control may actually be occurring than those on the national level, arguing over theoretical constitutional matters, seem to understand. State matters may at times conflict with Federal authority, especially considering the existence of state militias versus the federally controlled national guard. Who actually controls national guard units became of great importance during the civil rights movement, when Southern states started to deny the validity of federal laws regarding desegregation. Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson all used federal troops in one way or another to help enforce federal court decisions. Cottrol’s book suggests that the strict constitutional arguments regarding the Second Amendment are in fact a fulcrum for much larger political, social and cultural dilemmas within society. The scholarly articles which support the idea of gun control, and thus the diminishing of Second Amendment rights , often seem to rely upon essentially pragmatic arguments: gun control would lessen the amount and seriousness of violent crime. They imply that a tragic irony is now occurring in which the constitutional amendment designed to protect the country, and to make the citizens safer, have actually made the United States of America one of the most dangerous advanced industrialized countries in the world. The issue of guns and the Second Amendment seems to be rather tangential to the real problems according to Cottrol. He briefly mentions the country that is the most difficult for gun control advocates to explain: Switzerland. The Swiss keep about 650,000 assault weapons in their private homes, making them by far the most armed/per capita population in the world. Yet Switzerland has virtually no violent crime. The country also has virtually no poor people and few if any of the social problems that seem to lead to much of the gun violence in the United States. While Cottrol’s one volume edition of what was previously a large three-volume work is by necessity limited in length, it is a pity that these wider issues surrounding the Second Amendment could not be considered. For example, the Brady Law, named after the Reagan official who was paralyzed by the man who nearly assassinated President Reagan, was designed to stop the type of attack which had occurred there, but in fact does not really begin to tackle the problem. A person who wants to assassinate a President (or to shoot his wife) will find access to deadly weapons in any country in the world, whether it has no gun laws or a plentitude of them. The psychological problems associated with spree killers such as the Columbine killers cannot be tackled by gun control laws, nor can the economic hardship and desperation that seems to lead to much of the black-on-black violence that accounts for a majority of murders. If Cottrol were to write another book on the wider implications of gun control these kinds of matters could be considered. Yet the book might still have a constitutional basis as the US Constitution was not a theoretical document written as some kind of intellectual exercise but rather as a living framework on which a democratic country could grow. The argument over whether the US Constitution should be regarded as a â€Å"living document† that should be adapted to current circumstances and even changed if necessary, or whether its power lies within a strictly â€Å"originalist† interpretation is at the heart of political debate today. One of the reasons that many of the public have an opinion on the constitutional arguments surround the Second Amendment is that they are, supposedly, simple to explain. Either the Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms or it does not. Cottrol suggests that this is in fact an irrelevant dichotomy: it is how that right is controlled that is at the heart of the matter. In conclusion, Gun Control and the Constitution: Sources and Explanations of the Second Amendment is an excellent book that raises a number of different perspectives on this important part of the US Constitution. Cottrol’s compendium of cases, opinion and scholarship suggests that a balanced approach to the various arguments should be adopted so that both sides can speak to one another rather than at or passed one another. ____________________________________ Works Cited Cottrol, Robert. Gun Control and the Constitution: Sources and Explanations of the Second Amendment. Routledge, New York: 1994. . 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Medicare Essay Example For Students

Medicare Essay The Medicare DebateEssay submitted by UnknownThe U.S. government have denied that Medicare has been going bankrupt. Although the government may say that Medicare has plenty of money it is untrue because it is a fact that Medicare will go bankrupt by the year 2001 as stated by preliminary sources. Medicare is one of the main sources of funding for those people that have no money or very small amount of money. The community service that was done for this research paper is hospital volunteering at John Muir Medical Center. The community service included various jobs that was needed to be done were, Putting items away for nurses, discharging patients, doing paper work, feeding patients, answering phones, and helping patients when they ask for assistance. The floor I worked on was Oncology (The branch of medicine that deals with tumors, including study of their development, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention). This community service has help me gain insight on the Medicare situation bec ause I have asked multiple amount of people that work at John Muir Medical Center. There is a side to be considered about Medicare and Social Security in the government. The vice president of the United States, Al Gore, wrote in a letter stating that social security funds are not being depleted. Gore said that, the allegations to the contrary have been circulated by certain organizations as a money-making scheme for some time. (Gore Letter). Vice President Gore tries to show theses allegations are untrue by explaining how social security works. In this letter, Vice President Gore cleared up the allegations by writing that, When Social Security taxes are collected, they are credited to the Social Security trust funds with government security, perhaps the safest investment in the United States. In history Medicare has experience a few problem regarding its funding. Problems have occurred over the history of Medicare. The major problem and most recent of Medicare is that it is going bankrupt. Medicare is another legacy of Lyndon Baines Johnson Great Society. Spending is obviously out of control. On June 5th the government announced that the Medicare Trust Fund would go broke by the year 2001(nationaldebt). In 1965 when LBJ started Health and Medicare, the Total Federal Spending for the year was $101 Billion. By the year 2000 we will spend over 4 times than amount on Health and Medicare alone, and Medicare will equal the annual spending for Defense(CNN). Under our Constitution, Defense is a specific responsibility of the Federal Government. Medicare is a step-child of our Liberal/Socialists. You might keep this in mind when we get to the point where we have to chose what we CAN do versus what we would LIKE to do. By the year 2002 Medicare will have exceeded defense spending H ealthcare has been a problem for the government as well for it has added to the enormous debt the country already has. Another major problem of Medicare is that the government does not regulate Medicare enough(Medicare). Medicare affects all different aspects of different programs. For instance Medicare affects Social Security (national debt). Social Security has already exceeded Defense spending by almost double. Just like Medicare, Social Security is being abused. Abused meaning that people take advantage of it. It is different from Medicare because less people can use Social Security because it is set aside for the tax payers of this country. The mechanism is similar to depositing money in a bank. As you know, when a bank accepts a deposit. It takes that money and uses it for loans and investments in order to provide a positive return to share holders and interest-bearing accounts. The deposit is credited to an account, and as long as the account has a positive balance, the bank is obligated to honor debits to it. In the same way, the trust funds balances represent and have swerved as financial claims against the government-claims on which the Department of the Treasury has never defaulted. (Gore Letter). This letter written by Al Gore shows the government side of the issue on Social Security. The government does make its point in describing that Social Security is not endanger of losing money or even going bankrupt. According to Al Gore he mentioned that,

SARS Essay Example

SARS Essay The outbreak of SARS was first detected in 2003 in Hong Kong, Singapore, Toronto and Vietnam. The WHO described this disease as an atypical pneumonia (http://www.who.int/csr/sars/archive/2003_03_12/en/index.html).In the same year scientists identified the virus responsible for SARS (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrievedb=PubMedlist_uids=12711465dopt=AbstractPlus). The virus SARS-Co V was identified as the cause of this disease. In order to ensure patient management, tracing of contact and epidemiological study, a laboratory diagnosis to determine infection with the virus was required. Scientists succeeded in unraveling the complete genome code of the various strains of SARS – CoV. Serology examinations are required to confirm infection with this virus. These examinations help in determining the status of infection. Test for antibodies on viral lysate may give unreliable results as there exists a possibility that the virus lysate is produced due to the closely related other corona viruses that cause common cold. To overcome this problem, an isolation of whole virus dependent assays is required for the diagnosis of SARS – CoV infection. Further the Infected cell – dependent indirect immunofluorescence test for anti – SARS IgG antibody provides accurate results of infection with SARS – CoV. The immunofluorescence test is an excellent method for determining the reactivity of samples to screening assays (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no3/03-0493.htm). In addition, the procedure of Enzyme Immunoassay or EIA constitutes an efficient method for determining SARS – CoV antibodies. The results of this test are unambiguous to a significantly greater extent, in diagnosing viral infection, in comparison to the results obtained from RT-PCR. In the early stages of infection, the antibodies do not render themselves to detection and at that juncture, the sero conversion from negative to positive or an abnormal increase in antibody titer from acute to convalescent serum specimens, would be of immense help in detecting the presence of antibodies. If a serology test results proves to be positive, then it can be construed that the patient has been infected with the SARS – CoV. Furthermore, most patients of SARS develop antibodies within eight to ten days of being infected by the virus. However, some patients do not develop antibodies even after twenty – eight days from the onset of illness. For such patients the test has to be done on serum specimens collected after twenty eight days of the illness. The extant methods for serological diagnosis of SARS – CoV infection are antibody identification in acute and convalescent – phased serum samples of the patient by immunofluorescence assay and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay or ELISA with the extracts of cell culture (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmedCmd=ShowDetailViewTermToSearch=12690092ordinalpos=1itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus ). The results of the examinations of indirect immunofluorescence assay and ELISA with tissue culture are not standard in comparison with ELISA based antibody detections examinations with recombinant antigens. In addition to this, the production of infected lines for coating the ELISA plates and the slides used therein require cultivation of SARS – CoV. We will write a custom essay sample on SARS specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on SARS specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on SARS specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Some of the efficient techniques employed in serological testing are Enzyme Immunosorbent Assay or EIA and Immunofluorescence Assay or IFA. These techniques assist in determining the existence of anti – coronavirus antibodies. The possibility of a mixture of IgG and IgM antibodies being present in a SARS patient’s serum can be confirmed by using EIA techniques (http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/13/10/pdfs/07-0576.pdf ). An uncomplicated, effective and non invasive test for detecting SARS was invented by microbiologists in Hong Kong (http://www.thd.org.tr/haber/goster.asp?HaberID=232). This test is a real time quantitative assay, which can be used usually within three to four hours of the commencement of the illness. In this test, the presence of coronavirus in the nasal swabs or throat cultures is tested in order to detect any antibody response in them (http://www.clinchem.org/cgi/data/49/4/DC1/1).

Organizational Learning in Management

Organizational Learning in Management Organizational learning Work force within an organization needs to be developed, sharpened and its skills improved with time; organizational learning is a strategic managing tool that is used to nature, tap, develop, and utilize human resources potential. The main aim of organizational learning is to improve employees’ skills and expertise (Meinolf, Ariane, John and Ikujiro, 2003). This paper discusses how managers can use organizational learning to improve their organizational performance.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Organizational Learning in Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More How managers utilize organizational learning and knowledge to construct better work systems Organizational learning takes the form of three main forms, training, mentorship, and coaching; different situations calls for different systems and approaches, when new systems have been adopted, then an organization nee ds to inform their staffs and train them on how they will utilize the new ways of doing business for the good of the company. For example at John Hospkins Hospital, after the facility adopted a health Record Management System (HRMS), the management had to organize some training lessons to ensure that employees use the system as expected. At this point, organizational learning is seen to facilitate change (Dulewicz and Malcolm, 2003). Organizational learning is also used for strategic movements within an organization; this move was used by Barclays Bank in United states in 2008, were they embarked on training their human force on the effects that globalization has on the banking industry; they then asked employees to think of policies that could see the company through the hard economic time successfully. With time, the company came up with stringent lending policies, embarked on debt collection and mobilized sales a move that saw the company succeed.  Organizational learning has b een used as a tool to nature creativity, invention and innovativeness. Apple inc. used this approach in 2007 when it trained and mentored their staffs on the developments in the industry; with time, staffs were able to come-up with cost management policies, new products were developed and saw the development of a positive working environment (Parker, 2009). Organizational learning frameworks Human resources department assisted with line managers should be responsible of enacting appropriate policies that enhance learning within an organization (Schilling and Kluge, 2009). Learning should be a continuous process that occurs formally and informally, the following are the main forms that an effective organizational learning should have:Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Training: when developing something new in an organization or there is a change in the bus iness environment, management should ensure that its human capital are well trained on the new processes, for example Mitsubishi Motor Company has embarked on massive staff training on the need to conserve the environment. Mentorship: this takes the form of guidance and instructing was leaders offer intellectual and technical assistance to their employees; this means that an organization should have leaders and supervisors who can mentor and show their subordinates the right pathway and direction to follow. It helps to share experiences and grow knowledge of both the leader and the employee. Coaching: coaching mostly comes with something special with an employee or a certain point of strength that a company adopts; it calls for employees to be shown the right way to operate and undertake functions. For example, new entrants at Starbucks are trained on how to operate a fair business trading policy to ensure the company remains respected for its ethical business approach (Hornsby and Warkeoczeski, 2000). Conclusion Organizational learning is a strategic management tool that assists managers to improve their business through human force; it takes the form of training, mentorship, coaching, and sometimes counseling. When well managed, it offers an organization some competitive advantage. References Dulewicz, V. and Malcolm, H. ,2003.Leadership at the top: the need for emotional intelligence in organizations. International Journal of Organizational Analysis 11(3),pp. 193-210. Hornsby, T. and Warkeoczeski, L. 2000. New roles for leaders: A step-by-step guide to competitive advantage. Franklin: Hillsboro Press. Meinolf, D., Ariane, A., John, C. and Ikujiro, N.,2003. Handbook of Organisational Learning and Knowledge. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Organizational Learning in Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Parker, G. ,2009.Team Leadership: 20 Pro ven Tools for Success. New Jersey: Human Resource Development Press. Schilling, J. and Kluge, A.,2009. Barriers to organizational learning: An integration of theory and research. International Journal of Management Reviews, 11(3), pp. 337–360

Isaac Newton is a great man Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Isaac Newton is a great man - Research Paper Example There are, however, many facets to this man’s life, other than being a scientist that are worthy to know. Perhaps that is what truly causes mankind to label an individual the â€Å"greatest.† Possessing not only scientific prowess, but also religious and philosophical ponderings, Newton is still a focus of conversation in academic and theological circles nearly 300 years after his death. While people will certainly argue that Sir Isaac Newton should not be regarded as the â€Å"greatest,† this paper will argue that he is certainly worthy of that title based on the magnitude of his scientific discoveries and the depth of his wisdom and thinking. Isaac Newton was born in Woolsthorpe, England in 1642 and grew up to be an authority in Mathematics, dynamics, celestial mechanics, astronomy, optics and philosophy (Newton). His life seems to have been influenced by the death of his father who died few months prior to Newton’s birth (English-Online). He took charge of his life early in his life, waiting on tables and doing menial jobs for wealthy students to pay for his school fees, which shows his great love for education. His mother had remarried and left him under the care of aged grandparents who could barely support him, but this did not deter his quest for learning. During his youth, he is known to have been interested in mechanical devices, doing many experiments and building many devices (Newton). He is known to have built a mill model, clocks and kites among other devices, which he experimented in his neighborhood, with some of the experiments greatly frightening his neighbors. He drew many drawings and architectura l diagrams on the window edges and walls of his Woolsthorpe home which included drawings of men, animals, birds and also plants. During this time, he is known to have been influenced by the book; ‘mysteries of nature’ by John Bates (Newton). He had his early education at Skillington and Stoke

Compares and contrasts the kernels of different operating systems Essay

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The Key Elements Of Gucci S Marketing Strategy Marketing Essay

The Key Elements Of Gucci S Marketing Strategy Marketing Essay With over 7,000 direct employees across the world, I believe we should all see ourselves as custodians of the Gucci brand-a brand that was here before all of us and one that will survive all of us. The long lasting values of the brand ultimately inform and guide every decision we make and they also inspire all of us along the way. -Patrizio di Marco: President and CEO, Gucci Renowned for its Italian craftsmanship, Gucci was founded in 1921 in Florence. Over 90 years Gucci has built a heritage of exclusivity, attention over quality and style, the Made in Italy label, innovation and craftsmanship (PPR, 2010b, pp 46) and is one of the worlds most desired luxury fashion brands (Nielsen Company, 2007). The Brand was highly successful in the 1950s as it became the status brand for Hollywood film stars and European royalty. However, by 1980s Gucci lost its appeal and significant losses were made in the business (Jackson and Haird, 2003). Domenico de Soles financial acumen and Tom Fords creativity transformed Gucci as a successful brand in the 1990s. In 1999 Pinault-Printemps-Redoute purchased the controlling stake and owned Gucci. With the departure of Tom Ford and De Sole, Frida Gianini took the control in 2005. Globalisation helps the evolving luxury market to expand. Factors like growing consumer expectations, clear brand positioning, pursuit for authenticity, exclusivity, differentiation contribute to intensify the competition between luxury brands with high aspirational values (Baker and Sterenberg, 2003). Gucci is among the top 10 luxury brands considering brand value in the latest survey by Interbrand. In the array of luxury market Gucci competes with brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermes, Prada, Burberry, Ferragamo, Dior, Dolce Gabbana, Versace, etc. http://www.interbrand.com/images/studies/luxury_table.jpg Interbrand Leading Luxury Brands 2009 Rankings: The top 15 Luxury Brands. (Interbrand, 2009d) 2009 Rank 2008 Rank 2007 Rank Brand Country of Origin Sector 2008 Brand Value ($m) 2009 Brand Value ($m) Change in Brand Value in 2008 Change in Brand Valuein 2009 16 16 17 France Luxury 21,602 21,120 6% -2% 41 45 46 Italy Luxury 8,254 8,182 7% -1% 59 60 58 France Luxury 6,355 6,040 9% -5% 70 76 73 France Luxury 4,575 4,598 8% 1% 87 91 94 Italy Luxury 3,585 3,530 9% -2% 98 New United Kingdom Luxury 3,095 New* 99 New United States Luxury 3,094 New* Interbrand Best Global Brands rankings. (Interbrand, 2009d). In order to sustain in the competitive luxury market and define a clear brand positioning and maintain it, brands adopt innovative marketing strategies. The Marketing mix tools like the traditional 4 Ps: product, price, promotion and place along with recently added people, process and physical evidence propel the decisions in direction of the market success. Brands need to provide right product, at right price, in right place and at right promotion in order to match the consumer needs and demands. Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hermes, Chanel, Prada are in close competition. In order to create an emotional attachment between brands and consumers, brands try to convey an image and personality that customer aspires to. Louis Vuitton has been a byword for stylish elegance and sophistication (Louis vuitton, 2009). Gucci is perceived as smart, sexy, modern whereas Prada has an image of modern, trendy yet sophisticated. Chanel is very classic and elegant. Also, Chanel and Louis Vuitton were founded in France and Gucci and Prada in Italy. According to the Interbrand survey for Italys most valuable brands Gucci Ranked first (6,388 million euro) followed by Prada (2,775 million euro). Guccis pricing strategy in 1993 positioned itself below Hermes and Chanel and at par with Prada and Louis Vuitton (Kwak, 2001). Gucci and Pradas product lines include leather goods, ready-to-wear, jewellery, footwear, silks, timepieces, eyewear, skincare, home decor and fragrances. Louis Vuitton has the categories which Gucci has, although Louis Vuitton indulges even in writing instruments and textiles besides Chanel extends into sport accessories .Gucci products are sold in 283 directly operated stores at end of 2009 and in selected departmental stores as well as specialist stores (PPR, 2010b). Intending to accelerate the growth of brand, Prada stated to double the number of directly operating stores in 2007. Considering Guccis 2009 revenue breakdown by geographical area, maximum revenue was from Asia- Pacific region while Europe which includes fashion forward London, Paris and Milan contribute almost equal to Japan. Breakdown of 2009 revenue by product category Breakdown of 2009 revenue by geographical area C:UsersAdminDesktopgucci 1PPR Gucci_filesGucciCAcat-EN.jpg C:UsersAdminDesktopgucci 1PPR Gucci_filesGucciCAzone-EN.jpg (PPR- Gucci: Gucci Group ,2010a) Gucci Chanel Prada Louis Vuitton Year of establishment 1921 1909 1913 1854 Country of origin Italy France Italy France Known for Leather goods Fashion and perfumes Leather goods Leather goods and Luggage bags Current Designer Frida Giannini Karl Lagerfeld Miuccia Prada Marc Jacob Product categories Ready-to-wear, canvas and leather goods, bags, footwear, fine jewellery, fragrances, eyewear, watches, travel and business bags, home dà ©cor , etc. Ready-to-wear, fragrances, make-up skincare, eyewear, hats, leather goods, sports accessories, fine jewellery, etc. Ready-to-wear, Nylon bags, leather goods, footwear, Fine jewellery, eyewear, fragrances, travel and luggage bags, Prada phones, etc Ready-to-wear, leather goods, travel bags, footwear, bags, eyewear, watches, writing instruments, home goods, textiles, city guides ,etc. Ad campaign theme Forever now , Spring Summer 2010 Spring Summer 2010= First Spring and lookbook Spring Summer 2010 Store locations Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America. Has 283 Directly operated stores. Asia, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, Oceania. Asia, Middle East, Far east, Europe, North America, South America. Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America. Comparison of brands on basic criteria. Louis Vuitton and Chanels brand image differentiates them from Italian brands like Gucci and Prada which target towards a similar target market which is modern and fashion conscious. Gucci and Prada indulge into similar product lines and pricing levels getting them into closer competition. In 1990s during revamping the brand image of Gucci an important decision made was to develop a strategy expressing Gucci has changed. Brand communication plays a vital role in redrawing the image (Jackson and Shaw, 2006). During the recession competitor brands are trying to be more distinctive. Chairman and CEO Gucci, Patrizio di Marco and his team adopted the strategy to strengthen and fine tune its positioning in the luxury goods market by focusing on its heritage and craftsmanship stressing on balanced brand equity in marketing and communication (PPR, 2010b). It also included cost cutting, adjustments to pricing, global store designs concept and structure simplification. As per Interbrands report 2009b, among global luxury brands, Prada spends highest in marketing and advertising and continued to invest more in social and cultural initiatives, brand extensions and communication. Important factors that help in building brand image. (Moore and Britwistle, 2005) http://www.luxuo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/lara-stone-louis-vuitton-ss2010.jpg http://www.themagentalinks.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/prada-lookbook4.jpg Image no.1 : Louis vuitton spring summer 2010 Image no.2: Prada Lookbook 2010. (The Fashion time Magazine, 2010) (AMO, 2010) http://frillr.com/files/images/Chanel%20Spring-Summer%202010%20Womens%20Ad%20Campaign.preview.jpghttp://images.gucci.com/images/campaigns/spring-summer-10/full/ss10_campaign_4.jpg Image no.3 : Chanel Spring Summer 2010 Image no.4 : Gucci Spring Summer 2010 ad Ad campaign. campaign. (Bang Jaslyn, 2010) (Gucci, 2010a) Advertising which is guided by current market scenario and competitive environment, helps in communicating and building brand image as it creates powerful image and message to gain customers attention (Jackson and Shaw, 2009, pp.161). Luxury brands communicate their values and aura to the consumers to prove experience through images that operate on aesthetic and expressionist level (Salzer-Mà ¶rling and Strannegard, 2004). Visually stimulating Guccis Spring summer 2010 campaign focuses on sensuality with modernity and Pradas Lookbook 2010 displays uniqueness and creativity. Guccis Ad campaign Forever now launched in 2010 depicts the importance of connecting past and present. The campaign uses images from 1950s focuses on heritage and craftsmanship. Gucci focusing on tradition introduced an Artisan Corner an event where houses skilled artists will travel to Guccis VIP stores where the craftsmanship will be brought to customers sight. Similarly, Pradas film ad campaign 2010 titled First Spring shot by Chinese artist in Shanghai depicts the tension between the straight and gay tensions of silent intimacy (James, 2010). However, the black and white effect of the video takes us into flashback and it depicts that anything is possible in timeless and dreamlike realm. Louis Vuittons ad campaign is inspired from new age traveller, while Chanels countryside rural chic look ad campaign displays beauty and elegance. http://images.gucci.com/images/campaigns/forever-now/full/forever_now_camp_1.jpg Image no. 5 : Guccis Forever now ad campaign 2010(Gucci ,2010b) Prada menswear First Spring by Yang Fudongà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½ Spring/Summer 2010http://blog.la76.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/prada-2.jpghttp://blog.la76.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/prada-5.jpghttp://blog.la76.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/prada-8.jpg Image no. 6: Pradas 2010 ad campaign First Spring. (Fashioning.com, 2010) Prada attempts to spread a social message to reduce tensions between straight and gay people. Also, Prada signed PETAs campaign in 2007 to ban cruelty against animals and eliminate fur usage from fashion. Gucci and UNICEF partnership began in 2005, since then Gucci consistently support education and healthcare programmes for orphans and HIV/AIDS affected children. Gucci embraces philanthropy taking new initiatives and ad campaigns to support the partnership like specially designed accessories collection, White Tattoo Heart collection (2008) featuring Rihanna in its campaign, Book Snowman in Africa, fundraising event with Madonna, Gucci for UNICEF Baboushka bag etc. Professor John Fernie said Alliance between charity n business is the perfect way to build brand awareness and establish brand credibility and ultimately boost profits, (McDougall, 2006). As metioned on philanthrpohy section of Guccis official website, Gucci in collaboration with the Film Foundation has made travelling sc reening movie of the restored movies to save the treasures in cinemas called Cinema Visionaries. Proceeding in 2010, to increase online presence and reach online customers, brands are delving into digital communication. Brand affiliation is aided by the application of appropriate functionality tools (Okonkwo, 2007). Focusing on innovation Gucci launched lifestyle application for iPhone and iPod touch. Guccis application offers access to products, fashion shows, playlists, city guides, news, ability to compose own music etc. Prada launched Prada phones in collaboration with LG in 2007. The LG designed Prada phone incorporates features like video player, high pixel camera and MP3 player. Chanel also has application on iPhone which shows Chanels runway collections. http://images.gucci.com/images/stills/gucci_app_3.jpghttp://www.gsmflorida.com/cart/images/lg-ke850.jpg Image No. 7: Gucci application for iPhone. Image No. 8: LG designed Prada Phone. (Gucci news, 2010) (Mossesgeld, 2007) Luxury atmosphere, aesthetics and appealing luxury stores reflect the brand personality and spread the brand message into the subconscious and psychological levels on a consumer mind (Okonkwo, 2007). Following the strategic concept of global store design by Creative Director Frida Giannini ,Gucci is renovating its stores to embrace the luxurious experience of shopping which complements the brands heritage and exclusivity. In October, 2009 Gucci launched a travelling sneaker store in New York which will later move to London and Tokyo in spring 2010. Similarly proving its exclusiveness, Prada took a radical approach towards the store architecture through Prada Epicenter which communicates a distinct identity into customers mind which is in quest for something new. http://images.gucci.com/images/stills/sloane_st_5.jpg Image no. 9: Gucci Sloane street, London Store renovated under the Global store design concept. (WallPaper, 2010) http://images.businessweek.com/ss/05/11/new_retail/image/prada_tokyo_p27.jpg Image no.10: Prada Epicenter (Herzog de Muron,2003). [Accessed on 14 November 2009] With Economic downturn, it is highly important for brands to provide distinctive experience to consumers. Brands are striving to create a brand image congruent to the customers image (Aaker and Biehl, 1993) and meet customer needs and demands. Gucci has adopted the strategy to be true to its long lasting values and expand its presence, tune its brand image and positioning by emphasising on the rich 90 years history, heritage and core essence of the brand into its marketing and brand communication coinciding with modernity and aspirational values (Gucci, 2010a). Brands like Prada are using tactful strategies focusing on parameters like timeless, authenticity, social values and culture. Louis Vuitton differentiates its customers through its brand image, brand values in terms of turnover and advertising. Chanel though is close to Gucci considering turnover it targets a more elegant, sophisticated target. Hence, Prada is the closest competitor to Gucci by comparing them on brand communic ation like advertising, philanthropy and an attempt to standout in the terms of store designs. REFERANCES : Aaker, D. (1991), Managing Brand Equity, The Free Press, New York, NY. Aaker, D. and Biehl A. (1993), Brand Equity and Advertising, Lawrence Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ. Baker, M., Foy,A,( 2003) Business and Management Research. United Kingdom : Westburn Publishers Ltd. Baker, M., Sterenberg, G. ( 2003) Managing global brands to meet consumer expectations. ESOMAR ,Global Cross-Industry Forum, Research International Qualitatif, December 2003. Barnes James G. (2003) Establishing meaningful customer relationships: why some companies and brands mean more to their customers. Managing Service quality, Vol. 13(3) pp. 178-186. Campbell, C. , Falk, P. (1997) : The Shopping Experience . London: Sage Publications, pp : 67-73, 166-72. Chadha, R. , Husband, P. 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(2004) Mass Affluence- 7 New rules of marketing to todays consumer. Boston ( Massachusetts), Harvard Business School Press. Palmer, A. (2009) Introduction to fashion marketing, 2nd Edition- Theory and Practice. Oxford, Oxford University Press, pp. 420-23. Okonkwo, U. (2007) Luxury Fashion Branding. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.15-25, 30-37, 132-67, 173-78, 220-23, 260, 278-83, 310. PPR ( 2010a) Gucci: Gucci Group [Internet]. Available from [Accessed on 10 March 2010] PPR (2010b) PPR 2009 Financial Document [ Internet]. Available from [Accessed on 8th March 2010] Preiholt, H.,Hagg, C. (2006) Growth opportunities in Luxury goods and real estate. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 10 (1),pp114-119. Salzer- Mà ¶rling, M., Strannegard, L. (2004) Silence of the brands. European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 38 (1/2) pp. 224-238. Schmitt, B. (1999) Experiential Marketing- How to get customers to Sense, Feel, think, act, relate. New York, The Free Press, pp.72-6. Triplett, T. (1994), Brand personality must be managed or it will assume a life of its own, Marketing News, Vol. 28 No. 10, p. 9. Unknown ( 2009) From Prada to Zara: is the global recession out of fashion. Strategic Direction, Vol. 25(3), pp 9-11. IMAGE REFERANCES : Image no.1 : The Fashion Time magazine (2010)Louis vuitton spring summer 2010- Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2010 ad campaigb :Lara Stone by Steven [Online Image]. Available from [Accessed on 12th March 2010] Image no.2: AMO (2010) Prada Lookbook 2010- PRADA- The Spring/ Summer 2010 Lookbook [Online Image]. Available from [Accessed on 10th March 2010] Image no.3 : Jaslyn Bang (2010) Chanel Spring Summer 2010-Chanel Spring/Summer 2010 Ad campaign [Online Image].4th Jan 2010.Available from [Accessed on 16th March 2010] Image no.4 : Gucci (2010a) Gucci Spring Summer 2010 ad campaign- Ad campaign Spring Summer 10 [Online Image]. Available from [Accessed on 8th march 2010]. 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Using Technology Supported Learning Essay -- Education, Eatwell Plate

Using Technology Supported Learning The selected topic chosen for the technology supported learning package, supports the learning and teaching of healthy eating. I decided to create an interactive self-assessed food groups package that blends into a lesson on healthy eating. Healthy eating feeds into a lot of the courses I teach; food and nutrition, childcare, personal development and food safety and I wanted to find a different way of making the lesson interesting and informative for my students and myself and at the same time introducing the students to information learning technology, self-directed study and assessment. The target audience were a group of female students attending a local Sure Start Children's Centre. There are seven students on this course and they have had a mixture of formal education, and some training provided by the Children's Centre; several have had very negative experiences at school, and four of the younger students have left school with no GCSE's. All the female students are unemployed; six are single mothers, and one is married. These students have been encouraged by their family support worker to attend this course; so motivation could be a problem as their confidence levels vary and for three of the seven learners, this is the first time they have taken a formal qualification since leaving school. At the start of the course all students were assessed for literacy; there are five at Entry Level 3 and two at Level 1. The group have also been assessed for learning styles, two are kinaesthetic, two are visual, and three are aural oriented learners. A basic computer skills assessment was also carried out and all the students have communicated that they are able to use a computer, navigate... ...; to produce 10 CD's the cost incurred was  £266.49 which makes this an expensive resource to produce on a small scale. The modifications required to improve the resource package, could be completed in minimal time and negotiating a deal on having the package reproduced on a larger scale will reduce the cost. The benefit as a teaching and learning resource allows the students to complete independent study at their own pace, using a technology that they may not have regular access too; it provides the teacher with an innovated way to communicate this subject. Vygotsky (1978) zone of proximal development, suggests "learners can demonstrate and achieve their optimal potential when given some assistance" cited in (Lajoie 2007 p. 29). I feel that the benefits out way the costs of producing this package and the feedback from the students would support this. Using Technology Supported Learning Essay -- Education, Eatwell Plate Using Technology Supported Learning The selected topic chosen for the technology supported learning package, supports the learning and teaching of healthy eating. I decided to create an interactive self-assessed food groups package that blends into a lesson on healthy eating. Healthy eating feeds into a lot of the courses I teach; food and nutrition, childcare, personal development and food safety and I wanted to find a different way of making the lesson interesting and informative for my students and myself and at the same time introducing the students to information learning technology, self-directed study and assessment. The target audience were a group of female students attending a local Sure Start Children's Centre. There are seven students on this course and they have had a mixture of formal education, and some training provided by the Children's Centre; several have had very negative experiences at school, and four of the younger students have left school with no GCSE's. All the female students are unemployed; six are single mothers, and one is married. These students have been encouraged by their family support worker to attend this course; so motivation could be a problem as their confidence levels vary and for three of the seven learners, this is the first time they have taken a formal qualification since leaving school. At the start of the course all students were assessed for literacy; there are five at Entry Level 3 and two at Level 1. The group have also been assessed for learning styles, two are kinaesthetic, two are visual, and three are aural oriented learners. A basic computer skills assessment was also carried out and all the students have communicated that they are able to use a computer, navigate... ...; to produce 10 CD's the cost incurred was  £266.49 which makes this an expensive resource to produce on a small scale. The modifications required to improve the resource package, could be completed in minimal time and negotiating a deal on having the package reproduced on a larger scale will reduce the cost. The benefit as a teaching and learning resource allows the students to complete independent study at their own pace, using a technology that they may not have regular access too; it provides the teacher with an innovated way to communicate this subject. Vygotsky (1978) zone of proximal development, suggests "learners can demonstrate and achieve their optimal potential when given some assistance" cited in (Lajoie 2007 p. 29). I feel that the benefits out way the costs of producing this package and the feedback from the students would support this.

Global warming speech Essay

INTRODUCTION The negative effects of global warming are slowly ruining the environment we live in. In a few decades, it is possible our Earth will be very uncomfortable to live on. I have researched the issues of global warming and have found out as much as I possibly can in order to deliver an informative speech about global warming. Global warming is an extremely important topic to me, because knowing what the negative effects of global warming are and what can be done to help solve those effects, our environment can stay safe and protected, and clearly the environment is one of the most essential parts of our daily lives. There is a significant amount of negative effects for the environment and for human life due to global warming. Global warming affects each and every one of us. We should all be concerned with what is happening to our planet. TRANSITION: We will be more inclined to help reduce the effects of global warming if we understand what these effects are†¦ 1.) Rising temperatures are more dangerous for certain areas over other areas. 2.) The rising temperatures are causing changes in our precipitation. 3.) Over time, global warming will worsen and cause more problems for us, as well as our future generations. SPEECH BODY I. The main and most detrimental effect of global warming is the increase in the global average temperature. A. In the past 100 years the Earth’s global average temperature rose by 0.98 to 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit. 1. This rise in temperature has been confirmed by at least 20 scientific communities. a. This includes all of the national academies of science of the G8 states. b. G8 is the world’s most industrialized nations working to stop the increase in global average temperature. 2. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Control concludes that the increase in temperature is due to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, also known as the greenhouse effect. a. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Control has also concluded that the global temperatures will rise by 2 to 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100. TRANSITION: With the global average temperatures raising so much in quite a short period of time, we must be prepared for what the causes of this rise may be if there is no solution to global warming. II. The rising of the average global temperatures is extremely dangerous for those of us who live near places of frequent drought, flooding, and places of poverty. A. One effect of global warming is the reduction of summer streams flow. 1. This can be a problem in areas of frequent drought, with reduced flow of water, drought will become more frequent. B. There is also rising sea levels because of the melting of glaciers and ice masses. 1. For areas near bodies of water, this can become a major problem. There will be more flooding due to the sea levels rising over the norm. C. Another effect of global warming is more intense weather events, agricultural yields, and an increase in the ranges of disease. 1. Most of these effects will become a problem for areas of poverty. Areas of poverty will not have the shelter or tools necessary to help protect themselves against these damaging effects of global warming. TRANSITION: The rising global average temperature of global warming is the main cause for many of the effects that global warming is having on our environment and our species. III. The rising temperatures caused by global warming are changing precipitation patterns. A. The change in precipitation will play a major role in the Earth’s climate. 1. The change in climate will have lasting impacts on the people living and dealing with the climate. 2. The Earth may become a very uncomfortable place to live in the upcoming decades, with increased precipitation and harsh weather. TRANSITION: There are many other effects of global warming, I have only named a few, the few that I feel will affect us in our own lifetimes. CONCLUSION: However, as global warming continues to become more pronounced and temperatures continue to rise, the negative effects on our environment will become more and more of a problem to us and to our future generations.

Oleanna Essay Example

Oleanna Essay Example Oleanna Paper Oleanna Paper Essay Topic: Literature Oleanna is in short one of the most complex plays of the 20th century. Oleanna is a particularly virulent battle in the war between women and men. Oleanna is deceptively simple in plot and only becomes complicated when you try to figure out exactly what happened. A lot is said, but a lot more is insinuated and even more is to be discussed about. (one on onethe best womens monologues for the nineties edited by jack Temchin.) Oleanna is a duologue, it is written in three acts, in which it manages to enrage the full audience. Men in the first act and women in the second, the third act is totally open-ended and is left to the audiences interpretation. This is why Mamet wants the dialogue to be kept exactly the same. He wants the audience to see his own views rather than the directors interpretation. Mamet has, with Oleanna written a polarising play. He lets the audiences past experiences determine their view of they play. Oleanna is a realistic piece of drama and like Stanislavski Mamet wants the audience to watch what is being presented to them and decide what their view is on the issues presented. In this case the issues would be the breakdown of relationships, political correctness, power and control, misunderstanding, intellectual freedom and the cynicism of education. Mamets play touches on many issues; but at heart is a despair over society that seems to deny intellectual freedom and resorts instead to ideological jargon and the force of law (The Life and Work of Harold Pinter by Michael Billington) The three acts of the play constitute the exposition, the development and the denouement. The end of act one is the end of the exposition yet the end of the development is less clear-cut. Some may say it is the end of Act two yet others may argue that because the end of Oleanna is not really a conclusion then the development does not end, the story is still developing. I think the third Act is the denouement with the climax where John holds up the chair to hit her and calls Carol a cunt. I wouldnt touch you with a ten foot pole. You little cunt. The anti climax is Carol saying thats right. The play starts with John, a college lecturer on the phone to his wife grace, whilst carol a student in his class waits to speak to him. Carol and John speak about how she is failing his class. She explains to him that she finds it difficult and blames it on being from a different social background and asks him for help. Act one is loaded with dialogue that can be interpreted differently by different people and it seems that Carol takes them the wrong way. In the middle of Act one John tells Carol that he likes her and that if she visits him more she will get an A in his class. Some people will think John is taking advantage because he knows she has to pass the class, I have to pass it. I have to pass this course. Yet some people will acknowledge he is only trying to help her. Another example of this is where he reminds her that Theres no one here but you and me During Act One Carol gets very frustrated about her lack of knowledge only to be comforted by John who calms her down only to be told that she doesnt understand him. The line sums up one of the main themes in the play, they dont understand each other and so their relationship breaks down. This is due to misunderstanding and misinterpretation. David Mamet has said that most of his plays are centred around people trying to connect with each other. My plays are about people trying to become connected. People who are confused trying to do good but no one knows how. (Changing stages) This quote sums up Oleanna perfectly. Depending on your view of the play you view either one of the character trying to do good, yet ultimately failing. If you empathise with Carol you believe she is doing good by speaking out about John and is confused about how he treats her about why he needs power. If you empathise with John you believe he is only trying to help and is confused by how she treats him in return. At the end of Act one Carol is trying to tell him, and the audience something about herself yet they are, once again interrupted by the telephone, a symbol of the outside world. At the beginning of Act Two Carol is much more confident after joining a new group. She accuses John of harassment, which gives her power over him, and she seems to enjoy this. John seems to be very hurt by the report and doesnt understand why she is doing this to him. From the beginning of the play John has said Carol behaves the way she does due to her anger. As they discuss the accusations they are once again interrupted by the telephone. John tells her that he is only trying to save her and she gets angry and tries to leave the room. Instead of letting her go John gets up and restrains her. In Act Three John has asked Carol to his office to speak about her further accusations, yet she is unreasonable because she knows she has power over him. I have you think, power over you It is the power that you hate She knows he hates his loss of power and plays on this by trying to bargain with him. She says that if he excludes his book from the University then she will drop the accusations. This seems to incriminate carol yet, at the same time makes her seem reasonable for not ruining his life, all she wants is understanding. You think I want revenge. I dont want revenge. At the end of the play Carol pushes John over the edge by telling him not to call his wife baby. John pushes Carol to the floor and picks up a chair as if to hit her, yet he changes his mind (whilst probably changing some of the audiences minds) and puts it down. The end of the act is not necessarily the end of the story, as we do not know what happens to the characters, Mamet wants the audience to decide about the play, how they view it and therefore the denouement of the play. The super- objectives of the play are the breakdown of relationships and the cynicism of education. The subplots are political correctness, power and control, and the interruption from the outside world. With Oleanna Mamet follows Pinters style No one has taken up the Pinter style with more adroitness, or extended it further, than David Mamet. His plays like Pinters are notated like musical scores with pauses capitals and italics for emphasis, dashes and dots for overlapping and interruption You can delineate the intention by correctly delineating the rhythm of the speech And like a composer Mamet demands that the actor study the score fastidiously and perform it without the intrusion of personality (Changing Stages pg 231) The play is structured using units and objectives. The unit objectives are linked together by the through line of action, which, in this case is misunderstanding. The unit objectives in the first Act are to show the interruption from the outside world via the telephone, to show the exposition, to alienate Carol and to establish a link between the characters. The unit objectives in the second act are to show Carols frustration at her lack of understanding, to show that Carol has brought charges of harassment against John, to show Johns lack of understanding as to why she has done this (maybe it was her aim to make him understand how she feels when she doesnt understand?) and to show that it is Carol who is now in control. Although Mamet has given Carol a little more power he never fully lets her takes control as he shows when he strips her of power at the end of the play. Also, she doesnt actually have a lot of power because it is her group who have power over her yet she doesnt seem to realise this. The unit objectives of the last Act are to show Johns frustration at Carol, to show that Carol only wants to be understood and to make the audience question whether John did it or not, to think about their view of the play. When Mamet wrote Oleanna Carol was a no hoper and John a caring professor. Carol takes revenge on John who lifts up a chair to hit her yet he doesnt. The play ends with him looking at her in a confused state. This was met with members of the audience shouting, Hit the bitch. When Pinter did Oleanna he used Mamets real ending where john hits Carol and she forces him to say, I have failed in my responsibilities to the young Both endings are hard hitting and you can argue that one is better than the other yet both have strengths and weaknesses. Mamets first ending makes it a drama of recantation in the line of Galileo and The Crucible; the version he staged in New York left you feeling as if you had witnessed a human tragedy. (The life and work of Harold Pinter) Oleanna is, in some ways a comedy of errors and although it is not funny it can be almost farcical depending on how you view the play. If you feel that John is saying one thing and Carol takes this in a completely different context then the play becomes almost farcical. Oleanna is a microcosm for the whole world, what we see when watching Oleanna happens everywhere, it is just another misunderstanding. It is also a microcosm about claustrophobia. The feeling of claustrophobia John has in his life is the same as what everyone else will feel in their own lives sometimes. What makes Oleanna so different as a play is that although Mamet is prescriptive so the director may follow some of Stanislavskis system to access realism he perhaps wouldnt use emotion memory There are no characters only lines on a page (changing stages) Because it will change the audiences perception of the play, you cannot play the character with your own emotion you have to BE the character. Another thing, which makes the play so endearing, is that we dont actually know the characters intentions. This means that the smallest thing can change the audiences perception. Another thing is that in the 20th century when Brecht wrote his list of differences between dramatic theatre and epic theatre he said that dramatic theatre has a beginning, middle and end whereas epic doesnt, this is not the case with Oleanna which doesnt have a specific beginning or end, also we are not sure if the issues brought forward are resolved.

Why a Coffee Power Nap Works

Why a Coffee Power Nap Works Youre tired, but you dont have time to really sleep. Rather than taking a power nap or grabbing a cup of coffee, try taking a coffee power nap. Heres what a coffee power nap is and why it actually leaves you feeling more refreshed and awake than either a power nap or a cup of coffee or even a nap followed by coffee. What Is a Coffee Power Nap? You know what coffee is, but it might be helpful to review the power nap concept. A power nap is a short nap (15-20 minutes) that takes you into stage 2 sleep. Its just long enough to stave off some of the worst effects of sleep deprivation or exhaustion, but not so long that it drags you into slow wave sleep (SLS) or deep sleep, which would leave you feeling groggy if you ended it too soon (sleep inertia). Research has shown that even a 6-10 minute nap helps improve concentration, alertness, motor performance, and learning, while a 30 minute nap confers the benefits of a full sleep cycle, markedly reducing fatigue and reversing much of the physiological damage of sleep deprivation. A coffee power nap or caffeine power nap is when you drink coffee or a caffeinated beverage right before settling down for your nap. How a Coffee Power Nap Works The short explanation is that it takes about 20 minutes for caffeine to jolt your system and 45 minutes before it reaches maximum effect. So, the caffeine doesnt keep you from falling asleep, but its there to boost your performance the minute you wake up. Heres the longer explanation: When you drink coffee or tea or your favorite energy drink, the caffeine is absorbed into your blood stream through the walls of the small intestine. From there, the molecule travels to your brain, binding to the receptors that would accept adenosine, a molecule that accumulates when you are tired and causes you to feel sleepy. So, about 20 minutes after taking it, caffeine helps you feel more awake because additional adensoine cant find a binding location. When you sleep, even if its just a quick nap, your body naturally clears the adenosine from the neural receptors. This is why you feel more awake after a nap. When you drink coffee and take a nap, the sleep clears the adenosine so you wake up feeling refreshed, and then the caffeine kicks in and blocks the receptors so you wont get tired again as quickly. Plus, caffeine boosts your metabolism and gives you all those other great stimulant side effects. Its a win-win situation. How Do We Know It Works? Scientists cant get into your brain to see the neural receptors and measure binding rates, but the effects of the coffee power naps have been observed. One study conducted by scientists  at Loughborough University in the UK found that tired study participants made fewer mistakes in a driving simulator following a 15-minute coffee power nap. They got the benefits of the nap even if they reported having trouble falling asleep. Japanese researchers found test subjects performed better on memory tests and felt more rested following caffeine naps. The Japanese study also indicated exposure to bright light following a nap or washing your face could help wake you up.Of course, I advise you to conduct your own experiment to test out the coffee nap for yourself! How To Take a Coffee Nap Drink coffee or tea containing 100-200 mg of caffeine. Dont add sugar or milk. If you choose an energy drink, go sugar-free or else the surge in blood glucose levels may keep you from falling asleep. Alternatively, you could take a caffeine pill.Set your alarm for 20 minutes. Dont go past 30 minutes because the coffee nap works best if youre awake when the caffeine hits your system.Relax. Sleep. Enjoy. It helps to wear an eye mask or turn out the lights. Its okay if you cant fall all the way asleep. Research indicates even deep relaxation, such as meditation, makes a big difference.Wake up feeling refreshed! References Anahad OConnor, October 31, 2011, The New York Times, Really? The Claim: For a More Restful Nap, Avoid Caffeine, Retrieved Aug. 21, 2015. Rose Eveleth, Smithsonian magazine, October 24, 2013, What Is the Exactly Perfect Time to Drink Your Coffee?, Retrieved Aug. 21, 2015. Corrie Pikul, September 27, 2012, Oprah magazine, 6 More Health Myths- Busted!, Retrieved Aug. 21, 2015. Like this? You may also be interested in whether coffee can really sober up a drunk.

Compare Mozart's 3rd Movement of Eine Kleine and Mozart's symphony Assignment

Compare Mozart's 3rd Movement of Eine Kleine and Mozart's symphony no.40 - Assignment Example s through a length of calm or seemingly walking pace-tempo, the Nachtmusik minuet and trio of 2 eight-bar phrases, on the other hand, is characterized by staccato octaves which chiefly maintain lively cadence throughout the piece. The 3rd movement of Symphony No. 40 is quite peculiar in the sense that it may be conducted with a flexible ensemble intended for a type of audience who desires a musical approach that could either be solemn or ethnic. On the contrary, one may expect Eine Kleine Nachtmusik III to be playing in front of listeners who are rather disposed to acquire inspiration for an artistic creativity or simply nurture an appreciation for choral yet grandly prolific composition at the heart of Mozart’s progressive nature with rhythm. In terms of instrumentation, the latter is executed with two violins, a viola, and a cello whereas for Symphony No. 40, Mozart himself preferred a flute and a pair each of clarinets, oboes, and bassoons which are further accompanied by two horns. It turns out that Eine Kleine Nachtmusik remains on the mainstream of the modern age for the piece itself does not just convey classics limited to the era of its origin. Capable of stimulating great delight on basic human sensations, it induces a sense of liberation, comic relief, or anything between cheerfully intense and outrageously high. For such ground, there emerge some commercials and films that include Eine Kleine Nachtmusik track, having been found hugely relevant to most current subjects involving mood shifts and stories of

The Student Protest Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Student Protest Movement - Essay Example In the USA, the Civil Liberties Movement had moved from the south toward the northern towns with the concerns of open accommodation, as well as the Black Awareness Movement. The German scholar movements were mainly a reaction in opposition to the perceived totalitarianism and two-facedness of the German administration and supplementary Western regimes, particularly in regard to the poor livelihood conditions of scholars (Keach, 2009, pp. 5). Students within 108 German campuses protested for the East Germany identification, the exclusion of regime administrators with Nazi accounts and for the students’ civil liberties. Madrid University learners protested the police participation in scholar demonstrations, objected the autocrat Francisco Franco's administration, and demonstrated concerning trade unions, as well as worker rights. Violent Protest in France and Italy In 1968, students utilized a wide variety of protest strategies, for instance, sit-in, professions, demonstrations, etc. However, particularly in France and Italy they often took part in violent protest. Students in Italy protested violently because they wanted to convert the political consciousness and assurance of a whole generation of youthful Italians. Scholars were facing limitations, as well as hardships and comprehended very evidently that totalitarianism and corruption within the university structure reflected an essentially exploitative societal order (Lichfiel, 2010, pp. 11). Therefore, a violent protest was their only option. They also demanded refusal of the purported campus reform bill being talked about in congress, which reintroduced restrictions on campus admission and forced mindless limits on diploma, as well as degree programs. Scholars were also confronting an administration ban on remonstrations. 16th March 1968, the police forcefully forced scholars to leave structures on the main university grounds, and the heads of the group chose to recapture the Architecture structure. In France, the bona fide logic of the 1968 violent objections was done to gain the incredible sense of emancipation, of self-determination for the scholars. The students desired the entire order, power, as well as tradition system to be brushed aside. The scholars wanted the Sorbonne campus reopened so that they could take it up and later announced it as an independent â€Å"people's institution of higher education† because they felt the campus was for everyone (O'Hagan, 2008, pp. 6). Additionally, socialists perceived a chance to act as a concession amid de Gaulle, as well as the Communists utilizing violent protests for results. On May 28th, Federation of the independent and communist Left, Francois Mitterrand declared that through violent protests they no longer have a state and was set to form a new-fangled regime. Violent protests brought about the beginning of a novel age to be dominated largely by the supposed new societal movements. Media’s framing devices to à ¢â‚¬Ëœunmake’ student protest in the 1960s Lumley says that by the initial 1968months the scholar movement within Italy had

Gamification Primer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gamification Primer - Essay Example amification is applied in business is to improve the competitiveness of a given business over other competitors and increase the market share, hence profitability. It is a shift from the games modeling the real world to the real world emulating games. Understanding game mechanics is significant as it enables the understanding of the real forces that affect business behavior and trends across the globe (Burke 35). Common players in games include both corporate and individuals that do it for different reasons, although the aim is to gain in different ways. Despite the benefits that are associated with the different games, challenges and risks emerge as well. For instance, an organization could apply a different game that could result in great losses and its exit from the industry if other competitors play similar games at the same time. To this end, gamification utilizes technological innovation and research and development to increase the benefits. Barclays Bank is a multinational banking group that began its operations in the United Kingdom and expanded to other countries across the globe. The organization deals with provision of investment and personal banking among other services. The bank has positioned itself as a dominant financial institution in the industry given its good financial performance. However, maintenance of the dominance is not an easy task for the bank it had to undertake different strategies (Burke 67). Gamification is one of the strategies that Barclays bank undertook. Under this strategy, the bank has the objective of generating value for all the customers it serves in its services and products. Barclays Bank is involved in intense marketing strategies some of which include integrated marketing. This is manifested in several ways such as the promotions and adverts in the broadcast media. Corporate social responsibility activities such as the support of the English Premier league is another example of mar keting strategies. The competencies