Dengue Fever Essay Example

Dengue Fever Essay In subtropical and tropical regions, the dengue virus represents a major threat to human health. The microorganisms natural hosts include mosquitoes, lower primates, and humans. Infection of the human host results in a biphasic fever with the potential to evolve into severe hemorrhagic disease. Over the past few decades, the virus genome structure, viral proteins, and viral antigens have been well characterized. Unfortunately though, the precise mechanisms by which the dengue virus causes disease remain unknown. Throughout history, major dengue fever epidemics have generally occurred at irregular intervals within the range of the mosquito vector. For instance, in 1922, one such epidemic may have affected between 1 and 2 million people in the southern United States. At present, dengue fever may cause more human morbidity and mortality than any other arthropod-borne viral disease (Henchal Putnak, 1990, pp. 376-396). The dengue viruses are currently endemic in most tropical areas of the world (Lanciotti, Lewis, Gubler, Trent, 1994, p. 65). It has been estimated that there could be as many as 100 million cases of dengue infection every year (Halstead, 1988, p. 476). The only natural hosts for dengue virus infections are mosquitoes, lower primates (e. g. , chimpanzees, rhesus monkeys, and macaques), and humans. Dengue Fever Dengue fever is a flu-like viral disease common throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world, mainly in urban and peri-urban areas. Today, it afflicts an estimated 50 million to 100 million in the tropics (Epstein, 2000). The virus has four antigenically related serotypes, which are named DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4. We will write a custom essay sample on Dengue Fever specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Dengue Fever specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Dengue Fever specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Each dengue serotype is a variation of the flavivrus genus. Dengue is spread by the aedes aegypti, a domestic, day-biting mosquito that prefers to bite humans. Currently, there is no vaccine available to prevent dengue. Each type of the dengue virus is re-emerging worldwide, especially in the Western Hemisphere. Research has shown that several factors are contributing to the resurgence of dengue fever such as uncontrolled urbanization, increased international travel, substandard socio-economical conditions, and finally global warming. Global warming has shown to be a major contributor o the spread of dengue fever. On a molecular level, dengue fever is classified as a flavivirus and appears as a spherical particle, about 40 to 50 nanometers in diameter Dengue fever Dengue fever, also known as break bone fever, is an acute febrile infectious disease caused by the dengue virus. Typical symptoms include headache, a petechial rash, and muscle and joint pains; in a small proportion the dis ease progresses to life-threatening complications such as dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome. Dengue is usually transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti, and rarely Aedes albopictus. The virus has four different serotypes, and an infection with one usually gives lifelong immunity to it but only short-term immunity to the others. There is currently no available vaccine, but outbreaks can be prevented by reducing the habitat and number of mosquitoes, and limiting exposure to bites. Treatment of acute dengue is supportive, using either oral or intravenous rehydration for mild or moderate disease and blood transfusions for more severe cases. Rates of infection have increased dramatically over the last 50 years with approximate 50–100  million people being infected yearly. The disease has become global and is currently endemic in more than 110  countries with 2. 5  billion people living in areas where it is prevalent. Classification The World Health Organizations 2009 classification divides dengue fever into two groups: uncomplicated and severe. [1][2] This replaces the 1997 WHO classification, which was simplified as it was found to be too restrictive, but the older classification is still widely used. [2] The 1997 classification divided dengue into undifferentiated fever, dengue fever, and dengue hemorrhagic fever. 3] Dengue hemorrhagic fever was subdivided further into four grades (grade I–IV), with the two most severe being classified as dengue shock syndrome. [2] Signs and symptoms Infections from dengue virus range from asymptomatic, to a simple fever, to life threatening. [1] The incubation period (time between exposure and onset of symptoms) is 4–10 days. Most infections are very mild, and many probably experience no symptoms at all. [1][4] Most commonly symptoms include: sudden onset fever, headache (typically behind the eyes), muscle and joint pains, and a rash; the nickname break-bone fever comes from the associated muscle and joints pains. 1] If fever or other symptoms developed more than 14  days after returning from an endemic area, dengue is very unlikely. [3] The course of infection may be divided into three phases: febrile, critical, and recovery. [5] The febrile phase involves high fevers, frequently over 40  Ã‚ °C (104  Ã‚ °F) and associated with generalized pain and a headache; this usually lasts 2–7  days. [5] Flushed skin and some petechia (point-like hemorrhages in the skin) may occur at this point. [5] The critical phase follows the resolution of the high fevers and typically lasts one to two days. 5] During this phase there may be significant fluid accumulation into the thoracic cavity and abdominal cavity due to increased capillary permeability and leakage. This leads to depletion of fluid from the circulation and decreased blood supply to vital organs. [5] During this phase, organ dysfunction and severe bleeding (typically from the gastrointestinal tract) may occur. [3][5] Shock and hemorrhage occurs in less than 5% of all cases of dengue. [3] Those who have previously been infected with other serotypes of dengue (secondary infection) have an increased risk of developing severe complications. 3][6] The recovery phase occurs next if the person survives with resorption of the edematous fluids. [5] The improvement is often striking, but there may be striking itching and a slow heart rate. [3][5] It is during this stage that a fluid overload state may present with symptoms of cerebral edema such as an altered level of consciousness or seizures. [3] Prevention There are currently no approved vaccines for the dengue virus. [1] Prevention thus depends on control of and protection from the bites of the mosquito that transmits it. [7][17] The primary method of controlling Ae. aegypti is by eliminating its habitats. 7] This may be done by emptying containers of water or by adding insecticides or biological control agents to these areas. [7] Reducing open collections of water through environmental modification is the preferred method of control, given the concerns of negative health effect from insecticides and greater logistical difficulties with control agents. [7] People may prevent mosquito bites by wearing clothing that fully covers the skin and/or the application of insect repellent (DEET being the most effective). [8] There are ongoing programs working on a dengue vaccine to cover all four serotypes. 17] One of the concerns is, that a vaccine may increase the risk of severe disease through antibody-dependent enhancement. [18] The ideal vaccine is safe, effective after one or two injections, covers all serotypes, does not contribute to ADE, is easily transported and stored, and is both affordable and cost-effective. [18] A number of vaccines are currently undergoing testing. [13][18][19] It is hoped that the first products will be commercially available as early as 2015. Warning signs[2] Abdominal pain Ongoing vomiting Liver enlargement Mucosal bleeding High hematocrit with low platelets Lethargic Flood In Pakistan 2010 Flood In Pakistan The devastating flood in Pakistan had destroyed more than half of the economy of the country. The country which was already facing several other crises including terrorism,poverty,corruption,illiteracy    has now hit by another challenge in the form of flood. At this crucial time ,the world has pledge to help Pakistan in any form . U. N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Pakistan on Sunday August 16 2010    to boost relief efforts as concerns grew about the 20 million people made homeless in one of the worst disasters to hit the country. Authorities said more flood surges were coursing down the River Indus and other waterways in southern Sindh province and were expected to peak later Sunday, causing fresh deluges. The river, which in better times irrigates the crops of millions of farmers, is 15 miles (25 kilometers) wide at some points— 25 times wider than during normal monsoon seasons. The United Nations said the rate of diarrheal disease continued to increase among survivors. Cholera, which can spread rapidly after floods and other disasters, had also been detected in the northwest, where the floods first hit more than two weeks ago. About 1,500 people have died in the disaster and more than 7. 9 million acres (3. 2 million hectares) of cotton, sugar cane and wheat crops destroyed. The International Monetary Fund has warned of dire economic consequences in a country already reliant on foreign aid to keep its economy afloat and one key to the U. S. -led war against al-Qaida and the Taliban. People are hesitating to give fund to Government    because of the corruption allegations against government as it was also seen at the time of Earth Quake disaster five years back.

Estimating a Trees Age Without Cutting the Tree

Estimating a Trees Age Without Cutting the Tree Foresters determine tree ages by counting the growth rings of a severed tree stump or by taking a core sample using an increment borer. Still, it is not always appropriate to use these invasive methods to age a tree. There is a noninvasive way to estimate tree age in common trees where they are grown in a forest environment. Growth Depends on Species Trees have different growth rates, depending on their species. A red maple  with a 10-inch diameter and competing with other forest-grown trees can easily be 45 years old while a neighboring red oak with the same diameter would only be approximately 40 years old. Trees, by species, are genetically coded to grow at about the same rate under similar conditions. A formula was previously developed and used by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)  to predict and determine a forestland  trees age. Running the calculations and comparing them to a species growth factor is regionally and species-specific, so these should be considered very rough calculations and can vary by region and site index. The ISA says that tree growth rates are affected tremendously by conditions such as water availability, climate, soil conditions, root stress, competition for light, and overall plant vigor. Further, the  growth rates of species within genera can vary significantly. So, only use this data as a very rough estimate of a trees age. Estimating a Tree's Age by Species Begin by determining the tree species and taking a diameter measurement (or convert circumference to a diameter measurement) using a tape measure at diameter breast height or 4.5 feet above stump level. If you are using circumference, you will need to make a calculation to determine the tree diameter: Diameter Circumference divided by 3.14 (pi). Then calculate the age of a tree by multiplying the trees diameter by its growth factor as determined by species (see list below). Here is the formula:  Diameter X Growth Factor Approximate Tree Age. Lets use a red maple to calculate age. A red maples growth factor has been determined to be 4.5 and you have determined that its diameter is 10 inches: 10 inch diameter X 4.5 growth factor 45 years. Remember that the growth factors  provided are more accurate when taken from  forest grown trees with competition. Growth Factors by Tree Species Red Maple Species - 4.5 Growth Factor X diameterSilver Maple Species - 3.0 Growth Factor X diameterSugar Maple Species - 5.0 Growth Factor X diameterRiver Birch Species - 3.5 Growth Factor X diameterWhite Birch Species - 5.0 Growth Factor X diameterShagbark Hickory Species - 7.5 Growth Factor X diameterGreen Ash Species - 4.0 Growth Factor X diameterBlack Walnut Species - 4.5 Growth Factor X diameterBlack Cherry Species - 5.0 Growth Factor X diameterRed Oak Species - 4.0 Growth Factor X diameterWhite Oak Species - 5.0 Growth Factor X diameterPin Oak Species - 3.0 Growth Factor X diameterBasswood Species - 3.0 Growth Factor X diameterAmerican Elm Species - 4.0 Growth Factor X diameterIronwood Species - 7.0 Growth Factor X diameterCottonwood Species - 2.0 Growth Factor X diameterRedbud Species - 7.0 Growth FactorDogwood Species - 7.0 Growth Factor X diameterAspen Species - 2.0 Growth Factor X diameter Considerations for Aging Street and Landscape Trees Because trees in a landscape or park are often pampered, protected, and sometimes older than forest-grown trees, it is more of an art to aging these trees without significant error. There are foresters and arborists with enough tree core and stump evaluations under their belts who can age a tree with a degree of accuracy. Its important to keep in mind that it is still impossible to do anything but estimate a tree age under these conditions. For younger street and landscape trees, pick a genus or species from above and reduce the Growth Rate Factor by half. For old to ancient trees, significantly increase the Growth Rate Factor.

Manuscript Draft and Proposal Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Manuscript Draft and Proposal - Coursework Example Performance Appraisal: A Workplace Dilemma All across the country supervisors have been evaluating their employees on a regular basis. These evaluations often become ground or justification for granting a raise, promotion, retention, or even termination. In the case of termination, or denial of promotion, objectivity becomes of paramount importance. Performance appraisals or evaluations are crucial element of the maintenance function of human resources management. Through it, the employee should receive one’s due share of benefits in terms of remuneration, rewards and sanctions, psychological motivation, wholesome and safe working environment, among others. Performance appraisals are supposed to encourage continuance and stability, not only of the workers, but also of managerial personnel from the frontline to top management. The paper aims to examine and evaluate various practices and policies on performance appraisal systems and procedures as revealed by diverse authors whose researches have been published in peer reviewed academic journals. Likewise, the discourse hereby aims to proffer relevant issues that emerge on performance appraisal as a relevant organizational concern affecting both managers and employees. Diverse peer reviewed academic journals in the area of public personnel management and administration were evaluated in terms of determining parallel issues on the dilemma faced by both supervisors and employees when subjected to the process of performance evaluation. The preparation for the paper required significant reviews, analysis and evaluation of diverse secondary information on performance appraisals in public organizations. The results of reviewing academic journals on the subject are proposed to be presented in the following structure: a presentation of the major dilemma on performance evaluation as seen from two points of views: that of the employees being evaluated, and from the perspective of the managers or supervisors doing the ratings. Concurrently, there were studies that indicate a significant impact of receiving low ratings on employees in terms of future career plans and paths that employees choose to take and the effects on alternative decisions that face the emp loyees: the decision to leave; to seek reform; to stick with the organization; to drop out, or wait for better opportunities. Other relevant concerns such as the benefits of

Consumer tastes and habits Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Consumer tastes and habits - Essay Example It is important to point out that most of Pierre Bourdieu’s focus was on things that have aesthetic component and the manner in which consumption patterns on such things reflected the class and social class that people want or do not want to associate with (Miles 1998). The concept of social class and status Different fashions adorned by different people are attributed to the certain degree of social class and status that people want to identify with. Upon recognition of this phenomenon, marketing experts wrote numerous articles on the subjects particularly, in the 1950s. Consumer behaviour experts have since recognised the need to pay attention to social classes and status and this is in agreement with numerous research works that have been done on consumer behaviour; there is general agreement that consumer behaviour of different people conforms to their social class. To some extent, consumer behaviour overrides the income levels. This, through research, is demonstrated by t he facts that as people grow older, their income levels increase but in most case, they do not change their social class. There is a tendency for people to maintain their social classes they grow older; they remain within the class and this is a clear demonstration that social classes’ overruns income levels with regard to tastes and preferences. In this regard, social class and status are strongly affected by the values and the lifestyles that people have as opposed to the amount of money or income they get periodically.

Criminal Punishment in American Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Criminal Punishment in American Society - Essay Example Other societies, mostly the dictatorial ones, do not take the criminal to the court. The criminal is punished arbitrarily. A prisoner, or the criminal, has his rights that are protected under the constitution. These rights should not be taken away from him, regardless of the fact that he has broken a law. The constitution of America has undergone many amendments since its inception. The first ten amendments that took place are referred to as the bill of rights (Todd et al 67). Contained within these ten amendments are the rights that should be enjoyed by a prisoner (Todd et al 67). These amendments took pace at the same time. They were put forward on September twenty fifth, 1789 (Todd et al 67). In their book "American Corrections", Todd et al identify two amendments that relates to the right of the prisoner and his relationship with the correctional institution. The eighth amendment is such one amendment that the book talks about. The amendment was carried out in the year 1791. It covers cruel and unusual punishments meted out to the prisoner. It says, in part ".excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted" (Todd et al, 2000). This amendment still inf... This amendment still influences the relationship between the prisoner and the correctional institution. The institution holding the prisoner should not treat him using inhuman techniques like electric shocks, lashing or food rationing. The courts should not issue an excessive punishment to the prisoner. The punishment should be in line with the crime committed. For example, a prisoner cannot be issued with a death sentence for pick pocketing. Unusual punishments should not be meted out to the prisoner by the incarcerating institution. Some authorities have been known to sexually abuse and harass the inmates. For instance, the united states have been accused of castrating prisoners taken in the Iraq war. Inhumane acts have been committed to terrorist suspects in the now defunct gutaenamo bay prison. It thus altered how the prisoners related with the correctional institutions. They are respected and treated as human beings not like animals. The prisoners are not given punishments like hard labor. As a result of this amendment, living conditions in the holding institutions are periodically checked to ensure that the prisoner is not under any threat as far as his human rights are concerned. The Fourteenth Amendment and Right S of the Prisoner Another amendment that touches on the rights of the prisoner as identified in this book is amendment number 14. It states in part that ".no state shall deprive any citizen of life, liberty or property.without due process of the law" (Todd et al, 2000). What this means is that a prisoner who is a citizen of the country should be taken to court before he is punished. The due process been referred to means alignment in court and sentencing by the court. The prison should not incarcerate an inmate,

Media Essays Music Industry Work

Media Essays Music Industry Work Music Industry Work Analyse changes in technology and global communication that have revitalised the music industry in the past ten years. Your account should concentrate on cultural and promotional aspects rather than an analysis of the music. How might you apply these innovations to your own field of work? The last decade has witnessed a period of rapid change in technology and global communication. In music, the Ipod has changed the way we buy and swap music. I tunes has just sold its billionth song. The rise of the Arctic Monkeys is almost directly attributable to the internet and sites like MySpace, where teens can spread trends in an instant. All this is happening while many traditional channels struggle to keep pace. When the Arctic Monkeys hit number one, the newspapers were left saying where did they come from? The four big companies that dominate the production and distribution of music, Universal, Sony, BMG, Warner and EMI, have been slow to embrace the internet, which has seemed to them not an opportunity but their nemesis. Rather than putting their product on file-sharing applications, they are prosecuting free-download users for theft, but now they are left with no opportunity but to welcome the digital age ahead. All it takes to get the music you most love is to find a website such as Rhapsody, Itunes Store, Urge, Rapster, or any one of what is probably a thousand such, download, and transfer to an MP3 player. Hours and hours of portable music, and unless you want to, you never have to listen to two songs by the same group. A wonderful innovation for the music loving public, The Kinks are still being worked out by the music industry. But one thing is clear. The Digital Music age is here to stay. Over the last ten years album sales have been in freefall all over the world. The 10% drop in the UK over the past year is dwarfed by a 15% slide in the US, 25% in France and 35% in Canada. The bankruptcy this summer of the CD retail chain Fopp, HMV’s announcement that its profits halved in the first six months of this year and Richard Branson’s recent decision to dump the Virgin Megastores, which have reportedly lost him more than  £50m in 2007, are all evidence of the revitalization of the music industry. The point isn’t just that people are buying fewer CDs; they are paying as much as two-thirds less in real terms today for the music they listen to on their iPods than they used to when the compact disc first took over the market. Twenty years ago a chart CD cost about  £14. Today you can buy the same in a super-market for  £9. The online market may have grown recently, but not enough to fix the hole. Here, too, margins have shrunk. A download of a single track now costs 79p against the  £4 a CD single cost in 1999. The impact on the bottom line of the record labels has been catastrophic. When EMI’s subsidiary Virgin put out the Spice Girls’ debut album in 1996 the company cleared roughly  £5 in profit on each copy sold. That margin has since shrivelled to around  £2, and only then for albums that are significant hits. Industry insiders estimate that only one of the new British acts that became popular in 2007, the pop star Mika, will actually make his record company any money. When the private equity firm Terra Firma bought EMI recently it paid about a third, in real terms, what the company nearly fetched 10 years ago when a sale to its competitor Universal was mooted. That decline mirrors what has happened over thesame period to the retail price of new CDs, and it also reflects the scale of the cull ofEMI’s workforce, which has shrunk in 10 years from more than 10,000 worldwide to about 4,000 today. There are no obvious solutions in sight. In America the recently appointed co-chairman of the Columbia label Rick Rubin, formerly a record producer by trade, has spoken of his ambition to turn the company around by refocusing it along the lines of a cable TV business, making Columbia’s entire catalogue downloadable to customers who pay a monthly subscription. The reprioritisation in recent years of live music over the recorded variety has been dramatic. Attendance at arena shows rose here by 11% last year. By the time 2007 bows out, 450 music festivals will have taken place in the UK. Ticket-master reported that 20,000 tickets for the Spice Girls’ first reunion concert at London’s O2 arena in December sold out in 38 seconds, with 1m fans registering to buy. more than a million clamoured for seats at the forthcoming Led Zeppelin reunion. Glastonbury disposed of its 135,000 weekend passes for this year’s event within two hours, taking more than  £21m in the process. Ticket prices, especially for A-list artists, have soared as the price of CDs has tumbled. You could have bought Madonna’s entire catalogue for less than half what it cost to see her perform at Wembley Arena last summer where the best seats in the house went for  £160.CD’s are almost a thing of the past.   With more more people downloading and sharing MP3’s, both legally and illegally i.e. Limewire, the music recording business is faced with a huge problem. Technology has advanced far quicker than the Music Industry’s ability to change and keep a viable business model. Downloading of MP3’s illegally has caused such a massive drop in sales that the music business in general is at a loss to provide a solution, and thus is failing. In my opinion, to suggest CD’s are almost redundant is not unreasonable.   The marketing power and speed of the Internet now means users are aware of the product long before the record label is promoting it locally and nationally.  With the connection speed of broadband Internet, users can have almost any desired song in seconds (and if prepared to break the law, for free). I can’t see the music business trying to fight this type of technology for much longer, as file sharing is not actually an illegal activity, as no cash is exchanging hands. Already deals are being announced to allow users to legitimately download songs and for a fraction of the cost of a CD single. Recording labels will have to start to offer subscription services, or small download fees per single in order to quell the hugeamount of customers currently downloading for free.The roots of the â€Å"Rip, burn and mix† (RBM) culture have been growing for a long time now. The â€Å"RBM† culture represents a powerful change to the business world as a whole and to the music industry in particular. The change in delivery method is at the heart of the â€Å"RBM† culture. To begin with it can be described from the music industry’s standpoint. Now consumers have much more control, and because of each individual’s ability to rip or copy, burn or produce, and mix or change music, the term consumer fails to capture the essence of the user’s involvement. As is apparent to everyone, this has thrown the traditional music industry on its head. In retaliation, there are battles being waged against people who have accepted the changes, the traditional consumers. Of course, as has been well documented, these battles are being fought with copyright laws that have failed to accept great change since the explosion in popularity of the internet. Questions about how this affects the individual artists and bands who rely on selling their music for an income must be addressed. First, within this culture there is still the possibility to sell records based on the traditional methods. The RBM culture has had a great deal of influence in this area of style as well. It can be viewed as a type of fusion. Everyone now has the opportunity to take what they want from a culture and fuse it with their own culture, which to many is what creativity is. Rap music is a definite example of â€Å"RBM† culture in music. An artist may take a track from another song, mix it with their own work and then produce it as a new style of music. Without conscious effort, millions of people have already accepted this culture and moved towards the empowerment of the individual artist. It is especially apparent in the popularity of collaborations between artists. Artists each bring their own work to the studio or stage and seek to mix, â€Å"burn† or create an entirely different piece of music. A closer look at the music industry from the perspective of a RBM culture reveals that the principles which are at the base of the culture are not revolutionary. However, technology has changed the scale on which these principles can be implemented, thus giving birth to the RBM culture and the vast consequences it has for the music industry. There are many unique ideas on how music should be shared and subsequently handled. An artist listed under the simple Sampling License allows the user to manipulate and change the music for their own or commercial use; however, entering it on a file-sharing network is prohibited. The Sampling-Plus License works in basically the same way except the music can be entered on a file-sharing network. The â€Å"rip, burn and mix† culture coincides with many other changes in the way people think about purchases and commercial entities. The ClueTrain Manifesto is a series of essays that deals with changes in consumer behaviour because of the Web. The Manifesto discusses ideas that need to change in the business world due to the changes in consumer behaviour. People now expect to try before they buy and buy only what they want to buy. Requiring the customer to buy fifteen songs when they only want one has become unacceptable; Furthermore, the limited variety of music that a company has to offer is unacceptable. With such easy access to seemingly endless variety, the old music industry lost one of its key competitive advantages. To be fair the industry is starting to recognize the need for digital music and has been quite successful operating with Apple’s iTunes technology. It may be too little too late but it has stemmed the tide of change for the large media companies to an extent. With all these changes taking place, it is interesting to speculate about the path of the next musical superstar or if there will even be such a concept. Everyone having access to a personal computer means that everyone is eligible to do their own recording, publishing, distributing and venue booking. Even with all this technology, a live show is still a unique experience that can only be captured by physical attendance. Excellent artists will still be sought out to play live music which will allow them to sell their products to support themselves. This process is very important even in the new music industry where everyone can be heard. The reason for its importance is the fact that a live band can carve out its own niche using the extremely effective word of mouth advertising. Unless the consumer knows an artist exists it can be extremely difficult for a consumer to find and hear that artist among all the other choices. Live touring would still be an effective medium for a band whose quest is to reach a certain degree of fame. However, there is also the possibility for a band or individual artist whose sole medium is the web. Video and audio technology could be combined to produce a â€Å"virtual stage† for the artist to perform over the internet; a distinctly new technology artist. This could take many different forms but, again, it takes advantage of the increased scope of the artist. The artist has the great opportunity to perform virtually over the web, satisfying both the fan and the musician. The Web will also act as a tool between the musician and the fan. An increase in interaction between the two might birth a new form of musical partnership. The fan might have an idea or a poem that they want made into music. Certain artist may be interested in catering to this desire to have one’s work made into music. Without a doubt, fans have been able to interact and learn more about their favourite bands because of the web. Websites would then act as virtual clearing houses by matching song writers with those who play music but are not interested in writing their own. One interesting idea that someone working in the industry could consider is that labels may only be willing to pay the artist to produce one or two songs for air play and sale.The â€Å"Rip, Burn and Mix† culture may be the end of the traditional album as it has been. If songs are available for free or are sold separately for a dollar, the experience of listening to a number of songs as a coherent work will be lost. But the artists may adapt to this new culture and change the way in which they release their music. Rather than one album with twelve songs on it released at one time, the artist could release one song each month for a year. This method could stimulate interest from fans as a continual stream of music over time. References: I tunes- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITunes, http://itunes.com EMI group 2006, statistics and figures: http://www.emigroup.com Waters, D., 2003. Music industry slow to change available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3019948.stm Gordon, G., 2007, Effects of technology on the music industry, 2007 WC Business Management Senior Capstone Experience, available: http://dspace.nitle.org/handle/10090/2694 Music industry forced to warm to Arctic Monkeys, 2007, Unlocking digital music, Oxford Journals ,Volume 49, Number 4, Pp. 14-16 http://www.mad.co.uk/Main/Home/Articlex/5897d0927dea4, Illegal mp3 downloads: http://www.limewire.com Digital Music Report 2006 Facts Figures 2006 available: http://www.ifpi.co.uk/content/section_news/DMR-2006-b.html Regan, K., 2007, EMI Revenue Falls but DRM-Free iTunes Sales Promising, E-Commerce Times, available: http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/entertainment/58684.html Why do they think they have it figured out now?200, http://www.futureofmusicbook.com/ Honan, M., 2001, Rip. Mix. Burn. Steal? Does Using Your Mac to Burn Your Own Audio CDs Make You a Thief? http://www.macworld.com/2001/10/macbeat/rip/

Bejamin Franklin -- A Life Of A Great Man Essay -- essays research pap

Benjamin Franklin During the period after America's "birth" there were many incredible people but none more so than Benjamin Franklin. Ben is considered one of America's greatest citizens. He accomplished many things in his lifetime; he was a scientist, an inventor, a politician, a printer, a philosopher, a musician, and an economist. In the 1700s, a scientist was someone who thought about the way things work and tried to figure out ways to make things work better. Every time Ben Franklin saw a question and tried to answer it, he was a scientist. Ben is most famous for his questions about electricity, but he also experimented with many other ideas in nature. Ben did many studies on electricity, not just lightning. Franklin received an electricity tube from his friend Peter Collinson and began to play around with it, performing a vast amount of experiments (FISM). However, it is Ben's interest in lightning that is best remembered. Ben hypothesized that lightning was an electrical current. To test his theory he needed to see whether or not lightning would pass through metal. So he attached a metal key to a kite and flew it in a storm. His experiment proved that lightning was a stream of electrified air, known as plasma (Lemay) Ben realized that lightning was immensely powerful, so he invented the lightning rod. After Franklin did many studies with lightning and electricity, he realized it was a very powerful force. It was this that motivated him to invent the lightning rod. The lightning rod is a piece of metal attached to a building, house, boat, etc. When lightning strikes the building the rod will attract it and channel the electricity down to the ground where it will do much less damage. This invention has help protect buildings of today greatly. In 1743, Ben Franklin was watching a storm move in. He wondered why the storms were moving the opposite direction from where the wind was blowing. Franklin believed that a storm course could be plotted. Ben chased the storm on horseback  ¾ of a mile to see how it worked. He later printed weather forecasts in his almanac (FISM). In his travels across the Atlantic Ocean he became interested in ocean currents and shipbuilding. He measured temperatures on each of his eight trips to Europe and eventually plotted a Gulf Stream. Ben was one of the first people to work on gulf streams (FISM). In November... ... seventeen, he was a fully skilled printer able to work in any print shop. With this skill, Ben was able to leave Boston and find work in both Philadelphia and London. In 1728, at the age of twenty-two, Franklin opened his own printing office in Philadelphia. He published a newspaper called The Pennsylvania Gazette and his annual Poor Richard's Almanac (Esmond). He published cartoons and illustrated news stories, and letters to the editor. He believed in the power of the press, using his printing press as a way to bring the news to all people. He used cartoons and pictures so that everyone could understand the news, especially to people who had not learned to read. In 1731, Franklin set up the first ever circulating library where people could checkout books so they could read even if they couldn't afford to buy books (FISM). Ben Franklin had many other ideas about our nation. His essays and books about the economy help shape it to what it is today, he strictly believed in hard work. There was no shortage of that in his life; Benjamin Franklin is clearly one of America's greatest citizens. We honor him as one of our founding fathers and his face is on the one hundred-dollar bill.

Relationship Diversity

A look into the deferent variations of relationships] APRIL 9, 2014 [PROOF. MCCRACKEN] Soc. SSL. 17 ? Human Sexuality Duffer 1 Marina M. Duffer April 9, 2014 Human Sexuality m{oh learn to like someone when you find out what makes them laugh, but you can never truly love someone until you find out what makes them cry. † Finding someone that completes you Is never an easy task. It takes time to find that special person that can make you smile. The one person that understands you completely. During my observations on campus I saw many different types of couples.Many of which seemed to be pure Infatuations. There are seven different types of relationships. The first is consummate, which is a type that is high on the levels of passion, commitment, and intimacy. The second is an infatuated couple, one that is purely passion. Then there is fatuous which is high on both passion and commitment. The fourth is an empty relationship, which is pure commitment. This means that this certain t ype of couple does not need a big amount of passion or intimacy. The last three are all high on intimacy but differ very vaguely. There is compassionate which includes ointment.Romantics which is a mixture of both intimacy and passion. And the last friendship, which Is high purely on intimacy. The one thing that I noticed with most of the couples that were under Infatuated relationships Is that they were young. Well between their early twenties and their mid-twenties. They were somewhat Inseparable. High on passion and life Itself. Nothing, for what it seems can tear these two apart. The newly formed couples. The ones that are still in the honeymoon stage. Duffer 2 The couples that were put into the consummate category were those that have been aired for a while and the long-term couples.These are in full commitment to each other and are still in high light though they have their down sides but they stay fully strong. They are full of passion and intimacy as well as committed to one another. The romantics and the compassionate groups are somewhat similar, in which they are high on Intimacy. But, they differ in which romantics are high on passion. The compassionate couples are high on commitment. These couples range from friends who convert into couples or people who arrange an agreement to be with each other. Woo groups may end up in disarray.What was supposed to begin without emotions ends up being a love affair. The friendship group, which is high on Just intimacy only. This is a special group. They share secrets and intimate details about each other. They are the group that I believe to be the greatest on of them all. No matter what you throw at them they know how to deal with every issue. Even with all these issues they still keep that sense of friendship. That sense of honesty and trust. The empty group, which is only high on commitment levels, is actually not so empty at all.They share a love that does not require and sense of romance, passion, or intima cy. They with each other to last with each other. They are an open couple who can laugh and smile. But not need anything more. They live off of each other's happiness and not the way their body looks or feels. My observations have showed me a different perspective on relationships and where they can lead. They are such a beautiful thing to cherish and keep. They are obscure and complicated. Two people sharing different qualities and characteristics is Just an amazing and wonderful.

Intercultural Language Use

Intercultural Language Use Culture and language can be termed as brothers since they go together. It is proven that no language or culture that can stand by itself. The reason behind it is that where you will find a culture, there will be a certain language. For instance if you go to America you will find the culture there goes together with the language.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Intercultural Language Use specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Like in when a child is born, definitely the child will be exposed to the surroundings and this plays a great role in enabling him or her become part and parcel of the cultural team. Both culture and language in a child is modeled by the people around them. (Jandt, 2004, p.187) A variety of disciplinary perspective for many years showed the relationship between language and culture. Different philosopher like linguists, anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists among other had different views in und erstanding cultural issue manipulating the facet of human behavior including cognition, perception, language and communication. It was during this time when An American linguist and anthropologist, Edward Sapir introduced the power of language to echo culture. (Jandt, 2004, p.188) In his hypothesis he confirmed that the manner in which we reflect and analysis the world verifies our language. He added that the cases of cultural language disparities have proven that some languages have precise words for thought while other languages utilize numerous words to stand for a precise notion. It is in this article where Edward Sapir showed that cultural differences have also been renowned in the method in which language is used practically. In their culture, innovative skills are normally trained and taught through oral tuition. It also said that in other cultures, innovative expertises are trained through nonverbal watching. He finally added that the dissimilarities in the societal tasks of adults and children are influenced by the language used. (Soler Jordan, 2008, p.12) The connection of language and culture attracted the interest of both theorectians and practitioners. It was during this period when Robert Lado the first person to compare the native culture and target culture and connected them to be a source of culture and language. In between 1970 and 1980, many areas in the world especially America, their researchers researched and debated the verbal discrepancy viewpoints. These viewpoints challenged anybody who never used Standard English and did not have an official language and termed that as verbally poor living.Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Even though the oral view point has been confirmed unacceptable, it is clearly understood that the research done was to either sustain or dishonor that perspective as it was said by Bernstein one of the philosophers. This spiritual thought led to the differences in the way s language is used in different cultures and the way in which the language reflects the culture and it’s worldwide. (Soler Jordan, 2008, p.15) It was during this time when Bereiter and Engelmann dug deep in researching the language and culture as the article clarifies. These people did a lot in studying language dissimilarities among social groups including focal point and inferior income collection and tribal groups. The central part of the research recognizes precise dissimilarities in the way children from dissimilar socioeconomic and racial settings used language in and out of school. The suggestion of this research according to the article shows that it was widely argued and understood in dissimilar ways. (Jandt, 2004, p.192) Like in 1971, Basil Bernstein came up with dissimilar linguistic system used by children from inferior to central income families in England. This system led to different sy stems in level of living since the inferior income families used â€Å"restricted code† while the central income families used â€Å"elaborated code† (Jandt, 2004, p.193) where as the differences were not left behind even to places like in schools that led to a total difference in culture and language. It is also in this article, where it proofs that the language used by African American children was not an official language. They therefore opted that these children required serious coach in English in the school setting as it was researched by both Bereiter and Englemann. This was brought about in order to stick in the culture and language of the area. (Soler Jordan, 2008, p.18) There after another researcher came to defend the African America who saw how black people were seen inferior and argued that they should be given room to have their English. In his statistics it straight confronted the oral deficit theory since it recognized the detailed and systematic lingu istic belongings of Black English. In his research he argued that the Black English should be given room to stand by their own pertaining language. By doing this, the differences in which language and culture reflected each other were seen worldwide. (Jandt, 2004, p.195)Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Intercultural Language Use specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion Language and culture are two terms that go together and they have a great impact in the world we live in. it has been proven that language and culture starts from the beginning of someone’s life. For instance you will find that a child will definitely grow according to the language and culture he or she has found. Although mingling of people is trying to cut short culture and language, every society is trying to put its language and culture in to existence. References List Jandt, F. (2004).Intercultural communication: a global reader. SAGE, pp.185-225. Soler, E., Jordan, M. (2008).Intercultural Language Use and Language Learning. Springer, pp. 11-29.

6 Reasons You Must Stop Wasting Time on Facebook and Invest It on LinkedIn

6 Reasons You Must Stop Wasting Time on Facebook and Invest It on LinkedIn Last week, an article entitled Facebook Lurking Can Make You Feel Miserable, According to Study made a very credible claim that people who spend an hour on Facebook per day (the national average) have more of a tendency toward depression than those who spend 5 minutes per day or less on the site. Some people, many of them teens, may spend many hours on the site, addictively checking their â€Å"Likes† and their friends’ feeds. The study found that Facebook lurking (reading without interacting) leads to depression because we have a tendency to compare ourselves to others. Whether we think they are doing better or worse than we are, these comparisons still lead to depression. (How can they not when we are constantly checking on our friends’ updates?) And here’s the rub: We convince ourselves that we will feel better after using Facebook, whereas the opposite is true. Rather than be uplifted by a sense of connection, most people experience a sense of having wasted time. The study showed that decreasing Facebook use, and staying away from browsing sections that invoke envy, can cause positive changes for people who were experiencing depression. Facebook users were more at risk of depression if they displayed the following: Felt envy after observing others Accepted former partners as Facebook friends Made negative social comparisons Made frequent negative status updates If you’re a LinkedIn user, why subject yourself to this risk when there’s another option? Here’s why I think you would do better to spend your time on LinkedIn: LinkedIn is unlikely to be a waste of time. If you are on LinkedIn, you are almost certainly building your networks or learning something valuable about your industry. You are unlikely to be watching cat videos, looking at gorgeous photographs of places you will never visit, or getting sucked into political conversations. And you only need to spend 20 minutes a day! It’s safer to accept invitations from former partners on LinkedIn. You will not be subjected to updates on their love lives or news about how well they are doing socially without you. While you might experience a twinge upon an announcement of an old partner’s new job, I believe it pales in comparison with what you might feel looking at their Facebook feed. If you’re feeling jealous of other people’s jobs, at least you can do something about it. LinkedIn is designed so that if someone you know gets a job you want, you can reach out to them and talk about how they did it. Maybe you’ll get tips on how to reach that goal yourself! LinkedIn encourages this type of interaction rather than encouraging you to stew in a jealous mire. You’ll learn about relevant topics on LinkedIn rather than have to wade through streams of irrelevant postings. By joining groups on LinkedIn, you can ensure that you receive posts that relate to your fields of interest. You can also manage the information that comes through your LinkedIn news feed (although come aspects of this feature are under construction). As per LinkedIn, you can customize your feed  on desktop and the mobile app by hiding updates from your connections, unfollowing connections and companies, and discovering new content. You’re unlikely to become â€Å"addicted† to LinkedIn. You’ll be able to accomplish what you set out to accomplish on the site, get it done, and move on with your life. Time on LinkedIn is time invested in yourself and your career. It is an exercise in creating opportunities. Every post you publish, well-considered connection you make, and conversation you engage in on LinkedIn creates visibility for you in your professional network. Whatever your career or business goals, this is good news. And Facebook can hardly claim that. One note of caution: Even LinkedIn is not a good place to be late at night. Nighttime use of social media has been linked to sleep problems in many studies. So take care of your LinkedIn activity during daytime or early evening hours! What do you think? Are you ready to trade in your addictive Facebook behavior for some more constructive social media time? I’d love to hear your thoughts (and plans) below. Save Save Save Save

Philosophy of human nature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Philosophy of human nature - Essay Example Humans are the only beings who realize their mortality and are able to make a death the most sensational topic for discussions. Inevitability of own death is accepted by people not as an abstract verity but something that is able to bring the biggest emotional shock and touch the deepest feelings of personal inner world. To find the answers on the questions of life sense and existence of life after death, mythology, religion, philosophy and even art present numerous arguments to support both sides of the coin. The theme of life and death is everlasting and essential for the spiritual culture of humanity in all its manifestations. This permanent philosophical matter is widely covered in print and broadcasting media. Reflecting about possibility and existence of eternal life is intriguing, first of all, because we do not know the exact explanation with the lack of doubts in its veracity. Everything that is unconceivable and unknown causes interest and stimulates imagination. The proble m of death and everything that concerns it has been mentioned since ancient times by Plato. Humanity may have a great hope for the existence of life after death; however, there is no any certainty or scientific proof for conjecture. The only thing left is to make assumptions, which are able to form person’s belief and positive attitude or distrust and rejection. The discussion of death may cause various reactions including even groundless prejudices and undisguised fear. However, among respectable scientists, there are a lot of optimists who present persuasive arguments to believe that after death human’s soul does not disappear. One of such literary works that stimulates thinking process and force people to review own opinions is the article of Andrew Dell’Olio, who claims that near-death experience (NDE) is a valid ground to believe in eternal life. Due to the stories of people who have experienced near-death, it has been concluded that when a person dies, the brain still remains its activity and consciousness; otherwise it is hard to explain how people who return to life remember everything that has happened in addition to the new visions that they have seen during the death of the body. According to the statistics, the number of clinical deaths increases because of the technological development and innovations implemented to the medical services, which help to revive a person after death. Therefore, today there are more and more people who have had NDE and based on their memories and feelings some significant conclusions can be made. Despite ambiguity of philosophers’ attitude, Dell’Olio tries to find out whether there is a rational basis to believe that NDEs prove the eternal life. It is evident that studies on the matter of near-death should take into account such factors as mind and body illnesses of the patient and the nature of personal identity. In spite of the fact that life after death is genuinely philosophical i ssue, it is fair to admit that there is a tendency of philosophers to ignore this question mostly because of its over popularity and urgency. Materialists consider that NDE does not represent any interest for philosophy simply because it is only hallucinations, which are caused by the decrease of brain’s activity. Basing his argument on the religious aspects, Dell’

The impact of changes in political leadership on the foreign policies Essay

The impact of changes in political leadership on the foreign policies of the People's Republic of China - Essay Example This study will begin with the statement that China is one of the most rapidly developing countries in the world. Many people believe that China may become a superpower in near future itself and the supremacy of America in global political and economic matters will be ended shortly. Even though communism is prevailing in China for the last few decades, it doesn’t mean that China’s internal and external policies undergone no changes. Some of the communist leaders in the past were adamant in implementing communist policies whereas modern political leaderships seems to be adopting more liberal approaches in implementing communist policies in China. Deng Xiao Ping is considered as the father of modern China. Even though Mao was one of the most charismatic leaders of China, his economic and political policies were strictly in line with communist principles. He never tried to dilute communist principles even for the betterment of China. However, the leadership followed by Mao was not so, especially Deng Xiao Ping. Deng succeeded in putting strong bases to China’s economic growth without sacrificing many of the communist principles. The leaders succeeded by Deng were also followed the same path of Deng and currently China is one of the most prosperous countries in the world. Interpreting China’s foreign policy is an important key to understand the tides of global affairs in 1990’s, not only because China, with the world’s largest population wields demographic and economic clouts, but also it arguably the most dynamic country in the second half of twentieth century. (Zhao, 1996, p.4). As a key player in global economic and political spectrum at present, China’s foreign policies are studied with curiosity by political analysts. This paper analyses the impact of changes in political leadership on the foreign policies of the People's Republic of China. Political leadership and China’s foreign policies Sun Yat Sen era Sun Yat Sen is often referred as the father of China. He assumed power immediately after the destruction of Qing dynasty, but forced to resign in 1912 because of his differences with the Nationalist party and the government. But he was successful assuming power again in 1923. He was a visionary leader who worked hard for China’s economic progress. â€Å"Sun summarized his policies in the Three Principles of the People--nationalism, democracy, and socialism† (Chinese Cultural Studies). He was a great admirer of Soviet Union and was keen in keeping stronger ties with Soviet Union. He tried hard to implant a Soviet model of economic growth in China. He was a liberal leader and was not much adamant in implementing communist principles. In fact he had respect towards democracy. After the death of Sun Yat Sen in 1925, Chiang Kai Shek assumed power and continued the good work of Sun Yat Sen. Chiang Kai Shek Era Chiang Kai Shek was the leader of China till the Chinese Cultura l Revolution in 1949.he was successful in keeping China away from the two World Wars. He was keen in keeping good relations with Western countries such as America and Britain. He was a strong critic of communism and did everything possible to avoid the growth of communism in Chinese soil. However, October revolution in 1949, forced Chiang Kai Shek to accept defeat and hand over the power to communist leader Mao Zedong. Mao era Even though, Mao was responsible for the Cultural Revolution in China, his contributions to China’s economic progress were limited. He was a leader who strictly followed communist principles in all internal and external matters. â€Å"Mao followed an aggressive foreign policy towards China’s neighboring countries† (Hongyi, 2010, p.17). It should be noted that China attacked India during Mao era. At sunrise on October 20, 1962, China's People's Liberation Army invaded India with overwhelming force on two separate flanks - in the west in Lad akh, and in the east across the McMahon Line in the then North-East Frontier Agency. The