Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Should Addiction Be Considered a Disease - 1976 Words

Should Addiction Be Considered A Disease? XBCOM275 March 31, 2013 Should Addiction Be Considered A Disease? In society, drugs have been the downfall for many people. There are many reasons that a person may use drugs such as: peer pressure, relief of stress, increased energy, to relax, to relieve pain, to escape reality, to feel more self esteem, and for recreation (Drug addiction and drug abuse, 2011). What is it that causes the obsession and compulsion to use drugs? Why can some people stop and others go on to become addicts? Addiction is often now defined by the continuing, compulsive nature of the drug use despite physical and/or psychological harm to the user and society (Drug addiction and drug abuse, 2011).†¦show more content†¦Many addicts finish in the legal system because they do whatever it may take to get their drugs. Although some addicts who receive legal consequences are able to abstain, out of fear of incarceration, from use for a period of time but unless they receive treatment and continue to seek support from others who are recovering from addiction the time wil l come that they will use again. Women who become addicted will abandon their children, continue to use while pregnant, sell themselves, and often put themselves in danger in order to get their drug of choice. Children of addicted parent(s) often can have behavioral problems or trouble with school and friends. Many children are forced to grow up and have to take care of themselves, siblings, and the addict because the addict is more worried about using drugs than taking care of their family. This often leads to family or social service agencies intervening on behalf of the children. The getting and abusing of drugs becomes part of their daily life which leads to financial problems, social and medical problems. Many times friends and families have to sit by and watch as the person they love chooses to use drugs over them, no matter how much they try to help them stop the addict continues to use knowing what the possible consequences may be or they stop for a period of time only to go back to using again. Along with the addictShow MoreRelatedIs Addiction a Disease865 Words   |  4 PagesIs addiction a disease? This question has long been debated and not just among the medical community. It seems if you ask this question to any random people you can find varying opinions on the issue. Stanley Peeles wrote an article which argues that addiction is not a disease and the growing influence of addiction as a disease will create problems within our society. Stanley presents several arguments for his points, however these are not strong enough arguments for people to consider his pointRead MoreThe Problem Of Drug Addiction952 Words   |  4 Pagesaction itself is voluntary: the eventual drug addiction is essentially involuntary. Drug addiction is a complex and chronic disease, a brain disease, which changes the way the brain functions. Drug addiction, much like chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, disrupts healthy, normal functioning organs. This has harmful consequences that are both preventable and treatable (Branch, 2011, pp.263-265). Drug addiction is considered a brain disease as drugs change the brain structure and howRead MoreDrug Addiction1473 Words   |  6 PagesIs drug addiction is a disease, not a choice? Or it is a choice and not a disease? Drug Addiction has become a serious issue in society today, with an increase in controversy leading towards the topic of whether drug addiction is a disease or a choice. Addiction and disease are two different things and understanding them is very important when it comes to drugs and how it affects the mind and body. Several people tend to jump the gun and think that drug addiction is a disease, when in fact it isRead MoreDrug Addiction777 Words   |  4 Pages Is drug addiction a choice or a disease? This polemical topic has been in the media for many years and has provoked many debates to ascertain the whole thing. Many researchers have concluded being a drug addict is a disease that is only cured by â€Å"feeding the habit†. Conversely, there are researchers who assert that drug addiction is just a choice. Having thoroughly taken into consideration both sides of the arguments and doing my own research, my stand remains that being a drug addict is undisputedlyRead MoreThe Disastrous Effects Of Parental Drug Addiction On Children1478 Words   |  6 PagesThe Disastrous Impact of Parental Drug Addiction on Children Drug addiction is a serious issue in not only America today, but globally. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, substance addiction is a â€Å"chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite the harmful consequences† (â€Å"What is drug addiction?†). Drug abuse affects not only the user, but those around the user as well. The actions of a drug user place a significant amount of worryRead MoreDopamine Reward Pathway Among Obese Individuals And Drug Addicts787 Words   |  4 Pageswhether or not obesity should be considered a disease. Obesity and drug use both have risk factors that could lead to fatal consequences. According to a study by Volkow et al, (2012) both drug addiction and obesity can be defined as disorders in consistence with the fact that both drugs and food have powerful reinforcing effects by dopamine in the limbic system. Additionally, Volkow’s research uncovered discoveries through brain imaging that common features between drug addiction and obesity are definedRead MoreA New Paradigm Substance Use Disorder Treatment1656 Words   |  7 PagesRemission a new paradigm in Substance Use Disorder Treatment Addiction treatment is a complex and paradoxical issue. Despite the fact that most of the medical and academic institutions define addiction as a chronic brain disease, it is too often treated on an acute basis. Chronic conditions are defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as requiring ongoing management over a period of years or decades and cover a wide range of health problems. The goals of chronic care are not to cure, but toRead More Understanding Addiction Essay1055 Words   |  5 Pages Addiction is regarded by most as a social problem to be solved with social solutions, i.e. incarceration. But, scientific evidence argues otherwise: addiction is a brain disease. â€Å"The World Health Organization has defined addiction as ‘A state, psychic and sometimes also physical, resulting in the interaction between a living organism and a drug, characterized by behavioral and other responses that always include a compulsion to take the drug on a continuous or periodic b asis in order to experienceRead MoreDrug Abuse Should Be Considered A Brain Disease1360 Words   |  6 Pagespsychiatrist in Washington D.C., wrote an interesting article titled â€Å"The Human Factor† in which she discusses the debate on whether drug addiction should be considered a brain disease or not. Satel believes that treatment for addicts should focus on treating them as humans with control over their lives, as opposed to treating them as people with an uncontrollable disease. Satel first addresses the social and economic consequences in the United States resulting from drug abuse. Annually, it accumulatesRead MoreMedical Journal Article: Addictions as Real Physical Disease1838 Words   |  7 Pagesreal disease is not as clear cut as one might think. One major area of concern has been the debate between those that believe that the conceptualization of a disease should be free from social influences/values versus those that state that the criteria use to define a disease, especially psychiatric disease like addiction, are a result of social definitions/values (e.g., Szasz, 2008). In general, most health professionals agree that the determination of what is or is not labeled as a disease should

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Neologism In The Handmaids Tale - 731 Words

In â€Å"The Handmaids’ Tale† (Margaret, Atwood), neologisms are sprinkled throughout the storys characters and it’s deeper meaning. Neologisms (being words that have a different meaning than their current uses) show how certain characters or terms are viewed in Gilead’s society. Salvagings refer to the executions that take action against those that do not abide by the Gilead Republics laws such as the doctors who practiced abortions before the war. Another neologism is the view of freedom. Offred and the other Handmaids are not given any freedom. Similar to a regiment, the women are given orders and tasks and they must follow suit while the other roles are in this same regime, just with different tasks such as the Marthas who clean and†¦show more content†¦The types of names used for certain professions also have biblical references as the police are the â€Å"guardians of faith† and the soldiers are called â€Å"angels†. Guardians are a mythological creature tasked with defending their realm from demons while an Angel is a direct biblical reference to heaven. Another biblical connection is the reading a Commander did while Offred and Moira were in the Rachel and Leah Centre or the Red Center. â€Å"Give me children, or else I die. Am I in Gods stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? Behold my maid Bilhah. She shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.†(Atwood, p.101). This is read aloud to the handmaid’s to give them purpose and reasoning for their tasks as they are the only ones that can bear fruit. Neologisms and Biblical Language help to give new meaning to words that were heard before and are scattered throughout the novel, from beginning to end. With language resulting in so much of the woman’s freedom, the story quite frankly could go two ways. After Offred has her child (assuming she has one), she may find a new perspective in all of this and find her place in society, something that she has been searching for since she became a Handmaid. This would result in no social change, but would end the story as herShow MoreRelatedjourneys in handmaids tale1334 Words   |  6 PagesJourneys Essay We learn from the journeys we take, through experience, not from the destination itself. This statement is supported by both Margaret Atwood’s fictional dystopian novel ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and Oliver Stone’s crime fiction film ‘Natural Born Killers’. Through the use of multiple techniques Atwood makes it clear that the protagonist Offred undertakes inner and imaginative journeys during the course of the novel and learns from them. Likewise, Stone uses an array of film techniquesRead MoreHow Does Margaret Atwood Establish and Develop a Dystopian Narrative in Her Novel ‚Äà ²the Handmaid‚Äà ´s Tale‚Äà ´?2152 Words   |  9 PagesThroughout Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded state is created through the use of multiple themes and narrative techniques. In a dystopia, we can usually find a society that has become all kinds of wrong, in direct contrast to a utopia, or a perfect society. Like many totalitarian states, the Republic of Gilead starts out as an envisioned utopia by a select few: a remade worldRead MoreA Postmodernist/Posthumanist Reading of Kazuo Ishiguro’s, Never Let Me Go Using Fredric Jameson’s Theory of Postmodernism and Late Capitalism.4659 Words   |  19 PagesA Postmodernist/Posthumanist reading of Kazuo Ishiguro’s, Never Let Me Go using Fredric Jameson’s theory of Postmodernism and Late Capitalism. Posthumanism neologism is used to describe what comes after humanism and the question of what it means to be human. It is often and most frequently used to describe a dystopian life form that is created and crafted by humans themselves. Posthumanism is not to be confused with postmodernism, although their paths do cross intrinsically throughout this essay

Monday, December 9, 2019

Hills Like White Elephants (1385 words) Essay Example For Students

Hills Like White Elephants (1385 words) Essay Hills Like White ElephantsThe most striking feature of the short story Hills Like White Elephants isthe manner in which it is told. It is not typical in the classical sense with anintroduction, a development of the story and an end. Instead, we get some timein the life of two people, as if it were just a piece of a film where we have alot to deduce. This tale does not get everything done for the reader; we onlysee the surface of what is going on. It leaves an open end because readers canhave their own ending and take part in the action when reading. The story toldhere is that of a woman and a man on their trip to a place where she can have anabortion. Everything in the tale is related to the idea of fertility andbarrenness. This main topic can be seen from the title Hills Like WhiteElephants, where Hills refer to the shape of the belly of a pregnant woman. White Elephants is an idiom that refers to useless or unwanted things, meaningthe fetus they plan on disposing of. Hemingway produces an effect of sympathyfor the girl through the setting that symbolizes their decision process. Thetime passing symbolizes the pressure the two people are under, and through theirpoor communication indicates that this relationship does not and will not work. The first impression the reader gets when reading the text is that the story isset in the middle of a dry, barren place under the sun, with no shade or trees. This reinforces the idea of lack of life, but, in contrast, they are in the warmshadow of the building where life is. This emphasizes the contrast between thepregnancy of the woman, as being fertile and everything around them, includinghim, in this idea of fertility as he is also apart from the barrenness andsharing the shadow. The brown and dry setting sets the tone for theconversation between the couple (Hemingway 281). It allows the reader tounderstand the feelings of entrapment held by the couple and especially theyoung girl. The couple is also separated from the rest of the people that areinside the bar by a bamboo beaded curtain. This gives the idea of privacyreinforced by the idea of the warm shadow of the building that protects themfrom the world that exists inside the bar, they are outside, with nature. Thereis tension in the air at some moments, but they cannot express it openly. Perhaps they dont want to be heard in case somebody can understand them, ormaybe, it is just a problem of communication and of sharing feelings. It couldalso be a combination of both. No woman should be subjected to making this typeof important decision in such a harsh environment. Another thing the reader musttake into account is the fact that the train is stopping only for two minutes, avery brief time. This couple is being pressured into making a very importantdecision in only a short amount of time. According to the narrator, theexpress from Barcelona would come in forty minutes, leaving the couple withno time to really go into discussing the important details of their relationshipand the decision they are making (Hemingway 282). As the story comes to an end,the woman server informed the couple, The train comes in five minutes, anda sense of urgency is brought to the conversation (Hemingway 284). This becomesevident by the manner in which the couple is concluding their conversati on. Thegirl does not want to speak about the subject anymore, but the couple has notfinished talking things all the way through. In the end she just wants to getthis operation over and done with. Ernest Hemingway chose to use the couplesdialogue as the best way to express sympathy for the young girl to the reader. .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5 , .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5 .postImageUrl , .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5 , .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5:hover , .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5:visited , .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5:active { border:0!important; } .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5:active , .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5 .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf0fc9c2762f2dc7825ab0dab6b1569f5:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Firestone Tire Recall EssayThis dialogue is presented as being very natural, but was carefully written,because through it, the reader can deduce the kind of relationship they have. The language here is a very simple one, even informal; this easy languageusually expresses feelings. The real theme of the conversation is not clearlystated, but is underlying; they are talking about love, feelings and herpregnancy. The problem that the two are having when communicating is that noneof them is hearing each other. In the beginning she wants to speak out about thesituation clearly and put the feelings on the table to be talked about openly. When she asks such a simple question as, What should we drink, he changesthe subject instead of answering the question, and answers, its prettyhot(Hemingway 282). This implies that he wants to change the subject and talkabout simpler things such as the weather. As the conversation goes on, the manopenly refers to the operation as if taking importance off it. He says it is notimportant but very easy, like opening a window Its just to let the airin(Hemingway 283). He wants her to have the abortion but she is sure aboutthe fact that their relationship is going to change after that (Hemingway 282). He wants to convince her that the decision has been hers by means of sayingthings like, if you dont want to you dont have to But I know itsperfectly simple, but he is the only one who has no doubts about it(Hemingway 283). She is having the normal doubts a woman can have in a situationlike that. He feels that the pregnancy is a nuisance in their lives. The babywould mean the necessity of settling down and starting a family and this wouldbe a change in their lives as they move a lot around. There is another allusionwhen almost at the end of the story he says, we can have the world and shereplies, No, we cant. It isnt ours anymore And once they have taken itaway, you never get it back(Hemingway 283). Here we can see that she wantsthe baby and she knows that once she has the operation she wont be able to getthe child back. At the very end, in the last sentence, he asks her if she feelsbetter, but what he is really asking is if she has made a decision and he wantsto know what she has d ecided. She replies: I feel fine Theres nothingwrong with me. I feel fine(Hemingway 284). Because they both want to make adecision quickly, they are not careful and end up hurting each other. Thecharacters are really mysterious to us, we know nothing about their lives butthey seem to have nothing to do in life apart from sex and drinking. They are inthe middle of a surface level relationship, and these types of relationshipsrarely work. They spend their time in the bar drinking alcohol, which isconsidered a depressant. They order anis because she wants to try newthings, she might be considering the possibility of having a new relationship ora new experience in life, but when she tastes it she says, it tastes likelicorice which is a very common and not exotic taste (Hemingway 282). Sheadds that, Everything tastes of licorice. Especially all the things youvewaited so long for implying that when you wait for something for a longtime, for instance a relationship, once you get it, it lo ses exotism and appeal(Hemingway 282). It is apparent that the girl may be settling for less with herAmerican partner. Later on there is a reference to the routine they seem to bein when she says, thats all we do, isnt it- look at things and try newdrinks(Hemingway 282). The girl is fed up with this relationship andfollowing the operation, she will most likely leave her companion. Inconclusion, Ernest Hemingway has given the reader the opportunity to feelsympathy for the girl through the use of the setting, time restrictions, andpoor communication exhibited by the couple. Hemingway has provided a unique lookinto the slice of this couples life by use of this out of the ordinary shortstory. Through this different style, it has become very easy to have compassionfor the girl and understand the tough decision she is making. On the other hand,it was very difficult to feel the same way about the man. He made repeatedselfish remarks and seemed as though he was only looking out for his best interests throughout the conversation. In a time when abortions were taboo,Hemingway was able to present his sympathy for the young girl through her toughdecision process.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

The Truth Is Essays - The Things They Carried, Tim OBrien, Truth

The Truth Is The Truth Is? The Things They Carried is a thoroughly gripping book with a raw honesty that is absolutely haunting. Aside from the Bible, no book has affected me so deeply. I was not there in the jungles of Vietnam. I was not even alive when the fighting occurred. There are only a few people I know who fought in those far away jungles and rarely do they speak of it. Then I met Tim O'Brien. I met him walking through the jungle, pondering Canada, visiting his boyhood home, and remembering his dreams. He told me the truth about Vietnam. He told me the truth but he took twists and turns in his story. He leapt backward and seemed to be going nowhere, but that is just when he would hit me hard and fast with his point. I wondered why he was telling me like this, and then I realized that is was the only way for me to understand. Mere words could take me to the jungle, but it was the dizzying truth that would make me feel the heat and confusion. He made sure I knew, that in war, ?There is no clarity. Every thing swirls.? (88). It was the nature of his memory. I learned about the tangible things that the men carried into and through the jungle. They carried pictures, love letters, steel helmets, and M-16's. There were other things though, things they didn't always pull out and show the other guys. Fear was tucked away somewhere behind their eyes and innocence was carried in but quickly stolen away. The war robbed them of their peaceful sleep and guiltlessness and gave vivid memory in their place. They'll never forget the surreal images that make up their memories of Vietnam. That is what Tim O'Brien and the men of his company carried out of Vietnam. They carried things heavier and more profound than what they came in with. Things like haunting memories and guilt, the look on a friends face just before he was blown to pieces when he stepped on a land mine and shaking dead men's hands. In the blurred morality that enveloped Vietnam, these men were forced to kill without hate, without even thinking about killing (148). That is what the war gave these men to carry out and take home; images of death burned in their memory. O'Brien told me that, ?Even now I haven't finished sorting it out. Sometimes I forgive myself, other times I don't.? (149). He didn't ask me to understand the war because it cannot be understood. Instead he asked me to understand the men. I knew that was impossible; I hadn't seen it, done it, tasted it?you had to be there. I could sense that he did not want me to say that I understood; he knew I didn't. Not fully, the way he did. He just wanted me to listen and hear him remember the truth. He told me the stories over and over again to make sure I got it. The truth, the nature of his memory will now be one of the things that I carry. History Essays

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Alcohol Detox Essays

Alcohol Detox Essays Alcohol Detox Essay Alcohol Detox Essay The article I chose is â€Å"Nurse-led detox in primary care. In my paper I will be discussing how alcohol detoxification works in London in a primary care setting. In the case of this article the primary care setting is considered working together with a nurse specialist in a community detox center. In most cases a referral is made by the primary care physician to the nurse specialist. There are two different referral categories’ that are used in London. The first referral is for patients with complex physical needs where alcohol is a major contributing factor to physical elements (ex. jaundice, ascites, and liver failure). The second referral is for the dependent drinkers, which are considered people who drink every day. When a patient in referred to a community detox center the patient has to be willing to accept responsibility and shows signs of wanted to detox from alcohol. This concept is found to be harder in patients who have had a long standing problem with alcohol dependence. However, once a patient has made up their mind detoxing can change a person’s life and open up so many doors. In London the community detox guideline states â€Å"community detoxification is a process by which clients are enabled to withdraw safely from alcohol while remaining in a community setting. This is achieved with a combination of support, a reducing regime of medication and ongoing monitoring† (UK Department of Health, 2007). In the community detox center the nurse specialist has a treatment package that includes detoxification, relapse prevention education, and to provide support to the patients who want to be alcohol free. There is a criteria that has to be met in order to do the program as well as exclusion that don’t allow a patient to do the program. In order to do the program a patient must have a stable living environment, with social support, the patient has to agree to attend aftercare sessions with nurse specialist, and have no severe physical health problems. The exclusions to the program include a patient with a severe physical health problem, unstable living arrangements, no additional support, a high number of previous failed community detoxes, and evidence of poly-drug use with a chaotic lifestyle. Once the patient has met the program criteria an assessment is done to find out the history of their current alcohol pattern within two weeks, how much they drink per day/week, how long they have been drinking, previous treatments, and any history of physical and mental health problems. The nurse specialist will include in her assessment a physical examination of the patient and the ordering of a liver function test. The nurse specialist usually has the detox program start on a Monday or a Tuesday so to allow enough time for the patient to be alcohol free. The patient has to be alcohol free for at least nine hours before starting the programs. The program starts the patient on a medication called Chlordiazepoxide which they start to decrease on the fifth day of treatment. Along with taking the medication the patient must attend aftercare sessions in which they meet with their case worker to establish whether the patient has been drinking alcohol, discussing any feelings that the patient may be having about the treatment program, making sure the patient is following their medication regimen, and developing a plan for support and aftercare sessions for when detox is completed. Once detox is completed the patient must follow up with their case worker within in one week to discuss how things are going and to make sure the patient is going to daily aftercare sessions. In conclusion I think this article showed the importance of the nurse specialist role in helping a patient to detox without having to be in an in-patient care facility. I feel like the guidelines the nurse specialist set forth for the patients was very well put together and reasonable. I think in order for the detox to work the patient has to have a mindset that they are ready and willing to make this journey and to understand that its going to be a day to day battle. A person can detox for however long their body will withstand it but it’s their mind that has to be in it.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

The Definition of Market and Some Marketing Resources

The Definition of Market and Some Marketing Resources A market is any place where sellers of particular goods or services can meet with buyers of those goods and services. It creates the potential for a transaction to take place. The buyers must have something they can offer in exchange for the product to create a successful transaction.   There are two main types of markets  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ markets for goods and services and markets for the factors of production. Markets can be classified as perfectly competitive, imperfectly competitive or monopolies, depending on their features. Terms Related to Market A  free market economy  is dictated by supply and demand. Free refers to the lack of governmental control over price and production.   Market failure occurs when an imbalance exists between supply and demand. More of a product is produced than is demanded, or more of a product is demanded than is produced.   A complete market is one that has components in place to address virtually any eventual circumstance.   Resources on Market   Here are a few starting points for research on market if youre writing a term paper or maybe just trying to educate yourself because youre contemplating launching a business.   Good books on the subject include the  Dictionary of Free-Market Economics,  by Fred E. Foldvary. It is literally a dictionary encompassing just about any term you might encounter dealing with free market economics.   Man, Economy, and State with Power and Market  is by Murray N. Rothbard. Its actually two works gathered in one tome explaining Austrian economic theory.   Democracy and the Market  by Adam  Przeworski  discusses economic rationality as it relates to and interacts with democracy. Journal articles on market that you may find enlightening and useful include  The Econometrics of Financial Markets,  The Market for Lemons: Quality Uncertainty  and the Market Mechanism, and  Capital Asset Prices: A Theory of Market Equilibrium under Conditions of Risk. The first is offered by Cambridge University Press and was  written by three economics scholars to address empirical finance.   The Market for Lemons  is written by  George A. Akerlof  and is available on the JSTOR website. As the title implies, this paper discusses the various rewards for sellers who produce and market merchandise and products that are, quite simply, of poor quality. One might  think manufacturers would avoid this like the plague ... but maybe not.   Capital Asset Prices is also available from JSTOR, initially published in the Journal of Finance in September 1964. But its theories and principles have stood the test of time. It discusses the challenges inherent in being able to predict capital markets. Admittedly, some of these works are very highbrow and may be difficult for those just wading into the area of economics, finance, and market to digest. If youd like to get your feet a little wet first, here are some offerings from ThoughtCo. to explain some of these theories and principles in plain English like how markets use information to set prices, the role of the market, and the effects of a black market using supply and demand. Sources Foldvary, Fred E. Dictionary of Free-Market Economics. Hardcover, Edward Elgar Pub, December 1, 1998. Murray N. Rothbard, Man, Economy, and State with Power and Market, Scholars Edition. Joseph T. Salerno (Introduction), Paperback, 2nd edition, Ludwig von Mises Institute, May 4, 2011. Przeworski. Democracy and the Market. Studies in Rationality and Social Change, Cambridge University Press, July 26, 1991.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Science Meets Real Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Science Meets Real Life - Essay Example This conclusion also has a chance of being faulty. There exists a chance of error in both of the final decisions sought over in the above description. To ensure our conclusion even more we enter our house once more and turn on the switch of another lamp to check whether it turns on or not. If this new lamp also would not turn on then it would be certain that there is no electricity in the house. The way this would be scientifically assessed is narrated a follows: Analysis: Either the bulb would glow or it would not glow. If the bulb glows in the second lamp then it may be decided that there has been a fault in the wiring of the initial lamp that was attempted to be turned on when the person reached home. There exists the possibility of a POSSIBLE ERROR here and that is that the lamp may not have been plugged into the socket properly. Just as the possibility of the lamp not being plucked into the socket was discussed, this possibility may also be assumed for the initial lamp. Hence the hypothetical testing of possibilities behind the non- functioning of the lamp continues unless and until all possible situations have been addressed. If the water is not coming out of the main water outlet then there arise two possibilities. Either there is no water in the overhead task or the tap has malfunctioned and is not letting water through. In order to clarify this situation the following scientific experiment is conducted: Analysis: If there is now water emission from any of the taps within the house then it may well be concluded that there must not be any water in the overhead water tank. However, if water is coming out of the other taps it may be assessed that there might be an airlock in the tap of the Garage that restricted water from coming out of it. Thus it was decided that if there was no water in the overhead tank then the tank would be filled by turning the water filling motor on. On the other hand if only the garage tap would

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Full price activity changes with hourly wage rate and the different Assignment

Full price activity changes with hourly wage rate and the different between income and substitution effects - Assignment Example The income constraint requires that the net household income should equal expenses on market items, where p is the price of household output, w is the hourly income, r is the price of variable inputs, and s is the price of market items. This furthermore will tell us about the bargaining power in household production unit. Thus: P ( YÂ ­C ) – w Tw – rV = sM We obtain full income constraint by such an expression after a little change: wT = Æ ©Ni=l FCi Where FCi= total cost of a good and FCi = pxi + wti where p= price index of xi, w= wage rate, xi= summed inputs in production and consumption of an item, while t is time spent working. In the same context, individuals will always minimize the total cost of consuming a commodity. This way we can understand the decline in fertility with increased income as well as why many people ignore coupons in grocery firms. We are also able to understand the cause of decrease expenditure on children as they become endowed. (Tran 2005). The fig.1 and 2. Show graphical examples of how the above theory can be represented. The sketch 2. Illustrates a substitution effect concerning wage rate. A rise in wage rate results in increased relative price of time and also the households substitute purchased items for time in the making and usage of a given level of each item.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Applied Linguistics Essay Example for Free

Applied Linguistics Essay Second language learning has always become an important work-field both in schools and other private sectors dealing with language teaching and learning process especially in the time of global integration. It is a complex activity involving a mix of internal factors such as age, aptitude, motivation, personality, or learning strategies†¦and external factors such as socio-economic and cultural background, learning and teaching contexts†¦ All these factors play a very important role in learners? success in acquiring and using a second language. Thus, learners’ second language achievement can be greatly improved when teachers have a better understanding of the learner, of the learning process and of the variables that may help or hinder learner’s language achievement. Because of the limited size of this article, I am going to discuss some of the most important factors affecting learner’s second language achievement: motivation, age, personality, social and cultural factor in order to analyze what stimulates successful language learning and what places obstacles in the learner’ s path to language proficiency. II. DEVELOPMENT II. 1. Some factors affecting learner’s L2 achievement II. 1. 1. Internal factors II. 1. 1. 1. Motivation It is undeniable that motivation is one of the major factors in deciding the learner’s failure or success in second language achievement. Motivation is a kind of desire for learning. It is very difficult to teach a second language in a learning environment if the learner does not have a desire to learn a language. Reece Walker (1997) stress that a less able student who is highly motivated can achieve greater success than the more intelligent student who is not well motivated. In this article, we are concerned with motivation related to foreign language teaching and learning. Wilkins (1972) points out that â€Å"motivation is not a general covert term for possibly distinct concept such as energy, interest and enjoyment, but instead, restricted to the degree of willingness to learn which depends largely on the learner’s needs in learning the language. Psychologists have distinguished two major types of motivation which play an important role in determining how willing the learner is to persevere with the task: instrumental and integrative motivation The first motivation will be discussed is instrumental motivation. It is generally characterized by the desire to obtain something practical or concrete from the study of a second language (Hudson 2000). With instrumental motivation, the purpose of language acquisition is more utilitarian, such as meeting the requirements for school or university graduation, applying for a job, requesting higher pay based on language ability, reading technical material, translation work or achieving higher social status. Instrumental motivation is often characteristic of second language acquisition, where little or no social integration of the learner into a community using the target language takes place. According to Richards (1976) simply learning a language to acquire course credits, or to carry out a limited range of tasks that do not involve the learner in close face – to – face interaction ( for example a person learning enough English to sell souvenirs to tourists does not generally lead to a high degree of accomplishment in learning). However, in recent years, according to Brown (1977), he stated that Indian English is one example of a variety of English which can be acquired very successful for instrumental reasons alone. Another motivation will be taken into consideration is integrative motivation. According to Gardner and Lambert (1959), this kind of motivation means learning a language because the learner wishes to identify himself with or become integrated in the society whose language it is. It has generally been thought that integrative motivation is the more powerful of the two because it implies a desire to integrate with speakers of the target language. Instrumentally oriented students would be expected to acquire the second language only to the point where their instrumented goals were satisfied. It is likely that when the learner merely wanted to be able to buy food and take public transportation he could achieve those goals with a very low level of proficiency in the second language and if the learner had to use the target language in his professional life, his level of learning would be much higher. Learners with integrative motivation view the language as a key to social and cultural enrichment through the opportunities to provide for association with members of a different culture. Then their goal in learning the language is to be able to use the language as a means of  communication and also for acceptance by the people who speak the language. Such motivation often leads to high accomplishment. In settings such as Vietnam, learners who learn English for special purposes have a great deal of instrumental motivation to acquire English in order to be able to be applied for a good job with a high salary. They learn English very fast just because they want to communicate orally, in a very simple English with other speakers of English. In Vietnam, English is a compulsory subjects so almost all of students learn English just to pass the exam. Thus, the type of language learned namely forms as mainly for communicative use will be directly affected by the type of examination students need to pass. As a result, it is likely that learners will not achieve a high standard of English. II. 1. 1. 2. Language aptitude As has been discussed in the previous section, success in mastering a foreign language depends very much on the learner’s motivation. Beside the motivation factor, social psychologists have also found out that whether a student can learn a foreign language very successfully or not also depends on his language aptitude. This section is an attempt to discuss an intrinsic factor influencing foreign language learning that is language aptitude. Aptitude for language learning is usually composed of four different types of abilities: the ability to identify and memorize new sounds, the ability to understand the function of particular words in sentences, the ability to figure out grammatical rules from language samples, the ability to memorize new words. Many tests of language aptitude have proven extremely effective in predicting which learners will be successful in learning. However, considerable controversy remains about whether language aptitude is properly regarded as a unitary concept, an organic property of the brain, or as a complex of factors including motivation and short-term memory. Research has generally shown that language aptitude is quite distinct from general aptitude or intelligence, as measured by various tests, and is itself fairly consistently measurable by different tests. Language aptitude research is often criticized for being irrelevant to the problems of language learners, who must attempt to learn a language regardless of whether they are gifted for the task or not. This claim is reinforced by research findings that aptitude is largely unchangeable. In addition, traditional language aptitude measures such as the Modern Language Aptitude Test strongly favor decontextualized knowledge of the sort used in taking tests, rather than the sort used in conversation. For this reason little research is carried out on aptitude today. However, operators of selective language programs such as the United States Defense Language Institute continue to use language aptitude testing as part of applicant screening. In my opinion, as a teacher of English, aptitude plays an important role in learner’s language achievement. How is it that some people can learn a foreign language quickly while others, given the same opportunity experience utter failure? Does this depend on how language is taught? Partly this is true as when the teacher is equipped with a better language teaching method, his students can learn faster. But partly it is not true as in the same group there always exists fast and slow learners. Another answer to the question is the problem of â€Å"motivation† but not all students with the same motivation can have the same accomplishment. Another possible answer to the question is that some people have language aptitude while others do not. II. 1. 1. 3. Learner’s age The previous section dealt with the learner’s language aptitude, a factor that influences language acquisition a great deal. This section will take into consideration another factor age which has received a number of opinions so far. In the past few decades, the comparisons among child, adolescent and adult learners have been made by many researchers, and the different findings as well as explanations have been reported. Traditionally, research in Critical Period Hypothesis and other variables has derived two major aspects of language learningthe younger = the better and the older = the better. However, recently the scholars in the fields of linguistics, psychology and psycholinguistics have reported their study or experiment results continually, resulting in completely different points of view so the argument for or against the Critical Period Hypothesis has never stopped. The question of how developmental stages interact with individual learning differences is still a question of great debate. Is there an optimal age, a critical period or a sensitive period? How does the age factor affect the development of linguistic abilities? Are adults really inferior to children and even to adolescents? There exists a belief that younger learners have certain advantages over older learners in language learning. According to Ellis in 2008; Larsen-Freeman in 2008; Mayberry Lock in 2003, Robert Dekeyser in 2000, younger children learn L2 easily and quickly in comparison to older children. Larsen-Freeman Long in 2008 also suggest that there is a period of time, between birth and somewhere around the age when a child enters puberty, exists in which the learning a second language can be accomplished more rapidly and easily than times falling outside of this period (i. e. post puberty). This is because children are in the most flexible condition learning a foreign language. This stage might be strongly impressed on their brain, which can stimulate nervous function system, and the further learning can help them to form language habit and competency easi1y. however Researchers also disagree with withdrawing home language support too soon and suggest that although oral communication skills in a second language may be acquired within 2 or 3 years, it may take 4 to 6 years to acquire the level of proficiency needed for understanding the language in its academic uses (Collier, 1989; Cummins, 1981). So children who are taught L2 intensively too early will damage their L1 acquisition. Another belief reported by Johnson and Newport, Dekeyser, Asher and Price, Politzer and Weiss, Olson and Samuel, Lightbown and Spada (2008) that older learners have a higher level of problem solving and metalinguistics abilities than younger learners.. The young learners are considered fluent in communication of the second language and achieve native like accent. Learners after the age of puberty do not acquire native like accent of a second language but have complex learning pattern. Research suggests that children and adults L2 learners pass through different developmental states in second language learning. Learning depends on the cognitive maturity and neurological factors. Adults’ cerebra nerve network has come into being completely, and their thinking habits have become mature in this period. They can deal with complicated language form and contents easily, because their meta-language consciousnesses, common sense and literary knowledge are better than children. In general, age is important but not everything in second language learning. There are some factors related to the age, for example the learning opportunities, the motivation to learn, individual differences, and learning styles, are also important determining variables that affect the rate of second language learning in various developmental stages of the learners. II. 1. 1. 4. Learner’s personality We have mentioned some important factors influencing learner’s second language achievement such as motivation, language aptitude and age. In this section we continues with some specific personality factors in human behavior in relation to second language acquisition. The psychological factors to be discussed here are self-esteem, inhibition, extroversion/ introversion. Self –esteem is the degree of value, a worthiness which an individual ascribes to himself. According to Schuman in 1978 and Brown in 1980, there are three kinds of self- esteem: global, specific and task self – esteem. How is self –esteem related to second language acquisition? Brown (1980) states that specific self- esteem might refer to second language acquisition in general but task- esteem might approximately refer to one’s self-evaluation of a particular aspect of the language process: speaking, writing†¦ A study by Adelaide Heyde (1979) revealed that all three aspects of self-esteem correlated positively with performance in oral production and student with high self –esteem actually performed better in the foreign language. Inhibition sets of defences built to protect the ego, a concept closely related to self-esteem and of course has to be considered by teachers. Language learners, children or adults, make progress by learning from making mistakes but at the same time, making mistakes can be viewed as a threat to one’s ego. As a result, the learner tends to build a certain degree of defence to protect himself. Guiora et al (1972a) produced one of the few studies in inhibition in relation to second language learning, and the experiments have been high-lighted a possibility that the inhibition, the defence which we place between ourselves and others can prevent us from communicating in a foreign language. . Another factor which also needs some examination is extraversion and introversion. Language teachers often assume that the extraverts are better language learner than introverts. In a language class, the teacher tends to prefer to have more students with an outgoing and talkative personality. At an early stage, extroverts seem to speak the language better than the introverts, but this does not mean that the proficiency of a more introverted student will be lower. This depends very much on the goal of learning. It can be argued that the reserved learner may be very quiet but he can be a good language learner in the sense that he is good in aural and reading comprehension even though he cannot speak. Thus, it is not clear then that extraversion or introversion helps or hinders the process of second language acquisition and it is hard to say which is ideal for language learning. II. 1. 2. External factors The previous section examined some aspects of internal factors. This section accounts for some equally important external factors which also affect learner’s second language achievement. As language teachers we are faced with factors such as the social context of learning, the cultural differences between two language involved. The learning environment of the educational context and the teaching method being used. Most of these are largely beyond our control but nevertheless they are important because they can affect, sometimes decide the learner’s internal factors in learning. To improve teaching and stimulate better learning, these factors should be taken into consideration. II. 1. 2. 1.  Social factor The child’s acquisition of his mother tongue is affected by the condition under which it takes place. The same influence is also relevant to learning of a second or foreign language. The classroom itself is a kind of social setting where each student has a role, so his success of learning a foreign language is, to some extent, determined by the teacher- student relationship and the student- student relationship. The teacher’s love for his job is often an encouragement to his students in their learning. According to Cheatain (1976), student is also strongly encouraged to learn the language when his teacher is always hopeful. The student- student relationship is no less important. This instance concerns face- saving. No students likes to let his errors be known to his friends, so correction of errors by the group is helpful when there is non- hostile trusting climate in the classroom. In addition to the classroom features of the learning situation itself, there are factors in the wider social context that influence language learning. Teaching never occurs in a vacuum. Any subject occupies a position in the syllabus in order to meet a need of all part of the school population. Second language or foreign language teaching is not an exception. As the political, economic and historical conditions change, the course objectives are altered. In a great number of countries it so happens that shifting political economic and social conditions often bring about the change in status of a second or foreign language. For example, English was not introduced into the school curriculum in Vietnam until 1971. Nowadays, when Vietnam is a member of WTO, English becomes a compulsory subject as it is an international language of commercial and official communication. Political factors are not the only ones that influence second language learning. Other attitudes towards language learning which are characteristic of the society to which the learner belongs are particularly important to the success of language learners. In Vietnam, the ability of using English fluently is a special qualification for certain favored jobs, but in others like the UK or the USA, learning another language is little more than a hobby. Obviously, all the different attitudes, which actually stem from political, economic or historical causes play an important part in the overall achievement in foreign language learning. II. 1. 2. 2. Cultural factors It is obvious that knowing a second language no longer means merely having acquired some linguistic competence: the ability to construct grammatically correct sentences. It also includes the acquisition of communicative competence: the ability to communicate the second language. To the extent that language is culturally acquired, one can never learn a second language successfully without learning the culture of that language. In the article â€Å"Talking across culture† in 1981, Richards argues that those who are supposed to know a foreign language must have linguistic competence, communicative competence and social competence as well. By social competence, he means that the learner is expected to know how to behave in a speech community of speakers of the target language. In other words, he must be familiar with the culture of the native speakers otherwise, he will be shocked, or fail to understand native speakers even though he is linguistically competent. It can be concluded that anyone decides to learn a certain language properly, culture is something he cannot avoid in the process. In teaching English, we need to be aware of the cultural assumptions that the students already possess. We also need to be aware of the cultural assumptions that surround the use of English. Functions and structures used to be examined for cultural content, it cannot be assumed that they are neutral. II. 2. Language teaching implications. For the reason that motivation plays a very important role in second language achievement, the task of the teacher is to maximize the motivation. Teachers should raise students’ interest in learning English so that they no longer learn English to pass the exam or to fulfill curriculum’s requirement but for the desire to interact and communicate with foreigners†¦ In order to achieve these goals, teachers should vary the activities, tasks and materials, provide students with opportunities for interaction in the target language in and outside the language learning environment through preplanned, and authentic activities. As a result, students will be more interested in learning English. Not many researchers have carried out research about language aptitude because it is something that teachers are powerless to alter. Students vary in terms of aptitude so teachers should categorize them according to their aptitude profiles. For example, one group was identified as having particularly good memory abilities (relative to other abilities), and another group was identified as being high in verbal analytical abilities. It is the duty of teachers to select appropriate teaching approaches and activities based on learners’ aptitude profiles to accommodate their differences in aptitude. If the methodology matches students, they will learn better otherwise it may decrease students’ second language achievement. We all know that different ages have different ways of learning and different ways of achieving language. The differences among the three age groups (children, adolescents and adults) are really existent and the biological L2 learning conditions are unchangeable. Learners of different ages and stages should use different strategies. Thus, the teacher’s duty is different in the three groups and the teaching approaches and strategies should cater for the traits of students. For example, children use strategies unconsciously and their teacher should help them form good learning habits in this period. Some adolescents might be unable to be aware of using learning strategies, and others use too many complex and sophisticated learning strategies in L2 language learning, which might not ensure to achieve high level. Adult learners prefer analytic-style strategies such as comparative and contrastive analysis, generalization rules learning, and dissecting words and phrases. As a result, teachers should manipulate a number of options according to the aim of the teaching and learning, such as different reading materials, the speed of teaching procedures, etc Suitable approach and strategies for each trait of age will help learners achieve language better, compensate the shortcomings and take good advantage of in three groups. As the results listed in the previous part indicate, learners differ in terms of personality. Some students are very reserved, some are self- confident, some are ready to take a risk but others do not. Understanding each student’s personality is extremely important to every teacher not except for teacher of English. When teacher know students’ characteristics, they can use appropriate methods for each of them. For example, most of Vietnamese students are still basically shy and withdrawn. Then teachers should involve a lot of pair and group work instead of using the teacher- students questions and answers. Teachers should use cooperative rather than competitive goals to create a supportive and non-threatening learning atmosphere. Besides, teachers should encourage and support students all the time especially when they are struggling or lacking confidence in certain areas. Good teachers will know how to adapt their methods of teaching to different learners’ personalities to have best results in second language achievement. It cannot be denied that social context has a big influence on situation of second language teaching and learning of each nation. Thus, in order to create a good learning condition for second language learning to flourish is the duty of everyone: parents, authority of school, community, ministry†¦ For example, parents should give children favorable condition to learn second language, school should be concerned about students’ language learning and teaching to make it better, ministry of education should pay more attention to the quality of language teacher, textbooks and facilities necessary for effective second language teaching and learning to happen. Culture is very important in second language learning so the duty of teachers is to raise students’ awareness of cultural differences between countries. When teaching a foreign language such as English, teachers should teach students language competence along with socio- cultural competence. Both teachers and authorities should bear in mind that learning about other cultures does not mean changing one’s own values and world outlook. On the contrary, by comparing some aspects of cultures in different societies, students may better appreciate their own culture and tradition and avoid false stereotypes which may result in either prejudice against other culture or blind belief that other cultures are superior. A successful language learner is a person who not only knows how to make grammatical and meaningful sentences but also knows how to use them in appropriate situations and a good language teacher is a person who knows how to help them do so successfully. III. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the success in second language acquisition depends largely on many factors but some of the most important factors can be mentioned are motivation, language aptitude, learner’s age and personality, social and cultural context. Thus, knowing these factors and how they influences learners’ second language achievement is very crucial to teachers of foreign languages in general and English in particular. Their language can be greatly improved when teachers have a better understanding of the learner, of the learning process and of the variables that may help or hinder learner’s language achievement. IV. REFERENCE Krishna K.  B , â€Å"Age as an Affective Factor in Second Language Acquisition†, Troy Universityn Press. HIDASI, Judit, (2005) â€Å"The Impact of Culture on Second Language Acquisition†, Annals of the International Business School. Hoan, P. K, (1985), â€Å"Psychological and cultural factors related to methodologies to Hanoi foreign languages Teachers’ college student†, Sydney Zhang . J, (2006) Sociocultural Factors in Second Language Acquisition, Sino-US English Teaching, Volume 3, No. 5 (Serial No. 29) Mehmet, N. G, (2001) â€Å"the effects of age and motivation factors on second language acquisition† F? rat University Journal of Social Science. tic

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Critical Thinking in Kansas Schools Essay -- Critical Thinking Essays

Critical Thinking in Kansas Schools Tracy and John were casually chatting shortly after their annual meeting about the high school curriculum had drawn to a close. Both were intrigued by some of the proposed changes they had discussed with their fellow school administrators. They were especially interested in a notion that was sweeping the university scene – critical thinking. While both agreed that orienting the class structure to include a greater focus on thinking skills would enhance education as a whole, John questioned the reality of the situation. Could a critical thinking curriculum be a viable option for their small Kansas school district? Tracy: Regardless of the school district’s size, the students will undoubtedly benefit from having to think critically about almost everything they do. Currently the classrooms rely almost entirely on textbooks to provide all of the necessary answers that are written into the test. This blatant reliance on rote memorization, in my opinion, has crippled our curriculum and testing system and has deprived students of the intellectual growth they need to succeed in life after high school. Should we not educate students of the skills they will surely require in their college courses? If these students choose not to obtain a post-secondary education but instead decide to enter the independent world of work and family, do they not need these skills in thought and reason? I have yet to discover a manual containing answers to all of life’s questions in the back of the text. The National Assessment of Educational Progress â€Å"shows consistently that high school students fall s hort† in the areas of critical thinking and problem solving (Jasparro 86). We as educators should work to help t... ...ded counterpoints to Tracy’s arguments by stating that Kansas already has elements of critical thinking woven into high school education, such a reform could prove costly to the district and the state, and that the amount of information taught in schools could suffer as a direct result of Tracy’s idea. This may be a future issue not only discussed by educators in Kansas, but also on a national scale. Works Cited â€Å"Critical Thinking Skills Key to Raising SAT Scores.† Business Wire. Lexis-Nexis Online. 30 August 1991. Keywords: Critical Thinking. Eichhorn, Roy. â€Å"Developing Thinking Skills: Critical Thinking at the Army Management Staff College.† Critical Thinking. 13 June 2001. Army Management Staff College . Jasparro, Ralph. â€Å"Applying Systems Thinking to Curriculum Evaluation.† NASSP Bulletin 82.598 (1998): 86. Critical Thinking in Kansas Schools Essay -- Critical Thinking Essays Critical Thinking in Kansas Schools Tracy and John were casually chatting shortly after their annual meeting about the high school curriculum had drawn to a close. Both were intrigued by some of the proposed changes they had discussed with their fellow school administrators. They were especially interested in a notion that was sweeping the university scene – critical thinking. While both agreed that orienting the class structure to include a greater focus on thinking skills would enhance education as a whole, John questioned the reality of the situation. Could a critical thinking curriculum be a viable option for their small Kansas school district? Tracy: Regardless of the school district’s size, the students will undoubtedly benefit from having to think critically about almost everything they do. Currently the classrooms rely almost entirely on textbooks to provide all of the necessary answers that are written into the test. This blatant reliance on rote memorization, in my opinion, has crippled our curriculum and testing system and has deprived students of the intellectual growth they need to succeed in life after high school. Should we not educate students of the skills they will surely require in their college courses? If these students choose not to obtain a post-secondary education but instead decide to enter the independent world of work and family, do they not need these skills in thought and reason? I have yet to discover a manual containing answers to all of life’s questions in the back of the text. The National Assessment of Educational Progress â€Å"shows consistently that high school students fall s hort† in the areas of critical thinking and problem solving (Jasparro 86). We as educators should work to help t... ...ded counterpoints to Tracy’s arguments by stating that Kansas already has elements of critical thinking woven into high school education, such a reform could prove costly to the district and the state, and that the amount of information taught in schools could suffer as a direct result of Tracy’s idea. This may be a future issue not only discussed by educators in Kansas, but also on a national scale. Works Cited â€Å"Critical Thinking Skills Key to Raising SAT Scores.† Business Wire. Lexis-Nexis Online. 30 August 1991. Keywords: Critical Thinking. Eichhorn, Roy. â€Å"Developing Thinking Skills: Critical Thinking at the Army Management Staff College.† Critical Thinking. 13 June 2001. Army Management Staff College . Jasparro, Ralph. â€Å"Applying Systems Thinking to Curriculum Evaluation.† NASSP Bulletin 82.598 (1998): 86.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Biomagnification Lab Report Essay

PROCEDURE The pile of M&M’s represents the phytoplankton population in a lake. The printed â€Å"M† on the candy represents the amount of DDT (in ppm) the algae ingested from pesticide runoff from a nearby agricultural area. There are 100 M&M’s in the pile. Each circle below represents on phytoplankton. Mark the amount of toxin each phytoplankton has ingested. If there is a full â€Å"M† stamped on the candy then that phytoplankton has ingested 1 ppm of DDT, so write â€Å"1† in one of the circles below. If there is no â€Å"M† on the candy then that phytoplankton did not ingest any DDT so write a â€Å"O† in one of the circles below. If there is a partial â€Å"M† on the candy then estimate how much of the â€Å"M† there is. For example, if there is only on hump of the â€Å"M† then that would equal  ½ a unit of DDT ingested by that phytoplankton so you would fill in one of the circles below with  ½. Zooplankton in the lake (population size 20) each eat 5 algae. Move 5 M&M’s into each of the zooplankton cups. Record the amount of DDT each zooplankton has ingested using the instructions from step 1. Write these amounts onto the individual copepod pictures below. Minnows (population size 5) in the lake each eat 4 zooplankton, ingesting energy and the toxin that is stored in the zooplankton as well. Move the correct number of M&M’s from the zooplankton cups into the minnows cups. Record the amount of DDT ingested by each of the small fish onto the fish below using the instructions from step 1 to  calculate the total amount of each fish. Two eels then come along for dinner. One eels eats 2 minnows and the other eel eats 3 minnows. Move the correct number of M&M’s from the minnow cups into the eel cups. Write the amount of DDT ingested by the each eel onto the pictures below. Use the instructions from step 1 to calculate the total amount of DDT for each. Finally, an osprey flies by and eats both eels. Move the correct number of M&M’s from the eel cups into the osprey bowl. Calculate and then write the total amount of DDT ingested by the osprey onto the picture below. OBJECTIVES Visualize the processes of bioaccumulation and biomagnification. Distinguish between the similar concepts of bioaccumulation and biomagnification using a mathematical model. Calculate the amount of energy gained/lost through the energy transfers of a typical food chain. Review trophic level names and energy characteristics. BACKGROUND DDT was the first synthesized insect pesticide that was widely used throughout the globe after the WW II. In the case of numerous African nations, this pesticide proved its soaring popularity due to its primordial ability to fend off disease-carrying mosquitoes. While it still does not change the fact that mosquitoes posed a noteworthy threat to the globe’s health, the situations regarding the contagious Malaria flu reached its peak in African nations. Therefore, naturally, people began to use this pesticide in order to kill off all the mosquitoes within the vicinity of their respective habitats. However, chaotic consequences ensued. The organisms in the numerous African ecosystems began to assimilate toxic substances into their bodies, resulting in greater environmental harm along with enhanced pollutions. One dominant example would be birds. Most species of birds need numerous substantial provisions of calcium in order to lay healthy eggs. However, because of the growing amount of toxins, the eggs won’t hatch properly. And, even if it does, the baby birds will either live to see the next sunrise before their deaths or die immediately. This caused a sharp population decline for bird  species such as Osprey, Brown Pelicans, and Bald Eagles. Fortunately, the American government recognized the potential threat of this pesticide relatively early, responding by banning the commercial use of this organochlorine pesticide. In or der to prevent this situation from blooming into a full-scale crisis, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) was introduced at the Conference of Plenipotentiaries to try and eliminate and/or control the use of DDT and other POPs around the world. This convention received over 150 countries’ consensus, thus banning the use of DDT at all costs. PROCESSING WITH TABLES The above tables represent the total sets of data that I have gathered during my lab. Disregarding the semi-tables that display the process of calculations, the first column of my table depicts the average amount of DDT ingestion for each and every species. Since I knew the formula to get the said data, I was able to process this column with comparably more ease than the other ones. The second column depicts the amount of energy for one  species under each category. For example, only one phytoplankton contains 200 kcal within its body. Likewise, that column of my table depicts the amount of energy that each individual of the species have within their bodies. The next column, column C, shows the total amount of energy for each and every categories through kcal. For instance, there are 100 phytoplanktons in the lake. Each phytoplankton contains 200 kcal of energy within their bodies. Therefore, if you multiply 200 with 100, you get the total amount of energy which is 20000. The last column basically illustrates the name of the trophic level the species belong in this lab. You can see that the phytoplanktons, which are a type of green algae, is the primary produce that supports that entire ecosystem through its ability of photosynthesis. Next, you can see that copepods are the primary producers, or herbivore, that eat the phytoplanktons. The copepods are eaten by a small fish known as the minnows, and they mark the place of the secondary consumers. Next, the eels come as tertiary consumers due to their predation on the minnows. However, the top, or quaternary, consumer would be the osprey in this case. Osprey feeds on eels, and there are no other predators that hunt ospreys in this lab. DATA ANALYSIS Summary of Data Trends Compare the amount of DDT found in the osprey with the amount of toxin found in one phytoplankton. Be specific. Discuss numerical evidence.  The amount of DDT found in the osprey with the amount found in one phytoplankton are vastly different to say the very least. In phytoplankton, the average amount of consumed DDT is about 0.28 ppm. This contrasts greatly to the one measured from the osprey, for they have the total amount of 28 ppm of DDT ingested within its body. While it still does not change the fact that phytoplanktons are the ones who directly consume DDT from their surrounding environment, it is surprising to note that the actual amount of toxins are far less than those of one osprey. The calculations reveal that one osprey have about 10 times more ppm of DDT inside its body than one phytoplankton. This is due to the process of biomagnification, which states that as the predation progresses higher up in the food chain, the amount of absorbed toxins will only augment. Write a paragraph where you compare and contrast what your pyramids tell you. Discuss similarities and difference between the pyramids, above and beyond the obvious. Do the various shaped make sense, given what you know about food chains in general and biomagnifications? Why or why not? First, there are three drawn pyramids: Energy, Typical, and Number. Energy pyramid basically depicts the flow of energy through the food chain using indicative arrows. This will contribute in displaying how the energy is lost and gained as the predation commences. It is obviously important to know the concept of energy pyramid, for it complements the theory that states that the majority of the gained energy is lost in order to maintain metabolism for most of the organisms. Number pyramid depicts the number of each organisms per trophic level. This pyramid is quite interesting because this pyramid is the only one showing the estimated quantity of the organisms in an ecosystem. Notice how many phytoplanktons are required to maintain and feed one osprey. Likewise, there has to be producers of vastly greater numbers in order to sustain only a few of the top consumers. Not only that, but the number of organisms shows a significant decline as the trophic level progresses, proving the fact that each trophic level requires more of its previous trophic level to maintain its population as a whole. A typical ecological pyramid shows the most fundamental relationships through the depiction of a food chain. All it shows are the designated trophic levels such as the producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, and so on. The shapes of the pyramid are usually a triangle. This shapes pretty much works for nearly all the cases. and I believe the shapes depicted by the three pyramids do make sense. To specify, the triangle becomes steeper and narrower as the trophic level progresses. Numerically and diagrammatically, the shape of a triangle will be fit to satisfy all three food pyramids. OBSERVATION During the data that I have collected, a clear augmentation of the amount of toxins are easy to recognize throughout. This is because of the process known as the biomagnification. As you can see from the table, the amount of absorbed toxins are continuously increasing through additional trophic  levels. This undoubtedly demonstrates the said theory while illuminating the fact that DDT is a fat-soluble pollutant, therefore proving it impossibly difficult to secret through waste. My observations state that the amount of acquired energy are dwindling as the trophic level progresses. This is clearly due to the 10% rule, which states that the existing trophic level will only be able to obtain only the 10% of the energy previously obtained by its predecessor. This is due to the fact that energy, once gathered, are extremely expendable by variety of methods. The organisms tend to use most of its gathered energies before being consumed by its predators, therefore bequeathing only a few per centage of its primary energy. With that said, notice how the osprey, the top dog of the food chain, received the most toxin with the least energy. CONCLUSION In conclusion, I have learned that the process of biomagnification along with accumulation can have a dramatic impact on an ecosystem as a whole. Since this lab primarily deemed DDT as the pesticide at hand, I was also able to read the briefed version of its history while understanding the harmful effects it has on the ecosystems and the organisms as a whole. Furthermore, I was also acquainted with a few conceptions in regards to calculating the total energy while at the same time applying the 10% rule for the energy reductions. It was a very worthwhile experience to know how much of a real-world problem these chemical regulations are as well as the everlasting impacts of the fat-soluble pollutants that continue to plague numerous ecosystems even today. Not only that, I learned to visualize the processes of bioaccumulation and magnification while being able to distinguish between the two using both scientific and mathematical models. Finally, even though I am already familiar with th is concept, it was quite refreshing to bring in the names and levels of trophic levels into this lab. I was able to connect the said knowledge directly to the topic that I am dealing right now. With that said, I believe I have gathered more than sufficient information that would aid me in the future regarding the concepts of biomagnification and accumulation. EVALUATION Overall, this was a decent lab that served its purpose of demonstrating the concepts regarding the process of bioaccumulation along with magnification. The lab provided sufficient background information, and the procedures were concise and easy to understand. However, I would like to make it clear that this lab could’ve been more productive and exciting if made online and virtual. Due to the fact that this activity was error-sensitive, the lab itself was very emotionally-provocative. I personally made one big error in regards to counting, and my group was forced to redo the whole counting again in the hopes of getting it finally correct. Frustrated would be the least of what I truly felt during the process of redoing. Therefore, this lab could’ve been shaped into a much better activity if I get to do it with my laptop. This will surely save a lot of time while at the same time be a bit less annoying and tedious. Furthermore, doing this lab on a computer will also grant anyone an easier access to Google Drive or any means of recording medium. Through these basic amenities, I could always jot down things that compose my lab report there and then. Doing this entire lab physically with all the tokens and bowls will be troublesome to say the least. It would be way better if this lab was translated electronically onto a computer.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Chinese Artifacts Essay

The artist of this calligraphy scroll, Zhao Mengfu, was highly praised by the Yuan emperor Renzong as unrivaled traditional Chinese polymath (for a lack of a better word). It is said that the emperor admired him for possessing the following seven outstanding qualities: wide learning, Song royal ancestry, elegant and charismatic appearance, pure character and righteous conduct, literary accomplishment, mastery of calligraphy and painting skills, and profound knowledge of Buddhist and Daoist teachings. As an leading and influential calligraphy during his era, Zhao was able to successfully advocate and promote many of the views that he had on Chinese calligraphy. Zhao supported a return to the ancient models, which integrated the Jin (265 – 420AD) and Tang (618 – 906AD) dynasty styles to synthesize a new norm for standard and cursive scripts. In later eras, many printed texts were modeled after the standard script that he helped create. Furthermore, the cursive style script, depicted in this scroll titled Four Anecdotes from the Life of Wang Xizhi, became the foundations of the informal calligraphic styles of those how succeeded him. One of the four anecdotes from the â€Å"Life of Wang Xizhi† tells the story of a time when Xizhi, a ‘calligraphic’ sage, was extremely fond of the [graceful appearance of] geese. In Shanyin there was a Daoist monk who had raised a flock of more than ten fine geese. One morning Wang decided to take a small boat and go there. He was delighted with the geese and wanted to buy them, but the monk refused to sell. Wang tried in vain to persuade him. Finally, the monk told Wang that he loved Daoist philosophy and had always wanted a transcription of Laozi’s Daodejing with its commentary by Heshanggong. He had already prepared the silk, but no one was qualified to write it. He asked if Wang would condescend to transcribe two chapters each from the Dao and De sections, for which he would give Wang the whole flock. Wang stayed for half a day to write out the chapters, then he caged the geese and returned home. (Citation) In many ways, this story possesses many aspects of traditional Daoist philosophies. Firstly, the events and interactions between the Monk and Xizhi is highly reflective of the ‘interdependence’ between beings. Furthermore, the fact that the Monk refuse to trade his geese through monetary means underlines Daoist de-emphasis of material objects, especially something as superficial as money. Rather, the Monk was willing to give up his geese for an implementation Xizhi’s skill and mastery of calligraphy. In a way, this reveals belief that an individual should play the role of what he or she was ‘meant’. In other words, the Monk’s offer of his geese for calligraphy mirrors some sort of a natural guidance for Xizhi to walk in accordance to the Way. In summary, the story told through the calligraphy of this scroll is highly relavent to the Daoist themes that were studied throughout the course. Object : Buddhist stele, Tang dynasty (618–906), ca. 700 Origins: China Material: Black limestone Size: H. 64 1/2 in. (163. 7 cm) This relic originates from the temple in the Xinxiang County in the central Chinese province of Henan. A stele is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerals or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living — inscribed, carved in relief or painted onto the slab. In this case, the Buddhist stele is made of black limestone and is curved to give the outline of the figure of Guanyin. In this stele, we see many of the symbolism commonly studied in the Chinese Buddhism. Firstly, the graceful of stance the pair of bodhisattvas implicates a noble yet welcoming gesture which is reflective of the characters theor sage-hood. Secondly, judging by the small objects inscribed on the crown – a figure of the Buddha – they represent Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara), one of the principal bodhisattvas associated with the Pure Land cult. Despite the damages accumulated over time, the gentle S-shape swing of the bodhisattvas’ bodies gives an essence of individuality to each of the figures. The Western Pure Land sect, derived from the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha, was the sect that attracted the largest number of followers. As we have discussed in class, this was most likely due to the motivation that salvation awaits each and every devotee in a paradise situated in the western realm of Buddhist cosmology. The ability of Buddhism to discuss subjects like the afterlife was one of the largest sources of its popularity. This black limestone stele is one of the best examples of Buddhist devotional art in the Tang period of Chinese history. Object: Central watchtower, architectural model, Eastern Han dynasty (25–220), 1st–early 3rd century Origin: China Material: Earthenware with green lead glaze Size: H. 41 in. (104. 1 cm) The Han dynasty (206 B. C. –220 A. D. ) is deemed to be one of the most important and inflectional dynasties in pre-modern China due to it lasting effects in imperial structure and formation of a national consciousness. Chinese people, until today, still refer to themselves as ‘Han Chinese†. Furthermore, the architecture styles that were established during the Han period layed the ground works for the architecture of the eras to follow. Han architecture was a grand improvement to the architecture of those that precede them; it includes vast palatial complexes, towered gateways, and city walls were built as symbols of power and prestige as well as for defense. This model art piece embodies many of the essential features of Han architecture: the overhanging tiles supported by the roof, the four sided style infrastructure and the stacking effect. In many ways, this specific model, less a few details, is reminiscent of the temple building the class visited for the lecture on Buddhism. In relation to our studies, a great variety of these architectural models were used in the decoration of the tomb in the Han era to show the status of the person being buried. Object: Spouted ritual wine vessel (guang), Shang dynasty, early Anyang period (ca. 1300–1050 b. c. ), 13th century b. c. Origin: Possibly Anyang, Henan Province, China Material: Bronze Size: W. 13 in. (33 cm) This artifact, a bronze casted vessel, dates back to the late Shang era (ca. 1300–1050 B. C. ). The shape of the wine vessel is said to be loosely based on a figure of a bird; this is identifiable through the hooked beak feature and glaring eyes effect from the face on view. As we have studied, the Shang people had many beliefs about the spiritual world. This vessel is believed to have been used to pour wine and other beverages in ceremonies involving Shang ruler and their ancestors and supernatural forces. Other feature on the vessel includes coiled serpents emerging from the wings, roaring tiger-dragons prowling along the sides, horned bird that serves as a handle. This existence an artifact of this age gives us insights into the superior technology of casting in ancient China. The complicated multilayered designs are unparalleled by other cultures of the time. It is believed that the technique used for this the bronze casting is through a ceramic mold and the usage of an interior clay core. Motel bronze is then poured into filled the empty space between the intricate design and the core. Once the clay core was emptied out, the result is the astonishing bronzed vessel with complex designed as described. Again, such artifacts can be used to validate the hypotheses and speculations about the technologies and lifestyle during an ancient civilization like the Shang.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Free Essays on African Cake

â€Å"A Berlin Conference was able to tear Africa into shreds and divide her up between three or four imperial flags† -Fanon. In 1884, European imperialists met at the Berlin Conference to â€Å"carve the African cake†. These imperialists had an agenda to not only lay the boundaries and rules for the occupation of the African â€Å"motherland†, but to also bring civilization to the African natives. This great African cake, as it is metaphorically described, was a delightful taste in the mouths of the colonizer. The â€Å"cakeâ€Å", with its abundance of natural resources and raw materials, was decisively cut and partitioned to various European nations. The diplomats drew lines on maps relinquishing foreign lands, mountains, and rivers to one another. The plan was for the colonizers to rule these designated areas as if there were no inhabitants, with no respect for the claims and rights of the native Africans. â€Å"The magnificent African cake† is a documentary about the colonization of the African continent. Despite the dry, monotonous tone of the narrator, the film has a very informative nature and is detailed in its presentation of information. One of the main themes of this cinema is the relationship between that of the colonizer and the colonized. Although there were varying ideals on how a white man should deal with the natives, it was largely a history of harsh oppression. From outright murder and enslavement to unfair economic taxation and exploitative labor situations, the Europeans worked diligently to destroy the spirit of the African peoples. The inhumane and sadistic treatment towards the native people could only be justified by Europeans perceiving Africans as lazy, barbaric savages, who required an oppressor to â€Å"civilize† them. From this massive attempt to destroy the African spirit sprung various reactionary/revolutionary responses from Black A frica. One example is the many Africans turning towards Islam in... Free Essays on African Cake Free Essays on African Cake â€Å"A Berlin Conference was able to tear Africa into shreds and divide her up between three or four imperial flags† -Fanon. In 1884, European imperialists met at the Berlin Conference to â€Å"carve the African cake†. These imperialists had an agenda to not only lay the boundaries and rules for the occupation of the African â€Å"motherland†, but to also bring civilization to the African natives. This great African cake, as it is metaphorically described, was a delightful taste in the mouths of the colonizer. The â€Å"cakeâ€Å", with its abundance of natural resources and raw materials, was decisively cut and partitioned to various European nations. The diplomats drew lines on maps relinquishing foreign lands, mountains, and rivers to one another. The plan was for the colonizers to rule these designated areas as if there were no inhabitants, with no respect for the claims and rights of the native Africans. â€Å"The magnificent African cake† is a documentary about the colonization of the African continent. Despite the dry, monotonous tone of the narrator, the film has a very informative nature and is detailed in its presentation of information. One of the main themes of this cinema is the relationship between that of the colonizer and the colonized. Although there were varying ideals on how a white man should deal with the natives, it was largely a history of harsh oppression. From outright murder and enslavement to unfair economic taxation and exploitative labor situations, the Europeans worked diligently to destroy the spirit of the African peoples. The inhumane and sadistic treatment towards the native people could only be justified by Europeans perceiving Africans as lazy, barbaric savages, who required an oppressor to â€Å"civilize† them. From this massive attempt to destroy the African spirit sprung various reactionary/revolutionary responses from Black A frica. One example is the many Africans turning towards Islam in...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Aluminum or Aluminium Element Facts

Aluminum or Aluminium Element Facts Aluminum Basic Facts: Symbol: AlAtomic Number: 13Atomic Weight: 26.981539Element Classification: Basic MetalCAS Number: 7429-90-5 Aluminum Periodic Table Location Group: 13Period: 3Block: p Aluminum Electron Configuration Short Form: [Ne]3s23p1Long Form: 1s22s22p63s23p1Shell Structure: 2 8 3 Aluminum Discovery History: Alum (potassium aluminum sulfate- KAl(SO4)2) has been used since ancient times. It was used in tanning, dyeing, and as an aid to stop minor bleeding and even as an ingredient in baking powder. In 1750, German chemist Andreas Marggraf found a technique to produce a new form of alum without the sulfur. This substance was called alumina, which is known as aluminum oxide (Al2O3) today. Most contemporary chemists of the time believed alumina was an earth of a previously unknown metal. Aluminum metal was finally isolated in 1825 by Danish chemist Hans Christian Ørsted (Oersted). German chemist Friedrich Wà ¶hler attempted unsuccessfully to reproduce Ørsteds technique and found an alternate method that also produced metallic aluminum two years later. Historians differ on who should receive credit for the discovery.Name: Aluminum derives its name from alum. The Latin name for alum is alumen meaning bitter salt.Note on Naming: Sir Humphry Davy proposed the name aluminum for th e element, however, the name aluminium was adopted to conform with the ium ending of most elements. This spelling is in use in most countries. Aluminium was also the spelling in the U.S. until 1925 when the American Chemical Society officially decided to use the name aluminum instead. Aluminum Physical Data State at room temperature (300 K): SolidAppearance: soft, light, silvery white metalDensity: 2.6989 g/ccDensity at Melting Point: 2.375 g/ccSpecific Gravity: 7.874 (20  °C)Melting Point: 933.47 K, 660.32  °C, 1220.58  °FBoiling Point: 2792 K, 2519  °C, 4566  °FCritical Point: 8550 KHeat of Fusion: 10.67 kJ/molHeat of Vaporization: 293.72 kJ/molMolar Heat Capacity: 25.1 J/mol ·KSpecific Heat: 24.200 J/g ·K (at 20  °C) Aluminum Atomic Data Oxidation States (Bold most common): 3, 2, 1Electronegativity: 1.610Electron Affinity: 41.747 kJ/molAtomic Radius: 1.43 Ã…Atomic Volume: 10.0 cc/molIonic Radius: 51 (3e)Covalent Radius: 1.24 Ã…First Ionization Energy: 577.539 kJ/molSecond Ionization Energy: 1816.667 kJ/molThird Ionization Energy: 2744.779 kJ/mol Aluminum Nuclear Data Number of isotopes: Aluminum has 23 known isotopes ranging from 21Al to 43Al. Only two occur naturally. 27Al is the most common, accounting for nearly 100% of all natural aluminum. 26Al is nearly stable with a half-life of 7.2 x 105 years and is only found in trace amounts naturally. Aluminum Crystal Data Lattice Structure: Face-Centered CubicLattice Constant: 4.050 Ã…Debye Temperature: 394.00 K Aluminum Uses Ancient Greeks and Romans used alum as an astringent, for medicinal purposes, and as a mordant in dyeing. It is used in kitchen utensils, exterior decorations, and thousands of industrial applications. Although the electrical conductivity of aluminum is only about 60% that of copper per area of cross section, aluminum is used in electrical transmission lines because of its light weight. The alloys of aluminum are used in the construction of aircraft and rockets. Reflective aluminum coatings are used for telescope mirrors, making decorative paper, packaging, and many other uses. Alumina is used in glassmaking and refractories. Synthetic ruby and sapphire have applications in producing coherent light for lasers. Miscellaneous Aluminum Facts Aluminum is the 3rd most abundant element in the Earths crust.Aluminum was once called the Metal of Kings because pure aluminum was more expensive to produce than gold until the Hall-Heroult process was discovered.Aluminum is the most widely used metal after iron.The primary source of aluminum is the ore bauxite.Aluminum is paramagnetic.The top three countries that mine aluminum ore are Guinea, Australia and Vietnam. Australia, China and Brazil lead the world in aluminum production.The IUPAC adopted the name aluminium in 1990 and in 1993 recognized aluminum as an acceptable option for the elements name.Aluminum requires a lot of energy to separate from its ore. Recycling aluminum only requires only 5% of that energy to produce the same amount.Aluminum can be rusted or oxidized by mercury.Rubies are aluminum oxide crystals where some aluminum atoms have been replaced by chromium atoms.A piece of jewelry in the tomb of the 3rd Century Chinese general Chou-Chu has been found to contain 85% aluminum. Historians do not know how the ornament was produced. Aluminum is used in fireworks to make produce sparks and white flames. Aluminum is a common component of sparklers. References: CRC Handbook of Chemistry Physics (89th Ed.), National Institute of Standards and Technology, History of the Origin of the Chemical Elements and Their Discoverers, Norman E. Holden 2001.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Strategic plan and control Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Strategic plan and control - Coursework Example Apparently, a reflection of the respective lessons entries and the related aspects of the synergized contributors allows for the visualization of the subsequent knowledge gathered throughout the entire course. The first lesson involved an introduction to the entire concept of strategic knowledge. Such was advised by the respective entities that defined the study of strategic planning and its input in the characterization of business. Apparently, the lesson remains best regarded as an introductory to the entire course work. Upon its commencement, an impression on the prospects of strategic planning was considered. I may consider the ideals of the instructors as being vested on the conceptualization of the entire topic. Additional interests were vested on placing it under timeframes, in an effort to ensure its eventual implementation. The knowledge gathered in the first lesson was critical in the shaping of the considered beliefs and the eventual development of a perception regarding the entities of the entire course (Kraten, 2010). At the termination of the first week, I had developed an insight on the entire program and the progressive models under consideration. I must admit that upon th e termination of the program, I had developed interests on the possibilities that stood to be enlisted from the entire course. The contributions annexed to the respective evaluative roles associated to the lesson of the second week played a significant role in the description of strategic planning as perceived by the corporate world. Students were engaged in the various evaluative protocols that may be annexed to a business venture, including the PESTEL model. The model was presented as an ideal approach upon which the evaluation of a venture may be aspired. However, progressive aspects such as the implication that stood to be fetched from the respective models of evaluation remains