Monday, September 30, 2019

Compare the Ways in Which Expected Roles Were Determined

Compare the ways in which expected roles were determined by gender in ‘Journeys End’ and ‘The Accrington Pals’. To what extent would you agree that ‘Accrington Pals’ presents a more credible image than ‘Journeys End’. A large proportion of Great War literature suggests that men were socially seen as the superior gender but women were given opportunities to prove themselves in a male-dominated society as a by-product of war. This essay will compare the issues of gender identity and roles at the front line in R.C Sheriffs ‘Journeys End’ and the impact war had on women who stayed home in Accrington, seen in Peter Whelan’s ‘The Accrington Pals’ during 1914 and 1918. ‘Journeys End’ appears to be a more credible drama because of Sheriffs first-hand experience of the war, where as ‘The Accrington Pals’ depicts the more emotional side of war. R. C Sheriff uses Stanhope as an example of how war affected young, intelligent and inexperienced men and showing the reality of war. Stanhope is the stereotypical male of WW1. He is the image of authority, power and patriotism.He is also thought incredibly highly of from the lower ranks. ‘He’s a long way the best company commander we’ve got’. It seems as though men were in the war for a long time but the reality being that the death rate of British officers was higher than that of the lower ranks with the average life expectancy of an officer being fourteen days. The word ‘long’ therefore creates irony within the drama. From the beginning of the drama, we are enlightened of Stanhope’s experience and dedication to his duty, however, Stanhope could be seen as a contradictory figure.His heavy drinking and reliance on alcohol may be a sign of weakness, which could also present Sheriffs use of realism in the drama. Stanhope is far from reluctant to admit he has a drinking problem . ‘Without being doped with whisky- I’d go mad with fright. ’ Sherriff’s own experience may have been reflected on in this dialogue as men at war used to seek comfort in things in order to avoid fright. It is apparent that this is the reason for Stanhope’s excessive drinking. Seeking comfort in something seen as sinful by society is also typical of Ralph from ‘The Accrington Pals’ who seeks contentment whilst away from his girlfriend, Eva Mason.At the beginning of the play, Ralph expresses love, affection and admiration for Eva; ‘clever woman! Eh? Brains! ’, which is why it seems disappointing when Ralph admits he has been unfaithful to her in whilst away at war, seen in the extract, ‘I’ve been a bastard to you Eva, if only you knew. Slept with whores’. Ralph, being a typical representation of a working class citizen suggests that war can turn even the most honourable man to adultery in the search for co mfort. It is almost as if Whelan sympathises with the fragility of men because of their previous innocence, horrific war and their apparent flaws.Through the use Stanhope and Ralph as characters the audience understand the expectations placed on men because of their class. Stanhope, being from the high rank in the military is ultimately granted respect from the lower ranks, whilst Ralph in ‘The Accrington Pals’ was from a lower class citizen and in a lower rank, thus the reason for C. S. M Rivers arrogance and lack of respect; ‘we don’t want you shooting yourself in the head. ’ C. S. M Rivers does not think Ralph is capable of the things man does in war, simply because of his class.The patriotic character of Stanhope in ‘Journeys End’ compares with Tom Hackford from ‘The Accrington Pals’, who illustrates comradeship throughout the entire drama. Despite his description in the preface being that he is ‘a dreamy, utopian idealist young man’, he does not seem typical of the average man of the war as he appears almost as a young boy, not knowing the horrific reality of what is to come. He is very dedicated to his future duty as a solider and seems excited to fight for his country, although this is not in the interest of May, who describes war with ‘that's a world you love isn't it’.As an audience, we gain an insight to Tom’s reasons for volunteering. This is ironic because he understands that he is soon to die but he describes signing up as a way to escape from Accrington for something new ‘free of here, of this place, of this town'. Being such a socialist creature; it can only be disappointing that war has limited opportunities for the male gender as many of the young men who signed themselves up such as Tom and Ralph whom had no idea of the reality of the trenches because of government censorship.Tom’s enthusiasm to his obligation is apparent throughout the dr ama, as seen in his letter he writes to May in scene two. ‘I hope you don’t mind me sharing it as we do all the parcels here’ Comradeship is proven as he shares his luxuries with the Pals. ‘I hope you don’t mind me sharing it’. Even near to his death, Tom still concentrates on sticking with one another to get through the war. The ideologies of Tom contrast to those of May Hassel, who is described from the outset of ‘The Accrington Pals’ as ‘a strong-minded, rugged individualist woman. The entrepreneurial spirit displayed through May’s independence and the leadership motive of the iron lady, suggest the advantages war gave women. Whilst the men are absent from Accrington, May is left focused on exploiting the chances now available, making her appear arrogant and cold hearted. May obsesses with business ideas and opts to making money out of the war. ‘I never believed that war would make a difference like this. The re’s money around’.The individual attitude and the drive to make money is not typical of the female gender role, therefore May does not present the normal values the contemporary audience are expecting from a woman. ‘The Accrington Pals’ suggests the more emotional side of war for women, showing the eventual downfall of May caused by the lack of male influence within war shaped society, however does strengthen May’s development as an individualist. The absence of Tom seems the reason for Mays change. Her development during the play into a more conventional and sensitive women (as seen in scene four act one).The change in Mays character can be seen when she offers to make the tea. She seems more lenient and positive. In ‘The Accrington Pals’, it is arguable that May Hassal conforms to the role that is often portrayed of women in the First World War: taking on the everyday roles of men while they were away. This expectation has been shown to us through literature from the time, such as Emmeline Pankhurst’s autobiography which gives the proof that feminism was now a feature of Edwardian existence.May suggests this as she is shown to be an individualistic, entrepreneurial ‘tartar’ (seen in conversation between the Pals). In this sense, however, May is shown to be more masculine, and has seemingly swapped roles with Tom who becomes more feminine. This can be determined by the labels that May gives him, such as ‘Dreamer’. However, these gender roles are once again returned to typical trends of society by the end of the play when May becomes feminised by Tom’s death. This seems to be portrayed as almost chaotic, and heroic.Rivers says, ‘But our Tom was a hero †¦ , a madcap scarecrow ripping his way out of the wire! ’ Tom’s death, while instilling a sense of masculinity back to Tom’s character role, also gives us a sense of uncommon femininity in May reverting her to the underlying fact that she is a female. Throughout the drama, May is often shown to be the cold hearted, aggressive character yet Tom’s death leads her to act out in a more emotional, feminine way and expresses her sorrowed emotions. This is similar to Stanhope and Raleigh’s relationship in ‘Journey’s End’.Both are emotionally connected, and have been for a long time, yet the older character, Stanhope, treats Raleigh as both an outsider and a stranger for the majority of the play, speaking down to him and criticising him largely. Stanhope says in one instance ‘ D’you understand an order? Give me that letter! ’. In many ways, the relationship shared by Stanhope and Raleigh is similar to that of Tom and May; the older and more experienced character doubts the abilities and maturity of the younger, more innocent individual therefore limiting the care that is expressed between them.Just as with May, Stanhope openly expresses his emotions during the death of Raleigh, showing a return to the Stanhope that was described by Raleigh earlier in the play – a hero, an idol, who cared for him. ‘Stanhope gently takes his hand. ’ Stanhope expresses a great deal of care for Raleigh in his final moments of life and attempts to make his death as comfortable as possible. This seems to show appreciation for him as a person per-war as well as a brave solider. This is similar to how May expresses her sorrow for Tom’s death in ‘The Accrington Pals’.To conclude this essay, the gender of a person seems to alter the role they played during World War One. Men were expected to fight for their honour and country whereas women were expected to stay at home and support infants and households. Each role is an act of protection. Whether it was staying at home in Accrington, or fighting at the front in ‘Journeys End’, a place in society was inevitably determined by gend er. ‘Journeys End’ was written from the personal perspective of R. C. Sherriff, so is more likely to be based on his own experiences of the war.It is very likely that Sherriff witnessed the discussed gender roles and identities as part of the reality of war, adding to the credibility of the factual based play. His work seems to be heavily based on gender hegemonies apt of the Great War era giving extra depth and dimension to the truth of War. However one must not forget Peter Whelan wrote ‘The Accrington Pals’ when the war was over, therefore using information and experiences from historical evidence. Although this may be a more rounded opinion, in my opinion the real life experiences of R. C. Sherriff creates a far more credible and powerful piece of literature.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Bio Ecological Model of Human Development Essay

The bio ecological model of human development has four basic systems. The four basic systems are macrosystems, exosystems, microsystems, and mesosystems. I will summarize the four systems and how the influences have on a child’s development. I will describe how the four systems in the model differ from oneother. I will provide examples of the four systems of their relationships and interactions with one another. A microsystem: a relationship and activity that experienced by a developed person in immediate environments like family, school, peer group, community and media. Family provides affection, nurturance, and opportunities. School is a formal learning environment. Peer groups help with experiences in independences, companionship, support, cooperation, and a role to take. Community helps children learn how to do by watching people work. Media helps provided the view of the world. Mesosystem: an interrelationship and linkage between two or more person in a microsystem that compromise of connections between immediate environments likes a child’s home and school. The impact on a child depends on the number of interrelationships. Exosystem: a setting that children do not participate, but it does affect one of their microsystems. Read more:Â  Factors that influence child develop Also, their external environmental setting indirectly affects the development like a parent’s workplace. An example: a low-income family would have to get food stamps, Medicaid, and or TANF. My family is part of this system because my family gets food stamps and Medicaid. We had to fight for the help though. Macrosystem: a society and subculture that belongs to a developing person with certain beliefs, lifestyles, interactions, and changes in their live that consist of a larger cultural context of national economy, political culture, and subculture. Examples of macrosystems are family planning services and affordability of contraceptives which can influence teen pregnancy and birth rates. Young women are taking to the Planned Parenthood in their area to get birth control pills to prevent teenage pregnancy. According to Hall; there are two classifications of macrosystems; low and high context. Low-context macrosystem concise of progress, practicality, competition, and rationality. Examples: communication and relationships of social and natural environment. High-context macrosystem are concise of group identity, tradition, intuitiveness, and emotionality. Example of high-context macrosystem is adaptively. The ecological model’s most basic unit of analysis in the microsystem is the immediate settings, including role relationships and activities. Microsystem mostly of the family, but as they grow and are exposed to day care, preschool classes, and neighborhood playmates, the system becomes more complex. Microsystems are dynamic contexts for development because of the bi-directional influences individuals impart on each other. Many micro-level determinants of health affecting early child development investigated and proposed. Factors like nutrition, shelter, hygiene, stimulation, support, attachment, and parenting style, investigated and correlated with later outcomes. The relative quality and/or quantity can have either positive or negative effects on health. On a practical level, the amount of parent involvement in the child’s education related to children’s educational achievement (Canadian Council on Social Development, 1997), and the specific language and cultural practices of the family, such as the amount of time spent reading together (Bus, van IJzendoorn, & Pellegrini, 1995) can have effects on the development of individual capacities. Similarly, family arrangement, constitution, and the amount of contact with extended family can affect child development through the kinds of interactive opportunities these arrangements provide (Hernandez, 1997). There are also two of the most important factors of children’s social functioning are parents’ psychiatric health and marital status. These two factors explain much of the variability in children’s social and emotional competence (Goodman, Brogan, Lynch, & Fielding, 1993; Kershner & Cohen, 1992; Kochanska & Kuczynski, 1991; Miller, Cowan, Cowan, Hetherington, & Clingempeel, 1993). The risk factors associated with behavioral and emotional disorders in children linked to parental variables such as single parenthood, marital separation, young motherhood, poor family relations, and maternal mental health symptoms (Sameroff & Fiese, 2000; Williams, Anderson, McGee, & Silva, 1990). The presence of one or more of these risk factors compounds the risk for poor social functioning of children. The mesosystem: the second of Bronfenbrenner’s environmental layers, and refers to the interrelationships among different microsystem levels, such as home, school, and peer group settings. For instance, what happens at home influences at school and in turn what are in the school environment will likely influence family interactions? Specifically, parents’ involvement within the school in conjunction with teachers’ involvement with families represent mesosystem functioning. In addition, the community expected to affect distal family processes, and a family’s ability to provide the necessary support for their child. He will also focus on factors such as physical safety, problems in the neighborhood, and neighbors and examine their links to children’s prosaically skills. The third environmental layer of the model in the exosystem consists of the contexts that children cannot a part of but does influence their development. For example, decisions by the school boards and parents’ workplaces do not include the child but may influence and impact the child’s development. A school board sets the educational policies that can relevant to the child reflective of exosystem influences. The school board would adopt a policy that states that children with disabilities go into special classes. This may affect that child’s academic and social progress. The policies do set by parents’ employers’ maybe impact a child’s development. Where parent’s leaves may not allow flexible work hours may not an option. Parents’ availability to their child can influence a child’s development (Fagan & Wise, 2001; Thomas & Grimes, 1995). The outer layer of the ecological model in the macrosystem layers composed of the cultural source that influences most of the child’s immediate experience but impacts the child through attitudes, practices, and convictions shared in society. The most distant or macro-level wealth of the nation or region and how the wealth distributed among the people. The variables can be more distant because there effects are more outrages. The individual and population level of the environmental predictor of health and developmental outcomes because some of the measure of relative affluences socio-economic status. According to the National Forum on Health: Determinants of Health Working Group Synthesis report (1997), child poverty, unemployment, youth underemployment, involuntary retirement, labor force restructuring, cuts in social programs, decreases in real income, income inequities, the disintegration of communities as we once knew them, single parenthood, and the ever-increasing pressures of work on families and all factors that determine population health. The more equitable a society, the more widely shared feelings of self-esteem and control, the more empowered its members, and the better overall health status. Conclusion, we have yet to confront the reality that the growing chaos in the lives of our children, youth, and families today simultaneously pervades too many of the principal settings in which we live our daily lives in the family, health care systems, child care arrangements, peer groups, schools, neighborhoods, the workplace, and means of transportation and communication between them.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Application of Sensory for the Maintenance of Health for the Elderly

Disorders of smell and taste are often diagnostic dilemmas that most times present themselves in elderly people(Croy, Nordin, & Hummel, 2014). The lack of knowledge and insight of these impairment conditions are common and can result in life threatening situations especially among the aged. In addition, poor appetite   is a challenge faced by elderly people living both at home or in nursing care homes. Poor appetite can result in nutritional deficiencies and weight loss and is linked to poor health outcomes and mortality. By gaining an understanding on what causes reduced appetite and its link to sensory impairment, clinical staff and nurses can quickly identify elderly patients that have an impaired appetite. Several strategies can be utilized in promoting appetite and increasing intake of food (Pilgrim, Robinson, &Save, 2015). When the human tongue receives taste signals, a number of neural pathways are activated. However, these pathways don't require for food to be in the mouth for them to be activated; the sound of rattling dishes, or an image of food can cause the stomach to rumble. The sense of vision provides a critical sense with regard to food perception, driving preferences and raising expectations. Humans discriminate unconsciously, between foods that are low and high in calories, by just looking at the said food. Looking at images of food that are low or high calorie provokes different responses with varying intensities in the brain(Toepel, Ohla, & Hudry, 2014). The study by Toepel et al.,( 2104) tested subjects where they were shown images of high calorie foods such as pastry, pizza, salmon, and lamb chops which were alternated with images of low calorie foods such as pasta/tomato sauce, yoghurt, watermelon, and beans. For every image observed, a weak electric current was attached to the tongues of the participants which stimulated the state function of the brain without any real taste being mimicked. This produced a metallic taste and sensation hence, the a food cue was initiated by the   images and neutralized by the metallic stimulation. The results from the EEG measurements showed that looking at high calorie images stimulated pleasant and strong sensations as opposed to the low calorie food images. The high calorie images evoked neural activity which was stronger in some parts of the brain such as frontal operculum and the bilateral insula in comparison to images of lower calories. Any taste pleasantness changes activated the medial orbitofrontal cortex. Shape also affects taste as was studied by Gal in a research that analyzed consumer behaviour against marketing. In the study, the participants first sorted geometric figures after which they were shown a piece of cheese that had pointed corners rather than the usual round ones. The subjects described the taste of the cheese as being sharper (Bakalar, 2014). However, understanding the brain's mechanism that connects between gustatory and visual senses is still a relatively new In addition to visual and shape, odour too plays a significant role. Volatile molecules are released when a person chews food which then travel to the receptors at the back of the mouth that lines the nasal passages. The receptors are what enable a person to identify the different sensations' combinations which result in flavour- knowing what one is consuming. When a person eats sour or sweet strawberry, the mouth is able to detect this even while the nose is held tight (Stevenson, 2012). Hearing too plays a part in what people eat. If for example one hears the crunch of potato crisps, one imagines the crisps to be fresher. Taste can also be affected by sound as was demonstrate by a study where participants were asked to bite into crisps and rate their freshness and crispiness. The researcher played a crunching sound once the subject took a bite and which systematically changed the perceptions by the subjects where the subjects stated the crisps were crispier and fresher compared to when there was no aural cue (Spence,2015). Temperature also is a factor that determines one's perception of taste. For example, warming ice cream increases the perceived flavour. Sensitivity to temperature is regulated by the taste buds' molecular processes that are responsible for the different tastes (Amerine, Pangborn, & Roessler, 2013).   Increasing food temperature to 15-35 degrees Celsius enhances one's sweetness neural response. In approximately half of the population, cooling or heating the tongue causes taste sensations in that, cooling the tongue increases the salty or sour tasting sensations while increasing the temperature increases the taste sensation of sweetness.   Smell when compared against taste, is more complex as human receptors for taste are fewer than receptors for smell. The five taste receptors are umami, bitter, salty, sour, and sweet. There are various ways of mixing both smell and taste leading to a broad array of flavours that a person perceives and which bear little subjective resemblance to the aforementioned tastes. There is a neurological link between taste and smell that is unique to the two senses. When one sees and hears something simultaneously, two different neurological pathways are used while this is not the case with tasting and smelling. For example, when one pops a jellybean in the mouth while holding the nose tight, one can still sense the jelly beans' sweetness but will not perceive the flavour. Once a person releases the nose, the flavour becomes identifiable. The flavour thus comes from the nose even when one tastes the sweetness of the beans (Society for Neuroscience, 2015). There is a distinction between smelling via the nose and via the back of the throat, while there is a neurological distinction in the tasting. Arrival of the retronasal and orthonasal odours is via the same route however, when they arrive simultaneously as taste, integration of taste and odour occurs which creates the perception of flavour. Flavour is only perceived through the simultaneous arrival of odour and taste to the anterior insula. Hence, it is concluded that the overlapping of the distinct smell and taste pathways occurs in the anterior insula. When molecules bind in the tongue receptors, then the sense of taste can be perceived which proceeds to send signals to various parts of the brain to eventually meet at the anterior insula (Yin, Hewson, Linforth et al., 2017). Further, a person is able to differentiate the experience with food through touching the food. This is more so, with regard to true fats (an example is the creamy taste of ice-cream and butter). There are specific neurons in the brain's orbitofrontal cortex that respond to fats texture in the mouth such as fat rich foods including chocolate and ice cream as well as similarly oily non food substances such as silicone oil and mineral oil. In addition, the taste of soda is influenced greatly by feel where a flat soda tastes different from a carbonated one (Drewnoski & Almiron, 2010).  Ã‚   The proportion of elderly is escalating fast in the world. It is estimated that by 2025, there wil be 1.12 billion people aged 60 and above with most having some level of sensory loss including smell and taste perception (Coreira, Lopez, &Wroblewsski et al., 2016). Laboratory and clinical studies have shown a decline in smell and taste functioning among persons aged 60 years and above which increases in severity in those aged 70 years and above. Dysfunction of smell and taste is caused by ageing and some specific disease conditions such as Alzheimer's and cancer, surgical and pharmacological intervention, environmental and radiation exposure. The chemosensory deficits may result in alteration in food choices and consumption and subsequently worsen any existing medical conditions, compromise immunity and nutritional status, change food choices and result in decrease in weight (Doty & Kamath, 2014).   As has been discussed earlier, vision, smell, and taste are involved in food enjoyment. When these senses are impaired due to ageing, they result in a reduction in appetite among the elderly. Appetite is stimulated by the smell of food while the taste of food promotes its enjoyment and stimulates the appetite further even after eating. Most elderly people have taste and smell senses that are impaired and which hinders their appetite to a great extent (Nieuwenhuizen et al., 2010). Having a good vision helps in stimulating one's appetite (Spence, Okajima, & Cheok et al., 2015). As one ages, the vision reduces with 1 in 5 persons aged 75 years and above and 1 in every 2 persons aged 90 years and above having loss of vision (RNIB, 2014). The body composition of an individual is what determines his/her energy requirements and more so, the fat free mass (the component s of the body that are exclusive of fat for example organs, bones, and muscles), and their physical activity levels.   As people age, they lose the fat free mass with a 1% rate of skeletal muscle loss among those aged 70 years and above. With most being physically inactive. Therefore the energy requirements among the elderly are low which is a contributory factor to appetite loss. This varies among individuals, which is reflective of the body composition differences as well as physical activity differences (Milanovi?, Panteli?, & Trajkovi? et al., 2013). As people become older, the sense of smell deteriorates with declining olfactory functioning (Doty & Kamath, 2014;Smoliner, Fischedick, &Sieber et al., 2013).  In addition to losing the sense of smell, people lose the ability to differentiate smells with more than 75% of persons aged 80 and above experiencing acute olfactory impairment with increased continuous decline after 70 years (Doty et al., 2014). Of persons aged between 80-97 years, 62.5% had olfactory impairment(Schubert, Cruickshanks, &Klein et al., 2011). However, taste impairment is more common than olfactory impairment (Malaty & Malty, 2013) Gustatory dysfunction is also linked to ageing, however, most often, what is thought to be taste impairment is in fact an olfactory impairment. Besides smell impairment, taste impairment is caused by prior infection of upper respiratory area, drug use, head injury, as well as idiopathic causes (Fomazieri, Borges, & Bezerra, et al., 2014; Bromley & Doty, 2014; Roper, 2013).  Problems with chewing caused by loss of teeth and dentures can interfere with sense of taste along with decreased production of saliva. Decreased senses of tastes and smell causes suppression of appetite which results in loss of weight, impaired immunity, malnutrition, and medical conditions deteriorations (Phillips, Caroll, & Drayson et al., 2015; Jacobson, Green, & Murphy,2010).  Problems with nutrition form a significant sequeale from disorders of taste and smell.  Elderly persons need two-three times more salt concentration in tomato soup before they are able to detect it (Ahmed & Haboubi, 2010).  The tendency for the elderly to take in higher concentrations of sugar and salt can exacerbate already hazardous medical conditions they may be experiencing. A decrease or distortion in the sense of smell results in a decrease in life quality or even disability(Smeets, Veldhuizen, & Galle, 2009). Further, such medical conditions can result in a high level of depression and anxiety in the person. Anxiety resulting from inability to enjoy the taste of food and fear that the taste impairment could be as a result of a n unknown condition. In addition, there is also heightened depression among persons with anosmia (Hummel, T., Landis, B. N., & Hà ¼ttenbrink,, 2011).   Classification of chemosensory dysfunction is as follows: ageusia (loss in sense of taste), hypogeusia (decrease in taste sensitivity), dysgeusia (normal taste distortion), anosmia (loss in of the sense of smell), hyposmia (decrease in smell sensitivity) and dysomia (normal smell distortion). Persons with hypogeusia often need tastants in higher concentrations in order to detect the same; their threshold for detecting and recognizing tastants is elevated above the normal controls. These group of persons also have less intense suprathreshold concentrations. Persons with dysgeusi experience taste distortion such as metallic/bitter taste sides that are not often linked to the foods they are consuming. Analogous impairments in perceptions of smell are often reported in persons with dysosmia and hyposmia. The chemosensory deficits that the elderly experience are irreversible. However, there are several sensory interventions that can be applied such as odour and taste intensification to compensate for perceptual loss that is age related. One such method is addition of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in food during and after its preparation to enhance its taste and smell as well as enhance its palatability. When a person presents with taste and smell disorders, they will first need reassurance and counselling that they are not suffering from an infection or malignant disease. Once diagnosis of diminished smell is done, the management goal will entail injury prevention that is related to the condition. Gas detection visual stimulating devices are ideal for a person that use gas stoves as such a person will be incapable of smelling a gas leak. Neighbours and relatives will need to be involved in assisting such a person as he/she may be unable to detect spoiled food which can cause food poisoning if consumed. MSG is the glutamic acid sodium salt that poses the unique umami taste quality. The term umami is Japanese with no English translation , and is used for describing the MSG taste as well as the taste of certain broths and fish. The umami taste is similar to the protein taste. Different tests have shown that umami does not fall in any of the categories of bitter, salty, sour, and sweet. MSG is used in making commercial mixtures that contain specific 5†²-ribonucleotides such as IMP (inosine-5†²-monophosphate) and GMP (guanosine-5†²-monophosphate). MSG together with these compounds have synergistic and potent effects, including a significant decrease in the threshold levels of MSG. A person with a taste disorder will need flavoring enhancements added to his/her food. Flavors are a combination of odorant molecules which are blended or extracted from natural product or can be synthesized from natural products through   mass spectrographic and chromatographic analysis. Flavor enhancers modify or enhance the food's original aroma or taste but lack their individual aroma or taste. For example, simulated beef flavour can be used as an addition to beef or beef soup to increase the beef sensation. There is a difference in flavour enhancement from the more common taste and odour sensation enhancers such as salt, herbs, and spices. Herbs and spices add diverse flavours as opposed to intensifying the food's existing chemosensory properties. Flavours are not spices hence they do not cause any stomach or mouth irritations. The main component in flavour enhancements is salt but also, MSG is used often. Flavour enhancement added in food for the sick and elderly can improve the palatability of food and also its acceptance, slow or reverse decline in functionality, increase counts of lymphocytes, and improve the overall quality of life. It also potentially makes up for anorexia (Islam, Fagundo, & Arcelus, 2015).One study revealed that enhancement of flavour for the elderly living in a retirement home resulted in an enhanced immune status as witnessed in levels of B and T cell counts and also an improved strength in grip (Islam et al., 2015). In addition, odour and taste stimulation among the elderly has been shown to improve with an increased salivary IgA rate (Philips et al., 2015) Several factors contribute to impaired appetite among the elderly and these are often linked to the psychological and physical alterations that come with ageing. Poor appetite is significant as it increases the likelihood of a person becoming nutritionally deficient and even losing weight. Weight loss is particularly difficult to regain in elderly patients and along with nutritional deficiency, they are both associated with mortality and poor health outcomes. The nurse is in a position to quickly identify patients that have impaired appetite and can commence on interventions to help the elderly patients to enhance their appetite and increase food intake by utilizing different strategies as discussed in this paper. These strategies include flavoring food with sauces, spices, and herbs, improving the ambience of food, ensuring the patient has company while eating, serving meals that the patient has shown preference for and during regular times when the patient eats. Amplification of fo od taste and flavor using MSG can improve the palatability of the food and its acceptance as well. It can also increase the immunity and salivary flow in a patient as well as minimize oral complaints among the elderly and the sick. Flavor molecules compensate for losses in chemosensory abilities by interacting with receptors in the mouth. MSG adds taste without enhancing other tastes.   It may also be helpful to increase the patient's physical activity. Finally, the use of oral nutritional supplements may be necessitated in supporting elderly patients with acute illness and who have very low appetite. Ahmed, T., & Haboubi, N. (2010). Assessment and management of nutrition in older people and its importance to health.  Clinical Interventions in Aging,  5, 207–216. Amerine, M. A., Pangborn, R. M., & Roessler, E. B. (2013).  Principles of sensory evaluation of food. Elsevier. Bakalar, N. (2012). Sensory science: partners in flavour.  Nature,  486(7403), S4-S5. Bromley, S.M. & Doty, R.L.   (2014)Clinical disorders affecting taste: an update.   Chapter 39 in R.L. Doty (Ed),  Handbook of Olfaction and Gustation  (3rd Edition).   New York: Wiley-Liss, 2014, in press. Correia, C., Lopez, K. J., Wroblewski, K. E., Huisingh?Scheetz, M., Kern, D. W., Chen, R. C., ... & Pinto, J. M. (2016). Global sensory impairment in older adults in the United States.  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society,  64(2), 306-313. Croy, I., Nordin, S., & Hummel, T. (2014). Olfactory disorders and quality of life—an updated review.  Chemical senses,  39(3), 185-194. Doty, R. L., & Kamath, V. (2014). The influences of age on olfaction: a review.  Applied Olfactory Cognition,  5, 213-232. Drewnowski A, Almiron-Roig E.(2010) Human Perceptions and Preferences for Fat-Rich Foods. In: Montmayeur JP, le Coutre J, editors. Fat Detection: Taste, Texture, and Post Ingestive Effects. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; 2010. Chapter 11.  Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53528/ Fornazieri, M. A., Borges, B. B. P., Bezerra, T. F. P., de Rezende Pinna, F., & Voegels, R. L. (2014). Main causes and diagnostic evaluation in patients with primary complaint of olfactory disturbances.  Brazilian journal of otorhinolaryngology,  80(3), 202-207. Hummel, T., Landis, B. N., & Hà ¼ttenbrink, K.-B. (2011). Smell and taste disorders.  GMS Current Topics in Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery,  10, Doc04. https://doi.org/10.3205/cto000077 Islam, M. A., Fagundo, A. B., Arcelus, J., Agà ¼era, Z., Jimà ©nez-Murcia, S., Fernà ¡ndez-Real, J. M., †¦ Fernandez-Aranda, F. (2015). Olfaction in eating disorders and abnormal eating behavior: a systematic review.  Frontiers in Psychology,  6, 1431. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01431 Jacobson, A., Green, E., & Murphy, C. (2010). Age-Related Functional Changes in Gustatory and Reward Processing Regions: An fMRI Study.  NeuroImage,  53(2), 602–610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.05.012 Malaty, J., & Malaty, I. A. (2013). Smell and taste disorders in primary care.  Am Fam Physician,  88(12), 852-859. Milanovi?, Z., Panteli?, S., Trajkovi?, N., SporiÃ… ¡, G., Kosti?, R., & James, N. (2013). Age-related decrease in physical activity and functional fitness among elderly men and women.  Clinical Interventions in Aging,  8, 549–556. https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S44112 Nieuwenhuizen W, Weenen H, Rigby P, et al. (2010). Older adults and patients in need of nutritional support: review of current treatment options and factors influencing nutritional intake.  Clinical Nutrition.29:160–169. Phillips, A. C., Carroll, D., Drayson, M. T., & Der, G. (2015). Salivary immunoglobulin a secretion rate is negatively associated with cancer mortality: The West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study.  PloS one,  10(12), e0145083. Pilgrim, A., Robinson, S., Sayer, A. A., & Roberts, H. (2015). An overview of appetite decline in older people.  Nursing Older People,  27(5), 29–35. https://doi.org/10.7748/nop.27.5.29.e697 RNIB (2014). Key Information and Statistics.  (Retrieved on 7th May, 2017). Available:https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/key-information-and-statistics. Roper, S. D. (2013). Taste buds as peripheral chemosensory processors.  Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology,  24(1), 71–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcdb.2012.12.002 Schubert, C. R., Cruickshanks, K. J., Klein, B. E., Klein, R., & Nondahl, D. M. (2011). Olfactory impairment in older adults: 5-year incidence and risk factors.  The Laryngoscope,  121(4), 873–878. https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.2146 Smeets, M. A., Veldhuizen, M. G., Galle, S., Gouweloos, J., de Haan, A. M. J., Vernooij, J., ... & Kroeze, J. H. (2009). Sense of smell disorder and health-related quality of life.  Rehabilitation Psychology,  54(4), 404. Smoliner, C., Fischedick, A., Sieber, C. C., & Wirth, R. (2013). Olfactory function and malnutrition in geriatric patients.  The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences,  68(12), 1582-1588. Society for Neuroscience (2015). Making sense of scents: smell and the brain. (Retrieved on 7th May, 2017). https://www.brainfacts.org/sensing-thinking-behaving/senses-and-perception/articles/2015/making-sense-of-scents-smell-and-the-brain/ Spence, C. (2015). Eating with our ears: assessing the importance of the sounds of consumption on our perception and enjoyment of multisensory flavour experiences.  Flavour,  4(1), 3. Spence, C., Okajima, K., Cheok, A. D., Petit, O., & Michel, C. (2015). Eating with our eyes: From visual hunger to digital satiation.  Brain Cogn. Stevenson, R. J. (2012). The role of attention in flavour perception.  Flavour,  1(1), 2. Toepel, U., Ohla, K., Hudry, J., le Coutre, J., & Murray, M. M. (2014). Verbal labels selectively bias brain responses to high-energy foods.  NeuroImage,  87, 154-163. 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Friday, September 27, 2019

Defining concept of design thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Defining concept of design thinking - Essay Example Design thinking is usually incorporated often into the innovation process as well as organisation. Design thinking is the art of coming up with creative and practical solutions to on-going or current problems with an aim and hope of a better future result. As such, design thinking can simply be taken to be a type of thinking that is solely focused on finding a solution (solution focussed thinking). Instead of just focusing on how to solve a specific current problem, design thinking majorly aims at finding the best future solution. As such, the concept commences with a goal. By taking into consideration both the future and present conditions and the problem parameters, design thinking makes it possible for alternative solutions to be explored and evaluated simultaneously. Therefore, unlike design thinking, the scientific methods only commence with definitions of the problem parameters on the way of finding a solution to the problem. It does not explore alternatives or possess the futu re dimension in its process. Thus design thinking looks at both ambiguous and known aspects of the problem to figure out the open available alternatives and hidden parameters which will lead to the achievement of the goal. Since the process of design thinking is commonly iterative, there exists a lot of starting points. For example, initial problem redefinition or other intermediate solutions. Design thinking is a multidisciplinary process covering fields such as engineering, law, psychology, marketing and economics among others. For example, in engineering, education is geared towards the creation of engineers who can think and create designs (Pourdehnead, et.al, 2011). However, design thinking is a complex subject and one of the approaches used in teaching engineers design is the project-based learning approach (Dym, et.al, 2005). Engineering design

Thursday, September 26, 2019

CVS Internal assesment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CVS Internal assesment - Research Paper Example They create visual representations that show the customers’ position in relation to client’s tastes and the competing brands (Ranchhod & Gurau, 2007). A marketing strategy is a process in which an organization uses its limited resources to maximize its greatest opportunities with a hope to gain or retain a competitive advantage (Metcalfe & Warde, 2002). The CVS is a leader in pharmaceutical services industry. This happens through delivery of customer prescriptions. The company also helps customers to access medicines easily. CVS Caremark uses a number of marketing strategies to deal with its competitors. CVS Caremark is positioned in convenient locations to easy customer access. The company offers 24 hours service. These two strategies make CVS Caremark’s products easy to access especially for those who like frequent glossary shopping. The company’s biggest challenge is high competition in the market environment (Dibb & Simkin, 2008). CVS Caremark is working towards winning customer trust, confidence and loyalty. The company is using the social media as a strong marketing tool. The company also gives customized offers from its local stores. CVS Caremark after reviewing its marketing strategies claimed that customers were more informed and involved in their healthcare products than ever. Walgreens was a relatively small company a few years ago. However, the company has undergone a transformation which has made it prosperous. Walgreens developed a desire to pay more attention to the needs of its clients. This was particularly done to the young mothers who had multiple children. This means the company was investing for more sales with these mothers in the coming days. The company also built strong internal relationships strategically. They included functional interdepartmental relationships. This is because the CEO of the company believed that relationships and connections are necessary for the entire company to

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles Paper Research

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles - Research Paper Example According to Cleverly, Song, & Cleverly (2010), there are five generally accepted accounting guidelines or principles that are related to accounting for health, namely money measurement, valuation, duality principle, stable monetary unit, and accounting entity. In this paper a discussion will be made on these five generally accepted accounting principles related to health care. Money Measurement Money measurement principle calls for effective recording of all cash flows and revenues that are coming to the organization as well those leaving the organization. Money measurement refers to the measurement of debt obligations and revenue resources accurately so that there is no discrepancy in the accounts of the health care institute. The intent behind this accounting principle is to secure and measure all the incoming and outgoing cash flows of a firm. It is essential to measure the movement of money inside and outside the organization because it is the most basic building block of accoun ting. This particular accounting principle is related to health care field as the flow of money in a heath care facility is quite fluid and money changes hand quickly in the health care industry. ... The reason for valuing assets and costs at historical prices is that it is the only method that provides an objective value of assets and costs (Cleverly, Song, & Cleverly, 2010). Other alternatives of valuation lack the objectivity which the historical cost valuation method provides. The intent behind this accounting principle is to provide an objective account of the values of acquisition cost of assets. In the field of health care this accounting principle is vital to calculate return on investment (p. 187). Also there is no second hand market of assets that are used in the health care industry and therefore it is difficult to estimate a market value for such assets. This is the relevance of cost valuation accounting principle to the field of health care. Principle of Duality Principle of duality is a generally accepted accounting principle that refers to the basic equation that is commonly used in accounting (assets = liabilities +owner’s equity). The principle of duality also refers to the dual effect of every transaction. The effect every transaction is recorded in a way that assets equals the total liabilities and equity of the firm. This principle is forms a very basic pillar of accounting. It provides guidance as to how to account different transactions. The intent of this principle is to make sure that transactions are recorded in way that satisfies the basics of accounting. The principle of duality is the basic pillar of accounting and therefore has relevance to accounting of health care institutions. The basic equation of assets, liabilities, and equity should always be balanced when accounting in the field of health care. In health care field transactions are regularly recorded and therefore to avoid any mistake it is essential to keep this

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Case study, starbucks corporation Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

, starbucks corporation - Case Study Example The mission statement of a company is a very important tool in its marketing. Starbucks mission states "to inspire and nurture the human spirit-one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time" (Grundey, 2010). In other words, the company did not focus on serving great coffee but to have the customers engaged at emotional level. As explained by one of the company’s most successful managers, one that saw the most positive change in the success of the company, Starbucks was not in the coffee business to serve people but in the people business to serve coffee (Levi & Linton, 2003). In other words, the company sought to create a home away from home such that people had another place other than their workplace or their home where they could socialize and share their experiences as they drunk excellent coffee. It puts a lot of emphasis on sourcing the best coffee from the market. The company promoted not only the lives of those who supplied the coffee but roasted the coffee to ensure that its quality was superb. Maintaining topnotch quality coffee berries and proper manufacturing meant that people could bet on continued quality of the drink. That way, the stores remained favorite spots for the people. Starbucks also focused on employee involvement. In other words, there had to be a good environment for the customers whenever they visited the coffee shop. For this reason, the employees had to be excellent team members and had to be above average in terms of customer relations. Unlike most companies today, Starbucks did not focus on profits only. The company takes seriously the virtue of good neighborhood. In the stores, it did not matter the customers background or their color of the skin. Starbucks focused on being good to the community at large and to bring together partners, customers, and the whole community. Starbucks strategies had a lot of impact on the performance of the company. It is normal for some companies

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Do Computers Increase Or Decrease Social Connection Essay

Do Computers Increase Or Decrease Social Connection - Essay Example The information communication technologies have helped in shaping the thoughts and actions in ways that affected the lives of people directly. The discovery of voice over internet protocol has made it possible to make internet calls effectively. The society has learnt to view new machines, not as mere products to be purchased, but facilitators of a larger system. This is determined by how usable the machines are in meeting the expectations of the society. The meaning attached to machines or technological innovations has to make life easier for them to be relevant to the mainstream society. Historians argue that new machines are not necessarily coercive agents that force people into social changes. However, in the recent past, the innovations in the information communication technology have had a coercive effect in the social aspect of communication. A compelling example in the impact of social media in the presidential complains in the United States of America. The social media have played a significant role in the success of the Arab spring. The strength of connectivity that has come from the latest information technologies cannot be underestimated2. Computers are viewed as agents of office efficiency. However, it is argued that computers have been known to cause eye problems, back disorders and time wastage in case of software failure. According to the American manufacturing association, of the organizations that reduced staff due to computerization, 24 per cent suffered losses while 43 per cent raised profits3. Through technology, people can study degree programs and attend classes in a virtual atmosphere. A lecturer can teach a class of people with is in different parts of the globe. However, online learning cannot... This paper approves that technology means different things to different social groups. The owners of the supercomputers are estimated to be in different social levels with the owners of desktop computers. The owners of supercomputers are perceived to be established and engaged in high level technological operations. There are characteristics that determine the likability of technology or computing. The more they are adopted, the more they develop their usefulness. This is mostly manifested in the network technologies. The selling point of technologies must be the ease to adopt and the relevance in the immediate usage. There has been an observation that after people adopts a technology, they develop with it. They upgrade as the technology upgrades, and it becomes hard to switch them to another technology. This report makes a conclusion that media ideologies about one medium affect the media ideologies about the other media. Face book and tweeter have had a substantial effect in the way different groups communicate. The social media users are able to send messages and share information in real time. Recent developments have seen the social media empowered to facilitate video calls. It is not clear whether social media is an official method of communication. However, the weight of the messages passed on social media depends on the groups involved and the intended message. Small changes in technology can end up changing the ways in which people circulate information. Technology is rapidly tilting towards improved connectivity. Smartphone is now a means of communication and internetworking. Most scholars talk about new forms of emerging connection technologies, which have been built upon the existing technologies.

Monday, September 23, 2019

All is about Malala Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

All is about Malala - Essay Example The writer then twists the situation, and presents a sudden change in the living condition of Malala where he presents the fact that she is shot. The reader is shocked to learn that a person who is so capable of bring a change has been crippled by an outsider. The consequence of using this technique is the building of a scenario that portrays ‘tragedy’; humans when faced with tragic situations are programmed to display feelings of sympathy. Later on in the text, the writer mentions her recovery from injury in such a dramatic way where instead of admiring the efforts of the medical experts, the focus is on Malala’s recovery; which is done intentionally to support the earlier claim of Malala being a very capable person. Here again, the writer manages to gain sympathy of the reader by implying that the bad-element of the society is defeated by the good element. For the sake of comparison and contrast, the case of Emma Sulkowicz is taken as parallel to Malala’s case in this task. Emma was raped by a classfellow of hers on her first day; this incident happened on the campus. Although she remained quiet in the start, which was largely due to her dread of becoming a victim of her offender again, she ultimately managed to report the incident to the authorities after she realized that two of her other classfellows had also gone through the same misery and pain. As opposed to Malala’s case, where she was the only person who stood to oppose the negatively affecting Talibans, Emma only spoke when she was sure that she was not alone and there are other people who were suffering from the same problem. Emma spoke against injustice by seeking help from the authorities and the judicial system of the country. This was largely due to the existence of infrastructure that assists people in getting justice. Malala on the other hand

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Mytaxi (Intelligent Apps Gmbh) Extension from Germany to the Philippines Essay Example for Free

Mytaxi (Intelligent Apps Gmbh) Extension from Germany to the Philippines Essay Original paper is full of Appendices. You may get in touch with me if you would like to have a copy of the FULL VERSION with external links, charts, images, etc. PROJECT PROPOSAL: myTaxi HOME COUNTRY: Germany TARGET COUNTRY: Philippines OBJECTIVE: To expand the usage of the myTaxi (Intelligent Apps GmbH) application to Filipino Smartphone Users-Taxi Drivers PRODUCT INFORMATION Developed by Niclaus Mewes and Sven Kuelper in 2009, myTaxi is a Smartphone application that directly connects Taxi driver and passenger, enabling more efficient pick-up and drop-off transportation services. CATEGORY: Travel / Transportation TARGET USERS: Taxi Drivers, Taxi Passengers, Taxi Corporations CURRENT MARKETS: (Domestic) Germany: Berlin, Bonn, Cologne, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, Leipzig, Munich, Nuremburg, Stuttgart, Sylt (Regiocentric) Vienna: Austria Spain: Barcelona, Madrid Poland: Warsaw (Geocentric) Washington D. C. , United States of America Currently Under Development In: (Germany) Augsburg, Braunschweig, Bremen, Darmstadt, Essen, Heilbronn, Gera, Kaiserslautern, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Leverkusen, Mainz, Offenbach, Potsdam, Salzburg, Wiesbaden, Wurzburg Domestic Market Conditions (2012): Number of Taxi Passengers Per Year: 260 million est. Total Revenue in Taxi Fares: 2. 6 billion Euros Number of Mobile Subscriptions: 114. 2 million Smartphone Market Penetration: 53% Number of 3G/4G Subscriptions: 53. 2 million 3G Market Penetration: 65% REQUIREMENTS: Smartphone (Android or iOS), Internet (at least 500 MB) AVAILABILITY: iTunes (Apple Store) for Apple ; Google Play for Android PRICE: For Passengers: FREE DOWNLOAD (Application) Standard Taxi fares apply with no additional costs for using myTaxi (Transportation Service) For Drivers: 2,75% (net) for every service mediated via myTaxi HOW IT WORKS: For Passengers : Immediately upon opening the application, myTaxi uses GPS to pin point the user’s location. The app will then locate all of the available myTaxis in the area. The user can then send a pick-up request, as well as specify a destination (optional). Once a pick-up is confirmed, the user can see the driver’s information: name, vehicle registration, as well as his rating from other myTaxi users. The user can then track the progress of the Taxi until it picks him up. For Drivers: Taxi drivers need to register with myTaxi in order to be part of the system. This can be done via the myTaxi application, at a myTaxi office, or on the mytaxi. net website . Upon acceptance of a pick-up request, the driver receives the application user’s mobile number in case of extenuating circumstances, such as a traffic jam. FEATURES : †¢Favorite Drivers: Drivers can not only be rated, but also be saved and prioritized for future trips. Fare Calculator : Cost transparency via the integrated fare calculator that may be used before booking a trip. †¢Flexible Payment Options: Users can pay with cash or use credit, debit, or even PayPal. myTaxi has pioneered the cashless and even cardless payment of Taxi trips through the application . †¢Advanced Booking: Bookings can be made up to four days in advance of the user’s desired pick-up date, time, and place. †¢Personalize d Booking Options: Eco-taxis, 5-star Taxis, Airport trips, Luggage, Pet-friendly Taxis, Number of expected passengers TERMS AND CONDITIONS: For Passengers : I. Performance of myTaxi II. Second amendment and termination of service III. Availability IV. Liability V. General Obligations of the user VI. Responsibility for Content VII. Final Provisions For Taxi Driver : I. Gratuitous services of myTaxi II. Settlement of mediation services III. Payment IV. Amendment and termination of service V. Availability VI. General obligations of the user VII. Obligation to accept transfer order VIII. Termination of contract / disqualification of use IX. Rating system X. Responsibility for content XI. Final provisions For Business Accounts : I. Contract II. Contractual obligations of the contractor III. Invoicing by myTaxi IV. Employee Training V. Liability VI. Term and Termination VII. External representation of cooperation VIII. Of assignment, final provisions EXISTING PARTNERSHIPS: Car2Go HRS Ds Hotelportal Miles More Lufthansa Samsung T Mobile AirPlus International myTaxi is an innovative application that combined two different industries: The first is the relatively stable Transportation Industry, wherein passengers are given the option to commute semi-privately via Taxi. The second is the new and booming Smartphone + Internet Industry. The combination of both industries created a product (the application) AND service (the features) that covers both the daily transportation needs of commuters with their want of efficiency, reliability, and personalization in tune with the lifestyle of Today. With all this in mind, it is no surprise that myTaxi first focused on its domestic market to establish its name and create awareness of what they have to offer. Following their domestic success, myTaxi marketed itself to its immediate neighboring countries, a strategic move on their part, since their popularity would logically trickle itself to those right next to them, and not those far away – being involved in Travel and Transportation, this was clearly a logical step. The real trick however, to marketing myTaxi was through partnerships – with individual Taxi drivers and Taxi dispatch companies, and with complementary product brands, such as Samsung wherein the application is pre-installed in all their Smartphone units. Its strength lies mostly in its reputation. In its attempt to expand to the U. S. market, myTaxi had to compete with a few competitors, as the U. S. already had a few Taxi applications to choose from, depending on which city you were in. However, because of its popularity, its brand strength boasting to already have 2. 3 million users, it was able to secure a partnership with the D. C. Taxicab Commission. With their endorsement, myTaxi managed to escalate itself as more legitimate in the eyes of the market than its competitors. Lastly, one must consider that being a pioneer, myTaxi has been and is still reaping the benefits of the First Mover Advantage. It has already created its niche in the Transportation Industry and is transforming the preexisting Taxi market as well. myTaxi was already hailed as one of the top applications of 2012. TARGET MARKET INFORMATION TARGET MARKET: Metro Manila [NCR], Philippines (Lower-Middle Income) (Market Capitalism: constitutional democratic republic) GENERAL DEMOGRAPHICS: Population: 103,775,002 (Philippines, July 2012); 21,050,000 (Metro Manila, 2010) Size: 638. 55 km2 (Total Area) with a density of 18,567/km2 Rate of Urbanization: 2. 3% (2010-2015 estimated) annual rate of change Currency: Philippine Pesos (? Currency Inflation Rate: 2. 6% (March 2012) VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC: Number of Motor Vehicles Registered : 1,740,812 (2012) approx. 30% of total: 6,316,522 Number of Motor Vehicles Registered by Classification : for the entire PH Private: 5,410,783 (2012) approx. 86% of total: 6,316,522 For Hire: 840,974 (2012) approx. 13% of total: 6,316,522 Number of Taxis : 40,000 (2009) for the entire PH Annual Average Daily Traffic: approx. 10,927,245 (2011) vehicles approx. 4,049,314 caused by Passenger Cars (37%) approx. 2,195,860 caused by Utility Passengers (20%) Number of Apprehended Drivers : 14,439 (2012) approx. 2% of total: 761,743 Committed Traffic Violations: 1. RA 8750 Seatbelt Use Act 2. No CR/OR On Hand 3. Obstruction 4. Student Driver Operating an MV w/o Accompanying Licensed Driver 5. Driving w/o License 6. Unregistered/Invalid MV Registration 7. Reckless Driving 8. Driving w/ Delinquent/Invalid, Suspended, Ineffectual or Revoked License 9. No Brake Light 10. No EWD Carried MOBILE PHONES AND INTERNET : Number of Internet Users: 33. 6 million (2012) Internet Usage Growth Rate: 11% (2012) Smartphone Sales Value: $606. 5 million (2011) Number of Smartphone Subscribers: 15 million (2012) Smartphone Subscribers Growth: 38% (2012) Mobile Internet Users: 24% of all Filipino Internet users on a daily basis 56% intend to access the Internet via mobile phone in the next 12 months (2011) Leading Telecommunication Operators : (Q1 2012) †¢Smart Communications, Inc. Market Share: 68% Mobile Connections: 66. 1 million Prepaid Subscribers: 97% of total subscribers 3G Subscribers: 24% of total subscribers †¢Globe Telecom, Inc. Market Share: 32% Mobile Connections: 31 million Prepaid Subscribers: 95% of total subscribers 3G Subscribers: 27% of total subscribers OTHER STATISTICS: Fuel Prices : (as of 11 April 2013) Diesel: ? 40. 00 per liter Unleaded: ? 50. 72 per liter EXPANSION PLAN TO THE PHILIPPINES IMPETUS: Statistics are not needed to see that there are too many cars in Metro Manila, more than what the roads can actually accommodate. Traffic is a serious problem in the city, and though much can be said abou t the many reasons behind it, the reality remains that â€Å"for every bus there are 50 cars on the road† (Murphy, 2010). That is how congested the city roads are. There is definitely a need to limit the number of vehicles, or one day all movements on the streets will come to a stop. A more efficient and trustworthy Taxi-riding environment may encourage people to commute more, instead of driving out in their own cars for the simplest errands, or from even buying their own. A more centralized and systematized Taxi system may also encourage more discipline in drivers AND passengers, for example lessening the number of pick-ups and drop-offs in the middle of the road. ADVANTAGES: †¢EASE: Streets in the Philippines can be tricky . A lot of roads are not frequented by Taxis; Taxis are usually already occupied when spotted on the main roads; There are usually just certain places where Taxis are most available i. e. malls, markets – Getting back from those places may be easy enough, but getting there from wherever is the hard part. Hailing a Taxi is tedious and time-consuming in a busy city like Metro Manila. †¢TRUST: Both for foreigners and locals alike, there is always a chance of hailing a cab that has a fixed Taxi Meter, and you only find out until it is too late. myTaxi’s Fare Calculator works against that. You may also experience a driver bent on swindling you for extra money just because you have luggage or are with someone in need of assistance. With myTaxi’s Personalized Booking Options, you can already pre-bargain with your Taxi driver and let him know what to expect from you. Any additional costs need not be a surprise. †¢SAFETY: If you’re in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night, order a cab via myTaxi instead of walking around looking for one. †¢FEEDBACK: Taxi drivers usually have no fear because they answer to no one, or at least no one bothers to go through the trouble of reporting them to their supervisors if they have one. yTaxi lets you provide feedback of your trip and your driver, removing them from the service if they have done you any wrong, or warning future passengers. PRICE: For Passengers: Application remains free. For Drivers: Following the 2,75% (net) for every service mediated by myTaxi†¦ Taxi Fare Flag Down Rate: ? 20. 00 ? 1. 50 per 500 meters *There is a possibility however, of lowering the rate to 2% due to Taxi drivers generating a below-average income in the Philippines. Average Income of Taxi Drivers: ? ,500. 00 per week MARKET ENTRY: (Product Extension-Communication Adaptation) Product itself remains relatively unchanged, aside from the necessary calibrations for the myTaxi application to work in Metro Manila. Communication approach will have to be different however, as the Philippines is a completely new market to this type of peer-to-peer service . Communication approach to potential passengers will also differ from potential drivers. Pre-Installed Application in Smartphones Units deployed to the Philippines will already have myTaxi pre-installed like in Germany -Pre-Installation leads to awareness that product is available Constantly seeing application will peak customer’s interest Trying out what this application and how it works leads to its evaluation and trial Upon first succ essful order of Taxi, customer adopts to the usage of the application whenever a Taxi is needed, as well as becoming more confident in exploring its other features Product loyalty is established, as well as recommendation of it to peers -myTaxi avatar/widget to be included in the list of Product Features, both online and in print Personalized Proposals to Taxi Corporations Direct contact between myTaxi Sales Representative/s and owner/manager of Taxi corporation through a meeting -Email point of contact of Taxi corporation a myTaxi business plan and proposal -eAdvertisements Personalized Proposals to Individual Taxi Drivers -Group Learning and Information Sessions managed by myTaxi Sales Representative/s -Free trial period -Flyers distributed in strategic areas -eAdvertisements Partnerships with Transportation-Related Government Offices to Aid in Endorsement of Service -Department of Transportation and Communications: Land Transportation Office [LTO] http://lto. gov. ph/ -Metropoli tan Manila Development Authority [MMDA] http://www. mmda. gov. ph/ Others -myTaxi stickers (on Taxis) to increase awareness and curiosity -myTaxi application to be featured in a local newspaper article LEGALITY AND REGULATIONS : No known regulation for the usage of Smartphone applications in the Philippines. Application is an add-on to an already registered business – whether by the individual Taxi driver or a Taxi Corporation thus, no taxes, licenses, permits, etc. involved. Political, legal, and regulatory environment poses no known risk. See also myTaxi Term and Conditions. CHALLENGES: †¢Limited Features (cabs in the Philippines are not equipped for payments via debit, credit, or PayPal) †¢Training on how to use the application (more for the drivers than the passengers) †¢Investment on Smartphone and Mobile Internet Plan (many options are offered however by Smart and Globe) Hofstede’s Cultural Typologies : Power Distance: Acceptance and willingness to try application by the â€Å"head/leading Taxi driver† or owner/manager of a Taxi corporation is a must. Other drivers will easily follow once connection with the â€Å"boss† is established. Collectivistic: Word-of-mouth will be the strongest marketing tool both for passengers and potential myTaxi drivers. Masculine: Most if not all Taxi drivers in Metro Manila are male. This must be taken into consideration when marketing myTaxi to them. Expect assertive, challenging and highly skeptical questions. Uncertainty Avoidance: Hypothetically no problems in getting Filipinos to accept myTaxi, especially once German origins are made known. Innovation especially American and European ones, are not seen as threatening. Use this as an advantage. Short-Term Orientation: Acceptance of myTaxi â€Å"now† may be achieved, but users, both driver and passenger, may grow bored and/or negligent of the application in the future. Ensure that its long-term advantages are very appealing and well communicated to drivers. Create a dependence on myTaxi for passengers. Sources: AJTP Information Center. (n. d. ). Road Transport Philippines [Data file]. Retrieved May 11, 2013, from http://www. ajtpweb. org/statistics/Philippines/road-transport-philippines Alternat1ve. (n. d. ). Philippine Gasoline Prices (P/li) [Data file]. Retrieved May 12, 2013, from http://www. alternat1ve. com/philippine-gas-prices. php Economic Impact of Traffic in Metro Manila [PDF document]. (2000). Retrieved on May 12, 2013, from http://d0ctrine. files. wordpress. com/2012/09/econ-impacts-of-congestion-coverchap-1-and-2. pdf Europe. (2013). Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://www. newmediatrendwatch. com/regional-overview/103- europe? start=1 Global mobile statistics 2012 Part B: Mobile Web; mobile broadband penetration; 3G/4G subscribers and networks. (2012). Retrieved May 12, 2013, from http://mobithinking. com/mobile-marketing- tools/latest-mobile-stats/ b#mobilebroadbandcountries Global mobile statistics 2013 Part A: Mobile subscribers; handset market share; mobile operators. (2013). Retrieved May 12, 2013, from http://mobithinking. om/mobile-marketing-tools/latest-mobile-stats/a#topmobilemarkets Globe Telecom. (n. d. ). In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Globe_Telecom myTaxi. (n. d. ). Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://www. mytaxi. com/home. html Philippines. (n. d. ). In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://en. wikipedia. org /wiki/Philippines Philippines 7th Fastest Internet Growth, 17th Largest Smartphone Population Worldwide. (n. d. ). Retrieved May 12, 2013, from http://thebobbery. com/philippines-7th-fastest-internet-growth-17th-largest-smartphone-population-worldwide/ Smart Communications. (n. d. ). In Wikipedia. Retreived May 1, 2013, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Smart_ Communications Smartphone Reach Majority in all EU5 Countries. (2013). Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://www. comscoredatamine. com/2013/03/smartphones-reach-majority-in-all-eu5-countries/ World Usage Patterns Demographics. (2013). Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://www. newmediatrendwatch. com /world-overview/34-world-usage-patterns-and-demographics Ablott, M. (2012). Philippines mobile market becomes two-horse race. Retrieved May 10, 2013, from https:// wirelessintelligence. com/analysis/2012/05/philippines-mobile-market-becomes-two-horse-race/336/ Bryant, M. (2012). 5 startup trends for 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2013, from http://thenextweb. com/insider/2012 /01/03/5-startup-trends-for-2012/ Hofstede, G. , Hofstede, J. H. , and Minkov, M. (2010). Philippines. In Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. Retrieved May 12, 2013, from http://geert-hofstede. com/philippines. html Kistner, A. (2012). Taxi 2. 0: Dispatch Firms Wage War over Smartphone App. In DER SPIEGEL (6/2012). Retrieved May 10, 2013, from http://www. spiegel. de/international/business/taxi-2-0-dispatch-firms-wage-war-over-smartphone-app- a-816685. html Meyer, D. (2012). MyTaxi rides into U. S. market with a trick up its sleeve. Retrieved May 11, 2013, from http://gigaom. om/2012/10/10/mytaxi-rides-into-u-s-market-with-a-trick-up-its-sleeve/ Murphy, D. (2010, November 29). Too many private cars on Metro Manila roads. Message posted to http://opinion. inquirer. net/inquireropinion/letterstotheeditor/view/20101129-305923/Too-many-private-cars-on-Metro-Manila- roads Robles, A. C. (2012). The agony of Metr o Manila commuters. Retrieved May 11, 2013, from http://www. gmanetwork. com/news/story/254898/news/specialreports/the-agony-of-metro-manila-commuters Steinmetz, T. (2012). World’s largest taxi booking app launches in US. Retrieved May 12, 2013, from http://www. eturbonews. com/31647/worlds-largest-taxi-booking-app-launches-us

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Epic Portraits Of Eve English Literature Essay

The Epic Portraits Of Eve English Literature Essay Renaissance literature has a wide range of genres with an assortment of sonnets, plays, epic poetry and more; however, the meaning lying within the stories is what catches the readers attention. In some, it is about desiring a woman or man who is unattainable or has a hidden political meaning, both of which can tell the reader about the time period. One of the greatest and most curious themes or characters portrayed is Eve from the book of Genesis. With Eve, the author can take a religious stand point of how it was a womans fault mankind fell to evil or it could pertain to womens roles within society. Either way it is looked at there is a further meaning which can be deceived as to how the authors of certain works look at society or the societal standards of the time. In Aemilia Lanyers Eves Apology in Defense of Women and John Miltons Paradise Lost, they convey two different yet intriguing views of women both relating back to the way in which Eve in the Book of Genesis is described. In a quick summary, Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat the fruit off of the Tree of Life and Eve was the first to create this sin, but is it really her fault the situation occurred? In Eves Apology in Defense of Women by Aemilia Lanyer, Lanyer produces an excuse as to why women are sinful through Eves character relating her primary sin back to eating from the garden. Eve is the first women on Earth who gave birth to all the children on Earth and is the main role model for women. Lanyer describes Eve as innocent and unknowledgeable. She was made simply good because God made her that way, therefore; through Him she does not know any better (Lanyer, ll. 21). Eve being unknowledgeable wanted to know more and was extremely curious. She was easily deceived or misled by the snake that was Satan in disguise because of her curiosity and ate from the forbidden tree for knowledge sake not out vengeance or direct violation. However, Lanyer points out that Adam, representation of all men, ate the fruit out of pure pleasure and therefore, directly disobeys God out of selfishness (Lanyer, ll. 53). Therefore, through curiosity Eve was pressured into finding out more in the life she was living. Further on in the poem, Lanyer reinforces that Eve was made from Adam as a result, the source of evil comes from and resides in him as well (Lanyer, ll. 65-66). Lanyer is continually trying to show man that women are not the problem in society but that it is man. She sees man as creating the greatest sin, pointing out that man had betrayed Gods son through crucifixion out of pure wickedness and deceit. However, Eve was an innocent mistake and through an individuals weakness not all women should be held accountable for her mistake because lessons can be learned (Lanyer, ll. 73-77, 85-88). Eves Apology in Defense of Women is a way for Lanyer to defend all women through defending Eves mistake by comparing it to the greater malice which man has done over the centuries. It seems as if Lanyer is asking how you can possibly blame Eve when it is mans fault for executing the Savior and is that not alone the worse crime? This poem illustrates the feminist view defending womens rights and fight ing for an overall equality for women in society through Eves story. Eve, as presented through Lanyer, is just a woman that was misled by man and is continually being punished for her mistake. However, through John Miltons perspective Eve is a woman unequal to man and for that she is in her rightful place. John Milton first introduces Adam and Eve through Satans perspective. This perspective is a first impression of the characters and how they are perceived by other beings. Satan first describes that they are lords of all, meaning that they are above all other creatures within this paradise (Milton, b. 4; ll. 290). The description goes further into stating that the two individuals are however, not equal in sex (Milton, b. 4; ll. 296). It relates back to the fact that women come second to men and answer to them, therefore; giving men a higher status than women. Eve is further described as being soft, sweet, and gracefully attractive compared to Adam and only serves God through Adam and by his word (Milton, b. 4; ll. 298-299). Furthermore, Eves complete appearance is described as naturally beautiful with a slender waist, natural golden hair that made her seem untidy yet prom iscuous, she yields to Adam, but seems modest sweet and reluctant (Milton, b. 4; ll. 304-311). Although, she seems to be a wanted and willing woman, Eve is still curious and capable of wondering onto the wrong path with her lack of knowledge. As the story progresses, Eve does not seem to enhance her role in Miltons work but continues a downfall in character. Continuing in book 4 lines 449-491, Eve begins to describe her awakening to Adam. She describes it as waking up under a covering of flowers within the shade and that she wonders amongst the gardens territory. In other words, she is born in darkness by a veil of beauty. It than explains that she is a wonderer which could be a foreshadowing event that there is evil in her and that there is a possibility of her getting on the wrong path falling to deceit. She finds a lake and appearing into it sees her reflection which memorizes her. She makes the comment that she was startled by it at first but then was pleased by it. Upon its return she was delighted, thus showing she was entranced by her own beauty in vain desire. She later admits that God speaks to her telling her that it is her reflection that she sees but he never presents himself to her unlike he does when Adam aw akens. Milton compares Eves turning back to her reflection to the myth of Eurydice explaining that if she were to turn back to her image she would be drowned in despair and anguish. Eve is easily compelled by her beauty and seen as being vain however; Satan does not succeed when trying to persuade her this way (Milton, b. 9; ll. 216). However, later she was easily swayed by Satan because he was able to make her feel equal to Adam and connecting her directly to God (Milton, b. 9; ll. 538-548). She is filled with narcissistic pleasure through herself not needing Adam anymore; without the connection to Adam she feels free to do whatever, including eat from the tree. In fear of death and Adam finding someone else like her, Eve tells Adam about eating from the garden. Adam than eats the fruit as well so Eve does not have to go down alone in consequence (Milton, b. 9; ll. 830-833). John Milton perceives Eve to being superficial and easily swayed. He does not place any good implications on her character making her out to be one of the villains but main characters of the story. Eve through Milton acts as a representation of women during his time period. While both Lanyer and Milton use Eve as a main character who is seen as unknowledgeable, curious, and swindled, they use her to tell two completely different stories with completely different meanings. Lanyer is compelled to use Eve as a reason for why women are treated unequally and how man is the problem creating the most malevolence. However, Milton is showing that women are unequal for multiple good reasons, one dealing with vanity consuming them and being unable to follow order. Each provides a viewpoint of that time period on how women were perceived and how sex roles played a huge part in society. Renaissance literature is able to take religious, political, and social standards and twist them in a way that the reader is able to gather an understanding of what life was like during that century. Aemilia Lanyer and John Milton took to describing their societies through the character of Eve in two different ways which were extremely compelling.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Armand Fernandez :: Armand Fernandez Artists Painters Essays

Armand Fernandez Born as Armand Fernandez in 1928 at Nice, the son of an antique dealer. His first lessons in painting were given him by his father. He took his Baccalaurà ©at in philosophy and mathematics in 1946 and began to study painting at the École Nationale d'Art Dà ©coratif, Nice. In 1947 he met Yves Klein and Claude Pascal in Paris and accompanied them on a hitch-hiking tour of Europe. Completing his studies in Nice in 1949, he enrolled as a student at the École du Louvre, where he concentrated on the study of archaeology and oriental art. His pictures at this time were influenced by Surrealism. In 1951 he became a teacher at the Bushido Kai Judo School. He completed his military service as a medical orderly in the Indo-Chinese War. He did abstract paintings in 1953. He took part in actions with Yves Klein, with whom he had been discussing subjects such as Zen Buddhism and astrology since 1947. He married Eliane Radigue. He was impressed by a Kurt Schwitters exhibition in Paris in 1954 which inspired him to begin his work with stamp imprints, the Cachets. He earned his living during this period through occasional jobs, selling furniture and harpoon fishing. He had his first one-man exhibitions in London and Paris in 1956. In 1957 he travelled in Persia, Turkey and Afghanistan. In 1958 he dropped the "d" in his name, inspired by a printer's error. He started his monotypes using objects, his Allures. In 1959 he did his first Accumulations and Poubelles. The Accumulations were assemblages of everyday objects and similar consumer articles displayed in boxes. The Poubelles were similar, but used collections of rubbish. In 1960 he became a founding member of the Nouveaux Rà ©alistes. Through this group he made contact with members of the Zero group. H e showed in New York and Milan in 1961 and made his sliced and smashed objects (Couples, Colà ¨res). In 1962 he showed in various European cities and also in Los Angeles, where he was assisted by Edward Kienholz. He started his so-called Combustions, or burned objects, in 1963. He also took up part-time residence in New York. In 1964 he had his first museum retrospectives at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, and at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. Polyester now became his most important material. In 1965 and 1966 he was given large retrospective exhibitions in Krefeld, Lausanne, Paris, Venice and Brussels.

Jaques Louis David Essay -- Art History Neo-Classical

1. Introduction Set on a stage of revolution and Enlightenment, the Neo-Classical period presents a broad and interesting topic. Jacques Louis David was the first political painter, and a true revolutionary, but one cannot disengage his art work from the social and political systems of the period. Therefore, this essay will present an overview of the social context and systems of Pre Revolution France, Neoclassicism and how David’s work was influenced by it and how his work influenced it. Also important to note are the art work that influenced Neoclassicism. 2. Social and Artistic Climate in the 18th Century 2.1. Neoclassicism Neoclassicism refers to the style of painting, sculpture, decorative arts and architecture used from about 1773. Neoclassicism was, at first a reaction to the â€Å"triviality† of the Rococo style, which was seen as selfish, decadent and with no regard for society. Throughout the seventeenth century, and during the Rococo period, the French Academy promoted a more classical style. It was because of this that French artists of the late eighteenth century accepted the New Classicism that was to be the next popular style. The Neo-classical period was influenced by two major features: The first was the heavy influence of Nicolas Poussin (1593/4 – 1665). Cardinal Barberini commissioned Poussin to make drawings of all the classical art and architecture he could find, which had a great impact on his subsequent work. His work was ordered and idealised, he did not, â€Å"record nature as he found it, but instead organised natural elements and figures into idealised compositions† (Stockstad and Cateforis: 784). An example of his classically arranged Landscape is Landscape with Saint John on Patmos (1640, Oil ... .... Simplicity and soberness of the composition allowed David to create a sense of martyrdom and spirituality in the face of the dead man. While there is a definite Neo-Classical (Poussinesque) influence on this painting, it bares a striking resemblance to the Baroque painting by Zurbaran entitled Saint Serapion (1628, Oil on canvas). David was in full control of the art of France by this stage. 5. Conclusion From conformist to revolutionary, David dominated the face of art during the Neo-classical period and for many years after. His extensive teaching network perpetuated his ideals and values into many students who continued in his line. David personally trained many of the important artists that emerged in the early 1800’s. His authority is evident in The portrait of Jean-Baptiste Belley (1797, Oil on canvas), by Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson, one of his pupils.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Did The Expansion Of The Aztec Empire Lead To Their Downfall? :: essays research papers

Did the Expansion of the Aztec Empire Lead to Their Downfall?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Aztec Indians originated from a place called Aztlan, somewhere in north or northwest Mexico. At that time the Aztecs were a small, nomadic tribe living in the border territory on the margins of civilized Mesoamerica. (see map I) In the 13th century they settled in the valley of central Mexico. The Aztecs finally found refuge on a small island in Lake Texcoco, where about 1345, they founded the town of Tenochtitlan. The island was found through a prophecy which said they would settle where they found an eagle perched on a cactus. (see diagram I)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the next century the Aztecs grew to be greatest power in Mexico. As they grew in political status they became sophisticated and civilized, learning from established peoples who had been town dwellers for more than 1,000 years. (Ekholm, Gordon F.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Aztec empire consisted of numerous, loosely connected urban communities. Land ownership was communal. Each local group was composed of a few families that jointly owned a piece of land. Part of the yield of cultivated land was given to the state as a kind of tax.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technology depended more on human skills than on mechanical devices. Iron and steel were unknown, although copper and bronze were used for tools and Mexican jewelers made ornaments from gold, silver, and their alloys. Wheat, barley, cattle, horses, sheep, and goats were unknown until introduced from Europe and the Mexicans were efficient farmers who made full use of irrigation, terracing, and fertilization of the fields.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aztec Mexico was rich and civilized. The state controlled every aspect of life. Schooling and training in the martial arts were compulsory for all boys, while the girls were trained in gathering, cooking, and the sewing arts. A centralized bureaucracy looked after the collection and storage of taxes, matters of legislation and punishment. (Peterson, Frederick)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Life for the Aztec's was good. Because of the complexity of their government all were happy. Then in 1519 Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortes, met the Aztec leader Montezuma in Tenochtitlan. Montezuma believed that the Spaniards had come in peace, but he is proven wrong in 1521 when the Spanish, lead by Cortes, violently conquered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The purpose of this report is to answer the question â€Å"Did the Expansion of the Aztec Empire Lead to Their Downfall ?† I feel that it most likely did. This is because when the Aztec's were conquered they were the most powerful civilization in the New World. The Spaniards saw them as â€Å"the ones to beat† to gain supreme power in the Americas. Did The Expansion Of The Aztec Empire Lead To Their Downfall? :: essays research papers Did the Expansion of the Aztec Empire Lead to Their Downfall?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Aztec Indians originated from a place called Aztlan, somewhere in north or northwest Mexico. At that time the Aztecs were a small, nomadic tribe living in the border territory on the margins of civilized Mesoamerica. (see map I) In the 13th century they settled in the valley of central Mexico. The Aztecs finally found refuge on a small island in Lake Texcoco, where about 1345, they founded the town of Tenochtitlan. The island was found through a prophecy which said they would settle where they found an eagle perched on a cactus. (see diagram I)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the next century the Aztecs grew to be greatest power in Mexico. As they grew in political status they became sophisticated and civilized, learning from established peoples who had been town dwellers for more than 1,000 years. (Ekholm, Gordon F.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Aztec empire consisted of numerous, loosely connected urban communities. Land ownership was communal. Each local group was composed of a few families that jointly owned a piece of land. Part of the yield of cultivated land was given to the state as a kind of tax.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technology depended more on human skills than on mechanical devices. Iron and steel were unknown, although copper and bronze were used for tools and Mexican jewelers made ornaments from gold, silver, and their alloys. Wheat, barley, cattle, horses, sheep, and goats were unknown until introduced from Europe and the Mexicans were efficient farmers who made full use of irrigation, terracing, and fertilization of the fields.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aztec Mexico was rich and civilized. The state controlled every aspect of life. Schooling and training in the martial arts were compulsory for all boys, while the girls were trained in gathering, cooking, and the sewing arts. A centralized bureaucracy looked after the collection and storage of taxes, matters of legislation and punishment. (Peterson, Frederick)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Life for the Aztec's was good. Because of the complexity of their government all were happy. Then in 1519 Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortes, met the Aztec leader Montezuma in Tenochtitlan. Montezuma believed that the Spaniards had come in peace, but he is proven wrong in 1521 when the Spanish, lead by Cortes, violently conquered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The purpose of this report is to answer the question â€Å"Did the Expansion of the Aztec Empire Lead to Their Downfall ?† I feel that it most likely did. This is because when the Aztec's were conquered they were the most powerful civilization in the New World. The Spaniards saw them as â€Å"the ones to beat† to gain supreme power in the Americas.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Right to Die, and Doctor-Assisted Suicide

The Right to Die, and Doctor-Assisted Suicide: The Mission of Late Dr. Jack Kevorkian Imagine a patient in a hospital suffering from the AIDS disease. And since his diagnosis he has suffered from two bouts of pneumonia, chronic, severe sinus and skin infections, severe seizures, and extreme fatigue. Seventy percent of his vision is already lost, and the disease has gone terminal. He has requested that his doctor prescribe him medicine that would kill him thus ending his suffering. This is exactly what Dr.Jack Kevorkian has been fighting for his entire life. To shed positive light upon the controversial subject of Physician-Assisted Suicide. A little back story on Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Kevorkian was the son of Armenian refugees who came to America to escape the Turkish genocide. His early talents ranged from hand-made woodwork, linguistics, to science experiments conducted in his basement. He then became a pathologist, devoting his life to the unusual task of showing the positives and s ocial benefits from death. He did not just take on the medical establishment and the law; throughout his life he dared to challenge a taboo as old as human civilization – the taboo against death† (Nicol, Wylie 2) Kevorkian was very outspoken and intensely committed to the causes that he believed in. He also lacked the ability to lie, so much, that its said that whenever he played poker with his friends, that he never bluffed, and if he bet everyone else folded. Kevorkian built a machine where patients, through self implanted pumps, have the ability to self-control the does of pain medication that they receive.And now the amount of doctors who quietly comply with a patient's request for a lethal does of medication is slowly rising up. Kevorkian made headlines by evading countless prosecutions, but then a case came up that no one could ignore, a case where a man so deteriorated due to his illness, that he could not operate the machine properly requiring Kevorkian to perso nally inject the lethal dose of medication himself. This man's name is Tom Youk and his case made the biggest impact on Kevorkian's life. Youk was diagnosed with ALS, a neuromuscular disorder caused by the death of the motor nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement.Youk's condition got worse and worse, making him unable to move his arms and legs, extreme difficulty in speaking, and having no control of his jaw and tongue causing Youk to choke on his own spit. Every doctor he would visit would just prescribe him a different ineffective pain medication that would do no benefit to his condition. Youk had asked several doctors to help him commit suicide but each one would not help him with his request. Then his family contacted Kevorkian, and after very careful research on Youk's medical records, Kevorkian obliged to go through with his treatment. Kevorkian would later say, ‘He just was terrified of choking to death, and he must have felt that he was on the verge of it. And I couldn't have him suffer in that kind of frame of mind because if a man is terrified, it's up to me to dispel that terror. ‘ † (Nicol, Wylie 9) Through multiple times, Kevorkian made sure that the patient had control over their death, for example, he would hook up a sedative that would go through a patient's IV, stopping the patient's heart if that patient would push a button.Youk was different, because he did not have the ability to physically activate a switch that would release a sedative that would kill him so he requested that Kevorkian would personally give the injection himself. Kevorkian's thought on this was that he would make a statement to the public after assisting Youk, win the court case, and then hopefully this would relieve the fear doctors had in doing the things that he did. Kevorkian recorded the process on tape, read a consent form to Youk, and the next following day, upon Youk's request, injected the lethal sedative into Youk's IV.After the vid eo being released to the public huge debates both medically and legally broke out. Three days later the state of Michigan charged Kevorkian for first-degree murder. When interviewed for ABC's 60 Minutes Kevorkian was portrayed as â€Å"Dr. Death† a man who caused another man to die and did not even seemed bother by it. After several trials, Jack Kevorkian was sentenced to 25 years in a maximum-security penitentiary. His health began to fail when in prison. He broke two ribs after falling in the recreation yard.He suffered from a double hernia, suffered from high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, adrenal insufficiency, chronic pulmonary obstruction disease, cataracts, and Hepatitis C. He was suffering the same fate as Tom Youk only this time he had no one to relieve his suffering. By 1999 Dr. Kevorkian became the poster boy for assisted suicide. Physician-Assisted suicide was made legal in the state of Oregon, and 86 percent of the country supported physician- assisted suicide to be made legal nationwide.A lot of people do not know the difference between euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. â€Å"If a third party performs the last act that intentionally causes a patient’s death, euthanasia has occurred†¦ On the other hand, if the person who dies performs the last act, assisted suicide has taken place. † (Hamlon, Marker) There are always two sides to every argument. One who supports a cause and another that opposes the cause. A large group of people are giving their support in trying to legalize physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia nationally.Richard Ikeda, a doctor who cares for low-income elderly patients, has stated, â€Å"When cure is no longer possible, the majority of Californians, and the majority of California physicians, want dying patients to have the right to make end-of-life choices in accord with their own values and beliefs†¦ This week [October 27, 2007] completed ten years' experience with Oregon's death with dignity laws, and all studies show end-of-life care has improved for all Oregonians. † (31) More and more physicians are trying to legalize physician-assisted suicide nationally to benefit for their suffering patients.An example of where physician-assisted suicide would benefit a patient would be Percy Bridgman. Bridgman was a Nobel-Prize winning physicist suffering from terminal cancer at the age of seventy nine. He was wracked with pain and drained of hope that he mustered up the courage to pull the trigger of a gun ending his own life forcing others to the agony of discovering his bloody and mangled body. Another example would be James Poe, who is a sixty-nine year old man suffering from emphysema which suffocates him time to time as well as heart failure due to his pulmonary disease.He must be hooked up to an oxygen tank at all times and needs to take morphine regularly to calm his anxiety due to his suffocation. He is mentally competent and has reques ted to commit suicide by taking physician-prescribed pills. There are countless more cases where patients would have benefited from physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia. Thomas A. Bowden, a legal analyst at the Ayn Rand Institute, states that individuals actually have the legal right to choose death. What lawmakers must grasp is that there is no rational basis upon which the government can properly prevent any individual from choosing to end his own life. When religious conservatives enact laws to enforce the idea that their God abhors suicide, they threaten the central principle on which America was founded on† (Bowden 36) The Declaration of Independence states that each individual person exists as an end for himself. This means that no one can interfere with this person's right to live or not and that no one may obstruct this person's sense of his own happiness.If happiness were to be blocked by a dreaded disease though, and the end result is a very slow and painful deat h, then why try to obstruct a person's decision to end their suffering? Society should not have to give anyone the permission to end his or her life, it is their choosing, their right. So a doctor willing to assist a completely mentally sane person to end his or her own life to end at heir suffering due to an illness that is untreatable and non-curable then that doctor should also have the right to do their bidding.Religious conservatives also have no legal right to force their beliefs upon a person if that person wants to end their life to end their suffering. Speaking of religion on the issue, actual ministers and religious people have begin to find loop holes in the text and started to try and prove that physician-assisted suicide was actually very moral. Alvaro Vargas Llosa, senior and director of the Center of Global Prosperity at the Independent Institute, has stated that the religious argument against euthanasia contradicts a Judeo-Christian tradition. The religious argument against euthanasia-that it violates the sanctity of life-contradicts the single most powerful premise of the Judeo-Christian tradition: that God gives every person free will. † (Llosa 69) It basically undermines the belief that the spirit outlives the body. These conservatives are putting mercy on the useless body rather than the everlasting soul that is suffering. A few other contradictions: Jews perishing at Masada rather than being enslaved or Christians martyring themselves rather than betray God by bowing to a Roman deity.The death of a terminally ill patient can lift off the pain and the suffering of not only the patient, but the patient's family as well. No more do they have to here their wails of pain or seeing them suffer before their eyes, just the simple fact that they know that their loved one is at peace can bring happiness through the whole family. By making a life and death situation, this person is making a choice to help someone left behind. And helping anothe r brings a higher value to a person's own existence. As Minister Kenneth W. Phifer put it, â€Å"To choose death sooner rather than later can be an act of high moral stature.Mere existence is not an absolute value. † (71) Religious conservatives may have their morals and their excuses as to why physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia may seem sinful within their eyes but these statements listed above has contradicted and proven that a person can still have strong religious beliefs, but still can take consider that physician-assisted suicide is still an acceptable way to relieve themselves of suffering a long awaited and painful death even from their own god's eyes. Today, death is more of an urgent issue due to an increase in medical knowledge and technology.Not all pain can be managed though. No one should have the right to force someone to face grievous pain because they think it is more moral. No one should deny anyone the right to end their own life to end their sufferi ng because it does not seem right in their eyes. â€Å"Furthermore, doctors cannot always be healers. Each of us will come to a point in life when no medical treatment will help us, save perhaps to relieve our pain. At that point, when our condition is terminal, what we need more than anything else is intelligent compassion. (Phifer 77) Sometimes what terminal patients need is not medication to ease their physical pain, but sometimes true compassion and knowing of what they are going through. Medication for the soul to soothe their emotional pain, to help them ease into death peacefully. A lot of doctors do this method called the â€Å"double effect† and religious communities support this. What the â€Å"double effect† is, is that it is a principle where doctors prescribe medication for pain even though they know that the level of medication will kill the patient. Even Pope John Paul II approves of the â€Å"double effect†. It is licit to relieve pain by narcot ics, even when the result decreased consciousness and a shortening of life. † (Pope John Paul II, The Gospel of Life). A lot of people argue that if physician-assisted suicide were to be made legal, that there would be an increase in suicides among disadvantaged individuals. Well according to the University of Utah, â€Å"legalizing physician-assisted suicide in Oregon and the Netherlands did not result in a disproportionate number of deaths among the elderly, poor, women, minorities, uninsured, minors, chronically ill, less educated or psychiatric patients. (130) The studies showed that within the ten study groups, only the group with AIDS infected people opted for the use of physician-assisted suicide. â€Å"Whereas modern medicine has brought great benefits to humanity, it cannot entirely solve the pain and distress of the dying process. Each person deals with death in their individual way. Which way is determined by their health, their ethics, and personal living conditi ons. † (Humphry) It just boils down to how the individual reacts to their condition. If a atient is in such unbearable pain and suffering that they want someone to end their life peacefully to relieve their pain, then so be it. No one should have to force their opinion as fact and not allow the patient to do so because of the doctor's or family's belief. It all depends on what that one individual wants. It is their life, let them be in control of it. With every group that is for a cause, there is always a group against the cause as well. And when it comes to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide, things do not change.With a large support group behind these causes comes a large anti-group too. Trudy Chun and Marian Wallace are writers for Concerned Women for America, a conservative, pro-family, pro-life organization. â€Å"The very laws once deigned to protect a person's inalienable right to life now permit the elimination of those deemed unworthy to live. And in the name of compassion, doctors trained to heal and to prolong life are shortening and even snuffing it out altogether. † (Chun, Wallace 41) Doctors swore an oath to keep a patient alive as much and as long as possible no matter what.Killing a patient on purpose goes against everything a doctor stands for, everything a doctor was trained to do. This oath is called the â€Å"Hippocratic Oath† and within this oath a physician must state, â€Å"I will give no deadly medicine, even when asked. † Physicians are healers and the inability of physicians of preventing death does not mean a physician has the right to cause death. Diane Coleman, and executive director of progress Center for Independent Living, which is a nonprofit nonresidential service and advocacy center operated by and for people with disabilities.Coleman was born with a neuromuscular disability since birth, and was given a life expectancy of twelve years. When she outlived this her diagnosis and expectancy chang ed as well. Within the next few years she began to develop respiratory problems and began to use a breathing machine at night. â€Å"I had two other friends, one in her 20's and one in her 50's, who needed the same thing. But their doctors discouraged them from it, reinforcing their fears, and either didn't know or didn't disclose what the medical journals said would happen as a result.At an early age they each went into respiratory distress, and died within a month from infections. † (Coleman 190) Doctors today are pushing ways in which to end patients lives shorter rather than prolonging their life and treating their problems to the fullest. Seventy percent of Kevorkian's â€Å"terminally ill† patients are said to have not even be terminally ill in the first place, meaning that there was still a chance in saving these individuals lives and if physicians would be allowed to kill their patients on their patients will then a treatment that could actually work may never be found.Ira Byock, director and professor of palliative care at Dartmouth Medical School, states that palliative care should be considered instead of assisted suicide. â€Å"Mortality teaches us a lot about life, if we let it. One thing it teaches is that human life in inherently spiritual, whether or not a person has a religion† (Byock 227) What hospice is, is that it is an end-of-life option. It is meant to bring comfort, dignity, and calmness in dealing with a terminally ill patient.It brings a sense of compassion and respect for the dignity of each individual patient on how he or she deals and encounters death. Instead of prematurely ending another person's life instantaneously, It makes sure the patient lives life to the very last comfortably and lovingly. It gives the patient the peace of mind that he or she has been made to feel as comfortable as possible and peace of mind to their loved ones by knowing that such care is taking place. As with the pro side of physician -assisted suicide, religion plays a huge part in the anti portion. The Christian understanding of humanity insists that we are not autonomous creatures that have the right to determine when we shall live and when we shall die† (Mohler 92) Christian's believe that it is God's duty to determine when a body lives and when a body dies and that if the body were to be slain prematurely at the hand of another person intentionally then that soul would be punished. Religion is an extremely important variable when it comes to suicide since suicide is seen to be sinful. Christians believe that life has meaning.That life is not just a course, but a gift. Life is all about experiences and experiences includes good things, happiness, compassion, love, but also experiencing â€Å"the bad too† such as pain, and suffering. In all in all religion is a very important factor since most citizens in America are Christians and with the campaign to legalize euthanasia and physician-assisted su icide continues, these supporters must convince these religious conservatives in order to legalize euthanasia and physician-assisted nationally.Again, with every big controversial topic, there will always be a pro side and an anti side. Each group will have their own very good points being made. But the key idea of physician-assisted suicide would not have been made as popular as it is today without the compassionate, influential, and controversial ideas of Dr. Jack Kevorkian. His compassion for seeking out and showing the public the truth of physician-assisted suicide and the goodness it entails is enticing. The amount of court cases he had dodged and accusations he got away from is still remarkable to this day.Though he was known as â€Å"Dr. Death† as portrayed by the media, people who really knew Kevorkian knew that he was a very humble, kind, and passionate old man just trying to help the unfortunate. And even though he has since passed, there are still plenty, upon plen ty of people out there to make it their life's work to make sure that Kevorkian's vision of a nation that accepts physician-assisted suicide as a legal and moral practice to do on suffering terminal patients comes true.