Snow Leopard essays

Snow Leopard essays The Snow leopard is a wonderful and majestic endangered animal. There are anywhere between 4,510 and 7,350 left in the wild. This diminutive number of Snow Leopards resides mainly in the countries of China, Kyrgyzstan and, Mongolia in Central Asia. The snow leopard occupies an extremely patchy and fragmented realm of long narrow mountain systems and islands scattered throughout a vast region surrounding the Central Asian deserts and plateaus. Though this region is quite large, 2.3 million km2, only about 1.6 million of that is occupied by the snow leopard. Though most snow leopards are associated with arid or semi-arid shrub lands and grasslands, some are located mountains of Russia where they are also to be found in open coniferous forest, though disdain dense woodland. The diet of the Snow leopard consists mainly of wild sheep and goats (blue sheep, Asian ibex, markhor and argali), marmots (often taking advantage of spring population explosions of this small rodent), pikas, hares and game birds (partridge and snow cocks.). Snow Leopards usually make large kills every 9 to 14 days, staying in the kill area for 3 to 4 days; once that time period expires they usually move the activity to a relatively distant piece of their territory. The snow leopard is a victim of over hunting by the natives of many regions of the high Central Asian mountains. It also suffers from the large scale pika and marmot poisoning programs that have been put into action in the Tibetan plateaus. Another cause for the depletion of the snow leopard is the demand for leopard bones for use in Chinese medicine. Traders have been known to pay up to $190 U.S. currency for a snow leopard skeleton in Tibet. The pelts of the snow leopard are highly prized as well, in fact, the money that can be gained by the sale of a snow leopard pelt is more than a native farmer would make in an entire year. The Snow leopards still left in the wild are being looked ...

Body Parts in Japanese Vocabulary

Body Parts in Japanese Vocabulary Body parts are important terms to know, regardless of the language you are speaking. And Japanese is no exception. Whether you want to say the Japanese word for head (atama),  hair (kami), or even the toe (tsumasaki), its important not just to know their  meanings, but to be able to pronounce each body part correctly. Parts of the Body (Karada Bubun) The table below presents the Japanese words for body parts, with the Japanese word written in Latin script (romaji) on the left, followed by the body part listed in Japanese letters (kanji), with the English translation on the right. Click the links to hear the correct pronunciations. karada body atama head kami hair kao face hitai forehead me eye mayu eyebrow mabuta eyelid matusge eyelash hana nose mimi ear kuchi mouth kuchibiru lip ha teeth shita tongue nodo throat ago jaw kubi neck kata shoulder ude arm hiji elbow te hand yubi finger tsume nail mune chest senaka back onaka stomach hiza knee ashikubi ankle kakato heel tsumasaki toe

Comparitive Paper on Ways of Knowing and The Serpent and the Rainbow Essay

Comparitive Paper on Ways of Knowing and The Serpent and the Rainbow - Essay Example Even though outwardly appearing to follow the Christian identity accorded to them by the Euro-Canadian people, they have kept their traditions alive. Jean-Guy Goulet in her book presents her understanding of the social life in the form of a certain practices that are still alive and relevant today to the identity of the Dene Tha’ of Chateh. The concept of unseen reality holds a significant place in the way the Dene Tha view their knowledge. They interact with the dead through ‘dreams’ or ‘visions’. The soul is believed to travel outside the body of the dreamer to visit ‘the other land’. This journey is treated the same way as when a Dene Tha’ travels and meets what would be ‘a real person’ to us and ‘a person living in this land’ to them. â€Å"The Dene Tha differentiate between ndahdigeh, "our land," and echuhdigeh, "the other land," and their respective inhabitants, but they do not do so in the way Euro-North Americans may oppose the natural and the supernatural, the field of science on the one hand and the field of mysticism, magic, and religion on the other. The other land, also referred to as yake, "heaven," is experienced firsthand in dreams or in visions when the soul journeys away from the body. It is in the other land that one meets relatives who have passed away as well as Christian figures such as Mary and Jesus. Dene Tha Elders easily follow an account of a trip to a nearby town with a story of a journey to the other land. To the nearby town in our land they traveled by car. To the other land they traveled with their souls. In both cases they visit actual places and meet real, living people.† (Goulet, 1998) They treat the knowledge gained through these experiences the same way they would treat knowledge gained through encounters with living people. It is treated as experiential learning, a primary source, a direct evidence of truth. This is evident

Death as a Symbolic Theme in Modern Literature Essay

Death as a Symbolic Theme in Modern Literature - Essay Example It happens to be the one and only real absolute. Death separates a character from one’s life and loved ones, both of which tend to be experiences fraught with much anxiety. In a way death tends to be the ultimate separation and end of life. In this sense death is an expansive experience in the sense that it is a literary concept that transcends beyond the scope of a work of literary creativity to pervade the fate of entire humanity. Death happens to be a potent theme that is common to Little Bee, Heart of Darkness, The Convergence of the Twain and The Love Song of Alfred Prufrock. Death is pervasive in all these works of literature, though in each specific work death is not merely about the annihilation of human life, but rather carries a much broader symbolic meaning. Death as a pervasive theme lurks almost on every page of Little Bee by Chris Cleave. In both the flashbacks and the confessions rendered by the two central characters Little Bee and Sarah, unraveling their trava ils and tragedies, death turns out to be a pervasive reality that imbues the varied aspects of their lives. Little Bee comes across scenes of abject bloodshed and carnage when her family and neighbors are annihilated and killed by the treasure hunters of black gold, in her village. She vividly remembers how her sister got raped, murdered and butchered like a wild animal. Little Bee tends to be a witness when Sarah’s husband Andrew commits suicide in their study room. Like Little Bee, the life of Sarah is time and again punctuated and jolted by episodes of death. The brutal tale that stands to be the life experience of Sarah gets further highlighted when she and her son Charlie try to come to terms with the shocking and untimely death of Andrew. Though the three characters that are Little Bee, Sarah and Charlie try to deal with the reality of death in their own unique ways, death at a symbolic level carries an almost singular meaning in their lives aptly conveyed in the words of Sarah, â€Å"That Summer-the summer my husband dies-we all had identities we were loath to let go (Cleave 22).† In the novel Little Bee, death in a symbolic context signifies the loss of an identity, an identity that is replete with meaning, acceptance and a sense of belonging. The central characters in the quest for seeking joy and hope irrespective of this loss of identity tend to surpass the constraints imposed by death and mortality. There is no denying the fact that in the Heart of Darkness written by Joseph Conrad, death is not only a concept that comes out as being ubiquitous throughout the setting of the novel, but rather it is a work of fiction that extends a whole new meaning to the concept of death. In the Heart of Darkness, death is portrayed by Conrad as a sly, intimidating and lurking animal that not only hides in the nooks and corners of the African landscape on which the story floats, but death also emerges to be a primordial fear layered in the dark and co mplex recesses of the human consciousness (Bloom 14). In the Heart of Darkness, the plot unfolds in the Belgian Congo, the abjectly notorious African colony, as far as the greed of European colonizers and the brutalization of the Africans is concerned. Death as a symbolic theme operates at two parallels levels in the story. At one level the story deals with the cruelty of the European colonizers towards their African subjects. The African in the story comes out as a black

The Benefits of Early Childhood Education Essay Example for Free

The Benefits of Early Childhood Education Essay Introduction Early childhood education is a term that is used to commonly describe the formal teaching and care of young children by individuals or professionals other than their family or in settings outside the child’s home. Based on the definition provided by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, early childhood education spans the child’s life from birth to the age of eight. That being said, the general definition adopted by the majority of school districts throughout the world will typically employ a system of early childhood education starting from birth to when a child starts school—which typically occurs at the age of five. The definitions regarding early childhood education are somewhat arbitrary; however, the majority of school jurisdictions throughout the world have defined the curriculum as taking place between a child’s birth until he or she reaches the age of 6. This period is regarded as one of the most critical in regards to a child’s development, for the years, which constitute early childhood education, denote the most influential period of growth and development. From zero to age 6 is the period of greatest growth and development for a child; at this stage, the brain develops most rapidly. During this period, a child will begin walking, talking, developing a self-esteem and manufacturing a vision of the world. As a result of these innate developments, the child will build a moral foundation that is ultimately intertwined with the ability to perform rudimentary educational tasks. Social and Emotional Development Having your child attend the same preschool programme throughout his or her early years allows him or her to develop relationships with the adults and children in that environment, which provides a sense of security. A child who is comfortable with the people in his or her life is more likely to participate in learning opportunities and in advanced cooperative play, such as role playing with others, playing games with rules, and working with others to accomplish goals. Children who experience consistency in their early childhood education programme demonstrate less aggressive behaviours, because of their ability to interact with others and use their language skills to resolve conflicts. For young children, the knowledge that teachers, other children, and daily routines will be consistent over time fosters confidence and competency in social settings. These dimensions include well-trained teaching staff, a small number of children per classroom and an enduring intervention that begins early. Reviews of effective early education strategies conclude that programs that combine early childhood education with services to support families can produce lasting positive social benefits, and can result in decreased rates of antisocial and delinquent behavior (Yoshikawa, 1995). Cognitive Development Consistency in the preschool programme can significantly impact a childs cognitive development. High-quality early childhood development programmes that provide developmentally appropriate curricula, enable children to develop specific cognitive skills at the appropriate age. Developmentally appropriate curricula help children develop cognitive skills through a developmental continuum, meaning the curricula builds on childrens existing skills and knowledge to help them acquire new skills and knowledge. In addition, curriculum programmes that incorporate developmental objectives ensure children follow a scope and sequence of age-appropriate developmental milestones throughout their time in the programme. Although research suggests that income is clearly associated with the cognitive development and achievement of children during their preschool years, studies have likewise found that the poorest children benefit the most from a high quality early education program (Brooks-Gunn, 2003; Yoshikawa, 1995). Language Development Language development occurs at a rapid pace in children between the ages of one and five years old. Children who are secure in their environment and with the people around them are more likely to engage in frequent, age-appropriate conversations. These daily interactions lead to more advanced language skills by promoting vocabulary development and conversational skills. Through activities such as daily group discussions, finger-plays, songs, and read-alouds, children develop the fundamental language skills they will continue to build on throughout their lifetimes. Researchers have posited that the proportion of kindergarteners who enter school without basic literacy and numeracy skills could be substantially higher in poor and minority communities than that of children from middle-class backgrounds (Brooks-Gunn, 2003). Skill Development Children play because it is fun. Play is also key to their learning and development. Playing, both structured and unstructured, lays the foundation for a childs development of future learning and life skills. It helps children: develop their knowledge, experience, curiosity and confidence, learn by trying things, comparing results, asking questions and meeting challenges develop the skills of language, thinking, planning, organizing and decision-making. Stimulation, play and being included in play with other children and adults are very important for children with disabilities or chronic illnesses, such as children with HIV. When parents and other caregivers talk and interact with children in their first language, it helps children develop the ability to think and express themselves. Children learn language quickly and easily through hearing and singing songs, having stories told or read to them, repeating rhymes and playing games. Girls and boys need the same opportunities for play and interaction with all family members, including siblings and grandparents, and in activities outside the home. Play and interaction with the mother and the father help strengthen the bond between the child and both parents. Additionally, the positive effects of the intervention have persisted through age 40, more than 30 years after the program ended, in the form of lower rates of crimes committed and higher monthly earnings on average when compared to adults with the same background who did not participate in the program as children (Schweinhart, 2003). Behavior Developement By watching and imitating others, young children learn how to interact socially. They learn acceptable and unacceptable kinds of behaviour. The examples set by adults, older siblings and children are the most powerful influences shaping a childs behaviour and personality. One way children learn is by copying what others do. If men and women do not treat each other equally, the child will observe, learn and probably copy this behaviour. If adults shout, behave violently, exclude or discriminate, children will learn this type of behaviour. If adults treat others with kindness, respect and patience, children will follow their example. If mothers and fathers treat each other with love and respect, this is what their children will learn and most likely replay in their adult relationships. Children like to pretend. This should be encouraged, as it develops their imagination and creativity. It also helps the child understand different ways people behave. Conclusion The benefits are evident in almost all the spheres of children’s lives. Learning through play ensures, they manage to incorporate communication skills and feel comfortable in expressing themselves. They become friendlier and slowly, they start gaining independence. Children feel a new found freedom and that helps them in the long run. Child development center is a great place to engage children in active instruction. Because of the caring nature of the teachers and caretakers, child feels at ease and gradually he stops missing his home. The nature of childhood instruction is usually one-to-one in preschools; it proves instrumental in easy identification of children for academic intervention. All in all, there are countless benefits of early childhood education and parents must ensure that their children are not deprived of this great source of learning. References Barnett, W. S. (1995). Long-term effects of early childhood programs on cognitive and school outcomes. Future of Children, 5(3), 25-50. Brooks-Gunn, J. (2003). Do you believe in magic? Social Policy Report, 17(1), 3- 16. Campbell, F. A. , Ramey, C. T. (1994). Effects of early intervention on intellectual and academic achievement: A follow-up study of children from low-income families. Child Development, 65, 684-698. Consortium for Longitudinal Studies. (1983). As the twig is bent . . . lasting effects of preschool programs. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Duncan, G. J. , Magnuson, K. A. (2005). Can family socioeconomic resources account for racial and ethnic test score gaps? Future of Children, 15(1), 35-54. Karoly, L. A. , Rydell, C. P. , Hoube, J. , Everingham, S. S. , Kilburn, R. , Greenwood, P. W. (1998). Investing in Our Children: What we know and dont know about the costs and benefits of early childhood interventions. Santa Monica, CA: Rand. Magnuson, K. A. , Waldfogel, J. (2005). Early childhood care and education: Effects on ethnic and racial gaps in school readiness. Future of Children, 15(1), 169-196. Phillips, D. , Adams, G. (2001). Child care and our youngest children. Future of Children, 11(1), 35-52. Rouse, C. , Brooks-Gunn, J. , McLanahan, S. (2005). Introduction to school readiness: Closing racial and ethnic gaps. Future of Children, 15, 5-13. Schweinhart, L. J. (2003, April). Benefits, Costs, and Explanation of the High/Scope Perry Preschool Program. Paper presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Tampa, FL. Wells, A. S. , Crain, R. L. (1997). Stepping over the color line: African- American students in White suburban schools. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Yoshikawa, H. (1995). Long-term effects of early childhood programs on social outcomes and delinquency. Future of Children, 5(3), 51-75.

Archimedes Essay -- biography biographies bio

Archimedes (287BC-212BC) was truly one of the greatest mathematical minds of all time. The discoveries and inventions of Archimedes formed the basis of many of the fundamental concepts of modern physics and mathematics. Born 287 BC Archimedes grew up in the thriving commercial hub of the port city of Syracuse, Sicily. His father, Phidias, was an astronomer and mathematician and it is thought his family enjoyed the life of aristocracy. Very little is known about his life, what is has been reported by the Roman writer and historian Plutarch. He studied for a short time in Alexandria, Egypt. Alexandria was a great place of learning, and at this time Euclid studied there and undoubtedly influenced Archimedes thinking. At the end of this study, Archimedes returned to Syracuse were he spent the rest of his life actively discovering and explaining important concepts. He is one of the few geniuses in history that enjoyed his own fame in his lifetime. Both his peers, his king, and even his enemies respected him for his work. Most of Archimedes writings were lost in the burnings of the Library of Alexandria. What we know of Archimedes treatises is from three manuscripts. Two of them have been lost in history (one was last heard of in 1311, another in 1550) and the third is The Archimedes Palimpsest, now at The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. (PW) The Archimedes Palimpsest is very important and contains many ideas of Archimedes. During the medieval ages, the parchment on which his work was written was re-used as a prayer book. In order to reuse his parchment, the medieval monks palimpsested (in Greek â€Å"scraped off†) the text and then wrote over the remains. It is currently being refurnished at Rochester Institute of Techn... ... Wikipedia. Archimedes Spiral. Last updated.19 March 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archimedes_spiral Wikipedia. Archimedes. Last updated 1 April 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archimedes Archimedes Spiral. Last updated July 20, 2003. http://www.2dcurves.com/spiral/spiralaa.html) NOVA. Infinite Secrets. Created September 2003. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/archimedes/pi.html Math Refresher. Archimedes and the Area of a Circle. Created May 02, 2006. http://mathrefresher.blogspot.com/2006/05/archimedes-and-area-of-circle.html Buzzle.com. Vishwas Purohit. Could Archimedes have lifted the Earth? Created 7/30/2004 http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/7-30-2004-57259.asp J J O'Connor and E F Robertson. A History of Calculus. February 1996. http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/The_rise_of_calculus.html

Development of English Lit During Any One Period Essay

Trace the development of English lit during any one period†¦As part of your discussion highlight how significant events in the influence the writing†¦Additionally show how characteristics of the genre the writer uses reflects the period in which it was written. James Arthur Baldwin once stated that: â€Å"know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go.† This quotation may apply to the span of the Anglo-Saxon period because of the coherent linkage to the origination of the English dialect and the modernization of English Literature. Over the years English literature has evolved greatly. There have been diverse changes to the structure and development of English language since the advent of Old English dialect during the Anglo-Saxon period to what we now speak and consider to be English language. â€Å"Old English is not uniform. It consists of various dialects, but literature needs to treat it as a lang uage† (Michael Delahoyde.) Research has proven that around the world there are over one hundred (100) variants of English, from different American-English dialects, to those of Asia, Africa and Oceana. It is important for one to know both the origin of this powerful masterpiece known as the English Language and the importance of this literary period to the development of English literature. In attempting to do the aforementioned, the focus will be on the Anglo-Saxon people, their society, culture, and literary work with a view towards highlighting the impact on the development of the English language and English literature. The Anglo-Saxon or Old English period goes from the invasion of Celtic England in the first half of the fifth century (AD 700) up till the conquest in 1066 by William of Normandy. The Anglo-Saxons consisted of diverse ethnicity that forms one nation. There were three main ethnic groups that formed the Anglo-Saxon. These are: Angles from Angel in South-West Denmark, Saxon from North-West Ger many, and Jute from Jutland in Central Denmark. These three main ethnic groups have made up most of the Anglo-Saxon society. However; smaller group of people from Germanic ethnic group were also associated with the Anglo-Saxons. These people shared the same language but were each ruled by different strong warriors who invaded and conquered Britain while the Romans were still in control. The Angles and the Saxon tribe being the largest of the groups when attacking other ethnic groups were often called the Anglo-Saxons. England which means the Land of the Angles was a name given after the Anglo-Saxon. A writer describes them as: â€Å"A warrior society that put swords and shields before fancy artifacts. Helmets were placed before gold and death before dishonour.† The Anglo-Saxon was a pagan society and the people were initially free; however, life for even the richest of the social groups was very hard. The Anglo-Saxon society had three social classes. There was an upper-class, middle class and a lower class. The Anglo-Saxon upper class was the Thanes. They would give gifts like weapons to their followers and they enjoyed hunting and feasting. The churls were the middle class in the Anglo-Saxon Society. Some churls were wealthy people while some were very poor. The lower class was slaves called Thralls. The churls and the Thanes were owners of Land. However, some churls had to rent land from a Thane. They would then work the Thane land for part of the week and give him part of their crops in exchange for rent. â€Å"The basis of society was the free peasant. However in time Anglo-Saxon churls began to lose their freedom. They became increasingly dependent on their Lords and under their control† (Tim Lambert.) Researches have indicated that most Anglo-Saxons were primitive subsistence farmers. It has also being proven that some of the men were craftsmen. The farmers grew wheat, barley, peas, cabbage, carrots, rye and parsnip. They reared animals such as pigs, cattle and flocks of sheep. The craftsmen were blacksmith, bronze smith, jewelers and potters. Their homes were made with wood and have thatched roofs. Anglo-Saxon society was decidedly patriarchal, but women were in some ways better off than they would be in later times. â€Å"A woman could own property in her own right. She could and did rule a kingdom if her husband died. She could not be married without her consent and any personal goods, including lands that she brought into a marriage remained her own property. If she were injured or abused in her marriage her relatives were expected to look after her interests† (David Ross.) The women were responsible for grounding of grains, baking of bread, brewing of beer, making of butter and cheese. During this era it was dangerous to travel; thus, most people would travel only if it was unavoidable. If possible they would travel by water along the coast or along the river. During the early Anglo-Saxon period England was a very different place from what it is today. The human population was very small. They grew their own food and made their own clothes†¦ The lord and kin had the strongest ties in the Anglo-Saxon society. The ties of loyalty were to the person of a lord. There was no real concept of patriotism or loyalty to a cause. â€Å"Kings could not, except in exceptional circumstances, make new laws. Their role instead was to uphold and clarify previous custom. The first act of a conquering king was often to assure his subjects that he would uphold their ancient privileges, laws, and customs† (David Ross.) One of the most famous kings during the Anglo-Saxon period was Ethelberht, king of Kent (reigned c.560-616). He married Bertha, the Christian daughter of the king of Paris, and who became the first English king to be converted to Christianity. â€Å"Ethelberht’s law code was the first to be written in any Germanic language and included 90 laws. His influence extended both north and south of the river Humber: his nephew became king of the East Saxons.â₠¬  (The Royal Household) Kinship was very important in the Anglo-Saxon society. If you were killed your relatives would avenge you. If one of your relatives were killed you were expected to avenge them. However the law did offer an alternative. If you killed or injured somebody you could pay them or their family compensation. This led to bloody and extensive feuds. The money paid was called wergild and it set a monetary value on each person’s life according to their wealth and social status. The wergild for killing a thane was much more than that for killing a churl. Thralls or slaves had no wergild. If the wergild was not paid the relatives were entitled to seek revenge. The wergild value could also be used to set the fine payable if a person was injured or offended against. Robbing a thane called for a higher penalty than robbing a churl. On the other hand, a thane who thieves could pay a higher fine than a churl who did likewise. The Anglo-Saxons enjoyed storytelling, riddles and games. Most Anglo-Saxon poetry emerges from an oral tradition and was meant for entertainment. These works include genres such as epic poetry, hagiography, sermons, Bible translations, legal works , chronicles, riddles, and others. Poets were known as Scops and harpists Gleemen. They would sing or recite and were the only historians of the time. The poetic structure was based on accent and alliteration (not rhyme and meter). The minstrels and gleemen would entertain the lord and his men by singing and playing the harp. Michael Delahoyde from Washington State University stated in an argument that â€Å"We get our syntax from the Anglo-Saxons, our preference for and greater ease with nouns, the tendencies to simplify grammar and shorten words, and the â€Å"law of recessive accent† — the tendency to place the accent on the first syllable and to slur over subsequent syllables. The poem Beowulf, which has achieved national epic status in England and Judith, are among the most important works of this period. Other writings such as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle are significant to the study of the era, as it provides preserving chronology of early English history, while the poem Cà ¦dmon’s Hymn to d ate survives as the oldest extant work of literature in English. Researchers have suggested that there are twelve known medieval poets as most Old English poets are anonymous. Only four of those are known by their vernacular works to us today with any certainty: Caedmon, Bede, Alfred the Great, and Cynewulf. Of these, only Caedmon, Bede, and Alfred the Great have known biographies. The epic Beowulf reflects the era that it was written in greatly as it speaks immensely about pagan deities, a Christian tradition and about a warrior society. A writer describes it as â€Å"the symbol of the antiquity and continuity of English poetry.† â€Å"Several features of Beowulf folktale and the sense of sorrow for the passing of worldly things mark it as elegiac†¦The Germanic tribal society is indeed central to Beowulf. The tribal lord was to ideals of extraordinary martial valor†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (David Damrosch, pg 27). The poet careful use of varied themes and techniques such as alliterations â€Å"as a structural principle† (pg27), litotes, compound words, repetitions, nobility, heroic glory and distribution of gifts highlighted the way and life of t he people of that era. Beowulf highlighted the Christian traditional beliefs of the Anglo-Saxons people by pin pointing the beliefs that God is the creator of all things and the ruler of the heavens. Throughout Beowulf, whenever any great men manage to achieve heroic feats, the narrator will be careful to attribute their prowess to God’s favor and divine plan. â€Å"He knew what they had toiled, the long times and troubles they’d come through without a leader; so the Lord of Life, the glorious Almighty, made this man renowned.† (Beowulf 12-17) Beowulf complex religious background reflected the era of the Anglo-Saxon people. The description of the creation shows an unusual mishmash with the pagan imagery of the demonic beast â€Å"Grendel† and the Christian imagery of a caring God that creates all things. â€Å"Then a powerful demon, a prowler through the dark, nursed a hard grievance. It harrowed him to hear the din of the loud banquet every day in the hall, the harp being struck and the clear song of a skilled poet telling with mastery of man’s beginnings, how the Almighty had made the earth a gleaming plain girdled with waters; in His splendo ur He set the sun and the moon to be earth’s lamplight, lanterns for men, and filled the broad lap of the world with branches and leaves; and quickened life in every other thing that moved.† (86-98). Beowulf invokes the values of the warrior society of the Anglo- Saxon period in several ways. During the Anglo-Saxon period the relationship between the warrior and his lord consisted of mutual trust; loyalty, and respect. There was a symbolic importance of spiritual materials which entails giving of honour/worth, and the value of ultimate achievements which was a visible proof that all parties are realizing themselves to the fullest in a spiritual sense. These values are all highlighted in the epic Beowulf. Beowulf also reflected the value of kinsmen to exact wergild (man-price) or to take vengeance for their kinsmen’s death. The need to take vengeance created never-ending feuds, bloodshed, a vast web of reprisals and counter-reprisals (a strong sense of doom). These aspects of the Anglo-Saxon warrior society was highlighted in a fatal evil aspect one of such was Grendel and the dragon in undertaking to slay Grendel, and later Grendel’s mother, Beowulf is testing his relationship with unknowable destiny. Whether he lives or dies, he will have done all that any warrior would do during that period. The oldest surviving vernacular text in English is called Hymn and was written by Caedmon who is best-known and considered the father of Old English poetry. This poem is an example of pagan and Christian fusion in order to promote Christian themes in a pagan society. Caedmon’s hymn is recorded in Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica, and marks the beginning of tremendous developments within textual transmission and the heroic genre itself. â€Å"Caedmon’s Hymn may be regarded as an early forerunner of the dream vision narrative. This style of poetry is formulated by an individual who has experienced a dreamlike revelation within which they are guided by an authoritative figure; in Caedmon’s case this figure being God. The â€Å"hero† discussed within the poem is perhaps unconventional in modern terms, but just as the Gods of classical literature were seen as heroes within their cultural context, so too does the Christian God in Caedmon’s Hymn represent a hero to the people of Caedmon’s culture. The poem features heavy use of stylistic features archetypal of Anglo-Saxon poetry.† (Tiarnan O Sullivan.) Caedmon had lived at the abbey of Whitby in Northumbria in the 7th century. Only a single nine-line poem remains. â€Å"Now let us praise the Guardian of the Kingdom of Heaven Works Cited The Anglo-Saxon Kings. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. . â€Å"Anglo-Saxon Poetry.† – New World Encyclopedia. N.p., 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. . Baldwin, James A. â€Å"à ¢Ã‚€Å“Know from Whence You Came. If You Know Whence You Came, There Are Absolutely No Limitations to Where You Can Go.à ¢Ã‚€Â .† Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. . â€Å"Beowulf.† Beowulf. Georgetown University, n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. . Damrosch, David. â€Å"Beowulf.† The Longman Anthology of British Literature.

Manifestations of Dementia

Manifestations of Dementia Melinda Godfrey GNUR543 St. John Fisher College Mrs. Yowell is a 90-year-old woman who is a resident of a long-term care facility. She was alert and mentally quite capable until about a year ago when she began to manifest signs and symptoms of dementia. A review of her medical records failed to document a thorough analysis of her dementia, but a diagnosis of â€Å"probable Alzheimer disease† was recorded. What are the common manifestations of dementia? The definition of Dementia is â€Å"a general term for loss of memory and other mental abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life.It is caused by physical changes in the brain. † (Common Types of Dementia, 2012). The first manifestations of Dementia usually are: * Loss of memory – generally the patient doesn’t notice the loss of memory but a loved one will. This is generally the entree into the physician’s office leading to a diagnosis. * Trouble focusing and follo wing conversations – the patient is unable to handle more than one task at a time and will not be able to perform a task and listen to or follow a conversation easily. * Impaired judgment and reasoning – patients become confused and are unable to cope as well when unexpected events come up.Other symptoms could include: mood changes, personality and behavior changes. As noted, dementia is not a disease itself but a cluster of cognitive changes. The onset symptom of dementia can vary depending on the disease or syndrome that is associated (Common Types of Dementia, 2012). The major dementia diseases or syndromes are: 1. Alzheimer Disease (AD) – AD accounts for 60 – 80% of the cases of dementia (Shadlen & Larson, 2012). 2. Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) – DLB starts with progressive cognitive decline and usually the patient also has hallucinations, periods of lucidity and some rigidity.DLB has abnormal accumulations of protein structures in the patie nt’s brain (Dementia With Lewy Bodies Information Page, 2011). 3. Frontotemporal Dementia (FT) – FT is associated with the shrinking of the frontal and temporal anterior lobes of the brain (Frontotemporal Dementia Information Page, 2011). Generally the patient will have trouble with speech and behavior. 4. Vascular Dementia – This form of dementia results from many strokes. When a patient has a stroke, the blood flow is interrupted to the brain and the result is brain tissue damage (Types of Dementia, 2011).These patients normally lose their cognitive ability before their memory. 5. Parkinson Disease with Dementia – Approximately 40% of patients with Parkinson’s disease will have dementia (Parkinson’s disease, 2011). The nerve cells in the brain that make dopamine are slowly destroyed leaving no way for the brain to send messages. What other potentially treatable factors might have led to Mrs. Yowell’s deteriorating mental function? T here are many reasons that Mrs. Yowell may have impaired mental functioning (see Table 1). The first and easiest reason to rule out would be a urinary tract infection (UTI).A urine sample can show if there are white blood cells (indicating infection) present in the urine. The increased levels of bacteria in an elderly person’s body can cause toxicity which leads to the altered mental status (Midthun, 2004). Most noted changes are confusion, agitation and lethargy. Table 1| | (Shadlen & Larson, 2012)| Secondly, Mrs. Yowell could have vitamin deficiencies. For example, if a patient has low levels of thiamine they can develop Wernicke’s encephalopathy. This can cause damage in the brain to the thalamus and the hypothalamus.These patients will exhibit signs of confusion, loss of memory and hallucinations (Dugdale, 2010). If left untreated it can cause permanent damage but, it is usually corrected by injections of thiamine. Another cause of confusion/delirium in elderly pat ients is an adverse drug reaction or interactions with another drug. Mrs. Yowell could have been given a new medication that is directly affecting her mental status. Nearly 70% of residents in long term facilities take nine or more medications (Gillick, 2012). Elderly patients have slower clearance rates of drugs through their liver and kidney thus leading to drug accumulation (Gillick, 2012).There should be a regular review of medications in order to anticipate and keep on top of any potential changes. Discuss in detail the organic brain/neuronal alterations that are typical of Alzheimer disease? The changes that occur in the brain with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are threefold. The first is amyloid plaque, this is abnormal clumps of protein found outside of the nerve cells. The protein pieces are in the fatty membrane that is around the brains nerve cells. The amyloid is a protein that is snipped from a larger protein (amyloid precursor protein) during metabolism (Copstead, 20 10).These clumps form plaque and can block cell-to-cell signaling (Common Types of Dementia, 2012). In a healthy brain the fragments are broken down and eliminated before they turn into plaque. Without the ability to signal the brain may also activate the inflammatory response. At this point it is still not known whether the plaque causes or is created by AD. Secondly, inside the nerve cells there is a protein called tau. This protein is normally helps maintain the cell structure allowing proper nutrition and signaling. The tau protein in AD is changed into twisted strands, called tangles (Common Types of Dementia, 2012).It is said that the changes are brought on by the phosphorylating enzymes which are activated by inflammatory changes, lipid abnormalities and aging (Copstead, 2010). Thirdly, the brain is losing connectivity between nerve cells and cells are dying which results in permanent brain damage. Other changes in the brain include shrinking of the hippocampus and cortex. AD also shows an increase in ventricles. The progression of the damage in the AD brain is predictable. According to the Alzheimer’s research center, the plaques and tangles spread through the cortex in a predictable fashion (Common Types of Dementia, 2012).Summary Scientists believe that the cause of AD is multi-factorial. IT could be a combination of genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors. Specifically, it is believed that a person with diabetes, depression or heart disease is more likely to develop AD (Copstead, 2010). There is a link to a gene, APOe4 that is thought to be associated with late onset AD. However, studies have shown it is not present in some cases of AD and is present in cases with no AD (Common Types of Dementia, 2012). At this point the definitive diagnosis of AD can only be obtained after death (Common Types of Dementia, 012). This means that clinicians must ask the right questions to diagnose this disease. AD is still quite unknown as to the order of the changes that occur in the brain. As more research is conducted we will be able to identify the manifestations of the disease earlier and slow the progression of AD. References Common Types of Dementia. (2012). Retrieved March 14, 2012, from Alzheimer's Association: http://www. alz. org Copstead, L. -E. C. (2010). Pathophysiology. St. Louis: Saunders. Dementia With Lewy Bodies Information Page. (2011, December 28).Retrieved March 8, 2012, from National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: http://www. ninds. nih. gov Dugdale, I. M. (2010, February 6). Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from Medline Plus: http://www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus Frontotemporal Dementia Information Page. (2011, December 28). Retrieved March 8, 2012, from National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: http://www. ninds. nih. gov Gillick, M. M. (2012, February 22). Medical Care of the Nursing Home Patient in the United States. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from UpToD ate: http://www. uptodate. com Lexicomp. 2012). Retrieved February 5, 2012, from Lexicomp: https://online-lexi. com Midthun, M. R. (2004). Criteria for Urinary Tract Infections. Retrieved March 4, 2012, from Medscape: http://www. medscape. com Parkinson’s disease. (2011, September 26). Retrieved March 5, 2012, from PubMed Health: http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov Shadlen, M. -F. M. , ; Larson, E. B. (2012, February 10). Evaluation of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia. Retrieved March 5, 2012, from UpToDate: http://www. uptodate. com Types of Dementia. (2011, June 23). Retrieved March 14, 2012, from Cleveland Clinic: http://my. clevelandclinic. org

Death Penalty Overview essays

Death Penalty Overview essays Honors Composition I 08/27/01 Capital punishment provides the most complete retribution and condemnation The threat of execution is a unique deterrent Capital punishment self-evidently prevents more crime because death is more feared than mere restrictions on ones liberty Capital punishment is less costly than a life time of incarceration Capital punishment is the only way to fully ensure that a homicidal individual cannot kill again Approximately 66% of todays Americans are in favor of capital punishment over life imprisonment Violent crime in America has decreased by the hundreds of thousands between 1999 and 2000 as the U.S. executed 98 prisoners (the most since 1951) in 99 and have 3.5K on death row Mental Retardation or legal insanity does not ensure that the condemned will not participate in violent crimes or kill again, in prison or in society Most of the top industrialized nations still condemn their most violent criminals to death The message sent by capital punishment is to obey the law or die Most prisoner on death row are white males Is capital punishment an effective deterrent of violent crimes? Should a murderer be allowed to live out his life when he, himself sentenced his victims to death? Should the families of the victims have a voice in what is to become of the assailant? Should all persons convicted of 1st degree murder, regardless of circumstances, be subject to capital punishment? Can the death penalty be used to control the prison population by eliminating offenders who murder while incarcerated or violent criminal who escape, as means to protect the general public? Would public executions further deter crime and therefore reduce the number of executions by sending a vivid message of No ...

Hrm Case 3 Essays

Hrm Case 3 Essays Hrm Case 3 Essay Hrm Case 3 Essay HRM Incident 3: The Controversial Job David Rhine, compensation manager for Farrington Lingerie Company, was generally relaxed and good-natured. Although he was a no-nonsense, competent executive, David was one of the most popular managers in the company. This Friday morning, however, David was not his usual self. As chairperson of the company’s job evaluation committee, he had called a late morning meeting at which several jobs were to be considered for reevaluation. The jobs had already been rated and assigned to pay grade 3. But the office manager, Ben Butler, was upset that one was not rated higher. To press the issue, Ben had taken his case to two executives who were also members of the job evaluation committee. The two executives (production manager Bill Nelson and general marketing manager Betty Anderson) then requested that the job ratings be reviewed. Bill and Betty supported Ben’s side of the dispute, and David was not looking forward to the confrontation that was almost certain to occur. The controversial job was that of receptionist. Only one receptionist position existed in the company, and Marianne Sanders held it. Marianne had been with the firm 12 years- longer than any of the committee members. She was extremely efficient, and virtually all the executives in the company, including the president, had noticed and commented on her outstanding work. Bill Nelson and Betty Anderson were particularly pleased with Marianne because of the cordial manner in which she greeted and accommodated Farrington’s customers and vendors, who frequently visited the plant. They felt that Marianne projected a positive image of the company. When the meeting began, David said, â€Å"Good morning. I know that you’re busy, so let’s get the show on the road. We have several jobs to evaluate this morning and I suggest we begin Before he could finish his sentence, Bill interrupted, â€Å"I suggest we start with Marianne. † Betty nodded in agreement. When David regained his composure, he quietly but firmly asserted, â€Å"Bill, we are not here today to evaluate Marianne. Her supervisor does that at performance appraisal time. We’re meeting to evaluate jobs based on job content. In order to do this fairly, with regard to other jobs in the company, we must leave personalities out of our evaluation. † David then proceeded to pass out copies of the receptionist job description to Bill and Betty, who were obviously very irritated. See questions below. ob can be reclassified / re-evaluated if the duties or responsibilities of an employee have significantly changed or expanded over time, and the expanded duties have remained in place for at least six months. In these cases, the same review criteria are used as with new positions. Based on the rating system, the employee may be moved to a higher pay band, and may receive retroactive pay. QUESTIONS 1. Do you feel that David was justified in insisting that the job, not the person, be evaluated? Discuss. Job evaluation is a technique used to determine the value of each job in relation to all jobs within the organization. The job evaluation and the employee evaluation are based on two entirely different scales. The job evaluation clearly identifies and describes the task, creates the basis for the job description and relates to the tasks involved with the position itself The basic purpose of job evaluation is to eliminate pay inequities which may exist because of illogical pay structures, such as might develop over time if care is not taken in how compensation is determined. Job evaluation programs are generally administered by the human resource department and are usually conducted by a committee. The jobs people have are major determinants of the amount of financial compensation they will receive, and organizations pay for the value attached to certain duties, responsibilities, and other job-related factors, such as working conditions. The relative worth of jobs is usually determined through a combination of job analysis, job descriptions, and job evaluation. The employee evaluation measures the employees overall performance of their tasks as it relates to the overall success of the company. David was asked to evaluate the job for compensation purposes, which involves the job function, not the person who is performing the job. I do feel that David was justified in insisting that the job, not the person be evaluated. 2. Do you believe that there is a maximum rate of pay for every job in an organization, regardless of how well the job is being performed? Justify your position. Employers use pay scales to calculate salaries. The rate range for a job grade consists of a minimum, midpoint, and maximum rate of pay unrelatedly to how well a job is performed. Many employers use a system job evaluation tool to rank jobs based on skill, education, experience, and duties to assess the job description. There should be a maximum rate of pay, which should be based on the individual’s job performance. The starting rate and maximum rates should be the same for all employees in the same position but, their individual rates may be different depending on their performance. However, once an employee has reached the maximum rate of pay for the position the employee should not receive any more pay raises. A job should have its maximum pay rate depending on many factors. In most cases jobs that do not require high level of education are the jobs that do not lead to a life long career. In this case, there is a limit of value that a receptionist like Beth could bring to the company. It wouldn’t make much financial sense to pay a receptionist equal to an operations manager. Even in this example where the receptionist has elevated value due to her interpersonal skills, ultimately she does not provide attainable financial betterment to the company outside of her job description. Therefore, the employee should be paid based on their quantified value as an asset to the company; and a job should have a maximum rate of pay.

Henry V Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Henry V - Essay Example l as an understanding not only of the history of Henry V and how Englishmen generally felt about him but also of the period during which Shakespeare wrote this play reveals that he was entirely sincere in his attempts to honor the man who figures so prominently in the title and the play. The play chronicles the short reign of King Henry V, particularly as it pertains to his campaign in France and victory in Agincourt. This campaign is introduced as a means of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Ely to distract their young king from passing a new bill that would strip the church, and therefore themselves, of a great deal of the riches and lands they’ve been given by noblemen with no sons left to inherit. Henry himself is presented as having completely reformed himself from earlier plays when he used to hang out in low-class bars and is now presented as a towering Christian hero prince. â€Å"Hear him but reason in divinity, / And, all-admiring, with an inward wish, / You would desire the king were made a prelate; / Hear him debate of commonwealth affairs, / You would say it hath been all in his study; / List his discourse of war, and you shall hear / A fearful battle rend’red you in music† (38-44). The bulk of the play takes place as t he King marches his way through France and wins Agincourt as well as his future bride, Catherine of France. One of the claims that Shakespeare was making a parody of King Henry has been based on such speeches as can be found in Act 4, Scene 7 when Fluellen attempts to make a comparison between the King and Alexander the Great, based primarily upon the facts that they were both born in towns that start with the letter M and are both towns that have a river going through it. However, the care that Shakespeare took in writing the play illustrates the importance of the topic to him. â€Å"[Shakespeare] took its serious portions seriously and went beyond the existing theatrical versions of Henry’s career for his

Scientific Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Scientific Writing - Essay Example The research aimed at investigating the extent in which web browsers may be constructed to achieve a virtual machine and a real-time theory on the topic as mentioned above. The authors studied the minimum period taken by a Rooter. They developed their project by proposing modern types of flexible symmetries. The research involved refinement of active networks and virtual machines to increase the efficiency of a Rooter. The approach was found disadvantageous due to incompatibility of the public-private key pair and red-black trees (Siemens, 156). The researchers adopted four significant experiments to obtain their research findings. They used their desktop machines while observing the USB key throughput. The researchers made comparisons on the Microsoft Windows Longhorn, Ultrix and Microsoft Windows 2000 operating systems. They installed 64 PDP 11s across the internet network and investigated the acceptance blunder of Byzantine. They finally made eighteen trials with a simulated WHOIS workload and compared the findings. The considered a similar methodology employed by Martin and Smith. They claimed that the real-time algorithm for the refinement of write-ahead logging by Edward Feigenbaum et al. was an impossible method to adopt. Their research is prescribed as not able to hold a reality. It did not describe any natural phenomena related to Rooters. Their method of study deployed so many assumptions that they were not sure whether Rooter would satisfy. They also tried to disconfirm the results obtained by Ken Thompson. The study argued that expert systems can be made amphibious, highly available and linear time. The implementation of this research is the approach of low-energy, Bayesian and introspective. They advocated the need for Rooter development to locate mobile communication. These researchers claim a similarity between their works with the information contained in the Bayesian publication. They