The Life of Kate Chopin - 1083 Words

The life of Kate Chopin Kate Chopin led a fascinating life filled with times of triumph but also times of great loss. Living in the South during the post-Civil War era, the setting and experiences of her life would have a great impact on the subjects of her writing. Chopin began writing as a way to express her frustration with life. This is why her emotions about life are conveyed so strongly in her writing. One of her short stories, Juanita, is an excellent example of how Chopins life affected her writing. The story of Juanita is that of a young woman who, though not incredibly beautiful, had many admirers. The people of her small town gossiped continually about which man she would marry. Would it be the man†¦show more content†¦Juanita, on the other hand, did think of love. When she felt love for the poor one-legged man, she faced an important decision. As with many of Chopins female protagonists, Juanita was strong enough to choose her happiness over the constraints of society. Juanita has turned her broad back upon the whole race of masculine bipeds, and lavishes the wealth of her undivided affections upon the one-legged man. (Chopin 88) Fox-Genovese believes that during this consistent search for a sense of who she was, Kate Chopin developed a certain understanding of the complexities of the human soul. With Chopin the dark crannies of the human soul were part of what it is to be human. It was part of her war against platitudes, it was part of her sense that theres no true beauty without complexity (and) conflict. (Fox-Genovese) Chopin refused to accept the stereotypes of the Hallmark Card view of life. (Fox-Genovese) She believed that life does not exist without friction; it is human nature to cause these clashes. In Juanita, Chopin shows a wicked side of societys soul when the townspeople dismiss the one-legged man and pay no attention to him until Juanita becomes interested in him. Society creates conflict when it sets limitations on individuals, and then the individuals (in this case Juanita and the one-legged man) defy these limitations. To Chopin, the examination of these intricate interactions between peopleShow MoreRelatedThe Life and Works of Kate Chopin1569 Words   |  6 PagesKate wrote two novels and hundreds of short stories. Few of her stories were â€Å"Story of an Hour† and â€Å"The Awakening†. One of Kate Chopins most famous stories is the Story of an Hour. In the story Chopin was brave enough to challenge the society in which she lived because in the first half of the 19th century, women were not allowed the freedoms men enjoyed in the judgments of the law, the church or the government. This famous short story showed the conflict between the social traditio nal requirementsRead MoreKate Chopin s Life And Feminism1281 Words   |  6 PagesKate Chopin’s Life and Works- Feminism Kate Chopin, born on February 8th, 1850, was a progressive writer in the midst of a conservative and unequal time. She exposed the unfair undertones of society in such a way that made people outrage and condemn some of her works. However, in the early 1900s, her works were examined again and people started to listen to her ideas. One of these main motifs that Chopin’s works kept bringing up were feminism and equality. In The Awakening, Edna Pontellier, a radicalRead MoreIn The Life And Writings Of Kate Chopin And Mary E. Freeman,1343 Words   |  6 PagesIn the life and writings of Kate Chopin and Mary E. Freeman, how can you see the obvious cry for women to have an equal status in a man’s world? Chopin and Freeman lived in a time when men dominated women; a woman’s job was to marry, have a home, and raise children. Women were their husband’s property and law did not protect them if they were abused. (Plaza) Owning land, making financial decisions, and voting was among the many things women could not do. Freeman and Chopin both used their literaryRead MoreA life without Freedom in Kate Chopin ´s The Story of an Hour Essay examples849 Words   |  4 Pages Kate Chopin’s short story titled â€Å"The Story of an Hour† shows us in a number ways that life without freedom is no life at all. In the story, a nineteenth century women named Mrs. Mallard finds out about her husband’s death. She has heart disease so Josephine, Mrs. Mallard’s sister, tries to break the bad news to her as calmly as possible. After hearing the news, Mrs. Mallard’s unpredictable reaction shocks us the readers as well as the characters in the story. Instead of feeling theRead MoreThe Life of a Woman After Man â€Å"Free! Body and soul free! She kept whispering†(705). Kate Chopin1500 Words   |  6 PagesThe Life of a Woman After Man â€Å"Free! Body and soul free! She kept whispering†(705). Kate Chopin installs illumination of hope for all women with her short tale of a woman’s realization of life A.H (after husband). In The story of an Hour, shortly after her husband is claimed dead a woman realizes that life without the constraints of marriage and a husband could be liberating. Chopin writes in the 19th century of culminating controversial topics. The Story of an Hour unravels in the time span of anRead MoreKate Chopin s Story Of The Hour Essay982 Words   |  4 PagesKate Chopin was an American author who wrote two novels that got published and at least a hundred short stories. In Kate’s short story The Story of the Hour she uses some of her traumatic event that happened in her lifespan in the short story even though it the story is fictional. A lot of her fictions were set in Louisiana and her best-known works focused on the lives of sensitive intelligent women. One-third of Mrs. Chopin ’s stories are children’s stories. A lot of Mrs. Chopin’s novels were forgottenRead MoreThe Awakening on Kate Chopins The Awakening1745 Words   |  7 Pages The time period of the 1880s that Kate Chopin lived in influenced her to write The Awakening, a very controversial book because of many new depictions of women introduced in the book. The Awakening is a book about a woman, Edna Pontellier. In the beginning, she is a happy woman with her husband and 2 kids vacationing at Grand Isle. While there, Edna realizes she is in love with Robert Lebrun and that she was just forced into an unloving/dissatisfying marriage with Mr. Pontellier. Robert howeverRead MoreThe Unique Style Of Kate Chopin s Writing1603 Words   |  7 PagesThe unique style of Kate Chopin’s writing has influenced and paved the way for many female authors. Although not verbally, Kate Chopin aired political and social issues affecting women and challenging the validity of such restrictions through fiction. Kate Chopin, a feminist in her time, prevailed against the notion that a woman’s purpose was to only be a housewife and nothing more. Kate Chopin fortified the importance of women empowerment, self-expression, self-assertion, and female sexuality throughRead MoreA Brief Note On Kate Chopin s Chopin 1642 Words   |  7 PagesMaddy Mummey Mrs. Corby AP English 12 20 April 2015 Kate Chopin Kate Chopin was a successful author of numerous short stories and novels during her life; many critics refer to her as a forerunner author of the 20th century (Kate). Throughout Chopin s life and the many experiences she endured, she grew a great sense of respect and empowerment towards women. However, she is not categorized as a feminist or a suffragist (Kate). Chopin insistently supported the revolutionary notion that women wereRead MoreThe Storm By Kate Chopin1649 Words   |  7 Pageslike writers in present day, Kate Chopin was a writer who wrote to reflect obstacles and instances occurring within her time period. Writing about personal obstacles, as well as issues occurring in the time period she lived, Chopin proved to be distinctive upon using her virtue. Kate Chopin was a determined individual, with true ambition and ability to produce writings that reflected women on a higher pedestal than they were valued in her time. â€Å"The Storm† by Kate Chopin is a short story written to

The Black Cat, By Edgar Allan Poe - 1240 Words

In Studies in Classic American Literature, D.H. Lawrence condemns Americans for dodging their true selves by means of intellectualization and idealization. Both Edgar Allan Poe’s short story â€Å"The Black Cat† and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† feature allegorical representations of characters deceiving themselves in order to deny the darker aspects of their inner selves. In Poe’s â€Å"The Black Cat,† the narrator denies the darker aspects of his soul by abstracting his horrific actions with spectral evidence in order to externalize the psychological effects of his guilt. In his allegorical tale â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† Hawthorne criticizes the Puritan doctrine of grace in his depiction of the self-deception Lawrence condemns; both†¦show more content†¦Moreover, Lawrence expounds the ways in which Americans deceive themselves and sin against â€Å"the Holy Ghost within† (Lawrence 79), through int ellectualizing and idealizing abstractions of their own experiences. Unlike the Americans who rebel against it, Lawrence encourages listening to the â€Å"Holy Ghost [within] each isolate individual† (Lawrence 85), which prevents one from abstracting new experiences. Furthermore, Lawrence suggests this guiding inner spirit urges, â€Å"not to be too egoistic and willful in [one’s] conscious self† (Lawrence 79). Both Hawthorne’s goodman Brown and Poe’s narrator of â€Å"The Black Cat† justify their actions and experiences with the same egotism and self-conceit Lawrence condemns. In â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† Brown’s curiosity about evil leads him to meet with the devil in hopes he may know and understand the darker aspects of human nature. Like Poe, Hawthorne utilizes allegory in his representation of young Brown’s pursuit of knowledge for what lies beyond his material world. Throughout the allegorical tale, Hawthorne reveals Brown’s self-denial in his externalization of evil in the form of the devil. With an almost comical lack of awareness, Brown begins his errand believing his â€Å"excellent resolve for the future- [his plan to â€Å"cling to [Faith’s] skirts and follow her to Heaven]- justifies his present evil purpose† (Hawthorne 387). Even upon being confronted with the darker aspects of his family history, Brown maintains

Management Information In Pearson Education -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Management Information In Pearson Education? Answer: Introduction It is quite evident that the use of information technology in business has considerably made it easier to manage the different process running within an organization. With the advent of technology, use of information technology in business becomes necessary to a large extent. However, small and medium sized enterprises often face monetary difficulties in implementing information technology strategies. Similar is the case of Four Seasons Greenhouse nursery that is located in Colorado. The nursery uses manual registers for tracking and maintenance of data. However, the profits earned by the nursery were almost negligible. Implementation of POS on the other hand helped the owners in obtaining a robust functionality of managing the various processes running within the organization (Laudon Laudon, 2016). The report discusses the advantages and disadvantages of implementing the new point of sales in business. It gives an overview of the competitive advantage the new POS can bring to the b usiness. Contribution of POS and the risks associated with its implementation is discussed in the following paragraphs. The New POS system-Advantages/Disadvantages The new point of sales system is designed to automate the different functionalities of business such as, data input, tracking of inventory sales and so on. The advantages of the new POS system are as follows (Stadtle, 2015)- The major advantage of implementing the new POS system is that, the organization does not need to maintain the manual registers in tracking and maintaining the inventory items. This is an advantage to the organization as the manual data entry is subjected to human errors and incorrect data entry. This is one of the major reasons of the less profit, as there is no proper record of the inventory items and sales (refer to appendix 2). The new POS system provides robust functionality in data input, data tracking and distribution of data. This in turn helps in easy management of the vital business process (Diallo, Rodrigues Sene, 2012). The new POS system helps in accurate calculation of the inventory counts thus eliminating the guesswork about the orders. This in turn helps the business in operating on a leaner inventory unit. The accurate data estimation and easy management of the vital process enhances the decision making process. Timely reporting of all the tasks furthermore helps in proper management of all the business operations running within the organization. Proper knowledge about the product cost helps in accurate and profitable pricing of the products there by increasing the profitability of the organization. The new POS system further helps in controlling the employee schedule, which in turn helps in proper management of the labour expenses (Peppard Ward, 2016). However, there are certain disadvantages of implementing the POS as well. The disadvantages of the new point of sales system are as follows- With the numerous advantages offered by the point of sales system, one of the major constraints associated with the process is the cost of implementation of the system. An organization need to invest a considerable amount of money for implementation and maintenance of the system. There are certain security risks associated with the point of sales system that can risk an organizations private and confidential data. The employees and the staffs are need proper training in order to understand the operation of the new system. The system will require regular updates and maintenance. Competitive Advantage The competitive advantages that an organization achieve by implementing the new POS system are as follows- The major working principle of the POS system is compiling and integrating all the business operations in a single place. This helps in proper management of all the business operations running within an organization, which is a major competitive advantage of POS. The new system helps in proper product review and identification of the most profitable product, which was earlier not possible. This helps the organization in gaining a competitive advantage in the market by manufacturing and selling the most profitable goods (Coronel Morris, 2016). Proper management of the employee schedule and labour costs further adds to the list of competitive advantages. Detailed knowledge about the inventory items such as number of units sold, purchased or discarded gives a clear picture about the condition of the business, which further helps in its proper management. This gives the organization, a competitive advantage in the market. Centralized Database and its Advantages The advantages of having a centralized database are as follows- Centralized database decreases the security risks associated with data storage by enforcing a staunch control and monitoring of the system. In centralized database system, the stored data is managed centrally, which increases the consistency of data. Having a centralized database increases the operational efficiency of a business organization. Using a centralized database minimizes the cost of data storage by eliminating any redundancy in data management and associated costs. The data processing speed is high and centralized data helps n development of an accurate report of the activities that the organization or its employees are engaged in (Stair Reynolds, 2013). Data integrity is one of the major benefits of having a centralized database. Therefore, it can be said that implementation of POS will help in proper data tracking and managing of the financial transactions in the organization. POS in decision-making One of the major advantages of implementing the new point of sales system in business is that the system helps in the decision making process by providing all the data that are essential to evaluate before taking a business decision. Accurate estimation of the data and inventory sales helps in processing the business activities more effectively. Accurate estimation helps in taking proper decisions about the inventory items, such as the number of items to be purchased or discarded (Hall, 2012). Furthermore, the new POS system eliminates the need of manual tracking of all the business processes running within an organization. It is difficult to track manually all the information needed for proper decision-making as it might include erroneous or incomplete data entry. Apart from this, the new POS system helps in effective answering of the questions associated with the inventory items such as number of items purchased, sold or discarded. This enhances the decision-making process (Galliers Leidner, 2014). The information provided by the new POS system further helps in creating a solid infrastructure for easy management of the business operations within the entire organization. It helps in reviewing the labour expenses and the schedule of the employees to establish their responsibility within the organization more effectively (Pearlson et al., 2016). Telecommunication Options The telecommunication option available for implementation of POS system within the organization includes the use of LAN, WAN and MAN. The Local Area Network or LAN interconnects all different digital devices present within a limited area. Wide Area Network or WAN on the other hand is a telecommunication network that interconnects the digital devices over a wide geographical area (Zhang et al., 2012). MAN or Metropolitan Area Network however, spreads over a larger geographical area. LAN will not be suitable to implement in the POS system, as it will restrict the information flow within a small area. IT is therefore recommended to implement the POS system in WAN network (Barakah Ammad-uddin, 2012). Wireless technology will be suitable for consideration, as it will considerable reduce the hassle of wires and reduces the implementation cost as well. However, it is essential to establish a secure wireless channel in order to eliminate the risks associated with wireless networks. Associated Risks Since the POS system will be implemented in a wireless network, there are a number of risks associated with the storage and access of the data from the system. One of the major risks is the security risks. The attackers can target the confidential data stored within the system leading to data loss (Zissis Lekkas, 2012). Another major security risk associated with the implementation of POS is the privacy risk. The private data of an organization might be at risk due to a cyber attack into the system. Therefore, it is essential to use proper security system within the organization. Apart from this, there is a huge confidentiality risk associated with the POS system, as majority of the employees within the organization can access data (Al Ameen, Liu Kwak, 2012). Therefore, it is essential to enforce authorization levels to prevent unauthorised use and access of data. Conclusion Therefore, from the above discussion, it can be concluded that implementation of POS in Four Seasons has provided the nursery with many advantages, major one being the increase in sales and profits. The point of sales system has helped in eliminating the need of manual tracking and recording of data, thereby increasing the accuracy and correctness of the stored data into the system. The report points out certain disadvantage of the new POS system and discuses the competitive advantages it offers to an organization. The report further identifies the security risks associated with the system and recommends the network in which the system is to be implemented. The system allows the organization in leveraging business data and helps in gaining a competitive advantage in the market. The business reports can be processed with ease with the help of the new POS system. Recommendations It is recommended for an organization to thoroughly research the needs of POS in its business before its implementation. Proper security checks and installation of security essentials are needed to secure the data stored in the centralized database. Authorization levels are needed to be imposed in order to restrict the access to the confidential data stored in the system. References Al Ameen, M., Liu, J. Kwak, K., (2012). Security and privacy issues in wireless sensor networks for healthcare applications.Journal of medical systems,36(1), pp.93-101. Barakah, D.M. Ammad-uddin, M., (2012, February). A survey of challenges applications of wireless body area network (WBAN) and role of a virtual doctor server in existing architecture. InIntelligent Systems, Modelling Simulation (ISMS), 2012 Third International Conference on(pp. 214-219). IEEE. Coronel, C. Morris, S., (2016).Database systems: design, implementation, and management. Cengage Learning. Diallo, O., Rodrigues, J.J. Sene, M., (2012). Real-time data management on wireless sensor networks: A survey.Journal of Network Computer Applications,35(3), pp.1013-1021. Galliers, R.D. Leidner, D.E. eds., (2014).Strategic information management: challenges strategies in managing information systems. Routledge. Hall, J.A., (2012).Accounting information systems. Cengage Learning. Laudon, K.C. Laudon, J.P., (2016).Management information system. Pearson Education India. Pearlson, K.E., Saunders, C.S. Galletta, D.F., (2016).Managing and Using Information Systems, Binder Ready Version: A Strategic Approach. John Wiley Sons. Peppard, J. Ward, J., (2016).The strategic management of information systems: Building a digital strategy. John Wiley Sons. Romney, M.B. Steinbart, P.J., (2012).Accounting information systems. Boston: Pearson. Stadtler, H., (2015). Supply chain management: An overview. In Supply chain management advanced planning (pp. 3-28). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Stair, R. Reynolds, G., (2013).Principles of information systems. Cengage Learning. Zhang, Y., Ansari, N., Wu, M. Yu, H., (2012). On wide area network optimization.IEEE Communications surveys tutorials,14(4), pp.1090-1113. Zissis, D. Lekkas, D., (2012). Addressing cloud computing security issues.Future Generation computer systems,28(3), pp.583-592.

Time Lags in Fiscal Policy Essay Example

Time Lags in Fiscal Policy Paper Fiscal policy is the change in taxes and spending that affect the level of GDP (O’Sullivan, p. 212, 2008). When fiscal policies are put into place, the goal is to see the economy grow to healthy levels. Other reasons for fiscal policies could include stabilizing the economy. These policies are supposed to help the economy run at its full potential. Congress and the President are supposed to be constantly working to maintain a healthy economy. There are times however, that a poorly timed move could hurt and destabilize the economy. The problem with trying to implement policies that will move the economy to its highest potential output is that there can be delays. Trying to forecast the economy is like trying to forecast the weather. When policy makers make mistakes, they create proverbial rain at our picnic. When the economy starts to slow down, government officials try to get the economy to run at its full potential again. The problem with this is that sometimes, the economy can correct itself without policies being established. There are usually delays, or lags in the policies being implemented. Just like normal, regular people, there are times that policy makers are slow to realize that there is problem that needs correcting. When they finally realize that there is an issue at hand, it may take the policy makers time to react. Two types of lags can cause problems inside lags and outside lags. Inside lags involve the time it takes to formulate a policy while outside lags involve the time it takes for the policy to actually work (O’Sullivan, p. 214, 2008). The biggest problem with the inside lag is the time it takes policymakers to recognize shifts in economic indicators. We will write a custom essay sample on Time Lags in Fiscal Policy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Time Lags in Fiscal Policy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Time Lags in Fiscal Policy specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Policymakers try to rely on their forecasting skills. Sometimes their forecasting is correct, while other times, they are wrong. This can cause big discrepancies in the economy. Another issue is the time it takes for policy makers to realize that there is a problem and then fix the problem at hand. With outside lags, policies such as tax cuts take time to actually work. Outside lags are normally short, but if they are timed incorrectly, the economy could actually become destabilized. The worst problem with lags is that economists are playing the role of the weatherman in forecasting what will happen to the economy. It is hard for them to know whether an economic slowdown is just temporary or if it will be a long recession. For example, if economists predict that the economy is going to be working over its potential, and the government implements a policy to get the economy to its full potential, but not over it, and then the economy becomes weak before the policy takes place, the entire economy could become destabilized. Policy makers must understand this possibility and do their best to minimize errors. Reference OSullivan, Shefferin, Perez. (2008). Economics: Principles, Applications, and Tools. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

The Pharaohs Double Crown of Egypt

The Pharaoh's Double Crown of Egypt Ancient Egyptian pharaohs are usually depicted wearing a crown or a head-cloth. The most important of these was the double crown, which symbolizes the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt and was worn by pharaohs starting with the First Dynasty around the year 3000 BCE. Its ancient Egyptian name is the pschent. The double crown was an amalgamation of the white crown (Ancient Egyptian name hedjet) of Upper Egypt and the red crown (Ancient Egyptian name deshret) of Lower Egypt. Another name for it is shmty, meaning the two powerful ones, or sekhemti. The crowns are seen only in artwork and no specimen of one has been preserved and discovered.  In addition to the  pharaohs, the gods Horus and Atum are depicted wearing the double crown. These are gods that are closely allied with the pharaohs. Symbols of the Double Crown The combination of the two crowns into one represented the rule of the pharaoh over his united kingdom. The red deshret  of Lower Egypt is the outer portion of the crown with cutouts around the ears. It has a curled projection in front that represents the proboscis of a honeybee, and a spire in the back  and an extension down the back of the neck. The name deshret  is also applied to the honeybee. The red color represents the fertile land of the Nile delta. It was believed to have been giving by Get to Horus, and the pharaohs were the successors of Horus. The white crown is the interior crown, which was more conical or bowling pin shaped, with cutouts for the ears. It may have been assimilated from the Nubian rulers before being worn by rulers of Upper Egypt. Animal representations were fastened to the front of the crowns, with a cobra in attack position for Lower Egyptian goddess Wadjet and a vulture head for the goddess Nekhbet of Upper Egypt. It isnt known what the crowns were made of, they could have been made of cloth, leather, reeds, or even metal.  Because no crowns have been found in burial tombs, even in those that were undisturbed, some historians speculate they were passed from pharaoh to Pharaoh. History of the Double Crown of Egypt Upper and Lower Egypt were united around the year 3150 BCE with some historians naming Menes as the first pharaoh and crediting him for inventing the pschent. But the double crown was first seen on a Horus of the pharaoh  Djet  of the First Dynasty, around 2980 BCE. The double crown is found in the Pyramid Texts. Nearly every pharaoh from 2700 through 750 BCE was depicted wearing the pschent in hieroglyphs preserved in tombs. The Rosetta Stone and the king list on the Palermo stone are other sources showing the double crown associated with pharaohs. Statues of Senusret II and Amenhotep  III are among many showing the double crown. The Ptolemy rulers wore the double crown when they were in Egypt but when they left the country they wore a diadem instead.

A Brief History of the Invention of Plastics

A Brief History of the Invention of Plastics The first man-made plastic was created by Alexander Parkes who publicly demonstrated it at the 1862 Great International Exhibition in London. The material, called Parkesine, was an organic material derived from cellulose that once heated could be molded and retained its shape when cooled. Celluloid Celluloid is derived from cellulose and alcoholized camphor. John Wesley Hyatt invented celluloid as a substitute for the ivory in billiard balls in 1868. He first tried using  a natural substance called collodion  after spilling a bottle of it and discovering that the material dried into a tough and flexible film. However, the material was not strong enough to be used as a billiard ball, not until the addition of camphor, a derivative of the laurel tree. The new celluloid could now be molded with heat and pressure into a durable shape. Besides billiard balls, celluloid became famous as the first flexible photographic film used for still photography and motion pictures. Hyatt created celluloid in a strip format for movie film. By 1900, movie film was an exploding market for celluloid. Formaldehyde Resins - Bakelite After cellulose nitrate, formaldehyde was the next product to advance the technology of plastic. Around 1897, efforts to manufacture white chalkboards led to casein plastics (milk protein mixed with formaldehyde) Galalith and Erinoid are two early tradename examples. In 1899, Arthur Smith received British Patent 16,275, for phenol-formaldehyde resins for use as an ebonite substitute in electrical insulation, the first patent for processing a formaldehyde resin. However, in 1907, Leo Hendrik Baekeland improved phenol-formaldehyde reaction techniques and invented the first fully synthetic resin to become commercially successful with the trade name Bakelite. Here is a brief timeline of the evolution of plastics. Timeline - Precursors 1839 - Natural Rubber - Method of processing invented by Charles Goodyear1843 - Vulcanite - Invented by Thomas Hancock1843 - Gutta-Percha - Invented by William Montgomerie1856 - Shellac - Invented by Alfred Critchlow and Samuel Peck1856 - Bois Durci - Invented by Francois Charles Lepage Timeline - Beginning of the Plastic Era With Semi-Synthetics 1839 - Polystyrene or PS - Discovered by  Eduard Simon1862 - Parkesine - Invented by Alexander Parkes1863 - Cellulose Nitrate or Celluloid - Invented by John Wesley Hyatt1872 - Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC - First created by Eugen Baumann1894 - Viscose Rayon - Invented by Charles Frederick Cross and Edward John Bevan Timeline - Thermosetting Plastics and Thermoplastics 1908 - Cellophane  - Invented by Jacques E. Brandenberger1909 - First true plastic Phenol-Formaldehyde (trade name Bakelite) - Invented by Leo Hendrik Baekeland1926 - Vinyl or PVC - Walter Semon invented a plasticized PVC1933 - Polyvinylidene chloride or Saran also called PVDC - Accidentally discovered by Ralph Wiley, a Dow Chemical lab worker1935 - Low-density polyethylene or LDPE - Invented by Reginald Gibson and Eric Fawcett1936 - Acrylic or Polymethyl Methacrylate1937 - Polyurethanes (trade-named Igamid for plastics materials and Perlon for fibers) - Otto Bayer and co-workers discovered and patented the chemistry of polyurethanes1938 - Polystyrene made practical1938 - Polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE (trade-named Teflon) - Invented by Roy Plunkett1939 - Nylon and Neoprene - Considered a replacement for silk and a synthetic rubber respectively by Wallace Hume Carothers1941 - Polyethylene Terephthalate or Pet - Invented by Whinfield and Dickson1942 - Low-Density Polyethylene1942 - Unsaturated Polyester also called PET - Patented by John Rex Whinfield and James Tennant Dickson 1951 - High-density polyethylene or HDPE (trade-named Marlex) - Invented by Paul Hogan and Robert Banks1951 - Polypropylene or PP - Invented by Paul Hogan and Robert Banks1953 - Saran Wrap introduced by Dow Chemicals1954 - Styrofoam (a type of foamed polystyrene foam) - Invented by Ray McIntire for Dow Chemicals1964 - Polyimide1970 - Thermoplastic Polyester this includes trademarked Dacron, Mylar, Melinex, Teijin, and Tetoron1978 - Linear Low-Density Polyethylene1985 - Liquid Crystal Polymers

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example fit is the image that customer develops in his mind about the brand and the way in which that image influences the customer to go purchase the brand. It is important for the customer to draw some connection between the kind of person he is and the kind of brand that is being promoted. (Onkivist, 2008) Red-bull’s an energy drink which promises extreme energy. It’s tag-line is â€Å"it gives you wings†. The kind of promotional campaigns that the brand pursues involves a lot of adventure, car racing, games, etc. It’s brand identity has been built around cliff driving, ice-skating and street contests. Mother energy drink on the other hand is promoted with the following tag-line â€Å"right-hook to laziness, a smack in the face of slackness†. The brand logo on the coke can is gothic and the brand has been promoted as an all-natural drink. Given these kind of promotional tactics that red-bull and mother energy command there are various social characterist ics in people that influence consumers to consume Redbull and Mother energy drink. Schiffman, Bednall, O’Cass, Paladino, Ward & Kanuk (2008) may have had the right definition of consumer social character. They look at it as a personality trait of the consumer that ranges from inner-directness towards outer-directness. The consumer’s whom it refers to as ‘Inner-directed consumers’ are those who determine value of a brand by oneself. This is as opposed to by others. Inner-directed consumers are not easily influenced by others and also known as consumer innovators as consumers evaluate new products on their own. Other-directed consumers are easily influenced by others and are likely to be followers as consumers tend to look to others for opinions. Groups and social networks also have direct influence over the... This paper talks about two brands: Red Bull and Mother Energy Drink. The niche in which these brands compete is carbonated soft drink and it is a very narrow niche. Red-Bull is an Austrian brand that was first introduced in 1987. It is available in 120 countries all over the world and is widely regarded as the world’s number-one energy drink. Mother Energy drink is a brand of Coca Cola and was first released in Australia. It was introduced Australia in 2006 when Red Bull and V energy drink commanded 94% share in the market. The paper will compare and contrast how consumer social characteristics, their need for uniqueness and how being a visualizer or being a verbalizer affects consumer perception of the brand followed by a conclusion towards the end of the paper. The primary focus of the paper will be on how these three dimensions influence consumer behavior. According to Kotler (2010), consumer behavior is an enigma for marketers all over the world. Countless number of strate gies and approaches has been designed by marketers to understand the reasons behind why buyers choose a certain product over another similar product. However, a concrete model or method describing consumer behavior which guarantees a positive response from the buyer in the form of purchases or repeated purchases is yet to be formed. Both Red Bull and Mother are branded in different ways and create different impressions on the minds f the consumer. Likewise they will influence the consumer decision to purchase the brand in their own ways.

Co-workers spending too much time on personal devices or social Research Paper

Co-workers spending too much time on personal devices or social networks, leading to distractions in the office - Research Paper Example This paper includes a discussion on some of the ways these devices and social networking websites lead to distractions in offices. The paper also includes a discussion on the ways the use of these devices and social networks can be limited in offices. Introduction In today's faced paced world, the use of technology has become a need for every individual from any field of life. Students, businesspersons, and employees all make use of different types of technologies to carry out their personal and professional activities. However, sometimes use of these technologies at places where they should not be used leads to problems. For example, use of mobile phones and other personal devices at work lead to distractions in offices when people use these devices for personal matters instead of focusing on work and assigned job responsibilities. It has become a critical need for managers and employers to develop and implement such policies at workplaces, which should be able to bring down the use of personal devices at offices. Let us discuss some of the ways personal devices and social networks used by colleagues lead to distractions in offices. Impact of Personal Devices The impact of the use of personal devices, such as, mobile phones, laptops, and disc players in offices is never positive on the efficiency level of employees. The reason is that the use of such devices at workplaces deviate the attention and focus of colleagues away from their job responsibilities, which not only results in decreasing their efficiency level but also shifts down the company’s level of productivity. Companies are at risk of losing millions of dollars each year through decreased level of employee productivity caused by digital distractions (Anderson 1). Some colleagues make personal calls while sitting in their offices because of which they cannot perform their required official tasks within time. For example, if a customer representative officer starts making a long personal call wh ile sitting in office, he/she will not be in the position to focus properly towards the incoming official calls in that time. The result in such cases is late delivery of work to managers or customers. Similarly, some colleagues use laptops in offices for purposes other than the official ones. The result is again delayed completion of assigned tasks. Moreover, some colleagues like to hear songs at workplace using headphones. This also results in distracting their attention away from work. The use of personal devices at work can also lead to severe accidents at the workplace. A number of cases have occurred in the last few years where a minor distraction from official task because of cell phone or other personal devices have resulted in severe workplace accidents. For example, an incident occurred in California in 2007 where an employee responsible for operating the sugarcane-chopping machine in a mill cut his left hand because he put his hand within the choppers unintentionally bein g busy in a personal call while operating the machine. This is just a single case out of many where little distractions have caused major injuries to employees. Such cases speak strongly in favor of putting a complete ban on the use of personal devices at the workplace. Impact of Social Networks The impact of using social networking websites, such as, Facebook or Twitter in offices is also not positive on the efficiency and attention of

Death of a Salesman Essay Example for Free

Death of a Salesman Essay What techniques does Arthur Miller use to highlight the conflict between past and present in Death of a Salesman? How do these techniques also demonstrate his main themes? Death of a Salesman is set in a time when the capitalist system is changing. It is set in the late 1940s, not long after the Wall Street crash in 1929. Willy Loman is unable to adjust to these changes and therefore, there is conflict between the past, where his dreams were achievable, and the present, where he has fallen foul of the capitalist system and is no longer any use to the firm. These conflicts are personified in Willy, and Arthur Miller uses a number of techniques to highlight this. The techniques Miller uses represent Willys mind and they distinguish between past and present. These theatrical methods also help to demonstrate the main themes in Death of a Salesman. These theatrical methods include music, lighting, wall-lines, scenery, the use of leaves and also use of costumes. In my essay I plan to explain what each method conveys to the audience and show how Miller uses these methods effectively to highlight the conflicts. Music is used to highlight significant points and themes in the play. Also, the type of music sets the mood for a scene. It creates atmosphere and conveys to the audience the emotions of the characters. Also, silence can highlight a particular scene. The absence of music means that the audience focuses entirely on the conversation taking place. In Death of a Salesman, flute music is heard constantly throughout the duration of the play. It bridges the play, as it is heard both at the beginning and the end. The flute music evokes a faraway, idyllic world, representing the past. It also represents a contrast between Willy and his father. Willys father was a pioneer; he made flutes and sold his own products. Willy, on the other hand, has to sell other peoples goods to make a living. A good example of music being used to set the scene is at the beginning of the restaurant scene. The lights have blacked out signifying the end of the previous scene Suddenly rollicking music is heard. This is setting the mood of the scene for the audience. It shows that the atmosphere is happy and lively. This is to show the mood of the present time. It is a contrast to the past. By having rollicking music, Miller is highlighting this contrast. This links to the theme of Happy and shows more of an insight into his character. Happy has chosen this restaurant and it shows the kind of life he lives, and this is a contrast to Willy.

Terrorism - Barbers Jihad vs. McWorld :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Barber's Jihad vs. McWorld    The entire history of humankind has been filled with rapid change. On the timetable that began with the creation of the earth and is still continuing today, humans have rose to domination very quickly. A greater intelligence quickly led to improved survival techniques, which led to an exponentially increasing population. More people led to a need for more space which, combined with increasing technology, led to expansion around the globe and the colonization of newly discovered regions, sometimes at the expense of other humans. Recent struggles for identity in the midst of a planet filled with a great diversity of people has led to the birth of new nations and the terrorization of others.    Jihad vs. McWorld is, quite simply, an attempt to explain the surroundings that we are all living in as citizens of the world. Using his own observations as well as plenty of resources from the media, Benjamin Barber paints a portrait of a grim world. He describes McWorld and Jihad as two broad ways our world is stripping us of individualism, and in doing so, attempts to shine a light on what is happening so that we the people will be blind no more. According to Barber, our own beloved world is holding us hostage without us knowing it; Jihad vs. McWorld shows us our captors in vivid detail.    Typical Americans are usually blind to nationalist struggles that involve different peoples in a different continent. However, recently, the effects of Jihad have been near to all Americans due to the tragedy of the World Trade Center. Although these events happened after Jihad vs. McWorld, the different Jihad-related struggles Barber describes allude to many elements of the terrorism that America is currently facing. Americans are not accustomed to dealing directly with these issues; Jihad vs. McWorld is very helpful in providing backgound to this and possibly any future events.    On the other hand, McWorld is something that all Americans are aware of. Barber consistently and accurately makes the point that McWorld is inherently American. McWorld is, in a few words, the strive of capitalism and corporations to spread their products to all people, maximizing profit. This concept is not new to Americans; America was founded on free trade and capitalism. In the twentieth century, many new products were created that, with the help of technology, quickly spread throughout America.

Narrative and Narration Essay

Narrative and narration in films are the way in which the audience follows the plot. The difference between narrative and narration is only really clear when both are understood properly. Narrative is basically the way we see all the events in a film unfold. E.g. ‘Blair Witch Project’. A group of film students go into the woods to film a documentary about the myth of the Blair Witch. What we see is the people film everything that they do. We see (in a nutshell) them get lost, get scared and then looking at a wall. Narration is the process through which a film conveys or withholds narrative information, the way the story is told. Narration concerns the actual arrangement and presentation of the story in the film, the way the film distributes story information in order to achieve specific effects. E.g. in the ‘Blair Witch Project’ the story conveys the idea that there is ‘something’ out there, but it withholds all the information on the thing by never showing anything out of the ordinary. Once these two are understood we have to look into the two other effects to do with narration. These two are omniscient and restricted narration. Omniscient narration is where the audience is subjected to information from many sources such as ‘Lock Stock and two Smoking Barrels’. The film switches from one character to the next all the time, thus we never get to know one character more that any other. Plus it gives the audience more information than any of the characters, so we have an advantage over them all, which creates a feeling of suspense because the viewer is on the edge of their seat wondering if a certain character will find out a specific piece of information. Restricted narrative is where the film conveys the narrative to the viewer via one character. E.g. ‘Get Carter’. In this film we get almost all of the information from Jack Carter. He is in almost every scene. The advantage of this is that you know everything Jack knows, also everything that he doesn’t know. This is used in the British gangster genre film because is ads mystery to the question what will happen to our man (Jack  Carter) next. Tzvetan Todorov’s theory of narrative structure is a very simple way of explaining filmic narrative. The following is a point from the theory followed by an example of this from the film ‘Armageddon’. â€Å"A state of equilibrium†. Everything in the world is fine. People getting on with their run of the mill lives. The main star is seen grafting on an oil rig. â€Å"A disturbance of that order by an event†. NASA discover a big ass rock coming to earth at an enormous speed. We also see New York get hit by a meteor storm which emphasises the enormity of this event because the rock was able to squash such big and strong city like New York. â€Å"A recognition that the disorder has occurred†. NASA devises a plot to stop the rock ending all life on Earth, by sending a bunch of drillers to land on it, dig a hole, set of a nuclear bomb and come home heroes. â€Å"A return or restoration of a NEW equilibrium†. The rock is blown to shreds and th e world is saved, so that now everyone can continue grafting for pittance just like before. The new equilibrium is emphasised by the shot of the wedding at the end with the photo of the people who died during this event, so there is less characters so its different from the original equilibrium. This new equilibrium is necessary or otherwise there would be no difference between the start and the end of the film so it would be pointless to watch it if nothing interesting has happened in the main event. So when a film is viewed in this way we get a better understanding of the plot because we realise that its not a straight linear concept, but a circular one. Otherwise how do we get back to the equilibrium if it goes straight. But it can also be argued that it is not a circular process because its not going back to a equilibrium like before but back to a new equilibrium so effectively its going in a linear structure. The narrative in the film is driven by attempts to restore equilibrium. But Todorov’s theory does not end there. Oh no. Todorov also argues that narrative involves a transformation. The characters or the situations are transformed through the progress of the disruption. E.g. Halloween. In this film Laurie Strode starts out as a geeky teenager who is more concerned with her lessons than boys. â€Å"Shit, what, I forgot my chemistry book†. â€Å"Hey Laurie I just got you a date with that boy you like. Oh no please tell me you didn’t. I sure did. OK th en you gotta ring him on  the morning and cancel the whole thing†. But then at the end of the story (which concludes at the end of the sequel Halloween 2) she is a much stronger character. This is emphasised with the character in Halloween H20 where we see how much she has moved on from geeky teenager to a confident, strong, energetic mum. Vladimir Propp believes that the characters in a film have a narrative function in the text. Characters are there to help provide a structure for the text. He found eight basic characters who perform a certain function. Following are the eight characters and with examples of their counterparts in some famous films. The HERO. In ‘The Matrix’ Neo is the person who on a quest for something gets drawn into a world of UN-reality and comes out the unlikely hero after being trained to realise the truth. This is a common action/thriller genre film technique, because it helps the audience feel related in a way to the hero because you realise that it could happen to anyone of us. This is used in ‘Enemy of the State’. Will Smith is the usual nothing and ends up learning how to outsmart the American Government, which are so hard to outsmart apparently. The VILLAIN. In Halloween the villain is the maniac killer Michael Myers. As with most horror films at least the villai n (a killer more times than not) is a psychopath. E.g. ‘Friday the 13th’, Mrs Voorhees is the shock killer, her son was killed in the opening of the film. ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’. Freddie Kruger is the mysterious killer who slashes people up in their sleep. In ‘Night of the Living Dead’ zombies are the weird dead things that try and kill everyone. In ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ its a family of freaks that lure people in and then kill’em. These are the films that scare people. The Villains that shock people are the ones that you cant see. Such as the devil in ‘The Exorcist’ or the witch in ‘The Blair Witch Project’. The reason why the films worked was because the viewer was taken into a world of un-reality and this scared people. It let them be witness to what reality would be like in a unreal society. But more recent horror attempts such as the ‘Scream’ trilogy and ‘Children of the Corn’ use real people as the freaks who go on killing sprees. This kind of film scared film fans because it gave the impression that anyone can turn into homicidal maniacs. These film’s wer e not as praised as the old fashioned films by big horror fans such as myself because  it tries to play the audience into believe something which is already happening in the world, whereas most people go to see films to get away from reality, the new sort of horror film just shows you real life situations. The DONOR. In my view the donor in 90% of films is the narrative. The reason being that in most films the plot is for the good guy to defeat the bad guy. This can be by arresting them, killing them etc., but it doesn’t really matter. The donor provides the object for the hero to go for, or the heroes goal, and this in most films is the neutralisation or stopping of the bad guy. So when looked at like this we see that its the films presentation that provides the goal for the hero. The DISPATCHER. The dispatcher in a film is the person who sends the hero on their way. In the film ‘The Lion King’ the dispatchers are Nala and Moustapha. The reason why it’s these two is because they persuade Simba to go after Scar and regain his kingdom as the king. These are one of the key characters in the story because if it wasn’t for them the hero would no nothing to try and fix the situation. The FALSE HERO. The false hero in the film ‘The World Is Not Enough’ is the character Electra. She appears to be on the side of the hero (James Bond) but then turns against him. She provides him and M with informati on that appears helpful to their cause but we then realise that its part of a trap, between her and the bad guy. This character is very important to the flow of a film because it provides the viewer with a reason to then go on and hate that character, because we relate to the hero and as that person has screwed the hero we therefore feel that she has screwed us to. So in a way it personalises the character with the audience. The HELPER. The helper in a film is the person that seems knowledgeable in a certain aspect of the plot and then goes onto help the hero. The helper in ‘Halloween’ is Sam Loomis. This character is usually a person who for some reason knows the actions of the bad guy. In the case of Sam Loomis he is the doctor of Michael Myers. This helps him know what the killer will do next. He tells the sheriff that the killer will return to Haddonfield to try and kill his one surviving relative Laurie Strode. If it wasn’t for this character the hero would have no chance of stopping the bad guy because he knows absolutely nothing about it. Its also the same in ‘E nemy of the State’. The helper Gene Hackman (Brill) is the person who knows all about surveillance, the US governments capabilities, so therefore can help the hero (Will Smith) overcome the  challenge that the narrative of the film has set out. The PRINCESS. The princess in a film is the sexual reward for the heroes good work. The princess in ‘Armageddon’ is played by Liv Tyler and is the reward for the partial hero’s (Ben Afflleck) hard work in saving the planet from total destruction. The princess character is very important to the conclusion if the film because it is possible for the men to relate to it. The way is that the typical family picture in the world today still is that man goes out to work, women cleans the house and kids go to school. The man comes home from work and gets some sex for all his work, just like the hero in the film. Also like in ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’, Angelina Jolie is the reward for Nicholas Cage’s efforts at stealing 50 cars in one night. The FATHER. The father in ‘Armageddon’ again is Bruce Willis. The role of the father is to reward the hero for a job well done. In ‘Armageddon’ the reward for good work is being able to live with the fathers daughter, because the father rewards him for good work by staying on the rock and choosing to die himself. The father in the film also acts as the man with all the knowledge that holds the group together. In ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’ the father Auto (Robert Duval) acts as the all powerful, all knowledgeable person who’s been there before and therefore is the person who can guide all the younger ones in the right direction. All of these eight points of characters carry the film. Not just one but all of them. When looked at in greater detail Propp’s theory we realise that its the way we sub-consciously look at the characters that makes the viewer thank anything of a certain film. In conclusion narrative and narration are the key elements that make a film what it is. All the above theories are vital, when it comes to reading a film in detail. These theories are useful because they make us view the film in a different way than you normally would. They help you to understand what the importance of certain characters and effects are. They help the viewer view key elements in totally different ways and to understand them in a much deeper detail than before. E.g. When I first saw ‘Halloween’ I saw Sam Loomis as an old doctor who seems a bit crazy upstairs. I thought his importance in the film was minimal and that he was only there to involve a British dude; and now when I watch the film I can realise how important his character is to Laurie Strodes quest to kill the Shape. If it was not for  him no one would have any idea of his intentions and that he would return to Haddonfield. So basically you’re decision as to weather you like a film or not can be identified by breaking down the certain aspects of a film down into questions. I.e. How do the films narrative functions effect you’re overall perception of the film.? How does the films narration effect the way you perceive the film. When you look at Todorov’s theory of narrative structure how does your view of the film change from the one you had of it before you compared it to the points Todorov makes in his theory? How does Propp’s theory of characters and narrative function make you look at the characters when you also look at the eight points outlined in his theory? All this along with all the stuff to do with camera movement, use of sound, use of lighting, use of Mise-en-scene and the way the plot is portrayed all help you understand a film in a deeper way than before.

Horses Anatomy Essay

The respiratory system of the horse is well adapted to athletic exercise, with unrestricted upper airway diameters, and a large lung capacity afforded by 18 ribs. These combine to enable air intakes of up to 1800 litres per minute in a galloping horse. Volumes of up to 300 litres of blood are pumped at high pressure through small lung capillaries surrounding 10 million air sacs to take up and deliver over 70 litres of oxygen per minute to the working muscles at the gallop. As a result, any restriction in upper airway diameter, obstruction of the airways, diseases or stress related conditions that reduce efficiency of oxygen uptake from the air sacs, can have a great influence on athletic capacity. The large lung surface and high blood flow rates also provide the additional function of heat loss during and after exercise, with up to 20% of the muscle heat generated during exercise being exchanged across the lung surface to supplement sweating and other skin surface heat loss mechanisms. The respiratory system is continually challenged by a large amount of foreign material, including viruses, bacteria and fungi inhaled in air from track and arena surfaces during exercise, or from dusty bedding, feed and stable environments. The horses circulatory system is a very large and complex system made up of veins and arteries. The blood is the pumped under enormous pressure from the heart along the arteries which have thick muscular walls to deal with the pressure. It oxygenates the body and the internal organs The circulatory system is based upon the heart – a hollow, muscular organ in the chest cavity. It pumps the blood around the body and is divided into four separate compartments . Blood from the right ventricle goes to the lungs to be oxygenated and then is returned to the left ventricle. Blood from the left ventricle is pumped all through the body in arteries. Arteries repeatedly branch and diminish in size until they become microscopic capillaries. Capillaries permit necessary interchange between blood and tissue. They eventually join up to produce veins, which convey blood to the right atrium and from there to the right ventricle. A horse of average size has approximately 50 pints (28 litres) which circulate through his system every 40 seconds. Excretory system Depending on size, age, and productive status (work, sport, pleasure, breeding, pregnancy, lactation, retirement), a horse will digest about 60% of most feedstuffs. Feed that is 60% digestible indicates that if a horse is fed 25 pounds of dry feed, 15 will be digested and 10 pounds will be excreted as manure (feces). This will vary by feed. Feeds that are higher in fiber such as hays and grasses have a lower digestibility. Conversely, concentrate feeds that contain grains such as corn, oats, and/or barley, usually have a higher efficiency of digestion and less fecal excretion. Nitrogen (N) is a major component of protein. Horses need protein for maintenance, growth, reproduction, lactation, and work. Phosphorus (P) is a macromineral needed for maintenance, growth, and other physiologic functions. Water is also essential for bodily functions. Water is lost from the body primarily in the excretion of feces and urine, sweat, evaporation from the lungs and skin, and in the case of lactation, from milk. It also affects the consistency of manure. All nutrients that are digested (absorbed) are metabolized in the horse’s body. Some of these, especially nitrogen in proteins, are excreted in the urine. After being digested and metabolized in the body, waste nitrogen is converted to urea in the liver and excreted in the urine. Additional  undigested nitrogen is excreted in the feces. Overfeeding protein will increase the excretion of nitrogen. Overfeeding phosphorus will increase the excretion of phosphorous, most of which is excreted in the feces. Horses should be fed a diet that is digestible and formulated to meet nutritional requirements, while avoiding excesses. Overfeeding can result in higher levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in the manure. Horse farmers should feed horses according to their nutritional needs. Specific recommendations for nitrogen (protein) and phosphores.

Quotations About Endangered Species

Quotations About Endangered Species People all around the world are talking about endangered species. Opinions circulate, facts are figured, and tempers have been known to flare. It becomes an interesting study to learn not only what makes a species endangered, but how people react to these species predicaments and what might be done to protect them The following is a list quotes by politicians, actors, authors, and other well-known public figures who, in one way or another, have felt a need to speak up on the issue of endangered species conservation. Notable Quotes Lawrence Anthony Workable solutions for Earth are urgently needed. Saving seals and tigers, or fighting yet another oil pipeline through a wilderness area, while laudable, is merely shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic. Norm Dicks The Endangered Species Act is the strongest and most effective tool we have to repair the environmental harm that is causing a species to decline. Yao Ming Endangered species are our friends. Martin Jenkins, Can We Save the Tiger? When it comes to looking after all the species that are already endangered, theres such a lot to do that sometimes it might all seem to be too much, especially when there are so many other important things to worry about. But if we stop trying, the chances are that pretty soon well end up with a world where there are no tigers or elephants, or sawfishes or whooping cranes, or albatrosses or ground iguanas. And I think that would be a shame, dont you? Jay Inslee What is a fish without a river? What is a bird without a tree to nest in? What is an Endangered Species Act without any enforcement mechanism to ensure their habitat is protected? It is nothing. Bruce Babbitt Well, I think [Im most proud of] breathing life into the Endangered Species Act, taking those wolves back into Yellowstone, restoring the salmon in the rivers of the Pacific Northwest. Id say thats at the top. Alex Meraz Actually I do support a charity, Defenders of Wildlife. They help protect endangered species. Aldo Leopold, Sand County Almanac If education really educates, there will, in time, be more and more citizens who understand that relics of the old West add meaning and value to the new. Youth yet unborn will pole up the Missouri with Lewis and Clark, or climb the Sierras with James Capen Adams, and each generation, in turn, will ask: Where is the big white bear? It will be a sorry answer to say he went under while conservationists werent looking. Jack Hanna The snow leopard is absolutely magnificent. It represents really what endangered species are all about. Jim Saxton It is a drastic mistake to eliminate the provisions that have to do with the protection of habitat for endangered species. It is my opinion that the Endangered Species Act is 99 percent about protecting critical habitat. Dave Barry The real threat to whales is whaling, which has endangered many whale species. Steve Irwin Take the crocodile, for example, my favorite animal. There are 23 species. Seventeen of those species are rare or endangered. Theyre on the way out, no matter what anyone does or says, you know. Russell Banks Chimpanzees are endangered. Severely. Charles Clover, The End of the Line: How Overfishing Is Changing the World and What We Eat Celebrity chefs are the leaders in the field of food, and we are the led. Why should the leaders of chemical businesses be held responsible for polluting the marine environment with a few grams of effluent, which is sublethal to marine species, while celebrity chefs are turning out endangered fish at several dozen tables a night without enduring a syllable of criticism? Bill Vaughan The whale is endangered, while the ant continues to do just fine. Source Clover, Charles. End of the Line: How Overfishing Is Changing the World and What We Eat. Paperback, Ebury, March 1, 2005.

Ways Reporters Can Avoid Conflicts of Interest

Ways Reporters Can Avoid Conflicts of Interest Hard-news reporters should approach stories objectively, setting their own prejudices and preconceptions aside in order to discover the truth about whatever theyre covering. An important part of objectivity is avoiding conflicts of interest that might influence a reporters work. Examples of Conflict of Interest Avoiding conflict of interest is sometimes easier said than done. Heres an example: Lets say you cover city hall, and over time you get to know the mayor well because hes a big part of your beat. You may even grow to like him and secretly wish for him to be successful as the towns chief executive. Theres nothing wrong with that per se, but if your feelings begin to color your coverage of the mayor, or renders you unable to write about him critically when necessary, then clearly theres a conflict of interest - one that must be resolved. Why must reporters be mindful of this? Because sources often try to influence journalists in order to get more positive coverage. For example, after interviewing the CEO of a major airline for a profile, I got a call from one of the airlines public relations people. She asked how the article was going, then offered me two round-trip tickets to London, courtesy of the airline. Its hard to say no to free airline tickets, but of course, I had to refuse. Accepting them would have been a big-time conflict of interest, one that might have affected the way I wrote the story. In short, avoiding conflicts of interest requires a conscious effort on the part of a reporter, day in and day out. How to Avoid Conflicts of Interest Here are six ways to avoid such conflicts: Dont Accept Freebies or Gifts From Sources. People will often try to curry favor with reporters by offering them gifts of various sorts. But taking such freebies opens the reporter up to the charge that he can be bought.Dont Donate Money to Political or Activist Groups. Many news organizations have rules against this for obvious reasons - it telegraphs where the reporter stands politically and erodes the confidence readers have in the reporter as an impartial observer. Even opinion journalists can get into trouble for giving money to political groups or candidates, as Keith Olbermann did in 2010.Dont Engage in Political Activity. This goes along with No. 2. Dont attend rallies, wave signs or otherwise publicly lend your support to groups or causes that have a political bent. Non-political charitable work is fine.Dont Get Too Chummy With the People You Cover. Its important to establish a good working relationship with the sources on your beat. But theres a fine line between a working relationship and a true friendship. If you become best friends with a source youre not likely to cover that source objectively. The best way to avoid such pitfalls? Dont socialize with sources outside of work. Dont Cover Friends or Family Members. If you have a friend or relative who is in the public spotlight - lets say your sister is a member of the city council - you must recuse yourself from covering that person as a reporter. Readers simply wont believe that youll be as tough on that person as you are on everyone else - and theyll probably be right.Avoid Financial Conflicts. If you cover a prominent local company as part of your beat, you shouldnt own any of that companys stock. More broadly, if you cover a certain industry, say, drug companies or computer software makers, then you shouldnt own stock in those kinds of companies.

CRITCALY CONSIDER WHETHER THO OCCURENCE OF SEXUAL CRIME IS BETTER Essay

CRITCALY CONSIDER WHETHER THO OCCURENCE OF SEXUAL CRIME IS BETTER EXPLAINNED BY SOCIOLOGIVAL OR PSYCHOLOGICal oriented criminolo - Essay Example As per Edwin Sutherland, kids were learning from elders about the criminal attitudes. As per Walter Reckless, crime happens when kids develop an insufficient self-image rendering them incapable of managing their own misbehaviour. As per Karl Marx, social interaction is the main instrument which sowed the seeds for new vistas in criminology. (Siegel 2008:10). Emile Durkheim regarded crime as a necessary and a normal social event. Quetelet from France revealed that crime rates were highest in the summer in France in heterogeneous, especially in southern regions and mostly influenced by drinking habits. Quetelet recognised many of the relationships between social phenomenons and hence, crime still acts as a footing for criminology even today. Lombrosian findings of crime depend upon biological determinism is the direct opposite to Quetelet revelations that crime had a social basis which is a direct confront of the former. (Siegel 2008:11). Structural Strain: Employing a sociological per spective, the structural concepts indicate that social and economic forces of strain shape collective human behaviour. (Siegel 2008: 175).Merton is of the view that anomie has been one of the most significant and long-term sociological theories of criminality. (Siegel 2008:176). Sexual crime is not a psychiatric crime but of legal nature. One becomes a sexual offender by satisfying tests of legal definitions and principles and not by satisfying some diagnostic criteria like sexual sadism and paedophilia. Sexual crime includes sexual demeanour. Sexual crime includes sexual behaviour like attempted or actual anal or vaginal penetration and whether the victim has been forcibly compelled or had with consent and the magnitude of the force employed by the perpetrator. (Flowers 2006:15). Masters and Johnson (1974) are of the view that human sexual demeanour is both instinctive and learned and effected by a variety of psychological, biological and socio-cultural manipulations. There is avai lability of plenty of evidence that majority of human sexual movements would become more graspable to majority individuals, if they could understand the setting of each other background and behaviour. (Kinsey, Promeroy and Martin 1948:678). The criminological outlook spotlights on sexual crimes, the consequences and it’s causes. The psychological standpoint spotlights on the manner in which sexual arousal and sexuality are influenced by personality dynamics, attitudes, motivations, emotions, interpersonal demeanour and beliefs. The sociological outlook sees sexuality as a genetic adaptation to the background with conception that sex differences in females and males are adaptive and functional in a biological sense. Sexual deviance is kind of sexual behaviour which is deviant from criminological and sociological perspectives will change across place and time and will be socially constructed. Kraft –Ebing (1906) explained sexual disorders, which include masochism, sadism , fetishism, transvestism, transsexualism, sexual bondage, nymphomania and lust murder. Sex crimes are distinguished from sexual deviance and sexual disorders as they are behavioural functions that infringe the law. From a legal outlook, sexual offenses are acts considered to be both a hazard to public and individual safety and sexually deviant. . Sexual

Module 2 Case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Module 2 Case - Assignment Example By contacting its consumers companies and customers across the globe, the company is in a position to create strong brands that are competitive. For example, Philips undertook a survey that involved interviewing 26,000 respondents across the world. In order to ensure that the company brands are effective and meet the customer needs, Philips undertakes qualitative research by the use of small focus groups that included professionals such as hospital surgeons who are regular users of scanning equipments (Eeva, 2014). The research that was undertaken in various countries such as Brazil, UK, Germany, US, AND China among others indicated that Philips makes the lives of its consumers better and that they believe they can rely on Philips brand. Philips relies on developing new brand as well as improving the existing ones. This is one of the aspects that make professionals to have strong positive brand-customer relationship. Phillips branding indicate emotions such as innovation, power to th e customers by means of technology, hope, liberty regained and aspirations. Apple, a US based electronics company believes in the production of state of art and style brands. Being one of the top brands in the world, the company adopts product diversification as way of meeting the diversified needs of its customers (Linzmayer, 1999). Some of the brands produced by Apple include computer parts, mp3, laptops and computers among others. The company state of art brands are made through the use of a digital hub as a strategy. Through innovation and research, Apple has produced quality brands that meet ready demand globally. The use of customer experience as well as unique user interface the company has become some of the core capabilities that have created strong positive customer-brand relationship in the company. Basically, Apple branding involves focusing on their products as well as the

Changes to the law on Squatting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Changes to the law on Squatting - Essay Example A study established that there are approximately one billion squatters around the world, and also noted that squatting has not been sufficiently debated on academic or policy grounds. Section 144 of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act, 2012 (S144 LASPO 2012), of the United Kingdom (UK), made significant changes to the law that criminalize squatting under some circumstances, including the intention to stay there. This paper will give a background of the law on squatting in the UK, explaining why it has been contentious and further analyze the changes that came into force on September 1st 2012, and consider their wider implications. Squatting in England can be traced back to 1381, where it was one of the major factors that led to the Peasants’ Revolt, and the 17th century when it was associated with the Diggers (Waterhouse 2005). They claimed ownership of common and waste land and cultivated it. It was the initial land tenure system that the peasants knew. W ith the passage of time, the development of agriculture and settlement necessitated land ownership and, hence, boundaries. In Wales, a tax policy as well as a population expansion in the 17th century forced a part of the population to move into the countryside. There, they squatted and built their own property on common land under fictional traditional assumptions, resulting in the development of small housing units. ... ributed to the large numbers of failing businesses in urban centers, which propelled squatting in Cardiff and Swansea, and was supported by statistics from the Advisory Service for Squatters (ASS) that squatting in Wales and England had doubled since 1995. In England, after World War I, many homeless people took up squatting as a necessity, but the post-World War II era gave rise to a bigger wave of squatting, which carried on into the 1960s’ wave of housing crisis. In 1946, servicemen returning from the war and their families were installed in empty properties by Harry Cowley, together with the Vigilantes (Roberts 2006). This was in retaliation to the severe housing shortage. Later in the 1960s, the Family Squatting Movement was developed. It aimed at mobilising people to seize control of empty and unused property and turn them into housing facilities for the homeless families that were on the waiting list of the Council Housing. Studies have suggested that it was common to r espond to homelessness by squatting, with at least 40 percent of the homeless opting to squat. More recently in the early 1970s, a conflict grew between the initial Family Squatting Movement activists and a newer group of squatters who were simply opposed to the landlords’ right to demand rent. They claimed the seizing of property and staying without rent was their right and a revolutionary political action (Reeve 2011). They were actually young and single anarchists, not truly homeless families, strongly against the idea of seeking agreement with local councils on the use of idle property. In 1977, the Protection from Eviction Act and the Criminal Law Act were introduced, and amended in 1994 after media campaigns that claimed homes were squatted when the owners were away, tightening the law

Should Courts Grant Conscientious Exemptions?

Should Courts Grant Conscientious Exemptions? Should Courts Grant Conscientious Exemptions from Equality Laws as Judicial Remedy? Freedom of conscience and religion is a fundamental right as stated in Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights[1]. The key issue here is that there is no explicit reference to conscientious objection, which leads to a clash of ideals between freedom of thought, conscience and religion which may lead to individuals being permitted to discriminate against others and the principle of equality, which can only be dealt with via conscientious exemptions granted by the court. Therefore the purpose of this essay is to determine whether equality prevails over freedom of religion and whether the courts should grant conscientious exemptions from equality laws. Freedom of conscience and religion allows an individual to practice and change their religious or non-religious beliefs without interference from the government. However exercising ones right to manifest their religion or belief can overstep the mark and be inappropriate, an example being the case of Lee v McArthur[2]. In this case, the appellants were appealing an earlier ruling which stated that the appellants directly discriminated against a customer by not supplying a cake decorated with the message support gay marriage. The court upheld the original decision and gave the ruling that the bakery did in fact directly discriminate against the customer as it was a case of association with the gay and bisexual community and the protected characteristic was the sexual orientation of the community. This was a landmark case as it featured many democratic and political principles such as the right to free speech, the right to manifest ones beliefs, and the principle of equality. The rulin g also proved that, on this occasion as well as many others, equality does take precedence over freedom of conscience and religion, and that the court believed granting conscientious exemption could not be justified. The Equality Act 2010[3], in essence, is the statute that which places the limitations on the right to freedom of religion and one which all employers especially ones which provide goods and services must uphold. This is where the courts must show particular care as to defining the limits of freedom of conscience and religion as they must give particular regard to the legislation and its aim of protecting certain characteristics from discrimination in particular, sexual orientation, and religious and non-religious beliefs. One example where equality came up against freedom of religion was in the case of Hall v Bull[4]. This is a case where a same-sex couple were refused a double-bedded room by Christian hoteliers. The ruling given by Lords Neuberger and Hughes was that the couple were in fact directly discriminated against as he hoteliers were applying the criterion that their legal relationship was not that of one man and one woman, a criterion that cannot be distinguished from s exual orientation. The fact that there are a number of cases with similar rulings is more evidence that freedom of religion will not be favoured above equality, suggesting that courts are unwilling to grant conscientious exemptions. Conscientious objection has been around for many a year now, as historically humanists and religious people alike have exercised their right to refuse military service at times of conscription. One of the many ways to protect freedom of conscience and religion is by the granting of conscientious exemptions, and it is also one of the many varieties of exemption that can be granted by law[5]. This raises the question as to why the courts have not done more to protect the right to freedom of conscience and religion and grant such exemptions from equality laws. There have been a number of cases where the courts have granted conscientious exemptions, as well as being opposed to it in others. The very first case where the issue of the applicability of Article 9 (freedom of thought, conscience and religion) of the Convention to conscientious objectors was in the case of Bayatyan v Armenia[6]. In this particular case, a Jehovahs Witness was initially convicted of draft evasion and sentenced to prison for refusing to perform military service for conscientious reasons, which he then appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The Court noted that a shift in the interpretation of Article 9 was necessary and that, being in the situation of the applicant, Article 9 was applicable to his case. The Court also noted that, by convicting the objector, Armenia had been in violation of Article 9 of the Convention. The Ruling in the Bayatyan case was a significant step in the direction of granting conscientious exemptions in relation to the refusal of engaging in military service. However, it is still debated as to whether courts should grant conscientious exemptions in relation to non-military services. In the case of Eweida and others[7], the complainants ( E, C, L and M) complained that the domestic law of the United Kingdom failed to protect their right to manifest their religion. In the applications of E and C, the complainants refused to remove their respective crosses as they were committed to their Christian faith. Their respective employers did not allow them to remain in their positions, with E not allowed to remain in her post while visibly wearing the cross, and C being moved to a different post which then ceased to exist. L was employed by a local authority as a registrar or births, deaths and marriages. However, as a Christian, she believed same-sex civil partnerships were contrar y to Gods law, and therefore refused to be designated as a registrar of civil partnerships, resulting in the loss of her job. M was employed by a private company with a policy of providing services to equally to opposite-sex and same-sex couples. However M refused to commit to providing counselling to same-sex couples, resulting in disciplinary proceedings being brought against him. The ruling given in the application of Eweida was that while the employer had a legitimate aim of wishing to project a certain corporate image, the domestic courts had given it too much weight[8]. However in Cs case, the judgement made was that interference with her freedom to manifest her religion was necessary in a democratic society and that there had been no breach of Article 9[9]. The reason for this was that asking her to remove the cross was of a greater magnitude than that applied in respect of E, since it was for the protection of health and safety. It was also noted that hospitals were better placed to make decisions about clinical safety than a court, especially one where no direct evidence was heard. The judgement given in the case of L was that there had been no breach of Article 14 in conjunction with Article 9 of the Convention as the local authoritys policy aimed to secure the rights of others, which were protected under the convention as well as Ls right to manifest her religion[10]. As in the case of M, the most important factor was that the employers action was intended to secure the implementation of its policy of providing a service without discrimination. This then allowed the state authorities to benefit from a wide margin of appreciation, which was not exceeded. Therefore, the ruling was that there was no breach of Article 9, taken alone or in conjunction with Article 14 of the Convention[11]. The main issue with all applications within the particular case, as with many other cases, was striking the right balance between the right to manifest ones religion and providing a service equally to everyone. Brian Barry is one theorist who holds the view that conscientious exemptions can rarely be justified and that it is hard to steer a path between the position that doing (or avoiding) X is so important that all should do it, and the alternative position that people should be free to decide for themselves whether to X[12]. This suggests that a path must be found if freedom conscience is to be taken seriously. Even more evidence to suggest that freedom of conscience will not be taken seriously in court and that the principle of equality will always trump the freedom of thought, conscience and religion. The clash between the right to thought, conscience and religion and the principle of equality has been and will be continuing for a very long time. Early evidence suggests that equality does prevail, as domestic and European courts have shown in their judgements of many human rights cases. As with the majority of cases, the complainant is usually an employee who may have been given disciplinary action by their employer. The key issue was whether there is a fair balance in each particular case and whether or not there was a wide margin of appreciation. Each case has different set of facts and what must be known is the circumstances surrounding the facts of the case e.g. was there a policy within the company that restricts one to manifest their religion, can it affect the health and safety of others, and are there other colleagues who wear religious materials but were not disciplined. As courts have shown to be more towards equality, and the fact that one case is completely different t o another, conscientious exemptions should not be granted as judicial remedy. However, whilst conscientious objection is as of now a right under Article 9 of the Convention[13] in relation to refusing to engage is warfare, it is still not explicitly stated so therefore such exemptions from equality laws should not be granted as judicial remedy. Bibliography Cases Bayatyan v Armenia (2012) 54 EHRR 15 Eweida and others v United Kingdom (2013) 57 EHRR 8 Hall v Bull[2013] UKSC 73 Lee v McArthur [2016] NICA 39 Legislations Equality Act 2010 EU Treaties Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention on Human Rights, as amended) (ECHR) art 9 Books B Barry, Culture and Equality (2001) 46, 50 (as cited in Yossi Nehustan, Religious Conscientious Exemptions (2011) 30 Law and Phil. 143) Journal Articles Yossi Nehustan, Religious Conscientious Exemptions (2011) 30 Law and Phil. 143 [1] Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention on Human Rights, as amended) (ECHR) art 9 [2] Lee v McArthur [2016] NICA 39 [3] Equality Act 2010 [4] Hall v Bull[2013] UKSC 73 [5] Yossi Nehustan, Religious Conscientious Exemptions (2011) 30 Law and Phil. 143 [6] Bayatyan v Armenia (2012) 54 EHRR 15 [7] Eweida and others v United Kingdom (2013) 57 EHRR 8 [8] Eweida (n 7) [94-95] [9] Eweida (n 7) [99-100] [10] Eweida (n 7) [106] [11] Eweida (n 7) [109-110] [12] B Barry, Culture and Equality (2001) 46, 50 (as cited in Yossi Nehustan, Religious Conscientious Exemptions (2011) 30 Law and Phil. 143) [13] (ECHR) art 9 (n 1) Atrial Fibrillation: Basic Pathophysiology Atrial Fibrillation: Basic Pathophysiology Introduction Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of cardiac arrhythmia; it involves the two upper chambers of the heart known as the atria. During atrial fibrillation the normal pulses generated by the sinoatrial node are overcome by the electrical pulses that are generated in the atria and pulmonary veins, which leads to irregular impulses being conducted to the ventricles, and therefore irregular heartbeats are generated. AF is identified by rapid and oscillatory waves that vary in amplitude, shape and timing instead of regular P-waves. Electrocardiograms are therefore used commonly to diagnose AF in patients. Arterial Fibrillation can present asymptomatically meaning that it can present in a patient but show no symptoms, it is considered to be non life threatening in many cases although it can result in heart palpitations, fainting, chest pain and in chronic cases congestive heart failure. The risk of stroking is also increased due to the fact that blood may pool and form clots in poorly contracting atria. Patients with AF are usually given blood-thinning medication such as warfarin to stop clots forming. Atrial fibrillation can occur in the absence of structural heart disease, known as lone AF, although this only occurs in approx. 15% of cases. Commonly AF is associated with hypertension, diabetes, obesity, coronary artery disease, pulmonary disease, valvular heart disease and coronary heart failure. Basic Pathophysiology of Atrial Fibrillation Atrial fibrillation usually begins with increased premature atrial contractions (ectopic beats) progressing to brief runs of atrial fibrillation usually that are usually self-terminating, over time these episodes can increase in duration and sometimes become persistent. During this progression structural changes in the atria occur as well as biochemical changes in the atrial myocytes. Pathophysiological adaptation of the atria to fibrillation has been broadly termed remodeling. More specifically, the changes primarily affecting the excitability and electrical activity of the atrial myocytes have been termed electrophysiological remodeling. The primary change in the structure of the atria is fibrosis, which is usually considered to be due to the atrial dilation, although in some cases genetic influences and inflammation can also be a cause. In 1990 Sanfilippo stated that atrial dilation was not a consequence of AF although more recently in 2005 Osranek stated that atrial dilation was not a consequence of AF. Dilation is due to almost any structural abnormality of the heart, such as hypertension, valvular heart disease and congestive heart failure; this structural abnormality causes a rise in intra-cardiac pressures. Demonstrating the strong relationship between atrial fibrillation and structural heart disease. Once dilation does occur it begins sequences of events that lead to the activation of the rein aldosterone angiotensin system and a subsequent increase in matrix metaloproteinases and disintegrin, leading to remodeling of the atria and fibrosis. Fibrosis is not limited to muscle mass of the atria, it can occur in sinus node and atroventricular node also, relating to sinus node dysfunction (sick sinus syndrome). During normal electrical conduction of the heart the SA node generates a pulse that propagates to and stimulates the muscle of the heart (myocardium), when stimulated the myocardium contracts. The order of stimulation is what causes correct contraction of the heart, allowing the heart to function correctly. During atrial fibrillation the impulse produced by the SA node is overcome by rapid electrical discharges produced in the atria and adjacent parts of the pulmonary veins. When AF progresses from paroxysmal to persistent the sources of these conflictions increase and localise in the atria. Principles of Catheterization and Ablation The fundamental aim of catheter ablation is to eliminate ectopic beats that arise most often in the pulmonary veins and less often in the superior vena cova and coronary sinus. This is accomplished through catheter insertion into blood veins in order to reach the heart, isolation of abnormal heart tissue and ablation of this abnormal heart tissue through the use of radiofrequency, cryoblation or high intensity focused ultrasound. Rate Control and Rhythm Control Despite ablative techniques and antiarrhythmic drugs available, management of common rhythm disturbance remains a problem. Rate control is the preferred treatment for permanent atrial fibrillation and for some patients with persistent atrial fibrillation, if they are either over 65 years of age or have coronary heart disease. Rate control is usually done through the use of pharmaceutical drugs (usually beta blockers or rate limiting calcium channel blockers) in order to slow ventricular heart rate and stop the atria from fibrillating. Rhythm control is most commonly used for the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and in some cases of persistent atrial fibrillation if the patient is either less than 65 years of age, has lone atrial fibrillation or congestive heart failure. Rhythm control is usually achieved through the use of either a cardioversion (electrically or pharmacological) or the use of pharmaceutical drugs (usually beta blockers) in order to maintain sinus rhythm. T his treatment is needed for a longer time in order to stop reoccurrence of atrial fibrillation. [http://www.cks.nhs.uk/atrial_fibrillation/management/detailed_answers/first_or_new_presentation_of_af/rate_or_rhythm_control#-391784). Atrial fibrillation is treated most commonly pharmaceutically although if the drugs cannot control the AF or if the patient is having a bad reaction to the medication, catheter ablation therapy allows for greater control of heart rate and rhythm than drug therapy although it does present more risk to the patient. Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation Electrically isolating arhythmogenic thoracic veins is the most important aspect of this procedure. The application of radiofrequency energy to an endocardial surface is used to cause cellular electrical destruction with the loss of cellular electrical properties, essentially the destruction of abnormal electrical activity [39,40]. This technique can be enhanced through the use of larger ablation electrodes, [41-46] allowing the creation of deeper lesions. During the procedure a physician will map the area to locate abnormal electrical activity, this is facilitated through the use of electroanatomic mapping system (fig 2) allowing for better navigation when the catheter is inserted into the artery. Reported success of radiofrequency ablation is dependent on the severity of the condition and ranges from 65% to 85% and patients presenting with complications is 5%.[cryostat] Cryoblation The most used format of cryoblation is the cryoballoon approach. This involves a deflectable a deflectable over-the-wire catheter with an inner and outer balloon inserted, allowing for anatomical variance this balloon is available in two sizes (23mm and 28mm). The guidewire is positioned in the distal part of the pulmonary vein, the deflated balloon is then progressed to the pulmonary vein ostium. Using the central balloon marker the balloon position is then estimated before inflation, once the desired position is found the balloon is inflated; pressurized N20 is then delivered to the tip of the catheter via an ultrafine injection tube down a central lumen in the inner balloon, working like an expansion chamber. Sudden expansion of the liquid gas causes evaporation and absorption of heat from tissue and low temperatures are then achieved (Approx -80dc). An occlusion angiogram is then performed in the central lumen of the catheter to ensure good balloon pulmonary vein contact. Cryobla tion is then started for at least five minutes under the condition that optimum pulmonary venous occlusion is achieved. The most important issue when using this technique is to establish optimum contact between the pulmonary vein antrum and the balloon. High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) High intensity ultrasound is used in percutaneous ablation of atrial fibrillation through the use of a steerable balloon catheter. The high intensity focused ultrasound balloon is positioned at the ostium of the pulmonary veins and forms a sonicating ring to ablate pulmonary vein antrum when high intensity focused ultrasound is delivered. An arrhythmia-free rate of 59%-75% was achieved by HIFU balloon in several studies investigating its effectiveness in atrial fibrillation ablation.15-17 Commercially Available Devices and Systems Medtronic GENius Multichannel RF Generator This generator is used for the creation of endocardial lesions during cardiac ablation procedures for the treatment of supraventricular arrhythmias. The generator delivers temperature-controlled radiofrequency energy, utilizing five radiofrequency energy mode selections: bipolar only, unipolar only, and combination energy mode selections of 4:1, 2:1, and 1:1. This system must be used with a catheter that is single use and sold separately to the device. The generator automatically recognizes the attached Cardiac Ablation Catheter and loads preset default temperature, time, and energy mode setting parameters. Ablation parameters such as ablation duration, energy mode, target temperature and channels can also be manually selected. Medtronic Cardiac CryoAblation Device The CryoConsole contains both electrical and mechanical components as well as exclusive software for controlling and recording a cryotherapy procedure. This system requires catheters that are purchased separately such as Medtronics Artic front cryoablation catheter (Fig. 3). This system stores and controls the delivery of the liquid refrigerant through the coaxial umbilical to the catheter, recovers the refrigerant vapor from the catheter under constant vacuum, and disposes of the refrigerant through the hospital scavenging system. Multiple features are built into both the CryoConsole system and catheters to ensure safety. Epicor Cardiac Ablation System Price The Epicor LP Cardiac Ablation System delivers High Intensity Focused Ultrasound using algorithms designed to precisely deliver energy up to 10mm. Unlike the other treatments high intensity focused ultrasound has the ability to create lesions from the inside out, depositing energy at the endocardium first and then building the lesion back up to the surface. The ability to focus HIFU cardiac ablation energy helps reduce the risk of tissue disruption, charring and collateral damage as well as overcome procedural limitations that have historically been associated with other ablation technologies. Conclusion In terms of ablation the umbrella terminology of Atrial Fibrillation does not take into account the complex nature of the disease. If a patient presents with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation they may only require a single catheter to be used, however if this condition becomes more continuous/chronic the patient may require multiple catheters and 3D navigational software. The three techniques described in this report appear to be similar in terms of their success rate, radiofrequency and cryoablation have a success rate of approx. 65-85% while High intensity focused ultrasound has a success rate of approx. 59-75%, this perhaps indicates that high intensity focused ultrasound may not be as effective in treating atrial fibrillation as radiofrequency and cryoablation although it is worth noting that these figures are taken from different research studies at different times and involve different patients that could be presenting greater or lesser a severity of atrial fibrillation.