“Hunger” from a Scientific Biopsychological Perspective

The term â€Å"bio† means life and â€Å"logos† means study. The word biology can thus be defined as the study of life. The study of physiological bases of behavior is known as Biological psychology. Biological psychology is the study in three ways namely the comparative method, Physiology and Investigation of inheritance. In the comparative method a number of different species are studied and then the results are compared and are related in order to understand the human behavior. Physiology basically focuses on how the brain functions, how the nervous system and hormones work and how their functions affect human behavior. The Investigation of inheritances focuses on how the mechanism of inheritance works. This paper will shed light on hunger from a scientific biopsychological perspective. When level of glycogen in the liver fall below a certain point, a feeling is experienced by an animal which is known as hunger. The organ responsible for originating this unpleasant feeling is the hypothalamus part of the brain. The hypothalamus alarms the liver and the stomach through the sense receptors. Animals can basically be divided into three major categories namely the carnivores, the herbivores and the omnivores. Though they all belong to same parent class but there eating habits are pretty different. Carnivores are basically meat eaters. They generally live on live foods. The biological reason behind this is because they have large mouth and very sharp teeth. This allows them to easily get a hold on their prey and tear off the huge pieces of flesh. The short intestinal tract and the huge stomach is perfect for them to hold even an entire big fish. Carnivores prefer to eat meat because there digestive system basically lacks the ability to digest vegetable matter. Even if they try to live on vegetable they won’t be able to survive for long because there body won’t be absorbing any nutrients. As carnivores have a huge stomach. They don’t have to eat food very frequently as there serving size is usually very huge. A lion is an example of carnivore. Herbivores on the other hand are totally opposite to carnivores. The proper diet for herbivores consists of plants, algae and fruits. They have adaptive themselves according to the biology of their body. There specialized intestines makes their body capable of breaking down matter. They have flat teeth through which they grind food before swallowing. The herbivores must have to eat frequently because their stomach lacks the ability to hold large volumes of food. They need to take meals several times a day and there serving size is usually very small. An example of a herbivore is a zebra. Omnivores can eat almost anything. They can vegetables and meat. Their teeth and digestive are made in such a way that they can adapt themselves to have the properties of both the omnivore and the herbivore. An example of an omnivores are humans. The part of the brain responsible for stimulating hunger is the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus can be divided into areas namely the lateral hypothalamus and the ventro hypothalamus. The lateral hypothalamus is the part that makes you feel hungry where as the ventromedial hypothalamus is the part that make you feel full and satisfied. When a person is eating a big meal and believes he no more has the capacity to eat more, the ventromedial hypothalamus is doing the job to indicate you. Signal impulses are generated by the hypothalamus at appropriate times in order to indicate that when to eat and when to stop. The hypothalamus is trained to maintain a certain optimal body weight. If the body weight falls below the marginal line, the hypothalamus lowers the metabolic rate and when we eat it tells the body to stop eating and increases the metabolic rate to burn excess foods. The neurotransmitter also effects are eating habits. The neurotransmitters that have relation with hunger is serotonin and dopamine. The serotonin is basically a neurotransmitter that keeps us happy. When we feel good, our body suppresses hunger. People who are usually depressed tend to put on weight because they feel hungry all the time. Dopamine neurotransmitter is also dependant on amino acids in the body. Dopamine levels can affect your body weight. A low dopamine level means that you’re less likely to consume amino acids in the body. As a result, there is more intake of carbohydrates and other fats and then you put on weight because you feel hungry. The processed or packaged food has certain chemical in them that effect your neurotransmitters levels in the body and thus you get hunger pangs. The hormones that affect our appetite and hunger is Ghrelin. Ghrelin levels increase before meals and lower down after meals. Gherlin has been discovered as the first hunger circulating hormone. www. soc. ucsb. edu) Obesity is a disease in which body consumes a lot of fat and chronic imbalances takes place. Science has proved that genes do play a role in obesity. Genes that are related to obesity can effect the metabolic rate. They could also affect human behavior, changing our lifestyles and increasing the risk of being obese. Science has proved that some genes control appetie. Such genes make us less able to sense when a feeling full where are as some genes make our bodies more responsive to food by affecting our sense of taste, smell or sight of food. Some genes make us feel lazy and less active and as result people put on weight. Epigenetic is a birth given to a new science. Epigenetic basically involve the study of gene activity in which though they do not involve alterations to the genetic code but can still be passed down to at least one successive generation. The cellular material for expressing these gene patterns is known as epigenome. (www. britannica. com) Both nature and nurture have affects on our diet and body size. The evolutionary factors that basically shape the genetics that we inherit from our parents and ancestors is known as Nature. Things that influence us since we were born is nurture. The range of human potential is basically determined by nature where as the ways in which the human potential is actualized is determined by nurture. Your diet and body size is affected both by the nature and the nurture. Parents that are usually tall are mostly likely to have kids that are going to be tall. This is genetic and thus nature has it roles. However, parents who are short does not necessarily mean will have kids that will be short too. If kids are given proper food, they exercise well and they remain active so they can affect their body size. Thus nurture has its role as well. (Sharpe) As for diet, your appetite is affected both by nature and nurture. In some families, they love to eat so their kids are mostly likely to eat as well. People who generally have tendencies to put on weight usually have low metabolic rate and their genes can be passed on to children. Hence nature plays it role but if the kids control their appetite, exercise well they can adapt their body and bring changes. This is where nurture plays its role. (www. answers. com)

Essay on Stereotypes ††Example Essay

StereoTypes – Introduction Stereotypes are a part of our everyday life. We hear stereotypes every day and everywhere. Sometimes we can find ourselves in a situation where we make stereotypes for a large group of people. Every person, young or old, is labelled with either positive or negative stereotypes. Stereotyping is a way that people group each other. Each group is called by name, that doesnt really fit to everyone in that specific group. Stereotypes affect people’s social lives, emotions, and how people interact with their environment. There are times that you are not so open to the idea of meeting new people, and making new friends. You don’t want to go outside, because we have put our own set of rules in this world. We know that we get criticized about what we wear every single day! We are criticized in which music we listen to, how we look like, how we act, and who we hang out with. We are also criticized on every other personal trait and imperfection we have. We have put the bar way up high, maybe too high for our potentials. Stereotype Essay – What we really know? We cannot afford all the stereotyping that is going on between us. After we come and we say to people to just be who they are. If we say to a person that he or she is a hippie, just from the way they are dressed, that is just totally wrong. Hippie is someone who rejects the culture, not just the one who has long hair and wears beads. We are using the words in the wrong way. There are many people that have no friends, because they are tired of their critique. Leave everything behind and don’t let stereotypes ruin your social life. Stereotypes have an enormous impact of how we feel. That makes people have no motivation; therefore they won’t have good performance at any level in their life.For instance if a kid is stereotyped as black and obese, how can these words make him feel good, so that he/she can move on to the next level This can create psychological pressure. Other people face stereotypes as a threat. For example there is a stereotype that says that women are bad drivers. It puts even more pressure on how they feel, not only being around people who are labelling them, but being around people that they trust. They will try to prove to them that this is just a stereotype and it does not exist. In addition, this occurs in situations where people worry for their performance and how they look like. Besides that people don’t want their poor performance to lead to negative stereotypes.To modify or extend this essay or to get pricing on a custom essay Contact Us TodayMembers of stereotyped groups worry of what they are doing, and this makes them stressed, because they think that they have to be perfect, in all aspects of their lives! People get tired of being criticized all the time. When there is no one able to close people’s mouths, they start to become isolated. In the same way they don’t talk, because they are afraid to say something wrong, so that they won’t look silly. They are afraid of failure. For example, people seem surprised when they see men cry or being emotional. They think that men are not allowed to express their feelings, or men have no feelings at all. Men are not unconscious, they have feelings, but that is just a stereotype and a generalization from our society. It is easy to see that with are actions and sayings we are trying to kill emotions and thoughts! We should learn how to control our feelings and emotions, instead of letting stereotypes control them. In addition, your surroundings can be affected as well. If you had a bad day because someone just stereotyped you, when you go home or to your friends you are going to be really anxious. In addition you would probably get irritated or feel sad at the same time. You just go to your room or sit alone in a corner. When your loved ones see you like that they are not going to feel any better, because your emotions are now in control, and you just pass them around. In other words you broadcast your feelings to others. Furthermore there are times teachers question their students â€Å"Did I create a good environment, so that you can be able to talk and share ideas with the rest of your class?† Well, sometimes teachers cannot change this situation. The only people that can create a comfortable and happy atmosphere are us – the students. They are many stereotypes going in and out of every classroom. That’s why sometimes students can be afraid to share ideas, because before they were stereotyped as nerds. These days’ people are afraid to be themselves, because they fear other people. They don’t want people to think something bad for them. Secrets, thoughts, and ideas, are all held down. Stereotypes can be an obstacle as to how open you are with people and how you make people feel when you are with them! Conclusion Instead of focusing on all the mistakes of each person, we should start paying more attention of how unique each person is. Stereotype causes people to feel lonely and even sometimes depressed. It’s also harmful for their environment and their social life. We should keep stereotypes out of the picture, even though sometimes we can be victims ourselves. Stop judging people before you even get to know them. You may also like reading Dissertation Examples Methodology Essays – Dissertation ExampleTo modify or extend this essay or to get pricing on a custom essay Contact Us TodaySummary Reviewer Admin – Robert Gil Review Date 2017-06-30 Reviewed Item Essay on StereoTypes – Custom Essay Writing – Free Sample Author Rating 5

Legal Implications for Human Resources Management

Human resources are the most important resources in an organization and there is a need for human resource management to consider legal implications for every decision they make in regard to employee benefits. Today, organizations are faced with numerous challenges in sustaining a well-motivated workforce. To ensure that an organization retains the best human resources, several measures are put in place key of which is employee benefits, which is given to the top or executive employees as a motivation to ensure that the organization retains such employees. Employee benefits range from organization to organization but generally, they include short-term benefits, long-term benefits, termination benefits as well as post-retirement benefits. (Armstrong, 2002). Pay gap is one of the greatest issues that companies face with regard to employee benefits. Although the pay gaps can be explained by human capital differences, the travel patterns of different employees, there is also the other dimension of occupational segregation as well as workplace segregation, which has been found to bring disparities in regard to employee benefits. (Lowman, 2002). Pay gap can be a source of demotivation of staff as well as a leading cause of lack of unity of purpose in an organization. Whenever an organization decides to reward men differently from women this can be a source of conflicts in the organization and it is therefore, major challenge organizations are faced with today. Pay gap characterized by gender is a legal problem as it boils down to discrimination in the workplace. This has implications both for the employees involved as well as the organization given the fact that, these differences in employee benefits allotment creates a feeling of discontentment. In situations where the difference in pay is as a result of level of education or work experience, then this is understandable. However, often employee benefits have been found to be abused by human resource managers in designing rewards. (Thrope, 2000). Discrimination especially based on race, gender, nationality and color is a major issue that companies face with regard to employee benefits. It is evident that, the economic security of employees is very much dependent on other variables such as race, color and nationality something which can be seen as a major issue that companies face with regard to employee benefits. The fact that there are very many immigrant workers in the USA, has created an enabling environment whereby employers can abuse the rights of employees in regards to employee benefits without having to worry about legal implications since most immigrant workers do not have valid papers and it is therefore, not possible for such employees to take legal actions against employers even whereby there are cases of discrepancies in awarding of employee benefits. (Lowman, 2002). The other challenge facing companies with regard to employee benefits is the requirements by the law for a minimum wage rate. This is an issue in that, many companies have been forced to disregard employee benefits citing the mandatory minimum wage limit as being burdensome and being non-responsive to changing market situations. For instance, the wage limits fail to bear in mind that times are changing and competition is becoming stiff with globalization and pegging rewards on other factors other than market forces is likely to have a negative impact on employers decisions regarding to employee benefits. As a result, many employers are less willing to award employee benefits solely because they consider the minimum wage limit requirement as burdensome and exorbitant. (Armstrong, 2002). Over emphasis of pay as a form of motivation is a major issue that companies face in regards to employee benefits. Many companies offer employee benefits in terms of monetary value in total disregard of evidence showing that money is not always a motivator to every employee as there are some employees who work for different reasons other than money. The challenge companies face in this regard is to reform their employee scheme to reflect different needs for their employees. (Thrope, 2000). Finally, there is the dilemma of just how effective are employee benefits in increasing performance? Employees’ benefits as administered in many companies are meant to boost the morale of employees as the prospects of employee benefits is thought to have a positive impact on employee loyalty and commitment to duties. However, the issue arising here is the fact that, by just giving post-retirement benefits or long-term benefits as well as travel allowances, this does not automatically guarantee that employees will remain loyal and committed to the organization. To deal with the issues raised above, organizations need to work on programs, which are agreeable to both employers and employees by involving employee unions in designing of employee benefits packages. This will ensure that every interest is taken care of. Another important thing that organizations ought to do to deal with the issues above is to address human capital differences, especially those differences arising from other factors other than level of education or work experience. There is also a need for organizations to put in place strict rules and regulations as well as workplace policies to do away with any form of discrimination in the workplace, which ultimately reflects on the awarding of employee benefits. It is also important that organizations de-emphasize employee benefits as a form of motivation and opt for other types of rewards, which have little monetary connections. If the above is done, the problem of ineffectiveness of employee benefits will be dealt with and organizations will address the challenges of employee benefits. Potential future issues that organizations will encounter regarding employee benefits may include; high demand for tuition reimbursement considering the fact that due to rapid spread of information technology, new knowledge is released into the market at a fast rate, which means employees have to keep updated through employee training. Another area or potential future issue that organizations may encounter in regard to employee benefits is any new legislations especially aimed at either legalizing the immigration status of all immigrant workers or expelling the immigrant workers. (Lowman, 2002). In conclusion, it has emerged from the above discussion that, major issues that companies face with regard to employee benefits include; pay gap, gender discrimination, over emphasis of employee benefits as a form of motivation as well as lack of clarity on the effectiveness of employee benefits to employee performance. It has become evident that organizations need to de-emphasize on employee benefits as a form of motivation and in addition, there is a need for employers to deal with the problem of discrimination as well as the discrepancy in pay gap. Lastly, employers need to reposition themselves in readiness for future legislations, which may have impact on employee benefits such as legislations on immigration and minimum wage limit. References Armstrong, M. 2002. PP.110-120. Employee Reward. 3rd Ed. CIPD. Lowman, R. 2002. PP.104-109. California School of Organizational Studies Handbook of Organizational Consulting Psychology. Jossey-Bass. Thrope, R. & Homan, G. 2000. PP. 89-93. Strategic Reward System. FT. Prentice Hall. Â  

The development of beauty salon services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The development of beauty salon services - Essay Example The concept of beauty salons started back in the days of ancient civilization, where people mostly of upper class loved to set up fashion trends for thousands of years. Although through the ages, hairstyles, cuts and trends have changed a thousand times but some things like women wearing wigs, coloring hair are not new, and are still practiced. Back then, beauty salons were the places where wigs were being made and ordered. Rich and noble people had their beauty salons in their palaces. Ever since then, the concept of beauty salon is constantly evolving and people have become accustomed to having hair styled to them throughout the years. Though, today beauty salon does not only offer different hair styling, but a number of other services such as perms, massage, waxing, tanning, facial treatments, pedicure, manicure and many more. ANALYZE HOW INNOVATION HAS CHANGED A SERVICE WITHIN THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY: Beauty industry is now a multinational and million dollar business. The services wi thin the beauty industry have widely changed, as now beauty salons are not places where simply you have your hair cut and get your nails done, but also emphasize to refine and polish the inner beauty through physical and spiritual therapy. It is not just the beauty salons and beauty shops that come under the heading of beauty industry but sales of cosmetics, perfumes and products for hair and skin care synthesize it. While beauty shops and salons are mere the service sector of this industry. In addition, some economists include cosmetic surgery and health club in this market. Beauty matters most, to most of the people in this world and so from ages the beauty industry is providing and innovating its services in order to satisfy the needs of its customers. According to the business analyst, the best selling beauty products are that clean and beautify hair. But today beauticians believed that beauty and health are interlinked, and so that is how the idea of spas and health care center s came under this heading. Queen Elizabeth was the main female icon and set the trends in the 16th century. Beauty was limited to the appearance only, where a little of face powder, glowing cheeks and red glossy lips had done it all. People used to bleach their hair using either saffron or onion skins. It used to take immense of hard work and contrary styling techniques to make a person look beautiful and presentable to attend some event. But with the ace of time and development of technology, beauty industry has also been able to advance itself by inventing artistry equipments and researching in the biological and chemical sciences which offer more sophisticated, high-performance skin care products, all in the quest for beauty. Women used to risk their life with many of their homemade cosmetics. They used burnt matches to darken their eyes, berries to stain their lips, and even used young boy’s urine to get rid of their freckles. They even used lead, mercury and even leeches to give them pale appearance. Thankfully, beauty industry has come a long way from using toxic and hazardous mixtures, and has advanced scientifically for providing a vast range to enhance our looks. Previously, people had limited hair dressing and hair treatment techniques, but more and more are developed in the market. These do not only require temporary techniques but also a permanent makeover of a person. From wigs and temporary hair

Iran's Societal Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Iran's Societal Assessment - Essay Example Iran was a conglomerate of sundry semi-autonomous regions, tribes and classes which were weakly maintained together by the dynasty who depended upon tribal allegiances as well as military power to continue and uphold their rule. In the 20th century, collective denominators have been arranged and supported by the state in an endeavor at creating a modern national Iranian identity for all inhabitants, notwithstanding language, religion or culture. This was to be founded on a secular nation-state, a centralized national government governing over a well-designed territory, pride and honor in Iran’s pre-historic history, its culture and Farsi (Persian) enacted by the state as the official language are some of the unifying tools that the state of Iran is using to control its masses and which this paper will cover. Iran has predominantly used Islam as an instrument to create, foster and maintain national cohesion. More specifically, the Islam religion has been sanctified by the state and enshrined in the constitution. This has been safeguarded and any criticism is suppressed (Hiro, 2001, pg. 243). Islam has provided an extremely ‘inclusive’ identity which has overflowed its national boundaries into the broad concept of the ummat, the community of Islam beyond Iran, a sort of religio-imperialism which has united Iranians. A common culture, rather than any strong feeling of national unity binds the Iranians together. It is the culture that lends unity and the apex of its expression is found in poetry. The architectural beauty and fame of the blue-domed mosques, the workmanship, design and color of Persian carpets- all these are considered important expressions of a common and glorious heritage and have cemented the unity of Iran as it gives them a sense of common history. In light of this, the state has recognized the importance of culture to its citizenry and consequently promoted it to encourage national cohesion and

Management Science & System Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Management Science & System - Coursework Example This competency is described as the ability to systematically and fairly measure what is commonly thought as hidden costs difficult to quantify (INFORMS2010). Q. In the case study, five scenarios are presented (pages 60-61) but there is no detailed analysis of how the scenarios were identified. Explain how management science could have been used to identify a range of scenarios in this case. In the article â€Å"Accelerating the profitability of HP Supply chain,† the challenge to maintain corporate performance compels that a deeper analysis of simple product movement from end to end be drawn. First off, the industry pace dictates short term product value, whereas older products lose value quickly. Second, the HP operation is described by New York Times as an expansive business offering involving tens of thousands of products in million product configurations. Having the greater chunk of market shares in PCs, printers, and servers in over 170 countries across six continents is held by HP, continuous product entry occurs in the pipeline. To ensure effective service levels, HP has to contend with severe market diverse. Certain regions have less concentrated demands but high product variety. In which case, the inventory driven costs are considerably fixed values that can be controlled, if not brought to minimum, relative to its volume production. More importantly, these values can be measured and forecast (Davenport 2010, INFORMS2010, Ward et al 2010). The science behind the formulation of scenarios was pioneered by L. R. Ford. The idea is a particular scenario makes up network flows or a chain of related activities. In a set of scenarios, network flows could be analysed by comparison. The analysis assumes all variables remain unchanged except for a single factor in the supply chain configuration, which is altered deliberately to identify profit variation. Or, the cost structure determined in a particular scenario specifies the level of

The Proofs of the Existence of God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 119

The Proofs of the Existence of God - Essay Example Humanity has searched for the discovery of the nature of God for a long time since the conscious living. It is important to realize, whether people have any reason to believe in God's existence – or His absence. Faith widely does not incorporate reasoning. It looks like that these two areas of human perception lie in the parallel layers if reality and, thusly, do not cross. How does the concept of God’s foreknowledge correspond the concept of human freedom? There are also debated represented widely on the topics around the creationism and evolution. There is the question, what is the real role of the God in the creation of the universe and was He actually the one, who forced all this to start from the beginning of times? Â  One of the brilliant approaches was proposed by one of the greatest figures in the fields of philosophy, mathematics, and physics – Blaise Pascal. He is a genius of French origin, who invented the first mechanical adding machine. He also was one of the developers (together with Fermat), of modern probability theory. He was a genius indeed, as he invented his basic theorem of projective geometry at the age of 16 only. All the before-mentioned aimed to ensure the credibility and authority of the weight of his argument from probability for believing in God’s existence (Hacking). His approach is absolutely practical. It simply claims that the expected utility of belief in the existence of God far outreaches the expected utility of the absence of belief in God. Defining what he meant by that, it is important to know that he was a brilliant mathematician and his approach is absolutely logical and well-structured.

Three ideas(devote one paragragh to each idea) how you might use the Assignment

Three ideas(devote one paragragh to each idea) how you might use the content of our Planning & Evaluation in the future as an adminstrator - Assignment Example The book offers guidance on the importance of project planning in organizations (Sylvia & Sylvia, 2012). Project planning is important if an organization has to achieve its goals and objectives. Project planning help to identify priorities in terms of projects, and which projects should be prioritized for funding. Non-governmental organizations participate in many projects that are aimed at helping the society. Before an NGO participates in a given project, it ensures that it has enough resources that will fund the project. The book offers important information on how planning can be done. Project planning must be consultative with the involvement of all the stakeholders. Consultation helps to come up with the best ways to implement a project to avoid impediments that may face the project. The book offers information about cost-benefit analysis. Cost–benefit analysis is a systematic process used to calculate and compare costs and benefits of a project or decision (Sylvia & Sylvia, 2012).The analysis serves to decide if the investment is sound and provides a basis of comparing projects. As an administrator in a non-governmental organization, I would be able to use cost-benefit analysis to know if a project that my organization intends to undertake has any benefit to the community. An organization can do many projects, but not all of them accrue the same benefits. Cost-benefit analysis will help to determine a project that has a long lasting benefit to the people. As an administrator, I will use cost benefit analysis to establish the amount of money that my organization will pipe into a given project. The analysis will assist to identify the benefits that my organization will get because of investing in a particular project. In my administration role, I will be able to budget for the activities of the organization. Budgeting is critical in order to utilize

General topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

General topic - Essay Example Metaphysics is further categorized into two main sub branches of Cosmology, which studies the origin and nature of the universe, and Ontology, which studies the nature of being and existence. Within metaphysics there are a broad range of differing philosophical theories having dissenting opinions and expressing opposing views... Among the many influential metaphysicians include Plato and Spinoza, each known for their philosophical studies and theories with respect to their conception of reality. The aim of this essay is to highlight the important aspects of their philosophies with respect to their ontology (i.e. their conception of reality), and also to compare the two philosophies and their ethics by enlightening the most prominent of the ontologies. Plato’s Philosophy The theory of Forms of the theory of Ideas is the basis of Plato’s philosophy. It refers to the belief that the material physical world as it appears to us in reality in not the real world, but itâ€℠¢s only the image of the real world. Theory of Forms According to Plato, the objects that we see in the real world are not actually real, but the imitations of the real Forms. In allegory of the cave in one of Plato’s dialogue Republic that discuss the Forms, it is said that the objects that we human beings perceive in the world are characterized as shadows of real things, and the real things cannot be perceived directly. These Ideas of Forms are the foundation of good or bad behavior and they are the basis behind Plato’s dualism and they also allow him to show the immortality of the soul. The Ontological Dualism Plato speaks in defense of the notion of clear ontological dualism which has two different types of realities or worlds: The Sensible World & the Intelligible World. These two worlds are quite different in a sense that the Sensible World consists of individual realities and so it consists of more than one part forming the whole. It is the world that is invaria bly and always changing, the world of material, physical and space time things. Conversely, the Intelligible World is the world of Forms (or Ideas), which are the invisible universal realities and in general do not change. These Forms or Ideas can well be understood, inferred and known and they are unquestionable realities. According to Plato these Forms are not just the perception or concepts in or minds, in fact, they exist out of our senses and consciences as free and independent beings. Plato realizes that although the Sensible World is ontologically inferior and the intelligible World possesses the highest degree of reality, the reality of sensible things cannot be denied, and it also has the quality of being which originates from the imitation of the real world. The immortal entity or the Creator of the universe gives the shape of the intelligible world’s Forms to the amorphous and formless sensible objects; hence they appear similar to the Forms ("Torre de Babel"). For ms – The Essential Basis of Reality One may question what exactly are the forms? A form is something that is the essence of the objects, without the existence of these forms a thing would not be the kind of thing it is. For example, we may draw a square shaped object on a chalkboard and say it’s a square. A square as we know is a polygon with 4 sides and it’

Virtue - Ontology Essay Example for Free

Virtue Ontology Essay Many people associate Plato with a few central doctrines that are advocated in his writings: The world that appears to our senses is in some way defective and filled with error, but there is a more real and perfect realm, populated by entities (called â€Å"forms† or â€Å"ideas†) that are eternal, changeless, and in some sense paradigmatic for the structure and character of the world presented to our senses. Among the most important of these abstract objects (as they are now called, because they are not located in space or time) are goodness, beauty, equality, bigness, likeness, unity, being, sameness, difference, change, and changelessness. (These terms—â€Å"goodness†, â€Å"beauty†, and so on—are often capitalized by those who write about Plato, in order to call attention to their exalted status; similarly for â€Å"Forms† and â€Å"Ideas. †) The most fundamental distinction in Platos philosophy is between the many observable objects that appear beautiful (good, just, unified, equal, big) and the one object that is what beauty (goodness, justice, unity) really is, from which those many beautiful (good, just, unified, equal, big) things receive their names and their corresponding characteristics. Nearly every major work of Plato is, in some way, devoted to or dependent on this distinction. Many of them explore the ethical and practical consequences of conceiving of reality in this bifurcated way. We are urged to transform our values by taking to heart the greater reality of the forms and the defectiveness of the corporeal world. We must recognize that the soul is a different sort of object from the body—so much so that it does not depend on the existence of the body for its functioning, and can in fact grasp the nature of the forms far more easily when it is not encumbered by its attachment to anything corporeal. In a few of Platos works, we are told that the soul always retains the ability to recollect what it once grasped of the forms, when it was disembodied prior to its possessors birth (see especially Meno), and that the lives we lead are to some extent a punishment or reward for choices we made in a previous existence (see especially the final pages of Republic). But in many of Platos writings, it is asserted or assumed that true philosophers—those who recognize how important it is to distinguish the one (the one thing that goodness is, or virtue is, or courage is) from the many (the many things that are called good or virtuous or courageous )—are in a position to become ethically superior to unenlightened human beings, because of the greater degree of insight they can acquire. To understand which things are good and why they are good (and if we are not interested in such questions, how can we become good? ), we must investigate the form of good.

Building Nsanje Port on Shire Zambezi Waterway

Building Nsanje Port on Shire Zambezi Waterway Project Description Malawi is a landlocked country that relies on Mozambican ports on the Indian Ocean for transportation of imported and exported goods. The project will open new doors for Malawi and reduce transport costs. Currently Malawi uses Beira and Nacala port in Mozambique from which transporters cover a return distance of about 1700km from Blantyre. Using Nsanje port, transporters now will cover a distance of 238 km for a return journey to Blantyre as opposed to Beira port. Reduction in transport costs may lead to reduction of other goods such as agricultural inputs. This will be a benefit to the Malawians who depend on agriculture for their economy and it will also improve food security in the country. The project will also provide Malawi with a multimodal transport linkage to other land locked countries of Zimbabwe and Zambia; the people of Nsanje district will be empowered socially and economically due to new infrastructure and markets that will be established to support the services of the port; the visual scenery of Nsanje district will improve with the building of the port; creation of temporary and permanent jobs; time saving and reduction on wear and tear of vehicles due to reduced travel distance. Though the project will have positive effects but will also have negative impacts such as loss of fishing area and income for fishermen who used to fish along the shire river; air and water pollution due to construction work that will take place on the site; the project will affect the water species found along this area of the Shire river; empowerment of people socially and economically may increase the spreading of HIV and AIDS as this districts already has high percentage of HIV patients due to cultural beliefs; urbanization due to viable environment for small scale and large scale businesses; natural visual scenery will be affected by new built structures, risk to flooding along the Shire river; conflicts with hosting communities and negative influences on religion and local culture. Location The project will be located at Nsanje District in Malawi. Malawi is located between latitudes of 09ËÅ ¡ and 17ËÅ ¡ south and longitudes of 33ËÅ ¡ and 37ËÅ ¡ east. Malawi is bordered by Zambia in the East, Tanzania in the North and Mozambique in the South and West. Nsanje District Assembly is found at the tip of Southern Malawi where Malawi shares borders with Mozambique. It is at this place that the shire river passes along the boundary between Malawi and Mozambique flowing into Zambezi river and then to Indian Ocean through Chinned Port. The site was selected because of the wider width of the river as it connects to Zambezi River offering a better place for the port. Location map is shown in relation to the Shire River and location for the proposed port. Malawi Map showing location of Nsanje, Imagery showing location of the port, Shire River and Nacala corridor from Mozambique. MALAWIS EIA LEGISLATURE In Malawi the Environmental Act enacted in 1996, provides the legal framework for the protection and management of the environment, the conservation and sustainable utilization of natural resources. EIA processes are outlined on section 24 of the Act to which all private and public developers must adhere to. The Act has outlined projects for which EIA is mandatory before implementation of the project as gazetted in section 24. The section also stipulates all activities that must be carried out by the developer before any implementation. The developer has to submit a project brief to the Environmental Affairs Department (EAD) who administers the environmental Act. The Director assesses the project and is supported by expertise from the technical committee of environmental affairs (TEC) which participate in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requirements; project briefs reviews; Terms of Reference (ToRs) and EIA reports; develop and monitor project auditing programme and recomme nded course of action to the Director though the director is not bound by the TEC report. The act also stipulates that only the EAD is mandated to issue out certificate under section 26(3) for which an EAI is required. For thorough evaluation of project activities that might have significant impact on the environment by the port developer, the EIA is supported by various Malawi government Acts and policies as indicated in table 1 and other international legislatures as attached on appendix I. Malawi legal documents 4.2 EIA Process The EAI process is carried out in phases in a project cycle in which EIA requirements are integrated within the cycle (EMA, 1996). The project cycle is carried out in phases and begins with a concept then pre-feasibility and feasibility studies before a detailed design and implementation phase. The objective of the cycle it to provide detailed and up-to-date environmental information at key stages in the cycle. This helps the developer to identify early results from an EIA and able to take action on any significant changes and adopt them during project implementation. The project cycle also provides opportunity to the developer, consultant, relevant authorities, interested parties and the general public to assess the impacts of the project on the environment and provide alternatives on adverse effects. The project cycle focuses on identification of negative impacts, reasonable alternatives and assessing the relevant issues so as to ensure that the EIA becomes a useful to decision mak ers. All the activities in the project cycle are done through screening and scoping. 4.1 Screening Screening allows a project to be assessed whether an EIA is required or not and establishes the basis for scoping (Theodorsdouttir, 1999). In Malawi, screening is done through a project brief which is a document that highlights critical issues prepared by the developer and in this case the Malawi Government and is submitted to the Director of Environmental Affairs Department and who is supported by TEC to assess whether it requires EIA or not. Building of an inland port is among the projects that EIA is mandatory in Malawi therefore an EIA is to be carried out (EMA, 1996). 4.2 Scoping Scooping ensures that all relevant issues to be addressed in an EIA are established and makes sure that all relevant authorities, interested and affected parties are involved, alternatives to the project are identified and to make sure that the resources are conserved and used wisely. In Malawi, comprehensive identification of the significant impacts are based on the Terms of Reference (ToRs) which are prepared by the developer and approved by the director (EMA, 1996). ToRs are identified in the scooping process. The figure I below outlines all the EIA process in Malawi. 4.3 ASSESSMENT METHOD There are various methods of assessing environmental project impacts such as checklist, network diagrams, graphical comparisons overlays and matrices (FAO, 1995) In this assessment matrices as shown in figure 2 have been used to come up with the most significant impacts as matrices easily identify impacts in a summary form and provides better bases for evaluating most significant ones Leopold et al. (1971). 4.4 Environmental Plan Impacts identified in the matrices are further assessed by Stakeholders, EAD, TEC, general public and the developer to evaluate the impacts and also identify mitigation measures. In the environmental plan potential project impacts are identified in regard to project phases as indicated in Appendix II The most significant impact Water Pollution The most significant environmental impact on this project is water pollution. Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies through pollutants which are discharged directly into water bodies without adequate measures to remove harmful compounds. Water pollution may take place due to effluents derived from soil erosion, accidental spills, waste oil, fertilizers and detergents, heavy metal and pesticides, heat and micro-organisms (JICA/GOK, 1992). 5.1 Significant Impacts Drinking Water: Water is considered safe if it can be used by human beings and other living creatures without any effect (UNEP, 1999). Polluted water is not safe for drinking for the communities living along the river and can easily wipe away a large population of human beings and animals as the birds shown in figure3. Odour: Sediments in the water under the structures may cause water stagnation and after sometime the water may produce odours that may be nuisance to the people working around the area Impact on irrigation: Water polluted with chemicals and oil spills may affect irrigated crops. Recreation: Polluted water will not be good for swimming or recreation as it may affect the people in contact with polluted water. To reduce water pollution, there is need to provide mitigation and monitoring measures as shown in table III below. Significant impact Project Activity Possible Mitigation measures Prediction and Monitoring measures Water pollution Landfills and site development Careful site selection and layout design is important to reduce stagnation. Dredging should be carried out to remove any deposits and sediments in the water Enhance the water law Act to punish offenders who deliberately pollute water Construction of break waters, bays and terminals Make a fence around the construction area Quarterly meetings during the construction phase should be held to monitor the negative environmental impacts. TEC and EAD to monitor the activities Dredging and disposal of dredged materials Proper disposal of dredged material plays an important role in preserving the environment.   Monitor sediment deposits and use Secchi disk to check depth and visibility (United Nations, 1992). Waste Management Encourage recycling and devise proper means of disposing both solid and liquid waste District Assembly to monitor all dumping sites and advise residents accordingly. Transportation of construction materials Proper handling of raw materials is required i.e. Cover cement and sprinkle water frequently on dusty roads Monitor handling of the raw materials. Vessel traffic operations Appropriate regulations should be put in place to cater for ship discharge, emissions and oil from cargo, ship spills and disposal of waste Use of Microwave remote sensing satellites and receivers aboard ship vessels to monitor ship movements, oil spills and grease and ship leakage in the river (Woodhouse, 2006). Use predictions models to monitor water quality such as Artificial Intelligence models, Artificial Neural Network models and Mathematical assimilations (Najah et al., 2009) Cargo handling and storage Special equipment should be provided for handling cargo and transportation of goods and   Provision should be made for periodical clean-up of floats and wastes   Developer to monitor that cargo handling equipment is regularly serviced Waterfront and cargo operations Provide regulations on effluent from waterfront industries and monitoring of water quality TEC to monitor all activities probably by employing a full time environmental specialist. Transportation of goods All roads leading to the port must have bitumen to avoid dust which may pollute the water.   Stakeholders to monitor where they there expertise is required. 5.2 Acts that govern the legislature for water are; Environmental Management Act 1996 which stipulates the conservation and sustainability of utilization of natural resources and water is one of the natural resources. Water Resources Act 1969 The act governs the control conservation, apportionment and use of water resources in Malawi. Water Works Act The act makes an offence if any person willfully and negligently causes water pollution. 5.3 Baseline data Baseline data is the collection of relevant information proposed in the project with the purpose of determining the status and trends of environmental factors (e.g., water pollutant concentrations). This offers opportunities to predict changes in terms of importance and provide for means of detecting actual changes once the project is initiated. Baseline data plays an important role in EIA assessment and monitoring of environmental effects (Wathern, 1988). Alpha (1995) recommends the following data to be collected for checking water pollution: Dissolved Oxygen Water conductivity Water salinity Turbidity Temperature PH Use of questionnaire to get more information from the communities around the district Assembly on the activities that take place along the river Measurements on sediments. Maps showing river catchments area 5.3.1 Parameters for checking water quality UNEP prescribes measurement of various parameters for assessing, water quality and these include:- Temperature recommended is between 25 and 35 Suspended solids it is recommended is 30mg/l Biochemical oxygen Demand (5-day at 20 C) Clean water is between 4mg/l to 10 and more than 10 is considered polluted Heavy metal concentration should not exceed 0.1mg/l in combination Lead (PB) less than 0.1mg/l Mercury (Hg) less than 0.005 mg/l Silver (Ag) , Zinc(Zn), Chromium (Cr), Arsenic (As) less than 0.05 mg/l Nickel (nI) less than 0.3 mg/l Copper (Cu), Cyanides (CN), Hydrogen Sulphide (S) less than 1.0mg/l Free Ammonia (NH 3 ) less than 0.2mg/l Phenolic Compounds (Phenol) 0.001 mg/l Nitrates (N) 10mg/l Phosphates Floating materials oils foam and greases. Bhardwaj, 2005, suggest water quality criteria as shown in the table below: 5.4 GAPS Measurement of water quality can only be undertaken by people with special expertise and with special equipment which cannot be used by a local person and the water measuring instruments are not up-to-date and not enough to cover all water bodies in the country (UNEP, 1999). Conclusion This project has a significant impact on water which is critical to water species and human beings therefore mitigation measures have to be followed to reduce water pollution in the Shire river which its impacts may have an effect over a long distance and all the way to the Indian ocean and affect so many people and all water habitats.

Diabetes Mellitus and Hypoglycemia

Diabetes Mellitus and Hypoglycemia Disease classification Diabetes Mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases, diabetes mellitus happen when body does not capable to use insulin efficiently or the insulin is not produce more enough in a person blood. According to Kowalczyk N (2013), this syndrome is related with chronic hyperglycemia in combination with glucose intolerance and alterations in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. There is certain test to indicate the presence of this syndrome. Usually patient undergo blood glucose levels test, before the patient take this test, they need to fast 12.00 mid night, the normal blood glucose levels range from 70 to 120 mg/dL, but if the blood glucose levels is greater than 126 mg/dL it is show that patient might have Diabetes Mellitus syndrome. According to Kishore,P (2013), Pancreas released a hormone called Insulin which controls the amount of glucose in the blood. The pancreas is stimulated by glucose in the bloodstream. Insulin allows glucose to move from the blood into the cells. Inside the cells glucose can transformed to energy, which is used instantly or the glucose is stored as fat glycogen until it is required. Insulin production is related with the levels of glucose, when the glucose in blood is high the insulin production increases, once the levels of glucose in the blood come back to normal, insulin production will decreases, normal blood glucose levels for healthy people is about 70 to 120 miligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Symptoms and complications of diabetes happen when the body does not generate enough insulin to move the glucose into the cells or if the cells stop responding normally to insulin, the consequential high levels of glucose in the blood and the insufficient amount of glucose in the cells together produce the symptoms and complications of diabetes. There were three types of diabetes mellitus, Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational Diabetes Diabetes Mellitus Type 1 Diabetes mellitus type 1 is a genetic disorder and can be classify as an autoimmune disease, this disease also know as juvenile diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes, according to Kowalczyk N (2013) diabetes mellitus type 1 is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, these young individuas produce little to no insulin because of an autoimmune disease of the pancreatic B cells and are insulin dependent from a young age. Type 1 diabetes accounts for 5 to 10 percent of cases of diabetes worldwide which is stated by The Health on the Net (HON) (2014). Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 Diabetes mellitus type 2 is categorized as insulin resistant diabetes with an insufficient secretion of insulin. Type 2 dibetes mellitus is more common than type 1 and the risk of developing this type increases with age, especially after the age of 40 years. It is also more prevalent in women than in men which are stated by Kowalczyk N (2013). According to Wisse B (2014) type 2 diabetes happen when insulin is not been respond correctly by fat, liver and muscle cells, this is called insulin resistance, therefore blood sugar or glucose does not get into these cells to be stored for energy. When sugar cannot go into cells, a high level of sugar builds up in the blood. This is called hyperglycemia Gestational Diabetes This type affects females during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is caused when insulin receptors do not function properly, and their bodies are unable to produce enough insulin to transport all of the glucose into their cells, resulting in increasingly rising levels of glucose. Undiagnosed or uncontrolled gestational diabetes can elevate the risk of problems during childbirth. The baby may be bigger than he/she should be. Disease process Etiology Generally the cause of type 1 diabetes mellitus is unknown. A number of descriptive theories have been put forward, and the cause may be one or more. One of the causes is autoimmune disease. This is a condition that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissue, an infection causes the body to mistakenly attack the cells in the pancreas that make insulin in which destruction or damaging of the beta cells, beta cells is special cells that produced insulin hormone in the pancreas. According to Wisse B (2014) Insulin is needed to move glucose into cells. Inside the cells, glucose is stored and later used for energy. Without sufficient insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream instead of going into the cells. This increase glucose in the blood is called hyperglycemia, therefore body is unable to use the glucose for energy. Genetics is one of the causes, according to American Diabetes Association (2014) if you are a man with type 1 diabetes; the chances of your child developing diabetes are 1 in 17. If you are a woman with type 1 diabetes and your child was born before you were 25, your childs risk is 1 in 25, if your child was born after you turned 25, your childs risk is 1 in 100. Your childs risk is doubled if you developed diabetes before age 11. If both you and your partner have type 1 diabetes, the risk is between 1 in 10 and 1 in 4. Another cause of Type 1 diabetes mellitus is viruses that might promote autoimmunity. According to American Diabetes Association (2014) A significant number of viruses have been associated with type 1 diabetes, including enteroviruses such as Coxsackievirus B , but also rotavirus, mumps virus, and cytomegalovirus . Rubella virus has been suggested to cause type 1 diabetes, but so far only congenital rubella syndrome has convincingly been linked with the disease. The prime viral candidates for causing type 1 diabetes in humans are enteroviruses. Type 2 diabetes mellitus generally causes from the pancreas does not make sufficient insulin or the body is unable to use the insulin that is produced, as we know insulin resistance. According to Khardori. R (2014) Type 2 diabetes mellitus appears to involve complex relations between environmental and genetic factors, environmental factor is including lifestyle for example (excessive caloric intake, inadequate caloric expenditure, obesity), high body mass index (BMI) increases risk for diabetes. In addition, an in utero environment consequential in low birth weight may influence some individuals to develop type 2 diabetes mellitus. Infant weight velocity has a small, indirect effect on adult insulin resistance. In addition about 90% of obese patient develop type 2 dibetes mellitus. According to Winter S (2014). Second diabetes mellitus type 2 causes is by genetic, diabetes mellitus type 2 strongly has a hereditary component. However not everyone who carries a mutation will get diabetes. Gestational Diabetes type affects females during pregnancy. The cause’s gestational diabetes according to Mayo Clinic (2014) during pregnancy, the placenta, which connects your baby to your blood supply, produces high levels of various other hormones. Almost all of them impair the action of insulin in your cells, raising your blood sugar. As your baby grows, the placenta produces more and more insulin-blocking hormones. In gestational diabetes, the placental hormones provoke a rise in blood sugar to a level that can affect the growth and welfare of your baby. Gestational diabetes usually develops during the trimester. Pathogenesis According to Nucleus Medical Media (2014) Pathogenesis for diabetes mellitus type 1 is summaries that beta cells in the pancreas lose their ability to produce insulin, resulting in high blood glucose levels.In type 1 diabetes, your immune system, specifically your white blood cells, mistake your pancreatic beta cells for foreign invaders.In an autoimmune response, your white blood cells secrete auto antibodies that destroy your own beta cells.As a result, your pancreas produces little or no insulin.Without insulin, glucose cannot get into your cells, so they are starved for the calories they should be receiving from glucose.In addition, the glucose level builds up in your bloodstream, resulting in a condition called hyperglycemia. Diabetes mellitus type 2 usualy caused by obesity and physical inactivity, Diabetes mellitus type 2 is categorized as insulin resistant diabetes, it commonly referred to as the metabolic syndrome according to Hannele Yki-JÃ ¤rvinen (2011) Insulin resistance can be defined as the inability of insulin to produce its usual biological actions at circulating concentrations that are effective in normal subjects. In addition pathogenesis diabetes mellitus type 2 happen when beta cells of the pancreas are no longer capable to meet the body’s requirement for insulin. Hyperglycaemia therefore develops earlier in the course of beta cell failure, and in association with a greater beta cell mass, in insulin-resistant compared with insulin-sensitive individuals. The relative importance of reduced secretion of insulin and increased demand insulin resistance ranges along a range from one individual or population to the next. Pathogenesis of gestational diabetes. According to Manda A, when pregnant, human body will produce several hormones. Some pregnancy hormones disrupt the usual function of insulin by interfering cell signalling pathways. In the bloodstream insulin will stimulates fat tissue and skeletal muscle cells to absorb glucose. Because of presence insulin resistance the process uptake of blood glucose is prevented as a result the blood sugar level remains high. In the pregnancy glucose usually present in the blood stream in the placenta through the Glucose transporter 1 (GLU1) carrier to reach the fetus. If not been treated, amount of insulin develop by the fetus will increase, then the baby born larger body than is normal. After baby born the excess of glucose through placenta is done. However, the insulin production still increased it may lead to low blood glucose levels or hypoglycaemia. Manifestation According to Kishore P (2013), The types of diabetes have very related symptoms. The first symptoms are related to the direct effects of high blood glucose levels. When the blood glucose level rises above 160 to 180 mg/dL, glucose spills into the urine. When the level of glucose in the urine rises even higher, the kidneys excrete additional water to dilute the large amount of glucose. Because the kidneys produce excessive urine, people with diabetes urinate large volumes frequently. The excessive urination creates abnormal thirst. Because excessive calories are lost in the urine, people may lose weight. To compensate, people often feel excessively hungry. Other symptoms include blurred vision, drowsiness, nausea, and decreased endurance during exercise. Significant Lab Tests There are severe test can done to demonstrate diabetes mellitus (DM). According to Mayo Clinic (2014), the common test done is Glycated hemoglobin (A1C). Test this blood test indicates your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months. It measures the percentage of blood sugar attached to hemoglobin, the oxygen carrying protein in red blood cells. The higher your blood sugar levels, the more hemoglobin youll have with sugar attached. An A1C level of 6.5 percent or higher on two separate tests indicates that you have diabetes. An A1C between 5.7 and 6.4 percent indicates prediabetes. Below 5.7 is considered normal. However If the A1C test results arent consistent, the test isnt available, or if you have certain conditions that can make the A1C test inaccurate — such as if youre pregnant or have an uncommon form of hemoglobin (known as a hemoglobin variant) — your doctor may use the next tests to diagnose diabetes such as. Random blood sugar test. Fasting blood sugar test. Oral glucose tolerance test

The Id, Ego and Superego in Lord of the Flies :: Lord Flies Essays

The Id, Ego and Superego in Lord of the Flies      Ã‚  Ã‚   In viewing the various aspects of the island society in Golding's Lord of the Flies as a symbolic microcosm of society, a converse perspective must also be considered. Golding's island of marooned youngsters then becomes a macrocosm, wherein the island represents the individual human and the various characters and symbols the elements of the human psyche. As such, Golding's world of children's morals and actions then becomes a survey of the human condition, both individually and collectively.    Almost textbook in their portrayal, the primary characters of Jack, Ralph and Piggy are then best interpreted as Freud's very concepts of id, ego and superego, respectively. As the id of the island, Jack's actions are the most blatantly driven by animalistic rapacious gratification needs. In discovering the thrill of the hunt, his pleasure drive is emphasized, purported by Freud to be the basic human need to be gratified. In much the same way, Golding's portrayal of a hunt as a rape, with the boys ravenously jumping atop the pig and brutalizing it, alludes to Freud's basis of the pleasure drive in the libido, the term serving a double Lntendre in its psychodynamic and physically sensual sense.  Ã‚   Jack's unwillingness to acknowledge the conch as the source of centrality on the island and Ralph as the seat of power is consistent with the portrayal of his particular self-importance. Freud also linked the id to what he called the destructive drive, the aggressiveness of self-ruin. J ack's antithetical lack of compassion for nature, for others, and ultimately for himself is thoroughly evidenced in his needless hunting, his role in the brutal murders of Simon and Piggy, and finally in his burning of the entire island, even at the cost of his own life.    In much the same way, Piggy's demeanor and very character links him to the superego, the conscience factor in Freud's model of the psyche. Golding marks Piggy with the distinction of being more intellectually mature than the others, branding him with a connection to a higher authority: the outside world. It is because the superego is dependent on outside support that Piggy fares the worst out of the three major characters in the isolation of the island. Piggy is described as being more socially compatible with adults, and carries himself with a sense of rationale and purpose that often serves as Ralph's moral compass in crisis; although Ralph initially uses the conch to call the others, it is Piggy who possesses the knowledge to blow it as a signal despite his inability to do so.

Conflict Between Church and Government Involving Thomas Becket and Henry II :: essays research papers

In Medieval England the Church was all powerful. The fear of going to Hell was very real and people were told that only the Catholic Church could save your soul so that you could go to Heaven. The head of the Catholic Church was the pope based in Rome. The most important position in the church in Medieval England was the Archbishop of Canterbury and both he and the king usually worked together. A king of England could not remove a pope from his position but popes claimed that they could remove a king by excommunicating him - this meant that the king’s soul was condemned to Hell and people then had the right to disobey the king. For people in England , there was always the real problem - do you obey the king or the pope ? In fact, this was rarely a problem as both kings and popes tended to act together as both wanted to remain powerful. On two occasions they fell out - one involved the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, and the other Henry VIII. In 1162, Henry II, king of England, appointed Thomas Becket, as Archbishop of Canterbury. This was the most important religious position in England. No-one was surprised by Henry’s choice as both he and Thomas were very good friends. They enjoyed hunting, playing jokes and socialising together. Becket was known to be a lover of wine and a good horse rider. Henry II loved to ride as well but his personality was troubled by his fearsome temper. He tried to keep his temper under control by working very hard as it distracted him from things that might sparked off his temper. Henry II also controlled a lot of France at this time. William the Conqueror had been his great-grandfather and he had inherited his French territories as a result of this. When Henry was in France sorting out problems there, he left Becket in charge of England - such was his trust in him. Becket became Henry’s chancellor - the most important position in England after the king. When the Archbishop of Canterbury died in 1162, Henry saw the chance to give his close friend even more power by appointing him Archbishop of Canterbury - the most important church position in England. Why would Henry do this ? In Henry’s reign, the Church had its own courts and any member of the Church could decide to be tried in a Church court rather than a royal court.

Love Conquers All

Love conquers all, let us too surrender to love. † Love could be described as insanity and outrageous to those who know it or even despise it. Love conquers all. If the obstacles be physical, which we cannot change ourselves, then our minds will mold as we see fit, even if it means going insane. Love conquers all because, being only one true love, it has no conditions. After getting a taste of love we will stray, only to come back for more, for it's what our souls yearn for. Thus, conquering the obstacles and abilities Of life.Love conquers the views of society. During the Civil Rights Movement, the â€Å"Blacks† or African-American people were being discriminated in America and other countries, it became obvious to a lot of African-Americans that violence against violence was getting them no where. Blacks loved their families, friends, countries, and white people. They were going to stand up for their rights as humans, but to do this they had to make obvious what the wh ites were doing to the blacks. African-Americans let themselves be beat and murdered. They protested by not going to places they were allowed or/and ongoing to places they were ‘t allowed to go to.It took a while, and it still goes on today, but the labels and views of society have been ever so more lifted off their shoulders. Love conquers all, including time. In the movie Maleficent, the fairy whom had lost her wings to her childhood friend and romantic lover, had cursed his newborn baby girl as revenge. After taking care of the baby girl, Aurora, from a distance, Maleficent thought she hated this child. As the girl grew, Maleficent grew in her love for Aurora. Finally, when the curse had taken place, Maleficent knew what she had done long ago now affected her and she devastated by this.When all hope seemed lost, she herself had lifted the curse from Aurora because of her sincerity of repentance and love for Aurora. At first Maleficent had thought there was no such love with out conditions, but even though it took a long period of time she still learned there was such a thing and became a happy fairy with her wings once again. Love conquers all, even the forces of nature and disease. Most of these may seem impossible to a lot of people. Jesus, the Son of God, had done lots of oracles. But He said, â€Å"Your faith has saved you. † Love comes with great faith in God.Jesus had died for our sins because of His great love for us and because he is Love. At the Last Supper a miracle occurred done by Jesus. He turned wine into His Blood and bread into His Body and said, â€Å"DO this in remembrance of me. † Thus, Catholics go to mass and relive this miracle of salvation. There have been times when the Blood or/and Body of Christ has been stolen and found in later years. When found, research had been done on the Blood or/and Body of Christ and concluded in astounding results. There was actual blood and body pieces still intact that described a tor tured male just as Jesus had been tortured.There have been people who have prayed to God through the intersection of Mary by praying the Rosary. Catholics and Non-Catholics, have prayed for others who have had a disease, for example cancer, to be cured. Sometimes their prayers weren't answered overnight or at all but these people had faith in God and dedicated themselves to the praying the Rosary. Their sincerity and faith took a toll and their prayers answered, the cancers cured, and as mom response from Mary, the people could smell roses eater their prayers had been answered or even if they weren't answered.Love conquers all. Whether it be the views of society, time, the forces of nature, diseases, and-ourselves. But, we must understand that suffering is part of love as long as we roam this earth. All of us have tried to avoid suffering. Has it not become obvious that our love is strongest at what seems the most difficult times? God refines us like silver in the fire Of our suffer ings. Fall in love with God and love will truly conquer all.

Nodding Ethics of Care and the Four Standard Essay

Ethics is a study of human conduct in relation to his moral principles. These moral principles may be regarded as the behavior or conducts that human psychology has adopted or the way on which the obligations and specific duties of the society demands from its members. (Carol, 1982) The ethics of care is an ethical theory that to talk about what makes an action right or wrong. These theories were developed by feminists during the late 20th century. According to these theories, while the deontological and consequentiality theories emphasize on the importance of universal importability, ethics on the other hand emphasize on the importance of relationship. (Bartky, 1990) Nel Noddings Nel Nodding was an American feminist and educationist who was famously known for her work in philosophy, ethical care as well as her educational theories. She emphasized on the basics of ethical theories and their recognition. (Sarah, 1990) She was in much advocacy of the independence of people in achieving their interest and those that are vulnerable to our choices as well as their outcomes needs extra consideration and would be determined by measuring through 1) the level of the vulnerability depending to one’s choice and 2) how much it would affect one’s choice The most important reason for this theory is safeguarding and promoting one’s interest. (Dewey, 1993) Reference: Bartky, S. 1990: Femininity and Domination, page 104-5. Routledge, New York Carol, G, 1982: â€Å"In a Different Voice: Psychological theory and women’s development. † Cambridge, Harvard University Press Dewey, J. 1993: Educating for Intelligent Belief or Unbelief. New York: Teachers College Press Sarah, L. 1990 ‘Some Concerns about Nel Noddings’ Caring’. Hypatia 5 (1),

Psychological Disorders Essay

Psychological Disorder Analysis This psychological analysis is about Maria a 42 year old Hispanic female who comes into the mental health clinic complaining of feeling jumpy all of the time, she has trouble sleeping and is enable to concentrate on her work as an accountant. These symptoms are causing problems for her at work. There can be many causes for her symptoms but to get to the root of her issue a clinical assessment, diagnoses, and proper treatment for her disorder will be submitted. Maria comes into the clinic complaining of having trouble sleeping, feeling jumpy all the time, she has trouble concentrating on her work which seems to be causing an issue. A clinical interview is done first on Maria to attain some background information. Clinical interviews questions are 1. What brings her to the clinic? 2. When did these feelings start and did an event trigger them? 3. Do these feelings last long? 4. What is her relationship with her parents? 5. What is her relationship with her siblings? 6. What type of work does she do? 7. What are her romantic relationships like? 8. What was her childhood experiences like? 9. What makes her happy? 10. Does she have any medical problems or medication she is taking? A possible disorder is causing her symptoms. Because information was not given concerning her background, family or social life Maria’s symptoms coincide with Dysthymic Disorder with major depression (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Dysthymic Disorder is known as double depression (Comer, 2011). It has symptoms of chronic and low level depression which reduces one’s ability to function. Some individuals with Dysthymia experience insomnia, or hypersomnia, poor appetite and overeating. They also experience poor concentration or have difficulty making decisions. Some fail to attend to daily hygiene, some experience low energy and low self esteem which cause them to overlook their daily duties or job responsibilities (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Most say they have been unhappy or sad all of their lives which cause them not maintain healthy relationships (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Dysthymia also causes changes in feeling, thinking, and physical well-being (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Dysthymic disorder share symptoms with major depression. Both disorders share symptoms such as sleep difficulties, shyness, and social withdrawal; poor work performance,  irritability, and conflict with family and friends (University Of Phoenix, 2007). The main difference between the two disorders is the intensity and duration of the disorder. With major depression symptoms are more severe such as the individual may be so depressed they cannot get out of bed and have thoughts of suicide whereas with Dysthymia the depression is more muted where the person is able to function on some level, he or she may be getting out of bed, but they may not groom themselves (University Of Phoenix, 2007). The other difference is major depression needs episodes that last for at least two weeks whereas dysthymic disorder symptoms persist for at least two years (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Major depression is also common with minorities. Minority groups that live below poverty or come from family wh ose environment was impoverished tend to suffer from depression in higher numbers (Comer, 2011). Gender also plays a role in major depression women are twice as likely as men to receive a diagnosis of depression (Comer, 2011). To assess her case the DSM-IV is used. According to what Maria says her symptoms meet the criteria on the DSM-IV. Maria must display two of her symptoms for a period of 2 weeks or longer (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Maria did not indicate in this case study how long she had been experiencing symptoms. The case study did not indicate Maria’s dress condition or hygiene neither did it indicate that she was shy or socially withdrawn. Maria may have developed dysthymic disorder through a behavioral process called learned helplessness. (University Of Phoenix, 2007). During an experiment dogs were placed in a cage with barricades and were exposed to a stimulus light which was followed by a shock (University Of Phoenix, 2007). They learned quickly through classical conditioning to fear the light (University Of Phoenix, 2007). In phase two of the experiment the shock was turned off and when the first group of dogs was exposed to the light they jumped over the barricade jumping to safety (Comer, 2011). When the second group of dogs encountered a large barrier they could not jump from the fear producing light to safety. When the light came on they ran around the cage barking and when they discovered escape was impossible they lay down and whimpered (University Of Phoenix, 2007). In ph ase 3 of this experiment all the barriers were removed, and the dogs could escape easily however, when the light came on the dogs that had been trapped made no effort to leave the cage, instead they lay down and whimpered (University Of Phoenix, 2007). What the experiment revealed is the dogs learned that even though they can escape nothing they can do will improve their conditions so in effect the dogs learned to be helpless (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Because Maria is Hispanic the multicultural perspective plays a role. Because of social norms, family structure, and background this should be all taken into account with minorities. Maria probably grew in an impoverish environment. Research shows that Hispanics are more likely to live a poorer environment that White American (Comer, 2011). Maria may feel that her life was precondition to remain this way even though she has made a life for herself as an accountant. Just like the dogs in her thinking she feels nothing she can do will change her conditions, even though she has opportunities to improve her life she has learned to be helpless which makes her sad and depressed which are symptoms of the disorder (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Multicultural research also shows that prejudice and discrimination against multicultural groups leads to higher anxiety and depression in minorities (Comer, 2011). Other probably causes for Maria’s disorder is a biological imbalance or hormonal imbalance like those seen in major depression. Biological theorist believes abnormal behavior as an illness is brought on by a malfunctioning organism in the brain or brain chemistry (Comer, 2011). The brain is made up of billions of nerve cells called neurons (Comer, 2011). When an electrical impulse reaches a neuron it is stimulated to release a certain chemical called a neurotransmitter which travels to receptors (Comer, 2011). These receptors travel to other neurons telling them to fire or not fire (Comer, 2011). Neurotransmitters play a key role in carrying information through the brain. In Maria’s case her neurotransmitters may be defective causing her symptoms (Comer, 2011). A hormonal imbalance can also trigger depressio n (Comer, 2011). A woman’s biological life changes as she ages triggering different hormone levels (Comer, 2011). Although hormonal changes cannot alone cause depression alone important social and life events that occur with puberty, pregnancy, or menopause can (Comer, 2011). To treat dysthymic disorder biological treatments such as psychotherapy and medications like Prozac and Tofranil have proven to be helpful in reducing symptoms (University Of Phoenix, 2007). A variety of psychotherapeutic approaches can work as well. Cognitive behavioral therapy can challenge Marias unrealistic ideas,  pessimistic expectations and self-critical evaluations (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Therapy can help her to have a more positive outlook on her life, and can help her to prioritize both opportunities and challenges concerning her life (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Multicultural treatments such as culture-sensitive therapy can be used in which the therapist addresses issues faced by minority groups (Comer, 2011). In addition behavioral oriented therapy can help her adapt better coping skills and help her communicate more effectively with friends and coworkers (University Of Phoenix, 2007). In this case study Maria went to the mental health clinic complaining of having trouble sleeping, feeling jumpy all the time, an inability to concentrate on her work as an accountant. Interview questions were asked which lead to a diagnosis of dysthymic disorder with major depression. Probable causes for her disorder are rooted in a neuro chemical imbalance or a learned helplessness from her environment (University Of Phoenix, 2007). Treatment for dysthymic disorder is psychotherapy and medication to reduce the symptoms (University Of Phoenix, 2007).

D. Forecast for Next 12-18 months Essay

The world economic outlook is bright. World GDP growth is forecast to average slightly more than 4 percent per annum during 2006-2007. Asia will continue to act as the primary engine of global growth, though activity will also be supported by continued U. S. economic expansion of almost 3 percent annually. China will continue to register robust growth of slightly more than 9 percent per annum, and output will continue to increase rapidly also in India. Japan also appears to be entering a longer phase of stable growth. The positive global environment will be reinforced by the Euro Area, where economic growth is forecast to accelerate in response to a recovery in domestic demand (The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy). The National Institute of Economic and Social Research has recently released a set of forecasts regarding the state of world economy in 2007. Below are listed some of the key points: Global growth will quicken to 5. 1 per cent this year falling back only a bit in 2007 to a still rapid 4. 7 per cent. Inflationary pressures are rising, mainly owing to higher oil prices, but the impact of rising oil prices on inflation and output is now more muted than in the past. Global imbalances remain marked and the dollar may have to fall by a further 30 per cent in order to halve the US current-account deficit. The US economy will grow by over 3 per cent a year in both 2006 and 2007, but inflationary pressures are mounting. The Japanese economic recovery has become self-sustaining and GDP will rise by 3. 1 per cent in 2006 and by 2. 6 per cent in 2007. The Euro Area will expand by around 2 per cent a year in both 2006 and 2007, and consumer price inflation will average about 2. 5 per cent in both years. The NIESR report goes on to elaborate upon the aforementioned points: Advanced countries in the OECD bloc are participating in the upswing but the main reason for the current period of exceptionally strong global growth is the long boom in China. In 2005, China represented 15. 4 per cent of global GDP on a purchasing-power parity basis, up from 3. 4 per cent in 1980. Global inflation is rising in response to higher oil prices, but much less so than in the past. New estimates suggest that a $10 permanent rise in oil prices will add 0. 2 to 0. 4 percentage points to inflation in the United States in the four years to 2009, with a somewhat smaller impact in the Euro Area, and a still smaller effect in the UK. The global upswing continues to be accompanied by major imbalances, notably the scale of the US current account deficit, which widened by 4. 5 percentage points of GDP between 1997 and 2005. Since this deterioration has mainly financed increased consumer spending rather than productive investment, financial markets may conclude that the deficit is not sustainable. It is estimated that the dollar’s value against a basket of currencies needs to fall by a further 30 per cent in order to reduce the current account deficit by 3 percentage points of GDP. The US economy will grow by 3. 6 per cent in 2006 and by 3. 1 per cent in 2007. The economy continues to be driven mainly by consumption, which will increase by 3. 3 per cent in 2006 and by 2. 9 per cent in 2007. Housing investment is slackening but business investment, stimulated by high corporate profits, will buoy growth this year and next. Inflation is picking up and the private consumption deflator will rise by 3. 0 per cent in 2006 and by 3. 3 per cent in 2007. There now appears little doubt that the Japanese recovery from the bleak period of deflation and stagnation has become self-sustaining. The economy grew by 3. 5 per cent in the year to the first quarter of 2006 . Business investment is expanding strongly and consumer spending is expected to grow by 1. 9 per cent a year in 2006 and 2007. Average earnings, which had been falling earlier in the decade, will grow by 0. 8 per cent in 2006 and by 2. 8 per cent in 2007. The outlook for the Euro Area is for higher inflation despite a fairly modest recovery. Consumer prices will rise by 2. 6 per cent in 2006 compared with 2. 2 per cent in 2005. Tighter monetary conditions together with measures in Germany to cut the budget deficit will hold back growth in consumption and GDP in the Euro Area. Consumer spending will also be restrained by sluggish growth in average earnings as the corporate sector manages to retain its increased profitability (Barrell et al, 8-31).

Roche Pharmaceuticals Operations Planning Research Paper

Roche Pharmaceuticals Operations Planning - Research Paper Example Sales & Operations Planning At Roche an efficient sales & operations planning is used in order to balance demand and supply, to align mix and volume and for integrating financial and operating plans. This has been facilitated by using of Enterprise Resource Planning systems discussed in later sections. At Roche, the top management takes ownership of the sales and operations planning process. The management considers it a source of delivering business plans and strategies. The medium to long term decisions are taken by the top executives while the short term decisions are taken by the middle management. Various products at Roche pharmaceuticals are divided into families which makes it easier for management to review them for planning. Roche believes in proactive management rather than reactive crisis management. Hence, the sales and operations plan are designed well ahead of time. The sales and operations planning process also encompasses risk analysis and mitigation. The various possible scenarios in the planning horizon are studied and plans are made to tackle sudden rise or fall in demand and resources. After the plans have been decided at the top, they are communicated throughout the organization for smooth and accurate implementation. Broadly speaking, 5 steps are followed by Roche for Sales and Operations Planning. In the first steps, all new product development programmes are reviewed with the help of Research and Development Department. The information obtained acts as input for the sales and operations planning process. The concerned risks and assumptions are also documented. In the second step, a new sales and demand plan is created. The forecasts made here are dependent upon inputs from various stakeholders in the meeting. Roche accomplishes forecasting with the help of SAP ERP tools. The system generated forecasts are shared with all stakeholders. Any changes suggested are incorporated after discussion and the final forecasts are developed. These forecasts act as input for demand planning meeting. The concerned risks and assumptions are documented. In the third step, an operations plan is prepared in order to fulfill demands for each time period. For this the old operations plan is studied and the differen ces are noted. In the new operations plan, these differences are adjusted keeping in view the various resource constraints and inventory levels. The operations plan is multiplied by bill of materials required for each product family to arrive at total required resources. The required resources are compared with available resources. If there are significant differences, solutions to fill those gaps are identified and documented. In the fourth step, the impact of operations plan on other departments such as Accounts, finance, IT and sales is studied. Reconciliations and corrections are done to address concerns of various departments. Finally the key recommendations and potential scenarios are studied to from an agenda for the final Sales and Operations Planning meeting. The agenda is shared before the meeting for everyone to understand. In the fifth step, final Sales and Operations meeting is conducted. In the final meeting, the progress on previous sales and operations plan is studie d, plan for each product family is reviewed, approvals are made and new proposals are decided. The minutes of meeting and action plans are then communicated to various stakeholders (PHS, 2006). 5.3. Aggregate Planning Strategies Roche pharmaceuticals uses aggregate planning for achieving its medium term objectives. The activities are planned at various

The case of triage after a disaster Research Paper

The case of triage after a disaster - Research Paper Example He also needs critical care and should be the second person to attend to avoid losing too much blood. Jason should be assessed for injuries on internal organs as the lacerations on the chest are quite deep (Lee, 2010). Mr. Campbell is suffering from high blood pressure and needs urgent attention as he has already began experiencing respiratory distress and chest pain. Owing to his medical history of cardiac disease, it may turn out to be fatal in a short while. He should be the third person to attend to. It is important to help him restore his normal blood pressure. Jane needs further medical evaluation to determine her mental and physiological state. Her condition requires nursing diagnosis as it is not clear what she is suffering from but it is evident that she has a problem. She should the fourth patient to attend to. Blake is suffering from relatively mild conditions. He suffered a fractured leg that has already been stabilised. Painkillers can be administered to him to relief hi s discomfort. He will be the fifth person to attend to if there is no other acute case that will emerge as he can wait longer but not too long to cause him a lot of suffering (Koenig et al. 2006). Physical assessment on Janet will begin with neurological evaluation considering factors such as changes in the consciousness level of the patient, anxiety, lethargy, confusion and incomprehension. It is also necessary to seek for the patient’s neurological health history to determine if she had previous experiences of anaesthesia and sensory disturbance among others. The intensity of these neurological aspects will be used to determine if there are functional disorders or indications of a medical problem. These assessments will help to understand if she is traumatised as a result of the disaster and the thought of ‘near death’ situation. If her condition is as a result of shock, she will be out of danger and it will be easy to resuscitate her. The somatic,

Consumer's Shopping Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Consumer's Shopping Experience - Essay Example Thus from the discussion we can arrive at the definitions of the three types of purchases. The low involvement purchase implies the buying process where the purchasers do not perceive the product to be crucial enough and do not relate with it strongly (staff.uny.ac., n.d.). In this type of purchase decision the customer puts the least effort in browsing, comparing and selecting activities. Example of low involvement purchase could be purchasing casual daily wear t-shirts. The medium involvement purchase implies the purchase of products like the grocery items like toothpaste and newspaper etc. that requires medium level of information gathering endeavor and the buyer attaches themselves with the product to a medium level. For a medium level product the buyer puts a moderate level of effort towards the browsing, comparing and selecting procedure. The high involvement purchase deals with high level of involvement of the customer with the product or service they are planning to purchase. These types of products or services are way more expensive than the medium and low involvement products. The time spent on the decision making process is the longest for the high involvement products. ... Among these categories chocolates, dairy products and ice-creams will be categorized as the high-involvement products, while the Purina pet care will be considered as the medium involvement purchase and the bottled water will be the low involvement purchase. Marketing strategies undertaken by the makers of Nestle would encourage the consumer to search for all the information regarding low involvement purchases, medium involvement purchases and high involvement purchases since the operations and activities of Nestle are quite transparent and all the information are available online. The consumers have the option to make the purchase online through the Nestle nutrition store. For a high involvement purchase the marketer must present some information regarding the product or service which the help the creation of an encouraging attitude for the brand that will consequently result in a purchase. The advertisements in this case should be focused on the factual significance. The problem re cognition state in this case reflects the doubt in the mind of the consumer regarding the purchase decision which can only be answered by the availability of detailed information related to price, quality and material of the product. The problem in the case of medium involvement purchase requires an adequate amount of information and a good amount of time for comparing the similar products. In this case the marketer must come up with effective promotional campaigns to influence the decision of the purchasers. The low involvement purchase decision gives rise to the issue of lack of loyalty. In this case the marketer requires creating and maintaining brand reliability among

National Literacy Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

National Literacy Strategy - Essay Example To address suggestions on improving the ways in which children learn to read, the National Literacy Strategy was conceived in 1998, but by 2003 it was evident that more new concepts were needed. Results indicated that areas of need for children learning how to read still existed. Marian Sainsbury, principal researcher at the National Foundation for Educational Research, includes in a Literacy Today article (2004) a survey of 4,671 children, Years 4 and 6 combined, comparing 1998 with 2003, which shows that in 2003 children were significantly less interested in reading and going to the library, more interested in watching TV [SEE chart, next page]. Children surveyed in 2003, "after five years of teaching according to the National Literary Strategy" (par. 11), did show more confidence and independence, but although there had been some improvement in reading skills for the pupils in England, by comparison, their enjoyment of reading was poor. Sainsbury notes that teachers rather than the children often choose the reading material for the "literacy hour" in some schools. This is a practice that might discourage a child's interest in further reading, since the child has no input. Children do prefer reading by themselves silently and at home, and giving them more choices in the school setting might well increase their interest level. In a University of Reading press release (2003... They were invited to discuss the subject further by writing brief papers, expressing their concerns. The published papers are presently available at www.ncll.or.uk. According to the press release, "The authors argue against attempts to analyse and categorise the novel, story or poem, to 'stick labels on it, teach-and-preach it into a coma . . . or kill it off altogether with some kind of test' " (par. 3). The effort to meet curriculum needs in the classroom in early education creates stress, and teachers don't feel they can give pupils more freedom to learn at their own pace because they have to meet certain standards. Some of the issues addressed by the Early Years Curriculum Group (2000) that continue to be relevant in 2006 are listed below. They confirm the need for a more relaxed setting: The current emphasis on literacy and numeracy is having a negative effect on some young children's earliest experiences, particularly in the maintained sector and most particularly in children's reception year (par. 1.2) There is substantial evidence from research in this country, and from overseas, that a later start to more formal aspects of language and literacy learning will lead to quicker gains in competence in reading and writing, and actually to higher standards at age nine or 10 (1.5). Reporter Wendy Berliner, in her Guardian article "War of Words" (2005), outlines the success of a Scottish reading program using synthetic phonics and discusses the pros and cons of the system. In 1998, three hundred Scottish children were taught to read using diverse programs. Of the three programmes followed, synthetic phonics showed the best results after seven years. The proponents of