Monday, September 30, 2019

Radiology Report

Diabetic patient with ulcer on the bottom right foot. Images of the feet were obtained in a plane perpendicular to the long axis of the foot. Utilizing a T1-sequence an effective double-echo sequence and in a plane nearly paralleling the long axis of the foot utilizing an effective double-echo sequence. An additional sequence was performed in an attempt to do a fat saturation technique. However, motion artifact degrades the detail on these images limiting the use for evaluation. There is prominent abnormality evident in the right midfoot and forefoot. This consists of abnormally increased soft tissue present, predominantly plantar, medial to the tarsals and proximal to the metatarsals but also dorsal to the proximal metatarsals. At the distal aspect of this abnormality near the metatarsophalangeal joint, there is a prominent defect present in the plantar medial soft tissues extending to this abnormal soft tissue characteristic, suggesting an area of ulceration or surgical defect. Deep to this area of apparent ulceration there is bright T2-signal present at the dorsalateral aspect of the foot at the level of the mid to distal metatarsals suggesting edema and and/or inflammation in the dorsal soft tissues in that region. I do not see definite replacement of the normal bright marrow signal on the T1-sequence within the tarsals or metatarsals. Therefore, I do not see definite osteomyelitis. Certainly the findings are highly suggestive of a rampant cellulitis. Unfortunately, I have no plain films available for correlation at this time. If additional evaluation is required, one could consider combined gallium and bone scanning. In the left foot, I see neither definite remarkable soft tissue abnormalities nor do I see marrow replacement within the tarsals or metatarsals. The phalanges in both feet are rather difficult to evaluate other than the bases of the proximal phalanges of the great toes in which I see no remarkable abnormality.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Early Childhood Educational Philosophy

â€Å"It must be remembered that the purpose of education is not to fill the minds of students with facts †¦ it is to teach them to think, if that is possible, and always to think for themselves. † Robert Hutchins. It is very clear to me that a successful early childhood program must provide a safe and nurturing environment that promotes social, emotional, physical and cognitive development. Young children need a warm and inviting atmosphere to learn. Children must have their basic needs met before any learning can take place. Safety, nutrition, and shelter are a few needs which must be provided. Although early childhood centers may not directly provide these services outside the regular school day, administrators must connect with outside agencies in order to recommend and provide families with necessary services. Children need to be encouraged to express themselves though verbal communication, text/pictures, play, and through art. Children learn through manipulation of objects in their environment, creative play, and discovery of the world around them. It is through group play, role modeling, and through supportive teaching that children grow socially and emotionally. These group activities teach young children how to live, work and play together. Independent and guided problem solving and independent exploration help children gain greater independence. Children need both independent and teamwork skills to become a well rounded person Early childhood teachers need to understand that often they are the one person spending the majority of the time with the children they are teaching. Parents today are busy with work and trying to keep the household together. Released by the U. S. Census Bureau in November, 2009 there are approximately 13. 7 million single parent s in the United States today. These single parents are responsible for raising 21. 8 million children which is roughly 26% of children under 21 in the U. S. today. I strongly believe that early childhood teachers are responsible for forming a superior bond with each parent so they can work together to help each child grow as an individual, based on the child’s needs. A classroom is places where differences should be valued and children and their families are appreciated and respected. Each Classroom is diverse in many ways, including economically, and culturally. I believe each teacher, parent and administrator should be committed to promoting diversity in all its forms, including those related to racial and ethnic identity, gender, socioeconomic status, sexuality, age, family structure, religion, national origin and ability. I believe as educators we should actively seek to teach children tolerance of all forms of difference, and just as actively seek to dissuade children from bias about norms and stereotypes. Throughout the classroom as well as the center there should be displays that show diversity as a celebration of people, of differences and of ways of living. I believe in early childhood education the best form of assessment is performance records. Performance records are any documentation regarding the child’s development and learning. These records help the child care provider to notice patterns in a child’s behavior as well as learning patterns. It is important to document at various times of the day as well as with a variety of teacher directed and child directed activities. I feel in early childhood children develop at differently, some children develop faster than others and therefore standardize testing is not an accurate account of the children’s abilities. At this age in a child’s life children should not be measured against their peers. I believe that each child should be measured on an individual basis. I feel that the best approach to curriculum is the integrated curriculum approach which involves picking one topic that can be explored across more than one academic discipline. I do feel that children are going to be more interested if they have some choice in the topics. With preschool children they are at an age where they can express what they want. I feel that a teacher should include them in some of the topics they explore. Children should participate independently, with the entire group and cooperatively in small groups. Each day should be a balance of free-choice time and planned structured activities in specific time blocks. Activities throughout the day are either child-initiated or teacher-directed. This variety promotes independence, provides opportunities for children to practice and acquire social skills and fosters the development of a positive self-image. It is important for every teacher and administrator to remember that â€Å"In early childhood you may lay the foundation of poverty or riches, industry of idleness, good or evil, by the habits to which you train your children. Teach them right habits then and their future life is safe. † Lydia Sigourney. I truly believe that each child that walks into our lives is there for us to nurture and help grow and we may be the only one that is laying the foundations. We have a chance to change the life of every child that walks in our center.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Characteristics of Metaphysical Poetry

What is a metaphysical poem? Metaphysical poetry is concerned with the whole experience of man, but the intelligence, learning and seriousness of the poets means that the poetry is about the profound areas of experience especially about love, romantic and sensual; about mans relationship with God the eternal perspective, and, to a less extent, about pleasure, learning and art. Metaphysical poems are lyric poems. They are brief but intense meditations, characterized by striking use of wit, irony and wordplay.Beneath the formal structure (of rhyme, metre and stanza) is the underlying (and often hardly less formal) structure of the poems argument. Note that there may be two (or more) kinds of argument in a poem. In To His Coy Mistress the explicit argument (Marvells request that the coy lady yield to his passion) is a stalking horse for the more serious argument about the transitoriness of pleasure. The outward levity conceals (barely) a deep seriousness of intent.You would be able to show how this theme of carpe diem (â€Å"seize the day†) is made clear in the third section of the poem. Characteristics of Metaphysical Poetry ?Startling comparisons or contrasts of a metaphysical (spiritual, transcendant, abstract) quality to a concrete (physical, tangible, sensible) object. In A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning, Donne compares the love he shares with his wife to a compass. ?Mockery of sentimental romantic poetry ?Gross exaggeration (hyperbole) ?Presentation of a logical argument.Donne argues that he and his wife will remain together spiritually even though they are apart physically. Metaphysical Poetry The Flea + Sune Rising Metaphysical poets use startling juxtapositions in their poetry to create a greater significance in their arguments and intended meanings throughout the poem. John Donne is said to be the unsurpassed metaphysical poet, metaphysical poetry being poetry relating to a group of 17-century English poets whose verse is typified by an intellectually arduous style, admitting xtended metaphors and comparing very disparate things. In 17th century England new discoveries were being made and social customs such as men being the dominant over women still applied. Through Donnes poetry we can see that he is goaded and confused by the new discoveries and the social customs avert him from reaching his desires. This is incalculably recognized in his two poems, The Sunne Rising and The Flea where Donnes arguments challenge some beliefs of the 17th century England.Through The Sunne Rising we gain a sense of meaning that Donne is irritated and perplexed with new discoveries and that he believes his loveis everything in the whole world. In The Flea we can see Donne challenging the social costumes of the 17th century, such as chastity of women, his tremendous persistence to sexually unite with the woman and the overall dominance presented over the woman. In both of these poems Donne uses vividly striking differences in the argument to emphasize the overall meaning of the poem.These dramatic contrasts include conceit, binary opposition, imagery, specific words and the movement of the poem, which are additionally affirmed by poetic devices. The Sunne Rising implies that when a couple unearths perfect love together they become one, shaping a world of their own, which has no need for the outside world. He suggests that even the physical laws of the universe must defer to those persons caught up in the larger universe of infatuation. We also see Donne is going through a struggle of the old and new during the poem.In the Sunne Rising Donne uses a number of dramatic.. . Metaphysical Poetry Metaphysical poetry, a term coined by Samuel Johnson, has its roots in 17th-century England. This type of poetry is witty, ingenious, and highly philosophical. It topics included love, life and existence. It used literary elements of similes, metaphors, imagery, paradoxes, conceit, and far-fetched views of reality. John Donne is regarded as the â€Å"leading poet† of this highly intellectual form of poetry.Donne was influenced by the belief that the precision of beauty in the adored (loved one) behaved as a commemoration of ideal beauty in the everlasting kingdom (heaven). He also used unconventional and colloquial rhythm and tone, which was highly contrary to the Elizabethan poetry style. Metaphysical poets : The name given to a diverse group of 17th? century English poets whose work is notable for its ingenious use of intellectual and theological concepts in surprising conceits, strange paradoxes, and far? fetched imagery.The leading metaphysical poet was John Donne, whosecolloquial, argumentative abruptness of rhythm and tone distinguishes his style from the conventions of Elizabethan love? lyrics. Other poets to whom the label is applied include Andrew Marvell, Abraham Cowley, John Cleveland, and the predominantly religious poets George Herbert, Henry Vaughan, and Richard Crashaw. In the 20th century, T. S. Eliot and others revived their reputation, stressing their quality of wit, in the sense of intellectual strenuousness and flexibility rather than smart humour. The term metaphysical poetry usually refers to the works of these poets, but it can sometimes denote any poetry that discusses metaphysics, that is, the philosophy of knowledge and existence. John Donne, is remembered today as the leading exponent of a style of verse known as metaphysical poetry†. Metaphysical poetry typically employs unusual verse forms, complex figures of speech applied to elaborate and surprising metaphorical conceits, and learned themes discussed according to eccentric and

Friday, September 27, 2019

Why television is bad for society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why television is bad for society - Essay Example Obesity has also been attributed to television. In most households, the TV is on all the time. The only time that it is turned off is when the family goes to sleep. Therefore, children lack physical exercise from staying indoors. However, parents are also to blame as they at times use television as a babysitter. This creates an opportunity for children to watch any program they wish to regardless of its content (Evans 15). Parents tend not to monitor what their children are watching as they are too busy with work. Nevertheless, parents should take advantage of the parental control button and use it so as to shield their children from the negative influences in the adult rated programs. Children who watch more television end up being aggressive and violent. They are seen to act out what they see in television (Beretta & Smith 48). These has caused some teenagers to take drastic measures as carrying guns to school and end up shooting classmates that they did not like, or one they had a disagreement with. Violence is the biggest vice that has been picked up from watching too much television. The languages picked up from the programs aired are also very vulgar and rude. The solution to this is for parents to reduce the amount of time spent watching television in a day to two hours, preferably in the evening when parents are home from work.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Modeling the Exchange Rate and Balance of Payments Essay

Modeling the Exchange Rate and Balance of Payments - Essay Example Many countries use financial institutions, central banks, to invest in several monetary and financial systems and other resources in their quest to predict exchange rate and determine international trade as well as a balance of payment. Several theories have been forwarded to determine the value of exchange rate and balance of payments, and in this summary, we will discuss the determinants of a balance of trade, the IS-LM-BP approach and the monetary approach in relation to the two (Melvin and Norrbin, 225). The elasticity approach to the balance of trade explains that the economic behavior involves satisfaction of the unlimited wants with limited resources. One effect of this is that consumers and business firms end up substituting the expensive good for the more affordable ones as prices change to stretch their budgets as far as they can. Relative prices normally change relative to demand and supply for individual goods. Such changes may be caused by an alteration in tastes, the method of production, government taxes, or subsidies amongst other possible causes. If the changes concern the prices of goods at home relative to the foreign goods, the international trade patterns may actually be altered. The elasticity approach to the balance of trade involves the way changing of relative prices of the domestic and foreign goods will affect and possibly change the balance of trade. Furthermore, it provides an analysis of how the issue of devaluation affects the balance of trade in relation t o the elasticity of supply and demand for foreign exchange and foreign goods in the concerned market (Melvin and Norrbin 226). The devaluation of a country’s currency domestically normally raises the price of foreign goods in relation to the domestic goods within that country.

Corn Air Marketing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corn Air Marketing Strategy - Essay Example There is no doubt that marketing is an effective determinant of a business success in an industry, especially where there is high competition. Customers chose a particular product based on the information available and to which persuades them towards that product. Indeed, the information in the market is provided through the use of marketing. Marketing hence attracts consumers in many ways. Through marketing, the company creates image and branding that distinguishes them from the competitors, and as Shimp (2010) noted, differentiation is essentials especially to an industry where goods are similar. Accordingly, the public is aware of the existence of the commodity and the associated owner. Furthermore, establishing an effective marketing is a sense of pride to the employees while increasing stakeholder satisfaction. As a result, the employees are motivated leading to better service to the customers, particularly to the airline industry. Companies should so spend effectively if they a re to enjoy the benefits of marketing. The emergent of technology has seen many businesses implement various ways of strategy in marketing to promote their products. Most of the advertisements were conducted through TVs, radios, newspapers, journals to provide for public awareness and indeed, it did serve them well since the last decade there was no prevalence of technology as it is today. With the increased information technology, companies have combined the traditional ways and modern ways to spur their economic growth.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Resulting trusts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Resulting trusts - Essay Example since there is no evidence that Joe retained a reversionary interest in the home.1 In Lohia v Lohia, it was established that by virtue of Section 60(3) of the Law of Property Act 1925, a resulting trust will no longer be inferred in the case of a voluntary conveyance.2 A declaration of trust can be created by word of mouth â€Å"or even inferred from conduct.†3 There were no words or conduct on Joe’s part that can be construed to represent an intention on his part to create a trust. The voluntary conveyance of the home will therefore be construed as an absolute gift to Jack which does not form a part of Joe’s estate and likewise Daisy will have no legitimate claim to it. The disposition of the shares in Dotcom plc to Eddie was a bare trust and as such will devolve with Joe’s estate. Eddie assumed the role of trustee and likewise treated Joe as the sole beneficiary of the trust during his lifetime. This is evidenced by Eddie leaving the share certificate with Joe and paying over dividends from the shares to Joe. Moreover, Eddie himself acknowledged that he was merely holding the shares upon trust for Joe. There is no escaping the conclusion that the manner in which the shares in Dotcom were purchased, held and treated was consistent with the requisite three certainties of a trust. These certainties are certainty of subject matter, intention as well as objects. The subject matter is the trust property, intention is words and conduct capable of defining the intent by the donor to create a trust and the objects are the intended beneficiaries.4 The presumption is that Daisy be the sole beneficiary of the shares in her role as heir to Joe’s estate. Joe’s gift to Jack for Emily’s medical problems appears to be a discretionary trust. However, the validity of this kind of discretionary trust can be challenged on the grounds that Joe’s words do not impose upon Jack a legally binding obligation. Rather, the words used most probably impose upon him

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Modern Organizations and Accounting System Research Paper

Modern Organizations and Accounting System - Research Paper Example It is vital because it systematizes the whole process. Without having proper accounting system, it is impossible to run business either small or big. Every type of organization needs to have check and balance on their financial statements (Eisen, 2000). One thing that should be clearly mentioned here is that the modernized accounting system has not changed the business purpose and principles but it has only changed the mechanism. In other words, it could be said that the method of performing accounting functions have become more advantageous. Early accounting reports have shown major errors in calculations and illegal actions by the practitioners. It is due to this reason that the need of modernized and computerized accounting system arose. Earlier, great loses of money and reputation of the organizations was noted because of lack of accounting systems (Eisen, 2000). In addition, it affected economies of countries as in whole. Modernized Accounting System and Change in Organizations: In order to understand the difference in modern organizations that has taken place because of advanced accounting system we need to compare current accounting system with the old one. ... In addition, it has been noticed that it is very difficult to maintain records safely because of greater man made errors or mistakes. Secondly, if files of records or data are lost than in such circumstances, businesses have to suffer from loss or face penalties (Previts, 2006). Therefore, the need of establishing newer accounting method was felt by accountants and other professionals at business to have alternative methods of dealing with numbers and financial statistics of the organization. Modern technology has played an important role in keeping records of numbers, in generating different methods of solving mathematical equations in more accurate and efficient way. Modernized systems were predicted to have a profound effect on the working of organizations as it helped in efficient work process (Merlene, 2010). Introduction to advanced technology and the use of modernized system in the department of accounts has brought tremendous change in the mechanism of accounting procedures. First and foremost, prominent change that has been observed is that modern technology has quickened the working process for accounting functions and capital consumption. It has made availability of financial information much faster and easier, understanding the use of information in proper way with the use of modern technology has made it straightforward for the business people to make good and beneficial decisions on correct time to increase productivity (Merlene, 2010). Now reports are generated just by clicking few buttons instead of wasting more time on preparing reports manually. Similarly, paying high wages to employees companies are currently using centralized controlled

Monday, September 23, 2019

International Business. Multinational Enterprises Case Study

IBM as a Multinational Enterprises - Case Study Example IBM is one of the only nine companies in the Fortune 500 companies to be considered global. A company's recognition as being global is only measured by the percentage of their revenue from different markets. The three triad major world markets: North America, Europe, and Asia, are considered when companies are measured. According to the rules for a company to be called global, the revenue from each of the three major markets must be greater than 20% of the total revenue of the company (2006). In the case of IBM, it passed the test since IBM's revenue from all the three major world markets exceeds 20% of the total revenue. The company gets 42.7% of its revenue from North and South America, 32.7% from Europe, and 21.6% from Asia. Other big companies can be considered multinational enterprises, but not global companies. The number of countries IBM operates in, along with the vast availability of its products throughout the world is sufficient to conclude that IBM has a global reach. IBM interests the masses of other countries, and that is why it is the largest firm in its industry. IBM started to expand beyond national borders through the merger of its Canadian predecessors and establishing and maintaining a special relationship with its customers. According to the case presented, IBM expanded with speed and commitment into many different markets of the world. Contract manufacturing is outsourcing manufacturing tasks to other firms. In IBM's case, the company uses contract manufacturing to manufacture a lot of its products in different parts of the world. IBM's strategy is to remain a global company, and contract manufacturing fits in perfectly in IBM. Contract manufacturing allows the company to expand faster than if the company would manufacture everything directly from the host country. Furthermore, it saves a lot of money and time for the company because production facilities are not to be purchased, as it would be the case if IBM decides to manufacture them. It also involves getting the most out of the workforce. Local firms would know more about how to utilize their resources in the best possible way, and hence, local firms would a better job at managing local resources. Moreover, consumer tastes and demands differ in each country, so it is beneficial to use the knowledge of contractors about the home market. The contractors know mor e about the market for technological products in the home market. Furthermore, with specific assistance from IBM, the local firms can provide an IBM product with specific customization tailoring to the local population. Part of the reason for IBM's success in other countries is contract manufacturing. IBM would have to deal with a lot of issues such as location, availability of human resources and technology, training, market research, and government rules and regulations etc. To better minimize the risk of getting others to do the company's work, IBM has created six research centers across six countries to ensure that these centers conduct research in their region.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Pepsi Co Essay Example for Free

Pepsi Co Essay Pepsi Co is one of the largest Multi-national enterprises in US having operations in different countries of the world. It basically deals in beverages and soft drinks and offers different brands such as Pepsi, Tropicana, and Gatorode etc. The sheer success of its brands depicts that it is one of the most successful organizations in US which is operating at The International level. Pepsi receives its revenue in US dollars from all its licensed bottlers working across the world. However, it pays to its suppliers and employees in the local currency where it operates. Due to this factor, its cost structure is affected as the volatile movements in currency can really produce a volatile movement in its cost of sales. This factor also creates more sever impact when some of the countries where Pepsi Co works do not allow forward booking of US dollars. Therefore, Pepsi Co may not be able to hedge itself against the currency volatility. (G. I. , 2003) There are countries where Pepsi Co makes and receives payments in US dollars. However, since its foreign affiliates have to purchase the US dollar from the local market to pay to it therefore, the impact may be more volatile specially if the local currency appreciates against the US Dollar. If local currency appreciates against US Dollar, the revenues of the company will go down because local affiliates would not buy fewer US Dollars because of appreciation. This will also affect the profitability of the company because Pepsi Co would now have to remit the higher amount of US Dollars to pay to its suppliers in the local market. Therefore, its overall expense would increase. Therefore, the whole profitability would come down as a result of this. (Tallman, 2007). Bibliography 1. G. I. , Z. (2003). MNEs, globalisation and digital economy: legal and economic aspects. Managerial Law, , 45 (1), pp. 1-296. 2. Tallman, S. B. (2007). A New Generation in International Strategic Management. New York: Edward Elgar Publishing,.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Network Monitoring And Management System Information Technology Essay

Network Monitoring And Management System Information Technology Essay A  literature review  is a body of text that aims to review the critical points of current knowledge including substantive findings as well as theoretical and methodological contributions to a particular topic. Literature reviews are  secondary sources, and as such, do not report any new or original experimental work. Most often associated with academic-oriented literature, such as  theses, a literature review usually precedes a research proposal and results section. Its ultimate goal is to bring the reader up to date with current literature on a topic and forms the basis for another goal, such as future research that may be needed in the area. A well-structured literature review is characterized by a  logical  flow of ideas; current and relevant references with consistent, appropriate  referencing style; proper use of  terminology; and an unbiased and comprehensive view of the previous research on the topic. 4.1 Domain Research 4.1.1 Network Monitoring and Management system 4.1.1.1 Introduction to the use of Network Monitoring and Management system Whenever there is vital information in an organization there has to be some agent who has to provide security measures to that information. This is because this vital information can be some sort of business plans, customer details or any kind of confidential tenders that is very important to organizational benefit. Any rival company can gain profit if it has accessed to those information by any means. Thus here arise the need and usage of network monitoring system that will be able to monitor the activities of its client. Secondly in every company one can expect there will be one network administrator. But when the number of machine increases it is difficult to manage those machines manually. Suppose one need to install some kind of programs in the client PC, the administrator has to go to that PC and then install. It is literally time consuming to go to each and every PC for initiation and finishing a set up process. Another way to solve this problem is to hire more employees for maintenance of the machines. Now this will be costly affair. So the use of Network Monitoring and Management together forms an important part of organizational computer network in day to life. 4.1.1.2 Network Monitoring and Management System The term  network monitoring  describes the use of a system that constantly monitors a  computer network  for slow or failing components and that notifies the  network administrator  (via email, pager or other alarms) in case of outages. It is a subset of the functions involved in  network management. While an  intrusion detection system  monitors a network for threats from the outside, a network monitoring system monitors the network for problems caused by overloaded and/or crashed servers, network connections or other devices. Effective planning for a network management system requires that a number of network management tasks be performed. The network management system should discover the network inventory, monitor the health and status of devices and provide alerts to conditions that impact system performance. An  intrusion detection system  (IDS) is a device or  software application  that monitors network and/or system activities for malicious activities or policy violations and produces reports to a Management Station. Intrusion prevention is the process of performing intrusion detection and attempting to stop detected possible incidents.  Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) are primarily focused on identifying possible incidents, logging information about them, attempting to stop them, and reporting them to security administrators.   IDPSs have become a necessary addition to the security infrastructure of nearly every organization. Network management  refers to the activities, methods, procedures, and tools that pertain to: Operation deals with keeping the network (and the services that the network provides) up and running smoothly. It includes monitoring the network to spot problems as soon as possible, ideally before users are affected. Administration deals with keeping track of resources in the network and how they are assigned. It includes all the housekeeping that is necessary to keep the network under control. Maintenance is concerned with performing repairs and upgrades-for example, when equipment must be replaced, when a router needs a patch for an operating system image, when a new switch is added to a network. Maintenance also involves corrective and preventive measures to make the managed network run better, such as adjusting device configuration parameters. Provisioning is concerned with configuring resources in the network to support a given service. For example, this might include setting up the network so that a new customer can receive voice service. 4.1.1.2.1 Types of intrusion detection systems [B5][B6] For the purpose of dealing with IT, there are three main types of IDS: Fig: Showing type of intrusion Detection system Network intrusion detection system  (NIDS) It is an independent platform that identifies intrusions by examining network traffic and monitors multiple hosts. Network intrusion detection systems gain access to network traffic by connecting to a  network hub,  network switch  configured for  port mirroring, or  network tap. In a NIDS, sensors are located at choke points in the network to be monitored, often in the demilitarized zone  (DMZ) or at network borders. Sensors capture all network traffic and analyze the content of individual packets for malicious traffic. An example of a NIDS is Snort. Host-based intrusion detection system  (HIDS) It consists of an agent on a host that identifies intrusions by analyzing system calls, application logs, file-system modifications (binaries, password files, capability databases, Access control lists, etc.) and other host activities and state. In a HIDS, sensors usually consist of a  software agent. Some application-based IDS are also part of this category. An example of a HIDS is  OSSEC. Perimeter Intrusion Detection System  (PIDS) Detects and pinpoints the location of intrusion attempts on perimeter fences of critical infrastructures. Using either electronics or more advanced  fiber optic  cable technology fitted to the perimeter fence, the PIDS detects disturbances on the fence, and this signal is monitored and if an intrusion is detected and deemed by the system as an intrusion attempt, an alarm is triggered. 4.1.1.2.2 Comparison with firewalls Though they both relate to network security, an intrusion detection system (IDS) differs from a firewall in that a firewall looks outwardly for intrusions in order to stop them from happening. Firewalls limit access between networks to prevent intrusion and do not signal an attack from inside the network. An IDS evaluates a suspected intrusion once it has taken place and signals an alarm. An IDS also watches for attacks that originate from within a system. This is traditionally achieved by examining network communications, identifying heuristics and patterns (often known as signatures) of common computer attacks, and taking action to alert operators. A system that terminates connections is called an  intrusion prevention system, and is another form of an  application layer firewall 4.1.1.3 Components of Network Monitoring and Management System The network monitoring system basically contains different modules with the help of which proper functioning is carried out. The following are the list of modules and processes: Initial Set-Up: This is the first step while setting up a network monitoring tool. The machines must be physically connected. IP addressing should be properly carried out. Network Mapping: The system sends out a command across the network along with usage of various components to get the minimum knowledge on the model in which the network is functioning network. This model is useful for documenting the network configuration. Machine Pooling: Now the map is prepared, and the system sends the current status request to the components that are in the network. With this process the system would able to get the knowledge of any potential failures that exist in the network. Alarms Notification: The application can detect the potential failures in the existing network. Like if any system has gone out of LAN due to any cable fault or any type of other failures it will send notification to the administrator. Information about errors can be displayed centrally or even sent as an SMS message to a mobile phone Notification can be through e-Mail, SMS or Pager. Reporting: The log-sheet with the help of the command can be very useful for the system administrator to generate the idea of the type of error that has been frequently occurring. By undergoing a thorough research the developer has found out that certain processes like filtering of client, listing of process, managing clients and their processes are the basic functionalities that must be present in a network monitoring system. 4.1.1.4 Network based Application Architecture Network based application architecture can be described as the software architecture of the network based application. It provides an abstract view and the model for comparison of the architecture that is going to be used to build the system. It explains how system components are allocated and identified and how these components interact with the system. Also provides information on the amount and granularity of communication needed for interact. Along with it also gives idea on the interface protocols. 4.1.1.4.1 Client/Server Architecture [W2][W3] The client-server model distinguishes between applications as well as devices. Network clients make requests to a server by sending messages, and servers respond to their clients by acting on each request and returning results. One server generally supports numerous clients, and multiple servers can be networked together in a pool to handle the increased processing load as the number of clients grows. C:UsersJAYESHPicturesfeatures-client-server.jpgC:UsersJAYESHPicturesclient_server_architecture.jpg Fig- A Client-Server Network The  client-server model  of computing is a  distributed application  structure that partitions tasks or workloads between the providers of a resource or service, called  servers, and service requesters, called  clients.  Often clients and servers communicate over a  computer network  on separate hardware, but both client and server may reside in the same system. A server machine is a host that is running one or more server programs which share their resources with clients. In most cases, client-server architecture enables the roles and responsibilities of a computing system to be distributed among several independent computers that are known to each other only through a network. This creates an additional advantage to this architecture: greater ease of maintenance. For example, it is possible to replace, repair, upgrade, or even relocate a server while its clients remain both unaware and unaffected by that change. Client/Server architecture with respect to domain research 4.1.1.4.2 Network monitoring protocols [W12] Website monitoring service can check   HTTP   pages,   HTTPS,   SNMP,   FTP,   SMTP,   POP3,   IMAP,   DNS, SSH,  TELNET,  SSL,  TCP,  ping,  SIP,  UDP, Media Streaming and a range of other ports with a variety of check intervals ranging from every four hours to every one minute. Typically, most network monitoring services test your server anywhere between once-per-hour and per-minute. SNMP is the most well known protocol used to manage networked devices. It was to facilitate the exchange of management information between networked devices operating at the application layer of the ISO/OSI model. A collection of network management stations and network elements are implicit in the SNMP architectural model. Network management stations monitor and control network elements by executing management applications for Network devices such as hosts, gateways, terminal and servers which have management agents responsible for performing the network management functions requested by the network management stations. The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is used to communicate management information between the network management stations and the agents in the network elements. SNMP is most commonly used for remote management of network devices. SNMP is moreover known for its flexibility. Adding network-management functions to the existing system is very easy. An SNMP-managed network typically consists of three components: Managed devices Agents Network management systems A managed device can be any piece of equipment that sits on your data network and is SNMP compliant. Routers, switches, hubs, workstations, and printers are all examples of managed devices. An agent is typically software that resides on a managed device. The agent collects data from the managed device and translates that information into a format that can be passed over the network using SNMP. A network-management system monitors and controls managed devices. The network management system issues requests and devices return responses. 4.1.1.5 HCI (Human Computer Interaction) Human-computer interaction is a discipline concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use and with the study of major phenomena surrounding them. Association for Computing Machinery As Smart Whistle Blower- a network management and monitoring tool completely functions according to the user. That is why developer tried to implement peoples interaction with computers and to develop the computers for successful interaction with human by the concept of HCI (Human- Computer Interaction). The developer used following main parts of HCI: User Computer Interaction The developer implemented HCI with the aim of improving the interactions between humans and computers by making computers more usable and receptive to the users needs. Usability can be defined as the extent to which the system can be learnt and used by the users. So the developer measures the usability of the system by analyzing the following points: Easy to learn Effective to use Efficient to use While developing a system using HCI principles the following factors must be considered by the developer: Organizational Factors Environmental Factors Health and Safety Factors Comfort Factors People System/Network Administrator Supervisor Advisor HCI now is being used in a wide range of fields which are shown in the diagram below: Fig: Showing related modules to HCIU Source: http://images.google.co.in/imgres?imgurl=http://www.deepamehta.de/docs/images/talk/39-middle.png 4.1.1.6 Market Research 4.1.1.6.1 Similar software available in market There are numerous monitoring tools available in the market, some of which are listed below: Application Monitoring Performance Monitoring Database Monitoring Security Monitoring Environment Monitoring Network Traffic Monitoring PC Monitoring Protocol Analyzing 4.1.1.6.2 Comparison Chart [W13] [W14] [W15][W16][W17][W18][W19][W20] Fig: Showing Comparison Chart between ten software and Smart Whistle Blower A Brief Analysis On a comparison with 10 network monitoring system it has been found that the proposed software i.e. Smart Whistle is providing many such facilities that the current network monitoring system do not have. The comparison has been done on nine different features that network monitoring and management software must have. The features commonly are as follows: [Æ’Â  ] Logical Grouping [Æ’Â  ] Distributed Monitoring [Æ’Â  ] Hardware Intrusion Detection [Æ’Â  ] WebApp [Æ’Â  ] Auto discovery [Æ’Â  ] Triggers/alerts [Æ’Â  ] Live Screening [Æ’Â  ] Chat enabled [Æ’Â  ] Support Network Management System 4.1.2 Security management recommendation Security Management for networks is different for all kinds of situations. A small home or an office would only require basic security while large businesses will require high maintenance and advanced software and hardware to prevent malicious attacks from  hacking  and  spamming. Small homes A basic  firewall  like COMODO Internet Security or a  unified threat management  system. For Windows users, basic  Antivirus software  like  AVG Antivirus,  ESET NOD32 Antivirus,  Kaspersky,  McAfee,  Avast!,  Zone Alarm Security Suite  or  Norton Antivirus. An anti-spyware program such as  Windows Defender  or  Spybot Search Destroy  would also be a good idea. There are many other types of antivirus or anti-spyware programs out there to be considered. When using a wireless connection, use a robust password. Also try to use the strongest security supported by your wireless devices, such as WPA2 with AES encryption. Enable MAC Address filtering to keep track of all home network MAC devices connecting to your router. Assign STATIC IP addresses to network devices. Disable ICMP ping on router. Review router or firewall logs to help identify abnormal network connections or traffic to the Internet. Use passwords for all accounts. Have multiple accounts per family member, using non-administrative accounts for day-to-day activities. Disable the guest account (Control Panel> Administrative Tools> Computer Management> Users). Raise awareness about information security to children. Medium businesses A fairly strong  firewall  or  Unified Threat Management  System Strong  Antivirus software  and Internet Security Software. For  authentication, use strong passwords and change it on a bi-weekly/monthly basis. When using a wireless connection, use a robust password. Raise awareness about  physical security  to employees. Use an optional  network analyzer  or network monitor. An enlightened administrator or manager. Large businesses A strong  firewall  and  proxy  to keep unwanted people out. A strong  Antivirus software  package and Internet Security Software package. For  authentication, use strong passwords and change it on a weekly/bi-weekly basis. When using a wireless connection, use a robust password. Exercise  physical security  precautions to employees. Prepare a  network analyzer  or network monitor and use it when needed. Implement  physical security  management like  closed circuit television  for entry areas and restricted zones. Security fencing  to mark the companys perimeter. Fire extinguishers  for fire-sensitive areas like server rooms and security rooms. Security guards  can help to maximize security. School An adjustable  firewall  and  proxy  to allow authorized users access from the outside/inside. Strong  Antivirus software  and Internet Security Software packages. Wireless connections that lead to  firewalls. Childrens Internet Protection Act  compliance. Supervision of network to guarantee updates and changes based on popular site usage. Constant supervision by teachers, librarians, and administrators to guarantee protection against attacks by both  internet  and  sneaker net  sources. security via firewall Large government A strong  firewall  and  proxy  to keep unwanted people out. Strong  Antivirus software  and Internet Security Software suites. Strong  encryption. White list authorized wireless connection, block all else. All network hardware is in secure zones. All hosts should be on a private network that is invisible from the outside. Put web servers in a  DMZ, or a firewall from the outside and from the inside. Security fencing  to mark perimeter and set wireless range to this. 4.1.3 Service and Technology Growth in India As India emerging as one of the major IT leaders of the world, more and more IT companies are establishing in the present scenario. With the increase in IT companies more competition will arise in the market, as a result there will be increase in business politics and hence everybody will try to win this race of competition in the market. Thus there is high risk of hackers intruding into company database and taking away vital information and selling them to rival company. So here the importance of Network Security arises. As a result more and more number of Network Monitoring and management systems is being developed. On a detailed research it has been found that the number of cases of cyber crime is increasing every year. With practical guidance  delivered by expert speakers  an organization named as e-Crime  India is the premier networking and knowledge initiative for security, IT, fraud, investigations, CERT, audit, forensics, and compliance professionals who are responsible for  protecting against existing attacks and emerging threats.   Major IT companies in India like the Infosys, TCS, and Wipro etc. are having separate department to develop software related to network security. Hence one can say the importance of developing such a system because this type of software is ever- demanding with the increase and development of technology. 4.2 Information and Resources Networks Networking Concepts Computer Networks and Internets with Internet Applications, 4th International Edition, Douglas E Comer, Ralph E. Droms, ISN:013123627X, Publisher: Prentice Hall, Copyright: 2004 Behrouz Forozuan, (2004) Introduction to Data Communication Networking, 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill Tanenbaum, Andrew S. (2003) Computer Networks, 4th Edition, Prentice Hall Stallings, William (2006) Data and Computer Communications, 7th Edition, Prentice Hall Books Leslie Ann Robertson, 2003, Simple Program Design, 2nd Edition , Boyd and Fraser Shelly, G.B., Cashman, T.J. Rosenblatt, H.J. (2005) System Analysis and Design, 5th or 6th Edition, Course Technology OConnell, F. (2001) How to Run Successful Projects III: The Silver Bullet. Addison Wesley, ISBN: 0201748061 CCTA (2002) Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2. The Stationary Office Books, Cleland, D. (2001) A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge 2000. PMI. ISBN: 0113308914 White Paper and Journal Parnas, David,  A rational design process and how to fake it (PDF)  An influential paper which criticises the idea that software production can occur in perfectly discrete phases. Royce, Winston (1970),  Managing the Development of Large Software Systems,  Proceedings of IEEE WESCON  26  (August): 1-9 Web Site www.onestoptesting.com/sdlc-models/waterfall-model/ http://www.freelancer.com/projects/by-tag/projects-socket-programming-based-multi-client-server-architecture.html

Friday, September 20, 2019

How to Win Friends and Influence People - A Personal Analysis Essay

How to Win Friends and Influence People - A Personal Analysis â€Å"The more you get out of this book, the more you’ll get out of life.† This is the claim that Dale Carnegie makes in reference to his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People. Carnegie proposes that there are four main ideas that one should use when dealing with people: 1) Know how to handle people, 2) Make people like you, 3) Win people to their way of thinking, and 4) Be a leader. These skills are essential not only in being a good manager, but also in dealing with people in day to day life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1) Fundamental Techniques in Handling People   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first thing one must know when handling people is â€Å"don’t criticize, condemn, or complain.† When you criticize someone, you put yourself at a level above them. Even if you get your point across, the only thing that will come of the situation is that the other person will have a feeling of remorse and you will have bruised their self-esteem. Often times I’ve been involved in group projects in school where I have been paired up with people who have a very different method of doing things. I tend to think that my way of doing things is the most efficient; however I don’t shoot down the ideas of others. Rather, I try to understand where they were coming from and find a way work together. This is exactly the point that Carnegie is trying to get across.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next tip is â€Å"give honest and sincere appreciation.† A recurring theme in this book, is that people want to feel like they are important. There is a driver forcing you to do everything in life. For example, as a chairperson of the Business Week publicity committee, I am working hard to promote the Business Week activities and increase attendance using creative tactics. When people show up to events because of a promotion I created, it makes me feel important and gives me a sense of fulfillment. Such is the case when dealing with others. If they know they are appreciated, they will feel important and will continue doing a good job in the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  And finally, â€Å"arouse in the other person an eager want.† Find what it is that gives a person their sense of importance. And utilize that knowledge to drive them to want to do their job to the best of their ability. When I in high school, I used to baby-sit children. Often the most difficult part of the evening was getting the kids to... ...l work harder, take pride in their task, and in turn they will do a better job. â€Å"Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.† As a waitress, customers would sometimes complain about the speed of the service. Although this was often times the fault of the cooks, it reflected poorly on me to the customers. I couldn’t find a tactful way to tell the cooks to hurry up, so I took a different approach. One day, there was a new waitress on duty and I noticed a cook made an order especially fast. I made the comment both to the cook and the new waitress at what a great job this cook does and how you can always count on him to get orders out fast. From then on he took pride in being the â€Å"fast cook,† even though that had not always been the case before.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I learned a lot about myself from this book. I realized that I already incorporate a number of the principles that Carnegie preaches. I also picked up some valuable information that I know I will be able to use in the future. I feel that this book is a great learning tool and helps to cover things that students don’t necessarily learn in the classroom. In fact, I have already recommended it to a number of my friends.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Enhancing Parental Participation within the NICU :: Health, Family Center Care

Family centred care (FCC) encompasses the concept of parental participation in their infants care (Franck and Callery 2004). It aims to place the needs of the infant in the context of the family (Saunders et al 2003). FCC is adopted within many neonatal units and is considered the gold standard of care aiming to underpin and guide neonatal care towards the partnership between health professionals and parents (Hutchfield 1999). Subsequent to the interruption of the bonding process between infant and family when a baby is admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) it is suggested that the NICU provides an ideal opportunity for FCC practice (Allerman Beck et al 2009) as nurses and parents are compelled to develop an effective relationship in order to satisfy the infants care needs (Reis et al 2009). However a study by Higman & Shaw (2008) found that it appears to be more difficult to achieve on the neonatal unit as FCC is reliant on the family’s relationship with the chi ld. In order to deliver effective FCC neonatal nurses need an understanding of parents needs and how to address them. Mundy (2010) in a study researching the assessment of family needs in neonatal Intensive Care Units found that assumptions of parent’s needs were often made by healthcare professional’s resulting in unfounded and inappropriate conclusions. The importance of treating each family as individual is paramount when assessing how best to involve parents in the care of their infants (Higman & Shaw 2008). Review of the literature shows a lack of research into these assessments and highlights that enhancing family centred care requires appropriate assessments of family needs and the incorporation of this into individualised plans of care. A study into nurse’s perceptions about the delivery of FCC by Higman and Shaw (2010) supports this view, throughout the study it is apparent that although nurses realise the importance of FCC it is not always consistent within their own practice. Peterson et al (2004) suggests reasons for these inconsistencies could be the deficiency of adequate training and, the stress implementing FCC can impose on nursing staff due to an already demanding workload, potentially creating negative attitudes towards the relevance and practicalities of its delivery. The consensus view of FCC is positive although limitations to its execution are manifested throughout the literature. Staff shortages are suggested to hinder the performance of FCC within the clinical area, creating time constraints with nurses having very little opportunity to build good relationships with the families (Higman and Shaw 2008).

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Free Hamlet Essays: The Naivete of Hamlet :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

The Naivete of Hamlet Keeping secrets keep you isolated from your friends and make you very lonely. Hamlet’s loneliness, false friends, and betrayals cause his downfall to a great extent. The court of Denmark is filled with spies: Claudius hires Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to spy on Hamlet; Polonius spies on Hamlet in Gertrude’s bedchamber; Polonius uses Ophelia as bait to spy on Hamlet. Hamlet is not a part of this deceit; he is honest. For example, Claudius suggests Hamlet is honest when he and Laertes are discussing their dual scheme; Ophelia believes Hamlet is honest and says, "What a noble mind here is o’erthrown!" (III; i; 157), referring to Hamlet’s antic disposition, even though he has been insulting her for two previous acts. His relationship with Horatio shows his true character, because of how much he trusts him. ("Horatio, thou art e’en as just a man as e’er my conversation coped withal" --III; ii; 59). Someone who is naïve is often taken adv antage of in a hard, cold, deceitful world. Having your stepfather get your best friends to spy on you must make you feel horrible. When Claudius hires Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (R&G) to spy on Hamlet, I entreat you both†¦/†¦/ so by your companies To draw him on to pleasures, and to gather, So much as from occasion you may glean, Whether aught to us unknown afflicts him thus That opened lies within our remedy. (II; ii; 10-18) they confess to Hamlet that they were sent to spy on him. Hamlet shows this by saying, "Nay then I have an eye of you. –If you love me, hold not off." (II; ii; 301). It is as though he were saying to them, ‘If you were really my friends, then you should tell me why you are so interested in everything I do.’ He later takes revenge on his friends, who are sent to spy on him when he is being sent to England. He opens the letter to the English government, and changes ‘kill my crazy son Hamlet’ to ‘kill these messengers’, and seals the letter back up with his fathers’ ring: Without debatement further more or less, He should those bearers put to sudden death, Not shriving time allowed/†¦/ I had my fathers signet in my purse, Which was the model of the Danish seal†¦. (V; ii: 45-50) Curiosity killed the cat. Polonius’ spying on Hamlet is what kills him.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Education for Sustainable Development Essay

INTRODUCTION This module provides examples of ways that learning outside the classroom can be used to facilitate Education for Sustainable Development. This includes short visits into the school grounds and local community, as well as visits to farms, factories, offices, neighbourhood science centres and natural settings such as a forest, a beach or a national park. Providing students with high quality learning activities in relevant situations beyond the walls of the classroom is vital for helping students appreciate their first hand experiences from a variety of different perspectives. Experiences outside the classroom also enhances learning by providing students with opportunities to practice skills of enquiry, values analysis and clarification and problem solving in everyday situations. However, taking students outside the classroom requires careful planning of the learning activities and attention to the health and safety risks that might be faced. This module provides guidance on these aspects of planning for learning outside the classroom. OBJECTIVES * To develop an awareness of the positive impact that experiences outside the classroom can have on Education for Sustainable Development; * To develop an understanding of the planning, organisation and risk management required for teaching and learning outside the classroom; and * To identify appropriate strategies for teaching and learning outside the classroom. ACTIVITIES 1. Learning in the local area 2. Approaches to learning outside the classroom 3. Planning for learning outside the classroom 4. Risk management 5. Reflection REFERENCES _____ (2000) Focus on Fieldwork: Special Issue, Teaching Geography, 25(2). Department for Education and Employment (1998) Health and Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits, HMSO, London. Department for Education and Skills (2006) Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto, Learning Outside the Classroom. Department for Education and Skills & Department for Culture, Media and Sport (2006) Laying the foundations: Using the built environment to teach. DeWitt, J. and Storksdieck, M. (2008) A short review of school field trips: key findings from the past and implications for the future, Visitor Studies, 11(2), pp. 181-197. Laws, K. (1989) Learning geography through fieldwork, in Fien, J., Gerber, R. and Wilson, P. (eds) The Geography Teacher’s Guide to the Classroom, 2nd edition, Macmillan, Melbourne. Rogers, A. (ed) (1995) Taking Action: An Environmental Guide For You and Your Community, United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi. Smith, M. (2002) Exploring a changing world: A guide to fieldwork for youth expeditions, Young Explorers Trust. CREDITS This module was written for UNESCO by Bernard Cox, Margaret Calder, John Fien and Lisa Ryan using material written by Barry Law in Learning for a Sustainable Environment (UNESCO – ACEID).

Monday, September 16, 2019

Behaviorism and Its Critics

Behaviorism is the psychological application of logical positivism. Positivism, whose basis is in the 19th century, yet whose antecedents come much earlier, is designed to force epistemology into a purely scientific context. In so doing, it helped define the scientific method, as well as creating a stir in philosophical circles. This paper will do several things: it will define behaviorism and positivism, it will link the two together as one basic movement, it will detail some of the movement’s critics and finally, look at a possible application of behaviorism.Positivism and its daughter, behaviorism, derived as a critique of idealism, or, to define this somewhat eccentrically, the idea that mental states are, or can be, expressly determining of human behavior. Historically, such a view was held by such wildly diverse thinkers as Plato, Hume, Fichte, Nietzsche and Freud. While, at the same time, the more positivist and materialist vision of human behavior was held by Thomas Ho bbes and Karl Marx, both of whom held that material and external explanations of human behavior were wholly adequate to understand motives for action.In other words, for the behaviorist, external forces, forces that can be publically understood and witnessed, are fully proportionate to the acts that they cause. Behaviorism, as first defined in an explicitly scientific, psychological context by Watson (1912) is a reaction to idealism, loosely defined, that sought explanations for human action in internal mental states. Watson, at one fell swoop, eliminated consciousness from scientific explanation.Consciousness was something that could not be analyzed scientifically because it was a private affair, something experienced at an intimate and immediate level, and, hence, could not be the subject of a scientific experiment where all the relevant variables were available for all to see. In essence, Watson held that psychology can only be scientific by holding to the tenets of logical posit ivism. Psychology must use variables that are easily quantified, public and objective.Hence, mental states and consciousness as the basis of these mental states are not variables. In fact, Behaviorist Gustav Bergmann (1942) and B. F. Skinner (1978) held that such terms were meaningless, since they referred to nothing that can be quantified. Hence, if such terms were used in a scientific paper, they refer to nothing, and hence, create a question that cannot be solved, since the terms are not properly defined. For Watson and his followers, mankind was, in a psychological sense, no different from animals.Both humans and other animal species were fully determined by material causes acting on the human being, in terms of social forces and internal behavioral dispositions explainable in material terms. If this is true, then all personal and social behavior can be predicted and controlled (Harzem, 2004, 9). In summary, Watson and his followers were trying to create a form of psychology tha t could do away with all the ambiguities of the language of the philosophy of mind. Consciousness was not definable in quantifiable categories, and hence, was not scientific.Psychology then, could only proceed if it relied solely on quantifiable phenomenon and assumed that this was sufficient to give a full account of human behavior. This method of psychology was not without its critics. The main criticism of this approach is that it is simplistic. This criticism has been leveled many times against the logical positivists, not the least among such critics have been Nietzsche, Dostoyevskii and Sartre. For all three of these writers, the human subject is free, which means that physical causes and quantifiable categories do not suffice to complete account for specific human behaviors.For all of these famed writers, the human ego could detatch itself from its external surroundings and current mental states and hence direct itself. Dostoyevskii goes so far in his Notes From Underground a s to say that the deliberate believe that 2+2=5 is justified as a means of preserving one’s freedom of choice from the oppressive, materialistic straitjacket of scientific methods. From the point of view of pure psychology however, the first and most important of Watson’s critics was E. B. Titcherner (1917), who criticized Watson and his ideas on several areas.First, that the concept of science of the positivists was too narrow. It was an arbitrary Procrustean bed that eliminated some of the most important and intimate of human experience, which is the whole point of psychology in the first place. This has always been the existentialist criticism of positivism, that so much of what makes a human human is eliminated by the arbitrary demand that all relevant variables be quantifiable. It is almost as if the positivists demand to be the gate keepers of not only scientific answers, but also of the questions themselves.Nevertheless, Titcherner does hold that the positivist critique did some good for the discipline in that it did force psychology out of its older, purely internal methods. Prior to Watson, the discipline was concerned solely with internal mental states, and hence, lacked a certain scientific â€Å"rigor† to its conclusions. Furthermore, the clarification of language was also necessary and important. Hence, while he is willing to claim that the behaviorist is too doctrinaire in his views, that school was a necessary addition to the discipline.Secondly, Titcherner holds that it is arbitrary to say that consciousness cannot be a scientific object of study or explanation. And thirdly, that the positivists were holding that the concept of observation is also too narrow. Observation was somehow confused with quantification. If consciousness is a phenomenon, then science has something to say about it. Quantifiability is not the sine qua non of the scientific approach. The positivists, of whom Watson was an avid follower, eliminated thou ght, mind, and sensation from scientific study. This was unacceptable from both a scientific and specifically psychological point of view.Gustav Bergmann (1942), defends Watson’s basic theses a generation later on several counts. First, as a typical positivist, he is concerned wit the construction of a â€Å"meaningful† question or proposition. In order for this to be the case, the words in the proposition must be clearly defined and understood. X must mean x, and not x+y; connotation and denotation must be the same thing. Hence, the question is of clarity and public â€Å"observation† of the relative phenomena. In his (1942) essay, Bergmann holds that the most significant contribution to scientific discourse in his time was the positivist insistence on the clarification of language.For example, when one speaks of carbon, there is a very specific, definable and understandable entity involved. There are not two carbons, and there is no distinction between the con notation and denotation of carbon. The word â€Å"mind,† however, is very different. It can mean mental states, it can mean behavioral characteristics, it can mean personality, it can men general moral dispositions, as well as a host of other more nuanced ideas contained in the very general idea of mind,. Given this confusion, it cannot be meaningfully used in a sentence.Skinner (1978) went so far as to attempt to eliminated such words in psychological discourse (quoted in Addis, 1982). In other words, the positivist critique is not so much obsessed with quantification, but with clarity of language and scientific discourse. An important critic of the positivist/behaviorist approach is Peter Harzam. In his (2004) essay, he criticizes behaviorism on several grounds. Following Titcherner, Harzam holds that the assumption of materialism that undergirds behavioral methods is a non-scientific assumption.Materialism is one of those â€Å"nonsense† words that positivism must r eject, though it is almost always reluctant to do so. Materialism is not a scientific view, but rather a metaphysical one. Secondly, he is suspicious as to who the media and government establishment loved Watson so much. It seems that he opened up the door to later developments in psychotropic drugs, surveillance and an entire infrastructure of control that is based on behaviorist ideas, specifically, the idea that human beings can be manipulated like cattle, so long as the elite have adequate ideas as to what makes humans act.Though Harzam does not explicitly say this, it is a clear and uncomfortable conclusion of Watson’s teachings. And third Harzam holds that consciousness can be a scientific variable precisely on the grounds that it is experienced as the ground of experience, and therefore fits into the older, purely empirical scientific model of inquiry. Another critic of this regime is Laird Addis, who in his (1982) essay deals with the history and struggles of the beha viorist paradigm.Addis criticizes the behaviorist school in its large number of assumptions that it brings to psychology, namely that of materialism (again), and the basic notion, central to all who call themselves behaviorists, that all human actions whatever have an adequate cause that is quantifiable and material, that is, independent of consciousness or its objects. He wants to make a key clarification, however, and say that the positivist analysis holds that extra-physical ideas need not be taken into account to have a full understanding, but that such ideas can assist in clarifying the basis, physicalist account of action (Addis, 1982, 401-402).Like many others, Addis is uncomfortable with Watson’s early idea that control and prediction is the aim of science. Here, a rather social and political agenda has invaded the rarified air of positivist science. It is truth and adequacy that is at the center, not the eventual control over human behavior that Watson and Skinner se em to insist upon. A possible use for behaviorism has already developed substantially, that is, the development of chemical alterations of behavior.At best, this approach holds that mental states are wholly physical and hence, can be manipulated by physical means. If one reduced mental phenomenon to chemical causes, then one has reduced the mind to the interactions of chemicals and their synthesis in specific actions. If this is done, then certain drugs can be developed and administered that can alter the chemical interactions by adding new ones, and hence, affect the reaction of the person.The chemical approach to psychology is something purely positivist in that the language is clear so long as it retains the technical language of chemistry, it is publically understood since chemical interactions can be replicated in a laboratory, and the concepts of consciousness and thought are eliminated as causal variables. Hence, the development of drugs to deal with obsessive compulsive diso rder, depression and bi-polarity derive from the Watsonite approach.To conclude, it is clear that the Watsonite theory of human behavior is simply a positivist approach to the philosophy of mind. It approaches this discipline by negating it. Its basic ideas are that a) for any human act x, there is a completely adequate explanation y. b) y is always reducible to clear, quantifiable, and publically understood language. c) if not, then y is not completely adequate. Hence, there is an intersection of the clarity of language with that of quantifiability.Words in scientific discourse can only mean one thing, and cannot have the shades of meaning that make denotation different from connotation. Hence, many followers of Watson insist that their movement is based solely in the clarification of language rather than a elimination of concepts tout court. References: Addis, Laird. (1982). Behaviorism and the Philosophy of the Act. Nous, 16, 399-420 Bergmann, Gustav. (1942) An Empirical Schema o f the Psycho-physical Problem. The Philosophy of Science, 9, 72-91. Harzam, Peter.(2004). Behaviorism for the New Psychology: What was Wrong with Behaviorism and What is Wrong with it Now. Behaviorism and Philosophy, 32. 5-12. Watson, JB. (1913). Psychology as Behaviorism Views It. Psychology Review 20, 158-177. Titchener, EB (1917). On ‘Psychology as Behaviorism Views It. ’ The Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 53, 1-17. Skinner, BF. (1978). Reflections on Behaviorism and Society. Prentice Hall. Dostoyevskii, Fydor. (2006). Notes from Underground. Waking Lion Press.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Plant Biotechnology

Define plant biotechnology. Using examples discuss how it is different from traditional / conventional methods plant breeding. Plant biotechnology has been defined as the integrated use of biochemistry, microbiology and engineering sciences in-order to achieve technological application of micro-organisms and cultured tissue cells in the transfer of genetic traits from one crop species to another to obtain transgenic plants that are of beneficial use to human kind (Lawrence . W; 1968).Heldt H and Heldt F (2005) defines plant biotechnology as the art and science to produce a genetically modified plant by removing genetic information from an organism, manipulating it in a laboratory and then transferring it into a plant to change certain of its characteristics. . Plant breeding is the science and art of improving crop plants through the study and application of genetics, agronomy, statistics, plant pathology, entomology, and related sciences (Kuckuck et al; 1991).Increased crop yield is the primary aim of most plant-breeding programs; advantages of the hybrids and new varieties developed include adaptation to new agricultural areas, greater resistance to disease and insects, greater yield of useful parts, better nutritional content of edible parts, and greater physiological efficiency. Humans have been improving crops for yield and other characteristics since the advent of agriculture. Plant biotechnology involves processes such as genetic engineering which involves the direct addition of foreign gene/genes to the genome of an organism.It is a type of genetic modification. Traditional plant breeding also modifies the genetic composition of plants. It involves techniques such as crossing and selection of new superior genotype combinations. Firstly traditional methods tend to breed plants that can sexually mate with each other. This limits the new traits that can be added to those that already exist in that species. Secondly when plants are crossed, many traits are transformed along with the trait of interest. Whereas genetic engineering, on the other hand, is not bound by these limitations.It involves the removal of a specific fragment of DNA from one plant or organism and transferring the genes for one of a few traits into another. No crossing is required hence the sexual barrier between species is overcome. It is more specific in that a single trait can be added to a plant (Bajaj . Y; 2001). According to Rost . T. I et al (2006), another difference between traditional plant breeding and plant biotechnology is the number of genes transferred to the offspring in each case. Plants contain approximately 80 000 genes which recombine during sexual hybridization.The offspring may therefore inherit around 1000 new genes as a result of this recombination. This is equivalent to a 0. 0125 % change in the genome. By contrast when a specific gene is transferred into a plant, there is a 0. 0025% change in the genetic information of the plant, it is argue d that plant biotechnology provides a more precise approach to crop improvements than sexual hybridization. Plant biotechnology through genetic engineering can cause harmful toxins to be produced by transformed plants, though it is still unclear whether it is due to the technique itself on the nature of the foreign gene.The introduction of a gene that it is known to encode a toxin in one organism will induce a similar effect when introduced into a different organism (Raven P. H et al; 1992). There has been a case where a transgenic soybean containing a gene from Brazil nuts elicited an allergic reaction in some people. The gene from Brazil nuts had been well characterized and its product known to cause an allergy, hence extensive laboratory tests. This illustrates why rigorous characterization of a gene is required before permitting its introduction into a novel species.However there is also the potential of toxic product being produced as a result of conventional methods of crop im provements. For example, in sweet potatoes where vegetative propagation is done, potato varieties with increased pest resistance have continually been selected as giving a higher crop variety. Those varieties contain high levels of natural pesticides, called glucoalkaloids. However these compounds are toxic to animals, so could have harmful effects when eaten.This demonstrates that the nature of the novel feature should be open to debate rather than the method by which it is introduced (Lawrence . W; 1968). The traditional methods of crop improvements are limited by the sexual compatibility of the plants involved; whereas with plant biotechnology through genetic engineering any characteristic from any organism of any species can be introduced into a plant. Plant breeders therefore have access to a much wider gene pool than they have using traditional crossing methods to develop a new variety.For example a rice gene responsible for defense against a disease causing fungus can be tran sferred to a banana susceptible to that disease. The intent is to protect the genetically modified banana from that disease and thereby reduce yield loss and number of fungicide applications. Another example is that genes introduced into plants to provide a resistance to the herbicide Round Up was isolated from bacteria. An insecticidal toxin used as a crop spray was also extracted from bacteria. Genetically modified maize is been grown which expresses this type of proteins.One major difference between traditional plant breeding and plant biotechnology; genetic engineering/ modification is that, while extensive restrictions are in place to limit the development and release of genetically modified varieties, those developed by sexual hybridization and mutagenesis are under no restrictions (Raven P. H et al; 1992). A major concern surrounding the cultivation of genetically modified crops is the possibility of cross pollination between transgenic and related crops.While this is clearly possible for some species, but not all crop species have native wild relatives with which they are sexually compatible meaning that the possibility of the production of â€Å"super weeds† is not possible. Plants such as carrots are allowed only to flower for seed production meaning that cross-pollination during normal commercial cultivation is unlikely. In plant biotechnology plants can be grown in artificial medium requiring less land mass to produce large amounts of crops in less time. Although it seems like a great alternative to the earlier methods, it can also be devastating.By growing plants at a faster rate there is a possibility of losing the essential vitamins and nutrients that are important for us. Transgenic plants are still a relatively new field and no concrete evidence for any of this existing but it is growing concern (Bajaj . Y; 2001). Heldt . H and Heldt . F (2005) says, the techniques of traditional breeding are very time-consuming. By making crosses, also a large number of undesired genes are introduced into the genome of the plant. The undesired genes have to be â€Å"sorted out† by back-crossing.Using plant biotechnology which involves the use of Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism it greatly facilitates/substitutes conventional plant breeding, because one can progress through a breeding program much faster, with smaller populations and without relying entirely on testing for the desired phenotype. RFLP makes use of restriction endonucleases enzymes which recognize and cut specific nucleotide sequence in DNA. The cut fragments are separated according to size by gel electrophoresis and made visible by hybridizing the plant DNA fragments with labeled DNA probes.The closer two organisms are related, the more pattern of bands overlap. With conventional breeding, the pool of available genes and the traits they code for is limited due to sexual incompatibility to other lines of the crop in question and to their wild relative s. This restriction can be overcome by using the methods of genetic engineering, which in principle allow introducing valuable traits coded for by specific genes of any organism (other plants, bacteria, fungi, animals, viruses) into the genome of any plant. According to Rost . T. I et al (1992), transgenes are inserted into the nuclear genome of a plant cell.Recently it has become possible to introduce genes into the genome of chloroplasts and plastids. Transgenic plants have been generated using methods such as agrobacterium-mediated DNA transfer, direct DNA transfer, particle bombardment and electroporation. References 1. Bajaj . Y. (2001). Transgenic Crops. Berlin. Springer. 2. Heldt . H and Heldt . F. (2005). Plant Biochemistry. 3rd edition. California. Elsevier. 3. Kuckuck . H; Kobabe G. and Wenzel G. (1991). Fundamentals of plant breeding. New York. Springer-Verlag. 4. Lawrence . W. (1968). Plant breeding. London. Edward Arnold Publishers Ltd. 5. Raven P.H, Evert . R. F and Ei chron . S. E. (1992). Biology of Plants. 5th edition. New York. Van Hoffman Press Inc. 6. Rost . T. l. , Barbour . M. G. , Stocking . R. C. and Murphy . T. M. (2006). Plant Biology. 2nd edition. California. Thomson Brooks/Cole. CHINHOYI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY NAME: Tanyaradzwa R Ngara REG NUMBER: C1110934J COURSE:Plant Biotechnology COURSE CODE: CUBT 207 PROGRAM:BSBIO Assignment: Define plant biotechnology. Using examples discuss how it is different from traditional / conventional methods plant breeding [25marks].

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Descriptive Essay About Mothers Cookies Essay

Many students enter college expecting good times, knowledge, friendships, and a new sense of direction. When I first got to William Penn I didn’t believe I would gain any of that. As time has passed I realized that WPU does have a lot to offer but everything takes patients. I also had to realize that everything wasn’t going to come easy either. I soon found out that college comes with challenges and struggles because of the great demands and expectations that comes with success. The demands of doing many different things with very little time can become overwhelming. But I believe I’m starting to get the hang of it. There are a limited number of students on the campus so it makes it easier to focus in class that’s something I really like. Putting in long hours and worrying about class does bring extra stress but I’m learning to balance it all out. Coming to WPU has also taught me to have an open ming that I can’t just do the tihngs that I kno w how to do. I have to try new things that im unconfortable doing. I believe attending this university will open many doors for me. It will also help me mature and become a better student . WPU wiil also help me build my career and start my life on the right path. I chose to come to William Penn becaus I knew that a school far away would give me a better chance to focus on school without too many distractions. Another reason I chose William Penn is because I’m very deticated to basketball and coach Henry offered me scholarship money to give me an oppurtunity to play. I also did my research and I noticed that the basketball team had a great season and great program. So I figured it was an honor that William Penn wanted me. I also have lived in Louisiana my whole life so i was really read for the college experience and something different other than Louisiana. So far I’m feeling that William Penn was the right choice for me. I needed a new start away from all my problems back home. I was really making bad choices that was starting to lead my life in a direction that i was not prepared for. Ofcourse all my problems are not going to just go away but being at William Penn is giving me an oppurtunity to live my dreams and revatuate myself as a person. Then I will be able to deal with my issues back home as a different person with a better mind set. So I definately don’t regret coming to this school because it is keeping me grounded and building character. Read Also:Â  Descriptive Essay Topic Ideas

Friday, September 13, 2019

HW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

HW - Essay Example The body system is mostly affected by the long-term consumption of the alcohol. The system respond negatively to the ingested substances which is abused or largely taken into the system and has these sides effects to the users; fatty liver, gastritis, pancreatitis, ulcer diseases, chronic active hepatitis and alcohol hepatitis. Most of the students find themselves addicted into alcoholism and the other narcotic drugs such as the bhang and cocaine. This narcotic leads to hallucination and poor judgment of the users of the hard drugs (Kane, 2011). It is also seen that addiction is part of the bio psychosocial model in that it has multiple ways or procedure of treating the whole individual not taking part of rehabilitation from the drugs but also the transformation of individual’s behavior. The addiction of each and every person is not determining emotions, social, cultural or physical factors but it is mostly influenced by the biological factors which will determines drinking and the addiction. This includes the genetics as the general exposure to drugs and alcohol (Miller, 2011). The enabler is an individual who catalyze an addict to continue with his self-destructive behavior. He encourages the addict to through criticizing or rescuing him/her. While on the other hand codependency is the relationship in which one of the parties of both allows each other to act in maladaptive ways. The two characteristics gives the relationship that is irrational to the thoughts and the behavior of the individuals thus they can’t judge what is right or wrong. Hence, a person who is in the field of health and wellness has these features as he seeks to have control over the situation. He also influences the people around him by controlling on what to be done (Kane, 2011). The addicts will continue with their behavior in the presence of their sound family or friends because there will be fear of losing them. They tend to protect

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Cost of Operation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cost of Operation - Research Paper Example The final factor that needs to be bought to one’s attention is flexibility which can be defined as the ability to support a change in business. If a company is not able to control these five operational performance objectives then clearly it won’t be an easy job for it to thrive in this already competitive industry. This essay discusses all these factors in relation to Airblue and gives a clear application of the five operational performance objectives to its business. I chose AirBlue for this assignment in view of the fact that it is one of the most renowned names when it comes to the airline industry and because I felt I would easily be able to explain the effect of these factors on its operations with sufficient detail. Airblue was launched in 2004 when the local market started witnessing an increased demand for high quality travel. The company’s ownership includes a group of top class investors with Mr. Tariq Chaudhary having a majority stake alongside holding the position of CEO and Chairman of the Board of Airblue. The company is registered as a private company and has its registered office in the famous towers of Islamabad Stock Exchange. The airliner has also successfully been able to obtain the IATA and ICAO airline designations. Currently it has a fleet of 14 Airbus A319 and A321 planes. Ever since its launch, the airliner has continually stretched out its operations and fleet in line with an ever escalating demand for the high quality flights it provides. Although initially it served only to customers travelling within Pakistan, the company has now expanded its operations by offering international flights to Manchester, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Oman and Muscat. According to many market analysts, the focal reason for the airline’s success has been its provision for high quality travel at an

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

4 discussions week 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

4 discussions week 4 - Essay Example mindset, but I also severely disagree and find it to manifest from faulty reasoning, stereotyping, racial/ethnic bias, and even simply , in my opinion, â€Å"lazy† teaching. My perspective is unique to the special education student perspective. As I have addressed previously, though multi-cultural differences exist in these classrooms and certainly do enrich the diverse environment and opportunity for sharing of experiences, the curriculum is often so individualized that immersion activities for the entire class can be sparse. This is certainly not to say that these types of experiences should not be utilized as I believe it would be a disservice to the overall educational experience if diversity were dismissed due to lack of creativity, ingenuity and ability to make such information relatable on the part of the teacher. I do note that, even in the exceptional student classroom, standards and performance are expected of individual learners. No matter what the classroom, their tends to a disturbing trend that caters to the â€Å"need to know† perspective. In the Facilitator’s Guide, common belief 12 states: With all the pressures to raise student achievement, finding and using examples for the cultural, historic and everyday lived experiences of my students takes valuable time away from teaching and learning. So in reverse, I identify with this assertion, but do fervently disagree with its overall affect in practice. While compartmentalized learning experiences that facilitate higher test score in standardized, â€Å"high stakes†, testing do impart useful, identified information related to the prediction of future success in specified areas, I believe we miss the â€Å"human† experience by narrowing our perspectives to what have been select as superior information. Knowledge and learning are comprised of many elements and many highly intelligent individuals find functioning effective in diverse environments and with people from said backgrounds difficult to

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Social Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Social Media - Essay Example Although seeing them in person is entirely different, pictures, posts and other information made available through social networks create a feeling of being physically present in another world. Of course, with the many benefits computers and the internet brought to modern living, there are also dangers that come along with them. Internet users usually worry about identity theft, scams and other threats that may endanger one’s self or even children. For every problem that is created though, it is comforting to know that there is always a weapon that can also be created to fight these dangers online. Antivirus is an example of which, also easily available online at a certain price. Although the most important weapon there could possibly be against internet crimes is being well informed and knowledgeable about the kinds of dangers, how to avoid them and how to escape them just in case one is already trapped in a scam. Since one cannot avoid the internet these days, with more activities perceived to be done online in the future, the best weapon indeed is to be at par with the changing world. Certainly, the demand to learn new things everyday is a challenge however, as f or this writer, it is a

Monday, September 9, 2019

Nobel Prize in Medicine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nobel Prize in Medicine - Essay Example He is considered to be the one of the pioneers and the key figures in the development of human immunology. The seven years, which Jules Bordet spent working at the Pasteur Institute became the turning point in the development of his career and paved the way for his scientific triumph. He was able to discover that â€Å"bacteriolytic effect of acquired antibody  is considerably increased  in vivo  by the existence of natural serum components† (FAQs). Soon after joining the Institute, Jules Bordet began exploring the basic problems of human immunology in order to find the ways to defend human organism form different infections. (FAQs). In 1894, one of Bordet’s colleagues discovered that a guinea pig immunized against cholera rapidly died when injected cholera bacteria (FAQs). The discovery of Bordet was outstanding: as he later found out, such problems did occur to guinea pigs only when the bacteria came from a non-immunized pig (FAQs). Moreover, the bacteriolysis did not take place when the antiserum and the bacteria were mixed in a test tube (FAQs). Finally, when Bordet heated the antiserum it immediately lost its power to kill the cholera bacteria (FAQs). In the series of the blood experiments that followed Jules Bordet by injecting red blood cells from one animal species into another species caused the rapid destruction of red cells of the first species by the serum of the second species (FAQs). Later on, Jules Bordet was able to systematize his knowledge of bacteriolysis and to create a general picture of how animal bodies defended themselves against foreign infections (FAQs). On the basis of his discoveries, Bordet created the first complement fixation test, which could determine the presence of various bacteria in an individual’s blood serum (FAQs). The discovery of the test itself and related discoveries in immunology led Bordet to the best reward: in 1919, Jules Bordet was awarded the

Role of the Individual in Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience, Essay

Role of the Individual in Henry David Thoreau's Civil Disobedience, and Thomas Paine's Common Sense - Essay Example A free society is hard to achieve because of the competing demands of the individual and that of the state, where individual rights and collective rights often come into conflict. This paper tries to explore two views on the role of the individual in both society and politics. Discussion Man is by nature a social animal and therefore it is but inevitable that some forms of organization exist in any society, even in primitive society. No man can live alone by himself, and when this happens, some compromise has to be found between an individual's rights and that of the society to which he belongs. The usual cause of friction or conflicts in such kind of arrangement is determining the limits of the rights of an individual and that of society. This is an implicit agreement between individuals and society, the very essence of the social contract. This is a philosophical construct wherein free individuals agree to give up their natural rights in favor of being governed by a social or polit ical system for their own common protection or overall welfare, to live harmoniously with others and pursue their goals in life in peace. Along this line, the essay by Thomas Paine entitled â€Å"Common Sense† makes a lot of sense in terms of imposing order because Man finds it easier to live together than be apart but as the population increases and society grows larger and larger, the people find it necessary to craft some regulations to govern themselves and later on pass new laws to be enforced. This is the point where a formal government structure becomes a necessity and also the point where it becomes a dangerous instrument when the powers of government fall into the wrong hands. In retrospect, all present societies have this rather curious mix of government and society but in some instances, there is a disconnect between the goals and aims between these two. Taking into account the period of history when â€Å"Common Sense† was written, it is a seminal piece of political thought because it argued forcefully for independence from Great Britain at the time when the English government was viewed as extremely oppressive by the American colonies. There were many who were yet undecided on the proper course of action to take, and some thought fighting for independence was a bit extreme to redress matters. The political essay by Thomas Paine convinced those who doubted to change their minds about it, and go for broke by severing ties with the mother country. The colonial government run by the British in America no longer served its original purpose but became instead an instrument for oppression and exploitation, a government run by men and not by laws. It was not in a true sense a representative government but rather one run by a monarchy and aristocracy. The way things were before the American Revolution was a political situation where the social contract had been a failure, either by design or by default. The people clamor for the right to be h eard and represented in government. They gave up their natural rights expecting something in return from their government but got shortchanged instead. This contradicts the theory of natural rights to life, liberty and property by philosopher John Locke (Parry 12). Thomas Paine influenced public opinion that the people should re-assert their rights, and the best course of