Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin - Essay Example At first, having a baby made the couple happy, and the husband even more tender. However, after a few months, the once loving Armand became cold and distant, due to the baby being born with a very dark skin. Armand accused Desiree of not being white, since their child was not white (Chopin 206). No matter how much Desiree pleaded, her husband thought of her as a slave, which made her feel even worse and depressed. She went back home to her mother, and the last blow was when her husband did not even turn around to say goodbye. Months later, just when Armand was burning the remnants of his married life, including her letters and clothes, he stumbled upon the knife-hitting truth: a letter from his mother to his father revealed that it was actually him, who has the blood of a slave race, concluding the story of how his son came to look like one. During the time the story was written, it can be deduced that there were already interracial marriages between the blacks and the whites. However, it was still being frowned upon by the society, which made some relationships fall apart, like in the story of Desiree and Armand. Even though Desiree has hands whiter than Armand’s, she was still presumed to be a descendant of slaves, since she was the one who bore his child (Chopin 206). Because people were not fully aware of this, many people would marry and would be surprised to have a dark-skinned baby. This proved to be the measure of Armand’s love for Desiree, and sending her away would not give him any redemption after learning that it was he, not her who has the blood of slaves (Chopin 208). A reason why Armand was never told of his true identity by his parents was in order for him to be able to live at peace with himself. It can be seen in this narrative that aside from the prejudice blacks and their descendants re ceive from the whites, there is also the

Social science research methods and ethics Essay

Social science research methods and ethics - Essay Example Social research methods are important to give a valid reason for any particular condition or issue. It helps in understanding the cause and consequences of particular situation which further is utilized to develop policies, guidelines and improvement of human life and living conditions. Researches are done for vast reasons and various ways. Social research of any kind is obviously a complex activity. It is carried out within a variety of cultural, legal, economic, and political environments which are bound to influence the research, its scope and its focus.1 This is a person who conducts research. The research can be a group activity or an individual activity depending upon the requirement and resources allocated for the research. In both the cases there are ethical issues involved at various levels. This group is the respondent group who is an important part of the research. The interest and protection of this group is one of the prime concerns area if there are any suspect of being harmed due to the result. The research process starts with selection of an appropriate topic for the research. The research topic should be such that it contributes to the area of work. The problem is defined. The literature on the similar work or related work is reviewed and the findings of literature reviews are considered to formulate hypothesis. Once the hypothesis is formulated the appropriate research method is chosen. The research method chosen should be good enough to cover the hypothesis and topic of research. Data collection is the next step. This is a tedious process and very much depended on the responded and ability of researcher or interviewer. The collected data is compiled and analyzed for the logical results. The results are compiled in the report format and shared with others. There are six types of research methods i.e surveys, participant observations, secondary analysis, documents, unobtrusive measures and experiments. Each of these

Begay v. United States Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Begay v. United States - Case Study Example The main question in the case was to establish what kind of crimes fall under the category of violent crimes enumerated under the ACCA (1984). In this determination, the court had to establish whether reckless driving or driving while intoxicated as proscribed by the New Mexico’s DUI law could constitute a violent felony in the auspices of the ACCA (1984). In overall, the court had to establish the extent to which a commission of an act threatening the consequence of injury to another person can be treated as a violent crime under ACCA (1984). The Supreme Court under the guidance of Justices Roberts C.J., Stevens Kennedy, Ginsburg J.J. and Scalia J held that driving under the influence of alcohol is not a violent felony as envisioned in The Armed Career Criminal Act (1984). The court further held that the most significant question is not on how the defendant had engaged in previous crimes but on how the statute defines the crime of violent felony. The court was of the opinion that regardless of the risk of injury posed to another person or group of persons, the crime in itself is milder to the example of crimes covered under the ACCA. In arriving at the above decision, the Supreme Court justices considered a strict interpretation of the New Mexico’s Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) offense in relation to the benchmarks provided for under the ACCA. The court was convinced that New Mexico’s DWI is not in the ordinary sense a violent felony when interpreted alongside the ACCA residual clause which only encompasses violent and active property crimes that are characteristic of violent criminals, which become more dangerous when committed with a firearm. Begay succeeded in his argument to convince the court that this definition excluded DWI felony as enumerated under the New Mexico Criminal Statute. The argument by Begay’s defense that a violent felony

Macroeconomics Tutorial Test Essay Example for Free

Macroeconomics Tutorial Test Essay Question 1. (i) Identify and briefly explain the main features of the business cycle. (2 marks) Business cycles are usually characterized by periods of transition from peak to trough and then from trough to peak. The peak of a business cycle is the high point of GDP prior to a downturn whereas a Trough is the low point economic activity prior to a recovery. The period in which the economy is moving from a peak to a trough is called a contraction and the period in which the economy is moving from a trough to peak is an Expansion. (ii) Explain the concepts of (a) potential output and (b) the output gap. (3 marks) Potential Output (y*) or full employment output is the level of GDP an economy can produce when using its resources, such as labour and capital, at normal rates. This is not the same as maximum output. Potential output grows over time with growth in labour and capital and with growths in technology. At any point in time, the difference between the economy’s potential output and actual output is called the output gap (y y*). A positive output gap, which occurs when actual output is higher than potential output and when resources are being utilised at above-normal rates, is called an expansionary gap. This is related to firms operating above normal capacity and can lead them to raise prices (inflationary). On the other hand, a negative output gap, which occurs when potential output exceeds actual output and when resources are not being utilised, is called a contractionary gap. This is related to capital and labour not being fully utilised (cost in terms of forgone output). (iii) Explain the concept of Okun’s law. Discuss the implications of Okun law for policymakers. (5 marks) Okun’s law states that each extra percentage point of cyclical unemployment is associated with about a 1.6 percentage point (for Australia) increase in the output gap, measured in relation to potential output. The quantitative relationship is (y-y*)/y* = -B(u-u*). This describes how an additional percentage point of cyclical unemployment is associated with a B percentage point decline in the output gap. The output losses associated sustained in recessions, calculated according to Okun’s law, can be quite significant. Calculations using this relationship depict that output gaps and cyclical unemployment may have major costs. Therefore, we can conclude with the fact that the public and policymakers have concern in relation to contractions and recessions. Question 2 (i) Discuss the role played by fixed (or sticky) prices in the Keynesian model of income determination. Briefly explain what would happen if prices were fully flexible in the short run. (2 marks) New Keynesians assume prices and wages are fixed or sticky, meaning that they do not change easily or quickly with alterations in supply and demand, so that quantity adjustment prevails. When prices are sticky, higher aggregate demand raises production, and this raises incomes. If prices were fully flexible in the short run, economy’s resources would be fully employed and thereby the economy would return to the natural level of real GDP. Firms would stop producing when price is lower than production cost, so there would be less competition. (ii) Explain the concept of Planned Aggregate Expenditure (PAE). How does PAE differ from Actual Expenditure? (2 marks) Planned Aggregate Expenditure is the total planned spending on final goods and services. In equilibrium, planned expenditure and actual expenditure must equal in the economy. The difference between planned and actual expenditure is unplanned inventory investment. When firms sell fewer products than planned, stocks of inventories increase. Because of this, actual expenditure can be above or below planned expenditure. (iii) Use the Keynesian aggregate expenditure model and appropriate diagrams to explain the following: The paradox of thrift The effect on equilibrium GDP of an exogenous increase in exports. (6 marks) Question 3 (i) Explain what is meant by the multiplier? Why, in general, does a one dollar change in exogenous expenditure produce a larger change in short-run output? (3 marks) The income-expenditure multiplier, or the multiplier for short, is the effect of a one-unit increase in exogenous expenditure on short-run equilibrium output. For example, a multiplier of 3 means that a 6-unit decrease in exogenous expenditure reduces short-run equilibrium output by 18 units. Therefore, a one dollar change in exogenous expenditure produce a larger change in short-run output as initial amount of expenditure leads to raised consumption spending resulting in an increase in national income greater than the initial amount of spending. (ii) Explain the role played by the marginal propensity to import in determining the size of the multiplier. Other things equal, how does an increase in the marginal propensity to import affect the size of the multiplier? (3 marks) The marginal propensity to import is the change in imports divided by the change in disposable income. It decides the slope of the aggregate expenditures line and is part to the multiplier process. Similar to taxes, the marginal propensity to import tends to lower the size of the multiplier as demand for domestically produced final goods and services falls. An increase in the marginal propensity to import increases the value of the denominator of the equation, which then decreases the overall value of the fraction and thus the size of the multiplier. (iii) Use a diagram to illustrate the concept of short-run equilibrium in the Keynesian aggregate expenditure model. Suppose the economy is initially not in equilibrium, explain the process by which the economy adjusts to equilibrium. (4 marks) Question 4 (i) What are the main instruments of fiscal policy? Explain how each might be used to close an expansionary output gap. (4 marks) Main components of Fiscal Policy: Government expenditure: Government spending of goods and services, investment and infrastructure directly affects total spending. If too much or too little total spending causes output gaps, the government can help to guide the economy toward full employment by changing its own level of spending. Taxes or transfer payments: In contrast, changes in tax or transfers do not affect planned spending directly. When disposable income rises households should spend more. Thus tax cut or increase in transfers should increase planned aggregate expenditure. Similarly, an increase in taxes or a cut in transfers, by lowering households’ disposable income, will tend to lower planned spending. This stimulates spending and eliminates contractionary gap. (ii) Explain what is meant by the government budget constraint. Indicate how it provides a link between fiscal policy and public debt. (3 marks) Government budget constraint is the term given to the concept that government spending in any period had to be financial either by raising taxes or by government borrowing.We can denote government expenditure undertaken by the government in period t by Gt and transfer payments by Qt. Therefore, the total spending activities of the government can be noted as Gt+ Qt. Also, the government has three means at its disposal to finance this expenditure: 1. Taxes available to be spent by government it time t – denoted by Tt. 2. Issued security when government borrows money – This is a financial asset that obliges the government to repay the loan, and pay interest, over some designated time period. Bt-2 is the stock of securities that the government still has owing at the end of the last period. Any new borrowing that the government unde rtakes in period t will be denoted as Bt Bt-1. The stockpile of debt that accumulates when government continues borrowing money is called the public debt. 3. Interest needed to pay on government’s stock of debt – in any time t the government pays interest of rBt-1 where r is the real rate of interest. Government expenditures (purchases, transfer payments and interest payments) in any period need to be funded by taxes or by borrowing. This is the Government budget constraint summarized as below: Gt+ Qt + rBt-1 = Tt + (Bt Bt-1). If we rearrange this so that gross taxes are on the left-hand side, the link between fiscal policy and the stock of public debt becomes readily apparent: Gt+ Qt Tt + rBt-1 = (Bt Bt-1). (iii) Explain the difference between discretionary fiscal policy and automatic stabilisers. Which one of these will be the main influence on the size of the structural budget deficit? Explain. (3 marks) Discretionary fiscal policy refers to deliberate changes in the level of government spending, transfer payments or in tax rates. Automatic stabilizers refer to the tendency for a system of taxes and transfers, which are related to the level of income to automatically reduce the size of GDP fluctuations.

Bacon Roger :: Essays Papers

Bacon Roger Roger Bacon was an English Scholastic philosopher, scientist and one of the most influential teachers of the 13th century. He was born in Ilchester, Somersetshire in 1214. Roger Bacon was educated at the universities of Oxford and Paris. He remained in Paris after completing his studies and taught for a while at the University of Paris. When he returned to England in about 1251, he entered the religious order of the Franciscans and lived at Oxford. He carried on active studies and did experimental research in alchemy, optics, and astronomy. Bacon was critical of the methods of learning of the times, and in the late 1260s, at the request of Pope Clement IV, he wrote his Opus Majus (Major Work). In this work he represented the necessity of a reformation in the sciences through different methods of studying languages and nature. The Opus Majus was an encyclopedia of all science, embracing grammar and logic, mathematics, physics, experimental research, and moral philosophy. The response of the pope to Bacon's masterpiece is not known, but the work could not in any circumstances have had much effect in Bacon's time, because it reached Clement during the period of his fatal illness. Bacon's revolutionary ideas about the study of science caused his condemnation by the Franciscans for his heretical views. In 1278 the general of the Franciscan order, Girolamo Masci, later Pope Nicholas IV, forbade the reading of Bacon's books and had Bacon arrested. After ten years in prison, Bacon returned to Oxford. He wrote Compendium Studii Theologiae (A Compendium of the Study of Theology, 1292) shortly before his death. Despite his advanced knowledge, Bacon accepted some of the popular but later disproved beliefs of his time, such as the existence of a philosopher's stone and the efficacy of astrology. Although many inventions have been credited to him, some of them undoubtedly were derived from the study of Arab scientists. His writings brought new and ingenious views on optics, particularly on refraction; on the apparent magnitude of objects; and on the apparent increase in the size of the sun and moon at the horizon. He found that with sulfur, saltpeter, and charcoal, a substance (now known as gunpowder) could be produced that would imitate lightning and cause explosions.

History 5.01

Step 1: Think about these big questions: 1. When was the tipping point at which the United States could no longer be considered an isolated nation? OI think the tipping point could either be when Pearl Harbor was bombed or when the Lusitania was attacked 2. At what point could the United States no longer avoid involvement in World War II? OI think when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor was when the United States could no longer avoid being involved in the war. Step 2: Respond to each of the prompts below in a separate paragraph: 1. Explain the reasons for U. S. neutrality during the 1920s and 1930s.How did ideas about neutrality change during the period from the end of World War I to the passage of the Lend-Lease Act? Be sure to include any events, terms, or people that may support your response. ODuring the 1920s and 1930s the US had always been an isolationist country. The United States ended up sending help to the Allied forces because they were more democratic. The Axis forces I believe were more authoritarian. I think the United States felt they had to help the other countries because it would make them stronger allies and could benefit us. 2. In your opinion, what was the point at which U.S. actions were no longer neutral? Explain your reasoning with supporting details from the lesson. OI think when the Lend-Lease Act was involved the United States was no longer neutral. 3. Criticize or defend each of the U. S. actions surrounding World War II that are listed below. Justify your opinion with supporting details from the lesson. o1st Neutrality Act OI would agree with the first Neutrality Act because the United States was doing what they were familiar with sense they had been neutral for a long time. I think it could also benefit the US if we were to be attacked. oCash and CarryOI would have to disagree with the Cash and Carry amendment because we were supplying war efforts to our allies. oU. S aid to China OI think I would support this act because China was under attack by Japan. I think the fact that the Japanese were allies with Germany who was also at war with our allies, means that we should have stepped in and helped China. oLend-Lease Act OI would totally agree with this act. I think this act will help make things better between the United States and other countries if we feel like we can trust each other. It also helped Britain who was struggling with Germany.

Operation and Productivity Question

Chapter 1 1. )The 10 decision of OM are applied at Frito-lay as followed; at Frito-lay, product development kitchens experiment with new products, submit them to focus groups, and perform test marketing. Once the product specifications have been set, process capable of meeting those specifications, and the necessary quality onsite inspection of the potatoes used in ruffles and the corn used in Fritos. The continuance of quality throughout the manufacturing process, with statistical process control of product variables such as oil, moisture, seasoning, salt, thickness and weight. Quality continues when evaluations are conducted throughout shipment, receipt, production, packaging and delivery. 2. )To determine the productivity of the production process at Fritos-lay you must look at the amount of production. The production process at Fritos-lay is designed for large volumes and small variety, using expensive special-purpose equipment, and with swift movement of material through the facility. Fritos-Lay’s, typically have high capital cost, tight schedules, and rapid processing. The company rewards employees with medical, retirement, and education plans; also vendors must be chosen with great care. 3. )At the Hard Rock Cafe, being a service organization, the 10 decisions of OM differentiate from Frito-Lay because Frito-Lays have a production process organization. In a production process company such as Frito-lay, a production line is created and designed for balance throughput and high utilization. The production line is there to manage with sanitary issues since fast processing of productions put a premium on an efficient layout. At Fritos-Lay product development kitchens experiment with new product, submit them to focus groups, and perform test marketing. Unlike Frito-Lay, at the Hard Rock Cafe it being a service industry, the operation managers’ deal with economic activities typically produces. They deal with economy stuff, for example, trades, financial, and other professional occupations.

The Pentacostal Church - Serpent Handling as Sacrament

The Pentacostal Church - Serpent Handling as Sacrament God, Man, and the SerpentIt was with fascination and horror, and a bit of revulsion, that I watched the video in class concerning the snake handling in a Pentecostal church in West Virginia. I could not understand why these people would risk life and limb in the handling of these poisonous snakes during a church service. It was the first time I had observed such a thing in a religious gathering, I wanted to know why these simple Americans showed such, what seemed to me, outrageous behavior. What did this risk -taking have to do with the services they were attending? The first thing I wanted to know was the background of these people and what thinking led them to do the things I saw on the tape. With the classroom discussion following the video, plus the reading we had on this subject, Serpent- Handling as Sacrament, by Mary Lee Daugherty, I was to find the reasons for this behavior.BibleThe area of the country these people come from is coal mined; rugged mountains, most of them are p oor and uneducated. They live in a rural area were there is not much contact with the surrounding communities, in other words these people are culturally isolated. They are also an offshoot of the Pentecostal church and they take what the Bible says literally. The verse in the Bible they use to incorporate the use of snakes in their faith is in the passage of Mark 16: 15-18 were a portion of it states, "In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly; it shall not hurt them..." So it is a test of faith that led them to this behavior. If they get bitten...

elizabeth barrett browning essays

elizabeth barrett browning essays The Life and Times of Elizabeth Barrett Browning During the early nineteenth century, feminists were first coming out into the political forefront. Among them, Elizabeth Barrett Browning emerged as one the greatest woman writers of all time. She wrote of social reform, for the rights of lower classes and women, and for the cause of Italian freedom (Chew 1403). While many aspects and circumstances of life affected her work, she was also able to effect society in many ways. Elizabeth Barrett was born on March 6, 1806 in Durham, England. Her first published work was The Battle of Marathon, which she wrote at the age of only 12. It was an epic of sorts consisting of 4 books (Untermeyer 798). When she was only 15 years old she injured her spine and was confined to her London house on Wimpole Street (Untermeyer 798). She remained confined in her room for six years and during that time she kept bust by writing poetry and letters. Between her fathers refusal to allow any of his children to marry and her beloved brothers tragic death from drowning she became a recluse. She remained a recluse until she was almost 40. On May 20, 1845 she allowed Robert Browning to visit her after a protracted correspondence (Untermeyer 798). They then courted under the eyes of her jealous, tyrannical father until the eloped on September 12, 1846 (132). They than moved to Italy where they lived one of the most celebrated happy romances of all time. Due to her poor health, she was weak physically. Hawthorne described her as being a pale, small person scarcely embodied at all (Benets 132). Her ethereality of physical appearance is reflected by the palpitation fervor and the unworldly tenderness and purity of her work (Benets 132). She wrote of many themes, most of which were dictated by her broad humanitarian interests (Ben...

Battle of Petersburg in the Civil War

Battle of Petersburg in the Civil War The Battle of Petersburg was part of the American Civil War (1861-1865) and was fought between June 9, 1864 and April 2, 1865. In the wake of his defeat at the Battle of Cold Harbor in early June 1864, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant continued pressing south towards the Confederate capital at Richmond. Departing Cold Harbor on June 12, his men stole a march on General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia and crossed the James River on a large pontoon bridge. This maneuver led Lee to become concerned that he might be forced into a siege at Richmond. This was not Grants intention, as the Union leader sought to capture the vital city of Petersburg. Located south of Richmond, Petersburg was a strategic crossroads and railroad hub which supplied the capital and Lees army. Its loss would make would Richmond indefensible (Map). Armies Commanders Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S. GrantMajor General George G. Meade67,000 increasing to 125,000 men Confederate General Robert E. Leeapprox. 52,000 men Smith and Butler Move Aware of Petersburgs importance, Major General Benjamin Butler, commanding Union forces at Bermuda Hundred, attempted an attack on the city on June 9. Crossing the Appomattox River, his men assault the citys outermost defenses known as the Dimmock Line. These attacks were halted by Confederate forces under General P.G.T. Beauregard and Butler withdrew. On June 14, with the Army of the Potomac nearing Petersburg, Grant instructed Butler to dispatch Major General William F. Baldy Smiths XVIII Corps to attack the city. Crossing the river, Smiths advance was delayed through the day on the 15th, though he finally moved to attack the Dimmock Line that evening. Possessing 16,500 men, Smith was able to overwhelm Brigadier General Henry Wises Confederates along the northeastern portion of the Dimmock Line. Falling back, Wises men occupied a weaker line along Harrisons Creek. With night setting in, Smith halted with intention of resuming his attack at dawn. First Assaults That evening, Beauregard, whose call for reinforcements had been ignored by Lee, stripped his defenses at Bermuda Hundred to reinforce Petersburg, increasing his forces there to around 14,000. Unaware of this, Butler remained idle rather than threatening Richmond. Despite this, Beauregard remained badly outnumbered as Grants columns began arriving on the field increasing Union strength to over 50,000. Attacking late in the day with the XVIII, II, and IX Corps, Grants men slowly pushed the Confederates back. Fighting continued on 17th with the Confederates defending tenaciously and preventing a Union breakthrough. As the fighting raged, Beauregards engineers began building a new line of fortifications closer the city and Lee began marching to the fighting. Attacks on June 18 gained some ground but were halted at the new line with heavy losses. Unable to advance, the commander of the Army of the Potomac, Major General George G. Meade, ordered his troops to dig in opposite the Confederates. In four days of fighting, Union losses totaled 1,688 killed, 8,513 wounded, 1,185 missing or captured, while the Confederates lost around 200 killed, 2,900 wounded, 900 missing or captured Moving Against the Railroads Having been stopped by the Confederate defenses, Grant began making plans for severing the three open railroads leading into Petersburg. While one ran north to Richmond, the other two, the Weldon Petersburg and Southside, were open to attack. The closest, the Weldon, ran south to North Carolina and provided a connection to the open port of Wilmington. As a first step, Grant planned a large cavalry raid to attack both railroads, while ordering the II and VI Corps to march on the Weldon. Advancing with their men, Major Generals David Birney and Horatio Wright encountered Confederate troops on June 21. The next two days saw them fight the Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road which resulted in over 2,900 Union casualties and around 572 Confederate. An inconclusive engagement, it saw the Confederates retain possession of the railroad, but Union forces extend their siege lines. As Lees army was significantly smaller, any need lengthen his lines correspondingly weakened the whole. Wilson-Kautz Raid As Union forces were failing in their efforts to seize the Weldon Railroad, a cavalry force led by Brigadier Generals James H. Wilson and August Kautz circled south of Petersburg to strike at the railroads. Burning stock and tearing up around 60 miles of track, the raiders fought battles at Staunton River Bridge, Sappony Church, and Reams Station. In the wake of this last fight, they found themselves unable to breakthrough to return to the Union lines. As a result, the Wilson-Kautz raiders were forced to burn their wagons and destroy their guns before fleeing north. Returning to the Union lines on July 1, the raiders lost 1,445 men (approx. 25% of the command). A New Plan As Union forces operated against the railroads, efforts of a different sort were underway to break the deadlock in front of Petersburg. Among the units in the Union trenches was the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry of Major General Ambrose Burnsides IX Corps. Composed largely of former coal miners, the men of the 48th devised a plan for breaking through the Confederate lines. Observing that the closest Confederate fortification, Elliotts Salient, was a mere 400 feet from their position, the men of the 48th believed that a mine could be run from their lines under the enemy earthworks. Once complete, this mine could be packed with enough explosives to open a hole in the Confederate lines. The Battle of the Crater This idea was seized upon by their commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Henry Pleasants. A mining engineer by trade, Pleasants approached Burnside with the plan arguing that the explosion would take the Confederates by surprise and would allow Union troops to rush in to take the city. Approved by Grant and Burnside, planning moved forward and construction of the mine began. Anticipating the attack to occur on July 30, Grant ordered Major General Winfield S. Hancocks II Corps and two divisions of Major General Philip Sheridans Cavalry Corps north across the James to the Union position at Deep Bottom. From this position, they were to advance against Richmond with the goal of drawing Confederate troops away from Petersburg. If this was not practicable, then Hancock was to pin the Confederates while Sheridan raided around the city. Attacking on July 27 and 28, Hancock and Sheridan fought an inconclusive action but one which succeeded in pulling Confederate troops from Petersburg. Having achieved his objective, Grant suspended operations on the evening of July 28. At 4:45 AM on July 30, the charge in the mine was detonated killing at least 278 Confederate soldiers and creating a crater 170 feet long, 60-80 feet wide, and 30 feet deep. Advancing, the Union attack soon bogged down as last-minute changes to the plan and a rapid Confederate response doomed it to failure. By 1:00 PM the fighting in the area ended and Union forces suffered 3,793 killed, wounded, and captured, while the Confederates incurred around 1,500. For his part in the attacks failure, Burnside was sacked by Grant and command of IX Corps passed to Major General John G. Parke. The Fighting Continues While the two sides were fighting in the vicinity of Petersburg, Confederate forces under Lieutenant General Jubal A. Early were successfully campaigning in the Shenandoah Valley. Advancing from the valley, he won the Battle of Monocacy on July 9 and menaced Washington on July 11-12. Retreating, he burned Chambersburg, PA on July 30. Earlys actions forced Grant to send VI Corps to Washington to bolster its defenses. Concerned that Grant might move to crush Early, Lee shifted two divisions to Culpeper, VA where they would be in position to support either front. Mistakenly believing that this movement had greatly weakened the Richmond defenses, Grant ordered II and X Corps to attack again at Deep Bottom on August 14. In six days of fighting, little was achieved other than forcing Lee to further strengthen the Richmond defenses. To end the threat posed by Early, Sheridan was dispatched to the valley to head up Union operations. Closing the Weldon Railroad While the fighting was raging at Deep Bottom, Grant ordered Major General Gouverneur K. Warrens V Corps to advance against the Weldon Railroad. Moving out on August 18, they reached the railroad at Globe Tavern around 9:00 AM. Attacked by Confederate forces, Warrens men fought a back and forth battle for three days. When it ended, Warren had succeeded in holding a position astride the railroad and had linked his fortifications with the main Union line near the Jerusalem Plank Road. The Union victory forced Lees men to offload supplies from the railroad at Stony Creek and bring them to Petersburg by wagon via the Boydton Plank Road. Wishing to permanently damage the Weldon Railroad, Grant ordered Hancocks tired II Corps to Reams Station to destroy the tracks. Arriving on August 22 and 23, they effectively destroyed the railroad to within two miles of Reams Station. Seeing the Union presence as a threat to his line of retreat, Lee ordered Major General A.P. Hill south to defeat Hancock. Attacking on August 25, Hills men succeeded in forcing Hancock to retreat after a protracted fight. Through a tactical reverse, Grant was pleased with the operation as the railroad had been put out of commission leaving the Southside as the only track running into Petersburg. (Map). Fighting in the Fall On September 16, while Grant was absent meeting with Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, Major General Wade Hampton led the Confederate cavalry on a successful raid against the Union rear. Dubbed the Beefsteak Raid, his men escaped with 2,486 head of cattle. Returning, Grant mounted another operation in later September intending to strike at both ends of Lees position. The first part saw Butlers Army of the James attack north of the James at Chaffins Farm on September 29-30. Though he had some initial success, he was soon contained by the Confederates. South of Petersburg, elements of V and IX Corps, supported by cavalry, successfully extended the Union line to the area of Peebles and Pegrams Farms by October 2. In an effort to relieve pressure north of the James, Lee attacked the Union positions there on October 7. The resulting Battle of Darbytown and New Market Roads saw his men repulsed forcing him to fall back. Continuing his trend of striking both flanks simultaneously, Grant sent Butler forward again on October 27-28. Fighting the Battle of Fair Oaks and Darbytown Road, Butler faired no better than Lee earlier in the month. At the other end of the line, Hancock moved west with a mixed force in an attempt to cut the Boydton Plank Road. Though his men gained the road on October 27, subsequent Confederate counterattacks forced him to fall back. As a result, the road remained open for Lee throughout the winter (Map). The End Nears With the setback at Boydton Plank Road, fighting began to quiet as winter approached. The re-election of President Abraham Lincoln in November ensured that the war would be prosecuted to the end. On February 5, 1865, offensive operations resumed with Brigadier General David Greggs cavalry division moving out to strike Confederate supply trains on the Boydton Plank Road. To protect the raid, Warrens corps crossed Hatchers Run and established a blocking position on the Vaughan Road with elements of II Corps in support. Here they repulsed a Confederate attack late in the day. Following Greggs return the following day, Warren pushed up the road and was assaulted near Dabneys Mill. Though his advance was halted, Warren succeeded in further extending the Union line to Hatchers Run. Lees Last Gamble By early March 1865, over eight months in the trenches around Petersburg had begun to wreck Lees army. Plagued by disease, desertion, and a chronic lack of supplies, his force had dropped to around 50,000. Already outnumbered 2.5-to-1, he faced the daunting prospect of another 50,000 Union troops arriving as Sheridan concluded operations in the valley. Desperately needing to change the equation before Grant assaulted his lines, Lee asked Major General John B. Gordon to plan an attack on the Union lines with the goal of reaching Grants headquarters area at City Point. Gordon began preparations and at 4:15 AM on March 25, the lead elements began moving against Fort Stedman in the northern part of the Union line. Striking hard, they overwhelmed the defenders and soon had taken Fort Stedman as well as several nearby batteries opening a 1000-foot breach in the Union position. Responding to the crisis, Parke ordered Brigadier General John F. Hartranfts division to seal the gap. In tight fighting, Hartranfts men succeeded in isolating Gordons attack by 7:30 AM. Supported by a vast number of Union guns, they counterattacked and drove the Confederates back to their own lines. Suffering around 4,000 casualties, the failure of the Confederate effort at Fort Stedman effectively doomed Lees ability to hold the city. Five Forks Sensing Lee was weak, Grant ordered the newly returned Sheridan to attempt a move around the Confederate right flank to the west of Petersburg. To counter this move, Lee dispatched 9,200 men under Major General George Pickett to defend the vital crossroads of Five Forks and the Southside Railroad, with orders to hold them at all hazards. On March 31, Sheridans force encountered Picketts lines and moved to attack. After some initial confusion, Sheridans men routed the Confederates at the Battle of Five Forks, inflicting 2,950 casualties. Pickett, who was away at a shad bake when the fighting started, was relieved of his command by Lee. With the Southside Railroad cut, Lee lost his best line of retreat. The following morning, seeing no other options, Lee informed President Jefferson Davis that both Petersburg and Richmond must be evacuated (Map). The Fall of Petersburg This coincided with Grant ordering a massive offensive against the majority of the Confederate lines. Moving forward early on April 2, Parkes IX Corps struck Fort Mahone and the lines around the Jerusalem Plank Road. In bitter fighting, they overwhelmed the defenders and held on against strong counterattacks by Gordons men. To the south, Wrights VI Corps shattered the Boydton Line allowing Major General John Gibbons XXIV Corps to exploit the breach. Advancing, Gibbons men fought a protracted battle for Forts Gregg and Whitworth. Though they captured both, the delay allowed Lieutenant General James Longstreet to bring troops down from Richmond. To the west, Major General Andrew Humphreys, now commanding II Corps, broke through the Hatchers Run Line and pushed back Confederate forces under Major General Henry Heth. Though he was having success, he was ordered to advance on the city by Meade. Doing so, he left a division to deal with Heth. By late afternoon, Union forces had forced the Confederates into Petersburgs inner defenses but had worn themselves out in the process. That evening, as Grant planned a final assault for the following day, Lee began evacuating the city (Map). Aftermath Retreating west, Lee hoped to resupply and join with General Joseph Johnstons forces in North Carolina. As Confederate forces departed, Union troops entered both Petersburg and Richmond on April 3. Closely pursued by Grants forces, Lees army began to disintegrate. After a week of retreating, Lee finally met with Grant at Appomattox Court House and surrendered his army on April 9, 1865. Lees surrender effectively ended the Civil War in the East.

Controlling Nestle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Controlling Nestle - Essay Example Most of the attention is paid to the raw material prices easing in order to ensure that the major product categories will meet the financial targets this year. CEO Mr. Brabeck has noted that Nestle has a plan on how to deal with the higher input costs and this plan is working better than some other big food companies have. CEO predicted the increase of costs associated with the raw materials and had started raising the prices earlier and advanced the price increase in the beginning of the year. Such move has made it possible for Nestle to meet the financial targets. The increased prices have never been assumed as a competitive advantages, however, when the raw materials costs increase is predictable and inevitable, then the timely reaction can help to avoid the loss of customers and assure the sales level. Nestle did not only predict the potential cost increase, but has also timely reacted and gained the desired sales volume. One of the concerns CEO focused on was high division of financial operations - every country had its own financial system with managers making decision with freedom and choice of the most appropriate methods. Brabeck has centralized the financial activities and the whole structure became more controllable. The special attention is currently being paid to the creation of additional value for nutrition and wellness products. CEO has a clear vision of what products are desired by customers. The issue of extra weight is no longer the American problem and many people in Europe are struggling to become healthier and lose the weight. For this reason the wellness products are getting more and more popular. Nestle has managed to save enormous amount of money through acquisitions of the well-known brands. In addition, less money is invested into research and development of new products because the company has bought not only the brand name but the all operations with all specialists working for that particular acquired company. As it will be discussed further, acquisitions are the best cost saving investment opportunity that helps to control the spending and reduce the costs on research. What are some of the operating standards the CEO is implementing at Nestle Why are these standards effective or why not One of the key challenges of Nestle was to gain control over the decentralized structure - the country managers has freedom in everything starting with the purchasing and up to capital investments. From one side, it was very helpful from the marketing standpoint because local managers were more knowledgeable about the customer's preferences. From the other side, such system was highly inefficient - headquarters could not track the costs. First of all, the five global centers were established to control coffee and cocoa purchasing (Matlack 56). The information technology system was introduced to give managers data about the performance of other units. These standards are more effective because can be easier controlled and tracked. Matlack (56) provides the number Nestle recipe for Richer Margins: Streamlining operations (intensive costs savings through improvements in info tech and centralizing of activities), Strengthening key

Xuyu Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Xuyu - Coursework Example In addition, the feeling improves children self-image and social relations. Marla is highly vulnerable to develop prejudices than Jane because of her negative attitude towards Bernadette’s situation. She criticizes Bernadate, yet fails to analyze possible causes for her poor performance. However, Jane is more understanding and supportive. Despite Bernadate’s poor performance, she understands the impact of divorce on concentration. Conversely, Marla lacks personal skills to understand the feeling of others, and control of negative thoughts. Older childrens ability to analyze information improves their perspective taking, emotional and moral understanding of themselves and others. Thus, mature children easily comprehend life difficulties and appreciate role of their friends. For instance, older children analyze and strive to fit in friends’ situations in times of challenges. The children offer moral support to their friends because they fully know impacts of life experiences. I never attended integrated elementary school. However, benefits of integrated school in child development and reduction of ethnic and racial and prejudice are enormous. The schools facilitate cross-cultural understanding. Principally, integrated schools minimize cross-racial discrimination, damaging bias and

The role of the IMF (international monetary fund) in helping poor and Case Study

The role of the IMF (international monetary fund) in helping poor and debt-troubled countries - Case Study Example tated that the IMF was created for the following purposes: to promote the global monetary and the exchange stability, facilitate the expansion and a balanced growth of international trade and helping in the establishment of a multilateral system of payments for current transactions. This paper is going to discuss why the IMF have to help out poor and dept troubled nations, conditions that borrowing countries need to meet to be eligible for the loans and the ethical foundations the IMF use to help out nations that are already in dept. The paper will further discuss if the loans harm or help in the development of poor countries and debt troubled nations and if the IMF and their policy makers have undisclosed purposes to pursue certain policy objectives. Carin and Wood (2005) stated that the IMF plays a major role in the global monetary system, which involves lending funds to countries having problems to pay off their debts, providing fund surveys, and monitoring the financial and economic developments in member countries. The IMF provides training and technical assistance for countries that request it hence enabling the poor and debt-troubled nations to alleviate problems of poverty and provide the citizens with their basic needs. Gould (2006) stated that the IMF helps the poor and debt troubled nations to handle balance of payments difficulties, ensure stable economies and restoration of economic growth in the various countries. The IMF programs help in unlocking financial opportunities for the poor countries because the program serves as a signal that countries have adopted reinforcing policy credibility and sound policies that increases the investor’s confidence. The countries eligible for borrowing loans from the IMF need to be members of the organization. Boughton (2001) stated that member countries could request for assistance if it has a balance of potential or actual payments need. This is when the country cannot find enough finances on affordable terms

To what extent do cultural differences alter understandings of Essay

To what extent do cultural differences alter understandings of injustice and approaches to justice - Essay Example Before embarking upon the topic under study, it would be appropriate to define culture. Culture is the amalgamation of religious belief system, cult, social norms, values, mores, customs, traditions and conventions. Language, art, literature, festivals, folkways, food, dressing, writings, music, dance, thought and philosophy also come under the fold of culture. â€Å"Culture is†, Macionis submits, â€Å"the values, beliefs, behavior, and material objects that together form a peoples’ way of life. Culture includes what we think, how we act, and what we own.† (2007: p 60) Hence, culture is not specific to one single era only; rather, it maintains its roots in ancient past, branches of which seek their way in future centuries to come. Since cultural patterns vary from one region to the other, the values, norms and traditions also observe imperative divergence in them. A tradition, thought to be complying and pleasing in one set up, may be offensive, ridiculous and annoying within the framework of some other. For instance, shaking of hands with the colleagues of the opposite gender is a common thing in the west, and is viewed as a part of interaction, but the same is considered very awkward and indecent in the East, particularly in Muslim states and India. Similarly, intimate relationship among the males are viewed as a sign of sincerity and friendship in Asian countries, while the same act is suspected as homosexual aptitude in some parts of Africa and western Europe. â€Å"Differences between people†, Encina (2007) notes, â€Å"within any given nation or culture are much greater than differences between groups. Education, social standing, religion, personality, belief structure, past experience, affectio n shown in the home, and a myriad of other factors will affect human behavior and culture.† (Quoted incnr.berkeley.edu) Thus, cultural values develop the tastes and decide intellectual thoughtfulness of the individuals belonging to that

Herzberg Theory of Motivation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Herzberg Theory of Motivation - Essay Example The term 'Job Satisfaction' refers to one of the extent to which an individual likes his or her job. As defined by Schermerhorn, Hunt and Osborn, "Job satisfaction is the degree to which individuals feel positively or negatively about their jobs. It is an attitude or emotional response to one's tasks as well as to the physical and social conditions of the workplace." (Schermerhorn, Hunt and Osborn, 2002) Feedback is the objective information about individual and collective performance. Subjective information like 'you are doing well' does not qualify the criteria of the objectivity and thus can not be called an ideal feedback. (Miner, 1988) .Feedback serves two functions; that is instructional and motivational. Besides providing the instructions for further improvement, feedback should also be aimed to motivate the employees rather than condemn them. (Tosi, Rizzo and Mero, 2000) Being so important for the organizational culture, organizational behavior researchers have laid a great stress in determining the factors which influence the employee satisfaction. As a result, a number of theories regarding the issue have been evolved. Herzberg theory of motivation is one of them. ... As a result, a number of theories regarding the issue have been evolved. Herzberg theory of motivation is one of them. (Szilagyi and Wallace, 1983) The Herzberg theory of motivation is based on the fact that the satisfaction level of an employee is deeply affected by two broad categories; hygiene factor and the motivation factor. Herzberg asked the employees to report the times they felt very satisfied with their jobs and the times they felt discontented. He noted all the factors which led to increase the job satisfaction of the employees and same for the dissatisfaction. On the basis of this study he gave this theory, which is also known as motivator-hygiene theory, which identifies different factors as foremost causes of job satisfaction or dissatisfaction. (Philip and Duncan, 1982) According to this theory, hygiene factors are those factors which cause job dissatisfaction. He noticed that these tasks are more related to the work environment, rather than the nature of work itself. Some of the common hygiene factors are as follows: Organizational policies Quality of supervision Working conditions Base wage or salary Relationships with peers Relationships with subordinates Security (Luthans, 2006) Herzberg asserts that these factors are though responsible for job dissatisfaction, yet their presence does not guarantee the job satisfaction. Lets take the example of salary, if the employees are under paid, their satisfaction towards their work will be lesser. However, if they are appropriately paid, even then this will not bring the job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is achieved through a number of other factors like: Achievement Recognition Responsibility Advancement Growth (Luthans, 2006) The factors which

To what extent do cultural differences alter understandings of Essay

To what extent do cultural differences alter understandings of injustice and approaches to justice - Essay Example Before embarking upon the topic under study, it would be appropriate to define culture. Culture is the amalgamation of religious belief system, cult, social norms, values, mores, customs, traditions and conventions. Language, art, literature, festivals, folkways, food, dressing, writings, music, dance, thought and philosophy also come under the fold of culture. â€Å"Culture is†, Macionis submits, â€Å"the values, beliefs, behavior, and material objects that together form a peoples’ way of life. Culture includes what we think, how we act, and what we own.† (2007: p 60) Hence, culture is not specific to one single era only; rather, it maintains its roots in ancient past, branches of which seek their way in future centuries to come. Since cultural patterns vary from one region to the other, the values, norms and traditions also observe imperative divergence in them. A tradition, thought to be complying and pleasing in one set up, may be offensive, ridiculous and annoying within the framework of some other. For instance, shaking of hands with the colleagues of the opposite gender is a common thing in the west, and is viewed as a part of interaction, but the same is considered very awkward and indecent in the East, particularly in Muslim states and India. Similarly, intimate relationship among the males are viewed as a sign of sincerity and friendship in Asian countries, while the same act is suspected as homosexual aptitude in some parts of Africa and western Europe. â€Å"Differences between people†, Encina (2007) notes, â€Å"within any given nation or culture are much greater than differences between groups. Education, social standing, religion, personality, belief structure, past experience, affectio n shown in the home, and a myriad of other factors will affect human behavior and culture.† (Quoted incnr.berkeley.edu) Thus, cultural values develop the tastes and decide intellectual thoughtfulness of the individuals belonging to that

Ethics and Law in Business and Society (4 questions) Essay - 1

Ethics and Law in Business and Society (4 questions) - Essay Example Such a situation would not have occurred of the government would not have intervened. The definition of the government failure is much suitable for the study as it is also concerned with the public policy. The government policies are usually concerned with the public policies that have a direct impact on the market (Anthoff, 2010). External negativities like the taxes which is a government policy is usually responsible for the market failures. The advantage of the government regulation as an intervention includes easing the pressure on the market. However the main con of a government regulation as an intervention is the economic crowding which may result to the worsening of the situation and hence causing an imperfect market. The public goods on the other hand are goods that cannot be affected when it is used by the individuals. An example of a public good is the fresh air. It is subjected to the theory of market failure since its excessive use may lead to negative externalities like pollution and hence contributing to market failures. It also contributes to government regulations which may have considerable effects on the market and hence leading to market failure. 2. Public policy The policy foundation is a think tank that is used for the purposes of challenging the extreme and harmful policies that have been put in place by the government in terms of the compensation of the federal employees. The main goal of the policy is to ensure that the federal employees who are unable to physically or mentally fulfill their responsibilities are adequately compensated. Several political huddles were witnessed during the passing of the bill into law. The main huddle was the policy issues among the law makers for the purposes of ensuring that the federal employees benefit. The misunderstanding among the law makers contributed to the delays in terms of passing the bill. The major benefit is that the federal employees who are affected at the workplace receive compensation w hen they are affected and are unable to work. However it is costly due to the funds that are involved during the compensation. The law requires the funds that have been set aside by the federal government in order for it to be efficient (LaDou, 2010). The policy is neither liberal nor conservative. This is because it has been receiving support from both sides of the political divide. This is because the policy affects all the federal workers incase of injury. On the other hand, the policy has always been enhanced by both the liberal and conservative governments and hence and indication of the neutrality of the policy. The politicians have also been in support of the policy and hence its popularity and success. 3. Philosophy of the state According to Locke, the political obligations as well as the laws are not natural but are instead human creation and are for the benefits of the individuals involved. He further argues that the civil rights are gained through respecting the rights of others and giving up some freedom. According to Hobbes, the lack of political laws and order would result to unlimited freedom. The security and sovereignty are achieved through the social contract when a political community is established (Levitt, 2013). There is also evident that the leviathan is reaching into the American policy domain through the concepts of liberty and sovereignty. The federalist papers promoted the ratification of the constitution through influencing the votes in favor of ratification. It

System Design Essay Example for Free

System Design Essay The basis for most systems analysis and design methodologies is the system development life cycle or SDLC. It is sometimes called the waterfall method because the model visually suggests work cascading from step to step like a series of waterfalls. The first step is problem definition. The intent is to identify the problem, determine its cause, and outline a strategy for solving it. Given a clear problem definition, analysis begins. The objective of analysis is to determine exactly what must be done to solve the problem. Typically, the system’s logical elements (its boundaries, processes, and data) are defined during analysis. The objective of design is to determine how the problem will be solved. During design the analyst’s focus shifts from the logical to the physical. Processes are converted to manual procedures or computer programs. Data elements are grouped to form physical data structures, screens, reports, files, and databases. The hardware components that support the programs and the data are defined. The system is created during development. Programs are coded, debugged, documented, and tested. New hardware is selected and ordered. Procedures are written and tested. End-user documentation is prepared. Databases and files are initialized. Users are trained. Once the system is developed, it is tested to ensure that it does what it was designed to do. After the system passes its final test and any remaining problems are corrected, the system is implemented and released to the user. After the system is released, maintenance begins. The objective of maintenance is to keep the system functioning at an acceptable level. a. Prototyping Software prototyping is the creation of prototypes or a rudimentary working model of a product or information system, usually built for demonstration purposes or as part of the development process. In the systems development life cycle (SDLC) Prototyping Model, a basic version of the system is built, tested, and then reworked as necessary until an acceptable prototype is finally achieved from which the complete system or product can now be developed. A prototype typically simulates only a few aspects of the features of the eventual program, and may be completely different from the eventual implementation. The conventional purpose of a prototype is to allow users of the software to evaluate developers proposals for the design of the eventual product by actually trying them out, rather than having to interpret and evaluate the design based on descriptions. Prototyping can also be used by end users to describe and prove requirements that developers have not considered. Prototyping has several benefits: The software designer and implementer can obtain feedback from the users early in the project. The client and the contractor can compare if the software made matches the software specification, according to which the software program is built. It also allows the software engineer some insight into the accuracy of initial project estimates and whether the deadlines and milestones proposed can be successfully met. In this project the Waterfall Systems Approach Method is being used. The systems approach is a problem-solving method that breaks a complex problem into pieces, designs a solution for each piece, and then integrates the solution into a complete system (Dewitz, 1996). As applied to information systems, the systems approach decomposes a system into subsystems and with its environments. In the waterfall model time spent early on making sure that requirements and design are absolutely correct will save much time and effort later. Thus, the thinking of those who follow the waterfall process goes, one should make sure that each phase is 100% complete and absolutely correct before proceeding to the next phase of program creation. Program requirements should be set in stone before design is started otherwise work put into a design based on incorrect requirements is wasted. Also the waterfall model has a simple approach and is more disciplined. The model itself progresses linearly through discrete, easily understandable and explainable phases and thus is easy to understand; it also provides easily mark able milestones in the development process. The systems approach recognizes two major activities: analysis and design. b. System Analysis Systems analysis is the process of studying an existing system – whether manual or automated – and its’ environment. The purposes of analysis are to understand the components and functions of the current system, to identify the organization’s information and processing needs, and to determine the characteristics of a new system to meet these needs (Dewitz, 1996). In the System Analysis phase, Preliminary Investigation, Problem Analysis (studying the existing system), Requirement Analysis (identifying the information needs and what the new system should perform) and Feasibility Study (determining whether the system is feasible for the proposed system) will be performed. System design is the key phase within the system development cycle. It consist of devising specifications for an information system (IS) that best fit a company’s current and expected circumstances (Wilkinson. J. W Cerullo. M. J, 1997). The design may involve an improvement to an existing IS or may pertain to the initial IS for a company. Systems design basically is the reassembling of the components and functions of the IS to satisfy the organization’s information needs most effectively and efficiently. 1. Project Deliverables Following are the Project Deliverables for the Hardware Tracking reporting System. Deliverable Name Deliverable Description DBMS The completed project will produce a DBMS for hardware tracking reporting and replace the current paper based system User training manual A training manual that can be used for training of new staff or the re-training of existing staff in the use of the system Troubleshooting manual A troubleshooting manual that can be used to troubleshoot and possibly resolve any issues that may occur in the daily use of the system Reference manual A reference manual that can be used for quick reference a. Project Milestones Following are the major milestones for the Hardware Tracking reporting System.

Thalamic Glutamate as a Marker of Global Brain Pathology -MS

Thalamic Glutamate as a Marker of Global Brain Pathology -MS Author contributions: LP design conceptualisation of the study, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the manuscript for intellectual content. JR design conceptualisation of the study, data collection, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the manuscript for intellectual content. IRB analysis and interpretation of data, revising the manuscript for intellectual content. GS analysis and interpretation of data KZ data collection RN design conceptualisation of the study, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the manuscript for intellectual content.[LP1] Disclosures: LP no disclosures. JR no disclosures. IRV no disclosures. GS no disclosures. KZ no disclosures. RN Bayer, Biogen, Genzyme, Merck Serono, Roche honorarium for speaking, advisory boards. Biogen, Genzyme, Novartis funds for organising education, staff. Biogen, Novartis Principal investigator.[LP2] [LP3] Multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterised by demyelination and variable degrees of axonal loss and gliosis. People with MS (pwMS) present with sensory disturbances, spasticity, fatigue, ataxia, pain and urinary dysfunction1. The most common form of MS is relapsing-remitting and 85% of pwMS initially present with it, with most eventually progress to a secondary, progressive phase2. Without adequate treatment, 25% of pwMS become wheelchair-bound3. Charcot was the first to describe the inflammatory demyelinating plaque as a hallmark of MS in the late 19th century4. While white matter lesions (WML) contribute to disability5,6, they are likely not its only drive. Recent evidence supports the concept that grey matter lesions (GML) and atrophy are likely contributors to disability7,8. Furthermore, recent studies have looked at diffuse axonal loss and support the notion that this process drives long-term disability, due to a combination of focal inflammation and cortical damage driven by meningeal inflammation9-13. Large clinical trials in MS infrequently correlate the effect of therapies with brain lesion volumes and atrophy. This is due to the fact that as of today, no automated software exists which is able to consistently calculate WMLs14 and GMLs are grossly underestimated as they are not readily visible on MRI15,16. Lastly, brain atrophy is hard to quantify, can only be measured longitudinally and is subject to non-tissue related (pseudo-atrophy) volume loss subsequent to disease modifying treatment17,18. There is an unmet need for a simple biomarker that can act as a surrogate for neuronal damage in MS for use in observational and interventional studies. Natalizumab Natalizumab (Tysabri) is a disease-modifying treatment given intravenously as a monthly infusion19. In the UK it is licensed as a second-line treatment for severe, rapidly evolving, relapsing-remitting MS. It is directed against the ÃŽÂ ±4 subunit of integrin on lymphocytes and acts as an immune-modulator by inhibiting their migration to the brain20,21. Compared to placebo, it has been shown to reduce relapse rate by 68%. Furthermore, it reduced the risk of disability progression by 42%, defined as a change in EDSS score sustained for 24 weeks21. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a non-invasive MRI sequence that allows identification and quantification of in vivo metabolites present in a small, preselected brain region. Proton nuclei (1H) are most commonly used in studies of the human brain due to their abundance and high sensitivity. MRS sequences distinguish between different metabolites by measuring the frequency at which 1H nuclei flip, which is in turn dependent on the molecular group carrying the hydrogen atom22. Measuring these metabolic changes allows researchers to gain an insight into changes at a cellular and molecular level in the brain, which cannot be acquired using conventional MRI techniques23. The thalamus is a subcortical hub, with multiple reciprocal connections to both white matter tracts and cortical grey matter24. Previous studies evidenced the fact that it is sensitive to pathology occurring in other brain regions25. We speculated that by using the thalamus as our region of interest (ROI), investigated metabolites would give a measure of global neuronal damage. Aims We investigated thalamic MRS as a biomarker for global brain neuronal damage in MS by comparing baseline metabolite concentrations between pwMS and HCs. Metabolites that were found to be statistically significantly different between these two groups at baseline were investigated further. To additionally support using MRS imaging as a surrogate for global central nervous system pathology, we investigated the correlation between these metabolite concentrations in pwMS and total lesion volume. In order to investigate whether thalamic MRS can be used to monitor treatment response, we measured changes in their concentration following treatment with the disease-modifying drug natalizumab. Population Participants aged 21-65 underwent inclusion criteria screening. For the pwMS group, this included satisfying the McDonald criteria 2010, having highly active MS and having been scheduled to initiate natalizumab treatment as part of routine NHS Case. Following ethics approval and written informed consent from participants, 17 pwMS and 12 HCs were recruited to the study. HCs underwent an MRI baseline scan while pwMS underwent a scan at baseline, and follow-up scans at 10 and 56 weeks after initiation of natalizumab treatment. Acquisition of MRS data All experiments were carried out in the same Siemens 3T Magnetom Verio with a 32-channel receiver head coil[LP4], used to acquire combined MRI and 1H-MRS scans. A magnetisation-prepared rapid gradient-echo sequence (MPRAGE) was used to obtain high-definition T1 weighted scans with the following parameters: (repetition time (TR)= 2300s;echo time (TE)= 3ms; inversion time (TI)= 900; 160 sagittal sections; slice thickness 1.0mm; in-plane resolution of 1x1mm2 . A single voxel was placed over the left thalamus. In order to acquire the single-voxel scans, a Point-RESolved Spectroscopy sequence (PRESS) was used which had variable power and optimized relaxation delays (VAPOR) water suppression (TR/TE, 2000/30ms) on a single 15-mm slab. This was aligned to the T1 sequence sections (Figure 2). Four reference transients were used to align the data. The average of 96 transients was used for water suppressed spectra. The volume of interest was 15x15x15mm, voxel size was 3.4mL. These parameters we re also used to acquire reference MRS datasets without water suppression. This was done to obtain an internal water reference, which was used to scale metabolite signals. Double inversion recovery pulse and phase sensitive inversion recovery sequences were also acquired. Lesion volumes White and grey matter lesions were identified on 160-slice T1 scans with co-registered double inversion recovery sequences. Lesions were manually segmented in T1 space using the Imperial College software ImSeg. The images obtained by this process [LP5]were used to derive proportions of grey matter, white matter and total lesion volumes. T1, double inversion recovery pulse and phase sensitive inversion recovery sequences were used to check for presence of lesions in the thalamus. Data processing T1 and spectroscopy data were initially obtained from scans in dicom format (dcm). A modified MATLAB (v.2015b) script was used to convert the T1 scans into nifti format (nii), the single voxel spectroscopy scans into rda format (rda) and to generate mask files in rda format. LCModel (v.6.3-1K) was run by using a second modified MATLAB script, in order to obtain spectroscopy data from 0.2-4.0 ppm. The software is a user-independent fitting routine that works by superimposing spectra obtained in vivo with high-resolution model spectra. It is an accurate and reliable method to quantify MRS data with short echo times (ETà ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤30ms)28,29. Partial volume corrections to explain different concentrations of water in the grey matter (GM), white matter (WM) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were conducted by converting T1 sequences from dicom to nifti format, and segmenting the obtained images using MATLABs SPM8 toolbox. This allowed scaling metabolite concentrations obtained from PRESS sequence with water-suppression, to the waters internal reference signal from the unsuppressed water PRESS-sequence. The segmentation was used to calculate voxel proportions of GM, WM and CSF, which are in turn needed to obtain the water concentration (WCONC) value from the unsuppressed water reference signal used to estimate absolute concentrations of metabolites. Total WCONC values for each voxel were computed in accordance with Section 10.2.2.3 of the LCModel manual29.Eddy-current correction was performed by using LCModel. Relaxation effects were not corrected for, and therefore reported metabolite concentrations will differ from actual ones by an unknown factor. The latter is likely to be negligible, as all reported concentrations will deviate from actual concentrations by this same, unknown factor. As per LCModels manual, metabolite concentrations were multiplied by a factor of 1.04, which amounts to the specific gravity of brain tissue29, and were reported in mmol/L (mM). Data exclusion A heat map (Figure 4, right side) was created in order to check for voxel placement by using FSL view v.3.2.0. T1 sequences and mask files were reoriented to match the Montreal Neurological Institute standard template, followed by brain extraction from the surrounding tissue. T1 sequences and mask files were registered to standard space using the Montreal Neurological Institute template, which consists of 152 averaged brain T1 scans of 2mm resolution. The heat map is a depiction of each voxel mask overlaid onto the che2better template for T1 sequences taken from the mricron software.[LP6] No MRS spectra were removed from the analysis owing to minimal inter-scan variability. Spectra generated by LCModel were checked for overall data quality in accordance with the softwares instruction manual29. 2 baseline HC and 2 pwMS spectra were excluded from data analysis (Table 1). For a metabolite to be investigated, it had to be relevant to MS pathology as evidenced by previous studies, as well as to demonstrate sufficient data quality, measured by having Cramà ©r -Rao lower bounds ratio of 75% of individual scans. Five metabolites were investigated: choline-containing compounds (Cho), glutamate (Glu), myo-inositol (Ins), total creatine (tCr) and total n-acetylaspartate (tNAA) (Table 1). In a given subjects scan, metabolite concentrations with a Cramà ©r-Rao lower bounds (CRLB) value of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥15% were excluded from data analysis, as per LCModels manual of instructions. Concentrations exceeding 2 standard deviations (2SD) out with the group mean were also excluded. QCa for entire spectra QC for individual metabolites Participant group Before spectra QC (n) After spectra QC (n) Metabolites (marker of)6 Participant group Before metabolite QC(n) After 1st QCf (n) After 2nd QCg (n) HCsb 12 10 Cho1 (membrane turnover) HCs 10 9 9 pwMS BLc 17 15 pwMS BL 15 12 12 pwMS 10wd 16 16 pwMS 10w 16 16 16 pwMS 56we 16 16 pwMS 56w 16 15 15 Glu2 (metabolism and neurotransmitter activity) HCs 10 6 6 pwMS BL 15 9 8 pwMS 10w 16 14 14 pwMS 56w 16 15 14 Ins3 (glial marker) HCs 10 7 7 pwMS BL 15 14 14 pwMS 10w 16 15 14 pwMS 56w 16 15 15 tCr4 (metabolic activity) HCs 10 10 10 pwMS BL 15 15 14 pwMS 10w 16 16 15 pwMS 56w 16 16 16 tNAA5 (neuronal loss, mitochondrial activity) HCs 10 10 9 pwMS BL 15 15 14 pwMS 10w 16 16 16 pwMS 56w 16 16 15 Statistical analysis Prism GraphPad (v.7) and IBM SPSS Statistics 24 software were used to conduct statistical analysis. Participant demographics results are reported as mean and standard deviation (SD). Metabolite concentrations are reported as mean, standard error of measurement (SEM) and 95% confidence intervals. Parametric tests were used after testing for normal distribution of the data. Unpaired t-tests were used to compare metabolites between pwMS and HCs cross-sectionally. Pearsons coefficient was used to correlate between metabolite concentrations and bilateral lesion volumes. A linear mixed model was used to quantify longitudinal changes in metabolite concentrations in pwMS. MRS data were obtained from 17 pwMS (mean age (SD) was 41.6 (10.6), range 21-58 years) and 12 HCs (mean age (SD) was 41.9 (8.3), range 29-61 years). Mean time since diagnosis in years was 12.1 (10.6) and mean Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was 4.1 (1.1). People with MS, n 17 Age, mean (SD) 41.6 (10.6) Sex, n (%) M 6 (35) F 11 (65) Years since diagnosis, mean (SD) 12.1 (10.6) EDSS score, mean (SD) 4.1 (1.1) Healthy controls, n 12 Age, mean (SD) 41.9 (8.3) Sex, n (%) M 9 (75) F 3 (25) Lower concentrations of glutamate are found at baseline in the thalami of people with highly active MS A statistically significant difference in the concentration of glutamate was found between the two groups (7.67 ±0.3456 in HCs and 6.55 ±0.232 in pwMS, p=0.016). No significant difference was found between the two groups using other metabolites. Metabolite Healthy controls (n=10) People with MS (n=15) 95% CI Cho 1. 69 ±0.0826,n=9 1.75 ±0.25, n=12 -0.232 0.216 Glu* 7.67 ±0.346, n=6 6.55 ±0.232, n=8 * -2.00 0.253 Ins 3.98 ±0.250, n=7 4.45 ±0.281, n=14 -0.452 1.380 tCr 34 ±0.134, n=10 5.42 ±0.150, n=14 -0.350 0.510 tNAA 8.60 ±0.134, n=9 8.46 ±0.178, n=14 -0.656 0.375 Baseline thalamic glutamate concentrations in pwMS correlate negatively with total lesion volumes Baseline glutamate concentrations in pwMS negatively correlated with T1 scan total lesion volumes (n=8; r=-0.80, p=0.017; Figure 6). No other thalamic metabolite correlated with lesion volumes. Lesion volumes in HCs (n=6) were assumed to be zero and are depicted in Figure 6, but this parameter was excluded from statistical analyses. No lesions were found in the thalami of pwMS in this study. Glutamate concentration correlated even more strongly with left hemisphere lesion volumes (p=0.0091), an expected finding given that the left thalamus was used as the studys ROI. The correlation was least significant when using right hemisphere lesion volumes (p=0.030). These results are reported in Table 3. Sampled lesion load location r, correlation coefficient p-value Left hemisphere -0.84 0.0091 Right hemisphere -0.75 0.030 Both hemispheres/Total -0.80 0.016 Thalamic glutamate concentrations increase following natalizumab treatment Glutamate concentrations measured in the thalami of pwMS increased significantly (p=[LP7]) between the 10 and 56 weeks (n=12 pairs of data-points) follow-up scans. At 56 weeks, no significant difference between the pwMS and HC groups was recorded, suggesting that glutamate levels had normalised[LP8]. No significant difference in glutamate concentration was recorded between baseline and 10 weeks follow-up scans (n=7 pairs of data-points) and between baseline and 56 weeks follow-up (n=7 pairs of data-points).[LP9] This observational study used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) to compare metabolite concentrations in 17 pwMS and 12 HCs. Study findings indicate a lower baseline concentration of glutamate in the thalami of pwMS compared to HCs. In pwMS this correlated negatively with total baseline brain lesion volume, which supports our initial hypothesis that thalamic MRS specifically measuring glutamate can be used as a surrogate for global central nervous system pathology. An increase in glutamate concentrations was recorded following natalizumab treatment between 10 and 56 weeks of follow-up. To our groups knowledge, this is the first 1H-MRS study to identify baseline cross-sectional differences in thalamic glutamate, correlate glutamate concentrations with total lesion volumes, and report longitudinal changes in thalamic glutamate following natalizumab treatment. Thalamic glutamate is a potential surrogate for total brain neuronal damage in highly active MS Glutamate, the chief central nervous system excitatory neurotransmitter is mainly synthesized from glutamine31,32. In addition to its neurotransmitter role, glutamate concentration is closely linked to the Krebs cycle, which reflects the cells metabolic activity. Previous proton MRS studies in MS reported higher levels of glutamate in lesioned white matter of pwMS compared to HCs33,34. One of these studies also reported lower levels of glutamate in lesioned grey matter regions34. The limitation of using white or grey matter lesions as ROIs is the high heterogeneity of these brain regions. With regards to WMLs, their definition includes- among others- active, inactive and remyelinating lesions. As for grey matter, this can be affected by exposure to cytokines from meningeal follicle-like structures or, similarly to WMLs, demyelination13,35,36. Current MRS imaging is unable to discriminate between these different pathologies. Therefore, metabolite concentrations obtained from these ROI s are likely to reflect the aforementioned local pathological changes, rather than global MS pathology. In contrast, the potential advantage of thalamic MRS is that the thalamus is rarely affected by local inflammation in MS37,38. Given that it is a subcortical hub highly connected with numerous other brain areas, this study hypothesised that the thalamus could be used as a biomarker of total brain neuronal damage in highly active MS. Two results in our study support this hypothesis: the decreased concentration of glutamate in pwMS and the negative correlation between glutamate and total brain lesion volume. Lesion volumes in MS have been found to correlate with axonal loss39 and disability40. Moreover, glutamate is mainly found in synaptic vesicles, therefore the decreased thalamic glutamate recorded in pwMS in this study could represent neuronal degeneration and synapse loss. Thalamic glutamate increases following natalizumab treatment Between 10 and 56 weeks of natalizumab treatment our group recorded a significant increase (p=,) in the concentration of thalamic glutamate in pwMS. At the end of the follow-up period, glutamate levels normalised, with no significant difference being recorded between pwMS and HC groups. No significant differences in glutamate concentration were found between baseline and 10 (n=x pairs?) and baseline and 56 weeks (n=x pairs?)[LP10] follow-up scans. It can be hypothesised that the limited sample size of pairs of data-points between baseline and 56 weeks follow-up glutamate prevented us from recording an existing statistically significant difference. With regards to changes in glutamate between baseline and 10 weeks, there could be a significant change in glutamate concentration within this timeframe, which was not picked up due to our limited sample size. It also cannot be excluded that thalamic MRS may take longer to respond to treatment. Previous published literature has shown lower glutamate concentrations in lesioned white matter of pwMS at baseline, which increased following treatment with natalizumab41. This effect can be attributed to the anti-inflammatory proprieties of natalizumab. By preventing production of nitrogen oxide and reactive oxygen species by macrophages, the drug could reduce axonal damage otherwise caused by these compounds42,43. Study limitations The algorithm used my SPM8 is incapable of accurately differentiating between the brighter grey and surrounding white matter, as the image intensity in the thalamus is very close to the intensity of white matter. Therefore the software records a higher white matter proportion in the thalamus than the true one. It should be however noted that this inaccuracy in measuring white/grey matter ratio should not cause any systematic error that would affect overall results. The studys HCs were adequately age-matched but poorly gender-matched to pwMS. Previous studies however reported no significant differences in any of the metabolite concentrations in the brain between different genders44. Therefore, no correction for a gender effect was made. The HC group only had a baseline scan, with no longitudinal data recorded. A useful longitudinal control group may be untreated pwMS. The absence of such a control group is currently however a common limitation, as people with highly active MS are nearly always on treatment. Having no information on the natural history of thalamic MRS in pwMS, it is difficult to interpret the significance of longitudinal changes in glutamate seen in this study. Lastly, albeit the thalamus is seldom affected by inflammatory activity in pwMS, the presence of inflammatory lesions has been previously described45. Such lesions are a confounding factor as they directly influence measured metabolite concentrations. However, based on T1, double inversion recovery pulse and phase sensitive inversion recovery sequences, no thalamic lesions were observed in our study. Future work Studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm our baseline findings, as well as to confidently interpret longitudinal changes in glutamate concentrations following natalizumab treatment. The presence of a pwMS untreated control group is not justifiable on ethical and legal grounds, however fu

Mathematics of Lenses and Optical Glass :: Math

Missing figures PROPERTIES OF LENSES, OPTICAL GLASS Composition Glass is a solid, structureless and amorphous. There are two main group classification of optical glass: 1. Crown, and 2. Flint (has a high content of lead oxide) Chemicals are combined to produce new glass types. These new glass types are used to benefit other different types of cameras (such as high-speed minature cameras, black/white cameras, etc). Properties The most important optical characteristics of a glass are its refractive index and its degree of dispersion. Refraction is the phenomenon of a light ray that passes from air to glass or from glass to air, and is deflected from its path when it meets the glass surface at an angle. The glasses magnitude depends on two things: the material of the glass and its wavelength. We can see wavelengths as coloured light from (spectrum colours) red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. An example of this is the refraction of light on a raindrop, where we may see a rainbow. Note, that the shorter the wavelength of the light, the more the ray strikes the glass surface is refracted. Blue and violet rays are deflected more than red rays. The degree of the deflection is a case characterized by a value, the refractive index n. It varies from the different colours of the spectrum. The degree of refraction is given by Snellius's law of refraction: where r is the angle or refraction and i is the angle of incidence The value of n for air is 1.00, water is 1.33, crown glass is 1.46 to 1.72 and flint glass is 1.55 to 1.80. In a camera, light is transmitted by the aperture. It forms on the screen a circle of light which is the image of the object point. When the distance of the screen from the aperture is increased, the image will become larger as well as the diameter of the circle of light (image point). The size of the aperature depends on the diameter of the circle of light from the image. The light that passes the aperature is scattered or diffracted. So, if the aperature is too small, the image may become less sharp because of the scatter of light at the aperature opening. A sharp image must have a aperture large enough to reduce the effects of diffraction to a minimum. Lens Shapes A lens is a glass body bounded by two surfaces centred on the optical axis of the lens. Mathematics of Lenses and Optical Glass :: Math Missing figures PROPERTIES OF LENSES, OPTICAL GLASS Composition Glass is a solid, structureless and amorphous. There are two main group classification of optical glass: 1. Crown, and 2. Flint (has a high content of lead oxide) Chemicals are combined to produce new glass types. These new glass types are used to benefit other different types of cameras (such as high-speed minature cameras, black/white cameras, etc). Properties The most important optical characteristics of a glass are its refractive index and its degree of dispersion. Refraction is the phenomenon of a light ray that passes from air to glass or from glass to air, and is deflected from its path when it meets the glass surface at an angle. The glasses magnitude depends on two things: the material of the glass and its wavelength. We can see wavelengths as coloured light from (spectrum colours) red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. An example of this is the refraction of light on a raindrop, where we may see a rainbow. Note, that the shorter the wavelength of the light, the more the ray strikes the glass surface is refracted. Blue and violet rays are deflected more than red rays. The degree of the deflection is a case characterized by a value, the refractive index n. It varies from the different colours of the spectrum. The degree of refraction is given by Snellius's law of refraction: where r is the angle or refraction and i is the angle of incidence The value of n for air is 1.00, water is 1.33, crown glass is 1.46 to 1.72 and flint glass is 1.55 to 1.80. In a camera, light is transmitted by the aperture. It forms on the screen a circle of light which is the image of the object point. When the distance of the screen from the aperture is increased, the image will become larger as well as the diameter of the circle of light (image point). The size of the aperature depends on the diameter of the circle of light from the image. The light that passes the aperature is scattered or diffracted. So, if the aperature is too small, the image may become less sharp because of the scatter of light at the aperature opening. A sharp image must have a aperture large enough to reduce the effects of diffraction to a minimum. Lens Shapes A lens is a glass body bounded by two surfaces centred on the optical axis of the lens.

Tristan Gonzales

Gonzales#l Integrity is â€Å"the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness† (Google Definitions). The first person that comes to mind when I hear the word integrity is Nick Carraway from the movie and the novel â€Å"the Great Gatsby'. Nick Carraway is Gatsbys Lovers brother and Gatsbys best friend, he is also the narrator. Nick shows honesty, moral principles, and moral uprightness throughout the ntire book.Nick Carraway as a narrator is honest and reliable because he explains all the Judgments from characters in general and is unbiased in doing so, he presents original plots or conversations does not scrutinize them and leaves them to the readers to decide, and these good qualities of Nick can be described by comparing others corruption in the book, such as Tom Buchanan, Gatsbys lover's wife. Nick accepted the good parenting in his younger age, which helps him to be a decent person afterwards.It can be proved in the book where Nick's fat her told him: â€Å"Whenever you feel like criticizing someone, Just remember that all the people in this world haven't had all of the advantages you've had. â€Å"( Fitzgerald,l) this advice, which he has been turning over in his head ever since tells us that he is honest for the fact thathe does not Judge people without getting to know them first. Gonzales #2 Nick has high morality and decency while others do not. For example, â€Å"l was one of few guests who had actually been invited.People were not invited-they went there. † (F. Scott Fitzgerald, 43) Majority went there without an invitation. It shows those people have low morality and are dishonest. In the book Gatsby asks nick to go and tell daisy to meet him for lunch after he tells the story of him and daisy and what occurred with their relationship. He agrees to this gesture because he feels that tom Buchanan is an unfaithful husband and he has witnessed first hand of his affairs. He knows what he is doing is for the best and is looking out for daisy in more ways than ne.These reasons for Nicks integrity that I have stated are only the ones that truly stuck out to me on the contrary though if I re read the book I'm confident that I could conjure up 100 more reasons why he has integrity. In every chapter of the book he is in a circumstance where he must make the right choice, and he never fails to make that choice. In the third chapter atter meeting a lot ot the main characters Nick states â€Å"l am one of the few honest people that I have ever known†( Fitzgerald,54). And I agree with this quote completely.

Elementary School and Middle School: The Differences and Similarities Essay

What is it like to transition from elementary to middle school? That is a question many kids ask each year. Having experienced both, I can tell you that there are plenty of similarities as well as some very big differences between the two types of schools. Elementary schools and middle schools have many traits in common. Typically, both are open five days a week for a set number of hours each day. Students sit at desks in classrooms and are expected to listen to and learn from their teachers. There is a set time for lunch. Each day, students are given homework assignments. Students take quizzes and tests. In all of these ways, middle school should somewhat feel similar to new students. However, there are some big changes that new middle school students should be aware of. In elementary school, students usually stay in the same classroom with one teacher for most of the day. This is not the case in middle school, where the students typically have a different teacher for each subject. Students must move to a different classroom for each subject too. Since there is not one classroom in which to store supplies, middle schools often provide students with lockers. For many kids, getting a locker is a welcome rite of passage. Making the move from elementary school to middle school may seem scary, but knowing that to expect can really help. Elementary school provides kids with the experiences they need to be ready for middle school. Even though moving on means adjusting to a new environment, some things, including many of the classmates who accompany you, will remain the same.

Illusion and Identity in Atwood’s Essay

Identity in Atwood’s â€Å"This is a Photograph of Me† In her poem â€Å"This is a Photograph of Me,† author Margaret Atwood uses imagery and contrast to explore issues of illusion versus reality as well as identity. The poem is split into two halves. The first half contains descriptive words about scenery and natural objects, and the second half, surrounded by parentheses, begins with the unnerving surprise that the narrator is dead. The poem opens with a description of a picture that at first seems blurry but slowly comes into focus, like a photograph slowly developing, that even resembles a written poem itself (â€Å"blurred lines and grey flecks/blended with the paper. †) The second and third stanzas go on to describe objects in the picture, including a â€Å"small frame house,† a â€Å"lake,† and â€Å"some low hills. † The first half has a reminiscent and descriptive tone, falsely leading the reader along with serenity. But even here, there is a shroud of mystery, with a description not just of a â€Å"branch,† but of â€Å"a thing that is like a branch,† and the house is â€Å"halfway up/ what ought to be a gentle slope,† not halfway up a gentle slope. What could this mean? The calm albeit mysterious peacefulness of the first half ends with the fourth stanza’s jarring declaration, beginning with an opening parenthesis, that the photograph the narrator is describing â€Å"was taken/ the day after [she] drowned. The pace of the poem after this revelation seems frantic, searching for the narrator in the lake, which was in the first half described as being â€Å"in the background† and now â€Å"in the center/ of the picture. † The narrator tells the reader that what can be seen is distorted and one must look intently, playing with the themes of illusion and identity. Perhaps the ambiguity of the poem and the exploration of illusion and identity are hinting at a feminist perspective that a woman’s true spirit is overcast by a male-dominated society. Or perhaps the poem’s focus is eluding to a more universal human search for identity, a with a narrator who is unsure and obscured, but â€Å"just under the surface,† about to break out – previously dead but now reborn, to find a new path. Or perhaps the author is talking about poetry or literature itself and the author’s hidden intentions lurking in the work. As noted earlier, the description of the â€Å"photograph† at the beginning resembles a description of a poem: â€Å"blurred lines and grey flecks/ blended with the paper,† like lines of writing and the letters comprising words. The author dies with the birth of her poem, when the piece lives on its own; but the author is still there, somewhere, her intentions a key part of the text. The photograph in the poem, in the first half, is described as â€Å"smeared† and â€Å"blurred† and in the second half there is still â€Å"distortion. † So instead of disclosing the narrator’s story and identity, no resolution is apparent. On the contrary, the photograph creates illusion and obscures identity. The reader is left with uncertainty, just like the blurred and distorted photograph of the poem.

A Comparison of Chuang Tzu's Ideas of Life and Death with those of Essay

A Comparison of Chuang Tzu's Ideas of Life and Death with those of Socrates - Essay Example You-Sheng revisited the Chuang Tzu’s argument that through the inaction of heaven, which is purity and that of the earth, which is space, things are brought to existence and are transformed mysteriously (You-Sheng, 2005, p. 14). He went further to explain that it is through this inaction that the living things have the mercy to grow and develop. One is born by chance, but once alive, death is imminent. Therefore, the essay is a comparison of Chuang Tzu ideas of life and death with those of Socrates. Chuang Tzu Ideas of Life and Death Watson examined Chuang Tzu’s basic writings to outline his ideas about life and death. He argues that during old age, the mind comes closer to death and probably nothing could restore the life to light (Watson, 1996, p. 32). Significantly, this comes as an automatic consequence of aging; therefore no one should be afraid of death. As a result, the people are in constant struggle and worry during their life, because they have to toil for the ir daily bread, and think that at one time, the life would be terminated (Watson, 1996, p. 32). Life and death, according to Tzu are fated and bound to happen (Watson, 1996, p. 76). In this regard, he equates their relationship to the succession between dark and down, through compulsion. As the dark nears its end, a new dawn succeeds it, meaning that as life nears its end, death dawns (Watson, 1996, p. 76). ... 77). In essence, he attributes death to a means of change, and since everything is constantly changing, no one has the capability of preventing the change from changing. Therefore, we should accept the facts related to change, and welcome it when it reaches, and there would not be anything to fear about death. Moreover, according to his conviction, in the beginning and end, early death, old age, and at all levels of human development, he/she should be delightful (Watson, 1996, p. 77). Apparently, the belief makes us believe that life that life and death are equal, not any important than the other (You-Sheng, 2005, p. 37). As well, the argument suggests that the people should be aware that at one moment, perhaps after birth, he/she is bound to die, through whichever means. Therefore, he attributed death to an automatic exit from the known world to unknown world, where only Tao has good knowledge about (You-Sheng, 2005, p. 39). Drawing from the Masters’ agreement, he argues that this is something that one should believe (Watson, 1996, p. 80). This is justified from his acknowledgement that non-being is actually someone’s head, life is someone’s back and death is someone’s rump. In another controversial question, he wanted to know whether life and death are all one body (Watson, 1996, p. 80). In reality, there is a common belief that once a person is dead, the aspects of life cease to manifest on the body. The body becomes helpless, lifeless and useless to perform any function. Therefore, life and death, despite being very far apart from one another, are simply one. For instance, life results to death and they can never manifest together, each does distinctively. He also put