The Rugmaker of Mazar-E-Sharif

Mazari has been through all sorts of conflict throughout his lifetime from where he was a young boy minding sheep in Afghanistan to opening an authentic rug store in Australia. He first had a major loss happen to him when he was a young boy and his father was killed. This was a traumatic time for his family and there was a conflict within his family. When his father died, Najaf was forced to take on new responsibilities within the family and everyone had to do their part. When he was a young teenager his house was hit by a rocket causing major damage to his leg. His leg took over 6 months to heal properly and he was finding it difficult to cope in this time as he saw himself as a burden on his family which was a personal conflict. He has faced various conflicts during his time at Woomera detention centre, one of which was a religious conflict. Certain people could not talk to other people because of their religion. This made a somewhat difficult experience in his life even more difficult as he was continuously having trouble with other people because they believed in different gods. Finally when he was released and working freely in Australia he had conflicts at his work places. One of which was when he worked for a lady who was too demanding on him and he could not work to her expectations with him. This was a cultural conflict as he was not used to working under her conditions.

Forward the Foundation Chapter 9

3 Yet, even so, Hari Seldon could not repress the surge of satisfaction that he felt as he entered his laboratory. How things had changed. It had begun twenty years earlier with his own doodlings on his second-rate Heliconian computer. It was then that the first hint of what was to become parachaotic math came to him in a cloudy fashion. Then there were the years at Streeling University, when he and Yugo Amaryl, working together, attempted to renormalize the equations, get rid of the inconvenient infinities, and find a way around the worst of the chaotic effects. They made very little progress, indeed. But now, after ten years as First Minister, he had a whole floor of the latest computers and a whole staff of people working on a large variety of problems. Of necessity, none of his staff-except for Yugo and himself, of course-could really know much more than the immediate problem they were dealing with. Each of them worked with only a small ravine or outcropping on the gigantic mountain range of psychohistory that only Seldon and Amaryl could see as a mountain range-and even they could see it only dimly, its peaks hidden in clouds, its slopes veiled by mist. Dors Venabili was right, of course. He would have to begin initiating his people into the entire mystery. The technique was getting well beyond what only two men could handle. And Seldon was aging. Even if he could look forward to some additional decades, the years of his most fruitful breakthroughs were surely behind him. Even Amaryl would be thirty-nine within a month and, though that was still young, it was perhaps not overly young for a mathematician-and he had been working on the problem almost as long as Seldon himself. His capacity for new and tangential thinking might be dwindling, too. Amaryl had seen him enter and was now approaching. Seldon watched him fondly. Amaryl was as much a Dahlite as Seldon's foster son, Raych, was, and yet Amaryl, despite his muscular physique and short stature, did not seem Dahlite at all. He lacked the mustache, he lacked the accent, he lacked, it would seem, Dahlite consciousness of any kind. He had even been impervious to the lure of Jo-Jo Joranum, who had appealed so thoroughly to the people of Dahl. It was as though Amaryl recognized no sectoral patriotism, no planetary patriotism, not even Imperial patriotism. He belonged-completely and entirely-to psychohistory. Seldon felt a twinge of insufficiency. He himself remained conscious of his first two decades on Helicon and there was no way he could keep from thinking of himself as a Heliconian. He wondered if that consciousness was not sure to betray him by causing him to skew his thinking about psychohistory. Ideally, to use psychohistory properly, one should be above worlds and sectors and deal only with humanity in the faceless abstract-and this was what Amaryl did. And Seldon didn't, he admitted to himself, sighing silently. Amaryl said, â€Å"We are making progress, Hari, I suppose.† â€Å"You suppose, Yugo? Merely suppose?† â€Å"I don't want to jump into outer space without a suit.† He said this quite seriously (he did not have much of a sense of humor, Seldon knew) and they moved into their private office. It was small, but it was also well shielded. Amaryl sat down and crossed his legs. He said, â€Å"Your latest scheme for getting around chaos may be working in part-at the cost of sharpness, of course.† â€Å"Of course. What we gain in the straightaway, we lose in the roundabouts. That's the way the Universe works. We've just got to fool it somehow.† â€Å"We've fooled it a little bit. It's like looking through frosted glass.† â€Å"Better than the years we spent trying to look through lead.† Amaryl muttered something to himself, then said, â€Å"We can catch glimmers of light and dark.† â€Å"Explain!† â€Å"I can't, but I have the Prime Radiant, which I've been working on like a-a-â€Å" â€Å"Try lamec. That's an animal-a beast of burden-we have on Helicon. It doesn't exist on Trantor.† â€Å"If the lamec works hard, then that is what my work on the Prime Radiant has been like.† He pressed the security keypad on his desk and a drawer unsealed and slid open noiselessly. He took out a dark opaque cube that Seldon scrutinized with interest. Seldon himself had worked out the Prime Radiant's circuitry, but Amaryl had put it together-a clever man with his hands was Amaryl. The room darkened and equations and relationships shimmered in the air. Numbers spread out beneath them, hovering just above the desk surface, as if suspended by invisible marionette strings. Seldon said, â€Å"Wonderful. Someday, if we live long enough, we'll have the Prime Radiant produce a river of mathematical symbolism that will chart past and future history. In it we can find currents and rivulets and work out ways of changing them in order to make them follow other currents and rivulets that we would prefer.† â€Å"Yes,† said Amaryl dryly, â€Å"if we can manage to live with the knowledge that the actions we take, which we will mean for the best, may turn out to be for the worst.† â€Å"Believe me, Yugo, I never go to bed at night without that particular thought gnawing at me. Still, we haven't come to it yet. All we have is this-which, as you say, is no more than seeing light and dark fuzzily through frosted glass.† â€Å"True enough.† â€Å"And what is it you think you see, Yugo?† Seldon watched Amaryl closely, a little grimly. He was gaining weight, getting just a bit pudgy. He spent too much time bent over the computers (and now over the Prime Radiant)-and not enough in physical activity. And, though he saw a woman now and then, Seldon knew, he had never married. A mistake! Even a workaholic is forced to take time off to satisfy a mate, to take care of the needs of children. Seldon thought of his own still-trim figure and of the manner in which Dors strove to make him keep it that way. Amaryl said, â€Å"What do I see? The Empire is in trouble.† â€Å"The Empire is always in trouble.† â€Å"Yes, but it's more specific. There's a possibility that we may have trouble at the center.† â€Å"At Trantor?† â€Å"I presume. Or at the Periphery. Either there will be a bad situation here-perhaps civil war-or the outlying Outer Worlds will begin to break away.† â€Å"Surely it doesn't take psychohistory to point out these possibilities.† â€Å"The interesting thing is that there seems a mutual exclusivity. One or the other. The likelihood of both together is very small. Here! Look! It's your own mathematics. Observe!† They bent over the Prime Radiant display for a long time. Seldon said finally, â€Å"I fail to see why the two should be mutually exclusive.† â€Å"So do I, Hari, but where's the value of psychohistory if it shows us only what we would see anyway? This is showing us something we wouldn't see. What it doesn't show us is, first, which alternative is better, and second, what to do to make the better come to pass and depress the possibility of the worse.† Seldon pursed his lips, then said slowly, â€Å"I can tell you which alternative is preferable. Let the Periphery go and keep Trantor.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"No question. We must keep Trantor stable, if for no other reason than that we're here.† â€Å"Surely our own comfort isn't the decisive point.† â€Å"No, but psychohistory is. What good will it do us to keep the Periphery intact if conditions on Trantor force us to stop work on psychohistory? I don't say that we'll be killed, but we may be unable to work. The development of psychohistory is on what our fate will depend. As for the Empire, if the Periphery secedes it will only begin a disintegration that may take a long time to reach the core.† â€Å"Even if you're right, Hari, what do we do to keep Trantor stable?† â€Å"To begin with, we have to think about it.† A silence fell between them and then Seldon said, â€Å"Thinking doesn't make me happy. What if the Empire is altogether on the wrong track and has been for all its history? I think of that every time I talk to Gruber.† â€Å"Who's Gruber?† â€Å"Mandell Gruber. A gardener.† â€Å"Oh. The one who came running up with the rake to rescue you at the time of the assassination attempt?† â€Å"Yes. I've always been grateful to him for that. He had only a rake against possibly other conspirators with blasters. That's loyalty. Anyhow, talking to him is like a breath of fresh air. I can't spend all my time talking to court officials and to psychohistorians.† â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"Come! You know what I mean. Gruber likes the open. He wants the wind and the rain and the biting cold and everything else that raw weather can bring to him. I miss it myself sometimes.† â€Å"I don't. I wouldn't care if I never go out there.† â€Å"You were brought up under the dome-but suppose the Empire consisted of simple unindustrialized worlds, living by herding and farming, with thin populations and empty spaces. Wouldn't we all be better off?† â€Å"It sounds horrible to me.† â€Å"I found some spare time to check it as best I could. It seems to me it's a case of unstable equilibrium. A thinly populated world of the type I describe either grows moribund and impoverished, falling off into an uncultured near-animal level-or it industrializes. It is standing on a narrow point and topples over in either direction and, as it just so happens, almost every world in the Galaxy has fallen over into industrialization.† â€Å"Because that's better.† â€Å"Maybe. But it can't continue forever. We're watching the results of the overtoppling now. The Empire cannot exist for much longer because it has-it has overheated. I can't think of any other expression. What will follow we don't know. If, through psychohistory, we manage to prevent the Fall or, more likely, force a recovery after the Fall, is that merely to ensure another period of overheating? Is that the only future humanity has, to push the boulder, like Sisyphus, up to the top of a hill, only to see it roll to the bottom again?† â€Å"Who's Sisyphus?† â€Å"A character in a primitive myth. Yugo, you must do more reading.† Amaryl shrugged. â€Å"So I can learn about Sisyphus? Not important. Perhaps psychohistory will show us a path to an entirely new society, one altogether different from anything we have seen, one that would be stable and desirable.† â€Å"I hope so,† sighed Seldon. â€Å"I hope so, but there's no sign of it yet. For the near future, we will just have to labor to let the Periphery go. That will mark the beginning of the Fall of the Galactic Empire.† 4 â€Å"And so I said,† said Hari Seldon. † ‘That will mark the beginning of the Fall of the Galactic Empire.' And so it will, Dors.† Dors listened, tight-lipped. She accepted Seldon's First Ministership as she accepted everything-calmly. Her only mission was to protect him and his psychohistory, but that task, she well knew, was made harder by his position. The best security was to go unnoticed and, as long as the Spaceship-and-Sun, the symbol of the Empire, shone down upon Seldon, all of the physical barriers in existence would be unsatisfactory. The luxury in which they now lived-the careful shielding from spy beams, as well as from physical interference; the advantages to her own historical research of being able to make use of nearly unlimited funds-did not satisfy her. She would gladly have exchanged it all for their old quarters at Streeling University. Or, better yet, for a nameless apartment in a nameless sector where no one knew them. â€Å"That's all very well, Hari dear,† she said, â€Å"but it's not enough.† â€Å"What's not enough?† â€Å"The information you're giving me. You say we might lose the Periphery. How? Why?† Seldon smiled briefly. â€Å"How nice it would be to know, Dors, but psychohistory is not yet at the stage where it could tell us.† â€Å"In your opinion, then. Is it the ambition of local faraway governors to declare themselves independent?† â€Å"That's a factor, certainly. It's happened in past history-as you know far better than I-but never for long. Maybe this time it will be permanent.† â€Å"Because the Empire is weaker?† â€Å"Yes, because trade flows less freely than it once did, because communications are stiffer than they once were, because the governors in the Periphery are, in actual fact, closer to independence than they have ever been. If one of them arises with particular ambitions-â€Å" â€Å"Can you tell which one it might be?† â€Å"Not in the least. All we can force out of psychohistory at this stage is the definite knowledge that if a governor of unusual ability and ambition arises, he would find conditions more suitable for his purposes than he would have in the past. It could be other things, too-some great natural disaster or some sudden civil war between two distant Outer World coalitions. None of that can be precisely predicted as of now, but we can tell that anything of the sort that happens will have more serious consequences than it would have had a century ago.† â€Å"But if you don't know a little more precisely what will happen in the Periphery, how can you so guide actions as to make sure the Periphery goes, rather than Trantor?† â€Å"By keeping a close eye on both and trying to stabilize Trantor and not trying to stabilize the Periphery. We can't expect psychohistory to order events automatically without much greater knowledge of its workings, so we have to make use of constant manual controls, so to speak. In days to come, the technique will be refined and the need for manual control will decrease.† â€Å"But that,† said Dors, â€Å"is in days to come. Right?† â€Å"Right. And even that is only a hope.† â€Å"And just what kind of instabilities threaten Trantor-if we hang on to the Periphery?† â€Å"The same possibilities-economic and social factors, natural disasters, ambitious rivalries among high officials. And something more. I have described the Empire to Yugo as being overheated-and Trantor is the most overheated portion of all. It seems to be breaking down. The infrastructure-water supply, heating, waste disposal, fuel lines, everything-seems to be having unusual problems and that's something I've been turning my attention to more and more lately.† â€Å"What about the death of the Emperor?† Seldon spread his hands. â€Å"That happens inevitably, but Cleon is in good health. He's only my age, which I wish was younger, but he isn't too old. His son is totally inadequate for the succession, but there will be enough claimants. More than enough to cause trouble and make his death distressing, but it might not prove a total catastrophe-in the historic sense.† â€Å"Let's say his assassination, then.† Seldon looked up nervously. â€Å"Don't say that. Even if we're shielded, don't use the word.† â€Å"Hari, don't be foolish. It's an eventuality that must be reckoned with. There was a time when the Joranumites might have taken power and, if they had, the Emperor, one way or another-â€Å" â€Å"Probably not. He would have been more useful as a figurehead. And in any case, forget it. Joranum died last year on Nishaya, a rather pathetic figure.† â€Å"He had followers.† â€Å"Of course. Everyone has followers. Did you ever come across the Globalist party on my native world of Helicon in your studies of the early history of the Kingdom of Trantor and of the Galactic Empire?† â€Å"No, I haven't. I don't want to hurt your feelings, Hari, but I don't recall coming across any piece of history in which Helicon played a role.† â€Å"I'm not hurt, Dors. Happy the world without a history, I always say. In any case, about twenty-four hundred years ago, there arose a group of people on Helicon who were quite convinced that Helicon was the only inhabited globe in the Universe. Helicon was the Universe and beyond it there was only a solid sphere of sky speckled with tiny stars.† â€Å"How could they believe that?† said Dors. â€Å"They were part of the Empire, I presume.† â€Å"Yes, but Globalists insisted that all evidence to the effect that the Empire existed was either illusion or deliberate deceit, that Imperial emissaries and officials were Heliconians playing a part for some reason. They were absolutely immune to reason.† â€Å"And what happened?† â€Å"I suppose it's always pleasant to think that your particular world is the world. At their peak, the Globalists may have persuaded 10 percent of the population of the planet to be part of the movement. Only 10 percent, but they were a vehement minority that drowned out the indifferent majority and threatened to take over.† â€Å"But they didn't, did they?† â€Å"No, they didn't. What happened was that Globalism caused a diminishing of Imperial trade and the Heliconian economy slid into the doldrums. When the belief began to affect the pocketbooks of the population, it lost popularity rapidly. The rise and fall puzzled many at the time, but psychohistory, I'm sure, would have shown it to be inevitable and would have made it unnecessary to give it any thought.† â€Å"I see. But, Hari, what is the point of this story? I presume there's some connection with what we were discussing.† â€Å"The connection is that such movements never completely die, no matter how ridiculous their tenets may seem to sane people. Right now, on Helicon, right now there are still Globalists. Not many, but every once in a while seventy or eighty of them get together in what they call a Global Congress and take enormous pleasure in talking to each other about Globalism. Well, it is only ten years since the Joranumite movement seemed such a terrible threat on this world and it would not be at all surprising if there weren't still some remnants left. There may still be some remnants a thousand years from now.† â€Å"Isn't it possible that a remnant may be dangerous?† â€Å"I doubt it. It was Jo-Jo's charisma that made the movement dangerous-and he's dead. He didn't even die a heroic death or one that was in any way remarkable; he just withered away and died in exile, a broken man.† Dors stood up and walked the length of the room quickly, swinging her arms at her sides and clenching her fists. She returned and stood before the seated Seldon. â€Å"Hari,† she said, â€Å"let me speak my mind. If psychohistory points to the possibility of serious disturbances on Trantor, then if there are Joranumites still left, they may still be plotting the Emperor's death.† Seldon laughed nervously. â€Å"You jump at shadows, Dors. Relax.† But he found that he could not dismiss what she had said quite that easily. 5 The Wye Sector had a tradition of opposition to the Entun Dynasty of Cleon I that had been ruling the Empire for over two centuries. The opposition dated back to a time when the line of Mayors of Wye had contributed members who had served as Emperor. The Wyan Dynasty had neither lasted long nor had it been conspicuously successful, but the people and rulers of Wye found it difficult to forget that they had once been-however imperfectly and temporarily-supreme. The brief period when Rashelle, as the self-appointed Mayor of Wye, had challenged the Empire, eighteen years earlier, had added both to Wye's pride and to its frustration. All this made it reasonable that the small band of leading conspirators should feel as safe in Wye as they would feel anywhere on Trantor. Five of them sat around a table in a room in a run-down portion of the sector. The room was poorly furnished but well shielded. In a chair which, by its marginal superiority in quality to the others, sat the man who might well be judged to be the leader. He had a thin face, a sallow complexion, and a wide mouth with lips so pale as to be nearly invisible. There was a touch of gray in his hair, but his eyes burned with an inextinguishable anger. He was staring at the man seated exactly opposite him-distinctly older and softer, his hair almost white, his plump cheeks tending to quiver when he spoke. The leader said sharply, â€Å"Well? It is quite apparent that you have done nothing. Explain that!† The older man said, â€Å"I am an old Joranumite, Namarti. Why do I have to explain my actions?† Gambol Deen Namarti, once the right-hand man of Laskin â€Å"Jo-Jo† Joranum, said, â€Å"There are many old Joranumites. Some are incompetent, some are soft, some have forgotten. Being an old Joranumite may mean no more than that one is an old fool.† The older man sat back in his chair. â€Å"Are you calling me an old fool? Me? Kaspal Kaspalov? I was with Jo-Jo when you had not yet joined the party, when you were a ragged nothing in search of a cause.† â€Å"I am not calling you a fool,† said Namarti sharply. â€Å"I say simply that some old Joranumites are fools. You have a chance now to show me that you are not one of them.† â€Å"My association with Jo-Jo-â€Å" â€Å"Forget that. He's dead!† â€Å"I should think his spirit lives on.† â€Å"If that thought will help us in our fight, then his spirit lives on. But to others-not to us. We know he made mistakes.† â€Å"I deny that.† â€Å"Don't insist on making a hero out of a mere man who made mistakes. He thought he could move the Empire by the strength of oratory alone, by words-â€Å" â€Å"History shows that words have moved mountains in the past.† â€Å"Not Joranum's words, obviously, because he made mistakes. He hid his Mycogenian origins far too clumsily. Worse, he let himself be tricked into accusing First Minister Eto Demerzel of being a robot. I warned him against that accusation, but he wouldn't listen-and it destroyed him. Now let's start fresh, shall we? Whatever use we make of Joranum's memory for outsiders, let us not ourselves be transfixed by it.† Kaspalov sat silent. The other three transferred their gaze from Namarti to Kaspalov and back, content to let Namarti carry the weight of the discussion. â€Å"With Joranum's exile to Nishaya, the Joranumite movement fell apart and seemed to vanish,† said Namarti harshly. â€Å"It would, indeed, have vanished-but for me. Bit by bit and rubble by rubble, I rebuilt it into a network that extends over all of Trantor. You know this, I take it.† â€Å"I know it, Chief,† mumbled Kaspalov. The use of the title made it plain that Kaspalov was seeking reconciliation. Namarti smiled tightly. He did not insist on the title, but he always enjoyed hearing it used. He said, â€Å"You're part of this network and you have your duties.† Kaspalov stirred. He was clearly debating with himself internally and finally he said slowly, â€Å"You tell me, Chief, that you warned Joranum against accusing the old First Minister of being a robot. You say he didn't listen, but at least you had your say. May I have the same privilege of pointing out what I think is a mistake and have you listen to me as Joranum listened to you, even if, like him, you don't take the advice given you?† â€Å"Of course you can speak your piece, Kaspalov. You are here in order that you might do so. What is your point?† â€Å"These new tactics of ours, Chief, are a mistake. They create disruption and do damage.† â€Å"Of course! They are designed to do that.† Namarti stirred in his seat, controlling his anger with an effort. â€Å"Joranum tried persuasion. It didn't work. We will bring Trantor down by action.† â€Å"For how long? And at what cost?† â€Å"For as long as it takes-and at very little cost, actually. A power stoppage here, a water break there, a sewage backup, an air-conditioning halt. Inconvenience and discomfort-that's all it means.† Kaspalov shook his head. â€Å"These things are cumulative.† â€Å"Of course, Kaspalov, and we want public dismay and resentment to be cumulative, too. Listen, Kaspalov. The Empire is decaying. Everyone knows that. Everyone capable of intelligent thought knows that. The technology will fail here and there, even if we do nothing. We're just helping it along a little.† â€Å"It's dangerous, Chief. Trantor's infrastructure is incredibly complicated. A careless push may bring it down in ruins. Pull the wrong string and Trantor may topple like a house of cards.† â€Å"It hasn't so far.† â€Å"It may in the future. And what if the people find out that we are behind it? They would tear us apart. There would be no need to call in the security establishment or the armed forces. Mobs would destroy us.† â€Å"How would they ever learn enough to blame us? The natural target for the people's resentment will be the government-the Emperor's advisers. They will never look beyond that.† â€Å"And how do we live with ourselves, knowing what we have done?† This last was asked in a whisper, the old man clearly moved by strong emotion. Kaspalov looked pleadingly across the table at his leader, the man to whom he had sworn allegiance. He had done so in the belief that Namarti would truly continue to bear the standard of freedom passed on by Jo-Jo Joranum; now Kaspalov wondered if this is how Jo-Jo would have wanted his dream to come to pass. Namarti clucked his tongue, much as a reproving parent does when confronting an errant child. â€Å"Kaspalov, you can't seriously be turning sentimental on us, are you? Once we are in power, we will pick up the pieces and rebuild. We will gather in the people with all of Joranum's old talk of popular participation in government, with greater representation, and when we are firmly in power we will establish a more efficient and forceful government. We will then have a better Trantor and a stronger Empire. We will set up some sort of discussion system whereby representatives of other worlds can talk themselves into a daze-but we will do the governing.† Kaspalov sat there, irresolute. Namarti smiled joylessly. â€Å"You are not certain? We can't lose. It's been working perfectly and it will continue working perfectly. The Emperor doesn't know what's going on. He hasn't the faintest notion. And his First Minister is a mathematician. He ruined Joranum, true, but since then he has done nothing.† â€Å"He has something called-called-â€Å" â€Å"Forget it. Joranum attached a great deal of importance to it, but it was a part of his being Mycogenian, like his robot mania. This mathematician has nothing-â€Å" â€Å"Historical psychoanalysis or something like that. I heard Joranum once say-â€Å" â€Å"Forget it. Just do your part. You handle the ventilation in the Anemoria Sector, don't you? Very well, then. Have it misfunction in a manner of your choosing. It either shuts down so that the humidity rises or it produces a peculiar odor or something else. None of this will kill anyone, so don't get yourself into a fever of virtuous guilt. You will simply make people uncomfortable and raise the general level of discomfort and annoyance. Can we depend on you?† â€Å"But what would only be discomfort and annoyance to the young and healthy may be more than that to infants, the aged, and the sick†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Are you going to insist that no one at all must be hurt?† Kaspalov mumbled something. Namarti said, â€Å"It's impossible to do anything with a guarantee that no one at all will be hurt. You just do your job. Do it in such a way that you hurt as few as possible-if your conscience insists upon it-but do it!† Kaspalov said, â€Å"Look! I have one thing more to say, Chief.† â€Å"Then say it,† said Namarti wearily. â€Å"We can spend years poking at the infrastructure. The time must come when you take advantage of gathering dissatisfaction to seize the government. How do you intend to do that?† â€Å"You want to know exactly how we'll do it?† â€Å"Yes. The faster we strike, the more limited the damage, the more efficiently the surgery is performed.† Namarti said slowly, â€Å"I have not yet decided on the nature of this ‘surgical strike.' But it will come. Until then, will you do your part?† Kaspalov nodded his head in resignation. â€Å"Yes, Chief.† â€Å"Well then, go,† said Namarti with a sharp gesture of dismissal. Kaspalov rose, turned, and left. Namarti watched him go. He said to the man at his right, â€Å"Kaspalov is not to be trusted. He has sold out and it's only so that he can betray us that he wants to know my plans for the future. Take care of him.† The other nodded and all three left, leaving Namarti alone in the room. He switched off the glowing wall panels, leaving only a lonely square in the ceiling to provide the light that would keep him from being entirely in the darkness. He thought: Every chain has weak links that must be eliminated. We have had to do this in the past and the result is that we have an organization that is untouchable. And in the dimness, he smiled, twisting his face into a kind of feral joy. After all, the network extended even into the Palace itself-not quite firmly, not quite reliably, but it was there. And it would be strengthened.

The bear ruled over the land with all his might

Once upon a time there were two spacious lands separated by a great wall. One of the lands had an oppressive and dictatorial bear and the other one was ruled by a greedy and cruel tiger. The bear ruled over the land with all his might and power and did not look after the needs of the red mice in his dominion. The greedy and cruel tiger remained neglectful of the blue mice citizenry.At dawn all the mice, both red and blue, in each land would wake up and start working hard on their lands. You could see the joy and cheer on their faces as they trim the trees and water the plants.At noontime, the mice had the routine job of gathering the finest fruits for their masters—the tiger and the bear. However, it seemed that the tiger and the bear had no feeling of satiety, for every time the mice offered them the finest fruits of their land, the tiger would swiftly glance at the bountiful fruits and look up to the other side of the wall saying, â€Å"I wish I could have what is behind th at wall. I think I deserve more than the fruits of this land.†In the same manner, every time the red mice would offer their bear the fruits of their toil, the bear thought to himself saying, â€Å"I am the mighty bear and mighty bears rule the largest lands.† It did not take very long before the bear approached the great wall and in all curiosity peeped inside a small hole on the wall to see what was behind it. The tiger also approached the wall and saw the bear and his land, which was similar to the tiger’s land.Because of the bear’s covetousness, the land on the other side of the fence looked so alluring and enticing. In all bravado, he beamed, â€Å"This is my land and you all must be under my control.†   Suddenly an old eagle with resonating light and long white wings came from blue sky and said, â€Å"You can not do this to each other.   You scare the mice and disrespect the walls. â€Å"Who cares about the mice?† the bear replied p ointing his hand to all the land saying, â€Å"This is my land.†Ã‚   The tiger roared at the eagle and in an instant scratched and wounded the eagle’s right wing with his sharp long claws.This made the eagle bleed profusely. Suddenly the resonating light vanished and both lands looked so gloomy. The sky turned into red with overcast black shadows as the two leaders broke into a vicious fight. In an instant, both the tiger and bear were locked in each other’s mighty claws, biting and fiercely wrestling each other. They ordered their own mice to fight the other troops and a deadly battle ensued.After the air had cleared, most of the mice on both camps were dead. However, the bear and the tiger were only slightly injured. In the end, the two leaders ruled over their land that stayed weak and beaten with a few mice to lead. This left the tiger and the bear puzzled over what led them to destroy each other’s kingdom instantly in a fit of rage.   

Assignment-Provide written responses to the following reading Essay

Assignment-Provide written responses to the following reading assignments. Responses should include Direct quotes (2-3 +) with commentary about the quotes and a reasonable amount of focused content - Essay Example The grocer tells him that the smaller priest disturbed the apple cart ran. When Valentin goes on to look for Father Brown, he goes to another restaurant and finds a window smashed and learns that it was broken by the little priest. 2. The story starts with â€Å"A little girl was driving home her cow, a plodding, dilatory, provoking creature in her behavior, but valued her companion for all that† (Jewett 48). I think the writer used a cow as a metaphor for Sylvia’s fingers. The writer was trying to show that Sylvia used to masturbate. Another event was when she climbs the tree and reaches at the top of the vine and sees the ocean she apprehends this â€Å"vast and awesome world† (Jewett 55). Here, I think the narrator explains that she reached her orgasm and the world was signified by her body that can be overcome by her. The last event was when she refused to tell the hunter where to find the white heron meaning she refused to surrender her virginity to him. 3. The first and the second line of the poem The World Is Too Much with Us explains the core matter that man is misusing the world and wiping it out. On the second line when the author says â€Å"Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers† (Wordsworth 3). He is trying to show that man has the capability and power to take care of nature but instead we are wasting it and thus not using â€Å"our powers† (Wordsworth 3) to conserve it. 4. â€Å"By woman wailing for her Demon Lover† (Coleridge & Tuley 23). In this line, the writer compares this to grains that are falling from the stem as they are threshed. The second line that is more appealing is â€Å"The shadow of the Dome of Pleasure† (Coleridge & Tuley 23) whereby the writer explains the pleasure in the dome and thus sounding as music. 5. What is interesting is the fact that both have a brilliant start. Another interesting thing in the story is how the two had their

Political instability in the Solomon islands and Australias relations Essay

Political instability in the Solomon islands and Australias relations - Essay Example Australia is helping the Solomon Islands Government address continuing problems of lawlessness and economic decline.† (Year book, Australia, 2005, P. 82). Therefore, the diplomatic relations of Australia with the Solomon Islands have essential role in the peace keeping process of the nation as well as the region. To analyze the background information of the Solomon Islands, the British Government established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in 1893 and they provided some of the bloodiest land, sea and air battles of World War II from 1942 to 1945. The land achieved independence in 1976 following the struggles by the indigenous people after World War II. In a careful analysis of the history of the Solomon Islands, it becomes lucid that political instability was a ground reality from its establishment and the diplomatic relations of Australia played a significant role in this context. Various political situations and developments in the Solomon Islands required the interve ntion of a political power such as Australia and it has been seriously involved in working to promote stability and growth in the nation and the region. In this paper, Australia’s deep and longstanding relationship with the Solomon Islands is analyzed in detail in order to determine the various aspects of the nation’s relationship with the Solomon Islands. Australia’s relationship with Solomon Islands, which has been deep and longstanding, has played a major role in the attempts to promote stability and growth in the nation. The bilateral relationship between the two nations has been very significant and Australia maintains a serious business relationship with Solomon Islands. â€Å"Australia maintains a close business relationship with Solomon Islands†¦ Recognizing the scope and scale of the challenges confronting Solomon Islands, Australia continues to provide

Views of Three Greats Authors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Views of Three Greats Authors - Essay Example Could this law be violated if the United States officials discharging their official duties abroad pay some money in support of any religion? The author of this article feels that if such activities are carried outside the United States then the constitution has not been undermined. However, he noted that the policymakers should caution the diplomats from mixing diplomacy and the religion (Los Angeles Times, 2009). Notably, the faith initiatives based on foreign relation emerged to question the numerous USAID expenditures that were executed by Bush administration that including $325,000 was used in rehabilitating four mosques in Iraq, Fallujah, the site of major United States 2004 military operations (Los Angeles Times, 2009). Furthermore, the use of instructional materials that included bible references in anti-AIDS programs especially in Africa were they were used to encourage sexual abstinence demanded answers. Though the actions were not right according to the author of this arti cle, some United States agencies insisted that the rehabilitation of the mosque in Iraq was part of the reconstruction of war scar as per the Iraq constitution. The case of the religious references particularly the pro-abstinence materials the united states claimed to have stopped to be â€Å"religiously infused† programs after the Department of Justice had expressed legal qualms. According to the author, the responses to these concerns make the public uncertain whether the wall of separation between the state and the church had long gone (Los Angeles Times, 2009). Therefore, such practices suggest that both practical and constitutional considerations do not exist. On the contrary, according to the article, the government officials cannot be held to task over their boarder religion interactions since the United States’ Supreme Court has never ruled an amendment that established a clause baring the diplomats from indulging into religion activities outside the United Sta tes’ boarders (Los Angeles Times, 2009). In 1991, the federal court of appeal did not conclude but gave some exceptions that if the government has a compelling reason to give aid to a religious institution, it can do so. According to the author, it is a blessing to united states that it has a constitution that prohibits the establishment of religion that the supreme court has clarified as not only creating a state church but also the state subsidizing for any religion within the united states (Los Angeles Times, 2009). He further argues that the foreign policy should allow Washington to assist and provide aids to the religious institutions in foreign countries especially those that are in dire need if the same. Most of the activities that the state assists these churches are more sensible just like state relationship with some of the religious leaders (Los Angeles Times, 2009). However, it would be unwise if Washington would use such aids to source dire tensions within some I slamic countries. Subsequently, diplomacy cannot be conducted behind Jeffersion’s wall in the world that religion is inseparable from politics. â€Å"Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention† This theory is developed and forwarded by Thomas Friedman in the book The World Is Flat. The theory stipulates thatâ€Å"No two countries that are both part of a major global supply chain like Dell’s, will ever fight a war against each other as long as they are both part of the same global supply chai

Theories of Crime Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Theories of Crime - Term Paper Example Traditionally, mothers were given the obligation of socializing the children and teaching them morals. Today both parents have to work. The youth have been left to be socialized by the media such as the television and the internet. It is from these media that they learn a different culture and this has driven them to undesirable behaviors such as violence and drug abuse. One cannot help but note the over popularization of the smoking of Marijuana in the contemporary movies. The topic is also addressed with relish in the modern day music (Hawkins 2000). Young people come to associate smoking pot as a â€Å"cool† thing since the people that they celebrate and try to emulate use this drug. Since it has been noted that the media has so much influence on the youth, this knowledge can be used to avert the bad effects. In fighting the use of drugs, the government needs to use music artist and movie actors to create awareness of the terrible effects of using drugs They should be encouraged to write songs and movies that encourage good morals among the youths and not the opposite. Milkman, H. B., & Wanberg, K. W. (2005). Criminal conduct and substance abuse treatment for adolescents: The providers guide : pathways to self-discovery and change. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage

International Law, law of treaties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Law, law of treaties - Essay Example By virtue of these international agreements, it is possible to ensure joint action for the purpose of achieving common goals, such as the fight against organized crime, extradition of criminals, the preservation of the environment, economic developments, protection of human rights, and scientific cooperation2. For the purpose of this research, Treaty arrangements was made the focus point for the reason of the significance developments in the International law after the emerge of The Vienna Convention on the law of treaties 1969. In fact, the international communities consider The Vienna Convention on the law of treaties 1969 as the authoritative mechanism on the international law of treaties3. With such intensive study, the research will later examine the current practice on treaties by the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, and finds out the benefits and limitation of the current arrangements. On the basis of the above examinations, the outcome of this research will conclude the advantages and disadvantages of the current treaty practise in the UK and the UAE, and whether such practice follow any pre-existing models, or was a new model created. The conclusion will result on a list of recommendations for better practice by developing the arrangements made by both states on the l aw of treaties. The first two chapters of this research will focus on the pr... Since then, states and international organizations began to enter into an increasing number of agreements, a number of which were formal and legally binding, and others were non-binding agreements5. This will be approached by first analyzing the establishments of the Vienna Convention, and its parallel 1986 convention on treaties made by international organization. This analysis will take into account the flexibility of the Vienna Convention, and explore how it affects the domestic laws of different states. Furthermore, the research will also analyze the role of the International Law Commission, which broached the 1969 Convention in 1950, even though the Law Commission is not the only organ in the United Nations involved in codification, but it was the only Commission, which deal with the law of treaties as a major issue6. However, it will be necessary to mention that the 1969 Convention did not cover all the issues relating to treaties, such as the treaties concluded by Internationa l Organizations, which are subject to the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties between States and International Organizations or between International organizations 1986. Following the examination of the 1969 and 1986 conventions this research will begin by offering a working definition of the term "treaties" in the context of the Vienna Convention on the law of treaties 1969 and the outlook of different international scholars. This will necessitate an evaluation of the various and relevant elements defined under this Convention. The third chapter will include an examination of the definition and use of binding agreements. Taking this approach, the terms "treaties" and

The Game Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Game Theory - Essay Example The games are well defined mathematical objects where it consists of a set of players, a set of strategies (moves) available to players and specification of payoffs for combination of strategies. A player is said to be rational if he play in a manner which maximizes his own payoff. It is often assumed that rationality of all players is common knowledge. A strategy dominates another strategy of a player if it gives a better payoff to that player, irrespective of what the other players are doing. For example, if a player have two strategies A and B the outcome resulting from A is better than that of B, then strategy A is said to dominate strategy B. A rational player will never choose to play a dominated strategy. In an extensive game, a strategy is a complete plan of choices, one for each decision point of the player. A mixed strategy is an active randomization, with given probabilities, that determine the players decision. The games are splitted as cooperative and noncooperative games. In a noncooperative game the participants cannot make commitments to coordinate their strategies, and hence the solution is a noncoopoerative solution. In a noncooperative game with finite players Nash equilibrium is a set of mixed strategies between two or more players where no player can improve his payoff by changing his strategy. Noncooperative games are defined by extensive and normal forms whereas cooperative games are presented in characteristic function form. In extensive form, games are often represented as trees and each node (vertex) represent a point of choice for a player. Each player is represented by a vertex. The lines out of vertex denote possible action for that player and the payoffs are specified at the bottom of the tree. In the normal form (or strategic form) game is represented by a matrix which tells strategies, players and payoffs. In general it is represented by any function that associates a payoff for each player with every possible combination of actions. In the normal form it is assumed that each player acts simultaneously without knowing the action of other. In cooperative games the individual payoffs of player are not known but the characteristic function gives the payoff of each coalition. For empty coalition the payoff is considered to be 0. In partition function form the payoffs not only depend on its members but also on the rest of players who were partitioned. In cooperative game participants can make commitments to coordinate their strategy which is a converse to noncooperative games. Cooperative games are particularly used in economics. In cooperative games if side payments (incentives) are allowed then the corresponding solution concept is known as transferable utility cooperative value otherwise it is known as nontransferable utility cooperative value.In game theory we have zero sum and non zero sum games. In zero sum games, the players gain or loss is balanced by other players losses or gains so that the total gains obtained when subtracted with total losses of the players gives a zero sum. In nonzero sum games we have sum le ss than or more than zero. A game is said to be sequential if one player performs his action after another or else it is a simultaneous move game.An example for a zero sum game is Matching pennies. In this game we have two players having a penny. On tossing the

Innocent Drinks Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Innocent Drinks - Case Study Example Additionally, it ensures the endorsement of recycling and sustainability of its products packaging. This paper, therefore, analyzes the business operations of Innocent Drinks Company including booms, bumps and the overall SWOT analysis of this company. The dominant market share of Innocent Drinks Company in the Juice and Smoothie market has been on the decline due to daily emergence of soft drinks companies into this industry. For example, in the recent past, this company’s market, which initially was over 70%, has been threatened by an unfair competition and consumer downturn (Sahlman 356). Even though Innocent Company upholds a higher degree of ethical standards towards natural, healthy, delicious and sustainable production, the only market worry is the identification of best marketing strategies that would decisively keep this company the market leader in soft drink production. Additionally, the development and success of this company continues to create its unusual share of challenges as the company adversely faces threat of consumer’s downturn and an inclusive out of business bigger rival efforts. In order to curb these market competition challenges, Innocent Drinks Company has resolved into being a flexible sof t drink organization with various branches. This strategy is primarily aimed at capturing wider markets. Fruit juice revolution may act as the best case study to analyze and understand the development and success of Innocent Drinks Company and their products. In the practical perspective, innocent drinks packages range from (250ml) to (1L). The appearance of this smoothie is plain one and unappealing, which is due to the natural nature of innocent drinks. Innocent soft drinks are in natural form hence lack chemical substances. This makes these soft drinks some of the best drinks for human consumptions. Labelling of Innocent Drinks juice

Marketing of Company Revive Gum that Removes Stress Essay

Marketing of Company Revive Gum that Removes Stress - Essay Example Products such as energy drinks and vitamins have become a popular commodity amongst consumers. Moreover, the features of our product extended far beyond just the traditional needs of the customer. The innovation of making a product that not only is packed with energy boosting supplements such as L-Carnitine, treated for failing memory, Echinacea, proven to improve immune system response, ginseng, but would also whiten teeth. The gum industry according to studies is also a huge market accumulating for 60% of the market share and is estimated to be worth $19 billion in sales. Also, gum is such a cheap commodity that is purchased by every demographic group from children to senior citizens. Hence, the group decided that this would be a great market to enter in. Revive, is an innovative gum product that is scientifically proven to reduce stress in everyday basis. Revive uses all natural vitamins and ingredients that are proven to enhance memory, diminish stress, and enable the person to a chieve unbelievable focus. Revive uses key vitals ingredients such as B12, B-6, L-Arginine that energizes the nervous system. Revive also uses all natural ingredients such as Fluoride and Calcium to whiten teeth. Revive is the only product in the market possesses all these features. One of the major problems identified in today’s society is the fact that people are engaged in activities that produce stress. Our study proved that around 70% of the population was heavily involved in stress-related activities. Clearly, a solution was needed to resolve that particular problem. Furthermore, research showed that people admitted that they are a better person as far as coping with stress is concerned. In addition, 60% of the people approved that dealing with stress in a natural way gives them a positive direction in life. Most people also reported feeling weak and lethargic when faced with stress. Clearly, people wanted to feel better and live better, which became a critical componen t in developing our product. Hence, as smart marketers, we decided it was a smart idea to create a product that not only whitens teeth but also acts as a stress reliever.

Quantitative risk assessment Essay Example for Free

Quantitative risk assessment Essay Monte-Carlo simulation is carried out using a large number of computations, using a computer, with random inputs. This method is particularly useful when it comes to â€Å"predicting† the outcome a complex eventuality. Typically, the Monte-Carlo simulation is useful when predicting the outcome of a large number inter-related factors that are â€Å"uncertain†. Predictivity using Monte-Carlo simulation is far more accurate where variables under consideration are many, uncertain and random. For this particular reason, using Monte-Carlo simulation for this study is the best choice as there are many uncertain factors that need to be analyzed for computing a risk assessment. In this study, the first step begins with the production of meat and ends with health effects that meat can probably induce in consuming subjects. There is a large interplay of uncertain factors, and the entire food chain model proposed in the study has inherent variability across most levels. 2. What comment would you make about the source of data used for the concentration of E. coli in cattle feces? Prevalence and concentration of E. Coli in cattle fecal matter was used to assess the level of contamination of the meat. The level of contamination of the meat is a pointer to the probable exposure that a consuming subject could possibly have, to E. Coli. Concentration of E. Coli in cattle fecal matter is directly related to factors like seasonality, geographical properties, and feeding practices. However, the data related to concentration of E. Coli in the cattle fecal matter was constructed without consideration for these factors. Data used for concentration of E. Coli in fecal matter was obtained using enrichment methods. The results show a wide bipolar variation, from as low as undetectable E. Coli levels to as much as 5. 0 log10 CFU/g. The data for prevalence of E. Coli in cattle fecal matter was obtained from previously held studies. However, only data from those studies was used, that primarily aimed at detecting E. Coli prevalence rates in cattle fecal matter for beef that was supposedly slated for human consumption. 3. What comment would you make about the following: †¢ modeling the distribution of feces on carcass as Uniform? Slaughtering invariably causes the fecal matter to come in contact with the meat. Skinning a carcass will lead to contamination of exposed meat due to contact with the hide. Although, fecal matter is the main source of bacterial reservoir, the nature and number of agents that can directly or indirectly participate as contaminating agents is uncertain. However, the concentration of E. Coli in fecal matter is directly proportional to the extent of meat contamination. The distribution of fecal matter on carcass surface is uneven. A dilution factor was used as a model simplification. †¢ modeling fecal contamination only on the carcass surface? As a fact, E. Coli are present in the fecal matter but not inside red meat. Contamination of red meat, therefore, occurs only when fecal matter comes in contact with it. This will usually happen during slaughtering, and the following processes like packaging and trimming. For this reason fecal contamination has been modeled only on the carcass surface. 4. Briefly (less than 500 words), discuss the practicalities and likely success of implementing each of the proposed hypothetical mitigation strategies in the paper. The author has proposed three hypothetical risk mitigation strategies for risk reduction. However, the strategies have been proposed to reduce risk as per mentioned figures, assuming that the strategy is being implemented and the desired goal is being achieved. For instance, the first strategy of regulating storage temperature control norms shows a reduced risk to over 80%. Practically, this strategy can indeed cause a large risk reduction but a protocol will need to be developed that incorporates all the levels of the proposed beef-cold-chain, starting right from the farm to the retailer. Even with a concrete legislature to make sure this strategy works, it needs to be evaluated how far would this strategy prove to be practically enforceable. With definite legislature, a good compliance can be expected out of this strategy and apparently this strategy is far more practicable, and could prove successful. Pre-slaughter screening proposes to reduce risk by over 46%. However, more variables like feeding practices, geographical locations, and seasonal variation (that affect E. Coli fecal load) need to considered, before a definite â€Å"control† level can be instated to rule out slaughters for animals that have more than a certain level of bacterial fecal concentration. The consumer information program, although with a risk reduction of 16%, is certainly a very important level wherein proper intervention can dramatically decrease E. Coli related health morbidity. Even though anticipated risk reduction is only 16%, simple measures like adequate promotional tools, could significantly increase risk reduction through mass communication; the biggest limitation however, is that compliance in this case cannot be ascertained, nor enforceable. Keeping in mind the practical limitations of each of these strategies, a prudent approach would involve application of all the three strategies in conjunct, to ensure greater risk reduction. A good reason for this approach is that due to the uncertain nature of all the factors involved in E. Coli contamination and delivery to consuming host, it appears quite difficult to determine the individual potency of each of these factors, and they would easily remain relative values. ‘Evaluation of MRSA Select, a new chromogenic medium for the detection of nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus’ 1. What is the ‘gold standard’ used to assess the sensitivity and specificity etc. of the different diagnostic tests? The sensitivity and specificity of a particular diagnostic test needs to be estimated before the test under consideration can be employed for practical purposes, to ensure that the results obtained are accurate, and of consequence. A â€Å"gold standard†, hence, is an absolute, against which results from a particular diagnostic test are compared. The gold standard, also called as the standard frame of reference, is a perfect test for the given condition, and is 100% sensitive and specific as well. 2. Is the ‘gold standard’ the same for all of the tests? Within the context of this paper, the gold standard used is same for all the tests. The gold standard used is identification of methicillin resistant S. Aureus, from nasal swabs of patients, confirmed for the mecA gene using PCR. 3. Can the tests be compared in this way? Yes, the tests can be compared this way. The same samples (n) were subjected to different growth mediums, to ascertain the presence of MRSA. All these media were specifically designed to promote the growth of MRSA. Hence, depending on the growths shown by these different media, results can be drawn and compared. 4. Are the authors’ conclusions valid? I think that the author’s conclusions are valid. Although, PCR will remain the gold standard in ascertaining presence of MRSA, the application of this procedure, to remain practically enforceable, is quite limiting. For instance, considering the sheer number of samples that an urban community hospital has to handle on a daily basis, using PCR for all instances may not be feasible all the times. In this circumstance, using simple tissue culture techniques would definitely prove to be more desirable, especially with faster results and low costs; like using the MRSA Select that will give results within 24 hours with a sensitivity and specificity over 99%. Moreover, simplicity of the test requires no complex skill set, especially compared with handling PCR techniques. References 1. Fishman, G. S. (1995). Monte Carlo: Concepts, Algorithms, and Applications. New York: Springer 2. Bell, B. P. , Goldoft, M. , Griffin, P. M. , Davis, M. S. , Gordon, D. C. , Tarr, P. I. , Bartleson, C. A. , Lewis, J. H. , Barret, T. J. , Wells, J. G. , Baron, R. , Kobayashi, J. , (1994). A multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7-associated bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome from hamburgers: the Washington experience. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 3. Vose, D. , (1996). Quantitative risk analysis: A guide to Monte Carlo simulation modelling. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester England. 4. USDA:APHIS:VS. , 1994a. E. coliO157:H7 issues and ramifications. Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO. 5. Gehlbach SH. (1993) Interpretation: sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value. In: Gehlbach SH, ed. Interpreting the medical literature. New York: McGraw-Hill 6. Apfalter P, Assadian O, Kalczyk A, et al. (2002) Performance of a new chromogenic oxacillin resistance screen medium (Oxoid) in the detection and presumptive identification of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis;44:209–11. 7. Murakami K, Minamide W, Wada K, Nakamura E, Teraoka, H, Watanabe S. (1991) Identification of methicillin-resistant strains of staphylococci by polymerase chain reaction. J Clin Microbiol;29:2240–4. 8. Safdar N, Narans L, Gordon B, Maki DG. (2003) Comparison of culture screening methods for detection of nasal carriage of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a prospective study comparing 32 methods. J Clin Microbiol;41:3163–6.

Drug Abuse Rehabilitation Strategies

Drug Abuse Rehabilitation Strategies Amber Pegg Does NKY have the Most Effective Treatments Available? A Review of the Literature Drugs and alcohol have increased in acceptability over the years in the United States. Individuals use these drugs for mood alterations and medicinal purposes. Society is surprisingly very unaware of the epidemic that is occurring right under their noses. Annually, illicit drug abuse cost in average $181 billion dollars. (Office of National Drug Policy, 2010) Addiction and dependency both play an extreme role in the increase of use and both are extremely misunderstood. During the year 2013 21.6 million individuals were classified with Substance Dependence/Addiction (Administration, 2013). With addiction on the rise in North America it has been recognized as a public health crisis that is extremely multidimensional and complex. (Larkin, 2006) Drug addiction is classified as an actual disorder according to the medical association. Studies have began to show that genetics may indeed be a part of addiction. These studies are showing genetics may cause susceptibility to addiction in an individual. (Erickson, 2001) Drug addiction is classified into three groups; the first being preoccupation and anticipation, the second being binge and intoxication, and finally the third is withdrawal and negative effect. Those stages are described as, preoccupation with using the substance, constant cravings, using more than necessary, and experiencing tolerance. Addiction is having a severe craving for a substance. This generally also implies that a great deal of attention is devoted to the activity and interferes with the individual’s daily routine. Frank Tallis writes â€Å"At first, addiction is maintained by pleasure. But the intensity of this pleasure gradually diminishes and the addiction is then maintained by the avoidance of pain.† Dependency is said to be the compulsion to use drugs to experience psychological or physical effects. To be considered drug dependent you must have three characteristics; First they must exhibit tolerance, which happens after the body becomes familiarized to the drug, second they must show habituation, this is continuing to have the desire to use the drug after the physical need has ended, and lastly addiction this normally means a great deal of attention is devoted to this activity. In both addiction and dependence the primary goal of an individual suffering from these is simply to attain and use the substance. Commonly used drugs are often categorized into six groups, opioids, sedative-hypnotic, stimulant, hallucinogens, cannabis, and inhalants. In the Northern Kentucky area there are certain drugs that are more prone than others. These include but are not limited to, stimulants, opioids, cannabis and hallucinogens. Opioids include heroine and methadone. Heroin was introduced in 1898 as a cough suppressant, which depresses neural functioning. Heroin use has shifted within populations; literature shows that it was mostly low income minorities as to now where middle class Caucasians are the most prevalent users. (Cleero, 2014) The majority of opiates reduce anxiety and pain for a short period of time. Most heroin users will have the need for larger amount to get the â€Å"fix† but for some, overdose occur and death is the ultimate price. In 2011 heroin alone accounted for 16% of all admissions to treatment facilities. (services, 2012) The most common stimulant abused is known as cocai ne. Cocaine is a crystallized white powder, convenient for snorting. Stimulants increase alertness, decrease the need for sleep and often suppress the feeling of being hungry. This makes it very marketable to college students. Cannabis is often described as a natural drug and is often in debate as to whether it should be classified as something addictive. Marijuana has been cultivated for over 5000 years. THC can produce several effects Marijuana has the effect of relaxation and could give someone the perception of slowing time. What Are the Varying Types of Treatments available? Across the United States there are several treatment types available to those who suffer from substance abuse. Addiction treatments vary due to the complexity of the disease. Individuals may benefit from rapid treatments or they may need treatments that in other terms work to cure and take longer amounts of time and effort. (Riessman).In the last 30 years, there has been significant progress in the development and validation of psychosocial treatments for substance abuse and dependence, with a predominant focus on the validation of cognitive behavioral treatments (Dutra Lissa Stathopoulou, 2008) The office of Drug and Crime reported in 2012, â€Å" expressed in monetary terms, some $200-250 billion dollars would be needed to cover all cost related to drug treatment worldwide; less than 1 in 5 that need treatment will actually receive it. (Publication, 2012). Factors such as treatment length and intensity of individuals play a role into the success of treatment but studies have proven that there is a link between the two. (Finny, 1996) The following information will focus on the most dominant and relevant to NKY. With medically assisted treatment on the rise it has quickly become one of the most popular and user â€Å"friendly† though controversy over drug substitution has arisen within the treatment community (Kleber, 2008). Mattick wrote â€Å"Medically assisted treatments are more appealing than typical drug free approaches.† (Mattick, 2009) With the up rise in heroin and opioid use these treatments will continue to grow. Medically assisted treatments normally consist of one of three drugs to help intervene within the withdrawal and detox phase; Methadone, Suboxone, and Buprenorphine. Each of the three are considered to be moderately effective. There are drop in clinics that will supply the medication and are considerably accessible to communities. Medically assisted treatments can potentially cause addictiveness to the treatment itself. According to the SAMHSA data collected more than 300,000 individuals received medically assisted treatment in 2011. (Treatments for Substanc e Abuse Disorders, 2014) The National Institution on Drug Abuse classifies Detoxification and Withdrawal as the most common process. (NIDA, 2009)Detoxification is the allowance of the body to rid itself of a drug while managing the symptoms of withdrawal. (NIDA, 2009) Each treatment process must begin with the detoxification and withdrawal stages. An often misconception of these two are that while they are processes within each treatment they alone are not considered treatment, one must have follow up. There are several forms of counseling and therapy available to those in need. This ranges from individual, group, psychotherapy, couples, family, open and closed meetings. These sessions are available through insurances and some are right in an individual’s own community. These groups and sessions are great means for resources, networking and general support. Literature reads that cognitive behavioral therapy for substance abuse has been deemed effective; both in combination treatment and monotherapy. (Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, 2009). Cognitive and Behavioral treatment programs are focused on a short term approach. Motivational Interviewing and CBT are both evidence based treatments that continue to make strides in the treatment industry, (McHugh, 2010) Lastly, Inpatient and Outpatient rehabilitation. These facilities are structured similarly yet have extreme differences. While an individual is attending an inpatient center they are at the center 24 hours a day, each day. They will see therapist and doctors routinely for a minimum of 28 days. Outpatient facilities still routinely have therapist and doctors with their clients but they are able to return home in the evenings and be part of their normal routine. This also keeps them accessible to whatever the addiction may be. These programs allow individuals to use self autonomy in which treatment facility they feel would best suit them. Many would argue that outpatient is less affective when in fact studies have shown that there is little to no difference in outcomes between the two. (Moos, 1995) Steven Gifford included in his description of inpatient and outpatient unsettling statistics from NIDA; 23.2 billion individuals required treatment for substance abuse in 2013, only 2.4 bill ion were treated by some sort of drug rehabilitation. (NIDA, 2009) Gaps Included in the Literature The amount of literature readily assessable in regards to drug abuse and treatments available is incredible. There is an abundance of knowledge about the topic with reasonable resources at ones fingertips. We know that individuals who suffer from substance abuse are likely to choose a treatment that fits best to their needs and addiction but also at the convenience to themselves and their families. Finances and insurance can also impact ones decision to certain treatment programs. As to the question, Does NKY have the most effective treatments available the literature does not go into depth enough in geographical terms. There are many treatment options available but whether they are geographically reasonable to the rural and lower income are that is left unanswered. The statistics and information in very broad to the general. Though we know there are treatments in NKY area the question of are they the most effective continues to go unanswered. Works Cited Administration, S. A. (2013). Retrieved March 15, from www.drugwarfacts.com: http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2013SummNatFindDetTables/NationalFindin#sthash.snuPjFav.dpuf Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies. (2009). Cognitive Behavioral Treatment with Adult alcohol and Illicit drug users. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs , 516-527. Cleero, T. E. (2014). The changing Face of Heroin. Journal of the American Medical Association , 71 (17), 821-826. Dutra Lissa, P., Stathopoulou, G. (2008). A Meta-Analytic Review of Psychosocial Interventions for Substance Use Disorder. The American Journal of Psychiatry , 179-187. Erickson, S. W.-M. (2001). Drug abuse and addiction Research. Journal of the American Pharmacist Association , 41 (1). Finny, M. a. (1996). A qualitative synthesis of patient, research design and treatment. Explaining Abstinence rates following Treatment , pp. 787-785. Kleber, H. D. (2008). Methadone Maintenance 4 decades later. American Medical Association , 2303-2305. Larkin, M. W. (2006). Towards addiction as relationship. Addictions research and theory , 207-215. Mattick RP, Breen C, Kimber J, Davoli M. Methadone maintenance therapy versus no opioid replacement therapy for opioid dependence. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009, Issue 3. McHugh, R. a. (2010). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Substance Use Disorders. Psychiatric Clinics of North America , 511-525. Moos, R. P. (1995). Three models of Community residential Care. Journal of Substance Abuse , 99-116. NIDA. (2009). Treatment. Retrieved March 30, 2015, from NIDA: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/treatment-approaches-drug-addiction Office of National Drug Policy. (2010, December). Retrieved April 11, 20145, from National Criminal Justice Reference System: https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=255037 Publication, U. N. (2012). World Report. Retrieved April 2015, from Office on Drugs and Crime. Riessman, F. C. (n.d.). Social Policy. 27 (2), pp. 36-46. services, N. A. (2012). Center for behavioral health statistics and quality. Retrieved 4 5, 15, from http://www.samhsa.gov/treatment Treatments for Substance Abuse Disorders. (2014, 10 16). Retrieved March 2015, from SAMHSA: http://www.samhsa.gov/treatment/substance-use-disorders

Birds Eye And The UK Frozen Food Industry Marketing Essay

Birds Eye And The UK Frozen Food Industry Marketing Essay INTRODUCTION: Birds Eye Foods Ltd was incorporated in the United Kingdom in 1938 in response to the interest that Robert Lucas, the chairman of Winget Ltd developed in the product while in the USA. On incorporation, it was owned by General foods corporation (their parent company in the USA), Robert Lucas and Chivas and sons Ltd (a British canner and jam maker). Birds Eye was subsequently acquired in March 1943 by Unilever, who identified its potential to serve their current business interests in the three main categories: fish (Mac fisheries), fruits and vegetables (Batchelors peas), and poultry (Poulton Noel Ltd). Their strategy was to grow the business along those 3 areas and to push for global expansion. The dearth of infrastructure and the meticulous needs of quick-freezing implied that to guarantee the quality of their products, Birds Eye had to invest across their entire supply chain and build their own system. In essence, they were geared towards establishing an organisation that was fully integrated from controlling food production (raw materials sourcing, harvesting equipment, production equipment, location and construction of plants) to distribution up to the retailers frozen food cabinet (cold storage, insulated vehicles) via their sister company SPD (Grant, 2010). Birds Eye is considered to be one of the founders of the modern frozen food industry and, is credited with many innovations in food processing, freezing techniques, quality management, vegetable cultivation techniques and harvesting equipments as it sought to secure competitive advantage. Some of the other players in the frozen foods market included: Smedleys (National Canning), Smethurst Ltd, Mudd and Son, etc. From humble beginnings, Birds Eyes market share reached 70% in the 1950s and 1960s. Their RoCE in the same period was highest in the industry, with 16.2% in 1964. However, the 1970s and 1980s ushered in a change in the dynamics of the industry. Falling barriers to entry (blast freezers) led to a reduction in production processes and costs of production, and change in the retail industry (counter-service to self-service and the emergence of large supermarkets/retail chains). The influx of new entrants to different parts of the supply chain (from distribution to marketing) led to the decline of Birds Eyes market share and its profitability; 18.5% market share in 1983. Based on the information given this report seeks to answer the following questions: 1. Why did Birds Eye develop as a vertically integrated producer? 2. In sourcing raw materials, explain why Birds Eye adopted different arrangements for peas, fish, and meat? 3. Why did specialized intermediaries emerge? 4. Did a vertically integrated producer have a competitive advantage over more vertically specialized suppliers of frozen foods during the early 1980s? 5. What should Birds Eye have done in 1979? LITERATURE REVIEW: Corporate level strategy is the conduct of drafting, implementing and evaluating cross-functional decisions that will enable an organization to achieve its long-term objectives. It is the process of specifying the organizations mission, vision and objectives, developing policies and plans, often in terms of projects and programs, which are designed to achieve these objectives and then allocating resources to implement the policies, and plans, projects and programs. Firms can develop strategies that ensures that they have a competitive advantage in the market and this can be done in the following ways Internal development: This is a process where the firm looks within itself and builds up its own resources and capabilities internally. The problem with this approach is that it might take a lot of time to build up the required capacity. Some of the reasons why a firm would want to internally build up its capacity are: they might want to develop product internally to form core competence. they may seek to avoid culture clash with the merging partner. they might be unable to find a suitable acquisition target. Mergers and Acquisition: This is a process where a firm either merges with other firms or out-rightly acquires the firm in question to increase their capacity. Some of the benefits of MA are stated below: Economies of scale: This refers to the situation where a firms cost can be reduced due to expansion. The expansion results in a decrease in per unit cost associated with production. Economies of scope: This is similar to economies of scale but its related to the efficiencies derivable from the production of two different goods together, rather than separately and it can be attributed to the products using common technology or common marketing channel. Create value/Increased revenue or market share: When a firm merges or acquires another firm it is probably a competitor or a firm along its supply chain. Integrations like these help firms to secure their supplies, reduce transaction times and create revenue and savings opportunities across the chain. So the buyer is basically increasing its revenue market share when it takes over another. STRATEGIC ALLIANCES: This is a cooperative relationship between firms involving the sharing of resources in pursuit of common goals. Firms can go into a contract/relationship with another firm in the actualization of its goals. These alliances could be in any of the three forms: Analytical Framework: Birds eye joined the UK frozen food industry when it was novel and stayed on till it became mature and saturated. For strategic reasons Birds Eye opted for a vertically integrated business model as shown in figure 1.0. Given the changes that continued to hit the UK frozen food industry in the time under consideration it was paramount that Birds Eye continued to assess its position in the market relative to other players and emerging factors. For much of the 1950s and 1960s, the barriers to entry were prohibitive enough to restrict the number of players. Factors ranging from the cost of setting up machinery, distribution costs, marketing costs were significant enough to deter other investors. The Porters 5 Forces Analysis shown in figure 2.0 shows how Birds Eye was squeezed from all sides as all the forces worked against them simultaneously: The farmers grew developed the capabilities needed to raise high quality vegetables. Technological innovations reduced the costs of raising and processing food, this led to new entrants. Most entrants couldnt afford massive investments in marketing so they aimed to deliver mainstream or even unbranded foods that will compete on functionality. Changes in the retail industry introduced customers to more options and more savings. The caterers who bought in bulk preferred the basic brands that werent expensive. Verdict = The industry had become saturated and unattractive. The BCG Matrix The BCG matrix helps us to dissect a business into its different component parts and evaluate them objectively on the basis of the state of the market (whether there is growth, low or high) and the firms share of the market (whether low or high). Table 1.0 in the appendix summarises the position of the different aspects of Birds Eyes businesses across its supply chain. On the strength of the analysis and the case we make recommendations in the next section. Recommendation: Birds eye develop as vertically integrated producer for the following reasons: Firstly, adequate infrastructure for deep freezing was absent at the time so Birds Eye had to develop theirs. This warranted them investing across their supply chain. Secondly, Birds Eye needed to control their entire supply chain to guarantee consistent supply of high quality raw materials, and also regular supply of products to customers. Thirdly, they wanted to ensure that all process within the production and supply chain is efficiently optimised. Fourthly, the structure of their supply chain delivered economies of scale that helped to optimize costs. In sourcing raw materials, explain why Birds Eye adopted different arrangements for peas, fish, and meat?: The sourcing arrangements that Birds Eye adopted for the different raw materials was dependent: Vegetables: Birds Eye adopted their chosen strategy for vegetables because the seeds, cultivation, fertilization, treatment and harvestation practices available to farmers of the time could not guarantee a high quality final product. The farmers didnt have the equipment to harvest vegetables fast enough for them to be freezed in good time. Fish: Due to the nature of whitefish and where they are found, Birds Eye couldnt control their production. Inability to control their breeding left them with the option of sourcing for the best of the available supplies; buying fish fresh from dock side auctions or buying fishes that were frozen at sea. Between 1965 and 1969 they had a majority stake in a fishing company in a bid to ensure their cod supplies. Meat: Meat was primarily poultry and because this process could be controlled from start to finish Birds Eye acquired poultry farms and subjected them to their strict standards. Why did specialized intermediaries emerge?: The specialized intermediaries in this case refer to the specialist storage, freezing and transportation companies. Some of the reason for their emergence include: The availability of infrastructure: invention of blast freezers: The invention of blast freezers among other technologies made production cheaper and more efficient. This meant most of the costly barriers to entry had disappeared. Diversification to create value and spread risk: Companies who had competitive advantage in a certain segment of food production merely started offering their products in frozen form to enter the growing market. Processing to increase value added: Firms that originated from agricultural cooperative realized that if they added value to their produce they could command more returns on them. Most of the intermediaries were flexible: The intermediaries offered their services on very flexible contractual terms. The costs of building a vertically integrated was high so firms concentrated on one or two parts of the supply chain. Vertically integrated producers: Vertically integrated suppliers were better placed than vertically integrated producers of frozen food in the 1980s. In the early days of the industry owning all aspects of the supply chain was expedient as there was a dearth of infrastructure; firms needed to build competitive advantage on the basis of their products quality and also control their costs so, it was key to own the entire chain. However, the 1980s ushered in new and cheaper technologies that made production cheaper and more efficient. Also, competition grew from more specialized and efficient firms entered the market to compete thereby reducing margins. Therefore, we believe it would have paid Birds Eye more to concentrate on its core capabilities, seek to control its supply entire supply chain by means of long term contracts with firms specialized in areas where it was weak in, instead of owning them. What should Birds Eye have done in 1979?: Having identified that the vertically integrated approach to supply chain management that helped them grow in the 1950s and 1960s was no longer the best (as shown above), Birds Eye should have sold off their under-performing divisions and concentrated on the profitable sections as shown by the BCG matrix in table 1.0. In detail, Birds Eye should have sought to: Divest its physical investment in the fish/meat/seed sourcing, cultivation and harvesting , and instead activate a contractual strategic alliance with the co-operatives. Free up its resources tied up in the distribution business and instead contract the distribution out to other more efficient firms. Among their brands, they should concentrate on the frozen foods that they have a competitive advantage and leave the British grocery segment. Stop cutting prices. Appendix: Figure 1.0: Birds Eye Supply Chain Figure 2.0: Porters 5 forces analysis Portfolio Management Analysis: The BCG Matrix: Table 1.0 HIGH MARKET SHARE LOW LOW MARKET GROWTH HIGH Stars Question Marks Prepared meals Transport Distribution Freezing Processing Cash Cows Frozen fish Frozen meat Storage Dogs Vegetable Fruit

An Analysis of Blakes The School Boy Essay -- Blake The School Boy

An Analysis of Blake's The School Boy  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   'The School Boy' is a typical example of Blake's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience in it's themes and imagery. Like many of the other poems in this work it deals with childhood and the subjugation of it's spirit and uses imagery from the natural world. While first published in 1789 as one of the Songs of Innocence there are strong reasons why Blake moved it to the Experience1 section of the 1794 edition. If we compare it to other poems in the collection it sits better with others in Experience than those in Innocence. On first reading 'The School Boy' is the voice of a young boy complaining of being shut inside at his schoolwork instead of playing outside in the sun. When we look at the poem further we can see that the poet is returning to the theme of childhood subjugated and its natural joy destroyed that can be seen in other poems in the collection such as 'The Chimney Sweeper' in Experience with its comparison of the child who was 'happy on the heath' to now "Crying ''weep! 'weep!' in notes of woe!" . The poem begins in Stanza I with the poet giving us a pastoral image of the innocence of nature reminiscent of that in 'The Introduction' from Innocence, some critics have pointed out the similarity of 'The distant huntsman winds his horn' in this poem with 'Piping down the valleys wild' in 'The Introduction' of Innocence2 . The poem gives us an image of rising with the company of many natural joys, not just the huntsman but 'birds sing on every tree' and 'the sky-lark sings with me.' It is in Stanza II that we see the oppression of the natural by authority typical of Experience and continued through the rest of the poem. This stanza compares the pastoral imagery... ...glewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1966. Hyland, Dominic, Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. Harlow: Longman York Press, 1982. Notes To avoid confusion between the 1789 edition Songs of Innocence and the Songs of Innocence section of the 1794 combined edition I have shortened the section names to Innocence and Experience throughout and refer to the 1789 edition as Songs of Innocence and the 1794 edition Songs Of Innocence and Of Experience as the 1794 edition where it is necessary to draw a distinction. One example is found in D. Hyland, William Blake Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience (Harlow: Longman York Press, 1982), p. 48 William Blake, Songs Of Innocence and Of Experience, (London: Rupert Hart Davis, 1967) plate 53 . D. Hyland, William Blake Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience (Harlow: Longman York Press, 1982), p. 48      

Philosophy - Aristotle’s Concept of Virtue and the Comic Strip of Calv

Aristotle’s Concept of Virtue and the Comic Strip of Calvin and Hobbes One of the many questions with which Aristotle is concerned in the Nicomachean Ethics is: What is virtue and who is the virtuous man? However, this question of virtue is not considered in a vacuum. Aristotle’s discussion, far from amounting to mere ethereal musings, is firmly grounded in the everyday of life and consideration. So, in discussing the ideas of Aristotle, it is appropriate, and even necessary, that we ground our discussion in a like manner. That is, we should turn to a concrete example in order to help clarify Aristotle’s discussion of virtue in the Ethics. Thus we are presented with our first dilemma: who to choose as this "concrete example" of which we have spoken. In order to determine this, we should first determine to whom it is that Aristotle addresses himself and his discussion, as it will obviously do us no good to attempt to apply the ideas which Aristotle sets forth to a personage whom he discounts or, at least, to whom he merely does not address himself. In general, it is fair to say that Aristotle attempts to address the bulk of mankind. In doing so, Aristotle assumes some very basic morality as a grounds for the proceeding discussion, and those who expect the discussion to be applicable to their own lives must have done the same. That is, "to be a competent student of what is right and just, and of politics generally, one must first have received a proper upbringing in moral conduct" (Arist. 1.4.5).1 In addition, integral to the discussion is the geography of the soul which Aristotle provides, and thus it would be helpf ul in our concrete example if it were also to provide a somewhat tangible expression of this juxtaposi... ...ng good when one has an innate inclination towards evil. Closeup on Calvin as he packs snow in his hands, forming a snowball. Calvin: I think one good act by me, even if it’s just to get presents, should count as five good acts by some sweet tempered kid motivated by the pureness of his heart. Don’t you? Susie Durkins (Calvin’s archenemy) enters the frame. Calvin’s arm is cocked with the snowball in hand. Hobbes is barely visible in the frame, but it is important to note he has reverted to his stuffed-animal state. Calvin: Hey Susie! The snowball hits Susie in the back of the head with a "POW!" knocking her to the ground. Calvin and Hobbes (now in his live-animal state) sprint across the snow in flight. Hobbes: Of course, in your case the question is academic. Calvin: I wanted to put a rock in the snowball, but I didn’t! That should be worth a lot!

Psychology 101

Course Information Fundamentals of Acoustics: Applications in Speech, Hearing and Language Description: This course will provide students with a basic and working knowledge of acoustics and the physics of sound. It will provide the basis for measurement and description of speech stimuli. It will have direct application to Speech, Hearing and Language intervention as well as application into communicative sciences. CSD 221 Student Name __________________ Course Fundamentals of Acoustics Course Code CSD 221 FacultyPhyllis J. Washington College of Education and Human Sciences Faculty Department Communicative Sciences and Disorders Suggested prerequisite None Length of Course One semester Degree Bachelor of Arts Credit 3 credit hours Assessment Tasks Assessment 1 Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Assessment 2 Assignments/Labs/Quizzes Assessment 3 Acoustic Study Prepared by Al Yonovitz, PhD  © University of Montana First published 2010 Contents Introduction UM Mission Statements Welcome About the In structor Class Organization Learning ObjectivesClass Times Class Attendance Policy Private Study Commitments Occupational Health and Safety Learning approaches Classroom Lectures Moodle Study Resources Required Texts Additional Resources Support Services and Resources Student Resources Students with Disabilities Foreign Exchange Students and Scholars Directory of Assistance Study plan/Course Outline Assessment information Overview Delivery and submission Helpful tips for submission of your assessments Extensions and late submission Resubmission University Plagiarism PolicyAssessment and examination rules Special examinations and special consideration Assessment tasks Introduction UM Mission Statements MISSION STATEMENT THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA The University of Montana capitalizes on its unique strengths to create knowledge, provide an active learning environment for students, and offer programs and services responsive to the needs of Montanans. The University delivers education an d training on its four campuses and through telecommunications to sites inside and outside of Montana.With public expectations on the rise, the University asks its students, faculty, and staff to do and accomplish even more than they have in the past. The dedication to education for and throughout life reflects the commitment to service learning and community building on and off the campuses. The University enhances its programs through continuous quality review for improvement and remains fully accountable to the citizenry through annual audits and performance evaluations. MISSION STATEMENT THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA-MISSOULAThe University of Montana-Missoula pursues academic excellence as indicated by the quality of curriculum and instruction, student performance, and faculty professional accomplishments. The University accomplishes this mission, in part, by providing unique educational experiences through the integration of the liberal arts, graduate study, and professional traini ng with international and interdisciplinary emphases. Through its graduates, the University also seeks to educate competent and humane professionals and informed, ethical, and engaged citizens of local and global communities.Through its programs and the activities of faculty, staff, and students, the University of Montana-Missoula provides basic and applied research, technology transfer, cultural outreach, and service benefiting the local community, region, state, nation and the world. Welcome Welcome to CSD 221 – Fundamentals of Acoustics: Applications in Speech, Hearing and Language Understanding the nature of the speech and acoustic stimulus form the primary bases for your clinical education and your career in speech pathology. As you progress in your program the role of understanding the bases of the sound and acoustics will become evident.It is a great privilege to be your instructor in this inaugural autumn class within the new program in Speech Pathology at the Univers ity of Montana. I have been a practicing audiologist and speech and hearing scientist for many years. I look forward to offering you both the historical speech and hearing perspective and that of current practice. These perspectives will provide you with a basic understanding of the needed vision and available opportunities for Speech Pathologists. Your study will, in turn, help improve diagnosis and service delivery within the practice of Speech Pathology.Acoustics of speech production and the auditory stimulus will provide you with a foundation for your clinical process. It will also offer you the basic skills necessary to assess speech and hearing disorders and to plan intervention programs. This is a course which will enable professional preparation. Through study, your increased knowledge and skills will greatly benefit your future clients. In this course, I believe you will also experience the joy of learning and satisfaction of understanding new concepts and procedures. I wil l do my best to present the material in a clear and understandable manner.Finally, I want you to think that you are here to learn and not here to just ‘earn the grade'. If you concentrate on learning, the grades will take care of themselves. Make sure that you design a reliable study schedule and I guarantee your efforts will be rewarded. I hope to have the chance to meet all of you (including the external students) sometime soon in the near future. Of course, you may contact me at anytime via the information in the announcements. Kind Regards Al Yonovitz, Ph. D. , CCC-A, MAudSA (CCP) Professor Communicative Sciences and Disorders The University of MontanaMissoula, MT 59812-6386 Telephone:   406-243-2408 Fax:   406-243-2362 Email: al. [email  protected] edu Mobile: (406) 241-2364 Postal: Al Yonovitz Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders Curry Health Center, Lower Level University of Montana Missoula, MT 59812 About the Instructor Dr Yonovitz has been active in research issues in abnormal development of central auditory processing abilities in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. His concentrated interest has been in deaf and hearing-impaired children. He has also published widely in areas of speech and hearing science.He has been the Unit Head for the Ear Health and Education Unit of the Menzies School of Health Research and a Manager for Australian Hearing, a Commonwealth Agency, providing hearing improvement for children and pensioners. He was with Charles Darwin University in Darwin, NT Australia before accepting the position as Chair of the new Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders. Phone: (406) 243-2408 Email: al. [email  protected] edu Mobile: (406) 241-2364 Postal: Al Yonovitz Department of Communicative Sciences and DisordersCurry Health Center, Lower Level University of Montana Missoula, MT 59812 Course Organization The Spring 2012 semester is 16 weeks long, beginning January 23, and ending May 4, with a 1-we ek spring vacation. This class is duplicated as both a face-to-face (F2F) section and an online section. The F2F class meets 2 times each week, 8:10 – 9:30 am Monday and Wednesday in the CSD classroom in the lower level of the Curry Health Center. All lectures and laboratory demonstrations will be uploaded that day. Grading opportunities will be consistent between sections.Any questions regarding the course, any unit, or any assignment should first be posed to the instructor via the discussion board on Moodle called â€Å"Queries†. Before you submit your question, however, please check to be sure your question has not already been answered in that forum. These questions will be addressed within a 24-hour period, M-F. Learners who have signed up for the face-to-face mode should expect to attend every lecture. Learners who have signed up for the online mode are welcome to attend the face-to-face lectures at any time. There are five (5) summative assessments.Summative ass essments include multiple choice tests and a number of assignments. Formative assessments, which are indicative of student progress, will be conducted in class. These formative assessments can be viewed either synchronously or asynchronously by online learners. Formative assessment will include review of multiple choice questions at the end of chapters of the text. You will also notice a discussion board entitled â€Å"Student Lounge. † You may use this board to communicate with your classmates. Course Organization 1. Introduction to wave analysis 2. Standing Waves 3. Resonance . Wave Analysis 5. Speech Production 6. Acoustics of Speech Signals 7. Computing and Measurement Techniques for Acoustics Lectures can be accessed either in real time or asynchronously from the CSD website. (There is a tutorial for website access under ‘Start Here’). Lectures are usually posted to the website the same day. On rare occasions, the lecture is posted the next day. Learning obj ectives This course is divided into areas that will allow the student to gain mastery of the following topics: 1. Describe the acoustic signals in the time and frequency domain 2.Understand how the structures of the speech system are used to produce speech (consonants and vowels). 3. Analyze acoustic and speech signals with both Hardware and Software 4. Utilize their knowledge finding application in clinical matters Any questions regarding the course should be directed to the course instructor, Al yonovitz. Hours and Required Discussion Lectures – 8:10-9:30am Mondays & Wednesdays The class will be live at the times above. Students may access the live classes and all other archived class meetings this semester by going to the Elluminate links posted to the Calendar of Moodle.The PowerPoint presentations, discussion board, etc. will be available via Moodle. For UMOnline students it is not necessary to view live classrooms, but you must watch the archived class sessions. Attenda nce will be taken for students attending class. In class discussion for internally registered students and discussion board submission for UMOnline students will be recorded. Study Commitments You should expect to spend 8 to 12 hours per week on this course. This time should be spent completing the required reading for this course, reflecting on your reading, completing the weekly activities and preparing your assignments.Occupational Health and Safety There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit. General Content overview 1 Introduction to wave analysis Mathematics and calculating systems Types of Waves Wave Shapes Propagation Velocity and Medium Velocity Sinusoidal Waves: More Terminology Oscillating Systems and Sinusoidal Waves Application of the Concept of Waves to Sound Relationship Among v, f and[pic] Wave Velocity and Properties of the Medium Elastic Properties of Air Reflection and Transmission of Waves Interference and Superposition 2. Standing Waves Long itudinal Displacement WavesNormal Modes for an Air Column Closed at Both Ends Normal Modes for an Air Column Open at Both Ends Normal Modes for an Air Column With One End Open a and One End Closed 3. Resonance Resonance in Mechanical Systems Resonance in the Speech Production System Resonance in the Outer and Middle Ear 4. Wave Analysis Wavefronts Wavefronts and Space Interference Diffraction of Wave Phase of a Wave Complex Wave Forms Complex Traveling Waves Complex Standing Waves Beats Sound Quality Non-Repetitive Sounds 5. Speech Production Vocal Organs Vocal Fold Vibration Acoustic Properties of the Vocal Tract Sound Spectrographs . Acoustics of Speech Signals Vowels Consonants Glide and Liquid Consonants Nasal Consonants Fricative Consonants Stop Consonants Coarticulation 7. Computing and Measurement Techniques for Speech Analysis Sound Spectroscopy Fourier Analysis Learning approaches Moodle Moodle is the University of Montana’s on-line learning system. It is critically important that you maintain an accurate e-mail address with the University of Montana. In this unit, Moodle will be used to: Provide important announcements regarding your course †¢ Provide discussion questions and responses †¢ Provide assessment documentsCSD 221– Fundamentals of acoustics relies significantly on Moodle participation. The Discussion Board is the mode of communication which allows for face-to-face and online learners to share. Postings should be succinct, yet comprehensive (about one paragraph). In addition to your posting, you must reply to at least one other learner’s posting in, again, a succinct, yet comprehensive posting. The instructor facilitates the discussions, carefully monitors the Discussion Board, and provides considered responses. These responses are usually provided after the particular Discussion Board question has closed for the week.Learners are encouraged to use the Discussion Board for ‘Questions to the Instructorâ₠¬â„¢. Postings will be viewed daily and instructor responses will be offered daily. Netiquette expectations are expected on any online submission. For the Core Rules of Netiquette, please visit http://www. albion. com/netiquette/corerules. html. In addition, the instructor expects formal rules of standard American English language to be followed in the Discussion Board. Informal, non-standard English language approaches are not acceptable. You will need to connect to the Internet to access Moodle, at: http://umonline. umt. edu/ Conceptual FrameworkThis course provides a learning community that a) integrates ideas, b) encourages cooperative endeavors, and c) respects diversity and individual worth. These concepts are illustrated through the following activities:   a) by understanding acoustics you will be able to appreciate the linkage between this course and other CSD courses, you will have an understanding of the nature of the conversational element; b) you will also participate in laboratories designed to mutually assist each other, and c) you will be challenged to combine both the science and mathematical nature of speech with some reference to various dialectical patterns. )  Ã‚  Ã‚  Integration of Ideas:   Members of a learning community look beyond the traditionally subject-oriented curriculum and think about the interrelationships among and between subject areas. They work with a variety of fields of study and search for unifying themes that cross disciplinary lines. There is an emphasis on explaining realities and bringing differing kinds of knowledge to bear on dealing with actual problems. b)  Ã‚  Cooperative Endeavors:   In a learning community knowing and learning are viewed as communal acts, and members are encouraged to assist each other o learn and grow. There is a commitment to engage all learners cognitively and emotionally in acquiring knowledge that is personally meaningful. In the process members create a cohesiveness that encoura ges personal responsibility and commitment to the group and its goals. c)  Ã‚   Respect for Diversity and Individual Worth:   A learning community embraces diversity with respect to ideas, abilities, viewpoints, experiences, learning styles, cultural backgrounds. Diversity is valued because of the inherent worth of each individual who brings his or her strengths to the community.The ethics of caring and mutual respect are viewed as essential for supportive learning environments that enhance each member’s self-esteem and foster risk-taking, creative conflict, and excellence. Study resources Required text: Required texts: INTRODUCTION TO SOUND, Acoustics for the Hearing and Speech Sciences. Charles E. Speaks, Singular Publishing, 1999. Several additional readings will be assigned throughout the semester. These may include journal articles, chapters from books other than your textbook, and other related materials. Support services and resources UM Academic Honesty PolicyThe student Conduct Code, embodying the ideals of academic honesty, integrity, human rights, and responsible citizenship, governs all student conduct at The University of Montana-Missoula. You are expected to adhere to this code: (http://liffe. umt. edu/SA/documents/fromWeb/StudentConductCode1. pdf). Student Resources Two tutoring programs are available to students, one administered by the TRiO and the other by the Undergraduate Advising Center; both are located in Corbin Hall. More information on TRiO, visit TRiO at Lommasson Center 154, call 406-243-5032, or log on to www. mt. edu/eop. The Undergraduate Advising Center is located in the Lommasson Center 269, or you can visit www. umt. edu/ucoll/. The Writing Center is available to help you improve your writing skills. Writing instructors are available to help you plan and develop your thoughts. For more information, visit them online at: http://www. umt. edu/writingcenter/, email [email  protected] umt. edu or call (406) 243-2266. S tudents with Disabilities Students with disabilities are encouraged to plan ahead and can contact Disability Services for Students (DSS).For additional information, contact DSS Director Jim Marks, Lommasson Center 154 or (406) 243-2243 (Voice/Text) or jim. [email  protected] edu. Please visit http://www. umt. edu/dss/ to find details about the available services. Foreign Exchange Students and Scholars The office of Foreign Student and Scholar Services (FSSS) is available for general counselling and provides direct support services, consultation, and liaison. Staff members at FSSS are available to help with academic advising, cultural adjustment, financial problems, and other issues.The FSSS office is in the Lommasson Center, Room 219. For more information, contact [email  protected] edu or visit http://ordway. umt. edu/sa/fsss/. |DIRECTORY OF ASSISTANCE | |Concern |Contact |Contact details | |Matters concerning the course |Instructor – Al Yonovitz |al. [email  protected ] edu | |General academic issues relating to |Department Chair – Al Yonovitz |al. [email  protected] edu | |your course | | | |Moodle difficulties |UM Online Tech Support Desk |Ph: (406) 243-4999 or (866) 225-1641 (toll free) | | | |E-mail: [email  protected] edu | | | |Website: http://umt. du/xls/techsupport | |Difficulties accessing your Student |IT Helpdesk |Ph: (406) 243-4357 | |Computer account | | | |Technical difficulties in PC Labs | | | |Library enquiries |UM Library |Ph: (406) 243-6866 | |Help with library databases, Internet| | | |searching and Reference queries | | | |Purchasing of text books and |UM Bookstore |Ph: (406) 243-1234 | |stationery | |Fax: (406) 243-2001 | | | |email: [email  protected] com | | | |website: http://www. umtbookstore. om | | | |University of Montana Bookstore | | | |University Center, 1st & 2nd Floor | | | |5 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59801 | |General administration enquiries |Registrar |Ph: (406) 243-2995 | |e. g. admissions/ enro lments, course | | | |information, graduation | | | Class Schedule Week |Lecture Topic |Readings |Assessments | | | | |& Labs | |Week 1 |The Nature of Sound Waves |Chapter 1 | | |1/23/11 | |The Speech Chain, Chapters 1 | | |Week 2 |The Nature of Sound Waves |Chapter 1 | | |1/30/11 | | | | |Week 3 |Simple Harmonic Motion |Chapter 2 | | |2/6/11 | | | | |Week 4 |Simple Harmonic Motion |Chapter 2 | | |2/13/11 | | | | |Week 5 |Logarithms and Antilogarithms |Chapter 3 |Exam 1 (20%) | |2/20/11 | | | | |No Class on 2/20/11 | | | | |Week 6 |Logarithms and Antilogarithms |Chapter 3 | | |2/27/11 | | | | |Week 7 |Sound Intensity and Sound Pressure: The |Chapter 4 | | |3/5/11 |Decibel | | |Week 8 |Sound Intensity and Sound Pressure: The |Chapter 4 | | |3/12/11 |Decibel | | | |Week 9 |Complex Waves |Chapter 5 | | |3/19/11 | | | | |Week 10 |Complex Waves |Chapter 5 |Exam 2 (20%) | |3/26/11 | | | | |Week 11 |Spring Break | | | |4/2/11 | | | | |Week 12 |Resonance and Filtering |Chapter 6 | | |4/9/11 | | | | |Week 13 |Resonance and Filtering |Chapter 6 | | |4/16/11 | | | | |Week 14 |Distortion |Chapter 7 | | |4/23/11 |Sound Transmission |Chapter 8 | | |Week 15 |Summation and Revision | | | |4/30/11 | | | | |Final Exam | | |Exam 3 (20%) | |5/7/11 | | | | Topical Description of Course Material Assessment Information 5 Assessment items are required. All assessment tasks must be completed for you to obtain a pass in this course. I would expect a significant commitment on your part to achieve a deep and effective understanding of topics in this course. I would therefore expect a high commitment to learning. Note: unless stated otherwise, the due date for an assessment refers to the date by which the assessment must be received by the Instructor. Assessments for CSD 221 – Fundamentals of Acoustics Assessment |Focus |Percent Value |Length |Due date | |item | | | | | |Assessment 1 |Test 1 |20% |50 M/C Questions |Week 5 | |Assessment 2 |Test 2 |20% |50 M/C Questions |Week 10 | |A ssessment 3 |Test 3 |20% |50 M/C Questions |Week 16 | |Assessment 4 |Submission of Acoustic Study |20% |4-6 Pages |Week 14 | |Assessment 5 |Assignments/Labs/Quizzes (10) |20% |TBA |Throughout Semester | Descriptions of Assessments Three tests (20% each test) Test 1 (20%) Available from Monday, February 23–Sunday, February 26 Test 1 must be submitted electronically by 11:55pm Sunday, February 26 2-hour timed test Multiple choice & true/false Test 2 (20%) Available from Monday, March 29 – Sunday, April 1 Test 2 must be submitted electronically by 11:55pm Sunday, April 1 2-hour timed test Multiple choice & true/false Test 3 (20%) Available from Wednesday, May 7 – Thursday, May 10Test 3 must be submitted electronically by 11:55pm Thursday, May 10 2-hour timed test Multiple choice & true/false Assignments/Labs/Quizzes (20%) There will be ten assignments/quizzes during the semester. Each assignment/quiz will be discussed in class demonstrated in class and a teaching a ssistant will be available for individual help. Separate descriptive hand-outs will be available for each lab. Acoustic Study (20%) The acoustic study will be a project that you will be able to accomplish. The project should not relate to speech but should consider the analysis of an interesting acoustic event. A separate handout will be available. *Note – Tests are electronically marked and are automatically submitted to Gradebook.After taking a test, your mark will be immediately available; however, your test will only be made available for you to view after the closing date of the test. Delivery and submission of Assessments Note: The three tests are electronically marked by Gradebook. You are expected to keep your own copy of the assignments. On the PowerPoint assignment, please attach an introductory slide with the following details: Your name and student number Course code, title and date submitted Helpful tips for submission of your Assessments There are several ways t hat you can assist with the efficient processing and return of your assessments. †¢ Turn in your assessments on time. Additional time will not be readily offered.Extensions and late submission Note: Apply for extensions before the due date. You must apply for extensions at least 2 university business days before the due date. All extension requests must be in writing to the Instructor. If you do not follow these procedures and have an extension formally approved, your assessment will be considered late if it arrives after the due date. Extenuating circumstances do arise from time to time such as illness or a family crisis. In such circumstances, you are required to contact your tutor to discuss your options. Poor time management is not considered an extenuating circumstance and is not grounds for an extension.Normally work commitments will not be sufficient grounds for an extension. Resubmission In this course, you cannot resubmit your work for reassessment. Plagiarism Policy P lagiarism is the presentation of the work of another without acknowledgement. As defined by the University of Montana’s Student Conduct Code, plagiarism is â€Å"Representing another person's words, ideas, data, or materials as one's own. † Staff and students may use information and ideas expressed by others, but this use must be identified by appropriate referencing. Students who plagiarize may fail the course and may be remanded to Academic Court for a possible suspension or expulsion from the University.More information regarding student policy, academic misconduct, and plagiarism can be found at: http://www. umt. edu/catalog/policy_procedure. htm Assignment and examination rules Exams will involve multiple choice and true/false questions. They will cover the material provided both in the lectures and in the assigned readings. Exams/tests must be submitted by the assigned date. If you do not submit a test by the assigned date, you will not receive credit for the tes t, unless arrangements are made with the instructor in advance. Test 1 (20%) Test 2 (20%) Test 3 (20%) Assignments/Labs/Quizzes (20%) Acoustic Study (20%) Applying the university assessment grading to Assessments A | | | |Demonstrates imagination, originality or flair, based on proficiency in all learning outcomes of the unit; | |(90. 0-100) |work is interesting or surprisingly exciting, challenging, well read or scholarly. | | | | | |-For this assessment an A response answers all the set questions in a very informed, applied, cogent manner. | |B | | | |Demonstrates awareness and understanding of deeper and less obvious aspects of the unit, such as ability to | |(80. 0-89. ) |identify and debate critical issues or problems, ability to solve non-routine problems, ability to adapt and| | |apply ideas to new situations, and ability to evaluate new ideas. | | | | | |-For this assessment a B response answers all the set questions in an informed manner and applied manner. | |C | | | |Demo nstrates ability to use and apply fundamental concepts and skills of the unit, going beyond mere | |(70. 0-79. ) |replication of content knowledge or skill to show understanding of key ideas, awareness of their relevance, | | |some use of analytical skills, and some originality or insight. | | | | | |-For this assessment a C response answers all questions correctly. There is a basic application of ideas. | |D | | | |Satisfies all of the basic learning requirements of the unit, such as knowledge of fundamental concepts and | |(60. 0-69. ) |performance of basic skills; demonstrates satisfactory, adequate, competent, or capable achievement of the | | |objectives of the unit. | | | | | |-For this assessment a D response answers most the questions correctly. Theses answers cover only the | | |fundamentals and lack application. | |F | | |(59. 9 and below) |Fails to satisfy some of the basic requirements of the assessment task. | ———————â₠¬â€œ [pic] [pic] [pic] Psychology 101 We all come in different shapes and sizes. We all have strengths and weaknesses. What is right for one person may not be right for another. How we feel, think, behave and react in different situations are shaped from when we are born throughout the rest of our lives. Our environment influences our personality, our experiences from when we first walk to the last day we breathe. There are a number of psychologists who support that individuals environment is the key aspect to influencing personality. Sigmund Freud believed that our childhood experiences are what influence our personality as an adult.The nurture theory proposes that environment is what influences each individual and determines their personality. B. F. Skinner and John Watson both suggest that personality is a result of interaction between the individual and the environment. The case study of â€Å"Genie, the wild child† comes to show how much we require all of the environmental factors in Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs to live a healthy and standard life. Sigmund Freud (1856- 1939) believed that the psychosexual stages affect your personality and your experiences as you grow up influence your personality as an adult.Each of Freud’s five stages determines certain characteristics in our personality as we become adults (see appendix 2 for details on stages). It was developed from patients' recollections, dreams and free associations. He â€Å"asserted that sexual instinct was the most important influence on personality. † (WiseGEEK, 2011). The oral stage develops a sense of trust and comfort. The next period, the anal stage, increases accomplishment and independence. The differences between males and females are developed throughout the phallic stage, as the individual wants to possess the opposite sex parent and has the desire to replace the same gender parent.The latent period is important in the improvement of social and communication skills and self confidence. The individ ual will develop a strong sexual interest in the opposite sex throughout the last stage, the genital stage. â€Å"Fixation gives each problem at each stage a long-term effect in terms of our personality or character. †(Boeree, George. 1997) This means that if difficulty occurs in the stages, it can affect your personality, such as independence can transform to becoming dependant on others. Everything you become is determined by your first few years.The adult is exclusively determined by the child's experiences, because whatever actions occur in adulthood is based on an outline laid down in the earliest years of life. Personality comes from adaptive patterns associated to an individual’s specific environment. Nature versus nurture is a debate upon the importance of an individual’s inborn qualities against personal experiences in influencing or causing individual’s personality and traits. Nurture is the influences on development occurring ‘from prenat al, parental, extended family and peer experiences, extending to influences such as media, marketing and socio-economic status. (Answers, 2011). Nature is the genetic predispositions that determine how people behave. It provides us with inborn abilities and traits. A case study that supports the influence of nurture is John B. Watsons and his partner, Rayners, experiment on ‘Little Albert’. This case study conveys that Little Albert did not display any fear towards the white rat or anything furry, until associating the rat with the load noise. This event produced Little Albert’s fear of furry objects and demonstrates that experiences play a large role in developing our personality and particularly our traits.If environment didn't play a part in shaping an individual's personality, then identical twins should, supposedly, be exactly the same. â€Å"Although identical twins are genetically identical and share the same family environment, identical twins raised tog ether do not have identical personalities. These differences must then be explained entirely by non-shared environmental effects. † (Haimowitz, Avi. 2005) It is evident through the case study of ‘Little Albert’ and the quote above, that people think and behave in certain ways because they are taught to do so. B. F.Skinner (1904 -1990) proved that human behavior could be conditioned and individuals condition their behavior accordingly to each role and responsibility they undertake. You may find yourself juggling different roles as a parent, child, husband or wife, sibling, worker, and friend. The way we act and react in different positions and situations has been formed by our environment and how we have been taught to respond through our experiences. The ‘Skinner box’ is an example of operate conditioning (see appendix 1 for image of the Skinner box). It is an experiment, created by B.F. Skinner to demonstrate a behavior followed by a reinforcing stim ulus, which results in an increased likelihood of that behavior occurring in the future. B. F. Skinner placed a rat in the Skinner box. The rat pressed the response lever, releasing a food pellet into the food dispenser. It was not trying to do anything when it first touched the lever, but once the rat learned how to release the food, it began repeating the process. â€Å"The behavior is followed by a consequence, and the nature of the consequence modifies the organism’s tendency to repeat the behavior in the future. (Boeree, George. 1997). As you learn from your experiences and environment, you condition yourself in response to it. Skinner suggests that psychologists focus on observables, that is, the environment and our behavior in it. â€Å"Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select†¦ regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations and race of his ancestors. †- John Watson.This well known behaviorist, John Watson, conveys that no matter what the individual’s nature is, the environment and experiences in one’s life can condition the individual and shape their personality. Genie, a thirteen year old girl, was found on the 4th of November in 1970. She had suffered severe sensory and social deprivation as a result of being locked in her room, completely isolated, for almost her entire life. She was haunted by her traumatic upbringing and trapped by memories of her suffering. Her father, Clark Wiley, turned his back on the world after his mother had been killed by a hit and run driver.The result of his lose was taken out on his family. Genie was particularly targeted by her father, after he was told she may have a slow development. This case study expresses how important parenting is on a child’s personality. The lack of interaction and speech f rom Genie resulted in having no language or cognitive ability. â€Å"The left part of the cerebral cortex in Genie’s brain, which is responsible for speech and language, has not received the stimulation required for normal development† (ExtraOrdinaryChildren, 2008)(See appendix 4 for image).This lack of development has left her speech centres irreparably damaged. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs show that Genie did not meet any of the levels of need (see appendix 3 for Maslow’s hierarchy of need’s pyramid). According to this theory â€Å"they are the literal requirements for human survival. If these requirements are not met, the human body simply cannot continue to function†. (Wikipedia, 2011) She had the physical development of a 7-year old due to her prolonged malnutrition. Genie had a poor quality diet consisting of milk, oatmeal and sometimes an egg. The house was completely dark, all the blinds were drawn and there were no toys, no clothes, nothing to indicate that a child of any age had lived there†. (ExtraOrdinaryChildren, 2008)These experiences of Genie’s entire life, comes to show how much each individual needs their environment and the result of not having nurture in one’s life. Bibliography A2zpsychology, 2006, Freud's Psychosexual Theory. Viewed March 16, 2011, http://www. a2zpsychology. com/great_psychologists/freud_psychosexual_thoery. htm About, 2011, Personality Psychology.Viewed March 21, 2011, http://psychology. about. com/od/personalitydevelopment/Personality_Psychology. htm Answers, 2011, Nature or Nurture. Viewed March 4, 2011, http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_influences_personality_more_nature_or_nurture#ixzz1HIvrEH1D Boeree, George. 1997, Sigmund Freud. Viewed March 13, 2011, http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/freud. html. Boeree, George. 1998, B. F. Skinner. Viewed March 12, 2011, http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/skinner. html Changingminds, 2011, Freud’s Psychosexual Stage Theory.Viewed March 15, 2011, http://changingminds. org/explanations/learning/freud_stage. htm Dr. Westrope. 2010, Personality. ViewedMarch 18, 2011, http://answers. yahoo. com/question/index? qid=20091119000820AALKEuL ExtraOrdinaryChildren, 2008, Genie Wiley. Viewed March 13, 2011, http://www. mymultiplesclerosis. co. uk/misc/wild-child. html Haimowitz, Avi. 2005, Heredity vs. environment. Viewed March 21, 2011, http://www. personalityresearch. org/papers/haimowitz. html Powell, Kimberly. 2011, nature vs nurture.Viewed March 22, 2011, http://genealogy. about. com/cs/geneticgenealogy/a/nature_nurture. htm Stennes Barbara (2009), How Different Roles Influence Your Personality. Viewed March 14, 2011, http://www. resourcesunlimited. com/How_Different_Roles_Influence_Your_Personality. asp Wikipedia, 2011, Personality Psychology. Viewed March 21, 2011, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Personality_psychology#Trait_theories Wikipedia, 2011, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Viewed March 1 4, 2011, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/File:Maslow%27s_Hierarchy_of_Needs. svg Psychology 101 We all come in different shapes and sizes. We all have strengths and weaknesses. What is right for one person may not be right for another. How we feel, think, behave and react in different situations are shaped from when we are born throughout the rest of our lives. Our environment influences our personality, our experiences from when we first walk to the last day we breathe. There are a number of psychologists who support that individuals environment is the key aspect to influencing personality. Sigmund Freud believed that our childhood experiences are what influence our personality as an adult.The nurture theory proposes that environment is what influences each individual and determines their personality. B. F. Skinner and John Watson both suggest that personality is a result of interaction between the individual and the environment. The case study of â€Å"Genie, the wild child† comes to show how much we require all of the environmental factors in Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs to live a healthy and standard life. Sigmund Freud (1856- 1939) believed that the psychosexual stages affect your personality and your experiences as you grow up influence your personality as an adult.Each of Freud’s five stages determines certain characteristics in our personality as we become adults (see appendix 2 for details on stages). It was developed from patients' recollections, dreams and free associations. He â€Å"asserted that sexual instinct was the most important influence on personality. † (WiseGEEK, 2011). The oral stage develops a sense of trust and comfort. The next period, the anal stage, increases accomplishment and independence. The differences between males and females are developed throughout the phallic stage, as the individual wants to possess the opposite sex parent and has the desire to replace the same gender parent.The latent period is important in the improvement of social and communication skills and self confidence. The individ ual will develop a strong sexual interest in the opposite sex throughout the last stage, the genital stage. â€Å"Fixation gives each problem at each stage a long-term effect in terms of our personality or character. †(Boeree, George. 1997) This means that if difficulty occurs in the stages, it can affect your personality, such as independence can transform to becoming dependant on others. Everything you become is determined by your first few years.The adult is exclusively determined by the child's experiences, because whatever actions occur in adulthood is based on an outline laid down in the earliest years of life. Personality comes from adaptive patterns associated to an individual’s specific environment. Nature versus nurture is a debate upon the importance of an individual’s inborn qualities against personal experiences in influencing or causing individual’s personality and traits. Nurture is the influences on development occurring ‘from prenat al, parental, extended family and peer experiences, extending to influences such as media, marketing and socio-economic status. (Answers, 2011). Nature is the genetic predispositions that determine how people behave. It provides us with inborn abilities and traits. A case study that supports the influence of nurture is John B. Watsons and his partner, Rayners, experiment on ‘Little Albert’. This case study conveys that Little Albert did not display any fear towards the white rat or anything furry, until associating the rat with the load noise. This event produced Little Albert’s fear of furry objects and demonstrates that experiences play a large role in developing our personality and particularly our traits.If environment didn't play a part in shaping an individual's personality, then identical twins should, supposedly, be exactly the same. â€Å"Although identical twins are genetically identical and share the same family environment, identical twins raised tog ether do not have identical personalities. These differences must then be explained entirely by non-shared environmental effects. † (Haimowitz, Avi. 2005) It is evident through the case study of ‘Little Albert’ and the quote above, that people think and behave in certain ways because they are taught to do so. B. F.Skinner (1904 -1990) proved that human behavior could be conditioned and individuals condition their behavior accordingly to each role and responsibility they undertake. You may find yourself juggling different roles as a parent, child, husband or wife, sibling, worker, and friend. The way we act and react in different positions and situations has been formed by our environment and how we have been taught to respond through our experiences. The ‘Skinner box’ is an example of operate conditioning (see appendix 1 for image of the Skinner box). It is an experiment, created by B.F. Skinner to demonstrate a behavior followed by a reinforcing stim ulus, which results in an increased likelihood of that behavior occurring in the future. B. F. Skinner placed a rat in the Skinner box. The rat pressed the response lever, releasing a food pellet into the food dispenser. It was not trying to do anything when it first touched the lever, but once the rat learned how to release the food, it began repeating the process. â€Å"The behavior is followed by a consequence, and the nature of the consequence modifies the organism’s tendency to repeat the behavior in the future. (Boeree, George. 1997). As you learn from your experiences and environment, you condition yourself in response to it. Skinner suggests that psychologists focus on observables, that is, the environment and our behavior in it. â€Å"Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select†¦ regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations and race of his ancestors. †- John Watson.This well known behaviorist, John Watson, conveys that no matter what the individual’s nature is, the environment and experiences in one’s life can condition the individual and shape their personality. Genie, a thirteen year old girl, was found on the 4th of November in 1970. She had suffered severe sensory and social deprivation as a result of being locked in her room, completely isolated, for almost her entire life. She was haunted by her traumatic upbringing and trapped by memories of her suffering. Her father, Clark Wiley, turned his back on the world after his mother had been killed by a hit and run driver.The result of his lose was taken out on his family. Genie was particularly targeted by her father, after he was told she may have a slow development. This case study expresses how important parenting is on a child’s personality. The lack of interaction and speech f rom Genie resulted in having no language or cognitive ability. â€Å"The left part of the cerebral cortex in Genie’s brain, which is responsible for speech and language, has not received the stimulation required for normal development† (ExtraOrdinaryChildren, 2008)(See appendix 4 for image).This lack of development has left her speech centres irreparably damaged. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs show that Genie did not meet any of the levels of need (see appendix 3 for Maslow’s hierarchy of need’s pyramid). According to this theory â€Å"they are the literal requirements for human survival. If these requirements are not met, the human body simply cannot continue to function†. (Wikipedia, 2011) She had the physical development of a 7-year old due to her prolonged malnutrition. Genie had a poor quality diet consisting of milk, oatmeal and sometimes an egg. The house was completely dark, all the blinds were drawn and there were no toys, no clothes, nothing to indicate that a child of any age had lived there†. (ExtraOrdinaryChildren, 2008)These experiences of Genie’s entire life, comes to show how much each individual needs their environment and the result of not having nurture in one’s life. Bibliography A2zpsychology, 2006, Freud's Psychosexual Theory. Viewed March 16, 2011, http://www. a2zpsychology. com/great_psychologists/freud_psychosexual_thoery. htm About, 2011, Personality Psychology.Viewed March 21, 2011, http://psychology. about. com/od/personalitydevelopment/Personality_Psychology. htm Answers, 2011, Nature or Nurture. Viewed March 4, 2011, http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_influences_personality_more_nature_or_nurture#ixzz1HIvrEH1D Boeree, George. 1997, Sigmund Freud. Viewed March 13, 2011, http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/freud. html. Boeree, George. 1998, B. F. Skinner. Viewed March 12, 2011, http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/skinner. html Changingminds, 2011, Freud’s Psychosexual Stage Theory.Viewed March 15, 2011, http://changingminds. org/explanations/learning/freud_stage. htm Dr. Westrope. 2010, Personality. ViewedMarch 18, 2011, http://answers. yahoo. com/question/index? qid=20091119000820AALKEuL ExtraOrdinaryChildren, 2008, Genie Wiley. Viewed March 13, 2011, http://www. mymultiplesclerosis. co. uk/misc/wild-child. html Haimowitz, Avi. 2005, Heredity vs. environment. Viewed March 21, 2011, http://www. personalityresearch. org/papers/haimowitz. html Powell, Kimberly. 2011, nature vs nurture.Viewed March 22, 2011, http://genealogy. about. com/cs/geneticgenealogy/a/nature_nurture. htm Stennes Barbara (2009), How Different Roles Influence Your Personality. Viewed March 14, 2011, http://www. resourcesunlimited. com/How_Different_Roles_Influence_Your_Personality. asp Wikipedia, 2011, Personality Psychology. Viewed March 21, 2011, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Personality_psychology#Trait_theories Wikipedia, 2011, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Viewed March 1 4, 2011, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/File:Maslow%27s_Hierarchy_of_Needs. svg